This is closer to oral tradition and folklore than history.
Such is the tale.
In a time long, long past.
Around the time a dokkaebi committed a sin out of longing for its homeland.
Because of the sin it committed, the framework of the world was crushed and the dimensions were distorted.
From within, beings that defied the laws began to pour out.
A momentary action brings the rules crashing down.
The crumbled rules began to shatter the laws established by the world.
Because of that, countless lives died.
To call it a punishment would be meaningless.
It would be more accurate to simply call it an accident.
Yes, it was an accident.
An accident born of ignorance.
However.
The disaster that would unfold because of that accident was only far more severe.
-Kyaaah!!
-S-save me!!
Screams ran rampant.
The world was dyed in blood.
-Monsters!
Beings of unknown identity appeared and devoured humans.
The world became dyed in death.
Seeing this, the dokkaebi had to shed tears containing fire.
For it had simply crushed the world with its own hands.
The world, too, grew angry.
Not because the innocent were dying.
Because the laws it had established were shattered, the divine was enraged.
The set rules were defied and the world collapsed.
Seeing that, the world spoke.
A broken world is unnecessary.
Therefore, it begins again.
That was the verdict the world ultimately passed down.
Thus, the dokkaebi thought.
That if things continued like this, it would not be able to return to its own world, and would only be able to watch as the world fell apart.
Then what must be done?
The dokkaebi thought again.
First, it must close the door that was pouring out the beings.
It must close the door and beg the world for leniency.
For it was the one who committed the sin.
Thus, it begs for leniency.
Thinking so, the dokkaebi finally managed to close the door.
Closing the door was not difficult.
Enduring after closing it was another matter, but literally closing it was not that hard.
After closing the door like that, the dokkaebi sought out the world.
It would somehow resolve what it had done, so it begged for leniency.
At that moment of hoping and hoping.
Surprisingly, the world granted the dokkaebi's wish.
Saying it would give a chance rather than erase the world immediately.
As it said so to the dokkaebi, it burdened it with a single sin.
If the dokkaebi accepted this, the world would give a chance to both the dokkaebi and the world.
Such was the condition.
Since the dokkaebi had no choice from the start, it accepted without hesitation.
Fortunately, the world did not speak falsehoods.
It gave a chance, just as it had said.
If there was a problem.
It was that the punishment, called the condition the world imposed on the dokkaebi, was far more cruel than expected.
Even if the dokkaebi belatedly regretted it.
This sin was something it could never abandon of its own accord.
******************
Crackle-! Swish-!
A feast of energy unfolded ahead.
The ink-black flow, as if charred black, fluttered in the air.
Energy blacker than the night-fallen forest.
I looked at the small back within that alien-looking scene.
Wearing the familiar martial uniform of the Gu family, long black hair scattered in the wind.
The eyes gazing at me were as beautiful as someone else's.
The purple eyes contained within made me think a contradictory thought: they were hateful, yet beautiful at the same time.
Heavenly Demon.
I frowned as I looked at the back of the woman who was called a disaster in my past life.
A small, frail back.
In the past, it had looked so large. But now, it seemed far too small.
"What are you?"
When I asked with a disheveled voice, the Heavenly Demon, who had glanced at me, turned her head back.
And then stared straight ahead.
In front stood the bastard who called himself my grandfather.
"Hmm."
He was covered in flames, making it hard to recognize him, but he possessed a human form and had called himself my grandfather.
Even if that weren't the case, I could have known just from the resonance of the Gu Yeomhwarungeong.
That flame itself was the flame of the Gu Yeomhwarungeong.
Recalling that he had tried to take the Gu Yeomhwarungeong itself from me, it gave credibility to him being my grandfather.
‘It's a question how he was able to take it, though.’
As a result. I could clearly tell this was a very dangerous situation.
At that time.
-Chirrrp.
The sound of insects reached my ears.
The sounds that had stopped began to be heard again.
The wind brushed my cheek.
The vanished senses gradually return. What happened.
Did grandfather release his power?
Or, did something get distorted when the Heavenly Demon appeared?
As questions sprouted.
"That's right."
Looking at the Heavenly Demon who had appeared, grandfather spat out words.
"You were here. I had forgotten for a moment."
The tilting of his head reminds me of someone.
Fucking hell, it resembled my actions.
No, am I the one who resembles him?
"The aura of the non-human. It's been a while. Have you been well?"
"..."
At grandfather's words, the Heavenly Demon reached out her left hand.
Then.
Swiiiish--!!!
The black energy floating in the air began to gather in the Heavenly Demon's hand.
As soon as I felt this, I felt a tingling sensation.
An immense energy.
The compressed and condensed energy gradually changed shape at the Heavenly Demon's fingertips, and its appearance was just like a sword.
A power I know well.
It was something the Heavenly Demon often used in her past life.
She had never spoken the name of the power at the time.
The orthodox faction had bestowed upon it the ridiculous name of Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.
Well, it was worthy of being called a divine sword. Because swinging that sword just once had reshaped the terrain.
Saaaah-.
The completed sword.
The Heavenly Demon pointed the tip of that sword at grandfather.
And speaks.
"Disappear."
"..."
"This is not a place for you to come."
"Haha."
At the Heavenly Demon's words, grandfather lets out a laugh.
"Well, I'll be..."
That moment.
Uuuung-!
"Ugh...!"
My heart starts beating wildly like crazy.
It was because the Gu Yeomhwarungeong I had taken back from grandfather threw a fit.
It's hot.
The flame energy spreads throughout my entire body along the blood vessels.
Sizzle-!
Because of this, heat gradually radiated from my body, and that was quite painful.
"A mere remnant dares to impose the Cheukgaekryeong on me."
Grandfather seemed significantly provoked for some reason, and anger was soaked in his voice.
Is the flame throwing a fit in response to that?
"Anyone on this land can tell me to leave. But at least not you two."
Step.
As he took a step forward, the surrounding air fluctuated greatly in an instant.
Whoosh-!
At the same time, the temperature rises.
As if the forest was on fire, my skin was burning hot.
"Detestable things."
Kuuuuu--!!
My breath threatened to be choked by the boiling energy.
I struggled to grasp the rampaging energy.
Still, it wouldn't listen.
‘Fuck, really.’
I clenched my teeth.
Grandfather was slowly approaching the Heavenly Demon in the meantime.
At this, the Heavenly Demon also slowly moved her sword.
Is she trying to start a fight?
‘Fuck.’
At the absurd situation, only curses came out.
The bastard called grandfather suddenly appears and acts like this, and the Gu Yeomhwarungeong is suddenly throwing a fit.
The Heavenly Demon, whom I had hated so much, blocked that grandfather and raised her sword.
Is she trying to protect me?
The Heavenly Demon?
‘What the hell does she think she's doing.’
This is fucking bullshit.
Literally bullshit.
Could the situation be any more fucked up than this.
Squeeze.
I clenched my fist.
Like that, I struck my chest hard.
Kuung--!!!
Paak-!
"Um."
"…!"
At the rough air-splitting sound, the Heavenly Demon looked back.
I hit it so hard that wind pressure containing atmospheric pressure burst out from my body.
"Cough."
Drip.
Blood flowed.
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
"Wow, fuck... That hurts like hell."
Maybe because I was in a hurry, I couldn't control it.
I stroked my chest with my hand. I'm fucked. My ribs are broken.
It even hurts to let out a sigh because it's so bullshit.
I should have hit it a bit softer.
The only relief was that hitting it like that stopped the Gu Yeomhwarungeong's fit.
This is better than having broken ribs.
Thanks to that, I could move a bit more.
The two looking here as if surprised.
Ignoring that, I also walked forward.
Walking, I grabbed the Heavenly Demon's shoulder and pulled her back.
"…!"
The pulled Heavenly Demon widened her eyes, but I didn't look at her.
"Back off. Don't interfere."
It's a family event in its own way.
It wasn't a situation for an outsider to interfere.
As I calmed my breath and advanced, grandfather also reacted as if surprised.
"How did you escape?"
A fit of the heart technique.
He looks at me as if it's strange that I escaped from it.
"Perhaps because you've become a non-human, you withstood my flame for a moment-."
"Why would this be your flame?"
Spit.
I spat on the ground. The bright red stuff was all blood.
"It's my flame."
It's my flame that I raised by suffering all my life, coaxing and appeasing it.
"Who are you coveting? How much did I suffer to use this."
"Haha."
Hiding my creaking body, I asked grandfather.
"A man who calls himself my grandfather with his own mouth tries to steal from his grandson rather than giving him something. Did you eat your age through your asshole?"
Manners were already thrown away.
If the other person doesn't respect me, I don't need to either.
He can take back the flame.
The sense of alienation from that is annoying, but I didn't want to bow my head.
"If you're going to take it, try taking it."
"Child. You seem to be mistaken about something, but if I wish, I can take the seed at any time..."
"Then I can just die right here."
"…!"
Declaring death, grandfather closed his mouth.
"What?"
"If you take it, I'll just die."
"..."
As expected.
Speaking with my life as collateral, grandfather's attitude changes.
It was as expected.
‘It seems he needs me?’
Grandfather needed me.
Whether it's my body, or me, or the boy who will become the young patriarch, I don't know.
The point is, it's a situation where I must not die.
"…Ha..."
Hearing the words, grandfather let out a hollow laugh.
Seeing that, I acted immediately.
"Do you think I can't?"
Tilting my head, I said and grabbed my neck with my hand.
"If you're going to take it, try taking it."
"..."
The flame is taken away.
Grandfather and father met, and I don't know what the two talked about, but they mentioned a one-year grace period.
That means he'll take it away so I can't use the Gu Yeomhwarungeong during that time.
If that happens.
‘Everything gets messed up.’
Everything I planned is ruined.
It's a plan made by even calculating the realm I had built up.
If the Gu Yeomhwarungeong is sealed here, that's the end.
‘That can't happen.’
Rather than let that happen, I'd rather die here.
When I spoke with that intention, grandfather paused and looked at me.
We shared a gaze without any words.
It's ambiguous to even call it a gaze.
Because it was just flames.
Like that, a little silence flowed.
"…Haha."
Grandfather burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha-!"
Uung-!!
Every time he burst into laughter, the air fluctuated.
It's not the pressure of energy.
It's something subtly different.
"How amusing. That child raised his kid amusingly."
If it's that child, maybe he means father.
Then does "raised amusingly" mean an insult? Sounded like an insult to me.
"To think you'd try to negotiate with me using your own life."
"Negotiation is a pretty word. Exactly, I'm struggling while being blackmailed."
As I clicked my tongue because it was ridiculous.
"This part is exactly like his father."
Grandfather reacts as if a similar thing had happened.
Then looking at me, he says.
"Alright. Seeing your will, I will not take the flame."
He declared he wouldn't take the Gu Yeomhwarungeong. It was a relief.
But I didn't let out a sigh of relief.
"However."
Because grandfather's words weren't finished.
"Even so, the period is one year."
"...And within that time, what. Come to Shingang?"
"Yes. To be precise, you must come after taking the seat."
"Why should I?"
"Because that is our karma."
Hearing the words, I crumpled my face.
Karma, fuck.
"What's there that I have to go all the way there?"
"The Gate."
"Gate?"
"We guard the gate. That is what we must do."
Grandfather's words, a gate.
What could that mean. I didn't think deeply.
Because I wasn't relaxed enough to think deeply.
"One year."
Grandfather mentioned the period again as if telling me to remember.
"Before that time passes. Rise to the seat where you must be."
Rise to young patriarch and find Shingang.
That was what grandfather wanted.
So I asked.
"What if I don't?"
What happens if I don't.
When I asked about this.
"Do it if you can."
Grandfather said to me in a nonchalant tone.
"That is, if you are capable of it."
"…Damn."
That was an even more fucked up thing to say than telling me not to do it.
No matter what means I use, I cannot escape.
Such emotion was clearly soaked in grandfather's words.
Right when I was grinding my teeth and clenching my fists.
"Also, I hope you keep 'that' well too."
Grandfather's eyes headed not for me but for the Heavenly Demon behind me.
"Because it's a precious key to us."
"A key?"
"Yes, a key to lock the gate so it can never be opened again."
I frowned.
A key? The Heavenly Demon?
"You said you entrusted her to Gu Huibi. What exactly is your intention?"
Grandfather brought the Heavenly Demon and entrusted her to Gu Huibi.
Where did he find her and why did he do that. I couldn't help but ask.
Grandfather mentioning the Heavenly Demon as a key just now, does that mean, in other words, the Gu family's karma and the Heavenly Demon are related?
To the question, grandfather tilted his head like my habit.
"It is a matter of necessity. Precious things should be placed where they can be seen."
A matter of necessity.
What bothers me more than that is the latter words.
Placed where they can be seen.
So he entrusted her to Gu Huibi. Those words bothered me.
"As desired, I saw your face today, so I will leave now."
Cutting off the words, grandfather examines somewhere.
It was an empty void.
"It seems a guest has come to visit me."
Leaving his gaze there. Grandfather continued to add words to me.
"Child. Remember well. As long as the flame is there, I will keep watching you."
Therefore.
"Let's see each other again next time."
Grandfather said so and.
Hwaruk-!
In an instant, he became a flame and disappeared.
"..."
Under the lush forest grass, only the place where he stood is charred black.
Feeling the air rapidly cooling down as soon as he disappeared, I bit my lips.
"This is really fucked up."
It's ridiculous enough that he suddenly came to visit, but he spat out words and disappeared.
‘What? A politely crazy bastard?’
Recalling the grandfather Paejon talked about, I shuddered.
‘Polite my ass. He's just a madman.’
Where does he look polite? If that is polite, the world is just crazy.
Karma now of all times, it felt like the work I had been somehow putting off was suddenly brought forward.
‘One year?’
I recalled the period grandfather gave.
‘Should I just run away?’
I had reached a level where I didn't necessarily have to stay in the Gu family.
Since ending the blood tribulation was more of a priority than continuing the karma, it was something I could just leave, young patriarch or not.
[Do it if you can.]
The words grandfather said came to mind and circled in my head.
The certainty that I couldn't escape in the end. That bothered me and made my stomach feel uneasy.
"Hoo..."
At this, I dry-washed my face with one hand and let out a sigh.
Throb-!
I clicked my tongue at the pain felt from my chest.
It was because the ribs I messed up earlier throbbed.
‘This will hurt for about three days.’
Considering the increased regeneration speed, probably three days.
It seemed like it would be healed in that time.
It's something that will be fine if left alone, but just in case, let's find Shin-ui.
Thinking so, I turned around.
Turning around, I met the purple eyes.
Right. I momentarily forgot I was with the Heavenly Demon.
"..."
The Heavenly Demon was holding her shoulder with one hand and looking at me with an unreadable expression.
Why is she holding that shoulder?
‘Is it the place I grabbed earlier?’
The position I pulled to tell her to move.
Or is she doing that because I grabbed it strongly at the time?
‘I didn't grab it that strongly though.’
I was looking at her wondering if she was making a fuss.
"Leaving?"
The Heavenly Demon spoke to me.
"Are you going?"
"Yeah. I'm heading back."
Originally, I came to see Gu Huibi and the Heavenly Demon, but in this state, I didn't want to stay any longer.
Let's go back.
I needed to return to my quarters to think and get some rest.
So, just as I was about to walk away ignoring the Heavenly Demon.
Squeeze.
The Heavenly Demon grabbed my arm and stopped me.
"What."
At this, when I glared at the Heavenly Demon with an annoyed face.
"Meal."
The Heavenly Demon brought up an out-of-the-blue topic.
"...What?"
"Eat and go."
"What kind of bullshit is that."
Why would I eat with you.
It's obvious I'll get indigestion while eating.
Right after experiencing something like this, would food go down?
My appetite was already gone, so I was about to shake it off and leave immediately.
"Older sister will be waiting."
At the Heavenly Demon's words, I had to stop without realizing it.
"Why would Sister..."
"Because she said she was going out to bring you."
She mentioned me when she came out?
"…Hah."
"Sister. Made something delicious. Let's go."
Mentioning Gu Huibi, the Heavenly Demon pulled me.
I wanted to go back right away at the Heavenly Demon's action, but hearing the words about Gu Huibi, I eventually had to relax my steps.
‘It's rather a good thing.’
Since it's come to this, let's finish it all since I'm here.
Thinking so, I closed my eyes.
******************
Halfway up a high rock formation.
An old man was sitting there.
He was wearing only pants, his upper body bare.
Despite his appearance suggesting he was an old man, his flesh was full of muscles and scars.
Thick white hair and a wrinkled face.
A combat-oriented body that didn't suit him.
Also.
The long horn growing on his forehead suggested he was not an ordinary human.
"..."
After a long time flowed, the old man opened his closed eyes.
Burning red eyes are visible.
The old man, who quietly opened his eyes, rolled his eyeballs like that and suddenly contained a smile.
"Hehe."
It seemed he was trying to hold back his laughter, but it wasn't easy at all.
His reaction was clear, as if he had seen a fun scene.
How long has it been?
It was an event that happened for the first time in a very long time in the old man's life.
While the old man was shedding laughter like that for a while.
Step.
Someone appeared from behind the old man's back.
"It seems something fun happened."
The opponent asked while looking at the old man's back.
The old man erased the smile he had on his face and sent his gaze to the person who appeared.
The smile from earlier was nowhere to be found, and only eerie eyes remained in the old man.
"It was a deeply moving time."
He already knew the opponent had appeared.
Because of that, he had to hastily retrieve the flame.
"The world's dog goes out of its way to interfere with this."
The young man who heard the words looked at the old man and said.
"I'm sorry. But, this side is also in a rather urgent situation."
The young man smiled as if it were nothing despite the old man's anger.
"Nice to meet you. Gatekeeper. I really wanted to see you."
At that smile, the old man spat out words.
"As it happens, I just came from meeting your remnant."
Even at the old man's words.
The Blood Demon did not wipe away his smile.
He was just amused.
"I have long forgotten such trifling things."
What is energy and what is flesh.
To the current Blood Demon, none of that was important.
"More than that, I have something I want to ask."
The Blood Demon, no, Dokgo Jun asked the old man with Blood Eyes.
"Gatekeeper."
He also wiped away the smile he was wearing.
"Where is the gate to the Divine Realm?"
That moment.
Hwarureuk---!!!
As the question continued, the old man's horn burned red.
Dokgo Jun's pupils tore vertically and spewed light.
Kwaa-a-a-ak-!!
An explosion erupted from that spot.