Jin Sohan pulled his conical hat down again and turned to leave the tavern.
Dogon, reluctant to let him go, called out.
“Dream Kid—no, should I call you Sohan now?”
Jin Sohan stopped and answered.
“Call me whatever. Why?”
“What are you going to do now…?”
Jin Sohan replied while looking toward the Moonlit Night Pavilion beyond the tavern.
“The Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe. I have a debt to repay. You know that. I was an orphan… If the troupe hadn’t taken me in, I’d have ended up begging to survive.”
Repaying that debt meant fighting the Blood-Whisper Sect.
Dogon thought it would be difficult.
Just as Jin Sohan had grown strong, the Blood-Whisper Sect now ruled West Black Road. They pulled in enormous profits and had expanded their numbers. Using spirit medicines and martial manuals brought in through black markets, the level of their fighters had steadily risen.
That wasn’t how orthodox sects grew.
In the Unorthodox Faction, money was everything, and the Blood-Whisper Sect was the force that made the most money on West Black Road.
That was why Dogon spoke in a worried tone.
“The Blood-Whisper Sect is bigger than before. After taking West Black Road, they even absorbed the Ghost Blade Sect under them. They’re running multiple black markets, too.”
“Black markets?”
Jin Sohan used to roam the alleys of West Black Road as a child. There were places where access was blocked off starting at the mouths of streets lined with pleasure houses. When he asked adults, they told him those were black markets. The memory was vivid enough that he could still find those alleys today. He had also heard back then that there was nothing you couldn’t buy in a black market.
There had never been pleasure houses near the Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe. Now, the Moonlit Night Pavilion stood on the troupe’s very grounds. That change alone made his stomach turn.
Looking across at the Moonlit Night Pavilion, Jin Sohan asked Dogon,
“Is there a black market under Moonlit Night Pavilion too?”
The answer came not from Dogon, but from one of the tavern’s patrons.
“That place works a little differently. They sometimes hold open auctions for the pleasure house’s guests. The items are limited, and only the Pavilion Master knows what’ll come out.”
Jin Sohan nodded.
Dogon continued.
“You can’t do this alone. I don’t know what you’re planning, but shouldn’t you at least find Siwol and gather some people?”
Dogon was warning him.
If the Blood-Whisper Sect found out, they would use every dirty trick imaginable. Sometimes they would crush you with numbers; other times they would attempt assassinations. Dogon had seen their disgusting methods more times than he could count, and he was worried about Jin Sohan, who had returned after so long.
Jin Sohan looked at Dogon and said,
“Dogon.”
“Hm?”
“The sword dance I practiced every day. Do you remember it?”
“I remember. Watching the Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe perform was my greatest joy. I envied you and Siwol. It’s all become something I miss now.”
“When I clean up the Blood-Whisper Sect, I’ll perform a sword dance right here.”
At those words, Dogon laughed without realizing it.
He found himself wondering just how strong Jin Sohan had become. He was also deeply curious about who that black-clothed person was—the one who had taken Jin away.
Dogon said,
“Come by often. I’m always here.”
Jin Sohan replied,
“Yeah. I’m going.”
“Right. Be careful.”
The tavern door opened, and in the blink of an eye, Jin Sohan was gone.
Left behind, Dogon suddenly felt resentful toward the years that had passed.
Jin Sohan had become that strong, yet he himself was no different than before.
For the first time, the sword at his waist felt utterly useless.
Feeling exhausted, Dogon dropped into the seat where Jin Sohan had been sitting. He poured the remaining aged wine Jin had left behind into a cup, drank it, and said,
“Whew… Feels like a storm just passed through.”
“Sure does.”
“Come here. There’s still liquor left. I’ll pour everyone a round.”
“Sounds good.”
One of the men who received a cup asked Dogon,
“Just who the hell was that guy?”
Questions came from all directions. Digging through old memories, Dogon recalled something he had nearly forgotten and spoke.
“He was a boy who danced sword dances at the Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe. From the moment he learned to walk, he followed the troupe’s women around, gripping a sword.”
“And a black-clothed person took him?”
“Yes. It must’ve been the day the troupe performed. A huge crowd gathered out front. Banners and flags were flying everywhere, and before the performance, flower petals and some unknown fragrance filled the area. I was watching from the tavern. Near the end of the show, someone collapsed. Then everyone there started dropping at once. Looked like they were poisoned by something.”
“Did they scatter paralyzing powder?”
“I don’t know. All I know is, looking through the window, no one who collapsed showed any sign of getting back up. Then someone dressed entirely in black came down from the rooftop and vanished together with one of the troupe’s kids. That kid was him.”
As he spoke, Dogon suddenly blinked, his expression going blank.
“Come to think of it… why was Sohan still standing? Everyone else had collapsed.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah—nothing. Anyway, he was good with a sword even as a kid. He could perfectly imitate every movement the troupe performed. They even put him on stage before he was ten. He was fairly famous around here. Lots of people wanted to take him as a disciple.”
Jin Sohan had been called a genius even within the troupe, and that was just as true in the eyes of martial artists. Anyone could tell he had extraordinary talent.
One man sighed and said,
“Well, if he’s the disciple of a black-clothed person… Oh Jecheol was doomed anyway.”
“Isn’t that fortunate? Those two pieces of trash died instantly as well.”
Looking at the sprawled corpses, Dogon sighed, then asked the patrons for help.
“Let’s finish cleaning up. And keep your mouths shut. We don’t know who Sohan’s master is, but if it’s a black-clothed person and trouble starts, we’ll all end up massacred.”
“Yeah, of course.”
At Dogon’s words, the people in the tavern stood up and began clearing the bodies with him.
*****
Before entering Moonlit Night Pavilion, Jin Sohan reversed his black robe and put it on.
It was clothing his masters had made for him.
It was a peculiar garment combining black and white robes—because the Venom Demon often wore black, while the Medicine Immortal favored white.
After throwing away the gloomy conical hat he’d bought because of the rain, Jin Sohan was left wearing white martial robes, a white robe over them, and the Medicine Immortal’s White Fan at his side. He looked like the young master of a wealthy household.
Aside from his eyes, Jin Sohan had always possessed striking features.
By the time he walked from Rooster Head Tavern to Moonlit Night Pavilion, his appearance had completely transformed from black to white.
As he walked, Jin Sohan organized his thoughts.
Chumyeongwi.
Siwol.
And the older sisters of the Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe…
Even the Blood-Whisper Sect likely didn’t know where the survivors were. He would have to bring down the sect while searching for them.
When Jin Sohan approached the entrance, two guards standing watch greeted him politely.
“Welcome.”
Seeing an unfamiliar face, another guard asked the customary question.
“Is there someone you’re looking for?”
Jin Sohan gently waved his White Fan as he replied,
“Chowol, Yagran, Unhye….”
“Yes? I’ve never heard those names.”
Naturally. Jin Sohan had simply spoken the names of the older sisters he remembered.
“If they’re not here, I’ll look for someone else.”
“Hm… Are you here for the auction, perhaps?”
“I’m here for that as well.”
Instead of answering immediately, the guard stared into the dark street for a moment, checking if anyone else was nearby. When he sensed nothing, he opened the door with one hand and said,
“Very well. Please enjoy your stay.”
As Jin Sohan entered, one man tilted his head.
“Feels like I’ve seen that face somewhere… Does anyone recognize him?”
“I don’t know. First time I’ve seen him. Maybe some orthodox sect guy who wandered into a black market. Chowol, Yagran, Unhye? Those names don’t exist, do they?”
“They don’t. Must be an orthodox type. They used to come in groups of three or four at least. Looks like this one’s got guts spilling out.”
“Should we report it?”
They were talking about reporting him to the Pavilion Master, but the other man shook his head. What could one man do?
“Forget it. He’s probably just here for the auction. Leave him be.”
“Yes.”
*****
The moment Jin Sohan stepped inside Moonlit Night Pavilion, he froze as if turned to stone. From the outside, it looked relatively quiet, but inside it was utter chaos.
And the reason made his skin crawl.
A broad stage had been set up, almost as if recreating the place where the Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe once performed.
On that stage, two women in fluttering garments were performing a sword dance.
How could he not recognize it? They were imitating the troupe’s performance.
When someone approached to guide him to a room, Jin Sohan raised a hand.
“I’ll watch for a bit before going up.”
“Yes, please watch from closer. This is the pride of Moonlit Night Pavilion—the Moonlit Night Courtesan Troupe.”
Jin Sohan nodded and moved toward the stage. People drank as they watched. When Jin briefly blocked the view, someone shouted angrily,
“Move! I can’t see!”
He turned to see men with swords gathered around a large table, faces flushed red as they stared at the stage. One of them waved his hand roughly.
“Hey… don’t block the view. Sit somewhere else.”
At that, Jin Sohan quietly took an empty seat and turned his gaze back to the stage. Right then, cheers erupted.
“Ooooo!”
“What exquisite bladework!”
“What are you doing just standing there? Counterattack!”
A blade brushed past a woman’s waist, and her flowing garment slid down. Bare skin was exposed. One full breast was revealed, and the woman hurriedly pulled her clothing back up to cover herself.
When she did, boos erupted.
The two women were effectively stripping each other without even wearing undergarments.
This was the very performance the Blood-Whisper Sect had forced upon the Mystic Lunar Dance Troupe.
The only relief was that Jin Sohan didn’t recognize the women performing.
In other words, it was a fake.
The real troupe’s level had been far higher than this.
The value as a performance, the level of sword dance, even the harmony of their sparring movements—all of it had been vastly superior. The only difference was that here, they fought while being stripped naked.
As Jin Sohan stared at the stage in silence, a staff member approached.
“Would you like to order some drinks?”
“What do you have?”
“Everything from Daughter’s Red to Black Old Wine.”
“What’s the strongest?”
“That would be our own Moonlit Night Wine.”
“I’ll take that.”
“It’s the most expensive.”
“So what. Bring it.”
“Yes!”
His heart felt heavy, and he craved strong liquor.
Jin Sohan could drink endlessly.
After enduring the Venom Demon’s poisons for over ten years, alcohol had come to feel like water. No matter how strong the drink, the intoxication rose briefly and faded just as quickly.
That was why, for Jin Sohan, the stronger the liquor, the better.
And given the situation, he couldn’t not drink.
The women dancing on the stage looked pitiful, and the customers watching them irritated him. It was a clear glimpse into the Unorthodox Faction’s mindset—using any means necessary to make money.
Jin Sohan wore a bitter smile.
Those bastard pieces of shit… They’ve turned everything into a cesspool.
He glanced around. There were many watching the stage on this floor as well, but it felt as though the floors were divided by rank. Among them was a group drinking with women seated beside them. At their center sat a huge man, arms crossed, watching the stage alone.
The staff member who brought the wine hurriedly whispered,
“Young Master, it would be problematic to stare so openly at the Pavilion Master.”
“The Moonlit Night Pavilion Master?”
“Yes.”
Jin Sohan nodded and asked,
“What’s next after the performance?”
“Most likely, an auction.”
“Immediately?”
“No. You’ll be called when the bell rings.”
“Understood.”
Even after answering, the staff member hesitated and didn’t leave.
“What is it?”
“Th-the payment… the liquor requires advance payment.”
“I’ll be staying the night. Add it all together.”
“Then I’ll need to report it upstairs.”
“Report it.”
“Yes.”
Just in case, Jin Sohan searched his pouch. It seemed he’d spent his last travel money at Rooster Head Tavern. He didn’t have a single coin left.
Amid the ongoing clamor, Jin Sohan drank the strong Moonlit Night Wine and murmured casually,
“The liquor tastes sweet. Must be because it’s free.”