🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 04
Since what he had heard from his three masters—Godo Maya, Cheon Nam-yeon, and Gu Yeong-cheol—differed somewhat from the reality, Geomryeong asked:
“They are all the same kind of people. They take what benefits them and discard what doesn’t… And the Black Tiger Sect’s boss, Mankyung, is constantly bribing the local magistrate to protect them. If we report them, they come immediately to make trouble, so we can’t even file a complaint.”
From their perspective, martial artists and government officials were no different from the Black Tiger Sect’s thugs.
“I see… the world really is full of bad people.”
Geomryeong smiled faintly and requested the items to be delivered.
“Take this to Jinsang Lumber in the next village.”
“Yes! Then please take care.”
Geomryeong took the fabric and left the cloth merchant.
“I need to understand the world a bit better. It’s a little different from what the elders taught me…”
To witness the true nature of a red-light district, one must wait until night.
At night, the establishments light their lanterns in preparation to welcome guests. In Hyanghang’s red-light district, there were seven establishments—six blue houses that sold drinks and laughter, and one red house where women sold their bodies.
Hongaru was the only red house in Hyanghang, operated by the Black Tiger Sect.
As night fell once more, the establishments lit their lanterns to receive guests. However, Hongaru’s lantern remained unlit, as if it were not yet ready.
“Unni, what should we do?”
The gisaeng working at Hongaru gathered in the large reception room, looking somewhat serious.
Typically, gisaeng working in a red house worked until dawn or morning, then slept before rising late in the afternoon. On this day, they had finished their usual morning work, washed and prepared to begin evening duties, but as they left their rooms for the bathroom, a fishy smell caught their attention. When they entered the reception room, they found the Black Tiger Sect boss Mankyung and his gang lying dead, bleeding.
The gisaeng screamed in shock, but quickly quieted down. With the Black Tiger Sect gone, there were no more people to torment them.
The eldest among the gisaeng at Hongaru, Hong Ah-yeon, had gathered all the women into the reception room.
The gisaeng felt no sadness or pity seeing the Black Tiger Sect members dead; rather, they insulted them for dying.
“From now on, no one will bind us anymore,” Hong Ah-yeon said.
The gisaeng listened carefully.
“Those who want to return home, go home.”
They looked at her. Her tone indicated she would stay.
Hong Ah-yeon gave a self-deprecating smile, as if understanding the gisaengs’ gazes.
“I’ve lost count of how many men have taken my body to satisfy their desires.”
She told her story of life at Hongaru, which reflected the experiences of most women gathered there.
“Even if I returned home, would anyone welcome me? They’d call me a whore. It wasn’t my fault—I was forced here because of my husband’s gambling debts and made to sleep with other men—but people would point fingers at me, not him.”
Some gisaeng nodded. They too feared the same fate if they returned home.
“I’ll stay here. Rather than being shamed at home, I’ll live and die in peace here—that’s my fortune.”
“Unni…”
“I don’t know who killed them all, but I consider this my blessing. I think it’s fate giving me a chance to live a new life here, and I want to run Hongaru as a blue house, not a red house.”
Several gisaeng decided to follow Hong Ah-yeon’s lead.
“But will the magistrate stay quiet?” one asked.
Previously, Mankyung bribed the magistrate and brought him to the house to take women, but now that it’s no longer possible, the gisaeng worried about the magistrate’s reaction.
“Don’t worry! I’ll handle the magistrate,” Hong Ah-yeon said.
The gisaeng nodded, recalling that whenever the magistrate came, it was not other women he sought—it was her.
“Unni…”
They understood her intention. Even though Hongaru would become a blue house, Hong Ah-yeon herself would still give her body to men if necessary.
“Don’t worry about me! I’ve lived this way anyway. But you all shouldn’t live like me.”
The gisaeng were moved by her words.
“Why should we suffer because of our parents, husbands, or lovers? You don’t need to live like that.”
“But Unni…”
“One is enough. Then many people can be happy.”
Tears welled in their eyes as they listened.
“I’ll meet the magistrate and explain the situation to get a clear confirmation.”
“What confirmation?”
“We need protection. Others might try to interfere. I’ll use the magistrate as a safeguard…”
The gisaeng reflected on her plan.
“Think it over until I return, then tell me your decisions.”
“We will, Unni.”
“Yeonhee, talk to the younger girls. Those inexperienced should be allowed to leave.”
“Yes, sorry, Unni.”
“No need to apologize. If this is my fate, accepting it isn’t so bad. I’ll go now.”
Hong Ah-yeon left the reception room to meet the magistrate.
“Think carefully about what’s best for you and then tell me.”
Hyanghang’s marketplace and shops were jubilant.
The Black Tiger Sect’s thugs, who had tormented and extorted them, were completely wiped out overnight.
No one knew who killed them, but merchants praised the unknown killer and celebrated the demise of the gang.
“Really!”
Geomryeong was in a heated argument with Jin Ah-seol—not just a normal quarrel. With Geomryeong, debating with her had become a daily routine.
“Liar!”
“It’s true! I killed all of the Black Tiger Sect’s thugs.”
“How did you kill them?” Jin Ah-seol snapped.
“Well… I focused my inner energy, sprayed life energy, and they bled and fell instantly. Weaklings.”
Geomryeong proudly recounted the story, while Jin Ah-seol gave a look that said, “Who would believe such a lie?”
“Where does that even exist?”
Though young and naive, Geomryeong had enough worldly knowledge from observing other martial artists to understand some things.
“It does exist—here.”
Passersby smiled faintly at their playful argument. Arguing like that daily was almost amusing.
“Tch, they tease me for being young, but I know everything I need to know.”
“What?”
“That killing someone with life energy is even hard for a martial arts master,” said Mr. Naguk.
“See? I told you—I’m the strongest martial artist.”
“Liar! If you were, why are you here?”
“Even martial arts masters need money.”
“Mr. Naguk said masters are often recruited by martial arts clans.”
“Really? Then why didn’t he recruit me?”
Geomryeong’s teasing left Jin Ah-seol speechless.
“You’re not a master, that’s why.”
Geomryeong nodded.
“Are the masters I know different from the martial arts masters? They said no martial artist could defeat me.”
“Who said that?”
“My elders.”
“Elders?”
“Yes, the ones who raised me. They said so.”
“Weren’t your teachers also strong masters? Then why elders? You’re a liar.”
“Ah, elders and masters are the same to me. Don’t distrust people blindly.”
“I don’t trust anyone but you.”
Feeling defeated, Jin Ah-seol said:
“I won’t talk to you.”
Geomryeong turned and left the Gangnam Pyo-guk.
“Where are you going?”
“To work. If I don’t work, I don’t eat, right?”
Watching Geomryeong leave, Jin Ah-seol smiled brightly. Today, she had won.
When Geomryeong entered the marketplace, he noticed the change in expressions.
Merchants laughed, bargaining voices grew louder, and gestures became more animated.
Having known many merchants, Geomryeong greeted them lightly, observing their joy. Seeing everyone happy, he felt oddly cheerful.
“So that’s why elders said not to tolerate injustice.”
He made his way to the Continental Arena at the edge of the market.
The arena, operated by the Five-Star Guild, was well-known in Guangdong Province. Most users were merchants.
Geomryeong entered and retrieved a note from his pocket.
“I’m here to deposit this.”
He handed it to the clerk.
The note represented 100,000 silver coins taken from the Black Tiger Sect’s treasury after dispatching them.
The clerk, suspicious at first, handed back a receipt after checking. He realized there was no harm in trusting Geomryeong; losing such a customer could cost him his job.
Geomryeong tucked the receipt away and left.
“I’ll stay here a bit longer, learn how people live, then travel to the Central Plains.”
He realized he needed to understand the world more.
Until now, his life had been isolated on Black Dark Island with his three masters. Though he had learned some wisdom from them, the world seemed far more complex.
“To avoid being exploited, I must first know a lot,” said Ghost Elder, and Geomryeong remembered this.
