Chapter 754: Dragon Keeper (8)

After the banquet, the Blue Plinth in the Blue Dragon Palace.

The plinth was located at the highest point in the Blue Dragon Palace, attached to it was a dragon horn statue.

It has a clear view of the deep sea and the Dragon Palace, but all its windows are tightly sealed and reinforced by Cheongryong’s boundary.

“Hwangryong and Yong Jegun are climbing up the steps. They’ll arrive soon.”

Although it’s hard to feel their presence because of the boundary, Cheongryong, the owner of the palace, seemed to know what was going on.

Right now, there are three dragons at the Blue Dragon Palace — Hwangryong, Yong Jegun, and Cheongryong.

The other five dragons headed to the White Dragon Palace to monitor the Dragon King's shamans.

‘They said that Hwangryong would come right away, based on his personality.’

Cheongryong and Yong Jegun said the same thing.

If that was the case, it would’ve been better to invite Hwangryong to the Blue Dragon Palace in the first place, but they went through the hassle because they expected that it would be difficult to shake off the shamans if the talk gave the impression of another gathering instead of Yong Jegun’s personal consultation.

Slide.

When the two arrived at the floor where we were, Cheongryong opened the door.

“I’m here.”

“Sorry to come at a late time.”

The two dragons had drastically different expressions.

Yong Jegun was looking at us with a rising smile, while Hwangryong looked apologetic for no reason.

When the two dragons came in, the door was closed and a boundary was enforced.

After Cheongryong’s measures, Hwangryong spoke.

“I believe Yong Jegun and the Dragon Clan’s benefactor. At the same time, I also believe in the shamans.”

I’ve known Hwangryong’s fair and just nature since PMH.

Even when Yoon Yeorang was framed and the Dragon Clan and the shamans drove her, Hwangryong listened to both sides and judged based on evidence.

We have to act carefully because of the shocking news of the shamans’ betrayal who Hwangryong knew for a long time.

“So show me the evidence. I want to judge with my own eyes.”

Hwangryong was looking right at me.

There was no doing about his attitude.

He seemed to suppress his own thoughts, holding off on all judgment until the facts were confirmed.

‘It hasn’t been long since I’ve met Hwangryong, but I have no choice but to use my light skill.’

I used Yoon Yeorang’s light skill to summon a Sun-Moon Blue Dragon Fan and a Blue-Yellow Fan.

It was a fan that Yoon Yeorang devised from seeing Cheongryong and Hwangryong.

“Did you bring the food they prepared?”

“Unryong brought it.”

Unryong, who was waiting at the palace and came here under Hwangryong’s order, came in front of me.

As Unryong moved his hands, the image that was covered in clouds was revealed.

On top of the table were banquet foods made by the shamans and the snacks that had been sent to the Blue Dragon Palace.

None of the food here was touched, and Unryong has been holding onto them.

‘I just have to prove that there’s a problem here.’

I opened the fan in both hands and whipped it toward the food.

Fwaang! Fang!

At the end of the fans, a semi-dark blue dragon and a yellow dragon appeared and rushed toward the food.

After passing through the food, the two dragons had something in their mouths.

Cheongryong already heard about it, but his eyebrows now narrowed upon seeing it in person.

The substance was unclear, but it had the same colors as the five shamans.

“Ah…”

Hwangryong let out a small sigh.

The fact that something appeared after that skill means that there’s something bad.

He could only sigh upon seeing it himself.

I decided to use another skill to clarify the true nature of whatever that was.

Jinryeong is a skill that subdues an item’s spirit and reveals its true nature.

In other words, this skill would let us see what the shamans planted in the food.

Fwaaang!

I flapped the fans once, sending the afterimage of the two dragons toward the food.

The two frosted in the air and slowly disappeared, and then the reality of the rotten thing was seen.

They were scales that glowed in sulfur, purple, green, jade, and red.

Hwangryong looked at the scales and couldn’t even sigh.

Perhaps because he expected it, Cheongryong was able to speak first.

“Using their powers as shamans to come after dragons and descendants… Well, the Dragon Clan’s benefactor is part of us, so there’s really no loss.”

Seeing as he’s talking nonsense, I don’t think Cheongryong is in much shock.

“If Hwangho was here, he would tell you to stop speaking nonsense, Cheongryong. And please don’t forget that Jo Euishin became the Tiger Clan’s benefactor long before the Dragon Clan’s.”

“Of course, I won’t forget. Why don’t the benefactor accept the Dragon and Tiger clans at the same time?”

“Why does Jo Euishin have to be a member of the Dragon Clan? Although we are in the Dragon Palace, I can’t speak as pleasantly as Hwangho.”

Jeokho was a little strange too.

Shouldn’t they console Hwangryong instead?

While everyone felt uncomfortable for different reasons, only Yong Jegun was disgustingly pleased.

Kim Shinrok elbowed Yong Jegun, unable to endure the cheeky sight of him, but the latter only laughed even more.

A useless battle of wits continued until Hwangryong had collected his mind.

“Thank you for showing me. You are dealing with a precious power.”

Everyone went quiet when Hwangryong spoke.

Looking at the scales materialized through Jinryeong, Hwangryong asked,

“I heard from Yong Jegun that the benefactor thinks that these are Imoogi’s Scales. Why do you think so?”

Those scales weren’t of a dragon's nor a snake’s.

In this world, an Imoogi is often treated as something indistinguishable between a dragon and a snake.

There were many other beings with scales, so it might be jumping to the conclusion that these are Imoogi’s Scales just based on their appearance.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but think so.

“I’ve seen similar scales.”

“Similar scales?”

“Yes, most of you here must’ve seen the same one.”

All eyes turned to me.

Everyone seemed to be fumbling with their memories, unable to remember them right away.

The first to figure it out was Yong Jegun, who gave a cunning smile.

“It’s faster to show it.”

Fwaaat!

I turned on my device and showed a picture.

Kim Shinrok and Cheongryong had their eyes wide open when I floated the hologram.

“This is…!”

“I see, I see. I’ve seen it.”

The two nodded at the scales in the painting.

I thought Cheongryong wouldn’t recognize it, but fortunately, he did.

Hwangryong, having seen this painting for the first time, asked gently.

“Can you tell me about this painting?”

I readily answered his question.

“The title of this painting is Imoogi’s Exorcism. It’s a work of two artists, Painter Hong Kyungbok and his student, Min Geurin.”

(T/N: I’ve indicated this before, but the Korean word where “Exorcism” was translated from can also mean “return”)

When I used Jinryeong to reveal the scales in the food, I realized that they looked the same as the Imoogi that appeared in the painting.

The size and detail are limited due to it being a painting, but the shape and ratio were identical.

“Imoogi’s Exorcism was drawn at the request of the former head of the Korean Player Association during the Dark Ages. He meticulously ordered the sketches and the materials to complete this painting.”

Imoogi’s Exorcism was completed by Min Geurin, but it was started by the former head of the association.

When asked about the reason for painting this piece, Hong Kyungbok replied,

— A close hyungnim asked me to. He suddenly called me because he wanted something to be drawn.

— There were a lot of orders. He said that the body of Imoogi should be accurately set based on my finger. When applying colors, I have to mix silver vermillion with purple flowers to make the dye myself…

The sketch of this painting contained information left by the former head of the association.

Imoogi’s Exorcism was kind of a map, containing information on the location of frozen otherworlds that the royal lineage targeting Korea wanted to hide.

However, like the excellent player that he is, that wasn’t the only thing hidden in this painting.

“The client of this painting once made a deal with the people of royal lineage who were aiming for Korea. I obtained a lot of information along the way. One of them is in this painting.”

Hwangryong heard me and heavily spoke.

“Then there’s a possibility that the shamans have joined hands with them.”

In my opinion, yes.

The shape of the scales was quite unique, but it matched the painting.

From the gloss to the texture, it was completely consistent.

It was all too similar to call it a coincidence.

“It was decades ago, that so-called Dark Ages. If what you say is true, I have been swallowing those scales for a long time.”

Hwangryong spoke calmly, but he didn’t seem calm at all.

Looking down at the fans that I was still holding, Hwangryong spoke again.

“Can you use your power on me?”

I accepted the request.

Fwaang!

I flapped the fans, but nothing came of it.

Instead of the scales being fully substantiated like earlier, something was only scattered like powder.

The scaly powder mixed with the food he had recently appeared and disappeared.

Looking at the scattered powder, Hwangryong said,

“It seems like the scales have already become a part of me.”

Hwangryong’s voice trembled for the first time.

“The Imoogi scales are not ordinary. I can’t believe my senses encroached on that.”

Hwangryong didn’t express resentment for the shamans who abandoned him.

Instead, there was a deep sadness in his voice.

“My eyes and ears will not be able to recognize the Dragon King. I don’t know how to apologize to him.”

Hwangryong sighed deeply.

When Cheongryong tapped his shoulder silently, Hwangryong regained his composure little by little.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for. Nothing has happened yet.”

After de-summoning the fans in my hands, I spoke to Hwangryong again.

“I have a suggestion.”

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