The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Became One
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It seemed like everything was more noticeable today, perhaps because everyone knew what was going to happen.
Of course, this was true for everyone except Byeok Taesan.
He remained unchanged, just as he always had been.
From the moment he had first come to White Flower House, he had immediately discerned that this was no ordinary brothel.
For someone like him, so attuned to his surroundings, the subtle details naturally stood out.
‘So, you were there.’
White Flower House was composed of three separate buildings.
In one of those buildings, he sensed a familiar flow of energy, one he had encountered several times before.
Byeok Taesan was not particularly good at remembering faces—he simply didn’t care enough to. But when it came to the subtle flow of energy, he could recall it with razor-sharp precision.
Naturally, he clearly remembered the distinctive energy shared by the warriors of the Zhongli Clan.
And now, that energy was gathered in one room within this building.
“This way, as usual, to your usual room,” the courtesan said as she guided him.
The room she led him to was directly across from the one where the Zhongli Clan members were gathered.
Nearby, he could sense several strong presences.
To convincingly engage with the Zhongli Clan, they would need competent fighters.
It seemed the White Flower House had managed to gather some skilled individuals for the task.
Their level was noticeably higher than that of the guards who typically worked at White Flower House.
There were also more experts present than usual.
“Impressive,” Byeok Taesan remarked.
The courtesan leading him turned to him with wide eyes, her face suddenly flushing red.
“Oh, are you choosing me today?”
Although it was a misunderstanding, Byeok Taesan had no intention of correcting her. He nodded.
“Do as you please.”
A mix of joy and regret flickered across the courtesan’s face.
Being chosen today meant she wouldn’t actually spend the night with him—something that filled her with deep disappointment.
The other courtesans who had spent the night with Byeok Taesan claimed that just the thought of him made their hearts race whenever he visited.
Each of them vowed to share his bed again one day, burning with determination.
The problem was that they couldn’t recall anything except how good it had felt. This left them in endless frustration.
For this reason, the courtesan guiding Byeok Taesan had dreamed of being chosen by him.
Just how incredible must it be to forget everything afterward?
She, too, wanted to wear the same blissful expression as the others who had been with him.
The opportunity had finally come, but why did it have to be today of all days?
“T-Then, I’ll call for the others,” she said hesitantly.
“No need.”
“Pardon? You’re satisfied with just me today?”
“Yes. Now, come in and sit down.”
Her face glowing, the courtesan stepped into the room and sat quietly by his side.
Cheon Kyungwan, who had been waiting outside, closed the door.
Byeok Taesan sat silently, gazing at the courtesan.
Feeling self-conscious, she averted her eyes and slightly turned her head to show her profile.
As he sat there, he realized there was still some time before the plan would be executed.
Perhaps he could take advantage of this time to accomplish something.
The courtesan looked back at him, harboring a faint glimmer of hope.
“Doesn’t it seem unusually noisy around here today?” he asked.
“Pardon? Um, I’m not sure… I haven’t noticed.”
“Listen carefully. Doesn’t it sound like there’s fighting?”
The courtesan paused at Byeok Taesan’s words and focused on the sounds around her.
Faintly, she could indeed hear the noise of what sounded like fighting.
“Oh? You’re right!”
She understood what the sound was—it was part of the groundwork to ensure today’s plan succeeded.
The noise likely came from a Unorthodox Path Faction causing a ruckus at a Golden Wall Merchants’ business nearby.
The courtesan sighed inwardly.
It seemed that her hopes for today had been misplaced.
Her gaze turned calm as she looked at Byeok Taesan.
This innocent-looking Young Master, clueless about what was happening, was about to experience something catastrophic today.
Then, Byeok Taesan smirked as he met her eyes.
“Should I pluck your eyes out?”
“Pardon?”
The courtesan thought she had misheard. What did he just say?
“Don’t look at me with those kinds of eyes.”
“W-What do you mean I…”
“You see me as prey you’ve already trapped, don’t you?”
She closed her mouth, her thoughts in turmoil.
This wasn’t the Byeok Taesan she knew.
Hastily gathering herself, she spoke in a trembling voice.
“I-I don’t understand what you mean, Young Master.”
“I’ve become much more forgiving, you know? If you had looked at me with pity, I might have let it slide. But to dare look down on me?”
The courtesan immediately prostrated herself on the floor.
“I swear I didn’t look at you like that. Truly, I didn’t.”
“Would you stake your spirit on that?”
“Pardon?”
She froze, staring at Byeok Taesan in a daze.
She had heard people ask for others to stake their lives before, but staking one’s spirit?
That was entirely new.
And somehow, it terrified her even more.
An intense sense of foreboding struck her like a hammer, warning her not to agree to such a thing.
“Go ahead and start whatever you were planning.”
“What?”
Byeok Taesan’s grin turned feral.
“Did you think I came here unaware of everything?”
The blood drained from her face.
After closing the door to Byeok Taesan’s room, Cheon Kyungwan stood firmly in front of it, scanning his surroundings.
Beside him stood Yoo Seoyeon, while a short distance away, the Heavenly Divine Healer was seated.
This was not the usual arrangement.
Typically, the Heavenly Divine Healer would disappear somewhere after Byeok Taesan entered a room, only to reappear once things were done.
Cheon Kyungwan didn’t find the deviation odd—today was a special day, after all.
While remaining on high alert and observing his surroundings, Cheon Kyungwan’s gaze landed on Yoo Seoyeon.
She appeared no different from usual. Yet, for some reason, she seemed particularly striking to him.
‘What?! What is happening?!’
Cheon Kyungwan’s face suddenly grew hot, and he quickly averted his gaze.
He had only meant to glance around, but the moment he saw Yoo Seoyeon, he had found himself staring at her for longer than appropriate.
He had almost been caught by her.
The real problem, however, came after that.
Suddenly, a surge of desire coursed through Cheon Kyungwan.
Normally, he wouldn’t dare entertain any thoughts about Yoo Seoyeon, but now, the memory of when the Owner of Fragrant Flower House had offered to prepare a private room for him resurfaced vividly.
Cheon Kyungwan glanced furtively at Yoo Seoyeon, only to find her looking back at him.
Their eyes met.
Startled, he quickly averted his gaze.
But the simple act of locking eyes with her only made his desire boil more intensely.
It was then that Cheon Kyungwan realized something was deeply off.
He wasn’t himself.
In his confusion, he turned to the Heavenly Divine Healer seated nearby.
The healer wore a knowing smile.
So, this was the “minor side effect” he had mentioned earlier.
‘How is this in any way minor?!’
Cheon Kyungwan screamed internally, feeling like he was on the verge of collapse.
Struggling with the push and pull of his desires and reason, Cheon Kyungwan suddenly felt the atmosphere around him grow cold.
A chilling tension replaced the lust that had gripped him, as if his mind had been dunked into icy water.
From the staircase at the end of the hallway, a group of people ascended with purposeful strides.
They approached the area where Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon stood.
There were twenty of them in total, their gazes briefly sweeping over Yoo Seoyeon before moving on.
Cheon Kyungwan broke into a cold sweat, struggling to suppress the ferocious killing intent bubbling within him.
The group stopped at the door of the room where the Zhongli Clan members were staying and threw it open.
“There you are.”
What followed was a predictable series of petty arguments.
“You stole the courtesan I marked!”
“Who said she was yours? You’re mistaken!”
Crude insults flew back and forth, each poking at the other’s pride, until words escalated to actions.
Bang!
A thunderous explosion resounded as furniture shattered and flew in all directions.
Shards of debris scattered toward where Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon were standing.
Calmly, the two deflected the fragments while observing the unfolding chaos.
Curious onlookers began peeking out from other rooms to watch the fight.
The brawlers soon spilled out into the hallway, and the fight expanded in scale.
Naturally, the warriors of the Zhongli Clan and the guards of the White Flower House became entangled in the brawl, pulling Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon into the fray.
As expected, the two were targeted almost immediately.
If they had been unprepared for this turn of events, they might have panicked. But both had already steeled themselves for the day’s events.
Clang! Clang!
Their swords moved with incredible speed, deflecting every attack aimed at them.
The onlookers were stunned.
Their skill far surpassed what anyone had anticipated.
Truthfully, the attackers had thought this would be a simple task—quickly take down Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, break into the room, and deal with Byeok Taesan.
But from the very start, their plans were falling apart.
The duo’s strength made it clear that a pretense of “coincidence” wouldn’t be enough to bring them down.
The warriors of the Zhongli Clan and the White Flower House quickly shifted their tactics.
They abandoned the illusion of being on opposing sides and began working together, as if they were part of the same faction.
Though their coordination wasn’t seamless, their individual skills ensured that their combined attacks were still formidable.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon held their ground, their eyes sharp as they assessed the situation.
The Zhongli Clan warriors were stronger than the White Flower House guards, but oddly, the Zhongli Clan members were easier to handle.
The two had grown stronger and could now exploit weaknesses more effectively.
Their opponents were clearly shaken.
However, none of them believed the operation would fail. After all, they still had their aces in reserve.
Won Mungwang, who had been moving lightly until now, began to fight in earnest.
The skilled fighters of the White Flower House also started unleashing their full strength.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon hesitated briefly.
Their plan had been to create an opening for the enemies to pass through while they held off the remaining fighters.
But they couldn’t help but worry—could Byeok Taesan handle such formidable opponents alone?
At that moment, the same thought crossed both their minds.
‘Who are we to worry about him?’
Won Mungwang charged at Cheon Kyungwan, while three elite guards from the White Flower House lunged at Yoo Seoyeon.
Cheon Kyungwan sidestepped the attack and swung his sword.
Boom!
The sheer power in Won Mungwang’s strike sent Cheon Kyungwan sliding to the side. Won Mungwang pushed forward, intending to smash the door to the room.
But just as his sword was about to connect, the door swung open with impeccable timing.
Won Mungwang stumbled straight into the room.
At the same time, the guards attacking Yoo Seoyeon followed him inside.
The door swung shut behind them.
Neither Cheon Kyungwan nor Yoo Seoyeon had any intention of stopping them.
It had been easier than expected to funnel them into the room.
The two stood guard in front of the closed door, glaring at the remaining enemies.
Now, the real fight began.
Cheon Kyungwan moved first.
Cheon Kyungwan struggled to restrain himself, the boiling killing intent from earlier making it nearly impossible to hold back.
Finally, he let it explode outward, ferociously swinging his sword at the enemies.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks and waves of energy erupted in all directions.
Amid Cheon Kyungwan’s wild, forceful attacks, Yoo Seoyeon’s graceful strikes slipped in like water flowing through cracks.
Shick-shick-shing!
The two had sparred daily, wielding their swords as if trying to kill one another.
This meant they knew each other better than anyone else.
They understood each other’s weaknesses, strengths, and even habits, allowing their movements to align seamlessly.
As though they were a single entity, they pressed their enemies relentlessly.
The longer the fight went on, the more a strange exhilaration coursed through their bodies.
Meanwhile, the Zhongli Clan warriors and the guards of White Flower House struggled to coordinate, their efforts often clashing awkwardly.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon relentlessly exploited these gaps, striking with precision.
As the battle grew more intense, the duo became even more in sync, moving as if they were one.
* * *
The moment Won Mungwang and the skilled fighters from White Flower House entered the room, their eyes immediately sought Byeok Taesan.
He was sitting calmly, observing them with a relaxed demeanor.
Then, the door behind them shut with a loud thud.
All four of them turned toward the sound in unison.
The person who had closed the door was the courtesan who had been with Byeok Taesan.
Her entire body trembled violently, her expression frozen in sheer terror.
Whatever had transpired before they entered, one thing was clear.
“Heh, could it be you’ve been hiding your true self all this time?”
Won Mungwang stared at Byeok Taesan, his face filled with disbelief.
Byeok Taesan slowly rose from his seat.
For a brief moment, all four intruders felt a suffocating pressure weighing down on them, as if an invisible force was pressing against their entire beings.
Amid this overwhelming pressure, Byeok Taesan’s voice feel like a hammer.
“Zhongli Clan idiots, step aside for now. I have something to discuss with the others.”