TGHD Ch 32

Cheon Ryubeom’s face gradually hardened. Seeing his pale face, Cheon Joomyeong laughed out loud. She didn’t like how he had recently become calm and composed in his responses. There was a subtle change in his demeanor that exuded confidence.

They disliked Cheon Ryubeom’s newfound confidence. It was absurd to them that the child of a runaway mother, who was once the heir of the Cheon family, might be given an honorable opportunity. Though he claimed to have no interest in the position of the next head, none of his cousins believed him. His wish seemed too far-fetched.

“Staying as a ghost for a long time isn’t easy, Cheon Ryubeom. Besides, your father had no family. How could such a rootless human endure for over ten years?”

Cheon Joomyeong’s kind voice made Ryubeom’s face grow paler by the second. Talking about his father always weakened him.

As his cousins said, his father had no family. When his father died, there was no one to contact, and even during the time they lived together with his mother, Ryubeom had never seen his father’s family.

One day, young Ryubeom had asked his father about family while reading a fairy tale. The story featured a grandfather, sparking his curiosity. He asked his father if he had a father and where the rest of the family was. It was a pure, childlike question.

‘My family… is all here.’

His father had smiled and hugged him, and Ryubeom was happy that the three of them were each other’s only family. But later, he understood why his mother had been awkwardly silent that day. He hadn’t seen his father’s face as he was tightly hugged, but he realized his father might have hidden his expression on purpose.

As Ryubeom stood frozen, another cousin snickered.

“Besides, isn’t your father’s identity unclear?”

After the accident, when Ryubeom joined the Tiger family, he faced many truths. He couldn’t find his father’s family, and moreover, his father’s identity and name were uncertain.

Lee Han.

That was the name Ryubeom knew his father by, and his mother sometimes called him that. But they didn’t know his father’s surname, and a two-syllable name wasn’t enough to identify him. The family suggested the name itself might be false. Some even speculated that his father hid his identity because he wasn’t clean…

Biting his lower lip, Ryubeom finally spoke. His voice trembled terribly. Hearing that his wish was impossible, beyond being mocked as insignificant, made his heart sink. He believed his father, having spiritual power, wouldn’t have easily disappeared, but the ridicule around him fueled his anxiety.

“…Stop, please stop.”

But Ryubeom’s reaction only amused his cousins more. It was funny to see him return to the Cheon Ryubeom they knew.

“What do you mean, stop? I’m just saying this because I feel sorry for you. Even though we’re of the same blood, you’re foolishly clinging to an impossible task…”

“The accident was severe enough to kill a Tiger Suin, so how could a mere human survive? His soul must have completely disappeared.”

Cheon Joomyeong spoke kindly, and Yeongdo continued with a feigned sorrowful tone. But their voices were filled with mockery. They suggested his father was absorbed by an evil spirit and couldn’t be found, that he didn’t exist anywhere.

Another cousin giggled and said,

“Why did she abandon all the Cheon family’s honor to be with such a human? Ah, maybe your father had a decent face. Did he look like you?”

A cousin lifted Ryubeom’s chin with a finger. The portrait of Cheon Eunhwa in the family showed a clear and bold impression. Her eyes were sharp, and her golden eyes shone brightly. Her face exuded a confident aura. Compared to her, Cheon Ryubeom had a more delicate appearance.

It might have been due to the oppression he faced in the family, but Cheon Eunhwa didn’t have a delicate or refined look, so it was likely his father’s genes. Genes that didn’t fit the Cheon family.

“Well, she ran away from the family, and that human wasn’t clean either, so they must have been a perfect match…”

“Don’t speak ill of them.”

Ryubeom grabbed his cousin’s wrist. He could tolerate being mocked and ridiculed, but he couldn’t stand his parents being insulted.

“Ugh…!”

The cousin winced in pain. He was one of Yeongdo’s ardent supporters during the Cheonho Foundation’s anniversary celebration. He believed that Yeongdo had merely spared Cheon Ryubeom and firmly believed that a half-blood like him had no real power.

But now, he couldn’t shake off Ryubeom’s grip. As he tried to pull his arm away, the pain felt like it would break his arm, and his face contorted in shock.

“Strange. ‘Disrespect’ between us?”

Yeongdo grabbed Ryubeom’s hand.

“That word only applies when we use it against you. It’s not a word you can use against us.”

Yeongdo growled and forcefully shook off Ryubeom’s hand. He felt Ryubeom’s resistance, trying not to let go, which made Yeongdo raise an eyebrow. Cheon Ryubeom was looking straight at him, defiant.

“How dare a half-blood be so insolent.”

Thud! Ryubeom was shoved back, hitting his shoulder. He quickly surrounded his body with spiritual power, barely preventing his bones from breaking, but his shoulder throbbed. Ryubeom took a deep breath, preparing for the impending clash. He knew Yeongdo’s strength, but he didn’t feel anxious.

He thought it might not be a bad idea to confront him head-on.

Ryubeom’s determination was evident in his eyes. Yeongdo read it and twisted his mouth into a smile. Ha! His laugh was filled with anger.

“Have I been too lenient with you?”

Suddenly, Yeongdo reached out. Ryubeom instinctively tried to deflect the attack, but something felt off. Yeongdo’s hand was caught too easily… Golden energy emanated from their touching palms, binding his arm. As if prearranged, the other cousins quickly added their spiritual power, increasing the pressure.

Ryubeom’s arm was forced down, and his feet were pinned to the ground as if weighed down by heavy stones. It was a binding spell. Ryubeom struggled to break free, but it wasn’t easy.

Seeing Ryubeom’s struggle, Yeongdo smirked.

“I’ll watch until you show proper respect to your brothers.”

Yeongdo glanced at the cousins. It seemed the half-blood was underestimating the family, so they needed to teach him a lesson. It wasn’t because Yeongdo lacked the confidence to face Ryubeom alone.

The cousins snickered and approached Ryubeom. There were more than ten direct descendants of the Cheon family. They surrounded Ryubeom and began punching and kicking him.

“Ugh…”

Bound by the spell, Ryubeom twisted his body to avoid major blows, but some attacks landed. As he groaned in pain, the cousins grew more excited.

Just then, a Cheonho Foundation staff member came running.

“A ghost has appeared in Dujedong!”

His shout instantly changed the atmosphere. The cousins stopped beating Ryubeom and turned to the staff member, who was shocked by the scene but couldn’t question it.

The staff member stammered as he answered the tigers’ questions about the ghost.

“It suddenly appeared and is wreaking havoc in the residential area…!”

The cousins exchanged glances. A strange atmosphere spread among them… Then, led by Yeongdo, they all ran towards Dujedong. If a ghost appeared near Yuseom Mountain, it was surely related to the Sagwido.

Closing the Sagwido would earn the head’s recognition.

It was a hope shared by Yeongdo and all the cousins. Though closing the Sagwido was Cheon Ryubeom’s task, they could easily justify dealing with a ghost causing harm in Dujedong.

As Yeongdo’s focus shifted, the binding spell on Ryubeom weakened. He quickly broke the golden ropes and ran after his cousins.

Had a Sagwido really appeared?

But why would a powerful ghost, strong enough to cause a landslide on Yuseom Mountain, come down to the village to harass ordinary people? Ryubeom ran, uncertain, until he saw the figures darting around Dujedong.

There were about a dozen of them…

“…Egg ghosts?”

Realization struck him. Those were undoubtedly ghosts summoned by Yeohwi. And Ryubeom quickly understood why Yeohwi had taught him two types of illusion magic.

Yeohwi had taught him two types of illusion magic: one that directly affects people and another that makes objects appear as something else. He explained that using a medium makes it easier than creating an illusion in empty space, comparing it to mistaking fallen leaves or trash on the roadside for animals…

It seemed Yeohwi might have anticipated from the start that Ryubeom wouldn’t use illusion magic directly on his cousins. And at the moment when Ryubeom cast the illusion…

“That, the energy feels a bit strange.”

It was a situation where he needed to hide Yeohwi.

Biting his lip, Ryubeom picked up the pace. He needed to hide Yeohwi’s energy emanating from the egg ghosts before his cousins grew too suspicious. The red aura surrounding the egg ghosts blended with the setting sun, which might help conceal it for now.

But up close, it would be easily noticeable. As Ryubeom swiftly ran across the rooftops, he bit his index finger with his fang. His hand urgently traced spell formations in the air with the dripping blood.

Whoosh!

A broad wave of golden energy spread across the area. The tigers looked up at the rooftop with furrowed brows.

“That bastard…”

Cheon Ryubeom, who had been helpless just moments ago, had quickly followed and cast a spell. He cast a barrier around the shelter on the outskirts of Dujedong, trying to protect the residents and gain their favor, which only irritated his cousins more.

Receiving their hostile glares, Ryubeom merely felt relieved. He had cast two spells simultaneously, and fortunately, his cousins seemed to notice only the barrier. The other spell was an illusion. Ryubeom’s spell flew toward the egg ghosts, enveloping them in an illusion.

What had been ordinary figures in white garments carrying bundles now appeared elongated and sinister like evil spirits.

The illusion was modeled after an evil spirit Ryubeom had encountered months ago in Hyojomyeon. It resembled the form taken by Nakyeong’s mother after absorbing various evil spirits, and Ryubeom’s firsthand experience allowed him to create a fairly convincing replica. With a dark body, disproportionately long limbs, and a spider-like crawling motion, it sufficiently resembled an evil spirit.

Though there were some rough edges, the tiger Suins, eager to hunt the ghost, didn’t find it strange. The slightly distorted appearance of the illusion only reinforced their belief that it was a Sagwido.

“Herd it to one side!”

Yeongdo shouted loudly, but the cousins didn’t listen. They had spent the past few days clearing landslide debris, giving all the credit to Yeongdo, but he had never once thanked them.

They couldn’t oppose someone who was a strong candidate for the next head, but now there was an opportunity right before their eyes. Even Cheon Ryubeom, a half-blood and a blemish to the family, had closed the Sagwido and sat next to the head. If they could resolve the Sagwido, they would gain even more honor.

“Damn it…!”

Yeongdo was furious, but the cousins had already begun to move independently.

Bang! Cheon Joomyeong kicked at a ghost, but only managed to break a streetlamp. The ghost fled swiftly, faster than expected. Others also missed the ghosts, and the area echoed with the sound of misdirected strikes. Trees fell, and utility poles snapped.

They were in a place they had cleared of debris over the past few days. The area they had painstakingly cleaned was being ruined by their own kicks and punches. Though most buildings were already in ruins, the continuous loud noises caused the residents in the shelter to look out worriedly.

“Got it!”

Cheon Joomyeong cornered one evil spirit in a dead-end alley. Just as a satisfied smile spread across her face, a powerful force surged from the side.

[Screech…]

Cheon Ryubeom had destroyed the evil spirit. He had leaped from a wall, tackled the spirit, and cast a vanquishing spell. The speed surprised Joomyeong, but soon her face twisted in anger. Her prey had been snatched away.

Ryubeom had no choice. If an evil spirit—or rather, an egg ghost disguised as one—was caught by the family, they might notice something suspicious. So Ryubeom had to eliminate the egg ghosts as quickly as possible.

The situation felt surreal to Ryubeom. He had cast the illusion, and now he had to hunt the spirits himself to prevent their true nature from being revealed. Maybe Yeohwi had orchestrated this to train him from the start. Was this what people called “the bigger picture”?

Despite his confusion, Ryubeom hunted the egg ghosts as swiftly as he could. Having trained with Yeohwi, he was familiar with their movement patterns.

The cousins grew anxious. At this rate, Cheon Ryubeom would eliminate all the evil spirits. Growing impatient, they began to act more aggressively.

Bang, crash!

Boom…

The buildings they had painstakingly cleaned up collapsed, and the ground was overturned again. The area turned into a chaotic mess. The evil spirits skillfully dodged the attacks and fled.

When Ryubeom saw the ghosts heading up the mountain, he flinched.

“That place…”

Unlike the hesitant Ryubeom, his cousins’ faces brightened. The mountain was the tigers’ domain. They exchanged glances, thinking their opportunity had finally come.

Until now, they had been running around individually, trying to claim credit, but Cheon Ryubeom was too skilled, and they hadn’t managed to hunt a single ghost. It seemed his success in closing the Sagwido wasn’t just luck; his movements were swift, and his spellcasting had improved. The cousins had been secretly impressed by the two strings of characters swirling around his hands.

Now, they needed to work together again to prevent Cheon Ryubeom from eliminating all the evil spirits. The spirits in the mountain were theirs.

“Let’s make the finale spectacular.”

Yeongdo grinned. Although Cheon Ryubeom had already dealt with half of them, if he hunted the rest with flashy spells, his achievements would stand out even more. With the residents of Dujedong watching, it was time to showcase the true majesty of the Cheon family.

Yeongdo began casting a spell. A massive golden circle formed around him. As the other cousins added their energy, the circle took the shape of lotus petals. The petals spread one by one, creating a radiant display under the sunset sky.

“No! There are humans nearby…!”

Ryubeom was horrified. The spell they were casting was an explosion spell. It would spread immense spiritual energy across the area, hunting all the evil spirits at once. But if mishandled, the explosion could harm ordinary humans. The cousins were recklessly pouring in their energy without any control, potentially turning the area into a wasteland.

Ryubeom tried to stop them, but Yeongdo shoved him aside.

“Move! A half-blood like you has no right to interfere!”

Yeongdo practically threw Ryubeom aside. Meanwhile, the cousins completed their spell, and the golden light burst brilliantly under the sunset sky.

“…!”

Ryubeom, his face pale, immediately cast a protective barrier. He had to prevent the explosion’s aftermath from reaching the residential area. But that wasn’t the only reason he had tried to stop his cousins.

Yuseom Mountain was an area where the ghost path was open.

Moreover, a landslide had recently occurred on this peak. Unleashing powerful spiritual energy in such a place could lead to a major disaster. That’s why Ryubeom had always been cautious while searching for the Sagwido.

When spiritual energy clashes with ghostly energy, the area is bound to collapse.

Rumble…

“Ahhh!”

“W-What’s happening, ahh!”

As Ryubeom had predicted, the ground began to shake. Just as witnesses had described the mountain melting like water, the ground crumbled. The collapsing earth swallowed the cousins’ legs, quickly engulfing their calves and knees.

The more they struggled, the more the ground pulled them down. It felt as if the earth was punishing them for recklessly unleashing their energy here. Soon, some were buried up to their waists, others up to their chests, groaning in distress. They couldn’t escape on their own.

Only Cheon Ryubeom stood on solid ground, looking down at his cousins with a slightly bewildered and somewhat incredulous expression.

“…I should have warned you to be careful in areas where the ghost path is open.”

His tone suggested he was stating something even a child would know, making the cousins’ faces flush with embarrassment. They had acted too rashly in a place known for its ghostly activity.

Yeongdo gritted his teeth, glaring at Ryubeom, but buried up to his chest, his gaze wasn’t very threatening. Ryubeom noticed Cheonho Foundation staff rushing over and gave them a slight nod.

“You’d hate being saved by a half-blood, so I’ll be going now.”

Without hesitation, Ryubeom turned and walked down the mountain. He had no intention of rescuing his cousins. He remembered the insults he had received at the lodging and how they had ignored his warnings earlier…

The egg ghosts had vanished without a trace. And Ryubeom had a good idea where they might have gone.

Finally arriving at the cultural center, Ryubeom hurriedly ran up to the third floor. As expected, Yeohwi was there. He waved at Ryubeom, seemingly having watched the commotion through the broken window.

Ryubeom immediately frowned.

“What if you get caught…!”

“It was nothing, right?”

Yeohwi’s cheerful question cut off Ryubeom’s shocked reprimand. Ryubeom tilted his head in confusion, and Yeohwi smiled. The red sunset light streaming through the shattered window glass flickered like a dream on his face.

“Those things weren’t really something to be afraid of, right?”

“…”

“I think you’ve been too cautious because of insignificant things.”

His whisper was completely detached from the chaos in the mountains, almost peaceful. Ryubeom felt a strange dizziness. He blinked slowly, feeling like he was in an unrealistic dream.

Had he expended too much mental energy in the past hour? Otherwise, he couldn’t explain why Yeohwi’s words made him feel so dazed.

Until now, Cheon Ryubeom had calmly accepted his cousins’ mockery and disdain. He understood that they disliked him and always tried to appease them to belong to the Cheon family.

After receiving the Sagwido task, he placed less importance on their approval, but his experiences over the past decade had left their mark.

He thought he had grown accustomed to their criticism and that everything would quiet down if he just endured it…

But that was merely resignation.

Years of learned resignation had made Ryubeom unable to even think of defying them, let alone harbor any rebellious thoughts. He had come to see his defiance as unnecessary trouble.

“Actually, I don’t believe in just enduring and letting things pass. Some say that if you wait, you’ll see your enemy’s corpse float down the river, but I think it’s better to just push it into the river myself.”

Yeohwi smiled nonchalantly.

“I’m sorry for releasing the ghosts without consulting you first. But I thought you wouldn’t seek revenge on your own without a trigger. Once you face them, you’ll see they’re nothing.”

Ryubeom’s lips moved silently. Yeohwi was right. Without him, Ryubeom wouldn’t have tried to deceive his family with illusion magic. Feeling a strange unease, Ryubeom pressed his chest with his hand.

It was really strange. More than feeling satisfied with revenge, it felt like a weight had been lifted, as Yeohwi said, by seeing that they were ‘nothing.’ They always used their pure Cheon lineage to look down on him, but their reckless actions had landed them in the swamp.

The insults they hurled at him now seemed insignificant and lost their weight.

Recalling the time he eliminated the Changgui a few days ago, his heart pounded. Yeohwi kept pushing him to do new things and experience emotions he had never felt before.

Yeohwi was apologizing for spreading the egg ghosts without consulting him, but Ryubeom focused on the fact that he did it for him. Maybe, just maybe… he had agreed to learn illusion magic from Yeohwi because he didn’t want to part ways with him that day.

He didn’t want to lose Yeohwi after meeting him again after a few days. And he wanted to create more moments like this, being in the same space together.

“Ha…”

As the tension released, a sigh escaped him. No, it was more like a laugh. Ryubeom couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Seeing Ryubeom’s reaction, Yeohwi smiled gently.

“And I also wanted to get my revenge.”

“…Revenge?”

“They’re the ones who tormented my children, aren’t they?”

Ryubeom was momentarily dazed, then sighed deeply. The ones stuck in the swamp were the grandchildren of the Cheon family. They were the ones who had run around Yeonggokbong, exuding murderous intent to hunt foxes. The scene of their first meeting flashed before his eyes.

He also thought that maybe Yeohwi was avenging the fox Suin idols from Hn who had been harassed a few days ago.

Yeohwi lowered his eyes and spoke softly.

“Now that they’re out of the way, there won’t be any obstacles in searching for the next Sagwido.”

Having suffered such a great humiliation, the cousins wouldn’t move easily for a while. Moreover, this incident would be reported to the family, and the head would surely reprimand them for causing unnecessary trouble. This would prevent Yeongdo from suspecting and following Ryubeom any further.

Additionally, this incident would likely elevate the importance of resolving the Sagwido. The grandchildren had tried to catch the evil spirits themselves but ended up humiliated, making Ryubeom’s achievement in closing the Sagwido even more significant. Even Yeongdo, who was considered for the next head, had fallen into the swamp…

Ryubeom looked at Yeohwi with a slightly unfamiliar gaze. Had Yeohwi calculated this outcome from the beginning? As he marveled at how quickly Yeohwi, a member of the fox family, understood the dynamics of the tiger family, Yeohwi approached and adjusted Ryubeom’s clothes.

With the sudden closeness, all of Ryubeom’s attention focused on him. Yeohwi’s beautifully extended fingers straightened his wrinkled collar and brushed off the dust. Ryubeom stood still, unable to refuse his touch.

Even the sight of his long eyelashes fluttering slowly as he lowered his gaze came into clear view.

Yeohwi’s eyes softened as if he were upset.

“How could they hurt our precious young master again?”

“…You’re the only one who calls me precious.”

“Ah, then should I say it more often from now on?”

Ryubeom’s mouth fell open. He meant it as a sign of disbelief, wanting Yeohwi to stop with his overly sweet words, but Yeohwi’s unexpected response left him stunned.

As Ryubeom stood frozen, Yeohwi smiled charmingly. Adjusting Ryubeom’s tousled bangs, his fingertips lightly brushed against his forehead. The close, ticklish contact was something Ryubeom would usually reject, but now his gaze was captivated by Yeohwi’s smile.

Like the twilight settling over the ridge, a red glow shimmered in Yeohwi’s eyes. Sometimes, Yeohwi smiled in a dreamy and joyful way, as if reminiscing a long-held dream.

“You are so precious, young master. You are destined to enter Daehogwan…”

Yeohwi whispered like a dream. The serene tone made Ryubeom hold his breath momentarily before letting out a laugh. The family didn’t want him to enter Daehogwan, to become a candidate for the next head, yet here was a fox hoping for it.

Thinking it was truly strange, Ryubeom added Yeohwi’s expectation to his reasons for needing to enter Daehogwan.

The sunset gradually darkened, leading into the night.