Rebirth, and the Heavenly Demon (1)
The carriage came to an abrupt halt.
The sudden stop sent Wang Pal-bo crashing forehead-first into the carriage wall.
“Ouch! What on earth is going on?”
Wang Pal-bo shouted, rubbing his forehead, but there was no response from the driver’s seat.
“Hey! Why aren’t you answering me?”
He flung open the carriage door and stepped out. His driver, Jang Ho, was at the front, checking on a child.
Fortunately, the child hadn’t been hit and was now running towards a street vendor. Only then did the father realize his child had narrowly avoided being run over and rushed to check on him.
Jang Ho hurried over to Wang Pal-bo.
“I’m sorry, sir. The child suddenly ran out. Thankfully, he’s unharmed.”
“Unharmed? I’m the one who’s hurt!”
Wang Pal-bo’s voice was icy.
“Sir, where are you hurt?”
Jang Ho moved closer, concerned.
Smack!
Wang Pal-bo slapped Jang Ho hard across the face.
“You think you’re doing a great job just because I praised you a few times?”
“Sir?”
Thud!
Wang Pal-bo kicked Jang Ho, sending him sprawling backward.
At that moment, the child’s parents approached. They had been watching from a distance and came over to explain when they saw Jang Ho being hit.
The father was a street vendor.
“Thanks to the driver, our child is safe. Thank you, truly.”
Wang Pal-bo’s expression grew even more displeased.
His anger finally boiled over.
“You idiot! You checked on the kid before me? What if I was seriously hurt? Do you know how much that horse is worth?”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Wang Pal-bo struck Jang Ho repeatedly on the back of the head.
The vendor felt a mix of anger and confusion, as if his child was being treated as less important than a horse.
Jang Ho gestured for the vendor and child to leave quickly, even as he was being beaten.
Seeing Jang Ho still concerned for others, Wang Pal-bo’s fury intensified.
“You still care about them? If they’re so important, quit and take care of them yourself!”
“No, sir, that’s not it.”
The surrounding vendors, angered by Wang Pal-bo’s repeated insults, rolled up their sleeves, ready to intervene.
But they hesitated, intimidated by Wang Pal-bo’s armed bodyguards.
“What’s more important, me or that beggar’s kid?”
“Sir, please calm down. It was my fault.”
“Speak up!”
“He’s just a child. It was all my fault.”
“You keep taking their side.”
“It was my mistake. I was going too fast on a busy street.”
“Oh, so it’s my fault for rushing you?”
“No, sir, that’s not what I meant.”
“You’re a complete mess.”
“No, sir, I respect you.”
“Respect, huh? You’re done. Pack your things and get out.”
“Sir! I need this job. Please, just this once!”
“I know. Your son is a top student, right? A good kid who listens to his parents. Why would you want to ruin his future?”
“Sir!”
“Find another employer.”
Jang Ho pleaded desperately. There weren’t many influential people in the area, and those who could hire a driver were all friends with Wang Pal-bo. If he was fired, he wouldn’t be able to work for anyone else here.
Jang Ho fell to his knees.
“Please, just this once.”
He couldn’t afford to lose his job, not with his son’s future at stake. His son was a miracle, a bright child born to an uneducated father. Just thinking about him brought a smile to his face.
But if he lost his job, his son couldn’t continue his studies. He couldn’t deny his son the education others received.
“Please, just this once.”
“Get lost!”
The vendor joined in, pleading.
“It’s my son’s fault for running out without looking. This man did nothing wrong. Please forgive him.”
The vendor knelt beside Jang Ho. Realizing his mistake, the child began to cry.
Wang Pal-bo shouted furiously.
“Get out, all of you! Throw them out!”
Just as the guards were about to move, someone gently patted the child’s head and spoke.
“Remember to look both ways before crossing the street.”
The voice was calm, yet everyone heard it.
After a few more comforting words to the child, the person walked towards the carriage. It was Byeok Lidan.
Byeok Lidan addressed the vendor.
“You’re working hard, taking care of your child while running your business.”
Though young, Byeok Lidan commanded respect, and the vendor replied politely.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Is there no one to watch your child?”
“My wife is very ill, so I have to bring him with me.”
“I’ll arrange a place where you can leave your child safely. You won’t have to pay.”
“What?”
The vendor looked bewildered, as did the other onlookers.
Byeok Lidan then helped Jang Ho to his feet.
“I hear your son is a good student?”
Jang Ho hesitated, glancing at Wang Pal-bo.
Byeok Lidan spoke gently.
“Stopping the carriage and running to the child was the right choice. Of course, you should go to the child. Taking responsibility instead of blaming the child shows your character. Kneeling for your son’s sake is the mark of a true father. Your son is bright and kind because you are a good person.”
Tears welled up in Jang Ho’s eyes. No one had ever spoken to him like this.
“Don’t be too upset. Even if it’s hard, keep living this way. I promise to make a world where good people like you can thrive.”
Jang Ho didn’t know who this man was or why he was saying these things, but the words alone brought tears streaming down his face. It felt like someone was finally soothing his long-suffering heart.
“Ahh.”
Jang Ho broke down, sobbing, and the vendor rushed to comfort him.
Byeok Lidan turned to Wang Pal-bo.
“Do you have that much money?”
“What?”
“Having money doesn’t mean you can act like this. You should be grateful to the world that allowed you to earn it and treat people with humility. Is this how a person should behave?”
Wang Pal-bo barked orders at his guards.
“Seize this insolent fool! Make him kneel before me!”
But the guards didn’t move. Their pressure points had been subdued.
“My friend over there, enjoying some rice cakes, told me something.”
Everyone’s eyes turned to the Heavenly Demon, who was buying rice cakes from a street cart.
The Heavenly Demon waved, spilling honey on his clothes. Though he looked comical, Byeok Lidan’s words were chilling.
“The most painful thing you can do to someone is take away what they value most.”
Byeok Lidan’s cold gaze fixed on Wang Pal-bo.
“I don’t need to ask what you hold dear in your miserable life.”
As Byeok Lidan walked away, he said,
“Your carriage won’t run anymore.”
His words came true.
The next day, the Central Merchants’ Union’s internal audit team descended on Wang Pal-bo’s trading company.
They were acting on orders from the Martial Alliance. They uncovered all the corruption Wang Pal-bo’s company had engaged in. The fines were enormous.
Every misdeed and mistake made during his business dealings was meticulously investigated. It was the most thorough and swift investigation ever conducted, with no leniency.
He was bankrupt in an instant.
At first, Wang Pal-bo couldn’t believe it, but it was reality. Losing his life’s fortune in a moment drove him to the brink of madness. But it wasn’t over.
The Martial Alliance’s audit team arrived next. If his company was corrupt, he was no saint.
They exposed all his crimes. He had harassed and assaulted women, coerced deals through violence, and even ordered murders.
He was sentenced to life in prison. After a life of luxury, spending the rest of his days in a cell would be a fate worse than death.
Jang Ho found a good employer and continued driving, while his son received a scholarship from the Martial Alliance.
This incident led to the establishment of childcare facilities across the region, free for parents who couldn’t watch their children while working. The Martial Alliance and Taeseong Trading Company shared the costs.
It became known that the Martial Alliance leader, Byeok Lidan, was behind this. The martial world cheered, while those like Wang Pal-bo trembled in fear and resentment.
The Martial Alliance conveyed Byeok Lidan’s words to the martial world, unfiltered and verbatim, as he wished.
“Upon hearing about Wang Palbo, if you find yourself getting angry as if it were your own problem and feeling sorry for him, it might be a good time to reflect on your own life. Change your mind while you still have the chance. With effort, you can change that much. If those who pretend to be human get caught by me, they’ll be torn to shreds.”
A month later.
I stood on a windswept cliff, side by side with Cheonma.
Though it wasn’t strictly necessary, we donned thick cotton coats to embrace the winter atmosphere.
Our journey, which began in spring, had continued into winter.
We had seen much, met many people, and changed many things as we traveled through the martial world.
In my past life, I was a good leader. The difference this time was that I saw and felt things firsthand, implementing policies that truly benefited daily life, not just ideals or dreams.
Everyone praised me, and my popularity soared.
But from the start, this journey was for me. Even my relationship with Cheonma could be seen as something for my own sake, making this journey entirely mine.
“Hey, Hajin.”
“Yes, Cheongwang?”
“Why did you refuse to become a god?”
I could tell he’d wanted to ask since the beginning of our journey.
There were many reasons I could give, but if I had to choose just one, it would be this:
“I didn’t want to watch you die. I couldn’t bear the thought of living on while everyone left me behind.”
“I thought so.”
“That old man once told me, no one can know which path will bring more happiness. I agree. The important thing is not to regret my decision.”
I looked at Cheonma. He was gazing at me with that familiar, slightly awkward yet somehow pleased expression.
“I respect your decision.”
“Thank you.”
Just then, something drifted down between us.
It was snow, pure and white as a feather.
“It’s snowing.”
Cheonma and I looked up at the sky. Snowflakes were indeed beginning to fall.
“It really is snow.”
Cheonma beamed. It was the first snow he’d seen in his new body.
We felt the soft touch of snowflakes landing on our palms.
“It snowed like this the day I died.”
I remembered that day vividly.
My memory was failing, and my body felt so weak.
But all of it was the will of the heavens.
My death was ordained by the heavens and marked the beginning of a fateful battle among the gods.
“Do you like it?”
“I do.”
Cheonma nodded at my question. I teased him.
“Strange, they say people who like snow are pure-hearted.”
“Maybe it’s something people like us say to hide ourselves.”
“Hahaha.”
Cheonma had become quite adept at taking a joke.
After a hearty laugh, I turned to Cheonma.
“Shall we head back?”
I realized it was time to return.
Just as snow marked the start of my new destiny, today, with snow falling again, I would return to the martial alliance for another new beginning.
Cheonma extended his hand, signaling our parting here.
I grasped his hand firmly.
“If you ever want a drink, come to Seohwa anytime.”
I knew then that Cheonma would live among people, forming connections.
“Alright, I’ll come when the first snow falls again.”