Chapter 161. Thank You for Being Bad
A two-horse carriage sped towards the stronghold of Dongho.
For the bandits who frequented the stronghold, the runaway carriage was like a bolt of lightning from the sky.
The bandits scrambled to the sides of the road like locusts.
And once the carriage had passed, they rushed back to the road and shouted until their voices were hoarse.
"Hey! You crazy bastard!"
"Stop right there, you lunatic!"
Ignoring the bandits' curses, the two-horse carriage entered the stronghold of Dongho.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"
Just before reaching the main entrance, the coachman, Lee San, pulled on the reins, and the carriage slowed down dramatically.
The carriage passed through the main gate and came to a noisy halt in the front yard of the mansion.
The excited horses neighed and reared up on their hind legs.
The commotion drew the bandits of Dongho's stronghold, who slowly emerged to see what was happening.
The first to exit the carriage was Old Shim, who looked around and shouted:
"The Grand Inspector of Nokrim has arrived! Where is the Boss of Dongho's stronghold?"
Upon hearing the title of Grand Inspector of Nokrim, the bandits dared not approach and kept their distance.
Shortly thereafter, the vice-boss, Hyul Bi Do, Jeong Sang Baek, hurriedly ran out.
"I am the vice-boss, Hyul Bi Do. The Boss is enjoying a boat ride. He won't return until dawn. Please allow me to attend to you until then."
From the carriage, Yeon Jeokha looked down and asked:
"So, are you telling me to wait here until the Boss returns from his ride?"
"You could enjoy a feast while you wait..."
Jeong Sang Baek turned pale.
Remembering the terrifying stories about the Grand Inspector of Nokrim made his heart race.
In Nokrim, deaths were frequent.
He had killed several subordinates with his own hands.
Yet no one blamed him for it. In Nokrim, death was something common and accepted.
"Tch. What kind of feast can one have in an empty house? Take me to where the Boss is. He’s probably having fun on the lake."
At Yeon Jeokha's words, Jeong Sang Baek bowed deeply.
"Yes, yes. I will take you there. But it might take some time to find his boat."
"But no more than an hour, right?"
"Of course. That should be enough."
"Then, get ready."
"But..."
"But what?"
When Yeon Jeokha showed signs of impatience, Jeong Sang Baek quickly explained.
"The Boss took the big boat, so we'll have to use a small one to reach him."
"There are eight of us. Can’t you take us all?"
"Of course, we will all fit. I'm just concerned about not being able to offer you a larger boat."
"It's fine. Prepare quickly."
"Yes, please wait a moment. I will be ready in no time."
Jeong Sang Baek, with a firm voice, gave orders to his men and hurried towards the lake.
Lee San leaned towards Yeon Jeokha and whispered:
"Young Master, won't it be like last time, with the boat exploding?"
"They don’t know why I came, so that won’t happen."
"I hope so..."
Lee San didn’t feel entirely sure.
After about fifteen minutes, Jeong Sang Baek returned, panting.
"Grand Inspector, the boat is ready. Please, follow me."
The boat carrying Yeon Jeokha and his group glided over Lake Dongho.
Although it was not yet dark, Jeong Sang Baek had placed lanterns on the bow of the boat.
Yeon Jeokha observed with curiosity, and Jeong Sang Baek explained:
"We place the lanterns at this hour because it's difficult to do so once it gets dark. We always do it this way."
Yeon Jeokha nodded while looking around.
He noticed that other boats also had their lanterns lit.
"Won't it be difficult to find the boat in the dark?"
"Oh, no. It’s easier to find it in the dark."
"Why?"
"The Boss’s boat is always ostentatiously illuminated."
"Ah, I see."
Yeon Jeokha murmured in amazement.
The idea that something could be easier to find in the dark seemed profound to him.
After about an hour, they saw a brightly lit boat in the distance.
Although it was far away, laughter and music could be heard.
From the bow, Jeong Sang Baek shouted:
"Grand Inspector, I found it! It’s that boat!"
Jeong Sang Baek smiled with relief at having found the boat quickly, unaware of why Yeon Jeokha had come.
----------------------
The Boss of Dongho's stronghold, Tal Myung Hyeol Jang, Oh Jin Woong, set down his wine cup and approached the geisha playing the instrument.
The music stopped.
"Is your name Eun Wol?"
"Yes."
"You’ve been playing for half an hour. Don’t your hands hurt?"
"No."
Eun Wol shrugged.
As a geisha, conversing with drunken clients was uncomfortable for her.
"Let me see your hands."
Oh Jin Woong reached out to Eun Wol.
The other geishas laughed and pointed at Oh Jin Woong and Eun Wol.
They seemed amused by the scene.
"Do you know what my nickname is?"
"Tal Myung Hyeol Jang."
"Correct. These hands have sent many people to the other world. I just want to see your hands. Don’t be afraid."
Oh Jin Woong convinced Eun Wol that she had nothing to fear and took her hands.
He began to caress her hands, with no intention of letting them go.
"You have beautiful hands. Soft and elastic. You could become a great martial artist. Would you like to learn my Tal Myung Hyeol Jang technique?"
Oh Jin Woong looked at Eun Wol with desire.
The Tal Myung Hyeol Jang technique was not something one would teach to a geisha. He was only joking.
His hand slid down Eun Wol's shoulder.
Eun Wol tried to escape, but Oh Jin Woong didn't let her go.
With a touch, he blocked Eun Wol's pressure points, leaving her immobile.
"Let me go! I just came to play music!"
"Don't worry. At first, they all say that. But after a night with me, none of them want to leave. Right?"
The other geishas responded in unison: "Yes."
One geisha even began preparing a bed for them.
Oh Jin Woong and his geishas shared questionable morals.
"Please, let me go. I beg you."
Eun Wol's pleas only provoked more laughter from the geishas.
The musicians didn’t dare intervene and looked away.
Just as Oh Jin Woong was about to undress Eun Wol, one of the bandits on the bow of the boat hurried over.
"Boss! A boat from our stronghold is approaching!"
"What the hell!"
Oh Jin Woong, visibly annoyed, stood up.
"Who dares interrupt my fun? I said I would be out on the water all night."
Reclining in his chair, Oh Jin Woong stared into the darkness with murderous eyes.
Shortly after, a medium-sized boat approached.
A plank was placed between the two boats, and about ten people crossed over.
Jeong Sang Baek was the first to cross and approached Oh Jin Woong.
"Boss! The Grand Inspector of Nokrim is here to see you."
"What?"
Oh Jin Woong quickly stood up and released Eun Wol with a flick of his hand.
Eun Wol, trembling with fear, quickly moved away.
Yeon Jeokha appeared with the calm of a nobleman enjoying a boat ride.
Jeong Sang Baek introduced Oh Jin Woong:
"Grand Inspector, this is Tal Myung Hyeol Jang, the Boss of Dongho’s stronghold."
"My apologies for the delay. I’m Oh Jin Woong. It’s an honor to meet you. I should have visited you earlier. Hahaha."
Oh Jin Woong tried to demonstrate that he also had a rank within Nokrim, though it was inferior to Yeon Jeokha’s.
Yeon Jeokha’s gaze landed on the bed prepared on the deck.
Seeing the geishas and the bed made it clear what had been happening.
‘Hm?’
Then he noticed Eun Wol, clutching her instrument, trembling with fear.
Her clothing was half undone, revealing what had happened.
Yeon Jeokha turned to Oh Jin Woong.
"It seems you’ve been having fun like a dog."
"…"
Oh Jin Woong, around fifty years old, was stunned by Yeon Jeokha's rudeness.
Finally, regaining his composure, he replied firmly:
"Having fun like a dog... That’s too much, even for the Grand Inspector."
"Oh, really? Not only do you not apologize, but you also dare to look at me defiantly. It seems that Dongho’s stronghold is truly in chaos."
Finally, Oh Jin Woong realized that Yeon Jeokha was seriously angry.
‘What’s going on?’
He quickly reviewed any possible mistake he could have made.
Finally, in a more submissive tone, he said:
"There must be a misunderstanding. I would never dare to challenge you. If I’ve made any mistake, please tell me so I can correct it."
Yeon Jeokha pointed at Eun Wol.
"What about her? Did you force her to do something against her will?"
"That’s not true. She’s a geisha. It’s her job. She has no reason to refuse."
Faced with his blatant lie, Eun Wol trembled even more.
The musicians around made signs for her to remain silent, fearing retaliation from Dongho.
Namgung Yeon, who had been silently observing, spoke up:
"Lie. Geishas who play instruments are not prostitutes."
"Shut up! If you don’t know what you’re talking about, stay out of it."
Oh Jin Woong shouted furiously at Namgung Yeon.
It was then that Yeon Jeokha quickly approached and raised his hand to strike Oh Jin Woong.
Surprised, Oh Jin Woong instinctively reacted, using his Tal Myung Hyeol Jang technique.
The hands of both clashed in the air, colliding and separating repeatedly.
Although Oh Jin Woong's technique was formidable, it was no match for Yeon Jeokha's skill.
The hand-to-hand fight ended quickly.
Realizing the power difference, Oh Jin Woong took a step back.
Without hesitation, Yeon Jeokha drew his sword.
"Let’s make it fair. I’ll use my sword."
"I’m the Boss of Dongho’s stronghold, and you’re the Grand Inspector of Nokrim! Why are you doing this?"
"Oh, I forgot to mention. The Grand Chaeju asked me to get rid of the Demon Warriors of Nokrim. That’s why I’m here. Thanks for being a scoundrel. It’ll be easy to eliminate you."
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