Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Please Kill Me
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Pyeong Jarim, the head of the Golden Moon Trading Company, visited the Sweet Scent Pavilion, the largest courtesan house in Changsha, accompanied by only five bodyguards.
Upon entering the Sweet Scent Pavilion, its master personally guided him. She had been waiting for him.
Pyeong Jarim followed her with a calm expression, as if it were only natural.
The master of the Sweet Scent Pavilion led him to the most secluded room in the establishment.
A man was already there, waiting.
"I didn't expect you to be waiting."
At Pyeong Jarim's words, the waiting man, Hyeokryeon Hwi, smiled faintly.
"My business finished earlier than expected, so I came ahead. Given the place, I wasn't bored while waiting."
Two courtesans, considered the most beautiful in the Sweet Scent Pavilion, sat demurely on either side of Hyeokryeon Hwi.
Their clothes were not disheveled, but the faint heat lingering in the room spoke of what had just transpired.
As Pyeong Jarim sat before Hyeokryeon Hwi, the two courtesans quietly rose and left the room.
"Well, we both made time we don't have, so let's get straight to the point."
At Hyeokryeon Hwi's words, Pyeong Jarim spoke calmly.
"A lot of troublesome things have been happening lately."
"I've heard. It seems things have gotten quite tangled. Are you all right?"
"It's still manageable. It cost some money, but no serious incidents have occurred."
The corners of Hyeokryeon Hwi's mouth lifted slightly.
"So you're asking for a hand?"
Pyeong Jarim shook his head.
"If it were just a matter of lending a hand, money could solve it. I desire a deeper intervention than that."
"A deeper intervention..."
Pyeong Jarim looked Hyeokryeon Hwi straight in the eye.
"I heard your business in Wuhan fell through."
Hyeokryeon Hwi nodded nonchalantly.
"It's a bit of a shame, but that's what happened. So we decided to wash our hands of it."
Honestly, the loss was too painful to be dismissed as just 'a shame'.
The men sent to Wuhan were quite capable. But they had all vanished, leaving a bitter sting.
"Have you identified the cause?"
"The Underworld Sect, you mean?"
Pyeong Jarim shook his head.
"It's not just the Underworld Sect. There's something behind them."
"You state the obvious."
Who didn't know there was something behind the Underworld Sect? The problem was not knowing its precise identity.
"And between that something and the Underworld Sect stands Byeok Taesan."
Because Hyeokryeon Bigwang had so thoroughly concealed the situation and information, Hyeokryeon Hwi didn't yet perceive Byeok Taesan as someone so formidable.
But if the head of the Golden Moon Trading Company himself was saying this, he needed to change his perception. Hyeokryeon Hwi was the kind of man who could do that.
"Byeok Taesan..."
As Hyeokryeon Hwi muttered softly, his eyes flashed with a sharp light.
"So what are you proposing? That we capture and torture Byeok Taesan?"
"If necessary, we must."
"And you want me to do it?"
Pyeong Jarim shook his head.
"Not just you. I'm suggesting we do it together."
"Together?"
Having come this far, Pyeong Jarim had no intention of finishing things half-heartedly.
"The Treasure Map. When do you plan to release it?"
Hyeokryeon Hwi's expression hardened instantly.
Not a single word about the Treasure Map had been leaked to the Golden Moon Trading Company. The fact that its head knew meant someone had leaked information to them.
Or, the Golden Moon Trading Company had planted a mole on their side.
Pyeong Jarim continued speaking with a completely unfazed expression.
"The Treasure Map Plan, why not start it immediately? The timing seems quite opportune, in my opinion."
There was no reason not to. It had to be done eventually. The plan was merely to sow a bit of chaos and use the confusion to weed out influential figures and masters in the martial world.
When it started wouldn't greatly affect the overall situation, so they could begin whenever they pleased.
Hyeokryeon Hwi looked at Pyeong Jarim with new eyes.
He had arranged this meeting knowing that Hyeokryeon Hwi himself was the one in charge of the Treasure Map Plan within Nameless.
Once the Treasure Map Plan began, the world's attention, currently focused on the Golden Moon Trading Company, would surely scatter.
"You're no ordinary man."
As Hyeokryeon Hwi muttered this unconsciously, Pyeong Jarim smiled faintly.
"I, too, have clawed my way through hell to reach this position. Perhaps that's why I'm always struggling."
"Don't tell me you even know the location?"
Pyeong Jarim's smile deepened.
"To be honest, that's how I found out. Who would have thought you'd be so bold as to prepare a location near Changsha?"
Hyeokryeon Hwi shook his head slowly.
"I tried my best to hide it, but I never thought it would be discovered so easily."
Pyeong Jarim gave Hyeokryeon Hwi a meaningful look. It was a silent urge to make a decision quickly.
Receiving the glance, Hyeokryeon Hwi nodded.
"Very well. Let's join hands. Since it's come to this, let's refine it further."
"An excellent choice."
Once the decision was made, Hyeokryeon Hwi's eyes gleamed as he spoke.
"Then, I'd like to make some adjustments to the location prepared for the Treasure Map Plan. What do you think?"
"Are you sure it's alright for the Golden Moon Trading Company to get involved?"
"I simply want a more certain outcome."
"Excellent."
At the crisp reply, Hyeokryeon Hwi grinned.
This time, Pyeong Jarim spoke.
"Byeok Taesan is currently on his way here, to Changsha."
Hyeokryeon Hwi's eyes lit up.
With all their eyes and ears in Wuhan gone, it had become difficult to obtain information from there.
"Frankly, we also have trouble getting information from Wuhan. The Underworld Sect and the Golden Jade Trading Company have all but taken control of the region."
"I see. Just as I thought."
"However, along the route from Wuhan to Changsha, the Golden Moon Trading Company has countless eyes and ears."
Seeing Hyeokryeon Hwi's eyes gleam with interest, Pyeong Jarim continued.
"It seems they are deliberately traveling here by carriage. There are quite a few Underworld Sect members moving around them, making it difficult to get detailed information, but it's certain their destination is Changsha."
"Then, do you know their expected route?"
"I've already mapped it out."
"Do you think the ones behind the Underworld Sect have joined Byeok Taesan's journey?"
"I'm not sure. They could be following in secret. For now, this is the composition of Byeok Taesan's party."
Pyeong Jarim handed over a document.
It listed in detail the names, backgrounds, and characteristics of the party members, starting with Byeok Taesan.
Hyeokryeon Hwi tilted his head as he read it.
"A ronin and a martial artist formerly of an escort agency are included."
He was referring to Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu. After reading the descriptions of the two men, Hyeokryeon Hwi's eyes flashed.
"Do you suspect these men are connected to Byeok Taesan's backers?"
"We'll have to watch a bit longer, but... I believe that's likely the case."
"So, what is your plan now?"
Pyeong Jarim's eyes glinted.
"If you look closely at their route, there are quite a few deserted places."
"Who do you plan to send?"
"We must be certain. I will mobilize the Nine Dragons Gate this time."
At the mention of the Nine Dragons Gate, Hyeokryeon Hwi's eyes widened.
The power and potential of Nameless were beyond imagination. It was an organization that had secretly amassed strength over a very long time.
Even to Nameless, the Nine Dragons Gate was no ordinary sect.
"Then... I suppose I can't just send anyone either."
Hyeokryeon Hwi pondered who would be a suitable match. Sending his own subordinates seemed somewhat inadequate.
He decided to save them for when the Treasure Map Plan began.
"For now, please inform me of the schedule. I will also have to find a suitable person."
Pyeong Jarim immediately bowed his head.
"Yes. I will set the schedule and inform you at once."
When Hyeokryeon Hwi said 'a suitable person,' he meant not one of his subordinates, but one of the elders of Nameless, whom even he could not treat lightly.
Knowing how formidable the elders of Nameless were, Pyeong Jarim's heart pounded.
Of course, he was confident that the Nine Dragons Gate would not be outmatched, no matter who came.
The two men looked at each other and shared a meaningful smile.
Soon, the courtesans entered the room, and as usual, a night of debauchery and indulgence followed.
* * *
The Divine Doctor of the Ages paced anxiously around the campfire.
The One-Needle Eccentric shouted at him.
"What are you doing, pacing around like that? Just sit down!"
The Divine Doctor stopped in his tracks and looked at the One-Needle Eccentric. But his expression was so sorrowful that the One-Needle Eccentric was taken aback.
"Brother, aren't you being too harsh?"
"What? What did I...?"
As if he had him cornered, the Divine Doctor strode over to the One-Needle Eccentric and plopped down beside him.
"Look over there. Do you think I can help it?"
In the direction the Divine Doctor was looking, several members of their party were lying on the ground.
They weren't just lying down; they were lying as if dead.
They were the ones who had just been killed by Byeok Taesan. No, they were the ones who had experienced death.
"Everyone's dying today. Dammit."
The Divine Doctor grumbled. Not everyone experienced death every day. Some only died once every two days.
But today, every single one of them was experiencing death.
Among all these people, he alone could not die.
Every time he saw them all lying dead, the feeling of alienation was immense.
"Brother, do something."
The One-Needle Eccentric didn't answer. It was Byeok Taesan's decision; what could he possibly do?
"Agh, this is driving me crazy."
The Divine Doctor hung his head and scratched it furiously.
The One-Needle Eccentric glanced at him.
He could fully understand why he was acting like that. He'd probably be the same if he were in his shoes.
Today marked the tenth day of their journey.
The changes experienced by those who had tasted death at Byeok Taesan's hand over those ten days were nothing short of extraordinary.
They had all obtained a special power.
And they were gradually learning how to handle that power and how to make it grow.
As the One-Needle Eccentric learned, he immediately realized that this power was the very same one Byeok Taesan had shown before—the one that pierced the heavens.
In other words, if he honed this power, he too could one day pierce the heavens.
That was when the Divine Doctor's anxiety truly began.
While others were steadily growing stronger, he was stuck in place, so it was natural for him to feel anxious.
In truth, if they had traveled from Wuhan to Changsha at full speed, they would have arrived by now.
But Byeok Taesan was in no hurry.
It was as if the journey itself was not the goal, but the training was.
And in reality, it was.
The Divine Doctor felt this more keenly and desperately than anyone.
Their travel speed was slowing down day by day.
"Brother, what should I do?"
The Divine Doctor asked this as he stared blankly at Byeok Taesan, who stood before the carriage, watching over the dead.
"You reap what you sow. What can you do? It's easier if you just accept it. Honestly, a physician like you doesn't really need to get stronger, does he?"
The Divine Doctor whipped his head around and glared at the One-Needle Eccentric.
"Then why are you dying every day, Brother? A physician just needs to be good at medicine. What are you going to do by getting stronger?"
The One-Needle Eccentric grinned.
"Funnily enough, I see a possibility of applying this to medicine. Just you wait. I'll leave you so far behind you won't even be able to see my heels."
The Divine Doctor's jaw dropped.
"Traitor."
"Loser."
At the One-Needle Eccentric's retort, the Divine Doctor's mouth opened even wider.
And with a serious expression, he began to ponder.
After groaning in thought for a while, the Divine Doctor suddenly shot to his feet.
The One-Needle Eccentric, who had been watching him, jumped in surprise.
"You scared me! Damn it, you startled me!"
The Divine Doctor paid no heed to the One-Needle Eccentric's shout and scurried over to Byeok Taesan.
The One-Needle Eccentric watched the scene and fell silent. He swallowed hard, his eyes tense.
Byeok Taesan, however, had been watching the Divine Doctor from the moment he started moving.
The Divine Doctor arrived before Byeok Taesan. Byeok Taesan simply stared at him in silence.
The Divine Doctor prostrated himself.
"Young Master, please kill me!"
His words carried a double meaning.
Byeok Taesan looked down at the Divine Doctor and chuckled.
Sensing the mood wasn't bad, the Divine Doctor cautiously raised his head, looked at Byeok Taesan, and chuckled sheepishly.
"Are you forgiving me? Will you kill me now, too?"
Without a word, Byeok Taesan extended his hand to the side.
Cheon Gyeongwan, who was practicing his sword some distance away, was startled.
The sword in his hand was snatched away, flying through the air and into Byeok Taesan's grasp.
Seeing Byeok Taesan holding the sword, the Divine Doctor swallowed dryly.
It was truly terrifying.
Byeok Taesan spoke calmly.
"For the sake of our time together, I'll kill you myself. I don't know if there will be a next life, but if there is, try to be more obedient."
Byeok Taesan slowly raised the sword.
Seeing this, the Divine Doctor's face turned pale, and he waved his hands frantically.
"W-W-Wait! No! That's not what I meant, Young Master! Aaaargh!"
Byeok Taesan brought the sword down without hesitation. The Divine Doctor's eyes widened like saucers.
As the Divine Doctor watched the sword cleaving down towards the crown of his head, he thought, *Ah, so this is what it feels like to die.*
The world sank into darkness.