When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 93
Chapter 93
There are moments like these.
Times when you know what's happening without anyone saying a word.
Sehwa entered the place where Ju Myoungyoon was waiting.
Whether by Baek Giha's order or not, Baek clan warriors surrounded the annex, standing guard.
Despite it being daytime, the room was dark enough to require candles, as the windows were tightly shut with additional screens to prevent any conversation from leaking out.
Ju Myoungyoon, who had been supporting his forehead with a terrifyingly serious expression, raised his head at Sehwa's presence.
In that moment, Sehwa understood.
Why her father and Baek Giha had remained in this room for so long today.
Why she had been summoned.
Her steps faltered unconsciously when her eyes met her father's.
The tension that suddenly swept over her made it difficult to even swallow.
Will he believe what I have to say?
Even if Father has been disappointed with the Mystic Ruler, it would be difficult to discard a lifetime of loyalty in an instant.
Countless thoughts flashed through Sehwa's mind in that brief moment.
As she called out "Father" with a pale face from tension—
"Listen to your father first."
Breaking the suffocating silence, Ju Myoungyoon took Sehwa's hand and seated her in a chair.
"You must know that Danyoon has been absent lately."
Sehwa's eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected opening.
Uncle Danyoon?
"He went in my stead to handle the situation in the border regions."
Like her brothers, although the war had ended, Ju Myoungyoon also had to guard the unstable borders of the Ju clan's territory.
However, he had briefly returned to resolve compensation issues and settle matters of responsibility between other clan members.
But what did he mean that Uncle Danyoon went to handle the border situation? What was he trying to say?
Does this mean Father will have to return soon as well?
As Sehwa showed signs of questioning Ju Myoungyoon's words, Baek Giha, who had been silent, quietly added:
"He means the Elder wanted to come to the Baek clan in your stead."
"?!"
"Yes. I was going to go."
"Father, how could you... The reason the six clans specifically demanded a young bloodline—"
"Indeed. They don't want to accept someone with spiritual power. But what if I drain all my spiritual power before going? I'm already draining power for compensation, so what would be the problem?"
"Father!"
Sehwa shouted in shock at Ju Myoungyoon's shocking words, but he continued calmly.
"If my original spirit becomes damaged beyond repair and I die in the Baek clan in that state, wouldn't that put the Mystic Ruler's mind at ease?"
"!"
"I... I've been thinking the same thing. So."
Ju Myoungyoon smiled gently at Sehwa.
"So... don't hesitate to tell your father anything, discuss everything truthfully. In any case, I will only take your side. No matter who deserves more pity, who is more right—that's not important. Your long life ahead is a hundred, thousand times more important to me than my long life that has passed."
"...Father."
Sehwa found it difficult to speak, overwhelmed by emotion at her father's words declaring that her future was more important than his entire life.
"That's why I brought this up. Now tell me. What are those words you couldn't say, that I need to know?"
What words could she not say when her father had gone this far?
A long story flowed from her lips.
Since the story began from her earliest days, it took considerable time for all her years of suffering to be conveyed to Ju Myoungyoon.
Ju Myoungyoon couldn't fully believe Baek Giha's words.
However, when the identical story flowed from his daughter's lips, everything changed.
Ju Myoungyoon's expression, which had only been serious while talking with Baek Giha, twisted terribly as he listened to Sehwa's words.
Sehwa only selected what she considered important about what happened in the torture chamber.
But how could Ju Myoungyoon, a clan elder, not know what those taken to that place had to endure?
His eyes reddened hotly as he immediately understood what stories his daughter had omitted.
How choked up he must have been while listening to those long stories.
"...How much."
A voice squeezed out painfully, filled with sorrow.
"How difficult it must have been."
Sehwa's voice faded as she felt her father's thick, rough hands clasping hers.
"...Why didn't you tell me until now? Why?"
"..."
"I'm not blaming you. I understand why now."
You couldn't have spoken, could you?
How could you speak when I repeatedly told you to be loyal to the clan, to dedicate your everything to the Mystic Ruler?
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should have told you first that you didn't have to, that your life is your own..."
"No, Father. Please don't say that."
How could she not know how much he loved her?
"The reason I couldn't tell you until now wasn't because of that."
She had only wanted to end it with her life alone if things went wrong.
Sehwa embraced her father's devastated shoulders, which were trembling with regret.
"I thought I needed evidence before telling you because it would be hard for you to believe. That's all it was, not what you're thinking..."
That's when it happened.
Her pupils suddenly split vertically.
"!"
Her long hair floated up into the air.
As her body began to rise, crimson spiritual power started from her feet and engulfed her body like a lotus flower.
"!!"
"!!!"
In that moment when both Baek Giha watching Sehwa and Ju Myoungyoon looking down jumped up in surprise—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind swept through the tightly sealed room.
Starting from her body, the wind grew stronger until it created a storm that made it difficult to even keep their eyes open.
"Wh-what is this... Sehwa!"
"Ju Sehwa!"
Even protecting themselves was difficult in the face of the wind made of powerful spiritual energy.
Bang! Crash!
All objects were thrown about and shattered, turning the room into chaos in an instant.
As the two men, pushed against the wall, blocked the wind with their arms and called out to Sehwa again—
The crimson spiritual power that had completely enveloped her body began to disappear into the air like opening flower petals.
Boom!! Bang!
The shuttered windows and doors burst open simultaneously.
A pure white dragon appeared for the first time, quickly slipping through the gap.
As it soared toward the sky, it suddenly vanished transparently.
Merchant Ji's complexion was quite light as he packed up his empty cart and turned back.
"Merchant Ji. You seem to be in a good mood."
"Huh? Mood?"
The merchant, lost in thought about Sehwa, answered belatedly.
"Ah. I've made quite a bit of money these past few days, haven't I? Maybe that's why. You seem to be in a good mood too. What, did something good happen?"
"Of course. Didn't Elder Myoungyoon's house finally place an order with our company? I've been wanting to do my best for him, and now that he's placed an order, I feel quite good after doing my utmost."
Merchant Ji chuckled and chided the employee who had just spoken.
"You should do your best for everyone. What kind of talk is that?"
"But you can't help but notice when you do this kind of work. Who's looking out for us."
The employee retorted, saying he knew what he knew.
"It's not easy to reduce your own food to protect others. When other Ju Clan members were collecting war reparations from their territory members, he was the one who shared even what he should have used himself."
Seeing that, one couldn't help but be moved.
Listening to the added words, Merchant Ji tapped his thigh with the end of his cane.
He remembered Sehwa's strange words from that morning.
No, actually, he had been thinking about her constantly.
Although the degree varied, to the Seven Clans of the Mystic Realm, insignificant people like themselves weren't considered the same species.
They were just beings to be used for convenience, and killed immediately if they angered them.
Insignificant existences they didn't even need to feel guilty about.
Well, it wasn't something he couldn't understand.
Merchant Ji was a descendant of the Earth Dragon, after all.
The Red Dragon clan were those who flew in the sky, summoned rain, and used clairvoyance.
There was no reason for such beings to care about the earthworm Mystic race who crawled underground, only receiving and drinking the rainwater they provided.
Therefore, Merchant Ji found Sehwa, who spoke to him casually, perhaps even considerately today, a little strange.
'No. Actually, she was like that from the beginning. Usually, they don't speak directly but send their maids to relay messages, but this young lady doesn't do that.'
While he thought it was strange, he still kept recalling her flattering words and wanting to attach meaning to them.
If that young lady were the Mystic Ruler, perhaps the Mystic Realm would be much different.
What was the reason for these impossible thoughts that kept occurring to him?
Although he chided the employee for saying he should do better because it was Elder Myoungyoon, he himself had been anxious to perfectly complete the task the young lady had requested, so wasn't he being ridiculous?
As Merchant Ji let out a chuckle, something strange caught his eye in the distance.
"Merchant Ji. What is that?"
It had clearly been covered with trees, but the surroundings were melting away from the empty air, as if ice were thawing.
And soon, the familiar red flames appeared.
"Gasp!! M-Merchant Ji, is that, by any chance, the Mystic Ruler's fire?"
The blood drained from Merchant Ji's face.
"Hide yourselves quickly. Don't even think about peeking."
He quickly ordered his employees to forget about carts and carriages and run away with anything that might reveal their identities.
While the Ju Clan members might not know, those without a clan like Merchant Ji knew those flames very well.
The Mystic Ruler's fire.
The Mystic Ruler would often burn to death merchants or servants who visited the mansion for deliveries with those flames.
Why were those flames, which once attached to something would never go out until they had melted the target to the bone, here?
But even as his companions quickly fled, Merchant Ji couldn't bring himself to follow.
A greater fear within his fear held him back.
The Mystic Ruler was suspicious.
Even if he erased all traces and ran away, he might eventually be discovered to have been near the incident.
Considering the Mystic Ruler's personality, which enjoyed testing people unexpectedly by asking the same question multiple times, wouldn't he need to know what happened to avoid the topic?
"...."
His fingertips grew cold with tension, but he soon made a resolute expression.
His cautious steps moved closer and closer to the flames, not in the direction of his companions.
How nervous he was, lest he be discovered by the Mystic Ruler's guards.
However, even as he approached, he couldn't see the warriors who would have started the fire.
It was quiet, with no sign of any human presence, let alone warriors.
'Strange. What is it? It's serious enough for the Mystic Ruler's fire to appear, but why is it so quiet?'
What was going on?
As he hesitated, wondering if he should turn back now, something long and white plunged straight down from the sky.
Kwaang—!!
The Mystic Ruler's flames and the pure white Spiritual Power collided, sending a powerful shockwave sweeping past where Merchant Ji stood.
"!"
But despite the gale, it seemed he had seen something. Something that had fallen into the center of the flames.
At the unbelievable fact, he stopped for a moment.
If his eyes weren't mistaken.
'A dragon?!'
What flashed before his eyes was definitely the form of a dragon.
'A dragon has appeared again? A Divine Beast?!'
As if he had never been preoccupied with concealing his presence, Merchant Ji ran quickly towards the scene, unlike before.
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