Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: I'll Ask the Young Master
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< I'll Ask the Young Master >
Byeok Taesan was looking around the place where the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric were diligently making medicine.
He had let them use the largest garden near the pavilion where he was staying, and the entire place was now a field of medicinal herbs.
The Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric were diligently chopping herbs with a cutter.
It looked like they hadn't even finished preparing half of the piled-up herbs.
And at the edge of the garden, seven cauldrons were placed over fires.
Two physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Hall were diligently stirring the cauldrons with large spatulas.
Byeok Taesan was surprised by how quiet the garden was.
Unlike their usual selves, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric kept their mouths shut, focusing solely on chopping.
As Byeok Taesan exuded a powerful presence and took a step into the garden, the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric simultaneously turned their heads to look at him.
"Oh? Young Master!"
"What brings you here?"
The two men took their hands off the cutter and rose from their seats.
Their posture when dealing with Byeok Taesan had become quite natural. It was clear they were now serving him.
"Huh?"
The One-Needle Eccentric, who had just stood up, widened his eyes. He stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
The Divine Doctor looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"What's wrong with you?"
The One-Needle Eccentric couldn't answer.
"Why start talking and then stop? Are you doing this on purpose just to frustrate me?"
"Just be quiet for a moment."
The One-Needle Eccentric stared intently at Byeok Taesan.
"Have you lost your mind, old man? Why are you suddenly acting like this? When you stare like that, your gaze is so weird it puts me in a bad mood."
The One-Needle Eccentric whipped his head around and glared at the Divine Doctor.
But he didn't say anything and turned back to Byeok Taesan.
The Divine Doctor had spoken, prepared to get hit, but the One-Needle Eccentric's muted reaction only made him more puzzled and curious.
"Agh, why are you making me so curious? What is it, old man?"
In the meantime, Byeok Taesan leisurely walked over and stood before the two men.
"That's quite a lot of herbs."
At Byeok Taesan's words, the Divine Doctor almost cursed.
Who was it that ordered all this in the first place? How could the person who gave the order say something like that?
But the Divine Doctor held it in. It wouldn't be for much longer anyway. He just had to endure a little more.
Byeok Taesan read the Divine Doctor's expression and stared at him.
"Why, what is it, Young Master?"
"You look like you're about to cause trouble."
"Come on, have I ever really caused any trouble? If you think about it, I've never once caused any trouble."
The Divine Doctor said this, then added in a voice lowered to a whisper.
"You were the one who caused all the trouble, Young Master."
Hearing that, Byeok Taesan grinned and looked at the Divine Doctor. The moment their eyes met, the Divine Doctor's heart sank.
"You really don't know what real trouble is."
"No, I'm fine not knowing. You don't have to show me; I don't doubt your capabilities, Young Master. Not at all."
The Divine Doctor quickly changed the subject.
"Anyway, old man, why are you still standing there like that? Are you sick somewhere?"
The Divine Doctor said this, bringing a finger to his temple and twirling it.
But the One-Needle Eccentric didn't even glance his way. His gaze was fixed solely on Byeok Taesan.
"Young Master. Could it be that..."
The One-Needle Eccentric began to speak very carefully.
"Have you cultivated internal energy?"
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Well, I made a little as a test."
He didn't know what on earth that meant, but in any case, it meant he had cultivated internal energy.
The Divine Doctor looked back and forth between Byeok Taesan and the One-Needle Eccentric with a clueless expression.
The One-Needle Eccentric's explanation followed.
"Just a few days ago, when I looked at you, Young Master, I couldn't tell anything. It was either you had no internal energy at all, or your level was so high that I couldn't possibly grasp it. One of the two."
The Divine Doctor's expression turned a little serious.
"Honestly, I believed it was the latter. The things you've shown us, Young Master... were so unbelievably immense..."
The One-Needle Eccentric continued with a confused look.
"But now, I can see your level as clearly as if I could hold it in my hand. So I must ask... did you truly have no internal energy at all before?"
Byeok Taesan chuckled.
"Is that so important?"
As he said that, the internal energy suddenly vanished completely from Byeok Taesan's body.
The One-Needle Eccentric's eyes went wide as saucers.
And then, the internal energy returned. This time, there was much more than before.
The energy swelled dramatically until it became immeasurable, escaping the One-Needle Eccentric's senses entirely.
By witnessing this process of internal energy growth through his senses, he could now clearly understand the difference between having no energy at all and having an amount he couldn't perceive.
"Ah...!"
Through that single change in sensation, the One-Needle Eccentric gained a small enlightenment.
It resonated with a question he had long pondered.
The One-Needle Eccentric instantly fell into a trance of self-annihilation.
The Divine Doctor watched him with envious eyes. Then he stood quietly to the side and gave a slight bow to Byeok Taesan.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan chuckled and left the garden.
* * *
The One-Needle Eccentric slowly opened his eyes.
A faint whirlwind of ki swirled around his body.
He felt his dantian was so full it might burst.
His internal energy had been densely compressed, filling his dantian completely. If he continued to train like this, his dantian would expand, and his cultivation level would leap forward.
"Old man, are you back to your senses?"
The One-Needle Eccentric turned his head to look at the Divine Doctor. The sky was pitch black.
His journey of enlightenment, which had begun in the morning, had finally ended at night.
And all that time, the Divine Doctor had been protecting him.
"Ahem. I didn't realize it would take this long. Were you standing there all day?"
At his words, the Divine Doctor looked at him with an expression of disbelief.
"What nonsense are you spouting? A day? You've been out for two full days."
"What?"
The One-Needle Eccentric stared at the Divine Doctor, dumbfounded.
But recalling the sensation in his dantian now, he thought it might be possible.
A wave of apology and gratitude washed over him.
The Divine Doctor had guarded him for a whole two days.
"Anyway, how's your body? Feeling full of energy?"
"Ahem, ahem. Well... it has gotten better."
"That's good. You've had those dark circles under your eyes lately, looking like you could collapse at any moment. So, you can take over all the herb chopping now, right?"
The Divine Doctor said this and chuckled.
The One-Needle Eccentric snapped and shouted.
"Hey, you bastard! Why are you trying to dump it all on me again? Don't you know I really hate being dumped on?"
After shouting, he coughed a few times with an embarrassed expression.
"Ahem, ahem. Well... thanks."
At his words, the Divine Doctor chuckled again.
"If you're thankful, then the herbs?"
"Agh, seriously!"
The One-Needle Eccentric flared up again but eventually broke into a smile.
"Did anything happen while I was out?"
"Nothing special, but I'm going to meet those guys soon."
"Those guys?"
"The Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, the Namgung Family, and the Jegal Family."
The One-Needle Eccentric scowled deeply.
"Why are you meeting them?"
"What else can I do? Leave them all to our Young Master? Can't you see how that would turn out?"
The One-Needle Eccentric was at a loss for words.
"Let me go with you. If they try to throw a punch, I'll block it for you."
"Wow, I'm so grateful I could cry. Forget it. Do you think I'm going there to fight? I'm just going to have a nice chat with some courtesans by my side."
"That's why I want to go! You think I should stay here chopping herbs while you're out having fun?"
At those words, the Divine Doctor clutched his stomach and laughed.
* * *
"Hahaha! You should have sought me out sooner. In any case, it's a pleasure to finally meet you all."
As the Divine Doctor laughed heartily and greeted them, the expressions of the four men softened.
They were at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
And with the Divine Doctor were Jin Sahong, Jeok Gyeolmyeong, Namgung Jun, and Jegal Gwan.
The One-Needle Eccentric was seated next to the Divine Doctor.
After their previous encounter with Byeok Taesan, the four men had begun a much more thorough investigation.
The events of that day had left them feeling deeply uneasy.
While there were slight differences among them, all four were considerable masters.
There were not many in the world who could compare to them.
They started their investigation assuming there was a master around Byeok Taesan capable of pressuring them, and they sought to uncover who it was.
In the midst of that, they received a message from the Divine Doctor of the Ages.
He wanted to meet.
And that led to the current situation.
Beautiful courtesans sat closely beside each of the four men, feeding them drinks and appetizers, while other courtesans played instruments a short distance away.
And before them sat the Divine Doctor of the Ages and the One-Needle Eccentric, the most renowned physicians in the world.
This was an experience one did not come by often.
"Our Young Master was actually very ill and has only recently recovered. That's why his social skills are extremely lacking, so I hope you gentlemen will understand."
The Divine Doctor spoke, and the One-Needle Eccentric nodded in agreement.
"Our Young Master is certainly like that."
The four men looked at the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric with curious eyes.
Finally, the most impatient of them, Jeok Gyeolmyeong, spoke.
"I find it hard to believe that you two are serving under Young Master Byeok."
Jin Sahong then smoothly picked up where Jeok Gyeolmyeong left off.
"I feel the same. Aren't you two physicians so famous that there isn't a soul in the world who doesn't know of you?"
On that subject, even the taciturn Namgung Jun, who seemed to have something to say, opened his mouth.
"Frankly, I believe you two should be utilizing your talents in a much greater capacity."
Among them, only Jegal Gwan remained reserved.
Jegal Gwan refrained from making rash judgments or comments, choosing instead to watch calmly.
When they had all finished speaking, the Divine Doctor smiled faintly.
"Our Young Master is not someone you can judge by his appearance alone. His hidden aspects are far more immense."
The sincerity in the Divine Doctor's tone and gaze slightly flustered the four men, but their eyes glinted with interest.
Honestly, at first, they couldn't believe that the Divine Doctor and the One-Needle Eccentric were serving under Byeok Taesan.
They were certain there had to be something more to it.
They thought the two hadn't genuinely pledged their loyalty to Byeok Taesan but were after something.
And that something was the secret behind Byeok Taesan's remarkable performance in the Hubei Martial Alliance.
But judging by the atmosphere now, it seemed the Divine Doctor was genuinely following Byeok Taesan.
How could their curiosity not be piqued?
"Anyway, if you have anything to discuss in the future, please come to me. Things will probably go much more smoothly."
The Divine Doctor said this and raised his cup.
The others simultaneously raised their cups and downed the contents in one go.
As they chewed on the appetizers fed to them by the courtesans, their expressions gradually relaxed.
Watching this from the side, the One-Needle Eccentric was inwardly impressed.
The Divine Doctor was masterfully controlling the atmosphere exactly as he intended.
As the mood lightened, a wider variety of conversations took place. And occasionally, words from deep within their hearts would slip out.
This was the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. And the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was the Underworld Sect.
Naturally, the courtesans in this room were also members of the Underworld Sect.
While serving the guests as usual, they were diligently engraving every word spoken into their minds.
Each was assigned to memorize a different part, so they could perfectly reconstruct every conversation in the room without missing a single character.
As the drinking party continued, various topics came up. Amidst it all, a single remark casually dropped by the Divine Doctor startled everyone.
It was about Byeok Taesan going independent.
The first to react was Jin Sahong.
"What? Does that mean Young Master Byeok is leaving the Golden Jade Trading Company entirely?"
"He was never really doing anything with the Golden Jade Trading Company in the first place. He simply holds a stake for a few contributions he made."
He was referring to the stake in the profits from the business with the Hubei Martial Alliance.
There was a reason for Jin Sahong's strong reaction.
He was the one who had promised the most business with the Golden Jade Trading Company when establishing the Martial Alliance's Wuhan branch.
The others had also promised to do business, but they had only dipped their toes in to gauge the situation.
They were in a position to pull out at any time.
But for Jin Sahong, that was impossible. He had judged that since the deal was going to happen anyway, getting in early would be far more advantageous, so he went all in.
And that was also the reason the other three had taken a step back.
They figured that since the Martial Alliance had made such a strong move, anything they did would be hard to make an impression with.
The corners of Jeok Gyeolmyeong's mouth stretched into a long line.
"Then I assume Young Master Byeok will also be running a trading company?"
"Wouldn't that be the case? He happens to have a suitable talent for it."
At the Divine Doctor's words, everyone's eyes sparkled.
"He has a talent? As far as I know, Young Master Byeok hasn't taken in many people... Ah! Are you perhaps referring to his fiancée, Lady Yeon Harin?"
The Divine Doctor chuckled and shook his head.
"Goodness, no. The company would go bankrupt. Lady Yeon's talents lie far more in martial arts."
"Then who on earth..."
They had looked into it as much as they could, investigated as much as they could. However, they hadn't been able to find out how close Byeok Taesan's relationship with the Underworld Sect was.
"Among the handmaidens our Young Master has taken in, there is a girl named Jahyang."
"Jahyang?"
The Divine Doctor smiled faintly and nodded.
"Yes. It turns out she has considerable business acumen. She's studying on her own right now. She will probably be a great help to the Young Master."
A hint of confusion flickered in the four men's eyes.
The more they talked, the less they understood.
Jeok Gyeolmyeong suddenly spoke up. In fact, this was his purpose for coming here today.
"When I visited the Golden Jade Estate, do you know who the handmaiden who guided me was?"
"Well. I wouldn't know about that..."
Jeok Gyeolmyeong looked at the Divine Doctor with yearning eyes and said.
"Please, find out for me. And I wish to take that child as my disciple. I'm asking this of you."
"That's not possible."
The Divine Doctor cut him off so firmly that the atmosphere instantly turned cold.
"My apologies. I didn't want to leave any room for misunderstanding. The Young Master will never force those children to be handed over."
Jeok Gyeolmyeong's eyes flashed.
"Does that mean you won't stop her if she wishes to come of her own free will?"
The Divine Doctor's eyes grew chilly.
"Of course. However... it would be troublesome if any unpleasant incidents were to occur in the process."
Jeok Gyeolmyeong smiled brightly.
"You have my word. I will take care of everything. All you have to do is arrange a single meeting."
The Divine Doctor smiled faintly.
"I'll ask the Young Master."
The atmosphere cooled once again.
But it didn't last long. The courtesans suddenly heated things up.
The rest of the night continued pleasantly.
< I'll Ask the Young Master > End