Chapter 92
Chapter 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: I Bet You Don't Know What This Is
-----------------------------------------------------------------
< I Bet You Don't Know What This Is >
Byeok Taesan quietly looked down at the man prostrating before him.
It was the Master of the East Lake Escort Agency, who had rushed here immediately upon being summoned by Byeok Taesan during a transport.
He was currently drenched in a cold sweat.
He had prostrated himself the moment he saw Byeok Taesan, and since then, he hadn't uttered a single word, just kept pouring sweat.
"It seems you at least know you've done wrong."
"Please, kill me!"
The Master of the East Lake Escort Agency cried out.
Byeok Taesan let out a small laugh.
"You've been living in the outside world for a long time, I see. To say such things so carelessly."
The people of the Heavenly Demonic Cult never said those words. It was one of the phrases the Heavenly Demon truly detested.
If you did something worthy of death, he would kill you himself. If your mistake wasn't grave enough to warrant death, he would spare you.
The decision for all such matters stemmed solely from the Heavenly Demon's right and authority.
And one should never speak of their own death so lightly. It was far better to beg for one's life.
Shouldn't they live to serve with loyalty?
"If you want to die, die fighting the enemy. Don't ask me to kill you."
The Master of the East Lake Escort Agency trembled.
"I... I accept your command. I will die fighting!"
Byeok Taesan grinned and nodded.
"Good. That's enough. Now, rise."
The Master of the East Lake Escort Agency felt his body go limp, as if by magic.
With a dazed expression, he lifted his head and looked at Byeok Taesan.
Honestly, this was a first for him.
Just now, he had been crushed by Byeok Taesan's presence.
He had been overwhelmed by powerful auras many times, but never before had he found himself prostrating involuntarily, unable to move a muscle, drenched in a cold sweat.
"From now on, do not attempt or plan anything related to me without my direct orders."
"I accept your command!"
The Master of the East Lake Escort Agency bowed his head and answered loudly.
"You've unified the underworld factions?"
"Yes. But they're not really proper sects, more like back-alley thugs."
Of course, among them were some who had learned martial arts, and some organizations that had amassed a fair amount of power.
A few had even created and run somewhat respectable sects.
But they were all a far cry from a truly established martial arts sect.
Still, gathering and unifying all of them made them quite useful.
"Did you notice anything unusual?"
He was already in the process of gathering information, suspecting those strange individuals were behind the Thousand Gold Alliance.
The Underworld Sect and the disciples of the Divine Doctor of the Ages were already hard at work, absorbing information wherever they could, so an outline of the situation should emerge soon.
If those people were truly planning something in Wuhan, they wouldn't have left the underworld factions alone.
The underworld factions unified by the East Lake Escort Agency were exactly the kind of pawns they could use in various ways to suit their tastes.
They could give the ones who knew martial arts a drug to unleash their latent potential, and for those who didn't, they could be ripened and turned into Half-Jiangshi.
Thus, it was highly likely that while manipulating the Thousand Gold Alliance from the shadows, they had also done something to the underworld.
The Master of the East Lake Escort Agency swallowed dryly as he met Byeok Taesan's gaze, who was looking down at him.
The pressure from just his stare was immense.
"First, there were no particular incidents during our unification process."
"Is that so?"
"However, after the unification, I heard something strange from the underworld folks."
A hint of interest flickered in Byeok Taesan's eyes.
"They say there's a drug that can increase one's strength tenfold."
That's the drug.
A chilling smile formed on Byeok Taesan's lips.
"How interesting. Tell me more."
"That's all I know. The rumors were rampant, but the drug itself never appeared, so no one could confirm its existence."
It seemed the East Lake Escort Agency's timely unification had prevented the drug from spreading among the underworld factions.
They probably intended to use the drug as bait to lure in and exploit the underworld members.
'This is a bit different from how they handled the river pirates.'
It seemed that, unlike with the river pirates, they had approached this very cautiously.
The corners of Byeok Taesan's mouth lifted slightly.
"So... this could all just be the work of their underlings."
Byeok Taesan muttered to himself before speaking to the Master of the East Lake Escort Agency.
"You, move your entire operation to Wuhan."
"What?"
"Do you think they'll leave you alone after you've unified the underworld? Can Ma Chungsam handle that by himself?"
The Master of the East Lake Escort Agency's expression hardened. He prostrated himself again and replied.
"I accept your command!"
* * *
Deung Jayeop headed to the Ronin Market with Black Moon Sword.
No, his precise destination wasn't the Ronin Market itself, but a courtesan house a short distance away.
He had already contacted the district chiefs of the Ronin Market and arranged to meet them at the courtesan house.
To take over the Ronin Market, there was no need for fighting or force.
He just had to swallow up the district chiefs.
Today, the ten district chiefs would swear their loyalty to him there.
By force.
Ten warriors followed behind Deung Jayeop and Black Moon Sword.
They were warriors brought from the Thousand Gold Alliance.
Naturally, they were men who had unleashed their latent potential using the Blood Augmenting Pill.
The warriors belonging to the Thousand Gold Alliance were of such low caliber that they couldn't be used as they were.
Moreover, if any of the district chiefs brought their ronin subordinates today, he had to display overwhelming power.
It would be even better if they learned just how incredible the Blood Augmenting Pill was.
Soon, Deung Jayeop arrived at the courtesan house and was guided to a separate villa by the courtesans.
He had decided to use the villa in case a commotion broke out.
Inside the villa, the ten district chiefs had already arrived and were waiting for Deung Jayeop.
In the fairly spacious garden stood a quaint pavilion, surrounded by ronin scattered about, standing guard.
It seemed he had made the right choice in bringing the warriors from the Thousand Gold Alliance.
Deung Jayeop entered the pavilion, accompanied only by Black Moon Sword.
The Thousand Gold Alliance warriors radiated a fierce aura as they took positions as if to form a wide encirclement around the ronin.
Tension flickered in the ronin's eyes.
Deung Jayeop smirked and went up to the second floor of the pavilion.
There, the ten district chiefs sat with tense expressions.
There were no courtesans. He had instructed them beforehand not to let anyone in until he gave the word.
If things went well here, a flock of courtesans would come and create a night of indulgence.
And if they didn't, the stench of blood would fill the air.
Of course, he wouldn't kill the district chiefs. He would just beat them to a pulp, to the point where they thought they were about to die.
As Deung Jayeop scanned the district chiefs, Seo Dogun suddenly came to mind.
Seo Dogun had decided to handle the underworld factions.
He was probably making his move right about now.
Even if they had managed to slightly divert the attention of the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, the Namgung Family, and the Jegal Family using the Thousand Gold Alliance, that time would not last long.
Furthermore, once they started moving in earnest, they would be discovered even faster.
But Deung Jayeop wasn't worried.
The one who would be discovered was Seo Dogun. Considering Seo Dogun's personality, he was highly likely to handle things in a very loud manner.
Naturally, all eyes would be on him, and in the meantime, he could quietly devour the Ronin Market.
The underworld factions were tempting, but they couldn't compare to the Ronin Market.
The Ronin Market was much larger, and if he could control the district chiefs, it would be easy to exploit for a long time.
Seo Dogun had taken a substantial amount of Blood Augmenting Pills.
His share of the pills had been stored at the Uichang base, but since it was completely cleaned out, he had almost none left.
So, he took a significant amount from Go Jungwang's share of the Blood Augmenting Pills.
He had readily handed them over when Seo Dogun said he would use them to strengthen the underworld factions' forces.
The Blood Augmenting Pill could unleash latent potential and grant immense power in an instant, but that alone wouldn't make the user loyal.
To command them at will, their will had to be broken once.
Not just broken, but crushed to the very bottom.
Then, if they were given the Blood Augmenting Pill, its unique properties would combine with their broken will, making them follow the one who broke them. Through fear.
And after that, no matter how strong a person tried to suppress them, they wouldn't change masters because of that initially instilled fear.
It was a very effective method of control.
And even the creator of the Blood Augmenting Pill hadn't known about this side effect. It was discovered by chance.
So, wasn't it a perfect method for the underworld factions?
Seo Dogun would be better at that than anyone.
And he would be able to draw all the attention of the major powers in Wuhan to himself.
Deung Jayeop shook off his thoughts and sat down before the district chiefs. Behind him, Black Moon Sword stood like a drawn sword, his aura sharp and severe.
The district chiefs' gazes briefly landed on Black Moon Sword before they swallowed dryly and looked away.
"Thank you for coming. I'm sure none of you will regret it."
At Deung Jayeop's words, the chief of the first district abruptly asked.
"Anyone can say that. Isn't it proper to introduce yourself first?"
"Ah, my apologies. My name is Deung Jayeop."
The first district chief frowned.
"Do you think I asked just to learn your name?"
Deung Jayeop tilted his head.
"What does that matter? Isn't what you stand to gain, and what fate awaits you, more important?"
The first district chief let out a dry laugh. But in the end, he nodded.
"Fine. What can we gain?"
Deung Jayeop took out a Blood Augmenting Pill from his robes and placed it gently on the table.
"This is called the Herculean Divine Pill."
"Herculean Divine Pill?"
"When consumed, it usually grants ten times one's strength."
At the mention of ten times, everyone's eyes widened.
"What kind of nonsense is that...!"
Deung Jayeop smiled knowingly, as if he had expected this reaction.
"The people I brought with me outside, do you happen to know where they're from?"
The first district chief turned his head and looked at the tenth district chief.
The tenth district chief scowled, stood up, went outside, and then came back in.
When he returned, his expression was rather strange.
"They're from the Thousand Gold Alliance?"
Deung Jayeop smiled.
"Correct. Then you must be well aware of the skill level of those warriors from the Thousand Gold Alliance, yes?"
"Well... aren't they just chaff?"
"They were, originally. But things change once they take the Herculean Divine Pill."
At that moment, a commotion began to stir outside.
The sounds of clashing weapons, shouts, and screams mingled together.
Then, the sickening stench of blood wafted inside.
"Shall we see the results?"
Everyone glared at Deung Jayeop with hardened faces. But deep in their eyes lay a thick layer of fear.
The ronin guarding this place were skilled fighters, handpicked for the job.
Of course, they were still ronin, but there were sixty of them.
And yet, they had been dealt with by a mere ten men—warriors from the Thousand Gold Alliance, no less.
Deung Jayeop made a point of showing them the outcome.
Black Moon Sword moved and threw open all the doors behind Deung Jayeop.
One wall was made entirely of doors, so when they were all opened, the garden scene was clearly visible.
The pavilion had been built for that very purpose.
In the garden, the ten warriors from the Thousand Gold Alliance stood in a row.
And scattered all around were sixty corpses.
Not a single one had managed to escape.
Seeing the blood and bodies firsthand, the fear in the district chiefs' eyes grew even greater.
Seeing this, the corners of Deung Jayeop's mouth lifted once more.
'Their will is broken.'
Now, all he had to do was crush their broken will into the ground. Then, he would feed them the Blood Augmenting Pill.
Deung Jayeop smiled and said.
"We will rule Wuhan. You can be a part of it."
The moment he finished speaking, Black Moon Sword, who was standing behind him, unleashed his aura.
The district chiefs stared at Black Moon Sword with horrified eyes, feeling an oppressive pressure crushing their entire bodies.
He was an opponent they could never hope to defeat.
Even if all ten of them attacked at once—no, even if they brought all the ronin from the market—it would be impossible.
Deung Jayeop's smile deepened.
'Finally... crushed to the bottom.'
Now, all he had to do was feed them the Blood Augmenting Pill, and it would be over. He truly believed that. Until the sixth district chief, sitting in the sixth seat, slowly stood up.
"I was wondering who was making the first move. So you're the ones the Young Master told us about."
The other district chiefs stared blankly up at the sixth district chief.
They all had the same look in their eyes: *Why is this madman acting up?*
But Deung Jayeop and Black Moon Sword, who were facing the sixth district chief, couldn't afford to think that.
A chilling tension flowed in their eyes.
"Hoh. To think there'd be a hidden master hiding in a mere Ronin Market."
Deung Jayeop said, signaling behind him.
It was a signal to call the warriors outside to come in.
But no one came.
The reason was explained by the sixth district chief, Yuk Taegu.
"I brought a couple of my own boys."
Deung Jayeop turned his head in disbelief and looked down at the garden.
The ten warriors from the Thousand Gold Alliance were lying on the ground.
And two very ordinary-looking men were loitering around them.
Deung Jayeop tried to gauge Yuk Taegu's skill. He couldn't tell at all.
It seemed he was someone with a special ability to conceal his strength.
'This is a bit unsettling, but...'
Still, he had Black Moon Sword on his side. And he himself was on a similar level.
If worst comes to worst, he could take the Blood Augmenting Pill. Not him, but Black Moon Sword.
'The effect will be diminished, but it doesn't matter.'
Since Black Moon Sword was no ordinary martial artist, the effect of the Blood Augmenting Pill was somewhat reduced. Still, he would be at least three times stronger, so it would be fine.
However, if they fought him here, it would probably cause a huge disturbance.
"This ruins the plan..."
The plan to quietly take over the Ronin Market had been ruined.
Deung Jayeop stared at Yuk Taegu.
"Where on earth did a guy like that come from...?"
It seemed he wasn't a hidden master. He was the leader of a secret faction.
He had yet to obtain any information about such a faction existing in Wuhan.
"How annoying."
At that moment, Black Moon Sword lunged at Yuk Taegu.
He brought down his sword, imbued with immense energy, as if to split Yuk Taegu's skull.
*Clang!*
Yuk Taegu blocked the attack and immediately counterattacked.
In that opening, Deung Jayeop threw nine daggers at the nine district chiefs.
The daggers were astonishingly fast and accurate.
The nine district chiefs died instantly, daggers embedded in their foreheads.
Yuk Taegu paid them no mind and pressed his attack on Black Moon Sword.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*
Black Moon Sword was pushed back relentlessly. With sounds of impact, blood spurted from various parts of his body.
The difference in skill was too great.
Deung Jayeop shouted as he threw a dagger at Yuk Taegu.
"Take it!"
*Clang!*
In the brief moment Yuk Taegu deflected the dagger, Black Moon Sword consumed the Blood Augmenting Pill.
Yuk Taegu grinned as he watched Black Moon Sword emit a wild and massive aura.
Then, he took out a small, jet-black bead from his robes.
"I bet you don't know what this is, do you?"
< I Bet You Don't Know What This Is > The End