Ep434 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

The King of White-Scaled Serpents reflected on his life that spanned over hundreds of years. Had there ever been a time as absurd and bewildering as this? No, it would be more accurate to ponder whether he, who had ruled at the pinnacle of the food chain, had ever been reduced to such a sorry state before. Hiss. There was none. Occasionally, aggressive mystical creatures whose territories bordered his attempted to challenge him, but that was decades ago. Since suffering a severe defeat, that creature had tucked its tail and retreated into its domain, never to emerge again. Yes. He was the king among mystical creatures, the king of serpents, a predator ruling over other predators. Hissss... ...and yet. How did he find himself in this pitiful position now? With a sigh tinged with lament, the White-Scaled Serpent King flicked his tongue. Not long after, something wiggled up his long body. Splurt! With a sound abundant with emotion, a bead-like object the size of a palm fell to the ground. The orb, drenched in his gastric juices, represented the essence of the White-Scaled Serpent King's centuries of existence. It was his inner core. "Wow, is this the inner core from around here?" Eagerly awaiting, Baek Woo-jin picked up the orb. The White-Scaled Serpent King looked at him incredulously and flicked his tongue. How could such a human exist? The inner core was slathered in his gastric juices. And his gastric juices were acidic enough to dissolve even steel in an instant. How was it that this man's hand remained unscathed while holding it? Hiss! Not fighting this human to the very end and giving him half of the inner core was the right decision after all. He realized once again that his judgment was correct. A human who was irritable from the first to the last detail. If there was one redeeming quality, it was that he kept his promises precisely. "Ugh." With a forceful motion as if splitting an apple, the inner core he held in both hands split precisely in two. Baek Woo-jin handed one of the halves back to the White-Scaled Serpent King. "Here, this is yours." Hiss... Even though he was merely reclaiming what was his, he felt as if the man was acting magnanimously. With a disgruntled sound, he wrapped his tongue around the half core offered in the palm and pushed it down his throat. The energy slowly filled the void once more. Hissss! With only half the usual energy, the White-Scaled Serpent King finally shed tears he had been holding back. To think that the energy he had scraped together over centuries was halved overnight! It felt as if he'd lost half of his life, an unbearable thought. Alarmed, Baek Woo-jin hurriedly climbed onto his body and gently patted his head to console him. "Hey, hey. Why are you crying so sadly again? Hm? I'm sorry." Hiss! The White-Scaled Serpent King lightly shook his head. It was more disgraceful to receive consolation from the one who had wrested away his inner core. Seeing the softened expression of the creature, Baek Woo-jin took out his flask with a softened heart. "Hey, I'll give you something good instead." Hiss? Something good, you say. As the White-Scaled Serpent King slyly peeked with interest, Baek Woo-jin chuckled. "Have you ever tried alcohol?" Alcohol. It was certainly the beverage humans enjoyed. He seemed to recall that it made one feel good. "Brother, I've got the most exquisite drink in the world. I'll share it with you, so open your mouth." He was curious. What did alcohol taste like, and how good would it actually make him feel? As he cautiously opened his maw, Baek Woo-jin, perched above his head, opened the flask and tilted it. Gush! From the small neck of the bottle, transparent alcohol poured out ceaselessly. The White-Scaled Serpent King's eyes widened as he savored the taste of the liquid by maneuvering his tongue. Hiss, hiss! This taste! Even though he exclaimed in surprise, he didn't know what to compare it to. Was it like swallowing a concentrated chill that had accumulated over decades? No, not even then had he experienced such an exquisite flavor. Hisss... Ah, it's delightful. Drinking the alcohol cascading down, his opened mouth felt an overwhelming happiness. He wished for this moment to last forever. "Wow, this guy sure drinks well." He drank so well that Baek Woo-jin continued to pour, and he received it all in bliss. The end was inevitable. Thud...! After downing such an immense amount that even his gigantic body got tipsy, the creature lost consciousness and collapsed unable to hold himself up any longer. * * * Yesterday's enemy had become today's friend. The tale revolved around the White-Scaled Serpent King and Baek Woo-jin. United through their shared love for alcohol, the two found themselves surprisingly compatible. Just how well did they get along? Hissss...! "Feeling good, are you? So am I! It's been a while since I found a drinking buddy worthy of the challenge, ha ha ha!" Hisssss! "You too, huh? Come on, man. You only had your first drink yesterday, and you're saying stuff like that." Hisss! "What? It's not about how long you've been drinking, but how well you handle it? Ha ha! That’s exactly right, absolutely spot on!" Hisssss! They had reached a point where communication was no longer one-sided but mutual. And so, the two—no, a human and a mystical creature—spent three days and nights reveling in drink. Though they would have preferred to spend weeks more in their alcohol-fueled companionship, the time allowed to them was strictly limited to just that. "I'm sorry, buddy." Baek Woo-jin had many tasks still awaiting him. Hiss... With a sorrowful expression, the White-Scaled Serpent King saw him off. As they shared one last drink and prepared for departure, Baek Woo-jin mumbled to himself. "Hmm..., originally, I was supposed to take the whole inner core, but taking just half shouldn’t be an issue, right?" The agreement had been for the entire inner core of the White-Scaled Serpent King. But in his possession was only half. Of course, even this would be of great help, so perhaps they wouldn't chastise him too harshly. The White-Scaled Serpent King's acute senses picked up on every word he murmured. Hisss... He seemed to be having difficulty due to the half of the inner core he sacrificed to save himself. The once brazen stance now appeared almost self-sacrificing. To think he would risk discomfort to save someone not even of the same kind! Hissss...! Wasn't this the deep flavor of friendship that transcended everything? The White-Scaled Serpent King pondered. Perhaps there might be a way he could assist him. And then it struck him. If his half of the inner core wasn't enough... Hiss...? Why not add someone else's inner core to the mix? As it happened, there was a suitable mystical creature for the task. Unlike himself, it was a vicious and brutal one. Hehehe! The White-Scaled Serpent King let out a sly grin as a truly ingenious idea came to him. * * * It had been ten days since Baek Woo-jin had left the North Sea Ice Palace. Meanwhile, Yong Seol-lan was devotedly taking care of the team members he had left behind. "What did they do today?" "...As always, just training." She was getting reports on their every movement. But after ten days of similar reports, it all seemed somewhat pointless to her. "Since the day the Heavenly Light Sword Saint departed, all they've done is train... It's like they've got a ghost that died from lack of training haunting them." Their routine had been monotonous for ten days straight. Training. Only training. They'd rise at dawn to start their training, and save for meal breaks, spend the entire day in the training grounds. "Maybe because of such rigorous training..." In what seemed an impossibly short span of ten days, she had witnessed something astonishing with her own eyes. "To accomplish the Flower Realm..." One member of the team Baek Woo-jin had left behind had ascended to the Flower Realm. And that name was... "Was it Miss Do...?" The eldest daughter of the Heuksan Do family. The only daughter of the Black Lotus Lord. The moment she saw her, she was genuinely astonished. Because until then, she had been known as a man, only to reveal her true feminine identity later, and her beauty was extraordinary. "How did she manage to keep it hidden all this time?" The years she spent concealing such beauty were impressive, and her reaching the Flower Realm at such a young age was even more so. As the saying goes, 'A tiger father does not beget a weak son.' It seemed that saying held true. But that wasn't the only surprise. Although she was the only one to achieve the Flower Realm so far, all of Baek Woo-jin's team members were in the realm of transcendence. With the right enlightenment, each one could potentially reach the Flower Realm. 'Could it be that we'll witness an elite team composed entirely of those in the Flower Realm?' The very thought made her shiver with excitement. Calming herself down, she asked the person behind her. "Still no word from the Heavenly Light Sword Saint?" "Correct. Aside from the message that he entered the domain of the White-Scaled Serpent King, nothing else has come through." "Hmm... It’s odd. I thought he should have returned by now." A foreboding thought crossed her mind. "Is there any chance the Heavenly Light Sword Saint was defeated by the White-Scaled Serpent King?" The woman behind her shook her head firmly. "While nothing is impossible, the probability is extremely low, I'd say." "Indeed..." "More likely, it is just taking longer than expected for him to track down the White-Scaled Serpent King; there's no need to worry too much..." Just as she was about to finish words of reassurance to calm Yong Seol-lan's heart... “G-Gung-ju-nim!” One of the warriors belonging to the Ice Palace Guard, tasked with keeping the peace within the Northern Sea Ice Palace, burst into the gungju's office without even announcing his arrival, panting heavily. Yong Seol-lan's thick eyebrows knitted at such rude intrusion. “E-enemy attack!” The scream-like declaration from the guard froze her expression. “Enemy attack? What do you mean?” It was perplexing. The Northern Sea was entirely under the dominion of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. What insane force would dare to attack them? The warrior, fear etched on his face, shouted desperately. “Wh-White-Scaled Serpent King!” “What...?” “The White-Scaled Serpent King is charging furiously towards the palace!” Her blood quickly ran cold. Could it be that the impossibility had become a grim reality? “I’ll head to the gates immediately.” Utilizing her swiftest movement technique, she raced towards the city gate. Once there, she looked out beyond the gate and saw in the distance a massive figure stirring up a colossal snowstorm, charging ahead with great force. Scales glistening in the sunlight. And a thunderous roar. Hissssss...! “The White-Scaled Serpent King...!” Her mind was in turmoil. What on earth was the reason for the White-Scaled Serpent King, whom Baek Woo-jin was entrusted to subdue, to approach the Ice Palace like this? “Could it be...” A dreadful thought flashed through her mind. If the White-Scaled Serpent King was indeed stronger than the Heavenly Light Sword Saint Baek Woo-jin. If, after a grueling battle over several days, he had killed him and was now riding on a wave of rage, charging to kill more humans? “No, it can't be.” She cried out with a face drained of color. “Everyone, prepare for battle!” By the time the warriors of the Ice Palace had gathered above and below the gates and circulated their inner strength in preparation to meet the enemy. The figure of the White-Scaled Serpent King had come clearer into view, much closer than before. At the same time, they noticed something small atop its head. Curious, she inquired of those around her. “Is there..., something on the White-Scaled Serpent King's head?” “It seems so.” “I see it too.” As the elders quickly responded one after another, it was clear it was not a trick of her eyes. Then, what was it? Resting atop the head of the White-Scaled Serpent King. And as the White-Scaled Serpent King drew even nearer to the Ice Palace, “Gasp...!” “That, that can't be!” They realized. “T-the Heavenly Light Sword Saint!” Baek Woo-jin was waving towards them from his perch atop the White-Scaled Serpent King's head. Their minds reeled with incredulity. “What in the world...?” He had been sent to subdue the White-Scaled Serpent King—so why on earth was he bringing it back alive? Author's Note I'll see you in the next installment. Thank you for reading as always. Have a restful night. (_ _)