Taoist Cheok-gol took out a long bamboo pipe with a blunt piece of brass fitted to the end.

It was clearly a smoking pipe.

He kindled a small flame on his fingertip with Samadhi True Fire, then lit the pipe.

As he drew on it, the tobacco leaves burned down with a vermilion glow.

A long stream of smoke poured from his mouth.

Yi-gang watched the Taoist smoking in silence.

Was it because it was just dried leaves burned into smoke and inhaled? The smell was not as foul as he expected.

If anything, a fairly fragrant scent spread out.

One Taoist, intrigued by it, asked Taoist Cheok-gol.

“What is that?”

“It is called tobacco.”

To most people of the Central Plains, it was unfamiliar.

As far as Yi-gang knew, it was true. Tobacco had not spread to the Central Plains.

Was it not something only the natives of a continent across the great ocean smoked?

Or had it already spread to the Western Regions?

Taoist Cheok-gol spoke as he let out a long breath of smoke.

“If you go to the southern sea, there are countries and islands that do not use the Central Plains’ tongue.”

The seas of the southern lands, and the many islands beyond them.

Places the Central Plains’ influence does not reach.

“There is a country there called the Champa Kingdom1. I obtained what its natives smoke by chance.”

“So you have been to the south as well.”

“I did not go myself. My junior disciple named Jang Do-jin went. He was an outer-sect disciple. Has anyone here met him?”

Among the hundred Azure Forest disciples, no one raised a hand.

The Honor Flower Disciples, including Yu Jeong-shin, knew the name, but none had met him. That showed just how many outer-sect disciples there were, and how scattered they were.

“Where is he now?”

Yu Jeong-shin asked carefully.

“He’s dead.”

“He died here in Nanman. He was discovered by those Evil Cult bastards. A third of the map was made by him.”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

“When it was all over, I wanted to go with him to that place called Champa. He said it was like paradise… White sand beaches, and water the color of jade. The people are kind, and the fish are plump…”

“Hold on a moment.”

Someone cut off Taoist Cheok-gol’s muttering.

“A dragon?”

“Please explain that first.”

Taoist Cheok-gol had been speaking wistfully about his dead junior disciple.

It was very much like Dam Hyun to cut him off so bluntly, but this time the other Taoists were grateful to him inside.

“Roong ko kan…”

Taoist Cheok-gol murmured.

People looked at him, wondering if he had suddenly started talking in his sleep, and he explained the meaning.

“It is the language of Nanman’s natives. It means, a winged dragon… or so they say.”

“Wow.”

“It has been a long time since those Evil Cult bastards killed off all the natives around here. But their infamy has spread far. The natives refuse to enter Gonggu Mountain. You could call it a forbidden land of Nanman.”

The word ‘dragon’ drew different reactions.

Half thought it was a fanciful legend.

Half of the remaining half hoped for a dragon as a spiritual creature.

The rest, including Yi-gang, took it seriously.

‘Come to think of it, they did say there was a dragon in Nanman.’

Yi-gang had once searched for legends of dragons together with Bodhidharma.

However, he had never gone to look for the dragon said to be in the south. The distance and route had not worked out.

‘Surely it is just a false rumor again.’

Every place he had gone with Bodhidharma had held only something that imitated a dragon without being one, or something mistaken for a dragon.

Would the dragon in Nanman be any different?

It seemed more likely to be nothing more than a huge snake, not a dragon. The strange modifier about having wings made it even more suspicious.

“So, do you think there is really a dragon?”

Dam Hyun pointed out what they had been wondering.

Taoist Cheok-gol nodded.

“I think the possibility is high. At the very least, there is something, whether it be a spiritual creature or a yokai… If it were something easy to deal with, the Evil Cult would have captured and killed it.”

It was a simple inference, but it had reason to it.

Even if what was inside Gonggu Mountain was not a dragon, it meant it was at least something on the level of a dragon.

“I would like to see it once.”

Dam Hyun had been very envious when he heard that Yi-gang had gone around with Bodhidharma to meet dragons.

But whether his personal desire could be fulfilled was uncertain.

“It may be better to go through the mountain where a dragon is said to live.”

And so, the best infiltration route they had chosen was to approach the Evil Cult’s main altar through Gonggu Mountain.

“That was the plan, and we prepared for it. But then another problem arose.”

But as with all things in this world, it did not go as they wished.

“For the past month, someone has appeared and been blocking the narrow path of Gonggu Mountain.”

“Someone? Someone other than the Evil Cult?”

Taoist Cheok-gol’s answer sounded even more absurd than the claim that a dragon lived there.

“Yes… But it seems to be the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, the Monkey King, the Victorious Fighting Buddha.

Sun Wukong.

Why would that monkey yokai king with the Golden Pupils Fiery Eyes be here in Nanman?

And he was blocking Gonggu Mountain, right beside the Evil Cult’s main altar?

“They say that at the entrance to the narrow path up Gonggu Mountain, a single avatar that appears to belong to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is standing there.”

Taoist Cheok-gol said as if certain.

With the world changed like this, it was not so strange even if the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had descended to the lower world.

「Heh. That monkey bastard.」

Nezha, standing beside Dam Hyun with his arms crossed, muttered.

If Yi-gang had flinched at the talk of a dragon, Nezha flinched at the mention of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

‘Why is the Great Sage Equal to Heaven here?’

「How would I know?」

Nezha answered Yi-gang’s question irritably.

It seemed he did not know either.

Taoist Cheok-gol continued his explanation.

“If it seems we can cross Gonggu Mountain safely, we infiltrate that way. If not, we go this way, detouring over the top of the cliff and descending.”

“How do we judge whether it is good to cross Gonggu Mountain or not?”

At one Taoist’s question, Taoist Cheok-gol pointed near Gonggu Mountain.

“Jin Mu and Seon Woo-hwi are there.”

At the name Seon Woo-hwi, someone else flinched as well.

It was Neung Ji-pyeong, who accompanied Yi-gang.

Yi-gang also recalled the name Seon Woo-hwi at once.

“Ah, I guess you don’t know. He is a descendant of the Quanzhen Sect. He is also of the same Taoist lineage as us… His movement arts are discreet and fast, so he was a great help in grasping the Evil Cult’s main altar.”

Neung Ji-pyeong is a descendant of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

Seon Woo-hwi was a martial artist from that Shadowless Sword Pavilion, and it was said he stole under the nickname Shadowless Divine Thief, then was caught by the Wudang Sect and died.

But as revealed at Mount Wudang, Seon Woo-hwi had in fact only been pursuing a conspiracy entangling the Shadowless Sword Pavilion and the Evil Cult.

Yi-gang had heard he went down to Yunnan following the Evil Cult’s traces. So he had been here.

“It would be good to join up where Jin Mu is and investigate Gonggu Mountain further. Who should we send?”

Taoist Cheok-gol asked Yu Jeong-shin.

Instead of naming someone right away, Yu Jeong-shin swept his gaze over the disciples, including Yi-gang.

Yi-gang raised his hand.

“I will go.”

“Me too.”

It seemed Dam Hyun was also very curious about the dragon.

When Yi-gang volunteered, Neung Ji-pyeong quietly stepped to his side as well.

“Good. Then have Ri-yeon guide you.”

There was no leisure to rest and shake off their fatigue.

Yi-gang and Dam Hyun left the hut, following Jin Ri-yeon’s guidance.

Nezha crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

「That monkey bastard. What greed is he chasing now?」

There was bad blood between him and Sun Wukong that stretched back to ancient times.

He clicked his tongue, glancing at Yi-gang walking ahead.

The distance between Taoist Cheok-gol’s hut and Gonggu Mountain was far if you called it far, and close if you called it close.

If it were open plains, it was a distance they could cover in a short time, but the dense jungle delayed the journey.

However, there was not a single person in the group whose footwork was slow.

Under Jin Ri-yeon’s guidance as one who knew the way, they headed to Gonggu Mountain, quietly and swiftly.

There, indeed, were Jin Mu and Seon Woo-hwi.

Rather than Jin Mu, the great sahyung of the second-generation disciples, welcoming them, the reunion between Seon Woo-hwi and Neung Ji-pyeong was more dramatic.

At one time, Neung Ji-pyeong had regarded his sasuk, Seon Woo-hwi, as something like the enemy of their sect.

Even after it was revealed to be a misunderstanding, the lingering resentment had not faded, yet the moment they faced each other, it melted away in an instant.

“S-Sasuk!”

“Ji-pyeong, Ji-pyeong…!”

“Sasuk, why have you sent no word at all!”

“I’m sorry.”

Seon Woo-hwi was of an age that could be called elderly, and Neung Ji-pyeong was a middle-aged man.

The two of them clutched each other and shed a storm of tears.

“All my life, I pursued a man named Gwi-ryeong.”

“I heard everything. I heard it all at Wudang.”

Dam Hyun wore a flat expression like he was watching some farce, and Jin Mu’s eyes grew damp at the touching reunion.

Only after the surge of emotion settled did the group introduce themselves.

Seon Woo-hwi looked at Yi-gang and spoke.

“I heard you inherited the Radiant Shadowless Art.”

“That is so. This junior of Murim is Baek Yi-gang.”

Even if Neung Ji-pyeong was Yi-gang’s vassal, Seon Woo-hwi could not treat Yi-gang as such.

When Yi-gang cupped his fists respectfully, Seon Woo-hwi gave a bitter smile.

“To treat me so politely when I was no more than a thief in my days. I thank you.”

The Radiant Shadowless Art was of the Quanzhen Sect’s lineage.

And Seon Woo-hwi was someone who had learned such Quanzhen martial arts.

He also possessed movement arts so outstanding that he had been called the Shadowless Divine Thief.

“Let us set aside the small matters. Would you explain, Taoist Jin Mu?”

Seon Woo-hwi passed the floor to Jin Mu.

“I will. That place, that path, is the way that leads to Gonggu Mountain’s narrow pass.”

Jin Mu pointed to a crack between rocks visible ahead.

“That narrow pass is not a path formed intentionally. As you can see, Gonggu Mountain is a jagged stone mountain that does not fit this region.”

Even so, the sight of Gonggu Mountain drew the eye.

In the vegetation-rich Nanman, it was rare for a mountain peak to be so sharp.

There was a reason the Evil Cult had not bothered to keep watch over Gonggu Mountain.

Even setting aside the legend that a dragon lived there, it was a treacherous mountain that was difficult to cross.

“The rock is slick and sharp, so there is nothing to grab as you climb. There is only that one narrow pass, but… as you can see, it is not a real road, only a natural path formed between peaks. We planned to cross the mountain through there.”

But an avatar of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven appeared, making that impossible.

“I’ll show you directly.”

They had been wondering how the avatar of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was blocking the narrow pass, and Jin Mu said that.

The group followed Jin Mu toward the narrow pass.

Jin Mu raised a hand and signaled for them to move quietly.

When everyone used lightness skill, there was no presence or sound at all.

Jin Mu stood before a rock at the bend of the narrow pass and signaled them to stop.

“That over there.”

He had moved quietly up to now, yet he spoke aloud at the crucial moment.

The group slowly lifted their heads over the rock.

On the narrow path ahead, indeed, someone stood tall.

“…It’s true.”

It could only be described as an avatar of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

A monkey the size of a human was blocking the path.

It wore a distinctive armor one might expect a heavenly general to wear, and on its head was a golden fillet.

Somehow, it was also clear why it was called an avatar.

There was no overwhelming spiritual power or presence to be felt.

It only stood there with its arms crossed, like a statue.

「And it doesn’t have the Ruyi Staff either. That is certainly the monkey’s avatar. And it’s a low-grade avatar made without much effort. It probably can’t even speak.」

Nezha explained.

Jin Mu, unable to hear Nezha’s voice, explained in a low voice.

“That avatar of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven cannot speak. And it does not move from that spot.”

“It doesn’t seem hostile.”

“Not exactly. If you approach within about sixteen meters, it opens its eyes and prepares to fight. And if you enter within about nine meters, it begins attacking.”

Was it an avatar meant to block passage?

But Jin Mu was not weak either. He had already reached the Transcendent peak five years ago.

“Even though it’s only an avatar, is it strong?”

Instead of answering, Jin Mu gave a bitter smile and pulled open his collar.

A purple bruise was vivid on his chest.

“I nearly died. I pierced a hole through its body and fled, but… when I came back two hours later, it was perfectly fine.”

Even though it was only an avatar, Jin Mu couldn’t win.

That told them the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s power.

“In any case, if we don’t provoke it, it won’t be hostile, so there is no need to worry too much.”

Jin Mu spoke as if boasting confidently.

Yi-gang was about to nod at that explanation.

“Uh.”

Dam Hyun lifted a finger and pointed at the avatar of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.

And Jin Mu’s mouth fell open.

The avatar of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had snapped its eyes open.

Killing light burned in its gaze.

“You…!”

They said it couldn’t speak, yet it even pointed a finger.

That fingertip was clearly aimed at Yi-gang.

“So it is you!”

Had they met before?

1. TL/N: a powerful, ancient Hindu-Buddhist maritime kingdom in present-day central and southern Vietnam ️

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep