Flowers | Tale Of The Nine Tailed [Lee Rang]

Chapter 7: Gladiolus

The Spirit of Darkness...

Earlier the day, Shinju called and informed me about the incident between that monster and Mr. Yeon alongside Jiah. We ran straight to where Mr. Yeon was and rushed him to the Snail Bride who for sure knows what to do.

"What can we do to wake him up?" Shinju immediately asked when we managed to lay Mr. Yeon down.

"No one can wake him up from the outside," The Snail Bride started. " I tried everything I could, but I wasn't able to wake my husband up."

"Was it the same person?"

"Yes. In the past, she was a peddler
who sold items for women. She'd approach people with shiny things and ask them what they feared the most. That's how she bewitched them," She continued. "My husband was scared of tigers."

"But the things she makes people see... Are they not illusions?"

"I also thought they were hallucinations," She replied. "But I saw... my husband got bitten by a tiger. His bones broke, and his flesh got torn out."

To watch your loved one die in front of you. That's not something I wish to encounter again.

"Perhaps Mrs. Taluipa knows what to do," I suggested. The atmosphere was sad considering the Snail Bride talked about her late husband but unfortunately, we couldn't linger much on it as we have a much bigger problem to handle.

"The Spirit of Darkness?" Death's sister hummed. "Is such a thing still present in this realm?"

"Even the clairvoyant is questioning her existence," I noted. "Is she dying then?"

"Possibly." She responded.

"Anyways, after talking to her, Mr. Lee and Lady A Eum... I mean, Ms. Nam. Anyway, they're out cold," Shinju informed her like she didn't know already. "Please tell us how we can help them."

"You're in over your heads," Mrs. Taluipa stated. "The girl is with her family...and Yeon is at the Forest of the Starved."

"The Forest of the Starved?" I asked. "Why there?"

"Probably to save his younger brother."

"His brother too?" Shinju asked the same question running to my head. My breath hitched upon learning of that information.

"Let me ask though," She frowned. "Since when were those two tight?"

"How's that the issue right now?" Her husband's voice rang in my ears as he suddenly started to approach us.

"It is to me. Honey!" The wife protested. "He takes on too much of the burden himself. He's the kind that digs his own grave."

"That's what made him a mountain spirit. The spirit of the mountains... had his heart touched by each and every organism. So how could he not care for his brother?"

"Brother, my foot. Rang committed too many crimes. In fact, he wouldn't be there right now had you..." She glanced at me, with a little judgmental look. "done your job and never let him off."

"Honey, how can you be so..."

"Please help us." I pleaded, desperation evident in my voice because now it cracks from holding back the tears threatening to escape. "I will exchange my life instead, so please."

"You're making a fool of yourself." She stopped me. "Why give up your life for something Yeon chose to do?

"I'll do everything you order me to do." My eyes widened at Shinju's sudden request when he kneeled beside me.

"Everything I order?" Mrs. Taluipa suddenly raised her eyebrow propping her elbow on the table.

"Don't you care about your life?" Hyunuiong asked Shinju the moment he stepped out, "How could you trade it
in for that piece of cloth?"