Chapter 136

Thud!

The black-horned beast’s horn rammed into the giant tree.

It was expected to be fast, but it was faster than anticipated.

Even Pyo Gang-hyeok, confident in his footwork technique, barely managed to dodge.

Crack!

The huge tree that could shelter two grown men embracing was snapped by the black-horned beast’s headbutt.

‘If that hits you, your bones wouldn’t recover…’

Pyo Gang-hyeok might be cleaved in two like that tree.

“Ugh!”

Meanwhile, Yu Se-gwang, who had approached the bear without fear, caught the bear’s left paw.

‘My waist… feels like it’s going to break!’

If his strength waned even a little, he would be pressed by the bear’s forepaw and folded in half.

He had confidence in his strength from sparring with External Protection Troops members, grappling, and bare-handed fighting.

But a wild bear’s monstrous strength was beyond what a human could handle. Different species, different standards.

“Guh…!”

Shraa!

Ha Do-yeop struck the two-headed serpent’s head flying toward him with the side of his axe.

Thud!

The wild swing of the two-headed beast’s maw struck a nearby rock.

Then the rock’s surface that touched its teeth began to slowly melt away.

“What the…”

Ha Do-yeop realized the rumors about the snake were incorrect.

Go seven steps after getting hit by that? Whoever spread that rumor must have an impenetrable, poison-proof body.

And Yang Gwan-wol…

“Deputy Captain, what are you doing! Snap out of it!”

Yang Gwan-wol, swinging his greatsword, would stop his motion from time to time as if dazed.

Grrk!

In that gap, the Seven tailed fox bared its teeth.

Smack!

Kyaang!

If Ha Do-yeop hadn’t thrown a stone at the right moment and struck the Seven tailed fox’s head, Yang Gwan-wol would by now have been a mouthful for the beast.

“Deputy Captain, what are you doing! Pull yourself together!”

“Ugh, why am I like this?”

Startled by Ha Do-yeop’s shout, Yang Gwan-wol shook himself and snapped back.

Strangely, whenever his eyes met that fox’s, his limbs would go limp and he felt his spirit drain out.

“The Seven tailed fox is an unearthly beast that sucks a man’s vital essence!”

Pyo Gang-hyeok shouted as he avoided the two-headed serpent’s head.

Hwan Bija, standing behind Yang Gwan-wol, asked him.

“Even a Seven tailed fox won’t be so easily beguiled… Are you, by any chance, an unwed man?”

“What? An unwed man? Are you calling me, Yang Gwan-wol, an unwed man? That’s impossible!”

Hearing Yang Gwan-wol’s awkward denial, the External Protection Troops members all thought at once.

‘That’s right.’

‘That bastard was a bachelor. He pretended to be so manly.’

‘The one who voluntarily stayed single…’

The External Protection Troops members, even while confronting the spirits, resolved they’d remember this and return to Flying Swallow Manor to spread the story.

One more reason to survive had been added.

“…Binda-binda hum!”

When Hwan Bija finished the incantation, Yang Gwan-wol felt his head clear up.

Until just now it felt like he had been in a sticky dream, but now the fog in his mind had completely lifted.

‘….’

The inexplicable longing he felt wasn’t solely because he was an unwed man.

At least Yang Gwan-wol believed that.

“Heave!”

Bi Mokja joined in against Yoo Se-gwang, whose face had gone crimson as if on the verge of losing control.

Kuuong!

As he pushed the bear, the force on Yoo Se-gwang dropped to less than half.

The bear even began to slowly be pushed back.

The saying that you could win about thirty percent of a strength contest with a bear was not mere boast.

Tsstsht!

While the two-headed serpent was distracted by Ha Do-yeop, Gyu Guja moved behind it and seized both heads.

“Now! Press the serpent’s heads down!”

Ha Do-yeop didn’t hesitate and joined in. He took one head while Gyu Guja took the other and the serpent’s tail, forcing them to the ground.

Whenever it began to regain strength, Ha Do-yeop struck the two heads so it couldn’t come to its senses.

Thud!

When Ai Ja’s somnolent incense took effect, the black-horned beast lost its sense of direction and began ramming its head into random places.

As Pyo Gang-hyeok tried to exploit the beast’s opening to attack, Ai Ja warned him.

“Leave it be! Let it be! Dan-dan has a keen sense of smell; if you go close it’ll notice immediately! Just let the creature tire itself out!”

Hearing that, Pyo Gang-hyeok kept his distance and waited; Yu Se-gwang was effectively pushed to the rear of the struggle, and Ha Do-yeop clung to the serpent as things quieted down.

The only one still fighting desperately was Yang Gwan-wol.

“Damn it! I thought the fox would be the easiest!”

Because of the Ghost Valley Manor Lord warning, Yang Gwan-wol couldn’t show his full skill.

He had been asked, if possible, to subdue the spirits without injuring them.

Unable to swing his greatsword freely, he lost the initiative and was left scrambling just to defend.

Moreover, each time the Seven tailed fox swished its tail, Yang Gwan-wol’s manly heart fluttered and wavered…

“Are you still not in your right mind? I recited the Forging-Containment Restraint Technique to suppress unearthly arts—so why are you still out of it? Is it because you’re an unwed man?!”

“I’m not an unwed man!”

“Then why are you grinning like an idiot and not with it!”

“When did I ever grin like that!”

At that moment, Hwan Bija’s shout struck Yang Gwan-wol like a blow to the head.

“Seeing you not even able to snap out of it around a male shows you’re certainly an unwed man!”

Perk!

Yang Gwan-wol’s movements froze.

Even the External Protection Troops members forgot the fight and stared at Yang Gwan-wol.

“An unwed man… you say?”

“Our deputy captain got turned on by an unwed man?”

“This is a world-class laughingstock…”

But the one most shocked wasn’t the others—it was Yang Gwan-wol himself.

“I… for an unwed man…”

Maybe it was his imagination, but the Seven tailed fox seemed to grin at him.

Yang Gwan-wol gripped his greatsword tightly, clutching at his masculine pride.

It was hard to be sure, but it looked like moisture had formed at the corner of his eyes.

“Don’t toy with a man’s pure heart, you fiend!!”

Startled by his intensified assault, the Seven tailed fox retreated repeatedly.

Kyaaang!

Finally, the Seven tailed fox let out a scream as its neck was struck by the back of the blade and collapsed.

As expected of a demon-beast, even the way it fell stirred Yang Gwan-wol’s manly feelings.

Yang Gwan-wol squeezed his eyes shut and urged himself on.

‘Don’t throw away your masculine pride, Gwan-wol!’

His heart was now precariously tightrope-walking on the border between human and beast.

Then the Seven tailed fox sprang to its feet and looked toward the mountain lodge.

The black-horned beast, the two-headed serpent, the three-legged crow, and the bear.

The other spirit-creatures stopped thrashing and all looked in the same direction as the Seven tailed fox.

“…What?”

Humans didn’t know, but there was an instinct only beasts could feel.

Awoooo!

The Seven tailed fox howled toward the sky over Hundred Ghost Mountain.

It was the same cry it had used when it first gathered the other spirits.

Then an astonishing thing happened.

“Wook!”

The two-headed serpent that Ha Do-yeop and Gyu Guja had been holding wrenched free.

The black-horned beast turned around, and the bear flung Bi Mokja aside.

As if by agreement, the spirits ran toward the lodge, leaving the people behind.

“…What?”

Those left behind stood dumbfounded, staring blankly.

Until the Ghost Valley Lord realized the situation and shouted.

“Chase after them! The… the children seem to be going to Yoon!”

The three-legged crow was thoroughly enraged.

Because Yeon Mujin had yanked, a few feathers from its head had been torn away.

Craaack!

Furious, the three-legged crow launched a barrage of attacks at Yeon Mujin.

The annoying human nimbly dodged the three-legged crow’s attacks with his half-broken sword and taunted it.

Craaak!

The incensed three-legged crow let out a monstrous cry.

Its flames doubled, then tripled in intensity.

With that much power, it would surely affect that annoying human…

Splash!

At that moment something plunged into the pond.

Yeon Mujin, who had been watching the three-legged crow, turned his head.

Bukgung Yoon was nowhere to be seen.

“…Lady of the lodge?”

The three-legged crow seized the opportunity and lunged at Yeon Mujin.

A perfect chance to land a blow on the distracted human!

And then,

Wham!

The three-legged crow felt a powerful impact to its head and promptly fainted.

“Lady!”

Yeon Mujin’s divine technique, wrought with all his might, was like a gust of wind.

In the time it took to exhale, he felled the three-legged crow and peered into the pond.

“Lady?”

The pond was murky, so the interior wasn’t clearly visible.

But the sound earlier made it clear that Bukgung Yoon had fallen in.

Had she been attacked by a carp? Did she lose consciousness from the impact of the fall?

Whatever the cause, there was no time to wait. Yeon Mujin plunged straight into the pond.

Plop!

Once inside the pond, he finally saw Bukgung Yoon.

Bukgung Yoon’s skirt fluttered like a fish’s fin.

In one hand she held a long red cloth-like thing.

And,

Between Yeon Mujin and Bukgung Yoon, there was a massive carp.

‘Lady!’

No matter how he called out, his voice couldn’t reach the other side of the pond.

Yeon Mujin silently prayed that the carp wouldn’t notice her.

He had no ability to move faster underwater than the carp.

‘Please!’

Yeon Mujin flailed his arms and legs to create as much disturbance as possible, to attract the carp’s attention to him.

Cruelly, he had left his half-broken sword outside after using it to bring down the three-legged crow.

But despite his efforts, the carp’s massive body surged toward Bukgung Yoon.

Yeon Mujin kicked and swam, but the carp was faster.

His lord, whether aware or not, was sinking slowly. The red cloth in Bukgung Yoon’s right hand looked like her blood.

‘Move, move! Faster!’

For the first time, Yeon Mujin lost composure.

The jokes that used to come even when his life was at risk didn’t come now.

It was not funny at all.

The image of the carp’s mouth opening and swallowing Bukgung Yoon whole was vivid.

‘Is this how it ends?’

He had never failed like this.

He had faced a betrayed, abandoned, and ruined Bukgung Family before.

But never while he served his lord had he lost his master.

In the split second as the carp closed in on Bukgung Yoon, a storm of emotions swirled inside Yeon Mujin.

Fear of failure, anger, guilt at having glanced away after entrusting things to Bukgung Yoon.

—Protect the lady of the lodge. She is the one who will become the Family Lord of the future Bukgung Family.

What was he boasting about so arrogantly?

A worthless bodyguard who couldn’t even protect the lady right in front of him.

—Just trust me. I will take all your bad luck.

How could he have made such arrogant promises?

Even kicking with all his might, his forward motion was painfully slow.

Like an inescapable fate, endlessly struggling but bound by shackles.

Yeon Mujin could not help Bukgung Yoon.

And the red carp drew close to Bukgung Yoon.

Contrary to Yeon Mujin’s expectation,

the carp did not open its mouth to swallow Bukgung Yoon.

Instead, it took the sinking Bukgung Yoon onto its back and rose to the surface.

To Yeon Mujin’s eyes it was slow, but in reality very swift.

Yeon Mujin also frantically changed direction and broke the surface.

Puuuu—!

Bukgung Yoon and Yeon Mujin surfaced, and their gazes met.

Bukgung Yoon proudly raised the red cloth she had held in her right hand.

And she cried out.

“Captain Yeon! This is it! The carp was suffering because of this!”

Looking closely, the red cloth she held wasn’t fabric but a skin.

A thin, translucent skin that exactly resembled the carp’s red scales.

“I saved the carp! I did it!”

…Ah.

Damn it.

Fuck.

So that’s what it was.

Yeon Mujin’s head sank back.

“Uh…?”

The puzzled exclamation of his young lady’s reached his ears.

Yeon Mujin saw the sky over Hundred Ghost Mountain, a glaring, vivid blue.

Was the sky always this color?

Was it always this annoyingly blue and high?

“Captain Yeon?”

Suddenly loathing that clear sky, Yeon Mujin sank back beneath the water.

To him, the dull, dark water felt more fitting than that blue sky.

Before sinking under the surface, the last cry he heard was the lodge woman’s voice calling worryingly to him.

“Captain Yeon!”