Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Pathetically Weak
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After the Divine Doctor of the Ages left, Byeok Taesan sat on his bed and reflected on what had just happened.
In the past, he would have crushed him on the spot.
The pathetic act would have only soured his mood further.
But today, for some reason, it was fine.
So he had dealt with him quite leniently.
Byeok Taesan rolled the pill in his hand, examining it closely.
He didn't know what medicinal herbs went into it, nor the formula or method used to create it.
However, he could feel the energy and essence contained within the medicine.
This was truly a special medicine.
It was something the Divine Doctor of the Ages could be proud of. Whether he'd done it alone or not, it was a medicine born from his research.
It was different from other spiritual pills.
This medicine had a great advantage: its lasting effect.
"If it has a weakness, it's that it's useless to me."
For Byeok Taesan, who used the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, this medicine was completely useless.
To him, the Half-Jiangshi were better spiritual medicine.
For a spiritual medicine to have any effect on someone who practiced the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts, it would need to be something on the level of a thousand-year-old snow ginseng.
Anything less potent would have no effect at all.
It was a similar principle to being immune to poison.
Besides, no matter how potent the spiritual medicine he consumed, the effect would be minuscule.
So there was no reason to take such things. He would see greater results from practicing the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts for a few days.
In any case, Byeok Taesan had ordered this medicine to be mass-produced for the people he had taken under his wing.
"They're pathetically weak."
He would make them grow through intense training. But with a spiritual pill like this, wouldn't they reach new heights even faster?
Moreover, the medicine was far more effective for those undergoing rigorous training.
It would be highly effective in recovering a body damaged by grueling training and restoring depleted stamina.
"I can push them even harder now."
Thinking this, Byeok Taesan smiled pleasantly.
* * *
"You crazy bastard! You son of a bitch!"
the One-Needle Eccentric yelled at the top of his lungs.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages casually picked at his ear with a finger and replied nonchalantly.
"My goodness, brother. Why are you cursing like that? The children might hear."
"You expect me not to curse? Why did you drag me into this when I wasn't even there!"
"What was I supposed to do? We'd all die if I did it alone. Now, now, let's not be like that. Let's go get those naive physicians. We need to rope them in properly to make our lives easier, don't we?"
"Hah. This crazy bastard, really."
The Divine Doctor of the Ages cackled.
"It'll become a habit if you keep that up. Stop it and let's go."
"If I don't die a natural death, it'll be all your fault."
"Of course. It's all my fault. I get it, so let's go. We need to start quickly, don't we? If we're late, who do you think the Young Master will be angry with?"
"Are you saying it'll be me?"
The One-Needle Eccentric glared at the Divine Doctor of the Ages with a look of disbelief.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages nodded, his expression saying, *Isn't it obvious?*
"If I just mention that we were delayed because you were dawdling, I think that's exactly what will happen. What do you think, brother?"
"Hey! Get over here! Let me just snap your neck once, and then we'll talk."
"Goodness, I'll die if you snap my neck. Your problem, brother, is that you always talk so gruesomely. Saying harsh things that are the opposite of what you mean is only charming once or twice. Do it too often and it backfires, you know?"
With that, the Divine Doctor of the Ages quickly moved away.
The One-Needle Eccentric's expression and gaze were starting to resemble a demon's.
Poking him any further would be disastrous.
"I'm going on ahead! Hurry and follow me!"
The One-Needle Eccentric looked up at the sky, then hung his head and let out a long sigh.
"Haaaaah. How did I ever end up meeting a guy like that..."
The One-Needle Eccentric trudged forward.
In any case, it was an order from Byeok Taesan, so it had to be done.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages was just annoying, but Byeok Taesan was terrifying.
The One-Needle Eccentric shuddered involuntarily.
* * *
The two physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Hall, their eyes hollow, were pacing in front of the inn.
Their faces were filled with worry.
Ever since Byeok Taesan had left, just thinking about the consequences made their hearts tighten.
It felt like they would die from the pressure.
Their relationship with Byeok Taesan had soured, and now their mission was in jeopardy.
At this rate, they wouldn't be able to return to the Heavenly Medicine Hall. No, they would face severe punishment before that.
Anyone else might wonder what kind of punishment they could receive for such a minor incident, but this matter was directly related to the Poison Demon.
The mere thought of losing a lead related to the Poison Demon due to their mistake sent a chill down their spines.
Then, they saw two figures approaching in the distance.
It was the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric.
Only then did a flicker of life return to their eyes.
The two men rushed toward them.
"Elder! Please, please help us!"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages looked bewildered.
"What in the world is wrong with them?"
This was his reaction because he hadn't yet heard what had happened between them and Byeok Taesan.
"We... we have displeased the Young Master."
As soon as he heard this, the Divine Doctor of the Ages turned to leave.
"It's been fun."
The One-Needle Eccentric also turned to leave without a word.
The two physicians, startled, grabbed onto their trouser legs and clung to them.
"No, Elder! Please save us."
"Goodness, don't do this. You're the one who should be saving me."
The two physicians wrapped their entire bodies around the Divine Doctor's legs, clinging tightly as if they would never let go.
"We won't let go! Not until you promise to save us!"
"I won't let go either!"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages looked troubled. Of course, it was half an act.
If he hadn't just met with Byeok Taesan, he would have shaken them off and left, no matter what they did.
But hadn't Byeok Taesan clearly told him to make use of them?
That meant he was expected to resolve the matter of their rudeness through his own means.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages resolved to work them much harder than he had originally planned.
If their punishment was too lenient, he might be the one to suffer.
The thought of facing Byeok Taesan's wrath made him shudder involuntarily.
At that, the physician clinging to his leg tightened his grip.
"Elder! You can't just leave!"
The Divine Doctor of the Ages groaned.
"Ugh. Fine. Can you do what I ask?"
"Of course! Just give us the order! If you tell us to die, we'll even pretend to be dead."
"No, I won't ask you to die. The Young Master needs some medicine, so I have to make some."
"We will help."
"When it comes to medicine, isn't the Heavenly Medicine Hall the best? Just tell us what kind!"
A sinister smile crept onto the Divine Doctor's lips.
"You've definitely promised?"
"Yes, yes! We promise. Just please save us."
"Alright. I'll try to put in a good word for you with the Young Master. But I can't do it for nothing. As you know, I need something to show for it if I'm going to plead your case, right?"
"Of course. When and where should we go? What should we prepare? Just tell us the ingredients, and we'll get everything ready."
"Well... I'll prepare the ingredients myself. You just need to help with a few simple tasks. After all, when making medicine, the devotion of a skilled practitioner is the most important thing, isn't it?"
"As expected of a renowned physician, you know well. That's right. Devotion is what completes a medicine."
"I'm glad we're on the same page. I'd like to borrow some of that devotion."
"We'll give you as much as you need."
Until that moment, the two physicians were full of confidence.
After all, making medicine with devotion was what they always did.
The Divine Doctor of the Ages said to the relieved physicians.
"If you just disappear, people will be surprised. Go inside and tell them you have business and will be away for a while."
"Yes. Understood. Please wait a moment."
Fearing the Divine Doctor might change his mind, the two men hurried inside, told Seo Mundeok they would be away for a while and not to look for them, and then returned.
The One-Needle Eccentric watched this whole exchange with an astounded expression, looking at the Divine Doctor.
Then he looked at the two physicians with pity in his eyes.
He'd been a bit angry when he heard they had been rude to Byeok Taesan, but they were about to pay a price far greater than that.
Recalling the medicine's manufacturing process that the Divine Doctor had explained earlier, the One-Needle Eccentric sighed and shook his head.
* * *
Seo Dogun walked down the hallway with a haggard expression.
He was in a massive pavilion, having come here today to prepare for a mission.
In truth, he could have handled the mission on his own.
But this mission could not, under any circumstances, fail.
No matter how easy the mission seemed, he had to prepare thoroughly.
That was why he had come to this pavilion today.
Opening the door at the end of the hall and stepping inside, Seo Dogun saw a man frantically absorbed in his work.
"Busy?"
"As you can see."
The man, Go Jungwang, practically buried in a mountain of documents, answered without even looking at Seo Dogun.
In fact, his own situation wasn't very good at the moment.
"I've come to ask for help."
"Help?"
A sneer formed on Go Jungwang's lips as he looked up at Seo Dogun.
"Can't you see the state I'm in? I'm the one who needs help."
Seo Dogun looked puzzled.
It was the first time he had ever seen Go Jungwang like this.
"Is something wrong?"
Go Jungwang scratched the back of his head.
"The work we were doing in Wuhan has hit a snag."
"Wuhan?"
Seo Dogun tried to recall what project was underway in Wuhan.
"If it's there... is it the thing you were doing with some trading company?"
"To be precise, it's the plan to take over Wuhan. The plan was to reorganize Wuhan's merchant world around the Thousand Gold Alliance, absorb the criminal underworld to increase our influence, and then use the Jongli Family to rule Wuhan from the shadows."
It was actually more complicated, but there was no need for a longer explanation.
"The Jongli Family? Didn't they fall not long ago?"
Go Jungwang shook his head.
"The fall of the Jongli Family doesn't matter. We can always find replacements. Besides, if we divide the power appropriately, how difficult would it be for them to realize we're pulling the strings from the shadows?"
"So?"
Go Jungwang frowned.
"The Thousand Gold Alliance was pushed out by the Golden Jade Trading Company."
Seo Dogun asked with a look of incomprehension.
"Then why not just drop the Thousand Gold Alliance and switch to the Golden Jade Trading Company?"
"They're different from the Thousand Gold Alliance. It takes a lot of time and effort to win them over and use them."
"Still, if it has to be done, it has to be done, right? Or find another company besides the Thousand Gold Alliance."
"I'm already on it."
"Then what's the problem? You just need to find a suitable company and then continue with the plan."
"Some crazy bastards are absorbing the criminal forces in Wuhan."
A slow smile spread across Seo Dogun's lips.
He had finally found a connection with this guy.
"Why don't you join hands with me?"
"Join hands?"
"I don't know who these crazy bastards absorbing Wuhan's underworld are, but let's take care of them together. Two is better than one, isn't it?"
"That's true. What do you want?"
"A useful body."
Go Jungwang's eyes gleamed as he stroked his chin.
"We might be able to solve that problem at the same time. I'm sure one will turn up during the fight, don't you think?"
The ones absorbing Wuhan's underworld couldn't be ordinary.
Among them, there would probably be someone with a body suitable for containing the soul in the black gourd.
If not, he could just search for one step-by-step after taking control of Wuhan.
"First... I need to find a suitable trading company. Maybe I should try using the Golden Jade Trading Company? I'll have to see if there's anyone inside I can use."
Seo Dogun grinned at Go Jungwang's muttering.
"You handle that part. I'll get ready to wipe them out."
Seo Dogun left, pondering how many Half-Jiangshi he would need to prepare this time.
* * *
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was on her way back to Wuhan.
She had appointed a new branch manager in Yichang and helped him settle into his position before heading to Wuhan.
Because the Hubei Martial Alliance was in Yichang, the Yichang branch had originally been more important than the Wuhan branch.
But now, priorities had shifted.
The Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's own status had also risen far beyond her original position.
This was because she was the direct link to receiving the Dark Shadow Steps from Byeok Taesan.
Thus, even the Underworld Sect could not treat her carelessly.
They also keenly felt the need for a new connection.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to refuse anything the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion wanted.
So, while she was away from Wuhan, they sought to seize an opportunity.
A man with a goatee was entering the Golden Jade Villa.
He was the owner of a small trading company that did business with the Golden Jade Trading Company, and also a member of the Underworld Sect.
He was someone without a fixed affiliation who took on missions as needed, and he had come here this time to secure a deal with Byeok Taesan.
He met with the general manager of the Golden Jade Villa, had a friendly conversation, and was then guided by the manager to the pavilion where Byeok Taesan was staying.
The man's name was Jo Taeju, the son of the current leader of the Underworld Sect.