Chapter 16: A Woman’s Favor
Dang Hwa-rin led me straight to a high-end inn.
The three-story building looked luxurious and grand even from the outside.
"It must be expensive."
"Hahaha! Don't worry. It's my treat."
I suppose that’s what you’d expect from a young lady of a wealthy family.
Dang Hwa-rin pushed through the beaded curtain with a confident stride and stepped inside.
"Welcome! Oh my! Young Miss!"
It wasn't a disheveled waiter who greeted us.
A middle-aged woman, dressed more elegantly than one would expect for an inn, welcomed us with a bright smile.
"It’s been a while."
"Indeed. Why have you been so scarce? I always keep the Kung Pao Chicken you like prepared, just in case."
"Hahaha! Shall we have some of that today, then? Warrior Jang, please, come on in."
The two beautiful women turned to look at me, smiling.
The middle-aged woman even covered her mouth and whispered something to Dang Hwa-rin.
"Oh my. Who is this? He looks quite manly. Could it be…?"
"Hoho! No, no. What are you talking about?"
"Young Miss, I have an eye for people. He seems like a fine man. There might be a bit of an age gap, but what does that matter? Go for it."
"Really? You think he looks good too, Sister?"
"I certainly do. Hohoho!"
I just blinked, pretending I hadn't heard a word.
I wondered how they would react if they knew I had heard every syllable.
"The third floor happens to be empty. It’s a bit early, so there are no other guests. Would you like to head up?"
"Let’s do that. Warrior! Let’s go up."
The woman bowed slightly to me and vanished somewhere, while Dang Hwa-rin waved for me to follow.
The inn, already vibrant, seemed to fill with a pleasant, floral fragrance the moment her laughter joined the air.
There were a few other guests in the inn, and they seemed to feel the same way; they stopped eating and stared blankly at Dang Hwa-rin.
"Let’s go."
I followed Dang Hwa-rin up the stairs.
"Welcome."
A well-dressed waitress was waiting on the third floor as well.
Dang Hwa-rin familiarly took a seat by the window.
I sat across from her.
"Ah! This is refreshing!"
A lovely smile graced Dang Hwa-rin’s lips as she looked out the window.
"The view is nice, isn't it?"
"It is."
The mountain range stretching out like a folding screen in the distance revealed the majesty of the earth against the sky, and the streets of Chengdu, visible in their entirety, were brimming with vitality.
While the Imperial Capital or Anhui might be more flamboyant, Chengdu possessed a unique charm where rugged nature and civilization harmonized.
"Would you like to order?"
"We already ordered downstairs."
"Yes, Young Miss."
Everyone in Chengdu knew Dang Hwa-rin.
Born into a prestigious family, she must have been treated with deference since she was a child.
Yet, Dang Hwa-rin never lost her humility when dealing with others.
Whether it was a low-ranking warrior like me or a waiter at an inn, she never failed to use polite language.
Perhaps that was why she stole wealth to distribute it to the poor.
‘No, that’s not it. The Tang Clan has plenty of resources; there’s no reason for her to resort to thievery.’
Dang Hwa-rin, who had been looking out the window, turned her head toward me.
Perhaps because the cold wind had drifted in through the window, her cheeks were slightly flushed.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Ah. It is because you are beautiful, Miss Dang."
"……."
Dang Hwa-rin’s eyes curved into crescents.
"If any other man had said that to me, I would have thrown hidden weapons at him first. But hearing it from you, Warrior Jang, makes me feel good."
"Oh dear. It seems I have made a mistake. My apologies. I didn't mean anything by it; I just spoke what came to mind, and..."
"Hahaha! It’s fine. I really am happy to hear it. I’m not being sarcastic."
"Then I am relieved."
I bowed my head slightly to apologize to Dang Hwa-rin.
Still, it was strange.
Even if this body had a manly face, it wasn't the type of appearance most women would favor. Didn't women usually prefer pretty, delicate men like the young masters of the great families?
And yet, Dang Hwa-rin’s favor seemed genuine.
‘Come to think of it…’
Thinking about it, Nan-sim of the Sichuan Branch was the same, and so was the innkeeper I met today. I could understand the Owner of the Dream Pavilion, as we had spent a long time together, but I couldn't fathom why women I met for the first time would show such interest in me.
‘Wait. Could it be this?’
Suddenly, the Bedchamber Arts of Kunlun came to mind.
Since these changes had occurred after I mastered the Bedchamber Arts, it was reasonable to assume that was the cause.
‘How peculiar.’
Well, it wasn't a bad thing to be favored by others.
I brushed the thought aside as insignificant.
"Do you come to this inn often?"
"I’ve been coming here since I was little. Their chicken dish is exquisite. I’m quite fond of chicken dishes, you see. Hohoho!"
"I see."
*Creak. Creak. Creak.*
Just then, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Judging by the presence, there were about three or four men.
Given that they were coming up despite knowing Dang Hwa-rin was on the third floor, they didn't seem to be of ordinary status.
"Oh! Look who it is! The flower of the Tang Clan! Isn't that Miss Dang!"
"……."
The look in Dang Hwa-rin’s eyes, which had been smiling brightly, turned vicious in an instant.
The woman who had been like a fresh spring flower toward me since last night was now exuding a poisonous aura like a deadly blossom.
They say a woman’s transformation is innocent.
It was enough to make me wonder which side was the real one.
"It’s been a while, Young Master Song."
"Hahaha! You appeared in my dreams last night, so I suppose it was destiny that we would meet like this."
I turned my head to see a man in his early twenties wearing a blue robe.
Judging by his face and the clothes he wore, he looked like the son of some wealthy family.
That must be why he had guards trailing behind him like that.
"Miss Dang. Since we’ve met by fate, how about we move to another place?"
The man called Young Master Song didn't even ask; he just grabbed a chair and sat down at the table next to ours.
Dang Hwa-rin’s face immediately twisted into an expression as if she had stepped in dung.
"Why should I do that?"
"Do we really need a reason between us?"
"What the hell. What is 'us'?"
"Huh? W-what did you say?"
The slick bastard apparently hadn't heard the curse Dang Hwa-rin had spat out so quickly.
Then again, it wasn't common for such a beautiful mouth to spew profanity.
"Young Master Song. Can't you see I have company?"
"Hmm? Company?"
Only then did his gaze shift toward me.
He scanned me from head to toe with a look that said, *Who is this bastard?* I could fully understand why Dang Hwa-rin hated him so much.
"Warrior Jang. This is the son of a family that runs a small merchant group in Sichuan. He’s a petty man who prides himself on being a secular disciple of the Mount Qingcheng Sect."
"W-what did you say?"
Dang Hwa-rin looked at him with an ice-cold expression.
"Young Master Song. This is Warrior Jang from the Murim Alliance. He is here on important business for Sichuan, and my family is taking special care of him. Is it your intention to interfere with this, Young Master Song, or is it the intention of your esteemed sect, Mount Qingcheng?"
"Umm…."
Hearing that I was from the Murim Alliance, the slick man’s face stiffened.
Dang Hwa-rin had escalated this from a simple case of a man pestering her to a matter involving his sect.
At this point, the logical step was to back down.
Sure enough.
He stood up from his seat and took a few steps back.
Instead, his four guards surrounded us as if to trap us.
One of Dang Hwa-rin’s eyebrows twitched.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Miss Dang. And the nameless warrior of the Alliance. We will treat you with the utmost respect, so please come with us. There is no reason to see blood on such a fine day."
"……."
For a moment, Dang Hwa-rin’s gaze and mine locked in the air.
These men hadn't just happened to stop by. They had come specifically targeting Dang Hwa-rin.
They said Mount Qingcheng and Emei were pressuring the Tang Clan over the Map of Sambong Island.
It seemed this was an extension of that matter.
"How dare you! You! Can you take responsibility for this!"
"Tsk. I treated you with some respect because you were pretty, but with a temper like that, who would ever want to take you?"
"You son of a bitch! What did you say!"
Dang Hwa-rin jumped up from her seat.
At the same time, the four guards drew their swords.
"Even if it’s you, you won't be able to fend off-"
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Four streaks of light shot toward the guards.
Thudding sounds followed immediately, and the guards let out groans.
"Argh!"
"Ugh!"
A throwing knife was embedded in each of the guards' hands.
"W-what is this!"
Song Baek-hwi jumped back in surprise.
Dang Hwa-rin looked at me with wide eyes.
"Warrior Jang?"
I held the last throwing knife in one hand and stared calmly at Song Baek-hwi.
Then, I threw it without hesitation.
"Young Master!"
"Dodge it!"
"Eek!"
The throwing knife grazed Song Baek-hwi’s cheek and embedded itself deep into the inn wall.
Even then, the force was so great that the hilt vibrated for a long time.
*Thump!*
Perhaps quite shocked, Song Baek-hwi collapsed to the floor.
A guard tried to rush toward Song Baek-hwi.
"It would be better if you stayed there. My hidden weapons are faster than you."
As soon as Dang Hwa-rin held a hidden weapon in her hand, they all swallowed hard and froze in place.
I remained seated in my chair, looking down at Song Baek-hwi on the floor without emotion.
This time, I took the Murim Alliance badge from my robes and flicked it.
The badge flew like a hidden weapon and embedded itself precisely into the floor right in front of Song Baek-hwi’s crotch.
"Hiiik!"
Song Baek-hwi couldn't even react.
Actually, he did manage to wet himself.
*Damn it.* Now the badge is going to be covered in piss.
"Young Master Song."
I spoke in a calm voice.
Everyone looked at me with puzzled expressions at my composure, which didn't match the bloodshed that had just occurred.
"…Yes?"
"Go and tell them. Tell them the Alliance will treat this incident as a mere act of waywardness by Young Master Song."
I didn't know how powerful his family was, but they couldn't be above the Tang Clan in Sichuan.
Yet, the fact that they were taking such a risk meant this wasn't just him or his family—it was the will of Mount Qingcheng behind them.
Mount Qingcheng was likely using a secular disciple to minimize their official responsibility.
But unfortunately for them, they had been caught red-handed by the Murim Alliance.
Through him, I was sending a signal to Mount Qingcheng: I would overlook this, so back off.
"…Yes?"
Yet, that idiot failed to grasp my profound consideration.
"Go and deliver the message. They’ll know what to do."
"Uh… um…."
Song Baek-hwi’s gaze darted around, his mind clearly in turmoil.
Fortunately, his guards had enough sense to exchange glances and slowly retreat while supporting him.
Once they reached the stairs, Song Baek-hwi bellowed, "Just you wait! I will not forget this humiliation!"
Dang Hwa-rin stared at the stairs where the man had vanished, her expression one of utter disbelief.
"What a pathetic bastard."
Perhaps she was genuinely incensed, as she spat out a string of coarse curses right in front of me.
I rose from my seat, retrieved my throwing knives, and lifted the nameplate embedded in the floor with two fingers.
"You didn't ask."
It was a relief.
"Thank you! Thanks to you, Warrior Jang, I avoided a real ordeal!"
I turned around to find Dang Hwa-rin’s face had returned to the likeness of a spring flower.
I smiled back and opened my mouth.
"It seems the Mount Qingcheng Sect is targeting you, Miss. Will you return to the Tang Clan?"
"No! Since you’ve gone to such lengths, they won’t be able to move openly! I’m going with you to catch the Thousand-Faced Fox!"
"Hahaha! Truly the spirit of a young lady of the Tang Clan. Let us do that."
"Yes!"
Still, one must eat first.
I sat back down and looked down at the ring.
The ring on my pinky was glowing as radiantly as Dang Hwa-rin.
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