Chapter 277: Father-in-law
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 277: Father-in-law
All the believers looked tense.
It was likely because they sensed the auras of the two beings approaching my territory.
I had soothed and encouraged them time and again.
Do your best in your given positions.
That was what we had to do.
“They deliberately left traces to confuse the pursuit. It was a bit of a hassle, but it seems we found them nonetheless.”
A man with a face reminiscent of a tiger stood at the foot of the mountain peak.
“Do not act rashly, Qiongqi.”
A man with blue hair stood beside him.
【Qiongqi LV???】
【Bixi LV???】
Just looking at them sent a tingling sensation through my entire body.
【Qiongqi】
A ferocious beast with the body of a tiger and large wings.
He is a descendant of Shaohao and possesses the ability to manipulate metal.
He has a twisted nature, revering the wicked and punishing the righteous.
【Bixi】
A divine beast with the face of a dragon and the body of a turtle.
A sacred creature so spiritually powerful it could be called a dragon itself.
He enjoys carrying heavy things and has a personality that seeks to take responsibility for any matter.
It was only because I had the Dragon Eye that I could glean this much; my former self would have seen nothing at all.
“As if I have a choice, at a reunion of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.”
Qiongqi sneered with a chuckle.
I could tell at a glance that those two were powerhouses of indeterminable superiority.
“I am an envoy from Kunlun. I have come to collect the price for daring to touch what should not have been touched.”
Bixi stepped forward, pushing Qiongqi back.
Was he attempting to start with a conversation?
From our side, Chodo took a step forward.
She was, after all, the one with a connection to Bixi.
“Oh my, isn't it Brother Bixi?” Chodo replied with perfect nonchalance.
“Chodo, and Taotie. It pains my heart to see two of the Nine Sons of the Dragon here.”
Seeing him maintain some semblance of formality, it felt as though he was saying that despite being of the same blood, we shouldn't expect any mercy.
“To think you are with a wicked beast who killed one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon.”
His gaze shifted, turning to where I was.
Killed one of the Nine Sons of the Dragon?
So, he thinks I killed Gongbok.
“Brother, I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding, you say. Please, explain.”
“You said we touched something we shouldn't have? We have no memory of doing such a thing.”
I should have been the one to step forward, but for now, Chodo was handling him.
It was clear that as a fellow Son of the Dragon, she would have an easier time communicating with him than I would.
Besides, I had something else to prepare.
“Do you not understand the meaning of Qiongqi’s silence? We have already confirmed your involvement in this matter on our way here.”
Bixi’s gaze turned to Taotie.
Taotie flinched for a moment, then her fighting spirit blazed.
I had no regrets about placing him at the vanguard.
“However, I do not believe a member of the Nine Sons of the Dragon would commit such a vile act of their own free will.”
Was he trying to win them over now?
Did it mean that even Bixi would suffer losses if he fought us?
Or was he simply reluctant to harm his own kind?
“Someone’s silver tongue must have deluded you.”
It was obvious what Bixi was implying.
“The ringleader of this affair, that black lizard. If you offer it up, I promise to withdraw without holding you responsible.”
He meant for them to hand me over.
“So, you’re saying if we offer this lizard to you, you’ll leave as if nothing happened?”
“I do not think you are unaware of the disparity in our power. This is the last mercy I can offer.”
Qiongqi’s expression was not pleasant.
Being a ferocious beast, he must have been looking forward to fighting all of us.
He was bound to be displeased that Bixi was attempting to negotiate.
“The last mercy?”
“…It means I will overlook your mistake, Chodo.”
Was he speaking not as a subordinate of the True Dragon, but as Chodo’s older brother?
It was certainly a sweet offer.
If they just gave me up, everyone could be safe.
“Hmph, since when did you ever act like a brother?”
Wooooong.
The plants all around began to stir.
It was her will, declaring that there would be no compromise.
As if in response, the believers hiding in the undergrowth simultaneously revealed their power.
Crack, crackle.
“Hmph… What are you all waiting for? The talking seems to be over.”
Bixi took a step back, and Qiongqi grinned grotesquely.
A fight was inevitable.
And that was what Qiongqi wanted.
“Well, it seems to be decided who will face whom.”
Bixi looked at Chodo on his left.
Qiongqi looked at Taotie on his right.
A Son of the Dragon for a Son of the Dragon.
A Fiend for a Fiend.
From Qiongqi and Bixi’s perspective, they must have thought that once they defeated Taotie and Chodo, our group would be nothing to worry about.
That’s why I had to create a variable.
The power I had gathered while Chodo and Bixi were talking.
An ability I was still not used to, but one I had practiced over and over.
“Storm.”
Dragon’s Word.
“Dwell within me.”
Kwagagagagagak!
The aura of wind settled into my body.
It was the same sensation I felt when I first used the skill ‘Sprint’ back when I was a small gecko.
What it granted me was overwhelming speed.
Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip!
And with that speed…
KWAAAAAAANG!
I threw my body at Qiongqi, tackling him.
Creeeak….
He certainly didn't give way easily.
But it didn't matter.
This was my domain, after all.
Fwoooosh!
The ground Qiongqi was standing on instantly collapsed.
My aim was to separate Qiongqi and Bixi.
“Hmph… You chose me, did you?”
Even as he fell, he made no move to resist.
“Yes, to be honest, I was more curious about you than Taotie.”
His attitude seemed to say, show me everything you’ve got.
“Lizard who dreams of being a dragon. Let’s see what you can do.”
Swish!
Chodo’s plants shot out, surrounding Baek Rang, who was about to charge forward.
“Get a grip. Even if you go over there now, you’ll be of no help.”
Baek Rang, who had been baring her teeth and growling, had no choice but to back down.
Just as Chodo said, she was not at a level where she could interfere in the fight between Qiongqi and Gomodo.
“To be of help to Hero Go, we must quickly…”
KWAAAAAAANG!
Giant vines flew relentlessly toward Bixi.
“Deal with this one!”
Claaaaang!
“Guwoooong!”
Chodo’s familiar, Choa, let out a great roar.
Bixi calmly received their attacks.
Sizzzle….
Chodo, who wielded the power of Wood, was certainly a tricky opponent.
But she was merely tricky, not an opponent he couldn't defeat.
“What is that lizard to you that you would do this?”
Bixi couldn't understand.
Chodo’s actions were surely because of that lizard he had seen earlier.
It was certainly a powerful spirit beast.
With that much power, it could probably attain a high position even in Kunlun.
But he didn't think it could possibly stand against the True Dragon.
What on earth did Chodo see in that lizard to side with it?
And why was that lizard trying to oppose the True Dragon?
“Brother, you still don’t get it?”
The Tailed Old Death.
It was a joke Qiongqi had made, a matter that had been settled the moment he confirmed it.
That creature was not the Tailed Old Death.
It was just a young lizard, barely two years old.
“If I had to say… let’s just call him my lover, shall we?”
Swish!
Countless vines and roses bloomed.
Fwaaaah!
The scent of the roses was mind-numbing, and the thorns on the vines rushed toward Bixi, threatening to pierce his body.
Crack!
“A lover, you say. Yes, I don’t know the reason, but that kind of aura did seem strong around you.”
Bixi raised one arm and blocked all of Chodo’s attacks.
“He is strong for his age, and if given infinite time, he might perhaps grow to a point where he could reach me.”
Fwoosh!
Black flames shot in from the side.
It was a punch from a being in human form, but its power was by no means human.
BOOOOOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted, powerful enough to make Bixi’s body shudder for a moment.
“Hmph, what’s the point if your body is this damn hard?”
Bixi, who had retreated a step, surveyed the situation.
Chodo and Taotie.
They were certainly powerful spirit beasts, strong enough to face him.
But they could never defeat him.
That was because he hadn't even revealed his true form yet.
“But the time given to that lizard is not infinite.”
He was engaged in a life-and-death battle with Qiongqi; the outcome was obvious without even seeing it.
He could also guess their objective.
They would use their numerical superiority to try and suppress him, then assist their leader in a pincer attack.
“Chodo. Do you truly believe you can stop me with just this many troops?”
Crack-crack-crack!
Crackle!
Baek Rang and the other spirit beasts continuously aimed for openings from a distance, using their cold energy.
It was impossible for them to damage him when he was unharmed even after being hit by Chodo’s attacks, which were his elemental opposite, but they didn't stop their assault.
KWAAAAAAANG!
A blast of cold energy in the shape of a giant wolf was fired at Bixi.
Kwagagagagak!
Following that, the Iron Head Dragon unleashed a Lion’s Roar from afar.
“Certainly not bad, but…”
It was clear that it was not enough to reach a master of the Profound Realm.
“The only ones who can face me directly are you and Taotie, so you have no way of stopping me.”
If they could somehow inflict a wound with the power of Wood, he would end up taking damage from Baek Rang and the Iron Head Dragon’s attacks.
That was why they were trying to get on his nerves from a distance, looking for an opening.
“A pity. If you had attacked together with that lizard from before, things might have been different.”
They needed at least one more master.
If three of them fought him in succession, draining his stamina while continuously receiving support, there might have been a chance of defeating him.
But two were not enough.
Bixi was a powerhouse capable of handling both of them at once. The moment he decided to subdue them all, this fight would be over.
Bixi’s gaze fell upon Chodo and Taotie.
Further conversation was unnecessary.
Chodo stood on the left.
Taotie stood on the right.
And in the center stood a small lizard.
“What is that…”
Bixi’s gaze shifted to the small lizard in the center.
“There was another lizard here…”
A lizard?
A strange look crossed Bixi’s face.
Their strategy was obvious.
While the black lizard bought time against Qiongqi, they would use all their strength to face him.
The ones in the lead would hold out while receiving support.
Chodo and Taotie.
Taotie’s transcendent physique was not to be taken lightly, and Chodo, who wielded the power of Wood, was also a tricky opponent.
It was understandable that they had stepped forward.
But what was that lizard?
It had a rather unusual appearance.
A form where black and white were exquisitely mixed.
And its body shape was slightly different from a lizard’s.
Its hind legs seemed a bit long.
And didn't it have a long beard on its chin?
“Kegegek.”
That lizard was also looking at Bixi.
Its eyes were vacant, making it impossible to guess its thoughts.
The moment he saw those eyes, Bixi’s body instinctively flinched.
Even Bixi himself couldn't understand why.
It was then that he, who had been on the defensive the entire time, stomped his foot for the first time.
Thud.
To wield the power of Earth was, simply put, the same as controlling the land itself.
The Ancient Dragon Leg Art.
His true stomp, named the Descending Dragon Tremor, was unleashed.
No, it should have been unleashed.
The movement of a great dragon swimming through the earth should have swept away the enemies blocking his path.
But it couldn't.
Because what he had stomped on was not the earth.
What he had stomped on were black scales and white scales.
Scales of an exquisite mix of black and white.
They had the same pattern as the lizard he had seen earlier.
What in the world was this situation?
The lizard that had been right in front of him just a moment ago was gone.
“An illusion?”
An ability so powerful that even he couldn't immediately notice it.
A power that had ensnared him without him knowing when.
It was an ability that made sense of why it had been at the forefront.
But still, a question arose.
To create an illusion of this magnitude, there had to be a powerhouse at least on par with himself.
Was that small lizard truly that powerful?
No, was this even an illusion at all?
Drip.
What was this liquid dripping onto his head?
And what was that massive eye that blotted out the sky?
Honhwi.
The Aryong who had raised the Snake Queen and the former King of Birds.
It was he who had nurtured them from small snakes into powerhouses who could divide the jungle between them.
The fact that a being who couldn't be called a dragon was given the name of one was a testament to his strength.
He was a being who could have once seized hegemony, but he chose seclusion after being betrayed by Gechalgoatal, whom he had cherished like a son.
He had intended to never again form ties with the world and simply live for the sake of the small creatures.
But then, a certain lizard had come to find him.
At first, he didn't like him.
He had no intention of taking any more disciples.
And yet, for some reason, a lizard he had never seen before was skillfully using his own footwork.
Moreover, he had a connection with the Snake Queen.
Though he didn't consider him a disciple, he had no choice but to teach him his martial arts.
Of course, it was mostly a repetition of one-sided beatings, but the black lizard learned from it all the same.
He had pretended not to like him, but as time passed, he couldn't help but grow fond of the lizard.
He had punished Gechalgoatal, whom Honhwi couldn't bring himself to judge with his own hands.
He had taught the emotion of love to Parsil, who had left his side.
Furthermore, he had helped lighten the burden on Honhwi's heart that he had carried for ages.
He had shown him the mural left by a human with a twisted fate.
And that lizard had allowed Parsil to continue her bond with a human who was the spitting image of that man.
Honhwi found it impossible to hate the lizard who claimed to be his son-in-law.
Of course, the fact that he carelessly let his lower half wander was a demerit, but who in the world could be perfect?
Having received so much help, it was up to him to make up for his son-in-law's shortcomings.
That was why he always hit him whenever they met.
“Grrrrrr…”
And now, he had come to fill in those shortcomings once more.
It was time to stop holding back and show his all.
Honhwi (昏輝).
A dualistic being in whom both yin and yang reside.
Tusulisu (鬪術利垂).
A being whose power is praised by all who know him.
Soryong (溯龍).
The dragon who had not forgotten the days of its weakness.
The smallest yet greatest, the dragon of yin and yang, revealed its true form.