Chapter 630
Letting my guard down after putting on the mask was the mistake.
Maybe I should’ve stomped my feet and clapped along with the others.
The thought came too late, though—the damage was already done.
Even now, Yohee’s gaze was locked squarely on me.
Still, I figured there wouldn’t be a problem. The only thing that stood out was that I’d awkwardly stood there without reacting like everyone else.
The chances of the Yao Tribe’s Great Chief—the star of this grand victory march—showing any more interest in me were close to zero.
“You. Over there.”
She said close to no one, but not exactly no one.
Damn it. She’s actually calling someone over.
Seeing Yohee look right at me, I turned around just in case, pretending maybe she wasn’t talking to me.
“Yes, you. The one who just turned your head.”
Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one who’d just turned.
The entire crowd was craning their necks like meerkats, murmuring in confusion at Yohee’s sudden action.
“The man in the tiger mask who just made eye contact with me. Around seven feet tall. You—step forward, will you?”
The addition of height and gender options sent the tiger mask stock plummeting.
With my odds of being identified skyrocketing, I felt sweat bead on my forehead.
I quickly dipped my head to avoid her eyes and discreetly twisted my legs inward.
And once I had completely hidden my Black Anaconda between my legs and looked up—
I met Yohee’s chillingly cold eyes.
The cheers had long faded, and the procession had stopped.
A heavy silence settled over the plaza, with countless gazes locked onto me—especially Yohee’s.
Stretching out my legs that I had tucked in so tightly, I opened my mouth in a solemn voice.
“Did… you call me?”
My face and body were obscured by the mask, and no one else responded.
…Damn it. I should’ve just stepped out when she first called.
—
A leader must possess many virtues. One of them is a keen eye.
“I felt something strange the moment I saw you.”
After the victory march celebrating the beast hunt, Yohee had one of her attendants call me over. She spoke lazily, her voice relaxed.
“You felt out of place, standing there in the crowd.”
Next to her, the Chief of the Yi Tribe—who’d been stuffing his mouth with fruit—grinned and agreed.
“She’s right. You stood out like a rock among flowers.”
He was a middle-aged man with a round body that didn’t match the image of a warrior at all. Waving his juice-sticky hand, he introduced himself with a smile.
“You still haven’t taken off that mask, huh? Bit rude, friend. I don’t know who you are, but I’m sure you’ve heard of me. They call me Heukung, the leader of the Yi Tribe.”
Heukung. Black Bear.
So that explained the bear he rode during the procession.
Seems like carrying a beast that shares your name is standard around here.
‘Anyway… what do I say now?’
Honestly, I had planned to take off the mask and reveal my identity at this point.
That’s why I hadn’t run when she first called.
But Yohee turned out to be more perceptive than I expected.
“You can keep the mask on, Jin Taekyung of the Taewon Jin Clan.”
“…Huh?”
“What?”
I was slightly surprised—first by how she knew who I was right after arriving, and then by how much more shocked Heukung was.
Yohee chuckled at our reactions.
“Why so surprised? I already heard the Palace Lord let a group of Han from the Murim Alliance into the inner palace.”
Heukung blinked in confusion.
“Han from the Murim Alliance? Really? I hadn’t heard a thing.”
“That’s because you’re a dumb bear. Though… that’s part of your charm.”
Even the Skeleton King would’ve seen through that flattery, but Heukung grinned like a fool.
“Do you really mean that?”
“Of course. Don’t forget I’m always fond of you.”
Her seductive voice and eyes. Fingers so pale and flawless they didn’t seem like they belonged to someone from the Southern Barbarian Region caressed the pockmarked cheek of a middle-aged man with a bulging gut.
“Ohh, my dear…”
If someone asked me to describe this scene in three words, I’d answer without hesitation:
‘This is sick…’
A doughy middle-aged man melting like butter under the touch of a gorgeous twenty-something.
Love knows no age or borders, sure—but sometimes, borders really should exist.
‘Though I doubt it’s real love anyway.’
Now I understood why the Yi Tribe’s influence was tanking like delisted stocks.
And why the Yao Tribe was on the rise.
Still…
‘She’s definitely different—but also strangely familiar.’
I muttered inwardly, thinking of someone else.
Yohee glanced at me and patted Heukung’s shoulder.
“By the way, big brother.”
“…Big brother?”
I’d heard that line before in one of those daily dramas my mom liked.
‘Don’t call me sir, call me oppa instead.’
Yohee had an instinct for playing into every weak spot of a pathetic middle-aged man.
With Heukung beaming like a kid, she gently said:
“Could you step out for a bit? I’ve got something important to ask this Han man.”
“Hm? Well, sure! Anything for you!”
“Thanks, big brother. I’ll see you later.”
“Ohhh, ohhh!”
Heukung’s flushed face puffed out as he exhaled, and once he left the tent, Yohee leaned back onto a silk cushion and muttered with a smirk—
“Idiot.”
I was expecting something like this, but it was still worse than I thought.
Scratching my chin, I saw Yohee’s grin widen.
“What, too obvious?”
Actually, this made things easier.
After a short pause, I answered honestly.
“Well. I wouldn’t say it wasn’t obvious.”
“So you kinda figured it out already? Huh. I thought you were just all muscle, but looks like you’re sharper than I assumed.”
“I might not look it, but I’ve got a little awareness. Murim is full of people with two faces, after all.”
“Is that so? Central Plains really is a wild place, huh. You don’t see many women like me here. Oh, and that girl you came with—what was her name… Ju Hwaran? She one of your kind too?”
Instead of replying, I simply looked at her.
Yohee’s smile deepened.
“Alright, I take it back. Judging by your face, I must’ve said something wrong.”
I don’t know what expression I had, but I doubt it was pleasant.
I opened my mouth, forcing myself to sound composed.
“Watch your words next time. She’s a member of the Fire Dragon Pavilion who trusted me enough to follow me here.”
“Ah. Just a subordinate you care about?”
“There’s no strict line between subordinate and superior among us… but think what you want.”
“Thanks for that. I’ve got a pretty vivid imagination, you know.”
With a mysterious grin, Yohee continued.
“Earlier, you were staring at me so intently, I misunderstood. Thought maybe it was love at first sight.”
“No way. I’m not the type to fall for just anyone.”
“Then why were you staring? Did Heukung look that pathetic to you?”
“No. You reminded me of someone I saw before.”
A glimmer of interest flashed in Yohee’s eyes.
“Who? A woman?”
“A woman, yes. Not that you’d know who.”
To be fair, she’s more of a monster than a woman.
The person Yohee reminded me of was the Southern Demon Empress of Dark Heaven.
The people of Dark Heaven transcended male and female—they were monsters, fanatics who worshiped the so-called Heavenly Lord.
“A woman, huh… Do I really resemble her that much?”
“A little. But you’re fundamentally different.”
“And you’re sure about that? What if I am her?”
Despite her mischievous expression, I had already confirmed with [Sensation].
There was no doubt.
‘Besides, like I said—at the core, they’re completely different.’
If Yohee’s appearance and presence were seductive, the Southern Demon Empress had an innate magical allure that could ensnare people.
And I wasn’t just talking about looks.
It was her very presence.
Beautiful yet natural. So natural it was disarming.
It was that kind of aura that fooled me completely back in Hubei.
“You’re not her. Simple as that.”
“Aw. Boring. But she must’ve been someone important, right?”
“She was. And more than that—dangerous.”
“Dark Heaven. It’s Dark Heaven, isn’t it?”
As expected, Yohee caught on fast.
She also already knew why I’d come all the way to the Southern Barbarian Region—what my real mission was.
“Sorry to say, but none of the Four Great Chiefs want to join the alliance. Except for the Palace Lord, that is.”
“And you?”
“Me? I don’t really care. No matter what happens to the Beast Palace, the Yao Tribe will rise above the other tribes.”
“That’s just your take. The other chiefs…”
“Sure, not all chiefs will agree. But one thing is certain—every chief wants their tribe to be strong. And if the Central Plains bleeds, then naturally, the Southern Barbarians lose power too.”
Suddenly, I recalled something the Beast Miao King said in the inner palace.
He said that while he was the Palace Lord of the Beast Palace and one of the Ten Kings recognized by the Central Plains, he was ultimately still the Chief of the Miao Tribe.
If the other chiefs thought like Yohee, then like Yal Mok said, getting the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace to join the Murim Alliance might be impossible.
‘What kind of cursed diplomacy difficulty is this…’
I didn’t come here as a diplomat, but this was pretty much a failure before I even got started.
Yohee looked amused by my frustrated expression.
“Sorry, but that’s the reality. Though… there is one person you might be able to convince. He leads one of the biggest tribes in the Four Greats, and he’s dumb enough to believe you.”
I didn’t need to hear the rest to know who she meant. I sighed.
“Heukung?”
Yohee burst into laughter.
“Yeah. That idiot. He’s completely under my and Baek Sang’s thumb, can’t do anything on his own.”
Still, he’s technically the chief of a massive tribe. The way she talked about him made me feel bad.
‘If there really were any chance I could convince him, she wouldn’t have told me this.’
Heukung was just a puppet—smiling away, not even realizing he was being manipulated.
‘Poor guy.’
As I frowned slightly and looked at Yohee, noise erupted outside the tent.
A cold, dry voice followed.
“Yohee. Are you in there?”
It was Baek Sang.