Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: I Smell Something
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The Black Iron Sect was a faction of considerable size.
It had several enormous training grounds and numerous large storehouses for weapons.
There were also a great many forges for producing martial equipment.
Looking around inside, it seemed much closer to an ironworks than a martial arts sect.
Inside the Black Iron Sect, people dispatched from the Hubei Martial Alliance were milling about.
Though they were investigating diligently, their expressions were grim, suggesting a lack of progress.
Byeok Taesan ventured deeper inside.
Then he stopped and looked at the Hubei Martial Alliance warriors who had been following him.
"How far do you intend to follow me?"
"Sir? We are merely here to escort and guide you..."
"Inside here? It's neither dangerous nor complex enough to require a guide. Are you perhaps trying to watch me?"
"O-Of course not! Absolutely not!"
Byeok Taesan said no more, simply staring at the warriors.
The pressure must have been immense, as they all wore troubled expressions.
"Then... we will remain by the entrance. Please call for us when you are ready to leave."
With those words, the warriors turned and left.
Byeok Taesan glanced at the retreating warriors before turning his gaze to the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
"This is your specialty, isn't it? Take a look around."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages stepped forward with a triumphant expression.
"As expected, Young Master, you recognize my true worth. Just leave it to me, and I'll drag out every last secret hidden in the depths of the culprits' minds. Speaking of which, there was once a group called the Black Tiger Sect. What they were like was..."
Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively. He cut the Divine Doctor off mid-breath, shutting him up with a jerk of his chin.
"Enough chatter. Get to it. We don't have time. I have a feeling an uninvited guest is on their way."
"An uninvited guest?"
At the mention of an uninvited guest, Yeon Harin, who had been quietly watching Byeok Taesan, looked puzzled.
Byeok Taesan answered nonchalantly.
"The Alliance Leader of Hubei."
Yeon Harin gasped and quickly looked around.
"Goodness, Young Master! How can you call the Alliance Leader an uninvited guest? It'll be a huge problem if someone hears you."
"What problem? What help would the Alliance Leader be if he came here? Someone who disrupts our work should be called an uninvited guest. What else would you call him?"
"Even so, the Alliance Leader is such an incredible person."
"Well... he's decent enough, I suppose."
To be memorable even now, he was certainly more than decent. People with true resolve were rarer than one might think.
Yeon Harin stared blankly at Byeok Taesan. She had never imagined someone could speak of the Hubei Alliance Leader in such a way.
But the fact that it was none other than Byeok Taesan saying it made it even more astonishing.
Yeon Harin felt a strange sense of dissonance and glanced around.
Even though Byeok Taesan had just said that, no one's expression changed in the slightest.
It meant one of two things: they were used to this sort of situation, or they genuinely agreed with what Byeok Taesan had said.
While Yeon Harin was lost in a daze, Byeok Taesan spoke.
"He has a decent eye for things, so it'll be good for you to learn."
At his words, everyone followed the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
The Divine Doctor began by explaining how to deduce the situation from the visible clues, then shared rumors he had gathered from around the Black Iron Sect, and even pointed out what information could be extracted from them.
Everyone's eyes widened as they focused on the Divine Doctor's words.
They never knew the Divine Doctor possessed such talents beyond medicine.
While everyone was honing their observation skills with the Divine Doctor, Byeok Taesan was surveying the area with a different perspective.
"This brings back memories."
Ascending to the throne of the Heavenly Demon required a perilous journey.
Just earning the right to qualify was no ordinary feat.
Even after qualifying, one had to walk a path of blood.
And becoming the Heavenly Demon didn't mean immediate recognition.
Once one became the Heavenly Demon, they were granted the right to learn the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, and only after mastering it and accomplishing many deeds for the Heavenly Demonic Cult could they become the true Heavenly Demon.
In reality, far more blood was shed after becoming the Heavenly Demon than before.
And right after becoming the Heavenly Demon, he had experience solving cases similar to this one several times.
Of course, the end of such investigations always culminated in smashing everything to pieces.
In any case, being out here and investigating like this after so long brought back a flood of memories.
His first task after becoming the Heavenly Demon had been to investigate the massacre of an allied sect located some distance from the Heavenly Demonic Cult and to find and crush the culprit.
Byeok Taesan moved slowly. There was a small training ground nearby.
Judging by its location deep within the inner courtyard, it seemed to be a training ground used by a key figure of the Black Iron Sect.
The One-Needle Eccentric cautiously followed Byeok Taesan.
He couldn't stand the sight of the Divine Doctor showing off in the spotlight, so he had chosen to stay by the frightening Byeok Taesan's side instead.
Of course, it was a choice made knowing that Byeok Taesan wasn't always terrifying.
Standing in the middle of the training ground, Byeok Taesan scanned his surroundings and nodded.
"Quite impressive."
The One-Needle Eccentric asked with a puzzled look.
"What is, sir?"
"Look at the marks on the floor and walls."
The One-Needle Eccentric followed Byeok Taesan's instruction and examined the marks.
Countless hairline marks were etched into both the floor and the walls.
"Are these... marks made by sword energy?"
"So you're not entirely blind."
The One-Needle Eccentric was amazed.
To draw out sword energy this finely and wield it, and to use it to etch wounds of this depth into hard stone, was no easy feat.
As the One-Needle Eccentric was admiring the marks, the Divine Doctor of the Ages came bustling in with the rest of the group.
Having apparently overheard the One-Needle Eccentric, he quickly examined the marks on the walls and floor.
"Hoh. This wasn't just drawing out sword energy like a sword; it was used like a whip. I'll teach you how to trace the trajectory from the connected marks, so everyone gather 'round."
The One-Needle Eccentric watched him with a displeased expression.
He had come here to avoid seeing that very sight, yet the man had followed him just to show off again. His fists trembled.
He was seriously contemplating whether to go over and punch him when Byeok Taesan spoke.
"Doesn't it seem strange that someone who could draw out sword energy so finely and wield it like a whip was taken down so easily?"
At Byeok Taesan's question, the One-Needle Eccentric tilted his head.
"Are you saying the people of the Black Iron Sect secretly left on their own? Why would they do that?"
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
"Everyone who was here is dead. I don't know if they were all killed, if a few escaped, or if they were captured and dragged away, but it's certain that at least a hundred people died."
The One-Needle Eccentric looked at Byeok Taesan in shock.
"How do you know that?"
Byeok Taesan calmly scanned the surroundings.
"Can't you smell the scent of death? It's so potent, the death of one or two people could never produce it."
Hearing this, the One-Needle Eccentric sniffed the air, but he couldn't smell anything unusual.
"It's not a scent you smell with your nose."
The One-Needle Eccentric stopped sniffing, looking embarrassed.
"Now, let's think for a moment."
The One-Needle Eccentric looked at Byeok Taesan, thinking how ill-suited the word 'think' seemed for him.
"To wipe out a place with someone strong enough to leave these marks, without any commotion or sign of trouble, what would you have to do?"
The One-Needle Eccentric tilted his head. An idea quickly came to mind.
"Poison?"
"Correct."
The One-Needle Eccentric read the conviction in Byeok Taesan's eyes. Why was he so certain?
There was no guarantee they were killed with poison.
Although, it was true that it was the most accessible method.
"Do you know a bit about poisons?"
"I know a fair amount."
"How do you compare to the Poison Demon?"
The One-Needle Eccentric looked dumbfounded.
The Poison Demon was known as the greatest poison expert in the world.
So, naturally, he was several levels below the Poison Demon. At least when it came to poisons.
"Who could possibly defeat the Poison Demon with poison?"
After saying that, the One-Needle Eccentric asked cautiously.
"But... why do you ask?"
Byeok Taesan glanced around and said nonchalantly.
"It seems the Poison Demon was involved."
The One-Needle Eccentric's eyes went wide as saucers.
"I-Is that really true? No, how on earth did you know?"
"I smell poison."
"Pardon?"
"I smell the poison that bastard used to favor."
The One-Needle Eccentric stared at Byeok Taesan, bewildered.
Byeok Taesan, seemingly unconcerned with the One-Needle Eccentric's expression, continued.
"But there's a strange, grating scent mixed in. Your job is to find it. It'll be difficult alone, so take that loudmouth over there and do it together."
The One-Needle Eccentric bowed his head slightly.
A moment later, the One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages began searching for traces of poison in the area, using every method they knew.
After tossing them the task, Byeok Taesan leisurely departed.
***
Usually, when an incident occurred, the Leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance rarely visited the scene himself during the investigation.
Knowing his presence would only hinder the work, the Alliance Leader also refrained from doing so as much as possible.
That was why everyone was so surprised to see the Alliance Leader suddenly appear at the Black Iron Sect.
"Alliance Leader, what brings you here?"
The captain of the Red Command Brigade, who was in charge of the investigation here, hurried over to greet the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader had no intention of interfering, so he quickly waved his hand.
"There's no need for this. Everyone, carry on with your work."
The Red Command Brigade Captain asked cautiously.
"Did you perhaps come to see the Divine Doctor and the Eccentric?"
The Alliance Leader nodded.
"That's right. I asked a favor of them."
"If you're looking for them, they went deep inside."
As he spoke, a hint of doubt flickered in the captain's eyes.
No matter how famous they were, what could a couple of physicians possibly know?
"From your expression, it seems you're not pleased."
The Red Command Brigade Captain jumped in surprise and waved his hands frantically.
"Of course not. I was just... curious as to why they came here."
A physician was requested because a physician's skills were needed.
"I deliberately didn't pass on the message."
"Pardon?"
The Alliance Leader grinned.
"Because there's someone I absolutely have to meet."
The captain stared blankly at the Alliance Leader. What did having to meet someone have to do with not explaining the situation to the physicians?
"In any case, I'll deliver the message myself. So, continue with your work."
The Alliance Leader strode into the Black Iron Sect.
In truth, he still had a lot of work to do. The tasks that had piled up after he lost a day because of Byeok Taesan were still unresolved.
Today, too, he was effectively postponing work again because of Byeok Taesan.
When he returned later, he would probably have to endure a painful session with his chief steward, who would add today's nagging to all the postponed lectures.
Still, he really wanted to come here.
He wanted to see Byeok Taesan, and he also wanted to check out the Black Iron Sect with his own eyes.
From the moment he heard the report on the Black Iron Sect, something had been bothering him.
But he still hadn't figured out the source of this feeling.
So he came here to see Byeok Taesan and, at the same time, to uncover the source of that strange feeling.
The Red Command Brigade Captain watched the Alliance Leader's back as he went inside, then turned around.
"What are you all doing? Didn't you hear the Alliance Leader? Get back to work!"
At his roar, everyone quickly scattered.
***
The Alliance Leader went deep into the Black Iron Sect.
"They went in deep."
If he brought physicians, they should be doing work befitting them. What reason was there to come this far in?
Soon, the Alliance Leader arrived at the small training ground.
The training ground was filled with people. And, as always, Yeon Harin stood out the most.
The Alliance Leader took in the sight of Yeon Harin, then carefully scanned the area around her.
But no matter how much he looked, he couldn't see Byeok Taesan.
Yeon Harin was there, as were other women who, while not quite on her level, were still stunningly beautiful. The Divine Doctor of the Ages, the One-Needle Eccentric, Cheon Gyeongwan, and Yu Seoyeon were also present, but Byeok Taesan alone was missing.
Yeon Harin spotted the Alliance Leader looking around.
She was startled and rushed over to the Alliance Leader, offering a respectful salute.
"Greetings, Alliance Leader."
"Yes, you're working hard. But..."
Before the Alliance Leader could finish, the rest of the group hurried over to greet him.
Among them were the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
"What brings the Alliance Leader here? You must be very busy with official matters."
To the question of why he came when he was so busy, the Alliance Leader replied with a smile.
"No matter how busy I am, I can't just gloss over such an important matter, can I? I also came because I have a favor to ask of you two."
"Is that favor, by any chance... to check the pulses of the people living in this area?"
The Alliance Leader's eyes widened slightly.
"How did you know?"
"While investigating this place, it seemed likely that the surrounding area was affected."
"Affected? You mean..."
"Yes. It seems someone used poison."
The Alliance Leader's expression hardened.