By Zephyria 
‘Did you not say that I am a perfect human?’
Po Ui stood with arms crossed in a majestic manner. Hwa-seon realized that he had never once seen his master show a moment of weakness.
White Tiger was a radiance that left not a single speck of shadow. It was a brightness that burned away all the surrounding vegetation. To remain by their side, Hwa-seon also had to be a brilliance—the most flawless and brightest light of all.
In truth, he was aware of the twisted aspects within himself. The heart that gasped for recognition. The anxiety of trembling in fear that he might not be flawless, that he might be abandoned. And the love-hate relationship.
Occasionally, Hwa-seon felt doubt toward Po Ui’s commands. When those emotions intensified, there were even moments when he wanted to run away. These were emotions he could not have—no, must not have—and a weakness he had not disclosed to anyone for three hundred years.
‘If you removed all my flaws… then why am I so anxious and weak?’
As Young-pa tried to stand, the rock summoned by Hwa-seon slammed into his back. Young-pa now seemed to lack even the strength to defend himself. Hwa-seon looked down coldly at him as he lay prostrate, coughing up blood.
Po Ui, who had been in a high place, leaped down to a peak not far from them. He was smiling, baring his teeth.
“Excellent, my human.”
Hwa-seon looked at White Tiger with a blank expression.
“I am proud of you.”
Words that would normally have been touching felt hollow in his ears. Despite being pleasant words, he could not swallow them smoothly.
Hwa-seon feared his master’s certainty. Was he not one who could not tolerate a single blemish? How would he react if there were a shadow in the heart of the servant he considered perfect?
“O Great White Tiger.”
Hwa-seon’s voice was thin and unstable.
“You said that man was broken from birth, and that I am perfect from head to toe.”
White Tiger snorted.
“You state the obvious.”
“You erased the emotion of doubt from me… then why am I doubting?”
Hwa-seon’s lips trembled. He had never once uttered such a question aloud.
“That is impossible. You are a being composed only of certainty.”
A blade-like answer flowed from White Tiger’s lips. They looked down at Hwa-seon with strict eyes.
Hwa-seon wanted to believe his master, but for once, he could not. The doubt that had accumulated bit by bit from the past had swollen into a massive fear.
“If… if evil grew within me… what would you do?”
These were words that were extremely difficult for Hwa-seon to bring out. However, White Tiger shouted abruptly, as if it were no big deal.
“I told you it is impossible! It seems that piece of trash has had a negative influence on you. Dispose of him at once.”
Since his words did not reach the master at all, Hwa-seon fell silent.
Hwa-seon’s master, teacher, and lover. Po Ui had always filled his life without lack. As a servant, Hwa-seon received shining power; as a disciple, dazzling special abilities; and as a lover, an abundance of favor. Sitting at the deity’s right hand, he lived a prosperous and glorious life; it was a position of honor so high that he could not climb any further.
‘No.’
Hwa-seon realized the limit of the love White Tiger bestowed.
To Po Ui, Hwa-seon was an obedient servant, a capable disciple, and a lover who did not defy him. He had never shown any other side of himself.
Po Ui had said that all the dark sides had been removed from Hwa-seon, but this was not true. Fear, anxiety, and hatred lurked within Hwa-seon’s heart. He had simply suppressed and ignored those emotions, preventing them from surfacing.
‘I was merely your doll.’
A flaw-ridden doll acting out perfection.
“What are you doing? Kill him now!”
At the master’s fierce urging, Hwa-seon gripped his sword with both hands. His palms were drenched in sweat, as if a flood had occurred.
As Hwa-seon took a step forward, the sprawled Young-pa lifted his head. The sight of a man facing death with a smirk was enough to evoke awe beyond mere terror.
“That son of a bitch Ji Seo-gu sent me to my death and doesn’t even save me. I guess he really is afraid of White Tiger.”
He spoke sarcastically. Then, he called out to Hwa-seon, “Hey.”
“Still, we have some affection born from spending time together; will you grant me one request?”
Hwa-seon lost the will to answer such brazen words. Young-pa seemed to take this as consent.
“After you kill me… take my body as it is to Azure Dragon.”
An indescribably affectionate emotion flickered in his eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t ask why, just let me give one last gift.”
Hwa-seon did not understand. He looked toward his master, and White Tiger shook their head heavily.
“Every word out of your mouth is a spectacle. Azure Dragon, my foot! The only place your corpse is going is underground.”
“Keke… Fuck, I knew this would happen. Fine. Do whatever the hell you want!”
Young-pa sighed and lifted his head high. For a moment, Hwa-seon thought he would shed tears. However, Young-pa’s hazy gaze gradually became clear.
Hwa-seon noticed that he was looking at a single point in the sky. Thus, he unconsciously turned his head, following that gaze.
A bird was flying through the gray sky. It was a large, white bird. Its back was covered in black feathers, and its beak was long. In appearance, it resembled a stork, but a ferocious glint lingered in its eyes.
“If it’s Yeo-i-jo… then Yeon Mu-geum?”
White Tiger muttered coldly.
Yeo-i-jo, the messenger of the Vermilion Bird, flew up to Young-pa and landed lightly. He spoke with a bored look in his eyes.
“It doesn’t seem like a good time to interrupt… but human, I deliver a message to Young-pa from the mighty Vermilion Bird.”
Young-pa’s eyes widened. Hwa-seon was unsure whether to stop the bird or leave it be and looked to White Tiger, but the master also seemed bewildered.
“Since you left, I’ve been worrying so much every day that I’m nearly losing my hair. To be honest, my heart wishes to stay out of anything involving you, but since your situation is not without its pitiful aspects and I made a promise with my own mouth previously, it is difficult to refuse a specific request.”
Yeo-i-jo continued after confirming that Young-pa was listening.
“I am sending the item you requested with my loyal subordinate, so handle it carefully without leaving a single scratch. Keep in mind that this is only a loan. In exchange for not asking what it will be used for, I expect it back in pristine condition.”
As soon as the bird finished speaking, White Tiger growled.
“Why does the Vermilion Bird interfere in everything I do!”
“O Noble White Tiger, I am merely delivering my master’s words; I know nothing regarding this matter.”
After politely addressing White Tiger, Yeo-i-jo rummaged through his breast with his beak and pulled something out. It was a shabby disc covered in a brownish-gray stain. Hwa-seon had no way of knowing why Young-pa would borrow such an antique from the Vermilion Bird.
“Tell them the timing was exquisite,” Young-pa muttered as he received the object with both hands. Seeing this, White Tiger glared and turned toward Yeo-i-jo.
“Did the Vermilion Bird hand over a divine artifact to that man? Are they insane?”
“It was an action taken after much deliberation, so please refrain from such words, White Tiger. Furthermore, it was not given, but merely lent.”
“Yeon Mu-geum will have to explain this in full detail. There is no need to wait. Tell them to come here this instant.”
While the bickering between Yeo-i-jo and White Tiger continued, Young-pa stood up on two feet. It was then that Hwa-seon pointed his sword forward.
Young-pa walked forward steadily, as if he feared death not at all. Hwa-seon was ready to pierce him. He resolved to kill him if he took one more step.
“Are you ready?”
“What….”
“Ready to face the truth.”
Hwa-seon’s brow furrowed. This man was mistaken about something. Talking about whether he remembered, about persuading him, about facing the truth.
Hwa-seon was a person severed from his past. It did not matter what had happened three hundred years ago. The human who lived in the past was not him; living now as a messenger of light was Hwa-seon’s only life.
“Don’t come closer. I will cut you down!”
Young-pa ignored him, stepped forward boldly, and raised his arm. All he did was show the old disc. Yet, before Hwa-seon could even swing his sword, he was seized by a mysterious power.
An image formed on the bronze disc. A face of someone he did not know appeared, so it was at least not a mirror. The man’s appearance was so hideous that Hwa-seon’s brow furrowed instinctively.
The moment he saw him, Hwa-seon began to tremble like someone struck by lightning. Then, a cold sensation dominated his body, and a dark shadow enveloped him.
≋ ≋ ≋
In a pitch-black space, there was a gray serpent. It was a calm, prudent, strong serpent that had lived for a long time. When he transformed into human shape, he took the appearance of the man seen in the mirror. Even though the upper part of his face was covered with a mask, the monstrosity of his appearance could not be hidden.
The man, walking steadily on the smooth floor, knelt at someone’s feet. Black fabric that absorbed light reached down to his ankles. The man prostrated himself and kissed a snow-white instep.
“You worked hard. You never fail in your tasks.”
The master had a soft and secretive voice, like the hissing of a serpent. The man feared that low, singing voice. It felt as if it could pierce through his heart.
“What reward do you desire? Wealth, glory, or slaves with sweet skin. Just say the word, and it shall all be yours.”
“I desire nothing.”
The man answered quietly. There was no greed in his heart. He had no interest in gold, and as for slaves, he had possessed as many as were necessary. There was only one thing he desired.
“Are you truly so devoid of greed?”
The master’s tone was affectionate, but the gaze was utterly cold. He liked beautiful serpents. Since the man’s hideous appearance could not satisfy him, he did not allow the man to come near unless he wore a mask.
“I heard you met the Seohae Yongwang yesterday; what plot did you hatch?”
The face of the kneeling man was swept by anxiety. He corrected his expression and answered calmly.
“I have come from discussing the treatment of the water serpents captured in the Crystal Palace.”
“Ah, the water serpents. An important matter indeed.”
The master did not believe a single word of that answer. The man could tell instinctively.
It was true that he had gone to the Crystal Palace to resolve the issue of the prisoners. However, the Dragon King had brought up a different topic. Exhausted by Black Tortoise’s interference and the disputes over the territorial waters, he was planning a counterattack by rallying the aquatic creatures and the Sea Dragons.
‘If only you step aside, it will be a fight worth attempting for us as well.’
‘But… if things go wrong….’
‘Still, it is no loss for you. After all, while we fight Black Tortoise, you can obtain what you desire.’
The one thing the man desired. That brilliant dream he had never forgotten for a single moment.
“Indeed, you are my servant who does not know how to rebel.”
He returned to reality at the sound of the master’s laughter.
“Chilno. Is that not so?”
The seventh slave—that was the name the master had personally given the man.
As he bowed his head, the ornament hanging from the master’s ankle caught his eye.
The bell hanging from the forbidden rope was within reach if he stretched out his hand. Though there was no way to escape the master’s grasp in all of the underground and mortal realms, if he only had that bell, he might be able to hide.
“Yes, Master. I am your servant who does not know how to rebel.”
The only thing Chilno wanted. That was freedom.
The scene changed, and Chilno was lying in a damp cave. His barely escaping breaths were heavy, and pain pierced through his entire body every moment. His scales were submerged in a thick pool of blood, but he lacked the strength to turn over.
“Chilno.”
Even in this situation, the master’s voice was exceedingly soft.
“Why do you not answer?”
Chilno lacked the spiritual energy to open his mouth. No, even if he had, his tongue had been cut, so he would not have been able to answer the master’s call.
“To think you dared to try and flee from me.”
The darkness deepened until nothing could be seen. Chilno desperately wished for his breath to stop. However, his master was not that merciful.
“Did you think you could hide from me by stealing the annihilation command? Tsk tsk, to think you were so stupid….”
He felt the sensation of his scales being peeled off one by one. The pain of slicing through bone and flesh penetrated his body. Yet, under the crushing yin energy, he could not even scream.
“I can overlook the water beasts, but to involve the Seohae Yongwang?”
Tears flowed from his black eyes. Chilno had never involved the water beasts or the Dragon King. He had simply tried to escape while they drew the master’s attention.
“I took in something as hideous as you, yet you dare betray me, knowing no gratitude!”
At the master’s shout, the ground and air shook. As the heavy darkness swallowed him, Chilno closed his eyes in resignation.
“Hey.”
Chilno opened his eyes. At first, he thought he had misheard. It had been that long since someone had called him.
“Yes, you.”
As the head jailer entered the cell, Chilno merely blinked while lying down. That man found Chilno unpleasant and rarely came down to the lower dungeons.
“Follow me. Black Tortoise summons you.”
The moment he heard the master’s name, Chilno flinched and pulled himself up.
Until about a hundred years ago, the master had made Chilno attend to his physical needs. It was trivial work, such as holding the hem of his clothes so they wouldn’t drag on the ground or pinning a hairpin in his hair.
The master enjoyed making a laughingstock of a servant who had one ankle severed and no tongue. However, the frequency of the summons decreased, and at some point, he was left abandoned in the dungeon.
When Chilno transformed into human shape, the head jailer dressed him in black clothes and handed him a mask. Chilno put on the mask and followed the jailer. The thought of meeting the master after so long made his internal organs feel as if they were shriveling. Unable to even ask what was happening, he limped through the dim corridor.
The jailer guided Chilno to a temple where a mysterious light glowed faintly. A human was lying on the central altar. The moment he saw the master standing before it, Chilno quickly lowered his eyes.
“I have brought the seventh slave, O Black Tortoise.”
“Leave him.”
The jailer disappeared backward. A moment later, the master whispered softly.
“Come closer.”
Chilno obeyed. Even though he knew he would be beaten or tortured if he approached, he was in a position where he had no choice.
“Closer.”
As he limped up to the altar, he saw the human lying upon it.
He was a man of breathtaking beauty. Even though his robes and jacket were stained with blood, his loveliness was not hidden. His jet-black hair, tied in one, looked as soft as silk, and his red lips were slightly parted. His cheeks were so pale that he wondered if it was a corpse, but he was breathing faintly.
“Have you ever seen a human this beautiful?”
As the master asked, Chilno shook his head. The humans he had seen were almost all dressed shabbily with frightened eyes. They were lumps of meat that screamed when beaten and bled when pierced.
When he first killed a human, Chilno had been distressed. However, as he took countless lives by the master’s command, he became numb to harming them.
“You could not even imagine it. That is why I called you, to let you behold him.”
Chilno tried to answer with gratitude, only to realize belatedly that he had no tongue. As a tearing sound leaked from his throat, the master’s gaze sharpened. He hated not only Chilno’s appearance but also his voice.
Chilno felt as if he would burst into tears. If he had not been so hideous, if he had been as dazzlingly beautiful as that man, things would not have turned out this way. He would have lived a life less miserable than this.
“You envy this one.”
The master let out a sneer. Even though he was wrong, Chilno had no way to correct him.
“You were my foremost servant for a long time. But I have grown tired of you. You are cunning and untrustworthy, and above all, you are terrifyingly hideous.”
The master’s long fingers gently parted the hair of the blood-stained human. It was the first time Chilno realized the master could wear such an affectionate expression.
“Look. He is a human hero who appears perhaps once in a thousand years. Intelligent, talented, and dazzlingly superior in every aspect.”
The master’s wide eyes were full of anticipation.
“Although he still rebels because he does not know the ways of the world… even that is cute. The stiffer they are, the greater the pleasure in breaking them. After playing with him here and there until he becomes docile, I shall place him at my right hand. The position where you once stood.”
Chilno wept. These were not tears of envy for the human before him. They were tears of overwhelming hope, wondering if he would be liberated once that man became the master’s new right hand.
“White Tiger is drooling, hoping to snatch a piece, but they don’t stand a chance. Isn’t that right, Chilno?”
Chilno was in a position where he wanted to answer but could not. Nevertheless, the master continued as if they had heard his response.
“Indeed. Po Ui is acting out, daring to split this one’s soul to take only the advantages.”
The conversation reminded Chilno of the days when he had been the master’s trusted subordinate. The master would ask Chilno many things, and he would do his best to answer.
That was all before he stole the annihilation command and fled. Because of that, Chilno had lived a life worse than death, but he did not regret it. Even if he went back a hundred times, he would do the same thing.
“What, split the soul? Absurd. Why would I lay a hand on such a precious thing? If I touch it rashly, it might just break. Of course, that doesn’t mean I intend to hand it over to White Tiger obediently.”
The master laughed lowly, stroking the human’s cheek with the back of their hand. Chilno felt pity for the human, but he tried not to let it show.
“What should I do, Chilno? You must know the answer.”
‘There is a way to mimic the vessel and then place another’s soul inside before sending it to White Tiger.’
Chilno murmured inwardly.
As the master waved a hand, one wall slid open. A thick scent of blood wafted out.
Countless corpses were piled in the dark space. They were bodies that looked exactly like humans, lying on altars. Necks were snapped, arms severed, some had three eyes, others had wings—every single one was grotesquely distorted and deformed. From that heap of flesh, a head with delicate features rolled down.
“I tried putting other souls into bodies modeled after that human, but as you can see, the results were…”
The master pointed to the pile of corpses and shook their head as if disappointed.
Thump!
With a swing of the hand, the door closed again. Chilno watched expressionlessly as one of the human heads was crushed in the gap of the door.
“I can make as many vessels as I want, but the moment I place another’s soul inside, they either break or die.”
The sentence, which had begun calmly, gradually escalated, and by the end, anger leaked through.
“The same goes for other humans, of course, and even if I put in a serpent, a tiger, or a bird. Even if they don’t die, they end up as idiots. At this rate, I cannot deceive Po Ui!”
Chilno cowered at the enraged roar, yet he could not understand why the master was telling him these things.
“You know well. I never give up.”
A sharp laugh shook the temple.
The master cut the hair of the human on the altar. They plucked out an eye and peeled the skin from the face. The unconscious human showed no reaction.
Chilno held his breath as he watched the master butcher the human body. They cut, sliced, and tore out every corner of the anatomy. Then, they healed him.
“Ugh, uuugh… ugh…”
The human suffered even while unconscious. A laugh of joy overflowed, drowning out his groans.
The sight of the human body growing like a plant was a shocking and terrifying spectacle, even for Chilno, who had been with the master for a long time. After some time, the man returned to his original, intact state.
“It is mine. I will not give it to anyone else.”
The master picked up the human with blood-stained arms and carefully laid him in a corner.
Returning to the altar, the master gathered the human’s organs, blood, flesh, and bones into one place. Then, they cast the same spellcasting technique again. Since it was the act of creating a new person, it took much longer than before.
Watching ebony hair grow from the remains that looked like a lump of meat, Chilno felt he vaguely understood the master’s intention.
“Chilno.”
The master asked while sculpting the human’s toes. Every now and then, they seemed to forget that Chilno could not speak.
“Don’t you wish you could live in a form like this, even just once?”
Chilno swallowed hard behind his mask.
Was there any benefit to having a hideous appearance? When Chilno was young, he felt upset when female serpents avoided him. He felt envious when he saw particularly beautiful serpents. However, that didn’t mean he wanted to be beautiful.
All he wanted was freedom. He would rather be a hideous free man than a beautiful slave. But Chilno was neither; he was simply a hideous slave.
When he shook his head, the master let out a sneer. It was as if they didn’t believe anything Chilno had to say. While making claws grow on the human’s toes, the master spoke.
“Keep in mind. I still have not forgiven you.”
Was the torture and punishment thus far not enough? Was serving them with a severed tongue not sufficient? How far did the master intend to go? Chilno wanted to protest. But it was impossible. He was a well-trained serpent. He had long since forgotten how to rebel.
“So, you may consider this your final punishment.”
The master finished sculpting the human’s heel and pulled their hand away. The naked body on the altar was an identical match to the human from before.
“You are clever, talented, and carry out your assigned tasks flawlessly. Above all, you are obedient, so you are perfect.”
The master looked straight at Chilno. As if he were the answer.
Chilno trembled, sensing the fate approaching him. If he were lucky, he would die like the bodies behind that wall, but if he were unlucky…
“Isn’t that right, Chilno?”
The master approached as if gliding. Chilno instinctively stepped back and fell. His pounding heart felt as if it would burst.
“Ah, I forgot that you cannot speak.”
The master wore a deep smile. In the vast stretch of time since they first met, it was the first sincere smile they had ever given Chilno.
“Ugh, uueh…”
“Since I might succeed, I will forgo farewells.”
A thick darkness engulfed Chilno. The sight of the master smiling broadly was the last thing he saw as a serpent.
Pain, and darkness.
Pain. The pain of being torn and ripped apart. A deep pain of being split, separated, and stolen.
Darkness.
In the thick, stagnant gloom, there was a person swimming. He had long hair and smooth limbs. His nose was sharp and his lips were full.
He was pulled up by a tremendous force. He had certainly been submerged in water until a moment ago, but now he was surrounded by a bright radiance. He lifted his eyelids and saw that the surroundings were bright.
“Are you awake?”
A person with long white hair examined him with blue eyes. Their stature was imposing, which was confusing, but the voice sounded like a woman’s. With light flickering around the body, they were no ordinary human.
“Ugh, uum, where am I…”
A voice he had never heard in his life flowed from between his lips. When he lifted his hand, white clothing slid down his wrist. His fingers were long and smooth. His skin was so pale that the veins were visible.
“Where… is this…”
At his murmured words, the woman smiled.
“This is the fortress of light.”
“The fortress… of light.”
“Yes. This is where you will stay from today.”
Only then did the man look around.
He was lying on a plush seat. The room was spacious and the ceiling was high. On a chest in one corner sat a beautiful vase. A cool Pure Wind drifted in and out through a wide window. Though somewhat rustic, it was a magnificent room.
“It is a pleasant place.”
“Do you like it?”
“Yes.”
Affection and desire dwelt in the woman’s gaze. The man found that gaze unfamiliar yet grateful. Though she was a stranger, he wanted to make her happy.
The woman stood up and went to the chest. She plucked several red flowers from the vase and returned. She held out her hand with a slightly bashful expression.
“These are roses of sharon.”
“Because you said you liked them…”
The man smiled and took the bouquet. Though he only held them for a moment, a refreshing fragrance seemed to fill the room. The man carved the fact that he liked roses of sharon into his memory.
A pleasant space, a kind person, and fragrant flowers. Did he deserve to enjoy such things? He felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety.
“Thank you. Um… what should I call you?”
“I am your master.”
“Yes, Master.”
After saying that, he felt an indescribable sense of comfort.
“Um… Master, I am humbled, but I cannot remember anything. Not even who I am…”
“Your name is Immortal Flower.”
“Immortal Flower…”
The master reached out and slowly stroked the man’s hair. The man saw that the hair caught in the master’s fingertips was a dazzling white. He liked that his hair color was the same as the master’s.
“A noble and flawless one.”
“A noble… and flawless one.”
“For now, that is all you need to know.”
His reflection appeared in the blue eyes. He was a beautiful human with long white hair. As the master smiled, the image distorted. The man smiled back.
≋ ≋ ≋
As the scene ended, the bronze mirror returned to a dingy blue light. Immortal Flower was smiling, just as he had in the final scene.
When his eyes met Young-pa’s, the smile slowly vanished from his face. Young-pa held the mirror with an expression as if he had seen a ghost. He had clearly watched the scenes of the changjingyeong.
Young-pa did not avoid his gaze. He did not smile. He simply looked at Immortal Flower with a confused face.
A hollow laugh escaped Immortal Flower’s lips. How much had he looked down upon the one he thought was his shadow? As it turned out, he was neither a shadow nor a remnant. Young-pa had been a complete human then and now, and the imitation was someone else.
As if hardly any time had passed, the master was still snarling at Yeouijo. Yeouijo cowered, trembling in distress.
“O Great White Tiger, please withdraw your anger…”
“If you won’t call it, I will!”
Young-pa took a step forward with a stiff expression. His serious gaze seemed to hold resolve, or perhaps pity. Immortal Flower thought that Young-pa was reacting quite calmly for someone who had just learned the secret of a lifetime.
Soon, Young-pa reached out his hand to Immortal Flower. Just as he had on the day he fearlessly invaded the wilderness alone.
‘There is no time for this. Let’s leave together before Po Ui arrives.’
Immortal Flower’s fist tightened, and his gaze wavered. He stared silently at Young-pa’s hand.
‘That man reaches out again, even knowing that I am nothing.’
Young-pa was inviting Immortal Flower to join him. A solidarity of sacrificial lambs to take revenge on Black Tortoise, who had trampled, imprisoned, and tortured them. An alliance of human and serpent to eradicate the four symbols that had stolen their freedom. It would be a lie to say that the offer wasn’t sweet.
Immortal Flower shook his head and backed away. Then he looked at Po Ui’s back.
His master, teacher, and lover. The sorrow and grief of three hundred years surged in his heart.
Po Ui’s embrace was wide enough to cradle Immortal Flower, but he never allowed him to step a single pace outside of it. He was the light that dyed Immortal Flower brightly, but he knew nothing of the shadow within.
Until now, he had believed that Black Tortoise and White Tiger had removed his flaws, but it was a delusion. The only thing they had taken from him was the courage to refuse his master.
In that moment, Immortal Flower realized what the greatest rebellion he could commit was. Transparent tears flowed from his white eyes.
“My valiant Master.”
Po Ui turned around to look at Immortal Flower. His face bore a trace of anger from scolding Yeouijo. Immortal Flower loved even that fiery side of him.
“Strongest and most beautiful beast of the mortal realm. For the first and last time, I intend to disobey you.”
Immortal Flower’s voice was calm. In the sweeping wind, the clothes the master had personally made for him fluttered like wings.
He had much he wanted to say. He could have expressed his gratitude by recounting everything that had happened over three hundred years. He could have revealed his filthy identity, which he discovered through the mirror. He could have turned the master’s heart with sincere apologies and pleas, or he could have been abandoned.
But it was all meaningless. From the start, his wish was only one. He had come too far for that one thing.
“Don’t make me laugh. You cannot rebel. Because I made you that way from the start!”
Po Ui shouted abruptly. It was a voice full of conviction, as always. Immortal Flower admired the master’s confident attitude. Tears flowed endlessly down his cheeks.
‘What expression will they make when they learn the truth? Will they look at me as something as insignificant as an insect?’
The mere thought was agonizing. But if that was the final pain, he could endure it no matter how much it hurt. Immortal Flower smiled and opened his lips.
“I love you with all my heart. And at the same time, I hate you.”
“What?”
“I am… your failure.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Immortal Flower soared high. The tiger’s sword, acting on behalf of the master, sliced through his skin and pierced his heart. As he fell into the mist, his tears scattered. In the final moment of his life, Immortal Flower wore a sincere smile.
Freedom—that brilliant name he had never once enjoyed.
As he squeezed out his strength to pull the sword out, pain spread through his entire body. The strength left his hand, and the tiger tooth severing sword drifted away from him.
The scream of the one he loved echoed nearby. But that, too, became distant. The strong arms clutching his shoulders were the same.
Master, teacher, and lover. His woman was screaming. Immortal Flower wanted to tell her he was sorry. But no voice came out, as if his tongue had been cut.
He closed his eyes in the embrace of the one he adored.
≋ ≋ ≋
From a high place, a beast that had lost its mate howled. The voice that shook the mountain ridges held anger, despair, and extreme sorrow. Young-pa sank into the mist, moving away from that sound.
Even when he had requested the changjingyeong from Vermilion Bird in the illusion nest, he hadn’t guessed things would turn out like this. Young-pa had simply not abandoned the wish from three hundred years ago to gather the divine artifacts and draw closer to the legendary divine realm.
Furthermore, he had shown the changjingyeong to Immortal Flower in the hope that his heart might change upon learning their past. However, there was no shared past between them.
‘Yes, Master. I am your servant who does not know how to rebel.’
The place where that serpent had been imprisoned looked similar to the lower dungeon where Young-pa had lain. Perhaps that was why Young-pa could understand his plight as if it were his own.
‘At least that fellow wasn’t wearing chains.’
It seemed Chilno had not rebelled, but the years of suffering he endured seemed far longer and more horrific than Young-pa’s. Though they were different species, they had both experienced circumstances that others could not even imagine. If he had survived and become an ally, it would have felt as reassuring as gaining an army of ten thousand horses.
However, Chilno had ended his life for the freedom he so desperately craved. In doing so, he sparked a backlash against Po Ui and sowed seeds of conflict between White Tiger and Black Tortoise.
‘A clever serpent. Better than me.’
Young-pa closed his eyes as he descended. He observed a moment of silence for Chilno’s death, hoping he would sleep peacefully. He also vowed not to let his death be in vain.
‘You are the evil of the century, a trickster who betrays as a matter of course, a demon obsessed with power, an unforgivable teacher-slayer, a vicious god-killer… the dark side of Yeongparang!’
A hideous byproduct of evil. A being perverse from the roots.
‘Shut up! You doll of Ji Seo-gu, you toy no better than trash!’
An unforgivable teacher-slayer. A vicious god-killer.
‘It must have been quite a sight! How pathetic you were! Stripped of all humanity, knowing nothing… while you were babbling on… how much did you sneer, calling me despicable, vulgar, and heartless!’
A rogue of the century. A fearless, mad rebel.
‘The reason I became flawless is that you were removed.’
A heartless trickster. A demon obsessed with power.
‘Look at this one. Foolish, reckless, unaware of his place, impatient, and barbaric—isn’t he just like a beast?’
A despicable villain. The dregs of evil born in the underground.
Until now, Young-pa had not doubted that he had been split in half. Black Tortoise had personally taught him for three hundred years just how wicked and perverse he was. Greed and gluttony, lust, meanness, a heart prone to lies and betrayal, and a spirit of rebellion. These were all facets that Young-pa possessed.
It was just that they weren’t everything.
‘You are different.’
‘How am I different? You said I was the most human of all…’
‘Because you are not wicked.’
I had thought of myself as nothing more than an incomplete and broken being. I believed that hatred and revenge were the only paths forward. I doubted myself and dismissed the idea that I was worthy of loving someone.
‘Nothing changes.’
Young-pa sank into a brief moment of regret before quickly snapping back to reality. Whether it was the past or the truth, it was all meaningless now.
As his long descent ended, he landed lightly on the ground. Even in the deep fog of the mountains, the divine artifact emitted a mystical radiance, making it easy to find.
The sword, said to be forged from the teeth of the White Tiger, was plunged into the black soil. Immortal Flower must have stabbed it so deeply that the blood had stained up to the hilt. Young-pa walked steadily toward the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword.
How cruel it was that he had obtained the power he desired the moment he learned the truth. Despite it being a moment he had longed for, Young-pa’s face remained impassive.
‘This isn’t what I wanted.’
Realization always came one step too late. And time could not be turned back. Since he had no other choice, Young-pa took a deep breath and reached out. As his fingertips touched the sword, a dazzling halo of light surged up his arm and spread throughout his entire body.
The moment he gripped the hilt of the white sword and pulled, he knew everything had changed. Young-pa was no longer the man he once was. Vitality and stealth, truth and fortitude. Having obtained the heavenly gift of four gods, he had become a different person.
Things that were previously invisible now became visible. Young-pa could feel the flow of power drifting in the air. He perceived sounds and vibrations anew. When he opened his hand, a subtle light emanated from his skin.
“You cunning human. So this is why you asked for the annihilation command.”
A shadow flickered at the nape of Young-pa’s neck, sneering.
Young-pa clenched and unclenched his fist. Then, recalling the price he had paid to obtain this power, he let out a bitter smile.
‘Someone once said that humans are the children of gods. Or that they are empty vessels. Since I learned violence and hatred from you all rather than love and mercy, it is only natural that I turned out so twisted.’
He leaped and soared. Planting his feet on the mountainside, he jumped, tearing through the fog.
‘The problem is the White Tiger, who meddles in everything. However, if you kill Immortal Flower, the story changes… he will go mad.’
‘After killing Immortal Flower, lure the Azure Dragon to the wilderness. Once I set the White Tiger and Azure Dragon against each other, I will handle the rest.’
Young-pa had no intention of following Ji Seo-gu’s instructions from the start. If only he could redirect Po Ui’s rage toward the Black Tortoise. If only he could make the two beasts fight each other.
‘Then I would have a chance at victory.’
Young-pa’s speed gradually slowed. When he reached the spot where Immortal Flower had last stood, the emotion he felt was sadness.
A pure white tiger lay prostrate there. His appearance reminded him of Biryoo crouching on that fog-shrouded island.
Immortal Flower’s white robes were stained with blood from the chest down. Part of the corpse looked human, but the rest was a bizarre shape where black liquid had melted or clumped together. Only half of the jaw remained, and the distorted eye sockets were hollow.
“There is something you must know.”
Po Ui lifted his head. His face, clouded by dark shadows, was still turned toward Immortal Flower.
“What is it?”
As the gloomy voice questioned, Young-pa answered calmly.
“As I saw in the changjingyeong, Immortal Flower was not my clone. The Black Tortoise deceived you and placed the soul of his trusted subordinate, Chilno, into a body modeled after mine.”
For a while, the White Tiger gave no reaction. Then, his breathing grew ragged, and his shoulders heaved.
“The problem was that you showed the changjingyeong. You killed Immortal Flower.”
“No. He took his own life.”
“You killed him. You and the Vermilion Bird killed him!”
The shout echoed through the air, but Young-pa didn’t even blink. It wasn’t that he lacked the emotion of fear. He knew fear as well, but he simply summoned courage the moment he was threatened.
“Immortal Flower was a serpent? To slander the dead… you truly have gone mad.”
As Po Ui lifted his chin, eyes stained with tears were revealed. The tiger’s gaze, glaring at Young-pa, was boiling with hatred.
“Wait just a little longer, Noble Immortal Flower. I shall avenge you.”
“What will you do if my words are true? What if you were deceived by the Black Tortoise?”
Po Ui flinched at Young-pa’s words.
“I will show you the changjingyeong. Why not see it for yourself?”
“That cannot be! Shut up!”
The White Tiger roared and stood up. He stood on all four legs and stared at Young-pa. His distorted eyes were like active volcanoes on the verge of erupting.
The conviction that everything he chose was right. Po Ui’s characteristic stark distinction was blinding his eyes to the truth. However, it was clear that he was shaken by Young-pa’s words.
‘If I can just persuade him a bit more.’
Young-pa faced the beast, whose fur was standing on end. As he readjusted his grip on the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword out of tension, Po Ui’s eyes widened.
“You… you bastard…. Don’t tell me the heavenly gift of four gods?”
Young-pa did not answer. However, the subtle radiance rising around him served as proof.
The White Tiger’s expression changed. A chilling smile of hope appeared, and black energy began to bloom from his cheeks. The ominous darkness slowly spread over his lush fur.
“You must have the somyeonghwan.”
Young-pa was bewildered by the unexpected words.
“That corpse is not Immortal Flower’s body. He cannot be revived.”
When the giant tiger lunged at him, Young-pa barely managed to evade. In the past, he would not have been able to react to that lightning speed, but with the power of the heavenly gift of four gods, he could see the movements of a deity.
Young-pa turned and tried to slash the White Tiger’s back with his sword. But the beast was not there.
“Ugh!”
Struck by the tiger’s claws before he even realized it, Young-pa was sent flying. Then he was hit once more. He blocked the third attack with his sword.
“It is useless. How can you revive a soul that was torn apart and shoved into another body in the first place!”
“You brat! Do not prattle on without knowing your place!”
“Stop this. Your enemy is not me, but Ji Seo-gu!”
“If it is true that he played tricks on Immortal Flower, Ji Seo-gu must also give up his life. But reviving him comes first. Hand over the somyeonghwan immediately.”
“I… refuse.”
“Then die!”
Po Ui put his full weight into a terrifying expression, and Young-pa held his ground with his sword. His arms trembled violently, and his heels dug into the earth.
Young-pa poured his spiritual energy into pushing the White Tiger back and then leaped. In mid-air, he activated a spellcasting technique through thought alone, scratching the enemy who had immediately followed him with hooks of wind. As invisible blades sliced through the air where the tiger had retreated, Po Ui was pushed further away from Young-pa.
“You wicked wretch!”
He growled, glaring at Young-pa.
“It won’t be as easy as it was back then.”
Young-pa met his gaze and held the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword with both hands.
The next moment, Po Ui appeared to the right with a flash of light. Young-pa swung his sword and blocked the claws the tiger unleashed.
A great wind rose, twisting and cutting through the air. While the White Tiger stiffened and repelled the sorcery, he lunged at Young-pa in succession. Young-pa forced him back with a violent dust devil and smiled deeply.
“This might actually be doable.”
“How dare a mere human threaten a divine beast!”
The tiger’s roar shook the entire mountain and stream. His attitude was different from when he had subdued Young-pa in the wilderness. He was far more hasty and aggressive. Young-pa caught his breath and readjusted his grip on the sword.
“Come at me. Since everything’s already gone to hell, let’s have some fun.”
“Immortal Flower…. Just a little, just a little longer.”
Po Ui, whose face had now turned half-black, was acting foolishly in hopes of reviving his partner. With the body of a god, yet acting like a human. Just like the Azure Dragon, who had drunk centipede venom to save Yeon-hwa.
“Hahaha. Even gods are no different from humans.”
In the blink of an eye, claws flew in from all directions. The blade of the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword danced, emitting light.
“You bastard!”
The blind-with-rage tiger lunged with terrifying momentum. Young-pa pushed him back with the sword, cast a wind wall, and performed a somersault.
Immediately, he felt Po Ui’s presence behind him. He pushed away the scratching paws with a whirlwind and shot a mass of wind at the blue eyes. The respite was brief; the claws flew again. Unable to dodge in time, Young-pa was sent flying.
‘What a brainlessly strong tiger.’
He stood up again and swung the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword. He lunged at Po Ui shrouded in a Gale, only to be knocked back.
The beast’s attacks were becoming increasingly overwhelming. Young-pa tried to hide in the fog, but that strategy had only worked on Immortal Flower; it was useless against Po Ui.
“I told you to hand over the divine artifact!”
“Fuck. I said… I won’t. How many times do I have to say it?”
While feeling frustrated by the power of the divine beast, which he could not overcome even with the special ability of the divine realm, Young-pa did not lose hope. Even when he fell, he rose again. Even as he was trampled and rolled by the tiger, he did not let go of the sword.
Even at this moment, Ji Seo-gu must be watching. He could clearly imagine the cunning serpent weighing profits and losses, racking his brain.
‘Kukuk. I wonder how that hybrid snake will play this.’
If the Black Tortoise intervened, a clash with the White Tiger would be inevitable. Po Ui, already known as the strongest in martial power among the four symbols, was now furious, which would be a burden for Ji Seo-gu. Yet, if he stood by and watched, he would lose both the heavenly gift of four gods and Young-pa, while also making an enemy of Po Ui over the matter of Immortal Flower.
Young-pa and Immortal Flower had essentially thrown themselves into a trap, leaving the Black Tortoise in a dilemma.
“Will you not hand it over this instant!”
“Kill me… and take it.”
Young-pa rolled to avoid the claws, as if taunting Po Ui. The wind field he had barely managed to summon crumbled under a rock thrown by Po Ui.
Realizing that no matter what he did, he could not defeat him, Young-pa let out a cold laugh. Whether Ji Seo-gu appeared and waged war with the White Tiger, or whether he died here, it was now out of his hands.
The blood of Immortal Flower stained the white sword that Young-pa had fought so hard to keep. Although the other was a serpent and their temperaments were as different as heaven and earth, they were like brothers, having shared the same body. The fact that Immortal Flower had calmly chosen death provided some comfort.
‘What is death, anyway? Something everyone experiences once, except for those fucking animals.’
Young-pa countered the White Tiger’s attack with the last of his gathered strength. But he knew this was the end. It seemed the Black Tortoise had discarded his ‘cherished doll,’ and his life was nearing its end. Po Ui seemed to sense this as well, curling his lips in anticipation.
‘I’ll follow you soon, Immortal Flower.’
The White Tiger did not wait long. As he roared and lunged, Young-pa gave up on defending. As he closed his eyes, a bright light poured through his eyelids.
‘It will be painful.’
Even so, it was his own doing. Since being born into this world, he had acted out, caused chaos, failed repeatedly, and failed to save countless people. He was always unhappy and desperate.
Even in the second chance he was given, he had personally destroyed the happiness that had briefly entered his arms. Not content with that, he had forced the person he loved to do what they feared, tearing their heart apart. Young-pa seemed to be the kind of seed that could never live a normal, ordinary life like other people.
‘Still, having been born human, I’ve pulled every stunt I could.’
Like a renowned rebel, he had proudly challenged the gods. He had loved a man passionately. Since he did not regret those things, Young-pa laughed with relief.
If pain and death were the price for this long and arduous life, they felt almost light. Young-pa waited for the end with courage. But there was no sensation.
He opened his eyes slightly and saw his vision filled with a brilliant aquatic color.
“No.”
His legs gave out from despair, and he collapsed to his knees. At the same time, an uncontrollable surge of joy welled up in his chest.
“Will you not move out of the way!”
The White Tiger growled explosively. His momentum was terrifying, as if he would tear apart the one before him.
The one blocking him was a dazzlingly beautiful dragon, curving in an indigo hue like a flowing current. He was also a foolish dragon who had been held back by a mere human for the sake of the most important thing.
“If I were to move just because you said so, I wouldn’t have come this far.”
The Azure Dragon responded calmly.
― To be continued in Volume 5 ―