64 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

**Chapter 64: The Relentless Search** Titles tend to follow those who reach significant heights, and Yuhwa was no exception. She was known as the Sky Fox. The Witch of Destiny. The Mistress of Celestial Tower. Each of these titles carried its own significance, but they all spoke to Yuhwa's remarkable abilities. The Divine Insight. It was said that with the Divine Insight, she could understand the wisdom of the sky by looking at the sky, the wisdom of the earth by looking at the earth, and the wisdom of people by looking at them. Through her Divine Insight, Yuhwa could ascertain countless truths, which enabled her to lead the guild with unparalleled success. Truly, she was a fox who harbored the will of the heavens. However, recently, there was an enigma that Yuhwa couldn't decipher no matter how hard she gazed upon her Fox Bead with the Divine Insight: the Nine-tailed Fox. A fox spirit that had escaped from White Cloud Valley. Yuhwa felt torn, wondering if the traces of the Nine-tailed Fox within the Fox Bead were just an illusion or if she could afford to ignore it. She had tried to track the Nine-tailed Fox, but it eluded her completely. The leaves of the World Tree obscured the vision of her Divine Insight. Yuhwa was left in a quandary, not knowing if her spiritual power had waned, causing her to see illusions, or if she was seeing correctly only to misunderstand. The uncertainty gnawed at her. 'If the Nine-tailed Fox has truly emerged...' It must be found immediately. It needed to be returned to White Cloud Valley before it grew more tails. If not, the world would fall into disarray. The trouble lay in not knowing how to find it. Yuhwa released a long sigh of concern. Just then, the Fox Bead began to glow. A connection signal. "Madam, it's Hoyun." The voice beyond the bead belonged to Hoyun, the administrator of the Celestial Tower. Yuhwa cleared her throat to refine her voice, which emerged sounding vibrant and youthful. "What is it?" "There is a visitor." Yuhwa's eyes narrowed. "I instructed not to meet anyone for the time being and to turn them away with a suitable excuse." "I did send him away, but he insisted on relaying a message... Oh, I must be out of my mind." Hoyun on the other side shook his head. It was unusual. Hoyun usually dismissed requests from unknown beings with precision, not daring to relay idle talk to his celestial guild master. However, once he heard the request, he couldn't conceive declining. It was as if he was under a spell, compelled to report to Yuhwa. Hoyun would never realize that Karami's convincingly persuasive words stemmed from his skill [Master of Negotiation], which burrowed into his mind. "I'm sorry, Madam. I shall take my leave." "Wait." As Hoyun was about to cut the connection, Yuhwa halted him. A common sentiment exists in the world, holding that there are two types of most disliked scenarios: when someone starts explaining but stops partway and... "When you start talking, finish the story. What was the message he wanted to deliver?" "It's truly nonsensical... He said... the Nine-tailed Fox has come." "The Nine-tailed Fox?" Yuhwa’s eyes gleamed with sharpness. She was already preoccupied with thoughts of the Nine-tailed Fox, and now, was it fortuitous timing that someone claimed its presence? "But it's not the Nine-tailed Fox. It only had three tails." Yuhwa’s pupils quivered intensely. Three tails already? "Where is it..." "Sorry?" "Where are they right now!" Yuhwa’s demanding voice boomed from the opposite side of the bead. Even Hoyun, who had served her for years, had never seen Yuhwa so unsettled. His voice, tense with urgency, responded, "I just sent them away!" "Bring them back at once!" *** "Huff, huff... My apologies. The Lady wishes to see you." Hoyun, his voice winded, hurriedly ushering Karami's group. Anticipating the summons to come soon, Karami had waited just outside the building. It didn't take much effort to locate him instantly. Hoyun's shadowed complexion had a reason, grounded not in physical exhaustion but a psychological one. An unexpected anxiety stemmed from witnessing Yuhwa, normally composed, display urgency—his heart could not help but race in response. "Proceed straight along the corridor from here." The location Hoyun guided them to was not a room but a corridor. Yuhwa, the Mistress of the Celestial Tower, was an enigma clad in veils. Reports varied; some described her as an old, wrinkled woman, while others claimed she was a strikingly beautiful lady. Even Hoyun, an administrator, had never seen Yuhwa’s face thoroughly. Conversation required communication through the bead Yuhwa had given him, and outings always saw her concealed beneath a veil. No matter how the wind blew, the veil never shifted, and even for those rare glimpses caught of her face, a mist-like cloud obscured her visage. Therefore, she was a mystery no one could fully unveil. "Thank you for the guidance." "Ah... It’s nothing. Have a good time." Hoyun, captivity by fatigue etched on his face, murmured that today felt peculiar as he departed. Karami took Rin’s hand and began walking down the corridor. Traversing felt unusual. Though the building was expansive, it was like climbing an endless staircase—walking and turning a corner led to a corridor that stretched unyieldingly straight. A space seemingly defying worldly logic. It was Yuhwa’s conjuring of magic. 'Such pointless theatrics.' Growing slightly irritated, Rin let out a loud shout. "I don't like it here! Riiiin!" Rin's voice resonated powerfully. Crack! The sound of glass shattering. The veil of magic surrounding the corridor splintered. The endless corridor’s configuration altered, revealing a large sliding door. "Nice work." "Heh!" Tapping the top of Rin's raised head in approval, Karami opened the door. Whoosh. A refreshing breeze blew in. Before them unfolded a vista of white and blue. Below their feet lay a seemingly boundless expanse of pure white clouds, the sky was a brilliantly clear blue. In that sky, more clouds drifted, above which lay yet another sky. A world on the clouds beyond the earthly realm. It was the heavens. "Magical! We opened a door to the sky!" "It seems so. It's like stepping into a celestial realm." Upon turning back, there was only the solitary door they had entered through, absent any sign of building walls. This too was a pocket dimension crafted by Yuhwa's magic. "I've been expecting you." A melodious voice gently descended from the heavens. As the softly swirling clouds above parted, a white light gracefully descended. Mist spread like stage fog, and what emerged, enveloped in a gentle light, was a white fox. Its tails, reminiscent of a celestial maiden's wings, gently swayed, while its elegant satin robes rippled like waves in the air. As Yuhwa descended gracefully, she seemed to hover momentarily above the ground before, very lightly, Touching down. ‘What dramatic flair.’ Karami thought irreverently, even as he beheld the scene with awe. "Are you the guests that Hoyun mentioned?" Hoyun? So that guide's name was Hoyun. No wonder there was a hint of canine beneath the tiger’s demeanor. "Indeed." "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Yuhwa, the Mistress of the Celestial Tower." A sacred aura that seemed to discourage idle talk enveloped her. Her striking beauty appeared more celestial than earthly. It felt as if one could get entranced by the fox and unwittingly cut open their belly. Yet, Karami's expression remained indifferent. ‘This old lady's playing dress-up again.’ Even after a thousand years, not acting her age and wearing the guise of a young woman. To Karami, who had metaphorically consumed the red pill in barrels, she was just a senile old lady putting on a cute young girl act. "Hey there, foxy granny!" "Granny...?" Yuhwa calmly looked down at Rin, who came skipping to her. Pink fur. Three tails. Outwardly, it was indeed a three-tailed fox, but Yuhwa’s Divine Insight couldn't be deceived. Within, six powerful energies writhed. It was undoubtedly the Nine-tailed Fox. And accompanying him was Karami. A blessing from the World Tree emanated alongside him. He was the one she mistook for an elf. She didn't know why the World Tree bestowed blessings upon Karami, but it was a relief to know her abilities weren’t weakened. "For what purpose have you come to see me?" "I'm sorry, but I really can't bear it. Could you drop the disguise for us?" "How...?" Few in this world could see through Yuhwa's transformation magic. Yuhwa narrowed her Divine Insight and scrutinized Karami. He merely shrugged lightly. Once one's true identity was unveiled, transformation magic lost much of its power. Yuhwa sighed and dispelled the enchantment. Her flawless skin wrinkled, her back bent. The bewitching female vanished, leaving the figure of an elderly woman. "Is this adequate now?" "Finally, I can breathe easy." "Hmm, I quite thought it was charming." "Oof..." Given Karami's truly uncomfortable expression, she decided to end the jest there. "How did you see through it?" "I'm a slave trader. I'm confident when it comes to discerning people." So with such trivial reasoning, he could pierce her transformation magic? He was a remarkable human indeed. Her wariness of Karami rose significantly. "It seems you know more than I anticipated. That must be why you've come looking for me." It was clear from bringing the Nine-tailed Fox along. "The little one, I'll personally see to it that they return to White Cloud Valley and remind the fox clan there of their responsibilities. You've done well." Yuhwa extended her hand towards Rin. Rin swiftly evaded the gesture and promptly clung to Karami. "Uh?" Yuhwa's hand cut through the air. Rin, clutching Karami's leg, glared at Yuhwa. "I apologize, but this little one is my slave." "What?" "Rin is the master’s slave!" "Rin...?" Indeed, she could see a strong bond between them. Could it be possible that someone had named the Nine-tailed Fox and bound it in a master-slave relationship? Was there truly such an outrageous individual? "I went through so much trouble to bring this one here, returning her is out of the question." "What are you babbling about! She already has three tails. If they increase further, many people will be in danger." "I’m not sure about that, but I intend to raise Rin until she becomes a Nine-tailed Fox. That's why I’ve come seeking your help." His words were indeed sincere. He intended to nurture Rin into a full-fledged Nine-tailed Fox. At that moment, Yuhwa’s Divine Insight revealed itself. A pitch-black light enveloped Karami. The destiny assigned to him. Yuhwa recognized what this light signified. "You are fated to die soon." The fate was to absorb all the Nine-tailed Fox's misfortunes and die. It seems even the author is humorously teasing Hoyun, haha. 0 It feels like Mirabel might sever that destined death with her reaper powers, haha. 0 Suddenly they mention the "smell of a dog," turns out it was about the meat metaphor, haha. 0 Seems they’re on the verge to taking action. 0 Oh, "dog smell," that's funny haha. 0 Is it Mirabel's doing? 0 Oh dear, Hoyun's being mentioned a lot, haha. 0