The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 38
Chapter 38: Caught in the Trap
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“This way, please.”
Gamujin, the General Manager of the Golden Wall Merchants, felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he guided the esteemed guest who had arrived today—Needle Master.
Upon reflection, he realized it was reminiscent of the time he had escorted the Heavenly Divine Healer.
And now, an almost identical situation was unfolding.
The Needle Master’s gaze fixated on Dan Yeong, who was standing near Byeok Taesan’s pavilion.
“Who is that child?”
When the Needle Master inquired, Gamujin replied with a calm demeanor.
“She is our young master’s personal maid.”
“A maid, you say? That child?”
Noticing the gleam in the Needle Master’s eyes, Gamujin hurriedly clarified.
“But she won’t be going anywhere. Even if you intend to take her as your disciple.”
The Needle Master’s expression turned incredulous.
The idea of someone rejecting the opportunity to become his disciple was almost absurd.
However, as the Needle Master caught the nuance of Gamujin’s words, his face hardened.
“Ah, the Heavenly Divine Healer came here before me, didn’t he…”
“Yes. He underwent the same process. For the record, our young master’s personal maid isn’t limited to just that one child.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“For now, please follow me inside. You’ll come to understand naturally.”
As Gamujin stepped into the pavilion, a sense of pride swelled within him.
When else would he have the chance to treat someone as remarkable as the Needle Master with such ease?
The Needle Master was certain to be stunned once he entered the pavilion, just as the Heavenly Divine Healer had been before.
Sure enough, the Needle Master halted as soon as he entered.
Looking around at the maids cleaning the pavilion, he appeared incredulous.
“There seem to be… quite a few maids here.”
Including Dan Yeong, who was outside, there were a total of eight personal maids.
With Soso added to the mix, Byeok Taesan had nine attendants altogether.
Excluding Soso, the others were all former courtesans who had voluntarily come forward to serve Byeok Taesan.
They served him with utmost dedication, taking on even the most menial tasks without a word of complaint, accepting them with joy.
Their beauty was so striking that anyone who saw them could not tear their eyes away.
This only made Gamujin more proud.
Looking at the Needle Master, Gamujin seemed almost boastful as he said, “Each of them came here of their own accord to serve our young master.”
“They came here… willingly?”
Gamujin looked at the Needle Master and asked, “Are you also interested in them because of their unique constitutions?”
The Needle Master nodded.
“Indeed. I cannot simply let such talent go to waste. They must serve under me. Their abilities cannot be squandered.”
“That would be up to them to decide. And, of course, you’d need our young master’s permission as well.”
The Needle Master almost shook his head but stopped.
It didn’t matter.
He would get his way in the end.
No mere merchant group like the Golden Wall Merchants could block his path.
First, however, there were things to take care of.
He wanted to see the Heavenly Divine Healer and assess the boy who had brought him here.
Since he was here, he was willing to diagnose them and perhaps even use his acupuncture if he found it worthwhile.
“Let’s head inside.”
With the Needle Master’s words, Gamujin grinned and resumed guiding him.
“This way, please.”
* * *
Byeok Taesan quietly observed the Needle Master sitting before him.
Seated beside Byeok Taesan was the Heavenly Divine Healer, who glared at Gamujin with clear dissatisfaction.
Understanding the healer’s frustration, Gamujin offered an apologetic bow.
“I have nothing to say for myself. Please understand our family head’s intentions.”
As the Heavenly Divine Healer opened his mouth to speak, Byeok Taesan raised his hand slightly, signaling for silence.
The healer closed his mouth and turned his head reluctantly.
“I understand, so you can leave now, General Manager. I’ll handle the rest.”
At Byeok Taesan’s words, Gamujin looked at the Needle Master nervously.
“Wouldn’t it be better if I stayed? Just in case.”
Byeok Taesan shook his head firmly.
“It’s more comfortable for us to talk alone.”
Reluctantly, Gamujin bowed deeply to both men.
“Please, I leave it to you both.”
To the Needle Master, he was entrusting Byeok Taesan’s treatment. To Byeok Taesan, he was pleading not to provoke the Needle Master unnecessarily.
Once Gamujin had left, the Needle Master wasted no time.
“On the way here, I noticed your maids. They are quite impressive.”
At the mention of the maids, the Heavenly Divine Healer smirked, reminiscing about the past and finding amusement in observing the Needle Master’s character.
Instead of responding directly, Byeok Taesan assessed the Needle Master’s skill level.
He had made a rough judgment at first glance, but a more detailed evaluation required closer attention.
Once confirmed, Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed.
The Needle Master was indeed skilled—far more so than he had initially guessed.
He had excellent control over his internal energy, fully dominating it with precision.
Such mastery was rare.
In the martial world, perhaps only a hundred individuals could achieve such a level, if that.
“You’re interested in my maids?”
Byeok Taesan’s tone made the Needle Master’s eyebrow twitch.
He didn’t like the casual manner of speaking, as if he were being looked down upon. But strangely, it felt so natural he decided to let it slide.
“Yes. Your maids seem to be wasting their potential. I plan to take them under my wing, teach them medicine, and even martial arts.”
“I’ve already been teaching them martial arts.”
The Needle Master chuckled.
“And do you think whatever rudimentary skills you’ve taught them could compare to the advanced techniques I would teach?”
The Needle Master had every right to say that—at least when dealing with ordinary opponents like the Golden Wall Merchants. Unfortunately for him, his current opponent was Byeok Taesan, a former Heavenly Demon.
“You make that claim without knowing what I’ve taught them?”
The Needle Master laughed again.
“I don’t need to know. The martial art I’ll teach them is Flower Moon Art.”
“Flower Moon Art?”
Byeok Taesan’s brows furrowed.
“Isn’t that the martial art used by that lecherous scoundrel?”
Indeed, Flower Moon Art was the technique of the infamous Flower Moon Demon. But the Needle Master didn’t flinch. So what?
A good martial art was valuable regardless of its origin.
“I stumbled upon it by chance. A truly excellent technique.”
The Flower Moon Demon had once survived an encounter with the Heavenly Steel Sword Corps of the Namgung Clan.
Surviving that battle alone was a testament to its power.
The Needle Master glanced at Byeok Taesan, awaiting his reaction.
“So, you had ulterior motives. Flower Moon Art isn’t something one can master with mere training, is it?”
“Of course not! Mastering such a profound technique requires effort. Having the maids assist me would merely expedite the process.”
Byeok Taesan couldn’t help but laugh.
He decided it was time to put the Needle Master in his place.
“I’ve been teaching them Spirit Wing Divine Art. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it.”
“Spirit Wing Divine Art?”
The Needle Master’s eyes widened.
“Surely, you don’t mean that Spirit Wing Divine Art! If you’re bluffing with some similarly named trivial technique, you should prepare yourself!”
“I don’t know what you think, but this is the same Spirit Wing Divine Art once used by the Spirit Wing Divine Lord.”
“Impossible! That art was lost over a century ago!”
The Spirit Wing Divine Art had disappeared after the Spirit Wing Divine Lord vanished.
But Byeok Taesan’s claim was true—the art was not lost but rather seized by the Demonic Cult.
“Believe what you want. Now, make your choice—Spirit Wing Divine Art or Flower Moon Art?”
The Needle Master fell silent.
Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of martial arts would choose Spirit Wing Divine Art without hesitation.
So, the Needle Master shifted his approach.
“I am a physician. My teachings revolve around medicine. Martial arts? They’re useful, but a physician must excel in healing to truly benefit the world. Don’t you agree?”
“It’s clear you’ve never reflected on your life choices, even once.”
Byeok Taesan abruptly extended his hand as he spoke.
Needle Master tensed up for a moment.
“What is this? Did he just disrupt my breathing? Me? By that brat?”
The moment Byeok Taesan reached out was remarkably precise.
Perhaps it was just an incredible coincidence. But for someone like him, a seasoned expert, to have his breathing disrupted meant that the tiniest of openings had been exploited in a split second.
Even if it was a coincidence, not just anyone could pull that off.
His wariness shot up sharply.
“What does this mean?”
“What else would it mean? Aren’t you going to check my pulse?”
“Ah… Pulse diagnosis. Yes, I should. Let’s see.”
Needle Master felt mildly irritated.
Nothing was going as he intended.
He lightly grabbed Byeok Taesan’s wrist.
First, he needed to examine him—to determine if the earlier incident was a fluke or skill.
The energy Needle Master emitted seeped into Byeok Taesan’s body.
Needle Master’s pulse diagnosis was entirely based on his internal energy, which was why it was so accurate and why his acupuncture skills were exceptional.
“No internal energy at all.”
It seemed it really was a coincidence.
If someone had mastered a profound martial art like the Spirit Whispering Technique, they couldn’t possibly lack internal energy, which meant they hadn’t trained in martial arts.
However, as the diagnosis continued, Needle Master realized he had been wrong from the start.
This person wasn’t unable to use martial arts.
He was someone who could never learn martial arts.
“Your body is completely wrecked.”
That was Needle Master’s conclusion after the pulse diagnosis was complete.
Byeok Taesan smirked and asked, “Really? That bad?”
“The major meridians are barely holding on, but most of the minor meridians are severed. The flow of energy is completely disrupted.”
“So, can it be treated?”
“Of course, it can. But it’ll take some effort. You’ll need to endure multiple acupuncture treatments.”
“That doesn’t sound like your ‘one-needle’ specialty.”
Needle Master grinned slyly.
“My single needle only comes out when I’m killing someone.”
Byeok Taesan calmly asked, “When you say you’ll treat me, you mean just the major meridians, right?”
“Obviously. To stabilize the minor meridians with needles, do you have any idea how many treatments that would require? And even if you fix one, another would sever due to prolonged strain. It would be an endless cycle. Why would I bother with that?”
Hearing this, Byeok Taesan glanced at the Heavenly Divine Healer.
“What do you think?”
The corners of the Heavenly Divine Healer’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan continued, “Your skills are superior.”
Needle Master’s expression twisted in displeasure.
“What did you just say?”
“I said that side has better medical skills. He claimed he could completely heal me in a few years.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! How could he do what I can’t?”
Byeok Taesan smirked and continued without skipping a beat.
“So, your martial skills fall short, and now your medical skills are inferior to. What do you have left to show?”
Needle Master’s face contorted in frustration.
There was only one thing left.
“I’ll show you strength.”
Byeok Taesan chuckled faintly.
“Can’t win with your head, so you’ll try taking it by force?”
Needle Master boldly declared, “What’s wrong with that? If you have treasure, you need the strength to protect it.”
Byeok Taesan nodded in agreement.
“That’s true. How about this, then?”
Needle Master eyed Byeok Taesan warily.
He had been played with up to now, and he wondered if he was about to fall into another trap.
“Let’s make a wager.”
“A wager?”
Needle Master’s eyes gleamed.
The suggestion confirmed the information Byeok Taesan had received from Hao Clan.
According to their findings, Needle Master had a particular fondness for wagers and was also known for always honoring the outcomes.
Although Needle Master won most wagers.
“You like wagers, don’t you?”
“It’s not that I like wagers; I prefer fair competition.”
“Then let’s do it.”
“Fine. But if I don’t like the terms, I won’t agree.”
“You’ll like it. And if you don’t, just say so—I’ll change it to whatever you prefer.”
“You’re just trying to mess with me, but I’ve got a condition. That man next to you has to be part of it too.”
“Oh? Coming on strong, are we?”
Byeok Taesan turned to the Heavenly Divine Healer.
“What do you think?”
“It’s disadvantageous to us. All he can wager is himself, but isn’t my medical skill superior?”
Needle Master’s face flushed red.
Seeing this, Byeok Taesan shook his head.
“Let’s just go with it. We only need to win anyway, right?”
His final remark was directed at Needle Master, who nodded emphatically.
“Exactly. Winning is all that matters.”
“Then why don’t you bet more? If winning is all that matters, you should go all in.”
“What else can I bet? My body is all I have.”
“Just your body? After all these years as a physician?”
“What else do I need? As long as I have my body, there’s nothing I can’t face.”
Byeok Taesan tapped his temple with his finger and said, “The real treasure isn’t your body; it’s what’s in your head. Bet your very soul. If you lose, your body and soul will belong to me. How about that?”
Needle Master let out a disbelieving laugh.
“What, are you asking for my undying loyalty or something?”
Byeok Taesan shook his head.
“I mean it literally. Bet your body and soul.”
“Fine. I’ll wager them.”
Byeok Taesan grinned as he revealed the terms of the wager.
“A straightforward one-on-one duel with me. How about that?”
Needle Master stared at Byeok Taesan in disbelief.
“You… have no intention of winning, do you?”
Byeok Taesan looked at Needle Master with an inscrutable gaze.
He had taken the bait.