Chapter 1-2

The wandering swordsman Cao Zhenshi. His sobriquet was the Cold-Blooded Swift Sword. He was Bai Shixuan’s current master. Cao Zhenshi had always thought it was quite an impressive sobriquet for a mere wandering swordsman like himself. It had come from his use of swift-sword techniques and his cold appearance, but in truth, he was actually a hot-blooded man at heart. He loved women and liquor, enjoyed making friends, and liked playing jokes. At least, that had been the case before he became a wandering swordsman. With no other way to make a living, he had become a wandering swordsman and picked up a sword for the first time. Somehow, he managed to obtain a third-rate martial arts manual, trained in it, and gradually built up a reputation. After deciding that there was no one he could trust but himself and becoming a man of few words, his demeanor suited him so well that he also gained the nickname Cold-Blooded Man.

A great deal of time had passed, and he had grown accustomed to living that way, but he still had not managed to rid himself of his hot temper. That was why he beat the young half-Semu boy trotting behind him as though beating a dog. No, the truth was that simply looking at the brat made him angry. First, he disliked the fact that Semu blood flowed through his veins. He also disliked how extraordinarily handsome the boy was. Bai Shixuan was gaunt and filthy from rarely eating properly or washing, yet every so often, something strangely noble could still be glimpsed beneath that wretched appearance.

‘Hah. Nobility, from a brat like this? I must be losing my mind.’

Cao Zhenshi gave a faint snort of laughter and continued walking. The money he had saved over the past two months was tucked inside his clothes. It was enough to spend three days with a high-class courtesan—or perhaps even a top-class one—at almost any pleasure house.

“What kind of beggar……?”

By chance, he had heard rumors about a fairly famous pleasure house in Shaanxi. It was reputed to be a place where even the middle-class courtesans were exceptionally beautiful. Just as Cao Zhenshi was about to enter the Flower Fragrance Pavilion, two enormous men standing at the main entrance blocked his way. To save money, he had always hunted in the mountains for his meals, sometimes eating only cheap plain noodles, and had barely washed himself. He had slept exclusively in dusty abandoned houses. Naturally, Bai Shixuan was not the only one who looked like a beggar. Cao Zhenshi himself looked no better.

“I have money.”

Even as a wandering swordsman, he did not recklessly draw his blade. Cao Zhenshi was especially cautious about that. He never picked fights in pleasure houses or inns. Wandering swordsmen were generally third-rate martial artists. There were rumors that the man currently called the King of Wandering Swordsmen was a Transcendent master, but most wandering swordsmen were second-rate at best. If one was unlucky enough to run into even a first-rate expert, it was all too easy to lose one’s head on the spot. In fact, Cao Zhenshi had witnessed it several times himself. He had seen wandering swordsmen beside him fail to recognize an expert, provoke them, and have their heads cut off. That was why he always tried to remain as quiet as possible in pleasure houses and inns.

“Hmm. Next time, don’t come around looking like that.”

“Exactly. We almost threw you out because we thought you were a beggar.”

The two men blocking Cao Zhenshi’s path stepped aside as they spoke, and Cao Zhenshi walked past them. The moment the beggar-like man and boy entered, the pleasure house fell silent.

“S-Sir, what brings you here?”

A middle-aged woman quickly hurried over to Cao Zhenshi. She was smiling, but it was obvious that the smile was forced. Cao Zhenshi handed her all the money he had brought.

“What is this?”

“How long will this get me?”

“One day with a high-class courtesan, or three days with a middle-class courtesan.”

Cao Zhenshi’s face twitched at the middle-aged woman’s answer. It was quite a lot of money. And yet it only bought one day? Three days with a middle-class woman? It was absurd. When he turned his head and looked around, he saw many men dressed in rather extravagant clothing.

“Hoho, all of those gentlemen are waiting for the finest courtesans.”

“Middle-class. Do I have to wait too?”

“No. You won’t need to wait, sir. Please follow me.”

So one had to wait for a top-class courtesan, but there was no wait for a middle-class courtesan because no one was taking them? Cao Zhenshi snorted and was about to follow the laughing woman from behind. Just as her large hips swayed in front of him, the middle-aged woman suddenly spun around.

“And this child?”

“Get out.”

When the middle-aged woman pointed at Bai Shixuan and asked, Cao Zhenshi immediately spoke to him. Bai Shixuan handed the sword he was carrying to Cao Zhenshi and promptly left the pleasure house.

‘What should I do now?’

Bai Shixuan followed the wall of the pleasure house until he reached a place where firewood had been stacked. He spread some pieces beneath himself and sat down. He was hungry. He wanted something—anything—to eat right now. But his master, Cao Zhenshi, was undoubtedly inside indulging himself with women, so Bai Shixuan had to wait outside. It would have been nice if some courtesans happened to pass by, but Bai Shixuan could not see a single one.

“Oh my? Who is this child?”

“Ah……”

Bai Shixuan sat there enduring his hunger as best he could for about half a shichen (one hour), when the sound of women’s laughter drew closer, followed by a woman’s voice. Bai Shixuan turned his head and saw several heavily made-up women who appeared to be in their mid-to-late twenties. Among them was also a girl who looked barely over ten, carrying a qin.

‘Even a child like that…….’

She was actually older than Bai Shixuan, but this was the first time he had seen a child close to his own age in a pleasure house, so he stared at the girl in surprise. Then he thought about his own circumstances and gave a faint, bitter smile. Who was he to worry about someone else? That girl probably lived a more comfortable life than he did.

“Hm? Who are you?”

“…….”

“Is he mute? Ugh, he smells awful.”

“He’s probably just a servant who followed his master here. Still, he has quite a cute face.”

When Bai Shixuan silently looked up at the women, they covered their noses, apparently overwhelmed by the smell coming from his unwashed body, and spoke among themselves. Then one of the women glanced at Bai Shixuan’s face and commented on it. One by one, the women who had pinched their noses and turned away looked back at him.

“Should we wash him first?”

“Would that be all right?”

“Why not? His master should be happy too. It won’t cost him anything.”

Without even asking Bai Shixuan what he wanted, one of the women took his hand and pulled him along. Bai Shixuan simply followed. It was always like this. In fact, this was precisely what he had been hoping for. He did not have the nerve to wander around inside the pleasure house himself, so he had waited for courtesans to come by. After half a shichen, things had finally begun unfolding exactly as he had expected.

The women immediately began preparing to wash Bai Shixuan. They filled a large tub with water, expertly stripped off his clothes, and began pouring water over his body.

“Ugh, how long has it been since you washed? Good thing we didn’t just throw you straight into the tub.”

The women sighed as they looked at the filthy water running off Bai Shixuan. After washing him for roughly one sikgyeong (thirty minutes), his snow-white skin gradually began to emerge.

‘Still, this is honestly embarrassing.’

He was still young, but embarrassment was embarrassment.