The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life – Chapter 135

Chapter 135 <Sudden Injustice>

The Hao Clan scouts thoroughly overturned the street where the Black Axe had been.

First, they removed and organized all the corpses, checking for any survivors amidst the chaos.

Two individuals on the brink of death were found, promptly treated, and sent to the White Flower House.

During this process, they received assistance from the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master.

The Hao Clan scouts had begun their cleanup efforts at dawn, moving swiftly under the direction of the Owner of the White Flower House.

By the time the day broke, the Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master arrived with Cho Seoran and began treating the dying.

The three were not only confirming the conditions of the living but also thoroughly inspecting the deceased.

There was always a chance that someone barely alive could be revived, or some discovery might be made from the dead bodies.

Additionally, this served as an opportunity to provide Cho Seoran with more experience.

In truth, Cho Seoran had been growing at a frightening pace ever since her night with Byeok Taesan. With every experience gained in this manner, she was leaping over boundaries in her martial and medical skills.

This time was no exception.

“By the way, all these corpses seem to have been dealt with by a single person,” the Heavenly Divine Healer remarked.

The Needle Master nodded in agreement. “I think so too.”

Both turned their gazes toward Cho Seoran.

She was carefully examining the wounds on the corpses.

“It seems… they took some sort of drug,” Cho Seoran commented cautiously.

The Heavenly Divine Healer admired her observation. “As expected of someone adept with medicine, you noticed that immediately. That’s right. These guys consumed the Blood Pill.”

The Needle Master nodded in agreement. “Well observed.”

“Here, take a closer look,” the Heavenly Divine Healer continued, enthusiastically explaining the characteristics of those who consumed the Blood Pill.

Cho Seoran listened intently, nodding frequently with a serious expression.

Occasionally, when additional clarification was needed, the Needle Master would interject.

With two renowned physicians diligently teaching her, Cho Seoran’s skills naturally improved.

“By the way, judging by the marks on the wounds, it doesn’t seem like our Young Master was involved,” the Heavenly Divine Healer said.

Cho Seoran’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “How can you tell?”

“If our Young Master had been involved, there’d be traces of slaps all around. But there’s nothing like that here. All I see are sword marks and the impact from delivering the strikes,”

The Needle Master chimed in. “I heard the Young Master went out for a nighttime stroll yesterday.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer frowned as he looked at the Needle Master. “Didn’t that stroll lead him here? That’s why we’re here now.”

“Tsk, tsk, use your brain. If the Young Master came here for his stroll, and he didn’t deal with these guys, then who else could’ve done it?”

“Strange. Yesterday, Cheon Kyungwan spent the entire late night in the training hall with his fiancée. They were busy sparring,”

“Yeon Harin,” the Needle Master interjected, grinning suggestively.

“Ah, I see. So our Young Master wanted to spend a passionate night with his betrothed,”

Cho Seoran’s expression darkened slightly at those words.

“So, are you saying Harin was the one who handled all this?”

Muttering to himself, the Heavenly Divine Healer lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing intently.

“What in the world are you doing?” the Needle Master asked in disbelief.

“Don’t call it disgusting. Try sniffing here. There’s something odd,” the Heavenly Divine Healer replied.

“What could possibly be here?”

Despite his reluctance, the Needle Master followed suit and sniffed the ground.

“Wait a minute.”

Both physicians tilted their heads simultaneously.

“These guys definitely used some kind of drug, but… doesn’t this smell like Mountain Empty Poison? Don’t you think so?”

“I think so too. What’s your take on it?”

When the Heavenly Divine Healer asked Cho Seoran, she flinched.

“Huh? What? What are you asking about?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer’s eyes narrowed.

“Why are you so startled? This is suspicious. What were you thinking about reacting like that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,”

“She says it’s nothing. Stop picking on her,” the Needle Master interjected. “You’ve already made her lose sleep. Do you really need to torment her further?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer jumped in protest.

“What nonsense is this? When did I torment her? Hey, you! Tell him the truth. Have I been tormenting you?”

“N-no, not at all,” Cho Seoran replied hesitantly.

“Tsk, tsk, that’s exactly what tormenting looks like. You lack tact,” the Needle Master scolded, turning to Cho Seoran with a kind smile.

“Don’t worry about anything. I’ll give you acupuncture to help you sleep better later. Make sure you come to me for it, okay?”

“Yes,”

The Heavenly Divine Healer thumped his chest in frustration.

“Ugh, this is unfair! I didn’t torment her! Why is she not sleeping, is it my fault?”

“Then whose fault is it?”

“How should I know? Maybe it’s some punk keeping her awake, or maybe she’s just an insomniac!”

Cho Seoran’s face flushed slightly, and she couldn’t hide her flustered expression as she fidgeted.

“Sh-shouldn’t we finish our tasks and head back? The Young Master might be looking for us.”

“Right, but if he does, we’ll need something to report. So, why didn’t you listen carefully from the start? Check over there; it seems someone used poison here.”

Cho Seoran quickly began examining the floor.

In an instant, all expressions and emotions that had been lingering on her face disappeared. Her eyes gleamed sharply, her senses keenly honed.

“Indeed… It does feel like Mountain Empty Poison. Perhaps there’s something to uncover. I’ll take some soil from the ground for further examination.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master nodded before heading off to check with the Hao Clan scouts combing the area.

Cho Seoran sighed as she watched them leave.

“Hah. It feels unfair all of a sudden.”

Even amidst her frustration, Byeok Taesan’s face came to her mind.

She lightly struck her own head with her fist, as if scolding herself to stay focused.

The Owner of White Flower House was frantically busy.

There was too much to interrogate, investigate, and search for, making it feel as though even ten bodies wouldn’t suffice.

And amidst all of this, she had to organize the information to deliver it to Hwaryeong.

Although it was exhausting, there was no other choice. This was, in fact, the most important task at hand.

The current Hao Clan was under Byeok Taesan’s command. What could be more crucial than reporting to one’s master?

As she was preparing the information to hand over to Hwaryeong, Byeok Taesan arrived unexpectedly.

The news startled the Owner of White Flower House so much that she immediately rushed downstairs to the first floor, or rather, she tried to. Before she even managed to leave her office, Byeok Taesan had already stepped inside.

“You-Young Master!”

Startled, the Owner of White Flower House looked at Byeok Taesan.

“Sit,” he commanded.

As Byeok Taesan walked toward his seat, she finally noticed her surroundings. Hwaryeong was standing there too; it seemed he had brought her along.

Feeling puzzled, she sat down and looked at Byeok Taesan, who began to speak.

“Hwaryeong suggested we come.”

The Owner of White Flower House turned to Hwaryeong with a questioning look.

“I thought you might be overwhelmed, so I brought him here. I also thought I could help since you’re working so hard to prepare the information for me. Is that okay?”

The Owner of White Flower House let out a faint chuckle and looked at Hwaryeong gratefully.

If Hwaryeong helped, it would be like gaining a thousand troops.

For the time being, her workload would surely become more manageable.

Moreover, Hwaryeong now held command over the Heaven Guard Corps, which meant her assistance would be invaluable no matter what task was at hand.

Byeok Taesan gestured with his chin.

“Begin.”

The Owner of White Flower House collected her thoughts and started the report.

“Through interrogation, we’ve confirmed that the Black Axe men are indeed part of Nameless. At their hideout, we also discovered Mountain Empty Poison, which they used in the attempt to ambush you.”

“Mountain Empty ng Poison?”

“Yes. It has been sent to the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion for analysis. They assured us they would find a countermeasure soon.”

A series of smaller reports followed.

Thanks to Byeok Taesan and Yeon Harin wiping out the Black Axe men’s forces, they had uncovered crucial leads.

However, tracking them down still seemed to require significant time.

This enemy had hidden themselves remarkably well and displayed a high level of expertise in information manipulation.

It seemed they were already aware of the recent developments on this side and had begun implementing countermeasures.

“We captured several of the vagrants who lived on the streets. Once they’re in a condition to be interrogated, we plan to begin questioning them.”

Through this, they might uncover some of the enemy’s methods and learn where the missing Murim Alliance and Black Lotus warriors had been hidden.

The reports continued for quite a while.

The sheer volume of work handled by the Owner of White Flower House was impressive.

When the report concluded, Byeok Taesan nodded and asked, “Are you progressing well with the Shadowstep technique?”

The Owner of White Flower House couldn’t conceal her troubled expression.

“I’m practicing, but… the progress is slower than expected.”

She could argue that there simply wasn’t enough time to train.

The Shadowstep technique required more than just physical practice. It demanded in-depth research into the martial art itself, and the overwhelming workload left no time for such study.

The fact that she had made this much progress despite her situation was already remarkable.

Byeok Taesan nodded and rose from his seat.

He realized he needed to take some action soon.

“That’s all for now. I’ll be going.”

He decided not to take up any more of her time.

In truth, her complexion didn’t look good at all.

The thought crossed his mind that if her fatigue worsened, even her martial arts wouldn’t be enough to prevent her from collapsing due to overwork.

As Byeok Taesan turned to leave, he suddenly stopped.

Slowly, he turned back and looked at the Owner of White Flower House.

She gazed back at him with a puzzled expression.

Byeok Taesan’s eyes shifted to a door on one side of her office.

“Is that the bedroom?”

The Owner of the White Flower House swallowed dryly, her eyes trembling as she looked at Byeok Taesan.

“Y-yes. Th-that’s correct.”

Byeok Taesan strode purposefully toward the bedroom.

The Owner of the White Flower House’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Follow me.”

As if in a trance, the Owner of the White Flower House absentmindedly followed him into the bedroom.

Hwaryeong, left behind in the Owner’s office, watched the two enter the bedroom with a bitter smile.

Moments later, moans that seemed to melt one’s heart began to spill out continuously from the bedroom.

Having impulsively burned the Owner of the White Flower House’s spirit, Byeok Taesan walked away with a refreshed expression.

He wouldn’t have done so if it seemed like she would die anytime soon.

While the act had been impulsive, the results were excellent, leaving him deeply satisfied.

The quality of the spiritual energy he gained from burning her spirit was quite remarkable.

Of course, it paled in comparison to the spiritual energy obtained from the life-like vitality of the Heavenly Medicine Pavilion physicians, but it was still excellent enough.

Now, he planned to return and refine this energy, storing it within his body before perhaps paying a visit to Seung Doheung.

It had been quite some time since he’d handed over the fragments of the Golden Wall to Seung Doheung. Surely, by now, some progress had been made.

The analysis would not only advance his understanding of formations but could also provide a breakthrough in his study of the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.

With these thoughts, Byeok Taesan leisurely made his way toward the Golden Wall Manor.

Halfway there, someone came rushing toward him, panting heavily.

Judging by their approach from the direction of the White Flower House, it was likely a Hao Clan scout sent by the Owner.

Byeok Taesan halted and turned to observe the approaching figure.

However, their expression was unusual, and far in the distance behind them, someone else was rushing at a terrifying speed.

Judging by their pace and presence, the pursuer was quite skilled.

Of course, in Byeok Taesan’s eyes, they were only average.

Still, it was clear what their intentions were, so he couldn’t just ignore them.

Taking a step forward, Byeok Taesan extended his hand.

Crunch!

In an instant, he appeared in front of the pursuer, gripping their throat.

The person whose neck was caught by Byeok Taesan couldn’t even let out a groan, as they seemed completely overwhelmed.

Turning his head, Byeok Taesan looked at the Hao Clan scout running toward him.

The scout, startled by Byeok Taesan’s sudden disappearance from his prior position, reflexively turned around and spotted him.

Staring blankly, the scout struggled to comprehend the situation.

Soon, however, his expression grew urgent, and he ran toward Byeok Taesan, unable to waste time grasping what had just happened.

“Young Master! It’s an attack! Some bastards are targeting the White Flower House…!”

The scout couldn’t finish his sentence, his words trailing off as he stared at the spot where Byeok Taesan had been.

The pursuer who had been chasing the scout now lay convulsing on the ground, blood pouring from all seven orifices.

And Byeok Taesan was nowhere to be seen.