The Heavenly Demon Has Returned

The follower of the Heavenly Demon Cult bowed his head in reverence the moment he saw me, even though it had been years. There was no complaint, no resentment. He was simply as polite as he had been back when I still resided in the cult.

“Why have you come?”

I asked without greeting, a clear command to state his business and leave. The follower didn’t seem the least bit offended. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground and answered calmly.

“I have come to escort the Heavenly Demon.”

It was a phrase ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had grown sick of hearing ever since I chose seclusion. Do not abandon us. Please return. Your presence is needed. The way these followers clung to me like dogs begging for their master’s attention was nothing more than an annoyance—nothing more, nothing less.

“Why would you need me?”

“Because the Heavenly Demon Cult cannot exist without the Heavenly Demon.”

“Listen, child. The Six Supremes of the world have fallen by my hand. The greatest masters of the Nine Great Schools and the Four Great Clans have met their end at my hands as well. All that remains in Murim now are cowards who fled in fear of me and halfwits who could not even approach me. And yet you still claim to need me?”

“What we desire is not your help, but your very existence, O Heavenly Demon.”

I put my pipe to my lips. No matter what they thought, I had no intention of returning to the cult. The memories from that place occupied only a corner of my long nightmares.

“Go back.”

“I cannot.”

“If you need the title of Heavenly Demon, I shall grant it to you.”

Now that I had settled all my grudges, the name Heavenly Demon was nothing but a burden to me.

“You already know, don’t you? There is only one Heavenly Demon in this world. Only you. No one else can take your place.”

There was no reasoning with him. This was exactly why I hated the followers of the cult. They were not martial artists of Murim—they were fanatics who worshipped a god called the Heavenly Demon.

From the very day I had first transmigrated, the cult had demanded that I become a flawless deity. Calm in the face of any situation. Stronger and wiser than anyone else. They had tried to forge a god who would lead them to the heavens.

From the perspective of someone who had been sacrificed to their madness, they should be grateful that the Heavenly Demon Cult still existed at all. If not for the grace I had received from one of their elders, I would have destroyed the cult first.

“Raise your head.”

Killing the follower before me would not be difficult. Even if this man were a master of the Transcendence Realm, he could not possibly handle me. The only reason this insignificant fly was still alive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was because I no longer wished to see blood.

“I ask you. What is the first principle of the Heavenly Demon Cult?”

“...The strong rule.”

“If you truly wish to enforce your will, then come at me.”

I let out a sigh as I looked at the forest that had been turned into a complete mess by the aftershocks of our fight. It seemed I would have to move my hiding place again. No matter how hard I tried to conceal my traces, they always found me so easily. Their obsession was truly terrifying.

I mentally listed every location I had not yet visited. It felt like I had already touched every possible hiding spot. At this rate, perhaps I should borrow the dwelling of those Shinseon bastards. Though seeing their faces was repulsive, sweeping them away once and for all might grant me some peace.

No. That would only cause a commotion and reveal my existence. Haah. There was no suitable solution.

As I pondered while walking through the forest, I spotted a figure approaching from afar. It was not human. A beast with a swaying tail, proudly displaying its black stripes.

A tiger, huh. I had seen plenty of bears, but it had been a long time since I last saw a tiger. It had been even longer since I encountered a beast that did not flee at the sight of me. This was no ordinary creature. Perhaps it was a spirit beast of some kind.

Its body was quite large and its fur looked incredibly soft and fluffy. It seemed like it would feel wonderful to stroke.

“Baek Ara. Is that you?”

Human speech flowed from the spirit beast’s mouth. Truly, the world was vast. To think I would live to see a beast that could speak like a person. Moreover, the name it uttered was one from my previous life—one I had almost forgotten.

A name I had once hated for sounding too feminine. A name I had not used in over a hundred years, to the point I could barely recall its meaning. My old, faint, and nostalgic name.

“I ask again. Are you Baek Ara?”

“Have you been in Murim so long that you’ve even forgotten Korean?”

Korean? Only then did I realize. The language the spirit beast was using was not the tongue of Murim.

“Sorry. Things got complicated and I ended up being late.”

“I will send you back to your original world right now.”

I understood. So this was the culprit who had thrown me into Murim. A smile naturally formed on my lips. The spirit beast seemed to take my smile as a sign of goodwill and tried to continue its explanation, but I cut it off.

Back when I had been dropped into Murim without any explanation and forced to endure all kinds of brutal training. When everyone shouted that such things were only natural for the daughter of the Heavenly Demon. When I was thrown into agony if I failed, begging to be killed instead. When I had no one to complain to and spent every night sobbing under my blanket. Yes, back then I would have welcomed this spirit beast with both arms wide open.

Because at that time, I truly missed my previous life. Those peaceful, tranquil days when I had longed for something—anything—to happen.

So many things had happened. The girl who missed her home had become the Heavenly Demon. She now carried countless sins and grudges in both hands. The boy who had wasted his days no longer existed anywhere.

“I am sorry. But I will not accept refusal. This is already decided.”

I raised my internal energy. I did not know what this spirit beast ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was hiding, but since it could cross dimensions, it was likely close to a divine being. It would be strong. Definitely strong. But that did not matter. No matter what lurked within it, I simply had to crush it with force.

“You wish to fight?”

“Foolish.”

As I stepped forward, the condensed energy that followed crushed everything in its path. Trees snapped. Rocks shattered. The earth trembled. Even within that overwhelming power that seemed capable of splitting the world itself, the spirit beast stood firm on all four legs.

I had intended to crush it so thoroughly that not even its shape would remain. Impressive.

“What is this…?”

“...Cheonma Gunlimbo.”

Now then. It was time to test just how far that knowledge of yours reached.

When I opened my eyes, a white ceiling came into view. This place…

I staggered, then froze at the soft sensation beneath me. I pressed down on the spot where I was lying several times, then looked down, wondering what it was.

A bed covered with pale sheets.

Ah. Right. I had been sent back to the modern world. It really had been a long time.

After going to Murim, I had never once slept on a bed. My sleeping places had usually been dirt floors, wooden planks, or stone. Even in the best of circumstances, the limit had been a cotton quilt. And even that quilt had not been particularly soft.

In contrast, this bedding was quite to my liking. It felt like hugging a hibernating animal. Those creatures had plump, soft, warm, and comforting bodies.

Now that sleep had fully left me, I could see my surroundings. Spotless marble floors and white walls. Furniture resembling the work of Murim’s greatest artisans. A light bulb installed in the center of the ceiling and various white appliances. It was the scenery of my longed-for homeland.

The spirit beast I had faced was closer to a Shinseon than a martial artist. Standing still and shaking the laws of the world, he had certainly been strong. Anyone else would have shouted that a god had descended. However, while he was strong, he had not been able to surprise me.

I had met one or two people who used strange sorcery, and I had seen one or two fools who strutted around claiming to be immortals. As always, the victor of that fight had been me.

After losing, the spirit beast had said that if I wished, he would let me remain in Murim. But I had refused the offer. From the moment I heard his story, I had already decided to come to the modern world.

Think about it. Wasn’t the modern world the perfect hiding place I had been searching for all this time? No matter how outstanding a martial artist might be, they could not cross dimensions, so the cult followers would never find me. The living conditions were far more abundant and comfortable than in Murim. Entertainment? Did I even need to explain that?

Then why had I picked a fight instead of simply agreeing? It was to gain the upper hand in the negotiation.

Murim and the modern world were different. In both places, most problems could be solved with force. But the results were not the same. In Murim, no matter what crime you committed, if you were strong enough you could walk around with your head held high. In the modern world, however, criminals had to hide their identities and live in secrecy. Unless they wanted to make the entire world their enemy.

After shedding blood again and again, perhaps a different outcome might emerge, but I did not want that. I had grown sick of building grudges. Now, I simply wanted to reclaim peace.

For a leisurely life, I needed a few things. First, an identity. Then, a place to live. And finally, enough money to live comfortably for a while without working. Without such foundations, I would inevitably have to commit crimes. Modern society was not kind to nameless strangers.

When the spirit beast heard my request, he slammed his tail against the ground in irritation.

Then he should have said so from the beginning. Why get angry after holding back his words? This was exactly the problem with beings who thought of themselves as transcendent. They took it for granted that they held the superior position.

Well. It wasn’t as if I bore no fault. It was true that I had swung my fist instead of speaking first. But still. After all the suffering I had endured after being dropped into Murim, wasn’t I allowed at least this much venting?

Anyway, after we reached an agreement and made a contract, now that I had returned to the modern world, it was time to check the gifts the spirit beast had given me.

On the table in the corner of the room lay an ID card, a wallet, and a smartphone, placed there as if on display. Beneath them was a piece of paper that appeared to be a letter left by the spirit beast.