“...Today, your tone's a bit rude, isn't it?”
It's a gamble.
No path to survival.
Look at that thing blooming from Cheongwol's body—that thing!
What the hell is that!! I don't know martial arts at all, but if even I can see it, it's definitely dangerous.
Cheongwol doesn't have a sword, but that blue internal energy looked just like a blade.
It felt like a gun barrel aimed right at me.
But if I cower, I'll die even more.
If I apologize and bow down, that's true death.
Power must be met with power.
I can't back down out of fear.
There's a cliff behind me anyway.
So, get angry instead!
To turn the situation around, like in the basement, I had to take control by giving orders and seize the initiative.
I glared at Cheongwol.
Cheongwol did the same.
Even though our eyes met for just a few seconds, I wanted to look away hundreds of times.
But still, I mustered my courage.
Seeing the酒 bottle in Cheongwol's hand, I got an idea.
I grabbed another glass from the table and ordered Cheongwol.
“...Pour me a drink.”
Like ordering a courtesan.
“What?”
“I'm thirsty.”
I didn't hide my rude tone.
I placed my glass on my thigh.
An effort to hide my trembling hand.
“...Branch Leader. You're insane.”
Cheongwol growled.
I scowled too.
“Our Wol keeps making me angry?”
Surprisingly, Cheongwol looked away first.
“You don't think about your own faults, yet you dare point out mine...”
“...”
“Think about it. You were the one who broke our promise the time before last, the one who didn't listen. Even though I said I hate Murim folk, you brought the Tang Clan of Sichuan's eldest daughter, the Poison Phoenix Dang Soran, right in front of me. Not just any Murim person, but a big shot.”
Cheongwol's lips pursed tightly.
“And on top of that, didn't you say we should give her some experience?”
“Th-that was! If I didn't, Dang Soran wouldn't give up—”
“—No matter the reason, you acted on your own whim.”
“...”
Am I arguing well?
Gwak Du Uncle, damn it, give me strength. I'm scared to death.
“So I tried to punish you a little by making you face the wall and sit. But you gave up midway, stormed out, slammed the basement door in my face... and now you chase me even to a pleasure house to block my actions...”
“...”
I forced the atmosphere and whispered.
“You don't listen to a single word I say, but if I abandon you, what should I say to that?”
“Eut!”
The酒 bottle gripped in Cheongwol's hand trembled.
The force in her grip was so strong, it was amazing the glass didn't shatter.
If she swings that and smashes my head, my life really ends.
Terror made my body flinch back instinctively, but I suppressed it and leaned toward Cheongwol instead.
“...Pour the drink, Wol.”
“...”
“Pour it and apologize to me first.”
Cheongwol just trembled, frozen stiff.
“...”
Meanwhile, I sorted out the information.
So, rather than coming specifically to kill me, she came to join the gathering, but seeing me enter the pleasure house pissed her off?
...Yeah. That could be.
Maybe she has an instinctive purity about SM.
Just like I didn't want to deal with more than one when doing SM.
Cheongwol might just instinctively dislike me whoring around.
Of course, for that to make sense, we'd have to be an SM couple or something... but she felt it, so what can I do.
If Madam said so, then it is.
No one will listen if I cry injustice at a temple.
Even without that, it could just be disgust toward vulgar people?
She's super picky, but yeah, I get it.
Whoring around isn't something to brag about anyway.
Just as a man would feel repulsed by prostitutes, a woman probably wouldn't look kindly on a man who does that.
Especially a nun who values chastity and keeps her body pure and noble.
Even so, chasing me here to make a scene is crazy bitch behavior, but she's always been a crazy bitch...
...Admit it!
But I'm wronged too!
I couldn't even taste it because of you! I'm not dirty!
“...Because of you, my first time at a pleasure house is ruined like this. Jeez.”
So I whispered smoothly.
Cheongwol's body twitched.
“...First time?”
“Where would I get the money? My successful brother said he'd take me, so I just followed.”
I continued the excuses. Appeal that I'm not dirty.
...I'm as pure as a nun! I just got dragged by curiosity!
“I came here just to drink... but you ruined the mood. I'm sorry to my brother too. It must've cost a pretty penny.”
“...”
“So pour me a drink at least, Wol. Do you really think you did nothing wrong?”
I couldn't read what Cheongwol was thinking.
Her eyes darted around anxiously.
A mix of anger at me and confusion about herself.
“...Branch Leader.”
Finally, she lowered her head and asked quietly.
“Have you... ever drunk wine poured by another woman before?”
“What?”
“Even if... like Ga Yeong or something.”
Why does Gayeong come up here.
“...No.”
“I'm... the first...?”
“Yeah... I guess so.”
Cheongwol bit her lip, then moved the trembling酒 bottle with shaky hands.
“The thing with... Dang-senior... I...”
...Admit I was wrong? She swallowed the rest.
I stared at the酒 bottle in Cheongwol's hand.
Focused on whether she'd smash it over my head.
...Is she pouring?
...She's pouring.
I hid my excitement.
Am I surviving again like this?
Seems like I at least seized the initiative.
Yeah, you have a conscience after all. After acting like such a rebel, you at least have that.
I went one step further.
“Say 'Sorry, I'm a naughty girl' while pouring.”
“...You said... I'm crazy...”
She said that, but she poured.
This time too, like pouring tea, Cheongwol politely cupped both hands and poured the酒.
Guess that's the only way she knows how to pour.
I took the glass Cheongwol poured and calmed my mind.
Then quietly downed the酒.
I roughly set the glass down.
“...Let's go. No fun anyway.”
Cheongwol's eyes widened hugely. As if she never expected me to say that myself.
Damn bitch...!
Surprised, my ass! You practically forced me to say it!
How many chances will I get in life to come to a pleasure house!!
Do you know how it feels to leave gold and jewels right in front of me?
But I have no choice but to obey, because my neck is more important than gold and jewels.
Cheongwol put her bamboo hat back on.
Wow, but.
When she came in, I was admiring her figure—a perfect 10.
And just her looks alone are a 10 too.
But combined into the being called Cheongwol, her overall appeal drops to negative.
Incredibly mysterious.
I walked ahead first.
Cheongwol obediently followed behind.
On the way out of the pleasure house, I ran into Joo-hyeol.
I had to bow my head from behind and whisper.
Hiding my expression from Cheongwol with my hand was a bonus.
‘I-I'll explain later.’
‘...’
Joo-hyeol's face was blank, unable to comprehend the situation.
Well, what could he do when a Murim warrior dragged me away.
I stepped outside and steadied my mind.
For now, I seized the initiative.
Cheongwol coming to find me was a once-in-a-lifetime terror, but somehow I talked my way out again.
It's a situation that showed Cheongwol was in the wrong.
She even poured me酒 as if to apologize.
...So at this exact moment, shouldn't I put on the brakes once?
How many more of these incidents can I endure?
Right now, I have perfect justification.
“Wol. Since the chance is here, let me warn you.”
“...”
“If you keep breaking our promises like this... I can't help with your heart demon.”
At those words, Cheongwol suddenly closed the distance between us.
I wanted to step back, but as always, I suppressed that urge.
Her veil settled over my face.
Cheongwol's beautiful face revealed beyond the veil.
A dizzying fragrance.
But murderous eyes.
“Such... such a thing exists where?”
She believes SM play helps resolve her heart demon, so those words must've sounded like a threat.
But I countered with the same justification to pressure her.
“If the patient refuses help, what can I do? My method has conditions. The person must obey my words. You know that, right?”
“My...!”
“...?”
“...You saw me... naked...! How much more...”
...So that was part of why she chased me.
“That's why... you ran away...”
The man who saw her bare skin—technically, only me.
The man who saw the Emei Sect's Thousand-Year Flower's bare skin: me.
...By that standard, am I marked for life?
But I continued calmly.
I can't lose the initiative.
“It wasn't running away. You assumed that on your own. And no matter what I do, I have no obligation to report to you one by one, right?”
“...”
“Go back today. When you head back to Emei Mountain, I'll let you know. You'll be staying at the Tang Clan, right?”
Preserving the sadist's dignity, while yielding as much as possible.
Cheongwol's face was full of dissatisfaction.
But she seemed to know she couldn't throw a tantrum anymore.
She quietly backed away... and vanished.
“Haa... haa...!”
Right after, I collapsed to the ground and exhaled the breath I'd been holding.
This is okay, right?
.
.
.
I soon learned it wasn't okay.
My plan to escape fell apart from the first page, and with my shattered spirit, I sat on the street.
A beggar from Gwak Du Uncle approached and said.
“Emei Branch Leader, did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“Well, they say the Thousand-Year Flower smashed the Dark Dragon?”
I clutched my forehead.
Hey, you blockhead bitch.