Chapter 22
Cheongwolru.
This was the most dazzling Courtesan House in Sichuan, but I had never once visited it because I had no money.
So, after making a hefty sum from Haomun, I headed there with Youngest without a word of complaint.
And now...
“Great Hero~, won’t you try the liquor I’ve poured for you~?”
“Oh? What was your name again? Anything’s fine, just pour it!”
I was letting out all the pent-up sorrow from my impoverished days.
No matter how high-class or expensive, it was still just a Courtesan House.
Once I flashed some cash, I immediately became a VIP. So now, I was drinking expensive poisonous liquor with two Courtesans on each side.
“Wow...! This liquor tastes great!”
“Hoho! Great Hero! How can you drink with such gusto? Please, have some snacks too!”
“Yes, yes.”
The Courtesans pouring my drinks and feeding me snacks were all aces of Cheongwolru, their beauty truly remarkable.
Not quite on the level of Somyung, but close, I’d say?
I wasn’t usually one to indulge in beauty, but liquor poured by a pretty woman was truly special.
The expensive liquor went down smoothly. The snacks were delicious too.
*“This is the life.”*
Yes, this is the life.
I felt like I had finally entered the ordinary life I desired. Now that I had plenty of money, I could enjoy this kind of life.
Recalling the joyful life ahead, I felt incredibly good and raised my glass.
“Come on! Let’s drink more! Pour the expensive stuff! The expensive stuff!”
“Yes~, Great Hero.”
As the Courtesan poured liquor into my glass, something caught my eye.
It was Youngest, sitting at the table next to me, looking suspicious.
*“Hmm?”*
I had assigned two Courtesans to Youngest, just like me, and told him to drink as much as he wanted, but he wasn’t drinking or enjoying himself.
So, I asked, puzzled.
“Hey, Youngest. Why aren’t you drinking? Doesn’t the liquor taste good? Should I switch your Courtesans?”
“No, it’s not that...”
Youngest stared intently at his cup and replied.
“Since they say there’s poison in this liquor, it feels a bit... unsettling. What if something goes wrong if I drink it...?”
“Oh, what? That was the reason?”
Since Youngest wasn’t drinking for such a cute reason, I personally moved to his side and poured him some of the liquor I was drinking.
“Hey, Youngest. Would your Elder Brother give you something strange to drink? Trust your Elder Brother and try it.”
“B-but...”
“Tsk-! I said try it once!”
It’s true that the initial perception of poison makes one hesitant to drink. I *Powerful Fisted* Youngest to overcome that barrier.
“Ugh...”
When I, his Leader, gave the order, Youngest couldn’t refuse. So, in the end...
Gulp-.
“Oh! That’s it! You drink well!”
He gulped down the poisonous liquor in one go.
I asked with an expectant expression.
“How is it? Good, right?”
“Cough, ugh...”
Perhaps the poisonous liquor was very bitter, as Youngest initially clutched his throat and grimaced.
But soon after...
“Ugh..., oh?”
His expression began to relax...
“Wow..., what is this...?”
Just like when I first tasted Sichuan’s poisonous liquor, a smile began to bloom on his face.
*‘I’ve created another poisonous liquor enthusiast.’*
Feeling proud, I asked for his review.
“So, how was your first taste of poisonous liquor?”
“A-at first, my throat burned painfully. But then it went down smoothly, and soon a warm energy spread throughout my body... Wow... Well, I don’t know, but this is insane?”
“So it’s delicious, right? Then get more liquor.”
“Yes, Elder Brother! More, more please!”
Youngest had always liked liquor. Now that he, who already loved liquor, had discovered the taste of poisonous liquor, he would surely drink an exorbitant amount of the expensive stuff.
But it didn’t matter.
Because now I was rich.
“What are you doing? My younger brother wants to drink more! Bring the most expensive ones! The most expensive ones!”
“Kyaaak-! You’re so cool, Great Hero!”
“Where have all the Artisan Courtesans gone? Call all the Artisan Courtesans of Cheongwolru here! Let’s have a wild time!”
“Kyaaaah-!”
And so, the night of revelry began.
**
“Phew..., ah..., I’m drunk.”
The advantage of poisonous liquor was that it could intoxicate even Martial Artists with trained bodies.
Feeling my cheeks redden, I drank another glass.
“Ah..., haha..., ladies..., pour me some more liquor! My glass is empty-!”
Youngest had long since become completely plastered. Well, it was to be expected.
Having discovered the taste of poisonous liquor, Youngest had gone on a rampage, drinking like crazy.
Even though my face was already beet red, I tried to stop Youngest, who was still trying to drink.
“Hey, hey, Youngest. Drink in moderation, in moderation.”
“Eh...? Why...? It’s so delicious, why should I drink in moderation...?”
“Whatever it is, it’s poisonous liquor. You should drink within your limits; if you go beyond that, something bad might happen.”
No matter how safely it was blended, what we were drinking was poisonous liquor.
If it accumulated in the body, it wouldn’t have a good effect. Especially, Youngest was drinking far beyond his usual capacity, which didn’t look good.
So I tried to stop him, but...
“No... More, more-!!”
“Sigh, do as you please.”
He usually listened to me well, but he must have been too drunk to distinguish right from wrong.
If he kept drinking like that, he’d suffer from a terrible hangover in the morning...
Still, I decided to leave Youngest alone. He was 20 now, so he had to take responsibility for his own actions.
“Another bottle of liquor here-!”
“Yes, sir!”
Just then, my liquor ran out, so I ordered a Courtesan to bring another bottle.
At my command, a Courtesan quickly brought a new bottle of liquor.
“Great Hero, this maiden will pour you a drink.”
“Alright.”
I naturally held my cup out to the Courtesan.
Gurgle-.
As the liquor was poured, a fragrant aroma simultaneously assailed my nose. Another advantage of poisonous liquor was its pleasant scent.
This delightful aroma made the already delicious liquor even more tempting.
“Please drink, Great Hero.”
“...”
The scent was truly wonderful.
The liquor I had just received was probably called Safflower Poisonous Liquor. A high-grade liquor made by blending safflower poison appropriately with alcohol. It was what Youngest and I had been drinking to our heart’s content.
However..., this time, instead of downing it myself, I handed the cup directly to Youngest.
“Here, Youngest.”
“Eh...?”
“You drink this.”
“...Huh? But you just told me not to drink anymore...”
“Because there’s poison in this.”
At my words, Youngest laughed as if I had said something absurd.
“No, Elder Brother. What are you talking about? Of course, there’s poison in it, it’s poisonous liquor. Are you very drunk? Hahaha.”
Then he happily took the liquor I offered and gulped it down in one go.
I stared intently at Youngest, who had taken the cup from me and drunk it, and asked.
“Are you alright, Youngest?”
“Huh? It’s just delicious liquor...? It’s the same as what we were drinking earlier...?”
“It’s the same liquor, but it has a different poison in it. It doesn’t seem life-threatening, so you’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”
“...Huh? What do you mean..., *Cough*-!”
Thud.
In the end, Youngest couldn’t finish his sentence and collapsed.
“Hmm..., indeed, the poison was different.”
Still, he was breathing regularly and his expression was peaceful, so it didn’t seem to be harmful to his body. Youngest was simply asleep.
As I poured the poisonous liquor that had put Youngest to sleep into my own glass, I spoke to the nearby Courtesans.
“I’ve heard that sometimes there are Courtesan Houses that serve nasty poisonous liquor with different blends to get customers completely drunk, then overcharge them.”
Already, the Courtesans were trembling, realizing something was wrong.
“G-Great Hero..., what do you mean...”
“Your intention was to forcibly put us to sleep like this and then overcharge us tomorrow morning, wasn’t it?”
“W-we don’t know anything...”
Clink.
I then drank the same liquor that Youngest had just consumed.
“...!”
At this, the Courtesans’ eyes widened. Their expressions seemed to ask why I was drinking it after just seeing what happened when Youngest drank it.
But...
“This poisonous liquor tastes good too.”
...Even after drinking it, I was perfectly fine. In fact, it tasted good.
I spoke to the Courtesans, who were staring with horrified eyes.
“Hey, call the House Mistress.”
I’m sorry, but I’m not the one who gets extorted; I’m the one who extorts. Today, I’ll make sure this Courtesan House understands that fact clearly.
**
After that, I acted like a Troublemaker. Well, being a Troublemaker wasn’t much; I just yelled a bit.
“Ah, I have nothing to say to you people! Call the House Mistress-!”
“S-sorry. B-but we don’t have the authority to call the House Mistress...”
“Ah, then who’s going to take responsibility for the different poison in the customer’s liquor? Huh? Are you going to take responsibility? What if I had dropped dead after drinking this? Huh? Answer me!”
“B-but you were fine after drinking it earlier...”
When one of the Courtesans said that to me, who was perfectly fine after drinking the poisonous liquor unlike Youngest, I picked up the bottle that had contained the different poisonous liquor and went up to her.
“Huh? I’m fine? Oh, my head. My head hurts so much? What, do you want to try it? Open your mouth. I’ll pour it all down your throat.”
When I actually grabbed her cheek and said that, the Courtesan replied, terrified.
“P-please forgive me...”
“If you’re sorry, then call the House Mistress right now-! Not only am I not paying for this liquor, but I’m also going to demand compensation for emotional distress, so tell the House Mistress to come out!”
The art of being a Troublemaker is to consistently yell at the top of your lungs until the very end. This way, the other party gets exhausted and has no choice but to grant your wishes.
“Or should I report this place to the Magistrate’s Office? Do you want Cheongwolru to get its business suspended? If you don’t want that, call the House Mistress right now-!”
And finally...
Creak-.
“Customer, the House Mistress is here.”
The long-awaited door opened.
I turned my head at the clear voice that introduced herself as the House Mistress. I had planned to yell at her first to show my resolve.
But...
“Why are you so late-! Do you know what I’ve been through all this...”
The moment I saw the Cheongwolru House Mistress walk through the door...
“...”
I was instantly speechless.
“Was there a problem at our Cheongwolru?”
She was beautiful. So beautiful that I momentarily stopped breathing.
“If there was a problem, I will help you.”
And the moment she said that with a gentle smile...
“...”
I was so startled that for a moment, I wondered if I was truly drunk.