The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 63
Chapter 63: Crossing the Ridge
Yeon Harin slowly opened her eyes.
She felt so refreshed. Her body was light and invigorated, as if she had been reborn.
She blinked a few times, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Then, all of a sudden, she jolted awake and looked around hurriedly.
This was Byeok Taesan’s room. She had come to find him last night.
And then…
Yeon Harin lowered her head deeply and began hitting her own head with her fists.
“You idiot, idiot, idiot, you fool!”
No matter how tense she had been all day, how could she just fall asleep after coming all the way here?
She truly remembered nothing. She could recall closing her eyes, and then when she opened them again, she was here.
Just in case, Yeon Harin examined her body. And then, she became even more despondent. Her clothes were exactly the same as they were before.
She had truly done nothing but sleep.
“What is this? Ugh.”
After berating herself for a while, Yeon Harin got up and cautiously opened the door.
It was already light outside, but it was still early dawn.
Byeok Taesan was nowhere to be seen.
Quietly, she returned to her room.
When she opened the door and stepped inside, she was so startled that she almost screamed.
Yoo Seoyeon was staring at her with wide eyes.
“What… what happened?”
It seemed she had stayed up all night waiting for her. Seeing that, Yeon Harin suddenly felt tears welling up.
“Why… Why are you crying? Are you in too much pain? That’s strange. Everyone said it felt amazing, but—ah, please forget I said that.”
Yeon Harin shook her head vigorously, her face crumpled in distress.
“No, that’s not it. I just… slept.”
“What?”
“I just slept. I fell asleep and didn’t do anything. Ugh.”
Yoo Seoyeon, watching Yeon Harin, felt a strange urge to laugh. But she knew she couldn’t laugh here.
Holding back her laughter, she gently embraced Yeon Harin.
“It’s fine. You’ll have another chance.”
Still in Yoo Seoyeon’s arms, Yeon Harin raised her head and looked at her face.
“But why are you smiling?”
Yeon Harin pouted her lips.
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
Yoo Seoyeon hugged Yeon Harin tighter.
“Of course not.”
It wasn’t teasing—it was because Yeon Harin was simply too adorable.
Come to think of it, Yeon Harin’s face seemed to shine even brighter today.
Was it because her actions were so endearing?
Byeok Taesan was already at the training hall at dawn.
Calling Yeon Harin to his room last night had been an excellent decision.
Yeon Harin, compared to Soso, was an even more stable possessor of a spirit.
Throughout the process of absorbing Yeon Harin’s soul essence, she had done nothing but sleep soundly.
Byeok Taesan had drawn forth a vast and pure energy from Yeon Harin.
Unable to hold back any longer, he had immediately headed to the training hall.
Normally, he would have stayed in his room to work on refining the energy, but for some reason, he wanted to step outside today.
When Byeok Taesan wanted to do something, he simply did it.
Standing in the center of the training hall, Byeok Taesan calmly began to refine the energy.
This time, the energy he had obtained took the longest to process compared to any he had handled before.
Once the refining process was complete, a faint smile appeared on Byeok Taesan’s lips.
“I’ve crossed the ridge.”
The treatment for his qi pathways had finally reached a proper trajectory.
From now on, simply training consistently would gradually heal them.
There was no longer any need to extract others’ spirits to repair his qi pathways.
Of course, that didn’t mean he planned to stop entirely.
He just wouldn’t obsess over it like before. Occasionally, if he came across a suitable spirit, extracting it once in a while would suffice.
Thinking this far, Byeok Taesan suddenly recalled something and clicked his tongue.
“Those half-dead ones really are the best, though…”
The half-dead corpses had been excellent sources of energy for him.
If he were to charge into a place teeming with them, take them all down, and immerse himself in the sea of intensified energy, he would accumulate high-quality energy in abundance.
Byeok Taesan shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
What was the point of longing for something he didn’t have? He could only do what was possible at the moment.
Having refined the energy, it was now time to train his body.
Byeok Taesan began walking slowly.
It was time to practice the Limitless Steps Technique.
Feeling rejuvenated, Byeok Taesan practiced the technique repeatedly until the sun rose high into the sky.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon grimaced deeply as they practiced the Limitless Steps technique.
Occasionally, groans of pain escaped their lips.
In truth, they had thought about skipping today’s training since Byeok Taesan hadn’t said much.
But that turned out to be impossible.
They were shocked. As the sun rose and the world became filled with yang energy, they suddenly felt like their entire bodies were being torn apart.
The sensation of the pain was all too familiar, and the two immediately knew its cause.
It was undoubtedly due to their training.
So, they rushed to the training hall.
But when they arrived, they saw Byeok Taesan practicing footwork slowly. Somehow, they felt that entering the hall wouldn’t end well, so they quickly retreated.
Instead, they chose an open field a bit away from their lodgings.
The fact that the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master were there was part of the reason for their choice.
In other words, as Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon trained, the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master were nearby with a few corpses.
“What are they doing?”
“Looks like they’re training.”
“Yeah, I thought so too. But why are they groaning like that?”
The Heavenly Divine Healer pondered for a moment before speaking.
“It’s probably best to pretend we didn’t see anything.”
“What? Why?”
“I have a feeling that if we show interest, we’ll have to do it too.”
“Us? Do that?”
The Needle Master’s eyes widened. He glanced at Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon before turning back to the Heavenly Divine Healer.
The Heavenly Divine Healer’s expression was serious and somber.
The Needle Master immediately dropped all interest.
“That black orb you used back when we fought—can you tell me what it was?”
“It was a kind of spirit pill.”
“A spirit pill?”
“It has the effect of invigorating energy.”
“Such a precious item was used?”
The Needle Master’s eyes widened in astonishment. He also understood why those who inhaled that smoke had collapsed so easily.
“It disrupted their balance.”
“Exactly. Honestly, I wasn’t certain at the time, but it worked out.”
The Needle Master, thinking for a moment, spoke.
“So when dealing with them, disrupting their balance is key.”
“But that’s easier said than done.”
“True, it’s not like those valuable spirit pills can be made endlessly.”
“Besides the cost, the ingredients are difficult to obtain. It seems that rare ingredients played a crucial role in disrupting their balance.”
“So just causing energy disruption won’t always work.”
“That’s right.”
“Then we just need to either match the exact effect… or find a similar method to replicate it.”
“Easier said than done.”
The Needle Master stroked his chin with a meaningful expression.
“Or maybe… finding the answer might be simpler than we think.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ask the Young Master for help.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer frowned.
“Do you really think he’d give us an answer?”
“That day, you saw it too, didn’t you? The sight of these guys collapsing the moment they got near the Young Master. It’s clear that some special power the Young Master has is disrupting their balance.”
“Let’s just have you ask him about it.”
“What? You’re closer to him than I am. It’d be much more effective if you asked.”
“What does that matter? This kind of thing is your job. I’m just here to run errands. If you buy me drinks, I drink; if you buy me food, I eat. Isn’t that how it works?”
“Stop barking and just talk.”
“Barking? How could you use such a lowly expression?”
“It means you’re spouting nonsense. Let’s settle this fairly with our fists.”
“Are you joking? Everyone knows your martial arts are better than mine.”
While the two were bickering like this, Byeok Taesan appeared.
“So, you were both here.”
At Byeok Taesan’s arrival, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master immediately fell silent.
“What’s this? Why do you both suddenly look so cautious? Did you cause another problem?”
“Who’s being cautious? This is just our humble way of expressing our utmost respect for the Young Master.”
Byeok Taesan chuckled and approached the two.
“Made any progress?”
“Well… there’s something we need to tell you.”
The Heavenly Divine Healer started to speak. When Byeok Taesan looked at him, he quickly turned his head and gestured to the Needle Master.
“My senior here has something to report to the Young Master.”
The Needle Master’s face twisted into a grimace. He glared at the Heavenly Divine Healer, but the healer only kept his eyes on Byeok Taesan, plastering a sycophantic smile on his face.
“Is that so? What is it? I’m in a fairly good mood today, so I’ll hear you out.”
The Needle Master’s eyes widened. Come to think of it, Byeok Taesan’s face seemed unusually radiant today. His complexion was glowing, and the faintly sickly aura that had lingered around him before had completely vanished.
“Young Master, I’d like to disrupt these creatures’ balance through martial arts. Would you be willing to assist?”
A slight smirk appeared on Byeok Taesan’s lips.
“So… you’re asking me to share my martial arts?”
The Needle Master frantically waved his hands in denial.
“No, no, absolutely not! I only meant to ask if you might have a way to break their coordination.”
Byeok Taesan grinned widely.
“I know. I was just joking. I’m in a good mood today.”
The Needle Master muttered internally.
‘If he jokes like that again, my heart might stop and kill me. Damn it.’
Of course, outwardly, he tried his best to mimic the Heavenly Divine Healer’s fawning smile, exuding as much respect and awe as he could muster.
“Don’t do that.”
“Pardon?”
“I said don’t. I’ll handle it.”
“Pardon?”
“When those things appear, I’ll run over and deal with them myself.”
“Why would you go out of your way… to handle such a troublesome task?”
Byeok Taesan grinned.
“Giving up an elixir just because it’s inconvenient isn’t an option, is it? I’ll need the elixirs for the time being, so I’ll take care of it myself. Instead, figure out a way to endure while fighting these things. They must have some kind of weakness, right?”
“Well… I suppose that’s true.”
“Then that’s settled. What are you waiting for? Go find the Alliance Leader already.”
The two left the area, looking dazed.
Byeok Taesan slowly turned and looked at Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.
“How is it? A pretty entertaining training, isn’t it?”
Crack!
Both of them ground their teeth at the same time. The sound was so loud it echoed like thunder.
Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon startled themselves with their actions. Then, nervously, they gauged Byeok Taesan’s reaction.
“Seems like you’re getting used to it? I guess I can make it a bit heavier.”
Their eyes widened in shock, as if about to tear apart.
What on earth was he planning to do with such a statement?
“Oh, by the way, Harin said she’s leaving today. What about you? If you want, you can follow her.”
At Byeok Taesan’s words, Yoo Seoyeon’s eyes grew large. She hesitated, looking back and forth between Cheon Kyungwan and Byeok Taesan. Her gaze wavered with inner conflict.
“When… When will the Young Master return?”
Yoo Seoyeon asked while suppressing her pain.
“Well, let’s see. At least ten more days, I’d say. Maybe longer, depending on what comes up.”
He was convinced that there would be more benefits in Yichang. He intended to find and consume these half-dead corpses, then identify the location of the next ones. This would take considerable time.
“This training… would it be impossible for me to do it alone?”
“You can do it. And you can even stop whenever you want.”
Yoo Seoyeon’s eyes widened again. If that was the case, why was she in this situation now?
Not only her, but even Cheon Kyungwan’s expression shook uncontrollably.
“Which do you think is more effective? Doing it alone or following my guidance? Think about it and decide. If you’ve made up your mind, come find me. I’ll send you off anytime.”
Leaving those words, Byeok Taesan walked away.
Yoo Seoyeon and Cheon Kyungwan continued training in the Limitless Steps after that. Their expressions were endlessly complicated.
“The Young prodigies have left.”
At the general secretary’s report, the Alliance Leader nodded. A hint of concern was visible on his face.
“You’ve made all the necessary preparations?”
“I’ve selected the best warriors available to accompany them. I also advised the Young Prodigies to group together if their paths overlapped.”
“Did they accept that advice? They’re prideful, so I was a bit worried.”
“They seemed inclined to accept.”
“Is that so? Judging by your expression, it went smoother than expected?”
“The Young Lady of the Yeon Manor played a significant role.”
“The Yeon Manor? You mean Yeon Harin?”
“Yes. As soon as we made the suggestion, the Young Prodigies whose routes aligned with the Yeon Manor’s expressed delight. Thanks to her, things were resolved smoothly.”
“That’s a relief. Still… there won’t be any issues, right?”
“Yes. Everything should be fine. Please don’t worry too much. The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master have already identified several ways to deal with those creatures.”
“You’ve made sure everyone knows?”
“We’ve explained it multiple times. Our warriors have fully memorized it, and the warriors from the other families have also taken it seriously.”
The reputation of the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master carried enough weight that no one could afford to take their words lightly.
Even so, Baek Liyeop couldn’t shake his unease.
“I don’t know why, but I just can’t shake this ominous feeling.”
Baek Liyeop suppressed his rising anxiety and looked up at the sky.
The sky was filled with thick clouds.
Seeing it only deepened his foreboding.