With his two eyes wide open, Cheon Myeong silently stared at Min Yeongyeong.
Was Min Yeongyeong really in possession of one of the Three Sacred Treasures?
Cheon Myeong was now scanning Min Yeongyeong's entire body, checking for its presence.
'If that's true, it must be either the Heavenly Demon Pill or the Heavenly Demon Mirror.'
However, the Heavenly Demon Mirror would be inconvenient to carry around normally.
In fact, the replica was also quite large, so it couldn't be kept in one's bosom.
Of course, it couldn't be said that the replica and the genuine article had completely identical appearances.
In fact, hadn't there been quite a difference between the replica and the genuine Heavenly Demon Sword?
Therefore, Cheon Myeong was now searching Min Yeongyeong's body, taking that into consideration.
"Uh... Young Leader?"
"..."
"Why are you suddenly staring at me so intently?"
"...Ah."
As Min Yeongyeong said that, Cheon Myeong seemed to have realized something.
Even if he had the purpose of finding the Three Sacred Treasures, if he stared at Min Yeongyeong's body so openly like this, it would be a perfect situation to be misunderstood as a pervert.
Realizing that, Cheon Myeong hurriedly turned his gaze upwards.
"Are you perhaps wearing any accessories?"
"Pardon?"
"For example, a necklace, or even a ring would be fine."
Cheon Myeong was leaning towards the idea of the Heavenly Demon Pill rather than the Heavenly Demon Mirror.
So he had asked Min Yeongyeong so openly, but Min Yeongyeong couldn't understand at all why Cheon Myeong was asking her this question.
"Uh... why are you suddenly asking me that?"
"It's an important matter for me. So please answer the question."
Cheon Myeong said with a serious face and voice.
Min Yeongyeong, who stared at him silently for a moment.
Although she still couldn't understand why Cheon Myeong was acting like that, since it wasn't a difficult task, she eventually decided to answer.
"I don't have any."
"...Pardon?"
"I said I don't. Besides, things like that only get in the way of fighting, and I don't even like such accessories in the first place."
"..."
In fact, even before hearing the answer directly from Min Yeongyeong, Cheon Myeong had expected it to some extent.
Because Min Yeongyeong was wearing clothes with a rather high degree of exposure.
Just by looking at her for a moment, he could immediately grasp that there was no space on her body to hide an accessory.
Nevertheless, the reason he had asked the question was to confirm it more clearly... In the end, the result was not much different from what Cheon Myeong had expected.
'Don't tell me it's the Heavenly Demon Mirror and not the Heavenly Demon Pill... No, if that were the case, there's no way I wouldn't have found it.'
Then there were two possibilities.
One was that Min Yeongyeong was now lying to him.
Although he had asked openly, thinking that Min Yeongyeong would not know the value of the Heavenly Demon Pill, if Min Yeongyeong already knew the value of the Heavenly Demon Pill, there was a high possibility that she would lie.
And the other one was...
Swish-
Cheon Myeong turned his head to the side.
And he quietly whispered to Baekjo, who was still flying there.
"Baekjo, are you sure?"
"Peep?"
"Are you sure that person has one of the Three Sacred Treasures?"
The other possibility.
It was that Baekjo's words were wrong.
Of course, although there was no reason for Baekjo to lie to Cheon Myeong, wasn't there a possibility that Baekjo was mistaken about something?
In fact, as Cheon Myeong asked, Baekjo hesitated and couldn't speak.
"Why can't you answer? Were you mistaken?"
"Peep..."
"What? You're not sure? What does that..."
"Peep-peep."
"..."
Baekjo was now saying this.
It was true that the energy of the Three Sacred Treasures was felt from Min Yeongyeong, but its intensity was too low.
Although Baekjo itself didn't know the exact reason, it said that it was a very faint level compared to the time in the North Sea.
"Peep-peep!"
Although faint, Baekjo once again insisted that it could definitely feel the energy of another of the Three Sacred Treasures from Min Yeongyeong.
Cheon Myeong, who was watching that silently.
Soon, as if he had made a decision in his mind, Cheon Myeong looked at Baekjo and said.
"Alright. I'll believe you."
"Peep?"
"Why are you so surprised? If I don't believe you, who will I believe?"
As Cheon Myeong said, Baekjo seemed to be slightly moved.
"There must be a reason why the energy is felt so faintly."
"Peeee..."
"You've worked hard."
Cheon Myeong said with a smile.
Then, Baekjo, who was slyly asking Cheon Myeong something.
Hearing that, Cheon Myeong's expression hardened as if nothing had happened.
"That and this are separate."
"...Peep?"
"I'm definitely going to make you reach the target of ten. So if you thought I would just let it go, give up right now."
"..."
"Still, I'll let you rest for a bit from now on. We'll start again after resting for about a quarter of an hour, so be comfortable until then."
You devilish thing.
Baekjo felt the emotion it had felt a moment ago disappear in an instant.
Flump-
Still, where else would he get a quarter of an hour to rest?
Baekjo was grateful for even that much and flew to the wooden floor and collapsed.
'Now, then...'
Cheon Myeong's gaze turned to Min Yeongyeong again.
Since he had judged that the second possibility was not it, only one remained.
It meant that Min Yeongyeong was now lying to him.
Although he still couldn't know the exact reason, it was most likely that she was wary of him.
Cheon Myeong looked at Min Yeongyeong and pondered how he could draw out information about the Three Sacred Treasures.
"Young Leader?"
"..."
"Young Leader!"
"...What is it?"
"What do you mean, what is it? I'm the one who wants to ask."
It was natural for Min Yeongyeong to say that.
Because Cheon Myeong had been treating Min Yeongyeong as if she were not there, right in front of her.
Of course, although he had spoken to her from time to time, it was more of Cheon Myeong unilaterally asking questions rather than a conversation.
"Do you remember what I said?"
"...I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"Hmph, I knew it."
Saying that, Min Yeongyeong, who let out a light sigh. And she said to Cheon Myeong again.
"I said I've fallen for you."
"...Ah."
Come to think of it, she had said that.
Although he had forgotten for a moment because he was so preoccupied with the Three Sacred Treasures, that could also be said to be a rather shocking remark.
Cheon Myeong's mind began to spin more complicatedly than before.
'Wait... she fell for me?'
At that moment, a thought came to Cheon Myeong's mind.
Although he didn't know if those words were true or not, the fact that Min Yeongyeong had come to him and was saying such a thing meant that she was at least interested in him, right?
This could be an opportunity for Cheon Myeong.
'With this opportunity, I can get close to Min Yeongyeong and make her lower her guard against me.'
If the Three Sacred Treasures were not involved, he would not have tried to get close to Min Yeongyeong.
However, the situation had changed from the beginning.
Although he didn't know the reason, if he used the fact that Min Yeongyeong had a favorable impression of him well, he would be able to get close to her quickly.
Then, the investigation of the Three Sacred Treasures would naturally proceed smoothly.
Although it could be said to be a little troublesome and cunning, even so, Cheon Myeong had no intention of letting go of the whereabouts of the Three Sacred Treasures that he had barely caught.
"It's a little... sudden."
After those thoughts came and went in his mind, Cheon Myeong said cautiously.
"I think so too. But it's a common thing in the Southern Barbarian region."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Since instinct comes first, there are many such cases."
"..."
Instinct comes first... The Beast Palace was based in the jungle, so their way of thinking was certainly different.
Although he had thought that he knew quite a bit about women's hearts, it seemed that he would have to think completely differently now.
"When did you start to fall for me?"
"As I said before, I think it was from the time of the banquet."
The banquet... No matter how much he thought about it again, Cheon Myeong couldn't figure out where there had been such a thing.
However, it was a fact that he had already learned from the conversation just now that the women of the Southern Barbarians were different from the usual.
He shouldn't try to think of everything within his common sense.
"It's the first time I've experienced such a thing..."
"...That's right. Anything you experience for the first time will be bewildering."
"That's right. Cheongha probably didn't think that it would fall for someone there either."
"That's right. Cheongha also..."
At that moment, Cheon Myeong suddenly realized that something was strange.
At that moment, Cheon Myeong's face was filled with questions.
No matter how much he broke common sense, the name of Cheongha coming out in this conversation could not help but feel strange.
"Wait, did you just say Cheongha?"
"Yes, why?"
"...I'm asking just in case, but don't tell me all the talk until now was about that tiger?"
"Of course."
The moment he heard that answer, Cheon Myeong realized that he had been completely mistaken.
To think that the one who had fallen was not Min Yeongyeong for him, but Cheongha for the ice tiger.
As if Min Yeongyeong had also realized something, she said with a flushed face, flustered.
"Y-Young Leader! What on earth have you been misunderstanding until now?"
"...You said you fell, so I naturally thought you were talking to me."
"Th-that's absurd... No, that's not to say that you're not attractive, Young Leader, but..."
Now, with a face redder than a carrot, Min Yeongyeong's words trailed off.
As her eyes met Cheon Myeong's, she now even avoided his gaze.
That appearance could not help but be quite unexpected to Cheon Myeong.
'Was I prejudiced?'
He had thought that the women of the Southern Barbarians would be quite confident in this aspect, but seeing her, Min Yeongyeong's reaction did not seem to be that different from other women.
No, it was at a level that could be called timid.
Although from Cheon Myeong's point of view, he had thought that it was a part that could be casually passed over by saying, "Oh, I was mistaken," it seemed that it was not the case for Min Yeongyeong.
"Excuse me."
"Wh-what is it!"
"...Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, I was thinking of getting back to the main point."
"Ah... y-yes."
Min Yeongyeong said that and let out a series of coughs.
Then, as if she had calmed down to some extent, although her face was slightly flushed, she said to Cheon Myeong with a rather calm appearance.
"So... it seems that Cheongha has fallen for the child you are raising, Young Leader."
"That's also something I don't understand. At that time, wasn't Cheongha quite scared of the ice tiger?"
"That's it."
"...?"
"The ice tiger, that child, beat Cheongha, right? Until now, there has not been a single male that has beaten Cheongha."
So that's what it was.
The being called an animal is instinctively drawn to a stronger being.
Although that would be the same for humans, it would be especially so for animals that are faithful to their instincts.
Hearing the story, it seemed that Cheongha had recognized the ice tiger as a stronger male than itself, and because of that, it was feeling an instinctive attraction.
"Can you let Cheongha and the ice tiger meet?"
As Min Yeongyeong said that, Cheon Myeong's gaze turned to Cheongha.
Then, Cheongha, which was bowing its head as if it were shy.
That appearance of bowing its head like a shy girl with that size was quite incongruous.
"..."
Min Yeongyeong considered Cheongha as her family.
So if he were to grant that request, wouldn't Min Yeongyeong also open her heart to him to some extent?
In fact, when he had thought that Min Yeongyeong had fallen for him, he had been a little troubled.
But this would be an opportunity to get close as the owners of their respective animals, not as a romantic relationship.
Cheon Myeong rather welcomed this relationship.
"I understand."
"Then..."
"I will bring the ice tiger."
As Cheon Myeong said that, Min Yeongyeong smiled brightly.
"Thank you! That's great, right?"
"Kyuuung-"
As Min Yeongyeong said that, Cheongha curled up its body, embarrassed.
A reaction that felt a considerable discrepancy with the appearance seen at the banquet hall.
Cheon Myeong looked at that and suddenly had a certain worry.
'...I hope the ice tiger likes Cheongha.'
Even if not, at least it shouldn't do anything to hurt it, so that his and Min Yeongyeong's relationship would get closer to some extent.
"..."
I should give the ice tiger a hint before bringing it here.
Cheon Myeong thought so in his mind and went to get the ice tiger.
(End of Chapter)