Chronicles of the Silver Dragon, Episode 8
Chapter 2. The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult Invites the Boy
“Head to the main cult immediately and request reinforcements!”
With a stiff expression, Heukwol ordered the Heukwol Squad, who had just regained consciousness.
“We will set out to track the whereabouts of that mysterious master and the young lady.”
At Heukwol’s words, which even showed a resolute will, the entire Heukwol Squad nodded with solemn expressions.
They knew full well that the existence they were about to pursue was a terrifying being who had trampled them—who ranked among the top ten of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s Elder Council martial forces—as if they were infants.
But even so, they could not simply sit idle and wait.
Just as the Heukwol Squad was about to move out to find Sawollin.
“What are you guys doing?”
“Urk!”
At the suddenly heard voice, everyone jumped in fright and turned their heads toward the direction of the sound. And there, they found Sawollin looking at them with a slightly blank and dazed expression.
“Y-Young Lady!”
At Heukwol’s urgent call, Sawollin asked with a deep sigh.
“What is it, Uncle Heukwol?”
“A-Are you alright? Anywhere you are hurt…”
“None.”
At Heukwol’s question, Sawollin shook her head back and forth and answered.
“Were you not captured by that vicious person? How did you escape? Did he perhaps do anything strange…”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
When Sawollin scrunched up her face at Heukwol’s words, only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
“But… how did you really escape…”
“Sigh, it’s just… I bought him alcohol and something tasty, so he let me go?”
“Huh?”
At Sawollin’s words, Heukwol’s eyes went wide.
Sawollin ignored the likes of Heukwol, smacked her lips with regret, and looked back at the place where she had parted with Je Hwa.
“Wow~ I ate well!”
Je Hwa, who had been smiling brightly with a satisfied expression, suddenly whipped his head around and waved his hand at Sawollin, who was looking at him.
“Bye~ Take care. If we meet again, buy me something tasty again.”
Watching Je Hwa disappear with a swift leap, Sawollin let out a deep sigh at an inexplicable sense of regret.
Even now, thinking back on it, Sawollin still felt regretful, and she recalled the innkeeper’s words from earlier.
The innkeeper had definitely called the boy “Je Hwa.”
At that moment, Sawollin’s eyes sparkled.
“Uncle Heukwol.”
“Yes, young lady.”
As Heukwol answered, Sawollin pointed at the village with her finger.
“Find out about a person called Je Hwa in that village over there.”
“Huh?”
At Sawollin’s sudden words, Heukwol made a puzzled expression and then nodded.
“Understood. But who is he?”
“The guy who thrashed the Heukwol Squad like dogs earlier.”
“…….”
At Sawollin’s words, Heukwol’s face stiffened.
“Do we… really have to investigate him?”
“You don’t want to? Then I’ll do it myself.”
“…….”
When Heukwol seemed reluctant, Sawollin spoke with a nonchalant expression, and in the end, Heukwol had no choice but to swallow his tears and follow her orders.
“I will investigate as quickly as possible.”
At those words, Sawollin smiled brightly and said.
“Good luck~”
“He was really eighteen?”
When Sawollin asked with a dumbfounded expression, Heukwol added.
“He was found in the village when he was very young and grew up there. Since childhood, he was called the child of the Snow Woman, and they say he doesn’t feel the cold at all. They say a child who looked about five years old slept in a cold snowy field for a month and was perfectly fine.”
“What kind of person is he?”
“Could he be a master who has achieved rejuvenation?”
“No matter how much rejuvenation, would he regress to the appearance of a five-year-old? Besides, after talking with him… he really seemed to know nothing about martial arts. He looked at an internal energy cultivation manual with a serious expression and asked if you eat it?”
“It could be an act.”
“Then why would he act?”
“Who knows…”
If I knew that, would I be a warrior? I’d be a fortune teller.
“Could he have lost his memory?”
“That’s also possible. Given his silver-tinged hair and pupils, and the fact that he doesn’t feel the cold, it seems certain he has mastered ice-attribute martial arts. When he was attacked, a powerful chill could also be felt.”
“Hmm….”
At his words, Sawollin stroked her chin and asked.
“Heukwol, is it possible to accumulate internal energy in the heart?”
“Absolutely impossible. You’d be lucky if your heart didn’t explode and kill you.”
To Heukwol’s answer, Sawollin said.
“That person… he definitely said energy spread out from his heart. He said he used internal energy for the first time when fighting you, Uncle Heukwol. Earlier, he couldn’t control his internal energy, so the wooden chopstick exploded. That was clearly a phenomenon that happens to someone handling strong internal energy for the first time.”
At Sawollin’s words, Heukwol’s eyes widened in shock.
“There’s no way such a master would use internal energy for the first time. Moreover, you say his power spread from his heart? That’s ridiculous.”
“That’s what I’m saying… but he clearly said with his own mouth that it was his first time using internal energy?”
Sawollin let out a deep sigh as Heukwol began to fall into deep contemplation.
After a moment, Sawollin’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“Isn’t the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult lacking in masters?”
“Y-Young Lady… y-you don’t mean…”
“Hmph, I need a bodyguard… Looking at him, it seems like I can win him over with tasty food?”
“You cannot. What do you intend to do by bringing someone of unknown origins into the cult?”
“No?”
“You cannot.”
When Heukwol was firm, Sawollin asked again with a trembling voice.
“Really?”
Seeing Sawollin on the verge of tears, Heukwol spoke with a deep sigh.
“It really is impossible.”
At Heukwol’s words, Sawollin puffed up her cheeks.
“Ugh! Let’s return to the cult! I’ll tell Father myself!”
In the end, Sawollin sprang to her feet and left the spot.
Watching Sawollin’s retreating figure, Heukwol let out a deep sigh.
***
“Haa, I’m finally back.”
Seonu Ran examined her forehead with a small mirror and let out a deep sigh of relief.
‘That rotten bastard! How dare he touch my forehead!’
Because of her bruised, blue forehead, she couldn’t show her face and had been confined to her room for two days.
She had barely returned to normal, but if she had been an ordinary person, it would have clearly taken several months.
‘You’re dead meat!’
“Ran.”
Just then, a clear voice came from outside the room, and Seonu Ran could tell it belonged to her close friend, Dugu Ling.
“Ling, come in.”
At Seonu Ran’s words, Dugu Ling opened the door and entered.
“You’re much better now?”
“I am… Hmph! That damned bastard, I won’t let him go!”
“Wouldn’t it be better to stop? He looked stronger than you…”
“What!”
When Seonu Ran glared at her words, Dugu Ling flinched and stammered without realizing it.
“Ah, no… I-I’m just worried…”
“Don’t worry! Hmph! For a man to look so delicate… If I set my mind to it and charge at him, I can definitely beat him to a pulp!”
Of course she had no confidence, but taking a beating lying down didn’t suit her temperament, so she firmly resolved that if she met him next time, she would somehow land a blow on his head.
“But why did you come?”
“The rising stars of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult have invited our rising stars to a banquet.”
“Heeh… Then you, me, Zhuge Huan, and Wudang’s Qingxian and Huashan’s Mayugang will go?”
“Right.”
“They say Mahwa is pretty. Wasn’t she said to be the strongest among her peers in the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, despite being a woman?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go. My forehead has returned to normal too.”
Qingxian of Wudang was a rising star in his late twenties, designated as the next sect leader of the Wudang School, called the Taiji Sword, and known as the Cloud Dragon among the Seven Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
Mayugang was also one who had been bestowed the alias of Plum Blossom Sword Expert, a title given to those recognized as the next sect leader of the Huashan School, and was called the Splendid Dragon among the Seven Dragons and Three Phoenixes.
The Cloud Dragon Taiji Sword and the Splendid Dragon Plum Blossom Sword Expert were rising stars renowned throughout the murim.
For reference, Zhuge Huan also held another nickname, Thousand-Li Insight, meaning he looked beyond a thousand li with the eyes of wisdom, in addition to Wisdom Dragon.
Seonu Ran also held another nickname, the Divine Sword Sword Maiden, in addition to Mubong.
“I want to have a bout with Mahwa. Think it’ll happen?”
“Ask her.”
When Seonu Ran tilted her head and asked, Dugu Ling smiled and answered.
***
Bang!
The sect leader’s study in the Cult Leader’s Palace at the center of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was thrown open roughly.
Sawolma, the cult leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, who had been processing documents, looked at the person who roughly opened the door to his office with a blank expression.
Of course, he didn’t need to bother guessing who it was.
Because there was only one brat who would dare barge into his study so fearlessly.
And Sawolma’s judgment was accurate.
His daughter, Sawollin, had roughly opened the door and entered the office.
Seeing Sawollin like that, Sawolma let out a deep sigh.
“Did you finally return after going out to play with the Heukwol Squad some time ago?”
Even at his reproachful words, Sawollin nodded and approached, causing Sawolma to tilt his head.
“Father, you know, you know.”
“What is it now…”
Seeing Sawollin speaking with her eyes sparkling as if burdening him, Sawolma somehow felt uneasy.
“Do you have any thoughts of recruiting one incredible master?”
“A master?”
Sawollin looked at Sawolma, who narrowed his brows with a puzzled expression, and continued nodding with her eyes still sparkling.
“What do you mean, an incredible master?”
“You know, when I went with the Heukwol Squad, I met a boy? But I got into a quarrel with him and we fought… That guy completely wrecked Heukwol and the Heukwol Squad’s First Unit all by himself, you know? So I bought him tasty food to calm him down. Anyway, there’s a master who lightly subdued Heukwol and the Heukwol Squad’s First Unit alone. Don’t you want to recruit him?”