When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 171
Chapter 171
Baek Giha swallowed a groan.
He had intended to give Ju Kyunghyun’s Spirit Orb, which opened this hidden chamber, to his older brothers.
So they could escape in case of emergency, but communication was proving difficult.
‘I should have written a letter…’
But the brothers, their faces grim, simply said to Baek Giha, “We now understand why you’re here, Clan Head Baek. That Sehwa asked you to rescue us. But don't worry.”
And then, words that shouldn't have come out of their mouths, tumbled out.
“Why would we run away?”
“……?”
“……??”
“We’ll stay here and prove our innocence!”
“That’s right! We came here on our own accord to do just that!”
“?!”
“!!!”
‘What… What are they talking about?’
Sehwa, dumbfounded, hurriedly extended her claws and scratched something on Ju Gahan’s leg.
“Hmm? …Father… letter… receive…? You’re asking if we’ve received a letter from Father?”
The baby white tiger nodded vigorously. Her father had definitely sent a letter to her mother and brothers during Seowol’s attack.
“You’re still young, little one. We warriors don’t exchange sentimental letters.”
“That’s right! A warrior’s safety is something to be concerned about in your heart!”
“…!”
‘They didn’t receive it…’
Sehwa, her mouth opening and closing silently, hurriedly wrote another message.
“…Mother… situation… know…? You’re asking if we know about Mother’s situation?”
The baby white tiger nodded vigorously again.
“Our mother is a warrior herself. She spent over ten years on the battlefield as a healer, so she must still be out there, fulfilling her duties.”
“Worrying about someone as capable as Mother would be disrespectful. The war is almost over, we’ll see her when it ends. Haha.”
“......”
‘Oh my god…’
To think they were so oblivious…
Sehwa didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t worry about us, Clan Head Baek. It’s dark in here, but we’re eating and sleeping well.”
“That’s right! And as you praised us, we were quite impressive on the battlefield. Those in charge here know that, so we’re being treated well.”
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but thanks to this incident, we’ve realized our own importance. A blessing in disguise, as they say.”
“......”
“......”
She didn’t even want to talk to them anymore, as they laughed.
The baby white tiger, listlessly scratching the words “Tomorrow. Coming.” on Ju Gahan's leg, returned to the large white tiger, nudging his thick leg and chirping softly.
“Kyu. Kew.”
—Let’s go.
“Krr…”
—…Alright.
As the baby white tiger climbed onto the large white tiger’s back, Ju Gayoon said to Baek Giha, “We appreciate Sehwa’s concern, but we’re doing fine.”
Ju Gahan added, “Yes, so please Clan Head Baek, make sure Sehwa doesn’t get into trouble trying to rescue us.”
The white tiger nodded and turned back, walking back through the dark passage.
Their brothers’ cheerful voices followed them.
“But maybe we’ll see Sehwa tomorrow.”
“Then we can’t stay like this! We have to show her how much we’ve grown as warriors! I have to train!”
“Me too. I don't know who this ‘Na’ guy is, but I won’t spare him if he’s insignificant.”
“Alright. Let's continue what we were doing yesterday. One million twenty-one, one million twenty-two…”
“......”
“......”
The white tiger turned back again.
“Wait! Why are you back?!”
Shing!
The divine beast’s sharp claws extended.
The white tiger scratched something on Ju Gahan's leg, just as Sehwa had done.
<Ju Sehwa. Married. Baek. Baek. Baek.>
“…Gasp! Sehwa married a Baek? Not a Na?”
“What?! Not Na? And she really got married?”
“Hurry! Quickly!”
At the First Corps Commander’s urgent gestures, the servants hurriedly hid the artifacts they had brought among the bushes.
Artifacts were objects imbued with spiritual power that could be used to activate certain abilities.
Numerous artifacts were already hidden throughout the area, but the servants continued to bring more, their hands moving busily.
‘We don’t know when the barrier will disappear,’ the First Corps Commander thought, looking at the Baek Clan’s barrier, still shimmering around the annex.
One of his subordinates approached him, his face anxious.
“Is it alright to be so blatant? The Baek Clan Head will see everything we’ve done the moment he lowers the barrier.”
“There’s no time for such concerns,” the First Corps Commander replied curtly, too impatient to even scold the servant. He started carrying the artifacts himself, not content with simply directing the others.
He wasn’t the one who had ordered them to set up the barrier inside someone else’s territory.
His main concern was that the Mystic Ruler was in a very foul mood.
‘At this rate, I might end up being his next body…’
He had collected as many Spirit Orbs as he could while serving as the Mystic Ruler’s aide.
So, he possessed a substantial amount of spiritual power, comparable to even the elders.
‘This power… was my pride… but…’
But now, the Mystic Ruler was in danger of failing to transform and needing a new body.
He couldn’t be sure he would be spared.
‘But as long as I serve him well, he'll overlook me. So I have to carry out his orders, no matter what.’
What did he care if Baek Giha was a Divine Beast, or if Ju Sehwa was a clan member?
Now that they were inside the Ju Clan, there was no escape.
The Mystic Ruler had brought out all the artifacts the Ju Clan had accumulated throughout its long history.
He was determined to consume them during the inauguration ceremony.
But activating multiple artifacts at once was risky.
Like a large fire in a confined space extinguishing itself…
The artifacts might stop working if there wasn’t enough spiritual energy in the atmosphere to sustain them.
So he had decided to activate them in two separate locations, but…
“Is it alright to just place them randomly like this? What if none of them work properly?”
“Our plans have already gone awry. The artifacts prepared in the Baek Clan Head’s quarters alone won't be enough to subdue those two. This is the only way to suppress them, even if it’s only temporary.”
“But…”
“Stop with the negative talk and finish the preparations. Do you think the Mystic Ruler will spare you if you fail?!”
Just then, someone rushed towards them. “The Mystic Ruler is coming!”
“What?!”
The startled First Corps Commander hurriedly finished the preparations and called the servants.
It wasn’t long before they heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and the Mystic Ruler, in Ju Kyunghyun's form, appeared, followed by a large number of attendants.
The First Corps Commander, tense, approached his master. “You’ve arrived, Mystic Ruler.”
“How are the preparations?”
“It seems they’re still wary of an attack, since the barrier is still up.”
“And how do you plan to activate the artifacts?”
“It’s actually better this way. They can’t maintain that barrier forever. We’re prepared to activate the artifacts the moment the barrier disappears.”
“Are you sure he’s inside?”
“What?!” The First Corps Commander was taken aback by the unexpected question.
“…O-Of course. There were only three of them, and only Baek Giha can create such a barrier…”
The Mystic Ruler’s eyes narrowed, and the First Corps Commander’s hands clenched inside his sleeves.
His fingertips turned pale from anxiety, but he kept his composure and asked, “What are all those items you brought, Mystic Ruler? Are those also artifacts?”
“No. They’re my wedding gift.”
“Wedding gift?”
“Yes. A wedding gift from the Mystic Ruler is something they can't refuse.”
The Mystic Ruler smiled cruelly and took a box from the Second Corps Commander standing behind him.
The First Corps Commander, recognizing the box, swallowed nervously, his face paling further. “I’ll deliver this myself, so activate the artifacts the moment they try to break through the barrier.”
The Mystic Ruler, his eyes gleaming with malice, stepped closer to the First Corps Commander. “You must not let Baek Giha and Ju Sehwa escape, no matter what. If you fail, you won't live to regret it. Understand?”
The First Corps Commander, avoiding the box in the Mystic Ruler’s hand, closed his eyes tightly and answered, “Yes, Mystic Ruler.”
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