Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: It Should Be Serviceable Enough
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Byeok Taesan handed the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric each a martial arts manual suited for them, then left the Golden Jade Villa.
After all, the people he needed to take care of weren't only inside the villa.
First, he went out and gave Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu the secret manuals he had prepared in advance.
The two were so moved and expressed such reverence, choking up with tears, that he eventually couldn't even understand what they were saying.
Anyway, after that, Byeok Taesan strolled leisurely around Wuhan.
He had intentionally come out alone today.
He simply wanted to savor this feeling by himself.
With this leisure, he looked around his surroundings, and in doing so, he saw things that had never caught his eye before.
There were stalls everywhere.
Some sold sweets, some sold grilled skewers, and others sold accessories or clothes.
Byeok Taesan passed by, carefully observing each one.
'Have I never experienced something like this before?'
The thought suddenly occurred to Byeok Taesan. The very act of doing this felt incredibly unfamiliar.
His days as the Heavenly Demon had been lived intensely. And after that intensity ended, he had briefly traveled abroad.
He had wanted to savor the leisure that came at the end of the struggle.
But the Heavenly Demon could not.
Wherever he went, he never had the chance to observe his surroundings with such a relaxed gaze.
He was always focused on discerning what lay beneath the surface, rather than what was visible.
It was a habit born from that intense life.
His travels, which had continued for some time, ended due to the machinations of the martial world's factions.
Back then, he had clashed fiercely with the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Five Great Families a few times.
That battle was the last, and his travels ended there.
And after that, he had devoted himself to the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
The spiritual energy gained from that final battle was the problem.
The scale of the fight had been massive, so the amount of spiritual energy he had obtained by burning souls was immense.
At the time, he had accepted it without a second thought.
He had no qualms, as he needed to use it for the next fight.
And from that point on, the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts slipped from the Heavenly Demon's control.
The ordeal that all previous Heavenly Demons had faced began then.
He clung to the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts until the very end, but he couldn't find an answer. That answer came only with death.
'If I hadn't gone through that process, I probably wouldn't have found the answer either.'
In any case, having lived such a life, it was impossible for him to have ever leisurely looked around like this.
This was a first for him.
And while it might be an unremarkable sight and experience for others, it was incredibly powerful for Byeok Taesan.
'It's overflowing, gushing everywhere.'
Life force was dancing all around.
The life force that comes from living was spiritual energy in itself. That was what clung to souls.
In the past, he had no need to pay attention to such things. He simply burned entire souls and absorbed them whole.
But not anymore.
Now, he only burned the impurities clinging to the souls and absorbed them. That's why he was more interested.
He had only just perfectly healed his body, yet the very world Byeok Taesan saw had changed.
Byeok Taesan continued to walk, observing how clean and dirty things gradually stained people's souls.
His mood had improved even more than when he first left his room.
Byeok Taesan's steps came to a halt in front of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
He had been wandering aimlessly, following his heart, and found himself here.
He hadn't intended to come to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion; his feet had simply led him here.
But Byeok Taesan felt that even this held some meaning.
Above all, wasn't he in a very good mood?
Byeok Taesan strode into the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
It was before business hours, but upon entering, he found the courtesans lined up, bowing respectfully to him.
They had prepared in advance, having known that Byeok Taesan was on his way.
And from between the courtesans, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion approached with light steps and bowed deeply.
"I am truly delighted that you have graced us with your presence, Young Master."
Byeok Taesan nodded at her words.
Come to think of it, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion had always come to him, so there had been no reason for him to visit this place.
"It has been a while."
"I will prepare a table of drinks. How many girls should I prepare? If you wish, all who are here will attend to you, Young Master."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion said this, her eyes twinkling as she continued.
"I, too, am ready to serve you at any time, Young Master. You need only say the word."
"Let's just talk for a bit. I plan on spending today quietly and leisurely."
"As you wish."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion replied respectfully, then quickly gave orders. She personally guided Byeok Taesan to the top floor, to the master's office, which also served as the office of the Underworld Sect's leader.
As he followed the Master, Byeok Taesan glanced over the courtesans.
Once he started seeing it, he couldn't stop. He could see the flow of spiritual energy moving between the courtesans.
'Interesting.'
It was truly interesting. A corner of his mind tingled again.
He had discovered the seed of a new enlightenment.
If this were to mature properly, he would likely be able to advance to the next stage.
Entering the office, Byeok Taesan naturally took the seat of honor.
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion prostrated herself before him, bowing her head low.
Byeok Taesan waited for a moment for her to speak first. If she had something to say, she would say it on her own.
"The investigation into the Golden Jade Trading Company you mentioned before is about seventy percent complete. This is what we have gathered so far."
The Master respectfully presented a bundle of papers with both hands, as if making an offering.
Byeok Taesan took it and gave it a cursory look.
So far, the investigation had centered on Byeok Taesu's wife, Chae Miryeong, and his son, Byeok Jehyeok.
They were thoroughly digging into the trading company members who were closely associated with the two.
That part of the investigation was mostly finished, and they were now looking into the remaining people.
Naturally, since there were far more remaining people, there was a lot of information.
As Byeok Taesan slowly scanned through it, his eyes suddenly flashed.
"A lot of these guys frequent the Fragrant Flower Pavilion, don't they?"
It wasn't just Chae Miryeong's people who went to the Fragrant Flower Pavilion. Most of those holding key positions in the Golden Jade Trading Company did as well.
"Yes. But when they go there, they just enjoy themselves. They haven't been observed giving or receiving any instructions or making deals. And of course, there have been no recruitment attempts."
That meant the Underworld Sect had eyes and ears even in the Fragrant Flower Pavilion. It would be impossible to confirm such information without having properly infiltrated its inner workings.
The Fragrant Flower Pavilion was also an information organization of sorts. To think the Underworld Sect could breach its defenses and extract information, their capabilities were quite impressive.
Of course, it was likely because of the Shadow Steps.
"There's nothing particularly suspicious about their usual conduct either."
"By the way, isn't the Fragrant Flower Pavilion one of the top-tier courtesan houses in Wuhan?"
"That is correct."
"It must cost a fortune to frequent a place like that so often, wouldn't it?"
Byeok Taesan said, looking at the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Looking at the list of frequent visitors to the Fragrant Flower Pavilion, they were all people with established positions in the Golden Jade Trading Company.
But even so, unless they had a solid source of income like Byeok Taesan, they couldn't afford to visit a top-class courtesan house like the Fragrant Flower Pavilion every day.
"They are embezzling a little money from the company. However, that amount has been tacitly permitted for a long time. Everyone does it."
"They let them get away with embezzling enough to go there every day?"
"The amount they embezzle is not large. It's just that the Fragrant Flower Pavilion is being considerate, allowing them to enjoy themselves fully for just that amount."
"Why would they do that?"
The Master looked extremely embarrassed and apologetic as she slightly lowered her head.
"We have not yet been able to investigate that far."
The investigation period hadn't been that long, so it was natural they couldn't find out that much.
Besides, it wasn't as if their targets would go around openly announcing their plans.
Byeok Taesan looked down at the Master quietly.
"But you have a guess, don't you?"
"A clumsy guess can sometimes obscure accurate information."
Byeok Taesan nodded at her firm words.
"I know that much. Just tell me."
After a moment's hesitation, the Master slowly began to speak.
"I believe they are likely being tainted."
"Tainted?"
"Tainting them with pleasure and desire, making them easier to control. It would be even better if they uncovered some corruption in the process. They might even be keeping a separate ledger, recording the money these men should have actually paid."
Byeok Taesan nodded. All of her guesses made sense.
The idea of keeping a separate ledger to record the money they should have spent particularly caught his attention.
That would become a debt. They might insist they were just being treated, but if the Fragrant Flower Pavilion denied it, that would be the end of it. It would become a credit ledger.
"We have recently infiltrated the Fragrant Flower Pavilion more deeply. We should be able to secure anything unusual soon."
Her tone was filled with conviction.
"For now, we are focusing on the ledgers. The ledgers alone won't be enough to use against them, so we predict there must be something else that forces them to acknowledge the debt."
For example, a handwritten note acknowledging the contents of the ledger, or perhaps a signature.
Byeok Taesan looked down at the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in silence.
The Master slowly raised her head, and her eyes met Byeok Taesan's.
She felt a little strange.
For some reason, Byeok Taesan felt different from usual. Softer, perhaps?
"The Fragrant Flower Pavilion is a tail those bastards left behind in Wuhan... Are you not in any danger?"
The Master replied with a firm expression.
"We are strengthening our forces using the Shadow Steps. We can hold out."
But both the Master and Byeok Taesan knew. The strength of the Underworld Sect lay not in martial power, but in information.
Thus, when direct martial force was needed, they were quite helpless.
The Shadow Steps compensated for that to some extent, but it wasn't enough to face truly skilled masters.
As that thought suddenly crossed her mind, a flicker of bitterness passed through the Master's eyes.
And at that very moment, a booklet dropped before her eyes.
The Master looked back and forth between the booklet and Byeok Taesan with startled eyes.
"Well... it should be serviceable enough."
With those words, Byeok Taesan rose from his seat.
The Master, without even properly checking what the booklet was, hastily grabbed it and stood up.
"Are you leaving already? The girls..."
Byeok Taesan strode out of the office.
"Never mind. Ah, look into that guy, Jeok Gyeolmyeong or whatever his name is."
The Master immediately bowed her head.
"I will begin the investigation at once. We will dig up everything on him and those around him."
Byeok Taesan gave a single nod and then swiftly departed.
The Master hurried after him, but Byeok Taesan's figure was already gone.
"Somehow... he feels even more incredible than before."
The Master murmured this with a dazed expression. She suddenly remembered the booklet Byeok Taesan had given her and took it out from her robes.
There was nothing on the cover. But when she turned a page, the identity of the booklet was written there.
"Fading Light Sword Art?"
The Master tilted her head. Since Byeok Taesan had said it was serviceable, it must be an exceptional martial arts manual.
But the name was completely unfamiliar.
The Master turned the pages, slowly looking through the contents.
And in an instant, she was completely absorbed in it.
Having read the entire manual, the Master's face was flushed with excitement.
This was truly a martial art for the Underworld Sect.
It wasn't just a simple sword technique, but a martial art that encompassed an internal art as well.
It was not a martial art for direct confrontation. No, while it did display great power in a head-on fight, it was far more effective for ambushes.
She hadn't examined it in minute detail yet, but this sword art seemed to be a perfect match for the Shadow Steps.
It was so fitting that she wondered if someone had created the sword art specifically tailored to the Shadow Steps.
The Master's heart was already pounding with anticipation, wondering what incredible power would be unleashed when this sword art was combined with the Shadow Steps.
"Ah, this is no time for this."
The Master carefully placed the manual in her robes and hurried to a nearby bookshelf.
She had to carry out the orders Byeok Taesan had given her today.
She wanted to produce results as quickly as possible.
The Master's hands grew faster and more urgent as she rummaged through the bookshelf.
***
After leaving the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Byeok Taesan continued to wander throughout Wuhan.
He watched the people, saw the buildings, and observed the energy and life force flowing between them.
After wandering around as if sightseeing, he headed back to the Golden Jade Villa around the time the sun touched the western mountains.
When Byeok Taesan arrived at the Golden Jade Villa, he saw a group of people gathered near the main gate.
It was one woman and seven men, and they too seemed to have just arrived.
They appeared to be waiting after sending word inside from the main gate. When Byeok Taesan approached, they all looked at him with expressions mixed with wariness and curiosity.
Of the seven men, two were quite old, three looked to be between their thirties and forties, and the remaining two appeared to be in their early twenties.
And the woman was young and beautiful.
She was beautiful enough to rival Danyeong.
To be on par with Danyeong, who had steadily grown more beautiful after her night with Byeok Taesan and now possessed a beauty so dazzling it was almost blinding, meant she would likely draw gazes wherever she went.
It was clear she was aware of her own beauty. You could tell from her expression and her eyes.
As Byeok Taesan drew closer, the seven men's wariness deepened. They seemed to have had many experiences with men approaching like this.
But the woman was composed and aloof.
As Byeok Taesan got closer and closer, an "I knew it" sort of feeling filled everyone's eyes.
Byeok Taesan stopped in front of them, glanced around, and spoke.
"Move."
Everyone stared blankly at Byeok Taesan, their eyes a mixture of bewilderment and confusion.