Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Expelled
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The house was filled with the scent of medicine.
Piles of medicinal herbs were stacked everywhere in the small, shabby home.
They were common herbs, the kind you could find anywhere. No, some were closer to weeds than medicinal herbs.
Byeok Taesan found a man squatting amidst the piles, rolling pills.
A pure energy flowed around the man's body.
And just outside that pure energy, a sinister aura rippled.
It was the same energy that had been clogging the entrance before Byeok Taesan went inside.
That was why he had deliberately stopped Hwaok from approaching.
It was poison.
Moreover, it was a poison potent enough to pierce his Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts and invade his very veins.
Of course, the poison had completely evaporated within his bloodstream.
He never thought he’d find someone besides a Poison Demon who was this skilled with poison.
Byeok Taesan strode toward the man.
The man looked up, his eyes slightly startled as he saw Byeok Taesan.
"What is it?"
The man tried to remain calm, but he couldn't hide the tremor in his voice.
"What's wrong? Scared now that your poison doesn't work?"
The man's expression stiffened at Byeok Taesan's calm question.
"I heard the Divine Physician had a disciple, so I came out of curiosity."
The man's face hardened completely.
"I am not."
"What?"
"I said I am not his disciple. So please, leave. I don't know much about medicine either."
"For someone who claims not to know much, your skill with medicine and poison is quite impressive."
The man stared at Byeok Taesan with a cold gaze.
"Just because I know how to use a few medicines and poisons doesn't make me a physician. It's just… mere parlor tricks."
Byeok Taesan waved his hand.
*Fwoosh!*
The poisonous aura rippling around the man burned away, completely evaporating.
He had used the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts to incinerate it.
"It was annoying, so I got rid of it."
The man's eyebrows twitched.
How could he do something like this without a word, just because it was annoying?
But he couldn't voice his complaint.
"There was some poison at the entrance… did you burn that away as well?"
"I drank all of that."
The man stared at Byeok Taesan, utterly startled. His eyes were filled with disbelief.
What kind of poison was that, and he just drank it all?
"Are you… alright?"
Byeok Taesan smirked, not even bothering to answer.
As if he, the Heavenly Demon and master of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, could be felled by mere poison.
"Enough with the self-pity. Get up."
"Pardon?"
"If you want to become a physician, follow me."
With those words, Byeok Taesan turned and strode toward the exit.
The man called out urgently after him.
"What will change if I follow you?"
Byeok Taesan paused for a moment, turned his head to give the man a smirk, and then walked out.
The man stared at the door Byeok Taesan had left through for a long time.
After some time had passed, he slowly looked around at the piles of herbs surrounding him.
Then, he stood up and went outside.
A man was pacing outside the door, looking anxious and restless.
It was the same man who had taken the aphrodisiac from him.
In truth, that aphrodisiac wasn't the merciless poison he had once used to threaten Hwaok, one that would make a body explode with lust.
It stimulated both yin and yang energy, causing a momentary surge of passion and a brief loss of control over one's internal energy, but it was ultimately beneficial to the body.
"Uh… he said you'd eventually come out if I waited here."
At his words, the man, So Cheongmyeong, looked at him with a pathetic gaze.
"How did you end up like this?"
The man scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.
"You saw, didn't you? I messed with someone I shouldn't have. Lost my organization, everything. Honestly, I've already made up my mind to work under him."
"Well, he didn't seem like an ordinary person."
"Right? He's not ordinary. If you'd seen him in action, you wouldn't be speaking so calmly."
So Cheongmyeong let out a small laugh.
He knew without seeing. He had already experienced it. Who else in the world could burn away the poison he had spread so cleanly?
*'Could the person Master spoke of have done it?'*
He had never met him, so he wouldn't know. But even that person couldn't be better than the young master he met today, could he?
Thinking this, So Cheongmyeong spoke to the man staring at him with the anxious look of a desperate puppy.
"Let's go."
The man nodded eagerly, a joyful expression on his face.
"Good thinking. Let's go. Honestly, I tried my best not to mention you, but I had no choice. You know how it is, right?"
"I'm not your brother, how would I know what's in your heart? Whether it's a snake or a fox."
"Hey, don't say that, it hurts. My head almost got smashed in, you know?"
So Cheongmyeong smirked.
"Let's just get going. I warned you so many times not to use that medicine recklessly, but you never listen."
"I was never reckless. I only used a little bit now and then, when the mood struck. What man can resist that temptation? This time, the situation was really dire, I tell you. I poured out the entire vial. I was terrified."
So Cheongmyeong stopped walking. He looked at the man with serious, cold eyes.
"You used all of it on one person?"
"No, my subordinates were there too, so not just on one person… and my men took the antidote…"
"And he endured it? That person?"
The man's expression finally relaxed, and he began to speak with exaggerated gestures.
"Endured it? He did more than that! He created a whirlwind, sent all the medicine flying into the sky, and then turned it all into flames. Man! You should have seen the sight of that fiery rain."
So Cheongmyeong's stern expression did not soften.
The man then asked So Cheongmyeong in a hushed, suggestive tone.
"By the way, I'm all out of that medicine. Can I get a little more? My performance in bed hasn't been great lately…"
So Cheongmyeong cut him off coldly.
"Absolutely not."
As So Cheongmyeong started walking quickly, the man hurried to catch up.
"Come on, don't be like that. We're all friends here, right? I'll be really careful this time. Huh?"
***
So Cheongmyeong stared in surprise at the two old men before him.
They were none other than the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
"It is an honor to meet you."
So Cheongmyeong bowed respectfully.
It wasn't empty flattery; he was genuinely honored.
He had heard many rumors about the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
Moreover, when he was under his master, the Divine Physician, his master had mentioned them both personally.
In truth, the Divine Doctor of the Ages hadn't been famous for as long as the One-Needle Eccentric, but he had still been a consistently active physician for about ten years.
"You're the Divine Physician's disciple?"
The One-Needle Eccentric asked, looking So Cheongmyeong up and down with curious eyes.
"Not anymore."
"Hm?"
"I was expelled."
At the word "expelled," the eyes of both the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric widened slightly.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages was the first to speak.
He said with a playful expression.
"I heard the Divine Physician's virtue reaches the heavens. You must have been quite a handful to be kicked out by someone like him."
So Cheongmyeong, unsure how to respond, closed his mouth with a flustered look.
Just then, the One-Needle Eccentric smacked the back of the Divine Doctor's head.
*Thwack!*
"Ugh!"
"Hey! What kind of joke is that?"
So Cheongmyeong's eyes went wide. This time, he was truly shocked. He never expected him to hit him that hard on the back of the head.
"You'll have to forgive him. He's old, but he hasn't matured. Anyway, if you don't want to talk about your circumstances, you don't have to. In any case, as a former disciple of the Divine Physician, your skills must be extraordinary."
"They are insignificant."
"That's not what the Young Master said."
At the mention of the Young Master, So Cheongmyeong's eyes sparkled.
He already thought the man was no ordinary person, but he hadn't imagined he would have two such brilliant physicians under his command.
Honestly, besides the Divine Physician, weren't these two the greatest in the world?
"Who exactly is the Young Master? For the two of you to have pledged yourselves to him, he must be far from ordinary…"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages rubbed the back of his head and grinned.
"You came here because you knew that, didn't you?"
The One-Needle Eccentric added to the Divine Doctor's words.
"And we haven't pledged ourselves to him. We serve the Young Master. You should get your position straight as well."
So Cheongmyeong was honestly a bit taken aback.
He hadn't expected him to be so blunt.
And from the One-Needle Eccentric, of all people.
"Still, I am curious. Just how great is the Divine Physician?"
With someone who could compare their skills right in front of him, a competitive spirit he didn't know he had began to stir.
So Cheongmyeong flinched at the glint in the One-Needle Eccentric's eyes and unknowingly took a step back.
"Brother, you're going to give the kid a heart attack. Hey, hey, relax. I just want to have a serious talk about medicine. And while we're at it, you can share some stories about how great your old master was."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages quickly went to So Cheongmyeong and put an arm around his shoulders.
He practically wrapped his arm around his neck and said with a grin.
"Come on, let's not stand around here. Let's go inside. Staying out too long is bad for your health."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages practically dragged So Cheongmyeong inside.
"Ahem."
The One-Needle Eccentric watched them, let out an awkward cough, and quietly followed.
***
"Young Master, Hyeokryeon Hwi has entered Nanchang."
At Hwaok's report, Byeok Taesan's eyes flashed.
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan and continued her report.
"He has already clashed with the Hwangbo Family once."
"Then I suppose it's time for me to make a move."
Hyeokryeon Hwi's goal was to gather his forces in Nanchang and smuggle them out of the city.
If he delayed, Hyeokryeon Hwi might escape.
He had to catch him before that.
Hyeokryeon Hwi must have a great deal of information about Nameless.
Last time, with Hyeokryeon Gyun, his soul was so tainted with blood that he couldn't extract any proper information.
He had a rough idea of why, so this time, he planned to thoroughly wring out the man's spiritual energy before burning his soul.
He was sure he would find out some very interesting things.
"Have you located him?"
"Yes. But he never stays in one place for long, so we frequently lose track of him."
Continuously tracking and monitoring a master of Hyeokryeon Hwi's caliber was nearly impossible.
It might be different if someone with comparable skills were to do it, but no one in the Underworld Sect or the Secret Heaven Group was a match for Hyeokryeon Hwi.
They had to deceive his sharp senses, but how many people in the world were capable of that?
In any case, the surveillance on Hyeokryeon Hwi was being conducted by having members of the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group hold their positions and constantly check their surroundings, identifying his location whenever he passed through.
Even then, if their skills were lacking, they couldn't pinpoint Hyeokryeon Hwi's location accurately.
It was only because the Underworld Sect had regained the Shadow Steps and their skills had improved dramatically that they could manage this; otherwise, it would have been impossible.
"It seems Hyeokryeon Hwi has his masters gathering the warriors of Nameless, while he personally takes action to disrupt the Hwangbo Family's organization."
"He'll have to fight a major battle to get out of Nanchang."
"Yes. It appears both sides are anticipating that."
In any case, judging by the situation, there was no need to rush.
"Then we should raid the new base we found."
At Byeok Taesan's words, Hwaok bowed her head respectfully.
"I will prepare at once."
The location had already been identified, and watchers had been posted.
They were currently keeping an extremely low profile.
With the Hwangbo Family fiercely fighting Hyeokryeon Hwi's organization, no one was bothering to investigate or provoke them, so they had judged that lying low was the best course of action.
"Let's go."
As Byeok Taesan rose and went outside, Hwaok quickly followed and called for a member of the Underworld Sect to guide them.
The two headed straight for one of the Nameless bases.
They moved with incredible speed.
The Underworld Sect member moved as fast as he could, and Byeok Taesan and Hwaok followed him without difficulty.
"It's over there."
Looking where the man pointed, they saw a rather decent-looking building.
It was a bit small, but it wasn't too old and was well-maintained.
"There are fifteen of them."
Byeok Taesan nodded at the man's words. Just as he was about to move, he sensed a slight commotion in the distance.
"It's the Underworld Sect."
Hwaok said, looking in that direction.
She confirmed the signal sent by the sect members and urgently reported to Byeok Taesan.
"They say warriors from the Hwangbo Family are moving toward another base. And the same number of warriors are heading this way."
Information about this location had been leaked to the Hwangbo Family.
Byeok Taesan spoke calmly.
"I'm just taking the leader."
As Hwaok and the Underworld Sect member nodded in response, Byeok Taesan leaped into the air.
The inside of the building was already within his senses.
He could instantly tell who was the strongest and who held the highest rank.
It was a three-story building, and Byeok Taesan reached the third floor in a single leap.
A moment later, he jumped back down, gripping a man's neck.
< Expelled > End