Chapter 133: Devising a Method-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 133: Devising a Method-1
Sun-woo spent the time quietly stroking the head of the unconscious Yorang.
Nearly a shijin had passed since the Yin-Yang Demon had gone inside to treat Ok-ryeong, yet there was still no sign of him coming out.
"Uuuugh..."
It was then.
Snap.
The unconscious Yorang tossed and turned before finally opening her eyes.
"Sun-woo!"
Wham!
The moment she spotted Sun-woo, Yorang lunged into his arms. Her body was trembling uncontrollably.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm not okay!"
She screamed at him, then simply clung to him.
Shiver, shiver.
It seemed the terror had been engraved into her soul from how badly she had been thrashed in that short span of time.
Stroke, stroke.
Sun-woo simply continued to pet her head until her fear began to subside.
After some time had passed...
"Where did that grandpa go?"
Having calmed down to some extent, Yorang asked about the Yin-Yang Demon.
"Over there, inside the cavern."
Sun-woo pointed toward the cavern where the Yin-Yang Demon and Ok-ryeong were.
"Hieeeek!"
Perhaps the thought of still being in the same space as the Yin-Yang Demon was too much; Yorang began to shake violently again.
"Sun-woo, we have to run away quickly! He's a monster! A monster!"
Yorang urgently urged Sun-woo to flee.
The man possessed a power far more vast and overwhelming than anything she had ever experienced. In the wild, a keen eye for power is directly linked to survival. That is why beasts observe anyone who approaches them with meticulous detail—to see if the newcomer is stronger than them, and if so, by how much; or if they are weaker, and by how much.
Yorang was no different.
Having been born a beast—a Human-Faced Spider—she could tell. That withered old human was stronger than all the humans she had met so far combined.
Sun-woo, who punched her every time; the Poison Demon, who had tried to dissect her; and even the Poison King she had encountered in passing—all of them were like mere children compared to that old man.
He was powerful. So powerful that the mere thought of resisting was an impossible dream.
That was why they had to run.
"Hurry! Hurry! Before that monster notices!"
Yorang hurried Sun-woo along.
Sun-woo found her persistence awkward. He feared that telling her the Yin-Yang Demon was his master while she was so consumed by terror might actually cause her to go into shock.
"Who are you calling a monster?"
Step, step.
It was then.
The Yin-Yang Demon emerged from the cavern, his voice cold.
"Hieeeek!"
At the sight of him, Yorang was struck with terror and buried herself deeper into Sun-woo's chest.
"Tsk, tsk. I suppose you haven't been beaten enough yet."
At the Yin-Yang Demon's calm voice, Yorang began to tremble even more violently, as if her very bones were rattling.
"What happened to Ok-ryeong?"
Sun-woo asked the Yin-Yang Demon while cradling the terrified Yorang.
"I have completely dispelled the Supreme Purity Astral Qi that was eating away at her body. Natural healing will begin now."
The Yin-Yang Demon answered Sun-woo's question calmly.
The Supreme Purity Astral Qi had not only been destroying her body but also hindering her natural recovery. Now that it had been removed all at once, it was obvious that her recovery would accelerate.
"Then is Ok-ryeong awake now?"
"No."
"She'll wake up by tomorrow, right?"
"What kind of bullshit is that? Not a chance."
"Isn't that different from what you said before?"
Sun-woo asked, flustered. Hadn't he said she would be able to get up and walk once he brought the Poison Essence? Why was he changing his tune now?
"You idiot. She's been using the Turtle Breathing Technique for three whole months. Do you think someone like that will just wake up in a day or two just because the Supreme Purity Astral Qi is gone?"
The Yin-Yang Demon looked at Sun-woo as if he were exasperated.
"........."
Noticing that look, Sun-woo shut his mouth like a mute who had eaten honey.
"Her breathing, heart rate, and body temperature—all of it will return to normal. And then she will slowly begin to heal her internal injuries."
"Then exactly how long will it take?"
"I don't know."
The Yin-Yang Demon replied firmly to Sun-woo's question. He wasn't a physician; how was he supposed to know that?
"Dammit."
Sun-woo cursed under his breath. He had waited and waited for his reunion with Ok-ryeong, but it seemed there was still no definite date.
"This is problematic."
Sun-woo's expression darkened. He hadn't imagined that Ok-ryeong wouldn't be able to recover immediately. He had clearly told Tang Seo-yoon that he would return in two months. At this rate, it seemed he wouldn't be able to keep that promise.
"What's so problematic?"
"I promised to return to the Tang Clan within two months."
"Why would you go back there?"
The Yin-Yang Demon asked, sounding genuinely confused. Why would he go back to the place he had just stolen the Poison Essence from?
"Well, the truth is..."
Sun-woo began to list everything that had happened to him, one by one.
Thud.
The Yin-Yang Demon, his interest piqued, sat down and began to listen to his disciple's story. The tale was so intriguing and entertaining that a smile naturally formed on his lips.
Because so much had happened, Sun-woo's story continued late into the night.
*
"Hahahahahaha!!"
The Yin-Yang Demon's laughter began to echo through the cavern. He couldn't stop laughing.
He had sent his disciple to steal a single Poison Essence, and the boy had ended up killing the Poison King and the Poison Demon, and then practically swallowed the Tang Clan whole. On top of that, he had picked a fight with the brats of the Orthodox Faction to save a girl who wasn't even human, and even extorted money from them.
He couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahahaha! You crazy bastard!"
He laughed so hard that, for the first time in fifty years, he felt like he might actually shed a tear.
"Stop laughing."
Sun-woo's face flushed red, embarrassed by the laughter. He himself hadn't imagined things would get this twisted.
"But didn't everything work out for the best?"
It was true. In the end, Sun-woo had gained a safe house to hide from Lee Jae-won and had even managed to squeeze a staggering sixty thousand silver taels out of the Dragon and Phoenix rising stars. What better resolution could there be?
"Tsk, tsk. Foolish. Truly foolish."
At Sun-woo's response, the Yin-Yang Demon clicked his tongue.
"What do you mean by that?"
Sun-woo asked, not understanding.
"I'm saying your current situation is nothing more than a castle built on sand."
The Yin-Yang Demon's expression turned uncharacteristically serious as he continued.
"Do you really think those Orthodox brats will keep this a secret?"
"They will. Unless they want to invite the wrath of the Poison King."
"Heh heh... The Poison King? You're mistaken about something."
"Pardon?"
"Threatening them with the name of the Poison King might work on those kids, but the people at the top will only scoff at it."
Sun-woo looked confused. Who was the Poison King? He was a hero of the Great War of Righteousness and Demons and an absolute master who had reached the Transcendent Realm. Who would dare scoff at his name?
"Think about it. How many Transcendent Realm masters are there in the Central Plains?"
"At least twenty, wouldn't you say?"
"Correct. It's not a huge number, but it's not small either."
The Yin-Yang Demon continued calmly.
"And most of those Transcendent Realm masters are the sect leaders of prestigious sects or the heads of the Five Great Clans."
"Which means?"
"Exactly. While the Poison King might be one of the better ones among them, he isn't such an overwhelming absolute master that they would be terrified of him."
The Yin-Yang Demon's voice was firm.
"Besides, who would fear a Tang Clan whose strength has already been cut by more than half?"
"But they fell for my threat."
Sun-woo tried to argue his point. If they weren't afraid of the Poison King and the Tang Clan, there was no way the Dragon and Phoenix would have given him the money.
"That's only because they're all brats who don't know any better. Tsk, tsk."
The Yin-Yang Demon continued, sounding amused.
"Those brats will eventually realize they were fooled by your hollow bluff. And then they'll report the truth exactly as it happened. Tsk, tsk."
He clicked his tongue again.
"They will use this incident as an excuse to start pressuring the Tang Clan. And it's obvious they won't pay back the money. They'll dump all the debt they borrowed from the Mangeum Bank onto the Tang Clan."
Having finished his explanation, the Yin-Yang Demon burst into a boisterous laugh.
"Hahahahahaha!"
Just thinking about it was hilarious.
"No, why are you laughing like it's such a good thing?"
Sun-woo asked in a sharp voice, watching the Yin-Yang Demon double over.
"It's not my problem, is it?"
'Fuck.'
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. This man truly had a personality bad enough to earn him the title of the World's Greatest Villain. Here Sun-woo was, getting a headache trying to figure out how to clean up this mess, and his master was just rubbing salt in the wound.
"The only saving grace is the existence of that bastard Lee Jae-won's daughter."
"Isn't she the most dangerous explosive in this situation?"
Sun-woo asked, puzzled by the master's words.
"No. On the contrary, she will become the shield that protects you."
"What?"
Sun-woo looked at him, unable to comprehend. What kind of nonsense was this? He had beaten her until her cheeks were swollen and even took her Dragon Tail Soft Sword. And yet she was going to be his greatest shield?
"Think about it. She's Lee Jae-won's daughter. She's not the type to be intimidated by the names of the Poison King or the Tang Clan in the first place."
That was true. Her father was the World's Greatest Martial Artist; what would she have to fear? Moreover, she had the protection of the Cheonmu Alliance, the most powerful organization in the Central Plains.
"Why would a girl like that give you her Dragon Tail Soft Sword? And even endure the humiliation of being beaten until her face was bruised?"
"............"
Hearing it that way, it did make sense. If one assumed she wasn't afraid of the Poison King and the Tang Clan, her actions were nonsensical.
"It means she's in a position where she cannot allow the fact that she slashed her own aunt with a sword to be revealed."
"Then?"
"Yes. She will do everything in her power to ensure this matter doesn't become public. No matter what it takes."
"..........."
Sun-woo felt goosebumps rising on his skin. What kind of insight was this? Sun-woo had only thought about extorting money using the Poison King's name; he hadn't considered the nuances of the situation. If he hadn't met the Yin-Yang Demon, he would have faced a major disaster.
"Then what should I do?"
Sun-woo asked urgently. If what his master said was true, the sects and clans of the Dragon and Phoenix would all descend upon the Tang Clan. He needed a solution to clean up the mess he had made.
"Why are you asking me? You're the one who caused it."
The Yin-Yang Demon threw the question back at Sun-woo. Why was he asking someone else for a solution to a mess he had made himself?
"If I can't fix this, the Tang Clan will be destroyed!"
Sun-woo spoke in an urgent tone. As his master said, if he couldn't resolve this, the Tang Clan would be ruined. The clan had only just stabilized through the Sichuan Alliance. If they were attacked by the great sects and prestigious clans, they would collapse without a fight.
"What can you do? It's your own karma."
Despite Sun-woo's desperate voice, the Yin-Yang Demon replied indifferently. Whether the Tang Clan collapsed or not was none of his concern.
"Aaaaagh!"
Sun-woo clutched his head and let out a scream. No matter how much he thought about it, no proper solution came to mind. He had inadvertently given a perfect excuse to those who were already looking for a way to swallow the Tang Clan.
As he was now, Sun-woo didn't have the power to stop them all. Although he had stepped into the absolute realm known as the Transcendent Realm, he was still far from being able to suppress the leaders of the Nine Sects and One Gang or the heads of the Five Great Clans through force alone.
Sun-woo fell into despair.
It was then.
"Of course, it's not like there's no way at all."
A hopeful sound reached his ears. Sun-woo looked up at the Yin-Yang Demon. It seemed his master's years of experience weren't for nothing; he appeared to have a solution.
"Master!!"
The word 'Master' came out of Sun-woo's mouth naturally.
"What is the method?"
"The method isn't that difficult."
The Yin-Yang Demon grinned as he continued.
"You just have to crush their heads."
"Pardon?"
Sun-woo tilted his head, not understanding. Crush their heads? What did that mean?
"In any group, if you take the neck of the strongest one, the rest will turn into gentle lambs."
The Yin-Yang Demon, seemingly enjoying Sun-woo's reaction, continued with a deep smile.
Hearing his words, Sun-woo's expression became grave. What kind of bullshit was this now?
*
"Die, you bastard!!!!"
Heavenly King Divine Fist Hwangbo Gang swung his Giant Fist, striking his son, Hwangbo Ak, right in the face.
Thwack!
Boom!
With a sound like a leather drum bursting, Hwangbo Ak was slammed into the wall.
"Guaaaagh!"
Hwangbo Ak screamed repeatedly, the pain from his father's fist being unbearable. He was in a wretched state. He was covered in cuts and bruises, and dark purple welts lined his entire body. It was clear he had been subjected to a horrific beating.
"Are you even human? Are you even human?!"
Hwangbo Gang, who had closed the distance in an instant, began to pummel his son against the wall again. He was currently furious beyond belief.
The Hwangbo Clan was already facing a massive debt due to the failure of their trade business with the Western regions. Every single penny was precious to the clan right now. And yet, in this situation, his damn son had borrowed a massive sum of three thousand silver taels. And he had done it using the clan's name.
Instead of saving and contributing to the clan, he had gone and thrown filth all over them.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Hwangbo Gang's fists became even more vicious, and Hwangbo Ak could do nothing but scream.
.
.
.
.
.
After some time had passed, Hwangbo Gang threw the limp Hwangbo Ak aside.
Thud.
"Guh..."
Fortunately, he seemed to still be alive, as a faint groan escaped his lips.
"Is anyone there?!"
Hwangbo Gang shouted loudly toward the door.
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, the door burst open, and a portly man came running in urgently.
"Cl... Clan Head, I am here."
The man spoke while trembling, clearly terrified of something.
"Take this bastard and give him some basic treatment. And don't give him a single drop of water for three days!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The portly man, Chief Manager Hwangbo Gap, answered quickly, hoisted Hwangbo Ak onto his back, and hurried out.
Thud.
Once they were gone, Hwangbo Gang sat down in his chair. He was currently consumed by an intense rage.
"Tang Jin-cheol! Tang Jin-cheol!"
His anger was directed squarely at Tang Jin-cheol. He had heard the full story from Hwangbo Ak, who had already broken under the violence. And after hearing everything, he had been pushed into a state of extreme fury.
Simply because his son had been a bystander, Tang Jin-cheol had laid hands on the direct heir of his clan and even extorted money from him. He had even encouraged him to use private moneylenders.
This was not something that could be overlooked.
Grit.
Hwangbo Gang clenched his teeth. He would get compensation. A compensation so massive it would fully repay this shame and humiliation.
Around his body, materialized internal energy began to flicker and surge.