LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 105
Chapter 105: Locust-like Bastards
Byeok Taesan slowly opened his eyes. A familiar ceiling came into view.
He frowned and raised his body.
“A dream? It’s been a while.”
Since being reborn in this body, this was his first dream.
No, in truth, even during his time as the Heavenly Demon, he had not dreamed for so long that he couldn’t recall the exact number of years.
“Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue softly. It seemed that recalling the Murim Alliance during the Owner of the White Flower House’s report yesterday had triggered this.
After all, wasn’t the dream about the Murim Alliance?
The dream last night was a fragment of a long-past memory.
He had dreamed of his last encounter with those Murim Alliance bastards.
When meeting the Owner of the White Flower House last night, all the people he had recalled were present in the dream.
They hadn’t dared to go against his mood back then. That was the only reason they had left alive.
It wasn’t a negotiation or a moment of surrender.
It was merely a drinking party.
Of course, it might have had different meanings for them, but for him, that was all it was.
While drinking and listening to their stories, he found them more amusing than expected.
At that time, they had brought the main forces of the Murim Alliance with them. If his mood had soured even slightly, they would all have died.
The only representative of the Heavenly Demon Cult present there was himself, the Heavenly Demon.
To move freely, just in case, he had gone alone.
Whatever trap they had laid, he was confident he could destroy it, so there had been no hesitation.
The drinking session took place in a small pavilion, which was surrounded by over a thousand martial artists.
Naturally, all of them were Murim Alliance members.
Standing in the pavilion, he had looked at them all before waking up.
The dream had been so vivid. The memory seemed unlikely to fade easily.
Byeok Taesan slowly got off the bed.
Then, from outside, Soso’s voice called out.
“Young Master, I’ll prepare water for you to wash.”
When Byeok Taesan nodded, the door opened on its own.
Soso and Dan Yeong entered, carrying a large tub filled with warm, clean water.
Thanks to their martial arts training, they were strong enough to handle such tasks with ease.
Byeok Taesan calmly allowed the two to assist him in washing, refreshing his body.
After they left with the tub, other attendants entered to serve breakfast.
Receiving their attentive service, Byeok Taesan finished his meal.
When he stepped outside, the attendants swarmed into his room to clean it.
Byeok Taesan then headed to his personal training hall.
There, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon were diligently practicing newly learned martial arts.
After giving them a few light pointers, he left for the communal training hall.
He checked on the progress of those practicing Spirit Wing Divine Art and nodded approvingly when he saw Yeon Harin.
“Relentless.”
It wasn’t just determination—it was an unyielding intensity. Soon, it seemed he would need to find an appropriate martial art to give her.
“A technique that can properly utilize that fierce energy…”
Lost in thought, Byeok Taesan left the training hall.
His next destination was Byeok Taesoo’s office.
Last night, he realized something. While he had ensured the general manager had received the Secret Technique of Refining Essence, he had neglected his own family, Byeok Taesoo.
At the very least, Byeok Taesoo should receive something better than the general manager had. That thought was enough to compel him to prepare a suitable martial art in advance.
He had modified a decent demonic art, compiling it into a manual. Considering Byeok Taesoo’s busy schedule, the time invested versus the benefits made it worthwhile.
The original technique was called Blood-Consuming Demonic Art, a bizarre martial art that involved training by drinking animal blood. Byeok Taesan had altered it to instead use medicinal herbs brewed into a tonic.
Transforming the technique had taken considerable effort.
Training in the original art usually involved collecting blood from animals or livestock, which, while tedious, required little expense.
However, the modified version required consuming decocted medicinal herbs, making it a technique demanding significant financial resources.
Only someone like the master of the Golden Wall Merchants, with their immense wealth, could easily afford to learn it.
While reflecting on the martial art, he soon arrived at Byeok Taesoo’s office.
Coincidentally, Cho Seoran was exiting the office. She appeared to have come to greet Byeok Taesoo.
Noticing Byeok Taesan, Cho Seoran’s eyes widened before she quickly approached him.
“Are you here to see the Leader? How could you never visit me even once? We even shared drinks together.”
Without responding, Byeok Taesan walked past her.
Cho Seoran stared at his back with a look of disbelief.
Before he could enter Byeok Taesoo’s office, she called out.
“I’m helping them make medicine! Can’t you at least stop by later to give us some encouragement?”
Without answering, Byeok Taesan stepped inside.
Cho Seoran, however, smiled faintly and headed toward the area where the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master were working.
After handing the Blood-Consuming Demonic Art to Byeok Taesoo, Byeok Taesan went to see the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master.
Their original workspace in the garden had become too cramped, so they had moved to a larger area far from Byeok Taesan’s quarters.
Traveling to and from the area was somewhat inconvenient, but the location was a massive space several times larger than the previous garden.
The ground had been leveled for the purpose of creating a training ground, making it perfect for use as a workspace for medicine production.
When he arrived at the open area, he saw the physicians of the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion busily moving about.
These physicians were handpicked from the pavilion, and their tasks mainly involved trimming and drying herbs, stirring concoctions with paddles, and compressing processed ingredients into medicinal pills—tasks that were labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Meanwhile, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master, who originally handled these duties, were leisurely sitting opposite each other, discussing a new medicine.
In truth, the “discussion” was merely an excuse; they were essentially just taking a break.
It was during this moment of relaxation that Byeok Taesan appeared.
The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master immediately jumped to their feet upon seeing Byeok Taesan.
“Well, I suppose it’s time to get back to work after a bit of rest,” the Heavenly Divine Healer muttered loudly enough for others to hear, as if to emphasize his diligence.
He then walked over to a nearby pile of herbs and began chopping them.
Naturally, the Needle Master followed suit, acting as if they were of one mind, and also started cutting herbs.
Their abrupt behavior left Cho Seoran, who was with them, quite flustered. It made her appear as though she was the only one idling.
“You’re here after all,” Cho Seoran said, quickly approaching Byeok Taesan with a soft smile.
“I’m not here for you,” Byeok Taesan replied curtly and walked toward the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master.
Cho Seoran, however, was undeterred and moved closer to him, maintaining a faint smile.
“Still, it seems like my presence has been at least a little helpful, hasn’t it?”
Since Cho Seoran’s arrival, the pace of medicine production had indeed accelerated. Her presence was beneficial.
Furthermore, Cho Seoran actively participated in research alongside the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master, generously sharing her knowledge.
In response, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master also shared a great deal of their own expertise with her.
As a result, the performance of the medicine they were currently developing was steadily improving.
Even the Heavenly Divine Pill had already achieved a threefold improvement in performance compared to when the Heavenly Divine Healer first created it.
And there was still room for further advancement.
The ultimate goal was a tenfold improvement. If they achieved that, the pill would rival—or even surpass—most supreme elixirs. After all, the Heavenly Divine Pill had no side effects and could be consumed over a long period.
Unbothered by whether Byeok Taesan responded or not, Cho Seoran continued.
“So, just this once, please consider it.”
Byeok Taesan stopped walking and looked at her.
Cho Seoran smiled slightly and added, “You said it yourself, didn’t you? If I wanted you to take my pulse, I’d need to bring someone like the Medicine King. So here I am.”
She spread her arms wide as she spoke.
Byeok Taesan stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well… I did say something along those lines.”
Cho Seoran’s expression brightened. “Then you’ll allow me to take your pulse?”
“No.”
“What? Why not?”
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Cho Seoran stared at Byeok Taesan, dumbfounded. How could someone say such things so nonchalantly without batting an eye?
After snapping out of her daze, she glanced at the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master, who were pointedly ignoring the scene and focusing solely on cutting herbs.
Her gaze became sharp enough to pierce through steel, prompting the two men to finally look at her hesitantly.
Cho Seoran gestured vigorously with her eyes, signaling them to honor their agreement.
The Heavenly Divine Healer sighed deeply, cleared his throat, and addressed Byeok Taesan.
“I think it might be about time for you to have a proper check-up, Young Master. How about letting us do it just this once?”
He nudged the Needle Master with his elbow as he spoke.
“Ahem. I agree,” the Needle Master chimed in. “Honestly, when we first examined your condition, we were truly astonished. While you seem much better now, it wasn’t an ordinary illness. It might be good to confirm everything this time around.”
Byeok Taesan gave the two of them a strange look.
His expression seemed to ask, What are these fools up to? It also carried an undertone of, I know exactly what you’re scheming, which made them both anxious and uneasy.
Unable to bear the tension, the Heavenly Divine Healer blurted out, “It’s not like it’ll cost you anything! All you have to do is let us check your wrist for a moment.”
Byeok Taesan smirked and nodded toward Cho Seoran with a tilt of his chin. “Does Harin know she’s here?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer immediately closed his mouth. Of course, Yeon Harin didn’t know. She was currently in secluded training, completely cutting herself off from external distractions.
Memories of the time when they had discussed the Medicine King resurfaced.
Yeon Harin had pursued him relentlessly with tearful eyes, demanding answers, leaving him sleepless for days.
Recalling that ordeal, the Heavenly Divine Healer shuddered involuntarily.
The Needle Master, on the other hand, burst out laughing.
Cho Seoran, clueless about the context, glanced back and forth between the three men.
Byeok Taesan turned to her and asked, “Is there a specific reason why the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion must ally with the Murim Alliance?”
“Excuse me?”
Cho Seoran stared at him, wide-eyed, caught off guard by the unexpected question.
Byeok Taesan chuckled softly.
“Enough. Just remember, the path doesn’t only lead to the Murim Alliance.”
Cho Seoran stared blankly at Byeok Taesan. Suddenly, a hand thrust forward right in front of her nose.
Startled, she took a step back. Byeok Taesan spoke indifferently.
“If you don’t want to, forget it.”
It was Byeok Taesan’s hand.
Cho Seoran hesitated, looking between his face and his hand before cautiously placing her fingers lightly on his wrist.
She closed her eyes and focused on his pulse.
As she concentrated, she carefully visualized Byeok Taesan’s physical condition through the flow of his qi.
Not only did she assess for any signs of illness, but she also scrutinized the state of his qi pathways, body composition, and constitution.
After one round of examination, she tilted her head in confusion and repeated the process. She ended up checking three times in total.
Her reason for such thoroughness was simple.
“Too… ordinary…”
Byeok Taesan’s body was far too ordinary.
Cho Seoran couldn’t understand it.
How could someone be this average?
She had heard some accounts of what Byeok Taesan had done during the Hubei Martial Alliance events.
But with this body, such incredible feats would have been impossible.
Either someone extraordinary had helped him, or the rumors had been grossly exaggerated—it had to be one or the other.
At least, that’s how it seemed within the limits of her understanding.
“Still not done?”
Byeok Taesan’s question jolted Cho Seoran back to reality, and she released his wrist.
“No, it’s all finished.”
“Alright. What’s your assessment?”
Cho Seoran answered with a calm expression.
“There isn’t a single illness. I heard you had Severed Meridians Syndrome, but there’s no trace of it at all.”
Her gaze shifted toward the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master, admiration evident in her eyes.
“It’s clear how remarkable both of your skills are. Usually, even if Severed Meridians Syndrome is cured, some traces remain. But there’s absolutely none here. Honestly, I’m quite impressed.”
However, the ones being praised, the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master, could only look at Byeok Taesan in disbelief, unable to hide their astonishment.
After all, they hadn’t done anything.
It was Byeok Taesan himself who had revived his own body from the brink of death, curing his Severed Meridians Syndrome entirely.
“Y-Young Master. May I… may I also check your pulse?”
“I’d like to as well.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master stepped forward with expressions of amazement. Byeok Taesan smirked and extended his hand.
The two examined his pulse with grave expressions, but soon, they shook their heads in disbelief.
“Young Master, you are truly… an enigma.”
At the Needle Master’s comment, the Heavenly Divine Healer nodded vigorously in agreement.
Byeok Taesan’s body had transformed so completely that it was as though he were an entirely different person from when he had Severed Meridians Syndrome.
As the three physicians gazed at Byeok Taesan with complicated expressions, Hwaryeong hurriedly entered the room.
“Young Master!”
Her voice was as urgent as her steps, drawing everyone’s attention.
Hwaryeong approached Byeok Taesan and reported.
“The Patrol Corps Leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance has arrived.”
The Patrol Corps Leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance was Seomun Deok. He had come to Wuhan to establish the Alliance’s branch and had been conducting his work without causing any trouble thus far.
But judging by Hwaryeong’s urgent expression, this visit wasn’t just about routine matters.
“What’s the issue?”
At Byeok Taesan’s question, Hwaryeong answered.
“A horde of half-Jiangshi has erupted from the Hao Clan’s branch, and chaos has ensued.”
Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed sharply upon hearing this.
“Locust-like bastards.”
He muttered as he glanced at Cho Seoran.
It seemed her matter would have to wait.