Chapter 287: A Precious Existence
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 287: A Precious Existence
Whatever the method, all I had to do was get inside the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“It’s a lizard!”
“A lizard that stands on two feet?”
“Its tail is so plump!”
The apprentice followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
In other words, those who still had a youthful air about them were startled to see a lizard walking on two legs.
And who could blame them?
Imagine a lizard suddenly appearing on a school field, scurrying about on two legs.
The entire student body would be glued to the windows, staring at the field.
A few might even run out onto the field to try and catch it.
“Oh my, I’ve always wanted to raise a lizard like that.”
“Look at the cloth tied to its tail. I wonder who’s raising it?”
The followers, chirping like baby birds, happened to all be women.
“Y-You guys aren’t scared of that thing? Its voice is deeper than a tiger’s… and its teeth are so sharp…”
“Huh? Don’t you think it makes a really cute sound?”
“You think that’s cute?”
“Well, is it scary?”
For some reason, it seemed the men weren't very fond of lizards.
I don't like men either, so I guess the feeling was mutual.
“But why does that lizard look so familiar?”
“You’re right… Wait… isn’t that the lizard? The one the Priestess mentioned?”
As I continued to ‘gek-gek’ endlessly, I got the reaction I wanted.
It was unfair, but right now, I was basically a wanted lizard.
The reason? For stealing Seol-hwa’s dango. Because of that, if the followers found me, they had no choice but to report to her.
In other words, it was an easy way to announce my arrival. And just as I expected, it wasn't long before Seol-hwa came out to greet me herself.
“You’ve been through a lot to get here, Hui. And to all the followers.”
Seol-hwa greeted me with a benevolent smile.
My eyes were drawn to that kerorong-ing sight, but there were too many people watching right now.
Like the Bicorns, I simply followed her, quiet and stealthy.
“Hehe…”
Hm?
Did I hear that right?
I thought I heard the sound of a Bicorn.
Well, it must have been my imagination.
Following Seol-hwa, we arrived at a reception room.
Since I hadn't contacted her in advance, I probably wouldn't be able to see Master right away.
She must have her own schedule.
So, in the meantime, I relaxed in the reception room, enjoying tea and refreshments.
“Hehe.”
Soyeong sat in a comfortable position, sipping her tea.
At first, she’d been terrified by the resemblance to my master and trembled in fear, but she seemed much more at ease after I told her they were two different people.
Tsk, but in my opinion, there's not much difference between Master and Seol-hwa.
Like how there's no difference between an elephant and a zebra to an ant.
Whether she knew this or not, Soyeong just crunched away on her snacks.
“Kyong!”
Tus and Pus also bobbed their bodies as they ate the snacks Seol-hwa had prepared.
“Hmm, you all seem to be eating so familiarly. Usually, it's not easy to come across sweet things, so most are wary at first…”
“Kkyeng?”
“It's as if someone shared stolen snacks with you. You seem to have had them a few times before, haven't you?”
“K-Kyong!”
Tus and Pus glanced nervously at Seol-hwa.
“Gekgek!”
Leave them alone, they're just eating.
“I'm just joking. I can't speak for the thief lizard, but the rest of you are welcome to eat as much as you like.”
“Kiek!”
I chomped away on the snacks, and Chirpy, who also seemed to like the sweet food, flapped her wings excitedly.
Everyone seemed satisfied, but there was one person who hadn't touched the snacks at all.
“Hmph.”
It was Nephila.
She had turned her head away sharply, as if she didn't like Seol-hwa.
Did something happen between them when she was staying at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
“You don't have to be so wary, little priestess.”
The priestess of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the priestess of the Gaegaek Cult.
Come to think of it, they were both priestesses.
That must be why she was on guard.
“…I'm not little.”
I looked back and forth between Nephila and Seol-hwa.
Nephila, I can accept everything about you, but what you just said was a blatant lie.
As I made that face, Nephila's white hand reached out and pinched my cheek, pulling it.
“Geeeek.”
As Nephila continued to manhandle me, Seol-hwa cleared her throat and changed the subject.
“I heard the news, Hui. As promised, I didn't tell my sister, but I still could have offered support on my own. I'm sorry I couldn't.”
“Gekgek.”
If Seol-hwa had joined the fight, Master would have found out anyway.
So it was the right call for her not to get involved.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like Jin-ryong had tried anything else, but just in case, it was much better to have her, the one who knew the truth, stay at the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
“You’ve accomplished something truly difficult. There are few in our cult who could face spiritual beasts of that level, yet you defeated two of them.”
“Gek.”
Why the sudden praise?
“And on top of that, you didn't even use the power of your tail, for my sister's sake. On behalf of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, I feel I should bow my head. Of course, it's not my place to represent them.”
Even so, Seol-hwa bowed her body slightly.
As she moved, that violent, natural disaster-like thing moved along with her.
“Kerong…”
As I dazedly admired the greatness of the laws of physics, Nephila's hands pinched both my cheeks and pulled.
“Keeeeek!”
I can't help it.
How am I supposed to stay still when something that huge is moving?
While we were eating snacks and chatting, a knock came from the door.
“It seems things are ready. Hui, you know where my sister's room is, don't you?”
“Gekgek.”
I quickly escaped from Nephila's pinching hell and nodded.
Now, all the preparations were complete.
I had defeated Qiongqi and Bi-hui, and I had compressed the power in my tail to its absolute limit.
If I just prepared this properly and she ate it, Master's condition would surely improve.
With much lighter steps, I headed for my master's room.
Just as I always did, I stuck myself to the doorknob, opened the door a crack, and quickly crawled inside.
My master was sitting in the lotus position with her eyes closed, as if she had been waiting for me.
Sensing my presence, she slowly opened her eyes.
“Gegegek.”
My tail wagged gently.
She certainly had a face similar to Seol-hwa's, but I thought Master was more special.
Was it because she was the first human I met here?
Or was it because she was the benefactor who taught me, a mere lizard?
Whatever the reason, my heart felt at ease, thinking I could finally repay even a small part of her kindness.
“…I have heard the story.”
Her voice, dry and emotionless, was uniquely hers.
Master.
Look what your disciple has brought you.
It was the moment I was about to present my plump tail.
My master's cold eyes stared at me.
This time, her eyes held a clear emotion.
And I knew instantly what that emotion was.
“When did I ever ask you to bring me such a thing?”
My master was angry.
*
Baek Yeon-yeong looked at Hui.
Her one and only disciple. She had never doubted that he was the being from the prophecy.
She was one who tried not to give her affection to others, but she couldn't help but grow fond of the lizard that used to bite her finger with its tiny mouth.
That was why she couldn't help but be angry.
The moment she saw Hui's body, she felt her heart drop.
His small frame was deceiving, but her eyes could see through to the essence.
Not a single one of his joints was unscathed, and even his qi meridians were completely twisted.
His forelegs, in particular, pulsed with an energy completely antithetical to his own. His body was in such a state that it was a miracle he hadn't lost consciousness.
And yet, he was wagging his tail gently.
Smiling foolishly at the thought of being able to give his master an elixir.
The sight of him presenting his tail, as if urging her to eat it quickly, was something she simply couldn't bear to watch.
“Why do you do things you were not ordered to? Did you think I would gladly accept it if you appeared like this?”
The lizard began to fret, as if he had never expected such a reaction.
“I have neither the right nor the intention to accept this.”
By what right could she receive such an elixir?
What kind of master covets her disciple's body for her own well-being?
Baek Yeon-yeong knew very well what a tail meant to a lizard.
And what his tail meant to Hui.
She also knew that his tail would grow back.
But even so, she could not take that tail for herself.
Hui's tail contained an amount of internal energy that was by no means small, even by Baek Yeon-yeong's standards.
And the reason Hui's body was in such a state was because of her.
He had endured by force, without absorbing the power of his tail.
It was a situation where he had to bear a burden far greater than simply restricting a portion of his total power.
Every step must have been an ordeal, and he probably couldn't even get a proper night's sleep from having to focus on his tail.
That was why Baek Yeon-yeong had no choice but to push Hui away.
To make him use that internal energy for his own injured body, even now.
“…Huiya.”
But Hui got up again and again, crawling toward Baek Yeon-yeong.
“For This Lady, something like this is…”
The lizard was relentless.
He crawled desperately, trying to reach her somehow, then rushed toward her delicate fingers.
Baek Yeon-yeong was about to push him away once more.
Why on earth is he going this far?
With that question in mind, she looked into Hui's blue eyes.
“…What an impudent creature you are.”
This little lizard no longer bit her finger.
He simply wrapped his body around it.
His eyes held a deep resolve.
“How dare you think of This Lady in such a way.”
A sigh escaped her.
Baek Yeon-yeong had been determined to see her will through, no matter what.
But the moment she saw Hui's eyes, that determination wavered, if only a little.
Because his eyes were so familiar, so similar to what she herself once possessed.
The will to protect someone.
That audacious lizard had done all this to protect her, his master.
That intense gaze, which seemed to say that what he sought to protect was more precious than his own life, could not help but break even the mighty will of Baek Yeon-yeong.
Because Baek Yeon-yeong, who knew that gaze all too well, understood that nothing could stop Hui now.
“…It seems I have been greatly underestimated.”
Baek Yeon-yeong's finger stroked Hui's small head.
With her other hand, she untied the red cloth he had fastened with his tiny hands.
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she continued.
“Yes, it is about time I showed my disobedient disciple.”
She had no choice but to accept Hui's gift.
But she was the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and Hui's master.
She would not fall for the same trick again.
“I shall let the world know who This Lady is.”
The one Baek Yeon-yeong had been angry with was not Hui, but herself.
Because she had foolishly hesitated, Hui had been hurt.
Therefore, to prevent such a thing from ever happening again, she had to stop hesitating.
Baek Yeon-yeong decided to eliminate all enemies threatening her disciple and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in one fell swoop.
Cherishing his master more than his own life was clearly the wrong thing to do.
She had never taught him such a thing; above all, she wanted him to think of his own safety.
But to say she was not pleased would be a lie.
In fact, the corners of her lips did lift slightly.
It was only for a brief moment, one that only Hui could see, but it was clearly etched in his memory.
*
I have to cut it off quickly before she changes her mind.
Even if it's my master, there are some things I can't yield on.
This is more important than my own life.
I have to protect something I can never lose.
If I don't cut this off, something else will get cut off!
I'll get the Sunflower Manual treatment