-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Shrine God (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ding-a-ling.
A loud bell rang out inside the shop.
The sound came from an antique desk phone in the corner of the store, something straight out of World War II.
"Yes, this is Bokbok Interiors."
Jang Chaewon pulled out the cylindrical receiver and spoke into the trumpet-shaped mouthpiece.
"Ah, yes. Right now?"
Her eyes widened as she nodded.
"Yes, yes. That's fine. I'm at the shop, so feel free to drop by anytime."
She carefully set down the trumpet-shaped receiver.
A short while later.
With the chime of a wind bell, a young woman slowly entered the shop.
Wearing a flowing dress, she had an exceedingly elegant appearance, with long, large eyes.
Upon seeing the woman's face, Jang Chaewon bowed her head with an unusually polite expression.
"Welcome, Elder."
The woman smiled faintly.
"It's been a while."
Jang Chaewon beamed and opened her mouth to speak, but the Heavenly Demon, who had been heading to the storeroom, suddenly poked his head out.
"Elder? So she's not human?"
"Quiet."
Jang Chaewon glared at him, but the Heavenly Demon just shook his head.
"This Seat truly cannot comprehend. From appearances alone, there's no way to distinguish between human and yokai..."
In the meantime, Jang Chaewon's eyes blazed like lightning as they pressed right up to the Heavenly Demon's face.
"Cut the nonsense and go organize the storeroom."
At her icy whisper, the Heavenly Demon shut his mouth.
In the world of 'Murim', he was the supreme expert, but this place was different.
Jang Chaewon was one thing, but this world was home to countless gods, wasn't it?
His title of the greatest under heaven felt hollow; here, the Heavenly Demon was little more than an 'ordinary human'.
"Very well."
With a grunt, the Heavenly Demon slouched his shoulders and entered the storeroom.
"My apologies. He's a new hire and hasn't been here long..."
Jang Chaewon bowed her head, and the woman chuckled softly.
"Oh my, a traveler from another world, I see."
"Ah, you knew?"
"No human in this world has tempered their body to that degree. It's no easy feat."
"But he's clumsy at work and only strong."
The woman watched intently as the Heavenly Demon trudged into the storeroom, shoulders slumped.
"You're employing that traveler?"
"No. We're just short on laborers, so I was going to have him handle odd jobs."
"Short on laborers?"
Jang Chaewon bowed her head in embarrassment.
"That guy damaged the spirit tree at my house."
"Heh heh heh. He could probably serve as a replacement for the spirit tree."
"Pardon? Him?"
The woman wore a faint smile.
"Not only does he possess a physique like the Diamond Guardian, but he harbors immense power within. He should be more than capable of handling divine requests."
"But he lacks any sense and is still adapting to this world's ways and society. I wouldn't dare entrust an Elder's tasks to him."
"Nonsense. Train him well, and he'll make a better laborer than any spirit tree. He's a human unbound to any faction, after all."
"I've considered it, but..."
Jang Chaewon's expression darkened.
"To be honest, that guy's a few screws loose."
"..."
"He calls himself 'This Seat'. And whenever he sees anything big and hard, he talks about pulverizing it. You know, smashing it."
"Anything big and hard, he wants to smash?"
Tilting her head, the woman suddenly wore a peculiar smile.
"Perfect, then. Bring that traveler for this job."
Meanwhile, inside the storeroom where the Heavenly Demon crouched, anguish flickered in his eyes.
"No recovery at all."
Even circulating his energy to nurture his inner power yielded not a single drop of true qi.
"In such a state, the only option is the Striking Body Transmission Technique."
If he couldn't gather inner power, he needed it injected from outside.
But in this world without Murim, how could he receive six hundred years' worth of inner power?
"Damn it!"
He could not tolerate the helplessness seeping from his chest.
The Heavenly Demon had conquered the demonic path with his peerless martial arts and even defied his own fate.
Words like powerlessness or despair had no place with him.
"What are you doing?"
A small voice came from behind. It was Jang Chaewon.
"Just thinking. What is it?"
"Ahem, sorry for snapping earlier."
Her voice carried a hint of pity, making the Heavenly Demon's eyebrow twitch.
"No need to apologize."
"Huh?"
"Considering the weak is meaningless for the strong."
The Heavenly Demon acknowledged that Jang Chaewon was stronger than him.
But that was no submission. It was merely a temporary crouch, assuming he would surpass her one day and place her beneath his feet.
'Of course, until then, I'll have to endure the treatment of the weak.'
The Heavenly Demon neither underestimated nor overestimated himself.
He always assessed situations coldly and strove to break his limits. This treatment was but a fleeting moment.
"Maybe in your world, but not here. This is South Korea, where you are now."
"Understood."
"And while you're here, don't throw around words like 'yokai' so casually. Most humans live blended with yokai without even knowing it."
The Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed in incomprehension.
"It's not forbidden to know?"
"Not exactly... but people instinctively hate what's different from them. History proves it."
Jang Chaewon's eyes seemed somehow melancholic.
Sensing the Heavenly Demon's odd gaze, she shook her head.
"Oh, and a divine request came in. I was thinking of assigning it to you. Can you handle it?"
"A divine request. A god or yokai god entrusting a task?"
"Yeah. You catch on quick."
"Didn't you say such tasks would never be entrusted to me?"
"I did. But they specifically named you."
Jang Chaewon shrugged helplessly.
"The goddess who visited earlier..."
"I see."
Crossing his arms, the Heavenly Demon brightened.
"As expected, the gods recognize This Seat's true value."
"Y-Yeah."
Jang Chaewon wiped sweat from her forehead and forced a smile.
"Most divine requests involve fetching tools from dungeons, but this one has tools prepared by the spirit tree, so you can head straight there."
"Tools?"
Jang Chaewon pointed to the sledgehammer propped against the storeroom door.
The handle seemed pieced from bizarre bones, and an orange glow emanated from the hammerhead, suggesting it was no ordinary tool.
"It's for demolition work."
Jang Chaewon grinned.
"You said you could handle anything, right? Practice with this today; you'll use it tomorrow."
The next day.
Jang Chaewon glanced at the Heavenly Demon crammed into the passenger seat and spoke lowly.
"Once more: first and foremost, be polite. No 'This Seat' talk. Got it?"
"I refuse."
"Why?"
The Heavenly Demon pointed confidently at his face.
"Because This Seat is the Heavenly Demon."
"Hey, that's a goddess over there. A god!"
Jang Chaewon glared fiercely at the Heavenly Demon.
"And if you want to keep doing this job, whether it's gods, yokai, humans, kids, or adults—always be polite to customers."
"Hmm."
"They just need a few things demolished and cleared. Do exactly as instructed, politely."
The Heavenly Demon looked troubled.
Even if it was a promise, he had no desire for menial chores.
"I'll give you the Demonic Essence Severing Sword when we return, so can't we skip the assignments?"
"What are you talking about?"
"This Seat must swiftly restore the mysteriously severed meridians and reclaim lost inner power. This is no time for other tasks."
"Oh, already breaking your promise?"
Jang Chaewon snorted and muttered.
"Who was it boasting they never lie and always keep promises?"
Offended, the Heavenly Demon scowled.
"Fine. I'll fulfill the promise."
"Polite speech?"
The Heavenly Demon shook his head firmly.
"The promise didn't include honorifics."
"No filial piety in your world? She's not just older—she's a god. A god?"
"This Seat..."
Her eyes blazed with blue flames, cutting him off.
"If you keep interrupting like that, forget failing the job—our shop could lose its territory status. And if that happens, heh heh heh..."
With a sinister grin and eyes rolled back, Jang Chaewon laughed darkly, sending an unprecedented chill through the Heavenly Demon.
He recalled the massive meteor shower blotting the sky.
Gulp.
He wasn't ready to die yet. The Heavenly Demon wanted that power too.
For now, he had no choice but to obey Jang Chaewon.
"Understood. Since she's not human, I'll use honorifics."
"Good. This is my first time assigning a human in place of a spirit tree for a divine request. It's a gamble for me too."
Rumble.
The car stopped at the roadside of a remote highway, tires crunching gravel.
Stepping out, the Heavenly Demon tilted his head.
"What exactly is here?"
"Up there."
Jang Chaewon pointed to a mountain covered in dense forest.
"A mountain? You want me to go up the mountain?"
"Yes."
"Then what? Where exactly?"
"You'll find out as you climb."
With that cryptic remark, Jang Chaewon turned back to the car.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll wait when you're done. Come down then."
"You're not coming with?"
Looking puzzled, the Heavenly Demon received a hushed reply.
"I can't go there."
"Why not?"
"The Shrine God isn't feeling well..."
Jang Chaewon swallowed her unintended slip and spoke coldly.
"You don't need to know."
Turning away, her long eyes turned as frigid as a frozen tundra.
The Heavenly Demon nodded nonchalantly.
He had no interest in others' affairs anyway.
Entering the mountain, sunlight filtered through the branches.
Striding along, the Heavenly Demon sensed something peculiar.
Golden sunlight, as if watching him from somewhere, spread through the forest like a guiding path.
About halfway up, a wide clearing appeared, with a picturesque house built there.
The small house, outlined in soft light, exuded a mystical aura detached from reality.
"Is that it?"
Approaching slowly, the Heavenly Demon spotted a woman's silhouette on the porch.
"You're here."
It was the woman from the shop yesterday.
Her blue dress matched her faintly blue hair and eyes.
"I've come from Bokbok Interiors..."
Using honorifics after so long felt awkward as hell.
The ruler of the Ten Thousand Demons Palace, the Heavenly Demon, held status equal to the Fanma, a supreme expert from two centuries ago.
Thus, he never needed to use honorifics in Murim.
"Are you the client who requested the demolition?"
Fortunately, the woman nodded indifferently.
"Yes. You found the place well."
A benevolent smile surrounded her with a radiant glow like sunlight.
It seemed the god business wasn't a lie.
"Was the journey here comfortable?"
Her tone was gentle, like indulging a mischievous grandson.
'She looks barely in her twenties, yet how does she emanate such an aura that captivates all?'
"Yes."
Avoiding her gaze, the Heavenly Demon cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Where is the item for demolition?"
Rolling up his sleeves, the woman smiled and pointed with one finger.
"That. Smash it clean and clear it away."
Her slender finger indicated a small shrine in front of the yard.
The wooden shrine looked ancient and decrepit, as if a mere breeze could topple it.
'Gods must be wealthy.'
It seemed it would collapse with a single kick.
"Do you really need to hire someone for this?"
To the Heavenly Demon's question, the woman shook her head.
"It's not just hiring—it's necessary. This body cannot destroy it itself."
A strange answer.
Approaching the yard, the Heavenly Demon examined the shrine closely.
Inside the small shrine sat a tiny statue with a meticulously built stone pagoda.
"Isn't this you?"
The statue's benevolent smile vaguely resembled the woman on the porch.
Even to his question, the woman only smiled silently.
'Whatever. Just do as told.'
The Heavenly Demon swung the sledgehammer at the shrine's wall.
The dilapidated structure should crumble in one strike.
"What?"
But astonishingly, the shrine stood firm. Some subtle force repelled the hammer.
"Protective astral energy?"
The Heavenly Demon blinked. How could an inanimate object possess body-protecting qi?
"So it's not simple."
Taking a deep breath, he crouched low.
Instead of the hammer, he prepared to unleash the ultimate technique of Fist Demon Four Forms: Soaring Wind Dragon Fist once more.
"Hah!"
His fist, drawn from the earth, struck the shrine wall.
No inner power, but with full force in his leap, his body soared nearly a zhang into the air.
Thud.
Landing, the Heavenly Demon's eyes widened.
"Impossible."
The dilapidated shrine stood unscathed, as if nothing had passed.
A soft force had repelled his fist again.
'The old shrine repelled the power of Soaring Wind Dragon Fist.'
The Heavenly Demon glared.
Was this world's uniqueness turning even his power weaker than a child's?
Then, the woman on the porch smiled wistfully.
"It seems some divine power still lingers."
Gazing at the clear sky, she murmured enigmatically once more.
"Or perhaps lingering attachments."