Chapter 171
Chapter 171
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 171
Chapter Title: You've Taken Your First Steps
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The fight came to a momentary halt.
The Sword Demon, the Divine Doctor of the Ages, and Na Heontak were gathered together, surrounded by nearly a hundred people.
The encircling force was divided into three groups.
There were those who reeked of blood, those whose presence was as faint as ghosts, and those who radiated a powerful fighting spirit.
Not a single one of them looked easy to deal with. All three groups were formidable.
Just moments ago, the leaders of each group had joined forces to fight the Sword Demon.
And in the heat of battle, a shower of large needles had brought the fighting to a stop.
The needles weren't aimed at anyone in particular, but the power imbued in each one was so significant that they couldn't simply be ignored.
The places where the needles landed were also quite cunningly chosen, making it awkward to continue the fight.
In any case, once the fight had stopped, everyone's attention turned to the one who had just thrown the needles.
Outside the encirclement, an old man stood on a wall.
It was the One-Needle Eccentric.
Seeing him, the Divine Doctor of the Ages cried out in surprise.
"Brother! Don't tell me you came alone?"
"Then who the hell was I supposed to come with?"
At the One-Needle Eccentric’s words, the Divine Doctor’s face twisted.
"Agh! What are you going to do if you came alone! You should have brought the Young Master with you, no matter what!"
"Look at this guy. Instead of thanking his big brother for showing up, he's just running his mouth."
The Divine Doctor, frustrated, was about to say more, but the One-Needle Eccentric spoke first.
"The Young Master is right there. Are you not only dumb but blind now too?"
"Agh! Are you really going to keep joking around?"
The Divine Doctor shouted. But then, noticing that the gazes of those around him were all focused on one spot, he was startled and followed their line of sight.
"Huh? Young Master! When did you get here?"
Byeok Taesan was already standing among the three of them.
"It's been a while."
At Byeok Taesan's words, the Divine Doctor laughed sheepishly and waved his hands.
"Come on, how long has it been since you last saw me? About… three days?"
Byeok Taesan chuckled at the Divine Doctor's words.
On second thought, he shouldn't have said that. This man didn't know he was the Heavenly Demon yet.
The person Byeok Taesan had addressed was not the Divine Doctor, but the Sword Demon, Na Chungil.
Meanwhile, the Sword Demon kept tilting his head as he looked at Byeok Taesan.
He had a strangely familiar feeling.
But he couldn't quite pinpoint the source of that familiarity.
Byeok Taesan glanced over the Sword Demon, the Divine Doctor, and Na Heontak.
Thankfully, no one was injured yet.
And seeing the Divine Doctor's spiritual energy moving quite actively, his eyes flashed for a moment.
"You've broken through the wall."
"Eh? Ah, hehe. Well, it just sort of happened."
The Divine Doctor immediately understood what Byeok Taesan meant. And he thought, as expected, he's incredible.
To notice the change with just a single glance.
"Hmm."
Byeok Taesan studied the Divine Doctor intently. He wasn't looking at his body, but at his spiritual energy.
Frequently checking another's spiritual energy like this, once one became proficient, would ultimately aid one's own training.
"What happened?"
At Byeok Taesan's question, the Divine Doctor smiled awkwardly and looked around.
"Um… Young Master, that's important, but shouldn't we deal with these guys first? They look like they're about to make a move…"
Byeok Taesan frowned.
The Divine Doctor felt as if an invisible force was squeezing his entire body.
It wasn't that an actual unseen force was doing anything; it was simply the atmosphere that had settled due to Byeok Taesan's mood.
'Agh, so scary.'
He couldn't bring himself to say it out loud and just forced a smile.
Byeok Taesan took his eyes off the Divine Doctor and looked at the men surrounding them.
"Kneel."
Byeok Taesan took a step forward as he spoke.
*Thump!*
There was no actual sound, nor did the ground shake.
But a sound echoed in everyone's minds, and a tremor ran through their bodies.
The enemies surrounding them fell flat on the ground.
No, they were thrown down.
They all trembled, their faces contorted with effort.
They struggled desperately to get up, but it was impossible.
Byeok Taesan looked at the Divine Doctor again.
The Divine Doctor had no choice but to immediately explain what had happened.
He explained earnestly that he had been attacked, his spiritual energy had reacted and caused an explosion, which in turn made his spiritual energy more natural, and somehow, he ended up breaking through the wall.
While Byeok Taesan listened to the explanation, Na Heontak, the Sword Demon, and the One-Needle Eccentric moved swiftly, subduing the fallen enemies one by one.
They sealed their acupoints and tied them up tightly.
Members of the Underworld Sect, who had entered the slum, brought ropes and helped bind the subdued enemies.
After hearing the Divine Doctor's entire explanation, Byeok Taesan fell into thought for a moment.
He was trying to pinpoint the exact cause of the Divine Doctor's breakthrough in his spiritual energy training.
While Byeok Taesan was thinking, the Divine Doctor tried to move to help the others but froze at a glance from him.
The Divine Doctor smiled awkwardly.
"Um… Young Master? There's nothing more to explain…"
Byeok Taesan scanned the Divine Doctor up and down several times.
He wasn't looking at his body, but checking the flow of his spiritual energy.
After hearing the explanation and observing the flow of spiritual energy, something faintly began to take shape in his mind.
"Interesting."
Byeok Taesan grinned, mentally organizing the events that had transpired with the Divine Doctor.
The Divine Doctor watched Byeok Taesan with nervous eyes.
From experience, whenever Byeok Taesan spoke in that manner, something difficult was bound to happen.
Just then, the area was secured, and Na Heontak approached.
"Young Master. It's done. What should we do now? Shall we return to the inn?"
Byeok Taesan looked at Na Heontak and said.
"There are still some left."
Na Heontak immediately understood what he meant and bowed his head.
"I will mobilize all available personnel and search every inch of the slum."
Instead of answering, Byeok Taesan opened his hand and stretched it toward the sky.
He had done this once before; there was no reason he couldn't do it again.
*Kwoaaaaaah!*
A colossal energy surged from Byeok Taesan's hand into the sky.
It then split into strands in the air and poured down, blanketing the entire slum.
After doing so, Byeok Taesan glanced over the tightly bound men.
Among them, three people exuded a dangerous aura.
They were the ones who had been fighting the Sword Demon earlier.
Even with their acupoints sealed and being tied up with ropes, they were still dangerous.
They were individuals who could use the power within their bodies to escape such a situation at any time.
Byeok Taesan approached them.
The three men, lying bound on the ground, turned their heads to glare at Byeok Taesan.
Their eyes glittered with killing intent.
If not for their current state, they would have lunged at him instantly.
Byeok Taesan casually grabbed one of the three. And he tossed him into the sky.
Everyone stared, bewildered, their eyes darting between Byeok Taesan and the man soaring upwards.
But their expressions soon turned to horror.
*Kwoaaaaang!*
The man, high in the sky, simply exploded.
The explosion was so powerful it was deafening.
Of all the men who had exploded so far, this one displayed the most powerful blast.
Everyone stared at Byeok Taesan, dumbfounded.
And in the eyes of the two men lying on the ground, a strong light of disbelief flickered.
"How on earth…"
They were asking how he knew about the explosion.
What Byeok Taesan had just done wasn't a reaction to the body's energy on the verge of exploding.
If it were, he would have been too late.
The man who had just exploded had a very rapid progression to detonation.
Byeok Taesan smirked at them.
"Amateurs."
With those words, Byeok Taesan turned and walked away.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric quickly followed him.
Na Heontak decided to stay behind, as he still needed to manage the situation here.
Finally, the Sword Demon hesitated for a moment, watching the departing Byeok Taesan. He couldn't figure out what he should do.
Byeok Taesan stopped walking and glanced back at the Sword Demon.
Just then, Na Heontak gently pushed the Sword Demon's back.
"Go on. As you've seen, he is no ordinary person."
Pushed by Na Heontak, the Sword Demon stumbled forward a few steps.
At first, he walked because of the push, but then he continued on his own volition.
The Sword Demon walked quickly and fell in behind Byeok Taesan.
Na Heontak watched them go for a moment before returning to his work.
"Alright, everyone, let's wrap this up and head back. We've worked hard, don't we deserve a drink?"
At Na Heontak's words, the hands and feet of the Underworld Sect members moved even faster.
***
Returning to the Gakwol Inn, Byeok Taesan entered his room in the annex.
The Sword Demon, Na Chungil, followed him into the room and stood there with a tense expression.
Byeok Taesan looked at the Sword Demon quietly.
It had been a long time, and the traces of the years were quite visible on his face.
"I heard you were looking for me."
The Sword Demon spoke first. His gaze was deep and intense.
There was nothing about him that suggested he was about to lay down his sword.
"Did you find your answer?"
At Byeok Taesan's question, the Sword Demon's eyes widened. But soon, his expression turned as cold as ice.
"You… what is your identity?"
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"I am Byeok Taesan."
The Sword Demon's gaze grew sharper. His expression remained cold, and his dantian slowly began to rotate.
He placed one hand on the hilt of his sword, as if ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
The Sword Demon's sword, still in its sheath, let out a low cry.
*Wooooong.*
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan nodded.
"You've taken your first steps."
Hearing those words, confusion flickered in the Sword Demon's eyes.
But he quickly composed himself and glared at Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan smirked again.
"You doubted me after one sentence, so why are you ignoring the second?"
The Sword Demon's eyes were a mixture of shock and confusion.
"You… what in the world are you? Who are you to say such things?"
Byeok Taesan smiled brightly.
"I told you. I'm Byeok Taesan. The second young master of the Golden Jade Trading Company."
***
Pyeong Jarim, the head of the Golden Moon Trading Company, frowned.
He had just received news that Hyeokryeon Hwi had visited again.
Although they had joined hands with Nameless and decided to share a common destiny, their relationship was not one that benefited from such frequent meetings.
Moreover, the Golden Moon Trading Company was undoubtedly inferior to Nameless.
Naturally, whenever he met with the leaders of Nameless, he couldn't help but feel a certain pressure.
Even if they were working on something together, such frequent visits warranted suspicion of his intentions.
A moment later, Hyeokryeon Hwi entered with a serious expression.
"I apologize for visiting when you must be so busy."
"Not at all. Are we not companions on the path of destiny? You are welcome to visit anytime."
"Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. Ah, the reason I've come is to inform you that our situation has changed somewhat."
"The situation has changed?"
"Hyeokryeon Gyun is dead."
At those words, Pyeong Jarim's eyes widened.
"In truth, we all suspected for a while that something had happened. But now his death has been confirmed."
"Then…"
"A succession struggle will break out within the organization Hyeokryeon Gyun led. No, it has already begun."
Pyeong Jarim's expression turned grave.
"Our business… would be perfect for them to exploit."
"Indeed. Some have already crossed over to Changsha. Of course, the official reason is to investigate the collapse of the base there."
Pyeong Jarim pressed his temples. It was a headache. But still, not much would change.
"It's fine. It just means a few more people will be added. With a little help, we can manage that."
Hyeokryeon Hwi smiled faintly.
"We will cooperate fully. Ah, and…"
As Hyeokryeon Hwi trailed off, Pyeong Jarim looked at him with a puzzled expression. He was not a man who engaged in this kind of conversation.
"Bang Durip has come, I hear?"
Pyeong Jarim's face contorted.
"That's another headache. I told him to lay low!"
Hyeokryeon Hwi nodded.
"Indeed… it seems he needs a proper leash."
"I will pay closer attention."
"Those with a bit of power all seem to mistake themselves for the greatest under heaven, don't they? Bang Durip is just the same."
"Well… yes. Ungrateful, too."
Hyeokryeon Hwi's smile turned eerie.
"And here I was, worried that you might have summoned Bang Durip yourself. I knew that wouldn't be the case."
Having said that, Hyeokryeon Hwi rose from his seat.
"Well, I've said all I came to say, so I will take my leave. Take care."
Pyeong Jarim followed Hyeokryeon Hwi out of the room.
He waited until he was far away and out of sight.
"Hoo. That venomous snake."
A cold sweat trickled down his spine.