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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Downstairs at Cheonghoeru, goods were being moved. A Cheonghoe Merchant Guild trader opened several boxes to inspect the medicinal herbs inside.
The carefully dried herbs were wrapped in fine cloth, adorned with drawings by Hong Seong-mun disciples.
Chae-jin, glancing at the drawings, asked curiously,
“Did you hire a painter?”
“I drew them.”
Such simple drawings were no trouble at all. Hong-ryeon shrugged at Chae-jin’s surprise.
“Oh my. You didn’t know?”
“…You knew?”
“Heehee. Well, it’s nothing much.”
“Then, Innkeeper, could you paint my portrait sometime?”
Chae-jin asked, casually linking her arm with mine. I considered her request. A portrait…
I wasn’t a bad artist, but someone of Chae-jin’s stature could surely commission a better painter.
“I like your paintings,” she insisted.
“Alright.”
“Oh! Then me too!”
“As you wish.”
Painting portraits wasn’t difficult. While I was at it, I could paint portraits for all the Hong Seong-mun disciples, including Sayun.
After seeing the goods safely stored in the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild warehouse, two figures descended from upstairs – Gi No-ya and Wi-yeol.
“Oh, Mister Yu, where are you headed?”
“I have someone to meet. What about you two?”
“We’ve been ordered to escort you,”
Wi-yeol replied formally, glancing at Hong-ryeon and Chae-jin.
“Of course, with those two present, there’s likely no need, but it’s always better to have more escorts.”
“Haha. Four masters escorting a humble villager from Seomhwa Village? I’m overwhelmed.”
“Huh. You’re hardly a humble villager anymore, are you? Anyway, don’t worry about it. Think of it less as an escort and more as company. But if you’re going somewhere we can’t follow…”
“It’s nothing like that. I’m just going to a brothel.”
“…Huh?”
Gi No-ya tilted his head, and Wi-yeol narrowed his eyes. I had no idea what they were thinking, but it wasn’t that.
“I’m going to Hajin Brothel to meet Ha-no of the Hao Clan.”
“Ah, Hajin Brothel. But that area is… wouldn’t it be better to meet here?”
“He said he feels safer there, so what can I do?”
Gi No-ya seemed displeased about going to a brothel in the heart of the demonic sects’ territory.
But perhaps due to my relationship with Ha-no and the Hao Clan’s assistance to the government, he simply nodded.
“Still, there are unsavory characters in that area. Of course, with Sunset Sword and Moonlight Blade present, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble, but…”
“There might be those who don’t recognize the two heroines. So, please ensure Mister Yu’s safety.”
“Understood.”
“Heehee. Of course.”
And so, I ended up with a larger escort than anticipated on my way to meet Ha-no.
As we walked through the bustling streets of Yangwi Castle, heading towards the shadier back alleys of the demonic sects’ territory, some burly figures lurking in the shadows glanced at us.
However, Wi-yeol’s cold stare, Gi No-ya’s sneer, and the chilling auras of Hong-ryeon and Chae-jin made them quickly avert their gaze.
Normally, eye contact in this area would lead to a confrontation.
I recalled the numerous attempts to pick a fight during my previous visit.
We finally arrived at our destination – a dilapidated three-story brothel, illuminated by both blue and red lanterns.
Scantily clad prostitutes greeted potential customers at the entrance, and the sounds of music and drunken shouts drifted from within.
As we stood before the quintessential brothel, two large men blocked our path.
“Excuse me, but aren’t you from the righteous sects? Sunset Sword and Moonlight Blade… you two are…”
“They’re my escorts. We’re here to see Ha-no. Please inform him,”
I said from behind them. One of the men looked at me, chuckled, and then bowed.
“Innkeeper Yu, I presume. The elder is waiting for you.”
As expected, in the demonic sects’ territory, they were wary of the two women. It was unavoidable. However,
they were still reluctant to allow two renowned heroines from the righteous sects inside.
Only after one of them went in and returned with permission were we allowed to enter.
“Don’t take it personally,” I said.
“Huh? What?”
“Is there something wrong?”
I shrugged at Hong-ryeon and Chae-jin’s puzzled expressions.
Weren’t they offended at being stopped by demonic sect members, despite being renowned heroines from prestigious righteous sects?
They seemed to finally understand my concern and smiled brightly.
“Ahaha. We’re just here to talk.”
“And it’s not like they don’t know about your relationship with Ha-no. We can laugh this off.”
“I’m grateful to you both.”
“Don’t mention it…”
“Heehee. I’ll remember that.”
As the two women exchanged smiles, Gi No-ya and Wi-yeol scanned their surroundings, checking for any troublesome individuals among the demonic sect members, as befitting their military affiliation.
“Gi No-ya.”
“I know, I know. I’m just looking.”
We proceeded further inside and opened a large door, revealing a neat and tidy corridor, unlike the outside.
We walked down the quiet hallway and entered an open room at the end. An old man sat in the corner, and several beautiful courtesans were tidying up, preparing to leave.
He rose to greet me as soon as he saw us.
“My, my, what a distinguished group. Normally, when such powerful individuals visit, I’d be making a hasty exit.”
“It’s not very hospitable to abandon your guests, is it? And as I’ve said before, I’d prefer it if the courtesans weren’t present.”
“You always refuse the courtesans whenever you bring guests. Why is that?”
“I’m also a man, so I don’t dislike beautiful women. But I’m here to talk business.”
Conversations with Ha-no were invaluable opportunities to gather information – information I couldn’t buy, even if I wanted to.
So, I needed to focus, even while drinking, and the courtesans’ presence was a distraction. I’d asked him not to call for them after my first visit, but he always did, teasingly.
He wasn’t my subordinate, so I couldn’t order him, and my repeated requests seemed to fall on deaf ears. It was frustrating.
“I’d just told them to leave since I heard I had other guests,”
he said, glancing at Hong-ryeon and Chae-jin. After the courtesans excused themselves with smiles and greetings, he gestured for us to sit.
“Please, have a seat. I’ve met Moonlight Blade before… greetings. I’m Ha-no, head of the Yangwi Castle branch of the Hao Clan. And you two are…”
Gi No-ya and Wi-yeol simply nodded in acknowledgment. After the brief introductions, Ha-no approached me and lowered his voice.
“Are they allowed to be here?”
“It’ll come out eventually. You’re going to talk about the demonic sects’ movements, aren’t you? About them targeting Seomhwa Village. General Cheon has agreed to temporarily dispatch these two to Seomhwa Village.”
“Wise. If Seomhwa Village is attacked, their strength will increase. And if they use that increased strength to attack Yangwi Castle, General Cheon’s reputation would be tarnished. And…”
He crossed his arms and smiled wryly.
“…if that shadowy Iron Blood Group is backing them…”
Hong-ryeon’s hand tightened on my sleeve. I glanced at her and shook my head subtly, signaling her not to interfere.
I would ask the questions she wanted answered. Hong-ryeon took a deep breath and nodded.
“Do you know anything about the Iron Blood Group?”
He held out his hand, and I placed a gold tael in it. Only then did Ha-no share his information.
“I don’t have much concrete information. The name ‘Iron Blood Group.’ They have five leaders based on the Five Elements and are trying to cause chaos by destabilizing places with concentrated spiritual energy throughout the continent.”
“Interesting…”
“Their power is substantial, enough to overwhelm most sects. Yet, they avoid direct confrontation, so the Murim Alliance, the Black Lotus Society, and even the empire are hesitant to act.”
“Have they joined forces with the demonic cults?”
That was Gi No-ya and Wi-yeol’s primary concern. If the Iron Blood Group and the demonic cults allied, it would significantly strengthen the empire’s enemies.
But that wasn’t the case, according to Ha-no’s investigation.
“Absolutely not. The demonic cults have also suffered losses at the hands of the Iron Blood Group.”
“The demonic cults are still in the midst of a succession struggle. Could it be that one of the factions…”
“No. There’s evidence that they attempted to destabilize the spiritual energy of the Demonic Heavenly Land, a sacred place for the demonic cults. Trying to destabilize that location is akin to a declaration of war…”
In other words, the Iron Blood Group was also an enemy of the demonic cults.
Ha-no continued, explaining that the only known leader of the Iron Blood Group was the Iron Blood Duke of Metal, who manipulated the new leader of the Black Lotus Society from behind the scenes and wielded a spear with strange techniques.
“Like summoning monsters using water?”
“Indeed, similar.”
“The Iron Blood Duke of Water attacked Hong Seong-mun and was killed by our master…”
“Right. The Iron Blood Duke of Metal creates metal monsters to attack. His personal strength is also considerable. But if he was defeated by the Sword Saint… if she were to intervene, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
“The issue is minimizing the damage to Seomhwa Village,” I stated firmly, and Ha-no nodded.
“I’m keeping an eye on their movements. I’ll inform you immediately if anything happens. And this is what I’ve gathered so far. The details are written here, so please read through it and contact me if you have any questions.”
Ha-no handed me a thick stack of papers, which I accepted and tucked away.
“Thank you.”
“Well, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. Now, as usual, let’s discuss the current state of affairs…”
“No, I apologize, but I have to return today. I have people waiting and much to do.”
“Really? That’s a shame. I enjoy our conversations.”
“Come to Seomhwa Village sometime. We may not have courtesans, but I’ll treat you to fine food and drink.”
“Ah, speaking of which, that Yohan is working at your inn, right? Good. I’ll visit soon.”
I smiled at the grinning Ha-no and stood up.
As I walked back to Cheonghoeru, I felt gazes from both sides.
“Something you’d like to say?”
I asked, turning to Chae-jin and Hong-ryeon, who were flanking me. They giggled and shook their heads.
“Do you always meet with Ha-no here?” Hong-ryeon asked.
“If he comes to greet me, we meet at Hajin Brothel. If not, we meet at the fortune teller’s place in Hatong, the one we visited together, Lady Chae. But we usually meet at Hajin Brothel. Is there a problem?”
Hong-ryeon and Chae-jin exchanged knowing smiles.
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