The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 70: Stay Strong!

Baek Li Jangcheon found himself utterly baffled as he fought.

To be honest, the fight had tilted in his favor now. His opponent’s sword had started to waver.

It wasn’t an issue of physical strength or internal energy—it was a problem of the heart.

With all his comrades defeated and left to face this situation alone, it would have been strange for anyone not to falter.

Moreover, the added pressure of having others watching the fight from a short distance away only made things worse.

Even so, his opponent was still a considerable master, not someone easy to defeat.

Baek Li Jangcheon grew anxious as the others simply stood by, watching without offering help.

His frustration seeped into his swordplay, causing his blade to shake as well.

In the end, he found himself in the exact same state as his opponent.

To assess the situation coldly, Baek Li Jangcheon was just a fraction weaker than his opponent—a gap as thin as a sheet of paper.

However, in real combat, even a margin that small could determine life or death.

And so, Baek Li Jangcheon began to be pushed back, little by little.

‘What on earth are they doing? Why are they just standing there watching?!’

If only the Needle Master would throw even a single needle, the tide of this fight could shift dramatically.

But no, even that wasn’t happening. The absurdity of the situation was driving him mad.

Focused on the fight, Baek Li Jangcheon couldn’t clearly perceive what everyone else around him was doing.

That only made his frustration worse.

In truth, the others weren’t all just watching passively.

The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master were busy treating Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon, whose bodies were starting to break down.

Their conditions were severe enough that if they weren’t attended to immediately, they might suffer long-term consequences.

The two of them were doing everything they could to ensure their recovery.

Most of the others, however, hadn’t been injured at all.

This was largely thanks to Yeon Harin, whose skills had turned out to be much better than anticipated, allowing her to hold her own.

Additionally, the Heavenly Divine Healer had grown stronger compared to when he had first met Byeok Taesan. The Owner of the Golden Jade Pavilion and Hao Clan had also displayed remarkable cleverness, providing critical assistance in moments of danger.

Thanks to all of this, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon were the only ones injured.

And the two of them, being accustomed to injuries, were calmly receiving treatment.

The only thing on their minds was how their training would proceed after today.

Thus, at this very moment, the only person paying attention to Baek Li Jangcheon’s fight was Yeon Harin.

Yeon Harin wanted to help but knew she couldn’t. The level of Baek Li Jangcheon and his opponent was far too high—if she intervened, she might end up becoming a hindrance.

Meanwhile, Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon’s treatment was finally completed.

“If you’ve wrapped up, let’s go. There’s still a living one over there—grab him and bring him along.”

At Byeok Taesan’s words, Cheon Kyungwan instinctively moved, but the Needle Master, alarmed, stopped him and rushed off.

Before long, he returned, carrying the man whose vital points and blood vessels had been subdued, leaving him slumped and bleeding.

“Got him.”

Byeok Taesan nodded and spoke.

“Let’s go.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the group began walking away.

Yeon Harin was utterly flustered by the sight.

“W-we’re leaving? Just like this?”

She stammered, alternating her gaze between Byeok Taesan and Baek Li Jangcheon.

She couldn’t believe they were really going to leave Baek Li Jangcheon behind like this.

Byeok Taesan, noticing her reaction, seemed to recall something as he turned to glance in Baek Li Jangcheon’s direction.

Then, he shouted.

“Stay strong!”

Without further delay, he turned and resumed walking.

The others followed him without so much as a backward glance, leaving Yeon Harin torn between choices. After a moment of helplessly stomping her feet, she finally cast one last look at Baek Li Jangcheon before chasing after Byeok Taesan.

Baek Li Jangcheon was dumbfounded. What were they doing?

What were they planning to do if he ended up dead?

Especially when his chances of winning were steadily decreasing in this current state.

Although Baek Li Jangcheon felt desperate, he forced himself to calm down. Panic would only lead to death.

Just then, his opponent suddenly lost their balance.

Baek Li Jangcheon didn’t miss the opening and thrust his sword forward.

Thwack!

His blade pierced his opponent’s shoulder and thigh.

The momentum had shifted in his favor. From this point on, he only needed to endure to secure his victory.

Baek Li Jangcheon had caught a glimpse of the needle that had caused his opponent to falter—it was one of the Needle Master’s.

Despite everything, they had helped him after all.

As he swung his sword with vigor, Byeok Taesan’s final words echoed endlessly in Baek Li Jangcheon’s mind.

“Stay strong!”

He nearly coughed up blood in frustration.

—

“Do you think this is okay?”

Yeon Harin asked, looking concerned. Byeok Taesan, however, didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the Needle Master.

“You’re meddling unnecessarily.”

The Needle Master immediately lowered his head.

“I apologize. But if he were to die, things would become incredibly troublesome.”

“Well, I suppose that could happen.”

Hearing the exchange, Yeon Harin realized that the Needle Master must have done something to aid Baek Li Jangcheon.

She wanted to ask more questions but restrained herself.

A moment of silence followed, broken by the Owner of the Golden Jade Pavilion.

“I’ll send someone to investigate the area later.”

“Do as you wish.”

There likely wouldn’t be much left to find, but even a minor clue could prove invaluable in future investigations.

Once again, silence settled over the group.

Each member of the party was lost in their own thoughts.

Byeok Taesan was preoccupied with absorbing the energy he had gained today. It was so well-refined that it didn’t require much focus—simply activating the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art was enough.

He stored it in his weaker Qi pathways, letting it sit there without using it for healing. Even left as it was, it would provide excellent benefits.

“Indeed, semi-reanimated are the best elixirs.”

Such was the power of elixirs.

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon were replaying the day’s battle in their minds.

Realizations gained through actual combat always opened new paths. For the time being, focusing their training on embodying those lessons might be the best course of action.

Their gazes briefly landed on Byeok Taesan before shifting away.

Once they returned, they would have to resume that hellish training.

They regretted ever asking to learn the Limitless Step. If they could, they would go back in time and slap their past selves for suggesting it.

The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master were preoccupied with thoughts of the semi-reanimated corpse they had encountered.

They were on the verge of a breakthrough in understanding how to deal with such entities and focused most of their attention on capturing that elusive realization.

The two walked instinctively, sinking deeper into contemplation.

The Owner of the Golden Jade Pavilion and Hao Clan’s Tracker discussed the group’s next steps. Judging by their conversation, Hao Clan’s Tracker’s rank seemed fairly high.

After all, someone of low status likely wouldn’t have managed to survive the earlier fight unscathed. Both had played significant roles in the battle.

Lastly, Yeon Harin wore an incredibly complicated expression.

Her mind was just as tangled as her face suggested.

She hadn’t expected Byeok Taesan to be this strong.

She already knew he had partially treated his illness and that he possessed an impressive level of martial arts knowledge.

Only recently had she realized he had actually mastered some martial arts and that they weren’t weak by any means.

But today’s display had shattered all her preconceptions.

The opponent Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon had faced earlier had been a remarkable master—someone stronger than Baek Li Jangcheon.

It was already shocking to see Yoo Seoyeon fight so powerfully, but the way Byeok Taesan had effortlessly dealt with that formidable opponent left Yeon Harin reeling.

A fierce determination filled her eyes.

‘I can’t let this continue.’

This couldn’t go on. She didn’t want to be a burden to Byeok Taesan.

She needed to stand proudly at his side.

Yeon Harin glanced toward Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon.

She often saw them shivering in fear at the thought of their training.

Perhaps their relentless training was why they had grown so strong.

‘Should I ask to join them?’

Yeon Harin was deep in thought.

As they moved while lost in their respective thoughts, they found themselves nearing the place they had originally departed from.

At that moment, someone came running furiously from behind.

The commotion was so loud that it shattered everyone’s concentration despite the considerable distance.

Some of them turned their heads to look back.

“Ah, it’s that old man from earlier.”

At the Heavenly Divine Healer’s words, the rest of the group also turned to look back.

From far away, Baek Li Jangcheon was charging toward them, stomping the ground with enough force to make it quake.

With every step, he struck the ground with internal energy as if he was trying to break it.

Although his speed was faster than usual, the internal energy consumption was immense.

However, Baek Li Jangcheon paid no attention to the energy he was using. He had two reasons: he wanted to announce his presence and to catch up with Byeok Taesan as quickly as possible.

And perhaps, there was also a faint trace of intimidation mixed in.

It was as if he were shouting while running, “I’m angry!”

“Good grief, you should age gracefully,” the Heavenly Divine Healer remarked and glanced at the Needle Master.

“Why are you looking at me while saying such things?”

“Can’t I look at my brother’s face? I just felt like seeing it.”

“Why does it have to be while you’re saying someone should age gracefully?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer alternated his gaze between the Needle Master and Baek Li Jangcheon.

“That old man seems to be about your age, doesn’t he?”

“I’m older?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer widened his eyes and looked back and forth again between Baek Li Jangcheon and the Needle Master.

“He looks at least ten years older than you. Wow, my brother must have taken some great care of himself!”

“Do you think I’ve eaten more than you?”

“Ah, I’ve never taken any elixirs.”

“Not elixirs. Didn’t you live off something equivalent by indulging in the secrets of yin and yang?”

“Oh, stop framing me! If people hear that, they’ll get the wrong idea!”

The Needle Master grinned, satisfied at having delivered a rare comeback.

In the meantime, Baek Li Jangcheon had reached the group’s location.

“You…!”

As Baek Li Jangcheon began to speak, the Needle Master stepped forward.

“Was the help useful?”

For a moment, Baek Li Jangcheon lost his words. On reflection, if not for the Needle Master, he would have already been dead.

Baek Li Jangcheon took a moment to clasp his hands in a gesture of respect toward the Needle Master.

“Thank you for your help. I owe my life to you.”

“Living is what matters. A physician simply did his duty.”

At that moment, the Heavenly Divine Healer slyly interjected.

“Alright, now that everything’s resolved, let’s get going. We need to head back, finish things properly, and get some rest, don’t we?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master skillfully maneuvered the atmosphere and started dragging Baek Li Jangcheon along. Before Baek Li Jangcheon could react, they had already begun moving.

As the two of them led the way, they glanced back. When their eyes met Byeok Taesan’s, they smirked.

Their glimmering eyes seemed to plead, Make sure you praise us later.

The three of them took the lead and turned in the direction of a nearby tavern.

Yeon Harin watched the scene with admiration.

To resolve such a tense atmosphere with just a few words and bring everyone together like that—it wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Her gaze naturally shifted to Byeok Taesan.

‘Our Young Master is truly amazing.’

That’s why such incredible people followed him.

With renewed strength, Yeon Harin walked forward.

Behind her, Yoo Seoyeon covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled softly.

It had been a long time since she’d seen Yeon Harin looking so spirited.

The fight had been exhausting, and today’s remaining training would be even more grueling. Still, her mood was good.

A faint smile lingered on Yoo Seoyeon’s lips.

Seeing that, Cheon Kyungwan’s lips twitched upward for a moment before settling back down.

Meanwhile, Byeok Taesan silently stood amidst it all, watching Baek Li Jangcheon enter the tavern. He murmured to himself.

“It seems… it’s time to pluck one.”

•••

In an opulent room, there was a grand and luxurious bed.

On the bed, three naked women were entwined with a man.

The women’s faces were filled with ecstasy, but the man’s expression was so calm it bordered on cold.

From beyond the door, a voice could be heard.

“The operation in Yichang has ended in failure.”

“Failure?”

The man sat up and waved his hand. The women on the bed tumbled down to the floor.

Even on the floor, the women’s bodies writhed uncontrollably.

“Explain exactly how far we got and where it went wrong.”

“We succeeded in taking over the Black Iron Workshop, but everything afterward failed.”

The man wore an incredulous expression.

“After all that money, all we managed was the Black Iron Workshop? What about the semi-reanimated corpses we deployed?”

“All lost.”

“Idiots.”

The man clicked his tongue and stood up to dress as he asked.

“The loose ends?”

“All tied up. They won’t be able to trace it back to us.”

“Identify the exact cause. Reassess the second phase of the plan from the very beginning. One failure is enough.”

“We’ll proceed immediately.”

With that response, the presence outside the door disappeared.

Fully dressed, the man waved his hand toward the floor.

Shwaa!

The three women writhing on the floor instantly melted into pools of blood.

The blood seeped endlessly into the soles of the man’s feet.

As he absorbed the blood, a crimson gleam flickered in his eyes.

“Get stronger.”