Chapter 147: "Ah, So You Were There"
Byeok Taesan sat on his bed in his room, quietly reflecting on the events of the day with his eyes closed.
He had extracted the information he desired from Jang Joong-san, Gwan Hooseung, and Jang Deuk-chul. By slightly shaking their mental states before incinerating their souls, he had managed to pull out an extraordinary amount of residual thoughts.
Now, he was calmly recalling and organizing those scattered fragments.
The reason those three knew secrets about the Golden Wall, something even he, the Heavenly Demon, had been unaware of, was because they had been cooperating on a commission.
No, “cooperation” seemed more fitting than “commission.”
The Golden Moon Merchants had allied themselves with the Nameless Sect.
It was unclear when this alliance began; determining that would require interrogating someone like the leader of the Golden Moon Merchants or someone in an equivalent position.
What was clear was the deep relationship between Nameless Sect and the Golden Moon Merchants.
Surprisingly, a significant number of people within the Golden Moon Merchants knew about the Golden Wall’s secrets. Of course, “significant” was relative, limited to core members such as sect leaders under their jurisdiction.
In any case, the three individuals captured today all knew about it, and each had different pieces of information. Thanks to that, Byeok Taesan had been able to gather a broader range of details.
What they knew about the Golden Wall was not far removed from what Jang Deuk-Chul had blurted out.
They mentioned that the insights left behind by the Heavenly Demon were contained within and that understanding those insights would require a profound understanding of the Heavenly Demon’s martial arts.
It wasn’t an entirely incorrect claim.
After all, the content was a solution to the drawbacks of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art left behind by one of the previous Heavenly Demons. Without knowledge of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, it would be utterly useless.
Of course, the embedded formation techniques had proven somewhat helpful.
However, that wasn’t the most important part.
Somewhere in the world, other walls similar to the Golden Wall existed.
The Golden Moon Merchants, under Nameless’ commission, had been searching for them.
So far, they had managed to locate two other walls in addition to the Golden Wall.
One was the Sword Wall, and the other was the Jade Wall.
The Sword Wall was in the possession of the bandit group known as Sword Wall Stronghold, and the Jade Wall was held by a martial sect called Jade Wall Sect.
These two groups had been absorbed by the sects Supreme Heavenly Sect and Nine Dragon Gate, under the Golden Moon Merchants’ machinations.
The Golden Moon Merchants rewarded the groups that located the walls by allowing them to absorb the respective sects.
Both walls were handed over to Nameless Secr.
Despite conducting thorough research on the Sword Wall and Jade Wall, the Golden Moon Merchants hadn’t discovered much.
The Sword Wall was unique in that it contained peculiar mechanical formations, which they managed to extract, a minor achievement at best.
The Jade Wall, on the other hand, had the insights carved into its surface, which they transcribed and stored separately.
To date, no one had been able to gain anything from those insights.
At least, according to what the three individuals whose souls Byeok Taesan extracted knew.
Although their knowledge was limited, the information enabled Byeok Taesan to deduce even more.
If the Sword Wall and Jade Wall contained insights left by past Heavenly Demons, they were undoubtedly attempts to address the side effects of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.
"Why they didn’t leave it within the Demonic Cult but scattered it across the world like that, I’ll never understand."
The idea that insights unknown even to himself, the Heavenly Demon, were scattered across the land was absurd.
Still, Byeok Taesan could understand.
The Heavenly Demons of the past had always been eccentric and utterly devoid of consideration for others. They were solitary beings who stood alone against the world.
“There’s truly no such thing as a proper Heavenly Demon,” he muttered with a sigh, convinced that he was the only decent one in history.
Now that he knew such things existed, it only made sense to go and take a look.
Byeok Taesan decided to visit the Sword Wall and Jade Wall soon. He also intended to search for other similar walls that might exist elsewhere.
Although the Sword Wall Stronghold and Jade Wall Sect weren’t famous, the Hao Clan could undoubtedly track them down.
The walls could have been detached and handed over to Nameless, but they hadn’t been.
The locations of the walls might hold crucial keys, which is why they were left intact.
All he needed to do was find them.
Byeok Taesan surmised that Nameless Sect hadn’t yet fully deciphered the insights within the Sword Wall and Jade Wall.
He also became certain that Nameless Sect was connected to the Demonic Cult in some way, perhaps even tied to one of the past Heavenly Demons.
“Something I pursued out of interest in elixirs might turn out to be far deeper than I thought,” he mused, organizing his thoughts before slowly opening his eyes.
Now that his direction was clear, all that was left was to act.
••••••
Chae Miryeong suddenly found herself suffocating, caught in an overwhelmingly frustrating situation.
At the same time, Byeok Cheonil, who had been accompanying her, also found his position precarious.
The reason she moved with Byeok Cheonil today was to meet Byeok Taesan.
During his investigation, Byeok Cheonil had uncovered an astonishing truth: Byeok Taesan was the one orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
Byeok Cheonil had discovered that the Golden Moon Merchants were behind the new trading partners, that they had been drawn to Golden Wall Manor, and that external guards had been brought in to protect the manor, all thanks to Byeok Taesan's efforts.
Upon hearing this report, Chae Miryeong felt a deep sense of crisis.
She couldn’t help but think that Byeok Taesan might push her son, Byeok Jehyeok, aside and take the position of the next leader of the merchants.
Though she had first met with Byeok Taesoo, he firmly denied such claims.
But how could she believe his words at face value?
Deciding to meet Byeok Taesan directly, she headed to the rear garden where his pavilion was located. As soon as she stepped into the garden, she saw three men busily planting trees.
They were Shadow One, Shadow Two, and Shadow Three.
The sight of them startled Chae Miryeong, causing her to freeze momentarily.
Their appearance was so imposing that her heart nearly stopped.
In truth, the faces of Shadow One, Shadow Two, and Shadow Three weren’t particularly unpleasant. Well, they were a bit rough, but not to the extent that anyone would be terrified to the point of a heart attack just by seeing them.
What truly unnerved her was the overwhelming aura and presence emanating from their mastery of martial arts, a natural byproduct of their refined skills.
“Is something wrong?” Byeok Cheonil asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and slight concern.
Chae Miryeong quickly collected herself and shook her head.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Let’s go in.”
She resumed her steps toward the pavilion.
Just as they reached the pavilion, someone emerged to greet them.
It was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.
“What brings you here?” the woman asked.
Ordinarily, Chae Miryeong would have scowled and berated the woman. She would have demanded to know how someone working at Golden Wall Manor could not recognize her and had the audacity to block her path.
But she couldn’t do so now.
She was overwhelmed by the woman’s beauty, the aura she exuded, and the faint but commanding presence that seemed to radiate from her effortlessly.
“I’m here to see the Young Master,” Chae Miryeong said, striving to keep her tone as soft as possible.
Somehow, she instinctively knew that this woman was no ordinary person. Observing her carefully, Chae Miryeong tried to discern her identity.
‘Her elegance isn’t ordinary. Could she be a daughter of a renowned family, or...’
Before her thoughts could go any further, the woman—Dan Yeong—smiled radiantly.
For a brief moment, Chae Miryeong felt as if her surroundings had brightened.
“Oh, you must be Madam. Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go inform the Young Master.”
With a slight bow, Dan Yeong retreated inside.
Chae Miryeong watched her leave, biting her lip in frustration.
Though she hadn’t announced her visit in advance, how could they treat her so indifferently?
Sensing her agitation, Byeok Cheonil couldn’t suppress his indignation.
“If they knew you were here, they should have escorted you in immediately. How dare they ignore you like this? This cannot be tolerated. Perhaps you should raise the matter with the Second Young Master.”
He was suggesting they use this as leverage to gain an upper hand.
Chae Miryeong’s eyes gleamed as she nodded.
After all, the purpose of her visit was to meet Byeok Taesan, understand his intentions, and seek his help.
Anything that could serve as a bargaining chip, no matter how small, needed to be gathered—it would eventually become a powerful asset.
Shortly afterward, Dan Yeong reappeared.
“The Young Master has asked me to bring you in. Please, come this way.”
Chae Miryeong tried to maintain her usual cold and stern expression. However, as soon as she saw Dan Yeong again, those thoughts vanished completely.
‘Who is this woman? I heard Yeon Harin was here as well... Has he turned into a womanizer?’
She suddenly recalled the rumors of Byeok Taesan frequenting courtesan houses and the nickname he had earned back then.
‘Night King, wasn’t it?’
It seemed that the nickname hadn’t been baseless.
On their way to Byeok Taesan’s quarters, they encountered five women one after another, each as stunning as Dan Yeong. Every one of them had a unique and captivating aura, making Chae Miryeong marvel at Byeok Taesan’s ability to gather such exceptional women.
Despite knowing some of them were former courtesans, the thought didn’t even cross her mind while looking at them.
“This way. Please, step inside,” Dan Yeong said, politely opening the door for them.
Chae Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil entered.
Byeok Taesan stood by the window, gazing outside.
The two of them stood frozen, nervously staring at Byeok Taesan’s back.
They had come prepared with a mountain of words to say upon meeting him.
But at this moment, every single word evaporated.
Their minds went blank.
It was as if they couldn’t think at all, completely paralyzed by an inexplicable force.
Byeok Taesan slowly turned around.
The moment Cha Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil met Byeok Taesan's gaze, they felt as though a fiery presence had scorched through their minds.
“So, you were there.”
Byeok Taesan said, glancing at Cha Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil one by one.
The two stood frozen, unable to move, trembling all over with their lips tightly sealed.
“I had completely forgotten about you, but here you are, coming directly to me.”
A slight smile crept across Byeok Taesan's lips.
Cha Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil could do nothing but watch as Byeok Taesan approached them, unable even to blink.
Soon, Byeok Taesan placed his hands on the crowns of their heads.
“I won’t kill you. Consider this a mercy.”
At that moment, their spirits were simultaneously and effortlessly extracted.
* * *
Byeok Jehyeok sprinted with every ounce of strength he could muster, his expression full of urgency.
Crossing the garden and passing through several doors, he finally arrived at Cha Miryeong’s quarters.
“Mother!”
He flung the door open and rushed inside.
Cha Miryeong sat huddled on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.
Seeing her like this, Byeok Jehyeok’s eyes wavered with shock.
“Mother…”
He had come running to stop her from meeting Byeok Taesan, knowing it was a terrible idea. But he was too late.
When Cha Miryeong raised her head and looked at him, a faint glimmer of life returned to her eyes.
“You’ve… come.”
“What… what happened?”
Cha Miryeong shook her head.
“I don’t know. Nothing happened… and yet, I feel so terrified.”
Byeok Jehyeok fell silent, staring at her.
Perhaps she had caught a glimpse of Byeok Taesan’s true nature. She might not have realized it herself, but the fear in her eyes suggested otherwise.
“How could you go there alone?”
“I… I didn’t go alone.”
Byeok Jehyeok’s expression twisted. Her words made him think of Byeok Cheonil.
“Stay away from him in the future. Being associated with him will do you no good.”
“Even if I wanted to, I can’t anymore.”
“What do you mean… don’t tell me he’s dead!”
Byeok Jehyeok exclaimed in horror.
Cha Miryeong shook her head.
“He… disgraced himself in front of so many people. He won’t show his face in public again. Imagine trying to hold your head high after soiling yourself like that.”
Cha Miryeong tried to console herself, grateful that at least she hadn’t suffered the same humiliation.
But she wasn’t entirely sure. For now, she resolved not to leave her quarters for a while.
“Leave me now. I’m… fine. Just don’t look for me for some time, and let no one else in.”
Byeok Jehyeok stared at her for a moment longer before turning to leave.
As he did, the fear in his eyes deepened more than ever.
* * *
While Cha Miryeong hid in fear and Byeok Cheonil languished in public disgrace, Byeok Taesan sat in his room, lost in thought with a peculiar expression on his face.
Before him, Hwaryeong stood with a respectful posture.
“Is something… troubling you?” she asked, though she could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth.
The idea of Byeok Taesan being troubled was unimaginable, even absurd.
Byeok Taesan glanced at Hwaryeong before shaking his head.
“How could that be?”
He was merely reflecting on the memory of extracting and incinerating the souls of Cha Miryeong and Byeok Cheonil.
Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaryeong and spoke.
“There’s someone who needs to be dealt with.”