Chapter 254
Chapter 254
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 70
>Chapter Title: Demon (3)
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Just moments ago,
-Shwaaaaa!
A sharp single sword strike where yokai power and sword intent had unified as one.
The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox was sent flying back to a height of nearly a hundred zhang.
The sword intent alone was far sharper than before, but with her own yokai power directly infused into it, the strike's power was immense—strong enough to demand the use of four tails at once to counter.
-Shooo!
She halted midair as she was flung through the sky.
Hovering there as if she had wings, she stuck out her tongue in disbelief.
'Using my yokai power to target me?'
This guy was truly insane.
In her thousands of years of life, there had been those who threatened her.
But nearly all of them were beings called sages or immortals, or ferocious spirits on par with her as divine beasts.
The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox narrowed her eyes.
'Is it the influence of that guy trapped in his mind?'
It didn't matter either way.
This one was close to human yet embodied the demon she'd been searching for all this time.
-Zzt!
At that moment, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox furrowed her brow.
She'd thought she'd blocked it properly, but the tip of her tail had been nearly severed, dangling loosely.
"Ha!"
In an instant, her eyes turned ferocious.
To slice even a part of her tail, the embodiment of her yokai power?
She was furious enough at the slightest scratch there, but to have it actually cut—rage boiled up within the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.
'Should I just kill him?'
For a fleeting moment, even murderous intent arose.
But she quickly suppressed it.
'Patience. If I kill him here, I won't know if he'll become the existence the River Sage spoke of.'
She licked the severed, dangling portion of her tail.
The bleeding from the wound stopped in an instant.
The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox completely tore off the damaged tail section.
Then she smirked.
'Come to think of it, for a mere human whelp not even twenty years old to already possess this much power, his potential is undoubtedly the highest.'
This one would grow stronger at a rapid pace.
Soon, her wish might come true.
'I'll keep him by my side and watch...'
Something flashed through her mind as she thought that.
It stemmed from something she'd seen in Mok Kyung-un's memories.
And beyond that, this guy not only had exceptional innate talent but was growing swiftly due to his thirst for vengeance.
That meant he might not become the form she desired, even if she kept him close.
Moreover, he was inherently wicked enough without any corruption needed.
Having reached a conclusion, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox licked her lips.
"Ahhh. What a shame."
She'd wanted to keep him nearby for fun, but that would have to be put on hold.
* * *
"For a moment, I thought about just killing you, but let's end it here."
'!?'
Mok Kyung-un, who had been on utmost alert, stared at the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox with eyes full of incomprehension.
Cheong-ryeong felt the same.
The White-Faced Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox was a great spirit beast bordering on divine.
If she wished, she—the moving calamity—could not only kill them but turn the entire imperial capital into a sea of blood.
To her, all this was mere play.
Her power was absolute, yet suddenly, like a whim, she declared an end—leaving them bewildered.
At that moment, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox shrugged and said,
"I was going to take you as a plaything right here, but picking unripe fruit doesn't seem right."
"...What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. I'll leave you be for now."
"Leave us be?"
"Yeah."
The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox glanced at the severed part of her own tail and continued,
"You're sharp enough to cut my tail, but you're still a long way off."
"...From killing you?"
At Mok Kyung-un's words, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox clutched her stomach and burst into laughter.
"Kyahahaha! Kill me? Even using my yokai power, you barely nicked the tip of my tail. Isn't that a bit too greedy?"
"......"
Mok Kyung-un said nothing in response.
There was indeed an enormous gap between her power and his.
To her, he was probably no more than an insect.
Since he couldn't match her anyway, if she chose to spare him on a whim, he had no choice but to accept it gratefully.
But her words nagged at him.
'I'll leave you be for now...'
It sounded like she'd let him go today but keep targeting him.
No, it felt that way.
'Why?'
He couldn't fathom why she coveted him.
[He's the human who embodies the demon I've been searching for.]
She'd said that, but he still didn't fully grasp its meaning.
Then, with a casual wave of her hand, the clothes she'd been flung from in the corner of Prince Gyeongchin's chambers flew over and dressed her on their own.
-Swish!
With just another gesture, her hair and eyes returned to black.
She was once again the radiant beauty of Noble Consort Ho.
Mok Kyung-un picked up the severed tail segment from the floor and held it out to her.
"Take it."
Noble Consort Ho smiled and replied,
"I'm giving it to you."
"Giving it?"
"Yes. Keep it safe."
"...I have no taste for carrying something like this around."
"You should carry it. It'll be proof that I've claimed you. Oh, does it bother you as is? Then..."
-Swish!
Noble Consort Ho lightly flicked her hand.
The severed tail transformed into a round badge covered in golden fur.
"Better for carrying now, right?"
"If it's proof you've claimed me, it's even more uncomfortable to carry."
"You're so honest. But it won't hurt you to have it. You seem to attract ferocious spirits without trying."
"......"
He couldn't deny that.
From some point on, vengeful spirits and ferocious spirits had indeed been drawn to him.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say it started after his eyes fully awakened.
"So keep it. Having even a part of my tail will keep pesky things away."
Even as a severed body part, traces and echoes of her yokai power lingered.
With a piece of the White-Faced Queen on him, most ferocious spirits wouldn't dare approach, and even those of higher caliber would cower on their own.
'And with that, I can find you anywhere you go.'
The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox smirked inwardly.
Even without keeping him close, this method allowed meetings anytime.
No matter how great a spirit beast, tracking someone deliberately hiding across the vast Central Plains was no easy feat.
"......"
Mok Kyung-un silently gripped the badge made from her tail, then tucked it into his bosom.
It wasn't out of genuine gratitude; provoking the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox now would gain him nothing.
If need be, he could always slip out of the palace later.
As if reading his true intentions, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox smiled and said,
"If I catch you discarding it, you'd better be prepared. Got it?"
Mok Kyung-un made an annoyed face at her words.
Regardless, she turned to leave Prince Gyeongchin's chambers without lingering, as if her business was done.
'Is she really just leaving?'
Cheong-ryeong inwardly sighed in relief at the sight.
But the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox paused and spoke in a tone as if she'd forgotten something.
"Oh, right. I put the Brocade Guards and palace warriors outside to sleep. You can handle things in here on your own, right?"
At her question, Mok Kyung-un glanced at the unconscious Prince Gyeongchin and the eunuch Ho Gonggong, whose throat had been slit.
If Eunuch Ho Gonggong had caused a bigger mess, it might be tricky, but with him dead, they could proceed with the original plan.
Still, just in case, he asked,
"And if we can't handle it, will you help?"
"No."
"Then why ask?"
"Just checking. You're not so dim you can't manage this much."
"......"
She'd never intended to help anyway.
With no expectations, Mok Kyung-un wasn't particularly disappointed.
But then, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox snickered and tossed out an unexpected remark as she left.
"That mark you've been looking for—I think I've seen it somewhere."
'!?'
In an instant, Mok Kyung-un's eyes snapped wide open.
It was out of the blue, but since the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox had rifled through his memories, he instantly grasped what she meant.
He'd been calm and cold about everything else, but at the word "mark," his gaze sharpened fiercely.
"...What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean."
"Did you see it in my memories?"
"Yeah. The scar on your dead grandfather's body. I've seen it somewhere."
No sooner had she said it—
-Swish!
Mok Kyung-un blocked her path in a flash using his lightness skill, his tone icy.
"Where did you see it?"
She grinned and replied,
"Why so curious?"
"I'd be grateful if you told me."
"Gratitude alone isn't enough."
Teasing him deliberately, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox clasped her hands behind her back and circled Mok Kyung-un.
Watching her, he soon asked,
"What do you want?"
Licking her sticky fingers, she replied,
"Want to finish what we started earlier? Satisfy me here, and I might tell you."
"That's what you want?"
"Yeah."
"Then right now..."
For a moment, Mok Kyung-un trailed off and instinctively glanced back.
He saw Cheong-ryeong watching with a subtle gaze.
Seeing that look, he couldn't continue.
The scar on his dead grandfather's body—the mark tied to it. For a clue, he'd spare no means or methods.
'......'
One romp could yield the information, yet he hesitated.
Mok Kyung-un questioned his own attitude.
Why was he mindful of Cheong-ryeong?
He couldn't understand it.
Then he spoke up.
"Forget it."
"What?"
One of the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox's delicate eyebrows arched upward.
Meanwhile, Cheong-ryeong, who had been watching Mok Kyung-un with anxious eyes, now had a glint in hers.
'Why?'
She understood it involved a crucial clue, yet she'd felt inexplicably bitter.
His unexpected refusal left her feeling oddly complex.
"Tch."
The Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox clicked her tongue in disbelief.
"This hurts my pride."
"Pardon?"
"Never thought I'd lose out to some vengeful spirit."
"...What do you mean?"
"Whatever. My mood's soured anyway. Hmph!"
With that, she stomped out of Prince Gyeongchin's chambers in a huff.
Mok Kyung-un considered grabbing her but lowered the hand he'd slightly raised.
He'd refused with his own words—what good would chasing her do?
Never dwelling on done deals, Mok Kyung-un turned to head toward Cheong-ryeong.
But then a voice came.
"Among the Brocade Guards in the Inner Palace, there's one with that mark."
It was the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox.
'!?'
Mok Kyung-un looked toward the door she'd exited with puzzled eyes.
From the half-closed door gap, she poked her face out and said,
"I was going to leave it, but this once, I'll concede specially. That badge from my tail... never take it off."
"...Understood."
It wasn't hard.
At Mok Kyung-un's reply, the Golden-Furred Nine-Tailed Fox snorted, then shut the door with these words.
"Hmph. See you again, Heavenly Demon."
[Chapter 70 Demon (3)] End