The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 108: Good Medicine Tastes Bitter

Everyone moved with urgency.

The task of dismantling and preparing the wild boar was left to the Cheon Kyungwan. With his prior experience, he handled it with considerable skill.

Meanwhile, the Heavenly Divine Healer, Needle Master, and Cho Seoran ventured into the mountains to gather herbs that could remove the gamey smell from the meat.

Using these herbs, the attendants of Byeok Taesan kindled a fire to roast and cook the meat.

Byeok Taesan merely sat and observed as the group bustled about.

Watching them, he couldn’t help but feel that the road ahead was still long.

The internal energy technique Byeok Taesan had taught them earlier that day was one he had personally created in the past and passed down to the Heaven Guard Corps.

By itself, the technique was relatively simple, but when combined with the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art, the story changed entirely.

He had frequently used it while leading the Heaven Guard Corps in the past. The augmentation by the Soul Augmenting Demonic Art was essential for the corps to keep up with him properly.

But now, even with all of that, his current companions couldn’t manage it.

Byeok Taesan had to drastically lower his speed just for them to barely follow him.

And even then, some of them collapsed and lost consciousness, something that would’ve been unimaginable back in the day.

“Well… with time, they’ll get the hang of it.”

Thinking back, during his days as the Heavenly Demon, such clumsy individuals wouldn’t have even been allowed near him.

Those below the necessary level—those not even close to the Heaven Guard Corps—would’ve been filtered out by his subordinates.

This meant that personally nurturing such individuals was almost a first for him.

Yet, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

Perhaps because it was a novel experience, he found it oddly enjoyable.

Leading an elite, fully-trained group was satisfying in its own right, but methodically raising people from the ground up also had its merits.

As he was lost in such thoughts, the meal was completed.

Byeok Taesan savored the food slowly as he ate.

Perhaps it was because of the attendants’ exceptional skills, but the taste was rather good.

When Byeok Taesan began eating, the others followed suit, enthusiastically devouring the meat.

After expending so much energy to get here, they were ravenously hungry, and they ate as though they couldn’t get enough.

And the more they ate, the more energized they felt.

Eventually, after gorging themselves, everyone slumped over, stuffed to the brim.

Once the meal was over, Byeok Taesan stood up.

The others looked at him with apprehensive eyes, unsure of his intentions. Hidden within their gaze was a rising tide of anxiety.

They hadn’t even digested their meal yet—what if he made them start running again?

If they could, they might have dared to collapse in protest, but none of them had the courage to do such a thing in front of Byeok Taesan.

All they could do was gaze at him with desperate eyes.

Without saying a word, Byeok Taesan glanced over the group.

That silent pressure alone was enough to make them stagger to their feet.

It seemed clear that further rest, even to digest their food, wasn’t an option.

Byeok Taesan looked over them again before murmuring to himself.

“No one’s dropping out—it’s boring.”

For some reason, his words sent shivers down their spines.

With clenched teeth and determined expressions, they steeled themselves.

The resolve to avoid falling behind was seared into their hearts.

Byeok Taesan began walking, his strides long and purposeful.

The group hurried to follow.

Thus began a midnight sprint.

—

The midnight run didn’t last long.

By the time the group was losing consciousness, they had almost reached Yichang.

Having departed from Wuhan in the morning, they had arrived near Yichang before the sun had even set—a testament to their incredible pace.

When Byeok Taesan’s group arrived at Yichang, it was still the dead of night.

“Young Master, where shall we head next?”

Hwaryeong approached Byeok Taesan and asked.

They had two main options: head directly to the Hubei Martial Alliance or secure lodging at a nearby inn.

Instead of answering her, Byeok Taesan walked off purposefully.

Hwaryeong, puzzled, followed behind him.

The place where Byeok Taesan stopped was the Black Iron Workshop.

It was the same workshop that had disappeared overnight during Byeok Taesan’s previous visit to the Hubei Martial Alliance.

It was also where he had once found traces of the Poison Demon.

Hwaryeong, who had once been the Hao Clan Branch Leader of Yichang, remembered the incident well. She had also experienced some of the events alongside Byeok Taesan.

“Young Master, shall I summon the Hao Clan scouts?”

Hwaryeong assumed that Byeok Taesan intended to investigate the Black Iron Workshop. Considering its size, a proper investigation would require many hands.

“No need.”

Byeok Taesan dismissed the suggestion as he approached the main gates of the workshop.

Hwaryeong, staying close to him, provided information about the workshop.

“After the incident, the Hubei Martial Alliance took control of the Black Iron Workshop. However, as Yichang grew more chaotic, they abandoned its management recently.”

“And now?”

“It’s vacant. But the Hubei Martial Alliance stopped managing it only five days ago, so nothing significant should have occurred.”

At Hwaryeong’s explanation, a faint smile appeared on Byeok Taesan’s lips.

These people always find such creative ways to maneuver.

Byeok Taesan extended his hand toward the Heavenly Divine Healer.

The Heavenly Divine Healer, puzzled, alternated his gaze between Byeok Taesan’s hand and face.

“Black Pearl.”

The Black Pearl referred to a black orb capable of driving those who had ingested the Blood pill into a frenzy.

“Ah, here it is. How many do you need?”

The Heavenly Divine Healer quickly ran over and asked.

“Three should suffice,” Byeok Taesan replied after confirming the state of the Black Iron Workshop.

The Heavenly Divine Healer immediately retrieved three Black Pearls from his robes and respectfully handed them over.

Byeok Taesan picked up the pearls and casually threw them into the interior of the Black Iron Workshop.

The Heavenly Divine Healer was alarmed at the sight.

“Young Master, you shouldn’t just throw those around so carelessly…!”

As he spoke, he realized that Byeok Taesan wouldn’t act recklessly without reason.

“Wait… don’t tell me those lunatics are in there?”

He wasn’t sure how Byeok Taesan knew, but considering his extraordinary sensory abilities, far beyond the Heavenly Divine Healer’s comprehension, it seemed plausible.

From within the Black Iron Workshop came the sound of eerie wails.

Everyone’s expressions hardened. Indeed, it seemed that those who had ingested the Blood pill were inside.

Only such individuals would react to the Black Pearl.

Once they reacted, it was only a matter of time before their latent power surged uncontrollably, leading to their collapse.

When the wailing and chaos subsided, the Heavenly Divine Healer stepped forward to push open the workshop’s door.

“Ugh, it’s locked. Should I break it down?”

When he turned to Byeok Taesan for approval, the latter waved him aside with a gesture of disinterest.

Byeok Taesan stepped past the Heavenly Divine Healer, calmly approached the main door, and gave it a gentle push.

The door opened as if it had never been locked.

The group turned their gazes toward the Heavenly Divine Healer in unison.

He looked flustered and exclaimed, “No, really, it was locked! I tried pushing and pulling, and it wouldn’t budge!”

As the Needle Master walked past the Heavenly Divine Healer, he turned his head to glance at him.

“Tsk, tsk.”

Clicking his tongue and shaking his head a few times, the Needle Master walked into the Black Iron Workshop with a satisfied smirk.

“Argh! This is so unfair! I swear it was locked!” the Heavenly Divine Healer yelled in frustration.

Cheon Kyungwan, passing by him, commented, “I believe you, Healer.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer’s face contorted at the comment.

Inside the Black Iron Workshop, countless individuals lay sprawled on the ground. Their bodies were shriveled and emaciated, likely from the explosive surge of latent power triggered by the Black Pearl.

“Wow, they hid so many of them.”

The Heavenly Divine Healer shook his head in disbelief at the sight.

He hadn’t anticipated so many who had consumed the Blood pills to be hiding here.

While the entire Black Iron Workshop wasn’t packed, several buildings and three training halls inside were densely filled.

Not all of them had succumbed to the frenzy, though.

Those in the training halls were already dead, but the ones in the other buildings remained unaffected.

Byeok Taesan had deliberately avoided targeting those structures, focusing solely on clearing the training halls.

As expected, individuals started pouring out from the buildings.

The Black Pearls were thrown in their path.

The Heavenly Divine Healer and the Needle Master hurled the pearls strategically at the approaching individuals.

Watching the frenzied attackers, they quickly retreated.

If any of them charged while in their frenzy, it would be troublesome. The power unleashed in such a state was immense and momentarily overwhelming.

The lunatics screamed and thrashed about, flailing their limbs in all directions. Those with weapons swung them wildly.

Some of them rushed toward the Heavenly Divine Healer at a speed far greater than expected.

Alarmed, the Heavenly Divine Healer hurriedly swung his arm.

Crack!

A sharp shock reverberated through his hand as if his bones had snapped.

Despite their emaciated appearance, the attacker’s strength and speed only increased, becoming more dangerous.

Boom!

Just as the Heavenly Divine Healer’s vision blurred from the impact, the lunatic was sent flying with a thunderous sound.

The Needle Master, who had approached unnoticed, clicked his tongue at the Heavenly Divine Healer.

“Are you even earning your keep?”

“I’m just not accustomed to this new martial art yet,” he replied, flustered.

“Do you think I’m used to mine?” the Needle Master retorted.

“Are you and I the same? Ah! Another one is coming your way. You handle that one!”

The Heavenly Divine Healer quickly stepped aside.

Five more emaciated attackers charged in unison toward the group.

The Needle Master smirked and flicked a handful of needles toward them.

Thwip, thwip, thwip!

The needles embedded themselves perfectly in the attackers’ foreheads.

That was the end. They collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

The Needle Master surveyed the surroundings.

The Black Pearls had worked as intended, incapacitating most of the frenzied attackers. The remaining ones were being dealt with efficiently by the group.

‘But… where is the Young Master?’

Byeok Taesan stood in the inner courtyard of the Black Iron Workshop.

He was heading toward the training hall reserved for the sect leader, located in the deepest part of the courtyard.

That was where the half-Jiangshi were gathered.

The very reason Byeok Taesan had come to the Black Iron Workshop was because of those half-Jiangshi.

The unique energy radiating from the half-Jiangshi was so intense that it pricked at his senses the moment he entered Yichang.

Upon entering the training hall, Byeok Taesan immediately understood the source of that sensation.

The half-Jiangshi here were unlike any he had encountered before.

Thirty half-Jiangshi stood in the hall, each radiating an extraordinary amount of internal energy.

It was evident that these half-Jiangshi had been created from individuals who were once high-level martial artists.

Even turning a martial artist of ordinary skill into a half-Jiangshi would yield formidable results—how much more so when their original skill was exceptional?

Of course, such things held no significance to Byeok Taesan.

Standing in the center of the training hall, Byeok Taesan closely examined the half-Jiangshi gathered before him.

“Could these ones possibly be from the Black Iron Workshop?”

It seemed likely. If so, perhaps the ones outside who had consumed the Soul Augmenting Pill were also from the Black Iron Workshop.

The sequence seemed clear—these individuals had been transformed into half-Jiangshi, fed Soul Augmenting Pills, and then returned to their original positions.

“Well, I’ll take care of the leftovers on the ground first and confirm things later.”

With a sly grin, Byeok Taesan stepped toward the half-Jiangshi.

At that moment, the half-Jiangshi began to move.

This reaction was unlike anything he had seen from half-Jiangshi before.

“Oh? Look at these creatures.”

Byeok Taesan’s eyes sparkled with interest.

The half-Jiangshi, which had been clustered together, now spaced themselves evenly apart. Drawing their swords, they began to encircle Byeok Taesan.

“They say good medicine tastes bitter.”

Three of the half-Jiangshi lunged at Byeok Taesan simultaneously, their movements swift and precise.

Byeok Taesan evaded the swords thrusting toward him from three directions with nothing more than a slight twist of his body.

He then casually flicked his hands.

Crack!

The half-Jiangshi struck by Byeok Taesan’s hands flew backward, tumbling across the ground. They did not rise again.

Observing the dense energy pouring out of the fallen half-Jiangshi, Byeok Taesan grinned.

Indeed, it was potent medicine. The quality of the energy was incomparable to that of any half-Jiangshi he had encountered before.

“There’s no need to drag this out.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Byeok Taesan raised his foot and brought it down sharply.

Boom!

The floor of the training hall shattered, and countless fragments of stone rose into the air.

Byeok Taesan’s hands moved swiftly, striking the fragments.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The stone fragments flew in all directions, obliterating the heads of the half-Jiangshi.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

It all happened in an instant.

The headless half-Jiangshi collapsed to the ground, releasing a dense wave of energy.

Standing in the center of the training hall, Byeok Taesan closed his eyes and allowed the energy that filled the space to seep into his body.

The energy swirled gradually, forming a vortex centered around Byeok Taesan.