Home/The Beloved Young Divine Child of the Twelve Zodiacs/ch 31

Chapter 31

"S-surely Master Geum wouldn't have...?"

Actually biting the head elder! What an absurd situation. If such a thing had happened in the Red Serpent House, the household would have been turned upside down. Yet the Geumho House allowed even this.

Just how powerful is the Geumho House?

Having only seen a master who cowered before the council of elders, Hyeokjae was left speechless. Heetaek spoke as if it were nothing.

"It was from a brief period of rebellion when he was very young. He's calmer now, but that nature doesn't just disappear."

In fact, Heetaek didn't mind the scar much—it had earned him the right to speak freely to Geum Dogyeong. But Hyeokjae would see it differently. He intended to intimidate him. If Hyeokjae backed off, even the Third Elder wouldn't dare act rashly. In that sense, this scar was an excellent shock tactic.

Heetaek said, "Leave Geumho Village within three days. If you don't, consider yourself prepared to be bitten by a tiger."

---

The next day, at the appointed time, Dogyeong entered the path leading to the Village of the Twelve Spirit Beasts. Arin, waiting at the entrance, waved at him. Choryeong's day off made it easier to sneak away.

"Let's go."

Dogyeong covered Arin's face with a hat and lifted her up. As he touched the entrance, the barrier of dense roots opened on its own.

"Wow! How did you do that?"

"I undid the protective formation."

"That's amazing!"

It had been sealed, but now it was wide open. Arin's eyes sparkled as she watched the formation part. The power of the Golden Tiger, which commanded the earth, was wondrous.

"Feel this energy carefully. You'll need to open it yourself someday."

With that, they stepped into the golden-lit entrance and disappeared.

---

Baek Muje was idly counting clouds. The headache that had been quiet for days had returned, setting his nerves on edge.

"There's a problem with the Yeouiju—it will become harder to control the White Dragon's power. Please remain in your transformed state as much as possible to stabilize yourself."

Recalling his physician's words, Muje's expression twisted.

"Quack. It's not fine at all."

Even in his transformed state, the raging power within him didn't settle. Over time, it became harder to contain the surging killing intent. Having once wielded his power freely since childhood, being unable to control it at all was maddening.

After losing half the Yeouiju in a moment of carelessness, Muje's life had been shaken to its core. His nerves grew more frayed, and he eventually began inflicting wounds on himself to suppress his power. Seeing this, his father had sent him to the Village of the Twelve Spirit Beasts.

"The Divine Maiden's power should calm that unruly force of yours."

His father's choice was right. In the village, where the Divine Maiden's power spread most strongly, controlling his power was somewhat easier. Yet Muje felt it was a prison—a body that could not roam freely without someone's help.

"Horrible."

Then, unbidden, the memory of that strange day came to him.

It was definitely from that day.

The turbulent energy within him had calmed the moment that child touched him. Startled, he had sat beside the chattering child and observed. Even being near her didn't feel unpleasant, unlike with others. He just wanted to hear more of her cheerful voice.

I should have asked her name.

With the banquet drawing crowds, finding her had been impossible. He had left a dragon scale just in case, but the protective formations of the Geumho House made it hard to pinpoint her location. Since that day, he hadn't seen her again. His life was growing darker by the day, yet the sky—damn it—was so clear.

He was idly kicking at the base of a chestnut tree when he saw someone walking up to the shrine below. Spotting Arin in Dogyeong's arms, Muje's expression brightened.

It's her!

That distinctive hair color was unmistakable. He immediately transformed into a white lizard and dashed toward the shrine.

---

"It seems the Divine Maiden is away for a moment," Dogyeong said, setting Arin down.

Arin looked around the shrine. The old building, marked by the passage of time, radiated a mystical energy. The spell concealing Muje's presence appeared to her like a thick fog.

"It's cloudy. Why is there so much fog here?"

"Huh? It's perfectly clear."

"You don't see the fog, Dad?"

Dogyeong looked up at the sky in puzzlement.

"So you can see it too."

Just then, Yeoryeong returned to the shrine, smiling warmly.

"Divine Maiden!"

Arin ran to her and bowed politely.

"Have you been well?"

"Yes, thanks to you, I've had a very peaceful day."

Squeak, squeak! (Hi there, little one!)

Geumgeum leaped onto Arin's palm and nuzzled affectionately. Dogyeong narrowed his eyes at the strange sight—the mouse usually bared its teeth and squeaked at him.

"Leave the child here and go. You must be busy."

"When should I return?"

"The hour of the Rooster would be best."

"Understood."

Having matters to discuss with the head elder, Dogyeong said to Arin,

"Be good with the Divine Maiden."

"See you later, Dad."

Arin smiled bravely and waved. The sight lingered in his mind, making him look back repeatedly until Geumgeum squeaked,

Squeak, squeak, squeak! (Stop being a bother and get lost!)

Even without understanding, Dogyeong knew it wasn't kind. He glared back.

Squeak, squeak? Squeak! (Divine Maiden, did you see that? He glared at me!)

"Stop playing with Geumgeum and go on."

"It's not playing."

After Dogyeong left, Yeoryeong led Arin inside. Inside the shrine stood statues of the Twelve Spirit Beasts, including a girl resembling a Divine Maiden.

"Have you heard the tale of the Twelve?"

"The story of a human girl who became friends with the Twelve Spirit Beasts?"

"Yes. Through their contract with the girl, the Twelve Spirit Beasts gained human form."

Yeoryeong began with a very old story—of a lonely girl, with no one to rely on, meeting the Twelve who ruled the land. Arin listened quietly to the dark story of the first Divine Maiden, who had thought there was only light.

"The girl, through the contract, could see the power of the Twelve with her eyes and feel it with her body—just as you can see the fog outside."

"I'm like you, Divine Maiden?"

"Yes. This power was originally granted by the Twelve to the girl. Having become human, they all loved her."

It was hard to believe she shared the same ability as the first Divine Maiden, who had been loved by all.

"That can't be. I'm a twelfth-year who can't even transform..."

Haunted by the thought of being a half-wit, Arin found it difficult to accept—as most twelfth-years would. Yeoryeong lowered her voice as if sharing a great secret.

"What I'm about to tell you must not be repeated to anyone."

Arin nodded, placing a finger to her lips. Finding it adorable, Yeoryeong continued with a smile in her voice.

"I can use the power of the Twelve even without transforming."

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