Chapter 162
Chapter 162
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: There Is No Such Thing
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"Brother, aren't you going too far?"
"What did I do?"
"If you see someone collapsed, you should wake them up, shouldn't you?"
"You were dead. How was I supposed to know what would happen if I woke up a dead man?"
"Come on, how can a man so timid ever accomplish great things?"
"What does that have to with being timid!"
"And how could you be like that? Brother, I'm disappointed. I never knew you could be so heartless."
"Hey, what does that have to do with being heartless!"
"At the very least, you should've fed me! Do you have any idea how hungry I am right now!"
The One-Needle Eccentric stared blankly at the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
So all that nonsense he'd been spouting was just because he was hungry.
The One-Needle Eccentric clenched his fist.
"Brother, you'd best unclench that fist. I'm not holding back anymore. If you don't want a taste of a gift from a renowned doctor, you'd better open that hand right now."
Of course, the One-Needle Eccentric paid no heed to the clumsy threat.
Thwack!
The One-Needle Eccentric's fist landed on the crown of the Divine Doctor's head.
"Gah!"
The Divine Doctor clutched his head and rolled around on the carriage floor.
He had definitely tried to dodge, but he couldn't. That made it hurt even more.
Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu, who were also in the carriage, watched the scene and laughed awkwardly.
Their preconceptions about the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric had been completely shattered during this journey.
Both men were among the top three physicians in the world.
So they had expected them to possess noble character and an unshakable composure in any situation.
But here they were, acting like this.
At first, they thought the two were doing it on purpose to keep the atmosphere from getting stiff or heavy.
But after spending more time with them, they quickly realized that wasn't the case.
This was just how they were.
Yuk Taegu took out a few pieces of palm-sized beef jerky from his robes.
"If you're hungry, would you like some of this?"
Before the words were even out of his mouth, the jerky in his hand vanished.
The Divine Doctor had snatched it all.
"Thank you. If you get injured again in the future, I'll patch you up perfectly. Ah, while we're at it, should I take another look at that wound on your back? It'd be a shame if it left a scar, wouldn't it?"
"No, it's alright. A scar or two doesn't matter to me, so please tend to those who can't afford to have any."
The Divine Doctor grinned.
"Well, suit yourself then. I'll enjoy this jerky. When did you get your hands on this? If something like this happens again, I'll be counting on you. Make sure to stock up in advance."
After spouting such shameless words, the Divine Doctor began to greedily tear into the beef jerky.
It was jerky that Yuk Taegu had acquired through the Golden Jade Trading Company and the Underworld Sect, so its taste and texture were excellent.
"Oh, this is a delicacy! It's delicious."
The Divine Doctor repeatedly exclaimed in admiration as he diligently chewed and swallowed the jerky.
Seeing this, the One-Needle Eccentric stealthily shifted his bottom, moving closer to the Divine Doctor.
"Hey, are you going to eat that all by yourself?"
The Divine Doctor shielded the jerky as if to hide it and spun his body around.
The One-Needle Eccentric scowled at the Divine Doctor's back.
"You'd steal the shirt off a man's back. Must you, a man who has already eaten, snatch a piece of jerky from his starving younger brother?"
"Who's snatching anything? I just asked if you were going to eat it all by yourself. Don't be so cheap with food."
Instead of replying, the Divine Doctor popped a piece of jerky into his mouth and chewed noisily.
"Ah, I don't know how they dried this, but the taste is out of this world."
The sound of his chewing echoed loudly.
"Stop eating so disgustingly loud!"
"Ha, are you nagging me because I didn't give you any? And you've already eaten?"
The One-Needle Eccentric clenched his fists and trembled. It seemed another blow was necessary.
Watching the scene, Yuk Taegu once again took out a few pieces of jerky from his robes. He didn't have much left, but it was rather awkward to watch old men fighting over jerky.
"There's more here, so..."
The jerky vanished from Yuk Taegu's hand with a whoosh.
"Hey! Why did you take that too!"
The person who had swept the jerky from Yuk Taegu's hand was the Divine Doctor.
Even a pickpocket couldn't have displayed such dexterity. He showed a divine skill, making the jerky disappear in the blink of an eye.
"Give me my jerky!"
The Divine Doctor ignored the One-Needle Eccentric's shout, continuing to munch on the jerky while curled up.
The One-Needle Eccentric reached out to snatch the jerky, but the Divine Doctor, with truly ghost-like movements, evaded his hand and darted around the carriage at a dazzling speed.
"Hey! Why don't you move like that when you're fighting!"
The One-Needle Eccentric moved his hands quickly, trying to catch the Divine Doctor. But the Divine Doctor dodged and weaved, deftly avoiding his grasp.
As his irritation and anger mounted, the One-Needle Eccentric decided to use a more decisive move.
He thrust his hand out swiftly, imbuing it with even more internal energy.
The Divine Doctor narrowly dodged it and popped the last piece of jerky into his mouth.
"Agh, that little—!"
The One-Needle Eccentric, now caring less about the jerky and more about landing a punch, threw himself at the Divine Doctor.
Just as the Divine Doctor dodged again and the One-Needle Eccentric was about to move, the carriage came to a halt.
"Huh? Looks like we've arrived."
The Divine Doctor quickly unlatched the carriage door and scurried outside.
"Hey! You get back here!"
The One-Needle Eccentric chased after him.
Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu, still looking awkward and embarrassed, glanced at each other.
"It's nice that we're never bored, but..."
The two men got out of the carriage with wry smiles.
They were in front of a massive inn.
A group of the inn's waiters rushed out and pulled the carriage to the back.
There were facilities there for managing horses and carriages.
For a reasonable fee, the inn would also take responsibility for the care of the carriage and horses.
A few members of the Underworld Sect followed the waiters who were leading the carriage away.
The party that had disembarked from the carriage gathered around Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan raised his head and confirmed the sign on the inn.
"Moon-Carved Inn..."
He had received a report about this place from Hwaok before coming here.
This Moon-Carved Inn belonged to the Secret Heaven Group.
It was a fairly large-scale operation even for the Secret Heaven Group. Three of their teams were gathered here.
For a mere inn to have such a large operation meant they were tasked with many duties.
The Moon-Carved Inn also managed ten other inns of various sizes within the city of Changsha.
Through each inn, they absorbed information flowing in and out of the city and, at times, manipulated the rumors circulating within it.
Originally, the activities of the Underworld Sect's Changsha branch had been severely restricted because of this Moon-Carved Inn.
They had been checked early on, and the Underworld Sect's scale had been greatly reduced, a situation they had failed to reverse.
However, things had started to change little by little after the Underworld Sect came under Byeok Taesan's command.
With the Heavenly Demonic Cult trapped in the Heaven-Sealing Formation, the support and missions given to the Secret Heaven Group had ceased, while the Underworld Sect's skills and power gradually increased as they learned the Shadow Steps.
Before coming to Changsha, Hwaok had given the Moon-Carved Inn a heads-up through the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group.
She had proposed that they come under Byeok Taesan's command and had informed them to make a decision by today, that is, before Byeok Taesan's arrival.
Most of the other Secret Heaven Group branches had been resolved by Yuk Taegu or the Divine Doctor's disciples, but the Moon-Carved Inn had remained unshaken despite their efforts.
Byeok Taesan headed toward the inn.
The group followed him in a throng. Yeon Harin stuck close to Byeok Taesan's side, while Hwaok walked alongside him on the other.
Upon entering the inn, they saw an elderly man standing a short distance from the entrance. As soon as he saw Byeok Taesan, he bowed respectfully.
"I am Na Heontak, the owner of the Moon-Carved Inn."
Byeok Taesan looked at him and nodded.
His skill was decent. A bit better than Yuk Taegu before he had met Byeok Taesan.
That was his level of martial arts, and judging by the aura he projected, his skills in information gathering were superior to his combat abilities.
However, he was quite old.
And he seemed to be the type to prioritize stability over challenge.
"Are you the only team leader?"
At Byeok Taesan's question, Na Heontak lowered his head slightly.
"The other two are currently on a mission."
Byeok Taesan let out a smirk.
"You have a mission that requires a team leader's participation, even though there are no orders from above?"
Na Heontak was not the least bit perturbed. Without a flicker in his eyes, he briefly looked at Byeok Taesan before lowering his head again and answering.
"We have missions that must be carried out by default, even without specific orders."
Of course, they did. Continuously monitoring the surrounding situation and consistently gathering information.
But for a team leader to be involved meant the situation was complex. It also meant that the people involved in that situation were of a high caliber.
Na Heontak spoke cautiously to Byeok Taesan.
"Why don't you come inside first? I will guide you to a more quiet and comfortable place."
When Byeok Taesan nodded, Na Heontak quickly led the group inside.
He led them to the largest and most secluded annex of the Moon-Carved Inn.
* * *
"Speak."
Despite the abrupt question as soon as he sat down, Na Heontak was not at all flustered.
"A rumor is circulating that the Golden Moon Trading Company has acquired a treasure map."
"A treasure map?"
"It is said to be a map marking the location where the Heavenly Sword is hidden."
Byeok Taesan's expression turned peculiar.
"The Heavenly Sword?"
Seeing Byeok Taesan's expression, Na Heontak gave a bitter smile.
"There is a bit of a discrepancy between what we know and what the world knows."
The Heavenly Sword was one of the Heavenly Demon's treasures.
That was the Heavenly Sword known to the world.
But in reality, it was a sword the Heavenly Demon used when training in the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
When one first learns the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, the body finds it difficult to withstand its ferocity, so a tool is used, and that tool was the Heavenly Sword.
The Heavenly Sword was a treasure in its own right and one of the most renowned swords in the world, but because of the immense power the Heavenly Demon infused into it while training, it was a treasure that could not be described as merely a famous sword.
Furthermore, a new Heavenly Sword is forged to perfectly suit each new Heavenly Demon.
Therefore, quite a number of Heavenly Swords exist within the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
It was also customary to either destroy the Heavenly Sword upon the Heavenly Demon's death or bury it with them in their tomb. Not all Heavenly Swords were dealt with in this way, though.
However, Byeok Taesan had not used a Heavenly Sword when he was the Heavenly Demon.
Byeok Taesan was one of only three Heavenly Demons in history who did not use a Heavenly Sword when learning the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
That was why he wore such a strange expression.
Because Byeok Taesan had personally confirmed that not a single Heavenly Sword remained within the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Furthermore, if anyone were to use the Heavenly Sword carelessly, they could be consumed by the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
In a single moment of carelessness, their soul would be cleanly burned away.
Even if they managed to endure it, nine out of ten would go mad.
And yet, to call such a thing a treasure and even make a map for it was absurd.
"So, are the Golden Moon Trading Company bastards going to search for the Heavenly Sword?"
"No. We have not yet confirmed their involvement... but we have found evidence suggesting they may be the ones instigating the rumors."
"They obtained the map and are spreading the rumor?"
"Yes. That is why I sent the team leaders to investigate further. In truth, I should have gone with them, but I waited to receive you, Young Master."
In other words, he would move as soon as this matter was concluded. It also implied that he wanted to keep this meeting short as he was pressed for time.
Byeok Taesan, seemingly uninterested in Na Heontak's attitude, stroked his chin and asked.
"What do you think?"
"I am not sure what you are asking."
"I'm asking if you think the Heavenly Sword really exists."
"How would I know? But... isn't the possibility high? As far as I know, there were at least five Heavenly Swords remaining, and if you include the ones I don't know about..."
"You think one or two might have slipped out."
"Yes. That's right."
"There is no such thing."
"Pardon? What do you mean..."
"I mean that I smashed them all, so there are no Heavenly Swords left."
"What?"
Na Heontak stared blankly at Byeok Taesan. He couldn't immediately decide how to interpret those words.
"By the way... have you still not made up your mind? I'm willing to help you sort out your thoughts quickly."
Byeok Taesan stared silently at Na Heontak with indifferent eyes.
In that moment, Na Heontak felt something more dreadful than any threat or show of force.
Cold sweat broke out all over his body, and he even found it difficult to breathe properly.
This wasn't because Byeok Taesan was using some kind of power.
He was simply overwhelmed by his presence and aura.
Realizing this, Na Heontak looked at Byeok Taesan with a dumbfounded expression.
"You're not alone, are you? How many others are connected to you?"
Na Heontak answered without realizing it.
"There are six others."
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"Gather them all. It would be nice if they were all like you. I'm quite pleased."
At those words, Na Heontak lowered his head slightly.
"Ah, and just in case, give this some thought."
"Yes? What should I..."
"For some reason, I think the one who made the treasure map has the Heavenly Sword."
"Pardon? But you just said there was no such thing..."
"That's what I'm telling you to think about. You can assume that no Heavenly Sword has left the cult in at least the last hundred years."
He was telling him to think about how a Heavenly Sword could exist outside the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
Na Heontak couldn't hide his troubled expression. But he couldn't say it was impossible.
He bowed his head respectfully.
"I will do everything in my power to find out."
"You don't need to throw your life away for it. If we don't know, we can just smash everything."
Na Heontak stared blankly at Byeok Taesan's back as he left the room after saying those words.
He was so momentarily startled that he couldn't even properly say he understood.
An old memory suddenly surfaced.
But he soon shook his head and let out a small laugh.
"To think I'd live to this age to be told to cherish my life."