Chapter 228
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 228
Chapter Title: The Original Duty of the Moon Shadow Group Leader
Byeok Taesan sat in his office, slowly reading through the three new martial arts manuals he had written.
He was checking for any incorrectly recorded parts or sections that could be misinterpreted.
If Byeok Taesan were to teach them himself, there would be no need for such scrutiny. But these were to be transcribed as many times as possible and distributed to everyone under his command.
In other words, they had to be manuals that could be learned alone, without a master.
Therefore, there could be no room for misinterpretation from the start.
After meticulously checking the three manuals, Byeok Taesan let out a small laugh.
This was something he couldn't have imagined during his time as the Heavenly Demon.
Not only would he have never created martial arts for his subordinates, but even if he had, meticulously checking them like this was even more unthinkable.
He wouldn't have even compiled them into manuals.
He would have just roughly explained them verbally to whoever was nearby and left it at that.
He wouldn't have cared whether they understood, memorized, or comprehended it correctly.
Even if someone suffered from qi deviation as a result, word of it would never have reached the Heavenly Demon's ears.
Who would dare go around saying they suffered qi deviation while learning martial arts created by the Heavenly Demon?
And who would dare relay such news to the Heavenly Demon himself?
But now, he was taking such pains for people whose faces he didn't even know. What a remarkable change.
Every time he found and realized these changes in himself, Byeok Taesan couldn't help but think about the soul.
He wondered what influence the soul of this body's original owner, the real Byeok Taesan, had on him, and what changes were occurring as a result.
He had to consider changes not just in personality or fragmented memories, but in more diverse and profound areas.
From minor habits to even matters of internal energy and spiritual power.
As he was lost in these thoughts, he sensed someone approaching his office.
He knew who it was the moment he sensed their presence.
It was Hwaok and Je Wiryong.
Byeok Taesan looked toward the entrance of his office.
The closed door swung wide open.
Through the open door, he could see the two of them walking from a distance.
Hwaok was no different than usual.
But Je Wiryong was not.
His shoulders were slightly slumped, and his gaze was unsteady. He kept glancing nervously at Hwaok, who walked beside him.
He could roughly guess what had happened.
Soon, the two arrived at Byeok Taesan's office.
They bowed respectfully before entering.
"Young Master, I have brought him as you commanded."
Je Wiryong looked at Byeok Taesan and smiled awkwardly.
To be honest, Byeok Taesan was intimidating and overwhelming.
Facing him like this, he felt as if something was constricting his entire body, making it impossible to calm his mind.
"Uh, what is this about...?"
At Je Wiryong's words, Byeok Taesan tossed the three manuals to him.
Je Wiryong hastily reached out and caught them, a puzzled expression on his face.
He first opened the cover to check the contents.
Soon, Je Wiryong's eyes widened. From his perspective, these were truly incredible martial arts.
After checking the first cultivation method, he hurriedly checked the other two.
"May I see them as well?"
At Hwaok's question, Je Wiryong flinched and tore his eyes away from the manuals.
He looked back and forth between Byeok Taesan and Hwaok.
When Byeok Taesan nodded, Je Wiryong handed the manual he had already read to Hwaok.
Hwaok also calmly examined the manual. She focused on it as if determined not to miss a single character.
After reading the manual, Hwaok's eyes also widened.
She too took the remaining manuals from Je Wiryong and read them to the end.
Having read all three manuals, they both looked at Byeok Taesan with eyes full of awe.
Je Wiryong asked in a trembling voice.
"D-Did you create these, Young Master?"
"Who else would have?"
"No, I just thought... the Cult has so many martial arts manuals..."
Je Wiryong trailed off and shut his mouth. He shouldn't speak so carelessly.
"I felt inspired today and just scribbled them down."
Je Wiryong looked at Byeok Taesan with a dubious expression.
Frankly, these were not manuals that could be created by just "scribbling them down."
They were simple and easy, yet their hidden depth was immeasurable.
Je Wiryong was a strategist, but he also had a considerable eye for martial arts. He was confident enough to consider himself among the best in the world in that regard.
Yet even to his eyes, these three manuals were of immense value.
He could guess why Byeok Taesan was speaking that way, but he couldn't voice his thoughts.
Unlike Je Wiryong's skeptical view, Hwaok's sense of awe grew even greater upon hearing Byeok Taesan's words.
"You mean you created these today? To create something so incredible in less than half a day...!"
Seeing Hwaok's reaction, the corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
Byeok Taesan shifted his gaze to Je Wiryong, who stood beside Hwaok. Unlike when he looked at Hwaok, his expression and eyes were utterly cold.
"Go and transcribe them."
"Pardon?"
"Do I need to say it twice?"
Je Wiryong quickly shook his head.
"No, sir. I will transcribe them. But how many...?"
"Everyone under me must learn them, so make that many copies."
"Pardon?"
"Do I need to say it twice again?"
"I-I didn't hear you."
Byeok Taesan stared intently at Je Wiryong.
But Je Wiryong withstood his gaze. If he backed down now, he would have to transcribe thousands of copies. How could he possibly manage that?
There were a great many people under Byeok Taesan.
The unorthodox martial artists and the ronin alone numbered in the hundreds each.
Then there were the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group.
Adding them all up resulted in a number he didn't even want to think about.
Byeok Taesan turned his gaze to Hwaok.
"Did you not step on him?"
"I did."
Hwaok replied, then turned her head to look at Je Wiryong.
Je Wiryong felt a chill crawl all over his body.
He had a bad feeling that if he said no, the intervals between their "spars" would get even shorter.
"But 'step on him'... surely, Young Master, you didn't...!"
Byeok Taesan said with an indifferent expression.
"It is the original duty of the Moon Shadow Group Leader."
"Pardon?"
Suddenly, a few long-forgotten memories dormant deep within his mind resurfaced.
They were from his time in the Heavenly Demonic Cult, when he was studying under the tutelage of the Cult's Heavenly Brain.
Back then, his master had once returned from an outing looking pale as a sheet.
It wasn't a frequent occurrence.
It happened once every few months.
At the time, he hadn't thought much of it. He had overheard his master mention an appointment with the Moon Shadow Group Leader, but he just assumed it was nothing.
He hadn't had the luxury of caring about his master's private life back then.
But hearing this now, it seemed his master had been going to the Moon Shadow Group Leader to get beaten up periodically.
"But, why on earth...!"
Je Wiryong looked at Byeok Taesan with a baffled and aggrieved expression.
Why on earth did the Heavenly Brain have to suffer such a fate?
This was excessive discrimination and oppression against strategists.
Byeok Taesan chuckled and looked at Hwaok.
"Do you understand?"
Hwaok replied with an expression of great enlightenment.
"I understand perfectly."
Je Wiryong's expression became even more baffled as he looked back and forth between Hwaok and Byeok Taesan.
"Wait, you understand this? What exactly? How?"
Byeok Taesan said calmly.
"Are you planning to run away?"
Je Wiryong shut his mouth and looked at Byeok Taesan.
Run away? He could never do that.
If he ran away now, what would happen to the hundred strategists he had painstakingly trained?
He had been able to shore up many of their weaknesses by using them against the Golden Moon Trading Company this time.
And in the process of submitting reports to Hwaok, they had undergone several more adjustments.
With just a few more real-world experiences like this, they would surely be perfected.
They were Je Wiryong's strength.
Gathering strategists to create another Heavenly Brain was now impossible.
Could he do it again since he'd done it once before?
No, he couldn't.
How could he possibly go through that again?
Of course, if someone threatened him with his life and pain, he might be able to.
But what were the chances of that happening?
Except for Byeok Taesan, who was looking at him right now with such calm, indifferent eyes.
'And would he even let me run away?'
He now knew just how terrifying Byeok Taesan was.
He wasn't talking about his individual strength. He was talking about his influence.
Under Byeok Taesan was the Underworld Sect.
And the Secret Heaven Group was still joining him one by one.
The rate at which the Secret Heaven Group was joining had accelerated after the name of the Hyeoncheon Trading Company became known throughout the land.
The moment they approached to investigate, it was over. His side would identify them first and make a move.
The persuasion process was very simple and easy.
Because they were all part of the Secret Heaven Group.
Anyway, with the Underworld Sect and the Secret Heaven Group under his command, where could he possibly run?
He knew their intelligence-gathering capabilities very well, having experienced them while operating the Heavenly Brain.
It was truly remarkable.
'How would it compare to the Cult?'
The Secret Heaven Group was only a part of the Heavenly Demonic Cult's intelligence network.
They were less an intelligence network and more of a preliminary move, blending into the world to prepare for unforeseen circumstances and to strike at the heart of the enemy's camp in case of war.
The Heavenly Demonic Cult had a separate intelligence organization, and their skills were formidable.
But it occurred to him that the power of the intelligence network Byeok Taesan now possessed might be comparable to theirs.
Je Wiryong shook his head.
'Nah, that's going too far. No matter what, it couldn't be... no. Or could it? It can't be.'
As he was lost in other thoughts, Hwaok's voice reached his ears.
"Still, it seems we won't have to spar for a while. Since you'll be working so hard on this."
Je Wiryong laughed awkwardly and muttered to himself.
'I get it. I'll work hard. As long as I work hard, it's fine, right? I won't slack off. Shit.'
He felt like he was about to cry tears of blood.
Je Wiryong asked cautiously.
"Surely... you don't expect me to transcribe all those copies by myself, do you?"
"Don't you have a hundred people with you?"
At those words, Je Wiryong breathed a sigh of relief.
In truth, transcribing that many copies alone was absurd, but Byeok Taesan was precisely the kind of person who would order such an absurd task.
"Then... I shall take my leave."
Je Wiryong gathered the three manuals and prepared to leave.
But just before he left the office, Byeok Taesan spoke.
"Five days should be enough."
Je Wiryong's feet, which were crossing the threshold, stopped dead.
He wanted to protest, but the words wouldn't come out. Je Wiryong started walking again.
This was exactly why he had tried to leave quickly.
His back slumped in defeat.
* * *
The groundwork for establishing the Heavenly Martial Alliance was entering its final stages.
A manor had been purchased in Luoyang, and construction was underway to expand and renovate it.
With a massive amount of manpower and materials poured into the construction, it was scheduled to be completed soon.
Furthermore, the talented individuals who would belong to the Heavenly Martial Alliance had been selected, and the workers, maids, and scholars to assist them and manage the manor had all been gathered.
All that remained was to form the leadership of the Heavenly Martial Alliance.
To that end, people from the Five Great Families, the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and the Hubei Martial Alliance were currently gathered in discussion.
In any case, the leadership positions had to be divided fairly among all factions and families.
It was a bit unfortunate for the slightly lower-ranking families and clans, but the leaders could not be chosen from among them.
Moreover, when opening the doors of the Heavenly Martial Alliance, it was essential for those in leadership to be backed by powerful martial families or factions to ensure a smooth start.
Thus, people of quite high standing were gathered for today's discussion.
First, there was Hahoe Gwancheon, the head of the Hahoe Family.
Hahoe Gwancheon was aiming for the position of the Heavenly Martial Alliance Leader.
From the very beginning of planning the Heavenly Martial Alliance, he had intervened in various matters and personally led every initiative to secure that position for himself.
So far, everything had gone according to his wishes.
But today, something happened that made him tense.
'Why is *he* here!'
The Martial Alliance's Grand Strategist, Sama Wihong, was in attendance today.
Hahoe Gwancheon had a very ominous feeling.
It was unlikely, but if Sama Wihong was also aiming for the Alliance Leader position, he would be a very powerful competitor.
The meeting began under Hahoe Gwancheon's direction.
First, they decided on the overall organizational structure.
Of course, a basic organizational chart had been drawn up and reviewed by everyone beforehand, so they discussed and made revisions if there were any missing or necessary changes.
After finalizing the organizational chart, they selected the people who would sit as the heads of each division.
The participants engaged in heated debates, vying for positions that would benefit their respective families or factions.
One by one, the heads were decided, and soon all the positions were filled.
And finally, the selection of the Heavenly Martial Alliance Leader began.
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