The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 92: You Don’t Know What This Is, Do You?

Byeok Taesan looked down silently at the person bowing before him.

The leader of the White Tiger Escort Agency had rushed here the moment he received Byeok Taesan’s summons during his travels.

Now, he was drenched in cold sweat.

The moment he saw Byeok Taesan, he instinctively prostrated himself and had remained in that position, unable to utter a single word, sweat pouring down his face.

“It seems you do understand that you’ve done wrong.”

“Please, kill me!”

The White Tiger Escort Agency leader cried out desperately.

Byeok Taesan smirked.

“You’ve been outside for far too long. To speak such words so carelessly.”

The people of the Demonic Cult would never say such a thing. It was one of the things the Heavenly Demon despised the most.

If you committed an act worthy of death, you ended your own life. If you hadn’t done something so grave, you lived on and sought forgiveness.

Deciding between life and death was solely the prerogative of the Heavenly Demon, an embodiment of his power and authority.

To speak so lightly of one’s own death was unthinkable. Begging to live was far more acceptable.

After all, if you survived, you could serve faithfully.

“If you wish to die, then do so in battle against the enemy. Don’t ask me to end your life.”

The leader of the White Tiger Escort Agency trembled violently.

“Y-Yes, I will die in battle!”

Byeok Taesan grinned and nodded.

“Good. That will suffice. Now, stand up.”

The leader felt a weight lift from his body as if it had never existed.

He raised his head, bewildered, and looked at Byeok Taesan.

He had never experienced anything like this before.

Just moments ago, he had been crushed under Byeok Taesan’s sheer presence.

Though he’d been overwhelmed by someone’s aura plenty of times, this was the first time he had instinctively prostrated himself, unable to move, drenched in cold sweat.

“From now on, do not attempt or plan anything related to me without my explicit orders.”

“Yes, my lord!”

The leader bowed his head deeply and responded in a booming voice.

“You said you unified the Unorthodox Path factions?”

“Yes, but they’re closer to back-alley ruffians than properly established sects.”

Of course, among them were those who had trained in martial arts and some who had built modest organizations.

A few even operated what could be considered small sects.

However, none of them were true martial factions of the Murim.

Still, gathering them all under one banner had proven worthwhile.

“Were there any unusual developments?”

Byeok Taesan had been anticipating strange occurrences related to the Golden Heavenly Alliance and was already in the process of gathering intelligence.

With the Hao Clan and the Heavenly Divine Healer’s disciples diligently collecting information, a clearer picture would soon emerge.

If those behind the Golden Heavenly Alliance had any designs in Wuhan, they wouldn’t have left the Unorthodox path unchecked.

The unified Unorthodox path factions could be useful tools for them in various ways.

Those trained in martial arts could be enhanced with pills that ignited latent power. Those without such training could be transformed into semi-reanimated corpses for further use.

This made it highly likely that the Golden Heavenly Alliance had meddled with the Unorthodox path factions in some manner.

The leader of the White Tiger Escort Agency swallowed dryly as Byeok Taesan’s piercing gaze bore down on him.

Even though Byeok Taesan wasn’t saying anything, the pressure was immense.

“For now, nothing unusual occurred during the unification process.”

“Is that so?”

“However, after unification, we did hear some strange rumors from the Unorthodox path factions.”

Interest flickered in Byeok Taesan’s eyes.

“There’s a pill that supposedly amplifies strength tenfold.”

That pill.

A chilling smile appeared on Byeok Taesan’s lips.

“How intriguing. Tell me more.”

“That’s all there is. It’s just a rumor. No one has seen the pill itself or verified its existence.”

It seemed the unification by the White Tiger Escort Agency had interrupted the distribution of the pill among the Unorthodox path factions.

The pill was likely intended to draw in and manipulate the Unorthodox path factions.

“This approach is different from how they handled the bandits, isn’t it?”

This time, they appeared to be taking a more cautious approach, unlike their handling of the bandit groups.

Byeok Taesan’s lips curled into a subtle smile.

“So… it could all be a false trail.”

He muttered quietly before addressing the White Tiger Escort Agency leader again.

“You’re to relocate to Wuhan entirely.”

“What?”

“Do you think they’ll leave your unified factions alone? Do you expect Ma Chungsam to handle it all by himself?”

The leader’s face hardened. He immediately bowed deeply.

“Understood, my lord!”

••••

Eung Jayeop and the Black Moon Blade headed for the Wanderer Martial Market.

More specifically, their destination was a pleasure house located slightly away from the market itself.

Through prior arrangements with the heads of the market’s various districts, they had set a meeting at the pleasure house.

Taking control of the market didn’t require brute force or violence. All they needed to do was swallow up the district leaders.

Tonight, ten district leaders would pledge their loyalty to him.

By force, if necessary.

Following Eung Jayeop, the Black Moon Blade and there were ten warriors, all from the Golden Heavenly Alliance.

These warriors had been strengthened by the Blood Augmenting Pills, which had unlocked their latent power.

The average warriors of the Golden Heavenly Alliance weren’t up to standard, and the district leaders might bring their subordinates along. In such cases, overwhelming power had to be demonstrated.

It would also serve to showcase the incredible potency of the Blood Augmenting Pills.

Eung Jayeop arrived at the pleasure house and was guided to a separate annex by the courtesans.

The annex was chosen to prevent any commotion from spreading.

The ten district leaders were already waiting there, seated with tense expressions.

No courtesans were present. Eung Jayeop had ensured no one would be allowed inside until the discussions concluded.

If everything went smoothly, the courtesans would join later to create a raucous night.

If things didn’t go as planned, the scent of blood would fill the air.

He had no intention of killing the district leaders but planned to bring them to the brink of death, enough to make them believe they were about to die.

As he scanned the district leaders, Eung Jayeop thought briefly of Seo Daegun.

Seo Daegun had been tasked with reorganizing the Unorthodox path .

By now, he was likely in motion.

Even though they had used the Golden Heavenly Alliance to slightly divert the attention of the Martial Alliance, Black Lotus, Namgung Clan, and Zhuge Clan, that distraction wouldn’t last long.

The more overt their actions became, the quicker they would be discovered.

However, Eung Jayeop wasn’t concerned.

If anyone were discovered, it would be Seo Daegun. Given his temperament, he was likely to act in a way that drew significant attention.

This would allow Eung Jayeop to quietly take control of the Wanderer Martial Market during the distraction.

Though the Unorthodox path factions were appealing, they were no match for the Wanderer Martial Market.

The market was larger, and controlling the district leaders made it easier to exploit for a long time.

Seo Daegun had taken a large quantity of the Blood Augmenting Pills.

His share had been stored at the Water reservoir stronghold but was completely cleaned out, leaving little behind.

To make up for it, Seo Daegun had taken a significant portion of Go Jun-kwang’s pills.

While the pills could rapidly enhance someone’s strength, that alone wasn’t enough to ensure loyalty.

To control them fully, their will had to be broken—utterly crushed.

Afterward, the unique properties of the Blood Augmenting Pills would ensure they remained obedient. Through fear.

Even the strongest individual couldn’t override the fear deeply imprinted on their psyche.

It was an incredibly effective method of domination.

And the one who created the Ten Thousand Blood Sect never expected such an effect. It was an effect discovered by chance.

So, wasn’t it a method that suited the Unorthodox Ones perfectly?

If it were Seo Daegun, no one else would handle this kind of thing better.

Moreover, Seo Daegun could easily attract the attention of all the major forces in Wuhan by himself.

Eung Jayeop shook off his thoughts and sat in front of the district leaders. Behind him, Black Moon Blade stood, poised like a sword, exuding a menacing presence.

The district leaders’ gazes briefly flickered toward Black Moon Blade, then they gulped, returning to their previous focus.

“Thank you for coming. I’m sure none of you will regret it,” Eung Jayeop said.

District Leader One abruptly asked, “Anyone can say such things. Shouldn’t you first introduce yourself?”

“Oh, how rude of me. I’m Eung Jayeop,”

District Leader One scowled.

“Did you think I asked for your name?”

Eung Jayeop tilted his head in confusion.

“Why is that important? Isn’t what’s more important what you can gain and what fate you will face going forward?”

District Leader One chuckled dryly, then nodded in agreement.

“Alright. What can we gain?”

Eung Jayeop pulled a vial of Blood Augmentation Pill from his robe and placed it gently on the table.

“This is called the Great Strength Pill.”

“Great Strength Pill?”

“If you consume it, it will give you ten times your usual strength.”

At the mention of ten times, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s impossible…!”

Eung Jayeop smiled as if he had anticipated their reaction.

“Do you know where the people I brought with me outside are from?”

District Leader One turned his head to look at District Leader Ten.

He got up with a sour expression, went outside, and came back after a while. His expression was now somewhat strange.

“They’re from the Golden Heavenly Alliance,”

Eung Jayeop smiled.

“That’s right. So you must also understand the caliber of the warriors from Golden Heavenly Alliance, correct?”

“Well… aren’t they just a bunch of worthless ones?”

“They used to be, yes. But once they consume the Great Strength Pill, things change.”

At that moment, a commotion began outside.

The sound of weapons clashing, shouting, and screaming filled the air.

Then, the terrible stench of blood rushed into the room.

“Would you like to see the result?”

The district leaders glared at Eung Jayeop with grim expressions, but deep within their gazes lay a clear sense of fear.

The warriors guarding the place had been handpicked for their skill.

Of course, they were still small-time martial artists, but there were sixty of them in total.

Yet, only ten warriors from Golden Heavenly Alliance had wiped them out.

Eung Jayeop wanted them to see the result.

Black Moon Blade moved, opening the door behind Eung Jayeop wide.

One of the walls was made entirely of doors, and as they were all opened, the garden was clearly visible.

It was a pavilion purposely built for this very purpose.

In the garden stood ten Golden Heavenly Alliance warriors, lined up.

And scattered all around them were the bodies of sixty-nine men.

Not a single one had escaped.

Seeing the blood and corpses directly, the fear in the district leaders’ eyes grew stronger.

Eung Jayeop smiled at the sight.

‘Their will has been broken.’

Now, he only needed to crush their spirits completely. Then, he would feed them the Great Strength Pill.

Eung Jayeop smiled again, speaking softly.

“We will dominate Wuhan. You can all be part of that.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Black Moon Blade behind him released a tremendous surge of power.

Boom!

The district leaders froze in horror, their bodies pressed down by the overwhelming pressure as they stared at Black Moon Blade.

This was an opponent they simply could not defeat.

Even if all ten of them attacked together, or even if they brought all the ronin from the market, it would still be impossible to win.

Eung Jayeop’s smile deepened.

‘Finally… they’re on the ground.’

Now, all he needed was to feed them the Great Strength Pill. He was absolutely certain of his success—until the Sixth District Leader slowly stood up.

“I knew someone would get ahead of the game. So, you’re the ones the Young Master told us about?”

The other district leaders stared at the Sixth District Leader in confusion.

Their eyes asked, “Why is that crazy guy acting like this?”

But Eung Jayeop and Black Moon Blade, facing the Sixth District Leader, did not share the same lack of understanding.

A tense atmosphere clung to both of them.

“Heh. I never thought there would be a recluse from the Wanderer Market who’d be capable,” the Sixth District Leader said, signaling behind him.

He was calling his own men inside.

But no one came.

The reason was explained by Sixth District Leader, Yuk Tae-gu.

“I brought some of my own.”

Eung Jayeop turned his head in disbelief and looked down into the garden.

Ten Golden Heavenly Alliance warriors lay collapsed on the ground.

And two very ordinary-looking men were loitering nearby.

Eung Jayeop attempted to gauge Yuk Tae-gu’s strength, but it was impossible to tell.

He seemed to be someone who had a special ability to hide his power.

‘This is a bit worrying…’

Still, Black Moon Blade was here, and he himself was close to Black Moon Blade’s level.

If things went awry, he could feed them the Great Strength Pill—if not him, then Black Moon Blade could.

‘The effect might be weaker, but it doesn’t matter.’

Black Moon Blade was no ordinary martial artist, so the effect of the Great Strength Pill would be weaker. However, even with that, he would still gain at least three times the power, which was enough.

However, if a fight broke out here, it would likely cause a major disturbance.

“This is throwing off the plan…”

The plan to quietly take over the Wanderer Market had been disrupted.

Eung Jayeop stared silently at Yuk Tae-gu.

“Where the hell did someone like him come from…?”

He could tell that Yuk Tae-gu was no mere recluse; he was the leader of a secretive force.

He hadn’t yet received any information about such a faction in Wuhan.

“This is frustrating,” Eung Jayeop muttered.

At that moment, Black Moon Blade lunged at Yuk Tae-gu.

With a massive surge of power, he struck down at Yuk Tae-gu’s head with a tremendous sword strike.

Boom!

Yuk Tae-gu blocked it and immediately retaliated.

In the meantime, Eung Jayeop threw nine daggers at the other district leaders.

The daggers flew with astonishing speed and precision.

District Leader Nine fell dead with a dagger in his forehead.

Yuk Tae-gu didn’t even spare them a glance, continuing to press Black Moon Blade with his attacks.

Clang, clang, clang!

Black Moon Blade was relentlessly pushed back, his body bleeding from several injuries.

The difference in skill was too vast.

Eung Jayeop threw a dagger at Yuk Tae-gu while shouting, “Take it!”

Clang!

In the brief moment that Yuk Tae-gu blocked the dagger, Black Moon Blade consumed the Great Strength Pill.

Grrrrr!

Yuk Tae-gu watched Black Moon Blade release an enormous, turbulent aura and smiled grimly.

Then, he took out a small, black orb from his robe.

“You don’t know what this is, do you?”