Why Are You Acting Like That? (1)
'Where is it!'
Chung Myung’s eyes widened as he plunged downward through the lake, lower and lower.
'It never ends.'
From the outside, the lake had looked only moderately large—something between a pond and an actual lake—but its depth was absurd, enough to rival any true lake he had ever seen.
Only now did he understand why that enormous Ink-Scaled Blood Python had chosen this place as its home.
As he descended, the world around him grew darker and darker.
The water was so clear it seemed as if the bottom should be visible at any moment, yet it was simply too deep; even light had its limits.
Chung Myung chased the faint red trail the bastard had left as it went down, diving deeper and deeper.
'I’m not leaving without something to show for it!'
He bit his lip hard.
Purple Wood Grass was Purple Wood Grass, but if they were going to make him suffer like this, the least they could do was politely hand over a beast core. What kind of etiquette was that, anyway? A beast, after all—no manners at all. None.
Chung Myung was not the kind of man who would refuse a gift.
If they wouldn’t give it, he’d take it. That was the basic rule, wasn’t it? Pretty sure that was even written somewhere in Daoist scripture.
- What nonsense are you spouting, you idiot!
Was it not? Whatever. If not, then not.
He didn’t know how Daoists did things, but Chung Myung’s way was simple enough.
'Never mind the snake stew! The beast core comes first!'
His eyes gleamed as he dove even deeper. By then, the surroundings had gone completely black, yet Chung Myung’s gaze pierced the darkness without hesitation.
Yes, he saw it just now move— wait.
What just moved—
BOOOOOOM!
Chung Myung’s body was struck as if by lightning and hurled away like a leaf caught in the wind—no, like seaweed tossed about by the waves.
"Grrrrooooorgh!"
He tried to scream, but no sound came out. Of course it didn’t; he was underwater.
Snapping back to his senses, Chung Myung jerked his head around.
What the hell was that?
The answer came quickly.
BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM!
With a sound like a giant resonance shaking the entire lake, torrents of water came flying at him as if they were solid blasts of air.
'Water bullets?'
Massive water projectiles larger than a person flew toward him one after another. It seemed the Ink-Scaled Blood Python was shooting them at him from far away.
'Now that’s just cute.'
As if something like this would—
Huh?
"Graaaarl—grkk!"
Unable to evade one of the water bullets properly, he was swept into the roaring current and spun like a top.
Ah. He’d swallowed water.
'That little bastard?'
He couldn’t move freely underwater. A water bullet he could’ve dodged with a yawn above the surface now had to be escaped with every ounce of effort he had.
What was more, the Ink-Scaled Blood Python seemed to have decided that driving Chung Myung out of the water was more important than killing him outright, so instead of increasing the power of its attacks, it was broadening their range.
Even those who specialized in water-based techniques could hold their breath underwater for only half a shichen at most—what chance did Chung Myung have?
And whether it had figured that out or not, the python seemed to have calculated that if it simply prevented Chung Myung from closing in, he would eventually have to surface.
But!
'What does it matter? It’s just a snake head!'
Did it really think it could outsmart a person with its head?
Chung Myung drew his sword far back behind him. Then, flooding it with inner power, he hurled it forward.
Before the sword had even left his hand entirely, he lightened his body and clamped his grip around the hilt.
Slash!
The sword split the water and shot ahead like an arrow.
BOOOOOOM!
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
More water bullets burst toward him, but Chung Myung’s sword cleaved through them all and kept advancing.
'There!'
His eyes flashed. The bottom of the lake was finally beginning to come into view. And there, coiled up in a nest of its own making, was the Ink-Scaled Blood Python.
No matter how far it ran, it was just a rat trapped in a jar! No, a snake trapped in a lake!
Chung Myung swam straight toward it.
Even for Chung Myung, fighting a giant snake underwater was no easy matter. But if the Ink-Scaled Blood Python had already been torn open inside by the Nakmae Danha, then he could slit its throat without much trouble.
After that, all he had to do was pull out the beast core and return to the surface.
The python seemed to understand that too, because it whipped its tail toward him with all its strength.
'Tch. It’d be easier if it just opened its mouth and tried to swallow me.'
Then he could just go straight in, grab the core, and slice his way out through the belly.
But this one was apparently too clever for its own good and didn’t rely on such dumb, brute-force methods. It had probably realized that Chung Myung’s sword could cut open its stomach.
Swish—!
Seeing the dark, blackish tail slicing through the water toward him, Chung Myung’s eyes gleamed. Trying to parry it head-on would only send him flying backward. In that case, he might as well—
CRUNCH!
He drove his sword, wrapped in sword qi, straight into the python’s tail.
'Gotcha!'
That’ll keep you from running!
Seeing Chung Myung latch onto its tail, the Ink-Scaled Blood Python twisted its whole body in a furious attempt to shake him off.
But no matter how it rolled its body or whipped its tail, Chung Myung clung on like a barnacle. Even when the beast slammed him into the lakebed, he twisted his body with uncanny precision and slipped away from the impact.
Now the python had only one option left: biting him with its mouth. But that was exactly what Chung Myung wanted. The instant it opened its mouth and lunged, he would shout, “Perfect,” and dive right down its throat.
Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Ink-Scaled Blood Python finally closed its mouth and began ramming into Chung Myung instead.
'I said, it’s just a snake head.'
Chung Myung quickly yanked out the sword lodged in its tail. Then he twisted his body and drove it straight into the massive head charging at him.
Water weakened the force of the attack for both of them. Even with all the strength in the world behind it, a blow underwater was nothing like one landed on dry ground.
CRACK!
Chung Myung’s sword sank cleanly into the bridge of the python’s nose. In pain, the huge maw snapped open for an instant before slamming shut again.
Chung Myung tightened his grip on the sword hilt.
'The core! Hand over my core, you damn snake!'
The Ink-Scaled Blood Python shook its head over and over, trying to throw him off.
Thud! Thud!
It even lashed out with its tail at its own head a few times, but whether because of the pain or for some other reason, it failed to hit Chung Myung and only ended up striking itself.
'This is why beasts are such idiots.'
If it had simply kept swimming around the lake and running away, Chung Myung would have had a much harder time.
But whether because it was stupid or because that was just its nature, the Ink-Scaled Blood Python refused to cling to the walls and evade him.
That saved him a lot of trouble. Still…
'Hmm. I’m running out of air.'
Chung Myung kicked the python in the face and kicked off backward. Then he raised his sword in front of him.
If he kept dragging this out, he was definitely going to run out of breath. Better end it here and go back up after the core.
He gathered his momentum. The tip of his sword began to glow purple, illuminating the dark water around him.
And then the water became visible.
The Ink-Scaled Blood Python, with deep wounds carved into its face, tail, and body, stared back at him with fierce resolve. The bastard who had fled so easily outside the water showed no sign of wanting to run now.
The python raised its head threateningly, scales bristling.
Chung Myung also tightened his grip, readying the final strike.
'You were strong.'
But at the end of the day, you were still just a beast. If you’re ever reborn, don’t go mouthing off to humans and live quietly, all right? If you had done that from the start, I might’ve just taken the grass and left.
Sensing the killing intent rolling off Chung Myung, the Ink-Scaled Blood Python trembled. Though fear was obvious in its eyes, it only shook its head even more fiercely, as if to look more menacing.
'All right, then. Time to take the core…'
Huh?
Chung Myung’s face twisted.
"Pull it out! Pull it out! Anyway, we need to gather it before that Ink-Scaled whatever-the-hell comes back."
"This one, right?"
"Just pull out everything around here for now!"
"Yes!"
The Mount Hua disciples crouched on the ground and busied themselves plucking up Purple Wood Grass in little clusters.
"Hey! Don’t yank it out like that! You need to pull it up with the soil still clinging to the roots if you want it to keep! If you’re not going to dry and grind each one individually, then at least treat it like you’re saving its life—ah, Senior Brother! That’s not what I meant, I said dig up the whole area around it!"
Jo Gul, the only one among them who knew even a little about medicinal herbs, took charge by barking instructions left and right. The Mount Hua disciples, who knew as much about herbs as a donkey knows about poetry, only nodded repeatedly and gathered the Purple Wood Grass exactly as he told them.
Once they had packed the uprooted herbs into the sacks they had brought, the Mount Hua disciples sprang to their feet.
"Did you get it all?"
"Yes."
"Check again. See if there’s any left."
"It’s all been pulled!"
Baek Cheon nodded.
"Good! Let’s go!"
The Mount Hua disciples hurried out of the Divine Pond’s territory. They didn’t know when the Ink-Scaled Blood Python might burst back out of the water, and in truth, the very fact that they had entered someone else’s sacred ground weighed on them a little.
The Beast Palace Lord had said it didn’t matter, but for those accustomed to the customs of the Central Plains, they simply couldn’t rid themselves of that uncomfortable feeling.
"It’s done!"
"In any case, we got the Purple Wood Grass!"
The Mount Hua disciples looked down at the sack with bright, excited faces.
Then the Beast Palace Lord, who had said not a single word and merely watched them until now, slowly approached and held out his hand.
"Give it here."
"...Eh, yes?"
"The sack with the Divine Spirit Grass in it. Give it here."
Baek Cheon looked at the Beast Palace Lord with a slightly strange expression.
'He was quiet all this time, so why is he suddenly asking for the Purple Wood Grass?'
Don’t tell me…?
As a flood of thoughts rushed through his mind, Baek Cheon unconsciously took a step back.
Seeing their wary reaction, the Beast Palace Lord frowned faintly.
"Do you not intend to hand it over?"
"N-no, that’s not it…"
The Beast Palace Lord nodded.
"Hmm, I see. You are suspicious of me now."
The faces of the Mount Hua disciples hardened in unison.
Truth be told, if the Beast Palace Lord harbored some other intentions, there was no way they could protect the Purple Wood Grass on their own. No, they might not even be able to protect their own lives.
"Tsk tsk. You foolish brats. And yet you’re the ones so tense."
The Beast Palace Lord let out a dry chuckle.
"If I had intended to take it by force, would I really make such a fuss over one little thing?"
"...Well, that’s probably true."
Baek Cheon finally relaxed and let out a breath.
"I’m sorry. It’s just that this is an extremely important item to us."
"I understand. I have no intention of stealing it or harming you, so hand it over."
Without further hesitation, Baek Cheon offered him the sack of Purple Wood Grass. If he kept hemming and hawing here, it would only sour the atmosphere between them.
The Beast Palace Lord grinned and took the sack, opening it.
Then, without warning, he started taking half of the Purple Wood Grass out and replanting it in the ground.
"...May I ask what you’re doing?"
"The reason you came all the way here yourselves was to obtain this Divine Spirit Grass, was it not?"
"Yes, as we’ve already told you."
"Would such a small amount really be enough?"
"...Ah."
Truthfully, that wasn’t certain. The more, the better—and if they could secure a steady supply in the future, so much the better.
"If you uproot all the Divine Spirit Grass from here, who knows where it might ever grow again? If you plant it in a similar environment instead, then perhaps it can continue to grow steadily in the future."
"That certainly makes sense."
"Until now, it was within the boundaries of the Divine Pond and could not be touched, but this place is no sacred ground. If you simply contact me, I can make sure Divine Spirit Grass is secured and sent to Mount Hua for you. Wouldn’t that be far more convenient for you as well?"
"Ah…"
Baek Cheon’s eyes widened.
'He’s going that far for us?'
Perhaps the Beast Palace Lord was far more pleased with Mount Hua than Baek Cheon had imagined.
"There. It’s done."
The Beast Palace Lord handed the half-empty sack back to Baek Cheon. At his feet, a new Purple Wood Grass patch had already been created.
"Greed ruins everything. To live in harmony with nature is no different from learning the wisdom to take only what you need now, and leave the rest behind."
"I’ve learned much from you, Palace Lord."
"Kuhahahahaha."
The Beast Palace Lord laughed heartily and turned away.
Watching that mountain-like back, Baek Cheon spoke up.
"It’s all done, then?"
"Yes. Now we only need Chung Myung to come back…"
The Mount Hua disciples looked uneasily at the quiet lake.
"Why isn’t he back yet?"
"Did he die?"
At Jo Gul’s words, Yoon Jong snapped at him.
"What kind of happy thing is that to say? That bastard isn’t dying that easily!"
"That’s not happy. That’s bad luck, Senior Brother."
"...It was a slip of the tongue."
The two were still bickering when—
Bubble.
"Hm?"
Small bubbles began rising on the placid surface of the lake.
Bubble, bubble.
The bubbles multiplied bit by bit, and then…
"Pwaaaaaaah!"
With a bizarre howl, Chung Myung’s body shot up out of the water as if it had been flung into the air.
Splash!
He floated briefly before crashing back into the water, then paddled a few times and finally escaped the lake.
"Damn it. I thought I was going to suffocate to death."
At last, Chung Myung stumbled onto the shore and walked out, water dripping from his entire body.
Everyone looked at him with shining eyes.
"The core?"
"There wasn’t one."
"Huh?"
"I said there wasn’t one. Tch. I just wasted all that effort."
As if he couldn’t be bothered to say any more, Chung Myung waved a hand.
"No core in a beast that huge? That can’t be right."
"How would I know? Maybe it was sold off, maybe it was taken out and hidden somewhere. Either way, there was no core! Damn it. All that for nothing!"
"...Why are you yelling about it?"
Yoon Jong muttered under his breath, aggrieved at being snapped at for no reason.
Then Chung Myung glanced at the sack in Baek Cheon’s hand and frowned faintly.
"Did you pull it all out?"
"Half of it."
"Hmm…"
After looking at the newly created field of Purple Wood Grass, Chung Myung nodded as if he understood the situation.
"Then we’re done! Let’s go!"
"Huh?"
"I said let’s go!"
Chung Myung waved both hands and shoved the Mount Hua disciples ahead of him, as if he were swatting away flies.
"Why the rush…"
"Because I can’t stand the sight of this place anymore. Move. That’s enough! I’m heading back to Mount Hua! Martial Uncle can stay here and live with the snakes if he wants!"
"Hah. Unbelievable."
In the end, Baek Cheon was practically herded out of the Divine Pond. The other Mount Hua disciples also had no real reason to linger and turned toward the Beast Palace instead.
Even if they had secured the beast core, it wouldn’t have been theirs anyway, so they had no regrets. The Purple Wood Grass they had come for was already in hand.
'We completed the mission, after all!'
Just thinking of the Sect Leader and the elders, who would surely be overjoyed, filled them with nothing but the desire to return to Mount Hua as soon as possible.
"Let’s go!"
"Yes!"
The Mount Hua disciples and the Beast Palace Lord headed toward the Beast Palace with light, quick steps.
'Hm?'
Yu I-seol, who had been following behind everyone at the very back, turned her head slightly and looked behind her. After a brief tilt of her head, she turned back toward the Divine Pond area and parted the brush.
Burble-rumble-rumble.
Soon, ripples spread across the center of the Divine Pond, and the Ink-Scaled Blood Python poked its enormous head out of the water.
'It’s alive.'
Its eyes held no particular hostility. Considering the violent fury it had shown just moments ago, the sight was strange enough to be puzzling.
'Why?'
Chung Myung had shown no mercy even to people, so why would he spare a beast spirit…?
While thinking it over, Yu I-seol suddenly let out a soft sound of realization.
Something small was faintly visible behind the python’s massive body.
A white body.
And bright red eyes.
Of course, “small” still meant snakes about the size of a person, but beside the Ink-Scaled Blood Python they looked so tiny and round they were almost cute.
'Babies…'
The instant she saw the three hatchlings peeking their heads out in a row behind the python, a smile bloomed on Yu I-seol’s lips.
"Aren’t you coming?"
"...I’m coming."
She answered the voice from behind her, smiling at the hatchlings of the Ink-Scaled Blood Python.
'Grow up well.'
And don’t harm people.
After carefully putting the brush back exactly as it had been, she ran after her senior brothers and sisters as if nothing had happened.