Chapter 1483: Why Are You Suddenly Here? (Part 3)

"Take a moment to enjoy yourselves!"

"Brothers! Today, fortune is shining on your faces! Would you like to check that fortune right here?"

"This servant who used to work in the Imperial Palace is here in our district today! It's an opportunity for you to dine on dishes fit for an emperor!"

A narrow street adorned with dazzling lights, numerous people eagerly hawking in close quarters.

In the midst of this spectacle, a group of martial art disciples, incongruent with the surroundings, walked innocently with naive expressions.

"Wow..."

"I didn't know such a place existed."

The disciples of Mount Hua looked around busily, blinking. Multicolored lights leaked out from the surrounding buildings, each showcasing its own splendor.

The fragrant scent of incense and the aroma of exquisite food wafted from all directions. Everything there was something that couldn't be easily experienced elsewhere.

"Oh, this person looks so cute!"

One of the passing ladies looked at Hye Yeon and, with a bright smile, clapped her hands. Hye Yeon's face turned crimson like a ripe persimmon in an instant. [Ahhhh! Cute!]

"Ah, Ami..."

Thunk!

Jo Gol reached out like a lightning bolt, covering his mouth. Hye Yeon, with wide round eyes, nodded quickly and unknowingly swallowed the embarrassment that had almost spilled out.

"Be careful when you speak."

"Sorry..."

Jo Gol shook his head, then focused on looking around again. Admiration flowed.

"But this place is really like a different world, Sahyung."

"That's right. I never knew a place like this existed in the world."

"If it's like this here, I wonder how extravagant Hanzhou was?"

It was at that moment when the disciples of Mount Hua were looking around with a mix of admiration and curiosity.

"Don't turn your eyes away, just look straight ahead."

"...Sorry."

A murderous voice came from behind. Simultaneously, everyone fixed their heads forward, sweating nervously.

Lee Song Baek gritted his teeth and sighed deeply.

It was truly an incomprehensible situation. Initially, his role was simply to turn a blind eye to their mischief.

'How did it come to this?'

But somehow, he ended up becoming an accomplice to these audacious thugs(?) impersonating Southern Edge. He couldn't just let these clueless people roam freely in the red-light district, even though he managed to avoid being bound by the conditions of their companionship. Involuntary groans of distress escaped him.

Not interacting was the best option. That was clear. However, it wasn't feasible to just let these clueless individuals roam freely in the night streets without any plan. In the end, although he avoided being tied up by the condition of accompanying them, it felt like treading on thin ice.

"Phew."

Lee Song Baek, who calmed his mind with a deep breath, spoke while suppressing his emotions.

"Don't cause any trouble. Don't talk, don't make eye contact. Just achieve your goal and return immediately."

"Yes."

"Understood?"

"Sorry." [someone should keep a counter for baek cheon lmfao]

"...If you can't say anything..."

Lee Song Baek pressed his throbbing head.

"Tsk tsk. These novices."

However, Chung Myung, after clicking his tongue, casually put his hand on Lee Song Baek's shoulder.

"Come on, don't make such a sad face. We're just doing a good deed. Isn't that right?"

"...Dojang."

"Well, when the distribution[?] is so small like this, don't worry. I'll make sure no accidents happen. Trust me."

Just when Chung Myung was confidently declaring.

"Oh, Daehyeop! This is only for Daehyeop to know, but we have some good liquor in our place today! We've got three bottles of the rare Shaoxing alcohol that's only served in Hangzhou! How about it? It seems like the perfect drink for you beauties!"

"What? Really? Can we go now?"

Chung Myung subtly moved his feet toward the enticing spot where they were promoting. Lee Song Baek, reacting quickly, grabbed Chung Myung's arm firmly.

"Dojaaaaang!"

"...Can't I just buy the liquor?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

"Ah, that one really sticks to your mouth..."

"Oh, by the way, at the contest held at our establishment today, the winner will receive Shaoxing alcohol brought from Beijing as a prize."

"What? I can't resist that! Let's go now!"

"Ah, just look ahead!"

"No, listen. That thing really kills. You haven't tasted it yet, so you don't know! I've tried it, I can't miss this!"

"Okay, just turn your head away!"

Chung Myung, seemingly disappointed, kept licking his lips. Lee Song Baek was rubbing the skin on his face so hard that he almost felt like tearing it off.

'If Sect leader finds out, he'll kill me.'

No, it didn't even need to go as far as the Sect leader.

If it was known that he abetted Baek Cheon disguised as Jin Geumryong, that would be enough for Jin Geumryong to strip off Lee Song Baek's skin and use it as a carpet in front of the Investigation Bureau. 

Now that it had come to this, there was no choice but to quickly end this absurd situation and desperately pretend not to know. That was the only way Lee Song Baek could survive. [(ಥ﹏ಥ) ...this is sadder than Namgung...]

"Are we there yet?"

"Tsk. Just a moment."

Chung Myung tapped his chest. Baek-Ah, who had withdrawn his head, wrinkled his nose again.

Squish!

With movements filled with more certainty than ever, his small paw pointed in one direction.

"It's this way."

"Are you sure?"

"Geez, you're so suspicious. This guy, just because he happened to come to Mount Hua and was treated as an emergency ration, in reality, he's a spiritual creature infamous in the Yunnan Beast Palace? Even if we sell him anywhere right now, we'll get more than a thousand pieces of gold..."

As Chung Myung spoke, he glanced down at Baek-Ah.

"Is that so? Come to think of it, this guy..."

Of course, strong resistance returned.

Kiiiiiiiii!

"Snap out of it!"

"Are you really a human, you punk?"

"Who sells out their colleagues?"

"Who said I was really selling him? Well, it's just like that."

Chung Myung clicked his tongue as if it were regrettable. Then, he trudged toward the direction pointed by Baek-Ah.

"Let's go. If this continues, we'll spend the night on the road."

"But, Chung Myung."

"Yeah?"

At that moment, Baek Cheon asked Chung Myung as if he couldn't understand.

"Don't pleasure districts usually not thrive around the Great Sects?"

"Usually, yes? Because it's visible."

"But this place seems incredibly huge?"

"Well, um... Maybe it's because it's a beggar's nest? It's less noticeable than if you run a pleasure district next to Taoists and monks."

"Well, that could be possible."

Jo Gol, who had been quietly listening, added a word.

"Hey, Sasuk. Why is that strange? It's not easy for beggars to get food in an ordinary house, so they must be getting leftover food from the entertainment establishments. To feed beggars like this, the establishments should be relatively large-scale, right? It's obvious."

"… For once, it makes sense that you come from a family of merchants."

"Is that a compliment?"

"Think of it that way if you want."

While Jo Gol and Baekcheon were bickering, Chung Myung's eyes, looking around, subtly sank.

'Come to think of it... was it originally like this here?'

He had almost never visited the Pleasure District before, so there was no special memory of its appearance at that time.

'But it didn't seem to be this extreme.'

Chung Myung, who was pondering for a moment, scratched his head.

In any case, whether the Pleasure District in Kaifeng grew larger or not didn't matter to him. What was important was that the person he was looking for was here. That part was more concerning to Chung Myung.

"Something... seems to be getting more splendid."

"...Honestly, it's a bit scary now."

"I've been seeing really scary guys since earlier. Are they from the Evil Sect?"

Seeing the disciples of Mount Hua, certified in Kangho as Evil Sect shredders, hunching their shoulders walking in a back alley, Lee Song Baek shook his head as if he couldn't believe it.

However, at that moment.

Kiii!

Baek-Ah, who popped out with a start, wrinkled his nose and stared at Chung Myung.

Kiii!

"Did you find it?"

Kiii!

"Wow!"

Chung Myung exclaimed. Although he had come a long way, he finally found the destination of Millenium Golden Pigeon.

"Where is it?"

He asked energetically. Baek-Ah immediately stretched out his front paw and pointed forward.

"Here?"

Kiii!

"Right, here?"

Kiiiiiii!

Everyone's eyes moved towards the direction pointed by that small, confident paw.

"...Uh..."

"...Here?"

The faces of the group distorted at once.

It was a seven-story building. It was so extravagant that it dwarfed all the palaces I had seen while walking down the street so far.

"...Pavilion of Heaven?"

"The name is quite ordinary."

"It's not bad-looking either."

Even at a glance, it was a high-end entertainment establishment that most people wouldn't even dare to step into.

"...Uh... here?"

"Baek-Ah. Is this really the right place? It feels a bit strange, doesn't it?"

Kiiii!

"Huh? Not here?"

Baek-Ah's cry was mixed with a strange irritation. At the mention that this was not the place, everyone's expression turned slightly tense. Well, of course, it couldn't be here....

Baek-Ah's front paw gradually rose upward.

"Huh?"

Why is the paw going up...?

Suddenly, the raised front paw stopped, pointing to none other than the highest point of the Heavenly Pavilion. It was the top floor, which looked much more splendid than other floors.

A silence flowed among the group.

Without saying a word, the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect alternated between Baek-Ah's front paw and the top floor of the Heavenly Pavilion. It took a while for them to come to their senses and speak.

"...The top."

"Oh, it's the top."

"Why does it have to be the top again?"

As the cold sweat began to seep out, Baek Cheon let out an awkward laugh.

"Well, let's at least consider it as a luxurious pavilion. Now that we're not penniless people, let's go in and see..."

Baek Cheon's words couldn't finish.

At that moment, he met eyes with a glamorous woman in an extravagant outfit, half-leaning out of the open window of the pavilion. She gestured for them to come in.

With a bright and charming smile, Baek Cheon turned his body towards the group. He laughed brightly and said.

"Originally, our goal was to confirm where the bird was going, right?"

"Yes, yes! Confirmed! Confirmed!"

"Isn't the goal achieved? Let's focus on that."

"Right. Now, let's go back. Quickly."

Everyone was about to turn around, but Chung Myung reached out and caught Baek Cheon's back.

"Where are you going?"

"Let go, you bastard! How can we enter there? It's obviously not just an ordinary pavilion!"

The rest of the disciples also fiercely resisted.

"Women in fancy attire have been coming and going from there! If we enter a place like that, Sect Leader will tear us apart!"

"Even if we're just pretending to be Taoists, we should at least observe some basic principles!"

"Oh, Amitabha Buddha. Burn me to death instead. Can't go! Can't go!"

"Have these people collectively lost their minds as a?"

Chung Myung kicked Hye Yeon's butt.

"After coming all the way here, let's just go back? Speak like a man!"

"Dojang! But this doesn't seem right."

"It's not up to you to decide whether it's right or not. And why are you so worried? Anyway, even if we go in, it's the Southern Edge Sect guys that go in."

"Huh?"

Ignoring Lee Song Baek's protests, Chung Myung took bold steps toward the pavilion. The brilliant and red light emanating from it reflected on Chung Myung's face.

"It's the top..."

At least, he thought it might be hidden somewhere in the building or underground, but wasn't this too much of an open invitation for someone to find him? 

"If they welcome us like this, we should confirm it. Let's go. Will ghosts or monsters come out?"

Chung Myung briefly spoke to the group.

"Let's go."

"Chung Myung...."

Trying to follow his strides, Baek Cheon swallowed dry saliva as he looked up at the high pavilion. The blood seemed to drain away from his body.

"Uh..."

Did he have to go in here?"

"Sasuk, about this? This... "

"...I'm Jin Geumryong."

"No, Sasuk, have you gone crazy too?"

Everyone tried to resist with feet dragging, but Chung Myung shouted again with an irritated voice.

"What are you standing there for? Come on!"

Finally resigned, the disciples of the Mount Hua Sect, covering their faces, followed Chung Myung.

"...Oh heavenly beings."

"Oh god, I think I'm going to pass out."

"Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha...."

Lee Songbaek, left alone behind them, muttered in dismay.

"Why did things turn out like this?"

His despondent voice, as if his soul had drained away, was blanketed by the laughter echoing from all directions.