The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 256

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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 48

At last, the evil had been destroyed.

When they returned to where the family’s barracks were located, the elder brothers joyfully welcomed Soya.

“Soya, are you hurt anywhere? Thank goodness you returned safely like this.”

“You worked hard, Somsom. Adult Somsomi is very impressive and cool.”

Ga Hyeon embraced Soya tightly in welcome, and Gaya grinned while patting Soya’s head.

And Gayul was…

“So, Cotton Ball…!”

Seeing Soya return safely, he ended up crying.

“Yul Elder Brother…? Are you crying right now…?”

Gayul had never shown himself crying before, saying that magnificent tigers don’t cry, so Soya was surprised and blinked her eyes at the sight.

Then soon after, hearing that Gayul had worried about her greatly, she smiled and hugged him.

Afterward, the White Tiger family’s search party, having perfectly completed their mission in the Northern Lands, returned to White Tiger Palace.

“Puppies, welcome back!”

“Sister, welcome back!”

Beside Cheongha who was brightly smiling and welcoming the children, Cheongya waved both arms enthusiastically toward Soya as if no one else was visible.

Seolyeo seemed a bit unfamiliar with White Tiger Palace at first after returning for the first time in three years, but soon adapted well.

The fact that Seolyeo was the successor of the ‘Black Water’ had not yet been revealed to the outside world.

However, Saeon said that when the Northern Lands became a bit more stable in the future and they needed a leader, Seolyeo would also have to work hard for his duties.

“When that time comes, regrettably, Seolyeo will have to leave White Tiger Palace again.”

“I have to leave White Tiger Palace…?”

Seolyeo asked with a frightened face.

“It’s okay, Seol Yoya. That’s not separation, it’s us becoming adults. So you don’t need to be scared.”

Soya took Seolyeo’s hand and said with a bright smile.

Then Seolyeo’s face turned bright red, and he suddenly hung his head low.

“Seol Yoya…? Are you perhaps still feeling sick…”

Thinking there might be lingering aftereffects from having his body stolen by evil, Soya became worried.

“N-no, Soya. I’m not sick.”

Seolyeo quickly shook his head in denial.

“Hmm?”

However, he couldn’t avoid Saeon’s suspicious gaze.

Under Saeon’s gaze that seemed to see through his inner thoughts, Seolyeo had to hang his head even lower.

White Tiger Palace, which had been quiet for a while, became bustling again with the returned people.

Gaya chased after Saeon, saying he wanted to inherit the position of Family Head quickly, and Gayul, who had matured considerably since the trip to the North, diligently devoted himself to training unlike before.

Seolyeo worked hard to practice his unfamiliar beast transformation, and Cheongya, having learned that Seolyeo was a dragon beast-human, showed great interest and hovered around Seolyeo.

And another person Soya had encountered during this Northern journey, Sanyu… took the remains of his father, who had scattered as black ash that day, and brought them to the Southern Lands.

He said he would scatter them at Mother’s grave.

At Sanyu’s suggestion, Soya also joined him there.

Standing at Mother’s grave, which she had thought she would never visit again, she watched the black ash scatter on the wind.

Soya still felt queasy when she thought of Jeok Ayun.

He had once been the person she loved most in the world, and even after being banished to the Cold Palace, Soya had craved his affection.

The fact that such a person had sacrificed himself for her made Soya feel very strange.

It was a strange feeling where she wanted to cry and also wanted to shout angrily.

“You can cry, and you can be angry.”

As if he had noticed Soya’s feelings exactly, Sanyu said to her.

So that day, Soya stood at Mother’s grave and tried both getting angry and crying.

After perfectly bidding farewell to the sad emotions of her childhood days, Soya faced Sanyu and burst into a small laugh.

Now it seemed like recalling those times wouldn’t hurt anymore.

It would be a lie to say it wasn’t very sad, but she felt like she could talk about it with a smile.

She felt like she could visit Sanyu Elder Brother often.

Afterward, she returned to White Tiger Palace, and Soya’s daily life continued peacefully.

The fourth Divine Beast, Hyeonto Yeomwang, was a beautiful young man with black hair.

“Oh? Lord Yeonwang?”

—Shh.

He raised one index finger toward Soya.

Then from far away, Heuksa’s cry could be heard.

—Lord Yeonwaaang! Where are youuu!

Only after Heuksa left did Hyeonto Yeomwang let out a short sigh.

“Why are you avoiding Heuksa?”

—That child is too noisy.

It was when he, with his taciturn nature, was shaking his head while speaking.

—No-noisy! That’s too much, Lord Yeonwang! I’m just chasing after you because I’m happy to see you…!

Heuksa, who they thought had disappeared, suddenly popped out and expressed his hurt feelings.

—Lord Yeonwang must dislike someone like me who cowardly ran away to live alone, right? Those words about forgiving everything last time were also lies, right?

—That’s not it, Heuksa. I just… your voice is too loud… You talk too much too…

Seeing him even start crying pitifully, Hyeonto Yeomwang scratched the back of his head.

Seeing the two who somehow seemed to get along well, Soya burst into giggles.

But even during these peaceful and modest daily life moments, small shadows would occasionally fall across her face.

It was because Irim had disappeared without even saying goodbye that day.

When she had finished reuniting with Seolyeo, who had regained his stolen body from evil and awakened again, Father and His Majesty were nowhere to be seen.

She heard that they had left their group in Sanyu Elder Brother’s care and departed first.

Soya felt a little disappointed.

No, very disappointed.

‘To leave like this without even a word of farewell.’

After worrying, Soya wrote a letter and sent it to him through Chirpy.

However, Chirpy returned without being able to meet him.

Soya’s face became even darker.

Noticing that she was feeling dejected, Saeon opened his mouth after much consideration.

“His Majesty is currently at Mount Geumryeong.”

“Mount Geumryeong?”

Soya had heard of Mount Geumryeong too.

It was a sacred mountain known to contain golden spiritual energy imbued with the Imperial Dragon’s breath.

“He is feeling a bit unwell, so he is recuperating in a valley there.”

“Is His Majesty’s condition very bad?”

Soya asked, surprised by those words.

Saeon, who would normally have comforted her so she wouldn’t worry, remained silent with a dark expression.

At this, Soya’s heart sank.

His Majesty’s condition must be very bad indeed.

“Father, I’ll go visit His Majesty.”

“Yes, Cotton Ball. Be careful and come back safely.”

Soya flew off to find Irim following the location Saeon had told her.

Upon arriving at Mount Geumryeong, quiet and desolate mountain ridges shrouded in thick fog welcomed her.

The atmosphere was completely different from Horim Mountain, where mountain beasts played under bright sunlight and bird songs could be heard chirping from every branch.

Soya carefully folded her wings and descended below.

After releasing her beast transformation and following the sound of water, a valley appeared.

As Soya walked carefully into its depths, she suddenly discovered something black that had fallen on the ground.

‘This is… a scale?’

Picking up the black scale that had fallen on the ground, Soya furrowed her brow in puzzlement.

‘Why is there a black scale here?’

Her question was soon answered.

In the deepest part of the valley.

There, she discovered a massive dragon wheezing in painful breaths and writhing in agony.

At first, she thought it was a black dragon.

Since it was completely covered in pitch-black scales.

However, belatedly, Soya realized that what covered the dragon’s body were not black scales.

This was not a black dragon.

This thing whose entire body was rotting away in black decay was…

The one and only ruler who governed the Earthly Realm, the Imperial Dragon.

It was Irim.

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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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