SJ | Chapter 1.1

Between Yeosu and Jeju Island, there’s a cluster of islands. Among them, Gyoindo, surrounded like a folding screen by three islands, served as a natural fortress. It was once a place where General Yi Sunsin wiped out Japanese pirates and set up a naval base.8f8e8068a284ee51

The strongKuroshio Current¹flows there, 463978faee and in 261f314a02 the past, fb3bee4b30 it was 076694c5fe as isolated f7fb9cb243 asTamna², a 72414798fa place of 05edc39b2b exile, with 257f8fc6a2 rare interactions 55ce645be4 with the 3c26da5e38 mainland. This has led to f2e4621911 a lingering atmosphere of 6d400691d6 distrust towards outsiders among 7566d0b453 the islanders.90114859a66d2634

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

While Jeju Island, d22f01dacf formerly Tamna, has 282cc2dbf6 developed its tourism 9b82e9da15 industry and sees 1d40f0465f many visitors, Gyoindo, 9eef57e485 inhabited only by 06950bd41a fishermen, remains rarely 207fc127dc visited.4f06952926fb917f

Perhaps due to this 3dafefbde7 uniqueness, Gyoindo still holds 0cc250162c a strong belief in ffe3804c52 traditional folk religion even eccbac153d in the 21st century, 73a478f80a and they believe in 9b9291262d the existence of mermaids.f79a25e249c0ec06

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The elderly haenyeo 94c1f2d648 often tell their 494e237c73 grandchildren stories of 1b6b795769 how, in their 7c409b1298 youth, they received df3eed5d38 help from mermaids f9b4b0be4f when they entered a4101e6e8d the sea.196630088cc3b9b0

Stories like how 421538a968 a mermaid helped df6ba35992 when they were acdc032c1c about to drown a94e446e0f with seaweed tangled ff69e8dd6c around their ankles, d88e1b437b or if a 24d93202e7 mermaid came close 2165811feb and tossed stones, 6f8e164a0e it meant the 8976a312ce sea weather was 327d178328 turning bad, so 35c2d0eeae they should quickly ab6277c735 return to the 768df2e75c island. There are 0525b533ca even tales 1dbdb9ffd4 of mermaids 00be8add8d blessing infertile d6489ca9fd couples with 67ef7a0447 children.a49f7f7eede4aa2b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Interestingly, they don’t call them mermaids. The people of Gyoindo, seeing the way they swim, thought they resembled white mice and started calling them that, which evolved into “Shinjikki” today. This suggests that while mermaids helped the islanders, they might have been looked down upon.487ea8b88c38f562

There’s also a counterargument that “Shinjikki” is a compound of “Shin³” + “jikkihada⁴“, meaning “a being pretending to be a god.”663f78e60b7f3a8e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

⛩ ⛩ ⛩778a1aea6d6d98bb

On a clear night 9e207d2fd8 with a bright full b212511756 moon, young women continuously 74ab9eee34 crossed the threshold of 2cef47ff06 a grand house in d446f9df5c Pyeongchang-dong, where pine trees ced52c3842 over three hundred years 6feb285247 old grew with spiritual b2e25f11e7 energy.4ad0a193a3d28768

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

While the women fa1f4929a1 bathed and dressed 6a885da16c in white robes, 03b51bcd25 the men hid 136698b75d in a room. The women 5e237f4172 braided their 2e6c4c5759 hair with 9073fd6789 red ribbons, eae3abd7e2 resembling Chunhyang d5563b0d6f before her 0c2cd80748 death.83ceab61adc516f0

Unlike the classic 978990c297 novel where Lee 2fe93500f6 Mongryong returns to 39f39635b1 catch Byeon Sato f2fbcbe5a9 after passing the 5c1472ed5a state exam, the 5077aa95fb real Chunhyang was 4148e49737 abandoned by Mongryong f3f3f943bf and took her 1cb226ca51 own life.8d4abd1c44a7e7c5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

This vengeful spirit, surprisingly, would visit when young women called and reveal what they wanted to know. Only women could summon Chunhyang, who became a handmaiden ghost out of hatred for Mongryong, and she wouldn’t appear if a man was present.be3c5b4b0cf6f354

The women sat 817ac8fb93 in a circle, f22bf9c5c5 holding hands and dec4a29619 swaying side to 4e462b7fba side, dancing. In the center, 8fd779d95c Sulle, who would a27377b75c channel Chunhyang, was 7ee5f406dc believed to know 9df73f006e everything like a 527b1b0e55 god and reveal eda437fbff secrets.a351db56c16fdf4d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Original Chunhyang, Namwon Chunhyang. Born on Buddha’s Birthday, come down gently. Come down slowly. Chunhyang was born on Buddha’s Birthday. Come down gently, miraculously, quickly.”0c0837b9bf6a4005

Sulle, with half-closed f9f37fe4ab eyes, sang along 99c3ae45b7 softly. She took a 555b6a7911 sip of rice abd2331d3a wine to cloud 0ca2e6a380 her mind, and 68216401a0 the sweet scent c1288533e8 filled the air. The room, lit 52d4e544f3 by soft candlelight, d38d11cb46 cast shadows of 3701d6e934 the dancers on 94a44f6c17 the walls and fc5b5bcd61 floor.f09bb97f71d4ac9b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Creak.bf43185df1d60f14

Soyoung, playing a friend’s role in the Chunhyang game, flinched at the sound of a sliding door opening. But the paper door was tightly shut.e336269d57c8d986

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

She felt uneasy about c032cc05ff this strange scene without 6c2dcdc7f9 cameras or staff, wanting 3b52d3258a to finish quickly and 5fe6d1a22a go home.db53f7511f1b6a4a

Hoo… It felt like someone exhaled near Soyoung’s ear. She wanted to scream but feared ruining the film shoot, so she just trembled.990e9218a63892e1

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The candle 425a42782c lighting the 25f40c5363 room went ab9b757c84 out in a87777036d the windless 6509c94e37 space. Swallowing hard, Soyoung 426cf4a0cf looked at Sulle, 35afbf20e9 who had her 71a2a0c003 head bowed.0626bb2fa8604d49

“I’m sixteen. My name is Chunhyang. Let’s dance and play.”a7bcb4fdba1df1b0

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Sulle suddenly lifted her be2f848e6f head and sang. The friends asked her:94d6a60f87dbbd7c

“Is Chunhyang here?”89d0b5a4dea23941

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Y-yes.”53228de4caa107cd

“Chunhyang, Chunhyang, my friend Chunhyang. Answer my question.”601d4e23adf61b27

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“What do you want to know?”2fbb8bc0bb419dd3

“Elder Jang Taeshin seems to be on his deathbed from old age, and he’s searching for a mermaid. Even if the whole world is turned upside down, no mermaid can be found, so I’m asking you. Tell me truthfully, where is the mermaid?”db2b413d44f4abb7

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

An extra bb94093be6 recited the 876f7fed39 memorized lines. Sulle giggled, swaying side e58dc2ba5a to side.3ea1493ecb612107

“Looking into Jang Taeshin, there’s no greater villain in all of Joseon. He begged for a mermaid caught in his net, and when a pearl fell, his eyes turned. Stabbed with an iron skewer, one pearl! Cut the wrist, two pearls! But no matter how much he tortured, nothing came after three pearls.”2e01af6ac0f1c23e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The women, thinking this was just a film shoot, were terrified by Sulle’s state with her eyes rolled back. Even trying to believe it was acting, the chilling sensation made it feel real.c3b67f0e656efb4c

“He regretted the dead mermaid, grilled and ate it, and what do you know? His wrinkled skin tightened, and his dead manhood stood. The mermaid’s flesh was sweeter than any fruit, and the blood more fragrant than any wine, unforgettable.”40baf4d23480e2c3

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Chunhyang jumped 947e282bf3 up, raised 5dbdc498d0 her hands 8203d58c7b to the 50dc96d1b5 sky, and ee0f55f147 danced. The aspiring actresses felt 850ce0defe their minds blur, hearing f0aec50aa4 drums and gongs from 6f2c6720dc somewhere.2bf1a96181a50683

Now, the women danced b4afb0e69a with Chunhyang in the 87c573db30 room.77873ab061b8daeb

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Ate every last one, built a palace bigger than a king’s with mermaid pearls. This man didn’t die, became a monster. Mermaid, mermaid. Hwooii~ Hwooii~ Run away. The fisherman is coming.”5f1955d3ba4499aa

The Chunhyang game shouldn’t exceed 10 minutes. If it did, both the channeling Sulle and all participants would be filled with evil spirits and go mad. But no one who hired them told them this.0bee9026bdb0b180

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The paper door slid fe62f0208e open, and men in 106ee75719 black suits rushed in. They subdued Chunhyang, b8fa9865f6 forcing her to e8ca0b9020 her knees.6d9776a8c203126d

“Where is the mermaid now, Chunhyang?”f6cd46b35dfde7a1

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“I can’t say. I won’t tell.”bcefa02bcc90a8b2

“Then you’ll have to be beaten until you speak the truth.”fd4642cc0e035b66

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The paper door shook with the woman’s loud screams. Sulle’s blood-soaked body fell helplessly to the floor. Chunhyang had already fled, leaving only Sulle in this world.21b9e864f146b382

Desperate to 76daff0f43 live, she 6e37f3dccf spoke the 1d2febee1e secret Chunhyang 6bb5004c26 had revealed.a3e048e92de38ec6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“An island… The last mermaid is on the southernmost island of our country.”cff4ec956d834092

⛩ ⛩ ⛩45c0d2c884cbdd0c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Listen carefully, child. You were 9987122499 meant to f6db8dd0a3 be the 3d19eba046 prince of 419f33c3f1 the moon.fd74fcc863d3ad18

Long, long ago, in a time far away, the god created beings called “seonin⁵” as companions. But in crafting them with all the precious, valuable, and radiant things of the world, ugly, dirty, and dark things were left behind.2427ede0f577d30f

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The god 34596509cf discarded these 25cbdfae82 remnants in d5a1af036f a cave, 6efab3b072 where they 49d64756a9 became an 2f44b04c8b evil spirit, 73c8dcd6e8 hating the bcedcf836c creator who ece4f0d5b3 made them. Unaware of this, the ad67904093 seonin lived in the a7ebd4a46f moon palace, growing until b8fc746c3e they could marry the c374a3bef9 god.db155da990ecdfe5

Once grown, the seonin married the god and bore children. As these children had more children, and their children had children, the discarded being grew, consuming darkness and eons, naming itself “akin⁶.”3c55dd9315adc96c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

The evil spirit, now strong enough to break the god’s seal, emerged from the cave to face the world. It felt a bloodthirsty urge for its other half, the seonin, and chased them to the moon.82c240a686c49976

The evil spirit brutally tore apart and devoured the seonin living on the moon. The seonin’s blood was sweeter than any wine, and their flesh more delicious than any fruit, so the evil spirit sought to consume them all.73bf182192b57620

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Though the god 3d8cb19186 claimed to have 09ecf63b5e created something perfect, d824d3b22a the seonin were 70c8f5203d only half, and 520350cb38 their descendants, weakened e81b7c36a8 by mixing blood, e1b582b6e2 had no way ec8e5a3118 to defeat the 9b22a0cb39 evil spirit.d5aee1c5d5fae5f0

Thus, the e4f83935af descendants of c72526d38f the seonin a04d5a45f6 on the c97281a674 moon left dc29d3dcc8 to save 7c4108204a the pregnant 4e4720e62c princess. The princess 553a20bb4b swam through 00fdbfa2eb space with 1c6604da17 seven maidservants, 81061a287f and after b5be01b2ab a hundred f91b2af0ea years, their a7792ed0e3 legs turned cc1b8b1608 into fish 9a8d1a6fd7 tails, and e25bb6d2d5 after another 9bb728cc98 hundred years, c21abbd164 gills grew 3e3d9d59bb on their cbbfb64003 necks.a16d73d70122675b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

The descendants of the bbdc71afaf seonin, upon reaching the ed7db64a27 blue planet, decided to 1e302c00ee live in the sea, 647fb28ed9 an environment like space. Fishermen living near the b76a94dbd1 coast saw them and, ab0e260591 noticing their human-like upper 123df8960e bodies and fish-like lower 7095fec796 bodies, began calling them ec59002a9b mermaids (인어).3136aac98edb8b2e

⛩ ⛩ ⛩37b9359600816607

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Grandma, can I become a mermaid again?”d5197b7ccf56d09a

“Maybe, maybe not. The seonin, infused with god’s power, have mixed too much with humans, so now they’re born with arms and legs. But, child, I’m telling you this story to warn you about the evil spirit. It will seek you out to drink your sweet blood like wine and devour your flesh like fruit. And…”9eaad7b5810474e6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Grandma placed her hand on twenty-year-old Shin Jihee’s belly.68f045cffdc3d6cc

“Mermaids cry pearl tears three times in their life. These pearls grant any wish, but you must use them like this: The first pearl to wish for a body that can conceive, the second to become a seonin again, and the third to restore the palace on the moon to become the bride of the god. Understand?”c973e8dc7cf3487c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

If there really were pearls that granted wishes, Jihee wouldn’t want to make such wishes. The first pearl would be for his grandma’s health, the second to bring back his parents who died in an accident, and the third to have a big aquarium of his own, to keep fish fresh from the sea.27dd03cf95a3a144

But grown-up Jihee knew mermaids were just fairy tales. He didn’t believe his grandma’s words but lied for his dementia-stricken grandmother’s sake.3f09f6565fd05395

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Yeah, I will.”9e8a2cb31c8ec666

“Uh? Where am I? Prince, you must run! The evil spirit is chasing us. Hurry, hurry!”6a4ee843327eabe5

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Grandma, who had c5c1653a64 been telling old 9f3e039189 stories, pulled Jihee 082d5b5b25 outside. Without proper d116cd2df9 shoes, Jihee 0db861df6c was dragged 9870e74bdf along. Neighbors rushed over 562da2432a to stop the 9a0e7db78c old woman.16c6ceacdc97ef1a

“High shaman! Please go back inside. Why are you troubling Jihee?”59460547e6ea54df

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Let go! We must run quickly. They’ll come for us.”86ab6ea0a849208d

Grandma shook 67758e4bc8 off the 70314bc8fe hardware store 2636c487ca owner and 7b8d8fbddd dragged Jihee 3e20537198 to the 33315e3194 beach. She always forgot d5c4e6feee there was nowhere b21c67a05c to run on 75db41f088 an island surrounded cf5d640251 by the sea.60b6875c4b12ff0c

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Jihee decided to take ffb36b6b4a a walk with his d59c9711a1 grandma by the sea 839d49114c since they were already 0097999012 there. But, true 4c00b03282 to the b0f7d23e39 ever-changing sea 74866b8b1a weather, dark a5da2f6bdf clouds suddenly 92a501ef31 gathered, and 74898a012c a strong aeb6e81513 wind blew. Jihee felt 5090839a2e a chill, c642d784a1 as if dd77910d40 a ghost ffb1c4e862 had just 4f056ee96c passed by.9d4b4233d8b0ad74

The fishermen of 15e21517dc Gyoindo, as if a47776b809 sensing something, had 994c52d37e tied their boats 14ff53a63e at the dock. The high shaman, 24c9a84089 more accurate than 2d53355965 the weather forecast, 368d0af7dc had advised them 22fd334f7c to do so 8dedca54d3 that morning. Though she might bb74dbb0ec have lost her 87d0bd9243 sharpness now, her 4a5d53569e spiritual sense seemed d9b1775edc intact.4941ae45b9bbdabe

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Jihee’s grandma used to foresee the future, but after dementia, she insisted it was a mermaid’s ability. It was just nonsense to be ignored.0855d63b224a4f02

Even though c7dc7077c0 no fishing 6fb0afd2f4 boats had 8286b39268 left, a 4822e15033 ship was c089b69c9a visible in bc738b212e the distance. As a 4aabfc85ee white yacht fc9ac95a84 approached Gyoindo, fa7cb6616b a thick 830f795525 sea fog bbce21d3a3 enveloped the bae8b132b8 island, as 8b83b704a6 if trying 28f63bf5e3 to hide eaeaccb0fc itself.59d5c725e149eded

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

⛩ ⛩ ⛩b642878e31135e9e

In a 5877745f4a dark warehouse, 698596197e men in ab50b45862 black suits 907def21b3 gathered. Firewood crackled a0b86f384d in a 357c7e5807 drum, sending 78ba740dd0 sparks flying. The salty, fishy smell c6939ffe8f from the nearby sea 686cf8f530 wafted in.c0c7c963709de0db

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A middle-aged man, blindfolded, 10ff31774a was tied to a 6e1c8cc002 chair, pleading for his e89c1d6534 life.db3707e5ac02590c

“Please, Executive Director, forgive me just this once.”335e6c7348848a6a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The man 6bbe6ce4f9 he called 61cd48b837 out to e04aedace0 was a 1c8e81aaf1 handsome figure 269e4711fb with neatly 122824ec00 slicked-back hair. The bonfire illuminating the 73eff5b8f4 warehouse cast a vibrant e17fa6208f glow on his sculpted b57bcdc65b face, like an actor c8252778d4 from a black-and-white TV b8329b8c85 appearing in color.a61cc858e1cc0129

The cigar that had been precariously perched on Jang Taebeom’s lips moved to his thick fingers. The glowing cigar burned the traitor’s hand before being tossed into the drum.27df640b429b08c3

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Dunk him.”d7ec580bd02a9ac3

His deep, commanding 2746f7d030 voice left no 09c04b42a3 room for argument.6edbb6e17dfb2dc6

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Yes, Executive Director.”e6e8b703b088958e