Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Translator: Penny
Chapter 78
Don't Look Back (2)
Yacheon was a man worn thin by experience.
Having encountered every type of person imaginable, Yacheon immediately recognized during his first meeting with Ho-yeon Nam that the man valued his reputation above all else and craved praise.
"If the Great Hero were to intervene, we could turn The Butcher into nothing more than meat for the butcher's block."
"That's something we won't know until we clash."
Ho-yeon Nam despised men like Yacheon. No matter how much they pretended to be mysterious "merchants of the night," they were ultimately just trash who had amassed their wealth by collecting interest from the King of Hell Stronghold.
Yet when Yacheon arrived and immediately prostrated himself, showering Ho-yeon Nam with flattery and claims of genuine respect, Ho-yeon Nam found himself unconsciously softening toward the man.
"Your opponent is the Heavenly Blade Gate, isn't it? Great Hero, if you succeed in this endeavor, your fame will soar throughout the Central Plains."
Ho-yeon Nam nodded slightly. Especially since Ma Bonggi became Alliance Leader, the Heavenly Blade Gate's influence had reached unprecedented heights.
In this era of cautious observation, confronting them and achieving a favorable outcome would be a golden opportunity to establish unparalleled renown. This ambition fueled his desire to eliminate The Butcher Yeom Hwa.
At that moment, Yacheon subtly extended the leather pouch he had prepared.
"I heard you brought many disciples with you. How about we share a drink?"
This wasn't just about a drink. The pouch contained a staggering ten thousand taels.
"Why this pointless gesture?!"
Ho-yeon Nam erupted in anger, but he refused to return the leather pouch.
Yacheon quickly bowed his head and said, "It's merely a small token of my regard. Please don't embarrass me by refusing it."
"Ahem." Ho-yeon Nam cleared his throat loudly.
Yacheon swiftly changed the subject, his years of experience in reading people and manipulating situations evident.
"I've heard the Heavenly Blade Gate has been committing all sorts of atrocities in the Central Plains, emboldened by the Alliance Leader's authority."
Yacheon brought up the Heavenly Blade Gate to gauge Ho-yeon Nam's reaction. Having already paid the price, it was time to demand results.
"I've heard the same," Ho-yeon Nam replied.
"Especially this Butcher Yeom Hwa who recently arrived—he's said to be a particularly vicious character."
Just then, Ho-yeon Tak's voice echoed from outside.
"Disciple Tak here. May I enter?"
"Come in."
Ho-yeon Tak entered, guiding Yacheon inside. They exchanged greetings.
"I'll handle the details of this matter myself. Master can't possibly oversee every minute detail personally."
"Ah, of course. That's only natural."
Ho-yeon Tak subtly glanced at his master, Ho-yeon Nam. Entering the room without prior permission and taking the initiative to discuss the matter could easily anger him.
But he had to intervene, fearing his master might promise to kill Yeom Hwa.
Fortunately, Ho-yeon Nam remained silent, his eyes lowered in contemplation.
"If Master intervenes, Yeom Hwa will be nothing more than a ten-herb challenge. Taking his head won't be difficult at all."
"I share that belief."
"However, this matter requires caution. Yeom Hwa ultimately has the Martial Arts Alliance Leader backing him. Therefore, I plan to meet with them to negotiate. We need to gauge their true desires."
"That's the only sensible course of action."
Up to this point, Yacheon had anticipated everything. The Ho-yeon Family and the Heavenly Blade Gate wouldn't engage in a life-or-death struggle over him. He had hoped they would properly mediate on his behalf.
The problem lay in Ho-yeon Tak's next words:
"To achieve this, we'll need the assistance of the Master Night Merchant."
"Of course, I'll do everything I can to help."
"They'll demand money. It would be wise to prepare in advance."
Yacheon seethed inwardly.
They're asking for more money!
The amount owed to the Ho-yeon Family was a staggering two hundred thousand taels.
Whether they negotiated with The Butcher or fought him outright, shouldn't that sum cover everything? If additional funds were required, why had they even involved the Ho-yeon Family in the first place?
This isn't how things should be unfolding.
Yacheon sighed and spoke:
"However, we've already incurred significant expenses due to this matter and are facing financial difficulties."
"Regarding that matter, you'll need to speak directly with the Main Family."
Yacheon bit his lip slightly.
Have you ever seen such shameless people?
This is how powerful organizations operate. They tell you to talk to the higher-ups because you're just a field operative, then tell you to talk to the field operatives when you go to the higher-ups. They keep passing you around until you're too exhausted to keep fighting.
The conversation continued for another quarter of an hour.
Yacheon tried desperately to persuade Ho-yeon Tak, but it was futile. Ho-yeon Tak simply insisted they were following orders and couldn't do anything about it. Ho-yeon Nam, meanwhile, kept his eyes closed, pretending not to hear a word.
In the end, Yacheon left, grinding his teeth in frustration.
He could simply refuse to hand over the two hundred thousand taels promised to the Ho-yeon Family, but that wasn't an easy decision.
Not only would it create another enemy besides the Heavenly Blade Gate, but it would also jeopardize the position of the Gangseo Night Merchants, who had acted as mediators.
Should I just pack up all the money and disappear?
If he did that, he would have to abandon the Shandong Night Merchants, a veritable gold mine, and live the rest of his life as a fugitive.
After Yacheon departed, Ho-yeon Nam picked up the leather pouch and went outside.
"Where are you going? Let me escort you."
"That won't be necessary. You don't need to follow me."
Ho-yeon Nam vanished into the darkness with the leather pouch.
I trailed after him, having overheard their entire conversation earlier.
Ho-yeon Nam's martial arts prowess prevented me from getting too close, but thanks to my heightened hearing after unblocking the Ren and Du Meridians, I could eavesdrop on their conversation from a safe distance.
I wondered where he was going with the money at this late hour. To my astonishment, Ho-yeon Nam entered a brothel.
A renowned martial arts master from the prestigious Ho-yeon Family visiting a brothel alone? This was truly beyond my wildest expectations.
He summoned all the top courtesans and began indulging lavishly, determined to spend every last one of the ten thousand taels.
Two hours later, I stood concealed outside a room in the brothel, listening intently.
Inside, Ho-yeon Nam was sharing intimate moments with a courtesan.
"Hah... Master, Master! Please, more! More, more!"
It seemed he had instructed the courtesan to say those words.
My heart sank with icy coldness as I listened.
Three days later, Song Hwarin and I stood in a field.
We had summoned Ho-yeon Nam here. Since Song Hwarin had personally written and sent the letter, he would likely come.
After witnessing his true nature at the brothel, I could no longer delay this matter.
Over the past three days, I had observed Song Hwarin's training. Convinced she was ready, I immediately had her send the letter.
My primary reason for intervening in this affair was her. Specifically, healing the deep wounds etched into her heart.
In the distance, a figure approached. It was Ho-yeon Nam.
Seeing him, Song Hwarin tensed. No matter how hard she tried to remain calm, her nervousness was inevitable. After all, he had been her master for five years.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
She replied, "I'm still not sure. But at least I've practiced the countermeasure for the spar enough."
As we spoke, Ho-yeon Nam was drawing closer.
Song Hwarin muttered to herself, as if reciting a spell: "Don't think of him as my Master. He's just the opponent I have to fight today. Not my Master."
As she steeled her resolve, I gave her one last piece of advice.
"I don't think you need to deny that he's your Master."
"What?"
"Accept it as it is. He is your Master. A wretched man who felt lust for his own disciple. A pathetic fool who even needed alcohol to attempt his vile act. That's exactly who your Master is—no more, no less."
I had my reasons for telling her this. When someone consciously rejects something too strongly, their body can react in the opposite way. By denying that Ho-yeon Nam was her Master, she was preventing her body from moving naturally.
I judged that it would be better for her to accept him naturally.
"Your Master is just a pitiful old man."
With those words, I took a step back.
From now on, this was her fight.
Song Hwarin's gaze returned to Ho-yeon Nam.
When she first saw her Master again, she hadn't shown it, but her entire body had frozen with fear. Memories of that day flooded back, and she began to tremble uncontrollably.
Trembling like this... and I'm supposed to not deny him?
She glanced at Byeok Ridan.
Byeok Ridan nodded once, as if understanding her dilemma.
Song Hwarin accepted Byeok Ridan's advice.
Yes, he is my Master. Yes, damn it! He is my Master.
Ho-yeon Nam had walked to within ten paces of her.
Song Hwarin took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Master."
"Have you been well?"
"Yes."
Ho-yeon Nam's gaze shifted to Byeok Ridan, standing behind her.
He had heard from Ho-yeon Tak that she was with the man she had made a Prenatal Vow with. He recognized him instantly. Ho-yeon Nam had secretly hoped Song Hwarin would come alone, but his mood soured at the sight of Byeok Ridan.
Despite the hostile glare, Byeok Ridan showed no reaction, determined to leave this matter entirely to Song Hwarin.
"Why did you ask to see me?" Ho-yeon Nam asked, his voice calm, but his eyes betrayed his unease. Song Hwarin, on the other hand, remained composed.
"I wish to spar with you," she replied.
Ho-yeon Nam was taken aback by this unexpected request. "Spar?"
"Yes. I wish to spar using the martial arts you taught me, Master. Both you and I, using those techniques."
Ho-yeon Nam wore a puzzled expression, but Song Hwarin offered no further explanation.
After studying her face for a moment, Ho-yeon Nam accepted the challenge. "Very well, let's spar."
"Thank you, Master."
As Ho-yeon Nam drew his sword, Song Hwarin followed suit. She maintained perfect decorum, as if nothing had ever transpired between them.
"Then I'll make the first move."
Song Hwarin launched herself forward, initiating the attack.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ho-yeon Nam blocked her attacks with the martial arts he had taught her.
Now that the spar had begun, her mind was a whirlwind of confusion. She was so nervous she barely knew what she was doing.
Yet her Forms flowed with perfect precision.
Only now did she truly understand Byeok Ridan's words:
Your body must remember. Today, trust only the body you have trained.
For the past three days, she had repeated these Forms endlessly.
Even when the counter-attack entered, she felt nothing special.
Now!
Without even thinking, the Forms flowed naturally. She only realized her strike had pierced her Master's defense when Ho-yeon Nam cried out in pain.
"Ahhh!"
Ho-yeon Nam twisted his body, spinning to the left with a groan.
It was the latter of the two scenarios Byeok Ridan had described: knowing the Forms had a critical weakness.
As he explained the two possibilities, Byeok Ridan had said, "If they knew about the fatal flaw and still taught it, that's even worse."
Whoosh!
Her body surged forward, thrusting her sword deep into Ho-yeon Nam.
A scream erupted, even more desperate and piercing than Ho-yeon Nam's earlier cry.
"Ugh!"
Simultaneously, her blade slashed across Ho-yeon Nam's shoulder.
Pfft!
Blood spurted from the wound.
Song Hwarin withdrew her sword and retreated. She realized she had defeated her Master. Of course, if he had used the Ho-yeon Family's exclusive martial arts techniques, she would never have stood a chance. But at least she had won using the martial arts she had been taught.
Ho-yeon Nam stared at her with a dazed expression.
"How could this happen?"
Song Hwarin spoke calmly.
"I return the martial arts you taught me, Master, effective today. I will never use them again."
"What?"
"Nor will I try to forget what happened that day. I will record in my life that at twenty, I met a Master who couldn't control his lust."
Ho-yeon Nam's face twisted into a ferocious grimace.
He would have preferred her to curse him or harbor resentment; this felt far worse.
Song Hwarin bowed respectfully and turned away. In that moment, she felt a long-standing weight in her chest finally lift.
Byeok Ridan stood behind her, smiling.
"Well done."
At my words, her face lit up as if she might take flight. She had fought her battle admirably. Today's struggle would make her stronger and more resilient.
"Let's go," I said.
She nodded and walked beside me.
Ho-yeon Nam's roar echoed from behind us: "Uwaaaaaaaah!"
It was a primal scream, fueled by his inability to control his rage.
Sensing the threat of him charging at us, she flinched and froze in her tracks.
I said to her, "Don't look back. In life, never look back at what isn't worth your attention. This world is already hard enough when you focus only on moving forward."
I took the first step, and she followed with a smile.
Together, we left that place.
Was this the end?
Of course not. This was merely her revenge.
My retribution begins now.
And it has already begun.