Possessing Nothing

After coming out of the Forest of Temptation, Lee Sungmin’s connection with the evil spirits completely severed. They would continue to exist in that forest and attract humans who enter without knowing anything.

Rubia asked, glancing at the spirits that had not escaped from the territory of the Forest.

“What will happen to them in the future?”, she asked.

“They’ll remain in the woods as they always have.”, replied Aladdur.

“They’re evil spirits, they’re so they’re contracted to stay where their source of fear originates. As long as the forest itself doesn’t disappear, they have no choice but to live in it forever. It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances. I wouldn’t know if it would stay that way if a high-ranking monk would come and purify the forest. The famous Buddhist monks of Shaolin haven’t been able to in the past. So don’t worry about it, Miss Rubia. They’re meant to be that way.”, Aladdur spoke sympathetically.

Although he had come to terms with it, Rubia’s expression waned. Looking at such an expression the Crazy Heavenly Demon asked,

“In the time we’ve spent here, have you grown attached to them?”

“It’s just heartbreaking to see the unfulfilled evil spirits wander aimlessly as they’re trapped.”, she responded.

Aladdur looked at her with a sympathetic gaze and The Crazy Heavenly started to tease Aladdur about developing feelings for Rubia.

At the fuss the three were making, Lee Sungmin was listening to Neville.

A few days ago I had asked Neville about a wizard who would be able to handle the processing and uses of a dragon heart.

And it was not until today that he heard back.

[A lot of wizards were interested in Dragon Hearts, but unfortunately…… Like the scales and bones, few wizards have seen dragon hearts in person by themselves. So, although everyone offered to do it, they were a little less reliable. They’re all in the ranks of the Magicians, not Wizards.], Neville responded.

‘What’s your opinion on it then?’, Lee Sungmin asked Neville, as he didn’t know much about the magician’s societies or ranks in Eria.

He had learned some auxiliary magic, but that didn’t make Lee Sungmin a magician.

If Scarlett had been around, Lee Sungmin would have consulted her, but it had been years since he had last interacted with Scarlett.

[……Dragon Hearts are very sensitive to mana and are fragile. There is a high risk of completely ruining them if one is inexperienced with them. So I think it’s better to keep it right now and leave it for now.], Neville responded stating his opinion.

‘Hmm……’

Lee Sungmin couldn’t help but feel a bit sour. No dragon hearts, no scales, no bones. It was because even though he had the materials, they couldn’t be processed recklessly and getting the right people to process it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

[Oh, and The Blue Tower Master asked me to tell you that he really wants to buy the dragon heart. The price is…], Neville was cut off short by Lee Sungmin.

‘I don’t intend to sell it.’, Lee Sungmin said bluntly.

[Of course you don’t. Other than the Blue Tower Master, other people showed an intense interest in buying it, but I will talk to them for you. Oh!……and.], Neville’s voice sank slightly.

[Other information guilds, including the public ones, are talking about Lee Sungmin.], Neville said with a sullen expression.

‘Wait… What?’, Lee Sungmin contorted his face.

[This is what they’re saying : Zhuge Taeryong and Murong Seojin who were chasing Ghost Gun, were brutally murdered by him.], Neville spoke.

Hearing this, Lee Sungmin’s expression hardened in anger and irritation.

‘Zhuge Taeryong and Murong Seojin died?’ , He thought to himself this time.

Lee Sungmin recalled the events that took place a few days ago. It had been more than a week since he had broken off from the people that were chasing him. He also didn’t take any of their lives.

‘I didn’t kill him.’, Lee Sungmin spoke to Neville after recollecting his thoughts.

[But that’s how the information networks are spreading it.], Neville responded.

Although Zhuge Taeryong did not have the most amicable relationship with his wife, it was improbable that she would kill him and commit suicide. Common knowledge was that she didn;t even have the skill necessary to do it.

The last memory Lee Sungmin had of them, was when they left the forest together followed by the Black Dogs.

[The evidence of the information was confirmed, as the bodies were found in the Forest of Temptation. That was the report I received from the Black Dogs. Furthermore, Namgung Heewon and his group succeeded in getting out of the forest. It seems that Dang Ah-hui, her followers, and the black dogs are still wandering in the forest.], Neville followed to report his findings to Lee Sungmin.

‘First of all….. Heewon is okay.’, Lee Sungmin thought to himself and sighed in relief that Heewon had escaped safely.

Although they did not call each other brothers anymore, Lee Sungmin and Heewon still held favor of each other, so he was relieved to hear about Heewon.

‘But… Zhuge Taeryong and Murong Seojin are dead.’, Lee Sungmin thought to himself irritatedly.

However, he knew it would be bad if he indulged in his anger right now, so he cooled off.

It was simple. He was being framed by the only people that held open enmity about this. The two died in the forest and the Black Dogs had killed them. Most likely ordered to by the upper echelons of the Orthodox Headquarters.

‘Why are you doing this? Zhuge Taeryong and Murong Seojin are the first couple and heirs to the Zhuge Clan.….’, Lee Sungmin pondered.

Lee Sungmin was distraught as he couldn’t find a reason as to why they would frame him, and take their enmity further. He could only see downsides to both the Orthodox and himself for this decision.

‘Beware of the Orthodox.’

The warning Lord Sima of the Sama Order gave Lee Sungmin lingered in his head.

‘Jehu of the Black Dragon Association……’

Lee Sungmin bit his lower lip, in frustration. He had never even met this person that seemed to have some sort of unknown enmity towards him.

Lee Sungmin’s words wouldn’t even be taken at face value at this point if he tried to protest about the framing.

“What’s wrong with your face?”,Rubia asked, tilting her head.

Lee Sungmin relaxed his expression and decided to tell the party the news he had just received from Neville.

At the end of the story, Aladdur giggled and nodded his head.

“The bastard, he died in the end. Oh, that’s refreshing!”, Aladdur spoke in a gleeful manner.

“Even the Orthodox use dirty tricks. I don’t understand why they’re going so far.”, The Crazy Heavenly Demon muttered.

Rubia just gave a blank expression as she didn’t care so much about the entire situation. As she puffed her cheeks cutely and stopped playing with her ears she spoke.

“The Dragon Heart.”, she said, continuing to speak.

“You can’t let some 3rd rate magician handle it, but wouldn’t my master, Envirus, be able to handle it?”, she said with a curious and playful expression.

“Huh?”, Lee Sungmin’s eyes widened at Rubia’s words.

“My master is a Wizard who goes beyond common sense and other top tier Wizards. I’m not sure if he can do it or not, but if it’s something other wizards can’t do, my master might be able to do it.”, she added.

The words sounded quite plausible. Envirus was Lloyd’s teacher, the Master of the Gold Tower.

Even if it was impossible for a Master of a Magician Tower to process it, Envirus might be able to do what others couldn’t.

“You said you could meet him in the South, so we’ll probably be able to meet soon.”, Rubia nodded her head, saying so.

“I’m sure we can.”, Lee Sungmin said with a bit of hope.