The Fall of the White Dragon
Although I was the undisputed number one within the clan, that didn't mean I wielded absolute, unquestioned power. To get the three elders to move, I at least had to offer them an explanation. No, wait—is it four elders now?
I squeezed Hayeon's breast as she clung happily to my arm, her shoulders practically touching the sky with pride today. Squish. Truly, a magnificent pair of breasts that never failed to move me.
"Fufu. Is my little brother in heat again just from looking at his big sister?"
"You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood."
"How could I not be? This is exactly what it feels like to have the best husband in the world. Reaching the Samgeuk realm is all thanks to you, Hayun."
Today, her eyes dripped with even more sweetness than usual as she gazed at me. I was just glad the spiritual elixirs her husband had busted his ass to obtain suited her so well. However, unlike Hayeon, who had already been somewhat prepared to enter the Samgeuk realm from the start, Jeongha and the other girls were making little to no progress.
Jeongha had entered the Tongun realm and was preparing for the Samgeuk, while Sehyeon and So-wol were practicing some bizarre fusion of martial arts and spells—something so convoluted I couldn't even make heads or tails of it. Since they were learning techniques that hybridized martial arts and cultivation methods, reaching the Samgeuk realm through conventional means seemed nearly impossible for them.
Still, since they were treading upon unprecedented territory that no one had ever stepped foot in before, it was worth having high expectations. I had no choice but to trust So-wol and Sehyeon and leave them to it.
As for Soye... honestly, she was actually closer to the Samgeuk realm than Hayeon, and if I had poured resources into her, she would have reached it by now. But unfortunately for her, Soye was a bit lower on my priority list. If she gained too much power, she might get cocky and revert to her old, sadistic nature, which would be a massive headache. No matter how much we rolled around in bed together, as the leader of the clan, I couldn't tolerate any internal strife. Thus, I had to nip any potential discord in the bud.
And right now, I was explaining the agreement I had reached with the Blue Dragon, Ryeo-ah, to Hayeon and the elders. Naturally, the first one to voice her support was Hayeon, who had recently been appointed as the Fourth Elder.
"I agree," Hayeon said. "Our Night Goblin clan is going to reside in the Dongheo Sea, and eventually the Oryong Island region, for a long time. There's no reason to leave a potential threat lurking around. We must root them out while we have the chance."
A scorching aura flared from her body, which had touched the absolute limits of Qi. It was a flame that seemed ready to incinerate anything it touched, carrying her absolute resolve to leave no enemy alive. The other elders nodded in unison.
"Everyone here knows we cannot share the same sky with those bastards of White Dragon Island."
"Even if we wish for peace, their obsessive grudges and hatred will eventually seek us out. Exterminating them root and branch is the only way."
Of course, it didn't go entirely without a hitch.
"However, Patriarch, we would prefer if you consulted with us before making such definitive commitments in the future."
"I admit that was a bit rash on my part."
"Ahem. And how much military strength does the Merchant Coalition plan to support us with?"
Since I couldn't reveal Ryeo-ah's true identity, I had framed it as a joint operation with the Merchant Coalition. In truth, since the Blue Dragon Ryeo-ah was the shadow leader of the Merchant Coalition, it wasn't technically a lie.
"It was indeed too sudden. Merchants are a duplicitous breed, never to be fully trusted."
"There is no guarantee they won't just use us as cannon fodder and pull themselves out of the fray."
"Therefore, Patriarch... is that, ahem, 'Senior' still not here?"
Tsk. They still feared and respected Ryeo-ah far more than they did me.
"We are merely using each other," I replied. "Do not trust their character; trust our shared goal of completely annihilating White Dragon Island. Both the Merchant Coalition and our clan require their destruction."
"In other words, focus on the objective. Well said, my husband," Hayeon chimed in smoothly.
After consulting with them a few more times, I distributed the spiritual elixirs and items I had swept up from the auction house. They were primarily rationed to the disciples who were on the verge of a breakthrough. Boosting our immediate combat strength was of paramount importance, so there was no room for hesitation.
And that very night, I received an invitation that was, in hindsight, entirely expected.
"Greetings, mighty warrior who slew... Dae-akgwi. The Lord of White Dragon Island wishes to grant you an audience."
My response to that invitation was practically set in stone.
"Very well. Lead the way."
The Lord of White Dragon Island. To be the master of an island that had sunk beneath the waves and been buried under the weight of history sounded rather romantic, didn't it? It felt like referring to the ruler of some ancient, lost city. Yet, the Lord of White Dragon Island was very much alive. He hadn't been drowned in the deep sea alongside his kingdom; on the contrary, he was in perfectly good health.
The only problem was that the current Lord of White Dragon Island had no White Dragon Island to speak of. Calling him the Lord of Great Turtle Island would make far more sense. He was born on Great Turtle Island and ruled over Great Turtle Island, so how could he possibly be the Lord of White Dragon Island? It was nothing more than an obsession with past glory and bygone days. This sentiment applied perfectly to the self-proclaimed Lord of White Dragon Island, who had drawn his very first breath and grown up on Great Turtle Island, not White Dragon Island.
"So this is the White Dragon Palace."
"Indeed. It was constructed by salvaging the ruins of the original palace. Ten thousand years of White Dragon Island's history are melted into these pillars."
As the old man spoke, caressing a stone pillar encrusted with barnacles, his eyes filled with deep sorrow. It was as if he were reminiscing about a time when this pillar was whole—before its trunk had been shattered and covered in sea life. If my memory served me right, White Dragon Island had collapsed long before Gang Baek-jin was even born. This old geezer must have lived an absurdly long life. No wonder his Essence, Qi, and Spirit had all reached the Samgeuk realm.
"Come to think of it, I've heard rumors. They say one of the ancient pillars of White Dragon Island, who once served as the Grand Protector to the former Lord, still resides here on Great Turtle Island."
"A mere empty title from the past," the old man sighed. "Now, I am nothing but a defeated old fool who couldn't even protect the homeland where he was born and raised."
"And yet, you continue to dedicate yourself to the end. If someone like you isn't a loyal subject, then who is?"
The old man cast a sidelong glance at me. I had seen that look somewhere before. It was the exact same gaze I had seen in a certain loyal subject of Yagwi City, who had brandished gold and silver banners while venting his fury at Gang Baek-jin. To put it bluntly, it was a look of sheer foolishness. Clinging to the past and floundering in regret was no different from sinking into a swamp—the more you struggled, the deeper you sank.
"I thank you for your kind words."
"Don't mention it. By the way, why did the Lord of White Dragon Island summon me?"
"Well, when an unidentified Samgeuk powerhouse suddenly appears on this island, how could he not be curious?"
They probably wanted to exchange some pleasantries, build a bit of rapport, and if I turned out to be a pirate, recruit me into their alliance. And if I seemed too dangerous, they'd quietly dispose of me. It was a predictable routine. It wasn't surprising at all. In fact, if they hadn't summoned me, I would have had to awkwardly seek them out myself.
"This is the deepest chamber of the White Dragon Palace—the White Dragon Sanctuary. It is a sacred place, said to have been the dwelling of the great White Dragon before its ascension. Please, show proper respect."
"Will do."
Creak—clack. The heavy doors slid open, scraping harshly against the stone floor.
"Oh."
The scenery inside was truly breathtaking. It was hard to believe such a beautiful landscape could exist atop a giant turtle's shell. My gaze was instantly drawn to the sky, where fluffy clouds drifted in bizarre, mystical shapes, radiating an indescribable energy, and a brilliant sun hung dead center in the heavens. What was truly astonishing was that, unless my internal clock had completely malfunctioned, it was still supposed to be nighttime outside.
"A guest has arrived."
The interior was demonstrably vast, far larger than what the exterior suggested. Inside, someone sat atop a rock formation that looked as though it had been carved by wind and nature. With cloud-white hair and scales lining his cheeks, he scanned me with slit-pupil yellow eyes before waving his hand. At his gesture, a cloud drifted toward me, inviting me to step aboard. It was a power that felt distinctly alien, completely different from any magic tool or spell, and I couldn't help but hesitate for a fraction of a second. However, I quickly composed myself, feigning boldness, and stepped onto the cloud. It floated gently, carrying me directly before the youthful Lord of White Dragon Island.
"Are you the one who killed Dae-akgwi?"
"Yes, indeed. I killed him."
There was no point in hiding it. He seemed to have summoned me knowing that already, and besides, the real objective lay elsewhere. The boy's eyes briefly flared with a deeper shade of yellow. Ugh, just looking at those eyes is incredibly annoying. He was quite handsome, but having those eyes peer into my soul felt utterly repulsive. Was this the "Dragon's Sight" that the Blue Dragon, Ryeo-ah, had repeatedly warned me about, telling me to be careful lest our plans be ruined?
It was said that the high priest clans of Oryong Island, who served the five divine dragons of old, had received blessings that allowed them to wield different draconic powers. The White Dragon of the East had granted his priest clan wings to fly freely anywhere in the world. The Black Dragon of the West had bestowed eyes that could pierce through any illusion and discern truth from falsehood. The Blue Dragon of the North had granted horns capable of summoning wind and rain. The Red Dragon of the South had gifted a powerful dragon arm capable of crushing anything in its grasp. And at the center of the Oryong Island region, on Golden Dragon Island, they were permitted to mimic a fraction of the dragon's Cintamani.
Of course, there was no strict rule that those with wings could only possess wings. The more the bloodlines of the high priest clans intermingled over generations, the more likely it was for a mutant to be born—a rare individual capable of wielding multiple divine abilities at once.
"It is the truth."
Flutter! A pair of feathery dragon wings unfurled from the boy's back as his yellow slit-pupils gleamed. He was the true core of White Dragon Island—a silver spoon born with two divine authorities. It was precisely because such a figure had been born just as White Dragon Island's fortunes were declining that the clan had managed to cling to its final breaths.
"I shall ask you a question."
"Go ahead."
"Do you harbor rebellious intent toward White Dragon Island?"
Well, that was a bit too direct, wasn't it? Giving a straight answer while he was blatantly using his Dragon's Sight would be an amateur move.
"How disappointing," I sighed.
"Huh?"
"I wondered why you summoned me, but to think it was only to subject me to such humiliation and disrespect. And here I was, accepting your invitation in good faith."
It wasn't a lie. This very encounter would mark the beginning of their downfall, so of course I was in high spirits.
"Mmm..."
The boy fell silent. Behind him, the old man who had been staring intently at me also lapsed into silence.
"You invite a guest only to sit him down and subject him to blatant interrogation and pressure. Is this the way of White Dragon Island? Of course I feel envious of White Dragon Island. If someone claims they've never harbored a single devious thought toward those who are stronger and possess more than them, they aren't human. I'm just an ordinary guy who envies and jealously covets that awesome giant turtle of yours, wishing those who are doing better than me would suffer a bit of misfortune."
"..."
"But I endure it. Because there are things far more precious to me, I practice self-restraint and wear a mask of kindness. Isn't that just how we survive in this world?"
My grinning face reflected in his yellow slit-pupils. At the same time, the boy's innocent face clouded over with conflict. Because what I said was the absolute truth, he couldn't find any reason to act against me. Seeing the boy falter, the old man behind him could no longer stand by and stepped forward.
"It is only natural that your feelings are hurt," the old man said. "However, the wounds we suffered from welcoming the wrong guest in the past run deep... We can only ask for your understanding along with our sincere apologies."
"Did something happen?"
"A great demon... a horned senior of the Night Goblin race who had reached the Johwa realm. We welcomed that old monster as a guest, and White Dragon Island ended up in its current state because of it."
"Ah."
Yagwi City Lord, was it you again?
"Therefore, I must ask you this one thing."
These old geezers are always the trickiest to deal with.
"Are you the Lord of White Dragon Island, old man? You should show some respect for the authority of the one sitting in front of me."
"It is fine, slayer of Dae-akgwi," the boy interjected. "Elder Sang is like a grandfather and a mentor to me. Speak, Elder."
"Yes, forgive my intrusion, Lord. I shall ask but one thing. Can you swear that you will never covet the Lord's position, nor this White Dragon Island? Every great pirate has gone through this process, and we have always rewarded them with generous gifts as compensation for our rudeness. Once this discourtesy is concluded, the Lord and I will formally apologize and present you with a grand gift..."
Ah, for fuck's sake, why are these bastards so incredibly blunt? They didn't even bother putting on a polite front. I guess getting burned so badly in the past had made them paranoid.
It was at that moment. The connection device that the Blue Dragon, Ryeo-ah, had implanted in me vibrated with a sharp, tingling sensation.
The work was finally complete. A deep smirk spread across my lips as I quietly stared at the two of them.
"Come to think of it, I've heard a certain tale."
"Before that, your answer..."
"I'll give it to you right after I finish this story."
Once upon a time, on a massive island in the East, there lived a White Dragon and the priests who served it. The White Dragon was covered in fluffy, cloud-white feathers and possessed eight wings, earning it the name of the White Dragon, or the Eight-Winged Celestial Dragon. Clad in a raiment of clouds woven around its wings and body, it held a Cintamani that blazed like the sun in its maw. It was the very incarnation of the vast heavens.
"And clouds and the sun can only truly fulfill their purpose when they remain in the sky."
Thus, a sun submerged in the sea loses its flame, and clouds have no choice but to dissolve into the vast ocean. When the original White Dragon Island—the White Dragon Celestial Island, which once floated proudly and loftily in the sky—was ambushed by the Yagwi City Lord and plummeted into the sea, there was absolutely nothing they could have done.
I had phrased it in Ryeo-ah's characteristically elegant manner, but in short: water was their kryptonite. If you dragged them into an underwater field, they would naturally suffer from massive debuffs and damage-over-time, slowly wasting away until they died.
"You... what have you done?"
"I wonder if this turtle's mind is still intact. It's lived for an incredibly long time, so maybe it's gone senile. They say the older you get, the more your mind starts to wander."
Screeeeeech! The giant turtle let out a deafening shriek that threatened to rupture my eardrums. At the same time—gurgle, gurgle, gurgle! Whoosh! A massive tremor shook the area, accompanied by a sudden sensation of weightlessness and the sound of rushing air escaping.
"What on earth did you do?!"
"Who knows? Maybe your senile turtle suddenly felt like going for a deep dive."
Or maybe it had just been blasted by a powerful brainwashing ray from a sudden intruder. Waving my hand mockingly, I leaped headfirst into the seawater that was violently surging in from all directions.