The most lavish brothel in all of Guangdong Province.
True to her position at the very top floor, the Haomun Leader boasted a striking beauty of her own.
Her long black hair, flowing down far enough to cover her entire body, gleamed with luster, and the white robes contrasting against it drew the eye.
I knew she had taken her seat as Haomun Leader quite some time ago, but judging by her appearance alone, one would believe she had just turned thirty.
It was likely the influence of the Erotic Arts and her wine techniques… and on top of that, she radiated a Seductive Aura potent enough to bewitch any ordinary person.
Her realm was… ambiguous. She had a certain atmosphere that made it hard to call her Harmony Realm. That is to say, the Intent she unconsciously wrapped around herself wasn't all that solid.
But her Aura alone was strong enough that calling her early Harmony Realm wouldn't be out of place.
I had a rough idea.
Given the nature of Erotic Arts training, attaining Enlightenment is difficult, and the purity of one's internal energy suffers greatly… but the sheer quantity one can accumulate is immense.
It was likely because she harbored internal energy that surpassed the capacity of a Transcendent Peak that she had reached this strange state.
…Of course, there were other possibilities.
The Heavenly Demon had shown, through the Sword Demon, that if the conditions aligned, he could forcibly drag a Transcendent Peak martial artist up into the Harmony Realm.
But what he actually chose to do afterward was to create the Slaughter King, not to elevate other Transcendent Peak martial artists of the Demonic Cult into the Harmony Realm.
Perhaps he was hiding them for the upcoming decisive battle… or he had planted spies within.
He was dangling the Harmony Realm as bait. There was no shortage of people who would bite without thinking about the consequences.
Of course, I couldn't be certain that the Haomun Leader before me was such a case. I just needed to maintain a certain level of caution.
If something felt off, I could simply cut him down. After all, he was weaker than me.
…No. Perhaps a more proactive approach to test him would be better.
Whether he had merely inflated his size through the Erotic Arts, or had been forcibly dragged up to a half-baked realm with the Heavenly Demon's help.
Either way, it was certain to be unstable, so even a slight provocation would shake him greatly.
After a brief deliberation, I came up with the best question to needle the Haomun Leader.
"Hmm…"
"…If you have something to say, feel free to speak."
"Is it insulting to say you're worse than the Lust Demon?"
"…"
The Haomun Leader glared at me as if she were wronged. I continued speaking to her in a calm tone, as if I truly didn't understand.
"No matter how much the Lust Demon cultivated Yin Energy arts, he was still a man in the end… Still, I honestly had expectations for the famous Haomun Leader, but it seems they were misplaced."
"…"
I shrugged at the Haomun Leader, who had been glaring at me this whole time.
"Why are you staring like that? If you have something to say, feel free to speak."
"Then I will."
Though he wore a deliberately composed expression, his breathing had grown slightly irregular, his muscles trembled faintly, his Aura had sharpened without him realizing it, and his gaze swept over me rapidly as if trying to find even a single flaw.
All of it told me clearly — the Haomun Leader had been properly provoked.
…To think that even after all this, the Intent he had so clumsily solidified didn't budge. So he really had nothing to do with the Heavenly Demon?
A faint pang of guilt rose in me.
Of course, he must have been considering his own gain, but he had approached us with a measure of goodwill, and what he got in return was, "You're not much of a man, are you?"
If I were in his shoes, I'd be more than just hurt — I'd hold a bit of a grudge. I should make it up to him with something later.
As it happened, the Tang Clan was about to become our in-laws, so it would be good to build ties not just with the Beggars' Sect but with the Haomun as well.
Just as I was nodding to myself over that thought, the Haomun Leader, who had been barely suppressing his emotions, continued speaking.
"I suppose I can't really compare to the Lust Demon. The gap in our realms is too wide, and the level of our martial arts is different too."
"True enough. When internal energy purity and realm differ this much, one's birthright is a trivial matter."
"Yes. The Lust Demon is exceptional… special, that is. I don't think I'm lacking all that much myself. Above all, I'm a body trained in the Erotic Arts. My true charm reveals itself in the bedchamber."
The Haomun Leader, having said that much, narrowed his eyes with a meaningful expression.
"The White Moon Sword Lord, still a virgin, might not understand. …But if you so wish, I could give you a small taste of my charm?"
"Hah."
I inwardly admired the Haomun Leader as he licked his lips as if savoring a taste.
Whether I was still a virgin in this life, he must have discerned from the purity of my yang energy… but even for one who had mastered the Erotic Arts, seeing through the aura of a clearly superior martial artist was certainly impressive.
What was most impressive was that, despite his pride being considerably wounded, he naturally reduced my hostility toward him and steered the situation to his own advantage. Still.
"Hahaha. A virgin. Well, I mean. It's true, but… nothing to say, Cheon Hwi? Hm?"
Seol Ri-hyang giggled as she poked my side. As someone who had figured out what I had done with her before my regression, she must have found it hilarious.
"Huh…?"
Of course, to the Haomun Leader, who knew the relationship between me and Seol Ri-hyang, this reaction must have been nothing short of baffling.
I let out a deep sigh and tapped the back of Seol Ri-hyang's hand, pushing it away from my side.
"I appreciate the offer, but I must decline. And I apologize for earlier. There was something I needed to confirm."
"Something you needed to confirm, you say…"
"The Heavenly Demon had long sought to draw the experts of the Central Plains into the Demonic Cult. It wasn't that he truly wanted them to defect—rather, he hoped they would come to his own doorstep of their own accord, making it easier to sow discord from within or to capture and kill them."
"…Ah."
"It seems something has occurred to you?"
"Yes. I had looked into that matter separately myself. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any solid information. All that remained were rumors—that he would grant one's wish, or that he would elevate someone to the Harmony Realm."
"You investigated well. Those are no mere rumors."
"?"
"In truth, the Heavenly Demon discerned their innermost desires and offered the most tempting conditions. And while the side effects and restrictions are severe, he can indeed elevate a Transcendent Peak martial artist to the Harmony Realm."
"What do you mean? Could it be that those who use martial arts similar to the Slaughter King possess such a secret?"
"Tsk. So you haven't shared information with the Murim Alliance or the Beggars' Sect yet."
"…You may not be aware, but the Black Alliance has been trying to bring our Haomun under its thumb for the past few years, so we've grown somewhat blind to information obtainable through that route."
"I see. Sama Yuryeon seems to be doing well for herself. On the other hand, you, Haomun Leader, are feeling stifled by the current situation and sought to grasp at a lifeline from me."
"There's no point in hiding it now. You're right. I merely need Haomun's independent standing. Not to become the Black Alliance's intelligence arm."
"That won't be easy. Even the Beggars' Sect survives by clinging to the Murim Alliance. To say you belong to no one is to make enemies of everyone, is it not?"
"I'm well aware. I have no intention of attempting such a reckless feat either. I simply wish to attach myself to the strongest backing available."
"The strongest backing?"
"Yes. I am referring to the foremost master of the Unorthodox Sects, who stands before me right now."
The Haomun Leader said this while quietly watching me. I have no ability to read minds, nor do I have the experience of seeing through everything with a single glance… but.
Still, I could clearly tell that he was being sincere.
"…Is that so. I'll think about that matter separately later. For now, let's finish what we were discussing."
"Very well. Where were we? Ah, right — you said the Heavenly Demon had been courting influential figures across the Central Plains without regard for their standing?"
"Correct. The Lust Demon had actually fallen halfway into that scheme. Not anymore, though."
"So the reason you provoked me was not to insult me, but to gauge my reaction."
"Haomun Leader. Your realm is far below mine. Even if you've forcibly set foot into the Harmony Realm, that doesn't change."
If he could make me flare up with anger, he'd be able to tell whether I had reached Harmony through the Heavenly Demon's methods.
Even if I tried to hide it, I couldn't. The gap between me and the Haomun Leader was simply that wide.
"Then I suppose I pass."
"Yes. At the very least, I can tell that your energy was built purely through the Erotic Arts, not Sorcery. Though the possibility remains that you turned to the Heavenly Demon for some other purpose…"
"My only purpose is the White Moon Sword Lord, the Great Hero."
"Truthfully, I don't care what your purpose is. Just keep it to yourself. If you make a move recklessly and I catch you… and if that ends up obstructing my path…"
He casually raised his Aura. By now, he must have felt as if countless swords were lightly pricking his entire body with their tips.
Gulp.
I forced the friendliest smile I could manage toward the Haomun Leader as he swallowed his saliva.
"At that time, I will cut down the obstacles first."
"…I understand."
Even the Haomun Leader, who had been maintaining a calm expression all this while, seemed to find this one difficult to bear.
He was nodding with a face that had turned visibly pale.
The atmosphere had grown too heavy. …Is it time now?
"Don't worry too much. As long as you stay in line, you'll be able to take away a sufficient reward. Specifically, once this matter is concluded, you'll have a connection with the Tang Clan, who will become in-laws. I'll also build a Haomun branch in Sichuan Province."
"That is… yes. That's certainly the backing I wanted."
"And this is compensation for your rudeness earlier."
With that, he secretly sent a Voice Transmission to Seol Ri-hyang and Bing Yerin.
—The Tang Clan is developing a secret medicine. What it does is…
—…!
The Haomun Leader's eyes widened at Pung Yu-hwan's information.
He shrugged his shoulders at her.
"How about it? I thought it would come in quite handy for you."
"You've seen right. Perhaps because I haven't yet reached Bone-Exchange Rebirth, there's a limit to how much I can suppress aging with internal energy… but if I can't stop it anyway, then increasing my other strengths is also a viable path."
"If you're satisfied, that's enough. I'd like to move on to the main topic now."
"Yes. I'll have one of my children escort you there."
"Much obliged."
Just as he was about to leave the room, having been told he would be sent straight to Seol Ri-hyang's father's quarters—
"Ah, wait, if I may. There's one last thing I'd like to ask, if you don't mind."
"Hm? What is it?"
Turning around, he saw the Haomun Leader hesitate for a moment before speaking in a voice tinged with embarrassment.
"I'd always considered myself skilled at concealing my emotions… but how did you manage to find the part of me that would waver?"
"Ah. So that's what this is about."
As one who handled information and stood at the head of an organization, he had always prided himself on his self-control—yet it seemed that having been properly scratched moments ago still weighed on his mind.
Well, that was fair. Though it had lasted only an instant, he had shown a clear wavering that anyone with sharp eyes could not have missed. His pride must have been wounded.
Still, it truly was nothing.
"Do not blame yourself too much. It was neither that you were lacking nor that I was exceptional. I was merely fortunate."
"Fortunate, you say… Surely you don't mean you were just testing me?"
"No. Fortunately, there were older women around me, so I had a sense of which parts one tends to be sensitive about."
"…"
Leaving the Haomun Leader behind with a hollow expression, I stepped out of the room.
"Of course. No matter how old the Haomun Leader is, she can hardly compare to Seomun Hwa-rin or the Illusion Witch."
Bing Yerin, who had been watching all of this, cautiously asked.
"…Could it be that the Great Hero White Moon Sword Lord only responds to women old enough to be his mother?"
"Absolutely not."
How unfair.