Chapter 323 - Sealing Memories-I

Jung Hwa knew that amongst the people in Associates, there was only a handful of people who he could trust. One of them is Lee Young who doesn't care about the position to become the head of associate or to climb to a higher rank as the man believe himself to already seated on the top of the ranking.

"I have seen Seoyeon's uncle before," Jung Hwa stated, "He was a very weak, punny, little, and dumb human. A little scare from me and he appeared as if he had been thrown to hellfire. Unless he wished for death, I doubted he would have the courage to blabber about Seoyeon's secret."

"Yet he did," Lee Young intoned.

"On someone's influence of perhaps threaten," Jung Hwa said, tilting the crystal glass for the round ice to clink when it hit the corner of the glass. "Before I came back here, I made sure to come and visited them. After what they did in no way will I forget to meet them again.'

"And?" Lee Young questioned, interest clinking his eyes.

Jung Hwa showed a wider grin and his mind went back to the few hour earlier where he kicked down the door of Seoyeon's aunt and uncle's house.

Upon the loud sound which Jung Hwa would call as his own style of knocking and alarming the people of the house with his arrival, both Mr. and Mrs. Han came out from the house to the foyer, both holding a knife.

Jung Hwa's eyes lazily stared at the gleaming blade, 'Is that to kill me?'

'Get out, vampire! We do not accept you to enter to our house!' Yelled the very brave Mr. Han and hiding behind him was Seoyeon's younger cousin, Han Minhae, who know had learned the existence of vampires through her parents.

Jung Hwa chuckled, his smile mocking the couple, 'Are you sure you want to use that tone to me?' And to his response, the man was quick to gulp and took a step back. 'I know that you two must have expected me to come here when you decided to reveal the secret about my Seoyeon to the Associates, don't you?'

'We don't have anything to discuss with you!' Mrs. Han said, gritting her teeth. 'Leave!'

Jung Hwa drew his brows and with one step forward of his long legs, he clutched the woman's mouth with his palm, 'I thought I told you earlier to consider whether you would like to use that tone to me. Do you still want to live?'

Mr. Han's hand on the knife he held raised which Jung Hwa could sense. 'A move and I will rip your throat,' he threatened without the need to look behind. Scared, Mr. Han did not have the courage to continue raising the knife and had to put it down. 

'Dad!' Han Minhae clutched to her father's clothes, anger on her eyes as if demanding her father to retaliate. 'Even if he is a vampire, the Associate had promised that they would protect us. Do you think you can harm us without facing any consequences?'

'Ah you,' Jung Hwa forgot that there was indeed this one more relative of Seoyeon, 'Then why don't you try? Considering your words, I take it that the Associate promised to protect you from me? Then why aren't they her now to guard you?'

Mr. Han tore his gaze from Jung Hwa and looked at his wife who was unable to speak, however, their opinion both shifted to questioning whether what the vampire said as true upon the seed of doubt which Jung Hwa sowed.

'What Associates care of are not three people who had given them an information but the vampires. Three humans lives mean nothing to them.'

Han Minhae scoffed, 'They promised us! We won't believe you, vampire!' 

'I don't need your trust in me but I can prove if to you if you wish. Just once if I were to dig my hand to tear your heart from your chest we can see if the Associate will still be there to protect you.'

'W-What do you want?!' Asked Mr. Han, 'Tell me what you want and please release my wife and leave this house!'

'What of I say I want your life?' Questioned Jung Hwa for the three people to turn stiff on his question. 'But then that would be too easy. Who was it that instructed you to expose Seoyeon's identity to the Associate?'

Mr. and Mrs. Han shared a glance and their dry throat gulped again. Han Minhae's eyes widened in panic when she saw her mother squirming in more pain as Jung Hwa tightened his grip on her jaw. A little more squeeze could be heard until a pop sound resounded that sent shivers to the other two people. 

'I-it was the associate!' Han Minhae couldn't stay silent over facing the insane vampire. At first she trusted the Associate would give them the protection they needed but then no one was going to come and rescue them and they couldn't risk life while waiting for help. 'A member of the associate came and demanded for us to tell everything we know about Seoyeon!'

'Oh?' Jung Hwa sang, his smile widening before it faded, 'What was his name?'

"The traitor's name is Gun Nam," said Jung Hwa, coming back to the present where his eyes looked back at Lee Young that narrows. 

"I had long know he want to covet Gwe Jeoknim position as the next head of the Associate but this...hm," Lee Young tapped his finger, "He doesn't need the catalyst so why he need to expose Seoyeon?"

"You told me before that I am the best in term of feigning a fool, but you are better then me grand uncle," Jung Hwa scoffed. He knew Lee Young was aware of the reason but pulled the act as if he doesn't know anything. "Gun Nam is planning to use Seoyeon as a distraction while he seize the position from Gwe Jeoknim."

"But there is still no proof that he is a traitor," Lee Young pointed out, taking the stance of a person who doesn't know anything when Jung Hwa knew he understood most of the things better than anyone.

"Of course that is not all that I found. I didn't forget to catch one of the witch who attacked Seoyeon in the hospital and found out that incident didn't happen due to coincidence either. The person who revealed Ms. Wan Seulgi's location in the hospital was someone from the Associate, a person who have a high background and position. It was Gun Nam."

Lee Young placed the crystal glass to the wooden table, causing a crisp clink. "So what do you plan now?"

"Sealing Seoyeon's power and of course needlessly to say, I will repay back to those who harm Seoyeon. The witches and Gun Nam," Jung Hwa's eyes dipped to red as he spoke. "For that can I ask your help, grand uncle?" He showed a little appeal of being the younger pureblood in the room, causing Lee Young to chuckle.

"But before I help you, there is still something that I need to check. Something bout your story give me a strange feeling," Lee Young drawled. "Which tells me what will y do about sealing Seoyeon's power, is there any method to truly leash the catalyst's power?"

"Not how but I know someone who might help. Seoyeon and I will be meeting her tomorrow," and he could only wish the stars will be on their side for what they wish could be granted. 

"I hope it will go well for you and her," Lee Young said sincerely.

"It will. Even if it doesn't, I will make sure it will," Jung Hwa said. What happened to Seoyeon in the hospital should never occur again. When he remembered her bleeding in pain, all he wanted was to destroy those who had harmed her but first he would need to protect Seoyeon from the power inside er own body as now, the most lethal weapon to her is her own ability.

Far away from Lee Young's house, Gun Nam tapped the corner of the thick book to the table, "And have we succeed pushing all attention to the catalyst?"

"For now, all beings should have all their attention to her. We can use this chance now and pushed Gwe Jeoknim from his position," said the man whose hair was brownish red. 

"There is no need for the urgency. We can strike while the iron is hot but waiting isn't a problem either," said Gun Nam and he settled his hand on the man who he had been speaking with, "Chung Gon, I thought you were close with Jung Hwa's mother and was a little worried that you would push aside your mission in the favor of your past. But I shouldn't have worried."

Chung Gon's expression stilled upon Gun Nam bringing Jung Hwa's mother to the conversation but then a smile appeared on his face. "Don't bring an old tale, Mr. Gun. All I want is to fulfill my mission and reach my goal. I can only trusted the offer your promised me, Mr. Gun which why I do hope you stay true to your word."

"If you do your side of the negotiation, you can rest at ease and wait for what you wish to come true...." the two people continue to speak without noticing Gu Manyeong who was standing outside the door.

The vampire heaved a sigh, "Seems like the curtain to the play has been lifted and the actor is on their place. It's time for the catalyst to play her part," he whispered to himself, staring at his left palm where a large diagonal wound scarred his skin.. "Seoyeon, I have been waiting for this day."