Chapter 169

〈 Chapter 169 〉 Part 1, Chapter 9, Section 3

At the moment Xiao Lin was setting off bombs in a chain reaction.

An executive of the Blue Wind Sect, <Architect> James Lee, had been invited by Yun Yuhwa and was discussing the construction of an ability-user academy at New Seoul’s Yu Sung mansion alongside Sky Castle Ryu Cheonseong.

“Whoa.”

Naturally, their sanity flew out the window when they heard the explosions from Xiao Lin’s bombs. After all, while they’d heard rumors about her, they’d never seen her directly. As human administrators of Seoul’s internal affairs rather than monsters, they were still somewhat out of the loop.

“Boss has really high standards, huh? Only picking the most beautiful women around?”

“No way she’d be this level. Ugh.”

What shocked the two men was Xiao Lin’s beauty. Even compared to the celebrity Cheon Gaeul or the stunning Seok Harang, Xiao Lin’s features were impeccable—like something out of an Eastern painting. She wore traditional Chinese attire that accentuated her elegance.

“……”

Seated across from them, Yun Yuhwa made no effort to hide his discomfort. Since becoming a sponsor for the Blue Wind Sect, he had revealed his true identity to its executives. The three were now having a casual dinner before discussing the academy.

“Well, at least the issues with China are settled.”

Yun Yuhwa chuckled coldly as he glared at the smiling Xiao Lin.

“Seriously, I didn’t mean for you to go seduce your past-life husband… Hmph…”

The two men awkwardly avoided eye contact, feeling as if they were being punished for someone else’s mistakes. Ryu Cheonseong cleared his throat to calm Yun Yuhwa down.

“You’ll get used to it soon enough. Isn’t that what you prepared yourself for?”

“Yeah, that’s true. Sigh, kind-hearted me will just have to endure it.”

Yun Yuhwa decided to set aside his feelings toward Xiao Lin and Phoenix and instead analyze the ripple effects of their actions.

“Xiao Lin has volunteered to act as a bodyguard… This wasn’t part of the plan, but judging from the situation, it seems like she plans to follow all the way to Seoul.”

“Having a bodyguard is good, but it’ll also draw more attention.”

“Especially since the Black Flame Dragon is dead now, people’s fear of monsters should decrease. Expect a huge influx of people moving through Kimhae, New Seoul, and finally Seoul itself.”

Though some monsters still lingered in remote areas or abandoned islands, they were quietly being eliminated by the Blue Wind Sect’s members and monster hunters.

“Architect, can you repair the roads?”

“Just repairing them would be easy. Building new ones will take time though.”

“In that case, we’ll need to discuss it further once we return. Huff.”

Yun Yuhwa sighed bitterly while sipping his coffee.

“When did I start caring so much about other people while running my business? Tch.”

“Mr. Yun Yuhwa.”

Ryu Cheonseong cautiously asked,

“Do you… uh…”

“Like our leader?”

Yun Yuhwa smirked as he raised his coffee cup.

“Hehe. I’m Yu Sung’s president, ‘Puppeteer’ Yun Yuhwa. Of course, I like her. Just look at how much profit she brings me! Honestly, thinking about the S-Rank core I’m getting from that airplane deal alone makes me forget about coffee altogether.”

“…Cheonseong.”

Architect lowered his voice.

“I haven’t noticed yet, but I’ll bet five cores on that.”

“I’ll bet ten that he’s a money ghost.”

While the two men placed small bets, the TV footage quickly changed. Xiao Lin had selected only a few reporters to enter the special ward, where they filmed a young woman under the care of what appeared to be association personnel.

“…”

The girl named Cheongnyeon bowed politely. Her face was pale, and there were dark bruises under her eyes, as if she had endured great hardship.

“I’m sorry for causing any concern…”

“Did you see who the culprit was?!”

A reporter shouted loudly in Chinese, and Cheongnyeon briefly closed her eyes. The three immediately realized this was all an act.

“Man, he pissed her off.”

“Yeah.”

“If he interrupts again, Boss will probably reveal her true self.”

They worried that Phoenix might accidentally expose herself to the entire world. Though it felt uncomfortable pretending ignorance about the value of human life, none of them wanted to witness a psycho decapitating a reporter live on air.

“I… don’t remember much after boarding the plane.”

Phoenix tilted her head humbly, looking apologetic. Xiao Lin and the association representative glared fiercely at the rude reporter.

“Hmm.”

Yun Yuhwa snapped his fingers, realizing the identity of the association official.

“That’s Phantom transformation.”

“How did you know?”

“Instinct.”

Though Yun Yuhwa brushed it off as instinct, it was actually because the real association monitor—Cheon Gaeul—was standing guard next to Phoenix. He cleared his throat and gestured towards the exit for the reporters.

“She needs rest. Let’s hear what Cheongnyeon-san has to say first and continue the discussion later.”

Even though it was a live broadcast, the conversation inside the room aired uncensored. Xiao Lin allowed one relatively polite reporter into the room and ushered the others out.

“So then, Beast Tamer Cheongnyeon, do you have anything to say?”

“Yes.”

With a weak smile, Phoenix said,

“I’m fine for now, but if there are any monsters, I’ll rush to help. It’s my duty, after all.”

“Huh.”

The reporter gasped dramatically, as if on the verge of tears. Phoenix barely managed to lift the corners of her mouth, trembling slightly, as if enduring immense pain from torture.

“It’s my role to save the world…”

“Ugh.”

Architect spat out his tea, and Cheonseong wasn’t far behind. Yun Yuhwa stared intently at the black orb on the table beside Phoenix.

“Could that possibly be…?”

Was the flame pattern on it just an illusion? When the camera focused on the black orb, Phoenix panicked and grabbed it.

“This… this is because…”

“The interview is over.”

“Wait, what is that thing?!”

Chichijik! Xiao Lin apparently swung something hard, cutting off the transmission. A reasonable assumption would be that she had slashed the camera with a weapon, and the station quickly switched back to the studio.

“Uh… What was that orb just now?”

“Looks like a core…”

“Oh my goodness, could she possibly be doing something like this?”

Yun Yuhwa barely managed to suppress a laugh. The two men looked confused.

“I understand the core part, but what is-”

“It’s just a show. Hmph, countries will probably start offering S-Rank cores voluntarily now.”

Yun Yuhwa immediately sent his puppets to check the network reactions. People were angry about Cheongnyeon’s injuries, moved by her sense of duty, but also very curious about the mysterious core.

And then Yun Yuhwa noticed what Phoenix likely intended—and what he himself predicted:

-If we have that core, can’t we revive the monster?!

“The price will skyrocket now.”

Yun Yuhwa marveled at Phoenix’s cunning strategy.

“How much would it cost if we distributed one Black Flame Dragon per household?”

“What… what are you talking about?”

“…Tch.”

Yun Yuhwa sighed at the slow comprehension of the two men. He wanted to hurry up and discuss future business with Phoenix.

“Let me explain slowly, so listen carefully.”

Yun Yuhwa began explaining to the two men.

** *

“You’re such a terrible actor.”

“…Shut up.”

After everyone left, the empty hospital room remained. No humans were present—only ability users.

“Alright, come out now.”

As soon as I spoke, a wisp of mist appeared beside Xiao Lin. Bonghyo, who had been coaching Xiao Lin, emerged, along with Hyunryong, who had been riding on Bonghyo’s back and quickly scurried over to Cheon Gaeul.

The illusionary ability user and spirit entered the room as incorporeal beings. When Xiao Lin led the reporters into my room earlier, they slipped in unnoticed amidst the chaos.

“Disgusting.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? World peace is sincere, alright? Anyway, Bonghyo, you’ve done what you wanted. Go ahead and keep talking.”

“Understood.”

Bonghyo stepped forward. His plan was to subtly hint that the Black Flame Dragon could be resurrected through its core.

“First, Mo Taegyeong will feel uneasy knowing the Black Flame Dragon is still alive. With Xiao Lin completely breaking away from him, the Black Flame Dragon will become a tremendous pressure. But paradoxically, it won’t be a real threat. Why?”

“The Black Flame Dragon’s attack on Beijing was a desperate attempt to rescue its captured master.”

“Exactly. In fact, you had this plan all along, didn’t you?”

I nodded in agreement. Bonghyo had expanded on my original plan.

“The mechanism for controlling monsters involves reviving them through their cores. This means our lord can step forward openly.”

“You’re planning to create multiple Beast Tamers, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Phoenix-sama can’t personally travel the world forever, can she?”

Bonghyo winked knowingly. I understood the hidden meaning in his words—he planned to teach Hyunryong the joy of hard work.

“Right.”

“Exactly.”

I acknowledged his efforts with a glance, and Bonghyo modestly smiled in gratitude. Meanwhile, Hyunryong, unaware of the labor trap being set for him, clung to Gaeul, trying to initiate some skinship. He might as well be a leech.

“Now, second question: Is there a way to bring down Mo Taegyeong? Corruption-wise, it doesn’t seem like a big problem.”

“Probably not. Most of his wealth is divided among his children, and people don’t know they’re his illegitimate offspring. To avoid scandal, he’ll cut ties and send them to prison instead.”

In short, Mo Taegyeong was an untouchable entity. Two questions came to mind.

“Does Mo Taegyeong have a Qing Song?”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, correction. Does Mo Taegyeong have an ability user specializing in solitude?”

“…Yes. There was one.”

Bonghyo pointed at himself.

“It was me. One yang needle and many yin needles. Those with yin needles embedded in their hearts must obey the commands of the person holding the yang needle.”

“…Wow. How could you possibly endure being used like that by Mo Taegyeong?”

“Because, despite everything, he was still my father… Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine he’d use my abilities to destroy his own daughter’s heart. For that reason, I’m always grateful to my lord.”

Bonghyo bowed deeply to Hyunryong. Hyunryong shyly hid behind Gaeul.

“…You truly are a capable person.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Now I understood why he didn’t appear in the original story. Bonghyo might have been removed because he was too competent. Maybe his father Mo Taegyeong thought, “You’ve lost your utility,” or something similar.

“Hyunryong.”

“What?”

“If you pulled a gacha, you wouldn’t need a reroll, right?”

“…What strange things are you saying?”

No one seemed to understand what I meant. If only Deokbae were here, he’d get it instantly. Or maybe I should discuss it with the bird sharing my memories.

“Ah.”

When should I make my move? While I was pondering, Xiao Lin reminded me of a forgotten schedule.

“So, what do you plan to do about Jucheok’s invitation?”

“…That’s what I’m talking about.”

I recalled the original schedule before the plane hijacking.

“Aren’t you just going ahead with the welcoming party? Attending an invitation in this situation…”

“I recommend declining.”

Bonghyo suggested attending the invitation, which puzzled me.

“Why?”

“Phoenix-sama, or rather Cheonghua-sama, is officially portrayed as a victim of the party. Participating in an event less than a day after such an incident isn’t ideal. Moreover, aren’t you the target of male interest? Rejecting a date once makes you more appealing.”

“But I’m not playing hard-to-get with some prince, am I?”

I called out Bonghyo on his suggestive word choice. Gaeul and Xiao Lin glared at him, and oddly enough, even Hyunryong reprimanded him with his eyes.

“…My apologies for the slip.”

Bonghyo quickly admitted and retracted his careless statement.

“Hmph. So, take today off. Give people time to think while they’re calm, and set expectations for tomorrow.”

“Got it. Xiao Lin, please handle this through the association. Tell them the Beast Tamer needs absolute rest due to fainting.”

“Understood. I’ll inform Seolhwa-ryeong as well.”

“…So we’re just leaving Mo Taegyeong alone?”

Gaeul looked uneasy, clearly concerned about letting him be despite his troubling nature.

“Don’t worry.”

I waved my hand towards the window.

“We’re monitoring his every move. Right, Emperor?”

“Yes. He’s currently bringing a woman into his bedroom for rough yin-yang harmony.”

The Black Scorpion ability user reported on Mo Taegyeong’s activities. Everyone in the room, including myself, suddenly felt awkward upon learning this unexpected private information.

“Erm…”

“…His taste is questionable.”

“Leave him be. People need to relieve stress somehow. Even if he’s an enemy, personal privacy is-”

“The woman he’s penetrating looks quite similar to you. …He even put a blue wig on her. Is this modern-day Bingmayong? A steel-made puppet? Impressive.”

I silently vowed to split him into halves, Jo/Jo style.