Chapter 41 …
Seon-oh handed a coin to Seol’s small hand and then looked back at No Moon-ung.
“Please, you should leave now. The sun will set soon.”
“Ha, but…”
“Hurry. It’s not good for the child’s upbringing.”
No Moon-ung’s face twisted with complex emotions at Seon-oh’s firm words. He quickly bowed to express his gratitude.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. I won’t forget your kindness.”
“You may forget. Just go.”
“Then… shall we… Seol-ah, can you get up?”
“Yes.”
Seon-oh waited patiently as the mother and daughter slowly rose to their feet.
“Thank you, sister…!”
Finally, No Moon-ung and Seol turned and quickly left. Seon-oh smiled warmly and waved at Seol as she glanced back. Once they disappeared from sight, his smile vanished, and he turned around.
The only trace left by the psychic superhuman were the corpses, now filled with dirt in their mouths—a known mark of the infamous Heuk Wol-bi.
Seon-oh’s face twisted in disbelief again.
‘…So it really is Heuk Wol-bi?’
But then… why?
In Seon-oh’s mind flashed the sneering Gong-woon and the gaze of Wol-bi that had briefly glanced at him.
“…So I’m now a prime suspect.”
In other words, the superhumans were lining up to suspect him one after another.
Realizing this, a mix of frustration and incredulity surged through him.
“Have these guys gone mad…?”
It was absurd. Moreover…
‘No, this didn’t happen in the original story?’
On-gang wasn’t followed by Gong-woon or Wol-bi in the original.
‘Even On-gang had found the hidden sixth demonic cave, right?’
So in the end, because of the incident at Maehwa Pavilion, he had drawn serious suspicion.
“Wow…”
This is really unfair.
Seon-oh leaned on his hip, crossed his legs awkwardly, and ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.
Of course, he could understand their suspicious minds… but still…
‘Even so, they’re going this far to interfere?’
In other words, some of the superhumans believed he was not the Phoenix-seeker and were determined to monitor him to prevent him from becoming the Phoenix.
“Hah. Honestly. Huh.”
A subtle rage boiled within Seon-oh, sensing that his future would be anything but smooth.
Clenching his fists, he muttered,
“Just you wait, you bastards.”
Fueled by indignation, Seon-oh leapt onto a tree in one swift motion. To prove his true intentions to the superhumans who doubted him and to prevent further interference, there were necessary steps he had to take.
For now, the most important thing was to germinate the seed, prove his worth, and advance to the next stage.
There was no more time to waste.
At that moment, the capital of the Geumhwi Kingdom, Myeong-gyeong, was in chaos.
A ‘Blood Rift’ had appeared in the middle of an academy in Myeong-gyeong. A Blood Rift is a kind of gap caused by the disruption of the harmony between yin and yang.
Long ago, a fracture formed in the once-harmonious yin and yang energies, creating a gap through which yokai poured, bringing calamity to the world.
The very first Blood Rift didn’t remain in one place, and no one had yet discovered it. Yet, what troubled people even more were these randomly generated Blood Rifts.
Even in suddenly forming Blood Rifts, yokai emerged, and those caught unprepared suffered great losses—just like now.
“Aaaah!”
One student who couldn’t escape in time was grabbed by the ankle by a yokai and fell, screaming.
“P-please save me!”
A yokai, drooling and approaching the pleading student, opened its mouth wide to devour its first prey.
As the student instinctively shut their eyes in terror, a heavy sound resonated, as if something massive had fallen to the side.
Boom!
“Hey! Get up and run!”
The student opened their eyes to see a boy standing with a bloodied pickaxe, looking at the yokai whose head had just been smashed in an instant. The student recognized him—Yoon-han, a boy who had recently started attending the academy. He was the younger brother of the sixth Phoenix-contest candidate.
Coincidentally, a Blood Rift had formed at Yoon-han’s academy.
“T-thank you.”
“No time for thanks, hurry!”
“Gah! Behind you!”
When Yoon-han’s classmate pointed back in alarm, Yoon-han turned and saw a yokai far larger than the one before charging at them on all fours.
“Huhhh!”
Yoon-han, shocked but refusing to run, raised his pickaxe. As he prepared to strike the approaching monster,
“Kuhk!”
The yokai let out a strangled scream and was suddenly yanked backward, as if caught in an invisible snare.
“Huh?”
Yoon-han blinked, dumbfounded at the unbelievable sight.
Then, a calm voice called out from the side.
“Hey, student.”
Both Yoon-han and his classmate turned their heads.
Leaning casually against the doorway connecting the academy buildings was a tall man, arms crossed, eyes calmly watching Yoon-han, seemingly unaffected by the chaos around him.
“W-Wi Gong-woon!”
Yoon-han’s classmate recognized him instantly and shouted in awe. Yoon-han’s eyes widened too. Of course, Yoon-han knew Gong-woon well—one of the Seven Superhumans and the head of the Wi family’s younger branch.
Which meant…
‘I’m saved!’
Yoon-han turned back to the yokai that had just charged him. Sure enough, it lay on its back, convulsing, black foam bubbling from its mouth. Yoon-han shivered at the display.
This yokai had been defeated in a single strike…
Awed by such overwhelming power, Yoon-han swallowed nervously. The authority of a Seven Superhuman was palpable. Could his sister really lead such people as the Phoenix? Pride in Seon-oh welled up in him.
Gong-woon, noticing Yoon-han’s awe, called out again.
“Student. The adult is calling, aren’t they?”
Yoon-han refocused on Gong-woon.
“Me…?”
“Yes. You have a sister, don’t you?”
Huh…?
Yoon-han blinked in confusion. Indeed, he had a sister—the woman who was the talk of the entire continent. So, it wasn’t a secret that Yoon-han had a sister.
Though it was a bit unusual that Gong-woon asked.
“Uh… yes, I do…”
“What kind of men does your sister like?”
…?
Yoon-han froze at the sudden question, and Gong-woon smiled faintly.
“It’s a survey, so don’t feel pressured. Just answer.”
“Right… in this situation…?”
“What’s the matter with this situation?”
Behind Gong-woon, a yokai was approaching rapidly.
“Ah, behind…!”
But before Yoon-han could warn him, the yokai lunged at Gong-woon and was instantly charred black by scorching poison. Yoon-han’s eyes widened in shock.
“See? It’s safe enough to answer the survey, isn’t it?”
What…?
Yoon-han’s pupils shook.
“My… my sister’s preferences?”
Gong-woon nodded kindly. Yoon-han, still stunned, thought for a moment before answering.
“I… I don’t know.”
Gong-woon raised his eyebrows at the unsatisfying answer and patiently prompted again.
“Think carefully, student.”
“I really don’t know… ah!”
Suddenly recalling something, Yoon-han’s eyes widened.
“I think she once said she doesn’t like sly men!”
