Chapter 145: "It Would Be Nice If They All Came at Once"
"Uhm... Young Master. I just wanted to clarify, in case you misunderstood. I could’ve caught that guy. I anticipated he’d run when I broke his sword and prepared for it."
Yuk Taegu spoke cautiously, his expression tinged with unease.
Byeok Taesan glanced at Yuk Taegu briefly but made no response. Instead, he shifted his gaze back to the fallen men.
The Hao Clan scouts were bustling around, cleaning up the scene.
They quickly carried off the Supreme Heavenly Sect martial artists slung over their shoulders.
In front of Byeok Taesan, Yuk Taegu and Jang Gakwoo stood tensely. Meanwhile, the remaining wanderers and unorthodox martial artists had already scattered.
They had left to deal with the remaining Azure Martial Hall who had yet to be apprehended, using the Hao Clan's intelligence.
Byeok Taesan gave a sidelong glance at the two before speaking.
"Well... it looks like you did put in some effort."
With that, he turned abruptly and left the scene.
Jang Gakwoo and Yuk Taegu couldn’t suppress the grins that spread across their faces.
••••
A slender young man was just leaving Wuhan.
This was the same youth who had visited the Golden Wall Manor alongside Jang Joong- San as part of the Golden Moon Merchants delegation.
During the chaos, while the Supreme Heavenly Sect martial artists were scouring the Golden Wall Manor, he had moved separately.
And when the incident erupted, he left Wuhan without hesitation.
To be honest, he hadn’t expected events to spiral out of control so suddenly, nor had he imagined so many martial artists would swarm through Wuhan.
"Good thing I didn’t stick around with those idiots. That would’ve been a nightmare."
Once he was outside Wuhan, he let out a breath of relief and muttered to himself.
Even if he had encountered the Murim Alliance or Black Lotus warriors, he could have slipped away, but doing so would have likely left unnecessary loose ends.
Though he would have ultimately shaken them off, the risks and complications involved couldn’t have been avoided.
In the worst-case scenario, he might have been caught in the process.
Still, it wasn’t all for nothing.
For one, he had confirmed that the Golden Wall was no longer with the Golden Wall Merchants.
That thought alone made his blood boil.
"What kind of treasure is that, and they just sold it off because their finances were tight? How stupid can they be? Tsk."
The youth shook his head in frustration and quickened his pace.
He hadn’t walked far when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He tilted his head upward, let out a long sigh, and then dropped his head as if resigned.
"And now what’s this?"
He looked in one direction, his eyes gleaming with a sharp, murderous glint.
A large boulder sat in that direction, and from behind it, several figures began to emerge slowly.
It was Cheon Kyungwan, Yoo Seoyeon, and Yeon Harin.
When the youth saw them, his brows furrowed in irritation before his eyes widened in surprise.
"Well, this is unexpected. Who would’ve thought such a beauty would be hiding in a place like this?"
His gaze fixed on Yeon Harin, and he seemed unwilling to look away.
But only for a moment. When the three moved to encircle him, blocking his path, he quickly regained his composure.
"Judging by how you knew I’d be here... it seems like you’ve been tracking me. But I doubt there’s a traitor among my people. Have you been watching me from the start? You’re with the Golden Wall Merchants, aren’t you?"
To his question, Yeon Harin nodded.
"That’s right. We’ve been keeping an eye on you since you snuck out of the Golden Wall Manor."
The youth stared at Yeon Harin in admiration.
"You’ve been watching me all this time without me noticing? I might need to revise my opinion of the Golden Wall Merchants."
"We focused all our efforts on you. The Young Master said you were the most skilled of them all."
"You even figured that out? By Young Master, do you mean... Byeok Taesan?"
Yeon Harin smiled brightly and nodded again.
"That’s right."
For a moment, the youth gazed at Yeon Harin in a daze. Her radiant smile made her appear even more beautiful than before.
"This is... making me jealous."
He muttered to himself before flashing a sly smile at Yeon Harin.
"But showing up in front of me like this... are you planning to fight me? All three of you are quite skilled, but... you’ll regret it."
He carefully assessed the three again.
Their level of skill was clear. Admittedly, they weren’t opponents he could take down in a single blow.
But he was confident he could overwhelm them in the end.
The youth reached into his sleeves and pulled out a pair of short rods.
Clutching a rod in each hand, he grinned maliciously.
"Alright... I’ll kill the two of you first, and as for the pretty one, I’ll take her with me. I’ll treat her well, so why not surrender and come willingly? Oh, and the two of you might as well join me instead of dying for nothing. Honestly, there’s no future for you with a group like the Golden Wall Merchants, is there?"
He twirled the rods expertly in his hands as he continued.
"I’m a man who always keeps his promises. I swear on the name Soma Ruk."
The three tried to recall anything about the name Soma Ruk, but no information came to mind.
"No need to rack your brains. It’s not a famous name yet."
Soma Ruk fixed his gaze directly on Yeon Harin and asked again.
"Have you decided? Will you come with me?"
Yeon Harin shook her head firmly.
“No, I don’t want to.”
Soma Ruk chuckled faintly.
“It’s going to hurt a bit. I’m rougher than I look. Heh, heh, heh.”
Even before his words had fully settled, Soma Ruk’s figure shot forward.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The short staff sliced through the air, aiming for the shoulders of Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
Prepared for the attack, the two intercepted with graceful movements, swinging their swords to block the strikes.
Clang! Clang!
The intense energy from the collision rippled outward in waves.
Yeon Harin surged through the air, going against the tide of energy, and thrust her sword toward Soma Ruk’s side.
Crunch!
Soma Ruk lowered his short staff to block the strike.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon seized the moment to slash their swords at him.
Crack!
Soma Ruk, however, nonchalantly deflected both blades with a single sweep of his short staff.
Energy from Soma Ruk’s staff surged up along the blades. Startled, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon quickly channeled their internal energy to dispel it.
Soma Ruk’s short staff began a frenzied dance.
Zzing! Zzing!
The three of them could barely keep up as they desperately defended themselves.
Soma Ruk was truly a formidable master.
The energy imbued in his short staff grew increasingly intense. At first, the strikes were merely laden with internal energy, but as time went on, faint bursts of energy began to emanate outward from the staff.
That energy was lightning energy.
Crackle!
A burst of lightning energy shot out from the staff, targeting Cheon Kyungwan.
Ignoring the lightning, Cheon Kyungwan drove his sword toward Soma Ruk’s chest.
Yoo Seoyeon stepped in to deal with the lightning energy. Her sword absorbed the crackling energy and redirected it back at Soma Ruk.
Boom!
The redirected lightning energy collided with Soma Ruk’s staff, causing an explosive eruption.
The lightning bridged the ground and sky, resembling a massive thunderbolt.
The three of them quickly leapt backward, creating distance between them.
“Hoo…”
Soma Ruk exhaled deeply, faint crackles of lightning energy sparking in his breath.
“Impressive. The synergy between the three of you is excellent. Now I understand your confidence. That said…”
A dense, electric energy began to swirl around Soma Ruk’s short staff.
Crackle! Crackle!
The staff appeared almost to glow white with the surging energy.
“It seems taking you unharmed won’t be an option.”
Soma Ruk swung his staff lightly.
Boom! Boom!
Twin bolts of lightning streaked toward Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
The bolts were so fast that the two barely managed to react in time.
Bang!
Though they blocked with their swords, the attack wasn’t something that could be neutralized so easily.
Both were flung backward, blood spraying from their mouths. The droplets of blood evaporated upon contact with the lightning energy.
Crash!
The two landed hard, their bodies sprawled on the ground.
At that moment, Yeon Harin had already closed in on Soma Ruk, her sword slashing toward him.
By the time he had unleashed the lightning, she was already charging at him.
Clang!
Soma Ruk easily deflected her attack with his staff.
Even against a coordinated assault from the three, Soma Ruk hadn’t faltered. Yeon Harin alone couldn’t possibly overwhelm him.
Soma Ruk’s eyes gleamed with a sinister glint.
“Now then, how should I deal with you?”
Yeon Harin’s sword strikes grew faster and stronger, but Soma Ruk remained unshaken.
He didn’t even need to use his lightning energy.
With deft movements, he manipulated his staff, aiming to tear her clothing as a taunt.
But in that instant, he sensed a threatening aura closing in from both sides.
Soma Ruk frowned and swung his staff faster.
Clang! Clang!
“What’s this? Still standing?”
Soma Ruk’s expression darkened as he stared at Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, who were staggering back to their feet.
The blow they had taken earlier wasn’t light by any means.
It should have either killed them or inflicted such severe internal injuries that standing up again would be nearly impossible.
Yet not only had they remained conscious, but their attacks just now had been sharp and powerful.
Of course, they had likely suffered significant internal damage.
“Well, one more hit should do the trick.”
If he took another lightning strike in that condition, he would surely die this time.
"Your mental fortitude is commendable."
Soma Ruk said this as he infused his staff with lightning energy once more.
Bzzzzt!
Before Soma Ruk could swing his staff, Yeon Harin rushed forward.
She had realized that neither Cheon Kyungwan nor Yoo Seoyeon could afford to take that attack.
Yeon Harin's sword shot straight toward Soma Ruk's neck.
At that moment, two bolts of lightning surged toward her.
Crash! Rumble!
Yeon Harin kept her eyes open to the end and poured all of herself into her sword.
Her entire being became one with the blade, and it pierced straight through Soma Ruk's neck.
Soma Ruk's eyes widened like lanterns.
"This is crazy...!"
He staggered backward, and Yeon Harin roughly pulled her sword out.
Blood gushed from his neck like a fountain.
Soma Ruk collapsed to his knees, powerless. He raised his head to look at the man standing beside Yeon Harin, Byeok Taesan.
No, more precisely, he was staring at the mass of lightning energy held in Byeok Taesan's hand.
The moment Yeon Harin swung her sword, and just as Soma Ruk’s lightning struck her, Byeok Taesan suddenly appeared and caught both bolts of lightning with one hand.
Soma Ruk had witnessed the scene with his own eyes.
"Is that... even possible...?"
Those were Soma Ruk's last words.
He fell forward with a thud.
Byeok Taesan frowned as he looked at the body and clenched the mass of lightning in his hand.
Snap!
The lightning dissipated so easily it seemed almost anticlimactic.
Yeon Harin leaned her forehead against Byeok Taesan's shoulder.
"I held out, didn’t I?"
She said this with a sheepish grin, and Byeok Taesan let out a small chuckle. Her clothes were soaked in sweat, and her entire body trembled.
She must have pushed herself to the limit.
Byeok Taesan placed his hand gently on Yeon Harin's head.
"You did well."
A smile spread across Yeon Harin's lips. Then, as if she had just thought of something, her face turned slightly red.
Byeok Taesan lowered his hand and turned to look at Soma Ruk, lying in a pool of blood.
It was a bit unfortunate that Soma Ruk had died, but as always, it didn’t matter much.
There were still plenty of people left to deal with.
Byeok Taesan entered a shabby tavern on the outskirts of Wuhan.
The tavern was occasionally used by the Hao Clan.
It was a place for taking breaks during missions or having private conversations.
Today, however, it served a different purpose.
Inside, Byeok Taesan had detained Jang Joong-san, Gwan Hooseung, and Jang Deok-chul.
When Byeok Taesan entered the tavern, the Owner of White Flower House and Hwaryeong, who had been waiting for him, bowed deeply.
Outside, Unorthodox Path warriors, wanderers, and Hao Clan members were scattered far and wide, prepared for any potential trouble.
If the Murim Alliance or the Black Lotus caught wind and moved against them, these operatives would signal this place and buy them time.
Byeok Taesan led the Owner of White Flower House and Hwaryeong upstairs.
The three captives were tied up tightly, lying on the second floor of the tavern. Even their acupoints and meridians were sealed, leaving them in considerable pain and discomfort.
Their eyes were fixed on the stairs, and when they saw Byeok Taesan ascending, their eyes widened in alarm.
They wanted to shout something, but with their acupoints sealed, no sound came out. Their frustration was palpable.
Byeok Taesan ignored them and turned to the Owner of White Flower House and Hwaryeong.
"Is it done?"
The Owner of White Flower House replied, "Yes. The situation has been resolved for now."
She then continued her report.
"All individuals related to the Supreme Heavenly Sect have been confined in the Hao Clan's secret safehouses."
Adding a note of caution, she said, "There's no risk of the Murim Alliance or the Black Lotus getting involved. We've ensured nothing leaks out."
Byeok Taesan nodded.
"As for Azuren Martial Hall, we’ve captured twenty-two out of thirty. Three went to the Murim Alliance, two to the Black Lotus, and one each to the Namgoong Clan, Zhuge Clan, and the Hubei Martial Alliance."
"More got away than expected."
"They acted more aggressively than we anticipated. Ensuring Hao Clan's involvement remained hidden made it difficult to intervene decisively at critical moments."
The Owner of White Flower House explained with a tense expression.
"Interrogations are underway, but no significant results have been achieved so far."
Byeok Taesan turned his gaze to Jang Deok-chul, the deputy leader of Azure Martial Hall, lying on the floor.
Jang Deok-chul glared at him but flinched when he suddenly felt his sealed acupoint release.
"Do you think you’ll get away with this? The Golden Moon Merchants won’t stand for it."
Byeok Taesan smirked.
"And if they don’t?"
"Don’t underestimate their power. Even if the top ten martial artists of the world gathered, they couldn’t oppose the Golden Moon Merchants. What do you think nobodies like you can do?"
"That guy... What was his name? Soma Ruk? He could swing a stick decently."
Jang Deok-chul's eyes widened in shock.
Byeok Taesan casually remarked, "If they’re coming, they might as well come all at once. Save me the trouble."
Jang Deok-chul stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.
It had to be bravado, yet something about it didn’t feel like an empty boast. It left him uneasy.
A sudden chill ran down his spine.
"Let them all come at once."