Chapter 420

Bang Jeoksa and Bang Jeom-myeong were having a grand old time.

It had truly been a while since a woman poured him a drink, and before the first toast even clinked, his naughty hands were already wandering all over the courtesan’s chest.

Meanwhile, the Salwold Sect’s leader, Lee Wang-chul, was like, “Well, she’s not exactly running away, but seems like he hasn’t had a proper meal in ages.”

What with his disreputable taste, he was casting filthy looks at me, as if he wasn’t a man who enjoyed indulging his appetites.

Then, there was the thought that the maidservant tagging along might indeed be a concubine, always fawning over him. He was clearly in deep trouble, making a complete fool of himself out there.

Bang Jeoksa, who never showed up to these feasts, had become the talk of the town with increasingly sordid rumors floating around.

But seeing him today, all those rumors were about to be quashed.

However, the sight of him devouring everything like a starved wild man made me wish he would at least keep some dignity as a strategist of Bangpa.

Anyway, the Salwold Sect’s banquet? Pure joy.

Real joy.

A chaotic mix of wild partying, unrestrained debauchery, and definitely not hygienic fun!

Truly beastly! A wild beast’s banquet!

Not fit for human beings! Fit for beasts!

Suddenly, Bang Jeoksa staggered to stand up.

“Ow.”

“Bang Jeoksa? Where are you going?”

“Just going to relieve myself…”

At that, the former general, current head of the Salwold Sect, Wang Woo, smirked knowingly.

“Ah, is that so?”

The Salwold thugs chuckled.

Those Sapa guys always obsess over the least useful things in life.

Some of them could drink like a fish.

While Orthodox Warriors would cover their glass and head out for a breather if they thought they had had too much to drink, Sapa folks would just guzzle it all down.

Because, you know, barfing is just not manly.

A man should suffer through until he dies rather than spit out the alcohol he drank; that’s some weird obsession they have.

And so, there was a vein bulging on Bang Jeoksa’s forehead.

“No, I’m just going out for a drink.”

“Everyone makes excuses, comes back with a clear face. Isn’t that right? Just like a woman, whining and then coming back after spewing out the drink they had.”

“Huh. Why don’t you just go and see for yourself then?”

“What do I care? I’ll just count how long it takes me to finish. If it takes too long, you’ll know.”

“My pee flows like the Yangtze River. You could come along and at least listen for a bit. The sound of it pouring might just knock your wits out! So, everyone, when Wang’s in a panic, shouts about the sky collapsing, just think of it as Bang Jeoksa’s pee levels!”

That cracked everyone up.

Wang Woo had a face like he had bitten into a lemon.

It’s one thing to be skilled in martial arts, but to win a battle of wits with a pencil-pusher? That’ll never work.

Bang Jeoksa, brushing aside Wang Woo’s unnecessary jabs, swaggered out the door, shoulders pulled back.

He quickly checked to see if the latrine sign was still there and took a step, then another.

Then, *creak*, the door opened with a definite sound, and a pale-faced figure appeared, expressionlessly emerging from the shadows.

“Exceeding one bottle of alcohol consumption. You’ve broken our agreement. You are a liar.”

“A-ah! What the—when did you get here?”

“I was on a mission. You have far exceeded the agreed-upon limit. This is a serious act of deception.”

“Pft, aren’t you just making up excuses to slack off? How about wiping that stuff off your face?”

Lang-lang’s impassive lips were smeared all over with orange chili oil, and her left cheek sported a long streak of some dark substance—likely something greasy she had eaten.

“This is merely replenishing energy for mission performance. Regardless, I will consider this an active deceit.”

“Hmph, that’s why I’m trying to avoid a scene! Isn’t it enough if I just don’t get drunk?”

“Suit yourself. Do as you wish.”

With that, Lang-lang slammed the door shut.

Bang Jeoksa clicked his tongue.

“What’s up, are you sulking? Ha. How ridiculous. A monster pretending to be human, feeling offended! Eating sumptuous dishes like a proper individual.”

As he mumbled to himself, laments echoed down the hallway.

Suddenly, a woman slipped out of the latrine.

Bang Jeoksa forgot his earlier intentions, halted, and stared blankly at the woman.

By the sinful charm of her appearance, she looked like a courtesan, but unbelievably, in the backwoods of Gwangju, there was such an exceptional, no, an extraordinary courtesan?

Bang Jeoksa’s misinterpretation wasn’t out of the ordinary.

In the aesthetics of the Central Plains, a woman displaying such lewd beauty would feel quite shameless, and thus, would apply makeup to disguise it.

Yet there were those who, rather than hide it, flaunted it boldly—these were the flowers that captivated men, the courtesans.

“You there! What’s your name?”

Gyeon Pohee shot a brazen look at the middle-aged man, delivering her words in a curt tone.

The gears of her mind began to turn.

You just heard me say that, didn’t you?

An old man? No.

Then, someone I know? No.

So, you’re a master? Nope.

“Me? Gyeon Pohee. Who are you?”

Gyeon Pohee returned the energy she received with interest.

Put nicely, she’s a mirror; to Qing, she’s plain childish.

“Cough, I am Bang Jeom-myeong, strategist of the Salwold Sect. Though I’m a strategist, I can be called the second-in-command.”

“Salwold Sect? I think I’ve heard of that. So what?”

“Are you currently occupied with guests? No, no need for that. What do you go for? If it’s gold coins, I can offer whatever you want. Here.”

And he promptly grabbed her wrist.

“What’s with this? Who does this girl think she is, standing here like a stone?”

Gyeon Pohee was a master.

She did not retaliate out of mere annoyance, albeit that’s all she needed to do.

Gyeon Pohee tilted her head at his feeble grip.

“Where are you going?”

“Hehe, when a man and a woman meet, what do you think they’re supposed to do? Hehe.”

Gyeon Pohee tilted her head again.

“What do they do?”

“Don’t know? Come on, pour some drinks, share a kiss, right?”

“Why? I’m not interested.”

“Why are you acting like you’re short of what you need? When this old man invites you, you ought to say yes, or do you seriously want to force me to drink you? Can’t you just comply when I’m being nice? The end result is the same anyway. Don’t you understand what’s advantageous for you, you foolish girl?”

Just as Bang Jeom-myeong said that and pulled her closer, her previous resistance vanished like mist in the wind.

Her wrist felt as light as air in his grasp as though it could slip right off.

And that flow didn’t just halt but suddenly turned into a thousand pounds of force, twisting her arm.

That force amplified from her elbow to her shoulder, transforming into an enormous torrent that swept her off her feet.

Bang Jeom-myeong spun in a dizzying whirl, using her arm as the axis, like a waterwheel turning round and round.

It felt as if the sky and earth were wildly swirling around, making him dizzy…

In the hazy depths of his thoughts, he recalled one legendary technique of similar principle.

Heaven and Earth Reversal.

To flip the heavens and the earth around.

At that moment, a chilling voice pierced his consciousness.

“Have you added anything to my foolishness? I may be charming but I’m foolish and insignificant, simpleton, you know?”

Bang Jeom-myeong felt his consciousness fluttering away as those thoughtlessly ridiculous words struck him.

His final thought before the darkness engulfed him came simply:

Just a fool… you dimwit…

Fortunately, Bang Jeom-myeong wasn’t left for long on the cold floor.

With Bang Jeoksa’s disappearance, Lee Wang-chul ordered someone to find him.

What if the weak scholar got plastered and ended up in the latrine? That’d be a disaster.

Unsurprisingly, the one to rise to the occasion was none other than former general, Wang Woo.

“Wang, you mean Wang the head? You?”

“Brother, I can’t just keep growling forever, right? We’re family in the Salwold Sect; it’s about time I concede.”

Of course, Wang Woo wasn’t thinking of killing anyone; he just figured that Bang Jeoksa would likely be in a compromising position, passed out drunk.

So, if he was soaking in the latrine, he could pull him out, and if word got around, the strategist would become the laughing stock.

In a way, killing him might be better, but at least until the leader commented.

“Good thinking, Brother. Though he’s a petty fellow, he’s still a crucial asset; we need to coax him back. That’s what men do. So, I understand you might feel upset. Here, take a drink. Bang Jeoksa’s really narrow-minded, so let’s pretend to make amends, and I’ll put you back in your post right away.”

Lee Wang-chul handed a drink over, looking satisfied.

Wang Woo gulped it down, grinning with that vicious smile of his.

So that little punk was throwing a fit and lost his head, huh?

This was the moment he finally had clear evidence of the cause behind the demotion he’d only speculated about previously.

As he stepped into the corridor, he stumbled upon a pitiful drunk sprawled out on the floor.

It looked like he was just sleeping, but his eyes were rolled back in his head, mouth frothing, and his arms twisted up in an awkward mess.

Wang Woo’s lips curled up toward his ears.

For Sapa, witnessing a colleague’s untimely demise was just another day in the life.

This chap must have crossed paths with a master, and boy did he end up in deep trouble.

Wang Woo drew his dagger, thinking good riddance.

At that moment, Bang Jeoksa came to his senses.

“Ugh, Wang the head…?”

“Damn it. Yes, it’s Wang the head. Are you happy to see someone marked as the head? You’ve picked a wrong fight.”

“It wasn’t that; it was a set-up, cough.”

In an instant, he felt a sharp blade brush across his neck, and Bang Jeoksa clutched at his throat.

“Set-up or not, you should’ve started with an apology, you piece of trash.”

Wang Woo spat and lashed out, delivering a fierce kick to Bang Jeom-myeong’s back, before turning away.

“Cough. Urgh.”

Bang Jeom-myeong desperately tried to call out, but with his throat compromised, the sound never escaped.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a ruckus, and Wang Woo’s frantic voice cried out.

-Brother! We’re in deep trouble!

At that moment, the sliding door creaked open soundlessly.

Beyond it, a pale figure, expressionless, came into view.

On the floor, with her palms flat against the surface, and her chin resting atop them, was Lang-lang’s face.

“This is why mutual trust is important. You might be betrayed at the most crucial moment. Do you understand?”

“C-cough…”

“Unfortunately, I don’t possess the ability to infer feelings from human expressions. Though judging by the shape of your mouth, it looks like you’re pleading for your life.”

Bang Jeom-myeong’s eyes sparkled with desperation as he nodded, even with his throat cut.

Then, his pupils widened.

Lang-lang, who always appeared menacingly emotionless, was revealing a hint of feeling for the first time.

Her smile stretched wide, from her cheek to ear.

With that, her sharp, monstrous teeth were bared.

“No, thank you. I’ve made the decision not to mimic human behavior again. Therefore, if you want assistance, ask someone of your own kind.”

The door closed slowly, sealing away any hope.

While bubbles escaped Bang Jeom-myeong’s mouth, the boiling sound echoed in the room.

In fading consciousness, a distant yet clear voice rang out.

Bang Jeoksa! What is happening! Stay alert! Blood, damn it, stop the bleeding, shit. If this is how a proper blade handles it… how do I explain to Sado-ren…?

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