The red silk dress that Eum Yujeong wore accentuated her beauty to the fullest. The guests inside the inn all had expressions which looked as if they were bewitched by a fox.
Eum Yujeong was no stranger to such gazes and expressions.
It was natural.
Her goal was to mesmerize people anyway.
She deliberately made herself as beautiful as possible in order to lure and captivate her opponent.
The problem was that the man she wanted to seduce only looked at her with emotionless eyes, which caused a commotion among the onlookers.
Pyo-wol’s eyes as he gazed at her was completely devoid of emotion, as if he was just looking at a stone.
Eum Yujeong felt deeply humiliated.
But she wasn’t weak enough to be frustrated or discouraged by such treatment.
She possessed a strong enough heart that allowed her to hide her true feelings. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to hold the reins of power within the Golden Heaven Society and manipulate its members as she pleased.
So as if she was unaffected, she spoke,
“The view of Lake Tai at sunrise like this is truly extraordinary. This is also the reason why so many martial artists have come here and left behind remarkable works. How about you? Do you find the view here equally beautiful?”
“It’s certainly an uncommon landscape.”
“I agree.”
Eum Yujeong nodded while casually taking a seat down across from Pyo-wol.
She rested her chin on her hands and looked at Pyo-wol.
With a radiant smile on Eum Yujeong’s face, anyone who saw her could tell that she had a favorable impression of Pyo-wol.
Eum Yujeong was a flower out of everyone’s reach.
Because she couldn’t be plucked by anyone’s hand, she shone even more beautifully, causing her to be the subject of men’s admiration.
Knowing this fact, Eum Yujeong didn’t give her heart to anyone and maintained an ambiguous attitude.
She knows that this is the surest way to elevate her own worth.
Eum Yujeong’s display of affection towards Pyo-wol was a deliberate act.
Compared to anyone around her, Pyo-wol was a figure beyond comparison. Although Zhao Yiguang and Bok Hojin were capable in their own way, they paled in comparison to Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol had only one flaw though, and it was that he had no sect or faction behind him.
But, it was all good anyway since Eum Yujeong had a sect called the Sword Blossom Pavilion.
Although her sect could not be compared to the Nanjing sect or the Changjiang Fortress, it was still a well-establish faction, and if she could recruit Pyo-wol to such a place, no one in the world would dare to ignore her sect anymore.
Eum Yujeong wore her most beautiful smile and looked at Pyo-wol with a deep gaze.
Her body emitted a faint rose scent.
She had bathe in rose water since dawn, causing the scent of roses to stay in her body.
She did all this just so she could seduce Pyo-wol.
As long as she could seduce Pyo-wol and keep him within her grasp, she didn’t care what else happened.
Eum Yujeong whispered in a low voice,
“Instead of talking here, why don’t we go to the Sword Blossom Pavilion? The skill of our sect’s disciples are probably the best in Lake Tai.”
“I’ve already ordered.”
“Just let the others eat it. They’ll probably come running to get it if you leave it behind.”
Eum Yujeong said, disdain laced in her voice. She could clearly see the people around stealing glances at them.
“If that’s all you’re here for, I’d like you to leave.”
“What?”
“I want you to get lost and stop interrupting my meal.”
“Huh?”
For a moment, Eum Yujeong’s face flushed red in humiliation.
She hadn’t expected to be rejected so quickly.
She wasn’t used to rejection.
Until now, everyone she had met willingly granted her requests and treated her with great care, valuing her as a precious gem.
No one had ever said such harsh words like Pyo-wol.
“What’s wrong with you? Or perhaps, you said those words by mistake?”
“No.”
“Do you really mean it when you told me to leave? How could you–!”
Eum Yujeong’s shoulders trembled in anger.
“Your face is fine, but your head is stupid.”
“What?”
“I already rejected Zhao Yiguang’s invitation yesterday, so why would you think that I would accept yours? If you had any sense, you would never have thought such a thing.”
“Are you saying that I’m on the same level as him?”
“No, you’re actually below him. More lowly, more cowardly.”
“Pyo-wol!”
Unable to bear Pyo-wol’s scathing words any longer, Eum Yujeong suddenly stood up.
She glared at him as if she would devour him.
There’s a common saying that, when a woman harbors a grudge, frost would fall even during the summer. As she became furious, northern wind and snow seemed to form and blow around the area.
Her hand reached for the sword at her waist.
Her sword forged by a master blacksmith.
It was a renowned sword with the power to cut through anything, even gold, like tofu.
She wanted to draw her sword and cut Pyo-wol’s tongue that had insulted her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Pyo-wol was staring at her intently.
At that moment, she had a gut feeling.
‘The moment I draw my sword, I’ll die.’
Pyo-wol’s eyes were not the same as the excited gazes of the inexperienced warriors she had faced before.
Instead, his gaze was similar to a calm, settled gaze of a ruthless warrior who had fought numerous battles, mercilessly killing countless individuals.
Neither the weight nor the terror she felt dared to compare to the former.
The blood in her veins ran cold.
The seething anger that had filled her mind disappeared in an instant, and was replaced by cool reason.
She let go of her sword and forced herself to smile,
“I must have been too hasty. I apologize for disturbing your good time. Let’s have our meal another time.”
Eum Yujeong slowly rose from her seat.
There were many people in the inn, observing the two of them. However, since the two were speaking in low voices, the others cannot hear their conversation.
As long as Eum Yujeong acts calmly, the onlookers would never know that Eum Yujeong had just been humiliated by Pyo-wol.
Thinking that way, Eum Yujeong cup her fists and spoke in a loud voice,
“I’ve enjoyed our fruitful conversation. Please invite me to a better place, not like this shabby place, next time. I’ll see you then.”
Without waiting for Pyo-ol’s response, Eum Yujeong left the inn.
Left alone, Pyo-wol looked in the direction she disappeared into.
Eum Yujeong was self-centered, pompous, and intelligent.
He knew from experience that people like her always causes trouble.
At that moment, Pyo-wol heard the energetic voice of the inn servant.
“Your meal is ready!”
When Pyo-wol turned around, he saw the inn servant standing close to a middle-aged man who gives off a warm impression.
The inn servant quickly introduced the middle-aged man he came together with.
“This is our inn’s head chef. He wanted to meet you in person.”
“Hello, I’m Bang Seung-kwan, the head chef of the Lake Tai’s First Pavilion.”
Bang Seung-kwan held a large tray in his hand.
“I’m Pyo-wol.”
“I know. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“You know me?”
“Of course I do, which is why I came out here to meet you face to face, haha!”
Bang Seung-kwan laughed as he set the tray down on the table.
When he opened the lid of the tray, a plate filled with fried food resembling chrysanthemum flowers was revealed.
“This dish is called Exploding Black Flower,1 made from our Bang’s vision. It is made by making incisions in the main ingredient, which is cuttlefish, and then deep-frying it to perfection, resulting in a delicious taste.”
“Bang’s vision?”
“It’s a specialty that has been passed down through generations in my clan, the Bang family. It was created by my great-great-grandfather Bang Jin-bo, the founder of our family, and then refined by the subsequent generations, including Bang Ye-in…”
The head chef excitedly explained the origin of the dish.
Pyo-wol listened to Bang Seung-kwan’s story while picking up his chopsticks.
The food, called Exploding Black Flower, was truly delicious.
As Pyo-wol eat the food, it felt as if flowers were blooming in his mouth.
If he had followed Eum Yujeong, he would never have tasted such food. So Pyo-wol couldn’t help but think that he made the right decision of driving her away.
Beside him, Bang Seung-kwan continued to rambled on about Bang Jin-bo and Bang Yein, but nothing registered in Pyo-wol’s ears.
* * *
Crack!
“Keuk!”
With a sharp sound of impact, Tang Ik-gi was thrown across the floor, holding his cheeks. The slapped cheek swelled up quickly.
“F, Father?”
Tang Ik-gi cupped his cheek with his hand and looked at his father, Tang Cheolsan.
Tang Cheolsan was a man of tall and large physique. His hands were almost as large as the size of pot lids so it was only natural that Tang Ik-gi’s mouth would be torn and his cheek swollen after being struck by such hands.
“You idiot! I told you to enter the Golden Heaven Society! So, how come you have returned home, humiliated like that instead?!”
“It’s all because of that guy! Who knew he would show up?”
“That guy? Are you talking about Pyo-wol?”
“Yes! Everyone was scared of him. Look, I even have a hole in my shoulder because of him.”
Tang Ik-gi untied the hem of his robe and showed his father the wound on his shoulder.
His shoulder still bore the marks of a finger piercing into it.
“So, you came back running like a dog with its tail between its legs after suffering a wound like that?”
“I almost died for real! If you saw that guy’s eyes, you wouldn’t be able to say such things!”
“Hmph! Only weak-willed guys like you get scared. Do you think I’ll blink in front of such a person?”
Tang Cheolsan snorted.
He looked at his son contemptiously.
It was entirely his own resourcefulness and skill that had brought the workshop his grandfather had built to this point.
When they first moved to this place, his grandfather was penniless. All his grandfather had were a few tricks and gimmicks he learned after sneaking into the Tang clan.
No one knows why his grandfather had left the Tang clan and settled in this distant place. Tang Cheolsan speculated that his grandfather had escaped from the Tang clan after committing some crime.
In any case, his grandfather established the workshop and took care of the family.
It was during his father’s generation that the modest workshop grew. Tang Cheolsan’s father was a very resourceful man.
His father didn’t believe that his grandfather’s tricks were enough, so he recruited craftsmen from the neighborhood and established his own vision.
And now, Tang Cheolsan inherited all of that.
Tang Cheolsan was even more resourceful than his father. He boasted about inheriting the vision and legacy of the Tang clan to promote Cheolsan Workshop.
Although the Tang clan had collapsed, their reputation as the leading craftsmen in all of Jianghu remained in people’s memories.
In particular, their skill at making hidden weapons was so unrivaled that people continued to seek out their products even after the Tang clan’s downfall.
Tang Cheolsan capitalized on the lingering glory of the Tang clan in Sichuan, and as a result, he managed to elevate Cheolsan Workshop to become the top in the region.
The weapons produced by Cheolsan Workshop were only slightly better than those of other workshops, but because of the rumor that their workshop inherited the vision of the Tang clan, there was added value to them.
However, Tang Cheolsan was not satisfied with just this.
“If only you had joined the Golden Heaven Society, our position in Lake Tai would have been more solid.”
“But what can I do if they don’t accept me?”
“That’s why I told you to bribe them and give them gifts. Is that such a difficult task?”
“I did my best.”
“If you did your best, then how did things turn out like this? Things wouldn’t have come to this point if you truly did your best!”
“Father!”
Unable to bear it any longer, Tang Ik-gi cried out, but Tang Cheolsan’s eyes remained cold as ever as he looked at his son.
“Do whatever it takes to join the Golden Heaven Society. That is the only wish I have for you.”
“I told you, the other members won’t accept me because of that person.”
“I’ll take care of that person myself.”
“How? That guy’s the Reaper. Ordinary people may not know, but those who know are well aware of how terrifying he is.”
“Hmph! Even then, he is still human. If we offer him a sufficient reward, he will have no choice but to waver.”
“Father!”
“But if that doesn’t work, we can use other means. So, you don’t need to worry.”
Tang Cheolsan brushed off Tang Ik-gi’s warnings.
At the sight of his father’s complacent attitude, Tang Ik-gi’s anger surged, but he restrained himself.
‘Damn it! It’s always like this. He never listens to what I say.’
He looked at his father with a mixture of resentment and anger before storming out.
Left alone, Tang Cheolsan stared coldly in the direction his son had gone.
“Worthless fool! He lacks any backbone after being under my protection for so long. How did he turn out to be so weak and pitiful… If only he had obtained the vision of the Tang clan, then I wouldn’t be this much stressed out. Come to think of it, why didn’t the Hundred Wraith Union contact me yet? It has been a while since I placed the request.”
Tang Cheolsan suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
He had heard news that an extraordinary young craftsman had emerged through the upper ranks of Sichuan, garnering great admiration and attention from everyone.
Tang Cheolsan was convinced that the young craftsman had inherited the vision of the Tang clan. Otherwise, he could not have had such exceptional skills at such a young age.
Driven by greed for the vision possessed by the young artisan, Tang Cheolsan had placed a request with the Hundred Wraith Union.
His request was to kill the young craftsman and retrieve the Tang clan’s vision. But a year has already passed, and he still hadn’t heard anything from the Hundred Wraith Union.
“I’ll have to send a message to the Hundred Wraith Union.”
Soundlesswind21’s notes:
End of Volume 13. Thank you for reading!
Exploding Black Flower. Raws: 폭오화(爆烏花). 爆 bào – to explode or burst / to quick fry or quick boil 烏wū – crow / black
花 huā – flower / blossom
