Chapter 110
Chapter 110
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: A Sudden Attack
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Byeok Taesan returned to the Black Iron Lodge in high spirits.
The sun had not long passed its zenith.
He had only gone for a short walk, but his gains were considerable.
There were a total of six locations in the slums where the Half-Jiangshi were gathered.
The smallest group had twenty, and the largest had sixty.
However, since the numbers were small, the amount of spiritual energy Byeok Taesan could absorb was relatively low.
Still, he had dealt with nearly two hundred Half-Jiangshi in total, so it was quite profitable.
Now, he just needed to return to the Black Iron Lodge and refine the spiritual energy he had absorbed today.
In truth, refining the spiritual energy wasn't strictly necessary. He could just disperse it throughout his body as he absorbed it.
But taking the time to refine it improved its quality, making it integrate so perfectly with his body that it felt like a part of him.
It was only natural that there would be a difference between refined and unrefined spiritual energy.
Byeok Taesan had no intention of rushing the process of accumulating spiritual energy with his new Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
He decided to build his power steadily and surely, taking every precaution.
It might feel frustrating for now, but in time, the results would be immense.
As he strolled along, he soon arrived at the Black Iron Lodge.
At the main gate of the Black Iron Lodge stood unfamiliar warriors, their eyes gleaming. They looked like guards protecting the entrance.
Before Byeok Taesan could step forward, Hwaok quickly approached them.
Judging by their attire, they were clearly warriors from the Hubei Martial Alliance.
"What are you doing here?"
The warrior replied politely to Hwaok's question.
"We are standing guard. Ah, please don't misunderstand. We have simply accompanied the one we serve."
"May I ask who you serve?"
"The Alliance Leader."
Hwaok nodded and looked at Byeok Taesan.
"It seems we have a visitor."
He had been asked to visit the Hubei Martial Alliance just this morning—no, around noon—but in the time it took for him to go for a walk, the Alliance Leader had come to him.
"Did you already pass on my message?"
At Byeok Taesan's question, Hwaok gave a wry smile and shook her head.
"Not yet."
She hadn't had the chance. As soon as she had relayed the message to Byeok Taesan, he had immediately left the Black Iron Lodge for the slums.
Of course, if she had really wanted to, she could have handled it while they were on the move, but Hwaok hadn't gone that far.
And now, she felt it was a good thing she hadn't.
At least they had avoided any awkward confrontations.
Byeok Taesan walked past the warriors who had stepped aside and entered the Black Iron Lodge.
"He brought quite a few. What a coward."
The restrained auras of numerous warriors could be felt throughout the Black Iron Lodge.
Byeok Taesan smirked and headed for the inner courtyard's pavilion where the Alliance Leader was waiting.
* * *
Go Jungwang frowned as he watched his subordinate rush toward him, out of breath.
He detested such haste, so his subordinates always tried to maintain their composure.
For one to act like this meant the matter was truly urgent. And urgent matters usually soured his mood.
"Report calmly."
"Byeok Taesan has arrived in Yichang!"
Go Jungwang stared at his subordinate with a look of disbelief.
"Byeok Taesan is here? When?"
"He arrived last night."
"Last night? As far as I know, he was definitely in Wuhan until yesterday morning."
He still had contacts left in Wuhan.
And he had been checking for information from there at regular, short intervals.
His last check was yesterday morning, and at that time, Byeok Taesan was certainly in Wuhan.
He had expected him to come eventually, but not this soon.
"Hah. This is a headache. We need to get rid of all the Half-Jiangshi first."
"They've already been dealt with."
"What? Where?"
"The Black Iron Lodge was wiped out."
Go Jungwang pressed his hand to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut.
"Of all places!"
The Black Iron Lodge was where they had been secretly keeping the Half-Jiangshi and those who had consumed the Blood Augmenting Pills after the Hubei Martial Alliance had abandoned it.
For that place to be raided was a huge loss.
"They say Byeok Taesan has decided to use the Black Iron Lodge as his residence."
"How can someone be this unlucky?"
Why, of all places, would he choose the Black Iron Lodge as his residence? If not for that, they wouldn't have lost the Half-Jiangshi so pointlessly.
Of course, the reality was that Byeok Taesan had first cleared out the Half-Jiangshi from the Black Iron Lodge and then made it his residence, but they had no way of knowing that.
"Hoo. It can't be helped. What's done is done. Just take care of the rest. We need to get the Half-Jiangshi out of Yichang quickly."
The subordinate glanced at Go Jungwang's expression and continued his report.
"Um... there are other places that were hit besides the Black Iron Lodge."
"What? Already?"
"Around noon today, Byeok Taesan raided the slums."
Go Jungwang was dumbfounded.
The slums were a complicated area, making them a good place to hide the Half-Jiangshi, so they had been storing a considerable number there.
And now that place had been raided.
"How many were lost? Don't tell me all six locations were hit."
"Yes. All of them."
Go Jungwang gritted his teeth.
"I can't just let this bastard Byeok Taesan be. How do I kill him?"
Even as he said that, he was already contemplating his future plans.
Whether to go all out and kill Byeok Taesan, or to pull out of Yichang at this point.
First, he had to move the Half-Jiangshi. No matter what he decided.
"Move the remaining Half-Jiangshi first. We'll take our time and think about what to do next. Don't make any rash moves. For now, keep a close eye on Byeok Taesan."
"Yes. I'll make sure to keep him under surveillance."
As his subordinate left, Go Jungwang tapped his fingers on the desk, his expression grave.
The plan had gone seriously awry.
From the very beginning, when he started his operations in Yichang, he had planned with the possibility of Byeok Taesan coming this way in mind.
That was why he had frequently checked on the situation in Wuhan.
His plan was to quickly wrap up his work in Yichang while Byeok Taesan was on his way and then disappear completely.
It would be great if he could bring down the Hubei Martial Alliance, but he knew that would be difficult.
However, he could create enough chaos to prevent the Hubei Martial Alliance from even thinking about looking elsewhere for a while.
But now, right before a crucial operation, his main forces had vanished like melting snow, all too absurdly.
The forces gathered at the Black Iron Lodge were prepared specifically to strike the Hubei Martial Alliance directly.
"I should have properly assessed the extent of Byeok Taesan's power..."
It was clear that Byeok Taesan had dealt with Gok Yangdu.
Whether he did it alone or with an accomplice, he didn't know.
He had investigated that part thoroughly but had yet to find a definitive answer.
"Assuming he dealt with Gok Yangdu alone..."
I'll have to deploy the four people I just received all at once.
No, even that won't be enough. As far as Go Jungwang knew, Gok Yangdu was a true master.
"Are there any other masters I can throw in?"
Go Jungwang pondered. If success wasn't guaranteed, it was better not to start at all.
But if possible, he wanted to eliminate Byeok Taesan this time.
The opportunity was good, too.
Byeok Taesan was currently staying at the Black Iron Lodge.
Go Jungwang's thoughts grew deeper.
Soon, a sinister glint appeared in his eyes.
* * *
The Hubei Martial Alliance Leader was waiting for Byeok Taesan in the reception room.
It was called a reception room, but it was just one of the rooms in the inner courtyard's pavilion being used as one.
Of course, that room had also been cleaned, organized, and decently decorated by Byeok Taesan's servants.
The Alliance Leader was somewhat impressed.
He hadn't visited the Black Iron Lodge often, but he knew its condition well from reports.
It had been left neglected for a long time, and without any repairs or cleaning, the estate was in poor shape.
But now that he was here, it looked quite presentable.
Did this mean that just a few dozen people had accomplished this in only half a day?
If he was impressed by the state of the pavilion, he was astonished by Byeok Taesan's people.
He was particularly shocked by Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, and the One-Needle Eccentric—so much so that he wondered if it was even possible.
What on earth had they done to become so strong in such a short time?
So, he had subtly asked Yu Seoyeon.
He asked what had happened to make her so much stronger.
Yu Seoyeon had replied with an expression that said it was no big deal.
She said you just had to train to the point of death. And that it was all thanks to Byeok Taesan.
The Alliance Leader tilted his head at her answer.
"Well, does anyone train half-heartedly? My people train to the point of death too."
The conclusion was simple. Byeok Taesan had done something.
It seemed plausible.
"He's truly a fascinating fellow."
It was because it was Byeok Taesan that he had bothered to come all this way to meet him personally. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have come himself and would have just waited for them to show up.
Of course, it wouldn't have mattered if they didn't come.
But he couldn't do that with Byeok Taesan.
To the Alliance Leader, Byeok Taesan was someone he absolutely had to meet.
As he was waiting impatiently, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.
He heard the sound of someone running quickly, and the presence felt very familiar.
It was one of the bodyguards he had brought with him.
"Alliance Leader!"
The warrior burst through the door without asking, his face pale as a sheet.
The Alliance Leader's heart sank.
"What is it!"
"We're under attack!"
"What!"
The Alliance Leader shot up from his seat.
"Hundreds of them have scaled the walls of the Alliance! The situation is critical!"
"Those crazy bastards!"
The Alliance Leader rushed out, his face contorted with rage.
Right now, the Hubei Martial Alliance was practically an empty house. There were many people, but few warriors.
If this continued, a massacre might occur.
The Alliance Leader urgently ran to leave the Black Iron Lodge.
And he ran right into Byeok Taesan, who had just arrived.
A hint of regret appeared in the Alliance Leader's eyes.
"We'll talk later! I'm in a hurry now, so I have to go, but I'll take care of this quickly and come back!"
The Alliance Leader's voice faded as he spoke. He was shouting while running so fast that his voice dwindled with the distance.
Byeok Taesan stopped and turned to watch the retreating figure of the Alliance Leader.
The bodyguards who had followed the Alliance Leader rushed after him in a group.
They were running fast too, but their speed was nothing compared to the Alliance Leader's.
"What was that?"
"I'll find out right away."
Hwaok moved quickly, her expression serious.
Since Byeok Taesan had started staying at the Black Iron Lodge, members of the Underworld Sect were with them, so they could receive information at any time.
Hwaok received the information in an instant, organized it, and reported.
"The Hubei Martial Alliance was attacked. Reports say there were many who took the Blood Augmenting Pill and about thirty high-level masters. It seems they launched a surprise attack, quickly dealt with the martial artists, then destroyed buildings, set fires, and withdrew."
After finishing her report, Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan, awaiting his instructions.
"So the fighting is over for now?"
"Yes. But the Hubei Martial Alliance is on high alert, not knowing when the next surprise attack might come."
"They must have recalled their warriors."
"Not all of them, just a portion. They can't completely abandon the search operations."
Hwaok carefully asked Byeok Taesan.
"Are you thinking of going to the Hubei Martial Alliance?"
Byeok Taesan asked Hwaok in return.
"What do you think?"
"You should do as you wish, Young Master. However, if you do go to the Alliance, you must take everyone here with you."
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"Their moves are a bit too obvious, aren't they?"
"Yes."
Right now, these people from Nameless were trying to tie up the Hubei Martial Alliance's forces and attention on the Alliance itself.
That meant there was a high probability they would cause an incident elsewhere.
And Hwaok and Byeok Taesan had judged their target to be here, the Black Iron Lodge.
"When do you think they'll come?"
"It won't be long. There's a limit to how long they can hold their attention."
Byeok Taesan nodded as if that made sense.
"What will you do?"
At Hwaok's question, Byeok Taesan grinned.
"What do you mean, what will I do? They're coming to get beaten up. I should wait for them."
Looking at Byeok Taesan's eyes, sparkling with anticipation for a fight, Hwaok felt her heart pound for some reason.
"Alright, let's go in and eat. We need a full stomach to fight."
As Byeok Taesan entered with a bright expression, Hwaok followed him with a gentle smile.
"Somehow... it seems like today will be quiet, so I should help with their training. It'll be annoying if they get caught up in this and get hurt or killed."
Hwaok flinched at Byeok Taesan's mutter. Goosebumps suddenly prickled her skin.
And at the same time, the people in the inner courtyard also shivered, just like Hwaok, as if they had sensed something.