The 31st Piece Turns the Tables
chapter-260

Thuuuud!

Thuuuuuuud!

Snap, snap!

Snaaaaaaaaaap!

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Thuuuuuuuud!

The sound of breaking furniture echoed from within a completely enclosed room, but those outside had no way of seeing what was happening inside.

Despite that, they still had some idea of what was happening.

“His Majesty’s seizures are becoming more frequent.”

“I am at a loss…”

“It’s fine. Perhaps it was impossible for an ordinary doctor to improve His Majesty’s condition in the first place.”

Bang Hyu furrowed his brow as he dismissed the doctor.

The individual trapped within the room was none other than Hong Cheon, the Dragon Emperor.

But why was he causing so much commotion? Why was he destroying the furniture in his room?

Though it was difficult to accept, Hong Cheon had been this way since long ago—ever since the day he drank a dragon’s blood.

Hwagmu’s blood had given Hong Cheon a lot of things.

Overflowing energy, a strong mind, a longer youth, and a seemingly eternal body. In fact, even the majority of his children had turned out to be exceptional.

Thanks to this cycle, despite being on the brink of destruction by a dragon, Khan emerged as a superpower through the dragon's power.

It almost seemed like Khan would go on like this forever.

However, everything in the world always comes with a price. Having lived for over 300 years, Hong Cheon was now beginning to lose his mind.

And though it was never recorded, there was even an instance when a young Hong Cheon destroyed an entire town during a bout of unconsciousness.

While Hong Cheon did not know the reason at first, he eventually realized that it was a side-effect of a human consuming a dragon’s blood.

Hong Cheon knew his situation well.

So, before it could happen, he would restrain himself to ensure there would be no victims.

Now, having lost his youth, he was growing weaker.

And due to losing his energy, the seizures grew more frequent.

“At this rate…”

Bang Hyu quietly groaned.

* * *

Tae Yul had five subordinates, not including his Dragon's Stone. However, these five were powerful enough to rival even the most renowned Dragon's Stones in terms of strength.

Among them was Jin Ryeo, the woman who had lost a bet with Seol at the Dragon Palace.

Their names were Song Noh, Gyu Jin, Bang So, Geok Bi, and Jin Ryeo.

“Have you heard what happened to Zhe Gak?” Song Noh asked, twirling his beard as he spoke to Tae Yul.

“I did,” coldly responded Tae Yul.

Seeing his response, Song Noh continued a bit more cautiously.

“But… why does it seem like you’re not surprised?”

“Was it not obvious? Zhe Gak simply acted according to what he was capable of. It was pathetic and foolish, but…”

Tae Yul seemed to be rather upset.

“Because of him, innocent Dragon’s Flowers were hurt.”

Geok Bi, a woman with a black hairpin, added on.

“But isn’t this for the better? They were simply annoyance in your—”

Tae Yul shot Geok Bi a cold glare, causing the chubby Bang So to nudge her side with his elbow.

“Ah.”

“Watch your words!” shouted Bang So.

“Geok Bi, think of the future,” said Tae Yul.

“What do you…” stammered Geok Bi.

“Don’t think of it from the perspective of another Dragon’s Flowers, but as the Dragon.”

“......”

Sensing that Geok Bi didn’t understand him fully, Tae Yul continued.

“The Dragon’s Flowers are those who will lead Khan alongside me. They are far too precious to be treated as expendables. Only a fool would take pleasure in their failures.”

Geok Bi immediately took a knee before bowing.

“I foolishly focused only on the task immediately at hand and failed to see the bigger picture. Please forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive, stand up.”

Geok Bi smiled after receiving Tae Yul’s forgiveness.

Gyu Jin, a rather large man, then shifted the topic.

“More importantly, there is an interesting rumor circulating amongst the Dragon’s Flowers.”

“A rumor?”

“Yes, apparently, Kang Seol, Seol Hong’s Dragon’s Stone, managed to cut through Insulating Steel with a single attack.”

“I heard that as well. Wasn’t there also another rumor?”

“...You knew about that as well, Lord Tae Yul? I intentionally didn’t mention it as it seemed way too ridiculous to even bring your attention to…”

Gyu Jin then scratched his neck before continuing.

“Apparently… Kang Seol was rumored to have lasted a second against a white whale, a phantom beast…”

“Hah…”

“I also doubted it at first after hearing it. Still, it was the Dragon’s Flowers who returned from the celestial realm who said that. That means…”

“There is a possibility that it could be true… right?”

“...Precisely.”

Fuuuu…

Tae Yul then asked his five subordinates and Ma Song, his Dragon’s Stone.

“What is a white whale?”

“Well…”

“Isn’t it a monster from ancient times?”

“A whale that is apparently as large as a house. Apparently, everyone is left in shock after seeing its size…”

As the others answered Tae Yul’s question, Jin Ryeo cautiously added more.

“It has amassed so much power that it could even rival dragons—”

“That is likely false.”

“What?”

‘I should’ve just kept quiet,’ Jin Ryeo thought to herself.

Jin Ryeo quietly scolded herself for pretending to know before waiting for the others to continue.

“No matter how powerful a white whale is, it can never compare to a dragon. Have you seen a dragon before?”

“Who in the world has ever seen a dragon? If someone has, I’d like to meet them—Ah, His Majesty has seen one.”

“He has. And so have I.”

“R-Really, Lord Tae Yul?”

“Yes, though I was young when I saw it.”

“How incredible…”

“There is nothing particularly incredible about it. I’ve only seen it once, while there is someone who meets one often.”

“Huh? Who is that?”

“Shin Yo.”

The five subordinates fell silent.

“Shin Yo? Did she perhaps see it with you back when you were young?”

“No, Shin Yo’s master is a dragon.”

“…What? Weren’t they a wandering Daoist who emerged from seclusion? That’s what I heard, and those were the rumors as well.”

Tae Yul shook his head.

“She was taught by a dragon,” Tae Yul said. “The same dragon I encountered when I was young is also her master.”

“Haha… That’s hard to believe.”

“That is also the reason why no one among the Dragon’s Flowers can compare to her in terms of Daoist spells. Well, she is also extremely talented in them.”

“I only heard about this now, but… isn’t that incredible? Her master is a dragon. But isn’t it a bit unfair for her to have a dragon on her side?”

“It’s better for us if she was able to successfully overcome that trial thanks to the dragon’s teachings.”

They then stopped talking about Shin Yo’s master and returned to the original matter at hand.

“Then, if a white whale is that much weaker than a dragon…”

“Even so, they are far too powerful for an ordinary human to face. The belligerent white whale roams freely, standing near the apex of the celestial realm. To think that he was able to withstand its attack, even if it were only a moment… And considering the incident with Phantom, hmm…”

“What are you thinking about?”

“He is likely much stronger than Jang Du—indeed, much, much stronger. He is probably the strongest Dragon’s Stone.”

Ma Song, Tae Yul’s Dragon’s Stone, flinched upon hearing those words.

Flinch!

“He flinched! Even though he’s Lord Tae Yul’s Dragon’s Stone, he’s the laziest when it comes to training! That bastard is still lying down while listening right now!”

“Wh-what are you talking about?! I train every day!”

“And you’re still that weak?! And I guess you’re a liar now, too! There’s no way you wouldn’t be the strongest if you trained every day! In fact, let me ask you this: How long do you think you could last against a white whale?”

“...I should be able to run away safely.”

“With Lord Tae Yul?”

“No, I wouldn’t be able to protect him.”

“Lord Tae Yul, please give me permission to slap him. I will deal with him in an instant.”

“Don’t let them do it, Tae Yul!” shouted Ma Song.

Tae Yul then began thinking to himself while rubbing his chin.

“How troublesome. One is a Daoist taught by a dragon, and the other possesses the strongest Dragon’s Stone… What do I, Tae Yul, have to face them?”

“Us?”

The air quickly turned freezing cold.

“...I apologize.”

“What are you apologizing for? I consider that to be the truth.”

“Krgh… if only Ma Song were a bit stronger…”

“Why do you keep bringing that up again?! Tae Yul, say something!”

While the others continued their conversation, Jin Ryeo unfurled the scroll detailing the trials assigned to the Dragon’s Flowers.

“What’s wrong?”

“I've been curious about this since before, but… I can somewhat understand the other trials, but I don’t understand the trial that gives out the most points.”

Ma Song and the other subordinates stopped quarreling and turned their attention to Jin Ryeo.

“You don’t know about it, Jin Ryeo?”

“You don’t know what that is?”

Jin Ryeo awkwardly scratched her cheek, confused.

“Luminous Bell? What’s that?”

The most difficult trial, the one that awarded the most points, was the trial of reclaiming the Luminous Bell.

Tae Yul then began explaining it to her.

“It is an item that allows you to restrain evil. However, it has only been mentioned in legends.”

“Then we can just find it!” said Jin Ryeo.

The others all laughed upon hearing that.

“It’s good that you’re so optimistic, Jin Ryeo.”

“She’s quite naive, isn’t she?”

Tae Yul then explained it to Jin Ryeo, who looked puzzled.

“No one knows where the Luminous Bell is.”

Translator - goguma

Proofreader - Karane

* * *

Seol Hong had just endured the worst day of her life.

After Zhe Gak’s death, she had spent the next few days shut away in her room.

Everyone was worried about her.

Thud!

Thud!

“I should just die…”

Chi Woo repeatedly bashed his head against the table.

[Need some help?]

Chi Woo even ignored the consoling Agony.

“...What do we do?”

Seol remained silent despite Chi Woo’s question.

“What do we do? Urgh…”

Even Seol struggled to endure it after hearing Chi Woo repeat that question over and over again.

“What’s wrong?” asked Seol.

“I wanted to make it the best banquet for her, but it ended up being the worst. How am I so useless?”

Step…

As Chi Woo continued to blame himself, Hwa Ah stepped forward.

“Then it seems like we have no other choice, Lord Chi Woo.”

“Huh?”

“This is precisely the time for a special measures meeting!”

“Special… measures meeting?”

“Yes! We will come up with a plan to cheer Lady Seol Hong up! Everyone, please gather around!”

As Seol Hong tried her best to overcome the pain lingering in her chest, the others gathered around a small table.

Hwa Ah, Cheong Ah, and Hwi Ah.

Cheon Ju, Seol Hong’s attendant.

Chi Woo, a parasitic houseguest, and Seol, Seol Hong’s Dragon’s Stone.

And Agony.

The seven of them gathered around the small table.

[She’ll be fine if she eats something tasty!]

“I agree! That will do it!” eagerly responded Chi Woo.

The others collectively sighed.

“Please, could the two of you not make any more suggestions?” said Hwa Ah, shaking her head.

“What?”

“What if we hold a banquet ourselves?” said Cheong Ah. “We can have a normal, ordinary banquet.”

“It isn’t a bad idea, but the Dragon War will resume soon,” said Chi Woo, surprising the others with his normal opinion. “There probably won’t be anyone coming.”

“And if this banquet goes poorly as well… there won’t be a next time.”

“That’s true. What do you think, Cheon Ju?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen Lady Seol Hong behave like this… She has never skipped a meal before…”

Like Chi Woo, Cheon Ju wasn’t particularly helpful here.

“What do you think, Elder Sister Hwa Ah?”

“What if we just ignore it completely? I doubt us making a fuss over it would help her.”

“I don’t know… I feel like not properly addressing an injury like that could lead to problems later.”

“Why did you have to say it so ominously… What do you think, Hwi Ah?”

“I… try to get out of the house whenever I’m going through a tough time,” said Hwi Ah.

“Leaving the house? At a time like this?”

“Yes! She could get some fresh air, see some new people…”

“But why…?”

“I look around and see people struggling at work, others who enjoy their work, and even those going through tougher times than I am. All of them end up helping me, and it makes me feel less alone, I guess…”

“Urgh…” groaned Chi Woo. “I hate it, rejected.”

“Who are you to reject it, Lord Chi Woo?!”

Hwa Ah then organized it all together.

“In the end, we decided on nothing. It may be hard, but please act normally for Lady Seol Hong. Once we come up with a good solution, we’ll…”

Suddenly…

Creaaaak…

Seol Hong’s door creaked open.

Slam!

Thud!

“......”

With a few loud noises, everyone scattered in a hurry.

“...What’s wrong?” asked Seol Hong.

“N-Nothing…”

“I-I should wipe the dishes dry…”

“The bathroom looks too slippery! I’ll…”

Hwa Ah quickly left to polish perfectly dried dishes, while Cheong Ah scurried away to clean the already spotless bathroom.

- I thought you guys were going to act normal… LOOOOL

- So they were just pretending to be normal earlier? LOL

- They look so suspicious haha

- I’d start looking for a camera if I was Seol Hong hahaha

Seol Hong quietly watched them for a second, sensing something off.

Clatter…

Cheon Ju quickly placed a pot and a cup on the table.

Shake, shake, shake…

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

Cheon Ju’s trembling hands spilled hot water all over the table.

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-why don’t you h-have a cup of t-tea…”

- The strangest of them all!

- Don’t die, Cheon Ju!

- I’ll see you soon, dear…

- Hong Cheon’s still alive, though!

- I’ll be going first, dear…

- Why is she stammering so much hahaha

- I think the signal’s bad here. I’ll fix it real quick.

“Are you okay, Cheon Ju?” asked Seol Hong. “Get some rest.”

“I-I-I-I-I-I-I can’t… M-Maybe I should?”

“Yeah. You’re sweating, too.”

“I understand. I-I will get some rest.”

Seol Hong then walked toward Seol.

“I want to get some fresh air,” she said, causing everyone to look at her.

“Will you… be heading out, then?”

“Yes, I am.”

Thud…

Chi Woo quickly stood up.

“Why are you trying to leave the house right now? It hasn’t even been that long since the incident… it’s too soon to…”

Chi Woo quickly noticed several people glaring at him, with Hwa Ah having a particularly murderous glare.

“I guess it was too much? Then…”

“It’s a fantastic idea,” corrected Chi Woo. “You have me, don’t you? Getting some fresh air is the best, right?”

“You like leaving the house too, Chi Woo?” asked Seol Hong.

“Of course… urgh…”

Hwi Ah then began silently mouthing to Chi Woo from behind Seol Hong.

“I-I look around at the other people while getting some fresh air. People struggling at work, others who enjoy their work, and even those going through tougher times than I am. I guess you could say that they end up becoming a source of strength for me?”

“I didn’t know you had that side to you, Chi Woo.”

- Because he doesn’t LMFAOOO

- I am suing you for copyright infringement.

- Look at Hwi Ah’s face LMFAO

- She’s still going! I think she’s cursing him off! Hwi Ah’s still insulting him!

“Yeah, so where do you want to go?” asked Chi Woo.

“I want to go meet Yu Shin. It’s been a while.”

“Sure, Yu Shin… Wait, did you just say Yu Shin?”

“I did.”

“Th-the… Yu Shin of Dokkaebi Street?”

Seol furrowed his brows upon hearing the phrase ‘Dokkaebi Street’.

It was another term for Hong Yeon’s slums.