By Zephyria 
Biryoo remained silent, his eyes filled with loneliness. After a long while, he spoke softly.
“I buried the remains of my benefactor here.”
Though there was no headstone or burial mound, for a human, it was a gravesite. Young-pa’s grip tightened on Biryoo’s hand.
They crossed the shallow river water and walked onto the sandbar. After a moment of hesitation, Biryoo pulled a small bundle from his robes. Only then did Young-pa realize what might have been inside the pouch he had brought from the palace.
“Azure Dragon.”
“What is it?”
“Before that… may I offer a bow?”
Biryoo looked puzzled.
“If they were your benefactor, they are mine as well. I am human, and I wish to observe human etiquette.”
Biryoo looked down at Young-pa for a moment, then nodded.
“Do as you wish.”
Young-pa let go of his hand and stepped aside. He then overlapped his hands and prostrated himself in a deep bow. Regardless of what Biryoo might say, the person lying there had been like a mother-in-law to Young-pa.
‘Thank you for sending Biryoo to me,’ Young-pa murmured inwardly before standing up.
This time, Biryoo knelt and dug into the earth. His long fingers scooped deep into the soil before he untied the pouch. Inside were fine ash and bone fragments. Young-pa watched with a heavy heart as Biryoo buried them with a grim expression.
“They wanted to see this person until the very end,” Biryoo murmured loneliness as he packed down the soil. As he stood up, a look of relief crossed his face.
“I postponed such a simple task for a thousand years.”
Due to the sorcery placed on the wish-fulfilling orb, Biryoo had lived for a thousand years without giving his heart to anyone. Only after breaking that spell could they confirm their mutual affection, making this moment deeply meaningful for Young-pa as well.
“I didn’t understand for a long time… why they were so weak for Yeon-hwa, or why they allowed such a spellcasting technique to be placed on the wish-fulfilling orb at the end,” Biryoo murmured as if talking to himself. Then, he turned his head to look at Young-pa.
“I came to understand after meeting you.”
Young-pa quietly met his sorrowful gaze.
Affection is a sweet constraint. The more one loves another, the more one gives away. Sometimes, even the power to be swayed by them.
Young-pa clenched his fist. He would never become like Yeon-hwa. That was the first thought Young-pa had after learning the full story, having gained a new life through the power of the somyeonghwan.
Biryoo had said that the human heart is as fleeting as the seasons, but Young-pa was confident he would not change. Having endured burdens and hardships that were almost too much to bear, they were different from ordinary lovers.
Young-pa tossed his bundle aside and suddenly hugged Biryoo around the waist. In the process, several persimmons rolled away.
“I would rather die than cause you pain.”
Biryoo’s hand touched the crown of Young-pa’s head. His tender fingertips brushed down his cheek and lifted his chin.
“I know. Have you not already done so?”
A steadfast gaze that would not change for a thousand years. The immortal lover who would stay by his side forever answered. Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders, and a broad chest drew close. Young-pa gasped for breath while held in Biryoo’s embrace.
“Young-pa, my love.”
Biryoo whispered low.
“I do not know how I survived these long years without you. I truly do not know.”
The confession of a partner that melted the heart. Young-pa stood on tiptoe and wrapped his arms around Biryoo’s neck. As he closed his eyes, warm lips met.
Biryoo’s hand slid up Young-pa’s back and pulled the back of his head closer. A hot tongue invaded his mouth, intertwining with Young-pa’s. Young-pa held Biryoo’s cheeks and tilted his head.
Their lips clung and parted frantically, teeth clashing. It was a messy, dirty kind of kiss. He sucked on the tongue and drank all the saliva pooling in the mouth, but it wasn’t enough. Young-pa wanted more. He wanted everything about this man.
While still holding Young-pa, Biryoo began to caress his nape. At his touch, the ties loosened, and the robe fell to the ground.
“Azure Dragon.”
“What is it?”
“I… still don’t know. Why… do you like me?”
With his head buried in Young-pa’s collarbone, Biryoo laughed softly. Instead of answering, he pulled Young-pa’s waist closer and sucked at his skin.
“Is it because… my face is pretty?”
“You know it well.”
“Then… if someone prettier than me appears… will you abandon me?”
The reason one keeps asking questions to which they already know the answer is likely because there is something they long to hear. Young-pa closed his eyes, thinking he was being foolish for rambling.
He felt his jacket being stripped away, and then his feet left the ground. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the mischievous face of his partner. Biryoo spoke as he lifted Young-pa in his arms.
“Then why do you adore me? Is it for a mere face?”
Biryoo set Young-pa down under the shade of a large tree. He then stripped off his own outer robe and spread it over the grass. Young-pa climbed atop his thighs before he could pounce.
“At first, it was because of that face.”
As Young-pa untied his cords and removed his jacket, Biryoo watched him in silence. Young-pa pushed Biryoo’s chest down and straddled his waist.
“After that, I liked that noble temperament that made me want to break it….”
First the lips, then light kisses on his chin and neck, and then strong arms wrapped around his waist. Young-pa spoke as his lips slid over the deep scars on Biryoo’s chest.
“I lost my mind because you only bend for me.”
Young-pa respected Biryoo even more than he loved him.
It wasn’t just because he was a beautiful man. Nor was it just because he was a noble Azure Dragon. Young-pa wanted to be like this person named Biryoo. He wanted to be a person who was as resolute, generous, and upright as he was.
“Young-pa.”
Young-pa stopped his caressing and met Biryoo’s eyes. Because Biryoo pulled his arm, he fell prone across the man’s chest.
“You asked why I like you.”
Burning blue eyes were right before him. Young-pa could feel his heart beating strongly.
“No matter how hard I tried, I could not hate you.”
“Is it because I seduced you with this face and body?”
“No. Do you remember what you did to the mountain god of hanul mountain?”
“Yes.”
“You achieved in an instant what I could not do for thousands of years. Do I still need a reason to love you?”
Young-pa was trapped in Biryoo’s arms once again. Biryoo hugged him so tightly he could barely breathe and whispered in his ear.
“I cherish you, who are here before my eyes.”
One of his arms slid inside the trousers and pulled the fabric down.
“You, who endured three hundred years of torture. You, who devoted yourself so that I could reconstruct the wish-fulfilling orb.”
Young-pa’s breath grew ragged. When a hot phallus touched behind his buttocks, he squeezed his eyes shut and buried his forehead in Biryoo’s nape.
“You, who cast aside even the obsession with revenge to release me from a thousand years of constraint.”
“Ah, ah-euuk! Euut!”
“You, who threw away your life… to save me.”
Biryoo whispered as he drove his penis in. Young-pa trembled violently and bit Biryoo’s collarbone.
The blue eyes looking at Young-pa were full of lust. Hair flowed like waves, slipping through fingers. In other words, it meant Biryoo was not wearing the necklace. Even amidst the haze of pleasure, Young-pa was suddenly struck by fear.
“Ah, ah-euk, no…. No, Biryoo….”
He shook his head, burying his forehead in Biryoo’s chest. At the same time, he was so aroused that he couldn’t keep his senses.
“Where is that useless necklace, my love?”
While searching through the clothes with one hand, a powerful force surged like a wave as he thrust deeper. It was a power Young-pa simply could not handle. He grit his teeth and bit Biryoo’s nape.
“I don’t know, I don’t… know!”
Unless divine power was restricted, a divine beast and a human could not engage in sexual intercourse. They had tried several times, but because a human body could not withstand the power of an Azure Dragon, he had always fainted.
“Uheuk, heuk! Bi, Biryoo… please….”
As Young-pa began to cry and scream, a twisted smile spread across Biryoo’s lips. To think he loved the sight of his partner sobbing and struggling, after calling him ‘my love’ so tenderly. He could feel the penis filling his gokdo swelling even further.
“Please… please….”
“I suppose… I shouldn’t continue.”
Biryoo whispered sweetly, thrusting slowly. Young-pa shook his head and screamed.
In truth, Young-pa secretly loved having intercourse while Biryoo was not wearing the necklace. It felt like being ravaged by an uncontrollable beast, and he didn’t entirely dislike it. However, this was Biryoo’s hometown. In a situation where every moment spent with him was precious, he couldn’t afford to lose consciousness.
“No… heuk, I don’t want to faint.”
Biryoo sighed and searched thoroughly through the pockets of the robe. Once he found and put on the necklace, the light surrounding him vanished, and he took the form of a handsome human man.
As Young-pa continued to sob from the lingering energy that had been overwhelming, Biryoo hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“Heu-euk, what kind of person… enjoys seeing their partner in such distress?”
“What can I do if my nature is flawed? I thought you entered the marriage vow knowing all this?”
With a satisfied expression, Biryoo licked up Young-pa’s neck.
“No. I was deceived.”
When he complained with words he didn’t truly mean, Biryoo loved it.
He gripped Young-pa’s wrist and began to grind his hips. Restricting divine power didn’t mean the size decreased, so it was just as overwhelming. Nasal moans flowed from Young-pa’s parted lips, his breath ragged.
Biryoo, who had been thrusting while Young-pa was on top of his stomach, suddenly changed positions and climbed on top of Young-pa’s stomach. Young-pa spread his legs as wide as possible to make it easier for him to enter. Then, Biryoo pressed down strongly as if folding his body in half and pushed his lower body forward.
His entire body shook from the pounding force, and Young-pa moved toward climax, shedding tears and saliva. He pulled Biryoo’s hair and bit and tugged at his ear. Once Biryoo entered him, only instinct ran wild; the techniques of a seducer taught by Cheon-ho or the voices and expressions men supposedly liked were completely forgotten.
No matter how hard he tried, once the radiant energy began, Young-pa could not produce soft moans with a pitiful face. He scratched or bit his partner’s body, drooled, screamed until his ears rang, acted noisy, and threw a tantrum, expressing pain and pleasure with his entire body.
Anyway, Biryoo’s tastes were unconventional. He said the reason he liked the position of looking down at Young-pa was to take in the ‘face reaching a beautiful climax.’
“Ah, ah! Aaah, Biryoo, Biryoo!”
Biryoo hugged him as if to break him and hammered his lower dantian so rapidly that Young-pa couldn’t keep his senses. Amidst the ecstasy that covered him from head to toe, Young-pa twisted his body and scratched Biryoo’s back. Because Young-pa pulled so hard, Biryoo’s fine hair had long since become a mess.
Tup-tup. Even when water began to fall from the sky, he was hazy as to whether it was reality or an illusion.
They shared their affection, moving as one body. ‘I love you, I adore you,’ Young-pa whispered, his eyes unfocused, shaking his hips like a beast. In contrast, Biryoo tended to express his affection through actions rather than words during the radiant energy.
“You are so pretty today that you’re making things difficult for me.”
It certainly felt that way; at the sudden whisper in his ear, Young-pa stopped breathing and ejaculated. Because he unconsciously tightened his lower dantian strongly, Biryoo’s breath grew rough, and hot yin water surged into his internal organs.
Just as he was barely catching his breath, his lips were devoured by his partner, and Biryoo’s tongue stirred inside Young-pa’s mouth as if it were still not enough. Young-pa’s upper and lower lips and tongue were sucked into Biryoo’s mouth and released in turn. By the time he regained his senses after having his cheeks, forehead, ears, and nape sucked and kissed, his body was drenched in rain and sweat.
After gathering the clothes scattered on the grass and the bundle brought from the heavenly realm and taking shelter under a tree, the rain began to pour heavily. They sat side by side, covering themselves with clothes and leaning on each other’s shoulders. Soaked to the bone, hair disheveled, and their bodies mottled with the marks of sexual intercourse, they were a sight. Yet, Young-pa couldn’t stop smiling.
The bundle from the heavenly realm was finally opened, revealing a bottle of wild grape wine and appetizers such as honey cakes, sliced rice cakes, gangjeong, and dried grapes.
“Did you perhaps bring the rain?”
“I did not.”
Young-pa belatedly remembered that Biryoo was wearing the necklace that restricted his divine power. Even if he weren’t, Biryoo generally preferred to leave the weather alone and let nature take its course.
“Since the weather is supporting your favorite season, you must be pleased.”
“Is that all? The fact that the person I love most is by my side.”
Biryoo kissed Young-pa’s temple and tenderly stroked his hair. Young-pa responded with a wide smile and ate a honey cake. He had become hungry after being so focused on the radiant energy. The cakes made with the blue honey of the heavenly realm were sweeter than those on the mortal realm, seeming to melt on the tip of the tongue.
“Won’t you eat?”
“Just looking at you fills me up.”
“Still, please eat. It feels strange eating alone.”
When Young-pa offered a sliced rice cake, Biryoo accepted it as if he couldn’t resist.
Young-pa quickly finished half the honey cakes in the bundle and filled his stomach with sliced rice cakes and dried grapes. While he ate two more persimmons, Biryoo sipped the wild grape wine.
Meanwhile, the sun dipped behind the mountain ridge, scattering a reddish light. The slowly flowing river turned purple, and the blue pebbles were submerged in the evening glow. The newly risen autumn moon was faintly visible above the low clouds. Amidst this abundant scenery, Young-pa thought of a certain dragon who had spent his childhood in this river and must have been dignified even then.
“Why do you like the rain?”
“Isn’t the sound lovely?”
“Yes. But don’t you dislike the dampness?”
As soon as Young-pa finished speaking, Biryoo took off the necklace and set it aside. With a wave of his hand, it was as if a roof had appeared over their heads, and rain stopped falling only around them. Furthermore, the humid and damp feeling vanished instantly.
“The reason I liked the rain… was because it is so fickle. Time passed quickly while watching it.”
Biryoo murmured, moving his fingers. Then, the steadily falling raindrops slowed down and floated in the air. Following Biryoo’s fingers, the water droplets drew beautiful shapes. Since it looked like he was painting according to the colors of the sunset, Young-pa watched intently as they rose, swirled in circles, and flew diagonally.
“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Biryoo smiled and drew a diamond shape in the air. Then, the falling raindrops changed direction and ascended toward the sky all at once.
Now, the raindrops began to spin in a circle, like a fire-play. The speed gradually increased, and countless droplets gathered in the center. Then, they spread like an explosion from a single point, embroidering the entire sky. Young-pa’s mouth hung open, and a gasp of admiration escaped.
“Wow!”
“Imagine how bored I must have been to play like this.”
Biryoo murmured cynically, but Young-pa was deeply impressed. He reached out and summoned a wind. Although he couldn’t slow or stop the rain like Biryoo, he could change the trajectory of the falling drops with sorcery.
“Watch closely.”
Young-pa caused a dust devil to rise from the ground, pushing the rainwater away. Then, he summoned a large whirlwind to scatter the raindrops in all directions. Finally, he pulled a long, intricately twisted and condensed whirlwind across the sky.
“How is it? Doesn’t it look like a purple dragon?”
“I can’t compete with you.”
Biryoo laughed low and hugged Young-pa from behind. When he used his power to place scales of water droplets upon the wind dragon, it took on a quite plausible shape. The two looked at each other and laughed, finding it amusing.
A moment later, as if it were only natural, their lips overlapped. Only after repeating the act of clinging and parting from various angles did they pull away, as if reluctant.
“You’re so good at this, so why are you bad at weaving?”
“It is because I never learned.”
“Did you not learn because you were an orphan?”
“No, it’s just that humans do not teach weaving to boys.”
“Humans are strange.”
Biryoo tilted his head and rested his chin on Young-pa’s shoulder.
“I will teach you later. It is the perfect way to pass the time.”
“Please teach me now.”
“Now? How so?”
“Like when you cast the barrier to hide the cave on Asadal Mountain. You know how to draw out your power over a long period.”
At those words, a mysterious power flowed from Biryoo’s fingertips. A beautiful energy, resembling a stream of water, stretched out like threads and began to intertwine. The clear lines seemed to swirl freely, yet they were woven together with a distinct order. Against the backdrop of the colorful mountains and fields and the burning sunset, they looked like colored threads.
Young-pa gazed absentmindedly at the enchanting sight. That is, until Biryoo’s hand brushed against his side.
Young-pa let out a small giggle and twisted his waist. Then, feeling playful, he pressed his back against Biryoo’s chest and made a nasal sound.
“Hubby—it tickles—”
At that coquettish voice, Biryoo’s hand stopped. Then, the blue streams of water intertwining in the air poured down along with the falling rain.
“Look at this. You hate it so much when I go to Cheon-ho, yet you love it when I put what I’ve learned into practice.”
Young-pa turned around and whispered into Biryoo’s ear.
“Isn’t that right, hubby-lord?”
“Not at all. What I love is this.”
Biryoo grinned and knocked Young-pa over. As he tickled his side, Young-pa writhed, laughing loudly. Because they had moved beyond the shelter Biryoo had cast over their heads, rainwater fell pleasantly on his cheeks.
“Ahahaha, you perverted dragon!”
Biryoo, who had been tickling him playfully, grabbed his wrist. A shadow fell over Young-pa’s face, and warm lips approached instead of raindrops. The lips, which seemed as if they would touch lightly, opened, and Biryoo’s tongue entwined with Young-pa’s.
The sweet kiss of late autumn did not end easily. Young-pa knew that this riverside would now become a place of dreams not only for Biryoo but for himself as well.
East Snake
｢Snowy Moon Night: A Moonlit Night of Falling Snow｣
The serpent opened its eyes in the deep darkness. He realized that he was in a very deep underground and that he was a divine beast.
No one had told him, but he knew. One who existed as an adult without a childhood. One who manifested with all the necessary abilities. He was born as the king of the underground.
He felt groggy, as if waking from a long sleep. The serpent spent a long time resting motionlessly. Even then, his consciousness remained awake, sharply perceiving the world surrounding him.
The subordinates came to him one by one. Weak, pathetic, and lethargic creatures. The serpent had never seen them, but they already knew the serpent. They dared not even meet his eyes and obeyed unconditionally. The serpent realized he possessed the power to manipulate them and decide their life or death.
Once his spiritual energy had filled slightly, he devoted himself to arranging a comfortable dwelling. Being a fastidious serpent, the temperature, humidity, the shape and depth of the burrow, and the decorations had to be perfectly to his liking. It was around that time that a human arrived.
When the man entered the burrow, the serpent had been preoccupied, thinking deeply about something. Or rather, he felt no trace of the man’s presence at all.
“Your dwelling is quite cozy for a creature like you.”
The man looked down at the serpent while sitting arrogantly on the throne. Until now, no one had ever behaved so insolently toward the serpent. Yet, the serpent was not angry.
That human was the first being the serpent had ever met who was not from the underground. He had a young and handsome appearance and wore silver-blue robes that looked like flowing waves. His hair, braided down to his waist, was tied with a blue-tinted ribbon, and a decorative sash was wrapped around his waist. With shining rings on his fingers and bracelets visible on his wrists between his sleeves, his attire was nothing short of extravagant.
He exuded a noble atmosphere while simultaneously possessing a very fierce gaze. The serpent could not take his eyes off the man’s star-like pupils. This was because a subtle yet irresistible kind of seductive allure emanated from the man.
“So you are the new Black Tortoise.”
He spoke bluntly in informal speech and threw something on the ground. A cloth bundle unfurled, and the rice cakes inside scattered across the floor. The rice cakes the man had brought were rotten and swarming with maggots.
For a moment, anger surged within the serpent, and he imagined sinking his teeth into the man’s smooth neck. He imagined forcing the man to his knees, poisoning him, and inflicting terrible pain to distort that beautiful face.
The only reason he barely restrained himself was because of the uncomfortable energy shimmering around the man’s body. A bluish, threatening membrane surrounded him.
‘He is a being that should not be looked at, let alone touched.’
With animal instincts, the serpent could distinguish between what could be eaten and what could not. The human before him was a lethal poison that should never touch his lips.
‘But… he looks delicious.’
The serpent secretly flicked his tongue.
Suddenly, he wondered how he appeared in the man’s eyes. His reflection in a bowl of water showed a plain-looking man with short hair. Pale and frail, he looked like a firefly before the moon compared to that sparkling human.
Without taking his eyes off the man, the serpent bent his waist and picked up one of the rice cakes that had fallen on the floor. The rotten rice cake sank in as soon as his hand touched it, emitting a foul smell. As the serpent chewed and ate it while looking at the man, a twisted sneer appeared on the man’s lips.
“They were fine originally, but they spoiled on the way here.”
Even though it was an absurd lie, it sounded sweet to hear. The serpent wanted to hear his voice more.
“Wh-wh-who… are you…?”
“My name is Young-pa. You’ll find out who I am soon.”
A frown creased the serpent’s brow. He had heard that name before. Even before he was born, the serpent had heard the wails of the subordinates in the darkness.
‘O Black Tortoise, please look upon us with mercy. We cannot live because of Yeongparang. Because of that human, we cannot even lift our heads on the mortal realm.’
A cruel human who made a hobby of hunting serpents. A heavenly light that monsters trembled in fear of.
They said that whenever one tried to sink their teeth into a human, that man would appear from somewhere. Countless serpents had lost their lives because of him. He was the enemy of the underground.
“Then th-th-that energy is… .”
“This? It is a divine technique of heaven that protects me from you.”
The man muttered nonchalantly, looking at the membrane flowing over his arm.
“I am the partner of the Azure Dragon.”
Until then, the serpent had not even known that the Eastern Azure Dragon existed. However, the moment he heard the man’s words, a strong murderous intent surged, and his scales trembled.
The underground’s inferiority complex and distorted resentment toward the heavenly realm seized him. A human who dared to descend to the underground and exude the loathsome energy of the Azure Dragon. The serpent was overwhelmed by the impulse to kill him brutally.
Whether the human knew the serpent’s mind or not, he continued to chatter nonchalantly.
“Because I insisted on coming to see you, we had quite a loud marital spat. I turned the entire heavenly realm upside down and almost ended up imprisoned by my man.”
“Wh-why did the Azure Dragon… not come along?”
“My hubby-lord doesn’t like the underground. And don’t go getting any useless ideas.”
The man smiled coldly. Even that appearance looked dazzling, leaving the serpent confused.
“He said that if you so much as touch a hair on my head, he will annihilate the underground. He told me to make sure to deliver this message to you. You heard clearly, right?”
‘Ah, it was a good thing I didn’t touch him.’
The serpent was born with a cautious nature. He knew when to simply hold his poison and when to bite the opponent’s vital spot. Since he had not been born long and was weak, he needed to maintain stability.
“I have… shall we say… a deep connection with the previous Black Tortoise. So, I wanted to see for myself what kind of fellow the next one would be.”
As the man stared intently, heat rose to the serpent’s face. Feeling embarrassed, he turned his head and covered his cheek with his palm.
“In case you don’t know, that son of a bitch died by my hand.”
The man laughed lowly and glared at the serpent. Even if he was a being of heaven, he was merely a human, yet the air flickered violently from the murderous intent he emitted.
“From the looks of it, you seem just as gloomy as he was, so you’d better behave yourself from now on.”
“Ye-yes, yes. I-I-I will remember.”
“If you dare plot against the heavenly realm or torment innocent humans… your head will be taken by me.”
When the man threatened him with a terrifying expression, the serpent bowed his head and replied that he would be careful, and careful again.
“I was expecting some truly vicious fellow to be born, but this is tedious.”
As he clicked his tongue and rose from the throne, the serpent snapped his head up. Not yet. He did not want him to leave yet.
“Ex-ex-ex-excuse me… .”
“What?”
The serpent wanted to hold onto him. He wanted him to stay in his space for even a moment longer.
“W-w-would you… give me a name?”
The man snorted at the forced excuse.
“You don’t even have a name yet?”
Two black, glossy pupils shone wickedly.
“Let’s see, what would suit you? How about Gaeddong-i?”
“Ah… .”
The serpent was extremely angry, but he could not show it. In his heart, he wanted to lock the man in his bedroom and punish his insolence, but he had no confidence that he could win. Even if he could overpower him, he could not touch the human of the Azure Dragon.
“I’ll treat you to the maggots you love, so come visit our palace, Gaeddong-i. If you have the ability to do so, that is.”
Having thrown one last mockery, the man vanished like the wind. By the time the serpent belatedly went toward where he had been, not even a footprint remained as a trace. Only a faint, clear scent resembling green pine lingered.
‘The partner of the Azure Dragon…’
The serpent flicked his tongue and smelled the air. Not satisfied with that, he frantically crawled over the spot where the man’s feet had touched. Seeing that the man’s warmth remained on the rotten rice cakes, he put them all in his mouth and swallowed them.
‘What is this feeling? It’s painful, yet pleasurable.’
He brought the cloth that had wrapped the rice cakes to his nose. As he slowly inhaled, the noble and clear presence of the man rushed in.
For the first time, a stinging and aggressive desire seized his body. As a divine beast, the serpent could control his sexual desire, but for some reason, he did not want to.
He took out his phallus and rubbed it against the man’s cloth. A vulgar moan, unbecoming of a deity, filled the space. It wasn’t long before the serpent’s semen soaked the cloth.
The serpent ate the cloth and sucked up the fluids that flowed between his fingers. Still not satisfied, he crawled around and licked up every drop that had splashed on the ground and walls.
Now, nothing remained. Not even his scent.
The serpent lay prostrate on the throne, sticking out his tongue and frantically licking the spot where the man had sat. While doing so, he spotted a single strand of black hair.
“Ah!”
The serpent carefully picked it up and held it with both hands. The hair grew long in his hands, eventually covering the ground. As the sweet, clear scent filled the burrow again, he felt the illusion that the man had returned.
‘Ah… thank goodness.’
If he made a mat out of this, he would feel as if he were with him every day. Buried in the pile of hair, the serpent wore a dark and satisfied smile.
It was the moment a dreadfully gloomy being of the underground fell for someone belonging to the heavenly realm.
≋ ≋ ≋
Outside, snowflakes were fluttering down. When snow piled up on his bangs, Young-pa shook his head. He had secretly hoped that Biryoo would be waiting for him in front of the cave and shower him with nagging, but he was nowhere to be seen.
‘Is he still not over his anger?’
Since they had been apart for half a day, instead of his longed-for partner, someone else rammed into Young-pa’s waist—it was Cheongsim. Instead of trying to cuddle with Young-pa as usual, Cheongsim sniffed the air with a frowned expression.
“Is the smell that bad?”
Woof! Woof woof!
“I guess you’re soaked in it even though you weren’t in that den for long. It would be better to purge the yin energy before going back.”
Young-pa forcibly grabbed Cheongsim, who was stepping back as if he were dirty, and climbed onto his back.
“So picky. You’d just pout if I rode a cloud anyway.”
Although Cheongsim whined as if he were displeased, he flew with Young-pa on his back.
It had been thirty years since he was resurrected by the power of the Somyeonghwan and began living in the heavenly realm. During that time, Young-pa had been faithful to his role as a partner, but that was not all.
He became a good friend to the dragons living in the Cloud Palace and to Seo-o, and he became proficient in all existing wind sorcery. He learned how to ride clouds and surpassed most others in cooking and weaving.
The hero who had sacrificed his body to save the human world had died long ago. The rebel who had run wild in a madness of revenge was the same. Young-pa was living a bonus life, having been born anew.
Nevertheless, he never forgot that he was born as a human. Thus, he filled the void left by the disappearance of Immortal Flower and traveled around helping humans in distress. The Azure Dragon still despised all humans except for Young-pa, but he let him do as he pleased.
Originally, the Azure Dragon rarely opposed anything Young-pa wanted to do. This time, stopping him from visiting the underground was the first such instance in decades. However, since Young-pa would not budge, he permitted it under certain conditions.
The first condition was to wear the secret technique of heaven. The second was to deliver the Azure Dragon’s warning to the Black Tortoise. The third was to keep the stay in the underground short, not exceeding fifteen minutes. Young-pa had just returned after fulfilling all the promises.
‘I wonder where he is. I miss him.’
Young-pa murmured inwardly as he flew across the biting winter wind.
≋ ≋ ≋
Snow had piled up heavily on the roof of the remote cabin. Upon arriving, Young-pa diligently brushed off his clothes and hair, but when Cheongsim shook his body once, snow piled up as high as the roof.
“We look like a mess.”
Young-pa chuckled and untied the Annihilation Command from his wrist, putting it in his pocket. The person he was about to meet was someone whose mood must not be offended.
When he opened the door, Cheongsim entered boldly, wagging his tail. Young-pa walked slowly toward the sound of voices.
“It’s your turn.”
“No? It’s your turn.”
“I said it’s your turn!”
“I said it’s not! Anyway… Yeongparang has arrived outside.”
As he stepped through the screen at the end of the hallway, a reddish space lit by dancing flames appeared. Young-pa bowed toward the two people sitting across from each other at a small table and then looked up.
“You’ve come at the right time. I was just losing interest because this one is so bad at it.”
Yeon Mu-geum, appearing as a young girl, was dressed in a thin summer jacket. Even though thirty years had passed since Young-pa had awakened her, she still looked about ten years old. On the other hand, Po Ui, whose stature made the small table look even more meager, looked full of dignity, wearing thick fur clothes and carrying the Tiger Tooth Severing Sword.
The smell of alcohol wafted around the table where the two were playing with dice. While golden tiles were piled like a mountain in front of the Vermilion Bird, there were only two in front of the White Tiger.
“Sit here.”
Young-pa avoided the empty liquor bottles rolling on the floor and sat in the empty seat next to Yeon Mu-geum.
“I did not know the two of you were together.”
“Since she kept saying she felt empty, I was teaching her an adult’s hobby.”
Po Ui’s single eye narrowed as if bored.
“Yeon Mu-geum, I do not think I am suited for this hobby.”
“Do you think I called you because I liked you? My subordinates are so loyal that they let me win every time, and I rarely had anything to do with the Azure Dragon anyway, but seeing that shameless sight of him only doting on his partner makes me lose any affection I might have had. I’m just saying you’re better than them. I definitely said ‘better than’.”
The two divine beasts, who had been like cats and dogs, grew closer starting from an event thirty years ago. The White Tiger still found that event unpleasant and did not even mention it, but his attitude toward Young-pa and the Vermilion Bird was no longer as cold as before. The Vermilion Bird seemed to regard him as a comfortable friend.
“Sigh… Then I shall play one more round.”
Po Ui closed his eyes and pressed his temples with his fingers. He looked extremely tired, but Yeon Mu-geum set up a new game without showing the slightest concern.
“The Azure Dragon is doing well, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sure he’s fine. No news is good news.”
Yeon Mu-geum smiled and handed the dice to Po Ui. Po Ui rolled the dice with a tense expression, but let out a sigh upon seeing the very low number.
“Vermilion Bird, Lee Shim asked me to tell you that he wishes to see you. Wudam is very eager to show you his first grandchild.”
Wudam had disbanded the Pacheondang long ago and was living as a government official. Young-pa had watched from the side as that frail young man grew up, married, had children, and those children had children of their own.