Chapter 184
Chapter 184
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 184
Chapter Title: Today is the Day
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< Today is the Day >
Swoosh!
The boat, which had been cutting through the water, rapidly slowed down.
Large waves rose on either side of the vessel.
The boat's speed was now similar to when it had first departed.
Only then did the group come to their senses, staring at Byeok Taesan with appalled eyes.
No one could say a word.
What Byeok Taesan had just done was far beyond their common sense.
Honestly, they had no idea how such a thing was even possible.
Now they understood perfectly why he had told them to remove all the oars.
To think he would single-handedly launch the boat like an arrow and smash it into another to obliterate it.
The first to speak was the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
"How... how in the world did you do that?"
Byeok Taesan glanced at the Divine Doctor. The man flinched but still held his gaze steadfastly.
"It's nothing special. You just wrap it in ki and send it flying."
"Pardon?"
Everyone wore dumbfounded expressions.
"So you're saying you wrapped this entire boat in ki and launched it."
The Divine Doctor stared at Byeok Taesan with incredulous eyes.
If this was nothing special, then what on earth was?
"It's simpler than you think."
Byeok Taesan said, his gaze sweeping over the group.
It seemed as though his eyes glinted.
Those who met his gaze felt an inexplicable chill and shivered.
"You can do it too."
As Byeok Taesan's words fell, they all realized the source of the chill.
That wasn't a suggestion that they could do it; it was a statement that they eventually would.
"No, Young Master. How often will we be on a boat in the future? It's fine if we can't do it. Really."
The Divine Doctor pleaded desperately, but Byeok Taesan paid him no mind.
Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaok and asked.
"Where is the next target?"
When Hwaok had first devised this plan, the main target was the Golden Moon Trading Company's fleet, which would be departing with them, but there were other targets as well.
There were quite a few boats owned by the Golden Moon Trading Company on this river.
Those boats were also Byeok Taesan's targets.
However, because Byeok Taesan had whimsically decided to leave early, they hadn't found many of them.
"I have identified a total of three."
Hwaok said, unfolding a map that showed the waterways.
"By now, they should be passing here, here, and here."
As Hwaok finished speaking, Byeok Taesan slowly turned his gaze to the Divine Doctor, the One-Needle Eccentric, then Cheon Gyeongwan, Yu Seoyeon, and finally Hwaok.
"What are you doing? Get moving."
The five of them turned pale. Wrap this boat in ki? Was such a thing even possible?
As Byeok Taesan stared at them, urging them to start, they had no choice but to circulate their internal energy.
His gaze seemed to say that if they didn't hurry up, he'd make them want to, and they couldn't resist any longer.
The faces of the five flushed bright red.
The energy emanating from their bodies slowly began to cover the boat.
But it seemed utterly impossible to envelop the boat with this. No matter how much energy they drew out, it was difficult to even cover the deck and the cabin. Even then, it wasn't a meticulous covering of energy but one riddled with large, gaping holes.
At that moment, as if by magic, the energy spread out and tightly enveloped the boat.
Startled, everyone looked at Byeok Taesan.
"I told you, didn't I? It's simple. It's just a matter of efficiency."
Byeok Taesan had subtly guided their energy to help them wrap the boat.
They looked at him, and a shiver ran down their spines.
"Normally, you'd have to change the quality of the energy and make it rotate, but we can work on that gradually."
They all stared at Byeok Taesan in horror.
Byeok Taesan, completely unfazed by their looks, gestured with his chin.
The five of them strained.
They had managed to envelop the boat with Byeok Taesan's help, but moving it was another matter entirely.
However, that too was resolved with a single, light touch from Byeok Taesan.
He had lightly touched the boat, giving it momentum.
The boat began to glide across the river.
Its speed gradually increased.
The faces of the five who had accomplished this were etched with a mixture of anxiety and elation.
***
On a moonless night shrouded in thick darkness, Pyeong Dae-eon, the owner of the Okcheon Trading Company, moved quietly, accompanied by a few bodyguards.
If he did as Hyeokryeon Hwi commanded, the Okcheon Trading Company would be the one to suffer in the end.
When trouble arose, would Nameless really resolve it? Absolutely not.
Therefore, the best course of action was to not take the job in the first place.
Pyeong Dae-eon believed that the Golden Moon Trading Company could solve this problem.
The appointment had been made in advance.
When he said he would visit tonight, they had readily agreed.
Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he hurried, his heart anxious.
Arriving at the Golden Moon Trading Company, Pyeong Dae-eon opened a side door.
Inside stood a familiar warrior.
"I will escort you inside."
The warrior said, then turned and began to walk.
Pyeong Dae-eon quickly followed, his bodyguards close behind him.
As he followed the warrior, Pyeong Dae-eon looked around.
The atmosphere seemed a bit different from usual.
"Did something happen? Today seems a bit..."
"Disorderly?"
The warrior finished his sentence, and Pyeong Dae-eon quickly nodded.
"Yes. It's late, but everyone seems busy..."
Of course, no one was visible. But he could read the atmosphere from the sounds and presences coming from beyond the walls.
"We had a lot to do today."
He wanted to ask what had happened, but Pyeong Dae-eon kept his mouth shut.
The warrior walking ahead exuded a strong aura that warned against further questions.
'What on earth happened?'
He was curious, but he soon dismissed it. This was not the time to be concerned with such things.
He had to solve the problem at hand.
If things truly blew up and the Black Alliance got involved, how could the Okcheon Trading Company possibly stop them?
He would probably die.
Since his life was on the line, Pyeong Dae-eon focused on his own affairs.
Lost in these thoughts, he soon arrived at the office of the Golden Moon Trading Company's master.
"Please, come in."
At the warrior's words, Pyeong Dae-eon entered the office.
Pyeong Jarim was frantically examining documents at his desk.
Pyeong Dae-eon stood awkwardly, waiting patiently for Pyeong Jarim to look at him.
Pyeong Jarim read and processed a dozen documents without once glancing at Pyeong Dae-eon.
Only after finishing all his work did he spare him a glance and gesture with his chin.
At his gesture, Pyeong Dae-eon quickly sat in the chair arranged in front of the desk.
Pyeong Jarim stared at him quietly.
"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?"
Pyeong Dae-eon forced a smile and asked.
"You met Hyeokryeon Hwi?"
Pyeong Dae-eon flinched in surprise. He hadn't told anyone yet. How could Pyeong Jarim possibly know?
"It's not that... I didn't seek him out. He was the one who..."
Pyeong Jarim's eyes glinted.
"Shut up. Did you think I wouldn't know you went running to him?"
Pyeong Dae-eon rose from his chair and prostrated himself on the floor. This was the only way to survive now.
"Please help me. That man is trying to kill me!"
"Hooo."
Pyeong Jarim let out a deep sigh and spoke as if tossing the words out.
"Explain."
Pyeong Dae-eon lifted his head and recounted his entire conversation with Hyeokryeon Hwi.
He added that if things proceeded as planned, the Okcheon Trading Company would be the only one to suffer at the hands of the Black Alliance.
Pyeong Jarim listened with his lips sealed until the explanation was complete.
"I beg you, please help me!"
After finishing his explanation, Pyeong Dae-eon prostrated himself again and cried out.
"Get up."
At Pyeong Jarim's command, Pyeong Dae-eon quickly rose and sat back in the chair. He stared intently at Pyeong Jarim, his eyes a mixture of tension and anticipation.
"Do as Hyeokryeon Hwi says."
"Pardon me?"
Pyeong Dae-eon was taken aback.
"Are you really telling me to build a gambling house?"
"Yes. Do it. Make sure you generate profits and bring them to me."
Pyeong Dae-eon finally realized that something was terribly wrong.
"And the medicinal herb business that the Okcheon Trading Company used to handle will now be taken over by our Golden Moon Trading Company."
Pyeong Dae-eon was now too stunned to respond. He could only stare blankly at Pyeong Jarim.
Silence lingered for a while.
Pyeong Jarim waited, staring intently at Pyeong Dae-eon until he answered.
Finally, Pyeong Dae-eon slowly opened his mouth.
"So... you're saying our Okcheon Trading Company should just manage a gambling house from now on? What about all our workers and merchants?"
"You'll have to downsize appropriately. Sort out the useful ones and send them to me. Keep a few to manage the gambling house, and get rid of the rest."
Pyeong Dae-eon couldn't understand the situation.
Why go to such lengths? The Okcheon Trading Company was a major merchant group that monopolized medicinal herbs in the region.
Why would he dismantle such a company in this manner?
"If that's the case, you won't need that large estate you're using, right? You can use the Golden Moon Trading Company's distribution network, so more than half of the herb shops will become unnecessary too."
Pyeong Dae-eon swallowed hard.
"Get rid of all that too. Let me see what you're capable of. I'll see how high a price you can get."
Pyeong Dae-eon's shoulders slumped.
Pyeong Jarim was trying to dismantle the Okcheon Trading Company.
Pyeong Jarim spoke calmly to the dazed Pyeong Dae-eon.
"Our company's fleet was raided by pirates today."
"What?"
Pyeong Dae-eon's eyes widened. This was more shocking than anything he had heard so far.
What kind of pirates would dare to target the Golden Moon Trading Company?
"The problem is that the stolen goods are extremely valuable. After paying the compensation, the escort agency might have to close down."
No, it would definitely have to close. And it wouldn't end with the escort agency. The clients who had entrusted their goods were so powerful that the Golden Moon Trading Company would have to take responsibility one way or another.
"They call themselves the Flood Dragon Fortress, a group that has united the pirates in this area... but after some investigation, I found no such group."
"Then..."
A fierce smile appeared on Pyeong Jarim's face.
"Some madmen are targeting my Golden Moon Trading Company."
Fear crept onto Pyeong Dae-eon's face.
"I will catch those bastards, no matter what."
Pyeong Jarim glared at Pyeong Dae-eon with murderous eyes.
"So you do as you're told."
Pyeong Dae-eon could only bow his head.
He had come to get rid of a burden, only to have another one piled on.
***
"Is that the boat?"
At Byeok Taesan's question, Hwaok managed to divert a sliver of her concentration to confirm the three boats floating in the distance.
"Yes, it is."
Hwaok and the other four were pouring all their focus into enveloping their boat with ki and moving it forward at high speed.
On top of that, Hwaok had to answer Byeok Taesan's questions, which was sheer torture.
Still, whenever that happened, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon would focus to the point of getting nosebleeds to help her, so she was barely holding on.
"Increase speed."
At Byeok Taesan's command, everyone gritted their teeth.
The boat they were on shot forward like an arrow.
Forcibly ignoring the wind blasting against their faces, they all prepared for the sensation that was about to come.
The three boats were positioned in a triangular formation. To damage all of them, they had to strike the center of the formation precisely as they passed by.
Naturally, this was a feat nigh impossible with the abilities of the five people currently enveloping and moving the boat.
The ki surrounding the boat began to tremble strangely.
Something foreign subtly crept into the five's senses.
At that moment, the boat's direction shifted minutely.
The boat proceeded exactly along its intended path.
The five's senses began to twist strangely.
Simultaneously, the ki enveloping the boat began to rotate furiously.
It wasn't just rotating; the nature of the ki had also turned sticky.
Byeok Taesan's boat cut through the space between the three Golden Moon vessels.
The Golden Moon boats, upon touching the ki-shrouded vessel, were shattered to pieces.
CRACK! CRUMBLE! BOOM!
After destroying the three boats, Byeok Taesan's vessel shot away like an arrow, disappearing into the distance in an instant.
The five people moving the boat felt their senses return to normal and turned only their eyes to glance at Byeok Taesan.
He was still sitting leisurely on the flat bench, perfectly at ease.
"Now, let's go back to where we were before."
At Byeok Taesan's order, the boat made a wide turn.
Swoosh!
The boat, creating a large wake, turned and continued to speed forward.
Their destination was the place where they had destroyed the Golden Moon Trading Company's fleet earlier.
***
In the pitch-black night, a boat glided into the dock and moored.
Six people disembarked.
It was Byeok Taesan and his group.
They were all staggering, unable to control their bodies properly. Except for Byeok Taesan, of course.
If you had to ask who had it the worst, it was undoubtedly Hwaok.
After destroying the Golden Moon fleet, they had found and destroyed three more of their boats.
On their way back, they had even issued orders to the Underworld Sect members near the site where they had destroyed the fleet.
Throughout this process, Hwaok had to continuously converse with Byeok Taesan, and after destroying the boats, she had to use a special communication method to give orders to any Underworld Sect members who might or might not be nearby.
The signal range was so wide that someone must have heard the orders.
They would have been tasked with retrieving the goods from the wrecked ships and subduing the injured survivors pulled from the water.
In any case, with so many tasks focused on one person, it was natural that she would be the most exhausted.
On top of all that, she had to pour every last bit of her ki into the boat. How could she not be exhausted?
Hwaok, unable to walk properly, staggered badly before collapsing to the ground.
Byeok Taesan, who was about to walk away, turned and stared at her.
Hwaok lowered her head slightly. She was about to apologize.
But Byeok Taesan spoke first.
"You're being overly dramatic."
At those words, the rest of the group's jaws dropped as they stared at him.
They couldn't hide their expressions, which clearly said, 'That's not right, no matter how you look at it.'
Byeok Taesan, completely unfazed by their stares, approached Hwaok, slid one arm under her back below her neck and the other under the crook of her knees, and lifted her into his arms.
Hwaok reflexively wrapped her arms around Byeok Taesan's neck.
Everyone's expression turned to one of bewilderment.
Startled, Hwaok lifted her head slightly to look at Byeok Taesan's face.
She could see his sharp jawline.
Hwaok's face flushed for a moment before she comfortably rested her head against Byeok Taesan's chest and closed her eyes.
Without so much as a glance back, Byeok Taesan strode forward.
"It's late. Let's go."
The rest of the group stared blankly at his retreating back and muttered.
"What's with this atmosphere?"
"Right? What is this?"
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric, sensing the mood turning strange again, glanced at Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
"We have some urgent business, so we'll be leaving first."
At Yu Seoyeon's words, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric stared blankly at the two.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon vanished on the spot, even using their lightness techniques.
Seeing them rush off like that after such an exhausting day felt strange.
After standing there for a while, the Divine Doctor spoke to the One-Needle Eccentric.
"Brother, I can't just go back feeling like this."
"I feel the same."
"We haven't been to a brothel once since we came to this city, have we? I seem to recall saying we should pick a day."
"Today is the day. Let's go."
< Today is the Day > End