TGHD Ch 42

Ryubeom didn’t avoid the guardian spirit’s attacks. He let the spirit grab his neck, and even as his arms were scratched, he continued the memorial rites and managed to place the spirit back into the jar.

Afterward, Ryubeom poured memorial energy throughout the entire storage before collapsing onto the floor. His father leaned heavily against the wall, gasping for breath.

“…”

As Ryubeom was about to succumb to dark thoughts, he snapped back to reality and looked around. He needed to contact Cheon Hoyeon.

He soon found his phone under the damaged veranda. Though the screen was shattered from the explosion, it was still functional, albeit barely. The flickering display indicated the call was still connected.

“Phew…”

— How are you? Are you okay?

As soon as Ryubeom exhaled, Cheon Hoyeon’s questions poured out. Her voice trembled, something he had never heard before. Usually composed and elegant, her voice now shook with fear.

Cheon Hoyeon hastily apologized, calling it her mistake, saying she should have investigated more thoroughly. She took all the blame, though it was impossible to foresee the self-destruct spell on the guardian spirit.

Ryubeom reported the situation. Thanks to the wooden token, he was mostly unharmed, but others at the hermitage were injured, and some guardian spirits had perished. Hearing about the cracked jars, Cheon Hoyeon sighed deeply.

She explained that she had only realized it was a trap after arriving at the event location late at night with the family head. She had overheard a conversation between Kyung Jaehwan and the elders.

— They said the trap was set and now they just needed to watch the spirits move. They suspected the base must be found…

Cheon Hoyeon’s voice quivered. The elders had realized the past guardian spirits were still alive. Noticing strange activity near Kyung Jaehwan’s house, they anticipated a repeat of past events.

— They seem to be looking for those assisting the guardian spirits.

Despite killing Cheon Eunhwa and Lee Han in the past, similar incidents were happening again. With the guardian spirits hidden for about ten years, they suspected someone was aiding them.

— They suspect your father might be alive…

Previously, the elders believed Ryubeom’s father had died and his soul had been consumed by demons, a fate no ordinary human could survive. But with the guardian spirits active again, they began to suspect his father’s survival.

If the elders decided to pursue this seriously, it would become dangerous.

— Have you noticed any changes in your body? They likely didn’t set just a trap…

Cheon Hoyeon asked worriedly. The elders wouldn’t have relied solely on the self-destruct spell, given their long, fruitless search.

They might have left another ‘trace.’ Only then did Ryubeom examine himself more closely. He had been too busy looking for others to check his own condition earlier.

He soon found a strange mark on his left arm. It looked like a tiger bite.

Ryubeom instinctively knew what it was.

“…I think I’ve been branded.”

Cheon Hoyeon sighed deeply, her breath trembling as if being choked. It was clear what the brand on Ryubeom’s body signified.

The barrier set by the tiger deity wouldn’t break immediately, but the weakened deity and the damaged barrier from the explosion made its integrity uncertain.

— They haven’t noticed the guardian spirits’ disappearance yet. They’ll realize it after tomorrow morning’s event. We have until then.

Cheon Hoyeon’s voice was tense. But given the poor state of the hermitage, it seemed unlikely they could prepare everything and leave within hours.

— I’ll try to delay their pursuit. I’ll cause trouble for the foundation or create some other distraction…

Ryubeom knew exposing the foundation’s internal issues would be dangerous for Cheon Hoyeon. Stirring up trouble unexpectedly could leave vulnerabilities. The elders had ruthlessly eliminated obstacles before, not hesitating to kill their kin. Cheon Hoyeon knew this, yet showed no hesitation.

A short delay was crucial. At most, they might gain a few days by holding back the elders, but that brief time was precious. Though it was uncertain if they could remove the brand within that time, neither Ryubeom nor Cheon Hoyeon mentioned their concerns explicitly.

It was silence meant to avoid despair, rather than foster optimism.

— I’ll leave the event early if I can. I’ll come find you first thing in the morning…

Cheon Hoyeon needed to meet Ryubeom before the elders and find a way to remove the brand on him. Her final words were a mix of guilt and anxiety.

— Stay safe until then.

* * *

A few hours later.

Cheon Ryubeom began cleaning up the hermitage. The backyard was completely devastated, so he moved the injured people to the relatively intact front area and buried the bodies of the guardian spirits. He prayed sincerely in front of the round grave.

He checked the storage’s condition again. Although he had calmed the spirits through memorial rites, their rage was not entirely quelled, as the jars occasionally shook ominously. Especially the jar containing the Red Dan guardian spirit had a pronounced crack, which deeply troubled Ryubeom.

In the front of the hermitage, Baekyeong was anxiously tending to the grandmother.

“Her condition isn’t good at all…”

Baekyeong was so focused on the grandmother that he hadn’t even tidied his disheveled clothes. Although he had shielded her from harm with his own body, she remained unconscious. The conflict between the impure intentions of discovering their base and the weakened barrier seemed to have burdened the deity, as Cheon Hoyeon had suggested.

The misty dawn sky was a hazy red.

Ryubeom sat on the veranda, staring blankly at the sky. Lowering his gaze only drew his eyes to the brand on his arm, so he forced himself to look elsewhere.

His father, exhausted from the memorial rites, had collapsed into a deep sleep, surrounded by faint spirits. They seemed on the verge of disappearing at any moment.

As he watched the scene with a heavy heart, Ryubeom felt his phone vibrate. Thinking it might be a call from Cheon Hoyeon, he answered, his expression hardening as he rose to his feet.

“Just, just a moment… I’ll be right back.”

He mumbled to Baekyeong, who was too engrossed in tending to the grandmother to notice.

Ryubeom headed to the site of the collapsed Red Dan clan mansion. There, amid the ruins, he encountered Yeohwi.

“…Yeohwi? Why are you here…?”

The red mist made Yeohwi’s dark red eyes seem unfamiliar as they slowly turned to him. Although he had rushed over as soon as he saw the message, seeing Yeohwi in person felt unreal, especially at this hour.

While Yeohwi’s presence was always welcome, it was somewhat overwhelming now. Remembering his own disheveled state after the explosion, Ryubeom hastily brushed the dirt off his clothes.

Yeohwi watched him intently before asking,

“I felt a disturbance in Yuseom Mountain’s energy. Something seemed to have happened.”

He also mentioned that there had been landslides in parts of Yuseom Mountain. While no civilian areas were affected, Yeohwi had witnessed the landslides firsthand from nearby. Ryubeom realized that the explosion had agitated the Red Dan guardian spirit, leading to the landslides.

“Ah, that…”

“Did something go wrong while extracting the guardian spirit from Kyung Jaehwan’s mansion?”

Hesitant to speak, Yeohwi quickly deduced the situation. Having shared everything with him a few days prior, he immediately understood. Unable to hide the truth, Ryubeom eventually explained.

He told Yeohwi that the elders had set a trap, and that the guardian spirit they took from Kyung Jaehwan’s mansion had a self-destruct spell, which caused significant damage to the hermitage. The more he spoke, the more ashamed he felt.

A few days ago, he had confidently shared plans that seemed to be progressing well with Yeohwi, but now everything was precarious. Yet, Ryubeom shook his head.

“Aunt will be here in the morning to discuss further. Things are complicated, but we’ll find a way to solve this…”

Ryubeom felt he was being somewhat idealistic. The pessimism about reality he had ignored while talking to Cheon Hoyeon now wriggled ominously at his feet. If he wasn’t careful, he felt it might drag him into despair.

Suppressing the rising tide of anxiety and self-reproach, Ryubeom bit his lip. He didn’t want to show this side of himself to Yeohwi.

Yeohwi stared intently at Ryubeom’s face before his gaze slowly shifted to his left arm, as if he could see through the fabric covering it.

“There’s a tracking brand on your arm.”

“H-how did you know?”

“…Right now, you’re radiating a menacing energy.”

He said it felt like the relentless energy of a predator targeting its prey. The brand was a curse, and the longer it remained, the more it would wither Ryubeom’s body.

Even knowing he’d been found out, Ryubeom hid his arm behind his back.

“Anyway, I might not be able to contact you for a while. I’ll reach out as soon as things settle down.”

He would have to flee or hide until they could shake off the elders’ pursuit. Ryubeom briefly explained the situation, glancing towards the mountain.

“And I really came down for just a moment, so I can’t stay long…”

Yeohwi’s eyes darkened at those words. His deep red eyes appeared foggy, like they were shrouded in mist, with no clear light reflecting in them.

Everything seemed blurry.

“…It was a foolish thought from the start. I had useless hopes.”

Yeohwi muttered softly, his voice filled with a tone close to self-mockery. It felt empty, like grasping a mirage, or like holding a sharp shard of glass, knowing it would cut but unable to let go.

Ryubeom looked at Yeohwi in confusion. Unable to read his expression. At another time, he might have lingered longer, but now Ryubeom was in a hurry. He was worried the spirits might break out of their jars or about his father’s condition.

Just as he was about to apologize and say he needed to go, Yeohwi reached out. His touch swept Ryubeom’s hair aside, revealing his forehead.

“You’re hurt.”

“Oh, yeah. I had a clash with a spirit…”

It was a wound from when the spirit had attacked his forehead. Feeling awkward, Ryubeom tried to rub the wound with the back of his hand, but Yeohwi gently stopped him. Using his fingertip, Yeohwi lightly traced over the wound.

* * *

Ryubeom, feeling embarrassed, realized that Yeohwi was healing his wound and averted his gaze.

However, while the wound was at the edge of his forehead, Yeohwi’s hand soon pressed firmly on the center of his forehead.

A searing pain, as if being burned, surged through him.

“Ugh. What, what are you doing?”

Despite the pain, Ryubeom couldn’t push Yeohwi’s hand away. He hesitated, fearing he might hurt him if he did.

Yeohwi pressed harder on his forehead, muttering to himself.

“Maybe I’m just seeing how foolish I’ve become…”

His self-deprecating words were confusing.

The burning pain intensified until Yeohwi finally pulled his hand away. Ryubeom sighed in relief and touched his forehead, finding no wound. Just a slight nausea.

Then Yeohwi stepped closer. Though Ryubeom thought he was accustomed to Yeohwi, he still tensed up whenever they got closer. He held his breath and tensed his shoulders as Yeohwi gently held the back of his neck.

“Young master, there’s one last thing I’m curious about.”

“Hm…? What is it…?”

Yeohwi’s soft voice wrapped around him sweetly, making Ryubeom look up at him as if in a trance. Before he knew it, he was in Yeohwi’s arms. The gentle strokes of Yeohwi’s hand on his hair melted away all his tension.

Seeing Ryubeom’s dazed expression, Yeohwi smiled beautifully.

“Where is the hermitage located?”

Under a cloudy sky, the event venue was bustling from early morning.

Today was the day the tiger Suin announced a new business venture. It aimed to promote co-existence between Suins and humans by helping marginalized Suins and creating opportunities for interaction. The project was intended to show that tigers led the way in caring for all Suins and, if successful, could establish strong business connections.

Many clan members attended, including some from collateral lines and numerous notable figures, to celebrate the start of the project. Among them, Kyung Jaehwan sat closest to the Cheon family.

Having a specific presidential candidate seated closest at the tiger clan’s event sent a clear message. Officially, it was because he had greatly assisted with the project, but photos of him with the Cheon elders from the previous evening were already in the news. Pictures showed them visiting a local market and inspecting the project site.

Given the prominent attendees, the staff were tense. The outdoor event was marred by poor weather. The sky was oppressively cloudy, and a thick mist lingered.

In the cold, heavy air, Cheon Hoyeon anxiously scanned her surroundings.

‘Just a little longer…’

She bit her lip. It was uncharacteristic of her, but she couldn’t help it. Since contacting Ryubeom at dawn, her thoughts had been consumed by the hermitage. She wanted to go there immediately, but the family head, obsessed with finding the fox clan head, frequently summoned her.

Cheon Hoyeon excelled at tracking and gathering information. Since becoming an elder, she had focused on gaining the family head’s favor rather than appeasing the other elders. She gathered information on the fox clan head’s whereabouts and activities using various aliases.

Becoming the second-in-command of the family allowed her to use that position advantageously, but now it ironically held her back.

However, recently, Cheon Hoyeon discovered something strange about the fox clan head.

The fox clan head had apparently entered Korea several months ago.

When Cheon Hoyeon confirmed this information, she was quite taken aback. Although she had focused more on Cheon Ryubeom’s coming-of-age this year and thus neglected tracking the fox clan head’s movements, she hadn’t expected to miss something for so long. It was surprising that the fox clan head had been in Korea and remained undetected.

Earlier this year, the order to hunt the fox at Yeonggokbong was a ploy by the tiger family head to lure the fox clan head. The tiger family head staged this to provoke the fox clan head into returning to Korea by directly threatening the clan members.

In modern times, the Suin society had become more moderate. Since the peace agreement, Suins and humans had naturally formed a co-existing dynamic, moving away from the old law-of-the-jungle mentality.

Therefore, Cheon Hoyeon thought the tiger family head’s move was somewhat risky, but even after the failed hunt, the fox clan head didn’t show up. The news must have reached him.

Recently, she found out the fox clan head had been in Korea for a while and that the fox clan’s main house had strengthened its barrier.

It seemed both sides were preparing for battle.

The tiger family head, Cheon Gun, became even more agitated, hastily making numerous attack spells intended to kill the fox clan head. Cheon Hoyeon didn’t know what happened in past battles between the family heads, but she found Cheon Gun’s obsession abnormal.

But right now, the fox clan head wasn’t her primary concern. She checked her phone nervously.

‘The jars are about to break. We need new ones.’

That was the message Ryubeom had sent her. He and Lee Han were fetching new jars to replace those cracked by the explosion.

The message indicated the hermitage’s situation had somewhat stabilized and that Lee Han’s condition hadn’t worsened. Cheon Hoyeon tried to stay positive. Fortunately, it seemed the elders hadn’t noticed yet…

She glanced at the elders, waiting for the right moment to leave the event. Today, the family head was to give a keynote speech to commemorate the project. After that, there would be a grand feast, giving her some time.

Bang! Bang!

Fireworks exploded in the cloudy sky. The gathered crowd applauded, and as the family head and elders took the stage, cheers grew louder. Cheon Hoyeon watched from behind the stage.

“It’s an honor to host this significant event. Truly a memorable moment.”

The host was someone Kyung Jaehwan had brought. He praised the tiger family tactfully, subtly mentioning Kyung Jaehwan’s close ties with the Cheon family.

“The candidate seems very close to the tiger Suins! I’m just thrilled to witness this. How did you build such a relationship?”

The atmosphere was cheerful. Cheon Gun looked somewhat bored by the prolonged talk but didn’t comment. He simply scanned the room, noting the prominent attendees, and nodded in satisfaction. Prioritizing the family’s honor and prestige, he was pleased with the event.

Soon, the family head moved to the podium for the keynote speech.

Clap, clap, clap. Amidst the renewed applause, Cheon Hoyeon slipped away. The cheers felt oddly out of place. It was a space mixed with the innocence of the ignorant and the selfishness of the all-knowing. The greedy concealed the truth and shaped ignorance.

Her eyes were dark as she left the splendid venue.

Boom!

Suddenly, chaos erupted at the event. Cheon Hoyeon froze at the loud noise, followed by a sound like a thunderclap. Something shattered, followed by crashing sounds and screams.

“Ahhh!”

Cheon Hoyeon looked around in confusion. The event had been perfectly organized, so what was this chaos?

Something black, like a storm cloud, covered the sky, pouring down on the venue. It felt like a torrential downpour. The air vibrated violently as it surged.

Radiating vivid resentment and fierce anger…

“…A demon?”

Confusion clouded Cheon Hoyeon’s face. While ghosts occasionally appeared at the tiger clan’s events, this was the first time she encountered one with such deadly energy. Moreover, the demon’s grudge felt strangely familiar, causing Cheon Hoyeon to pause.

People were fleeing the event in terror. As she was pushed by the crowd, Cheon Hoyeon suddenly sensed a sharp, deadly energy approaching and quickly cast a barrier. The barrier enveloped the surrounding humans as well.

Boom!

[Hyaaaagh…!]

The demon crashed into the barrier and was repelled. Cheon Hoyeon’s fingertips tingled. Despite casting the barrier in haste, it was strong, being a spell crafted by an elder of the Cheon family, yet it shook violently from the collision.

Cheon Hoyeon looked at her hand with a stern expression. As the demon approached, she felt a distinct energy. Underneath the demon’s rage was a delicate yet intense grudge. The red glow surrounding the demon seemed to incite them further.

The red light left an afterimage in her vision.

Cheon Hoyeon recognized it. After tracking this energy for years beside the family head, it was impossible not to know. It was as if it was deliberately left to make its presence known.

It was the energy of the fox clan head.

* * *

Cheon Hoyeon felt confused. She had always known a confrontation with the fox clan head was inevitable, but now? It could be seen as an opportune moment, with the entire clan gathered at this event, but it felt unsettling. Or was it the déjà vu she felt upon facing the demon?

The screams and mangled shouts of the demons were familiar.

Without responding to the humans’ thanks, Cheon Hoyeon quickly ran back to the event venue. She had to assess the situation.

As she ran, she overheard murmurs from the crowd.

“They say there’s a sudden storm at Saengjin Corporation’s headquarters?”

“The TK resort under construction suddenly collapsed…”

All these places had been blessed by the elders. Sudden, simultaneous disasters struck, accompanied by supernatural phenomena. Cheon Hoyeon’s heart grew cold.

When she arrived at the venue, she was met with a shocking scene.

“Ahhh, what is this?! Get away!”

“Help me…!”

Black demons were pouring down like a torrential rain. They slithered down, covering the ground, grabbing people’s ankles, and striking down the lights on the stage like bolts of lightning. Cheon Hoyeon observed who the demons were targeting. Some humans, and…

Tiger Suins.

The attacked humans were those who had received blessings, and among the tiger Suins, the Beom of the Cheon family were being relentlessly targeted. Cheon Hoyeon sighed.

The tiger family head quickly recognized the red aura around the demons.

“That wretch dares…!”

Attacking on the day of the great Cheon family’s event, and so blatantly marking it with their energy! It was an insult and a clear crossing of the line.

Cheon Gun angrily cast a large-scale banishment spell. However, the spell vanished the moment it touched the demons’ bodies.

“What is…?”

Cheon Gun, extending his hand forward, was taken aback. Such a thing should be impossible. But before he could scrutinize the demons, another came, radiating a ferocious, deadly aura, charging at him. The level of hostility was excessive. He repelled it with a grunt, breathing heavily.

Just then, a tiger with a leg injury limped over and shouted to Cheon Gun.

“Family head! The mansion, the main house is under attack!”

“What?!”

Cheon Hoyeon’s face reflected shock and bewilderment. The sudden disasters at several businesses, almost resembling divine punishment. The demons showing hostility towards tigers. And the mangled grudges dropping from their mouths.

A shocking realization struck her.

The guardian spirits.

The guardian spirits had all become demons, corrupted by the fox clan head’s energy.

* * *

Cheon Ryubeom had gone down the mountain with his father to get new jars.

Until now, Baekyeong had been the one to fetch supplies. He would cover his ears and tail with a large dobok and hat. But now, busy caring for the grandmother, Ryubeom had stepped in.

So, Ryubeom went with his father, but the jar shop owner, unable to see his father, was frightened by Ryubeom talking to thin air. It was eerie to see someone apparently conversing with nothing, asking which jar was suitable and whether this shape was okay. Ryubeom couldn’t explain it, unable to laugh at the absurdity.

On the way back to the hermitage, Lee Han looked at Ryubeom’s face with concern.

“Come to think of it, your forehead looked injured…”

“Oh, that… It healed quickly. I’m okay.”

Ryubeom rubbed his forehead awkwardly. Though the wound had been deep, Yeohwi had healed it without a trace. Unable to explain that, he clumsily tried to change the subject, to which Lee Han softened his gaze.

“…The guardian spirit doesn’t dislike you. When leaving Kyung Jaehwan’s mansion, it was clear it was grateful to you.”

The guardian spirit they rescued from the underground storage was in particularly poor condition. It had been gasping for breath as if it might die at any moment, but it calmed down after receiving the memorial energy Ryubeom poured out. If Lee Han had been alone, it would have been impossible. The Red Dan guardian spirit also recognized this and was grateful to Ryubeom.

However, the subsequent commotion agitated the spirit, causing it to lose its reason and become consumed by rage. Created with the energy of the main house, it became highly sensitive to Cheon Ryubeom, who carried that energy, and attacked him.

“You must feel wronged, being blamed for something you didn’t do. I’m sorry I can’t do anything to help…”

“No, well, I can’t say I’m not at all resentful… but the guardian spirits must feel even more wronged and resentful. I’m okay.”

Ryubeom shook his head. Though the attack from the guardian spirit hurt, he remembered the sobs that fell from its mouth. He had clearly heard its desperate cries of pain and suffering.

“Guardian spirits are fundamentally good deities. For such a deity to harbor malice is burdensome even for them. It’s because they’re holding thoughts that conflict with their essence.”

“…What happens if they hold onto malice for too long?”

“They’ll probably just disappear.”

Ryubeom sighed. Created forcibly, bound to jars for a lifetime of exploitation, and even when they finally emerged, they self-destructed due to rage that didn’t align with their essence. It was too tragic.

Moreover, the guardian spirits would hold resentment towards the tiger clan, especially the Cheon family and the elders. While the humans who exploited them would also be targets of their anger, their resentment towards the tigers would be greater. Unfortunately, the elders were unlikely to be harmed by the guardian spirits.

The creators of the guardian spirits wouldn’t fall victim to them, and the current members of the main house were exceptionally powerful. Only a spirit with deep malice, like the Red Dan guardian spirit, could break free and potentially harm the elders, but even then, inflicting a fatal wound would be impossible.

Ryubeom nodded bitterly.

“I hope the guardian spirits like the new jars.”

They needed to return to the hermitage quickly to transfer the spirits to the new jars. The event had likely started, so they had to move the spirits and prepare to leave the hermitage before it ended. As Ryubeom planned his next steps internally,

“Cheon Ryubeom!”

Suddenly, his shoulder was grabbed. Ryubeom was startled, having not noticed the approach, and was shocked to see who it was.

Cheon Hoyeon was bleeding from her side.

Holding the wound with one hand, she quickly scanned Ryubeom. Her face was filled with confusion, more concerned about Ryubeom than her own injury. She stammered, uncharacteristically.

“You, what happened? Are you hurt?”

“…What?”

“The guardian spirits have been released!”

Ryubeom’s face hardened at her shout. The guardian spirits were released? The hermitage had been calm when he left. Though his father had mentioned the jars were unstable, they wouldn’t have gone down the mountain if they were about to break.

His father was equally shocked and confused by Cheon Hoyeon’s words.

“That can’t be. We calmed the spirits and put them to sleep…”

Cheon Hoyeon shook her head at Lee Han’s words. Her wound was inflicted by a guardian spirit.

She reported the chaos at the event. Demons had attacked the event attended by the entire tiger clan, and disasters akin to divine punishment had befallen the blessed humans. Even the main house was under attack by guardian spirits.

Cheon Hoyeon had thought of Ryubeom as soon as she witnessed the chaos. If the guardian spirits had turned into demons, it meant the seals were broken, and Ryubeom at the hermitage would be the first to face their wrath. She had been attacked by a guardian spirit while rushing out of the event but had come here despite bleeding.

Most importantly, the energy she felt from the guardian spirit…

“The fox clan head sent those demons. He turned the guardian spirits into demons and attacked!”

The tiger family head hadn’t yet realized the demons were guardian spirits, but once captured, it would be quickly analyzed. Since the tigers created them, they couldn’t be unaware. In a way, the elders’ crimes would be exposed first, and the chaos might give Cheon Ryubeom time to escape, but it was hard to see the situation positively.

Why was the fox clan head involved in this?

“How did the fox clan head know about the guardian spirits and enter the hermitage…?”

As Cheon Hoyeon spoke, Ryubeom’s face turned increasingly pale. He looked as if he might collapse at any moment, but what caught her attention even more was the black necklace visible between his collar. The dark gem, absorbing all light, seemed ominous.

Suddenly, Cheon Hoyeon grabbed Ryubeom’s necklace.

“No, this is… Why does this have…”

A few months ago, Cheon Hoyeon had noticed that Ryubeom’s energy seemed unusually faint. After his clash with his cousins at a foundation event, she had seen him use spiritual power, yet felt no significant energy from him. At the time, she thought Ryubeom had simply become adept at concealing his energy.

Now, the necklace revealed the spell of ‘concealment.’

It was a spell to hide the wearer’s energy. Cheon Hoyeon wondered if this was why Ryubeom hadn’t been attacked by the demonized guardian spirits, but the necklace seemed to have been worn for quite some time. Moreover, the energy from the necklace was unmistakably familiar.

It was ‘his’ energy.

“Who have you met outside?”

Cheon Hoyeon asked with a trembling voice. Her golden eyes reflected confusion, shock, and immense distress. As she pulled off the necklace, her face grew even more ashen.

Cheon Ryubeom was emanating an utterly terrifying energy.

It wasn’t just the brand the elders had placed on him. His entire body was steeped in ominous, negative energy. Cheon Ryubeom seemed like a walking bomb, ready to explode at any moment, likely to self-destruct given a little more time.

“What on earth have you been harboring in your body?”

* * *

Cheon Ryubeom stood frozen, his face pale. He stared blankly at the necklace in Cheon Hoyeon’s hand, then suddenly started running up towards the hermitage.

As he ran through the complex paths, his mind was filled with denial.

“No, it can’t be…”

If Cheon Hoyeon had sensed the fox clan head’s energy from the demonized guardian spirits, she couldn’t be wrong, but Ryubeom kept denying it. He knew the fox clan head had entered Korea, but how could he be involved in this incident? How could he know about the guardian spirits and find the location of the hermitage?

Did he sense the ominous energy from Yuseom Mountain? Had the fox clan head investigated Sagwido and discovered that the spirits at Yuseom Mountain were created by the tiger clan, and then used them?

The hypotheses he built to quell his confusion crumbled. Even knowing these ideas were far-fetched, Cheon Ryubeom couldn’t stop.

A few hours ago, Ryubeom had told ‘him’ the location of the hermitage. He had expressed concern about the future, saying it would be nice to watch from close by even if he couldn’t enter the hermitage. With the brand on Ryubeom, he couldn’t go far without being detected by the elders, so he had offered to come close to the hermitage. He said there was a chance they might move the hiding place, but they could also strengthen the barrier and stay put.

Mesmerized, Ryubeom had revealed the path to the hermitage. He thought no one outside the clan could break the tiger deity’s barrier, even if it was damaged. Revealing a nearby location wouldn’t be a problem. No, these were just excuses made in hindsight. He had revealed everything simply because it was ‘him.’

So, the only outsider who knew the way to the hermitage was him…

And now, the guardian spirits at the hermitage had been released, turned into demons imbued with the fox clan head’s energy, attacking the clan?

Cheon Ryubeom formed his final hypothesis. Perhaps ‘he’ had reported this situation to the fox clan head. The fox clan head, having assessed the tiger clan’s combat readiness, might have instructed him to provide information, leaving him no choice but to comply…

“What on earth have you been harboring in your body!”

He ignored Cheon Hoyeon’s shout echoing in his mind. He stomped down every rising question. Otherwise, he felt he would break.

Finally, upon reaching the hermitage, Ryubeom saw the front wall had collapsed. It was completely shattered, as if broken by a single attack. And he found Baekyeong lying next to it.

“Baekyeong!”

Ryubeom exclaimed and checked on him. Though he was sprawled on the ground, Baekyeong had no visible injuries. He barely opened his eyes at Ryubeom’s shout.

With a trembling voice, he explained the situation.

“Someone… came in. I heard a loud noise and came out, then saw a red light spread…”

Ryubeom’s face grew paler by the moment. Baekyeong said he remembered seeing the red light, then lost consciousness, probably collapsing where he stood.

“And… Grandmother? She’s inside…!”

Ryubeom, also shocked, rushed inside. The interior of the hermitage was a mess. It felt like a whirlwind had swept through as the spirits poured out. Broken pottery shards littered the floor, and black energy crackled like embers, making sizzling sounds.

Walking through the chaos, Ryubeom felt like he was falling apart. Was this how it felt to walk on thin ice? Or the feeling of suddenly realizing you were sinking into a sticky swamp? It felt like his entire body was already submerged in the swamp.

His grandmother sat on the veranda. Amid the upheaval, she remained unchanged, gently stroking her precious sketchbook. Ryubeom cautiously approached.

“Grandmother, are you hurt anywhere?”

Outwardly, she seemed uninjured. Her clothes were unruffled, but he worried she might have experienced some impact.

Though she was very old, she was still a deity. She had hidden the guardian spirits from the tiger elders and protected the hermitage. Even if an outsider knew the way to the hermitage, no matter how damaged the barrier was, they couldn’t enter without the deity opening the door.

Feeling like he was being choked, Ryubeom asked with difficulty,

“Did… someone come here?”

“Huh? Here?”

Only then did she look up at Ryubeom. Her cloudy eyes seemed to shimmer with an unfocused light, then they brightened with recognition.

“Yes, a child who looks just like him came!”

Her eyes, filled with joy as she recalled memories from long ago, sparkled. She smiled brightly, as if reuniting with someone dear, and spoke in an excited tone.

“We promised to meet at the waterfall, but the child came here, and I was so delighted!”

But soon, her shoulders drooped sadly. Ryubeom listened blankly as she spoke of a figure from a hundred years ago.

“I was so happy to see him looking well, but it turned out he was the younger brother.”

“…Younger brother?”

“Yes. He mentioned having a younger brother but never showed him to me. Or did he say he rarely saw his brother? Always wandering around…”

Suddenly, she thrust a sketchbook in front of the frozen Ryubeom.

“What do you think? Isn’t he beautiful? He looks just like him.”

The sketchbook, one of the many in her room filled with memories not to be forgotten, showed a man with long brown hair draped over one shoulder, wearing a hanbok and smiling gently. Beside him sat a woman, also in a hanbok, smiling gracefully and looking straight ahead. She held a baby in a blanket, her black hair pinned up with a hairpin, and her eyes, curved gently, shone with dark red pupils.

The eyes, the smile, no, the entire face was familiar.

As Ryubeom’s trembling gaze confirmed the face, he finally noticed the ‘earrings’ the woman was wearing. Red jeweled earrings. Seeing them, Ryubeom’s mind thudded.

Cheon Ryubeom knew that man’s face. When he was trapped in ‘his’ past due to Imugi’s curse, the man’s face he saw there was the same as in the sketchbook. And the earrings the woman wore…

They were the same as the only thing he could see from the erased existence.

“Who… who is this person?”

“Who else? It’s the fox clan head and his wife! They even had a meeting recently. Look, the one with her hair up is the head, Yeomyeong.”

The wrinkled finger pointed to the woman. Yeomyeong. Just hearing the name sent a shock through Ryubeom, leaving him speechless.

It felt like something was breaking inside. Or was it the sound of old memories falling into place? The scenes he saw in ‘his’ past unfolded simultaneously before his eyes.

Him smiling comfortably at the woman’s touch. The white fox that came up between them as they talked in the mansion. The space filled with mutual affection and care.

And then, as the place burned down in a fire…

“The change in the head had a bigger impact, I think?”

The words he heard from the fox Suin echoed in his mind. After the great fire that engulfed the fox clan’s main house, the head changed, and the new head left for abroad as soon as the fire was dealt with. Only Guil communicated with the head.

Cheon Ryubeom was in a daze.

He wanted to deny it. It couldn’t be, it didn’t make sense. When they first met, he was hiding from the tigers. He had seen him protecting the triplets.

But the more he recalled, the more his denials crumbled. Cheon Ryubeom, who was weak to children, couldn’t refuse meetings involving the triplets, naturally meeting him, treating him as a benefactor, being called ‘young master,’ and slowly opening his heart to the kindness he had never received…

He couldn’t breathe.

It felt like he was being strangled.

Ryubeom’s trembling hand groped his neck, feeling the emptiness where the necklace had been, making him feel even worse. His fingers scratched the spot where the necklace had hung, convulsing. His skin tore, and blood flowed, but he felt no pain.

“How precious you are, young master. You’re destined to enter Daehogwan…”

Why had he shown such interest in Daehogwan? Why had he wanted Ryubeom to enter the space marked with the mansion’s protective seal so badly?

What was the true nature of the dark red medicine he had given him?

He remembered how he had swallowed it without hesitation, even knowing it smelled of blood. And the smile he had shown each time.

Accepting that ‘he,’ Yeohwi, was the fox clan head, all memories read differently. Every moment with Yeohwi shattered like glass, and Cheon Ryubeom traced the memories, cutting his hands on the shards. His gasping breaths fell like sobs.

Was everything a lie, a deceit?

Past moments he had dismissed as strange now had cruel reasons attached. Why didn’t Garam from Hyojomyeon remember Yeohwi? Why did the connections he made in Jeju suddenly disappear? Yeohwi had been erasing all traces, fearing information about him might reach the tiger clan.

Ryubeom instinctively touched his neck again. His head felt like it was about to explode, his stomach churned messily. He wanted to vomit. But what he had swallowed and cherished for so long couldn’t be expelled. It had rooted so deep that it shook his entire being, spreading poison from those roots, making him helpless against it.

But perhaps because he had cherished every moment so deeply, Cheon Ryubeom reached a fundamental question.