Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Is There Any Need to Stop Them?
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"Hm? Young Master, what is that on your forearm?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages asked, looking at the arm guard covering Byeok Taesan's forearm.
Even at a glance, it was no ordinary arm guard.
It had a faint golden sheen, looking as if it were intricately woven from golden thread.
"I made it."
At Byeok Taesan's reply, the Divine Doctor of the Ages' eyes widened.
"You made that yourself, Young Master? Surely you don't know how to sew?"
There were countless mismatched pairings in the world, but Byeok Taesan and sewing had to be in the top three.
The One-Needle Eccentric and Cho Seoran, who were with him, were just as astonished as the Divine Doctor.
They all stared blankly, their gazes shifting between Byeok Taesan's face and the arm guard.
Byeok Taesan was pleased with their reaction.
In truth, this arm guard was made purely of gold.
He had drawn the gold into the thinnest possible threads and then woven them together to create it.
If it were made of simple golden thread, it wouldn't look like this. A few types of energy had been mixed in, changing its color and aura.
That was why, to them, it appeared to be an arm guard intricately woven from some unusual thread.
Wearing something made from a solid gold plate would have felt awkward, so he had created this after several attempts. The good result put him in a good mood.
The golden threads used in this arm guard were not solid; they were hollow. And inside, they were filled with the energy of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
He had been thinking of a structure to maximize the efficiency when resonating with the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, and this arm guard was the result.
To prove he hadn't actually sewn it, Byeok Taesan took off the arm guard and tossed it to the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
The Divine Doctor caught it with a puzzled look, and upon examining it, his eyes widened as if they would tear.
His gaze darted frantically between Byeok Taesan and the arm guard.
"Y-Young Master. This... is this really made entirely of gold?"
Byeok Taesan grinned and held out his hand.
The Divine Doctor carefully placed the arm guard in Byeok Taesan's hand. His heart pounded with the fear that it might get bent or damaged if he wasn't careful.
"You don't have to be so careful. It's sturdier than it looks."
With those words, Byeok Taesan nonchalantly put the arm guard back on his forearm.
Watching him, everyone's minds raced.
Why on earth would he suddenly make and wear an arm guard himself? And out of gold, no less.
He couldn't possibly have developed an interest in goldsmithing.
What they had learned from their time with Byeok Taesan was that his obsession with strength was beyond imagination.
And because he himself was so strong, he wanted his subordinates to be strong as well.
Such a person would never take an interest in goldsmithing, clothes, or accessories.
After sorting through their thoughts, they arrived at a single conclusion.
"Is that... a weapon?"
In response to the Divine Doctor's question, Byeok Taesan grinned, raising his forearm to show them the arm guard.
"It's quite useful."
Everyone's jaws dropped.
They had wondered, but it was truly a weapon.
"Could you perhaps show us how you use it?"
Cho Seoran's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Watch closely."
Byeok Taesan resonated with the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
No one else knew what change was occurring. It was a change only Byeok Taesan was aware of.
Of course, they didn't need to know. The real show was about to begin.
Byeok Taesan looked up at the sky.
"A lot of clouds."
The weather wasn't bad, but there were quite a few clouds overhead.
Byeok Taesan reached his hand upward.
*Kwooooosh!*
And something unseen and terrifying shot upwards.
Everyone gaped.
A huge hole had been punched clean through the clouds in the sky above them.
'Fuck, is he even human?'
The One-Needle Eccentric muttered inwardly. He had almost said it out loud but forced his mouth shut. Cold sweat trickled down his face.
"What do you think? Useful, isn't it?"
"Ah... yes. It's, it's truly... incredible."
Cho Seoran couldn't finish her sentence.
She even wondered for a moment if "incredible" was enough to describe it.
While they were all still reeling, Byeok Taesan spoke.
"Where are the other physicians?"
At his question, they finally snapped to their senses and composed their expressions.
"They are making medicine."
"Let's go."
At Byeok Taesan's words, Cho Seoran quickly led the way.
There was a vast space in the manor that had once been a training ground; it now served as the Heavenly Medicine Hall's production area.
An immense number of physicians were moving about frantically.
Byeok Taesan carefully observed the physicians.
He had made his investment; now it was time to reap the rewards.
Byeok Taesan raised a finger and pointed out two physicians.
"Tonight, send those two to me."
"Pardon?"
Cho Seoran looked at Byeok Taesan, her eyes filled with confusion.
Send those two to him at night? What on earth could that mean?
Her gaze instinctively turned to the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric beside her.
The two of them were nodding, their faces showing that the inevitable had come.
"It's for their own good, so just send them."
The One-Needle Eccentric's words only made Cho Seoran more confused.
Just then, the Divine Doctor of the Ages stepped in.
"It's constitutional improvement. Think of it as our Young Master's special power. You've experienced it too, haven't you? Well, your case might be a bit different from theirs."
Cho Seoran's face turned beet red.
"W-w-what do you mean, different?"
The Divine Doctor stared intently at Cho Seoran and asked.
"Do you really want me to spell it out right here?"
Cho Seoran shook her head vigorously.
"No. I understand perfectly."
After saying that, she looked at the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric with wide eyes.
"Don't tell me you two also..."
"Well, we did receive some help from the Young Master."
Cho Seoran felt a bit awkward, but she thought it wasn't an impossible task.
'I wish I could watch to see how it's done...'
Suddenly, she recalled the night she had spent with Byeok Taesan.
It was strange that she couldn't remember it clearly. But perhaps, she thought, that was a side effect of the great method for improving one's constitution.
She remembered the slight pain and difficulty she had felt at the time, along with a sense of accomplishment.
She felt fortunate that at least those memories remained.
"I understand. I'll send them. So... are you going to see all the physicians of our Heavenly Medicine Hall, one by one?"
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Something like that. I'll decide the order."
He planned to absorb them one by one, starting with those who had more spiritual energy.
Even those with less would surely see their spiritual energy grow over time.
Besides, since they were working so diligently to make medicine, wouldn't they accumulate even more useful spiritual energy?
Byeok Taesan glanced around at the hard-working physicians with a pleased expression.
Then, he slowly left the Heavenly Medicine Hall.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages, the One-Needle Eccentric, and Cho Seoran watched Byeok Taesan's retreating back.
"By the way, what did you think of that earlier?"
"What do you mean?"
"Our Young Master's new weapon."
At the One-Needle Eccentric's words, the Divine Doctor shook his head.
"Man, I thought I was going to die of fright."
"Right? It wasn't just me, was it? What about you?"
Cho Seoran looked at the One-Needle Eccentric, who had asked her, and replied.
"I was terrified too. That... what on earth was that?"
When Byeok Taesan had unleashed the power of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts earlier, they had felt a very primal fear.
Perhaps it was the kind of emotion an ordinary person feels when facing death.
Recalling the memory, the three of them shivered involuntarily.
"Just how strong is our Young Master, I wonder?"
When Cho Seoran voiced the question that had suddenly occurred to her, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric fell into deep, serious thought.
"Indeed. I'm truly curious."
It wasn't as if they could just ask Byeok Taesan directly.
* * *
Having finished his business at the Heavenly Medicine Hall, Byeok Taesan headed for the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
He had told Hwaok to go there ahead of him.
He was going to receive a report, as the interrogation of the men they had recently captured was finished.
When he arrived at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, a crowd of courtesans came out to greet him.
It was something that happened every time he visited a brothel.
Most of the courtesans remembered when Byeok Taesan had made a name for himself as the 'Night King' while frequenting the brothels of Muhan.
So, whenever this happened, the courtesans' eyes held a strange heat as they looked at him.
Back then, Byeok Taesan had frequented the brothels, but he couldn't possibly have spent a night with every single courtesan.
Thus, there were still plenty of courtesans who had not yet experienced him.
It was only natural that they would want to experience the legendary tales about Byeok Taesan for themselves.
Furthermore, a rumor had spread far and wide among the brothels of Muhan that the former courtesans who had become Byeok Taesan's handmaidens were even learning martial arts.
How could they not feel a sense of longing?
Byeok Taesan entered, bathed in the courtesans' heated gazes.
After a few steps, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion hurried over, bowed respectfully, and personally guided him.
Arriving at the top floor of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, in the room of its master—which also served as the office of the Underworld Sect's leader—the two of them naturally took their seats.
Byeok Taesan sat in a slightly elevated seat, while the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion sat opposite him, her hands folded politely.
A bright smile graced the face of the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
"Young Master, did any of the girls catch your eye? There are quite a few who miss you these days. Please, just say the word whenever you wish."
"Enough. Just give me the report."
When Byeok Taesan cut her off sharply, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion quickly wiped the smile from her face and adopted a composed expression.
"As expected, the leader of the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Sword Brigade was connected to the Golden Moon Trading Company. It is a long-standing relationship, and Yeo Cheongang is involved as well."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion observed Byeok Taesan's expression before continuing her report.
"The squad leader from the Heavenly Sword Brigade who accompanied the Heavenly Medicine Hall to Muhan is also in league with them. The same goes for his squad members. However, they joined not long ago, so trust has yet to be established."
They had sent ronin from the Ronin Market to help the Heavenly Medicine Hall, and they had also captured a few of the attackers from that time.
From the information extracted from them, they had a general idea of what kind of person the squad leader was.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company's goal was to bring the Heavenly Medicine Hall completely under their control and command."
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
But now, Byeok Taesan had snatched that goal for himself.
"They'll try something."
"Yes. And we have obtained information while dealing with Nameless organizations, including the Hyanghwa Pavilion."
When Byeok Taesan nodded, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion continued.
"They are also targeting the Golden Jade Trading Company."
"Have you determined the situation?"
"All we've learned is that they are preparing a means to contact the Golden Jade Trading Company. They didn't have much information to begin with... so we have assigned a separate team to investigate."
"Well... there's no need to go that far. Just keep an eye on the surroundings."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion asked with a slightly flustered expression.
"Will... will that be enough?"
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"They're coming here to die. Is there any need to stop them? Just leave them be, and report back on who shows up."
"As you wish."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion felt a chill run down her spine.
When she thought about it, the ones who planned this were actually the pitiful ones.
"The situation in Uichang has now stabilized. After the Hubei Martial Alliance regained control, they have been thoroughly rooting out the remaining forces. We are providing some assistance in that process."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion paused, hesitating.
"If you have something to say, say it. I hate hesitation."
"May we take some credit for our work?"
"Credit?"
"We have helped the Hubei Martial Alliance quite a bit so far, and it seems a waste to let it all go unacknowledged. We would like to take credit and build a better relationship with them."
"Fine, do as you please."
Byeok Taesan said it as if it were no big deal.
But the face of the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion brightened immensely.
She bowed her head deeply.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Byeok Taesan wondered what there was to be so happy about, but he just gave a few nods and left it at that.
He might be commanding the Underworld Sect as he pleased, but at the end of the day, the one running it was the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion—the leader of the Underworld Sect.
Who was he to object if she wanted to run her own sect her way?
As long as she did the tasks he assigned her.
"Also, warriors from the Black Alliance have been trickling in recently."
"What about the others?"
"Still lukewarm. But now that the Black Alliance has started to move, it's highly likely the others will follow suit soon."
"Things are about to get noisy. And here I prefer the quiet."
Instead of replying, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion lowered her head.
She couldn't very well argue with Byeok Taesan's statement about preferring the quiet. She silently buried the thought that had just occurred to her.