Fengchu of Jin family, Jinari, looked at herself in the mirror.

 

A girl, unable to hide her melancholy, stood before it.

 

“Haa.”

 

After learning that even her trusted aunt was plotting to purge her, Jinari had become wary of meeting people, immersing herself solely in her training.

 

Training was the only time she could forget her fears.

 

But alone in her room, the suppressed dread writhed, gently caressing Jinari’s back.

 

“I am meant to be a phoenix.”

 

Jinari murmured to herself, gazing into the mirror.

 

The girl in the reflection looked ordinary, except for the chick-like yellow feathers on her arms and the small yellow wings on her back.

 

She hardly seemed the legendary phoenix incarnate.

 

“I will become a phoenix...”

 

Eventually, Jinari had to close her eyes and conjure up someone in her mind.

 

The back that protected her from assassins. The back that shielded her from the terrifying Gwizon.

 

Thinking of that man, Jinari felt her wings flutter.

 

It was her inner chick, excited by the thought of him.

 

“Hoo.”

 

Jinari looked into the mirror again.

 

The girl’s cheeks were slightly flushed, and her expression held a tender embarrassment, no longer tinged with sorrow.

 

Startled by this realization, Jinari shook her head.

 

It was all because of the chick inside her heart.

 

Not having chirped for a week, it seemed the inner chick was upset.

 

Jinari lightly touched her cheek.

 

It was warm. Just then, her smartphone rang.

 

Jinari glanced at it before muttering,

 

“Cheep.”

 

In her surprise, she chirped.

 

Clasping her mouth, Jinari looked back at the phone’s screen.

 

It displayed:

 

<Yoo Hajin>

 

 

Dragging my weary body, I arrived in Louisville.

 

So much had happened today.

 

It was really tough.

 

I placed the duffel bag containing the corpse of the puppy’s mother and her puppy on the ground.

 

They say everything about raising puppy costs money, but can I really handle this?

 

Yet, the puppy, unaware or indifferent to my turmoil, continued to mewl and lick its mother.

 

Then it began to lick my hand.

 

Speechless, I stroked the puppy.

 

“What have you picked up this time?”

 

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

 

It was Jamsuni’s sharp tone.

 

Turning around, I saw Jamsuni and the uncle standing together.

 

“Hmm, a young Haetae, perhaps. To think a living specimen still existed.”

 

“Ah, such a rare breed. I heard the evil spirits had driven them to extinction. Where did you find this one?”

 

This puppy was indeed a remarkable being.

 

To be experimented on in the villains’ secret lab, it must be a fairly extraordinary breed of dog.

 

“You’ve been through something spectacular, I bet.”

 

“Why don’t you tell me how vivid your imagination is? Speaking of which, a Haetae. Should I try to tame it?”

 

Jamsuni smirked and reached out to the puppy.

 

Then the puppy yapped and bit Jamsuni’s finger.

 

Jamsuni, bitten, looked down at the puppy with an incredulous expression.

 

“This, this damned beast bit me?”

 

“Sojin, you do know that a creature like Haetae’s stature can’t be tamed, right?”

 

As Jamsuni raised her hand, I glared at her.

 

Was she really thinking of hitting a defenseless animal?

 

“Hmph. Now we’re down to taming beasts.”

 

Ignoring Jamsuni’s grumbling, I reached out to the puppy.

 

As I did, the puppy nuzzled against my hand.

 

“What’s this? Uncle, I thought you said it couldn’t be tamed?”

 

“Um? No, what’s going on here?”

 

Uncle and Jamsuni looked at me in astonishment.

 

I was even more surprised by their reaction.

 

I could see this puppy was of a remarkable breed.

 

But to my eyes, it seemed inferior to the cherished spirit beasts raised by clans or sects.

 

The creatures beyond my sight could slice dozens of trees with a mere wag of their tail and split rocks with a claw swipe.

 

I chuckled.

 

If it’s not treated as a combat beast like those spirit animals, why not just treat it like any other dog?

 

“This pup may be of a fine breed, but a puppy is still just a puppy.”

 

“A puppy? A dog? Well, it’s technically canine, but...”

 

“Look. Puppies naturally love humans. Jamsuni, if you try to grab them aggressively, they’ll get scared.”

 

“No, treating that thing like an ordinary puppy is what’s strange. Do you know how dangerous it becomes when it grows up?”

 

After saying that, I looked around the open space.

 

I needed to find a place to bury the mother dog.

 

Where in Louisville would be the sunniest spot?

 

As I searched for a sunny spot in Louisville, Jamsuni and the old man began to murmur to each other.

 

They were too far away for me to catch what they were saying.

 

“I see. Remarkable talent. Ignoring the spiritual aspects of a divine beast and drawing out only its animalistic nature. Such a feat is possible because divine beasts are formed of spirit and flesh.”

 

“Seems like it. Preventing even a trace of spiritual power from flowing into the touched part of the divine beast, yet not interfering with its own spiritual power. Theoretically, with such a technique, all divine beasts could be tamed.”

 

“But it’s a technique that can only exist in theory. To read a divine beast’s spiritual power with a hand completely devoid of spiritual energy, so dull... It has to be the next head of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect. Only a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius could...”

 

“Who decided Yoo Hajin is going to be the next head of the Ilwol-Oakmoon sect? Old man, you really want to throw down?”

 

Are Jamsuni and the old man arguing again?

 

I couldn’t hear them clearly, but from their tone, it seemed like another fight.

 

I mean, what’s with the old man arguing with Jamsuni given their age difference?

 

Granted, Jamsuni’s attitude and behavior are quite infuriating.

 

Ignoring them, I found an abandoned flowerbed.

 

The large bed was chaotically blooming with flowers, creating an atmosphere.

 

Such flourishing flowers meant this spot received plenty of sunlight.

 

I dug into the center of the flowerbed and placed the mother dog there. The puppy just looked up at me, whining.

 

“There’s something my younger sister used to say.”

 

Ha, what am I doing, saying this to an animal that can’t understand?

 

But I felt compelled to say it.

 

“Every living being has a soul, and that soul will eventually reunite with their loved ones.”

 

Could it really be? Does the soul truly exist?

 

But my eyes saw nothing.

 

Harin, are you here beside me now? Please, give me an answer.

 

“So, even if you lose your family, don’t be too sad. Keep living bravely. That way, when you meet again, you can smile together.”

 

After saying that, I buried the mother dog.

 

Then, gently stroking the puppy, I said,

 

“From now on, your name will be Myeong-Myeong.”

 

“Meong!”

 

They say raising a dog can be costly.

 

Well, I guess I could just take on a few more part-time jobs to manage.

 

While I was bathing Myeong-Myeong and warming up some milk to put in a bowl, my phone began to vibrate.

 

Another loan text, perhaps?

 

Glancing at it, this message was displayed:

 

===

 

<LiarsSwindlersScammersChickSquid>

 

I’m sorry.

 

Let’s meet and talk.

 

Please set a time and place, and I’ll be there.

 

===

 

“Ha?

 

Could this finally be my chance to meet the swindler?

 

I set up the meeting time right away.

 

It was for this very evening.

 

 

And so, evening came. The streets were bustling with people heading home from work.

 

Upon spotting the Chick, I dashed out.

 

“Chickkkkk!!!”

 

“My, my name is Jinari, as I’ve told you before...”

 

“Why did you break our promise?!!”

 

I grabbed the chick’s shoulders and shook them.

 

As I did, the chick stammered out some pitiful excuses.

 

“I was, I was preparing. Even for me, such a big task requires a lot of preparation.”

 

“Don’t you know making cowardly excuses is a sin???”

 

“Peep?!”

 

I was too agitated.

 

I could feel the stares of people on the street.

 

I let go of the chick and said,

 

“Miss Chick. You did say that if it involved the honor of your family, the task I asked for would be done, didn’t you?”

 

“My name is Jinari. And the target turned out to be more troublesome than expected...”

 

“So, you’re saying you planned to dine and dash on our agreement?”

 

“I would never do such a thing.”

 

In that moment, I felt something in my stomach.

 

Perhaps I was too excited.

 

I urgently needed the restroom.

 

Glancing around, I spotted a public bathroom.

 

“I’m going to the restroom.”

 

“It might sound like an excuse.”

 

I headed towards the public restroom. But the chick just toddled along behind me.

 

“However, Cheonsu is a formidable figure known as the Hongdae King, uniting the vast factions of the Hongdae under the auspices of Cheonji’s chosen. Of course, our family could obliterate such factions in a day, but...”

 

“Chick.”

 

The chick didn’t stop talking. And kept toddling along behind me.

 

“Mobilizing the family’s main forces requires the consent of the head and the elders. I’ve been trying to persuade them, but it seems it will take some time to gain their approval. So, I’ve been assembling the forces I can mobilize...”

 

“Chick.”

 

The chick kept chirping incessantly. And of course, kept chirping and following me.

 

“We’ve gauged Cheonsu’s forces to an extent, but we haven’t been able to ascertain the full extent of Cheonsu’s own power, nor who among the Cheonji supports him...”

 

“Chick!!!”

 

Standing in front of the men’s restroom urinal, I said,

 

“Are you a pervert?”

 

“Peep?”

 

The chicken looked around. Naturally, we were inside the men’s restroom.

 

“Peep? No, why, why am I in such a place?”

 

The chick began to whimper.