“….That’s a…Dragon’s Heart?”
Lee Sungmin was trying his best not to be surprised with whatever Heoju would give him, but the words that came out of Heoju’s mouth were too unexpected. Lee Sungmin’s jaw was threatening to drop straight to the floor in shock.
“You don’t mean… THE Dragon Heart?”
[That’s how they call it these days, I guess.]
Heoju tried to brush it off as if it were insignificant, but there was an indescribable sense of pride in his tone. Who wouldn’t be prideful if they had this? The heart of the dragon was one of the most rare treasures in this world. It wasn’t easy to meet dragons in this era. Even if one somehow did, it was absolutely impossible to kill one, let alone extract the heart in maintainable conditions.
[In the days when this old man was in high spirits? Those little lizards were nothing but play toys! Hahaha!]
Heoju beamed in a joyous tone, obviously overexaggerating how difficult it would be to kill a dragon, even if it were him in his prime.
[If you get on their back and snap their wings, they’ll scream for help! HAHAH! Just like that!]
Heoju continued his nonsensical story and Lee Sungmin ignored him. He reached his hand out to the dragon’s heart once more and then Heoju snapped back to attention.
[Wait!]
“What?”
[Don’t just take it out. The dragon’s heart is a tricky fellow, if exposed to the outside world, it will immediately crumble and disappear.]
“Then why did you put it here?”
[I put it in as a trophy.]
“Why would you do that if you can’t even use it?”
[What did I just say? It’s a TROPHY. Of course I wouldn’t actually need it.]
“I need it.”
[Trying to get rid of your prize already? But… you can’t use it right now, so keep it in the box. I’ll know how to fix the problem if we can find a good wizard later.], Lee Sungmin listened to Heoju’s words.
He then closed the lid of the box containing the dragon heart. He didn’t even know how to properly handle a dragon heart in the first place. Lee Sungmin decided to keep it for now, and then ask Neville what to do next.
[Come on, open the other boxes too. There’s a lot of good stuff.], Heoju said excitedly.
Lee Sungmin approached another box. The box was full of blinding gold coins. Lee Sungmin lifted up one of the gold coins. The currency used in Eria is ‘Erne’. Erne is a coin, not a gold coin, and is also used as a banknote or check.
[It’s not the same worth as paper money. You’ll be able to buy a single city with the gold in the box.]
Lee Sungmin normally wasn’t moved by money, however he had been living like a homeless person for a while now, and didn’t try to make any money on the side because he was always busy. He would always spend his money immediately through Erebrisa when he did because of his goals. This was something he actually had a desperate need for, and he had gained a lot of it.
The next opened box contained all kinds of jewels. The value of a single gem alone would be several times more than the box of gold coins just now. Lee Sungmin also put the box in a spatial pocket with a pleased expression.
He continued to open more boxes and they were like the other 2 boxes he had opened. More gold coins and gems. It was enough to make someone faint, but Lee Sungmin was just pleased with one box, this much would just make him feel dull. Nevertheless he collected the gems and coins because he never knew when a rainy day would come.
‘How much is this exactly?’
He thought to himself as it was almost too much. Since his original spatial pocket he used for daily needs was becoming full, he had to use other spatial rings to fill the rest. As he finished storing all the boxes of currency, he approached a few boxes separated from the rest.
[Now, is time for the good stuff ehe.], Heoju murmured in a low voice.
Lee Sungmin approached the nearest box and opened it. A vapor of cold air brushed out against his face and he took a few steps back in surprise. Before he knew it, a white frost began to form on the lid of the box. Although Lee Sungmin was bothered by the severe cold due to the body heating function of the orchicalcum armor, the frost started to emerge on his fingertips where he wasn’t covered.
[The fabled Frost Ginseng.]
Lee Sungmin overcame the cold and approached the box. In the midst of the intense chill was a small frosty root the size of his forearm.
[Try it. Originally the coldness was so severe that one would have to balance the yin energy to eat it, losing the effectiveness of the ginseng. But you can eat it and the energy raw because of that heart of yours.]
With the black heart, Lee Sungmin could absorb any kinds of energy right away without having to go through any rough processing. Lee Sungmin wasn’t a huge fan of having this foreign heart inside his body, but for cases like this, it was rather helpful.
Lee Sungmin opened his mouth wide and bit into the frosty root.
He started to feel a cool minty aura envelop his mouth in a pleasant manner. The cold yin energy entered his body then burst with an invigorating presence and flowed neatly into his dantian.
His dantian started to pulsate and expand. Lee Sungmin sat down and started to meditate on the inner circuits that were being invigorated by the cooling energy. He had taken elixirs before that he was gifted from the Shaolin but those could not even compare to the might and amount of energy he was getting right now from the Frost Ginseng.
Puahhhhhhh
A light misty vapor rose from his body as he finished circulating the yin energy into his dantian. He rose up from his seated position feeling incredibly calm and collected as it seemed the yin energy also helped him regulate his emotion a bit.
[Open the next box.], said Heoju happily, as he had observed both the qualitative and quantitative change to Lee Sungmin’s dantian.
Lee Sungmin was re-evaluating his view of the old yokai. Initially when he met Heoju in the sleeping forest while he was sealed, he tried to invade Lee Sungmin’s body but eventually settled for his armor. Lee Sungmin had thought him to be an annoying old man who just knew some information and might be nice based on his circumstances. But, the yokai had several chances to retake possession of Lee Sungmin and didn’t, instead he rather helped Lee Sungmin overcome those crises.
When Lee Sungmin approached the other box and opened it he saw a little vial that was colored in a violet and black aura.
“What’s this?”, Lee Sungmin asked confusedly.
[It’s a certain type of poison that can improve one’s inner circuits to flow faster and more effectively if one can neutralize it. Not only that, it helps one utilize other poisons so naturally as if they were breathing. Naturally you already have a method of doing so.], Heoju said while giggling.
“You liked to eat… poison?”
[Hey! That stuff tastes pretty damn good. It really hits the spot once you’re drunk!], Heoju retorted.
Lee Sungmin decided not to bother with the old yokai’s queer habits. However, it would be an understatement to say he was tempted to utilize poisons. Poisons were the worst kind of enemy as they could kill, with just a scratch. Most people in the Orthodox Factions claimed poisons to be the dirty work of the shameless, Hence why the Tang clan didn’t have the best reputation within the Orthodox as they dealt with hidden weapons and poisons. Lee Sungmin uncorked the vial and chugged it down in one gulp.
The Black Heart really was a type of absolute poison immunity at this point. The poison flowed throughout his circuits like a murky liquid but he felt the improvements immediately. He was just disturbed at the slightly bitter taste and deathly aura it gave off.
[Acquired Poison Arts skill.]
For the first time in a while he heard a voice in his head from the status screen. He immediately opened up his status and checked the additions with a smile.
[Those right there are the remains of that overgrown lizard you call a dragon hahah!]
Several boxes were filled with gold-glazed bones and scales.
[If you get a blacksmith to process those remains for you, I’m sure you’ll get some new equipment that will completely outshine what you currently have.], Heoju continued gleefully.
There was only one box left that was rather small. He opened it and was seemingly confused once and a little irritated as he felt that there was no way it was what he was thinking, because Heoju said these were treasures. However, he asked in confirmation.
“What is this?”
[That’s one of the most precious treasures this old man has!], Heoju excitedly shouted.
“Explain.”
[Don’t be surprised. This bottle right here has an endless liquor. It’s not just random liquor. Any man worth his salt would drool at a drop of it! Do you know how many drunks tried to steal this off me?!]
“…so.. It’s just an endless supply of liquor…”
[Yes! It’s a drink that never ends! HAHAHA!]
Lee Sungmin blanked and was immediately disappointed. He should have known this old yokai would put something useless like this in his so called treasure vault.
[Buffoon! You don’t know the real value of the treasure.], Heoju grumbled in dissatisfaction.
Frankly, Lee Sungmin wanted to throw away the bottle, but because Heoju was nagging so hard about it he decided to put it in a spatial pocket. Since there was nothing more to take care of, Lee Sungmin escaped from the space.
“Are you back?”
Looking at Lee Sungmin finally walking out, the Crazy Heavenly Demon asked with bright eyes. Lee Sungmin nodded his head. Before Lee Sungmin knew it, there were evil spirits scattered around because of the appearance of some intruders.
“…Um.”
The Crazy Heavenly Demon had a surprised look. This was because the raw depth of Lee Sungmin’s internal energy which before, was like a bright candle. Now, it was like a blazing fire in the night. Thanks to the fact that Lee Sungmin had taken the medicines of high quality from Heoju’s treasures, his raw amount of internal energy was doubled.
“Did you come across another treasurable experience?”
Byuk Won-Pae was no longer surprised. Every time he had thought something was impossible or unfathomable to the man before him, Lee Sungmin, would make it possible and go up and beyond the expected outcome.
Grmmmmmmbbbbb!
The forestry began to shake with a tremor. It was incomparable to when Henemy had first appeared in front of them a few days ago. The spirits shook and scattered around, the ground cracked and shook violently. Heoju’s mansion which had already been old and dusty started to crack and crumble to the ground.
[My house!], Heoju screamed out in vain.
Lee Sungmin looked around in a nervous manner. He tried to dial in to his dantian and focus his senses but it wasn’t something internal or an aura trying to clash with him. It was the very landscape itself that was trembling.
[Hmm…], Heoju realized something was wrong and collected his emotions to deal with the task at hand.
Heoju helped Lee Sungmin focus his power to observe the surroundings. There was something not too far away from the tattered mansion. Heoju’s power that was lying dormant in Lee Sungmin’s dantian started to tremble with excitement or anger, he wasn’t sure which but regardless, it was something unnatural.
[…are you going?] Heoju asked Lee Sungmin in a quiet voice but he could not hide his tinge of anger in his tone.
If Heoju had his body still, he would have gone right away as this was something clearly threatening his territory, but Lee Sungmin had to be cautious and decide whether it was something out of his capabilities or if it was beneficial.
[I won’t impose my feelings on you. It could be dangerous.], Heoju said, understanding Lee Sungmin’s disposition.
“You don’t have to go, do you?”, Crazy Heavenly Demon asked, noticed Lee Sungmin pondered in thought.
Lee Sungmin opened his mouth and decided he would go. Heoju had really given Lee Sungmin too much help and he couldn’t leave it like that out of respect for him. He wasn’t so brash as to not repay his favors. Not only that, if he wanted to get out of the forest he would need the guidance of the spirits which were dying. It was a simple choice really.
Dreadduck!
The forestry started to move again. The trees wriggled and intertwined to form a huge wall that blocked off Lee Sungmin from the direction of the exit.
[Seems the forest doesn’t want you to leave even if that wasn’t your intention.]
It seems like no matter what decision Lee Sungmin had made he was going to have to get rid of whatever was going on first. He chewed his lower lip in frustration because it seemed his task would become a whole lot more difficult.
—-
Wandering through the forest for a week aimlessly, the number of Lee Sungmin’s pursuers had dropped considerably.
The Forest was dreary and terrifying, the monsters got stronger throughout the night and the spirits constantly appeared and disappeared. Zhuge Taeryong’s group was getting little to no rest and could not fight off some of the monsters and had members of their group die before their eyes. Tension was high, and even throughout the day when he ordered Aladdur to track Lee Sungmin it was getting harder to pinpoint the location because the forestry shifted and moved like a labyrinth.
Zhuge Taeryong was almost at the limits of his patience as his fatigue was getting immense and his pride was hurt because he was being led around the nose by this Lee Sungmin.
“You have to stop this farce and head back.”, Namgung Heewon said to Zhuge Taeryong as he grabbed at his disheveled hair in anguish.
“Are you saying to go back without any results after all this shit?”, Zhuge Taeryong shouted out in frustration.
“If we keep going, we’ll all really die.”
Heewon spoke flatly, hiding his irritation. He was getting mad at the fool’s rashness. Many martial artists from each of the families groups were dying off one by one. They had started 45 strong, and now… they only had 25 people. Some people were getting lost by the day and they didn’t know if they deserted, died in the night or went crazy and got possessed.
“No… We can’t do that.”
Zhuge Taeryong at this point was weakened, thinned out from lack of food and losing his mind. He was useless in every sense.
“Everyone will laugh at me if I go back without even catching sight of Ghost Gun. I can’t…”, he murmured to himself due to the selfish delusions he had.
“Are you really going to value your honor and pride over your own life right now?!”, Namgung Heewon screamed at him.
Namgung Heewon lost his poker face completely at this point. He then continued.
“If you continue to be reckless and foolish, I will return with Dang Ah-Hui and Muron Seo-“
“PAHAHAHA! You really think I’ll just let you do that? Even if you convinced them, Murong Seojin is my wife and she stays here with me.”, Zhuge Taeryong burst out in a maniacal laugh and contorted his face in a malicious grin.
“Don’t say anything you can’t even do. You think I don’t know what happened to your ex-wife?”, Zhuge Taeryong continued.
Namgung Heewon’s face became distorted in pure anger and wrath. Murong Seojin never thought that Zhuge Taeryong would be so insensitive and rude to mention Namgung Heewon’s late wife.
“You…!”, Heewon was fuming at this point.
“You don’t possibly mean you’ll take everyone back safe and sound with your lackluster ability do you?”
Zhuge Taeryong grumbled looking around at Dang Ah-hui as if to get her opinion to join him as well. To be honest, Dang Ah-Hui also wanted to stop tracking and go back, but she felt at the same time that she could not go back without any results like Taeryong mentioned.
“It’s best to just go back and regroup…”, Aladdur added in quickly as he didn’t know when a better chance would come to leave.
Puk!
Suddenly a hand ripped right through Aladdur’s chest spurting blood everywhere.
———————————————————————————————————————