Hao Sect Shandong Branch - (1)
“Well then, this gentleman here is my senior brother and the Guardian of the Hao Sect! Senior Brother Eunho, if you please?”
As Eun Gwanyeong pointed to the beggar and introduced him, Dokgo Ryeong regarded him with curious eyes.
… That guy?
The beggar peeled off his human-skin mask and spoke.
“… It’s been a while, junior sister. And this is my first time meeting Hero Wi as well.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Young Hero Eun.”
As Eunho bowed his head with a melancholic smile, Wi Ilcheong smiled back in response.
“The lady beside you must be Miss Baekri Sohyeon. I’m delighted to make your acquaintance.”
“Me too. I’ve heard a lot about you from Gwanyeong.”
“And…”
Eunho’s weary-looking eyes turned to Dokgo Ryeong.
“You’re the daughter of Elder Dokgo Jin, the benefactor of our Hao Sect, I hear?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been a benefactor.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. In Shandong, I plan to attend to you alongside Gwanyeong.”
Ignoring Dokgo Ryeong’s curt reply, Eunho bowed his head in greeting, and a flower of suspicion bloomed in her heart.
… Is that really the Guardian of the Hao Sect?
The martial artists whose names Dokgo Jin knew fell into two broad categories: those so strong that everyone knew them, or his personal enemies. Eunho at least belonged to the former. Even someone like him, who paid little attention to the wild tales of the martial world, knew of this powerhouse.
Eunho’s name had spread through the martial world because of the unorthodox factions. The Hao Sect, formed by the lower classes, suffered particularly many disputes due to the nature of its disciples, and relations with the unorthodox sects were especially poor. They took in people who worked in the brothels and gambling dens run by those factions and extended a protective hand, so of course they were not viewed favorably. The unorthodox factions would invent debts that did not exist for the disciples the Hao Sect had taken and constantly harass them to hand them back, sometimes not hesitating to use force. And it was Eunho who had blocked most of those forceful actions.
Using the Hao Sect’s information network, whenever they learned of an unorthodox base that had attacked them or planned to, Eunho would always go there, and by the next day that base would have vanished. The conflict between the unorthodox and the Hao Sect eventually quieted after a duel between the leaders of both sides—the Hao Sect Leader and the Nine Dragons Gang Leader—ended in the Hao Sect Leader’s victory, but the gossips preferred talking about stories related to Eunho rather than that match. The Hao Sect’s secret weapon whose identity no one knew. A rising star who had appeared like a comet. That was Eunho.
But now, the person reflected in Dokgo Ryeong’s eyes was pitifully scrawny. Slumped shoulders, eye sockets darkened with fatigue, lifeless speech.
Is that guy really him?
While thinking that the tales of the martial world’s gossips could not be trusted, on the other hand he was a strange man who amplified Dokgo Ryeong’s curiosity. Because she knew that in the martial world, there were more than a few whose outward appearance and inner nature were completely different.
Despite Dokgo Ryeong’s intense gaze, Eunho spoke to Wi Ilcheong and the party in a languid tone.
“I’ve prepared a carriage, so please board for now. The real branch leader I was disguising as will arrive soon. I’d like to leave before then.”
“Very well.”
Eunho turned to Eun Gwanyeong and said,
“Junior sister, will you drive the carriage?”
“Ah…!”
Eun Gwanyeong’s mouth opened briefly, then closed.
“Yes. I’ll drive it~.”
After heading to the carriage, Eun Gwanyeong transformed into the form of the burly driver Heo Gwanyeong for the first time in a while and sat in the driver’s seat.
“Then, shall we depart?”
“Please take care of us, Driver Heo.”
“Yeees!”
At Eun Gwanyeong’s whip crack, the horses snorted and began pulling the carriage.
“…”
“…”
The carriage interior was stifling. Eunho said nothing and just quietly sat reading a book, while Baekri Sohyeon had her eyes closed and was dozing. Wi Ilcheong also seemed to be thinking about something with his eyes closed, so eventually Dokgo Ryeong, unable to bear the frustration, opened her mouth.
“Eunho, right?”
“… Yes.”
“Are you really the one they call the Guardian of the Hao Sect?”
Hearing that, Wi Ilcheong interjected from the side.
“Haa…, Miss Dokgo. It seems the etiquette lessons have lost all meaning.”
“Ah shit, but I’m curious. They say ‘that Guardian’?”
“… I don’t particularly like being called the Guardian. Since all I ever do is clean up after things…”
Eunho answered while rubbing his eye sockets as if tired.
“More than that, I’m curious about Miss Dokgo.”
“Me?”
“Where were you born?”
“What?”
“Your birthplace. In which region were you born?”
“… Suddenly? Are you trying to dig up info on me?”
“Yes. The Sect Leader was curious.”
“…”
Seeing Eunho so brazenly say he wanted information on her, Dokgo Ryeong was flustered. The impression she had of most Hao Sect disciples was similar to Eun Gwanyeong—a gathering of slippery fellows whose true intentions you could not quite grasp. She had thought Eunho would be the same since he was also a disciple of the Hao Sect Leader like Eun Gwanyeong.
“… If your Sect Leader is curious, do I have to tell you everything?”
“That’s not the case. But if the Sect Leader is curious, we Hao Sect disciples will strive to find out even the Wulin Alliance Leader’s meal menu for today or the color of the Heavenly Demon’s undergarments.”
Eunho’s eyes turned to Dokgo Ryeong.
“From the looks of it, you seem to have many questions about me.”
“What a weird bastard.”
“I hear that a lot.”
Eunho grinned, baring his teeth. Seeing that, Dokgo Ryeong’s blood boiled.
I want to go a round with him.
With Eun Gwanyeong it was just because she was annoying and she wanted to beat her up, but looking at Eunho, the competitive spirit of a martial artist she had forgotten welled up. But soon Dokgo Ryeong became depressed upon realizing her own condition.
… And with this trash body, fighting him is another matter.
Just as she was resenting having turned into a woman’s body again, Eunho suddenly rolled up one sleeve to reveal his forearm.
“Dokgo Ryeong is actually a man.”
“Wh… What?!”
“Take a look at this.”
Eunho pointed to his own forearm. Seeing that, Wi Ilcheong’s eyes narrowed.
“A rash has appeared.”
“Yes, I am constitutionally unable to lie.”
“… What?”
Eunho said while scratching the red spots that had risen on his forearm.
“As you can see, when I lie, rashes like this break out on my skin. Shall I try one more? Baekri Sohyeon’s chest is completely flat.”
The red spots on Eunho’s forearm began to spread further. Seeing that, Wi Ilcheong stopped Eunho.
“That’s enough. You look to be in pain.”
“It’s fine. I’m used to it.”
Eunho lowered his sleeve again to cover his forearm and looked at Dokgo Ryeong.
“I wish to carry out the Sect Leader’s orders without fail. However, as you can see, since I have a body that cannot lie, I’m unsuited to digging up information. So I have a proposal for you, Miss Dokgo.”
“Spit it out.”
“If you answer my questions one by one, I will resolve your curiosities one by one as well. How about it?”
“…”
Dokgo Ryeong put a hand to her chin and pondered, then nodded. It was a deal with nothing to lose, and above all, the fact that the other party could not lie was good. Since she was in a position where lying did not matter.
“Then, Miss Dokgo, please ask first.”
“How strong are you?”
“… A difficult question. Are you familiar with the tales of the Hundred Great Experts of the Wulin Alliance?”
“God, Immortal, Venerable, Emperor, King, Lord, Saint. Is that it?”
“You know them. I believe I’m around the ‘Emperor’ level among those.”
“Ha…!”
Seeing him boldly claim to be stronger than No Sunpyeong, Dokgo Ryeong’s blood boiled.
Ah, damn it…! There’s an opponent right in front of me I can fight without any lingering grudges!
Even if Dokgo Ryeong had lived her whole life as a vengeful spirit for revenge, she was still a martial artist. If she could fight a strong opponent, of course the competitive spirit to do so existed. Moreover, even though the Hao Sect was a sect she had ties with, she regretted not knowing of such a person.
“Now it’s my turn. Where were you born?”
“Hmm….”
Dokgo Ryeong pondered for a moment before answering.
“Shaanxi. I was born near Mount Hua.”
“I see. Please ask your next question.”
“If you fought Mad Demon Dokgo Jin, how many moves do you estimate you’d last?”
“… A difficult question.”
Eunho pondered for a moment before carefully answering.
“This isn’t meant to belittle Elder Dokgo, but… based on the information I’ve heard, I would likely be subdued within thirty moves.”
“Thirty moves, huh….”
While thinking he had spoken quite humbly, on the other hand she thought it was an appropriate answer. Having filled her meager pride, Dokgo Ryeong excitedly answered Eunho’s questions this way and that until they arrived at the Hao Sect. Of course, they were all lies.
When the carriage stopped and the door opened, countless courtesans poured out of a splendid brothel to greet Wi Ilcheong and his party.
“We greet the noble guests!”
“… Young Hero Eun, this is a bit much…”
Wi Ilcheong looked at Eunho in bewilderment, and he shook his head.
“Not at all. To give shabby treatment to someone who receives the Sect Leader’s favor would be to tarnish the Hao Sect’s name. Please alight.”
“Even so….”
“We’ve emptied the brothel. We will treat you so that you have no discomfort during your stay.”
“Haa….”
As Wi Ilcheong sighed in difficulty, Eunho persuaded him.
“Hero Wi. We have merely received orders to serve you to the best of our ability. Please do not refuse.”
“… Understood. But from next time, please speak to the Sect Leader and ask that such excessive treatment be refrained from.”
“Understood.”
As Eunho bowed his head, Wi Ilcheong got down from the carriage. As soon as he alighted, many courtesans around looked at him. It was a gaze full of desire, so Eunho, noticing it, whispered to Wi Ilcheong.
“Hero Wi, if during your stay you bestow your grace upon our children, they will be delighted.”
“… I won’t refuse separately. However…”
Wi Ilcheong looked at Baekri Sohyeon, Eun Gwanyeong, and Dokgo Ryeong.
“I’m fine. I’ve dealt with big brother too much for a while, so I want to rest a bit….”
“I have a lot of work….”
“Why are you looking at me, you bastard?”
Having obtained the three’s consent, Wi Ilcheong nodded, and Eunho gave a look to the courtesans.
“Then please rest and recover from your journey. Junior sister, let’s go meet the branch leader.”
“Yes, senior brother.”
Watching Eunho and Eun Gwanyeong disappear into the inner part of the brothel, Dokgo Ryeong asked someone else.
“Where’s the bath by any chance? I want to wash my body.”
“Ah, we’ve prepared it in advance. Please come this way.”
“Ryeong Mae, shall we wash together?”
“No. Alone…”
“Let’s wash together~.”
“D… Don’t cling to me!!”
Watching Dokgo Ryeong and Baekri Sohyeon bicker, Wi Ilcheong was smiling when courtesans began clinging to his side as well.
“Hero…, this girl wishes to offer you wine.”
“Please accept my cup….”
“I…!”
“I will receive them one by one slowly.”
“Then please come this way.”
With the throng of courtesans crowding in, Wi Ilcheong’s attention quickly turned to them.
As Eunho and Eun Gwanyeong descended to the basement of the brothel, the numerous people gathered there came to a halt.
“Young Miss…!”
“That’s enough. Let’s skip the greetings. Is the inner chamber empty?”
“Yes.”
“Get back to work. Gwanyeong, follow me.”
“Yeees….”
At Eunho’s words, the crowd resumed their work. As Eunho entered the inner chamber, he began taking off his clothes one by one until he was naked. As his body rippled and changed into a sensual woman’s form, Eun Gwanyeong knelt and bowed her head.
“… Sect Leader.”
“Did you not expect me to come?”
“… I had somewhat expected it, but I only became certain when I boarded the carriage.”
“Huhu, how did you know? Tell me, Gwanyeong.”
“… Senior brother never makes me do the driver’s work. Rather, he’s the type to volunteer as the driver himself.”
“How clever. Gwanyeong, the clothes.”
“Yes.”
Eun Gwanyeong brought the clothes hanging in the inner chamber and draped them over Eun Yakbyeok’s body.
“I’ve sent Eunho elsewhere. The matter in Liaoning has grown larger than expected.”
“I seeee….”
Sitting in the seat of honor without fastening the front of her clothes, Eun Yakbyeok began flipping through the reports that had come up and said,
“Gwanyeong.”
“Yes, Sect Leader….”
“What do you think of Dokgo Ryeong?”
“Do you need an objective evaluation, or a subjective one?”
“I’ll hear both.”
“Objectively, she has outstanding talent but is fated not to live long. Whether due to the influence of those she stays with or because her bad luck is good, she’s so arrogant that it’s a miracle she’s still alive. She’s as unstable as a child left by the water’s edge.”
“And subjectively?”
“… I would like to request that the Sect Leader take her in.”
Eun Yakbyeok’s hand stopped.
“That’s an enormous high evaluation, Gwanyeong.”
“The talent she possesses is far too outstanding.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
Eun Yakbyeok rested her chin on her hands placed on the table and said,
“Gwanyeong.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Dokgo Ryeong is a fake.”