Chapter 492
It was only natural, but the reason so many people had gathered here was not merely to pray for the repose of the Water Dragon.
And among them, there was one person whose personal interest was particularly evident.
“Incredible, truly incredible.”
Zhuge Pung’s eyes gleamed in awe as he ran his hand over the silver scales.
“This immense hardness, this beauty… it’s unbelievable.”
Though it had ultimately perished before fully becoming a dragon, the Water Dragon was a sacred Imoogi that had lived for five hundred years.
Its body, already proven in battle, was both an indestructible armor and a formidable weapon in itself.
“This… is a priceless treasure.”
There was not a hint of exaggeration in Zhuge Pung’s words.
The scales, harder than steel, could not be fully cut even with sword energy, and the bones hidden beneath them were even stronger.
Even in the modern world, where magic-based smelting techniques were highly advanced, materials of this caliber were considered invaluable. In Murim, there was no need to even discuss their worth—it was self-evident.
‘It may not be as rare as Ten Thousand-Year Cold Iron, but… this is definitely an extraordinary treasure.’
The enormous corpse, spanning nearly a hundred sheets in length, was composed of such precious materials.
If armor were crafted from these scales, even crossbow bolts would be unable to penetrate it. And if weapons were forged from the bones, they would rival or even surpass Meteor Iron in durability and sharpness.
For any martial artist, there were three things they would risk everything for: martial arts manuals, elixirs, and superior weaponry.
It was no wonder that greed flickered in the eyes of Zhuge Pung and several others.
“If I could craft the Dog Beating Staff from this…”
Gung Gi-bang muttered under his breath, only for Hyeok Mu-jin to interject.
“What kind of fool makes a Dog Beating Staff out of bones? A sword is the only proper choice. A bone sword made from an Imoogi’s remains… just imagining it gives me chills.”
“Are you looking down on the Beggar’s Sect?”
“No. Just looking down on you specifically.”
“You wanna get beaten like a dog?”
“Now, now, calm down. There’s enough material to make over a hundred weapons, be it staffs or swords. No need to fight.”
“That’s true. Fine, I’ll take one Dog Beating Staff.”
“I’ll reserve a sword, then…”
Smack! Smack!
“Ugh!”
“Ack!”
Gung Gi-bang and Hyeok Mu-jin turned around, clutching their heads in pain and yelling at me.
“Why did you hit us?!”
“At least give us a reason before you start swinging!”
These bastards still hadn’t come to their senses.
I frowned, shaking my large fist threateningly.
“You worthless idiots didn’t do a damn thing in the fight, and now you’re talking about reserving weapons?”
“Well, that’s…”
“It’s only natural for a martial artist to…”
“If not for the Water Dragon, Hubei would have been annihilated. It wasn’t just a few fish going berserk!”
It was true that the Water Dragon had taken many lives.
However, it had not done so of its own will. If the gate had fully opened, Hubei would have turned into an image of hell itself.
“Sure, its body will be put to good use, but if you’re even a little bit human, at least be grateful. Got it?”
The two shrank under my glare and mumbled in voices as small as ants.
“…We understand.”
“Honestly, Captain, you’re not one to talk. You turned the Eastern Elder into a mess.”
Smack! Smack!
Once again, two crisp hits rang out, followed by two cries of pain.
I towered over the groaning Gung Gi-bang and Hyeok Mu-jin, shouting,
“You think that’s the same thing?! Huh?!”
I had my own grievances about that incident.
Sure, I felt bad about wrecking the Eastern Elder, but I had no choice at the time.
Exposed directly to the corrupted blood of the fallen Water Dragon, the Eastern Elder had lost his mind and attacked people. All the evidence pointed to him as the culprit back then.
His limbs had been broken, but at least he survived. If anything, the fact that I beat him into a pulp might have helped free him from the blood’s influence.
‘A fist overcame the corruption.’
This wasn’t a story of triumph, just a complicated situation with unfortunate circumstances.
I even visited him in the infirmary out of guilt—though he was unconscious, so we never spoke.
“Anyway, just be grateful. Understood?”
As I menacingly shook my fist at them, a deep, wise voice cut through the air.
“Jin Taekyung speaks the truth.”
A voice filled with an undeniable aura of wisdom.
Stepping forward, Hyun Gong Jin of the Wudang Sect spoke with a solemn expression.
“When I first heard about this incident, I was skeptical. But seeing it in person, I now understand. This creature was truly a divine being sent by the heavens.”
Jin Wi-gyeong, who was also seeing the Water Dragon for the first time, nodded gravely.
“Hyun Gong Jin is absolutely right. It sacrificed itself to prevent an even greater catastrophe. This Imoogi was worthy of being called a Divine Dragon.”
“This is truly tragic. We have received such great grace. Shouldn’t we all offer our prayers for its soul?”
Hyun Gong Jin, a Taoist master of Wudang, exuded the wisdom and serenity expected of a disciple from the sacred grounds of Daoism.
He was fundamentally different from the likes of Gung Gi-bang and Hyeok Mu-jin, who lacked even a sliver of gratitude.
Feeling a surge of reverence for the Primordial Celestial Lord, I quickly clasped my hands together.
“Amen.”
Hyun Gong Jin, who had been chanting Daoist scriptures, flinched and turned to look at me.
“…Amen?”
“My mistake. Amitabha.”
“…Repeat after me. Boundless Longevity Buddha.”
“Ah, my apologies. Boundless Longevity Buddha.”
“Impressive. The Primordial Celestial Lord must be watching over Jin Taekyung.”
“Ah, yes.”
Does the Wudang Sect have missionaries too?
Hyun Gong Jin smiled contentedly, like a civilization player aiming for a religious victory, before reciting a brief Daoist scripture and gazing up at the sky.
“O sacred Imoogi, may you become a true Azure Dragon in the next life and soar freely across the heavens.”
“Aah…”
“As expected of a true Daoist master.”
Zhuge Pung and Jin Wi-gyeong, who had their own personal stakes in this matter, eagerly praised him. Hyun Gong Jin responded with a benevolent smile.
“Haha. I have simply done what is right. That aside…”
“Yes, Master.”
What kind of profound wisdom would this venerable Daoist share now?
Everyone, myself included, bowed their heads reverently and listened in anticipation.
“Let’s start harvesting.”
“…Well, we do have a job to do.”
When I looked up, I saw it clearly.
The greed and desire for weapons blazing in Hyun Gong Jin’s eyes. And in the depths of his gaze, I could hear the unspoken cry:
‘I’m calling dibs on a Song Gate Sword!’
This guy wasn’t a Daoist. He was just a lunatic.
For a moment, I had almost believed in him. But once again, I was reminded—Murim martial artists are all hopeless bastards.
Just because the raid was over didn’t mean the battle had ended.
Sometimes, the fight for loot distribution was just as fierce, if not fiercer, than the battle itself.
Final settlement and loot distribution.
In the end, hunters do this to make a living.
Sure, high-ranking hunters earning tens or hundreds of billions a year might not bother, but in lower-tier raid parties, it was common to see people arguing over even a few ten-thousand-won items. That’s why contracts were essential.
And the Water Dragon’s corpse was a treasure of unimaginable value.
If this were the modern era, the absence of a pre-written contract would have led to massive disputes.
But this wasn’t the modern world. This was Murim.
And in Murim, the people gathered here weren’t the type to negotiate with words. They preferred discussions with their fists.
I knew exactly what to call people like that.
Pushovers.
A quick glance around showed that most were just observing, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Except for two people.
One of them, the head of the Jeongga Family—the wealthiest clan in Hubei—was the first to speak.
“Ahem.”
Zhuge Pung cleared his throat before casually continuing.
“In this matter, my family has no choice but to make concessions. The Jeongga Family will only take our fair share, leaving the rest for others…”
“Hold it right there. Are you trying to sneak something past us?”
“…What?”
I cut him off with a smirk.
“Your fair share? What exactly did you do to deserve a fair share? If you try to take more than you’ve earned, you’ll end up with indigestion.”
“You dare…”
“Am I wrong? I respect you, Senior Zhuge, but this isn’t right.”
A ‘fair share’? He did nothing, yet he was trying to snatch a piece for himself? Shameless.
Zhuge Pung flinched under my sharp glare but quickly recovered.
“Nothing? If not for the information provided by my Jeongga Family, you would have been as blind as a bat. You wouldn’t have even made it here.”
“You sure talk a lot.”
“…!”
“And what was the result of that so-called ‘information’? You falsely accused the Eastern Elder! If he could hear you now, he’d probably wake up, perform five backflips, and Hollow Step his way over here.”
“T-That’s…”
For a moment, Zhuge Pung was at a loss for words.
Then, the other exception among the gathered warriors—the one person who remained completely composed—smiled smoothly.
The kind of smile befitting a man who had elevated the Taeweon Family to its current standing.
“Senior Zhuge, I apologize on behalf of my younger brother for his rudeness.”
“Hmph.”
“It was entirely my fault for not raising him properly.”
“Well… I must admit, his words were a bit harsh.”
“You must be upset. This situation should have been handled better.”
“…It’s fine. At least I can have a reasonable conversation with you, unlike your brother—”
“No, this won’t do. I need to discipline him properly.”
Jin Wi-gyeong suddenly barked in a thunderous voice.
“Taekyung, you brat! Apologize at once!”
The sheer force of his reprimand made me instinctively lower my head.
“…I’m sorry. My words were too harsh.”
“No matter how much Senior Zhuge tries to take advantage of the situation, there are lines that must not be crossed!”
“Once again, I sincerely apologize.”
“Wait a moment. Hold on—Young Lord Jin?”
Sensing that something was off, Zhuge Pung opened his mouth to speak, but Jin Wi-gyeong’s reprimand continued without pause.
“Taekyung! You played the biggest role in defeating the Water Dragon! And you even saved Senior Zhuge’s life! But even so, he is the head of a prestigious family and a revered elder of Murim!”
“Hoo… I have committed a grave offense.”
“L-Look here, Young Lord Jin…”
“No matter how undisciplined you may have been raised, how can a mere youngster like you treat the esteemed Senior Zhuge with such blatant disrespect?! The moment we return home, I shall—”
“Young Lord!”
Zhuge Pung, looking utterly exhausted, raised a desperate hand to cut him off.
“Enough. I understand, so please, let’s not drag this out any further.”
“Hmm. Then are you willing to accept the apology from my brother and me?”
“I’m truly sorry, Senior Zhuge!”
“A-Alright, alright. Enough, both of you. Let’s put this behind us.”
“Thank you. Even if it’s not a full share, we will make sure the Jeongga Family is fairly compensated.”
Giving out scraps is just common courtesy.
“…Haa.”
Game over. Yoshi Grand Season.
As Zhuge Pung, utterly drained in both body and mind, slumped in defeat, Jin Wi-gyeong and I exchanged satisfied smiles.
No matter how smart he was, Zhuge Pung would never beat us in this kind of negotiation. This wasn’t something you could learn sitting at a desk.
This is the wisdom of experience.
Back when I used to fight tooth and nail just to get a single extra Goblin Poison Dagger in loot distribution…
And Jin Wi-gyeong, who had to master negotiation skills in the absence of his missing father, navigating the brutal world of backroom dealings for years…
If everyone else here was a pushover, then we were the sharks at the table.
Considering my contribution, I was the undisputed MVP.
The rule was simple: The one who fights, takes the spoils.
This wasn’t a battle I could afford to back down from.
And a true hunter, a true warrior of Murim, was someone who stood their ground, no matter the opponent.
– Hand over my share. Or offer up your neck.
– You can have it.
But, of course, there are always exceptions.
…Goddammit.