Chapter 154
Chapter 154
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: Have a Safe Trip, Young Master
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The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was truly happy these days.
There had been a brief difficult period, but after overcoming it, good things came one after another.
When those ruffians ambushed the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, she thought it was the end.
The number of Underworld Sect members who died then was comparable to the total number lost in the past decade, a truly devastating blow.
To be fair, for the past ten years, the Underworld Sect had existed in name only, with little activity, so there hadn't been many opportunities for its members to die.
In any case, if Byeok Taesan hadn't arrived at that crucial moment, she would have died. And of course, Hwaok, who was with her, would have died too.
*'What would have happened if he hadn't?'*
The thought suddenly crossed her mind.
If she and Hwaok had died, would Byeok Taesan have been angry? Would he have avenged them?
Had this been when she first met him, she would have shaken her head decisively.
But now, she hesitated.
It felt like he might have been angry, but he also might not have. It was ambiguous, but wasn't that ambiguity itself a tremendous change?
Thinking of Byeok Taesan, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion momentarily spaced out, recalling the time she had entered the bedroom with him.
"Ah... it was good, it was definitely good, but I can't remember..."
She had been sending him signals ever since, but he rarely reached out.
She desperately wanted to confirm it one more time. To etch it clearly in her memory.
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion shook her head, clearing her thoughts.
This wasn't the time to dwell on that. It was time to properly nurture the Underworld Sect now that things were looking up.
She had to strike while the iron was hot.
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion opened a thin booklet lying on her desk.
It was a secret manual obtained by interrogating the captured men.
It was a secret method for exchanging signals using inaudible sounds.
In truth, it was a technique that the members of the Underworld Sect couldn't learn.
It was a martial art impossible to master without transforming one's throat and ears through special drugs and brutally ignorant training from a young age.
However, with a little help from Byeok Taesan and by incorporating the Shadow Phantom Steps, it became a rather plausible technique.
The training was arduous, but combined with the Shadow Phantom Steps, anyone could learn it.
It could be called the greatest achievement of this entire affair.
The Underworld Sect was growing steadily, and its members were becoming stronger, to the point where they no longer needed the help of ronin or outlaws in most situations.
And with this new technique, they could operate much more effectively.
She could feel it in her bones how much the Underworld Sect's power had grown with this one technique alone.
So how could she not be happy?
"The problem is... it's too taxing for me..."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion sighed deeply as she turned the pages of the manual.
Ever since spending time with Byeok Taesan in the bedroom, her body had felt much better, and her efficiency and understanding of martial arts had increased.
As a result, she had gained new insights into the Shadow Phantom Steps, and her internal energy had grown significantly.
On top of that, she was using the Divine Elixir of the Ages, allowing her to gain an amount of internal energy unimaginable in the past.
And yet, after sending a single signal to the Underworld Sect members throughout Wuhan with this technique, she would be exhausted, her throat aching as if it were being torn apart.
Even if she managed her time well and rested enough, twice a day was her limit.
No, to avoid overexerting herself, once a day was more appropriate.
It didn't matter now since there was no need to use it, but if an emergency arose later, she might have to use it consecutively.
She had to prepare for that possibility.
There was no telling when ruthless bastards like the ones before might attack the Underworld Sect again.
What would she do if such a thing happened when she wasn't under Byeok Taesan's protection?
She would have to use their forces throughout Wuhan.
To do that, she had to train to use this technique reliably.
Just as she was thinking this, Hwaok arrived.
"Welcome. I was just waiting for you."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion greeted Hwaok warmly and handed her the manual she had been reading.
This manual had been prepared for Hwaok.
The technique of exchanging signals through inaudible sounds was incredibly useful not only for the Underworld Sect but also for the Secret Heaven Group.
Since those who hadn't learned the Shadow Phantom Steps couldn't use it, a portion of the technique was passed on to the Secret Heaven Group.
In truth, even if she hadn't taken the initiative, Byeok Taesan, who understood every aspect of the Shadow Phantom Steps, could have easily taught them, so there was no reason to hesitate.
At this point, whether it was the Underworld Sect or the Secret Heaven Group, they were all like one family, weren't they?
"Thank you."
Hwaok accepted the manual and tucked it into her robes.
"I heard the Young Master will be leaving on a journey soon. Are you going with him?"
Hwaok shook her head at the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's question.
"I don't know yet."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's eyes sparkled.
"It seems the Young Master hasn't said anything yet?"
"No."
Hwaok answered simply.
He had definitely said he would visit the bases of Nameless once the situation in Wuhan was settled, but lately, it had been difficult to even see his face.
And whenever she did see him, his expression was grave.
"It seems... he has something on his mind."
"Worries? The Young Master? Surely not."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's eyes widened.
Hwaok fully understood her reaction. To be honest, she hadn't believed the traces of worry she saw on Byeok Taesan's face at first, either.
She had thought she was seeing things, that she was misreading his expression.
But after it happened several times, her thoughts had shifted toward the possibility that the "surely not" was, in fact, true.
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion stared at Hwaok with a surprised expression for a moment before composing herself.
For Hwaok to say such a thing meant the possibility was very high.
"Then why don't you try asking him subtly?"
"Me?"
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion gave a sly smile.
"You're the one the Young Master trusts the most. If I were to ask, I might not die, but I'd probably suffer something close to it, don't you think?"
"No. The Young Master is not that kind of person."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion didn't bother to refute Hwaok's words. The very fact that Hwaok could say that meant Byeok Taesan considered her very special.
Hwaok probably wouldn't realize that for a long time to come. It's often difficult for the person themselves to notice such things.
"Anyway, please ask him. I need to know the schedule in advance to prepare. It would be good to at least know who he's taking and when he's leaving."
Hwaok looked a bit reluctant at her words but eventually nodded.
She, too, thought the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was right.
***
Byeok Taesan stood in the middle of the training ground, his eyes quietly closed.
The power of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts coiled around his body, slowly rotating.
It wasn't simply a matter of releasing the power and letting it spin.
He gathered the power of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts into whip-like strands, spun one, then created another and spun it, repeating the process.
The power of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts now circling Byeok Taesan consisted of dozens of these whips.
This was a feat difficult to achieve even with ordinary internal energy.
Yet Byeok Taesan was accomplishing it with the power of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, which was far more difficult to handle than internal energy.
Of course, a closer look would reveal that the movement of the energy was somewhat crude. He couldn't yet control it with such precision.
Still, compared to the way he used it in his days as the Heavenly Demon, the difference was like that between a child and a first-rate warrior.
Just a few days ago, this would have been impossible.
But by putting aside his original plans and focusing solely on this, he had managed to come this far.
In truth, Byeok Taesan had intended to move immediately after dealing with Hyeokryeon Gyun.
He had identified several locations where the man might have stored the half-jiangshi and had already ordered the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion and Hwaok to find them.
They had probably found them all by now.
He also needed to visit the bases of Nameless in regions other than Wuhan.
He was about to do just that when the memory of Hyeokryeon Gyun using his spiritual power suddenly came to mind.
At the time, Hyeokryeon Gyun had infused his spiritual power into his sword with great ease.
Byeok Taesan's method of using spiritual power began with simply releasing it.
He had done the same in his days as the Heavenly Demon.
His power had been so immense that he had no need for any other method.
But now, many things were different.
He had gained stability over the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, but the amount of spiritual power he possessed was trivial.
Of course, that was only in comparison to his time as the Heavenly Demon; in reality, he would rarely run short of spiritual power.
There weren't many occasions to use it, and when he needed great power, he could use the golden bracers.
However, if a more efficient method existed, it was obviously better to use it.
Byeok Taesan had pondered how Hyeokryeon Gyun could use his spiritual power so efficiently and quickly, and he had recently found the answer.
It was blood.
He didn't know how that man had accumulated his spiritual power, but unlike Byeok Taesan, he had stored it in his blood.
That was the entire reason he could use his spiritual power more efficiently and quickly.
Having reached this conclusion, Byeok Taesan checked if he could store his own spiritual power in his blood.
At first, it naturally didn't work well.
After several trials and errors, and a couple of small epiphanies, he finally managed to infuse his blood with spiritual power.
The beginning was difficult, but once he succeeded, he found he could infuse it more naturally and quickly.
Byeok Taesan slowly opened his eyes.
He could see the taut strands of spiritual power spinning rapidly around him.
From the moment he infused his blood with spiritual power, he had gained this level of precise control.
It was something he couldn't have imagined before.
Byeok Taesan grinned as he watched it.
A considerable sense of accomplishment warmed his heart.
How long had it been since he'd forgotten this feeling of achievement?
*Shwaaa!*
The dozens of whip-like strands of spiritual power unfurled, spreading out in all directions.
*Kwoooooo!*
He had precisely designated the final direction of the power, so all the whips swept through the area before rising into the sky.
Without causing the slightest damage to the training ground's floor or walls, they had merely stirred the empty air before ascending completely.
"Well... this is decent enough."
It was quite useful. Byeok Taesan left the training ground with a refreshed expression.
And his curiosity about these people called Nameless grew even stronger.
***
As soon as Byeok Taesan mentioned his next plans, everyone around him began to move busily.
They had been waiting eagerly, so the preparations were faster than ever before.
To choose who to take with him this time, Byeok Taesan went around observing each of the trainees.
And everyone waited with pounding hearts for Byeok Taesan's choice.
Byeok Taesan started with the nearest location.
There were quite a few people training at the training ground within the Golden Jade Manor, and when Byeok Taesan visited, Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, and Yeon Harin happened to be there.
The three of them couldn't hide their nervousness upon seeing him.
Byeok Taesan glanced them over and nodded.
"Well... not bad."
They couldn't hide their joyful expressions.
Cheon Gyeongwan quickly asked.
"Am I going?"
Byeok Taesan nodded, then looked at Yu Seoyeon and nodded again.
It meant he was taking Yu Seoyeon as well.
As the two raised their hands in celebration, Yeon Harin approached Byeok Taesan with sparkling eyes.
She stood right in front of him, leaning her face in slightly, and stared intently at his.
Her gaze pleaded with him to take her along too.
When Byeok Taesan hesitated as if considering, Yeon Harin's eyes widened. The composure vanished from her face, and her pupils trembled uncontrollably.
"A-Are you not taking me? I can do really well. I've worked really hard."
Byeok Taesan chuckled and placed a hand on her head.
"Alright, you can come too."
Yeon Harin's face was instantly flushed with joy.
She threw her arms around Byeok Taesan.
"Thank you! I'll do my absolute best!"
"I know, now let go. I have to see the others."
Byeok Taesan personally unwrapped Yeon Harin's arms one by one before leaving the training ground.
Yeon Harin stared blankly at his departing back, then pouted.
Behind her, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon, who had been watching quietly, stifled their laughter.
***
Jang Gagu and Yuk Taegu were also chosen by Byeok Taesan this time.
The two had become incomparably stronger than when they first met.
They had taken sufficient measures to ensure the organization in Wuhan could run smoothly even in their absence.
In fact, they had started preparing from the moment the topic of going with Byeok Taesan first came up.
The two stood with triumphant expressions.
And behind them stood the ten handmaidens.
Byeok Taesan had no intention of leaving them behind, no matter where he went.
He had keenly felt it during his trips to the Hubei Martial Alliance. It was truly inconvenient not to have the people who usually attended to him.
Of course, Danyeong, Chaewol, and Soso had served him well enough back then.
But no matter how capable they were, three people couldn't do the work of ten.
Next to the ten handmaidens were Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon, and beside them, with a happier expression than anyone, was Hwaok.
And at the very front of the entire group stood Byeok Taesan and Yeon Harin, side by side.
Today was the day of departure.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric came out to see them off, desperately trying to suppress their bursting laughter.
"Have a safe trip, Young Master."
The One-Needle Eccentric said, struggling to maintain a calm expression.
Then, the Divine Doctor of the Ages spoke with a gentle smile.
"Oh dear, what will we do? We'll miss you all so much until you return. Still, what must be done, must be done. Young Master, please return safely. Ah, does that not make sense? Please, think of your opponents and try not to kill too many of them."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages almost ended his sentence with a "Hahaha!"
But he managed to restrain himself, drawing on a lifetime of patience.
The two men bowed respectfully to Byeok Taesan and the departing group.
"We wish you good fortune in battle."
Byeok Taesan stared quietly at the two of them.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages laughed awkwardly and asked.
"Young Master, why are you looking at us like that? I'm starting to feel very anxious."
The One-Needle Eccentric couldn't even speak, swallowing nervously with tense eyes.
Byeok Taesan spoke to them nonchalantly.
"Why are you talking as if you're not coming with us? If the kids get hurt, we'll need a doctor."
At the thunderous words, the eyes of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric widened as if they would tear.
"Pardon?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Byeok Taesan gestured at them with his chin and turned away.
"Let's go."
The rest of the group gave the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric a meaningful look before turning.
And they followed Byeok Taesan.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric, with dazed expressions, found themselves trudging along behind them.