I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 38

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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38.

Seon-o took out the Yin Stone and a few small bone fragments that he had carefully hidden in the pouch inside his clothes and examined them. He showed no interest in the seed.

Although his plan had gone significantly awry due to someone’s sudden interference, fortunately the results remained unchanged.

On Gang had also passed through Cheongpa River and by chance had obtained this Yin Stone here. However, On Gang had failed to collect these bone fragments because he didn’t know their true identity.

These bone fragments were the reason why so many demons had brought offerings to the Golden Salamander.

‘They said that if you grind these bones that the creature spits out after digesting all the offerings, even low-level demons can cast sorcery.’

With that, they had been luring and killing humans by casting sorcery on them. That alone was a terrible thing, but Seon-o had a different reason for collecting these bone fragments.

‘I need to find out if this bone powder works on superhumans too.’

Now that it had been revealed that something was brainwashing superhumans, he needed to confirm whether the bone powder that the Golden Salamander spits out was playing that role.

Gaining the cooperation of Yawol Sect had been an excellent choice. Otherwise, he would have had to take these bone fragments to the Emperor. He couldn’t analyze them by himself.

And this Yin Stone…

“…”

Seon-o gripped the smooth red Yin Stone tightly. When he felt a tickling vibration in his palm, Seon-o held his breath.

‘It’s exactly as described in the book.’

Having gained certainty, Seon-o firmly put them back into the pouch inside his clothes and stood up. Since the Ghost Carriage had disappeared, he had to walk diligently to his next destination.

Seon-o looked up at the sky once more for no particular reason. Wi Gong-un might follow him again.

Moreover, Wi Gong-un’s suspicions were actually reasonable. Both the fact that the Golden Salamander’s fortress was here and that there was a Yin Stone in its stomach were things he had known in advance.

‘…He’s not going to go back and spread rumors, is he?’

That would be troublesome. If they found out that obtaining the Golden Salamander’s bones wasn’t a coincidence, even Hwan, who had just agreed to cooperate with him, would become suspicious of him again, and others’ suspicions would deepen as well.

At that moment, the face of Cheong-eum, who had been politely interrogating him, flashed before Seon-o’s eyes.

“May I ask how you knew about that place?”

Cheong-eum must be suspicious of him too.

His head was already about to burst, and thinking of Wi Gong-un who had suddenly interfered and nearly ruined his plan made his insides boil with anger. Even when he felt around his neck just in case, there were no traces left. Probably only Wi Gong-un could detoxify this poison.

“Ugh. Wi Gong-un, that bastard. That cunning son of a bitch.”

Taking the opportunity to curse Wi Gong-un, Seon-o hoped that Wi Gong-un wasn’t the type to chatter like a magpie and took out the compass he had brought.

‘Good. Now that I’ve obtained the Yin Stone, I’ll move to the next stage.’

After determining the direction with his compass, Seon-o got up and walked diligently without even having time to dry his clothes.

“…”

Unaware that someone was watching his retreating figure as he left diligently.

* * *

On his way to the next destination, Seon-o stopped by an inn to wash and change into new clothes, but ignored all the appetizing smells and immediately set off again.

Thanks to Hwan’s elixir, he was fine even after going without food for several days straight.

Of course, the elixir didn’t solve his sleep needs, so he had to stop by an inn once every two days.

For the first two or three times Seon-o stopped at inns, he would get some sleep, wash up, and immediately set off again, but from then on he deliberately sat in the inn’s restaurant and carefully eavesdropped on the conversations of the travelers around him.

“Did you hear? Young Lady Bu So-yoon has already made her seed germinate!”

“What? Already? This will be a thousand-year blessing for the Bu family.”

This was because he could learn about the progress of the competition through the travelers who went back and forth between various places.

‘Just like in the original story.’

In the original story too, Bu So-yoon was the first to make her seed germinate, and she also spread the news throughout the region to break the morale of the other candidates.

Since news of So-yoon came, no news of other candidates had been heard yet, but by now Gi-rim would have made her seed germinate too.

Fortunately, since the travelers weren’t talking about Seon-o, it seemed Wi Gong-un was keeping his mouth shut for now.

‘How should I deal with this bastard when I get back?’

While having this headache-inducing thought, Seon-o was absentmindedly spinning the tea cup he hadn’t taken a single sip from.

“Excuse me… Miss, you dropped this.”

Someone cautiously spoke to him. When Seon-o turned to look, he saw a girl with a shy face holding something out to him. She was a small girl who looked to be about ten years old.

Seon-o’s hair tie was placed on the girl’s palm.

It seemed what he had placed on the table had fallen. Seon-o took it with a gentle smile.

“Thank you. What’s your name?”

“I’m Seol.”

“That’s a pretty name. Thank you, Seol. My father bought this for me, so I would have been in big trouble if it weren’t for you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Seol, who had answered shyly until the end, bowed politely before returning to her seat.

Then the man who had been watching from over there greeted Seol with a smile. Seeing how much he resembled Seol, he appeared to be Seol’s father. He spoke to the girl about something while smiling affectionately.

Seeing the large bundle with belongings attached all over it and the hat that was a merchant’s mark placed beside them, the man appeared to be a merchant.

Seon-o noticed that Seol’s bundle also contained many things. As if they were carrying all their daily necessities.

Seeing that the merchant had brought his daughter along to these deep mountains, perhaps…

‘He has nowhere to leave his daughter, so he travels with her.’

Making a vague guess, Seon-o watched the affectionate father and daughter. Seon-o’s father had also been a wonderful father who would be second to none in terms of affection. Thanks to that, Seon-o was well familiar with that gaze filled with love for a daughter.

It was the moment when Seon-o, who had briefly felt pleased seeing his own father’s image in the father and daughter, was about to withdraw his gaze and leave.

“Those father and daughter.”

A very quiet and secretive voice drifted from behind him.

Seon-o, who had paused at those words, stopped trying to get up and subtly shifted his gaze. He could see three men who had been eating since before Seon-o sat down exchanging silent glances and nodding their heads.

‘…Father and daughter? It sounds like they’re selecting merchandise.’

When one of their gazes turned toward the father and daughter as if confirming their target again, an ominous feeling swirled around Seon-o’s throat as he watched.

Since coming to this world, it seemed like Seon-o’s detection abilities had been enhanced somehow.

‘A human trafficking gang.’

In a world overrun with demons and chaos, criminals were bound to be rampant.

While Seon-o was briefly pondering this unexpected obstacle, the father and daughter who had finished their meal gathered their belongings and stood up. After the father and daughter politely greeted the inn owner and left the inn, the men in the back also stood up shortly after.

As expected, when they followed the father and daughter out of the inn, Seon-o’s expression became complicated.

“Ah, seriously.”

I don’t have time for this.

Seon-o, who cursed under his breath as if his head ached, immediately shot up from his seat and followed them out.

* * *

“Dad, I think it would be better to put a few more things in my bundle. I’m not heavy at all!”

“Really? But Dad’s not heavy at all either, you know? And today we need to cross this mountain, so we should save our strength, Seol.”

“I can cross two mountains, Dad.”

“Wow, our Seol is really amazing! When we stop by the next village, I should buy you those sweet rice dumplings you like, shouldn’t I?”

The girl’s steps became lighter, excited by her father’s praise. Seol and her father had been living as merchants traveling the vast continent for two years now. This was because three years ago, when Seol’s mother passed away from a chronic illness, there was nowhere to leave Seol.

For the first year, he had left Seol with distant relatives, but when Seol’s father No Moon-woong learned that Seol was being treated coldly and harshly there, he immediately took Seol’s hand and set out on the road that very day.

Although he was anxious about bringing Seol along on such a dangerous life where demons could appear anywhere, there was no other choice. Moreover, since Seol was so happy to travel with her father, he didn’t want to be separated from Seol either.

Therefore, he was planning to travel the continent for exactly two years to save money, then settle down and start a business, and that goal was now not far off. Once he sold all of these goods, he would be able to end this precarious life and settle down with his daughter.

A smile spread across his lips at the thought of finally ending his young daughter’s hardships. It was the moment he resolved that once they settled in the village he had in mind, he would send her to school right away.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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