The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 96

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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 96

 

In an instant, one of Baek Gaya’s eyebrows shot up crookedly.

 

“Insolent?”

 

When Gaya, who had a cool and cold atmosphere even when still, hardened his eyes, the surrounding air settled down so coldly it seemed like it would freeze.

 

However, the more this happened, the more Jeok Sanyu only wore a deeper and warmer smile.

 

The expressions of the people around who saw this turned sour.

 

‘Oh no, here they go again.’

 

Baek Gaya and Jeok Sanyu had a very bad relationship, as opposite as their appearances and personalities were.

 

At times like this, avoiding them was the best strategy. To avoid getting caught up in their quarrel and getting hurt unnecessarily.

 

Everyone quietly slipped away from their seats without a sound.

 

“This works out perfectly, Prince Gaya. Actually, I was in a bad mood, very much so.”

 

Jeok Sanyu picked up the long bow he had been tending to just moments before and aimed it at him.

 

“Would you care to spar with me after such a long time?”

 

“Huh?”

 

At the very moment Baek Gaya looked at the grinning Jeok Sanyu as if he couldn’t believe it.

 

Swish—

 

Jeok Sanyu’s arrow immediately flew toward him.

 

“That crazy chicken-brain.”

 

Gaya quickly grabbed the handkerchief he had received as a gift from Soya and dodged.

 

Boom—!

 

The arrow struck where he had been standing just moments before, then exploded, creating a large crater.

 

If it had grazed him even slightly, he would have suffered serious injuries.

 

Others would have been terrified and panic-stricken, but Baek Gaya simply lightly stamped his feet and changed direction.

 

Then he drew the sword from his waist and charged at Jeok Sanyu.

 

Unlike when facing demonic beasts, when fighting people, he preferred to use weapons rather than bare hands.

 

This was because if he fought barehanded, the steel-like claws of the White Tiger beast-person might tear his opponent apart.

 

Baek Gaya swung his sword, cutting all the incoming arrows in half as he rushed toward his opponent.

 

Just as he was about to bring down the sword he had raised into the air, Jeok Sanyu raised his bow to block his sword.

 

Thud—!

 

The moment their sword and bow clashed with a dull sound.

 

Crash—!

 

With a tremendous roar, dust clouds rose hazily.

 

It was such a destructive combat scene that even the demonic beasts were startled and fled.

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, across from the Imperial Army Base where the hazy dust clouds were rising.

 

Beyond the seething demonic beast forces, in the cold and desolate Northern Lands where black earth stretched endlessly.

 

A demonic beast wearing a black helmet and armor was looking down at the cold battlefield.

 

His name was ‘Taowu’.

 

One of the Four Fiends revived by Hyeon Rabaek, and the leader commanding the demonic beast army attacking the Empire.

 

He had been attacking the Empire with his subordinate demonic beasts, following his lord’s orders.

 

It had already been well over 10 years since this began.

 

The war that continued sluggishly showed no signs of ending.

 

There were only demonic beasts crossing the border to harm people for instinctive bloodlust, without purpose or meaning.

 

In truth, more demonic beasts died by the Imperial Army’s blades, but such things didn’t matter.

 

To Taowu, the leader commanding tens of thousands of demonic beast legions, only one thing was important.

 

Following his lord Hyeon Rabaek’s orders to attack humans.

 

“Taowu.”

 

At this time, a man came looking for him.

 

The man covered from head to toe in black cloth was the last fiend, ‘Taotie’.

 

“Following Chaos, even Qiongqi has died.”

 

“….”

 

However, Taowu only gazed at the distant battlefield without even turning to look at him.

 

Seeing Taowu’s appearance of having no interest whatsoever in the news he had brought, Taotie continued speaking.

 

“The human body our lord dwells in is too weak. At this rate, we’ll all end up dead.”

 

“What are you trying to say?”

 

Only then did Taowu turn around with a frown.

 

“I’m saying we should serve our true lord instead of that head of the Black Tortoise Clan. The ‘evil’ of this world!”

 

“Don’t talk nonsense, Taotie.”

 

In an instant, Taowu pointed his sword tip toward Taotie.

 

“The one who revived us is our current lord. I only follow my lord’s commands.”

 

“….”

 

At that chilling sword tip, Taotie gulped and shut his mouth tight.

 

“If you do anything that harms our lord, I won’t forgive you either.”

 

Taowu ended his brief threat, turned his back, and left the spot.

 

“That guy will die soon too. Just like the previous two.”

 

Taotie clicked his tongue while watching Taowu’s retreating figure.

 

But he didn’t want to die such a miserable death.

 

‘After waiting such long ages to be revived like this.’

 

The head of the Black Tortoise Clan, Hyeon Rabaek.

 

Long ago, he had tried to awaken the ‘ancient evil’ and accept it into his body to become the ‘evil’ of this world himself, but….

 

‘That man’s body cannot fully accept our lord’s power.’

 

The fact that he, a fiend who had once thrown the entire continent into chaos, had become this weak was proof of that.

 

If their true lord dwelling in that man’s body could find a strong physical form suitable for him.

 

If only that evil could become even stronger.

 

Then he too would become stronger than now.

 

‘I must find a new body to contain our lord before that human’s flesh collapses.’

 

Taotie thought this and ground his teeth inwardly.

 

* * *

 

The cold Northern Region.

 

Submerged with gentle ripples beneath the black swamp, the Dark Earth Underground Palace in the Swamp of the Dead.

 

A man sat on a black throne, sweating coldly and letting out pained groans.

 

The Lord of the Northern Region, Hyeon Rabaek.

 

Originally, his body was that of an ordinary beast-person, so there were limits to containing the ‘ancient evil’ within it.

 

Thus, his body, which had always been precarious, suffered a great blow three years ago when he sent scarecrows to the White Tiger Palace only to be counterattacked.

 

He could have recovered over the three years, but since then, the evil kept seeping out of his once-cracked body, destroying his flesh from inside and out.

 

“Ugh….”

 

Hyeon Rabaek writhed in agony from the evil that kept trying to break through his Spirit Core and burst out.

 

His physical body kept failing to endure and was gradually cracking and crumbling bit by bit.

 

However, this was something he had been prepared for since he first accepted the evil.

 

What he desired, even while offering his own flesh as sacrifice, was only one thing.

 

To bring down the continent.

 

The Lord of the Northern Region, Hyeon Rabaek, was a foolish man obsessed only with that.

 

“Huu….”

 

He barely managed to suppress the pain and let out a long, deep breath.

 

He remembers.

 

Twelve years ago in the past, on the night when the red moon rose. What the Imperial Family did to his former lover.

 

It all began with an oracle.

 

The oracle that said the Dragon Emperor’s Bride would awaken the slumbering Four Divine Beasts.

 

“Kuk kuk. Kuk kuk kuk.”

 

Suddenly, he covered his face with one hand and burst into laughter.

 

But soon after.

 

“…Yeona.”

 

With an anguished murmur, thick tears streamed down from beneath his heavy palm.

 

“Siyeon. I miss you…”

 

The black water that had risen up to his ankles rippled and swayed.

 

The haze that rose from the water’s surface soon gathered into the illusion of a woman.

 

The woman’s illusion approached him.

 

Hyeon Rabaek lowered the hand covering his eyes and slowly raised his head to look at the woman.

 

She had once been a lover who promised eternity, but they had to part because of that damned Dragon Emperor’s Bride or whatever it was.

 

She had ultimately become the Emperor’s consort, severing their connection—his former lover.

 

As a subject bound to obey imperial commands, it was painful to watch her from afar after she became Empress, but it was bearable.

 

He could endure it.

 

Until he learned of her death and the Imperial Family’s ugly truth hidden behind it.

 

—Don’t cry, Rabaek.

 

The woman’s illusion comforted him, stroking his cheek.

 

Hyeon Rabaek embraced the woman tightly, his throat aching as it trembled.

 

“Siyeon…”

 

He slowly opened his tightly shut eyes and looked up at her.

 

A woman with dark blue hair and beautiful blue-green eyes smiled tenderly at him.

 

The woman bent her waist toward him.

 

Their faces gradually drew closer.

 

Hyeon Rabaek reached out his hand like an old habit and untied her hair ribbon.

 

The dark blue hair that flowed down tickled his cheek.

 

Just as he gazed at her quietly with a faint smile.

 

Slowly.

 

The illusion ended. It disappeared without a trace.

 

Both she and the sensation of the hair ribbon that had remained in his hand.

 

Hyeon Rabaek looked at his empty hands and let out a hollow laugh.

 

* * *

 

A blue-green colored hair ribbon dangled from Soya’s head.

 

Every time Soya bounced around, the hair ribbon fluttered along with her movements.

 

After the Dragon God Festival in the Eastern Lands ended, Soya returned to the White Tiger Palace.

 

“I’m back!”

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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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