Chapter 225: Jaseung, Hopes

A man was walking through a marketplace crowded with people.

He was a dashing young nobleman, dressed in flamboyant attire and even holding an elegant fan in his hand. A very expensive mask, engraved with ornate patterns that matched his clothing, covered half of his face.

The man naturally caught the attention of everyone passing by.

However, if one looked at him closely, they would see that he was breaking into a cold sweat and moving his steps with great difficulty.

The man was none other than Yeo Su-in. The place he entered was a village about thirty li away from the Heaven and Earth Net. It was one of the larger villages around the Murim Alliance.

He didn’t come here because he was being chased, but rather he came here intentionally. He was trying to hide right under the enemy’s nose instead of fleeing far away.

Instead of buying herbs to make an antidote, he stopped at a clothier first and deliberately bought the most expensive and eye-catching clothes to wear.

The pursuers would never imagine that he would be strolling through the streets wearing such conspicuous clothing.

To take it a step further, Yeo Su-in entered the Baekseon Pavilion, the most expensive courtesan house in this village.

The Baekseon Pavilion was a top tier establishment where a bill for over a hundred silver coins would appear even after just a light drink.

Yeo Su-in rented the most expensive private room there and called for costly liquor, side dishes, and several of the house’s representative courtesans. He began to spend money lavishly.

The owner and the courtesans of the Baekseon Pavilion grinned from ear to ear at the visit of a nobleman with such rare spending habits.

Yeo Su-in did not take off his mask.

However, no one thought that Yeo Su-in wore a mask to hide tattoos on his face. They simply assumed a child of a noble family was wearing it to conceal his identity.

There were often such people. Since high end courtesan houses strictly protected the secrets of their guests, no courtesan even asked him to remove the mask.

After drinking a few cups and blending into the atmosphere, Yeo Su-in lay down with his head on a courtesan’s lap and spoke.

“Drink and rest to your heart’s content. This young master needs to catch some shut-eye for a bit.”

The courtesans burst into giggles.

However, the expression of Yeo Su-in, who had closed his eyes, was extremely stiff.

He began to pour all his mental energy into detoxifying the poison in his body. If he had a few herbs, he could detoxify much faster, but attempting to obtain herbs in this situation was beyond foolish and could be called a suicidal act.

The pursuers would search there first. He had to detoxify by his own power.

Fortunately, detoxification was possible if he had enough time. No matter how powerful the poison of the Five Toxic Beings was, the martial art he’d mastered was the Northern Sea Demonic Art of the Cult Leader.

Now there was only one thing to trust, the distress signal he’d fired when he first saw the Great Demon.

If the signal was properly delivered, the White Dragon, the Phoenix, and other subordinates would be rushing toward this place.

‘I can live if I just hold out until they arrive.’

* * *

“It’s significant that Mountain asked about the Heavenly Demon Soul. In this deal, he could’ve obtained much more precious things. However, he chose to ask about the Heavenly Demon Soul. In other words, it means that is more important than money or power.”

Lee Jaseung nodded at Dan Woobin’s words.

Lee Jaseung had been on high alert ever since that day. Even when he first met Ho Yeonshin, his wariness toward the Heavenly Demon Soul wasn’t that great.

But the moment the word Heavenly Demon Soul came out of Mountain’s mouth, his nerves were on edge for some reason. It was even more so because the word popped out from an unexpected place. Moreover, the Heavenly Demon Soul was currently lost.

“There’s definitely something. Look into it secretly.”

“Yes, understood.”

Dan Woobin left the office.

Soon after, the door opened slightly, and Baek Seolyoung peeked her head in.

“Are you busy?”

“If I am?”

“Then I’ll just go.”

No matter how busy he was, he would never send her away.

“Come in.”

Baek Seolyoung walked in with a shy smile.

“I just wanted to interrupt your work.”

Because she felt even cuter today, a smile naturally formed on Lee Jaseung’s lips.

After their time in bed a while ago, she’d become even more lovely. Of course, he didn’t like her more just because of that physical relationship.

It was because he liked her more that the relationship that day was better, and that feeling still remained like a pleasant dream.

She felt the same way. The reason she was acting cute unlike her usual self was also because she felt good.

She liked him more. He was someone she wondered how she could possibly like any more, but she clearly liked him more now.

If people were connected by strings, it felt as if another new string had been formed between her and him. While she was connected to others by one, she felt connected to him by many.

Isn’t one strong string better you say?

No! Many strong strings would be better.

Anyway, the feeling of liking someone more, how many times can this feeling be repeated for someone?

Liking them more, and then even more.

No, that’s greed. It’s fine if it doesn’t develop further from this heart. This is enough.

Rather, it might be something to worry about.

Can even this current emotion last forever?

Will boredom find its way into the relationship with him? It was something truly unimaginable for now.

“How is your training going?”

At Lee Jaseung’s question, her expression, which was about to turn complex, brightened radiantly.

“The more I do it, the more fun it is.”

Her martial arts skill must’ve increased as much as her feelings of liking him.

These days, she truly wanted to live while doing only two things.

Love and martial arts training.

“You must train hard.”

The big fight ahead was a battle where he had to stake everything.

He might not be able to protect her. If that time came, she had to protect herself.

How could she not know Lee Jaseung’s heart, which worried for her?

Because she knew it better than anyone, she could make a joke like this.

“Why? So you can work me hard later?”

“Naturally. I can’t just let a master like you play around.”

Baek Seolyoung clenched her fist and said playfully.

“If you’re going to work me anyway, Alliance Leader! Please let me lead the vanguard.”

“Shall we really do that?”

When Lee Jaseung reacted seriously, she was startled.

“Why do you take a joke so seriously?”

“Because that’s the only way a joke works.”

“What? Ah!”

Realizing it was a joke put forward with seriousness, she let out a light sigh and spoke.

“At times like this, I feel like I’m too inflexible.”

She said it like a joke, but it contained half-truth.

She was much younger than Lee Jaseung, but there were times when her way of thinking felt very rigid.

Then Lee Jaseung said with a smile.

“An inflexible personality is good for leading the vanguard. That’s how a charge forward is possible!”

“Of course you’d say that!”

She ended up laughing at Lee Jaseung’s joke.

Then Dan Woobin, who’d gone out earlier, returned.

He spoke with a serious expression.

“The Four Great Sons have arrived at the village where Yeo Su-in is hiding.”

* * *

In the center of the village, the Four Great Sons stopped their steps and gathered.

Despite a large-scale search being conducted, they still hadn’t found Yeo Su-in’s whereabouts. They were in a state where they hadn’t even found which direction he’d fled.

The Great Demons and the Berserk Heaven Warriors were scouring the mountains and fields, expanding the search area.

Since a large number of people could not enter the villages in the Murim Alliance territory, they searched from the outside.

Instead, the masters of the Elder’s Council and the Four Great Sons divided into groups to scour the nearby villages. They were filling the lack of numbers with their martial arts skills.

The Four Great Sons worried that they might lose Yeo Su-in forever like this. If so, their leader, the Great Demon, would be in a very difficult situation.

“We must capture the bastard by any means.”

At Plum’s words, Orchid spoke.

“Would someone who’s fleeing have come to a place with so many eyes?”

Orchid thought that searching such a large village was a waste of time.

Then Bamboo stepped forward.

“He might’ve aimed for that very point instead.”

Then Chrysanthemum picked up those words.

“If he did, it would’ve been a very stupid choice. Because we’ll find him.”

Bamboo believed there was a possibility that Yeo Su-in was hiding in such a large village. He felt that even he would’ve hidden somewhere like this.

“Even if there was a helper, he wouldn’t have gone far while poisoned by the Five Toxic Beings. It’s well worth searching this place.”

Everyone pinned their hopes on Bamboo’s words. All of them knew well how terrifying the poison of the Five Toxic Beings was.

Plum spoke to everyone.

“First, search the places that sell herbs as a priority. Scour all physicians as well as nearby herbalists. Also, don’t miss those who can perform medical arts even if they aren’t physicians.”

“Understood.”

“One more thing, there’s a tattoo on his face. He wouldn’t have been able to obtain a human skin mask in this short time, so he must’ve covered his face. Keep that point in mind while searching. Let’s meet back here in one hour.”

They scattered in all directions.

Once they disappeared, two people revealed themselves on the roof of a building a short distance away. They were Lee Jaseung and Mook Young.

They’d been listening to the entire conversation of the Four Great Sons.

Lee Jaseung looked toward the place where large buildings were lined up in the distance. It was an alley where courtesan houses were connected, and the Baekseon Pavilion was also there. The place that had been a city of no sleep all night was now sleeping as if dead under the bright sunlight.

“What about Yeo Su-in?”

“He’s been throwing money around in a private room for several days. Rumors have spread to nearby courtesan houses that a jackpot has rolled in for the first time in years.”

At Mook Young’s report, the corners of Lee Jaseung’s mouth twisted slightly.

“He’s certainly smart.”

An exceptional bastard was an exceptional bastard. Thinking about what choice he would’ve made if it were him, he couldn’t guarantee he’d have made a better choice than Yeo Su-in. Of course, it wasn’t his style. He would’ve chosen a different method.

Lee Jaseung spoke with a firm gaze.

“They must not find Yeo Su-in.”

“Looking at the current situation, it doesn’t seem easy for them to find him.”

That would be the case. Even if they investigated, they would never think that the young master spending money lavishly at a courtesan house would be Yeo Su-in.

However, they weren’t in a position to flip the village upside down by rummaging through it randomly either.

“But we must not lose him in vain either.”

He must not be caught, and he must not be lost.

Mook Young interpreted those words like this.

“The damage on the Great Demon’s side must accumulate while Yeo Su-in isn’t caught.”

“Only one condition needs to be kept in that process.”

“What is it?”

“That Yeo Su-in and the Great Demon must not die until the very end.”

The best conclusion was for the Great Demon to survive and lose all his subordinates.

If that happened, the Great Demon’s resentment would reach the heavens, and he would try to kill Yeo Su-in by any means.

In that way, the Great Demon would become Yao Hong’s vanguard and trade blows with Yeo Su-in like crazy.

“The moment their fight ends, we’ll push straight in.”

Toward the winner of that fight.

The heart of Mook Young, who was listening, raced. That day he’d vaguely thought of was approaching as a reality.

In contrast, Lee Jaseung was calm. Since variables always arise. The plan would change several times, and there might be times when they’d have to step back.

But ultimately, what he had to do was always the same.

Moving forward.

Making efforts without giving up.

“For now, monitor both sides well. Especially, don’t miss anyone coming to help Yeo Su-in.”

“Do not worry. I’ve sought cooperation not only from the Three Eyed Pavilion but also from the Golden Ants.”

With those two organizations, he could feel at ease.

“Do you intend to leak Yeo Su-in’s location to them once they arrive?”

“It’ll depend on who comes.”

Lee Jaseung’s gaze headed toward the entrance of the village and then slowly swept over the panoramic view.

“It’s a beautiful village.”

“Yes.”

“If a war breaks out, all of this beauty could be destroyed.”

It was what Ho Yeonseo had said when he took Mountain to Ho Yeonshin a while ago. He didn’t give any reply at the time, but he was listening to her words.

Mook Young, who hesitated to answer for a moment, considered Lee Jaseung’s intention and asked suggestively.

“Are you worried?”

Lee Jaseung nodded.

“My Lord, you’re a person with stronger mental power than anyone I’ve ever seen. If it’s something you must endure for the sake of a new history, you’ll be able to bear it.”

“Not me.”

“Pardon?”

Finally, Lee Jaseung turned to Mook Young.

“I’m not such a pure and good person. I’m a much more harsh and poisonous bastard than you think. I just haven’t had the chance to show it.”

“Then who are you talking about?”

“Her.”

Only then did Mook Young realize he meant Baek Seolyoung.

Mook Young wondered why he hadn’t thought of her first.

But he soon found the answer.

“My Lady will endure much better than you, my Lord.”

“Why is that?”

“Because she truly loves you.”

“……!”

He didn’t expect Mook Young to say such a thing.

But Mook Young was very serious.

“Because sometimes love takes precedence over any other value.”

Lee Jaseung wondered if that was really the case.

He was truly smart, but he couldn’t even guess how this matter would turn out.

A wish suddenly occurred to him.

That those words of Mook Young would be something seen better through the eyes of a bystander.

So that something that takes precedence over any value in this world truly exists.

I hope she doesn’t get hurt.

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