Fallen Flower House was one of the top three courtesan houses in Wuhan, just like the Fragrant Flower House.
However, its scale was different.
Fallen Flower House was significantly larger than Fragrant Flower House.
Within its fairly expansive grounds, there were more than ten buildings, and it operated by assigning different buildings to guests based on their rank.
When Byeok Taesan arrived at the front gate of Fallen Flower House, he casually glanced at the two warriors standing guard there.
They seemed ordinary.
Of course, that was by Byeok Taesan's standards, so others might have had a different opinion.
For instance, Cheon Kyungwan, who was guiding him.
"Fallen Flower House raises its own martial artists. Their level is fairly high."
Cheon Kyungwan's tone carried strong confidence, as if to assert that no matter how great Fallen Flower House's martial artists were, they couldn't compare to him.
"And half of the shares belong to the Golden Wall Merchants."
The owner of Fallen Flower House was a martial artist who had gained a decent reputation in the past.
He held half of the shares, while the other half belonged to the Golden Wall Merchants, who had invested money.
"Among the three great courtesan houses of Wuhan, the Fragrant Flower House is the only one that hasn't taken any money from the Golden Wall Merchants."
Byeok Taesan gave a half-hearted nod and proceeded to enter the Fallen Flower House.
He didn't care how wealthy the Golden Wall Merchants were or how much influence they wielded in Wuhan.
Just as he was about to step inside, a booming voice called out from a distance.
"Hey! You there! Golden Wall brat!"
Even though it was clear the voice was directed at him, Byeok Taesan didn't so much as glance in its direction and strode right into the pavilion.
It was Cheon Kyungwan who reacted instead.
Cheon Kyungwan turned his head and briefly glared at the hulking figure approaching with an overwhelming presence from afar.
It was Wi Ryongjin, the Crimson Dragon Sect Leader.
Cheon Kyungwan assessed the man's skills through his posture and aura.
Clearly inferior to his own.
Still, nothing good ever came from getting entangled with someone like that.
Cheon Kyungwan followed Byeok Taesan into the Fallen Flower House without hesitation.
Wi Ryongjin, who had called out to Byeok Taesan, stood there with a baffled expression.
"Did those punks seriously just ignore me after hearing me call out to them?"
Even so, Wi Ryongjin wasn't eager to pick a fight with the Golden Wall Merchants.
The Crimson Dragon Sect wasn't in a position to take on the Golden Wall Merchants.
To challenge them within Wuhan, one would need to rally at least the Black Blood Alliance.
The Black Blood Alliance was a coalition of the unorthodox sect factions within Wuhan.
Of course, being unorthodox sects, they rarely united and often quarreled over trivial profits, making it difficult to maintain any semblance of harmony.
So, if the Crimson Dragon Sect were to start a fight with the Golden Wall Merchants, the Black Blood Alliance would likely look for ways to take advantage rather than offer assistance.
Thus, Wi Ryongjin had no intention of creating such a situation.
He simply wanted to get what he came for.
What just happened was merely a slight show of force to grease the wheels for negotiation.
But judging by the reaction, it seemed to have fallen flat.
Wi Ryongjin glanced over the subordinates he had brought along.
If he fought Cheon Kyungwan with just these men, it would undoubtedly end in defeat.
However, that didn't mean they would go down without a fight.
If he were to personally join the fray, the story would be different.
"Let's go in."
At Wi Ryongjin's command, the two warriors guarding the gate blocked his way.
"Causing a disturbance inside is prohibited."
Wi Ryongjin scoffed.
"So, it's fine to cause a disturbance out here? Want to see what kind of disturbance I can cause?"
Despite the weight of Wi Ryongjin's intimidation, the guards didn't back down.
"Causing a disturbance inside is prohibited."
"Fine, I got it. Move. I'm not the type to throw punches recklessly. I'll settle this with words, so don't worry."
He wasn't lying—he usually used a blade rather than his fists.
With that thought in mind, Wi Ryongjin stepped into Fallen Flower House.
"A noisy fool just came in. Who was that guy earlier?"
"That was Wi Ryongjin, the leader of the Crimson Dragon Sect."
"The Crimson Dragon Sect? What's that?"
"They're an unorthodox sect that operates around this area."
"Unorthodox sect? So, like those from the Ten Thousand Blood Sect?"
At the mention of the Ten Thousand Blood Sect, Cheon Kyungwan internally scoffed but simply nodded.
The Ten Thousand Blood Sect was the top unorthodox sect.
Even if hundreds of groups like the Crimson Dragon Sect banded together, they wouldn't be able to scratch the Ten Thousand Blood Sect.
But what could he do?
The only unorthodox sect faction Byeok Taesan remembered from his time as the Heavenly Demon was the Ten Thousand Blood Sect.
Moreover, Byeok Taesan regarded the Ten Thousand Blood Sect as little more than a collection of trash.
Though the Ten Thousand Blood Sect was considered the top among unorthodox sects, that title only held weight among unorthodox sect factions.
In reality, their power was comparable to that of the prominent orthodox clans.
And even then, their foundation fell short of the orthodox clans, so they weren't worth Byeok Taesan's concern.
The term Byeok Taesan most frequently used to describe the Ten Thousand Blood Sect was "parasites."
And that was the extent of his opinion.
"The name sounds grand."
To think they called themselves the Crimson Dragon Sect with such mediocre skills—how shameless.
"Still, it's best to stay cautious. They're incredibly underhanded."
"Parasites are all like that."
Byeok Taesan cut off his attention there. Or at least, he tried to.
That is, until the man behind him shouted again.
"Hey! You girly-looking punk! Can't you hear me calling you?"
Byeok Taesan abruptly stopped in his tracks.
Since waking up in this body after death, what he disliked most was his appearance.
Though his features were somewhat delicate, they weren't feminine.
In fact, his appearance carried an unusual charm that made it hard for others to look away.
But to Byeok Taesan, it looked girly, and he absolutely hated hearing that.
Back when he lived as the Heavenly Demon, the types of people he loathed most were those like Wi Ryongjin.
In other words, Wi Ryongjin had just hit Byeok Taesan's reverse scale.
All expressions vanished from Byeok Taesan's face.
Cheon Kyungwan felt his heart sink at the sight.
He wasn't sure why, but looking at Byeok Taesan filled him with an inexplicable sense of dread.
Byeok Taesan turned around slowly and gazed at Wi Ryongjin, who was storming over like a wild boar.
His expression and gaze were calm to the point of indifference, yet chillingly cold.
Cheon Kyungwan instinctively gulped.
Wi Ryongjin stopped in front of Byeok Taesan and glared at him.
"Is it you?"
Byeok Taesan, looking confused by the vague question, glanced at Wi Ryongjin as if asking, What's this guy's deal?
"Are you the one who took Dan Yeong?"
A faint smile tugged at Byeok Taesan's lips.
Now he understood why this guy was acting this way.
Wi Ryongjin, however, showed no intention of listening to what Byeok Taesan had to say, continuing to speak as he pleased.
"I'll let you go without touching you. Just hand them over to me."
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"That's refreshing."
It was the first time he'd ever experienced anything like this.
After all, no one had ever dared to say something like that to the Heavenly Demon.
Of course, just because it was refreshing didn't mean he found it amusing.
Naturally, he had no intention of letting this man off lightly.
"Are you ignoring my words?"
Wi Ryongjin bared his teeth in a threatening smile.
At that moment, his subordinates began to move, spreading out to encircle Byeok Taesan and Cheon Kyungwan.
Wi Ryongjin turned to Cheon Kyungwan and spoke.
"I know you're skilled. But protecting this young brat while fighting us won't be easy. So, stay still and don't get involved."
Wi Ryongjin, wearing a satisfied grin, continued, "I don't want things to get messy. I'd much rather settle this through words. Words are nice, aren't they?"
"I don't like it."
Byeok Taesan's lips twisted slightly. Who said they could settle things with words?
"Take care of the others, but leave this one to me."
No sooner had Byeok Taesan finished speaking than Cheon Kyungwan sprang into action.
Wi Ryongjin was caught off guard. He hadn't expected Byeok Taesan to react this way.
But Wi Ryongjin wasn't a stranger to the rough and tumble of the unorthodox sects.
He quickly grasped the situation and reached out toward Byeok Taesan without hesitation.
Grabbing the neck of a weakling who could barely manage his own body seemed like an effortless task.
That assumption was Wi Ryongjin's fatal mistake.
At the very least, he should have infused internal energy into his outstretched hand.
Wi Ryongjin's hand barely grazed Byeok Taesan's neck before swiping through thin air.
It was, quite literally, a futile gesture.
Fortunately for Wi Ryongjin, he hadn't used much force, so he managed to keep his balance.
What followed, however, could not be called fortunate by any stretch of the imagination.
Byeok Taesan, with minimal movement, sidestepped Wi Ryongjin's hand and took a single step forward.
It was a seamless motion, both a dodge and a calculated move to close the distance.
Then, with his palm, he lightly tapped Wi Ryongjin's jaw as though brushing it upward.
He couldn't hit too hard.
This body was so fragile that using too much force might break his own wrist.
Though he struck very gently, the outcome was anything but simple.
Thud.
Wi Ryongjin collapsed forward in the same posture he had been in when he swung his hand.
And he didn't get back up.
Cheon Kyungwan, who had just finished dealing with Wi Ryongjin's subordinates, stared at the scene, his mouth agape.
Byeok Taesan shook out his hand, grimacing slightly.
Even that light strike left his hand tingling.
"This body is truly hopeless."
He had struck carefully for fear of overexerting himself, yet even that was too much for this pathetic body.
"Did you finish them off?"
Byeok Taesan's question snapped Cheon Kyungwan out of his daze. He looked at Byeok Taesan with wide eyes.
"I didn't kill them, but…"
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"You're too soft."
Leaving those words behind, Byeok Taesan began walking further inside.
As he passed, he gave an offhand command.
"Clean up and follow me."
Cheon Kyungwan stood there blankly, staring at Byeok Taesan's retreating figure.
Moments later, the guards of Fallen Flower House arrived on the scene.
Cheon Kyungwan, together with them, took care of cleaning up the area.
When he confirmed that Wi Ryongjin was dead, a shiver ran down his spine.
* * *
Cheon Kyungwan sat in a daze.
Byeok Taesan had long since gone into a room with one of the courtesans.
From within, a sound rang out—whether it was a scream or a moan was unclear, but it was constant.
Though not very loud, based on his experience at the Fragrant Flower House, Cheon Kyungwan guessed that everyone in the Fallen Flower House could hear it.
To some, it would be a source of arousal; to others, it would stir curiosity.
As he listened to the sounds, Cheon Kyungwan recalled something Byeok Taesan had said earlier.
"Say it was you who killed him."
That had been the first thing Byeok Taesan said when Cheon Kyungwan went to report after cleaning up.
Cheon Kyungwan had agreed.
Even if he told people that Byeok Taesan had killed Wi Ryongjin, no one would believe him.
Not unless they had witnessed it with their own eyes.
And the only one who had seen it happen was himself.
Wi Ryongjin's subordinates had all been unconscious at the time.
Thinking back, it was strange.
When Byeok Taesan had told him to deal with the rest, he had obeyed without hesitation.
But that wasn't right.
He should have first ensured Byeok Taesan's safety from Wi Ryongjin.
Or he should have taken Byeok Taesan and retreated.
Instead, he had acted as though under a spell, carrying out Byeok Taesan's order without question.
And then he saw Byeok Taesan handle Wi Ryongjin.
Cheon Kyungwan tried to recall Byeok Taesan's final movement. Slowly, he mimicked the motion.
"Was it like this?"
It was a simple action—stepping forward and striking upward with the hand.
But no matter how many times he repeated it, it didn't feel the same as what he had seen earlier.
Of course, it was only natural. Replicating the movements imbued with the essence of the Heavenly Demon's understanding wasn't something just anyone could do.
Cheon Kyungwan didn't give up.
At that moment, Byeok Taesan's earlier words came to mind.
Cheon Kyungwan focused on the motion. He resolved to keep practicing until he exhausted all his energy and strength.
Inside the room, moans continued to resonate.
Outside, the sound of Cheon Kyungwan cutting through the air with his hand echoed as he practiced.
And thus, the night passed.