Chapter 316: Vigo of the Dragon. (7)

Inside the room, dyed pitch-black in the dead of night.

A small handful of flickering flames barely illuminated the room.

Jjo-reureureuk.

Two teacups sat before us.

Following the old man’s meticulous touch, the empty cups were filled with fragrant tea.

I wonder what kind of tea it was.

It was a scent I’d never smelled before.

It gave off a sweeter scent than the plum tea that Mae Hwa Seon-nim brewed on Mount Hua.

As I caught the tea’s aroma with my nose.

Suddenly, a voice reached my ears.

-…In all my life, I’ve never seen anything so petty.

It was the voice of Jamryong, who sat beside me.

His voice was quite full of displeasure, you could say.

-What.

-To be so shameless, isn’t that going a bit too far?

It seemed he was upset because I’d sold him out the moment I woke up earlier.

I merely snorted, my face devoid of any guilt.

-In that situation, you would have done the same, right?

-How much have you seen of me to say such a terrible thing? I’m not that kind of person.

Yeah, right. As if.

‘After how much I suffered in my past life, you dare say you’re not that kind of person.’

My ultimate secret technique.

Selling out your friends was something I learned from none other than Jamryong.

When the two of us were plotting something shady and got caught by Moyong Hi-ah.

How many times did Jamryong sell me out and run away whenever that happened?

And how many times did So Geomseong throw me out as bait and escape on his own when he got angry?

That bastard was exactly that kind of guy.

-It didn’t work out anyway, so what’s the big deal? What a narrow-minded guy.

-…You’re definitely certifiable. You’re crazy.

-Yeah, right back at ya.

-…

Kkeudeuk.

I heard Jamryong grinding his teeth.

Just when I thought even Jamryong might not be able to hold back his anger at my sarcasm.

“It seems the two of you have a lot to talk about.”

At the words of Cheonghae Ilgeom, who sat before us, Jamryong and I had to stop our telepathic conversation.

It seemed Cheonghae Ilgeom had noticed us bickering telepathically.

Cheonghae Ilgeom took a sip of the tea he’d poured for himself.

He let out a small sigh.

Ha.

“My, my… I can’t quite tell whether I should be surprised or reprimand you, Kwan Doseong, for conversing telepathically.”

Telepathic communication utilizes internal energy and sound, so…

…it requires delicate application.

This is strictly the domain of the peak level.

And yet, Kwan Doseong was using it so casually to converse.

It was, in its own way, surprising.

Though for me, it wasn’t something that evoked much surprise anymore.

“The tea placed before you Kwan Doseong, is made from Snowdrop leaves. Leaves that I, this Hall Master, grow myself.”

So that’s what it was… it seemed to be Cheonghae Ilgeom’s personal hobby.

“Try drinking it. It should be fine.”

Hoo-reuk.

At Cheonghae Ilgeom’s suggestion, I took a sip of the tea.

It was hot, but…

‘This much is nothing.’

Considering I can conjure fire from my hands, something like this was no trouble at all.

The taste on my tongue was pleasant.

Slightly tart yet sweet.

Similar to plum tea, but sweeter.

As the tea warmed my insides amidst the cold wind.

Tak.

Cheonghae Ilgeom placed his teacup down.

“I’ll get straight to the point.”

I thought the tension might ease, but instead, I felt it tighten its grip.

“What were you doing in that place?”

“…”

He was truly direct.

Skipping the pleasantries and getting right down to business.

It was quite sharp, befitting one of the Five Great Sword Masters of the world.

‘Damn it.’

I hadn’t expected things to get tangled up like this.

If that ‘thought-form’ hadn’t pulled that dog-like stunt, I could have probably escaped without issue.

‘Ha.’

I felt dizzy.

Honestly, things never worked out smoothly whenever I tried to do something.

If Shin Noya hadn’t appeared and saved me in that situation, what would have happened?

‘It wouldn’t have been good.’

I couldn’t quite grasp what they were trying to do, but…

…the way the space itself warped back then, and the power I felt…

I’m certain something terrible would have happened without Old Man Shin’s help.

‘Meanwhile, why is this old geezer being so quiet?’

Right after Old Man Shin saved me with some unknown power, I was dragged to the Hall Master’s room by Cheonghae Ilgeom.

I kept trying to call out to Old Man Shin after I woke up again, but…

Old Man Shin didn’t answer.

Did he fall asleep again?

If so, was he sleep-talking until just now or what?

‘Cheonghae Ilgeom…’

Tsk.

I observed Cheonghae Ilgeom, wondering what to do.

He was looking at me with his characteristic wide-open eyes.

It seemed he had no intention of letting this slide.

Well, given the circumstances, there’s no way he would just let it go.

After taking a moment to gather my breath.

I spoke, looking at Cheonghae Ilgeom.

“I was looking for the Secret Record.”

I omitted any unnecessary excuses.

No matter what I said, it wouldn’t work anyway.

Lying in this situation would only be a bad move.

Since it had come to this.

I had to confront it head-on.

“The Secret Record?”

“Yes.”

Cheonghae Ilgeom’s expression was subtle.

Of course. Suddenly stating that a Secret Record existed beneath the Dragon God Temple…

…and that I, a mere disciple of the later generation, knew about it.

‘I had anticipated this far, though.’

I had asked Geomhu-nim for help, but…

Since the situation was unpredictable.

I had prepared countermeasures just in case.

Whether they would work or not was another matter.

While I was darting my eyes around.

Cheonghae Ilgeom asked me.

“If there was a Secret Record, how did you know about it?”

As expected, came the question.

I carefully took out a token from my robes.

“This…?”

Seeing the token I produced, Cheonghae Ilgeom’s eyes widened in surprise.

The token Cheonghae Ilgeom was looking at was none other than the Ilgeolpae.

It was the same as the token of the Beggar Clan’s leader that I received from Sin-ui-nim long ago.

It was also something I had shown to King Geol.

It was something I carried around thinking, ‘When should I use this?’

‘…Will it work?’

Showing this to Cheonghae Ilgeom wasn’t for any complex reason.

It was a very simple statement.

The information that the Secret Record existed beneath the Dragon God Temple…

…was given to me by the Beggar Clan Leader.

That was the implied message.

Of course, the Beggar Clan Leader hadn’t actually given it to me.

Even if Cheonghae Ilgeom had a way to contact the leader.

And if the leader denied it.

I could pass it off as hearing it from someone within the Beggar Clan.

That was the alternative meaning I could convey.

What if this doesn’t work?

Then I’ll just have to deal with the consequences, I guess.

If I had considered the absolute worst-case scenario.

I wouldn’t have even thought about looking for the Secret Record.

“…It’s the Ilgeolpae.”

“That’s correct.”

“Did the leader give it to you personally?”

“I cannot say.”

“Don’t you understand that this isn’t a matter of whether you can say it or not?”

“I understand. But I cannot say.”

“…”

It’s a ‘tough luck’ attitude.

I was actually scared he might actually do it, but…

…explaining further would screw me over, so I had no choice.

“Fine. Where you obtained such information, we’ll set that aside for now. But what did you see in the Secret Record you found?.”

“There was nothing.”

“Ha… Nothing?”

It was obviously a lie.

After going through that ordeal, there was no way there was nothing there.

I hadn’t even been able to check the items inside one by one.

And the fact that I couldn’t bring anything back made me furious, but…

…I had to keep it from showing on the outside.

‘The Secret Record is closed.’

I checked later, but…

…the entrance Jamryong and I had used was gone.

Even the formation I sensed had vanished as if it had never existed in the first place.

‘Was it the power of the thought-form?’

Connecting it to how he tried to crush the entire space.

Did he erase the room I thought was the Secret Record?

If that’s the case…

‘It’s possible that the Secret Record itself was a constructed space.’

The entrance was real, and…

…since Jamryong also remembered it, it wasn’t a fabrication.

Not only did they create a space,

…but they also seemed to have frozen time relative to the outside, as if time itself had twisted.

Could this be called ‘martial arts’?

‘Shin Noya called that the power of Yeon Ilcheon.’

Even when I met Hwangabulyeong.

And now, he said everything I experienced was Yeon Ilcheon’s power.

If it reached that level…

…isn’t this beyond human capabilities from the start?

‘Besides, how did I get out?’

Jamryong said that…

…not long after I disappeared, he was sitting in the passage yawning.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was outside,

…and I was already lying behind him.

‘In terms of time, it couldn’t have been more than ten seconds.’

Considering the time I spent talking with the thought-form, that was impossible.

Ultimately, it means there was a clear difference in time between that space and the outside.

‘If what I experienced wasn’t an illusion, that is.’

Should I consider it fortunate?

The proof that it wasn’t an illusion was tied to my arm.

Although it was hidden by my sleeve, so Cheonghae Ilgeom couldn’t see it.

“As you likely heard from Jamryong, it wasn’t a time where I could search for anything or whatnot upon entering.”

I decided to use this.

The time difference was something only I felt, and this could serve as a plausible excuse.

Of course, whether Cheonghae Ilgeom believed Jamryong’s words was up to him.

For reference, if it were me, I wouldn’t have believed it.

I would have beaten the truth out of him, but…

…that’s just because I have a shitty personality.

“…So you’re saying you lost consciousness as soon as you entered the room, in the end.”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t an easy claim to believe.

Of course, who would believe this?

“So, Kwan Doseong, are you saying you entered the Dragon God Temple knowing there was a Secret Record here?”

“Yes.”

Since I had already brought up the Secret Record along with the Ilgeolpae.

There was no avoiding this conclusion.

Cheonghae Ilgeom fell silent, seemingly lost in thought, and then…

“…Since this involves an unknown Secret Record, I will report this matter to the Alliance.”

He spoke to me in a voice laced with a sigh.

“The treatment of you, Kwan Doseong, will also proceed after discussions with the Alliance are concluded.”

If this goes wrong, does this mean expulsion?

Not only that, but I might even be investigated by the Alliance.

‘They probably won’t go that far.’

Given the fact that there was a Secret Record within the Dragon God Temple itself.

The Martial Arts Alliance wouldn’t want this matter to be widely publicized either.

The important thing is what was inside.

Even if they investigate.

If I didn’t bring anything back from the Secret Record.

And if they couldn’t discover the existence of the Secret Record itself.

They likely wouldn’t make a big fuss.

“Regarding this matter, I plan to send a letter to the State.”

‘…Oh no.’

That’s a bit problematic.

If Father finds out I caused trouble even at the Dragon God Temple…

‘I’m screwed.’

He wouldn’t let it slide easily.

Given my track record of causing trouble every time I visited.

There was a high chance I’d get severely scolded this time.

Getting scolded by Father is a bit of an issue,

a very big issue at that.

Because an angry father is truly terrifying.

“…As it’s late, I will summon each of you again separately to confirm this matter.”

Given that it was nearing dawn.

Cheonghae Ilgeom seemed inclined to send us away for now.

Along with a warning not to mention anything about the Secret Record.

Since he mentioned summoning Jamryong and me again later.

It meant he hadn’t forgotten about it.

‘Will I be expelled?’

There was a high probability.

From my perspective, expulsion would honestly be welcome, but…

Even though the matter of the Secret Record was over,

…the most important business I had was still pending.

I intended to settle things regarding Jang Seon-yeon and Cheol Ji-seon one way or another before leaving.

And amidst all this.

‘Something feels off about my hand.’

I felt a strange sensation from my hand.

Although it wasn’t clearly visible because it was hidden by my sleeve,

something was strange, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“You may leave now.”

As I was examining my hand, the order to leave was given.

Expecting to be detained and interrogated.

I had prepared more words, but…

…it ended more easily than I thought.

‘It’s like… he doesn’t look well.’

His voice carried a sense of fatigue,

and Cheonghae Ilgeom’s somewhat weary expression seemed to be the reason.

His internal energy remained the same, and outwardly, it wasn’t very noticeable, but…

…there was definitely some difference.

I rose, leaving Cheonghae Ilgeom behind.

It was better to focus on the fact that I had passed the initial hurdle.

After bowing respectfully along with Jamryong.

We exited the building.

“You’re back.”

The first person I met upon exiting was Geomhu-nim.

She was probably waiting outside the whole time.

Jamryong looked slightly surprised to see Geomhu-nim,

and then cast a curious glance my way.

“I’ll be going ahead.”

These were Jamryong’s words to Geomhu-nim.

It seemed he’d noticed that Geomhu-nim had business with me.

To avoid revealing his connection to me, given the situation.

He could have tried to stop me, but…

Geomhu-nim didn’t stop Jamryong from leaving.

What is this person doing…? What if we get caught?

Shortly after Jamryong left.

Geomhu-nim quietly started walking, and I followed her gaze.

For some reason, Geomhu-nim’s steps seemed a bit hurried.

We arrived at the walking path where we had met before.

“Um…”

“We still have something to settle, don’t we?”

“Can’t we… talk about this later? It’s almost dawn.”

At my words, Geomhu-nim looked at me with a blank expression.

It was an expression that said it couldn’t be helped.

Instead of detaining Cheonghae Ilgeom.

She had asked me for something.

She asked me to retrieve a precious item called the Plum Blossom Stone from the Secret Record.

Accordingly, I had promised to bring it if such a valuable item existed, but…

“As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t have time to retrieve anything from the Secret Record.”

Plum Blossom Stone? Bullshit.

It vanished along with the space, and I almost died.

“I’m sorry, Geomhu-nim, but…”

“Your arm.”

At Geomhu-nim’s curt utterance.

I flinched involuntarily.

“Roll up your sleeve.”

Tsk.

I clicked my tongue inwardly at her confident words.

It seemed I’d been found out.

“Geomhu-nim.”

“You might fool Cheonghae Ilgeom, but you can’t fool me. Especially not someone who has already bloomed plum blossoms; their eyes cannot be deceived.”

The strong plum blossom fragrance emanating from my arm.

Geomhu-nim seemed to sense it.

I had tried my best to hide it, but…

Ah, looks like this isn’t going to work.

“…This isn’t the Plum Blossom Stone.”

“Roll it up.”

At Geomhu-nim’s firm words.

I finally sighed and rolled up my sleeve.

Then, the object wrapped around my forearm revealed its identity.

“…”

Upon seeing my arm, Geomhu-nim lost her words for a moment.

As I told Geomhu-nim,

this wasn’t the Plum Blossom Stone.

It didn’t have the texture or form worthy of being called a stone (石).

The object was a pale pink color,

and it was wrapped around my arm like a thin cloth.

‘It didn’t feel like this originally.’

The item I grabbed in the Secret Record, guided by Old Man Shin’s power, was definitely this, but…

…the sensation then was like a round jade bead that fit snugly in my fist.

When I came to my senses, it was wrapped around my left arm in the form of a bandage.

I’m right-handed, so why my left arm of all things?

It somehow felt unsettling.