Chapter 115: The Sanctuary of the Dragonbloods

The next morning, I was summoned by Jeokmun.

It was only natural, since I hadn’t hidden the physical changes that had occurred after completely absorbing Kashpa’s mana.

As I walked down the wide road, many eyes turned toward me.

It seemed there had never been a Dragonblood who possessed two attributes at once, because everyone was whispering while looking at me.

From the members of the Red Dragon House peeking from a short distance away from Jeokmun’s office, to the members of the Blue Dragon House sticking their heads just barely over the wall—especially Cheongbin’s gaze was filled with indescribable shock.

That’s why you should always listen to the end of someone’s words.

What had started as a misunderstanding had now grown into a tidal wave beyond control.

I looked at Cheongbin and smiled faintly with my eyes.

She must have indulged in some happy fantasy.

Something that made me feel a little sick.

But what could I do?

Nothing ever goes the way you want in this world.

Oddly enough, I felt refreshed.

I skipped lightly and stopped in front of the office.

[Come in.]

Jeokmun’s domineering voice was the same as ever.

Does he still think of me as just a Dragonblood child?

I tilted my head and pushed open the tightly closed office door.

Inside were Jeokpung and a Blue Dragon House man I’d never seen before.

Jeokpung’s gaze toward me was tangled with complicated emotions.

Staring at me with eyes filled with mixed feelings, he awkwardly smiled as our eyes met.

“What’s the matter?”

“Just come in first.”

At Jeokmun’s words, I nodded obediently and stepped inside.

As I walked in, I examined the middle-aged man seated beside Jeokmun.

He radiated a chill that prickled my skin—powerful enough to rival Jeokmun’s presence.

He must be the Blue Dragon House’s head, someone I hadn’t met until now.

I gave a small nod and took the prepared seat.

“What happened to your body?”

At Jeokmun’s question, I lightly raised both hands.

Red scales glimmered on my right hand, and blue ones on my left.

“Well… I guess my blood is half Red Dragon and half Blue Dragon.”

I knew they wouldn’t believe me even if I told the truth.

So I gave the most understandable answer from their perspective.

Both Jeokmun and the unnamed Blue Dragon House head grew visibly serious.

After a brief silence, Jeokmun opened his mouth.

“This is impossible…”

“Impossible, you say?”

“How can a body hold two opposing energies at once…?”

“You’re looking at it with your own eyes, aren’t you?”

Taking the opportunity, I drew up my energy.

As the spinning circle surged, it drew both blazing heat and freezing cold.

A tiny flame danced on my right hand, while a frigid chill flowed from my left.

Was this beyond the bounds of his understanding?

Jeokmun began to deny the truth right before his eyes.

Then the Blue Dragon House head beside him finally spoke.

“Was your name Ran?”

“It’s Seris.”

“From today, you’d better go by Cheongran.”

As soon as he said that, Jeokmun abruptly stood up.

A wave of searing heat burst from his body.

“Cheongshim, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying we need to correct the child’s identity.

Isn’t it obvious? She bears the blue scales that signify Blue Dragon blood.

Naturally, that makes her a child of the Blue Dragon House.”

“Seems like you only see what you want to see.

Don’t you see the red scales too? Cheongran is Jeokpung’s child.”

“Are you sure…?

It doesn’t look like Cheongran agrees with you.”

As their opposing auras clashed head-on, the entire office was swept into a raging storm.

Papers flew into the air, but none of the people present paid them any attention.

“I told you already. I’m not a Dragonblood.

Didn’t you say Dragonbloods can’t contain two opposing energies?”

“Your words reveal how you’ve been treated all this time. Denying that a Dragonblood child is even a Dragonblood? That’s absurd.”

Cheongshim retorted coldly.

Jeokmun’s face turned red with anger at what he took as an insult to his House.

With a long sigh, he spoke to me.

His breath carried such heat that mirages shimmered in the air.

“Ran… it seems I misspoke. There is nothing impossible for a great Dragonblood. Yes. This proves how strongly you’ve inherited the Red Dragon House’s blood.”

Still twisting the situation however it suits him.

He must have lived his entire life this way.

Now I understood why Dragonbloods were treated poorly outside.

“Hey, Cheongshim…

Before you claim that Ran is from the Blue Dragon House, shouldn’t you first bring in her parents?”

“Hm… you have a point…”

At Jeokmun’s words, Cheongshim’s stance softened slightly.

The moment the chill mixed with the hot air brushed his cheek, his gaze turned to me.

Cheongshim stared at me for a while, then tilted his head and looked toward Jeokpung, who sat in the corner.

Jeokmun also turned to look at Jeokpung.

“Who is it?”

“Pardon…?”

“Jeokpung. If you don’t want your horns broken, you’d better tell the truth.”

“I… I really didn’t…

I swear, I’ve never once met a woman from the Blue Dragon House…”

“Then are you saying this child was born naturally from the world?”

“Jeokpung…

Seems I misjudged you.”

“It’s really not me… ha…”

Jeokpung let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.

He knew too.

These two House heads weren’t the kind to easily believe anything.

They were the kind of men who twisted reality to suit themselves.

Time passed, but the situation remained unresolved.

Despite the continued pressure from both House heads, Jeokpung didn’t speak in the end.

Eventually, Cheongshim sighed and spoke.

“There’s no choice. We must ascend to the Sanctuary and meet the Ancestor.”

At those words, Jeokmun’s eyes twitched.

“You’re serious…? You’d go see the Ancestor over this?”

“Over this? Isn’t this a grave matter for all Dragonbloods?”

“…The Ancestor will be furious.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?

A little scolding?

He’ll be able to determine which bloodline runs stronger in this child.”

In the end, it was decided that we would go meet the Dragonblood Ancestors.

I tilted my head at the two men.

“Excuse me. Ancestors? What are you talking about?”

“Ah. So Ran doesn’t know yet.”

“Unbelievable.

Don’t tell me they never even explained that?”

Jeokmun and Cheongshim rushed to explain to me—

about the sanctuary where the remains of the Dragonblood Ancestors and former House heads were enshrined.

“Is that ancestor of yours still alive?”

“Hmm…”

The two heads of household exchanged glances at my question.

“Should we say they’re still alive?”

“They only left behind a fragment…”

“A fragment?”

A piece of scale and soul, they said…?

For some reason, the story intrigued me. I had planned to leave this land tonight, but it looked like I’d have to postpone that plan.

“I suppose I should prepare…”

The next day.

At the crack of dawn, I was dragged off by handmaidens for a full-body cleansing and was dressed in a splendid outfit.

They tried to stick ornaments into my hair, but when I flinched and shook my head in alarm, they backed off without protest.

Once everything was ready, I began ascending the mountain with the three people I had met yesterday.

The stairs were so clean that not even a single leaf was visible, which suggested they were swept daily.

There was something powerful about the mountain’s energy. It felt like stepping into the snowy peaks of Kashpa.

The trees, nurtured by abundant mana, were nothing like the ones from other regions—their size alone was different.

Glimmering golden ropes, extending upward around a massive tree, swayed faintly in the early morning breeze.

Long talismans fluttered in the wind, adding to the mystical atmosphere.

None of the people climbing the mountain were ordinary, so even though we were walking, our pace was swift.

It didn’t even take an hour to reach the summit of the towering mountain.

We could’ve made it faster if we had run, but it seemed there was some rule forbidding running in this sanctuary.

“We’ve arrived.”

It was a colossal shrine.

It seemed to have been well maintained over the years, but time had still left its mark.

The worn traces here and there created a sacred, almost divine ambiance.

Just as I crossed the golden rope encircling the shrine, I felt it—a powerful gaze coming from inside. It was as if some massive being was silently watching me.

Just like when I stood before the remnants of Kashpa, I found myself struggling to breathe.

“This is…”

“Ran. What are you doing?”

I shook my head at Jeokmun’s call and followed him closely.

The moment we pushed open the shrine’s aged doors and stepped inside, I couldn’t help but be shocked.

It was a disturbing sight.

“These are…”

“The former heads of the clan. Don’t be afraid.”

At Jeokmun’s words, I looked around hesitantly.

Lining the path on both sides were the mummified remains of Dragonbloods.

Had they resembled the Dragonbloods I usually saw, I wouldn’t have been this surprised.

But they were more monster than human—more like lizard-shaped beings.

Though they still had humanoid arms and legs, their elongated heads resembled dragons.

Tails protruded beneath their waists, and other such details stood out.

Each mummy looked different. Some had no tails, while others had something like wings stretched out from their backs.

“What is this…”

Past the line of mummies, something massive loomed ahead, its mouth wide open.

At first, I didn’t know what it was. But after blinking and letting my gaze take in the surroundings, I finally saw the full picture.

It was a dragon’s head, mouth agape.

It had lost all color, its entire surface a pale gray, devoid of life.

And then, the realization hit me.

As the mana within me resonated with the mana filling the space around us, I came to understand one thing.

This mountain wasn’t naturally formed.

It was the petrified remains of a massive dragon—its body having hardened over countless years.

This was the truth behind the mountain that the Dragonbloods called their sanctuary.