Chapter 68
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Price of Information
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Though he had spoken with difficulty, Beom Gye-wi answered nonchalantly.
“It’s cured.”
“Pardon?”
Beom Gye-wi didn't bother mentioning the Sacred Hand Divine Pills. There was no reason to tell them. But Yeop Dan-yeong and Baek Un-hwi, who had no choice but to believe him, were simultaneously stunned.
Beom Gye-wi’s madness was cured!
Swallowing his surprise, Yeop Dan-yeong opened his mouth to address Beom Gye-wi.
“I’ve taken control of the inn.”
He had already stationed his men in every room and put all the guests to sleep with a sleeping drug.
Silencing people by killing them was far more troublesome than one might think. Disposing of the bodies was one thing, but if a large number of people went missing, the subsequent investigation by the Martial Alliance could lead them right to their doorstep.
Only then did Baek Un-hwi understand why the inn remained so quiet despite the commotion.
Yeop Dan-yeong glared at Baek Un-hwi.
“This means we can erase the two of you without a sound.”
Baek Un-hwi’s face turned pale under Yeop Dan-yeong’s murderous gaze.
“W-Wait! Let’s negotiate!”
Baek Un-hwi spoke hastily.
“I have the authority to access confidential information within the Martial Alliance.”
For a moment, Yeop Dan-yeong was tempted.
If he could obtain core intelligence from within the Martial Alliance, it wouldn't be impossible to use it to further solidify his position within the Black Market.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
He wasn’t foolish enough to pursue his own greed with Beom Gye-wi standing right there.
From the very beginning, Beom Gye-wi had no intention of letting Baek Un-hwi live.
It was a fool’s dream. Realizing his offer was getting nowhere, Baek Un-hwi changed his approach.
“The S-Seven Severing Demonic Lord!”
He shouted a name he was sure Beom Gye-wi couldn't ignore.
As expected, Beom Gye-wi reacted.
“What about that bastard?”
“I know about the deal between him and the Martial Alliance Leader.”
At those words, not only Beom Gye-wi’s but also Yeop Dan-yeong’s expression changed. Wasn’t that one of the greatest mysteries in the martial world today?
Why had the Seven Severing Demonic Lord, one of the Ten Great Villains, become the leader of the Martial Alliance’s Evil-Shattering Corps?
“What was the deal?”
“Pr-Promise you’ll let me live.”
“Do I really need to make such a promise?”
Beom Gye-wi grinned.
*Thud.*
He reached out and grabbed Baek Un-hwi’s arm.
“Wh-What are you doing…!”
The smile on Beom Gye-wi’s face deepened.
“Honestly, I am curious, but not enough to let you live. That Seven Severing Demonic Lord bastard is going to die by my hand anyway. I’ll just ask him then.”
“W-Wait!”
Baek Un-hwi’s startled cry quickly turned into a horrific scream.
*CRUNCH.*
“Aaargh!”
Beom Gye-wi tightened his grip and tore off Baek Un-hwi’s arm.
His arm ripped clean off from the shoulder, Baek Un-hwi cried out, his face ashen.
“P-Please!”
“It’s just the beginning, don’t be a baby. You’re going to die a very painful death.”
As Beom Gye-wi grabbed his other hand, Baek Un-hwi screamed.
“I-I’ll do whatever you say! So please!”
“I told you, no.”
*RIIIP!*
After tearing off the other arm, Beom Gye-wi laid Baek Un-hwi on the table.
Looking up at Beom Gye-wi’s face, Baek Un-hwi realized he would never leave this place alive.
“You son of a bitch…”
He wanted to unleash a torrent of curses, but he couldn't.
A strange heat originating from Beom Gye-wi’s hands began to spread through his body. His meridians felt like they were on fire, and soon, a pain like his entire body was being consumed by flames washed over him.
It was an agony so terrible that it made him forget the fact that he had lost parts of his body.
The problem was that the pain was only getting worse.
He wanted to lose consciousness, but even that was not permitted.
“There are still four hours until sunrise. I can take my time.”
The moment he heard those words, all of Baek Un-hwi’s hope for survival vanished.
“P-Please, just… k-kill me.”
As the hellish agony reached its peak, Baek Un-hwi finally broke down, weeping and begging.
But Beom Gye-wi simply increased his internal energy instead of answering.
“Guaaaargh!”
A bloodcurdling scream filled the inn.
He had thought what he had experienced so far was the worst pain imaginable, yet a greater agony existed.
Baek Un-hwi thought he would do anything to escape this torment.
“Th-The Blood Demon Scripture.”
At that one phrase, Beom Gye-wi withdrew his energy. Baek Un-hwi immediately continued as if he had been waiting.
“During the War of Righteous and Demonic, the Martial Alliance obtained the Blood Demon Scripture. But I found out that the Martial Alliance Leader made a manuscript copy before destroying the original.”
“A manuscript of the Blood Demon Scripture?”
“After that, the Seven Severing Demonic Lord came to the Martial Alliance as the leader of the Evil-Shattering Corps.”
The Blood Demon Scripture was the book that recorded the martial arts symbolizing the Demonic Cult's leader. In other words, the circumstances fit together quite well.
Wasn't No Dan-yang the one who was constantly pushed around and looked down upon, even among the Ten Great Villains?
His obsession with power was greater than anyone’s.
“N-Now, please kill me.”
“Alright.”
Watching Baek Un-hwi close his eyes with a look of relief, Beom Gye-wi smiled meaningfully.
He injected his energy once more.
An unimaginable, scorching heat enveloped Baek Un-hwi.
Through a piercing scream, Baek Un-hwi raised his bloodshot eyes to glare at Beom Gye-wi.
“How I kill you is up to me, isn’t it?”
At the sight of Beom Gye-wi’s grinning face, Baek Un-hwi’s body trembled violently.
“A bastard like you doesn't deserve a peaceful death.”
A full fifteen minutes.
Only after feeling the horrific pain of every nerve in his body burning away did Baek Un-hwi finally draw his last breath.
“What? You have something to say?”
After dealing with Baek Un-hwi, Beom Gye-wi turned to Yeop Dan-yeong and asked.
“N-No, sir.”
“Make sure you clean this up properly.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“Good work, then.”
Beom Gye-wi stood up, and as he passed Yeop Dan-yeong, he let out a slight smile.
“See you again.”
At those words, Yeop Dan-yeong thought of the dead Baek Un-hwi and shivered.
***
“Which one do you think is better?”
Namgung Baek smiled softly at the sight of his daughter holding up two different fabrics to compare.
Her smile, as bright as a flower and no longer pale or sickly, had the power to make him feel endlessly happy.
“They both look lovely.”
“Hmph.”
Namgung Hyang pouted for a moment before breaking into a grin.
“I’m already so excited just thinking about going back to the family estate after so long.”
With the Spring Festival just around the corner, Namgung Baek was planning to return to Anhui, where the Namgung Family was located, for the first time in a long while.
He had been away from the family for a long time because of Namgung Hyang’s illness.
“I even prepared the spring couplets and New Year’s paintings in advance.”
Namgung Hyang proudly waved the upside-down character for ‘Fortune’ and a painting of a fish.
These were decorations placed around the house to wish for good fortune in the new year.
The reason for hanging the ‘Fortune’ character upside down was because the word for ‘upside down’ and the word for ‘to arrive’ have the same pronunciation.
In short, it was a wish for fortune to arrive.
The New Year’s painting with the fish held a similar meaning.
The word for ‘fish’ sounded similar to the word for ‘surplus.’ The painting embodied the wish for a year of abundance.
A trace of bitterness suddenly crossed Namgung Baek’s face.
He knew better than anyone that the family’s financial situation was anything but abundant.
He could clearly picture the old steward, still struggling to pay off the family’s debts incurred from purchasing spiritual medicines.
‘Still, I have no regrets.’
An empty treasury could be refilled.
But nothing could compare to his daughter’s life. Then, Namgung Baek suddenly felt a sense of puzzlement.
Just a moment ago, Namgung Hyang had been so excited, but now she was staring blankly out the window.
“I should pay my respects to him…”
At Namgung Hyang’s unintentional mumble, Namgung Baek’s brow furrowed slightly.
It wasn't difficult to guess who she was talking about.
“You mean the young physician?”
Realizing too late that she had spoken her thoughts aloud, Namgung Hyang’s face flushed red in surprise.
“Yes…”
Unaware of her father’s inner turmoil, Namgung Hyang continued.
“It’s thanks to him that I’m able to greet the new year like this.”
Namgung Baek looked at his daughter with a complicated expression.
He had heard that the martial world was in an uproar recently, as it was revealed that the young physician was the son of the Divine Physician. But what concerned him were the others.
The group that had traveled with Dan Ak-seon.
Pung Jin-seong’s identity was clear, so there was nothing to suspect, but the other two were the problem.
Their aura was far too unusual for them to be mere physicians.
‘No. That’s not the issue.’
It wasn’t just a feeling that they were unusual.
Even now, it was happening.
Just thinking of those two made him feel his muscles and nerves tense up unconsciously.
—*Alliance Leader.*
It was then that a telepathic message arrived.
It was Yang Bul-wi, the commander of the Azure Sky Brigade.
“Take your time getting ready.”
Leaving Namgung Hyang to pack for their journey home, Namgung Baek stepped outside. Yang Bul-wi, who was waiting for him, bowed his head respectfully.
“A report has come in regarding the missing inspector.”
“Still no sign of him?”
At Namgung Baek’s question, Yang Bul-wi’s head lowered even further.
“My apologies. My subordinates were lacking…”
Namgung Baek shook his head.
It had already been three months since Baek Un-hwi, who had been assigned the post of inspector, had vanished.
His whereabouts were still a complete mystery. The problem was that an elder from the White Sword Sect, which he had once belonged to, had also disappeared around the same time.
And it happened right after Beom Gye-wi appeared at the White Sword Sect.
It was too much of a coincidence to be a coincidence.
“Are we certain that the intruder at the White Sword Sect was Beom Gye-wi?”
“Based on eyewitness testimonies, there is no doubt that the person who appeared at the White Sword Sect that day was Beom Gye-wi.”
“Hmm…”
Beom Gye-wi, who had suddenly appeared and just as suddenly vanished.
His unpredictable behavior was fueling anxiety among the small and medium-sized sects under the Martial Alliance’s banner.
A considerable amount of time had passed since they had declared their intent to exterminate the Ten Great Villains. He could no longer stand by and watch.
His own reputation was one thing, but this was a matter directly related to the authority of the Martial Alliance.
“Summon the leader of the Evil-Shattering Corps.”
He was the one who would act most desperately to prove his usefulness.
He was a man who would not shy away from any means to achieve his goals.
***
Returning to his office, No Dan-yang did not hide his displeasure.
It was because of the reprimand Namgung Baek had just given him to his face.
—*Cho Ak-ryang, Beom Gye-wi, Ak Ho-gun. If they are still alive after the promised deadline, you will not get what you desire either.*
No Dan-yang let out an irritated sigh.
He had been studying it in his spare time, just in case, but the half-complete Blood Demon Scripture was useless.
He had to get his hands on the other half, no matter what it took.
“What of Beom Gye-wi’s whereabouts?”
At No Dan-yang’s question, a subordinate, who had been cautiously observing him, quickly answered.
“He has vanished without a trace.”
“…”
“We will intensify our search efforts.”
“Are you saying you’ve been slacking off until now?”
“N-No, sir.”
No Dan-yang frowned at the sight of his subordinate shaking his head, his face pale.
‘Useless fools.’
Scolding his subordinates would only be a waste of breath. As he was growing more troubled with no clear solution in sight, a voice came.
“You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
No Dan-yang couldn't hide his surprise at his subordinate's report.
Since he had taken charge of the Evil-Shattering Corps and joined the Martial Alliance, not a single person had ever come to see him.
No one welcomed him, an outcast from the Unorthodox Faction, and a former member of the Ten Great Villains at that.
The wall separating the Orthodox and Unorthodox Factions was just that high.
As such, he was extremely curious about the visitor’s identity.
“Show them in.”
A moment later.
The instant he saw the person being escorted in by his subordinate, No Dan-yang’s brow furrowed.
Of all people, it had to be the one he found most difficult to deal with.
A woman with a calm gaze and a refined air.
It was Jegal Yeon, the head of the Heavenly Ear Corps, the intelligence organization that served as the eyes and ears of the Martial Alliance.