Chapter 218
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: I'm Going for a Little Walk
"We've captured a total of thirty-six, and the rest are all dead."
Hwaok reported, and Byeok Taesan nodded.
The number of assailants who attacked the Gakwol Inn this time exceeded three hundred.
The Golden Moon Trading Company had truly steeled themselves and played their hand.
And since this reckless endeavor failed, they would pay the price one way or another.
Already, the businesses owned by the Golden Moon Trading Company were beginning to falter.
Things were already difficult with the Hyeoncheon Trading Company relentlessly encroaching on their market share, so how great would the fallout be now that they had lost the martial power to protect it in an instant?
"Thirteen of them belong to Nameless."
"Hyeokryeon Hwi?"
"Yes. They are the remnants of those who served under Hyeokryeon Hwi. We plan to interrogate them and root out all remaining traces of Nameless in Changsha."
It seemed there was no longer any need to report to Byeok Taesan on this matter.
After successfully fending off this attack, the morale of those under Byeok Taesan's command soared sky-high.
This was true not only for the people Byeok Taesan directly commanded, but also for members of the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group.
They too had played their parts and fought in this attack.
Although the warriors of Nameless were strong, their true masters had all participated in this assault, so the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group were more than capable of handling the rest.
"We have identified evidence that the Five Great Families, the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Hubei Martial Alliance recently held a meeting."
"A meeting?"
Byeok Taesan thought little of it. They had held many meetings before.
But not once had they produced any meaningful results.
In truth, this was the result of the Heavenly Demonic Cult's various organizations working behind the scenes to ensure the meetings never succeeded, but such trivial matters were never reported to the Heavenly Demon.
"It appears to be a meeting to counter Nameless. I will provide an additional report once we have more accurate information."
Byeok Taesan gave a slight nod. That was something Hwaok could handle on her own.
As she was in the middle of her report, a presence was felt outside the door.
Hwaok's gaze turned to the door.
"I have an urgent matter to report."
The person standing outside was a member of the Underworld Sect. Judging by the voice, it was one of the men who had been interrogating the Nameless warriors earlier.
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan, who then glanced at the door.
The door swung open on its own.
The Underworld Sect member started in surprise, looking at Byeok Taesan and Hwaok.
But he quickly composed himself, entered, and prostrated.
"During the interrogation, we learned of the remnants of Nameless who were under Hyeokryeon Gyun."
Hearing the name Hyeokryeon Gyun, a flicker of interest appeared in Byeok Taesan's eyes.
"It seems they are planning something in Wuhan."
"Wuhan?"
Hwaok's expression became urgent.
"What should we do?"
She must have felt like rushing to Wuhan at once.
Wuhan was where Byeok Taesan's foundation lay.
The Golden Jade Trading Company was there, as was the headquarters of the Underworld Sect.
Furthermore, a significant number of the newly joined Secret Heaven Group had also gathered in Wuhan.
The dark arts factions and the rogue warrior market had also completely become Byeok Taesan's.
Not only that, but the Heavenly Medicine Hall was also there. Seung Doheung and many other formation masters were gathered there as well.
Despite Hwaok's urgent gaze, Byeok Taesan didn't even blink. It was as if he were saying this was truly nothing to worry about.
Seeing him like that, Hwaok also felt her heart calm down.
She had become momentarily agitated by the sudden report. And she felt a little embarrassed about it.
She looked at the Underworld Sect member and said.
"Understood. Return and continue the interrogation."
The Underworld Sect member bowed his head and carefully withdrew.
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan and asked in a calm voice.
"What should we do?"
"What are your thoughts?"
Hwaok answered immediately, without hesitation.
"If they had planned this from the start, they probably would have struck simultaneously."
Therefore, it would already be too late to rush to their aid now.
On second thought, the strength of those remaining in Wuhan was not to be underestimated.
Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu were in Wuhan. So were Seung Doheung and Cho Seoran.
There were plenty of members from the Secret Heaven Group, and the elite of the Underworld Sect.
There were also the dark arts practitioners and rogue warriors who had learned demonic arts.
They would not be defeated easily.
However, Nameless was not an easy organization to deal with, so she couldn't be too optimistic.
Hwaok explained all of this very calmly and clearly.
When she finished, the corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly. And he nodded.
Byeok Taesan rose from his seat.
"Take care of the remaining matters yourself."
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan with surprised eyes. But she quickly returned to a composed expression and bowed respectfully.
"Please go without worry. I will handle everything so as not to disappoint your expectations, Young Master."
In truth, there wasn't much to handle. The situation here in Changsha was as good as over.
"I'm going for a little walk."
With those words, Byeok Taesan left the room.
Hwaok watched his retreating back and smiled softly.
***
Those under Hyeokryeon Gyun within Nameless were divided into five major factions, all fiercely competing with one another.
Of course, they didn't fight to the point of trying to kill each other, but they competed and kept each other in check in various ways.
Of those five groups, two went over to Hyeokryeon Bigwang along with Shin Woongtae.
Those who remained couldn't help but be deeply conflicted.
They were split between those who argued they should join Hyeokryeon Bigwang even now, and those who insisted they could manage on their own.
Shin Woongtae and Nok Cheonhak approached them and helped them conspire with those who had been under Hyeokryeon Hwi.
The result was today's surprise attack.
They had decided to attack the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in Wuhan and the Gakwol Inn in Changsha at the same time on the same day.
The warriors of Nameless gathered on the outskirts of Wuhan, waiting for the appointed time, sharpening their fighting spirit and killing intent.
The total number of warriors gathered here was one hundred and ninety-two.
Among them, nine were Squad Leaders, each leading twenty subordinates, and three were the leaders of their respective groups.
Those three had held the ranks of Commander or Vice-Commander within Nameless.
The nine Squad Leaders were masters skilled enough to hold an elder's position in a fairly large martial family.
And the three Commanders and Vice-Commanders were so strong that even four Squad Leaders attacking together could not defeat them.
The one currently leading them was a man who had been a Commander.
The other two Vice-Commanders hadn't acknowledged him as their superior, but they had agreed to follow his command for today's battle.
"Move out."
At the Commander's low-voiced order, everyone moved in perfect unison.
Nearly two hundred warriors moved without a single breath or the slightest footstep being heard.
They moved quickly and stealthily toward the center of Wuhan.
Today's target was the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was the headquarters of the Underworld Sect. The first objective was to capture the Master of the Underworld Sect, that is, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Anyone they encountered in the process was to be considered a member of the Underworld Sect and killed.
The next target was the Heavenly Medicine Hall.
At the Heavenly Medicine Hall, they were to capture only Cho Seoran, the Queen of Medicine and master of the hall, and kill all the other physicians. This too would be over quickly.
The final target was the Golden Jade Trading Company.
At the Golden Jade Trading Company, they were simply to kill and burn everything in sight, then retreat swiftly.
It was an extremely simple plan, and an operation that could not possibly fail.
Their goal was to cause a major disturbance and inflict psychological, material, and personnel damage on Byeok Taesan.
They ran swiftly toward their target.
And in the place the Nameless warriors had just left, dozens of shadows suddenly rose up.
They were men dressed in yellow martial uniforms, all with pale faces.
And at their center, a handsome young man with an eerie light in his eyes watched the distant figures of the Nameless warriors.
"Honestly... he's such a coward, it's annoying to serve him as my lord."
The young man grumbled as he began to walk.
His mission was to watch the ones who had just entered to ensure they did their job properly, and then to lend his strength.
In other words, he was to escalate the situation.
Once they started, people would likely flock from all directions to stop them.
The young man was to kill every single one of those who flocked to them.
He had been ordered to kill them as cruelly as possible, and that was the one part he liked.
How far had they advanced into Wuhan?
The young man frowned as he watched the Nameless warriors wandering around instead of pressing forward.
"What the hell are those guys doing?"
***
The Commander leading the Nameless warriors stopped with a grim expression.
Moving any further would only waste their energy. They needed to come up with a fundamental solution.
"To think we'd fall into a formation on a major road like this."
At the Commander's murmur, the Vice-Commanders beside him shook their heads.
"The fact that they laid a formation in a place like this is even more absurd."
This was the widest thoroughfare in Wuhan. Who would be brazen enough to set up a formation on such a road?
"First, we must try our best to get out. If that doesn't work... we'll break it with brute force."
They certainly had the power to do so. Of course, that would only work if the formation's power was within a certain limit.
After wandering inside the formation for quite some time, a path slowly began to appear.
The Commander used every sense at his disposal to find a way out.
As they moved, they soon found themselves at the end of the thoroughfare.
"We're finally out."
The Commander muttered, savoring a sense of accomplishment. He puffed out his chest and turned around with a triumphant look.
But his expression hardened the moment he turned.
"This is everyone? Where did the others go?"
Only about ten men remained behind the Commander.
The two Vice-Commanders were nowhere to be seen, and it was a small relief that at least two Squad Leaders were among them.
No, could this even be called a relief? They didn't even know how many groups their party had been split into.
"What happened?"
One of the Squad Leaders answered.
"Honestly, I don't know. I just realized it myself."
It meant that so many people had disappeared without him even noticing.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
As if to confirm that bad feeling, a group of people appeared before them.
There was some distance between them, but it was negligible for those who could use lightness techniques.
Besides, the Commander had no intention of retreating.
"So it's the bastards from the Underworld Sect."
The Commander said in a rather loud voice as he drew his sword.
He imbued his voice with internal energy. It was a type of sonic art. Not one he had merely dabbled in, but one he had properly trained.
The man standing at the forefront of the group swung a large sword in a vertical arc.
*Boom!*
The sonic art was shattered.
The Commander's eyes widened slightly. He could tell from that single move. That man was no ordinary opponent.
The Commander tightened his grip on his sword.
Then, the group that had appeared slowly approached.
There were forty of them in total.
Individually, their skills were inferior to the Nameless warriors the Commander had with him, but with such numbers, the outcome was uncertain.
The approaching man, Yuk Taegu, grinned and pointed his sword.
"I'm a bit busy, you see. So let's get this over with quickly."
Yuk Taegu charged forward.
*Clang!*
Sword clashed with sword, sending out a wave of energy.
And the men behind Yuk Taegu spread out as if to surround them, descending upon the Nameless warriors.
A fierce battle began.
***
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion looked out the window from the top floor of the pavilion.
Fighting was breaking out in all directions.
The power of the formation was what had split them into so many pieces.
She had seen a demonstration when the formation was first installed, but seeing it again like this, it was truly remarkable.
They had begun tracking the enemy as soon as they approached the vicinity of Wuhan.
There had been suspicious movements, and after realizing they were unusual, they had quickly devised a countermeasure.
The result was what she was seeing now.
Splitting the enemy and then sending out opponents suited to each group's level to eliminate them.
There were some among them who would have to fight a harsh battle, but so far, things were not bad.
If things continued like this, they would be able to stop them with almost no losses.
"It's definitely Nameless."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion continued to gather additional information on them. Even now, members of the Underworld Sect were running themselves ragged, collecting intelligence.
Information on Nameless was being steadily collected from all over the world, not just about this group.
But Nameless remained as hazy and indistinct as mist.
She had also obtained information that because of Nameless, the Five Great Families, the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and even the Hubei Martial Alliance had gathered for a meeting.
If they joined forces, Nameless wouldn't be able to act so brazenly.
'Well... to be honest, "brazenly" is a bit of an overstatement.'
As the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was watching the fight with these thoughts, she heard urgent footsteps from outside.
Turning to the door, she saw a member of the Underworld Sect burst in and kneel on one knee.
"Suspicious individuals have entered!"
The expression of the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion changed.
"Suspicious individuals?"
"It seems Nameless has sent additional reinforcements."
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion touched her forehead with her hand.
This was unexpected. But it had to be dealt with somehow.
There were still many people left in Wuhan.
The problem was the strength of these newly appeared enemies.
If they were far stronger than the ones currently fighting, she would have to brace for severe losses.
"Gather everyone who's left."
At her command, the Underworld Sect member quickly replied and went outside.
What could she do? She had to stop them, no matter what.
As she looked outside again, the gaze of the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion deepened.