Mornings at the Fragrant Flower House were usually quiet.
Preparations for meals for the late-sleeping guests and light cleaning were the main activities.
The courtesans typically slept in as well.
Having endured the previous night, starting their day late wasn't something anyone would criticize them for.
But today was a little different.
A considerable number of courtesans lingered near the entrance of the house, as though they were waiting for someone.
One of them suddenly widened her eyes and whispered excitedly.
"Oh? There she comes!"
All eyes turned in unison.
From the distance, they saw Danyeong slowly approaching.
Many of them let out a sigh of relief.
Last night was nothing short of chaos.
The turmoil had caused all the top-tier guests to leave in frustration.
It was only natural; someone spying on them had been discovered hiding in the ceiling.
Moreover, those high-tier guests were individuals affiliated with prominent families or sects with considerable influence in Wuhan.
There was a chance they might never return to the Fragrant Flower House.
Still, there was no way to hold Byeok Taesan accountable for the commotion he caused last night.
Despite the incident, business continued as usual for everyone but the top floor guests.
This was thanks to the protective array installed in the Fragrant Flower House.
Not only did it block noise from escaping the individual rooms, but it also insulated sound between floors.
Although operations carried on as normal, the courtesans who had experienced the ordeal were far from their usual selves.
In their eyes, Danyeong had been practically dragged away by Byeok Taesan.
But now, seeing her return unharmed, their hearts felt noticeably lighter.
"Still… doesn't she seem… a little different?"
At someone's comment, the others nodded.
Even from afar, it was clear she had changed.
Her demeanor.
Gone was the gloomy and somber atmosphere she used to exude.
Now, she radiated an aura like a blooming flower.
She carried a delicate and innocent charm that also exuded a subtle, mysterious allure.
The closer she got, the more pronounced this transformation became.
"Was Danyeong always this beautiful?"
Someone muttered in a daze, staring blankly at her.
Could a mere shift in demeanor make someone appear so strikingly beautiful?
When Danyeong finally arrived, a man promptly emerged from within the house as if he had been waiting.
He was a martial artist responsible for the Fragrant Flower House's security.
He was also a direct subordinate of the man who had been subdued and dragged away like a dog by Cheon Kyungwan the night before.
"The Owner wishes to see you."
His gaze, fixed on Danyeong, was cold and sharp.
* * *
Cheon Kyungwan, after locking up the man he captured from the Fragrant Flower House in the dungeon, headed to the training grounds of the Sword Dragon Corps.
His expression was deeply troubled.
The events of last night replayed vividly in his mind.
Things had happened that he could hardly comprehend.
For one, he was curious how Byeok Taesan had realized someone was hiding in the ceiling.
Even he, Cheon Kyungwan, hadn't noticed it at first.
He shouldn't have missed it, but he had let his guard down.
The problem was that he hadn't even considered the possibility of someone hiding there.
If he had remained vigilant, he might have sensed something was amiss as soon as he stepped onto the top floor of the Fragrant Flower House.
But that was only the beginning of the strange events.
Byeok Taesan asking him for a sword had been peculiar enough.
The fact that he had handed it over without hesitation was even more baffling.
"To think he managed to pierce the ceiling with that body of his."
Upon inspection, it turned out he hadn't just pierced the ceiling at random but had struck precisely at a gap in the structure.
The man hiding above had been using that gap to observe the room below.
From the perspective of the spy, a sword had suddenly flown straight toward his eyes.
It was no wonder the man panicked, and it was thanks to that reaction that Cheon Kyungwan had managed to detect him.
"So strange. Truly strange."
Cheon Kyungwan muttered as he unsheathed his sword.
Whenever his thoughts became too complicated, nothing helped like a good session of sword practice.
Sweating it out usually cleared his mind.
But this time, even that wasn't an option.
The moment he drew his sword, Byeok Taesan's words from the previous night came flooding back.
"Are you still trapped by your weapon?"
The expression and gaze Byeok Taesan had when saying that were unforgettable.
"It felt like…"
It was as if someone who had already reached the summit of a mountain was looking down at another struggling to climb the cliff.
He couldn't explain why he felt that way, but the sensation was undeniable.
Recently, he had been feeling an inexplicable frustration during his training.
Hearing those words had only made it worse.
"Trapped? Is that why I feel this way?"
He muttered to himself, then flinched.
Letting out a bitter laugh, he shook his head.
"Hah! To be swayed by the words of someone who's likely never even held a sword…"
Yet, for some reason, those words had struck a chord deep within him.
"Where on earth has the Young Master disappeared to…"
That was another mystery.
Even if he had left late, it didn't make sense for Byeok Taesan's presence to elude Cheon Kyungwan.
It wasn't as though he had used some advanced light-footwork technique to escape quickly.
"Sigh. I don't know anymore."
Cheon Kyungwan shook his head in exasperation, but Byeok Taesan's words resurfaced, even more vividly this time.
"Trapped, huh… then how does one escape? By abandoning the weapon? No, that's not it."
His thoughts continued, one following another like an endless chain.
Unconsciously, Cheon Kyungwan began to edge closer to a state of selfless absorption.
* * *
Byeok Taesan found himself rather pleased with the Demonic Cult's safe house.
However, he couldn't remain there indefinitely, so he returned home as soon as his task was completed.
Looking back, he realized that what he had done the previous night was insane.
Bringing a courtesan to the safe house of the Demonic Cult—what had he been thinking?
In his days as the Heavenly Demon, he had done whatever he pleased, because he could.
But now, while he was still the Heavenly Demon, he wasn't truly the Heavenly Demon anymore.
Fortunately, no one had been present at the safe house.
If any of the cult members had been there, it could have turned into a disaster.
Though, deep down, he doubted it would have escalated into anything significant.
It was an unexplainable confidence he had.
It just felt that way.
"At any rate… succeeding in a challenge feels good."
The previous night, he had successfully opened one of the seven great meridians used in the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.
His work on refining the critical auxiliary meridians had played a significant role.
Though the challenge was a success, it was only the beginning.
All it meant was that Byeok Taesan no longer faced the imminent danger of suddenly collapsing and dying on the road.
However, he was still teetering on the edge of death.
There was a long way to go.
While Byeok Taesan sat on his bed inspecting his body step by step, he heard Soso's voice from outside.
"Young Master, are you awake? The meal is ready."
"Come in."
As soon as permission was granted, the door opened, and Soso entered. Her face was brimming with curiosity, as though she had countless questions to ask.
"Whatever you're curious about, don't ask. I won't answer."
Soso pouted.
"I wasn't going to ask anything anyway!"
"Good. Now let's eat. Overexerting myself yesterday made me hungry."
At that, Soso's face turned crimson.
Seeing her reaction, Byeok Taesan chuckled lightly.
"Judging by your expression, I can guess exactly what you're thinking. It's nice to see your soul becoming increasingly tainted."
Soso stared at him in shock.
"T-T-That's not what I was thinking!"
"Sure, sure. Let's just eat."
Byeok Taesan strode out of the room decisively.
Soso puffed out her cheeks and stared at his retreating back before hurriedly following him.
"And why are you happy about my soul being tainted?"
"It's just one of those things."
Soso pouted again, but her expression soon turned serious.
'Our Young Master… he seems more energetic than usual today.'
There was something oddly vibrant about him.
'I hope the Heavenly Divine Healer arrives soon. The Young Master has only just started to look better.'
Soso quickened her pace, wishing she could see this brighter side of him more often.
* * *
After finishing his meal, Byeok Taesan headed to the training grounds of the Sword Dragon Corps.
He intended to meet the man they captured last night alongside Cheon Kyungwan.
However, he had no plans to drag the man to the Fragrant Flower House immediately.
The Owner of the Fragrant Flower House would eventually pay for her impudence, but not yet.
The Sword Dragon Corps held a special position within the Golden Wall Merchants.
They were allocated a large pavilion and given exclusive access to three training grounds of varying sizes in the surrounding area.
Byeok Taesan entered the Sword Dragon Corps's largest training ground, where intense energy surged through the air.
As expected, the Corps members were scattered throughout, each engaged in their own training.
Byeok Taesan watched them with a peculiar gaze.
"Well, look at this."
Having opened one of the great meridians, his senses had sharpened considerably.
He could now precisely assess the level of the Sword Dragon Corps members.
Although his ability to gauge others wasn't perfect yet, for someone of their caliber, his evaluations were almost entirely accurate.
The problem lay in their actual skill levels.
'Why are they so weak?'
The Sword Dragon Corps members' abilities fell far below Byeok Taesan's expectations.
He had based his impression of the Corps on Cheon Kyungwan.
Yet not a single member here matched Cheon Kyungwan's strength.
In fact, most of them were so weak that comparing them to Cheon Kyungwan felt insulting.
As Byeok Taesan observed them for a while, one Corps member approached him.
"What brings the Second Young Master here?"
Since Byeok Taesan didn't know who he was, he remained silent.
"Are you here to see Warrior Cheon?"
When Byeok Taesan nodded, the man turned to lead the way.
"Warrior Cheon is at the small training ground. This way, please."
Byeok Taesan followed him.
This man was far stronger than the others. In fact, he was the strongest among them, though still far inferior to Cheon Kyungwan.
"I see I misunderstood."
Cheon Kyungwan was no ordinary member of the Sword Dragon Corps.
Several thoughts flitted through Byeok Taesan's mind as they walked.
Soon, they arrived at the small training ground, where Cheon Kyungwan was seated in deep concentration.
"As you can see, he's been in that state since dawn. It's best not to disturb him."
Byeok Taesan nodded.
Cheon Kyungwan appeared to be on the verge of awakening from his trance.
"What is Warrior Cheon's official rank within the Sword Dragon Corps?"
"He's just a regular member."
The man answered, only to realize afterward that Byeok Taesan had spoken to him informally.
It had been so natural that he accepted it without question.
His eyes subtly shifted.
At that moment, Cheon Kyungwan broke out of his meditative state.
A powerful surge of energy erupted from his body, whipping through the surroundings like a storm.
The man stared at him in shock.
Cheon Kyungwan's gaze was deeper than usual as he locked eyes with Byeok Taesan.
With a complex expression, he stepped forward and offered a respectful bow.
"Young Master, you're here."
His formal tone and demeanor caused the man who had guided Byeok Taesan to widen his eyes in disbelief.
Cheon Kyungwan turned to the man and spoke.
"Corps Leader, I believe I'll need to escort the Young Master for the rest of the day."
"Uh… right. That's your job, after all."
Byeok Taesan nodded inwardly.
He had suspected as much.
The strongest among these underlings was indeed the Sword Dragon Corps's leader.
Cheon Kyungwan quickly stepped forward, standing respectfully before Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan grinned at him.
"Let's go see that man."
"He's in the dungeon."
Cheon Kyungwan answered politely and led the way.
The Sword Dragon Corps leader watched the two leave, alternating his gaze between them.
"What in the world is going on here?"
He couldn't erase the dazed expression on his face until they disappeared from the training ground.