The Little Baby Snake of the Vermilion Bird Family - 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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Episode 77
***
The Ha Clan Estate.
Ever since the heir of the Vermilion Bird Family had visited, dark clouds had settled over the face of Ha Seolyeong, the Family Head.
At present, her mind was in unspeakable turmoil. Even while attending to her duties, she exhaled sigh after sigh, and it was then that this happened.
“Family Head, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
Seolyeong asked, her face anxious.
The servant girl answered respectfully.
“They say they’ve come from the Black Tortoise Family.”
“Oh, from the Black Tortoise Family? Show them in at once!”
Ha Seolyeong’s expression brightened.
Since inheriting the family, she had been a composed, clear-headed Family Head who never lost her composure—yet when it came to her children’s concerns, she became helplessly weak as a mother.
Since that day when she heard that a Ghost Dragon Fragment might have been absorbed by her daughter, she had been watching Je-ui carefully.
Following Hwanya’s advice, if any problems arose at all, she planned to go to the Vermilion Bird Family at once and ask for their help.
Fortunately, however, nothing had happened to Je-ui. The young girl had only looked puzzled at her mother, who scrutinized her so meticulously.
Yet even after confirming she was fine, Seolyeong’s insides continued to burn with dread.
There was an inexplicable sense of unease. She couldn’t give a rational reason why, but her heart kept fluttering restlessly.
It felt as though the ominous shadow hanging over her household had never fully lifted.
Was this a parent’s intuition?
“What are you doing? Go receive the guest at once.”
At her urging, the servants of the Ha Clan moved busily and ushered in the visitor.
Seolyeong heard the footsteps approaching her office and opened the door herself.
“I greet Ha Clan’s Family Head.”
Seeing the man bow with composed courtesy, Seolyeong hesitated.
Ha Seolyeong had assumed the visitor from the Black Tortoise Family would be Siyeom.
She was acquainted with Siyeom. Whenever the woman had come to convey messages from the Black Tortoise Family to the Vermilion Bird Family, they would exchange greetings in passing.
Even though years had passed, she had been struck by admiration each time at how her beauty remained unchanged.
Yet the man before her was a complete stranger, no one in Seolyeong’s memory.
As if sensing her confusion, the man smiled faintly and continued.
“I am Mo Hyun of the Black Tortoise Family. I currently work assisting Siyeom.”
“Ah, then Siyeom sent you!”
Ha Seolyeong brightened at the greeting, and Mo Hyun replied calmly.
“Yes, Siyeom was feeling rather uneasy, so she suggested it would be best to come and examine your child. That is why I’ve come.”
“Ah, how thoughtful… Thank you. If you’ll wait a moment, I’ll have the child brought here.”
“Is the child in her room?”
“Yes, likely in my room.”
“Then let us go to the room together. It will be better for the child to be examined in a familiar place.”
The man spoke without hesitation.
Ha Seolyeong nodded in agreement.
His words carried conviction. To her ears as well, that seemed the better course.
“This way. However, the Young Family Head advised us not to tell the children about this beforehand, so they still don’t know.”
She added with a worried tone.
“So I’d appreciate it if you would keep this secret from the children.”
“Of course.”
Mo Hyun replied with an easy demeanor.
She led Mo Hyun to the Inner Quarters. There, Je-ui and Je-ryu were with her husband and the children.
“Dear?”
Her husband rose from his seat, still holding the child. Then Ha Seolyeong introduced him to Mo Hyun.
“This is my husband. Je-ui is here.”
“Mother…?”
Je-ui stepped out hesitantly and hid a step behind her father.
“Who is that person?”
“Someone from the Black Tortoise Family who has come on business. They’ll only be here a moment.”
“But why did they come here? Guests shouldn’t be in the Inner Quarters; they should be in the guest room.”
“There’s something they need to examine, so they came this way.”
Mo Hyun gazed intently at the child, then turned his gaze to Ha Seolyeong’s husband.
His eyes lingered on the small child in the husband’s arms before shifting to Je-ui.
“There’s nothing to fear. Just hold out your hand for a moment.”
Mo Hyun’s murmur, her parents’ encouragement, and the inexplicable tension in her mother’s gaze—
Je-ui looked at Mo Hyun uncertainly, then extended her hand.
Mo Hyun grasped it gently.
***
The journey back to the Vermilion Bird Family Estate didn’t take long.
Inside the carriage, Hwaryeong braided Baeksa’s hair while he spoke.
“When your hair turns completely black, I’ll buy you a white hair ornament. Then it’ll show beautifully—you’ll look just like ebony. Absolutely lovely.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Crow Beast-kin are so beautiful. There’s even a saying that crow hair is more lustrous than silk.”
Hwaryeong earnestly reassured the young girl, worried she might be upset about her hair darkening.
The little snake smiled brightly at her brother’s effort on her behalf.
In truth, Baeksa wasn’t really sad.
‘He told me not to be afraid.’
When Jangwangshin said that, it meant there wouldn’t be any major problems with her body even if her hair did turn black.
Besides, she now had a firm conviction that her uncle and brothers wouldn’t abandon her even if her hair darkened.
So there was nothing to fear.
What puzzled her, though, was something else.
‘Then why didn’t it work last time?’
When she’d been trapped inside the Ghost Dragon, she’d tried to absorb its soul.
But she’d only glimpsed terrible memories; the souls didn’t budge at all.
She’d thought that perhaps it was because those were dragon souls and she was merely a snake—the difference in rank prevented it.
Yet Jangwangshin had said that any problem could be solved by consuming it.
That meant the Ghost Dragon Fragment should also be something Baeksa could consume.
‘Maybe last time it didn’t work because it was a whole dragon, not just a fragment.’
When the little snake touched the bead, it flickered in response.
But after absorbing an enormous amount of energy at Jangwangshin’s Baekryeonji, the bead was unresponsive, as if it had eaten its fill and fallen asleep.
And Baeksa too had slept the entire way in the carriage. Having consumed so much, drowsiness had overcome her.
And even now—
Nod.
As Baeksa, sitting with her hair in Hwaryeong’s hands, began nodding off, Hwaryeong stopped braiding.
Then, as if he’d been waiting for his moment, Ju Jeokseo lifted the little snake and laid her across his lap.
“We’re almost there. Sleep soundly, and I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
A large hand covered the little snake’s round forehead. Baeksa nodded off, her head bobbing gently.
“You’ll really wake me…?”
“Don’t worry.”
As the little snake drifted to sleep, a bird of light appeared and landed atop her.
Ju Jeokseo watched the bird for a moment, then gently touched it with the tip of his finger.
The bird, as if recognizing him, brushed its cheek against his finger.
It was because of this bird that the Emperor had invaded Namto. Even sending a Ghost Dragon across the Contaminated Zone.
And this was the soul of his beloved sister.
As he realized this, Ju Jeokseo felt as though his sister were there with him in the carriage.
‘A soul fragment cannot speak or think.’
Just as Doeui had fractured souls and sealed them in talismans, powerful Beast-kin could fragment their souls and store them.
But doing so didn’t grant any additional ability; it was done either to prepare for misfortune or to strengthen an Abnormal Ability.
In Ju Myeongyeong’s case, it had been the former.
So this fragment was, strictly speaking, not truly Ju Myeongyeong but only a part of her—like a discarded fingernail.
Yet why did it feel as though his sister were truly with him?
The bird rubbed its face against Ju Jeokseo’s hand for a long while, then fluttered near Baeksa’s face.
Spreading its wings wide, it gently covered her pale, soft cheek.
The sight was so much like a mother draping a blanket over her daughter that Ju Jeokseo found himself momentarily speechless.
***
“How many days has it been now?”
When Hwanya asked, Jo Yeong replied.
“Today makes five days. Two more remain.”
“A message came just now saying they’re returning, so they’ll likely arrive this evening. At worst, tomorrow morning.”
Then they would just barely meet the deadline Siyeom had set.
In the meantime, there had been no major problems in Namto. Nothing had happened to Je-ui either, nor had any other fragments been reported.
So if things continued as they were, this matter could be resolved without incident.
At that very moment, as Hwanya was thinking this—
“Hwanya, Hwanya—! Chirp chirp! Disaster strikes!”
A subordinate Hwanya had stationed there arrived in bird form, flapping urgently.

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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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