When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 162
Chapter 162
The Clan Heads’ gazes turned to him, surprised by his words.
“…What?!”
“??”
“W-White Tiger Divine Beast form?”
Oblivious to their reactions, Baek Manyong continued his enthusiastic praise.
“As expected of the Lady of the House of the Baek Clan, she cannot hide her greatness and solidifies her position as our leader.”
He emphasized the title “Lady of the House” with particular fervor.
“Her dazzling presence, recognizable even from a thousand miles away, is truly outstanding! I, Baek Manyong, swear my eternal loyalty to the Lady of the Hou—”
“W-Wait a moment,” the Cheon Clan Head interrupted.
“What are you talking about? She transformed into a White Tiger? Who? Not Clan Head Baek, but someone else?”
“Of course, I’m talking about our Lady of the House. Lady Sehwa is the perfect Divine Beast, bestowed upon us by the heavens, the unparalleled Lady of the House of the Baek Clan!”
“…D-Divine Beast?”
“Divine Beast? What are you—? This young lady?”
“Are you… are you talking about this Ju Clan young lady?!”
“Of course! I have already had the honor of witnessing her perfect White Tiger form, with her black and white fur and adorable paw pads—”
Ignoring the rest of Baek Manyong’s rambling, they all turned to look at Sehwa.
Sehwa, meeting their gazes, nodded calmly. “That’s why I thought transforming into a dragon might solve the problem. I was asking for your opinions on this matter.”
“......”
“......”
The leaders of the Six Clans stared at Sehwa, speechless, blinking in surprise.
A long silence filled the meeting room.
Even Ju Myoungyoon, his face bewildered, finally asked, “…Are you saying… you’re a Divine Beast? My daughter has become a Divine Beast?”
“Why are you so surprised, Father? You’ve already seen me transform into a dragon.”
“What?”
“!!”
“Back then. When I was severely injured and unconscious for a long time.”
“So… you were already a Divine Beast then? Wasn't that an anomaly caused by your reverse scale being damaged?”
“Ah, so you thought it was an anomaly.”
“I’ve never experienced such a thing myself.”
As Ju Myoungyoon and Sehwa spoke, all eyes were on her.
The Cheon, Kang, and Jang Clan Heads also stared at her, blinking in surprise.
Only Baek Manyong, his eyes sparkling, looked like he was barely containing himself from bursting into another round of praise.
Sehwa’s gaze, sweeping over the room, met Baek Giha's.
His gaze, soft and gentle, held a hint of concern.
His perfectly sculpted jaw nodded almost imperceptibly.
Sehwa, seeing this, calmly addressed the others, who were still looking at her expectantly. “Well… would you like to see for yourselves?”
“Wait a moment, Chancellor.”
The Cheon Clan Head, his face bewildered, stammered as he stopped Baek Manyong. “So, she’s a Divine Beast, but we don’t know the details yet. Let’s go somewhere more private.”
The Jang Clan Head, walking next to him, agreed. “Y-Yes, that’s right. Somewhere… quiet and secluded… where the warriors can’t see us.”
Baek Manyong puffed out his chest confidently. “Leave it to me. How can I miss the Lady of the House’s second transformation? I will lead you to the perfect location where she can transform comfortably without any distractions.”
So, they needed a little more time to find a suitable location, considering the size and security requirements.
The other Clan Heads, growing impatient, bombarded Baek Manyong with questions. “Are we there yet? How much further?”
“We’re here.”
As promised, Baek Manyong led them to a perfect location.
It was a clearing in the forest, not far from Baekseok Residence, where a waterfall cascaded into a large lake.
The sound of the waterfall was so loud that it would mask any other noise, making it unlikely to reach the residence.
Colorful flowers bloomed in the clearing in front of the lake.
Various flowers grew naturally in the Baek Clan territory, thanks to the distinct changes in seasons, and the garden was known for its diverse flora.
Here too, a variety of flowers were swaying gently in the breeze.
The clear blue sky, the cascading waterfall, and the beautiful flower garden created a breathtaking view.
But no one was paying attention to the scenery.
They were too preoccupied with waiting for Sehwa to prove her claim, their eyes fixed on her anxiously. “Yes, this is good.” “This will do.”
Sehwa, sensing their anticipation, said, “Then…”
After a moment of contemplation, she walked towards the lake.
A tense silence fell over the group as they watched her every move.
Reaching the edge of the lake, Sehwa took off her shoes, turned around, met each of their gazes, and then stepped into the water.
“!!”
“!?”
“Sehwa!”
Just as Ju Myoungyoon was about to rush forward, a calm, low voice stopped him.
“It’s alright. Wait.”
“Clan Head Baek?”
Seeing Baek Giha’s calm demeanor, they hesitantly lowered their outstretched arms.
“W-Well… it seems she’s starting with water… haha…”
“That’s… that’s how dragons are…”
They continued to stare at the lake where Sehwa had disappeared.
But despite their anxious gazes, only ripples disturbed the surface of the water, there was no sign of change.
“…Isn't this taking too long…?”
Time continued to pass.
“......”
The Jang Clan Head, sharing the same thought, swallowed nervously. “What? Did something go wrong?”
“She said she was a Divine Beast, so she should be fine.”
“Perhaps she needs some time to prepare.”
“......”
“......”
“…Clan Head… isn’t the Lady of the House taking too long…?”
“......”
The handsome man, his long, black hair flowing down his back, leaned against a nearby tree, watching the lake quietly.
Since the Divine Beast remained silent, everyone else followed suit, but time continued to pass, and their faces grew increasingly pale.
Ju Myoungyoon, nervously clasping his hands together, kept glancing at Baek Giha.
Since Baek Giha, who was so enamored with his daughter, remained calm, he assumed everything was alright.
‘But isn’t this taking too long?’
The old warrior clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, his lips dry.
The waterfall continued to cascade into the lake, its sound a constant roar.
“…Sehwa…”
No. This wasn't right. Something was wrong.
“Sehwa!”
As Ju Myoungyoon rushed towards the lake, the other Clan Heads, as if released from a trance, followed him.
“Sehwa!”
Ju Myoungyoon, his face pale, reached out towards the still surface of the lake.
Just as he was about to jump in…
Rumble—!!!!
“!!!”
The earth shook violently, and a deafening roar, louder than the waterfall, echoed through the air.
The Clan Heads stumbled back, startled by the sound, as if the cliff itself was collapsing.
A transparent, crimson wall suddenly rose from the lake with incredible speed.
“…!!”
“…Gasp!”
It was a wall, but not a wall.
It moved with a gentle, undulating motion, rising from the lake towards the sky, as if weightless.
Shimmer…
A clear, melodious sound, like thousands of beads falling, filled the air.
Water from the lake, rising like a waterspout, cascaded down on them, shimmering in the sunlight.
The crimson scales, reflecting the sunlight like a mirror, continued to rise from the lake, its massive size making them wonder how it had fit within the small lake, before finally uncoiling its slender tail and settling on the flowers.
“......!!”
“…Th-This…”
No one could move, their eyes fixed on the sight before them.
They stared, speechless, at the massive creature, its form so large that it couldn't be fully taken in at a glance.
Shimmer…
Every breath it took created a refreshing sound, like rain, echoing like music.
“My… god…”
“This… this is…”
“—This… is…”
“Heavens…”
The Clan Heads, at a loss for words, could only stammer incoherently.
From high above, between the gaps in its beautiful, jewel-like scales, vertical pupils gazed down at them.
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