The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 46: Maybe I Understand a Little

────────────────────────────────────

“What’s on your mind?”

Byeok Taesan slightly lifted his gaze to look at Yeon Harin, who sat across from him.

“It’s nothing.”

Ever since his return earlier, Yeon Harin had stuck close to him, showing no intention of leaving.

It seemed like she was worried something might happen to him.

After joining Yeon Harin, Yoo Seoyeon had been guarding her. It appeared she had picked up on something as well.

Even now, Yoo Seoyeon was a little behind Yeon Harin, quietly observing the interaction between her and Byeok Taesan with a satisfied expression.

Byeok Taesan was having a meal with Yeon Harin.

The food was already finished, and he was momentarily lost in thought about the events from earlier.

“Something feels strange.”

Earlier, he had lightly extracted the soul essence of Seomun Jehak and two others and burned them.

He had used a method he had recently learned and practiced through the Needle Master.

By carefully burning only the outer layer of their souls, he extracted elements that hadn’t yet mixed with their existing soul essence.

Although the nature of these souls differed slightly from the Needle Master’s, his familiarity with the process made it manageable.

By gently burning and extracting their soul energy, he absorbed it through the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art.

Yet, the absorbed energy felt quite different from what he had expected.

To be precise, it was fundamentally different from the energy he had extracted from the Needle Master’s soul.

The energy drawn from the Needle Master’s soul had been exceptional, especially when it came to healing Qi Pathways—it was unmatched in its effectiveness.

He had thought it was due to the way the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art worked, but now it seemed otherwise.

The energy extracted from Seomun Jehak and his group, while obtained through the same method, was surprisingly inferior.

Of course, it wasn’t weak; its healing properties simply paled in comparison to the Needle Master’s energy.

If applied differently, this energy might even prove more effective.

“Come to think of it…”

The energy he had extracted from the courtesans had brought changes to his body.

Others had described those changes as a strange allure.

Since then, women’s gazes toward him had subtly shifted.

“Maybe I understand a little…”

Though he wasn’t entirely certain, it seemed the properties of spiritual energy varied depending on how impurities accumulated in the soul.

The fundamental strength of the energy was potent no matter whose soul it was extracted from.

Furthermore, this power was unlike internal energy—it was nearly impossible to detect.

Unless someone had accumulated a similar kind of power, they wouldn’t be able to perceive it.

Even the Needle Master, with his expertise in diagnosing meridians, hadn’t noticed it.

“So, I need another physician after all.”

He had found a way to treat Severed Meridians Syndrome faster.

The answer lay with physicians.

Relying solely on the Needle Master had its limits.

The first extraction from a soul was always the most effective.

Over time, the effects diminished.

Once the impurities in the soul were burned away, the remaining energy would lose its potency.

Though impurities would eventually accumulate again, that took considerable time.

Thus, he needed to find a new physician.

One with a soul bearing ample impurities and outstanding medical skills would be ideal.

Fortunately, there was an excellent candidate nearby.

Byeok Taesan snapped out of his thoughts with a pleased expression.

“Young Master, are you sure there’s nothing bothering you? Did the people I came with say anything strange to you?”

Yeon Harin looked at him with concern.

She seemed worried because Byeok Taesan had remained silent for so long after finishing his meal.

“Not at all. If anything, it’s the opposite.”

“Pardon?”

“It feels like something good is about to happen.”

“Oh… I see. I hope it has something to do with me.”

Yeon Harin said this with a shy smile.

“She really is beautiful.”

Byeok Taesan thought this as he watched her smile.

With her looks, she might be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

“Then again… is she slightly inferior to her? Or maybe they’re comparable?”

A certain someone came to mind, but he quickly brushed the thought away. It wasn’t as if he would ever meet her again.

That woman was probably still in the Demonic Cult.

Unless the Heaven-Sealing Array was removed, they would never cross paths again.

Even if she left the Demonic Cult, the chances of their meeting were infinitesimal.

After all, he was currently the second son of the Golden Wall Merchants.

“Now that we’ve finished eating, shall we take a light stroll?”

At Byeok Taesan’s suggestion, Yeon Harin beamed and eagerly nodded.

It had been so long since Byeok Taesan had taken the initiative like this.

“I’d love to.”

The two strolled outside together.

Yoo Seoyeon and Cheon Kyungwan quietly followed from a distance, focused on their duty to guard them.

At least for now.

* * *

The stroll turned out to be longer than expected.

Even after the sun had set, Byeok Taesan and Yeon Harin wandered along the riverbank.

For Byeok Taesan, this moment was part of his process of assimilating the new energy he had obtained earlier.

Unlike before, when he would sit still to absorb energy, this time moving around was more effective.

It seemed even this aspect followed the unique properties of the soul.

Until now, he had neither thought about nor attempted such an approach.

Having only recently gained new insights into the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, he was far from fully grasping its intricacies.

Moreover, his focus had been consumed by healing his body, leaving little room for experimentation.

Thanks to this, the stroll had extended, though Yeon Harin seemed to interpret it differently.

By the time they returned, her face was noticeably flushed.

Upon arriving back at the Golden Moon Inn, they noticed an unusual commotion inside.

“What’s going on?”

Byeok Taesan murmured as Cheon Kyungwan stepped forward.

“I’ll find out.”

Cheon Kyungwan quickly entered the inn and returned almost immediately.

“It would be better if you waited a moment before going in.”

“Hmm?”

“They’re airing out the smell.”

By those words, Byeok Taesan immediately grasped the situation.

Without hesitation, he turned around.

“Let’s take another walk.”

There was no need to endure the stench left behind by others.

While it would only take a moment to pass through, the fact that Cheon Kyungwan had made such a suggestion meant it must be truly unbearable.

Fresh air seemed the better choice for now.

* * *

In one of the rooms, Seomun Jehak, Gu Yangsoo, and Chu Yeonghak sat with their heads hung low.

Gathered around a small table, none of them spoke a word.

The more they thought about it, the more miserable they felt.

“Damn it, I… I…”

Words failed.

To think they had soiled themselves.

Not just a little—completely.

In their sleep, no less.

The stench had been so overwhelming that, no matter how much they washed, it clung stubbornly to them.

Had they not been scions of prestigious clans, they would have been thrown out of the inn.

Perhaps being expelled would have been preferable.

“We should have run.”

One of them muttered, and the others nodded in unison.

But fleeing hadn’t been an option.

It had happened while they were asleep.

By the time they woke up, it was already too late.

Now, the three were isolated in a single room. It was a kind of quarantine.

They accepted it without complaint.

There was no other choice.

The Golden Moon Inn had even promised to try to contain the rumors.

How effective that would be remains to be seen.

“For now, we endure tonight and leave first thing tomorrow. Agreed?”

Gu Yangsoo asked, his reddened eyes glistening as if he were about to cry.

Seomun Jehak let out a deep sigh.

“Tomorrow… someone from the my Clan is supposed to meet us in the afternoon.”

A member of the Seomun Clan, who served as a patrol leader for the Martial Alliance, was coming all the way to Xing Province for Seomun Jehak’s sake.

Refusing the meeting was out of the question.

There was absolutely no way they could allow that, not even for the future.

Seomun Jehak planned to expand outward rather than solidify his position within the family.

As the third son, it was already difficult for him to secure a place in the family.

He intended to establish himself in Hubei Martial Alliance, which meant he needed to earn the favor of the family elder, the Patrol Hall Leader of Hubei Martial Alliance.

Gu Yangsoo and Chu Yeonghak’s eyes trembled.

The thought of enduring this humiliation again tomorrow filled them with utter despair.

However, they couldn’t just decide to leave on their own.

“For now… when that person arrives tomorrow, should we mention Byeok Taesan?”

The moment Byeok Taesan’s name was spoken, all three of them froze simultaneously.

Even Seomun Jehak, who had brought up the name, reacted the same way.

An uneasy silence lingered.

A profound sense of self-loathing crushed the three of them.

They had to find some way to escape this situation. And if it was the Patrol Hall Leader of Hubei Martial Alliance, he could be a great help.

In the eyes of the three, a strange mixture of fear and hope flickered faintly.

•••

Night had fallen.

The annex of the Golden Moon Inn was beautifully arranged.

A small stream, a pond surrounded by trees and rocks, and a small pavilion nestled among them combined to create a natural elegance.

At the center of it all, a large and stunning building stood in a position where the entire annex could be viewed at a glance.

Byeok Taesan stayed in the topmost floor of the building, where standing by the window offered a panoramic view of the annex.

“It’s quite decent.”

Although he had experienced many things in his time as the Heavenly Demon, inns this well-designed were rare.

“Golden Moon Inn, Golden Moon Inn…”

No matter how many times he repeated the name, it didn’t ring any bells.

The Golden Moon Merchants were the same.

It meant that he hadn’t paid much attention to them during his time as the Heavenly Demon, nor had the Heavenly Demon Sect considered them noteworthy.

But thinking about it, wasn’t that strange?

The Golden Moon Merchants were among the greatest in the world.

Wouldn’t a name of that stature have frequently reached the Heavenly Demon’s ears?

As he gazed outside, Cheon Kyungwan, who had been standing guard outside, spoke.

“Young Master, shall I call Needle Master?”

Throughout the journey, Needle Master had been brought to his room every night.

Perhaps because of this, Needle Master’s presence could be sensed nearby, seemingly making preparations.

“Not today. Bring the Heavenly Divine Healer instead.”

“Pardon?”

Byeok Taesan turned to look at the door. Though not visible, Cheon Kyungwan must have felt the energy too, given his startled reaction.

“Understood. I will bring him immediately.”

Shortly afterward, the Heavenly Divine Healer entered the room with a bewildered expression.

“Young Master, why have you summoned me at this late hour?”

Deep in the eyes of the Heavenly Divine Healer flickered fear, though he cautiously approached Byeok Taesan, perhaps harboring a faint hope.

“I’ve discovered something very important today.”

“Yes?”

“I realized I need a physician.”

“…What?”

Byeok Taesan beckoned him closer with a crook of his finger.

The Heavenly Divine Healer hesitated, almost entranced, and slowly approached Byeok Taesan.

Byeok Taesan smirked as he placed his hand on the top of the healer’s head.

“I’ll just take a little.”

“Arrrrgggghhhh!”

A piercing scream echoed faintly from somewhere.

Seomun Jehak, who had barely fallen asleep, snapped his eyes open.

The fear he wanted to forget crawled up from the depths of his heart.

The memory of himself lying face down on the ground, his face pressed against the floor, and hearing the same screams from someone next to him, vividly resurfaced.

His entire body froze stiff.

Trembling, he lay awake until the screams subsided.

Even after the screams had ended, he couldn’t sleep, wrestling with his fear.

At the same time, Gu Yangsoo and Chu Yeonghak were experiencing the same thing as Seomun Jehak.

The three of them spent the night wide awake, steeped in fear.

“Hohohohoho.”

Hearing laughter nearby, the Heavenly Divine Healer whipped his head around to glare at Needle Master.

“Stop laughing.”

“Huhuhuhu. What’s it to you whether I laugh or not? Hahahaha!”

Needle Master burst into hearty laughter, his spirits soaring.

It was understandable. It felt as though a decade’s worth of frustration had lifted.

“So, how does it feel to have our Young Master take an interest in you? Thrilled to death, aren’t you?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer trembled with rage as he glared at Needle Master.

“Your gaze could kill a man. Quite the master of looks, aren’t you? Hahaha!”

“Were you always this frivolous?”

Needle Master grinned.

“Say whatever you like. I don’t even know what I was like before. I just want to enjoy this moment to the fullest. By the way, your scream was pretty delightful. How did it feel? Hurt, didn’t it?”

“Ugh. I won’t answer.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer turned his head sharply.

Needle Master chuckled again as he watched him.

Both of them turned their gaze toward Byeok Taesan, who was descending the stairs.

The room fell silent, as if a lie.

The Heavenly Divine Healer quickly approached Byeok Taesan and greeted him respectfully.

“Young Master, you’re awake. Shall I have breakfast prepared?”

Byeok Taesan gave him a strange look, wondering why he was acting this way.

Then, he shifted his gaze toward Needle Master, who was sitting far away.

Reading the subtle unease on Needle Master’s face, Byeok Taesan’s eyes narrowed.

“You two didn’t cause any trouble, did you?”

“Of course not. I’m such a quiet person, after all.”

Byeok Taesan waved dismissively.

“Fine. Just prepare breakfast.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

As the Heavenly Divine Healer bowed and began to withdraw, Byeok Taesan suddenly raised a hand as if he’d remembered something.

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

Both the Heavenly Divine Healer and Needle Master stared at him, swallowing nervously.

A tense silence filled the air.

“Do you know of any physicians nearby?”

“…Pardon?”

The two stared blankly at Byeok Taesan.