Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: I'd Forgotten About You
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"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Jo Taeju."
Jo Taeju bowed as respectfully as he could to Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan glanced at the general manager with an emotionless expression.
The general manager quickly explained.
"He is the master of the Hwaun Trading Company. They maintain a good relationship with our Golden Jade Trading Company. He wished to pay his respects to you, Young Master, so I brought him here."
Byeok Taesan turned his gaze back to Jo Taeju.
"I understand. You may leave now, General Manager."
The general manager bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Ever since Byeok Taesan's return from the Hubei Martial Alliance, the general manager's attitude had become far more polite than before.
Once the general manager had left, Byeok Taesan spoke to Jo Taeju.
"You have the distinct scent of the Underworld Sect about you."
Jo Taeju's eyes widened.
"Th-that's right. I am from the Underworld Sect."
Byeok Taesan nodded as if he had expected as much.
"Are you here because you've finished the task I gave you?"
Cold sweat beaded on Jo Taeju's forehead. He still didn't know what task Byeok Taesan had assigned.
He had come straight here without even stopping by the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, which served as the Underworld Sect's Wuhan branch.
"Th-that task is still in progress. I came to see you today for a different matter."
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"Do you even know what I asked you to do?"
Jo Taeju was momentarily flustered and fell silent. He looked at Byeok Taesan with nervous eyes.
"Forget it. Just tell me why you're here."
Jo Taeju swallowed dryly.
He should have just been honest from the start rather than getting caught like this.
'I've ruined Byeok Taesan's mood right from the beginning. I'll need to be careful.'
In truth, when he first decided to come here, he hadn't thought it was a big deal. After all, Byeok Taesan was dealing with the Underworld Sect, not the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion specifically.
But now that things had turned out this way, he had to be truly cautious from now on.
"I came to pay my respects, Young Master. And to ask that you continue to maintain a good relationship with our Underworld Sect."
Byeok Taesan didn't react to his words at all. He didn't even nod.
He simply stared silently at Jo Taeju.
Jo Taeju decided he needed another card to play to change the situation.
"Actually, the current leader of the Underworld Sect is my father."
Only then did Byeok Taesan's expression change slightly.
"The son of the Underworld Sect's leader?"
Jo Taeju sighed in relief inwardly and replied.
"Yes. That is why I am gathering various experiences. It is necessary if I am to lead the Underworld Sect well in the future, is it not? I will visit you often from now on, Young Master. I would be grateful for your generous guidance."
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"Why should I?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm asking why I should teach you."
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"It's not? Are you saying you were just spouting empty words at me?"
"Th-that's not it..."
Jo Taeju looked at Byeok Taesan with a flustered expression.
Byeok Taesan was deliberately finding fault with him. Jo Taeju knew he had made a mistake, but he felt this was going too far.
"So, your plan is to get close to me, cut out the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and receive the Dark Shadow Steps directly, is that it?"
Jo Taeju's eyes widened. He hadn't even said that yet. How on earth did he know?
Byeok Taesan looked at Jo Taeju with indifferent eyes.
"Looking at you suddenly makes my trust in the Underworld Sect vanish. Leave now."
"Pardon?"
Jo Taeju was startled. Why would he say such a thing out of the blue?
"Y-Young Master. Please, please reconsider."
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"You people. You're making a big mistake right now."
Unable to respond, Jo Taeju just swallowed dryly as he listened to Byeok Taesan.
"This is no time for petty power struggles."
After saying that much, Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively.
His gesture was so firm that Jo Taeju couldn't say another word and quietly withdrew.
As Jo Taeju left the pavilion, Byeok Taesan muttered indifferently.
"I wonder if the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion is any different."
* * *
"It's quiet."
Byeok Taesan muttered as he left the pavilion.
Today was the third day since his arrival in Wuhan.
It had been a bit noisy at first, but the past few days had been exceptionally quiet.
For starters, the absence of the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric alone eliminated more than half the usual noise.
And since Byeok Taesan wasn't going out much, Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon were also dedicating themselves to training in the practice yard.
Their training consisted of nothing more than practicing the Limitless Steps on a swinging bridge made of wooden planks of suitable thickness tied with ropes, so there was no reason for it to be loud.
"It's about time I checked on them."
On a whim, Byeok Taesan headed for the practice yard.
The Limitless Steps wasn't a technique that required a lifetime of training. Once one's mind, spirit, and body reached a certain level, there was no need to practice it anymore.
After that point, practicing the Limitless Steps was nothing more than tormenting the body.
Therefore, he had to pick the right moment to stop them.
Entering the practice yard, Byeok Taesan could see Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon walking side by side on the swinging bridge.
Both of them were drenched in sweat, as if they had just taken a bath.
Their faces were contorted from enduring the pain, and strange groans escaped their lips ceaselessly.
Byeok Taesan was slightly surprised to see them.
"Oh? You've already come this far? The swinging bridge is certainly effective."
All in all, he had gained a great deal from this trip to the Hubei Martial Alliance.
He had acquired a large amount of high-quality spiritual energy from the elixirs—that is, the Half-Jiangshi—and had also identified the existence of a shadowy force that could pose a threat.
Furthermore, he had even discovered this new training method for the Limitless Steps. It had been a truly fruitful journey.
It looked like they could stop after about ten more days of training.
But he had no intention of telling them that.
It would be harder for them if they ran without knowing where the finish line was.
And the harder it was, the more ferocious their fighting spirit would become.
"They're finally starting to become useful."
Muttering this, Byeok Taesan left the practice yard.
After leaving the practice yard, Byeok Taesan headed to where the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric were.
It would be noisy if he got too close, so he just watched from a distance for a moment. They were the same as ever.
The One-Needle Eccentric was constantly grumbling and cursing, while the Divine Doctor of the Ages skillfully received it all and teased him in return. It was a repeating cycle.
Meanwhile, the two physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Hall were diligently stirring a huge cauldron with a paddle as tall as they were.
The liquid in the cauldron was so viscous that stirring it seemed to be no easy task.
The two of them couldn't hide their exhausted expressions, yet they moved as the Divine Doctor of the Ages commanded without a single word of complaint.
While making the Divine Pill of the Ages, the Divine Doctor of the Ages had assigned all the most difficult, painful, and patience-testing tasks to the two physicians.
There were seven cauldrons in total, and the two physicians moved about constantly, stirring all seven.
It looked as if they hadn't been able to sleep properly either.
Their eyes were hollow, and dark shadows lay beneath them.
Byeok Taesan watched this for a moment before quietly leaving.
All that was left were the maids working in the pavilion and Heuk Il, Heuk Yi, and Heuk Sam.
Byeok Taesan headed back to the pavilion.
In the front yard of the pavilion, Heuk Il, Heuk Yi, and Heuk Sam were diligently carrying something.
A quick glance revealed various materials, including wide wooden planks.
It seemed they were going to install a shelf somewhere.
When they spotted Byeok Taesan, they were startled and quickly bowed their heads.
"Young Master, you've come out."
These were the guys from the underworld he had gotten into a fight with not long after waking up in Byeok Taesan's body.
They still had a bit of a swagger from their underworld days, but they had adapted well and had now become indispensable figures in Byeok Taesan's pavilion.
They took care of all the odd jobs.
Byeok Taesan stroked his chin as he looked at them.
'Their souls have been purified quite a bit.'
Living gently here among the beautiful maids, the black tarnish that had stained their souls from their underworld life had faded significantly.
Still, it was better that they had never killed anyone.
Compared to other underworld thugs, they were relatively less tainted.
'I should pick a day and scrub them clean.'
Extracting and cleansing their souls once using the Soul-Devouring Demonic Arts would have a very positive effect.
Regardless of how they started, they were now under his care.
It was unlikely they would go out for a while, but it would be really annoying if they went somewhere and got beaten up.
'That would be troublesome.'
With these thoughts, Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively, signaling them to continue with their work.
The three men bowed their heads and headed back toward the pavilion.
Just then, Hwaok appeared from the pavilion.
"This way, please."
The three men quickly approached Hwaok.
It seemed Hwaok had requested something of them.
Hwaok's eyes widened when she saw Byeok Taesan. She then bowed politely.
"Young Master, you've come out."
Byeok Taesan nodded in acknowledgment and stared at Hwaok.
"Come to think of it, I'd forgotten about you."
"Pardon?"
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan with a confused expression. What had he forgotten?
Byeok Taesan grinned at her.
"Tonight, come to my room."
Hwaok stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan turned sharply and headed out of the pavilion.
Heuk Il, Heuk Yi, and Heuk Sam watched Byeok Taesan's retreating back with eyes full of envy.
Meanwhile, Hwaok gently pressed a hand to her chest.
Her heart was pounding so fiercely she thought it might burst from her chest.
Whatever she was thinking, a slight blush crept onto her face.
Hwaok quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts and spoke to the three men.
"It's this way. You can finish by this afternoon, right?"
"Of course."
Heuk Il replied confidently.
They were now so used to this kind of work they could do it with their eyes closed.
They shook off what had just happened and returned to their routine.
* * *
After disembarking from the ship, Seo Dogun scanned the docks of Wuhan.
The place was brimming with energy.
No wonder Go Jungwang had his eyes on it.
Wuhan was a center of logistics. A vast amount of money and people flowed through it, making it an incredibly important city.
Yet, despite its importance, no major sect or martial family had properly established a presence there.
It wasn't that they had agreed to it; things had just ended up that way.
The situation had solidified, so the major families and sects, while interested in Wuhan, did not actively try to advance into it.
The Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance were no different.
But that was only how it appeared on the surface. In reality, everyone had a foothold in Wuhan from the shadows.
They just didn't operate openly. They gathered information, spread rumors, and sometimes even drew blood, all while operating in secret.
Amidst all this, a rumor began to spread that the Hubei Martial Alliance was establishing a branch in Wuhan.
And Seo Mundeok, the patrol leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance, had come to Wuhan.
The official reason was for the convenience of trade.
The rationale was that the Hubei Martial Alliance needed a base in Wuhan to facilitate its future dealings with the Golden Jade Trading Company.
So, while building a large estate, they decided to limit the number of resident martial artists.
Of course, this was just a flimsy deception.
In reality, a large number of the Hubei Martial Alliance's warriors, disguised as merchants or scholars rather than martial artists, would be stationed there.
"Anyway, thanks to those ridiculous fools from the Hubei Martial Alliance, things have gotten complicated again."
Originally, Go Jungwang had thought that taking control of Wuhan would be a simple matter if he joined hands with Seo Dogun.
But the Hubei Martial Alliance had complicated things.
If it had only been the Hubei Martial Alliance, they could have found a way to deal with it.
But now that the Hubei Martial Alliance had opened the floodgates, the other sects and martial families would not stand idly by.
They too would find some pretext to advance into Wuhan.
And the Hubei Martial Alliance had already shown them the simplest way.
"Hah, if the Thousand Gold Alliance were still intact, they'd be perfect to use right about now."
But the Thousand Gold Alliance was now in a state where it could collapse at any moment.
As Seo Dogun surveyed the docks and began to walk, sturdy-looking men fell in behind him one by one.
They were the subordinates Seo Dogun had brought with him.
Just as he entered Wuhan's bustling streets, someone approached Seo Dogun.
"It's been a long time, Elder."
Seo Dogun glanced at the person and nodded.
"It has been a while."
He unconsciously looked the man up and down with greedy eyes.
This was a talent he had all but lost to Go Jungwang.
If this man had been under his command, the incident in Yichang might not have ended so futilely.
"How have you been lately?"
The man gave a bitter smile at Seo Dogun's question.
"I'm living a life worse than death as punishment for failing my mission."
"It seems that Go Jungwang has been giving you a hard time."
"Not at all. It is simply... that I cannot bear it."
Seo Dogun shook his head.
He had tested the waters, wondering if he could recruit him, but it was no use. Pushing further would be a waste of time.
"Then let's dispense with the pleasantries and talk business."
The man bowed his head slightly.
"Please give me your orders."
"Find the Underworld Sect."
The man looked up at Seo Dogun.
"The Underworld Sect, you say?"
"Can you find them?"
"It won't be difficult, but... surely you're not interested in the small fry of the Underworld Sect?"
A chilling smile formed on Seo Dogun's lips.
"Blood must be paid for with blood. I'd prefer those in high positions. The more, the better."
The man bowed his head slightly.
"I will look into it. However, please understand that it will take some time."
"Of course. This is the Underworld Sect we're talking about, not some common thugs. I'll wait patiently, so just make sure you find them properly."
Seo Dogun said with a grin.
"In the meantime, I'll be thinking about how to shake up Wuhan."