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Chapter 273: The Generations of Shooting Stars (1)

In Hanam’s inn, many rumors had been swirling lately.

“Did you hear the news?”

The man’s question, tinged with excitement, made the innkeeper, Bangdok, frown.

“I’ve heard it. Chang-hyung talks about it every day, so how could I not?”

“Oh, did I mention it?”

The man, Chang-ui-jin, chuckled awkwardly.

It was true; he had been talking about it yesterday and the day before as well.

At that, the other men sitting at the same table perked up their ears.

“What’s the story this time?”

With a remark of “Here we go again,” Bangdok returned to the kitchen.

Of course, for someone like Chang-ui-jin, who loved to talk, it was a splendid situation.

“Hey, little brother, have you heard that Shinryong Temple is opening again?”

“Who wouldn’t know? It’s been four or five years since it last opened, right?”

It usually opened at spaced intervals, but this time, the gap had been unusually long.

“Do you know who the head of this temple will be?”

“I do! I heard it’s the lord of Kunlun who will be heading to Shinryong Temple this time.”

The man from the Gu Paibang and the defeated lord of Cheonghae—Cheonghae Ilgeom’s rival.

He was set to take the position of head of Shinryong Temple this time.

Shinryong Temple is hosted by the Martial Alliance, and whenever it opens, the head position changes.

“The last head was probably Wudang’s Sect Leader.”

“Is that why? They say few finished that program properly back then.”

The personality of the Wudang’s First Sword is widely known throughout the Central Plains, so it wouldn’t be strange if that were true.

“But regardless, looking at So Sword Peak or Shinryong, those guys have to step up anyway.”

“That’s true, but… at any rate, was that the important part of the story?”

“Not at all!”

Chang-ui-jin waved his hands in denial.

“If it were common knowledge, would I have come here so excited?”

“Then what on earth is so interesting?”

“This time Cheonghae Ilgeom is the head, and new instructors are coming as well.”

“Of course, they’ll probably pick someone from Kunlun, right?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

Squeak.

Chang-ui-jin suddenly leaned in closer.

“I got this as special intel from the Beggar Clan.”

“Special intel? Didn’t you just say that yesterday and the day before too?”

“…Ah, can’t you just go with the flow?”

At Chang-ui-jin’s whining, the man grunted, grimacing as he approached.

Seemingly satisfied, Chang-ui-jin whispered in his ear.

“The news is that the Plum Blossom Sword Queen will be one of the instructors.”

“…Huh?”

That was unexpected news.

It sounded refreshingly different, but soon the man leaned back, looking disappointed.

“Come on, why would the Sword Queen bother with being an instructor?”

“Then are you saying Cheonghae Ilgeom has so much free time that he’ll go be the head?”

“Well, if they pay him, why not?”

“…That’s true.”

Not just anyone can take on the head of Shinryong Temple; only those with a renowned name and reputation in the Central Plains can do so.

From a martial artist’s perspective, it would be a form of glory.

It signifies that they are recognized by the righteous factions.

But as for the Sword Queen…

“She’s not someone who would settle for just being an instructor.”

She is a representative heroine of the Central Plains and is the youngest to inherit the title of Sword Queen from Hwasan.

No wonder she has the best reputation among the people as she rarely faces criticism.

When she revealed herself again after a few years of being missing, many breathed a sigh of relief.

“She could easily take the head position if she wanted.”

“If she were to take it, I bet Plum Blossom Seon would step in.”

In fact, it seemed that Plum Blossom Seon had received several offers but reportedly declined, stating she lacked the ability to take responsibility without the children of Hwasan.

But for the Sword Queen to be an instructor…

Especially during the time when Kunlun was key…

“I just don’t see Cheonghae Ilgeom accepting that news.”

That was one of the reasons this news seemed unbelievable.

“Why is everyone so skeptical? Don’t be surprised if I turn out to be right later.”

“If what you’re saying is true, I’ll treat you to a drink.”

That day, the inn’s income would double, for sure!

Chang-ui-jin chuckled heartily.

“Enough of that; can we talk about something else?”

“Something else? What do you mean?”

“This Shinryong Temple, there’s a rumor it’s unprecedented.”

“Oh!”

At the man’s words, Chang-ui-jin nodded as if he understood.

He had grasped the meaning.

The generation of shooting stars.

Right now, it was a time when geniuses appeared only once in a hundred years, and among them, those who shined brightly stood out, leading to the phrase shooting stars being used to describe this era.

Among them were the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

The six dragons and three phoenixes were exceptionally brilliant compared to the overwhelming geniuses in the crowd.

“The last batch had only one dragon and one phoenix, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Were there really five this time?”

To be precise, the previous Shinryong—Peng Woojin—and the current late-stage talent, So Sword, were from the previous batch.

That time was remarkably grand.

The then head, the Sect Leader of Wudang, had made Shinryong Temple notoriously challenging for the heirs of great families and noble houses.

It resulted in the highest difficulty rates and the lowest graduation rates historically.

But both So Sword and Peng Woojin achieved the highest scores among all graduates of Shinryong Temple.

It was truly an overwhelming record.

“But this time, there are five…”

The timing was impeccable.

The late-stage talents were just the right age to join, and the situation perfectly aligned.

Excluding the still undecided Shinryong, all members of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes could join.

That brings us to the question everyone living in the Central Plains ponders at least once.

“Who do you think will stand out the most?”

Out of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes, who would be deemed the best?

At the man’s question, Chang-ui-jin snickered.

“Well, that’s obviously So Sword, isn’t it?”

“Except So Sword isn’t coming to Shinryong Temple.”

“That’s true. Then who do you think it’ll be?”

At Chang-ui-jin’s question, the man fell silent for a moment before responding.

“…Sleeping Dragon?”

“After all that pondering, you’ve come up with the sleepyhead.”

“Even considering that, Sleeping Dragon is undeniably remarkable.”

Sleeping Dragon is known to be lazy. Sleeps a lot and hates moving.

That’s why they call him Sleeping Dragon.

He swings his sword but apparently finds even breathing to be a chore.

Yet even with that temperament, he possessed overwhelming talent.

That’s why Sleeping Dragon could be among the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

“If that’s the case, then Thunder Dragon isn’t too bad either, right?”

“Oh my, you must be joking. Thunder Dragon lost to an unknown martial artist at the last Dragon Meeting.”

The next successor of the Nangong Clan, Thunder Dragon, hadn’t produced remarkable results for two years including last year.

“As for Seolbong or Dokbong… they’re still ambiguous. I don’t know much about Two Dragons either…”

“Then what about Jin Ryong?”

“Oh, the one who just got a new title? But who do you refer to?”

Chang-ui-jin was about to let his thoughts spill about Jin Ryong when suddenly, a young man interjected.

Noticing the sudden presence of an unfamiliar face, Chang-ui-jin inspected him.

Clearly, the two had been discussing something, yet at some point, this unknown face joined in.

At Chang-ui-jin’s inquiry, the youth smiled and picked up a chicken leg placed before him.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I just found the story too interesting and had to join in.”

“That… that’s my food…”

“I’ll cover the food cost.”

“Brother, what else did you want to hear about?”

The youth, now gone from being a stranger to a brother, smiled as he replied.

“I’d like to hear some thoughts about Jin Ryong. What do you think?”

“Jin Ryong… actually, since the last Martial Arts Tournament, he hasn’t shown up much.”

Like Two Dragons, Jin Ryong also hadn’t made an appearance since the last Dragon Meeting.

What was peculiar was that both had shown overwhelming skills during their first appearances.

Especially, he had absolutely crushed Thunder Dragon, and the tales of him tormenting the previous Dragon Meeting winner, Holy One, had almost reached exaggeration by now.

Not to mention, he was the youngest among the current Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

I’ve heard he hasn’t yet reached his 20s.

Though these rumors might be embellished, if they weren’t, then Jin Ryong’s emergence would signify a monster born to shake the Central Plains.

In fact, the Gu Clan, which has both So Sword and Jin Ryong, had been quiet without uttering a word.

That’s how vague the rumors had become these days in the Central Plains.

“Though I can’t dispute that, it wasn’t false that he defeated Thunder Dragon and Holy One, so doesn’t that make him strong?”

“Well, then how does he compare to Sleeping Dragon?”

“Sleeping Dragon?”

The man scrutinized the youth, who had posed a rather peculiar question.

Now that he looked closely, the youth was indeed striking.

With unkempt hair and stubble from a few days without a wash, yet his handsome face seemed to overshadow all of that.

“Hmm… No matter how I slice it, Sleeping Dragon is probably still better.”

“Is that so?”

At Chang-ui-jin’s words, the youth wore an intriguing expression.

He seemed somewhat disappointed, yet perhaps also hopeful.

“Oh, little brother, more importantly, since you offered to pay for the food, I’ll share something more interesting.”

“Oh, what is it?”

The youth looked expectantly at Chang-ui-jin.

Chang-ui-jin seemed amused by the youth’s reaction, licking his lips as he prepared to speak.

At that moment…

“Hyung… what are you doing here?”

Suddenly, someone walked up to the young man who was eavesdropping on their conversation with an exasperated sigh.

The youth’s expression instantly turned sheepish.

“Oh dear, I’ve been caught.”

“It’s not just catching. Why on earth were you hiding? Are you seriously eating that meat?”

“I’m a priest.”

“Yes?”

“This is soybean meat, not actual meat.”

“So you’re saying that chicken isn’t cock-a-doodle-doo, but soy-cock-a-doodle-doo?”

“Haha, priest, this is getting fun.”

“…Fine. Let’s wrap it up here.”

At the priest’s disgusted expression, the young man scratched the back of his head and stood up.

As he let go of the chicken leg he had been holding, Chang-ui-jin looked up at the youth with a hint of disappointment.

“Don’t worry. I’ll cover the cost since you shared some good stories.”

“Oh, be careful going back. Oh, little brother, you seem like a martial artist…”

At that, Chang-ui-jin hesitated and lowered his voice slightly.

Seeing him standing there with a sword, the youth had an unsettling air about him.

“I mean, I’ve had my share of sword meals.”

“Do you perhaps have a nickname?”

“It’s not a grand nickname; I didn’t particularly care for it.”

Chuckling, the youth tossed a pouch containing the meal’s cost to Chang-ui-jin.

“Now that I’m done here, I’m Woo Hyeok. I hope to see you again.”

With a smile, the youth moved out of the inn, followed by the figure who had been called the priest.

And once again, only Chang-ui-jin and the man remained.

They exchanged a blank look before some time passed and then both dropped their jaws wide open.

“Woo Hyeok…Woo Hyeok?”

It was a name they recognized.

The name of the handsome youth was Woo Hyeok.

If Chang-ui-jin and the man hadn’t been mistaken, he was undoubtedly…

The Wudang’s Woo Hyeok.

An illustrious martial artist of this era.

Simultaneously a figure regarded as a shining star of the shooting star generation.

Yet his nickname was…

“…Sleeping Dragon?”

The Sleeping Dragon of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

That was him!

“Haha.”

The man, who had been talking about Sleeping Dragon until moments ago, scrambled to recall what he had just blurted out, calming his frantic thoughts.

Chang-ui-jin, stunned, let out a laugh as if he were facing a deity.

“…If I had known he was such a significant figure, I would have shared the most important story with you.”

“Now that it’s come to this, does mentioning that guy’s name even matter? Sleeping Dragon. If my tongue slips… ugh…”

With chills running down his spine, the man shuddered, forgetting the words he should have said.

Chang-ui-jin suddenly recalled something he should have said.

The successor of the Sword Sovereign appeared.

This was something Chang-ui-jin couldn’t dismiss as mere rumors.

If he had known he was the Sleeping Dragon…

For the sake of amusement, he would have surely shared it.

Chang-ui-jin felt satisfied, having gathered one more fun story.

Clink.

He examined the pouch Woo Hyeok had left behind.

“Since I scored a free drink, I could keep talking all night…”

“Why is that, Chang-hyung?”

…

 

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