Heavenly Inquisition Sword Novel - Chapter 281
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Chapter 281: The Fox that Pretends to Be a Tiger Won’t Last Long
At the Cho-yeon Courtesan House.
The courtesan house was divided into two sections: Cheong-ru and Hong-ru. Cheong-ru offered poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, and music, while Hong-ru sold laughter and the body.
Cho-yeon was a Cheong-ru.
Therefore, the courtesans there were expected to provide poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, and music. However, in reality, they simply kept the clients company. The ones who actually played music were professional musicians invited by the owner.
Shim Tong, from the Nokrim, known as the Old Dao of Nine Heavens, opened the door of the courtesan house and entered.
He had been visiting frequently since he met Baek Gyo, the Invisible Hand, here. There was a courtesan he liked and got along well with.
The owner, Cha Joong-rae, hurried to the entrance upon seeing Shim Tong.
“Oh, Master Shim! Welcome.”
Shim Tong nodded briefly as he glanced around the interior of the courtesan house.
Cha Joong-rae, knowing that he was looking for Wol-ah, put on an awkward expression.
“What should we do? Wol-ah is in the room with a client.”
Shim Tong looked at Cha Joong-rae with disapproval.
Usually, Wol-ah was always available for him, but today that didn’t seem to be the case.
Cha Joong-rae, with an apologetic expression, explained the situation.
“One of the clients is someone important from Nokrim, and it seems he’s taken a liking to Wol-ah.”
“Someone important?”
“Yes, I heard it’s the first of the Twelve Demons, Guiyeong Jagun.”
“Goodbye.”
Upon hearing the name Guiyeong Jagun, Shim Tong turned around.
He didn’t want to get entangled with the disciples of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord while drinking.
Recently, among those from Nokrim, there had been many discussions about who was stronger, the Old Dao of Nine Heavens or the Twelve Demons. That comparison was quite unpleasant for the Twelve Demons, who knew well of Shim Tong’s past.
Shim Tong also knew how they felt, so he avoided confronting them.
At that moment, Cha Joong-rae, startled, grabbed Shim Tong’s sleeve.
“Oh, Master! If you leave now, I’ll be in trouble. I’ll have the most famous courtesan, Geum-ah, accompany you. She is not inferior to Wol-ah in beauty or talent, please give me a chance.”
Cha Joong-rae pulled out his best card to keep Shim Tong. He didn’t want to lose such a generous and respected customer.
“Geum-ah? The one who plays the zither?”
“Yes, yes. She usually only plays, but today she’ll keep you company.”
Cha Joong-rae’s proposal drew Shim Tong back.
Geum-ah was the most famous courtesan of Cho-yeon, and he had heard her music from afar. He thought she only played the zither, but now he could have her close. It was an unexpected opportunity.
“Her name is Geum-ah.”
A courtesan with serene and refined beauty entered, bowing politely.
Seeing her up close, a smile of satisfaction appeared on Shim Tong’s face.
Men are always attracted to women, even if they have the strength to cross a threshold.
Especially in Nokrim, women were merely objects of desire.
Even when Shim Tong was known as the Immortal Demon Sword, he was no different from others in Nokrim.
However, after cultivating the Nine Heavens Energy, Shim Tong had changed a bit.
The particular tranquility of the Nine Heavens Energy transformed his burning desire into purity.
That’s why his smile now seemed sincere.
Emotions are relative.
Shim Tong’s heart was conveyed to Geum-ah.
At first, Geum-ah was very nervous about serving a great demon from Nokrim, but she was surprised to feel a comfort similar to that of an orthodox hero in Shim Tong.
As her fear disappeared, Geum-ah attended to Shim Tong with all her heart.
She displayed her knowledge in poetry, calligraphy, etiquette, and music, as she would with a member of a noble family.
Although Shim Tong didn’t understand everything she said, he enjoyed the atmosphere.
Regardless of the time or place, when the heart is at ease, conversation flows about trivial things.
Soon, the conversation turned to personal matters.
“…My home is Luoyang. I grew up in the Iyang region.”
“Iyang? Wow, we’re from the same place!”
Shim Tong was excited.
He was also from Iyang.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. When I was a child, I used to fish in the Luo River.”
“Oh! I never met anyone from my hometown here.”
So happy was she that Geum-ah’s formality relaxed.
“Hehe! I hadn’t met anyone from our place either. From Iyang to Zhengzhou….”
Shim Tong observed Geum-ah’s profile.
Reaching Zhengzhou instead of Luoyang suggested that there was a story behind it.
And there was.
“My father was the Head of the Geumwa Chamber of Commerce. I was his only daughter, and he adored me. Thanks to that, I learned to play the zither from a young age.”
“So that’s why you’re so good at playing.”
“One day, something valuable disappeared from the Geumwa Chamber of Commerce, and my father was accused. He couldn’t withstand the torture and died in prison within a month. Then we were left without money and expelled from Iyang.”
“Wow…”
“We couldn’t settle in Luoyang because of the people from the Geumwa Chamber of Commerce. So we ended up in Zhengzhou. A few years ago, my mother fell ill, and I had to start doing this….”
“Chup, chup.”
Shim Tong shook his head sadly.
Geum-ah’s story, raised so carefully as the daughter of a trade leader, affected him deeply.
“Ah, I’m sorry I ruined the atmosphere with my story. I apologize. I don’t usually talk about myself, but I felt comfortable with you being from my hometown…”
“No, it’s fine. I liked listening. It made me remember my home. What about your mother?”
“She’s alone.”
“Still sick?”
“Yes. She’s bedridden and can’t move.”
“Is anyone taking care of her?”
“No. The money I earn here barely covers her medicine.”
“I see.”
Shim Tong nodded.
At that moment, a crash and the sound of something breaking were heard outside.
Shim Tong and Geum-ah remained still, listening intently.
Cha Joong-rae, who was at the counter, ran towards the inner hall upon hearing the commotion.
Wol-ah was lying on a broken door.
Two middle-aged men stepped out of the room with angry faces.
They were Guiyeong Jagun and Si Sanmado Hyeok Moochun, the Boss of Haksanchae.
Hyeok Moochun, upon seeing Cha Joong-rae, began to yell at him.
“You bastard! How do you take care of your courtesans?”
“Oh, sirs! What did Wol-ah do?”
“She refused to share the bed with Guiyeong Jagun. A mere courtesan!”
“Sirs! In our house, there is a blue lantern at the entrance. It indicates that we are Cheong-ru. The courtesans here don’t sell their bodies.”
Although he knew they already knew, Cha Joong-rae explained earnestly.
Just as expected, Hyeok Moochun sneered.
“Bah! That garbage doesn’t matter to me. Anyone that Guiyeong Jagun wants must obey. Even if it were your wife! And a mere courtesan dares to refuse?”
With those words, Hyeok Moochun struck Cha Joong-rae.
With a scream, Cha Joong-rae flew backwards.
The guards of the courtesan house rushed to lift Cha Joong-rae.
“Ugh…”
With a groan, Cha Joong-rae blinked.
The sudden attack left him dazed.
When he regained consciousness, he looked around.
The courtesans and clients were watching from afar with fear.
So were the guards.
It was understandable, given that the attackers were from Nokrim.
‘Ah! What am I going to do?’
While Cha Joong-rae lamented silently, Hyeok Moochun approached the guards holding him.
“You! Where are you from?”
“We’re from the Chamber of Commerce… Ugh!”
One of the guards fell to the ground, holding his face.
Hyeok Moochun continued to hit the guards near Cha Joong-rae.
“Bastards! How do you protect this place? You allow your master to spout nonsense about Cheong-ru and Hong-ru to the Twelve Demons? You’re no better than animals!”
“Ugh! Ugh!”
“Aaah!”
As Hyeok Moochun beat the guards, he approached Cha Joong-rae.
“You! What did you say about Wol-ah?”
Cha Joong-rae, trembling, was about to respond when a noise was heard, and someone stepped out of a room.
It was Shim Tong.
Geum-ah, hiding behind him, followed.
Upon seeing Shim Tong, Hyeok Moochun took a step back.
“The Old Dao of Nine Heavens, Shim Tong?”
But Shim Tong ignored Hyeok Moochun and spoke.
“What are you going to do? If you came to Cheong-ru, you should drink and enjoy. If you wanted to share a bed with a woman, you should have gone to Hong-ru. It’s like looking for fish at the top of a mountain.”
Hyeok Moochun, with a reddened face, shouted.
“Old Dao! Do you know who’s here? The great Guiyeong Jagun!”
“Ahem! Even if he were the emperor, he should respect the rules of drinking.”
“What? You dare! Do you think you’re superior to the Twelve Demons because of a little fame?”
Hyeok Moochun lunged at Shim Tong like lightning.
But he feared Shim Tong’s power, so he didn’t draw his sword.
Hyeok Moochun’s fist flew towards Shim Tong’s face like a flash of lightning.
But Shim Tong dodged it with a slight movement of his head.
Slap!
With a crisp sound, Hyeok Moochun staggered back.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Hyeok Moochun, who had been pushed to the feet of Guiyeong Jagun, shook his head to clear it.
A trace of blood ran down his face.
“Damn it!”
Hyeok Moochun grabbed the hilt of his sword and prepared to attack when Guiyeong Jagun spoke.
“Enough.”
“What? But…”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
“Ugh, yes.”
Hyeok Moochun didn’t dare disobey Guiyeong Jagun and stepped back.
Guiyeong Jagun looked at Shim Tong indifferently.
But inside, his fury burned like a volcano.
‘How dare you interrupt one of the Twelve Demons? A mere old bastard?’
Knowing Shim Tong’s past, Guiyeong Jagun felt this was a humiliation.
“Hmph. Shim Tong, remember this. The fox that pretends to be a tiger won’t last long. Let’s go.”
Guiyeong Jagun left the courtesan house without looking back.
Hyeok Moochun followed in his steps with a malicious glance at Shim Tong.
“Oh! Master, thank you. You’ve saved our lives. I’ll never forget this debt.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Cha Joong-rae and Wol-ah bowed to Shim Tong.
Shim Tong, still looking at the door where Guiyeong Jagun and Hyeok Moochun had left, couldn’t shake off the words they had left behind.
The fox that pretends to be a tiger won’t last long.
With his experience, Shim Tong sensed the sinister intrigue behind those words.
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