Chapter 680: Dragon Figurine
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 680: Dragon Figurine
Just a moment ago, the air had been buzzing with all sorts of chatter.
In an instant, everything went silent.
It wasn't that the sound had died, exactly; it was more like the number of eyes fixed on me had suddenly multiplied. I could feel countless gazes piling onto me from every direction.
Ah, for fuck’s sake.
I was now facing the one goddamn situation I had wanted to avoid most.
I’d come on the very first day specifically to prevent this from happening. Which meant things had gone completely to shit.
That bastard, seriously.
I couldn't help but scowl as I glared at the son of a bitch who had created this mess.
A handsome young man with black hair and dark eyes came into view. For a family from ‘that side,’ known for being a clan of giants, his average build and refined features were striking. Someone once said that man was an outlier.
They were right.
For someone with that appearance to be born into the Peng Clan—a family full of rough, eccentric martial artists—he had to be an outlier.
Peng Woojin.
The young man was the Young Lord of the Peng Clan. The former Heavenly Dragon, Peng Woojin.
No, wait. Should I call him the Great Saint Blade now?
What was it again? I’d heard his title changed after he resolved some incident or another. I didn’t know the details. It wasn’t something I was particularly interested in.
The problem was that the so-called Great Saint Blade was currently walking toward me with a beaming smile.
“It’s been a while!”
“...”
“I don’t know how long it’s been. Three or four years, I think. Isn’t that right, Young Master Gu?”
Dammit.
His voice was loud enough to drown out all the surrounding noise. Thanks to him, the idle chatter vanished, replaced by a subtle, rising murmur.
“The Great Saint Blade… Isn’t that the current Young Lord of the Peng Clan?”
“To think I’d see the heir of a Noble Clan on the first day. I guess this is my lucky day.”
“But who is the Great Saint Blade acknowledging? Does anyone know him?”
“From what the Great Saint Blade just said, I think he mentioned the Gu Clan of Shanxi…”
The questioning whispers quickly shifted in tone.
“The Gu Clan of Shanxi is the family of the Tiger Warrior. And there… Ah!”
One of the men, having realized something, pointed at me and shouted.
“The Lesser King of Hell!”
Fuck.
“If it’s a young man from the Gu Clan, it has to be the Lesser King of Hell!”
“The Lesser King of Hell? You mean…!”
“Are you talking about the young hero who stopped the Heavenly Dragon Academy Massacre?”
“That young man is the Lesser King of Hell?”
As if recalling a story that had only just begun to fade, all the gazes that had been on Peng Woojin now stabbed into me. It wasn’t just the common folk; even the martial artists registering for the tournament were staring my way.
Was my title really that famous? I hadn’t heard any rumors lately, so I’d assumed it had just died out.
Well, I guess it’s possible, since titles like ‘Flash-whatever’ and ‘Wind Forest-whatever’ are also well-known.
After all, people seemed to recognize even titles I’d never heard of.
“That man… is the Lesser King of Hell?”
“He doesn’t look that strong… no, wait. His face looks strong.”
“More than strong. He’s scary, isn’t he? Like, really scary?”
“Why are his eyes like that?”
“Hey! Who was that last one?!”
As I growled and shouted, the onlookers flinched and scattered. How dare you comment on someone’s face like that… Just you wait until I get my hands on you.
I’ve memorized your face.
I ground my teeth and let out a heavy sigh. Then I looked at the one who had caused this entire situation.
“Hahaha.”
He let out his characteristic laugh, looking utterly delighted. I’d disliked that bastard from our very first meeting, but I never thought he’d screw me over this badly.
I forced the corners of my reluctant mouth upward into a semblance of a smile.
“Heek!”
“What a terrifying smile…!”
Dammit.
Trying to smile was having the opposite effect. I decided to just act normal.
“Young Master Peng.”
“It’s truly a pleasure. I never expected to see you here.”
“Are you also participating in the tournament, Young Master Peng?”
“I am. When I heard such a grand festival was being held, I simply couldn’t resist.”
I couldn’t believe Peng Woojin was participating in the tournament.
I thought he wouldn’t be interested in this kind of thing.
He couldn’t resist because it was a festival?
Then again, considering our first meeting, it’s not that strange for him to do something odd.
The Young Lord of a Noble Clan had suddenly shown up wanting to join the Nine Dragons and become a swordsman. Seeing that, I knew at once that he wasn't exactly sane.
Besides, since Peng Woojin was a martial artist, it was only natural for him to participate in a tournament. However...
The problem is that he’s a Young Lord.
The Young Lord of a clan is, quite literally, the person who will become the next Lord. That’s why if a Young Lord shows any weakness, it directly damages the clan’s reputation. It went without saying for the Lord, and the Young Lord was no different. As the future face of the family, the Young Lord’s competence—or lack thereof—would have a massive impact on the clan.
Does this mean he’s confident enough to just show up like this?
Or maybe, like my past self, he was the type to tell such formalities to go screw themselves. Knowing him, that seemed entirely possible.
“I was eagerly hoping I might see you, Young Master Gu. I’m so glad to see you like this.”
“There’s no need to be that excited.”
“How could I not be? Seeing you, Young Master, makes the world seem so bright!”
Peng Woojin’s praise-filled words caused the surroundings to buzz even more.
“…Excited? That’s a bit of a strange thing for one man to say to another.”
“I heard the Great Saint Blade isn’t engaged. Could it be…?”
“Are you crazy bastards?! No!”
I yelled as a ridiculous misunderstanding began to take root. Who the hell are you shipping with whom! It’s giving me the creeps!
As I roared, Peng Woojin, who was standing in front of me, tilted his head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just heard some bullshit.”
While talking to Peng Woojin, I waved my hand behind my back. It was a signal to the registrar to hurry up and give me what I needed. The registrar seemed to get the hint and quickly placed something in my hand.
It was a wooden pass with a small jewel embedded in it—a token signifying my registration was complete.
“About… about the pass, I need to explain…”
“I know how it works, so it’s fine.”
“Huh?”
I tucked the wooden pass into my robes without listening to the explanation.
“The wooden pass is a new creation from the Alliance, so you should listen to the explanation…!”
“I know. It’s for identity verification, right?”
I pointedly infused my Qi into the jewel on the pass. A small light flickered within it. Simultaneously, a jewel placed on the desk also lit up.
“See?”
“Ah, yes… yes.”
The jewel on my pass was linked to the one on the desk. It was an item created by the Alliance to more reliably verify a person’s identity.
This item was originally supposed to come out in a year or two. The fact that it’s here now means…
It was probably a change that occurred after the Sword of Wudang became the Alliance Leader. Most items like this were made in Wudang, after all.
Tsk. I should just finish up and get out of here.
Since it had come to this, I decided to escape before any more conversation could happen. With that in mind, I prepared to move.
“Well then, Young Master Peng. It was a pleasure. I’ll see you next time.”
I gave Peng Woojin a cursory farewell and was about to make a swift exit when…
Grip!
Peng Woojin grabbed me as I was passing by.
“Young Master Gu, where are you going? Our meeting like this must be fate!”
“No… I have something I need to do—”
I tried to shake off his annoying hand and get away.
Hm?
The hand gripping my sleeve didn’t come off easily. His strength was considerable. I could probably force it off if I wanted to, but considering he wasn’t using much of his strength either…
Well, well.
I felt a strange sense of his power.
First Gu Huibi, and now this guy…
It seemed Peng Woojin’s level had also risen quite a bit. He was already at the Perfected Peak Realm, but this feeling was something more. Could he have reached the Fusion Realm?
The thought made me let out a hollow laugh internally.
Seems like every Tom, Dick, and Harry is reaching it now.
If that was true, this was a truly absurd situation. The Fusion Realm wasn’t a place one could reach easily; it was a level that a talented martial artist might not reach even after a lifetime of training. So why was every person I met at this level?
It felt like the faster I grew stronger in this life, the higher the level of everyone else rose as well.
It’s so damn unfair.
Some of us have to train our asses off and devour every fortunate encounter we can find just to get stronger. But these bastards called geniuses…
“Haaah…”
I sighed and applied a little bit of force.
Tuk!
It felt a bit strange, but I was able to easily break his grip.
“Oh…?”
Peng Woojin let out a short sound of admiration. He apparently hadn’t expected me to break free like that.
“It’s nice to see you after so long, but I really do have things to attend to.”
“Still, it’s lunchtime. How about we have a meal together?”
I immediately recoiled at the suggestion.
A meal, you say?
We weren’t even that close, and he wanted the two of us guys to eat alone?
I’d probably get indigestion. I’d rather starve.
It was an absurd suggestion, so I tried to walk past him.
“No, thank—”
“There’s a famous restaurant nearby known for its dumplings. Wouldn’t it be nice to eat together?”
“…Dumplings?”
I stopped the words I was about to say and looked at Peng Woojin.
…Dumplings?
No… get a grip.
I shook my head, trying to erase the sudden desire. No matter how much I loved dumplings, this was not right.
“I’m sorry, but let’s have a meal next time…”
“The dumplings are here!”
“…Huh?”
I was trying my best to refuse, but…
When I came to my senses, my body was already inside an inn.
“...”
Had my body really disobeyed me and followed him? Unable to resist the temptation of dumplings? How could something so ridiculous happen?
Even worse…
“You seem to like them. That’s a relief.”
“Dammit.”
My hand was already picking up a dumpling and eating it.
It was good. Damn good.
Of all the places, it had to be this one.
As I tasted the dumpling, I realized I knew this place. How could I not? This was one of my favorite restaurants in Henan. It was the place Moyong Hi-ah would often buy from when I had no appetite. A place I would come to eat alone when I had nothing else to do, and Peng Woojin had brought me here.
“I’ve been here a few times. The food here is truly excellent.”
That bastard… Aside from being annoying, he seems to know his dumplings. I like him a little now.
“Yes, they are good.”
“If you like them, I’ll have some packed for you when we leave. I can certainly afford that much for you, Young Master Gu.”
“In that case, please get me ten orders.”
“…That’s a bit more than I expected.”
Peng Woojin’s expression turned bitter when he heard the number. What’s with this guy? He’s loaded.
He offered to buy, so I cut the number in half.
If I were alone, ten orders? I would have gotten twenty. Asking for ten was purely out of consideration.
“Would you like some alcohol as well?”
“No. I don’t really like alcohol.”
“Oh, that’s rather surprising.”
Is it?
“Do I look like someone who enjoys drinking?”
“No, not necessarily. It’s just refreshing to meet someone who so flatly refuses to drink.”
“I don’t want to ruin my appetite with something that doesn’t even taste good.”
It had been that way since my past life. There were days I craved a drink, but I never drank for enjoyment. I only drank when the Heavenly Demon offered it or on days when I couldn’t bear not to. I rarely drank alone.
“Then let’s just enjoy our meal.”
“You can drink if you want, Young Master Peng.”
“I don’t enjoy alcohol either.”
Huh?
“Then why did you ask if I wanted to drink…?”
“I don’t drink, but if you did, I was going to at least keep you company with a cup. But since you don’t, I’m quite pleased. Doesn’t this mean even our tastes are similar?”
“That’s the most disgusting thing I’ve ever heard.”
That statement was more of an appetite killer than alcohol. As I scowled and took another bite of my dumpling, Peng Woojin asked me a question.
“Is the Sleeping Dragon not with you? I heard you two were traveling together.”
“Is there such a rumor?”
“Not exactly a rumor, but that’s what I heard.”
Not a rumor, but he heard it? What kind of nonsense was that?
“I was hoping to see his face after so long. A shame.”
Peng Woojin’s expression showed genuine disappointment. Seeing that, I thought:
Come to think of it, he did say they knew each other.
I seemed to recall hearing it vaguely. I didn’t know how close they were, but I had heard that Peng Woojin and Woo Hyuk knew each other.
“Then again, as a Taoist, he wouldn’t be able to eat dumplings anyway. Calling him over would only lead to disappointment.”
“...”
From the way he spoke, they didn’t seem that close.
He clearly doesn’t know that guy eats meat.
Although Woo Hyuk was a Taoist, he would eat all sorts of delicacies without a second thought. Seeing how the Monster of Wudang was, he probably learned it from his master.
…No matter how I think about it, none of the people around me are normal.
Just thinking about the people I called friends was giving me a headache. This was a world where a normal person like me couldn’t survive with their sanity intact. I had to stay sharp. At this rate, I felt like I would become a weirdo myself.
Thinking that, I nodded my head while taking another bite of a dumpling.
“I don’t think it would be a problem to call him over. A Taoist can eat a few dumplings.”
“…Hm?”
Even for Peng Woojin, that statement seemed odd, and his expression changed subtly. Right, even Peng Woojin found the idea of a Taoist eating meat strange, which meant Woo Hyuk and the Monster of Wudang, who did it, were indeed crazy.
Moreover.
“In a world where even rogue monks eat meat… what’s the big deal about a Taoist eating some?”
The same could be said for the person eating over there.
Clatter!
At my words, someone who had been eating quietly in the corner flinched. At that reaction, Peng Woojin’s head turned as well. An awkward expression appeared on his face.
“…Well, this is… I was trying to pretend I didn’t see.”
It seemed Peng Woojin had been trying his best to ignore it. But I had no intention of doing so. Now that I’d seen him, how could I not call him out?
“In these situations, it’s more comfortable for the other person if you just acknowledge them. It’s a form of consideration, you see.”
“…Is that so?”
At my words, Peng Woojin’s eyes widened as if he had learned something new.
“I’ll have to do that from now on. Thank you for the valuable lesson.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I waved my hand as if it were nothing and turned my gaze back to the corner.
“Stop pretending you can’t hear me and just come over here, will you?”
“…Cough… cough!”
A loud coughing sound, as if someone had choked, echoed through the inn.
Following my words, a young man finally turned his head toward us. He must have been eating with great enthusiasm, as his mouth was glistening with oil. Through the cloak he had tried to hide under, his golden pupils were clearly visible.
Seeing that, a smirk formed on my lips.
“We meet again, huh?”
“...”
The rising star of Shaolin and the strongest young prodigy, known as the current youngest to reach the Fusion Realm—the Heavenly Dragon, Yu Yeon, scowled deeply at my words.