CHAPTER 70: GOLDEN ORCHID TAVERN (1)

Han Soyeon’s POV

"Mmph!!"

"What... what are you doing?!"

The last shred of Yuseong’s clothing tore away as I opened my mouth. If this was the end, then just once...!

But my desperate struggle was swiftly crushed.

"Soyeon! What are you doing?! Aren’t you ashamed before your master?!"

"Let go!! Let me go!!!"

Before I could touch him—his lips, his hands—my arms were seized from behind, locked in an iron grip.

Thrash, thrash.

"Yuseong!! Yuseoooong!!!!"

"Ugh... Gah... I’ll hear the details later—calm him down for now!"

Tap.

A sharp sensation hit my pressure point. As expected from a master, his inner energy struck with pinpoint precision, leaving me powerless as darkness consumed my vision.

Yuseong... ah...

Through my fading sight, I glimpsed Yuseong—fear etched on his face, yet a flicker of relief at this interruption. That was the last thing I saw before my consciousness sank into the abyss...

Crunch!

I bit down on my finger, grinding past blood to bone.

"What the—?!"

Seizing his shock, I summoned every ounce of innate energy and thrashed, freeing one arm. The other remained trapped.

No time to hesitate.

Infusing my hand with qi, I swung at his arm. Startled by my reckless energy, he pulled back—a seasoned warrior, forged in countless battles. I thrust my arm into the space.

Exactly as planned.

Slash!

Blood sprayed. He stood, clutching my severed arm, dumbfounded.

Agony surged, but I endured.

I spun and lunged toward Yuseong. His expression, slow to catch up, twisted into deeper terror.

I’d bought seconds by sacrificing my arm, but capture was inevitable. A few seconds—what could I do?

A kiss might steal his first experience, but that wasn’t enough. I needed something to ensure Yuseong could never forget me.

The answer came instantly.

Crack!

My hand struck his dantian.

He thrashed, realizing too late. I was faster.

Crunch!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"What... what have you done?!"

I was seized again—neck and torso bound, my remaining arm useless.

"AAAAHH!! AAH...!!"

"Is anyone there?! Emergency!! Get the physician from the medicine hall—NOW!!"

With my remaining arm, I reached for Yuseong, still restrained.

I wouldn’t survive this. Knowing Master’s temperament, she’d execute me herself—no mercy.

"Yuseong..."

Even if I never saw him again...

"Wherever you are... I’ll find you..."

This way, I’d live in his mind forever. No matter where he went, what he did—even if he gave himself to another—he’d never forget me.

"You can’t forget me, okay...?"

If he did...

Smile.

I’d really kill him then.

+

Dan Yuseong’s POV

[Oh-ho, what an interesting lad. Not a martial artist trapped at their peak, yet his mind, body, and spirit are so twisted. Come with me, young one.]

[I can’t promise you’ll conquer the world or have martialdom at your feet, but I can guarantee you won’t go hungry.]

Today, I woke safe and sound, checking my body for aches, grateful to be alive. As a fortune-teller who could see others’ futures but not my own, this was my daily ritual.

Last night, I dreamed of my master after a long while. She was an enigma—met when I was barely clinging to life, possessed into this world with no explanation, scraping by daily. Stunningly beautiful, she turned heads, yet no one seemed to see her, as if entranced.

That was why I followed her. She wasn’t ordinary. At the least, I wouldn’t starve.

Back then, every day was agony—writhing to find food, desperate to survive. I’d clung to her, hoping she could heal me. And she did, nursing me back to health, feeding me well. I was grateful—for about three days.

[From now on, you’ll handle the housework.]

Fair enough, I thought. She’d saved me; I owed her this much.

[There’s a smudge on that dish. Wash it again.]

[The clothes are wrinkled. Fold them properly.]

[The seasoning’s too strong. Start over.]

Ten years of relentless nagging, insults, and torment wore down even a life debt. She wouldn’t let me enter the martial world, trapping me on that mountain forever. I had to escape.

Phew, I hope her training spot isn’t too cold.

She’d be gone for three years, giving me time to savor my freedom. Glancing beside me—

"...Awake?"

Startle.

The Sword Empress stared at me, fully awake.

"Y-You’re up early?"

"A martial artist needs little sleep."

I recalled last night—she’d insisted I take the bed, despite my offer to sleep on the floor. Only one bed, after all. She’d said that, even with the energy I’d received, I needed proper rest to settle it.

"...I didn’t talk in my sleep, did I?"

"Not really. You slept soundly."

"Phew..."

Master had warned me about my bad sleep habits, so I’d feared embarrassing myself.

"Breakfast? We’ll travel all day and won’t reach our destination until nightfall, so eat when you can."

"I’ll handle it. What about you, Sword Empress?"

"...Hmm. We should settle on a proper title. ’Sword Empress’ is fine as a moniker, but not for public use."

"...Oh."

She was right.

"What should I call you? Back to ’Lady Shin’—"

I stopped. Wait, no. She wasn’t a "lady." I didn’t know her age, but she wasn’t young enough for that title.

"...What should I call you?"

"I don’t mind ’lady,’ personally."

"No way... I can’t call the Sword Empress ’lady.’ That’s too disrespectful."

Cough.

A sound like a critical hit rang out, but I dismissed it as my imagination.

"...Any suggestions for a good title?"

"A good title... How about my name?"

"Your name? Yuwol-nim?"

"..."

She froze again.

"Seems that won’t work. Let’s try something else."

"Too uncomfortable?"

"No... It’s just... risky, for various reasons."

"?"

I didn’t grasp what was "risky," but since she disliked it, I moved on. After some back-and-forth, we settled—ironically—on "lady." I’d worried it might bruise her pride, but she insisted, so that was that.

"...That building’s gotta be it."

"...Indeed."

The Golden Orchid Tavern. Its name alone radiated extravagance, and from a distance, its grandeur was undeniable. Gleaming lanterns, opulent decorations, and the faint scent of revelry wafted toward us, unmistakable.

"Wow... What a place..."

It lived up to its reputation as the finest tavern in the Central Plains.

"...Looks insanely expensive, though."

"I’ve got plenty of money, so don’t worry."

Wait—weren’t ascetics supposed to shun wealth? For someone like her, she carried a surprising amount of cash. When I voiced my surprise, she replied matter-of-factly:

"If you don’t gather wealth, you can’t buy anything, can you?"

...Fair point.

"Besides, it’s only a problem if you hoard more than you need. Earning a fair reward for your work? Nothing wrong with that."

Looking at it that way, being a Taoist didn’t seem so bad. No, scratch that—Huashan wasn’t just any Taoist sect. Among them, it was deeply entwined with the secular world, unlike the Kunlun Sect, where true Taoists rarely left their mountains.

That’s probably why a fortune-teller like me can stick around without trouble.

If the person beside me were a Kunlun Taoist? I didn’t even want to imagine it. They wouldn’t kill me, but it’d be a massive headache—I could feel it.

"Shall we head in?"

"Yep."

Side by side, I walked with her toward the tavern’s entrance. The women at the door wore provocative outfits, their curves amplified by daringly cut clothes, creating a spectacle. As a modern-world native, even I found it risqué. What must it look like through the Central Plains’ lens?

"Welcome~ Is this your first time?"

"W-W-W-What... What..."

As expected, Lady Shin’s face flushed crimson, her words stumbling. The women’s chests swayed with every movement, a sight most men would be glued to.

"Yeah, it’s our first time."

"Oh my?"

But not me. I couldn’t help it.

They don’t even come close to Master...

Ten years of Master’s breathtaking beauty had desensitized me. Anything less just blurred together.

[Where did you toss your outer robe?]

[It’s summer, isn’t it hot? It’s just you and me—what’s the difference if I wear only undergarments?]

[Sigh...]

Clench.

I shoved that memory—the first time I’d used that move in this world—out of my mind and snapped back to reality. The tavern women eyed me with intrigue.

"Great hero...? If it’s not too rude, could we see that handsome face...?"

One pressed herself against me, her fingertip poking my chest, her curves soft against me. I had no reason to refuse—

"What... What are you doing?!"

Smack!

"Eek!"

Lady Shin, face now beet red, swatted the women away.

"We just came to drink! If I’d known this was that kind of tavern, we wouldn’t have come!"

"Oh my... Hehe. We overstepped. We didn’t realize you two were so close. Please accept our apologies."

"Hmph! Try that again, and I don’t care how nice this place is—we’re leaving!"

"Hehe... We’re truly sorry. As an apology, we’ll speak to the manager for finer liquor and guide you to a quiet spot to relax alone. Will you accept?"

Lady Shin still looked displeased, but we followed to the offered spot. The women walked ahead, hips swaying provocatively.

"...You walk behind me."

I didn’t care much for the display, but it clearly bothered her. A Taoist was still a Taoist. She even shielded me—an unrelated bystander—from the sight. Anyone watching might think we were lovers.

I couldn’t lift my face as we entered.

+

Sword Empress’s POV

Gods, even for a tavern, those clothes are shameless...

They barely covered the essentials, the thin fabric accentuating every curve, sometimes pressing them further. Even if worn by mistake, it’d be shocking—but these women knew exactly what they were doing, flaunting it with every step.

H-How could women...

My cheeks burned. Was this what they meant by "the finest tavern in the Central Plains"? A place where women poured drinks while engaging in lewd antics?

Flush.

I’d heard rumors, but never imagined I’d end up here. It was embarrassing enough for me, an outsider, but seeing it treated as normal made it worse. More than that, I worried about him. As a woman, their charms didn’t sway me—but he was a young man in his prime. Their flirtations were aimed at him, no doubt. Even if it was just their job, there was intent to seduce.

Grind.

How dare they...

I gritted my teeth at their audacity. Trying to seduce him right in front of me? Me and him... Him and me...

...What are we, exactly?