novelraw Chapter 2 : Heavenly Demon Pawnshop
Chapter 2 : Heavenly Demon Pawnshop
Chapter 2: Heavenly Demon Pawnshop
Turtle Breath Technique.
This technique, said to be used by assassins when hiding, had the effect of lowering bodily functions—including body temperature, breathing, and heartbeat—to the extreme.
The Ninth Heavenly Demon, Cheon Bigang, activated the Turtle Breath Technique the moment he was sealed in ice, restricting his bodily activity.
In a state no different from a corpse.
He turned his skin like tree bark to preserve moisture within his body and slowly circulated the internal energy condensed in his dantian to sustain his life.
Waiting for the restraining technique that bound his entire body to be undone.
---
Even after being sealed in ice, Cheon Bigang occasionally heard sounds transmitted in faint vibrations.
At first, he heard conversations of people—perhaps fishermen.
Though unclear, they seemed to be the ones who had retrieved him from beneath the lake.
‘The one who frees me shall be rewarded with gold and treasures.’
However, what he expected never came to pass.
Time flowed.
As if drifting in a light sleep, Cheon Bigang listened to the outside world with a hazy mind.
At some point, more and more people began praying before him.
Prayers asking for victory in wars yet to come.
‘If you release me now, I shall lead that war to victory.’
Though he vowed this inwardly, no such thing happened.
Time passed again.
Over an immeasurable stretch of years, Cheon Bigang heard prayers, despair, and joy.
Wars broke out several times, and with each one, the accents of the people changed.
As the waiting grew tedious, his temper worsened.
‘What are those fools of the Divine Cult doing? When I am here! These insolent wretches!’
If he were freed now, he would beat to death the Cult Leader who claimed to lead the Divine Cult.
With simmering anger, Cheon Bigang made his vow.
Time continued to pass.
An immeasurable span of years flowed by again and again.
Even his transcendent body gradually weakened.
The Eight Extraordinary Meridians, once flowing like a great river with internal energy, thinned as if struck by drought and eventually became blocked. The immense power he had accumulated was slowly consumed to sustain his life, now flickering like a dying lamp.
Cheon Bigang thought,
‘At worst… I may never awaken like this.’
He did not fear death, but his rage at failing to kill his enemy, Shin Yawol, remained.
No—over time, that rage only grew stronger.
Feeling the shadow of death creeping closer, he made another vow.
‘If someone appears to aid me, then it must be the will of the heavens. This time, I will grant that person one wish, whatever it may be.’
With that thought, he focused on the sounds outside.
The opportunity would come.
It must.
As countless emotions of humanity intersected, a full thousand years passed since Cheon Bigang had been sealed.
---
Heavenly Demon Pawnshop.
Breaking the quiet of a weekday afternoon, a customer entered.
A middle-aged office worker in a shabby suit, embodying the exhaustion of modern life.
As if familiar with pawnshops, he paid no attention to the sculptures on the waiting room shelves or the bronze statues against the wall.
Passing bizarre masks of unknown origin, jade-carved carp, porcelain wares, foreign blades, and even a nude painting on the wall, he arrived at the reception window secured with iron bars.
Given the nature of pawnshops dealing in cash, a considerable amount of money must be stored behind those bars.
The man unconsciously licked his lips and called out to the twelve-year-old boy who was watching stock charts behind the bars.
“Hey, Boss Gyo. I’m here. Listen to me for a second. I’ve got something amazing today. Seriously, even I was shocked.”
“Mr. Jang. What kind of scam are you trying to pull today?”
“A scam? That hurts. This one’s real. Totally real.”
Slide.
Mr. Jang placed an old MicroSD card into the slot beneath the bars.
The owner of the Heavenly Demon Pawnshop, Gyojin, asked with a dubious expression,
“Data?”
“Yeah. Got it from a friend of a friend. Don’t be surprised? This is that legendary Heavenly Demon Art that nearly killed the emperor! Keep it quiet. If you convert it to money, it’s worth at least 10 billion—no, over 100 billion. Every martial artist would go crazy to have it.”
As he whispered ‘Heavenly Demon Art,’ a large Buddha statue behind Gyojin subtly trembled.
Neither noticed.
“Well… hmm.”
Gyojin casually inserted the card into a reader and checked the data.
Beep.
It took less than a second.
He turned the monitor toward Mr. Jang.
It displayed results from
[Analysis Result]
[Confirmed as Heavenly Demon Art Ver.0.3.1]
[Author Unknown]
[An unidentified martial art circulated on the dark web five months ago. Causes arrhythmia and abnormal blood flow during illegal training, leading to strokes and heart attacks. Confirmed victims: approximately 410.]
[Handling: Delete Recommended.]
As if expecting this, the boy made a circle with his fingers and placed it over his eye.
“Worth zero.”
“Damn it! I knew it was too easy to get!”
“Mr. Jang, maybe stop going to casinos and try the arcade next door instead?”
“No thanks! A man should go big! Make it in one shot! Your arcade only gives small change.”
“You don’t even have capital left.”
“Who says I don’t!”
Thud!
Mr. Jang placed a fountain pen on the tray.
A Montblanc limited edition, worth about 800,000 won on the secondhand market.
Gyojin pulled the tray, exchanged cash for the pen.
“500,000 won. Interest is 5%, so 25,000. Next time, 525,000.”
“Come on, Boss Gyo! That’s barely two games! Add just 300,000 more, yeah?”
“No.”
Thud!
Gyojin shut the window.
A wise move to cut off endless whining.
“Cheap bastard!”
“Come again.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Mr. Jang counted the bills eagerly and left.
Ding.
The doorbell rang again.
A new customer entered.
Gyojin checked the CCTV.
A man with his face hidden under a hood.
A scabbard peeked from beneath his cloak as he walked.
‘A martial artist…’
Gyojin reached beneath the counter and grabbed a shotgun.
He aimed it at the front and disengaged the safety.
Step. Step.
The man stopped right in front.
“Welcome.”
“……”
The man remained silent.
Gyojin slid a form forward.
“First time? Please write your name, contact, and address.”
“Heh.”
Tick.
The man placed an item on the tray.
A single upright shell casing.
Its surface worn smooth from handling.
Gyojin responded professionally.
“…I’m sorry, but we don’t handle this kind of item. Do you have something else? Since it’s your first visit, I can offer a good price.”
“Kid.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know what this is?”
“A shell casing.”
“Correct. And you know what it’s used for. Also, I didn’t come to borrow money. I came to return what I received.”
“…Did you come to the wrong place?”
“No. This is the place.”
“……”
Gyojin’s hand holding the shotgun grew damp with sweat.
If anything happened, he would shoot the man’s thigh full of pellets.
But against a martial artist, he held no advantage.
“First—”
The man slowly pulled back his hood.
Under the fluorescent light, a scarred face appeared.
“Kid, not sure if you’ve heard of me. I’m Scatter Blood Demon, Sa Gyeom. Five years ago, your father slaughtered my brothers. This scar—his gift. So I came to return the favor. With interest.”
“……!”
Gyojin froze.
Scatter Blood Demon—a murderer who left victims butchered beyond recognition.
A wanted criminal who had killed eight civilians.
‘Revenge…!’
Click.
Gyojin pressed the emergency button.
But it didn’t call the police—it contacted the Hao Clan.
Sa Gyeom bent down and whispered,
“Calling for help? Too late.”
Ping.
He flicked the shell casing.
Ting.
Tear gas powder burst out, covering Gyojin’s face.
At the same time—
BOOM!
The shotgun fired.
Sa Gyeom staggered, his thigh bleeding—but not critically.
“You brat!”
“Cough! Cough!”
Gyojin reloaded through tears.
Sa Gyeom leaned against the door.
“Kid, I heard your parents disappeared a year ago?”
He attached a magnetic bomb.
“…Maybe they died in the Zhengzhou Incident.”
BOOM!
The shot hit the door instead.
Beep.
The hinge melted under thermite.
The door opened.
Gyojin dropped a shell in shock.
Thud!
Sa Gyeom rushed in and kicked him.
“Urgh!”
Gyojin crashed into the wall.
Clang.
A blade pressed against his cheek.
“Or maybe your father tried to kill the emperor, like that Shin Yawol.”
The blade moved to his forehead.
“He probably got torn apart in the end.”
Stab.
A shallow cut.
Blood ran down.
Sa Gyeom grinned.
“Let’s start with those eyes—”
At that moment—
BOOM!
The Buddha statue exploded.
A skeletal arm shot out and grabbed his neck.
Crack.
“……!”
“Shin. Yawol!”
A monstrous figure burst out.
Cheon Bigang.
The man sealed for a thousand years.
The moment the name Shin Yawol was spoken, the sleeping dragon awakened.
He dragged Sa Gyeom close.
“Where is Shin Yawol!”
“D-Die!”
Stab.
The blade struck—
but felt like rubber.
Cheon Bigang lifted him.
Crack.
“Ghk—!”
The blade fell.
Sa Gyeom trembled in terror.
“Spare—ghk!”
He fainted, wetting himself.
“…Pathetic.”
Cheon Bigang tossed him aside like trash.
Gyojin immediately prostrated.
“G-Great Grandmaster!”
“…?”
Great Grandmaster?
Then this place was—
Cheon Bigang scanned the room—
and his eyes widened.
“Master!”