Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Finish It Before I Return
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The One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages ran with all their might.
As they did, they shouted at the Underworld Sect member who kept falling behind.
"You're just a young whelp, why are you so weak! Can't you hurry up!"
The Underworld Sect member gritted his teeth and ran.
He had been confident that after breaking through his limits, he wouldn't lose to anyone in a race, but that confidence was now shattered.
He never imagined the movement techniques of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric were this incredible.
"Hey! If the Young Master gets annoyed because of you, will you take responsibility?"
The Underworld Sect member ran for his life.
Just when he thought he had barely managed to pull ahead of the two, they quickly overtook him again.
'Did they eat a ten-thousand-year-old fleeceflower root or something?'
The Underworld Sect member thought to himself as he sent more internal energy to his legs.
Simply using a lot of internal energy didn't make him faster. To increase his speed, he needed much more refined control over his energy.
This was even harder than when Byeok Taesan had been pushing him from behind with killing intent.
'Why are they acting like this? What's making them so desperate?'
Of course, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he almost nodded unconsciously.
It was because he thought he knew why they were so desperate.
Just then, the Divine Doctor of the Ages sidled up next to the Underworld Sect member.
"You seem to be under some kind of misunderstanding."
"Pardon?"
"You think the Young Master will go easy on you?"
"Pardon?"
"You've never experienced something truly terrifying, have you? That's why you're so relaxed."
The Underworld Sect member swallowed nervously.
"W-what do you mean..."
"Never mind that, just point us in the right direction. We'll go on our own and leave you behind. No need for all of us to die, right?"
The Underworld Sect member said urgently.
"I'll run harder! Please don't leave me behind!"
"Who's leaving you behind? I'm just saying we should go our separate ways."
The Underworld Sect member clamped his mouth shut and increased his speed.
"I will guide you!"
"I said just point the way. It's fine. The Young Master wouldn't actually kill you, would he?"
The Underworld Sect member stared at the Divine Doctor of the Ages with a look of disbelief.
And he solidified his thought that he should never trust this man.
"I will guide you. I will increase my speed."
After saying that, the Underworld Sect member pushed his speed even higher.
He might damage his vital energy at this rate, but this was no time to worry about such things.
The desperation on the faces of the Divine Doctor and the Eccentric had spread to the Underworld Sect member's face as if by contagion.
The three of them began to run even faster.
* * *
As soon as the One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages met up with Byeok Taesan, they had to tend to the half-dead men.
"My goodness, Young Master. What on earth did you do to get them into this state?"
The Divine Doctor and the Eccentric looked back and forth between the patients and Byeok Taesan in disbelief.
Byeok Taesan said calmly.
"I just drained the bad water."
"Pardon?"
The Divine Doctor and the Eccentric looked utterly confused.
But that was only for a moment; they quickly began treating the most urgent cases.
Their conditions were quite serious.
Their stamina was completely drained, so they first needed to restore their vital energy.
That wasn't all. They had pushed themselves so hard that muscles all over their bodies had torn.
Treating that alone was no simple task.
But who were the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric?
They were renowned physicians who would be offended to be called second-best in the world.
Moreover, by working together, exchanging knowledge, and conducting joint research, their skills had improved far beyond what they once were.
They had absorbed each other's knowledge, adopting their partner's strengths and compensating for their own weaknesses.
The Divine Doctor and the Eccentric began placing needles frantically.
It seemed they could first treat the internal injuries with acupuncture, then gather some herbs nearby to restore their vital energy.
The torn muscles could be fixed with needles and a special massage infused with internal energy.
Je Wiryong, who was relatively unharmed, watched the scene with pity.
It pained his heart to see his strategists, who were like his own flesh and blood, in such a miserable state.
Byeok Taesan approached Je Wiryong.
"If you have something to say, say it."
Startled by Byeok Taesan's words, Je Wiryong looked at him.
Why wouldn't he have something to say? He had a lot to say. But he couldn't.
Byeok Taesan's eyes were twinkling with anticipation.
'Don't tell me... is he setting the stage for me to rebel?'
If he showed even a hint of defiance here, he would likely suffer a fate worse, not better, than theirs.
"It seems it will take quite some time before we can depart after their treatment is finished."
Byeok Taesan smirked at Je Wiryong's words.
"Are you in a hurry to leave?"
Je Wiryong gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
"To be honest, I'm not in any particular hurry. However... I am a little worried."
After saying that, Je Wiryong discreetly observed Byeok Taesan's reaction.
As expected, he saw a curious glint in his eyes.
"From what I've gathered... it seems the Golden Moon Trading Company and the Underworld Sect don't have a good relationship, do they?"
To be precise, it was a relationship with Byeok Taesan, not the Underworld Sect, but from an outsider's perspective, it could be seen that way.
Je Wiryong watched Byeok Taesan's expression and quickly added an explanation.
"I've been pulling strings here and there. By collecting and analyzing various situations, one can foresee interesting developments."
He would present these analyzed situations to the group of strategists he had trained and use them as a basis for their training.
The matter between the Golden Moon Trading Company and the Underworld Sect was one of the things he had stumbled upon during this process.
"The Golden Moon Trading Company is more formidable than you might think. It's not some flimsy company that the Underworld Sect can easily take on."
"So?"
"If appropriate measures aren't taken immediately, you will likely face a major setback."
Byeok Taesan stared at Je Wiryong intently.
Je Wiryong's legs trembled under the sudden pressure bearing down on him.
'What's going on? Did I say something he didn't like?'
He had said it to showcase his usefulness.
It was also a way of expressing his intention to never defy him and to serve him with loyalty.
But why was he looking at him like that? As if he had done something terribly wrong.
Je Wiryong swallowed dryly.
"Um... Young Master?"
Byeok Taesan nodded and said.
"Let's go."
"Pardon?"
"For now, you and I will go. Ah, we need a guide."
Byeok Taesan turned his head to look at the Underworld Sect member.
The Underworld Sect member's face turned pale as their eyes met.
"Lead the way."
The Underworld Sect member looked as if he were facing death. But what could he do? He had to run.
Byeok Taesan looked at the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric and said.
"Don't be lazy."
It meant they should return quickly after finishing the treatment, without dawdling.
The Divine Doctor and the Eccentric replied with bright smiles.
"Oh, of course."
"We'll finish the treatment quickly and head back right away. Absolutely."
Byeok Taesan's eyes narrowed slightly.
The Divine Doctor and the Eccentric flinched and quickly averted their gazes.
Byeok Taesan stared at the two for a moment before turning his head toward the Underworld Sect member.
"Let's go."
The Underworld Sect member started running, his face still pale.
Just how much more did he have to run before this would end?
But Je Wiryong's expression was even more precarious than the Underworld Sect member's.
He felt like he would really die if he ran any more.
But he had no choice but to run.
The Underworld Sect member took the lead, and Je Wiryong followed.
And Byeok Taesan followed at a leisurely pace.
The speed of the three increased as they went.
* * *
As soon as Byeok Taesan arrived at the Gakwol Inn, he went to find Hwaok.
Hwaok was sitting on a small rock placed by a small pond in front of the annex pavilion of the inn.
She was sitting there reviewing various documents, her expression grave. It seemed things weren't going well.
Byeok Taesan approached Hwaok with Je Wiryong in tow.
Je Wiryong's eyes widened when he saw Hwaok.
He had seen many beautiful women in his life, but Hwaok ranked among the top ten.
Considering he had originally lived in the Heavenly Demonic Cult, this was truly remarkable.
The Heavenly Demonic Cult was home to many beauties. The women who served the Heavenly Demon, in particular, were stunningly beautiful.
Back when he was in the Heavenly Demonic Cult, Je Wiryong had had opportunities to see the women who served the Heavenly Demon.
But Hwaok was far more beautiful than any of the women he had seen then.
Je Wiryong stared blankly at Hwaok.
Then, his head suddenly snapped to the side.
"Hic!"
A shrill gasp escaped him.
"Eeeeek!"
Je Wiryong struggled to turn his head back to its original position. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move it.
"Speak like that from now on."
"Pardon?"
As expected, it was Byeok Taesan's doing that he was in this state.
Je Wiryong grumbled, on the verge of tears.
"How am I supposed to talk in this uncomfortable position?"
Byeok Taesan said nothing.
Je Wiryong grunted and strained to move his head a few times before finally giving up and speaking.
"I heard the situation was difficult and came to help."
At those words, Hwaok's eyes sparkled.
"Are you the brain of the cult that the Young Master mentioned?"
At the words "brain of the cult," Je Wiryong puffed up with pride and nodded. He couldn't move his head left or right, but he could move it up and down.
"You see correctly. I am the Heavenly Brain."
Hwaok tilted her head. As far as she knew, the strategist of the Heavenly Demonic Cult was called the Demonic Brain.
But she figured the name wasn't important and let it slide.
"I see. I was in a difficult spot, so thank you for coming."
Byeok Taesan interjected.
"He didn't want to come. I dragged him here."
Je Wiryong scowled at that. Did he really have to put it that way?
"Ah... but you'll still help with all your abilities, won't you?"
When Hwaok asked in a slightly dewy voice, Je Wiryong nodded eagerly.
"Leave it to me. I will devise a truly brilliant plan for you."
Byeok Taesan stared at Je Wiryong for a moment before asking.
"Can you do it alone?"
As if frustrated, Je Wiryong thumped his chest.
"Young Master, I am Je Wiryong. The greatest mind under heaven, Je Wiryong."
Byeok Taesan smirked. It had been a long time since he'd seen someone so shamelessly gild their own face.
"You've got a thick skin. If you think you can't handle it, wait for the others. If you act rashly and cause trouble, things will be much harder for you than you can imagine."
Je Wiryong swallowed dryly at Byeok Taesan's words.
"Ha, haha, hahaha. Really, Young Master. Why must you make such scary jokes?"
"Do I look like someone who jokes around?"
Je Wiryong clamped his mouth shut. A chilling tension enveloped him.
"Um... Young Master."
Je Wiryong continued with an awkward laugh.
"Could you please turn my head back to normal? I don't know what I did, but I will never displease you again."
Byeok Taesan stared at Je Wiryong.
Judging by the way he spoke, it was clear he didn't even know why this had happened to him.
"Just handle this matter well."
With those words, Byeok Taesan turned and left.
"Y-Young Master? How can you just leave? Young Master! Young Master!"
Je Wiryong called out desperately for Byeok Taesan, but there was no answer.
And Hwaok, seeing this, covered her mouth with her hand and smiled softly.
Her gaze was fixed on Byeok Taesan as he walked out, unmoving.
* * *
Two days after Byeok Taesan and Je Wiryong arrived, the hundred strategists finally reached them.
Without Byeok Taesan, their pace had inevitably slowed.
But it wasn't because they were taking it easy or being lazy. They truly gave it their all.
They ran and ran, disregarding the toll it took on their bodies.
It was only possible because the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric were with them.
If anyone had a problem along the way, the two physicians would immediately take action.
In any case, that's how they were able to arrive in two days.
Though they were so exhausted upon arrival that they all but collapsed.
But they couldn't rest right away.
Because the Underworld Sect's situation was not good.
As soon as the strategists arrived, Je Wiryong rushed over and gathered them together.
He had come up with various strategies on his own, but he wasn't confident they were enough to overcome the current situation and defeat the Golden Moon Trading Company.
The thought that he would lose face with Hwaok and the sense of crisis that he might suffer a harsh punishment from Byeok Taesan made him ignore the strategists' fatigue.
In any case, now that the strategists were gathered, he was confident that any strategy they employed would succeed.
Because they would consider every variable and prepare a countermeasure for it.
The Gakwol Inn didn't have a room large enough for a hundred people, so they gathered in the rear garden of the annex.
Naturally, the people who had been training in the rear garden had to take a break for the time being.
But just because they stopped training didn't mean they could rest.
They were now gathered in Byeok Taesan's room.
Everyone looked at Byeok Taesan, their eyes shining with anticipation.
They all knew what was about to happen.
The very reason they had come to Changsha in the first place—it was time to go raid Nameless.
Byeok Taesan glanced at Je Wiryong, whom he had forced to attend this meeting.
Je Wiryong couldn't seem to focus.
It was because there were too many beautiful women here.
Unable to decide where to look, his eyes darted around.
"Fix your eyes before I twist your neck off."
Startled by Byeok Taesan's words, Je Wiryong looked at him.
He had just barely gotten his head back to normal; he couldn't go back to that pathetic state.
"I am looking straight at you, Young Master. Yes. Please speak."
"Finish it before I return."
To Byeok Taesan's calm words, Je Wiryong replied with a confident expression and voice.
"I will obey your command."