Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Watch Closely
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Hwaok realized that something inside her had shattered.
Her night with Byeok Taesan had been truly special.
Honestly, her memory was hazy. All that remained was a faint impression of floundering in a vast swamp of pleasure.
And last night, she had clearly felt it. Byeok Taesan's heart.
She could feel how careful and gentle he was, how much he cherished her.
In truth, he had to be that way because he was handling her soul, but Hwaok had no way of knowing that.
Regardless, the feeling remained firmly etched in her memory and heart.
'So this is why they're all like that.'
Hwaok finally understood why Danyeong and Byeok Taesan's other handmaidens lived only for him.
They must have felt the same thing.
Hwaok closed her eyes, placed a hand over her heart, and pressed gently.
The hard something that had been inside her was shattered by last night's experience.
It was like breaking out of an eggshell.
Hwaok had known since she was young that she was different from ordinary people.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to see things others couldn't.
And at some point, she had naturally come to realize that the something giving her this ability to see different things was firmly settled within her.
But she never knew what it was.
This time, it had broken.
What she had always known was wrong.
The hard something inside her hadn't been what gave her that ability.
On the contrary, it had been an obstruction, blocking her power.
It was a dam holding back the flow of water.
And that dam had been shattered by a single night with Byeok Taesan.
The barrier blocking her path had been completely vaporized by a great flame.
Hwaok had never felt so refreshed in her entire life.
She opened her eyes and looked back at the pavilion where Byeok Taesan was staying.
She was struck anew by the realization of what an incredible man she served.
Hwaok turned and started walking again.
The time for basking in the afterglow of last night was over. Now, it was time to work.
For Byeok Taesan.
She left the Golden Jade Manor and headed for the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
* * *
Arriving at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Hwaok spotted a familiar face.
"Oh, look who it is. Isn't it the former Ichang Branch Manager who abandoned us and jumped ship?"
Jo Taeju approached, a broad smile plastered across his face.
After being thoroughly humbled by Byeok Taesan, he had come to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion to calmly gather information and devise a countermeasure.
He had confirmed what task Byeok Taesan had given the Underworld Sect and was pondering how to win back his favor.
And in the midst of it all, Hwaok had arrived.
As the son of the Underworld Sect's leader, Jo Taeju had access to most of the information flowing through the organization.
After all, he was the most likely successor.
However, not all members of the Underworld Sect supported him. Quite a few found him disagreeable.
Though they didn't show it openly, of course.
Hwaok was one of those who disliked Jo Taeju, as was the Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Jo Taeju's eyes gleamed as he looked Hwaok up and down.
"You've gotten much prettier since I last saw you. Looks like you've been eating well, sticking close to Byeok Taesan?"
When Hwaok showed no reaction, Jo Taeju asked.
"You're not with the Underworld Sect anymore, so what brings you here?"
"I came to check the progress on the Young Master's orders. And to see what the recent situation in Wuhan is like."
Jo Taeju's expression soured slightly.
"Our Underworld Sect... when did it become Byeok Taesan's personal property?"
Hwaok frowned at Jo Taeju.
Jo Taeju glared at Hwaok and continued.
"Hey, former Ichang Branch Manager. Are you really planning to turn your back on the Underworld Sect?"
Hwaok didn't even feel he was worth a response.
She could clearly see him consumed by jealousy and desire.
"Instead of this, why not join hands with me? From now on, you dig up information on Byeok Taesan and bring it to me. If I can just secure the Dark Shadow Arts, I'll promise you the position of Vice Sect Leader later. How about it?"
Hwaok was inwardly dumbfounded. He spoke as if it were a given that he would become the next Sect Leader.
The possibility was high, true, but nothing was set in stone.
If Jo Taeju made a few major mistakes in this situation, he could easily be ousted.
And from the looks of it, he was in the process of making one right now.
When Hwaok said nothing, Jo Taeju took it as a positive sign and grinned.
"The information I mentioned is on that desk over there, so help yourself. Though... it doesn't seem like much."
Hwaok silently walked over to the desk Jo Taeju had indicated.
She began to tidy and pick up the papers scattered messily upon it.
She couldn't just take this to Byeok Taesan as it was. Verification and organization were essential.
Hwaok first checked the contents.
It didn't take long for her expression to harden.
"What is this?"
"What?"
"Why is the information like this? Did you withhold the key intelligence?"
"What are you talking about? I simply set a price. If you want the core information, you can give me the Dark Shadow Arts. It's a simple and obvious principle, isn't it?"
Hwaok placed the organized documents neatly back on the desk.
"This is information we don't even need the Underworld Sect's help for, so I'll just leave it."
Jo Taeju blocked Hwaok's path.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"If you read the information, you have to pay the price."
"You want me to pay for that garbage?"
"I'm the one who decides if it's garbage or not. And you saw it."
Hwaok's expression became stony.
"Hooo. Fine. How much do you want?"
"There were thirteen pages of quality information... so just give me a bargain price of sixty taels of gold."
Hwaok stared at Jo Taeju, flabbergasted.
"Are you trying to make an enemy of the Golden Jade Trading Company right now?"
"What a terrifying joke. I'm not making an enemy of the Golden Jade Trading Company, I'm making an enemy of you. If someone else had come, things might have been different, eh?"
Hwaok had a good idea of what Jo Taeju was trying to do.
His plan was to separate her from Byeok Taesan.
If Hwaok reported this to Byeok Taesan, Jo Taeju would likely change his tune and deny everything.
That was Jo Taeju's specialty.
He had a talent for making his words persuasive. He could infuse his speech with emotion to sway the hearts of others.
If he succeeded in driving her away, he would do the same to the others around Byeok Taesan.
"By the way... do you even have sixty taels of gold? If not, you might have to sell your body to pay up."
Jo Taeju's eyes glistened like a snake's. Lust had been simmering within him ever since he saw Hwaok today.
Hwaok pulled a long, thick gold ingot from her sleeve.
It looked to be worth well over a hundred taels.
Jo Taeju's eyes widened.
Hwaok tossed the ingot to Jo Taeju.
As he reflexively caught it, she slipped past him.
"You've made a mistake."
With those parting words, Hwaok left the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Jo Taeju scowled, tightening his grip on the gold ingot as he glared at Hwaok's retreating back.
He wasn't worried. He was confident he could deny everything.
He had succeeded dozens of times before.
"Now, then, shall I hurry over to see Byeok Taesan?"
Jo Taeju patted his chest. Tucked inside was the information he had originally intended to give Byeok Taesan.
His body moved swiftly toward the Golden Jade Manor.
He would probably arrive faster than Hwaok. She was about to be delayed, after all.
* * *
Hwaok stared at the main gate of the Golden Jade Manor with a grave expression.
She had come straight here after leaving the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, but there had been too many interruptions along the way.
She hadn't expected the Underworld Sect to be so blatant.
The Underworld Sect members in Wuhan had openly obstructed her path.
Of course, they didn't lay a hand on her or attack.
But they delayed her by lining up to block the road or blocking alleys she turned into with carts.
She eventually reached the Golden Jade Manor, but a full hour had been wasted.
Hwaok realized what Jo Taeju's plan was.
How could she not, when he was being so obvious?
She slowly entered the Golden Jade Manor.
And headed for Byeok Taesan's quarters.
Just as she expected, Byeok Taesan and Jo Taeju were standing in front of the pavilion.
Jo Taeju glanced over at Hwaok. The corner of his mouth crept up, his eyes filled with ridicule and scorn.
Hwaok ignored his gaze and looked at Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan was holding a bundle of documents. It was the information Jo Taeju had brought.
It was clearly the very information Hwaok had asked Jo Taeju for earlier.
Jo Taeju was certain. Byeok Taesan's perception of him must have changed by now.
Wasn't that why he had been talking his ear off all this time?
While he was speaking so earnestly, Jo Taeju had clearly seen it. The subtle shifts in Byeok Taesan's expression.
It was unmistakably admiration.
"Our former Ichang Branch Manager has arrived. It's truly a pleasure to see you after so long."
Jo Taeju lied without batting an eye.
But it was so natural, so filled with sincerity, that even Hwaok, who knew the truth, momentarily wondered if she had seen someone else at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Hwaok quietly approached and bowed her head slightly to Byeok Taesan.
"I have returned."
Hwaok looked at Byeok Taesan and hesitated for a moment. She didn't know what to report.
If she reported things as they were, would Byeok Taesan believe her? It seemed Jo Taeju had been working hard to earn his trust. If she told the truth, would Byeok Taesan really believe her?
All sorts of thoughts ran through her mind.
If her opponent were anyone but Byeok Taesan, she would have been able to make a judgment quickly.
Her existing abilities had grown a level higher after she shattered the barrier that had been obscuring them.
She had moved beyond seeing a person's essence as a scene; now she could faintly read their current state of mind.
But from Byeok Taesan, she saw nothing at all.
It felt like facing a pitch-black wall.
As Byeok Taesan gazed at her quietly, Hwaok made her decision.
Whether Byeok Taesan believed her or not wasn't important. What mattered was her own heart and what she did with it.
"I purchased some garbage information with a gold ingot."
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
Jo Taeju, interpreting it as a scoff at her, brightened and looked at Hwaok with pleasure.
"Someone's got the gall of a tiger. Who would do such a thing?"
Hwaok turned her gaze to Jo Taeju.
"That man."
Jo Taeju looked at Byeok Taesan with a flustered expression. This, of course, was also an act.
"Former Ichang Branch Manager, what is the meaning of this? I haven't met you today... could you be confusing me with someone else?"
Jo Taeju said, putting on a puzzled expression.
"Besides, the timing doesn't add up. If what you say is true, you should have arrived here before me. Are you certain you came to our Underworld Sect's Wuhan branch, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion?"
At Jo Taeju's words, Hwaok bit her lip, her face filled with indignation.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan stepped in.
"Enough. What do you see from this man?"
Byeok Taesan asked Hwaok.
Hwaok's eyes widened slightly.
"You seem a bit different to me, am I wrong? Can't you see things you couldn't before?"
"Ah... ye-yes, you are right."
Byeok Taesan grinned and gestured at Jo Taeju with his chin.
"What do you see?"
"I see lust, ambition, deceit, and ridicule."
Byeok Taesan tilted his head.
"Ambition and deceit, I can understand... but lust? What, he was after your body from the start? This guy is unbelievable."
Jo Taeju was genuinely flustered now. It seemed Byeok Taesan was actually believing Hwaok's absurd words. This couldn't be happening.
"Y-Young Master..."
Byeok Taesan raised a hand to cut Jo Taeju off. He wasn't finished speaking.
"But what's this about ridicule? Is he mocking me right now?"
Byeok Taesan slowly turned his head to look at Jo Taeju. At the sight of those cold, emotionless eyes, Jo Taeju's heart sank.
"So you were mocking me because I was just listening quietly?"
"Y-Young Master! No! How could I! Do you really believe those outrageous words?"
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"Should I trust you instead? A man I've only met for the second time? A man who shattered my trust the first time we met?"
Jo Taeju's eyes went wide. He finally realized that Byeok Taesan hadn't been listening to a single word he said from the very beginning.
Still, believing Hwaok's words was going too far.
Byeok Taesan paid no mind to Jo Taeju's thoughts or expression and looked at Hwaok.
"You've become more useful."
Hwaok smiled brightly and lowered her head slightly.
"Thank you."
All the worries that had been tightly knotted inside her melted away.
She raised her head and looked at Byeok Taesan with joyful eyes.
Just then, Byeok Taesan was placing his hand on the crown of Jo Taeju's head.
Jo Taeju panicked. A wave of fear washed over him. He tried to struggle free, but from the moment Byeok Taesan's hand touched him, he couldn't move at all.
Hwaok's eyes widened slightly as she watched.
"Y-Young Master. If you kill him now, things will get complicated."
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"Why? You don't think you can handle the aftermath?"
Hwaok shook her head, her eyes resolute.
"No, sir. I will be sure to handle it."
Hearing the exchange between the two, Jo Taeju's face turned pale.
"P-Please spare me! Hey, former Branch Manager! I was wrong! Please, spare my life! Young Master! I swear this will never happen again! I will use all my resources to dedicate the Underworld Sect to you! Please, please spare me!"
"You're noisy. Your babbling won't change the outcome."
Despair clouded Jo Taeju's face. He believed he was about to die.
Of course, Byeok Taesan didn't care whether Jo Taeju despaired or not. His gaze was fixed on Hwaok.
"Watch closely."
Byeok Taesan ripped Jo Taeju's soul right out of his body.
Hwaok's eyes widened like saucers.