The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 83: The Preparations Are Complete

Even as noisy commotion echoed from behind, Byeok Taesan continued ascending the stairs without so much as a flicker in his gaze.

Halfway up, Hwaryeong and Yoo Seoyeon caught up with him.

Ma Chung-sam, who was leading the way ahead of Byeok Taesan, took his calm demeanor as a given.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Hwaryeong suddenly moved closer to Byeok Taesan’s side.

She leaned in and whispered quietly into his ear.

“Young Master, it seems you should be cautious.”

Byeok Taesan glanced at her as if asking what she meant.

Hwaryeong’s expression was far from good.

Byeok Taesan stopped in his tracks.

Seeing this, Ma Chung-sam, who had been guiding them, also halted and turned to look at Byeok Taesan. There wasn’t a trace of doubt in Ma Chung-sam’s expression. His attitude clearly suggested that since Byeok Taesan had stopped, he would patiently wait until he decided to move again.

Byeok Taesan didn’t spare Ma Chung-sam a glance as he spoke.

“Lead me to a quiet room. I have something to say to this one.”

Ma Chung-sam bowed respectfully.

“The room I originally intended to bring you to is just such a place.”

Ma Chung-sam turned and resumed walking.

When they arrived at the room located at the very end of the hallway, Ma Chung-sam opened the door and stood aside respectfully.

Byeok Taesan entered the room, and Hwaryeong followed close behind.

Yoo Seoyeon tried to follow as well, but Ma Chung-sam blocked her path.

She instinctively looked toward Byeok Taesan.

When Byeok Taesan shook his head, Yoo Seoyeon stepped back.

After closing the door, Ma Chung-sam spoke to Yoo Seoyeon.

“Shouldn’t you step far enough back that you cannot hear the Young Master’s voice?”

“Oh! Of course.”

Yoo Seoyeon gave Ma Chung-sam a slightly surprised look before stepping away.

—

Inside the room, Byeok Taesan sat in the seat clearly prepared for him. It was positioned to allow him to overlook the entire room.

Hwaryeong spoke in a low voice.

“Young Master, I saw an image of a blade standing under a black sky from that man.”

“A blade under a black sky?”

“Yes.”

Byeok Taesan asked with a puzzled expression.

“And so?”

Hwaryeong replied in a serious tone.

“In my experience… That kind of image is often seen around martial artists affiliated with the Demonic Cult.”

“The Demonic Cult?”

“Yes. I cannot be entirely certain, but I suspect he’s a lower-level warrior.”

Byeok Taesan looked at Hwaryeong with intrigued eyes.

“So you’re saying lower-level warriors of the Demonic Cult carry an image of a blade under a black sky? How fascinating.”

Indeed, it was intriguing. At the same time, he found Hwaryeong’s abilities to be quite extraordinary.

The black sky symbolized the Demonic Cult, and the blade standing within it represented its leader, the Heavenly Demon.

The vision she described was an apt portrayal of the essence of the Demonic Cult’s warriors.

“But only lower-level warriors, you say?”

That part bothered him. Did this mean that as one’s rank rose, their inner state would differ?

“To be honest, I haven’t encountered many high-ranking figures from the Demonic Cult. But those I did see were all… somewhat different.”

Byeok Taesan nodded.

Hwaryeong’s tone lacked certainty, which was understandable. It wasn’t easy to even come across lower-level warriors of the Demonic Cult.

If anything, the fact that she had encountered such individuals often enough to develop related insights was remarkable in itself.

“Understood. Go and tell them to come in.”

Hwaryeong nodded resolutely.

“Yes, but… please be careful.”

She opened the door and stepped out. From afar, Ma Chung-sam and Yoo Seoyeon, who had been waiting, approached.

Ma Chung-sam entered first, while Yoo Seoyeon attempted to follow. However, this time, it was Hwaryeong who blocked her path.

“I think it’s better if we wait outside.”

Once again, Yoo Seoyeon looked toward Byeok Taesan.

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he shook his head.

With no choice, Yoo Seoyeon retreated with Hwaryeong to the spot where they had been waiting earlier.

A faint doubt flickered in her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. At this moment, trivial questions didn’t matter.

‘I hope today’s schedule drags on for a while.’

—

As soon as the door closed, Ma Chung-sam prostrated himself before Byeok Taesan.

“Once again, I greet you. Ma Chung-sam, at your service, Young Master.”

Ma Chung-sam was part of the Soaring Heaven Corps, a secretive unit of the Demonic Cult that operated covertly outside the cult.

Members of the Soaring Heaven Corps were forbidden from ever revealing their affiliation. Ma Chung-sam had faithfully upheld this principle. He never disclosed that he was part of the Demonic Cult or the Soaring Heaven Corps.

“So, why did you want to meet me?”

“The preparations are complete.”

Byeok Taesan tilted his head slightly.

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“We’ve consolidated all nearby Unorthodox Path forces around White Tiger Escort Agency. Additionally, we’ve absorbed the major Unorthodox Path factions in Wuhan.”

Byeok Taesan’s expression turned cold.

The Unorthodox Path scoundrels from earlier on the inn’s first floor must have been part of the Wuhan factions he mentioned.

“Who gave you permission?”

“Excuse me?”

Ma Chung-sam looked up at Byeok Taesan in shock.

“I asked who gave you permission to do something like that.”

“I… I was only following the Bureau Leader’s orders.”

The Bureau Leader of the White Tiger Escort Agency was also the leader of the Bicheondan. In that sense, Ma Chung-sam was merely one of his subordinates.

“Following orders, were you? If the Bureau Leader instructed you to betray me, would you obey without hesitation?”

Cold sweat poured down Ma Chung-sam’s body.

“N-No, sir!”

Byeok Taesan continued in an icy tone.

“Did you intend to expand your operations into Wuhan?”

“T-That… I honestly don’t know.”

Byeok Taesan chuckled faintly.

It didn’t seem like Ma Chung-sam was trying to shift all the blame onto the Bureau Leader. He was simply recounting what he knew.

In other words, the Bureau Leader was the mastermind behind this situation.

“Who do you think I am?”

“I… I haven’t been told.”

“Then who do you suspect I might be?”

Ma Chung-sam hesitated, unsure how to answer. He guessed that Byeok Taesan was someone of very high standing within the Demonic Cult, but saying so outright was unthinkable for a member of the Soaring Heaven Corps.

“I thought… you were someone very… distinguished.”

Byeok Taesan smirked.

“Are you the one in charge of Wuhan?”

Ma Chung-sam cautiously lifted his head. The atmosphere seemed noticeably softer than before.

“Yes, I’m in charge. But only temporarily. The situation could change at any time.”

“Tell the Bureau Leader to come to me in person. Have him prepare a detailed report on everything he’s done so far, what he’s currently doing, and what he plans to do next.”

Ma Chung-sam lowered his forehead to the floor with a thud.

“As you command!”

Byeok Taesan chuckled at the sight.

It had been a long time since he’d witnessed such a scene.

—

When Byeok Taesan stepped out of the room, Yoo Seoyeon and Hwaryeong were waiting midway down the hallway.

At the far end of the corridor, near the stairs, Cheon Kyungwan appeared. He had finished dealing with the Unorthodox Path mob downstairs and was now heading up.

Behind Byeok Taesan, Ma Chung-sam emerged, following him like a deferential servant.

Byeok Taesan strode purposefully toward his group.

“Let’s go.”

Yoo Seoyeon and Hwaryeong quickly followed him. Cheon Kyungwan, who had just arrived on the second floor, waited until Byeok Taesan passed by before quietly joining the group.

When he went down to the first floor, he saw men sprawled all over the place.

Looking closely, there were some with broken bones here and there, but not a single person was dead.

Byeok Taesan stood at the bottom of the stairs and swept his gaze over the fallen men.

“It seems you’ve taught them something specific.”

At Byeok Taesan’s words, Ma Chung-sam quickly approached him and bowed his head.

“Yes, I taught them the Three Rings Qi Art.”

Although it was called the Three Rings Qi Art, in truth, it was the Three Rings Demonic Art.

It was excellent for quickly enhancing skills.

However, it had a very low ceiling, and the training required to lay the foundation was excruciatingly painful, which is why it was rarely used within the Demonic Cult.

If the goal was to quickly produce warriors of a certain standard, it was the perfect choice.

It could raise moderately strong warriors filled with significant hostility.

From what he could see, they had barely taken their first steps.

That was why, despite so many of them ganging up on Cheon Kyungwan, they hadn’t even been able to touch his clothes.

“Well, handle it as you see fit.”

Leaving those words behind, Byeok Taesan walked out of the inn.

Ma Chung-sam remained deeply bowed, not moving an inch until Byeok Taesan was out of sight.

Once Byeok Taesan disappeared from his view, Ma Chung-sam slowly straightened his body and returned to the inn.

The men who had been sprawled on the floor seemed to be regaining their senses, groaning and beginning to stir slightly.

They struggled to force themselves to their feet.

Watching them, Ma Chung-sam muttered softly.

“First of all… I need to make these guys somewhat useful. I can’t shame my lord.”

Hearing those words, the men’s faces turned pale.

They looked at Ma Chung-sam with eyes mixed with fear and despair, their gazes pleading.

Of course, Ma Chung-sam didn’t waver in the slightest because of such looks.

“Next time, train with the determination to at least land a blow. There will surely be another chance.”

That meant they would have to face that monstrous person again.

Despair filled their hearts.

Byeok Taesan’s next destination was Seomun Deok.

In truth, if he waited at home, Seomun Deok would eventually come to him, but since he was already out, he decided to meet Seomun Deok and then return.

Seomun Deok was staying at a large inn near the site where the Hubei Martial Alliance’s Wuhan branch manor was being built.

On the way to the inn, Hwaryeong moved in closer to Byeok Taesan.

“Young Master, may I ask what happened earlier with those men?”

Byeok Taesan hesitated for a moment.

It was time to decide how to proceed from now on.

The Eastern Tiger Escort Bureau’s mission was to establish a foothold in the region and secretly support the Demonic Cult.

While running the escort bureau, they would gather information, spread rumors when necessary, and covertly eliminate certain individuals when needed.

The key was to remain undetected. This meant avoiding any conspicuous actions.

Yet, a commotion had already occurred.

It started with Byeok Taesan, but if it had ended there, there would’ve been no problem.

After all, the Zhongli Clan had already fallen.

But these fools didn’t stop there and escalated the situation further.

Under normal circumstances, they would never have done so.

However, the Demonic Cult was currently under the influence of the Heaven-Sealing Array.

And Byeok Taesan appeared.

Byeok Taesan recalled his visit to the White Tiger Escort Bureau.

“Was the Bureau Leader someone with ambition?”

Who could truly know a person’s heart? Still, at the time, Byeok Taesan hadn’t thought he was someone who would escalate matters to this extent.

A faint smile crossed Byeok Taesan’s lips.

“It seems I’ve found the answer.”

“Pardon? What do you mean, sir?”

“Never mind. Just pick up the pace. It seems there’s one more matter to attend to.”

“Yes, understood.”

Hwaryeong wanted to ask more but held back, sensing the unusual atmosphere, and quickened her pace.

Soon, they arrived at the inn where Seomun Deok was staying.

When Seomun Deok had visited Byeok Taesan earlier, it had been merely to exchange greetings and establish good rapport for future relations.

As such, Byeok Taesan didn’t feel the need to converse long with Seomun Deok.

They exchanged only a few words of greeting.

During the conversation, the topic of the pills recently acquired near Yichang’s waterways came up.

Seomun Deok cautiously asked if some of those pills could be shared, but Byeok Taesan declined, using the excuse of the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master.

Seomun Deok didn’t seem inclined to press further and left it at that.

As Byeok Taesan was wrapping up the meeting and preparing to leave, two physicians hurriedly rushed out from the inn’s interior.

“Young Master, you’ve finally arrived! We’ve been waiting so desperately for you!”

The physicians from the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion were visibly agitated.

They were desperate to obtain the pills.

They had already reported everything to the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion. They had no choice but to do so since they had informed Seomun Deok in detail about seeking his help.

Thus, they had secretly observed the meeting between Seomun Deok and Byeok Taesan.

But to their frustration, Seomun Deok’s approach was far too passive.

If that was how he planned to handle things, what was the point of their request?

A slight application of pressure using the Hubei Martial Alliance’s influence could easily have shifted the mood in their favor, yet he refrained.

Unable to understand this, they decided to intervene directly.

“Young Master! Please, consider the greater good! Our Heavenly Medicine Pavilion will uncover everything about those pills! For the peace of the world…”

Byeok Taesan raised his hand, silencing the physicians.

“It’s already over.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean the analysis and countermeasures are already complete.”

“That’s… impossible!”

“No matter how incredible the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master are, such a thing can’t be done!”

Byeok Taesan’s gaze turned cold.

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy, causing the physicians to freeze, their faces turning pale as they nervously assessed the situation.

“Are you saying… that I lied?”

“N-No, that’s not what we meant…”

Without further acknowledgement, Byeok Taesan turned away.

“I understand the intentions of the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion perfectly.”

As the physicians, now flustered, tried to grab hold of Byeok Taesan, he had already vanished.

Seomun Deok, who had been observing everything, widened his eyes.

In that brief moment, he had lost track of Byeok Taesan’s movements.

‘Wasn’t he just a master of atmosphere? How could this be?’

The Hubei Martial Alliance had mentioned some rumors.

They had suggested that Byeok Taesan might be more skilled than expected. But no one had imagined this level of prowess.

The achievements Byeok Taesan had attained in the Hubei Martial Alliance were thought to have been largely due to the abilities of those accompanying him.

Yet, after witnessing today’s events, Seomun Deok began to wonder if that assumption might be incorrect.

‘This is… confusing.’

Seomun Deok felt the need to investigate Byeok Taesan further.

His gaze shifted to the two physicians who sat on the ground, looking utterly defeated.

Clicking his tongue softly, Seomun Deok turned and went back inside.