Chapter 13
But even patience has its limits, and even forgiveness has its degree.
Dakjae’s shameless attitude—acting like ignoring everything by pretending not to know was enough—made Bari’s already boiling anger explode even more. The rage she had built up because of Hae-an was now bursting in the wrong direction.
“Hey, Lee Dakjae. Do you think I’m a joke?”
“What?”
“You always ignore me whenever I say something, saying it’s none of my business. Do you even know how arrogant and disgusting your tone, face, and attitude look when you act like I shouldn’t interfere?”
Bari, finally releasing all her suppressed resentment, stood up and stormed toward Dakjae. Dakjae also stood up, biting his lip with a troubled expression.
“What kind of man has this many secrets? What were you in your past life? What is your real identity? Every time I ask, you ignore me or pretend not to know. Hey, you have zero consideration for someone you’re basically living with—!”
“Ugh!”
At that moment, Jomnye covered Bari’s mouth with both hands, stopping her sharp words.
When humans live long enough, sometimes their instincts become sharper than divine power.
At least Jomnye, who had lived decades with Dakjae, knew he was someone with a very wide sense of kindness. So she assumed there must be a kind reason behind his awkward silence.
“I know you’re upset after meeting your long-lost ex-husband, but control your temper. If your blood pressure goes up like this, you’ll end up in the hospital, you hot-tempered old Bari woman.”
Dakjae, having regained his composure, pinched Bari’s cheek hard and turned away. As he calmly walked out of the shaman house, Bari shouted after him.
“Look at him! That old man knows everything about my private life without me saying anything, so why am I the only one who knows nothing about him?!”
Ignoring her childish shouting, Dakjae smiled bitterly.
‘If I could, I would too. I want to tell you everything without hiding anything.’
He closed his eyes tightly.
What he truly was from the beginning, what his real face was—he wanted to tell Bari more than anyone else.
But he couldn’t.
Meanwhile
In the middle of a majestic royal palace stood a golden shining pavilion. At dawn, the Jade Emperor stood in front of it, looking down at a quiet pond with a strange smile.
His white robe, embroidered with peach blossom patterns of the Peach Blossom Land, fluttered in the wind.
At that moment, Samsin, the goddess of the Western Heaven, approached him like the wind and clicked her tongue.
“Lord of Heaven. Is it really fun to torment children like that?”
The Jade Emperor, who had been staring at the pond, turned his head.
“Of course it’s fun. Come here and look.”
Smiling calmly, he pulled Samsin closer and pointed at the pond below. Samsin reluctantly followed him, then sighed deeply.
The mischievous Jade Emperor was repeatedly replaying the scene of Bari and Hae-an’s first meeting at the police station.
“What are you planning? Are you bored of eternal life and gone mad?”
“I am only opening the path. So that Princess Bari and Mu Jang-seung can finish the bond they failed to complete in their past lives.”
“Lord of Heaven!”
“Quiet.”
Covering his ears, the Jade Emperor pulled Samsin’s sleeve.
“Since we are here, let’s go down and see them.”
They plunged into the pond and descended to the human world.
They landed in Hae-an’s bedroom. Looking around the dark room, the Jade Emperor placed his hand on Hae-an’s sweating forehead.
“What are you trying to do now?!”
Samsin quickly blocked him with her arms.
The Jade Emperor smiled meaningfully.
“I am the creator. I do not harm my creations. Rest easy.”
Even Samsin, a high-ranking deity, knew the rules of heaven. She stepped back reluctantly.
The Jade Emperor again touched Hae-an’s forehead.
“It’s been a long time, Mu Jang-seung.”
The atmosphere instantly changed.
“No… Fire God, Hwadeokjin-gun.”
Samsin closed her eyes tightly, as if she had expected this.
The true identity of Mu Jang-seung, the gatekeeper of the underworld, was Hwadeokjin-gun, the god of fire.
Even Bari did not know this truth.
“I gave you countless chances across many lifetimes, yet you betrayed my kindness, foolish one.”
The Jade Emperor’s anger rose.
“Bari was my daughter. My most precious youngest daughter among the seven celestial maidens.”
Blue divine energy spread from his hand.
“And yet you dared to awaken love in her, who existed only to serve me.”
He opened Hae-an’s spiritual gate and entered his dream with Samsin.
In the dream
Hae-an saw himself as a third person, watching the past.
A grand divine court stretched endlessly.
Gods stood in rows. Samsin also sat among the highest-ranking gods.
At the highest seat sat the Jade Emperor, staring down coldly.
“Fire God, Hwadeokjin-gun, speak your crimes.”
But Hwadeokjin-gun only smiled calmly, even while bound.
“I have no crimes to confess.”
“Then I will speak them for you!”
The Jade Emperor’s voice thundered.
“You forgot your place and loved the daughter of heaven who belonged to me!”
“You broke divine order!”
“I sentenced you to 500 years of execution, yet after your punishment ended, you fled with my youngest daughter to Samsin’s western lands!”
His voice shook the heavens.
“You burned my Peach Blossom Land! You tied the red thread of fate without permission! You destroyed the realms of gods who opposed you!”
“Countless lives were lost because of you!”
“Is this not a crime?!”
Hae-an, overwhelmed by fear, felt as if he was becoming Hwadeokjin-gun himself.
“Beg for forgiveness!”
But Hwadeokjin-gun calmly replied:
“I will not.”
“Why not?!”
“Because I did nothing wrong.”
“I only loved her.”
Love among gods was absolute, blind, and unreasonably stubborn.
Unable to forgive him, the Jade Emperor called the war god Chiwoo.
A sword was placed at Hwadeokjin-gun’s neck.
Then the decree fell:
“I erase all memories of Hwadeokjin-gun. He will be reborn as Mu Jang-seung, forever repeating tragic fate with my daughter.”
A cruel punishment—eternal love that could never be fulfilled.
Hwadeokjin-gun smiled bitterly as the sword fell.
At that moment, a woman rushed in and hugged him desperately.
It was Bari’s past life—the youngest celestial maiden, the Jade Emperor’s daughter.
“I’m sorry…”
Hwadeokjin-gun whispered:
“Please… in your next life… run away from me forever.”
“Don’t go… don’t leave me!”
His body shattered into light.
Back to reality
“Haaah…!”
Hae-an gasped, waking up from the dream.
He was in a hospital room.
Kang-ho leaned over him in panic.
“Senior! Are you okay?!”
Hae-an blinked slowly, trying to understand where he was.
“…Ah.”
This was a university hospital room.
