Chapter 1
The Beginning of a Connection
Over 600 years ago.
It was a time when the Goryeo Dynasty had fallen, and Joseon was establishing itself, a period when political turbulence ran rampant. Or was it a peaceful era under King Sejong’s reign?
Anyway, one day, not long after becoming a proper Taoist, Seia noticed Seolgangsan Mountain had grown restless.
“Seia! Seiaaa! Are you there?!”
The urgent voice of her master called out to her.
Such shouts rarely bode well. Frowning, Seia rose from her crouched position in the kitchen.
“Master, what has caused you to shout like this?”
“There, there, there is…! No time to ask and answer!”
Relief at seeing her face was brief; her master’s hands were already busy again. He hurried inside the main hall, seemingly packing in a frenzy, then poked his head out and shouted:
“What are you doing?! Hurry up and pack too! Time is critical, we have no time!”
“What… on earth is happening…?”
Seia asked with a puzzled look, but froze at an unfamiliar sound.
Footsteps.
Not just one. Her master, listening intently, turned pale as a sheet. His trembling jaw and quivering eyes were not feigned.
Seia let out a low sigh, scrunching up her face.
“Master…!”
“I know what you’re thinking! I know! But right now… hurry!”
Her master cut off his words in haste. His gestures grew frantic, shifting attention between the mountainside and Seia.
Seia glared at him for a moment, then spun around and headed to the other room. Gathering a few clothes and talismans, she came out to find her master already prepared in the yard, pacing anxiously. His restlessness was unsettling.
“Where are we going this time?”
There was a sharp edge to his reply.
Meanwhile, the faint footsteps grew louder, close enough to gauge the number of people approaching.
Her master glanced at the side gate and began pulling out something. Seia’s eyes followed his hands, sensing something unusual.
A Western book…?
It was quite thick—three or four times the size of the books she usually saw.
The cover depicted an incredibly realistic scene: deep forests, high cliffs, and a massive structure. If it weren’t for the brushstrokes, one might not even recognize it as a painting.
It was a book of a kind she had never seen, not even in neighboring countries.
“Hurry! To this place…!”
Her master grabbed her hand and dashed to the backyard. He placed the book down in a narrow corner, out of sight, and suddenly leapt into the picture.
Apparently, there was no time to tell her to follow. Seia’s gaze sharpened as she spotted her master standing in the forest inside the illustration.
That tiresome man… what kind of trouble has he gotten into this time?
But there was no time to complain. Judging from the approaching footsteps, the intruders had likely reached the yard already.
“Where did that bastard go?! Hey, find him, quick!”
“That rat-like bastard! I won’t let him get away!”
“Hey! Come out immediately!”
The men ransacked the house noisily. When one of them entered the backyard…
“Ah! Who’s there…!”
Seia also jumped into the illustration.
The forest on the cover was similar to where she had lived, yet quite different.
The trees were tall and straight, the paths wild, and even the birds were vibrant in color. The clear forest air was the only familiar element in this strange landscape.
“Where exactly is this place?”
Seia asked, looking around. Her earlier irritation faded, replaced by curiosity.
As if expecting this reaction, her master explained with a shameless grin.
“This is another world connected to the Western lands. Understanding it… let’s see… perhaps in about five hundred years, it will gradually become clear.”
He kept moving without pause. Though it was a place she had never seen, he stepped confidently, as if he had been here before. Perhaps he had come before accepting her as his disciple.
“People who came from the Western lands, and… wha, wha… wha? Card!”
He clapped his hands suddenly, and Seia flinched at the abruptness.
But her master seemed oblivious, continuing to talk while moving forward.
“It’s a book I received while playing a card game. Originally, the owner of this forest—well, the mountain spirit? Yes, the mountain spirit—was someone I was fairly close to. But by the will of the Jade Emperor, he went to Tongmyeongjeon. So a new mountain spirit became the owner, and that’s why we came here.”
“You’re saying you became close to the mountain spirit by playing a card game?”
“No, not exactly. The book was given by the Red Dragon. I thought it was a human, but it was a dragon. Its appearance was strange, so….”
Grumbling about not recognizing the dragon’s true form, her master muttered in frustration.
Seia, noticing the tangent, quickly refocused the conversation.
“So you’re saying you discovered this place while playing a card game with the Red Dragon, and also became acquainted with the owner of this mountain?”
“Exactly, exactly! But now, he’s no longer the owner. He went to Tongmyeongjeon, so…”
Seia’s eyes narrowed sharply.
The book came from the Red Dragon, and the former mountain owner was no longer someone he knew. What, then, was her master thinking by coming here?
“Are you saying it’s fine to just enter now, even though the current owner has changed?”
“Don’t worry, the new owner knows my face…”
Her master waved his hand lightly, trying to pass it off with a laugh. His light brown hair, youthful, boyish face, and clear round eyes sparkled in the sunlight.
But Seia was no longer deceived by his smile. He might look young and innocent, but being a Taoist didn’t erase the fact that he was a notorious gambler and trickster.
“Knowing someone’s face doesn’t mean they’ll always side with you. What exactly is this card game?”
Her master’s composure wavered. Wiping the sweat from his sideburns, he widened his eyes.
“It’s, it’s, um… a game! One of those… games…”
“Perhaps…”
“….”
“Is it something like Go-Stop or Tu-jeon?”
Hic!
Startled, her master hiccuped violently. He tried to cover his mouth but couldn’t stop his shaking body from bouncing along with each hiccup.
There was no need to wait for a response. Seia rubbed her furrowed brow, glaring at him sharply.
Under her icy gaze, he trembled uncontrollably.
“So… this means… you got caught trying to trick some bandits, and ran to a friend’s house where you were playing cards… something like that?”
“How did you…?”
“Why wouldn’t I know? Look at the people standing in the yard—they’re all wearing animal skins…”
Seia gritted her teeth as she spoke. A deep sigh escaped her.
As expected, her master’s expression and gestures admitted his guilt.
No, if he did something unexpected, it would be far more dangerous. That would mean the scale of trouble could be uncontrollable.
“How many times have I told you, please stop causing trouble… We don’t even have enough rice at home, and yet you gamble it all away…”
Her words were cut short by a presence quietly approaching from somewhere in the deep forest.
“You’ve arrived, then.”
Seia and her master both turned toward the source of the voice.
They hadn’t sensed it at all. How could someone ignore such an aura, presence, and appearance?
Clear jade-colored hair, white translucent skin, eyes the same color as his hair, like a small pond. His cherry-blossom-like lips spoke, emitting a low, refreshing voice.
“You’ve brought the promised medicine, haven’t you? I’ve been waiting a long time.”
Her master let out a relieved expression.
Seia, who had been admiring his beauty, snapped back to reality and focused on his words.
The promised medicine?
She didn’t recall any such promise.
“Ah! Y-Yes, the medicine! It’s… in my chest… I-it’s there.”
Her master fumbled, seeming unable to handle both their gazes. The man relaxed slightly, but Seia couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
“Master, what kind of medicine… uh!”
Before she could finish, her master stomped his foot, cutting her off.
Biting her lips to hold back a scream, the sound still reached the man’s ears. His eyes, puzzled at first, finally turned toward Seia.
Even seeing him again, his face seemed impossibly beautiful. Seia instinctively opened her mouth in admiration, and he quietly observed her.
Noticing her reflection in his clear eyes, he spoke:
“This person is….”
“She is… my disciple! She came in a hurry without notice.”
“That’s fine. As long as you brought the medicine…”
He shrugged, easing her master’s worry, then scanned Seia from head to toe before stepping closer.
“Spirit King Yullines. What is your name?”
“Seia.”
His calm, even voice echoed in her ears. The way he looked directly at her stirred feelings she had never experienced.
Her heart raced, yet her breath seemed to slow. Her body reacted sluggishly, but her mind felt helplessly swept along.
By what, and by which emotions, was she being carried away?
As Seia’s quiet reply settled, Yullines tilted his head slightly. The gentle curve of his eyes revealed an inexperienced kindness.
Though his demeanor appeared indifferent, perhaps he valued others and bore no malice.
Remaining silent and observing, his smile deepened.
“You have a graceful aura.”
