Chapter 122: Chapter 122
The Hidden Dragon Squad members, including Cheon Woo-jin, stepped down before a brothel.
Characters clearly inscribed on the signboard: Taiyue Pavilion.
With a high probability, it was likely a brothel operated by the Gu Clan.
Judging by the size of the pavilion and the number of employees, the signs of considerable capital invested were evident.
“Welcome.”
Discovering Cheon Woo-jin’s group, a woman minced over and cast an eye smile. It was beauty a man could not easily brush aside.
Her role was to induce men to order expensive liquor. Normally, when she asked with such an eye smile, everyone would show off and order liquor to the extent of straining their pocketbooks.
However, her counterparts were ill-matched.
A man who cultivated the Pure Yang Boy Art, a Daoist whose mind was pure, a madman who treated anyone weaker than himself like an insect, and Cheon Woo-jin on top of that.
Furthermore, the man who cultivated the Pure Yang Boy Art possessed an appearance as handsome as if painted, to the point of stealing the woman’s soul instead.
“Why is the liquor here so expensive? I don’t have money.”
When Song Yi-yeon spoke thus, the woman personally recommended affordable liquor not even on the menu.
It was an action completely forgetting her duty, but after dealing only with old and potbellied men, her desire not to chase away a handsome man who visited after such a long time was greater.
Song Yi-yeon expressed his gratitude and ordered a single bottle of baijiu recommended by the woman.
The woman paused. No matter how handsome he was, wasn’t this too much? Four people coming and ordering a single bottle of liquor? It was at a level where they could not even recoup the basic table setting cost.
“Mmm, heroes, don’t do that, at least three bottles…”
“One bottle.”
“…”
At Cheon Woo-jin’s chilling and resolute voice, the woman shut her mouth. She looked at him to say something, but his gaze was so cold and terrifying that her mouth would hardly open.
Cheon Woo-jin drove the point home toward the woman.
“One bottle.”
Soon, the woman reluctantly nodded her head and went outside.
The reason the four did this was simple. From now on, they planned to become the most obnoxious, troublesome customers in Taiyue Pavilion.
Because if it was truly a brothel operated by the Gu Clan, martial artists of the clan would personally visit before long.
While waiting for the ordered liquor, a long silence ensued.
Cheon Woo-jin and Namgung Jin were originally men of few words, while Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon felt awkward, unable to adapt to a brothel.
However, the delay of the order was a bit excessive.
“Hasn’t about a quarter of an hour passed?”
Namgung Jin spoke as if displeased.
The man best optimized for becoming a nuisance customer and throwing a fit was none other than Namgung Jin. Because even without such a mission, he acted obnoxious toward many people. In short, call it natural acting drawn from daily life.
Such a Namgung Jin looked at Cheon Woo-jin.
For some reason, the two had conversed through eye contact since before.
Namgung Jin said with his eyes, ‘Shall we begin soon?’
Cheon Woo-jin nodded.
Every time Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon saw it, they merely found it wondrous how the two communicated.
At any rate, having received Cheon Woo-jin’s permission, Namgung Jin rose from his seat. He kicked open the room door with skill honed through daily practice.
At that, a waiter passing through the hallway was startled and dropped the liquor and dishes on his tray.
“U-Uh, what should I do about this?”
The waiter was at a loss for what to do.
It seemed to be quite expensive liquor. Likely to the point that he could not buy it even if offering his entire salary.
Namgung Jin blurted out, ‘What do you mean, what should you do? Can’t you see that filthy liquor spilled on my clothes?’
At that, the waiter turned pale and wept profusely. At the same time, he began recounting his family circumstances.
“I-I am sorry, Hero. Because I take care of my sick mother alone, I could not sleep all night yesterday and had to come back to work… Being out of my mind… my legs giving out… even if I have to sell my house, I will compensate…”
All sorts of sob stories poured out.
Suddenly feeling pity for the waiter, Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon criticized Namgung Jin.
“Look here, Young Hero, that is no way to live.”
“They say those who have plenty are even greedier, and it’s truly true!”
Namgung Jin looked at the two with a dumbfounded face.
Silently watching that spectacle, Cheon Woo-jin let out a sigh.
“Change of plans.”
Rising from his seat, Cheon Woo-jin took out the Crescent Moon Staff.
At that, the shocked waiter slumped right down. Jin Un and Song Yi-yeon hastily blocked the space before the waiter.
“P-Please restrain yourself!”
“No matter if it is a mission, this is a bit…!”
Even Namgung Jin looked at Cheon Woo-jin as if he were a lunatic.
Cheon Woo-jin was dumbfounded. How did the Hidden Dragon Squad members normally view him?
In any case, there was no longer any need to perform such antics. In truth, since arriving at the brothel, he had broadly spread his sensory perception all along to observe everyone coming and going.
And then, a commotion broke out on the first floor.
It seemed a conflict had arisen between patrons and the brothel over the cost of drinks.
The commotion continued for quite a while, until eventually men who appeared from somewhere dragged the patrons toward the forest behind the brothel.
Cheon Woo-jin had a thought that they were martial artists of the Gu Clan.
“Well, we will know once we check.”
Having spoken so, Cheon Woo-jin shattered the window and leapt outside.
Namgung Jin, who had smashed the door, clicked his tongue, muttering that nothing remained intact whenever that squad leader fellow moved.
Regardless, Cheon Woo-jin dashed straight toward the forest and soon discovered a group, landing before them.
“P-Please spare me. I will go home right now and bring the money, so please, just my life…”
“Look at this bastard change his attitude, huh? This is why they fucking say a club is the best medicine.”
The martial artist who spoke spat on his palm and raised a club. Kicking the man down, he raised the club high.
The man hurriedly protected his head and curled his body. Even if it was a roughly carved wooden club, if a martial artist swung it with intent, killing a few people was nothing difficult.
The man was utterly terrified by the thought that he might truly die. How long did he tremble like that?
Why wasn’t anything happening?
The man slyly moved his arms aside and opened his eyes.
“W-What?”
The martial artist holding the club was frozen stiff. Just like a stone statue.
Around the time he could not grasp the situation.
An ice-cold voice sounded from behind the martial artist.
“Think carefully. Even if I kill you, there are still plenty of martial artists in that brothel. If you refuse to speak, I have no intention of wasting more time either.”
It was Cheon Woo-jin’s voice.
Cheon Woo-jin was asking the martial artist where he had come from.
Far from turning around to attack, the martial artist could not even breathe properly. Because an indescribably immense aura was crushing his entire body.
Cheon Woo-jin was not a man whose words differed from his actions.
When the martial artist did not open his mouth immediately, the Crescent Moon Staff was swung.
Thwack!
The martial artist’s skull cracked wide open.
However, it did not burst apart completely like usual.
Cheon Woo-jin deliberately dragged the martial artist along while keeping him alive.
He entered through the entrance of the brothel just as he had initially. The only difference was that a martial artist was being dragged in his hand.
When Cheon Woo-jin appeared, the first floor fell silent in an instant.
Regardless, Cheon Woo-jin tossed the dragged martial artist into the middle of the first floor.
Tables overturned and all sorts of liquor and food fell to the floor. The blood spilled by the martial artist soaked copiously over it.
A moment of silence.
And subsequent screams.
“Kyaak!”
Regardless of whether they were guests or courtesans, everyone scrambled to flee.
Soon, as everyone on the first floor vanished, martial artists crawled out from the second floor and back door of the brothel.
Blade scars etched on their faces, black martial attire, rough glares, and a subtle smell of liquor.
They were unmistakably martial artists of the Unorthodox Path.
Soon, the man who appeared to be their leader asked.
“What are you?”
“A customer.”
“…A lunatic. Strike.”
When the man’s command fell, the martial artists surrounding from all directions pounced simultaneously. But Cheon Woo-jin did not move a single step from his spot.
There was no need to.
Three men dropping down from above occupied positions centered around Cheon Woo-jin.
Two sword blades and one saber blade swung toward the unorthodox martial artists.
Slash!
The three martial artists charging at the very front had their necks severed and died on the spot.
“How about whoever kills the most becomes the vice squad leader?”
Song Yi-yeon suggested.
Jin Un and Namgung Jin agreed to those words as well.
Of course, because it was not Cheon Woo-jin’s proposal, it was not particularly influential. Nevertheless, the three moved hastily as though the vice squad leader post were truly at stake.
From a certain point onward, the vice squad leader post had transformed into a sort of battle cry urging them to do their best this time too.
There was no need for Cheon Woo-jin to step in.
Against martial artists merely guarding a brothel, the blades of the Young Sword Dragon, the Plum Blossom Swordsman, and the White Flower Saber were far too sharp and fast.
It was a fight of dozens against three, but it was not a difference in caliber that could be overcome by numbers in the first place.
In that way, as Cheon Woo-jin watched the fight of the three, his eyes suddenly met the woman he had met initially.
The woman flinched violently. Because she had a record of somewhat aggressively telling him to order at least three bottles of liquor.
Cheon Woo-jin beckoned his finger toward the woman.
Soon, the frightened woman approached while trembling.
“Give me three bottles.”
“Pardon?”
“The liquor ordered earlier. I will make it three bottles. It seems everyone will be thirsty once the fight ends.”
An even greater terror fell over the woman’s face.
Cheon Woo-jin had merely acted for the sake of the Hidden Dragon Squad members, but in the woman’s eyes, he looked like a madman calmly ordering liquor in such a situation.
Even so, she could not remain inactive. Because even to her eyes, inexperienced in combat, victory and defeat were already settled.
Around the time the woman hurriedly ran to the kitchen and brought three bottles of liquor, the battle concluded.
“Who cut down the most?”
Song Yi-yeon asked, flicking blood off his saber.
At that, Jin Un and Namgung Jin replied simultaneously.
“Me.”
“I believe it is me.”
With differing opinions, they looked at Cheon Woo-jin all at once.
Because Cheon Woo-jin would have accurately seen who cut down how many people even amidst this melee.
Cheon Woo-jin shrugged his shoulders.
“The three of you cut down exactly seventeen each.”
At that, everyone smacked their lips in regret.
A tie. For having rampaged so enthusiastically, it was a dull result.
Soon, around the time they moistened their throats with the liquor brought by the woman.
Cheon Woo-jin spoke in a casual tone.
“Over there, by the door, there is one person playing dead.”
Instantly, the three wetting their throats set down their liquor bottles at the same time.
In a situation where everyone cut down seventeen people each, whoever cut down that one person would become first place.
The man playing dead had eyes and ears as well.
He did not know what kind of bastards they were, but he noticed that they were competing over something and that he was the final key.
In short, it meant he was on the verge of dying.
The man leaped to his feet and ran like mad out the door. He wondered if he had ever run this fast in his entire life.
Song Yi-yeon and Jin Un pretended to chase him before coming to a stop. Namgung Jin had not even pursued him from the start.
Because they had intentionally kept him alive.
“Then, shall we follow?”
If the prediction was correct, that fellow would flee to the Gu Clan.