Looking for the Runaway Heavenly Maiden - Chapter 77

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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77.

Cheonhaerang gazed at her and lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile. Then he tapped his cheek with his finger.
At first, Jiho didn’t understand what he meant and stood there bewildered, but soon her face flushed crimson with heat.

“W-what are you…?”

Flustered, Jiho could barely stammer out her words. At her reaction, Cheonhaerang’s expression quickly turned downcast, his eyes drooping at the corners.

“You won’t?”

Seeing that face, Jiho found herself unable to say no.
Her lips trembled silently, but then, as if steeling herself, she pressed them firmly shut, squeezed her eyes closed, and rushed toward Cheonhaerang’s cheek.
She felt she would die of embarrassment if she didn’t close her eyes.
Soft, delicate skin met her lips—a fleeting moment, like the brush of a feather.
Opening her eyes, Jiho hastily jumped up from Cheonhaerang’s lap.

“There, it’s done! I’m going to bed now!”

Before Cheonhaerang could even reach for her, Jiho vanished into her room.
Cheonhaerang blinked, watching her disappear, then broke into bright laughter. He gently touched his cheek where she had kissed him.
It was the first time Jiho had initiated something like this. His heart felt utterly full.
Her embarrassed expression delighted him even more.
The fact that only he knew this side of Jiho—this brought him immense satisfaction.

‘Next time…’

Cheonhaerang thought he absolutely must progress further next time, and he pattered after Jiho.

“Come on, let’s sleep together, Jiho!”

Today too, Cheonhaerang intended to sleep beside Jiho.
Or rather, he planned to do so from now on, always.

* * *

Yeonhwa had come out to quench her thirst, and as she gazed upon the two people engaged in what one might call couple’s activities on the living room sofa, her expression turned cold and sardonic before she let out a quiet laugh.
She wondered if it was really that enjoyable—apparently without a single thought that someone else was in the house.
Of course, Cheonhaerang was the type who wouldn’t care even if someone were home.
Watching Cheonhaerang follow Jiho into the bedroom, I briefly considered whether putting the two of them in the same room was wise, but I decided nothing would happen.
One might call it naive, but Yeonhwa trusted them both. Besides, after what happened earlier today, it was better for them to be together for each other’s sake.
Yeonhwa finally drank the water she had poured into a cup. The cold liquid slid down her throat and seemed to spread throughout her entire body.
Setting down the empty cup, she walked toward the window. Despite the late hour of night, the city lights burned brightly.
There was still no word from Hand Ogeong.
Fearing discovery by Gihyeongrang and Cheongan, she refrained from reaching out first.
If asked whether she was worried about Hand Ogeong, she honestly couldn’t say. If anything, her concern was that Hand Ogeong might fail in his task.
But she trusted Hand Ogeong. Even if she disliked him, his abilities were beyond question.
How long had she been gazing outside? Yeonhwa noticed something tapping against the window.
A small, white bird was tapping its beak against the glass. A varied tit, if she recalled correctly—commonly called a sparrow.
She felt no curiosity about why the bird was tapping the window. The moment she saw it, she knew who had sent it.
Yeonhwa opened the window. The bird flew in eagerly, as if it had been waiting.
She extended her palm beneath the small fluttering wings, and the bird settled gently onto her hand.
Then the bird tapped at the empty air. Characters materialized before her eyes.
Yeonhwa read the message.

Cheongan’s Gae and Yim eliminated

The victory she had been awaiting.

* * *

Hand Ogeong gazed at the crimson orb he held in his hand. This sphere had emerged after eliminating Yim.
When he had eliminated Gae, an identical sphere had appeared.
Even with the Heavenly Eye, the true nature of this sphere remained impenetrable, yet he knew what it was.
Gihyeongrang’s blood.
More precisely, blood in which Gihyeongrang’s power was condensed.
By making Cheongan consume this blood, Gihyeongrang had turned Cheongan into his thrall.
As a thrall, Cheongan lost his sense of self. He could no longer distinguish between good and evil, and obeyed only Gihyeongrang’s commands.
He developed a craving for blood and hunted humans, consuming their essence.
Cheongan, who had once watched over humanity with benevolence.
In a sense, it was cruel to Cheongan as well.
When the brainwashing broke and his sense of self returned, he might look back upon the past and feel profound regret.
But speaking coldly, it was nearly impossible.
There was no escape from this cruel reality for them except through death.

‘But….’

Hand Ogeong recalled the moment when Kim Seulgi had been eliminated. Scattered to ash, she had vanished completely.
Not even leaving behind a bead like this.
Was this the power of the Sword of Spiritual Dao? To annihilate even the bead so thoroughly.
Then, in that moment of annihilation, did Kim Seulgi’s sense of self return?
And did she regret it?
Well, what good would it do now anyway.
Hand Ogeong placed the bead inside a glass bottle. Clink—the beads of Jeong and Eul collided. That was the moment.

“…Huh.”

I hadn’t seen it wrong. The beads had merged.
The merged bead had grown in size.
Since the source of this bead was Gihyeongrang’s blood, it was perhaps natural that the same blood would combine.
But thinking about it differently.
Gihyeongrang could kill Cheongan at any time and absorb this blood, couldn’t he?
After all, they were fragments of Gihyeongrang.
By this point, Gihyeongrang must have noticed that I was killing Cheongan. Or perhaps he knew from the beginning but simply observed.
Hand Ogeong suddenly thought.
Soon the Evil Spirit’s seal will break.
Then will Gihyeongrang need Cheongan?

* * *

In the silent space where even breathing couldn’t be heard, a clink echoed as something collided.
Yueul gazed at the man sitting leisurely with a cup in hand, then lowered his gaze.
The shower robe the man wore was so loose that it seemed more accurate to say it was simply draped over him rather than worn.
The intense fragrance emanating from the man lingered subtly throughout this space.

“Master.”

After hesitation, Yueul finally spoke.

“Will you leave things as they are?”

My master is dead. I was told to stay put in this manor without moving an inch.
Possessed by something, my master left the manor and was ultimately killed by Hand Ogeong.
Two members of the Heavenly Realm have already been eliminated.
Yueul felt somewhat wronged. If this was going to happen, all my restraint up until now had been meaningless.
It would have been better if I had killed them all myself and absorbed their power. Yueul couldn’t fathom what my master was thinking.
I couldn’t tell how much longer my master would keep Yerim in this manor.
They still needed to find two more hearts. Yet the members of the Heavenly Realm, excluding myself, weren’t even functioning properly.
Moreover, some of the Heavenly Realm members were already growing restless.
Yueul waited for his master’s answer. The ice in the glass clinked softly.
After a brief silence, Gihyeongrang’s lips parted.

“After all, you can’t defeat Hand Ogeong either, can you?”

Beneath the languid tone lay something so thick and viscous it was almost embarrassing to witness.
Yueul stood silently. His master’s next words burrowed into his ears.

“Yes, it’s time to settle things now.”

It was a statement as if something had been decided. Yueul lifted his head.
Even in the darkness lit only by moonlight, his master’s eyes gleamed with a brilliant light.
Without realizing it, Yueul’s body went rigid. A chill ran down his spine. It had been a very long time since he felt this way.
Long ago, when I first saw my master.
That thrill I felt then.
I thought I would follow this man for the rest of my life. He had never betrayed me.
My master opened his mouth. Perhaps this command was the one I had been waiting for all this time.

“Eul.”

Yueul knelt on one knee in respect and bowed his head once more.

“I await your command.”

With the sound of glass clinking, a low voice spread forth.

“Eliminate them all, except for Jeong.”

Now he could completely seize control of the Heavenly Realm.

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