「Kugh…」

Anxious tones escaped from Bodhidharma’s mouth.

Unlike the other spirits they had encountered so far, Bodhidharma was still alive.

However, Yi-gang often thought about one thing.

Bodhidharma was not much different from the spirits he had been living with all this time.

The first similarity was that they were all extremely old.

The Immortal Divine Sword had lived for over a hundred years and spent nearly another century as a spirit.

The youngest among them, the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon, would have become a bent old woman if she were still alive, and there was no need to mention the immortal Zhang Sanfeng.

Even though Bodhidharma had spent nearly a millennium in a cave, he remained the oldest among them all.

To his eyes, even the Divine Monk, the most senior monk of Shaolin, would look like an infant.

「Impatient. So impatient.」

The second similarity was that Bodhidharma, too, was a transcendent being.

Zhang Sanfeng was an immortal who had ascended after slaying a dragon.

Bodhidharma was no different. He was the Great Ancestor who founded Zen Buddhism.

Although Yi-gang wasn’t sure about his martial arts skills, it was clear that Bodhidharma possessed tremendous dharma power—enough to toy with the Unorthodox Union Leader.

And, just like the other transcendent beings Yi-gang had met, Bodhidharma was slightly twisted.

It might sound disrespectful, but perhaps it was accurate to say he was missing a screw somewhere. Or maybe, he was just a bit absent-minded.

Just as the immortal Zhang Sanfeng had shown a surprisingly simple-minded side despite his carefree nature, Bodhidharma—who seemed to have mastered all things—was the same.

The once arrogant and aloof Bodhidharma appeared to become a thousand years younger whenever the topic of dragons came up.

Perhaps living for such a long time led one’s mind to become fixated on a single idea.

Bodhidharma trembled with anticipation as he eagerly awaited Tang Eun-seol’s words.

Brrrrr—

At that moment, he was wrapped around Yi-gang’s left arm.

Feeling an unpleasant sensation, Yi-gang grabbed his left arm.

Bodhidharma stopped trembling, but Tang Eun-seol noticed the oddity.

“Did you hurt your arm?”

“Ah, my left arm….”

Yi-gang paused, choosing his words carefully.

‘I can’t exactly say that the black weapon wrapped around my left arm is acting up.’

“It just feels a little stiff. Anyway, what do you mean by it being difficult?”

“In our Tang Clan, we usually maintain ties with the authorities.”

That was only natural.

For the principle of the inviolability of officials to hold, the cooperation of the authorities was essential.

In other words, regular bribery and fostering friendly relations were crucial.

“The military officer responsible for the border garrison often received gifts from our Tang Clan. The problem is… that officer was beheaded not too long ago.”

“Looks like he might have been transferred elsewhere.”

“No, I mean he was literally executed by beheading.”

“An inspector from Beijing came down. The officer had accepted bribes and, instead of managing the military farmland, he was leasing it out…”

Among the factions that had been bribing the officer, the Sichuan Tang Clan was surely included.

And most likely, the largest amount came from the Tang Clan.

“We had a rough time because of that.”

Though the Tang Clan had faced difficulties, Yi-gang didn’t consider it important.

But he was wrong.

“Originally, a qianhu was in charge of this battalion. But now, the number of soldiers has been increased fivefold. The commander has been appointed directly and arrived with the inspector.”

“…Ah.”

“The border defenses have been drastically reinforced. Because of that, we had to spend about five thousand gold nyang.”

Five thousand gold nyang—that was truly an astronomical sum.

And Yi-gang felt a slight pang of guilt.

“They say it’s an imperial decree, but they never cared about Sichuan before. Why the sudden interest…?”

“I can’t even begin to guess.”

“Right.”

To prepare for the invasion of the Demon Cult, Yi-gang had informed King Gye-yeong.

He had requested the reinforcement of border defenses.

King Gye-yeong had promised to proceed with it, and it seemed he had kept his word.

Because of that, the Tang Clan suffered unexpected hardships.

While Yi-gang calmly concealed his inner thoughts, Tang Eun-seol frowned.

It seemed as though she suspected something, which made Yi-gang maintain an even more expressionless face.

“Why are you looking so serious?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? You’re clearly looking serious.”

“I said it’s nothing.”

Tang Eun-seol looked puzzled, but faced with Yi-gang’s resolute attitude, she eventually had no choice but to nod.

“The mountain areas are controlled by border patrol soldiers, and the inspector is too fearsome to even approach. I doubt bribes would work on him.”

“What kind of person is this inspector for you to say that?”

“It’s better to give up… because—”

Tang Eun-seol muttered as if she didn’t even want to talk about it.

“A colonel from the Eastern Depot has arrived.”

Yi-gang sensed the discomfort in Tang Eun-seol’s expression.

Such a reaction from a martial artist toward the Eastern Depot was only natural.

Even for Tang Eun-seol, the cherished daughter of the Tang Clan, the ruler of Sichuan, and someone who had survived fifteen days among poisons in the Well of Ten Thousand Poisons, the Eastern Depot was something to avoid.

The Eastern Depot—those sinister figures who, backed by the imperial family, roamed freely through the sects of the Central Plains as though they owned them.

“That’s why we should just give up on the whole dragon matter and take a detour through the Qinghai region.”

Yi-gang realized just how powerful the people he used to deal with in the imperial palace were.

And he understood.

“It’s fine.”

Tang Eun-seol’s concerns were unnecessary for him.

“I’m acquainted with the Eastern Depot. Just arrange a meeting for me.”

Tang Eun-seol narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

But the very next day, she was dumbfounded.

“Huh?”

Thinking that Yi-gang might be underestimating the Eastern Depot because he didn’t know the ways of the world, she decided to follow him.

After all, even the Eastern Depot wouldn’t dare lay a hand on the cherished daughter of the Tang Clan at the Sichuan border garrison.

However, it was after they had informed the military officer of their arrival and purpose.

The guard, who had gone inside with a suspicious look, came rushing back out.

“P-please wait a moment. The inspector will personally come to greet you.”

Tang Eun-seol let out a hollow laugh.

“I can’t believe this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you have any idea how arrogant the colonel who came here is?”

The Tang Clan had tried multiple times to establish a connection with the commander and the Eastern Depot inspector for formal greetings.

But not once had they agreed to meet with the Tang Clan.

“Well, it’s fine. Looks like it’ll be okay, so I’ll take my leave.”

“You’re leaving? Weren’t you eager to establish a connection?”

“These things are better started through someone else. I worried for nothing.”

With that, Tang Eun-seol waved her hand and left.

It was truly a clean exit.

「A child with a resolute spirit.」

‘Indeed.’

Even Bodhidharma muttered so.

Soon after, the colonel from the Eastern Depot appeared.

He truly seemed to have run out in a hurry, appearing somewhat disheveled.

“You really came.”

“Ah.”

The colonel respectfully performed a martial salute.

The Eastern Depot had once fought alongside those who battled the Seven Great Clans.

Although their relationship could hardly be described as friendly, even those who were stiff-necked toward the heads of the Nine Great Sects bowed deeply before Yi-gang.

“It’s been a long time, Crown Prince’s teacher!”

It had been a while since Yi-gang heard that title.

Yi-gang had once taught the children of King Gye-yeong. Although he had since left the imperial family, the title of Crown Prince’s teacher had not been stripped from him.

With King Gye-yeong’s power having risen to unprecedented heights, it was natural that Yi-gang’s authority had also grown.

“You remain as dignified as ever.”

“Well…”

A small problem arose for Yi-gang.

Unlike the colonel, who greeted him warmly, Yi-gang couldn’t recognize the man.

“I am Park Hyun, who once served under Section Chief Chae.”

“…Section Chief Chae?”

“I fought beside the Admiral.”

“It’s good to see you again, Colonel Park Hyun.”

Sensing that the conversation might drag on, Yi-gang quickly brought it to a close.

Park Hyun led Yi-gang with a bitter smile.

“Of course, you wouldn’t remember someone like me. After all, you fought back-to-back with our admiral. A low-ranking colonel like myself isn’t worth remembering.”

“Well, we didn’t exactly fight back-to-back, but yes, I apologize nonetheless.”

Yi-gang was likely one of the few martial artists respected by the Eastern Depot on par with the Murim Alliance Leader or the Unorthodox Union Leader.

Park Hyun hesitated after hearing Yi-gang’s question.

“Are you talking about the rumor of a dragon appearing?”

He showed a troubled expression for a moment.

“Is it perhaps difficult for you to share the details?”

“No, not at all. How could I keep anything from you? Didn’t you carry King Gye-yeong’s imperial token? Our admiral even gave orders to provide you with the utmost assistance should you appear.”

Although Yi-gang and the Eastern Depot Admiral were not on such friendly terms, Yi-gang nodded.

“We were ordered to strengthen the border defenses here. Part of that involved organizing the areas around the mountain range and the border.

“There are many wanderers beyond the border—people who don’t pay taxes or follow Ming law. Though they speak the same language, their customs and way of thinking are different.”

That much was true.

From western Sichuan onward, the influence of the Ming imperial family did not extend.

Just by entering those mountains, one would encounter many who did not adhere to Ming law.

“We divided our soldiers into squads of twelve and dispersed them in groups of a hundred to scout beyond the border and persuade villagers to return inside.”

“One of those squads came running back in a complete panic not long ago. They said they saw a dragon.”

Bodhidharma trembled once again.

“I wondered if they were lying out of fear of punishment or perhaps they accidentally ate some poisonous mushrooms—but it wasn’t that.”

“Their hair was singed by the fire supposedly breathed by the dragon, and all twelve soldiers said the same thing. They claimed that a guardian dragon protecting the village breathed fire and drove them away.”

The colonel scratched his head, seemingly embarrassed.

It was likely because Yi-gang had a doubtful expression on his face.

“Why don’t you hear it from them directly? I’ll call the soldiers and their squad leader.”

Soon, the colonel brought in the soldiers who claimed to have seen the dragon.

One of them, a large man with a thick regional accent, appeared to be from Yunnan.

The first words he uttered, as if wrongfully accused under the colonel’s questioning, were:

“I saw it with my own eyes, I swear.”

He showed his singed hair.

“I’m telling you, I saw it with these two eyes. The dragon was this big…”

The soldier spread his arms as wide as possible to describe the dragon he had seen.

As night fell, they finally found a slash-and-burn farming village.

It was a clan village belonging to the Wang family, but according to them, the villagers were quite unusual.

Their clothing was peculiar, their faces were dark, and they were tall.

It was clear that this village had not interacted with the civilization of the Central Plains for a very long time.

The villagers were extremely wary of the soldiers carrying weapons.

The soldiers instinctively realized that persuading the villagers to abandon the village and move beyond the border would not work.

They were about to threaten them with raised weapons when, suddenly, the slash-and-burn farmers began acting friendly.

Despite their poor living conditions, they even slaughtered a chicken to serve the soldiers.

While sitting around the campfire, tearing into the chicken and sipping liquor, the village chief reportedly spoke in an ominous tone.

“This land is protected by a dragon. Since you entered here armed, the Fire Dragon will be angered. That’s what he said.”

Flustered, they quickly downed their drinks.

And then, the dragon appeared before them.

A large dragon with crimson scales gleaming brilliantly.

“The dragon told us, ‘Get out of here immediately! Never come back!’ And then—whoosh!—it breathed fire.”

Yi-gang remained silent.

‘…Something doesn’t add up.’

Yi-gang had encountered yokai a few times before.

If the dragon were indeed a yokai, it would be among the greatest of them all.

“Then how did you manage to come back alive?”

“We ran for our lives! Isn’t it true that spiritual beings like dragons don’t kill humans recklessly?”

The thick Yunnan accent made it hard to follow.

It was even more unsettling because what the soldier said didn’t sound entirely wrong.

While Yi-gang was deep in thought…

「Let’s head there for now.」

‘Are you serious?’

「Yes. My Six Divine Powers are telling me. There’s something there.」

In any case, crossing the western mountain range of Sichuan would provide a more efficient route.

“Colonel, would it be possible for these soldiers to guide us there?”

“W-what? Oh no, please, have mercy!”

The soldier prostrated himself, clearly unwilling to return.

But wasn’t the colonel from the Eastern Depot known for being the most cold-blooded?

“Escort them properly. If you act improperly or disrespectfully, I’ll cut off your head.”

“Noo!”

In the end, the soldier had no choice but to guide Yi-gang’s group back to the village where the dragon had appeared.

Yi-gang’s group disposed of their carriage and departed from the Tang Clan residence once again.

This time, twelve soldiers followed closely, as if providing an escort.

Such was the influence of the Eastern Depot colonel—they even prepared everything for the mountain crossing and the upcoming journey.

The ailing monk was a slight problem, but Gal Dong-tak took care of it.

“Heave-ho! It’s comfortable being carried like this, isn’t it, Venerable?”

“The ride is better than a carriage. Haha.”

Gal Dong-tak crafted a bamboo chair and carried it on his back.

With the monk seated there, even those in poor health had little difficulty climbing the mountain.

Bringing Gal Dong-tak along had been an excellent decision.

At that moment, Yi-gang quickened his pace and moved ahead of the group.

Under the gaze of the others, Yi-gang climbed onto a rock.

Then, he slowly looked down at the ridgeline.

He could feel it.

‘There’s definitely something here.’

「Indeed.」

Could the soldier’s claim of seeing a dragon have been true?

For some reason, Yi-gang truly felt the aura of a real dragon.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep