Chapter 53
After receiving the tongso, Eun Yak-byeok entered the private room at the top of the brothel, threw the window wide open, and sat leaning against the frame.
Looking outside, she saw Dokgo Ryeong and Peng Mun-hwi stop in the manor grounds. Dokgo Ryeong was swinging her saber through the air, testing the weapon she had been given.
Watching them, Eun Yak-byeok raised the tongso to her lips and pondered.
‘What song would be good?’
Just then, the door opened.
It was Wi Ilcheong.
“Oh my… What an unexpected guest.”
“…You looked troubled, Hao Sect Leader.”
“What do you mean?”
“You aren’t planning to use a sound-based martial art on Miss Dokgo, are you?”
“Hmm… What’s gotten into our Young Master Wi today?”
“Please don’t.”
At Wi Ilcheong’s firm words, Eun Yak-byeok furrowed her brow slightly.
“That sounded like an order. Did I hear you wrong?”
“I’m earnestly asking you. Please don’t.”
“You say that, yet you look ready to strike at any moment.”
“…I realized something last night. I’m a man weighed down by sin. As you said, Hao Sect Leader, I’m probably destined to die one day by a woman’s blade. I’m ashamed that I’ve taken so many women to bed without loving them. I deserve to be called a lecher.”
“Oh my. You’ve only just realized that?”
At Eun Yak-byeok’s cutting reply, Wi Ilcheong lowered his head.
“I wronged you, too. I apologize.”
“Haa… Our Young Master Wi is much younger than I thought. And a bit of an idiot, too.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s nothing. So?”
“Please don’t use your sound-based martial art.”
“Why not?”
“…I don’t want to upset Miss Dokgo for no reason.”
“Ahaha! And what will you do if I refuse?”
“…”
When Wi Ilcheong’s expression hardened and he slipped a hand into his sleeve, Eun Yak-byeok’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you serious?”
“…I don’t want to commit any more sins. I don’t intend to sleep with any woman until I properly understand what love is.”
“Too much self-pity can actually irritate a woman, you know.”
“…I see.”
Seeing that Wi Ilcheong seemed to accept this, Eun Yak-byeok relaxed and raised the tongso to her lips again.
But his next words were not what she expected.
“Then I’ll stop you, even if I have to be a little rude.”
Wi Ilcheong flicked his arm downward, driving his soft sword into the floor.
Crack!
Like a living snake, the soft sword tore through the floor and sprang toward Eun Yak-byeok’s tongso.
Clang!
After deflecting his soft sword, Eun Yak-byeok snapped irritably,
“Have you gone mad, Young Master Wi?”
“Please stop playing your sound-based martial art.”
“Did you think I was going to take control of Miss Dokgo’s mind and make her throw herself into your arms?”
“Just leave Miss Dokgo alone.”
“…Lately, nothing is going the way I want…!”
As Eun Yak-byeok stepped down from the window frame, her foot sank into the floor of the brothel.
It was a strange sight.
Watching the wood crumble as if it were fine sand, Wi Ilcheong broke into a cold sweat.
‘What incredible internal energy…!’
At the same time, Eun Yak-byeok’s figure vanished.
‘To the left…!’
Feeling Eun Yak-byeok’s fist rushing toward him, Wi Ilcheong tensed.
It was a punch he could easily react to.
Just as Wi Ilcheong shifted his feet to dodge,
‘My body…?!’
Crack!
A searing pain struck Wi Ilcheong’s left side, and he was slammed into the wall.
“Guh…!”
“…Be grateful this isn’t a dirt floor. I can’t plant my foot properly here.”
“Ghh…”
Realizing the gap between his skill and Eun Yak-byeok’s was far greater than he’d expected, Wi Ilcheong panicked.
‘How…?’
Looking down at the flustered Wi Ilcheong, Eun Yak-byeok sneered.
“Did you think you could move freely within my domain?”
“W-what do you mean…?”
Just then, a faint metallic note reached Wi Ilcheong’s ears.
When he looked behind Eun Yak-byeok, he saw that her seven-stringed zither was floating in the air, playing by itself.
“I’ve already taken control of your mind, you know.”
“…”
Only then did Wi Ilcheong understand why he hadn’t been able to move even though he knew what was happening. Looking up at her, he said,
“If it comes to that, I can just destroy the whole brothel.”
“Then Gwan-yeong would blow your head off, no matter how much she loves you.”
“…You think I can’t do it?”
“I hope you won’t. Anyway, Young Master Wi, please stop moping.”
“I’m not moping…”
“You are.”
Eun Yak-byeok cut him off.
“Haa… Where did this idea come from that you have to spend the night with a woman you love? Are you a child? If what you’re saying is true, then all the girls in my brothel are doing something wrong.”
“Those women…”
“Is it all right if they’re courtesans?”
“…”
Wi Ilcheong fell silent.
“Young Master Wi. Look at me.”
“…”
Wi Ilcheong met Eun Yak-byeok’s eyes.
“…When I said you didn’t know what love was, I meant that you hadn’t found ‘the person you’d spend your life with.’”
“I still don’t understand what you mean…”
“How should I explain this… Ah. Gwan-yeong will do.”
“Miss Eun?”
“If you and I fought, Gwan-yeong would probably attack me. She’d think it over a lot, but in the end, she would.”
“Th-there’s no way…”
“I’m certain. And it would hurt me deeply, but I’d understand.”
“…Pardon?”
“That’s love.”
“…”
When Wi Ilcheong still looked confused, Eun Yak-byeok offered another example.
“If Dao Seon came charging at you right now, saying he was going to kill you, little Sohyeon would cling to his ankle even if her back snapped and scream at you to run.”
“Something like that…”
“That’s love.”
“…”
“Young Master Wi, those are only a few examples. There are all kinds of love in the world… Haa. I can’t believe I’m still having this conversation at my age.”
“…Please teach me.”
Eun Yak-byeok felt her face grow hot for no reason, but she spoke to Wi Ilcheong seriously.
“…People can sleep together for nothing but pleasure. I enjoyed sleeping with you quite a bit, too, Young Master Wi.”
“Yes…”
“But you don’t have to sleep with someone just because you love them. And sleeping together doesn’t necessarily mean you love each other. First, you need to understand the difference.”
“…”
“Most of the courtesans you slept with were probably happy with the pleasure. They were probably happy to gain internal energy, too. So you don’t need to feel guilty toward every woman you’ve slept with.”
“Is that… so?”
“Yes. That includes me. But if you really want to feel guilty, then it should only be little Sohyeon and Gwan-yeong.”
“I should apologize to them…”
“Don’t.”
“…Pardon?”
Eun Yak-byeok shook her head, wondering just how much she had to explain for this foolish man to understand.
“Those two chose to love you of their own free will. If you reach out to them out of pity, that would be even worse.”
“But…”
“Not every love has to bear fruit. If you pretend to love them out of pity, Gwan-yeong and Sohyeon will be crushed by the misery of it. So please don’t make that choice.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?!”
“Why are you asking me?! Figure it out yourself! I’ve explained this much, so try to understand!”
When Eun Yak-byeok finally lost her temper and snapped, Wi Ilcheong shrank back.
“You need to make your own choices and find your own love! It’s mortifying enough to be this old and still talking about love, but once I answered you once or twice, you just kept asking endless questions…!”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“Just think, ‘This is love!’ and go with it. You’re a grown man, yet after a few words, you get all dejected and start moping! Your cock and its owner aren’t even on the same page, ha!”
“…”
“Anyway, figure out your own love.”
Eun Yak-byeok sat back down on the window ledge.
“Miss Dokgo will find her own love, too.”
“…But with your sound-based martial art…”
“Come on! Do you think I’m trying to make Miss Dokgo fall in love with someone using my sound-based martial art?!”
“W-wasn’t that what you were doing?”
“If that worked, I’d have gathered all the men who liked me and founded a separate sect ages ago! A sound-based martial art can only draw out the feelings already inside someone!”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“You’re so clingy… Try being half as decent a person outside the bedroom as you are in bed.”
“…”
Watching the Hao Sect Leader alternate between praise and criticism, Wi Ilcheong was thoroughly confused.
“If you interfere again, I’ll really kill you. Don’t meddle.”
“…”
Eun Yak-byeok began to play the tongso.
It was a song for someone yearning for home.
‘I agree with Young Master Wi. Nothing good comes from outsiders meddling in romance…’
Eun Yak-byeok played on, pouring her feelings into the music.
‘But if our guest is hiding her true feelings from herself… I don’t want to leave her in a position where she might regret it later.’
The Dokgo Ryeong she knew wasn’t honest with herself.
So Eun Yak-byeok was only giving her the slightest nudge from behind.
A melody meant to help her true feelings come to light, just a little.
If, like someone yearning for home, she happened to be missing someone at this very moment…
Dokgo Ryeong would surely react.
‘So, Guest. Try being a little more honest.’
Just as Eun Yak-byeok’s music reached its peak,
she suddenly pulled the tongso away from her lips.
“…Huh?”
Dokgo Ryeong had been talking with Peng Mun-hwi when she seemed to collapse as if he’d struck her with his saber.
“Is something wrong?”
The moment Wi Ilcheong sensed that something was amiss, he came over and looked out the window.
“Y-Young Master Wi! Wait!”
“You crazy bastard!!”
Wi Ilcheong leaped out the window.
*
Peng Mun-hwi was utterly bewildered.
“M-Miss Dokgo?”
He hadn’t even touched her, yet Dokgo Ryeong had suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed.
“Ghh…! Hk…!”
“M-Miss… Are you all right…?”
He couldn’t finish what he was saying.
Feeling the enormous killing intent coming from above, Peng Mun-hwi hurriedly swung his saber.
But
Boom!
“Guhhh…!”
“You son of a bitch…!”
It was like he’d struck a massive wall.
Peng Mun-hwi dropped his saber and cried out, enduring the pain of his torn palm and throbbing wrist.
“W-wait! It’s a misunderstanding!”
“What misunderstanding?! Miss Dokgo, are you all right?!”
“No… It’s…!”
“What happened?!”
Rumble.
With the sound of thunder, dust settled over the manor grounds.
At the same time, Peng Mun-hwi turned toward the presence he felt behind him.
“Father! Lord Huangbo!”
“What happened, Mun-hwi?”
“Th-that…”
“Hmm?”
Peng Woo-deok’s gaze fell on the collapsed Dokgo Ryeong and Wi Ilcheong crouched beside her, and he asked,
“…Did you do this?”
“N-no! Miss Dokgo suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed!”
“Is that so?”
Peng Woo-deok looked at Peng Mun-hwi’s torn palm.
“…Tend to your injury for now. I need to check on Dokgo Jin’s daughter.”
“Yes…”
As Peng Woo-deok approached, Wi Ilcheong drew his sword.
“Don’t come any closer.”
“…I came to check on her condition.”
“I warned you not to come closer.”
“…”
“Given the circumstances, it looks like your son hurt Miss Dokgo. Stay back. If you come any closer, I’ll swing my sword.”
“Calm down, Young Master Wi.”
“Calm down?!”
Wi Ilcheong glared at Peng Woo-deok with bloodshot eyes.
“I am… calm…!”
“…”
Seeing him like that, Peng Woo-deok took a step back.
Just then, Eun Yak-byeok, Eun Gwan-yeong, and Baekri Sohyeon hurried into the manor grounds.
“Sister Ryeong!”
“Why is Miss Dokgo…?”
Eun Yak-byeok landed beside Wi Ilcheong and carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Young Master Wi.”
“Huff… huff…!”
“Please calm down for a moment. It seems a heart demon is taking hold.”
“I’m… fine…!”
“…All right. Then stay as you are. May I check Miss Dokgo’s pulse for a moment?”
“Go ahead…”
Eun Yak-byeok felt Dokgo Ryeong’s wrist for her pulse.
A moment later, she withdrew her hand and looked at Peng Mun-hwi.
“Eldest Young Master. Did Miss Dokgo seem strange to you at all?”
“…In what way?”
“Did she suddenly clutch her chest or anything like that?”
“Y-yes! She clutched her chest and collapsed.”
Baekri Sohyeon backed him up.
“Sect Leader… Earlier, Sister Ryeong said her chest hurt. She said it was throbbing, like something was stabbing her deep inside…”
“Haa… I’ve made another mistake.”
When Eun Yak-byeok bit her lip, Wi Ilcheong asked her gravely,
“Is Miss Dokgo all right?!”
“…For now, she’s all right. But it’ll be difficult to treat her…”
“I’ll do anything I can to help!”
“…”
Eun Yak-byeok looked at Wi Ilcheong for a moment, then turned to Peng Woo-deok.
“Dao Seon.”
“Go ahead, Sound Venerable.”
“Would you mind stepping away for a moment? For Miss Dokgo’s reputation.”
“Very well. I need to tend to my son’s injury, too.”
After Peng Woo-deok and the others stepped away, leaving only Wi Ilcheong and the women in the manor grounds, Eun Yak-byeok spoke.
“Young Master Wi.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
“I need your help.”
“Tell me what to do.”
“Give me your semen.”
“…Pardon?”
When Wi Ilcheong was taken aback by the sudden request, Eun Yak-byeok repeated herself with a serious expression.
“Give your semen to Miss Dokgo.”