Chapter 130 < Why Bother to Stop It? >
"Eh? Young Master, what is that on your arm?"
The Heavenly Divine Healer asked, eyeing the sleeve wrapped around Byeok Taesan's forearm.
At a glance, it was evident that this wasn’t an ordinary sleeve.
It shimmered faintly with a golden hue, as if meticulously woven with golden threads.
"I made it myself," Byeok Taesan replied.
The Heavenly Divine Healer's eyes widened in shock.
"You made that yourself, Young Master? Don’t tell me you sew as well?"
There are countless combinations in this world that seem mismatched, but the idea of Byeok Taesan sewing might rank in the top three.
The Needle Master and Cho Seoran, who were present, were equally astonished.
They alternated their gazes between Byeok Taesan’s face and the sleeve, utterly baffled.
Byeok Taesan seemed pleased with their reactions.
In truth, the sleeve was purely crafted from gold.
The gold had been drawn into the thinnest possible threads and intricately intertwined to form the sleeve.
If it were simply made of golden threads, it wouldn’t appear this way. Several unique energies had been infused, altering its luster and atmosphere.
To those unfamiliar with it, it appeared as though it was densely woven from extraordinary threads.
It had started as a simple experiment, gold plates felt awkward to wear, so Byeok Taesan had tested various ideas until this was the result. Since the outcome was satisfactory, his mood improved.
The golden thread used in the sleeve wasn’t ordinary. It was hollow inside, and the void was filled with the energy of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.
While pondering ways to maximize the efficiency of Soul Augmenting Demonic Art resonance, the concept of this sleeve had emerged.
To confirm that he hadn’t sewn it himself, Byeok Taesan removed the sleeve and tossed it to the Heavenly Divine Healer.
The latter caught it with a puzzled look and examined it closely, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
His gaze darted frantically between Byeok Taesan and the sleeve.
"Y-Young Master. Is this… purely made of gold?"
Byeok Taesan smirked and extended his hand.
The Heavenly Divine Healer carefully placed the sleeve back into Byeok Taesan's palm, his heart racing at the thought of damaging it accidentally.
"You don’t have to be that cautious. It’s sturdier than it looks."
Byeok Taesan nonchalantly slipped the sleeve back onto his arm.
The others stood in thought, gazing at the sleeve.
Why had he suddenly crafted a sleeve himself? And out of gold, no less?
It was definitely not because he’d developed an interest in gold craftsmanship.
From their time with Byeok Taesan, they had realized one thing, his obsession with strength was beyond imagination.
And because he was so strong himself, he demanded the same of his subordinates.
Someone like that would never develop an interest in gold craftsmanship, clothing, or accessories.
After sorting through their thoughts, they reached a single conclusion.
"Could it be a weapon?"
At the Heavenly Divine Healer’s question, Byeok Taesan smirked and raised his arm to display the sleeve.
"It’s quite functional."
Their jaws dropped.
What they had only half-suspected turned out to be true,it was a weapon.
"Could you possibly show us how it works?"
Cho Seoran’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Watch closely."
Byeok Taesan activated the resonance of Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.
What kind of change occurred was unknown to everyone present, only Byeok Taesan knew.
Of course, there was no need for them to understand. The real demonstration was about to begin.
Byeok Taesan looked up at the sky.
"There are plenty of clouds."
Though the weather wasn’t bad, the sky was quite clouded.
Byeok Taesan stretched his hand upward.
Boom!
Something invisible and terrifying shot upward.
Everyone stared in shock.
Above their heads, the sky now had a massive hole in the clouds.
"…Is he even human?"
The Needle Master muttered internally. He nearly said it aloud but managed to hold his tongue, though cold sweat ran down his back.
"How is it? Pretty useful, right?"
"A-ah… Yes. It’s… truly… incredible."
Cho Seoran stammered, unable to articulate her amazement properly.
She hesitated momentarily, wondering if the word "incredible" was sufficient to describe what she’d just witnessed.
While the group was still reeling, Byeok Taesan spoke.
"Where are the other physicians?"
His question snapped everyone back to reality, and they quickly composed themselves.
"They’re preparing the medicine."
"Let’s go."
At Byeok Taesan’s words, Cho Seoran hurriedly took the lead.
There was a massive space in the manor, previously used as a training hall, now repurposed for the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion to prepare medicine.
Countless physicians were bustling around, working tirelessly.
Byeok Taesan scanned the scene with a keen eye.
The investment had been made, and now it was time to reap the results.
Byeok Taesan raised a finger and pointed at two physicians.
"Send those two tonight."
"Pardon?"
Cho Seoran looked at Byeok Taesan, her eyes filled with confusion.
Send those two at night? What could he possibly mean by that?
Her gaze instinctively shifted to the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master, who were nearby.
The two exchanged nods, their expressions indicating that the inevitable had come.
"It’s all for their benefit, so just send them," the Needle Master said.
Cho Seoran's face grew even more perplexed.
At that moment, the Heavenly Divine Healer stepped forward.
"It's a physique enhancement. Think of it as a special ability unique to our Young Master. You’ve experienced it too, haven’t you? Though, your case and theirs are a bit different."
Cho Seoran's face turned crimson.
"D-D-Different? What do you mean by that?"
The Heavenly Divine Healer stared at her intently.
"Do you really want me to explain it here?"
Cho Seoran shook her head vigorously.
"No. I understand completely."
Having said that, she glanced at the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master with wide eyes.
"Could it be that the two of you also…?"
"Well, we did receive some help from the Young Master,"
Although Cho Seoran felt slightly awkward, she didn’t see it as an impossible task.
‘I’d like to observe how it’s done if possible….’
Suddenly, the night she had spent with Byeok Taesan came to mind.
It was fascinating how hazy her memories of that night were. Perhaps it was some side effect of the great method for physique enhancement.
She recalled the mild pain, the difficulty, and the sense of achievement she had felt at the time.
At least those memories remained, which was fortunate.
"Understood. I’ll send them. Then… will you be reviewing all the physicians in the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion one by one?"
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"Something like that. I’ll decide the order."
He planned to absorb energy gradually, starting with those whose spiritual energy was more abundant.
Even those with less energy would eventually grow stronger with time.
Moreover, with their diligent work in creating medicines, they would naturally accumulate even more useful spiritual energy.
Byeok Taesan cast a satisfied gaze over the physicians who were hard at work before slowly leaving the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion.
The Heavenly Divine Healer, the Needle Master, and Cho Seoran watched his retreating figure.
"By the way, how was it earlier?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The Young Master's new weapon," the Needle Master replied.
The Heavenly Divine Healer shook his head.
"Ah, it scared me to death."
"Right? I’m not the only one who felt that way, am I? What about you?"
Cho Seoran, noticing the question directed at her, responded, "I was terrified too. What… what on earth was that?"
When Byeok Taesan had unleashed the power of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, they had experienced a primal fear.
It was the kind of emotion one might feel standing face-to-face with death.
Recalling the incident, the three shuddered involuntarily.
"Just how strong is our Young Master?"
When Cho Seoran voiced her sudden question, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master fell into serious thought.
"Indeed. It’s something to wonder about."
It wasn’t as if they could openly ask Byeok Taesan.
Having finished his tasks at the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion, Byeok Taesan headed to the White Flower House.
Hwaryeong had asked him to go there first.
He was planning to receive a report on the interrogation of the people they had recently captured.
Upon his arrival at the White Flower House, a crowd of courtesans rushed out to greet him.
This was something he experienced every time he visited a pleasure house.
Most of the courtesans remembered how Byeok Taesan had roamed the pleasure houses of Wuhan in his past, earning fame as the Night King.
Because of this, the courtesans always looked at him with a peculiar intensity in their eyes.
While Byeok Taesan had frequented the pleasure houses back then, it wasn’t as if he had spent the night with every courtesan.
There were still many who hadn’t experienced him firsthand.
It was only natural for them to yearn to witness the legendary feats associated with Byeok Taesan.
Moreover, rumors were widespread among the courtesans of Wuhan about how former courtesans who had joined Byeok Taesan’s attendants were even learning martial arts.
Their desires were only further fueled by such tales.
Byeok Taesan entered, receiving the heated gazes of the courtesans.
After a few steps, the Owner of the White Flower House came rushing over to greet him with a courteous bow and personally escorted him inside.
They reached the top floor of the White Flower House, which served as both the Owner’s room and the Hao Clan Leader’s office.
The two naturally found their seats.
Byeok Taesan sat in a slightly elevated position, while the Owner of the White Flower House took one of the chairs prepared before him, folding her hands respectfully.
Her face glowed with a radiant smile.
"Why Bother to Stop It?"
"Young Master, was there no one who caught your interest? There are quite a few women who have been missing you lately. Please let me know whenever you desire."
"Enough. Just give me the report."
As Byeok Taesan curtly cut her off, the Owner of White Flower House quickly wiped the smile from her face and returned to a composed expression.
"As expected, the leader of the Heaven Sword Corps under the Murim Alliance is connected to the Golden Moon Merchants. It’s an old relationship, and Yeo Cheongang is involved as well."
The Owner of White Flower House carefully observed Byeok Taesan's reaction before continuing her report.
"The squad leader from the Heaven Sword Corps who accompanied the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion to Wuhan is also part of their faction. The subordinates are the same. However, since they joined not too long ago, trust hasn’t been fully established yet."
Wanderers from the Wanderer Market had assisted the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion, and several of the attackers during the incident had been captured.
Using the information extracted from them, they had identified the characteristics of the Seventh Squad Leader to some extent.
"The ultimate goal of the Golden Moon Merchants was to bring the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion completely under their control."
Byeok Taesan's lips curled slightly into a smirk.
But now, that goal had been snatched away by Byeok Taesan himself.
"They’ll likely make some kind of move."
"Yes. And in the process of handling unaligned organizations, including the Fragrant Flower House, we’ve uncovered some additional information."
When Byeok Taesan nodded, the Owner of White Flower House continued.
"They are also targeting the Golden Wall Merchants."
"Do we know their situation?"
"We’ve only learned that they are preparing methods to make contact with the Golden Wall Merchants. However, their overall information seems limited... We’ve assembled a separate team to investigate further."
"Well... There’s no need to go that far. Just keep an eye on their surroundings."
The Owner of White Flower House hesitated slightly before asking.
"Will that really suffice?"
Byeok Taesan grinned.
"If they’re coming because they want to die, why bother stopping them? Just leave them be and report who shows up."
"Understood."
A chill ran down the Owner of White Flower House's spine.
When she thought about it, she almost felt pity for those plotting this scheme.
"The Hao Clan branch in the area has stabilized now. After the Hubei Martial Alliance reclaimed control, they have been thoroughly rooting out the remnants. We’ve been assisting them slightly in that process."
The Owner of White Flower House paused after saying this.
"If you have something to say, just say it outright. I hate hesitation."
"Would it be all right if we take some credit for it?"
"Credit?"
"We’ve provided considerable assistance to the Hubei Martial Alliance so far. It feels like a waste to bury it all. I was hoping to use this to strengthen our relationship with them."
"Do as you please."
Byeok Taesan responded casually.
But the Owner of White Flower House’s face brightened with joy.
She bowed deeply.
"Thank you! Truly, thank you!"
Byeok Taesan couldn’t understand why she was so elated but simply nodded a few times in acknowledgment.
Though Byeok Taesan effectively controlled the Hao Clan, the one managing it was still the Owner of White Flower House, the Hao Clan Leader.
If she wanted to handle her own sect in a certain way, who was he to object?
As long as she did the tasks he assigned, it didn’t matter.
"And recently, Black Lotus Warriors have started trickling in."
"What about the others?"
"They remain indecisive for now. However, since Black Lotus has begun to move, it’s likely the others will follow soon."
"It’s going to get noisy. I prefer things quiet, though."
The Owner of White Flower House bowed her head instead of responding.
How could she argue with Byeok Taesan’s desire for peace and quiet? She silently buried the thoughts that had surfaced in her mind.