“Hmm hmm hmm.”
Early in the morning, Miss Zhuge woke up feeling refreshed and couldn’t contain her laughter.
The reason she felt so good wasn’t simply because she had a good night’s sleep.
It wasn’t just because she held hands with a man who made her happy just by looking at him, poured him drinks, and had a delightful evening.
“Go seduce Kang Yoon-ho.”
It was because a solution appeared from a mission given to her by her grandfather.
“There’s always a way!”
Miss Zhuge mumbled as she clenched her fists.
There was no need to continue being desperate. There were methods, after all. After days of worrying, she had finally found the key to seducing Kang Yoon-ho.
“I just need to support him well!”
The answer was simple.
“Miss Zhuge, you’ve really been a great help this time.”
During the entire Three-Eyed Sword incident, Master Kang had been immensely assisted thanks to Miss Zhuge. Master Kang looked at her with affectionate eyes that oozed gratitude.
Miss Zhuge downplayed it, saying it was nothing much, but she couldn’t help but smile when Kang Yoon-ho looked her way.
“There was really no need to seduce him like Hayeon unni did.”
She recalled the image of Im Ha-yeon, who had gone on a long journey.
With a perfectly proportioned body, clearly well-invested in the right places, and a body toned by Light Body Movement. Every time Kang Yoon-ho’s gaze would casually drift toward Im Ha-yeon, Miss Zhuge felt a pang of defeat.
“Even Hayeon unni wears the kind of clothes that cling tightly to her body, knowing full well.”
Discontent crept into Miss Zhuge’s voice.
Im Ha-yeon had intentionally worn form-fitting clothes under the guise of demonstrating Kang Yoon-ho’s Light Body training.
Though she claimed it was just comfortable clothing for moving around, every time Kang Yoon-ho couldn’t handle his gaze, she subtly seemed to enjoy it. Miss Zhuge had to bury her unspeakable grievances deep inside each time.
But now it was different.
“With Hayeon unni gone, I can finally give it a try!”
Im Ha-yeon may have scored big points and left, but she wouldn’t be back for a while. Plus, his fiancée, who was in the Sichuan Tang Family, was suffering from an incurable illness and receiving treatment, so this was her solo stage.
She only needed to accumulate points by herself and slowly let him know she was the woman he needed.
“I’ll become Master Kang’s Miss Zhuge.”
Her ancestor, the great Zhuge Wuhou, was known not only for strategies but also for demonstrating incredible skills in internal affairs, right?
Every day, she would be by Kang Yoon-ho’s side, diligently accumulating points.
“Now that Kang Yoon-ho is holding hands with me so easily, the next step… uh, I don’t know!”
Miss Zhuge muttered while hiding her face from anyone who might see.
It had been awkward to hold hands before, but now, if she seemed a little sulky, he would hold her hand. Tremendous progress! However, once she had tasted this advancement, her insatiable heart felt an even greater thirst.
Finally, Miss Zhuge nodded while looking at the mirror.
“Straight to becoming the main wife! Ah!”
She was now the only one by Master Kang’s side. As long as she earnestly supported him and accumulated points, Master Kang would decide to marry her.
“Miss Zhuge, are you in the room?”
“Yes, Master Kang! What’s the matter?”
Just then, Kang Yoon-ho knocked on the door.
Miss Zhuge practiced her smile in front of the mirror for a greeting and opened the door with a nervous, strained smile.
“What could it be this early in the morning?” she thought, waiting for Kang Yoon-ho to speak.
“I’ll be meeting a courtesan.”
“…Huh?”
Her strained smile immediately stiffened.
“Ah! Don’t get the wrong idea! It’s a pregnant courtesan!”
More misunderstanding!
“Seems like we misunderstood even more…”
She explained further to Miss Zhuge, but it was clear her expression had frozen, and she wasn’t in the mood to listen.
Kuk-kuk! Is it really necessary to tell her that I’m just going to meet a courtesan?”
Jeon Gil-san burst into laughter, clutching his belly while looking at me, who was trying to appear serious.
“Isn’t it better to say you’re going out for work instead of hiding and getting found out later?”
It was a matter of trust. If it became known that Miss Zhuge was at home while he secretly visited a courtesan, any excuse afterward would sound like just that—an excuse.
“Sure, but it seems like I’ve caused some weird misunderstandings.”
“Fine, it doesn’t matter now. By the way, I know where Hong Ran is at the Hae-wol Ru. What are you planning to do?”
Jeon Gil-san asked as he exited the mansion.
“I said I would make a frontal assault. First, I need to meet the inspector’s girl, Hong Ran.”
“Since the moment she found out she was pregnant, they said they’ve kept her and the inspector apart, right? She probably wouldn’t even be there.”
Apparently, the last time the inspector saw Hong Ran was when she turned pale upon finding out about her pregnancy.
The courtesan refused to meet Jeong Mun-won, saying that if he wanted to see her face, he should bring money.
“They’re holding her and the girl as hostages, but normally, I’d look for Hong Ran first and gather additional intel before arranging a secret meeting. That would be too cumbersome.”
“Do you have another idea?”
“I’ll just ask the Hae-wol Ru owner to let me meet Hong Ran.”
First, let’s meet Hong Ran. It was crucial to quickly ascertain whether it was an accident or a scheme just by looking at her face.
“Do you really think the Hae-wol Ru owner will welcome us with open arms when we just show up? What if we ask to meet her?”
Jeon Gil-san, being familiar with the courtesan house, looked doubtful.
That made sense.
Once the Hae-wol Ru owner had decided to squeeze money from the inspector, if we claimed we wanted to talk to Hong Ran, they would likely figure out who sent us and refuse the meeting.
But hey…
“That’s why I’m saying I’ll make a frontal assault.”
“What?”
“Let’s throw a ruckus!”
It was nothing for me to make the innkeeper pop out of his slumber.
“Sir, Hong Ran is off today.”
At the Hae-wol Ru, where inspector Hong Ran belonged, Jeon Gil-san and I immediately sought after Hong Ran once we secured a room in the courtesan house.
“Why are you giving me so many excuses when I’m asking you to bring her here? Is she the owner’s daughter? She hasn’t been here yesterday, three days ago, or even fifteen days ago! What do you want me to do?”
Jeon Gil-san made a grimace as soon as he heard that Hong Ran wasn’t there and started shouting at the waiter.
“Hong Ran is a bit ill.”
Whenever a customer requested a particular courtesan without prior booking, it was customary to meet the customer’s demand if possible.
The waiter looked flustered, bowing his head.
“So, is Hong Ran the only one ailing? My heart aches too! The great Jeon Gil-san is sad because he can’t see Hong Ran! Got it?!”
Wow, bringing in a professional was a great move.
Jeon Gil-san let out a feigned sigh as if this was all ridiculous and patted his chest.
“Oh, well, that… ”
“Forget it! It’s pointless! You step aside! Bring out the Hae-wol Ru owner!”
“The owner is out at a gathering and isn’t here.”
The waiter looked like he was doing everything he could to resolve the issue, bowing his head toward Jeon Gil-san.
“So there’s no Hong Ran, and no owner? What do you have here? Bring Hong Ran or bring the owner in front of me!”
What a loud voice. As Jeon Gil-san raised his voice, it seemed that he could be heard even outside, and a man stepped into the room.
“Sir.”
The martial artist entered calmly and called Jeon Gil-san with a low voice.
Jeon Gil-san then exchanged a glance with me.
“What now? A martial artist?”
“What do you mean? You won’t just stand by because he’s a martial artist, right? Show us the great troublemaker Jeon Gil-san!”
“What do you want?”
Jeon Gil-san raised one corner of his mouth, looking at the martial artist as if to scoff at the absurdity of the situation.
“Hold on! We’ll prepare more popular courtesans than Hong Ran.”
“I don’t want that.”
“… ”
He started poking the martial artist’s chest with a finger, teasing him.
“Do you want me to pull out my sword? Wow! You’ve really been thick-skinned. How many words have I said? Hey! Why aren’t you responding?”
Our little puppy remains steady.
“You’ll be pleased to see her face.”
No matter how much one would love to pummel an obnoxious customer, even they understand the need to manage reviews and ratings.
It seemed the martial artist understood he couldn’t let a wealthy troublemaker slip through his fingers, as he quickly produced an alternative.
But of course, Jeon Gil-san wasn’t the type to negotiate.
“Bring me Hong Ran! I want to see Hong Ran! Is my ear blocked? Should I pierce it with a spoon? Never mind, that’s too disgusting; you do it!”
Jeon Gil-san clutched some spoons off the table, throwing them one by one at the martial artist’s chest like darts.
How on earth can someone be this annoying? I told him to act appropriately for a ruckus, and he’s fully immersed in the role of a fish out of water.
“Hong Ran is sick… ”
“Quickly bring her back! I want to see Hong Ran! Our Hong Ran!”
“Sir.”
Finally, the martial artist’s patience hit its limit. The watchman clenched his teeth at Jeon Gil-san.
“Get up.”
I immediately stood up a moment before trouble broke out.
“Hey, what? Are we just leaving?”
Jeon Gil-san oddly seemed a bit disappointed as he asked me.
He had checked that he wasn’t going to pull out his sword or throw a tantrum, so it was time to move on to the next plan.
“I never knew the Hae-wol Ru treated customers this poorly. I’m disappointed.”
“… You’re leaving. Please escort him out.”
I responded with a cold expression, and the martial artist spoke in a tone that expressed he no longer wanted to deal with this.
“Who said I’m leaving?”
“Sir?”
As soon as I stepped out of the room, I turned my body around, heading in the opposite direction of the exit, towards where the employees moved about.
“Hey! Stop him!”
From behind, a panicked voice sounded. A few guards seemed to block my path, but it was futile.
The technique I had learned was the Shadowless Body Technique.
The technique taught to me by the best thief in the world who shared his knowledge with me. If some clumsy guards could block me, then I wouldn’t have learned anything at all.
As the guards attempted to grab my clothes, they could only watch as I arrived at my destination like a passing shadow.
“Looks like this is the liquor storage.”
I stood by the door, feeling the aroma of liquor escaping through the crack.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
The guards who arrived late blocked me between the liquor storage and me, but it was all fine. I smiled and pulled out a freedom pass from my robe.
“Ah! This is a hassle. Could you hold this for me?”
“What’s the meaning of this… huh?! A, a binding rope?”
What I handed the guard was the symbol of Ho Pil, the binding rope.
“I’m able to manage two clubs with no trouble, but this binding rope is a bit of a hassle.”
Most of my life had been spent under forced captivity, but it wasn’t all that important.
“A, a Ho Pil?!”
I fixed my gaze on the taken-aback guard.
Hey, we offered you a chance before, didn’t we? But you didn’t take it, so are we not feeling a little disappointed?
Now, it seemed I had to stir up some noise. And by the most burdensome kind.
“We’re conducting an unscheduled inspection. Move aside unless you want to obstruct government duties!”
Here, enjoy the ruckus made under the guise of authority.
The ways to deal with troublemakers in the business world are many.
A whiner can be appeased with sweet talk; a thug can be sent away with an appropriate bribe; but there’s one type that’s terribly hard to deal with.
“Sir Ho Pil! How could you open a new barrel?!”
When corrupt officials throw their weight around, it really drives you up a wall.
I boldly ripped off the seal that was on the jar full of liquor. Once liquor comes in contact with air, it will spoil quickly, but that didn’t matter to a troublemaker like Ho Pil.
“Give it a taste.”
I took a ladle full of liquor and handed it to Jeon Gil-san.
“Why does this sweet wine taste so bitter and have a strong yeast flavor?”
“Where? Ptoo! This is a wine you wouldn’t even want to use on the first floor, let alone upstairs.”
So cheap—this wine is too poor.
“Here it is! Over here!”
“W-wait! Sir Ho Pil!”
An older-looking employee came in with a startled expression. He didn’t seem to be the owner, but rather a manager.
“Are you from the Hae-wol Ru? Where did you get this wine?”
I gestured to the cheap sweet wine.
“Well that’s… ”
“I’m not a regular at the Hae-wol Ru, so you’re saying you serve such shoddy liquor to your customers?”
“Customers on the first floor don’t care much for taste…”
You thought you could just quickly brush this off, huh? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?
“Couldn’t even see the seal, huh? Could it be that you’re making illicit liquor here at the Hae-wol Ru?”
“That’s absolutely not true!”
The manager jumped and waved his hands in denial.
“If that’s the case, you must have purchased this from an unlicensed distillery.”
“N-no way, not at all!”
Got him.
Initially, I was going to force a situation where I could corner them but having evidence too is perfect. Now, let’s see what kind of trouble you’ll face with the authority!
I approached the stunned employee with the eagerness of consuming him.
“Could it be that the Hae-wol Ru would dare…? Buying liquor from an unlicensed distillery means that you bought liquor from someone who didn’t pay taxes, and not paying taxes means you committed a crime against the state! Isn’t that so?”
“… ”
I distinctly heard someone swallow hard.
The atmosphere around us turned icy in an instant. I smiled and pinched the manager’s cheek.
“Hahaha! Why are you so nervous? Surely the Hae-wol Ru wouldn’t dare do such a thing. The law is stern; how could you have the audacity to commit such an act? You must be mistaken! Right?”
As I laughed and spoke as if it were all a joke, the manager nodded repeatedly, going along with my line.
“Indeed, it’s a misunderstanding. How could we do such a thing? You must have been mistaken for drinking too little.”
“Are you saying that I’m a fool, unable to taste alcohol due to my dull tongue?”
“… ”
“Make me laugh; am I not allowed a joke?”
I gave the speechless manager a friendly smile.
“Hahaha.”
“Come here! Why is there a jar of water in this liquor storage?”
Jeon Gil-san gestured to me, seemingly having found something interesting.
“Right, there’s a water jar on the left, an empty liquor jar in the middle, and a rice wine jar on the right where the seal’s been ripped off….”
This sure looks like a setup for something.
“Hahaha, so not only liquor, but water too is being stored here…”
“Isn’t that so? If word gets out that the great Hae-wol Ru is watering down its liquor, it could ruin your reputation. Wouldn’t you agree?”
While maintaining a smile, I approached, and the visibly frightened manager backed away from me.
“S-sir Ho Pil?”
“Am I about to suspect something serious about the Hae-wol Ru? What do you think?”
“Is there something you want….”
They were making illicit liquor and watering down drinks. While illegal, it’s an act commonly done in secrecy. However, if Ho Pil points it out directly, things change significantly.
Since it’s already against the law, the government office would step in, leading to a tremendous hassle for the courtesans.
If they wish to avoid such things, there is only one answer left. I hardened my expression and opened my mouth.
“Bring out the owner.”
“I’ll get her right away!”
