Chapter 13 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Flower Spirit God (3)
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"W-Wait. Do you know who I am?"
The struggling young man snapped his fingers. With a hissing sound, the Heavenly Demon was pushed back several paces.
"Y-You took that hit and stayed on your feet?"
The power in the young man's finger could shatter rocks and pierce steel. Yet it had only left a black scorch mark on those shabby gray rags?
"A-Are you even human?"
"Heh heh heh. This is getting interesting."
Staring at the smoke rising from his Demonic Blood Combat Clothes, the Heavenly Demon bared his long fangs.
"Where is the liquid from the canister?"
"Hmph. It's already in my belly."
The Heavenly Demon grinned as the young man patted his stomach.
"I see. So it's in your gut."
"Yeah? What're you gonna do about it?"
Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon's body blurred white and vanished. The young man whipped his head around in panic.
"W-Where'd he go?"
"Right here."
Before he knew it, the Heavenly Demon was crouched low at the young man's feet, fist clenched.
Thud!
His fist erupted into flames as it slammed into the young man's gut, launching him skyward. But the young man's body was harder than steel—he merely slid backward, utterly unfazed.
"Hmph. That all you got?"
"Demon Fist Seven Forms: Soaring Wind Dragon Fist!"
In an instant, the Heavenly Demon split into dozens of afterimages, unleashing a barrage of strikes.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Thud. Thud. Thud!
Transformed into a gray storm, the Heavenly Demon hammered the young man's belly no fewer than thirty times in succession.
"Gueh!"
Bombarded relentlessly by the Soaring Wind Dragon Fist, the young man spewed up the clear liquid from his stomach. With lightning speed, the Heavenly Demon popped open the canister lid and caught every drop.
Drip drip drip.
Once the last drop was out and the young man collapsed, the Heavenly Demon sealed the canister.
"No one beneath the heavens steals what belongs to this seat."
"Urgh."
"Not a single drop."
As the young man staggered to his feet, the Heavenly Demon clenched his rock-hard fist once more.
"This isn't just theft—you dared to mock this seat!"
Just as his fist rocketed toward the young man's lower abdomen with a ferocious whoosh—
Swish!
Another serpent burst from the ground toward the sky.
"Enough!"
The yellow-robed figure who emerged was none other than a white-haired old woman.
"It's all my fault…"
Gazing sadly at the young man, the grandmother bowed her head.
"The theft was all my doing. Punish me instead."
"What do you mean? Who are you, elder?"
At the Heavenly Demon's question, the old woman's face fell.
"We are Imugi. We heard the Flower Spirit God dwells here and snuck in secretly."
"M-Mom!"
"Drinking in the Flower Spirit God's blessings scattered across this land eases our pains for a time."
"Hmm."
"Please, forgive this child."
The Heavenly Demon looked troubled.
"That's beyond this seat's authority."
"Please show mercy. I beg you."
"Mercy."
With a sigh, the Heavenly Demon pointed down the hill.
"If you truly seek forgiveness, plead with the one herself."
Standing side by side before a beautiful flower garden were the Heavenly Demon, the Imugi mother and son, Jang Chaewon, and the girl who shone like sunlight—the Flower Spirit God herself.
"Lady Flower. These…"
"I know, Heavenly Demon. Everything in my divine territory reaches my ears."
The Flower Spirit God turned to face the Imugi pair.
"So that's why… my flowers and trees kept withering."
"We're sorry. Truly sorry."
The young man rushed forward and prostrated himself before the Flower Spirit God.
"My mother was in so much pain… I knew it was wrong, but…"
"I understand your filial piety. But because of it, countless plants have died or fallen ill."
"I'm truly, truly sorry."
"Blame me for being heartless if you must."
The Flower Spirit God let out a deep sigh.
"But my power is stretched thin just tending the plants beneath my domain. Helping you would doom every one on this hill to wither."
"I understand."
"I won't hold the past against you. But you must leave my divine territory now."
"Understood. Thank you for your mercy."
The young man bowed deeply, and the old woman followed suit with utmost respect. Then they slowly backed away and vanished.
"You've worked hard, Heavenly Demon. Not only did you carefully tend to the sick children with your brush, but you uncovered why my domain has been drying up."
"Glad I could help."
"You did such a splendid job… On top of the contract fee, I'll grant you extra blessings. Thank you."
"Extra…"
"Yes. Straight from me."
A shy smile played on the Flower Spirit God's lips as she slowly extended her pale hand.
Having wrapped up everything, the Heavenly Demon returned to the vehicle with Jang Chaewon.
"Good work."
Jang Chaewon, seatbelt fastened, smiled warmly at the Heavenly Demon.
"Handled a Divine Request for once. Ha ha."
At her words, something occurred to the Heavenly Demon.
"Didn't you say before that the contractor can't join Divine Requests?"
"Yeah. I did."
Avoiding his gaze, Jang Chaewon pressed the ignition button.
"Lady Shrine God was unwell back then, too…"
The engine hummed to life, but Jang Chaewon looked like something was caught in her throat.
"Anyway, all good now."
Shifting gears, she gently pressed the accelerator and asked,
"But why?"
"You worried that if this seat botched a Divine Request, it'd hurt the store's reputation. Fewer requests would come in."
"Right."
"I see."
Gazing out the window, the Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed.
"Divine Requests are vital for this seat's internal energy recovery. So I won't risk failure."
"You mean…"
"If it's not a request this seat can guarantee success on alone, how about you tag along for a while?"
Stunned by the unexpected proposal, Jang Chaewon fell silent.
"That's…"
She'd only come along today because the Flower Spirit God's request absolutely had to go perfectly. She had no intention of tagging along on Divine Requests with the Heavenly Demon.
As she mulled over a refusal, the Heavenly Demon suddenly shouted.
"Stop the car."
On the farm road ahead, where the main road was visible in the distance, the Imugi mother and son trudged along wearily.
The mother had reverted to grandmother form, but the young man—still bearing the Heavenly Demon's blows—remained in Imugi shape.
"Hmm."
Glancing down at his open butt bag, the Heavenly Demon opened the car door.
"Contractor. Mind waiting a moment?"
"Huh? Why? Need the bathroom?"
"Be quick."
Whoosh.
Spinning around, the Heavenly Demon unleashed his movement technique. Bolstered by the Flower Spirit God's separate infusion of divine power, this Divine Request had netted him about five years' worth of refined energy.
'That makes fifteen years total now.'
Crossing to the opposite side of the road in a blink, the Heavenly Demon blocked the Imugi pair.
"W-What brings you here?"
Instead of answering the startled Imugi grandmother, the Heavenly Demon held out a hand.
"Give me your right hand, elder."
"Huh?"
"Now."
The grandmother glanced at her son, then reluctantly extended her hand. The Heavenly Demon pressed two fingers to her pulse.
"As expected of yokai—nothing special."
"What're you on about?"
The Heavenly Demon grinned at the young man's question.
"Your qi and blood aren't circulating properly. That's the root of the illness."
He had mastered every demonic art and great law scattered across the world. No physician knew the blood vessels, meridians, and marrow better.
"Don't move a muscle, elder. This seat's energy is completely tapped out."
Drawing up the last dregs from his dantian, the Heavenly Demon unleashed a palm blast at her Life Gate acupoint.
Pop pop pop.
The blocked channels burst open under the ferocious Reverse Extreme True Energy, and color slowly returned to the grandmother's pale face.
"Whew. Tough going with this level of power."
Having poured all fifteen years of energy into the blast, the Heavenly Demon wiped sweat from his brow.
"Not perfect, but it'll hold. Take good care from here on. And…"
From his bosom, he produced the X Chimera egg he'd gotten from the dungeon before.
"They say this is a miracle cure for circulation. Eating it should help a lot."
"An X Chimera egg? This relic's rare as hell…"
"Useless to this seat. Take it."
Overcome with gratitude, the young man prostrated himself before the Heavenly Demon.
"Th-Thank you."
"This dungeon place has good medicine. Why not fetch it yourselves?"
At the Heavenly Demon's question, the young man hung his head.
"Yokai can't enter dungeons, can we? And we're not the depraved kind who live however they please."
"I see."
He wasn't sure of the details, but yokai apparently couldn't enter dungeons.
"Why help us?"
"No need to know."
Staring into the Heavenly Demon's cold red eyes, the young man seemed to realize something and bowed respectfully.
"Now I see—you're no human, but a yokai god. To sacrifice your divine power and save my mother… how can we ever repay you?"
"Not at all. This seat is no god."
"Th-Then…?"
Arms crossed, the Heavenly Demon gazed down sternly.
"This seat is the Heavenly Demon."
"Hmm."
Watching from afar, Jang Chaewon murmured softly.
"Well, maybe I'll tag along for a bit…"
Her whisper faded into the air, barely audible.
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