Chapter 516
As the destination drew closer, the exhaustion multiplied. It was human nature.
After running himself ragged for ten days and nights, his body had nothing left to give.
“Father… I’m coming.”
Was this how his long-awaited reunion with his father would happen? Just as the strength drained from his flailing limbs—
Grab!
His fading vision sharpened.
A firm hand gripped his wrist.
Amidst the muffled sounds of rushing water, a voice pierced through.
“Thinking of leaving before your old man? What a damn disgrace.”
How had he gotten here so fast?
Jeok Cheon-Gang, having closed the distance from the pier in an instant, was now standing above him, smiling.
At the sight of his face, all the tension in Jin Taekyung’s body unraveled.
“…Ugh.”
As he exhaled the breath he had been holding, Jeok Cheon-Gang’s grin deepened.
“At least you’re still breathing.”
“Strange… I’m still alive?”
“Look at this brat. Yes, you’re alive.”
“Then stop gawking and pull me up. I swear I’m about to die for real.”
“Such dramatics. You’re a century too early for that.”
Swoosh!
With a single tug, Jeok Cheon-Gang hoisted him up.
Waterlogged weeds and river debris clung to his swollen limbs, cascading down as he was lifted.
“Do you see them?”
“Who, the gods?”
“The people waiting for you.”
Blinking through his fatigue, Jin Taekyung followed Jeok Cheon-Gang’s gaze.
Beyond the misty river, a crowd had gathered at the pier. Familiar faces rushed toward him—
Cheongpung, wildly flailing his arms.
Gong Gi-bang and Hyeok Mu-jin, their eyes widened in shock.
Jin Wi-gyeong, openly weeping.
And standing quietly among them…
Moon Kyung.
—Welcome to Henan.
A transmission echoed in his mind as Jeok Cheon-Gang landed on solid ground, still holding onto him.
At that moment, a crisp, clear chime rang in his ears.
—
Ding! Ding! Ding!
– [Fake Martial Artist: Stage 2] successfully completed!
– Rare Achievement: [Crossing the River on a Single Reed] unlocked!
– Your incredible persistence and effort have earned you a fitting reward!
– [Qi Manipulation] is now more fluid! Martial arts power and efficiency have increased!
– All attributes slightly increased!
– Bonus Points +50!
– Gained a massive amount of experience!
– Level Up!
—
The flood of system notifications filled his vision.
Jin Taekyung barely registered the level-up notification before a wave of exhaustion washed over him.
“…Elder.”
“Hm?”
“Don’t wake me up.”
With that final request, his heavy eyelids shut, and sleep took him.
—
“Where am I?”
The first thought upon waking.
He slowly blinked, adjusting to the pitch-black surroundings.
As his eyes adapted, the place became clear.
A swamp.
Scattered bones, human or beast, lay all around. A foul stench filled the air, nauseating him.
But what was worse…
His body was moving on its own.
Squelch.
Bare feet stepped into the sticky mud.
He tried to stop, but his body ignored him.
Step after step, he sank deeper into the mire.
And then—
Whooosh!
A gust of wind rustled the skeletal trees of the swamp.
Beyond the thick darkness, a red glow flickered.
“That’s not fire.”
No warmth radiated from it.
It was an eye.
A cold, piercing gaze locked onto him, as if taunting him to come closer.
A typical protagonist might struggle and resist, but…
“Screw clichés.”
He had no intention of playing along.
Lately, he had suffered far too much to entertain this nightmare.
Any normal person would wet themselves at the sight of that red glare—
But Jin Taekyung was more concerned about needing to pee from drinking too much tea earlier.
The only problem was…
Squelch. Squelch.
“Damn it. My body is still moving!”
Slowly sinking, his lower body submerged in the mire.
No matter how far he walked, he would never reach that ominous red glow.
Before even meeting its owner, he would drown in this swamp.
“Fine. Let’s just get this over with.”
Resigned to his fate, he braced himself.
CRACK!
“Gah!”
Something tightened around his throat.
Through widened eyes, he saw it—a massive, scaled serpent coiling around him.
A deep, hissing breath slithered into his ears.
“A snake? No—this is way too big to be a snake. More like a damn python.”
Its thick body wrapped around his arms, rendering him helpless.
“Shit. Even my nightmares have upgraded their graphics.”
The rotten sludge rose to his chin.
The stench clogged his nose, making him retch.
Helplessly sinking into the swamp, he locked eyes with the red glare.
A bone-chilling sensation crawled up his spine.
A fear so sharp it snapped him awake.
“This… isn’t just a nightmare.”
A creeping sense of familiarity nagged at him.
“Where… have I felt this before?”
Just as an unwanted memory surfaced, his entire body shuddered—
Flash!
A brilliant explosion of light erupted from nowhere.
The ominous red glow shattered.
The swamp’s darkness receded.
The suffocating cold vanished.
Bathed in warmth, Jin Taekyung reached out toward the approaching light.
Grab!
…”Huh?”
His mind reeled.
Why could he feel it?
Why was the light solid?
Why did it feel so soft?
…And why was he still holding it even after waking up?
Curious, he rubbed it between his fingers.
“What the hell is this?”
Finally, he cracked open his eyes.
A shiny bald head filled his vision.
A monk’s head.
A familiar forehead marking stood out.
…”Krillin?”
The not-Krillin monk frowned.
“You’re finally awake, Jin Sa-jil.”
()
“…Excuse me, but who—?”
“This monk’s name is Zheng Ho.”
Zheng Ho?
The name tickled his memory, but his throat was too dry to process.
Half-asleep, he mumbled in confusion.
“Wait… Zheng Ho? Like, Park Zheng Ho from Garam Middle School, Class 3-6…?”
“…What?”
“When did you become a monk?”
“About forty years ago—wait! Just listen to me for a second—”
“Hold up. Weren’t you gonna be a priest? Did you switch sides? Damn, did you get beat up by the Full Gospel Church Crusaders?”
Zheng Ho’s face twitched as Jin Taekyung stared at his aged features.
“You look like you lost that fight.
A long-lost classmate answered with a resigned expression.
“…I am now the Precepts Hall Master of Shaolin.”
“Shaolin?”
“Yes. Shaolin. The Shaolin Temple.”
“Wait, hold on a second. Shaolin Temple…?”
Oh, shit.
Realization slammed into Jin Taekyung like a brick.
His drowsiness vanished instantly as he snapped his head up, fully awake.
“A-ah, my apologies. I wasn’t fully awake for a moment there.”
“I understand.”
Zheng Ho replied in a voice that clearly said he did not understand at all.
“Now, could you kindly remove your hand from my head? You’ve been rubbing it for quite some time now…”
“Oh—! Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.”
The contrast between his expressionless face and his words of forgiveness was jarring.
It was obvious—he wanted to scold Jin Taekyung but held back out of consideration for the help he had given.
“Why the hell is the Precepts Hall Master of Shaolin next to me first thing after waking up?”
Sensing something off, Jin Taekyung looked around.
The room was large, big enough to house at least ten people. Sunlight seeped through the half-opened window, reflecting off Zheng Ho’s forehead like a beacon.
And surrounding him were familiar faces.
“So it was a dream… but half of it was real.”
It had felt far too vivid to be just a dream.
Sighing deeply, he turned to kick the lump curled up at his feet.
Thud!
“Haah! Today’s lunch is meat buns!”
…What kind of wake-up call was that?
Jolted awake by the impact, Cheongpung rubbed his sleepy eyes.
“Oh, benefactor! Did you sleep well?”
“I slept, but not well.”
“Why not? Then sleep some more!”
“…Are you serious? Stop talking nonsense and get this thing off me.”
“Oh! Mimi, come here!”
At his call, something thick slithered down Jin Taekyung’s chest.
Wait—thick?
Jin Taekyung gawked as he finally took in the enormous serpent coiled around him.
“Cheongpung, was this thing always this big?”
“Nope! It’s been growing a lot lately. It’s in its growth phase.”
“…How old is it?”
“According to Grandpa Tang, not even a hundred yet!”
“…Oh. Cool.”
“It might outgrow me soon! Ah, I wish I could grow faster too…”
“You’re already grown. No amount of waiting will make you taller.”
“That’s not true! Mimi keeps growing, so I will too!”
“Then by that logic, Jeok Cheon-Gang and Moon Kyung should be at least three meters tall by now.”
Deciding it wasn’t worth arguing, Jin Taekyung gave up and turned his attention to a foul stench wafting nearby.
Without hesitation, he swung his fist.
Smack!
“Ugh!”
“I told you to brush your damn teeth! Your mouth smells like a swamp, you filth—”
“Hrrgh… hrgghhh…”
A half-asleep Gong Gi-bang, eyes glistening with tears, stared at him in betrayal.
“Why am I always the one getting hit?!”
“You’re not the only one. That guy’s next.”
Equality was a virtue.
Moments later, a similar fate befell Hyeok Mu-jin, who had been clinging to his leg in his sleep.
Thwack!
“Ow! Why just me?!”
“Do you two rehearse these lines? Or were you long-lost brothers separated at birth?”
“Hit Gong first—oh, he’s already awake.”
“Ugh, you guys are the worst.”
Jin Taekyung kicked Hyeok Mu-jin off the bed, sending him crashing onto the floor.
These idiots were why he had that awful nightmare in the first place.
That red glow…
Even recalling it sent shivers down his spine.
Just as he was about to analyze the eerie sense of unease from his dream, the door creaked open.
Zheng Ho, who had stepped out earlier, returned.
“Jin Sa-jil, may I have a moment of your time?”
“Ah, sure.”
Jin Taekyung straightened his posture.
Considering how he had been treating Zheng Ho’s head like a stress ball, it was only fair to hear him out.
“Go ahead, Master Zheng Ho.”
“My senior… wishes to meet you.”
“Your senior? You mean the person outside right now?”
“Yes. He wishes to speak with you after quite some time…”
“Huh? Why two presences?”
Jin Taekyung had noticed it earlier—two distinct auras lingering outside.
If Zheng Ho’s senior was here, that meant he was a high-ranking monk of Shaolin.
And yet…
“Who could it be?”
If it was someone from Shaolin that he knew, then aside from Law King Hongdo, who else…?
Dismissing his doubts, Jin Taekyung nodded.
“Alright, I’ll meet him.”
No sooner had he spoken than the door opened.
A figure entered.
Jin Taekyung narrowed his eyes.
“Excuse me, but… who—”
The man was lean, his exposed skin riddled with countless scars.
A rough, gravelly voice escaped his lips.
“Good. Though the sky remains overcast, the new star rising from the north only shines brighter.”
And then—
Jin Taekyung finally recognized him.
The drastic change in his presence and appearance had made it hard to recall at first.
But now, the name surfaced.
“Nameless.”
The final disciple of Law King Hongdo, taken in during his later years.
A wry smile spread across Nameless’s lips.
“It’s been a while, Jin Sa-jil.”
