Chapter 9
First Strange Tale
A Bolt from the Blue
The Queen Mother of the West, Seowangmo, was like a mother figure residing on Mount Kunlun in the Celestial Realm.
She was the head of all immortals, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that no one in the Celestial Realm was more revered than her.
Yet, Cheonyul now called Seowangmo “damned.”
It was hard to believe that Cheonyul, a being from the Celestial Realm, would speak in such a way.
But on the other hand, Siha and Suwon began to get a rough idea of how Cheonyul had ended up falling from the Celestial Realm to the Mortal Realm.
“Damned Seowangmo…” No wonder someone would get kicked out thinking like that.
Whether Cheonyul knew that the two of them were thinking this or not, he began to tell his story.
Cheonyul was originally a Thunder Beast (Leusu) born from storm clouds.
The one who created him was the Cloud Lord, Unjunggun, who, after creating Cheonyul, only gave him a name and then abandoned him.
Though he had the body of a mere beast, the fact that his creator was a god allowed Cheonyul to attain the status of a demigod.
As a child, Cheonyul drifted aimlessly in the skies but was fortunately taken in by immortals and grew up in the Celestial Realm.
The immortals treated Cheonyul with utmost care and taught him many things, allowing him to gain considerable skills.
By the time he matured, Cheonyul had mastered controlling thunder and lightning at will, the art of transformation into various forms, and many other miraculous mystical techniques.
Despite his versatile abilities, Cheonyul had one goal:
To surpass even spiritual creatures, become a god, and ascend to the position of Thunder God.
The immortals who raised Cheonyul, though he was just a spiritual beast, recognized his intelligence and demigod potential. They believed that with a bit more training, even if he couldn’t become a full god, he could reach the stage of a divine beast. They encouraged Cheonyul to train.
Following their guidance, Cheonyul completed 107 out of the 108 tasks required to become a god.
As he trained, his power steadily grew, and, as expected, he reached the level of a divine beast.
All that remained was the final task, which would allow him to become a complete god.
Cheonyul resolved to undertake this final training on Mount Kunlun.
To do so, he sought Seowangmo’s permission.
However, a problem arose along the way.
While ascending Mount Kunlun, Yeohwa, a novice attendant of Seowangmo, developed feelings for Cheonyul.
Yeohwa was a beautiful celestial maiden, more than a match for Cheonyul.
She gave him flowers and gifts, played the pipa for him, sang songs, and even offered him celestial peaches.
But despite Yeohwa’s courtship, Cheonyul showed little interest. Instead, he told her plainly,
“Are you crazy?”
Had he rejected her politely, she might have accepted it, but that blunt remark shocked Yeohwa so deeply that she fell ill, refusing food.
When Seowangmo learned that her cherished apprentice had secluded himself and could not leave his bed, she became extremely concerned.
She called Cheonyul in, wanting to hear the story herself.
Cheonyul’s teachers, worried upon hearing he had been summoned, hurried after him to Mount Kunlun.
Seeing Cheonyul arrive with the immortals in tow, Seowangmo, her face gentle but strict, asked,
“Why are you doing this to my cherished apprentice?”
“I was annoyed by him constantly following me around, so I reacted. But I want to ask—Yeohwa, why are you doing this to me?” Cheonyul replied casually.
Those attending Seowangmo, hearing his curt words, were outraged, calling him impudent and demanding she punish him.
But Seowangmo calmed them and asked again,
“Doesn’t the child adore you?”
Cheonyul scoffed, “If someone adores another, is it normal to act irrationally and inefficiently? That’s nonsense.”
Seowangmo sighed deeply, patiently explaining,
“That is love. The immortals behind you, worried for you, came without thinking of etiquette. That is love. Don’t you love the immortals who fed you, clothed you, and taught you knowledge?”
Cheonyul answered honestly,
“Yes, I am grateful, but I wouldn’t call it love.”
His teachers were shocked, gripping their necks in disbelief. Though they hadn’t expected anything in return, Cheonyul seemed utterly ungrateful.
Cheonyul seemed unaffected, scratching his temple,
“Still, I’ve never betrayed them. Even if I don’t love them, I fulfilled my duties. What’s the problem?”
Seowangmo, tapping the armrest thoughtfully, then asked,
“Why do you wish to become a Thunder God?”
Cheonyul replied matter-of-factly,
“If I become a god, I can rule the world and command respect. What better position is there?”
He continued, somewhat cockily,
“I am a demigod descended from Unjunggun. In this Celestial Realm, demigods are mocked as half-gods. I will become a complete god so no one can belittle me again.”
Seowangmo, disappointed not by his rejection of Yeohwa but by such a shallow answer, realized her expectations were unmet.
Yet Cheonyul looked confident, as if daring her to approve.
“Is that the life you want?”
“Of course. As a god, I can do anything. No one will ignore me, and I can freely move between the Celestial and Mortal Realms, enjoying life.”
Seowangmo interjected,
“But the Celestial Realm you live in is already wonderful. You face no turmoil, no pain, and you are cherished by the immortals. Others cannot even enter freely. Yet here you complain?”
Cheonyul replied,
“Immortals spend hundreds or thousands of years cultivating and then just sit in the Celestial Realm playing Go or reciting poems. That’s boring. I only seek pleasure. Even in suffering, I will pursue joy.”
Seowangmo sighed heavily.
“Listen. The position of Thunder God is not for pleasure. If you unleash thunder across the Mortal Realm as you please, forests may catch fire, lives may be lost. Those in high positions must care for the weak. Why do you not consider others?”
Cheonyul, confused, retorted,
“Have you ever cared for the weak? As a demigod, I was despised wherever I went. So I will gain power and no one will belittle me.”
Seowangmo, exasperated, declared loudly for all to hear,
“The final, 108th task you must complete is learning to give love. You must protect all beings with unyielding care. Yet you, Cheonyul, know not love and have no compassion for the weak.”
Cheonyul, finally realizing he had truly messed up, thought,
“This is serious…”
Seowangmo continued,
“Though you have completed 107 tasks, without love, you cannot become a Thunder God. You shall not set foot in the Celestial Realm again until you learn love!”
She stripped Cheonyul of the power he had accumulated and cast him out to the Mortal Realm, ordering him to start over after learning love.
Cheonyul cursed Seowangmo and plummeted helplessly to the Mortal Realm.
“…So that’s why I was cast out by Seowangmo, ended up in the Mortal Realm, and now have to redo all 108 tasks. That’s the gist of it.”
Suwon, quietly listening, asked for confirmation,
“You said you don’t know love?”
“Yes. The other 107 tasks I can manage again, but the 108th task is the problem. What’s so great about love anyway?”
“Hmm…”
“Besides, while training again in the Mortal Realm, I have no proper place to stay. Everything looks bleak.”
“Does Cheonyul truly wish to become a Thunder God?”
“Of course.”
“And what will you do once you become one?”
“I’ll live freely.”
“Freely?”
“I’ll show those who looked down on me as a demigod. The Celestial Realm imposes countless rules. The Mortal Realm is too chaotic for a demigod. So, if I become strong enough that no one can interfere with me, I’ll have freedom.”
