Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: I Remember Now
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Na Hontak sighed softly, looking at his subordinates who had returned covered in blood.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company is as formidable as ever. Even in the midst of all this, their security is impressive."
After saying that, Na Hontak checked on each of his subordinates.
All seven of his subordinates were here.
"Is this all of you?"
"Yes. The others... were all taken down."
Na Hontak smiled bitterly.
"I'm sorry. This is because of my greed..."
"Not at all. We know that if not for this, we don't know when another opportunity like this would have come."
As Na Hontak listened quietly, a slightly apologetic look on his face, the other subordinates began to speak up.
"We've hidden the stolen documents in temporary safehouses, chosen based on the situation and location at the time."
"A few of the safehouses were discovered, so we had to destroy them completely."
Destroying them completely meant using the explosives stored there to self-destruct, taking the pursuers with them.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company is in an uproar, searching everywhere. We must hurry as well."
They wouldn't be able to find the temporary safehouses easily.
But if left as they were, the hard-won intelligence would be lost.
They couldn't let that happen, not after so many sacrifices had been made to obtain it.
"I'll handle the rest. You all should go tend to your wounds and get some rest for now."
Only then did the subordinates bow their heads and withdraw.
As soon as they left the office, another person entered as if on cue.
He was a squad leader of the Secret Heaven Group, co-managing the Gakwol Inn with Na Hontak.
Na Hontak spoke the moment he saw him.
"Send our people to retrieve the documents stored in the temporary safehouses."
"Are those the ones you just stole from the Golden Moon Trading Company?"
"They are. They should clear up some of our frustrations."
"Yes, sir. I'll issue the order immediately."
"The Golden Moon Trading Company is furious right now, so tell them to be extremely careful."
"Don't worry, sir. They're all experienced."
Na Hontak nodded. The Secret Heaven Group members here at the Gakwol Inn were certainly experienced.
"By the way, sir, weren't the losses among the new recruits too great this time? We put so much effort into training them..."
"Still, we couldn't pass up an opportunity we might never get again. I don't feel good about it either."
The man nodded in agreement, then hesitated for a moment.
"But sir, what about that man from the Golden Jade Trading Company? Is he truly trustworthy?"
Na Hontak shook his head.
"That, I do not know."
"What? You don't know? Then how could you make such a major decision? You had all the other inns participate as well!"
"I'm certain he's connected to the Cult."
"Truly?"
The man's eyes widened.
The Heavenly Demonic Cult was currently trapped in the Hyeoncheon Formation.
Therefore, for a member of the Cult to be on the outside, they had to belong to an organization that operated externally from the beginning, like the Secret Heaven Group, or be someone who was out on a mission or for some other reason.
But as far as the man knew, there were only two such people.
And Byeok Taesan was definitely not one of them.
"The Divine Doctor of the Ages was among those who came with him."
"The Divine Doctor of the Ages... I have heard of him."
"And Yuk Taegu was with them as well."
The man knew Yuk Taegu well, though of course, Yuk Taegu wouldn't know him.
As someone favored by the leader of the Moon Shadow Division, Yuk Taegu was relatively well-known within the Secret Heaven Group.
Of course, not many had seen him in person and would recognize him as Yuk Taegu.
In fact, it was perhaps more impressive that Na Hontak had recognized Yuk Taegu on sight.
Furthermore, it was no small feat to know that the Divine Doctor of the Ages was a member of the Secret Heaven Group.
The man wasn't supposed to know, but he had naturally learned of it while working with Na Hontak.
"Incredible. To have both the Divine Doctor of the Ages and Yuk Taegu under his command."
"It is. You'll likely be even more surprised if you meet him in person."
That was, of course, if he could discern even a fraction of the man's true nature, but Na Hontak believed this man's judgment was sharp enough.
"Is he scheduled to come here when he's finished?"
Na Hontak smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I don't know that either. If he wishes to, I suppose he will."
The man stared at Na Hontak, bewildered.
The Na Hontak he knew would never have said something like that.
"But he'll probably come, won't he? It would be difficult to find a better place to stay in Changsha than our inn."
Na Hontak believed Byeok Taesan wouldn't simply leave. There were still events yet to unfold. The Treasure Map affair, for instance.
Realizing he wouldn't get any more information, the man decided to take his leave.
"In that case, I will return when the documents from the Golden Moon Trading Company arrive."
The man withdrew.
Na Hontak stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the western sky.
The sunset had spread across it like red paint brushed across a canvas.
*It's about time... for him to return...*
He wondered how long he had been admiring the sunset when a commotion started outside the inn.
A smile touched Na Hontak's lips.
Byeok Taesan had finally returned.
* * *
Hyeokryeon Hwi paid a secret visit to the Golden Moon Trading Company.
His expression was grim.
As he went deep into the inner court of the Golden Moon Trading Company, several warriors guarding the area greeted him respectfully.
"He is waiting for you."
One of the warriors led Hyeokryeon Hwi further in.
He led Hyeokryeon Hwi to a pavilion built over a pond in the inner court.
Hyeokryeon Hwi strode up into the pavilion.
"I've been waiting for you. Please, have a seat."
The person waiting for Hyeokryeon Hwi in the pavilion was Pyeong Jarim, the master of the Golden Moon Trading Company.
Pyeong Jarim's expression was not pleasant.
The same was true for Hyeokryeon Hwi.
Hyeokryeon Hwi sat down across from Pyeong Jarim.
A small table with drinks was set between them, and the sight of it made Hyeokryeon Hwi frown.
"Are you in the mood for a drink right now?"
"There's a saying: more haste, less speed. At times like these, we must do whatever it takes to remain calm and maintain our composure."
Yet Pyeong Jarim, despite his words, did not drink.
"Things are in chaos on our end."
Pyeong Jarim gave a bitter smile at Hyeokryeon Hwi's words.
With three of Nameless's strongholds vanishing simultaneously, chaos was to be expected.
But what could he do?
To be frank, he had gathered every single warrior in Changsha and sent them to the Hwangcheon Martial Hall.
And he had lost every single one of them.
It was a devastating loss for the Golden Moon Trading Company.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company is not in a good position either. Our subordinate factions are getting restless."
The edge in Hyeokryeon Hwi's tone softened slightly.
"I heard you sent warriors to the Hwangcheon Martial Hall. My thanks are overdue. I appreciate your support."
"Not at all. We've always been partners. We've also consistently exchanged martial arts with the Hwangcheon Martial Hall, so it was only natural to help. However... it is deeply regrettable and I apologize that we achieved nothing."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Hyeokryeon Hwi cleared his throat to break the tension, then spoke calmly.
"What's done is done. What matters now is what comes next, wouldn't you agree?"
"Indeed. The past is for reflection. On that note..."
As Pyeong Jarim trailed off, Hyeokryeon Hwi looked at him quizzically.
"While we were being attacked, I had my men make a separate move."
"A separate move?"
"The Underworld Sect's movements were suspicious, so I looked into them and realized an attack was imminent."
"I was aware of that. That's why you contacted me separately."
Of course, the warning had come too late to be of much use, but he couldn't say that.
"I reasoned that to launch a surprise attack on three locations, they would have to reveal their true strength. So I took a risk and tried to find out who was pulling the strings behind that bastard Byeok Taesan."
"Ah! Excellent! So, what happened? Did you identify his backer?"
Pyeong Jarim shook his head, his expression grave.
"I could not."
"What?"
As Hyeokryeon Hwi stared in disbelief, Pyeong Jarim quickly elaborated.
"Other than Byeok Taesan's current companions, no one else joined them later. At least, that is what our Golden Moon Trading Company observed."
"Does that mean a powerful backer is among Byeok Taesan's current companions?"
Pyeong Jarim shook his head.
"They were all strong. But... not strong enough to be considered Byeok Taesan's backers. Frankly, it would be impossible for them alone to handle Elders Wol Cheonrak and Wol Cheondeuk."
"That's because..."
That was because Wol Cheonrak and Wol Cheondeuk had been defeated by *Muhan*.
But Hyeokryeon Hwi couldn't say that. If he did, he wouldn't be able to explain the outcome of the ambush they'd attempted on the road to Changsha.
"Then, Master Pyeong, what is your opinion?"
Pyeong Jarim calmly gathered his thoughts before speaking slowly.
"I didn't see it myself, so I cannot be certain. However, I believe... Byeok Taesan may be far more formidable than we can imagine."
Hyeokryeon Hwi's expression turned grave.
He now understood the reason for Pyeong Jarim's earlier expression.
They had been barking up the wrong tree this entire time.
*If we assume Byeok Taesan himself is the mastermind, most of it fits.*
And yet, the thought that it couldn't be him persisted, simply because Byeok Taesan was too young.
Hyeokryeon Hwi suddenly thought of Hyeokryeon Bigwang.
Could it be that Hyeokryeon Bigwang had known all along?
"We've been played."
"What do you mean?"
Hyeokryeon Hwi shook his head.
"It's nothing. We should discuss our next move."
"Yes. We must begin the Treasure Map plan. So... when should we start? Should we wait until Byeok Taesan leaves Changsha?"
"We will prepare far more thoroughly and lure Byeok Taesan into it as well."
Pyeong Jarim looked worried.
"Won't that be dangerous? We're already expecting a crowd of formidable masters."
"If he joins the struggle for the Treasure Map, the damage will be that much greater, which is to our advantage. And... as for the cave, I will pay it some extra attention."
After saying this, Hyeokryeon Hwi stared intently at the master of the Golden Moon Trading Company.
The master of the Golden Moon Trading Company met his gaze for a moment before nodding.
"Very well. I will also be more vigilant."
The tension on both their faces finally eased.
And only then could they drain their cups.
* * *
In an annex of the Gakwol Inn, Byeok Taesan and his companions were in the middle of training.
Before they began, everyone had been incredibly worried, afraid of what bizarre training regimen Byeok Taesan would subject them to this time.
Yet when the time came to train, Byeok Taesan simply watched without a word.
As they trained, they kept stealing glances at Byeok Taesan, unable to fully concentrate.
But Byeok Taesan wasn't actually watching their training.
He was lost in thought.
*I can't stick around and oversee their training forever...*
He knew from experience that his intervention in their training yielded tremendous results.
But doing so required his time—a considerable amount of it.
This meant less time for his own training.
*Isn't there someone suitable to help with their training...*
As Byeok Taesan was mulling this over, Na Hontak arrived.
"Young Master, I've come to give you something."
Byeok Taesan turned to look at Na Hontak.
Na Hontak respectfully held out a bundle of documents.
"These are the documents we stole from the Golden Moon Trading Company during the recent commotion. I brought them in case you might find them useful."
Instead of taking them, Byeok Taesan turned to look at Hwaok.
Hwaok had already stopped her training the moment Na Hontak appeared and was watching them closely.
The moment her eyes met Byeok Taesan's, she darted over and took the bundle of documents from Na Hontak.
She would have to analyze these for a while. Perhaps she could glean some interesting information from them.
"If I may..."
Na Hontak began cautiously.
"May I ask your future plans?"
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"Why? Want me to leave already?"
Na Hontak waved his hands in alarm.
"Not at all! How could you think such a thing? I only ask so that I might be of assistance if I know your plans in advance."
As he finished speaking, Na Hontak glanced at the documents in Hwaok's hands.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan nodded.
Indeed, knowing in advance and coordinating with the Underworld Sect could yield better results.
"It's about time for the Treasure Map affair to blow up, isn't it?"
"Yes, I believe so. And they may try to use this incident to draw you in, Young Master."
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"This should be interesting."
Suddenly, Byeok Taesan looked at Na Hontak.
Na Hontak smiled awkwardly under Byeok Taesan's sudden, intense gaze.
"Why... are you looking at me like that?"
"Your name is Na Hontak, wasn't it?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Right, I remember now. Do you happen to know where Na Chunggil is?"
At the mention of Na Chunggil, Na Hontak's eyes widened.
"How do you know that name...?"
"You're Na Chunggil's brother, aren't you?"
Na Hontak swallowed hard.
"What? Don't recognize the name Na Chunggil? Or do I have to call him the Sword Demon for you to understand?"
As he spoke to Na Hontak, more and more memories began to surface.
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted into a slight smile.
< I Remember Now > End