Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: This Doesn't Seem Right
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Yeon Harin and the ten maids walked in the lead. Byeok Taesan followed a step behind them at a leisurely pace.
The person guiding the group was Hwaok.
Since she was the one who received and organized all of the Underworld Sect's intelligence, she knew best where the Nameless bases were located.
They were heading to a street that Nameless had converted into a base.
Just like in Wuhan, it was a street where commerce was all but dead, so there were hardly any people coming and going. No, there wasn't a single person.
The only people visible were those standing in front of the various taverns and shops.
By the looks of it, they were clearly waiters or owners of the taverns and inns.
Yet despite the situation, their expressions weren't all that bad.
They weren't overflowing with motivation or hope, but they certainly didn't have the faces or eyes of those who had fallen into despair or given up on everything.
Byeok Taesan's group entered the street.
A young and handsome master, exuding an allure that captivated women—a side effect of the spiritual energy he’d gained from burning the souls of courtesans—accompanied by no less than eleven women of such stunning beauty that one couldn't help but stare. Their appearance was bound to draw attention.
The gazes of those on the street instantly fixed on Byeok Taesan's party.
Byeok Taesan walked leisurely behind the group, sharpening his senses.
Had he not encountered these same types of people in Wuhan before, he likely would have found almost nothing out of the ordinary.
But Byeok Taesan had already experienced foes similar to these once before, and he had seared their characteristics into his senses.
Byeok Taesan checked each person who entered his sensory range, one by one, and nodded.
"There's not a single one who isn't one of them."
At Byeok Taesan's words, Yeon Harin discreetly moved to his side.
"How far does it go?"
"You can assume it's every building with an entrance on this street. The area behind it seems to be fine."
But he still had to check, no matter what.
Members of the Underworld Sect had already secretly positioned themselves in the area behind.
If any problems arose later, they would immediately step in and thoroughly seal off the area.
"Still, this is much better than that slum. We don't need to weed them out. We can just beat down every one we see, right?"
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"That's right."
The corners of Yeon Harin's mouth lifted slightly. She was confident she could do that better than anyone.
"Shall we begin, then? It seems best to start before they release the Sanction Powder."
Byeok Taesan gazed at her and asked.
"Did you not receive the antidote?"
"Huh? The antidote? There was something like that?"
The one who answered her question was Hwaok, who was nearby.
"I have it. Its effects are short-lived, so you must take it right before we begin."
At Hwaok's words, not only Yeon Harin but the rest of the maids looked back and forth between Hwaok and Byeok Taesan with expressions of admiration.
But Byeok Taesan and Hwaok showed no reaction, as if it were only natural.
Of course there was an antidote.
He had acquired the Sanction Powder and ordered it to be analyzed to create an antidote. The Heavenly Medicine Hall, led by Cho Seoran, took on the task, and with the help of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric, they quickly completed it.
And he had given prior instructions to prepare the antidote, as they would surely face the same thing again this time.
Of course, Hwaok had handled all of it, so Byeok Taesan himself hadn't had to do a thing.
Hwaok distributed the antidotes to the group.
Each of them received a jet-black pill.
Byeok Taesan did not accept the pill Hwaok offered him. A crude poison like this wouldn't work on him anyway.
'Come to think of it…'
A thought suddenly occurred to Byeok Taesan, and he glanced over the group.
Everyone here possessed spiritual energy.
And it was Byeok Taesan's Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts that had first created that spiritual energy for them.
If so, wouldn't their spiritual energy also contain some of the effects of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts?
Of course, he wasn't certain. It was just a hypothesis.
Even Byeok Taesan had yet to fully grasp the nature of spiritual energy, so he couldn't know what might happen or how.
Furthermore, since the characteristics and power of spiritual energy varied greatly depending on an individual's disposition, its origin might not even be important.
But still, what if?
If it contained the effects of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, they wouldn't fall for something like Sanction Powder.
And Byeok Taesan was the type of person who had to confirm his curiosities immediately.
He snatched the pill from Yeon Harin's hand just as she was about to put it in her mouth.
Yeon Harin's eyes widened.
"Young Master?"
After staring at Byeok Taesan with a momentarily bewildered look, Yeon Harin's eyes grew wide.
"D-don't tell me you want me to fight without my internal energy? Again?"
A moment ago, he had simply been curious whether Yeon Harin's spiritual energy possessed the effects of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts. But now that he heard her words, he thought it wasn't a bad idea.
Of course, Byeok Taesan had no intention of explaining all that. He simply waved his hand in place of an answer.
In the end, Yeon Harin had no choice but to enter the street without the antidote, biting the bullet.
Something welled up inside her. And she had no intention of holding it back.
Yeon Harin immediately ran toward the center of the street.
Clenching her teeth, she vowed to stir things up properly if she had to do it anyway, and drew her sword.
*Screech.*
Her sword shot out toward a waiter who was standing outside a nearby tavern.
She didn't use her internal energy, but her skill was such that her sword strike was fast and sharp.
The waiter, startled, dodged her sword as if falling backward.
Even without internal energy, it wasn't an attack that could be dodged so easily.
"What is this, you crazy bitch!"
The waiter shouted as he drew a long, dark sword from behind his back. It was clearly not a weapon that a mere waiter would carry.
In an instant, a thick, white smoke settled over the ground.
And from the buildings along the street, people came rushing out. Each of them held a menacing weapon in their hands.
A slight smile formed on Yeon Harin's lips.
The fight had begun.
Yeon Harin fought alone, while the ten maids fought in a tight group centered around Hwaok.
And Byeok Taesan simply watched without even setting foot on the street.
Although Byeok Taesan hadn't hidden himself or anything, no one dared to attack him.
They didn't even step foot in his direction.
Thanks to that, the entrance to the street was empty. Everyone was gathered around Yeon Harin and the ten maids.
Of course, the smoke mixed with Sanction Powder had spread thickly to where Byeok Taesan was standing.
Byeok Taesan watched the fight and then nodded. His prediction was spot on.
A frantic shout erupted from within.
"These bitches must have taken the antidote! The Sanction Powder isn't working!"
"They're damn strong!"
But despite that, they all charged in like madmen.
It seemed they would continue to do so unless someone ordered them to retreat.
And the someone who should have given that order was in no position to do so. Because he had already fallen.
The moment Yeon Harin had first rushed into the street, Byeok Taesan had taken care of that first.
There were three men who gave off a distinct aura, and he had dealt with them separately.
"Such foolish bastards."
Byeok Taesan muttered with a smirk.
At this point, it would make sense to flee even without orders, but the fact that no one did meant there was a reason they absolutely could not.
Byeok Taesan had a rough idea of why they were acting this way.
The thing that man had called a Blood Spirit was also imprinted in their minds.
It served as a brand that forced them to obey commands absolutely.
Byeok Taesan's interest waned rapidly.
There was nothing more to see here. And it looked like the fight would be over soon.
Yeon Harin was freely unleashing her internal energy. The Sanction Powder hadn't affected her.
With that, the fight became far too one-sided.
It would have been quite entertaining if it had been on the level of the slum, so it was a bit disappointing.
Just then, a member of the Underworld Sect hurriedly approached Byeok Taesan.
"Young Master, I have something to report."
It was extremely rare for an Underworld Sect member to come directly to Byeok Taesan to report like this.
Usually, they went through the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion or Hwaok.
Normally, he would have waited until the fight was over and reported to Hwaok.
But the fact that he had braved his fear to approach him directly meant the matter was that urgent.
"Speak."
As soon as Byeok Taesan gave his permission, the Underworld Sect member's face lit up as he spoke urgently.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company's movements are strange. And the movements of those belonging to the Hwangcheon Martial Academy are also completely different from usual."
When Byeok Taesan gestured with his chin to continue, the Underworld Sect member continued his report.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company has mobilized a large number of warriors from the Sangcheon Sect, the Cheongmu Faction, and the Guryong Sect in Changsha. Also, all those affiliated with the Hwangcheon Martial Academy are heading toward the academy."
The corner of Byeok Taesan's eye twitched.
"They've noticed."
"It seems so."
By the time the Underworld Sect member finished his report, the fight here had also concluded.
Judging by the urgency on the Underworld Sect member's face, the situation over there seemed quite formidable.
But Byeok Taesan remained composed.
The women who had participated in the fight, including Yeon Harin, approached Byeok Taesan.
"Young Master, it's over."
At Yeon Harin's words, Byeok Taesan glanced over them.
Not a single drop of blood had splattered on any of them. It meant they had overwhelmingly crushed the enemy.
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Well, it was passable."
If they had gotten even a single scratch from a fight like this, he would have been truly disappointed.
And that disappointment would have led to training.
Fortunately, it seemed he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of personally conducting their training.
Meanwhile, the Underworld Sect member's report reached Hwaok.
Hwaok's expression changed drastically.
"Young Master, what should we do?"
Hwaok asked urgently. But Byeok Taesan was still at ease.
"We should go and see."
The situation had changed, but he still had no intention of allowing a single scratch.
Byeok Taesan leisurely followed the Underworld Sect member who was running ahead to lead the way.
Even though he was walking at a relaxed pace, the distance between him and the Underworld Sect member, who was running using his movement arts, did not widen at all.
The rest of the group hastily used their movement arts to follow.
On the street they left behind, members of the Underworld Sect swarmed in and began to clean up.
They erased the traces of the fight and tied up the fallen men to be moved.
Surprisingly, not a single person was dead. Even the three men Byeok Taesan had taken down at the beginning were still alive.
***
The group that went to the Hwangcheon Martial Academy boldly opened the main gate and entered.
But for some reason, the situation was a bit different from what they had expected.
As soon as they entered the main gate, a wide space opened up, filled with warriors lying in wait.
They all glared this way, gripping their weapons with eyes full of fighting spirit.
"Uh… Brother, something seems a bit off. Is it just me?"
"It's strange for me too. This doesn't seem right."
As the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric exchanged words, the expressions of Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu, who had followed them in, hardened.
"It appears they knew we were coming."
"Still… it doesn't seem like their forces are much different from what we anticipated, so I don't think the outcome will change."
At the two men's words, the Divine Doctor of the Ages let out a heavy sigh.
"Good grief, you clueless people. Don't you know how long the fight will drag on if we don't inflict damage at the start by attacking when they're unaware? We can't get a single scratch. Don't you ever forget that. You know that, right?"
"Of course. I am also well aware of what kind of person the Young Master is."
While that conversation was taking place, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon entered through the main gate at the same time. They had spent some extra time outside before coming in.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages immediately pointed it out.
"What took you so long? Don't tell me you two were doing… that? Goodness, how is a single man supposed to live with all this sorrow?"
"Stop being so childish. What are you doing at your age? It's embarrassing."
"Hey, what does age have to do with anything between a man and a woman?"
As it seemed the conversation would drag on, Yu Seoyeon quickly stepped in and cut him off.
"The situation outside is not good. I confirmed that quite a lot of people are heading this way."
"What?"
Only then did everyone realize the situation was truly serious.
"How many are coming?"
Cheon Gyeongwan answered calmly.
"Before we came in, I confirmed over fifty people running this way from a distance. But I think more will come."
"This… it seems like all the bastards disguised as the martial academy members' families are going to swarm here."
The One-Needle Eccentric muttered with a dark expression.
Just as the atmosphere was about to sink, the Divine Doctor of the Ages stepped forward.
"So, what? Does anything change?"
"What?"
"We don't have a choice anyway. What did the Young Master say earlier?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages held up two fingers.
"We just have to do two things."
Succeed in the mission, and don't get a single scratch.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages looked toward the inner part of the academy.
The warriors over there were slowly starting to move. It seemed they had heard that their comrades were coming from outside.
"Shit, the Young Master will show up if we just hold out."
The One-Needle Eccentric said that and then strode forward into the academy first.
At that, everyone else smirked and followed him.
"No scratches. The Young Master coming later is one thing, but no scratches."
At the Divine Doctor of the Ages' words, everyone nodded. That was their intention, of course. Whether it would go as planned, though, was another matter.
For some reason, the corners of their mouths crept up.
They all drew their weapons at once and charged.