Fengchu of Jin family, Jinari, looked at herself in the mirror.
A girl, unable to hide her lancholy, stood before it.
“Haa.”
After learning that even her trusted aunt was plotting to purge her, Jinari had beco wary of eting people, imrsing herself solely in her training.
Training was the only ti she could forget her fears.
But alone in her room, the suppressed dread writhed, gently caressing Jinari’s back.
“I am ant to be a phoenix.”
Jinari murmured to herself, gazing into the mirror.
The girl in the reflection looked ordinary, except for the chick-like yellow feathers on her arms and the small yellow wings on her back.
She hardly seed the legendary phoenix incarnate.
“I will beco a phoenix...”
Eventually, Jinari had to close her eyes and conjure up soone in her mind.
The back that protected her from assassins. The back that shielded her from the terrifying Gwizon.
Thinking of that man, Jinari felt her wings flutter.
It was her inner chick, excited by the thought of him.
“Hoo.”
Jinari looked into the mirror again.
The girl’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and her expression held a tender embarrassnt, no longer tinged with sorrow.
Startled by this realization, Jinari shook her head.
It was all because of the chick inside her heart.
Not having chirped for a week, it seed the inner chick was upset.
Jinari lightly touched her cheek.
It was warm. Just then, her smartphone rang.
Jinari glanced at it before muttering,
“Cheep.”
In her surprise, she chirped.
Clasping her mouth, Jinari looked back at the phone’s screen.
It displayed:
* * *
Dragging my weary body, I arrived in Louisville.
So much had happened today.
It was really tough.
I placed the duffel bag containing the corpse of the puppy’s mother and her puppy on the ground.
They say everything about raising puppy costs money, but can I really handle this?
Yet, the puppy, unaware or indifferent to my turmoil, continued to wl and lick its mother.
Then it began to lick my hand.
Speechless, I stroked the puppy.
“What have you picked up this ti?”
Suddenly, a voice ca from behind.
It was Jamsuni’s sharp tone.
Turning around, I saw Jamsuni and the uncle standing together.
“Hmm, a young Haetae, perhaps. To think a living specin still existed.”
“Ah, such a rare breed. I heard the evil spirits had driven them to extinction. Where did you find this one?”
This puppy was indeed a remarkable being.
To be experinted on in the villains’ secret lab, it must be a fairly extraordinary breed of dog.
“You’ve been through sothing spectacular, I bet.”
“Why don’t you tell how vivid your imagination is? Speaking of which, a Haetae. Should I try to ta it?”
Jamsuni smirked and reached out to the puppy.
Then the puppy yapped and bit Jamsuni’s finger.
Jamsuni, bitten, looked down at the puppy with an incredulous expression.
“This, this damned beast bit ?”
“Sojin, you do know that a creature like Haetae’s stature can’t be tad, right?”
As Jamsuni raised her hand, I glared at her.
Was she really thinking of hitting a defenseless animal?
“Hmph. Now we’re down to taming beasts.”
Ignoring Jamsuni’s grumbling, I reached out to the puppy.
As I did, the puppy nuzzled against my hand.
“What’s this? Uncle, I thought you said it couldn’t be tad?”
“Um? No, what’s going on here?”
Uncle and Jamsuni looked at in astonishnt.
I was even more surprised by their reaction.
I could see this puppy was of a remarkable breed.
But to my eyes, it seed inferior to the cherished spirit beasts raised by clans or sects.
The creatures beyond my sight could slice dozens of trees with a re wag of their tail and split rocks with a claw swipe.
I chuckled.
If it’s not treated as a combat beast like those spirit animals, why not just treat it like any other dog?
“This pup may be of a fine breed, but a puppy is still just a puppy.”
“A puppy? A dog? Well, it’s technically canine, but...”
“Look. Puppies naturally love humans. Jamsuni, if you try to grab them aggressively, they’ll get scared.”
“No, treating that thing like an ordinary puppy is what’s strange. Do you know how dangerous it becos when it grows up?”
After saying that, I looked around the open space.
I needed to find a place to bury the mother dog.
Where in Louisville would be the sunniest spot?
As I searched for a sunny spot in Louisville, Jamsuni and the old man began to murmur to each other.
They were too far away for to catch what they were saying.
“I see. Remarkable talent. Ignoring the spiritual aspects of a divine beast and drawing out only its animalistic nature. Such a feat is possible because divine beasts are ford of spirit and flesh.”
“Seems like it. Preventing even a trace of spiritual power from flowing into the touched part of the divine beast, yet not interfering with its own spiritual power. Theoretically, with such a technique, all divine beasts could be tad.”
“But it’s a technique that can only exist in theory. To read a divine beast’s spiritual power with a hand completely devoid of spiritual energy, so dull... It has to be the next head of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect. Only a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius could...”
“Who decided Yoo Hajin is going to be the next head of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect? Old man, you really want to throw down?”
Are Jamsuni and the old man arguing again?
I couldn’t hear them clearly, but from their tone, it seed like another fight.
I an, what’s with the old man arguing with Jamsuni given their age difference?
Granted, Jamsuni’s attitude and behavior are quite infuriating.
Ignoring them, I found an abandoned flowerbed.
The large bed was chaotically blooming with flowers, creating an atmosphere.
Such flourishing flowers ant this spot received plenty of sunlight.
I dug into the center of the flowerbed and placed the mother dog there. The puppy just looked up at , whining.
“There’s sothing my younger sister used to say.”
Ha, what am I doing, saying this to an animal that can’t understand?
But I felt compelled to say it.
“Every living being has a soul, and that soul will eventually reunite with their loved ones.”
Could it really be? Does the soul truly exist?
But my eyes saw nothing.
Harin, are you here beside now? Please, give an answer.
“So, even if you lose your family, don’t be too sad. Keep living bravely. That way, when you et again, you can smile together.”
After saying that, I buried the mother dog.
Then, gently stroking the puppy, I said,
“From now on, your na will be Myeong-Myeong.”
“ong!”
They say raising a dog can be costly.
Well, I guess I could just take on a few more part-ti jobs to manage.
While I was bathing Myeong-Myeong and warming up so milk to put in a bowl, my phone began to vibrate.
Another loan text, perhaps?
Glancing at it, this ssage was displayed:
===
I’m sorry.
Let’s et and talk.
Please set a ti and place, and I’ll be there.
===
“Ha?
Could this finally be my chance to et the swindler?
I set up the eting ti right away.
It was for this very evening.
* * *
And so, evening ca. The streets were bustling with people heading ho from work.
Upon spotting the Chick, I dashed out.
“Chickkkkk!!!”
“My, my na is Jinari, as I’ve told you before...”
“Why did you break our promise?!!”
I grabbed the chick’s shoulders and shook them.
As I did, the chick stamred out so pitiful excuses.
“I was, I was preparing. Even for , such a big task requires a lot of preparation.”
“Don’t you know making cowardly excuses is a sin???”
“Peep?!”
I was too agitated.
I could feel the stares of people on the street.
I let go of the chick and said,
“Miss Chick. You did say that if it involved the honor of your family, the task I asked for would be done, didn’t you?”
“My na is Jinari. And the target turned out to be more troubleso than expected...”
“So, you’re saying you planned to dine and dash on our agreent?”
“I would never do such a thing.”
In that mont, I felt sothing in my stomach.
Perhaps I was too excited.
I urgently needed the restroom.
Glancing around, I spotted a public bathroom.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
“It might sound like an excuse.”
I headed towards the public restroom. But the chick just toddled along behind .
“However, Cheonsu is a formidable figure known as the Hongdae King, uniting the vast factions of the Hongdae under the auspices of Cheonji’s chosen. Of course, our family could obliterate such factions in a day, but...”
“Chick.”
The chick didn’t stop talking. And kept toddling along behind .
“Mobilizing the family’s main forces requires the consent of the head and the elders. I’ve been trying to persuade them, but it seems it will take so ti to gain their approval. So, I’ve been assembling the forces I can mobilize...”
“Chick.”
The chick kept chirping incessantly. And of course, kept chirping and following .
“We’ve gauged Cheonsu’s forces to an extent, but we haven’t been able to ascertain the full extent of Cheonsu’s own power, nor who among the Cheonji supports him...”
“Chick!!!”
Standing in front of the n’s restroom urinal, I said,
“Are you a pervert?”
“Peep?”
The chicken looked around. Naturally, we were inside the n’s restroom.
“Peep? No, why, why am I in such a place?”
The chick began to whimper.
– – – The End of The Chapter – – –
[TN: You can support the translation and read 5 chapters ahead of the release here on Patreon: /Bill94 ]
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