The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 68: It’s All Mine

Hao Clan trackers pursued the trail left by the fleeing enemies and discovered a path leading to their hideout.

However, they hadn’t ventured further inside. Concerned about being discovered, they stopped their pursuit, set up surveillance around the area, and returned to report their findings.

After hearing the report, Byeok Taesan immediately made a decision.

“Alright, let’s go retrieve the remaining elixirs.”

As Byeok Taesan prepared to set off, Yeon Harin approached him.

She began by expressing her gratitude.

“Thank you so much for saving me. I feel like I’m always on the receiving end of your help.”

‘Huh? Always? Could it be that something like this happened before?’

He hadn’t done anything for her before, which could only mean that the real Byeok Taesan must have done something in the past.

Byeok Taesan casually threw out a suggestion that popped into his head.

“Once everything here is wrapped up, I’ll be heading back. Why don’t you wait and come with me?”

Yeon Harin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Really? Is that okay?”

“Well… I don’t see why not.”

Yeon Harin beamed with joy.

Watching her, Byeok Taesan quickly turned away and walked toward where the Hao Clan trackers stood.

As he walked, he replayed his words in his mind.

For some reason, he felt like what he’d said was out of character, but at the same time, it didn’t feel completely wrong. It left him with an odd feeling.

‘At my age, really.’

With a small chuckle, Byeok Taesan resumed walking. However, at that moment, he felt a peculiar gaze directed at him.

When he turned his head to identify the source, he saw an old man—the same one who had been engaged in a serious conversation with Yeon Harin earlier—staring at him with a strange look.

Byeok Taesan asked Yeon Harin.

“That old man you were talking to earlier, who is he?”

“Oh, that’s Elder Baek Li Jangcheon of the Baek Li Clan.”

Yeon Harin explained in detail about Baek Li Jangcheon, including how he had given her a recommendation letter.

After listening to everything, Byeok Taesan smirked.

“So, who’s supposed to write that recommendation letter?”

“Pardon? Well…”

Yeon Harin trailed off.

Now that she thought about it, there was no suitable person to send the letter.

Even with a recommendation letter, they couldn’t send just anyone. Whoever was sent would likely end up in a crucial position, as Baek Li Jangcheon had guaranteed the importance of the role. It had to be someone with significant skills or substantial experience. Alternatively, it had to be someone everyone would unanimously recognize as qualified.

For example, someone like the Yeon Manor Master.

But there was no way the Yeon Manor Master would abandon the Yeon Manor to join the Hubei Martial Alliance.

In truth, aside from the Yeon Manor Master, there was no one in the Yeon Manor with enough experience or ability. The most they could do was pin their hopes on Yeon Harin, who was considered one of the most promising talents in Yeon Manor’s history.

So, who should be entrusted with the letter?

“There’s no one suitable,” Yeon Harin said with a bitter smile.

“What do you mean, no one?” Byeok Taesan asked.

“My father wouldn’t go. That’s for certain,” she replied.

“And what about you?”

“Me? How could I possibly…?”

Byeok Taesan chuckled at her response. After glancing at Baek Li Jangcheon, he shifted his gaze back to Yeon Harin.

“That old man is aiming for you. It’s the perfect setup for him to create a justification.”

“Justification?”

“A justification to bring you into the Baek Li Clan.”

Yeon Harin’s expression stiffened. It was only then that the situation became clear in her mind.

If Yeon Harin were to take up an important position in the Hubei Martial Alliance through Baek Li Jangcheon’s recommendation, what would people say?

Naturally, they would assume that the Baek Li Clan had pulled strings to make it happen.

And for such claims to hold water, Yeon Harin would have to be an exceptionally important person to the Baek Li Clan. For example, someone like the fiancée of Baek Li Muryang, the clan’s successor.

“But everyone knows I’m already engaged to the Young Master,” she said, referring to Byeok Taesan.

“The truth doesn’t matter. What matters is turning the situation into reality,” Byeok Taesan replied.

Even though Yeon Harin wanted to dismiss the idea as ridiculous, Byeok Taesan’s words lingered in her mind.

“Then again, maybe it’s nothing,” he added nonchalantly, as if it didn’t concern him in the least.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, Byeok Taesan didn’t seem to care. He simply tossed out his thoughts and began walking toward where the Hao Clan trackers were stationed.

“Where do they get the nerve to set their sights on my things? How insolent.”

In any case, everything around him was his. He had no intention of letting anyone touch what belonged to him. Not in the past, not now.

Baek Li Jangcheon continued to observe Byeok Taesan closely.

In today’s battle, Byeok Taesan’s contributions had been nothing short of extraordinary.

‘Just his mere presence was enough to defeat the semi-reanimated corpses.’

No one could say how long the fight against the semi-reanimated corpses would drag on. But one thing was certain: the enemies were targeting the Hubei Martial Alliance.

Therefore, Byeok Taesan had to be kept in the Hubei Martial Alliance at all costs.

‘Still, isn’t he being a bit too blatant with his movements?’

What would the enemies think of the events that had just unfolded?

The answer was obvious—they would try to eliminate Byeok Taesan.

“Careless. Must be his youth.”

With abilities like his, Byeok Taesan should move with much greater caution. Of course, had he done so, the Hubei Martial Alliance might not have survived this crisis. But Byeok Taesan’s safety was far more critical, at least until a reliable method to deal with the semi-reanimated corpses was devised.

“Now, where is he heading off to?” Baek Li Jangcheon muttered, frowning as he watched Byeok Taesan’s movements.

He noticed that not only was Byeok Taesan leaving, but also the people who had come with him—and even Yeon Harin.

Baek Li Jangcheon scanned the surroundings.

The situation was slowly being wrapped up. Once everything was settled, the next step would be sending everyone to the Hubei Martial Alliance and contacting the various families to dispatch additional escorts.

Baek Li Jangcheon rose from his seat.

He called over the captain of the Hubei Martial Alliance Corps.

“Can I trust you to handle the rest?” he asked.

The captain’s eyes widened.

“Sir, shouldn’t you lead us?”

“I have somewhere I need to be. You’ll take everyone to the Hubei Martial Alliance. Once there, inform the General Secretary to contact the families and send at least three times the current number of escorts.”

“Understood. But where should I say you’ve gone, sir?”

Knowing the Hubei Martial Alliance Leader would undoubtedly ask, the captain wanted to be prepared with an answer.

“I have to protect that young man. And possibly a future family member as well.”

“Excuse me?”

The captain looked puzzled, but following Baek Li Jangcheon’s gaze, he noticed Byeok Taesan and Yeon Harin in the distance. Only then did he nod in understanding.

“Ah… I see what you mean.”

The captain’s gaze softened as he looked at Yeon Harin. The memory of her actions during the battle would undoubtedly stay with him for a long time.

Seeing this, Baek Li Jangcheon’s expression turned odd again.

‘Such a waste. Truly.’

Muttering to himself, Baek Li Jangcheon began to follow Byeok Taesan.

“Why’s that old man following us?”

At the Needle Master’s remark, the Heavenly Divine Healer glanced back.

Baek Li Jangcheon had broken away from the main group and was heading toward them.

“Young Master, what should we do?”

“Just leave him be.”

As soon as Byeok Taesan spoke, everyone lost interest in Baek Li Jangcheon.

Only Yeon Harin seemed concerned, frequently glancing back.

Then, she suddenly realized they weren’t heading toward the Hubei Martial Alliance.

“Where are we going? Aren’t we returning to the Hubei Martial Alliance?”

“Huh? Didn’t we tell you?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer turned to look at Yeon Harin, then shifted his gaze to Yoo Seoyeon beside her.

Yoo Seoyeon quickly whispered into Yeon Harin’s ear.

“Young Lady, we’re going to deal with the remnants.”

“The remnants?”

Yeon Harin’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns.

The remnants? That meant they were heading to the hideout of those dangerous attackers from before.

“How could we possibly know who’s waiting there before we go?”

“Besides, I’ve heard that even Baek Li Jangcheon might struggle to handle the experts present there.”

“Even if that guy is dealt with by Baek Li Jangcheon following behind us, what if there’s another expert of that level?”

“We’re supposed to go there by ourselves?”

The startled Yeon Harin was calmed by Yoo Seoyeon, who responded composedly.

“First, we’ll go and see for ourselves. If it seems beyond what we can handle, we’ll just leave.”

Yoo Seoyeon left out the words she was truly thinking.

‘Not that such a thing would happen.’

No matter how she considered it, she didn’t think they would lose.

Of course, it depended on who their opponent was, but the idea of Byeok Taesan being overwhelmed wasn’t even conceivable.

“But still…”

“Don’t worry too much. It’ll really be fine.”

Yoo Seoyeon spoke reassuringly, then glanced around at the others. Yeon Harin also looked at the rest of the group, following Yoo Seoyeon’s lead.

Everyone else seemed so composed that Yeon Harin felt foolish for panicking.

As her mind calmed, influenced by the surrounding atmosphere, her attention shifted to something else.

She was the Owner of the Golden Jade Pavilion.

She was someone Yeon Harin was seeing for the first time, and she was extremely beautiful. Moreover, her attire was noticeably different from the others.

“By the way, who is that person?”

“Ah… The Owner of the Golden Jade Pavilion… or rather, the Branch Leader of Hao Clan’s Yichang Division.”

“Hao Clan?”

At the mention of the Golden Jade Pavilion, Yeon Harin’s eyes narrowed, but they widened significantly at the words “Hao Clan’s Yichang Division Branch Leader.”

Now, she started to grasp the situation.

“So Hao Clan has been tracking the remnants, haven’t they?”

“That’s correct.”

Yeon Harin gave Byeok Taesan a look of renewed admiration.

“Our Young Master is truly impressive.”

Yoo Seoyeon almost commented that Yeon Harin must be viewing him with rose-colored glasses, but stopped herself. Upon reflection, it wasn’t unreasonable for Byeok Taesan to be considered impressive.

“But is it alright to just leave him like that? Shouldn’t we bring him along?”

Yeon Harin glanced behind them as she spoke.

Baek Li Jangcheon was still following them at the same distance as before.

It felt as if they should call him over, considering he could have easily approached and asked where they were headed or suggested accompanying them.

However, none of the group seemed to care. Only Yeon Harin continued to be bothered by it.

As she kept glancing at Baek Li Jangcheon, the Heavenly Divine Healer approached her and spoke quietly.

“Just leave him be. That old man is planning to butt in later and act like he saved the day.”

“What? No way.”

“And besides, we’re almost there.”

At those words, Yeon Harin turned to look ahead.

In the distance, a man who seemed to belong to the Hao Clan was approaching quietly.

“So, somewhere inside there, right?”

“Yes. I couldn’t go any further in.”

The location Hao Clan’s scout indicated was the entrance to a small forest.

There were sparse trees, and large boulders were scattered throughout. The rocks obstructed the view, making it hard to see further.

The scout from Hao Clan had reached the limit of how close he could get without being noticed.

“They haven’t moved elsewhere, have they?”

“No, they’re definitely in there.”

As Byeok Taesan stared intently at the scout, the Owner of the Golden Jade Pavilion added an explanation from the side.

“It’s a kind of sensing ability. It’s not a true aura detection but rather a special sense developed through years of training.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go in.”

Without hesitation, Byeok Taesan stepped into the forest.

The group hurriedly followed behind him.

Even Baek Li Jangcheon, who had been keeping his distance, quickly entered the forest after them.

Once they were inside, the scout’s skills became more apparent.

With remarkable expertise, the Hao Clan scout quickly traced the tracks and identified the path the enemy had taken.

Though their pace wasn’t particularly fast, they moved without needing to stop frequently.

Before long, they reached a rather large clearing surrounded by a wooden palisade.

Inside the palisade, several sturdy wooden buildings were visible.

“They’ve built quite a solid base here.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer muttered this as he approached the palisade.

There was no one guarding it, nor was there any visible entrance.

Though there might have been a gate if they walked along the palisade, Byeok Taesan had no intention of doing so.

What he did instead was glance over at Cheon Kyungwan.

Cheon Kyungwan stepped forward and drew his sword.

A sharp, intense aura formed along the blade.

Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!

Cheon Kyungwan’s sword cut through the tightly placed wooden stakes of the palisade as if slicing through tofu.

In an instant, he carved out an opening large enough for several people to walk through side by side.

Cheon Kyungwan ensured that the cut pieces of wood didn’t fall to the ground but carefully laid them down.

Byeok Taesan was the first to step inside, showing no concern for any potential danger. The others followed him, startled by his lack of hesitation.

Inside the palisade, it was eerily quiet.

It seemed that everyone was inside the buildings, as no one was outside.

As the group moved further in, people finally emerged from one of the buildings.

Two men appeared, neither of whom were Jiangshi. Instead, they were martial artists trained in martial arts.

Before Byeok Taesan could give any orders, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon sprang into action.

Each took on one of the men.

The surprised opponents hurriedly drew their weapons.

Clang! Thud!

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon deflected their blades with identical movements and drove their free hands into their opponents’ solar plexuses.

Both men collapsed to the ground, spitting blood.

“Gugh-aaack!”

Thud!

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon swiftly stomped on the necks of their fallen foes, rendering them unconscious as they collapsed face-first into their own pools of blood.

Watching this unfold, Yeon Harin was utterly astonished.

‘When did they get so strong?’

She had known Yoo Seoyeon for a long time. They had been close companions, one of the few people Yeon Harin could truly confide in.

And yet, in terms of martial arts, Yeon Harin had always been superior.

That was why she felt confident in sending Yoo Seoyeon as Byeok Taesan’s escort. Even without Yoo Seoyeon, Yeon Harin had felt capable of defending herself in Wuhan.

But now, Yoo Seoyeon was on an entirely different level, far beyond anything Yeon Harin could emulate.

As she stared in shock at Yoo Seoyeon, a low tutting sound came from beside her.

“Tch. They’ve grown sluggish. I knew I shouldn’t have brought them and just kept them training instead.”

At Byeok Taesan’s words, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon visibly trembled.

Yeon Harin flinched as she saw the fierce determination and desperation flash in their expressions and eyes.

‘What in the world happened?’

Her gaze darted between Yoo Seoyeon, Cheon Kyungwan, and Byeok Taesan, trying to piece together the situation.

Just then, more people began pouring out from the buildings.