Chapter 353

The female master’s and Yuk Ha-seon’s eyes met.

A pause.

Just as silence seemed to settle, the atmosphere turned hostile.

Storm-like killing intent swept through the inn.

The female master’s body became blurred. In an instant, Yuk Ha-seon rose like lightning and retreated backward.

Clang!

Without knowing when she had drawn it, Yuk Ha-seon held her sword forward, and the blade was trembling finely.

Clatter clatter.

In contrast, the female master had already returned to where she had been standing. Seeing chopsticks in her hand, it appeared she had attacked Yuk Ha-seon with chopsticks from the table.

The female master’s gaze as she glared at Yuk Ha-seon was extraordinary.

“I thought your skills would have deteriorated from being in brothels, but you’ve improved considerably.”

As Yuk Ha-seon tried to respond with a smile to the female master’s words, the female master’s body became blurred again.

Clang! Clash!

Sparks flew continuously in the air.

Yuk Ha-seon hastily swung her sword while spinning her body around and retreating one step. Steam rose from her sword as if hot water had been poured on it. Again, the female master had returned to her position.

Yuk Ha-seon tapped the sword blade with the inside of her sole to dissipate the steam.

“If you ask a question, shouldn’t you give time for an answer, Sword Empress?”

Sword Empress!

This was Sword Empress Im Yi-eon of the Southern Sea Sword Sect.

The region south of the great Dayuling mountain range that crosses Jiangxi and Guangdong is called the Southern Sea, and Sword Empress Im Yi-eon was the greatest master of that Southern Sea.

Jin Ja-gang looked at Im Yi-eon and the beautiful young lady standing behind her. The young lady with an expression radiating cold feelings was undoubtedly Ice Phoenix Son Bi, the Sword Empress’s disciple.

“If you’ve seen me, you should greet me. What’s with that insolent face?”

Then Jin Ja-gang intervened.

“Those chopsticks belong to the shop. Put them down.”

Im Yi-eon glared at Jin Ja-gang, then seemed to understand and tried to put the chopsticks down.

At that moment, this time Yuk Ha-seon rushed like lightning to attack Im Yi-eon. Im Yi-eon couldn’t put down the chopsticks and had to block Yuk Ha-seon’s sword.

Im Yi-eon’s face reddened with damaged dignity.

“How dare…”

Jin Ja-gang threw something between the two as if he had expected this.

Pop!

Reddish powder burst and scattered.

It was powder thrown by none other than Poison Dragon. Even the Sword Empress couldn’t ignore it.

Im Yi-eon and Yuk Ha-seon simultaneously covered their mouths with their sleeves and retreated. Ice Phoenix Son Bi also stepped back a couple of paces.

Im Yi-eon shouted.

“What are you doing!”

Jin Ja-gang asked calmly.

“What about you, old woman? Why are you causing a disturbance in someone else’s shop?”

Im Yi-eon’s eyebrows twisted. Having heard herself called Sword Empress but then being called old woman meant either he didn’t know her or knew but was ignoring her.

Either way, it was unpleasant.

“Old woman? Did you just call me old woman?”

At that moment, Son Bi burst into laughter.

“Pfft!”

Im Yi-eon glared at Son Bi. Son Bi turned her head away.

Im Yi-eon frowned and asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Fine. That’s not wrong. But is this your inn?”

“No.”

Im Yi-eon’s eyes flickered.

“Then?”

“I borrowed it temporarily. So I’m the owner right now.”

“This is a place where the owner sprinkles poison on guests…”

Son Bi knelt and lightly dabbed some powder to taste it. Then she looked at Jin Ja-gang with a strange expression.

Jin Ja-gang said.

“It’s millet powder. It’ll be bland since it’s not seasoned.”

Son Bi’s expression became strange. It was an expression of forcibly suppressing laughter. She clenched her fists and even her hands trembled from holding it in. But soon she frowned and returned to an expressionless face.

Jin Ja-gang was watching this scene intently, so he felt puzzled.

“Anyway, if you want to eat, sit anywhere. There’s only one dish available: thin noodles.”

“Hmph!”

Im Yi-eon stuck the chopsticks into the middle of an empty table.

Thunk! The front part of the chopsticks embedded as the chopsticks stood vertically.

Then she fluttered her long robe hem once and went to sit at a corner table.

However, she didn’t take her eyes off Yuk Ha-seon. This was because Yuk Ha-seon had muttered “What a temper.”

When Jin Ja-gang went to the kitchen as if unconcerned, Im Yi-eon asked Yuk Ha-seon with an unpleasant face.

“Are you accompanying Poison Dragon on his way to Shaolin Temple? Why is Poison Dragon acting as an innkeeper instead of going to Shaolin Temple?”

“I didn’t expect the Sword Empress to be interested in this matter.”

“I’m very interested. He killed someone who was discussing marriage with my disciple.”

“For that, you don’t seem very upset.”

“Would it be an answer if I said he was someone I didn’t like from the beginning?”

“Then do you like Poison Dragon?”

Im Yi-eon just turned her head as if it wasn’t worth responding.

“Considering this is Shaolin Temple’s territory, I’ll let it be for now, but if you interfere with my business even slightly, I won’t stand for it.”

“We’ll have to see about that. I didn’t come here to play either.”

Im Yi-eon frowned while Yuk Ha-seon smiled as they looked at each other.

As the awkward atmosphere continued in silence, before long Jin Ja-gang brought three bowls of thin noodles.

“There are two people, so why three bowls?”

“There are two people but you sat at a place with three chairs, so I thought one more person might come.”

Interest flickered in Im Yi-eon’s and Son Bi’s eyes.

“You’re excessively perceptive.”

Jin Ja-gang was right.

Before long, a familiar face to Jin Ja-gang came to the inn.

It was An Ryeong from the An family medical house.

An Ryeong had bandages wrapped around both arms. She entered the inn and was startled to see reddish powder scattered about.

Jin Ja-gang said.

“Come in. It’s millet powder.”

An Ryeong looked at Jin Ja-gang and nodded slightly.

“We meet again so soon.”

An Ryeong glanced at Yuk Ha-seon, then greeted Im Yi-eon and Son Bi and joined them at the table. An Ryeong was exactly the person Im Yi-eon and Son Bi had been waiting for.

Yuk Ha-seon clapped her hands.

“Ah, now I understand. The An family medical house has connections with the Southern Sea Sword Sect. It wasn’t because you had direct business with Poison Dragon, but to help the An family medical house?”

“Shut that mouth!”

“It’ll all be revealed anyway. There’s no particular reason to hide it, is there?”

Yuk Ha-seon addressed An Ryeong.

“Isn’t that right, Burning Phoenix?”

An Ryeong looked back at Yuk Ha-seon.

“And you are?”

Im Yi-eon answered. Son Bi was surprisingly quiet.

“She’s Pleasure Heaven Lord Red Flower Immortal.”

Red flower is the flower used as material for rouge that women apply to their lips or dab on their cheeks. Yuk Ha-seon’s identity was already revealed in the nickname Red Flower Immortal.

“I’m called An Ryeong. As the Heaven Lord said, it’ll all be revealed anyway, so let’s just speak here and now.”

An Ryeong said to Jin Ja-gang.

“I came wanting to know the contents of the letter Tang family sent to Shaolin Temple. Can you tell me?”

Jin Ja-gang seemed to think for a moment before hesitating to answer.

“Well…”

“We’ve already extended our hand to you. It would benefit you if anything, there’d be no loss.”

“I remember you extending your hand but also threatening that it was the last proposal.”

An Ryeong puffed out her cheeks and pouted her lips.

“People can be like that during negotiations!”

Since An Ryeong was also quite beautiful, her sulking appearance looked cute.

But Jin Ja-gang’s expression didn’t change at all.

An Ryeong grumbled only with her mouth movements without making sound.

Jin Ja-gang asked.

“What do you plan to do after knowing the letter’s contents?”

An Ryeong answered.

“Actually, the letter’s contents don’t matter much. Shaolin Temple plans to attack poison sects and poison sects plan to stop Shaolin Temple. I, our An family medical house, hopes that letter won’t be delivered to Shaolin Temple. Then Shaolin Temple will proceed with righteous law practice as scheduled.”

In the end, she was saying she hoped poison sects would disappear while facing them. Yuk Ha-seon showed a light smile as if she had already guessed.

It was truly a strange story.

The An family medical house had cooperated with poison sects in the past to elevate Physician Bell Healers to the Six Poison Cliques. But actually they held antipathy toward poison sect actions and had decided to attack poison sects when the opportunity came.

So they were in a position where they had to interfere with poison sects trying to prevent Shaolin Temple’s righteous law practice. Despite killing Shaolin Temple’s Vajra monks and Arhat monks as bloody payment for Physician Bell Healers, in the worst case they would have to join hands with Shaolin Temple.

Then it made sense that the Sword Empress had stepped forward to protect An Ryeong. Without a master of the Sword Empress’s level stepping up, An Ryeong might find it difficult to preserve her life from Shaolin Temple.

However, naturally for the Six Poison Cliques, Pleasure Heaven Lord Yuk Ha-seon, who had to prevent Shaolin Temple’s advance, this couldn’t be overlooked.

“Sorry, but it can’t go as you think.”

At Yuk Ha-seon’s words, An Ryeong cupped her fists with bandaged hands and said.

“Though it may be presumptuous toward senior, preventing the letter from being delivered is my mission.”

“Ensuring the letter reaches Shaolin Temple is my mission.”

Yuk Ha-seon’s and An Ryeong’s eyes met. Both were smiling brightly but had no intention of backing down.

At this, Sword Empress Im Yi-eon cleared her throat from the side.

“Hmm. These thin noodles are quite tasty.”

It wasn’t rudely butting into others’ conversation for no reason. She was subtly revealing her presence, suggesting she might intervene if An Ryeong’s proposal wasn’t accepted.

But it didn’t end there.

One more person appeared at the inn’s entrance.

Things were proceeding as Jin Ja-gang had expected.

From when Jin Ja-gang had settled down, there had been considerable surveillance around. As the involved parties began entering one by one, others who had been waiting would continue to enter as well.

“Excuse me.”

A swordsman with the sharp gaze of middle age entered the inn.

Everyone’s eyes turned to the swordsman.

Im Yi-eon recognized him.

“The Namgung family’s Disaster Sword Guest!”

“It’s been a long time, Sword Empress.”

Disaster Sword Guest Namgung Geol was the younger brother of the Namgung family’s absolute master Sword King. Though his martial arts were somewhat inferior to his older brother the Sword King, he was still a master with skills strong enough to be called a disaster of the sword.

Namgung Geol looked around the inn and exclaimed.

“Ho. All the outstanding heroines have gathered.”

Come to think of it, all four who had already entered were women.

Namgung Geol went toward the table with chopsticks stuck in the middle.

Namgung Geol smoothly extended his sword handle forward in front of the table.

In an instant his hand moved quickly.

Swish swish!

The lower part of the embedded chopsticks was cleanly cut to match the table surface, and cut once more vertically to become two pieces. Namgung Geol sat down casually with the paired chopsticks in front of him.

He had substituted a greeting with his skills.

Jin Ja-gang soon brought out thin noodles.

Im Yi-eon asked Namgung Geol.

“How is the Alliance Leader?”

“He’s been staying home, so it’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“For the Alliance Leader who should be looking after the martial world to be staying home. You should offer loyal advice that he’s neglecting the martial world’s safety too much.”

“I’ll definitely convey that.”

“Then what brings Disaster Sword Guest here?”

“I heard there was something interesting, so I came to see.”

The Namgung family was a sect remaining in Yangtze River Sword Gate and on Taoist Haewol’s side. Sword Empress Im Yi-eon couldn’t be unaware of this.

“Let me ask directly. Which side is Yangtze River Sword Sect on?”

“My, it seems much has been discussed while I was away. I hurried so as not to miss anything.”

“I’ll ask once more.”

Namgung Geol waved his hand.

“No, you needn’t. I can’t make the Sword Empress say the same thing twice.”

Namgung Geol said with a smile.

“I have no interest in the letter.”