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Prince Nata went to find the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

For Jeong Gyeoul, it was a relief that she didn’t have to search this vast Realm of Immortals herself.

Of course, even if she wanted to, she couldn’t just go around searching.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

She planned to faithfully perform her role as Philmaon and cater to the whims of the immortals.

‘Absolutely not scared. Really.’

A step back for a leap forward.

Consoling herself that it was a necessary tactical retreat, she went to work at the stable again today.

[Why is the stable keeper so late! Bring out a horse immediately!]

‘Sigh…’

As soon as she arrived, the strong aroma of a troublesome customer made her sigh involuntarily.

Just as the male immortal was about to frown at her sigh.

“I’m on it!”

Jeong Gyeoul moved swiftly.

She didn’t forget to retrieve the male immortal’s identity badge.

Holding the identity badge, she opened the stable door, and the immortal’s horse was waiting.

It was a cutting-edge dimension equipped with high-tech automation systems.

Wondering what this so-called “spiritual power” was that made such unbelievable sci-fi possible, she opened the stable door.

“What the f…”

But the mount assigned to this male immortal was…

“There’s nothing here, you jerk.”

Bastard, scoundrel, troublemaker.

She muttered curses under her breath, quiet enough for the immortal not to hear, and stepped out of the stable.

[Where did you leave my horse and come out alone!]

She wanted to unleash a torrent of curses but held back and responded with a smile.

“Um, there’s no horse assigned to you, sir.”

[That’s impossible! It must be your mistake! I’ll report you to the Jade Emperor and have you thrown into the boiling hell…]

“I was just about to check the records of my predecessors. There’s a saying that you should listen to Koreans till the end, but I guess it hasn’t reached the celestial realm. Hahaha.”

The veins on his neck were bulging.

His forehead was deeply furrowed.

His face was turning red.

She even heard the sound of his teeth grinding after he finished speaking.

Yet, Jeong Gyeoul endured.

She had acquired a transcendent level of patience in the celestial realm, something even transcendence-level beings couldn’t achieve.

She took the male immortal’s identity badge and opened the stable door again.

And there was nothing.

Even though this troublemaker was an immortal.

She figured he wouldn’t try to force her to produce a horse that didn’t exist.

She began reading the records of the previous Philmaon, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

Since time didn’t pass inside the stable, she could avoid the troublemaker’s nagging.

“…If I just train like crazy here, couldn’t I flip the celestial realm on my own?”

For a moment, she had a wild thought, but she had no idea how long it would take.

Even if time stopped while she was inside, her own time would still pass.

If she returned after finishing her work in the celestial realm and was older than Jeong Ha-yul, how awkward would that be?

‘…Actually, that might not be so bad.’

But she had no intention of doing it.

The biggest reason was that she couldn’t endure hunger.

Jeong Gyeoul was already getting side-eyed for eating too much.

If she tried to stockpile enough food to last several years, the immortals might catch on to her scheme.

She almost teared up at the shocking reality that she’d be criticized for eating too much.

But she held back and reopened the Great Sage’s journal.

“What’s this guy’s name?”

She took out the identity badge she had received earlier and read it.

It only said “34th Disciple of the Moon God.”

No proper name was written.

‘A nobody…’

He wasn’t part of the 36 Heavens.

Nor was he part of the Three Pure Ones.

He didn’t belong to any celestial organization she knew of.

To put it in modern terms, it was like a foreign worker suddenly barging into the airport demanding a private jet.

Just in case, she checked the Great Sage’s journal.

But the only record was that the Moon God had come asking for a horse and was turned away.

It was a huge misconception to think that only divine spirits or immortals would visit the stable.

34th Disciple.

A nobody without a name in the celestial realm.

The sound of her patience hitting rock bottom was almost audible.

She quietly closed the book and headed out of the stable.

[You’re empty-handed again! You really need to be taught a lesson…]

“Want to die?”

[…?]

Though Jeong Gyeoul also didn’t have a name in the celestial realm.

At least she had the position of Philmaon.

That guy was just the ambiguous 34th Disciple.

Instinctively, she was sure she could mess with him without any consequences.

[Wh-what kind of attitude is that! Boiling hell won’t be enough for you! You’ll need to experience the Mountain Hell and the Frozen Hell to learn your lesson…]

“Where does a nameless, positionless 34th Disciple like you get off causing trouble in the celestial stable? How about you go to hell? Oh, not the kind where you tattle to the Jade Emperor.”

She broke his wrists and ankles, and for the finale, snapped his neck vertebrae with a satisfying crunch.

The sound was extra satisfying after all the patience she’d exercised.

“The hell I’ve created will be poison to you, melting your heart.”

Jeong Gyeoul hummed a melody as she approached the 34th Disciple.

[I seem to have urgent business, I’ll be going now…]

“You came as you pleased, but you won’t leave as you please.”

Kwaaaang—

***

Denggi-deok, kung-deoreoreo, kunggi-deok, kung-deoreoreo.

She beat the 34th Disciple to the rhythm of traditional Korean drumming.

It felt like the stress from the celestial realm was melting away.

Indeed, K-rhythm is the best.

[Is Philmaon here?]

“Yes! I’m coming!”

Perhaps because she had relieved her stress, her voice sounded brighter.

She felt like she could endure a few more troublemakers.

Especially since the next one was a beautiful goddess.

Unlike the 34th Disciple, she didn’t pull any rank, showing her excellent character.

…Or should it be divine character?

[Bring out a horse.]

Using informal speech isn’t really pulling rank.

She’s lived hundreds, maybe thousands of times longer than me, so it’s just respecting elders…

“You must be tired from your journey. Why don’t you relax with a massage while you wait? I’ll be right back!”

She didn’t know who he was, but his impressive long beard suggested he was someone important.

‘It’s a full-service bloodletting!’

Using telekinesis, she even gave him a premium massage.

It’s absolutely not because she was scared of the repercussions after beating up the 34th Disciple.

She had heard that the Moon God, a divine spirit, only returned to the celestial realm once every few hundred years.

Anyway, she wasn’t scared.

Really.

[…?]

Whether he was flustered or not, she took his identity badge and opened the stable.

Her hunch was right.

A horse even more magnificent than the one Prince Nata had ridden was waiting.

Neighhh—

It seemed excited for its first outing in a while.

Excited? Lucky.

Taking the opportunity while inside the stable, she checked the identity badge.

Yaojinmo, Wangmonanglang, Guryeongtaemyogwisan Geummo.

Owner of the Western Kunlun, owner of the Pandao Garden.

And so on, and so on.

It went on endlessly.

There was no need to figure out whose identity badge this was.

‘…The Queen Mother of the West!’

The owner of the peaches Sun Wukong stole.

She was one of the top three deities Jeong Gyeoul didn’t want to mess with.

She managed her expression and brought out the horse, then crouched in a corner.

‘Don’t get noticed, don’t get noticed, don’t get noticed…’

[Come here.]

Shouldn’t have…

Was it because of the full-service bloodletting and telekinetic massage?

Or was it because she was too submissive? Should she have acted more cheeky like Sun Wukong?

Maybe she should have opened her eyes wider.

All sorts of thoughts raced through her mind.

Among them was the thought, why was she even scared of the Queen Mother of the West?

She hadn’t even met Sun Wukong yet to plan a celestial realm upheaval.

The only wrong she’d done since coming to the celestial realm was beating up the 34th Disciple.

That’s just kids fighting while growing up, so they’d probably let it slide.

It seemed like he came without knowing anyway.

Finally, she could stand tall.

With a “Bring it on!” attitude, she stood before the Queen Mother of the West.

[I have a gift for you.]

“…Huh?”

Out of nowhere, what gift?

In her past life, current life, the middle realm, and the demon realm.

Among the so-called gifts she’d been given, there were plenty of big deceptions, so she was naturally suspicious.

[I bestow upon you the peaches of the Pandao Garden.]

Of course.

Thanks to Cha Seo-rin, she already knew all the secrets of the peaches.

What kind of gift are greenhouse peaches mass-produced due to advanced celestial farming?

She wouldn’t eat that even if given.

[Hehe, it’s not at the level the Great Sage Equal to Heaven ate, but it’s not one of those fake ones going around these days.]

Seeing her indifferent expression, the Queen Mother of the West vouched for the quality.

Even…

[At your level… you might even gain spiritual power.]

The power immortals wield, spiritual power, might awaken in her.

‘….’

This is why goddesses are called goddesses.

Kind, generous, altruistic, and benevolent.

Even when the foolish Sun Wukong stole her peaches, she forgave him.

Blaming herself for briefly doubting the goddess, she bowed at a 130-degree angle.

“Thank you, Goddess!”

 

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