Chapter 76: Purgatory (5)

Chapter 76: Purgatory (5)

In the room after Shiheon left.

Cheondo sat down, lowering her heavy eyelids.

The growing mistletoe was slowly strangling her neck, clinging like midwinter frost.

-Clink.

As she closed her eyelids, she also set down the teacup. A bizarre sensation of her life being stolen. It hurt, but she did not shudder.

Always proudly, with a mountain-like heart, she endured the trials ahead. She believed in her disciple. Cheondo sat and waited for hours. In those moments of waiting, only silence lingered, with no conversation between them.

Nevertheless, Cheondo, known as the Celestial Demon, was just another tree in the forest.

In the intervals when death approached, she inadvertently reminisced about the past.



Celestial Demon (天魔).

A name born with an unfortunate destiny, revered by all but not truly respected.

And her disciple, Little Celestial Demon Cheondo.

The weight of that name was always too much for me, just a mere Peach Tree.

“Cheondo.”

“A true Celestial Demon must always be cold and see through the world.”

Father.

No... The master always kept me close to broaden my narrow experiences, sparing no effort.

Because of that, I was forced to expand my Danjeon or sometimes had to kill someone. I even hovered between life and death on occasion.

The harsh experiences certainly elevated me, but I despised them.

‘I hate being a Celestial Demon.’

I hated the effort, feared blood, and loathed pain even more.

I never wanted to see my sisters’ tears again.

But the master ignored our feelings, silently following his own will. Yet, I didn’t stop trying because my reason lay elsewhere.

Spring Peach Blossom.

The utopia our master sought.

“I have a dream.”

The man murmured like a habit.

“Someday, you’ll say the same to your disciple.”

I didn’t understand what he meant.

“It’s okay not to know.”

The master’s hand stroked my hair. The kind smile on the old man’s wrinkled face was what I had always wished for as a child.

When he picked peach blossoms to make a ring and offered it with a wide smile.

What dream made such a father so cold? The arduous training was tough, but I trained harder, intrigued by these questions.

To know what the master desired.

By fifteen, I had grown into a full-fledged warrior, shedding my youthful appearance.

“Cheondo! Look at this, hehe.”

“Cheondo, isn’t this pretty?”

My sisters were still like girls of their age, but I was fine with that. Baekdo and Hwangdo were also trained by the master, but not as cruelly as me. It was enough that I alone continued the name of the Celestial Demon.

The master wanted me to become the Little Celestial Demon.

On such a day, the master asked me.

“What do you think being a Celestial Demon means?”

Well, I was not sure. I had been running blindly, never giving it much thought.

“To rule over heaven and earth... Isn’t that what it means?”

The master just smiled.

“Many think so. But it’s different. The ‘Cheon(天)’ means heaven, and ‘Ma(魔)’ means demon. The name you bear can never be good (善), nor can it rule anything.”

“I understand the weight of that name.”

Bitterly tapping his pipe, the now-declining master rubbed the bandage around his neck with his calloused thumb.

“Won’t you refuse to become a demon?”

“Are we... demons?”

“If everyone calls us that.”

Chasing dreams.

Even the beautiful acts of the Celestial Demon were treated as the perverse path of a demon (悖道).

The power to distort the world was so impactful that everyone guarded against such a figure.

The master did not shy away from becoming a demon.

“If you have power, even a good man can become evil.”

The master said.

“I really hate such a world.”

Humans of the world were too violent to be called good (善), and yet a few hinder calling them evil (惡).

“It’s rare these days to find a fool who shows their own justice. It’s like revealing the sly snake hidden inside.”

The master sitting on a rock, telling stories.

I sometimes missed the bitter smell of his burning cigarette, which made me cough just being near.

“But there are still good people. Fools who give up their lives for the suffering wicked.”

“Master, the results are...”

He went through hardships but didn’t blame me at all. I couldn’t express how proud I was of such a disciple.

“No need to speak.”

Sincerely.

“Just your return makes me happy.”

I stroked the disciple’s head, which entered my chest, with my rough hand. As I lifted my hand from the disciple’s head, which lowered its eyelids, it was covered in blood. I looked at it bitterly.

“You did well. Growth is achieved like that.”

It was okay to fail.

Even if things were wrong in the future... I had no intention of blaming him.

“.......”

Watching Shiheon asleep, Cheondo muttered.

“Thank you.”

For allowing me to inherit the name of the Celestial Demon. For giving me the confidence to encompass the heavens.

“Thank you.”

In the white room. Only the fresh echo from Cheondo’s voice subtly spread.



“Lee Shiheon.”

A frightening voice rang in my ears.

The nightmare I thought I had escaped returns again.

“Remember whose son you are.”

“Stand tall.”

“Watch carefully.”

The pentagonal badge in front of my eyes. The character’ 국’ (Country) written on it was repulsive just looking at it. The voice of a man from my past, slowly strangling a young neck, echoed in my head.

“Don’t think of putting anyone above you.”

The nausea rose, and disgust surged. The feeling of helplessness I felt then slowly crept back.

Father.

‘Damn it.’

Swearing, I bit my tongue in the dream. Forcing myself to wake up, I tried to smile mockingly at him.

“Father.”

“What is it?”

“How’s life in prison?”

“...What?”

“Thanks to you, I had a hard time being called a politician’s son.”

A forced defiance. I escape from that filthy dream.

...

...

...

-Startled!

My breath cut off, and cold sweat poured down like rain.

My blurry vision gradually cleared, and a familiar face came into view.

Cheondo’s face, with a hand on my hot forehead.

Her cool palm lowering the fever felt good.

“Master?”

“What is it?”

Cheondo’s expressionless face. I playfully rubbed my cheek against the hand, stroking my forehead.

-Slap!

I got flicked on the forehead.

“Ouch!”

“You should wake up more gracefully.”

I held my forehead, stood up, and shed a tear.

It hurt more than a joke.

Glancing back and glaring at Cheondo, she smirked at me.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Cheondo, turning her head quickly, rummaged through some food and then softly curled her lips and spoke as if suddenly remembering something.

“Lee Shiheon.”

“Yes?”

“I have a dream.”

I didn’t understand what she meant.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Cheondo laughed.

Has this person finally lost it? With such trivial thoughts, I got up.