Chapter 27 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Heavenly Demon's Pad (1)
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Rumble.
A massive vibration, like an earthquake, rumbled deep from underground.
"Huh?"
Jang Chaewon, lost in deep sleep, felt the tremor and snapped her eyes open.
"What is it? An earthquake?"
But for an earthquake, everything around her was far too quiet.
No, come to think of it, that made no sense.
Her home and the Bokbok Interior shop were in a 9th-grade territory, so disasters like earthquakes were impossible around here.
Crack!
This time, there was the dull sound of something collapsing. Jang Chaewon's ears perked up, and a bad premonition hit her.
"No way, this guy again…"
Rubbing her eyes, she slipped into the slippers she'd left on the floor.
"Mm."
Still groggy, Jang Chaewon shuffled forward.
Rumble.
The closer she got to the shop, the clearer the vibrations became. Frowning deeply, she quickened her pace.
In the middle of the warehouse sat the Heavenly Demon in a cross-legged position, his expression solemn.
Even with just over thirty years of internal energy, the tremendous aura pouring from his body—operating the Heavenly Demon's Great Ability—was overwhelming.
"Hoo."
Whirr.
Every time he inhaled, the window frames rattled.
"Hah."
And every exhale made the materials stacked inside the warehouse shift and stir.
Bzzz.
Just then, a mosquito flew toward the Heavenly Demon's face. It was the same one that had been buzzing around annoyingly for a while.
"Mm."
A stray thought arose, thinning the true energy spreading through his eight extraordinary meridians.
The Heavenly Demon refocused on his cultivation, but the mosquito kept circling his face with relentless buzzing.
Flash!
His eyes snapped open, red light bursting from his pupils.
At the same instant, he redirected the true energy circulating through his body into his right palm.
"Fist Demon Seven Forms, Heavenly Hand Wave!"
Whoosh.
The powerful gust from his palm pulverized the insect…and turned the stack of materials in one corner of the warehouse to dust as well.
'Oh no!'
With one angle iron stack vanishing entirely, the rest began toppling like dominoes.
Rumble. Crash. Thud. Shatter.
By the time the warehouse materials came crashing down with a racket,
"What the hell?"
The back door flew open, and Jang Chaewon stepped in, her eyes widening at the devastation.
"Heavenly Demon, you…"
The Heavenly Demon tried to explain, but white smoke was still rising from his glowing red right palm.
"What are you doing in the middle of the night! Why'd you wreck the warehouse!"
"An unfortunate accident during cultivation."
"Cultivation?"
"Indeed. Cultivation."
Remembering his previous explanation, Jang Chaewon blinked.
"Cultivation? You mean… sitting with your eyes closed, holding your breath?"
"Exactly."
"But why's the ground shaking like an earthquake?"
"That vibration comes from the Reverse Extreme True Energy spreading outward."
The Heavenly Demon shook his head with a troubled expression.
"If my power were intact, I'd enter non-breathing samadhi. Then there'd be no vibrations transmitted to the ground."
"And the warehouse? Why'd the warehouse collapse?"
"A simple accident."
"What? Accident? What kind of accident?"
"A single insect disturbed my cultivation, stirring stray thoughts. Not once, but persistently, over and over."
"An insect?"
Jang Chaewon's brows furrowed, and the Heavenly Demon said casually,
"Don't worry. I handled it with the Heavenly Hand Wave."
"What's the Heavenly Hand Wave?"
"Oh, you didn't see?"
Circulating his energy, the Heavenly Demon thrust out both palms. His hands glowed red, unleashing another fierce gust at the warehouse wall.
Rumble. Boom.
"Wow, that's straight out of Akdojen or something…"
Mid-admiration, Jang Chaewon flipped her eyes in fury and shoved her face in his.
"So you wrecked the warehouse just to kill one bug? That's an accident? An accident?!"
"Don't get so close. It's hot."
"Shut up. Clean it up right now!"
Fuming, Jang Chaewon jabbed a finger at him.
"And no more cultivation or whatever at night from now on."
"That's impossible."
"What?"
The Heavenly Demon's expression hardened.
"If my power were whole, I wouldn't need cultivation. At its peak, the Reverse Divine Art circulates true energy endlessly, nurturing internal energy even in sleep."
"But?"
"My current reserves are less than thirty years. Without regular cultivation, even this meager amount would fade."
"So you'll wreck the warehouse every night?"
"I told you, it was an accident. I won't destroy the warehouse."
Jang Chaewon groaned.
Cultivation every three days meant enduring those vibrations every three days.
"Fine, got it. I'll think about it."
Turning wearily back toward her home, she felt a strange gaze on her back.
It was the Heavenly Demon.
"Why are you following me?"
"Why? I need to wash up too."
"There's a bathroom next to the shop building. Wash there."
"The water there doesn't clean well. Isn't the faucet right at my crotch level?"
"Ugh."
Now that she thought about it, lately the Heavenly Demon had been barging into her courtyard to "wash up" more often.
She couldn't complain about washing, but the late-night splashing always woke her.
'No good.'
Jang Chaewon clenched her fists.
She had to act on the plan she'd been mulling over.
The next morning.
Jang Chaewon skipped work and toured real estate offices first thing. She was looking for a place for the Heavenly Demon to live.
Clueless, he got in the car and listened to her explanation, then raised an eyebrow.
"A house?"
"The warehouse room was always temporary. No bathroom, and it's inconvenient for you alone, right? We need to find you a proper place fast."
'For the sake of my peaceful daily life,' she swallowed those words and bowed her head.
"Sure, it'll cost a bit, but…"
She flashed a bright smile at the Heavenly Demon.
"You're an official Bokbok Interior employee now, Heavenly Demon. Gotta give you proper benefits."
Without a spirit tree sapling, he was a reliable worker who perfectly handled commissions.
Of course, he botched ordinary tasks…
"So we're going to find a house for me now."
"Yeah."
"Heh heh heh heh. Ha ha ha ha!"
A proud smile spread across the Heavenly Demon's lips.
"Finally coming to your senses, shopkeeper."
"Hm?"
"You've realized what kind of person I am, what status I hold."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Jang Chaewon's eyes darkened under the wheel.
"That you come from a world as ominous and dangerous as your face."
"Ha ha ha. You sound just like those righteous faction elders who'd convulse at the sight of me."
In high spirits, the Heavenly Demon slapped her shoulder and guffawed.
"Good, then. I'll draw you the blueprint of the Ten Thousand Demons Palace where I resided."
"No need for blueprints. We're not building new."
"I see. Giving me an existing one."
"Yeah. So let's go check some out together."
"Excellent."
The Heavenly Demon beamed.
It was the brightest smile since crossing from the martial world to Korea.
A studio in a multi-family house.
Touring the interior with the realtor, thick veins bulged on the Heavenly Demon's forehead.
"Are you mocking me…?"
Baring wolf-like fangs, he thrust his blazing eyes at the realtor.
"Telling me to live in this chicken coop?"
"W-well… prices vary, so…"
As the realtor trembled, Jang Chaewon stepped forward.
"Chicken coop? Fresh wallpaper, new flooring, brand-new bathroom."
"Finishes don't matter. Isn't this far worse than the warehouse room?"
"What are you talking about? It's better than the warehouse room. Comes with its own bathroom."
"Not at all. Excluding the bathroom, the warehouse room is much larger."
"What? You thought the entire warehouse was your room this whole time?"
At her words, the Heavenly Demon blinked innocently.
"It's for my use, so of course it's my room."
He'd apparently thought the whole warehouse—not just the small side room—was his living space.
"That doesn't make sense. Obviously…"
As Jang Chaewon tried to explain, he cut her off.
"Anyway, no. I want space and comfort at least equal to the warehouse. I'd rather stay there than this coop."
"No way. You make noise there every night, and I can't sleep."
"Then provide a house befitting my status."
"Status? The rent I can cover monthly is about 500,000 won max."
The Heavenly Demon was unrelenting.
"Houses aren't always at market rate. Shop around more, and we might find something better."
* * *
Left with no choice, Jang Chaewon dragged the Heavenly Demon around real estate offices.
But it didn't take long to realize it was pointless.
"None of them suit you? Then what kind of place do you want?"
Fed up, she asked, and he rattled off his wishlist like he'd been waiting.
First, the building had to be tall enough to overlook the town with a good view.
Second, at least 150 square meters (about 45 pyeong).
Third, open living space plus a private study.
Oh, and a courtyard for martial arts practice.
"Ah, I see."
Jang Chaewon nodded blankly. She realized once more what the Heavenly Demon was.
A unicorn of a man.
The kind of brazen creature that only existed in fantasy.
"Let's just go back."
"What?"
"It's late. No good places anyway."
Thinking it over, unleashing a runaway train like the Heavenly Demon in a peaceful town was risky.
'At least monsters can be beaten…'
Gazing at him outside the real estate office, she sighed.
The sun was already dipping low.
"For now, keep staying in the warehouse…"
Then a figure shuffling from the opposite side spotted Jang Chaewon and lit up.
"Hey, Manager Jang? What brings you here?"
Looking up, an old man in reformed hanbok approached slowly, puffing a pipe.
The Earth God who divined human fortunes, Two-Faced Ghost.
"Oh, Elder."
"Here for construction work?"
The old man grinned warmly, and the Heavenly Demon beside her clasped his hands.
"Long time no see, old timer."
"Heh heh heh. Indeed. Heard you've become a superstar."
"What do you mean?"
"The gods are buzzing about a worker at Bokbok Interior rivaling a top-grade spirit tree sapling. Handles any job perfectly."
A smile crept across the Heavenly Demon's lips.
"Ha ha ha. Nothing much. All thanks to you, old timer."
"Looks like your silver tongue's improved too. Heh heh heh."
Their banter flowed perfectly.
Two-Faced Ghost blinked at Jang Chaewon's sullen expression.
"Something wrong? You look down."
"Oh, well…"
Slumping, she poured out her frustrations and the situation.
Listening intently, Two-Faced Ghost's eyes sparkled.
"A house for him? Hmm… I see."
Suddenly, the grandma on the other side—who'd had her eyes closed—snapped hers open.
"Old man, there's that place. The building near the Safe Dungeon boundary that was up for rent. Perfect for him, right?"
"Huh? There?"
Pondering, Two-Faced Ghost jumped.
"No, that won't do. Dangerous for her."
"Dangerous?"
Jang Chaewon tilted her head, and the grandpa smiled awkwardly.
"Oh, there's an empty rooftop room on the city outskirts."
"A rooftop room?"
Jang Chaewon's eyes lit up.
Why hadn't she thought of that? Rooftop rooms were spacious, and no one complained about cooking or whatever alone.
"What's a rooftop room?"
Curious, the Heavenly Demon asked, and she gushed dramatically.
"It's got panoramic city views, wide open space just for you, no noise from below, grill meat anytime, grow veggies or animals freely!"
It sounded like a fairy-tale house full of dreams. It matched his demands somewhat.
In reality, it was hot in summer, cold in winter, weak water pressure, buggy… a pile of flaws. But that wasn't her concern.
"Elder, can we check it out? A friend discount on rent would be great. Heh heh."
Giggling coquettishly, she prompted him to wave it off.
"Hmm. Can do cheap… but it's a bit dangerous."
"Huh? Dangerous how?"
"It butts right up against the city boundary shield."
Shield.
Even in stabilized Safe Dungeon zones, hidden monsters sometimes broke out.
The massive barrier—and last line of defense—protecting the city from stray monster attacks was the shield.
"Ahem."
Glancing at the grandma behind him, the grandpa continued.
"Some awakeners moved in for cheap rent… none lasted three months."
Awakeners fleeing? A rough neighborhood.
Anyone else would balk, but Jang Chaewon said calmly,
"No worries."
"Hm?"
Smiling sweetly, she clapped the Heavenly Demon's shoulder hard.
"This is the Heavenly Demon."
Unobstructed city views with no tall buildings around.
"Excellent!"
A rooftop courtyard big enough for a basketball court.
"Excellent!"
Cleanly remodeled interior.
"Very excellent!"
Nothing to nitpick in the Heavenly Demon's eyes.
Thoroughly inspecting, he burst into hearty laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha! Excellent, perfect! The shopkeeper's eye is spot on."
The rooftop room, guided by Two-Faced Ghost.
As predicted, the Heavenly Demon had zero complaints, just endless "Excellent!"
"This'll do as my temporary residence!"
"Heh heh heh. Glad you like it."
Fearing he'd change his mind, the grandparents beamed and encouraged him.
"It's by the shield boundary, but air's fresh, no noise. No better spot in the city."
"Yeah, yeah. Cheap rent, stay comfy long-term."
"Thank you, old timer! Granny!"
Gazing at the rooftop vista on the city's edge, Jang Chaewon looked worried.
"But… you sure it's okay?"
He'd bitten at the low price, but the monster-prone area nagged her?
Chuckling at her concern, Two-Faced Ghost thought,
'Talks tough, but looks after him thriftily.'
But her actual worry was different.
"It's too far. Can you make it to work on time?"
"Of course. I barely sleep."
"No, not that…"
At the off-topic remark, the grandparents chimed in.
"Well, good thing. Time you learned buses and subways."
"Yeah. Pick up some social skills."
Stroking his chin, the Heavenly Demon nodded.
"I see. Living here means learning all sorts of things."
Born for martial arts, he loved picking up new skills.
"You sure?"
At Jang Chaewon's question, he flashed a confident smile.
"Don't worry. I'm the Heavenly Demon."
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