Chapter 23: 40

Batang was a city located in the western part of Sichuan Province and served as a gateway to the Western Highlands.

In front of the city, a large river more than twenty meters flowed, and the western highland was spread out like a folding screen in the back.

In the paddy fields surrounding the village, rice was swept away by the wind, creating blue waves.

Batang was the largest city in the vicinity which was around a hundred li1 close. Indigenous people from Kang County were the predominant, but there were also many Han Chinese.

Although the city was located in a remote place, there was a lot of rice and various specialty products, so merchants did not stop visiting throughout the year. Thanks to this, entertainment facilities such as inns and brothels were well established.

“Ho-ho! Come here.”

“How about having a drink here today?”

The courtesans lured passersby by sticking their upper body out the window.

“Heheh! Good!”

“These guys! Wash up and wait. This old man will come running to you after today’s deal is over.”

Merchants who were not unfamiliar with this atmosphere looked at the courtesans with a sinister smile, and young men who were unfamiliar with the situation turned their heads away and fled.

“Ho-ho-ho!”

The high courtesans burst out laughing. 

As darkness descended on the street, the atmosphere became even more lively. The courtesans lit up red lanterns and seduced customers by acting coquettish. However, because it was still early, there were not many customers coming to the brothels.

Red Sky Pavilion 2 was one of the largest and most splendid among the inns in Batang. 

There were also many high-level courtesans. The origins of the courtesans also varied. There were women who came from Kang County or Han as well as women from Yunnan or Xijiang. 

For this reason, people who’s visiting Batang for the first time usually find and stay in the Red Sky Pavilion and unwound.

Seolhyang 3  was the most popular courtesan in the Red Sky Pavilion..

Her beautiful features and her snow-white skin was what attracted the people’s attention. But the most impressive thing about her the most were her eyes.

Seolhyang had eyes that were commonly called as three white eyes.4

The white color surrounding the three sides of her eyes gave off a strange atmosphere.

Many men fell in love with Seolhyang’s unique atmosphere and visited her. However, it was almost impossible to sleep with her even if she kept a customer by her side throughout the drinking party.

Because Seolhyang didn’t allow it.

No matter how wealthy the customer was, she would not allow access to her body if she did not like it. Still, many men were willing to pay a lot of money to join her.

Seolhyang looked at the street with a bored expression.

Red Sky Pavilion was still quiet, just like any other tower. But after a while, all the rooms will be full of guests.

‘This is boring.’

Seolhyang yawned lightly.

Even for today, she adorned herself beautifully and wore colorful clothes. The ornaments made by a famous craftsman hung all over her body like a fruit.

She was a flower.

And it was the duty of a flower to lure in butterflies and bees.

Seolhyang looked out the window, exuding her happiness to the fullest.

She saw people walking down the street.

Batang natives do not come here. Most of the people in the streets were foreigners. Among them, those who boasted that they made a lot of money usually come to this place.

Even those who casually passed through the street could not take their eyes off of Seolhyang whenever they managed to take a glimpse of her. Seolhyang did not blush even once, despite their gazes which were full of desire.

She was used to this look.

Most of the men who saw Seolhyang looked at her with eyes full of desire. Seolhyang thought that men were the same because she had been treated like that since childhood.

If she shows even a little bit of her smile to indicate that she’s fond of something, many would be willing to give her all of their fortune. In that way, there were already more than ten people who have been financially ruined.

Seolhyang thought that men who she could put on her toes were not really great. However, as always, she thoroughly concealed her inner feelings and seduced every man she saw with a bright smile.

Then, a strange sight entered Seolhyang’s eyes.

Among the many people walking down the street, one person clearly caught her eye.

Most of the people walking on this street were wearing high-quality silk or fancy clothes, but he was wearing very shabby clothes.

So he stood out even more.

In a sense, it was something that was not often seen here. But what stood out more than his clothing was the man’s appearance.

“Ah!”

The moment she saw him, a burst of laughter came out of her mouth without realizing it.

A beautiful face with whiter skin than any woman and a decadent beauty. His deep, shadowed eyes were so beautiful that anyone who would see them, exclamations of admiration would burst out from them.

Seolhyang lost her mind as she looked at the man’s face.

She had seen a lot of men before, but this was the first time she’s seen a man like this.

He couldn’t take my eyes off him.

It was the same with other courtesans.

“Oh!”

“How can a man have a face like that…”

The prostitutes who were sticking out their faces through the window could not take their eyes off the man’s face.

That man had the power to catch the people’s attention.

In particular, the women looked at the man with a weak pulse.

The man looked around with a curious expression as if it was his first time being to a place like this. 

He then met Seolhyang’s eyes.

For a moment, Seolhyang found herself lightheaded.

The man looked at Seolhyang half-heartedly with his bright red eyes. Seolhyang could not remove her gaze.

Seolhyang unknowingly told the man.

“Come in here.”

A lot of men have visited so far, but this man was the first one to make her tell them to come in first.

The man did not refuse and entered the Red Sky Pavilion. 

Seolhyang hurriedly went down to the first floor to meet the man. There she saw a man coming into the Red Sky Pavilion.

“Oh–!”

The man she saw up close was more beautiful.

As if he had never been in the sun, his pure white skin was shining under the light of red lanterns.

“Above…!” (“상…공!)

Seolhyang approached the man.

In an instant, Seolhyang inhaled the strong body scent from the man. A strange scent was emanating from the man.

The scent that seemed to shed people made Seolhyang unable to find reason.

What made her mind dizzy more than anything else were his eyes that had a subtle tinge of red. Seolhyang was mesmerized by his eyes that seemed to sucked her in the more she stares at him.

The man asked Seolhyang.

“This is a brothel right?”

“Yes, that’s right! Above!”

Seolhyang shook her head and replied. Unknowingly, she was treating the man with a humble attitude.

“Can I stay a few days even without any money?”

“O-Of course….”

Had another guest here said they have no money, she would have looked at them with contempt. But when the man in front of her said that he doesn’t have any money, there was no contempt, only regret.

“I’ll take care of you, so don’t worry about anything and come inside.”

Seolhyang pulled the man’s hand.

The man entered her residence as naturally as if he had entered his own house.

* * *

Geum Si-yeon, the owner of Red Sky Pavilion, looked at the Chongwan with a frown.

“Why aren’t we making a  profit? Haven’t our sales been below average for the past few days?”

“That is…”

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Chongwang bowed his head with a troubled look..

Geum Si-yeon said as she banged the table,

“Why can’t you tell me? What the hell is going on in the Red Sky Pavilion?”

“Seolhyang hasn’t worked for the past few days.”

“Seolhyang? Why?”

“That’s because she fell in love with a certain guy—”

“The girl fell for a man? Are you joking with me?”

Geum Si-yeon knew what Seolhyang was like better than anyone. If I spilled a man, I spilled it, and I was never a basil character to a man. She couldn’t easily believe the words of Chongwan that Seolhyang was obsessed with a man and stopped accepting clients. 

As Geum Si-yeon got angry, Chongwan said with an unhappy expression,

“It’s true. She’s been stuck in her room for three days and still hasn’t come out.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“I’ll check it myself. Have the other kids ready.”

Geum Si-yeon got up.

Her eyes were full of poison.

The Red Sky Pavilion was a business she worked so hard for. Seolhyang was the best courtesan of her business. It was impossible to see such a commodity fall in love with a man and cause damage to the business.

Dozens of men followed Geum Si-yeon.

The men were warriors dispatched by Cheongok-gwan5 in Batang.

Geum Si-yeon had a close relationship with Yu Jin-san, the ruler of Cheongok-gwan. Although she was already retired from the front line, Geum Si-yeon still boasted a decent beauty and education. 

Because of that, Yu Jinsan, the most powerful member of the party, fell in love with her and sent warriors to look after her.

Although they cannot be compared to the Two Factions (二派), the Three Gates (三門), the Four Fangs (四房), and the Five Halls (五館) that make up Sichuan Province, there were no military officers who dared to compete with the Cheongok-gwan in the vicinity of Batang. 

When Geum Si-yeon appeared leading the men of Cheongok-gwan, all the courtesans and workers they encountered turned their heads and avoided them.

Geum Si-yeon’s power was so great that no one dared to stop her.

The courtesans looked at Geum Si-yeon’s back with bewildered expressions.

“Why is Si-yeon unnie so angry?”

“It’s because of Seolhyang.”

“What did Seolhyang unnie do?”

“She’s been out of business for the past few days because she fell for a certain guy. With the best courtesan in the Red Sky Pavilion not selling her services, the damage is huge.”

“What kind of man is he for the sassy Seolhyang unnie to make her stop doing her business and be locked up in her room?”

“I don’t know! But that man’s skill is no joke. I mean why were they moaning until dawn?”

“Really?”

The young-looking courtesan widened her eyes. Her eyes were full of curiosity.

If it were a man, it was the courtesans who got vigor. You can moan briefly during the intercourse to please a man, but it’s impossible to do it all night.

Unless you have sex overnight.

“Eggmannina! He’s a great man.”

“Ho-ho! I must have orphaned a lot of snakes. Very just—”

Geum Si-yeon’s expression was distorted by the chatter of the courtesans who were unable to grasp the atmosphere.

‘These empty-headed bitches can’t even understand the atmosphere— After being lenient on them for while, everyone became  out of tune.’’

Geum Si-yeon thought that as soon as she solved the problem of Seolhyang, she would also talk and discipline the other prostitutes.

Geum Si-yeon and the warriors finally arrived in front of Seolhyang’s room.

Seolhyang’s door was firmly shut.

When Geum Si-yeon glared at it, the soldiers immediately forced the door open.

Thud!

As soon as the door opened, hot air rushed out.

Geum Si-yeon frowned.

Because he knows well what the heat coming out of the room means.

Geum Si-yeon looked around the room.

Red silk gold needles were scattered all over, and Seolhyang’s pure white naked body was visible. She was lying on a man’s lap, breathing heavily.

Just by looking at it, she could fully guess what had just happened.

Geum Si-yeon burst into anger.

“Seolhyang! What are you doing after closing your services?!”

“Si-yeon unnie?”

Then Seolhyang turned her head and looked at Geum Si-yeon. Her eyes were dreamily opened and her face was full of redness. 

“You–?”

“Hoo!”

Seolhyang raised her upper body, covering her white naked body with a silk blanket. 

Geum Si-yeon’s gaze turned to the man.

It was because she was curious about the face of the man who captured Seolhyang under his spell. 

Even though Geum Si-yeon and warriors came in with the door open, the man sat and looked out the window, not even paying the slightest bit of attention to them.

Although he hasn’t turned his head yet to reveal his face, she felt a strange atmosphere coming from the man.

His undressed, white upper body was smooth as if he had no muscles.

The appearance of the scattered candles illuminating his smooth body made him look mysterious.

For a moment, Geum Siyeon felt a sense of incongruity that could not be explained in words.

There was something off about him. 

The man did not match the atmosphere. Still, it was strangely mixed. The man’s  appearance stimulated Geum Si-yeon’s instinct.

Geum Si-yeon opened her mouth carefully.

“I want to see the face of the unauthorized guest.”

The man turned his head at her voice.

“Ah!”

As soon as she saw the man’s face, Siyeon Geum let out a soft gasp without realizing it.

The man’s face was too beautiful to be expressed in words.

She had spent nearly thirty years as a courtesan. She had already met so many men and slept with them. But no other man could match the beautiful charm of the man in front of her.

Especially his pair of eyes with a soft red color seemed to tickle even Geum Si-yeon’s heart.

At that moment, Geum Si-yeon seemed to understand why Seolhyang had fallen for the man.

With such a man, it would be difficult for any woman to get out of his grasp easily.

Since Geum Si-yeon has seen through everything with her matured age, she can keep her reason against the man, but it seemed that it would be impossible for young womento get out of the charm of the man. 

‘Where did such a person—’

Geum Siyeon instinctively took a step back.

Because she smelled a dangerous smell from the man.

It was like seeing a big snake. She had goosebumps all over her body and her  hair stood up straight.

As Geum Si-yeon’s face turned white, the warriors supported her and said,

“Are you okay?”

“Maybe the man used some sort of trickery?”

Geum Si-yeon could not easily answer the questions of the soldiers and only shook her head. But warriors thought that Geum Si-yeon had been enchanted, and looked at Pyo-wol.

“Bring him out.”

Editor’s Notes

Thank you for reading! Comment down below and let me know what you think of the chapter~ ♡

Li. This is also known as the Chinese mile, is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer (500 meters or 1,640 feet or 0.311 miles). Red Sky Pavilion. Other possible translations: Hong Cheonru, 홍천루(紅天楼). Seolhyang. Other possible translations: 설향은. Three white eyes. Other possible translations: Saembaegan, Sanpaku, 삼백안 (三白眼).  It refers to the eyes in which either the white spaces above or below the iris are revealed. In manga or anime, characters with these eyes are usually portrayed as yandere, tsundere, or kuudere.  Cheongok-gwan. 청옥관에

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