Episode 226

“In what kind of pond does a dragon live! What the hell is this place!”

The Beast Palace Lord shook his head as he heard Chung Myung’s words.

“The dragon is an imaginary animal. What you just saw was the Ink-scaled Blood Python.”

“What is different between the two! What I just saw looked like an imaginary animal too!”

“But it exists right?”

“Ahhh!”

Chung Myung scratched his head.

“I am an idiot for thinking something good would happen here!”

He had initially questioned why the people lived in the barren wasteland despite having such fertile land.

‘But how can a person even live here!’

A tiger was two times the normal size and a bloody dragon living in the pond!

It was a damn circus show!

But the Beast Palace Lord shrugged his shoulders.

“That guy there is also a spirit creature. His scales are so strong that even a sword doesn’t work on its body, and it has strong enough power to change the entire terrain of this place with a single move of its tail. It is a literal monster.”

“Even the Lord cannot handle it then?”

“Well… I don’t know. I need to fight it to know about that, but I cannot go in there. And since that thing doesn’t come out, there is no need to go and bring trouble on ourselves either.”

“…”

‘Ah, so…’

It sounded like a sore loser giving excuses when they couldn’t win.

Chung Myung wondered if felt strange to make himself sound weak when he had that body, but this… this creature was called the Ink-scaled Blood Python of the snake world.

First of all, he worried if that thing could even come under the category of a snake…

“The Beast Palace worships this?”

“Worship…”

The Beast Palace Lord smiled bitterly.

“What kind of bastard would worship a snake? What is the point of a man worshipping a beast?”

“…”

Could a person who held the throne of the Beast Palace even say such things?

Baek ‘Jeon,’ who was riding on Chung Myung’s shoulder wagged its tail in agreement.

“The place isn’t called the Divine Pond because the snake stays there. In fact, the beast came into this place a while after we gave it the name.”

“Then… can’t you get rid of it?”

“Why?”

“Uh?”

“Didn’t I tell you? This place is sacred. It is natural for animals to live in such places. However, the beasts here are just a bit unusual.”

‘A bit?’

‘A bit?’

‘I guess you don’t know what ‘a bit’ means?’

“The members of the Beast Palace people cannot go into the Divine Pond and the snake doesn’t come out of it. He is like a neighbor who doesn’t like to mingle. So why fight it?”

“…right.”

The Beast Palace Lord laughed.

“Anyway, that guy will attack anything that touches the pond. That is the problem…”

Baek Cheon looked at him.

“In order to get the Purple Wood Grass, you need to go into the Divine Pond, and the Imoogi… no, that snake… it has to be dealt with.”

“Right.”

The Beast Palace Lord nodded his head as if he was pleased with the disciples’ understanding.

“It is such a minor problem.”

“…”

Chung Myung smiled.

“Yes. Quite trivial. How can life and death be such a huge thing? Life is such a minute and passing feeling. Oh Amitabha!”

“You are a Taoist, you idiot!”

“Then should we pray to Buddha?”

Chung Myung shouted pointing to the pond.

“There is something in there that can kill us, and you think correcting me when I mutter some wrong prayer is more important? If we go in… one hit, just one hit! No! One bite! In front of that mouth!”

Dark pits were being created among the harmoniously grown grass as they constantly stepped on them. It was surprising that along with it having a huge range when it came to biting things, it could rip up the ground with it too!

‘I don’t think even the Tang Family Head can deal with it.’

Even the elders of Wudang weren’t powerful enough to face it.

It couldn’t be compared to any master who was out in the world. One bite was enough to suck the light out of one’s life.

Baek Cheon looked at the quiet lake and said,

“It resembles a flood dragon that is on the verge of turning into a pure dragon. In that case, shouldn’t it be time for it to refrain from killing and start cultivating?”

“A dragon? What stupid dragon stories are you talking about? What kind of fake tales are you telling!”

“If such a snake exists, then dragons need to exist too!”

“Uh?”

‘That makes sense?’

Chung Myung, who was speechless as he heard that, sighed. Although the scenery looked a little bit scary now, it was very beautiful a while ago.

“…somehow, I thought things would work out. There is no way that would ever happen!”

Chung Myung scratched his head. He thought things were going too well in the Beast Palace. He had been treated so well in Yunnan and things had progressed comfortably, but now they had run into this situation.

“How do we get it?”

“How do we catch it?”

Chung Myung looked back at Yoon Jong.

“T-that is a beast, but if you just go into that place with the enthusiasm that everything will work out, you are bound to die someday!”

“Chung Myung.”

Baek Cheon had the softest smile.

“I have always respected your opinion, but I think now is a good time to reconsider.”

‘If you want death, then sajil should go first.’

“It is fine! It isn’t like that thing has no head! Most things in the world can be solved with breaking heads.”

“… sometimes I am surprised that you are a taoist.”

As if not caring for Baek Cheon’s words, Chung Myung looked at the lake again. His face looked like he was thinking of running into the lake.

The Palace Lord looked at him with a worried face.

“I didn’t mean to say this when I brought you here… but are you fine?”

“He is fine. He is stronger than he looks.”

“Yes. His character is reassuring as well. I will definitely hold a memorial service for you then.”

“…”

‘No, were these brats really saying this?’

‘I am the former Plum Blossom Sword Saint!’

Chung Myung grunted.

“If a small creature of its size is moved to our land! The food situation in Kunming seems bad so if it can be caught, there will be food for three to four weeks at least.”

“…such a nice solution. Even the Zhuge family wouldn’t be able to think of something like this.”

“Fine! Then…”

“Ah, wait!”

Chung Myung, who was about to rush ahead, stopped as he heard Baek Cheon’s cry.

“Why!?”

“Lord. Could you possibly know where the grass is?”

“Um. That isn’t too difficult. The grass that has white flowers over there… that is the one.”

When the lord pointed to one side, Baek Cheon nodded.

“Look carefully, Chung Myung. The dragon… No, catching the snake isn’t important. If that grass gets damaged in the middle of a fight, it’ll be ruined.”

“Okay!”

Chung Myung nodded at the advice.

Srng.

He pulled out his sword with a clear sound from its sheath. After swinging it a couple times to get used to it, he blinked.

“There is a mystery to solve! Let’s go!”

Without delay, he rushed towards the Divine Pond.

“Wow….’

“Will he be fine?”

The disciples of Mount Hua seemed worried. Although putting everything aside, the idiot in front of them who rushed into the pond to face the dragon-like snake was someone who was slated to be the ‘Best in the World’, this time, they were genuinely worried about him.

Splash!

Chung Myung descended close to the pond. Contrary to the speed at which he had run towards the pond, his movements changed as soon as he got near the pond. The way he jumped across seemed delicate and light. It felt like a thief was trying to sneak into a house.

Wheik!

Chung Myung turned his head and looked up.

‘Great. It didn’t come this time!’

And he began to move his feet slowly.

‘Come on, think clearly. My job isn’t to beat the snake but to take the grass.’

He had to secure the grass first and then kill the snake. Maybe after that, he could make snake soup.

Chung Myung began to cautiously move to the place where the grass was.

‘Let’s pull this out…’

It was then.

Shhhh.

He started to hear a strange sound. It was a low creepy sound that made his heart pound.

“…”

Chung Myung slowly turned around. He saw something huge and elongated rising up from the surface of the pond.

Its transparent shiny black scales seemed to reflect all seven colors brilliantly and its tongue slithered inside and outside of its tightly shut pitch-black mouth.

Even more impressive were its eyes.

Its small eyes, set like red dots between that black body, were staring right at him.

“Uh…”

It looked pissed.

‘Is it tough to live with me?’

Chung Myung scratched his head with an embarrassed face as if he had been caught stealing.

‘I’ve been caught?’

Chung Myung smiled.

‘Let’s just smile to avoid getting spit on the face…’

“Can I take the flower first and then we’ll talk later?”

Paaah!

“Eikkkkkk!”

Kwaaaaang!

The snake rushed to the place where Chung Mung stood.

“I must be going crazy, thinking of talking with snakes!”

Chung Myung narrowly managed to avoid being eaten. He clenched his teeth as he rushed towards the black body.

‘Full of holes!’

No matter how great the spirit creature was, its biggest weakness was that it had a huge size. There were too many places he could hit even with his eyes closed!

“Ahhhhhh!”

Chung Myung clenched his sword and went for the long neck of the snake.

Kang!

“Uk?”

Kang?

‘Not Kwang but Kang?’

‘What a clear, clear sound…’

Chung Myung raised his sword.

“…uh?”

His sword was broken in two…

Even though he had put so much strength behind his swing, his sword had cleanly broke into two pieces after being hit by the snake’s scales.

Prng.

He looked up and saw the top half of his sword rotating like a top as it soared in the sky. Immediately, it fell beside Chung Myung and pierced the ground.

Puk

‘Oh my, you have gone so deep.’

‘The ground has been cut so well!’

“Hahah.”

Chung Myung smiled as he looked at the broken sword.

-It is a sword that has been passed on in the Tang family, a treasured sword. I am giving it to you as a token of our friendship. So, use it well.

“Treasured sword, my ass!”

‘How dare you sell me defective products! You can’t be serious! To give me a sword that cannot even cut a snake!’

Chung Myung raised his head with a nervous expression.

“Uhhhh”

“…”

The snake seemed to tilt its head to the left and right. Very much like how Chung Myung would do when he was angry and ready to fight.

‘I do that a lot too.’

‘You aren’t a good person either, are you?’

He smiled as he looked at the broken sword, the snake and then his sword.

“Um… I don’t think you understand human language… but can I maybe go change my sword and then we can continue to fight?”

‘Or, not fighting sounds good too…’

Kwaaaaaak!

“Ah, shit!”

The snake turned around and rushed towards Chung Myung. Like a viper ready to take down its prey, it opened its fangs and came to Chung Myung to gulp him down in one bite.

It’s gigantic pitch-black mouth looked like a door to Hell.

“Ahhhh!’

Chung Myung quickly jumped over the head of the snake and then breathed qi into the broken sword and began to hit the snake on the head.

“Die! Die! Die! Break! Ugh!”

Kang! Kang! Kang! Kaaang! Kang!

He was clearly using his qi, but he could still only hear clanking sounds. Its scales were so hard that despite hitting them so many times, not even a single scratch had formed on it.

“…no, this makes no sense!”

Even Chung Myung was shocked.

Swords were made to cut through things. This was why there were so many techniques to enhance it and take the opponent down!

‘This isn’t even like I am dealing with man-made armor!’

“How is this….”

Tuk!

‘Uh?’

The snake jerkily raised it head slightly. At the same time, Chung Myung who was on its head, rose into the air.

Thud.

“Uh?”

Chung Myung watched the figure of the snake as it caught his ankle.

‘Uh….’

‘Why does its eyes look like it is smiling?’

“No!”

And the snake began to violently move his body to the sides.

Bang! Bang1 bang! Bang!

To the left and then to the right!

“Ackkkkk!”

Chung Myung hit the ground multiple times and each time he would groan out in pain.

“You fuckin snake….”

Tuk!

At that moment, the snake threw him into the air and opened its mouth.

“…Uh!”

Swish!

The moment Chung Myung saw that, he glanced at the snake’s tail that had emerged through the water at lightning speed, cutting through the air, flying towards him.

“…that is too much.”

Swish!

Chung Myung’s body that had been hit with the tail moved like a cannonball.

Paaah!

He flew into the water and jumped on the water surface like a throwing rock. He bounced up a couple times and eventually crashed to the ground.

Wooong!

The disciples of Mount Hua didn’t dare to see this and shut their eyes.

“…is he dead?”

“Ah, no way. As if he would die?”

“Don’t say that. He is dead.”

“L-let’s check to make sure.”

The disciples and the Palace Lord rushed to where Chung Myung had crashed and when they saw his condition they all shut their eyes.

“He is dead.”

“I don’t think we need to even build a grave.”

“Happy afterlife. You lived a good life.”

To say that he was in another condition when only his two legs were visible above ground was stupid. The rest of his body had formed a crater in the ground.

‘Ah right. He has to be dead.’

“Puaaaah!”

Chung Myung suddenly jumped up from the hole he had been in.

“…you guys have no conscience.”

“Even the underworld doesn’t accept him. I can understand.”

Chung Myung had blood dripping down his nose as he looked up.

“No, does that snake have a death wish!”

It was impossible for him to accept being defeated by an animal! And as such, with his reasoning thrown out the window, Chung Myung screamed.

“You snake brat! I am going to make soup with you!”

“What can you do? Even a sword doesn’t work on it.”

“Even qi doesn’t work. How can you do anything to it?”

“It didn’t even scratch the scales, right?”

Chung Myung shouted.

“If I couldn’t do it before, then I will make it happen now! There is nothing in the world which is impossible!”

‘Right right.’

‘But wipe off that nosebleed first Chung Myung.’