Chapter 529

Clink.

“Welcome!”

The door chime rang out as the server’s energetic greeting echoed through the room.

However, Ju Hwaran, who had sprung up in anticipation, quickly showed disappointment in her eyes.

“Ah… it’s not him.” She couldn’t see the face clearly due to the angle, but even that was enough for her to tell.

No, if it had really been him, she might have recognized him by just his shadow.

‘So it wasn’t him. It wasn’t him after all.’ Letting out a faint sigh, Ju Hwaran looked down toward the first floor once again with a gaze full of regret.

There was nothing that would change, and yet, she couldn’t help but feel lingering attachment.

And at the sight of Ju Hwaran like that, the men sitting with her cleared their throats.

“Ahem.”

“Ahem.”

They had been paying close attention to her every move from the start.

They weren’t foolish enough to not understand what her actions just now signified.

Three men sat across from Ju Hwaran at the table. Among them, the gazes of two particularly intertwined in midair.

In fact, they weren’t just exchanging glances. A faint flicker of their lips revealed that they were already communicating via [Transmission].

— Pardon me, Hwangbo Dou. Who do you think Lady Ju is waiting for right now?

A handsome man with flawless white robes and clean skin, acknowledged as the best young talent of the Kunlun Sect and a member of the Ten Phoenix and Dragons, Kunlun Cloud Dragon Baek Woo, asked via [Transmission], causing the nobleman with sharp features to subtly frown.

— I don’t know, but only one person comes to mind. If my guess is correct, it’s Blazing Fire Dragon Jin Taekyung… Let’s not speak of him any further.

The chilly response came from the nobleman Hwangbo Ak, head of the Hwangbo Clan and another member of the Ten Phoenix and Dragons, Shandong Fist Dragon.

‘That this Hwangbo Ak would be treated as inferior to another man…’ It was unthinkable. Especially for someone like Hwangbo Ak, overflowing with self-pride, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Though not counted among the Five Great Clans, the name Hwangbo carried considerable weight in the Murim.

For generations, they had ruled over the Shandong region—a dominant martial family with roots so deep that no one could question it.

Hwangbo Ak was the heir to that Hwangbo Clan.

On top of that, he was a martial genius worthy of being called one of the Ten Phoenix and Dragons, and a handsome man by any standard.

A great lineage. Immense wealth and fame. Even good looks. It was only natural that he would be wildly popular among women.

But the greatest problem was that, for the first time in his life—approaching thirty—none of that seemed to matter at all.

‘Hidden Thorn Flower Ju Hwaran.’

The moment he saw her, Hwangbo Ak realized it.

All the countless beauties he had met until now were mere fireflies under the sun compared to her.

Unlike other women, she wore no makeup, yet her beauty was indescribable. The plain-colored martial robe she wore seemed more elegant than any ornate palace attire.

It was love at first sight.

‘Why didn’t I meet a woman like her sooner?’ Hwangbo Ak gazed at Ju Hwaran as if possessed.

With each small movement she made, each twinkle in her eyes like starlight, his heart fluttered and a buried desire stirred deep within him.

But…

“Hoo.”

As Ju Hwaran sighed with regret, a crease formed between his brows.

He already knew what emotion that sigh held, and whom it was directed toward.

‘Blazing Fire Dragon Jin Taekyung.’ He silently repeated the man’s alias and name in his mind.

His hand under the table clenched with strength on its own.

‘What’s so special about that bastard?’ He had already heard of the connection between Ju Hwaran and Jin Taekyung.

Though the details of what happened two months ago between Yongbong Escort Agency and the Zhongnan Sect weren’t publicly known…

The shocking news had already spread across the Murim: one of the Zhongnan Sect’s top three masters, wielder of the [Great Purity Sword], had knelt before a young rising talent barely past twenty.

‘Impossible.’ It defied logic. It shouldn’t happen. Hwangbo Ak dismissed it as a ridiculous rumor and clicked his tongue.

But what bothered him more was the unpleasant suspicion that this incident had stirred feelings in Ju Hwaran toward Jin Taekyung.

— Are you certain?

Suddenly, Baek Woo’s [Transmission] made Hwangbo Ak perk up.

— Hm?

— I asked if you were certain about what you said earlier. That it’s Blazing Fire Dragon Jin Taekyung Lady Ju is waiting for.

— Come on, who else would she be waiting for?

Even Hwangbo Ak couldn’t deny that.

No matter how peculiar Ju Hwaran’s tastes were, it was unthinkable that she’d be interested in Gong Gi-bang, who reeked like spoiled dog food just by sitting next to him.

— So it really is him? Are you saying that lowborn worm who crawled out of Shanxi is better than me?

— Not a worm, a divine dragon. And Shanxi is no longer a backwater. It’s now the birthplace of Jin Taekyung, and the hub of trade with the northern plateau.

Baek Woo calmly corrected him and continued via [Transmission].

— Hwangbo Dou. That Taewon Jin Clan you remember is no longer what it used to be. In fact, since it’s come up, I must say—when I saw Jin Cheongeom, I knew right away—

— Jin “the Heavenly Sword” Mu-gyeong?

— Is there another Jin the Heavenly Sword we know?

Hwangbo Ak’s eyebrow twitched.

If it weren’t for Ju Hwaran sighing across the table, and that no-name young escort sitting nearby staring at him, he would have grimaced right away.

— Don’t bring up that name. Do you think I don’t know who that bastard is?

— Ah, come to think of it, you and Jin Mu-gyeong were at the Cheonmu Academy together, weren’t you?

—Enough. That’s enough!

— Whoa, alright. No need to yell.

Hwangbo Ak’s clenched fist turned red from the pressure.

Jin Mu-gyeong. Probably one of the names Hwangbo Ak would never forget until the day he died.

To someone who thought he had everything, he had presented an insurmountable wall and a humiliating defeat at the same time.

‘Damn it.’

And now, following the older brother, even the younger one was standing in his way.

As Hwangbo Ak showed faint traces of suppressed rage, Baek Woo parted his lips with a cautious expression.

— Hwangbo Dou. May I offer one piece of advice?

— What now?

— You said it yourself earlier. If the Blazing Fire Dragon shows up, don’t say a word. Better yet, don’t even open your mouth.

— Hmph. Worried I’ll start a sword fight or something?

— No, that’s not it. I’m worried even I might get dragged into it.

— …What?

Baek Woo gazed at Hwangbo Ak with deep concern and sympathy in his eyes.

— If you want to die, die alone.

— You were locked up during the Great Sangra Rebellion, so you probably don’t know. But even now, when I think of that guy… ugh. Just keep that in mind. Alright?

What in the world was that supposed to mean? “If you want to die, die alone”?

Hwangbo Ak stared at Baek Woo in disbelief before sending another [Transmission].

— Are you… serious right now?

— Amitabha. I swear upon Yuanshi Tianzun himself, I’m dead serious.

— Have you no pride as a martial artist?

— That disappeared during the Great Sangra Rebellion. Do you know how it feels to unleash the [Cloud Dragon’s Eight Great Forms] only to have your skull stomped into the ground?

Even so!

— Even so, that guy’s a monster.

— W-What happened to the proud Cloud Dragon of Kunlun I used to know?! Where’s the Baek Woo I remember!?

Baek Woo’s eyes turned wistful as he recalled the past.

— Come to think of it, even Hu Gae once said something similar to me. But right in the next trial, he got beat like a dog by Jin Taekyung. You heard about it, right? Gong Gi-bang tried to grab his hair after losing in movement techniques, and nearly had his skull blown off.

— Amitabha. Let me ask you frankly. Do you think everything the Blazing Fire Dragon did was just a rumor?

— Of course!

Hwangbo Ak’s firm answer drew a quiet sigh from Baek Woo.

— Why?

— How could any human possibly do that? It’s obvious his master, the Fire King, handled everything and handed the credit to his disciple!

— Well, yeah. Thinking about it rationally, it doesn’t make sense. That someone barely past twenty would reach a transcendent level—it’s absurd.

Finally hearing something sensible, Hwangbo Ak nodded with a look of certainty.

— That’s exactly what I’m saying. His master, the Fire King Jeok Cheon-Gang, stepped in and just gave the credit to his disciple.

—I ’m telling you again out of concern: don’t say that in front of the Blazing Fire Dragon. I don’t want to get clobbered just for being your acquaintance.

— …What are you even saying?

— Amitabha. It’s simple. Don’t think about it logically. Don’t even try to understand it. Just accept it.

Baek Woo’s tone was as if he had reached enlightenment. For a moment, Hwangbo Ak was at a loss for words and changed his approach.

— Wait a minute. Don’t you also have feelings for Lady Ju?

— Lady Ju? Of course I like her. What man wouldn’t be drawn to her?

— Then you know she has feelings for Jin Taekyung. Yet you still protect your rival?

— Lady Ju’s heart is important, but my own life matters more. So does my hair.

— What?

Glancing around discreetly, Baek Woo subtly lowered his head.

Between his neatly arranged hair, an oddly bare crown peeked out.

— Amitabha. You see that?

— What the hell…

As Hwangbo Ak failed to continue the [Transmission], Baek Woo gave a bitter smile.

Ever since his crown got stomped on during the Great Sangra Rebellion… the hair never grew back.

Just give up. Acceptance will set you free. But if you really can’t, then at least wait until I’m not around. I want to live.

What kind of insane nonsense was this?

Hwangbo Ak swallowed dryly.

The anger still boiled within him, but hearing this from a longtime friend and proud martial artist like Baek Woo made his spine go cold.

‘Is this for real?’ Not once had he believed the rumors surrounding the Blazing Fire Dragon were all true.

But if—just if—none of those stories were exaggerated in the slightest…

‘A monster beyond common sense.’ Yes. An undeniable monster.

And at the same time, a suffocating sense of humiliation engulfed Hwangbo Ak’s entire body.

‘Damn it all.’ His clenched fist trembled. As a faint groan slipped between his clenched teeth, Ju Hwaran, sensing the shift in atmosphere, spoke up.

“Hwangbo Sohyeop. Is something wrong?”

“N-No, nothing at all.”

As Hwangbo Ak forced out a reply, the young escort sitting idly nearby let out a small chuckle.

“Looks like a whole lot of nothing.”

“I said it’s nothing.”

“Suit yourself. By the way, the food here’s pretty good.”

Hwangbo Ak’s eyes narrowed.

From his behavior to his words—this guy had been granted permission to sit at the table because he was Ju Hwaran’s escort, but nothing about him sat right.

A quiet murmur escaped from between Hwangbo Ak’s twisted lips.

“Tch. This is why lowborns with no roots are so…”

Ju Hwaran was no fool. A sudden chill swept across her beautiful face that had been filled with unease.

“Hwangbo Sohyeop.”

“A-Ah, I only said that in case you misunderstood. I wasn’t referring to him.” Hwangbo Ak forced a fake smile and pointed toward a distant table.

“I was talking about those demonic heretics over there.”

And the moment his voice—neither loud nor soft—echoed through the air…

Clatter.

Someone stood up.