As they walked along, Chun Ho Seong glanced at Heo So with a sympathetic expression.
“You know, have you ever considered serving our Young Master? It’d be a waste for soone like you to remain where you are.”
“Huh?”
“With your level of skill, when our Young Master eventually rises to the position of Heavenly Lord, you could easily secure a prominent position. No matter how much you love kids, how long do you plan to remain just an inspector at the Ascension Hall? You should aim for the Ascension Hall Master position, at the very least.”
Ascension Hall Master.
That was the position he’d always dread of.
Was that why he had felt reluctant to leave earlier?
Did he want to stay by Yeon Woo Jin’s side?
It was strange.
For so reason, he felt an uncontrollable desire to stay close to him.
Had he ever felt such a strong urge to serve soone before?
Heo So stopped walking.
Instinctively, he knew.
This mont right here was a major turning point in his life.
With a serious expression, Heo So looked at Chun Ho Seong.
“I want to go back to the Young Master.”
“Oh? You’ve made up your mind?”
“Yes! I want to serve him. No, I must serve him. I an it.”
“Kuhaha! Smart decision.”
Chun Ho Seong’s smile was filled ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) with satisfaction.
Little did Heo So know that everything he was experiencing had been orchestrated by Yeon Woo Jin from the very beginning.
****
The next day.
Hwang Sung looked at Heo So and asked,
“Did sothing good happen? You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Huh? Haha. No, nothing like that.”
“Nothing, huh? It’s written all over your face.”
“Is it that obvious? Well, yes. I had so good news personally.”
“Oh? Well, whatever it was, congratulations.”
Heo So looked at Hwang Sung.
Yeon Woo Jin wanted Hwang Sung.
Not just because he was a competent inspector, but because of his exceptional eye for talent.
The reason didn’t matter.
The Young Master wanted Hwang Sung.
Heo So spoke.
“I think I found soone who could be a hidden dragon.”
At those words, Hwang Sung’s previously indifferent expression shifted dramatically.
He quickly regained his composure and raised his voice.
“R-Really? Where?”
“At Baekyak Temple.”
“Baekyak Temple? The old abandoned temple?”
“Yes. That’s where I saw him.”
“What kind of person?”
“I plan to go back today and investigate further.”
Hwang Sung shot up from his seat.
“I’m coming with you! I need to see him with my own eyes.”
Heo So smiled and nodded.
“Understood. Let’s go together.”
Perfect. He had successfully lured Hwang Sung to Baekyak Temple.
Now, all he had to do was show him the greatness of his lord and bring him under Yeon Woo Jin’s wing.
With a determined expression, Heo So vowed to complete his mission without fail.
****
Back at Baekyak Temple.
“Be careful. There’s a formation set up here.”
“What?”
At Heo So’s warning, Hwang Sung looked taken aback but then nodded.
“I see. So that’s why it was so well hidden. Because it was concealed by a formation.”
Following Heo So’s lead, they safely navigated through the formation.
Only then did the sounds of intense training reach their ears.
“This... this isn’t just a few voices.”
“Most of the students from Baekyeong Martial Academy’s martial division are training here.”
“What? Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Then... the one training them... is the hidden dragon?”
“Yes.”
At those words, Hwang Sung’s heart began to pound rapidly.
‘I knew it. There had to be a reason why the Baekyeong kids were growing so strong.’
And the reason was a hidden dragon.
The desire to see this person was overwhelming.
“Co on! Is there a good place to observe from?”
“Follow .”
Heo So led Hwang Sung to a vantage point that provided a clear view of the temple courtyard.
“Impressive. These kids aren’t moving like ordinary martial arts students.”
Hwang Sung was genuinely impressed as he watched the students train.
He had visited countless martial academies, but never had he seen such well-trained students.
While he was admiring their training, his eyes quickly shifted to another area.
Sitting at the most prominent spot, calmly watching the students, was a boy.
A boy he’d never seen before.
‘Was there such a kid at Baekyeong?’
Hwang Sung quickly opened the booklet he carried, flipping through the portraits of the Baekyeong students.
It contained the profiles and illustrations of every student in Baekyeong.
He scoured the section on lowerclassn, but the boy’s face was nowhere to be found.
‘What the... Is he not a Baekyeong student?’
While Hwang Sung was still searching with a furrowed brow, Heo So handed him another booklet.
It contained the profiles of the literary students.
“What’s this?”
“The hidden dragon isn’t a martial student. He’s a literary student.”
“What?”
Disbelieving, Hwang Sung snatched the booklet and rapidly flipped through it.
“There! Found it!”
He read the profile in detail.
“Yeon Woo Jin. Grandson of the Chief Librarian of Muryang Library?”
The grandson of a librarian was a hidden dragon?
Did he gain so miraculous power?
But if he’d grown so powerful, why hadn’t he revealed himself?
Everything was a mystery.
One peculiar detail stood out.
It said that the military division had personally recomnded him.
That alone was enough to mark him as unusual.
“What makes you so certain that he’s the hidden dragon?”
In response, Heo So pointed to the training students.
“Look at those kids. They’re training so fiercely, yet he’s just lying there, calmly observing. That’s not sothing a re student could do unless he had complete control over them.”
“Well, he is a literary student, so maybe he’s just serving as their strategist. Strategists can get away with just lying around, after all.”
“Watch a bit longer,” Heo So said.
Hwang Sung nodded. There was no need to rush.
He continued to watch Yeon Woo Jin intently.
****
Yeon Woo Jin was fully aware that Hwang Sung was watching him.
“Why do you need Hwang Sung, Young Master?” Ma Ryong asked.
Yeon Woo Jin smiled.
“You’re curious?”
“Yes. I understand recruiting Heo So since he’s a top-notch martial artist. But Hwang Sung? All he does is spot talent. He doesn’t bring much else to the table.”
“We need him to conquer all the martial academies in Mushincheon.”
“What?”
“Is there anyone else more knowledgeable about academy students than him?”
“Oh!”
“Sure, we could get the information through other ans. But kids my age grow at insane rates. By the ti we gather intel, that information could already be outdated. But not with the Ascension Hall. They update their records in real-ti, ensuring we always get the freshest data.”
Ma Ryong, Chun Ho Seong, and Jeok Seong all nodded in agreent.
“Also, by using the Ascension Hall’s intel, we can identify talented kids in the interdiate academies and recruit them to Baekyeong before anyone else does.”
And once those talents entered Baekyeong, under whose command would they fall?
Yeon Woo Jin’s, of course.
Even though he claid not to care about power, Yeon Woo Jin was steadily laying the groundwork to conquer Mushincheon.
Yeon Woo Jin himself knew this.
Watching the training students, he glanced at Ma Ryong, Chun Ho Seong, and Jeok Seong.
Would he be able to leave them behind and walk away?
Probably not.
But officially taking the position of Successor?
That was boring.
No, he’d much rather do it this way — slowly, steadily, and most importantly, enjoyably.
“And to do that, we need more talent,” Yeon Woo Jin said, standing up.
“Now then, shall I go and show Hwang Sung just how charming I can be?”
****
Hwang Sung focused even more as Yeon Woo Jin rose from his seat.
And then he witnessed a shocking scene.
The students moved in perfect synchronization under Yeon Woo Jin’s commands.
Their movents were flawless, disciplined like a group of elite warriors who had undergone rigorous training for years.
Seeing the astonished look on Hwang Sung’s face, Heo So smirked.
Surprised over sothing like this? He hadn’t seen anything yet.
Monts later—
The students split into two factions and began fighting as though it were a real-life battle.
It was intense, almost to the point where Hwang Sung wondered if he should step in and stop them.
Blood splattered, injuries mounted, and yet, not a single one of them retreated.
Hwang Sung muttered to himself in disbelief.
“What... What the hell is this? Why are they going this far?”
Hearing his murmuring, Heo So spoke.
“To conquer all the martial academies under Mushincheon, they need that kind of spirit.”
“What?”
“That’s their goal. Martial Academy Unification.”
Hwang Sung’s jaw dropped.
“T-That’s a ridiculous goal!”
“It’s not ridiculous. Baekyeong has already seized control of the Southern Region.”
“What nonsense! The Southern Region is the weakest among the four regions!”
“Why do you say four regions?”
“What do you an?”
“There’s also the Central Region, isn’t there?”
“What? Are you out of your mind? You know what’s in the Central Region.”
“Of course I do. The Central Region is where Jungcheon is located.”
“Exactly! And do you know why Jungcheon exists? It was separated from the other regions because the monsters there are on a completely different level.”
“Gwak Pyeong ca from Jungcheon to Baekyeong, and he’s now following the Young Master.”
“That’s absurd! He didn’t co over; he ran away. He couldn’t handle the monsters above him no matter how hard he struggled!”
Monsters, he said.
Hwang Sung let out a heavy sigh and muttered.
“I think I’ve made a mistake in my report.”
“Mistake? What do you an?”
“I said he was a hidden dragon.”
“And? Are you saying you were wrong? That it was just a misconception?”
“No, I wasn’t wrong. It’s just that he’s not a hidden dragon anymore. He’s already a celestial dragon holding a dragon pearl, looking down upon the world. I undersold him.”
“What?”
“He’s... He’s not a hidden dragon. He’s a celestial dragon. No, a god. Even the monsters in Jungcheon are nothing but insects in front of him.”
“Wait... That person? You’re talking like you know Yeon Woo Jin personally.”
“That’s right. Because he’s my lord.”
“What?”
Hwang Sung had been shocked countless tis that day, but this took the cake.
“What do you an, your lord? You pledged yourself to him?”
“Yes. I was drawn to his strength.”
“His strength?”
“An invincible, flawless power that soone like couldn’t even begin to challenge.”
A martial master at the Ninth Level of the Manifested Realm was describing himself as nothing.
“What are you saying? Are you telling that... you lost to that kid?”
“That’s right. I lost.”
“You’re insane!”
Hwang Sung shouted in disbelief.
Even he was startled by his own voice and quickly clamped his hand over his mouth, nervously glancing around.
Fortunately, they were far enough away that no one seed to have heard him.
Hwang Sung turned his gaze back to where Yeon Woo Jin had been sitting.
But he was no longer there.
‘Where did he go?’
As he frantically scanned the area, a voice echoed from above.
“Oh? We have a guest?”
Hwang Sung’s eyes widened as he slowly lifted his head.
“My God...”
Yeon Woo Jin was floating in mid-air.
Hwang Sung blurted out without even realizing it.
Yeon Woo Jin descended slowly, his movents graceful and controlled.
Hwang Sung quickly ran through every martial technique he knew in his mind.
‘Sky-Stepping? Cloud Leaping? No, he’s actually moving as if he’s walking through the sky itself.’
Tap.
Yeon Woo Jin landed lightly on the ground, and Hwang Sung couldn’t tear his eyes away from him.
“Kneel! Heo So greets the Lord!”
Heo So imdiately knelt down, bowing his head to the ground.
Hwang Sung’s head snapped toward Heo So in shock.
So it was true?
“You brought a guest?” Yeon Woo Jin asked.
“Yes, my lord.”
“Then, this is Hwang Sung, correct?”
Yeon Woo Jin asked as if he didn’t already know.
Hwang Sung nodded, too overwheld to say anything.
Yeon Woo Jin smiled warmly and extended a hand.
“Nice to et you. I’ve been wanting to et you for a long ti. I’m Yeon Woo Jin.”
“H-Hwang Sung. My na is Hwang Sung.”
Unconsciously, Hwang Sung used formal language.
“But... why would you want to et ? You know who I am?”
“Of course. You’re the one who knows the most about the academy students in Mushincheon.”
That’s right. If one were searching for talented individuals, Hwang Sung was the one to go to.
Yeon Woo Jin tilted his head slightly and asked,
“What do you think of ?”
“Huh?”
“In your eyes, am I talented?”
Yeon Woo Jin’s expression was that of an innocent child seeking praise, yet there was an undeniable intensity in his gaze that made Hwang Sung feel cornered.
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