Chapter 55
Whoosh— Whoosh—
A group of people sped through the dense forest at a terrifying speed.
They seemed to be running as though someone was chasing them, their eyes fixed solely ahead.
Surprisingly, leading the group was Shin Geum. Her movements, using the Demonic Phoenix Sky Art , were nothing short of astounding, rivaling even those of Seol-ha.
Close behind her was Tak Joong-hak. Despite his age of eighty, his breathing and movements were flawless and unshaken.
Following him closely and guarding his sides were the Shadows of Hyeonwol Hall.
Although officially warriors of the Tak Family, the Shadows had come to be known for handling the family’s most secretive affairs.
For a while, only the sound of wind echoed around them.
Tap!
After running without rest for some time, Shin Geum finally stopped.
Nearly two hours had passed since they left the cult.
They arrived at a large clearing in the middle of the forest. The space bore marks of forcibly felled trees, leaving behind an empty expanse.
At its center lay a lone, silent grave.
Tak Joong-hak, who arrived shortly after, walked slowly toward the grave.
Tap, tap, tap.
With a signal from Chun-young, the subordinates spread out, encircling the clearing widely.
“I apologize. I didn’t know her name, so I couldn’t place a headstone.”
“Don’t apologize. I can see just how much care you’ve put into this, even without seeing it myself.”
Though there was no headstone, the area was surrounded by a field of flowers.
The grave, meticulously maintained without a single weed, lent credibility to Shin Geum’s words.
“Dig it up.”
But verification was still necessary.
If Seonhwa was indeed buried here, as a father, he would know immediately.
At Tak Joong-hak’s command, four subordinates rushed forward and began digging up the grave.
“May I ask you something?”
As she watched the grave being unearthed, Shin Geum asked calmly.
“Go ahead.”
“Is Seol-ha truly the blood of the Heavenly Demon?”
“What did you just say?”
“There’s a saying that blood calls to blood. Seol-ha was merely a maidservant, yet the Heavenly Demon took an immediate interest in her. Isn’t that strange?”
“…She resembled someone.”
“If he took her as a disciple simply because of a resemblance, it must mean his feelings for your daughter were extraordinary. But that leads me to another question. If he cared for his lover so deeply, why was she pursued and killed by the demons? Why didn’t she even seek your help as her father?”
It was clear that something complex and unknown to Shin Geum had transpired.
“One more thing, your daughter left me with a peculiar message.”
“My Seonhwa left a message?”
“I hoped she would at least tell me her child’s name, but instead, she said something strange.”
“Something strange?”
Shin Geum recalled the voice of her savior, so desperate at the time.
“Do not let the Heavenly Demon meet the child. You must raise her as your own and ensure she lives an ordinary life. That is all I ask.”
As she entrusted Seol-ha to Shin Geum, preparing for her final battle, the woman repeated those words dozens of times.
At the time, the urgency of the situation left no room for deeper thought.
After joining the cult, Shin Geum had been busy settling in and raising Seol-ha.
But now, in light of recent events, the message began to weigh heavily on her mind.
Before, she had assumed it was a warning about the danger posed by the Heavenly Demon.
But now, it felt as though there was something deeper.
Could it be that the savior didn’t want the Heavenly Demon to claim his daughter for some reason?
“She must have known. That the Heavenly Demon would obsess over her daughter.”
“Did you just say obsession?”
“The Heavenly Demon’s obsession with my daughter was beyond comprehension. He made great efforts to win her over.”
“But she wasn’t interested?”
“Seonhwa had a lover. And that was the beginning of all this tragedy.”
Tak Joong-hak spoke heavily.
She had a lover?
“Don’t tell me… the one who caused her death…”
“Yes. My lord, whom I served like my own son, was the one responsible.”
To save her lover, Tak Seonhwa had no choice but to leave the Demonic Cult.
Tak Joong-hak had done everything to find his daughter after she went into hiding.
When he finally heard the news of her death and that of her lover, he confronted the Heavenly Demon.
Was this truly necessary?
Did you really have to take my only child from me?
But at the time, the Heavenly Demon had been completely blinded by jealousy.
Despite Seonhwa’s claim that she had a lover, he had kept his distance. But when the two lovers eloped, he completely lost his reason.
Three years of relentless pursuit ended in death for everyone involved.
Tak Joong-hak could understand why Seonhwa, carrying her newborn on her back, had tried to return to the cult.
She must have thought that, at the very least, her child could survive under the protection of the Tak Family.
But she ultimately failed, and fate placed her granddaughter in Shin Geum’s care.
Perhaps Seonhwa, in her final moments, had made peace with her decision.
If it had come to this, she would have wanted her daughter to grow up completely free from the Heavenly Demon and the Tak Family.
Tak Joong-hak could imagine his daughter’s thoughts—always proud of being a member of the Tak Family, yet yearning for freedom.
Surely, she would have wanted her child to live without any constraints.
“Haa.”
What kind of expression would she wear in the afterlife upon learning that the daughter she gave her life to save had become the Heavenly Demon’s disciple?
Tak Joong-hak tightly shut his eyes, unable to process the cruel reality that could only be described as divine mockery.
“How could such a thing happen….”
Shin Geum’s assumption that the Heavenly Demon might be Seol-ha’s biological father was completely wrong.
Instead, he was the mortal enemy who killed her parents.
“Seol-ha…”
Shin Geum already worried about how her granddaughter would handle the truth when it inevitably came to light.
Staring at the earth being unearthed, Tak Joong-hak spoke in a heavy tone.
“Do you know why the Heavenly Demon has no disciples?”
“Isn’t it simply because he has no interest?”
“You’re partly right. To be exact, it’s because he has never felt attachment to anyone.”
Even to his own sons, the Heavenly Demon showed no affection. His interest and favor depended solely on his personal preference.
“Still, how could he take someone as his disciple after killing their parents just because she resembled them? Is your leader insane?”
“Do you truly want to know my answer?”
Shin Geum was struck speechless by the twisted romantic obsession of the Heavenly Demon.
Now she understood the cryptic remarks Gong Pae-cheon had made about the tangled issues between the Tak Family and the Heavenly Demon.
“Patriarch!”
At that moment, one of the subordinates digging the grave shouted.
Tak Joong-hak and Shin Geum rushed over simultaneously.
Seventeen years had passed.
What emerged from the grave was, of course, skeletal remains.
Fortunately, they seemed undisturbed by wild animals; the bones were neatly intact.
“…!”
Tak Joong-hak silently gazed at the skeleton before suddenly jumping into the pit.
Like a madman, he frantically clawed at the dirt with his bare hands. Then he abruptly froze, trembling violently.
Clutched in his hand was a gold bracelet—the very one he had placed on his daughter’s wrist on her fifteenth birthday.
It had been a keepsake from his late wife.
“Search the surrounding area!”
Following Chun-young’s orders, the subordinates began digging through the dirt with their hands.
Several more gold ornaments were unearthed—all belonging to Seonhwa.
“Ughh…!”
Tak Joong-hak, who had begun to weep upon finding the bracelet, eventually gathered all the items and broke into heart-wrenching sobs.
As Shin Geum turned her back, his subordinates stepped away to give him space.
How could one fathom the emotions of a man who had just found the remains of a daughter lost to the world seventeen years ago?
The Heavenly Demon’s vile command to kill the one he claimed to love, and his mercilessness, made Shin Geum’s blood boil with rage.
She was bitterly resentful and furious that such a man had taken Seol-ha under his wing.
“Thank you.”
After a while, Tak Joong-hak composed himself and approached Shin Geum.
“Thanks to you, Seonhwa can finally come home.”
“At least she can go home now. That’s a relief.”
“And thank you for saving and raising my granddaughter.”
“It was my life she saved first. Without her, I wouldn’t be here either.”
“You must be from the righteous sects, aren’t you?”
“…Did it show? I tried my best to hide it.”
Tak Joong-hak gave a faint smile.
“I had my suspicions from the noodle shop. Even ordinary people have a faint energy flow, yet you had none at all.”
“Well then.”
Shin Geum chuckled lightly, as if admitting she’d overlooked that detail.
“And the energy you emitted when using your lightness technique was pure.”
“I thrashed around like a wild horse, but it seems I was still lacking.”
“No matter how much one imitates, their roots remain unchanged. Have you placed restrictions on yourself?”
“As expected, the Patriarch’s eyes are keen. That’s why I’ve been avoiding you.”
As Tak Joong-hak pointed out, Shin Geum had imposed restrictions on herself.
By using fine needles, she had entirely suppressed her energy flow, making her internal energy undetectable.
But someone like Tak Joong-hak found this lack of energy all the more suspicious.
“Even this appearance must not be your true self.”
“….”
Shin Geum neither affirmed nor denied his statement.
“Whatever your story may be, I’ll pretend not to know.”
“…Are you serious?”
“After finding my daughter and granddaughter, the least I can do is show you that courtesy.”
Tak Joong-hak looked at Shin Geum with solemn eyes.
“If you ever need help, come to the Tak Family. I’ll repay this debt.”
“What about Seol-ha?”
“I’ll bring her home.”
There wasn’t the slightest hesitation in Tak Joong-hak’s voice.
“I failed to protect my daughter, but I will protect my granddaughter.”
As the root and master of the Demonic Sword’s lineage, the reawakening of the Tak Family’s long-hidden patriarch was bound to stir great changes in the Demonic Cult.
Shin Geum’s mind grew increasingly troubled as she considered what impact this might have on Seol-ha.
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