132 — Chwiongjeong Pavilion

Honestly, Dan Wol-bin’s body, now completely recovered from a terrible illness, was also rather presentable.

But Dan Ja-myeong was truly a handsome man among handsome men.

Even though his age was already running toward middle age.

That did not mean he was delicately handsome like some noble young master or pretty boy.

He was manly.

And not just manly, but manly to a slightly excessive degree.

A large frame, yet a properly balanced physique that never felt overdone.

An angular face with strong features.

Thick eyebrows and friendly eyes.

A voice that rang out cheerfully as if he alone were inside a cave.

On top of that, he possessed both a masculine temperament and a humorous side.

‘He truly has everything women would like.’

However, Dan Ja-myeong had not married even now.

I did not remember ever hearing such a story in my past life either.

Rumor said he had plenty of flirtatious tendencies.

But I wondered what kind of absurd talk that was about a man who was not even married.

I asked him.

“Hall Lord, are you on your way out?”

“Mm, yes. I have some business. Where are you going?”

“I was on my way to Ink Jade Hall.”

“Hm? Why there?”

“Of course, I came to see you, Hall Lord.”

Dan Ja-myeong raised his eyebrows as if surprised and asked back.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“For what reason?”

“I wanted to have a conversation with you.”

“What kind of conversation?”

“Stories about how the world is turning, how the martial world is turning, and especially recent information about the Eight Great Clans.”

“Oh, that is commendable. None of your brothers have asked me such things.”

“Then shall we go in together?”

Then Dan Ja-myeong frowned and said.

“That is difficult. I said I have to go out right now.”

“Where are you going?”

“That is a bit… hard to say. Someone asked to see me briefly.”

“Are you perhaps going somewhere you should not?”

After hearing those words, Dan Ja-myeong laughed heartily and said.

“Listen to this fellow talk. Have you grown a bit lately, is that it? Of course, it is not somewhere I should not go.”

“Then… are you perhaps going to wet your throat? Since once we leave, you will not be able to touch it for a while.”

That was true.

Officially, alcohol was strictly prohibited during a jianghu journey.

Especially considering Dan Myeong-cheol’s temperament, even more so.

After hearing my words, Dan Ja-myeong looked at me for a moment, then laughed broadly and said.

“Hahaha. Why? If I say I’m going for a drink, are you planning to follow me?”

It was well known that he loved alcohol as much as life itself.

That was the same in my past life and now.

So I had made a guess, and it seemed I had hit the mark exactly.

In addition, heavy drinkers and alcohol lovers often had high suitability for external affairs.

Usually, the other party also tended to send that kind of person.

Alcohol was useful for such work.

By using the heightened mood of a drunk opponent.

One could make impossible matters possible and make them spit out words they would not normally say.

In any case.

I deliberately spoke even more boldly.

“Of course. If you invite me, I will gladly follow.”

People like this tended to feel favor toward those similar to themselves.

Dan Ja-myeong stopped walking and seemed to fall into thought for a moment… or so I thought.

But befitting his refreshing and straightforward personality, he said without hesitation.

“Good. But keep it a secret that we went out together today.”

“Understood!”

“If anyone asks, we are going to the market to look at items needed for the trip. Understand?”

“Of course.”

“Good, let’s go!”

---

Chwiongjeong Pavilion

One of the countless taverns lined up along Erhai Lake.

The name was slightly rustic.

But this place was clearly a “pleasure house.”

And a top-class pleasure house where the courtesans absolutely did not sell their bodies.

According to my memory, this place was fairly famous, but it was not a shop under the jurisdiction of either our Dan Clan or the Five Stars Society.

I frowned slightly and said.

“Is this not a pleasure house?”

“It is.”

“A pleasure house right before our trip?”

Dan Ja-myeong grinned and said.

“Earlier, you said we should drink because we will not be able to touch it for a while, didn’t you?”

“Even so, is a pleasure house not too grand?”

“You little fellow, I brought you here, and now you intend to act like a mother-in-law?”

Well, that was true.

“That is true. What does it matter? As long as it does not interfere with work.”

“Good, clean answer. Manly. That makes it worth bringing you.”

Although it was still a little early.

This place did not even have the common soliciting that every pleasure house usually did.

There was only one luxurious signboard hanging there.

‘Does that mean they have that much confidence?’

Although I had not personally moved at the time.

I remembered hearing that this place had shown no interest whatsoever in guard contracts.

‘Why are they so stiff?’

At that moment, Dan Ja-myeong opened the entrance door and stepped inside the pleasure house.

Then….

A middle-aged woman waiting inside approached us.

Although she looked to be fairly advanced in age, she was an incredible beauty.

Enough to catch the eye at once.

She smiled brightly and said.

“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t it Brother Dan?”

After hearing those words, Dan Ja-myeong laughed heartily and said.

“My flower-like, beautiful elder sister. If you keep doing that, this fellow will really think you are my younger sister.”

Then the woman turned her head sharply toward me and said.

“Hm? Come to think of it, you brought a new guest. What brings this about?”

“What else? When you live long enough, days like this happen.”

At that moment, the woman slowly approached me, craned her neck, and pretended to look me over from here and there as she said.

“Who is he? Younger brother? Nephew?”

“So…. Well, if you look at the generation rank, he is practically like a nephew.”

“See! I knew it. Even at a glance, he is clearly tall and handsome. He is the spitting image of our brother.”

After hearing those words, Dan Ja-myeong pretended to glare slightly and said.

“What are you talking about, Elder Sister? I am far better looking.”

Then the woman smiled and said.

“Hohoho. Even so, one cannot beat youth.”

“Hey! Madam owner! Do you not want to do business today?”

“Do you want to be chased out without getting a single drop of alcohol, you ugly nuisance of a guest?”

Then, as if something was funny, the two burst into helpless laughter.

That sight was so absurd that I laughed along with them.

“Oh my? Our young master is even more handsome when he smiles. Perhaps I should change my tastes now.”

“Elder Sister Ok. What are you doing with children? You will be punished by heaven at this rate.”

“Hmph! Punished by heaven, my foot. The old men who come here do just fine with girls young enough to be their granddaughters.”

Then the two kept bickering for a while longer.

I waited like that for a short while.

But there was no sign of it ending at all.

In the end, I scratched my head and asked.

“We can go in sometime today, right?”

She turned sharply toward me and answered.

“Oh my, look at my mind. Of course. Young Master Dan. Do not worry.”

Then she turned sharply back toward Dan Ja-myeong and said.

“But what brings you here? Aha! Is today a Dan family feast day? There must be some good occasion. Go to the third floor’s Plum Blossom Room, Brother. You know where it is, right? Everyone is there.”

At that moment, Dan Ja-myeong raised one eyebrow and asked back.

“Elder Sister Ok. What did you just say?”

“Plum Blossom Room.”

“Not that.”

“Whether you know the way there?”

“No, a Dan family feast day! What are you talking about?”

Then the woman’s eyes widened.

“Hm? Did you not come to join them?”

“Someone I know is here?”

“According to the chief steward, the First Young Master of the Dan Clan reserved a room.”

“Hm?”

Not only I.

Dan Ja-myeong also seemed quite surprised.

“Dan Sa-bin is here?”

“I do not know the name. No, wait. I think I might have heard it in passing….”

“Alone?”

“He brought a whole bunch of friends.”

She smiled broadly and added.

“There were also several fresh and beautiful young girls mixed in there. Indeed… women of the martial world are open-minded. I envy them, I envy them!”

I wondered whether they could possibly be as open-minded as courtesans, no matter what….

In any case, Dan Ja-myeong frowned sharply and said.

“That bastard Sa-bin. He came to a pleasure house at a time like this?”

“That is exactly someone who should be scolded singing louder than the scolder. Then what about you, Brother?”

“I am different.”

“How very persuasive.”

“In any case, no. I came separately. I was proudly invited today too.”

Then the woman’s eyes instantly lit up and she asked.

“You were invited, Brother?”

“Yes.”

“By whom?”

“They told me not to say. Are you sure it is all right?”

After hearing those words, the woman seemed to realize something and let out an “Ah!” before saying.

“Go to Bamboo Wind Residence on the third floor. I was mistaken. They came early and are waiting. You should have said so earlier, confusing people like that.”

“No, Elder Sister Ok. There is a limit to shifting blame. You were the one who jumped to conclusions.”

At that moment, I quickly cut in.

“You two truly suit each other well, like a pair of mandarin ducks, but….”

“What!”

“What did you say?”

I smiled broadly and said.

“Would it not be better if we went in now? There are the eyes of the waiters, and there may also be other guests.”

Then the woman nodded and said.

“That is right. Today, there are already a lot of people from the Blue Brave Corps here. They said some event or other ended, or something like that.”

After hearing those words, Dan Ja-myeong frowned and said.

“Blue Brave Corps? Why did you accept those old fogeys?”

“What choice do we have? If we get on their bad side, our business is done for. Their tantrums are no joke. Besides, they came carrying money and said they would gladly offer it, so there was no justification to refuse.”

“Why are these bastards making a fuss here, of all the many pleasure houses they could have chosen?”

Then the middle-aged woman looked around and spoke quietly.

“One of their heads has fallen hard for our Hyangran. He kept coming in and out every day, and today he brought them in as a whole group.”

“You just left that alone?”

“I left it alone, what else could I do? It isn’t as if that man is causing harm. I heard he is an old bachelor. I was surprised that he is rather pure-hearted, unlike how he looks. When I was young, men like that lined up for me too….”

“Ugh, of all days, why today? Rotten luck has stuck to us.”

Dan Ja-myeong was about to spit fiercely….

But after receiving the piercing gaze of the woman surnamed Ok, he swallowed it down as it was and said.

“At any rate, those bastards connected to the officials are all nothing but unlucky wretches.”

Then the woman, with a flustered expression, placed her index finger against her lips and said.

“Watch your words. Do not stir up trouble for no reason. Those people are famous for their filthy tempers.”

“Yes, yes. How could there be any doubt?”

“I am not joking. Nuisance guest.”

“I am sincere too. Elder Sister Ok.”

In that way, the situation was settled.

We went up to the third floor under the guidance of a neatly dressed young waiter.

As expected of a tavern that pursued the highest class, it seemed they properly dressed even their waiters.

At that moment, Dan Ja-myeong turned back and shouted.

“Elder Sister Ok. Do not say anything to Sa-bin!”

She smiled gently and said.

“Mm. Depends on my mood.”

After hearing those words, Dan Ja-myeong shook his head and said.

“She is truly impossible.”

I had absolutely no way of knowing who was calling whom impossible.

But it seemed I would be the only one losing out if I talked any more.

I said to Dan Ja-myeong.

“Have you come here often? You seemed quite close with that woman earlier.”

“No, I have come here for work before…. Is this the third time?”

“Just hearing your conversation, I thought you were an extremely regular customer.”

“People who do outside work are all like that, more or less.”

Dan Ja-myeong was impressive.

But that woman was truly impressive too.

That memory and friendliness….

‘That must be why she is in charge of the face of a prestigious pleasure house.’

I shook my head and said.