The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 57

Chapter 57 I Want to Live Peacefully

Byeok Taesan slowly opened his eyes.

Today, two more incompetent physicians had been brought to him, their spirits burned away.

According to the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master, they were supposed to be decent physicians, but he wasn’t satisfied at all.

Still, those two who had suffered at his hands today were lucky in a way.

When the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art burned the impurities from their souls—essentially cleansing them—it significantly helped them improve in the medical arts.

Of course, this was based on the assumption that they would dedicate themselves to studying and improving their skills.

If they simply returned to their old ways, they would revert to their previous state in no time.

Byeok Taesan, having treated his meridians using the spiritual energy absorbed from today’s physicians, suddenly recalled a question the Needle Master had asked yesterday.

When asked why he was so interested in this matter, he replied with a dismissive “Just because.” While that answer was mostly true, it wasn’t the whole story.

‘Not that I could admit it was because it reminded me of the old days.’

From the moment he accepted the request regarding the Black Iron Workshop, memories of the past had surfaced.

‘Honestly, it wasn’t like me, but… so what?’

He did what he wanted to do. That was all there was to it.

Still, thoughts of the past had stirred him more than he expected. Along the way, he had even recalled Poison Demon.

Poison Demon feared no one in the world except the Heavenly Demon.

Of course, that wasn’t a widely known fact.

It was also not well known that Poison Demon had many disciples.

In truth, Poison Demon cultivated an air of mystery, earning a semi-mythical reputation among people.

But he was, in reality, a highly eccentric individual.

For one, he didn’t discriminate between men and women in his intimate pursuits—beauty was his only criterion.

Furthermore, he rarely handled things personally, instead relying on his disciples to do almost everything for him.

He didn’t even feed himself.

The real issue, though, was that when he did act out, he spared no one.

No matter how skilled his opponent, dealing with Poison Demon was an unsettling prospect.

He was universally acknowledged as the foremost poison expert in the world.

When he truly went on a rampage, not only the target but everyone nearby suffered—often with devastating consequences.

Knowing this, it was no surprise that renowned experts of the martial world preferred to avoid him entirely.

But eventually, the Poison Demon encountered someone he couldn’t handle: the Heavenly Demon.

A faint smile appeared on Byeok Taesan’s lips as he reminisced.

Poison Demon’s first mistake was failing to recognize his opponent as the Heavenly Demon.

Even Poison Demon wouldn’t dare act recklessly toward the Heavenly Demon. If he had known, he wouldn’t have met such a fate.

Facing the leader of the Martial Alliance might have been a better outcome for him.

His second mistake was not realizing sooner that his poison didn’t work on his opponent.

The Soul Augmenting Demonic Art burns souls and impurities alike.

If it could incinerate a soul, what chance did poison have?

Those who mastered the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art became immune to all poisons.

While Byeok Taesan had gained new insights into the art since then, one thing remained unchanged: poisons had no effect on him.

Poison Demon was forced to follow the Heavenly Demon for a month.

Not by choice—he had begged to follow him.

“That was amusing back then.”

During that month, Poison Demon had to divulge one poison recipe every day.

Joining him at the time were Blood Physician and Bloodletting Demon, both of whom possessed substantial knowledge about poisons, though not as much as Poison Demon.

Poison Demon had no choice but to reveal poisons that were entirely unknown to the other two.

It was only a month, but everyday Poison Demon racked his brain over which poison to share next.

The two knew almost every common poison, so Poison Demon had to reveal those he had personally developed.

One of the poisons shared with the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master recently had come from that time.

Byeok Taesan found it fascinating.

He hadn’t intentionally committed those recipes to memory, having only overheard them back then.

He hadn’t paid much attention at the time and had forgotten them immediately.

But recalling those moments, everything became crystal clear—the conversations, Poison Demon’s expressions as he spoke, and even the intricate details of the recipes.

This clarity had allowed him to share those complex poison recipes so precisely.

Still, he was curious. What had happened to the Poison Demon?

The last time he had seen him was three years before his death, during his final excursion before devoting himself entirely to the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.

At that time, Poison Demon hadn’t changed at all.

He still treated his disciples like slaves, remained a deviant, and even his appearance was the same.

Of course, his attitude toward the Heavenly Demon had undergone a significant shift.

Looking back, nothing seemed amiss. Poison Demon seemed destined to live many more decades.

Normally, Byeok Taesan wouldn’t have been curious over such a matter.

But he wasn’t just the Heavenly Demon anymore—he was also Byeok Taesan.

And he found himself extremely curious.

Accepting this change in himself, Byeok Taesan rose from his seat, his thoughts and spiritual energy now organized.

As he stepped outside, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon approached him eagerly.

“Where is Yeon Harin?”

At his question, Yoo Seoyeon’s face brightened as she replied, “She went to the martial arts gathering. Shall I bring her back?”

Yoo Seoyeon was delighted that Byeok Taesan had even inquired about Yeon Harin.

She had long been distressed by his lack of attention toward her, but now it seemed her persistence was slowly paying off.

With hopeful eyes, she looked at Byeok Taesan, who answered bluntly.

“Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why would you disturb her when she’s busy at a gathering? Leave her be.”

Yoo Seoyeon stared blankly at him, unsure of how to respond. Byeok Taesan, unconcerned with her reaction, simply continued walking.

Cheon Kyungwan quickly caught up with him and asked, “Are you going out?”

Byeok Taesan nodded.

“The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master?”

“They went to see the Alliance Leader. They’ll likely remain occupied for some time.”

Of course, those two had their hands full now. They needed to treat the poisoned individuals and detoxify those who had completed the process.

Since each case was unique, they would have their work cut out for them.

As Byeok Taesan exited the lodging, he noticed three maids watching him intently from a distance, their eyes brimming with eagerness.

He was about to leave but felt compelled to address them.

“Focus on your training.”

The three women nodded enthusiastically and marched resolutely toward the training hall.

As he left, Byeok Taesan chuckled softly to himself.

“Hah, what a sight…”

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, following behind him, briefly exchanged warm smiles before falling silent once more.

—

Byeok Taesan strode through the bustling streets of Yichang.

Following closely, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon grew uneasy.

They exchanged glances, having a silent conversation with their eyes.

In the end, Cheon Kyungwan lost the exchange and cautiously called out, “Uh… Young Master.”

Byeok Taesan didn’t stop walking or turn his head.

“What?”

“May I ask where you’re headed?”

“Golden Jade Pavilion.”

“Golden Jade Pavilion? Isn’t that a brothel?”

Byeok Taesan nodded.

“I heard it’s the largest one in Yichang.”

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon’s faces darkened.

It was unexpected for them to end up heading to a courtesan house even after coming all this way.

“The sun is still high in the sky. I doubt they’ve opened for business yet…”

“What does that matter?”

Byeok Taesan said this and widened his stride, walking briskly ahead.

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon exchanged glances before quickly following behind him.

Before long, they arrived at Golden Jade Pavilion.

As the largest courtesan house in Yichang, its scale was truly impressive.

A massive estate surrounded by high walls loomed before them, with a signboard bearing the name Golden Jade Pavilion hanging on its main gate.

Without hesitation, Byeok Taesan opened the main gate and strode in.

There was no one stationed outside the gate, but upon entering, they found men scattered throughout the area. Judging by their appearance, they were martial artists of the underworld.

Any poorly skilled martial artist who tried something foolish here would likely find themselves overpowered without even having a chance to resist.

The positions occupied by the martial artists were cleverly chosen, and Byeok Taesan noted the faint flow of qi connecting them.

It was an intricate formation, a skillful combat array of considerable quality.

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, who had followed him inside, felt the unusual atmosphere and sharply surveyed their surroundings.

“There are still three more hours before we begin operations. Please come back later.”

One of the martial artists stepped forward and spoke politely. He appeared to be the central figure, as the flow of qi from the others converged most prominently with him.

It seemed that one of the functions of the formation was to transfer a portion of the others’ internal energy to this individual.

“I’m not here for the women. Is the Owner of White Flower House here?”

At Byeok Taesan’s question, the martial artist replied respectfully.

“This is the Golden Jade Pavilion. If you are looking for the Owner of White Flower House, wouldn’t it make more sense to visit White Flower House?”

It was true that the Owner of White Flower House had come from Wuhan, and she held a fairly high position.

There were also plenty of aimless men who came looking for her under similar pretenses.

Some were from prominent families, so the martial artist remained unshaken, even though Byeok Taesan had brought along two bodyguards.

“The Hao Clan truly isn’t what it used to be.”

The martial artist’s expression shifted sharply at Byeok Taesan’s words. This man had come here knowing that this place was affiliated with the Hao Clan.

The martial artist bowed his head respectfully.

“Please wait a moment. I will send word inside.”

Byeok Taesan smirked.

“Wait? Why would I wait? The one in need should come looking. I’ll leave, so tell her to find me later if they want.”

Having said that, Byeok Taesan turned coldly and began to walk away.

The martial artist, flustered, tried to stop him, but before he could even extend his hand, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon stepped in, blocking his path with a fierce presence.

“Ugh!”

The martial artist froze in place, unable to move from the posture of reaching out his hand.

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon turned slowly and left the premises, maintaining their intimidating aura until they were completely outside.

The martial artist, still rigid in his position, staggered and came to his senses only after they had gone.

Hurriedly, he ran inside.

“This place was affiliated with the Hao Clan, after all.”

Yoo Seoyeon spoke, glancing back at the now-distant Golden Jade Pavilion with curious eyes.

Cheon Kyungwan seemed to share her sentiment.

They already knew that White Flower House in Wuhan was a branch of the Hao Clan funded by the Golden Heavenly Alliance.

But seeing another Hao Clan branch here in Yichang was a novel experience for them.

The two stared at Byeok Taesan’s back with awe.

“Young Master, how did you know that was part of the Hao Clan?”

“How did I know? The Hao Clan told me themselves.”

“What?”

“Let’s just say I have my ways.”

As part of the deal for handing over the Shadowstep technique, Byeok Taesan had obtained information on all the Hao Clan branches scattered across the land.

If he intended to use the Hao Clan, it was only logical to know where they operated.

“Still, the Hao Clan’s standards have… significantly dropped.”

Byeok Taesan clicked his tongue as he muttered to himself.

During the time when he was the Heavenly Demon—more specifically, decades before his death—the Hao Clan’s intelligence network had rivaled that of the Demonic Cult.

While their focus differed slightly, the Demonic Cult had occasionally relied on the Hao Clan’s information.

If the Hao Clan of that time had been in charge, just the sight of Byeok Taesan approaching Golden Jade Pavilion would have been reported to the highest levels immediately.

By the time he set foot inside, they would have provided a proper reception.

“Should I… push them harder?”

Byeok Taesan muttered to himself but quickly shook his head with a faint smile.

What would be the point of such troublesome actions?

“I’ll just live a quiet life.”