Chapter 59: Preparing of the Trap (4)

Reception.

Something that neither Cheon Yura nor Baek Sang-ah had ever experienced in their lives—and probably never would again.

“Uh, that…”

They were both fired up to do better than their competitor no matter what, but this? This was a bit much.

While the two were hesitating, unsure how to respond—

“This sounds fun.”

From afar, Sa Biyeon, who had remained silent until now, finally opened her mouth.

“If it’s reception, I’ve done it plenty while dealing with our clan’s merchant guests. Though it’s my first time dealing with regular people, drawing attention shouldn’t be too hard.”

Sa Biyeon instantly saw through my intentions.

As expected of a direct descendant of the Black Gold Sa Clan—her perception was truly something else.

“As expected! I feel reassured, Lady Sa.”

“Oh, please. It’s nothing compared to Young Master Jin’s scheming.”

Sa Biyeon and I exchanged a smile as we faced each other.

The other two, now feeling like dogs that had chased after chickens in vain, blinked blankly.

“Bi, Biyeon?”

“Y-Young Master?”

They were somehow sharing a moment that the others didn’t understand, and for some reason, the sight was irritating to the two women.

“Ah, since Lady Sa offered to help, if it’s too burdensome for you, there’s really no need to—”

“As if I’d back out?!”

“I can do it!”

And so, the three of them were put to work in the Teahouse.

Baek Sang-ah, naturally lively by disposition, adapted to the reception work without much difficulty.

Thanks to the harsh environment of the Thousand-Day Pass, her way of speaking had gotten a little rough around the edges, but her inherent cheerfulness absorbed the attention of everyone around her like a vacuum.

However, there were occasionally some guests who got a bit too handsy.

“Guest?”

“Do you know whose shoulder you’re touching?”

“Wanna get hit?”

Even before Baek Sang-ah could react, the attendants of the Thousand-Day Pass would step in like phantoms and punish the offending guest immediately.

On the other hand…

Cheon Yura struggled to adjust at first.

She had spent her entire life being attended to, so she wasn’t used to being the one providing the hospitality.

More than anything—

“You bastard!”

“Do you know who you’re laying hands on?!”

“I’ll kill you!”

Whether it was harassment or just some extended conversation, the moment things dragged on, the Three Attendants would draw their blades and explode like mad dogs, making it difficult for her to even engage in proper conversation with the guests.

Thanks to that, I had to step in and give those three several stern warnings before she could get used to the job.

But even after adjusting to the work, Cheon Yura’s expression didn’t lighten up one bit.

It wasn’t because she was being outshone by the tiny Baek Sang-ah.

“Ohhh!”

“She really knows everything!”

“A noble lady of vast knowledge! Truly a noble lady of infinite insight!”

The one bringing in the highest revenue at the Teahouse wasn’t Cheon Yura. Nor was it Baek Sang-ah.

“Manager! I made a big profit thanks to this young lady’s discerning eye. I’ll cover the Teahouse’s revenue for the whole day!”

“Ohhhh!”

“……”

Cheon Yura felt a strange sense of betrayal.

—

The Black Tiger Sect.

There were at least dozens of miscellaneous unorthodox factions in the central plains that went by the name ‘Black Tiger Sect,’ but near Eastern Sea City, this was the one people referred to.

They were the top lackeys of the Evil Overlords of Heaven who were based in Eastern Sea City.

They had over two hundred members. Most of them weren’t even third-rate, let alone second-rate, just low-level thugs. But with the backing of the Evil Overlords of Heaven and their overwhelming numbers, they held the position of overlords among Eastern Sea City’s unorthodox sects.

“What? A Teahouse?”

“Yes, people have suddenly started flooding into the Teahouse operated by the Nine Moons Blade Hall.”

Wang Jak, the leader of the Black Tiger Sect, who went by the name Black Flat Claw , clicked his tongue.

“Tch, over a damn teahouse?”

To a typical unorthodox martial artist like Wang Jak, a Teahouse—unlike a brothel—was considered a place for soft nobles and scholars. He had a strong bias against it.

The vice-leader, Heukseo, whispered lowly.

“Well, it’s just that some breathtaking beauties have recently been deployed there as receptionists.”

“What? Beauties?”

“Yes, supposedly they’re the kind of stunning women you’d never see in this area.”

“Heh!”

Wang Jak felt a twitch below his belt.

Given his position, he was never starved for women, but a true beauty was another matter.

Especially those considered top-tier—most of them were all gathered in Everlasting Decree Fortress, and even he was just another no-name thug there.

“Hmph, Nine Moons Blade Hall, huh. Still, Bang Manhu isn’t someone to be taken lightly.”

It had already been centuries since the Nine Moons Blade Hall had established itself in Eastern Sea City.

Despite being a demonic sect, they operated their business openly within the city. That alone spoke volumes about the hall’s history and strength.

Heukseo continued to push.

“What’s there to hesitate about, Leader? It’s not like we’re going after the main branch of the Nine Moons Blade Hall, just a single Teahouse.”

“There’s no justification! Even with ‘that person’ watching our backs, without the top experts from the main Evil Overlords of Heaven, it’s impossible to go head-to-head with the Nine Moons Blade Hall!”

Wang Jak, as lustful as he was, still had a functioning brain.

No matter how refined and polite they were, the Nine Moons Blade Hall was not a group the Black Tiger Sect could match overall.

“What do you mean, Leader? We’re going as customers.”

“What? Customers?”

“If their service is terrible, isn’t it our right as customers to ‘formally’ complain?”

Wang Jak’s ears perked up.

“There’s no need to start a fight. As long as we stir things up without crossing the line, the regular customers will just start leaving on their own.”

So far, they had taken over three brothels using this exact method.

“And in that confusion, what’s a little physical contact? If things escalate… we can always ‘invite’ them to the main branch.”

“Hahahaha.”

Wang Jak let out a satisfied laugh.

“You’re truly my wallet!”

Just like his name, Heukseo’s cunning was far from ordinary.

“Call the boys. We’re heading to the Teahouse.”

“How many should we gather?”

“About twenty should be enough.”

They weren’t planning on starting an all-out war anyway, so twenty men would be plenty for intimidation.

* * *

“That’s… Wang Jak, the Black Flat Claw!”

“That bastard actually showed up here!”

Many merchants frowned upon Wang Jak’s arrival.

“This is bad. The worst possible thug just showed up.”

“The Three Winds Inn I used to go to also got ruined because of those guys.”

“Even if the Nine Moons Blade Hall is behind this place… will it be alright?”

Despite the chaos stirred up by the unorthodox sects, Sea and Moon Teahouse remained crowded with customers, thanks to their firm belief that the Nine Moons Blade Hall would keep the troublemakers in check.

Wang Jak shuffled into the Teahouse and looked around before shouting.

“They say there are a lot of beauties in this place! Anyone hear anything?!”

The Black Tiger Sect members who followed him glared around the room, their gazes aggressive.

The bustling Teahouse went dead silent in an instant.

Wang Jak grabbed a nearby customer by the collar and lifted him up.

“Didn’t you hear the elder talking to you? You deaf or something?!”

“Uwaaaah! I-I—!”

The customer trembled in fear, eyes lowered.

That was when a sharp yet clear voice rang out from the far end.

“Are you a customer?”

Cheon Yura, who had been working upstairs, slowly descended the staircase.

“Oh? Ohoooo?”

The moment Wang Jak laid eyes on Cheon Yura, his eyes widened.

Her features were a bit sharp, but that made her even more appealing in his eyes.

Her flawless skin and a perfectly trained body, like that of someone who had practiced martial arts, seized Wang Jak’s gaze.

A beauty worthy of the term peerless, a face that could outshine the moon and flowers!

At that moment, any thought of stirring up trouble slowly to create justification vanished from Wang Jak’s mind completely.

“Oh no…”

“Why’d it have to be someone like him…”

Many in the room watched Cheon Yura with eyes full of sympathy.

Whatever the others said, Wang Jak remained fixated on Cheon Yura and opened his mouth.

“What… what’s your name, girl?”

“My name?”

Cheon Yura tilted her head slightly and looked up at him.

That gesture reminded Wang Jak of the first time he saw Chun-yeong, the landowner’s daughter from the next village over, back when he was a boy.

At least, until Cheon Yura’s next words.

“You are not worthy of knowing my name.”

“…What?”

“What is that in your hand? If I remember correctly, that person is a customer of this Teahouse, no?”

Wang Jak still had the terrified customer hanging in his right hand.

Cheon Yura’s eyes darkened.

“You don’t look like a customer. Put him down and get out.”

“Heh… hehehe…”

Wang Jak let out a hollow laugh.

His warm desire rapidly turned into blazing fury, and murderous intent surged in his head.

“You filthy bitch, I was gonna go easy on you!”

Wang Jak’s left palm flew toward Cheon Yura’s cheek.

“Miss!”

One of the merchants screamed. He was sure Cheon Yura’s face was about to be brutally struck.

But—

“Didn’t I tell you to put him down?”

“Huh?”

Wang Jak’s left hand sliced through the air, hitting nothing.

That wasn’t all.

His right arm, which had been holding the man by the collar, was rapidly losing strength!

“W-what the—?”

Thud!

Not only had she dodged the strike, Cheon Yura had slipped in between the customer and Wang Jak and now stood as a barrier.

She then pressed her palm to his side.

And unleashed her force.

Boom!

“Grahhhh!”

In an instant, Wang Jak’s massive body was launched and slammed into a corner of the Teahouse.

“What the hell?”

It had all happened so fast that many couldn’t keep up with what was going on.

“We—we’re screwed.”

The moment he saw Wang Jak go down in a single strike, Heukseo instinctively realized it.

The ability to release palm force like that without any visible preparation was proof that she was at least a First-rate Martial Artist!

“It’s a trap!”

“E-everyone, run for it!”

It didn’t matter if their boss had gone down. Survival came first!

Just as Heukseo dashed toward the entrance to escape—

“Whoa now.”

“That won’t do.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The Three Attendants, along with the guards of the Thousand-Day Pass, had already blocked the exit.

“Finally, it was worth coming here.”

“I was getting bored. This works.”

The guards from the Thousand-Day Pass, who had been weary of boring escort and standby duty, were visibly excited for some real action.

“Heeeek!”

Even though the ones blocking the entrance were all young men, Heukseo instinctively knew he couldn’t get through them.

At that moment—

“Goodness, what’s all this commotion, everyone?!”

A man who had been observing the situation calmly descended to the first floor with an expression of total innocence.

“Oh! The manager!”

“Manager!”

As soon as I came down, I headed straight for the large man who had been thrown into the corner.

Then I raised my voice dramatically.

“Oh no! Isn’t this the infamous Wang Jak of the Black Tiger Sect?!”

“……”

“What kind of outrage have you come here to inflict on our Teahouse?!”

I leaned close to Wang Jak’s ear, who had already passed out in the corner.

Then, as if I had heard something, I nodded repeatedly and exclaimed:

“Ohhh! So you came here with tricks up your sleeve, planning to take over our Teahouse, is that it?!”

“W-what kind of bullshit is that?!”

Heukseo raised his voice in utter disbelief—but before he could go further—

Zzzt!

“Gah!”

He was instantly silenced by the murderous aura lightly emitted by Cheon Yura.

I dramatically addressed the crowd.

“Ah, how tragic. That the unorthodox Black Tiger Sect would dare threaten the peace of Eastern Sea City—how outrageous is this?”

People with quick wits were already starting to realize where I was going with this.

“Our Sea and Moon Teahouse will ensure that the Black Tiger Sect pays full compensation for the damages they have caused to our establishment and to Eastern Sea City!”

Heukseo shrieked as if he were having a seizure.

“W-wait a moment! What damages are you even talking about?! If anything, our leader is the one who—!”

“Say another word.”

With Cheon Yura’s killing intent and the glares of everyone present bearing down on him, Heukseo shriveled up on the spot.

“I-it was nothing, really…”

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