Chapter 81
Chapter 81
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: That's Fine
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Byeok Taesan left his room again after washing himself in hot water.
It hadn't been prepared by those vying for his favor, but by his own attendants who had taken the initiative.
As Byeok Taesan stepped out of his room feeling refreshed, he spotted a group of men loitering in the distance.
A rather large garden surrounded the pavilion where he was staying, enclosed by a wall. They were lingering near the gate in that wall.
It was the general manager and the men from the trading company whom Byeok Taesan had left behind earlier.
The general manager, startled upon seeing Byeok Taesan emerge from the pavilion, rushed over immediately.
"Young Master, are you coming out now?"
"Young Master, you've come out."
The men from the trading company also greeted him one after another.
Byeok Taesan swept his gaze over them.
He had a rough idea why they were acting this way. It was likely because of what the Hubei Martial Alliance's general manager had said before they boarded the ship in Yichang.
In truth, all the man had said was that they were pursuing a few deals with the Golden Jade Trading Company.
He had also mentioned that they would request Byeok Taesan as the person in charge, if he so desired.
But Byeok Taesan had little interest.
So, it was all a matter for the Golden Jade Trading Company and the Hubei Martial Alliance to sort out themselves.
However, their deferential attitude meant he was involved in some way.
Byeok Taesan looked at the general manager and spoke.
"If you have something to say, say it now."
"Pardon?"
Byeok Taesan glanced at the others.
"Nothing?"
Perhaps it was Byeok Taesan's dry tone, but the thought flashed through their minds that if they didn't speak now, they might never get another chance.
"Young Master, please entrust the construction of the Hubei Martial Alliance's Wuhan branch to me. I will prove my capabilities."
At that, the man next to him quickly stepped forward.
"I am the more suitable candidate. I already have experience building and managing numerous estates."
"Young Master, please grant me the paper supply contract for the Hubei Martial Alliance. You will be hard-pressed to find anyone better than me in that field."
They all started talking at once.
To summarize, there were three major projects the Hubei Martial Alliance wanted to entrust to the Golden Jade Trading Company.
One was the establishment of the Hubei Martial Alliance's Wuhan branch.
It was a massive undertaking that involved everything from purchasing the land to constructing the estate and managing its initial operations.
The second was supplying paper to the Hubei Martial Alliance.
The Hubei Martial Alliance was an organization formed by all the martial families in Hubei. Naturally, the volume of correspondence exchanged with each family was immense.
Furthermore, the amount of paper consumed internally by the Alliance was also enormous.
They were offering the Golden Jade Trading Company the exclusive rights to supply all that paper.
The third was supplying alcohol to the Hubei Martial Alliance.
As a group of martial artists, the amount of alcohol they consumed daily was staggering.
To be given the exclusive rights to supply all that alcohol was an incredible opportunity.
The seven men who had followed the general manager showered Byeok Taesan with flattering words, each hoping to secure one of these contracts.
The only person who hadn't said a word was the general manager, Gamujin.
Byeok Taesan raised a hand, cutting them off.
The chaotic chatter of the seven men ceased in an instant. The timing was impeccable.
As they all stared at Byeok Taesan with wide eyes, his gaze was fixed on the general manager.
"Does the general manager have nothing to say?"
Gamujin bowed his head respectfully and said,
"I only wish for you to see the Master first."
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Fine, let's do that."
With that, Byeok Taesan strode away, leaving the other seven men staring blankly at his back.
The general manager quickly followed him.
Then, appearing as if from nowhere, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon flanked Byeok Taesan from behind.
Their presence was so sharp and intimidating that no one dared to follow.
* * *
"Young Master, that was well done."
The general manager said, walking alongside Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan didn't respond, but the general manager earnestly continued.
"It is best to simply ignore them. The projects initiated by the Hubei Martial Alliance are so large that they are merely trying to use them to increase their own influence."
When Byeok Taesan still said nothing, the general manager asked cautiously,
"If I may ask... does the Young Master have a particular plan in mind?"
"I don't."
Byeok Taesan turned his head to look at the general manager and continued.
"I've never even heard what this is about."
The general manager was startled by his words.
"What? Is that true?"
But only for a moment. The general manager quickly and concisely explained the current situation.
It was very simple.
The Hubei Martial Alliance had decided to pursue three projects with the Golden Jade Trading Company, but with a condition attached.
That condition was Byeok Taesan.
He had to be the one to take charge of the work.
If Byeok Taesan did not want to, then the person he designated had to take the job.
And it wasn't a mere formality; the Hubei Martial Alliance intended to personally confirm Byeok Taesan's appointment of the person in charge.
After hearing the whole story, Byeok Taesan scoffed.
"Sounds like they all need to be cut down."
The general manager flinched and said cautiously,
"Still, they are currently indispensable to the Golden Jade Trading Company."
"Perhaps for now. But it's none of my concern."
With that, Byeok Taesan fell silent. He had nothing more to say, nor did he want to.
After walking for some time, they arrived at the office of Byeok Taesu, the master of the Golden Jade Trading Company.
Come to think of it, this was the first time he was seeing his older brother, Byeok Taesu, since taking over this body.
In front of the office, the general manager bowed respectfully to Byeok Taesan.
"I will take my leave here. Please, have a good time with the Master."
As the general manager withdrew, Byeok Taesan watched his back for a moment. Then he spoke to Cheon Gyeongwan.
"Go to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion."
"Yes. What should I tell them?"
The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was the Underworld Sect's Wuhan branch. Its master might not have arrived yet, but they would be more than capable of carrying out his orders.
"Tell them to do some digging."
Cheon Gyeongwan looked at Byeok Taesan, startled.
"You mean the general manager?"
"Not just the general manager. Those seven bastards from before, and everyone else. Tell them to turn the entire Golden Jade Trading Company inside out."
Byeok Taesan gestured toward Byeok Taesu's office with his chin and continued.
"No exceptions."
Cheon Gyeongwan bowed his head.
"Yes. I'll relay the message at once."
Byeok Taesan nodded and entered Byeok Taesu's office.
* * *
Byeok Taesan was seated in the reception room adjacent to Byeok Taesu's office.
Byeok Taesu had some urgent business to attend to and had promised to come as soon as he was finished.
He had asked him to wait for about half an hour, and Byeok Taesan had readily agreed.
While seated, Byeok Taesan slowly surveyed his surroundings, from the ceiling to the floor.
The place had a very peculiar feel.
It wasn't the atmosphere or the decor that gave this impression.
The energy flowing through this room was different from anywhere else.
Perhaps Byeok Taesu's entire office was like this.
Byeok Taesan calmly assessed the flow of qi.
'Strange.'
The flow of qi itself was ordinary. But the energy itself was subtly different.
Byeok Taesan tilted his head.
It was an energy that felt familiar somehow, yet at the same time, foreign.
Hence, it was strange.
Just as he was focusing on the energy, Byeok Taesu entered.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Byeok Taesu said as he sat down in front of Byeok Taesan.
A moment of silence passed. Byeok Taesu was carefully observing Byeok Taesan.
"I'm relieved to see you look much healthier."
Byeok Taesan simply nodded once. In truth, he didn't have much to say.
The old Byeok Taesan might have had something to say, but the current one did not.
"I heard about your exploits with the Hubei Martial Alliance."
"It was nothing."
Byeok Taesan was again surprised by the emotions that arose naturally within him.
A sense of intimacy and concern slowly stirred from deep within his heart.
It seemed the original Byeok Taesan had worried about his older brother, Byeok Taesu, until the very end.
Of course, that didn't mean he would blindly do what the old Byeok Taesan would have wanted.
He would do as he pleased, when he pleased.
"I was quite surprised when the Hubei Martial Alliance came to us. Our company is in a bit of an uproar because of it, so I hope you'll understand."
Byeok Taesan gave a slight nod.
He didn't really care one way or the other.
"Actually... while you were with the Hubei Martial Alliance, we had some internal discussions."
Only then did a flicker of curiosity arise, and Byeok Taesan looked at his brother.
For him to bring it up now meant that Byeok Taesan had been the subject of those discussions.
"We've reached a consensus that we should start entrusting you with the company's affairs in earnest."
As soon as he heard this, Byeok Taesan was overcome with a sense of annoyance.
Honestly, he didn't need to tie himself to the Golden Jade Trading Company.
He could just take the small estate, the gisaeng house, and the few taverns that were his share and leave.
No, he didn't even need those.
He already had more than enough wealth, having acquired a substantial amount from raiding the bandits' fortress.
If need be, he could also use the Underworld Sect.
If he put Hwaok in charge of finances and told her to make money, she would do an excellent job.
So he had no intention of taking on the troublesome affairs of the Golden Jade Trading Company.
"I'll pass."
Byeok Taesu stopped mid-sentence and stared at Byeok Taesan with wide eyes.
He hadn't expected such a firm refusal.
"Won't you reconsider? Your standing within our Golden Jade Trading Company will change. I was hoping you would take charge of two of the projects with the Hubei Martial Alliance."
Byeok Taesan shook his head lightly.
The gesture was light, but the resolute air about him was so strong that Byeok Taesu couldn't say more, only gaze at him silently.
"As for those projects, you can decide on them as you see fit."
Byeok Taesu looked at him, his eyes gleaming.
"Are you sure it's alright for me to do that?"
"That's fine."
Byeok Taesu sighed and shook his head.
"Your problem is that you have no ambition. How could you..."
He was worried, watching him so easily throw away such a great opportunity.
Byeok Taesu paused, making a few calculations in his head. Then, he looked at Byeok Taesan and spoke quietly.
"I will give you ten percent of the net profits from the three projects with the Hubei Martial Alliance."
Byeok Taesan nodded nonchalantly at his words.
"Whatever you say."
Byeok Taesu gave a hollow laugh at his brother's reaction.
Honestly, he had expected at least a little surprise, not such a placid acceptance.
There was no way his brother didn't understand the significance of ten percent of the net profits from those three projects.
He had been exceptionally bright since he was a child.
Silence hung in the air for a while. Then, Byeok Taesu suddenly asked.
"Are you perhaps planning to become independent?"
At the word 'independent,' Byeok Taesan tilted his head.
In truth, he had never once considered it. His current life was comfortable enough.
But now that he heard it and thought about it, it didn't seem like a bad idea.
Before, it might have been different, but now that he could command the Underworld Sect at will, finding people to maintain an estate would be no trouble at all.
'And I happen to have a suitable estate...'
There was a Heavenly Demonic Cult safe house in Wuhan. He had used it when extracting Danyeong's soul and left it abandoned since. Using that place wouldn't be a bad idea.
'No, the cult's safe house might be needed by someone on a mission. It wouldn't be right to use it.'
It was unlikely to happen until the Heaven-Sealing Formation surrounding the cult disappeared, but life had a way of taking unexpected turns.
So, for the sake of the dear fellows who might need it for a mission, it was better to leave it be.
'I have plenty of money. I can just build one.'
Byeok Taesu watched his pensive brother with a complicated expression.
'When did he grow up so much...'
He remembered watching him take his first steps, so overjoyed and amazed that he couldn't even blink.
That time felt like just yesterday, yet now he was already thinking of independence. The passage of time felt real.
His gaze toward Byeok Taesan grew increasingly fond.
* * *
Seo Dogun walked slowly, trying to calm his extreme tension.
He couldn't rush. And he couldn't reveal his true feelings. This was a den of demons. A place where one misstep could cost him his head.
As he walked down the long corridor, he suddenly felt the floor become sticky, clinging to the soles of his feet.
The air changed, too.
The energy flowing through it had also shifted.
The tension he had barely managed to suppress surged endlessly once more.
The sickening stench of blood washed over him.
Seo Dogun's steps slowed even more. Forcing himself down a path he didn't want to take, he could hardly pick up his pace.
Soon, the corridor ended.
At the end of the corridor was a spacious room, its walls lined with large display cases.
Inside the cases were rows of pitch-black gourds, their mere sight exuding a grotesque aura.
And in the middle of that room stood a man.
Seo Dogun bowed his head respectfully toward the man.
"You summoned me."
The man glanced at Seo Dogun before walking over to one of the display cases.
He then beckoned to Seo Dogun with a finger.
Seo Dogun hurried to the man's side.
"You see these?"
Seo Dogun looked at the black gourds the man's finger was pointing to.
Among them, three gourds had turned white.
"These are the vessels that held the Three Mad-Blood Demons."
The man lightly caressed four gourds next to them.
"The Four Freaks of Guangdong returned like this..."
The man's gaze turned to Seo Dogun, his eyes shining with a sinister light.
"But the Three Mad-Blood Demons do not return."
Seo Dogun forced himself to speak.
"Does that mean the Three Mad-Blood Demons might still be active somewhere?"
The man shook his head firmly.
"No, they're dead. The color has changed."
It seemed the change to white signified the annihilation of a soul.
"And after all the trouble I went through to get them bodies..."
"Then... should I search for the bodies of the Four Freaks of Guangdong again? Perhaps we can learn something through them?"
The man scoffed.
"That's impossible. They will revert to the state they were in when their souls were first captured here."
The man stared down at Seo Dogun.
Seo Dogun swallowed dryly and bowed his head as low as he could.
"So find me usable bodies. Bodies strong enough to withstand powerful souls."
Seo Dogun answered, inwardly relieved.
"Yes. I understand."
In that instant, a blood-red light erupted from the man's eyes. The light coiled around Seo Dogun's body and tightened its grip.
"Kugh!"
Seo Dogun let out a pained groan.
"A mission is a mission, but you must be punished for trying to deceive me, no?"
The corner of Seo Dogun's eye twitched.
'He knew everything!'
Seo Dogun screamed as he watched the blood-red light filling the room pour entirely into him.
"Gyaaaaaaah!"
The screams continued for a long time after that.
And the man who had caused all this simply watched Seo Dogun with indifferent eyes.