### Chapter 192: Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior?
When it comes to the Xian Bi Clan, they are the leading clan of the Xian region. They are treated as a prestigious family affiliated with the Orthodox Faction, yet they don’t stand out much at all.
Not only do they abstain from participating in gatherings like the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes, which most young prodigies take part in, but they also rarely engage in important clan affairs.
Even concerning the Gate of Demons, they only make their presence felt if the danger is significant enough.
For the past decade, the Xian Bi Clan has been just that.
However, if you were to say that the Bi Clan lacks capable individuals or martial artists, that wouldn’t be the case at all.
If you were to pick martial artists from the Xian Bi Clan, you’d find a plethora of talented individuals boasting impressive achievements.
One merely has to consider that the venerable Bijuu of the Three Venerables, known as the foremost master of the times, hails from the Xian Bi Clan for their prestige to become apparent.
Not to mention, the Dragon Warrior, who has now transformed from five dragons into six, is also a product of the Bi Clan, indicating that their lineage is far from short of power.
It’s just that the calm lake is so deep that the dragons swimming beneath it are hidden from view.
Many have joked that when the Bi Clan decides to move, the realm will shake; that’s probably the reason for such musings.
…But seriously, isn’t this a bit much?
Rain began to fall in Xian, filling the quiet streets with nothing but the sound of raindrops.
Through the drizzling rain, a man with muddy smudges on his face lumbered along; this man was none other than Chuwong, who had come from Hanam to seek out the Beggars Sect.
Over the past few months, Chuwong managed to reach Xian by running like a madman until his feet felt as though they were on fire.
Honestly, it was a crazy thing to do.
He could have just sent a letter, but instead, he dragged his heavy body all the way here.
They say that if your head is empty, your body will suffer. Oh how true that is…
Having lived his life as a beggar, it was obvious there wasn’t much intellect in his noggin, but this was impulsiveness at its peak!
What was I thinking that day? Damn it!
He’d been entranced by the enigmatic gaze and atmosphere of the True Dragon when it revealed the genuine emblem, and somehow, he ended up here.
At that moment, it had seemed like a lifeline thrown down from the heavens. But now, reflecting upon it, Chuwong began to wonder if the True Dragon had really considered his presence at all.
Damn it…
Yet, it was too late to go back now.
Not only had he arrived in Xian, but he was also busy collecting information as though his feet were on fire.
Chuwong had been tasked with gathering intel on the Dragon Warrior of Xian that the True Dragon was interested in.
Truthfully, he thought arriving at Xian would be the end of his troubles.
It had been three days since he got here, and while Xian surely had its fair share of Beggars, with Chuwong’s reputation, he figured it wouldn’t be too hard to procure the desired info.
But,
What the hell is going on…?
There was a severe lack of information.
The knowledge available about the Bi Clan was almost identical to what had been written in the Beggars’ records a decade ago.
Aside from the shops operated by the clan, he found nothing—they had no idea what the clan was currently doing or how they were managing their affairs.
It almost felt as if they were purposefully keeping things under wraps.
Is there really a need for all this?
If he can’t uncover anything at his level, it means someone much higher up is suppressing the information.
At the very least, those doing the suppressing ought to be at the level of the Second Beggar or higher.
Something must be brewing…
What started as a lighthearted venture turned into a convoluted mess that he’d accidentally stepped into.
Should I just bolt while I still can?
This wasn’t just a martial artist’s intuition; it was pure survival instinct!
Being somewhat perceptive, Chuwong had sensed something unusual since the very start, regarding the current state of Xian.
There’s something strange about Bi Clan right now.
He couldn’t quite articulate it but his instincts screamed at him that something was off about the Bi Clan.
This feeling intensified when he approached the Xian branch to ask about the Bi Clan, only to be met with what felt like an aversion to his inquiry.
The current state of the Bi Clan is certainly peculiar.
As Chuwong contemplated his choices, disappointment swept over him.
He chastised himself for not leaving as soon as he sensed that first odd vibe.
I’m just a new raccoon, aren’t I?
Had he done so, he wouldn’t be in this predicament now.
I heard someone was curious about me recently. Is that you?
With that, Chuwong found himself pressed against the ground and clutching his stomach, completely blindsided.
He hadn’t even caught when or how the attack happened.
Upon regaining consciousness, he found himself barfing on the floor, overwhelmed by the sheer impact of the hit!
When? When did he come close?
He hadn’t noticed a thing!
As he finally mustered the strength to lift his head, Chuwong caught sight of the figure that had ambushed him—a young man who looked barely over twenty.
He was around the same age as the Lightning Dragon.
Although he appeared slightly older than the True Dragon he had met some months back, he lacked a sense of maturity.
But Chuwong recognized that boy. Over the years, he had changed, but it was undoubtedly the same boy from a few years back.
…Dragon Warrior!
The Dragon Warrior, Bi Eejin.
He was a young prodigy who made a singular appearance at the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes, leaving a huge impression before vanishing.
“Who are you?”
The Dragon Warrior coolly lowered himself and locked eyes with Chuwong.
With brown hair tightly tied and dressed in a black uniform, his eyes reflected an emptiness that bore an inexplicable weight.
Chuwong had recently recalled seeing a similar pair of eyes.
Just like the True Dragon!
In stark contrast to the Dragon Warrior’s softer, more gentle appearance, the True Dragon was akin to a ferocious wolf, but the gaze they shared was peculiarly similar.
Looking into those eyes, Chuwong felt unseen weights pressing down upon him.
“Are you not going to reply?”
When Chuwong remained silent, the Dragon Warrior reached out a hand and pressed it against Chuwong’s body.
At that moment, confusion morphed into agonizing screams that echoed around him.
The absurd excruciating pain rained down, saturating his entire being.
He screamed for what felt like an eternity until the moment the Dragon Warrior retracted his hand, and the pain receded instantly.
Haah… Haah…
“Now, do you wish to speak?”
Chuwong realized that despite his screams, not a single sound escaped his immediate vicinity.
That was because the Dragon Warrior had erected a Qi barrier to suppress any noise.
This demanded an enormous amount of Qi to maintain.
“Where did you come from?”
“W-Wait…”
“Hmm…”
When Chuwong once again failed to respond, the Dragon Warrior began extending his hand again.
Having seen this, Chuwong shouted:
“I-I’m from Hanam!”
“Hanam?”
The Dragon Warrior wore a puzzled expression upon hearing the name Chuwong exclaimed.
“Y-Yes! I’m Chuwong, a beggar from Hanam!”
“I see. Hanam, huh?”
The Dragon Warrior nodded as if he understood.
But, without warning, he naturally grabbed Chuwong’s neck firmly.
“W-W-Wait!”
“What’s wrong?”
“That’s what I want to know! Why are you grabbing my neck?!”
Even as the Dragon Warrior slowly squeezed his grip, Chuwong found himself unable to fight back.
His body had yet to respond since the previous blow had left him paralyzed.
This indicated that his internal Qi had been shaken and rendered ineffective with a single strike.
To Chuwong’s question, the Dragon Warrior clarified:
“Because I still have many questions to ask.”
His tone was unmistakably calm.
However, to Chuwong’s ears, it was eerily akin to a declaration of impending death should he provide the wrong answer.
And he likely meant it.
How the hell does he know?!
Chuwong had been careful not to draw attention to himself and avoided encroaching on the Bi Clan’s turf.
Despite being a discreet clan, being detected by a noble clan posed substantial risks.
In this regard, Chuwong was sure he hadn’t done anything suspicious to warrant being discovered.
Then a thought suddenly crossed his mind:
You are a new raccoon.
This was precisely what the Dragon Warrior had called him earlier.
The term ‘raccoon’ implicitly referred to the members of the Beggars Sect, and the Dragon Warrior’s words carried an intriguing nuance.
New raccoon and how the beggars of Xian appeared downtrodden…
Plus, the obscure atmosphere he sensed within the Beggars Sect.
Everything started to coalesce in Chuwong’s mind; it all likely tied back to the Xian Bi Clan.
Or rather, that Dragon Warrior himself.
This inference suggested that being caught wasn’t entirely unfounded.
The reason why the Dragon Warrior was aware of him could be traced back to Chuwong’s inquiries at the Xian Beggars Sect about the Dragon Warrior.
Those backstabbers!
If that was indeed true, then this whole matter posed significant issues.
It implied that an entire branch of his sect had fallen under the sway of a mere young prodigy.
Though it’s quite ironic for a fool who rushed here because of a kid to complain!
Chuwong’s predicament wasn’t much better, leading to a tangled sea of thoughts.
Patiently observing Chuwong, the Dragon Warrior finally spoke up.
“You’re quite perceptive.”
!
The Dragon Warrior remarked, a sly grin appearing as he noticed Chuwong’s realization.
His demeanor expressed a disinterest in the matter he had uncovered.
Does that mean he’s indifferent because he’s going to kill me anyway?
Or is he going to eliminate me because I learned something about this place?
Regardless of his reasoning, Chuwong was squarely in the red zone of danger.
“You call yourself Chuwong?”
“Y-Yes.”
“I see. Now that I think about it, you seem familiar…”
Chuwong hurriedly turned his gaze away upon hearing the Dragon Warrior speak.
After all, the Dragon Warrior was correct; he had seen him before.
Not directly, but during his first and last appearance at the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes, when Chuwong observed as the young prodigies vexed him, and the Dragon Warrior dealt with them elegantly.
Ugh…
That memory was less than pleasant for Chuwong.
Just remembering it made his knees quiver.
“You seem curious about me. May I ask why?”
While his tone suggested a formal inquiry, the current circumstances indicated otherwise.
How could anyone legitimize such an interrogation while holding someone by their neck?
This felt more like a threat.
“U-Uh…”
What should I even say?
Should I even say anything?
To mention the True Dragon’s curiosity about him sounded absurd.
After all, even Chuwong himself had no clue why the True Dragon would have an interest in the Dragon Warrior when they’d never crossed paths.
Ultimately, Chuwong chose to remain silent. Nonetheless, the Dragon Warrior didn’t press him further.
He merely tightened his grasp even more around Chuwong’s neck.
I can’t breathe, dammit!
These kids really have no respect for their elders, do they?!
Caught in the intense stare of the young man, who exhibited no intention of granting Chuwong another chance, he yelled out in panic:
“T-The Dishonored Venerable!”
In a moment of desperation, Chuwong shouted so urgently that—
Crack!
The grip on his neck began to slacken.
Just when Chuwong hoped that his words might have changed his fortunes—
“What did you say?”
Chuwong found himself beset by the immeasurable pressure of the Dragon Warrior’s Qi once again.
The overwhelming force coiled around him like a forbidding weight.
“AAah!”
Had it been a blunder to invoke the Dishonored Venerable’s name before a Blood Relative of the Bi Clan?
The intensity emanating from the Dragon Warrior was unforgiving.
But Chuwong couldn’t afford to stop.
Having already uttered the name, he now had no choice but to continue speaking to save himself.
“T-The disciple of the Dishonored Venerable wanted information about Master Bi!”
To be precise, he was merely presumed to be a disciple, but Chuwong said those words anyway in a bid to ensure his survival.
Rather miraculously, the pressure eased as if it had never existed,
And the Dragon Warrior liberated his grip around Chuwong’s neck, retracting his hand.
Afterward—
Haah!
The Dragon Warrior erupted in laughter.
What the hell is wrong with him?!
Chuwong found himself unnerved as he gazed at the Dragon Warrior, who was laughing heartily.
After a robust round of laughter, the Dragon Warrior managed to steady himself and turned to Chuwong, asking:
“The Dishonored Venerable, huh? So, his disciple is curious about me?”
“Y-Yes, Master Bi.”
Though the True Dragon himself denied being his disciple, owing to his possession of the Dishonored Venerable’s letter, his martial arts style, and a superior presence amongst his peers, it ignited rumors that he indeed was the disciple of the Dishonored Venerable.
Of course, the True Dragon was earnestly begging to have that narrative dispelled.
I’m so sorry—True Dragon.
Chuwong was compelled to do this purely for his own survival.
“Ah, I see! The Dishonored Venerable’s disciple, hmm?”
As the Dragon Warrior chuckled, he rose to his feet and directed a question towards Chuwong.
“Who is it?”
“Pardon?”
“The disciple of the Dishonored Venerable who’s curious about me.”
Oh? I presumed that an annoying fly was buzzing around, but it seems a spectacle is about to unfold!
I’m curious to see who that is.
The Dragon Warrior contemplated while fixating his gaze upon Chuwong.
He grew intrigued.
Who dares to impersonate the disciple of the Dishonored Venerable?
“I need to catch a glimpse of this wannabe’s face.”
He mused about how such rumors had emerged that he was missing.
The last time I’d been around, I would’ve personally crushed anyone pulling such stunts.
Why did I trust that bastard Gu Ryoon to handle it?
The Dragon Warrior, while still relishing the moment, addressed Chuwong:
“Let’s hear one thing.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
The Dragon Warrior effortlessly swept Chuwong up and hoisted him onto his shoulder.
Chuwong felt thoroughly humiliated, as though he were just a sack of rice, but he had no chance of resisting.
“We’ll discuss that once we arrive.”
With that, the Dragon Warrior began to stride along, bearing Chuwong like an oversized backpack.
It appeared their destination pertained directly to revealing details about his own disciple.
While Chuwong found himself embroiled in dire circumstances in Xian, Gu Yangcheon had just returned to his clan.
Because everyone had been on high alert following the ambush, the return trip proved to be far more taxing than expected.
When everyone was showing visible signs of fatigue from the journey…
“What did you say?”
Gu Yangcheon repeated incredulously, eyes widening in shock.
“Brother—”
The one speaking to Gu Yangcheon with tears dampening her face was none other than Gu Ryunghwa, who should’ve already returned to Mount Hua by now.
“The Second Elder…”
“Stop crying and just tell me what happened!”
As a result of Gu Yangcheon’s stern tone, Gu Ryunghwa broke into sobs.
Though Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah rushed over to comfort her, Gu Yangcheon remained tense, unable to ease his tense expression.
He fervently wished he had misheard her words.
After all, what she said was utterly unfathomable.
With tears streaming down her face, Gu Ryunghwa uttered:
“T-The Second Elder… might die.”
Sadly, it appeared that Gu Yangcheon had indeed heard everything correctly the first time.
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