Slide.

A young man stepped into the room, face already creased with displeasure.

Cheon Doyun, lounging inside with a wine cup in hand, looked up with a welcoming expression.

“You’re here.”

The newcomer — Gok Taejun, Young Clan Head of the Tyrant Blade Gok Clan — opened with a complaint before he’d even sat down.

“Damn it. Why here of all places? What’s the point of a place full of flowers you can’t even pick?”

Where they had met was a pleasure house called White Blossom Hall.

White Blossom Hall’s reputation placed it comfortably within the top five in Hangzhou — even though its courtesans sold only music and performance, not their bodies.

Which was another way of saying the women were extraordinarily beautiful.

“Hehe. Whatever else you might say, the women here know their instruments. Listen — that melody drifting in from somewhere distant. Isn’t it lovely?”

Gok Taejun scoffed and dropped into the seat across from him.

“Lovely my foot. I came because you said you were buying drinks for once. My own fault for getting excited. You didn’t even bring in any women.”

Cheon Doyun smirked and poured wine into Gok Taejun’s cup.

“We’ll call them in later. But first…… how is your uncle doing?”

Gok Taejun’s expression soured again.

“What exactly did you say to him? He was already violent — lately he’s been completely unhinged. His subordinates are having near-death experiences on a daily basis. I’ve been hiding at home to avoid his eye, that’s how bad it’s gotten.”

Cheon Doyun smiled faintly.

Clearly the format of this trial was not sitting well.

Gok Taejun seemed to know the cause too, and came right out with it.

“What’s the thinking? The Crazed Fiend as a test. Who’s actually going to pass that? And there are too many candidates to begin with. Eight people competing for Alliance Lord, counting the Alliance Lord’s brat? That’s too big a mess to contain.”

Cheon Doyun shrugged.

“Well, it is a trial — it had to be fair. If each family hadn’t been given the right to put forward a candidate, this process never would have gotten off the ground.”

“Ugh. You think too much. Just crush everyone with force.”

“Hehe. And the reason the Crazed Fiend was chosen for the trial…… let’s see, there are quite a few.”

The teasing lilt made Gok Taejun lean forward slightly.

“Are you trying to provoke me? You might not know this, but I’ve been in a bad mood since the moment I walked into this place, my friend.”

Cheon Doyun nodded.

“Noted.”

The total lack of reaction made Gok Taejun shake his head.

“You insufferable bastard. So what is it. You called me here to pass something along to my father, didn’t you.”

He was dense — but not entirely without instinct.

Cheon Doyun kept his true thoughts hidden and spoke at a measured pace.

“As you said — no one will be driving the Crazed Fiend out.”

“Right. Some idiots already tried and got themselves crippled, I heard.”

At the mention of the four who had already challenged the old man, Cheon Doyun smiled.

“Idiots, yes. Blinded by the Alliance Lord’s seat and acting before thinking. Well…… Clan Head Cho was whispering in their ears, so it was always going to happen.”

“Clan Head Cho? Has the Soaring Wind Cho Clan sided with us?”

“Hehe. Hardly. We made a deal, nothing more.”

“Hah. Slippery old man. Maybe I should tip off the Woon Clan’s side.”

“He’s not the type to leave careless evidence lying around. Save your energy.”

Gok Taejun scoffed and steered back to the actual point.

“Forget the Cho Clan. What’s the reason.”

“There’s been a lot of talk about Seo Woojin among the lower ranks of the Dark Alliance.”

“Ha! Disgusting rabble.”

Gok Taejun already knew that much.

The story of Seo Woojin gathering the Seven Family heads and destroying the Sword Saint’s blade had already spread across all of Hangzhou. There were even rumors circulating that the legitimate heir of the Dark Alliance Lord had summoned the heads of the Seven Families and given them a dressing-down.

Come to think of it, no wonder Father’s been losing his mind. Having to watch and do nothing about someone he’d happily tear apart on the spot.

Gok Taejun found himself sympathizing with his father as he kept listening.

“It’s a small voice for now — but if it grows, it’ll become a real headache for us. We need to shatter that illusion before it spreads further. That’s why the Crazed Fiend was put forward as a trial.”

“What does the Crazed Fiend have to do with any of that?”

“Challenging the Crazed Fiend and failing spectacularly in front of everyone. We’ll make sure everyone sees it. So that no one harbors any expectation toward Seo Woojin. No matter how fine his words are — the idea we want to plant is that he’s someone incapable of resolving even a ghost from the past.”

Gok Taejun raised an immediate objection.

“Doesn’t that apply to us too? We’ve been struggling to deal with the Crazed Fiend ourselves.”

Cheon Doyun shook his head.

“Who said we can’t deal with him?”

Gok Taejun frowned.

“What? You can deal with him? How, when no one’s been able to until now?”

“Hehe. I recently obtained some intelligence from inside the Murim Alliance. What happened to him in the past. Why someone of his caliber lost his mind. And why he hates demon folk so intensely.”

“Hah. The Cho Clan’s work again, I take it?”

Cheon Doyun nodded.

“Fortunately, the Cho Clan apparently has a connection to the Beggars’ Sect. Getting that information cost a considerable sum.”

Gok Taejun let out a hollow laugh.

“That crafty old man. The most dangerous clan among the Seven might actually be the Soaring Wind Cho Clan.”

“Heh. Perhaps.”

“So. What’s this method of yours?”

Cheon Doyun thought for a moment before giving a deliberately vague answer.

“It isn’t that we lack the strength to remove him. The difficulty is doing it without anyone knowing.”

“And?”

“Then — what if he comes to a place where there’s no one around, on his own?”

“What?”

Cheon Doyun smiled and lifted his cup.

“Hehe. That’s as far as I’ll say for now. After that man gives up or fails — we move. The greater the value of succeeding where everyone else has failed. You’ll understand when the time comes.”

Gok Taejun looked displeased.

When he talked like that, he would never say more.

“Damn it. But what if he actually manages to drive the Crazed Fiend out somehow? What then?”

Cheon Doyun’s smile deepened.

“Then a thorn in the Dark Alliance’s side has been removed — and that too is a fine outcome, is it not? Hahaha.”

“You’re insane. That’s not something to laugh about! If he wins the first round, he’s ahead of us.”

“We win the second and third. Simple. And Suryeon isn’t going to lose to someone like him anyway.”

Gok Taejun finally understood.

From the start, Cheon Doyun had never even considered the possibility of losing.

“Fair enough. If it’s Cheon Suryeon, she’d shatter anyone who got in front of her. And with you pulling strings from behind……”

Cheon Doyun nodded.

“So tell your uncle — the day he gets to release that anger is coming soon.”

Gok Taejun laughed.

He’d probably put this whole plan together in no time at all. Sharp head from the time he was young, that one.

“You lunatic. People call me the wild one — but I think you’re actually the more dangerous of us two.”

“Hehe. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Damn it. It wasn’t a compliment.”

Cheon Doyun smiled and refilled Gok Taejun’s cup.

“There’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you.”

“What.”

“I believe you have certain…… associates. I’d like to make use of them for a while.”

Gok Taejun frowned.

Most of his associates were people with serious flaws. Wealthy wastrels with nothing productive to do. The kind of people who crawled through the slums doing only the dirtiest work imaginable.

“They fawn on me in all the right ways, so I keep them around — but they’re all damaged goods. What would you want with people like that?”

“Hehe. Precisely because they’re that sort of people — they can be used anywhere. This particular task isn’t especially dangerous, though. Just keep watch near the Crazed Fiend for about five days.”

“Near the Crazed Fiend?”

“People like that spread rumors fast, don’t they?”

Gok Taejun finally made the connection.

“Ah! You need gossips.”

“How many do you think you could gather?”

“Mm — counting the lackeys under my own lackeys, easily over a hundred. I’ll send you one of the sharper ones.”

“Good. Thank you.”

“Anyway, enough of this boring talk — can we please call in the women now? I’m extremely curious just how high and mighty these untouchable flowers actually are.”

Cheon Doyun obliged with a satisfied expression.

He gave a signal, and the courtesans who had been waiting outside stepped in.

Gok Taejun’s eyes went wide at the sight of them.

“Hahahaha! Now that is what I’d call extraordinary beauty!”

His earlier complaints had completely evaporated. His delighted laughter didn’t stop for quite some time.

“Young Master Yoo.”

A woman’s voice. The closed eyes opened slowly.

He had no idea how much he’d had to drink.

His head was pounding badly enough to suggest it hadn’t been a modest amount.

“Young Master Yoo.”

The soft voice came again, and he came back to himself properly.

Yoo Geonwoo hauled himself upright with some effort and leaned back against the support behind him.

He glanced to the side. A woman in courtesan’s dress was watching him with an expression of mild concern.

“Are you alright, Young Master Yoo?”

Yoo Geonwoo smirked and shook his head.

“Feels like death, noona. How much did you let me drink?”

The woman — Baekwha — furrowed her brow.

“Who let you do anything. I told you to stop every time and you never listened.”

“Hehe. You say the same thing every time, and I give the same answer every time. Impressive consistency, noona.”

Baekwha sighed and shook her head.

“Stop with the jokes. Song Biryeong sent word.”

The moment Song Biryeong’s name landed, Yoo Geonwoo’s brow creased. The headache seemed to sharpen.

“Tell her I drank too much and passed out.”

“Believe me, I’d love to. But she said if you don’t show up on time she’ll fold you in half at the waist.”

She delivered the threat with utter matter-of-factness.

He knew perfectly well that woman was entirely capable of following through.

“Haah…… What did the message say?”

“The Young Lord is requesting your help. She says to be at the Alliance by the Hour of the Ox.”

The moment the Young Lord was mentioned, something changed in Yoo Geonwoo’s eyes.

“He needs help?”

Interesting. He had assumed Seo Woojin was the type who didn’t ask easily.

Almost certainly something to do with that succession trial that’s spread all over Hangzhou.

He had been guaranteed a few days off after the consecutive missions outside the city. Under normal circumstances, he would have ignored whoever called.

“I’m curious. What would make that stiff man come to us.”

Yoo Geonwoo circulated his internal energy and purged the alcohol from his system. A terrible smell swept through the room for a moment — he waved his hand, and it dispersed.

He got to his feet and made his farewell.

“You’ve been good company. As always — if anything comes up, say the word, noona.”

Baekwha smiled and was about to respond when——

Bang!

A loud crash from outside.

Followed by a voice.

“——!! Even bad luck has its limits. Disgusting. If you’re a courtesan, act like one — a little flattery, a little sweetness! Who do you think you are, putting on airs in front of me!”

Yoo Geonwoo had been about to slip out the window. He turned right back around.

Baekwha moved quickly to block him and shook her head.

“Young Master Yoo. This is White Blossom Hall’s business. Please carry on your way.”

Yoo Geonwoo wasn’t listening.

He stepped past her and went outside.

And saw a familiar face.

Gok Taejun was about to strike one of the courtesans.

Whoosh!

He kicked off the floor and planted himself between them in an instant.

Grab.

He caught Gok Taejun’s descending hand by the wrist.

Gok Taejun’s face twisted as he looked at whoever had stopped him.

“You’re stopping me? Have all you people lost your minds? Do you know who I am?”

Flushed face. Heavy smell of wine.

He was well past the point of reason. Which explained why he hadn’t recognized him yet.

“Compose yourself. This establishment is one personally overseen by the Alliance Lord. No one is permitted to conduct themselves this crudely toward its women.”

Gok Taejun shook off Yoo Geonwoo’s hand with a derisive laugh.

“Ha! What kind of nonsense is this idiot spouting? The Alliance Lord’s been dead for ages — and you’re still invoking him? Hm? Wait, you’re……”

He seemed to be placing the face at last — but someone else said it first.

“It’s the White Dragon of the Four Black Dragons. Come to think of it, I’ve heard a rumor — that the White Dragon is the pillar of White Blossom Hall.”

From inside the room, Cheon Doyun met his eyes over a wine cup.

Yoo Geonwoo let out a quiet sigh and gestured toward Gok Taejun.

“Your companion has had quite a lot to drink. Would it be better for everyone if he were seen home?”

“Hehe. I’m afraid that particular friend isn’t someone I can easily rein in. Do whatever you can on your end.”

Ah. Choosing to stay out of it.

Yoo Geonwoo smiled faintly.

That ease in his expression apparently didn’t sit well with Gok Taejun.

“A beggar from the slums makes good, and now he blocks the way of the Gok Clan’s young clan head. Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

Gok Taejun seemed struck by a thought that amused him, and let out a small sound of excitement.

“Oh! Actually — if you get on your knees and put your head to the floor, I might feel generous enough to forgive you. Do that and I’ll go home in a good mood.”

By proper standing, the Black Dragon Guard was an independent organization. They answered only to the Alliance Lord’s orders. Regardless of who Gok Taejun was, he had no right to speak to Yoo Geonwoo this way.

But if one looked at origins — the social arithmetic wasn’t entirely unfair.

Gok Taejun and Cheon Doyun — born into the upper echelon from the very start.

Yoo Geonwoo — someone who had crawled up from the very bottom.

Even within the Black Dragon Guard, there were those who looked down on him for his background.

By that logic, Gok Taejun’s attitude was, in its own warped way, predictable.

Of course, that was how ordinary people would reason about it.

“Hah.”

Yoo Geonwoo let out a short breath.

Shhk! Pop! Crack!

“Gkh——!”

Yoo Geonwoo struck Gok Taejun’s pressure points in rapid succession.

Gok Taejun didn’t react at all.

A sound somewhere between a gasp and a wheeze escaped him — and he crumpled straight down.

Cheon Doyun’s eyes turned cold.

“Are you looking to die? Laying hands on a young clan head of the Seven Families?”

“Ah. As you may know — I didn’t exactly grow up learning manners, so I have no sense of rank. The type where emotion gets ahead of reason, you might say.”

“Are you prepared for the consequences?”

“Do I need to be?” Yoo Geonwoo tilted his head. “In that case — should I kill you too?”

He stepped over Gok Taejun’s collapsed body and took one step toward Cheon Doyun.

Shhhhhhhhh.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop in an instant.

A cold sweat ran down Cheon Doyun’s spine. The pressure made breathing uncomfortable.

Yoo Geonwoo studied him for a moment — then smiled pleasantly.

“As you can see — he’s simply had too much and fallen asleep. You should pace yourself as well, Young Clan Head.”

“……”

“Then this humble servant will take his leave. Wouldn’t want to be late — I’ve been told my waist might get folded in half. Hahaha.”

And with that, Yoo Geonwoo vanished from sight without a backward glance.

Cheon Doyun stood there for a long moment after, staring at the place where he had been.

His jaw was clamped shut.

Deep inside him, something hot and humiliating was burning.

(End of Chapter 16)