Chapter 131. Go Lick the Cult Leader’s Instep.
When night had fallen.
I realized that the only place I had to put these guests up for the night was a pleasure house. It struck me anew that I still did not have a home where I could receive guests.
Unexpectedly, I led the Sword Demon and the Lust Demon to the Plum Blossom Pavilion.
To think I would end up entering a pleasure house with the Lust Demon.
But Master was here, and so was I, so nothing much would happen.
Yet the sight of the Plum Blossom Pavilion after so long felt unfamiliar even to me.
What state was the Plum Blossom Pavilion in now that I had disappeared first, and Cha Seongtae was gone as well? For starters, the gatekeeper failed to recognize me. Even after I entered the Plum Blossom Pavilion, no one in particular seemed to know who I was.
I deliberately mentioned Cha Seongtae to a woman passing by.
“Where’s Cha Seongtae?”
The woman answered.
“The Chief Steward went to the Black Cat Gang.”
“Then who’s managing this place?”
“Inspector Sima Bi is managing it.”
“Ah, right. Sima Bi was here.”
“But who are you?”
I looked at the young girl and replied.
“The person above Sima Bi and Cha Seongtae.”
The girl, whose face was covered in freckles, suddenly shouted as if announcing it to the entire Plum Blossom Pavilion.
“The Sect Leader has arrived!”
All at once, doors throughout the Plum Blossom Pavilion opened with a great clamor, and people appeared here and there, staring at me as I stood on the first floor. Only then did I see a few familiar faces mixed among them.
“Sect Leader, you’ve come!”
“Yeah, I have. Chae-hyang, show us in.”
Chae-hyang, whom I had not seen in a long time, replied.
“I’ll take you to the Plum Blossom Room.”
I went up the stairs with the two of them and entered the Plum Blossom Room. On the way, the Sword Demon said,
“I’ll practice qi circulation meditation, so give me a room.”
“Master, I’ll have a drink with the Sect Leader.”
“Do that.”
Even though we had entered a pleasure house, the Sword Demon did not nag his disciple at all.
* * *
I gave the Sword Demon the top-floor room I used to use, then sat facing the Lust Demon in the Plum Blossom Room.
Come to think of it…….
The women the Lust Demon had laid hands on were famous rising talents of the orthodox faction. And he had made the matter worse by only going after women from clans with compound surnames.
I thought he would act like a dog in heat once we entered a pleasure house…….
But the Lust Demon quietly drank, as if he had never been the Lust Demon in the first place. He did not even look at Chae-hyang when she occasionally showed her face. He seemed to be deliberately acting indifferent toward the women of the pleasure house, so I was bewildered as well.
The Lust Demon asked me,
“Where am I supposed to sleep?”
“I’ll give you a room.”
The Lust Demon nodded and continued drinking. A little while later, someone knocked on the Plum Blossom Room and said,
“Sect Leader, it is Sima Bi.”
“Come in.”
Sima Bi, with his horsetail hair, whom I had not seen since around the time we struck Erlong Laojun, lowered his head as soon as he saw me.
“It has been a long time.”
“Strategist Sima, have there been any problems in the meantime?”
“No.”
“Who is managing the pleasure house’s assets?”
“The Chief Steward handed the keys over to me before he left. I have them stored in three separate places. Shall I give you the keys?”
“No need. Come in.”
“Yes.”
I had Sima Bi sit down, then poured him a cup of wine.
“Have you learned much about running the pavilion?”
“Yes. Rather than as a pleasure house, we had converted it into a tavern and were operating it that way. I have often consulted Chief Steward Cha and handled matters accordingly.”
I introduced the Lust Demon, who had only been drinking in silence.
“This is Meng Lang, the second son of the Fengyun Meng Clan in Baiyingji. This is Sima Bi of Hao Mun.”
The Lust Demon said dryly to Sima Bi,
“Pleased to meet you.”
Sima Bi replied politely.
“I am Sima Bi of Hao Mun.”
I gave Sima Bi a task.
“Strategist Sima.”
“Yes.”
“When Young Master Meng of Baiyingji returns, accompany him. I have something for you to do.”
“Please give your orders.”
“We will be reinvesting the profits earned from the three pleasure houses so far. Go to Baiyingji and look into businesses that can be established with Hao Mun’s investment funds, such as inns, restaurants, and pleasure houses. Examine Baiyingji’s commercial district in general and see whether there are buildings we can purchase or shops we can take over.”
“Yes.”
“If we lack funds, Chief Steward Byeok of the Black Cat Gang will provide support. Do you understand why I intend to establish a business belonging to Hao Mun in Baiyingji?”
“Would it perhaps be like a branch that also serves purposes such as gathering information?”
“Correct. Sima Bi, but it isn’t only Baiyingji.”
“Please speak.”
“A great deal of surplus funds has piled up in the Black Cat Gang. You will take charge of this matter, establish one branch in Baiyingji, and use that experience to create branches later near the Blood Night Palace, near the Tyrant Sword Association, and near Jeongpyeong Lake, the Southern Underworld Society, and the Southern Heaven Alliance as well. Ah, there was also the Black Ship Fort. Never mind that place. Though I call them branches, they naturally have to be businesses that can earn income through their own work. As for the personnel to be assigned there, I will select and dispatch men from Ilyang County or the Black Cat Gang who have been idling about with nothing to do.”
“I understand the other regions, but I do not know the Blood Night Palace.”
“I’ll tell you about that later. Take it slowly.”
“Yes.”
I carefully studied Sima Bi’s face and said,
“I neither summoned you nor gave you any specific work, yet you handled things well on your own.”
Sima Bi smiled faintly.
“There was plenty to do here in its own way.”
Sima Bi was a man who found work for himself and did it. If that was the case, I had no choice but to give him more work and raise his position within Hao Mun.
Thinking about it, this was precisely why Sima Bi was, all over again, a strategist.
“Strategist Sima, we meet after so long, and I apologize for piling work on you.”
I poured Sima Bi a cup of wine. As Sima Bi accepted it, he replied,
“Do you know how news of you is heard in Ilyang County, Sect Leader?”
“How would I know?”
“You stormed into the Southern Underworld Society alone. Before that, we also heard that you ambushed and killed Master Su. Rumors came in that you had destroyed the Tyrant Sword Association as well. Every time I heard such news, I could only think that you were risking your life and fighting somewhere.”
“Mm.”
After drinking, Sima Bi met my eyes.
“If there is work you need done, please order me to do all of it.”
Hearing what I had done from another person’s mouth felt strange.
“Yeah.”
“…….”
“Going forward, continue discussing the funds with Chief Byeok and Chief Cha. Only discuss it with Yeonjaseong of Chukmun if you need to erect a new building.”
“Yes.”
“We have a guest, so let’s stop here for today. Good work.”
“Yes, then please enjoy your conversation.”
Once Samabi withdrew, Saekma cocked his head crookedly and spoke to me.
“So the bumpkin’s a busy man. I thought you ran the local martial arts hall. But.”
“But what?”
“I’m not even a member of the Hao Gate, so is it really fine for you to speak so freely of your business in front of me?”
“It’s nothing that grand. The Hao Gate isn’t some magnificent organization. We just give people places to work, don’t shake them down for protection money, and keep them from getting beaten to death by any passing martial artist.”
“Did you model the branches on what you heard at Suwol Palace from the Lord of Hyeolya Palace?”
“I took some pointers.”
Saekma snorted and fell silent for a moment. I studied his expression and took a drink.
Saekma spoke.
“Did you set up a branch nearby because Elder Heo asked you to help Hyeolya Palace?”
“I had no other choice. I have to know what’s going on to help them.”
“I get Hyeolya Palace, but why are you building one in Baengeungji?”
“Because your master is there. And there are Righteous Path forces too.”
“So why are you keeping an eye on my master?”
“Whether it’s your master or Hyeolya Palace, they’re bound to be attacked by the Demonic Cult sooner or later.”
“He isn’t someone who will fall easily.”
“I plan to establish Hao Gate branches among the Righteous Path, the Demonic Path, and even places without martial artists, so don’t nitpick me over every little thing. It’s what I want.”
“Doing something great, I see.”
Hearing Saekma’s snide remark, I shot back.
“Saekma, you want a beating? Is the alcohol making you itch for one?”
“Save those empty threats for your subordinates. Anyway, it’s truly fascinating. How do you know so clearly what you must do?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Exactly what I said. What motivates you to do these things—founding a sect, protecting workers, fighting the Demonic Path here and there? What is the reason? What was the catalyst? It’s absurd to me, since I have no interest in such matters.”
How on earth was I supposed to answer when I was asked something so obvious?
Perhaps the answer did not lie with me, but with that Saekma bastard.
“I am me. You are you… but why do you live like that?”
“Me?”
“Are you living like that because you have nothing better to do, as you said?”
“Are you talking about women?”
“Whatever.”
Saekma poured himself a drink and said,
“There is nothing in this world as beautiful as women.”
It looked like Saekma’s mouth was about to run, so I kept quiet and drank.
“And there is nothing as ugly as women, either. There had been marriage talks between me and a daughter of the Baekri Clan two years ago, but perhaps because I’m a son of a concubine, it all fell through midway. No, but…”
Saekma said, bringing his thumb and forefinger together.
“It was a marriage I had absolutely no interest in, you see. I was just minding my own business when I got dumped.”
“So?”
“So? I hid my identity and went to find out just what kind of bitch she was, if only to get a look at her face. She was a promiscuous one. I got rejected by someone like that because I’m a son of a concubine? I spat right in front of the Baekri Clan. Ptui, fuck, ptui ptui ptui!”
“You’re spitting on the side dishes, you bastard.”
“Don’t eat it, rotten bastard.”
Saekma spoke as he picked up and ate the side dish flecked with spit.
“When I came home and saw the state of things, I’d suddenly become the worthless one. Our Patriarch merely thinks of me as a game piece to expand the clan’s power. These pathetic bastards… That day I argued with the Patriarch and argued with the heir bastard too. Anyway, I beat them both up.”
I took a drink and spat it out onto the side dish in front of me.
“P-too…”
As my spit-out drink poured over the side dish, Saekma frowned.
“Ugh…”
“Don’t eat it, you trash bastard. No, but the Patriarch is your father, isn’t he?”
“He is.”
“And the young lord is your elder brother?”
“That’s right.”
“And you beat them both up?”
Saekma blinked and looked at me.
“Why is that strange?”
“You call that something to say? Are you insane?”
Saekma suddenly grinned and replied.
“It’s not a strange thing.”
“Why not?”
“If it were strange, those two shouldn’t have been hitting me since I was young. Back then I was weak, so I took the beatings. Now I’m stronger, so the tables have simply turned. Of course, the two of them probably didn’t realize I’d grown stronger until after they took their beating. It’s common enough for martial artists to raise their voices and end up dueling. Anyway, the clan can’t treat me lightly anymore. They even seemed to be thinking of driving me out of the family, but—fat chance. They raised me when they needed me, and now they want to kick me out? This damned clan…”
With a tang—, Saekma set down his cup.
“That is our clan. The Pungunmongga clan. A splendid household.”
It was my first time meeting someone who’d beaten his own father and brother, so I pretended to scratch the back of my head for a moment before swiftly smacking Saekma on the head in a surprise attack.
With a thwack—, Saekma grabbed his head.
“Has this bastard gone mad? Why’d you hit me?”
“Just take the hit, bastard. There is no reason. If it bothers you, come at me. By your logic, the strong can keep beating the weak as much as they want, can’t they? If you’re going to live by that logic, join the Demonic Cult. Go there, happily beat the shit out of those weaker than you, rise through the ranks, and then lick the Cult Leader’s feet. No matter how I look at it, you’re weaker than the Cult Leader. Isn’t that what you’re thinking?”
“What bullshit is that? Why would I join the Demonic Cult?”
“If you’re the type to personally beat your own father and half-brother, the Demonic Cult would welcome you with open arms. Why not join?”
“I told you I got beaten a lot when I was young.”
I suddenly touched my nose and then quickly smacked the off-guard Saekma bastard on the head again.
“Is that the same as now?”
“What’s different?”
I poured a drink, swallowed it, and glared at Saekma.
“If you’ve grown up with your body intact, become independent. Don’t spew such bullshit. Didn’t I tell you before? You’re no different from your father. If you’ve passed the age of twenty, be independent and build a proper household. Don’t ramble on about pathetic old stories while drinking. It’s a waste of good liquor, bastard.”
“…….”
As the Saekma bastard glared at me with murderous eyes, I set down my cup.
“Want to go a round?”
“Let’s go, bastard.”
“Good.”
I sprang up from the drinking table with the Lust Demon. In a strained voice, the Lust Demon opened his mouth.
“Lead us somewhere spacious.”
As we descended the narrow stairs shoulder to shoulder, the Sword Demon’s calm voice rang softly through Maehwaru.
“Our Hao Sect Leader…… and my disciple.”
“…….”
The two of us stopped walking, then answered in turn.
“Yes, Master.”
“Speak.”
From upstairs, the Sword Demon’s calm voice continued.
“……I will not stop you. However, external arts only. Do not use internal energy.”
I had thought he would try to stop the fight, but it was an unexpected demand. I met the Lust Demon’s eyes, then we answered the Sword Demon in turn.
“Understood.”
“Understood.”
As we went down the stairs, the Sword Demon let out a long sigh.