Chapter 31: A Small Incident (4)

Yeo Mae-hong sighed as Cho Un-hwi returned to the table.

“Where did you go?”

“To the latrine.”

“Ah…”

It was understandable, considering how much he had drunk.

Cho Un-hwi looked around and whistled.

“This place is a mess.”

“That’s because some people couldn’t hold their liquor,” she said pointedly.

“You should drink in moderation.”

Yeo Mae-hong was speechless. He was acting as if he had nothing to do with the chaos.

Jo Hyeon, who was helping to clean up, interjected, “Well, at least there’s a silver lining.”

“A silver lining?”

“This is the shortest drinking party we’ve ever had. Usually, we end up going to a second or third location and drinking until dawn.”

That was true.

Instructor Yang, who was listening to their conversation, added, “And the heavy drinkers have been thoroughly humiliated. They won’t be bragging about their drinking skills or dragging us to drinking parties anymore.”

“Humiliated, huh? I like the sound of that.”

It was true.

The instructors who had passed out were all notorious for their love of alcohol, and they often used phrases like “Drinking is part of our job” or “Drinking helps us bond” to justify their excessive drinking.

It was ironic that they had been defeated by Cho Un-hwi, who didn’t seem to care about work or bonding.

“I guess we won’t be forced to attend pointless drinking parties for a while.”

Instructor Yang, the taciturn Nine Hundred Iron Fist master, seemed relieved.

“Instructor Yang, I’m done cleaning up.”

“Good work.”

The innkeeper was counting his silver, his face beaming with joy, while the waiter looked devastated.

It seemed that they had settled the bill with silver, after a brief cleanup.

Instructor Yang looked around and said, “It’s still early. Anyone want to grab another drink?”

“Sounds good.”

The drinking party had ended abruptly, but a few of them decided to go to another inn for a more intimate gathering.

***

Five of them went to a small inn.

It was Instructor Yang’s favorite spot, but it was a surprisingly modest place for a Dongcheon Hall instructor to frequent.

He explained that he used to go there when he was struggling to pass the instructor exam.

The owner recognized him the moment they entered.

“Instructor Yang? Is that you?”

“Hey, old man. Long time no see.”

They took a seat, and the owner brought them a variety of skewers.

“This place is nice.”

Cho Un-hwi devoured the skewers, his appetite seemingly insatiable.

Yeo Mae-hong was amazed.

“You’re still hungry after all that drinking?”

“I need to eat to grow big and strong.”

“Speaking of which…”

Jo Hyeon looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t you think Instructor Cho has gotten taller?”

“Taller? I don’t know…”

“You wouldn’t notice, Instructor Yeo, since you’re always with him. But I can tell because I only see him occasionally.”

Yeo Mak, who was chewing on a skewer, agreed.

“You’re right.”

Instructor Yang was also curious.

“Instructor Cho, how old are you?”

“Twenty-five. A handsome bachelor in his prime.”

“You’re still growing at twenty-five?”

It was unusual.

And the more they thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed.

He looked much younger than his age.

He didn’t even have any facial hair.

And his appetite and growth spurt were more typical of a teenager.

It was possible for people to continue growing into their twenties, but it was highly unusual for someone to suddenly grow taller after twenty-five years of being the same height.

Cho Un-hwi shrugged.

“I guess I’m a late bloomer.”

“There’s a limit to how late you can bloom,” Yeo Mae-hong said.

Cho Un-hwi gulped down his wine and wiped his mouth.

“Oops, I’m out.”

“Let’s order another bottle.”

“It’s okay. I should drink in moderation.”

“You’ve already had ten bottles. I think you’re past the point of moderation.”

“Everyone has a different definition of moderation.”

“I’ll buy you another bottle. Drink as much as you want.”

“Now that you mention it, I’m starting to feel a little buzz. Let’s have another drink.”

“You’re a heavy drinker.”

“I’m young and my liver is still healthy. Unlike you old folks with your worn-out livers.”

Yeo Mak, whose face was already flushed after three cups of wine, muttered, “I’m so jealous.”

They continued to chat and drink, enjoying each other’s company.

As the night drew to a close…

A man who had been sitting quietly in a corner of the inn stood up.

Cho Un-hwi, who had been chewing on a skewer, suddenly spoke.

“Tell her I sent her gift.”

Yeo Mae-hong, who had been sipping her wine, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“What are you talking about?”

“Did I say something?”

“You just…”

“I have a habit of talking to myself when I’m drunk.”

“Hmm?”

The drinking party was coming to an end.

***

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

Yo-ran, who had been sitting quietly, swung her pipe as she heard footsteps approaching.

She tapped the ashes out of her pipe and carefully refilled it with tobacco.

She lit it and exhaled a long plume of smoke.

The door burst open, and Jong-yeo, the chief manager, entered the room.

“You were right, Mistress.”

“It was him?”

“He said, ‘Tell her I received her gift.’”

“A gift?”

Yo-ran exhaled another plume of smoke.

There was a small table in front of her.

And on the table was a severed head.

She took another puff of her pipe, her mind racing.

She had been horrified when she found the head in her room.

She had immediately summoned her Five Tiger Assassins. They had been trained to detect any trace of an intruder, and they had never failed her before.

But they had returned empty-handed.

*There was no sign of anyone,* they had reported.

Who could have bypassed her Five Tiger Assassins and entered the innermost sanctum of the Hao Clan’s Muhan Branch?

There was only one person who came to mind: the man she had met recently.

“How did he find me?”

Jong-yeo looked startled.

“I saw him clearly… but I can’t remember his face. He was a middle-aged man… or was he a young boy?”

Yo-ran didn’t scold him for his incoherent rambling.

She understood.

‘I saw his face too, but I can’t remember what he looks like.’

She had a good memory.

She couldn’t have become the mistress of the Hao Clan’s Muhan Branch, which specialized in gathering information, if she couldn’t remember people’s faces.

And yet, she couldn’t recall the man’s appearance.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t remember anything about him.

It was just his face.

It was as if someone had scribbled over his face in her memory, leaving everything else intact.

She had even checked for signs of sorcery, but there were none.

Instead, she had received a different explanation from a physician sent by the Hao Clan leader after the incident in Muhan City.

*Mistress, have you ever heard of people losing their memories after experiencing a traumatic event?*

*Yes, I have. They say it’s a defense mechanism, a way to protect themselves from overwhelming emotions.*

*That’s right. When people experience something traumatic, their minds sometimes block out the memories to protect themselves.*

*What does that have to do with me?*

*It seems that you’ve experienced something similar. You’ve unconsciously blocked out your memories of that man. It’s not sorcery it’s a natural phenomenon.*

*Is that even possible?*

*It’s extremely rare. Especially for someone as strong as you. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself.*

He’s an unfathomable master.

That was the physician’s conclusion.

Yo-ran exhaled a plume of smoke.

“I thought our paths had diverged…”

But it seemed there was still a thread connecting them.

Her heart pounded, despite the calming effects of the tobacco.

“Jong-yeo, if he called it a ‘gift,’ then I assume he doesn’t mind if we dispose of it as we see fit.”

“That’s what I gathered.”

“Good. This is an opportunity to earn a favor from the Murim Alliance and make a profit. They won’t be able to ignore this, especially since it involves the Green Blood Swordsman.”

A spy from the demonic sect had infiltrated the Shinmu Academy. Or, more accurately, a double agent planted by an unknown faction.

Considering the spy’s reputation and the timing of the incident, they could demand a hefty reward.

She looked at the severed head.

What had the Green Blood Swordsman seen that had terrified him so?

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

“He said there were ‘flies’ buzzing around Muhan City.”

“More than one?”

“Inform the Murim Alliance. Sell them the information for a high price. And…”

She tapped the ashes out of her pipe.

“Offer a reward for information about the ‘Shadow Sovereign.’”

“The Shadow Sovereign…?”

“I don’t know his real name.”

Jong-yeo nodded.

“All I remember is an abyss of darkness and an overwhelming presence. It’s a fitting title.”

He bowed and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something.

“What about the ‘small incident’ he mentioned?”

Yo-ran’s face contorted in annoyance, but it was only for a moment.

“We’ve received a big gift, so we should indulge him in his little games.”

“As you wish, Mistress.”

She watched Jong-yeo leave, then lit another pipe.

She exhaled a plume of smoke, her mind drifting back to the past.

Her red lips moved silently.

“The downfall of the Baek Ri Clan. The qi deviation of Baek Ri Jun-yeo, the eldest son.”

And…

“The traitors of the Hao Clan.”

She should have been hostile towards the Shadow Sovereign, who had trespassed on her territory.

But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She owed him a great debt.

He had saved her life, and he had done it in a way that had shocked even the Hao Clan leader.

The streets of Kaifeng had been stained with blood after the leader’s visit.

She wondered what the Shadow Sovereign’s motives were.

“And what kind of demon has possessed that girl?”

The only answer was the silence of the severed head.

***

The next day.

Yeom-gwang woke up with a pounding headache.

“Ugh… water…”

He sat up, his throat parched, and gasped in surprise.

He wasn’t in his own room.

He was in a luxurious chamber, surrounded by opulent furnishings.

He shook the other instructors awake.

“Wake up! Wake up!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Where are we…?”

The door opened, and an elderly man in a neat uniform entered the room.

“You’re awake.”

“W-why are we here?”

“You were all very drunk last night. You came here and had a good time.”

Yeom-gwang gulped as he saw the empty wine bottles scattered around the room.

They were all expensive brands.

“W-well… we were drunk…”

“I know. You broke two tables and a vase.”

This wasn’t good.

He had a bad feeling about this.

“We did that? We’re instructors from the Shinmu Academy! Are you trying to scam us?”

The old man’s response was unexpected.

“You’re free to leave. We won’t charge you for the damages.”

They were letting them go?

Just like that?

There had to be a catch.

“We wouldn’t want rumors to spread about the Chohong Pavilion scamming its customers,” the old man said.

“The Chohong Pavilion?”

The Chohong Pavilion?

The most famous pleasure house in Muhan City, frequented by the elite of the Murim Alliance, including the Head Instructor of Geumcheon Hall?

He gulped.

‘This is bad.’

What if rumors spread that the Chief Instructor of Dongcheon Hall had run out on his bill at the Chohong Pavilion?

The consequences would be disastrous.

His voice trembled.

“I-I apologize for my behavior. I wasn’t thinking straight…”

“It happens.”

“I don’t have any money on me right now…”

“If a martial artist wants to do as he pleases, what can a powerless commoner like me do?”

“W-what do you mean, ‘do as he pleases’?”

Yeom-gwang wanted to cry.

The Chohong Pavilion was notoriously expensive.

‘Damn it, why did we come here?’

It was all the alcohol’s fault.

“W-what are we going to do?”

“I heard the Chohong Pavilion is really expensive…”

“I don’t have any money.”

Yeom-gwang gritted his teeth as he watched the other instructors, who had been sucking up to him just moments ago, try to distance themselves from him.