“Is that the place you mentioned?”
Shi Zhuying (史株映), the eldest son of the Beiyang Sect Master (北洋門主), asked as he looked at the building visible in the distance.
“Yes, Young Master.”
The one who answered was Li Ke (李客). Li Ke was highly skilled with the sword, but above all, he was a man with abundant experience in the martial world. That was why Shi Zhuying had made Li Ke his right-hand man and took him wherever he went.
“So they built an inn in our territory, bold as brass, and several months have passed without them coming even once to pay their respects?”
The Beiyang Sect was a sect that stood between the orthodox and unorthodox paths, and it was the largest sect in this region. There was no law saying one had to pay respects simply because one had started a business, but until now, most newcomers had done so in some fashion.
Those quick on the uptake came of their own accord, but in most cases, the Beiyang Sect sent someone to give them a hint. You are now within the Beiyang Sect’s sphere of influence, so you should pay your respects.
Each year, offer a certain amount as a token of sincerity. That way, if something urgent happens, you may receive the Beiyang Sect’s help.
“And he couldn’t even handle one thing like this.”
This was originally the sort of matter Shi Zhuying usually dealt with. But for the past few months, he had been away with Li Ke handling affairs in another region, so he had left it to his younger brother—and his brother had failed to take care of it.
The very next day after returning, he set out at once. It was the perfect opportunity to show his father his ability. As expected, the one who should inherit the Beiyang Sect was himself, the eldest son.
Just as Shi Zhuying was about to start walking, Li Ke spoke to him.
“From what I hear, that inn is no ordinary inn.”
“What about it?”
“I heard that if you want to enter that inn, you have to unfasten your sword at the entrance and leave it there.”
Shi Zhuying was startled.
“What does that mean? You have to unfasten your sword at the entrance of an inn?”
It was the first time he had ever heard such a thing in his life.
“What kind of fool would entrust his weapon at the entrance of an inn? Would you leave your weapon with some mere waiter?”
“I only heard the rumors myself.”
He too had been away with Shi Zhuying, so he could not have known about this inn.
And that was not all he had heard.
“On top of that, they say there’s a rule that no fighting is allowed inside that inn under any circumstances.”
Shi Zhuying let out a laugh of disbelief. As if making people leave their swords at the entrance were not enough, they weren’t even allowed to fight?
“It must be a ridiculous rumor. Who in the world would create an inn like that?”
“Business has been poor these days, so they must have tried some peculiar trick to draw attention. I also heard the food and lodging are outrageously expensive.”
The two walked toward the inn.
Seen up close, the inn boasted a tremendous presence. It truly seemed like the largest inn in all the Central Plains, and a huge signboard hung over the entrance.
英雄客棧.
“Hero Inn? Whoever named it was truly arrogant.”
“I wonder who wrote those characters.”
The brushwork contained the very momentum of a dragon ascending to the heavens.
“Even the name is like this. Whoever the owner is, he’s clever. He knows how to draw attention in every way.”
“If he were clever, he would have come to pay respects to us first.”
It could be considered fortunate that his younger brother had failed to handle the matter, but looking at this inn alone, it was truly infuriating. So they were acting boldly because the place was so large, were they? In the end, the owner was still nothing more than an innkeeper.
Fine. Now he would let them have a taste of a real hero.
The two entered the inn.
“Welcome.”
At the entrance, a man greeted them politely. He was not the sort of waiter seen in ordinary inns. He was dressed splendidly, like the chief steward of a great sect.
When they stepped through the door he opened, what greeted them inside was not the scent of liquor, but the fragrance of flowers.
The interior was splendid and beautiful. It was not merely large; the inside was truly luxurious as well. Dragons gilded in gold leaf were carved into the ceiling beams,
and ornate lamps hung everywhere. Famous paintings and poems adorned the walls, and beautiful patterns were engraved into the floor.
The tables were made of expensive hardwood, and the chairs looked exceedingly comfortable. The spaces between seats were wide, and the staircase leading to the second floor was, astonishingly, built in a graceful curve.
“Is this really an inn?”
He had visited many famous inns, but he had never seen one this splendid and elegant.
Even the waiters working inside were different from those elsewhere. They all wore matching uniforms as they carried liquor and dishes, yet not one of them ran. All of them walked lightly and gracefully, with refinement.
“They must have poured an enormous amount of money into this.”
A smile appeared on Shi Zhuying’s face. After all, that also meant there was plenty of money to squeeze out of them.
Guided by a waiter waiting inside, they arrived before a man. He was a ponytailed man with an easygoing face that gave off a free-spirited air.
“Welcome, honored guests.”
Shi Zhuying lowered his voice toward the man who greeted them warmly.
“I am Shi Zhuying of the Beiyang Sect.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
After bowing politely, the ponytailed man asked,
“Will you be dining? Or lodging?”
“I came to see the owner.”
“May I ask why you seek him?”
He was asking why, when he himself had come? A mere employee at the entrance? He did not imagine for a moment that the inn’s owner would be dressed so casually with his hair tied up like that.
“I will speak to the owner directly.”
“Unless it concerns money, you may speak with me.”
Shi Zhuying’s expression hardened as he spoke firmly.
“I told you to call the owner.”
“He is busy at the moment, so you will have to wait a little.”
He even intended to make him wait? Fine, let’s see how far you go.
“I’ll wait.”
As he was about to go inside, the ponytailed man said,
“Before you enter, you must entrust your weapons to us.”
What Li Ke had heard was true.
“What did you just hear me say? I told you I came to meet your owner. I am Shi Zhuying of the Beiyang Sect.”
“Yes, Great Hero Shi. Even so, you must leave your weapon before entering.”
Shi Zhuying’s gaze sharpened.
“Have you ever seen a martial artist entrust his weapon to someone else?”
At that, the ponytailed man pointed to the writing carved into the wall.
“It is the principle of our Hero Inn.”
—Weapons may not be brought into this inn. If one is caught attempting to bring one in secretly, that weapon will be confiscated permanently.
—Fighting is absolutely forbidden within this inn. If this rule is violated, the offender must work at the inn without pay for a period determined by the owner.
—Murder is absolutely forbidden within this inn. If this rule is violated, the offender must pay with his life.
—No guest may stay at this inn for more than seven days in a month.
“Are you lunatics?”
The words burst from Shi Zhuying’s mouth of their own accord. The ponytailed man merely smiled, as if this was a reaction he had seen more than once or twice.
Shi Zhuying was dumbfounded. The first rule, that one had to leave one’s weapon before entering, was almost cute compared to the second and third.
“If we fight, we have to work here?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“If the owner says work ten days, we work ten days, and if he says work for life, we work for life?”
“That is correct.”
“And has anyone actually worked here because of that?”
“Of course. There are people working here even now.”
“Surely they aren’t martial artists?”
“Would ordinary people have reason to fight? They are all martial artists.”
“And yet they work obediently?”
The ponytailed man answered with a meaningful smile.
“No. We made them work.”
Shi Zhuying shook his head with a look of pity. Just how much of a fool did one have to be to get caught by an inn and made to work?
In any case, that meant they had hired some fellow with a bit of martial skill.
“Then has anyone died for killing someone?”
The ponytailed man glanced around, then whispered,
“That is a secret known only to the owner.”
Fine, all this lunatic talk could be dismissed as bluffing. Shi Zhuying was curious about the fourth rule.
“Then why can one stay only seven days a month?”
“At first, there was no such rule, but some people began trying to use this place as a permanent refuge. So we set the limit at seven days.
And starting from the fourth day, the lodging fee doubles each day. It means we prefer guests to stay only three days before leaving.”
In any case, those words implied that for those seven days, one would be absolutely safe.
Shi Zhuying turned to Li Ke and laughed.
“Whoever it is, he used his head well. Once the rumors spread, wouldn’t anyone want to come here at least once?”
“Yes, that is so.”
Shi Zhuying looked back at the ponytailed man.
“And what if I refuse to leave my sword?”
Despite the provocative question, the ponytailed man answered calmly.
“In that case, you cannot use our inn. Naturally, you also will not be able to meet the owner.”
Shi Zhuying lifted the sword at his waist, scabbard and all.
“Do you know what kind of sword this is? It is a treasured sword passed down through generations in our family to the eldest son. If this sword were lost, even selling this entire inn would not be enough to compensate for it. And you still intend to take it?”
At that, the ponytailed man pointed to the writing posted behind him.
—If a sword entrusted to us is lost, we will compensate twice its value.
Shi Zhuying snorted.
“And just how would you compensate me? My sword has value that cannot be measured in money. In the end, you would simply shrug and say there’s nothing you can do.”
“Please do not worry. It will never be lost.”
At the ponytailed man’s certainty, Li Ke, who was behind him, asked,
“Where do you intend to store the swords? Have you perhaps installed a vault made of ten-thousand-year cold iron?”
Otherwise, there was no way he could be so confident.
At that, the ponytailed man stepped aside and indicated behind him.
“We store swords here.”
Behind the ponytailed man was a round barrel. Countless swords were stuck into it. They truly were stuck in there carelessly.
Shi Zhuying and Li Ke were at a loss for words. It was utterly absurd. As if people really had entrusted their swords, name tags were attached to the hilts.
Unable to hold back, Shi Zhuying shouted,
“Have you gone mad? You store precious swords like that? You just shove them into a barrel?”
At that moment, one of the weapons stuck there caught Li Ke’s eye.
It was a straight saber with a splendid flame pattern painted on its hilt.
The Spirit Flame Saber (靈火焰刀)?
That could not be. The one who used the Spirit Flame Saber was Ran Huoren (染火刃), a man whose temperament was cruel and ferocious, and he would absolutely never have entrusted his weapon to such a place.
Moreover, his Spirit Flame Saber was one of the rarest treasured sabers among sabers. It was far more precious than Shi Zhuying’s sword.
“Could these people be playing some trick? Putting fake weapons here?”
But that could not be. If they dared impersonate an expert like Ran Huoren, of all people, the entire inn would be slaughtered.
Just then, a middle-aged scholar came walking down from the second floor.
The ponytailed man smiled and greeted him.
“Did you have a comfortable stay?”
The middle-aged scholar answered with a satisfied smile.
“I stayed well. I have never seen such an excellent inn in my life.”
“I am glad you enjoyed yourself.”
Seeing the guest preparing to leave, Li Ke tilted his head.
‘Where have I seen that man before?’
He had definitely seen him somewhere, but he could not remember.
The middle-aged scholar said to the ponytailed man,
“Give me my sword.”
“Yes.”
The ponytailed man took a sword out of the barrel.
There was a name tag attached to that sword’s hilt as well, and the moment Li Ke saw it, his eyes widened.
Qing Jushi (淸居士)!
He remembered. Only now did he remember. This was Qing Jushi, a famed expert of the orthodox faction. Yes, that sword was his unique weapon, the Zhengming Sword.
He had met him once more than ten years ago. Qing Jushi had been surrounded by martial artists and showered with cheers, and Li Ke himself had been one of the martial artists in that crowd.
‘Qing Jushi entrusted the Zhengming Sword here?’
Even after seeing it with his own eyes, Li Ke could not believe it. His gaze turned once more toward the Spirit Flame Saber.
‘Don’t tell me that one is real too?’
An inexplicable unease came over Li Ke.
In any case, this was a place where Qing Jushi entrusted his sword.
“Today’s appointment is important, so for now, why not entrust your sword?”
“What are you talking about? What if it gets lost?”
“We can sit somewhere where this place is visible.”
Li Ke sent Shi Zhuying a voice transmission.
—The guest who just left was Qing Jushi.
—That was Qing Jushi?
—If an expert like him stays here, I think it would be best to meet the owner first.
The name Qing Jushi exerted its power. After all, he was famous enough that even Shi Zhuying had heard of him countless times.
In the end, Shi Zhuying entrusted his sword to them with a reluctant expression. Li Ke also entrusted his own sword.
“Instead, give me a seat with a good view of this spot.”
“Of course.”
He intended to sit there and keep watch over the place where his sword had been set.
Sa Juyeong warned the ponytailed man.
“I’ll say this clearly: if the sword is lost, or if so much as a small scratch appears on the scabbard, you’ll pay for it with your life.”
“Now, please look. I’ll keep it safe.”
Though he put it in carefully, in the end, it still went into that weapons bin.
The two of them took seats where they could see the ponytailed man.
After sitting down, Sa Juyeong pointed at the ponytailed man several times with his finger, signaling him to guard his sword properly.
Then, before even a quarter-hour had passed since they began waiting there, he could no longer hold back and shouted.
“Hurry up and tell the proprietor to come out!”
As Sa Juyeong’s voice rang out, someone seated beside them spoke in a voice like metal scraping against metal.
“Brat, be quiet.”
Turning his head, he saw an old man sitting there drinking.
The old man’s face was covered in blood-dark bruises and swollen all over, making it impossible to tell who he was. It seemed he had been beaten quite badly.
Just then, as the old man raised his cup, a tattoo in the shape of blazing fire could be seen on his arm.
The moment he saw it, Igaek was startled.
‘Yeomhwain?’
He had heard that Yeomhwain bore such a tattoo on his arm.
Just as the startled Igaek was about to send a sound transmission warning him to be careful, Sa Juyeong spoke first.
“And who might you be, old man, to speak so rudely?”
No! Igaek’s heart sank.
As if proving his guess correct, the old man’s gaze sank into an indescribable coldness.
‘This is bad.’
Igaek’s heart pounded as if it would burst. He had never heard of anyone who had offended Yeomhwain and survived. There were even rumors that he had burned someone to death with an extreme yang saber art simply because they had looked at him unpleasantly.
Just as Igaek was agonizing over how they could overcome this crisis—
A woman walked out toward them. She was a truly enchanting and sensual woman, one who drew everyone’s gaze. It was the first time either of them had ever seen such a beautiful woman in person.
She walked over lightly and spoke to the old man.
“I believe I told you not to drink while working?”
Her voice was gentle, but the old man had already sprung up from his seat in fright. At a loss for what to do, he trembled in fear.
“A customer left it behind, so I only had one sip.”
The old man hurriedly gathered the bottle of liquor and the dishes there onto a tray and cleared them away.
As he walked off in haste, as if fleeing, the woman spoke gently to him.
“You’ll raise dust. Don’t run.”
The old man flinched, then crept away and disappeared toward the kitchen.
Only then did the woman turn toward the two of them.
“You were looking for me?”