Chapter 75
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75
At Seol-yo’s words, So-ya gave a little sniff.
Amidst the thick scent of medicinal herbs, she caught a sharp, sour tang.
“This is the smell of the Northern Land?”
“Yeah! It’s the scent of a Peril Beast from the North!”
So-ya’s eyes grew wide at Seol-yo’s innocent answer.
A Peril Beast…!
She remembered her father saying that the plague spreading through the village was being intentionally released by someone with a wicked heart.
That person—no, that Peril Beast—is the one who spread the plague with his evil intentions.
So-ya recalled her encounter with a Peril Beast from the Northern Land during the Mountain Lord Festival three years ago.
Hondon, one of the Four Perils.
He had been incredibly strong. So strong that even her brother Hyeon, transformed into a massive tiger, couldn't defeat him.
We were only able to drive him away back then with the help of the White Tiger…
So-ya glanced down at the White Tiger Sword hanging at her waist.
I have to tell Father and stop that Peril Beast before he does anything worse.
So-ya called Jjaek-jjaek over and whispered something to him.
The sparrow nodded vigorously and took flight into the air.
* * *
Meanwhile, the Peril Beast carrying the scent of the Northern Land was none other than Gung-gi.
As one of the Four Perils, he was currently carrying out the orders of the Lord of the North, Hyeon Ra-baek.
Three years ago, his master had sent a straw effigy created from his own spirit core to the White Tiger Palace to investigate Hondon’s death. However, the effigy had been struck down, and the backlash had left Hyeon Ra-baek unable to move properly for some time.
In truth, it was Tae Yi-rim who had destroyed the effigy, but Hyeon Ra-baek, unaware of this, believed it to be the work of Baek Sa-eon.
Having finally recovered, Hyeon Ra-baek gave an order to Gung-gi—the only one among the Four Perils who had managed to wound Baek Sa-eon in the past.
He was to lure Baek Sa-eon out of the White Tiger Palace and eliminate him.
Gung-gi had intentionally left his traces where the borders of the Western Land and the Central Region met.
I’ve succeeded in luring Baek Sa-eon out of the White Tiger Palace as planned, but…
He had faced Baek Sa-eon in battle long ago during the war.
Consumed by the ambition to offer the head of that Western tiger to his master, Gung-gi had fought him, only to nearly lose his life to Sa-eon's blade.
He had barely managed to escape by scattering his poisonous insects.
He was a relentless bastard.
Even after being bitten by the poisonous insects, Baek Sa-eon had immediately carved out his own contaminated flesh and continued to swing his sword. The sight of him had been chilling, like a God of War rising from the underworld.
If the demonic poison hadn't eventually reached Sa-eon's spirit core and paralyzed him, Gung-gi would never have escaped alive.
If I face him head-on like I did back then, I’ll surely die a dog’s death.
He had managed to lure Baek Sa-eon this far, but the memory of that man who fought like a God of War made him hesitate to make a move.
Fortunately, the fog will hide the moon tonight.
His poisonous insects were sensitive to even the smallest amount of light.
Even in the dense forests, they couldn't completely avoid the sunlight, so they usually stayed hidden beneath the soil, only emerging to infect the fingertips of people gathering mountain herbs.
It wasn't just sunlight that affected the insects; moonlight did as well.
But if the fog covered the moon tonight—if it could just block out that clear moonlight…
I’ll have a chance at victory.
He just needed to buy time until then—
“Hello, Mister.”
Gung-gi flinched and spun around at the sudden voice.
A small girl with hair as white as a snowflake was smiling brightly at him.
This child is…
She was the daughter Baek Sa-eon had brought with him.
Perfect. If I use this child, I can tie Baek Sa-eon’s hands and feet.
As Gung-gi began to weave a wicked scheme in his head while staring at So-ya, she suddenly began to sniff the air.
“W-What are you doing?”
“Mhm, so this is it.”
While he watched her in bewilderment, So-ya muttered to herself with a bright smile, as if nothing were wrong.
“Say, Mister. Have you seen my father?”
“Your father…?”
“Baek Sa-eon, the Clan Head of the White Tiger Clan, is my father. I miss him. Mister, will you come with me to find him?”
Gung-gi looked at the child speaking to him with clear, bright eyes.
He soon put on a feigned, generous smile and reached out a hand to her.
“Of course, child. I shall take you to your father.”
“Wow, thank you!”
The child smiled broadly and took his hand.
His worries about how to lure Baek Sa-eon’s daughter away had been for nothing; things were proceeding far too easily.
There wasn't even a single guard in sight.
“A plague that contaminates people’s spirit cores… it’s so scary.”
Gung-gi laughed darkly to himself as he watched the innocent child chatter away, completely unaware of his sinister intentions.
Hehe, good. I’ll lure this child to a secluded spot and use her as a hostage to deal with Baek Sa-eon…
Just as he was about to lead her toward a more remote mountain path, So-ya suddenly shouted.
“Oh! Mister, look over there! Come this way!”
“Wait, it’s not that way—”
“Oh my! Did you see that? There was a rabbit over there!”
The child began to run off on her own.
Dammit. This is why I hate brats.
Gung-gi broke into a cold sweat as he chased after So-ya.
How does this tiny bean have so much stamina?
So-ya hopped up the steep slopes without any sign of fatigue.
She was like a squirrel… no, she was much smaller and lighter than a squirrel. Yes, she was just like a baby bird.
What? Where did she go?
Gung-gi, who had been chasing right behind her, suddenly lost sight of the child at a dead end and looked around frantically.
“Seol-yo, now!”
“Grrr…!”
Just as Seol-yo, in his massive wolf form, pounced on Gung-gi, So-ya transformed into a small bird with a poof and took to the air.
“Ppyah, ppya!”
So-ya flapped her wings vigorously in the air and chirped loudly, as if calling out to someone.
“Ugh, wh-what is this…!”
Pinned under Seol-yo, Gung-gi struggled to push him off.
And then.
Whoosh—
The sound of wind being sliced echoed as wide sleeves fluttered.
“Ppiya!”
So-ya flew straight toward the man who appeared, his fine white hair streaming behind him.
“You little Cotton Ball.”
It was none other than Sa-eon.
A moment ago, Sa-eon had been investigating the mountain with his subordinates.
Suddenly, Jjaek-jjaek had appeared and started tugging at Sa-eon’s collar with his beak.
While Sa-eon was still bewildered, recognizing the bird as the little lark that was So-ya’s friend, he heard So-ya’s bird-call echoing across the mountain and came running at full speed.
He had run so fast that Jjaek-jjaek was panting as he struggled to keep up behind him.
“Why are you here instead of staying in the village…!”
“Ppiya! Ppi! (Father, that man is the Peril Beast! Seol-yo said he smells like the Northern Land!)”
“What?”
Sa-eon turned his gaze to where So-ya was pointing.
“Urgh, ugh… Dammit…!”
Gung-gi forced himself up, the recoil pushing Seol-yo back.
“Seol-yo!”
So-ya quickly canceled her beast transformation and ran to Seol-yo’s side to support him.
Gung-gi tried to flee in that opening, but Sa-eon, having realized his identity, immediately blocked his path.
“Gung-gi, of the Four Perils.”
“Dammit, Baek Sa-eon…!”
“It seems it’s finally time to take your head.”
Sa-eon’s lips curled into a smirk as he drew his sword.
Realizing there was no escape, Gung-gi drew his own weapon and lunged at Sa-eon.
Sa-eon gave a faint laugh and drove Gung-gi back with fluid, elegant strikes of his blade.
…!
Watching this, So-ya’s eyes gradually widened.
She had heard countless stories from Lady San-ho and others about how strong her father was.
She clearly remembered the sturdy back that had saved her life when she was younger, but since coming to the White Tiger Palace, she hadn't had the chance to see his martial prowess.
He’s amazing…!
Seeing her father’s martial arts in person, he was truly strong! Incredibly strong! Really, really, incredibly strong!
He’s handling that terrifying Peril Beast like he’s dealing with a small child.
Slash—
His longsword carved a deep, diagonal gash across Gung-gi’s body.
“K-Kugh… Baek Sa-eon…”
So-ya gulped and gripped the White Tiger Sword tightly.
She had seen Hondon, who had also been wearing a human skin, tear through that shell to reveal his true self before.
“Skreeeeeeee!”
Sure enough, Gung-gi’s true form emerged from within as his human shell was torn apart.
It was a poisonous insect queen, as large as a house and covered in countless legs.
“Gurgle… gurgle…”
Having lost his human shell, Gung-gi’s true form could no longer speak human language and instead emitted bizarre, grotesque noises.
Gung-gi trembled his many legs, suffering under the sunlight filtering through the trees.
“Ugh.”
Seeing the creature, Sa-eon’s expression soured.
“Oh, Father! Hurry!”
When Sa-eon didn't finish it off immediately, So-ya cried out in a worried voice.
Sa-eon took a pained breath and adjusted his grip on his sword.
“I’m telling you now, this won't be a very pretty sight.”
Sa-eon spoke with a pale face.
“The moment I finish this thing, poisonous insects will come pouring out. Why don't you little ones cover your eyes and step back?”
“I’m going to help you and everyone else, Father!”
“Awoo, awoo!”
As So-ya shouted with her fists clenched, Seol-yo also stomped the ground with his forepaws beside her.
“Ppit, ppit!”
Even Jjaek-jjaek chirped out in a brave voice.
At this, Sa-eon let out a short laugh and nodded.
“Most of them will turn to ash in the sunlight, but some might attack people, so kill them as soon as you see them.”
The moment Sa-eon sliced through Gung-gi’s true body.
The body burst open, and hundreds of poisonous insects came pouring out.
“Ppyap, ppyap!”
Jjaek-jjaek began to hop around excitedly among the insects.
San-ho and the subordinates who had followed Sa-eon arrived just in time, drawing their weapons in unison to slaughter the poisonous insects.
So-ya also scurried around, using the White Tiger Sword to poke, poke and kill the fleeing insects.
Beside her, Seol-yo slammed his thick forepaws down on the bugs.
“They really are hideous.”
Sa-eon’s expression grew even worse as he looked at the insect carcasses.
It was just as things were being cleared up.
“Ppiyap!”
Jjaek-jjaek, who had been hopping around excitedly next to So-ya, suddenly pecked at a poisonous insect and swallowed it whole.