Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Going Out
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“My apologies.”
A middle-aged man wore a troubled expression.
“There’s a strict order from the Seo Mun Clan Head himself. It’d be the same at any other place you try.”
The owner of the pawnshop. The man, past fifty, politely handed back the faded gold plaque.
“I understand.”
It was an identification plaque issued to the clan’s retainers. One emblazoned with a golden dragon, no less. No pawnshop anywhere in Shandong would fail to recognize its worth.
Strictly speaking, what one pawned here wasn’t an object, but a name.
As a direct descendant of the Seo Mun Clan, he could have borrowed the full amount even at a modest shop like this. Yet not a single tael ended up in his hands.
Approval denied.
I figured as much.
His reputation and credit as the clan’s playboy had hit rock bottom ages ago. The money pouch hidden in his sleeve had stayed heavy this long only because of the family’s backing.
“How long ago... did this start?”
“It’s been a couple of months, I’d say.”
The well that never ran dry had suddenly dried up.
“Thanks for your words.”
I left the pawnshop, dragging a flustered A-so along.
“What do we do now?”
We’d spent quite some time shaking off the watchers. His excitement from the rare outing faded as A-so asked cautiously.
“Just in case, I brought my own spending money. How about some noodles at least?”
“I saw it coming.”
It was within my expectations. I showed him the hefty pouch to ease his worries.
“Just stopped by to check.”
“Wow, Young Master, you’re amazing as always.”
“It’s nothing that special.”
In the gaps between immersing myself in martial arts training, I’d kept track of time and gauged the clan’s situation. Given my position, I couldn’t ignore the shifting dynamics around me—and the watchers made it easy enough to predict.
“Young-ryeong handed it over willingly enough.”
Not out of brotherly love or selfless kindness, of course.
“In exchange for one sparring match.”
“You’ve gotten close with the young lady?”
It was probably her excuse for a duel nine times out of ten.
“A single tael for all that? Worth at least ten nyang in silver.”
“So, that means you’re on good terms now?”
“Who knows.”
It wasn’t all that important.
Jangmu County lay a short distance from the clan lands.
A hub for escort and merchant caravans, I wandered the vast market with A-so.
“For someone who cut off support, the Clan Head sure permitted this outing easily.”
“He said to let questions be questions and suspicions be suspicions for now.”
“Pardon?”
“Words from someone who knows. I’ve stayed put and behaved for a while, so it’d be awkward for him to refuse outright.”
Doing otherwise would be like scolding a studious child for focusing on his books.
Or maybe he just wants to keep an eye on me.
I pictured the watcher breaking into a cold sweat right about now.
“Anyway, this is great. Heh heh. It’s been ages since I’ve been outside the clan. Not that the clan isn’t nice.”
Unlike A-so, who busied himself browsing fabrics and trinkets.
“Don’t you usually join me on outings?”
“Normally, you bring warriors along.”
“Where are those escorts?”
“They went to Hangzhou. On account of that incident with you before.”
The “incident” referred to his previous injury.
The culprit who was Seo Mun-ha’s mortal enemy... but could be my benefactor.
“Stay sharp. Let’s keep moving.”
A-so, lost in thought, suddenly turned.
Shops lined the main street, and the narrow path choked with vendors and pedestrians felt like a sea of people.
Standing still would mean getting jostled left and right, so we sought a suitable inn to grab a meal as well.
“It’s Hwamyeong Inn. You brought me here once before.”
The place A-so led me to had a grand signboard adorned with gilded edges.
The building matched its colorful plaque, towering six stories in majestic splendor. Savory aromas whetted the appetite, while the faint strum of a qin from a musician drifted out, exuding refinement from the very entrance.
The moment I stepped inside, a waiter hurried over.
“Welcome...”
He faltered mid-stride. A flicker of unease crossed his face before he plastered on a broad smile.
“Welcome, Young Master.”
Not a customer. He recognized me at a glance from my frequent visits.
“No other companions?”
“As you see.”
“This way, please. For your order...”
“The usual.”
“Yes, sir.”
While waiting for the food, I scanned the surroundings.
“Fewer people recognize me than I thought.”
The market was the same. They hyped me as Shandong’s most infamous figure, yet...
“Maybe because there are so many out-of-towners?”
“It is crowded.”
“This is even lighter than usual.”
Shandong spanned the old Qingzhou and Xuzhou regions. Beneath the capital, it drew crowds from everywhere, making me just one topic among many over drinks.
“Plus, your face has changed a lot, Young Master. Strangers wouldn’t recognize you. Unless they’re staring because you’re handsome now.”
A few sidelong glances weren’t absent.
The clan’s prestige helps, too.
No one openly picked a fight. As A-so said, I could tell locals from travelers just from their looks and what lay behind them.
Otherwise, there was only the gentle music and the view beyond the windows.
The exquisite food and quiet meal made for true peace.
The serene atmosphere stirred mixed feelings. Satisfying to see the vibrant scenery I’d longed for from afar, untouched by war’s scars—yet somehow off.
Good is good.
I shook off the vague mood and paid with extra coin.
The waiter’s stiff posture and suspicious squint were amusing.
“I hear Cuihualou is the famous spot around here?”
“Y-yes, Young Master. As you know, with Tianxianglou and Fenghualou, they’re Shandong’s Three Great Pavilions. If you’re after a new courtesan, it’s not Cuihualou but...”
Misreading my extra tip, he rattled off familiar intel.
Which new girls at which houses boasted top beauty—he pushed Fenghualou hard. Leaving him behind, I headed to Cuihualou.
At the edge of Zhongmu County.
As the sign came into view, A-so’s face hardened.
“Why so tense?”
“First time. Should I wait outside?”
Courtesan houses sold talents like song and music; brothels sold the body too.
Many blurred the lines, but Cuihualou lived up to its “great” name as a proper brothel.
“Come in. Won’t take long.”
This market survey wasn’t mere recreation. Or rather, not just that. While retracing Seo Mun-ha’s steps, I hoped to snag a loose thread.
“Won’t catch it right away, though.”
The one who carved unforgettable agony into this body. And the true culprit behind it all. Few candidates, so I wasn’t without hope.
“Around here, only the Hwang Bo Clan could touch the Seo Mun heir without consequence. Or the Seo Mun Clan itself.”
Considering the clan’s intelligence, the answer was one or the other.
“Either they won’t find it, or they can’t.”
“N-no way. Even so, the Clan Head himself...”
“Here’s hoping.”
A-so swallowed dryly. Not mere brothel nerves—his stiff face trailed me into Cuihualou.
A woman spotting me immediately widened her eyes.
“Oh my, Young Master Seo Mun?”
Rare for a courtesan to guard the door, but she greeted me like an acquaintance. Her perfumed warmth brimmed with delight, a stark contrast to Hwamyeong Inn.
“It’s been ages. You’ve gotten even more handsome in the meantime.”
She knew neither my real name nor alias, naturally.
I pushed away her linking arm, and she pointed to two girls nearby.
“Not me today, I see. I’ll fetch the madam. Please wait just a moment.”
Her tact rivaled any waiter’s. No hint of offense, she kept smiling warmly and slipped away smoothly.
“Escort the Young Master.”
“Yes, this way, Young Master.”
Following the remaining girl led to a private room larger than my own quarters. As expected from ties surpassing the other two pavilions, the madam soon appeared.
“Long time no see, Young Master Seo Mun.”
“Likewise.”
“I heard the news. Glad you’re safe.”
Said to be past forty, the Cuihualou madam looked remarkably young in person.
“They say people change after forty, but you’ve become a fine man. Unrecognizable.”
“Spare the flattery.”
“Hee hee. Which girl today?”
“One of the usuals.”
Not just one or two, but regulars existed.
“You know how it is, Young Master Seo Mun.”
“Know what?”
“Lots of people ask for that girl.”
“Then make it someone special. Martial artist preferred.”
“You’ve got jokes now. Unless it’s Haomen, where would a courtesan learn martial arts?”
“If a courtesan knows martial arts, assume she’s Haomen?”
The madam still smiled.
“This is Shandong.”
“I know.”
“You know it’s no place for unorthodox sects to strut.”
“That much I know. Just joking.”
“Funny timing—I do have a girl like that. From a fallen martial sect. Not Haomen, mind you. Her looks might not suit, and she hasn’t earned a courtesan name yet.”
At her signal, the bamboo screens parted.
“I’ll have her ready shortly.”
Several girls bustled in, setting a full table of drinks. Alone with A-so in the room, he finally spoke up.
“Cuihualou in Shandong isn’t secretly Haomen turf, right?”
“Who knows.”
“She was intimidating. Stunningly beautiful, too. They say martial artists always look young.”
“Not every warrior can spot another on sight.”
Especially if the target was naive or adept at hiding their aura.
Without testing hands or probing meridians, true judgment was hard.
“That’s why the Four Borders realm is called the ‘Discerning Eye.’ Piercing truth with the same gaze.”
A voice from beyond the door quoted peak realm mastery as its owner approached.
“Forgive my rudeness. Wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.”
The mysterious woman veiled her face with gauze.
So that’s what she meant by unappealing looks.
This extreme measure alone proved the madam’s cunning.
“May I sit beside you?”
A lovely voice.
I stopped her approach and patted A-so’s back.
“Let’s go.”
“Pardon?”
“You come with, miss.”
“...”
“Told the madam, too. Paid up.”
“What do I have to...”
“Cooperate. We’re hunting a pickpocket.”