Chapter 63: To Retrieve The Tears (2)

Chapter 63: To Retrieve The Tears (2)

Baek Jin-tae’s residence was located in the outer district.

Although he, the Red Dragon Corps Commander, rarely stayed at his own home, he still occupied an entire large building.

His relationship with his wife wasn’t good, so she returned to her family home, and his only son, Baek Young-il, was not in the Baek Clan but in the Murim Alliance.

Moreover, Baek Jin-tae did not keep any personal maids or servants. Thus, the large mansion was always desolate.

The house was chilly due to minimal heating. Baek Jin-tae always stayed there alone. After his return to the clan, only he and the members of the Red Dragon Corps frequented his house.

Among the Red Dragon Corps, the members of the First Corps were considered his confidants and escorted Baek Jin-tae. They resided in the annex.

Soryu was waiting for Baek Jin-tae in front of the gate.

A cold face and a long scar stretching across her cheek. An inscrutable expression.

Although she was not a member of the First Corps, she received Baek Jin-tae’s favor. Almost every time Baek Jin-tae went out, Soryu accompanied him.

“Haha, Soryu, you’re here.”

Baek Jin-tae came out with the members of the First Corps.

As Soryu naturally tried to join them, one of the First Corps members stopped her.

“You’re not accompanying us.”

“...”

Under the icy gaze of the First Corps member, Soryu glanced briefly at Baek Jin-tae.

“Take a break.”

Baek Jin-tae said with a faint smile.

“I will.”

Soryu respectfully retreated.

Leaving Soryu behind, Baek Jin-tae set off with the five members of the First Corp.

Soryu gazed at them as they departed.

There were often times like this when only his confidants accompanied him, excluding Soryu.

Even the much-favored Soryu did not know where he was heading.



The place Baek Jin-tae headed to was outside the clan.

Xi’an, especially beyond the city walls, to the outskirts.

Although no one in Xi’an would dare to stop the commander of the Red Dragon Corps, he changed his clothes to conceal his identity.

Only the closest of his confidants followed, and at some point, Baek Jin-tae moved alone. The members of the First Corp dispersed as if they weren’t part of his entourage.

Baek Jin-tae halted in front of a restaurant.

It was a very small, worn-out place that had even escaped the influence of the Low Down Sect.

Once he confirmed there were no watching eyes, Baek Jin-tae opened the door to the restaurant and entered.

With a laughing voice, “Come in, guest.”

There was no response, nor was there a host to greet him.

The dirty restaurant was devoid of any other visitors. However, the aroma of food wafted through.

Baek Jin-tae looked towards the kitchen. There, an elderly woman with a deeply bent back held an iron pot. She seemed to be cooking.

“Owner?”

The old woman didn’t even glance at Baek Jin-tae.

“Why don’t you answer? Heh heh.”This chapter made its debut appearance via N0v3lB1n.

She simply continued cooking without a word.

It was at that moment Baek Jin-tae reached for the sword at his side.

“That old woman is deaf. Pay her no mind.”

Though there had been no sign of other visitors, someone appeared.

Drawing his sword, Baek Jin-tae pointed it at the newcomer.

Chaeang—

The one who emerged had his face concealed behind a mask. As Baek Jin-tae’s sword was aimed at his throat, the man raised both his hands, trembling slightly.

“Put away your sword...”

“Heh heh heh!”

Baek Jin-tae suddenly burst into loud laughter and swung his sword. The masked man looked horrified.

“Damn! Insane!”

The mask, which covered the man’s face, split open, narrowly grazing past the bridge of his nose.

“You arrogant brat. Ha!”

Baek Jin-tae kicked the man in the abdomen as he tried to retreat. The man tumbled onto the ground.

As he quickly tried to get up, Baek Jin-tae kicked him in the shin.

Ppeok!

The masked man spun in the air, landing headfirst. Then Baek Jin-tae swung his sword downward towards the man’s face.

Ka-gak—

Instead of piercing the man’s face, the sword embedded itself in the wooden floor next to him.

Baek Jin-tae squatted down in front of the man and chuckled.

“Do you take me for a fool? Ha. Did you think after such a pathetic act, we’d meet again and you’d say ‘long time no see’ and laugh?”

“...”

“Yes, it might be amusing, but kid, don’t assume just because I’ve heard you guys out, that I consider you allies.”

A sense of madness emanated from Baek Jin-tae as he held the sword hilt and laughed.

“Had you guys not broken the promise and suddenly attacked Yi-gang, things wouldn’t have turned out this way. Why so silent? Wet yourself, did you? Wearing masks and all.”

Baek Jin-tae, still laughing, yanked off the man’s mask. As the face was revealed, Baek Jin-tae’s smile widened even more.

The man’s face was distorted from burn scars. Furthermore, part of the bridge of his nose was sliced off.

“It’s merely because my appearance is quite striking that I covered it.”

“Hahaha. Indeed it is.”

When the man requested his mask back, Baek Jin-tae politely returned it.

“Please address me as the Sam-ho. I’d like to apologize once more for that incident.”

His eyes, visible through the holes in the mask, turned blood-red.

Soon, Baek Jin-tae was able to retrieve what he had so desperately yearned for.

Drip, drip—

From beneath the mask, what unmistakably flowed was tears.

“Hehe, hic.”

What he yearned for were emotions he rightfully should have felt.

The tears and anger that the metal fragment in his head had stolen from him.

He reclaimed the tears he couldn’t shed even at the grave of his tragically deceased younger sister.

Baek Ryu-san recklessly proceeded with the operation at the risk of his younger sister’s safety and ultimately caused her death. Baek Jin-tae reclaimed the anger he should’ve rightfully directed towards his brother.

“Hehehe.”

Baek Jin-tae cried, feeling an unparalleled sense of exhilaration.

Every time he wore the mask, tears flowed. At this very moment, the usual foreign sensation he felt in his head vanished.

Moreover, the drug applied to the mask had even more astonishing effects.

Swish—

The blood streaming from his face reversed its flow.

The wounds healed cleanly. The cut on his hand also healed perfectly.

“Incredible.”

Was it called a holy medicine made from a Treasure? It truly had an otherworldly effect.

If he were to sprinkle this drug on the dying Baek Ha-jun, he would probably come back to life immediately.

The effects of the holy medicine were not over. Soon, an unbearable itchiness engulfed his mind. The metal fragment pressing against a part of Baek Jin-tae’s brain was experiencing the healing process.

Baek Jin-tae tightly gripped the armrest of his recliner.

Crack-!

The solid rosewood broke as if it were rotten wood.

At this moment, killing intent surged within him.

Baek Jin-tae reveled in the pure rage and killing intent he could now fully express.

No matter how he saw it, it wasn’t a bad deal.

If he could regain his complete sanity and dethrone his brother from the seat of Clan Head, Baek Jin-tae was willing to pay any price.

It’s just that what Heuk-am wanted in return seemed too fantastical.

“Shooting Star Fang... a mere meteorite sword.”

It was clear their group was not minor. Heuk-am was at least as powerful as a sect leader of the Nine Sects One Gang.

However, the reason such beings desired the meteorite sword, a mere 200-year-old sword, was beyond him.

When he found out, Baek Jin-tae couldn’t help but scoff.

“The spirit of the Immortal Divine Sword is bound to the meteorite sword. They plan to summon the Immortal Divine Sword through it.”

To Baek Jin-tae, with a piece of metal lodged in his brain, it sounded like-

“Insane bastards.”

-Absolutely mad.



Outside Baek Jin-tae’s residence, which was tightly guarded by the warriors of the First Corps—

Yi-gang arrived.

“Even if you claim to be the young master, you cannot enter now.”

A warrior of the First Corps coldly barred his way. This time, even for Yi-gang, breaking in like he did at the Council of Elders would be impossible.

However, Yi-gang did not choose to force his way in.

“I’ll wait here, right under this wall.”

“But sir...”

“I said I’ll wait. Are you going to drive me away?”

The warriors of the First Corps couldn’t stop Yi-gang from making that choice. They simply kept him in their sight from a distance.

Yi-gang sat down, leaning against the wall.

Next to him stood Soryu.

She used voice transmission, conscious of the First Corps warriors’ watchful eyes.

-As I informed you. The commander returned just a short while ago.

“I can’t use voice transmission. Just speak softly.”

Soryu glanced at the nonchalant Yi-gang.

She too had her doubts about Baek Jin-tae. Yi-gang became aware of this and had told Soryu to alert him if Baek Jin-tae acted suspiciously.

-But why do you keep sitting like that?

“I have my reasons.”

However, even after arriving, Yi-gang showed no intention of entering, simply sitting in front of the wall.

Spending time like this would only arouse suspicion from Baek Jin-tae. Soryu felt increasingly anxious deep down.

Suddenly, Yi-gang raised his head.

“What’s that?”

Casually, he mumbled.

To Soryu, it seemed like Yi-gang was staring into thin air, not uttering a word.

However, in reality, right in front of Yi-gang stood the Immortal Divine Sword.

‘Really?’

「Yes, why would I lie?」

The Immortal Divine Sword could only move about 30 steps away from its sword. The distance from this wall to Baek Jin-tae’s bedroom was more than sufficient.

With a somewhat incredulous tone, the Immortal Divine Sword recounted what it saw and heard from inside.

「Someone... someone seems to want to summon me.」

‘Huh?’

Yi-gang scrunched up his face, and the Immortal Divine Sword awkwardly scratched its head.