It didn’t take long for them to choose a sword.

With plenty of money and a good sense of the going rates, they quickly wrapped up the purchase and hit the streets, wandering wherever their hearts led them.

"Oh, hey, that looks cool."

They ended up buying a matching set of bamboo hats. If you’re wondering what a bamboo hat is, think of a traditional conical hat. Seo-jun had been a bit concerned about Chun-bong’s striking two-toned black and white hair, so these hats would not only conceal her conspicuous hair but also add a bit of martial flair.

“How do I look?”

Dressed in black martial arts robes with the bamboo hat perched on his head and a sword at his waist, Seo-jun struck a pose like a seasoned warrior. Chun-bong, however, clicked her tongue.

“You look like a kid playing dress-up.”

“What?”

It seemed there was no escaping the fact that he still looked young. Sighing, Seo-jun and Chun-bong amicably shared a skewered sugar candy.

They had paid for the candy themselves this time. Now that they were rich, buying a treat like this was no big deal.

“Hehe…”

Seeing Chun-bong so excited like a carefree child lifted Seo-jun’s spirits. Yes, money should be spent on days like this.

“Hey! Geum Chun-bong! I’m treating today!”

“Gasp! Aren’t you being too extravagant?”

“Hey, we’re rich now!”

They headed straight to an inn. There was a brief moment of panic when they didn’t know the names of the dishes, but fortunately, the well-bred Chun-bong managed to order without any trouble.

“Not bad.”

After eating their fill from a table loaded with dishes, they were so full they could burst.

It had been a long time since they had such a rich meal. Chun-bong, apparently pleased with the food, was licking the oil off her fingers.

“Was it good?”

“Yeah.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

Leaning back in his chair, Seo-jun looked out the window. The sky was gradually turning red, indicating that evening was approaching.

‘Time to go.’

He planned to visit the red-light district before nightfall. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to the woman he had met on his first day. He wasn’t overly concerned, but his curiosity got the better of him.

“Let’s get going… wait, what?”

A few men dressed in blue walked into the inn, glancing around. Swords hung at their waists, and he could vaguely sense their internal energy.

Martial artists?

Watching them closely, Seo-jun noticed something.

‘They definitely feel different from the Black Tiger Sect.’

Their aura and the feel of their internal energy were different. While not as pure as Chun-bong’s, their energy was still relatively clear. These guys were probably from a righteous sect.

After asking something of the innkeeper, one of them turned to look in Seo-jun’s direction.

One of the men made a gesture toward his group, pointing at Seo-jun.

The men muttered among themselves before beginning to approach.

“Chun-bong.”

“Hm?”

Chun-bong’s eyes were half-closed, seemingly drowsy from her full stomach. Seo-jun gently scratched her chin and nodded toward the men.

“Who are they?”

“Hmm… Those guys? Aren’t they, uh… those guys.”

“Those guys? Oh, those guys?”

“Yeah, the ones from the fabric shop.”

Seo-jun figured the fabric shop owner had reported them to the sect that was supposed to be providing protection, and now they had come to stir up trouble.

Letting out a sigh, Seo-jun picked up the bamboo hat he had set aside.

“Hey, you two.”

The man leading the group addressed them. Seo-jun flicked his wrist, sending the hat spinning with internal energy.

Thud!

The hat embedded itself deep into the ground at the man’s feet. Their expressions hardened.

“A master…”

“So the rumors were true?”

One of the men, quickly regaining his composure, barked at the others.

“Enough! Get a grip. We’re disciples of the Cheongha Sect. There’s no need to be afraid.”

The man approached Seo-jun. Although his body tensed when Seo-jun frowned, he quickly regained his composure and offered a polite bow.

“I am Cheong-un of the Cheongha Sect. While I acknowledge your skill, shouldn’t you, as a young martial artist, show some respect?”

“Sure, why not.”

Seo-jun gave a slight nod, causing a vein to bulge on Cheong-un’s temple.

“…May I ask which sect you belong to?”

Seo-jun glanced at Chun-bong, who shook her head.

Not entirely sure what that meant, Seo-jun decided to name the only sect he could think of.

“The Black Tiger Sect.”

“A filthy Black Path sect member!”

Shing!

Cheong-un drew his sword, a blue aura faintly emanating from it. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be in his thirties, but his skills were rather lacking for his age.

“Hey, why don’t you put that away?”

“As a disciple of the Cheongha Sect, I cannot forgive evildoers! Draw your sword!”

Srrng

Seo-jun drew his sword, and Cheong-un, slightly taken aback, narrowed his eyes.

“Do you really think you can cause trouble in the Cheongha Sect’s territory and get away with it?”

“What?”

Feigning surprise, Seo-jun looked over at Chun-bong. She, who had been lazily slumped in her seat, slowly sat up and spoke.

“Don’t kill him. Yawn… I’m so sleepy.”

Hearing that, Cheong-un suddenly looked smug. What was this guy up to? Unsure, Seo-jun swung his sword.

“Huh?!”

Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew as their swords clashed. Cheong-un, quickly regaining his composure, stepped back into a defensive stance.

“I will not forgive you!”

The blue aura on his sword began to take on a unique flow.

‘A wave? No, a river?’

As Seo-jun watched, Cheong-un shifted his stance and brought his sword down in a swift slash.

The blue aura flowed down like a fast-moving river.

Seo-jun skillfully deflected the attack with the Cloud Flowing Through the Sky technique, causing the attack to miss entirely.

“Huh…!”

As his sword veered off course, Cheong-un lost his balance.

“Senior Brother!”

“Help him!”

The other men, who had been watching from the sidelines, rushed forward.

Seo-jun, who had been contemplating something, suddenly looked up.

“I’ve got it.”

“Wait!”

Chun-bong, realizing what he was about to do, tried to stop him, but it was too late. He couldn’t resist.

Swoosh

A sound of rushing water filled the air.

A flowing river. A golden sky.
The river was not serene; it was wild.

The golden aura on Seo-jun’s sword began to flow like a river.

“What the…?”

The men’s jaws dropped. Seo-jun grinned and swung his sword.

“Martial arts is just too easy!”

Crash!

The golden aura spread out like an overflowing river, sweeping through the men.

“Hiiik…!?”

Of course, he didn’t kill them. Instead, he sliced through their pants, causing them to drop to the ground.

“Aaagh!”

“Y-you filthy villain…!”

The men clutched their pants, their faces red with embarrassment as they ground their teeth.

“Agh, this bastard…”

A grinding noise came from beside him as well. It was Chun-bong, visibly irritated by the sight of the men’s undergarments. Honestly, Seo-jun found them pretty disgusting too.

“Oops, my bad.”

“Just shut up.”

Cheong-un, who had been watching in disbelief, spoke up.

“H-how did you use the Cheongha Sect’s Clear Flowing Sword…?”

“Oh, come on.”

Seo-jun brandished his sword, and Cheong-un clamped his mouth shut, standing up with a look of resentment.

He glared at Seo-jun, seemingly weighing his options. When Seo-jun frowned, Cheong-un flinched and quickly turned away.

“Let’s go!”

The men who had rushed in now hurriedly retreated.

As the now-empty inn grew quiet, Seo-jun scratched his head.

“Was the whole pants thing too much?”

“The real problem is something else, you idiot.”

Chun-bong sighed and clicked her tongue.

“At this rate, even their sect leader will come after you in his sleep.”

“Hm… Is it that bad?”

“You think they’ll just sit back and watch while you use their martial arts?”

“What’s so special about that technique anyway?”

It wasn’t much of a technique if he could just pick it up after seeing it once. Something like the Golden Cloud Divine Sword technique would be impossible to copy like this.

“Ahem, well, obviously.”

Chun-bong looked oddly satisfied as she got up.

“Anyway, let’s go.”

“Wait. There’s somewhere I want to stop by before we head home.”

“Where?”

“The red-light district.”

“Wha…?”

Chun-bong’s face twisted in irritation.

“What did you say?”

“Why?”

“Just because you got some money, you want to visit the red-light district? Are you crazy?”

“I’m not going to spend any money!”

“Bullshit.”

She clicked her tongue but then suddenly raised an eyebrow and tilted her head.

“Actually, no… I guess you wouldn’t. You even beat up the women who came onto you.”

“Come on, Geum, don’t slander me.”

“It’s not slander if it’s true.”

With a sigh, Chun-bong shook her head.

“Fine, go ahead.”

“Huh? What’s with that? You’re saying I should go alone?”

“You want me to go with you?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“…What? Why?”

What do you mean, why? Going to the red-light district alone wasn’t exactly appealing. It felt… wrong.

As Seo-jun scratched his chin, Chun-bong, who had been watching him, suddenly turned bright red.

“…You want me to watch you hook up with someone?”

“What the…?”

Why was she so open-minded?

Seo-jun was left speechless, his jaw dropping in shock.

•  

After clearing up the misunderstanding, Seo-jun made his way to the red-light district, with Chun-bong hitting him repeatedly along the way.

“Why! Don’t! You! Speak! Clearly!”

“Ow, ow! Just a little more on the back.”

“You…!”

Whack! Chun-bong kicked him in the shins.

Of course, without any internal energy behind it, it didn’t really hurt.

“But how are you going to find that woman?”

“I don’t know? I’ll figure it out when I get there.”

The closer they got to the red-light district, the more the atmosphere changed.

The market street could be considered the bright side of town, while the back alleys of the red-light district were the dark side.

The dark, damp air that defined this place was textbook material.

But today, the atmosphere felt different.

“Kill them! Kill them all!”

“You filthy Black Tiger Sect bastards!”

“Now that the Black Tiger Sect’s leader is dead, this place is ours!”

Seo-jun exchanged a glance with Chun-bong and gave a sheepish smile.

“These guys sure are busy.”

“They only get busy at times like this. Like rats.”

“Hey, watch your language.”

“…Are you insane?”

Well, this worked out nicely. Since things had already come to this, it might be a good idea to clean up the back alleys and fix a few things that had been bothering him.

A life where you get kidnapped, have your tendons cut, and become a prostitute? There’s no romance in that.

Of course, it’s impossible to eliminate all the courtesans, and it’s not like they’d want that either, but that’s not really his concern.

He would just give them a chance, and if they reached out for help, he’d lend them a hand.

He didn’t need to worry about what happened beyond that.

“Yep, that’s the plan.”

“Whatever. Do what you want. I’m out.”

“Okay.”

With his sword slung over his shoulder, Seo-jun walked into the red-light district, Chun-bong walking beside him.

Their shadows, cast by the red lanterns, stretched out long and flickered on the ground.