Chapter 289: The Thunder Bird and the Ice Dragon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 289: The Thunder Bird and the Ice Dragon
“Are you recovering well?”
My Master spoke to me as I lay there limply.
“Gek.”
My recovery was going well.
The internal energy my Master had slurped up was considerable, but it was manageable enough to replenish with the special meals she provided me every day.
She must have remembered the fuss I made when she threw me things like Deathworms in the past, because this time, she gave me some rather edible things.
“Lizards shouldn't eat things like this,” she kept muttering, but that only applied to ordinary lizards.
A lizard like me could handle things like Dongpo pork just fine.
It was more a matter of not having any to eat.
Taking advantage of my small size, I enjoyed the seemingly endless supply of Dongpo pork and would take herbal baths with the medicinal herbs the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had collected.
The water temperature was a bit too hot, but not enough to kill me, so I just stayed put.
My Master didn't throw away the water I bathed in; she collected it all in one place.
Why was she collecting it?
Was it because the water was boiled with herbs, making it too precious to discard?
Really, Master. Being frugal is good, but isn't this a bit much?
After I bathed, it bothered me that my Master would sip some strange, unidentified tea, but I never asked what it was.
Surely it wasn't tea brewed with me, right?
There's no way she tasted my tail and awakened to something strange.
Sometimes she would stare at me intently, and though I didn't know what she was thinking, she would try to peel off my scales one by one. I chose to believe it meant nothing significant.
For a while, I focused on recovering with my Master like that.
She kept shoving bitter herbs into my mouth, but thanks to the dango sponsored by Seol-hwa, they were somehow bearable.
Of course, Seol-hwa would occasionally visit and question us, saying, “This can't be right,” but my Master would lie to her without batting an eye.
Seol-hwa's gaze was fixed not on my Master, but on the honey smeared around my mouth, but what could she do when my Master denied it?
After fending off the would-be dango thief, Baek Seol-hwa, I spent my days in happiness.
The spider sisters followed my Master very well.
Did they instinctively know she was strong?
Or did they see my relationship with her and realize she was my superior?
Tus and Pus, who used to bicker with Soyeong whenever they had the chance, were now acting as demurely as noble ladies.
Nephila, in particular, was meticulously crafting something with her spider silk, stitch by stitch. It seemed she was making a gift for my Master.
Surprisingly, she was even using white feathers as material, with Chirpy's help.
Though, judging by Chirpy's expression, it looked less like help and more like the feathers were “borrowed” for a while, just like Seol-hwa's dango.
During the day, I trained in the internal energy cultivation method—something I could and had to do even in my current body—alongside my followers. At night, I would naturally crawl into my Master's room.
“I'm sorry. What a pathetic master I am, needing to sleep with my disciple by my side.”
“Kerong… Kerororong….”
I made a lizard cry of understanding.
In truth, understanding had nothing to do with it; for me, there was nothing better than this.
The tail my Master consumed this time contained the energy of a lesser demonic art.
Perhaps because it was Gomodo's martial art, it seemed to be mixed with a powerful Yin energy that even my Master couldn't simply ignore.
Since I was carrying that around, how could my front tail not get cut off?
Of course, for a master of her level, it was a symptom that would naturally heal if she just closed her eyes and circulated her qi, but my Master chose a different method.
Sleeping with a lizard who was the very embodiment of Yang energy.
“Kerong.”
I changed my size daily, fulfilling my role as my Master's bamboo wife perfectly.
Of course, it wasn't an easy job.
My Master had been talking in her sleep lately, and sometimes she would take a bite out of me or grab me tightly and not let go.
Of course, with my Transformation Realm body, I wasn't seriously harmed.
“Kehek, keoheok… Kerorong….”
“…Are you sure you're recovering?”
I quickly put on a peaceful expression.
I had prepared myself for this level of pain.
“Yes. Your body seems to be in much better shape.”
My Master tapped the floor.
“I have something to tell you.”
Taking it as a signal to come over, I scurried over on two feet.
“Do you happen to know what kind of place the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is?”
“Gek?”
It seemed she was about to have a very serious conversation.
“The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult stands alone against all the powers of the Central Plains.”
My Master continued, gently stroking my tail.
“We have never complained. They are hostile to us, so we simply use our own strength. There are followers of our Divine Cult all over the Central Plains.”
What that meant was that the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had people hidden within the Nine Factions and Five Families.
One might think that being in the 100,000 Great Mountains would mean information arrived late, but in fact, we received news faster than most places.
“Some unsettling news has reached my ears. I wasn't going to tell my disciple, but since you are now the head of a faction and have reached the Transformation Realm, I felt I should.”
“Gekgek!”
What is there to hide between us?
Unsettling news... I had an inkling of what it might be.
“The clouds of war are gathering. The Murim Alliance has been formed, and their objective is obvious.”
The Murim Alliance.
Yes, I knew a day like this would come.
There was that fellow Al-Yu taking an interest in the 100,000 Great Mountains, and Jin-ryong's subordinate visiting in person.
The reconnaissance phase was pretty much over.
Since I took care of two Profound Realm spirit beasts at once, they were bound to figure out who I was.
Also, since there's been no news of Namgung Yeon's capture, it's possible he has sided with Jin-ryong.
“However, we are not at a complete disadvantage. Mount Hua has sided with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and I've heard the Tang Clan has also expressed its opposition to an invasion.”
If Jin-ryong makes a move, he'll be aiming to take out not just me, but my Master and the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult as well.
My Master's martial prowess is one thing, but the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult is the group that carries on the will of the Heavenly Demon, whom Jin-ryong despises.
But attacking both Gomodo and my Master at the same time would be too much, even for Jin-ryong.
That's why he formed the Murim Alliance.
“In addition, the Shaolin have also declared their non-participation this time.”
The Shaolin aren't participating?
They won't side with us, but they won't attack us either.
It must be because I took in the Iron Head Dragon.
“The pillar of Murim. The Shaolin, who should be the center of the Central Plains, are sitting this one out. They must have vaguely realized it too—that something is strange about this whole affair.”
The non-participation of the Mount Hua Sect, whose sect leader died and was temporarily replaced by the Red Dragon, and the Tang Clan, which has always had a strong tendency to act alone, would be understandable.
But the Shaolin's absence will surely come as quite a shock.
“Without the Shaolin, they are nothing but a disorderly mob. Their forces may be stronger than our cult's, but they won't come at us with the resolve for a life-and-death battle. They'll just watch each other's moves and hold back their strongest cards.”
In the Murim, it's common sense that the attacking side is at a disadvantage.
After all, the lands of the Central Plains are vast.
It's not easy to traverse even with a martial artist's lightness skill.
Besides, a war doesn't end overnight.
It will take a long time, and during that period, supplies must be provided.
Continuously providing supplies while traversing this vast land?
It's not an easy task, and even if they miraculously succeed in supplying their troops and win the war, they will gain nothing from it.
No one in their right mind would dare to even think of attacking the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
They couldn't win without the resolve for a life-and-death battle, and even if they did win, more than half of the Central Plains would be destroyed.
“Normally, they wouldn't even dare to look our way, but for some reason, they've lifted their heavy asses and stood up, as if they have a reason to strike our cult.”
Jin-ryong must have ordered it.
The justification is perfect.
Gomodo, known as a ferocious beast, is together with the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, a public enemy.
The people of the Central Plains, who value justification, have no choice but to act.
Of course, making a move and giving it their all are two different things.
“I thought if we just locked the gates and killed a few of their vanguards, they would retreat on their own. That's how it's always been. But this time, the atmosphere is a little different. The martial artists are the same as before, but the movements of the spirit beasts are unusual.”
With the Shaolin out, the martial artists won't launch a proper attack.
There are ways, like brainwashing them or feeding them Dragon Pills to make them go berserk, but if they find out, it will lead to internal conflict.
But it's said that the spirit beasts under Jin-ryong will also join the battle.
The Murim Alliance against the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
The spirit beasts against the Gaegaek Cult.
That was Jin-ryong's plan.
“Don't worry too much. The strength of our cult that you have seen is not even one-tenth of its true power.”
My Master said, reassuring me.
I don't know about other things, but if my Master says so, then it's true.
The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult isn't a group where only the Master is strong.
It's a place where a single group has fought against the entire Murim for ages—a gathering of true battle-hardened veterans.
“I, too, will do my best to prepare for this war. I don't intend to end it by simply defeating the enemy.”
My Master's blue eyes flashed.
My Master has been quiet until now, but things are different.
Since Jin-ryong's side drew their sword first and mobilized the Murim Alliance, my Master has no reason to stay still either.
“And that ‘best’ also includes your growth, Hui.”
“Gek!”
That's right.
It would be a shame if I were left out.
I was worried she'd say something like, “You stay out of this.”
But at my current level, I'm a force that even my Master can't ignore.
My personal martial prowess is one thing, but the spirit beasts of the Gaegaek Cult were each strong enough to serve as vanguard commanders.
They could also unleash attacks that were one with nature, something humans couldn't imitate.
In one-on-one fights, a humanoid form has its advantages, but in a large-scale war like this, each spirit beast can exert the power of a strategic weapon.
Just by using the power of the Dragon Gate, I could probably put even masters who have surpassed the Peak Realm to sleep in an instant.
“That's why I waited for your body to recover. A suitable opponent for you has appeared nearby. Go and defeat it.”
It felt like a request, similar to when I first met the Snake Queen.
“A spirit beast sent by Jin-ryong's side has appeared near the 100,000 Great Mountains. The objective is obvious: to establish a base in advance. Spirit beasts are beings that can exert greater power within their own territory.”
Stop them from establishing a base and defeat the spirit beast sent as the vanguard.
I wanted to test how much power my current body possessed, and now a suitable mission has come up.
“There are two opponents. To be precise, there are two spirit beasts strong enough to be your match. So I recommend you don't go alone and take some of your other followers with you.”
That sounds like a better idea.
If I feed them the inner cores I get there, our forces will be strengthened.
By the way, who should I take?
Taotie? Chodo? Baek Rang?
Or maybe I should go on a date with the Snake Queen for the first time in a while.
It's been a while since I've seen Swish-Swish's face, too.
Hehe, those scales, I'll just….
“What's with that expression?”
“Gek.”
It's nothing.
“I don't think my disciple will lose, but they are not opponents to be careless against. One is the Thunder Bird, said to have been born with the thunder, and the other is the Ice Dragon, called the master of the eternal snow.”
The Thunder Bird and the Ice Dragon.
…Wait, I feel like I've heard this story somewhere before.
“Yes. That's why I'm entrusting this to you.”
My Master gave a slight nod.
So she knew about this story after all.
That's why she asked me to take care of it instead of doing it herself.
“They are opponents with a deep, ill-fated history with the Red Dragon.”
The very ones who killed her parents and caused her to be separated from her sibling.
“She should be on her way back right about now. After setting a spectacular fire, of course.”
The formation of the Murim Alliance was already complete.
The reason the Red Dragon was dispatched to the Mount Hua Sect was to delay its formation as much as possible by causing disruptions.
So, with her mission over, the Red Dragon should be on her way back.
Considering her personality, she's probably returning after causing some explosive trouble.
It became clear how I should handle this mission, and who I should take with me.
I don't need to think about type advantages or anything like that.
I am the divine beast of the Gaegaek Cult, and I have a duty to avenge my followers.
“Besides, they've settled in a hot spring that Seol-hwa likes. If you defeat them, you might just receive a suitable reward.”
No wonder.
No matter how I looked at her with my triangular face, she wouldn't take me to the hot spring!
So that was the reason.
My resolve is now even stronger.
The Thunder Bird and the Ice Dragon.
I will never forgive you.
“Kerororororororong.”
Master, Seol-hwa, Red Dragon.
And the hot spring.
This lizard is going to burst