Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Five Young Hegemon Dragons
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Crack.
With a loud snap, what crumbled was...
Incredibly, the wooden supports!
Looking closely, those supports had been precariously propping up the cave wall.
Han Ibi said in bewilderment,
"Wait, why are there wooden braces here of all places?"
But there was no time for talk.
Soon, with rumbling crashes of ururung, kwang kwang, the area near the cave entrance began collapsing.
Maeng Gap-son quickly grabbed the thick wooden poles and started climbing the slippery cave wall.
"I'll handle the rest, so when the division leaders come to rescue you, just say the cave suddenly collapsed. Don't say anything else."
Han Ibi added,
"Come to think of it, Division Leader Heo must have been buried under falling rocks and got injured. A total accident."
Han Ibi was moving Heo Son-dam to the section where rocks had rolled down as the entrance collapsed.
Maeng Gap-son glanced back while scaling the wall and said,
"Kekeke. You're smarter than you look. See you later. Keep your mouth shut! Don't forget, or you'll regret it."
A rumor was circulating through the Flame Society.
'Jong Ri-mae brings disaster wherever he goes.'
'Nothing survives in his wake.'
'Jong Ri-mae is the King of Destruction.'
The trainees whispered it among themselves, though they didn't show it openly.
Of course, envy and jealousy were mixed in.
And it stemmed from the scene unfolding right before their eyes.
"I am deeply disappointed in all of you."
Silence enveloped the hall.
"You're sorely lacking! Sorely lacking!"
The elder slammed the podium and shouted.
It was Jang Gyo-ryeon, the head of the Flame Society.
"Positions like these mean nothing. What truly matters is skill. You've all failed. You lack the sufficient ability!"
The hall was deathly quiet.
You could hear a pin drop—or even someone swallowing.
Jang Gyo-ryeon continued,
"Yet we're granting these positions because of prior promises. But damn it all!"
He slammed the podium again, hard.
"If it were up to me, I'd disqualify every last one of you and kick you out. So..."
Jang Gyo-ryeon narrowed his eyes and went on,
"From now on, you must dedicate yourselves to training—relentlessly. In this brutal jianghu, only rigorous training can stake your lives on. Understood?"
"Yes!"
The trainees, stiff with discipline, responded in unison.
Jang Gyo-ryeon said,
"Take a look at the sacrifices the Murim Alliance has made to nurture small fries like you."
He pointed to Division Leader Dang Ho-yeon, who stood facing the trainees at the front.
"Division Leader Dang lost an arm—his life as a warrior. Got it? It wasn't even against those vile Demonic Cultists or some life-risking mission. And furthermore..."
Jang Gyo-ryeon let out a deep sigh before continuing,
"...what of Chief Division Leader Heo, who suffered that freak accident? Even now, he's yet to regain consciousness due to a natural disaster during the exam. All of this..."
Jang Gyo-ryeon swept his gaze over the lined-up trainees and continued,
"...happened while training you lot. So you must remember these sacrifices and be reborn as true workers for the Murim Alliance. Understood?"
"Yes. Understood."
Thus ended the terrifying moment akin to a school principal's lecture, and at last, the long-awaited appointment ceremony for the Five Young Hegemon Dragons commenced.
Though the blame fell on just a few...
Jang Gyo-ryeon announced,
"The Yellow Dragon of the Five Young Hegemon Dragons is..."
Tension peaked in the hall.
"...Dang Baek-mun of the Sichuan Tang Clan, who received the highest overall evaluation."
Dang Baek-mun clenched his fists tightly.
The Yellow Dragon guards the center, symbolizing the dignity of a sovereign ruler.
Jang Gyo-ryeon said,
"Those called forward, step up."
At that moment, Gil Son-rok, a few spots away from Han Ibi, muttered,
"What's with this? What did that guy do to deserve it?"
Then, Jeon Yeon of the Jeon-ga Clan, standing beside him, whispered,
"Gil, watch your mouth. You must not have heard. Word is, the Sichuan Tang Clan suffered unimaginable losses in this training, so they're getting the Yellow Dragon as compensation."
And indeed, the trainees didn't seem particularly surprised.
Gil Son-rok scowled.
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
Then Jang Gyo-ryeon's voice rang out,
"The position of Azure Dragon among the Five Young Hegemon Dragons goes to... Jong Ri-mae of the Qingcheng Sect, who collected the most trainee sashes in the final exam."
Murmurs erupted here and there.
"No way—they're giving him Azure Dragon after all that chaos?"
"Heard trying to save him is what got Chief Division Leader Heo unconscious..."
"Meanwhile, he just broke a few fingers and walked away fine."
"That's why he's the Destruction King..."
Anyway, Han Ibi brushed off the whispers and ascended the podium.
Regardless of the talk, he'd secured a position as one of the Five Young Hegemon Dragons.
The Azure Dragon guards the east, ruling over rain, wind, clouds, and thunder.
That was when it happened.
Ding.
Whoa!
Han Ibi's eyes lit up.
His reputation... his reputation had skyrocketed in an instant.
This was the ultimate reward for him.
How frustrating had that debt-ridden reputation been until now...
Afterward, the titles of the Five Young Hegemon Dragons continued to be bestowed.
The White Dragon guards the west and symbolizes 'swiftness'.
The Black Dragon guards the north and is believed to possess 'water nature'.
The Red Dragon guards the south and possesses 'fiery nature'.
Yes.
Thus, the Murim Alliance bestowed these honorable titles of the Five Young Hegemon Dragons upon the five young men.
Murmurs of discontent filled the air.
Most laced with dissatisfaction.
"What? It's been ten years since the last selection, and it's the same old story."
"Yeah... Shaolin, Wudang, Mount Hua taking turns— that's hardly new."
"Why don't they make the selection criteria transparent?"
That was when it happened.
Bang bang bang.
Jang Gyo-ryeon slammed the podium again to draw attention.
"Enough. As fellow jianghu heroes, we'll skip the pompous rituals. It's over."
The trainees exchanged puzzled glances.
Jang Gyo-ryeon bellowed louder,
"No banquets or the like. Not even worth the meal cost, so trainees not named Five Young Hegemon Dragons—return immediately tomorrow morning. Understood?"
"Yes. Understood."
It felt utterly ruthless, yet the trainees could only shout back loudly.
The atmosphere was gravely awkward.
Jong Ri-hyeok's expression was utterly downcast.
It was so bad that even the carefree Yeo Nan-ju held back, never mind So Eun-ri.
Han Ibi felt a twinge of guilt.
This was probably the greatest setback Jong Ri-hyeok had ever faced.
The tactless Yeo Nan-ju blurted out,
"Senior Uncle Jong Ri."
Right after receiving the Azure Dragon title, his status had been upgraded to senior uncle.
"Please bring glory to our Qingcheng Sect. And stop causing incidents now, alright? Hohoho."
Surprisingly, she seemed thrilled to return alongside her admired Jong Ri-hyeok.
Tsk tsk tsk.
Han Ibi clicked his tongue inwardly and said to So Eun-ri,
"Little Sister So, no words of advice for me?"
So Eun-ri replied,
"See you when you return safely."
Blunt as ever. Dry as dust.
Han Ibi turned and said to Jong Ri-hyeok,
"Brother."
"Mind your address when eyes are watching."
"Yes..."
He must be really shaken. Well, anyway...
"Heading straight back to Qingcheng Mountain?"
"Not sure."
Of course.
In the original story, Jong Ri-hyeok would use this jianghu excursion to track down those responsible for the clan massacre.
That's where the real adventures and fortuitous encounters began.
Han Ibi said,
"I'll wrap things up quick and follow."
Jong Ri-hyeok merely nodded faintly.
He looked eager to escape this irritating situation.
Han Ibi said to Yeo Nan-ju,
"Alright, off you go. I'm heading in too."
"Sure, Senior Uncle. See you later."
Having escorted them to the entrance of Present Virtue Pavilion, Han Ibi saw his group off.
Normally, he would've tagged along somehow...
Damn it. It'll work out somehow. When has the script ever gone perfectly...
Having received the prestigious title of Azure Dragon, the flower of the Murim Alliance, he couldn't ignore the official schedule.
He bid farewell to those he'd grown close to: Hye-on, Gil Son-rok, of course, but also Wang Cheong-rin, Baek Mi-hu, Mun Won-bi, and others.
Wang Cheong-rin, with whom he'd bickered endlessly, was paradoxically the only one tearing up at the final goodbye.
With his roommates gone, Han Ibi slept alone in the dorm.
A long-overdue deep sleep.
But someone interrupted that precious rest: Maeng Gap-son of the Murim Alliance.
Han Ibi bolted up in alert, then yawned lazily upon recognizing him.
"What's the matter in the dead of night?"
"What's the matter? Hmph. Rotten kid. Do you know how much cleanup I had to do?"
No, why's that my fault...
"You worked hard."
Maeng Gap-son said,
"I have too many questions, but time's short, so the most important first: the book... you really discarded it?"
Oh no... that again.
"Yes. Tossed it off the cliff."
Maeng Gap-son nodded.
"If that's fate, so be it... Perhaps it's better off gone from the world."
Han Ibi tilted his head and asked,
"But... why are so many people obsessed with that book?"
Maeng Gap-son shook his head.
"I don't know. I just follow orders."
"Wait, aren't you a high-ranking Murim Alliance official...?"
"There's always a heaven beyond heaven."
Han Ibi said with meaningful eyes,
"What, the one giving orders is the Son of Heaven or something?"
"Nonsense."
But Han Ibi clearly saw Maeng Gap-son's eyes flicker.
"Just a thought. If you're done, I'll sleep. I heard we meet the Alliance Leader tomorrow and assemble at Mount Hua."
Maeng Gap-son said,
"Correct. I'll escort you, so sleep well."
With that, he vanished out the window in a flash.
Truly untouchable lightness skill.
Han Ibi thought,
"People hunting for the Compendium of Tactics and Strategies everywhere... Never mention I have it, not even in dreams."
Han Ibi and the Five Young Hegemon Dragons arrived at Heavenly Receipt Hall under Maeng Gap-son's lead.
They met the Murim Alliance Leader.
But...
The Leader was swamped.
Endless seals to stamp, meetings to chair.
So it was just light greetings.
The Five Young Hegemon Dragons, who thought highly of themselves, felt a bit deflated.
Everyone except Han Ibi, who'd met him before.
On the way out of Heavenly Receipt Hall, Dang Baek-mun asked Maeng Gap-son,
"Are we heading to Mount Hua now?"
Maeng Gap-son nodded.
"Yes. Mount Hua will handle the major task."
Bang Gwang-sil of Mount Hua asked in surprise,
"Our Mount Hua?"
Maeng Gap-son nodded silently.
Then Han Ibi asked,
"What's this major task? Can't you tell us now?"
Maeng Gap-son replied,
"A formal meeting."
"A formal meeting?"
"Yes. At Mount Hua, you'll meet the Five Hegemon Dragons of the Murim Alliance—our top experts and heroic champions."
(To be continued in the next installment)