TGHD Ch 45

Red energy gathered around the bead and, enveloped by Imugi’s energy, turned dark red and spread out again in the opposite direction. Yeohwi skillfully mixed his own energy with Imugi’s energy and used it.

Cheon Gun, seeing Yeohwi through the swirling energy, grimaced.

“You wretched fox, you finally showed up!”

“You were looking for me so much. It was burdensome.”

Despite the ferocious roar, Yeohwi shrugged his shoulders and replied calmly. Cheon Gun raised his voice again, furious that Yeohwi didn’t even flinch in front of him.

“How dare you set foot here!”

“I learned by watching someone trespass. Why make such a fuss? At least I was kind enough to give a warning.”

Yeohwi drooped his eyes, pretending to be disappointed that his consideration wasn’t appreciated. Then he waved his hand lightly, and the red energy that emerged from his fingertips flew sharply, collapsing the Cheon family mansion. The mansion, which had already been damaged by the rampaging malevolent spirits and made unstable by Cheon Gun’s earlier outburst, crumbled like a sandcastle at Yeohwi’s gesture.

The sight of the precious mansion, with its six hundred years of history, collapsing made Cheon Gun’s fury rise. He glared at Yeohwi with bloodshot eyes and clicked his tongue.

“It’s the natural law of the ecosystem for weaker animals to be eaten by stronger predators. Unable to accept this, you caused a commotion a hundred years ago, and now you’ve come to throw a tantrum again. You haven’t grown at all. You should be grateful to me, shouldn’t you? I didn’t spread rumors that the fox clan was helplessly overthrown.”

“If you followed the laws of the ecosystem, you wouldn’t have sneaked in like a coward but attacked boldly. If you’re going to talk like that, why don’t you just live as a beast crawling on all fours?”

“Even if it wasn’t me, the fox clan would have been attacked somehow back then. The moment they appeared at the meeting with such a weak body, they were already everyone’s prey. What fool shows weakness among predators? That’s why they were foolishly caught off guard.”

“……”

“Couldn’t even stop a single flame and died…”

“You’d better shut that mouth.”

Yeohwi’s red eyes turned cold.

“This time, I’m here to cut off more than just your arm.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ryeong lunged at Cheon Gun. The moment Cheon Gun insultingly mentioned Yeomyeong, Ryeong’s energy flared up violently, and he couldn’t hold back his anger any longer. Boom! Cheon Gun easily dodged, and the spot where he had been standing caved in.

Yeohwi resumed his focus. The red light swirling around Imugi’s bead became even fiercer and more menacing. Imugi’s greed, which sought to dominate this land, began to spread. It was an arrogance similar to Cheon Gun’s.

Whoosh! Dark red flames rose from everywhere.

As the Cheon family mansion collapsed, Cheon Gun ground his teeth and soon gave orders to the clan members. His shout echoed across the entire area, different from his previous angry outbursts.

“Attack those foxes immediately!”

As members of the tiger clan, they instinctively followed the head’s orders. But for some reason, there was no movement among the clan members. Cheon Gun, turning his head in confusion, saw them struggling as if their feet were stuck to the ground. The elders, in particular, were in the worst condition, unable to move as if caught in traps near the pyre.

Soon, Cheon Gun’s face slowly twisted.

“Cheon Hoyeon, you wretch…”

Cheon Gun should have suspected Cheon Hoyeon the moment Cheon Ryubeom disappeared. At that crucial moment, malevolent spirits rushed into the dense smoke, and then the fox appeared, preventing him from paying attention to Cheon Hoyeon.

Cheon Hoyeon had hidden herself in the meantime and was nowhere to be seen. She might have bound herself somewhere to avoid following the head’s orders. Cheon Gun shouted irritably.

“Why are you not moving immediately!”

The clan members struggled to move, compelled by the head’s command. The younger ones were the quickest to escape the trap. Although their skills were not quite up to the head’s standards, they were necessary in this situation.

Boom! Boom!

The loud noise echoed through the space. The fox’s wrathful murderous intent and the tiger’s roar mixed violently, shaking even the sky.

Meanwhile, Cheon Ryubeom was trying to adapt to his state. With dozens of malevolent spirits within him, his thoughts were constantly confused. Each harbored intense grudges and anger. If he wasn’t careful, the malevolent spirit of the red group could take control of his body, so he had to endure it somehow. Cold sweat poured like rain.

It was extremely painful, but thanks to it, Ryubeom was not swayed by the head’s command. The grudges within him were too vivid. Additionally, being a human hybrid, the divine blood within him protected him. His fingers twitched reflexively, but he barely managed to restrain himself.

The head believed he had eradicated all the malevolent spirits with his earlier large-scale annihilation spell. He noticed Ryubeom’s disappearance but assumed the first strike had been effective, thus paying relatively less attention to him. After all, he thought Ryubeom was just a wounded child and assumed his plan was solely to bring in the fox leader.

Thus, Ryubeom could focus from behind while Yeohwi and Ryeong engaged in battle, drawing attention. He struggled to calm the malevolent spirits within him.

Before coming here, Ryubeom’s father had inscribed a special technique on him.

‘Just as you wish to realize their will, I too must hope that you can fully realize yours…’

His father had been deeply concerned about Ryubeom’s return to the Cheon family but did not stop him. He couldn’t know what experiences had accumulated in his absence. However, discovering the identity of the malevolent spirits, finding him, and stepping into the hermitage showed how much the child had grown.

Therefore, he couldn’t prevent Ryubeom, who, despite all adversities, had once again gathered his will and moved forward. He could no longer hide the child in a cave and erase his memories as before.

So, Lee Han, as a father, could only trust him and hope his will would unfold correctly. Thus, he inscribed a technique on the child’s body that allowed him to fully exist as himself, and the other members of the divine family also seemed to add their energy around them.

Thanks to this, Cheon Ryubeom could now stand firm.

“Hoo…”

Finally, his mind calmed. Ryubeom took a deep breath and clenched and unclenched his hands. His hands moved as he willed, and his senses were clear.

Ryubeom hadn’t gone to the trouble of possessing all the malevolent spirits and calming them to wield them at his will. Nor had he offered his body to them to cause rampant destruction within the Cheon family.

Cheon Ryubeom still loved his family. This was a pride felt in the significance of the tiger on this land. The reverence earned as the ‘Mountain Lord’ who protected and cared for humans for centuries, the myth the tigers had built, and the heavenly title the tiger clan had finally achieved.

Therefore, what Ryubeom truly desired was not the fall of the family but its purification. He wanted to correct all the wrongs, exploitation, and cover-ups sternly.

This was impossible with Ryubeom’s will alone. However, now, Ryubeom had the malevolent spirits with him. Created by the tigers, they knew their sins better than anyone else.

Once again, Ryubeom took a deep breath and solidified his connection with them.

Boom!

At that moment, the elders broke free from the trap. They immediately began casting an attack spell. Their faces showed the expectation that if they achieved a great feat in this battle, i.e., killing the fox leader, their previous mistakes would not be reprimanded. In fact, they did not seem to consider killing Cheon Eunhwa a mistake at all.

The elders gathered in a circle and began drawing a large-scale attack formation. The combined attack of several elders from the Cheon family shone with a fierce golden light.

Whoosh! Ryeong made a surprise charge and broke the circle, but the spell did not stop. Yeohwi followed with his spell to dismantle it, but three elders stood in his way as if prepared in advance.

“You must have known what it means to stand in my way.”

Yeohwi twisted his lips into a smile. A bright red spell circle formed in front of him, then quickly spread sideways, forming another and another, creating dozens of spell circles in the air. The elders’ faces turned pale at the sight of such a terrifyingly advanced chain of spells. Meanwhile, Ryeong busily moved to break the large spell formation.

Yeohwi and Ryeong were undoubtedly fighting well against the numerous clan members. They had envisioned this day for a long time and seemed skilled. Young clan members charged at him but were thrown back with a single gesture. They were mere small fry.

However, the problem was the tigers’ incredible regenerative abilities. They repeatedly rose again and again, attacking Yeohwi and Ryeong persistently. Cheon Gun’s attacks were also an issue, and as their attention was divided, the elders’ large-scale spell slowly neared completion.

Observing the situation, Ryubeom took a deep breath and drew energy from his core. The energy he had been refining steadily began swirling around him.

In the past, Cheon Ryubeom had worried that releasing the malevolent spirits would open the ghostly gate. If they ran rampant, spilling malevolent energy, the gate would eventually open. Yeohwi had given them clear directions, so the gate hadn’t opened yet, but Ryubeom sensed it was a precarious situation.

Ryubeom tilted his head back, looking up at the dark sky. His silver eyes glowed coldly, thinking of those who had caused him to lose his precious ones and those who were repeating their sins even now.

Amidst the chaos and confusion, as if standing alone, Ryubeom took a deep breath, raised his sword carefully, and struck downward in a straight line.

Jingle…

At some point, Cheon Ryubeom’s sword had taken the form of a divine sword. The spirit at its end made a faint sound as it shook.

But no golden light burst from his sword as usual. It seemed almost silent, as if he had merely drawn the sword in the air. But Ryubeom waited patiently. After a moment of complete stillness, his hair gently swayed.

Slowly, the sky began to tremble.

Moments earlier, Ryubeom had sent a line of resentment toward the sky. He had woven the anger and desires of the dozens of malevolent spirits he had read into one line, striking the sky. In response, the area rumbled ominously, the dark night sky growing even blacker. It warped, twisted, and finally, the sky tore open.

[Kaahaaaaa!]

Finally, the ghostly gate opened.

A deluge of evil spirits poured out like divine punishment.

* * *

In an instant, the mansion fell into chaos. Gwimun, the gate to the afterlife, had opened. The evil spirits that poured out from it rampaged through the mansion. The expression “pandemonium” fit perfectly. It wasn’t a metaphor; the hells of Avici and Screaming had opened.

Two hells corresponding to the Eight Hot Hells. Avici Hell is for those who harm their parents, damage temples and Buddhas, or covet offerings, where they suffer for an almost infinite time. Screaming Hell is for those who commit serious sins like murder, where they are punished by being thrown into boiling cauldrons.

These were the punishments for the elders.

They tried to escape but were caught by the evil spirits, feeling the searing pain in their bodies. Their screams echoed pitifully. Another name for Avici Hell is the Hell of Uninterrupted Suffering, where there is no interval between pains. The elders writhed without a moment to think of escaping their punishment.

The young clan members, terrified by the hell they faced, fled in panic. Some were caught by the evil spirits and thrown into the flames.

The flames spread by Yeohwi using Imugi’s bead mixed with the hellfire, growing even larger. The karmic fire consumed and destroyed the Cheon family mansion.

“This is…”

Yeohwi looked around in shock, then slowly turned his gaze to Ryubeom. Amidst the raging heat, it seemed as if a divine light flickered around him.

Cheon Ryubeom had finally destroyed the place he had never thought to defy with his own hands. His eyes, watching the chaos, were resolute.

[Huh… Truly…]

Ryeong also sighed. He looked at the evil spirits in disbelief. Moreover, a faint silver light flickered around Ryeong, hinting at its meaning.

In truth, the rules of hell were very strict, and anyone who had shed blood for any reason was subject to punishment. Ryeong knew his sins clearly and had no intention of making excuses. However, the evil spirits did not approach Ryeong. The same was true for Yeohwi.

Yeohwi looked around his body in unfamiliarity, then suddenly leaped forward.

“Ugh…”

Cheon Ryubeom staggered and was about to fall, so Yeohwi hurriedly caught him. Practically embracing him, Yeohwi sighed. Ryubeom’s face was pale as if he would faint at any moment. It was only natural, having opened Gwimun in the area.

Moreover, he had controlled it to open only within the Cheon family estate. There might be some minor aftershocks, but since the mansion was deep in the mountains, humans wouldn’t be affected. At most, they might feel a slight tremor.

Yeohwi frowned.

“Why did you push yourself so hard?”

“Praise me for being dedicated…”

“…Now you’re boldly demanding it.”

Yeohwi let out a small laugh of disbelief at the unexpected answer. Though it was a laugh of astonishment, his hand gently wiped the cold sweat from Ryubeom’s forehead. Ryubeom accepted the touch and smiled faintly.

“This is my revenge too.”

He hadn’t expected to give the elders such fitting punishment, but Ryubeom felt a sense of release. The beings he had been so wary of for the past decade, who had deceived him, were now kneeling and suffering, their foreheads pressed to the ground. They writhed and wailed in burning pain.

“Just like Yeohwi said, I think I suffered too much because of insignificant people.”

Ryubeom nodded. It was something Yeohwi had said after tormenting the cousins who had bullied Cheon Ryubeom with illusion spells. Although he later realized it was to divert the clan’s attention, Yeohwi’s words had genuinely comforted him at that moment, and Ryubeom still cherished them.

Yeohwi’s lips moved slightly. He was taken aback by how Cheon Ryubeom positively recalled even the deception from back then. Cheon Ryubeom didn’t blame him at all, but that made Yeohwi feel even heavier. It was efficiently pricking at his conscience.

Soon, the malevolent spirits that had possessed Ryubeom emerged from his body. Most of their power had been used to open Gwimun, leaving them exhausted, with some on the verge of fading away, but they didn’t mind at all. They just joyfully rampaged through the Cheon family estate.

The red group’s malevolent spirit, who had possessed Ryubeom last, bowed its head slightly as it looked back at him.

[Ugh… oh…]

Ryubeom understood the whisper that came from its mangled lips and bowed his head in return. It felt as if a deep part of his heart was finally at peace.

Eventually, the malevolent spirits clashed with the tigers to their heart’s content and slowly ascended. Ryubeom reverently watched their final will as they disappeared like a mirage. Gradually, Ryubeom’s eyes returned to their original color.

Cheon Gun trembled with rage at the scene.

“How dare you, how dare you…!”

Cheon Gun shouted furiously amidst the swirling embers. He swung his arm to fend off the persistently attacking evil spirits. As the head of a family with a divine lineage, he could repel the spirits.

But he wasn’t entirely unscathed. A throbbing pain spread through his arm. His hand nervously touched the spot where Yeohwi had torn it off over a hundred years ago.

The elders were caught by the spirits, and the other clan members and young ones were of no help at all.

“Aaah!”

Cheon Yeongdo, once a strong candidate for the next head, charged bravely but was quickly brought to his knees by a spirit’s kick, crawling on the ground under a trident. He gasped for breath, struggling as if begging for his life, but the spirit showed no mercy.

Other clan members tried to attack the spirits, but having lived peacefully in the Cheon family estate, they had forgotten how to fight ghosts and were helplessly overwhelmed. The strong barrier and the special prosperity formation around the estate had kept any impurities out.

Thus, despite making the clan members strong and giving them excellent regenerative abilities, the long peace had rendered them incompetent. It was more like luxury enjoyed through exploitation than true peace.

Ryubeom, observing the scene, spoke with difficulty.

“Yeohwi. Quickly… find the child.”

He had deliberately spilled blood in front of Daehogwan to break the barrier but hadn’t activated the summoning formation. That spell was meant to start after Cheon Ryubeom had completely died and his corpse had risen. Ryubeom’s body itself was a tool to summon the child.

Yeohwi looked at Ryubeom in shock. He seemed surprised that Ryubeom had figured out about the ‘child,’ but Ryubeom focused on conveying the information. He clung to his fading consciousness and spoke.

“Now is the right time. Gwimun is open, making it suitable to summon the child… The stone pagoda is in the bamboo forest, just slightly to the left from Daehogwan’s main gate…”

He struggled to recall and convey the exact location. As soon as he finished speaking, Ryeong dashed into the bamboo forest. Ryeong reasoned that Yeohwi couldn’t move, leaving the nearly collapsing Cheon Ryubeom behind.

Swoosh…

Even the bamboo forest, usually filled with fresh air, was now tainted with the smell of burning. It was all dark and hazy. Red embers crackled, making Ryeong momentarily dizzy. A moment from the past overlapped with his vision. Ryeong shook his head vigorously to dispel the thoughts and continued deeper into the forest. He had to find the stone pagoda.

He had to find the child, Yeomyeong’s child.

At that moment, the atmosphere trembled unstably. Then the entire space rumbled, and Ryeong looked around warily. The ground shook. The bamboo forest swayed violently. The densely packed bamboo stalks clashed, making strange noises. It sounded like something was breaking.

A serious expression crossed Yeohwi’s face. He sensed that something unusual was about to happen. He didn’t know what it was, but he felt they needed to get out of the bamboo forest. He immediately connected with Ryeong.

“Ryeong! Get out now! Finding it can wait…”

[No! We’ve come this far!]

Ryeong refused to give up and continued moving. He tried to sense the child’s presence. Where could it be? As he hurriedly walked, he felt something hit his foot.

The stone pagoda had collapsed.

For a moment, Ryeong was taken aback, but then his face hardened. He had thought the child’s soul was bound to the stone pagoda, but he couldn’t sense any energy from it. And although the stone pagoda was supposed to be wrapped in a golden rope, the rope he saw now was pitch black.

It looked as if it had rotted away.

Rumble! The ground shook. It trembled violently as if an earthquake had struck, and Ryeong lowered himself, struggling to maintain his balance. At that moment, a dreadful voice reached his ears.

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

Cheon Gun. He was suddenly standing in front of Ryeong.

Ryeong instinctively bared his teeth at him, showing hostility, but then his expression slackened. Reflected in his red eyes was a black figure. Various emotions flickered in Ryeong’s eyes as he stared blankly at the black thing floating beside Cheon Gun. At first, confusion about what it was, then denial that it couldn’t be, and finally… a mix of terrible anger.

[I’ll kill you, I’ll definitely kill you!]

What was beside Cheon Gun was a ghost in the form of an infant. The black energy around it swirled like mist, making it hard to discern its exact shape, but Ryeong could see it clearly. A child, emaciated like an old tree, with a scar on its chest as if pierced by a spear.

Just as Ryeong moved to charge, the child opened its eyes.

In the instant their red eyes met, Ryeong froze, staring blankly at the child. He couldn’t do anything. Just as Ryeong was about to say something, black energy shot towards him like bars.

Boom! The loud noise echoed through the bamboo forest.

* * *

“Ryeong!”

Yeohwi called out in alarm, but there was no response. The acrid smoke obscured his vision. Soon, Cheon Gun emerged leisurely through the smoke, accompanied by a pitch-black ghost.

Yeohwi froze as soon as he saw ‘it.’

“I should have used this from the start. I could have kept both of you fools in check.”

Cheon Gun clicked his tongue. Ryubeom urgently examined the form of the black ghost, and his face turned pale as he immediately recognized it.

It was a Taizigui (太子鬼).

A Taizigui created through Yanmye (厭魅), one of the most evil and horrific spells in Eastern sorcery. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty even mention prohibiting Yanmye several times.

Yanmye was a spell to create a very powerful vengeful spirit. A child was deliberately starved to the brink of death and lured into a bamboo tube with food. When the child crawled inside, they were stabbed to death with a sharp knife, and the tube was quickly sealed to trap the soul. This bamboo tube containing the vengeful spirit was called ‘Yanmye.’

Carrying a Yanmye filled with resentment, hatred, and thirst to a wealthy household would cause the spirit to react to the smell of food and spread disease. When the wealthy asked shamans for help, the shamans would retrieve the Yanmye and collect a fee. Shamans with weakened spiritual power often used this method. It had various other uses, such as deliberately spreading misfortune or enhancing the shaman’s power.

Cheon Gun had turned Yeomyeong’s child, who possessed divine spiritual power, into a vengeful spirit and used it to draw a prosperity formation in the mansion. The stronger the resentment of a being close to a divine entity, the more power could be drawn from it.

Cheon Gun had created a new source of power in the mansion abandoned by the gods.

Ryubeom was overwhelmed. He had speculated that the Cheon family’s prosperity was due to Yeomyeong’s child. Hearing the baby’s cries in the bamboo forest, he thought the soul might still be there. He assumed it was trapped in the stone pagoda like the malevolent spirits, but Cheon Gun had committed an atrocity beyond his imagination.

“You piece of trash…”

Yeohwi’s voice trembled with rage. His eyes turned blood-red, as if he would tear Cheon Gun apart at any moment.

But when Cheon Gun moved the baby forward, Yeohwi hesitated. Unable to attack the child, he wavered, and Cheon Gun’s face lit up with satisfaction.

“Yes, that’s the expression that suits you. Now I feel a bit better.”

Cheon Gun’s gaze shifted to Ryubeom beside Yeohwi. His silver eyes filled with murderous intent. Ryubeom felt a chill run through his body just from making eye contact. It was hard to breathe. His lungs felt crushed. Exhausted from opening Gwimun, he couldn’t withstand Cheon Gun’s fury.

“Not only did you bring a fox here, but you also caused this commotion…”

Cheon Gun tightened his grip. The baby’s vengeful spirit reacted to his energy, exuding even more black energy.

Yeohwi stepped forward to protect Ryubeom. But the vengeful spirit’s energy spread wide, enveloping the area in darkness. As Yeohwi raised his hand to clear the mist, he heard ‘that’ cry.

[Waaah…]

The baby’s cry echoed in his ears, making Yeohwi flinch. It was an instinctive reaction. His red eyes clouded.

At that moment, Cheon Gun commanded the vengeful spirit.

“Kill Cheon Ryubeom.”

Swoosh! The black energy transformed into bars and shot towards Ryubeom. It rained down like daggers from the sky. Ryubeom rolled to the side to avoid the dozens of bars. Yeohwi flinched, trying to find him, but the darkness didn’t clear easily.

The resentment of the fox clan, the intense pain, was conveyed to Yeohwi through the darkness. Knowing this was the pain Yeomyeong’s child had felt, Yeohwi felt suffocated. The baby’s cries clung to his steps. Yeohwi’s face turned pale.

Ryubeom bit his lip and ran. He moved as far from Yeohwi as possible to avoid him getting hurt by the bars. With Gwimun open, the child’s resentment poured out even more fiercely.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The bars were enormous, piercing through Ryubeom’s body and crushing him. The ground caved in where they struck, causing him to stumble. Cheon Gun was also chasing him, making it even harder to escape.

“Cheon Ryubeom!”

At that moment, a desperate shout reached Ryubeom’s ears. It was Cheon Hoyeon. She had been restraining herself to avoid obeying the head’s command, but sensing something amiss, she broke free. Blood flowed from various parts of her body where she had forcibly broken her bonds.

“Quickly, over here!”

Ryubeom ran towards Cheon Hoyeon, who was gesturing to him. Golden light burst forth, creating several layers of barriers that blocked the rain of bars.

Cheon Gun clicked his tongue at the scene.

“I cherished you. How is it that the children I cherish always walk the wrong path?”

“Well, if all the children seem to be going the wrong way, perhaps it’s your path that is wrong.”

“I’ve always said that strength is right.”

“No, strength can only enforce what is right. Strength is not the measure of right and wrong.”

“Ha! How dare you try to teach me.”

Despite Cheon Gun’s anger, Cheon Hoyeon did not back down. Cheon Eunhwa was strong but died because he was right. The strength Cheon Gun advocated was closer to tyranny, distorting the standards of right and wrong. The world Cheon Gun created killed the youngest.

“Cheon Hoyeon, you wretch! Kneel immediately!”

The head’s command was harsh. Cheon Hoyeon tried to resist, but as another command fell, her legs buckled. She collapsed to her knees, her forehead touching the ground. Ryubeom watched in shock.

But Cheon Hoyeon, with her forehead on the ground, laughed softly. She seemed both exhausted and relieved by the situation. Blood from her face slowly spread across the ground.

“Do you know, Father?”

“…?”

“Those at the top never care about what happens below.”

Cheon Hoyeon gripped the ground with her hand. She scratched the ground so hard her nails broke, and golden light began to spread slowly through the blood-soaked earth. The light flowed unhindered over a spell formation that had been drawn at some point.

Whoosh!

The light exploded and flew towards Cheon Gun. He flinched and leaped back to avoid it, but the returning golden light bound his limbs, causing him to crash to the ground.

“Run! Don’t look back, just go!”

At Cheon Hoyeon’s shout, Ryubeom turned and ran. He knew Cheon Gun was attacking her to break free from the bindings, but he couldn’t go against her will. He ran frantically, the smell of blood thick in the air.

Where should he go? Where could he possibly go?

The child’s energy was scattered throughout the Cheon family estate, and although he had grown stronger from the prosperity’s influence, how could he escape the resentment?

Cheon Ryubeom thought of comforting the child. The child had been unjustly killed and tormented for a lifetime, so he wanted to soothe that resentment. He didn’t want to see the child still being manipulated by Cheon Gun.

But could he comfort the child? It wasn’t just about his exhausted state or the limits of his abilities; it was a matter of qualification. Ryubeom had joined the family late and, being a hybrid, had received fewer benefits from the prosperity, but he had still enjoyed some benefits by staying in the mansion. In the past, Ryubeom had even taken pride in it. The strong power, the excellent regenerative abilities, the unique abilities of the direct lineage.

How could someone like him comfort the child? In the case of the malevolent spirits, their anger was directed at the elders of the Cheon family, so he could align with their will and comfort them. But the child’s resentment would be directed at everyone who had benefited from the Cheon family’s prosperity.

Panting, Ryubeom finally bit his lip and stopped. He couldn’t keep running forever. Even if it was weak, he had to try to comfort the child.

Was this an apology or deception?

Cheon Ryubeom, confused, drew a spell formation on the ground. Usually, he would pour his spiritual power into it immediately, but this time he had to wait for the right moment due to his lack of energy. Like Cheon Hoyeon, he started by creating the formation on the ground.

But Ryubeom’s hands trembled and faltered as he drew the formation. Comforting required deep understanding and empathy, so Ryubeom tried to read the black mist that spread throughout the area. But even peeling back one layer made him dizzy.

It was too painful, too sorrowful, too heartbreaking.

* * *

No matter how hard he tried, Ryubeom felt overwhelmed by the thought that he could never fully understand the child’s pain. The very act of trying to understand seemed hypocritical. The prosperity enjoyed by the Cheon family was too horrific, and he felt deeply ashamed of having once valued the family’s power.

At that moment, there was a loud crash, like glass shattering.

Ryubeom instinctively realized that the barrier had broken. He heard the sound of restraints being torn apart.

“Ah…”

With a pale face, Ryubeom slowly turned his gaze to the other side. The figure collapsed on the ground, kneeling, didn’t move. It was so red that it made him dizzy. He felt nauseous.

Cheon Gun slowly walked towards Ryubeom. Blood dripped from his body due to his clash with Cheon Hoyeon. His hanbok was torn, and blood poured from his head. His silver eyes gleamed menacingly.

He looked more like a demon than a demon itself.

“I should never have let you into this place…”

As Ryubeom trembled, a red light suddenly swept across his vision. Yeohwi had barely escaped the black mist and found Ryubeom. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead from deeply feeling the baby’s resentment. Yeohwi quickly checked on Ryubeom.

Cheon Gun muttered in a weary tone.

“There are so many obstacles. Too many…”

“Hah… You never realize that you’re the misplaced stone causing all the collisions, do you?”

Yeohwi mocked him, but Cheon Gun didn’t respond. He just stared at Yeohwi, as if even this tiresome argument was beneath him, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Yes. In a way, this is quite amusing.”

“Have you finally gone mad?”

“The minnows are trying to pull me down. I almost want to applaud their challenge for its partial success.”

Cheon Gun actually clapped his hands. He praised the strategy, saying it was not bad, that it was wise to attack a strong being together rather than alone. Yeohwi’s expression twisted at the blatantly insulting words.

“Your grudge is with me, isn’t it? Fine, you’ve come this far, so I’ll accept your challenge.”

“When will that condescending attitude ever…”

“Let’s clash with all our might. I won’t use the vengeful spirit, so let’s fight without interference. Who knows, if you’re better than me, I might even kneel.”

Yeohwi hesitated at Cheon Gun’s proposal. He had been wary of him using the baby’s vengeful spirit again, but Cheon Gun’s words were unexpected.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt such a competitive spirit. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way…”

It sounded like madness, but Cheon Gun seemed sincere as he pushed the vengeful spirit aside. He said he had worked hard for the Cheon family’s peace but found it ultimately boring, and he stretched his arms, loosening his stiff body.

Yeohwi glanced at Ryubeom. He had noticed that Ryubeom was drawing a comforting formation. Despite being exhausted from opening Gwimun, he was trying to comfort the child.

Perhaps it would be better to fight Cheon Gun and buy time for Ryubeom to complete the comforting. Killing Cheon Gun in the process would be ideal.

“I’ll take that as acceptance of the proposal.”

As Yeohwi remained silent, Cheon Gun spread his legs wide, preparing for combat. Yeohwi confirmed one last time that the baby had its eyes closed and extended his hand. Red energy gathered, and four strings of characters swirled around his hand.

Boom! Crash!

Cheon Gun charged. The tiger’s forepaw, drawn over his hand, slammed down on Yeohwi. But it only shattered an illusion, breaking the ground. Yeohwi lightly leaped back to avoid it and immediately sent a spell flying. Swoosh! The spell grabbed Cheon Gun’s hand and pulled it back.

“Haha, ha!”

Cheon Gun laughed as he tore the spell off with his other hand. His silver eyes gleamed as if he was thoroughly enjoying the battle.

He’s definitely mad. Yeohwi muttered as he sent a series of spells. The speed at which he deployed multiple spells simultaneously was astonishing.

The fierce noise echoed through the space.

Cheon Gun charged heavily, like a battering ram, while Yeohwi dodged gracefully, countering with spells. Boom, boom, boom, boom! As Cheon Gun’s relentless attacks pushed forward, a thin line of blood appeared on Yeohwi’s cheek. Cheon Gun sneered.

“Yes, you always run away like this!”

“Obviously, even a tiger hunter wouldn’t try to clash directly with a tiger.”

Yeohwi knew the difference in physical strength was too great to confront head-on. So, he dropped his energy with every step, weaving it like a spider’s web.

Whoosh!

In an instant, red energy surged up, enveloping Cheon Gun. He struggled to break free, but the more he fought, the more the web clung to him. Blood began to seep from his body.

Even as he bled, Cheon Gun laughed heartily, finding the situation amusing.

“Is this all you’ve got? Is this the extent of your power? It’s not even tickling me!”

Provoked, Yeohwi looked at him with disdain and unleashed dozens of attack spells. Boom! Crash! Boom! Cheon Gun was buried in red energy.

Yeohwi felt a moment of relief but then sensed something was wrong.

‘…Isn’t this too easy?’

The battle had barely begun, yet Cheon Gun was already tightly bound. Remembering past battles, Yeohwi knew Cheon Gun wasn’t someone who would be defeated so easily. He knew Cheon Hoyeon had inflicted serious injuries, but something felt off.

Then, as a chill spread through his body, Yeohwi quickly turned his head. Cheon Ryubeom. He instinctively knew Ryubeom was in danger. They had drifted far apart.

Ryubeom was focused on drawing the comforting formation on the ground. Reading the child’s resentment was so difficult that he had to pause frequently to catch his breath. Cold sweat poured down, but he didn’t give up.

At some point, Ryubeom felt the resentment he was reading become clearer. At first, he thought he was gaining deeper empathy, but his body tensed instinctively. He looked up, puzzled…

And met red eyes.

“Ah…”

The baby was right in front of him.

Cheon Ryubeom sighed. Before he could do anything, black energy enveloped him, pinning him in place. He couldn’t escape.

Cheon Gun had deliberately distanced himself from the Taizigui during the battle with Yeohwi. He severed his connection with the vengeful spirit, allowing it to move on its own, and covered himself with Yeohwi’s spells, letting only the fox’s energy flow around him. He needed enough energy to mask his scent, so he provoked Yeohwi.

With the connection severed, the Taizigui, seeking revenge, targeted the nearest presence—Cheon Ryubeom.

Yeohwi ran towards Ryubeom in a panic. He had foolishly forgotten how cunning Cheon Gun was. Just as he had deceived the gods to invade the fox’s main house, he had hidden his true intentions with a sly tongue. Yeohwi’s face turned pale.

The Taizigui’s intense resentment took the form of bars. The child’s greatest pain had been that, so as a vengeful spirit, it recreated it for revenge. It wanted the enemy to feel the same pain, for the tigers to pay for their sins.

The bars created by the child were enormous. With the connection to Cheon Gun severed, the killing intent towards the Cheon family grew stronger. Blood tears fell from the child’s eyes as it trembled with rage.

Yeohwi understood the meaning of the child’s tears. As he ran to save Ryubeom, he felt overwhelmed by indescribable emotions. Yet, he couldn’t stop.

How could he block this? Should he just send Cheon Ryubeom far away? But he instinctively knew this wasn’t an attack that could be blocked so easily. It would chase Cheon Ryubeom no matter how far he ran.

Whoosh! Yeohwi stood in front of Ryubeom and created a barrier. But the bars didn’t bounce off; they kept colliding with the barrier. The loud, grating sound echoed in his ears, sounding like the child’s cries.

Ryubeom struggled against the restraints. The spell formation was nearly complete. He poured his spiritual power into it, trying to comfort the child, but it didn’t work. Was it because the formation wasn’t complete, because he lacked spiritual power, or because he wasn’t truly qualified to comfort the child? Feeling despair, Ryubeom tried again.

[A, aa… ah…]

The child seemed to recognize Yeohwi in front of it, and more blood tears fell, as if it resented him for blocking it.

The child’s resentment kept flooding into Yeohwi’s mind. How painful the last hundred years had been, and how terrifying it had been to be captured by Cheon Gun that day. The sight of the flames before him and his family trapped in those flames.

Yeohwi’s breath hitched intermittently. It felt as though the child’s hatred was directed at him. No, it wasn’t just a feeling; it was likely the truth. If he hadn’t left the mansion that day, this disaster wouldn’t have happened—it was a thought that kept haunting him.

Crack- The barrier began to crack. Ryubeom, who had been focused on the comforting formation, turned in shock.

“Ye, Yeohwi. No…!”

If the barrier broke now, Yeohwi would be the first to get hit. But even knowing that the barrier was cracking, Yeohwi didn’t move. It wasn’t a matter of will; it was as if he couldn’t move, as if he were bound in place.

Yeohwi’s face was filled with guilt.

The fact that he had suggested ending the child’s life when there seemed to be no hope, that he hadn’t understood Yeomyeong’s desire to save the child but had only been angry at the state of dying and the loss of spiritual power, and that he had ultimately caused the mansion to burn—all these things weighed heavily on Yeohwi. He couldn’t shake the thought that the root of the child’s suffering was his fault.

Moreover, wasn’t he committing another sin now? After keeping the child in a horrifically confined space for so long, he was once again blocking the way with deception.

“No, no. This isn’t right, Yeohwi. Please!”

Ryubeom tried to stop him, but by then, Yeohwi was already drawing a binding spell on his hand. If the barrier fully broke, the spell would bind both the child and him. Even if he fell, it would hold the child in place, unable to move.

Yeohwi exhaled slowly. Would punishing him ease the child’s sorrow a little? He didn’t avoid the child’s red eyes, feeling as if he were offering an apology.

Crack!

But just as the barrier broke, a white light flooded his vision. Yeohwi recognized that light very clearly.

“Ryeong!”