Chapter 207
Chapter 207
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 207
Chapter Title: I'm Told That's the Case
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Soso looked around, slightly intimidated.
Being surrounded by nine beautiful women made her feel needlessly small.
"Alright, now tell us."
"A-About what?"
Soso asked, blinking innocently as if she had no idea what they were talking about.
"Playing innocent won't work."
Soso keenly realized she wouldn't be able to leave until she satisfied the nine pairs of eyes filled with curiosity.
She suddenly ducked her head.
"We just slept."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean?"
Everyone stared at Soso, bewildered.
Soso answered in a barely audible voice.
"He just held me and slept. *Hmph*. This is why I didn't want to say anything."
"He just held you and slept? Without doing anything else?"
Soso slowly raised her head and looked at Seolhwa.
Seolhwa, who had been expressionless, flinched when her eyes met Soso's and furtively looked away.
"You said he was nice to hold while sleeping."
Seolhwa said, as if making an excuse.
"My only crime was speaking the truth."
"*Hmph*."
Soso ducked her head again, placing both hands on the floor.
Seeing this, the maids covered their mouths, trying to stifle their laughter.
They all approached Soso, gave her a few gentle pats on the back, and left.
As if to say, "Cheer up."
For some reason, that made Soso feel even more miserable.
* * *
Hwang Gyu reveled in a thrilling sense of ecstasy.
At times like this, he felt glad he did this job. Of course, it wasn't a job he had chosen for himself.
This moment, having relentlessly pursued a faint, almost broken trail to the very end and seeing the result right before his eyes, was so magnificent he wouldn't trade it for anything.
Hwang Gyu had clearly seen the person who had just brushed past him inside that inn.
He was the man who led Nanchang's top intelligence organization.
He was also the one who had taken the request from Yang Chibaek.
"Alright, then. Shall we see who's behind this?"
It was clearly no ordinary inn. It was the kind of place where one couldn't even dream of spending a night without a considerable amount of money.
But Hwang Gyu had no intention of actually spending the night at the inn.
In this line of work, secrecy was everything.
Hwang Gyu waited for nightfall. The sun had set a while ago, so a suitable time would come if he just waited a little longer.
The night grew late, and the lanterns lighting the inn began to go out one by one.
Despite this, the inn did not fall into darkness. Not all the lanterns and torches had been extinguished.
'The security is quite tight.'
It was certainly befitting of an extraordinary inn. Warriors hired by the inn were positioned everywhere, standing guard.
But they were amateurs at best. Hwang Gyu was confident he could deceive their eyes and slip inside.
Hwang Gyu's body moved as if flowing with the darkness.
During the day, while circling the inn and moving cautiously, he had marked a few places where his target was likely to be.
Now, all he had to do was check them one by one.
Hwang Gyu seeped into the inn and headed for the first location.
Arriving there, Hwang Gyu's face lit up.
'How could I be this lucky!'
He had found the answer on his very first try. His target, that bastard, was lying in bed, preparing to sleep.
Hwang Gyu quietly entered the room and closed the door.
The man lying in bed slowly sat up. He knew Hwang Gyu well.
The man simply stared at Hwang Gyu without a word.
Hwang Gyu walked up to the man, pulled over a nearby chair, and sat down.
"Did you think I wouldn't be able to find you if you just packed everything up and hid? Especially while brazenly staying in Nanchang?"
The man let out a deep sigh.
"Why are you here?"
"Why else? I came to check on the status of our first young master's request."
The man scoffed.
"Came to check on a request that was never made? Let's not play games between professionals. What do you want?"
Hwang Gyu shook his head.
"Don't even think about testing me. You still have a chance, so you'd better act wisely. I can let you off the hook. So just tell me who's behind this."
"There's no one."
The corners of Hwang Gyu's mouth twisted.
"Do you think you're the only one I've confirmed? I've found a few of your subordinates. Do you really think they'll keep their mouths shut?"
The man's face grew serious, and he fell silent.
Hwang Gyu grinned. He hadn't found anyone yet, but who would know? If he bluffed like this, the man was bound to get scared.
"Like I said before, you still have a chance. No one knows I'm here right now. That means I haven't reported it."
"So you mean you'll intentionally omit the fact that you came here from your report?"
"If you take the chance, then of course."
At that, the man's attitude changed instantly. He spoke with an exceedingly polite expression and posture.
"I'm told that's the case."
Hwang Gyu grasped the situation in an instant. His expression hardened. He immediately tried to leap away and escape.
*Crack!*
He would have, if someone hadn't suddenly appeared from behind and seized him by the neck.
Hwang Gyu didn't even scream. An immense pain washed over him, but without letting out a single groan, he contemplated how to escape.
He immediately shot his leg backward. No, he tried to. But it wouldn't move. It was as if all sensation below his neck had vanished.
With nothing he could do, Hwang Gyu glared at the man before him, as if vowing not to let him get away with this.
But the man clutched his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Aigoo, that really took ten years off my life. You've worked hard."
At the man's words, the person holding Hwang Gyu's neck, Cheon Gyeongwan, gave a slight bow.
Then he quietly left the room.
Only then did the man lie back down on the bed and close his eyes, his mind at ease.
A heavy stone that had been weighing on his heart was finally gone.
* * *
"This is news from Wuhan and Changsha."
Hwaok said, respectfully holding out a few documents.
Byeok Taesan took them and skimmed through them.
In Wuhan, other than the leaders of the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, the Namgung Family, and the Jegal Family holding frequent meetings, there was nothing of note.
For now, Wuhan was the most peaceful place.
The remnants of Nameless there had been completely wiped out, and it had become a difficult place for Nameless to attempt any schemes in the future.
The only variable was the people mentioned in this document.
The Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Five Great Families were all formidable and troublesome groups.
In any case, the Underworld Sect was said to be continuously monitoring that area, so it seemed they just needed to watch for the time being.
The situation in Changsha was a bit different from Wuhan.
A fierce competition was currently unfolding in Changsha between the Golden Moon Trading Company and the Underworld Sect.
And in the process, they had determined a need to establish their own trading company and had contacted Byeok Taesan to ask for his permission.
"A trading company..."
Byeok Taesan stroked his chin as he read the document.
"We need to secure funds continuously in the future, so a trading company is necessary. We can use the Underworld Sect, but there's a difference between having a company we can operate directly and not having one."
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Then create one."
"What should we name it?"
Hwaok asked cautiously.
"Call it Profound Heaven."
Byeok Taesan said it casually, but if anyone related to the Heavenly Demonic Cult had been present, they might have been horrified.
The name Profound Heaven held a very important meaning within the Heavenly Demonic Cult.
But Byeok Taesan didn't care at all.
He himself was the master of Profound Heaven, so was there any reason he couldn't use the name?
No, frankly, why would he use any other name?
During his time as the Heavenly Demon, Byeok Taesan never had cause to name things in this way.
His subordinates handled most things, so there was no need for him to worry about it.
But if he had needed to name something back then, he would have gladly used the name Profound Heaven.
"Then I will pass that on."
Byeok Taesan nodded and continued to review the documents.
The conflict with the Golden Moon Trading Company in Changsha was being handled better than expected.
It was clear that Dragon Emperor and Heavenly Thunder joining them had been a great help.
"This should be enough."
As Byeok Taesan put the documents down, Hwaok continued with her next report.
"A tracker from the Hwangbo Family infiltrated the inn yesterday."
Byeok Taesan's eyes gleamed.
"Oh?"
Hwaok reported in detail what had happened yesterday.
The report stated that Cheon Gyeongwan had captured him, and that their response had been easier because the head of the Nanchang intelligence organization had sensed something was off and reported it in advance.
"Interrogation?"
"The Underworld Sect handled it. The drugs worked better than expected, and we extracted a good amount of information."
Hwaok reported the information extracted from Hwang Gyu.
Hwang Gyu was acting under the orders of the Hwangbo Family Head, and his objective was to find the person who did that to Hwangbo Yeop.
"He said he hasn't reported to the Hwangbo Family yet. Apparently, the Hwangbo Family Head prefers to receive reports only after concrete results have been achieved."
Hwang Gyu also knew a great deal of other secret information about the Hwangbo Family.
"How should we deal with him?"
If they killed Hwang Gyu, another tracker would surely appear.
But they couldn't just let him go, either.
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan with a hint of anticipation.
Didn't Byeok Taesan have his own way of handling things in situations like this? In Hwaok's opinion, it was the most effective method.
Byeok Taesan saw her expression and chuckled. He could certainly do that much for her.
It wasn't as if it would be bad for him, either.
"Bring him here."
Hwaok quickly bowed her head.
"Yes."
* * *
The Hwangbo Family Head, Hwangbo Wonhu, wore a bewildered expression.
It was because Hwang Gyu, prostrated before him, had just uttered the most absurd thing.
"What did you just say? You don't remember?"
"I apologize. But I truly do not know what you are talking about, Family Head."
A violent aura erupted from Hwangbo Wonhu.
"Are you trying to mock me?"
This was an undeniable truth. Hwangbo Wonhu had given the order to Hwang Gyu himself.
Hwang Gyu had said he would bring back tangible results within five days. Considering his skills, that seemed plausible.
But when five days passed with no word, he had specifically summoned him.
And this was the result.
This was something one could never do unless they were trying to make a fool of him.
But in that moment, he felt a sense of déjà vu.
He felt as if he had experienced a situation similar to this one before.
'Yeop and Chibaek were similar.'
It was slightly different from Hwang Gyu's case, but the situation was similar. At least, in terms of not being able to remember.
Hwang Gyu, on the other hand, was about to go mad. He couldn't understand why the Family Head was acting this way.
He had come in such a hurry after being summoned that he hadn't even realized the memories of the past few days had been erased.
But what could he do? His opponent was the head of the great Hwangbo Family.
Hwang Gyu simply remained prostrated. He said what he could and then kept his mouth tightly shut, awaiting his punishment.
But in that moment, Hwangbo Wonhu's immense and violent aura crashed down on him.
Hwang Gyu trembled, forcing himself to endure it.
Fortunately, it didn't last long.
Hwangbo Wonhu had withdrawn his aura.
Was it because the oppressive aura vanished and he relaxed? Hwang Gyu was greatly flustered when he felt his sphincter suddenly loosen.
*Pfffffffft!*
A foul stench filled the room.
Hwangbo Wonhu's expression became as hard as stone.
Hwang Gyu, both flustered and apologetic, could only bury his face in the floor, unable to say a word.
"Leave."
"Yes!"
Hwang Gyu answered the instant Hwangbo Wonhu finished speaking and bolted from the room.
He used his lightest and most stealthy movement technique, but he couldn't stop the debris from pattering onto the floor.
Hwangbo Wonhu watched this and ground his teeth.
He finally understood what was happening.
"What audacious bastards dare to mess with our Hwangbo Family!"
He was thoroughly irritated.
He didn't know who the crazy bastards were, but weren't they making everyone in the Hwangbo Family soil themselves?
If a few more key figures of the Hwangbo Family fell into the clutches of those strange bastards and ended up soiling themselves in the middle of the street, the family's reputation would plummet.
If that happened, they probably wouldn't even be able to look the other Five Great Families in the eye.
"I will catch them all, no matter what it takes."
Hwangbo Wonhu resolved to mobilize the entire Flying Pavilion to catch the bastards who did that to Hwangbo Yeop.
Mobilizing the entire Flying Pavilion to catch one person was a clear waste of resources. But he felt it was a waste worth making.
Hwangbo Wonhu rose from his seat to find the Master of the Flying Pavilion.