Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Divine Doctor of the Ages
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I know of the Poison Demon and the Divine Healer, but…
“How perplexing.”
At Byeok Uhang’s words, Byeok Sangil nodded his head in vehement agreement.
“Under normal circumstances, no one would even think of bringing a corpse here like this.”
“And he took that corpse to a brothel yesterday, did he not?”
“Yes. Thanks to that, many people now know about it.”
“It’s reached a point where we can’t handle this incident quietly. The prestige of our Golden Jade Trading Company is now on the line.”
Byeok Uhang shook his head as he spoke.
Truthfully, he had wanted to handle it quietly.
His plan had been to reap the benefits on the side. For example, by absorbing the Fragrant Flower Pavilion.
But now, that was no longer possible.
Although Byeok Taesan was unharmed, someone had ambushed him, aiming for his life.
And that fact had spread like wildfire.
If you get hit and just take it, do people look up to you as noble? Absolutely not. They see you as a pushover.
And once you’re marked as a pushover, it becomes a persistent problem.
So when something like this happens, you have to make sure everyone knows you are no pushover.
“Have you examined the body?”
“Yes. I found a few clues, but… they weren’t enough to identify him.”
“I suppose not.”
Acquiring information from a corpse was no easy task.
“I heard about the situation during the fight… He was a vicious one. It seems he intended to trade his life for Taesan’s.”
“And the vice-master of the Red Dragon Clan?”
“I cornered him so he couldn’t deny it before meeting him. But… he didn’t know.”
“He didn’t know?”
Byeok Uhang stared at Byeok Sangil with a look of disbelief.
“He said it was a request he was forced to accept. He doesn’t know the client’s identity either.”
“A request…”
“It seems the death of the Red Dragon Clan’s master has destabilized the clan, and they’re in dire need of funds to reorganize.”
“That’s not the end of it, is it?”
“No. We are systematically tracing the ones who commissioned the Red Dragon Clan. However… it will likely take some time.”
Byeok Uhang nodded in understanding.
“But there’s something else.”
“Yes. Please speak.”
“Cheon Gyeongwan just came to see me.”
“Cheon Gyeongwan? What about? Surely he’s not saying he can no longer guard Taesan?”
Byeok Sangil considered it a high possibility.
What expert in the world would want to babysit the second young master, who wasn’t even a real power in the company and frequented brothels daily?
The problem was that the relationship between Cheon Gyeongwan and the Golden Jade Trading Company was not a simple employer-employee one.
If Cheon Gyeongwan decided to, it wouldn’t be strange for him to leave the Golden Jade Trading Company at a moment’s notice.
“There’s no need to worry about that. From the looks of it, he’s completely fallen for him.”
“What? Fallen for him? Is that really true?”
Byeok Sangil looked at Byeok Uhang with an expression of disbelief.
“It seems we’ve neglected Taesan too much. I heard his health has improved quite a bit recently.”
“His health has improved while he’s expending so much of his vital energy? Isn’t it just a final flicker of life?”
“We’ll have to wait and see about that. In any case, what’s important is what Cheon Gyeongwan said.”
Byeok Sangil, realizing the conversation had strayed, refocused on his father, Byeok Uhang.
“He said the Fragrant Flower Pavilion is suspicious.”
“The Fragrant Flower Pavilion, you say?”
“Yes. He tracked one of the attackers from yesterday, and it seems someone from the Fragrant Flower Pavilion is involved in this.”
“Is that information accurate?”
Byeok Uhang shook his head.
“That, I do not know. It seems Cheon Gyeongwan didn’t see it clearly either. Still, judging by his confidence in the information, I don’t think it’s something to be dismissed entirely.”
“The Fragrant Flower Pavilion, the Fragrant Flower Pavilion…”
Byeok Sangil repeated the name, his mind racing.
The Fragrant Flower Pavilion was an intelligence organization disguised as a brothel. And their skills were not to be underestimated.
Though, of course, they were a step below the Golden Jade Trading Company’s own intelligence division.
Having organized his thoughts, Byeok Sangil’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Byeok Uhang.
“Could the Fragrant Flower Pavilion’s backer be… the Thousand Gold Alliance?”
“Or perhaps the Jongli Family.”
As Byeok Uhang added that, Byeok Sangil’s eyes flashed.
He had initially ruled out the Jongli Family.
The picture Byeok Sangil had painted was that someone was trying to pit the Jongli Family and the Golden Jade Trading Company against each other.
It was timely, too, as the Jongli Family had just sent a matchmaker to the Yeon family.
Therefore, he had concluded that the Jongli Family would not do something so obvious.
But on the other hand, it also meant that if the Jongli Family did do something like this, no one would suspect them.
“This… is going to be a headache for the first time in a while.”
A thick smile lingered on Byeok Sangil’s lips as he spoke.
* * *
“Young Master, the meal is ready.”
Danyeong said respectfully.
Byeok Taesan gave a casual nod and rose from his seat, heading toward the separate dining hall in the residence.
Since Soso had transferred from Baebok Hall to his quarters, they had to manage all their meals themselves.
Of course, they didn’t do the cooking themselves; they just had to carry the dishes prepared by the chefs of the Golden Jade Estate.
But it was no easy task, as they had to travel a considerable distance.
Until just recently, that had been the hardest part of their duties. Carrying the food was difficult, but the people they encountered along the way made it even harder for them.
Because they were Byeok Taesan’s people, no one dared to touch them openly, but they would often be subjected to subtle harassment or lewd stares.
But now, there was no need for that.
The newcomers, Black One, Black Two, and Black Three, had taken over the task.
When those three passed by, everyone avoided eye contact. They were busy averting their gazes, and if their eyes happened to meet, they would startle and quickly move away.
Danyeong, too, though she didn’t show it, had a noticeably brighter expression these days.
Byeok Taesan followed Danyeong to the dining hall and slowly began to eat.
Gathered there were all those who could be called Byeok Taesan’s people.
Soso and Danyeong, along with the other courtesan-turned-maids, as well as Black One, Black Two, Black Three, Cheon Gyeongwan, and Yu Seoyeon.
On Byeok Taesan’s orders, they all gathered to eat together at every meal.
Soso, however, was an exception. She insisted on serving Byeok Taesan during his meal.
It was painfully obvious why she wanted to serve him now when she never had before, but no one commented on it.
“Oh, Young Master. The Divine Doctor of the Ages is said to arrive sometime today.”
“Is that so?”
Honestly, Byeok Taesan had never heard the title ‘Divine Doctor of the Ages’ before.
So he had dismissed him as some insignificant physician.
But on second thought, this was a physician worth a hundred gold nyang. Why would the Golden Jade Trading Company waste a hundred gold nyang like that?
Byeok Taesan casually glanced at the people eating. Then he smirked.
They were all hanging on every word of his conversation with Soso.
“Has anyone heard of the Divine Doctor of the Ages?”
At his question, everyone stared at Byeok Taesan with a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“The Divine Doctor of the Ages… you don’t know of him?”
“I’ve never heard of him. I know of the Poison Demon, the Divine Healer, and the One-Needle Eccentric, though.”
Of course, there were also the Demonic Doctor and the Blood-Drinking Demon. Since both were physicians of the Heavenly Demonic Cult, he didn’t mention their titles here.
Everyone stared at Byeok Taesan in disbelief.
The three people Byeok Taesan had just mentioned were not individuals one could meet just by wanting to.
They were known to have reached the heavens not only in medicine but also in martial arts.
The Poison Demon was said to know everything there was to know about poisons and medicines.
He was a mysterious figure, with a legendary tale circulating about him curing the Nine Yin Severed Meridians through poison and medicine.
And what about the Divine Healer?
He was a man said to have reached the level of an immortal through his medical arts.
The One-Needle Eccentric was a god of acupuncture who could cure any illness with a single needle.
They were people who lived beyond the heavens.
In contrast, the Divine Doctor of the Ages was far more human.
Though he had only become known in the last decade or so, he was an outstanding physician who had earned his fame by treating countless people.
He, too, had experience in treating severed meridians.
So for Byeok Taesan to not know of the Divine Doctor of the Ages was hard to understand.
In fact, one would think that as a sick person, he would be far more sensitive to rumors and information about physicians than others.
“He is someone who has experience curing severed meridians several times. So he will surely be able to cure you, Young Master.”
Soso said with a face full of faith.
Byeok Taesan was indifferent.
He was going to cure his illness himself anyway. It would just take some time.
He had no intention of entrusting his body to a physician he didn’t even know.
“My illness will be cured naturally as long as I keep visiting brothels.”
“How can you say such a thing? It’s not like you’re practicing the art of draining yin to supplement yang.”
At the mention of draining yin to supplement yang, Black One, Black Two, and Black Three flinched and glanced at Byeok Taesan.
“You three, please do not misunderstand. The Young Master is absolutely not that kind of person.”
Danyeong suddenly stepped forward and said firmly.
The three men stared blankly at Danyeong for a moment before nodding their heads frantically.
Danyeong, who had become much prettier with her recently brightened expression, was more than enough to captivate the three men.
And come to think of it, the fact that Danyeong was alive and well was proof in itself, wasn’t it?
If he had been draining her yin essence, Danyeong wouldn’t have survived with such a vibrant appearance.
The same went for the other courtesans who had spent the night with Byeok Taesan.
“No, I never doubted him. How could I dare view our Young Master with such vulgar eyes? I was just… looking because I was happy to see that the Young Master’s complexion has improved recently, that’s all.”
Black One spoke to Danyeong as if making an excuse, then turned to Byeok Taesan with an awkward yet servile smile.
“Young Master, you know my loyalty, don’t you? I have only you. I’m not saying this because I think it will get you to release my restraints, but you’ve become truly handsome lately. I think I might even fall for you. Hehehe.”
“That’s disgusting. Shut up.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll clamp a stone on my mouth!”
Black One said, covering his own mouth with both hands.
Then, while stealing glances at Byeok Taesan, he began to eat the rest of his food.
Although Byeok Taesan’s rebuke had silenced Black One, the others deeply sympathized with what he had said.
Byeok Taesan’s complexion had indeed improved recently.
No, it wasn’t just his complexion.
Byeok Taesan was already a considerably handsome man.
Before, his frail appearance combined with his good looks had evoked a protective instinct in women.
Looking at Byeok Taesan would stir a quiet desire to embrace him warmly.
But it wasn’t like that these days.
Looking at Byeok Taesan now, he exuded a strange allure.
It wasn’t feminine. He had become much more masculine than before, with a hint of rugged charm.
He had developed a mysterious appeal that made people who just passed by him turn back for another look.
And so, when one stared at him, a desire to be held by him would arise.
The people who felt this most often and most clearly were the ones eating with him right here.
Of course, to the men—Black One, Black Two, Black Three, and Cheon Gyeongwan—it was merely a slight improvement in his complexion.
But for the women, even Yu Seoyeon, who was in a delicate relationship with Cheon Gyeongwan, would find herself startled by such feelings when she looked at Byeok Taesan.
“So, when exactly is the Divine Doctor of the Ages coming?”
At Byeok Taesan’s question, everyone snapped back to reality.
Soso quickly answered.
“I think he will be here soon. I heard he actually arrived in Wuhan yesterday.”
“He arrived yesterday? Then is he at the Golden Jade Estate now?”
“No. I believe he took separate lodgings for the night.”
“Why?”
“That’s just how he is.”
“That’s just how he is?”
Byeok Taesan looked around at the others.
They all looked unfazed. It seemed the Divine Doctor of the Ages really was like that.
“I heard he thoroughly investigates the patient’s living environment and surroundings.”
Byeok Taesan grinned.
“Interesting.”
Byeok Taesan knew of one physician who did something similar.
The corner of his mouth twisted slightly.