The matter of the One-Blade Asura was resolved cleanly.
It was possible because, after his defeat, the One-Blade Asura proved far more compliant than expected.
Though it did nag at me a little—how he kept insisting, with a stubborn edge, that he had submitted to me rather than to the Lord of the Black Alliance, and that his future obedience to the Alliance's policies was also by my command.
At any rate, it wrapped up without a hitch.
"You got lucky."
"Was there ever room for luck to factor into young hero Cheon's methods?"
"Since the One-Blade Asura turned out more docile than I thought, and it ended without me having to kill him—yes, that's luck."
"…"
If the One-Blade Asura had been even slightly more extreme in temperament—the kind who would sooner bite off his own tongue than bow his head to another.
Then things would have become far more complicated.
"The point is, the opening move went well."
"Since you say so, I can't argue… but why bring this up all of a sudden?"
"Naturally, I'm building a bit of psychological leeway so we won't be too disappointed in case of unexpected failure. Saying it this way ensures that if things go wrong this time, we won't be crushed by the letdown."
"But you said you were confident of victory…"
"I am confident. Perhaps I'll even manage to slip him some poison."
"Isn't that enough?"
"It's just that I worry they might not defect to the enemy in the battle against the Demonic Cult, but instead drag their feet and not really fight."
Seeing One-Blade Asura's unexpectedly enthusiastic attitude, I realized something.
That there might be a considerable difference between someone following reluctantly, as I had imagined, and someone stepping forward of their own accord.
"If possible, I'd like Lust Demon to step forward voluntarily as well."
"So you're saying no suitable method comes to mind."
"To be precise, I know the method itself, but I'm troubled because it seems impossible to put into practice."
To handle Lust Demon completely, the most effective approach would be to give him what he desires and earn his favor.
But what Lust Demon truly desires is for his manhood to be restored in the truest sense.
Unfortunately, I don't know of any method by which a eunuch could regain his member through Bone-Exchange Rebirth, let alone restore its function.
Even when I searched my memory for information on yang-type Spiritual Medicines, no plausible Fortuitous Encounter came to mind.
If it were a problem that could be solved so easily, it would have been resolved the moment I joined the Black Alliance.
"Well, there's nothing I can do about it."
Having him comply willingly would be ideal, but having him follow reluctantly isn't bad either.
At least I've achieved the minimum goal.
With my thoughts settled, I arrived in Hangzhou, guided by the Twin Ghost Sword.
The city with the most developed entertainment in Zhejiang Province.
The Lust Demon was here.
***
Since ancient times, if one were to name the best places for pleasure in the Central Plains, Hangzhou and Suzhou would always be mentioned.
However, the place more familiar to martial artists would have to be Hangzhou.
That's because Suzhou was mainly enjoyed by Imperial Court officials and wealthy merchants—those who had not trained in martial arts.
In contrast, Hangzhou was a bustling place where martial artists frequently gathered, literary figures skilled in calligraphy and painting often made appearances, and entertainers flocked there to cater to them.
Naturally, the atmospheres of the two cities were quite different. Suzhou maintained an overall calm demeanor, preserving a certain elegance even when indulging in pleasure.
Hangzhou was so free-spirited that, if you dug a little deeper, you could find yourself in some fairly vulgar entertainment.
The reason the two cities—both long famous for their beautiful scenery and pleasant pastimes—had grown so different was simple.
"It's because of the Black Alliance."
"The Black Alliance? The Alliance Lord didn't seem to avoid pleasure, but he never struck me as someone who particularly enjoyed it either…"
"To be precise, it's because the Black Alliance took control of Zhejiang Province."
Although Hangzhou and Suzhou were located close to each other, Hangzhou clearly belonged to Zhejiang Province while Suzhou belonged to Jiangsu Province.
And when the Black Alliance rose, the martial artists of the Unorthodox Sects concentrated in Zhejiang Province and stopped venturing outside…
"They say Hangzhou became a place where the pleasure quarters matched what we'd expect, while Suzhou, in contrast, became a wholesome place where those who disliked Hangzhou's atmosphere gathered."
"Heh. You know quite a lot, young hero Cheon. …Why is it that you know so much?"
"…"
I averted my gaze from Tang So-wol, who was staring at me with narrowed eyes, and replied.
"Do you know this? In the pleasure quarters, there's always an enormous amount of gold coins and things that can't be obtained through normal means circulating around."
"Huh?"
"It's a place where even someone who hasn't reached the Age of Fifteen—just thirteen years old—can earn enough money to buy several decent bottles of Blood Poison Wine."
"Ah."
What was there to hide? Before I regressed and kidnapped Tang So-wol, the place I had stopped by was none other than this Hangzhou.
After realizing I had regressed, I tore down the Jeoksa Faction—my very first enemy.
For similar reasons, I picked out unorthodox sects that were vicious enough that wiping them out wouldn't raise any questions, and weak enough that even I—who had just begun building my internal energy—could take them down.
I killed those who deserved killing, spared the few who could be left alive, and in the process annihilated five or six sects here and there…
"They cleaned out the storehouse and still didn't find much. No, to be precise, I just didn't know Blood Poison Wine was that expensive."
As an unorthodox faction that hadn't even managed to join the Black Alliance, their wealth wasn't exactly abundant.
But even accounting for that, Blood Poison Wine was simply too costly.
Nowadays, Blood Poison Wine was something that just lying around in the Tang Clan, and even before the regression, if I squeezed my eyes shut and groveled before the Lord of the Black Alliance or Sama Yuryeon, they'd hand me a bottle or two.
But Blood Poison Wine with proven efficacy—and to block the poison of Tang So-wol, who was born with the Poison Spirit Constitution, a low-grade one wouldn't suffice. I needed at least a mid-grade bottle, or something close to it.
I had heard that Blood Poison Wine was going to appear at the black market in Hubei Province, but I wasn't confident I'd saved up enough money, so the place I stopped by for one last job was Hangzhou.
"And even then, I had to scrape together every last coin I owned, but at least I managed to kidnap you safely, Tang So-wol, so that's a relief."
"…Where am I supposed to even begin pointing out the problems? The fact that at that young age, you cut down adults who had at least a street-brawler's level of martial arts, and wiped out entire sects? Or the part where being familiar with this kind of kidnapping trip was actually because you'd done it before? Ah, and the part about kidnapping me safely is a problem too, if we're counting."
Tang So-wol wore an expression of utter disbelief, but the Twin Ghost Sword, on the other hand, clapped his hands with tears of admiration in his eyes, as if he'd just heard some kind of origin myth.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"Magnificent! As expected of the Great Hero, the White Moon Sword Lord! The Lord of the Black Alliance did not spare his praise for you… You were special from the very sprout!"
"Be honest with me. Did you receive some kind of order from the Lord of the Black Alliance? Even I can tell when someone's flattering me this excessively."
"What do you mean! No, all of this is entirely of my own will!"
"If you don't speak honestly, you'll be sparring with me before the Lust Demon does."
"I'm being sincere! …I'm merely trying to get on the good side of the person who seems most likely to become the next Alliance Lord of the Black Alliance!"
"Hmph. Then there's no helping it."
Unless you intend to fight a clean life-and-death duel, you stay quietly by the side of power.
That is one of the most important iron rules for surviving in the Unorthodox Sects' martial world.
The Unorthodox Sects' martial world is full of people with sharp edges, but at its core, the martial world isn't a specific place—it's where people gather.
In other words, you need at least a minimum of social sense.
In fact, even I, back when I was still weak, bent where I needed to bend and hid what I needed to hide.
If I hadn't managed even this much, I would have grabbed a tree branch the moment my mother died and charged into the Jeoksa Faction, only to be beaten to death. But.
"Let me make one thing clear—I have no intention of joining the Black Alliance."
"Yes, I know. The Alliance Lord often laments about that."
"What I mean is, even if you try to curry favor with me, there's no scrap of profit to be had."
"Isn't it better to leave a good impression than to face problems caused by earning someone's displeasure? Above all, the Great Hero White Moon Sword Lord enjoys the Alliance Lord's favor. That alone is more than enough reason for me to treat you with utmost respect."
"Indeed."
Unlike before my regression, the Lord of the Black Alliance in this life was a bit more blatant in showing that he took a liking to me.
This could be because I had pulled off slightly more significant deeds than I had before my regression, or it could be because I hadn't caused a Blood Calamity by slaughtering fellow Unorthodox Sect martial artists under the banner of revenge for the Iron Blood Faction.
Well… it could also be that the me of that time had simply closed the walls of my heart tightly and deliberately kept my distance.
Either way, one thing was certain: the Lord of the Black Alliance's attitude had changed, and the Twin Ghost Sword, that steadfast man, had adjusted the way he treated me accordingly.
I could now see more clearly how I was regarded within the Black Alliance. …And that allowed me to arrive at a problem I hadn't considered.
"Wait. If I go around like this, defeating other Harmony Realm martial artists of the Black Alliance, won't that cause a problem?"
"It will look like the Black Alliance is taming you."
"I entered this sparring match with the thought of being used that way, but it seems the effect is better than I expected."
In the worst case, this could even escalate into the unfortunate situation of me being seen as the Alliance's unofficial Successor.
"Well, if I refuse, that's the end of it."
Just as a cow brought to the water's edge will only drink if it wants to, no matter what others say, if I refuse to do something, what can anyone do about it?
I let out a snort and urged the Twin Ghost Sword onward.
"By the way, it seems we're just about at the center of Hangzhou now. Where is the Lust Demon?"
"Ah, we're almost there. According to the reports I received, the Lust Demon is staying at the largest brothel in Hangzhou."
"The largest brothel? Surely not that one?"
I glanced around and spotted a hall that was immediately eye-catching at first glance.
Not only was it built far taller than the other halls, but the building itself was so large that its floor height had grown proportionally.
As such, it was the first building one would see when looking up at the sky.
"Yes. They say it's called the Silver Flower Pavilion."
"Silver Flower Pavilion? Well, I suppose. A man like the Lust Demon would certainly be staying at the Silver Flower Pavilion."
"You seem to know quite a bit about the Silver Flower Pavilion, young hero Cheon."
"There isn't a person in Hangzhou who doesn't know of the Silver Flower Pavilion."
Though it was a brothel, the quality of its courtesans far surpassed that of most pleasure houses, and they didn't accept just anyone as a guest—only a select few who passed their rigorous screening.
It was an unusual establishment in many ways. But it was famous for being worth the trouble.
"I've heard that even gaining entry to the First Floor, where one simply enjoys wine and food, requires a thorough check of one's identity and ability to pay."
"So the higher you go, the stricter it becomes, I take it."
"That's right. From the Third Floor up, even renowned masters and high-ranking officials can barely gain entry, and as for the highest Fourth Floor, I hear only the innkeeper's own guests are allowed in."
"Heh. How fascinating. Wouldn't that mean they don't make much money?"
"There are always eccentrics who go mad at the news that they can't get in anywhere. This is a place that does business with those kinds of people. That's probably why they named it the Silver Flower—a hidden flower."
"Ah."
Tang So-wol nodded as if she understood.
Even I, who had only worked in Hangzhou for a short while, knew how notoriously strict the Silver Flower was… but for someone like the Lust Demon, staying there would be no problem at all.
Well, of course. Aside from the fact that he'd ruined several households, he was a man with no ominous rumors attached to him.
And with his martial level reaching the Harmony Realm, merely residing at the establishment would serve as a deterrent against all sorts of trouble.
Tang So-wol and I nodded along for a moment. Then Twin Ghost Sword, who had been listening to our conversation, spoke up in an awkward voice.
"Um… Great Hero White Moon Sword Lord."
"Hm?"
"Actually, the Lust Demon is the owner of this Silver Flower establishment."
"…What?"
"He's just staying at his own place."
"…"
"Oh, and for your information, 'Silver Flower' doesn't mean a hidden flower—it's another name for the fig."
"Fig?"
"Well, you see. The Lust Demon is said to have far more seductive aura than most women, but… he's still a proper man, isn't he?"
The fragrance is rich, yet the flower is invisible—hence the fig.
But split open its fruit, and you'll find it isn't that there's no flower, but that it blooms inward—hence the hidden flower.
The name Silver Flower Pavilion was derived from this.
"Wait. So you're saying we're going to meet the Lust Demon…"
"That would mean facing the Pavilion Lord at the Silver Flower Pavilion."
"We'd be going as guests of the Pavilion Lord, then…?"
"Well, that's assuming the Lust Demon doesn't turn us away at the door. But yes, that's how it would go."
"Don't Pavilion Lords usually live at the very top of the hall?"
"For the most part, yes."
"So I have to climb to the Fourth Floor of the famed Silver Flower Pavilion with my betrothed on one side and a swarthy man on the other."
"Stated plainly like that, it's not wrong."
"…"
This isn't going to be easy.