Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 202
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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I was finally able to hear about our allies' strategies and tactics from Belov.
Moscow had been in Ivan IV's hands for nearly three years now. Belov, with the help of Fyodor, Ivan IV's son and the tsar, had managed to mobilize his troops. He had also summoned outstanding talents, knights, magicians, and priests from various places. The total number of these elites came to about a hundred, each one seemingly handpicked.
'Knights are similar to martial artists, huh.'
Knights were warriors who could wield qi, much like martial artists. The main difference was their heavy use of sturdy metal armor and shields. Unlike martial artists, however, they didn't seem adept at profound techniques like the Myeongjung Subeop.
Belov spoke.
"We once sent out a simple army to retake Moscow. But those 30,000 troops were completely annihilated. Everyone agreed that Moscow couldn't be taken by numbers alone—we needed exceptional spiritual talents or shamans."
"You're being too long-winded. What's the point?"
"Even with these 100 elites, defeating Ivan IV is impossible. We lack the power to counter the might of deification. So we've come up with one sure plan."
"And what is that?"
Belov took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming.
"The power of the dragon."
"......!!"
"We've transported the dragon's corpse, trapped on a peak in Romania, all the way here. We're going to revive it and use it against Ivan IV."
A dragon!
Not only I, but even Miho listening beside me, was startled. Dragons were the pinnacle of mythical beasts, possessing terrifying power. They were noble beings that rarely descended from the heavens, said to have divine might capable of overturning the world. Of course, I wasn't sure if Eastern and Western dragons were the same, but if Belov was telling the truth, this was monumental.
Regaining my composure, I asked Belov,
"It's a corpse, you say? How do you revive a dead dragon?"
"I called it dead, but it's not truly deceased. It seems to have been trapped in an ice spell for centuries. If we can break that spell, the dragon should awaken."
"And you have a way to break it?"
As I fired off questions, Belov fell silent for a moment before answering.
"That's the biggest problem. We don't know who cast it, but the ice spell sealing the dragon is incredibly advanced. We can't find a way to dispel it. That's why, even after bringing the corpse here, we're still searching for a solution."
"Hmm..."
After pondering, I said to Belov,
"Let me take a look. We might be able to help."
"Very well."
I could see why Belov was so freely sharing this top-secret information with outsiders like us. With no way to revive the dragon despite stamping their feet in frustration, he was pinning a sliver of hope on these mysterious travelers from Ming.
Miho and I followed Belov past the tents to a remote cave.
As we ventured into the dark cave, a chilling white icy aura emanated forth. There, embedded in an ice wall, was a massive reptile, its body spanning over twenty zhang.
"......!!"
This was a dragon!
Its enormous, powerful form exuded an overwhelming presence!
With wings that could soar freely through the skies with a single flap, a fierce reptilian face, mighty forelimbs, and powerful hind legs—it was immense. Excluding demonic beasts, I'd never seen anything so gigantic in my life; my whole body trembled. I couldn't even imagine facing such a creature head-on.
But as Miho observed the dragon, she murmured,
"It's different. This isn't like the dragons I've seen."
"What do you mean, Miho?"
Miho just shook her head and said,
"So-woong. Let's talk for a moment."
"Hmm... Sure."
After excusing ourselves from Belov, Miho and I went to a secluded spot and used the bieung. We reappeared in the secret library of the Yi-jok beneath the Kremlin Palace—a place even Ivan IV couldn't touch, making it the safest spot in the world.
Miho spoke cautiously.
"That thing feels profoundly evil, unlike Eastern dragons. Its power aside, it's clearly a calamity. Do we really need to awaken it?"
"What do you mean? Different from a dragon how?"
"The dragons I saw in the heavens all possessed immense divine powers and were benevolent beings who upheld order. They never descend to the mortal world, so it wouldn't be sealed like that."
I grasped the implication in Miho's words and hardened my face.
"So it was sealed because it's an evil being?"
"Yes. Likely some powerful shaman realized its malevolence and sacrificed their life to seal it."
"Hmm."
"It may be akin to Eastern dragons as kin, but this Western dragon is no friend to humanity. And that monk Belov doesn't seem capable of controlling it either, despite its great power."
"......"
I was inwardly stunned.
Ivan IV, whom they needed to defeat, had deified into something like a spirit, and their counter—the Western dragon—was a cruel, evil entity! Belov's and the Eastern Orthodox Church's choice was disastrously wrong. As I agonized, Miho said,
"Wouldn't it be best to cut ties with them? No need to dive into a hopeless fight."
"You're right, Miho. I wanted to learn their firearms techniques, spells, knightly combat skills, but no choice..."
I trailed off, then said,
"But leaving like this feels off. Isn't there something more we can grab?"
"Well... It's all too uncertain."
Miho clearly wanted to sever ties with Belov's group as soon as possible. I sensed that next time, I'd face even stronger wariness from Belov, so this didn't sit well. But pushing further might strain things with Miho, so I reluctantly nodded.
"Alright. Let's first grab anything useful from this library and head back to Jinrang Valley."
Miho and I selected books, maps, and such that we could interpret, stuffing them into the wooden box. Then we used the bieung to return to Jinrang Valley, where Mangnyang was.
Flash!
By the time we arrived in Jinrang Valley, it was late—night had fallen. Mangnyang wasn't around the thatched house; he must have gone out for work. Miho and I sat in the main hall waiting. Quite a while later, Mangnyang returned.
Spotting us, Mangnyang greeted us warmly.
"Oho, it's been a while!! How'd it go?"
"You've been training hard in the meantime, I see."
"Haha. With fortuitous encounters pouring in, how could I slack off?"
Mangnyang answered cheerfully, but I was genuinely shocked by his progress. His sorcery had surged tremendously, and his martial arts had reached first-class level in just a few months since we parted. At this rate, sect leaders across the martial world would pop their eyes out in astonishment.
"What happened while we were gone?"
"Hmm... Well..."
I recounted everything: going to the Flower Snake Clan for plastic surgery to change my appearance; heading to the North Sea Ice Palace to learn about the lands north of the great plains; encountering the sage at the grand temple in Astana on the way to Moscow; the clash between Ivan IV and Belov; the dragon trapped in ice.
Mangnyang listened carefully, then fell silent in thought. Cautiously, I asked him,
"You recognized me as Baek Woong right away, despite my changed face."
"That's because Miho is with you. And another reason: I figured you'd use plastic surgery since you're skilled in medicine."
Mangnyang burst into laughter.
"Though I didn't expect such a pretty boy."
"Ugh... Don't tease."
I regretted bringing it up. Mangnyang wasn't some stuffy scholar; given an opening, he'd tease like any ordinary person—maybe even worse. As I scowled, Mangnyang said,
"To sum up, rather than rushing north, you focused on gathering intel. Well done."
"Thanks."
"I've given it some thought."
Mangnyang asked me,
"Baek Woong, in this clash between Ivan IV and Belov, would you prefer Belov to win?"
"Not sure. Honestly, it's a contest between total strangers from the West—zero emotional investment. I wanted to squeeze out whatever I could, but the risks were too high, so I came to hear your opinion."
Mangnyang smirked and said,
"The reason you feel that way is because guns are nagging at you."
"Guns?"
"Impressed by their power, you're curious about Western firearms and gear—wanting to turn their strengths into yours. That's the psychology at play."
"Hmm... Maybe you're right..."
I agreed with Mangnyang. I'd sensed the potential in the North Sea Ice Palace Lord's gun demonstration, thinking it could aid me greatly. So I'd planned to feign helping Belov while learning firearms and war tech.
Mangnyang flicked his long sleeve and said,
"For reference, the Ming Empire has guns too. Of course."
"Really?"
"The biggest restriction Ming placed on the martial world? Banning firearms. Not out of fear of thunder bombs or cannons from martial artists, but dread of uncontrolled production and spread."
"......!!"
"The Great Ming is a superpower even globally. Though not widely known among civilians, Western kings and Middle Eastern lords send tribute and engage in exchanges. During my time at the observatory, their envoys' tribute included the latest firearms, naturally."
I nodded at Mangnyang's words. Without such connections, artifacts like the golden bieung couldn't reach the Central Plains from afar. And envoys would showcase cutting-edge guns to curry favor with Ming.
Mangnyang smiled bitterly.
"In the past, Ming knew guns' power but didn't mass-produce them. Even now, they hold about 20,000 matchlock guns in the imperial armory, but none deployed in actual combat. Know why?"
"Why?"
"No enemies."
What?
As I stared blankly, Mangnyang explained.
"You build firepower to crush foes and gain something. But around the Great Ming, no real rival powers exist. The Arasa Empire is still half a century from encroaching; the steppe tribes are crushed; southern and eastern states just watch Ming's mood. No need to advance guns and stir internal chaos."
I exclaimed in disbelief.
"That's ridiculous! Even now, Western nations are developing gun tech..."
"China is a deep well. Once we've secured vast, fertile lands, we lock the gates and enjoy peace. That's the limit of not just Great Ming, but all Chinese empires."
Mangnyang said bitterly,
"Of course, as you predict, in two hundred years, the gap with the West could be insurmountable. But who among rulers worries about posterity?"
"......"
Mangnyang's eyes sharpened.
"But things feel different now. The current emperor shows keen interest in gunpowder and firearms, investing heavily in new tech. A stark contrast to the previous reign."
"Meaning they might raise gun troops?"
"Just potential. Tech doesn't advance overnight; they're still building base industries and training technicians."
After a moment's thought, I said,
"You got that intel because you placed Hwang Yeon in the political sphere?"
"Yes. The North Dragon Force under Grand General Hwang Yeon—armed with latest guns and cannons—is fruit of those efforts. He's in the prime spot to read government moves in the military."
Mangnyang grinned.
"Haha, unbelievable. You chat with me fine now—where's the 'dullard of the world'? You've got real insight."
I could only give a wry smile.
After dying fourteen times, desperately piling wisdom, might, and experience, I finally converse with Mangnyang? Utterly humiliating. I couldn't settle here; I had to grow more. Straightening my expression, I said to Mangnyang,
"So, what should we do? By the way, I brought books and maps."
"Hmm."
"From the Yi-jok's ancient library—they'll surely help."
I pointed to the books and maps from the wooden box. Flames I'd summoned with fire sorcery floated like lamps, illuminating them clearly. Mangnyang picked up the books, examining each, and said,
"Ancient runes. Mixed with old Cyrillic script."
"Runes...? What's that?"
"We lump them as Westerners, but their tribes vary. Runes are letters from the divine age, supposedly gained by the one-eyed god after self-sacrifice. Comparable to oracle bone script in era."
"......"
No clue, so stay quiet.
As I did, Mangnyang checked the maps. After scrutinizing, he said,
"This map's unusable as is."
"Unusable?"
"Made in ancient times, doesn't reflect tectonic shifts. Need proper reading method to redraw. Hoping it's in these books."
"If we redraw the map?"
Mangnyang flipped the map and inspected again, saying,
"With the reading method, I could produce a new one in seven days or less."
"Perfect!"
Mangnyang looked to Miho beside me and said,
"Miho. May I ask something?"
"What is it?"
"You said the ice-bound dragon is evil. Do you think it's a servant of the Yi-jok?"
"Hmm... Not quite. I think it's just a beast that turned vicious lingering on earth instead of ascending."
For a split second, I nearly teased Miho with 'Like you?' but dropped it as unfit. Hearing Miho's reply, Mangnyang pondered, then said to me,
"Baek Woong. Stay here awhile. Wait for the map, then decide our next move."