Chapter 18
TL: Demigod
“Ah, refreshing!”
Stretching his body after a while, he felt like he could fly.
It’s definitely not because he beat up Myungjin.
“Well, well…”
They said he was a talented guy in his own way.
It seems like that’s true.
A new path of martial arts would be opened up for him.
Eunho focused while expanding his energy domain.
Since he was in a good mood, he suddenly thought of a nice bottle of wine.
It has always been said that alcohol tastes better when drunk with someone rather than alone.
Myungjin, who was lying in front of the Yokai cave, seemed a bit out of it, but so what?
Everyone just stands up straight and fine even when they’re knocked down.
In Eunho’s eyes, humans had become even more sturdy than a thousand years ago.
Soon, Eunho seemed to find the energy he was looking for and jumped into the air.
On an ambitious dawn.
Lee Ryang was still engrossed in sightseeing at the Wudang Sect.
As Lee Ryang stood in front of the medicine hall, he was about to knock on the door.
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, a figure fell from a tree above.
This situation… familiar.
“Are you making strange noises again today? What are you doing in front of this spiritual place?”
Eunho glared at the medicine hall with a frown.
As always, he was unbearably unpleasant.
“Can you at least show up in a normal way?”
“Why don’t you learn martial arts if you’re so annoyed? Of course, you won’t be able to sense my energy. Haha!”
Lee Ryang’s eyes narrowed.
He seemed to be even more excited today.
“Did something good happen?”
“Good thing? Of course, it did.”
Oh, yeah, it did.
He defeated Myungjin, or rather, taught him a lesson.
He had 500 pills that he kept in the Yokai Cave.
In about ten years, it would become a pill comparable to the Azure Vital Pill.
“Hehe, I’m full just thinking about it.”
“You’ve been gloomy ever since you arrived at the Wudang Sect, so it’s a good thing you’re in a good mood.”
“That’s why I’m saying we should have a drink today. What do you think?”
“I still want to explore the Wudang Sect a bit longer…”
“I wondered what kind of guy you are to want to stay in the Wudang Sect…”
“I’ll go! I’ll go if I can!”
Lee Ryang shuddered at that nagging voice.
Since he had gotten this far.
He was very curious about Eunho, so Lee Ryang wanted to take this opportunity to talk to him.
“But do you have any money?”
“?”
Eunho made a dumbfounded expression.
“Money? Have you forgotten who I am?”
Lee Ryang immediately let out a forced laugh as if he felt guilty.
“Huh, what should I be worried about? I have someone who is second to none in the world when it comes to money. Let’s see, where is the Cheonhadajang in this neighborhood…”
“No, you’re wrong.”
“?”
Lee Ryang tilted his head.
Aren’t you the Young Master of Cheonhadajang?
Anyway, Eunho opened the door of the medicine hall with a bang.
Surprised by the sudden opening of the door, Taeho looked at the two men with wide eyes.
“You’re the hero of the Wudang who helped us find the Azure Vital Pill.”
Eunho demanded the money to drink with confidence, and Taeho quickly handed a note to his nephew standing next to him and sent it to the financial department.
The Financial Department was the place that managed all the Wudang’s finances.
***
Eunho and Lee Ryang immediately headed to Financial Department.
There, a young Taoist priest named Myungcheon awaited them, following Taeho’s orders.
“I am the master of Financial Department. I hear you are the benefactor who helped the Wudang find the Azure Vital Pill.”
Myungcheon bowed his head and expressed his gratitude to the two of them.
“That’s right. I’m the benefactor of the Wudang who helped find the Azure Vital Pill.”
“…You are a generous person.”
“I hope the Wudang is generous too. Oh, I’ve never been to an Inn before, so are there any good pubs nearby?”
Myungcheon thought for a moment and then spoke cautiously.
“As you can see, I am a Taoist priest in training, so I don’t have any reason to go to a pubs…”
Eunho’s eyes narrowed.
‘Who are you trying to fool?’
He could faintly smell alcohol.
It wasn’t the smell of someone who had drunk a glass or two.
It was clear that he had been to a pub recently.
Eunho changed his tone and asked again, this time subtly.
“Well, why would someone like you do this? You have eyes and ears, so you must have heard something, right?”
Moreover, as a Taoist priest of the Financial Department, which manages funds, he must have a lot of interaction with merchants.
And it’s inevitable that there will be entertainment involved in interacting with merchants.
Eunho’s low voice gave the listener a sense of peace.
“Ahem, I’ve never been there…”
As Myungcheon opened his mouth after a moment of thought, Eunho nodded with a ‘yes, yes’ expression.
“Have you heard the rumors about Mowolru?”
“Ohho, is that the most famous place?”
At Eunho’s delight, Myungcheon said in a slightly excited voice.
“I hear it’s so prestigious that the hostess herself selects the customers. They say that many people are disappointed because they can’t go there even if they want to….”
Eunho pretended to be disappointed with an exaggerated expression.
“Hmm, such a place must not have very good alcohol.”
“What are you talking about! The Yanghadaegok (Yanghe Great Curve) there is the best wine! It’s sweet and smooth, clear and light-bodied, and the climax is simply the five flavors that you can taste one after another…”
“Have you tried it?”
“…I heard it’s the best.”
“Keep it a secret from the Sect Leader.”
“…Oh! Here you go.”
He quickly changed the subject and handed over a wad of bills.
Eunho shook it a few times and tilted his head.
“Is the Azure Vital Pill that cheap?”
He frowned and added another small wad of bills.
“Good. But was the Yanghe Great Curve that delicious that it made you drool?”
“…”
Another wad of bills was added to Eunho’s hand.
Lee Ryang shook his head at the sight of the priest’s money being swindled.
***
“The money he gave you must have been the his personal property. Do you have to do that?”
“What’s the difference if it’s a priest? Priests don’t need any money.”
“He’s not a priest, He’s a merchant!”
“That’s right. Let’s just get going. I think I can hear the sound of precious wine waiting for us.”
Lee Ryang was looking at Eunho with an attitude.
“But what are you doing?”
Lee Ryang had gotten used to being carried around in Eunho’s hand.
Eunho looked at him in disbelief and said quietly.
“…Let’s just walk today.”
“Ahem.”
Embarrassed, Lee Ryang scratched the back of his head and stood up.
The two of them walked, breathing in the night air.
“I didn’t know because it was my first time, but now that I look at it, the scenery of Wudang Sect is quite spectacular.”
“I guess so.”
It felt like his energy was draining a bit, but he could feel his natural energy building up steadily.
Eunho suddenly became curious.
“Do you know about the 24 martial masters?”
“Huh, what do you take me for? Everyone knows about that, even if they’re not a martial artist.”
“Are they that great?”
“What are you asking about, of course they are great. Wouldn’t it be strange if the twenty-four people who reached the pinnacle of martial arts weren’t great?”
Eunho thought of Kwon Wang-Pang-jiyeol, the head of the Northern Pang Family.
“Then are there no people stronger than the 24 Martial Masters?”
“Hmm… Among the masters of the previous generation before the current 24 Martial Masters, there were three masters called the Three Emperors.”
“Oh, then are they stronger than the 24 Martial Masters?”
Lee Ryang thought for a while and then shook his head.
“I don’t know. It seems like a long time has passed since they disappeared into the shadows of the martial arts world. I wonder if anyone even knows if they’re still alive…”
Eunho looked disappointed.
“I should have asked Master then. He was always wandering around before he died, so he might have known.”
He had been forced to learn martial arts at first.
He lost a ridiculous bet with his master, Namgung Cheong.
And then, at some point, he became curious.
Where is the limit of humans?
The world called the realm the 24 Martial Masters reached the realm of “Enlightened,” while the realm of Jang Sambong and Gukgeom was called “manifestation.”
‘Master said I seem to be in the manifestation realm too.’
Eunho agreed with that too.
It wasn’t long after entering manifestation realm that he hit a new wall.
Is there anything next?
He had the feeling that it wasn’t the limit.
First, when compared to his previous life…
The strength of this life was just a fraction of that.
Probably in his current state, he couldn’t even kill a small-time yokai.
He also wondered what would happen if he built up his internal strength to the same level as his previous life’s.
But then he shook his head.
“That’s not possible.”
His previous life’s strength was the result of qi he had built up over a thousand years at a faster rate than he is now.
It would be absolutely impossible in a human’s lifespan.
Lee Ryang, who was watching Eunho, asked.
“What are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking about the limits of martial arts.”
Lee Ryang smiled slyly.
“Wouldn’t you agree that magic is superior to martial arts?”
“Have you forgotten about the time your formation didn’t work?”
“Ah! I said I’d explain that…”
“Here?”
Eunho cut Lee Ryang off abruptly.
As they continued their conversation while walking, a building soon came into view.
“Muwolru, it’s a name that suits it quite well.”
The scale of Muwolru was truly impressive.
The red lights from the dozens of lanterns hanging on the exterior illuminated the area with such splendor that it was almost blinding.
In the lake beside it, the moon and Muwolru were reflected simultaneously, but the building’s lights were so dazzling that they almost obscured the moonlight.
The crimson glow fell upon the two men’s heads.
“I didn’t expect such a pleasure to await me at the end of this dreary journey.”
Unlike Eunho, who was visibly excited, Lee Ryang had an air of tension about him.
“This day is finally here… Master told me to stay away from alcohol and women.”
“Tch, how could a man born as a man stay away from alcohol and women? Speaking of which, are you really a man?”
Eunho’s slender gaze swept over Lee Ryang from head to toe.
Playfully, Eunho made a move to reach for Lee Ryang’s crotch.
“What, what are you doing!”
Lee Ryang, startled, fled, causing Eunho to look at him even more suspiciously.
“Well, you’re so pretty that I wondered if you could really be a man.”
“What nonsense…!”
Eunho chuckled.
Of course, he knew Lee Ryang was a man.
A master who had reached the Enlightened realm couldn’t not know the gender of an opponent.
However, there was something about Lee Ryang that he found amusing.
With that thought in mind, he laughed and headed towards the building, but someone blocked his path.
“?”
“It seems you’ve come to the wrong place.”
The man who appeared to be the building’s doorman had a tough and sturdy appearance overall.
“If this is the building, then we’ve come to the right place.”
The doorman’s gaze swept down on both of them.
“It’s the right building, but our Muwolru doesn’t accept just anyone. Go back.”
There was a significant amount of pride in the doorman’s face.
Clearly, the doorman’s skills were top-notch.
He was certainly a high-level martial artist, too high to be just a doorman at a mere brothel.
“Then what are the criteria for accepting guests?”
In response to Eunho’s question, the doorman answered without hesitation.
“Local lords, regional officials, well-known scholars or artists, or martial artists whose martial prowess is exceptional and whose influence is extraordinary. Our Muwolru only accepts guests of that caliber, so please give up.”
Eunho nodded.
“I see. It’s certainly a demanding requirement for a brothel. Those who are allowed to stay here must have something to be proud of, I suppose?”
The doorman nodded.
Those who sought out this place took pride in being guests of Muwolru.
“I don’t see any other brothels nearby, do I?”
Eunho asked, and the doorman replied as if it were obvious.
“As you can see, that’s right.”
Of course, Muwolru wouldn’t allow another brothel to spring up nearby.
“Well, well. That’s a good thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I just mean that I’m lucky enough to meet the criteria.”
The doorman’s eyes narrowed instantly. The truth was, Eunho was an out-of-the-ordinary individual.
Where could one find such a man who could draw so much attention to himself?
Already, a few of the people in the brothel were peeking out of the windows, curious about the young man’s handsome looks.
He seemed to be more beautiful than any person they had ever seen.
“Are you perhaps a performer?”
If so, that would explain things. After all, it was an important part of their profession to be seen as attractive.
“No?”
“Then surely an official…!”
The doorman shook his head, seemingly bewildered by his own words.
No matter how he looked at him, Eunho didn’t seem like an official.
“Neither, but you could say I’m a local lord in my own right. I’m quite famous in other places, though not here.”
“May I ask your name?”
The doorman’s tone became somewhat cautious.
“I am Ha Eunho.”
“Ha Eunho… Surely not the young master of Cheonhajang?”
If the brothel had set such criteria for its guests, it meant that it could identify those who met the criteria.
In other words, they were well-informed.
There was no way they wouldn’t know Eunho’s name in such a brothel.
Eunho raised his chin with a proud and arrogant expression and smiled.
“That’s right. I am Ha Eunho, the young master of the Cheonhajang.”
“Oh… Huh? Oh hahahaha!”
The doorman burst out laughing for a long time.
“Haha, young swordsmen like to play around. Then is the young master of Mangeumjang on the side?”
Mangeumjang was a place that was ranked alongside Cheonhajang as one of the four great merchants of Central Plains.
The doorman didn’t believe Eunho’s words.
Cheonhajang is located in Hobuk, Muhan.
Why would the young master of that place come to a brothel in Dangan-gu?
And at this ambitious time of day.
Especially, the appearance of the two men seemed far from wealthy.
Lee Ryang was even more resentful and raised his voice.
“Really! This man is the…”
“Oh hahaha! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such witty swordsmen.”
The doorman was even clutching his stomach.
There were dozens of martial artists guarding the brothel, and their skill levels were not low either.
There were always those who came looking for the brothel and were embarrassed, so this kind of attempt had not been seen in a long time.
Thanks to that, guarding the door all night was not a boring task, and it was actually kind of fun for a change.
Lee Ryang was about to run wild and stomp his feet.
How could they not even try to verify?
On the other hand, Eunho calmly continued speaking.
“Yes, I know you wouldn’t believe it. But I thought you would at least have the decency to check. It’s true that it’s a bit of a surprising place and time for the young master of Cheonhajang to be here.”
The doorman smiled in agreement and patted Eunho on the shoulder.
“Even though I came on a mission to the sect by my father’s orders, greeted the Sect leader of the sect, and was introduced to this place by someone from the sect…”
The doorman’s expression gradually began to change.
Although it was a joke, Eunho’s attitude was too serious.
“Haha..”
“Alright, alright. I get it that our appearance isn’t very convincing. But what about judging people by their looks? Isn’t this Muwolru?”
Eunho casually patted the doorman’s shoulder.
The appearance of a magnanimous individual who forgives mistakes! The doorman’s intuition was telling him something. Something was wrong!
“Uh…”
The doorman stopped laughing.
“Then let’s just verify…”
Just then.
Smack-!
With a sudden punch, the doorman was knocked to the ground, his face taking the brunt of the blow.
He couldn’t understand the situation.
He didn’t even know when or how he had been hit.
“W, what are you doing now!”
The doorman jumped to his feet in anger, but Eunho just beamed and said.
“Perfect timing. I have one more thing that meets your criteria. You’re really lucky.”
“What are you…?”
“Looks like the young friend here isn’t as quick on the uptake as I thought.”
Eunho grabbed the fallen doorman by the collar and lifted him up.
“I mean that I’m about to transform into a martial artist with enough influence to shake up this brothel.”
