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Through her mesh veil, Ungnyeo’s face was shaded.
Without realizing it, Yong Jegun found himself searching for the only traces of his friend in her face.
Finding the resemblance in their eyes, Yong Jegun longed and mourned.
Following the longing, he felt doubt and anger.
Yong Jegun prioritized revival over revenge, but he didn’t give up the latter.
‘If Ungnyeo-ssi is made to choose between Jeokho-ssi and Shinrok, she will choose Jeokho-ssi.’
It was under the hands of the Bear Clan that Kim Shinrok died.
And now, one of the greatest powers, the pride of the clan, is standing right before him.
Although there was no reason for Ungnyeo to voluntarily play a part in the murder of Kim Shinrok, he doesn’t know if the matter involves Jeokho.
Yong Jegun knew how heartless Ungnyeo could be when it comes to Jeokho.
Staring at Ungnyeo, Yong Jegun’s eyes gradually subsided.
“Ungnyeo-ssi, it’s been a while.”
“…”
Yong Jegun’s voice was friendly at first listen.
However, Ungnyeo lifted her silk fan with a water-like flowy gesture, assuming a defensive posture.
Ungnyeo is a marvel, one of the two from the Eight Real Bears who survived.
Her instincts tell her that Yong Jegun was a threat.
Yong Jegun’s sweet voice continued.
“You were so busy that you missed your son’s funeral. There have been many incidents that happened in the Tiger Clan’s territory this year, so I wonder which ones you were involved in.”
Yong Jegun’s gaze fell on Ungnyeo’s fingers painted red.
Her fingers had her sharp energy waves.
Yong Jegun calculated whether those nails could penetrate his space and how much damage he could do to her.
It was Ungnyeo’s voice that cut through the tension.
“He’s moving recklessly to avenge that child. I don’t want that. I didn’t do anything to cause that. I don’t intend to.”
Her voice is thin and thick, different from what Yong Jegun remembers.
Perhaps she lost her voice while mourning for her son.
Yong Jegun internally nodded.
It was more convincing to think that she didn’t directly participate in her son’s assassination for Jeokho’s safety, rather than emotionally claiming that she would never hurt her own son.
Yong Jegun stared at the woman.
“The Eight Real Bears had no hand in what happened to that child.”
Yong Jegun didn’t question out loud, perhaps weighing if Ungnyeo was telling the truth.
It could be true that the Eight Real Bears weren’t involved, but what if it was Ungnyeo alone who was involved?
Yong Jegun had his doubts, but he didn’t verbalize them.
In any case, he can’t determine if Ungnyeo was telling the truth or not.
To dig up information, he needed to break down her walls and make her speak.
Yong Jegun hid his inner thoughts, making an expression as if he suddenly wore a mask.
“I see. So why are you here, Ungnyeo-ssi? Will you tell me something fun?”
The two had a deal in the distant past.
In exchange for being with her son, she would tell him amusing things.
Yong Jegun deserves it because he showed unwavering loyalty to his son until his death.
‘But that’s not enough to bring back Shinrok.’
Looking at the smile that Yong Jegun has, one that seems to be a lie from a picture, Ungnyeo paused for a moment.
There seemed to be a very small sigh that came out of her crimson lips.
It was as if she was lamenting over something she felt sorry for.
She hid the sigh behind her silk fan and got to the point.
“I made a deal with a Demon Race that I have a connection with.”
“A deal?”
“In exchange for the items I produced. The one that broke through Eungwang High’s boundary.”
Eungwang High was a protected place under the 12-point alliance, one that Yong Jegun is a part of.
Yong Jegun wasn’t very bright about the circumstances of the Dragon Clan, but as a teacher of the school, he knew about the boundary.
He knew that if the remaining Eight Real Bears joined strength, it was possible to break that boundary in a short time without a trace.
‘The one who broke the boundary must be part of the alliance. If Ungnyeo really had nothing to do with this case, she should be looking for the traitor.’
Yong Jegun decided to listen to Ungnyeo.
If he were in his usual self, he would be paying with his words to get more fun out of the situation.
However, since he wasn’t in the mood, he asked her right away.
“What did you give the demon? Who is it?”
“I can’t tell you what I handed over. I don’t know the person’s identity.”
Her answer gave him no information.
There seemed to be a lot of constraints in the deal that she went into.
While Yong Jegun didn’t give up his doubts, he tried to assume that Ungnyeo was telling the truth.
‘Was it for Jeokho-ssi?’
Jeokho was in a very precarious situation.
In the wake of his son’s death, Jeokho seems to have cut ties with Hwangho.
His position within the Tiger Clan wasn’t very good in the first place, but now even Hwangho’s protection has disappeared.
During the age of myths, Jeokho destroyed the Bear Clan’s leadership.
The Bear Clan must be aiming for him for revenge.
In the midst of this, blinded by his desire to avenge his son, Jekoho’s guard must be down.
There’s no way Ungnyeo doesn’t know about that.
‘It’s likely true, but I still have a lot of doubts.’
Ungnyeo would’ve offered anything to protect Jeokho.
Nevertheless, he didn’t get any real information.
It only appears that Ungnyeo got into an unfavorable deal to increase Jeokho’s chances of survival.
It made sense, but Yong Jegun couldn’t let go of his doubts.
His mind hasn’t been as sharp ever since his friend died.
“…Hoohoo, it’s hard to win your trust just by saying this.”
Ungnyeo smiled in self-pity.
“What I found out was their next target and how.”
Yong Jegun lost interest.
Neither doubt nor optimism felt meaningful.
The clues held by Ungnyeo wouldn’t lead to direct revenge or the revival of his friend.
Digging into the clues that she has may interfere with the traitor’s plans, maybe even their eradication.
Even so, Yong Jegun didn’t want to devote his soul and energy to something like that now.
An unexpected thing came from Ungnyeo which caught Yong Jegun’s attention.
“They are holding hands with a shaman of the Dragon King and using the Dragon Palace.”
Dragon King’s shaman, Dragon Palace.
Upon hearing that, Yong Jegun realized why Ungnyeo came to him.
Even though Ungnyeo was excellent, it was impossible to make contact with the Dragon King’s shamans as long as they were under the protection of the Dragon Clan and the Red Lion team.
It was absurd to think that she went to the Dragon Palace either.
She seems to have approached Yong Jegun to find out more.
Yong Jegun asked back in a cold, subdued voice.
“Any evidence?”
“…”
No answer.
The only clue that she seemed to have were the words of the demon she transacted with.
She obtained a poor clue after a very unfavorable contract.
The demon knew about the Dragon King and the shamans.
‘So the eye I’ve been sensing around Eungwang High is the Demon Race’s.’
The death of his friend seems to have large and complicated calculations and variables underneath.
That is if Ungnyeo was telling the truth.
Yong Jegun decided to stop thinking.
No matter what conspiracy it was, the only thing Yong Jegun wants to do is revive his friend.
“I have no intention of delaying what I have to do based solely on the words of an unknown demon you had a deal with, Ungnyeo-ssi.”
“…I see.”
Ungnyeo stepped down without any further words at Yong Jegun’s refusal.
She seemed to expect this from the start.
Before leaving, she pulled back her veil and fan, revealing her face as she spoke to Yong Jegun.
“I see that child’s only friend so sad like this, but it seems like there’s nothing I can do for him.”
With a mournful voice, Ungnyeo disappeared.
Yong Jegun had a foreboding that he would never run into her again.
‘I should’ve looked at her face more if I knew this would happen.’
In the end, Ungnyeo showed him her face.”
Yong Jegun regretted not looking at her more, the only trace of his friend in this world.
After school started, incidents big and small occurred continuously in Eungwang High.
People died, and some were injured beyond the point of recovery.
‘Nothing today either.
By the end of the first semester, Yong Jegun was handling an almost-empty chess team.
All events of Stalemate, Eungwang High’s chess club, had been canceled.
In the wake of the deaths, members either quit or just stopped showing up.
They were already a small club, but he didn’t imagine that it would collapse like this.
‘Eungwang High being so spacious feels weird. It’s like I have nowhere to go.’
Yong Jegun used to go to places where no one was around after being surrounded by chess pieces.
His teacher’s contract limits his time of stay in the school, but he had nowhere to go.
At Jiikhoe Hall, Kim Shinrok’s room in the faculty office was left untouched.
Yong Jegun visited often, leaving chrysanthemums and dried persimmons.
However, when he found some of his favorite Longjing tea (dragon well tea) in Kim Shinrok’s room, he couldn’t bring himself to go to the room anymore.
‘…Cheongryong told me to quit Eungwang High or take a vacation.’
Their beloved descendant was studying abroad and his only friend was no longer there.
His small club was also on the verge of disbanding.
In the eyes of those who knew his situation, it wouldn’t be strange for Yong Jegun to leave Eungwang High anytime.
Nevertheless, Yong Jegun never missed work.
He taught the children, talked to them, and sometimes played jokes.
If there was anything different from before, it was that he didn’t feel like smiling when he was alone.
Whenever his energy waves would recover, he would use it all up to wish for his friend’s return.
‘They’re nice kids so I should stay in school and watch them a little longer.’
Some freshmen students caught Yong Jegun’s eye.
The top two were Joo Soohyuk and Ahn Dain.
They were excellent and full of human charm.
If Yong Jegun’s priority hadn’t been reviving his friend, he would’ve wanted to observe those children.
Every once in a while, when he has time, he’ll help the two kids.
“Hello, Professor Yong Jegun.”
“Yes, hello.”
Joo Soohyuk greeted Yong Jegun in the empty club room.
He seemed to have come out of the building after doing student council work.
The summer vacation came quickly, and the youth retreat was approaching so each student organization seemed to be busy adjusting their schedule.
“I met a kid who’s a shaman candidate not long ago.”
“Shaman candidate? You mean the Dragon King’s shaman?”
“Yes. We met at a memorial ceremony for those who died during the Children’s Day incident. Please send my regards when you see her.”
Yong Jegun remembered what happened on Children’s Day.
He threw the first pitch at the request of one of the Joo-Oh Dragons and he returned home right away.
When he left, an otherworld spawned in the stadium.
A memorial service was held because of the large number of casualties, and several from the Dragon Clan attended.
Joo Soohyuk would’ve had no choice but to attend because he was there that day and he was from the Joo-Oh Group.
‘I think I’ve heard of a young shaman candidate. He ran into her there?’
Perhaps because Joo Soohyuk mentioned a shaman candidate, Yong Jegun was suddenly bothered about the Dragon King’s shamans.
Regardless of what the Dragon King said, he wasn’t getting treatment from the shamans.
But then, he thought it would be okay to listen to one of the candidates.
‘Should I meet them?’
Yong Jegun headed to the school gate to leave Eungwang High.
Students found it odd that he wasn’t flying out, but they passed it off as Yong Jegun looking for something fun.
The truth was, Yong Jegun didn’t have enough energy waves to use his flight skill.
Arriving in front of the school gate on foot, Yong Jegun ran into someone unexpected.
The chairman of Eungwang High’s board and the head of the Tiger Clan, Hwangho.
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