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Chapter 17
Though he had lost to the tiger of Cheonwolru, the man still took pride in his own skills.
In the Jiangxi region, he was recognized by both his master and peers as the most talented of the first-generation disciples of the New Moon Sect (Sinwolmun).
He might have been caught off guard by the sudden strike of a tiger cub, but against humans, he was confident he could freely display his swordsmanship.
Gathering up the shattered pieces of his pride, he soon stepped into a tavern.
It was an ordinary place — neither large nor small — and looked no different from the countless other inns scattered throughout Luoyang.
However, the person who guided him led him to the second floor. Following that lead, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
It seemed that someone had rented out the entire floor; aside from one occupied table, it was completely empty.
“Oh, you came. Is it your turn this time, Yi-ja?”
“I just lost. To that damned beast cub.”
“Ha! I bet you could use a drink, then. How about one?”
The martial artist accepted the offered cup but didn’t drink. Instead, he looked at the man sitting across from him — the one who had handed it to him.
“Why did you call me here?”
“Didn’t my friend tell you? I asked if you could spare some time.”
“And what’s this about, then…?”
The man, dressed in elegant silk garments and a neatly arranged hero’s robe, appeared to be in his early twenties. At his waist hung a sword with ornate decorations.
“My name is Ma Baek, eldest son of the Ma Trading Company.”
“I’ve long heard of your family’s reputation. I am Yang Pae, first-generation disciple of the New Moon Sect.”
“A pleasure to meet you. Ahem. As for me… I was the first one to suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of that damned beast cub.”
At the memory, Ma Baek’s eyes gleamed with killing intent.
“That beast broke my leg. The humiliation! The shame! How could I ever forget it?”
Ma Baek clenched his fist, his voice rising with fury. Around him, the others nodded fiercely, each seething with the same resentment.
“I got slapped by one of Cheonwolru’s courtesans just for passing by!”
“I collapsed in front of the bastards I’d been betting against!”
“I didn’t train martial arts just to lose to a tiger cub the size of my fist!”
Their shouts came from deep within their chests — pure rage and humiliation.
Ma Baek’s voice rose above the rest.
“But that’s not the real reason we’re angry, is it? Why do we truly rage against that beast? It’s because that creature keeps us from even speaking to the courtesans of Cheonwolru!”
Yang Pae nodded silently.
Was there anyone here who wasn’t interested in the courtesans of Cheonwolru?
Visiting Cheonwolru was a way to prove one’s status and ability — though there were, of course, other ways to gain fame.
“So what exactly are you proposing?”
“What if I told you there’s a way to meet the courtesans without crossing Cheonwolru’s threshold? If you were personally invited by one, even a man of modest skill could get inside.”
It sounded tempting — plausible, even.
“Not only that,” Ma Baek continued, “it would also give us the chance to get revenge on that damned beast cub.”
“You have a plan, then?”
“I do.”
Ma Baek’s eyes gleamed as he lowered his voice.
“I’ve been watching Cheonwolru closely for quite some time. I’ve already made preparations. But I’ll only share them with those who agree to take part in the plan.”
“In that case…”
“I mean to make this certain. If you sign, there’ll be no backing out. So — what do you say?”
Ma Baek handed over a sheet of paper written in elegant calligraphy. Yang Pae read the contents carefully.
“Everyone here has already signed,” Ma Baek added. “Will you join us?”
His hesitation didn’t last long.
“…Fine.”
And so, the plan for revenge by those wounded in pride by the tiger of Cheonwolru took shape — right there, in broad daylight, inside a humble tavern.
The fox frowned.
“Who knew getting herbs with money would be this difficult?”
He had confidently promised the Mountain Lord (Sangun), but acquiring medicinal herbs turned out to be far harder than expected.
He’d heard that some sects even formed their own trading branches or secured exclusive rights from local herb gatherers just to ensure a steady supply.
Cheonwolru, after all, was primarily a pleasure house. It only ever bought small amounts of herbs — usually as morale boosters for its guards or as gifts to reward merit.
The problem lay with the Mountain Lord’s condition.
“Ten percent recovery puts him between a second-rate and first-rate martial artist, by human standards.”
That alone was already extraordinary. It was hard to even imagine what level he would reach if he regained his full power.
Even at his peak, the Mountain Lord had once been bound by the Blood Sect (Hyeolgyo). That meant he needed to recover as soon as possible — and prepare for their inevitable return. His current internal energy, barely between second- and first-rate, was nowhere near enough.
But they had to maintain their human disguises, and that alone consumed a great deal of qi.
Judging by the Mountain Lord’s attitude, revealing their true nature as spirit beasts was unwise. But finding herbs that met his standards while staying hidden as humans was…
“…Impossible.”
Yes, nearly impossible.
Even with all his connections, there weren’t many willing to sell precious herbs to a brothel madam or someone associated with the Hao Sect.
High-ranking nobles? If they had herbs to sell, they’d rather offer them to the Imperial Court — it was far more profitable.
Cheonwolru had been founded by people of low birth. Even that status, the fox thought bitterly, didn’t carry much weight.
Still, reality was what it was — and the fox had to come up with another solution.
“I’ll just have to go find them myself.”
Having reached that conclusion, he stood up.
[Going out to gather herbs yourself?]
[Yeah. I wanted to handle it through humans, but they’re being so stingy with the good stuff…]
The fox clicked his tongue in irritation.
[So I’m going to roam the mountains in my true form. That way, I can find herbs that’ll satisfy both Sangun and myself.]
At that, a groan escaped me.
[…Is it really that hard? The whole reason we came to the human realm was because it’d be dangerous for a tiger cub to wander alone searching for herbs.]
[That’s even worse. Humans have a hard time finding spiritual herbs at all. Those without internal cultivation are terribly weak in the wild.]
The fox sighed, shaking his head.
[Martial sects that consume large amounts of herbs and elixirs usually have entire supply systems for them. And since they think a brothel madam doesn’t need rare herbs, they’re even more cautious about selling any.]
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but fall silent. I had thought the human world would be safer and more convenient than the wild, but it turned out to have its own hidden difficulties.
“If the fox weren’t the Hao Sect’s leader, it’d be even harder.”
Without his position as the head of an information guild, it would’ve been nearly impossible to find safe places or secure herbs.
[Anyway, that’s how it is. So behave yourself while I’m gone, all right?]
As the fox turned his back and began to walk away, I called out:
[Then shouldn’t I go out myself to look for herbs? I’ve recovered about ten percent — I could at least manage that much…]
[Don’t be ridiculous. Even if martial artists are rare, you’re still in the human realm. To other spirit beasts, a weakened Mountain Lord is just a delicious meal waiting to happen.]
The fox snorted, narrowing his eyes.
[And don’t forget — there might be ones who still hold grudges after you punished them. When you’re weak, it’s best to keep your head down. That’s how you get your revenge later.]
I couldn’t argue with that. There were indeed beasts who’d once provoked me, only to be chased away after a good thrashing. And though “delicious meal” was a rude way to put it — it wasn’t entirely wrong.
So instead of insisting, I offered a warning of my own.
[Don’t take unnecessary risks. Otherwise, you’ll make our whole return pointless.]
The fox paused mid-step and turned his head with a smirk.
[Sangun, I’m a nine-tailed fox — a gumiho. I was known for my cunning even as a beast. If I put my mind to it, there’s no danger I can’t avoid.]
With that, he waved casually in his human form and began to walk away from Cheonwolru.
I swallowed the words that rose in my throat.
You’re gonna get yourself killed, idiot.
“Still… the Blood Sect hasn’t reappeared yet, so maybe—wait, damn it! This isn’t the time to relax!”
Realizing something, I immediately gathered qi into my legs and sprinted in the direction the fox had gone.
“Eh? Uwahh!!”
[Stop! Stop right now!]
With a loud thud, the fox tripped and fell forward. I landed safely on top of him, using his back as a cushion.
“W-what, what?! Sangun, why?!”
[Shut up and get underground — that hidden room, now!]
I rammed my head into his waist to knock him over again, biting onto his robe and tugging hard.
[I was about to go find herbs! What’s the problem?!]
[Just move. Something important came back to me.]
Grumbling, the fox dusted off his clothes, scooped me up, and hurried off toward the hidden chamber.
