Chapter 532
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 532
Chapter Title: Shaanxi Province, Sangnam, right?
“Gulp.”
Yu Gwi-gwang swallowed dryly without even realizing it.
He had boldly asked his younger brother about this place and marched in confidently, but the moment he stepped inside the brothel, tension gripped him unbidden.
Above all, the layout was a problem.
'Everywhere is just private rooms.'
This threw a wrench into his plan to stay at the brothel and scout for signs of the Black Mask Room's leader.
He had faced countless enemies in the Mountain-Crossing Demonic Forest, but this was his first time in a brothel—a rookie mistake born of inexperience.
As Yu Gwi-gwang glanced around like a total newcomer,
“Come on, let's hurry to the pawnshop. Then we can head to Yuun Martial Hall with the IOU.”
“I bet seeing Yu Hyun-gwang's face when we show him that IOU from yesterday today will be hilarious. Heh heh.”
Two burly men with rough faces passed by Yu Gwi-gwang, chatting away.
Since they were talking about Yuun Martial Hall, Yu Gwi-gwang's eyes turned toward them.
Their gazes met.
“Huh? What? Hey? Brother, first time at a brothel?”
They had caught the sharp glare he was shooting their way, looked at him, and the moment their eyes locked and they took in his appearance...
The big man relaxed instantly and smirked.
Anyone could tell he was a total brothel virgin.
That stiff, tense posture said it all.
One of the two big men approached Yu Gwi-gwang.
'Did he recognize me? No way that's possible.'
The Black Mask Room.
It hadn't even existed when Yu Gwi-gwang left Sangnam, so there was no way they knew his face.
Yet here one was, suddenly heading straight for him. Yu Gwi-gwang tensed up without thinking.
He was just starting to circulate his internal energy a bit when...
“Hahaha! Everyone's like that their first time. No need to be so tense. Once you try it today, you'll wonder if paradise itself exists. Heh.”
The big man laughed heartily and clapped Yu Gwi-gwang on the back.
It was a gesture of encouragement.
“Let me see... It's still early, so the manager hasn't come in yet... Everyone else worked till dawn and crashed. Hmm... Right now, only Falling Flower's available? Just that one girl. Wow, brother, you're lucky. Falling Flower's one of the top ten courtesans in Crimson Flower Tower—you don't see her easily.”
Yu Gwi-gwang stared blankly at the big man's words.
This guy hadn't recognized him at all.
He was just approaching a first-time brothel customer out of friendliness.
'What the...'
He felt absurd and flustered.
For starters, the man had clocked him as a brothel newbie at a glance.
No, it was barely past dawn—still morning.
Most brothels would be closed at this hour.
But Crimson Flower Tower kept its doors open even during this lull, rotating the courtesans to work shifts and never missing a chance.
Of course, Yu Gwi-gwang had no way of knowing that.
“Heh heh. Yeah, your first time at a brothel's gotta be embarrassing. That's why you came to Crimson Flower Tower at a quiet hour like this when no other customers are around. In Sangnam, no other place has courtesans available this early except us. Guaranteed.”
Well, a few did.
But they were small outfits that paled in comparison to Crimson Flower Tower.
That's why the big man spoke with such confidence.
“Hey, let's get going.”
“Hey now, this could be a valuable regular customer for our brothel. Delaying by an hour won't hurt.”
The big man approaching Yu Gwi-gwang, Jang Un, was famous in the Black Mask Room for his uncanny nose for money.
That's why he'd been put in charge of the Yuun Martial Hall job—and now, he'd caught a whiff of cash from this country bumpkin.
So he was making time for him.
Part of it was pity, remembering his own awkward first time at a brothel.
“Tch. That money-grubbing ghost. What money's that hick got...?”
His partner, also handling the Yuun Martial Hall job, Yeo Gong, grumbled in annoyance.
Ignoring Yeo Gong's griping, Jang Un stayed busy.
“Hey, you there.”
At Jang Un's call, a page boy dropped what he was doing and scurried over.
“Go fetch Falling Flower. Tell her our first customer of the day is here. And let the kitchen know to send over a drinks tray.”
Without a word from Yu Gwi-gwang, Jang Un took charge and got things moving.
“Yes, sir.”
The page boy replied curtly and darted off efficiently.
A moment later, he hurried back, looking troubled.
“What?”
Jang Un asked.
“W-well... um...”
“Spit it out.”
“Falling Flower says she has to go to the Room Leader's quarters... The Room Leader summoned her. She says to wait a bit.”
“Ah...”
Jang Un looked at Yu Gwi-gwang with a helpless expression.
“Sorry, brother. Nothing we can do. The Room Leader called for her. Wait here half a shichen, and some other girls starting their shift will be available. Pick one of them—they're all good. This page boy will take care of you.”
“Y-yes! Yes, sir!”
The capable page boy shook off his fluster and answered promptly.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Rough footsteps echoed then.
“Hey! Jang Un! What the hell! This early in the morning!”
A voice thick with rage.
“You told Falling Flower a customer came, right? And now she's dressing up saying she can't come to me?”
The Black Mask Room's Room Leader, Seon Gyu.
Falling Flower had told the customer to wait as an excuse to dodge Seon Gyu's summons.
Rejected by her, Seon Gyu was fuming and had come hunting for Jang Un.
“You're not going to the pawnshop like you're supposed to—what are you doing here!”
Seon Gyu was so furious his eyes were bulging.
“R-Room Leader... sir... it's...”
Just like that, Yu Gwi-gwang got eyes on the Black Mask Room's Room Leader, Seon Gyu.
After entering the brothel, he'd worried how to spot him amid all the private rooms unlike a tavern—but here Seon Gyu had popped out himself.
Watching the standoff between Jang Un and Seon Gyu—or rather, Seon Gyu's one-sided fury—Yu Gwi-gwang nodded slightly and turned to leave.
“Looks like today isn't the day for me to visit. I'll take my leave...”
With those words,
Before anyone could stop him, Yu Gwi-gwang slipped out of Crimson Flower Tower swiftly.
“H-hey!”
Jang Un tried to grab him in a panic, but Seon Gyu was blocking the way.
Only after Yu Gwi-gwang had left did Seon Gyu's eyes fix on his retreating back.
“That hick? Treating a guy like that as a customer?”
“Brother Jang Un, where's the customer?”
Then Falling Flower appeared, makeup done.
A seductive yet pure beauty blended perfectly.
Plus the decadent allure unique to courtesans, enhanced by her cosmetics.
Seon Gyu's head snapped toward her.
“You ignore my summons but come running for him!”
At the sight, fury surged in Seon Gyu again.
“The Room Leader doesn't pay a fee, after all.”
Falling Flower stated it like it was obvious.
Then she glanced around.
“Where's the customer?”
No sign of him, no matter where she looked.
“Some hick just left.”
Seon Gyu said it with smug satisfaction.
Falling Flower's eyes narrowed sharply.
“What? Brother Jang Un picked him out, and he just left? Because of the Room Leader?”
Her sudden sharp aura flustered Seon Gyu for a moment.
“W-what's your problem?”
“Brother Jang Un's picks are all money gods! And you let him walk away?”
That was it.
Falling Flower.
The reason she defied Black Mask Room Leader Seon Gyu—who backed Crimson Flower Tower—and rushed to greet a customer.
Jang Un had called her.
She trusted his nose for big spenders.
Thinking it was a whale, she'd hurried to finish dolling up—but it was too late.
“Money god my ass. Just some fresh-off-the-boat country bumpkin. Forget that—since you're all dressed up pretty, come with me.”
Seon Gyu reached for Falling Flower's hand, but she slapped it away.
“No work here. Don't even think about seeing me for the next ten days.”
With that, Falling Flower headed to her room.
“H-hey...”
Seon Gyu stared blankly at the scene.
Even so, he couldn't manhandle her—she was one of the three courtesans he doted on most at Crimson Flower Tower.
His rage naturally turned toward Jang Un.
“Come on, let's head to the pawnshop.”
Sensing the mood, Jang Un hurried Yeo Gong along and escaped the brothel.
Seon Gyu was left alone in the empty space.
“Damn it all!”
His curse echoed.
Pung Geon and Gwan Ha-kyeong left the manor together.
It was early morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Hocheon Corps Leader Ha Mu-baek and Han Seol-bing saw them off.
“Contact us immediately if anything happens. And your leave is for one month.”
Ha Mu-baek said curtly to Gwan Ha-kyeong.
“Yes, sir. Understood, Corps Leader.”
Pung Geon bowed deeply to Jong Gwang-yeo, who had come to see him off.
“Thank you for allowing this, Master.”
“Good. Take care of yourself and come back safe.”
After the farewells, the two mounted their horses.
It was a long way to Shaanxi Province.
And so, the pair galloped off.
“Shaanxi Province, Sangnam, right?”
Ha Mu-baek asked, and Han Seol-bing nodded.
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Ha Mu-baek had been to Shaanxi often lately.
To the West Bank for the Hao Clan, to Zhongnan Mountain for the Zhongnan Sect.
He had always gone from Hubei Province's Wuchang, so he'd never passed through Sangnam.
But he knew it was a fairly large city on the border between Henan and Hubei Provinces.
Big places drew crowds, and crowds meant endless incidents.
“Feels like trouble's brewing...”
Ha Mu-baek muttered softly.
“Not with you staying back, Corps Leader. Or do you want something to happen?”
Ha Mu-baek chuckled at Han Seol-bing's question.
“As if. Nothing beats lounging around carefree for me.”
With that, Ha Mu-baek headed to the training grounds.
The Fierce Dragon Corps members were already gathered there.
“Alright, let's head to the outpost.”
The Fierce Dragon Corps had all come to the manor for resupply.
Half of them were now geared up to return to the outpost.
Han Seol-bing would stay here to oversee the remaining half.
Ha Mu-baek was taking the other half to back up his master, who was guarding the Hunan border alone.
Naturally, that included Squad Seven's members led by Ha Seol-ran.
Though their squad leader, Gwan Ha-kyeong, had taken leave for Shaanxi.
As they headed to the outpost, the members kept glancing back.
They'd return in ten days.
Ha Mu-baek said nothing about their behavior.
Preferring comfort was human nature.
At Ha Mu-baek's level, anywhere was fine.
Though the food was a bit of a letdown.
Truth be told, Ha Mu-baek alone could have gone to the West Bank and back in no time.
Half a shichen later, they arrived at the outpost.
They reassigned tents, unpacked, and those on patrol duty headed out in rotation.
Squad Seven went first.
“See you.”
Ha Mu-baek, somehow lounging diagonally on a boulder that definitely hadn't been there before, waved lazily.
Squad Seven dashed west.
“Man, the Corps Leader sure loves sprawling on rocks.”
Dang Jin-san muttered, and all the members nodded.
Even Ha Seol-ran.