Chapter 48

Come to think of it, Dang Ran-yeong had once said that he never repeated himself. Recalling the consequences of making him repeat himself at the mansion in Xiangyang last time, Cheong-ra had no choice but to reluctantly nod. It was obvious that if his legs were broken here, he would end up wasting time in the brothel unable to do anything.

Only then did Dang Ran-yeong loosen the whip constricting his ankle. Cheong-ra had worried they might dine in this mess, but fortunately, the meal took place in the adjacent room. It was a very clean space that the servants had diligently swept and cleaned.

Since coming to The Pavilion of Golden Fragrance, Cheong-ra had been steadily getting accustomed to the meals here. Not only the tea, but the food quality was also very good. Especially the roast duck with crispy skin was exquisite. Expecting that dish to be served today as well, Cheong-ra quietly swallowed his saliva and sat down as far away as possible, but Dang Ran-yeong patted the seat next to him and said,

"Sit here."

"...I like this seat."

Cheong-ra said warily in an unsatisfied voice. Apart from being fascinated by the man called Dang Ran-yeong, he was reluctant to get close to him. It was because of his innately fierce aura that would make weak commoners faint if they encountered him.

Dang Ran-yeong didn't invite him a second time. Instead, he simply tempted him with this information.

"Young Master Baek Ri, did you know there are people in this world who like having their legs broken so much they wet themselves? Don't you want to see?"

"..."

At this chilling threat, Cheong-ra had no choice but to sit next to him. Thinking about it, one of the reasons he was reluctant to get close to Dang Ran-yeong was the small Venomous Horned Serpent he kept in his sleeve. The baby Venomous Horned Serpent that had been there until just now was nowhere to be seen, so he glanced at the wide, dark sleeve, but only saw the tip of what might have been a sharp dagger or needle.

Cheong-ra had thought he would be dining alone with Dang Ran-yeong, but seeing the amount the servants brought out, it was clearly not for just two people. Sure enough, when the table was almost fully set, Dang Ran-yeong's three close associates appeared.

"Huh? What brings Young Master Baek Ri here...?"

Wi Je-ho, who appeared first, greeted him in confusion. Nam Gang-ryong, who entered next, also had a puzzled look on his face. Only Hwan-hong, who appeared last, was indifferent without any particular reaction. As it wasn't particularly comfortable to dine among these people, Cheong-ra decided to focus on the meal. He planned to quickly fill his stomach and leave this place.

However, that wasn't easy either. Just as he had barely started tasting the food, Dang Ran-yeong suddenly said this.

"Young Master Baek Ri will also be going to Mount Heng this time."

"What?"

"Lord Owner Dang, what do you mean?"

Even the usually taciturn Nam Gang-ryong couldn't hold back his question, while only Hwan-hong continued eating without any reaction. Cheong-ra, who couldn't refute immediately due to food in his mouth, hastily swallowed, took a sip of tea, and asked.

"What do you mean? When did I ever say I was going to Mount Heng?"

As always, Dang Ran-yeong completely ignored Cheong-ra's words. His attitude clearly showed that he considered the other as his subordinate and didn't need to listen, but this time, as there were other people present, Cheong-ra's cheeks flushed slightly with shame. Wi Je-ho frowned and said,

"Isn't it a bit much to take Young Master Baek Ri along?"

"Why? I thought the hospitality was lacking, so I wanted to properly entertain him. He doesn't seem satisfied at all, so as the host, I want to take care of him thoroughly from start to finish."

At Dang Ran-yeong's words, Nam Gang-ryong sighed and chanted "Amitabha." Wi Je-ho glanced at Cheong-ra and gave him a sympathetic look. Hwan-hong, for the first time, spoke in a kind tone, recommending a dish saying it was delicious and asking if he had tried it. As this was the most favorable attitude he had received from these three so far, Cheong-ra felt very uneasy.

'It doesn't seem like they're worried about mountain climbing because Mount Heng is treacherous.'

The Five Great Mountains refer to five mountains known for their uniquely auspicious and beautiful aura. Mount Tai in the East, where the emperor famously ascends to perform sacrifices to heaven; Mount Hua in the West; Mount Heng in the South; Mount Heng in the North (This is the Mount Heng in the conversation) (Different character from Mount Heng in the South); and Mount Song in the Center. Among them, Mount Heng in the North was the largest and highest mountain.

However, considering Dang Ran-yeong's heartless and cruel personality, it was unlikely that those three were simply concerned about mountain climbing. Cheong-ra was already afraid of the "thorough hospitality" Dang Ran-yeong said he would personally provide from start to finish.

At the same time, his immoral and inappropriate preferences made him feel a terrible anticipation. Although his neck had been so painfully strangled, on the other hand, he couldn't forget that pleasure...

"I bought new shoes too, so I should break them in well while mountain climbing."

Even as he said this, Dang Ran-yeong's gaze was blatantly directed at Cheong-ra. So, saying something like this should rightfully make one feel bad. ...For ordinary people, that is, but Cheong-ra wasn't ordinary, so he just glared at Dang Ran-yeong once.

He was about to firmly refuse but changed his mind. Judging from the reactions of the close associates when Mount Heng was mentioned, they were clearly going there for something important. As it was near Hebei, he could possibly cross over to investigate the Enlightened Mind Tea matter if the opportunity arose.

"The heels might get blistered in new shoes."

When Cheong-ra replied nonchalantly, Dang Ran-yeong laughed out loud. He seemed to find it quite amusing rather than being displeased. Then he pulled Cheong-ra's teacup towards him. He emptied the tea inside as he pleased and poured wine.

"Drink. Fine cuisine should naturally be accompanied by fragrant wine."

The teacup was filled to the brim with clear, transparent wine. The wine had an extremely fragrant aroma, just like when they had shared three cups of wine last time. Inwardly sighing, he obediently drank the wine. It had the same aroma as when he drank it in Dragon Spring. He was testing Cheong-ra again this time.

Was this really poison, or just fragrant wine? If he weren't foolish, he should rightly not drink this...

Cheong-ra suddenly recalled that he had been moving according to Dang Ran-yeong's words every time until now. It felt like an irresistible instinct, making his hand holding the teacup tremble slightly. And in the end, he put the wine in his mouth.

***

After finishing the meal with a troubled mind, Cheong-ra headed to the back garden. Although it was a dark night, lanterns were lit generously, making everything feel as bright as midday. As he was strolling along, he sensed someone's presence.

It seemed rough and noisy, likely not a martial artist, but as he stopped and waited, someone soon appeared. Cheong-ra's eyes widened in surprise at the familiar face.

'Neung Jeong-dong...?'

It was the young man who had been crawling around almost naked like a slave in the underground space a few nights ago. Recalling how he had been slapped, whipped, and at the same time violated, Cheong-ra felt uncomfortable.

He had intended to pretend not to see him and pass by, but the other didn't seem to have the same intention. Neung Jeong-dong's face reddened upon seeing him, and the corners of his eyes shot up sharply. It was a reaction that anyone could see was harboring resentment towards Cheong-ra. In this situation, Cheong-ra found it awkward to either pretend not to know him or to acknowledge him. Neung Jeong-dong strode over and pointed his finger at Cheong-ra.

"I didn't know the noble Moonlight Flashing Sword would frequent a place like this."

"Young Master Neung, you seem very agitated."

Cheong-ra, not wanting to cause a disturbance, tried to calm the other down first, but it backfired, making Neung Jeong-dong even more furious.

"Yeah, how does it feel to become Lord Owner Dang's favorite slave as you wanted?"

"Favorite... slave?"

Cheong-ra frowned and asked about this unfamiliar term. By favorite slave, did he mean a beloved slave? A slave cherished by the master? Is he saying I'm a slave cherished by Dang Ran-yeong? As he was guessing the meaning, he felt repulsed and frowned deeply, which made Neung Jeong-dong's eyes blaze with anger.

"Don't pretend you don't know! Walking around with those marks on your neck!"

"This... there were unavoidable circumstances."

Even as he said this, Cheong-ra felt ashamed. It was true that Dang Ran-yeong had forcibly subdued him, strangled his neck, and urged him to ejaculate. However, it would be a lie to say he didn't feel pleasure in that situation, which is why he felt ashamed.

In any case, feeling uncomfortable with the argument about being Dang Ran-yeong's favorite slave or whatever, he tried to leave, but the highly agitated Neung Jeong-dong rushed at him.

"I've known Lord Owner Dang much longer than you have! But suddenly, you, you appeared...! That day was such a good opportunity!"

As the other was not a martial artist but a precious young master from a powerful family in Chang'an, Cheong-ra easily avoided the attack. However, as he kept rushing at him, Cheong-ra, who had been in a bad mood since dinner, knocked the other down. But when he tried to get up and rush at him again, he had no choice but to knock him down again. Although it felt like bullying a child, this time he stepped on his back to prevent him from getting up.