Chapter 147
Chapter 147
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: I'd Forgotten About You
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< Right, I'd Forgotten About You >
Byeok Taesan sat on his bed in his room, his eyes closed, quietly recalling the day's events.
He had extracted the information he wanted from Jang Jungsan, Gwan Huseung, and Ja Deukcheol.
Perhaps because he had rattled their minds before burning their souls, the amount of lingering thoughts that poured out was substantial.
He was now calmly recalling and organizing those thoughts.
First, the reason they knew the secret of the Golden Wall—a secret even he, the Heavenly Demon, was unaware of—was because they had received a request.
No, "collaboration" was a more fitting term than "request."
The Golden Moon Trading Company had joined hands with an organization called Nameless.
He couldn't tell when it started. To know that, one would likely have to be the company's master or someone of equivalent rank.
What was clear was that the relationship between Nameless and the Golden Moon Trading Company ran deep.
Within the Golden Moon Trading Company, quite a few people knew the secret of the Golden Wall.
Of course, "quite a few" only meant the key figures, centered around the leaders of the various sects under the company.
In any case, the three men captured today all knew about it. Moreover, what each of them knew was slightly different.
Thanks to this, Byeok Taesan was able to acquire a broader range of information.
What they knew about the Golden Wall wasn't much different from what Ja Deukcheol had rambled on about.
It contained the insights left by the Heavenly Demon, and to use it, one needed a fundamental understanding of the Heavenly Demon's martial arts. That was the gist of it.
Hearing it now, it wasn't entirely wrong.
It was a solution for the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, left behind by one of the past Heavenly Demons.
Without any knowledge of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, it was completely useless.
Of course, the formation applied to it was quite helpful.
But that wasn't the important part.
Somewhere in the world, there were other things similar to the Golden Wall.
The Golden Moon Trading Company had been searching for them at the request of Nameless.
And besides the Golden Wall, they had managed to find two other walls.
One was the Sword Wall, and the other was the Jade Wall.
They were held by a bandit stronghold called the Sword Wall Fortress and a martial sect called the Jade Wall Sect, respectively.
Both places were caught in the Golden Moon Trading Company's schemes and absorbed by the Sangcheon Sect and the Nine Dragons Sect, martial factions under the company's control.
The Golden Moon Trading Company had rewarded the organizations that found the walls by helping them absorb the respective sects.
The two walls were delivered to Nameless.
In the process, the Golden Moon Trading Company had studied the Sword Wall and the Jade Wall meticulously, but they ultimately learned almost nothing.
However, the Sword Wall had a peculiar mechanism installed, and obtaining that was an achievement, if you could call it that.
And on the Jade Wall, the insights themselves were engraved in text, so they transcribed and stored it separately.
Of course, not a single person had gained anything from it so far.
At least, that's what the three men whose souls Byeok Taesan had extracted today knew.
That was the extent of their knowledge, but Byeok Taesan could infer much more from it.
First, if the insights on the Sword Wall and the Jade Wall were left by a past Heavenly Demon, they were clearly an attempt to eliminate the side effects of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
'Though I have no idea why they left it like that instead of within the Heavenly Demonic Cult.'
Was it even possible that insights unknown even to him, the Heavenly Demon, were scattered across the world?
Of course, Byeok Taesan understood perfectly well.
That's how Heavenly Demons were. Selfish, utterly inconsiderate, beings who stood alone in the world—that was a Heavenly Demon.
"Honestly, there's not a single proper Heavenly Demon out there."
The thought that he was the only proper Heavenly Demon in all of history made him sigh.
In any case, now that he knew such things existed, it was only natural to go have a look.
Byeok Taesan decided to visit the Sword Wall and the Jade Wall soon.
While he was at it, he planned to look for any other walls that might be out there.
The Sword Wall Fortress and the Jade Wall Sect weren't famous factions or strongholds, but the Underworld Sect could surely find them.
Nameless could have detached the Sword Wall and the Jade Wall and taken them, but they hadn't.
They suspected the location of each wall might also be a crucial key.
So, all he had to do was find their locations and go.
From this, Byeok Taesan also guessed that those fellows from Nameless had yet to fully obtain the insights from the Sword and Jade Walls.
And he was certain that the organization called Nameless was connected to the Heavenly Demonic Cult in some way.
It might even be related to one of the past Heavenly Demons.
'I only got interested because of the elixir, but at this rate, I might end up getting deeply involved.'
Byeok Taesan organized his thoughts a bit more and slowly opened his eyes.
He had set his course; now, all he had to do was act.
* * *
Chae Miryeong walked with long strides, her face as cold as ice.
Behind her, Byeok Cheonil followed.
Byeok Cheonil belonged to the Golden Jade Trading Company's Records Pavilion and had joined hands with Chae Miryeong, aiming to become the next pavilion master.
But with things constantly going wrong lately, his future was becoming increasingly uncertain.
This latest incident was a prime example.
Who would have thought the Golden Moon Trading Company would do such a thing?
Because the Golden Moon Trading Company had mobilized warriors to tear up the floor of the Golden Wall's master's office and steal the treasure stored there, Chae Miryeong's position was severely shaken.
After all her efforts to change some of the Golden Jade Trading Company's business partners, everything had reverted to how it was before.
Furthermore, the subtle considerations Byeok Taesu had been showing her had completely vanished.
Chae Miryeong suddenly found herself in a suffocatingly frustrating situation.
And Byeok Cheonil, who was working with her, saw his position become precarious as well.
The reason he was with Chae Miryeong today was to meet Byeok Taesan.
While investigating the incident on his own, Byeok Cheonil had discovered a shocking fact.
Byeok Taesan was behind everything.
Discovering that the Golden Moon Trading Company was behind the new business partners, luring them to the Golden Wall, and even bringing in outside escorts to protect the place from them—Byeok Taesan had done it all.
Hearing this report, Chae Miryeong felt a tremendous sense of crisis.
The thought occurred to her that Byeok Taesan might push aside her son, Byeok Jehyeok, and take the position of the next company master.
She had met with Byeok Taesu first, but he had firmly denied it.
But how could she take his words at face value?
Chae Miryeong decided to meet Byeok Taesan first.
The moment she stepped into the rear garden where Byeok Taesan's pavilion was located, she saw three men diligently planting trees.
It was Black One, Black Two, and Black Three.
Seeing them, Chae Miryeong flinched and unconsciously stopped in her tracks.
Their expressions were so menacing that her heart nearly sank.
In truth, Black One, Black Two, and Black Three's faces weren't *that* foul.
Well, they were foul, but not so shocking as to make someone's heart stop.
The reason Chae Miryeong felt that way was due to the aura and presence they naturally exuded as their martial arts reached a mature level.
"What is the matter?"
Byeok Cheonil asked, his tone a mix of confusion and slight concern.
Chae Miryeong snapped back to her senses and shook her head.
"Ah, it's nothing. Let's go in."
Chae Miryeong resumed walking toward the pavilion.
Just as she reached the pavilion, someone came out to greet her.
It was an incredibly beautiful woman.
"What brings you here?"
Normally, Chae Miryeong would have scowled and started shouting.
Demanding to know how someone working at the Golden Wall could not recognize her face. And how dare they block her path.
But she couldn't.
She was overwhelmed by the other woman's beauty, atmosphere, and the subtle aura emanating from her.
"I've come to see the young master."
Chae Miryeong tried her best to use a gentle tone.
It was because the woman before her seemed anything but ordinary. She carefully observed her, trying to figure out who she was.
'Her grace is extraordinary. At this level, she must be the daughter of a renowned family, or...'
Before Chae Miryeong's thought could continue, the woman in front of her, Danyeong, smiled brightly.
It created the illusion that her surroundings had momentarily brightened.
"Ah, you must be the mistress. Please wait a moment. I will go and ask the Young Master."
Danyeong said this, gave a slight bow, and went inside.
Chae Miryeong watched blankly, then bit her lip.
Even if she hadn't sent word in advance, how could they treat her like this?
As if sensing her feelings, Byeok Cheonil, who was beside her, voiced his indignation.
"If he's inside, she should have guided you in immediately. To be ignored like this is unacceptable. You should mention this to the Second Young Master."
He meant she should use this incident to gain some leverage.
Chae Miryeong's eyes gleamed as she nodded.
In any case, her purpose for coming here was to meet Byeok Taesan, ascertain his intentions, and ask for his help.
So, she had to collect anything that could become a card in her hand, no matter how small. It would eventually become a great strength.
A moment later, Danyeong reappeared.
"The Young Master has asked me to escort you both. Please come in."
Chae Miryeong had intended to maintain a cold and ruthless expression. But the moment she saw Danyeong, that thought vanished.
'What kind of woman is she? I heard Yeon Harin is with him too... Has he become a lecher?'
She suddenly recalled the fact that Byeok Taesan frequented brothels daily. And the nickname he had earned back then also came to mind.
'They called him the King of the Night, didn't they?'
It seemed that nickname wasn't a lie.
On the way to Byeok Taesan's room, she encountered five other women one after another, and they were all beauties on par with Danyeong.
Moreover, each one had such a distinct aura that she couldn't help but think he had done well to gather such a diverse group of women.
Looking at them, Chae Miryeong never once thought they might be maids who were former courtesans, even though she already knew about it.
"This way. Please come in."
Danyeong politely opened the door, and Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil stepped inside.
Byeok Taesan was standing by the window, looking outside.
Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil stood where they were, nervously staring at Byeok Taesan's back.
They had prepared a mountain of things to say when they came here.
But in this instant, all of it evaporated.
Their minds went blank.
Their minds were so paralyzed they couldn't understand why they were acting this way.
Byeok Taesan slowly turned around.
The moment Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil met Byeok Taesan's eyes, they felt as if flames were sweeping through their minds.
"Right, I'd forgotten about you."
Byeok Taesan said, glancing at Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil in turn.
The two of them stood frozen, their lips sealed, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"I had completely forgotten about you, and yet here you are."
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil could only watch, unable to even blink, as Byeok Taesan approached them.
Soon, Byeok Taesan placed his hands on the crowns of their heads.
"I won't kill you. Be grateful."
The souls of the two were simultaneously pulled out.
* * *
Byeok Jehyeok ran with all his might, his expression one of utter urgency.
He crossed the garden, passed through several gates, and arrived at Chae Miryeong's residence.
"Mother!"
Byeok Jehyeok threw the door open and rushed inside.
Chae Miryeong was sitting there, curled up into a ball, hugging her knees.
Seeing her like that, Byeok Jehyeok's eyes shook uncontrollably.
"Mother..."
He had rushed over to tell her she absolutely could not go see Byeok Taesan. But it seemed he was too late.
Chae Miryeong lifted her head to look at Byeok Jehyeok, and a faint flicker of life returned to her eyes.
"You... you're here."
"What... what happened?"
Chae Miryeong shook her head.
"I don't know. Nothing happened... and yet, I'm so scared."
Byeok Jehyeok fell silent, quietly looking at Chae Miryeong.
Perhaps she had caught a glimpse of Byeok Taesan's true nature, even if she herself seemed unaware of it.
"How could you go to a place like that alone?"
"I... I didn't go alone."
Byeok Jehyeok's expression twisted. Hearing that reminded him of Byeok Cheonil.
"From now on, do not associate with him. He brings you no benefit at all."
"Even if I wanted to, I can't anymore."
"What do you mean... Don't tell me he's dead!"
Byeok Jehyeok exclaimed, his eyes wide with horror.
But Chae Miryeong shook her head.
"He'll... he'll be too ashamed to show his face. He soiled himself in front of so many people. How could he possibly walk around with his head held high?"
Chae Miryeong consoled herself that it was a relief. At least she hadn't soiled herself.
Still, one never knew. For the time being, she would absolutely not wander outside.
"You should go now too. I'm... I'm fine. Don't look for me for a while. And don't let anyone in."
Byeok Jehyeok looked down at her for a while longer before turning to leave.
A fear deeper than any he had felt before settled in his eyes.
* * *
While Chae Miryeong was holed up in fear and Byeok Cheonil was soiling himself in public, Byeok Taesan was lost in thought in his room with a peculiar expression.
And standing before him, Hwaok waited respectfully.
"Are you... perhaps worried about something?"
Even as Hwaok asked, she thought it sounded utterly absurd.
She couldn't imagine anyone else, let alone Byeok Taesan, being worried.
Byeok Taesan glanced at Hwaok and shook his head.
"How could I be?"
He was simply recalling the memories from when he extracted and burned the souls of Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil.
Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaok and said.
"Someone new needs to be dealt with."