Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Just You and Me
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Jongli Cheon, the head of the Jongli Family, slammed his fist on the desk, his eyes filled with rage.
*Crash!*
The desk didn't just crack; it completely shattered.
“How could you handle things so poorly!”
The middle-aged man sitting before him broke out in a cold sweat.
“How can I possibly trust you with anything at this rate!”
A violent aura emanated from Jongli Cheon’s body in waves.
The middle-aged man, Won Mungwang, bowed his head low.
For now, the best course of action was to keep his mouth shut.
“Hmph. So, have you still not grasped the situation?”
“I have only confirmed a portion of it.”
“Report what you have.”
“First, all of the family’s warriors were injured. According to them, they were completely overpowered by Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.”
“Completely overpowered? Does that even make sense?”
“They say Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon are far more skilled than is known.”
“Skilled enough for just the two of them to overwhelm eleven of our men?”
“Yes. This is the report from those who experienced it firsthand.”
“Is there any possibility of other tricks involved? For example, being fed a small amount of poison at the Yeon Family Estate.”
“We have looked into that as well, but so far, there is nothing suspicious.”
“There has to be something. Keep investigating. The way my youngest was defeated is also suspicious.”
“Yes. I found that strange as well and am continuing to look into it.”
Neither of them could believe that Jongli Ung had been defeated by Byeok Taesan.
But no matter how many times they asked Jongli Ung, he wouldn't give a straight answer, leaving them with no choice but to investigate his surroundings.
The problem was that Jongli Ung had met Byeok Taesan alone.
They had no way of finding out what had happened between the two of them.
“How is my youngest son’s condition?”
At Jongli Cheon’s question, Won Mungwang answered with a troubled expression.
“He is dispirited. He barely speaks and refuses to go outside.”
“Didn’t you try doing something he likes?”
Jongli Ung was extremely fond of women. Jongli Cheon didn't much care that his sons were fond of women.
As long as they fulfilled their duties, he didn't mind if they chased women or had other quirks.
Jongli Ung might have been a womanizer who secretly caused trouble now and then, but he had never once neglected his martial arts training or his studies.
“I took him to a pleasure house, but… he just drank heavily and came straight back.”
Jongli Cheon looked dumbfounded.
“That boy went to a pleasure house and only drank? He didn't lay a hand on anyone?”
About half of the problems Jongli Ung caused occurred because he treated the courtesans at pleasure houses too roughly.
Of course, under the weight of the Jongli Family’s influence, the pleasure houses would usually hush it up and let it slide.
All the Jongli Family had to do was prevent rumors from spreading.
“Did he say anything while he was drunk?”
Won Mungwang shook his head.
“He became even more withdrawn. And…”
“Is there another problem?”
“It seems there is some issue with his martial arts.”
“What? An issue with his martial arts? What do you mean?”
“I observed his training while I was there… His forms were disconnected, and the flow of his internal energy was strange.”
Jongli Cheon’s expression turned ice-cold.
“Is it because of a physical problem?”
“It seems to be… a mental issue. It’s a problem that could only arise if he had completely forgotten the forms themselves.”
“Ha! So not only did he soil himself, but he failed to overcome it and became an imbecile?”
Jongli Cheon ground his teeth and glared at Won Mungwang.
“Someone definitely interfered. Find them. By any means necessary.”
“Yes. I will find them without fail.”
Won Mungwang replied with determination. Inwardly, however, he thought he would not be able to solve this.
How was he supposed to find the culprit when there were no clues?
‘There’s no other way. I’ll have to dig into everything around the Yeon Family Estate.’
He planned to investigate under the assumption that the Yeon Family Estate was involved in this incident.
“That aside… how are things with the Golden Jade Trading Company progressing?”
“Cheon Geumryeon is more capable than I thought.”
“Is that so? Good. You’ve confirmed there’s no one behind her, right?”
“I have checked several times.”
“Good. Cooperate well with her. We need to use this opportunity to get some breathing room. We can’t keep living so constrained, can we?”
“It will go well. Please do not worry too much.”
Jongli Cheon sighed and shook his head.
“Hmph. All this suffering because of that mad Heavenly Demon…”
Won Mungwang gave a bitter smile.
“Still, looking at the news from the Demonic Cult lately, something must have happened to the Heavenly Demon. After all the chaos he caused, isn’t it about time he faced divine punishment?”
Jongli Cheon shook his head firmly.
“I know from experience, you can’t think of the Heavenly Demon that simply. That man is beyond common sense. The best thing to do is just avoid him. Hmph. Because of my father, all this…”
When the Heavenly Demon had invaded the Jongli Family estate in the past, Jongli Cheon had watched the scene for a moment from a distance.
The family head at the time had been his father, and it was his father’s decision to take part in the ambush against the Heavenly Demon.
Even now, Jongli Cheon resented his father for making such a decision.
And the terrifying divine presence the Heavenly Demon had displayed at that time was still vividly etched in his mind.
It was a suffocating terror that one could not resist.
“In any case, be thorough and make sure this venture succeeds. Only then can we reclaim our former prosperity.”
And only by regaining their past glory could they give a proper blow to all those who had looked down on the Jongli Family.
Jongli Cheon’s eyes gleamed insidiously.
* * *
“Young Master, new people have arrived from the Jongli Family.”
Byeok Taesan nodded at Cheon Gyeongwan’s report.
“A children’s squabble always turns into a fight between adults. So, do they want revenge for the beating?”
Of course, the ones who had been beaten were the Jongli Family warriors.
No one yet knew who had done what to Jongli Ung.
“I do not know. But there were some considerable masters mixed in.”
“Masters?”
“Yes. There were two masters so skilled I wouldn't dare to even think of facing them.”
“You can even tell that much? Impressive.”
“It wasn't difficult to tell, as they were deliberately revealing their presence.”
Hearing this, Byeok Taesan smirked.
There used to be guys like that in the Heavenly Demonic Cult, too. They would show off their skills to tell others to know their place.
Of course, when those guys crossed him, the Heavenly Demon, they would end up half-dead.
Skills should be demonstrated in a real fight. If you go around flaunting them in daily life, you'll get a knife in the back.
In fact, when he punished them, he would ambush them from behind, knock them down first, and then beat them until they accepted their wrongdoing with their entire bodies.
“This is for the best. I need to wrap things up quickly and go back. There’s something I want to try.”
Byeok Taesan recalled the method he had used to punish Jongli Ung.
By half-extracting the soul and gently burning it, he could absorb only the dregs attached to the surface.
It wasn't as if none of Jongli Ung's original soul had been mixed in, but it was much better than when he had burned the soul of the man he had captured at the pleasure house.
In any case, since it was mixed, he couldn't use it as it was. He would have to refine it sufficiently or store it well to use when needed.
So, when he returned, he planned to research this further.
He needed to understand the new Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts more clearly.
That way, he could treat his severed meridians more efficiently.
“By the way, where is the Divine Doctor of the Ages?”
Cheon Gyeongwan hesitated before answering.
“He said he was going to spread rumors.”
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
Although the Divine Doctor of the Ages was a physician, he was also secretly the head of a small intelligence organization.
Therefore, he was very skilled at spreading rumors, collecting them, or obtaining information through casual conversation.
Though in this case, it seemed he was more enthusiastic because of how amusing the rumor itself was.
The rumor that a young master of the Jongli Family had soiled himself while eating—how sensational could it get?
“We’re going back today.”
Cheon Gyeongwan looked at Byeok Taesan with a surprised expression.
“Today? Then what about the people from the Jongli Family…”
“What about them? They came to the Yeon Family Estate, not to find me.”
“That is true, but…”
On the surface, yes. But in reality, they had clearly come to meet Byeok Taesan and Cheon Gyeongwan.
Was it okay to just ignore that and leave?
“They annoyed me, so I should annoy them right back.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s just something. Anyway, what about Yu Seoyeon? Are you taking her with you when we go back?”
“It is not a matter of me being able to take her just because I want to. What matters is Sir Yu’s decision. Miss Yeon’s opinion is also important.”
Byeok Taesan said with a meaningful smile.
“I think she’d go if you asked her to.”
Cheon Gyeongwan pressed his lips together and did not answer.
Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively.
“Go get ready to leave, and decide whether you’re taking Yu Seoyeon or not. Let me know what you decide.”
Cheon Gyeongwan let out a small sigh and bowed his head.
“I understand.”
“Oh, and don’t say anything to those two who came with us.”
“Pardon?”
He was referring to Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop.
“We’re going back by ourselves. They’ve probably been paid in advance anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
Cheon Gyeongwan looked troubled. But he soon nodded.
“I will do as you say.”
Although it seemed polite to tell them, there must be a reason why Byeok Taesan had said this.
He had been suspicious of the two from the start.
‘Honestly, they do seem a bit suspicious.’
After Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon had crushed the Jongli Family warriors, the attitudes of Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop had subtly changed.
If those two were connected to the Jongli Family in any way, their movements could be relayed directly to them.
Just as Cheon Gyeongwan was about to leave, Byeok Taesan spoke again as if he had remembered something.
“Oh, and it’s a secret from the Divine Doctor of the Ages, too.”
“Pardon?”
For the first time in a while, Cheon Gyeongwan looked utterly bewildered.
Byeok Taesan repeated himself firmly.
“It’s a secret.”
“Then…”
“Just you and me.”
“What? Then what about Sir Yu?”
“What do you mean? She’ll have to move separately. Tell her to keep it strictly confidential. She can just stall for a bit and then return to the Golden Jade Manor with the Divine Doctor.”
Cheon Gyeongwan asked again.
“Are we really going, just the two of us? Are you leaving without saying goodbye to the Yeon Family Head and Miss Yeon?”
“Goodbye? I already did.”
“Pardon?”
“They promised to keep it a secret, too.”
Cheon Gyeongwan stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
He wanted to ask what he was plotting. But in the end, he swallowed the question.
He would find out eventually since he was going with him.
For some reason, he had a feeling they weren't heading straight back to the Golden Jade Manor.
* * *
“Young Master, where are we going? This way is taking us further from the Golden Jade Manor.”
Cheon Gyeongwan finally couldn't hold back his question any longer.
He had intended to just follow, but since they were only getting farther and farther from the Golden Jade Manor, he had to ask.
“Where do you think we’re going? Think about it.”
“Don’t tell me we are going to the Jongli Family estate?”
Byeok Taesan grinned.
“You’re not entirely stupid.”
“Are we really going to the Jongli Family estate? It will be dangerous to go without any preparation.”
“I have you, don’t I?”
“Pardon?”
Cheon Gyeongwan couldn't hide his astonishment.
He was heading to the Jongli Family estate now, and he was counting on him? Even if he knew the weaknesses of the Jongli Family’s martial arts, what could he possibly do alone?
Besides, exploiting those weaknesses might work on warriors of the level he had recently faced, but it would be completely ineffective against stronger masters.
He might be able to make them flinch a few times, but that was it.
“Young Master, no matter how I think about it, this doesn't seem right. They have too many men.”
“Who said we’re going there to fight? Just stop talking and follow me.”
With that, Byeok Taesan strode forward.
Cheon Gyeongwan followed him, fidgeting with anxiety, bewilderment, and worry.
“I will trust that you are really not going to fight.”
“To be precise, *I* won’t be fighting. And we’re not going to the Jongli Family estate, but near it.”
Cheon Gyeongwan’s anxiety grew even more.
Before long, the two of them had entered the vicinity of East Lake, where the Jongli Family was located.