The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 117

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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 117

 

Under a black mat, sharp eyes glared at the White Tiger family’s palanquin procession.

 

His name was Taotie.

 

Two years ago, when Hyeon Rabaek died and the underground palace collapsed.

 

Taotie had escaped the northern lands faster than anyone else.

 

The rigid Taowu had served Hyeon Rabaek, who had released their seals, as his lord, but Taotie had not.

 

Long ago, it was none other than the ‘ancient evil’ that had given them, who were ordinary beast-people, sinister power and turned them into evil beasts.

 

This was also why the evil beasts’ power was influenced by evil.

 

Though Hyeon Rabaek had awakened the evil and released their seals, a mere beast-person could not become their true lord.

 

Above all, Hyeon Rabaek’s body had been too weak.

 

Therefore, Taotie, who had already harbored much dissatisfaction, sensed his death and immediately left the northern lands without looking back.

 

The problem was that he had grown weak along with the evil losing its power.

 

Unable to know the evil’s whereabouts, he had to hide like a beggar covered in rags.

 

Then, when he recently heard that even Taowu had died, his anxiety about when he might die the same way grew even greater.

 

‘Where on earth has my lord gone?’

 

Taotie glared at the White Tiger family’s procession and gritted his teeth.

 

Chaos and Qiongqi had died while doing work related to the White Tiger family.

 

Though he didn’t know who had killed Hyeon Rabaek and made his lord’s whereabouts mysterious, he had strong suspicions that the White Tiger family was involved.

 

‘I must find my lord. But simply finding him isn’t enough. I need a body strong enough to accept my lord.’

 

But there was no way an ordinary beast-person’s body could accept his lord.

 

Even Hyeon Rabaek, who had been the leader of the Xuanwu Clan, couldn’t fully accept that power.

 

‘Unless it’s something like the Imperial Dragon’s dragon body…’

 

But how could he, having lost his power, approach the Imperial Dragon?

 

It was when Taotie was frowning and lost in thought.

 

Taotie, who had unconsciously turned around at the cheering sounds coming from behind, discovered the Vermillion Bird family’s palanquin procession.

 

‘Hmm? That’s…’

 

On top of a tall palanquin, a girl with red hair was smiling while gently waving a fan.

 

Taotie’s eyes narrowed.

 

‘The cuckoo?’

 

* * *

 

Soya’s group, having arrived at the Imperial Palace, moved to their assigned pavilion under the guidance of palace attendants.

 

Gaya, who had arrived a day earlier, stood in front to greet them.

 

“Gaya!”

 

“Somsom.”

 

Gaya, who had grown into a twenty-year-old young man, smiled and reached toward Soya’s head, then slightly frowned and hesitated.

 

“Hmm. Was it about this much?”

 

Gaya tilted his head while subtly lowering his palm slightly downward.

 

“No. I think it was about this much.”

 

Then he muttered to himself again and raised his palm slightly.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“Your height. You used to be this tall.”

 

When Soya asked about his incomprehensible behavior, he brought his hand to Soya’s eyebrow level and said.

 

“But you’ve already grown this much.”

 

Gaya spoke grumpily while looking at Soya, who had grown so much in two years.

 

“I told you not to grow too much. What am I supposed to do now that you’ve grown this big, Somsom? I can’t call you baby Somsom anymore.”

 

“Huh? That’s what you’re upset about?”

 

Soya burst into laughter at his absurd complaint.

 

“Elder Brother is this upset, but Somsom just laughs. This won’t do. I should cry again.”

 

“Oh my, you can’t cry, Elder Brother. You’re the star of this banquet.”

 

“I don’t care. I’m going to cry. A lot too. Just watch, I’ll be recorded in the historian’s records as a general who collapsed from exhaustion after shedding tears before His Imperial Majesty.”

 

Gaya said this without changing his expression at all.

 

He was quite serious, but Soya thought it was an amusing joke from her first elder brother whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

 

‘Gaya always speaks so interestingly.’

 

Giggling and thinking this, Soya spoke to him in a voice that seemed to show off her generosity.

 

“Then I’ll specially allow only Elder Brother to call me baby Somsom. So don’t cry.”

 

“What an honor, baby Somsom.”

 

Only then did Gaya grin and pat Soya’s head.

 

“It’s been a while, Elder Brother. I’m glad you’re safe.”

 

Ga Hyeon greeted him in a proper voice.

 

“I heard you beheaded the enemy general at the vanguard. You’re the pride of the White Tiger family.”

 

“The rumor was wrong. I didn’t behead him, I tore him to death.”

 

Gaya replied with the corners of his mouth curling up.

 

Thinking this was another amusing joke of his, Soya burst into small laughter beside him.

 

“Elder Brother Gaya?”

 

Unlike Ga Hyeon, who had occasionally exchanged letters with Gaya, Gayul found his first elder brother, whom he was meeting after several years, a bit unfamiliar.

 

“It’s Gayul. You’ve grown a lot, little tiger. Were you guarding the White Tiger Palace well?”

 

“You’re exactly like Father…!”

 

And it was amazing. The first elder brother in his memory had been a boy even smaller than his current self, but the brother he met again was as big as Father.

 

“That’s too harsh to say. Aren’t I much more handsome than Father?”

 

Gaya chuckled and ruffled Gayul’s hair.

 

Even that touch resembled Father’s, and Gayul couldn’t rebel against Gaya’s attitude of treating him like a child when.

 

“You’ve worked hard, Gaya.”

 

Saeon approached and patted Gaya’s shoulder.

 

“Yes, Father.”

 

Gaya answered briefly and smiled broadly.

 

A pleased light appeared in Saeon’s eyes as he looked at his son who had grown up.

 

Having arrived a day early, the main banquet would begin tomorrow.

 

Until then, it was time to catch up with family they hadn’t seen in a long time.

 

The White Tiger family members slowly walked toward the rear garden while sharing stories from the past.

 

Chirpy also followed behind them, chirping cutely.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, in front of the pavilion prepared for the Vermillion Bird family’s guests.

 

Jeok Sanyu, the eldest son of the Vermillion Bird family with his red hair tied high in a topknot, was standing.

 

He had eyes that had grown deeper over the past two years.

 

‘Is it finally the day to meet my family?’

 

During the past time, he had never once met his family.

 

It wasn’t that he couldn’t meet them, but that he didn’t meet them.

 

After Hyeon Rabaek died two years ago, the tide of victory had turned, so he could have easily taken leave to visit the Land of Suzaku.

 

While Baek Gaya’s eyes had rolled around saying he would advance the day of returning to the White Tiger Palace even by one day instead of taking tantalizing leave and had devoted himself only to exterminating demons, Jeok Sanyu couldn’t return to the estate for a different reason.

 

Because he was afraid to return to the estate without that child.

 

Because it was unbearably frightening and terrible that the child who used to smile brightly at him was no longer in this world, he couldn’t return to the estate.

 

But now the war was over, and when he met his family who would arrive soon, he would have to acknowledge that the child was dead and gone.

 

That fact was quite sad, and he was standing with a bitter expression when.

 

The sound of the Vermillion Bird family’s carriage arriving could be heard.

 

Sanyu erased the dark emotions that had appeared on his face and greeted his family with a gentle smile.

 

“Welcome, Father. Have you been well?”

 

“It’s been a long time, Sanyu.”

 

“It’s been a while, Elder Brother.”

 

Jeok Ayun and Jeok Hwayu greeted him in turn.

 

“Hello, Elder Brother. I’m Lili.”

 

Lili, who had been clinging closely to Jeok Ayun’s side, also peeked out her head and greeted him cutely.

 

“Ah. This child is….”

 

“This is Lili, elder brother. The child I mentioned to you in my letter before.”

 

“….”

 

Sanyu quietly stared at Lili.

 

The child who was supposedly his real younger sister.

 

Lili had red hair befitting a direct lineage member of the Vermillion Bird Family.

 

Seeing Lili reminded him even more of Soya.

 

His little sister who would have grown this much if she had been alive….

 

“Yes. Nice to meet you, Lili.”

 

However, Sanyu suppressed his painful feelings and greeted her with his characteristically gentle voice, then looked back at Father again.

 

‘Huh? That’s it?’

 

Lili was flustered.

 

Shouldn’t he show a more intense reaction than this after seeing me?

 

‘I’m the real daughter of the Vermillion Bird Family, yet this is all the reaction I get.’

 

Jeok Sanyu’s attitude was truly composed, but Lili was not pleased.

 

Because it was so different from the reactions of other Vermillion Bird Family members until now.

 

The day I crossed the threshold of the estate carrying the red feather.

 

Father embraced me and shed tears, and Hwayu cried out in an anguished voice and bowed his head to apologize to me.

 

But this First Elder Brother I’m meeting for the first time today only said that one greeting about being glad to meet me, and that was it.

 

Lili was extremely dissatisfied.

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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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