The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 31
Chapter 31: That’s Why It’s Even More Fun
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“Young Master, how was it?”
As soon as they left White Flower House, the Heavenly Divine Healer asked confidently.
Byeok Taesan looked at the Heavenly Divine Healer with a meaningful gaze.
Seeing that look, the Heavenly Divine Healer smirked.
“I knew it would please you. How about it? My sense of judgment?”
“Not bad.”
“I knew you’d be impressed. Honestly, you have no idea how hard I worked to get this information.”
At the Heavenly Divine Healer’s boast, Byeok Taesan chuckled faintly.
“The ones who struggled were the underlings, so why are you taking credit?”
“Hey, what’s the difference? And if I hadn’t given the right instructions, would they have found anything? It’s all thanks to my exceptional capabilities.”
Knowing that pressing further would only make him talk more, Byeok Taesan simply nodded.
Their conversation left Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, who were following behind them, wide-eyed as they glanced at each other.
They couldn’t make sense of what they’d just heard.
Did Byeok Taesan have another reason for visiting that brothel?
Seeing their puzzled expressions, the Heavenly Divine Healer grinned slyly and wedged himself between them.
Watching this, Byeok Taesan shook his head and quickened his pace.
“You know I have twelve healers under my wing, right?”
“Yes. They’re truly remarkable people. Aren’t they real physicians who roam this area, seeking out the less fortunate to treat?”
“Why do I feel like your words have a hidden barb? You’re not saying that for me to hear, are you?”
“Not at all. How many in the world wouldn’t know that the Divine Healer is an exceptional physician?”
At Cheon Kyungwan’s words, the Heavenly Divine Healer nodded, pleased.
“See? You know your stuff. Huh? But the person next to you doesn’t seem as convinced.”
Startled, Yoo Seoyeon quickly shook her head.
“That’s not true. I think the same.”
“Alright, I’ll believe you this once. Just be careful in the future. I’m a bit sensitive about these things.”
Both Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon held back their retorts. This wasn’t the time to argue over such matters.
“Anyway, my subordinates seem to have heard a few things.”
The two grew curious at that statement.
The Heavenly Divine Healer had been staying at Yeon Manor, while his disciples were at the Golden Wall Merchants. How could he have heard about their findings?
Before their questions could deepen, the Heavenly Divine Healer continued.
“I hear the Golden Heavenly Alliance has been up to something peculiar.”
At the mention of the Golden Heavenly Alliance, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon’s expressions hardened.
The Golden Heavenly Alliance was a coalition of several large merchant groups in Wuhan.
Their goal was to dominate the city’s trade, and the Golden Wall Merchants posed the greatest obstacle to achieving that.
Since their formation, they had clashed repeatedly with the Golden Wall Merchants but had achieved little success.
The Golden Wall Merchants’ vast financial resources had far exceeded their expectations.
Additionally, the Golden Wall Merchants’ decades-old, intricate web of connections was formidable.
After encountering this firsthand, the Golden Heavenly Alliance had been quiet for a while.
That’s why the mention of the Golden Heavenly Alliance naturally drew a reaction from Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
“What exactly are they up to?”
“They’ve started a business.”
“What? But that’s…”
Cheon Kyungwan looked at the Heavenly Divine Healer in bewilderment. It was only natural for a merchant group to start a business.
“But here’s the catch—they’re disguising it as something unrelated to the Golden Heavenly Alliance.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that no one would know the Golden Heavenly Alliance is behind it, no matter what disputes arise or schemes unfold. Without me, no one would have realized.”
Cheon Kyungwan’s expression grew grave as he began to grasp the implication.
“But strangely, martial artists seem to be involved in these new ventures.”
“Martial artists?”
“Yes. And quite skilled ones at that—talents you wouldn’t easily find in most merchant groups.”
“So White Flower House is…”
“Exactly. It’s a brothel newly established by the Golden Heavenly Alliance. Except for the courtesans, nearly everyone working there is a martial artist. And they’ve set up similar establishments in every industry. Incidentally, these businesses are always located near those owned by the Golden Wall Merchants.”
If they operated normally, they would never be able to rival the Golden Wall Merchants. In fact, the two could even complement each other and thrive.
But their intentions were clearly different.
Only now did Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon begin to understand the earlier conversation between Byeok Taesan and the Heavenly Divine Healer.
“Then wasn’t it unwise to visit White Flower House? Bringing the Young Master into the heart of enemy territory?”
“Who’s worrying about whom here?”
At that, Cheon Kyungwan fell silent.
After all, who would dare worry about Byeok Taesan?
This was the man who had taken down a Zhongli Clan elder with a mere wave of his hand.
Cheon Kyungwan involuntarily glanced at Byeok Taesan.
‘When did the Young Master learn martial arts?’
To his knowledge, Byeok Taesan had almost no time to train. And wasn’t he in poor health, too?
‘Could there be another genius in the world like the Young Master?’
If so, it might plunge him into a deep sense of inadequacy.
While Cheon Kyungwan was lost in thought about Byeok Taesan, Yoo Seoyeon, having composed herself, asked the Heavenly Divine Healer a question.
“If there’s one establishment in each industry, it must have cost a fortune. They would have matched the standard of White Flower House, at least.”
“Exactly. They made a massive investment. And since they’re willing to abandon these ventures if necessary, the financial losses could be substantial, even for the Golden Heavenly Alliance.”
Which meant they were confident in their success.
“Are skilled martial artists associated with all these establishments?”
“Yes.”
“Where could they have found so many martial artists?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer smirked.
“Well… calling them ‘skilled’ is a bit of a stretch. They’re just folks who can swing a sword or throw a punch. If they really tried, they could find plenty of such people. True masters, however, are rare—maybe one or two per establishment.”
Yoo Seoyeon wondered how strong these so-called ‘martial artists’ were.
Depending on the standards, the range could vary significantly.
“Are they at my level?”
“Come on. That’s asking too much. You alone could handle ten of them. Though the true masters might be a bit much for you.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer alternated his gaze between Yoo Seoyeon and Cheon Kyungwan as he continued.
“You two are quite strong. You wouldn’t be outclassed even in a prominent martial clan. You’re probably on par with the captains or vice-captains of their lower guard divisions.”
However, neither Cheon Kyungwan nor Yoo Seoyeon took his words at face value.
Their recent battles with the Zhongli Clan’s martial artists had made their limits all too clear.
Could they have managed so easily without exploiting their opponents’ weaknesses?
“Don’t compare them to the ones you faced at Yeon Manor. Those guys were exceptional.”
“Does that mean the Zhongli Clan is stronger than other prominent clans? If they have no weaknesses?”
“Not exactly. The ones at Yeon Manor were particularly strong—probably warriors they had nurtured with great care.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer smirked.
“Those kinds of people were utterly crushed, so I’m sure their family head must be fuming. Heh, heh, heh.”
Hearing this only deepened the mystery.
“If each business included one or two skilled fighters, that’s already a lot. Where on earth did they find such martial artists…?”
“That’s what I need to figure out now. If things had gone as expected, I would’ve solved everything quickly, tsk.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer clicked his tongue in frustration.
“What was your initial assumption?”
“I thought the Zhongli Clan was supplying the martial artists.”
“But that wasn’t the case?”
“It wasn’t. While the Zhongli Clan is indeed cooperating with the Golden Heavenly Alliance, they’re not providing martial artists. The two groups operate independently.”
Everyone’s expressions grew grim.
This suggested that the Golden Heavenly Alliance had another ally besides the Zhongli Clan—an organization powerful enough to mobilize numerous skilled fighters.
“Things… are getting increasingly complicated.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer grinned widely.
“That’s what makes it even more interesting.”
* * *
Golden Wall Merchants, Record Pavilion
Byeok Woo-haeng sat across from his son, Byeok Sang-il.
“We were lucky, weren’t we?”
At his father’s words, Byeok Sang-il nodded.
“Yes. Incredibly lucky. If the incident with the Zhongli Clan hadn’t happened, we would’ve been done before we even had a chance to act.”
“A small lapse in vigilance grew into a massive problem over time.”
Hearing this, Byeok Sang-il let out a heavy sigh.
“It’s troubling. All the martial families and sects allied with our merchant group are finding it difficult to help us…”
As expected, a major merchant group like the Golden Wall Merchants maintained good relationships with local martial sects and families.
They provided financial support and, in return, relied on their strength when needed.
While the Golden Wall Merchants had been steadily building their own martial power to compensate for any gaps in their alliances, they were still far from being self-sufficient.
Recently, as they prepared to counter a possible move by the Zhongli Clan, they noticed a shift in the attitudes of their allied martial families.
If they had clashed with the Zhongli Clan, the damage would have been catastrophic.
It was now clear they couldn’t depend on those alliances any longer.
Still, the Zhongli Clan, as a self-proclaimed righteous faction, would not act without justification.
Likely, their attempt to lure Byeok Taesan to Yeon Manor had been to create that justification.
“It’s a relief nothing happened to Taesan. Honestly, I was terrified when I learned they had ulterior motives.”
He was referring to Gyeong Chuhwang and Gal Jinhyeop.
The two had coordinated with the Zhongli Clan beforehand to take on the Golden Wall Merchants’ request. Knowing the merchants would have no choice but to reach out for help, they had meticulously prepared in advance.
“There’s no way the Zhongli Clan acted alone. They don’t have the financial means to recruit individuals like those two.”
“It’s the Golden Heavenly Alliance.”
The firmness in Byeok Sang-il’s tone made Byeok Woo-haeng raise a curious eyebrow.
“You sound very certain. But nothing is confirmed yet.”
Byeok Sang-il pulled several letters from his inner pocket.
“What’s this?”
“Information someone delivered to me.”
With a grim expression, Byeok Woo-haeng accepted the letters and carefully read through them from start to finish.
His eyes widened in astonishment.
“Who gave you this?”
Byeok Sang-il gave a wry smile.
“I don’t know. When I went to my office this morning, it was on my desk. I investigated but couldn’t find who left it.”
“Hmm. Have you verified its contents?”
“I’ve done everything I could. In my judgment, it’s reliable information.”
Rising from his seat with a serious expression, Byeok Woo-haeng spoke.
“I need to discuss this with the family head at length.”
The letters contained shocking details.
They outlined a plan orchestrated by the Zhongli Clan and the Golden Heavenly Alliance to target the Golden Wall Merchants.
The information was so detailed that only someone directly involved in the plan’s execution could have known about it.
The reason they suspected the Zhongli Clan was because the plan centered around their operations.
While it was clear the Golden Heavenly Alliance was involved, their specific role and movements were not described in detail, suggesting that the author was privy only to the Zhongli Clan’s side of the plan.
The letters also hinted that the Golden Heavenly Alliance might have allied with other forces besides the Zhongli Clan.
As Byeok Woo-haeng hurried toward Byeok Taesoo’s office, his thoughts were tangled.
‘Who provided this information? And how did they uncover it?’
Nevertheless, the fact that they had discovered it in advance was crucial.
If they had remained unaware, they would have been helpless. But now that they knew, they could devise countermeasures.
Of course, they couldn’t ignore the possibility that the letters themselves were a trap.
As he made his way to the family head’s office, Byeok Woo-haeng’s thoughts grew increasingly convoluted.