Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Flower Spirit God (1)
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Inside Bokbok Interiors.
Seated at her desk, Jang Chaewon had her feet soaking in a bucket filled with ice.
“Of all days, the air conditioner had to break today.”
She was carefully attaching Three-Legged Crow Queen fur to a piece of wood with a transparent sheen, all while staring blankly at the Heavenly Demon, who was organizing tile samples in one corner of the shop.
“Just sit still. It’s hot enough without you bustling around.”
“What good does sitting do?”
“You move like a heat-generating hippo, making the shop even hotter.”
“I have to keep busy to build up my internal energy.”
“Oh, for crying out loud. That damn internal energy.”
Jang Chaewon furrowed her brows into a straight line.
“You can just handle Divine Requests and earn rewards, right? How much do you even get from that?”
“But there are no Divine Requests around.”
“That’s why I’m saying don’t screw up the interior work! Things were going well for once!”
She recalled the recent jobs the Heavenly Demon had botched.
“I sent you to fix a slightly crooked door, and you split it in half. I told you to nail a pavilion, and you smashed the pavilion instead… Why does everything you touch break?”
“That… wasn’t a Divine Request, was it?”
“What? Is that how you’ve been thinking all this time?”
Fuming, Jang Chaewon stood up and placed her hands on her hips.
“If Divine Requests bring blessings, then interior work brings money. Both are sacred and solemn paths to a prosperous life. Got it?”
Ring-a-ding-ding.
At that moment, the antique desk phone on the table—something straight out of World War II—rang.
“Yes, Bokbok Interiors.”
She picked up the cylindrical receiver and spoke into the trumpet-shaped mouthpiece.
“Yes? Oh, yes, yes. Of course. We’ve already prepared.”
Smiling warmly, Jang Chaewon fixed her gaze on the Heavenly Demon, who was wiping wallpaper samples with a hand towel.
“Yes, tomorrow works. Understood. Thank you.”
Click.
After hanging up, Jang Chaewon rubbed her forehead. Opening a drawer revealed a small envelope that had turned red.
“Hmm.”
Smacking her lips, she shot the Heavenly Demon a dissatisfied glare.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s a Divine Request. From the Flower Spirit God who came in before.”
“Flower Spirit God?”
“Yeah. Thanks to her Divine Request, we got the Three-Legged Crow Queen fur. To make a brush that can hold spiritual energy.”
“I see.”
The Heavenly Demon, who had been sorting tiles, perked up and nodded.
“Good.”
“Good my foot. I’m debating whether to give this job to someone who only chases Divine Requests like you.”
“Was that it? That was your concern.”
Turning around with a serious expression, the Heavenly Demon solemnly clapped his palms together with a sharp smack.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s a technique I learned from that tile guy Kim recently. He said it works every time in situations like this.”
Staring down at his hands, the Heavenly Demon tensed his eyes, then slowly and very earnestly rubbed his palms together.
“I’ll handle the interior work diligently from now on.”
The next day.
Vroom.
Jang Chaewon’s white van sped along the national highway.
“You have to do this Divine Request perfectly. Especially since the Flower Spirit God specifically requested you.”
In the passenger seat, the Heavenly Demon crossed his arms with an arrogant expression.
“Requested me specifically? Has word of my prowess already spread here?”
“No, it was the Shrine God who recommended you. She said you handled her request brilliantly last time.”
“I see. True experts recognize each other.”
“As if.”
She gnashed her teeth, flashing her white molars.
“And watch your speech. The Flower Spirit God is very delicate—and she has wide connections. Screw this up, and our shop’s reputation hits rock bottom.”
“Worry not. I am the Heavenly Demon.”
“I know. That’s why I’m worried.”
Tears welling up, Jang Chaewon gazed at the sky.
“I’ve worked so hard… Why must I face such trials… Sob.”
The Heavenly Demon, sitting silently with arms crossed, spoke up.
“Why can’t I bring Nameless on this job?”
“Oh, the nanobots?”
“Nameless.”
“Yeah, I just call them nanobots.”
Recalling the nanobots’ AI that was impossible to think of as mere machinery, Jang Chaewon stated firmly.
“Except in absolutely necessary cases, no nanobots on Divine Requests. The other gods would get furious if they saw.”
“What do you mean? Furious how?”
“It’s… complicated.”
Screech.
The white van pulled up to a small house at the foot of a remote mountain.
“That’s the place.”
Jang Chaewon pointed to a picturesque single-story white house.
The front yard featured a vibrant flower garden in full bloom, along with a beautiful fountain and swing.
“Do it right this time. Got it?”
“Keep your fretting to yourself. Didn’t I practice painting already?”
“Y-Yeah. You wrecked it royally, though.”
She had reviewed the job details and taught the Heavenly Demon painting techniques in detail beforehand.
But astonishingly, he botched every practice run—messing up the prep work, applying too thick or too thin, failing to match the consistency…
He perfectly recreated every possible painting flaw.
“I’m stronger in the real thing.”
Oblivious to Jang Chaewon’s inner turmoil, the Heavenly Demon flexed his thick forearm and grinned.
“Rest easy.”
Jang Chaewon flinched as she turned to go.
Rest easy.
It was one of the Heavenly Demon’s frequent phrases—a magical incantation, a death flag.
Like how villains always survive the moment they say “Am I done for?”, or lovers die after “Let’s marry if I return alive.”
“Every time you say that, you wreck everything!”
Eyes bulging, Jang Chaewon approached the Heavenly Demon.
“This won’t do.”
This Divine Request was one she absolutely couldn’t afford to fail. Glancing at the sky, she bit her lip helplessly.
“I’ll come with you. We’ll do it together.”
“I can handle it myself.”
“No. Together.”
Standing there glumly, Jang Chaewon let out a low sigh.
“It’ll be better if we do it from the start together.”
“Welcome.”
As the Heavenly Demon and Jang Chaewon entered the front yard, a girl in a white dress and pretty hat smiled, holding a watering can.
“Hello.”
“Oh, from Bokbok Interiors?”
She looked about fourteen, but the aura emanating from her was warm and intensely powerful.
She was the Flower Spirit God, overseer of flowers’ life and death.
“Indeed. It’s an honor to meet you, Flower Spirit God.”
The Heavenly Demon clasped his hands politely, and the girl bowed with a smile.
“Calling me a god is embarrassing. I’m still young… Just call me casually.”
“Understood. Little Flower.”
Bending his broad shoulders in prayer-like fashion and closing his eyes, the Heavenly Demon earned a poke in the ribs from Jang Chaewon.
“Why close your eyes?”
“It’s a formal bow.”
He clasped his hands again.
“Flower Spirit God.”
“Are you nuts? Why bow twice?”
“It’s martial world etiquette. Always greet the dead and gods twice…”
Grabbing the Heavenly Demon’s neck and shoving her face close, Jang Chaewon whispered with a grim reaper’s glare.
“Shut your mouth.”
“……”
Watching this, the Flower Spirit God struggled to suppress a smile, her lips twitching upward.
“You must be tired from the long trip. This way.”
She pointed to a small hill behind the house.
“This is my domain. But… some trees and flowers are out of my reach.”
The Flower Spirit God brought over a large pail from the yard.
“These need my touch, but they’re so finicky, I can’t handle them delicately. So I’ve infused my touch into this pail—use this brush to paint them carefully?”
Opening the white pail’s lid revealed a mysterious liquid shimmering like starlight.
“Apply it meticulously to the wilting ones, but absolutely don’t drop it on the ground or paint the wrong spots. It could disrupt the ley lines.”
“Understood. I’ll be careful.”
Taking the pail readily, the Heavenly Demon looked around and tilted his head.
“But I have one question…”
“What are you about to say?”
Jang Chaewon startled, but the Flower Spirit God smiled.
“It’s fine. Speak freely.”
“I haven’t started work yet, so why keep infusing me with internal energy?”
“Internal energy?”
“That divine power thing.”
The Flower Spirit God blinked, then nodded.
“Ah, you’re human but can accept divine power, right, Heavenly Demon?”
Smiling, she gestured to the hill and house.
“Where a god’s power reaches is no different from divine territory. Naturally, you can use divine power here.”
“I see. But the Shrine God’s place didn’t have that.”
“She was losing her power.”
“Ah, right.”
Nodding, the Heavenly Demon’s eyes suddenly flashed.
“So in a god’s domain, I can draw divine power freely like now?”
“Of course not. The divine power from divine territory has limits. It vanishes once you leave.”
No sooner had she spoken than the influx of divine power into his body stopped.
‘The power from the Shrine God’s successful Divine Request was ten years’ worth. This ground’s infusion is about half a jia.’
Testing his internal energy lightly, the Heavenly Demon smacked his lips.
‘Fill ten jia, and I can execute the Heaven and Earth Infinite Palm right away.’
Then, a brilliant idea struck him.
“Does the divine power from divine territory vary by god?”
“Yes. It flows according to the god’s strength.”
Light dawned in the Heavenly Demon’s mind.
With half a jia filled now, a place with twenty times more divine power would let him return immediately.
“So, is there a god whose divine territory has twenty times this power?”
“Twenty times mine? Hmm. Among the Earth Gods living on the ground with humans, I don’t think so.”
“I see.”
Of course—Jang Chaewon would have told him if such a method existed.
“Now, time to work.”
Eyeing the Flower Spirit God, Jang Chaewon nudged the Heavenly Demon.
“Brought all the tools?”
“Of course.”
The Heavenly Demon pulled a transparent brush from the pouch on his butt bag.
Jang Chaewon had bought it for him, since his Blood Battle Devil’s Robe had no pockets.
“Then I shall begin at once.”
“Isn’t that brush made from Three-Legged Crow Queen fur?”
“Indeed. The owner and I prepared it for this job.”
“That precious thing…”
The Flower Spirit God beamed and nodded.
“I knew entrusting it to Bokbok Interiors was the right call.”
Her smile was like a single mystical flower blooming on a sheer cliff.
The small mountain abounded with flowers, plants, and trees in lush profusion.
If the Heavenly Demon held a staff instead of a brush, one might mistake it for a fairyland of immortals.
“Half a jia of internal energy is this potent?”
Kicking off lightly, his massive frame floated effortlessly into the air. He unleashed the Demonic Path Supreme Divine Technique: Night Moon Extreme Speed.
“Excellent.”
Trivial compared to his original internal energy, but with the technique, his body glided through the air like wind.
Reverse Extreme True Energy heightened his senses to detect even air currents.
Swish. Tap.
Jang Chaewon sighed as she watched him bounce off leaves like a ballerina, scaling trees.
“Enough already. Come down?”
Arms crossed, staring up, she pointed to the forest ahead.
“Lots to do. Gotta paint fast.”
The forest trees uniformly had withered leaves, branches drooping limply.
After a spin in the air, the Heavenly Demon landed and opened the white pail on the ground.
An indescribably refreshing fragrance spread everywhere.
“Pointless practice.”
Painting a withered tree carefully, he gave a wry smile.
Hearing it was a painting job, Jang Chaewon had drilled him on interior painting all day.
But this had nothing to do with yesterday’s lessons, did it?
“Sigh.”
Piercing the Heavenly Demon’s thoughts, Jang Chaewon sighed.
“Does our shop get more Divine Requests or regular painting jobs?”
House repair requests came daily; Divine Requests maybe once every two weeks.
No—factoring in dungeon prep, once a month.
“I see.”
“And don’t worry.”
Seeing his disappointed look, Jang Chaewon grew serious.
“That practice wasn’t wasted. This painting will be even harder than what we did.”
There were tree-people and flower-people.
More precisely, heads topped with flowers or bodies ringed with branches.
Staring at the bizarre, mannequin-like figures standing with eyes closed, the Heavenly Demon gaped.
“What are these?”
“What else?”
Gripping the brush tightly, Jang Chaewon said gravely.
“The flowers and trees the Flower Spirit God can’t reach.”
“These are the flowers and trees?”
“Yeah.”
“So paint them?”
Jang Chaewon nodded silently.
Stiffening briefly, the Heavenly Demon grunted and opened the white pail.
“Well, if it must be done.”
Dipping the brush into the clear liquid, the shimmering Three-Legged Crow Queen fur turned white.
Gazing at the brush, the Heavenly Demon slowly began painting a closed-eyed flower.
Stroke. Stroke.
After a few strokes, the flower’s eyes snapped open.
-Aaaah!
It shrieked, mouth agape. The Heavenly Demon felt a pain like an iron club rammed into his eardrum.
“Shaolin Lion’s Roar?”