Chapter 180
Chapter 180
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 180
Chapter Title: What Else Could it be but the Heart Sword
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< What else could it be but the Heart Sword >
The Sword Demon sharpened his senses even further.
The one he had just detected had vanished as if he were a ghost.
'He noticed.'
A chilling tension crawled up his spine.
Usually, even if you realize the opponent has noticed you, there aren't many options. You either leave, start something, or just hold your ground. One of the three.
But this one was different.
He hid himself even more stealthily right where he was.
He must have moved after doing so.
It meant he hadn't been using his full abilities.
'And the same goes for me.'
The Sword Demon honed his senses, sharpening them again and again as he gradually took control of his surroundings.
As the range of his senses expanded, the number of people he detected steadily increased.
There were thirty people with concealed presences.
And he was able to locate the one who had first triggered his senses.
They weren't the only ones near the apothecary.
This area was particularly frequented by martial artists.
Hiding their presence among those warriors, they were difficult to find under normal circumstances.
His senses had sharpened significantly after recently breaking through a wall, and this was a chance to confirm it.
"What are these guys planning now...?"
Hearing the Sword Demon's mutter, Soso, who had just finished practicing her techniques, asked with curious eyes.
"Has it finally started?"
"Yes. But it seems they won't make a move easily."
With so many eyes around, it was unlikely they would act rashly.
There were rumors that the Martial Alliance had dispatched a significant number of personnel here because of the incident Bang Durip had caused.
No, it wasn't a rumor; it was a fact.
Soon, the Martial Alliance's warriors would be combing through Changsa.
And the remaining members of the Martial Alliance's Heavenly Sword Brigade were also patrolling with their eyes peeled.
If the ones suppressing their presence and watching from outside were to cause trouble now, the Martial Alliance might intervene immediately.
So they wouldn't move carelessly.
'Still, they might try to test the waters...'
As soon as the Sword Demon had that thought, an old man entered the shop.
This apothecary was structured in a way that the inside was not easily visible. It was almost like a separate room.
A clerk greeted the old man.
"Welcome. Is there a specific medicine you're looking for?"
The old man completely ignored the clerk and strode inside.
The flustered clerk called out to him.
"Sir, you can't go that way!"
The old man paid him no mind and kept walking. He stopped only after he was about halfway in.
"Hmph, well now..."
The old man repeatedly shook his head.
"This is rather frightening, I must say."
He couldn't go any further because of the sharp killing intent flowing from within.
In truth, he wanted to ignore the killing intent and go inside to check, but the level of murderous aura pouring out was too intense for that.
"I won't come in, so why don't you come out?"
The old man said, taking a few steps back.
The clerk who had been dealing with the old man was now pressed against a distant wall, warily watching the situation.
The Sword Demon slowly came out.
The old man and the Sword Demon glared at each other.
The old man was the first to speak.
"I feel like I've run into an unexpected ambush. This isn't going to be profitable."
The Sword Demon didn't reply, simply focusing his concentration.
He had to be ready to attack at any moment. This old man was no ordinary foe.
If he didn't make his best move, he couldn't expect a future.
The old man suddenly took a large step back.
Seeing this, the Sword Demon's eyes glinted.
The old man had just moved out of the Sword Demon's range.
"How strange. I've clearly moved out of range, so why does it feel so unsettling?"
The old man said, taking another step back.
"I have no intention of doing anything right now, so why don't you calm down?"
The Sword Demon frowned.
As the old man kept stepping back, he couldn't properly close the distance.
"Why are you so worked up? We all know you're from the Heavenly Medicine Hall."
"Heavenly Medicine Hall?"
The Sword Demon tilted his head. He didn't yet know that the Heavenly Medicine Hall was under Byeok Taesan.
All the Sword Demon knew was about those currently staying with them at the Gakwol Inn. He only guessed that a few branches of the Secret Heaven Group had joined to help.
This time, it was the old man who frowned.
It seemed he genuinely didn't know. If so, it was one of two things.
Either they were wrong from the start, or only this man was in the dark.
But no matter how he thought about it, it made no sense for this man alone to be unaware.
"Well, it doesn't matter."
He could let the others do the thinking. All he had to do was swing his sword and kill.
"This is quite bothersome."
The old man took another step back.
This time, the Sword Demon strode towards the old man.
The old man retreated again, and the Sword Demon followed again.
At that, the corners of the old man's mouth lifted slightly.
"Surely you don't think I'll just turn back because the streets are bustling with martial artists, do you?"
As soon as the old man finished speaking, an explosion sounded from behind.
*CRASH! CRACK!*
The shop shook with the sound of destruction.
Startled, the Sword Demon tried to run back to where he was, to where Soso was.
But at that exact moment, the old man charged.
*SWOOSH!*
*CLANG!*
The Sword Demon raised his sword to block the old man's strike.
A tremendous impact rattled his entire body. He felt as if he were being driven into the ground.
"Get lost!"
The Sword Demon swung his sword with all his might.
*CLAAAAANG!*
The old man, who blocked the sword, was pushed far back.
But that alone wasn't enough to get away from the old man.
Just as he seemed to be pushed back, the old man was suddenly in front of the Sword Demon again, swinging his sword.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
The swords of the Sword Demon and the old man clashed in a dizzying flurry.
The Sword Demon grew increasingly anxious.
Loud noises came from inside.
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
Still, since Soso had learned martial arts, it seemed she was holding her own to some extent.
The Sword Demon had no time to check on Soso.
The old man's sword strikes rained down like a storm.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
The old man's goal was to keep the Sword Demon occupied for as long as possible.
In the meantime, they would kidnap the person inside, and it would be over.
"I hear the owner here is a great beauty, isn't she? Many people want her, but if I like what I see, I plan to take her for myself. What do you say? How about giving up now? I could even share her with you."
The old man used such words to rattle the Sword Demon. If he could create even the slightest opening with his taunts, it would be a success.
Sparks flew from the Sword Demon's eyes.
"You will die by my hand."
"I think I'm the one winning right now, don't you? At this rate, you'll be the one dying by my hand."
The Sword Demon didn't answer, focusing on his sword.
He didn't know if he could use *it* in the midst of such a chaotic fight, but he had to try.
In the Sword Demon's mind, it was the only way out.
*CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!*
While calmly blocking the barrage of sword strikes from the old man, the Sword Demon focused his intent on the tip of his blade.
He had not yet reached the stage where he could use it consciously at will.
It was something that just came out in a state of selflessness while he was fighting.
But right now, that was enough.
Just like now.
*SLICE!*
The old man's eyes widened.
"Wha-what...!"
His arm had suddenly fallen off.
Severed so abruptly, he momentarily lost his balance and staggered.
And in a fierce battle like this, that was a fatal opening.
"What else could it be but the Heart Sword."
The Sword Demon's sword precisely pierced that opening.
*SQUELCH!*
With a gaping hole in his side, the old man stumbled backward.
His eyes grew so wide they looked like they would tear.
"Th-the Heart Sword?"
The Sword Demon's sword swiped horizontally.
*SLICE!*
The old man's head fell to the ground.
The Sword Demon immediately turned and threw himself towards where Soso was.
"Soso!"
The Sword Demon froze at the scene that unfolded inside.
Soso stood in the middle, surrounded by a pile of fallen men.
Seeing the Sword Demon, Soso gave a shy smile.
"I won. Did I do well?"
The Sword Demon let out a small laugh.
"Yes, you did very well."
He said, carefully examining Soso.
He was checking to see if she was injured anywhere.
"You're... a little hurt."
He could see several bruises. And there were even shallow sword cuts on her thigh and side.
Soso smiled brightly and said.
"There's plenty of medicine here. This will heal quickly if I put some on."
The Sword Demon let out a hollow laugh. It seemed he had truly misjudged her.
Soso was already a fine martial artist in her own right.
***
They decided to suspend the apothecary's business.
It was unavoidable, as the intruders had destroyed so much.
Furthermore, the aftermath of the fight between the Sword Demon and the old man was so severe that the entire interior of the apothecary was ruined.
It was almost at the point where they'd have to rebuild.
Jahyang's apothecary was quite famous in Changsa for selling good medicine.
For such an apothecary to be caught up in a fight and forced to close, it naturally drew people's attention.
Every day, someone would come to examine the traces of the battle.
The warriors of the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Five Great Families, in particular, couldn't help but marvel as they inspected the signs of the fight.
The traces alone were enough to tell how formidable the experts who fought there were.
Moreover, some of the marks were completely beyond their ability to recognize or comprehend.
To figure it out, they visited the apothecary every day as if reporting for work, examining the remnants of the battle.
With the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Five Great Families taking an interest, the Okcheon Trading Company, the group at the center of this incident, couldn't move recklessly either.
For now, they lay low, biding their time and looking for an opportunity.
***
Pyeong Daeeon, the master of the Okcheon Trading Company, repeatedly wiped his darkened face with his hand.
"Still no word from the Golden Moon Trading Company?"
The general manager bowed his head with a troubled expression.
"No, sir. We've been sending continuous messages... but we've only received replies telling us to keep waiting."
"After all the money they took from us, they're just going to wash their hands of it now?!"
The Golden Moon Trading Company had squeezed its subordinate trading companies to make up for a shortfall of funds.
The Okcheon Trading Company had also been extorted for a huge sum.
But Pyeong Daeeon had considered it payment for services to come.
But with no response, he couldn't help but be angry. It felt like a waste of money, too.
As Pyeong Daeeon fumed, the general manager spoke cautiously.
"I did some investigating on my own, and it seems the Golden Moon Trading Company has a guest these days."
"A guest? Is there ever a time when they don't have guests?"
"This guest is rather special. I heard the company master is having a hard time with them."
At those words, Pyeong Daeeon's eyes lit up.
"Really? So, is that why they can't pay attention to us?"
"That seems to be the case, doesn't it? So please, let's just wait a little longer."
"Well... if you say so, Manager."
Pyeong Daeeon tilted his head.
"But didn't they say all those bastards are gathered at the Gakwol Inn? Can't we just attack them there? At night, I mean."
"They say there's a formidable master there. That's why the Golden Moon Trading Company would need to recruit several people like the elder from last time, wouldn't they?"
"I suppose so. Then we just have to wait."
"That's right."
As the two were having this conversation, a man in black clothes suddenly rose from the shadows.
The two were startled and scrambled backward. They almost screamed but managed to suppress it.
"Wh-wh-who are you!"
The man in black politely clasped his fist.
"My master has sent me to escort you both."
"H-how can we go there without knowing who that is?"
The man in black said calmly.
"It is the guest of the Golden Moon Trading Company you were just speaking of. My master called for you because he is considering switching his business partner to you."
The minds of Pyeong Daeeon and the general manager raced.
The two answered immediately.
"Lead the way."
Missing an opportunity like this would be foolish. At least, that's what the two of them thought.
***
"I'm sorry, sister."
At Soso's apology, Jahyang smiled and shook her head.
"Why are you sorry? It couldn't be helped. I was planning on closing the apothecary soon anyway."
"Still..."
"More importantly, what are we going to do about your injuries? The Young Master will be furious if he finds out."
"Oh, it's fine. I've applied medicine, and the Young Master won't care about something like this."
"Well, we'll see about that, won't we?"
Jahyang gave a meaningful smile as she looked at Soso.
In her eyes, Soso was a bit different from the other maids. It was clear that Byeok Taesan also treated her specially.
How could he not? Look at all the years they had spent together.
Still, she was a little curious. What kind of reaction would Byeok Taesan have when he saw Soso's injuries?
And she would be able to see that reaction very soon.
Because the two of them were currently bringing Byeok Taesan his breakfast.
Arriving in front of Byeok Taesan's room, the two quietly opened the door.
They went inside and neatly arranged the food on the table.
Byeok Taesan watched them for a moment before suddenly speaking.
"You're hurt."
Soso flinched in surprise and looked at Byeok Taesan.
Then, seeing his calm expression, she thought, *of course*, and went back to what she was doing.
When they finished setting the food, Byeok Taesan was gone.
"Huh? Where did the Young Master go?"
"I know. I didn't even notice him leave."
The two waited there anxiously for Byeok Taesan to return.