The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 227

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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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Part 2, Chapter 19

“Then isn’t that better? Since there’s no scent of evil magic.”

Gayul tilted her head and asked.

“It feels like it was artificially erased. It’s strange, isn’t it? The scent that grew thicker as we headed north has completely disappeared only in this place.”

“That makes sense. This village is excessively clean. As if it’s hiding something.”

Saeon agreed with Soya’s words and asked for her opinion.

“Cotton Ball, what do you want to do?”

Soya pondered for a moment.

Using force to subdue them would be the fastest method.

But if they did that, these people might not willingly reveal the purpose behind their suspicious hospitality.

“I want to investigate what these people’s true identity is, why the scent of evil magic is completely cut off only in this village, while pretending to accept their hospitality.”

Soya had a firm conviction that these people were related to evil magic or evil.

“Good. But we need to be careful. We don’t know their purpose yet.”

“Yes, Father!”

* * *

With the help of the birds, she could check various parts of the village, but the sight of spreading wings and flying around might catch someone’s attention.

Therefore, Soya secretly looked for another helper to assist her.

“Heuksa, can you help me out?”

Unlike the divine beasts that were bound to Soya and couldn’t move beyond a certain distance, Heuksa could move around freely.

—Why should I…! Ah, fine. Just trust me!

Heuksa, who had been asking why he should help, spotted the divine beasts glaring menacingly from behind Soya and quickly nodded before slithering away.

A moment later, Heuksa came back to find Soya.

—That storehouse is suspicious. It seemed like there was someone inside.

Heuksa guided Soya to a shabby storehouse behind the Village Chief’s house.

“There’s someone inside this?”

The storehouse was firmly locked with a large padlock.

—You can enter through here!

Heuksa shouted in front of a small hole on the side of the storehouse.

It was a very small hole about the size of a fist that an ordinary person couldn’t pass through, but…

Poof!

Soya transformed into a small bird and stood in front of the hole.

The hole that had been as small as a fist became an entrance much larger than her body.

‘Sometimes having a small body is helpful like this…’

Thud!

Soya’s body, which had been following Heuksa into the hole, was blocked by something and bounced back out.

“Ow, ow…”

—Huh, what? What’s wrong?

At the sound of Soya falling on her bottom and groaning in pain, Heuksa panicked and poked his head out of the hole.

—Heuksa, you scoundrel! What did you do to Baby Bird?

—Because of you, Baby Bird’s precious bottom got hurt!

The divine beasts’ scolding continued.

—Hey, that’s unfair! I didn’t do anything!

—Didn’t do anything, my foot. Baby Bird’s body bounced back out!

—Bounced back? Could it be…

Heuksa examined the hole he had just passed through from various angles, then shouted.

—This is a sealing ability!

“A sealing ability?”

—Right. It seems like they sealed the inside of this storehouse tightly with an ability to hide it. But it didn’t work on this great Heuksa.

Heuksa, who had been explaining while arrogantly lifting his head, suddenly realized something strange.

—But this is odd. In the Northern Lands, the only beast-people with such abilities are the black imugi tribe, but there were no imugi among the villagers we saw earlier.

“Then I can’t get inside?”

—No problem if you’re with this great Heuksa. I may not look like much, but I’m a subordinate of the northern divine beast Hyeonto Yeomwang.

Heuksa wrapped around Soya’s body.

The divine beasts looked very displeased, but since that was the only way to enter the storehouse, they couldn’t say anything more.

With Heuksa’s help, Soya was able to pass through the hole safely without bouncing back.

Upon entering the storehouse, a suspicious space greeted Soya along with the thick scent of evil magic that hit her.

Strange patterns and letters were written in dark red beast blood on the floor and walls, and dozens of candles flickered with pale flames on a wooden platform.

It wasn’t a storehouse, but a suspicious space that felt exactly like an altar.

—Over here, over here!

Heuksa called Soya from behind the altar.

When she spread her short wings and fluttered over, there was a man bound in chains.

Soya was startled when she got closer.

The man’s body was blackened, rotted, and grotesquely twisted.

—He’s been affected by evil magic! His spirit core has been contaminated as a result!

Soya had seen a similar condition before.

Five years ago, a woman called Shield Bearer from the Xuanwu Clan whom she had encountered in the Northern Lands.

[Was it Hyeon Rabaek’s doing that contaminated your spirit core?]

[It wasn’t him who contaminated my spirit core.]

[Then who on earth…]

[…]

It was a similar condition to that woman who had just smiled quietly without answering that question.

‘He’s still breathing.’

Soya urgently checked the man’s condition.

Fortunately, he was in a slightly better state than the woman she had seen five years ago, but it seemed difficult to have a proper conversation.

—Baby Bird, someone’s coming! You need to get out quickly!

At that moment, the divine beasts who had been keeping watch outside the building shouted.

Soya came back outside with Heuksa, then released her beast transformation in a deserted place.

Then, walking as if nothing had happened, she encountered the Village Chief in front of the lodging.

“There you are, Young Lady.”

The Village Chief approached Soya and asked with a puzzled expression.

“Dinner is ready, so I was looking for you. But… what were you doing here?”

“I was organizing my luggage.”

Soya answered, pointing to the White Tiger Family’s luggage cart parked in front of the lodging.

“If there’s anything to organize, just ask the villagers to do it. Everyone would be happy to help… No, isn’t this a divine artifact of Hyeonmu?”

The Village Chief asked in an excited voice upon discovering the shield among Soya’s belongings.

“Do you know about Hyeonmu’s divine artifacts?”

“Those who live with roots in the Northern Lands couldn’t not know. We grew up listening to stories about Hyeonmu from our parents at bedtime as children. Hyeonto Yeomwang, the divine beast who protects the north, was said to be the most trusted divine beast in the Heavenly Realm.”

—Well, that’s true. Our Yeomwang was the most outstanding among the divine beasts and received ‘that person’s’ trust.

Heuksa chimed in with a proud expression.

However, fierce opposition from the divine beasts immediately followed.

—No, Baby Bird! I was the most trusted divine beast!

—That wicked old fool is telling lies!

—I didn’t know the earthworms of the Northern Lands went around fabricating stories like this, how dare they.

At the sight of the divine beasts making a fuss like children, Soya’s gaze naturally turned in that direction.

“Young Lady? Is there something over there?”

“Oh, no. I thought I saw a bug passing by.”

Soya awkwardly smiled and changed the subject.

‘I’m sorry, Divine Beasts.’

Soya apologized inwardly for unintentionally calling the Divine Beasts bugs.

“That black shield is said to be made from the Flame King’s turtle shell. This is my first time seeing it directly, but it looks exactly as I imagined from the stories.”

The Village Chief looked at the black shield with an moved expression.

“Among the seven chiefs of the Black Tortoise Clan, a Shield Bearer was selected and has been managing it for generations, but since the last Shield Bearer, the Deceased Empress, entered the palace, no new Shield Bearer has been found and it’s been left unattended…”

“What…?”

Soya, who had been quietly listening to the Village Chief’s story, unconsciously questioned back.

“Who did you just say the last Shield Bearer was…?”

“Oh my, didn’t you know? The Deceased Empress, the mother of the Current Emperor.”

“…!”

A look of surprise instantly appeared on Soya’s face.

‘The Shield Bearer of the Black Tortoise Clan that I saw back then was… the Deceased Empress, meaning His Majesty’s mother?’

* * *

Seolyeo was sitting against a wooden pillar with his eyes closed.

Suddenly.

His closed eyes opened.

‘When did I fall asleep again.’

Seolyeo urgently felt around his chest.

Soon confirming that the Evil was quiet, he let out a sigh of relief.

At some point, Seolyeo had become afraid of falling asleep.

Fearing that the Evil might steal his body again while he slept.

Fearing that the wicked Evil that stole his body might harm and hurt Soya.

Fearing that he might never be able to meet Soya again.

Seolyeo squeezed his eyes shut and opened them, shaking off the frightening thoughts that kept rising.

Riiip—

He tore his sleeve to tie up his long hair, then went to the stream to wash his face.

As the cold water splashed on his face, his mind became clear.

Tilting his head back to look up at the sky, a tree branch suddenly caught his eye.

As he stared at it quietly, a fragment of memory came to mind.

Snap.

Seolyeo carefully broke it off, then placed it on the ground and spun it around.

Spin spin— thud.

A faint smile flickered at the corners of his mouth as he watched the branch spin and stop.

Spin spin— thud.

Spin spin— thud.

Spin spin— thud.

He repeated it several more times as if playing an amusing game, but gradually the smile faded from his face.

It was certainly one of the most fun games remaining in his memory, but strangely it wasn’t fun.

No matter how much he spun the branch, there was no one to be chosen, no one to ask questions, no one to receive penalties.

He couldn’t hear the pleasant laughter that used to burst out whenever someone received a penalty.

Really, it wasn’t fun at all.

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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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