The seating had changed.
The Seongwolru, the finest pleasure house in the capital.
Even there, in one of the eighth floor rooms reserved only for the most distinguished guests, Cheon Ryu-yeong, Dokgo Seol, and Jo Jeon-hu sat facing one another.
A folding screen painted with a clean, understated ink landscape stood in the background, while multicolored silk hung from the ceiling in flowing drapes.
Exquisite porcelain and fine furniture adorned the room, and between the three of them the table was so laden with delicacies from land and sea that just looking at it made one's mouth water.
The food they had eaten earlier at the inn—though they had thought it expensive at the time—was nothing compared to what Seongwolru served; it was like a mere firefly before the full moon.
Dokgo Seol poured a glass of the strong geumhongju before Cheon Ryu-yeong and spoke.
"I've arranged the same feast for your companions in the room next door. And I've even assigned each of them a beautiful courtesan."
Cheon Ryu-yeong said nothing, merely gazing at the drink before him. The beautiful red liquor glinted now and then with golden light.
Blood-colored liquor… it seemed somehow fitting for martial artists.
When he remained silent, Dokgo Seol asked casually,
"Does Young Master Cheon also require a courtesan?"
A faint chuckle.
Cheon Ryu-yeong let out a dry laugh.
At that reaction, Jo Jeon-hu bristled, but only bit his lip and clenched a fist beneath the table. This was because Dokgo Seol had given strict orders not to interrupt.
Cheon Ryu-yeong raised his head and straightened his back.
"'Young Master' is too generous a title. And even if I wanted a courtesan, would you actually summon one for me?"
"…"
"For anyone else, perhaps. But for me? Certainly not. Isn't that right?"
Dokgo Seol returned the question with a peculiar look and smile.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because you wouldn't want what I told the head of Gwanghyeolchang leaking elsewhere."
Dokgo Seol drained the geumhongju before her and smiled in satisfaction.
As expected, a clever man.
He seemed to have all the qualities of a fine strategist.
She felt certain that the large sum she had just spent would one day return to her with ample profit—though first, she had to hear the truth about Nokrim Eighteen Strongholds.
I must hear the truth, without lies! Nokrim Eighteen Strongholds… they are a sleeping tiger. If I can use strategy to take the General Escort Chief's seat… our righteous sects could exploit that opening. If I can move them according to our will, it could be the decisive blow against the unorthodox factions trying to swallow the continent. This… this could truly be a chance to earn incredible merit. And also gain a fine strategist. This is the very definition of killing two birds with one stone!
A fire of ambition stirred within Dokgo Seol, and she had to force herself to breathe deeply and drink to calm down.
Meanwhile, Cheon Ryu-yeong cursed inwardly at her smiling face.
How can a man look so pretty? Tch. Is it that I'm finally of an age to marry?
Marriage…
In this world, it was something that required money.
For the poor Cheon Ryu-yeong, it was nothing but a dream.
He lamented inwardly—how much had this feast cost? If she had just given him the silver, he could have lived for months without working.
Dokgo Seol refilled her own glass and held out her arm—an invitation to toast. Cheon Ryu-yeong gave a wry smile and drank with her.
The two shared drinks for quite some time in silence.
Cheon Ryu-yeong felt his head starting to spin and shook it. This was his first time drinking such strong liquor, and the drunkenness came quickly. He had to say something if he wanted them to let him go.
"I'll tell you."
Dokgo Seol smiled.
"There's no rush."
"No, but I have two conditions."
"What are they?"
"That only one person remain. And that whoever hears me must not tell anyone—especially not the companions in the next room."
Jo Jeon-hu's thick eyebrows twitched. As Dokgo Seol's guard, he could not leave her side.
But Dokgo Seol nodded and readily accepted the proposal—in fact, it was what she herself wanted.
If they could drink frankly, just the two of them, and grow closer, recruiting him as her sect's future strategist would be far easier. Jo Jeon-hu's grim face would only keep Cheon Ryu-yeong wary.
"Deputy Leader, return first."
"Leader!"
"We only came out for a simple meal. If it gets too late, the members or other leaders will be worried."
It was a reasonable point.
When Jo Jeon-hu was left without words, Dokgo Seol smiled faintly.
"I am… strong."
"…"
"And right now the capital is full of righteous-sect warriors. I know you worry, but don't think of me as some hothouse flower. I joined the Xuanwu Unit from the very bottom of the Murim Alliance by my own strength."
It was true.
Dokgo Seol had hidden her identity and, purely on her ability, entered the notoriously selective Xuanwu Unit.
Eventually, someone there recognized her and her identity came to light—but instead of condemning her for deceit, the world praised her resolve.
Of course… that was because she was counted among the Five Beauties of the martial world, and her clan, the Dokgo clan, was one of the Eight Great Families. The world is always indulgent toward the privileged.
Jo Jeon-hu could not decide easily. Even if all she said was true, Dokgo Seol was still a twenty-one-year-old young maiden.
At that age, one often feels capable of anything—fearless, unstoppable. But reality is never so kind.
Life's hardships are learned only after many trials and errors, and humility comes thereafter.
That is life.
When Jo Jeon-hu still hesitated, Dokgo Seol pressed the matter.
"Deputy Leader, you know we leave at si-shi tomorrow—ten in the morning—and that there are several documents to process before then, right? Please take care of them."
"Urgh."
There was no way around it. Jo Jeon-hu was worried for Dokgo Seol, and curious about Cheon Ryu-yeong's backstory, but swallowed his frustration and stood.
He glanced at Dokgo Seol—she was a heavy drinker, beyond even his capacity.
Her gaze remained steady as she nodded to him, telling him it was safe to go.
Jo Jeon-hu's eyes shifted to the man before her. A man, yes, but hardly worth a single punch—his eyes already glazed, likely to collapse soon. After all, he had been drinking since the inn.
"Understood. Don't be too late."
Once Jo Jeon-hu left, Dokgo Seol poured again.
"Drink."
"Haah… why?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong rubbed his throbbing temples.
"I'm about to tell you—why do you keep pushing drinks on me?"
Dokgo Seol smiled with her eyes.
"You're no common jaengjasu."
That remark made Cheon Ryu-yeong bristle, and he downed the geumhongju in one gulp. The harsh liquor burned down his throat. Who does this job because they want to?
"Oh? You hold your liquor well."
She drank as well, then continued.
"I keep urging you to drink because you're very smart."
"…?"
"You're more than capable of wrapping the story you're about to tell me in lies. But drunk, the odds of weaving a convincing fiction drop, don't they? And even if you lie, there will be enough holes for me to notice."
Cheon Ryu-yeong's throat bobbed. She had already seen through him.
Not an easy opponent. But… this is my promise to the head of Gwanghyeolchang. I can't break it.
Dokgo Seol caught his faint change of expression and laughed.
"Hahaha. You really were planning to deceive me."
"No. I was just bewildered by your absurd assumption."
"Is that so? Then drink. If you have nothing to hide, there's no reason not to."
"Fine."
Cheon Ryu-yeong decided there was only one way forward.
His opponent was a foppish-looking sort. He wasn't a strong drinker himself, but if he stayed sharp, he might just outlast someone like her.
Back and forth they went, draining several bottles of the harsh geumhongju in no time.
What a stubborn one!
What a stubborn man!
They cursed each other inwardly, but kept smiling outwardly.
The drinks kept coming as they exchanged idle chatter, each trying to get the other drunk first.
Cheon Ryu-yeong fought to keep his eyes from closing.
"I once heard something while working at the escort bureau for a long time… urp."
Dokgo Seol, eyes glazed as well, replied,
"What is it? Hic."
"Isn't it unfair? Burp."
The two of them kept belching over and over, but they were already so far gone that shame was no longer a concern.
"What's with these high-level masters? If you do that… what was it, circulating qi, you can drive the alcohol out of your system, right? Isn't that way too unfair?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong clung desperately to the fraying thread of his consciousness. If the other really could do that, then there was no point in continuing this drinking contest—better to just keep his mouth shut and pass out in peace.
"Puhahaha! You can only do that once you've reached the peak realm. Do you know what that is? Peak. It means you've reached the very summit of your martial attainment. You have to achieve mastery of all twelve stages to get there. Hic."
"But even so, doesn't circulating qi help a little?"
Dokgo Seol chuckled derisively.
"Heh heh. Fool! Hic. Do you think circulating qi is child's play? You have to recite the formula and guide your body's energy with painstaking precision. And you think some half-drunk non-master can do that? Puhahaha! You'd just fall into qi deviation and end up crippled. Hic hic."
"Is that so?"
"And proper qi circulation takes at least half a day."
"All right then. In that case, I can't lose. Even if you're a martial artist… hic… drinking is a fair fight. Come on, drink."
"Fine! Drink!"
Again, several more rounds went back and forth. Then Dokgo Seol suddenly felt a primal warning in her gut—if this kept up, she might really get drunk enough to pass out before he did.
"Cheon Ryu-yeong! Hic."
"What?"
"Talk now."
"About what?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong loosened the knot at his collar, feeling hot, and yawned as he spoke.
But Dokgo Seol, having seen plenty of bare male torsos while training, felt no reaction whatsoever—in fact, she almost snorted at the pitiful sight.
"Hmph! What a pathetic body."
"My body—none of your business."
"Hic. Well, fair enough. Fine, what exactly did you tell Gwanghyeolchang?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong's fading awareness melted into the geumhongju.
"Hahaha. That? Nothing special."
"Hic hic. Then what was this 'nothing special'?"
"Fine. I'll tell you—if you'll teach me martial arts."
"What? You, wanting to… hic."
"Hahaha. I've never learned, but I've seen masters fight a few times… and I could see it. Hic."
"See what?"
"Their weaknesses. Yeah… the openings."
"Puhaha! Idiot! You probably saw some street brawlers, not masters. Stop babbling and just tell me already!"
Her voice rose with irritation—it was obviously drunken temper. Cheon Ryu-yeong flinched, then smiled foolishly.
"Hehehe. So… I told the head of the General Escort Bureau to pick me as his successor. Just flattered him. That's all."
Cheon Ryu-yeong—
A man of true loyalty.
Fire lit in Dokgo Seol's eyes… but even that melted away under the intoxication.
"You bastard. Are you joking? Hic."
"Hahaha. It's true."
"Lies!"
"It's true. Urgh."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"And Gwanghyeolchang just accepted that? Hic."
She thought… maybe he would. Her normally sharp mind was now useless.
"No, he just laughed and said it was ridiculous."
"Huh? Why? Flattery's the best way."
"Hahaha. True. But he said he couldn't bring himself to do it."
"Hm. Yeah, I've heard his pride is huge. Hic hic. Ugh, I'm dying. Then why did he let you live?"
Cheon Ryu-yeong gathered the last shreds of his reason.
"He said those two reasons, plus that he recognized I had the qualities to be head—that was enough."
"Haa… so that's all it was?"
A wave of emptiness washed over Dokgo Seol.
What had she been expecting from some common laborer? Why had she ever thought he had the makings of a fine strategist?
The truth was—he was a con man!
What a waste of money. The feeling was like being clubbed in the back of the head. Her hasty judgment had cost her time, money, and even worn her out physically.
She recalled her father's words—
Don't overestimate your instincts and abilities. You're still just a greenhorn.
Her mouth tasted bitter.
She wanted to prove something to her father… to accomplish something great so he wouldn't see her as a child anymore.
And then her eyelids closed. Cheon Ryu-yeong, too, toppled backward, hitting his head with a thump.
Half a shichen later.
The inner chamber door slid open.
It was the madam of Seongwolru and a serving boy.
They nearly gagged from the overpowering reek of alcohol.
"How much did they drink?"
The serving boy clicked his tongue.
"Don't even ask. These two downed thirty bottles of geumhongju."
"What?!"
The madam rushed over and felt their noses—what they'd drunk was certainly a lethal dose. Enough to kill even a bear.
Thankfully, both were breathing evenly.
"Phew. Thought I'd be moving corpses. These two are complete liquor fiends. Never seen anyone so obsessed with drinking in my life. What about the bill?"
"I collected plenty in advance. The rest, I'll take when they leave."
"Good. That must've cost a fortune."
The serving boy grinned, showing yellow teeth.
"Best score in three years. And with their companions included… whew."
Silver that would take an average person two years to earn had been blown in one night of drinking.
The madam's face turned serious.
Anyone who could throw around that much money couldn't be treated carelessly.
"Move them upstairs."
To the rooms reserved for Seongwolru's most honored guests. The serving boy, expecting this, answered quickly.
"Yes. Should I put them in one room or two?"
The madam looked silently between the man collapsed face-down and the man sprawled on his back.
The boy added,
"Two rooms would cost more."
The madam shook her head.
"Greed invites trouble. People who spend this much may have powerful backgrounds. If they think we overcharged, they might make trouble. Better to comp the room for the night."
The boy looked regretful—it was Seongwolru's finest suite. But the madam's judgment was sound.
"You're right. But what's their relationship? Drinking like this… they must be close. Maybe childhood friends. One succeeded, the other failed…"
Glancing at their contrasting clothes, the boy spun his little story. The madam found it plausible.
"Old friends reunited after a long time, sharing drinks? Yes, it seems that way. Lay them in one bed."
Dokgo Seol—
She always slept alone.
Before bed, she would circulate her qi, and she had long had the habit of sleeping unclothed. Even if she forgot, she would unconsciously strip off bothersome clothes before sleeping.
Cheon Ryu-yeong—
He had spent most of his time sleeping in groups during escort journeys. In winter or chill weather, he was used to embracing the man in front of him to keep warm—otherwise, you'd easily catch cold.
That night, the capital was especially cold.