The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

There’s a smell of beasts in the air.

Ha Yu sniffed at her damp clothes.

Still, it felt unreal.

A giant fox had swallowed her whole.

And then released her without chewing. When she looked around, there were two more foxes like that nearby.

“Humans get so easily frightened. You might have played too hard, Heuk-mu.”

“Hahahaha.”

They spoke like humans.

They must be the fox spirits.

Ha Yu immediately knelt down and bowed deeply.

She knew that what was referred to as fox spirits outside were called yokai.

Even if they weren’t, they were terrifying beings.

The reason villages offered tributes was partly to wish for prosperity, but also to ask not to be eaten by them.

Laughter reached Ha Yu’s ears as she buried her face in the ground.

“Hehe. Now that I look at you again, you seem quite appetizing.”

“I thought I told you to stop playing around.”

It seems they were not truly angry after all.

Then, a phrase that scared her even more, as she trembled, was uttered.

“Humans still have no shame.”

It was a statement filled with disdain. However, the tone was more problematic than the content itself.

“To steal offerings and then beg for your life. While always asking for help…”

The voice mixed with contempt and cynicism frightened Ha Yu.

“What’s wrong with killing her, Sister Seo-mi? That way, order will be maintained, and humans will remember our existence.”

“Stop it, Cheok-yo.”

“Stop?”

“If you’re going to blame this human, you should start with the birds that pecked on the fruits long ago.”

“…”

Fortunately, the fox referred to as Seo-mi intervened.

“Lift your head, child.”

Ha Yu cautiously raised her head.

And she was startled once again by the changed surroundings.

“Are you… the fox spirits?”

“That we are.”

There were clearly giant foxes before, but now in front of her stood three men and women.

They were not ordinary people, however. Each of them was dressed in ancient clothing and possessed a mystical appearance.

Their white hair also made them seem not of this world.

Due to their hair color, it was hard to guess their ages, but among them, the eldest-looking person seemed to have helped Ha Yu.

Ha Yu staggered backwards and then collapsed.

“Ah.”

“Your legs have given out, it seems. Rest a while before you leave.”

She wanted to crawl away if necessary, but how could she refuse that command?

A person behind her, with the tips of his eyebrows tinged red, was glaring at Ha Yu. Instinctively, she felt that this was Cheok-yo, the fox who had spoken of killing earlier.

Apparently, the foxes transformed into humans, not paying any attention to Ha Yu as they conversed.

“Don’t scold Cheok-yo too harshly, big sister. It’s because the humans from Namgung have been causing trouble all day.”

“When have I ever fussed!”

“You did fuss. Besides, we don’t know when those humans will come.”

“Mother said she would come, so it should be soon.”

The foxes gathered here seemed to be siblings. The one who helped Ha Yu up was the eldest sister named Seo-mi. The one who had swallowed Ha Yu was named Heuk-mu.

And the one with the sharpest personality was Cheok-yo.

“Let’s see what they talk about when we meet…”

Cheok-yo bared his fangs and growled like a beast.

“I’ll kill them right there.”

His sharp teeth looked quite ferocious.

They did not harbor any goodwill towards the Namgung Noble Clan. Heuk-mu and Seo-mi, who had been gentle towards Ha Yu, also showed displeasure.

“It’s fine that they borrowed the power of lightning due to a connection from a previous generation. But they don’t even know where that power comes from…”

“Mother took back the power decades ago.”

“Yes, they’ve been breeding their own kind like livestock all this time to continue wielding our power. Of course, that’s what they should do.”

Even from afar, they seemed to know about the Namgung Noble Clan’s wickedness to some extent.

Heuk-mu, sitting on a rock and resting his chin in his hand, asked, “So, why have they come to us again?”

“It’s obvious. They’ll ask to borrow our power again, citing the old connection.”

“Then they’ll really die.”

If someone from the Namgung Clan came to ask for the power that was taken back, they were indeed planning to kill them. Even Heuk-mu and Seo-mi, who were friendly towards humans, felt the same.

However, the one referred to as big sister, Seo-mi, muttered quietly, “It might not be for that reason. They might have come to return the token of the power we lent them.”

“Human greed is endless. Rather than believing that…”

“Wait.”

As everyone fell silent, only the eerie sound of the wind could be heard.

Ssssssss—

The cold, dry wind swept through the leaves.

Footsteps ascending the stairs faintly echoed.

All three foxes turned around at once.

Ha Yu looked back at the stairs and the foxes with anxious eyes.

Had the villagers come to capture Ha Yu?

That wasn’t the case.

What appeared were four men.

One was a rugged middle-aged man with a beard. The rest were young warriors, still looking youthful.

It was Yi-gang and his companions.

Among them, the one with the palest complexion, Yi-gang, muttered, “…They don’t seem like ordinary people.”

Despite looking weary from a long journey, Yi-gang’s neatly tied hair exuded dignity.

“Are you the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes?”

“That we are.”

Seo-mi nodded her head.

Cheok-yo, who was behind, couldn’t hold back and growled.

“Are you guys from Namgung?”

“…We’re not from Namgung.”

“What? Then who are you!”

“I am called Baek Yi-gang.”

He briefly mentioned the Baek Noble Clan and the Azure Forest, but the foxes were not well-versed in the affairs of the secular world’s powers.

When asked how someone not from Namgung found them, Yi-gang quietly answered, “It is related to Namgung’s affairs, indeed.”

“So it is. What is your business here?”

Yi-gang quietly took out a Blue Eye Gem from his pocket.

“To return this…”

Seo-mi sighed in relief, while Cheok-yo looked skeptical.

“And to ask for a favor.”

“A favor…”

The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes, unaware of the situation, could not imagine what Yi-gang might request.

It was because their mother had not mentioned anything about Namgung Seo-ryeon.

“Please take this person in. As one of your own.”

He took out a small fox doll from his bosom.

The seemingly dead but sleeping Blue-Eyed Mad Demon, Namgung Seo-ryeon.

The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes realized that there was another Blue Eye Gem inside the doll.

And that a frail human soul was also embedded within it.

“Please.”

Yi-gang bowed deeply.

The foxes were taken aback.

Yi-gang explained the situation.

What Namgung Yu-baek had plotted, what the Namgung Clan had done.

The descendants of Namgung, managed under the name of Hidden Veins.

Namgung Seo-ryeon’s tragic life and her last decision.

She had transferred her yokai energy to Namgung Shin, and she didn’t have much time left.

Thanks to Yi-gang hurrying, she had managed to arrive here without her spirit dispersing.

“I need to correct one misunderstanding. She’s not a half-blood.”

“If she’s not a half-blood then…”

“It’s not because of the blood that she was born with our power and yokai energy. It’s solely because of the token,” said Seo-mi as she pointed at the Blue Eye Gem.

According to her, the pair of Blue Eye Gems of the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon was unique, differing from other Blue Eye Gems.

It was a token of the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes, where only one person per generation, starting with Namgung Gyeong-cheon, the progenitor of the Hidden Veins, was born with it.

That’s why it was important.

“Now that this has been returned, the old promise has been kept. But turning this human into a yokai might not be possible.”

Yi-gang’s eyes wavered.

The Blue-Eyed Mad Demon had been confident it was possible, but the story changed.

Cheok-yo interrupted with a rough tone, “Nonsense. Turning a human soul into one of our kind?”

“…”

“Anyway, this human soul also carries the Namgung name.”

Ha-jun and Dam Hyun frowned at the rude and harsh words.

Dam Hyun, who had always looked forward to meeting the Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes, was shocked to see them in human form.

And one of them was being insolently rude; had it not been a position of need, curses would have flown long ago.

“We cannot accept such a human as one of our kind. If what you say is true, then Namgung is nothing but trash.”

“…This woman is a victim, as I said.”

“That’s your perspective. From our standpoint, they are no different from thieves.”

Seo-mi and Heuk-mu did not agree but did not stop Cheok-yo either.

From their perspective, Yi-gang was still suspicious.

“You’re the most suspicious of all. You possess yokai energy. Haven’t you deceived us and stolen that spirit’s yokai energy?”

“That’s not true.”

“I don’t know, this human who wants to become a yokai…”

“I’ve tolerated the insults because I’m asking for a favor, but…” Yi-gang firmly met Cheok-yo’s eyes and said, “…This is a warning. Watch your mouth.”

It was unclear where the white and giant Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox that appeared in the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon’s dream had gone, leaving only these individuals.

Cheok-yo scoffed and looked straight into Yi-gang’s eyes.

“Watch my mouth? Insolent human. Let me put it plainly.”

And then spoke clearly and distinctly.

“That human woman. A thief who doesn’t know her place…”

Cheok-yo poked Yi-gang’s chest with a finger.

Yi-gang did not stay still. He grabbed that finger and pushed Cheok-yo back using a grappling technique.

Cheok-yo, as if he had been waiting for this, bared his fangs.

“Yes, this is what I wanted!”

It’s clear that the bodies of humans and yokai must differ.

Not bothered by being caught in a grip, Cheok-yo pulled his hand free.

Crack—

As expected, his finger snapped.

The problem was that it regenerated immediately after breaking and lunged at Yi-gang.

But Yi-gang was not flustered.

“Blabbering with that hole in your face.”

Even as Cheok-yo charged, Yi-gang’s low voice made him feel uneasy.

He was a young fox. He had never properly fought against either Kunlun Taoists or humans.

He suppressed his anxiety with his wild instinct.

How dare a mere human challenge a great yokai.

“Aaaah!”

But then, Yi-gang’s eyes glowed blue, and he used a power Cheok-yo hadn’t expected.

Cheok-yo’s hand, capable of breaking rocks, futilely sliced through the air.

A gust of wind tousled Yi-gang’s hair, but Yi-gang successfully grasped Cheok-yo’s arm as it passed by him.

The principle of “using softness to overcome hardness.”

Cheok-yo felt his body being forcefully flung forward.

Yi-gang used his opponent’s force against him, successfully slamming Cheok-yo’s forehead into the ground.

Crash—!

The impact on the ground made Cheok-yo snap back to reality.

Yi-gang did not draw his sword. It was a choice made considering his own stance, but to Cheok-yo, it felt even more humiliating.

“Growl—”

A beastly roar came from his mouth, and his teeth grew even sharper.

White fur sprouted from his ears, and the muscles in the arms and legs that Yi-gang was holding down twitched.

“Stop—!”

The ringing rebuke was from Seo-mi.

Yi-gang let go of Cheok-yo.

Cheok-yo’s body returned to human form.

With a face full of shame, he went back between Seo-mi and Heuk-mu.

Seo-mi opened her mouth with a stern expression, “It seems it’s not for us to decide. We will take you and this spirit to our mother.”

“Your mother?”

Dam Hyun was the one who interjected.

Seo-mi slightly frowned and responded, “Yes.”

“Could it be that your mother’s name is…”

To Dam Hyun’s question, Seo-mi answered in a very cautious tone, “She is called Gumiho. the Nine-Tailed Fox.”

Having said that, Seo-mi turned around.

Yi-gang and his companions followed her.

Dam Hyun shivered once and patted Yi-gang’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. At least, she will have the power to heal Cheongho.”

“Do you think so?”

“Don’t you know Gumiho?”

Of course, he knew. It was a name well-known from his previous life and also taught in the Azure Forest, the great yokai serving Queen Mother of the West.

Although the legends and reality seemed quite different.

Yi-gang kept his mouth shut.

The Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Foxes walked ahead of Yi-gang’s group.

Heuk-mu had his hand on Cheok-yo’s shoulder.

“Hehe, bickering with a human.”

“Let go.”

“Quite stubborn, aren’t you? You shouldn’t recklessly fight with martial artists in a transformed state.”

“…I knew that.”

“But what if you revert from your transformation? What if you accidentally kill Mother’s guest?”

Cheok-yo twisted his body and escaped from Heuk-mu’s grasp.

He didn’t want his expression to be seen.

Embarrassment and surprise. Discomfort.

“Accidentally kill…?”

Could such a thing happen, accidentally killing someone?

For a moment, Yi-gang’s spirit seemed unordinary.

Cheok-yo growled, baring his fangs.

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