A Tree Beyond the Years — Chapter 20

YOU'RE A WOMAN, AREN'T YOU?

HUMANS MIGHT BE TOO DULL TO NOTICE,

BUT YOU CAN'T FOOL ME.

HOW ON EARTH DID YOU...?

THEN DOES THE LANDOWNER KNOW, TOO...?

DID YOU THINK I TOLD HIM?

DON'T WORRY.

THIS IS A SECRET JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME.

...!

SO, JAKYEONG,

I NEED YOUR ENERGY.

I AM A CREATURE SO WICKED AND DECEITFUL

THAT I CAN DEFILE HUMANS,

BUT I CANNOT PURIFY THEM.

YOU HAVE TO PULL ME OUT.

NGH...!

G-GET OFF ME...!

GET OFF?

YOUR BODY SEEMS TO SAY OTHERWISE.

AREN'T YOU GLAD THAT I'M A MAN?

WH-WHAT UTTER NONSENSE...!

IF YOU PLAN TO DEVOUR ME RIGHT NOW,

EVEN IF I'M INSIDE YOUR BELLY, I'LL CHANT THE SEALING ART TO SEAL YOU, AND WE'LL FALL INTO THE ABYSS TOGETHER!

IS THAT SO?

SOMEONE WILLING TO FALL INTO THE ABYSS WITH ME...

WHO HAS EVER OFFERED TO FALL INTO THE ABYSS WITH ME.

!

AH.

OH, MY.

IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME?

20

YOU MUST BE PAST THE AGE OF TWENTY, SO THAT'S STRANGE.

IS THIS NEW TO YOU, TOO?

WHY, YOU...!

ARE YOU PLEASED THAT IT'S YANG GI-SEOK?

PUT AN END TO YOUR MOCKERY!

I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A YOKAI JOINING TOGETHER WITH A HUMAN!

TOYING WITH A HUMAN LIKE THIS,

YOU JUST INTEND TO DEVOUR ME IN THE END!

NO, THAT'S NOT IT AT ALL.

CAN'T YOU REALLY FEEL IT?

LOOK AT THAT.

MY ENERGY RIGHT NOW.

YOU ARE DEVOURING IT

THE MORE OUR BODIES INTERTWINE AND OUR ENERGIES MEET,

THE MORE YOU CAN PUT ME TO REST.

THEN YOU CAN SEAL ME.

ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU WANT,

AS WELL AS WHAT I-

HOW CAN I...

...EVER TRUST YOUR WORDS?

BECAUSE JUST AS YOU DESPISE YOKAI, I DESPISE HUMANS.

TRAPPED IN THIS BODY,

NEITHER HUMAN NOR YOKAI,

COULD YOU EVER UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM?

AS EASILY AS YOU PITY YANG GI-SEOK?

I WISH YOU'D UNDERSTAND MY HEART TOO.

YOU EXPECT ME TO PITY YOU?

YEAH.

TAKE PITY ON ME,

AND PUT ME TO REST.

YOU PROMISED TO PULL ME OUT OF THIS ABYSS.

HOW MUCH OF THIS SHOULD I BELIEVE?

I HAD NEVER ACTUALLY

SEEN THE FORM OF A GOD WITH MY OWN EYES...

SINCE 1 AM THE ONLY ONE

WHO TRULY KNOWS THAT FORM,

MIMICKING IT EXACTLY SHOULD BE NEAR IMPOSSIBLE.

IT MUST BE TRUE THAT MY ENERGY

ABSORBS THE ENERGY OF A YOKAI.

BESIDES, STRADDLING AN EXORCIST HE FINDS SO REPULSIVE

A YOKAI BEGGING FOR SYMPATHY...

IF HE TRULY CRAVES REPOSE THAT DESPERATELY...

SLEEPING TOGETHER, CHASTITY...

NONE OF THAT ACTUALLY MATTERS TO ME.

IF I HAD CARED TO PROTECT IT,

I WOULDN'T HAVE CHOSEN THIS PATH IN THE FIRST PLACE.

HOWEVER...

KEEP THIS FROM THE LANDOWNER.

ONLY YOU AND I ARE TO KNOW.

SOUNDS ALMOST LIKE WE'RE COMMITTING ADULTERY BEHIND YANG GI-SEOK'S BACK.

CUT THE NONSENSE AND LISTEN CLOSELY.

IF ANY OF THIS TURNS OUT TO BE A LIE,

I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT A WOMAN'S GRUDGE CAN DO-

I WILL SHOW YOU THE GRUDGE OF A WOMAN.

HAHA...

AS YOU COMMAND.