Chapter 91
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Chapter 91
The Blue Shark Family was the most powerful among the various vassal clans of the Eastern Lands.
Years ago, when the previous Cheongryong Family Head passed away leaving only a young successor in the wake of the Eastern Lands' turmoil,
they had confidently believed that the Blue Shark Family would inevitably emerge as the dominant force of the Eastern Lands once the chaos subsided.
However, when Chung Ha returned and quelled the disorder, their plans began to crumble.
Fortunately, unlike other families that openly rebelled, they had concealed their true intentions cunningly enough to evade the blade wielded by Chung Ha—but....
[A woman who had already married into another family returns and acts as regent? How could such a thing be permitted?]
The Blue Shark Family Head was deeply displeased with Chung Ha's role as regent.
If someone must serve as regent in the Family Head's absence, shouldn't it be the Blue Shark Family, who had long protected the Eastern Lands?
The discontent that sprouted from such sentiments had now transformed into fierce opposition aimed at toppling the Cheongryong Family, and they were quietly scheming to seize that position.
In truth, it was they who had cultivated the public sentiment of dissatisfaction toward Chung Ha throughout the Eastern Lands.
[If we simply bring down that woman, the young Family Head poses no threat to us whatsoever.]
Thus they sought to gradually undermine Chung Ha's authority, weaken her influence, and usurp her position—but....
Chung Ha, who had severed ties with the Baekho Family after her divorce, began renewing contact with them three years prior.
The Baekho Family of the Western Lands, led by Baek Sayeon, wielded considerable prestige even in this distant Eastern Lands, making her difficult to move against.
Thus, while awaiting their opportunity, they recently succeeded in switching out the Blue Dragon Flame Blossom enshrined in the Sacred Shrine of Cheonghae Palace.
The Blue Shark Family's unique ability was 'mimicry'—they had crafted a counterfeit Flame Blossom and seamlessly deceived the people of Cheonghae Palace.
They then sealed away the genuine sacred object deep within the Blue Shark Residence.
It was entirely due to the life force emanated by the Blue Dragon Flame Blossom that plants could flourish even in the salt-laden Eastern Lands.
With the Flame Blossom gone, the plants of the Eastern Lands began to wither, losing their vitality, and the Blue Shark Family seized this opportunity to spread even greater dissatisfaction toward Chung Ha among the populace.
With the Blue Dragon Flame Blossom proven false, the ceremonial rites scheduled for the upcoming Divine Beast Festival would surely fail.
Then Chung Ha's reputation would plummet even further....
'But even that lacks the decisive blow. Simply weakening the Divine Beast's power won't be enough to remove that woman.'
It was then that they learned of the Baekho Family's young lady's visit for the upcoming Divine Beast Festival.
'Ah! If I use that young lady to provoke discord between the Western and Eastern Lands...!'
He ordered his son to use the festival as a pretext to meet with the young lady and secretly swap the Sea Pearl with a counterfeit.
The festival period provided ample opportunity to conduct their scheme away from prying eyes—places like the Water Plant Maze or the Coral Garden, for instance....
Without the Sea Pearl imbued with the Divine Beast's essence, land-dwelling aquatic beings cannot breathe underwater.
After the festival ended and Jeok Soya returned to Cheonghae Palace, she would meet an unexplained death before another night passed—right before Chung Ha's eyes.
Their plan was to place all responsibility for the incident upon Chung Ha, the temporary mistress of Cheonghae Palace.
'Then that woman would face severe public condemnation for a grave diplomatic blunder, and her bond with the Baekho Family would weaken considerably.'
The Baekho princes were unsuitable as they were Chung Ha's biological children, but that young lady, who shared not a drop of blood with Chung Ha, was perfect for framing her.
It was a flawless plan.
And yet!
"What? The Baekho Family's young lady disappeared while viewing the festival together?"
Jeok Soya had vanished without a trace.
Of all times, it had to be while his own son was accompanying her through the festival.
"How could this have happened!"
"I-I'm not entirely certain either. She simply vanished without a trace while I briefly stepped away...."
"The Sea Pearl! What of the Sea Pearl!"
"Do not worry, Father. I have successfully switched out the Sea Pearl."
Ahan reassured his father with a calm demeanor while displaying the swapped Sea Pearl.
However, upon seeing the Sea Pearl his son presented, the Family Head's entire face drained of color until he nearly lost consciousness.
"You fool!"
"Father...?"
"We must find that young lady! We must locate her and return her safely to Cheonghae Palace!"
"Y-yes...?"
The Family Head immediately shook his bewildered son's body as he shouted.
"Whether that young lady dies or not, she must die within Cheonghae Palace! If she goes missing and dies under mysterious circumstances, the responsibility will fall not on Cheonghae Palace, but on us!"
"...!"
Only then did Ahan's face turn ashen as he grasped his father's meaning.
"Th-then what should we do?"
A belated sense of dread washed over him.
Baek Sayeon, the Family Head of the Baekho Family. Who was he?
There were countless sinister rumors surrounding the master of the Western Lands, who had inherited the most exceptional physical traits of the ancient Divine Beasts.
He was said to be a demon of the battlefield who tore apart his enemies' limbs with his bare hands.
It was whispered that even the fiends of war would tremble and flee if their eyes met his, such was his ferocious nature.
The thought that his blade might turn toward the Blue Shark Family instead of Cheonghae Palace sent a chill down my spine.
"Mobilize every member of the family to find that young lady!"
The Family Head screamed with his neck flushed crimson.
"By any means necessary, you must find her! You must!"
"Yes, Family Head!"
The retainers of the Blue Shark Family rushed out to search for Jeok Soya.
* * *
Meanwhile, deep within the Inner Courtyard of the Blue Shark Residence, now thrown into chaos.
There, a small bird was covering its beak with short wings and yawning.
"Yaaawn."
With an expression of profound boredom.
It was Jeok Soya in her beast form.
And before her lay the genuine Blue Dragon Flame Extreme.
Finding the Blue Dragon Flame Extreme was entirely thanks to Jjak Jjak.
Yesterday, while chasing after Jjak Jjak, whose attention had been captured by plump insects, I found myself venturing deep into the Inner Courtyard of the Blue Shark Residence.
Noticing plants that were unusually verdant compared to other areas, I left Jjak Jjak alone in the residence and investigated further.
Subsequently, Jjak Jjak discovered the Blue Dragon Flame Extreme while wandering through the Inner Courtyard and revealed its location to me.
Moreover, Jjak Jjak overheard conversations among the Blue Shark Family members and informed me that they intended to harm me.
I found it absurd that they thought I would be careless enough to have the Sea Pearl stolen from me.
After all, I am still the daughter of the Baekho Family.
'But the problem is how to inform people of the Flame Extreme's location.'
The Blue Shark Family was among the most powerful families among the various vassals of the Eastern Lands.
They would not simply dispatch soldiers to ransack the residence based solely on the testimony of a young foreign girl.
More than anything, I wanted to seize this opportunity not merely to reclaim the Blue Dragon Flame, but to teach them a lesson they would never forget—ensuring they would never again dare to covet my mother's position.
'They upset Mother. I cannot forgive that.'
Thus, my plan was to transform into a small bird and hide here.
I made a deliberate show of accompanying the Blue Shark Family's young master in front of countless witnesses, then vanished without a trace.
By now, my older brothers would surely be in an uproar outside, searching for me, and soon word would reach Mother's ears despite her preoccupation with the Divine Beast Festival.
'If they cannot find me in the streets, the Cheonghae Palace soldiers will come searching all the way to the Blue Shark Residence.'
Then I would emerge from my hiding place with a flourish and lead them to discover the Blue Dragon Flame.
Besides, I possessed the counterfeit Sea Pearl that the Blue Shark Family's young master had switched in—a perfect piece of evidence.
It would serve as irrefutable proof of their attempt to harm me.
I glanced down at the sacred object before me.
Though bound and sealed with water plants, its vitality was unmistakable and impossible to conceal.
'Could I awaken the Blue Dragon?'
On impulse, I extended a wing and gently tapped the flame, but nothing happened.
There was no direct bloodline present.
'Mother must be beside me for this to work.'
I abandoned the thought of awakening the Blue Dragon and settled onto the ground with a soft thump.
Hiding in this small bird form reminded me of the games of hide-and-seek I played with my older brothers when I was younger.
My body in beast form was small enough to be advantageous, yet I was always discovered in the end.
It was due to the Baekho Family's superior sense of smell.
I had no doubt my older brothers would find me this time as well.
'I might as well sleep until they come searching.'
Soon, I drifted into slumber.
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