Holding Hands (3)
…
I pondered with cold eyes.
Yeon Wi stood with both hands on her hips, staring at me with a questioning gaze and a small voice.
“There’s no time, Seo Eun-hyun! Hurry up and remodel this castle with your special skill to create traps!”
Normally, I would dismiss her words as a suggestion and act the opposite.
The principle behind her actions stemmed from Yang Su-jin’s deeds, which were the complete opposite of mine.
‘But honestly, Yuk Rin… he’s a guy I can’t trust at all.’
His betrayals were far too obvious. I had no choice but to take decisive action.
After a brief moment of thought, I made my decision.
“I won’t turn Jeongryong Palace into a trap.”
“No, Eun-hyun, what do you mean…?”
“There’s no need to create traps at all.”
“As expected of the sect leader!”
Yeon Wi tried to protest but, upon hearing me out, quickly changed her attitude and cheered.
I stood up and looked at Buk Hyang-hwa.
“In the Conqueror’s thoughts, can the Conqueror’s fleet suppress the Lord of Jeongryong Palace?”
She pondered for a moment before replying.
“If I were leading the entire fleet, it would be possible, but with only a third of the fleet’s power, it’s difficult.”
“Was that estimate calculated by including Kim Young-hoon’s strength?”
“Yes, exactly. The power of a regular fleet includes the Genius of Light and Demon, Master Kim Young-hoon.”
“I see. Then, what if I provide the Integration Grand Completion Tae-su, the Six Extreme Ghost King?”
Buk Hyang-hwa glanced at Jeon Myeong-hoon and seemed to calculate the power.
“Then… it would be possible. However….”
“However?”
“To block the servants of the Lord of Jeongryong Palace, I would need someone skilled in one-on-many battles….”
I looked at Oh Hyun-seok and Kim Yeon.
Both were capable of one-on-many battles.
‘Kim Yeon seems a bit distant from Buk Hyang-hwa, so sending Oh Hyun-seok….’
“I’ll go.”
“Huh?”
Surprisingly, Kim Yeon volunteered.
“It’s a bit worrying to send only this stupid one alone. As her older sister, I think I should help.”
She looked at Buk Hyang-hwa with an innocent little-sister demeanor, and Buk Hyang-hwa let out an astonished laugh.
“On the contrary, I think I should help her side. Our fleet’s power actually surpasses theirs?”
“Really? So that’s why you’re a hostage to me?”
The two glared at each other, sparks flying in their eyes.
‘Just a few days ago it seemed like things had improved….’
It seemed to have reverted back to the old state after all.
‘No, wait.’
I read the emotions between them and chuckled.
“…Fine. Then, the strange Ghost King Kim Yeon will support Buk Hyang-hwa’s fleet.”
With a flick of my fingers, the formation in Jeongryong Palace suddenly collapsed under the power of the Law of Gravity.
An emergency alert sounded across Jeongryong Palace.
“Six Extreme Ghost King Jeon Myeong-hoon and Strange Ghost King Kim Yeon! Support the Conqueror Buk Hyang-hwa’s fleet to aid the Battle of the Northward Fleet and capture the Lord of Jeongryong Palace, Yuk Rin alive!”
“Understood!”
It was a highly amusing task for those invited to capture their own master, but what could one do?
‘Now, even if I get blindsided, it’s not just my problem alone.’
If one person falls, the entire Mugeuk Sect falls with him.
Despite possessing the ability to detect others’ schemes in advance, I could not gamble with the sect’s fate.
Danger must be cut off before it occurs.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
I raised my momentum and commanded the Void Beasts of Guangyin Realm in the language of the Ghost Realm.
[Occupy!]
Eighteen heads burst from my shoulders as my body turned pitch black.
Uuuuuuu!
Ooooo—
Aaaaaaaaah—
Countless Void Beasts roared as they began to blanket Jeongryong Palace.
***
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
Yueyun, an early-stage Half-human Half-fish Ghost Beast from the Goryeok Realm who had lived peacefully in Jeongryong Palace, was collecting shellfish today as usual.
Normally, she could have returned quickly, but today she had to take a detour around the original path.
That was because today was the day when rare guests had come to Jeongryong Palace, and a decree had been issued stating that a Half-human Half-fish race ‘third-rate citizen’ like herself could not be seen before those rare guests.
Kku-deok, uu-deu-deu!
After collecting the shellfish, she stepped on the ground and began to transform.
The Half-human Half-fish race had a unique trait.
They could move comfortably on both land and sea without using any spells.
Her lower body, which had been fish-shaped, changed into human legs, while her upper body turned into a fish head.
With her terrestrial form, Yueyun hummed while carrying the shellfish across the long distance.
Although the path was longer than usual, it was fine.
Moreover, she avoided the main roads, so there were no second-rate Ghost Beasts who would pick a fight with her, making it peaceful.
Yueyun wondered what to eat with the shellfish for her family.
Her village, the fishermen’s settlement where the third-rate citizens lived, was peaceful.
Even though her Half-human Half-fish race was among the most discriminated against among the third-rate citizens, whenever something happened, the village would always summon her family to handle it and, if there was leftover food, share it with her.
She thought the fishermen’s settlement was truly a wonderful village.
Kiya-a-a-a!
Uuuuuu!
Ooooooo—
Suddenly, dark clouds filled Jeongryong Palace entirely, and terrifying ghosts began to cover the sky.
Yueyun was startled by the bizarre situation and hurried toward her house.
In Jeongryong Palace, second-rate and lower citizens were forbidden from using flight spells due to the Golden Cage Golden Seal.
She could not fly.
And finally, when Yueyun reached her village.
She saw that her village was on fire.
Shadowy ghosts and strangely shaped cursed dolls were burning the village through spiritual channels.
Kiya-a-a-a!
Kkuaaah!
“Yue-yun! Run!”
“You mustn’t come here!”
Yueyun’s parents shouted urgently upon seeing her.
She dropped the shellfish she had collected that day and took a step back.
[Kiya-a-a-a! The sect leader’s decree!]
[Hiya-a-a-a! The sect leader has ordered us to check the hostages and issue identity tags in Jeongryong Palace! Gather everyone for a moment!]
[Ooooooo— The sect leader has ordered us to serve with the utmost kindness so that the residents do not tremble in fear! For disinfection, temporarily burn and demolish the village, build new buildings!]
[Kki-ki-ki-kik, Ghost Beasts of the Goryeok Realm. I will show you the building techniques of the Ghost Realm.]
The ghosts shouted incomprehensible cries in the language of the Ghost Realm while capturing the Ghost Beasts of the fishermen’s settlement, pushing them somewhere, burning the buildings, and beginning to construct something bizarre.
Yueyun ran.
The strangely smiling ghosts and cursed dolls completely overturned her peaceful daily life.
Yueyun, terrified, could only flee using her weak human lower body.
And at that moment, strangely shaped puppet soldiers appeared from the bushes.
The cursed dolls whose heads spun around wildly screamed at Yueyun in a strange language.
[Little miss, lost your way?]
[Walking alone is dangerous, miss. We’ll take you to your parents. Where’s your house?]
“Kya-aak!”
Yueyun screamed in a shrill voice and fled again.
The cursed dolls chased her, screaming in terrifying Ghost Realm language.
[Hey, miss! That way is toward the Deep Sea!]
[Come back!]
“G-get away! Get awa—!”
And she slipped at the very edge of Jeongryong Palace.
Yueyun fell into the Deep Sea while sobbing.
In her eyes, countless warships with flags bearing the language of the Goryeok Realm appeared.
On the flags of the warships was written:
[Northward Fleet under the Mugeuk Sect].
‘Ah… I see. From another realm, the Demonic Cult, and the Conqueror’s conquering fleet….’
Yueyun fell into the Deep Sea while remembering the culprits who ruined her life.
The future story of Yueyun, the Half-human Half-fish race, falling into the Deep Sea hidden beneath Jeongryong Palace, gaining fortune there, and later burning with a desire for revenge against the Mugeuk Sect is yet to come.
And with her behind, the Northward Fleet set sail.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
Buk Hyang-hwa, captain of the Northward Fleet, glanced at Kim Yeon beside her with an uncomfortable expression.
“Don’t just stand there. Capture the servants who are escaping from Jeongryong Palace over there instead.”
“Oh, sorry, but if we go to help the palace, we can capture them better then. Right now they’re scattered trying to run away, but when they come to help the palace, they’ll gather again.”
“Hah! You’re making excuses instead of thinking about capturing even one more sooner. You’re a bit stingy, aren’t you?”
“I don’t hear well what someone who was clinging to me and whining ‘ing-ing’ says.”
Buk Hyang-hwa’s face flushed red.
“Th-that… I don’t have anyone like that… Besides, why are you in the captain’s room?”
“What if your memory turns into shellfish because you went to catch them? Like the last time when I stormed into the captain’s room, the servants of Jeongryong Palace could come to attack you, so I’m protecting you, right?”
“That was a special exception, and you said I didn’t need protection! And you’re not going to catch shellfish, you’re going to catch eels. Aren’t eels more intelligent than shellfish?”
Kim Yeon and Buk Hyang-hwa glared at each other, teeth grinding.
“Fleet, move faster, you ing-ing.”
“Who are you calling ing-ing?! Don’t call me like that!”
“Well, I’m not saying it to you, I’m saying it to the ing-ing who was clinging to me and whining ing-ing. Why are you offended? I wasn’t talking about you!”
“Ugh….”
Buk Hyang-hwa glared at Kim Yeon with a flushed face, then finally focused on fleet command.
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
And a while later.
In Buk Hyang-hwa and Kim Yeon’s view appeared Yuk Rin in his scarlet dragon robe and Baek Rin.
And Yuk Yo, grabbed by the hair, came in front of Yuk Rin.
***
Yuk Rin held Yuk Yo’s hair with an expressionless face and looked back.
Yuk Yo’s entire body was covered in blood, unable to maintain flight, clinging to Yuk Rin’s palm, and Baek Rin looked distressed at the sight.
Yuk Rin looked at the Northward Fleet and asked.
“Is the Conqueror enjoying the feast? Why have you come all the way here to greet us. Your equipment seems a bit excessive for just taking a walk.”
At those words, the flagship of the Northward Fleet.
A man in black armor appeared above the bow.
It was the Genius of Light and Demon, Kim Young-hoon, who answered.
“Haha, I’m sorry to say this to the Lord of Jeongryong Palace, but this Wijeong Sea Area has just been taken over by the Mugeuk Sect and the Northward Fleet, so the negotiation is complete.”
“Oh….”
However, Yuk Rin’s expression did not show great surprise.
‘Well, I expected it since I saw that guy’s face.’
He recalled Yeon Wi’s face as the military strategist of the Mugeuk Sect.
Yeon Wi did not recognize him, but Yuk Rin remembered her face and name well.
Yuk Rin had reached the Heavenly Person realm over forty thousand years ago.
At that time, the human race from the Gwanghan Realm who had completely overturned the Goryeok Realm.
The Betrayal King, Geum Wi!
‘Betraying the Black Ghost Bone Palace that taught him how to accumulate the Five Blessings Axes in the Ghost Realm, betraying the forces that taught him the situation of the Goryeok Realm after crossing over, continuing to switch forces and accumulate the Gangnyeong Axis, and eventually escaping through the power of his own family lineage in the Gwanghan Realm… and, rumor has it, betraying even his own sect and fiancées.’
Although over forty thousand years had passed, her reputation had faded, but at least Yuk Rin remembered her face and name clearly.
‘The crazy human who betrayed my uncle’s Dragon Bone Palace forces that helped Geum Wi settle in the Goryeok Realm and stole the one million stone blocks of the Dragon Bone Palace and fled.’
Even though my uncle Yuk Ung, who had not much lifespan left at the time, was shocked and died of illness.
‘If the Conqueror Buk Hyang-hwa is famous for sea area stability after conquering the sea area, Geum Wi was known for stirring up trouble everywhere like a river eel. Starting from the incident where she went wild to obtain the elixir to appease her fiancées’ spirit and captured the Four Pillars evader of the Eel race, then taking the evader’s royal pearl that sheltered her….’
To the Geum Wi, who flaunted only countless scams, swindles, and betrayals as the entirety of life, the Goryeok Realm gave the epithet ‘Betrayal King’.
Since he was the Betrayal King Geum Wi, Yuk Rin expected the Mugeuk Sect to strike his back.
That was why he had prepared to strike Yeon Wi’s back first.
‘But as expected, humans are not to be underestimated. You tried to push me out before I could strike your back. Especially as an invited guest!’
Yuk Rin’s eyes twitched as he asked Kim Young-hoon.
“…I didn’t expect the high-minded Conqueror’s forces to pressure my palace like this. The conquering fleet wasn’t supposed to target only tyrannical palace lords, was it?”
“Correct.”
Kim Young-hoon nodded.
“But why do you think our palace has committed such a great tyranny in the Wijeong Sea Area?”
“That is not the case.”
“What? Then you’re saying you’re pressuring the palace without any reason right now?”
“There’s a misunderstanding. It is true that the conquering fleet opposes palace lords who commit tyranny. But there is one more reason why we oppose the palace.”
Tsutsut!
Golden light began to circulate throughout Kim Young-hoon’s body.
“The ones who tried to oppose us first were all conquered without mercy. The reason we became a conquering fleet and conquered three sea areas is not only because of the tyranny, but because they threatened us first. And the same goes for the Lord of Jeongryong Palace.”
Yuk Rin had been staring into Kim Young-hoon’s eyes for a while and realized something.
“…I see. I have heard a lot about the Genius of Light and Demon’s story. They say he learns an unusual Gongfa and hides his aura, but it wasn’t like that. You… belong to the same type as the owner of the Salt Bone Horse!”
The Salt Bone Horse.
It was the notorious pirate fleet of the Goryeok Realm formed by the Tuma Clan and several ferocious other races.
The name of the flagship of the Tuma Pirates.
The owner of the Salt Bone Horse, which refined the precious salt crystal in one piece and used it as the keel of the warship, the Tuma Pirates’ Captain, Jin Ma-yeol!
He touched his bracelet.
“Can you still read my inner thoughts even now? I have maximized the performance of the law artifact.”
Kim Young-hoon drew his sword without a word.
Yuk Rin clicked his tongue.
“I see. It seems better than Jin Ma-yeol. Was the name of the technique he learned Tumbo…?”
However, Kim Young-hun’s eyes twitched with displeasure.
“His and my own are completely different. He learns Tumbo, and I call mine Wugong (Martial Arts).”
“Different?”
“Of course. Originally….”
Kim Young-hoon spread his saber with an irritated expression.
“He is not a martial artist.”
“…What? That’s natural. He is a Tuma Clan member.”
“…Enough. Since I won’t understand anyway… Just surrender quietly.”
“Hah….”
Yuk Rin smiled slyly and began to wrap his entire body with his domain.
[Arrogant thing… How dare you pressure the Ben Zuo…?]
Ku-gu-gu-gu!
Yuk Rin’s body swelled as he became a massive scarlet dragon with a domain wrapped around him.
He seemed excited as he gathered and released the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy of the surrounding area, but his true intention was cold.
‘Activating the law artifact to the maximum along with wrapping the body with a domain. Even if he learned Tumbo, it would be hard for him to read my emotions.’
As expected, Kim Young-hoon stopped reading his intentions and began to gather his fighting spirit.
Yuk Rin clicked his tongue with an excited yet cold gaze.
‘Genius of Light and Demon Kim Young-hoon, Northward Fleet of the Conqueror, and furthermore… an Integration Grand Completion Tae-su who dominated Jin Ma-yeol and a human woman whose appearance seems unusual. I will win.’
He casually threw Yuk Yo away and spat light from his mouth.
Kim Young-hoon’s golden sword cut through Yuk Rin’s breath.
Yuk Rin looked at the flying Kim Young-hoon and Jeon Myeong-hoon and thought.
‘It doesn’t matter anyway. Today, I won’t lose. If I can dig into their insides like this… enter Bongrae-do, the final victor will be me…!’
***
“Sign here, Yuk Rin.”
The Northward Fleet had captured Yuk Rin and held up the Hyeongo Paper in front of him.
The original content of the contract on the Hyeongo Paper had been completely modified by Yeon Wi.
Thanks to this, Yuk Rin, who had been allies with us, had his position lowered to that of a near-slave.
In the end, he signed the contract paper, becoming a probationary slave of the Mugeuk Sect in the name of the great sage of the Goryeok Realm, Halin.
I asked Yuk Rin.
“Yuk Rin. You have been hiding something from us and trying to betray us all along. The sect leader can read the inner thoughts, so tell me what you have hidden from us.”
“Huhu, impressive. Are you using a Law Technique?”
“…The implication is like that, but I’ll say it’s similar.”
He let out a groan and told us the truth.
“…I intended to betray the Mugeuk Sect and you all.”
“Why?”
However, from beside me who was questioning the reason, Yeon Wi shouted loudly at me.
She was thinking something while looking at Yuk Rin.
“Sect Leader! The Ghost Beasts of the Goryeok Realm are famous for betrayal, scams, and swindles anyway! It’s basically their nature, so the reason has no meaning! It would be more important to listen to ‘how’ they tried to betray us rather than ‘why’!”
‘Was I hit by a lot from the Goryeok Realm before?’
I changed the question according to Yeon Wi’s words as a veteran of the Goryeok Realm.
“How did you try to betray us while proposing the contract on the Hyeongo Paper?”
And Yuk Rin chuckled and told us.
“The power of the Hyeongo Paper almost disappears inside Bongrae-do. Inside the formation, countless oaths and contracts lose their effect.”
“You were trying to betray us using the characteristics of Bongrae-do.”
“That’s right.”
“Then….”
I continued my inner thoughts toward the Yuk Rin who had signed the slave contract.
***
The Half-human Half-fish girl, Yueyun, twitched and opened her eyes.
“W-where…?”
It was dark.
“I… didn’t I jump into the Deep Sea?”
She wondered why the surrounding area, which seemed like a dimension of the Deep Sea, was filled with real water.
The surroundings were full of salty water.
Yueyun, who had turned her lower body into a fish shape, wandered around.
Then, she realized she had fallen into a lake-like place and swam to the edge of the lake.
“Where…?”
What she saw from the edge of the lake was a giant sea dragon statue.