Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: I Wish I Hadn't Heard
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All night, the sound of pained groans flowed ceaselessly from Byeok Taesan's room. Occasional screams burst out, but compared to usual, it was remarkably quiet.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric paced anxiously in front of Byeok Taesan's room.
Soon, they would know the result of their bet.
"The more I think about it, the more it's a loss for me."
"What is?"
"The very idea of betting the One-Needle Arts just to find out your identity is ridiculous."
"If you win the bet, you'll naturally admit that's not what it is."
"It's not like you're the hidden son of the Black Alliance Leader. No, even if you were, it wouldn't be worth the One-Needle Arts."
"Why are you making such a big deal out of sharing a few acupuncture secrets?"
"A few? Did you just say a few? Do you have any idea how many people would lick the soles of my feet just to learn those secrets?"
"Must you be so crude? This is why the other physicians avoid you. It's worse to be avoided for being disgusting than for being feared."
"Are you calling me a piece of shit?"
"There you go with the crude talk again."
The One-Needle Eccentric barely managed to swallow his boiling anger.
"Let's just stop. No, this won't do. How about we add something to our bet?"
"Add something? What do you mean?"
"If I win, I get to hit you just once. If you win, you can hit me."
"Hey, what kind of physician resorts to violence at the drop of a hat?"
"So, are you in or not?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages grinned.
"I'm out. I don't like getting hit, and I don't like hitting people."
"Agh. I'd have no regrets if I could just land one solid punch on that smug face."
As the two bickered, the groans from the room suddenly stopped.
The door opened, and Byeok Taesan emerged.
Inside the room, the two physicians lay sprawled on the floor, unconscious.
"Clean this up."
At Byeok Taesan's command, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric quickly dragged the physicians out and tossed them into a nearby empty room.
Then, with tense eyes, they looked at Byeok Taesan.
"H-how was it?"
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"The effect was a bit weak, but it was decent enough."
At the mention of a weak effect, the expressions of the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric darkened slightly.
But it couldn't be helped. The supply of decent physicians in this area had completely dried up.
In truth, Byeok Taesan was quite satisfied.
This time, he had succeeded in drawing out and burning the souls of two physicians simultaneously.
His mastery of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts had grown slightly.
At this rate of progress, it seemed possible he could draw out the souls of even more people at once.
Of course, that would require a complete cure for his severed meridians and a much higher level of mastery in the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts. Still, it was achievable with enough time.
The physicians brought by the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric this time had lived clean lives, so there was nothing particularly unique about them.
They were ordinary men who had never gravely harmed or killed anyone.
Perhaps because of that, their souls were relatively ordinary, as was the spiritual energy they contained.
Being physicians, their souls had a healing effect, but it was nothing compared to that of the One-Needle Eccentric or the Divine Doctor.
Nevertheless, it was meaningful for Byeok Taesan.
He decided to try burning the souls of a more diverse range of people from now on.
Perhaps in doing so, he would gain new insights or further develop his ability to wield the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts.
For now, however, he had to give the results to the two men staring at him intently.
Byeok Taesan smirked, looking from the Divine Doctor to the One-Needle Eccentric.
"It's a draw."
"Pardon?"
"How can that be?"
Ignoring their reactions, Byeok Taesan continued.
"If we're being precise, you both lack skill, so you can consider it a loss for both of you."
"Excuse me?"
"What kind of—!"
What sort of absurd judgment was this?
But the two didn't argue further. It was a conclusion only Byeok Taesan could reach.
He was truly the best in the world at being arbitrary.
Just as the two were about to accept it and move on, Byeok Taesan spoke again.
"So, you will both fulfill your ends of the bet."
"What?"
"That's ridiculous!"
"Really?"
When Byeok Taesan asked, sweeping his gaze over them, both men clamped their mouths shut.
Who said anything was impossible in this world? If he said it, it would be done.
Byeok Taesan's low, chilling voice reached their ears.
"I will be checking up on you. And... you can look forward to what happens if you make a bet over me again. So only do what you can handle."
With those words, Byeok Taesan went back into his room.
*Thud.*
The door closed, leaving the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric standing frozen in place for a long time.
They were utterly terrified.
***
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric squatted in a corner of the lodging.
They looked as if they were secretly plotting something.
"What the hell is he?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Young Master's identity. Shit, I've never been this scared in my entire life. How can he be so terrifying just by talking? Damn it."
"It's his atmosphere."
The One-Needle Eccentric nodded at the Divine Doctor's words.
"I thought so, too. He didn't raise his internal energy or project his aura, but still..."
The Divine Doctor chuckled.
"What's so funny? Do you find me amusing? Weren't you scared?"
"Of course I was scared. It's just that I've had a similar experience before."
"A similar experience? I suppose he did to you what he did to me when you first met."
The Divine Doctor scowled.
"Hey, that's... well, yes, but that's not what I'm talking about."
"Not the Young Master? You mean there's someone else that terrifying?"
The Divine Doctor suddenly clamped his mouth shut.
"Why are you getting all serious again? What are you about to say?"
"What are we going to do about our bet?"
"What do you mean, what are we going to do? If the Young Master says it's a draw, it's a draw."
"No, I mean, what about the One-Needle Arts?"
The One-Needle Eccentric smirked and glared at the Divine Doctor.
"Are you thinking of disobeying the Young Master's words?"
"Of course not. I'll naturally do as he says."
"You tell me first. Shit, what is your identity?"
"Can you block the sound from getting out of here?"
He was asking him to create a sound barrier with his energy. The One-Needle Eccentric's face contorted.
"Hey, you think just anyone can do that? Hold on."
The One-Needle Eccentric frowned, concentrating on something. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Phew. It's done. I can't block the sound completely, but it should be distorted enough that no clear words will get out."
"You're quite skilled."
"Cut the chatter and tell me. What's your identity?"
"Heavenly Demonic Cult."
"Shit."
I wish I hadn't heard.
***
The Hubei Martial Alliance Leader subtly averted his gaze when his chief administrator suddenly entered his office.
He had a mountain of work to get through from yesterday, but he wasn't even halfway done.
It was the result of getting entangled with Byeok Taesan at the gathering of rising stars.
What was more infuriating was that while he was dealing with that, Byeok Taesan had disappeared.
He hadn't gotten what he wanted, he had been played for a fool, his work was unfinished, and now the person who would nag him about it had arrived.
"Alliance Leader."
"I'm sorry."
"Pardon? Why are you suddenly apologizing?"
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. But why the long face? Is something urgent?"
"A problem has arisen."
"A problem?"
"The Black Iron Workshop has vanished."
"The Black Iron Workshop? Vanished? What do you mean? Explain it clearly so I can understand."
The Black Iron Workshop was one of the factions based in Yichang.
It was less of a martial sect and more of an actual iron workshop, just as its name suggested.
They produced high-quality weapons and had been supplying the Hubei Martial Alliance with various goods, including weaponry.
"It's just as I said. They've vanished completely. Only the estate and the buildings remain. Everything inside is gone. People and goods."
The Alliance Leader's expression turned grave.
"Completely vanished? Have you asked around to see if anyone saw them move?"
"Yes. But no one saw anything."
"When was the last time they were seen?"
"Four days ago."
"Four days ago..."
If they were there four days ago, it meant they disappeared three days ago, two days ago, or yesterday.
Three days ago was when the gathering of rising stars had just begun.
"Did they take advantage of the distraction caused by the gathering? But why would they? I believe we still owed them money."
Due to their long-term business relationship, they received a steady supply of goods and paid the bill on a set date once a month.
And this month's payment date was still a few days away.
"It seems... this was not of their own volition."
The Alliance Leader nodded.
That was a strong possibility.
"The investigation?"
"It's still underway."
"Is there any danger?"
"What danger could there be in an investigation? The real trouble will begin after it's over, won't it?"
"Right?"
The Alliance Leader stroked his chin, lost in thought.
The chief administrator watched him with a puzzled expression, awaiting his orders.
"Was there anything else unusual?"
"Come to think of it, I heard the people of the Black Iron Workshop were recently feeling unwell."
"Unwell?"
"Yes. But not to the point of being sick. They were just complaining of more severe fatigue than usual."
"So it was dismissed as nothing important."
"Yes, that's right."
The Alliance Leader's face was grim as he sank into thought. His fingers tapped a rhythmic beat on his desk.
Having finished his thoughts, the Alliance Leader looked at the chief administrator with sharp, shining eyes.
"Investigate the area around the Black Iron Workshop. See if anyone else is complaining of similar symptoms."
"Yes. I'll see to it at once."
"And request assistance from the two physicians who are here as guests."
"You mean the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric?"
"Since they complained of an illness, wouldn't those two be of some help?"
"I will ask them immediately."
The Alliance Leader nodded, concluding the matter.
"Oh, and while you're asking them, add Byeok Taesan to the investigation team."
The chief administrator's eyes widened.
"The second young master of the Golden Jade Trading Company?"
"Yes, that Byeok Taesan. If he has any requests, grant them as long as they're reasonable."
A peculiar light flickered in the chief administrator's eyes, but he didn't ask for further details.
He bowed his head and withdrew.
After the chief administrator left, the Hubei Martial Alliance Leader was lost in thought for a moment.
Thinking of Byeok Taesan naturally brought to mind what Seo Mundeok had said.
'He said he sensed the air of a master, didn't he?'
When he first heard it, the Alliance Leader had thought it was nonsense.
If anyone other than Seo Mundeok had said it, he might have scoffed and told them not to be ridiculous.
But after meeting Byeok Taesan himself, he felt he understood why Seo Mundeok had said such a thing.
"What in the world is that man?"
He truly did have the air of a master, even though he couldn't feel a trace of internal energy from him.
***
Byeok Taesan walked leisurely toward the Black Iron Workshop.
His entire entourage that had come to the Hubei Martial Alliance was moving with him. Warriors from the Hubei Martial Alliance, who were guiding them, formed a protective formation around the group.
Yeon Harin walked beside Byeok Taesan.
In truth, Yeon Harin was slightly excited. To receive an official request from the Hubei Martial Alliance.
Her gaze naturally drifted to Byeok Taesan.
Lately, every time she saw him, something surprising happened. Just the other day, she was shocked to see him acting openly annoyed with the Hubei Martial Alliance Leader.
Her heart pounded like crazy just thinking about it.
'Is that why we received this request?'
To be precise, it was an official request from the Hubei Martial Alliance to the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
Byeok Taesan had merely been added to it.
But looking at how things were unfolding, the Hubei Martial Alliance was going to great lengths to accommodate Byeok Taesan.
Yeon Harin glanced behind her.
'The fact that they didn't say a word about him bringing all of them along confirms it.'
It was one thing for the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric to be there, as they were the ones the Alliance had requested. And Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon could be brought along under the pretext of being bodyguards. But how could one explain Soso, Danyeong, and Chaewol, who were following behind them?
Of course, Byeok Taesan had merely informed them; he hadn't offered a single word of explanation or excuse.
And the Hubei Martial Alliance had accepted his notice without any issue.
As her thoughts spiraled, they arrived at the Black Iron Workshop.
"This is the Black Iron Workshop."
At the guide's polite words, Byeok Taesan nodded and stepped inside.
"Well then, shall we have a look around?"
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.