The Black Wolf and the Revealed Truth (2)
"...A demon beast."
I muttered it like a whisper to myself, but my voice came out lower and stiffer than I'd expected. The story I'd overheard at the market a few days ago flashed through my mind—the one about the herb gatherers vanishing on Mi Ling Peak. Looking at it now, the fact that even one survivor had made it out felt like heaven's own mercy. For a mere mortal to escape a demon beast alive, no less.
I bit my lower lip lightly. Shouldn't I just head back inside and tell Grandfather? Wouldn't I be safe as long as I stayed away from the mountains? That's what my head was telling me, but my feet wouldn't budge.
The problem wasn't just the demon beast's presence. I had the distinct feeling it was aware of me. Which meant hiding might not cut it.
I'll just check it out and come straight back.
That's the conclusion I reached. If it really was a demon beast, I needed to at least figure out where it was and how strong it was. And if things looked dicey, I'd bolt right away. I, Ryu Yeon-hwa, had already stepped onto the path of cultivation. I was no ordinary person—I'd be fine. At least, that's what I told myself back then.
By the time the sun had fully dipped below the ridgeline,
I cast the Invisibility Technique I'd picked up from the manual here and there—just in case Grandfather spotted me—and slipped quietly out of the house. Maybe it was because of that howl earlier, but the village had gone deathly still. A few lantern lights flickered faintly here and there, but even those vanished the moment I took a few steps toward the mountains.
The mountain at night was nothing like during the day. Even the path I'd climbed earlier looked like a totally alien place shrouded in darkness. But I didn't get lost or panic in the gloom. Was it thanks to my traits? A normal person would've been too scared to even think about heading up here in the first place.
I paused for a moment, catching my breath slowly. That's when a foul stench hit my nose from afar.
"...Blood."
It was thick and heavy. My body reacted before my mind could. I pressed myself against the nearest tree and peeked out cautiously.
And in the next instant, my heart plummeted.
A black wolf. Or something that looked like one. There was a calf-sized black wolf there. Its fur was so black it swallowed the moonlight, and its eyes blazed with a demonic, blood-red glow.
At its feet lay a half-eaten corpse sprawled out. The surrounding grass hung limp and wilted, and part of the nearby tree bark was charred black, as if scorched by fire.
It's a real demon beast.
I swallowed hard—my gulp sounded deafening in my ears. Keeping low, I observed it. I just needed to confirm its presence and get out. That's what I thought as I started to back away slowly.
"Sniff sniff."
Its nose twitched faintly. Then those red eyes locked onto the exact tree I was hiding behind.
A chill raced up my spine.
"...Damn, the smell."
Before the words were even out, it vanished from my sight in a blur. I whipped around and bolted on instinct. A glance back showed it had already closed half the distance.
This is insane—it's way too fast!
At this rate, it'd catch me. It's risky, but no choice.
As I turned to face it, the demon beast had already poised itself, glaring at me.
"Grrrrr."
The killing intent in its growl pressed down on my chest like a weight. I clenched my teeth and slammed my right hand to the ground.
Green vines erupted from the surrounding tree roots, surging forth to ensnare the black wolf.
I channeled the spiritual energy gathered in my dantian. The roots shot up in an instant, wrapping around the black wolf. I stood and pressed my palms together.
"Bind!"
It was a technique I'd only learned recently. But paired with my Plant Spirit Body, its power far exceeded expectations. My traits amplified it tremendously. The black wolf was thoroughly bound by the roots, unable to move a muscle.
But in that moment...
The demon beast wore a mocking expression. Then it swelled in size, shredding my bindings apart.
"Ah..."
I instinctively shielded my face with both arms. Wood shards flew everywhere. A few grazed the spots I couldn't cover, and chunks of shattered bark rained down on my hair and shoulders.
By the time I pried my eyes open, it was too late. The black wolf was right in front of me. Its blood-red eyes flashed mere inches from my face.
My breath caught in my throat.
I'm dead.
The thought hit me with crystal clarity. My body wouldn't respond. It was just a single instant. Yet that split second stretched out like an eternity.
Then—
Bam!
Something slammed into it from the side, sending the black wolf flying. Someone stood blocking my path. A familiar silhouette. Hunched back. Coarse hemp robes.
"...Grandfather?"
The word slipped out unconsciously. It was unmistakably the back I knew, yet it felt like an entirely different being. And from that back emanated an aura I'd never sensed before.
The air itself had changed. This wasn't the grandfather I knew—it was the presence of a true cultivator.
"To think a mere beast dares lay a hand on my daughter."
The low, chilling voice made my eyes widen.
"Wha...?"
What did he just say? My brain couldn't process it.
Before I could even grasp the meaning, another presence descended from above. I looked up on reflex—and froze solid.
"...You."
The middle-aged man who'd sold me that tattered manual that day.
"Senior Brother, aren't you being a bit too harsh?"
Senior Brother? My mind grew even more chaotic.
The black wolf growled low as it rose again. It must have sensed the shift in opponents. Its blood-red eyes shifted past me to the two men ahead. But cowed by their auras, its tail drooped and its body trembled.
The old man—no, the man who'd shifted to a middle-aged form at some point—formed hand seals.
Thick roots burst from the earth, twisting the ground as they instantly coiled around the black wolf's limbs.
A quiet incantation, and the ground warped. It was a technique incomparable to my Green Vine Technique.
The black wolf thrashed wildly.
"Kraaaang!"
But the roots didn't snap. If anything, they tightened further.
In that instant, the goateed middle-aged man glided forward. Slash! Blood sprayed into the air. The black wolf's head flew clean off, its massive body crumpling lifelessly.
The forest fell silent once more.
I stood speechless for a long while. Just moments ago, this thing had been bearing down on me like death incarnate. I'd staked my life struggling against it, yet these two dispatched it effortlessly.
My heart was still pounding like mad. My fingertips trembled. And amid it all, one phrase was burned into my mind.
I swallowed my shaky breath and slowly—so slowly—opened my mouth.
"But... just now."
My voice wouldn't cooperate.
"What... did you just say?"
The man ahead turned slowly.
"...Grandfather?"
The word felt awkward even to me as it left my lips. He gazed at me for a moment. Just a brief one. In that short time, countless emotions flickered in his eyes. Regret. Hesitation.
"I'm not your grandfather."
"...What?"
His next words fell even slower, heavier.
"I'm... your father."
My father was dead. Or so I'd heard—he'd gone up the mountain with my mother when I was very young and never returned. They said it was mountain beasts. That's why, in this life, it had always just been Grandfather and me. I took it as fact.
I stepped back unconsciously.
"So... you've been lying to me all this time?"
His face remained calm. But his eyes, heavier now, fixed on me.
"I never meant to deceive you."
"Then what?"
I nearly snapped it at him, and his lips tightened briefly.
"Explain."
This time, I said it clearly. He glanced at the black wolf's corpse, then toward the forest's edge—like he was checking for other presences. Then he nodded.
"This isn't the place for a long talk. Let's go home."
I shook my head immediately.
"No. I want to hear it here and now."
He fell silent for a beat.
"Very well."
A curt reply.
"Junior Brother—or rather, not anymore. Yang Lim, this is private now. Mind giving us space?"
The goateed man nodded wordlessly and stepped away.
"My name is Ryu Jin-ak. I was originally a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Qingyun Sect."
Foundation Establishment. The word brought back the technique that had bound the black wolf. The true starting point of a cultivator worthy of the name.
With no response from me, he continued slowly, like laying down heavy stones one by one.
"And your mother was a cultivator from another sect."
"She abandoned her sect and fled. It's beyond your current level to handle, so I won't say why."
Father's eyes grew cold.
"Unless it's a magus sect, they don't touch mortals. That's why I hoped you'd have no ties to cultivation."
He glanced at the scratch on my cheek, then spoke again.
"But today's events make it clear. You'll walk the path of immortals too."
I just stared at him wordlessly. He met my gaze with a resolute expression.
"I can't leave you here any longer."
"...What do you mean?"
"You must go to the sect."
My heart felt like it stopped.
"The sect... Qingyun Sect?"
"Yes."
"What about you, Father?"
The title came naturally. Realizing it made me flustered. But Ryu Jin-ak showed no sign.
"I left Qingyun Sect of my own accord. Even with circumstances, to the sect, I'm a disciple who committed a crime."
"...I understand."
A tiny voice, but firm.
Ryu Jin-ak said nothing for a long moment.
"Good. We leave in three days."
"But until then, I'll teach you everything I can."
I looked up. His eyes had changed—filled with resolve.