“Phew, really. Was it truly real?”

The village chief said while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Yi-gang gazed silently at the metal box hidden beneath the burial mound.

With his keen eye, he could tell at least one thing—it hadn’t been hidden recently.

It was a box that seemed to have aged for at least several hundred years.

“This is the shed skin of the Fire Dragon, buried by the great-great-great-grandfather of our great-grandfather.”

Yi-gang focused on the word shed skin.

Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t dragon leather.

The bright red scales and leather-like surface were simply covered in dust; if examined closely, one could see that the back was slightly translucent.

“I will take it out for a moment.”

“Ah, that… Yes, of course. Please, go ahead and open it.”

The village chief, who had intended to feed Yi-gang’s group hallucinogenic herbs, simply lowered his head in guilt.

Yi-gang looked at what was claimed to be the shed skin of the Fire Dragon.

If someone had shoved this in his face in a marketplace, claiming, ‘This is dragon skin,’ he would have spat on them and told them to stop spouting nonsense.

But with the real thing in front of him, Yi-gang had no choice but to accept it.

「Astonishing and mysterious indeed.」

Who could possibly forge something like this?

Even though it was called a shed skin, it was unlike the mere white flakes of a snake’s skin.

It had a certain thickness and retained a reddish sheen.

Above all, it emitted an extraordinary aura.

Despite being just a shed skin, it radiated a dense spiritual energy and…

「Indeed, it seems the Fire Dragon was not a benevolent being.」

A strangely ominous malicious energy could also be felt.

It was the kind of energy one might expect from a yokai that had devoured many people.

However, the village chief spoke with a proud expression, “Our Wangjia Village is by no means a place without heritage. A distant ancestor discovered the shed skin of the Fire Dragon and, believing this to be auspicious land, established our village here.”

“…I see. So that’s why you talk of the Dragon God and the Fire Dragon.”

It sounded impressive, yet there wasn’t much to it.

After all, wasn’t the return of the soldiers completely unrelated to the Fire Dragon?

Though it was impressive how they had overcome the crisis with hallucinogenic herbs and a mask dance, it was ultimately a foolish plan, destined to be revealed.

“Because it is such an important object, no one aside from the village chief has ever known of its existence, generation after generation.”

Moreover, the village chief seemed firmly convinced that this dragon’s shed skin had brought prosperity to the village.

“It is thanks to the shed skin of the Fire Dragon that we have lived in peace until now.”

“We’ll see.”

Yi-gang did not nod.

「It seems to be the opposite. The fact that the shed skin retains such a malevolent aura even after hundreds of years…」

An object imbued with this kind of energy could hardly be beneficial to humans.

“You said the soil was poor, so you resorted to slash-and-burn farming?”

From that moment, Yi-gang felt that something was off.

“I feel like you mentioned something else as well.”

“When we practiced slash-and-burn farming, the soil became remarkably fertile. So we…”

Hearing the village chief finish his explanation made it seem even stranger.

It appeared that Bodhidharma shared the same thought as Yi-gang.

「Judging by how the Fire Dragon’s shed skin has retained its sheen, I suspect it absorbed the land’s energy—could this be the shed skin of an evil dragon?」

‘And the fact that slash-and-burn farming was so effective means…’

「It’s clear that the shed skin, buried for so long, altered the nature of the land.」

Yi-gang glanced casually at the pit where the box had been buried.

Starting from the spot where the box had been lodged, the soil looked crumbly and had turned an ashy gray.

It was strange that the soil, which should have been moist, had turned out that way.

“If you’ve seen enough, we’ll bury it again now. This is a very important treasure to our Wangjia Village…”

“It’s not a treasure.”

“W-What do you mean by that?”

“It’s because of this shed skin that your village has been forced to rely on slash-and-burn farming.”

The village chief looked flustered.

Yi-gang observed the village chief’s face, blackened from the sun, and his emaciated body.

It wasn’t without reason that his face was so burned and that he remained thin despite being the chief.

Had the soil around here been normal, their lives would have been much better.

“This shed skin of the Fire Dragon is what has been poisoning the land here.”

“The Fire Dragon is sacred…”

“No, it’s not sacred at all.”

Yi-gang explained the harm that the Fire Dragon’s shed skin was causing to the land.

“It would be best to dispose of it.”

“D-Dispose of it? That can’t be…”

“I am a Taoist from the Azure Forest.”

Yi-gang asserted that he was a Taoist who had trained in the Azure Forest.

While mountain villagers were not usually intimidated by Buddhist monks, they were cautious around Taoists, as Taoism formed the foundation of folk beliefs.

However, the doubt on the village chief’s face did not easily fade.

“A Taoist… you say?”

Since he knew little about the Azure Forest and Yi-gang’s refined appearance hardly resembled that of a Taoist, the chief remained skeptical.

Yi-gang quickly sensed his doubts.

“I suppose I’ll just have to show you proof.”

Convincing the village chief was simple enough.

Yi-gang’s eyes began to glow blue.

From his robe, Yi-gang pulled out several yellow talisman papers.

Although he did not specialize in making talismans like Dam Hyun, he could imitate most basic talismanic techniques.

Tadadadak—

The floating talisman papers ignited and burned up in flames.

The shed skin of the Fire Dragon, held in Yi-gang’s hand, began to levitate in mid-air.

Terrified, the village chief prostrated himself flat on the ground.

For someone who had lived his entire life in the village, this was the first time witnessing such a mystical feat.

“Th-then, what should we do…?”

“I will…”

Just as Yi-gang was about to say that he would dispose of the Fire Dragon’s shed skin—

「I will dispose of it. The shed skin of the Fire Dragon won’t burn anyway. Even if it’s buried, it would be the same. What I mean is, I will dispose of it myself.」

‘How do you mean?’

「By devouring it.」

It was an unusual notion, but a clever solution nonetheless.

Yi-gang informed the village chief.

“I will handle the disposal. You should return to the village.”

“Y-yes…”

“If you don’t want to get hurt, you’d better hurry back.”

Yi-gang took out a bundle of yellow talisman paper.

The village chief, still doubtful, hastily returned.

There was no way for him to know that the bundle of yellow talisman paper Yi-gang held was just blank sheets of paper.

Only after confirming that the village chief’s presence had completely vanished did Yi-gang roll up his sleeves.

And as if waiting for this moment, Bodhidharma descended smoothly.

His body, which had shrunk to the size of a small snake, grew to the size of a large python as he came down.

“Are you sure you won’t get a stomachache from eating that?” Yi-gang asked.

It was not uncommon for one yokai to devour another.

They can gain power by doing so.

Although Bodhidharma was not a yokai, the idea of him disposing of the Fire Dragon’s shed skin by eating it seemed quite plausible.

「Do not worry. Heh heh.」

“…?”

Yi-gang thought he had definitely heard Bodhidharma chuckle.

When Yi-gang furrowed his brows and looked at him, Bodhidharma averted his gaze.

「Hmm, consuming the shed skin of an evil dragon is certainly a dangerous task, but how could I turn my back on the beings who have long suffered because of it? I shall consume this with my heart filled with Four Immeasurables.」

Bodhidharma might have thought he was hiding his true feelings, but Yi-gang had caught on.

He knew that Bodhidharma actually desired the Fire Dragon’s shed skin a little.

「I shall enlarge my body for a moment.」

Drdrdr—

Bodhidharma’s body grew larger.

From the size of a normal python, it expanded to that of a massive royal serpent—something one would only see deep in the Nanman.

And his body didn’t stop growing there.

Eventually, his length reached nearly four zhang, with a thickness comparable to a large log.

At that moment, a mysterious mandala appeared above Bodhidharma’s head.

「Refreshing.」

It seemed that the closer Bodhidharma returned to his original size, the more power he regained.

Then, Bodhidharma swallowed the shed skin in one gulp.

「Mmm… Hrm, mmm…」

Afterward, he began exhaling smoke through his nostrils.

「Ooooh…!」

Sensing an ominous feeling, Yi-gang took a step back.

Bodhidharma lifted his head toward the sky.

Soon after, he opened his mouth wide.

In front of the Divine Monk, the village elders were kneeling.

Hyun Cheok and Hyun Mu quietly inquired about the Divine Monk’s intentions.

With a bitter smile, he shook his head, “Would you strike a child wielding a toy sword with the Mighty Vajra Palm?”

“I would not.”

“Exactly. These ignorant villagers may have brewed hallucinogenic herbs into tea, but had you simply drunk it, would you have seen hallucinations?”

“I would not have.”

“Then, forgive them.”

The villagers had tried to feed them hallucinogenic herbs, but there hadn’t been any significant malice behind it.

“We are people who will soon leave this place. Consider it the price for a meal and let it go. The soldiers are unharmed, aren’t they?”

The soldiers, still dazed from the alcohol and herbs, crouched and trembled.

However, they hadn’t suffered any major harm.

“From what I can see, this is a small village best left undisturbed. Let them continue living as they always have.”

Yi-gang had no intention of explaining the full story to the soldiers.

If the truth about deceiving imperial soldiers came out, Wangjia Village could be wiped out.

“You there, squad leader.”

“Y-yes? Y-yes, sir! Did you call for me?”

A soldier speaking in a Yunnan dialect lifted his head, drooling.

“Remember clearly that you saw the Fire Dragon. When you return, report it exactly as I said: that I, Mu Myung of Shaolin, and Crown Prince’s Teacher Baek Yi-gang confirmed it.”

“Y-yes, sir…”

Would he even remember it properly in that drunken state? The Divine Monk wondered at that moment.

Flash—!

Wangjia Village was suddenly bathed in an orange glow.

When he turned his head, a stream of orange flame was shooting into the sky from the mountainside.

“Huh…”

The divine monk let out a hollow laugh, while the soldiers, startled, buried their heads between their legs.

“So, the Fire Dragon really did exist, huh? Haha.”

The stream of flame was incomparable to the fake Fire Dragon fire the old villagers had created.

To the soldiers, it truly appeared as the Fire Dragon’s flames.

Yi-gang returned shortly after, as if nothing had happened.

Bodhidharma, coiled around his forearm, looked both exhausted and satisfied.

And then, there was Mang-hon.

The name Mang-hon means “soul of the dead.”

Perhaps because of this, Mang-hon’s complexion appeared deathly pale.

His lips were not merely purple but almost bluish with death, and the white makeup and tattoos on his face were grotesque.

The most striking feature was his cloudy pupils, resembling those of a dead carp.

It was something that even the guardians of High Spirit Palace, the most feared faction of the Demon Cult in the Central Plains, found unsettling.

Yet, one of the guardians stiffened his expression and spoke, “Cardinal, isn’t it rather rude to keep the guests waiting this long?”

Sa Mu-gang, a guardian belonging to High Spirit Palace, revealed a displeased expression.

After purging the rebellious factions within the cult and imprisoning them, the current cult leader had formed an alliance with the Evil Cult.

A Cardinal of the Evil Cult was a high-ranking official, second only to the cult leader.

However, Guardian Sa Mu-gang believed that the Demon Cult and the Evil Cult could not be compared on equal terms.

It was only natural that the Demon Cult held a far higher status. However, no matter how high-ranking a Cardinal might be, making a guardian of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult wait for an entire two hours was still a grave discourtesy.

Instead of apologizing, Mang-hon handed over a silver cup.

The ornament pierced through his lips jingled softly.

“Care for a drink?”

Sa Mu-gang, accepting the cup, was startled.

“…Huh?!”

What was inside wasn’t alcohol. Pitch-black insects suddenly burst out, covering Sa Mu-gang’s hand.

“What is this?!”

Panicked, Sa Mu-gang hurriedly brushed the insects off his hand, his face contorting in rage.

However, Mang-hon simply chuckled with a chilling laugh.

“Guardian, I’ll be satisfied with just your right hand as payment for your arrogance.”

“W-What?! Aaaaah!”

Sa Mu-gang was horrified.

His right hand, where the insects had swarmed, had turned pitch black.

A burning pain spread belatedly.

“Still, you should behave. I’ve been in a terrible mood lately. Some sorcerer dared to destroy my toys.”

Mang-hon growled menacingly.

The memory of losing three of the Eighteen Spirits so helplessly and being humiliated still soured his mood.

“I’m helping you only because you’re useful. Don’t act so arrogantly when you’re just a lackey. At the very least, you should have sent the Palace Master.”

Sa Mu-gang, who had been planning to escape, froze.

He felt the sensation of insects crawling along the back of his neck.

Only then did he realize it—if Mang-hon wished, his neck could end up just like his right hand.

Trembling, Sa Mu-gang clutched his wrist.

Mang-hon had no respect whatsoever for the authority of the Demon Cult.

“Are the ones who will wipe out Potala Palace and steal the treasure of the Dalai Lama ready?”

“T-the Mad Wind Squad is waiting outside.”

“Lead the way. I’ll assign my finest subordinates to you.”

Sa Mu-gang hurriedly turned and rushed out.

As the jingling sound of Mang-hon’s ornaments followed behind him, it felt as if he were being chased by a ghost.

And when they finally emerged from the cave where Mang-hon resided—

A vast desert under a deep blue sky stretched before them.

The wind blew, sending fine sand swirling, creating a sound like crashing waves.

Swaaaaa—

This was Xinjiang, where the headquarters of the Demon Cult was located.

Among them was the Taklamakan Desert, located beyond the Kunlun Mountains.

In other words, the great desert.

Mang-hon was residing in a cave within that vast desert, and below it, the armed forces of the Demon Cult were lined up.

Desert warriors mounted on horses.

It was the Mad Wind Squad.

“Good.”

Mang-hon smiled with satisfaction.

“With a thousand of these men, not only the Dalai Lama but…”

Then, snapping his fingers, he added, “We could even catch a dragon.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep