Chapter 534: Curse of the Dragon’s Blood.

Sin is passed down through blood to future generations.

This is what Am-wang heard from his father when he was young.

The words that ancestral sins carried over and accumulated karma upon them.

The most frequent words Am-wang heard from his father were apologies.

[I’m sorry for giving birth to you.]

[I shouldn’t have given birth to you.]

Though they were bitter words in a way, Am-wang understood as he listened to the stories.

It was a situation that couldn’t be helped.

A monster that wanted to be human gave birth to a monster.

The child born was hoped to be human, but because the blood was potent, it could not be.

This was the father’s wish.

Separate from his regrets, the reason Am-wang was born a monster was his father’s wish.

About twenty years after Am-wang was born.

His father passed away.

The sight of him dying while offering apologies to Am-wang, as always.

For some reason, he wore a happy smile.

Am-wang, who slumped down before his tombstone, had a blank expression instead.

It’s not that he wasn’t sad.

He felt emotions, but they weren’t strong enough to contort his expression.

Only then did Am-wang realize that he was indeed a monster.

Furthermore, he felt he understood why his father had left with such a smile.

“Are you happy now that you’ve passed it on?”

These were the words asked towards the tombstone.

This blood curse is cruel.

It forces emotions down, and one’s appearance can sometimes change grotesquely.

As if to prove its monstrous nature, physical abilities were outstanding, but it was just a monster.

His father called this curse the Curse of Dragon’s Blood (龍血).

He said it was a curse bestowed by a dragon.

Possessing the blood of a dragon, but failing to become a dragon, falling disgracefully.

That wasn’t scary. It meant he didn’t care if he couldn’t become a dragon or whatever.

This curse had one problem.

Because it couldn’t become a dragon, it yearned for it, yet it also wailed, wanting to live as a human.

And yet.

It was a curse that made one despise and look down on humans.

A power that causes one to rampage, encompassing all sorts of contradictions.

That was the essence of Dragon’s Blood.

Moreover, when this blood awakens, a voice echoes in one’s mind.

-Serve the dragon.

Someone unknown constantly brought up the topic.

Oh, you who could not become a dragon, serve the dragon.

A persistent voice heard every day.

It was an echo that never disappeared, no matter how tired or how much one wailed.

There was only one way to escape such a curse.

That was to bear a child and escape the curse.

The persistent blood, which prevented even death, would not let go unless someone was born to take its place.

Am-wang’s father gave birth to Am-wang to escape this.

To pass on the curse, one bears a child.

Only then can one be freed and die. It truly was a wicked curse.

The mother who gave birth had died.

Until the moment of his death, the father never spoke of Am-wang’s mother.

The father, who had passed on the Curse of Dragon’s Blood, closed his eyes in the year Am-wang turned twenty.

The one who kept offering apologies, saying he was so sorry, wore the happiest smile in the world at the moment of his death.

What remained now was the life of Am-wang, who had turned twenty and whose blood had awakened.

Before his father’s tombstone, Am-wang made a vow.

To break this curse and stop its descent.

Unlike his father, he would not pass it to future generations, but would meet his own death.

He lived that way.

-Serve the dragon.

He lived enduring the voice echoing in his ears.

-Kill those lowly, inferior beings.

His emotions were dry and twisted.

Perhaps because he had become a monster, his gaze towards humans was endlessly cold.

And it was the same when dealing with them, so killing felt no different.

Am-wang had talent.

Furthermore, because the curse contained ‘abilities,’ harming someone was not difficult.

He wasn’t intoxicated by the power, but he consistently utilized it.

As time flowed, he eventually came to be called Am-wang (Dark King), reaching the pinnacle of assassins.

As he gained power, other assassins began to gather around him.

The Iron Night Assassination Squad was thus formed.

That was merely a hundred years ago…

“Wait a minute… what?”

I, who had been listening intently to Am-wang’s words, interrupted him.

Am-wang, who had been calmly explaining, shut his mouth and looked at me.

It was stranger to me that he looked at me as if asking why.

Did I hear wrong? Something definitely felt off.

“…A hundred years ago? You just said a hundred years ago, didn’t you.”

“That is correct.”

The Iron Night Assassination Squad was formed a hundred years ago?

While it’s rare for a master like Am-wang to live that long, it’s not unheard of.

‘…Looking at the flow of the story. It feels like he lived much longer than that.’

As I listened to the story Am-wang told, tales from much further back than a hundred years were coming out.

Which means…

“…Senior, how old are you, by any chance.”

“I haven’t counted since I passed 150.”

“…”

I had to shut my mouth at his casually spoken words.

‘…150?’

I definitely heard that.

150 years old? And the fact that he hasn’t counted since then means he’s even older.

‘That guy looks young.’

Judging solely by Am-wang’s appearance, he didn’t look like that at all.

While it’s one thing for the Martial Lord to have achieved rejuvenation, making him look younger.

Am-wang, even generously estimated, didn’t look even forty.

Even though his skin had changed and looked a bit strange now, when he had white hair and white eyes, he was a handsome man.

Someone like that is 150 years old…

At an age far exceeding my expectations, I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

As I stared blankly at Am-wang, he began to speak as if to provide further explanation.

“The curse does not permit even death.”

“That… does it mean you have immortality or something?”

A curse that doesn’t permit even death.

Should that even be called a curse?

At the very least.

“…If you can’t die of old age, isn’t there also being killed by someone else?”

If one desires death, they can be killed by someone. If suicide is impossible.

There could be poisoning, and other methods too.

Why couldn’t that be done?

Just as such doubts began to sprout.

“Because it does not permit death from beings of a lower species than oneself.”

“Hoho, what a truly fucked-up story.”

Hearing the story, I couldn’t help but blurt out a curse.

What kind of species are they to cause such a shitty situation?

Moreover.

‘The lineage of the Yeon family.’

The family of Yeon Il-cheon, who saved the world. The Geumcheon Yeon family.

If their bloodline received such a curse.

Why on earth…?

“…Do you not know how such a curse came to be?”

“It is recorded that the curse was received because a great dragon became enraged.”

A great dragon became enraged and received the Curse of Dragon’s Blood.

‘A great dragon….’

As I tried to recall, one figure naturally came to mind.

‘Blood Demon.’

He was the only one suspected to be a dragon, so if anyone cast a curse, it would have been him.

The Blood Demon cursed Yeon Il-cheon’s blood.

Is that the conclusion to be drawn? Right after recalling that far.

I said what I had been wanting to continue telling Am-wang.

“But, Senior.”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you just treat me more casually?”

Please, straighten your kneeling knees. The abrupt shift to formal speech was giving me chills, making me feel like I was going crazy.

“Why are you acting like this….”

“…”

At my words, Am-wang paused for a moment.

“Hmm.”

After letting out a short hum, he moved his body slightly.

Then.

“…!”

Before I knew it, Am-wang’s dagger was touching the end of my neck.

No, it didn’t touch. Am-wang stopped just before it did.

‘What is this?’

Never mind that I couldn’t track Am-wang’s movements.

I felt a surge of killing intent.

He definitely seemed to intend to kill me.

But for some reason, the attack stopped.

Wondering what was going on, I looked at Am-wang, and he retracted his dagger, saying to me.

“I cannot harm you, nor can I do anything less than the utmost courtesy I am capable of.”

“…And if I don’t do that?”

“I must.”

Hmm.

So, what Am-wang meant was that he had to act like that towards me, even if he didn’t want to.

And that he couldn’t attack me.

Was he showing me this as proof?

I lightly brushed my neck, which felt cold.

It was slightly irritating that I couldn’t even react.

“…Alright. I think I understand everything.”

Yes, Am-wang has some curse on him.

I understand that he’s become a half-baked dragon, and that because I became a dragon, he has to act this way towards me.

“So, what is it that you wish of me, Senior?”

What does Am-wang wish of me right now?

I needed to know that precisely.

‘He asked me to break his curse, didn’t he.’

To break his own curse. That’s what Am-wang asked of me.

‘How can I break that?’

Even if he asked me to break it, I had no way to help.

No, even if there was a way, I’d need to know it to break it.

‘How can I break it if I don’t know the method?’

Given the situation, even with Am-wang acting like this, I don’t know what to do.

Regarding this, Am-wang said.

“It was said that meeting a dragon would resolve it. That they would know.”

I frowned at his words.

Meeting a dragon would resolve it?

“…Who said something like that?”

That meeting a dragon would solve the curse? If it was a judgment that since a dragon cast the curse, a dragon would remove it, then maybe.

But if someone told him that, it was a different story.

It meant someone gave him that information.

I asked Am-wang with a somewhat serious expression.

“Taecheon (太天).”

He replied like this.

“The master of Taecheon said so.”

“Taecheon… Taecheon?”

At those words, my eyes widened.

If it’s Taecheon… could it be?

“…Are you referring to the demonic realm to the northeast?”

Taecheon’s demonic realm.

It refers to an open demonic realm near the border region of Zhongyuan, the Black Dragon River area.

Unlike regular demonic realm gates or True Demonic Realm Gates that spew out demons.

Several open demonic realms managed by the Murim Alliance.

The furthest demonic realm among them was like that.

But.

‘Master.’

The word ‘master’ that Am-wang uttered.

That word struck me particularly deeply. The meaning of ‘master’ here ultimately is.

‘It means the master of the world called Taecheon.’

It would be the same as saying the master of the world.

So, Am-wang met the master of the world called Taecheon.

And heard from him that meeting a dragon could break the curse.

‘What kind of guy is he to say that, anyway?’

Not only did a being from another world suddenly appear.

It was strange that he talked about dragons.

“Does that mean… perhaps it’s related to why you are here, Senior?”

“Yes.”

Am-wang answered without hesitation to my question.

The reason Am-wang is here.

He certainly must have the Martial Lord’s request too, but I thought of something else first.

“What about the Black Dragon Sword?”

The clear reason I came to Sichuanhang.

It was Am-wang who instantly disposed of the Black Dragon Sword when it transformed into a bizarre form.

Does that mean this is also related?

“Taecheon said it. That to break the curse, one must meet a dragon. So, he said he would tell me the dragon’s location.”

Am-wang’s stiff formal speech continued to grate on my ears, but I didn’t point it out.

“That was the deal to hear that.”

“…If it was that?”

“To eliminate the stray apostle.”

Apostle?

The fact that he answered that way regarding the reason for finding the Black Dragon Sword.

‘Does it mean the Black Dragon Sword was Taecheon’s apostle?’

Judging just by the words, he seems like a master from another world.

It meant the Black Dragon Sword was such a master’s apostle.

Leaving aside how such a process unfolded.

Then that means…

‘…That’s why the guy who was supposed to be dead came back to life.’

The reason the Black Dragon Sword, which met its death by the Sword Saint, is alive.

If that was the intervention of a high being from another world, it roughly fits.

Although there were a few questions.

“Then, why did you, Senior, bother to deal with the Black Dragon Sword right away?”

The reason Am-wang had to come all the way to the Dragon Temple to kill the Black Dragon Sword.

I couldn’t understand this.

To this question, Am-wang tilted his head slightly and said to me.

“That was the best method.”

“Specifically.”

“I had to approach the Black Dragon Sword. And that fellow was hoping for my help at the time. So, I used him.”

“…!”

At Am-wang’s nonchalantly spoken words, I finally realized about the black barrier that had spread throughout the Dragon Temple at the time.

“…Was that… your doing, Senior?”

Every time I recalled it, I thought it felt familiar.

I wondered what it was.

‘It’s similar to the barrier used when killing me hundreds of times.’

The curtain that was spread all night, supposedly to help my training.

Was this the reason the power I saw back then seemed similar?

The reason Am-wang suddenly appeared at the Dragon Temple.

I could only realize this belatedly.

Was this the reason?

To obtain information to find a dragon.

For that, he was fulfilling Taecheon’s request.

“…And by fulfilling the request like that. You met me?”

“Yes.”

He met me at the Dragon Temple, resonating with him.

Finding it strange, he followed along with the Martial Lord’s request, and ended up shedding his skin and becoming a dragon like this.

Is that what this means?

‘What kind of fucked-up coincidence is this.’

I denied my own thoughts inwardly.

This isn’t mere coincidence.

It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.

No matter how much I wished it were a coincidence.

‘Taecheon…’

Perhaps that unknown fellow knew I would become a dragon.

So, perhaps he sent Am-wang to get involved with me while dealing with the Black Dragon Sword.

This was purely a delusion, but I had a hunch it wasn’t wrong.

‘Why was the Black Dragon Sword removed?’

I don’t know what kind of guy he is, but if the Black Dragon Sword is his apostle, why did he get rid of it now?

‘…Taecheon was in the Black Dragon River.’

The demonic realm that could at least be entered.

Of course, the Murim Alliance and various families’ martial artists were stationed around it, so I couldn’t enter.

It was a relatively easy location to find.

The distance being shitty was the problem, though.

‘I should go there.’

I decided to go there.

Even if it’s impossible in the near future. It means I’ll add it to my to-do list.

Furthermore, seeing that Am-wang is still answering, it seems possible to obtain information.

Before that, I had to finish the conversation we were having earlier.

“I don’t know how to break your curse, Senior.”

I answered honestly.

Because I didn’t want to play games by pretending I knew how.

“…”

Even though I answered with that intention, Am-wang’s expression remained the same.

What?

Is this not it? I looked at Am-wang with strange eyes.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“…Yes?”

I had to pause for a moment at his reply.

It doesn’t matter?

Just moments ago, he was kneeling and begging me to break his curse. As I wondered what strange thing he was saying.

“If you cannot break my curse, I have another request.”

“Another one?”

Does he wish for something else from me besides breaking his curse?

“What is it?”

I asked, for now.

Because I needed to know what it was to either accept or refuse.

As I asked Am-wang with a dubious expression, he immediately gave his answer.

And then.

“Right here, right now”

Hearing Am-wang’s words, I had to hold my breath.

“Please kill me.”

“…!”

A terrifying statement uttered in a dry, parched voice.

‘This…’

Seeing those words and his gaze, I realized that Am-wang’s request from the beginning was the same.

The plea to break his curse.

And this current request were ultimately the same thing.

What Am-wang wished of me from the start was that.

He.

“And so, I implore you, please save me.”

Had been wishing for his own death from the very beginning.