Chapter – 17
Ryeon wanted to retort to Hwa-ryun’s words, but what he said wasn’t entirely wrong.
‘No, he’s actually completely right… As expected, I need to get stronger. I need to get stronger, and our family needs to become more powerful too.’
Only then could she live a safe, accident-free, disease-free, and long life!
‘And this guy…’
With a complex expression, Ryeon looked down at Black Moon—no, the Black Phoenix—no, the silkie chicken, whose eyes were shining brilliantly.
The silkie elegantly moved its head, tapped the remaining feed once, and poked its beak slightly out through the iron bars. Before she knew it, Ryeon was gently stroking its pitch-black beak.
The silkie nibbled lightly on the tip of Ryeon’s finger without causing any pain, then let go. At its tip, Ryeon felt a warm light.
“If it were a real spiritual beast, wouldn’t it have run away already? Instead of staying in a place like this.”
“The person who feeds it is right here.”
“Ah…!”
He was right! A lament escaped from deep within Ryeon. If it was becoming a spiritual beast by consuming her spiritual energy, then of course it would stick around here. Where else would it go?
“Still, I need to separate the chicken coop. We can’t leave it like this.”
Even for the sake of the other chickens, this couldn’t go on.
“What? The chicken ran away in the meantime?”
“I separated it temporarily because we’re building a new coop, but this rascal is so strong…”
Mister Jeon from the kitchen looked as if he was about to burst into tears. Ryeon also stared at the half-smashed temporary chicken coop with a flustered expression.
Although it was just a wooden fence with a hastily placed lid, a normal chicken should have never been able to break it.
Following the direction where the silkie had wildly flown off, they reached the southern wall. One of the roof tiles placed on top of the wall was smashed to pieces; it seemed the bird had somehow kicked off from there to leap over.
While Mister Jeon clutched his head in distress, Ryeon sent him back first and swallowed a sigh as she stood in front of the wall.
‘Did it go into the mountain? If so…’
“Sister, what are you thinking about?”
“I’m wondering if it ended up running away despite the fact that the person who feeds it is right here…”
“…”
Hwa-ryun, who had spoken to her, approached Ryeon’s side while averting his gaze with an awkward expression. Without looking back at him, Ryeon continued.
“I think I have to go look for Black Moon.”
“…You were thinking about something strange just now, weren’t you?”
“It’s not strange. It looks like it fled into the mountain. What if Black Moon wanders around the mountain paths at night and gets eaten by wild beasts?”
“If anything, it would be the one doing the eating, not getting eaten. With a body that size…”
“To maintain that size, it needs to eat a lot. How is a creature that has lived its whole life in a chicken coop going to find anything to eat in that mountain?”
“Then just order anyone to go find it and bring it back.”
“The thing is, even though it doesn’t seem that way to me, people say it has a ferocious side. I’m worried something might happen. Its appearance is also so unusual that it makes me anxious. What if… what if someone steals it?”
“Stealing a chicken from a martial family? Unless they have a death wish, there’s no way…” Hwa-ryun muttered.
Hearing that, Ryeon turned around to look at Hwa-ryun in sheer shock.
An awkward silence fell between the two. No matter how serious it was, would someone really kill a person over a stolen chicken?
‘Is this… the caliber of the future Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult…?’
Had he been this extraordinary ever since he was a child?
Noticing Ryeon’s gaze, Hwa-ryun seemed to snap out of it. He feigned innocence before hurriedly changing the subject.
“Then what are you going to do? Are you really going to look for it, Sister?”
“Yeah. Blackie might be wandering around, unable to find its way back…”
And so, a dramatic Silkie—presumed Phoenix—Rescue Party was formed.
It consisted of three people: Ryeon, who insisted on going herself; Hwa-ryun, who couldn’t bear to leave her alone; and the guard warrior, Jeong Yeong, who was utterly horrified to hear that the sickly young lady was planning to hike up a mountain.
Ryeon climbed the hill, following the faint trace of the silkie’s presence she could sense. There were moments when her breath caught in her throat and her vision blurred from the unseasonal mountain climbing, but she forced herself to endure it.
‘The power of nature is way too strong here… Ugh, I’m dying. I am absolutely never going to live as a friend of nature. I’ll strictly live in a crowded, bustling place.’
She was already dragging a body that lacked energy due to her spiritual state, so climbing a mountain where spiritual energy naturally flowed like breathing made her feel utterly suffocated.
The unrealistically beautiful scenery painted with autumn leaves, her breath catching in her throat, her spiritual energy slowly flashing a red warning light—everything made her dizzy.
As they wandered like that, the moment finally came when Jeong Yeong and Hwa-ryun were about to suggest giving up. At last, beneath a massive tree, they spotted a chicken whose black and red feathers wavered like flames.
“Black Moon!”
Sensing Ryeon’s presence, the silkie snapped its head up. However, it did not approach her. It merely stood under the tree in an elegant posture.
“Black Moon…?”
“It doesn’t look like it has any intention of coming over here.”
Ryeon raised a finger to Hwa-ryun, gesturing for him to be quiet. Wrapping her collar tightly around herself, she took careful steps forward. As she drew close, the silkie rubbed its cheek against her sleeve.
“Black Moon, how did you get all the way here? Wasn’t it hard? Let’s go home now…”
But just as Ryeon tried to embrace it, the bird took flight as if gracefully drifting through water and backed away. It was an elegant movement that didn’t even make the sound of flapping wings.
While Ryeon could only watch in surprise, Hwa-ryun stepped up to her side.
“Hmm. It looks like it’s just going to leave.”
“I’m telling you, seriously, just stay quiet for a moment.”
Ryeon glared at the obnoxious Hwa-ryun before turning her head back toward the silkie.
However, she couldn’t find the words to continue. As the sunlight filtering through the tree branches hit the silkie, it truly began to look divine.
“Uh… Uh-oh, are you really leaving?”
At Ryeon’s question, the bird nodded its head once. Then, slowly and quietly, it vanished into the bushes behind the tree.
“…” “…” “…”
Ryeon stared blankly at the spot—more precisely, at the empty space beneath the tree where the silkie had just disappeared.
“Just now? Was that it? It told me it was leaving and really just left?”
“Looks like it.”
“Just like that? So easily?”
To disappear so hollowly, without making all the effort of feeding and raising it worthwhile?
“Considering a chicken stopped running away just to come give a farewell greeting, I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘easy’…”
Snapping out of her daze, the panicked Ryeon hurriedly rushed toward the tree. Not that she could find the vanished chicken by doing so.
“Let’s head down now.”
Hwa-ryun approached the blankly standing Ryeon and tugged at her collar.
“You collapsed just the day before yesterday. You’re not going to make me scour the entire mountain looking for herbs again, right?”
“No, that’s not it, but…”
It was a chicken she held dear. Just because it nodded its head as if understanding human speech and leaped away, could she really cast aside her lingering attachment so easily?
It was right when Ryeon was hesitating with trembling eyes. From afar, a strange sound that seemed to tear and split the air echoed.
Shuaaaaaaaak!
At that exact moment, a brilliant and auspicious five-colored light flashed and spread out. Simultaneously, a massive shadow cast over them.
It was the shape of a giant bird. The light shining from behind was so blinding that it was almost impossible to look straight at it, but one thing was certain. A colossal figure of myriad colors, possessing wings large enough to cover the mountain, a long tail, and a beautiful crest, shone intensely in the sky for a long moment before slowly dissolving away.
Far in the distance, Ryeon thought she faintly heard the cry of a chicken.
At the same time, a few feathers fluttered down from the sky, drifting slowly until they landed right upon Ryeon’s outstretched hand. They were feathers of a stark, burning, vivid red.
“…’ “…”
By that point, Ryeon also cleared away her lingering attachments.
“Well. I can just tell the chef that the chicken turned into a phoenix and flew away. No one will doubt it.”
“…Sister, be careful not to get dragged away by the local magistrate.”
“Don’t they say the government does not interfere with the martial world?”
“What if the government changes its mind? Besides, if it’s a phoenix, it won’t just be the government. The Orthodox Martial Alliance and the Black Heaven Syndicate will all come rushing in.”
“If I get dragged away for creating a phoenix… you have to drop by to bring me some sweet pastries.”
“Are sweet pastries all you need?”
“Tanghulu too. Not the ones made by our uncle. And will only the Orthodox Alliance and Black Heaven Syndicate come? The Demonic Cult will probably come too.”
Her voice trembled slightly as she uttered those last words.
‘Did I probe him for nothing? I wonder if he feels something like the pulling of his soul?’
However, Hwa-ryun merely snorted.
“That place is too far. It’s ten thousand li away from here.”
“Right! It’s far. Because it’s far…”
It was the exact moment Ryeon thought, ‘Should I tell him never to dream of going there and just live happily ever after with me for thousands of years right here?’
The feathers in Ryeon’s hand suddenly burst into flames.
“Wo-Woah, ahhhh!” “!” “M-My Lady!”
All three people on the spot were startled out of their wits. They tried wrapping it in cloth and pouring water from the canteen they brought, but it was to no avail.
“Whoa… Ah… It’s not hot? Ah. The fire went out… It’s gone?”
The three huddled their heads together and looked down at Ryeon’s hand.
Aside from being wet from the canteen water, her hand was completely clean, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.
“Are—are you alright? Any burns…?”
Ryeon shook her hand and shook her head.
“None. I’m fine. Really, I’m perfectly fine. Jeong Yeong, you didn’t happen to use something like the Samadhi True Fire, did you?”
She meant it as a joke, but Jeong Yeong stared at her with eyes that looked strangely hurt.
