Byeok Taesan wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he purified the energy he had extracted from the spirit.
He had overexerted himself today, and his body was in a terrible state.
"Whether it's a dragon or a snake, it's just irritating."
When he killed Wi Ryongjin, he had drawn on a power he had previously stored but never used.
It was energy he had extracted from the spirit of the man he captured at the Fragrant Flower House.
Since he had merely released the energy, it shouldn't have caused significant strain on his body.
And yet, his garbage-like body couldn't even handle that.
If he hadn't been continuously refining his energy through the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, the meridians he had barely reconnected might have torn apart.
The thought alone made him break out in cold sweat.
Half of the energy he had painstakingly gathered was gone.
Still, he didn't feel regret.
It was energy he could collect again whenever he wanted.
In fact, when he extracted that energy from the captive at the Fragrant Flower House, he had planned to use it in this manner.
He just hadn't expected to use it so soon.
At any rate, knowing that it placed strain on his body, he resolved to restrain himself as much as possible in the future.
"Phew. At least it's over."
Byeok Taesan murmured to himself as he glanced at the naked courtesan sleeping beside him.
He couldn't say that her appearance didn't stir any desires within him.
But now wasn't the time to act on such impulses.
If he indulged himself, his body wouldn't survive.
Using the energy he had obtained from her, he managed to reconnect another meridian.
The thought gave him a mix of satisfaction and frustration.
"How long will it take to reconnect all the severed meridians like this?" he wondered.
Closing his eyes, Byeok Taesan focused on strengthening the meridians he had reconnected.
Since they were currently held together by energy, they needed constant attention and care.
Only by maintaining this effort would the meridians eventually fuse completely.
Byeok Taesan continued this meticulous work until the sun rose high into the sky.
* * *
"What are you doing over there?"
As Byeok Taesan left his room, he saw Cheon Kyungwan and gave him a peculiar look.
Cheon Kyungwan flailed awkwardly before straightening up as soon as he noticed Byeok Taesan.
"Young Master, you're awake."
"Don't tell me you've been at it all night?"
Cheon Kyungwan didn't respond.
The only thing he had confirmed through his all-night efforts was his own incompetence.
Byeok Taesan clicked his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk. Just stick to what you're good at."
Cheon Kyungwan lowered his head further at those words.
"But don't let it weigh you down too much. It wasn't pointless."
Cheon Kyungwan's head shot up, surprise evident in his eyes as he looked at Byeok Taesan.
"It may have helped by the tiniest fraction, but it still helped. In some way or another. Now, let's go. I need some rest."
As Byeok Taesan took the lead with confident strides, Cheon Kyungwan stared blankly at his retreating figure before quickly following after him.
For a moment, a faint smile appeared on Cheon Kyungwan's face before vanishing.
* * *
The Golden Wall Merchants was composed of countless sub-organizations, each with its own designated tasks.
Each sub-organization was assigned missions suited to its unique capabilities, and all fulfilled their roles diligently.
Most of these missions revolved around generating wealth.
Among them, the organization the Golden Wall Merchants' leadership valued the most was Record Pavilion, which managed intelligence.
Since the founding of the merchant group, information had been regarded as the most critical asset, and for this reason, the head of Record Pavilion had always been a close family member of the leader.
The current head of Record Pavilion was Byeok Woo-haeng,
the younger brother of the previous leader of the Golden Wall Merchants and the uncle of the current leader, Byeok Taesoo.
From a young age, Byeok Woohaeng had aspired to lead Record Pavilion.
Not only did he have exceptional talent in that field, but he also understood the importance of information better than anyone else.
As long as he controlled the flow of information, no one could touch him—or so he believed.
He had spent years ingraining this belief into his son, Byeok Sang-il, practically brainwashing him.
Byeok Sang-il was a strong candidate for the next head of Record Pavilion.
In fact, it was nearly a foregone conclusion.
To secure this outcome, Byeok Woo-haeng had gone to great lengths to ensure Byeok Sang-il developed a close relationship with Byeok Taesoo, the current leader of the Golden Wall Merchants.
Now, Byeok Woo-haeng and Byeok Sang-il sat facing each other.
In their hands were identical documents containing the same information.
After finishing the document, Byeok Woo-haeng asked his son, "What's your take on this?"
"I don't think the Black Blood Alliance will move because of this incident."
"What's your reasoning?"
"There's no real profit in it for them."
Byeok Woo-haeng nodded, satisfied.
"That said… I still don't understand why a man as good as dead is suddenly making such moves."
"Well, even a cow's back hoof can sometimes crush a rat, right?"
Byeok Woo-haeng chuckled.
"True enough."
They already knew that the Fragrant Flower House was a covert intelligence organization disguised as a brothel.
The only thing they hadn't uncovered was who was pulling the strings behind it.
But thanks to the recent commotion caused by Byeok Taesan, they now had a legitimate reason to pressure the Fragrant Flower House.
Not only had the Fragrant Flower House violated business ethics by attempting to spy on Byeok Taesan's secret activities, but they had also manipulated one of their courtesans to influence the Crimson Dragon Sect Leader.
Though the Fragrant Flower House continued to deny involvement, it was only a matter of time before they would be forced to their knees.
Byeok Woo-haeng and Byeok Sang-il would make sure of it.
Byeok Woo-haeng was confident that before long, he would uncover the true backer of the Fragrant Flower House.
All they needed to do was keep pushing.
Eventually, a crack would appear, and exploiting such opportunities was second nature to them.
"Hopefully, their backing isn't too strong."
"The chances are high that they're not."
If that were the case, Record Pavilion could devour them whole.
Regardless, all of this had started with Byeok Taesan.
Though, of course, Byeok Taesan himself had likely acted without any deeper thought.
"What about the Crimson Dragon Sect? Do you know what they're up to?"
Byeok Sang-il knew his father wasn't asking out of ignorance. Every conversation with his father was a test.
"The organization is in disarray after losing its central leadership. Yet even amidst the chaos, they're still engaged in power struggles."
Byeok Woo-haeng gave a faint smile and nodded.
"You've assessed the situation well."
But Byeok Sang-il knew better than to take that as praise. It was really a question: Is that all you've got?
"Both the Black Serpent Sect and the Great Bear Hall are eyeing them for an opportunity. It seems likely that the Crimson Dragon Sect will split in two."
At this, Byeok Woo-haeng's smile deepened.
"Such is the nature of the underworld. Devour or be devoured."
"The problem is that this incident has made others more wary of us."
"Good. You've noticed that much."
"Our allied factions might also start keeping us in check."
"They won't just start—they already are."
Byeok Sang-il lowered his head.
"I'll make preparations in advance."
Byeok Woo-haeng nodded, satisfied.
He wondered if it might soon be time to step aside and simply observe from the sidelines.
"By the way… I hear that man is being called the Night King recently. Have you heard of it?"
Byeok Sang-il felt as though his father's tone carried a hint of envy. But, of course, he kept this thought to himself, maintaining his expression perfectly.
"He's courting death. He's already on the brink, yet he recklessly expends his energy like that. Frankly, it's making me a bit uneasy."
Byeok Woo-haeng frowned and shook his head disapprovingly. Byeok Sang-il quickly added a follow-up.
"But honestly, I think it's a relief."
At those words, a trace of anger appeared on Byeok Woo-haeng's face.
Anticipating this, Byeok Sang-il hurried to explain.
"It's not a thought I would entertain in any other position, so there's no need to worry."
Byeok Woo-haeng's expression shifted several times before eventually settling.
"Make sure you remember this: the world is full of listening ears."
"Of course. As one of those ears myself, how could I not be cautious?"
"And yet you dare to say such things?"
Byeok Sang-il smirked.
"Only in front of you, Father."
Byeok Woo-haeng shook his head firmly.
"Don't trust even me. Never trust your own son either. That's the only way to survive."
Byeok Sang-il didn't respond to this. He simply kept silent.
Though Byeok Sang-il kept his answer concise, it wasn't wrong.
The age gap between the Golden Wall Merchants' leader, Byeok Taesoo, and his younger brother, Byeok Taesan, was too wide.
In fact, Byeok Taesoo's son and Byeok Taesan were only two years apart in age.
If Byeok Taesan had a healthy body and exceptional talent, it might have sown seeds of discord.
Taesoo's wife and son would not have remained as calm as they were now.
For the Golden Wall Merchants, this was a fortunate situation.
For Byeok Taesan, however, it was unfortunate.
"Speaking of which…"
Byeok Woo-haeng began, his expression turning subtle.
"Have you heard of any special medicine or food that man might be taking?"
"I haven't," Byeok Sang-il answered immediately.
He had gone to great lengths to investigate this himself.
After conducting a thorough investigation, the conclusion was simple: Byeok Taesan's condition was purely natural.
Of course, Byeok Woo-haeng had asked just in case.
He, too, had conducted a similar investigation and reached the same conclusion.
"How enviable…"
Byeok Woo-haeng muttered.
"His vitality gained at the cost of his health," Byeok Sang-il replied, though in truth, he also envied it.
That envy was precisely why he had worked so hard to investigate it.
"Keep a close watch on the Golden Heavenly Alliance," Byeok Woo-haeng instructed.
"I'm already monitoring them."
"Be thorough. They're dangerous people."
The Golden Heavenly Alliance was a coalition formed by several merchant groups.
On the surface, they claimed to gather for camaraderie and mutual prosperity, but in reality, they were a united front formed to counter the Golden Wall Merchants.
"They're the kind of people who could stir up the Black Blood Alliance or the Crimson Dragon Sect."
"I'm aware. But no matter how much they prod, it won't be easy to move the Black Blood Alliance."
If the Black Blood Alliance were to act, the orthodox factions in Wuhan wouldn't sit idly by.
"And as for the remnants of the Crimson Dragon Sect… They wouldn't even be able to get past Cheon Kyungwan."
"I've told you time and time again to watch out for variables."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Byeok Woo-haeng nodded, satisfied with his son's confident yet cautious demeanor.
'He's excellent in every way… and yet, I can't shake this sense of unease.'
* * *
It had been some time since Byeok Taesan had earned the nickname "Night King."
The title was a mix of mockery, envy, and jealousy. Yet, Byeok Taesan himself didn't care what people called him.
If anything, those around him cared far more than he did.
Every night, Byeok Taesan roamed outside as if he had made it his mission to conquer every brothel in Wuhan.
Naturally, this caused great concern for those around him.
Byeok Taesan never spent the night with the same courtesan twice.
This was, of course, because there was no more energy to extract after the first time, but others didn't see it that way.
The courtesans who had spent a night with Byeok Taesan found themselves unable to forget him, sighing deeply into the night.
The real issue was that some of these women, like Dan Yeong, went as far as to seek him out and beg to serve him permanently.
It wasn't a large number, but to have such a reaction required that the energy absorbed into their spirits was significant.
Even so, there were already three courtesans, including Dan Yeong, who had come to the Golden Wall Merchants' grounds seeking to serve Byeok Taesan.
And those three served him with utmost devotion.
Under normal circumstances, these women would have faced significant hardships.
They were far too beautiful to work as ordinary servants, and naturally, there would be those who coveted them.
Additionally, coming from a brothel made them easy targets for mistreatment.
But before any of that could happen, Soso intervened.
Soso took the three women, including herself, out of Management Hall, the division responsible for managing all servants and laborers within the Golden Wall Merchants.
She relocated them, using Byeok Taesan as her excuse.
It hadn't been easy.
But by leveraging Byeok Taesan's name and receiving help from Cheon Kyungwan, she barely managed to pull it off.
This caused quite a stir within the Golden Wall Merchants.
From an outsider's perspective, it seemed as though Byeok Taesan had taken courtesans as concubines.
Of course, Byeok Taesan had no such intention.
If it were only about serving him, there was no need for as many as four women.
It was natural for people to question his motives.
But in reality, there was an overwhelming amount of work for the four women to handle.
Most of the unnoticed support that had previously been provided by Management Hall had now ceased.
Soso had to manage everything herself, piece by piece.
Managing the residence where Byeok Taesan stayed was no small task for just four women.
Soso was incredibly busy again today, running around trying to maintain the residence.
As a result, shadows formed under her eyes, and her face looked pale.
After completing a round of chores, she sat down to take a short break when someone approached her.
"Oh? Lady Yoo!"
Soso greeted warmly as she recognized the visitor.
The person was Yoo Seoyeon, the bodyguard of Yeon Harin.
Because Yoo Seoyeon was a familiar face, it seemed the gatekeepers hadn't stopped her or bothered to inform Soso of her arrival.
"What brings you here? Did Lady Yeon send you?"
Soso asked, just in case, even though it had never happened before.
Yoo Seoyeon nodded.
"A bit of both. I also have something to discuss with Young Master Byeok."
"Our Young Master?"
Soso's eyes widened.
"He's not here yet… but he should be back soon. Please, come this way."
Soso led Yoo Seoyeon to the reception room.
As she followed, Yoo Seoyeon frowned slightly.
"So, he's not back yet… Did he spend the night at a brothel again?" she asked, her tone sharp.
Soso gave a wry smile.
"Yes."
Then, as if to offer an excuse, she added, "But strangely enough, our Young Master's health has been improving since he started visiting brothels. He doesn't collapse suddenly like he used to."
Even so, her words did nothing to improve Yoo Seoyeon's expression.
After guiding Yoo Seoyeon to the reception room, Soso returned to her work outside.
Meanwhile, Yoo Seoyeon closed her eyes in the reception room and began a meditative exercise to hone her senses while she waited for Byeok Taesan.
Whenever she had spare time, she trained in some form or another.
Naturally, her martial prowess was considerable, and she took great pride in it.
As she was deep in meditation, Yoo Seoyeon's eyes suddenly snapped open.
"This energy… Who is it? Could it be Cheon Kyungwan?"
She stared blankly at the door in disbelief.
The reception room door opened moments later, and Byeok Taesan entered.
Following close behind him was Cheon Kyungwan.
Yoo Seoyeon's eyes trembled slightly.
It was hard to believe that the person before her was the same man she had seen not long ago—he had grown much stronger.