LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 88 - Close the Door When You Leave
Chapter 88: Close the Door When You Leave
Hwaryeong stared at Jo Taejoo, who was crouching on the ground next to Byeok Taesan, with shocked eyes.
“What did you see?”
Hwaryeong calmly recalled the scene she had just witnessed.
Byeok Taesan had placed his hand on Jo Taejoo’s head and pulled something out with a sharp tug.
She didn’t know exactly what it was.
But from that moment, Jo Taejoo had flipped his eyes back and started screaming.
Even though this uproar was happening right in front of the pavilion, no one came to see what was going on. It seemed prearranged.
If someone else had witnessed the scene, they might have just been confused or flustered.
But Hwaryeong was different.
She had eyes that allowed her to see things others couldn’t.
And that was why she was truly astonished.
Nothing could be seen from Jo Taejoo, who was screaming.
All the intense emotions he had been radiating just moments ago had completely vanished.
There was only emptiness.
Hwaryeong couldn’t be entirely certain since she hadn’t had her newfound ability for long, but wasn’t this kind of emptiness something one would expect from someone whose soul had been shattered by a severe shock?
Jo Taejoo continued to stand frozen in place, screaming with his eyes rolled back for two full hours.
The truly shocking part came afterward.
Suddenly, Jo Taejoo collapsed to the ground, and from that moment on, he crouched there trembling in terror.
And that was when his emotions became visible again.
The lust, ambition, deceit, and ridicule that had filled him earlier were gone without a trace. What replaced them was fear and submission, and nothing else.
Hwaryeong’s mind retraced these events as she stared nervously at Byeok Taesan.
Then she calmly explained what she had seen.
Byeok Taesan listened to her words with interest.
Once her explanation concluded, Byeok Taesan nodded.
“Fascinating.”
It truly was fascinating. The fact that only emptiness remained after he pulled out a soul.
Byeok Taesan pondered for a moment.
To be honest, he had intended to teach Hwaryeong the Spirit Wing Divine Art like he had with the other servants.
But now, after seeing this, he realized there was another martial art that suited her even better.
The compatibility between the Shadowstep Art and the Spirit Wing Divine Art wasn’t bad, so it would have been fine to teach her the latter anyway.
But how could he settle for that after witnessing her abilities just now?
“Have you ever considered learning a demonic art?”
Hwaryeong’s eyes widened even more than before.
|•••
Seo Daegun visited the Golden Heavenly Alliance.
The Golden Heavenly Alliance was formed by several merchant groups based in Wuhan, but now those groups were teetering on the brink of collapse.
The counterattack they had suffered after attempting to manipulate the Golden Wall Merchants had been devastating.
They had invested a tremendous amount of money in their schemes.
At the time, they had believed they would not only recover their investment but also reap far greater profits.
But it all backfired.
Now, the Golden Heavenly Alliance was facing a severe cash flow crisis.
It felt as though even the slightest push would cause the entire alliance to crumble.
And it was in this precarious situation that Seo Daegun decided to visit.
What’s more, he brought along Bong Myuk, the Black Moon Blade, who had previously acted as their messenger.
Naturally, the Golden Heavenly Alliance was thrown into chaos.
The Black Moon Blade hadn’t been seen since the alliance began losing disastrously to the Golden Wall Merchants.
And now, he had suddenly reappeared, accompanied by someone who was clearly a superior figure.
The Alliance Leader of the Golden Heavenly Alliance looked at Seo Daegun with nervous eyes.
In truth, he harbored immense resentment. But he couldn’t voice it.
These people were truly terrifying.
Seo Daegun looked at the Alliance Leader and grinned.
“Why are you trembling so much? Did you do something wrong to me?”
“N-No, of course not. It’s just… I’m startled. You came so suddenly….”
“So you’re upset because I didn’t show my face earlier, and now I’ve shown up out of the blue?”
“N-Not at all.”
“Or perhaps, since I usually only sent him”—Seo Daegun gestured to Bong Myuk—”and suddenly decided to come myself, you’re thinking you won’t survive this time?”
The Alliance Leader’s heart nearly stopped.
He had indeed thought that. But he hadn’t expected Seo Daegun to state it outright.
“Are… are you here to kill me?”
“Come on now, I’m not the kind of guy who kills people all willy-nilly. I just came to have a light chat. Maybe make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
The phrase “an offer you can’t refuse” sounded terrifyingly close to “refuse and die.”
“W-What kind of offer?”
Seo Daegun spoke as casually as if he were picking up a pebble off the ground.
“Isn’t the Golden Heavenly Alliance already doomed?”
“Pardon?”
“You’ve been crushed by the Golden Wall Merchants. There’s no way for you to recover, is there?”
The Alliance Leader’s expression stiffened but quickly returned to normal.
“You’re right. We’ve collapsed, and there’s no chance of recovery.”
Seo Daegun smiled faintly.
“Good. Now you’re making sense. But just because the alliance is ruined doesn’t mean everyone needs to die with it, right?”
Seo Daegun’s tone rose and fell as he toyed with the Alliance Leader.
The Alliance Leader’s gaze wavered.
Even if the alliance was doomed, it was still the Golden Heavenly Alliance. If he didn’t cling to ambition and let go at the right moment, he could at least secure a foundation to start over.
‘But this bastard wants me to die, doesn’t he?’
What choice did he have? If he didn’t want this, he should never have taken their hand in the first place.
“What do you want me to do?”
“It’s simple. Package the Golden Heavenly Alliance nicely and approach the Murim Alliance and the Black Lotus.”
“The… Murim Alliance? And the Black Lotus, too?”
The Alliance Leader’s eyes widened like saucers.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t kill me?”
“Why would that kill you? Besides, I’m not done talking yet. Make contact with the Namgung Clan and the Zhuge Clan as well.”
The situation was growing more absurd by the second. How could this man say such things unless he had lost his mind?
Seo Daegun smirked at the Alliance Leader’s reaction.
“Well… looks like your alliance is falling apart so badly your eyes and ears have stopped working.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The groups I just mentioned are all aiming to expand into Wuhan.”
“I’m aware of that much.”
“And what do you think they’ll do to establish a foothold here?”
“They’ll… create a justification, like the Hubei Martial Alliance did.”
“Exactly. What I want is for the Golden Heavenly Alliance to become that justification.”
The Alliance Leader swallowed hard, his throat dry.
“Do you think… that’s possible?”
Seo Daegun grinned.
“How should I know? That’s your problem to figure out, isn’t it? I mean, if you manage to bring in the Murim Alliance or the Black Lotus, maybe they’ll even help you take me down.”
The Alliance Leader shuddered and frantically waved his hands.
“Never! I would never even dream of such a thing! I’m someone who knows his place!”
Seo Daegun lightly shook his head.
“No need to deny it. That’s exactly what I want.”
“Pardon?”
“Bring in the Murim Alliance and the Black Lotus and expose us. Make it clear we’re working with the Golden Wall Merchants. I’ll spread evidence around to support the claim.”
The Alliance Leader’s jaw dropped.
“Do you think… that will really work?”
The Murim Alliance and the Black Lotus weren’t fools. A sloppy attempt would only backfire.
Seo Daegun smiled, pleased.
“Who cares if it works or not? Either way, it’ll turn into a mess. All the Golden Heavenly Alliance has to do is capitalize on the chaos. What’s the matter? Don’t think you can do it?”
The Alliance Leader’s mind raced.
This was a fight worth taking on. If Seo Daegun played his part properly, the Golden Heavenly Alliance could benefit immensely.
And being privy to the plan beforehand gave him the upper hand. He could exploit the situation to his advantage.
“I’ll do it. No, I’ll make sure it succeeds.”
Seo Daegun’s face lit up with a bright smile.
“Glad to hear it.”
Two days had passed since Byeok Taesan had pulled and burned Jo Taejoo’s soul.
Jo Taejoo returned to the Hao Clan, and the White Flower House resumed its usual operations.
Today, the Owner of White Flower House arrived in Wuhan.
As soon as she disembarked from the ship, she didn’t head to the White Flower House but instead rushed straight to the Golden Wall Pavilion.
Upon her arrival at the Golden Wall Pavilion, she was guided to the reception room of the residence where Byeok Taesan stayed, and soon after, she met him.
Byeok Taesan quietly stared at the Owner of White Flower House, who was sitting demurely before him.
The Owner of White Flower House was visibly tense.
She was different from Jo Taejoo. On her way here, she had already grasped the events that had transpired in Wuhan.
“I apologize. I should have been better prepared.”
“It’s fine. It wasn’t something you could’ve handled even with preparation. Besides, that bastard won’t dare act up again.”
A chill ran down the spine of the Owner of White Flower House at those words. Once again, she realized how terrifying Byeok Taesan was.
“I heard you received recent intelligence regarding the situation in Wuhan.”
Byeok Taesan nodded.
“While on my way to Wuhan, I requested reports from all Hao Clan branches and compiled the information.”
The Owner of White Flower House respectfully handed over a few documents with both hands.
Byeok Taesan picked them up and briefly skimmed through them. His lips curled up slightly.
“Well, look at this.”
The documents contained information that the Murim Alliance, Black Lotus, the Namgung Clan, and the Zhuge Clan were all making moves to establish a foothold in Wuhan.
It also detailed their methods, who was in charge, and other specifics.
After reviewing everything, Byeok Taesan looked up at the Owner of White Flower House.
She stared back at him with tense eyes.
The two exchanged silent gazes for a moment.
It was Byeok Taesan who broke the silence first.
“Do you have any intention of becoming the Hao Clan Leader?”
The Owner of White Flower House immediately prostrated herself.
“If you, Young Master, permit it, I will do so.”
Byeok Taesan looked down at the prostrate Owner of White Flower House with gleaming eyes.
She hadn’t begged for help—she had only sought permission. This implied that she was somewhat prepared to take control of the Hao Clan.
Frankly, it was a bit unexpected.
“Simply becoming the Hao Clan Leader won’t be enough.”
It would be troublesome if fighting for the position of Hao Clan Leader diminished the clan’s capabilities.
The reason for making her the leader was to utilize the Hao Clan, but if internal power struggles weakened their intelligence network, there would be no point in controlling the Hao Clan.
“To meet the standard you desire, Young Master, I’ll need assistance.”
“How much?”
“I need individuals who can exert significant power.”
“Be specific.”
The Owner of White Flower House paused for a moment, contemplating. She was assessing exactly how many enemies she would need to face.
“The martial skills of the Hao Clan members are not particularly high. However, the current Hao Clan Leader has three bodyguards, as well as martial artists protecting the elders, who must be dealt with. Their skills are quite formidable.”
These individuals weren’t strictly part of the Hao Clan; they were hired by the leader and the elders.
After organizing her thoughts, the Owner of White Flower House continued speaking.
“The martial artists protecting the Hao Clan Leader are about on par with the leader of the bandits who once ambushed the younger generation of Hubei Martial Alliance.”
Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed.
“They’re not as weak as I thought.”
The leader of the bandits back then had fought fiercely against Yeon Harin. Objectively speaking, though, he had been about two moves above her in skill.
“One of them is that level, while the others are a few moves weaker. The martial artists protecting the elders are slightly below even that.”
Byeok Taesan nodded.
He had just the right people in mind for a task like this.
He could use them here to redeem their past misdeeds.
“Take this and go to the White Tiger Escort Agency.”
Byeok Taesan quickly penned a letter and handed it to the Owner of White Flower House.
She accepted it politely and tucked it away.
She didn’t even wonder what the letter contained, what relationship Byeok Taesan had with the White Tiger Escort Agency, or whether they could handle this matter. None of that crossed her mind.
If Byeok Taesan told her to do something, she would simply do it.
As their conversation was nearing its conclusion, they heard footsteps from outside.
“Young Master, may I come in?”
It was the voice of the Heavenly Divine Healer. Judging by the sound, the Needle Master seemed to be with him.
“Come in.”
As soon as Byeok Taesan granted permission, the door swung open, and the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master entered.
Behind them, seven massive chests were visible.
The Heavenly Divine Healer grinned and addressed Byeok Taesan.
“Young Master, I have completed the hundred Heavenly Divine Pills you requested.”
“Is that so?”
Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed as he gazed at the neatly stacked chests.
The aura emanating from the chests was similar to the Heavenly Divine Pill he carried on him.
“They seem to have been crafted well.”
“Well, of course, Young Master. Do you know who I am? These are perfect—absolutely the finest batch we’ve ever made.”
This was possible due to the Needle Master’s assistance and the sleepless dedication of two physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion.
At those words, the Needle Master frowned deeply.
“Why are you taking all the credit?”
“When did I ever? I simply said they were made perfectly.”
Before their argument could escalate, Byeok Taesan interrupted them.
“Well done. For now, take them to my room.”
As the Heavenly Divine Healer was about to respond, a voice suddenly interrupted.
“May I ask what the Heavenly Divine Pills are?”
It was the Owner of White Flower House.
Her eyes sparkled as she alternated her gaze between the Heavenly Divine Healer and the chests.
The Heavenly Divine Healer’s expression soured.
He had a bad feeling about this.
And sure enough, Byeok Taesan looked at the Heavenly Divine Healer and said, “Once this matter is resolved, reward the Hao Clan with some of these pills. Make thirty more.”
“Pardon?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer looked at Byeok Taesan with a stunned expression as if he had just been struck by lightning.
He slowly turned his gaze to the Owner of White Flower House and glared at her, signaling her to decline the offer.
However, the Owner of White Flower House simply prostrated herself again before Byeok Taesan.
“I will never forget your generosity, Young Master. I will repay you with definite results.”
As Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively, the Owner of White Flower House quickly withdrew.
The Heavenly Divine Healer continued to glare at her as she left, but she never once made eye contact with him.
“That woman… I swear…”
Just then, Byeok Taesan’s cold voice reached his ears.
“Seems like you’re displeased.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer froze as though doused with icy water.
“Oh no, Young Master! How could I be? I’m not like my older brother.”
“Hey! Why are you dragging me into this?” the Needle Master protested.
As the two seemed ready to start bickering again, Byeok Taesan waved his hand dismissively.
To their surprise, the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master found themselves sliding backward out of the room. Before they knew it, they were standing outside the open door.
Both men stared at Byeok Taesan in shock.
He gave them a casual glance and said, “Close the door on your way out.”
The two quietly shut the door.