Chapter 215
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 215
Chapter Title: Another Interesting Day
Hyeokryeon Bigwang looked down at the two men prostrated before him and smiled faintly.
"Welcome."
An undeniable joy laced his tone.
And why wouldn't it? The two men here had been under Hyeokryeon Hwi and Hyeokryeon Gyun, respectively.
They had held considerably high positions, giving them control over a large portion of the forces led by Hyeokryeon Hwi and Hyeokryeon Gyun.
Moreover, they had secured a substantial amount of the resources those two factions possessed.
They had decided to pledge themselves to Hyeokryeon Bigwang for the sake of their future.
Of course, the manpower and resources they brought were not the entirety of what each faction had possessed.
But even that was more than enough to satisfy Hyeokryeon Bigwang.
He was already lying low because of that strange fellow, Byeok Taesan. Their joining him would be a great help in fighting that man.
"You may rise."
At Hyeokryeon Bigwang's words, the two men slowly got to their feet and stood in a respectful posture.
They were Nok Cheonhak and Shin Woongtae, masters who ranked within the top five of Hyeokryeon Hwi and Hyeokryeon Gyun's factions.
That alone made them more than worthy of recruitment.
And to top it off, they had come bearing a mountain of gifts. How could he not be pleased?
Hyeokryeon Bigwang resolved to treat the two of them well.
He was short on competent subordinates anyway, so wasn't this a timely development?
Hyeokryeon Bigwang's strength lay not in capable underlings, but in the souls of masters he had collected over many long years.
Furthermore, the jiangshi created through various grand arts were one of the main pillars of his power.
The problem was that these jiangshi were ineffective against Byeok Taesan. To improve upon this, not only Hyeokryeon Bigwang but also those involved with the jiangshi were practically holed up, engrossed in research.
Hyeokryeon Bigwang looked at the two men with a pleased expression.
Nok Cheonhak then spoke cautiously.
"There is something I must report to my new lord regarding the current situation in Changsha."
"Changsha?"
Changsha was where Hyeokryeon Hwi had been active.
It was also where Hyeokryeon Hwi had died.
He had tried to work with the Golden Moon Trading Company on something and ended up getting thoroughly beaten.
"Remnants of Hyeokryeon Hwi's faction are still in Changsha."
"Is that so? How many are there?"
"In terms of numbers, it's similar to what I've brought with me."
Hyeokryeon Bigwang's eyes sparkled.
"Really?"
He naturally coveted them. The number of men Nok Cheonhak had brought was substantial; it was only natural to want that many more.
"They are men who have already decided to turn their backs on us. You need not concern yourself with them."
Hyeokryeon Bigwang looked puzzled.
"Then why bring them up?"
"They are preparing for a fight, joining hands with the Golden Moon Trading Company."
"After being beaten so badly, they're trying that again?"
"Yes. Moreover, their opponent is also Byeok Taesan."
Hyeokryeon Bigwang smiled coldly. He also felt it was a bit of a waste.
Those men alone wouldn't be able to do anything to Byeok Taesan.
They would be lucky to slow him down for a moment.
Hyeokryeon Bigwang thought this as he looked at Nok Cheonhak. The reason for this conversation had yet to be revealed.
Just then, Shin Woongtae, who was standing next to Nok Cheonhak, spoke up.
"The remnants who were under Hyeokryeon Gyun are plotting something."
Hyeokryeon Bigwang's eyes flashed.
It seemed the two of them had coordinated their stories before coming.
"Plotting?"
"After their internal power struggles went nowhere, they've turned their attention outward."
Hyeokryeon Bigwang looked at Shin Woongtae with interest.
"And so?"
"They are targeting Wuhan."
A blood-red glint flared in Hyeokryeon Bigwang's eyes.
"Targeting Wuhan? Have the two sides joined hands and made a plan?"
The two men bowed their heads in unison and answered.
"Yes."
"We orchestrated it."
A satisfied smile formed on Hyeokryeon Bigwang's lips. It seemed he had acquired more capable talent than he'd thought.
"Dealing with Byeok Taesan won't be easy..."
Hyeokryeon Bigwang had experienced Byeok Taesan's power once before.
The strength Byeok Taesan had displayed at the time was beyond imagination.
That was why he had subtly manipulated Hyeokryeon Hwi and Hyeokryeon Gyun into making a move.
The result had exceeded his expectations.
Both of them had died.
Ever since meeting Byeok Taesan, Hyeokryeon Bigwang had strived to increase his power in various ways.
He re-examined his martial arts, trained fiercely, and researched, contemplated, and worked to further develop the other powers he possessed.
Hyeokryeon Bigwang made a cold comparison.
What were his chances of winning if he fought Byeok Taesan?
He recalled the memory of the day he met him.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Hyeokryeon Bigwang's forehead.
He eventually shook his head.
"Not yet."
He was still far from ready to face Byeok Taesan. Moreover, the power Byeok Taesan had gathered around him in the meantime was also extraordinary.
"In that case, it wouldn't be a bad idea to use this opportunity to suppress the surrounding forces."
An even deeper crimson light emanated from Hyeokryeon Bigwang's eyes.
The thick scent of blood filled the air.
The two men standing before Hyeokryeon Bigwang quickly bowed their heads, their bodies trembling with fear.
***
Byeok Taesan sat on the bed in his room, his eyes gently closed.
He had been practicing a newly developed training method every night. He only did it for a short time at night because it would cause too much confusion for everyone if he did it during the day.
It was a novel training method he had never even considered during his time as the Heavenly Demon, which made it incredibly interesting.
It was a training to erase his presence, and he intended to apply it to the entire Gakwol Inn.
The Gakwol Inn itself was so large that at first, parts of it would occasionally be revealed.
For example, opening a door would cause the presence within to leak outside.
But after a few days, he could now control it with great naturalness and precision.
"Hm?"
In the midst of his training, Byeok Taesan's eyes snapped open.
There were people stealthily approaching the inn from a great distance.
His senses grew sharper during this training. Things that grated on his nerves frequently prodded at his perception, even without him consciously trying.
It was happening now.
Though they were moving from far away, they were irritating his nerves and continuously prodding his senses.
They were heading toward the Gakwol Inn.
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
It seemed something interesting was about to happen today as well.
***
In the darkness, figures clad in black clothes and black masks ran swiftly and silently.
There were twenty-one in total, one leading the other twenty.
They carried a restrained killing intent.
Their target today was the Gakwol Inn. The mission was to kill everyone there.
Though only twenty-one were present here, the actual number of personnel mobilized was far greater.
A total of three squads, each composed of twenty-one members, were moving separately.
They were all warriors of Nameless.
But it wasn't just Nameless that was mobilized for today's operation. The Golden Moon Trading Company had also deployed every available warrior.
After Nameless made the initial strike, the others would likely rush in, having already formed a wide perimeter around the Gakwol Inn.
The number of warriors mobilized by the Golden Moon Trading Company was several times that of Nameless. And they were by no means less skilled.
It was as if they had resolved to pour in an immense amount of military force.
Therefore, today's mission could not possibly fail.
They knew the skills of those staying at the Gakwol Inn were formidable.
But no matter how strong they were, there was no overcoming sheer numbers.
And among the warriors mobilized by Nameless were true masters, strong enough to be highly regarded even within the organization.
The twenty-one black-clad, masked figures moved quickly and soon arrived at the location of the Gakwol Inn.
And they all froze.
"What is this? Wasn't this the place?"
The man who had led the charge muttered as he looked around.
A man behind him quickly answered.
"The location is correct."
"Then why can't I see anything?"
The Gakwol Inn had definitely stood here.
But upon arrival, they found nothing but an empty, barren plain.
"Let's get closer."
The man quickly ran toward where the Gakwol Inn should have been. And collided with something.
*Thud.*
Startled, the man staggered back.
He cautiously reached out his hand to check. He felt a wall.
"Is it just... invisible?"
His subordinates approached and similarly reached out to the unseen space to confirm.
"Incredible. To be able to erase its appearance so completely... It seems they've set up a formation."
The leader thought so too.
There was no other way to explain this other than a formation.
"It seems... our plan has been leaked. We must be on our guard."
At the man's words, everyone else hardened their expressions and clamped their mouths shut.
But there was nothing they could do for now. They had to deal with this formation first.
"If we wait, those skilled in formations will arrive. Stay alert and on standby."
"Yes, sir."
They retreated and found a suitable place to wait for their comrades.
Since they assumed they were already exposed, they saw no need to hide.
As they waited, the other squads of twenty-one Nameless warriors arrived one after another.
At first, they were bewildered to see their comrades waiting in an empty field, but once they understood the situation, they sympathized with their feelings.
In the end, they all had no choice but to wait there, remaining on high alert, for the people from the Golden Moon Trading Company to arrive.
They found the whole situation irritating.
If they had brought a formation expert with them, they wouldn't have had to be in this position.
But all the formation experts had been taken by Nok Cheonhak.
He had acted so covertly and cunningly that there had been no time to react.
As they waited, seething with frustration, the people from the Golden Moon Trading Company arrived.
They reacted in the exact same way as the Nameless warriors.
The one difference was that they had brought formation experts with them.
They had prepared in advance for any unforeseen circumstances.
They had not only formation experts but also mechanism specialists.
The person in charge from the Golden Moon Trading Company was a man named Gu Cheol.
As soon as Gu Cheol grasped the situation, he immediately put the formation and mechanism experts to work.
The experts swarmed forward and began to analyze what kind of formation had been installed at the Gakwol Inn, or if there were any mechanisms.
Watching them, Gu Cheol couldn't hide his anxious expression.
"It's not good if unexpected things like this keep happening..."
The reason the Golden Moon Trading Company had been consistently pushed back by the Underworld Sect until now was precisely because of such unexpected events.
The Golden Moon Trading Company believed they were making the right decisions and countermeasures, but something unexpected always occurred, turning their sound judgments into bad moves.
After this happened several times, the movements of the Golden Moon Trading Company itself became greatly constrained.
Gu Cheol frowned, feeling his heart shrink.
When the atmosphere of the company became timid, its members also became timid, their thoughts and actions constrained.
It was happening now. He felt an uneasy, negative premonition that things would not go well.
And as if to prove his thoughts right, a formation expert approached and spoke.
"It's not a formation."
Gu Cheol's brow furrowed.
"Not a formation? Then is it a mechanism?"
This time, the mechanism specialist shook his head.
"There are no traces of mechanisms on the exterior. I can't say for sure since I'm only relying on touch and feel, but..."
Even as he said he couldn't be certain, a glint of confidence was in the specialist's eyes.
It meant he was sure of his assessment.
"What is this... Are you saying that inn is simply invisible?"
Neither the formation expert nor the mechanism specialist could say anything more, their mouths clamped shut.
They weren't sure either. Frankly, they couldn't comprehend how such a thing was even possible.
Gu Cheol stared at the spot where the inn should be, wondering what on earth he should do.
The formation expert cautiously spoke to him.
"Um..."
"What is it?"
"If it's just that its appearance is invisible... couldn't we just go inside?"
"Just go inside?"
"There must be a door, and if not, we could just break down a wall and enter..."
Gu Cheol fell silent, staring at the formation expert with wide eyes.
That would indeed work. Provided there were no other dangers.
Gu Cheol thought for a moment, then looked at the Nameless warriors and said.
"Let's just go in."
The Nameless warriors had also heard the formation expert, so they all nodded and rushed toward the inn.
It didn't take them long to find where the door was.
Naturally, the door was locked, and the one who found it smashed it open.
*CRACK!*
The door shattered, torn apart like paper.
They had hoped to see inside through the doorway, but that was not the case. It was still just an empty field.
The warriors of Nameless and the Golden Moon Trading Company swarmed into the inn.
< Another Interesting Day > End