Like Boiling Bone Broth
Jeong Gwang beat the Fangless Evil Dragon with the flat of his sword, grumbling all the while.
"Are you insane? You crazy bastard? Totally lost your mind, huh?"
Bam!Kaboom!Krunch!
"Grrraaaargh!"
The Fangless Evil Dragon let out a pathetic screech, belatedly drowning in regret.
What kind of idiotic stunt was this!
Charging at this monster!
He must've gone temporarily mad, just like Jeong Gwang said!
But hold on a second.
Compared to before, this was kinda bearable?
"Grraaaargh!"
The Fangless Evil Dragon bravely stood his ground.
But Jeong Gwang was far too fast.
Leaving afterimages, flickering here and there—no way to catch him.
"Shut up, you punk. What do you want me to do about it?"
Jeong Gwang pummeled the Fangless Evil Dragon with the flat of his blade.
After nearly a full day of stubborn resistance, the beast finally couldn't take it and curled into a tight coil.
"Groooaaar!"
As he drew up his spiritual energy, his scales enlarged, thickly covering his massive body.
The ultimate defense of spiritual beasts!
Jeong Gwang made a dumbfounded face and sheathed his sword.
"You think that won't hurt?"
He started pounding with his bare fists.
Instead of the metallic clang from the sword, dull thuds echoed out.
Thump!Thud!Thwack!
"Gwaaaargh!"
The Fangless Evil Dragon was going out of his mind.
His tough scales had made the sword strikes tolerable, but the penetrating energy drilling through them was utterly unbearable.
At this rate, he wouldn't last long. Racking his brain desperately,
"Ah, I'm beat."
Jeong Gwang leaped back and sat cross-legged.
Then he began Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation.
The Fangless Evil Dragon didn't let his guard down, watching intently for a while.
Jeong Gwang didn't twitch, just breathed steadily.
Chance!
The Fangless Evil Dragon uncoiled swiftly and lunged at him.
For any ordinary martial artist, this was a death sentence during Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation. Even stopping abruptly would cause severe internal injuries.
But who was Jeong Gwang?
A master who could start qi circulation at will and halt it on a whim.
His body vanished.
Moments later, he was sitting elsewhere, back at it.
The Fangless Evil Dragon chased again, but Jeong Gwang kept dodging intermittently while regulating his qi.
Once his inner energy recovered somewhat,
Papapapapang!
"Groooaaargh!"
He resumed the beating.
Jeong Gwang was crafty.
Beat till tired, then regulate qi; when lunged at, dodge while gathering energy, then beat again.
This cycle repeated.
Bloodshot veins burst in the Fangless Evil Dragon's eyes.
This guy's energy is waning for sure!
This time!
Papapapapang!
"Groooaaargh!"
This time!
Pupupupupung!
"Grraaaargh!"
The Fangless Evil Dragon was losing his sanity.
Just graze him with fangs and melt him with poison!
Why! Why! Why!
...Won't he stay still!
Jeong Gwang dodged the venomous fangs like a ghost, even if he let other attacks land.
Another full day passed like this.
Finally, body and spirit in tatters, the Fangless Evil Dragon knelt... well, lacking knees, he slammed his head into the sand.
Thud!
Total submission.
The posture he'd once struck before Jeong Gwang in the past.
"There you go. Should've done that from the start. All that sweat for nothing."
Jeong Gwang gathered his inner energy.
He'd turn its brain to mush with Striking the Cow from Across the Mountain.
Slowly extending his hand,
'Huh?'
He noticed blood dripping from his hand.
'...My blood? I'm hurt?'
How long had it been?
Checking his body, his clothes were long since rags, covered in gashes, slashes, and deep black bruises.
Jeong Gwang felt a long-forgotten emotion: embarrassment.
'Feels just like the old days.'
Ending up like this catching a single snake.
What if he met a real martial artist?
Few qualified by his standards, but they existed.
Mood soured a bit.
'Can't hole up in Kunlun till my arts are perfected, though.'
Conveniently, a solution was right there.
Knowledge surfaced in his mind.
'Better if extracted alive.'
Jeong Gwang steeled himself.
"Don't wanna die, right?"
"...Kyung."
"Crazy. Where'd you get off acting cute."
"......"
Jeong Gwang drew his sword again.
Inner energy gathered on the blade, emitting a cold glow.
"Wanna live? Stick out your chest."
"...?"
"Lemme take your inner core. Half."
"...!"
Unacceptable for the Fangless Evil Dragon.
How could he give up the inner core he'd cultivated so painstakingly!
Split it in half? Like a dumpling? Might even kill him!
He resisted desperately,
And got thrashed just as desperately.
"Don't worry. You won't die, so stay still."
"Grrr..."
Jeong Gwang infused his sword with energy and sawed into the Fangless Evil Dragon like a log.
The beast screamed horrifically but lacked strength to move, so his body split open.
"Huh? Not here?"
Not Jeong Gwang's fault.
Who could pinpoint the chest on such a long serpentine body?
After several botched attempts, he finally sliced into the chest.
Well, technically, he saw it was the chest after slicing.
Without hesitation, Jeong Gwang cut out the head-sized inner core and halved it.
"Kyweeeek!"
"Nice. Fresh as can be."
Turning the core this way and that, Jeong Gwang smiled in satisfaction.
Useless in his past life, but vital now. A supreme internal injury elixir, rare even in the jianghu.
Meanwhile, the Fangless Evil Dragon writhed on the ground, screaming. Seeing this, Jeong Gwang's eyes widened slightly.
"Huh? You really didn't die?"
"...!"
The screams cut off.
What? Didn't think he'd survive core extraction?
More sorrow than rage welled up.
What had he done to deserve this?
Just tears now, as Jeong Gwang offered "blessings."
"Cultivate diligently and regrow that core. Then I might take it again later."
What a ruthless bastard!
"Ah. Might take a few centuries? Maybe just kill you?"
This punk for real!
The Fangless Evil Dragon responded coolly.
With blinding speed, he severed his own tail and offered it politely in his mouth.
Like a triad underling chopping off a finger to swear loyalty.
"Oho. You can cut it yourself? Not a snake, a lizard, eh?"
Despite the insult likening a supreme spiritual beast to a mere creature, he stayed humble.
He'd felt Jeong Gwang's twisted temperament to his bones.
Indeed.
"But too short?"
Swallowing tears, he sliced off another chunk.
Speed screaming sincerity.
For anyone but Jeong Gwang.
"It'll just regrow anyway."
The Fangless Evil Dragon screamed with his soul.
No limbs, so tail was all he had!
Believe him, he'd serve loyally!
Jeong Gwang pondered.
Any use for this thing?
'Move it to Kunlun as a gate guardian?'
Rejected.
A hot-desert sand-basker couldn't handle Kunlun's biting cold.
'Send it to earn money?'
Rejected.
As if.
Jeong Gwang shook his head.
'What a useless hunk of junk.'
Best to keep it sealed and harvest cores later.
'For that...'
Letting it go free would be foolish. He peered into its yellow eyes. His will pierced through to its brain.
Demonic Spirit Soul Control Art!
Insufficient to dominate a spiritual beast's will, but enough as a warning.
—Hey.
The Fangless Evil Dragon shuddered, slamming his head to the ground.
Jeong Gwang grinned whitely.
—Be good from now on.
After the prolonged battle, Jeong Gwang's Qi Circulation and Breath Regulation took time.
A full day later, fully recovered, he opened his eyes.
Baek Merchant Group escorts passing by had formed a circle around him, vigilantly guarding.
Pointless, but their care touched him.
Already aware, Jeong Gwang rose slowly, dusting his butt.
Heo Yeo-min and Baek Jin-hwan rushed over at the sight.
"Benefactor!"
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah."
The couple sighed in relief.
"Ahh. Thank goodness."
"But... what is that?"
Jeong Gwang looked where Baek Jin-hwan cautiously pointed.
The two massive tail chunks left by the Fangless Evil Dragon.
"Ah. Lizard tails."
"...Lizard?"
"Yep."
Baek Jin-hwan hesitated, swallowed hard, then asked.
"That size in this desert... Looks like the legendary Twin-Horned Dragon's tail."
"Legendary my ass. Just a lizard."
So it is the Twin-Horned Dragon!
Baek Jin-hwan and Heo Yeo-min gaped at each other in shock.
It really existed!
But how did he?
Jeong Gwang's next words stunned them further.
"Want it?"
Of course!
Who'd refuse such a treasure?
But no way he'd give it...
"Then take it. It worked hard feeding me back in the day."
"...Pardon?"
Not just words—Jeong Gwang tossed the two tail chunks at their feet.
A heavenly windfall!
"I'm off."
His body vanished.
The stunned couple scanned around; he was a distant speck.
Baek Jin-hwan gazed at the tail with trembling eyes, gingerly touching a scale.
Surprisingly thin, yet tough and cool—worthy of an ancient treasure.
Thoughts swirled, then crystallized.
He shared with Heo Yeo-min.
"Ah. Great idea."
"Thrilled we're on the same page. This'll secure our house."
Heo Yeo-min recalled Jeong Gwang's wound-riddled body and murmured.
"And we can gift something useful to Benefactor too."
"Haha. What a joyous day."
"Merchant lord..."
"My lady..."
The couple beamed at each other.
And clasped hands.
The awestruck escorts grimaced again.
The pair nurtured their love like simmering bone broth, endlessly.
Jeong Gwang raced toward Kunlun at tremendous speed.
But it was quite the distance.
Even after leaving the desert, with sun and moon cycling several times, he finally reached Kunlun Mountain.
Forcing a smile on his fatigue-worn face, Jeong Hyeon stood at the First Gate, eyes bulging.
"L-Little bro!"
"Senior bro! You good?"
"Y-Yeah! What the... Huh?"
Jeong Gwang blew past like the wind, vanishing inside.
En route to the sect leader's quarters, he bumped into Un Jeok emerging.
"Sect Leader Granduncle!"
"Ah! Jeong Gwang!"
The delighted sect leader's eyes wavered.
His cherished grand-disciple returned in beggar rags.
Countless wounds peeking through tatters stabbed at his heart.
What horrors had he endured!
Rushing to check, Jeong Gwang was faster.
"How's Granduncle?"
"He wakes one hourglass a day, circulating the qi you implanted."
"Same as always, huh?"
"Indeed."
"Got it. Gonna crash first."
"...Pardon?"
Jeong Gwang was already bolting to his quarters.
Upon arrival, he flopped spread-eagled on the bed.
So warm, so comfy.
He passed out.
Sweet sleep after ages.
A day later, eyes snapping open, he kicked open the door and dashed to Un Yeon.
"Granduncle!"
"Ah! Awake?"
Un Yeon's delight faded as he scanned Jeong Gwang's body.
His face darkened.
As Sect Leader brother said, wounds everywhere—clearly dire ordeals.
Before he could ask, Jeong Gwang thrust out massive horns.
Un Yeon's eyes nearly popped.
"Th-This!"
"Main ingredient for the Half Immortal Pill."
"The Twin-Horned Dragon really exists!"
"Huh? Didn't believe it?"
"N-Not disbelief, just too astonishing..."
Un Yeon shook his head to refocus.
His young grand-disciple risked life for this—he must refine it!
"Well done! What next?"
To the grimly resolute Un Yeon, Jeong Gwang explained.
"Simmer in a huge cauldron to extract the broth."
"...Br-Broth?"
"Yeah. Like boiling bone broth, for a long time."
Un Yeon's jaw dropped.
What nonsense was this?
Extract broth from a spiritual beast's horn like cheap soup stock!
But Un Yeon was a true Taoist.
Boundless Buddha. Doubting Jeong Gwang—I'm still far from enlightenment.
Calming his shaken mind with immovable resolve, he asked.
"How long?"
"Hm. About ten months?"
"...T-Ten months?"
"Yep."
Jeong Gwang added,
"In a rolling boil."