The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

Phew-.

Jong Seojun let out a deep sigh and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

He had taken care of patients without rest several times, and although he usually took a break in between, today he had taken care of patients in succession without even a moment to catch his breath.

Although the fact that there were many patients to take care of today was also a reason, the biggest reason was, after all, because of Cheon Myeong's existence.

Swish-.

At that moment, someone held out a towel to Jong Seojun.

Jong Seojun took the towel and naturally wiped his sweat, and he asked the man who had held out the towel to him.

"What time is it now?"

"It is about to enter the hour of the dog."

"..."

The hour of the dog... that would be much later than what he had originally told Cheon Myeong.

Perhaps about three hours.

Although it wasn't that he had intentionally taken that long, it was true that he had been somewhat conscious of the time while taking care of patients.

If that was the case, Cheon Myeong would surely not be there by now, Jong Seojun was sure of that inwardly.

"What happened to the Young Master?"

"Well..."

"...?"

"He is still waiting in front of the main gate."

As the man said that, Jong Seojun's two eyes widened temporarily.

But as a thought came to him, he returned to his original expression and asked the man.

"Did he come back after being somewhere else?"

"No. He has been at the main gate from the beginning."

"He has been in that spot the whole time...?"

"Yes, he has not moved a single step from his seated position on the floor..."

To be honest, Jong Seojun could not believe those words.

Did Cheon Myeong not have any pride?

He couldn't understand for what reason he was doing that to him.

'Why is he trying to meet me so much?'

Cheon Myeong, just hearing that name made him feel a surge of anger from within.

So he didn't want to face Cheon Myeong if possible.

Because if he saw Cheon Myeong directly, he would not be able to maintain his composure and would not know what he would say.

So his initial expression of refusal to Cheon Myeong was an action to be careful not to make a mistake.

"Head."

At that moment, the man called Jong Seojun.

"What will you do?"

"..."

If Cheon Myeong had been waiting somewhere else and had come back to the main gate, he could have answered easily.

Because he could refuse the meeting with excuses such as there were more patients or that he still had work to do and had no time.

However, in this case, he could not do that.

'If I were to chase away a person who had waited in front of the main gate for three hours with such an excuse...'

What would the other people who saw that say?

The people in the Demonic Medical Hall knew that Jong Seojun did not have such an urgent matter that he could not even greet a guest for a moment from this point on.

But to chase away a person who had been sitting on the street for three hours with an excuse that was clearly a lie, it was certain that bad words would come out.

"..."

That's why he had asked if Cheon Myeong had come back from somewhere else.

It seemed that he had to make a choice.

Whether to refuse the meeting with Cheon Myeong, knowing that words would come out, or to meet Cheon Myeong.

After a brief silence, Jong Seojun said to the man.

"...Will you guide the Young Master to the reception room?"

He is a person who has waited for him like this today.

Even if he refused now, there was no law that it would not be the same tomorrow.

Meeting Cheon Myeong directly seemed to be the only way.

"I understand."

As Jong Seojun said that, the man answered with a voice mixed with a slight sense of relief and retreated.

And Jong Seojun, who was sitting still in silence for a while.

Although it was unknown where his two eyes were directed now, a feeling quite different from when he had taken care of patients was felt in his gaze.

* * *

Cheon Myeong entered the reception room he had been guided to and had already taken a seat.

'He said there was no space inside, but there is a separate reception room.'

Well, since he had guessed from the beginning that it was an excuse, it was not something to get so angry about.

But still, although he had not expected to have to wait for more than two hours, wasn't the most important thing the fact that he had been able to enter like this?

Since the night was quite chilly, the buttocks that had been sitting on the floor were about to get cold.

'Fortunately, my buttocks are safe.'

While Cheon Myeong was having such useless thoughts, the door opened and a person appeared.

"..."

Jong Seojun, who had entered the reception room, looked at Cheon Myeong with an expressionless face.

Normally, if they were to meet in this way, he would have at least greeted him first. Moreover, hadn't Jong Seojun made Cheon Myeong wait outside for three hours?

However, Jong Seojun was not saying a word of apology for that.

Swish-.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Cheon Myeong."

In the end, Cheon Myeong got up from his seat first and greeted Jong Seojun.

Although it was to the extent that even others could feel that Cheon Myeong was taking a few steps back and acting.

Nod-.

Jong Seojun just nodded his head slightly as an answer.

A situation where even a Bodhisattva would have slapped his ear twice with the shoe he was wearing.

However, Cheon Myeong was maintaining a calm smile.

'He's quite prickly.'

Since he had treated him in such a way even outside the gate, he had guessed that he would come out with this attitude.

If he hadn't been replaying this situation in his mind for several hours, wouldn't he also not be smiling like this now?

Although it was a slight crisis when he had nodded his head, it was still to the extent that he could endure it.

Swish-.

Jong Seojun approached and took a seat opposite Cheon Myeong.

But still, the fact that he was sitting down meant that he had some intention of talking to him, right?

Cheon Myeong decided to think as positively as possible about even the trivial parts of Jong Seojun's actions.

Each and every one of those elements gathered to create the current Bodhisattva Cheon Myeong.

"For what reason did you wish to see me?"

As soon as he sat down, Jong Seojun asked bluntly.

'As expected, there's not a single word of apology for making me wait for three hours.'

If he had been going to apologize, would he have made him wait outside like that?

Since this was also within the expected range, Cheon Myeong was able to pass it over without any problem.

"You must have been quite busy."

"..."

"I thought I could meet you if I waited for about two hours, but it took more time."

Since his attitude towards him was so crooked from the beginning, if he were to bluntly ask for medicinal herbs, he would never give them.

Cheon Myeong tried to lead the conversation by changing the topic of the question for now.

"There are always many patients to take care of at the Demonic Medical Hall. Today, there were especially more patients, so it took that much time."

"Is that so. I've heard rumors that you, the head, personally take care of patients, so the more patients there are, the busier you must be."

"That's why I thought you would have gone back, Young Master. But when I checked, I heard that you had been waiting for me in front of the main gate the whole time."

"It's okay. I was quite free."

Cheon Myeong said with a relaxed smile.

Jong Seojun looked at him silently for a while.

Since Cheon Myeong did not easily show his inner thoughts, he felt a little frustrated.

"Why did you continue to wait for me outside the main gate?"

"If I hadn't, you wouldn't have met me like this, Head."

"..."

"Ah, of course, since you must have been busy, it is right for me, who is free, to wait."

Was it said that one cannot spit on a smiling face?

Jong Seojun's words sounded strangely annoying to Cheon Myeong.

"If you have no business, I will go back right now."

Jong Seojun got up from his seat with a slightly raised voice.

"Ah, did I talk too much, holding up a busy person?"

"..."

"That won't do. I'll just get to the point."

As Cheon Myeong said that, Jong Seojun sat down again.

And he thought. If Cheon Myeong were to say something that seemed to be changing the subject one more time, he would get up and leave this place.

"Originally, I came here to ask you for a favor, Head... but looking at the situation, it doesn't seem that I'm in a position to ask for such a favor."

"..."

"So I decided to change my purpose."

A somewhat serious atmosphere.

At some point, the smile on Cheon Myeong's face had also disappeared.

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"...That I hate you, Young Master, is the first I've heard of it."

"If you don't hate me, you wouldn't have left me at the gate, leaving such a wonderful reception room."

"..."

"And for three hours. Isn't that right?"

As Cheon Myeong asked, Jong Seojun could not answer.

And Cheon Myeong's one word that drove the nail in.

It seemed that Cheon Myeong was planning to hear an answer from Jong Seojun no matter what.

"If not, I would appreciate it if you would give me a reasonable reason to refuse to meet me."

"..."

"Is there a reason?"

"...Then I will be honest."

Jong Seojun had not thought that Cheon Myeong would ask him so openly like this.

But perhaps this situation was what he had been hoping for.

Because he had wanted to look Cheon Myeong straight in the eye and say this once.

"As you said, I hate you, Young Master."

Jong Seojun said, looking straight into Cheon Myeong's two eyes.

It was not very common for a person to look someone straight in the eye and say that they hated them.

But for Jong Seojun, who was famous for being gentle within the Demonic Medical Hall, to be saying that.

Unless the opponent had committed a mortal sin, no one would think that Jong Seojun would say such a thing.

And Cheon Myeong had committed a mortal sin. At least to Jong Seojun.

'He's telling me he hates me so refreshingly.'

It seemed that this was the first time in his life that Cheon Myeong had been told that someone hated him in this way.

But rather, this was better.

If Jong Seojun spoke honestly, he would be able to think of a way to restore the relationship.

Now that he had opened the floodgates, it was time to hear the fundamental cause.

"Why do you hate me?"

"Because my son's life was ruined because of you, Young Master."

"My son...?"

What does this mean?

Hearing those words, he tried to recall the past memories, but he couldn't think of anything in particular.

He didn't even know that Jong Seojun had a son.

To think that he had ruined the life of a person he didn't even know existed, it seemed that there was some story.

"Could you tell me in more detail?"

Cheon Myeong asked, looking straight into Jong Seojun's eyes.

He had not said that sarcastically or with another meaning.

He had asked because he was really curious about what the circumstances were, but it seemed that it had sounded different to Jong Seojun.

'Is he saying that he doesn't care at all...'

That tone of Cheon Myeong, as if he knew nothing.

At the fact that his son's life had been ruined because of Cheon Myeong, but the person himself did not even know that fact, Jong Seojun felt a surge of anger.

Of course, although he had not talked about it until now and was bringing it up in front of Cheon Myeong for the first time.

But still, as a father, he couldn't help but be angry.

Creak-.

In the end, Jong Seojun got up from his seat.

When he recalled the events of that time, he could not control his emotions.

If he were to talk about this any further, he himself did not know what he would say to Cheon Myeong, so Jong Seojun refused to talk with Cheon Myeong himself.

"I don't want to talk about that anymore."

"..."

"I'm sorry, but I'll be going first. And... don't wait for me in front of the main gate like that again."

Saying that, Jong Seojun immediately disappeared from his sight.

Of course, Cheon Myeong could have asked Jong Seojun once more before he left the reception room.

But looking at his appearance, even if he had asked, it would have just gotten on Jong Seojun's bad side, and it didn't seem that a proper conversation would take place anymore.

'My son...?'

The only information he had heard until now was that, and it seemed that something had happened to that son because of him.

And that too, without Cheon Myeong himself knowing.

So Cheon Myeong couldn't help but be more frustrated.

'What on earth did this guy do in the past?'

To be suffering like this now because of something he didn't even remember.

If he could, Cheon Myeong wanted to ask the guy who had originally had this body.

What on earth had he done to not only not be able to repay the favor of the benefactor who had saved him from Qi Deviation, but also to have ruined his son's life?

Of course, even if he asked like this, the guy would not be able to answer. Because the things that were not in his memory now, the guy would also not have known.

Phew-.

Thinking so, Cheon Myeong could only sigh.

In the end, wasn't he the owner of this body now?

Even if the guy had made a mess that covered the entire Cheonsan in the past, it was he who had to clean it up.

"Baekjo."

"Peep?"

"The past me is really hopeless."

"Peep, peep-"

"..."

Not only in the past, but also sometimes now?

...What, you punk?

(End of Chapter)