The 31st Piece Turns the Tables

Episode 400:

What happened on Injung-ro was proof.

Those who challenge the dragon are ultimately just humans.

And beyond that, to become a dragon.

Taeyul’s bold appearance and Shinyo’s flawless appearance made people realize that Yonghwa was different from them.

And… the sight of Seolhong asking for help while covered in filth made people feel that Yonghwa was a person just like them.

Seolhong was the only dragon that approached all the people.

Time passed like that.

The Lantern Festival (登龍祭), in which he will inherit the title of Dragon Emperor from Hongcheon, is just around the corner.

More than a year has passed since Injung-ro.

The news that the three empty kings would succeed Hongcheon and rule Khan shook not only Khan but the entire Pandea.

It was so shocking and also understandable.

Hongcheon was a hero who transcended humanity by single-handedly defeating a dragon, but his dragons were part of a generation that had never seen real dragons.

What Hongcheon could have done on his own, we had to work together to accomplish.

To allow this huge compartment to breathe normally. Because of this, three empty kings ultimately ruled Khan.

“Oh my god…”

“…Is it awkward?”

“Oh no. “You look so… so… so good…”

The woman’s sleeves drooped. But it didn’t look unsightly.

Rather, it clearly showed that he was a very precious person.

The material of the clothes, the patterns engraved on the clothes, and even the shape of the clothes.

Everything revealed her identity.

The woman was Seolhong, wearing a dragon robe.

“Ugh… Ugh….”

Cheonju, who was watching, burst into tears.

“What’s wrong… Heavenly Lord.”

“Everything… seems to pass by. “Now… it feels real.”

“… Yes, that’s right.”

Seolhong reminisced about the past.

How could he not love this old woman who followed him, whimpering, carrying a bundle the size of a human on her head?

How could I not embrace it?

“You really… have become a dragon. It’s true…”

Cheonju sits down and mutters.

“Yuhwa… Are you looking at this… Your daughter did it… She became a dragon…”

Chiu left, supporting Cheonju.

He was happier than anyone else that Seolhong would become Yonghwa.

Like the longer sleeves of a dragon robe, Seolhong’s memories were now stretching out.

Memories are memories.

Memories are a lonely back road.

“Indeed… a lot happened.”

Abandoned by people and saved by people.

I was hurt by people and healed by people.

I let go of someone and gained someone.

Even if she becomes a dragon, she will still walk the human path for the rest of her life.

Even if you become a dragon in the future, you must not forget this Silgaecheon.

“….”

Seolhong, who was left alone, sat in front of the mirror. A mirror not only reflects yourself, but also reflects behind you, which you cannot see.

That empty place seemed even more empty today. In Seolhong’s mind, countless people came and went in that empty space.

Sometimes it was Chiu, sometimes it was Jinryeo, and sometimes it was the Lord of Heaven.

And there was one person who was a perfect fit.

I didn’t say the name out loud just now. Sometimes I wanted to shout out loud.

I became a dragon.

And thank you so much.

I wanted to say that.

Seolhong woke up from his thoughts, looked in the mirror, and suddenly realized that something was strange.

The woman in the mirror was not looking at the mirror.

was looking at her

“What…”

The sound of a lullaby, usually sung when putting a child to sleep, came into my ear.

It’s a song I’ve never heard before.

– Baby… Baby… Grow up healthy….

“Mother! “Is that you?”

Seolhong gets impatient and rubs his hand against the mirror. I clearly stretched out my hand towards the mirror, but the woman in the mirror put her hand down quietly.

“… were you protecting me?”

The last verse of the song came out with a crackling sound.

– The whole world will protect you….

“No… don’t go… don’t go…”

Hwioooooo…

The woman in the mirror was sucked into Seolhong’s hand mirror. A keepsake left behind by an oil painting.

Seolhong held the hand mirror tightly in her arms and sobbed.

“No… why… everyone is leaving me…”

Seolhong cried for a while and then tried to keep a smile.

I looked in the mirror again.

This time she was sure.

Even though Yuhwa left, Seolhong did not change. It was just like her.

That I am not the small child I was back then.

There is a dragon here.

“Please watch over me wherever you are.”

She has already risen on her own.

* * *

“Phew….”

The only Youngan tribe living in the Dragon Palace.

Dalyeong, who read astronomy, was a man loved by the Dragon Emperor Hongcheon.

As a human being, reading the will of heaven is something that everyone is bound to be interested in. Even more so in the position of the absolute.

“It’s not unusual, it’s not unusual….”

Today, Dalyoung read the sky and became lost in thought.

“What are you trying to tell me?”

The night was red.

In addition, a comet was visible passing next to a large star. The big star was colored in a hazy color.

It was all strange.

All of this happens at once in one day.

Crumbling…

It looked like it was about to rain.

Soon dark clouds covered the sky.

Dalyoung, who was biting her nails, immediately headed to the deepest part of Yonggung.

In this vast Dragon Palace, a place where only two people, excluding the Dragon Emperor, can come and go without any restrictions.

Only Prime Minister Bang Hyu and Planetarium Dalyeong were able to travel to and from the Yongje’s deepest place.

Is this what it means to be a lifelong guest?

Sigh…

‘… What is it?’

Dal-young unknowingly hid herself before entering the deepest place.

Someone other than myself has found the Dragon Emperor’s abode.

‘Vacation?’

What caused Banghyu to find Yongje at this hour?

‘It shouldn’t be done, but…’

Planetarium Dalyeong was unusually talented as a member of the Youngan tribe.

Small ants entered the Dragon Emperor’s abode.

They became Dalyoung’s eyes and ears.

Banghyu, who had been talking nonsense about Hongcheon for a long time.

“Are you feeling better about your seizures?”

“… No problem. “I must have worried you.”

seizure?

This was Dalyoung’s first time hearing this, as she only knew that the reason for Yongje’s recent absence from public affairs was his deteriorating health.

“Dragon, when I was young, I saw and heard your majesty. “Your story has become a legend, passed down from word of mouth and from page to page.”

“That’s what I heard from you. “Yes, I said that’s why you wanted to come into the palace.”

“you’re right. As a human being, Hongcheon, the great hero, realizes the ultimate meaning of Mu and stands in front of Hwageumu, the evil dragon who caused the East to fall into ruin. And it says this: All the paper has written down the verse.”

Banghyu spoke bitterly and calmly.

“Dragon, I have come.”

“….”

“Those words shook the boy Banghyu’s heart and made him come here to find you. And now, Banghyu has become an old man who cannot chew meat well.”

Until the boy became an old man.

Time passed until one life ended.

“Since when?”

“The questions and answers are boring. “Make your meaning clear.”

“The great hero Hongcheon… since when did he disappear?”

“….”

Dalyoung, who had been listening to Banghyu’s words, spoke.

‘What…’

came the answer.

“It’s just about time.”

“… Hwageumu.”

Banghyu knelt down.

“What I served was humanity. “Not a dragon like you!”

“You know we can’t say a few more words now. “Who else knows about this?”

“I didn’t tell anyone. “It’s disrespectful to even mention it until I see it with my own eyes.”

“… He may be a loyal subject, but he is foolish. Since we have a lot of affection… Is there anything you want for the last time?”

Banghyu said with a smile.

“Send it to your master.”

Puhwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Banghyu’s head floated up.

Ant saw it and Dalyoung saw it.

Dalyoung slowly turned around and left the garden.

Only the ants remembered that he was here.

Dalyoung left the garden and ran.

“Heo-eok… Heo-eok….”

It’s a dragon.

The dragon was resurrected.

There is a dragon inside Hongcheon.

‘So the sky…’

Banghyu left.

There will probably be various rumors floating around, and a funeral will be held to select the most appropriate one.

No one will know what Hongcheon did. No, you might have thought that it wouldn’t matter even if you knew.

Dalyoung thought about who to tell this news to first.

My steps kept heading towards that place.

Thump thump thump!

He grabbed the doorknob roughly and knocked on it.

There was no reaction.

Thump thump thump!

Kkeeeeeeeek…

When I opened the door, what appeared was someone’s argument.

Shoot…

“Planetarium-nim… isn’t it?”

“Hurry… drill…”

a voice came from inside.

“Did you get caught in the rain?”

A noble voice.

“Seolhong…”

Dalyoung suddenly came to her senses and found herself completely drenched.

“It’s raining so hard, why now…”

he answered.

“… Yes, but there will be more rain soon.”

“… It seems like something important to talk about.”

“There will never be a more important conversation at Cannes.”

“… I have to go down.”

Seolhong called Hwiah and spoke briefly.

“Do what you have to do.”

Nod…

Hwia disappeared and when Seolhong pressed the wall of the mansion, the wall moved for a moment.

Duddud…

“I don’t think it’s worth talking about here, so let’s go down.”

* * *

The structure of the basement was quite unusual. In principle, such a structure could not be built in Yonggung.

It seemed like less than a year had passed since it was built.

When I came down to the basement, I saw a round table in the middle of a space surrounded on all sides by curtains.

Dalyoung was excited and poured out what she saw today. If anyone were to hear that Hongcheon lost his body to Hwageumu, they would definitely be shocked to the point of fainting.

However, Seolhong listened calmly to the story.

On the contrary, Dalyoung’s furious reaction was so calm that it seemed strange.

“As for Hongcheon… Hongcheon has already disappeared. “The one sitting on that dragon throne is just an evil dragon.”

“…Who did you report this to?”

“I came to see Seolhong first.”

“… why?”

“The only person I can trust is Seolhong.”

“me?”

“I have been watching your struggles for a long time. “You’ve always been a loner, haven’t you?”

You can trust him because he is a loner.

It was an idea that Dalyoung, who was also a loner, would do.

“Khan’s founding hero, Hongcheon, is no longer there. He was eaten by Hwageumu and turned into a doll. That guy… hid in Hongcheon’s body and waited for his time. That guy… that guy…”

Sigh…

Seolhong spread his hand and stopped the story. At the same time, it was also an action to calm Dalyoung down.

“Should I believe that?”

“I can prove it. If you want, the spell of oath….”

Before walking down Injung-ro, the magic spell that the great sorcerer Wangju used by summoning the Dragon Flowers together.

It was a spell that meant that if you did not do as you swore, you would be severely cursed.

“Right. Hey there, King. “Is there anything?”

“What…”

Wang Ju couldn’t be here. Why was the great shaman of the Dragon Palace in a basement like this…

But a sound was heard from beyond the curtain.

“Yes… dragon.”

From beyond the curtain, someone joined the round table.

“Wangju… Why are you here…”

“Heul… I’ll ask you later as to why you didn’t find me first… I’ll check it out later.”

Twaaaaaaaaaaaa!

The king cast a spell and searched Dalyoung’s mind.

“It’s big ….”

“Let’s hold a little.”

The confusing events in Simcheo were relayed from Dalyeong to Wang Ju.

“Well….”

“How is it?”

“How can this be… It’s all true. As Dalyeong said, Dragon Emperor Hongcheon is… Hwageumu. Since when…”

“….”

Seolhong’s brow furrowed deeply upon hearing Wang Ju’s words.

“I can’t solve it alone.”

“Seolhong!”

“Didn’t you come this far because you believed in me?”

Dalyoung nodded cautiously.

“Then believe it until the end.”

Sigh…

The seals of two people appeared behind the curtain.

“Because human faith leads to other faith.”

Slurp…

the veil was lifted.

“I trust my brothers.”

The seals beyond the veil were Shinyo and Taeyul. Shinyo and Taeyul approached the round table.

“If this is true, why doesn’t he wake up?”

When Taeyul asked, the great sorcerer Wangju said.

“Maybe I can’t wake up…”

“… hmm.”

“I already lost my body once and ate away Hongcheon’s spirit, but my past body will not come back. “What he’s after… is probably his own body.”

Shinyo said.

“Shouldn’t we ask for salvation?”

“There is a dragon living in Khan’s heart, so everyone come forward… Not only is it obvious that they won’t believe us even if we tell them, but if we show any signs of being suspicious, Hwageumu will act first. We must never be found out that we noticed it first. “It’s our only weapon.”

“That makes sense.”

“Maybe… it would be best for us to hit him before he acts.”

“What is this guy after? He plans to wake up at some point, so he’s staying quiet for now…”

An event that was about to happen passed through everyone’s minds at the same time.

“Red dragon festival!”

“It’s the Dragon Dragon Festival!”

“It’s clear that what he’s after is the Dragon Dragon Festival…”

A place where all the Dragon Flowers gather in one place and the people of the empire are also interested.

And Hongcheon also had to appear in person for the event.

Taeyul said.

“There are two ways. Either cancel the Lantern Dragon Ceremony and run away from Huagmu…”

“Are you planning to abandon the people of the empire?”

“You can’t do that!”

“I’m talking about a method. The other thing is…we are also aiming for the Tenglong Festival.”

Taeyul spoke carefully.

“On the day when all the dragons gather in one place, even the dragons will be able to catch their guard and eliminate them.”

However, one problem remains.

The question is ‘how’ to deal with Hwageumu.

Whether it was Hongcheon or Hwageumu, there was no way he could be his opponent.

The situation requires a sneak attack with an attack so strong that he can’t even respond.

At that time, Seolhong smiled and said.

“There is one way.”