TGHD Ch23

Kwon Namil raised an eyebrow as he watched Ryubeom approach. When he first saw the group gathered at the pavilion, his attention was initially drawn to the most flamboyantly dressed man, and he naturally viewed him as the primary threat. There was something oddly off-putting about the man in the black overcoat.

However, the person approaching him now was slightly smaller and had a stern demeanor that wasn’t easy to read but seemed less intimidating than the flashy man. Above all, he was dressed plainly and didn’t wear any expensive watches or accessories. Kwon Namil, who was used to sizing up people by their appearances, quickly adopted a condescending look.

“Kwon Namil, I have a few questions…”

“What is it? Hurry up and show me where the gold was found.”

“There’s something I need to know before we go. Do you remember a woman named Nakyung who used to work at your house?”

Despite the somewhat arrogant tone, the other person persistently asked his question. Kwon Namil tilted his head, thinking it was unexpected.

“Nakyung? I don’t remember.”

“They say she lived with you as a new shaman with her daughter.”

“…A new shaman? Oh, right! That crow!”

Ryubeom nodded at Kwon Namil’s outburst. But before he could ask further, Kwon Namil suddenly retorted sharply.

“Why are you asking about the girl who burned down the villa? I thought it was already determined to be an accident.”

Ryubeom’s expression subtly changed. He hadn’t mentioned the villa fire at all, so why did the word “accident” come up first?

Kwon Namil glared sharply at Garim.

“Did you call me here just to ask about this? Did you lie to me to get me here?”

“Th-that’s not…”

“You made me cancel all my plans today because of the gold bars, and now this. Unbelievable.”

As Kwon Namil moved threateningly toward Garim, Ryubeom stepped in front of him, blocking his path and staring directly at him.

He wasn’t entirely convinced that the Kwon family was responsible yet. It could be just an issue related to the location. He intended to ask calmly, but Kwon Namil’s odd behavior raised suspicions. His excessive reaction made him look even more suspicious.

“Kwon Namil, I’m sorry for calling you here like this, but I need to know. What happened to Ms. Nakyung over ten years ago? Why did she start acting strangely after the funeral and then suddenly disappear?”

“It’s been years. How am I supposed to know that? And why are you asking now?”

“You’re aware of the strange phenomena in Hyojomyeon, right? It seems like the malevolent spirit causing them is Ms. Nakyung.”

“What? A malevolent spirit? This is crazy…”

Kwon Namil laughed with his head tilted back, then abruptly stopped and stared at Ryubeom.

“Why should I answer your questions?”

“…What?”

“I was tricked into coming here because of your lies. Why should I answer you when I’m already at a loss? What’s in it for me?”

“…”

“And a malevolent spirit? Ha, I don’t believe in that. This sounds like some kind of cult nonsense…”

Kwon Namil was pushing Ryubeom’s shoulder with his finger when he suddenly flinched. Yeohwi, who had been standing behind, approached and pressed down on his collarbone. She had moved so swiftly that he didn’t even notice her approach, and now she was pressing his neck firmly. It was a light touch, but his entire body stiffened.

“If you don’t believe in malevolent spirits, why are you wearing that?”

A faint smile appeared on her beautiful face.

Hearing Yeohwi’s comment, Ryubeom finally noticed the necklace Kwon Namil was wearing. At the center of the gold necklace was a small rectangular gold plate with densely inscribed Chinese characters. As he focused on it, he could sense a faint aura emanating from it.

It was a charm that concealed the wearer’s presence.

Moreover, the charm seemed to have been used multiple times, and its power was nearly depleted. Now, it was faintly glowing as if using its last bit of strength. Ryubeom stared at it curiously before confirming with Yeohwi.

“That’s a charm to conceal one’s presence, right?”

“Yes. It not only hides his presence but also confuses malevolent spirits.”

“I’ve heard that creating complex charms like that is extremely difficult, even in my family. He’s wearing something quite valuable.”

Kwon Namil hurriedly covered the necklace with his hand, looking quite flustered. He hesitated, then sighed deeply and stared at Yeohwi and Ryubeom.

“What? Are you both beastkin?”

He had figured it out from their conversation earlier. In this day and age, those who spoke about families were usually beastkin, and they had referred to him as ‘that human,’ indicating a different species. Seeing that they didn’t deny it, he was sure.

A sense of superiority filled Kwon Namil’s eyes.

“I almost didn’t notice. You hide your beast forms quite well.”

Ryubeom was puzzled by his mocking remark. He wondered why this man’s attitude had changed so suddenly.

While it wasn’t something taught or experienced in the tiger family, there were humans in society who looked down on beastkin. Some believed that beastkin lowered themselves and signed peace treaties just to blend into the advanced human society. They even thought that the act of beastkin assuming human forms proved who was superior.

These people didn’t dare to confront large, formidable predator-type beastkin but looked down on smaller or weaker herbivore-type animals. Commonly disrespected beastkin included small dogs, birds, sheep, and rabbits. While they might find them cute, they didn’t treat them as equals. If criticized, they would respond boldly, saying, “What’s the problem with being cute?” as if treating them like pets was a privilege.

Garim, who had been watching from behind, was shocked. She didn’t know what kind of beastkin Ryubeom was, but one of them was a highly regarded fox beastkin! Of course, there was a possibility that Kwon Namil would look down on foxes as well. Garim watched the three nervously.

Ryubeom’s expression remained unreadable as he quietly stared at him, making him appear even more intimidating.

“If you’re going to live in human society, you should be more mindful.”

“……”

“Hah, just like that brat from back then. I must not be compatible with beastkin…”

Kwon Namil, irritated, ruffled his hair and tried to push past Ryubeom. But suddenly, his wrist was seized with a force that felt like it might snap.

“Stop dodging and answer properly.”

Ryubeom’s demeanor turned menacing. Startled by the change in atmosphere, Kwon Namil blinked in surprise.

“What happened to that mother and daughter in the past?”

“Why should I answer…”

“If you’re going to talk about compensation again, open your eyes and look around. Right now, I’m the one protecting you.”

Kwon Namil glanced around with a puzzled expression and flinched. A large number of crows had gathered around the pavilion. There were dozens, if not over a hundred, triggering an instinctual aversion.

Caw, caw… 

The overlapping cries were eerie.

And behind the crows, Ryubeom could see a writhing darkness. The intense grudge emanating from it was so unsettling that just looking at it gave him goosebumps.

The only reason the crows were staying around the pavilion was because Ryubeom had set up a barrier beforehand. If Kwon Namil was truly connected to the grudge in Hyojomyeon, something terrible might happen to him. That’s why they chose to meet far from the old mansion and had set up protective wards.

However, the power of the wards was weakening. Even the strength of Kwon Namil’s necklace was gradually fading. This meant that the grudge from Hyojomyeon was targeting Kwon Namil.

It was now clear that something had indeed happened between the Kwon family, or rather, Kwon Namil and the girl Nakyung.

As the power of the necklace waned, Ryubeom could see the dark presences circling around Kwon Namil. They were malevolent spirits that seemed to have been following him even before he arrived at Hyojomyeon. Ryubeom sighed, noticing the dark aura clinging to his sports car.

“What on earth have you been doing?”

But Kwon Namil didn’t respond. He just seemed eager to leave, roughly shaking off Ryubeom’s hand.

“Damn it! No wonder my mom told me not to go to Hyojomyeon.”

It was said that Kwon Namil’s parents were abroad for business reasons. They had left Hyojomyeon to start a successful business and expanded overseas, as Garim had heard. It had been quite some time, so why was Kwon Namil still in the country? Perhaps he couldn’t leave?

Judging by Kwon Namil’s behavior, the necklace was definitely provided by his parents. They probably spent a lot of money to get him this precious necklace while warning him not to go to Hyojomyeon.

As Ryubeom’s suspicion solidified into certainty, Kwon Namil moved towards his sports car. He seemed to want to deny the surprise he felt when Ryubeom grabbed his wrist, deliberately shaking his hand excessively and glaring at Garim.

“Hey, real estate girl. I won’t forget what happened today…”

“Wait, you can’t get in that car.”

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

Ryubeom urgently warned him, but Kwon Namil sneered. A look of panic appeared on Ryubeom’s face. Could he not see the darkness gathering around his car?

Even Garim was freaking out behind him, saying, “Eek, something’s off…” She must have developed a forced sensitivity to spirits from her time in Hyojomyeon.

Finally, Kwon Namil stepped out of the protective barrier. Ryubeom sighed and followed him. Despite his rudeness, Ryubeom felt that if Kwon Namil got in that car, he would die. The malevolent spirits had been clinging to him from the start. It was a wonder he had made it to Hyojomyeon alive.

But now that he was here, their energy had become even more erratic, and Ryubeom felt a slight sense of responsibility to calm them down, at least temporarily. Assuming the conversation could continue.

However, Kwon Namil sneered at Ryubeom’s goodwill.

“Your threats don’t work on me… Ah, ah! What is this!”

Before he could finish his sentence, a crow suddenly swooped down at him.