I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 90

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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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90.

At that decision, a strange light flickered in the Candidates’ eyes.

“To obtain Eternal Life, you must consume the peaches that grow on the Peach Tree of Flower Cloud Island.”

At this, So-yoon immediately shot up from her seat and turned around as if she would head there right away. However, So-yoon’s steps froze before she could even take a single step due to the Old Man’s words.

“However, the Peach Fruit only ripens once every thousand years.”

It wasn’t only So-yoon who frowned. A thousand years…

“There are still seven hundred years left before the fruit will ripen.”

It was Chae-gyo who asked back with a hollow laugh.

“What? Seven hundred years?”

The other Candidates’ faces also became complicated at the enormous amount of time.

In contrast, the Immortals’ faces became relaxed as if they were gauging something. It was when they were slowly looking over each Candidate one by one as if peering into their minds.

I-ryeong, who hadn’t said a word until now, opened her mouth.

“You all need the peaches too.”

When a startled expression crossed the Immortals’ faces at those words, the Candidates all turned to look at I-ryeong in unison. However, I-ryeong didn’t add anything more.

The atmosphere instantly changed and a strange silence flowed. Soon So-yoon, who had gotten a clue from I-ryeong’s words, became arrogant again and smiled.

“You said you didn’t need anything. You yellow-bellied old folks. Right, we can make those peaches ripen, can’t we?”

“R-r-ridiculous!”

The General Immortal jumped up and denied it, but he was actually indicating that So-yoon’s words were the correct answer.

“Peaches. Then does Blooming mean making these peaches ripen?”

Chae-gyo muttered while stroking his chin. Since it sounded plausible somehow, the Candidates’ goal was set.

“If it’s not us, then you folks can’t get the peaches either, right? Stop the acting and tell us how to make the peaches ripen.”

When So-yoon spoke in a confident voice after gaining certainty, the Immortals’ faces became troubled. It seemed their plan had been discovered.

“We humbly request this of you.”

When Gi-rim stepped forward again and bowed her head politely, the Immortals who had finally saved face coughed with satisfaction.

Among them, the Shaman Immortal opened her mouth again.

“Ahem, ahem. Since you ask so earnestly, there’s no choice! To obtain the Peach Fruit, exceptional Yin Power is needed. You must use your Yin Power to make the peaches bloom.”

“Wait, but why couldn’t you get the peaches with your Yin Power?”

So-yoon asked sharply. At the word “couldn’t,” the Immortals bristled again.

The Fairy Immortal explained sharply.

“How truly arrogant! The Peach Tree has already consumed our Yin Power! To obtain fruit again with our Yin Power, we must wait seven hundred years to fulfill the period set by Heaven. However, your Yin Power is new Yin Power that has never been offered to the Peach Tree. So the Peach Tree will gladly bear fruit.”

“I have one more curious point.”

When Seon-o raised her hand, the fierce Fairy Immortal’s gaze turned toward her. Even under that gaze, Seon-o continued speaking calmly without being intimidated.

“You must have already consumed the Peach Fruit and obtained Eternal Life, so why do you need the fruit again?”

Then the Immortals became quiet.

After a strange silence flowed, the Strategist Immortal answered.

“Actually, we failed to obtain fruit from the Peach Tree last time.”

When he confessed honestly, some of the Immortals gasped in panic. At the same time, some of the Candidates’ faces also contorted.

“The power of Flower Cloud Island’s peaches is truly miraculous, so we are still alive and well, but we don’t know how long this power will last.”

“So you want help?”

“You could say we’re pursuing mutual benefit. You need to achieve Blooming here to pass through the gateway, and we need the peaches. Also, if the peaches ripen and you also obtain Eternal Life, would there be anything to complain about?”

Everyone in Hwawoon Palace agreed with his words. It was a plan where no one would suffer a loss.

However, after hearing his answer, Seon-o fell into thought for a moment.

‘I have no choice but to follow the original story. I don’t know which parts are necessary.’

Having finished her decision, Seon-o stood up from her seat.

“Please tell us the method. To obtain the fruit.”

The Elder Immortal’s invisible eyes, hidden by his eyebrows, gazed deeply at Seon-o.

* * *

“Ha, this is ridiculous. This damn thing!”

So-yoon, who had clenched her teeth tightly, couldn’t hold back and threw down her hoe.

Her entire body was covered in dirt and sweat. These were traces gained from digging the ground all day long.

Of course, I-ryeong, Gi-rim, and Seon-o were no different from her. Seon-o, who had been silently digging the ground, picked up the hoe that So-yoon had thrown near her. When Seon-o stood up smoothly, walked over, firmly pressed the hoe back into So-yoon’s hand, and returned to her place, an incredulous breath burst from So-yoon’s mouth.

“Huh?”

So-yoon glared at the hoe gripped in her hand.

“Do you all think this makes sense right now?”

Her voice, filled with anger, demanded an answer, but no one responded to her words. The dirt-covered candidates simply sat quietly and continued digging the ground.

The ground they had already dug was hollowed out to the height of a person.

The candidates had been digging the ground all day. Of course, the reason was that this was the way to obtain fruit from the peach tree. To be precise, they had to obtain Flower Cloud Island’s groundwater without using Yin Power and sprinkle that water until the peach tree was satisfied.

Therefore, they were in the middle of digging the ground until water came out.

It was a time of endurance incomparable to the past days when they could obtain waterfall-like groundwater with a single finger.

‘They did this in the original work too.’

So there was no choice but to silently endure and bear it. Seon-o had to take the safest path he could choose in the current situation. He couldn’t create unpredictable variables.

“It’s definitely a lie. They say we must offer Yin Power, but then tell us not to use Yin Power—obviously it’s a scheme to mess with us, right? Besides, that scoundrel of a person is…”

So-yoon’s angry gaze turned toward Chae-gyo, who was sitting under the shade in the distance, taking a nap.

“He says it’s hard because of his eyes.”

When Seon-o bluntly defended Chae-gyo, So-yoon’s lips twisted.

“It’s not like his wrists got cut off, so what’s so hard about it?”

His wrists hadn’t been cut off, but shortly after starting work, blood had poured from Chae-gyo’s eyes. Chae-gyo requested to take a rest, saying he might lose even his remaining eye at this rate.

So-yoon opposed it, telling him not to make excuses, but since the other candidates agreed because they didn’t want things to get noisy, Chae-gyo had been indulging in a nap for half the day.

Seon-o glanced at Chae-gyo and added calmly again.

“Even if he were here, he wouldn’t be of any help anyway.”

Of course, that was something So-yoon agreed with too. However, this work was fundamentally wrong. How dare this Bu So-yoon sit here digging the ground without even using Yin Power! If those outside the island saw this, what would they mock her for?

Moreover, the Immortals who had assigned them this manual labor were leisurely enjoying their immortal pastimes. Besides the Seven Immortals, countless other Immortals were floating among the clouds and above the river, mocking them.

Seon-o tried not to make eye contact with them and silently dug the ground.

“Let’s just kill those old geezers and be done with it. I’ll kill them, so you all can just watch.”

As if she couldn’t stand it anymore, So-yoon’s eyes flashed as she rolled up her sleeves, and once again Seon-o stopped her.

“What happens after we kill them? Let’s say Bu So-yoon is right and the Immortals deliberately assigned us this work. Then this would be a kind of test. We’d have to show results satisfactory enough for them to tell us how to obtain the peach fruit, wouldn’t we?”

“There’s no guarantee that obtaining the peach fruit means Blooming, is there? They’re not certain about it either.”

“Then what the hell are we supposed to do?”

At that, So-yoon was left speechless. Seon-o continued calmly.

“No one knows what Blooming means. So we have to focus on work that at least gives us a clue. If it’s not right, then that’s something to think about next.”

“…Next, my ass. I can’t do this anymore.”

When the heated So-yoon’s eyes flashed, Seon-o raised his eyebrows.

“Then quit. I have to see this through to the end.”

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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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