NOVEL NEXT Chapter 81 - It’s Settled
Chapter 81: It’s Settled
Byeok Taesan left his room again only after washing himself with hot water.
The preparation wasn’t done by those who tried to gain his favor but by his attendants who took care of things on their own.
Feeling refreshed, Byeok Taesan stepped out of his room and spotted some people lingering in the distance.
Centered around the pavilion where he stayed was a rather large garden, surrounded by walls. The people were hovering near the gate on the wall.
They were the General Manager and the Golden Wall Merchants’ personnel whom Byeok Taesan had left behind earlier.
The moment the General Manager noticed Byeok Taesan leaving the pavilion, he was startled and quickly rushed over.
“Young Master, are you coming out now?”
“Young Master, you’re out.”
The Golden Wall Merchants’ people also greeted him one after another.
Byeok Taesan glanced over them.
He could roughly guess why they were behaving this way. It was probably because of what the Heaven Guard Corps’ General Manager mentioned to them before boarding the ship at Yichang.
In reality, what the General Manager had said was merely that a few trades with the Golden Wall Merchants were being considered.
He also mentioned that they might request Byeok Taesan to oversee the deals.
But Byeok Taesan wasn’t interested at all.
So everything was left to the Golden Wall Merchants and the Heaven Guard Corps to handle.
However, the fact that they were acting so servile meant that, in some way or another, he was entangled in this matter.
Byeok Taesan looked at the General Manager and spoke.
“If you have something to say, say it now.”
“Pardon?”
Byeok Taesan glanced at the others as well.
“None of you?”
Perhaps because of the dry tone of Byeok Taesan’s voice, the thought flashed in their minds that this might be their only chance to speak up.
“Young Master, please entrust me with the task of building the Heaven Guard Corps’ Wuhan branch. I will demonstrate my capabilities.”
At that, someone next to him quickly interjected.
“I am more suitable. I already have experience constructing and managing several estates.”
“Young Master, please assign me the task of supplying paper to the Heaven Guard Corps. It would be extremely difficult to find someone more qualified than me in that regard.”
Everyone began speaking in a rush.
Summing it up, there were three tasks that the Heaven Guard Corps was entrusting to the Golden Wall Merchants.
The first was establishing the Heaven Guard Corps’ Wuhan branch.
This was a major undertaking, from purchasing land to constructing the estate and even handling its initial operations.
The second was supplying paper to the Heaven Guard Corps.
The Heaven Guard Corps was an organization composed of all the martial clans of Hubei. Naturally, the volume of correspondence exchanged with the clans was enormous.
Moreover, the amount of paper needed internally within the Heaven Guard Corps was also massive.
They were offering to grant exclusive rights to supply all that paper to the Golden Wall Merchants.
The third was supplying alcohol to the Heaven Guard Corps.
Being a gathering of martial artists, the amount of alcohol consumed daily was staggering.
The idea of monopolizing the supply of that alcohol was indeed a remarkable opportunity.
The seven people who accompanied the General Manager were all eagerly trying to gain Byeok Taesan’s favor for one of these tasks.
Among them, the only one who hadn’t spoken a single word so far was the General Manager, Gamujin.
Byeok Taesan raised his hand to cut off their chatter.
The seven people, who had been noisily speaking all at once, instantly fell silent. The timing was so perfect it was almost uncanny.
As they stared at Byeok Taesan with wide eyes, he was already looking at the General Manager.
“Do you have nothing to say, General Manager?”
Gamujin bowed politely and spoke.
“I request that you first meet with the Sect Leader.”
Byeok Taesan nodded.
“Very well.”
With that, Byeok Taesan strode forward. The remaining seven could only stare blankly at his retreating figure.
The General Manager quickly followed after him.
And before anyone realized, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon appeared on either side of Byeok Taesan.
Their overwhelming presence was so sharp and intimidating that no one dared to follow.
“Young Master, that was well done,” the General Manager said as he walked alongside Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan didn’t respond, but the General Manager continued speaking earnestly.
“Dismissing them is the best course of action. The projects being pursued by the Heaven Guard Corps are so significant that they are trying to leverage this opportunity to amplify their own voices.”
When Byeok Taesan remained silent, the General Manager cautiously asked.
“May I ask… if the Young Master has any specific plans in mind?”
“I don’t have anything like that.”
Byeok Taesan turned his head slightly to look at the General Manager as he continued.
“Because I’ve never even heard of this matter before.”
The General Manager was taken aback.
“Pardon? Is that really true?”
However, he quickly regained his composure and explained the situation succinctly.
It was quite simple.
The Heaven Guard Corps had decided to collaborate with the Golden Wall Merchants on three projects, but there was a condition attached.
The condition was Byeok Taesan.
Byeok Taesan had to oversee these tasks personally.
If Byeok Taesan didn’t want to, then he had to personally appoint someone else as the person in charge.
And this wasn’t just a superficial appointment; the Heaven Guard Corps insisted on directly verifying the person Byeok Taesan nominated as responsible.
After hearing the explanation, Byeok Taesan smirked.
“Seems like they all need to be dealt with.”
The General Manager flinched but carefully responded.
“However, they are currently indispensable to the Golden Wall Merchants.”
“For now, I suppose. Well, it’s none of my concern.”
With that, Byeok Taesan closed his mouth. He had no intention of saying more or discussing further.
After walking for a while, they arrived at the office of Byeok Taesoo, the head of the Golden Wall Merchants.
Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he’d be meeting his older brother, Byeok Taesoo, since occupying this body.
The General Manager bowed respectfully in front of the office.
“I will take my leave here. I wish you a pleasant conversation with the Sect Leader.”
After the General Manager left, Byeok Taesan watched his retreating figure for a moment. Then, he turned to Cheon Kyungwan.
“Go to the White Flower House.”
“Yes. What should I convey?”
The White Flower House was the Hao Gate’s Wuhan branch. Although the Owner of the White Flower House hadn’t arrived yet, she could still carry out Byeok Taesan’s instructions without issue.
“Tell them to investigate.”
Cheon Kyungwan looked at Byeok Taesan with a slight startle.
“Are you referring to the General Manager?”
“Not just the General Manager. Investigate those seven from earlier and everyone else. Sweep through the entire Golden Wall Merchants.”
Byeok Taesan gestured toward Byeok Taesoo’s office with a nod.
“No exceptions.”
Cheon Kyungwan bowed his head.
“Understood. I’ll deliver the message immediately.”
Byeok Taesan nodded and entered Byeok Taesoo’s office.
Byeok Taesan was seated in the reception room adjacent to Byeok Taesoo’s office.
Byeok Taesoo was attending to some urgent tasks and had asked for a moment to finish them before meeting.
Byeok Taesan readily agreed and came here to wait.
Seated, he slowly scanned his surroundings, including the ceiling and floor.
The place gave off a rather peculiar feeling.
It wasn’t the ambiance or decorations that created this sensation.
The energy flowing through this room was different from elsewhere.
Perhaps it was the case for the entire office of Byeok Taesoo.
Byeok Taesan calmly focused on sensing the flow of energy.
‘How peculiar.’
The flow of energy itself was ordinary. Yet, the energy itself felt subtly different.
Byeok Taesan tilted his head.
It felt oddly familiar. But at the same time, it was unfamiliar.
Which made it all the more curious.
As he concentrated on the energy, Byeok Taesoo entered the room.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Byeok Taesoo said as he sat down across from Byeok Taesan.
A brief silence lingered in the air. Byeok Taesoo was carefully observing Byeok Taesan.
“It’s a relief to see your health has improved so much.”
Byeok Taesan simply nodded once. In truth, there wasn’t much he felt like saying.
Perhaps the old Byeok Taesan might have had something to say, but the current Byeok Taesan was not like that.
“I heard you performed well at the Heaven Guard Corps.”
“It’s nothing special.”
Byeok Taesan found himself marveling again at the emotions that naturally arose within him.
A sense of closeness and concern quietly surfaced from deep within.
It seemed that, until his death, the previous Byeok Taesan had been worried about his older brother, Byeok Taesoo.
Of course, that didn’t mean he had any intention of readily doing what the old Byeok Taesan would have wanted.
At most, he would do things as he desired, when and how he pleased.
“When the Heaven Guard Corps reached out to us, I was truly surprised. Now, because of that, our merchant group is in quite a stir. I hope you can understand.”
Byeok Taesan lightly nodded.
Whether it stirred the group or not, he couldn’t care less.
“Actually… while you were with the Heaven Guard Corps, we had a few internal discussions.”
For the first time, Byeok Taesan felt a trace of curiosity and glanced at Byeok Taesoo.
The fact that he was bringing this up now likely meant the discussion revolved around him.
“And the consensus was that it’s time for you to formally take charge of the merchant group’s affairs.”
As soon as he heard this, Byeok Taesan felt an overwhelming sense of annoyance.
To be honest, he didn’t feel the need to tie himself down to the Golden Wall Merchants.
If he simply took the small manor, a few courtesan houses, and pubs that were allocated to him and left, that would suffice.
No, even those weren’t necessary.
He had more than enough wealth. The resources he had gained during his recent raid were considerable.
If needed, he could simply rely on Hao Gate.
If he handed the financial management over to Hwaok and instructed her to generate profit, she would do an excellent job.
There was no reason to burden himself with the responsibilities of the Golden Wall Merchants.
“I’ll pass.”
Byeok Taesoo, caught mid-sentence, widened his eyes in surprise as he looked at Byeok Taesan.
He had not expected such a resolute rejection.
“Why don’t you reconsider? Your position within the Golden Wall Merchants would change. I was hoping you could oversee at least two of the projects we’re currently pursuing with the Heaven Guard Corps.”
Byeok Taesan shook his head lightly.
Though the gesture was light, the atmosphere it exuded was so firm that Byeok Taesoo found himself unable to continue speaking and could only stare at Byeok Taesan.
“That business—just handle it however you see fit, Brother.”
Byeok Taesoo gazed at Byeok Taesan with sharp, gleaming eyes.
“Are you certain about this?”
“I am.”
Byeok Taesoo sighed deeply and shook his head.
“You lack ambition. How could you…”
Watching his younger brother throw away such a good opportunity so easily left him feeling worried.
After pausing for a moment and running a few calculations in his mind, Byeok Taesoo looked at Byeok Taesan and quietly spoke.
“I’ll give you ten percent of the net profit from the three projects with the Heaven Guard Corps.”
Byeok Taesan nonchalantly nodded at this.
“Do as you please.”
Byeok Taesoo let out a bitter chuckle at his brother’s reaction.
To be honest, he thought Byeok Taesan would show at least some surprise, but he accepted it so plainly.
There was no way his younger brother didn’t understand what ten percent of the net profit from those three projects meant.
After all, he had been exceptionally intelligent from a young age.
Silence lingered for a while. Then, Byeok Taesoo suddenly asked.
“Are you thinking of becoming independent?”
The word “independent” made Byeok Taesan tilt his head in confusion.
In truth, he had never considered it before. After all, he had no major inconveniences in his current life.
But now that the subject had been raised, he realized it wasn’t a bad idea.
In the past, he wouldn’t have dared. But now, with Hao Gate at his disposal, finding someone to maintain a manor would be no trouble at all.
‘And there’s already a suitable manor…’
In Wuhan, there was a safe house belonging to the Heavenly Demon Cult. It had been abandoned since they used it to extract Danyeong’s soul, but it could be repurposed.
‘No, that’s not ideal. The Heavenly Demon Cult’s safe house might be needed for missions.’
Though the Heaven-Sealing Array surrounding the Heavenly Demon Cult seemed unlikely to disappear anytime soon, the world had a way of defying expectations.
For the sake of the loyal operatives who might use it for missions, it was better left untouched.
‘With all the wealth I have, I could just build a new one.’
Byeok Taesoo looked at his younger brother, who was deep in thought, with a complex expression.
‘When did he grow so much…’
Memories of Byeok Taesan taking his first steps came to mind—how overjoyed and amazed he had been, unable to take his eyes off him.
It felt like just yesterday. And now, here he was, considering independence. The passage of time hit him hard.
As he continued gazing at Byeok Taesan, Byeok Taesoo’s eyes grew increasingly tender.
Seodogun walked slowly, trying hard to calm his extreme nervousness.
He couldn’t rush. Nor could he reveal his thoughts. This place was a labyrinth of treachery. A single misstep could cost him his life.
As he walked down the long corridor, he suddenly felt the sticky sensation of the floor clinging to his soles.
The air had also changed.
Even the energy flowing through it felt different.
The tension he had just managed to suppress rose again, endlessly.
The stench of blood overwhelmed him.
Seodogun’s steps slowed further. He was forcing himself to walk a path he did not wish to take; of course, his pace would falter.
At last, the corridor ended.
At the end was a spacious room, its walls lined with large display shelves.
On the shelves were rows of pitch-black bottles, exuding an eerie aura just from sight.
And in the center of the room stood a man.
Seodogun bowed deeply toward him.
“You called for me.”
The man glanced at Seodogun before walking over to one of the display shelves.
He crooked his finger, beckoning Seodogun over.
Seodogun quickly moved to the man’s side.
“Do you see these?”
Seodogun confirmed the black bottles the man was pointing at.
Among them, three bottles had turned white.
“These were vessels for the Three Maniacs of Bloody Demise.”
The man lightly caressed the four bottles next to them.
“The Four Demonic Fiends of the Vast East returned like this, but…”
The man’s gaze shifted to Seodogun. His eyes gleamed sharply.
“The Three Maniacs of Bloody Demise have not returned.”
Seodogun mustered his strength and opened his mouth.
“Are you suggesting that the Three Maniacs of Bloody Demise might still be active somewhere?”
The man shook his head firmly.
“No, they’re dead. The color change proves it.”
The white discoloration apparently symbolized the extinction of the souls.
“The bodies were so hard to obtain, too…”
“Then… should I retrieve the bodies of the Four Demonic Fiends of the Vast East? We might be able to learn something through them.”
The man chuckled faintly.
“That’s impossible. They’ll revert to the state they were in when their souls were first captured here.”
The man looked down at Seodogun in silence.
Seodogun swallowed dryly and bowed as deeply as he could.
“Then I will search for a suitable body. One sturdy enough to endure a powerful soul.”
Relieved internally, Seodogun answered promptly.
“Yes, I understand.”
In an instant, the man’s eyes emitted a crimson glow. The light coiled tightly around Seodogun’s body, binding him.
“Ugh!”
Seodogun let out a groan of pain.
“An order is an order, but you still need to be punished for trying to deceive me, don’t you?”
Seodogun’s eyes trembled violently.
‘He knew everything!’
As the crimson light that filled the room poured into him, Seodogun screamed.
“AAAAHHHH!”
The screams echoed for a long time.
And the man who caused it all simply observed Seodogun indifferently.