Chapter 44 …
“Yes, that’s right. I’m the culprit. I created the sixth demon cave, and I orchestrated the Plum Pavilion incident as well. I even have the extraordinary ability to brainwash superhumans, so I manipulated the ark in the Night Moon Chamber too. Satisfied?”
As the confession spilled out smoothly, a faint look of astonishment crossed Cheong-eum’s usually cold face. Even Cheong-eum hadn’t thought that Seon-o was behind all of this—she didn’t seem like a woman capable of such feats.
Yet there was something undeniably strange about Seon-o, and now that it had been revealed that this strangeness was related to suppressing a superhuman’s lunar energy, Cheong-eum had to track her.
It was easy to predict that Seon-o, a hydrokinetic superhuman, would eventually come to Myomyoh-ho. What was unexpected was that she jumped into the water and didn’t resurface for so long.
“I didn’t think it would go that far. But I needed to confirm.”
“And… have you confirmed it?”
“…Still pending.”
Huh!
Seon-o’s temper flared at the brazen reply. She clenched the seed tightly and ground her teeth.
“How could you… confirm that…?”
But at that very moment, a sudden realization struck her head, and Seon-o’s breath caught.
Gasp.
This wasn’t the time for that.
‘I ate the lunar seed… damn it!’
Realizing the danger, Seon-o snatched Cheong-eum’s hand—still holding onto hers—and shouted:
“Get out of the lake right now!”
The urgency in her voice made Cheong-eum’s eyes narrow in suspicious caution. Ignoring that, Seon-o pulled Cheong-eum along, trying to quickly exit the lake. But it was already too late.
No matter how hard they swam toward the shore, it didn’t get any closer. The more they swam, the farther away it seemed.
Cheong-eum, dragged along by Seon-o, noticed this as well.
Finally, Seon-o stopped struggling, her expression turning hollow.
‘We’re screwed.’
“The lake is expanding.”
Cheong-eum murmured quietly, her voice low and serious.
“…Yes, it is.”
The empty tone, devoid of surprise, sharpened Cheong-eum’s gaze.
“So you knew.”
Annoyance rose within Seon-o from the repeated questioning. She glanced at Cheong-eum again and forced a smile.
“Yes. Actually, I even know what’s going to happen next. Amazing, right?”
Her smile was bright, but her eyes, irritated, did not share it.
“…”
Cheong-eum’s suspicion didn’t fade, even at that smile. Seon-o eventually dropped it, letting her irritation show.
“Hah. Forget it—just prepare for the dragon transformation.”
Cheong-eum flinched at the words, but Seon-o, not noticing, yanked his arm strongly and drew him into her embrace.
Before Cheong-eum could react, they were suddenly caught in some kind of net.
“!”
Instinctively sensing danger, Cheong-eum stiffened and tightly wrapped her arms around Seon-o’s shoulders. This trap had come unexpectedly, leaving Cheong-eum frozen—but Seon-o calmly looked around.
A massive net made entirely of water had ensnared them, lifting them onto the surface while still trapped.
Seon-o reached out and touched the net. Though it was water, its texture was rigid, as solid as a real net.
‘Crazy.’
Her intuition recognized the immense skill involved, and Seon-o’s chest tightened with tension.
The abilities of a superhuman come down to instantaneous execution of lunar energy and the power and endurance supporting that execution.
To conceive of such a thing meant this superhuman had reached an extraordinary level.
‘And people thought this was all just the result of family wealth and rumors about positions.’
Seon-o let out a cold, short laugh. Cheong-eum, pressed against her, glanced down in surprise.
At that moment, a gentle voice called from nearby:
“Ah? So you were colluding with the Grand Minister.”
Seon-o and Cheong-eum’s eyes immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
Despite seeming close, the voice came from the cliff Seon-o had just jumped from. There, elegantly seated with crossed legs, a woman rested her chin on her hand, watching them with interest.
Even from a distance, her striking beauty was unmistakable. It was Cheon Ga-jin.
“So that’s it. That’s why you were chosen as a candidate with that ridiculous sixth demon cave stunt.”
Her melodious voice floated lightly.
“Isn’t that right, Kang Seon-o?”
Ga-jin asked warmly, and Seon-o calmly glared back at her.
Of course, Seon-o knew her identity: the only daughter of a noble family, shy like a lily in everything. But it was all a facade; the truth beneath was a psychopathic mastermind.
‘She did the same to On-gang too.’
That was why Ga-jin had deliberately brought up Myomyoh-ho at the imperial palace—to lure Seon-o, the hydrokinetic superhuman, to it.
Even knowing Ga-jin had set a trap, Seon-o came to Myomyoh-ho.
The absence of monsters around the lake was also Ga-jin’s doing—to eliminate On-gang personally without interference.
Even knowing everything, Seon-o chose to fall into Ga-jin’s trap for a reason.
‘If I leave it for later, Ga-jin will surely attack again.’
It was better to face her when she could be decisively handled. Of course, Seon-o hadn’t anticipated Cheong-eum’s involvement in this.
“How strange. You’re not surprised.”
Ga-jin looked Seon-o directly in the eye, hitting the mark.
“I expected you to tremble in shock. This is no fun otherwise.”
Seon-o let out a mocking laugh. Ga-jin, for the first time, raised her brows slightly, then smiled in response.
It was the pure, beautiful smile praised throughout Geumhwi Nation.
“You know, I hate those who covet things they have no right to.”
She gazed at Seon-o sweetly.
“And I hate even more those foolish enough to help them.”
Bored with her words, Seon-o finally interrupted.
“Yeah, sure. I get what misunderstanding you’re under, but it’s not true—let’s not include this person here. I was the target from the start, weren’t I?”
Yet Cheong-eum’s expression hardened further. Seon-o remained calm, as if he already knew Ga-jin’s trap. As she said, he showed no sign of fear—suspicious indeed.
But… anyone could see that the truly malicious one was Ga-jin, not Seon-o.
“Oh my, worried about that in the middle of all this? Don’t worry. I won’t kill the Grand Minister. That’s impossible—then the one to receive the prophecy would disappear, wouldn’t they?”
Ga-jin laughed as if she were enjoying the Grand Minister’s foolishness, then turned her sharp gaze to Cheong-eum.
“I’ll make him my slave. Once I become the Phoenix, all superhumans will be my slaves anyway, so it’s good to start early. Besides… the Grand Minister suits my taste.”
Cheong-eum’s sharp gaze immediately fixed on Ga-jin, as if ready to strike.
“What an ambitious dream.”
Her voice was icy, far colder than the one Seon-o had been addressed with. Yet Seon-o couldn’t focus on their conversation, still thinking about Ga-jin’s words.
‘Make him a slave?’
Could it be that Ga-jin was connected to the Plum Pavilion faction?
Feeling she had caught a lead, Seon-o grew anxious. Unaware of Seon-o’s thoughts, Ga-jin let out a tinkling laugh.
“Oh? Our gentle Grand Minister can get riled up?”
She seemed delighted by the reaction.
To anyone who only knew her as the shy, reserved noblewoman, it would be shocking—her dual nature was astounding. This was the real Ga-jin.
For the sake of her desires, she would stop at nothing, killing people like ants.
Her family had built wealth and fame through such methods, and Ga-jin was no exception.
Using her family’s influence at first, and later her own powerful weapon—her beauty—she manipulated superhumans, extended lunar energy, eliminated evidence, and climbed to become a candidate in the Phoenix Contest.
