1214 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Disaster. Hearing the word made Do Cheol's eyes twitch violently. “Disaster...?” “Well, if you think about it, it would be a disaster for you.” “Unbelievable... you scoundrel.” Gritting his teeth, Do Cheol spoke. “Are you truly someone from the righteous faction?” Was it fascinating that he used his own son as leverage for threats? After hearing this, he let out a chuckle. “Well, I haven't bothered with such things for a while now.” He never considered himself part of the righteous faction. He didn’t have the luxury to entertain such pretentious thoughts. But. “I find the unorthodox faction revolting, so I’m definitely not on that side.” If it was the unorthodox faction, he killed them. He held more animosity toward them than the righteous ones. “Enough with the small talk... Decide, quickly.” I cut off the unnecessary questions. I had no intention of continuing idle chatter with Do Cheol. “Your son or silence?” “...You scoundrel...” “I’ll count to three.” I raised one finger. One. Two. Even when the third finger was raised, Do Cheol remained silent. Seeing this, I turned away. “Just wait.” I figured I'd have to take an arm to get him to talk. With that notion, I started to walk. “...Debt.” I stopped abruptly at Do Cheol’s words. “Debt. A familiar word. I’ve heard it countless times.” I urged him to explain further with an expectant tone. “When you feed a beast,” Do Cheol continued his explanation. “Do you know what the most important thing is?” “...I’m not sure?” What could it be? There were too many possibilities. It was hard to pinpoint just one. So I quietly watched him. “The quality of the food.” “Hmm.” It seemed like a straightforward answer. “...However, the key isn’t about offering better quality food. If the beast develops a picky palate, it might refuse to eat.” “And?” “Therefore, the most important thing is to consistently provide the same amount of food. Ensuring it can be consumed endlessly without boredom.” “...Hmm.” What relevance did that have to the current conversation? With that thought, I looked at Do Cheol. “Besides, along with consistently providing the same amount of food, it’s also vital that the giver becomes familiar.” “What are you doing? Are you trying to teach me something? Sorry, but I’m not particularly curious-” “That’s why the giver must remain the same.” “...” I narrowed my eyes. “The same amount of food. The same face. The same energy. Everything must be aligned.” “What do you mean by that?” “This is the debt of the Taoist way.” Do Cheol indicated his own face as he spoke. Upon hearing this, I swallowed dryly. I finally understood his words. The same face. The same energy. Food. The beast that receives the food is the Heavenly Demon, isn’t it? And if those feeding it are the Taoist followers... 'So their faces are the same because of that?’ If they continued to provide nourishment to the Heavenly Demon with inherited energy... ‘Does that mean their faces could end up becoming identical during the process?’ My eyes widened. So if the Black Night Palace Lord and Do Cheol have identical faces... ‘Could it be?’ I glanced in the direction where Do Yoon stood. 'Could he be...?' Could he truly be the Black Night Palace Lord? If he were truly born of the Taoist manner... “...” It's still speculation. No, it fits too well for mere speculation. Yet, I asked Do Cheol another question, deliberately ignoring it. “Then, why did you feel the need to kidnap me?” “...As a final kindness.” “A final kindness? To whom?” “For us.” “For you?” A kindness for themselves? What could that mean? “It all began with the curse of Gu Family. In order to end that curse, we intended to offer the final nourishment.” “...Final nourishment?” “The Calamity desired the energy of Gu Family. If we had only fed that... our curse would have been broken... heh, heh...” “...” The energy of the Gu Family. Were they planning to throw the lineage of Gu Family as nourishment? They kept feeding the egg housing the Heavenly Demon. And for the final nourishment, they intended to provide the energy of the Gu Family? “And I was that?” I happened to be the one? I looked at Do Cheol with such thoughts, but... “Originally, a woman should have been brought in here... but things went awry. It wasn’t supposed to happen like that.” “...” Hearing this from him, I narrowed my eyes. ‘Not me originally... a woman? If it’s a woman.’ Could it have been Gu Sun? Was it intended for Gu Sun to be placed here? But if things went awry... Clenching the jade tightly, I asked, “Is it related to Tae Cheon?” “...!” Do Cheol's eyes widened at my words. “...How do you know that name...? Ha!” Realization flashed across Do Cheol's expression. “So it was you. The anomaly that happened to him. It was you.” “...” “It was all your doing... Wasn't it? How dare you...!!!” Furious, Do Cheol lunged at me, though he couldn’t move properly, chained as he was. Seeing him like that, a storm started whirling in my mind. ‘Gu Sun was supposed to be taken by Tae Cheon.' Therefore, Gu Sun was meant to be kidnapped by the Taoist faction. The kidnapped Gu Sun, just like me, should have been imprisoned with the Heavenly Demon’s sacred tree. Originally, her energy should have been consumed. Judging by Do Cheol’s words. ‘That’s how the Heavenly Demon was meant to emerge.’ The fate was supposedly like that. I had no idea what would have happened to Gu Sun afterward. ‘...If she had died,’ it might have been the reason the Gu Family stopped sending their bloodlines out as much as they did back then. ‘It could also be why I know nothing about Gu Sun’s existence.’ A flood of realizations washed over me regarding the events that should have unfolded. ‘...Was Gu Sun supposed to die?’ Was she meant to die for the Heavenly Demon to be born? Was that her true fate? Ssssskk-!! Something was scraping inside me. “You...! You were behind it all...!” “Shut up.” “...!” Do Cheol’s body froze at my command. “Quiet. Keep your mouth shut. My head hurts.” “...What…” Do Cheol stood rigid. What kind of expression was I making? Was there a sense of relief from learning a truth of destiny? Or was it joy from having erased the Heavenly Demon in advance? ‘I don’t know.’ I couldn’t quite grasp my emotions. But, if there was one thing that was certain. ‘Damn it.’ The feeling was rather wretched. It certainly wasn't a positive thought. Blam. I released my grip on the jade. "Where do you think you’re going?!" Do Cheol shouted from behind, but I ignored him and walked on. This wasn’t the time to be listening to such words. ‘...’ I breathed calmly, turning the wheels in my mind. Why did I feel this way? ‘Why?’ bm9XQbGx0Zk10ZXBRY3RNcXFGUFpkVzlhSHB2MXg1WVVFTUprT2wzYXlaZTc5VXRmVHpTek9WSjZaT3ZHZDhsOA Why? ‘Why am I feeling regret?’ Was I feeling regretful? Yes, I was. The death of the Heavenly Demon. For some reason, it left a deep, lingering feeling of regret. In the most frustrating way possible. * * * I emerged outside. I didn’t bother to visit Gu Sun Ryeol again. I wandered aimlessly, my steps heavy. No matter how many times I walked, my thoughts wouldn't sort themselves out. After wandering for quite a while, I found myself in a familiar place. “...Oh my?” Someone from the place noticed me. Seeing her, I stopped walking. ‘Damn.’ The fog in my mind cleared a little. I found myself in a place I shouldn’t have come to. “Baek Gonja.” “...Lady Jin.” The person who called out to me was Jin Yeon Ryeong, the mistress of the Gu Family. She looked at me with surprised eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” “No, I must have wandered here without realizing while I was taking a walk.” “For someone who's just out for a walk, you look quite troubled, don’t you think...?” “...Well, that is.” “Come on in for a bit. You’ve come all the way here, I can't just let you go back.” Before I could say anything, Jin Yeon Ryeong approached and took my hand. Honestly, I could have avoided it. No matter how drained I felt, I could’ve easily evaded her touch. “Come inside. It's cold out.” Despite the weather not actually being cold, I followed the silly excuse into her warm quarters. Inside, the atmosphere was just as cozy as ever. A small table fit for two stood there. Upon it, a quaint teacup was placed. Trickle. Water filled the teacup. “I’ll bring out some snacks too.” “No, there’s no need for that.” “Just something simple.” Jin Yeon Ryeong smiled and presented some snacks. It was the same yakgwa as last time. “My children love sweets, so this is all I have. Baek Gonja doesn’t like sweets much, does he?” “...I eat them if they’re there.” I don’t particularly enjoy them, though. “My kids take after their father and love sweets. Seems you didn’t inherit that, Baek Gonja.” Her smile and words made me fall silent. An unfounded sense of guilt gnawed at me. Hoo. A sigh escaped my lips I couldn’t suppress. I had to leave by tomorrow anyway. I no longer wanted to hold back my words. “Madam, about that... I...” “I know.” “...Pardon?” Before I could finish, Jin Yeon Ryeong interrupted me. “I know everything.” “What do you mean...?” “That you aren’t my husband's child.” “...!” Her revelation made me freeze. She knew? How...? “It's because he isn’t the kind of person to lie to me.” There was a certainty in her voice. Which made it even more perplexing. “...Then why?” Why did she act like she didn’t know? I asked, confused. “There are many reasons... It was peculiar. My husband didn’t deny the misunderstanding. And.” Jin Yeon Ryeong looked at me with tender eyes. “I was concerned about Baek Gonja, who seemed inexplicably sad and longing.” “...” “Are you alright now?” “...Ah.” The question of whether I'm alright. Her words made warmth spread through my body. “No...” I closed my eyes tightly. “...I don’t think I’m alright.” Like an uncontrollable sigh. Words I shouldn’t have said slipped out. Embarrassingly so.