Chapter 530

If you had to name just one word that the people of Hangzhou hate the most, what would it be?

That’s right—Gangnam.

Why? Because Gangnam is a term that lumps Hangzhou, Suzhou, and the surrounding areas together.

But here’s the kicker: Gangnam’s reputation is entirely built on the back of Hangzhou.

Others like Suzhou are just trying to ride the coattails of Hangzhou’s fame, which is why they conjured up such a wicked term—Gangnam.

So, it’s no surprise that people from Hangzhou can’t stand the word “Gangnam.”

And it’s for good reason—

The pinnacle of entertainment in the world and on land.

That’s a universal truth acknowledged by everyone in the Central Plains.

The most beautiful city in the world.

This is a sentence rigorously assessed from the perspective of a Western official named Magapala who worked in the government about four hundred years ago.

In Qing’s hometown, this Western Magapala is humorously referred to as Marco Polo.

Anyway, Hangzhou’s beauty is undisputed globally.

It’s a blatant truth recognized by both Eastern and Western civilizations!

Is it just beautiful?

Not at all.

Hangzhou boasts a population of a whopping one million three hundred thousand—it’s a mega city that ranks among the largest in the Central Plains.

So, it’s perfectly natural for a dozen or so people to go missing every day without anyone batting an eyelash.

With so many people around, there are said to be at least tens of thousands of beggars on the streets, so nobody pays attention when someone disappears.

Moreover, Hangzhou is also the largest gambling city in the Central Plains, so hundreds of people must plop down on the street every day.

Plus, with a population of one million three hundred thousand, it’s no wonder the administration in the Central Plains can’t keep up.

Someone’s gone missing? What, a common person?

Hey! If you try to sort out every little nuisance, you won’t get a wink of sleep and your hands will be full—how are you even supposed to handle state affairs!?

So, if someone goes missing, they better go find themselves.

What? Kim? Oh, I could tell that guy was a gambler from the get-go, he’s just a beggar who fled into the night.

What’s the name again? Hey, what was the name of that Kim we caught last time? Oh, thank goodness it’s not him. No matter how much of a scoundrel we might be, it wouldn’t sit right selling a family friend.

So where’s that Kim then?

“Gasp, wheeze, cough!”

“Ah, my lord…!”

Surprisingly, he was sharing pleasure deep underground somewhere in Hangzhou.

“Gah!”

“Oh no…!”

As Kim trembled, the woman below had a mischievous glint in her eye.

Originally, the Daoist practice of “intercourse” is about circulating energies through each other, a method of mutual benefit.

Some wicked folks realized that monopolizing the energy was far more efficient, turning it into a ruthless tactic of siphoning away feelings!

However, the woman’s method didn’t steal feelings from Kim; it was a mutual exchange of energies, amplifying each other’s experiences, allowing them to enjoy infinitely without tire.

After a scorching time of passion, just how long it lasted is anyone’s guess.

As Kim huffed and turned, pulling the woman’s head closer into his arms, he expressed his satisfied affection.

Then, the woman’s hand gently brushed over his solar plexus, tracing his heart.

Her fingertips formed circles, then, all of a sudden, slipped down to toy with his bulging belly, where at one point they sank right in!

“Gah ha, that tickles, stop, ah!”

Kim’s laughter morphed into a scream echoing through the stone chamber.

Well, if someone’s hand is poking inside your belly while you’re alive, it’s only natural to scream.

Kim flailed, pushing the woman away, causing quite the ruckus.

Yet, she didn’t flinch in pain; she merely rummaged through, and finally clasped onto his thumping heart.

And with her long nails, she carefully cut through a blood vessel, and moments later, his heart, intact, was pulled out into her hand.

“Ugh…”

The woman holding his heart glanced at Kim, who was foaming at the mouth, with an indifferent gaze and stepped out through the iron door.

In the corridor, lined with numerous iron doors, her gaze skimmed through a few scenes that flickered by the tiny slit.

Clinging men and women, a scene where someone had their jaws fixed shut and was force-fed, and a limb-less figure was likely a warrior from the martial world.

Passing through that long corridor, the floor transitioned to white jade stone, and a lavish red fabric lay spread out, with a tremendous door looming ahead.

“I, disciple Yeon-yul, request Mahee.”

—Come in.

As the woman opened the door and stepped in, there sat a woman on a throne before an enormous canopy embroidered with phoenixes.

A sight that would make anyone from the Central Plains question if these rebellious fools had set up a palace underground.

This was all in line with the fetish of the Heart Consumption Demon.

Seeing how the Blood Sect is forced to call her the Heart Consumption Demon, you can tell for sure that she’s a piece of work!

Blood sect members are horrified too, but really, how many crazies are there in a blood sect?

A self-proclaimed madman could be said to be a properly insane person if they don’t declare themselves king in front of everyone.

Anyway, that’s the Demon King.

And the Demon King’s daughter? Mahee!

Heart Consumption Demon Yu Yang.

Holding the heart served on a platter, Yu Yang examined it with glee, then broke into a satisfied smile.

“Great. A fine product. *Glug.*”

Then she took a hefty bite, clasping it with both hands, chewing the sinewy heart.

It was a savage sight, like a wild animal gorging itself!

Anyone witnessing could question if anyone in her home ever taught her table manners, watching this barbaric spectacle of greed.

But Yu Yang didn’t give a care.

Etiquette is something the weak perform for the strong, and for Yu Yang, who’s the Demon King’s daughter, there was simply no need for such decorum.

With eyes gleaming with desire, the woman watched her feast.

Her hungry gaze seemed to plead, “Just one more bite for me, please!”

In response, Yu Yang snickered, knocking a sizeable last piece with her finger.

As it flew through the air like a parabolic arc, the woman sprang up and caught it with her mouth.

“Oh, by the way. I heard that brat, Cheonhwa-geom, has three offspring of the great families sticking to him, and Oki-rin is among them?”

“Are you referring to the heavenly pretty boy Oki-rin?”

“Yup. That Oki-rin. I wonder how good looking he really is for all that fuss. Aren’t you curious?”

“The young girl is indeed curious.”

“Well, still, he can’t hold a candle to our Association Head. You know? If we pull this off, that esteemed person might even consider marriage! Aaaah! Am I getting married?”

Yu Yang squealed with delight, swinging her legs in excitement on the throne, splattered with blood, her jaw covered in gore, she looked like a girl smitten by love.

“Congratulations, my lady.”

“Yup. Yup. I didn’t expect to benefit from my sister.”

The woman briefly pondered who “older sister” even was.

Just recently, she had been called a Jiangshi Practitioner or the girl who smelled of rotting corpses, or even that icky lady among other insults.

Suddenly being elevated to “older sister” status, it was no surprise she couldn’t quite grasp it.

The Heart Consumption Demon Yu Yang cheerfully smiled, yet with a somehow sinister tone, warned,

“This is about my marriage, so don’t screw it up. You don’t want your heart pulled out.”

—-

With Gongson Yo-ye joining, all members of the Half Sword Association gathered.

As for Chang-bin, he was a notorious member, signing up just in name but his attendance was pathetic.

Perhaps understanding why women often lingered in Muchen Pavilion, it’s doubtful Chang-bin would want to get too close to the ladies, yet he probably would think, “What if these women really eat me?”

He’d probably end up tossed into a gathering just for female members.

After a hasty breakfast, Qing set out first from the Great Lord’s Restaurant, but then—

“Oh, sir! Please clear out, will you? An esteemed guest is residing here, and one might find themselves in trouble, you hear?”

– Answer me! If you won’t take food or money, at least declare your desires! What on earth are you doing standing in front of someone else’s shop?

– Are you listening? Ugh, I’m really about to go crazy.

Outside the tavern, a loud shouting could be guessed as a roar from a tavern employee.

“What’s happening?”

Gongson Yo-ye chimed in to explain.

“Oh, upon entering, I noticed a beggar curled up at the entrance, looking pitiful. They claimed to have mastered martial arts but were just begging.”

“Oh! Sister, that’s a typical tactic used by martial beggars. They lay sprawled at store entrances to obstruct business—a form of intimidation for food or cash.”

“Oh, I know that. I’ve tried it a few times, um, maybe not.”

Qing considered giving them leftovers, in small portions, of course.

Surely, they couldn’t give away cast-away food they’d toss anyway.

Still, isn’t it humane to be a bit generous instead of just beating them?

Hmm, thinking about it, perhaps we’re more decent than these scoundrels.

Being from Liaoning, maybe Young Lady Mo Yong would give them a well-deserved slap without going overboard—nothing fatal, just enough to make it feel substantial, but no!

Revenge is mine; I shall take it!

When Shintu departs, will the rich and the poor have no differentiation on that land?

I will achieve true wealth redistribution.

As I renew my vow for revenge, I can’t help but appreciate that this time I won’t be relying on anyone else but my own hand!

Now, Qing will truly stand proud as a Central Plains citizen.

“Hm. But if someone’s causing trouble when the tavern is running smoothly, it really can’t be tolerated. Who’s this human anyway?”

Qing’s tone sharpened.

The beggar was Qing’s old enemy, so having a soft spot for beggars isn’t exactly her strong suit.

“Ma, no! Cheonhwa-geom! Please just wait; my subordinates will handle it.”

“Eh, it’s fine. It’s just that I can’t stand martial beggars! Why practice martial arts and still beg?!”

Pang Dae-san shot her a look of disbelief but, in reality, the days of flower beggars had already faded like ancient legends, so Qing stood firm.

As Qing rolled up her sleeves and swung the tavern door open, she spotted the tavern employee yelling loudly in the not-so-wide courtyard right by the grand gate.

“Hey, we’ve set up a feast here, so please take it to a corner to eat. There’s a valuable guest inside, and if you keep this up, we might find ourselves in trouble!”

Still, seeing the efforts made in setting up the food shows the Tavern’s generosity.

If customers can’t recognize kindness, then what more are they trying to squeeze out by protesting?

Qing approached swiftly.

Just what beggar is this, let’s see that ugly face—

Hmm. That face looks a bit familiar, doesn’t it?

“Ah! Young Lady Seomun.”

“Ugh. You—?!”

“Nope.”

Seoliri’s brow slightly creased.

Mo Yong Joo-hee, who had followed closely behind, was about to pull Qing back but recognized the rare silvery hair and immediately knew her identity.

“Lady? A familiar face? Oh, Seolhwa, isn’t it? What brings you to this pitiful state—did your Ice Palace collapse?”

“Yes, no, no.”

“It’s Seolhwa alright; not a beggar. The Ice Palace didn’t collapse, but I—what would a beggar girl do…?”

“Wait, what’s this? A beggar? Huh, I thought you were asking about how Seolhwa was doing.”

Then, Tang Nan-ah, entering ‘battle mode’, sharpened her tone.

But Seoliri, for her part, had a curious twist to her smile, just a tad wobbly after their long time apart.

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