By Zephyria 
‘I don’t remember.’
Young-pa laughed in a chilling manner. He then stated that since he felt a surge of anger whenever he tried to remember anything, if Lee Shim asked one more question about his past, he would eat Lee Shim deliciously and find a more soft-spoken lackey. From that moment on, Lee Shim became silent.
“Young master, young master. Would you like to try some honey rice cakes made with glutinous rice? They are very sweet.”
“Sir, these are the sorghum red bean cakes sold at my house; they are the best taste in the neighborhood.”
“Young sir, sir! Please look over here! You like sweet rice punch, don’t you, sir?”
Rumors that a legendary sucker of a customer had appeared at the tavern must have spread quickly, as peddlers flocked in, making the place bustling. Even when the tavern keeper grew angry and splashed hot water, the street vendors continued to offer various snacks in hopes of making a profit, and Young-pa bought them all, paying absurd prices without refusal.
By the time they left the tavern, Lee Shim was penniless. Lee Shim knew that those jewels alone would have been enough to pave the roof tiles of a wealthy house, but he dared not say a word for fear of provoking Young-pa’s anger.
“Did you enjoy your meal, brother?”
Young-pa had a satisfied expression.
“Earthworm.”
“Yes, brother.”
“Do you think I don’t know you’re cursing me in your head?”
Lee Shim hurriedly denied it, claiming he had never done such a thing.
“They were all stolen anyway, so don’t be so petty.”
“When was I ever petty? Though the wealth that filled my pockets has vanished, I am glad to have treated you to your first meal since coming out into the world, brother.”
After confirming there were no listening ears nearby, Lee Shim asked in a low voice.
“Where do we go now?”
Young-pa, who had been blinking with a drowsy expression, suddenly looked menacing.
“I have to find him, Ji Seo-gu.”
Lee Shim secretly shook his head.
It seemed that man’s head was filled with nothing but thoughts of Black Tortoise. Even while eating at the tavern, he would tremble and shout profanities, or tear up the four symbols talismans and paintings the tavern keeper had hung for protection. Needless to say, he had thoroughly trampled the ones depicting Black Tortoise until not a single trace remained. If Lee Shim hadn’t handed over so many jewels, they would have been kicked out in spectacular fashion.
“Since it was said he has entered winter hibernation, we must find his hiding place… what shall we do?”
Young-pa let out a frustrated shout and accurately kicked and shattered a serpent-shaped sculpture among the four directional gods’ statues placed on the street. Then, he knocked the other three over into the mud.
“It is agonizing that I remember nothing, no matter what I try. First, I must find out who I am and how I became a prisoner. Then, I might find a clue as to how to deal with Ji Seo-gu.”
Young-pa muttered with dark eyes.
“But… how do you intend to find your memories?”
Young-pa remained silent. He frowned for a while and then picked up a Bonghwang sculpture buried in the mud. The crudely crafted bird held a mirror in its wings.
“The divine artifact of the Vermilion Bird….”
Each of the four divine beasts that reigned over the world possessed a single divine artifact. Among them, the artifact of the southern Vermilion Bird was the Changjingyeong, said to be in the form of a mirror.
“They say that if one reflects their face in that mirror, they will know the truth. Thus, I should be able to recover my memories.”
The sculpture of the Vermilion Bird crumbled in Young-pa’s hand. Lee Shim snorted at such an abrupt and arrogant claim.
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, brother… but that is not an object that can be found as easily as pinecones scattered in a forest.”
“Why?”
“In the past, did not the human hero, Yeongparang, kill the Vermilion Bird and take the Changjingyeong? Coincidentally, he shares the same name as you, haha. Anyway, after Yeongparang’s death, his subordinate Wubaek took the treasures he had collected. The divine artifact of the Vermilion Bird is a family heirloom passed down through the Wu clan, specifically the Pacheondang established by Wubaek.”
Even after hearing this, Young-pa showed no sign of being troubled.
“Then I shall simply crush the descendants of Wubaek.”
“You aren’t speaking seriously, are you?”
Lee Shim sighed and added,
“The Pacheondang is filled with practitioners and treasures possessing secret powers. Well, with your skill, brother, you could probably turn those scraps into mush in an instant, but if you slaughter humans in droves, White Tiger will appear. Then we’ll either be dragged back underground or executed quite neatly.”
“You’re acting quite smug, earthworm. Then you must also know how to get the Changjingyeong without drawing White Tiger’s attention?”
“In my opinion, it would be best to talk our way into the Pacheondang and then steal it secretly.”
Lee Shim shook his head as he looked at the yellowish, worn-out jacket Young-pa was wearing. Humans are a fickle race whose treatment varies wildly based on appearance; they wouldn’t even want to speak with Young-pa.
“There is no hope like this. Perhaps if you dressed in decent clothes….”
“Then let’s buy clothes. Hand over everything you have.”
“Eh? Brother, didn’t you just eat two bowls of chicken soup with the last of the jewels?”
Lee Shim showed his empty pockets, claiming there was no gold left. Then, he quickly clasped his hands.
“How about I… squeeze some out of the humans? I was quite famous for extortion and pickpocketing in my younger days.”
Young-pa ignored Lee Shim’s words. With a suspiciously confident expression, he headed toward the inner part of the marketplace.
The street was lined with stalls selling cloth and grain. As he turned into a secluded area, the number of people selling weapons and medicinal herbs increased, and at the end, a liquor shop appeared.
At the very end was a gambling den. In a square wrestling ring in the center, two burly men were testing their strength, gripping blue and red sashes. A crowd surrounded the ring like clouds, placing bets, many of them sipping from liquor bottles. The stalls for dice games and gambling were also teeming with people.
“I smell something lucrative here.”
Young-pa sniffed the air.
He looked around and walked toward the most popular gambling game. Young-pa watched for a while as an old gambler mixed three wooden bowls turned upside down on a stall.
“Brother, listen.”
Just as Lee Shim was about to warn him to be careful of tricks, Young-pa rushed forward and raided the stall.
“Stop cheating!”
He exposed the dice hidden in the old gambler’s palm, earning the cheers of the onlookers. Young-pa dragged the gambler out and threw him onto the street. The gambler, who had suddenly rolled once, shouted, “Who the hell are you?” but fled in terror upon seeing Young-pa’s menacing expression.
Young-pa naturally took the gambler’s place and sat down. Then, as if nothing had happened, he put the dice in the bowls and rolled them. Watching this, Lee Shim shook his head.
‘I’ve never seen such a lunatic since I grew scales.’
A man with no restraint, no shame, no dignity, and no patience. Still, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that he had no hobby of killing fellow humans, having lost only to the serpent.
Still, he was someone who had subdued Black Tortoise’s jailer and escaped the snake cave alone. Moreover, he possessed the special ability of recovery. Plundering weak humans should have been as easy as crushing an insect, yet Young-pa had paid for his meals at the tavern and was now sitting at a gambling table to earn money for clothes.
‘What on earth is he? I know he’s no ordinary human, but beyond that, I have no clue.’
No matter how exceptional his talent was, it naturally couldn’t be on par with a deity. For a mere human to challenge the four symbols would be like jumping into boiling water or stepping on fire; it was only natural that he was fearless, and he was clearly dim-witted to boot.
‘His personality is utterly eccentric, and it’s ridiculously presumptuous of him to call himself a hero. Was it about three hundred years ago that Yeongparang was alive… Wait!’
As Lee Shim let his thoughts drift, he reached a question he couldn’t ignore.
Yeongparang was the most talented among humans, a man who coveted the divine power of the four spirits. He was a human leader who killed the Vermilion Bird through cunning and wounded White Tiger. One could hypothesize: what if Yeongparang had not died three hundred years ago but had been captured by Black Tortoise? What if he had been imprisoned in the deep snake cave for a long time?
Lee Shim was startled by the sudden thought. However, glancing at Young-pa, who was cheating customers at the gambling game and laughing wickedly, he shook his head.
According to common tales, Yeongparang had enchanted the gods with his dignified demeanor and exquisite beauty, and it was said that Manisan was split in half as a result of White Tiger and Black Tortoise fighting over who would have him.
‘That is an exquisite beauty? Impossible.’
Even if he were a lesser dragon and ignorant of human beauty standards, wasn’t his behavior vile and aggressive? Moreover, there wasn’t a trace of heroic poise or dignity.
Lee Shim stopped his useless thoughts and stepped forward to act as a shill.
“Come, come, line up! A once-in-a-century gambling game that appears maybe once every hundred years! The entry fee is a handful of rice, and if you win, you get twelve! This gentleman is a master who has practiced gambling since he was ten! Come, line up!”
Young-pa and Lee Shim were a well-matched pair. When Lee Shim lured and seated a customer, Young-pa mixed the bowls at a speed the eye could not follow. The crowd would let out exclamations of “Oh! Ah!” as if watching a marvelous feat.
Once the customer chose a bowl, the dice would appear under a completely different one. It was clearly a scam, but the people dared not protest after seeing Young-pa’s terrifying expression.
Numerous people gathered, hoping to beat Young-pa. Each time, Young-pa dazzled the customers with his flashy hand movements, and the rice bin grew steadily fuller.
However, as time passed, the long line dwindled and the bustling crowd vanished. This was because rumors had spread that the gambler was a foul-tempered cheat. Now, no matter how much Lee Shim hyped it up, no one wanted to challenge him.
“Earthworm, the people have disappeared.”
Young-pa spoke after the last customer left, having lost their entry fee.
“How is it? Do you think we’ve earned enough to buy some decent clothes?”
“This is nowhere near enough. You need to earn at least three times more.”
Young-pa rested his chin on his palm, looking bored.
“Then bring more customers. I’m really not fond of extortion.”
“I’m not sure how what you’re doing now is any different from extortion, but….”
Lee Shim muttered softly, trailing off.
“Here comes one, brother!”
Young-pa narrowed his eyes and looked where Lee Shim was pointing. As he said, a tall man was walking toward them.
He was dressed in a dark robe, wearing a bamboo hat tilted askew, with long black hair tied in one. He stood out despite having nothing flashy about him, due to his strangely calm demeanor. He paid no attention to those selling goods or fighting around him; in the midst of the chaos, he looked like someone from a different world.
As he drew near, Lee Shim pointed to the rice bin with a swaggering attitude.
“The entry fee is two handfuls of rice.”
Even though the entry fee had been raised tenfold, the man showed no sign of surprise. When he threw something, Lee Shim’s eyes widened as he caught the object.
“This should be enough.”
Only a low voice was heard, his face hidden by the bamboo hat.
“Th-th-this is more than enough. Please sit in that chair.”
Young-pa guessed from Lee Shim’s reaction that the man had handed over gold enough to buy clothes and more. As the man sat opposite him and crossed his arms, Young-pa wore a dark smile.
‘A fellow who doesn’t know the ways of the world. I must fleece him quickly.’
He placed the dice under a bowl and began to mix. Swish, swish, swish—while the positions of the bowls shifted, the wealthy customer silently watched only Young-pa’s hands.
Young-pa glanced at his opponent, but the man’s face was tightly hidden by the bamboo hat, save for his neat mouth.
“You look like a pampered young master; what brings you to a gambling den?”
The man ignored the comment. It seemed he didn’t even want to speak to someone of Young-pa’s shabby appearance.
It didn’t matter, as long as he could strip him of his wealth. Young-pa chuckled, wondering how expensive the item the man had provided was.
“Did you steal something precious and get kicked out of your house, young master?”
The man brought his hand to his mouth and yawned.
The corners of Young-pa’s smiling eyes narrowed. The attitude of treating him as insignificant had triggered his competitive spirit.
Young-pa, who had been shifting the bowls leisurely until then, suddenly increased his speed. He mixed the bowls so quickly that his hands became a blur, sneering,
“Have you ever seen anything like this?”
Only then did the mouth beneath the bamboo hat twist into a mocking smile. Compared to others who would fall over in surprise, exclaim in admiration, or let their jaws drop, it was a lukewarm reaction.
“You’re cheating quite openly.”
A strange sense of pressure emanated from the low voice. The frantically moving hands stopped. Young-pa was inwardly flustered but decided he must deny it at all costs.
“Are you saying I’m cheating? Don’t accuse an innocent man; show me the evidence.”
Instead of answering, the man picked up a bamboo cane leaning against the stall. It seemed to be the object the previous gambler had used as a staff. As he examined the stick as if observing a curiosity, Young-pa grew enraged.
“This brat picks a fight and then plays dumb. I said, do you have evidence!”
Thump!
Young-pa stared blankly at the back of his hand, which had been pierced by the tip of the stick. Blood flowed from the open wound, dripping onto the stall. The pain followed slowly.
As the man lifted the bamboo cane, Young-pa’s hand was pulled up with it. And thus, the split dice hidden beneath his palm were revealed.
“Kyaaaak! Blood!”
“A fight has broken out!”
Young-pa’s blood-stained hand slammed back down onto the stall. While the onlookers scattered with screams, Young-pa glared with a chilling intensity.
“Is this bastard crazy? How dare he touch me?”
“You asked for evidence, so I simply showed it.”
Hearing that brazen answer, Young-pa felt his head grow hot with rage. However, that man was no ordinary human. Young-pa hadn’t even noticed the sign of him raising his arm.
Who was he? Someone come to capture him? A spy for Ji Seo-gu? Young-pa’s gaze sharpened.
“Who are you?”
“Your customer.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. Answer me properly.”
As Young-pa tried to grab him by the collar, the man quickly stepped back. Young-pa kicked the stall and stood up. The man twisted his upper body to avoid a flying fragment of the broken stall, muttering,
“How ill-mannered.”
“Stop making me angrier and reveal your identity!”
Young-pa lunged forward, attempting to grab the man’s shoulder and throw him. However, his hand only clawed fiercely at the air.
“You aren’t planning to fight here, are you?”
“Dammit, then what do I look like I’m doing?”
“That fellow will come.”
“Who do you mean by that fellow?”
The man answered as he turned around.
“White Tiger’s henchman.”
Young-pa feigned a strike at his head while attacking his arm. Again, the man stepped back swiftly, evading the attack. Young-pa immediately kicked toward his head, and the opponent escaped the toes by a hair’s breadth.
The man sighed and picked up the bamboo cane. His attitude was as if he viewed Young-pa as a bothersome child, having sought a weapon only because he felt he might be pushed back. Young-pa was overcome with irritation.
“I don’t even need a weapon against the likes of you. I’ll deal with you bare-handed.”
Bang!
The man blocked Young-pa’s swinging fist with the stick. Then, he pushed him away with an air of annoyance. As Young-pa leaped back to avoid it, the man stabbed toward his abdomen. He wasn’t using the weapon like a sword, but rather waving it as if driving away a repulsive beast.
Young-pa lunged again. The man, who was agile despite his size, evaded him once more as if mocking him. After having pierced a human’s hand, he now seemed to have no intention of attacking.
Young-pa leaped behind him and swung a fist, but the man stabbed the bamboo cane over his shoulder as if he had eyes on his back. As he smoothly turned and pushed Young-pa’s shoulder with the tip of the cane, Young-pa was instead knocked back onto the empty stall. With a crashing sound of collapse, people screamed.
“You bastard, you’re actually decent.”
They exchanged a few more blows. Young-pa targeted the opponent’s neck, stomach, and legs in turn, but he was blocked by the tip of the stick every time, unable to even get close.
The mysterious man moved little and his attitude was extremely indifferent. Yet, his movements were so devoid of waste that they were like flowing water. Young-pa naturally became curious about his face.
‘What is he? He doesn’t seem like a serpent.’
He felt no yin energy from the man at all. Moreover, his dignified demeanor was not the kind of thing a subterranean creature could imitate.