Chapter 1214: Scorched World

Disaster. At that word, Dojeol’s eyes twitched violently.

“A disaster…?”

“No, well, if you think about it, it would be a disaster for you.”

“This is preposterous…, you bastard.”

Kkeudeuk. Grinding his teeth, Dojeol spoke.

“Are you truly a figure of the righteous path?”

Perhaps he was surprised that I was threatening him using his son as a hostage. Hearing my words, I let out a laugh.

“Well. It’s been a while since I stopped caring about things like that.”

I’ve never thought of myself as part of the righteous path.

Because I never had the leeway for such hypocritical thoughts.

However.

“I find the demonic path repulsive, so at least I’m not that.”

If it were the demonic path, I would have killed them.

Because my feelings towards them were worse than towards the righteous path folks.

“Enough pleasantries… Decide, quickly.”

I cut off the pointless back-and-forth. I had no intention of chatting any longer with Dojeol.

“Is it your son, or silence?”

“…You bastard…”

“I’ll count to three.”

I held up one finger.

“One.”

“Two.”

Even as my third finger unfolded, Dojeol remained silent.

Seeing that, I turned my back.

“I’ll be waiting.”

He’ll only open his mouth if I give him an arm. With that thought, I started to walk away.

“…It’s karma.”

Uppeuk.

Dojeol’s words made me stop.

“Karma. That’s a familiar word. I’ve heard it too much.”

Explain it in more detail. With that meaning, I spoke.

“When you feed a beast.”

Dojeol continued his explanation.

“Do you know what’s most important?”

“…Hmm?”

What could it be? There were so many things. It was hard to pinpoint just one. So, I just stared at him.

“The quality of the feed.”

“Mm.”

Perhaps the simplest answer came.

“…However, the important thing here isn’t giving better quality feed. If the beast receiving it is a picky eater, it might refuse the feed under certain circumstances.”

“So.”

“Therefore, the most crucial thing is to consistently provide feed of the same value. So it won’t get tired of it and can eat endlessly.”

“…Mm.”

What does that have to do with our current conversation? Thinking that, I looked at Dojeol.

“Furthermore. Not only consistently providing feed of the same value… it’s also important to make the beast familiar with the giver.”

“What are you doing? Are you trying to lecture me now? Sorry, but I’m not particularly interested-“

“That’s why the giver must be the same.”

“…”

I narrowed my eyes.

“The same value of feed. The same face. To provide the same energy. You match everything.”

“…What does that mean?”

“This is the karma of the Taoist sect.”

Dojeol said, pointing to his own face. Hearing that, I swallowed dryly. Only then did I understand what he meant.

The same face.

The same energy.

Feed.

The beast that consumed the feed was the Heavenly Demon.

If the ones giving that feed were the people of the Taoist sect…

‘So that’s why the faces are the same?’

If they inherited that energy and continued feeding the Heavenly Demon…

‘Does that mean faces can become the same in the process?’

My eyes widened. Then, the fact that the Black Night Palace Lord’s face and Dojeol’s face were the same…

‘No way.’

I glanced in the direction where Do-yun was.

‘That guy…?’

Is that guy really the Black Night Palace Lord? If he really was born from the Taoist sect…

“…”

It’s still just a guess. No, although it fits a little too well to be just a guess. I tried to ignore it and asked Dojeol something else.

“Then. Why did you go out of your way to kidnap me?”

“…It was a final courtesy.”

“A final courtesy? For whom?”

“For us.”

“For you?”

A courtesy for themselves? What did that mean?

“It began as the Gu family’s curse. We intended to give the final feed to end that curse.”

“…The final feed?”

“The Calamity desired the Gu family’s energy. If only we had fed it that… our curse would have ended too… Kkulkkulkkul…”

“…”

The Gu family’s energy. Did they just throw a Gu family descendant in as feed?

They kept feeding the egg that contained the Heavenly Demon. And with that, they intended to give the Gu family’s energy last?

“And that turned out to be me?”

Why me, of all people?

Thinking that, I looked at Dojeol, but…

“Originally, we should have brought a woman here… but a problem occurred. Things weren’t supposed to turn out like this.”

“…”

The words from him made me narrow my eyes.

‘Not me originally… a woman? If it was a woman…’

‘Could it be Gu-seon?’

‘Were they planning to put Gu-seon in? But if a problem occurred…’

Kkwak.

Gripping the jade, I spoke.

“Could it be related to Taecheon?”

“…!”

At my words, Dojeol’s eyes widened.

“…How do you know that name…? Hah!”

Realization flashed across Dojeol’s face.

“It was you. The anomaly that occurred with him. It was you.”

“…”

“It was all your doing… wasn’t it? How dare you…!!”

Dojeol lunged at me in anger. Bound by chains, he couldn’t lunge properly.

Watching him, a storm brewed in my mind.

‘Taecheon tried to take Gu-seon.’

‘Therefore, Gu-seon was destined to be kidnapped by the Taoist sect.’

‘The kidnapped Gu-seon should have been confined with the Heavenly Demon’s sacred tree, like me. Originally, her energy should have been drained.’

According to Dojeol’s words.

‘That way, the Heavenly Demon should have appeared.’

‘That was the original fate.’

I don’t know what happened to Gu-seon afterwards, but…

‘If she died…’

‘I suspect that might be the reason the Gu family became much less likely to send their clan members outside the sect compared to this time.’

‘It also explains why I don’t know about Gu-seon’s existence.’

Realizations about what should have originally happened flooded in.

‘…Should Gu-seon have died?’

Did the Heavenly Demon only appear because she died?

Was that the original fate?

Kkeugeuk-!

“You…! You did everything…!”

“Shut up.”

“!”

At my words, Dojeol’s body stiffened.

“Shut. Your mouth. It’s giving me a headache.”

“…What…”

Dojeol’s body stiffens. What expression am I wearing right now?

Do I feel relieved now that I know one of the truths of fate?

Or am I happy about the fact that I erased the Heavenly Demon beforehand?

‘I don’t know.’

I don’t know about my emotions. However, if there’s one thing I’m sure of…

‘This sucks.’

My mood felt incredibly crappy.

This certainly isn’t a positive thought.

Kkwadeuk.

I released the hand gripping the jade.

“Where are you going?!”

Dojeol yelled from behind, but I ignored him and walked away.

It wasn’t the time to listen to things like that.

‘…’

With my breathing calmed, I started thinking.

Why do I feel this way?

‘Why?’

Why?

‘Why am I disappointed?’

Am I disappointed?

Yes, I was disappointed.

That the Heavenly Demon died.

It was strangely disappointing, deeply so.

In a very shitty way, too.

---

I came outside. I didn’t go back to see Gu Seong-yeol.

I walked listlessly, without realizing it.

Even after walking dozens of times, my thoughts wouldn’t organize.

After walking for a long time, I found myself somewhere familiar.

“…Oh my?”

Someone in the place spotted me. Seeing her, I stopped walking.

‘Damn.’

My dazed mind returned slightly. I had arrived somewhere I shouldn’t have.

“Young Master Baek.”

“…Madam Jin.”

The person who called me was Jin Yeon-ryeong, the lady of the Gu family. She looked at me with surprised eyes.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m not. It seems my feet just led me here while I was out for a walk.”

“For someone just out for a walk, your expression looks quite grim…?”

“…No. It’s just…”

“Come in for a moment. Since you came all this way, I can’t just send you back.”

Before I could say anything, Jin Yeon-ryeong approached and took my hand.

Honestly, I could have avoided it. Even without energy, could I really not avoid her touch?

“Let’s go inside. It’s cold.”

The weather wasn’t even cold. Following her flimsy excuse, I entered her quarters.

Inside, the warm atmosphere remained. There was a small table just big enough for two.

Cute teacups sat upon it.

Jjoreureuk.

Water filled the teacups.

“I’ll bring out some snacks.”

“No, you don’t have to.”

“It’s just something simple.”

Jin Yeon-ryeong smiled and offered something chewable.

It was the same yakgwa I’d seen last time.

“My children love sweets, so this is all I have. Young Master Baek, you don’t really like sweets, do you?”

“…I eat them if they’re there.”

I just don’t particularly enjoy them.

“My children all take after their husband and love them. Young Master Baek must not take after him.”

Her words, accompanied by a bright smile, made me close my mouth.

An unspoken guilt dug into me.

Hoo.

An uncontrollable sigh escaped me. I had to leave tomorrow anyway.

I didn’t want to hold back my words any longer.

“Um, Madam. About that… I…”

“I know.”

“…Yes?”

Before I could even finish, Jin Yeon-ryeong cut me off.

“I know everything.”

“Know what…?”

“That you are not my husband’s child.”

“!”

At Jin Yeon-ryeong’s words, I froze. She knew? How…?

“That’s only natural. He’s not the type of person to lie to me.”

Her voice held firm conviction. If that was true, then it was even stranger.

“…Then why?”

Why did he do it if he knew? I asked, puzzled.

“There are many reasons… but it was strange. My husband, who never denied it despite the misunderstanding. And.”

Jin Yeon-ryeong looked at me with her beautiful eyes.

“Young Master Baek, who looked this way with a certain sadness and longing. You caught my attention.”

“…”

“Are you alright now?”

“…Ah.”

Her asking if I was alright.

At those words, heat rose within me.

“No…”

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“…I don’t think I’m alright.”

Like an uncontrollable sigh.

Words I shouldn’t have spoken slipped out.

How sordidly.