The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 91 – Isn’t This That Thing?

[Note: Rouge Market – Wanderers Market and Rouge to Wanderer]

The Wanderers Market was divided into ten zones, from One to Ten.

A large open area was sectioned off by driving stakes into the ground and connecting ropes between them, effectively designating different zones.

Each zone had a single makeshift building where the wanderers lived. Some wanderers resided there daily, while others came in the morning and left at night.

Zone One wasn’t exclusively made up of elite wanderers. Each zone had wanderers with varying levels of skill. However, the ratio of skilled individuals clearly differed across zones.

Zone One had the most skilled wanderers, while Zone Ten had the fewest.

What caught Byeok Taesan’s attention was Zone Six.

The individuals there were notably skilled. However, their skills were not the reason he focused on them.

Their ability to conceal their talents was extraordinary.

It was likely that not only those living in the Wanderers Market but also the people who came to hire wanderers had no idea how exceptional the wanderers in Zone Six truly were.

Considering that even members of prestigious clans sometimes mingled among the clients, this was an impressive feat.

More importantly, even Ma Chungsam, who was leading Byeok Taesan, seemed unaware of their true abilities.

As expected, Ma Chungsam passed by Zone Six without a second thought.

The place he chose was Zone One.

“This is it, Young Master,” Ma Chungsam said, looking at Byeok Taesan with a cautious yet tense expression.

Deep in his eyes was a hint of desperation.

There was also the underlying worry of what they would do if this wasn’t the right place.

However, there was no point in pretending otherwise. Byeok Taesan shook his head.

Ma Chungsam’s eyes wavered intensely.

Seeing this, Byeok Taesan smirked faintly and spoke.

“Still, you managed to catch at least one frog by the cow’s hind leg.”

With that, Byeok Taesan turned and headed toward Zone Six.

Ma Chungsam, looking puzzled, quickly followed him.

The wanderers managing clients in Zone One came out to greet them but frowned when they saw the two leave.

“Why are there so many people just sniffing around and leaving these days?”

“Right? Hey, where are those guys headed? Zone Six?”

“Huh? They’re actually going in? Why is Zone Six getting so many visitors lately?”

“There’s been a rumor going around that the guys in Zone Six have been doing an excellent job lately. Didn’t you know?”

“What? First I’ve heard of it.”

“The rumor’s everywhere. It’s like they’re on some kind of stimulant. They’ve been causing quite a stir.”

“What the hell? Is there something I don’t know? Weren’t they famous for being lazy before?”

“That’s old news. Nowadays, they’re probably the most diligent bunch. They’re handling assignments with incredible precision, too.”

“This reeks of something.”

“Reeks of what?”

“The smell of money. Hey, go dig into those Zone Six guys. There’s definitely something big going on.”

“What? Really?”

“My instincts tell me so. Don’t you know I’ve got a good nose for these things?”

The man nodded hesitantly, not daring to contradict the boast about his instincts.

“Uh, yes… Sure. I’ll check it out.”

Even as a polite response, he couldn’t honestly agree that the man had good instincts.

Still, he had been given orders and had to act. Quietly, he began to sneak toward Zone Six to eavesdrop on what was happening inside.

—

Inside Zone Six, Byeok Taesan casually glanced around.

Unlike other zones, there were far fewer wanderers outside the building in Zone Six.

When Byeok Taesan entered, the wanderers briefly looked at him before quickly averting their gazes.

The wanderers here were all like that.

After all, they didn’t personally take on assignments. Instead, their zone leader received the requests and distributed them.

Intervening carelessly in such matters could lead to someone disappearing without a trace.

They were simply behaving like any other wanderer would.

But Byeok Taesan could immediately tell that wasn’t the case.

They had assessed him just now. Whether they got any results from their evaluation, he wasn’t sure.

Byeok Taesan turned his head to look at Ma Chungsam, who had hurriedly followed him inside.

The wanderer gazes shifted briefly to Ma Chungsam before turning away again.

“Is something wrong, Young Master?” Ma Chungsam asked, noticing Byeok Taesan looking at him.

Byeok Taesan shook his head.

“No, it’s nothing.”

That meant their assessment had been so subtle and natural that even Ma Chungsam hadn’t noticed.

However, Byeok Taesan couldn’t just accept that as it was.

“The road ahead is long,”

He had no intention of letting Ma Chungsam remain at that level.

Ma Chungsam would break through his limits—whether he wanted to or not.

“I’ll make sure of it,” Byeok Taesan thought to himself.

Of course, it might require Ma Chungsam to experience near-death several times, but wouldn’t he be grateful if he could surpass his boundaries in the end?

He suddenly felt, once again, that he had become quite the benevolent person.

With a faintly satisfied expression, Byeok Taesan strode toward the building.

Upon entering, he saw a considerable number of wanderers.

He hadn’t been inside the buildings of the other zones, so he couldn’t be entirely certain, but it was likely that the setup here was similar to those.

About half of the people inside seemed to lack martial skills—or at least, that’s how it appeared at first glance.

Of course, from Byeok Taesan’s perspective, they were merely concealing their abilities.

The remaining half exuded an appropriate level of energy, just enough to seem competent but not overly formidable. Their ability to control their presence was strikingly precise.

As soon as Byeok Taesan entered, all eyes turned to him.

At the farthest end of the room sat a man who appeared to be the zone leader. Unlike the rough demeanor typical of wanderers, this man exuded a calm and refined energy that was anything but ordinary.

It was no surprise. After all, he wasn’t a wanderer but a branch leader of the Heaven Guard Corps.

Byeok Taesan scanned the people in the room, determining who among them belonged to the Heaven Guard Corps and who did not.

A standard unit of the Heaven Guard Corps consisted of one leader and twenty members. However, this was merely a baseline and could vary greatly depending on circumstances.

For instance, in the case of Heavenly Divine Healer, their unit had one leader and twelve members.

Here, there were over thirty people visible, but the atmosphere suggested there were likely more, including those currently on assignments outside.

“Only five of them aren’t from the Heaven Guard Corps,”

Perhaps the ordinary wanderers were out on tasks, or the group had deliberately refrained from recruiting regular wanderers altogether.

Byeok Taesan walked further into the building and stood in front of the zone leader.

The zone leader, sitting on the steps, barely tilted his head and eyes upward to look at Byeok Taesan.

“If you’re here to request a job, talk to that guy over there,” the leader said, gesturing with his chin toward another man seated nearby.

The man pointed out by the leader stood up and approached Byeok Taesan.

“Please tell me your request. It’s a bit inconvenient to discuss it here. Shall we step aside?”

Ignoring the man’s words, Byeok Taesan spoke directly to the zone leader.

“I’d like to talk privately. Just the two of us. Mind stepping aside for a moment?”

The zone leader’s brow furrowed slightly, wondering what this was about.

That thought didn’t last long.

“It’s about Hyeon Wool.”

The moment those words left Byeok Taesan’s lips, the zone leader’s expression transformed completely.

He stood up abruptly, his demeanor instantly turning polite.

“Please, come inside. I’ll formally greet you there,”

Byeok Taesan nodded and followed the leader into a private room in the back.

—

As Byeok Taesan took the seat of honor, the zone leader stood respectfully before him, bowing deeply.

“I am Yuk Taegu, and it’s an honor to meet you, Young Master.”

“How many people are under your command?” Byeok Taesan asked.

“Fifty,” Yuk Taegu replied.

Byeok Taesan’s eyes gleamed.

“That’s quite a number.”

“Since our primary focus is information gathering, infiltration, and manipulation, we require a larger team.”

It was exactly as he had expected. Their ability to conceal their strength was indeed impressive.

“I have a few tasks for you.”

“Please give the orders,” Yuk Taegu said.

“Take control of the Wanderers Market.”

“It will be done immediately.”

In anticipation of such an order, they had already prepared groundwork across all zones.

While the zone leaders might not know, many of the skilled wanderers under their command had long been won over by Yuk Taegu.

Byeok Taesan then called for Ma Chungsam, who had been waiting outside.

“Come in.”

Ma Chungsam cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.

Byeok Taesan introduced him to Yuk Taegu.

“This one is from the White Tiger Escort Agency.”

“The White Tiger Escort Agency… so that place was ours as well,” Yuk Taegu murmured.

“You already knew?”

“I had my suspicions,” Yuk Taegu admitted.

“Since you’re aware, that makes things easier. Coordinate well with him,” Byeok Taesan instructed.

Both Yuk Taegu and Ma Chungsam bowed deeply.

“Understood.”

Neither questioned the orders. They simply followed without hesitation.

Yuk Taegu hesitated briefly before asking, “How did you come to know about us, Young Master? To be honest, we operate differently from other units and are known to very few.”

Byeok Taesan smirked.

“Who else knows about you?”

“To my knowledge, only the Moon Spirit Corps Leader is aware,” Yuk Taegu replied.

The Moon Spirit Corps was the intelligence division of the Heavenly Demon Cult, a group superior to any other information network in the world.

While the Heaven Guard Corps wasn’t directly subordinate to the Moon Spirit Corps, many units, including Yuk Taegu, were affiliated with it.

Additionally, the Heaven Guard Corps was obligated to actively cooperate with the Moon Spirit Corps.

Among the Heaven Guard Corps, Yuk Taegu was particularly notable.

He was effectively a direct subordinate of the Moon Spirit Corps Leader.

This made it even more puzzling—how had Byeok Taesan figured out his identity?

To Yuk Taegu, Byeok Taesan clearly appeared to be someone of high rank.

It wasn’t just because he mentioned Hyeon Wool. Other indicators had confirmed it.

Though the exchanges had been brief, Byeok Taesan had answered the questions flawlessly. These questions weren’t ordinary but a critical step required to utilize the Heaven Guard Corps.

Specifically, accessing Yuk Taegu’s unit involved even more unique questions, different from those posed to other units.

Yet, Byeok Taesan had responded without hesitation, answering everything perfectly.

At this point, Yuk Taegu was nearly convinced that Byeok Taesan might even be the Moon Spirit Corps Leader himself.

But that couldn’t be true—Yuk Taegu had met the Moon Spirit Corps Leader several times and knew their identity well.

Byeok Taesan, unfazed, silently regarded Yuk Taegu.

In truth, there was no need to explain how he knew Yuk Taegu’s identity. Yuk Taegu would have executed his orders regardless.

Still, Byeok Taesan offered a simple response.

“Just because.”

“Pardon?”

“I just knew.”

Yuk Taegu stared at him blankly. Just knew? How was he supposed to interpret that?

Snapping out of his daze, Yuk Taegu lowered his head slightly.

“I understand. I’ll begin carrying out your orders immediately.”

Byeok Taesan nodded and rose from his seat. His business here was finished.

Just as he was about to leave the room, he stopped and turned back to Yuk Taegu.

“Ah, and aside from the White Tiger Escort Agency, have you found anyone else?”

Yuk Taegu bowed and replied, “We have, but as you know, nothing definite yet.”

“No problem. Pass the information to that one.”

Byeok Taesan gestured toward Ma Chungsam, who stood quietly in a corner.

Yuk Taegu glanced at Ma Chungsam before bowing once more to Byeok Taesan.

“Understood.”

As Byeok Taesan walked out, Yuk Taegu watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.

“He just knew? How could he just know? Judging by his actions, it seemed he didn’t even know about our unit being stationed here initially…”

Yet despite the absurdity, Yuk Taegu couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility.

“Wait… could this be that thing?”

A few old stories about the Heavenly Demon circulated like legends within the Heavenly Demon Cult.

What had just happened bore an uncanny resemblance to one of those tales.

Swallowing nervously, Yuk Taegu stared at Byeok Taesan’s disappearing figure.

He felt a strange sense of confusion.

—

Meanwhile, Seo Daegun was staying at the largest inn in Wuhan.

He had reserved the most expansive and expensive courtyard in the inn. Surrounding his room, dozens of warriors maintained a vigilant guard.

All of them were elite martial artists, but they weren’t Seo Daegun’s subordinates—they belonged to Go Jun-kwang.

Seo Daegun’s men were still en route to Wuhan.

Even when they arrived, they numbered only a few dozen—insufficient to carry out significant actions on their own.

The current situation in Wuhan was a chaotic web involving the Martial Alliance, Black Lotus, the Namgung Clan, and the Zhuge Clan. A single misstep could lead to both Go Jun-kwang’s and Seodogun’s forces being entirely wiped out.

For this reason, Seo Daegun didn’t plan to bring his men fully into Wuhan.

Instead, he intended to deploy them only at critical moments to execute key objectives and withdraw swiftly.

For day-to-day tasks, he relied on Go Jun-kwang’s forces.

There were significant differences between the two groups.

Go Jun-kwang’s forces had numbers on their side, while Seo Daegun’s men were individually much stronger.

Seo Daegun sat at a table with a modest spread of food, sipping wine.

Seated across from him was a man who had been managing Wuhan’s affairs.

Seo Daegun’s gaze remained predatory, filled with desire.

Though the man gave no openings for manipulation, Seo Daegun remained poised, waiting for the right moment to strike.

This man was someone Seo Daegun coveted deeply.

The man, for his part, hadn’t touched his wine.

“The Golden Heavenly Alliance Leader has made contact with the Martial Alliance, Black Lotus, the Namgung Clan, and the Zhuge Clan,” the man reported.

Seo Daegun chuckled.

“Is that so? Impressive work.”

His eyes sparkled with avarice as he looked at the man.

It was clear that the Golden Heavenly Alliance Leader hadn’t accomplished this on their own. The man before him was the true mastermind who had managed to engage all four factions.

“It’s time to make our move. We’ve shifted the attention elsewhere. Let’s reclaim what’s ours—and grab some extras while we’re at it.”

At Seo Daegun’s words, the man’s eyes gleamed.

“Are you planning to strike the forces uniting the Unorthodox Path?”

“That’s part of it. The more people we control, the better.”

The man locked eyes with Seo Daegun, who smirked and continued.

“The Wanderers Market in Wuhan is quite sizable, isn’t it? If we take down just ten key figures, we’ll have it under control, won’t we?”

“Indeed.”

“We’ll devour both at the same time. I’ll deal with the Unorthodox Path forces, and you’ll take Black Moon Blade and handle the Wanderers Market. Can you manage that?”

“Of course.”

As the man bowed, Seo Daegun looked at him with satisfaction.

A faint crimson light shimmered in Seo Daegun’s eyes as he smiled.