Chapter 23
Translator: penny
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Off to the Brothel Together
Travel expenses? Eun Garyeon's promise to cover them came true right away.
"Please add the young master's share to the bill as well."
"Yes, understood."
Eun Garyeon paid for everything I'd ordered at the tavern earlier, plus all the food that had spilled.
The slight tremble at the corner of her eye was probably just my imagination.
"This much... came out?"
Guess it wasn't my imagination after all.
'I did order some pricey stuff.'
It was the first day of our trip, so I'd gone all out on whatever I wanted.
Still, if I had one grievance,
'Spilling someone else's food was that Jang guy's fault, wasn't it?'
The bill had doubled because that Jang Yunho guy had rolled on the floor and knocked into the table.
If he'd just collapsed neatly in place, it wouldn't have been like this. Tsk.
As we left the tavern, Eun Garyeon called out to me cautiously.
"Um... Young Master Mok. I have something to say..."
"Yeah? What is it?"
Her hesitant demeanor sparked a bit of anticipation.
Was she about to confess?
'Damn this popularity of mine.'
A beauty like Eun Garyeon? I'd welcome her with open arms.
I was about to accept gladly when she continued.
"This is really embarrassing to say, but... we don't have much money right now. Once we reach the Eun Merchant Group, I'll pay you extra, so on the way there, we might need to cut back on expenses a bit..."
"Huh...?"
Judging by her saying this now, the tavern bill must have been a huge hit to their funds.
This was a bit tricky.
I'd planned to eat and play lavishly on their dime along the way...
'Cut back on expenses?'
Tightening my belt during a trip? No thanks.
After a moment's thought, a great idea hit me.
"How about this? I'll lend you the money."
"Pardon? Lend us money...?"
"I've got some cash on me, so I'll lend it all to you. Once we reach the merchant group, you pay me back. Interest-free, of course."
She tilted her head, looking puzzled as to why I'd do that.
'A merchant with such slow math skills?'
This way, I could spend freely without worrying about costs, and she got an interest-free loan. Win-win.
Who lends money interest-free these days?
It was perfectly upright sect behavior.
I held out my money pouch, and after hesitating, Eun Garyeon spoke up.
"Then what will you take as collateral?"
"Collateral?"
I hadn't even considered not getting it back.
Her eating my money, Mok Jimyeong's? No way.
I was confident I could wring it out of the Eun Merchant Group, even if I had to tear it apart.
'Ah, though it might've gone bankrupt by now.'
Since I'd never heard of it, that was possible.
After a brief ponder, I replied.
"Hm... then you can pay me back with your body."
Half-joking, half-serious.
But the Jang guy nearby bellowed and drew his sword.
"You crazy bastard!"
He drew his sword again.
I'd let it slide once, and now this.
"Haa... Hey. Jang bastard."
"..."
To the guy glaring daggers at me with his mouth shut,
I spoke lowly.
"If you draw your sword in front of me one more time, I'll chop off that entire arm."
This was dead serious.
'This punk since earlier.'
A sword was a weapon for killing people.
Aiming it at someone else was a threat to their life.
Mok Jimyeong didn't have endless patience.
Sensing my killing intent, he flinched and stepped back.
That's when Eun Garyeon intervened.
"Enough of that. Young Master Jang, what are you doing to someone who's about to join our group?"
"But, Merchant Leader, that bastard..."
Jang Yunho's rebuttal voice trembled slightly.
He'd felt earlier he wasn't my match.
So he was just puffing up his pride in front of the lady.
'Know your limits.'
Drawing a sword in front of anyone.
Warning given—next time, I'd really sever the arm.
'You've killed a lot, Mok Jimyeong.'
No, not a lot?
Just once.
Back in my Lecherous Demon days, I wouldn't have warned—I'd have taken his head.
Unless it was a woman, maybe.
But just cutting off one arm? How generous.
This was my effort to fit into the upright sects.
"Young Master Jang, didn't you see Young Master Mok hesitating at first? He wasn't even thinking about collateral. Saying 'pay with your body' was probably just offhand."
That wasn't true.
If I didn't get my money back, Eun Garyeon would really have to pay with her body.
'It's about money, so even upright sect folks would understand, right?'
Plus, just once.
Given my magnanimity, one time should cover the silver's worth.
Eun Garyeon took the pouch and bowed her head.
"Then I'll repay this in Beiping."
"Sure. Looking forward to it."
And so, I
began a free trip with a beauty.
Four days into our journey from Taiwon toward Beiping.
My mood was seriously sour.
It was a rare trip with a beauty, but...
'Tch, what the hell do I do?'
I couldn't find a way to take her.
This was a worry I'd never had in my Lecherous Demon days.
The problem was never a lack of appealing women—seducing them was never hard.
'Just take her by force.'
But now I was living as upright sect.
Rape was off the table.
'Subdue that Jang bastard first, then take Eun Garyeon right in front of him... perfect.'
Of course, the temptation still bubbled up now and then, but I had to hold back.
So I needed another way, but it wasn't easy.
"Miss Eun."
"Ah, Young Master Mok. Have you thought about my proposal? Joining our Eun Merchant Group..."
Her head was full of the merchant group—she couldn't even read the mood.
And there were other issues too.
"Merchant Leader, just give up on him. Our Eun Merchant Group can grow just fine without a thug like that."
That meddling Jang Yunho was a problem.
Since the first day when I'd warned him, he hadn't drawn his sword again, but he'd realized I didn't care about his yapping, so he badmouthed me to her constantly.
This only soured my mood day by day.
'Tch, should I go ahead and burn down the Eun Merchant Group?'
Then I could use the loaned money as an excuse to take her.
I was even thinking like that.
'Screw it. When we hit the next town, I'll just hit a brothel.'
Surprisingly, Mok Jimyeong hadn't been with a woman in four days.
The day after leaving Taiwon, we'd stopped at a village, but I'd been too focused on seducing Eun Garyeon and ended up fasting for four whole days.
No brothel at last night's inn either.
My lust had built up to the breaking point.
Of course, saying I was going to a brothel might lower her favor,
'Since I probably won't bed her anyway.'
Setting aside slim chances, I needed to vent first.
I spoke to Jang Yunho beside me first.
"Hey, Jang bastard."
"What?"
"Next time we hit a market town, you're on grunt duty."
"What're you talking about...?"
I ignored his head-tilt and turned to Eun Garyeon.
"Miss Eun. When we reach the next market town, give me some generous expense money."
"Is something the matter?"
"Gonna hit a brothel."
"A brothel...?"
Eun Garyeon repeated it, as if confirming she'd heard right.
To her, I continued shamelessly.
"What? Wanna come along, Miss Eun?"
But the one who answered wasn't her—it was the Jang bastard nearby.
"You mad bastard!"
He yelled and stepped between us.
But he didn't draw his sword like before.
'Smartass. Good memory.'
Long-lived one.
I dug my ear with my pinky and told him,
"Yelling out of nowhere like a lunatic. What, you wanna come too? Mad 'cause I didn't invite you?"
Truth be told, going with him would kill the fun.
He'd probably sit there primly like Jeong Mutae and then leave.
"Grr. Didn't you say you'd escort us? A brothel...!"
"What trouble happens in a market town?"
I brazenly ignored the fact I'd stirred things up in Taiwon market.
He started trembling all over in rage.
Then a voice like jade beads rang from behind.
"Very well. I promised to cover expenses, so the brothel fee too. And... as you said, Young Master Mok, would it be alright if I joined you?"
"Merchant Leader?!"
Jang Yunho whipped around in shock at her words.
I was pretty shocked too.
'She's really going?'
Sure, women could go to brothels.
Call a courtesan for some clean fun.
But that wasn't what I wanted.
"Calling prostitutes, though?"
"...Doesn't matter. Meeting people I've never met before will broaden my horizons. And such experiences might help when I lead the merchant group later."
"Merchant Leader...!"
Jang Yunho called her again, baffled, but she seemed resolved.
"Don't be like that—come with us, Young Master Jang."
I asked her once more.
"You serious? You're really going?"
"Yes. I look forward to it."
And so, for the first time in my life,
I headed to a brothel with a woman.