The Heavenly Demon Wants a Quiet Life

Chapter 12: Would you prefer torture instead?

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“Where shall we go today?”

“To Fallen Flower House.”

“Excuse me? You’re going there again?”

Fallen Flower House was the brothel Byeok Taesan had swept clean after Fragrant Flower House.

Since then, he has conquered a few more similar establishments.

Byeok Taesan smirked.

“A new girl there seems worth challenging.”

At the word challenge, Cheon Kyungwan involuntarily sighed.

Every time Byeok Taesan said it was a “challenge,” the courtesan in question would show up at the Golden Wall Merchants the next day.

So far, three have done so.

Now, it seemed another one would join them.

Yoo Seoyeon, who had been listening to their conversation, grew increasingly grim.

In her mind, she recalled the worried expression of Yeon Harin, who had earnestly pleaded with her.

“Young Lady… you may need to let go of your feelings soon.”

As Yoo Seoyeon entertained such thoughts, Byeok Taesan suddenly halted in his steps.

“What is it?”

Yoo Seoyeon asked, then flinched and looked at Cheon Kyungwan in surprise.

Cheon Kyungwan had discreetly gripped his sword, and an imposing aura like a sharp blade began to radiate from his entire body.

“What on earth…?”

Yoo Seoyeon trailed off.

From the distant darkness, a fierce energy was emanating, a mixture of malice and murderous intent gradually making its presence known.

Yoo Seoyeon grasped the sword at her waist tightly, her expression stiffening in confusion.

“No, that can’t be right.”

Moments ago, it seemed as though Byeok Taesan had sensed the killing intent before even Cheon Kyungwan did.

But that was impossible, wasn’t it?

Out of the shadows, figures began to emerge—four of them in total.

“Three are insignificant, but one of them is dangerous.”

The first three were typical ruffians, the kind often found in the underworld.

Their aura and energy matched their mediocre appearance.

But the fourth, standing at the back with glinting eyes fixed on them, was different.

This man wasn’t some run-of-the-mill thug.

Even Yoo Seoyeon couldn’t be sure of victory if she fought him.

As Yoo Seoyeon assessed the situation, the three ruffians swaggered forward, though their courage failed them, and they stopped after a few hesitant steps.

“Hey, you three,” one of them said. “You’re coming with us.”

At this, Byeok Taesan chuckled.

“How polite.”

He turned to Cheon Kyungwan and remarked with a grin.

“Hey, there’s another coward over there.”

Cheon Kyungwan maintained his stoic expression.

Falling for that provocation would only make him look foolish.

“Gauge their strength,” Byeok Taesan ordered abruptly.

Without hesitation, Cheon Kyungwan replied, “At least three levels below me.”

“What are you waiting for, then?”

“Pardon?”

“If you’ve assessed them, you should confirm it.”

Cheon Kyungwan nodded in understanding and turned to Yoo Seoyeon.

“Please take care of the Young Master.”

Leaving those words, Cheon Kyungwan strode forward.

“Wait! Hold on!”

Yoo Seoyeon called after him in alarm, but Cheon Kyungwan didn’t respond, focused entirely on his task.

As he approached, the three ruffians grew visibly uneasy.

In the end, all they could do was step aside hastily.

Walking past them, Cheon Kyungwan came to a stop before the dangerous-looking man.

The man, dressed in dark crimson robes that exuded a faint smell of blood, smirked.

“Why not drop the pretense and come quietly?” he said as he swung his sword.

It was a swift and silent strike, aimed at Cheon Kyungwan’s neck.

Swish!

Cheon Kyungwan leaned back just in time to narrowly avoid the blade.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

Had he been caught off guard, that strike could have ended him.

It was a subtle, calculated attack exploiting the smallest opening.

But having evaded it, the momentum now shifted to Cheon Kyungwan.

Drawing his sword, he unleashed an aggressive aura.

Clang!

The clash of blades sent shockwaves rippling through the air.

The man’s skills were formidable, as were Cheon Kyungwan’s.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The two exchanged blows in rapid succession.

At first, the fight seemed evenly matched, but it didn’t take long for the tide to turn.

After five exchanges, the man grimaced and retreated.

But Cheon Kyungwan didn’t let him escape so easily.

Slash!

The man’s arm flew through the air, spraying blood.

Sacrificing his arm, he managed to save his life.

Cheon Kyungwan flicked his sword to shake off the blood.

Yoo Seoyeon, who had watched the entire scene, stood with her mouth slightly agape.

It was beyond anything she had imagined.

Though she had known Cheon Kyungwan had grown stronger, she hadn’t expected the difference to be this stark.

As she stared at him in a daze, Byeok Taesan’s muttered comment reached her ears.

“Pathetic.”

The word snapped her out of her trance, and she turned to look at Byeok Taesan.

The three remaining thugs were trembling, having lost all will to fight, keeping their distance.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to capture them?”

At Byeok Taesan’s words, Yoo Seoyeon jolted, quickly moving to subdue the three.

For someone like her, defeating unmotivated enemies and sealing their pressure points was child’s play.

Meanwhile, the one-armed man vanished back into the shadows.

Cheon Kyungwan tried to pursue him, but the man moved with incredible speed and had an exceptional ability to conceal his presence in the darkness.

Chasing him further would have been risky.

After all, Cheon Kyungwan’s priority was protecting Byeok Taesan.

If something happened while he was away, Cheon Kyungwan would never forgive himself.

When he returned to where Byeok Taesan was, he saw three men kneeling with their heads bowed.

“Apologies, Young Master. He escaped,” Cheon Kyungwan said.

Byeok Taesan stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

“I was too soft as well.”

The Heavenly Demon would never have forgiven someone who made such a mistake.

He wouldn’t have killed them over something so minor, but they would never have dared stand before him again.

But now, for some reason, Taesan wasn’t all that angry.

“I should figure out how to make them useful instead,” he muttered, a faint smile crossing his lips.

He realized just how much he had changed.

Cheon Kyungwan stood there with his head lowered.

There was nothing he could say.

“Well then, shall we deal with these men? Killing them would be the simplest option, right?”

At this, the faces of the ruffians went pale.

Somehow, they felt as if he genuinely intended to kill them.

The sincerity in Byeok Taesan’s tone struck fear deep into their hearts.

“Pl-please spare us!”

“Ask us anything, and we’ll tell you everything!”

Byeok Taesan let out a dry laugh, as if he found them pathetic.

“These fools still don’t get it. Maybe killing you really is the best option.”

The ruffians vigorously shook their heads.

“No, no! We get it now!”

“We’ll tell you everything!”

Byeok Taesan watched them in silence, saying nothing.

Not knowing what else to do, the ruffians exchanged nervous glances.

Taesan, looking exasperated, finally spoke.

“You said you’d tell me everything. So why aren’t you talking? What’s the holdup? Or do you really want to die? That’s the quickest option, you know.”

“No, no! We’ll talk! We’ll talk right now!”

“We’re from the Crimson Dragon Sect!”

“We came here on orders from the Vice Sect Leader!”

“This morning, we roughed up someone who didn’t pay their protection money!”

The last man, realizing what he had just said, flinched and clamped his mouth shut.

The other two glared at him as if to say,

Why would you bring that up?

Byeok Taesan smirked.

“Interesting. That’s how it should be. Keep talking, and you’ll stay alive.”

He gestured to Cheon Kyungwan with his chin.

“Bring them along.”

Cheon Kyungwan looked at him, startled.

“Are you taking them to Fallen Flower House as well?”

“I told you. They stay alive as long as they keep talking. Get a few people at the house to write down everything they say. Once they stop talking, kill them.”

Cheon Kyungwan gave a slight bow and replied, “Understood.”

Yoo Seoyeon stared at them in disbelief, glancing between Cheon Kyungwan, Byeok Taesan, and the kneeling ruffians.

Her expression wavered between shock and bewilderment.

“Even now, you’re still going to the brothel?”

Byeok Taesan turned to her with a puzzled expression.

“And why should I give up what I was planning to do because of these firewood scraps?”

Yoo Seoyeon stared blankly at him.

Was this really the same Byeok Taesan she used to know?

Yoo Seoyeon stood dazed, watching Cheon Kyungwan.

Byeok Taesan had already entered one of the rooms with the courtesan he had picked.

Honestly, even when she saw the courtesan, it was baffling.

She had wondered what kind of exceptional woman Taesan would choose.

But when she finally saw her, she couldn’t understand what made him choose someone so unremarkable.

She wasn’t even worth comparing to Yeon Harin.

In fact, she seemed less impressive than any of the courtesans Yoo Seoyeon had encountered so far.

But what baffled her more was what Cheon Kyungwan was doing.

He had really gathered people who could write from Fallen Flower House and brought them here.

Now he was ordering them to record everything the captured ruffians said.

She hadn’t thought he would actually carry out such an absurd order.

What was the point of this?

The ruffians were desperately racking their brains, babbling anything that came to mind.

Every time their words slowed, Cheon Kyungwan would draw his sword and place it at their throats.

The cold, murderous energy emanating from the blade forced them to confront the reality of death, spurring them to speak frantically.

The scribes wrote down every word.

The ruffians spilled everything they had ever done, including their routine activities and even the sinister plans the Crimson Dragon Sect was plotting.

They seemed too terrified to even consider lying.

“How long is this going to go on?”

Yoo Seoyeon glanced at Cheon Kyungwan, who stood motionless with his sword in hand.

“So rigid,” she thought.

But somehow, she didn’t dislike that rigidity.

Just then, a scream echoed from the building.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Yoo Seoyeon, startled, turned toward the sound.

She almost rushed inside but was stopped by Cheon Kyungwan, who had suddenly appeared in front of her.

“W-what was that? What’s going on in there?”

“This is why it’s awkward to bring you along,” he said calmly.

Yoo Seoyeon stared at him in disbelief, then glanced back at the building.

The sound coming from inside wasn’t stopping—it was unclear whether it was a scream or a moan.

Her eyes widened, and her face turned pale.

“Young Lady, you really need to reconsider everything,” she thought, recalling Yeon Harin’s words.

To her ears, the sounds seemed like cries of agony.

But the ruffians didn’t think so.

They fidgeted, restless and distracted.

The strange scent in the air and the noises from the building seemed to stimulate their senses.

“Damn it! Just torture us instead!”

Among those present, only Cheon Kyungwan knew that these sounds would continue for the next six hours.