Chapter 69

-The one who will catch lesser evil spirits will have to get down on his knees in front of the winner and call him Hyung.

Before they started the spar, Zaha definitely said that. Seo Geom’s mind felt so lost.

‘To go down on my knees….’

He couldn’t think of anything else. With all the blood draining from his face, he just looked at Seol Young blankly.

“…?”

But Seol Young seemed unbothered. He was already walking outside.

“Then you should take care of this place. You can handle the Mount Danseok issue and go back.”

After saying that, Zaha left that place and caught up with Seol Young.

“Why are you in such a rush?”

“When the other side loses, you need to run away quickly. I have won every match I should have lost, so now he will really want to kill me.”

“But it is Seo Geom-rang’s turn to kneel and call you Hyung.”

“Do not bring that up ever again.”

Seol Young cut him off and said,

“Because that gives him more reason to kill me. We still have grudges against each other.”

“Yes, right. My thoughts were shortsighted. It is such a complicated relationship.”

Seol Young’s feet stopped.

There was no way Zaha knew what had happened between him and the Blue Dragons in the past. But then he…

…. he suddenly remembered.

“You had a long conversation with Seo Geom-rang earlier. Did you talk about that?”

“He spoke about it first. What could I do? I couldn’t just stay silent.”

“….”

During their conversation, Zaha seemed shocked six to seven times. And he said it was because Seo Geom asked difficult questions…

‘But it was because of me?’

The frustrated look.

No.

Seol Young decided not to think about it and walked faster.

They were able to split up from Seo Geom and his troops safely. For the time being, he wouldn’t even look at Seol Young’s shadow.

And he decided to focus on the facts. But he was worried about one thing…

Seol Young hurried his steps.

Zaha asked,

“Why do you keep looking back?”

“I feel like an arrow will come flying. An arrow that is accidentally shot by Seo Geom-rang…”

“It won’t happen.”

How could he be so sure?

The two walked through the bamboo forest and through Mount Byeokdo.

Then they crossed the border.

They passed by the military border on the West, and Seol Young and Zaha blended in with the travelers.

After going through the military checkpoint, they followed the mountain path until they reached a place where they could rest.

The day was hot. Everyone sitting in the inn was fanning themselves and eating cold noodles.

Zaha also raised a fan and began to flutter it.

“From my memories, I don’t recall early summer being this hot. I don’t know if the Moon Palace will turn into Chang’an at this rate.”

“How is Chang’an?”

“I heard the imperial family has trees carved from ice, phoenixes, deer, and a forest of ice to play with. And the women and eunuchs there carry trays of ice with them wherever they go, just in case the emperor might talk to them.”

“That would be too much.”

Avoiding the blowing wind, Seol Young said,

“This summer is not that hot. But it depends on each person. Eight years in a tomb must be cold, so the outside must be too hot.”

Zaha stopped fanning, and Seol Young continued.

“Still, it is still much better to sit in a place like this than inside a lonely tomb, even though it’s hot and frustrating.”

Zaha looked at Seol Young.

“Are you saying that to make me feel better? Cause it seems like the other way around?”

“Yes.”

“The way you talk is quite odd. Don’t you feel like saying things like that would make others avoid you? I do not think you have bad intentions, but…”

“But you can still understand me pretty well.”

“That is because I’ve taught more than a hundred Hwarangs. And you are the most unique out of all of them.”

“That…”

“Don’t talk. Because it makes it hotter.”

Zaha got up.

“Now, if we move a little further, is it Apryang? As I said before, I will handle it from here. So just shut up and follow me.”

“No, it’s not like I can’t communicate with people that much.”

Seol Young protested, but if Zaha was going to do it, he didn’t have to stop him. After leaving the capital, Zaha’s energy felt stable.

The biggest reason was that he didn’t have to use his energy, but still, Zaha seemed a lot more comfortable.

Also, people began to go outside.

His mood changed when he talked with them, and his expression looked like he had gotten some crucial information.

Wouldn’t that help restore his pride?

With such thoughts in mind, they walked and arrived at the old lands.

“That is what is most famous here.”

Zaha pointed to the top of the hilly area. It was a place with an earthy-looking castle.

“A fortress?”

Seol Young looked at the castle.

It looked so peaceful with the clouds right above the castle, and the location was good since it seemed like there weren’t any people there.

“Wait, is it empty?”

“Yes.”

Zaha replied.

“Originally, the castle was given to the clan that ruled over Apryang and let them live inside it. But now, it seems like the path has been cut off or that everyone has left… Well, it is what it is.”

Seol Young didn’t say much, but he was impressed on the inside.

‘He does have good information.’

When he lowered his gaze, he could see the villages huddled together.

Where was Bakdalgol?

They wanted to ask someone, but there wasn’t anyone on the road. And after looking for a while, they finally found someone.

On the opposite side, under the shade of a tree, there was a child playing with a donkey.

The child also noticed them and seemed a bit surprised to see two odd-looking people, and his steps stopped along with those of his pet donkey.

Seol Young opened his mouth,

“Kid, maybe…”

“Huh.”

Zaha blocked him. And then he went and talked to the child himself.

“You have a nice donkey.”

He bent down, touched the head of the donkey, and praised a lot of things.

Seol Young looked at him without thinking.

But at some point, the child’s gaze fixed on Zaha, and it was like he was possessed by Zaha.

Was it an effective method?

Seol Young began to focus on him.

‘First, praise the donkey and then stroke its head and back…’

And Zaha turned back right then and gestured.

Seol Young walked to them, and the child’s eyes went wide.

“It is fine because we are together.”

Zaha reassured the kid and then said to Seol Young,

“This kid knows about Bakdalgol.”

“Really? You know it?”

“Yes…”

The child answered in a low voice.

“But Bakdalgol is a village that no longer exists.”

“I see.”

Zaha said calmly.

“But isn’t there a place where the village used to be? The land couldn’t have vanished.”

“Yes. The land is not gone…”

“Then, can you guide us there?”

Zaha pulled out a small piece of silver from his sleeve. And the child had a questioning look on his face. He glanced at the two again in suspicion.

“I cannot take it, but please follow me.”

The child turned around and went back the way he came. And the donkey was in front of him, with the two strangers behind. They all moved up the hill.

When they reached the top of the castle, the child stopped along with the donkey.

The child pointed his finger down.

“That is Bakdalgol.”

The two went silent at that. The kid was pointing to a blue lake.

On the calm, mirror-like surface of the water, the clouds drifting across the sky were reflected upside down.

“That lake is Bakdalgol?”

At Seol Young’s question, the child nodded.

“As you know, it used to be a village. I heard it was cursed one day, and the land was destroyed all over in one night and went underwater.”

“Cursed?”

“Yes. And it is said that when you pass by it in the middle of the night or on a foggy day, you can hear people talking from the water, and if we listen carefully, we can hear singing and bells….”

The child stared at the two of them again. His eyes looked as if he was searching for something.

“And I heard that there are weird travelers who occasionally come to this place. The ghosts of those who died a long time ago in that lake, and that they still have a village down…”

“What?”

Seol Young was stunned and asked back.

Was that why the child was giving them such an odd look? It was considered unlucky to accept money from a ghost, so was that why he didn’t take it?

“We are not ghosts.”

Zaha smiled and handed the silver to the child.

“It is fine. Buy food for the donkey.”

The child hesitantly accepted the silver and turned away. After a second, they could hear the child running down.

“I also thought praising the donkey was a good thing.”

Seol Young mumbled. That child thought of Zaha as a ghost and stared at him like he was possessed.

“But what creeps me out is that he is half right.”

Zaha said.

“That is why I don’t like smart kids.”

“If that kid heard all of this, he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Seol Young replied and looked down.

It was fortunate that they found the location, but this was not what they had expected.

“That must be why the Yokai from the GO rooms said that. He said that coming here is useless in the first place.”

Zaha looked down at the lake.

“What do we do now?”

“See through it.”

Seol Young said,

“It isn’t difficult because I’ve done this a lot. I think it will be easy to get it out, like the water ghosts. If not…”

He stopped speaking.

Looking at the lake, the blue, mirror-like surface of the water filled his eyes.

Then his head was dizzy.

‘Wait, this is not right.’

But he couldn’t take his eyes off the blue lake. When he stopped talking, Zaha looked at him.

“If not?”

“…”

“You should finish what you were saying.”

“…”

“What is wrong? Did you fall asleep while standing?”

He waved his hand in front of Seol Young, but he didn’t even blink. His eyes were focused on the lake.

It was only then that he realized something was strange.

TL/N: Place known to be the hottest.