novelraw Chapter 75 : Chapter 75
Chapter 75 : Chapter 75
Chapter 75 Sado Alliance (1)
Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong looked at the two of us and began to speak.
“First of all, since I belong to the Law Enforcement Hall, I have to wear a veil within the Sado Alliance. I can’t exactly go around catching criminals while shouting, ‘I’m coming to catch you!’ right? So, those belonging to the Law Enforcement Hall have a restriction where they must hide their identities as much as possible while active within the Sado Alliance.”
“Even if you wear a veil, wouldn't everyone be able to recognize your aura, Miss?”
“That’s why I’m going to suppress my aura as well. There will be many situations where I won't be able to step forward. Ultimately, Young Master Jaun and Young Master Ban will have to step up and resolve things, but…….”
Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong let out a sigh and scratched her head.
“The Sado Alliance is very different from the Murim Alliance where you've been staying. Survival of the Fittest. It’s a place where if you look weak, they’ll try to devour you immediately. So, both of you need to fix your gaze.”
At Ice Rakshasa’s words, I tilted my head.
“That look! Young Master Jaun. If you have those innocent eyes and ask, ‘What do you mean?’ you’ll get stripped of everything in an instant. Put some strength into your eyes!”
Ice Rakshasa placed her hand on my eyes and pushed the corners upward.
“You have to shoot a look that says, ‘Don’t mess with me!’ like this to pass through without much trouble. If you’re soft like you are now, you’ll be in big trouble. And as for Young Master Ban…….”
Ice Rakshasa looked at Ban Cheol-hwi’s slender body hidden beneath his scholar’s robe and let out a sigh.
“There’s no immediate answer for Young Master Ban, so for now, if someone picks a fight, say you’re the Alliance Leader’s concubine. You have to get past it somehow like that; otherwise, things could get really serious.”
As if he found it absurd, Ban Cheol-hwi adjusted his scholar’s cap and slowly turned his head toward Ice Rakshasa.
“Miss. What did you just say? The Sado Alliance Leader’s concubine?”
“Yes. You might not understand right now, but you’ll see once we enter. Regardless, if you answer like that, no one will mess with you right away.”
“What utter nonsense!”
Ban Cheol-hwi’s face turned bright red as he pointed a finger at Ice Rakshasa.
“How could you say such outrageous things to a gentleman! I would not utter such words even if a blade were at my throat!”
Watching the huffing Ban Cheol-hwi, Ice Rakshasa shrugged her shoulders.
“Well, it’s your choice. But you must keep in mind that it will be difficult for me to help. As I said before, I have restrictions, so it’s hard for me to move recklessly. So, I’d prefer it if you followed my words if possible.”
As if he were listening to impossible nonsense, Ban Cheol-hwi whipped his head to the side.
Letting out a deep sigh, Ice Rakshasa turned toward me.
“Young Master Jaun. Try looking up with the corners of your eyes raised. That’s it. Put some strength in your shoulders too. Roll up your sleeves a bit to show some muscle. That’s it.”
While Ice Rakshasa was tidying my attire and providing various instructions, the carriage was already nearing the city gates of Ak-yang in Hubei Province, where the Sado Alliance was located.
“It’s the same Central Plains, but a completely different place. Keep that in mind and keep your wits about you.”
With Ice Rakshasa’s never-ending nagging, the carriage passed through the gates of Ak-yang.
****
─ Kwa-aaa-ng!
As soon as we entered the gates of Ak-yang, a giant man who had been thrown out of a cloth shop picked himself up, huffing.
“So that’s how you’re going to play it?”
The giant man flexed his arms, showing bulging veins, and walked back into the cloth shop.
─ Thud!
“Gwaaah!”
─ Thud!
Thrown back out of the cloth shop again, the giant man rubbed his waist and stood up.
A muscular woman walked out from inside the cloth shop with her hair tied tightly and spat on the ground.
“If a person.”
─ Slap!
The woman, who appeared to be the owner of the cloth shop, struck the giant’s forearm.
“Is going to buy something.”
─ Slap!
“They should bring!”
─ Slap!
“The money!”
─ Slap!
“With them!”
─ Slap!
Every time she finished a phrase, the woman’s hand slammed into various parts of the giant’s body, and the giant shouted while rubbing his turning-red skin.
“I told you I’d give you the money tomorrow! It’s not like we’ve known each other for just a day or two; do you have to go this far? Today is the day I have a promise with Sam-wol of Ak-yang Tower!”
“Whether it’s Sam-wol or Sa-wol, I don't care. I won't give you the clothes unless you pay first!”
“Oh, seriously…….”
The giant stood up and glared at the woman, huffing.
“Are you really going to be like this?”
“In Ak-yang, where they’ll cut off your nose if you close your eyes, you’re talking about buying on credit. How unlucky.”
Snorting with a huff, the woman walked back into the cloth shop.
Huffing as he looked around, the giant shouted at me and Ban Cheol-hwi, who were watching him from inside the carriage.
“What are you looking at, you bastards! Is this a show!?”
I turned my head and looked at Ice Rakshasa Pan Bing-yeong with a lukewarm expression.
Ice Rakshasa, who had already put on a veil that covered her entire face, shrugged her shoulders.
“Just pass by quickly. There will be more than one or two people picking fights; if you pay attention to all of them, the whole day will pass.”
Turning our gaze away from the giant, the two of us pulled our bodies deep into the carriage.
─ Clang!
“You drew your sword? You’re serious?”
“I’m serious, you son of a bitch. You need to taste the bitterness of life.”
With the sound of a scuffle, the clashing of weapons could be heard from both sides of the carriage.
It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since we passed the Ak-yang gates, yet the group had already witnessed more than three sword fights.
If such a large city was functioning properly, there must be rules, but it felt like the permitted scope of those rules was considerably wide.
Lowering his body as much as possible and observing various parts of the city, Ban Cheol-hwi licked his lips and turned to me.
“Well…… Young Master Jaun. Just as Miss Pan said, try looking up with your eyes more.”
Ban Cheol-hwi lifted his own eyes and gestured toward me with his chin.
“It seems to be a slightly…… rougher neighborhood than I thought.”
I looked at Ban Cheol-hwi, let out a small sigh, and put strength into my eyes.
****
After traveling through the bustling city of Ak-yang for a while, the carriage stopped at an inn.
The inn was not very large, but it was a place that felt somewhat comfortable in its own way.
With the setting sun behind us, the group entered the inn.
“Wahahaha!”
The forearm of a giant man laughing loudly while slamming the table looked almost as big as a head.
Not only him, but most of the martial artists in the inn had solid muscles as if they had practiced Outer Energy.
“In the Sado Alliance, practicing Outer Energy is essential, even if only to intimidate others. That’s why body types like the two of you are rare to see.”
Ice Rakshasa pointed at the slender Ban Cheol-hwi and my body, which had not yet shed its boyish look.
“People with this kind of build are either incredibly strong or weak. Since most are weak, you’ll have many people picking fights with you.”
“Hmph.”
“To stay in an inn in Ak-yang, you have to protect yourself. So, Young Master Ban, try to stay with Young Master Jaun as much as possible.”
Ice Rakshasa patted the shoulder of the thoroughly intimidated Ban Cheol-hwi and then approached a waiter to secure rooms.
“Let’s have a simple meal before we go up.”
In the midst of noise where they couldn't even hear each other's voices properly, the group finished a meal they barely tasted and quickly went to their rooms.
****
As soon as he entered the room, Ban Cheol-hwi took off his scholar’s cap and placed it quietly on the table.
“No, I have never seen such a lawless and impolite city in my life! No matter how rough Sado martial artists may be, this is an unacceptable situation.”
At Ban Cheol-hwi’s words, I quietly nodded.
“Even if it’s said to be a unique culture of Ak-yang where the Sado Alliance is located, it’s certainly an atmosphere that’s hard to get used to. It can't be helped. Let's finish the work quickly and move to another place. You’re going to wash, right?”
At my question, Ban Cheol-hwi nodded while huffing.
“I must at least wash my ears clean. This arrogant and lawless city, where the teachings of the ancient sages have been severed, will have no choice but to collapse before long. How could such a place exist in the Jianghu!”
Constantly grumbling, Ban Cheol-hwi and I packed our clothes and headed toward the public bathhouse in the inn.
Every time a person passed in the hallway, Ban Cheol-hwi avoided their eyes and let out a sigh of frustration.
After organizing the clothes we brought, the two of us stepped into the bathhouse filled with thick steam.
“Oooooh.”
─ Whistle
The slender-bodied Ban Cheol-hwi. And I, with my firm but smooth skin, entered the bathhouse, and cheers and whistles were heard from all directions.
“Whoa. It’s as smooth as a foal’s hind leg; it makes my mouth water.”
“Hehe. I like that slender fellow over there more.”
Those soaking their bodies in small wooden tubs looked at me and Ban Cheol-hwi with glistening eyes.
“Hey. This tub over here is empty, so why don't you come closer?”
“Are they outsiders? Faces I haven't seen before.”
At the rough conversations flying from here and there, Ban Cheol-hwi stopped walking for a moment.
“It’s a mess. Do you want to just go back?”
At my words, Ban Cheol-hwi hesitated before shaking his head firmly.
“No. We have done nothing wrong, so why should we retreat? Let’s ignore those lawless bastards, wash, and leave.”
As if he really didn't want to return to the room to avoid them, Ban Cheol-hwi bit his lip and began to walk toward the wooden tubs in the corner.
Perhaps because it was an inn in a large city like Ak-yang, the number of tubs was quite high.
Small wooden tubs enough for one person were lined up in rows, and the empty ones were the ones in the furthest corner.
Inevitably, we had no choice but to walk through those occupying other tubs, but Ban Cheol-hwi, with a determined look in his eyes, walked across the center of the bathhouse without wavering.
“Oh. Even the way he walks is pretty?”
“Hehe. Hey. Don't go far; how about coming into my tub?”
Just as Ban Cheol-hwi, who was walking forward while ignoring all the sounds heard from the surroundings with his eyes fixed only on the front, passed the midpoint of the bathhouse.
A giant man who was soaking his body in a tub at the end stepped out with a splash.
“Hey. When a person talks, shouldn't you listen?”
He was a man whose entire body was packed with muscle and had a long scar on his face.
Seeing the giant man approaching him while dangling his hideous thing, Ban Cheol-hwi squeezed his eyes shut as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.
“Dong-chun. I’ve had my eye on that child since earlier; is it right for you to step forward first like that? You should let him wash first. You can’t even hold back for that long, tsk tsk.”
Confirming that the giant called Dong-chun had stood up, several other giants who were soaking in nearby tubs also stood up.
Dark-colored flesh filled the surroundings.
At the sight that was simply unbearable to look at, I frowned.
“That’s enough. We’ll just leave quietly.”
As I grabbed Ban Cheol-hwi’s wrist and retreated, the giants began to laugh boisterously.
“Where do you think you’re going after setting these brothers' hearts on fire?”
Watching the giants who had blocked the passage before we knew it, I let out a small sigh.