Chapter 35 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: The Heavenly Demon and the Iron-Eater (2)
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The interior of the massive earthen cave in the nameless mountain was remarkably comfortable.
Glimmering stones embedded between stalactites on the ceiling let in sparkling light, and cool, fresh air circulated inside.
Deeper within the cave, an antique wooden door came into view.
*Knock knock knock.*
When he cautiously rapped on the door, it slid open with a soft whoosh.
A small room adorned with elegant, refined furnishings appeared.
"You must be from Bokbok Interiors."
As they stepped inside, an elderly man wearing sunglasses smiled faintly, the hem of his white robe fluttering.
It was the Earth Dragon God, the one said to enrich the soil.
"Hello, Elder. I'm Jang Chaewon from Bokbok Interiors."
Jang Chaewon bowed politely, and the Heavenly Demon likewise cupped his hands in a deep salute.
"Pleasure to meet you, Elder."
"You've had a long journey. Well done."
As the Earth Dragon God removed his stylish sunglasses, gray-tinted eyes became visible.
Having lived his life in the perpetual darkness underground, his eyesight had degenerated.
"You requested demolition work. Where should we start?"
Jang Chaewon glanced around awkwardly.
The room held quite a few furnishings and books, but most were made of lightweight wood.
If she put her mind to it, even Jang Chaewon could clear them out in two hours.
"Hahaha. I'm getting on in years, you see. I used to haul everything myself, but now it's too much effort to even move them outside."
"Elder, do you wish for us to remove all the items in this place and discard them outside?"
The Heavenly Demon, surveying the room, inquired. The Earth Dragon God smiled gently.
"That's right. I've heard the workers from Bokbok Interiors are incredibly strong—quite the rumor."
The Heavenly Demon shrugged at the furnishings.
"Please wait just a moment. I'll handle it right away."
He picked up one of the chairs in the cave. In that instant, his eyes widened in shock.
'This is...'
Surprisingly, even with the Heavenly Demon's strength, the small chair wouldn't budge easily.
"Ah, that chair weighs about three tons."
"Three tons?"
The Heavenly Demon's eyes flashed.
"This tiny chair weighs over eight hundred kwan?"
"More or less. They're made from divine spirit wood."
"Wood? Is there wood in this world this heavy?"
"To be precise, it's closer to metal. But it can only be shaped by divine power, and with wood-grain patterns etched on the surface, it's called divine spirit wood."
The Earth Dragon God smiled quietly.
"Most of the furnishings here are made from divine spirit wood. No ordinary strength can even budge them."
So that was it. The Earth Dragon God hadn't requested demolition out of boredom.
"Elder, why is my inner energy not surging here?"
"Hm? Inner energy?"
"That hot, intense qi rising from the earth."
"Ah, you mean the divine power from the divine territory?"
The Earth Dragon God shook his head.
"I've already moved my residence elsewhere. This place can no longer be called a divine territory."
"I see."
The Heavenly Demon spoke calmly, but beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
His current cultivation was barely over twenty years.
With the Earth Dragon God gone, to move the items, he'd have to rely on the Heavenly Demon Great Ability, which placed enormous strain on his body.
"Is it too difficult after all?"
When the Earth Dragon God asked worriedly, the Heavenly Demon shook his head.
"Moving things like this is no trouble at all."
Swinging his arms confidently, he declared.
"Two hours. Generously put, it'll all be demolished within two hours."
"Good. That's a relief."
Nodding, the Earth Dragon God spread his arms wide.
"You'll work hard, so here's the payment in advance. I've been quite generous—you'll be satisfied."
Suddenly, the Heavenly Demon's body grew scorching hot, and a fierce power—divine power—surged into his dantian.
'Ten years?'
Incredibly, it amounted to about ten years of cultivation. The largest inner energy gain from any divine request so far.
'Now halfway to half a jiazi. Halfway to filling a full jiazi.'
"It'll be tough, but please bear with it."
At the Earth Dragon God's words, the Heavenly Demon cupped his hands politely.
"Worry not. I'll demolish it perfectly."
Smiling faintly, the Earth Dragon God turned to Jang Chaewon.
"Then, while the demolition proceeds, could the proprietress accompany me to the village? I'd like advice on interior accessories for my new place."
"Ah, sure. Go ahead. We'll handle things here."
At Jang Chaewon's words, the Heavenly Demon nodded impassively.
"See you later."
"Huff. Huff."
The Heavenly Demon's tongue lolled down to his chin.
The small chair weighed eight hundred kwan. The little table, thirteen hundred kwan. And the modest cabinet exceeded twenty-four hundred kwan.
"At least the lesser items aren't wood. That's fortunate."
If everything in the room had been wood...
The Heavenly Demon would have been shuttling back and forth through the cave until dawn.
"Hoo. Hoo."
An hour had already passed.
Having demolished about half the furnishings, sweat beaded profusely on the Heavenly Demon's face.
"Strange. Why is my stamina depleted like this?"
Panting heavily, he suddenly recalled that morning's events.
Blood Thread Chaos Dance.
The technique infused dozens of wooden puppets linked by wires with inner energy, making them perform martial arts rivaling masters. It demanded immense power.
In taming the Sparrow, he'd overused the Heavenly Demon Great Ability, straining his body.
"Hmm."
The Heavenly Demon looked up at the massive bookshelf still in the room.
Wider than his own frame, it had to exceed three thousand kwan.
Rallying the Heavenly Demon Great Ability once more, a mystical light gleamed in his pupils, and red haze rose from his body.
"Hoo."
The moment he hoisted the massive bookshelf onto his back, his body swayed.
Eyes bloodshot, he bore it and took slow, deliberate steps.
"Urgh."
The red aura gradually faded, thick veins bulging taut across his body.
Even the Heavenly Demon Great Ability, exploding his body's latent power, had been fully expended.
*Thud.*
In the end, he dropped the bookshelf and sank to one knee.
The fallen shelf clanged metallically against the cave floor, humming.
"I, who conquered the martial world, kneeling to mere furnishings!"
Lifting nearly thirteen tons without inner energy was beyond human limits.
Yet the Heavenly Demon despaired over failing to move one bookshelf.
"This won't do."
Jang Chaewon and the Earth Dragon God would return soon.
To be caught collapsed in exhaustion? The humiliation would be unbearable.
"Urgh."
He summoned every ounce of strength to lift the bookshelf again.
But after mere steps, he crashed to the floor with a thud.
"Is it impossible?"
No matter how he strained, the bookshelf wouldn't move.
For the first time since studying martial arts, defeat and helplessness seeped through him.
As the exhausted Heavenly Demon, having used all his strength, slowly closed his eyes...
-Kyuu?
A clear cry sounded, and a white figure appeared before him.
It was the Iron-Eater—Sparrow.
"You. Sneaking in again?"
Sparrow was lightning-quick and could freely change size, even squeezing into a rice bowl.
No matter how thoroughly the Heavenly Demon checked his toolbox or Jang Chaewon's car, he couldn't prevent Sparrow from stowing away.
-Kyuu-gyu.
Sparrow let out a low cry at the fallen Heavenly Demon.
"Are you mocking me?"
-Kyuu.
"True. I wasted the Heavenly Demon Great Ability trying to train you. Mock away."
Self-reproaching, the Heavenly Demon closed his eyes.
This world was too peaceful. Even the habit of hiding three-tenths of his strength in life-or-death crises had slipped his mind.
*Crunch crunch.*
Suddenly, an odd sound came from behind.
Turning, he saw Sparrow nibbling away at the bookshelf pinning him down.
"What? A Iron-Eater eating wood...?"
Watching, the Heavenly Demon recalled the Earth Dragon God's words.
"It's closer to metal. But it can only be shaped by divine power, with wood-grain patterns etched on the surface..."
"So this is quality iron too."
The weight crushing his back lightened. Sparrow had eaten over half the bookshelf.
*Thud.*
As the Heavenly Demon rose, the bookshelf crashed heavily to the floor.
Sparrow then devoured it in earnest.
*Crunch crunch. Chomp chomp chomp.*
It munched the divine spirit wood—hundreds of times heavier than metal—like snacks.
"So it's the pinnacle among divine beasts."
Having devoured the entire bookshelf, Sparrow stared at the Heavenly Demon, then cried toward the remaining furnishings.
Finally, the Heavenly Demon understood the cry's meaning.
-Kyuu? (Can I eat those too?)
Nodding at Sparrow's eyes, the Heavenly Demon replied.
"Go ahead. They're all to be demolished anyway."
-Kyuu! (Thank you thank you. Overwhelming gratitude!)
In under thirty minutes, Sparrow had gnawed through nearly all the interior furnishings.
Dragging his weary body out of the cave, the Heavenly Demon found Sparrow following.
Outside, the chair and bookshelf he'd moved earlier were piled up.
"You're not eating these?"
Normally, it'd devour everything outside first.
"Could it be... waiting for my permission?"
-Kyuu. (Nope.)
"I see. So you're obeying me now?"
-Kyuu kyuu. (Nah, scared the master would scold me.)
Unaware his interpretations were all wrong, the Heavenly Demon's face brightened.
"Is that so? The Blood Thread Chaos Dance training worked."
Grinning smugly with arms crossed, he nodded.
"Good. I'll take you as my subordinate. You're now a Bokbok Interiors employee."
Sparrow, watching this, drooped its shoulders.
-Kyuuu.... (Delusions are free.)
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