The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 110

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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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Chapter 110

 

—What happened to the evil that escaped?

 

White Tiger Mountain Lord answered Soya’s question.

 

—Hmm, well. Since it lost its host, it’s probably wandering somewhere in the Earthly Realm, having lost its power by now.

 

“What if the evil appears again?”

 

Soya asked with a slightly worried voice.

 

That was something Soya had been worrying about ever since the evil escaped.

 

Before leaving the Northern Lands.

 

[I know what Father is concerned about. And I’m not ready to reveal myself to the world yet either.]

 

Soya answered Saeon. She said she didn’t want to reveal to the world yet that she was the master of the divine oracle.

 

[So I’d like to keep it as our secret for just a little longer.]

 

If the fact that she was the master of the divine oracle became known, her future might be decided regardless of her own will.

 

Perhaps, just perhaps, she might have to become the Emperor’s consort and enter the palace. Even if not right away.

 

Soya thought of Irim, who would be at the Imperial Palace.

 

It wasn’t that she disliked him or anything. But still…

 

Soya still couldn’t quite grasp the idea of becoming someone’s spouse.

 

It felt too strange, so she wanted to think about it later… a little later.

 

When she had grown more and could understand what it meant to like someone in that way.

 

[Yes, let’s do that. Let’s keep it a secret between our baby and papa for a little longer.]

 

Saeon chuckled and ruffled Soya’s hair.

 

At his rough yet delicate touch, Soya closed her eyes and smiled brightly.

 

And though she didn’t tell Saeon that day, there was a second reason why Soya hoped not to reveal her existence to the world yet.

 

‘Because the evil hasn’t completely disappeared.’

 

The day the Dark Earth Underground Palace collapsed. The evil escaped when Hyeon Rabaek’s spirit core shattered, but it hadn’t been completely destroyed.

 

—Don’t worry too much, Baby Bird. It won’t be able to appear again so easily.

 

This time Vermillion Bird Heavenly Lady explained.

 

All living things on earth needed both body and soul.

 

That was a rule that had continued since this world was created.

 

Therefore, the evil that had lost its body a thousand years ago and remained only as a soul couldn’t use its power without a host that could replace its body.

 

So the method the evil chose was to parasitize the bodies of strong beast-people, especially the spirit cores of beast-people with the most concentrated spiritual energy.

 

—The way evil takes over beast-people’s bodies is very cunning.

 

Cheonghae Yongsin spoke in a calm voice.

 

—It infiltrates through gaps when people’s minds are weakened and draws out evil thoughts. It doesn’t give up until they’re completely tainted by evil and surrender their bodies, and eventually their everything.

 

“Then isn’t that dangerous? If the evil takes over other people’s bodies like it did with Hyeon Rabaek…”

 

Soya, who had been quietly listening to the explanation, asked with a worried expression.

 

—But ordinary beast-people’s bodies can’t accept that massive evil. You’d need to be at least at the level of a head of the Four Great Families to barely endure it.

 

—Even then, like the head of the Black Tortoise Clan who couldn’t endure and died, their spirit cores would gradually crack and shatter, leading to a terrible end.

 

“…”

 

Soya fell into thought for a moment, then spoke again.

 

“Then, Divine Beasts. Just hypothetically.”

 

Soya’s expression became serious as she furrowed her brows.

 

“What if the evil takes over not just any ordinary beast-person, but a very strong and sturdy beast-person’s body? For instance, if a beast-person stronger than the heads of the Four Great Families appears and gets their body stolen?”

 

At Soya’s worried question, White Tiger Mountain Lord and Vermillion Bird Heavenly Lady burst into laughter.

 

—Our Baby Bird worries a lot. But such strong beast-people are rare. Unless it’s the Imperial Dragon who rules the world or an incarnation of the Four Divine Beasts…

 

—And usually, the stronger the body, the stronger the mind, so they wouldn’t easily have their bodies stolen by evil.

 

“But Hyeon Rabaek was a strong beast-person, yet he had his body stolen by evil, didn’t he?”

 

—That’s…

 

White Tiger Mountain Lord’s usually boisterous voice became somewhat subdued.

 

—Sometimes in the human world, tragedies too difficult to bear occur. Enough to break and destroy souls that were clearer and purer than anyone else’s.

 

“…?”

 

Soya tilted her head.

 

It sounded like he was talking about someone other than Hyeon Rabaek.

 

‘I hope the evil never appears again forever.’

 

Soya glanced at Hyeonmu’s shield again.

 

Since Hyeon Rabaek, the only remaining direct descendant of Hyeonmu, had died, the way to awaken Hyeonmu was distant.

 

‘What exactly is the heart of destruction?’

 

It was fascinating that White Tiger’s Sacred Relic with a protective heart was a sword that pierced opponents, while Hyeonmu’s Sacred Relic with a destructive heart was a shield.

 

‘Is it different from simply wanting to defeat something?’

 

The hearts of the other three Divine Beasts weren’t difficult, but the heart that devours living things was too difficult for Soya.

 

‘If I had awakened Hyeonmu, I could have completely destroyed the evil instead of just driving it away.’

 

Soya felt a little sad that she couldn’t awaken Hyeonmu because her heart was lacking.

 

—Don’t be too sad, Baby Bird. Actually, we hoped you wouldn’t know the heart of destruction.

 

“What…?”

 

At Vermillion Bird Heavenly Lady’s words, Soya’s eyes widened as she asked back.

 

The heart of destruction was absolutely necessary to awaken Hyeonmu, yet they hoped she wouldn’t know that heart. It was strange.

 

—I agree with the Suzaku grandmother’s words.

 

—Me too.

 

White Tiger Mountain Lord and Cheonghae Yongsin each added their agreement.

 

“Until recently, you encouraged me that I must awaken Hyeonmu and that I could do it!”

 

Soya exclaimed with a voice tinged with betrayal.

 

Then the three Divine Beasts cleared their throats and watched Soya’s reaction.

 

“Did the Divine Beasts lie to me?”

 

—It’s not that, Baby Bird…

 

To Soya who looked at them sulkily, the first to speak among the three was none other than Vermillion Bird Heavenly Lady.

 

—The heart of destruction is the desire to destroy and eliminate. Though not exactly the same, it resembles what humans call ‘killing’. But you’re still too young to harbor such feelings.

 

“Hmm?”

 

—Yes, Baby Bird. You’re still young, and in the world you’ll live in, there are countless shadows you’ll have to face as you grow. We didn’t want you to learn about the dark parts of the world so early.

 

“Hmmm?”

 

—Even if the evil appears again, we can just defeat it again like we did this time, can’t we.

 

“Hmmmm?”

 

Soya crossed her arms defiantly and raised one eyebrow each time the Divine Beasts added a word.

 

The Divine Beasts exchanged glances, not knowing what to do.

 

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, but I can tell that all three of you care for me.”

 

Soya, who had been pretending to be sulky, smiled brightly as she spoke.

 

The three Divine Beasts simultaneously breathed sighs of relief upon confirming she wasn’t actually upset.

 

—I thought you were really angry and my heart almost dropped, Baby Bird.

 

—Thanks to you, my liver shrank to the size of a bean.

 

“You don’t even have hearts or livers!”

 

Soya burst into laughter.

 

Thanks to that, her mood improved considerably.

 

—We just don’t want you to be too sad about that matter. You’ve already done something truly amazing.

 

‘That’s right. Like the Divine Beasts said, I’ve already done something truly amazing.’

 

Whenever she talked with the Divine Beasts, her heart felt warm and secure, just like when she was with Father.

 

“But I have one more thing I’m curious about.”

 

—What is it, Baby Bird?

 

—Ask me! I’ll tell you, Baby Bird!

 

—Tell us anything, Baby Bird.

 

As if trying to make up for the earlier incident, the three Divine Beasts crowded around Soya with sparkling eyes.

 

“The thought-form I saw in the dungeon of the Underground Palace mentioned something called the ‘Veil of Time’. What is the ‘Veil of Time’?”

 

—…

 

―….

 

―….

 

The three divine beasts fell silent all at once.

 

“Is this also something you can’t tell me?”

 

They had generously shared everything with Soya, but occasionally they would close their mouths like this as if they had made some promise.

 

Soya now knew that this was related to heavenly secrets.

 

―Have you ever heard of timelines?

 

After a long while, the White Tiger Mountain Lord spoke with difficulty.

 

―Originally, only one timeline should have existed in this world, but due to those who broke the taboo, countless layers of time have overlapped.

 

“Breaking the taboo…?”

 

―Yes. They covered the previous timeline with layers of time and created a new timeline.

 

“Is such a thing possible?”

 

―It’s challenging the authority of the Heavenly Deities. The price for that is extremely harsh.

 

“Who would do such a thing, and why….”

 

―Didn’t I tell you earlier? Sometimes tragedies too overwhelming to bear occur in the human world.

 

The White Tiger Mountain Lord gave no further answers.

 

As if that was all he could tell her.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Seolyeo had been giving off a somewhat different atmosphere since returning from the Northern Region with Soya.

 

The first to notice this was Gayul.

 

Though lacking in perception, Gayul’s developed animal instincts told him that something was strange about Seolyeo’s attitude.

 

For instance, she spoke even less than before, and sometimes she would fall into her own thoughts alone.

 

And even now….

 

It was very strange that Seolyeo, who normally never left Soya’s side, was walking alone in the garden.

 

“Seolyeo! Are you sick somewhere?”

 

“…?”

 

“You’ve been really strange for the past few days. Did you make some secret by yourself?”

 

Flinch.

 

Seolyeo’s body flinched very slightly.

 

But Gayul wasn’t one to miss that.

 

“What, what! What kind of secret!”

 

Gayul asked with a very interested expression.

 

“….”

 

However, Seolyeo pressed her lips tightly shut, then quickly turned her head and walked away.

 

“Ugh. Did puberty hit her?”

 

Gayul scratched his head and muttered.

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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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