The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 119 < Around Here >

“Haaah.”

Man let out a deep sigh filled with regret.

“I’ve really lost it in such an absurd way.”

He had just lost a base.

The money, manpower, effort, and time that had gone into creating it were a pity, but what was more regretful was that the base couldn’t be rebuilt.

Because there was no one left who could recreate it.

The man, Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang, recalled Byeok Taesan, whom he had just encountered.

He wasn’t ordinary.

“To think he was at that level.”

He hoped Byeok Taesan had died fighting the substitute he left behind, but it was unlikely.

“That’s why Go Jun-kwang and Seo Daegun couldn’t do much.”

Among the people brought by Go Jun-kwang and Seo Daegun were Geok Yangdu and Ma Jeong-wan.

Even with such formidable experts, they hadn’t been able to take down Byeok Taesan.

“Grrngh.”

Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang pressed his hand against his forehead as a sudden headache overwhelmed him.

It was the price of forcefully severing a connection.

The reason he had done it was due to a bad premonition. He had rushed to cut the connection with the substitute, fearing something might go wrong if he continued.

The aftermath was now hitting him.

A severe headache and a surge of lust overwhelmed him. Once this passed, a thirst for blood would likely follow.

Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang walked over to his bed.

Sitting on the large bed, he pulled a cord hanging beside it.

Moments later, the door opened, and three beautiful women entered.

As soon as they stepped in, they began undressing. Once naked, they would climb onto the bed on their own.

Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang’s gaze shifted past the women who were removing their clothes, toward the slowly closing door.

His loyal subordinate gave him a meaningful look and bowed slightly.

Normally, the subordinate would have closed the door and left, but Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang gestured for him to stay.

This was rare, though not entirely unprecedented, so the subordinate’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

When the subordinate stepped inside, Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang spoke to him.

“Withdraw from Wuhan and Yichang altogether.”

“There are still plenty of replacements for Go Jun-kwang and Seo Daegun.”

Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang shook his head.

“It would be good to take over Hubei Martial Alliance directly, but continuing this way will only lead to greater losses. Pointless failures are unacceptable.”

The subordinate bowed his head.

“Understood.”

“Wuhan involves the Murim Alliance, the Black Lotus, the Namgoong Clan, and the Zhuge Clan. There’s no need to provoke them unnecessarily. Besides, Byeok Taesan is no trivial figure.”

“How about setting up a proper trap and eliminating Byeok Taesan first?”

“It would be fine if we could do it for sure. But that has already failed. Even after sending Ma Jeong-wan and the Bloodletting Demon Sword, it didn’t work. We’d need to prepare far more thoroughly, and there’s no point wasting energy on that now.”

“Understood. I’ll handle it accordingly.”

“Well… who knows, we might even gain something there.”

Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang muttered as he thought of the base he had just lost. There was still something left there.

Then, as if a thought struck him, his eyes glinted, and he spoke to his subordinate.

“Leaking information to another party might be one way. With a valid pretext, we could direct other factions’ attention to Wuhan. Can it be done?”

“I’ll try. But if Wuhan falls into someone else’s hands, it’ll be a major problem.”

Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang’s lips twisted into a smirk.

“It won’t happen that easily. Byeok Taesan isn’t someone to be trifled with. If I’m going to suffer alone, I’ll at least verify his strength and weaken my competitors. It’s killing two birds with one stone.”

“Understood. I’ll begin immediately.”

As Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang nodded, the subordinate carefully stepped back and withdrew.

The door soon closed, and the usual scene within the room unfolded.

The women present would eventually die, and their blood would become Hyeok Ryeon Bi Gwang’s.

•••••

Byeok Taesan had summoned all the members of his group from the Black Iron Workshop to his current location.

They had decided to wrap up their work here and return to Wuhan immediately afterward.

It seemed they would need to stay here for a few more days.

The array needed to be dismantled and investigated.

As Byeok Taesan observed, Seung Doheung and the array experts were sweating profusely as they analyzed the formation.

Meanwhile, the people from the Hao Clan and Byeok Taesan’s group scoured the manor, searching for anything of significance.

Byeok Taesan stood on the top floor of the tallest pavilion in the manor, but the formation still prevented him from having a clear view.

Once Seung Doheung and the array experts began dismantling the formation, the situation would change, but for now, it remained fully operational.

As Byeok Taesan watched, Hwaryeong approached him.

“Young Master, I’ve brought the map you requested.”

Hwaryeong spread the map over the large table as she spoke.

Without even glancing at the map, Byeok Taesan pointed in a direction with his finger.

“From where we are now, what’s about 500 ri away in that direction?”

{Ri is a traditional unit that is used to measure distance. Korea, Japan and China all have different distances. Here is Korean 1 ri = 392.7m (about 0.244 miles)

So 500ri = 196.35 kilometers (about 122 miles)}

Hwaryeong measured the direction Byeok Taesan pointed.

It was slightly off to the east from the northeast.

Hwaryeong checked the map, pinpointing a spot with her finger.

"Here, roughly."

Byeok Taesan finally turned around and approached the map.

Looking at the spot Hwaryeong indicated, he noticed several villages and a city in the area.

"But it's not exact. Are you looking for something specific?"

Byeok Taesan didn’t respond and instead examined the map more closely.

Indeed, it was not easy to pinpoint an exact location based solely on direction.

Moreover, it wasn’t even clear if the distance was exactly 500 ri.

‘That was the feeling, but…’

It was all too vague, making it difficult for him to be certain.

Byeok Taesan reviewed the map again. Centered around the spot Hwaryeong had pointed out, two cities caught his eye.

‘Hyeongmun, and Jongsang.’

It seemed likely that it was one of these two. Of course, it could be neither.

He looked at Hwaryeong and asked, "How many Hao Clan members are in Hyeongmun and Jongsang?"

"About the same as Dangyang. Around sixty in total, with five to ten under each leader."

Byeok Taesan thought for a moment before shaking his head.

It was meaningless. Sending the Hao Clan there wouldn’t accomplish much. Even if they had exceptional informants, what would they actually do?

He didn’t even know what the target looked like.

The only thing he knew was the scent of blood, but ordinary people couldn’t detect that anyway.

‘I’ll have to find him myself…’

He was confident he would recognize the target when they met.

Although he hadn’t seen the man, when he escaped that beast-like opponent earlier, he had distinctly sensed the dissipating energy of a soul.

No matter how well someone concealed their face or aura, they couldn’t hide the energy imbued in their soul.

The moment he saw him, he would know.

"Enough. Tell them to clean this place up quickly. It’s about time we returned to Wuhan."

There was nothing more to do here.

He had captured Go Jun-kwang, absorbed the energy of the half-Jiangshi, and demolished one of the enemy’s bases.

That was reward enough for the effort it took to chase them all the way to Yichang.

Hwaryeong bowed respectfully before stepping outside.

Byeok Taesan walked back to the window and looked down at the estate.

It seemed the dismantling of the array had begun, as his senses were gradually sharpening.

The Heavenly Divine Healer, the Needle Master, and Cho Seoran were always together.

Even during training at the Black Iron Workshop, the three stuck together. There was a peculiar sense of camaraderie among them that seemed to improve their performance no matter what they did.

This moment was no different.

As they moved together, they discovered a storage room containing medicinal materials.

It was underground, concealed by dirt, making it difficult to locate. But by sheer luck, they found it.

"Are we really taking all those wooden flasks over there too?"

The Heavenly Divine Healer muttered as he gazed at the wooden flasks laid out in a clearing.

For some reason, just looking at them gave him an inexplicable feeling of irritation.

"Probably just burn them. Doesn’t seem like they’d be useful for anything… They’re all sealed tight, so you can’t even use them as proper flasks."

"Stop wasting time and focus on your work. Aren’t you worried about what will happen if you’re caught slacking off?"

The Needle Master scolded him, prompting a mischievous laugh from the Heavenly Divine Healer.

"Ah, Brother, why so much worry? We’re not slacking off; this is clearly a strategic discussion. A planning session, you know? You’re so rigid. Don’t you think so, Seoran?"

Cho Seoran smiled awkwardly at the Heavenly Divine Healer’s words. What could she say in response to that? No matter what she said, it would end up being a trap.

The Needle Master’s breathing grew heavier, but he didn’t lash out. As always, he held back for now.

"I must admit, not training feels like a relief. Doesn’t it, Brother?"

"Well… yeah, I guess. At our age, not many train as rigorously as we do."

"That’s exactly my point. Our Young Master is truly over the top."

As the Heavenly Divine Healer’s words crossed a line, Cho Seoran turned her head sharply.

"Young Master, I do not agree with what he just said."

Her words startled the Heavenly Divine Healer, who frantically looked around.

"Huh? He’s not here. Hey! Were you messing with me?"

True Thunder Sword shook her head.

"I said it because I feel like the Young Master can hear everything we say, no matter where he is."

The Heavenly Divine Healer swallowed nervously.

"Come on, don’t freak me out like that."

The Needle Master chuckled, sounding just like the Heavenly Divine Healer usually did.

"If nothing else, I think meeting the Young Master was the best thing to happen to you. Without him, you’d never have become even remotely decent. The only reason you’re passable is thanks to him."

"What is that supposed to mean? If I’m not a person, what am I then?"

Even as they bantered, the three didn’t remain in place, continuing to walk.

Eventually, they entered a nearby hall.

"Didn’t someone else check this place earlier?"

"Double-checking never hurts. With the array being dismantled, something new might surface."

Finding her reasoning sound, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master nodded and followed her deeper into the hall.

The three individuals, who had entered the pavilion and were carefully inspecting various places, suddenly noticed something unusual about the floor.

“This spot seems strange.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t seem to fit properly. How did the previous people checking this miss it?”

“It probably wasn’t like this before. The power of the formation must have been active.”

“Do you think so?”

Cho Seoran murmured as she touched the seam in the floor with her hand. Somehow, it felt like she could open it.

“I’ll try opening it.”

Before anyone could stop her, Cho Seoran inserted her fingers slightly into the seam and applied pressure.

Keek!

The floor opened much more easily than she had expected.

Cho Seoran opened the floor and peered inside, only to quickly close it again.

Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master looked at Cho Seoran with puzzled expressions.

Cho Seoran, now wearing a troubled expression, looked at the two and spoke.

“I think... I’ve caused some trouble.”

Heavenly Divine Healer, the Needle Master, and Choseoran bolted out of the pavilion at high speed.

“Run, everyone!”

The Needle Master shouted, using his inner energy to amplify his voice.

The three of them sprinted toward the pavilion where Byeok Taesan was staying.

No sooner had they exited the pavilion than the entrance exploded.

Boom!

Debris flew everywhere.

Emerging from the destroyed pavilion was a man dressed in black.

The man swiftly turned his head, searching for something. Spotting Heavenly Divine Healer, he launched himself in that direction.

Ssshhh!

His speed was terrifying.

In an instant, he was right behind Heavenly Divine Healer.

A massive force gathered in the man’s hand as he struck at Heavenly Divine Healer’s back.

At that moment, the Needle Master grabbed Heavenly Divine Healer by the nape of his neck and yanked him away.

Crash!

“Urgh!”

Heavenly Divine Healer was flung unceremoniously to the ground. Thanks to that, however, the man’s attack sliced through empty air.

The sudden exertion caused the Needle Master’s leg to wobble slightly, and Heavenly Divine Healer’s body took several injuries.

The man in black stopped his pursuit, turning his head to glare at Heavenly Divine Healer.

He began walking toward him with heavy steps.

Violent energy swirled around the man’s body like a heat haze.

Heavenly Divine Healer, sitting on the ground, glared back at the approaching man.

When the man reached him, Heavenly Divine Healer’s eyes widened in relief and joy.

“Young Master!”

Before anyone realized it, Byeok Taesan was standing behind the man.

The man swung his arm backward without warning. The immense energy in his hand tore through the space behind him.

But by then, Byeok Taesan had already moved in front of the man.

Byeok Taesan grabbed the man’s neck tightly.

Crack!

Then, lifting the man, he slammed him into the ground.

Boom!

The man’s body trembled violently.

Byeok Taesan turned his head slightly to look at Heavenly Divine Healer.

“What exactly did you say to make him chase only you?”

Heavenly Divine Healer grinned sheepishly as he replied.

“Doesn’t that guy honestly look like a frog? I was just stating a fact.”

Byeok Taesan smirked and tightened his grip.

Crunch!

A surge of powerful energy rampaged inside the man’s body. That was the end.

A dark spirit burst from the man’s crown.

Byeok Taesan grabbed it and dissolved it with the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.

At that moment, explosions echoed throughout the manor.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Byeok Taesan stood up, glancing around. His expression had turned cold, and his eyes carried a deep intensity.

“Things that can’t even be used as medicine are running wild.”