Last Dance (Final) - Probing Do-cheol's Cave Traces
I personally inspected the supposed traces of Do-cheol that had been discovered in the cave. It's a total mess.
And just as the saying goes that a beautiful person's stay leaves beauty behind, the spot where one of the Four Evils had lingered was utterly ominous. Walls pierced here and there like paper stabbed through by an awl, floors smashed flat as if crushed under tofu, clumps of glossy black fur scattered everywhere. Every single mark was anything but ordinary.
What's the common thread here? What drove me even madder was that the wall marks and floor marks shared no common traits whatsoever. If a horn had gouged the walls, the lengths might vary, but the width and depth should be somewhat consistent. Traces from the same beast should feel that way. The same went for claw and paw gashes on the floor—they should scream "same beast." But Do-cheol's traces gave no such impression. They were all over the place for a single creature's work, yet weirdly similar enough to rule out multiples.
Vicious bastard. My conviction grew that the owner of these traces was indeed Do-cheol. If mere marks could sow this much chaos, it fit the bill for an evil.
- Kki-ing!
- Kki-ong!
Even Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i went berserk the moment they spotted Do-cheol's "guestbook" etched into the walls and floor, letting out furious roars. Their cries were so intense it almost made me chuckle. If they were reacting this hard, it sure as hell wasn't some ordinary beast's graffiti.
What now? I racked my brain at lightning speed. The traces' owner was most likely Do-cheol—or something on that level. This wasn't the usual prelude to a spirit beast appearance. And against one of the Four Evils or equivalent? I couldn't guarantee Guangxi's forces alone could handle it. The Four Evils weren't just this era's powerhouses; they were monsters from the mythic age. My gut screamed that even super peak experts wouldn't cut it—only a Hwagyeong master could tangle with it.
How do I even phrase it... "Send a Hwagyeong"? But what words would summon a Hwagyeong master? Luckily, my bloodline and position gave me ties to them. If I begged, they'd grumble about the hassle but show up anyway—a few of them, at least. Grandfather would descend with his Ten Thunders if I asked. But the reason? "Pretty sure there's a Four Evil here—catch it for me"? No way I could say that out loud.
It's like asking to capture aliens from Area 51. I was convinced of Do-cheol's existence, but in this world, it was just a mythic legend. The name was famous, but believers? Zero. Bizarre, really. We had martial arts and spirit beasts—why be so skeptical about the Four Evils? Hoping the bad ones stay gone? Anyway, requesting aid to exterminate one would be like a high official filing paperwork for alien capture or ghost busting. I'd just get called insane.
Still, it's not the worst-case scenario. Amid the despair, I clung to a sliver of hope. From the mythic age to now—thousands of years—no records of the Four Evils meddling in human affairs. Even at this suspected emergence, the only damage was one wrecked merchant caravan. And who knew if that was really Do-cheol or just bad timing? From its perspective, it steps out after ages and gets blamed for stuff it didn't do.
...
I'll write to Grandfather. The unease was too much. I'd have to send him a personal letter. What, not the worst case? A thread of hope? Since when was I the lucky type to bet on hope? My track record demanded assuming the absolute worst. Incidents erupted in my daily life; even passable spots tripped me up. Me, ignoring Four Evil traces? With my return to Kaepyeong right around the corner? No dying in some guest inn now.
"Impressive sight. Even to a layman like me, these are unsettling marks."
"Far from ordinary, sir. Likely some ill-tempered spirit beast went on a rampage."
I gave Jeong Cheon-ho a wry smile. Excluding the Four Evils factor, it was the most plausible theory—but spirit beasts weren't "spirits" for nothing. No tantrum left scars like this. Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i proved it. Spirit beast meltdowns tormented minds, not the land.
"Right. Could be."
But I didn't contradict him here. Calling it a "twisted spirit beast prank" suited us both for now. As a spirit beast expert raising objections would just muddle the investigation. Pointless critiques were best avoided.
We snagged lodging the moment we entered Gyeirim proper. Meetings with the prefect or garrison commander? Tomorrow. Chatting officials now would just tangle my head. Might even blurt out forming a Do-cheol extermination squad.
"Um, young master."
"Yeah?"
"Those traces in the cave... They're not something a spirit beast would leave."
Ak I-yeon trailed off, but I got it. To her, those marks screamed non-spirit beast too. If I was the expert, she was near-pro—watching six spirit beasts with me, she'd know rampages didn't leave ominous scars like that.
"Definitely not a spirit beast. Anything leaving traces like that is an abomination."
"So... really Do-cheol?"
Her serious question eased me a bit. I wasn't alone in grasping the gravity, Do-cheol's reality. Ak I-yeon, who'd weathered crises with me, and Jo Wi-cheo, grim-faced and silent, both considered it too.
"Can't rule it out. Hard to believe Do-cheol popping up out of nowhere, but it fits all the puzzles."
"True."
Her face darkened noticeably at my words. I got it. A mega-event crashing the Central Plains pilgrimage finale. Honestly, "mega" understated it—this was catastrophe territory.
Do-cheol ain't some backyard beast. Even beast stampedes gave headaches, but Do-cheol hailed from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era—not your average animal. Treated as yokai or abomination now, but god-tier was fair. Chunqiu Zuozhuan and Records of the Grand Historian backed it: ancestor Yan Emperor Shennong. Distant kin, sure, but divine bloodline.
That irked me more. If folks bought the histories featuring it, I'd have rallied Hwagyeongs without hesitation.
Plenty would joyfully charge in. Grandfather and Gi Gangwang. For some reason, I trusted those two would leap at a Four Evils raid.
"I-yeon, could you prep a messenger pigeon?"
"Messenger pigeon?"
"Yeah. Gotta brief Grandfather on Do-cheol."
Ak I-yeon and Jo Wi-cheo flinched.
"I-is that okay? If I hadn't seen Taeju Manor, I'd have brushed off 'Do-cheol' too."
"Not asking them to believe—just alerting to the Gyeirim incident."
That a menace ominous enough for "Do-cheol" rumors had appeared. That the heir, with duties wrapping up, might cross it.
Trust Grandfather's love. And my "nearly died at Jiayu Pass" image. Four Evils or Four Auspicious? If it screamed "grandson's in danger," he'd come running.
Sorry for exploiting it, but no choice. Only way to draw Hwagyeong muscle.
I'll repay with filial piety later. But first, this grandson survives Do-cheol...
The pigeon winged swiftly to Kaepyeong. Please stir Grandfather's heart.
- Kki-ing, kki-iiing!
- Kki-ong!
Otherwise, these guys might drop me first—not Do-cheol.
"Cool it and eat first. Gotta eat well to stay strong."
I set down plates of dongpo pork before Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i, but shockingly, they pawed the ground furiously, refusing. I was speechless. These two? Rejecting food? Dongpo pork, no less?
Do-cheol's fault? Symptoms since Gyeirim arrival. Obvious Do-cheol rage-fueled hatred surged. Damn thing. Wrecking its old caravan? Not my problem. But harming my spirit beasts?
If they revert to Hengshan wild days, you owning up? Their growing ferocity terrified me. I'd tamed them mild—couldn't handle spicy again. (Okay, Gi Gangwang did the taming.)
- Kkieak.
As Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i spurned the pork, Kkieak-i seized the chance, snatching a plate with its long neck and beak. Seamless theft—I barely registered it.
Do-cheol, you bastard. Eyes shut in sorrow at the spiraling spirit beast chaos. Once Grandfather arrives, I'd frame it: "Nearly killed me." Never saw it, but yeah.