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Chapter 75
At Seol Yo's words, Jeok Soya sniffed the air experimentally.
Beneath the thick aroma of herbal medicine, she detected a sharp, acrid scent.
"This is the smell of the Northern Lands?"
"Yes! It's the scent of a Calamity Beast from the Northern Lands!"
At Seol Yo's innocent answer, Jeok Soya's eyes widened perfectly round.
'A Calamity Beast...!'
Father's words echoed in her mind—that someone with malicious intent had deliberately spread the plague ravaging the village. ‌‌‌
'That person, no—that Calamity ‌‌‌Beast spread the plague with wicked intent.'
Jeok Soya recalled her encounter with a Calamity Beast from the ‌‌‌Northern Lands three years ago during the Mountain Lord Festival.
Hondon, one of the Four Calamities.
He was extraordinarily powerful—so ‌formidable that even Hyun Rabaek, transformed into a massive ‌‌tiger, could not overcome him.
'We only managed to defeat him then with Baekho's aid....'
Jeok Soya glanced down at the Baekho Blade hanging at her waist.
'I must inform Father and prevent that Calamity Beast from committing further atrocities.'
Jeok Soya called for Jjak Jjak and whispered something to the creature.
Soon after, Jjak Jjak nodded ‌‌vigorously and soared ‌‌‌into the air.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Calamity Beast bearing ‌‌‌‌the scent of the Northern Lands that Seol Yo had detected was none other than Gunggi.
One of the Four Calamities, he was currently executing orders from Hyun Rabaek, the Northern Lord.
Three years prior, his master had sent a scarecrow puppet extracted from his own spiritual core to Baek Ho Palace to investigate Hondon's death, but it had suffered a devastating counterattack and left him ‌‍incapacitated for some time.
In truth, it was Tae Irim who had destroyed those puppets, but the ignorant Hyun Rabaek believed it was Baek Sayeon's doing.
After recovering his strength ‌‌‌some time later, Hyun Rabaek issued a command to Gunggi, the sole Calamity Beast who had once managed to wound Baek Sayeon in the past.
Lure Baek Sayeon outside Baek Ho Palace and eliminate him.
Gunggi had deliberately left traces of his presence at the boundary where the Western Lands and the Central ‌‌‌Region's outskirts met.
'I've ‌‌‌succeeded in luring Baek Sayeon ‌‌‌outside Baek Ho Palace according to plan, but....'
He had once faced Baek Sayeon in a war long ago.
Driven by ambition ‌‌to sever that Western ‌‌tiger's head and ‌‌present it to his master, he had fought desperately—nearly falling to the man's blade.
Only by releasing his poison insects had he barely managed to escape that encounter alive.
'A relentless opponent, that one.'
The moment the poison insects bit him, Baek Sayeon had carved away the corrupted flesh and continued his assault—a figure as terrifying as a War God risen from the depths of the underworld.
Had the demonic poison that belatedly reached his spiritual core not paralyzed him, escape would have been impossible.
'If I face him directly as I did then, I'll surely meet a dog's death again.'
Though he had successfully lured Baek Sayeon this far, the memory of that ‌‌god-like warrior made reckless action impossible.
'Fortunately, tonight the fog obscures the moon.'
His poison ‌‌insects ‌‌were susceptible to ‌‌even the faintest light.
Thus, even in densely forested mountains, they could not fully escape the sunlight and remained hidden underground, ‌‌‌only infiltrating ‌‌‌the fingertips of those gathering wild herbs.
Moonlight affected the poison insects just as sunlight did.
But if tonight's fog would only veil the moon—if it would only obscure that brilliant lunar ‌‌glow— ‌‌‌
'Then I have a chance at victory.' ‌
So if I can just buy time until then....
"Hello there, mister."
At the sudden voice, Gunggi startled and spun ‌‌‌‌‌around.
A small girl with hair as white as snowflakes was smiling brightly at me.
'This child....'
She was the daughter Baek Sayeon had brought with him.
'Perfect. If I use the child, I ‌‌‌can bind Baek Sayeon hand and foot.'
Gunggi gazed at Jeok Soya, dark schemes already forming in his mind.
Suddenly, Jeok Soya sniffed the air.
"What, what ‌‌are you doing?"
"Oh, so that's it."
As I stared in bewilderment, Jeok Soya simply smiled as if nothing had happened and murmured to herself.
"Say, mister. ‌‌‌Have you seen my father?"
"Your father, you say...."
"Baek Sayeon, the head of the Baekho Family, is my father. I miss him so much—will you help me find my father, mister?"
Gunggi looked at the child speaking to me with bright, clear eyes.
Then he smiled generously and extended his hand to the girl.
"Of course, child. ‌‌‌‌I'll take you to your father."
"Wow, thank you so much!"
The child beamed and grasped my hand.
All his scheming about how to lure away Baek Sayeon's daughter proved unnecessary—things unfolded far too easily.
There wasn't even a single guard in sight.
"A plague that corrupts people's spiritual cores ‌sounds so scary."
Gunggi watched the innocent child prattle on, oblivious to his dark intentions, and laughed sinisterly to himself.
'Hehe, excellent. I'll lure this ‌‌child to a remote place, take her hostage, and use her against Baek Sayeon....'
Just as he was leading the child deeper into the isolated mountain path, Jeok ‌‌Soya suddenly cried out.
"Oh! Mister, look over there! Come this way!"
"Wait, that's not the right direction...."
"Huh? Did ‌‌you see that? There was a rabbit over there!"
The child immediately dashed off on her own.
'Damn it. This is why I hate dealing with children.'
Gunggi chased after Jeok Soya, sweat pouring down his face.
'How does something so tiny have this much stamina?'
Jeok Soya bounded up the steep incline without the slightest effort.
Like a squirrel... no, far smaller and lighter than a squirrel—yes, just like a baby bird....
'What? Where did she go?'
As Gunggi chased after ‌‌‍‌Jeok Soya, he suddenly ‌‌‌lost ‌‌‌‌sight of the child at a dead end and looked around frantically.
"Seol Yo, now!"
"Grrrrrowwwl...!"
As Seol Yo in the form of a massive wolf lunged at Gunggi, Jeok Soya transformed with a 'pop!' into a small bird and soared into ‌‌‌‌‌the air.
"Screee, screee!"
Jeok Soya cried out, flapping her wings vigorously through the air as though calling to someone.
"Ugh, this... what ‌‌is this...!"
Gunggi, pinned beneath Seol Yo, thrashed desperately to push him off.
And in that moment. ‌‌‌‌
A sharp whistle—
The sound of wind being cleaved, and a broad robe fluttered dramatically.
"Chirp!"
Jeok Soya flew toward the man who appeared with white, lustrous hair streaming behind him.
"Cotton puff, you."
It was none other than Sayeon.
Just moments before, Sayeon had been investigating the ‌‌‌mountain with his attendants.
But Jjak Jjak, ‌‌who appeared suddenly, had seized Sayeon's collar with his beak and pulled him along.
Recognizing that the bird was Jeok Soya's small lark companion, Sayeon had rushed here like an arrow upon hearing her cries echoing across the entire mountain.
He had run so swiftly that Jjak Jjak was still panting as he chased after him.
"You're not in the village—why are you here...!"
"Chirp! Chirp! (Father, that man ‌‌‌‌‌is a Calamity Beast! Seol Yo said he smells like the Northern Lands!)"
"What?"
Sayeon turned to look at where Jeok Soya was pointing.
"Gah, ugh... Damn...!"
Gunggi pushed himself up, and the recoil sent Seol Yo sprawling backward.
"Seol Yo!"
Jeok Soya quickly released her beastkin transformation and rushed to support him.
Taking that opportunity, Gunggi tried to flee, but Sayeon, having seen through his identity, immediately blocked his path.
"Four Calamities, Gunggi."
"Damn it, Baek Sayeon...!"
"This time, I'll take your head."
Sayeon drew his sword with a slight smirk playing at his lips.
Realizing there was no escape, Gunggi also drew his weapon and rushed at Sayeon.
Sayeon chuckled softly, then wielded his blade with fluid grace, driving Gunggi back.
'...!'
Jeok Soya's eyes widened as she watched.
I had heard countless times from San Ho and others that my father was strong.
I remembered clearly leaning against his solid back when he saved ‌‌my life as ‌‌‌‌a child, but since coming to Baek Ho Palace, I had never witnessed his martial prowess...
'It's incredible...!'
My father's swordsmanship, ‌witnessed firsthand, was truly formidable! Absolutely formidable! Really, truly formidable!
'He's handling that terrifying Calamity Beast as though it were a child.'
A sharp whistle—
His longsword carved a diagonal line across Gunggi's body.
"Gah, ugh... Baek Sayeon...!"
I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around the Baekho Sword.
I had witnessed Hondon shed his human disguise before, bursting free from that false skin.
"Kiiiiiiiiick!"
Soon, tearing through the discarded husk, Gunggi's true form emerged.
A colossal poison bee queen, massive as a house, bristling with countless legs.
"Grrrrr... Grrrrr...."
Without the ‌‌‌human shell, Gunggi's true form could no longer produce human speech—only grotesque, alien sounds.
Gunggi writhed in agony beneath the sunlight ‌‌filtering through the ‌‌‌‌foliage, its countless legs trembling violently.
"Ugh."
Sayeon's expression darkened at the sight.
"Father, hurry please!"
When Sayeon didn't immediately dispatch the creature, I cried out in an anxious voice.
Sayeon took a pained breath and adjusted his grip on his sword.
"I should warn you—this won't be a pleasant sight."
Sayeon spoke with a grim expression.
"The moment I kill this creature, poison bees will pour out everywhere. Children, why don't you cover your eyes and step back?"
"I want to help Father and everyone too!"
"Krung, krung!"
As I clenched my fists and shouted, Seol Yo beside me pounded the ‌‌‌‌‌ground with his front paws.
"Chirp chirp!"
Even Jjak Jjak chirped out with spirited determination.
At this, Sayeon broke into a laugh and nodded.
"Most will burn to ash in the sunlight, but some may attack us, so we'll need to eliminate any we spot."
The moment Sayeon bisected Gunggi's true form.
Its body ‌burst open, and hundreds of poison bees poured out in a torrent.
"Chirp chirp!"
Jjak Jjak darted excitedly between the insects.
San Ho and the attendants who had followed Sayeon arrived just in time, drawing their weapons in ‌‌unison to dispatch the poison bees.
I too struck down the fleeing poison bees with my Baekho Sword—thrust, thrust!—killing them as they scattered.
Seol Yo fought beside me, crushing the poison bees with his thick front paws.
"Truly hideous creatures."
Sayeon's expression grew even more grim as he observed the insect corpses.
As the ‌‌‌‌battle was winding down.
"Chirp!"
Jjak Jjak, who had been happily darting about beside me, pecked up one of the poison bees with his beak and swallowed it whole.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please ‌‌‌‌‌read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------