Do You Know the Saber? (8)
Having taken the flute, Eun Yakbyeok entered the private suite at the top of the pleasure house, threw the windows wide open, and settled against the sill.
Looking outside, she found Dokgo Ryeong and Paeng Munhwi had stopped in the courtyard. Dokgo Ryeong was swinging the saber through the air, inspecting the gifted weapon.
Watching them, Eun Yakbyeok brought the flute to her lips and considered.
What song would suit?
Just then, the door opened.
It was Wi Ilcheong.
"Oh my… an unexpected guest?"
"…The Hao Sect Leader seemed rather unsettled."
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You aren't thinking of casting a sound technique on Young Lady Dokgo, are you?"
"Hmm… Why is our Young Master Wi acting this way today?"
"Please don't."
Hearing Wi Ilcheong's firm words, Eun Yakbyeok slightly furrowed her brow.
"That sounds like an order. Did I mishear?"
"It is an earnest request. Please don't do it."
"You say that, yet you look ready to strike at any moment?"
"…Last night, I realized something. I am a man with many sins. As the Hao Sect Leader said, I am fated to die someday by a woman's blade. I am so ashamed of having embraced so many women without love. I am a wretch who deserves to be called the Lust Demon."
"Oh my. You've only just realized?"
At Eun Yakbyeok's cutting reply, Wi Ilcheong bowed his head.
"I have done unforgivable things to the Hao Sect Leader as well. I offer my apologies."
"Haa… Our Young Master Wi is more childish than I thought. And rather foolish, too."
"…Pardon?"
"It's nothing. So?"
"Please do not cast a sound technique."
"And for what reason?"
"…I do not wish to needlessly disturb Young Lady Dokgo."
"Ahaha! And if I refuse, what will you do?"
"…"
When Wi Ilcheong's expression hardened and he slipped a hand into his sleeve, Eun Yakbyeok's eyes narrowed.
"Are you serious?"
"…I no longer wish to commit more sins. Until I properly understand what love is, I have no intention of embracing any woman."
"Excessive self-pity tends to irritate women, you know?"
"…I see."
Wi Ilcheong seemed to accept this, so Eun Yakbyeok, appearing relieved, brought the flute back to her lips.
But his next words were beyond her expectations.
"In that case, I will stop you even if it means committing a slight discourtesy."
Wi Ilcheong swept his arm downward and drove his soft sword into the floor.
CRACK!
Like a living snake, the soft sword bored through the boards and shot up toward Eun Yakbyeok's flute.
CLANG!
Deflecting his soft sword, Eun Yakbyeok snapped irritably.
"Have you gone mad, Young Master Wi?"
"Please stop the sound technique."
"Did you think I was going to dominate Young Lady Dokgo's spirit and tell her to throw herself into your arms?"
"Just leave Young Lady Dokgo alone."
"…Lately, nothing seems to go my way…!"
When Eun Yakbyeok stepped down from the windowsill, her feet sank into the floor of the pleasure house.
It was a bizarre sight.
Watching the wood grind away like fine sand, Wi Ilcheong broke out in a cold sweat.
Absurd internal energy…!
At the same time, Eun Yakbyeok's form vanished.
From the left…!
Sensing her fist racing toward him, Wi Ilcheong tensed every nerve.
It was a punch he could react to in time.
The moment he moved his feet to dodge—
My body…?!
CRACK!
Wi Ilcheong felt a searing pain in his left side as he was slammed into the wall.
"Guh…!"
"…Count yourself lucky this isn't dirt. I can't properly plant my footwork."
"Urgh…"
The gap in skill between himself and Eun Yakbyeok was far greater than he had imagined, and Wi Ilcheong was stunned.
How…
Looking down at the flustered Wi Ilcheong, Eun Yakbyeok sneered.
"Did you think you could move freely within my domain?"
"Th-that means…"
Just then, a faint golden chime reached Wi Ilcheong's ears.
Looking behind Eun Yakbyeok, he saw her seven-stringed zither floating in midair, already playing.
"Your spirit has already been suppressed by me."
"…"
Only then understanding why his body had failed to respond despite knowing, Wi Ilcheong looked up at her and said,
"If it comes to it, I have the option of simply destroying this entire pleasure house."
"If you do that, Gwanyeong will crack your skull open no matter how much she loves you."
"…You think I won't?"
"I'd prefer you didn't. Anyway, Young Master Wi, please stop wallowing in self-pity."
"It's not self-pity…"
"It is self-pity."
Eun Yakbyeok cut him off.
"Haa… Wherever did you get the idea that you have to spend the night with a woman you love? Are you a child? By your logic, all the girls in our pleasure house are in the wrong."
"Those people…"
"Is it fine if they're prostitutes?"
"…"
Wi Ilcheong closed his mouth.
"Young Master Wi. Look at me."
"…"
Wi Ilcheong met Eun Yakbyeok's eyes.
"…When I said you didn't know love, I only meant that you haven't yet found a 'lifelong partner to share your life with.'"
"I still don't understand what you mean…"
"How do I explain this… Ah. There's Gwanyeong."
"Young Lady Eun?"
"If you and I fought, Gwanyeong would probably attack me. She'd struggle with it, but in the end, she would."
"Th-that can't be…"
"I'm certain of it. And though it would pain me deeply, I would understand."
"…Pardon?"
"That is love."
"…"
Seeing Wi Ilcheong still looking lost, Eun Yakbyeok offered another example.
"If the Blade Immortal charged at you right now intending to kill you, Young Lady Sohyeon would grab his ankle and scream for you to run even if it snapped her waist in two."
"That's…"
"That is love."
"…"
"Young Master Wi. The examples I've given are only a tiny fraction, and there are many forms of love in this world… Haa. Talking about this at my age is driving me crazy."
"…Please teach me."
Eun Yakbyeok's face flushed for no reason, but she spoke to Wi Ilcheong seriously.
"…Mixing bodies is something you can do for pleasure alone. I myself rather enjoyed mixing bodies with you, Young Master Wi."
"Yes…"
"But loving someone doesn't mean you have to mix bodies. Conversely, mixing bodies doesn't mean you necessarily love each other. You need to understand this difference first."
"…"
"Most of the courtesans who mixed bodies with you were probably happy for the pleasure. Happy for the rise in their internal energy, too. So you don't need to feel guilt toward every woman you've ever been with."
"Is… that so?"
"Yes. Including me. But if you insist on feeling guilt, it would only be toward Young Lady Sohyeon and Gwanyeong."
"I should apologize to them…"
"Don't."
"…Pardon?"
Eun Yakbyeok shook her head, wondering how much more she had to say before this dense man would understand.
"Those two loved you by their own choice. Reaching out with pity would actually be far worse."
"But…"
"Not every love bears fruit. If you pretend to love them out of pity, Gwanyeong and Sohyeon would be destroyed by the misery of it. So please, don't make that choice."
"Then what am I supposed to do?!"
"Why are you asking me that?! Figure it out yourself! I've said this much—just get it already!"
When Eun Yakbyeok finally lost her temper and snapped, Wi Ilcheong flinched.
"You make your own choices and find your own kind of love! It's mortifying enough talking about love at my age, and once I answer once or twice you just keep asking endlessly…!"
"I-I'm sorry…"
"If you think 'this is love!' just go with that. A grown man getting all dejected and wallowing in self-pity over a few words—honestly! Your manhood and its owner are completely out of sync, ha!"
"…"
"Anyway, figure out that side of love on your own."
Eun Yakbyeok sat back on the windowsill.
"Young Lady Dokgo will find her own love, too."
"…But with a sound technique…"
"Aigoo! Do you think I'm trying to make Young Lady Dokgo fall in love with a sound technique?!"
"Ah… you weren't?"
"If that worked, I'd have gathered all the men who fawn over me and founded my own sect long ago! A sound technique only draws out the emotions already held within a person's heart!"
"I-I'm sorry."
"You're so clingy and wet… Try living half as human as you are when you're doing night work."
"…"
Watching the Hao Sect Leader alternate between praise and scolding, Wi Ilcheong was thoroughly confused.
"If you interfere this time, I really will kill you. Don't touch me."
"…"
Eun Yakbyeok's flute performance began.
It was a song of one who longed for home.
I agree with Young Master Wi's thinking, actually. Nothing good comes of outsiders meddling in romance…
Eun Yakbyeok poured her heart into the performance, driving it forward.
But if our guest is deceiving her own heart… I don't want to create a situation she might regret later.
The Dokgo Ryeong she had seen was not honest with herself.
So Eun Yakbyeok was only giving the slightest push from behind.
A performance that helped just a little, so her true feelings could surface.
Like one who longed for home—if she happened to be longing for someone in this very moment.
Dokgo Ryeong would surely react.
So, guest. Try being just a little more honest.
The moment Eun Yakbyeok's performance reached its climax—
She suddenly pulled her lips from the flute.
"…Huh?"
Dokgo Ryeong exchanged a few words with Paeng Munhwi, then seemed to take a blow from his saber and collapse.
"Is something wrong?"
Sensing something amiss, Wi Ilcheong approached her and looked out the window—
"Young— Young Master Wi! Wait a moment!"
"That crazy bastard!!"
Wi Ilcheong leapt out the window.
Paeng Munhwi was thrown into confusion.
"Y-Young Lady Dokgo?"
He hadn't even touched her, yet Dokgo Ryeong suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed.
"Urgh…! Hngh…!"
"Y-Young Lady… Are you all ri—"
His words never finished.
Sensing a massive killing intent from above, Paeng Munhwi urgently swung his saber.
But—
BOOM!
"Urgh…!"
"You son of a bitch…!"
It felt like he had struck a massive wall.
Paeng Munhwi lost his grip on the saber, enduring the pain of his torn palm and throbbing wrist as he cried out.
"W-wait! It's a misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding, my ass! Young Lady Dokgo, are you all right?!"
"No… th-that's…!"
"What the hell is going on!!!!"
RUMBLE.
With a sound like thunder, dust settled over the courtyard.
At the same time, Paeng Munhwi turned at the presence he felt behind him.
"Father! Clan Lord Hwangbo!"
"What happened, Munhwi?"
"Th-that's…"
"Hmm?"
When Paeng Yudeok's eyes fell on the collapsed Dokgo Ryeong and Wi Ilcheong clinging to her side, he asked,
"…Did you do this?"
"N-no! Young Lady Dokgo suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed!"
"Is that so?"
Paeng Yudeok looked at Paeng Munhwi's torn palm.
"…Tend to your wound first. I should take a look at Dokgo Jin's daughter."
"Yes…"
As Paeng Yudeok approached, Wi Ilcheong drew his sword.
"Come no closer."
"…I came to check her condition."
"I warned you not to come closer."
"…"
"From the circumstances, it appears your son harmed Young Lady Dokgo, so stay back. If you approach further, I will swing my sword."
"Calm yourself, Young Master Wi."
"Calm?!"
Wi Ilcheong glared at Paeng Yudeok with bloodshot eyes.
"I… am calm…!"
"…"
Seeing his state, Paeng Yudeok took a step back.
Just then, Eun Yakbyeok, Eun Gwanyeong, and Baekri Sohyeon came rushing into the courtyard.
"Ryeong Mae!"
"Why is Young Lady Dokgo…"
Eun Yakbyeok landed beside Wi Ilcheong and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Young Master Wi."
"Huff… huff…!"
"Please calm down for a moment. It seems a heart demon has taken hold."
"I… am fine…!"
"…All right. Then stay as you are. May I briefly check Young Lady Dokgo's pulse?"
"Go ahead…."
Eun Yakbyeok took Dokgo Ryeong's wrist pulse.
After a moment, she withdrew her hand and looked at Paeng Munhwi.
"Young Master. Did Young Lady Dokgo seem strange at all?"
"…In what way?"
"Did she suddenly clutch her chest or anything?"
"Th-that's right! She clutched her chest and collapsed!"
Baekri Sohyeon backed him up.
"Sect Leader… Earlier, Ryeong Mae said her chest hurt. That it was throbbing and stabbing deep inside her chest…"
"Haa… I've made another mistake."
When Eun Yakbyeok bit her lip, Wi Ilcheong asked her with a grave face.
"Is Young Lady Dokgo all right?!"
"…She's fine for now. But treatment will be difficult…"
"I'll do anything I can!"
"…"
Eun Yakbyeok looked at Wi Ilcheong for a moment, then turned to Paeng Yudeok.
"Blade Immortal."
"Speak, Eum-jon."
"Would you withdraw for a moment? For Young Lady Dokgo's honor."
"I shall. I need to tend to my son's wound as well."
Once Paeng Yudeok and his party withdrew, leaving only Wi Ilcheong and the women in the courtyard, Eun Yakbyeok spoke.
"Young Master Wi."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"I need your help."
"Please tell me."
"Give me your semen."
"…Pardon?"
When Wi Ilcheong froze at the sudden request, Eun Yakbyeok repeated with a serious face.
"Give Young Lady Dokgo your semen."