EX rank supporting role’s replay in a prestigious school-Chapter 1074: Night Outpost (17)

"Ho-shin-chong was created when the heavens opened and the Heavenly God descended, and it was destroyed by the hand of Jeokho, leaving only one behind."

Upon seeing the picture of the broken ho-shin-chong, Jeokho let out a deep breath, and Kim Shin-rok froze as though his breath had stopped.

Eun Ho quietly observed as Jeokho, who had made the loud sound just moments ago, lost his words.

The image Eun Ho had just shown in the hologram depicted the broken ho-shin-chong, though it wasn’t a photo taken in the modern era.

Gong Cheong-hwon, gazing at the hologram of the tigers and the image, spoke up.

"Aside from the ho-shin-chong remaining on Baegunbong, Cheoniksan, there’s no trace left. The ho-shin-chong, having lost its connection to spiritual power, was quickly worn away and disappeared, and I heard that even photographic records have vanished. Is this 'yeomsa'?"

"Yes, part of my memory was recreated through the ability of the unknown faction. This is the ho-shin-chong I saw."

The ho-shin-chongs that Jeokho destroyed were erased without leaving even a fragment due to their severed connection with the spiritual power.

In other words, the broken ho-shin-chong shown now was the one in Eun Ho’s memory.

"The ho-shin-chong contained records of the achievements made by the Heavenly God, the blessings bestowed upon this land and the Ho-jok, and even the wishes granted by the Heavenly God. That’s why every time a ho-shin-chong was destroyed, we lost power."

Since some in the room were not from the era of the Ho-jok, Eun Ho began explaining.

It seemed like an explanation directed at Gong Cheong-hwon, who knew little beyond the knowledge passed down in textbooks, and Yong Je-gun, who had little understanding of the matter, and myself, who had received no significant information despite the blessing of the white tiger.

At that moment, Yong Je-gun, like an eager student, raised his hand.

"Please, go ahead. Though, I would open my mouth even without permission."

"Ah, you’re quick. I have a question. The mythological Ho-jok continued to use their powers even after the ho-shin-chong was destroyed, right? Does that have anything to do with the one remaining ho-shin-chong?"

"Yes, the ho-shin-chong that survived intact contained records of the deep relationships between the mythological Ho-jok and the wishes they had made."

If Jeokho had destroyed that ho-shin-chong, it would have meant that the mythological Ho-jok might have lost some of their power.

If Jeokho had destroyed that ho-shin-chong and regained his senses, or if the order of destruction had been different, the survival of the Ho-jok would not have been easy.

When I reached this conclusion, it seemed like Eun Ho’s intentions were becoming clearer.

‘So the reason he mentioned the story of the lamenting woman before showing the picture of the ho-shin-chong was to ask that question.’

As expected, Eun Ho brought up the topic.

"Jeokho, didn’t the lamenting woman specify the order in which the ho-shin-chongs were to be destroyed?"

"...No, she did not specify the order."

"Really?"

At that time, Jeokho had acknowledged all the accusations of destroying the ho-shin-chongs and had revealed that it had been at the request of the lamenting woman.

With the Ho-jok in turmoil from the war and purification, there was no time to question the order of destruction when Jeokho confessed to his actions and expressed his willingness to face the consequences.

It was assumed that the reason the ho-shin-chong on Baegunbong in Cheoniksan had been left until the end was to make it easier to destroy the other ho-shin-chongs.

Eun Ho asked another question toward the speechless Jeokho.

"Jeokho, do you remember this ho-shin-chong?"

"I remember. It was the first ho-shin-chong I destroyed."

In the image Eun Ho had conjured through yeomsa, dark stone fragments were scattered beneath the shade.

It was compared to the ho-shin-chong on Baegunbong in Cheoniksan, which was placed in a well-lit spot and made of bright, mysterious-colored stones.

The location and the quality of the stone were different from the ho-shin-chong that remained.

It seemed that Jeokho had destroyed the ho-shin-chong in the worst condition first.

"You said that the lamenting woman didn’t specify the order of destruction. Then, did she mention anything else? Destroying a ho-shin-chong is no small feat, so I’m sure she gave you some advice."

Jeokho’s face changed, as though he had an idea of what was being hinted at.

With a face mixed with confusion and pain, Jeokho opened his mouth.

"...I was advised to target the ones that would be easiest to destroy first. Before I got the hang of it, I was told that if I drew attention too soon, it would become dangerous, and several candidates were recommended to me. Among them was this ho-shin-chong."

"What were the other candidates, and where were they located?"

Jeokho answered without hesitation, as though speaking of something he had heard yesterday.

Among the candidates presented by the lamenting woman, one ho-shin-chong had been singled out as the easiest to destroy.

Strictly speaking, no order was explicitly given, but if the lamenting woman or a strategist of that caliber had intervened, it was essentially the same as if they had decided which ho-shin-chong to destroy first.

Though it appeared there were multiple choices, the answer was effectively one, and it wasn’t hard to guide the choice.

Everyone in the room seemed to come to the same conclusion.

While the simple-minded warriors or fortune-tellers might have had different thoughts, Kim Shin-rok and most of the tigers, including myself, seemed to have arrived at the same conclusion.

"The ho-shin-chong you wanted to destroy first was already decided."

"Does the order matter? In the end, didn’t I destroy all of them?"

Jeokho said this in a listless voice.

But Huang Jiho shook his head and spoke.

"No, it matters. If you had sensed the sense of unease a little earlier, more ho-shin-chongs would have been left. So the lamenting woman would have definitely led you to destroy the ho-shin-chong you wanted first."

"Then the contents of the ho-shin-chong that you destroyed first are important."

Gong Cheong-hwon said softly, looking at Eun Ho.

Eun Ho hadn’t yet explained what was written on that ho-shin-chong, but I thought I knew the answer.

What Eun Ho was about to discuss next was related to Yeongin.

"This ho-shin-chong contains the record of Shinin’s younger sibling, Yeongin. Though ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) the Heavenly God did not want it, Shinin earnestly requested that it be set up. As a result, the ho-shin-chong was placed far away from Cheoniksan Baegunbong."

The ho-shin-chong contained the records of Yeongin, and the lamenting woman had wanted to destroy it first.

Hearing this explanation reminded me of Yeongin’s request before negotiating with the Heavenly God—to be forgotten, and not to have a record left.

If Jeokho had not destroyed the ho-shin-chong, even if Huang Jiho had later fulfilled Yeongin’s request, Yeongin’s name would have been passed down to modern times.

Historians would have analyzed and understood everything written on the ho-shin-chong.

Eun Ho continued.

"If I were to use a scheme to destroy the Ho-jok, there’s no need to destroy this ho-shin-chong first. Yeongin’s position was very weak, and Shinin kept his younger sibling far from the battlefield. If I were the lamenting woman, I would have led you to destroy the other ho-shin-chongs first."

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"Could it just be that Jeokho was simply helped to destroy the ho-shin-chongs efficiently?"

"It’s not impossible. But looking back on today’s events, there’s much that bothers me."

Eun Ho’s gaze shifted to Cheongho.

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Cheongho had noticeably lowered his gaze since the name Yeongin was mentioned.

It seemed like he was deep in thought about Yeongin.

"Cheongho, when you saw the seal on the hand of the Myo tribe, you mentioned Yeongin’s name, right?"

"Yes. It was thousands of years ago, but my last memories as Cheongho include Yeongin. I can still vividly remember that power."

"If you had your last memories as Cheongho with Yeongin, then your physical body must have been with Yeongin."

Cheongho nodded.

Though his nod was weak, Eun Ho immediately shifted his gaze and looked at Huang Jiho.

"Huang Ho, are the seals confirmed so far similar to those of the Myo tribe?"

"So far, the seals found in the incidents have been very similar to the Myo tribe’s seals."

Huang Jiho had seen the numerous seals left by the shadowy figures.

Among them, there were some left on Eungwang High during Christmas Eve and some engraved on the brazier used by the fortune-teller. There was no way Huang Jiho could have missed them.

Eun Ho then turned back to Jeokho.

"Jeokho, you once infiltrated the Donsik base, right? Do you remember?"

"...Of course."

"You saw someone speaking with a shadowy figure, right?"

"I did. They were communicating using a special ability. The voice was mechanical, and all I could see were long fingers..."

Jeokho’s words faltered at the mention of long fingers.

The tigers, upon hearing this, seemed to recall someone.

"I have a memory of seeing Yeongin from a distance. The Yeongin who looked very much like Shinin, drawing a seal with long and beautiful fingers. It was a memorable sight."

"Eun Ho, could it be that you’re..."

"The shadowy figure knows much about the Ho-jok and hates the Heavenly God."

I still didn’t know much about Yeongin, but the shared traits between the shadowy figure Eun Ho was describing and Yeongin seemed undeniable.

Yeongin had stayed within the Ho-jok’s territory in the distant past as Shinin’s younger sibling, and there was a reason to hate the Heavenly God.

If those who knew about Yeongin and the Ho-jok’s circumstances in this world were to connect the dots, they would inevitably link him to the shadowy figure.

Though the Ho-jok were reluctant to accept it, it seemed like their minds were beginning to waver.

I observed the situation calmly.

‘But there’s not enough information to make a conclusion yet. I need to know more about Yeongin.’

The white tiger, reading my thoughts, was of no help.

In the dream, I would have gained information about Yeongin through reading Baek Ho-gun’s mind, but the fact that I didn’t know meant that there was no useful information in Baek Ho-gun’s mind or it was information that would interfere with my thoughts.

The white tiger, unhelpful as ever, smiled and nodded, as though agreeing with my thoughts.

Huang Jiho, seeing the white tiger’s face up close, frowned.

"Must you flaunt your blessing like that?"

"No need to hide it, so I’m letting it show."

"Baek Ho..."

As Huang Jiho pressed his temples, Yong Je-gun moved.

I had expected Yong Je-gun to start talking about blessings again, but he was looking at Cheongho.

"Baek Ho doesn’t seem to know much about Yeongin. It seems there’s no helpful information for Yi-shin. If Cheongho doesn’t want to say it, should I?"

"Yong Je-gun...!"

"Most of Cheongho’s last memories include Yeongin. You all haven’t heard it yet, but wouldn’t it be better to hear it?"

As Yong Je-gun grinned, Kim Shin-rok, who was caught in the middle, didn’t know what to do.

In the end, Cheongho broke first.

"I’ll say it myself."

Cheongho took a deep breath and began speaking about the memories he had recalled.

Meeting Yeongin, learning reverse magic, Shinin’s process of becoming human, and even the last memory.

As Cheongho spoke, I could see Yong Je-gun’s mood improving steadily.

Unlike Yong Je-gun, the faces of the other tigers grew visibly darker.

The more they heard Cheongho’s story, the stronger the connection they felt between Yeongin and the shadowy figure.

Before the tigers’ thoughts could progress further, I spoke.

"I have a suggestion."

All eyes turned to me.

They hadn’t expected me to break the silence first.

Though I wasn’t sure if I had the right to speak in this room, I knew I needed to make my suggestion before it was too late.

"I propose we proceed assuming Yeongin is the shadowy figure."

I added one more line before the tigers’ eyes darkened further.

"It seems like the shadowy figure wants us to do so."