CDBW 12

Chapter 12

A sound like something tearing apart ears slashed through the entire area in an instant.

The Baekryundang car that had been speeding along suddenly tipped sideways after hearing it.

It seemed the driver had also been thrown into confusion by the thunderous noise.

“Ugh!”

“Aaah!”

Wenling and Hyerim both swallowed groans at the same time.
Yoonseol’s high-frequency attack was far stronger than they had expected.

Dayoung exploded in anger.

“You idiot! Are you trying to burst everyone’s eardrums here?!”

Yoonseol flashed a grin.

“But this works, doesn’t it!”

Indeed, just as she said, the Baekryundang vehicle had toppled over and couldn’t move.

Seizing the opportunity, Wenling quickly moved his brush.

“‘Shatter!’”

The character struck the car’s wheel directly.

With the wheel destroyed, the vehicle wobbled before crashing into a corner. The curators quickly surrounded the Baekryundang car.

“Well then, looks like you’re cornered now!”

Dayoung dashed toward the car with a relaxed expression, looking ready to kill them on the spot.

But suddenly the window slid open, and a gun barrel appeared.

“A gun!”

Hyerim was the first to realize the danger.

The moment her warning ended, the gun erupted in fire.

Loud shots rang out, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air.

“Dungsoe! Do something about that!”

Dayoung quickly dodged while calling out Dungsoe’s name.

The geomungo that Dungsoe had transformed into spoke slowly.

“Already? The fun’s over already?”

The strings of the geomungo shrank, and it transformed into a bearded man.

Dungsoe stroked his beard while looking at the Baekryundang members firing wildly.

“This is why I don’t like you Chinese fellows. None of you know how to enjoy yourselves.”

He casually flicked the bullets aside and ran toward the car.

Then he suddenly thrust his hand through the window and grabbed the neck of the man sitting in front.

“Come play with me, Mister Kim from China!”

With tremendous strength, Dungsoe yanked him out of the car.

The impact tore the car door apart like paper.

“Aaagh! L-let go!”

The man caught by Dungsoe screamed and struggled.

But Dungsoe slammed him into the ground with all his might.

“That’s one down!”

He laughed cheerfully as he looked at the fallen Baekryundang member.

The remaining Baekryundang men turned pale.

Before them stood a monster immune to bullets. And now their car was broken.

In this situation, there was only one thing they could do.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

They dropped their weapons and quickly jumped out of the car.

Then they ran in different directions.

But a massive shadow fell before them.

“Dusigi!”

With a roar, Hyerim’s front paw carved a path through the air.

Crack.

The sound of breaking bones echoed briefly.

One unlucky man struck by the heavy tiger paw was sent flying.

“Three!”

Dayoung also leapt high.

With sharp claws she slashed the back of a fleeing man. Blood spurted out, and the man collapsed.

“M-me too!”

Yoonseol quickly pulled out her gas gun and fired. The projectile hit a passing Baekryundang member squarely in the face.

Struck unexpectedly, he groaned and staggered.

“‘Fall!’”

Wenling punched forward toward the last remaining enemy.

The man who had been desperately trying to escape flew backward from the attack.

Watching this, Dayoung teased playfully.

“Oh my, it must be hard for such a delicate man to be stuck among such fierce women.”

Wenling replied flatly.

“I’m only doing my job as a curator.”

“Such a sharp personality for a man these days. Delightful. Hehehe.”

Dayoung laughed as she wiped the blood from her hands.

Wenling felt uncomfortable under her gaze but hid it.

“You creatures that aren’t even human—how dare you interfere!”

When the final thug fell, a hoarse voice shouted.

Soon an old woman in blue clothes stepped out of the car.

It was the Miao sorceress who had cast a curse on Wenling—Choguipa.

“You monsters, how dare you!”

Realizing guns wouldn’t work, she had stepped forward herself.

Her bloodshot eyes burned with fierce hostility.

The old woman pulled a boiled egg from her robe and rolled it toward Dayoung while shouting:

“Eat!”

At that command, the howl of a beast sounded behind her.

A Miao sorcery that used animal spirits as a medium.

Wenling turned pale when he recognized it, but Dayoung didn’t even blink.

“Hey, do you even know who you’re trying that on?”

Dayoung crushed the boiled egg under her foot.

At the same time, the sorcery shattered easily.

“H-how?!”

With her trump card broken, the old woman trembled in terror.

Dayoung bared her fangs and snarled.

“You dare use animal spirits against a mountain beast? Did you think that would work?!”

“Aaaah!”

The old woman quickly stepped backward.

Dayoung rushed toward her with frightening speed, grabbed her collar, and shouted:

“Someone like you should be a toy for our Yoonseol!”

She threw the old woman toward Yoonseol.

The woman rolled easily to Yoonseol’s feet.

Yoonseol glared down and asked:

“You know why we’re here, right?”

“S-spare me! I’m sorry!”

The old woman immediately began begging.

Yoonseol gestured at her.

“I’ll get straight to the point. The artifact you stole—where is it? Hand it over now.”

“What are you talking about? Why would we have it?!”

The old woman shook her head frantically.

Dayoung shouted angrily.

“You’re lying to the end!”

“I’m not lying! One of your companions already took it!”

Yoonseol sensed something strange.

“You just said… our companion?”

“Yes! Your companion!”

The old woman pointed at Wenling.

“That writer who uses the same character magic as the heir of the Hou family standing there! That man already took the artifact!”

Wenling gasped.

“Zuhan? Are you talking about him?”

“That writer’s name is Zuhan?”

The old woman stammered.

Wenling’s face filled with shock.

At least the woman didn’t seem to be lying.

Then what had Zuhan told them?

“What did he do? Speak quickly!”

Yoonseol pressed urgently.

“H-he attacked us!”

the old woman cried.

“We hijacked a smuggling ship and stole the artifact. We were waiting for orders at Wimi Harbor. Then that writer appeared and took the artifact! It’s true! And last night he came again and destroyed our ship like that! If we hadn’t escaped quickly, we’d all be dead!”

After hearing that, Yoonseol murmured in shock.

“What…? Then everything he told us…”

“It was a lie from the beginning!”

Wenling quickly pieced everything together.

He clutched his head in shock as he recalled everything.

Zuhan coming to Jeju.

His strangely calm face.

And how he had generously told them where Baekryundang was hiding.

All of it pointed to one conclusion.

“He had already stolen the artifact and planned to make us and Baekryundang fight each other to mutual destruction.”

Wenling quickly laid out the deduction.

From the start, Zuhan had never intended to help them.

What he wanted was simple: steal the artifact and let the curators and Baekryundang destroy each other.

While they fought, he could calmly accomplish his goal and return to China.

“You idiot! I told you we should’ve cut that bastard’s throat earlier!”

Dayoung snapped irritably.

But this wasn’t the time for that.

Yoonseol asked urgently:

“Where is your brother right now?”

Wenling immediately looked up at the sky.

There was only one place he would go.

“If it’s now… then he must be—!”

* * * *

Zuhan sat calmly in the airport waiting area, quietly waiting for his flight.

There was still time before boarding, but he preferred arriving hours early. It made him feel more at ease.

Leaning back in his chair, he enjoyed the moment of relaxation.

He had come for work, but he had quite liked Jeju Island.

“Waaaaaaah!”

Suddenly a loud crying sound erupted nearby.

A short-haired girl in a pink dress was crying loudly enough to shake the entire airport.

What’s going on?

Zuhan glanced at her casually.

“Waaaaaah!”

The moment she noticed him looking at her, the girl cried even louder.

It felt like she was deliberately trying to draw his attention.

A bad feeling crept over him—like he was about to get dragged into something troublesome.

Zuhan quickly looked away, pretending not to notice.

“Waaah!”

The girl walked toward him while crying.

Naturally, people nearby began staring at them.

With a sigh, Zuhan reluctantly spoke.

“W-what’s wrong, little one?”

The moment he spoke, the girl grabbed his collar and sobbed.

“Sniff… Daddy…”

Zuhan jumped in shock.

“What are you saying to an unmarried bachelor?!”

The girl pleaded tearfully.

“Daddy, I’m sorry! I’ll listen from now on! Don’t abandon me here!”

“Hey! Stop that! People will misunderstand!”

The girl clung to his leg as if she intended to stick to him.

People around them whispered.

Zuhan sighed and asked quietly:

“Alright, little lady. What’s your name?”

The girl stammered.

“D-Dayoung. Jung Dayoung.”

“That’s a pretty name. How old are you?”

“Twelve. Fifth grade in elementary school.”

Zuhan smiled gently and leaned closer.

Then he whispered quickly into her ear:

“But why do I sense the aura of a wild beast from you?”