Chapter 92
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92
Contrary to So-ya’s prediction that her brothers would find her immediately, the search party outside was having a difficult time.
A few hours earlier.
The White Tiger young lords, who had been tailing So-ya since morning, hid outside the coral reef garden and waited for her to emerge.
However, after some time had passed...
So-ya was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the young lord of the Blue Shark Clan came out alone, looking flustered.
Watching this, Ga-yul furrowed his brow.
“Huh? Where’s Cotton Ball?”
“Wait a second.”
At that moment, Ga-hyeon sensed something was wrong.
“More importantly... why does that guy have that look on his face...?”
Soon, they too realized that So-ya had vanished.
Normally, they would have found her quickly, just as she had expected. However, this was the Eastern Land, a place that embraced the Cheonghae Sea—a body of water as vast as the entire continent combined. Masked by the unfamiliar scent of the sea, they couldn't pick up So-ya’s scent.
If Sa-eon had been there, he would have found the child without much trouble. But the White Tiger young lords, who had only completed their First Growth, were left floundering before the immense Cheonghae Sea.
Eventually, the news reached Cheong-ha’s ears. Sensing the gravity of the situation, she halted the festival and issued a search order.
Yet, So-ya was nowhere to be found. They couldn't even find anyone who had seen her.
It took much longer than So-ya had anticipated, but eventually, as she had planned, the White Tiger young lords and the soldiers of the Cheonghae Palace arrived at the Blue Shark mansion.
“W-What is the meaning of this!”
The Blue Shark Clan Head shouted, his body trembling.
“I am Baek Ga-hyeon of the White Tiger Clan. My younger sister went missing while she was with the young lord of this house.”
“By Lady Cheong-ha’s command, we are searching for the youngest lady of the White Tiger Clan alongside the young lords. We will be searching the mansion, milord.”
“What? Are you doubting our Blue Shark Clan, who has been devoted to the Eastern Land all this time?”
“If you truly haven't plotted anything, there’s no reason for you not to step aside,” Ga-hyeon countered.
As the Clan Head and Ga-hyeon raised their voices in an argument, Ah-han, who had been standing by anxiously, cut in.
“S-Stop this! Lady So-ya suddenly disappeared on her own while looking at the festival! Why are you looking for her at our mansion?!”
As the group bickered and tangled with one another in front of him...
Thud.
A pouch fell from Ah-han’s robe, and a small, transparent bead rolled out from inside.
Flinch.
“That’s Cotton Ball’s Sea Bead!”
Recognizing the bead, Ga-yul roared and grabbed Ah-han by the collar.
“You...! What did you do to Cotton Ball!”
“Ugh, let go of me...!”
“Now isn't the time for this! Without her Sea Bead, So-ya is in danger!”
While Ga-yul and Ah-han were in a standoff, Ga-hyeon pushed past them and stormed into the Shark mansion.
“S-Stop them!”
A chaotic scuffle broke out between those trying to push inside and those trying to block them.
However, even after forcing their way into the mansion, Ga-hyeon and Ga-yul could not easily find So-ya. They ended up passing right by the place where she was hidden.
And so, the day gradually grew dark.
* * *
—Little bird. Little bird.
“Pyu...”
Labored breaths leaked from between the tiny beak of So-ya, who was asleep in her bird form.
—What should we do? The little bird is having trouble breathing.
—If she stays here any longer, she’ll be in danger, old woman.
The Vermilion Bird Celestial Maiden and the White Tiger Mountain Lord murmured in grave voices as they watched So-ya.
She was barely managing to breathe and hold on because the Blue Dragon’s divine object was beside her, but...
“Pyuu... pya...”
That crude, fake Sea Bead the Blue Shark young lord had swapped in would soon be destroyed.
—Little bird. You have to wake up. Hey, little bird.
—It’s no use. She won’t wake up.
The White Tiger Mountain Lord looked up at the sky.
The sun was beginning to set. If it got any later, the little bird’s life would be in peril.
—There’s no other way. We can only wait and hope she holds on as long as possible.
He muttered, clenching his teeth.
* * *
Meanwhile, outside the courtyard of the Blue Shark mansion where So-ya was hidden.
‘So-ya...’
A boy with black hair and ashen eyes ran frantically through the night air, his face pale as he searched for her.
‘So-ya disappeared...’
But the boy could not find her anywhere.
‘So-ya... I can’t see So-ya... Nowhere...’
Three hours had already passed since she vanished. What if she was gone forever? What if he never saw her again?
‘No.’
Thump.
Fear and terror welled up in his heart, and the boy, Seol-yo, bit his lower lip hard.
It was all his fault. He should have protected her, but he failed. He had even felt petty and hurt just because he saw her playing with someone else.
He didn't know his place...
The sky had already turned pitch black. The thought of never seeing So-ya again was so terrifying that tears pricked his eyes.
Please, please let me find So-ya. If I can just find her, I’ll do anything.
So please...
It was while Seol-yo was praying desperately in his heart.
—Really?
At the sound of a voice coming from somewhere, Seol-yo stopped running and stood still.
—Can you really do anything?
‘What was that? Where is that voice coming from?’
Seol-yo panted heavily, looking around.
—This is no time to be thinking about other things.
The voice giggled as if mocking him.
—Because even at this very moment, the child you are looking for is dying.
‘So-ya is... dying?’
Thud—!
In an instant, Seol-yo’s heart sank.
“I-I’ll do anything! I’ll do whatever it takes, so please find So-ya! Please...!”
Seol-yo screamed, consumed by vivid terror.
—Good. You must remember those words.
The voice, sounding extremely satisfied, whispered as if brainwashing him.
And in that moment.
“Uh...?”
Flash!
A brilliant light flared before his eyes, and Seol-yo’s body shifted through space to another location.
Flop.
Seol-yo sat on the dirt ground, dazed for a moment as he failed to grasp the situation. Then, he spotted a tiny bird lying limp on the ground.
“So-ya!”
He scrambled to his feet and dashed toward her. He carefully picked up the small bird’s body.
“Pya... peep...”
Faint, irregular breaths came from her pale body.
“So-ya...”
She looked like she was struggling to breathe. If she stayed like this, she would be in danger.
“I have to call someone.”
Soon, Seol-yo transformed into a large wolf and let out a roar.
Awoooo—
At that sorrowful and desperate howl echoing through the Blue Shark mansion, the people who had been pushing and pulling in a standoff all stopped their movements at once.
Awooooooo—
“This is...”
“That’s Seol-yo’s voice, Young Master!”
The people of the White Tiger Clan ran toward the source of the sound.
And deep inside, they found a large black wolf and a tiny bird lying limp beside him.
“So-ya!”
“Cotton Ball!”
“Lady!”
Upon their arrival, Seol-yo released his beast transformation and collapsed onto the ground.
“So-ya... she can’t breathe well.”
Seol-yo spoke, tears streaming down his face.
Ga-hyeon quickly placed the small bird on his palm and checked her condition.
“The Sea Bead is...”
“It’s here, Young Master.”
Jeok-a, who had cleverly picked up and kept the Sea Bead Ah-han had dropped during the earlier commotion, handed it to Ga-hyeon.
Ga-hyeon placed the bead on the small bird’s plump belly.
Soon, the light from the bead seeped into So-ya’s Spirit Core, and her faint breathing gradually stabilized.
“Wait, isn't that the Blue Dragon Painted Halberd?”
“Why is the Dragon God’s divine object here...?”
The soldiers of the Cheonghae Palace, who had arrived late, discovered the Blue Dragon Painted Halberd and began to murmur.
And through the crowd, Cheong-ha walked out, her blue hair tied up high.
Slide—
As she pulled the spear out, the seaweed that had been tightly wrapped around it fell away, and the seal was broken.
Watching this from behind, the Blue Shark Clan Head’s face turned ashen.
‘T-This is bad. I have to get out of here first...’
Just as he was about to bolt with that thought...
Thud—!
The long halberd was slammed into the ground right in front of him.
Flinch. Startled, he tried to turn and flee in the opposite direction.
Swish—!
With a sound like the wind, Cheong-ha blocked his path in the blink of an eye.
“H-Heugh...!”
The Blue Shark Clan Head’s face turned pale blue, as if he had come face-to-face with the Grim Reaper.
“You tried to harm a baby in front of her mother.”
Cheong-ha’s lips twisted into a chilling smirk.
“I suppose you should pay the appropriate price for that, shouldn't you?”
At that bone-chilling voice, the Blue Shark Clan Head instinctively stumbled backward.
“L-Lady Cheong-ha, wait... Aaaaaaaagh!”
Soon, a desperate scream echoed loudly.
Amidst all that noisy chaos, only one tiny bird breathed steadily, purring softly on her brother’s palm.