Chapter: 578
There was a warrior named Guiseung.
He was a mine affiliated with the Cheonra Black Watch Corps, a unit directly under Cheonma, before the creation of the Ghost Sword Corps led by Geomma. He had also worked with an assassination squad under his command.
At that time, Guiseung was notorious for his brutal actions, despite his background. However, I didn’t have much interaction with him.
When Guiseung was active as a mine, I was just a captive under Cheonma. Back then, I hadn’t been part of or operated any unit, so I had never crossed paths with him. It was a person whose face I’d never seen before he became a mine.
It was only natural.
‘I was a bloody idiot, and over there….’
Among the generations of meteors soaring high and far, he was known as the most outstanding person.
That’s Guiseung… no, wait.
‘Should I call him Shenlong (神龍) now?’
Along with Jang Seon-yeon, he was celebrated as a rising hope of the political faction and a martial artist revered as the miracle of Shaolin. He was a figure of a different caliber compared to me, often called the hidden treasure of the Gu Clan and the rogue of Shanxi.
He was indeed Guiseung, the young man standing right before me.
I gazed straight ahead.
Perhaps due to the moonlight, his notably shiny head caught my attention first. Beneath that, his faint yellow eyes shone. Standing just shy of seven feet tall, his muscular build was distinctly noticeable.
Examining his trained body, I thought, ‘Martial arts lineage.’
It was evident that he was an exceptional martial artist who had honed his external skills to the extreme. Naturally, if he were a Shaolin warrior, he’d undoubtedly belong to the external martial arts lineage.
‘Seeing him like this is quite incredible.’
A rush of emotions washed over me. I never expected to meet the author in such a way, and it was genuinely remarkable to be face to face in this manner.
‘The Miracle of Shaolin.’
Or perhaps, the last dragon, or an unprecedented genius. Those were the titles ascribed to the flexible figure.
Of the three, I couldn’t deny any of them.
‘Because all three are true.’
In some ways, there was even more.
Though it was said that Shenlong wasn’t selected by the Yongbongji Association and that some behind-the-scenes maneuvering had taken place, considering the context of the time…
‘That guy is more than worthy of being the dragon.’
He certainly wasn’t lacking the potential to ascend to such heights.
‘His age… I think he said he was the same age as me.’
He might be one or two years older at most. If he rose to Hwagyeong at that age, it wouldn’t be strange to call him a prodigy of the ages.
I may have reached it at a younger age, but
‘Let’s put that aside for now.’
It didn’t matter whether he was called the youngest Hwagyeong or the most remarkable genius of all time.
In reality, if I hadn’t been around, he might have been called that instead.
Furthermore, if viewed from this perspective, it seemed a bit odd.
‘At such a level, did he really need to resort to such tricks?’
Looking at Shinlong’s current state, he could have easily achieved the status of Shenlong without engaging in any schemes involving Shaolin or Meng.
More than enough, really.
If he had reached Hwagyeong at such a young age, he would undoubtedly surpass the requirements.
Yet if he still felt the need to use such tactics,
I figured there had to be some reason behind it.
And that was…
‘Could it also be tied to why he abandoned Shaolin and fled?’
Was there a connection between Shenlong turning his back on his homeland and descending into corruption?
I pondered such thoughts.
Of course, it’s impossible to know for sure.
By the time I emerged into the world under the name of Mine, Guiseung had already met his demise at the hands of other Shaolin warriors.
‘I heard that dozens of Shaolin masters and Meng’s troops surrounded Guiseung to kill him.’
By the time they killed Guiseung, half of their strength had reportedly vanished.
‘I’m curious.’
I peered at the dragon, intrigued.
What prompted him to become a mine?
Such questions bubbled up, yet it wasn’t the right moment to probe into them.
I had to focus on him and discuss something else.
“Do you like meat?”
…
The dragon frowned at my abrupt inquiry.
He appeared displeased.
Well, asking this of a Shaolin monk who abstains from meat might come off as somewhat disrespectful.
But
‘Things are a bit different now.’
He ate!
I had witnessed it firsthand.
Not long ago, at the guesthouse, I saw him consuming dumplings.
Not… to be precise, I hadn’t seen him eat them; rather, ‘I noticed the leftover remains.’
That should suffice.
“The dumplings there were delicious. I didn’t know they were scrumptious enough that even a monk would eat them.”
The flavor must have been enticing enough to tempt even those who abstain from meat.
I thought it might make for a fantastic promotional slogan for the guesthouse!
Heh heh, I chuckled while speaking, and only then did the dragon finally open his mouth.
“I’m not sure what you mean, my lord…”
His previous expression had vanished, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.
Seeing this made me nod slightly.
Oh, I see.
‘So you’re going to play dumb.’
It seemed he aimed to feign ignorance in the absence of evidence.
Sadly, there was evidence.
“If that’s the case, you should have wiped the oil off your lips.”
At my remark, the dragon paused, starting to wipe his mouth.
Watching this, I continued,
“There’s food stuck between your teeth.”
…!
Once again startled, he hurriedly tried to clean up, prompting me to add,
“Oh, just kidding.”
I let out a laugh, causing him to stiffen as if he’d turned to stone.
His expression shifted too.
Perhaps he realized that there was no escape route left.
I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
A brief silence settled. The dragon then cleared his throat softly.
“Ahem…”
He altered his somewhat clumsy demeanor into a more composed posture.
“Do you have any business with me, my lord?”
It seemed he wanted to brush off our previous conversation.
How ridiculous.
I chuckled to myself and took a step closer.
Although my action was sudden, the dragon didn’t exhibit any particular reaction.
Ignoring me, huh?
He definitely seemed to come off that way at first glance.
Thud!
My heart responded oddly to his manner.
I could feel it.
Wooooo—
Energy gradually emanated from the dragon’s feet.
The thick aura expanded in all directions, creating a singular domain.
In a brief moment, the surrounding area was entirely enveloped by the dragon’s territory. I couldn’t help but grin.
‘Nice!’
His method of unleashing energy was swift, intricate, and meticulous.
The densely packed aura left me in awe.
It wasn’t unpleasant at all.
Feeling it, I said, “Is it acceptable for a Buddhist pursuing reincarnation to be this violent?”
As I conversed, feeling the energy, the dragon responded,
“You haven’t yet answered my question, my lord.”
“Hm.”
Following his prompt, I nodded.
If all he did was spread his aura and establish a territory, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
‘His energy feels quite oppressive.’
My heart autonomously reacted to the energy surrounding us.
This indicated that there was a twinge of hostility laced within his aura directed at me.
‘Did teasing him get under his skin?’
Is that why he responds this way?
It’s plausible.
Having figured that out, I immediately voiced my thoughts.
“Apologies if I made you uncomfortable.”
…?”
“Can’t you eat meat a bit? How can a person live without eating meat?”
As I spoke lightly, the dragon’s expression became one of bewilderment.
His face bore that look of shock, clearly not anticipating my apology.
Summoning strength, I projected my energy outward.
Woosh—
The energy flowing from my heart slightly pushed back the dragon’s essence.
Only then did I find a bit of relief in breathing.
Thump—
Simultaneously, I loosened my body slightly, although I didn’t close the distance any further.
‘I didn’t come here to fight.’
At least that was not my intent for today.
I looked into the dragon’s eyes and said,
“I just found it interesting.”
Reflecting on the purpose of this meeting.
It was quite straightforward.
I was just genuinely curious.
“Isn’t it fascinating? I stopped by a guesthouse and there was the miracle of Shaolin enjoying dumplings.”
…
Upon hearing that, the dragon’s brows twitched at the term ‘Miracle of Shaolin.’
Perhaps due to his lack of hair, his expression appeared especially vivid.
“A Taoist acquaintance of mine eats meat too, but this is the first time I’ve seen a monk indulge.”
Thinking of that guy, who was more insane than anything, I didn’t put much stock into it.
But Shaolin seemed a bit different.
That is how perception works.
‘…But, Hwang A-bul-yeong did say he consumed meat secretly.’
According to Shin Noya, the hero of Shaolin, Hwang A-bul-yeong, had also sneaked a bit of meat, making it hard to lay blame.
Still, I brought it up to start the conversation, even if it turned out much rougher than anticipated.
“Your Majesty appears to know who I am.”
“I know very well. How could I not?”
If I had to name the most famous figures in Hanam lately, one would undoubtedly be the new leader, Mudang Geom-seon.
The other, undeniably, would be the dragon right in front of me.
“A new Shenlong. Correct?”
…
Even if he said otherwise, I knew he wouldn’t believe it anyway.
His face still retained a youthful air, despite a physique that radiated power.
Additionally,
‘Pretending not to know with such energy is a bit lacking in conscience.’
Even the profound energy of Shaolin expressed through him.
Anyone who laid eyes on him would recognize that without a doubt.
‘He truly is remarkable.’
In my past life, I had only glimpsed at him from afar. Given my pathetic state back then, I never truly grasped the extent of Shenlong’s might.
Standing this close, it became abundantly clear.
‘He deserves to be called a monster.’
To reach such a level at this young age, no less.
How could that be possible?
“By any chance, have you also… had a daily regimen?”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
I shot out the words and promptly took them back.
Regardless, I doubted that was the case.
‘Having more regressors would be a real headache.’
Recognizing the absurdity of it made me question Shinlong’s appearance.
He truly radiated greatness.
While I had endured numerous experiences, if he achieved this without any form of luck,
‘It’s indeed undeniable he’s a once-in-a-lifetime genius.’
A talent bestowed by heaven.
There would be no other term for it.
While admiring the figure of Shenlong, I continued speaking, as I still hadn’t introduced myself.
“Ah, I…”
“I already know.”
“Huh?”
Just as I was about to present myself, the dragon cut me off.
I couldn’t help but display a hint of surprise hearing this.
“You know?” “It means I’m aware of your identity.”
“Hmm…?”
You know me?
Looking into the dragon’s eyes, a peculiar expression overtook my features as he stated,
“Soyeomra Guyangcheon….”
…
“Isn’t that your nickname and real name?”
My eyes widened at his unhesitant proclamation.
“What? How did you know?”
I found it utterly astonishing.
How on earth did this guy know about me?
Just as those thoughts flitted through my mind,
“I merely believed.”
The dragon spoke in a serious tone,
“If a person possesses the strength of a shiju, it must indeed be him. That’s what I believed.”
“Oh.”
I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration after his words.
Essentially, the reasons behind my certainty of being the dragon and his confidence in identifying me were parallel.
However, if there lingered something different…
“But why do you dislike me?”
It was becoming increasingly evident that his energy radiated hostility.
The moment I confirmed my identity, the intensity of his aura directed at me seemed to swell.
When I inquired about this,
…
The dragon offered no substantial reply.
Normally, such a direct query would lead one to deny harboring ill feelings.
Wasn’t his silence virtually an affirmation?
‘What’s going on?’
Did I annoy him too much?
Or perhaps it was my bluntness during our first encounter?
Hmm.
‘Possibly both.’
I could acknowledge this upon reflection and thought to myself, “That makes sense.”
Despite that, I doubted I would change my behavior.
‘However, this might not be the end of it.’
While his first impression wasn’t ideal, I sensed something else brewing within Shenlong.
Something pushing him towards discontent.
After a few silent seconds of locking gazes with him,
“Your Majesty.”
While I awaited, the dragon regarded me and posed,
“Have you come to participate in the martial arts competition?”
That wasn’t an answer to my question. Instead, it seemed he intended to redirect the topic.
My previous inquiry was evidently ignored.
Thus, I decided to abide.
“Since it’s happening, I’m considering giving it a shot.”
“I see.”
After hearing my response, the dragon nodded.
“That’s fortunate.”
“Huh?”
Fortunate? What do you mean by that?
“It’s been a pleasure meeting you today, my lord. I look forward to seeing you in three months.”
Suddenly, he turned his back and walked away, offering his goodbyes.
I tilted my head as I watched him leave.
The first part seemed utterly false.
The latter side…
‘Seeing you in three months? Does he intend to join the martial arts competition too?’
Does that imply this is a sort of declaration of war?
Digesting that thought, I couldn’t help but silently applaud.
Because it sparked a refreshing feeling.
‘This feels oddly new.’
It might indeed be the first time since I regressed.
If you dislike me, come chase me to a martial arts contest.
‘I’ll show you a lesson.’
All things considered, that’s how it appeared to me.
It had been ages since I had bared witness to something like that.
And now, treated thusly by someone I had just met today!
While dwelling on that thought,
“Hey.”
I called out to him immediately.
He halted.
At my summons, the dragon ceased his stride.
I could see it clearly.
His shoulders subtly shifted, suggesting he was preparing for something.
Is he thinking about fighting here?
That seemed to be the case, but unfortunately, I had no desire for such a confrontation.
“The fact that you secretly ate dumplings will remain a secret from Shaolin.”
…
After proclaiming the primary point of my call, he stood momentarily, capturing my attention.
Then, he turned to face me again.
Immediately afterwards.
“… Thank you for that… part.”
The dragon clasped his hands together, bowed to me, and then turned his back once more.
He resumed his path, it seemed, with slightly hastened steps.
He appeared somewhat embarrassed.
“… Hah.”
I chuckled softly as I observed.
That guy seemed a bit off as well.
Whether it be the shamans, Shaolin, or volcanos, why were these individuals, expected to be the most rational, oddly lacking?
It was clear that the world was in disarray.
While reflecting on that, I gently stroked my chin with my hand.
“In three months….”
The words recently spoken by the dragon bothered me.
I hadn’t genuinely intended to partake in the martial arts competition, so I hadn’t given it much thought.
Hearing such things posed a complicating issue.
“This could stir some emotions.”
The loser’s hands potentially carrying sentiment could pose challenges.
If that happens, it might become difficult to rein in my strength.
This could create a somewhat troublesome situation for me.
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