The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Ah, That Guy

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Byeok Taesan’s monotonous routine continued for a while.

If there was one significant change recently, it was that he now spent time with two courtesans per day.

Of course, he didn’t entertain them simultaneously.

Each was called into his room separately.

Naturally, this meant the time allocated to each was halved.

This wasn’t just because his mastery of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art had improved.

The real reason was that his body had grown healthier.

By organizing his major energy meridians, his physical condition had improved dramatically.

The risk of collapsing at any moment was now gone.

However, this didn’t mean his body was in perfect condition.

There was still a long way to go with his treatment.

And just because the major meridians had been connected didn’t mean they were fully healed.

They had simply been reconnected.

Now, he needed to strengthen those meridians further.

But first, he would need to reconnect the other severed ones.

In any case, the fact that he could now handle two courtesans per day meant that his recovery would accelerate.

During this time, Byeok Taesan consistently reviewed the information compiled and organized by Heavenly Divine Healer’s subordinates.

Most of the information pertained to Fragrant Flower House and the Golden Heavenly Alliance.

As for the Zhongli Clan, his interest in them had waned significantly.

Of course, losing interest didn’t mean he intended to leave them be.

Once something had started, it needed to be seen through to the end, didn’t it?

Meanwhile, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon intensified their training.

Although it was partly because they wanted to, it was also due to a brief remark Byeok Taesan had made in passing earlier.

The Heavenly Divine Healer had cranked up the intensity to an extreme level because of that.

The two trained as if dancing on the edge of death, experiencing a living hell.

But as grueling as it was, their skills grew rapidly.

Cheon Kyungwan had a goal.

It was the breathtaking movement Byeok Taesan had demonstrated during his fight with Zhongli Seongnak.

He wasn’t aiming to mimic Taesan’s actions exactly.

Rather, he wanted to capture that beauty in his swordsmanship.

Having such a clear goal greatly contributed to his rapid improvement.

And as Cheon Kyungwan’s skills improved, so did Yoo Seoyeon’s, as she had to spar against him.

Meanwhile, the Golden Wall Merchants were bustling with activity.

Now that they knew what the Golden Heavenly Alliance was up to, they were making preparations to counter it and, if possible, strike back decisively.

While spending his days leisurely, Byeok Taesan eventually met with the Heavenly Divine Healer after a long time.

“What are you doing, Young Master?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer observed Byeok Taesan clenching and unclenching his fists in deep thought.

“Just estimating how many I can kill.”

“Ah, why such violent thoughts again?”

Though his words sounded as if he was intimidated, his tone and expression betrayed no such fear.

In fact, his face lit up, like a child anticipating a sweet treat.

“So, where will you strike this time? Surely, you plan to deal with the Zhongli Clan directly?”

The Zhongli Clan was in dire straits.

The moment they mobilized their forces to purge the Unorthodox Path, someone seized the opportunity to attack them directly.

In essence, their house had been robbed while they were away, which devastated their already shaky finances.

Moreover, they hadn’t even succeeded in subduing the Unorthodox Path factions—they had all fled.

Adding to their troubles, clans and sects that had been suppressed under the Zhongli Clan’s influence were starting to rear their heads.

In the past, they could have quashed them with brute force, but that was now impossible.

The weaknesses of the Zhongli Clan’s martial arts had become widely known in the region.

Currently, the Golden Heavenly Alliance was secretly working to absorb the Zhongli Clan, as if it had been their plan all along.

This prompted the Heavenly Divine Healer to suggest that perhaps they should deal with the Zhongli Clan before they were fully swallowed by the Golden Heavenly Alliance.

“What about those behind the Golden Heavenly Alliance?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer hesitated, avoiding Taesan’s gaze.

“They’re like shadows… For now, we’ve only determined that the Fragrant Flower House is connected to them.”

Initially, it was assumed that Fragrant Flower House was a secret intelligence organization nurtured by either the Golden Heavenly Alliance or the Zhongli Clan.

But that turned out to be entirely incorrect.

Even the people who had ambushed Byeok Taesan during his earlier dealings with Fragrant Flower House were under the command of this mysterious organization.

“They’re bothersome.”

Byeok Taesan found this unidentified organization irksome.

Back when he was the Heavenly Demon, he hadn’t bothered with such things. Anything he wanted to know, he simply commanded others to uncover.

The concept of something being “unknown” hadn’t existed for him.

But now, despite his desire to uncover the truth, he kept hitting dead ends. It was frustrating and bothersome.

Much like his current body.

“So… what will you do?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer asked cautiously, erasing all traces of playfulness. Something about Taesan’s earlier statement gave him the sense that one wrong move could spell disaster.

Specifically, the moment Taesan had muttered “bothersome,” the healer felt a chill.

It had dredged up a memory he’d buried deep within his mind.

“To catch the body, you pull out the hair,” Taesan said, glancing at the healer.

“What’s the status of the businesses established by the Golden Heavenly Alliance? Are they causing trouble yet?”

“They’ve been quiet so far. But they won’t stay that way forever. They’ll need to make a move soon.”

The healer’s eyes sparkled as he continued, “It’s likely to start with White Flower House. If we handle it right, we can escalate things.”

Byeok Taesan grinned.

“Of course.”

“Yes.”

That was precisely why he had been brought there in the first place.

“They won’t make careless moves, will they?”

“Recently, Zhongli Woong and Won Mungwang were spotted in the area.”

“Zhongli Wong? Who’s that?”

The healer, expecting Taesan not to remember, answered without any change in expression.

“That coward who soiled himself.”

“Ah, that guy.”

Taesan’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

“From what I’ve gathered, the Zhongli Clan members who were stationed at Yeon Manor have all gathered here. There are twelve of them in total.”

“And?”

“They’ve been stirring up the Unorthodox Path factions around Wuhan lately.”

“The Unorthodox Path?”

Taesan snorted.

This was precisely why people said some never change.

The Zhongli Clan had come all the way to Wuhan, only to repeat the same tactics they had used near Dongho.

“Unorthodox Path factions are the easiest to exploit, aren’t they? And they’re disposable when the time comes.”

“Do you think the Golden Wall Merchants are so incompetent as to fall for something like that?”

“Of course not. With the information I’ve provided, do you think they’d fail?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer said this, looking at Byeok Taesan with sparkling eyes, as if asking for recognition for his contribution.

Byeok Taesan chuckled softly.

What would this man do if he discovered that Taesan was the Heavenly Demon? Would he still look at him with those bright, eager eyes?

“The plans of the Zhongli Clan are obvious,” Taesan said.

“They’re stirring up the Unorthodox forces, creating chaos, while quietly carrying out their schemes,” the healer replied.

“Exactly. And the target is the White Flower House, isn’t it?”

“Spot on.”

“Are you certain?”

“I’m certain. I wouldn’t bet my neck on it, but I could stake a finger—cut it off and reattach it, if needed.”

The thought of reattaching a severed finger didn’t inspire much confidence, but given the healer’s expertise, Taesan let it slide.

“Do you think I wouldn’t have thoroughly investigated? Those bastards plan to wreak havoc at the White Flower House when the Young Master visits.”

“Ah, so they intend to drag me into a fight?”

“Precisely. With the chaos caused by the Unorthodox forces, the Golden Wall Merchants will have a hard time responding properly. On top of that, the White Flower House is in the heart of enemy territory.”

Byeok Taesan grinned broadly.

“Sounds entertaining.”

He had already planned to pull the strings to expose the masterminds. If someone wants to assist, why not take advantage?

“Judging by the current atmosphere, they’ll probably act tonight or tomorrow. Wuhan’s underworld is already stirring.”

Even for the Zhongli Clan, it was impossible to seize control of Wuhan’s entire dark underworld with just twelve people.

They likely only targeted the prominent figures, but subduing them alone wouldn’t be enough. To maintain control, they’d need to suppress and regulate the entire underworld—a task far beyond their capabilities.

The Zhongli Clan’s usual method of managing the underworld in Dongho was to collect tribute, not to control directly.

Thus, the longer they dragged things out, the less likely they were to succeed.

They’d aim to resolve matters as swiftly as possible.

“In my opinion, they’ll strike today, assuming the Young Master moves as expected,” the healer added, smirking slyly.

“Actually, if the Young Master stays put for four days, it would throw their plans into disarray.”

But Byeok Taesan had no intention of taking that route.

“That would be boring. At most, it would inconvenience them.”

The healer’s grin widened as if he had been hoping for that answer.

“Then, let’s have some fun tonight.”

At Taesan’s words, the healer beamed with anticipation.

“I told you not to bring them along,” Byeok Taesan said.

The healer offered an awkward smile.

“Should we just leave them behind?”

“No! I can do this!”

Cheon Kyungwan exclaimed loudly, but his voice sounded stiff and forced.

The healer shook his head in exasperation.

“How can we bring someone who has ‘I’m planning something’ written all over their face?”

He gestured towards Yoo Seoyeon, who was walking alongside Cheon Kyungwan.

“Don’t you think so?”

Kyungwan glared at Yoo Seoyeon with eyes burning with resolve.

Unable to respond, she averted her gaze.

Even she had to admit—it was too much.

Kyungwan wasn’t typically expressive. He rarely showed surprise and usually maintained a neutral demeanor.

She had assumed that even if he were nervous, it wouldn’t show much. But today, his face told a different story, as though he’d spent hours figuring out how to make his emotions blatantly obvious.

His expressions were so excessive that anyone could tell something significant was happening.

Yet how could anyone tell Kyungwan, who was the most enthusiastic about today’s plan, to stay behind?

Even Taesan merely scolded him lightly and let it go.

Honestly, Yoo Seoyeon had expected Taesan to firmly order Kyungwan to stay put.

But he hadn’t.

Whether it was an act of consideration or because he thought it wouldn’t matter if Kyungwan’s expressions gave them away, she couldn’t tell.

It was then that the healer declared decisively, “Let’s use poison.”

“P-Poison?”

Yoo Seoyeon gasped, staring at him in shock.

“The issue is that his expressions give him away, right? We’ll just paralyze his facial muscles with poison.”

Seoyeon looked at the healer in utter disbelief.

How could he say such a thing so casually? Paralyze his facial muscles? Wouldn’t that leave him expressionless for the rest of his life?

Or worse, could that even be safe?

“Don’t look at me like that. Even I have feelings, you know. I’m a physician!” the healer protested.

“I… I’m sorry. I was just surprised by the word ‘poison’…”

“It’s fine. It’s only temporary, so don’t worry. There might be minor side effects, but they’re trivial. What do you think?”

The healer turned to Kyungwan.

Without hesitation, Kyungwan nodded.

“I’ll do it.”

Grinning, the healer pulled a needle the size of a forearm from his robes.

Kyungwan’s face turned pale.

“Are you going to stick that into my face?”

“Just a little, barely a prick.”

Of course, “barely” was by the healer’s standards.

Half the needle sank into Kyungwan’s face, making Seoyeon’s eyes widen in shock.

But the true surprise came next.

The healer snapped the needle in half while it was still in Kyungwan’s face.

“What are you doing?!”

Seoyeon shouted instinctively.

The healer waved the broken needle casually.

“It’s a needle hardened with poison. It’ll dissolve completely and be naturally expelled through urination.”

“Oh…”

Seoyeon’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Regaining her composure, she stammered, “Let’s… continue.”

She hurriedly moved ahead, her face still red.

The healer patted Kyungwan on the back, urging him to follow.

Standing beside Seoyeon, Kyungwan’s face now bore its usual neutral expression—or rather, no expression at all.

After much fuss, they finally reached the White Flower House, where a heavy, oppressive energy seemed to hang in the air.