Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Let's Start by Stomping Them Flat
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"The investigation is complete, Young Master."
Byeok Taesan, who had been kneading a gold ingot as if it were clay, turned his head to look at Hwaok.
The Heavenly Medicine Hall had arrived in Wuhan yesterday.
But they had shown up with two tails.
"That was fast."
"Now that we have our Shadow Arts back, there are very few who can withstand the Underworld Sect's interrogation."
However, some took longer than others. These were individuals professionally trained in resisting interrogation—in other words, those who worked in intelligence.
Hwaok reported on this aspect as well.
"One of them is clearly an intelligence operative. He was equipped with various methods to counter interrogation. The other was a typical warrior."
"Is that so? Which one was the warrior?"
"The one you caught later, Young Master."
"Well, that figures."
The man he had caught later had been quite far away. If he hadn't shown interest in them, Byeok Taesan wouldn't have bothered with him.
The man must have known he was clumsy at tailing and surveillance and had been extremely cautious.
He had likely decided it was better to fail the surveillance than to be caught.
"First, one of them was sent by the Golden Moon Trading Company."
"The Golden Moon Trading Company?"
They were the ones trying to use the Martial Alliance to get their hands on the Heavenly Medicine Hall.
So, it was only natural for them to make a move like this.
Still, being constantly entangled with them was getting on his nerves.
"And the other one was connected to the Martial Alliance."
Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaok.
If he was from the Martial Alliance, he was from the Martial Alliance. What did she mean, *connected* to the Martial Alliance?
"He is a warrior privately managed by the Vice-Commander of the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Sword Brigade."
"Meaning he's not a member of the Heavenly Sword Brigade, nor of the Martial Alliance?"
"Yes, that is correct. He is a warrior privately fostered by the Vice-Commander of the Heavenly Sword Brigade."
"Are there many like that?"
He was asking about those who belonged to the Martial Alliance but also commanded private forces that were not part of it.
"Not many, but once they start, they usually increase their numbers."
"Then there must be more of them besides that one."
Byeok Taesan recalled the situation when he had caught the man.
He was roughly on par with the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages wasn't actually that weak; it was just that Byeok Taesan's other subordinates were so strong.
If there were a bunch of men at that level, it could become quite troublesome.
"Have you confirmed how many have entered the city?"
"We are still in the process of confirming. We have identified up to seventeen. Based on their operational range, we estimate there are about thirty in total."
"Thirty... And the Golden Moon Trading Company?"
"They have recently been making moves to enter Wuhan."
Byeok Taesan let out a smirk.
"Let's start by stomping them all flat."
At his words, Hwaok tensed. To do that, pinpointing the enemy's location was essential.
"I will hurry."
"This might be a good chance for him to redeem himself. When you find them, tell Yuk Taegu to take care of it."
"Yes. I will contact him immediately."
***
Yeo Cheongang, the Vice-Commander of the Heavenly Sword Brigade, arrived in Wuhan late.
The order from the Commander, Bang Durip, was to follow the Heavenly Medicine Hall, confirm that the Squad Leader of Squad Seven was handling things well, and provide assistance if needed.
That was why he had gone so far as to mobilize the private force he had painstakingly cultivated.
He had sent that private force to Wuhan in advance to surveil the Heavenly Medicine Hall and Squad Seven.
He had also instructed them to gather information on the general atmosphere and rumors in Wuhan.
But upon his slightly delayed arrival, unexpected news awaited him.
"He was captured? By the Heavenly Medicine Hall?"
"Yes. I told him just to watch cautiously from a distance, but it seems he got too close."
"Tsk, tsk. I told him so many times to discard his greed."
"It seems he made a mistake, as it was his first mission in a long time."
"So where is he being held now?"
"Well, that's the strange part."
"Strange? What is?"
"A group from the underworld took him."
"The underworld? Don't tell me the Black Alliance is involved."
His subordinate quickly shook his head.
"No, sir. They are an underworld group that has been active in Wuhan for a long time. In fact, it would be more accurate to call them back-alley thugs than a proper underworld organization."
"Back-alley thugs? Why would scum like that get involved?"
"We are looking into it, but..."
Yeo Cheongang clicked his tongue. Then again, these men weren't meant for surveillance or tailing. They were fighters.
They would probably do a better job if he ordered them to assassinate someone.
They lacked subtlety, but their martial arts were decent enough.
"Have the men from the Golden Moon Trading Company entered Wuhan?"
"Yes. I have made contact with them."
"Request an investigation. That's their specialty."
"Yes, I will. As for the rest of our men..."
"Gather them for now. Once the Golden Moon Trading Company provides the information, we will move all at once based on that."
"What should we do about the one who was captured?"
"We should rescue him if we can. If it seems impossible, we give up. You know what I mean, right?"
"Of course. We all came here prepared for that, didn't we? He's probably mentally prepared as well."
"Good. Then you handle that first."
Yeo Cheongang said this and rose from his seat.
"Where are you going?"
"Something is bothering me. I need to check on Squad Seven myself."
As Yeo Cheongang went outside, his subordinate leaned back in his chair, his expression slightly relaxed.
He was currently in an inn on the outskirts of Wuhan.
He decided to rest for a moment before heading out to find the Golden Moon Trading Company.
As he was resting, the door to his room suddenly burst open.
He shot up, drawing his sword.
A single stone flew swiftly through the open door.
*Clang!*
As he deflected the stone with his sword, a man in black clothes rushed in and threw a punch.
*Thwump!*
He barely managed to block it by twisting his sword.
His opponent was clearly more skilled than him. But he could still escape.
There was a window right behind him, after all.
He turned and leaped for the window.
Just before he reached it, a large fist came flying through the window, shattering it.
*Crash! Pow!*
Sparks flashed before his eyes.
The next thing he knew, he was rolling on the floor. A man in black clothes was tying him up tightly.
"Who the hell are you? Untie me if you don't want to regret this. Do you have any idea who I am to be pulling a stunt like this?"
The man in black clothes grinned and said.
"Like I care. Do you know who I am?"
Yeo Cheongang's subordinate glared at the man with fierce eyes.
"Just be quiet for now."
The man silenced him by striking a pressure point on his neck, then casually picked him up and walked outside.
Similar incidents were occurring all over Wuhan.
***
From a distance, Yeo Cheongang watched the Squad Leader of Squad Seven and his squad members.
There was nothing out of the ordinary.
After reporting to Jin Sahong, they had regrouped and had been resting ever since.
He observed them for quite a while, but he didn't notice anything strange.
Still, he couldn't make a hasty judgment. He would have to watch them for longer.
'By the way, where the hell are the men I sent to watch Squad Seven?'
That part bothered Yeo Cheongang.
He had explicitly ordered them to monitor Squad Seven. Yet, there wasn't a single one of his men observing them.
A thought suddenly struck Yeo Cheongang: what if his men stationed elsewhere were also slacking off?
He quickly moved to the estate that the Heavenly Medicine Hall was said to be using.
He searched the surrounding area with great diligence, but sure enough, not one of his subordinates was there.
'These bastards, have they lost their minds?'
Treating his orders like this was absolutely unacceptable.
If he didn't set things straight now, it would become a persistent headache in the future.
Yeo Cheongang decided to return to the inn and summon his subordinates.
Upon returning to the inn, Yeo Cheongang's expression hardened.
The state of the room was not normal.
Someone had clearly come in and trashed the place.
"Ha, don't tell me the men watching the Heavenly Medicine Hall and the ones watching Squad Seven have all been taken out?"
Yeo Cheongang muttered to himself and sent out a signal.
It was a technique that infused his internal energy with a special sound, a sound that ordinary people couldn't hear.
Only those who had undergone special training could distinguish it. He had created a system of several signals to issue simple commands.
The sound Yeo Cheongang had just made was an order to gather at the base.
Naturally, the base was this inn.
A considerable amount of time passed after he sent the signal, but no one came.
By now, even someone at the edge of Wuhan should have been able to arrive. Of course, the signal didn't reach the edge of Wuhan.
However, the system was designed for anyone nearby who received the signal to relay it further out.
At least one or two men were supposed to be within range of the base to receive the signal.
But no one came. At least one or two should have.
Just as Yeo Cheongang's expression grew serious, he sensed a presence outside the door.
Normally, he would have assumed it was one of his subordinates, but given the circumstances, he couldn't be so sure.
Yeo Cheongang silently drew his sword, preparing for an attack at any moment.
The door burst open.
And someone strode in.
Without even checking who it was, Yeo Cheongang attacked immediately.
His subordinate would never have entered so abruptly. He attacked with conviction.
Yeo Cheongang thrust his sword forward.
Having been tense and ready, he was able to stab with incredible speed and power.
The man who entered, Yuk Taegu, twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the sword aimed at his chest.
Watching the sword pass right before his eyes, he spun his twisted body and swung his leg.
*Whoosh!*
Yeo Cheongang, with his sword still extended, ducked his head to evade Yuk Taegu's kick.
Yuk Taegu's attack didn't end there.
He rose slightly into the air and swung his other leg around.
*Fwoosh!*
Yuk Taegu's leg, imbued with powerful energy, flew toward Yeo Cheongang's torso.
Yeo Cheongang raised his arm to block it.
*KABOOM!*
A massive explosion of sound erupted, and a shockwave spread out from Yeo Cheongang. Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor.
If they continued fighting like this, the floor would likely collapse.
Of course, neither Yuk Taegu nor Yeo Cheongang was the type to care about such things.
Yeo Cheongang brought his sword down as if to split Yuk Taegu's head open.
*FWOOSH!*
As Yuk Taegu dodged, a powerful wave of energy erupted from Yeo Cheongang's sword, shattering the floor.
*CR-CR-CRACK!*
The two men fell through the broken floor to the level below.
And the fierce battle continued.
Since there were barely any guests in the inn, the only one who suffered was the innkeeper. Not physically, but financially. The innkeeper had already fled to a safe distance.
As their fight intensified, furniture, floors, pillars, and walls were shattered and destroyed.
Yet, a clear winner did not emerge.
Yuk Taegu gritted his teeth. He briefly imagined what would happen if he failed to capture this man here.
A sudden chill ran down his spine, and cold sweat broke out.
He absolutely could not let that happen.
Yuk Taegu suddenly began using tactics aimed at mutual destruction.
Since he had the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric on his side, he could get patched up even if he was injured. He decided to sacrifice flesh to break bone.
Faced with an opponent suddenly willing to die with him, Yeo Cheongang couldn't help but be flustered.
He had absolutely no intention of dying.
That small difference changed the flow of the battle.
The once-even fight began to tip in Yuk Taegu's favor.
And finally, Yuk Taegu's fist slammed into Yeo Cheongang's side.
*CRACK!*
"Guuuh!"
With a sound like air escaping a balloon, Yeo Cheongang collapsed.
That single blow had shattered several of his ribs.
Yuk Taegu, wearing a victor's smile, struck the back of Yeo Cheongang's neck.
Yeo Cheongang's eyes rolled back into his head.
***
"Ughh."
Yeo Cheongang forced his slowly returning consciousness into focus and opened his eyes.
He was in a massive warehouse. Torches were lit here and there, so it wasn't completely dark.
Yeo Cheongang looked around.
It was an empty warehouse. He had hoped his subordinates might be here, but there was no one.
"Just... who are these bastards?"
Yeo Cheongang's eyes glinted as he ground his teeth. He vowed that if he ever got out of here, he would not let them get away with this.
All he had to do was contact the Martial Alliance, and it would be over. This would serve as a good pretext—a pretext for the Martial Alliance to dispatch a large number of warriors to Wuhan.
As he was seething, the warehouse door slowly opened.
A bright light poured in through the open door.
But the light soon vanished. The person who had opened the door closed it again.
Yeo Cheongang identified the person who had just entered.
'A woman?'
She was a beautiful woman.
She walked gracefully toward Yeo Cheongang and greeted him very politely.
"I am the master of a pleasure pavilion called the Hundred Flowers Pavilion."
"A courtesan?"
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion smiled brightly.
"That's right. And I'm also the master of the Underworld Sect."
Yeo Cheongang tried his best to put on a fierce expression.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Of course. You're the Vice-Commander of the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Sword Brigade, aren't you?"
"Then you must know what you should do now. Do you really think you'll be safe after I've disappeared?"
"I did some research, and it seems no one knows that you came here, Vice-Commander."
"The Commander knows. He's the one who sent me here."
"But I wonder if the Commander of the Heavenly Sword Brigade will admit to sending you here."
Yeo Cheongang fell silent. He glared at the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion with terrifying eyes.
Yeo Cheongang knew better than anyone that her words were true. The Commander of the Heavenly Sword Brigade would deny sending him here. Of course, he would investigate separately.
That was the kind of man he was.
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion watched the change in Yeo Cheongang's expression and spoke calmly.
"Now then, shall we begin our conversation? I do hope you have a lot to share. Otherwise, it will be a very difficult time for both of us."
The smile on her face as she said this was somehow chilling and terrifying.
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