Chapter 63

Those who reach great heights often acquire numerous epithets, and Yuhwa was no exception.

The Fox of Heaven. The Witch of Fate. The Master of Cheonsangru.

Each title carried a unique meaning, yet all were connected to Yuhwa’s powers.

The Heaven’s Eye.

It was said that by looking at the sky, she could discern the truths of heaven; by looking at the earth, she could comprehend the truths of the land; and by looking at a person, she could grasp the truths of humanity.

With the Heaven’s Eye, Yuhwa could observe many things, which enabled her to lead the trading company.

Indeed, she was a fox bearing the will of the heavens.

Yet recently, there was one thing that eluded even Yuhwa’s Heaven’s Eye, no matter how she gazed into her fox pearl.

The nine-tailed fox. A fox yokai that had emerged from Heavenly Grove.

At times, Yuhwa wondered if it was just her imagination, yet she couldn’t ignore the presence of the nine-tailed fox's aura in her fox pearl.

She tried to track it down, but it remained unseen, as if the World Tree’s leaves obscured her vision.

Was her clairvoyance failing her, or was she accurately seeing yet misinterpreting? The uncertainty left her frustrated.

“If it truly is a nine-tailed fox…”

She needed to find it immediately. While its tails were few, it had to be returned to Heavenly Grove, or the world would spiral into chaos.

The problem was that she had no way to locate it. Yuhwa let out a long sigh. Just then, her fox pearl lit up—a signal of a connection.

“Elder, it’s Hoyeon.”

The voice beyond the pearl belonged to Hoyeon, the administrator of Cheonsangru. Yuhwa cleared her throat, ready to respond in a voice that sounded almost youthful.

“What’s the matter?”

“There’s a visitor here to see you.”

Yuhwa’s eyes narrowed.

“I told you I wouldn’t be seeing anyone for the time being. I trust you made some excuse to turn them away?”

“I did send him away, but he insisted I deliver a message… Ah, I must’ve been out of my mind.”

Hoyeon seemed to shake his head, puzzled. It was strange indeed.

Usually, he would flatly refuse any mysterious humans’ requests. Yet, upon hearing the visitor’s words, he hadn’t even considered rejecting him, as if hypnotized. Without realizing, he had reported it to Yuhwa.

He would never know that Karamir’s persuasive words, aided by his [Master Negotiator] skill, had seeped into his subconscious.

“I’m sorry, Elder. I’ll withdraw.”

“Hold on.”

Yuhwa stopped him just as he was about to sever the connection.

There’s an old saying:

There are two things one cannot bear to hear—one is an incomplete explanation, and the second is—

“Finish what you started. What was the message?”

“It was… such nonsense. He said that… a nine-tailed fox had come to see you…”

“A nine-tailed fox?”

Yuhwa’s eyes flashed.

Her mind was already occupied with thoughts of the nine-tailed fox, and now, one had supposedly appeared?

“But it wasn’t truly a nine-tailed fox. It only had three tails.”

Yuhwa’s pupils trembled.

Already three tails?

“Where are they?”

“Pardon?”

“Where are the two right now?”

For the first time, Hoyeon heard Yuhwa’s urgent tone as she shouted through the pearl, and his voice tightened with nerves.

“I—I sent them away!”

“Bring them back immediately!”

“Huff, huff… I apologize. The Elder wishes to see you.”

Hoyeon panted as he led Karamir and Rin inside.

As expected, Karamir had waited outside, knowing they would soon be summoned. So finding them again hadn’t taken much effort.@@novelbin@@

The shadow over Hoyeon’s face, however, had a reason beyond physical exertion. It was due to the psychological shock of seeing Yuhwa, who was always calm, display such anxiety. His own heart had started racing.

“Just follow this corridor.”

He stopped in a hallway, rather than at a room.

Yuhwa was a veiled figure. While some claimed she was an elderly woman, others spoke of a beautiful young maiden.

Even as an administrator, Hoyeon had never seen her face in detail.

When communicating, she used the fox pearl, and when she ventured out, she always wore a veil that never lifted, even in the wind. On the rare occasion that someone glimpsed her face, a misty haze seemed to obscure her features.

Thus, it was impossible to see her clearly, even if one wished to.

“Thank you for guiding us.”

“It’s nothing. Have a good meeting.”

Hoyeon left, muttering to himself about how strange today was.

Karamir took Rin’s hand, and they began walking down the corridor.

Something felt strange as they walked.

Though the building was vast, it felt like walking through an endless corridor. No matter how far they went or how many turns they took, it was always a straight path stretching behind them.

They were in a space beyond the natural order of the world. It was Yuhwa’s fox magic.

“What a pointless trick.”

Starting to get annoyed, Rin raised her voice.

“I don’t like it here!”

Her shout echoed.

Crack!

A shattering sound, like breaking glass.

The magical barrier surrounding the corridor fractured. The endless hallway shifted and morphed, revealing a large sliding door.

“Well done.”

“Hmph!”

Karamir ruffled Rin’s hair as she puffed up with pride, then opened the door.

Whoosh.

A fresh breeze blew in.

The scene before them was white and blue.

Beneath their feet, clouds stretched out endlessly, and the sky above was a clear blue. More clouds floated in the sky, with yet another sky above them.

They were in a world atop the clouds.

The heavens.

“Master! I opened the door, and it’s the sky!”

“Indeed. It feels like the celestial realm.”

Looking back, they saw only the door they’d come through, with no trace of walls or buildings.

This, too, was a magical space conjured by Yuhwa.

“I have been waiting for you.”

A graceful, melodic voice echoed from the sky.

The faintly rippling clouds parted slowly, and a soft white light descended.

Like mist from a stage machine, the haze rolled in. What emerged was a pure white fox.

Her white tails swayed like the wings of an angel, and her elegant silk robes billowed in the air like waves.

Hovering just above the ground, Yuhwa descended with ethereal grace.

Softly.

She touched down lightly.

“What a performance,” Karamir thought irreverently as he watched the awe-inspiring spectacle.

“Are you the guests Hoyeon spoke of?”

“That’s correct.”

“Pleased to meet you. I am Yuhwa, the Master of Cheonsangru.”

She radiated a sacred aura that discouraged casual conversation. Her beauty seemed too extraordinary for a mere earthly being.

One could almost believe that they might be bewitched into opening their own belly for her. But Karamir’s expression remained nonchalant.

“This old lady’s really putting on the disguise,” he thought.

She had lived for a thousand years but still insisted on cosplaying as a young maiden.

To Karamir, who had swallowed a whole drum of red pills, she looked no different from a burlesque grandma.

“Fox granny!”

“Granny...?”

Yuhwa looked down at Rin, who was bouncing up to her.

Pink fur. Three tails.

Outwardly, she might appear to be a Sammiho, but Yuhwa’s Heaven’s Eye could not be fooled. Inside her, six powerful energies writhed and pulsed.

She was undoubtedly a nine-tailed fox.

And then there was Karamir. He was surrounded by the blessing of the World Tree, which had initially masked his presence from her Heaven’s Eye.

She didn’t know why the World Tree had granted him its blessing, but it was a relief to know her powers hadn’t weakened.

“What brings you to see me?”

“Sorry, but I really can’t take it anymore. Would you mind dropping the disguise?”

“How could you...”

Few could see through Yuhwa’s transformation magic.

She narrowed her sharp Heaven’s Eye at Karamir, who simply shrugged.

Once her disguise was seen through, it lost much of its effectiveness. Yuhwa sighed and released her spell.

Her flawless skin aged, her back hunched, and the image of a beautiful maiden faded to reveal an old woman.

“Is this better?”

“Ah, I can finally breathe again.”

“Hmph, I thought it was rather charming.”

“Ugh…”

Seeing Karamir’s expression, she decided to drop the joke.

“How did you know?”

“I’m a slave trader. I have an eye for people.”

Was that all it took to see through her transformation?

This was no ordinary human. Her caution towards Karamir increased.

“It seems you know more than I anticipated. That’s why you sought me out, I suppose.”

Bringing the nine-tailed fox with him made his intentions clear.

“I’ll take responsibility for returning this fox to the White Cloud Valley. I’ll make sure the fox clan remembers its duty. You’ve done well.”

Yuhwa reached for Rin, but Rin quickly darted back and clung to Karamir’s leg.

“Hmm?”

Yuhwa’s hand passed through empty air.

Clinging to Karamir, Rin glared at Yuhwa.

“Sorry, but this one is my slave.”

“What?”

“Rin is Master’s slave!”

“Rin…?”

It was clear there was a strong bond between them.

Did he really name a nine-tailed fox and establish a master-servant relationship? Was there actually someone this insane?

“Do you know how hard I worked to get her? I’m not just going to send her back.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? She already has three tails. If she grows any more, many lives will be at risk.”

“I don’t know about that. I plan to raise her until she becomes a nine-tailed fox. That’s why I came to seek your guidance, Heavenly Fox.”

He was utterly sincere.

He really intended to raise Rin until she reached her full nine tails.

In that moment, Yuhwa’s Heaven’s Eye revealed a dark aura surrounding Karamir.

She understood the meaning of that darkness.

“You’re destined to die.”

He would take on all the nine-tailed fox’s misfortune and perish because of it.