The Beloved Baby Priestess of the Twelve Zodiac Gods - Chapter 94

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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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Chapter 94
In truth, despite answering as though nothing troubled him, Woo Hyeon’s condition was far from sound.
Power gained through experiment inevitably brought side effects in its wake.
Moreover, during those years of flight, he had wielded his strength recklessly, leaving him with a lifespan that would not stretch far.
It was likely why the Black Horse Clan’s efforts to locate him had dwindled year after year—they had concluded he was dead.
But now that he’d appeared openly under the escort of the Priestess, they would surely take interest once more.
“And yet you speak of your own death so lightly.”
“Isn’t that what you intend to do when the time comes anyway? Don’t grow softhearted now. Show me where my power originates from—remind me quickly.”
“True. The black-haired need not be swept away.”
“I wondered who Geum Arin took after, but it seems she takes after you. Why is a tiger’s heart so tender?”
“She is my daughter. It’s only natural. In any case, your final plan remains unchanged, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. If I’m going to live a short life anyway, crushing my enemy’s skull should at least satisfy me, shouldn’t it?”
“Is there truly nothing in your life but vengeance?”
…….
“When the end draws near, the heart may change. So don’t be too certain of your resolve.”
“Does the Priestess’s father wish to idle away his days like an immortal?”
Woo Hyeon answered with teasing lightness, as if he had never wavered.
He clearly wished to speak no further.
Do Gyeong cut through the pleasantries and asked directly.
“So who was it that approached you?”
The moment his eyes shifted, Woo Hyeon replied.
“She introduced herself as Cheong Yu Hee. I was startled that she had black hair—I thought she was a Dark Mage.”
“Black hair doesn’t make one a Dark Mage.”
“Right. So there must be Dark Mages pretending not to be Dark Mages, like me.”
“I once saw her transform. It was definitely a black rabbit.”
“So a black rabbit pretending to be a Dark Mage…….”
As Woo Hyeon played with words, Do Gyeong hurled the walnut he’d been holding, striking him square on the forehead.
“Ow! Are you turning into a grandmother too? Why do you hit me!”
“Stop making a racket and quietly crack open that walnut instead.”
Woo Hyeon cracked open the walnut he’d caught and muttered as he ate.
“Then maybe the Cheong Myou Clan really is aiding the Black Horse Clan, just as you suspect?”
“Nothing’s certain yet. That clan’s lineage is far more tangled than most.”
Cheong Hae Ju alone kept more than ten concubines.
Beneath him dangled clusters of children like grapes—there was no way Cheong Hae Ju could watch them all.
“What if the clan head himself ordered it?”
At Woo Hyeon’s tentative question, Do Gyeong’s answer was ice-cold.
“Then the Cheong Myou Clan would vanish from the Twelve Zodiacs.”
Before the words had even finished, Do Gyeong rose to his feet.
He carefully wrapped the Spirit Medicine in a handkerchief and placed it in his pocket.
“I must take this to the Priestess.”
“But you gave it to me?”
“The one who brought something for inspection shouldn’t complain. After she examines it to see if there’s any problem, I’ll give it back to you. Then you can enjoy eating it.”
As Do Gyeong reached to tap his forehead, Woo Hyeon quickly dodged, pulling his head back.
“If I die early, it’s your fault.”
“Then don’t talk.”
* * *
Days later, having obtained permission to leave, Mu Je sought out the forest with Arin.
“The tree is inside here, right?”
Since that day, the tree had remained sealed within the earthen barrier Do Hun had constructed.
Currently it no longer released any mist.
“You stay here. I’ll go in alone and check.”
“I can’t let you do that. I didn’t suggest we do this together just so you’d face the danger alone.”
“I’m worried your Divine Power might be harmed, like what happened to the Priestess.”
“And I’m worried you won’t be able to control the White Dragon’s Strength.”
“Arin.”
“I won’t touch the tree. Remember—the Yeouiju is still with me!”
As Arin spoke firmly, Mu Je extended his hand in acceptance.
“Then promise you’ll stay right beside me.”
“Yes!”
As if she’d been waiting for those words, Arin grasped Mu Je’s hand and created a door in the earthen wall.
Upon entering, a towering ginkgo tree stood in serene solitude.
Mu Je drew a deep breath, then unfastened his bracelet.
With a soft click, the bracelet came free.
In that moment, the White Dragon’s Strength coiled within his body stirred back to life.
At the same time, he felt Arin’s Divine Power gently tempering his own strength.
“How does it feel to sense your power again after so long?”
“Still wild and willful as ever.”
“Think you can manage it?”
Arin’s grip tightened as she asked, her tension evident to anyone watching—more anxious than Mu Je himself should have been. A low chuckle escaped him at the sight.
“Of course. It’s my power, after all.”
Mu Je placed his hand against the ginkgo’s trunk as though he’d been waiting for this moment.
A wind from nowhere rose to spiral around them both.
While he traced the Yeouiju’s presence through the tree, Arin watched him in silence.
She even opened her Spirit Eyes, ready to catch any sign of trouble.
‘Such fierce, keen power.’
Unlike Mu Je’s preference for quiet, the White Dragon’s Strength roiled like molten lava, seething with restless energy.
She was lost in its overwhelming vitality when—
the wind abruptly ceased and Mu Je refastened his bracelet.
“It’s over?”
“Yes. It seems they used my Yeouiju, just as you said.”
“Did you find where it started?”
Mu Je unfolded a map with practiced ease and pointed.
“Here and here.”
One location lay far from Geumho Village; another was worryingly familiar.
Arin’s voice dropped as she murmured, her face grave.
“This one is toward the Twelve Zodiac Spirit Village……”
“They must have infiltrated that way when they made contact with Yeo Ryeong.”
“Do you think they used this tree to slip into the village from the beginning?”
“Likely.”
“Can you track them?”
“I’ll find them. By whatever means necessary. What’s certain is they’re no longer here.”
“Thank goodness.”
“I’ve taken measures so I’ll sense it if my power is used again. You don’t need to worry about what happened before.”
At Mu Je’s firm assurance, Arin exhaled in relief.
“Thank you. I feel like I’ve been relying only on you lately.”
“I always carry the Yeouiju with me. So my power won’t cloud your vision, no matter what.”
“I know. Hwa Sa guards it carefully, so don’t worry.”
Hwa Sa, the fire serpent, was perfectly suited to protecting the Yeouiju.
Especially since inheriting the Hong Jade from her mother’s legacy, her strength rivaled that of any other spiritual creature.
The Thousand-Year-Red Jade that the Hong Sa Clan had guarded for generations was said to have belonged to the first fire serpent of the Twelve Zodiacs—truly formidable.
“I hope you can recover your Yeouiju soon.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I want the people close to me to stay healthy and live long lives.”
Ever since Yeo Ryeong and Jin Gyeong had fallen victim to that same poison, Arin had lived in dread of losing those she cherished without recourse.
It was only natural that she worried about Mu Je, whose Yeouiju was only half-whole.
“I swear to you—I will recover your Yeouiju from the Black Horse Clan.”
Arin wrapped both her hands around his, sealing her vow.
Mu Je, watching her in silence, suddenly wore a bittersweet expression.
“Is that because we’re friends?”
“Yes, that’s right. You especially—you’re my closest……”
“I don’t like that.”
“What? What did you say?”
Arin’s eyes widened at the unexpected rejection.
When she asked him to repeat himself, uncertain she’d heard correctly, he didn’t deny it.
“Mu Je.”
You don’t want to be my friend?
The words caught in her throat, and she could only stare at him—searching.
Reading the worry kindled in her gaze, Mu Je slowly reached toward her.
He knew he should simply deny it, to ease her anxiety.
But if he did, nothing would change from how it had always been.
Because as his feelings for Arin deepened, he could no longer settle for friendship.
Mu Je traced the curve of her cheek with trembling fingertips, his hand tight with tension.
“Yeah. I don’t want to be just your friend anymore.”

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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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