Chapter 190: Chapter 190

Whoosh-

Although it was merely wind pressure, the White Tiger’s body was pushed back nearly fifty feet.

However, quickly regaining its senses, the White Tiger maintained its balance and fiercely bared its teeth.

Instantly kicking off the ground, the White Tiger closed the distance and swung its massive, heavy forepaw.

Crunch!

As he lightly evaded it, a thick tree shattered like a sandcastle.

Yet, as if it were not the end, it approached once more, baring its teeth and aiming for Dan Woo-hyun’s neck.

Thud!

“After all, you are just a beast.”

He struck upward.

At the same moment the mouth gaped open, Dan Woo-hyun’s palm slapped the White Tiger’s jaw.

The White Tiger’s mouth, which seemed impossible for human strength to handle, snapped shut in an instant, and its body floated up into the air.

However, in the first place, the body structure of humans and beasts is different.

The floating White Tiger spun in place and landed gracefully. It shook its face as if the struck area was somewhat stinging, but it did not seem to have received a very large impact.

“Not bad.”

Dan Woo-hyun was surprised.

The move just now was a strike meant to kill. Yet, surviving it meant the White Tiger’s level was indeed equivalent to a divine beast.

It reminded him of when he caught an imugi a very long time ago.

Just recalling those days, when he fought a battle so fierce that he could not even remember how many days they clashed, made his competitive spirit boil.

However, Dan Woo-hyun took a deep breath and calmed his momentum.

This place right now was not a place to satisfy his competitive spirit. He had to retrieve Dan So-mi as quickly as possible, so he had no leisure to enjoy a fight.

The wind blew.

Dan Woo-hyun stood with the wind wrapped around his entire body.

That appearance alone was sufficient to pressure the opponent.

Boom!

Yet, even while looking at Dan Woo-hyun who wrapped a giant vortex around his body, the White Tiger stamped the ground and glared without retreating a single inch.

So strong was that power that a large crater was dug out.

It was right then that Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes narrowed.

Because he felt the opponent was serious, his momentum also changed completely.

The playful expression was erased from his face.

Although it was a spiritual beast whose level did not reach Namgung Cheon or Sa Do-hak, the momentum it emitted was grand enough to be compared to those two.

The White Tiger took an even lower stance.

He could feel it putting strength into its legs, planning to leap at once.

A momentum that was nothing but atrocious erupted like an active volcano, and it stepped on the ground as it shot forward toward Dan Woo-hyun.

For a brief moment, he lost track of the White Tiger’s movement.

However.

Boom!

“Humans and beasts are different. Thus, it is natural that a beast is several times stronger with the same power.”

Dan Woo-hyun’s gaze looked behind.

When had it moved, the White Tiger swung its massive paw. Yet, those heavy claws could not tear the wind lingering around Dan Woo-hyun.

Its power was insufficient to tear a fierce storm.

“However, whether human or beast, simple power cannot pierce the principles of the Five Elements.”

Dan Woo-hyun lightly extended his finger.

The moment his finger touched the sharp claws, the wind that was lingering over his whole body stretched out like a vortex and swallowed the White Tiger.

Slash-!

A power so strong that even a sound could not be made swept away everything that touched the wind.

Spinning through the air at a ferocious speed, the White Tiger’s body tore apart and blood splattered in all directions.

Who on earth would dare to block this?

Thud!

Spewing thick blood, the White Tiger collapsed.

Although its body twitched and trembled, there was no strength left to move anymore.

Even in those intense eyes, much of the strength had faded.

Yet, even though the strength had faded, the gaze looking at Dan Woo-hyun was still fierce and sharp, and it bared its teeth.

‘Should I kill it?’

He had heard that the spiritual elixir of a White Tiger was extremely good for the body. If he gave this to Dan So-mi, though it might not lead to eternal youth, she would likely grow up very strong.

Thinking such thoughts, Dan Woo-hyun smirked.

“Never mind. It is enough to catch a spiritual creature once…”

Dan Woo-hyun smiled, recalling the imugi of the past.

The face of the dying bastard was similar to the White Tiger in front of his eyes now. Just for giving him a sense of nostalgia for the past, that White Tiger was fully worth letting live.

As the momentum that had surged due to the fierce battle between the White Tiger and Dan Woo-hyun subsided, a fresh wind blew once more.

It gently wrapped around him as if understanding Dan Woo-hyun’s feelings.

He moved slowly toward the place where the wind blew from.

After walking for a long time like that, Dan Woo-hyun looked straight ahead. When he reached out and parted the bushes, a place that gave off a somewhat alien feeling was revealed, even though it was undoubtedly the very place where he had trained with Namgung So-hye.

And seeing the sight unfolding before his eyes, he smiled in spite of himself.

“Giggle!”

Dan So-mi hopped around and burst into laughter. Beside her, a pure white cat was running away with a somewhat prim feeling.

Contrary to Dan Woo-hyun’s worries, Dan So-mi was safe.

Although he could see that the hem of her skirt was torn, it did not seem that she was injured.

As if she was not even interested in the snow flowers falling bit by bit, the sound of laughter remained in his ears without end.

As if it became annoyed after being chased for a long time, the cat turned around and lunged toward Dan So-mi.

At that moment, seeing the sharp claws, the startled Dan Woo-hyun clenched his fist, but Dan So-mi, without any hesitation, opened her arms wide and hugged the leaping cat as she fell with a thud.

It was fortunate that the surroundings were full of thickets, otherwise she might have been hurt somewhere.

“Ahahaha! It’s so cute!”

Laughter did not leave Dan So-mi’s entire face.

Even though her clothes became dirty, she did not care. Rather, she showed the meticulousness of checking if there was dirt on the cat’s body and brushing it off here and there.

Dan Woo-hyun, who had been clenching his fist, relaxed his hand and smirked.

‘She was that kind of child…’

She thought of others’ bodies before her own.

Unlike a young child, her heart of consideration for others was strong. As if such a heart was transmitted to the spiritual creature, its claws had vanished before he knew it, and it licked Dan So-mi’s cheek.

“Ah! Dad?”

At that moment, Dan So-mi, who discovered Dan Woo-hyun, jumped up from her seat. It seemed the New Moon Cat was also startled.

Hiss!

It raised its tail and threatened Dan Woo-hyun.

But Dan Woo-hyun did not even care.

He walked leisurely toward Dan So-mi and cast his gaze at the New Moon Cat.

Flinch!

As soon as the New Moon Cat met Dan Woo-hyun’s eyes, it lowered its tail, turned its head, and cautiously took a position behind Dan So-mi.

Although it was merely exchanging glances, it instinctively realized that it could never defeat Dan Woo-hyun.

“You have tamed an interesting thing.”

“It’s pretty, right?”

Lifting the New Moon Cat that was hiding between her legs, she raised her voice.

Meow!

As if the small cry was extremely cute, she held it in her arms with a happy expression and rubbed her face against it.

“Can I raise it?”

“Haha, did you like it that much?”

“Yes! So-mi will become this child’s mom!”

“Huh?”

Dan So-mi extended her finger and pointed to one place.

A small grave mound was made there. It must not have been easy to dig up the frozen ground, but it seemed she had struck the ground several times using stones to finally make the mound.

Because of that, various parts of Dan So-mi’s hands were chapped and torn.

Dan Woo-hyun sighed.

“You mean you?”

“Yes! I promised! That I would take care of it for the rest of my life.”

“Haha, you cannot even look after yourself yet, and you will take care of this?”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s counterquestion, Dan So-mi puffed her cheeks with a petulant expression.

“So-mi will take care of it for life! Dad too, and this child too!”

“Me too?”

“Of course. You are So-mi’s dad, after all.”

Dan So-mi looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a strange expression.

Were they not partners who decided to be together for life? Fearing that it might be just her own delusion, tears welled up in her eyes in spite of herself.

“But if you get married, you won’t be able to stay by this father’s side, will you?”

Only then did Dan So-mi regain her senses and let out a small exclamation of, “Ah!” Indeed, if she got married, she would have to leave the house, so she could not be by Dan Woo-hyun’s side.

However, Dan So-mi smiled as if it were nothing and held Dan Woo-hyun’s hand.

“It’s fine! So-mi won’t do something like getting married and will stay with Dad for life.”

She smiled, emphasizing the word life.

That single word relaxed Dan Woo-hyun’s expression even more softly.

Like all parents, he did not think those words were the truth. How many children keep the promises they made in their childhood?

However, it was enough to melt his heart.

With a gentle expression, Dan Woo-hyun stroked Dan So-mi’s head.

“Yes, let us live together without ever parting for life.”

“Yes! Then I can raise it, right?”

Seeing her not missing the opportunity, Dan Woo-hyun let out a smile.

“Let’s return now.”

Meow-!

Right then, a wind suddenly blew. The New Moon Cat, which was held in Dan So-mi’s arms, suddenly hopped and ran somewhere, as if it caught a scent carried by the wind.

“Ah?! Where are you going!”

Dan So-mi shouted and ran after it.

Where was it going so urgently, it ran quite fast even though it was a small fellow.

Dan Woo-hyun also followed leisurely behind her.

Did they go for a long time?

He saw Dan So-mi, who had run ahead, standing blankly and looking at something with a pale face. Seeing that, Dan Woo-hyun laughed awkwardly.

“A… a tiger…”

“Yes, it is a tiger.”

“It is hurt…”

Feeling slightly dumbfounded by the sight of her worrying more about it being injured and bleeding than fearing the tiger, Dan Woo-hyun let out a hollow laugh and looked forward.

He saw the New Moon Cat licking the tiger’s wounds.

It seemed those two were acquainted.

Doubtless, the White Tiger might have been protecting the New Moon Cat within its territory.

“I must help it!”

At that moment, Dan So-mi clenched her two fists tightly. Although she had fear in her heart, she could not just leave behind an animal that collapsed while bleeding.

“You might get bitten, you know?”

“Still, it’s pitiful…”

Growl-

The growl of the White Tiger was heard. It seemed the word pitiful displeased its mood. However, as if it had no energy to stand up, it merely made a sound.

A sigh leaked from Dan Woo-hyun’s mouth.

“Help it!”

“The tiger, you mean?”

“Yes! Whether it’s a tiger or a human, it’s the same life.”

Dan Woo-hyun nodded as if he had no choice. He realized that since things had turned out this way, he could not stop Dan So-mi.

Holding back So-mi who was trying to run over, Dan Woo-hyun approached.

He met the gaze of the bleeding White Tiger.

Growl!

A wary sound was heard, but Dan Woo-hyun did not even care. As he slowly approached and wiped the blood, the White Tiger’s head moved.

Once again, the White Tiger and Dan Woo-hyun met gazes.

At the gaze clearly containing the meaning of whether he was giving the disease and then the medicine, Dan Woo-hyun turned his head away, pretending not to know.

Enjoyed the chapter?

If you like our work, consider supporting us on Ko-fi. This site solely runs on donations. Every donation helps us keep translating!

Support on Ko-fi