The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life – Chapter 144

Chapter 144: <Who Could This Be?>

“This way, Young Master.”

Byeok Taesan leisurely walked, guided by the Hao Clan scout.

Although the Hao Clan didn’t have an intricate network spanning the entire world, they maintained branches in all the key cities. Each branch operated by scattering informants in surrounding towns and cities to collect bits of information, piecing it together systematically.

Among these cities, the one most tightly controlled by the Hao Clan was Wuhan.

In Wuhan, the Hao Clan scouts wove themselves like a spiderweb, ensuring that no target, once marked, could ever escape. Through this intricate network, the locations of Jang Joong-San and Jang Deok-chul were continuously tracked and reported to those guiding Byeok Taesan.

Because of this, Byeok Taesan only had to follow their lead at his own pace to meet the people he wanted.

Even now, the Hao Clan scouts were using their eyes and ears to monitor the every move of Jang Joong-San’s group and Jang Deok-chul’s group.

This information was being relayed to the Owner of White Flower House and Hwaryeong, who meticulously recorded everything without missing a single detail.

The scout currently guiding Byeok Taesan was the same one who had assisted him previously in Yichang.

Recognized for his contributions back then, he was transferred to Wuhan, the Hao Clan’s headquarters, where he continued to display his competence.

While guiding Byeok Taesan, the scout frequently updated him on the current situation whenever there was a chance.

“About half an hour ago, five martial artists from the Murim Alliance clashed with three martial artists from Azure Martial Hall.”

Byeok Taesan only nodded once in response.

“And ten of our Unorthodox Path warriors captured two Azure Martial Hall martial artists.”

The scout’s reports continued.

His explanations were so detailed and logically sequenced that just listening to them painted a vivid picture of the situation in one’s mind.

Currently, the Azure Martial Hall has split into five groups in an attempt to escape Wuhan.

Meanwhile, Jang Joong-San and the Supreme Heavenly Sect were moving as a single unit.

The martial artists from the Murim Alliance, the Black Lotus, and other external forces gathered in Wuhan were scouring the city thoroughly, but the fleeing groups were evading capture with surprising agility, preventing significant results.

“If we just pass through that alley, we’ll encounter the first target,”

Byeok Taesan quickened his pace slightly at this.

He could delegate handling the other enemies to his subordinates, but this one couldn’t be left to anyone else.

As they exited the alley, they emerged into a relatively spacious clearing.

The clearing connected to seven other alleys, and from one of these, Jang Deok-chul’s group burst forth.

The only way to escape Wuhan was to cross through this clearing, which was why they had come here.

As soon as Jang Deok-chul entered the clearing, his eyes widened upon spotting Byeok Taesan.

“Well, who do we have here? Isn’t it the bratty Young Master of the Golden Wall Merchants?”

Jang Deok-chul smirked menacingly as he strode toward Byeok Taesan.

Behind him followed Azure Martial Hall martial artists, exactly ten in total.

Among the thirty martial artists he had brought along, these were the strongest ones, handpicked to accompany him.

He intended to use them as a shield if things went south.

“I was wondering how to vent this filthy mood of mine, and here you are, just in time. Take a few hits and come with me. I’ll be sure to dote on you for a very, very long time.”

Byeok Taesan stood still, silently watching Jang Deok-chul approach.

The Hao Clan scout beside him cautiously asked, “What should I do?”

“Just wait.”

The scout chuckled nervously.

“To be honest, my martial arts skills are a bit lacking… If even one of those guys comes at me, I think my head would fly off in a single strike.”

Byeok Taesan cast a sidelong glance at the scout.

The scout quickly spoke up.

“I’ll wait right here, of course. No problem at all. I’ll stand perfectly still.”

“Shall I help you train your martial arts?”

At Byeok Taesan’s question, the scout’s eyes lit up like lanterns.

He had experienced Byeok Taesan firsthand in Yichang and knew just how extraordinary he was.

The thought of such a master helping with his martial arts training was an opportunity too precious to pass up.

He was about to nod eagerly and express his gratitude when Jang Deok-chul arrived.

“Hey, you.”

The scout blinked in surprise and pointed at himself.

“Yes, you. Did you guide him here?”

“That’s correct, but…”

Jang Deok-chul chuckled.

“You didn’t bring him here knowing we’d come here, did you?”

“Uh… that’s exactly what happened. But why do you ask?”

Jang Deok-chul smirked slyly.

“Judging by the situation, you must be with the Hao Clan. Lead us out of here. I’ll make sure the Hao Clan receives a generous reward. You’ll get your share of the spoils too, of course.”

The scout slightly bowed his head.

“I’ll have to decline.”

“What?”

Jang Deok-chul was dumbfounded for a moment before his anger flared.

A suffocating wave of qi radiated around him, and his energy surged in tandem with his rising fury.

It was the same technique he had used against Byeok Taesoo at the Golden Wall Manor.

The only difference now was that he was pouring in more internal energy, making it far more dangerous.

This level of power was something the scout could never withstand.

Soon, that man would suffer severe internal injuries and cough up blood.

However, the Hao Clan scout showed no reaction and spoke calmly.

“You’re already as good as dead, so how could I possibly guide you?”

“What? You crazy bastard!”

Jang Deok-chul ignored Byeok Taesan entirely and swung his sword at the Hao Clan scout.

Swoosh!

It was a swift strike. Not at his full strength, but intentionally adjusted to frighten the scout.

This was something Jang Deok-chul often did.

The blade descended onto the scout’s shoulder.

Clang!

Jang Deok-chul’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He had been certain the strike would cut through the scout’s shoulder, but the sword was deflected.

Before he could process it, Byeok Taesan reached out toward him.

Crunch!

“Gahk!”

Jang Deok-chul, his throat gripped tightly, turned beet red.

He needed to do something, anything, but his mind went blank. All he could do was flail his limbs, and only then did he realize his body was suspended in midair.

With Jang Deok-chul’s neck in his grasp, Byeok Taesan slammed him into the ground.

Crash!

Jang Deok-chul fainted without so much as a scream.

His sprawled body was half-buried in the ground.

Byeok Taesan turned his gaze to the remaining ten Azure Martial Hall warriors.

They all looked visibly flustered.

However, none of them attempted to flee.

Leaving Jang Deok-chul behind and running away wasn’t an option, and they believed they could defeat Byeok Taesan using their practiced sword formation.

The Azure Martial Hall warriors quickly dispersed, forming a formation.

Threads of qi emerged between them, connecting one to another.

At first, there was only a single strand, but as more appeared, they intertwined like a spider’s web.

Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed as he observed.

“Interesting technique you’ve got there.”

He could have smashed it apart before they completed it, but the unfamiliar style piqued his curiosity, so he allowed it to finish.

Now that it was complete, it was truly intriguing.

“You’ve woven a formation through qi connections. Whoever came up with this did a splendid job.”

The Azure Martial Hall warriors’ expressions hardened.

They hadn’t expected their formation to be analyzed so quickly.

“We understand that your insight is exceptional, Young Master. But exceptional insight doesn’t change the situation. To avoid further unpleasantness, why don’t you leave our Vice Leader behind and depart?”

Byeok Taesan didn’t bother responding. He simply stepped forward toward the Azure Martial Hall warriors.

With that single step, he was already at the heart of their formation.

The warriors were alarmed.

All they saw was Byeok Taesan taking a step. No one could tell how he had moved so far so quickly.

“Will you just keep being surprised?”

At Byeok Taesan’s words, the warriors gritted their teeth and moved in perfect unison.

As inner energy flowed through the qi threads, enormous pressure began to gather at the center of the formation.

It wasn’t merely a symbolic threat; it carried genuine lethal force.

Sharp sword energy tore through the air as if ripping the space itself apart.

Byeok Taesan nodded in approval as he observed.

It was an impressive sword formation. Once they started attacking with their swords, its power would surely amplify.

But its weakness was far too obvious.

Just as the Azure Martial Hall warriors began to thrust their swords, Byeok Taesan casually flicked his hand.

Snap!

The threads of qi connecting them snapped.

The pressure that had been concentrated on Byeok Taesan vanished as if it had been a lie.

Instead, the recoil from the broken formation sent the Azure Martial Hall warriors flying backward.

Crash! Thud!

All of them coughed up blood, clearly suffering internal injuries.

Lying on the ground, the Azure Martial Hall warriors stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.

They had known that the threads connecting them were the weakness of their formation.

But they had never imagined someone could sever them so precisely.

Even then, severing just a few threads wouldn’t normally cause such a violent backlash.

To undo the formation, one would have to sever all the threads or simultaneously cut the eighteen key points.

And yet, Byeok Taesan had done it.

Whether he severed them all or targeted the critical points, it didn’t matter now.

Byeok Taesan turned his gaze toward the Hao Clan scout.

“Tell them to clean this up.”

With that, he turned and walked toward another alley.

The Hao Clan scout was flustered.

“They still seem relatively intact. You’re just going to leave?”

But what choice did he have? He had to do as Byeok Taesan instructed.

The Hao Clan scout quickly signaled to his comrades nearby and hurried after Byeok Taesan. His task wasn’t complete yet.

Shortly after, a group of Hao Clan scouts arrived at the clearing.

Seeing Azure Martial Hall martial artists lying on the ground with blood seeping from their mouths and Jang Deok-chul half-buried in the dirt, they were momentarily startled.

However, they quickly got to work, skillfully tending to the scene.

They approached the Azure Martial Hall martial artists cautiously, only to find that their pressure points had been sealed in multiple places. Realizing this, they felt at ease and sped up their efforts.

The Azure Martial Hall martial artists, their vital and secondary pressure points subdued, could neither move nor make a sound, lying immobilized.

The Hao Clan scouts efficiently secured them, cleaned up all traces left behind, and withdrew quietly.

••••••

“Hurry up. If we’re late, we might run into the Black Lotus bastards,” Jang Gakwoo urged.

Running beside him, Yuk Taegu scowled deeply.

“You hurry up yourself. Between the two of us, who’s ahead right now?”

“Can’t you see I’m practically flying? If we stop midway, the Black Lotus bastards will snatch it from us.”

“We’re here,” Yuk Taegu said, surging forward.

Jang Gakwoo quickly followed behind him.

A group came into view, passing nearby. They were within striking distance.

Without hesitation, Yuk Taegu and Jang Gakwoo threw punches.

Bang!

Their fists exploded against the bodies of Supreme Heavenly Sect martial artists led by Jang Joong-San and Gwan Hooseung.

Two martial artists were sent flying, while the rest scrambled to create distance and encircle Yuk Taegu and Jang Gakwoo.

Jang Joong-San and Gwan Hooseung stopped a short distance away, glaring at the intruders.

They were attempting to assess the situation and decide their next move, but no time was afforded to them.

Martial artists who had followed behind Yuk Taegu and Jang Gakwoo stormed forward, overwhelming the Supreme Heavenly Sect warriors.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Yuk Taegu and Jang Gakwoo broke off and charged directly at Jang Joong-San and Gwan Hooseung.

The two leaders had no choice but to engage.

Jang Joong-San faced off against Jang Gakwoo, while Gwan Hooseung squared up with Yuk Taegu.

Sparks flew as their swords clashed relentlessly.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Gwan Hooseung was shocked. Yuk Taegu’s strikes carried immense power. He couldn’t fathom where such a skilled fighter had come from.

“Who are you? You’re not with the Murim Alliance. Are you from the Black Lotus?”

“Black Lotus, my ass. You’ve tracked everyone from the Black Lotus who entered Wuhan, haven’t you? Did you see me on that list? No, right?” Yuk Taegu sneered as he thrust his sword.

Boom!

Crash!

Gwan Hooseung staggered back, his face contorted in a grimace.

Yuk Taegu grinned and stepped forward.

“You asked who I am, didn’t you?” He swung his sword and declared, “I’m a wanderer!”

Bang!

Gwan Hooseung gritted his teeth as he blocked Yuk Taegu’s strike.

A wanderer? Preposterous.

How could a wanderer be stronger than the leader of the Supreme Heavenly Sect?

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Yuk Taegu’s relentless barrage of strikes continued. Gwan Hooseung managed to parry each one, but his strength was waning.

‘My internal energy is depleting too quickly!’

Gwan Hooseung’s expression grew graver by the second. Despite Yuk Taegu’s ferocious attacks, he seemed completely unbothered.

Gwan Hooseung decided to endure and wait for an opening.

Meanwhile, Yuk Taegu spoke casually as he attacked.

“Looks like it’s just you now.”

Startled, Gwan Hooseung glanced around.

Jang Joong-San lay collapsed on the ground, and all the Supreme Heavenly Sect martial artists had been subdued.

Victory was no longer possible.

Desperate, Gwan Hooseung channeled all his internal energy into his sword, unleashing a powerful attack.

Boom!

The sword shattered, scattering countless shards toward Yuk Taegu.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Each shard carried immense energy, but Yuk Taegu swung his sword furiously, deflecting them all.

In the meantime, Gwan Hooseung tried to escape, leaping toward a nearby alley.

Just as he was about to enter the alley, his body abruptly stopped and flew backward.

Crash! Crash! Crash!

Gwan Hooseung tumbled pathetically, rolling until he came to a halt at Yuk Taegu’s feet.

Yuk Taegu instinctively looked toward the alley.

Byeok Taesan emerged, walking leisurely out of the shadows.