Chapter 16

“Whew. Finally done.”

Jin Wikyung set down his brush as he spoke. Wipeng, who was sitting in a chair beside the door as always, raised his head.

“You’re getting faster at handling your work. You’ve worked hard toda—”

Wipeng trailed off. He had just noticed the mountain of documents still piled on the table.

Come to think of it, it was only around noon. There was no way anyone could finish that much work in so little time.

Did I hear him wrong?

“Good. This should do…”

This time, it wasn’t a hallucination. Jin Wikyung’s face popped up above the pile of documents, proving he had heard correctly.

“Wipeng, come here. This is very important.”

His voice was so serious that Wipeng grew slightly concerned.

Did something major happen?

Perhaps the documents had revealed serious corruption. Or maybe the Elder Council, which was always watching for an opportunity, had caused some major incident.

This is bad. We haven’t even finished dealing with the Mount Heng Sword Sect yet.

A moment later, Wipeng accepted the document in question that Jin Wikyung held out. His expression twisted into something bizarre.

“…What is this?”

“Can’t you tell? It’s a drawing.”

The alarming document Wipeng had imagined was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Jin Wikyung had handed him a single sheet of rice paper with a drawing on it.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Why would you suddenly…”

Jin Wikyung cut him off with a secretive smile.

“Look closely. It isn’t an ordinary drawing.”

It isn’t an ordinary drawing?

Wipeng’s eyes flashed open.

All kinds of legends circulating through Murim flashed through his mind.

A Daoist who ascended to immortality after gazing upon a single painting. An absolute master who attained enlightenment after seeing a mural in an ancient cave!

Wipeng’s gaze roamed across the rice paper for a long while. Then it suddenly quivered as if struck by lightning.

“T-this couldn’t be…!”

“You noticed. That’s right.”

Jin Wikyung continued with a chuckle.

“I tried drawing yesterday’s duel.”

“……”

“Lee Seogeun lying defeated, and Taekyung standing proudly! The sky spread above the head of the young hero who would one day become the greatest under heaven!”

“……”

“I deliberately chose a composition looking up from below. What do you think? It’s good, isn’t it? Isn’t it?”

Wipeng’s hands trembled around the rice paper. He wanted to crumple it, tear it apart, cover it with a week’s worth of piss and shit, dry it thoroughly, and then set it on fire.

But—

“…It’s very well drawn.”

Wipeng was a rational man. He summoned the magnificent mental fortitude of a martial artist at the Peak realm.

Of course, he also had enough courage to reprimand a lord whose sanity was in serious doubt.

“With this much work piled up, how could you spend the entire morning drawing a single picture?”

“Of course I couldn’t.”

“And yet you—”

“Did you think I spent six hours working on just one?”

“Pardon?”

“Of course I drew another one. I was going to show it to you later, but you really are quick to catch on.”

Wipeng accepted the second sheet of rice paper from Jin Wikyung with trembling hands. Grinning from ear to ear, Jin Wikyung began explaining the drawing.

“I tried to depict the scene immediately after the duel. The young hero declares that he won’t rest on his laurels and will return to the training hall! And the people gazing up at him in admiration!”

“Well, I agree with a considerable part of that. The Third Young Master really has changed a great deal.”

“Hasn’t he? I was surprised myself.”

After defeating Lee Seogeun in the duel, Jin Taekyung had defied everyone’s expectations and returned to the training hall. Jin Wikyung’s eyes grew hazy as he recalled the events of the previous day.

“I always knew a day like this would come. The youngest is a heavenly eagle. Wipeng, can’t you hear it? The powerful sound of Taekyung’s wings beating…”

“I can’t hear any wings, but I can hear you spouting nonsense.”

Wipeng lowered the rice paper with a sigh of complete resignation.

Flap.

“Gasp.”

“See? You can hear it!”

Wipeng hurriedly turned toward the window. A hawk that had just landed was preening its feathers. A small container hung from its ankle.

“It’s a messenger hawk.”

These hawks were rigorously trained from the time they were fledglings before being put into service.

The Jin Family of Taiyuan had only two messenger hawks, and they were sent out only for matters of extreme urgency.

“We have a problem.”

Jin Wikyung muttered in a subdued voice.

And that soon became a reality.

“My name is Han Yeop.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

The introduction came out of nowhere. Of course, I recognized his face.

I had seen him more often than anyone else since entering the training hall.

Should I call him the training hall guard?

Guard. Martial-artist guard. Whatever the proper term was, the NPC in front of me was a Jin Family of Taiyuan martial artist assigned to the training hall. Bringing me meals and herbal decoctions was one of his duties, too.

But why is he suddenly introducing himself?

I had never exchanged a single word with this NPC. He didn’t seem to harbor any ill will toward me, but he wasn’t especially friendly, either.

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you, too.”

Despite my lukewarm response, the guard’s—or rather, Han Yeop’s—face lit up.

What the hell? Why is he suddenly acting like this?

“I was there yesterday as well.”

“There? Oh.”

He meant the duel. So many people had gathered that there was nothing surprising about Han Yeop being among them.

“I watched from beginning to end. I saw the heroic way you fought against that vicious Lee Seogeun of the Mount Heng Sword Sect!”

Vicious? Heroic?

Is that really how it looked?

Honestly, from a modern man’s perspective, one was as bad as the other.

No, I almost wanted to take Lee Seogeun’s side. As an older brother myself, no matter how fucking awful my little sister’s personality was, I’d lose my mind if she were dating a bastard like Jin Taekyung.

Of course, the Mount Heng Sword Sect’s attitude and proposal had been absurd. That was why I had no choice but to fight.

“My heart trembled the entire time I watched. I’m sure everyone there felt the same way.”

Han Yeop continued, his face flushed with excitement. He seemed to be under a serious misunderstanding, but I had no idea when I was supposed to stop him.

“I once misunderstood you too, Young Master. But now everyone in the family knows the truth.”

This time, I couldn’t help asking.

“The truth? What truth?”

“That is…”

Han Yeop whispered in a tightly hushed voice. Never mind the hot breath against my ear—the actual words sent goose bumps down my skin.

In other words—

“I’m the Jin Family of Taiyuan’s secret weapon?”

“Yes, yes!”

Han Yeop nodded furiously.

“Everything you’ve shown us until now was a disguise, and ever since you were young, you’ve undergone grueling training, becoming a man accomplished in both civil and martial arts, with virtue and righteousness, a sl—sl—”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that word. Han Yeop stepped in before my hands and feet could curl up from embarrassment.

“The Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi! Everyone in the family knows now! You’re Shanxi’s Sleeping Dragon, still hiding in the water instead of ascending to the heavens!”

Oh, please. Somebody save me. And don’t shout it out loud.

The Sleeping Dragon? There wasn’t a single person in the family who didn’t know?

If I die, the cause of death will be death by embarrassment.

As I writhed in agony, Han Yeop asked with shining eyes,

“It’s true, isn’t it? I know it’s rude, but just between us…?”

This wouldn’t do. I resolved to stamp out this ridiculous, cringe-inducing rumor whose origin I couldn’t even guess, then opened my mouth.

“I have no idea who spread such an absurd rumor, but…”

That was when it happened.

Ding.

System

A rumor about the Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi is spreading throughout the Jin Family of Taiyuan.

Fame has risen by 10 due to the influence of the rumor.

The more people believe the rumor, the more Fame will rise.

I continued with a solemn expression.

“Every word of it is true.”

“I knew it! I believed it without a doubt!”

I watched Han Yeop’s retreating back, his face still alight with rapture, and shed a single tear.

Fuck…

Ah, I miss my mom.

My duel with Lee Seogeun had taught me several things.

First.

I’m strong.

Early in the game, I had knocked down the Heavenly Axe, the tutorial NPC, with a single blow. What had been mere suspicion back then was now a certainty.

I was strong. Strong enough to defeat a Level 30 like Lee Seogeun without much trouble. The difference in combat experience had certainly played a part, but my basic stats were overwhelmingly superior.

Strength, Stamina, Agility. They were all similar, or I had a slight edge.

Stats. In other words, the difference in abilities. In this game, I was a player, and I had continued growing by using the System.

Learning martial arts, training, and completing various Quests had rapidly increased my stats. The results had been plain to see during the duel.

And second.

I don’t have enough internal energy.

In terms of internal energy alone, Lee Seogeun had been ahead of me. No, he had been overwhelmingly ahead.

What the hell had he eaten growing up? I had smashed him dozens of times with the shaft of my spear and pounded him one-sidedly from the mount, yet he had endured it all. He had even counterattacked and drawn on more internal energy at the very end.

I currently have ten years of internal energy.

Lee Seogeun probably had twenty years—twice as much as I did. That led me to a third realization.

The difference in internal energy determines the stage of one’s martial arts.

I had defeated Lee Seogeun, a First Rate martial artist. Yet the realm displayed by the System still listed me as Second Rate.

I thought the reason lay in internal energy. Once I raised the one ability I lacked, wouldn’t my realm finally rise as well?

After organizing my thoughts that far, another idea suddenly occurred to me.

This is basically just Hunter rank classification.

Every newly awakened Hunter had to visit a designated center to have their abilities, suitable profession, and mana capacity assessed. No matter how high their physical abilities were, anyone with insufficient mana received a frosty reception during their rank evaluation.

That was also why mages started at D-rank at the lowest. Because of their profession, mages had plenty of basic mana from the start.

Still, the game is better than reality.

At least you could grow here. Reality had no such thing. Even I had only managed to get lumped in with the E-ranks after working my ass off for seven years. I was still an F-rank Hunter.

Anyway, I had now drawn a rough outline.

My stats are high enough. I’ll cycle the Jin Family’s Cultivation Technique whenever I have time and prioritize Quests that reward EXP.

It had been over a week since I was trapped in this godforsaken game. I didn’t know what kind of nonsense was happening in the real world, but I could forget about being rescued.

I needed to prepare properly and finish this.

“Open Quest window.”

Ding.

System

Quest

Logout

You must now make your way through this harsh Murim.

Become stronger and more famous.

For the day that will someday come…

Grade: Main Quest
Restriction: Jin Taekyung
Mission: Achieve the First Rate realm (Incomplete)

    Reach Level 30 (17 / 30)

    Reach Fame 500 (70 / 500)

Reward: Logout

“Ugh. This is brutal.”

I sat cross-legged. Two days remained before my seclusion ended. I intended to gather as much internal energy as possible.

System

Fame has risen by 3 due to the influence of the Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi rumor.

The Fame-increase messages that chimed from time to time offered a small measure of comfort.

Late that night, the lights came on in the main assembly hall. At the Lesser Family Head’s request, a secret meeting of the family council had been convened.

The hour was late and the summons abrupt, leaving several senior members with sour expressions.

“A sudden summons? What is this about?”

“Exactly. Calling us here at this hour without even telling us why…”

“That’s what happens when the Lesser Family Head is still young. He doesn’t know procedure or etiquette.”

“He must have grown rather full of himself after yesterday’s events. Though I suppose his only weakness has disappeared. No one expected the Third Young Master to be that capable.”

“That must have taken the wind out of the Elder Council’s sails. They were probably preparing to make a major move over the Third Young Master.”

“Hmph. Even now, the Head Elder ought to step forward and set the family straight.”

“Careful. Watch your tongue…”

At that moment, every sound abruptly stopped. The doors to the meeting room opened from both sides, and Jin Wikyung entered.

Opinions of the Lesser Family Head varied among the senior members, but the silence that settled over the room the instant he appeared proved that he possessed the qualities of a leader.

“Thank you all for answering my summons at this late hour.”

Jin Wikyung took the seat of honor and spoke his opening words, but he found it difficult to continue.

What should he say? Where—and how—should he begin?

His head throbbed. But this was something he had to tell them.

“The reason I called everyone here today is…”

That was when a strange voice interrupted him.

“It must be because of the Mount Heng Sword Sect.”

The voice was bizarre. At first, it sounded like an old man’s. And yet it was young as well—rough one moment, smooth the next. There was also an inexplicable resonance to it.

Could it be…?

Jin Wikyung’s face twisted.

The doors to the meeting hall, which had seemed as though they would never open again, began to part.

Step. Step. Step.

Five old men walked in as if they were gliding across the floor. The instant everyone recognized the old man at the front, they hurriedly stood and bowed their heads.

“We pay our respects, Head Elder!”

The Head Elder. He had appeared after keeping himself shut away from the world for years.