Chapter: 274
The surroundings are quiet.
The once noisy street now only echoed with the sound of breathing.
How did it come to this?
Including the sudden appearances of the Sword Dragon and the Sleeping Dragon.
It was an abrupt start to the martial arts duel.
As the people of Hanam, where Meng and Shaolin reside, were familiar with martial artists, they were intensely focused on the duel of the two individuals.
In particular, these two were recognized as the top of the meteoric generation.
In the future, it seems certain that Jamryong and Geomryong will become the representatives of the Gu faction and Hwasan, respectively.
Moreover…
If the current Sword King from the Namgung Clan ever retires and leaves behind a title.
Those present believed that there would surely be a dispute over the Sword King’s position from that point on.
Thus, it was a splendid spectacle for the onlookers in the streets.
Watching young masters flaunt their skills was always a delightful sight!
But…
“…Uh…uh…”
“What is that…?”
The ongoing scene was enough to silence even the loud, cheering crowd.
“Did the Sleeping Dragon and the Sword Dragon… fall?”
The Sword Dragon and Sleeping Dragon, who had been fighting valiantly, suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed.
The issue is…
“What on earth happened?”
Most people did not grasp the situation properly.
Just at the moment when silence fell suddenly…
The Sleeping Dragon and Sword Dragon had paused, looking at each other, as if they intended to carry out something next.
Suddenly, a gust of wind ferociously whipped through the streets.
Whoosh!
And just like that, the Sword Dragon and Sleeping Dragon rolled on the ground, unconscious.
While many stared in confusion, one thing was certain.
In the center of the two fallen warriors…
There stood someone.
The circumstances suggested that he was the one who created this situation.
“Is that even possible?”
“Is that young man also a martial artist…?”
“I’ve never seen him before.”
They could not figure out his identity.
With fierce eyes and a slightly youthful face…
Even the expression on his face was all scrunched up.
It was a look that made it hard to engage with him.
While everyone was stunned, trying to make sense of what was happening.
“Ah!”
Among the throng of spectators, someone shouted loudly.
“That face…! I’ve definitely seen it before!”
Such a fierce and hard-to-forget face was truly unforgettable.
Especially when recalling the deeds of that young man during his first appearance in the Central Plains.
“True Dragon! That young man is indeed the True Dragon!”
“True Dragon? Could it be that True Dragon…!?”
The last newly introduced warrior among the Six Dragons and Three Peaks.
A figure reborn as a new talent by overwhelmingly dominating Noeryong and Shinsung at the Yongbongjihoe.
Jinryong, Gu Yangcheon.
That young man was none other than Gu Yangcheon!
The catch is…
“Ah, even if he is the True Dragon…”
“Isn’t it just a coincidence?”
No matter how new and gifted he may be as the rising star of the meteor, can he really take down the already recognized geniuses, the Sleeping Dragon and the Sword Dragon, in such a manner?
Thanks to this, most couldn’t readily believe their eyes even though they witnessed it happen right in front of them.
And at a distance, Gu Jeol-yeop and Muyeon watched the scene unfold.
“What on earth is he thinking?”
“…He did it again. I suppose Ilgongja is no different; he just acts first and thinks later!”
Once, he scolded me to think before acting.
Yet here he was, jumping headfirst into the chaos he’d stirred!
Of course, even with such thoughts…
Gu Jeol-yeop was surprisingly astounded inside.
The Sword Dragon and the Sleeping Dragon…
After all, the young master quickly overpowered them!
“I barely caught that.”
So swift were the movements that he almost missed it.
Having been beaten by Gu Yangcheon previously helped him catch a glimpse of it this time.
Had that experience not been there, he might’ve completely missed it.
“How incredibly strong is he?”
Gu Jeol-yeop had never truly seen Gu Yangcheon engage in an earnest fight.
He couldn’t ascertain the measure of his strength or the level he had attained.
Judging that he’s indeed stronger than Muyeon made it clear he was a peerless martial artist who had surpassed boundaries.
At such a young age, to be at the peak…
How could that be even possible?
“…Really! If it weren’t for his talent, with that temperament, he’d likely end up dying out there somewhere…”
– Child? I’ll see you later.
“…”
At the incoming sound, Gu Jeol-yeop scrunched his face in frustration.
That jerk was good at listening, too!
“Hmph…”
This is not good… I’ll have to escape later.
And it wasn’t just Gu Jeol-yeop who was flustered.
The most bewildered were not the onlookers, nor Gu Jeol-yeop himself.
It was Woo I-hyuk, the disciple of the Wudang school, tending to the fallen Woo Hyuk, the Sleeping Dragon.
“Uh…uh?”
Woo I-hyuk kept repeating absent-minded sounds while staring at the blacked-out Woo Hyuk.
This shouldn’t be happening… right?
There’s no way his own older brother could go down so helplessly like that!
Even during the exchanges with the elders in the text…
Even if he were to lose, he wouldn’t easily be pushed back!
This was his older brother, an extraordinarily lazy yet remarkably talented individual.
And yet, here he lay, completely flattened!
“Um…uh…?”
Woo I-hyuk thought perhaps he was dreaming.
If not, the scene before him had zero tangible reality.
At that moment…
“What are you just standing there for? Are you not going to take him away?”
It was the voice of a young man, wearing a look on his face that was far more exasperated than that of his fallen brother.
With that, Gu Yangcheon caught the nape of the unconscious Woo Hyuk and flung him toward Woo I-hyuk.
Whoosh!
“Yikes!”
As though tossing a lightweight object, Woo I-hyuk gasped and caught Woo Hyuk’s body.
Having ensured that, Gu Yangcheon spat onto the ground.
“Those who know everything, fighting a duel in this crowded setting. It’s ridiculous.”
Hah…
The deep sigh he let out seemed to express considerable annoyance.
“Couldn’t they at least just lightly spar instead…”
Ts!
Jinryong clicked his tongue, attempting to hold back his comments.
Who would’ve thought these lunatics would drag the fight to the street, letting it escalate to such levels?
If he hadn’t intervened, it might’ve been a total disaster.
‘These bratty punks.’
I swear, with their egos inflated, they probably wouldn’t have backed down regardless of what happened.
Gu Yangcheon shot a resentful glance somewhere ahead.
“If you’re going to do something, at least do it properly.”
For a brief moment, Woo I-hyuk questioned where Gu Yangcheon was looking, but when he turned to look…
There was no one there.
“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and take him!”
“Ah…”
“What’s up with this guy? Why hasn’t anyone come?”
The one tapping his foot was none other than Yeongpung, the hopeful Sword Dragon of Hwasan.
To Gu Yangcheon, however, he was just another useless burden.
Although it was nice to see a familiar face after so long…
Under these circumstances, any remaining joy would dwindle to nothing.
The Sleeping Dragon had someone he could look after…
Yet somehow, there wasn’t a single Hwasan disciple in sight.
What to do?
‘I can’t just leave him here…’
As Gu Yangcheon mulled over his options, an idea popped into his head.
Why bother dragging him along?
Who would dare touch a disciple of the Hwasan faction, anyway?
Soon enough, Gu Yangcheon nodded.
He decided to just leave him behind.
“Fine, I’ll just dump him here and find a place to crash…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the kid.”
He was about to leave Yeongpung, who had been knocked out cleanly after a hit to the back of his neck, but…
He halted at the sound of a melodious voice from behind.
A sweet floral scent wafted through the air.
It was a scent so rich and fragrant, it entirely overshadowed the faint plum blossom aroma associated with Yeongpung.
“It’s been a while.”
Seeing the woman smile as she greeted him…
Gu Yangcheon wore a look of mild surprise.
“…What are you doing here?”
She was quite an out-of-place figure in this situation.
She should be spending this time with her own disciples in the mountains right now.
Shooting him a warm smile, she replied to Gu Yangcheon’s question.
“I have some tasks I need to attend to.”
At her smile, the floral fragrance spread around her like a cloud.
It was so intoxicating that he could see the men nearby swaying slightly under its effect.
Dressed in pure white robes like Yeongpung…
With a pale pink plum blossom emblem emblazoned on her chest.
She was the most cherished female master of the righteous sect among the masses.
The Plum Blossom Sword Queen. Soyi.
There she stood, right in front of Gu Yangcheon.
Inside a building located atop Hanam Mountain.
Shh…
A small meeting room quietly bathed in sunlight.
A still-warm cup of tea sat nearby.
In a room where the cool winter breeze flowed…
An elderly man, seemingly aged by time, was repeatedly writing with a brush.
The blue armband draped over his shoulder bore the words “Official Master” in white.
As he moved the brush slowly across the paper…
He looked up and asked the man standing before him.
“Dragons were fighting in the streets?”
The old man slightly lifted his head and shifted his gaze.
His eyes, like pure white pupils, resembled drifting clouds.
There was a heavy yet clear focus within those depths.
The man who answered had to swallow hard.
“…Yes.”
“What was the reason?”
“…They say the Sword Dragon struck first against the Sleeping Dragon.”
“The Sword Dragon…”
The Head Master asked.
The owner of Kunlun, Cheonghae Ilgeom, tilted his head slightly at the nickname that came to mind.
“I don’t recall him as being that hot-tempered.”
The first talent of Hwasan…
The Sword Dragon, one of the few points of pride for those pesky Plum Blossom folks.
He had seen the boy once in passing.
He didn’t remember him as someone who would draw his sword in anger first.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, Cheonghae Ilgeom nodded again.
“Sure, it’s not uncommon for young ones to bicker a bit.”
But the critical point wasn’t about the Sleeping Dragon or the Sword Dragon.
“The victory or defeat between the Sleeping Dragon and the Sword Dragon originated from elsewhere?”
“Yes.”
Naturally, if there was a victor, it would have to arise from the duel between the two combatants.
In Cheonghae Ilgeom’s view, he was inclined to think that Jamryong would probably take this win too.
Shockingly, it turned out to be another martial artist who halted the two.
“It’s True Dragon.”
“Yes, he’s the son of Hohyeop of the Mountain West.”
“Hmm…”
Hohyeop Gu Cheol-un.
And True Dragon.
“Ah, I’ve heard of him.”
A young man who swept through the martial arts scene and had allegedly sat at the very end of the rankings.
Hohyeop, and also related by blood to Geombong, no less.
He felt a sense of relief, thinking about how troubled the leaders and heads of the Clan must have been back then.
‘Even so, he subdued both the Sleeping Dragon and Sword Dragon.’
He hadn’t swooped in during their fight to stop them.
He simply neutralized two fighters in an instant!
That was quite the surprise for a simple late-comer!
Cheonghae Ilgeom looked at the man reporting to him, his eyes gleaming.
“Is there any falsehood in your words?”
“…Yes, I saw it clearly with my own two eyes.”
The man spoke while swallowing hard.
He would never dare lie to his master, the current Head Master of the Shinryongwan!
Saying such a thing meant he had witnessed it firsthand.
Ironically, the man had missed Jinryong’s actual movements at that time.
Himself a polished expert at the peak.
“Wiseok-ah.”
“Yes, Master… No, Head Master.”
“If it were you, could you do something like that?”
In response to the Governor’s question, Jo Wi-seok clenched his fists behind his back, out of the Governor’s sight.
“…I can’t really say.”
This was also a stretch.
He himself wouldn’t be able to accomplish that.
This was a conviction he held firmly.
The prowess of the Sleeping Dragon and the Sword Dragon was far too elevated for him to handle.
To say they were on different leagues was an understatement.
Perhaps he should perceive their standing as being equal to himself instead?
‘Then what on earth is that guy?’
That True Dragon who had subdued such powerful warriors in an instant.
Furthermore…
As Jo Wi-seok recalled the incident that had recently unfolded, he bit his lip lightly.
He had been hiding on the rooftop, covertly observing the scene.
Jinryong had casually locked eyes with him, easily spotting him out.
Then, looking his way, he had said:
– If you’re going to do something, at least do it right.
He had merely been spotted by a late-comer?!
No, it was evident that Jinryong had already surpassed the category of ‘late-comer’.
The man pondered.
If Jinryong were truly to join Shinryongwan…
Amidst the hoards of snakes and mountain serpents, among those that barely embody the look of a dragon…
It would be akin to unleashing a gigantic dragon into their midst!
“They used to say the child of a good man is a good man; it appears that isn’t the case.”
As far as he had heard, it was indeed said to be the case once.
What could have prompted such a drastic change?
Cheonghae Ilgeom mulled over Jo Wi-seok’s words and exhaled a shallow breath.
“Regardless, since he’s that powerful, I’d like to at least see his face.”
If Jo Wi-seok’s words held any weight…
The young man named Jinryong was indeed a monster capable of reshaping this era.
Cheonghae Ilgeom couldn’t help but chuckle in delight as he sipped his tea.
“Wiseok-ah.”
“Yes, Head Master.”
“Now that this matter has been addressed, let’s look into something else.”
“Such as…?”
When Jo Wi-seok asked back, puzzled, Cheonghae Ilgeom quietly leaned in.
“It’s been said that descendants of the Sword Master are seeking to join the Shinryongwan.”
“…!”
“Given that he’s of late-comer status, find out exactly who he is. He should arrive within a few days.”
“Understood…”
Was it the Sword Dragon, the Sleeping Dragon, or even that True Dragon?
The explosive news was enough to make one’s mind spin!
Jo Wi-seok exited the door, his face having gone slightly pale.
Alone now, Cheonghae Ilgeom shut his eyes and turned his gaze out the window.
There were five days until the Shinryongwan entrance examination.
The geniuses from this generation were distinctly shining brighter than ever.
Especially, to have such remarkable talents come together at this time…
It felt as though a storm was drawing near!
“I’m truly looking forward to this.”
What will unfold next?
Cheonghae Ilgeom couldn’t help but smile with gleeful anticipation.
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