Chapter 77
‘But that spirit core ended up souring the relationship between the Namgung clan and the Hae-nam sect, didn’t it?’
Later, when the protagonist attends the Yongbong Assembly, he ends up sparring with a disciple from the Hae-nam sect.
There, the Hae-nam disciple insulted the protagonist, saying that the Namgung clan lacked any sense of honor.
The protagonist, of course, humiliated the Hae-nam sect in return.
‘If you think about it, wasn’t it the Namgung clan who were in the wrong in the first place?’
The Hae-nam sect warned them to leave the island since they weren’t accepting outsiders, but they insisted on entering and even walked away with a rare spirit core.
‘Well, I guess we can’t really talk.’
After all, they had come to find the Cheonnyeon Hwari too.
“And the highlight of Hae-nam Island, above all else, is hot spring fishing.”
“Hot spring fishing?”
Can fish even survive in hot water?
“Of course. There’s a place where the hot spring water meets the stream. Not many varieties live there, but the ones that do are quite sturdy.”
“Ah, I see. I thought you meant there were fish living directly in boiling water or something.”
“Oh, but there are.”
“…Sorry, what?”
“If a fish lives in a hot spring that even humans find scalding… you can’t call it an ordinary fish, right?”
True enough. Normally, they’d be cooked and floating belly-up.
Wait a second… no way!
In that moment, Cheonnyeon Hwari came to mind.
The Cheonnyeon Hwari and Mannyeon Hwari are known to be even rarer and more powerful than spiritual beasts. They certainly wouldn’t live in ordinary places.
“What kind are they? Grandpa, have you ever caught one?”
“Oh, sure. I once caught a small one. It was plump and delicious. Eating one makes you healthy. Who knows, So-wol, it might even cure your illness in one go.”
I knew it! It’s the Cheonnyeon Hwari!
Yang Huicheon probably thought he was being subtle, but since Eun Sowol came to the island in search of Cheonnyeon Hwari, she could easily figure it out.
‘Wait a minute… Didn’t Grandpa say he was going fishing today?’
“G-Grandpa! Are you going hot spring fishing today too?!”
“Yeah. I heard a really good one has shown up, one I didn’t see last time, so I’m heading out to catch it.”
Eun Sowol’s lips trembled.
But she couldn’t show her disappointment so openly.
They couldn’t exactly admit that they were also aiming for the hot spring fish.
If they did…
‘He might roast us alive just to eliminate the competition.’
So she forced a bright, exaggerated smile on her face.
“Wow, woooow…! That sounds so fun! If you catch one, can I have just one bite, Grandpa?”
She gulped nervously. What if he figured out her real intention and turned hostile?
But Yang Huicheon just laughed heartily and patted her head.
“Hahaha! Of course! If I catch a nice one, I’ll give it to our little So-wol.”
He was even willing to give her such a rare treasure.
Eun Sowol’s eyes widened.
“You’re giving it to…?”
“You’re giving it to her?!”
Dang Jin-ak interrupted before she could finish.
Seeing his surprised and conflicted expression, Eun Sowol realized that he, too, had figured out the fish was a Cheonnyeon Hwari.
“Only for So-wol! It won’t even be enough for her alone, so don’t you two get any funny ideas!”
“O-of course, no funny ideas! I was just surprised you were giving away such a rare hot spring fish…”
Dang Jin-ak insisted he wouldn’t touch So-wol’s share, just like how he gave her all the bear bile they had last time.
Yang Huicheon finally relaxed his expression as if the misunderstanding had been cleared.
“You’re dragging a sick kid around in all this hardship, so the least I can do is feed her something good, huh! Tsk!”
Anyone watching would think she was his actual granddaughter.
“Grandpa… Please go easy on the uncles. They’re nice to me.”
Sowol tugged on his sleeve and looked up at him with wide, watery eyes.
“…Is that so? Well, if those uncles ever bully you, you tell me! I’ll scold them so hard they’ll be crying!”
Yang Huicheon, realizing he was going overboard, awkwardly raised his voice.
“If this makes you healthy, So-wol… maybe think about becoming my disciple? Got it?”
Ah, so that was the real goal?
Even though he had ulterior motives… it wasn’t a bad deal for So-wol.
‘Anyway, it just means Grandpa likes me!’
She’d get the Cheonnyeon Hwari core and win the Fire King’s heart.
If he actually caught it and gave it to her, she could explain everything then.
Once he learned her condition wasn’t just meridian sickness but Yin-Yang Severed Meridians, he wouldn’t talk about discipleship anymore. And he couldn’t take back the core either.
“Okay! I’ll think about it later!”
‘And if I really do get cured, maybe I can become his disciple someday.’
Yang Huicheon grinned, pleased with her answer.
“I wanna catch a hot spring fish with my own hands too!”
Just in case, she left room to maneuver.
Relying solely on Yang Huicheon and ending up with nothing would be disastrous.
“Then you’d better get good at fishing.”
Yang Huicheon pointed to the fishing rod she had tossed aside.
Eun Sowol clenched her fists and gave a bright smile, but her shoulders slowly drooped.
“Sigh… Fishing’s boring… Do I have to use a rod to catch the hot spring fish?”
“You could use your hands, sure. But they’re quick. They’re not your average fish.”
“Ugh…”
Since the Fire King said it, it must be true…
But if she couldn’t even catch normal fish here, could she really catch a Cheonnyeon Hwari?
As she pondered her next move, her gaze landed on Dok Go-ryong.
‘Uncle’s really good at catching fish, isn’t he?’
During camping trips, he’d catch several in a blink.
She quietly picked up her rod and approached him.
“Uncle! Ryongie Uncle!”
Dok Go-ryong lifted the brim of his hat slightly, looking like he couldn’t care less about the world.
“What?”
“You’re good at fishing, right?”
“So?”
“Are you good with a fishing rod too?”
His eyes turned to the rod in her hand.
“Maybe… just one try—”
“No.”
He cut her off before she could finish, pulling his brim back down.
Eun Sowol’s nostrils flared.
‘Oh, playing hard to get, are we?’
She yanked off his hat.
Suddenly exposed to direct sunlight, Dok Go-ryong scowled fiercely.
“You little—!”
“You’re scared, huh?”
Sowol mimicked his signature mocking smirk.
Dok Go-ryong’s brow twitched. Sparks flew between them.
“Who said I’m scared?”
“Well… Grandpa and Uncle Jin-ak haven’t caught anything yet. I was wondering if maybe you’d do better. But I guess you’re scared too, huh?”
“What if I do catch one?”
“Then it just means you’re good at fishing!”
She widened her eyes and smiled innocently.
It was as if she was saying, You won’t catch anything, and that clearly provoked him.
After confirming his annoyed expression, she gently placed the hat back on his head.
“Nah, just sleep. I’ll fish with Grandpa and Uncle Jin-ak and catch one for you. Since you can’t fish…”
Whoosh—!
A sudden gust of wind, and the rod was gone from her hands.
Dok Go-ryong had stood up at some point, his hat tilted and his eyes blazing.
Of course, the rod was now in his hand.
‘Uh oh. Maybe I went too far?’
Was this how Jin-ak felt when he first faced a bear?
“Watch closely. I’ll show you how good I am at fishing.”
“Okay! I’ll watch with wide eyes! You got this, Uncle! You’re so cool~!”
Sowol suddenly switched to flattery as if nothing had happened.
Dok Go-ryong muttered under his breath:
“Haa… Can’t even whack her on the head.”
Worried he might flick her forehead suddenly, Sowol covered her head with both hands and snuck behind Yang Huicheon.
‘Heh, now he can suffer. No matter how good he is at catching fish, fishing with a rod is different…’
She was inwardly smirking—until her mouth dropped open in shock.
“Wooooah!!”
Dang Jin-ak, who’d been talking with Yang Huicheon, also let out a shout.
A massive fish thicker than Dok Go-ryong’s arm leaped out of the water.
He had cast the rod and caught it in mere seconds.
“You’re watching, right?”
Under the triumphant Dok Go-ryong, Eun Sowol couldn’t even close her mouth, her shoulders slumped.
Pweeeeee~!
Baekwoon sparkled with excitement at the sight of the giant fish, completely oblivious to his master’s mood.
