Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Beauties Assemble
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Smiling, Han So-ok froze stiff.
'W-what did he say?'
She doubted her ears, then doubted them again.
She wondered if she'd misheard. It was the first time in her life she'd heard such an insulting remark.
"S-Seo Mun young master...?"
What more could she say?
Until now, Han So-ok had toyed with men at her whim.
His response far exceeded her expectations, freezing her words and actions—which she'd wielded as freely as a sword—along with her thoughts.
Seo Mun-ha brushed past her indifferently.
"What seems to be the matter, miss?"
The warriors arriving behind him included the escorts from the three murim sects.
'What seems to be the matter?'
Han So-ok's face flushed red as her lips, her entire body trembling with humiliation.
Should she chase after him and grab him? And then what?
Her body began to move little by little, but there was nothing she could do.
The warriors from Prosperity Sect and Plum Spirit Sect, who had heard the full story, were in the same boat.
Of all things, to attempt a joint attack.
They watched Seo Mun-ha's receding back, at a loss for words, their faces awkward.
They had assumed no major disturbance would occur in this confined space, but now they berated themselves for their complacency. Still, there was no turning back what had already happened.
Thud.
Seo Mun-ha found a new empty seat.
The nearest round table was too large for one person sitting alone, and just then, a familiar presence approached nearby.
"You're quite mischievous, Seo Mun young master."
She was a woman in stark contrast to Han So-ok.
Unlike the other woman, who reeked of heavy perfume, Baek Ri-seol drew the eye effortlessly even in her simple attire.
"When did you arrive?"
"A little while ago. 'Heard about' would be more accurate than 'arrived.'"
Baek Ri-seol, accompanied by a single maidservant just like him.
"What do you mean?"
A chuckle escaped her at his feigned ignorance.
Not only Han So-ok herself, but the perceptive warriors nearby must have heard as well.
And they felt a mix of exhilaration and dizziness.
Imagining that sharp tongue turned on themselves. As a fellow woman, Baek Ri-seol briefly felt pity and sympathy.
"May I sit?"
Self-inflicted, so it didn't last long.
"...Ah!"
A-so dramatically cleared the seat beside Seo Mun-ha.
"Please sit here!"
Her outfit was simple overall, but incomparable to the training garb he'd seen at the Seo Mun Clan before.
Her makeup and accessories were modest, befitting the occasion, but that very subtlety highlighted her beauty, drawing people's attention and gossip from the start.
"They say Baekbong is Jianghu's top beauty..."
Praised as the world's greatest beauty, she had hesitated over an unexpected seat but hurriedly took the one beside him.
Thanks to the lineup waiting in order opposite Seo Mun-ha.
"You're Ghost Flash, I presume."
A Daoist representing Mount Mo Sect spoke up.
"Apologies for the late greeting. I'm Jeong-su of Mount Mo."
"Pleased to meet you, Seo Mun young master. Baek Ri young lady."
"I'm Seo Mun-ha."
"Baek Ri-seol of the Baek Ri Clan."
"We wished to express our gratitude on behalf of Priest Jeong-il and Mount Mo Sect."
The Daoist who had shouted during the righteous sects' confrontation had lost consciousness to rather vicious handiwork, uncharacteristic of the orthodox factions.
"No need. As you know, I didn't step in specifically for Mount Mo."
Jeong-su nodded.
He had vaguely sensed as much from the moment the two men had provocatively targeted them.
But intentions aside, they had received help regardless.
It couldn't restore their lost face, but easing their burden was something.
Seo Mun-ha stepping in on Jeong-il's behalf was a plain fact.
Interfering in murim affairs wasn't as easy as it sounded.
Pretext, situation, people...
He seemed recklessly unburdened by favors or grudges, but in truth, he'd executed it flawlessly without loose ends. For a Daoist unfamiliar with worldly affairs, it was chilling.
"And this one?"
Seo Mun-ha glanced at the Daoist standing behind Jeong-su.
He wasn't from Mount Mo Sect.
Most of his fellow disciples and seniors had left Heavenly Dragon Pavilion to tend to Jeong-il, so the relatively unencumbered Jeong-su traveling with someone whose attire was somewhat unexpected made sense.
"This is Hyeon-un of Qingcheng Sect, an old acquaintance of mine. He's naturally taciturn, so please understand."
"Qingcheng?"
The supposedly taciturn Hyeon-un stared steadily at Seo Mun-ha.
"Even without you, I would have stepped forward."
Then he turned his body, opening and closing his heavy mouth.
"That fellow... haha."
"It's fine."
"His expressions are limited, so please take it in your broad magnanimity. That's his way of giving thanks. Probably."
Seo Mun-ha's fame stemmed from many reasons, but one couldn't omit besting the Qingcheng Five Swords.
Qinghe-zi, a renowned Daoist and direct disciple, commanded universal respect, so to his second-generation disciples, a peer like Ghost Flash must have been a thorn in their side.
"No need to worry."
Hyeon-un, who had viewed Seo Mun-ha unfavorably like the others, had expressed his own acknowledgment alongside minimal gratitude.
"Ahem, thanks for saying so."
Whether it landed properly was unclear.
"I've held you too long without noticing. If there's a chance tomorrow, let's share a drink."
"..."
"Mount Mo is quite open-minded, haha. Then, may this gathering be a good time for you."
As the two Daoists departed, showing polar opposite demeanors, Seo Mun-ha called to someone.
"Baek Ri young lady, haven't eaten yet?"
"...Qingcheng's Priest Hyeon-un is one of the standout second-generation disciples."
"A drink would be fine too."
"Mount Mo's Jeong-su must be a peak Seven Realm master."
The two exchanged mismatched words, continuing their back-and-forth.
"Were you listening...?"
"Just saying there's no harm in making connections."
"Yes, true."
"No interest right now anyway. Connections aren't forced by clinging anyway."
"That's true, but..."
Baek Ri-seol let out a soft sigh at his nonchalant attitude.
"You seem a bit different from others, Seo Mun young master. 'Changed' might be the better word?"
"Do I?"
Not just that, but at times he resembled a seasoned veteran who'd seen it all or a monk who'd left the secular world...
"I'm aware I'm an odd one. This is me trying to stay as tame as possible. Don't want to trouble my younger siblings upstairs."
Seo Mun-ha shrugged and began as the dishes spread out before them.
"But what brings you here, young lady?"
The good don't come; those who come aren't good.
Baek Ri-seol had no reason to harm him specifically, but surprisingly, Seo Mun-ha had several hunches.
Rumors, hearsay, scandals.
"Even ghosts don't know everything."
Baek Ri-seol smiled mischievously.
"This."
She handed him an elegantly sealed wooden box.
"Ah, it's something the young lady went to great trouble to obtain!"
The maidservant, who had been silent, added her explanation earnestly.
No wonder he hadn't spotted it even in the rain—it seemed considerable effort had gone into acquiring it.
"It's an internal injury tonic. It also boosts inner power, or so I hear. Probably not significant for you, Seo Mun young master."
"Internal injury tonic? Ah..."
Baek Ri-seol subtly hinted at the previous night.
During the clash with the Crimson Shadow Sword Demon, Seo Mun-ha had sustained considerable internal injuries amid the contest of inner power superiority.
'He wouldn't have shown it.'
Though superior in technique power, he'd pierced the demon's guard multiple times to claim his head, but at no small cost.
"Thank you, Baek Ri young lady."
It seemed she considered more than just those circumstances.
Her assured expression bespoke exceptional insight, clearly piercing his secrets—bordering on clairvoyance.
"Thanks for your concern."
Of course, his injuries from then had mostly healed, but he wasn't so oblivious as to broadcast it.
"It's nothing grand, so no need to feel burdened."
"It is pretty grand, isn't it?"
The maidservant, Su-hyang, whispered overtly, covering her mouth.
Glancing at Seo Mun-ha as if making sure he heard.
'I owe her now.'
Warriors or soldiers alike, it was normal not to reveal wounds.
It declared weakness. A habit carried from his past life made it especially pronounced for Seo Mun-ha.
On the battlefield, wounded soldiers became prime targets first, and lowered allied morale.
One of the things to avoid.
Expressing internal and external gratitude, Seo Mun-ha spoke considerately.
"Young lady, are you fine staying here the whole time?"
"No interest on my end either."
Baek Ri-seol threw his words right back.
"Besides, you said connections aren't sustained by forcing them to stay?"
"Some bonds only endure if you cling."
Seo Mun-ha reached for the bottle.
"Not something for an eighteen-year-old to say, but are you really thirty-nine?"
She snatched it first and asked.
"From Ha young lady?"
It aligned with her unbelievable maturity.
Their tones remained flat, faces impassive, but the atmosphere felt subtly warmer than before. Only A-so and Su-hyang blinked wide-eyed.
"I picked it up somewhere too. Nothing's absolute in the world, no single truth, so live as your heart desires."
"As the heart desires?"
"To regret less later."
As he leaned forward for the bottle, she filled his chilled cup to the brim.
Having devoted herself solely to training, she'd never drunk or poured, so Su-hyang's horrified widening eyes weren't odd.
"Good words."
"Common ones."
The mood wasn't particularly warm.
Yet they captivated countless gazes.
Even servants and warriors passing between floors slowed deliberately.
Baek Ri-seol's looks and martial prowess went without saying, and with Seo Mun-ha—who often became a hot topic—people began joining them one by one.
A palace robe of scarlet silk embroidered with lotuses.
"Couldn't hold back again, huh?"
"Self-defense."
The friendly approacher was the Seven-Colored Little Fox, Ha Eun-ye.
"You look good for pulling an all-nighter."
"Sounds ripe for misunderstanding."
The grumbling woman taking a seat was the Heavenly Poison Little Snake, Dang So-so.
Amid the gathering of renowned beauties, one man rivaled them.
"Just an hour, Seo Mun young hero."
People make the place.
"No good seat, mind if I join?"
True enough.
Most of the Nine Dragons and Seven Peaks in Shandong had gathered in one spot, and who was at the center went without saying.
Some had prior acquaintance, but countless others circulated around them incidentally.
The once quiet table bustled, drawing deeper attention to Seo Mun-ha.
Not flaunting the Seo Mun Clan's prestige, nor were the others treating it as an official clan event.
The relaxed vibe was just ordinary conversation.
"Ahem, you're all gathered. Newly, I'm U Hak-bong."
In the current Heavenly Dragon Pavilion, juniors from the Six Great Clans, Nine Great Sects and One Gang, and other murim factions endlessly sought them out.
"I heard. You stepped in for the Murim Alliance and Qingju Escort Agency."
"That was the Mount Mo Daoist's doing."
Strictly speaking, far more came to see the ragtag guest group hastily formed than for Seo Mun-ha.
Naturally so.
Yet the central Seo Mun-ha had an indefinable pull.
Neither an arrogant nobody like typical juniors nor a stiff stone Buddha from endless training.
"Hahaha, Seo Mun young hero, you're truly enviable."
Decisively, he was strong.
"Three flowers with not two hands but three. Who in the world could claim three phoenixes?"
"Shut up."
Of course, some who misread the mood drew ire frequently.
"J-just a joke, don't be too angry, Dang young lady."
Amid warriors crossed with envy, jealousy, and admiration, one shone particularly bright-eyed.
Judging by the large crest, Habuk Paeng Clan and Hwang Bo Clan.
And one more from a mid-tier sect without special markings.
After the man emitting an imperceptibly formidable aura vanished into the crowd.
'Who was that?'
Seo Mun-ha glanced briefly in that direction.