Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Time to Raise the Bar
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"Young Master, it feels like my feet are moving on their own. I'm not just imagining this, am I?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages asked with an awkward smile.
Byeok Taesan was walking about ten steps ahead of the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric. Hearing the question, he glanced back.
"Y-Young Master?"
The Divine Doctor called out with a sense of desperation, but he received no answer from Byeok Taesan.
At that moment, however, the feet of the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric came to a sudden stop.
The two let out sighs of relief and, from that point on, walked of their own volition.
"Hey, what are we going to do now?"
"Why are you asking me? You should be asking the Young Master over there."
"Argh, I oughta..."
"What? Raising your fist again? Go on, try it. I'm sure the Young Master over there will be thrilled."
The One-Needle Eccentric sighed deeply and shook his head, then changed the subject.
"It's not like we're the only physicians around. Why us, of all people... To be honest, Seoran is quite skilled now, isn't she?"
"Seoran has to make medicine."
Cho Seoran's workload had increased recently.
She had been tasked with organizing the various medicines, poisons, and medical texts discovered while processing the items obtained after killing Hyeokryeon Gyun.
Furthermore, she was given the important mission of using the new knowledge and insights gained from this to improve the Divine Pills of the Ages and develop new elixirs, internal injury medicines, and wound salves.
"The physicians at the Heavenly Medicine Hall are pretty decent too."
"Still not as good as you and me, though."
The One-Needle Eccentric scowled.
"Shit, whose side are you on?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages glanced nervously at Byeok Taesan, who was walking far ahead, and said.
"If I have to choose a side... I'd say I'm on our Young Master's side."
The One-Needle Eccentric flinched and shot a look at Byeok Taesan. But Byeok Taesan didn't even look back, as if nothing had happened.
Relieved, the One-Needle Eccentric quickly changed the subject again.
"Anyway, how in the world does one do what he just did?"
"What are you talking about? Ah, the part where he dragged us along by force?"
"Yeah. Can anyone do that if they use the Mind Sword?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages chuckled.
"You think that's possible?"
"Right? It's not possible, is it? Then who else in the world besides our Young Master could do this?"
"Hmm... let me see. Who would be capable?"
The two weren't whispering; they were speaking casually as they walked, so their voices carried clearly to those ahead.
Everyone pricked up their ears, focusing on the two men's conversation.
They were curious too. They wanted to know what the two renowned physicians, with their vast insight and experience, thought of Byeok Taesan.
"Wouldn't the leader of the Martial Alliance be able to do it?"
"Tsk, you don't know what you're talking about, brother. You think the strongest person in the Martial Alliance is the leader? Not a chance. The strongest in the Martial Alliance is the Captain of the Tiger Guard."
"The Captain of the Tiger Guard?"
"The Tiger Guard is the unit that protects the Martial Alliance's leader. Each and every one of them is said to be stronger than most of the Martial Alliance elders."
"Stronger than the elders? A mere squad member?"
"Yes, that's what I'm telling you!"
"You talk as if you've seen them yourself."
"It's just a rumor. What would I have seen? Those guys hide somewhere near the leader all the time. No one has ever gotten a clear look at them."
"What a strange bunch. Then couldn't it all be a bluff?"
"Right. There are always people afflicted with that kind of suspicion."
"Shit, it's reasonable doubt, not a sickness. The way you talk..."
"Cursing freely now that Seoran isn't around, are we? Anyway, there was an incident that shut the traps of all those skeptics."
"Hah... shit, I want to punch him right in that mouth."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages completely ignored the One-Needle Eccentric's sighs and curses and continued speaking.
"There was an incident where some bastards with impure intentions attacked the Alliance Leader. The Tiger Guard appeared out of nowhere, wiped out all the enemies without anyone noticing where they came from, and vanished."
"Impressive."
"It is. The people with the leader at the time were all prominent figures in the Martial Alliance, and yet none of them noticed the Tiger Guard appearing or disappearing."
"So, you're saying that amazing Captain of the Tiger Guard can do something like this?"
"How would I know? However..."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages glanced at Byeok Taesan, who was far ahead, and fell silent.
"What, why'd you stop mid-sentence? Shit, are you doing this on purpose? To make me die of frustration?"
"What's the point of this? It's not like that guy is going to fight our Young Master."
"Ah, who said anything about fighting? I was just..."
"You're going to treat our Young Master as mere gossip? Hoo, you've gotten quite brave traveling with me all this time, brother."
"Hey! When did I..."
The One-Needle Eccentric couldn't finish his sentence and stealthily glanced at Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan was still walking, his pace unchanged.
Just as the One-Needle Eccentric let out a sigh of relief, Byeok Taesan suddenly stopped walking.
Everyone looked at Byeok Taesan with puzzled expressions.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric, however, couldn't hide the anxiety in their eyes.
They had a feeling that what was bound to happen had finally come.
Byeok Taesan slowly turned and scanned the group.
The only person whose gaze showed anticipation and excitement was Yeon Harin.
"Are we finally beginning the Young Master's famous hellish training?"
The anticipation in Yeon Harin's voice was unmistakable to anyone who heard it.
Everyone stared at Yeon Harin with dumbfounded expressions.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric, in particular, looked back and forth between Yeon Harin and Byeok Taesan, thinking the two were exactly alike.
Yeon Harin's heart pounded as her eyes sparkled, fixed on Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan stared quietly at her for a moment, then turned to Hwaok and spoke.
"I don't think we need to travel on foot. Go find some carriages."
Everyone's eyes widened.
Even Hwaok, who had received the order, was surprised.
But she didn't make the mistake of questioning Byeok Taesan. She quickly composed her expression, bowed her head, and replied.
"Yes. I will prepare them at once."
Hwaok quickly left to find carriages. Jang Gagu and Yuk Taegu followed behind her.
They would likely just order the nearby Underworld Sect members to do it, but they were still uneasy sending Hwaok to handle such a task alone.
The remaining group watched Byeok Taesan cautiously as they found suitable places to sit and rest.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric stared at Byeok Taesan with extremely suspicious eyes.
They began to whisper to each other.
"Brother, we must stay sharp."
"I know. There's no way the Young Master would let us travel in comfort. This is all a trap. A trap."
"Good that you know. But what's he plotting? Why don't you go and ask him, brother?"
"Shit, you go. Stop trying to make me do everything."
"When did I ever make you do anything? I just brought it up. You've always acted voluntarily, haven't you? Just like now."
As he said this, the Divine Doctor of the Ages gave the One-Needle Eccentric a light push on the back.
Caught off guard by the sudden shove, the One-Needle Eccentric couldn't help but stumble forward a few steps.
And just like that, he found himself standing before Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan, who had been sitting, looked up at the One-Needle Eccentric.
"If you have something to say, say it."
He couldn't bring himself to say that the Divine Doctor had pushed him. For some reason, he felt that would only get him into bigger trouble.
'Shit, how did my life come to this?'
The One-Needle Eccentric muttered inwardly, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Young Master, are we really going by carriage? Comfortably?"
He particularly emphasized the word "comfortably" at the end.
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"The mind, spirit, and body are already aligned, and we've gained all we can from pushing the physical body. From now on, it's time to raise the bar."
The faces of the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric brightened.
This changed everything.
What was the reason they hadn't wanted to follow Byeok Taesan? It was because the journey there and back was grueling.
If not for that, they would have gladly followed him.
Traveling with Byeok Taesan meant they could enjoy thrilling experiences with a considerable degree of safety.
The events at the Hubei Martial Alliance had actually been enjoyable. Except, that is, for the journey from Wuhan to Yichang and back.
As everyone's anticipation grew, Hwaok, Jang Gagu, and Yuk Taegu returned with several carriages.
They were quite large, and Byeok Taesan boarded the largest one.
Yeon Harin quickly followed him inside, and Hwaok went in after her.
Then, three of the handmaidens boarded the same carriage.
Once the rest of the group had divided themselves among the other carriages, the coachmen provided by the Underworld Sect set off.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric chose the carriage farthest from the one Byeok Taesan was in.
Byeok Taesan glanced at Yeon Harin, who was sitting pressed tightly against his side, before turning his gaze forward again.
Hwaok sat directly across from Byeok Taesan.
The three handmaidens, Soso, Danyeong, and Chaewol, found their own spots and sat respectfully.
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan and asked.
"Please set our course. Where shall we go?"
"Did you say the Golden Moon Trading Company was in Changsha?"
"Yes. Their headquarters is located there."
Byeok Taesan nodded, and Hwaok answered on her own.
"We will head towards Changsha."
As soon as Hwaok's words fell, the carriages set off in unison.
Only after the carriages started moving did the reality of the situation begin to sink in for everyone.
To be honest, even though they had trained hard to accompany Byeok Taesan, they had always dreaded the hellish training that came with it.
How deeply had that memory been ingrained in their minds that they couldn't immediately believe they were riding in a carriage?
With relieved expressions, everyone began to enjoy the current situation.
Only Yeon Harin looked disappointed.
Seeing this, Hwaok and the handmaidens stared at her with weary eyes.
What a peculiar person, they thought.
***
Traveling by carriage is slower than running with lightness techniques.
The journey from Wuhan in Hubei to Changsha in Hunan is a long one, nearly a thousand li.
If they had run, they could have made the trip in a single day, just as they had when going to the Hubei Martial Alliance. But traveling by carriage, that was impossible.
After all, the horses also needed to run at a moderate pace and rest.
For the trip from Wuhan to Changsha, a boat was actually much more comfortable than a carriage.
But for some reason, Byeok Taesan had ordered them to find carriages.
They should have been suspicious then.
No, they were suspicious. They were certain he was plotting something.
But the excessively comfortable journey had killed that suspicion and tension.
The sun set, and the carriages stopped.
The people disembarked one by one.
Byeok Taesan also got out of his carriage, and Hwaok, who alighted with him, relayed his words to the others.
"He says we will camp here for the night."
Everyone nodded in understanding, but the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric couldn't hide their uneasy expressions.
"This... I have a bad feeling about this."
"You too, brother? Me too. We have to stay sharp at times like this."
"What difference would that make? We've already been dragged this far."
As the two conversed, they watched Jang Gagu, Yuk Taegu, Cheon Gyeongwan, and Yu Seoyeon deftly move about, lighting several bonfires.
The four of them were so accustomed to this kind of work that they lit the fires with ease.
Of course, the Underworld Sect members who had come along as coachmen helped a great deal.
Once the fires were lit, Byeok Taesan's handmaidens prepared food.
Using the cooking utensils and ingredients loaded onto the carriages, they whipped up an impressive array of dishes.
It seemed they wouldn't have to worry about food on the way to Changsha.
After everyone had finished eating and was in good spirits, Byeok Taesan looked around at the group and spoke.
"From tonight, before you sleep, I will let you experience death."
Hearing those words, which struck like a bolt from the blue, everyone stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
What on earth did that mean? He would let them experience death?
As everyone grew anxious, Yeon Harin asked with a bright expression.
"Does that mean we'll be doing the hellish training before bed?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages stared at Yeon Harin with a look of disbelief.
What kind of nonsense was this? It was as if she were possessed by a ghost who had died for lack of hellish training.
Yeon Harin had interpreted Byeok Taesan's words about experiencing death as a sign of incredibly difficult training.
And in truth, the others weren't thinking much differently.
Naturally, none of them looked happy.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric, in particular, stared at Byeok Taesan as if their world had ended.
Byeok Taesan looked at Yeon Harin and shook his head.
Yeon Harin's face fell with undisguised disappointment.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages nearly cursed out loud at the sight.
But he couldn't. After all, Yeon Harin was Byeok Taesan's fiancée.
The Divine Doctor cautiously asked.
"Then... what do you mean by 'experiencing death'?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. I had a small epiphany yesterday, and this is the training method I devised from it."
"Uh... so you're saying this is a training method you just came up with yesterday, and it makes one experience death?"
When Byeok Taesan nodded, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric grew restless.
"Young Master, do we really have to do this?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages couldn't hold back and asked.
Byeok Taesan grinned and looked at the Divine Doctor.
In that instant, the Divine Doctor realized he had been chosen first.
He had resolved to be so careful, yet in the end, he couldn't hold his tongue, and this was the result.
"No, Young Master. That's not what I meant..."
The Divine Doctor couldn't finish his sentence. His world went black.
*Thud.*
With a casual wave of his hand, Byeok Taesan made the Divine Doctor of the Ages collapse.
As if he were dead.
Everyone froze, staring blankly at the scene.
And the One-Needle Eccentric, who was surely next, trembled like a leaf in the wind.
< Time to Raise the Bar > End