Chapter 168: True Dragon (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168: True Dragon (2)
“They’re calling him the True Dragon now.”
“Who? The tournament champion?”
On the day of the finals, the atmosphere was more electric than ever.
A certain level of excitement was expected on the final day, but this year’s fervor was on an entirely different level compared to previous tournaments.
Was it because a new dragon had emerged?
Or was it because this tournament had revealed more rising stars than any before it?
Perhaps the spectators were still reeling from the performance that young man had delivered on the arena stage.
A man spoke up quietly from within the crowd, seemingly annoyed by the enthusiastic mood around him. “True Dragon? Isn’t that a bit excessive? A ‘True’ Dragon, they say…”
“Ha! So what does that make the others, like the Lightning Dragon or the Sword Dragon? False dragons?”
“I could tell just by looking that this year’s contestants were a bunch of kids who haven’t even grown proper facial hair. How impressive could their fights have been?”
“Will you listen to this guy?”
The man’s muttering drew exasperated sighs from those who heard him.
Just as someone was about to retort…
“Leave him be. That Kim Chung is just bitter because he couldn’t attend the tournament, claiming he had work.”
“But did I say anything wrong? The Sword Dragon, the Sleeping Dragon, even the Sword Phoenix—none of them participated. How could any of you have found this year’s tournament enjoyable…?”
The man named Kim Chung continued to frown as he drained his cup.
Merchant Cheon, observing this, allowed himself a small smile.
He really is salty.
It was understandable. Everyone else was buzzing with excitement, and he had missed it all.
He should have come when I invited him.
Merchant Cheon had expected this. Kim Chung had refused to come, arguing it was pointless since half the renowned Dragons and Phoenixes were absent.
Contrary to such expectations, however, this tournament had surpassed them all. Merchant Cheon would even dare to call it the most memorable tournament of his life.
And for good reason.
Three young prodigies had earned titles in their debut appearance, with one of them claiming the throne of the True Dragon itself.
“But still, what exactly is a ‘True Dragon’…?”
“I think it’s rather fitting. What are you so upset about?”
“I heard he’s not even twenty yet. An audacious title suits such a talent.”
“Who cares about age? If he’s worthy, then he deserves the title.”
“That’s precisely what doesn’t make sense. I get that he’s talented… but if you’d seen the tournament, you’d know. I’m sure the Murim Alliance must have rigged something to—”
Kim Chung looked around for support, but only found mocking smiles.
“The Murim Alliance rigging things? Don’t make us laugh.”
“We get that you didn’t see the fights, but you’re being stubborn.”
“So, you all believe a martial artist that young is truly worthy of being called the True Dragon?”
To this, Merchant Cheon himself spoke up. “More than worthy.”
“Merchant Cheon?”
Kim Chung looked at him in shock. Merchant Cheon wasn’t one to casually interject.
“You wouldn’t know the boy’s worth since you didn’t see him fight,” Merchant Cheon said, meeting Kim Chung’s gaze. “But I do.”
When Merchant Cheon had watched the finals, he’d been rendered speechless. Even he, a man who didn’t know the first thing about martial arts, could see the boy was in a league of his own compared to the other prodigies.
In fact, his own son, who had watched the fights with him, had declared he would quit martial arts and work in the family shop instead. He said he couldn’t bear to share a world with such monsters.
Merchant Cheon respected that decision. He would have done the same in his son’s place.
Talent can be truly terrifying.
A merchant’s talent lies in their eye for value—buying low and selling high. To succeed, a merchant must learn many things, but the most important is the ability to spot worth among the commonplace.
Unfortunately, I lack such an eye.
Merchant Cheon knew his limits. If he had that keen eye, he would have been a renowned merchant in Hanam, not the owner of a small market stall. Still, he hadn’t survived this long without learning a thing or two. Over time, he’d developed a certain ability to see through things.
“You think the title ‘True Dragon’ is too much for him? I disagree.”
“Are you saying he actually deserves it?”
“Deserves it? If anything, the title is insufficient.”
This was something Merchant Cheon had genuinely wondered. Why hadn’t the Murim Alliance granted the boy the title of Heavenly Dragon?
In Merchant Cheon’s eyes, the True Dragon’s performance far surpassed what Peng Woojin had shown during his own debut.
I heard the position of Heavenly Dragon is already filled. Can that rumor really be true?
It was a story that had spread far and wide—that someone had already been appointed as the Heavenly Dragon.
There’s no way.
When the tournament ended and the Alliance Leader was congratulating the participants, Merchant Cheon had watched carefully. He saw how the leader carried himself after his son, Jang Seonyeon—the so-called ‘New Star’—had been utterly dominated by the True Dragon.
To remain so calm after seeing his son defeated so one-sidedly…
For Merchant Cheon, it was shocking. The Alliance Leader had presented himself purely as the head of the Murim Alliance, not as a father who had just witnessed his son’s humiliation. This was why Merchant Cheon found the rumor hard to believe.
“Kim Chung, stop embarrassing yourself. Come, sit down. Let’s talk about something else.”
He’s acting like a child, and at his age, just because he missed a tournament.
Then again, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life if I’d missed this one.
Merchant Cheon understood Kim Chung’s feelings. By any measure, a martial artist who would change an era had been born in this tournament. There was probably no greater disappointment for a citizen of this world than to miss witnessing such a moment.
Merchant Cheon pictured the boy’s face in his mind.
True Dragon…
The boy, about whom nothing was known except his surname, was now called the True Dragon of the Shanxi Gu Clan. He had achieved all of this in just three days since his debut in the martial world.
It made Merchant Cheon wonder what waves this would send throughout the world.
However…
I am a bit concerned about the look he had at the very end.
Merchant Cheon remembered the expression on the boy’s face—far too heavy for someone so young. The boy who had just won a tournament other prodigies could only dream of winning had reacted strangely.
Others thought it was cool, that a genius like him would be unfazed by a mere tournament victory. But to Merchant Cheon, it hadn’t seemed that way.
* * *
In a field far from the tournament arena…
I stood alone.
As I watched the snow fall…
The flakes slowly piled up…
But unlike that simple process, my mind was tangled in thoughts far too complicated.
-I, Dok Gojun, seek you, child.
At the duel’s end, I couldn’t seem to forget the name that bastard had given me.
Dok Gojun.
It was the first time I’d heard that name. In this life, and in my past one. It didn’t sound like it belonged to any known clan, nor did it hint at any. It was a name entirely new to me.
Who is it…? Who could it be?
The being that had spoken to me while borrowing Jang Seonyeon’s body… What kind of existence could accomplish such a thing?
Was it similar to Elder Shin? But something felt different.
That presence had given me a chilling sensation, like a sword aimed directly at my head. It was utterly different from Elder Shin’s aura. If I had to compare, it felt closer to the enigmatic pressure of the Heavenly Demon.
It might be a stretch, but the similarity is undeniable.
The Heavenly Demon, often revered as a god, exuded a far more potent aura, but the sensation was definitely comparable.
It also made me wonder about the bastard living inside me.
For fuck’s sake… Can’t everyone just leave me alone so I can live in peace?
Every time I resolve one problem, another pops up to complicate my life further. I already felt like I was crumbling under the weight of the numerous entities inside my body.
If there really was a god, I knew for sure they weren’t on my side.
“At least say something, instead of staying silent.”
My frustrated voice, which I could no longer hold back, scattered quietly into the wind. My words echoed in the empty field, but I wasn’t talking to myself.
“You were so talkative before. Why the silence now?”
The being that had emerged in the final moments of the tournament to devour that energy… I’d tried speaking to the mysterious entity residing within me, but ever since Jang Seonyeon lost consciousness, it had remained silent.
“For fuck’s sake…”
I had simply dismissed it as a curse I’d acquired during my regression. Since this ability, Demonic Absorption, belonged to the Heavenly Demon, it wasn’t strange for side effects to appear. I’d thought I still hadn’t escaped the Heavenly Demon’s grasp, but it seemed there was more to it.
“Is there something you want from me? Why does everyone have to make things difficult for me?”
I couldn’t help but speak harshly, my tone sharpened by the complicated thoughts plaguing my mind.
Did Jang Seonyeon have that power from the beginning? Or did he tamper with something to change the past?
Though it’s entirely possible I simply didn’t know about it.
Given how much of what I’d learned in this life differed from my past life, there was a good chance this was another such discrepancy.
Who’s the mastermind?
Not only was the Black Palace using a poor imitation of Demonic Qi, they were also cultivating some strange flower. Jang Seonyeon was plotting behind the scenes as well.
I hadn’t cared if it was the right path or not; I was far from a hero. Still, it was concerning that I hadn’t known about any of this.
What should I do?
Should I start making new plans now that I’m aware? I also had to consider the possibility that their side had information about me. When the bastard possessing Jang Seonyeon spoke to me, it seemed to already know who I was.
Finding myself in this utterly complicated situation, I bit my lip, feeling an urge to scream. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Tell me if you want something. Only then can I consider whether to grant your wish or not.”
I tried speaking to the entity inside me again. I had no intention of actually granting any request, but I thought I might feel better just hearing something from the beast within.
“Sigh…”
I rubbed my face with my hands, then repeatedly dried and washed it. Perhaps because of this, despite having accomplished everything I set out to do in Hanam, I felt no sense of relief.
A gift, huh.
Those were the last words uttered by that bastard Dok Gojun. It didn’t take long for me to understand what he meant.
“You devoured everything else just fine, so what’s your problem with this?” I asked with a smirk.
The energy I had absorbed from Jang Seonyeon—or more accurately, the energy Dok Gojun had given me—wasn’t being purified properly inside my body. Just like the Demonic Qi had taken up residence in my dantian, this new energy was doing the same, making itself at home.
Is it even being purified?
My Fire Qi purified Demonic Qi as soon as I absorbed it, almost as if it were devouring it. But this energy was different.
I don’t know.
I didn’t get the sensation of purification. Instead, it felt like it was merging with my Fire Qi.
I rubbed my stomach and began to channel my strength.
Ssss…
My qi flowed through my body, spreading everywhere. It was the basic process of enhancing my body with qi. As long as I didn’t use the Gu Clan’s art of using heat for further enhancement, that should have been the end of it.
“…Sigh.”
But when I focused deeper into my dantian, I could feel the foreign energy hiding there, mixing with my qi. In an instant, I felt my strength surge.
This was the gift Dok Gojun had mentioned. Just like Jang Seonyeon and Namgung Cheonjun, I could now use that shitty energy.
This is crazy.
I wasn’t happy. I was annoyed. It felt like another shackle had been clamped onto me. One unknown energy was more than enough. No, even one was hard to deal with.
I could already tell by moving slightly. This energy wasn’t all positive; it had a negative side. I could feel it being consumed at an absurdly rapid rate, though it granted overwhelming power in return.
Furthermore, the enhancement wasn’t limited to my body.
Blaze.
I mixed a wisp of the energy into my qi and summoned a flame in my hand. I wondered if I could do this, since Jang Seonyeon’s martial skills had been enhanced as well.
“…Fucking hell.”
I couldn’t help but curse aloud at the sight. Instead of the bright flame mixed with Taoist Qi, it burned with a passionate blue light.
“This will definitely attract attention.”
The color alone made it look like some form of witchcraft. I couldn’t believe it changed the flame’s color.
“I can’t even explain this to Father if he finds out.”
Not just Father, but I couldn’t imagine what the rest of the clan would say. What excuse could I possibly give? That I dyed my flames with a ‘gift’ I received in Hanam?
Hahahaha! Fuck me.
My head started to ache.
Clench!
I clenched my fist, extinguishing the flame. When I summoned it again…
Blaze—
It returned to normal.
The flame was back to its original color. It seemed the effect depended on whether I actively used the foreign energy.
I think I can hide it if I’m careful.
It was a small consolation amidst all this misfortune. As I calmed the energy and prepared to head back…
“…!”
A sudden wave of dizziness hit me, and my body faltered. Fortunately, it lasted only a moment, and I regained my balance.
Is this the energy’s recoil?
I’d only used it for a brief moment, yet the backlash was this severe. Now I understood why Jang Seonyeon had been so reluctant to use it.
But one thing puzzled me. If I recalled correctly, Jang Seonyeon had used the energy for a much longer duration. The recoil should have been far greater for him, yet he’d seemed fine.
Either the recoil is worse for me, or I consume the energy faster.
Whichever it was, it didn’t change the fact that this was a shitty situation. But even so, I had to force myself to stand firm.
“…I won’t collapse from something like this.”
No matter how much the world seemed to conspire against me, this life was still better than the last. No one I cared about had died, and I’d been given the chance to confront those who had scarred my past life with my own hands.
I could endure this much.
“How exhausting…”
Still, I was tired. My body was heated, but the cold breeze felt unusually harsh to bear.
Was it especially cold today? Or did I miss that sleeping elder, just a tiny bit?
I missed Elder Shin a little, and I also wanted to ask him something. For some reason, I felt he might know something about Dok Gojun, though I didn’t know why I thought that.
So wake up already, old man.
* * *
After practicing with the new energy by myself for a while, I returned to the guesthouse. The sun had set, and with the tournament over, the area was largely deserted.
Events like the victor’s congratulation ceremony from the Alliance Leader and the fight for second place between Namgung Bi-ah and Moyong Hi-ah remained, but they didn’t seem important to some.
It makes sense. The world only cares about first place.
Any world was like that, but the martial world was especially obsessed with the top.
“Oh! Young Master!”
As soon as I entered, Wi Seol-Ah ran towards me and threw herself into my arms.
“Ugh…!”
Her tackle was surprisingly strong, and I let out an involuntary grunt. Whether it was because I’d exhausted myself practicing with the new energy, or because Wi Seol-Ah had somehow become more solid, my body ached from the impact.
…Or maybe not. It feels like she got more solid than before.
“Uh… Um… Young Master, are you okay?” Wi Seol-Ah looked at me with worried eyes, startled by my reaction.
I forced a smile. “I’m fine. Just surprised me.”
“When Young Master smiles in such a scary way, it usually means something happened…”
“…What did you say, you little brat?”
A scary manner? I’d gone out of my way to smile for her. As I pinched her cheek in retaliation, I heard another voice.
“Young Master Gu, you’re back…?”
It was Tang Soyeol. Behind her, I saw Namgung Bi-ah using Tang Soyeol’s knees as a pillow, fast asleep.
“Oh, Sis fell asleep just now while waiting for you.”
“You sure she wasn’t sleeping the whole time?”
“I-I swear.”
“…Okay.”
I found it hard to believe, but I let it slide.
“Oh, right. The Beggar’s Sect was looking for you earlier.”
“The Beggar’s Sect?”
I immediately thought of Chuwong. It seemed he’d come to find me after hearing about my victory.
“By the time I got here, he was already talking to Seol-Ah.”
“This girl?”
“Uwugh…”
Wi Seol-Ah had spoken to Chuwong. That would have been an interesting scene; I was disappointed to have missed it.
Because they were companions in my past life.
The King of Beggars, the Celestial Sword, and a few others… they were a group of incredibly talented individuals. Since Chuwong was one of the few people the Celestial Sword, Wi Seol-Ah, cared about, their meeting would have held great significance.
If they had retained their memories, that is.
Right now, he’s just an ordinary hobo.
“He asked us to let the True Dragon know that Chuwong from the Beggar’s Sect had come by.”
“Thanks for telling me. I’ll talk to him when I see him lat—” I started to reply, but one part of her sentence gave me pause. “What did you just call me?”
“True Dragon!” Tang Soyeol exclaimed excitedly.
“…True Dragon?”
Was she referring to me?
Seems like it.
Just hearing the title gave me goosebumps.
Though the title I had in my past life was much worse.
I supposed ‘True Dragon’ was better by comparison.
“Is Young Master Gu not happy?” Tang Soyeol asked.
“Should I be…?”
“You should be!”
Did I really need to be happy about being lumped in with a group of geniuses? As an adult, it was also a bit embarrassing.
Tang Soyeol kept staring at me with shining eyes, so I finally responded, feigning happiness. “Yay… I’m so happy…”
“…Wow… Young Master Gu… you look like you have no soul.”
But I tried my best… I pretended not to hear when she immediately whispered, Even his emotionless face is handsome.
Behind us, Wi Seol-Ah was looking out the guesthouse window, gazing up at the sky towards the west. Towards the Murim Alliance building, where Jang Cheon and Jang Seonyeon were.