The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 82: I Won’t Kill You

Chae Miryeong, the wife of Byeok Taesoo, had been on edge recently.

Of course, it was because of Byeok Taesan.

She hadn’t liked the idea of him going to the Hubei Martial Alliance from the beginning, but what came after was even more problematic.

Whatever he had done there, people from the Hubei Martial Alliance suddenly began visiting them incessantly.

And the proposals they brought were jaw-dropping, enough to turn the entire Golden Wall Merchants upside down.

Making money through a deal with the Hubei Martial Alliance wasn’t the issue.

In fact, the Golden Wall Merchants could easily earn vast amounts of money and grow without needing to trade with the Hubei Martial Alliance.

However, dealing with the Hubei Martial Alliance brought additional benefits.

For one, it built diverse and powerful connections.

The Hubei Martial Alliance was an organization of prominent martial clans from Hubei. Naturally, it could serve as a link to these clans.

Additionally, simply having significant dealings with the Hubei Martial Alliance provided a protective effect.

No one could recklessly touch the Golden Wall Merchants anymore.

Anyone who considered targeting them would have to factor in the possible retaliation from the Hubei Martial Alliance.

With such circumstances developing, it was inevitable for Chae Miryeong to feel on edge.

To make matters worse, some individuals began moving to curry favor with Byeok Taesan as soon as he returned, which irritated her even more.

While Chae Miryeong was stewing in her frustration, Byeok Cheonil came to visit.

“How did it go?”

As soon as he entered, Chae Miryeong asked urgently.

Byeok Cheonil’s expression was far from bright.

“The Leader has taken control of everything.”

Chae Miryeong’s eyes widened.

“Byeok Taesan relinquished all of it?”

“Yes.”

A sly smile crept onto Chae Miryeong’s lips.

“Then, perhaps we could push one of them toward our Jehyeok.”

Byeok Cheonil swallowed hard as he looked at her.

Chae Miryeong was someone who could indeed make that happen.

After all, she was the wife of Byeok Taesoo, the Leader of the Golden Wall Merchant.

“But the Leader has agreed to give one-tenth of the profits from this business venture to Byeok Taesan.”

“What did you say?”

Chae Miryeong’s eyes flared wide, and anger blazed within them.

Whose money was it, and yet it was being given to Byeok Taesan?

“What about entrusting the escort business to Byeok Taesan? That’s going well, isn’t it?”

Once again, Byeok Cheonil shook his head.

“Byeok Taesan declined.”

Chae Miryeong was taken aback.

“He declined? What is he thinking? Have you found anything out? There’s no way someone who managed to weave such ties with the Hubei Martial Alliance would turn it down without a reason.”

“We haven’t discovered anything yet…”

Chae Miryeong’s expression instantly turned icy.

“Find out.”

“Yes.”

“Use whatever means necessary to uncover everything. Who in the Hubei Martial Alliance is showing favor to Byeok Taesan, if someone is backing him, who that might be, whether he has any weaknesses, or if there’s anyone around him who might harbor resentment. I have to instruct you on every little thing, don’t I?”

Chae Miryeong’s flood of words left Byeok Cheonil pale and bowing his head slightly.

In response, Chae Miryeong spoke to him in a softer tone.

“Surely, that much effort should be enough to secure the position of the next Joseo Pavilion Head, don’t you think?”

Still bowing his head, Byeok Cheonil trembled slightly.

Ambition, fear, and humiliation mingled in a storm of emotions, fiercely stirring his heart.

After returning from the Hubei Martial Alliance, Byeok Taesan didn’t leave his room for two days.

He ate his meals in the room and even bathed there.

To others, it seemed as if he was thoroughly resting after the arduous trip.

But that wasn’t the case.

Byeok Taesan spent those two days calmly organizing everything he had gained from his trip to the Hubei Martial Alliance.

He also continued his training during that time.

Currently, he was deeply immersed in the Thousand Hidden Steps technique.

Starting from the basics again, he found the technique increasingly fascinating the more he practiced it.

Recently, he had started to suspect that the Thousand Hidden Steps might somehow be connected to the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.

Though he hadn’t uncovered anything concrete yet, he was certain there was a link.

This suspicion extended to other martial arts of the Demonic Cult.

For the past two days, he had been deeply pondering and analyzing this connection.

As a result, he had reached a certain degree of confidence.

The fundamental techniques of the Demonic Cult were, in some way, related to the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.

Of course, the “fundamental techniques” didn’t refer to the martial arts practiced by the low-level warriors of the Demonic Cult. These techniques were only given to those who commanded at least twenty people.

Even then, acquiring all the fundamental techniques required accomplishing significant feats in succession.

However, the Demonic Cult possessed far superior martial arts compared to these so-called “fundamental techniques,” which had grandiose names but were often overlooked.

Thus, even when these techniques were awarded as rewards, hardly anyone truly mastered them.

Byeok Taesan was one of the rare few who did.

But even he had acknowledged, while mastering them, that these techniques were nearly useless in actual combat.

Nevertheless, they greatly aided in training.

The Thousand Hidden Steps, for instance, simply practicing it properly helped to enhance the flow of qi and balance the body.

Most of the Demonic Cult’s fundamental techniques functioned in a similar way.

However, if these fundamental techniques were connected to the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, the narrative changed entirely.

Having organized his thoughts on the fundamental techniques, Byeok Taesan finally left his room.

The spiritual energy he had obtained at the sea was so exceptional that his healing process had accelerated.

At this rate, his body would return to perfect condition much sooner than expected.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

From then on, he planned to begin proper training to strengthen his mind, qi, and body.

Of course, he intended to take it slow and steady.

He had already resolved to live a quiet and peaceful life if given another chance at life.

He had experienced enough of life’s fierce struggles.

As soon as Byeok Taesan stepped out of his room, Hwaryeong approached him, as if she had been waiting.

She was not only Byeok Taesan’s attendant but also served as a contact for Hao Clan and managed his schedule.

Perhaps due to her experience, she handled these responsibilities exceptionally well.

“Young Master, you’ve come out,” Hwaryeong greeted him politely.

Byeok Taesan nodded in response.

Behind her, he could see other attendants bustling about, handling various tasks within the residence.

Byeok Taesan stroked his chin as he alternated his gaze between Hwaryeong and the other attendants.

Sensing something, Hwaryeong asked cautiously, “Is there something wrong?”

Byeok Taesan noticed something peculiar in the way Hwaryeong was looking at him, and she felt herself tensing slightly.

She had heard plenty of rumors about Byeok Taesan.

Even back when she was in Yichang, she had come across legendary tales about the man who had turned upside down the pleasure district of Wuhan and earned the nickname “Night King.”

These stories weren’t obtained through the Hao Clan’s intelligence network but were instead tales exchanged among courtesans.

In other words, Byeok Taesan was already a well-known figure among women in her line of work.

Having such a man look at her with an odd gaze—well, to say she didn’t feel a flicker of anticipation would be a lie.

“Now that I think about it, you were the tenth.”

Hwaryeong swallowed nervously, but she didn’t hear the words she was hoping for.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“Ah!”

Only then did Hwaryeong snap out of her daze and quickly composed her expression.

“Many guests came looking for you while you were resting, Young Master.”

“Guests?”

“Yes. As you instructed, I sent them all away with appropriate excuses.”

Byeok Taesan nodded approvingly, signaling for her to continue.

“First, the Patrol Leader of the Hubei Martial Alliance paid a visit. You are familiar with Seomun Deok, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Also, two physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion have come to see you more than three times each day. I suspect they will come again today.”

“And someone from the White Tiger Escort Agency stopped by as well.”

“White Tiger Escort Agency?”

The White Tiger Escort Agency was a secret organization of the Demonic Cult that Byeok Taesan had briefly utilized during the time he crushed the Zhongli Clan.

A slight smile tugged at Byeok Taesan’s lips.

“What do these people think they’re doing?”

The secret organizations of the Demonic Cult were forbidden from acting autonomously.

They were only allowed to execute specific orders assigned to them and could only undertake additional tasks with explicit instructions from the higher-ups.

Currently, however, no such orders had come from the Demonic Cult’s leadership.

Yet, they had acted of their own accord.

Noticing the shift in Byeok Taesan’s demeanor, Hwaryeong became even more tense.

“Why… Why are you like this, my lord?”

“It’s nothing. Continue. Are those all the visitors?”

“There were far more, but they were such insignificant people that I only compiled their affiliations and names.”

Saying this, Hwaryeong pulled out a long piece of paper from her sleeve and respectfully offered it to him.

The paper was filled with a dense list of names and organizations.

Byeok Taesan briefly skimmed through the document before tossing it aside.

Fwoosh!

Flames erupted suddenly, and in an instant, the paper turned to ash.

Hwaryeong’s eyes widened in shock, but she quickly masked her reaction.

“As for the estate you requested, I am in the process of finding a suitable one. Once a location is secured, I will move the assets stored in the Hao Clan to the estate immediately.”

Byeok Taesan nodded in approval.

Having capable people under one’s command made things so much more convenient. Even a casual remark was executed with precision.

“And the investigation you mentioned is underway. However, it’s quite extensive, so it will take some time.”

Byeok Taesan nodded again and spoke.

“We’ll handle everything step by step. For now, let’s meet the person from the White Tiger Escort Agency.”

Once again, a faint smile played on Byeok Taesan’s lips.

Hwaryeong felt an inexplicable fear creep over her. Without realizing it, she shuddered.

Lowering her head, she replied quickly, “I will bring them to you immediately.”

The person from the White Tiger Escort Agency was staying at an inn not far from the Golden Wall Merchants.

The inn was neither large nor small, and from what Hwaryeong had heard, the individual had been waiting there for ten days already in hopes of meeting Byeok Taesan.

When Byeok Taesan entered the inn, all eyes turned toward him.

The inn’s first floor had numerous tables arranged for casual dining, each table packed with patrons.

Though he didn’t know who they were, the atmosphere they exuded was enough for Byeok Taesan to discern what kind of people they were.

They carried the unmistakable air of the underworld.

Without hesitation, Byeok Taesan strode into the inn.

As he moved, someone hurriedly descended the stairs from the second floor.

The man approached Byeok Taesan and, with the utmost respect, clasped his hands in a martial salute.

“I am Ma Chung-sam, an Escort Captain of the White Tiger Escort Agency. It is an honor to meet you, Young Master.”

Byeok Taesan gave a slight nod and casually glanced around.

“Did you bring them here?”

“Yes, I did.”

As Ma Chung-sam responded, he cast a quick glance at Cheon Kyungwan, Yoo Seoyeon, and Hwaryeong, who had followed Byeok Taesan.

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon stood calmly, but Hwaryeong was not as composed—sweat trickled down her face.

Ma Chung-sam’s deep-set eyes briefly lingered on Hwaryeong before he cautiously addressed Byeok Taesan.

“I have prepared a separate space upstairs for you.”

Byeok Taesan nodded and began climbing the stairs.

Cheon Kyungwan, Yoo Seoyeon, and Hwaryeong quickly followed him.

However, just as they were about to ascend, several men who had been seated on the first floor suddenly stood and blocked the stairs.

“You’ll need to wait here for a moment.”

One of the men, his gaze cold, looked Cheon Kyungwan’s group up and down as he spoke.

“Our Escort Captain wishes to speak with the Young Master privately.”

Cheon Kyungwan replied evenly, “That’s your concern. We will follow the Young Master, so step aside.”

The men showed no intention of moving.

Cheon Kyungwan glanced up at Byeok Taesan, who was still climbing the stairs, entirely unbothered by the commotion below.

Without another word, Cheon Kyungwan took a step forward.

It was a clear sign that he intended to push through by force.

Yoo Seoyeon moved in sync with him.

The two acted as though they had planned it from the start, coordinating their movements flawlessly.

Smash!

Cheon Kyungwan and Yoo Seoyeon have been rapidly improving their skills recently. The mere thugs of the underworld were no match for them.

In an instant, all the men blocking their path were taken down.

But that was not the end of it.

The rest of the patrons on the first floor began to rise, and among them were individuals who appeared to be more than capable fighters.

Seeing this, Cheon Kyungwan’s eyes gleamed as he stood firmly in front of the stairs.

“You two should go ahead. The Young Master must not be kept waiting. I will join you shortly.”

Before Cheon Kyungwan had even finished speaking, Hwaryeong hurried up the stairs.

Yoo Seoyeon paused momentarily, gazing at Cheon Kyungwan, but he firmly shook his head.

She gave his shoulder a reassuring pat before heading up the stairs.

Cheon Kyungwan surveyed the approaching men.

None of them held weapons, as if they had made an agreement to fight barehanded.

He, too, had no intention of drawing his weapon.

“Since you come unarmed, I will not kill you.”

As he spoke, Cheon Kyungwan unleashed his unrestrained aura.

Boom!

A ferocious and overwhelming energy swept through the inn.

The advancing men hesitated momentarily, their steps faltering. But soon, their eyes gleamed with malice, and they rushed forward en masse.

Cheon Kyungwan was reminded of himself—not who he was now, but who he used to be during his training sessions with Yoo Seoyeon, sparring in countless mock battles.

Perhaps his younger self had worn the same fierce expression they did now.

A strange sense of kinship arose within him. But he had no intention of holding back.

A faint smile flickered across Cheon Kyungwan’s face before disappearing.

He clenched his fists tightly.

“I said I won’t kill you.”