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Chapter 14
Before I could stop him—or even revert to my true form and bite him—the fox had already ordered a passing servant to gather everyone in a large hall.
And just like that, my plan to punish him went up in smoke.
[You’d better be ready for what’s coming later.]
I growled through sound transmission, but though the fox’s fingertips trembled, he didn’t let me go.
“I’ve called everyone here because there’s something I must announce.”
Despite the faint shake of his fingers, his voice was calm and dignified as he addressed the humans.
“Allow me to introduce—”
Suddenly, the fox slid a hand under my arms and lifted me high into the air. I dangled there, suspended above the crowd of humans.
“She’s my daughter!!”
“Cough, cough, cough!!”
Gasps filled the hall. Some choked, others widened their eyes in disbelief and stared at me as though they couldn’t trust their senses.
I turned my gaze silently toward the fox and sent him a sharp mental message.
[If you keep holding me up like some ornament, I swear I’ll cut your tails down to half their number. And a daughter? You want to start your cultivation from scratch, is that it?]
At my warning, the fox hastily pulled me back into his arms. I reached up and grabbed his hair with both hands, yanking hard. I could feel several strands rip free between my fingers.
Sweating bullets, the fox quickly spoke up.
“Daughter—hah, just a joke! She’s a child I’ve taken in to raise. A cousin of a close friend, you see. Certain circumstances led her to live here. She was raised by her grandfather, so her speech may sound… a bit unusual.”
“Calling me your daughter out of nowhere—if Grandfather heard, he’d faint from shock.”
“Ah, ha ha ha… just a joke, really.”
“Even jokes should have limits, Uncle.”
As the fox awkwardly laughed and avoided my eyes, I considered yanking out another handful of his hair.
“Luju-nim,” said Sehwa—the first to recover from the chaos.
She stepped forward calmly before the confused crowd, and everyone’s attention naturally followed her.
“This child’s name is Cheong Hye-ryeong,” the fox announced. “Sehwa, I’ll be entrusting her to you.”
“I will serve the young lady faithfully, without any shortcomings.”
“She’s still young, and there’s much she needs to learn. Focus on that above all else. That will suffice.”
“I understand.”
When Sehwa bowed, the others followed suit, bowing deeply in unison.
The sight stirred a strange feeling within me.
Everything the fox had said was a lie—my title, my status, all fabricated.
And yet, the humans bowed. Their eyes changed.
Even though I appeared as a young, immature being compared to them, their postures became cautious and respectful.
When I’d wandered around in the form of a tiger cub, they had called me cute, reached out to pet me, and offered me snacks without hesitation.
‘So this is what status feels like?’
… I wasn’t sure.
But I could clearly feel the difference between being nothing—no name, no title—and being a “child of noble birth” created by the fox’s deceit.
As I watched the bowed backs of the humans, I carved this experience deep into my heart.
I couldn’t fully grasp the meaning of his words yet, but instinct told me it wasn’t meaningless.
“YOU! How! Dare! Call yourself! My father!!”
Once we returned to our quarters with Sehwa and dismissed the attendants, the first thing I did was smack the fox’s back with my open palm—hard.
I deliberately put qi into the strikes. Each hit landed with a sharp thwack, making the fox’s shoulders twitch.
“Ugh! Ugh! San-gun, ugh! Wait—ack!”
“Even a joke should have limits! Do you actually want to see me angry for real?!”
“I was wrong! I was wrong, San-gun-nim!!”
The fox bowed and begged pitifully, while Sehwa, looking thoroughly confused, clasped her hands and stood quietly to the side, not daring to interfere.
Suppressing the irritation bubbling up again, I sighed heavily.
What a disgrace. Compared to Sehwa, both the fox and I were far too old to be acting like this.
“Haaah…”
As my temper cooled, exhaustion took over.
Being around humans wasn’t harmful to me—but it was unfamiliar, and that alone was tiring.
“Hyer-ryeong-nim.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Noticing my state, Sehwa quickly poured me a drink. I nodded and took the cup, letting the cool water ease the heat from my body.
“Uuugh… S-San-gun. Here—this is an apology gift.”
The fox, groaning dramatically, picked up a small wooden box from the table and brought it to me.
I gave him a side glance, opened it, and checked its contents.
“Oh… quite a good elixir.”
Herbs infused with spiritual energy were rare.
Even a faint trace of qi could amplify a plant’s effects, making them highly sought after by humans—and beasts alike.
If an herb had actually accumulated qi, then even spiritual beings would covet it.
Naturally, it was getting harder to find ones strong enough to restore my strength.
In short, I couldn’t afford to be picky. The elixir he offered was of excellent quality.
[Humans would fight each other over something like this—it’s said to strengthen inner energy considerably.]
[Do I look like a human who won’t live past a hundred?]
I tossed the elixir into my mouth, swallowed cleanly, and even licked away the remaining powder at my lips.
“That aside—Sehwa, if he annoys you, feel free to smack the Luju. I’ll protect you.”
“…Pardon?”
“He called me his daughter out of nowhere. You should at least be consulted about these things, don’t you think?”
“Can’t I make a joke once in a while?”
“Even jokes have limits, Luju.”
The fox groaned softly. Then Sehwa spoke up hesitantly.
“I-it’s fine. I’m not bothered.”
“Really? Well, if you ever change your mind, just say so. I’ll help you hit him.”
“I couldn’t possibly…”
“San-gun, don’t treat Sehwa like you treat yourself.”
“Hmph. So she’s your person, huh? Fine. Anyway, I’m satisfied enough with this little meal.”
I flexed my fingers and examined my naedan (core). …Even after that elixir, only about ten percent of my energy had returned. The road ahead was long.
Still, the qi was pure and easy to absorb—that was at least some comfort.
“Luju-nim, what about Hyer-ryeong-nim…”
“Ah, right. Officially, she’s… well, not San-gun, but Hyer-ryeong now. I think it’ll be good for her to go around and experience things. For that, she’ll need guards—and clear status.”
Sehwa nodded, understanding.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Luju-nim.”
[Fox, isn’t there a place where I can train quietly by myself?]
[There is, but… why?]
[I can’t afford to waste time studying humans right now. I need to fix this weak body first.]
The fox’s eyes narrowed.
[San-gun, how much have you recovered?]
[About ten percent.]
[That’s all?]
[It’s still more than when I first returned—it wasn’t even ten percent back then.]
Groaning, the fox stood up.
“Sehwa, I’ll be gone for a bit with Hyer-ryeong. Take care of Cheonwolru.”
“I’ll manage everything without issue.”
[I’ll show you a suitable place.]
[Fine.]
Reluctantly, I stretched my arms toward him. He picked me up securely, turned away from Sehwa, and began walking.
The fox led us downward—deeper and deeper—until we reached the underground. He pressed one small brick in the wall, and it sank inward. A section of the wall slid open.
The dark passage beyond had no light, but both of us could see well enough.
Faintly glowing moss along the stone walls provided just enough illumination for beings like us.
Eventually, we reached a wide chamber. The walls gleamed faintly, as if made of metal.
“What is this place?”
“A space where I can return to my true form when needed.”
I looked up at him. His eyes gleamed sharply in the dimness.
“No matter how skilled I am in transformation, sometimes I must return to my original form to—”
“Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call it a place to vent your instincts?”
I glanced around. Even the floor, polished like metal, bore claw marks—large and small—etched deeply into its surface.
“Our essence is still that of beasts.”
“…I won’t deny it. But sometimes, I think humans can be more beastly than beasts.”
The fox smirked faintly.
“It’s hard, you know—pretending to be human. But living among them is entertaining. I enjoy the games too much to give it up, so I needed a place like this to release the pressure.”
“Sturdy, isn’t it?”
“I built it with a lot of Cheonggang stone.”
“That alone wouldn’t withstand your power.”
“There’s some Hancheol mixed in.”
Ah, that explained its durability.
I tapped the floor and examined the claw marks again before nodding.
“This will do nicely. With about ten percent of my energy back, I can start drawing in qi properly again. Go handle your affairs.”
As I waved him off, the fox frowned.
…What, he looked annoyed by that? Wouldn’t my recovery be a good thing?
Before I could ask, he spoke first.
“Hey, San-gun. Even if this place is hidden, you want me to just leave you here, gathering qi defenselessly?”
“If you leave, you’ll find herbs faster. You’re the only one who knows this place anyway.”
“I heard you were attacked by humans. How could I relax and leave you alone?”
“…Jjimjo is nearby.”
“The bird who hates the human realm and only watches from afar? How’s he supposed to get underground? Forget it. I’ll stand guard. That’s what I’m here for.”
He leaned against the wall by the entrance.
“You sure?”
“I can handle it.”
The playful, “I’m your dad!” fox was gone—what remained was sharp and focused. His senses stretched outward, alert.
I had to admit, it was impressive. For all his nonsense, he could be dependable when it mattered.
Acknowledging his resolve with a nod, I returned to my true form, lay down on the metallic floor, and closed my eyes.
