Chapter 39
“So, this is my senior brother and the Hao Sect’s Watchman, ‘Eunho’!”
As Eun Gwan-yeong pointed at the beggar and introduced him, Dokgo Ryeong looked at him with interest.
‘…That guy?’
The beggar took off his human-skin mask and spoke.
“…Long time no see, Junior Sister. It’s my first time meeting you as well, Hero Wi.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Young Master Eun.”
As Eunho bowed with a gloomy smile, Wi Ilcheong answered with a smile.
“The lady beside you must be Miss Baekri Sohyeon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’ve heard a lot about you from Gwan-yeong.”
“And…”
Eunho’s tired-looking eyes turned to Dokgo Ryeong.
“I hear you’re the daughter of Senior Dokgo Jin, a benefactor of our Hao Sect?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been a benefactor.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. Gwan-yeong and I will look after you while you’re in Shandong.”
As Eunho bowed in greeting, ignoring Dokgo Ryeong’s curt response, a flower of suspicion bloomed in her heart.
‘…Is that really the Hao Sect’s Watchman?’
Dokgo Jin knew of two kinds of martial artists.
Those who were so strong everyone knew their names, and his enemies.
Eunho belonged to the former.
A powerful man whose name even he, someone with little interest in martial-world gossip, knew.
Eunho’s name had become known in the martial world because of the Unorthodox Faction.
The Hao Sect, a sect formed by people from the lowest walks of life, had been embroiled in an unusually large number of disputes because of the nature of its members, and it had especially poor relations with the Unorthodox Faction.
It was only natural that they wouldn’t look kindly on the Hao Sect, which accepted as disciples people who had worked in their brothels or gambling dens and offered them protection.
The Unorthodox Faction saddled disciples who’d left for the Hao Sect with debts that didn’t even exist, then constantly harassed the Hao Sect, demanding they be returned. Sometimes, they didn’t hesitate to use force.
And Eunho had stopped most of those attacks.
Whenever the Hao Sect’s intelligence network discovered a base belonging to an Unorthodox Faction that had attacked, or planned to attack, them, Eunho would inevitably appear there, and by the next day, the base would be gone.
The dispute between the Unorthodox Faction and the Hao Sect finally quieted down after the Hao Sect Leader defeated the Nine Dragons Gang Leader in a duel, but the gossips preferred talking about Eunho rather than the battle itself.
The Hao Sect’s secret weapon, whose identity no one knew.
A rising star who had appeared out of nowhere like a comet.
That was Eunho.
But now…
The man in Dokgo Ryeong’s eyes was incredibly frail.
Slumped shoulders, dark circles beneath his tired eyes, and a lifeless way of speaking.
‘Is that really the same guy?’
Even as she thought the martial-world gossips’ stories couldn’t be trusted, she found him strangely intriguing.
Dokgo Ryeong knew there were plenty of people in the martial world whose appearance and inner selves were completely different.
Despite Dokgo Ryeong’s intense gaze, Eunho spoke to Wi Ilcheong and the others in a languid voice.
“I’ve prepared a carriage, so please get in for now. The real Incense Master I was impersonating will arrive soon. I’d like to leave before then.”
“Of course.”
Eunho turned to Eun Gwan-yeong and said,
“Junior Sister, would you drive the carriage?”
“Ah…!”
Eun Gwan-yeong’s mouth opened briefly, then closed.
“Yes. I’ll drive.”
After they headed for the carriage, Eun Gwan-yeong returned to the coachman Heo Gwan-yeong disguise for the first time in a while and sat on the driver’s bench.
“Then, we’re off?”
“I’m counting on you, Coachman Heo.”
“Yes!”
At Eun Gwan-yeong’s crack of the whip, the horses snorted and began pulling the carriage.
*
…
…
The inside of the carriage was stifling.
Eunho sat quietly, reading a book without saying a word, while Baekri Sohyeon had her eyes closed and was dozing.
Wi Ilcheong had his eyes closed as if lost in thought, so Dokgo Ryeong finally opened her mouth, unable to bear the stuffiness.
“You’re Eunho, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Are you really the guy they call the Hao Sect’s Watchman?”
Hearing that, Wi Ilcheong cut in from beside her.
“Haa… Miss Dokgo. So much for etiquette training.”
“Come on, but I’m curious. They call him ‘the Watchman,’ right?”
“…I don’t particularly like being called the Watchman. I’m always the one cleaning up after everyone…”
Eunho answered, rubbing the corner of his eye as if tired.
“More importantly, I’m curious about you, Miss Dokgo.”
“Me?”
“Where were you born?”
“What?”
“Your birthplace. What region were you born in?”
“…All of a sudden? Are you trying to dig up my information?”
“Yes. The Sect Leader was curious.”
…
Dokgo Ryeong was taken aback as Eunho so boldly declared that he wanted to know information about her.
Most of the Hao Sect disciples she knew were similar to Eun Gwan-yeong.
A gathering of sly fellows whose true thoughts were impossible to discern.
She’d assumed Eunho would be the same, since he too was a disciple of the Hao Sect Leader.
“…If your Sect Leader’s curious, do I have to tell her everything?”
“Not at all. But if the Sect Leader is curious, then we Hao Sect disciples will do our best to find out everything from the Martial Alliance Leader’s meal today to the color of the Demon Cult Leader’s underwear.”
Eunho’s eyes turned to Dokgo Ryeong.
“From the looks of it, you’re quite curious about me.”
“You’re one weird bastard.”
“I hear that a lot.”
Eunho grinned, baring his teeth.
Seeing that, Dokgo Ryeong’s blood began to boil.
‘I’d like to fight him once.’
She’d wanted to beat Eun Gwan-yeong up simply because Gwan-yeong annoyed her, but looking at Eunho stirred up the competitive spirit of a martial artist she’d forgotten she had.
But Dokgo Ryeong quickly realized her current state and grew gloomy.
‘…But fighting him in this piece-of-shit body is another matter.’
Just as she was lamenting having turned into a woman again, Eunho suddenly rolled up one sleeve and exposed his forearm.
“Dokgo Ryeong is actually a man.”
“W-what?!”
“Take a look.”
Eunho pointed to his forearm.
Wi Ilcheong’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
“You have a rash.”
“Yes. I was born unable to lie.”
“…What?”
Eunho scratched the red spots that had appeared on his forearm as he spoke.
“As you can see, whenever I lie, I break out in a rash like this. Shall I give you another example? Baekri Sohyeon’s chest is very flat.”
The red spots on Eunho’s forearm began to spread even farther.
Seeing that, Wi Ilcheong stopped him.
“That’s enough. You look like you’re suffering.”
“I’m fine. I’m used to it.”
Eunho lowered his sleeve to cover his forearm again, then looked at Dokgo Ryeong.
“I want to carry out the Sect Leader’s orders no matter what. But as you can see, I’m unable to lie, which makes me ill-suited to extracting information. So I’d like to propose something, Miss Dokgo.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“If you answer my questions one at a time, I’ll answer your questions one at a time as well. What do you say?”
…
Dokgo Ryeong rested a hand on her chin, considered it, then nodded.
It was a harmless bargain, and more than anything, she liked that he couldn’t lie.
She was free to lie, after all.
“Then you may ask your question first, Miss Dokgo.”
“How strong are you?”
“…That’s a difficult question. Do you know about the Martial Alliance’s list of the hundred greatest masters in the martial world?”
“Divine, Immortal, Venerable, Emperor, King, Lord, Star. Is that right?”
“You know about it. I’d say I’m around the ‘Emperor’ rank.”
“Ha…!”
Watching him proudly declare that he was stronger than No Sun-pyeong, Dokgo Ryeong’s blood boiled.
‘Ah, damn it…! There’s an opponent right in front of me I can fight without any grudges!’
No matter how much Dokgo Ryeong was a revenge-driven avenger who’d spent her whole life seeking revenge, she was still a martial artist.
She naturally had the competitive spirit to want to fight a strong opponent.
What she regretted even more was that she hadn’t known of a man like this, despite the Hao Sect having ties to her.
“Now it’s my turn. Where were you born?”
“Hmm…”
Dokgo Ryeong thought for a moment before answering.
“Shaanxi. Near Mount Hua.”
“I see. Then ask your next question.”
“How many moves do you think you’d last against the Mad Demon, Dokgo Jin?”
“…That’s a difficult question.”
Eunho thought for a moment, then answered cautiously.
“I don’t mean to disrespect your esteemed father, but, hmm… Based on what I’ve heard, I’d probably be defeated within thirty moves.”
“Thirty moves…”
She thought he was being rather humble, but at the same time, it seemed like an appropriate answer.
Having satisfied her meager pride, Dokgo Ryeong excitedly answered Eunho’s questions all the way until they reached the Hao Sect.
Of course, every answer was a lie.
*
The carriage stopped, and when its door opened, countless courtesans emerged from a lavish brothel to welcome Wi Ilcheong and his companions.
””Welcome, honored guests!””
“…Young Master Eun, you didn’t have to go this far…”
When Wi Ilcheong looked at Eunho in dismay, he shook his head.
“Not at all. It would bring shame to the Hao Sect’s name if we treated someone favored by the Sect Leader poorly. Please, get down.”
“Still…”
“We’ve cleared out the brothel. We’ll see to it that you’re comfortable for as long as you stay.”
“Haa…”
When Wi Ilcheong sighed in distress, Eunho tried to persuade him.
“Hero Wi. We’ve only been ordered to do our very best to host you. Please don’t refuse.”
“…All right. But next time, please tell the Sect Leader to refrain from such an excessive welcome.”
“Understood.”
As Eunho bowed his head, Wi Ilcheong stepped down from the carriage.
As soon as he got out, a great many courtesans nearby turned their eyes toward him.
Noticing their longing gazes, Eunho quietly said to Wi Ilcheong,
“Hero Wi, the girls would be delighted if you were to favor them with your company during your stay.”
“…I wouldn’t refuse them outright. However…”
Wi Ilcheong looked at Baekri Sohyeon, Eun Gwan-yeong, and Dokgo Ryeong.
“I’m fine. I’ve spent so much time with Big Brother lately that I’d like a little break…”
“I have a lot of work to do…”
“Why are you looking at me, you bastard?”
After receiving the three women’s consent, Wi Ilcheong nodded, and Eunho gave the courtesans a cue.
“Then please rest and recover from your journey. Junior Sister, let’s go meet the Branch Leader.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
As Eunho and Eun Gwan-yeong disappeared into the back of the brothel, Dokgo Ryeong asked one of the others,
“Where’s the bath? I want to wash up.”
“Oh, we’ve prepared it in advance. Please come this way.”
“Sister Ryeong, shall we bathe together?”
“No. I want to go alone…”
“Let’s bathe together~.”
“D-don’t cling to me!!”
As Wi Ilcheong watched Dokgo Ryeong and Baekri Sohyeon bicker, the courtesans began clinging to him as well.
“Hero… This humble girl would like to serve you wine.”
“Please accept a cup of my wine…”
“I…”
“I’ll accept them one at a time, slowly.”
“Then please come this way.”
With the courtesans crowding around him, Wi Ilcheong’s attention soon turned entirely to them.
When Eunho and Eun Gwan-yeong descended into the brothel’s basement, the many people gathered there stopped what they were doing.
“Sect Leader…!”
“That’s enough. Skip the greetings. Is the inner chamber empty?”
“Yes.”
“Go about your work. Gwan-yeong, come with me.”
“Yes…”
At Eunho’s words, the crowd returned to work.
As Eunho entered the inner chamber, he began taking off his clothes, one piece at a time, until he was naked.
His body undulated and changed into a voluptuous woman’s body, and Eun Gwan-yeong knelt and bowed her head.
“…Sect Leader.”
“Didn’t you expect me to come?”
“…I had some idea, but I was certain only after I got into the carriage.”
“Hehe. How did you know? Tell me, Gwan-yeong.”
“…Senior Brother never makes me drive the carriage. He’d much sooner volunteer to drive it himself.”
“Clever girl. Gwan-yeong, my clothes.”
“Yes.”
Eun Gwan-yeong brought over clothes hanging in the inner chamber and draped them over Eun Yak-byeok’s body.
“I sent Eunho somewhere else. The situation in Liaoning turned out to be bigger than expected.”
“I see…”
Without fastening the front of her robe, Eun Yak-byeok sat in the seat of honor and began leafing through the reports that had been brought to her.
“Gwan-yeong.”
“Yes, Sect Leader…”
“What do you think of Dokgo Ryeong?”
“Would you like an objective assessment or a subjective one?”
“Let’s hear both.”
“Objectively, she has outstanding talent, but she’s fated not to live long. Whether it’s because of the person she spent time with or simply because her luck has held, she’s so arrogant it’s a wonder she’s still alive. She’s as unsettling as a child left unattended by the water.”
“And subjectively?”
“…I’d like to ask you to take her in, Sect Leader.”
Eun Yak-byeok’s hand stopped.
“That’s an extraordinarily high opinion of her, Gwan-yeong.”
“Her talent is simply too great.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
Eun Yak-byeok rested both arms on the table, propped her chin on her hands, and spoke.
“Gwan-yeong.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“Dokgo Ryeong is an impostor.”