Chapter 148 – Three Peaches (8)

Time passes slowly.

Like watching a tilted hourglass. One hour, two hours.
Surrendering oneself to a fleeting moment that shines like a gem. Ignoring the emptiness of knowing that it will eventually come to an end, savoring the sweetness of an instant.
Stroking the abundant hair at the back of her head, he waited for Heaven to fall into a deeper slumber.

“…Mmm.”

Heaven seemed to have no intention of letting him go.
Her thighs wrapped tightly around his waist, and her hands restrained his back – a posture that ensured he could not escape.

He pulled the blanket up from his waist and draped it over Heaven’s shoulders.
As they slept, their inevitable perspiration seeped into one another’s clothing.

‘I need to head out for training today as well.’

Seeing Heaven sleeping so peacefully, he felt guilty about the thought of extricating himself from her embrace.

A cherished doll.
That’s exactly what it felt like in that moment.

-Rustle.

Heaven rubbed her cheeks in her sleep.
As I gathered strength to rise from my spot, the arm embracing me tensed.
Wouldn’t it feel like this if one had a young and innocent sister?

“…Mm.”

I swept the sweat from her furrowed brow with my hand.

– Tch.

Heaven then reached out, taking my hand from her forehead.
She pressed my palm against her cheek.

Did she wake up?
I watched her face closely.
Heaven grinned at the warmth of my hand, grinding her teeth.
She didn’t seem to be fully awake.

“…Sausage.”

She moved the hand on her cheek to her mouth. Crunch!

“Agh!”

As I pulled my finger out with a silent scream, a string of saliva followed.
Heaven’s face turned sullen as the “sausage” left her mouth.

My poor index finger, marked with distinct bite marks.
It throbbed as if it had been burned.

Throughout it all, Cheondo was searching for something akin to a sausage, grinding her teeth and groping my body.

‘If this continues, my entire body will become a sausage.’

I extended one finger and placed it in Cheondo’s hand, which freed my arm from her grasp. Once more! I stifled a cry of pain, freed myself from her embrace, and withdrew my finger from her mouth.

“Uh-huh.”

With nothing left to hold, Cheondo reached out her hand, and soon seemed to feel better, drifting back to sleep.

‘…I should go train.’

I’m not the least bit sleepy. I looked at Cheondo with affection, got dressed, and stepped outside.

– Thud.

I carefully closed the door behind me, left the small Heavenly Demon’s quarters, and freely roamed the night within Do-won’s domain.

– Rustle, rustle.

The night here is exceptionally tranquil. If you listen closely, you can hear the sounds of insects in the grass. There are no streetlights or the like, so apart from the occasional illuminated homes, there’s virtually no light to brighten the landscape.

I began making my way to the place where I always met the old man.

-*Zziriririririr-*.

The sound of insects grew louder as the forest deepened. I climbed a mountain where the path was not properly formed.

Occasionally, creatures resembling moths would burst from the tall grass. They might have been unwelcome in the past, but now, their presence was oddly comforting.

“How peaceful.”

Peace.

At the edge of my vision, the silhouette of the old man began to materialize. Seated on a rock, he held the moon above his head in place of the sun. White smoke billowed from the long pipe he was smoking.

A single cigarette enjoyed while gazing at the stunning view. Were it not for the scent of blood lingering at the tip of my nose, the scene would have been quite picturesque.

“Have you come again?” the old man asked, his voice cracking.

“Yes,” I replied.

“The value of my life has certainly decreased. They only send the likes of these now,” he commented.

A pile of corpses lay beside the old man. I finally allowed my gaze to acknowledge them.

What a gruesome sight.

A chunk of flesh hardly worth mentioning.
The old man shrugged his shoulders and let out a faint laugh.

“Madman. You’re someone who knows yet doesn’t know. Heavy, then frivolous. Your sense of purpose is murky, making it hard to discern. A disoriented fellow.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m saying your mental state fluctuates.”

Ignoring the old man’s words, I looked at the nearby corpse.

Heavenly Demon’s assassination attempt.
The reason the old man hasn’t been able to properly oversee Heaven and my training recently.
Hong-Yeon scoffed that Heavenly Demon had nothing to do, but the old man’s daily schedule was already packed with various tasks.

“These guys can’t even enjoy themselves.”

The old man rose from his seat and kicked the corpse.
What used to be a person rolled to my feet.

“Wow…”

An involuntary exclamation.

It’s as if they’ve changed people entirely.
It’s impossible to even identify what kind of creature this is.

If this were to make the headlines, it would be rumored as the most gruesome murder in history.

“…You seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, didn’t you?”
“Don’t talk back.”

The old man struck my forehead with the pipe he was holding.
It was infuriatingly solid, making it hurt even more.

“So, why are you here?”
“Why come and sleep… I’m here for training.”
“I can’t understand how you keep dragging yourself back here, battered and bloodied every single day.”

Endurance is my only strength, after all.
As I scratched beneath my collarbone, I mustered all the magical power I had.
A smile blossomed on the old man’s lips.

“Keep this up, and within a year, you’ll reach new heights.”

I had learned to conceal my power to some extent. Now, most people couldn’t gauge my true strength.

Even the magical capacity that had always been insufficient showed improvement.
A month later, my present self would scoff at the me from the past.

Yet, to gain this man’s recognition, it would still take a year,
filled with encounters against insane monsters.

Maninji was not found in Guan Yu’s arsenal, but rather in a place like this.

“Come to think of it, Heaven said that in the past, my father used to be very caring.”

As I loosened up, I subtly asked the old man. He silently observed me, then snorted dismissively.

“Is that so?”
“I’ve heard he’s not like that anymore. Is there a reason?”
“Do you need to know?”

No, I don’t.

The old man’s stern tone made me close my mouth. There must have been some personal reason. He didn’t seem willing to discuss it.

Though I was a father to a child myself, I doubted I could decipher Heavenly Demon’s thoughts.

“…”

The old man’s tobacco pouch tilted, spilling the cigarettes inside. The conversation naturally shifted.

“Do-won will meet its doom in a month or two.”
“…Is that so?”
“My time is not far off. I don’t think I’ll fulfill my purpose. Chaos will soon erupt.”

The Heavenly Demon was said to have incited a war.
The World Tree, having dealt with the danger, laid a curse upon the lineage of the peach tree itself. This was recorded in history.
Cheondo’s description of it as ‘karma’ carried that same meaning.

Yet now, the old man did not resemble someone who would start a war at all.
Instead, he seemed desperate to protect his own sanctuary.

This must be it.
History books are written strictly from the perspective of the victors.

“Hehehe. Even if you know you’re going to die, you must devote energy to nurturing future generations.”

The old man rose from his seat. Black magical power surged through him, drawing tattoos upon his body.

I gazed at the old man and asked,

“Can’t we delay the time of doom?”

The old man looked at me and raised the corners of his mouth.

“Why? Do you wish to change the future now? There is one thing. The hastening of Dowon’s destruction is, in fact, partly due to you.”

“What do you mean?”

Lesser Heavenly Demon. Dowon.
That is the identity I hold now.

Perhaps it was due to such a presence that they were urgently attempting to eliminate the threat of the Heavenly Demon.

One fact the old man had shared led me to intuit my purpose.

“Before you return, you must die.”

* * * * * * *

Two months.

Only one month remained for me to stay in this place.

Time truly flies by. After undergoing training, working, and spending time with the children, each day felt as brief as an hour.

Despite not sleeping and having twice as much time as others, it still felt incredibly swift.

In the meantime, my training had intensified and my workload had become increasingly demanding. Nonetheless, I could see myself adapting to the ever-busier schedule.

“You’re an enigma. One moment you’re weighed down, the next, you’re frivolous. Your sense of purpose is murky and hard to discern. A disorienting fellow.”

Come to think of it, I remember hearing something like that before.
Could it have been a roundabout way of saying I lack a backbone?

I turned to Hong-Yeon, who was working beside me.

“Hey.”

As my words trailed off, Hong-Yeon quickly looked up from the documents, her gaze fixed on me. Her eyes had softened considerably since we first met two months ago.

“What is it?”
“Do I seem to have some kind of mental disorder?”
“Uh? What, what?”

Taken aback by the sudden question, Hong-Yeon appeared doubtful and bewildered, as if wondering whether she had heard me correctly.

“If you were to tell the truth, what would you say?”
“I won’t judge. Just be honest.”
“From the moment I first met you, I thought you were mad.”

Hong-Yeon initially seemed cautious, attempting not to offend me, but then she abruptly threw me a curveball.

That response was not what I had anticipated.

Seeing a shocked expression, Hong Yeon hastily set down her quill pen and waved her hands.

“I don’t mean to curse. Wouldn’t you have started with such words because there’s something to point out?”

She was right.
Hong Yeon looked at me and furrowed her brow, as if trying to think of something.
Then, as if she found the right words, she clapped her hands together and spoke.

“Sometimes, your actions just don’t make sense.”
“You don’t understand my actions?”
“They seem to move as if something is extremely important… At times, you try to act casually. Hmm. And sometimes, you struggle even when it’s something simple.”

What was she talking about?

As Hong Yeon spoke, she tilted her head, questioning whether her words were accurate.
Upon summarizing what she said, it seemed that it could be explained with just one word.

“A lunatic! Yes, like a lunatic.”
“Goodness.”

While one might listen to being called crazy, being labeled a lunatic didn’t sit well.
Hong Yeon furrowed her brow as she raised her hand and fed me a honey chestnut.

“…You told me to be honest.”

Sometimes, I crave flattery and appeasement.

I’m not a lunatic, though. Nonetheless, Hong-Yeon appears to have spoken with genuine intention.

“Wouldn’t it be better to visit a hospital at least once?”
“When have you ever thought of me?”
“…Sometimes, I do.”

Another sweet blow.

“Ugh!”

Hong-Yeon rubbed the front part of her bright red hair, expressing her pain. Her eyebrows slanted, as if feeling extremely wronged. She tried to glare at me with a half-lidded gaze, but her eyes fell disheartened.

Why did I even start this conversation? I rose from my seat and got dressed.

“Are you off work today?”
“Yeah. It seems like things will run smoothly without me. I should have quit last month, but somehow I ended up working until now.”
“I see.”

Hong-Yeon gathered the documents, tapped them on the desk, and pushed them into a corner.

Hong Yeon’s countenance, which seemed aggrieved just moments ago, now appeared somewhat relieved yet tinged with bitterness.

Today marks my final task.

“What do you plan to do now?”
“Training, and… I need to start preparing to leave.”
“You certainly come and go with a lot of commotion.”

From Hong Yeon’s perspective, it would seem that way.
She disrupted Do-won, then sought out the Heavenly Demon.
She became a Minor Heavenly Demon, opposed it, and was beaten for her defiance.

When such a person suddenly insisted on trying their hand at management and getting involved, they turned out to be unexpectedly useful, and as a result, they were always together during work. Now, even without speaking to one another, they made a fine political and business partnership, taking care of tasks efficiently.

Setting the quill aside, Hong Yeon also rose from her seat.

“…I feel like having a drink. My responsibilities have increased considerably.”

The question, subtly phrased, was whether she intended to go out for a drink. The more I observed Hong Yeon’s gaze, the more I found it difficult to adapt.

“Later.”

Drinking sounds appealing, but there are tasks piling up that require attention.

I needed to assist with Heavenly Demon’s duties that had begun a week ago, and uphold my promise to Heaven.
I also had to clear up some misunderstandings with White Peach.

“So it is. Definitely later.”

Hong-Yeon looked at me and smiled awkwardly.

As she lowered her head to put down the documents she was holding, her reddish bangs covered her eyes.

There wasn’t much time left.