Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 178

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 178

Hyanghua House, which dominates the nights of Hangzhou.

Usually, this place should have been bustling like a city that never sleeps with splendid lanterns and the laughter of drunken guests.

But today, the entire pleasure house was eerily quiet as if holding its breath.

As if it had to be that way.

Breaking that silence, Jung Myeong and Song In entered through the back gate.

The gate guards tried to block them but were startled when they confirmed Jung Myeong’s face.

“Y-You’ve come! Poison Demon Physician, what brings you here…?”

“I’ve come to see the Branch Leader.”

There was no need to say any secret passwords.

Jung Myeong’s voice carried an irrefutable dignity.

Making such demands of him would be excessive in itself.

“I’ll escort you right away.”

The gatekeeper guided them to the deepest secret room without complaint.

* * *

‘She doesn’t look well.’

Inside the secret room, the Haomun Branch Leader appeared.

Her complexion was terrible.

Deep wrinkles were carved between the brows of her who had been proudly commanding All Under Heaven.

On the table, reports that appeared torn were scattered messily.

To think she would reveal this without even hiding it.

It was proof that her insides were burning that much.

‘Is the damage greater than I expected? Damn… This isn’t good.’

At this, Jung Myeong felt anger together with her rather than enjoying the weakness she had revealed.

Because he knew that as much as her insides were burning, things were going poorly.

“…Welcome, Physician. Or should I now call you Hangzhou’s number one?”

“Such useless words are fine.”

“Useless? Aren’t there those who dedicate their entire lives to hear such words?”

“I suppose I’m not such a person.”

“You’re still the same.”

“So are you.”

The Branch Leader greeted them with a powerless smile.

Jung Myeong clicked his tongue as he sat down.

“Sigh… I wish that were so. But today is different from before.”

“You’re in terrible shape. The Branch Leader of the great Hao Gate, no less.”

“…You’ve heard the rumors.”

“I’m a physician before being a martial artist. Such matters… I can’t help but know even if I don’t want to hear them.”

The Branch Leader bitterly fidgeted with her tea cup.

“It’s shameful. I boasted of controlling All Under Heaven with information, yet I can’t even protect my own people…”

Anger and helplessness mixed in her voice.

The Color Demon that had recently appeared.

Whether it was him or them, these unknown figures had made the pleasure house courtesans their sacrifices.

For Hao Gate, the courtesans weren’t simply a means of making money.

They were Hao Gate’s eyes and ears.

And at the same time, precious family members who had to be protected.

Such family members were being harmed.

It was natural that her expression wasn’t good.

“Can’t get a grasp on it?”

“The technique is strange. They leave no traces, and when we try to catch them, they disappear like smoke. Already… more than ten children that I know of have been harmed.”

“Ten! Hah…!”

The Branch Leader bit her lip.

“That’s why I came.”

Jung Myeong spoke calmly as he set down his tea cup.

“Pardon?”

“I came to help.”

At this, the Branch Leader showed a surprised expression instead.

* * *

To think Jung Myeong would step forward first to offer help.

She knew better than anyone that his will lay in medical arts. However, she also knew better than anyone that he calculated profits at the foundation.

For such a Jung Myeong to immediately offer help.

‘Why on earth?’

She had dealt with Jung Myeong several times.

But it was hard to immediately understand Jung Myeong’s words about helping now.

“Since you seem not to understand, shall I speak precisely? To be exact, I came to say that I’ll catch those rat bastards, so help me from the side.”

“…You’re saying we should help you?”

Jung Myeong added an explanation to this.

But even so, she found it hard to understand.

“Don’t you like it? Because it’s Hao Gate’s business?”

“No! Not at all!”

Then suddenly, belatedly, she understood.

That Jung Myeong truly wanted to help them.

Without mentioning any price whatsoever.

She immediately realized that it was purely from goodwill, no, from his righteousness that this intention arose.

‘…I simply cannot match him.’

For some reason.

She felt as if she had been thoroughly defeated by Jung Myeong.

A deep sense of defeat enveloped her.

Perhaps it was from comparing herself, who couldn’t properly handle the sect’s affairs, with him, who came to help her despite having medical clinic matters to attend to.

Then she had no choice but to acknowledge it for a moment.

‘His caliber is different.’

The fact that he extended his hand like this without calculating anything was itself an incredibly great kindness.

Therefore, she spoke honestly.

“…I thought you would want something in return for helping us, Physician.”

That she expected him to demand compensation.

Jung Myeong’s response to this was refreshingly straightforward.

“Ha. I don’t consider such things when it comes to patients’ affairs. When killing rotten bastards who keep creating patients, I consider it even less.”

He was genuinely angry about the current situation.

And he truly wanted to help them.

“…Thank you.”

She belatedly stood up and expressed her gratitude to him with proper courtesy.

Jung Myeong accepted it lightly.

He knew that such things weren’t what was important right now.

“But, Physician… are you planning to step forward personally?”

“Yes. I can’t stand seeing them act so brazenly on Hangzhou’s turf. I don’t want more victims to increase, nor do I want this matter to grow bigger. So I brought this first.”

“This is…”

Jung Myeong took out pill bottles he had prepared in advance from his chest and placed them on the table.

“This is Boyuan Dan.”

“!!!!”

“Give this to the courtesans who were harmed. It will help them recover their damaged energy and restore their bodies.”

“Ah…”

The Branch Leader’s eyes reddened as she received the pill bottles.

When immediate martial support was already appreciated, he had even brought medicine for the victims.

This was benevolence beyond mere transaction.

She expressed her gratitude repeatedly.

Here, Jung Myeong added one more thing and gave it to her.

“And this is bait to catch those bastards.”

Jung Myeong took out another bottle.

“This is…”

“I’ve improved the Tracking Incense. Apply just a tiny bit of this to the courtesans’ clothing or accessories.”

“We’ve already tried all sorts of tracking methods.”

“This will be different. Whether it’s those bastards or that bastard, the moment they come into contact with this, my senses will chase them to the very end.”

Though he said senses.

Precisely, this wasn’t something that used his senses.

It was utilizing his abilities as an alchemist.

Since he couldn’t explain or make her understand this far, he simply said senses and moved on.

However, that was sufficient.

“…You’ve created a new tracking incense.”

“Yes. Though I never knew I’d use it like this.”

The Branch Leader immediately understood despite no further explanation.

She seemed to believe that if it was the Jung Myeong she knew, he would have found a way somehow.

“…Thank you. Really, I don’t know how to express my gratitude.”

The Branch Leader stood up from her seat again and bowed deeply to Jung Myeong.

It was sincere gratitude not as the Hao Gate Branch Leader, but as a woman who wanted to protect her family.

“I’ll accept your gratitude after we take those bastards’ heads.”

“Yes. I sincerely hope that day will come.”

“Good. Scatter this tracking incense right away. Additionally, activate all of Hao Gate’s information networks to identify their expected movement routes and pass them to me.”

“Yes!”

The Branch Leader steeled her resolve.

Leaving her like that, Jung Myeong rose from his seat.

Song In stood silently behind him. Their appearance looked as reliable as a general heading to battle with his accompanying guard warrior.

“Branch Leader, you just need to stand behind me.”

“…Thank you.”

The Branch Leader raised her head and looked at Jung Myeong.

Someone she had previously considered an equal trading partner.

But now, Jung Myeong appeared in her eyes as a massive mountain she dared not approach and a strong person she wanted to rely on.

All she could do before such a strong person was make a resolution.

“With all the power of the Hangzhou Hao Gate Branch, I will clear the path.”

There was no longer any hesitation in her voice as she followed Jung Myeong’s words.

Hao Gate, one of Hangzhou’s top information organizations.

It was the moment their Branch Leader was definitively being won over by Jung Myeong.

* * *

The splendid night streets of Hangzhou.

Among them, a guest room in a pleasure house lined with secret chambers.

A strange tension flowed through the room where subtle incense smoke was rising.

“You’re unusually shy today.”

A man with a languid voice tilted his wine cup while looking over the courtesan sitting before him.

On the surface, he had the neat appearance of a refined young master, but his gaze wasn’t looking at a woman – rather, it was greedy and bloody like that of a beast before a well-prepared meal.

He didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it.

“I, I’m not feeling well today…”

The courtesan Chohong hid her trembling hands beneath her clothes.

She knew.

That the man before her eyes might be the monster who had recently turned her colleagues into cripples or driven them to death.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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