20 minutes ago.

A dark and cold cave.

Relying on the lantern he had prepared in advance, he was moving forward.

It was the hidden tenth peak. It could only be entered through the Heavenly Mountain Peak.

As she entered the cave, Ha Baek-ryeong felt a strange chill on her body.

Brrr!

A tremor in her stomach.

And she couldn’t even figure out the reason.

[Wife, are you alright?]

[… I am fine.]

As her expression wasn’t good, he asked her with a face heightened with panic.

Mak Wei-gang was expecting a treasure inside, and it wasn’t long before they made their way to the innermost part.

[Wife. Wait!]

[What is it?]

Mak Wei-gang stepped forward.

She didn’t understand why, but he picked up a small stone and threw it ahead.

Pak!

At that moment, the stone oxidized and turned into dust in the air.

Lines of red light were created in the air.

[Huh… a defense technique?]

What stood there was another ordeal. Mak Wei-gang broke in cold sweat, this technique seemed terrifying.

It was easy to get seriously injured.

[Can you remove it?]

[It won’t be that difficult.]

As a woman who shared the blood of the ancestor who created it, she could take it down.

[However, it was impossible to completely cancel it. It will only be possible if father comes.]

Although she had learned some things, she wasn’t perfect.

And a technique wasn’t something which could be mastered in a short period of time.

Woong!

When she touched something, red lines floated and then created something like an entrance.

At that, Mak Wei-gang smiled.

It was for this reason that he made her fall for him.

[We can move now, my wife.]

Mak Wei-gang touched her lovingly. After walking in, the entrance of the cave, which seemed to be the final point, was revealed.

The entrance was blocked by a stone wall.

Rrrr!

Ha Baek-ryeong could feel the tremors stronger than before. She didn’t know what it was in the beginning, but now she understood.

[The pure energy is shaking around.]

Her father had the ability to recognize the energies and she had learned that from her father.

This pure energy was making these tremors.

[Husband… I don’t feel good about this.]

[What do you mean? We came all this way!]

[There seems to be something dangerous inside.]

The trembling of pure energy means that the energy within that cave was bad.

Something bad was lurking inside. But despite her warning, the man insisted on opening the stone door.

After she realized that he wouldn’t listen, she decided to open it.

Grrr!

As the heat rushed out, the energy could be felt again.

The door opened on both sides. When it opened up in such a strange way, the torch inside the cave lit up by itself.

Woong!

The large cavity inside was enough to fill an entire peak. As they entered that place, the first thing which caught their eyes was the talismans.

‘My God!’

Seeing that, Ha Baek-ryeong was shocked. On each talisman were written things for defense.

She couldn’t even imagine just how dangerous the inside was.

‘This is bad. Too dangerous!’

She wanted to head out right away, but Mak Wei-gang found something and burst into laughter.

[Hahaha! I finally found it.]

He ran to the center of the cave.

A rocky pedestal in a strange shape with a 10-meter-tall black stone statue standing there.

“Sealing!”

What Mak Wei-gang saw was a shiny string of black whip around the statue.

Unusually, the whip was so long that it wrapped the entire statue.

[H-Husband! wait]

But Mak Wei-gang stopped listening to her. No matter how much she pleaded, it was like the man couldn’t hear her anymore.

Tak!

He grabbed the handle of the whip and pulled on it.

Crrr!

At that moment, an amazing thing happened. The whip around the stone statue of the large monster shortened and the whip around the face, which was the last one, was exposed.

Shhhh!

And the beast’s face was revealed.

‘Fox?’

Mak Wei-gang was standing right ahead of the statue looking at it.

The beast had the face of a fox. However, the corner of the fox’s mouth, which was made of black stone, moved.

[H-Husband! Stop!]

She ran and tried to stop her husband, who kept moving close to the statue.

However, at the moment she took a step ahead, the whip moved.

Fortunately, the four legs were still tied.

Woong!

[… No.]

Ha Baek-ryeong couldn’t even raise her head in the tremendous energy that was moving.

A terrifying evil energy was suppressing her from moving ahead.

Clenching her teeth and trying to pull Mak Wei-gang’s wrist.

[Husband… please! We need to run! Please please!]

But he didn’t move.

Flustered, she looked at him.

[Huh?]

His eyes were tinged in a golden light. This man was completely possessed with this fox’s energy.

‘Gold?’

The moment she saw the gold light, something flashed through her mind.

She knew the beast in front of her.

‘Golden hair…’

It was then.

-An abominable being.

A creepy voice echoed around.

Pang!

[Ack!]

An unknown force struck her.

Ha Baek-ryeong flew and rolled on the ground. Her innocent beautiful face was covered with blood in an instant.

The upper body of this huge being was full of golden hair.

[Ahhhh.]

And nine tails were moving above the head.

Seeing that, she ran to escape from the cave without looking back and closing the stone door.

“Nine tails?”

“Fox?”

The Elders who heard what happened inside that peak were shocked. A creature with nine tails.

The nine tailed fox of the legend, Gumiho.

Who would have imagined that a magical being, a legend, was trapped inside that peak.

Gyeong Cheon-guk asked with a serious voice.

“Miss. Did you say golden hair?”

“Y-yes. Brilliant gold.”

“No…”

With trembling eyes, he looked at the peak which was roaring.

“What is it? Elder Gyeong?”

Ark Young asked.

“Not a nine-tailed fox.”

“Huh? Not a nine-tailed fox?”

“… from the ancient book, there was a monster which is said to have existed in the Yin Dynasty.”

“Yin?”

The Yin Dynasty was very ancient.

“The great yokai has been called by many names through the centuries. Like Tamamo-no-mae, pale-faced scholar…”

A being that was once called yokai. And at some point, they turned from calling them yokai to monsters.

It was said that the last trace of this monster was defeated by a man in Japan, but it didn’t seem like the information was true.

“Our Gyeong family stayed with the Ha family for generations. This is why I have heard from my father about the deeds of the ancestors.”

“Then you…”

“The ancestors say that this great yokai was trying to shake up the world, so people went to get rid of it. However, I heard that the great yokai had the power of an entire nation of Murim, and so unable to defeat it, they sealed it up. Ha… and it must have been residing in the Kunlun Mountains.”

It surprised Gyeong Cheon-guk that the holiest place for them was where that monster was sealed.

Come to think of it, it might have been the Lord’s mission to monitor this monster.

“Is it that dangerous of a monster?”

“Not just dangerous. This golden haired nine tailed fox is one of the Three Yokai.”

The ancient book on spirits mentioned 5 Spirit Beasts and 3 Yokai. The Spirit Beasts were said to be born from the sacred nature, but this trio was different.

Evil beings born from the worst deeds.

“Haa…”

“Is this what the Lord talked about? The demon that the skies fear?”

All had the same thoughts. At that time, Ha Baek-ryeong yelled.

“How long are you going to talk? Are you going to let my husband die?”

At her words, the Elders felt like they had to do something.

Not that they were going to save that man, but at least do something to not let the creature walk out.

Elder Seong spoke,

“Let’s do this. Elder Ark stays with the Lord and so will the lady. Let the rest of us head down there.”

He proposed splitting into two.

However, Ha Baek-ryeong objected and said she would follow them, but they didn’t want her down there.

“I am the only one who can open it up, what could you Elders even do to head in?”

They had no choice but to take her.

Everyone, except for Ark Young, who was the least powerful among the Elders, went to that peak.

At the entrance of the sealed place, the Elders looked at the stone door with tensed faces.

Kwang!

A loud roar from within. The cave shook as if it would collapse the next moment.

Those who heard it felt pure fear.

‘Such different energy.’

Even though the door was closed, they could still feel it. The Elders looked at each other and nodded.

Gyeong Cheon-guk said,

“Miss, please open the door for us.”

“Okay.”

When Ha Baek-ryeong put her hand on the stone door, red letters were engraved on it and opened.

Grrr!

The door opened once again revealing the cave, but the shaking stopped.

“The shaking stopped.”

“Huh?”

A musty smell, as if something had burned inside.

Ha Baek-ryeong, who was behind the Elders, covered her mouth.

‘The talismans…’

The talismans covering the wall of the cave were charred and ashes were flying around.

The sight was appalling.

Swish!

As Gyeong Cheon-guk waved his hand with energy, the ashes were pushed aside and the site ahead appeared.

They saw something in the middle.

A man with a black appearance, supposedly Mak Wei-gang, was holding something, and in front of him, was a beautiful naked woman with her long hair flowing down.

The woman was on the pedestal, and seemed unconscious.

“What is th…”

“Let’s get Elder Mak out now…”

When Elder Seong was trying to ask what happened, Ha Baek-ryeong asked them.

The Elders went to the place that the lady showed and if her words were correct, then there would be a golden haired nine tailed fox, not a naked woman.

“Elder Mak?”

Elder Hyang called for him. Looking at how he stood still, it seemed like he wasn’t harmed despite the strangeness.

There was no reaction. Puzzled, Elder Hyang approached and put his hand on his shoulder.

“Elder Mak, are you…”

It was then.

Puk!

“Kuak!”

Something protruded from Elder Hyang’s back.

“Elder Hyang!”

What came out from the back was none other than Mak Wei-gang’s hand, which was now holding the heart.

“Uhhhh…. Mak… Mak Wei….”

Elder Hyang, who was attacked, yelled until he fell limp.

As the hot blood of the dead Elder flowed on the floor, an astonishing phenomenon occurred.

Woong!

On the floor with the shape of eight trigrams, a red light flashed and then soon died.

Shhh!

It didn’t end there. The heart Mak Wei-gang pulled out was presented to the naked woman in a very gentle manner.

“W-what the hell!”

The woman opened her eyes.

The bright gold eyes of the woman were pleased.

At that moment, the hair turned golden.

Gyeong Cheon-guk mumbled,

“What! That woman is the golden-haired nine-tailed fox!”

Woong!

He immediately called out invisible swords and tried to attack the woman right away, but something blocked it.

Papak!

Huge golden tail.

‘It could block the sword?’

This being called ‘great yokai’ had skills beyond what one could imagine.

As he was shocked, something more absurd happened.

Grrr!

The stone door behind was closing.

Elder Seong tried to move to that place, but another golden tail flew in and smacked him away.

“Euk!”

Thud!

He flew to the wall of the cave and blood gushed out of his mouth.

With a voice full of fear, Ha Baek-ryeong shouted,

“Sa-save my husband as promised.”

At her words, the golden-haired woman, no, the golden-haired nine-tailed fox, smiled.

“What was that?”

Hearing that, Gyeong Cheon-guk realized that something was wrong. He thought that she was telling them the truth, but it seemed like there was a deal between them.

“Misssssss!”

He screamed as he looked at her, but she turned her back towards them.

Thud!

The stone door completely closed, and the roaring sound started.

She muttered to herself in a venomous voice.

“I did nothing wrong. She needs to be kept alive. If it means saving him, I will do anything.”

Elder Gyeong’s guess was right. She had made a deal with the fox in exchange for her husband and her own well-being.

-I have been locked up for a long time and need fresh blood. Pay the price and I will spare this person’s and your life too.

Originally, she was aiming to control this woman with that captivating energy.

However, that didn’t work because of that woman’s bloodline, so she made a deal.

‘This is the only way to save him.’

She was comforting herself until she heard a voice.

“What are you doing?”

She couldn’t even hear the person approaching because of the roars. She looked back in shock.

“Who?”

A man with sharp eyes and a fair face in a black suit. It was Chun Yeowun.

When she came to ask for help, she didn’t enter the Lord’s residence, so she was unaware of his existence.

Chun Yeowun asked again.

“Why did you close the stone door?”

Confused, she spoke without realizing.

“The Elders told me to close it as it was dangerous.”

She didn’t need to make excuses as he was someone she didn’t know, but she felt like she had to say something.

In a cold voice, Chun Yeowun asked,

“By the way, what was that scream about keeping your husband alive as promised?”

‘!?’

Ha Baek-ryeong couldn’t hide her shock. She couldn’t understand how this man heard that.

“H-How…”

Chun Yeowun looked at the door and said,

“Open it.”

It was a command which made the woman glare at him.

Judging from the noises, it was clear that the Elders weren’t dead and were fighting that fox.

They had to die for the deal to close.

“… I can’t.”

“What?”

Chun Yeowun’s brows rose.

She felt intimidated by it, but she insisted.

“If I open the door, my husband will die.”

She wasn’t going to open it.

Chun Yeowun asked in a low voice.

“This is the last time. Open it.”

‘This!’

As Eun Jarim’s successor, she was always treated as the highest force.

That’s why she was annoyed at the way Chun Yeowun spoke.

She yelled.

“You! Do you know who I am! I am the only…”

Grab!

At that moment, Chun Yeowun grabbed her mouth.

“Ump!”

The grip was so tight that it let her think that her teeth and jaw would break out. As she was flustered, Chun Yeowun spoke in a cold voice.

“Why do I need to know who you are? I clearly warned you. Open it.”

‘W-who is he?’

It was then that she realized that this person was from the outside, and that he didn’t care about her.

Scared, she tried to say,

“If you… harm me… I won’t open the door.”

Only those of the Lord's bloodline could open it. Using that as an excuse, she tried to make sure he wouldn’t hurt her.

However, Chun Yeowun said,

“Woman. Did you think I asked you to open the door because I couldn’t?”

‘What?’

Ha Baek-ryeong couldn’t understand what he was saying.

Slash!

Chun Yeowun waved his hand towards the stone gate with the sword. A black line appeared on the door and it cracked.

‘H-How can it happen?’

At that, Chun Yeowun spoke in a cold voice.

“Ark Young asked me to spare you just this once.”

‘!?’

Both her eyes trembled. A great energy was pressing down through her chest.

“But you let go of the chance so easily.”

Shhh!

Flustered, she tried to wave her hand and beg.

“J-just a little….”

Crack!

Chun Yeowun grabbed her lower jaw and pulled it from her mouth.

Her jaw was ripped off and her screams in pain sounded strange.

“Kuaaak!”

“Shut up.”

Slash!

Chun Yeowun drew the sword towards the woman this time. As she staggered a little, her head had already fallen to the floor.