Chapter 227
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: Again in Three Days
Je Wiryong was thoroughly pleased with the Hyeoncheon Manor.
For one, he liked its sheer size.
It was spacious enough for him and the hundred members of the Celestial Brains to live comfortably.
He also liked that it was full of beautiful women.
The staff working here at the Hyeoncheon Manor were particularly attractive.
This was true even without counting Yeon Harin, Byeok Taesan's handmaidens, Yu Seoyeon, or Cho Seoran.
Of course, they were far less beautiful than those ladies, but they were more than enough for Je Wiryong to admire.
Besides, Je Wiryong held an important position in the manor, making it easy for him to approach women of relatively lower status.
He often flirted with the women around him, but none of them ever fell for his advances.
Nevertheless, Je Wiryong didn't give up. He persisted with the determination that if he kept trying, he would eventually succeed.
One of the reasons he liked the Hyeoncheon Manor was its excellent landscaping, which created a wonderful atmosphere.
A good atmosphere was conducive to hitting on women, and the well-designed landscape provided plenty of hiding spots.
He had already found more than ten potential hiding places around the pavilion used by the Celestial Brains.
If someone he didn't want to see came looking for him, he could just assess the situation and secretly hide.
What a wonderful place this was.
"To be honest, that last place was a real pain. There was nowhere to run."
They had been staying in an annex of an inn, a hundred men crammed into a small space, racking their brains.
He, too, had nowhere to escape and was constantly cornered, buried in work with barely any sleep.
He wanted no more of that life.
From now on, he would spare no effort in pursuing a comfortable existence.
Je Wiryong clenched his fists, making this resolution.
Just then, his eyes caught sight of a woman approaching in the distance.
It was Hwaok.
A glint appeared in Je Wiryong's eyes.
Hwaok was someone Je Wiryong had had his eye on from the very beginning.
It wasn't just her beauty; he was truly captivated by her cold, intelligent aura.
Among the people around Byeok Taesan, Yeon Harin was the most beautiful, followed closely by Cho Seoran.
The rest were all more or less on the same level, with slight differences depending on personal preference.
Of course, that was just Je Wiryong's opinion; in reality, the difference between them was paper-thin.
In any case, of all of them, Je Wiryong liked Hwaok the most.
Which was why he was now grinning foolishly without even realizing it.
"Miss Hwaok, have you come to see me? Ha, they say sincerity can move mountains. It seems my efforts have finally paid off, and the day has come for you to recognize my feelings."
Hwaok knew his words weren't worth listening to, so she let them go in one ear and out the other.
"I've come to check on the follow-up reports. They haven't been submitted."
Je Wiryong said with a sly smile.
"How could I possibly finish so many so quickly? It's not one or two, but ten reports. Do you think they can be completed that easily? The Celestial Brains aren't like stones you can just roll around with brute force. They are very delicate. A man of my caliber is needed to even think of controlling them."
Hwaok said calmly.
"It has been five days since you were assigned the task. In that time, I would expect at least three of the ten to be finished. Am I wrong?"
"Of course you are wrong. Each one requires ten days. It takes time for the Celestial Brains to think, and compiling and organizing their thoughts is no ordinary task."
Hwaok stared at Je Wiryong.
Je Wiryong smiled brightly, his eyes twinkling.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Have you fallen for me all over again?"
"Do you practice martial arts?"
Je Wiryong grinned.
"Martial arts. Because I am intelligent and well-learned, people often mistakenly assume I am physically weak. But that would be a grave miscalculation. You may not believe it, but where I come from, I was unrivaled."
At his words, Hwaok smiled faintly.
As she smiled, Je Wiryong stared blankly at her. Her cold demeanor was nice, but her smile was like a blooming flower.
"Then how about we spar sometime?"
Je Wiryong beamed so widely he thought his mouth might tear at the corners.
"Just say the word whenever you wish. I will gladly assist you."
Hwaok smiled brightly.
"Then let's do it right now."
"Excellent! The training ground is right next to us, so let's go."
Every pavilion in the Hyeoncheon Manor had an adjacent training ground. Though they varied in size, they were all designed so that the residents would have no inconvenience in their training.
Je Wiryong thought that sparring would involve a lot of physical contact, which might lead to them becoming closer.
He also had the ulterior motive that she might be more impressed with him after seeing his profound martial arts.
And so, the two of them headed to the training ground.
Meanwhile, the hundred strategists of the Celestial Brains, who were resting in the pavilion, watched the scene unfold through their windows.
* * *
Je Wiryong was splayed out on the ground in the shape of a star.
His entire body ached. He had been beaten so thoroughly that there wasn't a single spot that didn't hurt.
He'd been meticulously pummeled from head to toe.
"Get up."
At Hwaok's words, Je Wiryong flinched, his body trembling even as he lay on the ground.
He had already experienced several times what would happen if he got up.
If he got up, he would just get hit again.
He never imagined she would be this strong.
He felt like a fool for hoping he could make a move on her during their spar.
Je Wiryong was about to say he had lost and they should stop.
But just then, Hwaok, who had approached without him noticing, lightly kicked the fallen Je Wiryong in the side with the tip of her foot.
"Gah!"
The impact rattled his insides. The next thing he knew, he was on his hands and knees, prostrate on the ground.
It seemed the pain had naturally forced him into that position.
This time, Hwaok's foot tapped his chest.
"Urk!"
Je Wiryong experienced the miracle of jumping to his feet without even realizing it.
Of course, it hurt like hell.
He wanted to say this wasn't right, but there was no time.
He saw Hwaok's fist flying toward his face.
Horrified, Je Wiryong snapped his head back to dodge it, nearly breaking his own neck.
Hwaok's fist, as if it never intended to go there in the first place, began to strike Je Wiryong's entire body.
A flurry of blows rained down.
Using her fists, palms, elbows, knees, feet, and even her shoulders, she systematically tenderized his body.
Je Wiryong couldn't even scream as he was helplessly beaten.
From the pavilion above, the strategists of the Celestial Brains, watching through the windows, winced and flinched as if they were the ones being hit with every blow that landed on Je Wiryong.
Je Wiryong was struck countless times, unable to even fall.
Unlike before, all the confidence and arrogance had vanished from his eyes, leaving only desperation.
*When this spar is over, I will never again utter the word 'spar'.*
The rather long sparring session finally ended.
Je Wiryong barely managed to stay on his feet, looking at Hwaok with eyes full of fear.
Hwaok politely performed a fist-and-palm salute.
"It was a good spar."
Je Wiryong quickly returned the salute.
"I-it was a good spar."
There wasn't a single bruise on his body. It was a testament to how carefully Hwaok had beaten him.
There were no external signs; all the damage had accumulated internally.
Of course, it wasn't serious. It just hurt a lot.
Je Wiryong nervously watched Hwaok's expression.
Hwaok's face was the picture of refreshment.
"The ten reports, when can I expect them?"
Je Wiryong couldn't answer her question right away.
Hwaok let out a soft sigh.
Startled, Je Wiryong answered reflexively.
"Five days! Just give me five days!"
Hwaok smiled brightly and nodded.
"Very well."
Je Wiryong breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing this, Hwaok continued.
"I'll be back in three days for another spar."
Je Wiryong's eyes widened as if they would tear.
"No, I'm done with sparring..."
Hwaok's smile deepened.
"But you clearly said earlier you would spar with me whenever I wished. Surely you're not going back on your word now, are you?"
Je Wiryong couldn't say a word in response.
It wasn't just because she was right. It was because he couldn't begin to imagine what would happen to him if he refused.
The thought was too terrifying.
Hwaok added with a grin.
"Though, if my hands are full at that time, it might be a bit difficult to spar."
Hearing this, Je Wiryong stared blankly at Hwaok.
How was that any different from shortening the deadline to three days?
Hwaok left with an utterly refreshed expression.
Je Wiryong watched her retreating back endlessly.
His body trembled involuntarily, as if he had caught a chill.
* * *
Byeok Taesan sat in his private training chamber in the basement, eyes gently closed, organizing the enlightenment he had recently gained.
The underground training chamber was much different from when Byeok Taesan first arrived.
The walls and ceiling were now adorned with gold and jade.
After this change, the amount of spiritual energy that gathered in the chamber increased severalfold. Its quality had also improved significantly.
Byeok Taesan had used the gold and jade to amplify the spiritual energy and enhance its purity.
And this transformed spiritual energy now flowed throughout the entire Hyeoncheon Manor.
The people of the manor would likely find their efficiency greatly increased, no matter what work or training they did.
Simply having abundant spiritual energy flowing through the area provided various benefits.
The power of the formation laid out across the Hyeoncheon Manor would have also grown stronger.
And after much more time passed, the spiritual energy would begin to affect the areas surrounding the manor as well.
By expanding its domain little by little like this, over an immeasurably long period, it could potentially influence all of Wuhan.
In any case, the Hyeoncheon Manor had now become one of the most outstanding training grounds in the world.
This place, the underground training chamber, was not only the center of the spiritual energy flowing through the manor but also the heart of the formation laid across it.
As Byeok Taesan organized his enlightenment, his consciousness touched the formation.
Riding the formation, his consciousness instantly spread throughout the entire Hyeoncheon Manor.
It was a completely different sensation from simply expanding his senses to perceive energy.
A slight smile touched Byeok Taesan's lips at the novel feeling.
The formation of the Hyeoncheon Manor was incredibly complex in structure.
Such an intricate formation was densely laid out over the entire manor.
"Well, look at this."
But that wasn't the end of it.
The formation extended outside the Hyeoncheon Manor.
It was simpler than the one within the manor, but it was still a formation of considerable skill.
As if to see just how far it went, Byeok Taesan continued to expand his consciousness along the formation.
The formation stretched far beyond the vicinity of the manor.
The farther out it went, the simpler its structure became, and its effectiveness gradually diminished.
But its range was truly immense.
It covered nearly half of Wuhan.
He had certainly made the right choice in bringing Seung Doheung. To think he had accomplished something so grand.
The formation that controlled half of Wuhan was one that continuously drained the energy of those within it.
It was a formation that would endlessly siphon stamina and internal energy from anyone who was not properly prepared for it.
The siphoned energy was then redirected back into the formation, further strengthening its power.
From the looks of it, the formation was not yet complete. It was still a work in progress.
At this rate, it seemed it would one day cover all of Wuhan.
To install the formation in Wuhan, they had purchased all the buildings in locations that could serve as its core points.
Through his senses, extended via the formation, he could tell that the ronin and underworld figures managed by Yuk Taegu and Jang Gagu were staying in each of these buildings.
Sometimes, members of the Underworld Sect or the Secret Heaven Group used them as well.
The sensations that came through the formation were very different from what he usually felt through his energy sense.
Byeok Taesan pleasantly enjoyed the fresh sensations he was receiving through this new method.
In the process, a few inspirations came to him.
For Byeok Taesan, inspiration was, of course, about martial arts.
In his mind, several martial arts were deconstructed piece by piece, then reassembled in various combinations.
Byeok Taesan repeated this process dozens of times, switching out the martial arts.
Having perfected several new martial arts, Byeok Taesan slowly opened his eyes.
A curious smile was playing on his lips.
"This is the first time I've put so much effort into creating martial arts I won't even use myself."
Byeok Taesan rose from his seat and left the training chamber.
He went to his office and recorded the martial arts he had just created.
These would be compiled into manuals and distributed to his subordinates.
It consisted of an internal art, a footwork technique, and a fist-and-kick style, all of which had been designed with his subordinates in mind from the very beginning.
They would harmonize well with any martial art the user already practiced, and simply learning them would make one significantly stronger.
Crucially, anyone who learned these arts would be able to unleash even greater power while in Wuhan.
As they were martial arts created from the inspiration he gained while examining the formation, they could resonate with the formation's power.
Furthermore, that power would grow stronger the closer one was to the center of the formation.
Three secret manuals were completed.
Now, they needed to be copied.
And under Byeok Taesan, there was now a man who was perfect for such a job.