By Zephyria 
If this had been a contest of shouting, Yeon-hwa would have been the winner. She ran with every ounce of strength she possessed, hoping her screams would reach someone’s ears.
She had been praised as a clever princess, and her pride would not allow her to be taken down by a monster so close to the palace. It would be even worse if rumors spread that she had died due to reckless behavior.
However, it was impossible to outrun an anaconda; before long, the monster tripped Yeon-hwa and knocked her down.
“Kyaaaaah!”
The monster that approached her had a massive mouth. It was far more terrifying and repulsive than she had imagined.
‘I should have listened to Father.’
Yeon-hwa gripped a tree root, consumed by belated regret.
‘Perhaps… it might be better to die like this than to live as a powerless princess only to be sold off.’
Thinking this brought a small measure of peace to her heart. She lifted her head and waited for the monster to swallow her whole.
What happened next startled even the stout-hearted Yeon-hwa. The anaconda suddenly split in half. As the left and right sides of the carcass peeled away in opposite directions, a person appeared from within.
‘Am I dreaming?’
Even after rubbing her eyes and looking again, a tall and lithe man stood there. He was dressed in a dark outer robe, his black hair tied back in a single ponytail. A silver ring hung around his neck. He was the most handsome man Yeon-hwa had ever seen in her life; she was so overwhelmed that she found it difficult to breathe.
Even her second older brother, known as the most handsome man in the country, didn’t even reach the level of dirt under that man’s toenails. She had never heard of such a person existing, neither among the royalty nor the nobility.
The moment their eyes met felt like an eternal age. She had a premonition that if she so much as blinked, he would vanish. Not wanting to lose him, Yeon-hwa summoned her courage and spoke.
“If I may, could I know your name?”
The moment the words left her mouth, her cheeks flushed. As royalty, she should have first expressed her gratitude for being rescued with proper etiquette, but her heart had raced ahead, and she had acted like a young girl.
The man frowned slightly. Even that expression looked elegant and noble.
“Wahahaha! She wants to… know his name! His name!”
Having been so preoccupied with one person, she hadn’t noticed others standing beside him. They, too, were handsome men who made her eyes widen.
“That’s enough.”
The young man standing to the right spoke with a look of disapproval.
“No, it’s just funny. To ask for someone’s name the moment she sees him… Hahahaha!”
Realizing she had been rude, Yeon-hwa blushed. Fortunately, the man who had saved her was not laughing at all.
“Are you alright?”
The man reached out his hand. With a heart that felt as if it would stop, Yeon-hwa took his hand. He pulled her up with strong force and immediately let go.
“It is dangerous here, so do not wander around.”
In the next instant, the mysterious people vanished like a dream, and no one remained. All that was left was a clear scent, resembling pine, lingering on the back of Yeon-hwa’s hand.
≋ ≋ ≋
Returning to the palace covered in the monster’s blood, Yeon-hwa was severely scolded and punished by being confined to her room for a week. During her confinement, she thought incessantly about what had happened at Mount Mokmyeok.
‘Who could he be?’
He wore human clothing, but he did not seem like a person of this world. Setting aside his eerily beautiful appearance, there was a detached atmosphere emanating from his calm eyes. He looked like someone who had transcended the affairs of the world.
Yeon-hwa resolved that she must meet him again. He was the savior of her life. And he was the only person who made her heart ache and kept her awake at night.
≋ ≋ ≋
It was only natural that Yeon-hwa headed straight for Mount Mokmyeok once her confinement was lifted. She searched the valley and the pine forest where she had been a week prior, but there was no one. Overcome with frustration, Yeon-hwa collapsed and sobbed.
She shouldn’t have waited idly for a week. She hated her father for ordering the confinement, and she hated herself for not thinking to sneak out. It was while she was crying for a long time.
“You always put me in an awkward position.”
The deep voice that had followed her into her dreams reached her ears. When Yeon-hwa snapped her head up, tears scattered in all directions. The man frowned slightly, but there was a smile on his lips.
Yeon-hwa quickly wiped her tears and played innocent.
“Hello. We meet again.”
“You were like that with the serpent too; you certainly have good manners.”
“Yes, I do… But why do you speak down to me? I am a princess of this country.”
He was the person she had so desperately wanted to meet, so why did her words not come out as kindly as she intended? Her heart felt as if it would burst from nervousness.
Fortunately, the man laughed. It was a smile so bright it felt refreshing, and the corners of Yeon-hwa’s mouth lifted in response.
“Now that I see you, you do look like a princess. Last time, you were dressed as a servant.”
“There were circumstances then. My name is Yeon-hwa.”
Yeon-hwa reached out her hand as if it were nothing, but her cheeks were stained red. The man smiled as if he were perplexed, yet he took her hand. His hand was large, more than enough to envelop Yeon-hwa’s.
“I heard the sixth princess of this country was a tomboy; I see it was true.”
Once again, his hand was quickly withdrawn. Without fail, a rare fragrance brushed the tip of her nose.
“I picked this up nearby; does it belong to the princess?”
What he held out was the hair comb Yeon-hwa had been carrying. It was an item engraved with a lotus pattern on the surface, bought for her by her fourth older sister.
“I must have dropped it last time. Thank you.”
Yeon-hwa replied primly as she took the comb. If he had carried such a trivial item for a week just to return it to her, did that mean he had found her memorable as well?
“You should tell me your name too.”
“That would be difficult.”
“Why?”
“That is also difficult to answer.”
The man, who had been speaking as if teasing Yeon-hwa, suddenly looked off into the distance. A serious light flashed in his black eyes. Sensing that he would soon disappear, Yeon-hwa felt a premature sense of loss.
“I almost missed my task because I was distracted by a tomboy princess.”
“If you are busy, please go.”
“I shall do so, provided the princess returns to the palace immediately.”
He was a kind and considerate person. Even without knowing anything about him, she was certain he was not a bad person. Her father would be furious if he found out she had met a stranger alone—she would likely never be allowed out of her room for the rest of her life—but Yeon-hwa decided she would not let this man go.
“I will wait here tomorrow as well.”
Before he could react, she ran toward the palace. After running for a while, she looked back, and the man was already gone.
≋ ≋ ≋
Yeon-hwa went to Mount Mokmyeok the next day, the day after, and the day after that. Despite acting as if he wouldn’t come, her man appeared stealthily every day. He would sit by her side and then vanish abruptly. Sometimes he came with others, but from a certain point on, he always appeared alone.
Since he didn’t speak much, the chatting was left to Yeon-hwa. He listened to her stories well, without any sign of boredom.
“I have five older sisters. They are all beautiful, but I’m the only ordinary, ugly one.”
At first, she started with light topics.
“Life is unfair and depends on innate luck.”
As days passed, the conversations grew more serious.
Wars and plundering were incessant in the world. Too many humans died every single day. Yeon-hwa poured out her dissatisfaction and sorrow regarding reality, and sometimes she even suggested solutions. These were stories that no one else had ever listened to.
“To protect humans, we must create a unified kingdom.”
“For that, there would need to be a king who is both wise and strong.”
“Exactly. As it stands, there is no hope. Even in our own country, my brothers are divided. The kings of other nations are just as lukewarm. They cannot integrate because they are too busy eyeing each other’s territories.”
“It would be wonderful if someone like you were the king of humans.”
“You’re joking, right?”
“I wasn’t joking.”
As their conversations deepened, Yeon-hwa came to love him deeply. She felt it didn’t matter what his status was or how old he was. As the days went by, her affection grew so strong that she wanted to throw away her position as a princess and run away with him.
One day, Yeon-hwa asked abruptly.
“You’re a dragon, aren’t you?”
The man looked surprised. He didn’t even answer; he just stared at Yeon-hwa with his mouth slightly open.
“I knew it.”
Yeon-hwa sighed. She had vowed she could overcome any difference in age or status, but being a dragon was a gap that was simply too difficult to handle.
“How did you know?”
He smiled faintly, as if amused. His eyes, sparkling like stars, were full of curiosity. Yeon-hwa was in no mood to smile back. In truth, she wanted to cry.
“First, this mountain was originally a place where no monsters existed. Yet, on the day I met you, I saw an anaconda here, and a few days later, the carcass of a monster was found in the pine forest to the west. My brothers reported that the wounds were not made by human weapons.”
“Hmm… is that so?”
“Second, it has been over three months since we met, yet you haven’t told me your name. Humans might make up a pseudonym, but they don’t go out of their way to hide their names. On the other hand, I heard that dragons only exchange names in very intimate relationships.”
“I see.”
“Third, that necklace bothered me… so I looked into it.”
Despite her efforts to hold it back, tears quickly filled her eyes.
“Me… me… merchants said it must be a device to amplify power. But… even after dealing with the monster, you always… th-th-that…”
“The necklace?”
“Hic, you always wore the necklace when you came. Even today, just to talk with me… sob sob, so… I guessed it might be the opposite. To hide your original… form from me…”
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Yeon-hwa was known as a “poisonous” one in the royal family because she never cried, no matter what. Yet, it was incomprehensible how she became a crybaby only in front of this man. The one who had made Yeon-hwa cry twice now had a composed face.
“I must be honest. I’ve never seen a human as clever as you. The humans I’ve seen until now were, how should I put it… a bit dull.”
He was no help at all. Yeon-hwa buried her face in her palms and wailed. Before long, a soft touch reached her shoulder. Even amidst her sobbing, Yeon-hwa felt she was being absurd for feeling fluttery.
“Why so sorrowful? Do you dislike that I am a dragon?”
“You idiot! It’s not that I dislike it, it’s that you have to be human for me to marry you!”
“Hahahahaha!”
As the man laughed with delight, Yeon-hwa forgot she was crying and looked at him.
“What an interesting human. Either way, you and I…”
“I know! I know! If we set up a home and live together, that’s a marriage, isn’t it? I was going to coax you into wearing your straw shoes backward, and then it turns out you’re a dragon. I don’t care. Take responsibility!”
Before she knew it, Yeon-hwa was shouting. Even as he tapped her shoulder with his fist, the wicked dragon only laughed with pleasure.
“You bad dragon… stealing my heart completely, and yet not even telling me your name…”
“I am sorry. I was wrong. So please, stop crying.”
His face drew close. A large hand wiped away the tears flowing down Yeon-hwa’s cheeks. Unconsciously, Yeon-hwa let out a hiccup. Laughing, crying, and then hiccuping—she had never been more embarrassed.
Feeling like ‘whatever,’ Yeon-hwa threw herself into the arms of the nameless dragon. He did not reject her. Instead, he embraced her.
≋ ≋ ≋
The next day, Yeon-hwa headed to Mount Mokmyeok as if nothing had happened. Even if she couldn’t make a marriage vow with a dragon, she couldn’t bear not seeing him.
The dragon appeared at the meeting spot with a composed air and listened to Yeon-hwa’s stories. They resembled each other in their shamelessness.
The conversations continued. Days piled up to make a month. Months piled up to make a year, and then two years passed. They leaned on each other, held hands in silence, and occasionally shared a kiss. Yeon-hwa kept the fact that she had a dragon as her lover a secret from others.
Having reached the age of twenty, Yeon-hwa decided to become the king.
She devoted herself to her studies and pestered her father to let her attend the ministers’ meetings in the lowest seat. She built relationships by making herself known to the officials, and in her spare time, she went to the streets to distribute rice cakes to the commoners and tend to the public sentiment. As the years passed, Yeon-hwa’s presence in the royal family grew stronger.
Her lover was always by her side. His embrace made her forget the sorrows of the world, his tender whispers melted away the fatigue of the day, and his kisses transported her to ecstasy. Yeon-hwa loved and trusted her lover deeply.
When Yeon-hwa turned twenty-two, the queen fell ill. Yeon-hwa crossed mountains and ridges to bring back medicinal herbs to cure her illness. After the queen recovered from the brewed medicine, a festival was held in the country for a month.
When Yeon-hwa turned twenty-four, envoys from another country visited. Since none of the princes were knowledgeable about that country’s culture, the king had no choice but to entrust the guidance of the envoys to Yeon-hwa. With the knowledge and eloquence she had studied, Yeon-hwa successfully led the country’s diplomacy.
When Yeon-hwa turned twenty-six, a monster kidnapped the king and queen. While the entire palace was in turmoil, Yeon-hwa was the only one who remained calm. She went to Mount Mokmyeok.
“Please help me. I need your power.”
The lover listened quietly to the situation and told Yeon-hwa to return to the palace and wait. Half a day later, the king and queen returned safely to the palace, and the monster was found as a belly-up carcass in the forest.
That day, all the princes and princesses of the country, as well as the officials, knelt before Yeon-hwa. And they watched as she was appointed as the successor to the throne.
When Yeon-hwa turned twenty-eight, the king died, and the entire country mourned. The funeral was presided over by the next king. Once the period of mourning ended, Yeon-hwa ascended the throne through a coronation ceremony.
As soon as the banquet ended, Yeon-hwa ran to Mount Mokmyeok, still dressed in her splendid ceremonial robes and wearing the golden crown adorned with curved jade. Her lover was waiting for her at the meeting spot.
“If you hadn’t stayed by my side, I wouldn’t have been able to do anything. It’s all thanks to you.”
“No. It is something you achieved through your own effort. Congratulations.”
His deep eyes sparkled as he embraced Yeon-hwa. In his wide embrace, Yeon-hwa cried for the third time. They were tears of joy, rapture, and victory.
“Now that I have become king, I will not come here. Please come to my bedroom.”
Yeon-hwa whispered in his ear.
≋ ≋ ≋
That night, the man entered the king’s bedroom through the wide-open window.
He looked different from usual. His hair, waving like a river, shimmered with a deep blue light, and his blue eyes sparkled like jewels. He had always boasted an appearance that wasn’t human, but now it was to the point where she could no longer mistake him for one. Looking at him, Yeon-hwa felt as if her breath would stop.
“So this is your original form. You are beautiful.”
Instead of answering, he responded with a mysterious smile. It was the same calm and warm gaze that had not changed for ten years. Her lover had watched with a consistent gaze as Yeon-hwa broke her brothers one by one and approached the throne.
Yeon-hwa grabbed his wrist and pulled him down onto the bed. Their hands met, and their fingers intertwined. Yeon-hwa climbed atop her lover and leaned her waist over. Without fail, her eyes grew hot.
“From the moment we first met, I was yours.”
“My heart is yours for all eternity.”
Her lover’s lips touched her eyelids. They slid down the bridge of her nose and then captured Yeon-hwa’s lips. The ceremonial robes were stripped away one layer at a time by her lover’s hands. Every time his tender touch brushed against her bare skin, Yeon-hwa writhed. His fingers were long, delicate, and cool.
“Who dared call you ordinary?”
His lips touched Yeon-hwa’s collarbone. Yeon-hwa closed her eyes tightly and replied.
“I am ugly… compared to my sisters…”
“Never say that again. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful person in the world.”
Her lover was strong yet tender. He carefully considered Yeon-hwa, who was clumsy as this was all a first experience for her. While leading her into the world of pleasure, he cherished her body with meticulous care. Yeon-hwa was ready to follow her lover wherever he went. Thus, she forgot her fear and opened her body wide.
“Yeon-hwa, Yeon-hwa.”
Hearing her name in that low voice was nothing short of sweet. Yeon-hwa gasped, immersed in the pleasure she was experiencing for the first time in her life.
“Now… please tell me. Your name.”
The name of a dragon, which is told carefully only to those who are trusted.
Yeon-hwa, like others, wanted to call Jeong-in by his name without hesitation. Perhaps if she had remained the insignificant princess she once was, it would be different, but now that she had become the king of a nation, she believed she was rightfully entitled to do so.
Jeong-in did not hesitate. He did not even give his usual leisurely smile.
“My name is….”
As he pronounced it in a way Yeon-hwa did not know, the sound did not fade but lingered around her ears.
Rising spray, a swirling vortex, a beneficial waterway.
In her lover’s embrace, Yeon-hwa felt the illusion of swimming upstream against a river. She felt swept away by exploding bubbles, a powerful storm, and an ascending whirlwind.
“You resemble your name.”
“And so do you, my love.”
Now completely unrestrained, Yeon-hwa wore a deep smile. She threw herself upon Jeong-in, calling his name until her voice grew hoarse. They indulged in one another frantically.
Three, Challenging the Gods
In the beginning, there were four divine beasts: the dragon, the bonghwang, the tiger, and the serpent. Among countless beasts, the four symbols received the blessing of Hwanin Cheonje, granting them immortality and strange abilities.
The one who governs the atmosphere of the heavenly realm is the Azure Dragon of the East, the most noble of beings. He possesses the talent to manipulate rain clouds and thunderbolts.
The one who governs the heat of the air is the red Bonghwang of the South, the most free of beings. He possesses the talent to create whirlwinds and flames.
The one who governs the earth of the mortal realm is the White Tiger of the West, the most stern of beings. They possess the talent to transform soil and rock.
The one who governs the shadows of the underground is the black serpent of the North, the most secretive of beings. He possesses the talent to use cold and toxicity.
Among them, one pitied humans, one envied them, one hated them, and one loved them; thus, the opinions of the four spirits did not align. Though they snarled at one another, they lived while each guarding the four cardinal directions.
Black Temple
Upon waking from sleep, Young-pa noticed that the man’s appearance had changed. He gazed at Biryoo for a moment before getting up. Then, he behaved as he usually did.
After exchanging boisterous greetings with Cheongsim, he carried a water bucket to collect dew. Once the bucket was full, he entered the Green Forest to pick fruit. When Lee Shim visited him midway, they shared idle chatter, and Young-pa bullied him into helping pick the fruit. They were so desperate to find fruit that the two of them ventured deep into the dense greenery and back.
When the bowl was half full, Lee Shim left for somewhere with Cheongsim, and Young-pa continued picking fruit alone. Afterward, Young-pa washed the fruit in running water, lay down in front of the cave, and soon fell asleep.
There was one who observed everything from a high vantage point: the eyes and ears of the Azure Dragon. Having received a special request from his master, Seo-o kept his eyes fixed on Young-pa, watching his every move.
His master had told him to monitor Young-pa to ensure he did not do anything ‘reckless.’ As Seo-o understood it, his mission was to prevent him from traveling far or contacting Jeolgon. However, Jeolgon had shut himself in his quarters since early morning, and there was nothing unusual about Young-pa’s movements.
Thus, Seo-o spent his leisure time perched on a peach tree branch. Two sijn later, when Young-pa woke from his nap and stretched, Seo-o felt a bit bored and flew toward him.
“You’re so well-behaved today that it’s boring.”
Seo-o spoke playfully as he shifted his body into human form. However, seeing Young-pa up close, something felt off.
“H-hey….”
He was grinning in a vacant manner. Looking at the white robes torn here and there and the neatly braided hair with a ribbon, it was certainly him, yet an inexplicable sense of incongruity lingered.
While Seo-o was bewildered, Young-pa burst into laughter. The problem was that the voice was not Young-pa’s.
With a pop, Lee Shim appeared where Young-pa had been. As Seo-o let out a sharp shriek, Lee Shim doubled over laughing.
“Hahaha! You totally fell for it!”
Lee Shim roared with laughter in delight, but the color drained from Seo-o’s face.
“It’s just a prank, why so serious? I just played a little trick on you.”
“You idiot! You think this is funny?!”
Seo-o bellowed and grabbed Lee Shim by the collar. Only then did the smile gradually fade from Lee Shim’s face.
“Where did that human go? Where did he go!”
“I-I wouldn’t know. I just did what Hyung-nim told me to do….”
“What did that guy say!”
“Well, you see….”
According to Lee Shim’s hesitant answer, Young-pa had proposed the prank first. He had been dying to tease Seo-o, so he suggested they take this opportunity to play a proper, exciting trick.
Once Lee Shim agreed, the two pretended to pick fruit and used disguise to swap appearances within the dense brush where Seo-o could not see.
“He told me not to say anything and just sit in front of the cave for about one sijn. He said while I did that, Hyung-nim would prepare a funny prank….”
“You’re not children! There are other things to do besides pranks!”
It was a relief if it was merely a prank. Because if, by some chance, it wasn’t…
Seo-o tried to ignore the ominous premonition and transformed into a blue bird. He soared upward with a desperate heart.
≋ ≋ ≋
Young-pa stood halfway up Asadal Mountain. It was an altitude he didn’t usually descend to, but it was still within the safety zone. However, if he went any further down, the story would change. He looked out over the mountains and fields that were likely under the surveillance of vertically slit pupils.
“Cheongsim.”
Cheongsim, who had been lying quietly, lifted his head. Even though he had been disguised as Lee Shim, he had followed along as if it were natural and stayed by his side.
“Why did you follow me this far?”
As Young-pa returned to his own form, Cheongsim wagged his tail vigorously. Even as the dog lunged forward to lick his cheek, Young-pa did not stop him.
His already distorted face became even more crumpled from the wide smile, but in Young-pa’s eyes, it didn’t look ugly at all. The affectionate dog who had carried him on his back and saved his life several times. He was the only being who treated Young-pa with pure affection.
“My puppy is even cuter than usual today.”
Cheongsim burrowed into his embrace with an expression of sheer happiness. Young-pa hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
“I have something important to entrust to you.”
As Young-pa whispered low, the dog pricked up his ears.
“You know, Cheongsim. Biryoo….”
Uttering that name felt like flesh being sliced by a blade. Young-pa widened his eyes and continued.
“Biryoo has fallen into a deep sleep, and I’m worried something might happen.”
Cheongsim tilted his head. When Young-pa added, ‘I suspect Jeolgon is up to something,’ the dog frowned and growled.
“Stay by Biryoo’s side while I keep watch around the area. You can do that for me, right?”
Cheongsim barked. Young-pa couldn’t understand the dog’s words, but he knew he had agreed. Cheongsim licked Young-pa’s cheek one last time and turned back to climb the mountain slope.
‘I’m sorry.’
Young-pa stared at the spot where he had disappeared for a long time. His heart broke at the thought that he might never see Cheongsim again. But he had no tears left to shed.
Caught in the lingering attachment that pulled at his ankles, he admired the mountains and streams surrounding him. Were the leaves of the hornbeam always shaped like that? When the persimmons ripen, they must smell so fragrant. Every single thing he had previously taken for granted now felt precious.
He had very few options. The paradox that to catch a serpent, one must head to the snake cave. It was dangerous. If the gamble succeeded, he would return to the mortal realm. But if it failed… this would be the last time he stepped on the earth.
A pleasant thought occurred to him, and Young-pa chuckled. Whether this gamble succeeded or failed, Biryoo would never meet Yeon-hwa again. It was a magnificent mockery of Biryoo’s eternal, pure devotion. It was also the act of ruthlessly shattering a thousand years of waiting.
‘That’s why you should have at least pretended to accept me when I tried to give you my body and soul. Consider this the price for ignoring the heart of a lowly human.’
Young-pa was a despicable villain. He was a heartless trickster who did not hesitate to fabricate lies. Anyone who trusted him had made a mistake. Previously, White Tiger had reprimanded Young-pa, saying he was a wicked being from the roots and a human suited for the underground; those words were correct.
‘Perhaps the mortal realm was too much for someone born like me. If so, I’ll have nothing to regret.’
With a fishy smile, Young-pa descended the mountain in one breath.
Jeolgon had flaunted his prestige so much that no traces of serpents could be seen even in the quite lowlands. Before his heart changed, before he felt the urge to return to Biryoo, Young-pa left Asadal Mountain.
“Ji Seo-gu, Young-pa is here!”
The booming shout seemed to shake the very heavens. Young-pa ran swiftly, kicking up dust around him. When still nothing happened, he summoned dust devils and threw them about to cause a commotion.
After some time had passed, Young-pa ceased his sorcery and stood still. Serpents were surrounding him, and there were more than just one or two. A swarm of snakes, numbering at least several hundred, encircled him from a distance.
Deep fear was etched in the eyes of the snakes. Seeing that none of them dared to approach, Young-pa laughed loudly.
“Hahahaha! I won’t bite, so come closer. Hmm?”
As Young-pa took a step, the group of snakes in that direction scurried back. It was the same when he moved to the opposite side. Young-pa found the sight so amusing that he clutched his stomach and laughed. But he couldn’t laugh until the end. This was because the ground began to shake faintly and the surroundings grew dark.
The vibration grew stronger, and before long, it reached a level where it was difficult to stand on two feet. Only then did the snakes’ eyes glint as they approached. This happened before the smile could completely vanish from Young-pa’s lips.
Despite having come fully prepared, his body trembled at the thought of what was to come. Who had called him fearless? It wasn’t that Young-pa didn’t know fear. He was simply used to enduring it.
Closing his eyes, Biryoo’s face came to mind. Not a dignified image, but the scene of him rubbing his sleepy eyes after waking from a nap. Young-pa murmured softly.
“O King of the Underground, take me home.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground stopped shaking. A darkness blacker than night and thicker than bodily fluids swallowed Young-pa whole.
≋ ≋ ≋
Young-pa blinked his eyelids slowly. The last scene he remembered was passing through a maze-like tunnel, swirling like a torrent.
A cold floor and dim light. Soft hissing sounds and heavy limbs. A suffocating stench… and yin energy. A terrible yin energy that weighed heavily upon his entire body.
As soon as he woke, Young-pa knew where he was. Since he had fallen asleep in the mortal realm the day before, there was no room for mistake. As he twisted his body, the shackles weighing down both wrists clanked. The black chains connected to the ceiling were familiar. The uneven walls and dirty floor were the same. How could he forget, having been bound here for three hundred years?
“Welcome back.”
A voice that made his skin crawl and his body shrink just by touching his ears.
Ji Seo-gu was a master at crushing hope and planting despair. Young-pa murmured, letting the strength leave his body in resignation.
“Where is this place?”
“To not even recognize your own home; how disappointing.”
“This place was burned and collapsed by my hand, so it does not exist in this world.”
The low voice laughed softly. It was a despicable laugh that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
“You aren’t fooled.”
The ceiling and walls surrounding Young-pa shattered and collapsed. Even as the ceiling fell over his head, Young-pa felt nothing. He simply realized that he had been in a different place from the start.
The place was far too wide to be called a room. The ceiling was dizzyingly high, and the surroundings were entirely pitch black. Faintly burning black flames dimly tinted the walls decorated with obsidian.
Young-pa lay in the center of the space, inside a slender iron cage that resembled a birdcage. He realized where that was. The dwelling of Black Tortoise, whose location no one knew.
“The Black Temple….”
“You are the first human to enter this place, so consider yourself honored.”
Turning his head toward the sound, he saw a man sitting on a throne. The chair, like everything else existing there, was black.
The man had his long black hair tied up and fixed with a hairpin. His skin was pale as if it had never seen light, and his downcast eyes were vermilion. The pitch-black fabric draped over his shoulders shimmered like scales and fell smoothly down to his ankles.
Ji Seo-gu was one who loved hiding in the shadows and rarely revealed himself. Even for Young-pa, who had been captured by him for hundreds of years, seeing him in person was a rare occurrence.
Only then did Young-pa notice that Black Tortoise was moving both hands. He was twisting three thick threads between his fingers, which were green, vermilion, and blue respectively. The braided cords were already very long, coiling several times after touching the ground.
“These are threads made from iris, centipede, and ground iron. I’m sure you know what this means.”
The three things Ji Seo-gu mentioned were substances widely known to be harmful to dragons.
“Ugh!”
Young-pa curled his upper body, his chest throbbing. Whatever Ji Seo-gu had done to his body, the area around his heart felt numb, as if it had been struck. He noticed that the hair covering his cheek had become about a palm’s length shorter.
“I had to take some of your hair, skin, and parts of your body. Since they are things you can recreate as much as you want, it’s fine, isn’t it?”
“With those… what….”
Young-pa barely managed to ask, clutching his chest. However, Ji Seo-gu ignored the words and continued braiding.
“I originally had a plan. But seeing the way you acted out, I found it unbearable to contain my anger.”
His expression turned fierce. Young-pa’s body floated up and was violently thrown to one side. Young-pa hit his head against the iron cage and fell to the ground.
“Hng, ugh….”
“I could tolerate it if I had discarded it myself, but I cannot stand someone else stealing it and playing around with it.”
Young-pa flew toward the opposite side of the cage. Since special abilities could not be used at all inside the prison, Young-pa had no choice but to be helplessly victimized. He groaned, curling his body like an insect.
“What were you thinking, provoking me everywhere you went?”
Ji Seo-gu’s upturned eyes were stained with hatred. As he approached and closed his hand, Young-pa floated into the air. He was strangled and could not breathe.
“Gasp, ha, ack…. Ugh, gh!”
“Answer me. Why should the King of the Underground be swayed by a mere creature like you?”
“Aaaagh, ugh!”
When Ji Seo-gu lowered his arm, the tips of Young-pa’s feet touched the ground. Young-pa lay prone on his own vomit and saliva, desperately gasping for thin air. Black Tortoise looked down at Young-pa as if nothing had happened. His countenance was so extremely serene that it felt incongruous.
“I have good news, Young-pa.”
“Hng, hng….”
“I’ve decided to keep you here as a toy from now on, so you can consider yourself liberated from that tedious labor.”
As Young-pa chuckled while his cheek was pressed against the ground, a frown creased Black Tortoise’s brow.
“He, hee, hehehe! That is… good news indeed. Will you be cleaning up my waste personally as well?”
Young-pa’s body floated up again and crashed into the iron cage. Thrown to the ground, he gritted his teeth to endure the pain of his back feeling crushed. Young-pa used all his strength to push himself up and gripped the iron cage with both hands.
“You loser! If I hadn’t come here on my own, you would never have caught me!”
As his murderous expression relaxed, Ji Seo-gu snorted. He lowered his upper body and gazed intently at Young-pa from a distance of about a palm.
“You’ve become docile after suffering outside.”
A snow-white hand drew closer. Just before the fingertips touched his cheek, Young-pa tried to bite the finger. If Black Tortoise hadn’t avoided it, he would have snapped off a joint.
“Tsk tsk, I wondered if you’d been tamed a bit.”
Ji Seo-gu clicked his tongue and turned away. He returned to the throne and continued braiding the cords as if nothing had happened.
“I see you’ve regained your divine power in the meantime. Otherwise, I would have used this rope to bind you and keep you by my side; what a shame….”
Young-pa had a clear purpose for coming here. However, upon hearing words hinting at Biryoo, his resolve seemed to blur. As if reading his mind, Black Tortoise let out a sneer.
“Did you have some fun with the Azure Dragon?”
Young-pa remained silent, but Black Tortoise raised an eyebrow as if he had received an answer.
“Your physical body must have some charm, eh? I felt nothing even when seeing you naked.”
Black energy flowed from Black Tortoise’s fingertips, forming the shape of a dragon in the air. The dragon flew smoothly like a cloud, passed through the iron cage, and coquettishly stroked Young-pa’s neck with its tail.