Chapter 680: Dragon Dragon Dragon (Dragon Dragon Figurine)

Clearly, until just now, all sorts of idle chatter could be heard from around me.

In an instant, everywhere became quiet.

No, rather, though the sound died down, shall I say the gazes became more numerous?

It felt like glances directed this way were piling up abundantly.

‘Fuck this.’

I was faced with the damned situation I least wanted to experience.

I came here on the first day precisely to avoid this kind of situation. It means I’ve completely messed it up.

‘That bastard, really.’

I had to frown while looking at the damned bastard who created this situation.

A handsome young man with black hair and black eyes is visible.

Considering it’s ‘that’ family, where burly men are abundant, his decent physique and handsome appearance are impressive.

Someone said that person was a mutant.

That’s correct.

It’s definitely correct that such an appearance being born into the ‘Peng family,’ which is full of rough and eccentric martial artists, makes him a mutant.

‘Peng Woojin.’

The young man is the Peng family’s young master.

He was the previous generation’s Divine Dragon, Peng Woojin.

‘No, that’s not right. Should I call him Piseongdo now?’

What was it again? I heard Peng Woojin’s nickname changed after he resolved some incident.

I don’t know the details.

It wasn’t something I was particularly interested in.

The problem is that Piseongdo is now approaching me with a bright smile.

“It’s been a long time!”

“…”

“I don’t know how long it’s been since we last met. Seems like about three or four years, doesn’t it? Isn’t that right, Young Master Gu?”

Damn it.

It was a voice loud enough to crush the noise that had been heard from around.

Thanks to that, the extraneous chatter disappeared, but subtle whispers began to be heard.

“Piseongdo… Isn’t he the current Peng family’s young master?”

“To think I’d see the heir of a prestigious family on the very first day. This is good luck.”

“But who is Piseongdo pretending to know now? Does anyone know?”

“From what Piseongdo just said, it seems like he clearly mentioned the Sanxiu Gu family…”

The voices, which were puzzled like that, changed not long after.

“If it’s the Sanxiu Gu family, isn’t that a family of chivalrous heroes? And furthermore… Ah!”

One of the men, seemingly having noticed something, shouted while looking at me.

“Little Yama!”

Fuck.

“If you mean the young man from the Gu family! Isn’t it Little Yama!”

“Little Yama? If it’s Little Yama…!”

“Are you talking about the young hero who prevented the massacre at the Divine Dragon Pavilion?”

“That young man is Little Yama?”

Perhaps recalling the conversation that had barely quieted down, all sorts of gazes that were directed at Peng Woojin are now focused on me.

Not only ordinary people, but even the martial artists registering for the martial arts tournament looked this way.

Was my nickname really that famous?

Since I hadn’t heard any rumors, I thought it had just faded away.

‘Maybe it’s because things like ‘Flash Whatever’ and ‘Forest Wind Whatever’ are famous.’

It’s a situation where they even recognize nicknames I’ve never even heard of.

“That guy… Little Yama?”

“To look at him, he doesn’t seem that strong… No, wait. His face looks strong.”

“It’s not just strong. He’s scary? And quite a lot?”

“Why do his eyes look like that?”

“Hey! Who was that last person?”

As I growled and shouted, the onlookers were startled and scattered.

Saying why someone’s face looks like that… Just let them get caught by me.

‘I remembered their faces.’

Grinding my teeth with a ‘grrr’ sound, I sighed.

Then, I looked at the guy who made this situation.

“Hahaha.”

As if he was very excited about something, he let out his characteristic laugh.

That bastard, I didn’t like him from the first meeting anyway, but to think he’d give me such a big screw-you like this.

Lifting the corners of my mouth that wouldn’t easily go up, I managed a smile.

“Hieek!”

“Such a scary smile!”

‘Damn it.’

Trying to smile was counterproductive. So, I decided to just act like usual.

“Young Master Peng.”

“It’s truly nice to meet you. To think I’d see you here.”

“Are you participating in the martial arts tournament too, Young Master Peng…?”

“Yes. Coincidentally, since such a big festival is being held again, I couldn’t resist.”

Surely not, to think Peng Woojin would participate in the martial arts tournament.

‘I thought he wouldn’t be interested in this kind of thing.’

He couldn’t resist because it’s a festival?

‘Indeed, thinking back to our first meeting, it’s not really that unusual for that guy to do strange things.’

A guy who is the young master of a prestigious family abruptly participated in the Nine Dragons Association and said he would become a sword attendant.

Seeing that, I could tell at once that he wasn’t a normal guy either.

Moreover, as Peng Woojin is also a martial artist, participating in the martial arts tournament was, in a way, a natural thing.

However.

‘The problem is that he’s the young master.’

The young master of a great family literally means the person who will become the head of the family in the next generation.

‘Therefore, if the young master shows weakness, it deals a blow to the family in itself.’

Not to mention the head of the family, the young master was no different.

As he is the person who will become the face of the family in the future, the young master’s competence or strength will be a major influence on the family.

‘If he’s acting so recklessly, does it mean he’s confident?’

Or perhaps, like me in my previous life, he might have thrown away that kind of dignity to the dogs.

If it’s that guy, it seemed quite possible.

“I was filled with excitement, perhaps thinking I might see Young Master Gu. Seeing you like this, I’m so glad.”

“Excitement? What are you talking about.”

“How could I not be excited? Seeing you makes the world this bright!”

The surroundings murmured at Peng Woojin’s words, which were close to praise.

“…Excitement? That’s a bit awkward to say between men.”

“I heard Piseongdo hasn’t gotten engaged. Surely not…?”

“You crazy bastards!? No!”

A ridiculous misunderstanding seemed to arise, so I screamed.

Creepily, who are you linking with whom!

As I yelled out in anger, Peng Woojin, who was in front of me, tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?”

“No. I just heard some bullshit.”

While talking with Peng Woojin, I waved my hand behind me.

It meant asking the registration staff to quickly give me something.

Then, the registration staff, seemingly having noticed, hurriedly handed something into my hand.

It was a wooden token embedded with a small jewel.

It was a mark signifying that registration was completed.

“The explanation… about that token…”

“I know, so it’s fine.”

“Yes?”

Without listening to the explanation about the token, I put it in my pocket.

“The token is something recently made by the Alliance, so you should listen to the explanation…!”

“I know. It’s for identity verification, isn’t it?”

As if to show off, I infused my breath into the jewel embedded in the token.

Then, a small light came on in the jewel.

At the same time, a light came on in the jewel placed on the table.

“See?”

“Ah, yes… yes.”

I linked the jewel in the token with that jewel.

This was an item made by the Alliance that allowed for more certain confirmation of the other party’s identity.

‘An item that would normally come out one or two years later coming out now means…’

‘Perhaps it’s a change that occurred when the Sorcerer Sword Immortal became the Alliance Leader.’

‘Most such items are made by the Sorcerers.’

‘I need to finish quickly and escape. Tsk.’

‘Since it’s become like this, let’s just escape before more conversation happens.’

With that thought, I intended to finish up and move.

“Then, Young Master Peng. It was nice meeting you. See you next time.”

After giving Peng Woojin a casual greeting, just as I was about to leave this place with quick steps.

Grip-!

Peng Woojin grabbed me as I was passing by.

“Young Master Gu. Where are you going? Meeting again like this is fate!”

“No… I have some business to attend to-“

The moment I tried to shake off the annoying hand that grabbed me and escape.

‘Hmm?’

The hand holding my sleeve won’t properly let go.

The strength was considerable.

If I were to force it off, I could, but seeing as I wasn’t applying much strength either.

‘Oh?’

A strange feeling is felt.

‘Like Gu Huibi too, and this guy…’

Peng Woojin also seemed to have reached a higher level.

He was already at the peak of mastery, but judging by the feeling, it wasn’t just that level.

Did he perhaps reach Hua Jing?

Thinking of this, a hollow laugh naturally escaped me.

‘Really, anyone and everyone is reaching it.’

If that’s true, it’s a truly absurd situation.

Hua Jing is not a realm easily reached, and it’s a realm that even a talented martial artist might reach or not after training for a lifetime.

How come every person I meet is at this level?

I felt like the faster I got stronger in this life, the more other people’s levels were rising.

‘This is fucking unfair.’

Someone is training until their bones break, gobbling up every stroke of luck, and rising.

Anyway, these bastards called geniuses.

“Haa…”

Sighing, I applied a little strength.

Thump-!

Although I felt a strange sensation, I could easily release the grip.

“Oh…?”

Then Peng Woojin uttered a short exclamation.

He seemed not to have known it would come off like this.

“I am glad since it’s been a long time, but I have some business to attend to.”

“Still, it’s exactly lunchtime, so how about we have a meal together?”

As soon as I heard it, I had to react with disgust.

‘A meal? You guy!’

We aren’t particularly close friends, and you want to eat just the two of us with another man?

‘I’ll probably get indigestion. Rather than that, I’d rather not eat.’

Since it was an absurd suggestion, I was about to just pass by.

“No, it’s fine-“

“There’s a great restaurant nearby famous for dumplings, wouldn’t it be good if we ate together?”

“…Dumplings?”

Stopping the words I was about to spit out, I looked at Peng Woojin.

…Dumplings?

‘No… Get a grip.’

Erasing the desire that arose for a moment, I shook my head.

No matter how much I like dumplings, this wasn’t it.

“I’m sorry, but let’s have a meal next time…”

“Dumplings are here!”

“…Huh?”

As I was trying hard to refuse and speak.

When I came to my senses, my body had already entered some inn.

“…”

Surely not, did my body follow without listening?

Unable to resist the temptation of dumplings?

What an absurd thing this is.

Even worse.

“You seem to like it. That’s fortunate.”

“Damn it.”

My hand was already picking up and eating dumplings.

It’s delicious. Damn delicious.

‘Of all places, this restaurant!’

Tasting the dumplings, I realized.

I knew the place.

How could I not know?

This place is my favorite restaurant in Hanam, even without this.

It was a place I’d come to eat alone if I had nothing to do, and Peng Woojin brought me here.

“I’ve been here a few times, and the taste here is really good.”

Bastard… Aside from not liking him, he seems to know how to eat dumplings. I like him a little.

“Yes, it tastes good.”

“If you like it, I’ll ask for takeout when you leave. I can buy that much for my Young Master Gu.”

“Then, please give me ten.”

“…That’s quite a lot more than expected.”

Hearing the number, Peng Woojin made a bitter expression.

He’s rich, so why is he acting like this over something like this?

‘Since he said he’d buy it, I reduced it by half when I said it, you know.’

If I were alone, ten is nothing? I probably would have packed and taken twenty.

Saying ten was pure consideration.

“Would you like some alcohol too?”

“No. I dislike alcohol a bit.”

“Oh, that’s quite unexpected.”

Is that so?

“Do I look like I like alcohol?”

“No, not necessarily, but someone who definitively says they don’t drink is refreshing, you see.”

“I don’t want to ruin my appetite with something that doesn’t taste good.”

It was like that since my previous life.

Even though there were days when I craved alcohol, I never drank it to enjoy it.

I drank it when the Heavenly Demon gave it to me to drink, or on days when I couldn’t endure without drinking, but I didn’t drink alone that often.

“Then let’s just enjoy our meal.”

“You can drink, right, Young Master Peng?”

“I don’t like alcohol either.”

Huh?

“But why would you drink…”

“If you were drinking, I intended to match you with a toast or so, even if I wasn’t drinking. But since you’re not drinking, I’m really pleased. Haven’t we even come to resemble each other in taste?”

“Those are truly world-disgusting words.”

It was a story that would lower my appetite more than alcohol would.

As I was eating another bite of dumpling with a deep frown, Peng Woojin asked me a question.

“Isn’t the Sleeping Dragon around? I heard you travel together.”

“Are there such rumors?”

“It’s not exactly a rumor, but I heard that much.”

Hearing it’s not a rumor but still heard it, what kind of bullshit is that?

“I thought I’d see his face after a long time, but it’s a shame.”

Real regret was visible in Peng Woojin’s expression.

Seeing that, I thought.

‘Come to think of it, I heard the two of them are acquaintances.’

I don’t know how close they are, but I heard that Peng Woojin and Woo Hyuk know each other.

“Indeed, since he’s a Taoist, he probably can’t eat dumplings. Even if I call him, only regret will be shown.”

“…”

Hearing that, they didn’t seem that close.

‘Seeing that he doesn’t know that guy eats meat.’

Although Woo Hyuk is a Taoist, he used to eat all sorts of delicacies casually.

Seeing Guai Xian do that, he probably learned from his master.

‘…No matter how much I think about it, all the people around me are not normal.’

As I recall the people I consider friends, my head is starting to hurt.

As expected, this was a world where a normal person like me couldn’t survive with a sound mind.

Let’s stay sharp.

If this continues, I might become a strange person too.

Thinking that, I nodded.

Taking a bite of dumplings too.

“Even if I call him, wouldn’t there be a big problem? A Taoist can eat dumplings too.”

“…Hmm?”

This statement seemed strange even to Peng Woojin, as his expression subtly changed.

Right, even that Peng Woojin finds it strange that a Taoist eats meat, but Woo Hyuk and Guai Xian, who manage to do that, are indeed crazy people.

Moreover.

“Even a Buddhist monk eats meat… so what’s the big deal if a Taoist eats it.”

This was the same for the person eating over there on one side.

Clatter-!

At my words, someone who was eating quietly in the corner startled and flinched.

At that reaction, Peng Woojin’s head also turned.

An embarrassed feeling was present on his face.

“…Oh my… I was trying to pretend I didn’t know.”

Peng Woojin tried hard to pretend he didn’t see, but…

I did not want to do that.

Seeing that, how could I not tease him?

“Rather, for this kind of thing, pretending to know makes the other person comfortable. It’s a form of consideration.”

“…Is that so?”

At my words, Peng Woojin widened his eyes as if it were a fact he didn’t know.

“From now on, I should do that. Thank you for the good teaching.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Waving my hand as if it were nothing, I looked again and said.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear; just come over here?”

“…Gulp… Cough!”

Then, as if he choked, the sound of a dry cough was heard particularly loudly.

Following that, at my words, a young man finally turned his head this way.

As if he ate quite diligently, grease was glistening around his mouth, and golden eyes were clearly visible inside his cloak, which seemed to be trying to hide them.

Seeing that, I smirked.

“We meet again?”

“…”

The hope of Shaolin and currently called the youngest Hua Jing, the strongest late-stage disciple.

Divine Dragon Yu Yeon sharply furrowed his brow at my words.