The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life - Chapter 77

Chapter 77: Well, Good Job

Byeok Taesan strode forward and entered the water channel without hesitation.

The hideout was full of bandits who were gathered, drinking and carousing without a care in the world. None of them seemed to expect anyone would dare invade their base. As a result, there wasn’t even a single guard stationed at the entrance. If there had been, they wouldn’t have greeted Byeok Taesan’s group in such an unguarded state.

Following close behind Byeok Taesan, the rest of the group entered the hideout in a surge.

It was only then that some of the bandits noticed them, hastily rising from their spots.

“Who the hell are those guys?”

A few of the bandits started approaching Byeok Taesan. At the same time, the others, who had been drinking, put down their cups and reached for their weapons.

Watching them, Byeok Taesan casually addressed his group.

“Leave the bandits to yourselves. I’ve got one particular person to take care of.”

“Yes, leave it to us. Judging by the looks of them, they’re nothing special,” someone in the group replied.

The bandits’ skill levels were indeed abysmal.

Compared to the opponents they had faced earlier, these bandits were truly no threat. The ones before had unleashed explosive strength, their power and speed several times stronger than usual.

As Byeok Taesan’s group spread out and began attacking the bandits, the battle erupted.

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon moved like fish in water, overwhelming their enemies with ferocity.

Yeon Harin, too, charged at the bandits with murderous intent gleaming in her eyes.

The three of them were the most active and effective in the fight.

The Heavenly Divine Healer, on the other hand, was preoccupied tending to two physicians and could not participate properly. The Needle Master was busy protecting Byeok Taesan’s attendants.

Of course, some bandits rushed at Byeok Taesan himself. The sheer number of enemies guaranteed it.

However, since the rest of the group was so fiercely battling the bandits, only a few managed to make their way to Byeok Taesan.

And those few were swiftly knocked down by the casual swing of his hand.

Byeok Taesan steadily moved deeper into the hideout.

From inside one of the buildings, a flood of bandits came rushing out.

While Byeok Taesan had anticipated there would be more inside, he didn’t expect there to be this many left.

He had no intention of fighting each of these small fry individually. He left those to his group. For them, it would serve as decent training.

Though, of course, it wasn’t going to be much help to Cheon Kyungwan or Yoo Seoyeon.

Byeok Taesan dashed toward the charging bandits. In an instant, he was among them, weaving through their ranks like wind slipping between branches.

By the time the bandits realized he was there, he had already entered the building.

The bandits were taken aback by how quickly he disappeared.

Normally, they would have turned around and chased him back into the building. But in this case, they didn’t need to.

They simply shifted their focus to Byeok Taesan’s group, who were wreaking havoc outside. With loud shouts, they charged.

“Kill everyone except the women!”

“That’s what the Elder wants!”

The mention of the “Elder” caused the bandits to fight with even greater ferocity.

They threw themselves into the fray without hesitation, turning the battle into something far more intense and perilous.

Inside the building, Byeok Taesan no longer hurried.

With all the bandits outside, he could now take his time and deal with what he wanted at his own pace.

The structure was a three-story building, crudely constructed with loosely woven bamboo. From the first floor, he could see straight up to the third.

At the very top, only one person remained.

That man stood on the third floor, watching the battle unfold between the bandits and Byeok Taesan’s group.

He didn’t even glance in Byeok Taesan’s direction, as if to deliberately ignore him.

Byeok Taesan smirked and headed toward the stairs.

Slowly, he ascended.

Even as Byeok Taesan reached the third floor, the man didn’t move an inch. He simply continued watching the fight outside.

But Byeok Taesan could sense the tension radiating from him.

The man was extremely aware of Byeok Taesan.

If not, he would have already rushed out to join the battle.

Outside, Byeok Taesan’s group had the upper hand, tossing the bandits around like wolves tearing through a flock of sheep.

If the bandits here had also unleashed explosive strength like the earlier opponents, it would have been a completely different story.

The man observing the battle, Geok Yangdu, felt a pang of regret about this.

Using explosive strength shortened one’s lifespan significantly. It required selecting expendable individuals to sacrifice whenever the situation called for it.

As a result, they were vulnerable to these kinds of sudden attacks.

Geok Yangdu slowly turned to face Byeok Taesan.

“You must be Byeok Taesan.”

“And you are?”

“I’m Geok Yangdu. Ever heard of me?”

“Should I have?”

Geok Yangdu chuckled lightly.

“Well, it’s not necessary. It’s not like I’m one of the Ten Great Masters or the leader of some giant sect.”

Byeok Taesan’s eyes glimmered as he scrutinized Geok Yangdu.

Judging from the way he spoke, he didn’t seem to hold much regard for the Ten Great Masters or sect leaders.

Although he had concealed it well, the faint aura Geok Yangdu exuded was far from ordinary.

“Well… seems like you’re not someone to underestimate.”

At this level, he wouldn’t be intimidated by the Ten Great Masters or a sect leader.

And if he was this skilled, he must have made a name for himself in the martial arts world.

Yet his name was unfamiliar.

Byeok Taesan tilted his head slightly.

“Is your name all there is to you?”

“I don’t have a nickname. I don’t like wandering around making myself known.”

He looked to be only a little over forty.

“For someone like you, it wouldn’t have been easy to live quietly under the radar. That’s unusual.”

Geok Yangdu didn’t respond.

Byeok Taesan wasn’t particularly expecting an answer anyway.

“Anyway, tell me about your group. What exactly are you people?”

“We’re Nameless.”

“Nameless? As in, you don’t have a name? Or you just don’t know it?”

Geok Yangdu shook his head.

“We’re called Nameless because we don’t need a name.”

“Don’t need one?”

Byeok Taesan’s expression grew curious.

A name represents a group’s identity. To not need a name—what could that imply?

“Well, at least you’re not like those dogs who mindlessly follow orders without knowing anything.”

Geok Yangdu looked at Byeok Taesan indifferently.

“No, I am a dog. That’s how I was raised and how I live.”

“But you’re a dog that knows quite a bit, I’d wager.”

“Not that it matters. You won’t be able to learn anything.”

Geok Yangdu spoke calmly, his gaze fixed on Byeok Taesan. His eyes slowly moved, scanning him from head to toe.

He was assessing Byeok Taesan’s strength.

After several moments of scrutiny, Geok Yangdu shook his head.

“I can’t figure you out. You’re a strange one.”

Byeok Taesan grinned.

“To me, you’re the strange one.”

Geok Yangdu took a step toward Byeok Taesan, and in that instant, a powerful aura surged from his body.

The intense energy, like a crashing wave, swept toward Byeok Taesan and brushed past him.

Geok Yangdu’s expression hardened.

“Even after sending my energy your way, I can’t gauge your strength.”

This left two possibilities: either the opponent’s skill level was so high that it was beyond comprehension, or they possessed abilities specialized in concealing themselves—like assassins trained in secretive organizations.

But to Geok Yangdu, Byeok Taesan seemed different.

He didn’t appear to be someone adept at hiding his presence or strength.

In fact, he had openly displayed his power and presence on his way here.

That left the other possibility—that his strength was far superior, making it impossible to assess. Yet, even that didn’t seem quite right.

Geok Yangdu had faced opponents far stronger than himself many times before.

But Byeok Taesan was different, in some inexplicable way.

‘He seems strong, yet not… How peculiar.’

As Geok Yangdu pondered this, Byeok Taesan flicked his fingers.

“Let’s finish this quickly. I’ve got plenty of things to do.”

After all, he still needed to take his elixirs.

Geok Yangdu nodded and drew the sword hanging at his waist.

Swoosh!

As soon as he unsheathed his sword, he swung it wide. A sharp crescent-shaped sword aura carved its trajectory through the air and spread forward.

Byeok Taesan leaned his body back as far as he could when the sword aura came within a hair’s breadth of his face.

The sword aura skimmed past the spot where his neck had been moments before.

As soon as Geok Yangdu released the sword aura, he anticipated that Byeok Taesan would dodge like that. Without hesitation, he launched himself forward.

Then, he swung his sword low, aiming to sweep at Byeok Taesan’s lower body.

It was an attack aimed at the spot that would be the hardest to evade in such a stance.

In that instant, Byeok Taesan’s feet lifted off the ground.

Geok Yangdu’s eyes widened as his sword slashed through the space where Byeok Taesan’s knees should have been.

Byeok Taesan, who had already leaned his upper body back, simply raised his legs, positioning himself as though lying in midair.

Normally, anyone in that position would have fallen and rolled to the ground. But Byeok Taesan twisted his body midair, regaining balance and landing lightly.

At the same time, he used the rotational force of his body to swing his leg.

Whoosh!

Byeok Taesan’s foot grazed Geok Yangdu’s temple as it passed.

Despite being in an unstable stance from swinging his sword, Geok Yangdu tilted his head just enough to narrowly avoid the full force of the kick.

However, he couldn’t dodge it entirely—Byeok Taesan’s foot lightly brushed against him.

Blood splattered from Geok Yangdu’s eyes.

Even so, he didn’t blink so much. Twisting his body, he quickly threw a hidden dagger that he had been concealing in his sleeve.

Swish!

The dagger flew precisely toward Byeok Taesan’s blind spot. It was a calculated, masterful throw.

The dagger carried a potent and subtle energy, imbued into it long before the throw. From the moment the battle began, Geok Yangdu had been channeling energy into the dagger, masking it beneath the forceful energy of his sword aura.

Even at this moment, as he threw the dagger, Geok Yangdu radiated intense energy to disguise the dagger’s approach.

The moment the dagger left his hand, Geok Yangdu was convinced of his success. It was an instinct honed from countless battles—an intuition that had never failed him before.

Thud!

The dagger embedded itself into the wall.

Geok Yangdu stared at Byeok Taesan in disbelief.

Byeok Taesan was now standing right in front of him.

The dagger had pierced through what was merely an afterimage of Byeok Taesan and lodged itself in the wall.

“An afterimage technique?”

Reflexively, Geok Yangdu swung his sword. It was an automatic response, drilled into his body through endless repetition.

Whoosh!

His sword sliced through the air, tearing apart the space where Byeok Taesan had been a moment ago.

Byeok Taesan neutralized Geok Yangdu’s attack with just a single step forward.

Now standing right in front of Geok Yangdu, Byeok Taesan extended his palm lightly toward him.

Bang!

With a deafening crash, Geok Yangdu’s body was flung backward.

Thud! Crash, crash!

He smashed into a wall, then tumbled unceremoniously to the ground. Geok Yangdu staggered as he tried to stand back up.

Before he could fully rise, Byeok Taesan calmly walked over, swinging his hand effortlessly.

Slap!

The slap sent Geok Yangdu spinning half a turn in the air before he slammed head first into the ground, unconscious.

Byeok Taesan paused for a moment, catching his breath.

Then, with a refreshed expression, he broke into a grin.

“Now my body feels warmed up.”

Geok Yangdu had been a fairly strong opponent. Thanks to that, some of Byeok Taesan’s old combat instincts had begun to awaken.

In truth, the Heavenly Demon in his prime never fought in such a manner.

With the overwhelming power he accumulated through the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, there was never any need for such complicated combat. Just unleashing his strength would obliterate everything in his surroundings.

It had been so long since he’d fought like this that his memories of such battles were faint and distant.

“Is it because it’s been so long? This is actually quite fun.”

Muttering to himself, Byeok Taesan began heading downstairs.

It was now time to check on the semi-reanimated corpses.

Byeok Taesan carried the unconscious Geok Yangdu out of the building.

The battle with the bandits was nearing its end.

The bandits here were different from those who had set up the earlier trap.

The ones from the trap either fought recklessly to the death or, if they retreated, it was only to lead their pursuers into another trap. Whether this was because of desperation or some scheme by the organization known as “Nameless” remained unclear.

As a result, the bandits at the trap site had all been dealt with.

The ones here, however, showed no hesitation in fleeing once the situation turned against them.

Of course, they wouldn’t escape.

The Hao Clan, which had cleaned up the bandits at the trap, would be arriving here soon. There was no way they would let even a single bandit slip away.

Perhaps because of this, the battle here ended sooner than expected.

The group quickly rushed to Byeok Taesan as soon as the situation was resolved.

Byeok Taesan glanced over the group, first checking to see if anyone was injured.

Even as he checked, he found himself slightly amused.

‘Since when have I cared about things like this?’

During his time as the Heavenly Demon—and even before that—he had fought countless dangerous battles.

Many were fought alone, but more often than not, he led his subordinates into battle.

In those battles, injuries and deaths were commonplace.

Yet, as the Heavenly Demon, he had never once checked on his subordinates’ conditions after a battle.

He hadn’t cared.

The only time he ever showed interest in his subordinates’ well-being was after returning to the Demonic Cult. Even then, it was only to issue orders for their care—it was never something he personally oversaw.

But now, here he was, instinctively checking on his companions’ safety the moment they returned. The feeling was… strange.

“Hmm?”

Byeok Taesan frowned as he noticed a wound on Cheon Kyungwan’s shoulder. Looking around, he saw Yoo Seoyeon had a similar injury in the same place.

Fortunately, no one else appeared injured.

It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened. The two had likely overexerted themselves to protect the others from harm.

Byeok Taesan turned to the Heavenly Divine Healer and spoke.

“Treat them first.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer’s eyes widened.

Byeok Taesan casually tossed Geok Yangdu in front of him.

“And heal that guy too.”

Byeok Taesan turned and began walking away.

The group instinctively started following him, but Byeok Taesan stopped, turned, and gestured toward a nearby rock before sitting down.

“Let’s rest for a bit. It’s not like the semi-reanimated corpses are going anywhere.”

At his gesture, the Heavenly Divine Healer’s lips curled into a sly smile.

“In that case, please rest well. In the meantime, I’ll treat them with the utmost care.”

Grinning, the healer turned to Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.

The two visibly paled.

They could already sense that their training intensity would drastically increase after today.

Byeok Taesan briefly locked eyes with the two, then abruptly looked away and muttered.

“Well… you did well.”

The two froze, their eyes wide with disbelief.