Chapter 126
Chapter 126
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 126
Chapter Title: Past (5)
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Early morning.
The stiffness in my neck made me open my eyes a little earlier than usual.
My shoulders ached, and my head throbbed.
Could I have returned to reality? I looked around, only to lock eyes with the ceiling right in front of my face.
"What are you doing?"
Crimson eyes were observing me up close.
"Oh, nothing. Just thought, looking closely, you resemble a puppy. A bit of a pitiful one."
Like inspecting a rabbit at the zoo, Cheondo tilted her head at a 45-degree angle and stared up at me before stepping back a pace and shrugging her shoulders.
"A pitiful puppy...? Hey."
"You're not getting mad, just replying all wrinkly like that—it kinda reinforces it. No offense. I like puppies too."
She had already changed into fresh clothes—a neat black martial uniform. Cheondo turned her back to me and pointed to the belt around her waist.
"Tie this for me."
What, did she think I was her servant?
It wasn't a tough request, so I secured the sash to keep it from slipping loose.
Only then did Cheondo tie up her hair, check herself in the mirror, and smile in satisfaction.
"If you want to head down the mountain, you should start early. Ten minutes from now, morning training will have everyone rowdy."
I see.
I nodded, and Cheondo gave a light bow of courtesy before leaving the room without so much as a glance back.
We hadn't grown close after just one night. Of course not.
I let out a long yawn and began preparing to head out.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Time's World Tree.' [You are awake.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Really, I can do whatever I want? If there's anything specific I need to do, tell me now.' [If I may advise for your sake—in this era, it would be best to converse with people you cannot meet in the present.] A few names came to mind right away.
Hwangdo's father. The one who planted strange sexual knowledge in the young Hwangdo—and someone still alive in this time.
But did he have much to do with me? Not really.
Azalea's father. Just thinking of him sobers me up, but whether he had any connection to this era was beyond my knowledge.
He might have already passed away, for all I knew.
The World Tree of Grudge, which did not view me as an enemy back then... I had no idea where it had grown.
That left only a handful of options.
No—the person I was meant to meet had been decided from the moment I arrived here.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Only that one person, right?' [Indeed.] Time's World Tree affirmed my thought.
The Heavenly Demon.
The figure second only to the Wood Spirit King, who had upended the world.
Among everyone I knew, even the strongest Cheondo had recoiled at the mere title, insisting it didn't suit her.
The unparalleled battle maniac beneath the nine heavens.
Rumors swirled that he drank the blood of foes put down the previous night come morning, then roamed in the evening ripping out others' hearts. He commanded the fear of countless martial artists.
The problem was how to meet such a legendary figure.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [If the future remains unchanged, isn't the method already set? For a prideful Heavenly Demon, the provocation stratagem is the finest approach.] Time's World Tree circled around it without revealing its full intent.
I wasn't fool enough to miss the meaning.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'So, you're saying cause a ruckus? Like, "I've come seeking instruction!" and smash everything until the Heavenly Demon shows up.' [......Pardon? Ah, yes. That wouldn't be bad at all. Truly a rascal fit to succeed the Wood Spirit King.] It was probably the surest method, all things considered.
To outright turn the entire sect upside down. I wasn't sure if my power extended that far, but it would be the easiest way to catch the Heavenly Demon's eye.
If something unexpected happened, I could just return to reality. Simple.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'But then it'll be awkward facing Cheondo afterward.' [The Heavenly Demon holds to the creed that the strong rule all under heaven. It should pose no major issue—even for his successor, the Little Heavenly Demon.] If we had to meet anyway, better to get it over with quickly.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 'Scout the surroundings first, then give it a shot.' For future encounters, I figured downloading some comics onto a phone-like device might please Cheondo.
Come to think of it, she liked kids' foods like omelet rice too.
I left the room and descended the mountain, committing various landmarks to memory along the way.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The lower reaches of Paradise.
Young women—daughters and wives of the martial artists—each clutched brooms as they swept the courtyards.
With their delicate pink hair, every one of them cut a graceful figure.
Gazing at the scene, it felt just like a wide scroll painting lined with peach trees.
The still-youthful Hwangdo and Baekdo were helping with the cleaning too.
"What day is it today? So many people around. And those uncles have been gathering over there since earlier."
Baekdo, lugging a large bucket of water, asked Hwangdo.
Hwangdo paused her broom strokes and whined at Baekdo with evident displeasure.
"Dunno... Hey, Baekdo. How long do I have to sweep by myself?"
"That's not the point! I think a fight broke out. Been feeling mana since a bit ago... Doesn't feel right!"
"Pfft, uncles getting drunk and scrapping in broad daylight ain't new. I just wanna quit sweeping."
At Hwangdo's nonstop griping, Baekdo grimaced and plopped down on the veranda of the tiled house.
"You said you hated mopping 'cause it felt gross?"
"......Mopping's just such a harsh word."
What nonsense was that?
"Apologize to the big sisters in charge of mopping in Paradise."
"No waaay."
Why the hang-up on "mopping"? Baekdo scowled at Hwangdo, whose face had turned shyly red.
Baekdo couldn't make heads or tails of the odd things Hwangdo spouted now and then.
'Staying cooped up in her room, giggling at scraps of paper... must've messed up her head.'
Ever since my little sister started peeking at weird stuff in her room a while back, she'd been saying all sorts of strange things.
Truly bizarre.
Last time, she even squealed about milk being kinda lewd while drinking it.
"And I didn't say I hated just mopping. Sweeping, sorting wooden swords, dumping wash water, chopping firewood, cooking—no need for me to do it all!"
"Doesn't sweeping mean you handle all the outdoor chores?"
"Hiiing. I hate you, Baekdo."
"Ah, don't get mad. Okay, I'll help too."
Seeing her aggrieved little sister on the verge of tears, Baekdo hurriedly stroked Hwangdo's head.
As the baby of the family, Hwangdo was still tender and often teared up at any injustice.
-Clang!
At that moment, the sound of shattering roof tiles echoed from outside.
'What the heck is going on?'
Stroking Hwangdo's head, Baekdo peered toward the source of the growing commotion outside.
Martial artists getting blackout drunk and brawling in the middle of the day was routine.
But mana this thick pouring out? Not so common.
Searching Baekdo's whole life, top-tier scraps like this numbered maybe one or two.
This exotic black mana... intriguing.
A captivating mana that pierced straight to Baekdo's heart with a bang!
"Hwangdo, Hwangdo—wanna ditch cleaning today?"
"Huh? But if we bail again, the big sisters said they'd chew us out big time..."
"We'll just lie! Pinky swear, and no one'll know."
"Last time we did that and got spanked. I wanna clean. Hate getting yelled at."
Such an inflexible little sister.
Missing that uproar would leave a lifelong regret.
No helping it. Time for the ultimate weapon.
Baekdo whipped out her ace in the hole.
"Fine, then next time I go out, I'll snag one of those. Y'know, White Heart? Maxim?"
A weird magazine plastered with covers of nude tree folk!
Hwangdo's eyes lit up.
"R-really?"
"Yeah. What one you want? Just the one, though."
"Me, then the December issue. The 'Christmas Tree by the Winter Roadside... Will You Untie the Ribbon?' feature."
A weird taste for her little sister, but to Baekdo, it was prime bargaining material.
Christmas Tree by the Winter Roadside, huh.
Whatever it was, she'd roped her in as an accomplice now—no way she'd take all the blame if caught.
Baekdo scooped Hwangdo into a hug and hopped up onto the tiled roof.
-Kwang!
Just then, far off, the roof of a house caved in.
Tiles that warranted a huge scolding for even one breakage now littered the ground in ruins.
Something she could never do herself—and the thrill of it washed over her.
"Whoa, insane... Hwangdo, you see that?"
"Yeah. Whoever it was, they're in for it."
"I wanna go nuts like that just once. Bet it'd be a blast."
What had sparked it all?
No need for questions.
To Baekdo, the key was that something fun was happening!
High on the thrill enveloping her body, she grinned like a goofy country pup and dashed across the rooftops toward the commotion's heart.
In moments, they'd reached Paradise's entrance.
"You bastard! Do you even know who that lord is before flapping your mouth?!"
A martial artist, livid, was bellowing at a young man before him.
"Who's that guy?"
Hwangdo, cradled in Baekdo's arms, pointed at the stranger in unfamiliar garb.
Clothes from the outside world, not what they wore. A mundane sort.
Black-dyed hair, rare in Paradise.
His presence screamed human, not tree folk. With narrowed, sharp eyes, he repeated just one thing.
"As I said, I've come to see the Heavenly Demon."
"......You won't yield, eh? You couldn't even reach the hem of his robes."
Red demonic qi surged fiercely from the martial artist's grip.
Skilled enough for gate duty.
Baekdo knew his name by reputation.
Captain of the Red Hyena Squad: Jin Rang.
Rumor had it he was one of thirty direct disciples personally instructed by the Heavenly Demon.
Talent fell short for elder status, but his deep experience had elevated him to managing Paradise's lower sections.
No one in Paradise dared belittle him.
'Heard he's big outside too.'
Outside: the mundane world severed from Paradise.
The age of factions divided by authority and blade had long ended.
Paradise was the martial artists' final frontier.
Over ten thousand masters made their home here.
Beneath them, seven thousand gifted disciples rose fiercely in their shadows.
'Outside might be vast, but Paradise... it's the stronghold none dare touch, a grave where the strong dwell till their bones bleach.'
The man brushed off Jin Rang's rising killing intent like nothing.
He's gonna regret that big time. Baekdo crossed her arms, predicting as much.
Hwangdo peered intently at the man's face, then poked Baekdo's shoulder.
"Baekdo, that guy..."
"Yeah, I see it too."
He's done for. Hwangdo had an eye for that much, at least.
In a quavering voice, Hwangdo said,
"He's... handsome! A guy's hair isn't all fuzzy!"
......
"Sigh, figures you'd say that. What does looks even matter?"
"Big bro says handsome is best. 'Better a red peach tree,' Father said."
"You marrying him on looks alone?"
"No way! But think he stands a chance?"
Who knew.
Making it here solo meant massive confidence in his skills, at least.
Baekdo hunkered low on the roof, out of sight, and watched.
She'd seen one-on-one spars plenty, but this felt sharper than usual.
"Want his audience? Topple me first."
"Any time."
"Gutsy one."
With that, Jin Rang thrust his fist forward.
Crimson mana lunged at his throat like a blood-mad wolf, razor-edged.
Baekdo sniffed the air.
The faint killing intent wafting over. He was pissed. No dodge, and that pretty head rolls.
-Kwajik!
Flesh tearing, blood spraying.
But the sound didn't come from the man's throat.
Jin Rang slammed into the wall in an instant—Baekdo's eyes went wide.
She saw it plain.
One punch sending the expert Jin Rang flying before she could blink.
-Kugugugu.
Dark clouds rolled in overhead. Awe flooded Baekdo's eyes.
"...Damn it."
"Shall we continue?"
Jin Rang, body crumpled, drew qi inward as he glared at the man.
He'd taken a hit but his eyes burned fierce.
His hidden hand unfurled a wondrous qi— a secret art, by all accounts.
"Bastard strong, annoyingly. You herded us here—now come to wipe the scraps?"
"Hardly. I rather like this place. As I said, merely..."
The man muttered breezily, as if it were all a game.
"Here to see the Heavenly Demon."
-Kurung!
Then—a black bolt from the clouds crashed down.
Straight at Jin Rang, who had finished his incantation behind him.
"Kraaaak!"
Light born of thunder.
It flashed earthward.
Like a black dragon's maw, it devoured Jin Rang whole.
"Was that overkill?"
Amid the blast, the man's mutter drew a squint from Baekdo—her eyes alight with fascination.
Here was someone to jolt her dull routine.