NOVEL WEB Chapter 23 - Only Half
Chapter 23: Only Half
────────────────────────────────────
Zhongli Woong was emanating a faint aura of hostility.
He was convinced—Byeok Taesan was scared of him.
Still maintaining his calm demeanor, Byeok Taesan asked,
“Are we really going alone? No one is following us?”
Zhongli Woong smirked.
“Why? Are you scared to go alone? If you’re that scared, we can all go together.”
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
“No, I don’t think that’ll be necessary. Having too many people around is just troublesome.”
Saying that, Byeok Taesan gave a faint smile as he looked at Zhongli Woong.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, who were familiar with Byeok Taesan, knew the terrifying meaning behind that smile.
They swallowed nervously, their tension palpable.
However, to Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop, it seemed like Byeok Taesan was forcing a smile to muster some courage.
Just as the two were about to intervene to mediate the situation, Cheon Kyungwan quietly whispered into Byeok Taesan’s ear,
“Young Master, you mustn’t kill him.”
Although he spoke in a hushed tone, it was loud enough for Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop, who were standing nearby, to hear him clearly.
The two stared blankly at Cheon Kyungwan, astonished and dumbfounded.
They then glanced toward the Zhongli Clan’s warriors, thinking, Could they have overheard that, too?
It seemed only Zhongli Woong had heard it.
He was glaring at Cheon Kyungwan with a bewildered expression.
“Hey, do I look like some kind of idiot to you?”
“No, sir,” Cheon Kyungwan replied, stepping back slightly, his expression relieved.
Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop couldn’t hide their confusion.
‘Does that little Young Master really have something up his sleeve? He sounded way too serious for it to be a joke.’
The situation felt strange—the Heavenly Divine Healer aligning himself with this boy, the current tense atmosphere—everything seemed off.
While Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop were lost in thought, unsure how to respond, Byeok Taesan gestured toward Zhongli Woong with his chin.
“Shall we get moving?”
“Hah! This rude bastard really needs some education from this older brother. Follow me. There’s a quiet spot nearby,” Zhongli Woong scoffed and strode forward as if the Yeon Manor were his own home.
Byeok Taesan was about to follow but turned back to look at Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
“If someone starts trouble, don’t hesitate—make sure you crush them completely.”
With those words, the tension in the air shot up.
The reaction of the Zhongli Clan warriors was particularly intense.
They must have felt insulted, as they began radiating hostile auras like raging flames.
Cheon Kyungwan looked at Byeok Taesan with a mixture of shock and exasperation.
Why go out of your way to provoke them and create this mess?
Yoo Seoyeon was just as taken aback.
“Young Master, you’re not seriously trying to instigate a fight, are you?”
Byeok Taesan gave a sly smile.
“Just don’t kill them. I’ll hold back too.”
Leaving those words behind, Byeok Taesan walked off, his figure disappearing into the distance.
Everyone in the room stared after him.
The Zhongli Clan warriors glared at his back as if they wanted to kill him, while Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon shook their heads with bitter smiles.
Meanwhile, Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop looked completely baffled.
The Heavenly Divine Healer, sitting nearby, casually settled himself on a large rock.
“No matter what happens, I trust none of you will trouble me.”
Everyone turned to look at the Heavenly Divine Healer, then slowly nodded.
It wasn’t wise to antagonize one of the most renowned physicians in the world—not when they had no idea how future relationships might develop.
Gyeong Chuhwang approached Cheon Kyungwan and spoke in a serious tone,
“I can’t figure out what on earth Young Master Byeok is thinking. This feels… like he’s intentionally provoking a fight.”
Gal Jinhyeop, who had joined them, added with equal gravity,
“From what I see, the Zhongli Clan sent some of their elites. Even if we split them up, it’ll be tough for us to handle more than two each.”
There were eleven Zhongli Clan warriors in total.
If Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop each took on two, that left Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon to face the remaining seven.
Both Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop felt this was far from realistic.
Cheon Kyungwan carefully responded,
“You seem to be jumping to conclusions about a fight. If we just stay quiet, I doubt they’ll start anything unnecessarily…”
However, he quickly shook his head.
The Zhongli Clan warriors’ auras had become even more openly aggressive.
“Hah,” Yoo Seoyeon let out a soft sigh.
Cheon Kyungwan glanced at her with a troubled expression.
Meanwhile, Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop noticed something peculiar in their demeanor.
‘No matter how you look at it, they don’t seem scared.’
Zhongli Woong stopped at a wide, open space.
It wasn’t a training ground—just an empty area.
“I thought about heading further outside, but there’s no need. This spot should do nicely. What do you think? Pretty decent, isn’t it?”
Zhongli Woong said with a smirk.
Byeok Taesan briefly scanned the surroundings and nodded.
“Not bad.”
It really wasn’t a bad spot.
The area was surrounded by a circle of trees.
Judging by the layout, it seemed like a pavilion or other structure was meant to be built here.
A stream flowed gently through the area.
It was the kind of place one might use to clear their mind or immerse themselves in thought.
Of course, it would only truly serve that purpose after they built some proper structures or a small gazebo.
At any rate, the trees encircled the area perfectly, preventing any prying eyes from seeing what was happening inside.
It was an ideal location for privacy.
It was clear why Zhongli Woong had chosen this spot.
“You haven’t been at the Yeon Manor for long, but you’ve already managed to find a place like this,” Byeok Taesan remarked.
Zhongli Woong grinned.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since I first arrived here. Naturally, I put in some effort to find the right spot.”
“Your effort is commendable,” Byeok Taesan nodded, once again surveying the area.
There was no sign of anyone nearby.
It was just the two of them—Zhongli Woong and Byeok Taesan.
Even the Yeon Manor guards who should’ve been patrolling the vicinity were nowhere to be seen.
It was clear that this area had been deliberately cleared of people in advance.
Zhongli Woong seemed elated, unable to contain his grin.
“What’s got you so giddy that you’re grinning like a fool?”
Byeok Taesan asked, his tone calm.
Zhongli Woong’s expression instantly stiffened.
But then he let out a dry laugh and shook his head.
“Hah, you’re really clueless, aren’t you? Do you even understand the situation you’re in?”
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand the situation.”
Zhongli Woong let out a faint smile. He could tolerate this much without complaint.
When he thought about what was going to happen next, he was willing to endure far worse than this.
“From now on, I’m going to hurt you a bit. But don’t worry, I’ll be really careful. So, you just stay still, alright? It’s just going to hurt a little, no need to go and die over it—wouldn’t that be a waste? Don’t you think?”
Byeok Taesan also smiled faintly.
“Confident, are you?”
At that question, the corner of Zhongli Woong’s mouth curled up slightly.
“I’m pretty skilled at inflicting pain without leaving a trace. You might even be impressed. There was this one guy before—he was a total wreck, like he was on death’s doorstep. But somehow, he held on without dying. Tears and snot streaming down his face, clutching onto my collar, begging for mercy. Ha, you should’ve seen it.”
Zhongli Woong smirked as he glanced at Byeok Taesan.
“I’ll make it so you piss yourself just from seeing my face from now on.”
With those words, he began approaching Byeok Taesan slowly.
“Imagine pissing yourself in front of Yeon Harin. That would be hilarious, wouldn’t it?”
Byeok Taesan nodded.
“True, that does sound a bit funny.”
Zhongli Woong’s expression hardened slightly at that. Byeok Taesan was too calm, and it annoyed him.
“What are you so confident about? Don’t you realize you’re in serious trouble now?”
Before long, Zhongli Woong stood right in front of Byeok Taesan, close enough to reach out and touch him.
“You should’ve at least tried to run. It would’ve made this so much more fun.”
Zhongli Woong grinned viciously. To a stranger, his smile might have been enough to make their knees give out from fear.
But Byeok Taesan remained calm as he asked, “So, what’s the plan? Don’t tell me you’re actually doing this just to take Yeon Harin’s fiancé position.”
Zhongli Woong let out a dry chuckle.
He still didn’t like how composed Byeok Taesan was, but breaking someone like him would be all the more satisfying.
“Yeon Harin, she’s beautiful. So beautiful that one time wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me.”
His tone was laden with desire as he spoke, a glimmer of lust flashing in his eyes.
“But is she a fitting match for me? Not at all. The Yeon Manor is far too small for my ambitions.”
“Is it wise to say such things? Especially in front of me?”
Zhongli Woong chuckled again.
“What, you’re going to spread it around? Don’t worry about that. After I’m done with someone, they never dare to run their mouth.”
Byeok Taesan’s eyes widened slightly.
“Really? That’s impressive. I’m the same way.”
“Let’s start by getting you on your knees. Honestly, there’s no need for this conversation, is there?”
As Zhongli Woong said this, he reached out to place a hand on Byeok Taesan’s shoulder—or at least, he tried to.
“Huh?”
Zhongli Woong’s hand swiped through empty air as Byeok Taesan subtly shifted his shoulder to avoid the contact.
“You little…”
Zhongli Woong reached out again.
He wasn’t trying to hit him; in fact, he preferred not to use physical violence when tormenting others.
Instead, he had his own methods of making people suffer once they were caught.
The only problem?
He couldn’t catch Byeok Taesan.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Zhongli Woong’s hands sliced through the air repeatedly, but every time, Byeok Taesan evaded him with the slightest of movements.
“What the—why the hell won’t you stay still?!”
Byeok Taesan chuckled faintly and dodged his hand once more.
And then, at that exact moment, Byeok Taesan placed his own hand firmly on Zhongli Woong’s shoulder—doing exactly what Zhongli Woong had tried and failed to do.
“Arghhhhh!”
Zhongli Woong let out a blood-curdling scream and staggered.
It was as if Byeok Taesan’s hand weighed a ton, forcing him to his knees.
Thud!
The impact of his knees hitting the ground was so strong that the pain shot through his legs. But that pain was nothing compared to what came next.
“Arghhhhh! Aaaaaaaaah!”
A soul-wrenching scream erupted from deep within his lungs, as though his very spirit was being torn apart.
“What’s this? You can’t handle even this much? That’s disappointing. From how you talked, I thought you’d have more grit.”
Zhongli Woong was losing his mind. His entire body ached horribly.
It felt as though someone was gripping every inch of his flesh and ripping it from his bones.
The relentless, all-encompassing pain ravaged his senses without pause.
“Aaaaaaaah!”
Tears and snot poured down his face uncontrollably.
Unbeknownst to him, he had even soiled himself in the process.
“Please! Please, I beg you!”
Byeok Taesan, still holding his hand on Zhongli Woong’s shoulder, asked calmly, “Beg for what? If you want me to stop, you need to say it properly.”
“Arghhhhh! Stop! Please, stop!”
“Your begging posture is all wrong.”
“I was wrong! I’m sorry! Arghhhhh!”
Zhongli Woong cried out in desperation, his gaze locking onto Byeok Taesan’s face. His eyes were filled with terror.
Byeok Taesan’s expression remained serene, unnervingly so. To remain this calm, as though it were no more effort than breathing, while doing such a thing—it was no ordinary feat.
But that’s exactly what Byeok Taesan was doing.
“Killing you would be easier for both of us, don’t you think?”
“Arghhhhh! Yes! Yes, please kill me! Kill me!”
For once, Zhongli Woong wholeheartedly agreed with what Byeok Taesan was saying.
Enduring this kind of pain was far worse than death.
“But I said I wouldn’t kill you, didn’t I?”
Zhongli Woong’s face turned as white as a sheet. Seeing that, Byeok Taesan spoke.
“I’ll only take half, then.”
At that moment, Zhongli Woong’s eyes rolled back as a new wave of pain surged through him.
It was exponentially worse than before.
No sound escaped his open mouth as his body convulsed violently.
Yet, despite the agony, his mind remained completely lucid.
“Huh, this is quite effective.”
Byeok Taesan was currently extracting half of Zhongli Woong’s soul and lightly burning its surface with the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.
The pain that marked the body was nothing compared to the torment inflicted directly on the spirit.
Right now, Zhongli Woong’s spirit was being forcibly engraved with both pain and terror.
“Uuuuuuuuhhhhhh!”
Zhongli Woong’s screams, filled with anguish and fear, echoed endlessly.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere between the Zhongli Clan warriors and Cheon Kyungwan’s group was growing increasingly tense.