Chapter 187: Baek Yeon-yeong's Reward
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 187: Baek Yeon-yeong's Reward
Wait a minute.
Even for a dragon, is it possible to give birth to such children?
Unless it reproduces asexually, it needs a partner to have offspring.
Gongbok was a snake that resembled a dragon and was made of rock.
…Does that mean its partner was a rock?
“Geeeck…”
I felt like I had just learned a truth I never wanted to know.
Does that mean Chodo was the child of a dragon and a flower?
Was the term "True Dragon" actually just a title for some ultimate possibility-holic?
How does one even do that with a flower and a rock?
No, wait.
They weren't the only ones.
The Nine Sons of the Dragon meant there were nine children.
My fantasy about True Dragons shattered a little.
I just couldn't comprehend it.
I don't think I have what it takes to be a True Dragon.
I'm a lizard with a perfectly normal sense of decency.
“Grooowl…”
A spider, a snake, a bird, a wolf, a dragon, and a maid Spino.
That’s a pretty normal lineup.
…Huh?
“Gek-ge-gek!”
It was while I was fiercely battling this invisible Heart Demon.
“Huiya. What on earth are those things attached to your tail?”
My master gently prodded my tail.
Right, I’d forgotten about these.
Quickly banishing the Heart Demon from my mind, I stretched out my tail.
“Gek.”
It’s nothing special. Just some stuff I picked up on the way.
“…Hoh. These are quite valuable.”
“Gek-ge-gek!”
You think that’s all?
I buried several times this amount of treasure by the side gate.
“Oh? Are you saying you wish to donate everything you brought to the cult?”
“Gek gek.”
It’s not like we can make good use of it anyway.
Besides, the Red Dragon keeps bringing more from somewhere.
…Could she be getting it from the Mount Hua Sect?
I’d feel a little bad if that were the case, but the Red Dragon didn’t seem to care.
“The cult’s finances were not in the best state. Thanks to you, I can breathe a little easier.”
“Gek-ge-gek.”
Even if the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was a religious organization, it would still need money.
“We will be able to spend this winter in abundance.”
No, it would probably need more money than other groups.
I didn’t know the details, but while the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had martial artists, it was overwhelmingly composed of people unrelated to martial arts.
This structure likely formed because it was a group that served the god known as the Heavenly Demon, rather than a sect that taught and trained its disciples.
One’s own martial prowess wasn't that important; you could join the cult simply by believing in the Heavenly Demon.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was located in the 100,000 Great Mountains.
Even to be polite, you couldn't call it good land.
Of course, there were some livable spots here and there, but that was from the perspective of a spirit beast like me.
For humans, it was bound to be a difficult place to live.
It was situated in a place that was hard to even enter, and becoming a member of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult meant becoming an enemy of the Murim Alliance.
The number of people willing to join the cult would be limited.
A few martial artists drawn to the power of the god known as the Heavenly Demon.
And those who came to the 100,000 Great Mountains because they had no other way to survive.
My master must have dedicated herself to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult in a similar way.
It was a gathering of the poor.
A place where the hungry and thirsty gathered—that was the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
My master must hold a fairly high position within the cult, yet her room was utterly plain.
Even if there was furniture with ornate carvings, it was all old.
With her power, she could have lived a more luxurious life, but she chose to lead by example.
How could I not follow someone like her?
“To do such a pretty thing.”
My master gently scratched under my chin.
“Gerorong…”
“I’ll be able to serve dessert to the followers every day now.”
“Gek?”
…It seems they aren’t as poor as I thought.
Well, this place is teeming with beasts, so they probably don't go hungry.
They may have memories of starvation, but once they joined the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, they would not starve again.
Still, it might be difficult to feed all the followers with just beasts.
Since they seem to advocate for coexistence with spirit beasts, they couldn't just go around hunting everything indiscriminately.
They must supplement their food supply by buying from the outside.
It looked like they farmed here, but the land probably wasn't suitable for agriculture.
…The areas where spirit beasts live seem quite fertile, but ordinary followers wouldn't be able to farm there.
“I had to cut back a little on Seol-hwa’s snack budget, but now I can set it generously.”
“Gek gek.”
“And share with the other followers, of course.”
It seemed my master was planning to exchange all the treasures I brought for food.
I did bring them for her to use as she pleased, but she should at least keep something for herself.
I took out a ring decorated with a blue jewel and held it with both hands.
“Gek.”
I took my master’s left hand as she was stroking me and slipped the ring onto her ring finger.
“Is this for me?”
You can do whatever you want with the other treasures, but keep at least one thing.
I’ve bitten your finger many times, so I know this will be a perfect fit.
“Gek-ge-gek.”
My master stared intently at her ring finger.
An emotion seemed to flicker across her expressionless face, but only for a moment.
The room was dark, so it would have been nearly impossible to discern what that emotion was.
But the black lizard with night vision could see the corners of my master’s lips lift ever so slightly.
“Really, who taught you to do such things…”
“Gek gek.”
“Now that I’ve received such a precious gift, I must give you something in return.”
Aw, I wasn’t looking for a reward.
“Though it was originally yours, of course.”
Shlk.
My master took a round inner core from a drawer.
【Inner Core of the Human-faced Bird】
“Gek-gek!”
The Human-faced Bird’s inner core!
Finally!
“I succeeded in purifying the power of Tai Sui. Seol-hwa worked hard on it.”
That’s Baek Seol-hwa for you.
I’ll have to save a dango for her later.
“Of course, its efficacy has diminished slightly from removing Tai Sui’s energy, but it’s better than not being able to eat it at all.”
“Gek-gek!”
I carefully took the Human-faced Bird’s inner core.
I’ll store it for now and use it later.
I could eat it myself, but investing it in one of my followers wouldn't be a bad idea either.
…If I give it to Swish-Swish, will she evolve into a Basilisk instantly?
If I split it between Tus and Pus, I think they could both evolve for sure.
Tsk, this is a tough decision.
“Good. Now that we’ve shared what needed to be shared, shouldn’t we do what needs to be done?”
I gulped.
There was one thing I did every time I met Baek Yeon-yeong.
A sparring match to check my progress.
Of course, it was less of a spar and more of a test of my durability.
My master’s fine lips moved slowly.
It was obvious what she was going to say.
Get into your stance.
That’s what she’d say.
“Lie down comfortably.”
But the words that came from Baek Yeon-yeong’s mouth were different from what I had expected.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Gek?”
“Did you not say it yourself? That you would enter your master’s bedchamber.”
“Geeeek…”
I’m glad it’s not a sparring match, but… something feels unsettling.
“Surely you do not mean to say you dislike the idea of sleeping with me.”
“Gek-gek!”
Absolutely not!
“Then get into the covers quietly.”
“Gek…”
Like getting into a jar, I obediently slipped under the covers.
Just as I was flicking my tongue, taking in Baek Yeon-yeong’s scent, my master also got in.
“Geeeek…”
Then she hugged me tightly, as if I were a body pillow.
This act wasn't entirely unfamiliar.
We had spent our time like this before.
It was something a disciple had to endure to treat his master’s insomnia.
It felt a little hard to breathe, but that didn't matter.
This pressure.
I could die happy.
“You’re so black.”
“Gek…”
Actually, the reason I’m thinking this is to become a True Dragon…
I tried to make an excuse for myself.
“Enough. I am the one hugging you. What is the point of making such excuses?”
“Gek-ge-gek.”
My master held me like that for a long time.
Just as I was getting used to the immense pressure from her…
“Huiya.”
My master suddenly called my name.
“I have a favor to ask. Can you grant it?”
A favor?
“Gek!”
Of course, I’ll grant any favor from my master.
But my master is asking for a favor?
What could it be?
Is she going to ask to touch my belly?
“First, I must tell you about the cult’s situation. After Tai Sui appeared last time, a strange wind has begun to blow in the Central Plains.”
Tai Sui was that thing I briefly saw when it fought the Human-faced Bird.
“Using the descent of the Evil God as a pretext, they can now invade our cult at any moment.”
“Geeek…”
I didn't know the details, but Tai Sui was an Evil God.
And the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult already had a poor public image, to the point of being called the Demonic Cult.
An Evil God appeared in the Demonic Cult's territory?
Regardless of the truth, that was the perfect justification for them.
“Well, it’s not like those cowards would actually risk an all-out war.”
I didn't know how strong the Murim Alliance was, but there was no way they were stronger than my master.
Attacking the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult would mean they would have to accept heavy losses as well.
“Still, greed has a way of making humans unpredictable.”
There were many ways to harm the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult without engaging in an all-out war.
Like targeting the spirit beasts of the 100,000 Great Mountains, just as Baek Woon and Jang Bong had done.
“I’ve received intelligence that an Arhat of Shaolin will be entering the 100,000 Great Mountains.”
“Gek…”
An Arhat.
To put it simply, it was like Shaolin’s special forces.
“I wish to deal with them myself, but it is as clear as day that doing so would only give them a greater justification for war.”
I had a rough idea of what my master’s favor was.
“The most ideal picture would be for a spirit beast with no official ties to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult to take care of them.”
I had to defeat the Shaolin Arhat.
“The Arhat’s true identity is the Iron Head Dragon. A spirit beast Shaolin has kept hidden for a long time.”
The Iron Head Dragon…
That would be a head-butting dinosaur.
“…Can you grant my request?”
Defeat the Arhat invading the 100,000 Great Mountains.
And at the center of the Arhat is the head-butting dinosaur, the Iron Head Dragon.
The fact that the Iron Head Dragon was heading for the 100,000 Great Mountains and not the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult meant their goal was the mountains’ spirit beasts and elixirs.
Even if my master hadn't asked, a clash between us was highly likely.
“Gek-gek!”
Of course, I’ll do it.
“Thank you. If you deal with it, you too will be able to grow stronger.”
“Gek.”
“The Dragon’s Claws is originally a Shaolin martial art. You may gain a greater enlightenment while facing the Arhat.”
The Dragon’s Claws.
It was the first martial art I ever learned, the technique that connected me to Baek Yeon-yeong.
I had been using it all this time, but it couldn't be denied that it was being overshadowed by the Eagle-Snake Life-Death Struggle, the Nine Yin White Bone Claw, and the Gaegaek Divine Claw.
“And there is more related to Shaolin than just the Dragon’s Claws. Perhaps you might even be able to break through the wall beyond the Peak Realm.”
The wall beyond the Peak Realm…!
I had never met a human who had surpassed the Peak Realm, so I didn't know how strong they were, but my personal combat power probably already exceeded that level.
My realm itself was at the Peak, but my fighting strength was far above it.
What if I could raise my realm on top of that?
I might be able to reach my master’s ankles.
“It is a bit displeasing that your enlightenment would come from something of Shaolin, but your path is one that is not bound by such things.”
My master gently stroked my horn.
“What should I give you as a reward for granting my request…”
“Gek-ge-gek.”
A reward? What reward?
My master’s smile is reward enough.
“Wh-What!”
My master suddenly hit my scales lightly.
Of course, it was light by Baek Yeon-yeong’s standards.
KWAAAAANG!
“Kkeeeeeek!”
Master, I’m dying!
No, I’m really dying…!
“How could you say such a thing to your master…”
What are you talking about?
What did I say?
“Gek?”
“…I never taught you as a beast, so why do you speak like one?”
This is so unfair.
What did I say to make her act like this?
Once again, my master’s hand went up.
“Kke-gek!”
No, I’m really going to die!
Thud.
But contrary to my expectation, my master simply placed her hand lightly on my head.
“……Fine. If that is the reward my disciple desires, it is a master’s duty to grant it, one way or another.”
She gently scratched my slightly broken scales.
“Is that what you want so badly, you beast who would commit the sin of betraying your master?”
I’m telling you, I never said anything like that!
….
But seeing as the mood has lightened a bit, I think I can be a little bold.
I don't know what it is, but it seems she's agreeing to that strange request.
“Gek gek.”
Yes.
I said that.
“…See. I knew it.”
CRACK!
“Kkeeeeeeek!”
A joke, it was a joke!
“I can overlook the maid outfit, but to think you’d try to make your master wear a school swimsuit…”
Wait, what’s that?
I never…
…I do like that sort of thing, though.
“Gek-gek-gek.”
“You get more and more shameless as time goes on, tsk.”
My master’s smile is the greatest motivation.
But Master in a maid outfit is even better.
And Master in a school swimsuit is…
A reward worth sacrificing my life for.
“Gehehehek… Gerororong…”
SLAP.
“Kkeeeek!”