The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 87: Watch Carefully

Hwaryeong realized that something inside her had shattered.

Her night with Byeok Taesan had been truly extraordinary.

To be honest, her memories of it were faint. All she could vaguely recall was sinking into a swamp of overwhelming pleasure.

And yet, she had clearly felt it yesterday—Byeok Taesan’s heart.

How cautious and tender he was, and how much he cherished her, she could sense it all.

In truth, it was because he was handling her spirit, and he had no choice but to act that way. But Hwaryeong wasn’t aware of such details.

Regardless, those feelings had left a distinct imprint on her memory and heart.

‘No wonder they’re all like that.’

Only now did Hwaryeong understand why Dan Yeong and the other attendants of Byeok Taesan seemed to live solely for him.

They must have felt the same thing she did.

Hwaryeong closed her eyes, placed a hand on her chest, and pressed gently.

The solid wall she had carried inside her had been broken by last night’s experience.

It was like breaking out of a shell.

Hwaryeong had known since childhood that she was different from ordinary people.

Otherwise, there was no way she could see things others couldn’t.

She had naturally come to understand that some solid something deep inside her had been responsible for granting her that ability.

But she had no idea what that something was.

And now, it had shattered.

What she had originally believed to be true turned out to be false.

That solid thing inside her hadn’t granted her ability.

In fact, it had been an obstacle suppressing her true potential.

It had been a dam blocking the flow of her power.

And with a single night with Byeok Taesan, it had been broken, destroyed completely.

The barrier blocking her path had been vaporized by a massive blaze.

For the first time in her life, Hwaryeong felt truly refreshed.

She opened her eyes and glanced back at the pavilion where Byeok Taesan was staying.

She was struck again by the realization of just how extraordinary the man she served was.

Turning away, Hwaryeong started walking.

The lingering feelings from the night before would end here. It was now time to focus on work.

For Byeok Taesan’s sake.

She left the Golden Wall Merchants’ grounds and headed to the White Flower House.

When Hwaryeong arrived at the White Flower House, she spotted a familiar face.

“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t it the former Yichang Branch Leader, who abandoned us to join another ship?”

Jo Taejoo approached her with a grin stretching across his face.

After getting thoroughly humiliated by Byeok Taesan, Jo Taejoo had come to the White Flower House to calmly gather information and formulate a response.

He had already confirmed what Byeok Taesan had instructed Hao Clan to do, and was now contemplating how he could sway Byeok Taesan’s heart in his favor.

And yet, here Hwaryeong was.

As the son of the Hao Clan’s leader, Jo Taejoo had access to most of the information flowing through the organization.

He was, after all, the most likely successor to the position of Hao Clan’s next leader.

However, not everyone within the Hao Clan supported him. Quite a few members found Jo Taejoo unpleasant, although they never voiced it openly.

Hwaryeong, too, was one of those who found Jo Taejoo distasteful. The Owner of the White Flower House felt the same.

Jo Taejoo’s eyes gleamed as he scanned Hwaryeong up and down.

“You’ve gotten a lot prettier since I last saw you. I guess clinging to Byeok Taesan has brought you plenty of good things, huh?”

When Hwaryeong didn’t respond, Jo Taejoo continued.

“So, you’re no longer part of the Hao Clan. What brings you here now?”

“I’m here to check on the progress of the tasks the Young Master has instructed, as well as to gather information about Wuhan’s current situation.”

Jo Taejoo’s expression darkened slightly.

“Since when did the Hao Clan become Byeok Taesan’s personal property?”

Hwaryeong furrowed her brows as she looked at Jo Taejoo.

He stared back at her and continued.

“Listen here, former Branch Leader. Are you truly planning to turn your back on Hao Clan?”

Hwaryeong didn’t think his words were worth responding to.

She could clearly see that Jo Taejoo was consumed by jealousy and greed.

“Why not work with us instead? Just bring me all the crucial information you can gather on Byeok Taesan. If you help me secure the Shadowstep Art, I’ll guarantee you the position of Vice Leader in the future. How about it?”

Hwaryeong found his proposal absurd. Did he truly think becoming the leader of the Hao Clan was guaranteed?

While it was true he had a high likelihood of succeeding, nothing had been set in stone.

If Jo Taejoo made even a few major mistakes now, he could quickly fall from grace.

And from what Hwaryeong could see, he was currently committing one of those very mistakes.

Jo Taejoo seemed to misinterpret her silence as consent, and he flashed a sly grin.

“The information I mentioned earlier is over there on the desk. Feel free to take it. Although… it doesn’t seem like there’s much of value.”

Hwaryeong silently approached the desk Jo Taejoo had pointed to.

She began sorting through the disorganized documents piled on top of it.

She couldn’t simply hand these over to Byeok Taesan as they were. Checking and organizing them was essential.

She started by reviewing the contents.

It didn’t take long for her expression to harden.

“What is this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why is the information such garbage? Did you deliberately withhold the critical pieces?”

“What are you talking about? All I did was assign a price to them. If you want the crucial details, all you have to do is hand over the Shadowstep Art. It’s a simple and fair trade, don’t you think?”

Hwaryeong calmly placed the documents she had sorted back onto the desk.

“This information is so useless that there’s no need for Hao Clan’s help. I’ll leave it here.”

Jo Taejoo stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

“And what do you think you’re doing now?”

“If the information’s been reviewed, shouldn’t I pay for it?”

“You want me to pay for that trash?”

“Whether it’s trash or not is for me to decide. And you’ve already looked at it.”

Hwaryeong’s face stiffened.

“Hoo… Fine. How much do you want, then?”

“There are thirteen high-quality pieces of information here… so let’s call it sixty taels of gold. A discount, really.”

Hwaryeong stared at Jo Taejoo, astonished.

“Are you… trying to pick a fight with the Golden Wall Merchants?”

“Such a scary joke. I’m not picking a fight with the Golden Wall Merchants. I’m picking one with you. If it had been anyone else, the story might’ve been different.”

Hwaryeong could roughly guess what Jo Taejoo was attempting.

He wanted to drive a wedge between her and Byeok Taesan.

If she reported this matter to Byeok Taesan, Jo Taejoo would likely feign innocence and deny everything.

That was Jo Taejoo’s specialty.

He had the ability to imbue his words with persuasiveness. By infusing emotions into his speech, he could stir the hearts of others.

If Jo Taejoo succeeded in pushing him away, he would likely do the same to those around Byeok Taesan as well.

“But… do you even have the sixty gold coins to pay? If not, you’ll have to sell your body to make up for it.”

Jo Taejoo’s eyes gleamed like a snake. From the moment he saw Hwaryeong today, his lust had been boiling over.

Hwaryeong pulled out a long, thick gold bar from her sleeve.

It was a gold bar that appeared to be worth at least a hundred coins.

Jo Taejoo’s eyes widened.

Hwaryeong casually tossed the gold bar to Jo Taejoo.

While Jo Taejoo instinctively caught the gold bar, she slipped past him.

“You made a mistake.”

Leaving those words behind, Hwaryeong exited the White Flower House.

Jo Taejoo frowned, gripping the gold bar tightly in his hand, and glared at her retreating figure.

He wasn’t too worried. He was confident in his ability to twist things to his advantage.

It was something he had succeeded at dozens of times before.

“Well then, shall I hurry over to find Byeok Taesan?”

Jo Taejoo patted his chest. Inside his clothing was the information he originally intended to deliver to Byeok Taesan.

His body swiftly headed towards the Golden Wall Merchants.

He would likely arrive faster than Hwaryeong, who would encounter obstacles along the way.

Hwaryeong stood before the front gate of the Golden Wall Merchants with a grim expression.

She had come straight here after leaving the White Flower House, but there had been far too many interruptions along the way.

She hadn’t expected the Hao Clan to act so blatantly.

The Hao Clan operatives in Wuhan had openly obstructed her movements.

Of course, they hadn’t laid a hand on her or attacked her directly.

Instead, they had deliberately stood in her way, blocked alleys she turned into with carts, or otherwise delayed her progress.

Eventually, she managed to reach the Golden Wall Merchants, but she had wasted nearly half an hour in the process.

Hwaryeong realized Jo Taejoo’s plan.

It was impossible not to notice, given how blatant their actions were.

She slowly stepped into the Golden Wall Merchants.

And then she headed straight for Byeok Taesan’s quarters.

As expected, Byeok Taesan and Jo Taejoo were standing in front of the building.

Jo Taejoo glanced back and looked at Hwaryeong. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, his eyes filled with ridicule and mockery.

Hwaryeong ignored his gaze and looked at Byeok Taesan.

Byeok Taesan was holding a stack of documents in his hand. It was undoubtedly the information Jo Taejoo had brought.

It was the same information Hwaryeong had requested from Jo Taejoo earlier.

Jo Taejoo was certain that Byeok Taesan’s perception of him must have changed by now.

After all, wasn’t that why he had worked so hard to talk?

Jo Taejoo had been keenly observing Byeok Taesan’s subtle expressions while he spoke earlier. He was convinced he had seen faint traces of admiration.

“Our former branch leader of Yichang has arrived. It’s been so long since we’ve last met that I feel quite delighted.”

Jo Taejoo spoke without batting an eye, his lies flowing effortlessly.

But his delivery was so natural and seemed so sincere that even Hwaryeong, who knew the truth, momentarily doubted whether she had actually seen someone else at the White Flower House earlier.

Hwaryeong approached quietly and slightly bowed her head to Byeok Taesan.

“I’ve returned.”

She hesitated as she looked at Byeok Taesan. She didn’t know what to report.

If she reported exactly what had happened, would Byeok Taesan believe her? Judging by the situation, Jo Taejoo had been busy ingratiating himself with Byeok Taesan. Would he trust the truth she told him?

All sorts of thoughts crossed her mind.

If her opponent had been anyone other than Byeok Taesan, she might have been able to decide quickly.

Her abilities had evolved after she broke through the barrier that had been holding her back.

She could now go beyond seeing someone’s essence and vaguely read their current state of mind.

But from Byeok Taesan, she felt nothing.

It was like staring at a pitch-black wall.

As Byeok Taesan silently gazed at her, Hwaryeong made her decision.

Whether or not Byeok Taesan believed her didn’t matter. What mattered was the sincerity of her actions and choices.

“I bought some worthless information with a gold bar.”

Byeok Taesan let out a brief laugh.

Interpreting it as mockery, Jo Taejoo’s expression brightened, and he looked at Hwaryeong with satisfaction.

“What an audacious person. Who dared to do such a thing?”

Hwaryeong turned her gaze to Jo Taejoo.

“It was him.”

Jo Taejoo looked at Byeok Taesan with a startled expression, though it was, of course, an act.

“Branch Leader, why are you saying such a thing? I haven’t even met you today… Perhaps you’re confusing me with someone else?”

Jo Taejoo’s feigned confusion was accompanied by an incredulous look.

“Besides, the timing doesn’t add up. If that were true, the branch leader would have arrived here before me. Are you sure it was me, and not someone else at the White Flower House?”

At Jo Taejoo’s words, Hwaryeong bit her lip slightly, her face flushed with frustration.

Seeing this, Byeok Taesan stepped in.

“Enough. What do you see in this man?”

Byeok Taesan directed the question to Hwaryeong.

Her eyes widened slightly.

“I thought I noticed something different about you recently. Am I wrong? Can you see things you couldn’t before?”

“Ah… Y-yes, that’s correct.”

Byeok Taesan smirked and gestured toward Jo Taejoo with his chin.

“What do you see?”

“Lust, ambition, deceit, and mockery.”

Byeok Taesan tilted his head.

“Ambition and deceit, fine… but lust? What, was he targeting your body from the start? How ridiculous.”

Jo Taejoo truly looked flustered. Wasn’t it absurd that Byeok Taesan seemed to be taking Hwaryeong’s unbelievable words seriously? This couldn’t be allowed.

“Y-young Master…”

Byeok Taesan raised a hand, silencing Jo Taejoo. He wasn’t done speaking yet.

“And what’s this about mockery? Are you saying he’s mocking me right now?”

Byeok Taesan turned his head slightly to look at Jo Taejoo, his gaze cold and emotionless. The calmness in his eyes sent a chill down Jo Taejoo’s spine.

“So, you were mocking me while I listened silently?”

“Y-young Master! Absolutely not! How could I! Are you seriously believing these outrageous claims?”

Byeok Taesan chuckled.

“Then should I believe you? A man I’ve only met twice? Especially when, during our first meeting, you shattered my trust?”

Jo Taejoo’s eyes widened. He only now realized that Byeok Taesan hadn’t taken a single word he’d said seriously from the beginning.

Even so, believing Hwaryeong’s claims was too much.

Byeok Taesan ignored Jo Taejoo’s thoughts and expression, focusing solely on Hwaryeong.

“You’ve become more useful.”

Hwaryeong smiled radiantly and bowed slightly.

“Thank you.”

The knot of anxiety and worry that had weighed on her melted away completely.

She looked up at Byeok Taesan with joyous eyes.

At that moment, Byeok Taesan placed his hand on Jo Taejoo’s head.

Jo Taejoo froze, panic flashing across his face. Fear surged through him, and he tried to struggle, but from the moment Byeok Taesan’s hand touched him, his body wouldn’t move at all.

Hwaryeong’s eyes widened slightly as she witnessed the scene.

“Young Master, if you kill him now, things will get complicated.”

Byeok Taesan laughed lightly.

“Why? Do you think it’s beyond your ability to handle?”

Hwaryeong shook her head resolutely.

“No, I’ll ensure everything is handled.”

Hearing their exchange, Jo Taejoo’s face turned pale.

“S-spare me! Please, Branch Leader! I was wrong! Please, have mercy! Young Master, I promise I’ll never do this again! I’ll dedicate all my resources to deliver the Hao Clan to you! Please, please spare me!”

“Be quiet. Nothing you say will change the outcome.”

Despair settled over Jo Taejoo’s face as he realized his fate was sealed.

Byeok Taesan, indifferent to Jo Taejoo’s despair, looked at Hwaryeong.

“Watch closely.”

Then Byeok Taesan extracted Jo Taejoo’s spirit.

Hwaryeong’s eyes widened like lanterns.