When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 182
Chapter 182
Leaving behind the chaotic scene filled with screams…
Something white and massive, leaving a faint afterimage like a white line, sped away, its presence concealed.
A woman, also dressed in white, was clinging to the back of the giant creature.
It was Ju Sehwa.
The moment they smelled the Corrupt Dragon’s stench, they looked at each other.
‘Let’s go now.’
‘Yes, while everyone's attention is on the Corrupt Dragon.’
They nodded, as if reading each other’s minds.
She could fight the Corrupt Dragon in her Red Dragon form.
But the First Consort and the Red Dragon’s Spirit Orb were the Corrupt Dragon's lifelines.
Since she had both, there was no need to confront the Corrupt Dragon directly.
‘My brothers' safety is more important.’
Judging by the lack of a signal from Choi Jangmyung, who was supposed to alert them if something went wrong, her brothers seemed to have escaped safely.
So they were now escaping to return to the Baek Clan with her brothers.
‘But…’
Sehwa’s crimson eyes, gleaming, turned towards the Corrupt Dragon.
‘Now that I’ve finally seen it, I can’t just leave. That would be a shame…’
A cruel smile touched her lips as she quickly imbued an arrow with her spiritual power, even as the air around them crackled with the Corrupt Dragon's energy. She lit the end of the bowstring, rigging it to fire automatically.
With such a large target, it would be harder to miss.
After finishing her preparations, she quickly escaped.
Hearing a scream from behind, it seemed her arrow had found its mark.
The giant white tiger carrying her sped through the deserted Ju Clan residence, its footsteps silent.
Reaching the high wall, it glanced around and then leaped over it in a single bound.
“Clan Head Baek!”
“Sehwa!”
“My lady!”
Choi Jangmyung and Sehwa's brothers, who had been hiding in the darkness with the Spirit Orb, waiting for Baek Giha, rushed towards them.
“There’s no time for explanations. Let's get out of here.”
“Where are we going?”
“Back to the Baek Clan.”
“The Baek Clan?!”
“Just get on!”
Three large men and a woman climbed onto the giant white tiger’s back.
“......”
The giant white tiger’s brow furrowed slightly.
Kaboom!
But as an explosion echoed from within the Mystic Ruler's residence, he leaped into the air, soaring into the sky.
From above, they had a clear view of the chaotic scene below.
A black dragon was writhing among the burning buildings, tearing them apart.
“W-What is that?!”
“Is that… a dragon?! There was another dragon in the Ju Clan?!”
“That’s not a Divine Dragon,” Sehwa said, her eyes narrowed, correcting her brothers, her sharp gaze fixed on the Corrupt Dragon with its injured eye.
Baek Giha, also seeing the hellish scene below, turned and flew towards the border, without pausing, as if leaping through the air.
Whenever Baek Manyong wasn’t sleeping, he was looking towards the Ju Clan territory.
Surely, they would be fine.
His Clan Head and the Lady of the House were incredibly powerful.
But that hawk… that little sparrow… was he even a proper guard or attendant? Was he serving them well?
Or was he perhaps causing them trouble?
‘I'm already worried about them going without any guards, and on top of that, they took that useless hawk… that sparrow… with them…’
So he was pacing restlessly beneath the pre-dawn sky, the stars still twinkling.
“Hmph! Do you think they'll come back sooner if you do that?”
Baek Manyong frowned at the cheerful voice.
He had no complaints about the Lady of the House, and he wouldn’t dare criticize her family, but…
‘This woman and her sisters are just so annoying…’
He looked at Youngchae, who was standing behind him, wearing a thin robe, and said sarcastically, “Judging from your attire, it seems you came out here for the same reason, so who are you talking to?”
“Who said that? I’m just taking a walk.”
“Ah, I see. A walk. And you chose to walk towards the main gate, facing the Ju Clan territory, instead of the beautiful flower garden in the backyard.”
“Yes. I’m tired of flowers. I wanted to admire the gate. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No… not really…”
Baek Manyong looked at her, then turned away, a strange feeling in his gut.
Despite her nonchalant tone, her eyes were filled with anxiety.
‘Elder Myoungyoon is away gathering those who were exiled from the Ju Clan. And Madam Cheon also left to confirm the arrangements the Lady of the House made with the King of the Human Realm…’
Her sisters had accompanied Madam Cheon.
They had left one of the sisters behind to attend to the Lady of the House, but there had been no news from any of them.
‘She must be worried.’
Seeing Youngchae repeatedly glancing at the sky, just like he had been doing, Baek Manyong cleared his throat.
‘Well, I don’t want to get too close to her, but she’ll be family once the Lady of the House officially becomes our Lady of the House…’
And wouldn’t it be beneficial to gain the favor of the three sisters, if he wanted to show his loyalty and usefulness to the Lady of the House?
So, Baek Manyong slowly approached Youngchae.
He was about to reassure her, to tell her not to worry, that their Clan Head would be taking good care of the Lady of the House, that Elder Myoungyoon and Madam Cheon would return safely… when…
“My lady!!”
Youngchae, who had been looking at the sky, pushed Baek Manyong aside.
“Why are you blocking my view?! Are you trying to run ahead of me?!”
“??”
She pushed past him and ran.
“My lady! You’re back!! Welcome back! I’ve been waiting!”
Baek Manyong finally turned around and saw a large white tiger descending from the sky, Sehwa on its back.
“My god! Clan Head! Lady of the House! You’re back!”
As he ran towards them, the three men and the woman, who had been clinging to the white tiger’s back, tumbled to the ground.
Youngchae rushed forward and helped Sehwa and her two brothers, who were still slightly dizzy from flying so high.
“Welcome back, Young Masters!”
Ju Gayoon and Ju Gahan’s eyes widened as they saw who was helping them up.
“Youngchae? What are you doing here?”
“I’m here with the Elder and Madam.”
“Father and Mother are here too?!”
Baek Manyong also hurried over to greet them, glaring at Choi Jangmyung, who had been riding on his Clan Head’s back.
“Welcome to the Baek Clan. I am Baek Manyong, Chancellor of the Baek Clan. I extend to you our warmest welcome.”
The two warriors looked at Baek Manyong. They had never seen him on the battlefield during the ten-year war, but they had seen him from afar a few times when he brought supplies.
“Clan Head, you’ve worked so hard, eliminating those snake bastards day and night.”
“The heavens are truly unfair. Why don't they just teach those bastards to offer their lives for the greater good, instead of making our Clan Head suffer so much?”
And they had heard other similar remarks as well.
“…Welcome…?”
…to them?
“Of course! You’re the Lady of the House’s brothers, which makes you elders of the Baek Clan!”
They finally understood that strange title.
“…Lady of the House…?”
“Sehwa?”
As their gazes turned to her, Sehwa and Baek Giha, both looking slightly embarrassed, exchanged glances and nodded.
“…It’s… official.”
“!!”
“So it’s true… Sehwa married into the Baek Clan…?”
“Lady of the House?! So you married… Clan Head Baek?!”
As the two warriors stared at her in surprise, Baek Manyong quickly interjected, “Now, now, you must be tired from your long journey. Please, come this way. I’ll show you to your rooms and a quiet place where you can rest and talk.”
He was wearing a perfect, ingratiating smile, clearly intending to win their favor.
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