Why It's Hard for Dragons to Rise from Streams

In the Murim of the Central Plains, society operated under the same harsh realities as the modern world. It was no easy feat for a dragon to rise from a mere stream.

The term “late-generation geniuses” referred to the young masters destined to lead the next era of the martial world. Yet every last one of them came from prestigious major sects or colossal clans. Of course, a large part of that was thanks to their intensive, concentrated-growth system—marrow cleansing the moment they were born, spiritual medicine spoon-fed like baby food, and weapons placed in their hands as soon as they could walk. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But the greatest obstacle was that even when a young master from outside those famous backgrounds appeared, earning proper recognition was nearly impossible.

If rumors spread that a newcomer named Cheong had slain the Cannibal Demon Lord, people would refuse to believe it outright. She couldn’t possibly have fought alone. The Yangtze River Water Sect had its own experts; they wouldn’t have left her to battle by herself. It must have been a group effort where she simply delivered the finishing blow by luck. Wasn’t it far more likely the Cannibal Demon Lord hadn’t been in his right mind? They said he cultivated the Flame Demon Arts. Could anyone whose brain had been corroded by that cursed, wicked demonic energy even make proper judgments? And on top of that, a girl? She probably sold her body to the Water Sect experts to buy herself some fame. Heh heh heh. That was roughly how the conversation would go.

Of course, in reality, no such rumors about Cheong ever spread. The Water Sect Leader, Bok Ha-un, was a veteran of the gangho and understood the ways of Murim all too well. The rumors could not be allowed to circulate, not when it concerned their benefactor. He had erased every trace and silenced every mouth among his people. While he couldn’t completely stop the whispers from leaking out in secret, the heavyweights of the Water Sect maintained their silence, so the tales were dismissed as nonsense.

But imagine if the rumor claimed that a child of a prestigious clan—not Cheong—had defeated the Cannibal Demon Lord. If word spread that Namgung Sinjae had slain the Cannibal Demon Lord, the reaction would be entirely different.

And so, even if a dragon did rise from the stream, it remained incredibly difficult and exhausting for an unknown young master to make their name known to the world.

Of course, this atmosphere wasn’t considered a problem. After all, the powerful had always tried to kick the ladder away after climbing it, in every age and every place. They did it to preserve the Murim world ruled by major sects and great clans.

In a situation like this, the only people the late-generation geniuses befriended were other late-generation geniuses. Moreover, these young masters had grown up in their own territories receiving every kind of love and doing whatever they pleased. In the end, they received unconditional affirmation for everything they did within Murim’s upper-class lifestyle. It was the perfect environment for birthing strange individuals who were only good to other people.

And that was exactly what had happened.

“Little brother. Brother Paeng. Look at that young lady over there.”

Drunken Demon-Slaying Sword Changbin. That was the nickname the world had given him after he single-handedly annihilated a band of thieves attacking civilians while completely drunk. He was Mount Hua’s greatest hope and the senior disciple of the Chang generation.

“Hey, little brother. I said look at that lady, didn’t I?”

“Haah. What is it now?” Paeng Daesan snapped, voice thick with irritation.

Paying him no mind, Changbin continued in a suggestive tone. “The young lady sitting third to the left of the one wearing that striking red palace dress. Isn’t she truly lovely?”

“If she catches your eye, go talk to her yourself.”

“Aigoo, when the sun itself has come to admire the flowers, would the horse even be heard if it tried to speak?”

Why are all these so-called late-generation geniuses such idiots? Paeng Daesan made no effort to hide his disgust.

“Not interested.”

“Come on, is that how you treat a friend? Drinking alone makes me feel lonely. So very lonely.”

“Am I not a person? Or am I some kind of statue?”

“Haha, do I have to count a fellow man as a person?”

Paeng Daesan let out another deep sigh. To think this was the eldest brother of the Hidden Dragon Assembly. The future of the righteous Murim looked extremely bleak.

For reference, the Hidden Dragon Assembly was the name of the gathering for late-generation geniuses from the orthodox factions. It was also a time-honored social club passed down through generations.

“Brother Changbin. Can’t you just keep drinking like you were?”

“Aigoo! My arm’s about to fall off. Listen here, little brother. Alcohol is originally meant to be enjoyed with a beautiful woman! Only then does it gain true depth and flavor.”

“Are you spouting that nonsense again?”

“Aah. I want to drink with a woman!”

Paeng Daesan let out yet another deep sigh. If he had to pick the single most disliked person among all the late-generation geniuses of the Hidden Dragon Assembly, it would undoubtedly be this guy. He was a good person at heart, which was the only reason Paeng Daesan hadn’t already cut ties with him after a massive fight. Even while saying all that—

“Ooh, little brother! Look over there!”

Changbin’s excited outburst cut off Paeng Daesan’s thoughts. It was probably just another comment about some beauty. Paeng Daesan’s face remained twisted in a frown.

“No, seriously, look. It’s Namgung’s little brother coming this way.”

“...This is going to drive me insane. For real.”

If he was referring to “Namgung’s little brother,” it had to be the Young Sword King Namgung Sinjae. And Namgung Sinjae was the strangest person in the entire Hidden Dragon Assembly. As if dealing with the most disliked one wasn’t bad enough, now the strangest one had shown up. This was the very definition of one misfortune piling on top of another.

“Hmm? It seems our Namgung little brother has found himself a woman. True to his sword-obsessed nature, he only counts women who carry swords as real women. Whoa, they’re heading this way.”

Paeng Daesan swallowed his irritation. Of course they were. They knew he was here. This was exactly why Paeng Daesan kept running into these annoying people. He was already sick to death of women’s persistence—the trash thrown at him, the bizarre attempts at physical contact, the endless surveillance that left zero privacy. He had more than enough reasons to loathe crowds of women.

And one of those reasons was that his location always became known the moment he entered a city. Within half a day the news would spread: “The Jade Qilin has appeared!” Then women would swarm, and passing Hidden Dragon Assembly members or seniors from the Murim Alliance would immediately come looking, thinking, Ah, the Jade Qilin is doing his Jade Qilin thing again.

...But a sword idiot bringing a woman? Even Paeng Daesan found himself a little curious. The very fact that a sword maniac was accompanying a woman was shocking in itself. If you asked who in the Hidden Dragon Assembly was guaranteed to have absolutely no connection with women, there was always one overwhelming first-place winner.

Namgung Sinjae, that sword-crazed bastard, truly saw nothing except swords. The phrase “nothing but swords” meant exactly that—everything except swords.

Although Paeng Daesan never made eye contact with women, he was quite curious about the sword idiot’s companion.

Paeng Daesan’s head slowly turned. It was a pretty girl wearing neat Taoist robes. She looked to be about twenty years old. Her intricately braided hair was pitch black, her skin without any makeup was pale, her eyes were large, and her lips were delicate. Her chest was so large that it made her clothing sit awkwardly on her, which was a flaw, but she was still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠firmly in the beauty category.

And she carried a sword at her waist.

“She’s carrying a sword?”

“Of course she is. She’s with a sword idiot.”

“That makes sense.”

Paeng ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Daesan agreeing with Changbin was a very rare event.

“Brother Changbin. Doesn’t she look familiar?”

“This old horse doesn’t recognize her. Unfamiliar face.”

“I’m certain I’ve seen her before. Isn’t she just someone’s little sister?”

“Well. That guy isn’t exactly close with women.”

While the two whispered, Namgung Sinjae approached and waved.

“I came to see Brother Paeng, but Brother Changbin is here as well?”

“Yeah, have you been well?”

“Of course I’m always doing well. What about you, Brother Paeng?”

“I’ve been well too.”

“Good. Being well is the most important thing. Here, this is Lady Seomun. She may not look it, but she’s quite an accomplished swordswoman.”

Ah. As expected. A sword idiot is a sword idiot for a reason. Of course. What else did I expect from a sword maniac. Paeng Daesan and Changbin exchanged glances of mutual understanding. This too was an extremely rare occurrence.

“Hello, great heroes. This girl is called Seomun Mo. I can’t hide how nervous I am to meet the renowned great heroes I’ve only heard about in rumors. Please be understanding if I make any mistakes?”

The girl greeted them in a coquettish voice. Her face was average, but her voice was refreshingly clear and lovely. When Paeng Daesan met her eyes, she smiled sweetly and immediately began to flirt. Seeing the obvious favor in her gaze, Paeng Daesan lost interest at once.

“Paeng Daesan.”

He stated his name curtly, making it clear he had no desire to continue the conversation.

“I am Changbin of Mount Hua.”

Surprisingly, Changbin also kept his reply short.

“Ah! So you are the Jade Qilin, Hero Paeng Daesan!”

Her bright smile as she said it looked utterly fake. Paeng Daesan’s voice dropped a full tone.

“What, you didn’t know?” he shot back.

The girl immediately put on a tearful expression.

“Ah… Did this girl do something wrong…”

“Lady Seomun. Our Brother Paeng isn’t the affectionate type, so there’s no need to be so disheartened. He’d act the same even if one of the Five Flowers of Murim stood before him.”

Namgung Sinjae comforted his sullen sword friend. Even while doing so, his words were ridiculous. Telling her that even a woman prettier than her would receive the same treatment—was that supposed to be consolation? It was basically saying she had no chance at his level. It was truly the kind of remark that would upset any woman who heard it.

While spouting such nonsense, inwardly Namgung Sinjae was greatly surprised. So even his sword friend saw women as women after all. It was fascinating to see him acting so modest before the Jade Qilin, and thinking of his usual behavior gave him goosebumps.

“Besides, this fellow uses a saber. There’s no reason for an outstanding swordswoman like Lady Seomun to concern herself with him. Just pretend he doesn’t exist.”

It seemed today was the day Paeng Daesan’s face would stay permanently scrunched up. To say such things to someone’s face was exactly why Namgung Sinjae was called a sword idiot. Still, harshly rejecting a woman brought by an acquaintance would be rude. If she lost interest on her own, that would be for the best.

But it seemed she had no intention of giving up.

“From what I’ve heard, Hero Paeng possesses an exceptional eye for appreciating women.”

“There is no such thing.”

“Don’t be like that. What do you think of me? If Hero Paeng were to give me a score, how would I rate?”

“Sigh. Look here, miss,” Paeng Daesan quietly admonished with a sigh. “I don’t like women. So if you need someone to talk to, please speak with Daoist Changbin over there instead.”

At those words, Changbin—who had been quietly drinking beside them—jumped in surprise.

“No. That’s… You can just ignore this old horse, Namgung little brother. Pour me another drink.”

“Ah. Here, have a drink, brother.”

Changbin was a man who did not lie. And Changbin always claimed that alcohol only tasted truly special when a woman was present at the table. Therefore, the moment a woman appeared, he drank only for the sake of the drink. According to him, it was simply too delicious. He was the type who, savoring the elevated flavor, couldn’t even speak a single word and simply drank nonstop.

And now that a woman had appeared, one could consider Changbin’s dialogue officially over.

In the meantime, the girl continued pestering Paeng Daesan.

“So, Hero Paeng? What about me? Perhaps—”

“Enough. Stop paying attention to me. I’m only holding back out of consideration for Brother Namgung’s face. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I don’t particularly want to say harsh things to you.”

Paeng Daesan lowered his voice. He was on the verge of exploding.

Then the girl spoke.

“I don’t particularly want to say harsh things either.”

Paeng Daesan looked at her in surprise.

“Anyway, why is it that every time you open your mouth you always lower your voice?”

The girl suddenly leaned crookedly with her elbow planted on the table and her chin in her hand, speaking in a completely casual tone.

“Hey, San, you’re still the same! But I’m a bit disappointed. It’s only been a little over half a year and you’ve already forgotten my face? It feels like yesterday when our San was sobbing about not wanting to part ways. Wait, did you actually cry a little?”

“...No way.”

“Why? Can’t you recognize me because I changed my face a bit?”

Paeng Daesan was shocked. Cheong finally smiled with satisfaction.