Chapter 225: I'm Going to Become a Master of the Five Elements!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: I'm Going to Become a Master of the Five Elements!
The 'Pung' in Pungyuhwan, the Plumpness Pill, is written with the character for 'plentiful.'
The 'Yu' is, of course, that 'yu,' and 'hwan' is the character for a medicinal pill.
So, the Plumpness Pill is a pill that makes things plentiful.
Then what in the world am I looking at right now?
Sure, it looks incredibly plentiful.
But that’s only from the outside.
It couldn't hide its true nature.
Perhaps another spirit beast might have been fooled, but there was no deceiving the eyes of a spirit beast of my caliber.
"Geeeek…"
I guess the 'Pung' in that Plumpness Pill must use the character for 'wind.'
It looked like something was there, but it was an illusion, as untouchable as the wind.
Honestly, I hadn't been too disappointed that someone had taken the Plumpness Pill.
Why? Because it meant someone had actually used it.
It meant I would get to see the effects of the legendary elixir with my own eyes.
"Kkeeeek…"
But what was this situation?
Even a lizard has a pure heart.
And that pure heart had just been trampled.
"Gekgegek!"
I put on my saddest lizard face.
"…Is there something bothering you, perhaps?"
Still, the spirit beast herself didn't seem evil, so I couldn't really say anything.
And it made me wonder just how desperate she must have been to use something like this.
My will to fight vanished.
Of course, it helped that she had already withdrawn her hostility.
Voom.
The fox marble trembled slightly.
"My one and only little sister…! It's been so long!"
Gongbok giggled as he flew toward Chodo.
Swish.
Of course, Chodo's vines sent him flying back again.
"Wh-What?"
The fox marble trembled as if in shock.
Chodo stared at the object with cold eyes before reluctantly opening her mouth.
"Are you… my older brother?"
"Of course! My dear Chodo must not have recognized me!"
Gongbok beamed.
He probably thought she couldn't recognize him because the fox marble had changed his voice.
"I completely understand. Of course, of course. Even I am still not used to this voice, so how could you recognize it?"
Gongbok seemed to be misunderstanding something, but I held my tongue, feeling that pointing it out would be like denying the very foundation of their sibling relationship.
No matter how I looked at it, her expression wasn't that of someone seeing a beloved older brother, but of someone reluctantly acknowledging a blood relative.
"To be in that state… does that mean you lost your life?"
Still, the fact that she showed at least some concern for his death suggested their relationship wasn't a complete disaster.
…Or was it?
Even an enemy might offer that much of a courtesy.
Gongbok, however, seemed to think Chodo was genuinely worried about him.
"I was lucky. I was defeated at the end of an honorable battle. As a reward, I was going to hand over my token and rest, but it's a shame I ended up like this. Still, isn't it wonderful to see each other again?"
There was no need to rain on his parade.
Chodo stared blankly at Gongbok before her gaze shifted to me.
"Does that mean the hero over there defeated you?"
"Haha, you could say that. Of course, if we were to fight again, I would surely win, but it's a fact that he broke through my defenses."
Gongbok laughed heartily.
Seeing him like this, his original personality didn't seem so bad.
I defeated and killed this guy.
Who else would speak so cheerfully about such a thing?
Of course, his consciousness was still alive, trapped in the fox marble, but it was still a difficult thing to do.
Chodo's green eyes slowly scanned me.
From my horns to my face, neck, arms, fur, back, and tail.
For some reason, I felt a slight chill.
"Don't tell me you're having the admirable thought of avenging your brother. There's no need. I was the one who guided this being here."
"…Brother."
"Yes, Chodo," Gongbok replied in a delighted voice.
He had said she was the apple of his eye, and it certainly seemed true that Gongbok felt that way.
I just wasn't sure if Chodo felt the same.
"Didn't I tell you not to bring anyone into my territory without permission?"
Her voice was a little chilling.
"But he defeated me…"
So your brother died? So what?
That's how my smart lizard brain interpreted it.
"What does that have to do with me? You know I hate going outside, so why would you do this?"
"Ahem… well, we're not going out, we're coming in…"
"There you go again. You've always been like this, brother."
Why was I the one breaking out in a cold sweat?
Of course, I don't have sweat glands, so I wasn't actually sweating.
"Cho-Chodo. My dignity…"
"You're already dead. What dignity?"
"Chodo?"
"Tsk…"
Perhaps for beings like the Nine Sons of the Dragon, death was nothing special.
As spirit beasts who had lived for hundreds, maybe even over a thousand years, they must perceive death differently.
Gongbok had given up his life rather easily, and Chodo didn't seem too hung up on her brother's death either.
And so, Chodo's one-sided assault began.
From Gongbok's childhood mistakes to how he'd carelessly given information to an outsider when his one and only sister could have been in danger. And what token? Am I supposed to just bow down because I see one of your scales? Forget it. You've hurt my feelings.
…She didn't say those exact words, but that's what I heard.
Gongbok just buzzed, at a complete loss.
After a long, sharp tirade, Chodo's eyes met mine again.
"Oh my, I haven't even properly attended to our distinguished guest."
As if nothing had happened, Chodo's demeanor became sweet and gentle.
"Wh-What is this…!"
Gongbok's body trembled with indignation at her flip-flopping attitude.
Of course, the target of his indignation wasn't Chodo, but me.
Why me?
I didn't do anything.
Chodo gave me a slight smile and extended her arm.
"Kkuwong…"
The green beast I had assumed was Chodo lowered its head slightly.
As if telling us to climb on.
"This child helps me with my needs. I am so delighted that my brother has formed a connection with you, Hero. Please, allow me to escort you inside."
Unlike how she treated Gongbok, her words were full of courtesy.
…But was it really okay to act like this after showing me that other side of her?
It would be one thing if I hadn't seen it.
Let's not point it out.
That two-faced empty bread, and her personality…
Poking at it would just cause unnecessary trouble.
*
Chodo's Dragon Gate was more like a forest than a mountain.
However, the plants in the forest were so dense that it would be harder to enter than most mountains.
The moment an intruder appeared, the entire forest would become a weapon to attack them.
It could be far more dangerous than a volcano or a snow mountain.
Upon arriving at her nest, Chodo served me tea.
Given my size, it was served in a wooden bowl as large as a basin, which looked a bit strange, but what did it matter?
She called it Mallicha tea, and aside from its surprisingly strong aroma, I liked everything about it.
I lapped it up with my tongue.
It seemed a bit out of line with the art of the tea ceremony, but I couldn't help it.
In a lizard's body, my only options were to lap it with my tongue or to down it all at once as if swallowing the bowl whole.
Neither seemed ideal, but I figured chugging it would be worse.
To be honest, I was on pins and needles.
Whatever the reason, and even though they had attacked first, the fact remained that I had killed Gongbok.
Though, as it happened, his consciousness didn't die and was now trapped in a floating bead.
"Well, he lived long enough. My brother was also trapped by a Heart Demon, so in a way, you are his benefactor," Chodo said, as if it were no big deal.
"To think you felt that way about me…!"
No, I don't think that's something to be so moved about.
Are you two really that close?
"That aside, what a curious object. It looks like a fox marble, but how did my brother end up in it…? And there are some rather strong human vengeful spirits in there as well."
Chodo peered into the fox marble.
Gongbok wasn't the only one inside.
The original owner, Guseuli, was there, and Gongbok was more like a tenant.
The vengeful spirits of the Mount Hua Sect had also been swept inside, but they hadn't said anything.
Maybe Guseuli was keeping them in line.
"And to think you are a descendant of the Tailed Death. It seems fate truly does exist."
The Nine Sons of the Dragon are the children of the True Dragon.
The True Dragon and the Gomodo could be called mortal enemies.
In other words, the Gomodo would be something like my father's nemesis.
But even Chodo, who was presumably favored by the True Dragon, held no ill will toward the Gomodo.
Didn't she even say I had a nostalgic scent?
"To possess such power without even reaching maturity. I doubt even he was this strong at your age."
I'm stronger than the True Dragon or the previous Gomodo were at my age!
That was probably true.
How many one-year-old lizards could possibly be stronger than me?
"Honestly, when my brother asked me to help with your training, Hero, I found it hard to understand. A descendant of that one, with this much energy… and besides, it's bothersome and I'm sleepy, so why should I help?"
Those last two reasons seemed a bit strange.
"But seeing you in person, I understand. The imbalance between the power you possess and your enlightenment."
"Gekgek."
"Furthermore, to have reached such a level and still not be able to speak… I understand the intent behind it, but it is a bewitching language that gets distorted by every listener."
Chodo had seen right through the essence of the Gegegek language.
Is this the power of the Nine Sons of the Dragon?
She sounded like an expert.
"If I have the time, I will teach you language, but the most important thing is the imbalance I mentioned. The energy you possess has surpassed the Transformation Realm, and your external power is comparable to it. However, it is a truly regrettable situation that your enlightenment remains at the Peak Realm."
"Gek…"
She said my internal energy had surpassed the Transformation Realm.
Considering all the inner cores and elixirs I'd eaten, it wouldn't be strange if I were in the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm.
My external power also seemed to be at the early stages of the Transformation Realm.
There was nothing special about my external power.
My size and my dragon scales were my external power.
However, my enlightenment was stuck at the Peak Realm.
I had manifested Sword Flux, but that was just a temporary manifestation from gathering all my power; it wasn't because I had attained enlightenment.
In other words, if I could just attain that enlightenment, I could grow explosively.
And Chodo was planning to teach me that.
"Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit, Five Qi Returning to Origin. I would like to explain what these are, but you have not even reached the absolute Peak Realm yet, so it seems premature."
I had a rough idea of what Three Flowers Gathering at the Summit and Five Qi Returning to Origin were.
Back when I was a Green Basilisk, I had once mistaken myself for having entered that state while sitting in a lotus position when I met my master.
"I caught a glimpse of your martial prowess at the entrance."
A glimpse?
You were the one who attacked first.
"Your internal energy itself is certainly on par with mine, but its depth is shallow."
That was inevitable.
It hadn't even been a few months since I claimed my Dragon Gate.
"This isn't about proficiency. It's that you can wield the power of Wood, and yet, you cannot."
What kind of Zen riddle was that?
I tilted my head.
"To be more precise, you have misunderstood the Five Elements."
I've misunderstood the Five Elements?
That can't be right.
What is the power of Wood?
It's the character for tree, isn't it?
"Do you know why I was able to summon lightning, and why you were unharmed after being struck by it?"
Chodo also wielded the power of Wood.
But she probably wasn't limited to just that.
Her suddenly using lightning was unexpected, but I just thought she had that kind of ability.
But if that were the case, it was a bit strange that I was unharmed after being struck by lightning.
It wasn't like I had any particular resistance to that sort of thing.
"That is because Wood is not limited to growing plants," Chodo said in a benevolent voice.
It was a warm voice, like a parent teaching a young child.
"A blossomed flower is not Wood, but Fire. Polished lumber belongs to Metal. A dead tree belongs to Water. The Five Elements are not simple materials."
Chodo was beginning the real lesson.
"Shall we take Wood as an example? In seasons, it is spring; in the twelve hours, it is dawn. That's right. Wood signifies birth and means creation. It corresponds to the planet Jupiter, the sour taste, the liver among the five viscera, and the gallbladder among the six entrails. Do you understand?"
Chodo lifted her head and looked at me.
You get it now, right?
Her expression was filled with that belief.
I had only one answer.
"Geeeeng…"
I don't get it!
Explain it so even a dumb lizard can understand.