Chapter 377

“Have they left?”

The Captain of the Guards answered the tense question from the plump, middle-aged City Lord of Sichuan Province.

“Yes. The swift ship of the Yangtze River Channel League carrying them departed half an hour ago.”

“Whew.”

The City Lord let out such a deep sigh of relief that his belly jiggled, then waved a hand.

“All right, you may withdraw. If you hear any news concerning the martial artists, report it immediately.”

“Understood. But what about the troops stationed near Chengdu…?”

The City Lord frowned.

“Listen, Captain of the Guards.”

“Yes?”

“Do I need to concern myself with every trivial detail? Handle that sort of cleanup among yourselves. Consult the Military Commissioner, that stubborn bastard, if you have to. Hmm?”

“…”

The Captain of the Guards was speechless.

Were those words or a fart?

The City Lord’s incompetence and habit of dumping work on his subordinates were nothing new, but this was too much, even for him.

He wasn’t always this bad. Was he?

Several years ago, he had taken a favorite concubine, and ever since then, he had lost himself in carnal pleasures and neglected his official duties.

The Captain of the Guards sighed inwardly and gave a dispirited military salute.

“…I will carry out Your Excellency’s orders.”

“Of course you will. Then get to work. I have an important matter to attend to.”

Only then did the City Lord nod in satisfaction and rise from his seat.

The Captain of the Guards watched his retreating back as he huffed and puffed beneath his excessive weight, then muttered in a voice barely louder than an ant’s.

“Important matter, my ass. He’s probably off to embrace his favorite concubine again.”

The Captain of the Guards’ prediction was correct. The first place the City Lord visited after leaving the great hall was a lavishly decorated bedchamber.

“Aehyang! Aehyang!”

A beauty lying half-naked on a silk bed larger than most rooms sat up.

“My lord. Why did you take so long? Aehyang has been waiting for you.”

“Y-You have?”

The City Lord was dazed once by her coy eyes and twice by the snow-white skin peeking through the sheets. His mouth fell open in a foolish grin.

“I’m sorry. The Captain of the Guards kept bothering me.”

“That man again? My lord is already so busy. Why does he keep harassing you?”

“I know, right?”

“This is why incompetent underlings are such a problem. Without my lord, none of them could do anything.”

“You’re the only one who truly understands me, Aehyang!”

It was the sort of conversation that would have made the Captain of the Guards roll his eyes if he had heard it.

As the City Lord’s cheeks trembled with emotion, his favorite concubine opened both arms toward him.

“Come here, my lord. You’ve worked so hard. Let Aehyang hold you.”

“Aehyang…”

At the seductive smile lingering in his beloved concubine’s eyes, the City Lord’s gaze grew hazy.

“Could there possibly be a woman in all the world as beautiful as you?”

The City Lord had been born into a powerful family that had produced members of the Three Excellencies¹ and had enjoyed a smooth path through life.

Backed by inexhaustible wealth, he had visited pleasure houses countless times and held every kind of beauty in his arms.

He had taken several women as concubines whenever they caught his fancy. But after meeting so many women, his interest in each had always faded within a year.

But this girl is different!

He swore he had never seen a woman like her. Her voice, her gaze, even the slightest movement of her fingertips—everything about Aehyang was enchanting and lovable in the City Lord’s eyes.

Even after several years, he never tired of the sight of her. No—if anything, he was sinking deeper under her spell, almost frighteningly so.

“I love you. I love you, Aehyang!”

The City Lord, who had just entered his fifties, cried out with the passion of a young man in love.

As though bewitched, he approached and nestled into his favorite concubine’s embrace. As he always did, he began telling her about everything that had happened that day. To the City Lord, she was the only person to whom he could confide even his most intimate secrets.

“…And so, those troublesome ruffians finally left.”

“You mean those people, don’t you? The martial artists who came here last time.”

“That’s right. The ones who brought His Highness Prince Shangshan’s Token.”

“Hmm.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking that you must have had such a difficult time because of this. I heard the martial artists got into a fight and many people were killed or injured.”

The City Lord shook his head in disgust.

“Don’t remind me. They dared to steal government uniforms from who knows where, put them on, and disrupt the order of the Great Nation.”

“Oh my. Is that true?”

“You may find it hard to believe, but it is. Whatever else happens, I must submit a report to the imperial court about this…”

“How gallant of you. But, my lord…”

With a sweet smile, Aehyang stroked the City Lord’s head where it rested on her lap.

“Wouldn’t this become a serious matter if the imperial court found out?”

“H-Hmm?”

“Think about it. One day, my lord will rise to become one of the Three Excellencies¹, command all the civil and military officials, and assist the Emperor… I’m worried that the people who envy you might use this incident against you.”

“Heh heh. You truly are the only one who cares so much about me, Aehyang.”

The City Lord gazed at his favorite concubine with overflowing affection.

But he was not a complete fool.

Though the government and Murim occupied mutually noninterfering spheres and generally regarded each other as none of their concern, well over a thousand people had died throughout Sichuan over the past seven days and nights.

He could leave the trivial cleanup to his subordinates, but this was something he needed to handle personally.

“Your concern is admirable, but the bigger the matter, the more trouble it causes if you try to hide it.”

“My lord, do you really think I don’t know that?”

“Hmm? Then what do you suggest?”

“Hide what must be hidden and exaggerate your accomplishments.”

Her coquettish voice tickled the City Lord’s ear.

“Say that there was a major conflict among the martial artists and that my lord mobilized the government troops under your command to bring the situation under control.”

“Hmm.”

“You will become a benevolent City Lord who restored the Great Nation’s order after it was disrupted by ruffians and cared for the common people. Of course, it would be best to leave out the part about the government weapons and uniforms. They might cause misunderstandings.”

“It would be nice if things went exactly as you say, Aehyang. But even so, submitting a false report to the court…”

“My lord, look at me.”

The hesitant City Lord let out a short exclamation when he saw her eyes, beautiful and gleaming like polished obsidian.

“Ah.”

“Do you not understand how I feel about you, my lord? How much I adore you?”

“I… That is…”

The City Lord could not finish his sentence.

The moment his eyes met his concubine’s, his mind had already gone blank.

His heart trembled at her alluring figure, and the flowerlike fragrance of her body made his senses swim.

An immense trust and affection that had risen from somewhere, along with unbearable desire, seized control of him.

“Aehyang, Aehyang!”

His voice was desperate. But his concubine caught the City Lord’s hand as it reached out to grope her body.

“My lord, what is your answer?”

“Of course I’ll do as you say. I’ll do anything for you!”

The smile on his concubine’s lips deepened.

“Well done. Just keep doing as you have until now. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes!”

Overcome by intense desire, the City Lord failed to notice the ominous sight of an eerie red light seeping into the eyes of the concubine he loved so deeply.

“Oh, what a good boy. Our City Lord listens so well.”

His favorite concubine let out a peal of laughter.

Everything was proceeding exactly as she wanted—or rather, as that person wanted.

“Hmm?”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I thought I heard some crazy bitch laughing just now.”

“A crazy woman? Here?”

“Yeah. It gave me a bad feeling.”

Hyuk Mujin and I looked around. Three swift ships flying the flags of the Water Dragon Stronghold were gliding unhindered along a broad tributary of the Yangtze, and naturally, there was not a woman aboard any of them.

“Did I hear wrong? That’s strange.”

After everything I’ve been through lately, am I hallucinating now?

As I pondered the question, Hyuk Mujin spoke with a serious expression.

“Could it be that…”

“That what?”

“You have been unable to forget the Young Lady standing fourth from the right in the front row?”

Gung Gibang shook his head.

“Bullshit. It was the third from the left. A beauty like that would be hard to forget.”

“Oh, so that’s what this was about?”

I smiled benevolently at the two of them.

“I think today is going to be a day neither of you will ever forget.”

Still smiling brightly, I beckoned. Several burly river pirates came running over and bowed repeatedly.

“Did you call for us, Great Hero Jin?”

“Is there something you need these humble servants to do?”

“Grab those two bastards and give them a little dip in the Yangtze.”

The river pirates stared back in confusion.

“Uh, did you say a dip?”

“We’re ignorant men, I’m afraid. What exactly does ‘dip’ mean?”

“Dipping is the proper culture²… No, I mean just keep dunking their heads in the water and pulling them back out until I tell you to stop.”

“Ohhh, understood.”

“That sounds easy enough.”

“W-Wait a minute!”

“Captain!”

Hyuk Mujin and Gung Gibang tried to resist, but it was hopeless.

One had only one good leg, while the other was wrapped in bandages from head to toe.

As several hulking, martial-arts-trained river pirates swarmed them, seized their arms and legs, and began the dunking show, I turned my attention to the System Window I had already left floating in the air.

System

There is a bound Item that has not yet been named. Would you like to inspect it?

Obviously, yes.

Ding.

System

You have given the bound Item ??? a new name!

You can now freely use Fire Dragon Armor anywhere!

Fire Dragon Armor is resonating with your energy! It seeks its owner’s strength to repair its damaged sections on its own!

System

Item Window

???

Type: Armor
Grade: Divine Weapon
Restriction: Jin Taekyung
Description: A suit of armor containing the spirit of an unknown ancient master smith. It possesses truly formidable defensive power. With its former owner dead, it has become bound to a new owner. Once given a name, it can be freely used anywhere.

It became bound to me because its former owner died?

I had suspected as much, and it seemed the Item was exactly what I thought it was.

After turning my inventory upside down, I found the new bound Item. A flat, deflated sound escaped me.

“…To me?”

The thing resting on my palm was nothing more than a tiny fragment. It had once been called the Black Dragon Armor.

I definitely blasted it away along with that bastard, the Western Heaven Demon Lord, in the final One Annihilation. Did it automatically enter my inventory because it was a bound Item?

I could still vividly see the Black Dragon Armor shattering into pieces.

But I had no idea what I was supposed to do with a fragment this small.

I’d certainly feel safe with this tucked down the front of my underwear.

Ah. Was that why it was classified as armor?

I had just tugged at the front of my pants to check the most suitable position when—

“What are you doing—”

“…Ah.”

A chilly silence descended over the scene.

The boy’s face stiffened when he saw my loosened waistband and my hand shoved inside it.

After making sure no one else was nearby, the Slaughter Saint—no, Mungyeong—spoke.

“Of all places, here?”

“No, wait. I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

I was about to hurriedly explain when Mungyeong’s gaze turned cold.

“I told you before we departed. In front of anyone other than the Fire King and Cheongpung, you are to treat me as Mungyeong.”

I answered with an aggrieved expression.

“You’re speaking informally too, asshole.”

“…!”

“Ah. Sorry.”

Mungyeong wore an expression of mixed emotions, then clicked his tongue as he glanced at the river pirates approaching us.

The terrifying Slaughter Saint transformed into the Divine Physician’s Disciple and a cheerful young medical apprentice in an instant.

“What were you doing?”

“What business is it of yours?”

“…!”

This was surprisingly fun. But I couldn’t do it three times.

I quickly held out my hand toward the speechless Mungyeong.

“This got into the waistband of my pants.”

That was not entirely true, of course, but Mungyeong did not care about any of that. More precisely, his gaze was fixed on the fragment of the Black Dragon Armor.

“This is…”

“Do you happen to know this Item? No, do you recognize it?”

“Where did you get it?”

“From that guy.”

Mungyeong understood that I meant the Western Heaven Demon Lord and nodded.

“You acquired a Divine Weapon. I do not know how only a fragment came to remain, though.”

“He called it the Black Dragon Armor.”

“The Black Dragon Armor?”

“What? Is that different from the name you knew?”

“I read about it in an old secret history. It spoke of a mysterious suit of armor with no fixed name, whose form and properties changed according to its owner.”

“Its form and properties change? How?”

Mungyeong answered with a look that suggested I was an idiot.

Only then did I realize what I needed to do.

Internal energy.

An owner’s internal energy embodied their form and nature.

Ssshhh.

Following the formula of the eighth-stage Fire Gate Divine Technique, I sent lava-like energy flowing toward the fragment of the Black Dragon Armor.

The ink-black energy swirling over the fragment’s surface disappeared, and bluish-white Scorching Yang Qi filled its place.

Now engraved with a pattern resembling blazing flames, the object could no longer be called the Black Dragon Armor.

Fire Dragon Armor.

It was simple, but there could be no more fitting name.

The moment I smiled in satisfaction, a cheerful chime rang out.

Ding.

Whoosh.

I could feel the vast amount of internal energy leaving my body and rushing toward the Fire Dragon Armor.

I pretended to tuck the energy-draining object into my arms before storing it in my inventory.

Automatic repair? That’s incredible.

I had definitely acquired something useful.

Thank goodness the last gift I received on this journey was the Fire Dragon Armor.

Mungyeong stared at me with wide eyes as I turned away.

“Where are you go—where are you headed?”

“What business is it of yours?”

“…!”

I was starting to think I might get addicted to this.

I waved at Mungyeong, who was probably repeating the character for patience in his head.

“I’m going to take a nap. Don’t wake me.”

“…?”

Yes. Now it was time to awaken from a long sleep.

But…

Why do I feel so uneasy? Did I forget something?

Frowning, I found a place in the swift ship’s cabin and lay down. I closed my eyes, drew a deep breath, and spoke the command.

Logout.

Ding.

System

Logging out in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight, seven…

With the final count, the sound of splashing water and someone’s distant cries seeped faintly into my ears.

Splash! Gasp! “Captain, save—” Gasp!