The Heavenly Demon Does Home Repairs - Chapter 11

Inside Bokbok Interiors.

Jang Chaewon sat at her desk with her feet submerged in a bucket of ice water.

“Why did the air conditioner have to break today of all days?” she muttered, looking frustrated.

She glanced over at the Heavenly Demon, who was organizing the tile samples in the store. He was moving around despite the heat, his muscles tensing as he worked.

“Why are you organizing stuff in this heat? Just sit down already!” she snapped.

“What’s the point of sitting around?” the Heavenly Demon replied nonchalantly.

“When you’re moving around like a furnace, it feels like the store is getting even hotter.”

“One must always be diligent. By doing so, I can gather inner energy,” he said, continuing to work.

“There you go again, talking about inner energy,” Jang Chaewon sighed, raising her eyebrows.

“Can’t you just focus on the commission and earn money instead? How much inner energy do you even gain from doing that?”

“But we don’t have any commissions right now,” the Heavenly Demon said plainly.

“Who’s fault is that? You’re the one who keeps messing up the renovation jobs!” Jang Chaewon groaned, recalling his recent blunders.

“I sent you to adjust a slightly misaligned door, and you smashed it to pieces. Then you were supposed to hammer nails into the pavilion, and you destroyed the whole thing! Why do you break everything you touch?”

“That wasn’t a commission,” the Heavenly Demon responded calmly.

“What? Are you serious right now?” Jang Chaewon fumed, standing up with her hands on her hips.

“If commissions are like earning divine grace, then renovation work is about earning money! Both are essential to maintaining a stable life, got it?”

At that moment, the old-fashioned desk phone rang.

“Yes, this is Bokbok Interiors,” Jang Chaewon answered, picking up the receiver, which looked like it belonged in a World War II-era museum.

“Oh, yes, of course. We’ve already prepared everything,” she said with a satisfied smile, glancing at the Heavenly Demon, who was wiping wallpaper samples with a rag.

“Yes, we can do it tomorrow. Thank you very much.”

After hanging up the phone, Jang Chaewon opened a drawer and pulled out a small envelope that had turned a deep red over time.

“Hmph,” she sighed, looking displeased as she glanced at the Heavenly Demon.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” he asked.

“The commission,” she said, tapping the envelope. “It’s from the Flower Spirit.”

“The Flower Spirit?” the Heavenly Demon echoed, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. That’s why we had to get the Samjok-o feathers—to make a brush that can hold spiritual energy.”

“I see,” the Heavenly Demon said, nodding in understanding.

“Well, it’s not going to be easy. I’m still deciding whether I should even let you handle this one.”

“Is that what you were worried about?” the Heavenly Demon asked, turning to her with a serious expression. He clasped his hands together solemnly, as if in prayer.

“What are you doing?” Jang Chaewon asked, puzzled.

“This is a technique I learned from Mr. Kim, the tile master. He said if you do this, it always works,” the Heavenly Demon said seriously, rubbing his palms together slowly and intently.

“I will now take renovation work seriously.”

The next day.

Vroom.

Jang Chaewon’s white van sped down the highway.

“This time, you really have to do well. The Flower Spirit specifically requested you for this job,” she said as she drove.

The Heavenly Demon, seated in the passenger seat with his arms crossed, looked proud.

“Requested me by name? Has word of my skills already spread so far?”

“No, it’s because of a recommendation from the shrine spirit. She said you did a great job on the last commission.”

“Ah, so it’s recognition from one skilled in the arts. They say greatness recognizes greatness.”

“Yeah, right,” Jang Chaewon scoffed, gritting her teeth. “And watch your language this time. The Flower Spirit is very particular and well-connected. If you mess this up, our store’s reputation will plummet.”

“Don’t worry. I am the Heavenly Demon,” he declared confidently.

“That’s exactly why I’m worried,” Jang Chaewon muttered, staring out the window in despair.

“I’ve worked so hard… why must life be so difficult…?”

The Heavenly Demon, still sitting with his arms crossed, asked, “Why can’t Nameless join us on this job?”

“Oh, you mean the nanobot?”

“It’s Nameless.”

“Well, I call it the nanobot,” Jang Chaewon said firmly, recalling the artificial intelligence that controlled the little robot.

“Nanobots are forbidden during commissions unless absolutely necessary. If the other spirits see it, they might get angry.”

“Angry? Why?”

“It’s complicated,” Jang Chaewon said as she pulled up in front of a small house nestled at the foot of a mountain.

“There it is,” she said, pointing to a picturesque white one-story house. The front yard was filled with vibrant, colorful flowers, a beautiful fountain, and a swing.

“This time, do your best. Got it?”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already practiced painting,” the Heavenly Demon replied.

“Yeah… and you messed it up every time,” Jang Chaewon sighed, remembering the previous day’s practice session.

She had taught the Heavenly Demon how to paint, but he had consistently made mistakes—too thick, too thin, wrong mixture, bad preparation—he had managed to perfectly recreate every possible error.

“I’m stronger in real situations,” the Heavenly Demon said confidently, flexing his arm with a grin.

Watching him, Jang Chaewon’s eye twitched.

‘I’ve heard that line before… and every time, it ends in disaster!’

She took a deep breath and approached him.

“Nope. I’m going with you.”

“I’ll handle it,” the Heavenly Demon insisted.

“No. We’re doing this together.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jang Chaewon sighed deeply. “It’s better if we work together from the start.”

“Welcome.”

A young girl in a white dress and a pretty hat stood in the yard, holding a watering can and smiling as Jang Chaewon and the Heavenly Demon approached.

“Hello,” Jang Chaewon greeted politely.

“Are you from Bokbok Interiors?” the girl asked.

Though she appeared to be around fourteen, her aura was warm and powerful. She was the Flower Spirit, who governed the life and death of plants.

“Yes, it is an honor to meet you, Flower Spirit,” the Heavenly Demon said respectfully, clasping his hands together.

The Spirit smiled shyly and nodded. “You can just call me Flower Maiden. I’m still young, so you don’t have to be so formal.”

“Understood, Flower Maiden,” the Heavenly Demon replied, bowing again, which earned him a sharp jab from Jang Chaewon.

“Why are you closing your eyes?” she whispered.

“It’s a sign of respect,” the Heavenly Demon replied, bowing once more. “Flower Spirit.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Jang Chaewon hissed, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him close.

“Keep your mouth shut.”

The Flower Spirit chuckled softly, covering her mouth to hide her amusement.

“You’ve come a long way. Thank you. Please, follow me,” she said, leading them toward a small hill behind the house.

“This is the area I take care of, but there are certain plants and trees that I can’t reach myself.”

She brought out a large white container. “These are the ones that need my touch, but they’re so delicate that I can’t handle them personally. Instead, I’ve put my energy into this water. Please use this brush to carefully apply it to the plants.”

When she opened the container, it revealed water shimmering with a strange, otherworldly light.

“Be thorough, and be careful not to spill it on the ground or apply it in the wrong places. If you do, it might disturb the ley lines.”

“I understand. I’ll be cautious,” the Heavenly Demon said, accepting the container with a nod.

“Wait… I have a question,” he said suddenly.

“What are you trying to say?” Jang Chaewon asked, alarmed. The Spirit smiled and nodded, allowing him to speak.

“It’s fine. Ask away.”

“Why do I already feel spiritual energy flowing into me, even though we haven’t started the task yet?”

“Spiritual energy?” the Flower Spirit asked, blinking.

“I mean, this divine energy.”

The Flower Spirit chuckled, realizing what he meant. “Ah, you’re able to absorb divine energy despite being human.”

She gestured toward the hill and the house. “This is sacred ground, so of course you can feel the divine energy here.”

“I see. But when we visited the shrine spirit’s home, I didn’t sense any of this.”

“That’s because the shrine spirit is losing her strength.”

“I understand.”

The Heavenly Demon’s eyes gleamed as a thought struck him.

“If we remain in the domain of a god, can we absorb as much divine energy as we want?”

“That’s not how it works. The divine energy here is limited, and once you leave the sacred ground, it disappears.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the flow of divine energy into his body stopped.

‘The power I gained from the shrine spirit was equivalent to ten years of cultivation. The energy from this place is about half that.’

The Heavenly Demon smacked his lips, pondering. ‘If I can absorb ten full cycles of energy, I could perform the Heavenly Demon’s Supreme Art.’

A new idea crossed his mind. “Do different gods have varying amounts of divine energy in their domains?”

“Of course. It depends on the god’s strength.”

In that moment, the Heavenly Demon’s mind raced. If he could find a place with twenty times more divine energy than this one, he could return home immediately.

“Is there any god whose domain has twenty times more energy than this one?”

“Twenty times?” the Flower Spirit hesitated. “No, I don’t think any of the earthly gods have that much power.”

“I see,” the Heavenly Demon replied.

If there were such a place, surely Jang Chaewon would have told him by now.

“Alright, let’s get to work.”

Jang Chaewon nudged him in the ribs. “Did you bring the tools?”

“Of course.”

The Heavenly Demon pulled out a transparent brush from the pouch strapped to his waist. It was a gift from Jang Chaewon to accommodate his lack of pockets.

“Let’s get started.”

“Is that the brush made from the Samjok-o Queen’s feathers?” the Spirit asked, her eyes widening.

“Yes. We prepared it especially for this task,” the Heavenly Demon replied.

“Such a precious item…” The Spirit smiled warmly. “I knew I made the right choice by asking Bokbok Interiors for this job.”

Her smile was as radiant and mysterious as a flower blooming on the edge of a cliff.

The small hill was lush with trees, plants, and flowers. It almost felt like the paradise of immortals, especially with the Heavenly Demon’s graceful movements.

“I didn’t realize half a cycle of energy could be this powerful.”

With a light push, the Heavenly Demon floated into the air, using his supreme movement technique, Nightfall Gale.

“Not bad.”

Though it was a fraction of his original power, the Heavenly Demon’s body moved through the air like the wind.

“Hey! Come down and get to work!” Jang Chaewon shouted, her arms crossed.

“There’s a lot to do, and we need to start applying this quickly.”

The trees in the forest all appeared withered, their branches drooping.

After spinning through the air, the Heavenly Demon descended to the ground and opened the white container. A refreshing fragrance filled the air.

“This would have been easier without the practice.”

As he began carefully brushing the withered tree, a smirk tugged at his lips.

Jang Chaewon had made him practice painting for an entire day, yet this task was entirely different from the interior painting techniques she’d taught him.

“Ugh…” Jang Chaewon sighed, sensing his thoughts.

“Do you think we do more commissions for divine work or more regular painting jobs?”

Compared to the steady stream of renovation requests, divine commissions like this one came maybe once a month, if that.

“I see.”

“And don’t worry,” Jang Chaewon added, watching him carefully.

“This is going to be even harder than any of the practice you’ve done so far.”

Some of the plants looked like people. More precisely, they had the form of humans with flowers growing from their heads or branches wrapped around their bodies.

The Heavenly Demon stared at the strange, mannequin-like figures in the forest, his mouth slightly agape.

“What… are these?”

“What do you mean?” Jang Chaewon asked, her expression growing serious as she tightly gripped her brush.

“These are the flowers and trees that the Flower Spirit can’t reach.”

“These… are flowers and trees?”

“Yep.”

“And you want me to brush them?”

Jang Chaewon nodded silently.

The Heavenly Demon stood still for a moment before opening the white container and letting out a long sigh.

“Well, if it has to be done, it has to be done.”

He dipped the brush into the shimmering liquid, watching as the feathers of the Samjok-o Queen turned a pale white.

Then, with deliberate care, he began brushing one of the flowers. The moment his brush made contact, the flower’s eyes snapped open.

“AAAAH!”

The flower let out a piercing scream, and the Heavenly Demon felt as though an iron rod had been shoved into his ears.

“Is this… the Lion’s Roar technique?!”