Chapter 33: Reunion (2)
The street we arrived at, guided by a member of the Hao Sect, was the red-light district.
As I walked between the crimson lanterns glowing faintly in the night, I began to feel the weight of the stares around us. It was impossible not to attract attention—a young boy like me, still looking too young to be in this kind of place, walking alongside a heavily bruised courtesan and escorted by an adult man, all heading toward the center of the district: the Honghwa Pavilion.
Even amidst this peculiar atmosphere, Seol Lihyang held her chin high, her neck stiff with tension, her eyes slightly narrowed with defiance. But it wasn't long before the oppressive stares of the onlookers seemed to weigh on her, and she eventually turned her head slightly and jabbed me in the side with her finger.
Poke. Poke.
"Hey."
"What?"
"You do have a plan, right? You're not just walking into this without thinking?"
"Of course. You were sold to a brothel because of a debt, weren't you? If I pay your price and clear your registration, it'll all be over soon enough."
"And where's this money supposed to come from? Look, I hate to say this, but my ransom's going to be expensive. Plus, do you even know how brothels trap their courtesans here?"
"What, by coming up with all kinds of excuses to increase the debt? I know. I've seen enough to understand how this works."
During my younger days, when I wandered from place to place as a vagrant after leaving my hometown, I'd taken on some escort jobs for brothels, just like any other wayward martial artist.
According to what I'd learned back then, they inflate the debts by assigning costs to everything—the meals they provide, the clothes, the training to be a courtesan—and even go as far as to overcharge outrageously.
"They say it's impossible to pay off the debt through ordinary work, but if you work as a courtesan, you might be able to scrape by and repay it around the time you're too old to attract any more customers."
"Wow, you know your stuff. But... are you sure this is okay?"
"That pouch I got from Tang Sowol was quite full."
"Wait, you're Cheong, not Tang, right?"
"I'm the future son-in-law, so it's close enough."
"Did you seriously just say you're going to use your fiancée's money to buy out a courtesan? Are you even in your right mind?!"
"Your phrasing's off. I'm using my fiancée's money to rescue my benefactor's daughter."
"My father was someone's benefactor? That's the part I just don't get..."
Seol Lihyang sighed heavily. And understandably so—after all, it was a blatant lie.
But she couldn't exactly prove my claim was false, so she had no choice but to go along with it.
As I silently nodded to myself and walked, I suddenly realized we'd reached our destination: the grand and imposing Honghwa Pavilion.
The Hao Sect guide who had led us here approached with a smirk, clearly expecting payment as he subtly extended his hand. I tossed him a silver ingot from the pouch I'd received from Tang Sowol, and after offering an overly dramatic bow, he quickly scampered off.
I tucked the pouch back into my robes when I noticed Seol Lihyang scowling up at the Honghwa Pavilion. She muttered under her breath.
"So it was here? I see... that makes sense..."
"Stop mumbling to yourself and speak clearly so I can hear."
"This is where my father sold me. It figures... The branch manager must've taken an interest in me after seeing me here at his own establishment. Hah, he looks like he'd enjoy men, but apparently, he spends every night rolling around with his courtesans. Turns out it's true."
"If he's that obsessed with women, it might not just be a simple case of lust. The Hao Sect's branch managers aren't exactly ordinary people, are they?"
"Is that so?"
Seol Lihyang tilted her head in confusion. It was only natural—she was still too inexperienced in martial arts to grasp the implications.
The branch manager's androgynous appearance and excessive lust were symptoms of Absorptive Inner Energy Cultivation (Heopjeonggong).
More specifically, they were side effects of techniques like Harvesting Yin to Replenish Yang or Harvesting Yang to Replenish Yin, used to absorb inner energy beyond one's natural capacity.
I had already known about this before my regression, but the fact that a branch manager afflicted by the side effects of Heopjeonggong had set his sights on Seol Lihyang meant...
Suppressing the cold fury rising within me, I approached the main entrance.
One of the gatekeepers, who had been eyeing us with a curious expression, stepped forward to block our path. Perhaps the ease with which I had handed over silver earlier made him realize we weren't ordinary visitors, as his tone was surprisingly polite.
"Did you bring back a runaway courtesan? If you wait here, we'll prepare a reward for you."
"No need. I'm here to meet the owner of this place."
I adjusted the sleeves of my robe to make sure the green uniform I wore was visible and added, "Tell the master of the Honghwa Pavilion that I'm here to see them."
"Understood."
The gatekeeper nodded and disappeared inside. Before long, he returned with a young woman by his side.
Her beauty was such that nine out of ten people would turn to look at her. She wore a glamorous outfit with slight exposure, exuding an overtly seductive aura.
While her charm felt almost unnatural, the essence of her demeanor was something I was quite familiar with.
She must have been a courtesan who had mastered Seduction Techniques to an exceptional level. She was undoubtedly a notable figure even within the Hao Sect.
The woman, showing no intention of hiding her intentions, flashed me a sultry smile and said, "I'll guide you to the master of the pavilion."
"Lead the way."
My calm response seemed to catch her off guard, as her eyebrows twitched slightly in surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected me to remain so unfazed.
Smirking faintly, she motioned for me to follow. As we began moving, Seol Lihyang whispered quietly enough for only me to hear.
"Be careful. She's an elite courtesan of the Honghwa Pavilion. If you keep looking at her, you might get bewitched in an instant—just like everyone else."
"Don't worry. That won't happen to me."
And it was true. The nature of my Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art reduced the potency of techniques like seduction or mental manipulation.
Besides, my internal energy, flowing through my Eight Extraordinary Meridians, was steeped in a lethal aura, and my body—though not yet fully developed—was sustained by the ironclad will of someone who had once reached the peak.
Even if a master of Seduction Techniques at the Flowering Stage appeared, I wouldn't succumb.
Most importantly... her techniques felt all too familiar to me.
I glanced toward Seol Lihyang, who blinked in confusion.
"What is it? Why are you looking at me? No, actually, look at me instead—that's better!"
"That's not why I looked."
Though Seduction Techniques worked more effectively on the opposite gender, it wasn't completely ineffective on the same gender. I had briefly worried that Seol Lihyang, with no training, might be affected—but it seemed my concern was unnecessary.
Well, that was only natural. After all, a technique of such an amateur level would never work on someone like Seol Lihyang.
***
The interior of the Honghwa Pavilion was as extravagant as its exterior, and as we ascended higher, the loud and fervent sounds of men and women grew more intense. At last, we reached the highest floor of the pavilion.
"Master, the guest you mentioned has arrived," the courtesan announced.
"Let them in," came a delicate voice from within.
It was hard to tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman, but its youthful tone was unmistakable. The courtesan carefully opened the door.
Creak.
The door revealed a room so gaudy it almost hurt to look at. Everything was either red, gold, or glittering. Not a single detail deviated from that color palette.
Seol Lihyang froze in place, overwhelmed by the room's splendor. Seeing her hesitate, I strode forward, blocking her view with my body.
The excessive opulence showed just how much money had been poured into the place. However, compared to the extravagance of the Black Lotus Sect
External appearances didn't matter. My focus was on the person sitting at the center of the room—the master of the Honghwa Pavilion.
"Welcome, honored guest from distant Sichuan, and my runaway little one…"
The man slowly stood, his gaze meeting mine as he spoke.
His clothing hung loosely, leaving much of his upper body exposed. Despite his apparent age, his face was unnervingly smooth, devoid of any facial hair.
He had tried to add some masculinity to his appearance, but his slender frame made the attempt ineffective. Without his open shirt, it would've been almost impossible to tell whether he was male or female.
The master of the Honghwa Pavilion—the Hao Sect's branch manager—spoke in a soft yet unnaturally high-pitched voice, his tone intentionally masculine.
"As you may already know, I am the branch manager of the Hao Sect here in Yanzhou and the master of the Honghwa Pavilion."
"I appreciate the warm welcome. I assume you know who I am as well, but for formality's sake: I am Cheon Hwi-da of the Sichuan Tang Clan. And this—"
I turned to Seol Lihyang, intending to introduce her, but she cut me off with a sharp glare directed at the pavilion master.
She didn't say a word but made her hostility unmistakable. The pavilion master merely shrugged and chuckled lightly.
"I see there's no need for introductions. I know her well—after all, she's someone I've been keeping an eye on."
"You bastard!" Seol Lihyang hissed, her voice low and venomous.
Despite her outburst, I didn't see any reason to escalate things yet. For now, I calmly sat down on the floor and patted the spot beside me.
"Sit down."
"…Fine."
Reluctantly, Seol Lihyang sat beside me, though her sharp gaze never left the pavilion master.
Her compliance drew a glimmer of interest from the man, who looked at her with an almost predatory curiosity.
"Oh, how surprising. I haven't heard your reason for visiting yet, but it's rare to see this unruly girl obeying anyone. Would you care to share your secret, young hero?"
"I simply promised her freedom."
"Freedom, you say? Many have been lured by that word, only to have their lives ruined in this very district. Perhaps she'll meet the same fate."
His lips curled into a mocking smile, as if he were scolding me for my naivety.
But I wasn't here out of some fleeting impulse. I had long passed the age for such childish whims.
"Enough of this. Let's get straight to the point. I'm here to clear Seol Lihyang's debt and remove her from this establishment. How much does she owe? If possible, I'll pay it now. If not, I'll have someone from the Tang Clan bring the rest."
"Hmmm… Before that, may I ask why the future son-in-law of the Tang Clan is so invested in a mere courtesan?"
His soft voice had a snake-like quality, and his narrowed eyes gleamed with malice, as if he were probing for weaknesses. It was clear he had no intention of letting her go without resistance.
Suppressing a sigh, I nodded.
"There's no harm in explaining. Her father, Master Seol, once did me a great service. I intend to repay that debt by helping his daughter."
"A debt, you say. In the Sichuan Tang Clan, such things are of great importance, aren't they? After all, you're about to become part of their family, so you must want to settle any lingering obligations from your past."
"That's about right."
Hearing my answer, the pavilion master's lips twisted into a sly grin.
"But there's a problem. As much as I'd love to oblige, Seol Lihyang isn't someone I can simply sell for money."
"What the hell?!" Seol Lihyang growled, recoiling at the way he casually referred to her by a pet name, as if she were his property.
The pavilion master paid her no mind, his gaze fixed solely on me.
"It sounds like you're suggesting there's something else you want. Be specific."
"Of course. You see, Seol Lihyang is my chosen successor. Young hero, have you ever heard of the Pure Yin Physique? It's a rare natural gift, a constitution perfectly suited for mastering techniques like Seduction Techniques."
Of course, I knew what the Pure Yin Physique was—probably better than the pavilion master himself.
To put it simply, it's a body with an unusually high concentration of yin energy, far purer than that of an average woman. While it's not overwhelmingly potent like the Extreme Yin Pulse, which leads to an early death, it's still a rare constitution prized for its unique properties.
The pavilion master's gaze, laden with thinly veiled greed, swept over Seol Lihyang as he spoke.
"Who in their right mind would sell someone destined to become their successor for mere silver?"
"And yet, didn't you buy her for silver in the first place?"
"That's no different from how the orthodox sects sometimes take in children from impoverished families. They provide money in exchange for raising and training them, don't they?"
He wasn't entirely wrong.
Taoist and Buddhist sects often took in orphans, offering payment to their families in return. It was a form of mutual benefit: the sects gained loyal disciples raised from a young age, while the families received financial support, and the children were spared from starvation.
But Seol Lihyang's case was entirely different.
She had been forcibly sold by her father, stripped of her freedom, and turned into a courtesan. Even if the pavilion master claimed to be training her as a disciple, it was obvious he intended to exploit her Pure Yin Physique as a mere resource.
Fiddling with the hilt of my sword, I spoke.
"So, no matter how much money I offer, you won't let her go. Is that what you're saying?"
"Haha, not quite. If it's something money can't buy, that's another story. For instance, if you could offer me something like the Hundred Poisons Pure Blood Pill from the Tang Clan…"
The Hundred Poisons Pure Blood Pill was an elixir on par with the Great Rejuvenation Pill of the Shaolin Temple or the Grand Purity Pill of Wudang. It was a treasure that represented the pinnacle of the Tang Clan's expertise.
It wasn't something I could casually promise, and even if I could, it would be absurd to trade such a treasure for a single courtesan.
His suggestion made it clear he had no intention of negotiating in good faith.
I glanced at Seol Lihyang.
She seemed to sense the tension, her expression growing increasingly anxious. Her unease reminded me of the last time I had seen her in my previous life. Her final words echoed in my mind.
And with that, my decision was made.
"I'm sorry, but I'll just take her by force."
In an instant, I drew my sword and unleashed the full force of my Raging Wave Death-Stealing Art.
The pavilion master's expression twisted in shock as a lethal aura surged toward him.
"What the—?!"
His reflexes were quick, as expected of a master, but my blade wasn't aimed directly at him—it struck the floor.
Slash!
"Kyaaah!"
"Hold on tight. We're getting out of here."
Grabbing Seol Lihyang by the waist, I leaped down to the lower levels.
And just like that, I abducted Seol Lihyang.