Chapter 36 : Chapter 36

Chapter 36. I Didn't Expect to See That Man (1)

Han Cheong-un, a man who was terribly tactless, spoke.

“First of all, I want to make this clear. Miss Baek, you intended to join us with your master's permission, right?”

“That is correct. I received formal permission.”

“Is it the same for you, Miss Dang?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Really?”

“……Yes.”

Something is suspicious.

But there is no way to verify it here.

‘Well, her blood-related older brother is here too, so it should be fine. Surely she wouldn't use this to tell me to take responsibility for her later, right?’

Having reached this conclusion, Han Cheong-un spoke.

“Good. Then, since you have joined, I will accept both of you as disciples of the Ultimate Path Gate and act as the Sect Leader.”

“Please do so.”

“Make yourself comfortable.”

After sorting out the titles, Han Cheong-un spoke.

“Now, since the number of people has increased to four, I’m thinking of establishing the framework of the sect a bit more. Does anyone have any good ideas?”

At Han Cheong-un’s words, Dang Jin spoke first.

“First, we need to settle down.”

“Settle down…….”

“Yes. Shouldn't we have a base first?”

“That is true.”

“It’s not like we don’t have money now, so isn't it a simple matter to buy a decent manor and hang up a signboard?”

“That is certainly true.”

Han Cheong-un had been thinking about it too.

It was just that urgent matters took precedence before, so he hadn't attempted it yet.

‘I had to stop the Guizhou Bloodshed Incident. And since I learned about the existence of the Ghost Spirit Taoist, I had to catch Baek Sua too.’

But now that those two things were resolved.

‘Hmm, I’ve become a bit freer now.’

It wasn't that there was nothing to do.

He had to resolve that problem of the Paeng Clan, and he had to visit the northern regions at least once.

But for the former, he honestly didn't have a clue how to solve it even if he went, and the latter wasn't something that had to be done right now.

As a result, he finally had the time to secure his footing.

“Good. Then where would be a good place to establish the sect?”

As soon as Han Cheong-un finished speaking…….

“Shaanxi!”

“Sichuan!”

The two women offered different opinions.

And the two women glared at each other.

Soon, they quickly stated their opinions to Han Cheong-un.

“Master, if you create a sect in Sichuan, my father will surely give you definite help. Then it will be a great help.”

“I oppose. The Sichuan Tang Clan is a sect located within Chengdu.”

“So what? Isn't it better since it's close?”

“Miss Dang, think about it. Is there any other Murim sect within Chengdu where the Sichuan Tang Clan exists?”

“Of course there is.”

“Aside from the sects created by the collateral families of the Tang Clan?”

“…….”

“There isn't. It's obvious. There cannot be two tigers on one mountain. Establishing a sect within Chengdu means we intend to share the Tang Clan's territory; do you think they will tolerate that? That Sichuan Tang Clan?”

She had nothing to say.

Even Dang Seoyeon herself didn't think the Tang Clan was inclusive enough to share their influence and choose coexistence. However…….

“Then isn't Shaanxi no different? The Mount Hua Sect is in Shaanxi, isn't it?”

“We are a Taoist Sword Sect. Our location is on the high peaks of Mount Hua.”

“So?”

“Even if a sect is created within Shaanxi, it doesn't directly overlap with our territory. And as Taoists, we do not blatantly engage in struggles for worldly aspects like someplace does.”

“Where are you referring to by ‘someplace’?”

“You should know, shouldn't you?”

“Haa…….”

The corners of Dang Seoyeon’s mouth curled up strangely.

Baek Sua also did not back down and responded by glaring coldly. But then…….

Clap!

Han Cheong-un clapped his hands, breaking the hostile atmosphere.

“Now, now, both of you calm down. It’s good to debate opinions healthily, but let’s not bring emotions into it. Okay?”

‘Because of whom is this happening?’

‘Because of whom is this happening?’

Both Dang Seoyeon and Baek Sua felt a surge of frustration.

And Han Cheong-un turned his head to Dang Jin and spoke.

“What does the Vice Sect Leader think?”

“I don't want to get involved in this issue.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“Haaaa…….”

Dang Jin sighed deeply, crossed his arms, and thought hard.

Dang Seoyeon and Baek Sua also focused on Dang Jin.

‘Older Brother will naturally be on my side, right?’

Didn't they grow up distant from each other because Dang Seoyeon had the Myriad Poisons Body?

‘There is the loyalty we shared from before the regression.’

Of course, Dang Jin didn't have the memories from before the regression.

Receiving such burdensome gazes from both of them, Dang Jin opened his mouth.

“In my view, both are impossible.”

“Older Brother!”

“Vice Cap... Vice Sect Leader!”

Regardless of their eyes full of betrayal, Dang Jin said what he had to say.

“To be more precise, it is impossible within the sphere of influence of the Righteous Way.”

“The reason being?”

At Han Cheong-un’s question, Dang Jin shrugged his shoulders and answered.

“There is no empty land anywhere in the world right now. In the end, wherever we go, we won't be able to avoid being treated as stones that rolled in.”

“That is true.”

“Then it means we cannot avoid friction with the stones that are already embedded. But our sect's background is a bit questionable to cause friction head-on with the prestigious Righteous sects.”

“Mmm…….”

Han Cheong-un might be fine since he was an orphan raised in the Murim Alliance's training facility, but the others were not.

Two from the Sichuan Tang Clan and one from the Mount Hua Sect.

Even if their affiliation was now the Ultimate Path Gate, since their origins were prestigious Righteous sects, a conflict with the Righteous Way would inevitably cause trouble for their families and sects.

“In the end, it means we have to settle down while being prepared for friction. Then, it is impossible within the domain of the Righteous Way.”

“Then are you saying we should just barge into the domain of the Unorthodox sects?”

At Baek Sua’s words, Dang Jin shook his head.

“Why are you so extreme, Miss Baek?”

“…….”

Ho, look at him talk.

‘I will remember this.’

Baek Sua sulked slightly. Whether she did or not, Dang Jin continued his words.

“If we go into the middle of the Unorthodox sect's territory and settle down now, we will be attacked from all sides. The physiology of the Unorthodox sects is like wolves; even if they growl at each other, if a bear appears……?”

“They would join forces to chase out the bear first.”

“That is correct.”

At Dang Jin’s words, Han Cheong-un sighed.

“Then what do we do? Should we go to the Outer Regions to settle down?”

“Then activities in the Central Plains would be difficult. The place we need to settle is a so-called gray area, neither White nor Black.”

“……The border area near the Yangtze River?”

“That is correct.”

Currently, the forces of the Righteous Way and the Unorthodox sects are divided north and south with the massive river called the Yangtze in between, confronting each other.

However, the territory of Murim is not something with clearly drawn lines like borders between nations.

It’s just vaguely thought of as, ‘Roughly, this area is our territory within our influence.’

That is the perception of Murim. Therefore…….

“An area near the south of the Yangtze that is somewhat bustling but has some distance from the giant sects would be good.”

At Dang Jin’s words, several candidates came to Han Cheong-un’s mind. And then…….

“Yueyang would be good.”

“Yes? There is…….”

“Doesn't it fit the conditions?”

Yueyang.

A bustling city in the northern part of the Hunan region; making use of the magnificent view of Dongting Lake, it is a city where numerous brothels and entertainment establishments are rampant nearby.

Many humans wander about, that much money circulates, and just as many incidents and accidents occur there.

Although it is the territory of the Unorthodox sects, sects of the Righteous Way lineage also do business there knowingly and unknowingly, so it fits the point of being a gray area as Dang Jin mentioned. However…….

“Sect Leader. Strictly speaking, Yueyang is the territory of the Limitless Gate.”

Limitless Gate.

It is a place strong enough to be counted in the upper ranks even among the Eight Gates of the Evil Way. It is a place that believes only in order by power and is a belligerent sect famous for being a combat faction even among the Unorthodox sects.

We are going to settle in the territory of such a sect?

Honestly, I wanted to oppose. However…….

“Wherever we settle south of the Yangtze, we cannot completely avoid friction with the Eight Gates of the Evil Way. Isn't that so?”

“That is…….”

“In that sense, if we are going to cause friction anyway, the Limitless Gate is better as an opponent.”

“In what sense?”

“Unlike sects like the Dark Night Gate or Poison Hand Gate where you don't know what they will do behind your back, those simple and ignorant bastards will eventually challenge us with strength against strength.”

Is that better?

Honestly, I don't understand. I don't, but…….

“If the Sect Leader has decided so, then fine. We will follow.”

The Sect Leader of the Ultimate Path Gate was Han Cheong-un.

* * *

There is a saying in the Central Plains.

To die without ever seeing the magnificent view of Dongting Lake is too sad a thing.

That saying.

Therefore, countless people travel from afar to visit Dongting Lake in Yueyang at least once. And they admire the magnificent view of Dongting Lake.

They go boating on Dongting Lake or…….

If they get more excited, they compose a poem…….

If they get more excited, they have a drink…….

If they get even more excited there, they call courtesans and enjoy proper drinking and dancing.

In other words, the vicinity of Dongting Lake in Yueyang is teeming with people coming from all over the Central Plains to spend money.

And there are an enormous number of brothels to do business targeting those people.

“Lord, please come to our brothel. We have the best famous wine of Dongting Lake.”

“Have you seen the top-class courtesan Chowol of the Cheonsang Tower? She has a beauty that would make Wang Zhaojun cry and leave. Just seeing her once will become a memory you will never forget for a lifetime.”

“We opened a twenty-year-old Nu'er Hong today. It is a special famous wine that you might not know when you can drink again if not today.”

Just walking the night streets around Dongting Lake, numerous waiters came out and tempted people.

From the perspective of liquor sellers, the easiest people to rip off are exactly the people who visit such tourist spots.

Because these are people who have come already prepared to spend money.

Even if they are ripped off to some extent, they are ready to tolerate it as long as it is not an outrageous price.

Since the environment is like this, naturally the competition between brothels is fierce. Amidst this, there was a brothel that suddenly stood out recently.

Jinju Tower.

When this brothel first opened.

The surrounding competitors laughed inwardly.

Because the spot where Jinju Tower opened was a location where brothels had already opened and failed repeatedly.

If you open a brothel in that spot, it will fail.

It was a spot where that result was verified.

The cause was also clear.

Guests who look for brothels at Dongting Lake all want to drink while looking at the majestic scenery of Dongting Lake.

They enjoy luxurious alcohol and food while looking down at nature and listening to the dance and music of beautiful courtesans.

That was the basic.

But the place where Jinju Tower settled was too poor in location.

There were several other buildings between Dongting Lake and Jinju Tower, and most of those buildings were taller than the building where Jinju Tower was.

So Dongting Lake could not be seen.

It was a place where novices wasted money to open a brothel thinking vaguely that they could make money just by opening a brothel in Yueyang without knowing these adverse conditions, only to close down repeatedly.

But Jinju Tower was different.

The first thing Jinju Tower did after opening the brothel was to thoroughly remodel the brothel and change it into an accommodation facility.

“Are they trying to open as an inn?”

“Hmm……. Not bad. Since they can't enjoy the scenery anyway, focusing only on accommodation is good too.”

“But isn't the income too small compared to a brothel?”

“It's better than failing.”

So thought the surrounding competitors.

But when they remodeled the building and hung the signboard ‘Jinju Tower’, asserting it was a brothel, they laughed again.

They are going to fail as expected. Like that.

But Jinju Tower's next management method was different again.

Jinju Tower bought a large ship.

A huge ship that would be used for a large-scale shipping business.

And they thoroughly remodeled that ship as well.

They hung bright lanterns densely to light it up brightly, and in the center of the ship, they decorated a stage where courtesans could dance and sing.

And inside the cabin, they made a large kitchen so that hot dishes could be cooked directly on the spot, and on the deck, they made seats where people could enjoy alcohol and cuisine.

They created a brothel on board where one could enjoy drinking and dancing in earnest, not just a small boat for enjoying a petty boat ride.

Will that work?

Is it possible to do brothel business in such a bizarre way?

The surroundings watched Jinju Tower's moves with a gaze mixed with pessimism and curiosity.

And Jinju Tower's ship.

On the first day the Jinju Ship operated on Dongting Lake.

Jinju Tower boldly sent invitations to the merchants and rich people of Yueyang.

[We wish to invite the virtuous celebrities of Yueyang to spend a precious time. Please come and grace the occasion.]

It was a simple invitation, but many people whose curiosity was piqued visited. And what they saw that day was truly a fantastic experience.

The experience of going on a boat ride on a huge multi-decked ship was new, and the taste of the cuisine and the skills of the courtesans were also of a considerable level.

Above all, the greatest highlight was the latter half of the banquet.

When the sun went down and the dark night came…….

“Everyone, please look over there.”

The Tower Lord of Jinju Tower appeared and pointed to a place.

There was the downtown area where the most flashy and bright brothels in Yueyang were gathered.

Floating a boat on Dongting Lake and looking at that downtown area in the dark night, it was…….

“Oh…….”

“It is beautiful. Truly a magnificent view.”

“Mmm……. Indeed. This is why…….”

The sleepless city of Yueyang created by the densely gathered brothels with bright lanterns.

It was something they didn't know when they were inside, but looking at it from a distance, it looked like a pile of jewels glittering ecstatically.

Just as one who climbs to the summit of a mountain cannot see the appearance of the summit, those who are inside cannot see that spectacle.

It was a beauty that could only be seen by coming out on a boat to Dongting Lake like this.

As people admired it, the Tower Lord of Jinju Tower smiled brightly and said.

“Please continue to patronize our Jinju Tower a lot in the future.”

The reaction to this banquet was explosive.

Those who attended the banquet on this day boasted about the beautiful scenery and special experience they saw.

Most of the people who participated in the banquet were rich people who didn't lack money, and those to whom they spread the word were also mostly rich people.

And rich people do not spare money to have a special experience.

When Jinju Tower floated the ship for the second time.

They set an outrageous price of one hundred taels of gold just to board the ship, but even so, people willingly paid the price and boarded.

The number of people who boarded that day was thirty.

Jinju Tower created a legend in Yueyang by raising an income of three thousand taels of gold in just a single night.

Starting from this day, the number one tower of Yueyang had changed.

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