The Nature of Possession

405 – EP.15 The Highest, the Deepest

***

After sending the two Dan-i tribes down the mountain, the leader of the Jang-i tribe threw off the veil covering his face.

As the thin barrier blocking the wind disappeared, the fresh air of nature touched my skin.

“I hope you find it well?”

She later regretted that she had shown the way in the way of the Zhang people.

She wanted to chase him down again and give him more details, but she was told to keep contact to a minimum, so she gave up.

For the Jang family, ‘instructions’ are absolute.

She shuddered as she remembered who had given that order. She shivered at the thought of what would happen if she disobeyed that order.

“The Dan-i tribe that seemed to be the boss didn’t seem stupid. It’ll go down well.”

A gruff-looking woman spoke as she rolled up her sleeves. Her name was ‘The Fragrance of an Old Tree.’

“Do you think so too?”

Her colleague, ‘The Fragrance of Old Trees’, nodded silently.

She, ‘Rose Leaf’ looked around her cards.

‘The fresh scent of an old tree’ with little change in expression.

‘Leaves of the brook’, enjoying a nap after lunch.

‘The beginning of red autumn’, carrying fruit in your pocket.

…

…

She was one of the Jang tribe’s gang led by ‘Rose Leaf’.

“Rose. Should I go and report?”

The beginning of red autumn reminded her of the work she had been putting off.

“huh.”

The rose petals swallowed saliva.

“for a moment.”

The fresh scent of the old trees stopped them from taking up their bows.

Take up a bow, draw an arrow, place it on the string, draw it, and then release it.

At the end of the flowing movements, there was the last breath of a life.

“Dani tribe?”

When another comrade of the pack asked, looking in the direction where the scream was coming from, the old tree’s fresh scent nodded.

“It seems like you came to cut down trees. How foolish to cross the border. You may be a first-time visitor who doesn’t know much about these mountains.”

Everyone responded with acceptance to the words, “The fresh scent of an old tree.”

Anyone who invades the mountain’s territory will be killed.

Those were the first instructions given to their group.

“Let’s go back.”

The rose petal, which was staring blankly at the nameless Dan-i tribe with blood dripping from its forehead, spoke.

The bodies of those who invaded the territory of the Jang people without permission were left on the mountain like that.

The roots of the flowers and grass blooming around it were slowly spreading out, the corpses having collapsed.

***

When it comes to leading the Jang tribe, we can count the seven elders who manage the gang.

The elder is the person who manages the affairs of the Zhang family and makes important decisions.

The elders were a group of Zhang people who had lived for quite some time. They had longer ears than other Zhang people and had white eyes on their heads.

Because of this appearance, the Dan-i people at the foot of the mountain call their elders the Sanggojangi people, but in fact, they are all the same Jangi people.

The rose leaf thought that the Dan-i tribe liked to distinguish and differentiate.

Didn’t even the stupid-looking one among the Dan-i tribe who had guided the way get scared the moment he saw him?

“Compared to that, the Dan-i tribe wearing hats were indifferent.”

She recalled the man who had opened his eyes straight ahead, without being afraid.

As her group reached the village deep in the valley, an elder came out to the entrance to greet them.

“You’re back. I’ve been waiting for you.”

The rose petals swallowed their saliva at the elder’s words.

“yes.”

“You said that I don’t need to prepare a separate etiquette, so there’s no need to tidy up your clothes. Just follow me.”

The elders took the lead, and the rose petals followed them.

His comrades looked at the leader of the retreating group with envy.

The two headed to the deepest and most secret place in the village.

The leader of the Jang tribe can be said to be the Seven Elders. However, there is a being above them.

Its presence remained unchanged through the passing of dozens of elders, and had been there since the beginning of the distant season.

He was the law, the will, and the master of the Jang clan.

I couldn’t dare to belittle that person by calling him ‘leader’.

“From here on out, you have to go alone.”

A small path flanked by thorn trees. The elder stopped walking and turned to her.

Thorny trees and fragrant flowers adorned the path.

The rose leaves carefully tucked deep into the path.

Fresh grass sprouted up where her feet had passed.

The rose petals became dizzy at the fantastical phenomenon.

And gradually my sense of time became dull.

How long did it take? A day? A month? Maybe even a second.

Every moment of walking became a fleeting moment, an eternity.

‘Come to your senses.’

It is an honorable moment for me to be born as a member of the Jang family and to meet him for the first time.

I can’t show you such a mess. She pulled herself together and moved her feet.

Then at some point.

The rose petals gave me the feeling that he was there.

She just fell flat on the ground.

“The rose petals of the Jang family. I see the highest and deepest being!!”

A few times he shouted. A sweet, chilling voice came from behind his head.

“Yes. You are the one who carried out this order.”

“Yes, yes! That’s right.”

“Did you give a good tour?”

This time a voice was heard from beside me.

“Yes! I showed you the way down the mountain. I made sure to go down the path that the newlywed Dan-i tribe had shown me.”

The rose petals secretly took a deep breath, thinking, ‘I hope something unfortunate happens that I can’t get down to.’

“Yes. I confirmed that he went down the mountain.”

Voices came from all directions.

“I should reward you for not getting too close and for telling me to go down the mountain as instructed.”

There was a note of satisfaction in his voice.

“I, I feel that I have received an award beyond my dignity for having met such a high and profound being.”

“You speak so wonderfully. The elders have taught you well.”

The voice said, “Interesting.” The rose leaves brought the face closer to the ground.

There was a brief silence, and she felt as if her body was being torn apart.

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. I’ll tell the elder to give you an appropriate reward.”

Naturally, it was the other side that broke the silence.

“Go, thank you.”

…….

…….

No voice was heard.

The rose leaves carefully raised their heads.

“Here…?”

Before he knew it, he had returned to the entrance of the path.

“Rose leaves. Are you okay?”

Her gang mates approached her, who was sweating profusely.

She didn’t dare to speak of this strange phenomenon she had experienced firsthand.

***

“These days, kids are really cute. They’re like fallen leaves that crumble if you hit them lightly.”

Hohoho, the elder shivered at the sound of laughter.

“I wonder if that child has been rude to the noble person…”

“No, that’s not true. Do you have anything to say? Your expression is full of doubt.”

“I think it is because I am ignorant and cannot fathom the great will of the noble one.”

“I’m in a good mood so answer me. What are you curious about?”

“I don’t know why you sent him down to the village of the Dan-i tribe. Couldn’t you have led him here?”

“I sent him down to the village because I had something to tell him.”

“Can I ask what it is?”

The elder with pure white hair spoke, waving his hand toward the sky.

“No matter how hard he runs away, his soul will be drawn to me.”

The elder bowed with his face to the ground as a bright yellow light appeared as if illuminating the empty space.