Chapter 371
“We greet the mighty hero Blazing Fire Dragon, Jin Taekyung!”
As the reverent shout echoed through the grounds of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Jin Taekyung wasn’t the only one who felt a thrill run down his spine.
An old master observing from afar struggled to hide his swelling emotions.
‘That boy…’
Jeok Cheon-Gang clearly remembered the first day he met Jin Taekyung.
A third son of a minor noble family on the frontier, a young man who had just begun making a name for himself in Shanxi. Now, that once-young dragon was spreading its wings wide and soaring into the blue sky.
‘Yes, you are indeed a Divine Dragon, a true hero.’
As their eyes met, Jin Taekyung grinned widely. He leaned out the window and waved both hands wildly.
“What’s my name?”
“Jin Taekyung!”
“And my title?”
“Blazing Fire Dragon!”
“Shout it louder!”
“Waaaaah!”
The once solemn atmosphere turned into a frenzy in an instant, and Jeok Cheon-Gang couldn’t suppress his laughter any longer.
“Haha, hahahaha!”
The refreshing sound of laughter mixed with the cheering crowd. The breeze was cool, and the sky was clear.
It was the beginning of a chaotic era, but that day, when a new hero emerged, was a warm spring day.
* * *
Jeok Cheon-Gang appeared shortly after the pandemonium had subsided.
“So many of you crammed into such a small room.”
“Huh? It doesn’t feel cramped at all?”
“Jeok Dae-hyeop, there’s an empty seat over there.” [1]
Unlike Cheongpung and Hyeok Mujin, who were oblivious to subtle cues, Gung Gi-Bang, a beggar to the core, moved quickly.
“Oh, now that you mention it, it does feel a bit crowded. I’ll step outside.”
Cheongpung and Hyeok Mujin waved him off.
“Take care, Gung So-hyeop.” [2]
“Finally, he’s leaving. Team Leader, haven’t you noticed a stray dog smell in here?”
I nodded cautiously.
“Yeah, it was getting pretty strong…”
“Enough nonsense. Both of you, get out!”
“No, seriously, there was a smell…”
“Alright, alright. No need to get mad, Gung So-hyeop.”
Cheongpung, seeing Gung Gi-Bang get angry, lowered his head in a sulky manner.
“Mi-Mi, do a whirlwind and say goodbye.”
*Swish! Swish-swish!*
“What the…”
Cheongpung’s skills had improved, performing a flashy display as he exited the room. As the door closed, Jeok Cheon-Gang finally spoke.
“Look at you, causing such a ruckus. Stirring up a storm like that.”
His stern face and calm voice were just like his usual self. It somehow made me want to laugh.
“Are you laughing?”
“Well, yeah. Should I be crying?”
“Ha, look at this kid. You made a fool of yourself in front of everyone and tainted our clan’s reputation, and you still have the nerve to joke?”
“For someone who thinks that, you sure laughed pretty loudly.”
“…What?”
“I saw it all.”
The rigid expression he was trying to maintain crumbled. Jeok Cheon-Gang turned his head slightly to look out the window.
“Ahem. What did you see?”
“Not just me, about fifty others saw it too. Your smile almost split your face.”
It was almost like a Joker grin.
Realizing he couldn’t escape, Jeok Cheon-Gang hesitated for a moment before muttering.
“…You did well.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, well done!”
Jeok Cheon-Gang, whose face was turning red, grumbled under his breath.
Seeing him like that, the smile on my lips grew even broader. That one sentence was enough.
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you, Master.”
But something about his expression seemed off. The look in his eyes seemed a bit… disappointed. I asked, puzzled.
“What’s wrong this time?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“For something that’s nothing, your expression says otherwise…”
“I said it’s nothing!”
“Why are you shouting? It was a nice atmosphere until now.”
“When I say it’s nothing, it’s nothing. You keep pestering me, that’s why I’m getting worked up!”
“Whoa, what’s with the sudden temper? Did I do something wrong?”
I was bewildered, tilting my head in confusion, when suddenly, I sensed two presences approaching up the stairs.
Their steps were so light and subtle that I might not have noticed if not for my heightened senses.
‘Both of them are incredible martial artists.’
Two transcendent masters at once?
After facing many crises recently, my body automatically tensed up.
But Jeok Cheon-Gang gestured for me to relax, signaling that it was safe. With a wave of his hand, a gust of wind gently opened the closed door.
“So impatient, can’t wait even a moment before rushing in?”
Jeok Cheon-Gang’s gruff voice was met with a reply from an old nun and a Daoist, who entered one after the other.
“Impatient? Hearing that from you feels strange.”
“Apologies for the intrusion, but the matter at hand is urgent.”
Though I didn’t recognize the old nun, I immediately recognized the Daoist.
I cupped my hands in respect and bowed to the Daoist.
“Greetings, True Master.”
“Good to see you again, Jin Do-woo.”
The Daoist was none other than the Sect Leader of the Qingcheng Sect, Cheongpung Gogeom, whom I had met when seeking a physician.
‘So this nun must be the Sect Leader of the Emei Sect… But who?’
By now, I knew a fair amount about famous martial artists, but I wasn’t familiar enough to know the affairs of every sect.
Especially since this Sect Leader must have taken over after the death of **Gyeongcheon** (Heaven-Revering) Divine Nun.
As if reading my thoughts, Jeok Cheon-Gang subtly sent me a telepathic message.
– That old lady is the Annihilation Divine Nun of the Emei Sect. She may seem kind, but when she flips out, she’s a true demon. Be extra careful with your words, especially about her age.
I responded carefully with my own telepathy.
– How old is she?
– Older than me. She was the elder of Gyeongcheon Divine Nun.
– Oh.
I didn’t know Jeok Cheon-Gang’s exact age, but I did know he was over a hundred. And then there was the sheer force her title carried.
I quickly bowed to the elderly nun, who looked like she could be the president of a kimchi business.
“Greetings! My name is Jin Taekyung!”
“Pleased to meet you, Jin Si-ju.” [3]
The Annihilation Divine Nun, who had been observing me with a strange expression, nodded approvingly.
“The rumors were true. No, you’re even more than I heard.”
Cheongpung Gogeom added with a faint smile.
“Indeed, it’s quite remarkable, isn’t it?”
“The waves of the Yangtze River push the old ones out. To think you’ve surpassed such a barrier at such a young age…”
“That’s not all, Divine Nun. There’s also a young man named Cheongpung.”
“Ah, the successor to the Sword Saint?”
“Yes. It’s hard to say who’s superior due to the lack of experience, but both young men are undoubtedly heaven-sent talents. A great blessing for the martial world.”
“Ho-ho…”
The weariness on their faces was replaced by interest and amazement.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I rolled my eyes around, unsure of what to say. Then, Jeok Cheon-Gang subtly moved in front of me.
Not that it changed much, given our height difference.
“Stop gawking at the boy. If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”
Chastised by his brusque tone, the two Sect Leaders quickly got to the point.
“There’s a problem. Could you both accompany us for a moment?”
“It won’t take long, we promise.”
“Accompany? Right now?”
Jeok Cheon-Gang asked in a displeased voice as he turned to me.
“What do you think?”
What could I say when the two Sect Leaders of the Nine Great Schools were making a request?
“I’ll go.”
Besides, I felt great, and accompanying them would give me a chance to hear what’s been happening, so there was no reason to refuse.
My prompt reply made the two Sect Leaders take the lead, but Jeok Cheon-Gang suddenly spoke up.
“But why is one person missing?”
“He’s waiting below.”
“He didn’t want to be seen by others.”
One person? If they’re included with this group, could it be Tang Sado, the head of the Tang Clan?
‘Well, whoever it is, I’ll find out soon.’
But my curiosity was instantly resolved the moment I stepped out of the pavilion.
Seeing the familiar face, I couldn’t help but shout with joy.
“Hey, you! Moon Kyung!”
Moon Kyung looked exactly as he did before he left the Sichuan Tang Clan.
Since Amcheon had attacked shortly after he left, I’d been worried, but it seemed he hadn’t run into trouble.
“When did you get here? You seem taller. Is this your growth spurt?”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Not feeling well? Could it be…”
As I ruffled Moon Kyung’s hair, I whispered softly.
“Did you have a wet dream this morning?”
“…Huh?”
“Oh, he totally did.”
Poor guy, too embarrassed to say anything.
I smiled in satisfaction.
It’s common at his age. Maybe it’s time to spread some proper sex education in this dusty martial world.
“Let me introduce you to a whole new world. You can call me Master of True Love from now on.”
Ms. Guseong-ae, are you watching? Your knowledge is being passed down across time and space.
Feeling proud, I was about to pat Moon Kyung’s shoulder when…
“He didn’t tell you, did he?”
“What didn’t I tell him?”
The three behind me sighed in unison, and Moon Kyung’s dry voice slipped out.
“Get your hands off me.”
“…What?”
“And I stopped having wet dreams a long time ago.”
“Well, that’s a problem because it means your secondary sexual development isn’t complete… No, wait.”
I swallowed hard.
A terrifying thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Who… are you?”
Mom, I’m scared.
* * *
“…And that’s how it happened.”
“Truly a bizarre situation.”
Even while moving at incredible speed, the voices of the two Sect Leaders remained steady.
Their eyes demanded an answer, and I forced my lips to move.
“Yes, so we’re heading to a place with a strange formation, right?”
“According to what we extracted from the Three Devils during interrogation, yes. But the formation is said to be quite peculiar.”
Jeok Cheon-Gang grumbled in a brusque tone.
“Neither I nor this kid understand formations. We’re hopeless at them.”
I couldn’t agree more. The Flaming Cave of Mount Hua had an incredible formation set up, but that didn’t mean we were experts.
‘We should have called the Zhuge Clan instead.’
But it would take them quite some time to arrive.
For some reason, the two Sect Leaders seemed to place a lot of trust in us, especially me.
“Jin Do-woo, did you notice anything else unusual about that person? Any odd behavior?”
“I’ve told you everything. And honestly… it doesn’t get any weirder than that.”
Amcheon’s followers are bizarre by nature. They’re fanatics who practically worship this entity known as Tian Zhu as a god.
The Blood Lord and the Western Heavenly Demon’s powers and strange abilities were no different.
‘Some of them regenerate like trolls, others seem to stick on and peel off like they’re covered in double-sided tape, and in the end, there was even possession.’
The more I think about it, the more miraculous it seems that we managed to fight and win against them.
“Hmm. Before you woke up, Jeok Si-ju filled me in on the general situation. Once we get the response from the letter we sent to Hunan, we’ll know what to do.”
“If you notice anything strange about the formation, please let us know.”
“Yes.”
I replied while glancing at the figure moving far ahead.
Moon Kyung, or rather, the man with the title Killing Star.
Damn it, what’s the Killing Star doing here?
Honestly, I nearly peed myself.
Even if I had spent half a day playing in the valley of the River Styx and then grilled some meat, I wouldn’t have been this shaken.
‘Moon Kyung is the Killing Star? And I asked the Killing Star if he had a wet dream!’
Ms. Guseong-ae, I almost died because of you.
Just as I secretly sighed in relief, the thick vegetation around us gave way to reveal a towering cliff.
***
Footnotes:
[1] Dae-hyeop (대협, 大俠) means “Great Hero” or “Great Swordsman,” and it is used to refer to a highly respected and skilled martial artist known for their bravery and righteousness.
[2] So-hyeop (소협, 小俠) translates to “Young Hero” or “Junior Swordsman,” and it is typically used to address a younger or less experienced martial artist who shows promise or acts heroically.
[3] Si-ju (시주, 施主): A term of respect often used in Korean Buddhism and martial arts contexts to address a patron, benefactor, or someone who has made a significant offering. It implies a person of importance or respect within the community.
