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Chapter 113: The Woman of the Flower
Aldrian was stunned as he recalled all those visions where many people regarded him as their leader. He remembered that one of those voices matched the woman’s voice before him. Could she be connected to his past reincarnation? Among all the memories and visions, one of the most vivid was when he treated like an emperor or sovereign. People revered, adored, and even worshipped him. Was she someone from that time? He set the thought aside, feeling confused.
"Who are you, miss? Why are you here when this is supposed to be the Heavenly Demon’s domain?" Aldrian asked.
The woman lifted her head and gave him a warm smile. Her sharp eyes and small lips added a unique charm to her features.
"This is both my husband’s and my domain, so it’s only natural for me to be here."
Aldrian nodded in understanding, but then something clicked in his mind. His eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, you’re the wife of the Heavenly Demon?! What?!" He was astonished, having believed the Heavenly Demon to live a reclusive life, detached from worldly desires. But now, this woman in front of him was claiming to be his wife? He tried to probe deeper into her identity, but the results were the same as when he tried to understand the Heavenly Demon—nothing.
The woman giggled at Aldrian’s shocked expression, but behind that laughter, a flicker of sadness briefly crossed her eyes before disappearing, too quickly for Aldrian to notice.
"You don’t need to be shocked. My husband is still a being with his own characteristics and personality. He has desires, just like any human," she said, her voice full of admiration and affection.
"Because this is the scripture that my husband and I wrote together. I contributed my knowledge to it, ensuring that the next generation could carry on our legacy," she explained.
Aldrian felt enlightened by this revelation, realizing that another person had helped create the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture.
"If the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture was a joint effort between the Heavenly Demon and his wife, then did the Heavenly Demon’s Black Dragon Scripture was also a joint effort between the Black Dragon and him?" he wondered. But that was as far as his curiosity went; he wasn’t interested in the Black Dragon Scripture. He was here for his own reasons—his interest in the Being’s essence.
"If you want your legacy to continue, why make such a difficult scripture to pass on? I mean, with all that stuff about fate bearers and whatnot," Aldrian asked.
"We didn’t intend for it to be that way," she explained. "It’s because everything my husband creates carries his karma, which imposes a heavy burden on anyone who uses or comprehends it. It’s like the universe’s balancing system, keeping the order intact."
"In fact, everything a ’higher being’ leaves for their successors comes with this kind of burden. It varies based on the extent of their role and karma in the universe," she added.
Aldrian finally understood the reason behind the puzzle that had been stuck in his mind.
"So the universe itself intervenes. It makes sense now—anything created by a higher being would have immense power, and the Heavenly Demon’s creations are no exception. That’s why only those capable of bearing the responsibility are allowed, and deemed worthy enough, to wield such power." He thought, then asked his next question.
"Then why don’t I bear the Heavenly Demon’s name destiny?"
"What if I told you that you bear a greater destiny than my husband? I can’t tell you the details, but you’ll find out in time. It’s not good for you to know right now," she replied.
Aldrian was shocked by her answer. He had a greater destiny than the Heavenly Demon? Now he truly wondered what kind of person he was, to hold a fate greater than one of the strongest experts of ancient times, whose legend still echoed to this day.
He at least now understood why the ’thing’ he felt trying to reach him after comprehending the Heavenly Demon’s Scripture dissipated when it touched him. The greater destiny he carried would reject anything that could interfere with it.
He looked down at his hands, feeling lost and uncertain. His past seemed complicated, and with all the hints and directions he had followed, he could sense the immense burden on his shoulders. He glanced at the woman’s red eyes, noticing the same pattern he had seen in both the Heavenly Demon and Baek Ji-Min. With a sigh, he realized he could only take things one step at a time.
"Do you know why I was drawn to the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture?" he asked.
The woman, who hadn’t disturbed his train of thought, pointed at him.
"You want to understand the ’truth’—or more specifically, your truth, right? You want to visit that place—your Being’s essence."
Aldrian was silent for a moment before nodding. In truth, he wanted to learn how to access his Being’s essence, but he knew that by understanding and embracing his own truth, he would achieve the same result.
"As I wrote in the scripture, you must come to know your true self and fully immerse in it—or, to put it simply, you must embrace it," she said.
"How am I supposed to know my truth or my true self if I don’t even know what my truth is? If I knew how to immerse myself in it and understand my true self, I wouldn’t need to be here trying to comprehend the Being’s essence," Aldrian replied, frustration creeping into his voice.
"Who told you that you don’t know your true self? You already know yourself, even if it’s only a very small part of it. You can immerse in that and embrace it. Isn’t that why you were able to visit your Being’s essence?" the woman said.
Aldrian felt confused, but he tried to understand her words. He had already embraced and known a part of his true self without realizing it. Even though it wasn’t his entire true self, it was still connected to his Being’s essence. He pondered this for a few moments, then suddenly slapped his forehead as he remembered something.
Stretching out his hand, he focused on releasing his golden energy. He wasn’t sure if he could summon it here, but he decided to try—and he succeeded. The golden energy enveloped his hand, and he gazed at it with a complicated expression. The woman briefly glanced at the energy with glittering eyes, but only for a split second before returning to her usual composure.
"How could I forget! The golden energy is a part of me, and without realizing it, I always thought it was an external power that somehow slipped into my body. I never once considered it my own. Deep inside, I’ve always wondered about its origin, and never once considered that I was its owner. When I saw that ’thing,’ I felt nothing but rage after fear, and in that moment, I couldn’t think clearly. I just embraced all my power and became one with it to suppress the fear in my heart," he thought.
"If this golden energy is really part of my true self, and I’m the bearer of a greater destiny than the Heavenly Demon, then who am I? If all those memories are from my reincarnations, which one is the real me?" he wondered, feeling like he had taken a small but significant step closer to understanding his true self, even if it was just the beginning.
Aldrian had already begun to embrace a small part of himself, trying to piece together the puzzle of his true identity. Now, he felt himself picking up the pieces, each one slowly forming a larger picture. Suddenly, an epiphany struck him.
"You must embrace your true self first before you can solve this puzzle. Only by becoming one with it can you truly understand," he realized.
"I’m sorry, but it seems we must end our conversation here," the woman’s voice broke through his thoughts, waking him from his contemplation. "Our time is almost up."
He then looked at the woman with gratitude, cupped his hands in respect, and even gave a slight bow. The woman nearly moved to stop him but restrained herself.
"Thank you for the epiphany. It’s been truly helpful, and now I know what I must do and where my path lies. I wish we could talk longer, but I’ve already taken up too much of your time," he said sincerely.
The woman simply nodded with a smile before offering her parting words.
"I believe you will find your true self, and when you do, I hope you’ll discover your answers. And also don’t blame yourself when you reach the end of the road. May glory always follow you wherever you go."
Aldrian nodded in return as his figure dissolved into particles of light. Once he was completely gone, the woman stared at the empty space where he had stood. Then, lowering her head, she bowed deeply towards the emptiness.
"Your Majesty."
