Chapter 234
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 234
Chapter Title: A Rat-Like Bastard
The two masked men were each massaging the bodies of the women who had been immobilized by pressure point strikes. When their eyes met Byeok Taesan's, they froze completely.
"I told you to move them first! I said you could do whatever you wanted later!"
One of the women, lying helpless on the floor, shouted.
Seeing this, Hwaok frowned.
Sealing the vocal points of captives was basic procedure. But they hadn't even done that.
However, she quickly realized that couldn't be right. Weren't the others completely silent, their vocal points clearly sealed?
'She released her own vocal point? But she couldn't release the others?'
Something was strange.
"It's not a sound made with her mouth. Don't be confused."
Startled, Hwaok looked at the woman who had just shouted.
The woman spoke urgently to the masked men.
"Just get me out of here, at least! Hurry!"
Hwaok's eyes widened. She was truly speaking without moving her mouth.
It seemed she was using an organ other than her vocal cords.
Instead of fleeing, the masked men's eyes glinted as they assessed Byeok Taesan and Hwaok, trying to gauge their strength.
"The woman seems a bit tough, but that's it. The man is nothing."
"Let's take the man hostage."
Hearing the exchange between the two men, Hwaok calmed her heart and glanced cautiously at Byeok Taesan.
He already seemed to be in a bad mood today; she worried how much worse it would get after hearing such words.
But surprisingly, Byeok Taesan's expression wasn't bad.
"Didn't you say only women were in Silver Moon Valley?"
"Yes, I did."
"Then what are they?"
As Byeok Taesan gestured with his chin toward the masked men, Hwaok shared her thoughts.
"They appear to be allied with Silver Moon Valley. However... their intentions seem quite impure."
The masked men slowly approached Hwaok and Byeok Taesan. They were now holding dark, grimy swords.
"Damn, she's a pretty one. I don't think I've ever seen such fine prey."
Hwaok glared at the masked men with cold eyes.
In any case, their fate was now sealed. It would have been the same even if they had fled. Who could possibly escape from Byeok Taesan?
"Then clean this up and come down. Don't kill them."
With those words, Byeok Taesan turned away sharply.
As he started to head downstairs, one of the masked men lunged at him.
"Where do you think you're going!"
But he didn't achieve his goal.
Hwaok had suddenly blocked his path.
*CLANG!*
Hwaok's pale hand struck his sword.
"Kugh!"
The masked man staggered back, trying to dissipate the shock that shot through his hand.
Tension filled the eyes of the two masked men.
'She's a far greater master than we estimated.'
At this rate, they couldn't guarantee victory. The thought that they might have to flee crossed their minds.
Their gazes briefly swept over the women lying on the floor.
If they had to run, they couldn't leave empty-handed. They had to kill those women first.
The two men frantically exchanged signals.
One would attack Hwaok while the other killed the prone women.
"Now!"
One of the masked men shouted, and both moved simultaneously. Or rather, they tried to.
*CRACK!*
A pale hand slammed into the cheek of the man who was about to strike the women with his sword.
*CRASH!*
The masked man tumbled gracelessly to the floor and lost consciousness. Bloody foam bubbled from his mouth.
Hwaok turned to look at the other man, who was swinging his sword at the spot where she had just been.
The moment his sword cut through empty air, Hwaok lightly pushed off the floor.
In an instant, she was behind him.
*CRUNCH!*
Grabbing the man's neck, Hwaok swung him lightly.
*WHOOSH!*
*WHAM!*
The masked man crashed to the floor, unconscious. He, too, coughed up bloody foam.
Hwaok walked over gracefully to the two men and sealed their pressure points.
Now, they could neither move nor speak.
Hwaok's gaze turned to the thirteen women lying on the floor.
As their eyes met hers, the thirteen women shuddered.
* * *
"Ugh. Did I drink too much? This hangover is terrible."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages sat up, shaking his head. His mind was throbbing.
"There was some medicine for hangovers around here somewhere..."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages rummaged through his robes.
"Uggghhh."
A groan reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw the One-Needle Eccentric writhing on the floor.
"It's not here? Maybe he has it?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages searched the robes of the squirming One-Needle Eccentric.
"Oh, here it is. He really is the best in the world when it comes to taking care of himself."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages popped a bluish pill into his mouth and swallowed.
"Phew. I feel alive again."
Feeling his head clear and his stomach settle, the Divine Doctor of the Ages nudged the rolling One-Needle Eccentric with the tip of his foot.
"Brother, brother. Time to get up. Brother."
"Ughhh. Get away from me."
"I said you need to get up!"
"Ah, I said get away!"
The One-Needle Eccentric shouted, bolting upright. He then clutched his head with both hands as if to squeeze it.
"Owww. My head feels like it's splitting open."
The One-Needle Eccentric fumbled through his robes.
"I'm sure I packed a sobering pill."
But a pill that had already been eaten could hardly be found.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages feigned ignorance and urged him on.
"Let's hurry. My memory isn't clear, but I'm sure the Young Master came here yesterday."
"Uh... I think I remember that too?"
Both of their faces turned slightly pale.
"Let's go, quickly."
"Y-Yes, let's."
The two men scrambled out of the room. The courtesans who spotted them brightened.
"You're awake? Breakfast is ready. You'll eat before you go, won't you?"
"Huh?"
Led by the courtesans' hands, the two physicians headed toward the brothel's dining hall.
Their minds told them to refuse and leave, but their bodies wouldn't obey.
The courtesans weren't just guiding them; they were gently pulling them by the hand, causing their mouths to hang open foolishly.
"Well, I suppose we can stay for breakfast. Right, brother?"
"Some hot soup would be nice. I'm dying from this hangover. How much did we even drink?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages chuckled.
"I don't remember either. Maybe the two of us drank every last drop of alcohol in this place?"
The courtesan leading the Divine Doctor of the Ages by the hand smiled softly and said.
"You drank a lot yesterday. I've never had a guest who could drink that much."
"I can hold my liquor."
The courtesan's eyes sparkled.
"But you seem perfectly fine after drinking so much. You must be a very strong drinker."
At her words, the Divine Doctor of the Ages puffed out his chest.
The One-Needle Eccentric watched him with suspicion.
"You, you bastard. Did you take my sobering pill?"
"Ahem. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You! Agh, my head."
The One-Needle Eccentric was about to yell but grit his teeth against the splitting headache.
"We're here."
Sensing the tense atmosphere between the two men, the courtesans quickened their pace and arrived at the dining hall.
The delicious aroma tickled their noses, and a sudden wave of hunger washed over the two physicians as they hurried inside.
And then they froze.
"Uh... Y-Young Master, you were here too?"
Byeok Taesan was sitting in the middle of the spacious dining hall.
He paid no mind to their arrival, slowly savoring the dishes before him. Watching him, the two men felt their blood run cold.
The two physicians began to slowly back away.
"Since you're here, you should at least eat before you go."
At Byeok Taesan's words, the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric stopped in their tracks.
"Oh, of course."
"We were just about to die of hunger."
The two men scurried to find seats.
Once seated, the delicious smell kicked their appetites into high gear.
With the mindset of 'eat first, worry later,' they diligently stuffed food into their mouths, chewing and swallowing.
Once their stomachs were somewhat full, a creeping worry set in.
Their memories of yesterday were incomplete, but they felt they had done something they shouldn't have. Otherwise, Byeok Taesan wouldn't have this kind of atmosphere around him.
While the two physicians watched him nervously, Byeok Taesan slowly finished his meal.
"Not bad."
It wasn't as good as the food his maids prepared, but it was decent enough.
After finishing his meal, Byeok Taesan slowly turned his gaze to the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
"*Hic.*"
The moment their eyes met Byeok Taesan's, the two men startled so badly they hiccupped involuntarily.
"It seems you know you've sinned."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages laughed awkwardly.
"Hehehe. Young Master. The truth is... I was so drunk yesterday, I don't remember a thing."
"Is that so? It would be a shame to die for something you don't even remember."
"Oh, why would you say something so morbid?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages said, wringing his hands.
"But didn't I perform a great service yesterday? Could we perhaps... call it even with that?"
Beside him, the One-Needle Eccentric nodded his head so rapidly it looked like his neck might break.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan smirked.
He had already heard from the courtesans that the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric had extracted the poison.
Even if those two hadn't stepped in to resolve the situation, there would have been no casualties once Byeok Taesan intervened, but it was a good deed nonetheless.
And while he was at it, he had gathered all the courtesans of the Azure Flower Pavilion last night and extracted their souls, giving them a thorough cleansing.
Thanks to that, he had managed to gather a good amount of high-quality spiritual energy.
The captured disciples of Silver Moon Valley had apparently killed many people, as their souls were too tainted to yield much.
The Underworld Sect was currently interrogating them. Once that was over, he planned to extract and burn their souls all at once.
Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively at the anxious Divine Doctor of the Ages and One-Needle Eccentric, as if to tell them to leave.
The two physicians' faces lit up, and they quickly retreated.
Watching the two doctors run off in excitement, he couldn't help but smile.
'My emotions have become too soft.'
The thought suddenly occurred to him, but he paid it no mind. He had no intention of trying to revert any changes within himself.
There was no problem with him changing.
If he changed, the world around him would simply have to change to match.
As he was lost in thought, Hwaok entered.
"Young Master, the situation has been handled."
She had informed the women who had been coaxed by the Silver Moon Valley disciples of the truth and warned them to be careful in the future.
She also identified and dealt with any other traces left by the valley or any informants they might have planted.
"The two masked men from yesterday were from Nameless."
The corner of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly. Just as he thought.
"I'll have to burn those bastards too."
They likely had a restriction placed on them that would allow them to resist the Underworld Sect's drugs.
Therefore, it was better to burn their souls with the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts and read their thoughts.
"We have not yet determined their relationship with Silver Moon Valley."
Byeok Taesan nodded and rose from his seat.
There was no need to investigate that far. From now on, he would find out, whether he wanted to or not.
"Let's go."
It was time to pay a visit to Silver Moon Valley.
* * *
Silver Moon Valley was located in a rather large mountain some distance from Xi'an.
Byeok Taesan's group arrived at the foot of the mountain before noon.
He paused for a moment, looked up at the sky, and then started walking again.
He had considered stopping for a meal, but judging by the time, it seemed fine to eat after dealing with Silver Moon Valley.
All the members of his party who had come to Xi'an followed silently behind him.
How long had they been walking? A scene of thick, tall trees packed densely within a deep, rocky gorge came into view.
"We have arrived."
The Underworld Sect member who had guided them spoke respectfully and stepped back.
They had finally reached Silver Moon Valley.
A light mist hung around the valley, but it did not look natural.
It was likely a mist created by a formation.
Before Byeok Taesan could give an order, Seung Doheung quickly stepped forward.
He scanned the mist-covered area and pointed to one side.
"You just need to destroy that rock."
The person who set up the formation probably never imagined it could be broken in such a way.
The rock Seung Doheung pointed to was a point where the formation's power converged, making it extremely difficult to break.
In fact, the rock was so strong that even if one of the Ten Great Masters came and gave it their all, it wouldn't break.
Byeok Taesan flicked his hand lightly toward the rock.
*CRUMBLE!*
The rock shattered, practically turning to dust.
Seung Doheung, once again astonished, cautiously stepped back. It would be a disaster if he was "rewarded" by being killed again.
Of course, his body had changed significantly since then, and his mind was sharper, but it was an experience he never wanted to repeat.
In any case, with the rock destroyed, the mist dispersed.
Behind the scattered mist, several pavilions came into view.
The trees they had seen before were all gone. They had been illusions created by the formation.
Byeok Taesan's group entered Silver Moon Valley.
Soon, dozens of women rushed out from within.
Byeok Taesan's gaze was not on them, but on a spot somewhere behind the valley.
"What is the meaning of this! Who in the world are you to come here and cause such a ruckus!"
The oldest-looking woman among them stepped forward and yelled.
But Byeok Taesan paid her no mind, his eyes still fixed on the area behind Silver Moon Valley.
"So there was another rat-like bastard here."