Staying at an inn for a long time inevitably leads to encountering many people.
Having received three thousand taels for killing Black Snake Seok Jeong, the first thing Bu Eunseol did was rent a small house far from the village. He planned to continue handling missions for the Yueyang branch for the time being. In the meantime, Bu Eunseol created a safe hideout where he could rest without worry.
“Now it’s time to stock up.” The next thing he did was purchase equipment necessary for his missions.
“No need to rely on the junk in the bookstore’s storage.” The equipment in the secret chamber of the bookstore was of poor quality and completely unmaintained.
Likely because no one felt any loyalty to the branch.
“Welcome.” At a blacksmith shop deep in the market’s alleyways, Bu Eunseol bought a longsword made of refined steel and an assassin’s sword that could be strapped to his back.
“Customer.” Noticing not only Bu Eunseol’s purchase of the assassin’s sword but also the stack of notes in his robes, the blacksmith grinned slyly and whispered, “Do you need any hidden weapons or needle launchers?”
“Hidden weapons?”
Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
Some blacksmiths crafted hidden weapons, but only shady dealers in back alleys sold dangerous items like needle launchers.
“You have those here?”
“Of course. Follow me.” The blacksmith led Bu Eunseol to a small room inside the shop.
There, throwing knives, darts, and deadly devices like Extreme Needle Launchers and Spiral Explosive Projectiles were densely packed.
“We have a craftsman who makes hidden weapons like no other. What do you think?”
Instead of answering, Bu Eunseol picked up a metallic wrist guard.
“Well, well, you’ve got an eye for quality,” the blacksmith said, fastening the wrist guard on his own arm.
Click.
With a flick of his wrist, a ping sounded, revealing a spring-loaded mechanism.
“This is an authentic hidden weapon from Saryang. Load it with feather needles.”
‘Saryang…’ A crimson glint flared in Bu Eunseol’s eyes as he stared at the device.
“Do you know where to get Saryang’s hidden weapons?” The sudden murderous aura from Bu Eunseol, who had been calm and composed, startled the blacksmith, who stumbled back.
“H-How would we know a place like that?”
“Then how did you get this?”
Seeing the bloodlust in Bu Eunseol’s eyes, the blacksmith stammered, “I-I just happened to buy it cheap from a fence. They thought it was a wrist guard, not a hidden weapon…”
Indeed, a small blacksmith shop like this wouldn’t have direct dealings with Saryang, the master of hidden weapons.
‘I got too worked up.’ Regaining his composure, Bu Eunseol reached out.
Click.
He removed the hidden weapon from the blacksmith’s wrist and fastened it on his own.
“But that’s…” As the blacksmith hesitantly reached out, Bu Eunseol handed him a stack of notes.
Ten notes. Bu Eunseol paid a thousand taels for the device.
‘I’ve met the God of Wealth!’ Counting the notes, the blacksmith bowed deeply to Bu Eunseol as he left.
“Thank you, sir!”
***
Leaving the market to return to his hideout, Bu Eunseol paused.
A savory aroma wafted from somewhere. Following the scent through a winding alley, he found a small stall selling steamed buns at a corner.
‘I should buy some buns to take back.’ His hideout was far from the village, with no food nearby.
“How much for a bun?”
“Five coins.”
“Five coins…” Bu Eunseol gave a wry smile.
Even if he handed the stall owner a hundred-tael note, they wouldn’t have change.
“I’ll come back later.” As he turned to leave the alley, a voice called out.
“Young master.” A young waiter, a cloth draped over his shoulder, stood before him, hands clasped, smiling brightly.
“We meet again.” The waiter bowed deeply, grinning as if greeting an old friend.
Racking his memory, Bu Eunseol raised an eyebrow. The boy was the waiter from Jinghalu he’d met when he first arrived in Yueyang.
‘He recognized me?’ Their encounter had been brief.
Back then, he’d been dressed in fine clothes, posing as a noble scion on a leisurely trip.
But now, Bu Eunseol wore plain black martial attire, his face altered by Face and Bone Shifting Art.
“You know me?” he asked.
Blinking, the waiter answered casually, “Didn’t we meet here a while back?”
‘He didn’t recognize my face.’ Curiosity piqued, Bu Eunseol wondered how the boy had identified him in a market teeming with hundreds daily, without recognizing his face.
“If it’s alright with you…”
“Let’s go,” Bu Eunseol interrupted, nodding.
“I’m hungry anyway.”
Jinghalu.
Not located by Dongting Lake, but far from the market, it was a high-class tavern with excellent views, aged liquor, and gourmet dishes.
“This way, please.” Even after reaching the second floor, the waiter urged Bu Eunseol to go higher.
The top floor had private rooms, where a single seat cost over a hundred taels of silver.
“I’ll take a window seat,” Bu Eunseol said, pointing to an empty spot on the second floor.
“As you wish.” The waiter stopped pushing and led him to the window seat.
“Luckily, a good spot’s open,” he said with a bow. “What would you like to eat?”
“I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“How did you recognize me? We only met briefly.”
“Haha, we’d starve if we couldn’t remember our customers.” The waiter chuckled, rubbing his nose, and Bu Eunseol’s eyes gleamed.
‘So it’s not about my face.’ From the response, Bu Eunseol realized two things.
The boy hadn’t recognized his altered appearance. And there was a reason he wouldn’t reveal how he identified him.
“I want to hear the trick.” Bu Eunseol held out a note, but the waiter waved his hands.
“You’re giving me this much as a tip?”
“I don’t have change.”
“Then I’ll take a bit when we settle the bill. Keep it for now.”
“Fine.” Nodding readily, Bu Eunseol prompted the waiter, who whispered the secret.
“We may not remember faces, but we must remember voices.”
Voice.
It remained unchanged despite altered clothes or faces.
Art of Deceptive Enlightenment described the essence of disguise as “aura,” which, in a broader sense, included voice.
“Voice… I see.” Every profession had its tricks.
Even waiters, whom he thought merely carried dishes and wiped tables, worked hard behind the scenes.
“That was helpful.” He meant it.
To think he’d learned a key aspect of Face and Bone Shifting Art and Art of Deceptive Enlightenment from a waiter.
“No big deal,” the waiter said, smiling brightly. “What would you like to eat?”
“Hmm.” Bu Eunseol had planned to eat slowly while observing people.
But lingering in a busy tavern like this might draw attention.
‘I’ll order generously.’
“Bring the four best dishes here.”
“No liquor?”
“Liquor?”
“We have premium yellow wine brewed with high-quality sticky rice.”
Sensing Bu Eunseol’s intent, the waiter whispered, “Our tavern makes its profit from liquor. Order a bottle of premium yellow wine and sip it slowly—you can stay as long as you like without drawing eyes.”
The young waiter was not only clever but quick-witted.
Heh.
Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but smile.
“Do it. Bring a bottle of liquor too.” As he grinned, showing his teeth, the waiter blinked.
Though his face was ordinary, his smile seemed to light up like sunlight on a river.
“What are you staring at?”
“Oh, nothing.” Snapping out of it, the waiter bowed and shouted, “Just a moment!”
Soon, the table was laden with savory braised fish, a five-ingredient cold dish, stir-fried beef, and shrimp.
“Hmm.” The appetizing dishes stirred an unfamiliar hunger in Bu Eunseol.
He usually didn’t care about food’s taste, but the aroma from the yellow wine bottle whetted his appetite.
“Hmm.” He’d never touched alcohol, nor had he ordered it to drink.
But the deep, sweet scent tickled his nose, and Bu Eunseol filled a cup without thinking.
Gulp.
Downing it in one go, he wiped his mouth.
“Strange.” It wasn’t what he’d heard.
He’d been told it was bitter and harsh… so why was it so sweet?
Gulp.
Before he knew it, one cup became two.
In no time, Bu Eunseol had emptied three bottles of yellow wine. Yet, far from feeling drunk, his mind seemed clearer with each sip.
“No seats left, huh.” A young man climbing to the second floor clicked his tongue, scanning the room.
Barely past his twenties?
Though he wore a sword at his waist, his frame and limbs were slender, unlike a martial artist’s. Yet his sharp features and large, clear eyes gave him a striking presence.
“Oh!” About to turn away in disappointment, the young man spotted Bu Eunseol drinking alone by the window and exclaimed.
“It’s been a while!” Acting like he’d met an old friend, he sat across from Bu Eunseol, waving enthusiastically. “It’s been ages!”
As Bu Eunseol’s brow furrowed, the young man said something odd.
“To empty three bottles of this strong yellow wine and still look fine? I can’t even remember the last time I saw such a man!” Bu Eunseol stayed silent at the man’s nonsense.
“True men always have a high tolerance!”
With another jest, the young man cleared his throat and whispered, “Waiting for someone?”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“So you’re drinking alone?” He nodded, and the young man slapped the table, speaking boldly.
“Perfect! I can’t just pass by a man like you. Hey!”
He called to a passing waiter.
“Bring a large cup and five more bottles of premium yellow wine! And for snacks…” Noticing the untouched dishes on the table, he narrowed his eyes and shouted, “A plate of peanuts!”
Clink, clink.
Ordering five expensive bottles, the waiter hurriedly set down a jug. Bu Eunseol looked at him incredulously, and the young man waved it off.
“Don’t worry! The drinks are on me.” Filling Bu Eunseol’s cup, the young man poured wine into a massive cup the size of a child’s face.
“Here, drink!”
Gulp, gulp.
Drinking voraciously, as if possessed by a liquor-loving ghost, the young man wiped his mouth.
“Phew, that’s the stuff!”
Grinning widely, he asked, “Know why Jinghalu’s yellow wine smells so good?”
Bu Eunseol shook his head.
“Other places use old sticky rice, but Jinghalu uses fresh rice. It’s pricier, but… that’s not for drunkards to worry about, right? Haha!”
Raising his cup again, he shouted, “Another round!”
Bu Eunseol stared at the young man who’d appeared out of nowhere, pushing drinks on him. In the past, he’d have driven him off, or the man would’ve left on his own.
‘A master. From the righteous faction…’ But Bu Eunseol sensed the young man was not only a martial artist but a formidable master of the righteous faction.
Righteous Clarity, Demonic Dominance.
Righteous energy is clear, while demonic energy is domineering.
When their cups clinked, a clear, sharp energy flowed through the cup, brushing Bu Eunseol’s pulse. The technique was so subtle a demonic martial artist wouldn’t have noticed, but Bu Eunseol detected it instantly.
Clear and Turbid Swallowed Together.
The phrase described the Ban-geuk Method, which combined the strengths of righteous and demonic martial arts.
“Looks like you’re new to the martial world, brother!” the young man said, offering another drink, his eyes narrowing.
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