Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: From Bad to Worse, Part 1
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Byeok Taesan was meditating on his bed, sitting cross-legged.
He had gained a slight enlightenment from burning the souls of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
He had also obtained high-quality spiritual energy.
As expected, even though they were both physicians, the souls of the One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages were on a different level.
Just a few days ago, it would have been inefficient to burn their souls again.
But yesterday was different.
Their souls were caked with high-quality spiritual energy.
He surmised it was because they had treated countless people with all their might. But to be more certain, he would have to wait and see.
In any case, the quality and quantity of the spiritual energy he had obtained this time were so good that he had made significant progress in healing his ki channels.
Thanks to that, it seemed he could complete his recovery sooner than he had initially expected.
Of course, it would still take a long time.
"It's a wonder I was even alive in a body like this."
Byeok Taesan murmured softly as he finished his meditation.
When he first awoke in this body, if he hadn't gone straight to the pleasure house, he might have died the next day.
No, he most certainly would have.
The only reason Byeok Taesan had been able to move around and get to the pleasure house was literally thanks to the remnants of the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts left in the Heavenly Demon's soul.
And since it was incompatible with the body, it would quickly dissipate.
In other words, if the Heavenly Demon hadn't taken over, this body would have died instantly.
'Perhaps it was because he died that I was able to enter.'
That seemed to be the most plausible explanation.
Though even so, a few questions remained.
At any rate, he had finally managed to make this wreck of a body barely functional.
Soso had played a very large role in that.
It was only possible because the spiritual energy obtained through Soso's soul had laid a solid foundation.
"Isn't there another girl like Soso somewhere..."
He didn't need many. Just one would be enough.
That would accelerate his healing significantly.
Byeok Taesan rose from his seat.
He had taken care of what needed to be done. The rest would take care of itself.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric would treat patients with the resolve to burn their very souls, and the Underworld Sect would use all its resources to investigate the fiend.
If he leaked the information they gathered to the Hubei Martial Alliance, the situation would sort itself out.
When everything was finished, the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion would come to him with the results.
"There won't be the satisfaction of smashing things to pieces, I guess."
That was what had changed from his time as the Heavenly Demon.
Back then, he would end things by destroying everything. He couldn't do that this time.
By the time Byeok Taesan needed to step in, most things would already be settled, and besides, he couldn't exert too much force yet.
If he pushed himself unnecessarily and delayed his recovery, he would be the only one to lose out.
"Well then... shall I check on the kids' training?"
Byeok Taesan smiled faintly and left the room.
* * *
A total of five people were training in the grounds today.
There were Soso, Danyeong, and Chaewol, and a short distance away from them were Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
There was no need to advise Soso, Danyeong, and Chaewol. They were already progressing down the right path on their own.
Thanks to having their souls cleansed, their aptitudes had improved, so they were advancing with every moment they trained.
If anyone else heard that they had only begun their martial arts training a little over a month ago, they would be shocked to the point of fainting.
Their growth was that fast.
The problem was their internal energy.
While their superior aptitude allowed their internal energy to grow quickly, there was a clear limit to how much one could grow with aptitude alone.
They were critically short on time, which was the most important factor in increasing internal energy.
Anyway, that was the case for the three women, but the situation was a bit different for the other two, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon.
The two of them had hit a massive wall.
They had been stuck in a plateau, but the bloody, practical training using the Divine Doctor of the Ages had allowed them to grow stronger.
However, that was merely a temporary solution.
Although they had become stronger, they hadn't escaped the fundamental plateau.
Once they had gained all they could from the practical training, they fell back into stagnation.
Byeok Taesan watched the two for a while before speaking abruptly.
"Are you going to keep doing that?"
Only Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon reacted to his words.
Soso, Danyeong, and Chaewol were so focused on their training that they didn't even hear Byeok Taesan speak.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon stopped their training and looked at Byeok Taesan. Both their faces were flushed red.
They were ashamed. Ashamed that a single comment had broken their concentration. No, that they hadn't been concentrating at all.
"If you're just going to waste time, go find something else to do. I'm sure there's plenty of work to be done in the Hubei Martial Alliance if you look."
The two of them hung their heads low.
They had no excuse. Training was meant to be done with steadfast dedication.
Their growth had been too steep in a short period due to the practical training.
That had come back to bite them.
Byeok Taesan stroked his chin as he looked at them.
"Hmm. I know a pretty good footwork technique, you see."
At those words, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon snapped their heads up and stared at Byeok Taesan.
Their eyes were filled with longing.
They had seen for themselves what kind of martial art Byeok Taesan had taught his maids.
At first, they thought it was just an ordinary martial art. But watching the girls train, they would sometimes be astonished by how profound it was.
And that was likely not even the true face of the art.
After all, they were still just taking their first steps.
That was what they thought until recently. But after hearing about the martial art's true identity from the One-Needle Eccentric, they could only be stunned.
The Divine Spirit Arts!
It was a supreme martial art that one could never obtain without a fateful encounter.
To think he had given it to his maids like tossing candy to a child was unbelievable.
In any case, a footwork technique known by someone with a track record like Byeok Taesan's could not possibly be ordinary.
So it was only natural for such longing, no, desire, to burn within them.
"This footwork is good for training, you see. The only problem is that it's a bit difficult and strenuous."
"I'll do it!"
Cheon Gyeongwan answered without even hearing the rest.
"I-I'll do it too!"
Yu Seoyeon also replied.
Byeok Taesan seemed to ponder something for a moment, then nodded.
"Well, it's no big deal, so I guess it's fine. Alright. I'll teach you. But once you start, you have to see it through to the end."
"I will do so."
"I will do so as well."
"You promise?"
"I swear it."
"I swear it too."
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"Good. First, memorize the formula. I'll teach you very kindly, step by step. You need to at least master the basics by the end of today, so be prepared."
"Thank you!"
The two spoke in unison, as if one person, and cupped their fists.
Gratitude filled their eyes.
Watching them, Byeok Taesan smiled cryptically. I wonder if they'll still have that same look in their eyes after they learn it.
* * *
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric were treating patients in a large estate.
Many of the people living in the estate had been poisoned, and since the place was spacious, they decided to gather patients from the surrounding areas to treat them all at once.
As a result, the estate was bustling with people.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric worked without a moment's rest, diagnosing and treating.
To assist the two, physicians hastily gathered by the Hubei Martial Alliance had joined them.
There were ten of them in total, and they were reasonably competent.
While they couldn't treat the symptoms of those affected by the poison fiend's toxins on their own, they could administer treatment based on the prescriptions given by the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric.
Since there were plenty of physicians who couldn't even do that, they were a great help nonetheless.
The Hubei Martial Alliance had assigned a total of twenty warriors to protect the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric.
Though not a large number, they were all among the top fighters in the Hubei Martial Alliance.
They had no choice but to ensure the complete safety of the two physicians.
After all, the two were the biggest obstacles to the fiend's current plans.
The warriors never let their guard down, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.
Time passed like a whirlwind.
Having treated all the patients in the estate and those brought from nearby, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric were finally taking a breather.
"There are so damn many of them."
"Still, don't you think today was a bit easier than yesterday?"
"It was. The difference between being prepared and not is huge."
Yesterday, the two had to travel around to see patients, but today, they treated people who came to one location, which was much more efficient and faster.
The sun had already set. But their work wasn't over yet.
The ten physicians brought by the Hubei Martial Alliance had gone to fetch new patients, so they would have to work for another two to four hours.
Still, they could rest comfortably until they returned.
"It seems they have no intention of letting us rest peacefully."
Instantly understanding the meaning behind the One-Needle Eccentric's words, the Divine Doctor of the Ages sighed and looked at him.
"Are you confident?"
The corner of the One-Needle Eccentric's mouth twisted.
"I'm the One-Needle Eccentric. The one and only. There's only one thing I'm worried about."
"And what is that?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Because fighting while having to protect you too sounds like a real pain."
"Just focus on crushing the bastards who broke in. I'll survive on my own."
"Well, I'll take your word for it for now."
No sooner had the One-Needle Eccentric finished speaking than figures clad in black with black masks swarmed over the estate walls.
Nearly a hundred black-clothed, masked figures surrounded the wall.
That alone was an overwhelming number, but on top of that, new black-clothed, masked figures appeared on the wall.
There were fewer of them than those below, but they still looked to be about fifty strong.
It seemed they were there to block anyone trying to escape over the walls.
An icy tension settled over the estate.
The Hubei Martial Alliance warriors stepped forward.
They exuded a blade-like aura as they scanned the black-clothed figures.
Though there were only twenty of them, they showed no signs of being intimidated by the more than one hundred enemies before them.
They stood with their mouths shut tight, drawing their swords and pointing them forward.
From among the black-clothed figures, a man walked out leisurely.
"Why don't you put away those scary things? I didn't come here to fight, but to talk."
The masked man looked directly at the One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages behind the Hubei Martial Alliance warriors and continued.
"I've come on business with the physicians in the back. You two, don't be afraid. Why not step forward and have a conversation?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages then said.
"As long as we can hear each other, a conversation is possible, so just speak from there. And shouldn't you be the one to put away those dangerous things you have in the back?"
At those words, a peculiar light flickered in the masked man's eyes.
"I have no memory of bringing any dangerous things... In any case, if you're so scared, I suppose we have no choice but to talk loudly from here."
The light provocation made the One-Needle Eccentric's expression twitch, but the Divine Doctor grabbed his arm tightly, preventing him from acting rashly.
"Those black figures in the back, they aren't ordinary people."
At the Divine Doctor's words, the One-Needle Eccentric's eyes widened slightly.
The One-Needle Eccentric focused his mind and carefully examined the black-clothed figures lined up along the wall, one by one.
As he focused, he felt a strange sense of unease.
The flow of ki surrounding them was odd.
"What in the world are those things? They look like... sick chickens."
"Rather than sick chickens, don't they seem more like they're half-dead?"
The One-Needle Eccentric nodded vigorously at the Divine Doctor's words.
Indeed, "half-dead" was a much more fitting description. The flow of their ki was that unstable.
"Therefore, to deal with them, you must strike their weakness precisely. Usually, the weak point is where two types of ki intersect, but frankly, I don't have the ability to identify it yet. Can you, brother?"
The One-Needle Eccentric nodded.
"Are you certain that's their weakness?"
"I am certain."
"I'll trust you."
Saying so, the One-Needle Eccentric pulled a handful of needles from his robe.
"Let's just buy some time. Wait a moment."
The Divine Doctor stopped the One-Needle Eccentric, who was about to throw the needles at any moment, and shouted toward the masked man.
"If you have something to say, say it! Where did the guy who wanted to talk go?"
"I was just waiting, as it seemed you two were conferring. If you're considering entrusting yourselves to us, we would welcome you with open arms."
"What makes you think we'd go with you? We're not stupid enough to entrust ourselves to a bunch of unknowns."
Hearing this, the black-clothed man wavered slightly. The way his eyes distorted showed that the words had struck a nerve.
"What's this? Don't tell me you were one of those idiots?"
The black-clothed man ground his teeth.
"You're quite skilled at provocation. But you have no choice. Either you all die here, or you come along quietly."
"Why did you kill everyone from the Black Iron Hall?"
"It's nothing special. Isn't it the law of nature that those who possess treasure but lack the strength to protect it end up that way?"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages smirked.
"Don't give me that 'law of nature' crap. Does the law of nature involve turning perfectly fine people into jiangshi?"
A terrifying glint shone from the masked man's eyes.
"It seems... this won't end nicely. First, I'll have to take care of those who are in the way."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the men behind him rushed forward.
And the One-Needle Eccentric threw his needles at them.
*Sh sh sh sh sh shk!*
A dozen needles shot out in all directions.
*Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Over ten needles flew with precision, aiming for the points where ki intersected.
It was a flying needle technique that bordered on the divine.
However, not all the needles pierced their targets.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Some deflected the needles by swinging their swords, while others were pierced in their weak spots.
Those who were hit by the needles in their weak points collapsed limply.
"So it really is their weakness."
But the expression on the One-Needle Eccentric's face was not good.
There were too many enemies.
And they were stronger than he thought.
The Hubei Martial Alliance warriors swung their swords at the men who had blocked the needles and were charging forward.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!*
Each time sword met sword, shockwaves of energy scattered in all directions.
The skill of those men was far greater than expected.
They were on par with the Hubei Martial Alliance warriors.
In truth, the warriors from the Hubei Martial Alliance were more skilled, but they were being pushed back in terms of strength and speed.
In the midst of it all, new masked figures jumped over the wall.
At a glance, there seemed to be dozens of them.
The expressions of the One-Needle Eccentric and the Divine Doctor of the Ages soured.
From bad to worse.
< From Bad to Worse, Part 1 > End