Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: These Weren't Those
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< These Weren't Those >
"We will protect ourselves. We will not be a hindrance in any way, so you need not worry."
The two physicians said so with confident expressions.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric looked at the two with distrustful eyes.
"Are you really going to be okay? Honestly, we can't just let you die. We even have a request from the head of the Hubei Martial Alliance."
"At our Heavenly Medicine Hall, we are only permitted to engage in outside activities once our martial arts reach a certain level. We could defeat mere river bandits with our eyes closed."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages snickered.
"They won't learn their lesson until they're a crying, snotting, pissing mess."
Still, with Byeok Taesan accompanying them, they wouldn't have to fight any half-jiangshi. That alone guaranteed a certain level of safety.
However, a situation could arise where Byeok Taesan had to move separately, like when he went to deal with the remnants of those who had attacked the rising generation.
"Well, do as you please."
The Divine Doctor's nagging ended there. From now on, it was up to them.
The one guiding the party was a member of the Underworld Sect active in the area.
"You did well to find where the river bandits are."
"I was lucky."
The Underworld Sect member leading the way scratched his head once before continuing.
"I used to be a river bandit myself. I know a lot of the guys there, and a few of them managed to escape this time."
Byeok Taesan's expression turned intrigued.
"Those guys were lucky too. It looks like they escaped while on the move. Had they reached their destination, they probably never would have gotten away."
Hearing the man's words, the nearby Divine Doctor of the Ages commented.
"Sounds like they're a bit sloppy. It would probably be best not to expect too much."
Byeok Taesan thought so too. Even if it was only a few people, for them to escape so easily and leak their whereabouts meant their captors couldn't be very meticulous.
But the Underworld Sect member shook his head vigorously.
"No, sir. Those guys are truly fearsome. Didn't I say they were lucky? They only barely managed to get out because they're quick-witted. Otherwise, it would have been impossible."
Byeok Taesan suddenly stopped walking.
The rest of the group also stopped with puzzled expressions and looked at Byeok Taesan.
Only the expressions of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and Hwaok changed.
"What is it, sir?"
At the man's question, Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaok.
Hwaok, with an expression of deep embarrassment and apology, bowed her head to Byeok Taesan.
"I apologize. I should have been more thorough."
"You're not a member of the Underworld Sect. You have no need to apologize to me."
That was true. Hwaok was no longer of the Underworld Sect, but merely Byeok Taesan's attendant.
But she still maintained her ties to the Underworld Sect and was in charge of communicating with them, so she couldn't help but feel a sliver of responsibility.
Hwaok strode toward the Underworld Sect member.
And reached out her hand.
*Crack!*
Hwaok's hand clamped down on the man's throat.
"Gah!"
The man grabbed Hwaok's hand with both of his, his expression panicked.
"Wh-why are you doing this? Gaaah!"
Hwaok spoke without emotion.
"Why did *you* betray us?"
"B-betrayal! I've never done such a thing!"
The man's eyes, tone, and expression were filled with sincerity. At least, the words he was speaking now were genuine.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages, who was watching this, said.
"So you're saying he was never on the Underworld Sect's side to begin with. He was one of them from the start."
"Wh-what...!"
The man couldn't continue. Hwaok's grip on his neck tightened.
His eyes rolled back in an agonized expression.
"Gguuuhhh!"
Only then did Hwaok release her hand.
All eyes fell on the Underworld Sect member who had collapsed to the ground.
Hwaok said calmly.
"It seems the enemy has prepared a trap."
"A trap?"
Everyone's eyes widened.
Hwaok looked down at the man with a complicated gaze and continued.
"I didn't know they had planted a spy like this even within our Underworld Sect. This man has been a member for over five years..."
The man, who had collapsed and coughed for a while before finally composing himself, looked up at Hwaok with bewildered eyes.
"I-I'm... I'm not. I'm really not."
Byeok Taesan strode toward him.
The man looked at Byeok Taesan, startled.
"I don't much care whether you're a spy or not. And it doesn't matter to me if there's a trap ahead or not."
"Huh? Wh-what do you mean...?"
In that instant, the aura emanating from Byeok Taesan froze solid.
The man trembled from head to toe. He wasn't the only one. The others around him were also suddenly chilled to the bone.
"What's important is, if they set a trap targeting me, it means there are no half-jiangshi there."
Byeok Taesan's cold gaze turned to the man.
"How dare you divert my elixirs?"
"I-I never...!"
Byeok Taesan stared down at the man in silence.
The man felt as if he couldn't breathe. He now understood perfectly what people meant by suffocating fear.
"Spit out everything you know before I grind your soul and turn you into a mindless fool."
The man nodded his head frantically.
And before he knew it, he started spilling everything he knew.
Byeok Taesan didn't even bother listening to him, instead looking at the Divine Doctor of the Ages and Hwaok.
The two quickly listened to the man's confession and assessed the situation.
Byeok Taesan stared silently in the direction the man had been leading them and muttered.
"A trap... it's been a while."
***
"So you're saying the river bandits couldn't have escaped unless those fearsome men let them go on purpose?"
At Yeon Harin's question, Hwaok nodded.
"That's correct."
The claim that there were escaped river bandits was also likely a lie.
"If he had figured that much out, he should have realized something was strange and emphasized that in his report, but instead he tried to lead us there as if it were nothing?"
"There are a few other circumstantial details as well. I'm starting to get a rough idea of who the traitors are."
Hwaok's eyes glinted coldly.
The traitors would surely not die a peaceful death.
"What I'm curious about is, why are we walking straight into this trap when we know all this?"
At Yeon Harin's question, Hwaok subtly averted her gaze.
That was something she didn't know either.
She was simply following Byeok Taesan, who was walking leisurely at the very front.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Yeon Harin flinched at Hwaok's words.
"I'm sure... we'll find out if we just wait."
To be honest, even Yeon Harin couldn't bring herself to speak carelessly to Byeok Taesan right now.
An unapproachable aura completely enveloped him.
How long had they been walking?
They had almost reached the location mentioned by the traitorous Underworld Sect member.
And yet, Byeok Taesan didn't stop walking.
Now, someone had to ask him.
Everyone's gaze gathered on the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
Receiving their stares, the Divine Doctor started, his eyes widening as he looked around and pointed a finger at himself.
It was as if he were asking everyone, *Are you really making me do it?*
Everyone looked away.
The Divine Doctor made a face of disbelief, then finally approached Byeok Taesan with a look of resignation.
"Um... Young Master."
Byeok Taesan turned his head to look at the Divine Doctor.
The Divine Doctor's heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
"Agh, you scared me. Young Master, why are you looking at me with such frightening eyes?"
"What?"
At Byeok Taesan's concise question, the Divine Doctor quickly turned his head to look at the One-Needle Eccentric.
"My brother here has something to say to you, Young Master."
The One-Needle Eccentric, who had been put in the same position before, stared at the Divine Doctor with his mouth agape.
He never imagined it would happen again. Especially not now.
Last time, Byeok Taesan had been in a good mood for some reason and let it slide, but today didn't seem to be one of those days.
Byeok Taesan again turned his head to look at the One-Needle Eccentric.
The One-Needle Eccentric also felt his heart drop the moment his eyes met Byeok Taesan's.
"W-well. So, what do we do now?"
"What?"
Byeok Taesan stopped walking.
The One-Needle Eccentric's face went pale as he trembled all over.
'Fuck, I poked the wrong bear.'
Byeok Taesan swept his cool gaze over the group.
Everyone swallowed hard, their faces tense.
"Come to think of it, these aren't those, are they?"
Muttering these incomprehensible words, Byeok Taesan looked over the group once more.
The thought of walking into a trap for the first time in a while had excited him, making him reminisce about the old days.
Back then, whenever he entered a trap alone, his subordinates would move separately to strike the rear of those who had set it.
They did this because he was the one who could hold out the longest in a trap, and at times, even dismantle it entirely on his own.
In those days, when Byeok Taesan charged into a trap, his subordinates would automatically strike the enemy's rear without needing separate orders.
But the people here now were not the subordinates who had followed him back then.
"I'm going in head-on. So, you all will strike the enemy's rear."
Everyone was startled by his words.
"Young Master! That's too dangerous!"
The first to cry out was Cheon Gyeongwan. He had not forgotten that he was still Byeok Taesan's escort warrior.
He had to prioritize Byeok Taesan's safety above all else.
Byeok Taesan stared at Cheon Gyeongwan.
"Dangerous? For whom?"
"For you, Young Master, of course..."
Cheon Gyeongwan couldn't finish his sentence. As he spoke, he found it difficult to even imagine a situation where Byeok Taesan would be in danger.
Byeok Taesan spoke calmly, but his voice was as cold as ice.
"If you think I'll be in danger, then you just have to hit the enemy's rear that much harder."
Everyone nodded without realizing it.
If they could properly strike the enemy's rear, it would cause great confusion, which would, in turn, lead to Byeok Taesan's safety.
Byeok Taesan looked over the group once more. His gaze stopped when it reached Soso, Danyeong, and Chaewol.
Soso, noticing his gaze, quickly shouted.
"I'll go too! I can do it!"
"I will go as well."
"I can do it too."
Danyeong and Chaewol also spoke with determination.
Byeok Taesan had no intention of stopping those who were willing.
"You three will stick together. Do not separate under any circumstances."
The three of them practiced the same martial art, and their chemistry was good, so there would likely be a significant synergistic effect.
Having said that, Byeok Taesan turned and started walking again.
The remaining people gathered for a moment to form a plan.
With Byeok Taesan entering the trap alone, they couldn't afford to strike the enemy's rear carelessly.
Even if they couldn't formulate a meticulous plan, they couldn't fight haphazardly.
They quickly exchanged opinions, divided their roles, and then hurried off.
***
"Byeok Taesan is coming."
One of the warriors scattered around for reconnaissance ran up and reported.
"What about the others?"
"There's no one else. He's alone."
"He can't be alone. The others are definitely planning something to strike our rear."
"Then what should we do?"
"Don't call back the reconnaissance teams; leave them as they are. No matter where they come from, we just need to provide support from the center."
"Yes. I will relay that for now."
As the warrior bowed and withdrew, the man, Buducheol, frowned.
"Tsk, if I'd known this would happen, I would have brought the jiangshi."
If Byeok Taesan came separately like this, sending the jiangshi to deal with the others would be far more effective.
Buducheol looked at the three men sitting on a nearby rock.
"Elders, the time has come."
At that, the three men shot up from their seats and leaped down from the rock.
"Right, what is it you need us to do?"
"You need to capture Byeok Taesan."
"You said he's pretty skilled, right?"
"We haven't been able to ascertain precise information yet, but he is said to be quite strong."
They had not yet obtained the information that Byeok Taesan had fought and defeated the Four Fiends of Guangdong.
Everyone believed that the cleanup of the half-jiangshi remnants was accomplished with Baekri Jangcheon at the center.
So, the information they had was along those lines.
However, because Byeok Taesan's companions were known to be formidable masters, they had prepared what might seem like an excessive force.
"Cutting off his arms and legs should be fine, right?"
Buducheol laughed awkwardly and said.
"We would prefer him to be as intact as possible. We need to conduct research and experiments on his body..."
"You said he's anathema to our jiangshi?"
"Yes. That's correct. That's why we must research that aspect thoroughly. It would be troublesome if everything we've prepared until now becomes unusable."
"Right, that would be unacceptable. Understood, so don't you worry."
Having said that, the three men began to talk amongst themselves.
"We need to decide who's going, right?"
"It's been a while since I've had a good fight. I can't yield this one."
"The same goes for me."
Seeing this, Buducheol wore a troubled expression. But he couldn't stop them.
'Well... an attack might come from another direction, so they can step up then.'
Thinking like this put his mind at ease.
"Elders, we must capture Byeok Taesan. It is an order our lord has repeatedly emphasized."
At Buducheol's words, the men glared at him in unison.
Startled, Buducheol shuffled backward and laughed awkwardly.
"Ahahaha. I was just conveying our lord's words. Please, do as you see fit."
Hearing the word "lord," the three men slightly changed their tune.
"Let's make it two of us."
"Good. Then shall we draw lots, for old times' sake?"
"We should."
And so, the two who would go to capture Byeok Taesan were decided.
As soon as their turn was set, the men moved immediately.
Before long, Byeok Taesan had approached close enough to be seen from their position.
Watching the two men stride toward Byeok Taesan, he felt a little relieved.
'In any case, they are men who can easily handle two or three of the Four Fiends of Guangdong on their own.'
Buducheol looked around with a relaxed mind.
All that was left now was to prepare for a possible ambush.
< These Weren't Those > End