92. The Involvement of the Golden Society and Hongyu Escort Agency

Chairman Jang Sam-go of the Golden Society slammed his hand down on the table in fury.He hadn't anticipated this turn of events.The righteous sects had moved against Lee Dohyeon and the Heukwoon-gwan far more aggressively than he'd expected.

"Those damned righteous bastards… What a dirty trick! My investment is about to go up in smoke!"Jang Sam-go rose from his seat, rage coloring his face.

The Golden Society, a massive organization straddling both the world of commerce and the martial world, had placed a long-term bet on Lee Dohyeon—not just for short-term gains, but to cultivate trust and establish influence.

Jang paced the room, muttering,"Where did it all start to unravel?"He hadn't backed Lee Dohyeon purely for his martial prowess.He'd seen in Heukwoon-gwan an opportunity—a potential pivot point to expand his reach even deeper into the martial world.But with the righteous sects' sudden interference, everything he had carefully laid out now hung by a thread.

"Prepare to contact the Hongyu Escort Agency," Jang ordered, straightening his spine."We must find a way to support Lee Dohyeon."

Meanwhile, Hong Yusang, the master of the Hongyu Escort Agency, was weighing the situation with caution.He understood the undercurrents of the martial world—and the cold, calculating logic of business.The escort agency had long traded with various forces across the murim, but direct confrontation was something they'd always avoided.

Yet Hong Yusang hadn't forgotten the brief but sincere connection he'd felt with Lee Dohyeon.He still remembered the young man's potential and the impression he'd left behind.

Hong Yusang wrestled with the dilemma."Standing against the martial world could be disastrous…"But when Jang Sam-go's discreet request reached him, Hong Yusang made up his mind.

"Helping Lee Dohyeon won't be a mistake," he concluded."If he survives this trial, he may become an even greater ally down the road."

However, he knew he couldn't support Lee openly."If we intervene publicly, it will only worsen things," he murmured.He needed a subtler way to assist.

Hong Yusang's solution was simple but effective: use Miryeong.Miryeong, who already had ties to Heukwoon-gwan, could move discreetly without drawing unwanted attention.Her skills and background made her an ideal agent for such a delicate mission.

The Hongyu Escort Agency, experts in transporting goods and people through perilous territories, would use its routes to shelter Lee Dohyeon's party during their escape.To Hong Yusang, it was a matter of principle—small as their bond might have been, he would not repay loyalty with betrayal.Such was the creed he'd lived by.

At the same time, Jang Sam-go sat deep in thought.While he acknowledged Lee Dohyeon's potential to stir the murim, another figure weighed heavily on his mind: Miryeong—the girl who had, without an ounce of fear, come into his house and borrowed money.

With all his experience reading people, Jang Sam-go had been convinced Miryeong was no ordinary wanderer.Through his vast information networks, he'd uncovered enough hints to suspect she was connected to the highest echelons of the imperial court, though no definitive proof had yet surfaced.

Nonetheless, Jang Sam-go, a man who counted among the top five financiers even among murim's elite, wasn't satisfied with fifth place.He yearned to break into the top ranks, to conduct business directly with the imperial authority.That was why he'd gambled on helping Lee Dohyeon's ragtag party, hoping it would someday bear fruit.

But now, with everything on the verge of collapse, he couldn't help but feel a deep, seething frustration.

******

Pungwolru was far more than a simple house of entertainment.It stood at the heart of Kangho (the martial world), serving as a vital center for information that blurred the lines between the righteous sects (Jeongpa) and the unorthodox sects (Sapa).

High-ranking martial artists, nobles, and political figures all gathered here—not merely for pleasure, but to forge and dissolve alliances, to trade secrets whispered under the cover of laughter and music.Rumors birthed within these walls could shift the very tides of Kangho.

The courtesans of Pungwolru possessed exceptional skills.Beyond their sensual allure, they wielded mastery of language, psychological insight, and subtle social manipulation.Their beauty was not merely a weapon of the flesh—it was a political force, a tool of influence at the highest levels of Kangho's power struggles.

"They must all know by now," one courtesan said, raising her wine cup."Lee Dohyeon claims neutrality, but rumors say he's a threat to both Jeongpa and Sapa.If we move now, aiding him could be the key to protecting Heukwoon-gwan."

Another courtesan stepped back slightly, her voice cautious."True, but if he becomes too exposed, both sides will mark him as an enemy.If we intervene recklessly, we might make things worse."

Their conversation drifted casually, but the words carried weight.The laughter and whispered exchanges of Pungwolru's courtesans had the power to influence the most powerful men of Kangho.Through their carefully crafted seduction—not only physical but psychological—they extracted secrets, shifted allegiances, and controlled the flow of information.

At the center of it all stood Chunhyang, the true leader of Pungwolru.She understood better than anyone that beauty was not just a gift; it was a weapon, a strategy.And in a time when both Jeongpa and Sapa were positioning themselves to crush neutrality, it was time to turn that weapon fully upon the playing field.

"We will not merely pass along information," Chunhyang declared, her voice calm yet decisive."We will destabilize the so-called balance between Jeongpa and Sapa.We'll use our skills, our allure, to throw them into chaos."

She had no intention of relying on physical charms alone.She intended to strategically deploy the courtesans' influence to ignite division within the factions—and to preserve Heukwoon-gwan's independence in the process.

The courtesans of Pungwolru were no longer merely passive participants in the games of Kangho's elite.They were emerging as agents of political change, using seduction not for self-sacrifice, but to shake the foundations of power itself.

Their solidarity evolved beyond mere companionship into a deliberate strategic alliance.Chunhyang recognized the immense potential her courtesans held.Through whispered promises and carefully placed rumors, they would fracture alliances, sew doubt, and reshape Kangho's fragile balance of power.

"We will move aggressively," Chunhyang told them."Use your charms. Stir their hearts. If we can sow doubt and turn their ambitions against each other, greater opportunities will come to us."

At Pungwolru, seduction had evolved into strategy.The courtesans no longer served simply for pleasure; they had become key players capable of altering the fate of Kangho itself.

Their allure, once seen only as entertainment, had now been sharpened into a political weapon.Through fascination and temptation, the courtesans of Pungwolru had risen—not merely to survive within Kangho, but to reshape it.