Chapter 141
Chapter 141
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: Just Leave Them Be
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yeon Harin headed to the training grounds as usual.
Her face was brighter and more radiant than ever.
As she entered the training grounds, she saw people already training.
Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, and Cho Seoran were there.
Besides them, ten maids also trained relentlessly here, but they were all busy at the moment and likely wouldn't arrive for another few hours.
Having just woken up, they would all be with Byeok Taesan.
Yeon Harin slowly began to warm up.
At that, Yu Seoyeon, who was in the middle of her training, flinched and stopped.
She had felt a strange sense of dissonance.
Yu Seoyeon turned her gaze to look at Yeon Harin.
For some reason, Yeon Harin looked far more beautiful than usual today. Her face seemed to glow.
No, that wasn't all. The aura she exuded had changed.
Her beauty already gave her a commanding presence, but today it was overwhelming.
It was enough to break the concentration of someone who had been completely absorbed in training from the moment they entered the grounds.
Yu Seoyeon stared blankly at Yeon Harin for a moment.
No, it wasn't just her. Cheon Gyeongwan and Cho Seoran had also stopped training and were now looking at Yeon Harin.
‘What on earth happened?’
Puzzled for a moment, Yu Seoyeon's eyes widened at a sudden thought.
‘Could it be...!’
Yu Seoyeon carefully studied Yeon Harin's face as she warmed up.
And she was certain.
She quickly approached Yeon Harin.
"My lady."
Yeon Harin looked at Yu Seoyeon and smiled gently.
Seeing the ease in her smile, Yu Seoyeon returned a similar one.
"You did it."
Yeon Harin nodded.
"Now, I just need to train."
Byeok Taesan had said he would be going somewhere again soon.
This time, she was determined to go with him.
Yu Seoyeon looked at Yeon Harin with a mischievous expression.
"Was it good?"
Yeon Harin's face turned beet red. She furtively avoided Yu Seoyeon's gaze.
"Uh... well, I just... confirmed the rumors were true."
Without waiting for Yu Seoyeon's reply, Yeon Harin lowered her head and quickly moved to another spot.
She then fanned her face vigorously to cool her flushed cheeks.
When her eyes met Yu Seoyeon's, she jumped in surprise and quickly looked away.
Yeon Harin hurriedly began her training.
And soon, she became frighteningly focused.
Seeing this, Yu Seoyeon chuckled and went back to where Cheon Gyeongwan was.
Cheon Gyeongwan gave Yu Seoyeon a curious look, but she said nothing and immediately resumed her training.
Soon, the training grounds heated up with the fervor of their practice.
***
A group of people was heading toward the Golden Jade Villa.
At the very front were two martial artists exuding an aura as sharp as a honed blade, followed by a middle-aged man with a gentle demeanor.
To the middle-aged man's right and slightly behind him was a young man who appeared to be his aide.
Next to the young man was a man with a sturdy build, and ten warriors followed them in an orderly fashion.
They were the ones sent by the Golden Moon Trading Company.
As they neared the Golden Jade Villa, a group from the Golden Jade Trading Company rushed out to greet them.
Leading them was the Golden Jade Villa's general manager, Ga Mujin.
The general manager bowed respectfully to them.
"I am Ga Mujin, the general manager of the Golden Jade Trading Company. It is an honor to meet you all from the Golden Moon Trading Company."
The one who received the general manager's greeting was the gentle-looking middle-aged man.
"I am Jang Jungsan from the Golden Moon Trading Company. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Please, this way. I will guide you to your accommodations."
As the general manager personally led the Golden Moon Trading Company's party into the villa, the other people from the Golden Jade Villa began to move busily.
The thought that they must serve these guests from the Golden Moon Trading Company to the best of their ability was firmly embedded in everyone's mind.
The same was true for the general manager.
In fact, when Byeok Taesan first suggested calling them, he had thought it was a mad idea. He was certain the Golden Moon Trading Company would never accept such an absurd request.
But when they actually accepted, his mind became a tangled mess.
He was worried that if they found even the slightest fault, it would cause problems later.
In any case, the general manager guided the party to their lodgings as politely and cautiously as possible.
It was a residence they had prepared for five full days, having vacated the best pavilion in the Golden Jade Villa.
The original owner of this residence was Byeok Jehyeok.
Byeok Taesan's pavilion was actually better, but no one in the Golden Jade Villa dared to ask him to vacate it anymore.
Chae Miryeong had made a bit of a fuss, but Byeok Jehyeok had handled it.
Byeok Jehyeok himself had stepped in to stop Chae Miryeong from complaining further.
Faced with Byeok Jehyeok, who was even more furious than she was, Chae Miryeong couldn't even get properly angry and had to back down.
Anyway, after guiding the Golden Moon party to their residence, the general manager went to see Byeok Taesan with an exhausted expression.
Normally, he would report to Byeok Taesu, but Byeok Taesu had specifically instructed him to report matters concerning the Golden Moon Trading Company to Byeok Taesan first.
Arriving at Byeok Taesan's residence, the general manager was led by the maids into his room.
Inside, not only was Byeok Taesan present, but Hwaok and the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion were with him.
As this was not the first or second time he had seen such a sight, the general manager simply reported calmly.
"The people from the Golden Moon Trading Company have arrived."
Byeok Taesan nodded, and the general manager asked cautiously.
"So... when should I tell them you wish to meet?"
"Just leave them be."
"Pardon?"
"Wait until they ask to see us first."
The general manager was dumbfounded.
"What? But if we do that...!"
This was a great discourtesy. Besides, weren't they much more powerful than his side?
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"So you think they'll agree to meet if we ask?"
"Pardon?"
What did he mean by that?
"If you want to, go ahead. It doesn't matter to us when we meet. You can go tell them we're fine with meeting today or tomorrow."
The general manager finally looked at Byeok Taesan with relief.
"Then I will tell them you would like to meet today or tomorrow."
Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively. It was a gesture to hurry up and go.
The general manager hastily withdrew.
He intended to get it over with quickly before Byeok Taesan changed his mind.
As the general manager left the room, Byeok Taesan clicked his tongue softly.
"What a coward."
At his words, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion smiled beautifully. Ever since the incident a few days ago, she had been taking every opportunity to give Byeok Taesan alluring, smiling glances.
"This man they sent, Jang Jungsan, holds a rather high position in the Golden Moon Trading Company. He is the head of a place called the Bowol Pavilion and has the authority to arbitrarily disburse a portion of the company's funds."
There were very few people in the Golden Moon Trading Company who had the authority to disburse funds.
Since he was one of them, he must be a very important person indeed.
"And the man who came with him, Gwan Huseung, is the master of a sect called the Sangcheon Sect."
"The Sangcheon Sect?"
Byeok Taesan's eyes gleamed faintly. He had heard of the Sangcheon Sect before.
In other words, it was a powerful sect.
"It is one of the three martial sects under the Golden Moon Trading Company's control."
"Hoh. More impressive than I thought. To have the Sangcheon Sect under their command."
"The other two are even more formidable. The Cheongmu Faction and the Guryong Sect."
Those two were also in Byeok Taesan's memory.
"Interesting. Continue."
As a smile graced Byeok Taesan's lips, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion quickly continued her explanation.
"The men Gwan Huseung brought with him this time are also warriors from the Sangcheon Sect. They are said to be handpicked, so their combat strength must be considerable."
Having explained that much, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion paused for a moment before continuing.
"And separately from them, the Golden Moon Trading Company has sent a significant number of martial artists to Wuhan."
"Separately?"
"Yes. Warriors from the Cheongmu Faction, not the Sangcheon Sect, have entered Wuhan separately and are on standby."
Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaok and asked.
"Why do you think those bastards came?"
Hwaok thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up as she answered.
"Could it be that the Golden Moon Trading Company is also divided into several factions? Just like Nameless."
Currently, Nameless had at least three known factions.
Perhaps the Golden Moon Trading Company was the same. Since they controlled three sects, they might also be divided into three.
"Keep a close watch on them. I have a feeling something interesting is about to happen."
"Yes. I've assigned some of our most skilled people."
"Most skilled people" meant members of the Secret Heaven Group.
After joining Byeok Taesan, they too had received new martial arts and were undergoing hellish training, so their skills were improving by leaps and bounds.
In truth, the intensity of their training in the Secret Heaven Group was bound to be lower than when they were in the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
But after coming under Byeok Taesan's command, they were undergoing training of an intensity rarely experienced even in the Heavenly Demonic Cult, so their skills couldn't help but grow.
In any case, with such skilled individuals watching them, it was unlikely they would miss any of their movements.
"And keep a close eye on the ones who've entered the Golden Jade Villa."
"I've placed eyes and ears everywhere, leaving no gaps."
Byeok Taesan wore a satisfied expression.
The preparations were complete. All that was left was to train and wait.
***
The general manager still couldn't wipe the flustered look off his face.
Even now, as he was reporting the situation to the villa's master, Byeok Taesu, he was the same.
After hearing the general manager's full report, Byeok Taesu simply smiled.
The general manager had gone to the Golden Moon Trading Company's party and proposed arranging a meeting for today or tomorrow, but they had refused.
They had effectively dismissed him, saying they were tired from the long journey and wished to rest for a while.
They didn't say how long they would rest or when they should talk again.
In short, it meant they were to wait until they were ready.
"Master, what should I do? Tomorrow, I could go and see them again..."
Byeok Taesu raised a hand to stop the general manager and shook his head.
"There's no need for that."
"But Master!"
Byeok Taesu shook his head once more.
"It will be the same even if you go again. General Manager, compose yourself. It seems you've lost your cool just because our opponent is the Golden Moon Trading Company."
The general manager fell silent. After a moment of thought, he let out a deep sigh.
"It seems I was too hasty."
He had made a mistake he wouldn't normally make. He shouldn't have revealed their impatience, but he had.
He should have listened to Byeok Taesan.
If he had taken a moment to think more calmly, he wouldn't have made such an error.
"Just wait. Until they are ready."
"Yes. I suppose I must."
The general manager felt a strange sensation hearing Byeok Taesu say the exact same thing as Byeok Taesan.
"In any case, you two are truly remarkable. My head understands, but my heart keeps pounding, and I can't calm down."
"What do you mean by that?"
The general manager recounted the conversation he'd had with Byeok Taesan earlier.
After hearing the whole story, a pleased smile formed on Byeok Taesu's lips.
"From now on, don't just report to Taesan first. Ask for his opinion directly."
The general manager looked at Byeok Taesu with a somewhat complicated expression before lowering his head.
"Yes. I will do so."
Byeok Taesu said quietly to the general manager.
"I know what you're worried about. But the kind of thing you're worrying about will not happen. I assure you."
As if to show his trust, the general manager bowed his head once more and withdrew.
***
The warriors of the Sangcheon Sect were lined up in an orderly fashion.
They looked at Gwan Huseung, who stood before them.
They were inside the pavilion in the Golden Jade Villa that was serving as their residence.
Gwan Huseung thoroughly checked the area around the pavilion for any watchers.
It would not do to be caught doing what they were about to do, so they had to be careful beforehand.
"Do not get caught. It's better to be slow than to be seen."
"Yes, sir."
"It is likely protected by mechanisms. And it's probably stored in a secret location. Keep that in mind as you search."
"Yes, sir."
"If you encounter anything even slightly suspicious, retreat immediately and report back later."
"Yes, sir."
Having said that much, Gwan Huseung gave a single nod.
The ten warriors immediately left the pavilion.
Their movements were fast and stealthy, as if they had trained for this kind of work for a long time.
Gwan Huseung watched his subordinates disperse from the pavilion for a moment before going back inside.