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The Tiger Clan’s bamboo forest handled by Jukho has always been quiet.
There were few guests to be invited, and the occasional uninvited guests fall into the hands of Jukho as soon as they set foot.
Recently, Kim Yuri comes to the forest for training, but only the wind is heard when she’s not there.
Right now though, the forest was full of sound and light.
Shwiiiik!
“Geuhk…”
The golden blade penetrated Jogangryeob’s stomach and he shook with great pain.
He’s been tortured like this several times already.
Hwangho asked questions, and if Jogangryeob didn’t answer or told a lie, the golden blades fall relentlessly on him.
He would’ve died if he were an ordinary human or a weak royal lineage.
Jogangryeob used up almost all his energy waves after freezing the boundary, slowing his recovery.
However, as a powerful royal lineage, his energy waves rise again and his body regenerates accordingly.
Noticing this, Hwangho adjusted his attacks knowing that Jogangryeob wouldn’t die.
Seeing the bloodstream on the golden blade made Hwangho’s eyes infinitely cold.
“I can’t believe you still have the energy to tell a lie.”
“It’s not a lie…”
“Are you trying to save yourself at this point? Don’t think I don’t know your scheme in Kimopolea.”
Hwangho’s voice was subdued enough to make anyone’s heart jump just by hearing him.
The golden pig Gullinbursti watched the torture process with high tension without realizing it.
According to Hwangho, Jogangryeob tried to assassinate the next heads of the TC and Joo-Oh groups on Kimopolea.
Hearing that for the first time, Gullinbursti was shocked.
‘Why did he do that when humans have never harmed the Pig Clan in Korea? I knew they were up to something, but to think that they were trying to kill a human.’
Gullibursti was well aware that the Pig Clan began to gather in Korea led by Jogangryeob after the worldly collisions.
Gullinbursti was one of those who didn’t join.
Instead, he wandered around following the traces of Frey, the god of fertility that he once served.
He had the power to summon a golden armor, the work of Eitri and Brokkr, but he knew that it would be difficult to create feats that would make him a superior being.
That’s why he gave up early and did not have the greed for earth power and instead traveled the world.
As a result, Gullinbursti didn’t know what was happening in Korea nor did the Pig Clan know what he was up to.
Then, one day, Jogangryeob proposed something to him.
— Hmm, don’t you want to meet the superior being you’ve been serving?
— Of course, I do. But it’s hard for a superior being to come into contact with this world. I’m satisfied just to have Frey’s order.
He vaguely felt Frey through his order, but he couldn’t meet him.
It was incomparable to when he was with him in the past, but he pretended to be settled because he was afraid that Frey would overdo trying to meet him if he showed that he was not happy.
— I’ll tell you how to meet him in this world.
He couldn’t reject such an offer from Jogangryeob.
And on the morning of Christmas Eve, Jogangryeob instructed Gullinbursti to fight alongside the Pig Clan in exchange for the information.
That’s when Gullinbursti realized that something was wrong.
By the time they arrived in Eungwang HIgh, the Pig Clan instructed Gullinbursti to join the forces of the army and take on people of royal lineage and player teams who came to the rescue of students.
Gullinbursti, who came to Korea clueless and almost participated in the plan of mass murder of students on Christmas Eve, tried to prevent the catastrophe somehow.
However, he had no time and it was an event that he couldn’t prevent on his own.
‘Jogangryeob told me about the operation too late. Is it because he knew there’s a possibility I wouldn’t comply?’
If Gullinbursti had known it a little earlier, he would’ve contacted the 12-point alliance and the association to try to stop them.
However, it was less than an hour before the fact that Gullinbursti knew of the operation that would take place, and when he learned it, he was already surrounded by pigs.
All Gullinbursti could do was resist alone.
“You said you wanted to ask him something.”
Then, Hwangho spoke to Gullinbursti.
Surprised, his reply came a little late.
He nodded and Hwangho moved the golden blade.
Shwik!
The blade went straight for Jogangryeob’s face.
The latter reflexively moved his face to dodge, and with that movement, his face was perfectly exposed to Gullinbursti.
“Ask him now. If not now, I’m sure you’ll never meet him again.”
Hwangho seemed to have let Gullinbursti here to give him a chance to get information.
Gullinbursti’s question wasn’t something that he needed to hide, so he decided to follow.
“You told me you knew how I could meet Frey in this world, Jogangryeob.”
“…”
Jogangryeob was listening to what Gullinbursti had to say, but his reaction was strange.
His eyes looked empty.
Jogangryeob, who was full of pain, contempt, and anger, suddenly seemed empty.
“What method were you talking about?”
“…”
Jogangryeob did not answer.
Gullinbursti changed his words and asked again, and Hwangho waited three times before finally moving the blade.
“I don’t think he’s going to answer without pressure, so I’ll force it out of him.”
Hwangho intended to put a blade in Jogangryeob’s mouth.
However, before Hwangho could do so, Jecheondaesung spoke up.
“Wait, I also have a question for Bajie.”
Gullinbursti watched calmly while Jogangryeob’s stomach was being abused, but Jecheondaesung was looking with his fists tightly clenched the bones in his hand could break.
Jecheodaesung beat up Jogangryeob earlier, but it wouldn’t be a good feeling to watch him be tortured like that.
Jecheondaesung never intervened, until this moment.
“I will have you escorted out of the forest if you intend to stop me.”
“I apologize if it felt like that. I have no intention of breaking my promise to you, Hwangho. It’s just that I have a similar question to the pig.”
Hwangho stared as if to gauge Jecheondaesung’s honesty.
Looking at the golden light in his eyes, Gullinbursti watched with bated breath.
‘To think that he was rumored to be negligent.’
Hwangho’s nerves were as sharp as a blade.
It’s no wonder that he’d react like this since the crisis occurred in his territory, but in the end, everything has been settled accordingly.
It wouldn’t be strange to enjoy the taste of victory, but Hwangho didn’t seem to feel any.
Jecheondaesung also noticed this so he chose his words carefully.
“Tell me what question you have.”
After a short silence, Hwangho finally gave permission.
Jecheondaesung nodded his head in gratitude and took a step closer to Jogangryeob, just behind Hwangho and Jukho.
“Bajie. You said that if the providence of this world collapses and chaos strikes, our journey will begin again.”
“…”
“I don’t think you’re referring to just me and you when you said that. Right?”
Jecheondaesung asked with confidence, but Jogangryeob didn’t answer.
Instead, tears began to fall from his empty eyes.
Jecheondaesung’s speculation seemed to be correct seeing that Jogangryeob shed a tear when he hadn’t cried during his torture.
Gullinbursti tried to interpret their words.
‘If it’s a journey with Jecheondaesung and Jogangryeob, then it must be the Journey to the West. And if it’s not just the two of them…’
Excluding those two, the ones who were with them on their journey were Tripitaka, Sha Wujing, and Bai Longma.
All three of them were superior beings.
For them to travel along with the two, they would have to come down to this world.
‘Don’t tell me, the way I can meet Frey is…’
Hwangho reached the same conclusion as Gullinbursti and spoke first.
“They must be planning to bring down superior beings to this land. Not a single one, but several.”
***
Hwangmyeong mansion, at the annex where Eunho stays.
The owner of the annex had just returned.
Eunho, dressed neatly in a suit, entered the house.
“I’m home.”
The living room of the annex had decorations fit for the Christmas atmosphere.
Even though there was no tree, pine cones, ribbons, and small Santa ornaments were everywhere.
They prepared this with the intention of inviting Jo Euishin over for a Christmas party under the pretense of a post-crisis meeting.
Now that the big event has been concluded, it would be difficult for Jo Euishin to refuse the meeting no matter what excuse he gives.
With that in mind, Eunho made a Christmas topper commissioned by Hwangho himself, and he made other various decorations.
However, in the spacious living room, only the young-looking Hwangho was present.
Neither the other tigers nor Jo Euishin were around.
‘I thought Hwangho-nim would use his Hwang Jiho self… Did he intentionally choose this because he knows that Euishin hyung is weak against Hwang Yuho?’
Eunho hid such thought and smiled gently as he approached Hwangho in the form of Hwang Yuho.
Hwangho looked up and spoke.
“…You’re back. You worked hard.”
“Not really. The others worked harder. I talked to Dongha hyung on the phone. His voice was very weak.”
Eunho settled across from Hwangho and sat down.
He spoke while preparing some tea, bringing out several cups as he seemed to think that Jo Euishin and the other tigers would arrive soon.
“Are you alone, Hwangho-nim? I guess they need time to clean up. I must’ve come a little early.”
“…Baekho and Jo Euishin will be very late.”
“But they’d arrive before dinner, right?”
“…”
Hwangho couldn’t answer.
He didn’t know when Jo Euishin would return.
Still, Baekho said he would stand in the cracks and wait until Jo Euishin comes.
— What are you going to do now, Baekho?
— I will wait.
— Until Jo Euishin returns?
— Yes.
It was Baekho who let go of his hand, but Baekho stupidly saying that he would wait made Hwangho angry.
“Something must have happened. Can you tell me what happened to my hyungs?”
Hiding it was futile.
It was very difficult to talk, but Hwangho told him the details.
The longer Hwangho spoke, the more the gentle smile around Eunho’s mouth disappeared.
The tea already cooled by the time Hwangho finished telling the situation, and Eunho looked just as cold.
“I need to ask you a favor, Hwangho-nim.”
“Tell me.”
Eunho put down the teacup and spoke.
“Please let me see Toyeon-nim.”
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