CRS Chapter 18

“Ah, how refreshing!”

After stretching his body after a long while, he felt like he could fly.

It definitely wasn’t because he had beaten up Myungjin.

“By the way…”

They say he’s quite talented in his own way.

It seems that’s true.

A new perspective on martial arts will unfold for him.

Eunho focused as he expanded his energy perception.

Since he was in a good mood, he thought of having a flavorful drink.

As they say, drinking is more enjoyable with two rather than alone.

He was slightly concerned about Myungjin collapsed in front of the Demon Cave,

But what of it?

Everyone seems to get up just fine even when laid out.

From Eunho’s perspective, humans had become even more resilient than a thousand years ago.

Soon, as if he had found the energy he wanted, Eunho took flight.

***

In the dead of night.

Yi-ryang was still obsessed with exploring Wudang Sect.

As Yi-ryang was about to knock on the door of the Medicine Hall.

“Eek!”

Suddenly, a figure dropped from a tree.

This situation… feels familiar.

“You’re making strange noises again today? What are you doing in front of this disgustingly auspicious place?”

Eunho frowned as he glanced at the Medicine Hall.

It was consistently unpleasant immortal energy.

“Can’t you come in a normal way for once?”

“If it bothers you, learn martial arts. Though you still wouldn’t be able to catch my energy sense. Haha!”

Yi-ryang’s eyes narrowed.

This guy seems even more excited today.

“Did something good happen?”

“Something good? Of course.”

Indeed, there was.

He had beaten up Myungjin, no, imparted teachings to him.

He had buried five hundred pills in the Demon Cave.

In about ten years, they would become demonic pills comparable to the Extreme Azure Pill.

Hehe, just thinking about it makes him feel full.

“You’ve been gloomy ever since arriving at Wudang, so it’s good if you’re in a better mood.”

“Speaking of which, we should have a drink today. What do you think?”

“I still want to look around Wudang more, but…”

“Do you think I’d let someone like you in Wudang…”

“I’ll go! I’ll go, alright!”

Yi-ryang shuddered at those dreaded words.

Since it had come to this.

He was very curious about Eunho, so he planned to have many conversations with him this time.

“But do you have money?”

“?”

Eunho made a dumbfounded expression.

“Money? Have you forgotten who I am?”

Yi-ryang laughed self-deprecatingly.

“Hah, what was I thinking, worrying about the pocket situation of someone who’d be upset if called second richest in the world. Let’s see, there should be a Cheonha Merchant Guild branch nearby…”

“No, that’s wrong.”

“?”

Yi-ryang tilted his head.

Hadn’t he said he was the young master of Cheonha Merchant Guild?

Regardless, Eunho forcefully opened the door of the Medicine Hall.

Startled by the sudden opening of the door, Tae-heo looked at the two with surprised eyes.

“I’m the hero of Wudang who found the Extreme Azure Pill.”

Eunho boldly demanded money for drinking,

And Tae-heo quickly handed a message to a disciple nearby and sent him to Sunyang Palace.

Sunyang Palace was where all of Wudang’s finances were managed.

***

Eunho and Yi-ryang immediately headed to Sunyang Palace.

There, a young Taoist who had received Tae-heo’s order was waiting.

“I am Myungcheon of Sunyang Palace. I hear you are the benefactor who found the Extreme Azure Pill.”

Myungcheon bowed his head in gratitude to the two.

“That’s right. I’m the benefactor of Wudang who found the Extreme Azure Pill.”

“…You’re quite straightforward.”

“I hope Wudang’s spending is equally straightforward. Ah, since it’s my first time in Danjiang District, are there any good pleasure houses nearby?”

Myungcheon thought briefly and then said carefully,

“As you can see, I’m a Taoist in training, so I have no reason to visit pleasure houses…”

Eunho’s eyes narrowed.

‘Who are you trying to fool?’

Though faint, he could clearly smell alcohol.

It wasn’t the scent of someone who had just one or two drinks.

It was certain he had visited a pleasure house recently.

Eunho changed his tone and asked subtly again.

“Come on, why is someone who should know acting like this? You must have at least heard something, with your eyes and ears.”

Moreover, as a Taoist from Sunyang Palace managing funds, he must have had many interactions with merchants.

Entertainment is inseparable from interactions with merchants.

Eunho’s low voice made the listener feel at peace.

“Ahem, although I haven’t been there myself…”

After pondering for a moment, Myungcheon opened his mouth, and Eunho nodded with an expression that said, ‘That’s right, that’s right.’

“I’ve heard rumors about the Moonless Pavilion.”

“Oh, is that the most famous place?”

When Eunho brightened, Myungcheon spoke with a slightly excited voice.

“I heard its prestige is so great that despite being a pleasure house, it’s selective about its guests. They say there are quite a few people who are heartbroken because they want to go there but can’t…”

Eunho showed an exaggerated expression of disappointment.

“Hmm, such places often have unremarkable wine.”

“What are you saying! The Yanghe Daqu there is the best wine. Its sweet and smooth taste, clear and light texture as it goes down the throat is truly at its peak, and the five fragrances that can be felt in succession are…”

“You’ve tasted it, haven’t you?”

“…I heard it’s the best.”

“I’ll keep it a secret from the sect leader.”

“…Ah! Take this.”

He hastily changed the subject and handed over a money pouch.

Eunho shook it a few times and tilted his head.

“Was the Extreme Azure Pill this cheap?”

He frowned and added a small additional pouch.

“Good. But was the Yanghe Daqu^[1] so delicious that it made you swallow your saliva?”

“…”

Another pouch was added to Eunho’s hand.

Yi-ryang shook his head at the sight of Eunho extorting(?) money from the Taoist.

***

“The money he gave last must surely be from his personal funds. Did you really have to go that far?”

“Are you siding with him because he’s a Taoist like you? What wealth do Taoists have anyway.”

“I’m not a Taoist, I’m a sorcerer!”

“Isn’t that the same thing? Anyway, let’s get going. I think I can hear the Yanghe Daqu or whatever it’s called waiting for us.”

Yi-ryang was looking at Eunho in ‘that pose’.

“What are you doing?”

Yi-ryang had become so accustomed to being carried by Eunho that it had become second nature.

Eunho, looking at him with bewilderment, said quietly,

“…Let’s just walk today.”

“Ahem.”

Embarrassed, Yi-ryang scratched the back of his head as he stood up.

The two walked, breathing in the night air.

“I didn’t notice before because it was my first time, but now I see that the scenery of Mount Wudang is truly magnificent.”

“Indeed.”

Although the immortal energy was a bit irritating, he could feel the natural energy accumulating steadily.

Eunho suddenly became curious.

“Do you know about the Twenty-Four Martial Arts Masters?”

“Heh, what do you take me for? Isn’t that something everyone knows, even those not in the martial world?”

“Are they really that great?”

“Of course. Why ask such an obvious question? Wouldn’t it be stranger if the twenty-four who reached the pinnacle of the martial world weren’t extraordinary?”

Eunho thought of Peng Ji-yeol, the head of the Northern Peng clan and the Fist King.

“Then are there no one stronger than the Twenty-Four Martial Arts Masters?”

“Hmm… There were those called the Three Emperors among the masters of the generation before the current Twenty-Four Martial Arts Masters.”

“Oh, so are they stronger than the Twenty-Four Martial Arts Masters?”

Yi-ryang pondered for a while and then shook his head.

“I don’t know. It seems quite a long time has passed since they disappeared into the shadows of the martial world. I wonder if anyone even knows for certain whether they’re still alive…”

Eunho showed a disappointed look.

“If I had known earlier, I should have asked my master. He wandered around so much in his lifetime, he might have known.”

When he first learned martial arts, he did so reluctantly.

Because he lost an absurd bet with his master, Namgoong Cheong.

And at some point, curiosity arose.

Where is the limit of humans?

The world called the realm reached by the Twenty-Four Martial Arts Masters the Transformation Realm, and the realm of the ancient Heavenly Demons or Jang Sambong the Profound Realm.

‘According to my master, it seems I’m also in the Profound Realm.’

Eunho agreed with that statement.

After reaching the Transformation Realm, he had broken through a new wall not long after.

Is there nothing beyond this?

Somehow, it didn’t feel like the limit.

First, compared to his previous life…

The strength in this life was just a drop in the ocean.

Probably in his current state, he couldn’t even kill a decent greater demon.

He was curious about what would happen if he accumulated inner power as much as his former yokai power.

But then he shook his head.

“That wouldn’t be possible.”

The yokai power from his previous life was energy accumulated for over a thousand years at an even faster rate than now.

It would be absolutely impossible within a human lifespan.

Yi-ryang, watching Eunho, asked,

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“I was thinking about the limits of martial arts.”

Yi-ryang smiled slyly.

“Surely sorcery is superior to martial arts, isn’t it?”

“Seems you’ve forgotten how your formation was torn apart.”

“Ah! You said you’d tell me about that…”

“Is this the place?”

Eunho cut off Yi-ryang’s words.

As they were talking while walking, they suddenly saw a pleasure house.

“Moonless Pavilion, quite a fitting name.”

The scale of the Moonless Pavilion was truly impressive.

The red light emitted by dozens of red lanterns hanging on the outer wall was dazzlingly splendid.

The moon and the Moonless Pavilion were reflected simultaneously in the adjacent lake, but the light from the pleasure house was so brilliant that it even overshadowed the moonlight.

The bright red light fell on the heads of the two.

“To think such pleasure awaited me at the end of this boring escort mission.”

Unlike Eunho, who was very excited, Yi-ryang showed clear signs of tension.

“To think the day would come when I visit a pleasure house… My master said to stay away from alcohol and women.”

“Tsk, how can a man born as a great fellow stay away from alcohol and women? Come to think of it, are you really a man?”

Eunho’s narrowed gaze scanned Yi-ryang up and down.

Feeling playful, Eunho made a gesture as if reaching for Yi-ryang’s waistband.

“Wh-What are you doing!”

Yi-ryang, startled, ran away screaming, and Eunho looked at him even more suspiciously.

“Well, you look so pretty that I wondered if you were really a man.”

“What nonsense…!”

Eunho guffawed.

Of course, he knew Yi-ryang was a man.

A master who had reached the Transformation Realm couldn’t possibly mistake someone’s gender.

But for some reason, Yi-ryang was fun to tease.

As he was laughing heartily and about to enter the pleasure house, someone blocked Eunho’s path.

“?”

“It seems you’ve come to the wrong place.”

The man, who appeared to be the doorkeeper of the pleasure house, had an overall solid appearance.

“If this is a pleasure house, I think I’ve come to the right place.”

The doorkeeper’s gaze scanned the two up and down.

“It is a pleasure house, but our Moonless Pavilion doesn’t accept just anyone. Turn back.”

There was quite a bit of pride visible on the doorkeeper’s face.

Judging by his level, the doorkeeper was first-rate.

He was certainly a martial artist of a high level to be a mere doorkeeper of a pleasure house.

“Then by what criteria do you accept guests?”

To Eunho’s question, the doorkeeper answered without hesitation.

“Local dignitaries, regional officials, famous scholars or artists, and in the case of martial artists, those whose martial arts are exceptionally outstanding and whose influence is extraordinary. Our Moonless Pavilion only accepts guests of that caliber, so you should give up now.”

Eunho nodded.

“I see. Those are certainly stringent conditions for a pleasure house. The guests allowed here must take pride in themselves?”

The doorkeeper nodded.

Those who visited here indeed took pride in being guests of the Moonless Pavilion.

“It seems there are no other pleasure houses nearby, is that right?”

To Eunho’s question, the doorkeeper replied as if it were obvious.

“As you can see, that’s correct.”

The Moonless Pavilion wouldn’t stand by and let another pleasure house open nearby.

“Yes, yes. That’s good.”

“What do you mean?”

“As it happens, I’m lucky enough to meet those conditions.”

The doorkeeper’s eyes changed instantly.

In truth, this man did have an extraordinary appearance.

Where could one find a man who captivated the surroundings’ attention to this degree?

Already, several courtesans inside the pleasure house seemed curious about the young man’s beauty, peeking from the windows.

He seemed even more beautiful than most courtesans.

“Are you perhaps an artist?”

If so, it would make sense.

For artists, appearance was crucial to their profession.

“No?”

“Then could it be you’re from the government…?!”

The doorkeeper shook his head as if in disbelief at his own words.

No matter how he looked at it, this man didn’t seem like a government official.

“Neither. I could be considered a local dignitary of sorts. I’m quite famous elsewhere, though not here.”

“May I ask your name?”

The doorkeeper’s tone became slightly more cautious.

“Ha Eunho.”

“Ha Eunho… Could it be from Cheonha Merchant Guild?”

If a pleasure house set conditions for its guests, it meant they could identify those who met those conditions.

In other words, they were well-informed.

Such a pleasure house wouldn’t be unaware of Eunho’s name.

Eunho smiled, lifting his chin with a proud and arrogant expression.

“That’s right. I am Ha Eunho, the young master of Cheonha Merchant Guild.”

“Kup…”

“…?”

“Hahaha!”

The doorkeeper laughed for a while.

“Haha, you young fellows are quite the jokers. Then is the one next to you the son of Manjin Trading Company?”

Manjin Trading Company was one of the four great trading companies of the Central Plains along with Cheonha Merchant Guild.

The doorkeeper didn’t believe Eunho’s words.

Cheonha Merchant Guild is in Wuhan, Hubei.

Why would the young master from there come to a pleasure house in Danjiang District?

Especially at this late hour.

In particular, the appearance of the two seemed far from wealthy.

Yi-ryang, feeling even more wronged, flared up.

“It’s true! This person is really…”

“Hahaha! It’s been a while since I met such witty young fellows.”

The doorkeeper soon held his stomach laughing.

There were dozens of martial artists guarding the pleasure house, and their levels were not low.

As more and more people who tried to enter the pleasure house were humiliated, such attempts had long since ceased.

As a result, guarding the door all night had been quite boring, but this was entertaining for a change.

Yi-ryang was about to go crazy with frustration.

How could they not even try to verify?

On the other hand, Eunho calmly continued speaking.

“Yes, I thought you wouldn’t believe me. I thought you’d at least have the courtesy to try to verify. Well, I suppose it is a bit out of place for the young master of Cheonha Merchant Guild to be here at this time and place.”

The doorkeeper nodded in agreement, laughing and patting Eunho’s shoulder.

“Even though I came on an escort mission to Wudang on my father’s orders, greeted the sect leader of Wudang, and was introduced to this place by someone from Wudang…”

The doorkeeper’s expression began to change gradually.

Eunho’s attitude was too serious to be a joke.

“Haha…”

“Yes, yes. Our appearance is hard to believe. But isn’t it wrong to judge people only by their looks? Isn’t this the famous Moonless Pavilion?”

Before he knew it, he was patting the doorkeeper’s shoulder comfortingly.

The image of a magnanimous person forgiving a mistake!

The doorkeeper’s instincts were telling him.

Something is going wrong!

“Uh…”

The doorkeeper was no longer laughing.

“Then, let’s first verify…”

That’s when it happened.

Thwack-!

Suddenly struck by a flying fist, the doorkeeper was hit in the face and fell back.

He couldn’t grasp the situation.

He didn’t even know when or how he was hit.

“Wh-What are you doing!”

The doorkeeper flared up, but regardless, Eunho smiled brightly and said,

“This works out well. I happen to have one more thing that meets your conditions. I’m really lucky.”

“What do you…”

“Young friend, you’re not as quick on the uptake as you look.”

Eunho lifted the fallen doorkeeper by his collar.

“I’m saying that from now on, I’m transforming into a martial artist with plenty of influence over this pleasure house.”

1. Name of a wine. Its made of sorghum, wheat, barley and peas[↩]