Chapter 540

청 stepped through the entrance of the tavern, parting the heavy curtain made of wooden beads.

At this hour, one might expect the first floor of the tavern to be quiet, perhaps with a waiter slumped over a table catching some Z’s.

But this was Hangzhou, filled with people clinking their cups and chatting away—truly a scene that had forgotten the concept of time.

The sound of the beads jingling behind him had barely faded when—

“Welcome!”

A graceful tavern maid, seemingly waiting by the door the whole time, rushed over with a cheerful greeting.

“Meal? Drink? Room? Bath?”

“Um, just some alcohol for now.”

청 shrugged, slightly amused.

At that, the maid’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Really? You shouldn’t be drinking while someone’s waiting upstairs. Are you okay with that?”

Her words snapped 청 to attention.

Wait a minute, this wasn’t just any maid; she was a fierce woman, not a simple tavern worker.

“Third floor, Seossi room. Quit fooling around and go now.”

“Hold on, you knew I was coming?”

“I didn’t know! I just tossed out a random guess when I heard a tall lady with three heads came in. If it hadn’t been you, I would have thought I was hallucinating!”

Crap. 청 realized his blunder.

The maid grinned slyly at him, with a look full of mischief. It was infuriating, making 청 ball his fists, wondering what her expression even meant. Did she want to smack him in the face?

Just then—

“Here, Jeomsoi!”

“Yesss!! Coming right away!!”

Suddenly, the maid responded with a booming voice, dashing towards a table calling for Jeomsoi like a lion’s roar.

Ah, looks like they actually have a Jeomsoi around.

What was this? A tavern maid wielding multiple jobs?

청 scratched his neck, pondering.

Geez. I snuck in hoping to ambush a sleeping maid, but if I can’t muster some inner strength, how was I even supposed to pull off a surprise attack?

Just to note, the whole “surprise attack by yanking someone’s head off” thing isn’t exactly practiced in the martial arts world.

청’s expression shifted as he watched the maid turn into a diligent Jeomsoi, unable to hide his smirk.

If he was leaving like a champion, he wouldn’t be leaving feeling defeated.

The woman had mentioned something about a group of free-spirited Jiangshi. What did that even mean? They weren’t her subordinates or anything; she said she just lets them live however they want.

Whatever her deeper motives were, he was pretty sure she wasn’t lying about that.

“Guests coming in! Fragrant! Feast! Luxuries! And drinks! Cheers!!!”

This lady seemed a lot more skilled than your average tavern worker, exerting her presence like it was a second nature.

With a wicked glint in his eye, 청 thought, “So, you’re serious?”

And so instead of using the stairs, he plopped himself down at an empty table, pretending to mind his own business.

Soon, the bustling maid noticed the master of the house, who had yet to get up from his laid-back chill at the table.

She charged towards him with a fiery glare.

“Hey, what are you doing? Get up right now—”

“Ahhh! I thought I would die waiting for you!!!”

청 shouted, interrupting her.

“What?”

“Does Jeomsoi discriminate against people?! Ugh! Even if I waited a thousand years, would Jeomsoi refuse to acknowledge me? Just because I don’t look great today doesn’t mean you should ignore me! I was planning to spend everything here!”

He tossed his money bag onto the table, sending a cascade of shiny gold coins flying everywhere, like it was a treasure mound.

Despite his disheveled appearance, it was clear that 청 was genuinely wealthy.

Everyone’s eyes were glued to the spectacle before them.

With 청’s shabby look, contrasted sharply by the glistening pile of coins, it was a sight to behold.

“Hey, you… what the…!”

“Listen up, people! I tripped while walking in and fell into the mud, so I’m cold and shivering. I thought I’d warm myself up with some fine alcohol and soak in some hot water to recover! But of course! The Jeomsoi here just looked at my face and acted like I was invisible! Never have I felt such disdain! Even if a dog walked in, it wouldn’t be this rude!”

Bystanders began to whisper.

“Uh, um?”

And with all that commotion, another Jeomsoi simply had to rush in.

If it were a ruffian, he could’ve threatened them with a gang, but someone with enough coins to make a mountain isn’t easily dismissed.

One Jeomsoi, maybe waking up from her nap, darted in like a martial arts master and plopped down on her knees in front of 청.

“Ah! Guest!! I’m so sorry!!”

“What? Who are you? Are you in charge here?”

“Ah! Yes! I am the head of the Full Moon Pavilion! This child here hasn’t been working long, and she didn’t recognize you, esteemed guest! Oh dear! You there, what are you doing? Kneel and apologize right now!!”

“Um, that’s not—”

“No ‘ums’! I clearly told the Jeomsoi to treat all guests with respect, as if they were elders! Get down and apologize, already! Did I say you could just stand there?”

“No, well—”

“Hurry!”

The senior Jeomsoi lashed out as if igniting a fire.

As the top Jeomsoi in the tavern, it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say she had stature and authority.

No matter how much of a tavern worker she was, the fierce authority in her voice reminiscent of a roaring dragon commanded attention and respect.

With tears gathering in her eyes, the maid finally knelt and bowed her head in apology.

“Ugh, I’m so sorry,”

“Hmm. Really? Do you actually mean it?”

“This… um, I’m really sorry, guest, ugh…”

She sounded choked up, visibly upset, like she had been wronged.

청 couldn’t help but break into a smug smile.

Honestly, it was nothing out of the ordinary; just teasing her.

“Hmm. Well, since you’re head of the house, I’ll let it slide this time. Speaking of which, what’s the best room in the Hangzhou tavern? Since I’m here, I ought to stay in style at least once.”

With victory in his heart, 청 climbed the stairs smugly.

But as he went up, his steps started to slow down.

For real, just because I was impersonating someone a little longer, this was exhausting and troublesome.

What a scheming little bugger she was.

Sure, people sometimes impersonate others; what’s the big deal?

Have I scammed anyone or destroyed my reputation outright with some dirty tricks?

Well, maybe a bit of that too.

But anyway, being part of the Blood Sect wouldn’t change much, even in the face of grudges.

It’s just like mixing liquor with water, right?

In fact, it just boosts the notoriety of the Blood Sect even more—so shouldn’t they be thanking me?

Eventually, he reached the third floor.

Think about it, in this ancient, primitive Central Plain, shouldn’t the top-notch rooms be down a level or two?

But this wasn’t the time for random thoughts.

The room 청 was shown to was the finest on the third floor, the last of its kind.

Being the top tavern in Hangzhou, its supreme room was surely splendid.

But 청 was too focused on business to admire the decor and swiftly headed for the balcony.

Having noted the location of the Seossi room while strolling down the corridor, he quietly crept along the narrow eaves on the third floor.

The outer door to the Seossi room opened soundlessly.

And without a hint of a presence, he slipped inside like a wraith.

“Um, are you coming in through there?”

A voice greeted him from the room, making a startling noise.

There he was, staring directly into the eyes of Unyeonjeong, elegantly lying on the vast bed, draped in delicate silk sheets.

청 hesitantly raised his hand.

“Uh, hey. Unyeon, you still awake?”

“Hmm. That’s a difficult question. If you define ‘sleep’ as closing your eyes and feeling the passage of time, then yes, I’ve been sleeping?”

And then, a broad, delighted smile emerged.

Her pale complexion almost seemed like it could fade away with a breeze. And her smile looked like it was drawn from a flicker of a dying flame, a fragile yet heartbreaking sight.

For a moment, 청 stared in a daze.

No, snap out of it.

Seriously, that face was going to drive me crazy.

“Ha-ha! I never imagined you’d bring soldiers along. That’s excessive.”

“Hmph. I’m not breaking any promises. So, is it enough? I’m leaving now?”

“Oh my, aren’t you leaving too soon? You still owe me an apology, remember? I was thinking—didn’t you make a fuss over at Blackspots and mention my name?”

“Oh, right.”

“‘Oh, right’? If you were normal, your blood pressure would be through the roof with that response.”

Unyeonjeong just lay there, her smile widening.

“Come on, I’m sorry. Is that enough? I’m going now.”

“Seriously, for someone like Seomun, to utter a ‘sorry’ with such a lack of sincerity exists? However…”

Unyeonjeong’s smile grew more intense.

“Is it okay for you to be so nonchalant?”

A shape of a sword suddenly rising around her.

But 청 just scoffed.

“Not going to work on me anymore. What? You want me to choke on my own neck?”

“Oh no. How could I ever do that? Aww, it’s such a shame. The sight of you anxiously glancing around is just adorable. But I also admire your confidence using my kindness.”

And it was then that she finally rose, stepping out of the sheets that had been covering her.

The thin blanket slipped away, revealing her bare skin without any covering whatsoever.

청 swallowed hard, dazzled by the unexpected surprise.

Whoa. What a lucky incident. No, no, focus.

“Are you trying to seduce me? Do you think that would even work? *gulp*.”

“Ha-ha! I’m so glad to see you’re satisfied?”

“Satisfied? What are you talking about? Why on earth are you lying around naked? You’re not some legendary seductress or anything. *gulp*, wait… why am I drooling?”

That wasn’t something he should have said.

It’s not that there aren’t people who sleep in the nude, but a complete shameless person who sleeps naked with friends? There’s only one on this planet.

“Oh my, in such a grand bed, that actually might be okay? After all, it’s not something to be ashamed of in a private room. You should give it a try as well, Seomun. How could I even express the sensation of silk brushing against skin? *swish, swish*.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

“…?”

Unyeonjeong tilted her head in confusion.

Then, perhaps thinking he was just babbling nonsense, she clapped her hands to shift the atmosphere.

“A formal apology and a casual one are a little different, don’t you think? An apology can be kind words, but a formal apology needs proper restitution.”

“And coming all the way up here is not restitution? After all the trouble you’ve caused me, what more do you want?”

At this point, Unyeonjeong almost looked like a bodhisattva.

Of course, where would you find a bodhisattva breaking records for sins committed every time she was seen?

“Your request isn’t too difficult, you know? Just help me with a bath. Seems fitting since you’re looking a bit rough around the edges.”

“Wait, what?”

Then Unyeonjeong grinned.

“Let’s take a bath together, shall we?”

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