Chapter 54
Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Reluctant Subordinate
Cheon Woojin, who had suddenly become someone's subordinate out of nowhere without lifting a finger, was on the verge of losing his mind.
'What the hell is this...'
He knew the guy was incredibly skilled.
He knew his talent was monstrous.
But this was too much.
'I don't even know his name, let alone his age...'
They were total strangers.
They'd barely exchanged a few words.
And yet, out of the blue, he was supposed to become his subordinate.
Even if the guy was his father, this was going too far.
Just then, Cheon Seonwoo's voice transmission reached him.
[Watch closely and learn well.]
[Father. Do you even know who this guy is? Why are you...]
Cheon Woojin hurriedly sent back a transmission, but Cheon Seonwoo waved him off dismissively, as if annoyed.
"I'll be off now. I need to start revising the Heavenly Apex Swordsmanship right away. Take good care of my boy."
With that, Cheon Seonwoo vanished for real.
Left alone together, the two men.
Cheon Woojin glanced around awkwardly before speaking first.
"Ahem, little brother. You don't need to take what my father said too seriously. He's a man who loves his jokes..."
But Mok Jimyeong seemed lost in thought, not even looking at him.
"Hmm..."
"Little brother? Are you listening to me?"
"Ah! That's perfect!"
Suddenly, Mok Jimyeong's face lit up, and Cheon Woojin felt a chill of foreboding.
"W-what do you mean?"
"From now on, call me 'liege' when you address me."
He'd been pondering what title to use, apparently.
Cheon Woojin forced an awkward smile and tried again.
"Come on, little brother, enough with the jokes. Father's gone now, so let's at least exchange proper introductions..."
He tried to persuade him out of this subordinate nonsense somehow.
But Mok Jimyeong just snorted derisively.
"Hey. You stronger than me?"
"Well... no."
He knew from their recent clash.
Even if they hadn't fought to the death, the skill gap was obvious.
He'd been smacked around with a scabbard, not even a real sword.
It wasn't for nothing that his father had acknowledged him.
As Cheon Woojin clamped his mouth shut, Mok Jimyeong sauntered over cockily.
"So why the attitude? Didn't you hear the old man? If you don't like it, you can beat me senseless."
"Little brother, let's drop this now. How long are you going to..."
"Use honorifics."
"..."
Cheon Woojin shut his mouth tight again, and Mok Jimyeong sighed.
"Sigh. This isn't going smoothly."
With that, he picked up his scabbard.
Looking ready to actually thrash him.
Cheon Woojin hurriedly spoke up.
"Can't you let this slide...?"
"Me? Why should I?"
He had plenty to say, but he couldn't get it out.
Those eyes showed zero willingness to listen.
'Ah, is there really no way out...'
Even if he somehow escaped, he had nowhere to go.
Heading home like this would just get him a beating from his father and dragged back here anyway.
And he couldn't hide out forever somewhere.
Cheon Woojin let out a deep sigh and gave up.
"...Understood. So what do you want me to do?"
"Hm, nothing specific. Just follow me for now."
Mok Jimyeong started walking away indifferently.
Staring at his back, Cheon Woojin steeled his resolve.
'No helping it now. Like Father said, I'll watch closely and learn what I can.'
This guy was acknowledged by his father, after all.
Sticking around, he'd pick up something useful.
And so their journey began.
Cheon Woojin, knowing nothing about Mok Jimyeong, fired off questions left and right.
Mok Jimyeong answered them all, though annoyed, figuring it was necessary.
In the midst of their back-and-forth, Cheon Woojin heard something unbelievable.
"What?!"
"Didn't hear earlier? We're going to meet the Sword Phoenix."
No, he had heard.
He clearly remembered Cheon Seonwoo saying, 'If you're busy, does it have to do with meeting that Sword Phoenix girl?'
But he'd assumed it was some official business...
'He didn't say he was going to woo her!'
Cheon Woojin barely swallowed the shout rising in his throat.
In truth, that had been explicitly stated in the conversation between Mok Jimyeong and Cheon Seonwoo.
Cheon Woojin had just arrived late and missed it.
"So we're heading to the Moyong Clan now to meet the Sword Phoenix...?"
"Yep."
Cheon Woojin sighed inwardly.
His first task as a subordinate: aiding his liege's romantic pursuits.
'...Fine. A man should secure a good match.'
He tried to think positively.
This was the man who'd be his liege for the next year, after all.
Just then, Mok Jimyeong whipped around, as if remembering something.
"Oh, and just so we're clear upfront: if you show any interest in the woman who's going to be mine... you're dead."
His sincere gaze carried a faint murderous intent.
Cheon Woojin flinched but responded confidently.
"Don't worry. No matter how shameless I am, I wouldn't covet my liege's woman."
There was a reason Mok Jimyeong had spelled it out so clearly.
Originally, the Sword Phoenix and Cheon Woojin were betrothed.
Who knew if fate might spark something between them.
'Then he'd really be dead.'
Mok Jimyeong could tolerate anything except someone eyeing his woman.
But Cheon Woojin tried to see it in a good light too.
'My liege must really like the Sword Phoenix.'
In reality, they'd never even met, but Cheon Woojin assumed Mok Jimyeong had fallen for her at first sight in the past.
It was the only explanation that made sense.
'Traveling all the way from Shanxi to Liaoning. My liege is quite the romantic.'
And that misconception shattered in just one day.
***
The next day.
Upon arriving in the city, the first place Mok Jimyeong headed was a brothel.
"Liege... this place?"
"What, first time at a brothel?"
Cheon Woojin's guilty expression made Mok Jimyeong look incredulous.
It really was his first time.
'When would I have had the chance...'
Cheon Woojin wasn't uninterested as a man.
But living with his father, Cheon Seonwoo, he could never dream of visiting one.
Reading his face, Mok Jimyeong clicked his tongue.
"You're twenty-six, right? What have you been doing all this time without ever visiting a brothel?"
"Ahem, as you know, liege, I've been living with my father..."
"Ah! The old man hates places like this?"
"...I've never asked, so I don't know."
He figured he would, but he'd never actually inquired.
Cheon Woojin was terrified of Cheon Seonwoo.
"Well, with the old man's personality, probably. To celebrate you becoming my subordinate, I'll give you a new experience today."
Watching Mok Jimyeong stride ahead confidently, Cheon Woojin cautiously spoke up.
"But liege... with your betrothed waiting, is it alright to visit places like this...?"
"Betrothed? What betrothed?"
"...?"
They both tilted their heads.
Cheon Woojin finally spoke.
"Don't you have the Sword Phoenix as your betrothed, liege?"
"What are you talking about? I've never even seen her face."
"...Pardon?"
"Yeah."
The liege he'd thought was a romantic turned out to be a womanizing playboy.
Like a sparrow passing a mill, whenever Mok Jimyeong spotted a brothel, he always spent the night there.
"Liege, another brothel today...?"
"Why?"
"We can't keep staying in brothels forever."
Mok Jimyeong replied indifferently to Cheon Woojin's earnest advice.
"You had a blast last time too, so what's the fuss?"
Cheon Woojin flinched.
The first time at the brothel really had been a revelation.
He'd finally learned how sweet a woman's scent could be, how soft her body.
But he had his reasons for complaining now.
'Ever since that day, he's been enjoying it all by himself...!'
After the first night, Mok Jimyeong never let Cheon Woojin join him in the pleasure quarters.
Every day, he stationed Cheon Woojin outside as a guard while he frolicked with the courtesans alone.
Then, when the drinking ended, Mok Jimyeong slept with the girls at the brothel, leaving Cheon Woojin to trudge back to the inn alone, forlorn.
This was already the third time.
Ignorance would have been bliss, but having tasted it once, it was torture for Cheon Woojin.
Of course, Mok Jimyeong had his own side to it.
'Broke as you are, where do you get off wanting to play with women.'
Cheon Woojin had no money.
Cheon Seonwoo had always handled the finances and hadn't given him a single coin when he left.
The first day was a special celebration for his new subordinate, but Mok Jimyeong couldn't keep footing the bill forever.
'I've covered the inn fees. That's enough.'
He was even paying for their regular meals.
Sensing that look, Cheon Woojin finally voiced what he'd been holding back.
"...Pay me my salary."
"What?"
"I'm your subordinate, aren't I? So pay me!"
Cheon Woojin squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.
Mok Jimyeong pondered briefly before responding.
"How much?"
"...Tw-twenty silver taels a month."
Twenty silver taels.
Over ten times what an average escort in a merchant group earned.
For someone at Cheon Woojin's pinnacle level, it was ridiculously cheap, but Mok Jimyeong had no intention of paying even that.
"You're insane."
"Ten taels! No, five!"
"Two silver taels. Take it or leave it."
"...Understood."
And so, until they reached the Moyong Clan, Cheon Woojin could follow Mok Jimyeong to the brothels.