NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 26 - That’s All It Takes
Chapter 26: That’s All It Takes
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“Is the Zhongli Clan that famous?”
At Byeok Taesan’s question, Cheon Kyungwan answered with what he knew.
“They are the most renowned in this region.”
“Well, of course, since they are based here. But that’s not what I meant.”
“Compared to other clans, they fall short. After all, it’s a clan that nearly collapsed once.”
“Still, it’s impressive that they managed to endure without falling completely.”
Byeok Taesan genuinely admired that aspect.
In truth, he had thought they wouldn’t recover easily since he had crushed them so thoroughly.
Back then, dismantling the Zhongli Clan’s martial arts was partially an outlet for his anger.
“The Zhongli Clan struggled significantly to rebuild. If it weren’t for the fact that several of their main martial squads were on external missions when they faced the Heavenly Demon, they wouldn’t have managed to rise again.”
“Ah, so there were some who had been hidden away. That makes a bit more sense.”
Even after they had pulled back their key martial squads, the strength left within the clan at the time was significant.
It seemed the Zhongli Clan had been a formidable force in its own right.
Honestly, he had dismissed them as insignificant at the time.
“They’re not on the same level as the Namgung Clan or the Zhuge Clan, right?”
Cheon Kyungwan shook his head firmly, as if the comparison was absurd.
“Not even close. You’d need ten Zhongli Clans to match the Namgung Clan.”
“Is the gap that wide?”
On his way here, Byeok Taesan had already sensed the influence of the Zhongli Clan.
Their presence loomed over all the villages near Dongho.
Additionally, through observing the warriors they brought to Yeon Manor, he could estimate their overall caliber.
The Zhongli Clan, as he assessed them, was no small power. But the notion that even ten of them couldn’t match the Namgung Clan made him wonder just how extraordinary those clans were.
Of course, compared to the Demonic Cult, those clans were like children playing games.
‘I didn’t even bother paying attention to them back then.’
Among the enemies that ambushed the Heavenly Demon and the Heaven Guard Corps at the time, there had been members of the Namgung and Zhuge Clans.
‘Their spirit was commendable.’
They had fought like demons, relentless and willing to sacrifice their lives. Because of their tenacity, Byeok Taesan hadn’t harbored a grudge against them.
Only the Zhongli Clan, who had fled in disgrace, received his special retribution.
And whether by chance or fate, events had intertwined once more.
“The Zhongli Clan has been relentless in their efforts to rebuild. Even now, they stop at nothing.”
“That much is clear. Quite unbecoming of a righteous clan.”
“Honestly, they only claim to be righteous. Among actual righteous sects, they are considered closer to the demonic path.”
“So they’re like bats.”
“Recently, they’ve been trying to improve their reputation little by little. They can’t afford to be treated like that forever.”
Byeok Taesan smirked.
“They’ve always been known for their underhanded ways. Old habits don’t change so easily.”
Cheon Kyungwan chuckled wryly.
What Taesan said perfectly matched how the righteous sects viewed the Zhongli Clan.
“By the way, we need to take that path to get to the Zhongli Clan.”
Byeok Taesan changed the subject.
“The Zhongli Clan aren’t good people, are they?”
“No, they’re not.”
“Then, there must be plenty of people who hold a grudge against them, right?”
“Yes.”
“Who do you think harbors the strongest resentment toward them?”
Cheon Kyungwan’s expression hardened slightly.
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to use them to attack the Zhongli Clan? That’s reckless.”
“Attack? What would be the point? They all seem like nobodies.”
“Then…”
“Just answer. Who do you think it would be?”
After some hesitation, Cheon Kyungwan finally spoke.
“The Unorthodox factions.”
Byeok Taesan grinned and nodded.
“You’re not completely clueless. Lead the way.”
“Excuse me?”
“Take me to see some Unorthodox groups under the Zhongli Clan’s thumb.”
“Young Master, the Unorthodox is just the Unorthodox. They scatter like dust when faced with either profit or fear.”
“That’s why we’ll give them profit and remove their fear.”
Cheon Kyungwan sighed, a helpless look on his face.
“Locally, the Blood Axe Sect is the largest. Beyond that, we’d need to investigate further.”
“Let’s go. It’s been a while since I’ve had some fun.”
Cheon Kyungwan exhaled deeply and shook his head as he followed.
••••
Meanwhile, the Zhongli Clan had sent someone new to Yeon Manor: Zhongli Seong-nak, one of their elders.
Accompanying him was Won Mungwang, a trusted aide of the clan leader. Together, they brought along ten of the clan’s elite warriors.
The injured warriors who had been hurt by Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon had returned to the clan, likely to face dire consequences.
After meeting with the Yeon Manor Master for formalities, Zhongli Seong-nak and Won Mungwang retired to their lodgings.
“Phew. The Yeon Manor Master is too rigid,” Zhongli Seong-nak commented, shaking his head.
Won Mungwang replied with a bitter smile.
“Can you blame him? After all the commotion…”
Zhongli Seong-nak frowned deeply.
“But is it really true? No matter how I think about it, I can’t believe our Woong would commit such disgraceful acts…”
Having known Zhongli Woong personally, it was hard to imagine him wetting himself during a meal. Yet, rumors of the incident had already spread far and wide.
Even on their journey from the Zhongli Clan to Yeon Manor, they had overheard the story several times. Some claimed the stench had been so unbearable that people had nearly vomited. There were even crude jokes circulating about the incident.
“Some of our men were there that day. The story is entirely true, without any exaggeration.”
Won Mungwang sighed deeply.
Killing a demon and making a name for oneself was one thing. But to be remembered as the one who soiled himself? It was utterly frustrating.
Bad rumors always spread faster, especially when they were sensational.
“And after that, we came here to talk about the marriage proposal. The Yeon Manor Master must have been suppressing his fury the entire time.”
“It seemed that way. I suggested we leave quickly to avoid any further conflict.”
“You made the right call.”
From the Yeon Manor Master’s perspective, there was no way the Zhongli Clan would look favorable. After what had happened, they even had the audacity to send experts to investigate further.
“What do you plan to do next? Meet Byeok Taesan? Or…”
“It would be better to start with the Heavenly Divine Healer.”
“If we can recruit him, it would be a tremendous luck for the clan. His disciples are said to be extraordinary as well.”
“What about Woong?”
“I don’t even want to see him. Let’s leave him be for now. At least he’s staying quiet.”
“Then I’ll start inquiring about the Heavenly Divine Healer’s whereabouts.”
Zhongli Seong-nak looked puzzled.
“Isn’t he supposed to be at Yeon Manor?”
“He’s not the Heavenly Divine Healer for nothing. He’s rarely at Yeon Manor. Apparently, he’s always busy tending to the sick around the area.”
“Ha! If that’s the case, the Golden Wall Merchants’ reputation will grow. Won’t this hinder our plans?”
“The Golden Wall Merchants are separate from the Heavenly Divine Healer. From what I’ve heard, most of the rumors center around Byeok Taesan.”
“Byeok Taesan? So, the Heavenly Divine Healer is really focusing on him.”
“That’s how it seems. Who knows what he’s thinking…”
What they didn’t realize was that the Heavenly Divine Healer had been subtly intertwining Zhongli Woong’s embarrassing incident into the tales of Byeok Taesan.
While stories about Taesan were prevalent, what stuck with people most was the account of Zhongli Woong wetting himself.
“We Must Proceed with Caution”
“Anyway, recruiting the Heavenly Divine Healer must be done carefully. Opportunities like this don’t come often.”
“Just make a solid plan. I’ll fully support it. If we recruit the Heavenly Divine Healer, our Zhongli Clan can claim all of his renown.”
“Exactly. That’s why we need to prepare thoroughly.”
As the two were deep in discussion, a warrior sent to inquire about the Heavenly Divine Healer’s whereabouts returned.
“I have news.”
“Alright, where is he today?”
“He finished his schedule and returned to Yeon Manor. If you go to his residence, you should be able to meet him directly.”
“Really? Then there’s no time to waste.”
Won Mungwang prepared to leave immediately, but the warrior hesitated before continuing.
“But there’s one more thing you should know.”
“Hm? More to report?”
“Yes. Byeok Taesan has left.”
“What? Left? When?”
“He left this morning.”
“And the Heavenly Divine Healer?”
“He only took Cheon Kyungwan with him.”
Won Mungwang’s eyes sharpened as he rubbed his chin.
“So he only took Cheon Kyungwan…”
Perhaps this wasn’t a bad turn of events.
The Heavenly Divine Healer was aligned with Byeok Taesan, and his decision likely revolved around him.
If Byeok Taesan were present, convincing the healer would prove far more difficult.
As Won Mungwang pondered, Zhongli Seongnak spoke.
“This might be a chance for us.”
“Yes, but we’ll need to split our efforts.”
The reason for calling Byeok Taesan to Yeon Manor was to sow discord between the Golden Wall Merchants and the Zhongli Clan.
Originally, Zhongli Woong was supposed to handle it, but since that had gone awry, they had to find another way.
“Elder Seong-nak, you’ll need to follow Byeok Taesan.”
Zhongli Seong-nak grinned.
“I’ll give him some proper guidance. I’ll speak softly, but… he might scare himself enough to wet his pants.”
Won Mungwang lowered his head slightly.
“Remember, our goal is to keep the Golden Wall Merchants occupied with Zhongli Clan affairs so they can’t focus elsewhere. Strike a balance—apply pressure without damaging our reputation.”
Zhongli Seong-nak nodded emphatically.
“That’s my specialty. Don’t worry, just focus on securing the Heavenly Divine Healer.”
“Leave it to me.”
The two exchanged meaningful glances before hurrying off in their respective directions.
The real game had just begun.
* * *
“This Is the Blood Axe Sect?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Ho. Their scale is more impressive than I thought.”
“They’ve got a tight grip on this area. Around half of Dongho’s surrounding regions are under their control.”
“And they pay tribute to the Zhongli Clan?”
“I haven’t confirmed it, but it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
If the Zhongli Clan were to take action, the Blood Axe Sect could be wiped out in an instant.
Byeok Taesan scanned the sect’s sizable headquarters, a large pavilion.
The rough and feral energy emanating from within was palpable.
“They’re not completely weaklings, are they? Their martial arts are fairly decent.”
“Which is why the Zhongli Clan uses them instead of wiping them out.”
“A traditional approach.”
“But it’s not the righteous path. Pretending to be righteous while exploiting Unorthodox factions for profit? That’s absurd.”
Cheon Kyungwan gritted his teeth as he glared at the Blood Axe Sect.
“I don’t care about that. What I’m curious about is why these filthy rats are groveling under the Zhongli Clan. The tribute must be significant. Maybe that’s why they’re even more ruthless.”
“It’s because they lack power.”
Cheon Kyungwan’s tone hinted at a faint sense of defeat. Something about this situation seemed to stir his memories.
Byeok Taesan spoke calmly.
“It’s not just that they lack power—they are utterly powerless. They’ve realized that no matter how much they struggle, nothing will change. Do you know what happens then?”
Cheon Kyungwan looked at him.
In moments like this, Byeok Taesan didn’t seem like a young master. He carried the air of someone who had lived for decades.
“Their will to fight disappears.”
Cheon Kyungwan closed his mouth tightly. He knew those words were true, even if they didn’t apply to everyone.
‘Because I’ve experienced it.’
Cheon Kyungwan glanced at Byeok Taesan before turning back to the Blood Axe Sect.
“Then what should we do?”
“You just need to give them the strength to pose a threat.”
“Strength to pose a threat…!”
“Not much is required. Just enough for a bite—a bite that hurts the Zhongli Clan. That’s all it takes.”
“And what happens then? The Zhongli Clan can still crush them if they want to.”
“Sure, but they’ll be bitten once.”
“And then they’ll all die?”
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
“No. Things change at that point. Their will to fight will return. Once they’ve grown fangs and regained their resolve, they’ll become truly troublesome opponents.”
He walked toward the Blood Axe Sect’s headquarters.
“You just need to muster up the courage for that first step.”
“Is that even possible?”
Byeok Taesan’s sly smile answered the question.
Seeing that smile, Cheon Kyungwan felt a chill run down his spine.
Before he knew it, Byeok Taesan had walked past him, and he found himself staring blankly at the man’s retreating figure.