The 31st Piece Turns the Tables - Chapter 251
Episode 251 Sigh
…
All kinds of eyes were glued to me.
This happened when Seolhong arrived at Juyonggwan.
“Why is he…”
“He’s so weak…”
Criticizing words poured out.
If it had been in the past, I would have already suffered great heartache here.
but.
– You are stronger than me.
– Go quickly, Seolhong!
Even Soryo acknowledged him after being defeated by Chiu himself, who fell in the Battle of the Dragon.
Gradually, a burden was being placed on my shoulders.
And that weight gave me stability so I could maintain my balance.
Seolhong smiled and went to his seat.
A total of 5 rows.
It felt overwhelming to see as many as 50 people lined up at regular intervals, but her seat was at the very end of the group.
“Pfft… I guess it’s the end.”
“There is no progress. Tsk tsk….”
“Poor sister. “It’s still pathetic.”
They wanted Seolhong to feel humiliated.
However, Seolhong just smiled and looked ahead and did not react in any way.
Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss…
people began to enter Juyonggwan through another door.
Naturally, the eyes of the 50 Yonghwas were also busy checking their surroundings.
Surrounding the corner of the main hall and looking at the selected dragon flowers were the remaining 50 dragon flowers that were not selected among the 50 and other dragon flowers that fell in the dragon battle.
They stood in an orderly manner, looking at the selected Yonghwa, making a fuss, but soon became quiet.
Prime Minister Bang Hyu came up to the podium.
“Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor, here you go!”
Suddenly, all the Yonghwas lowered their heads and bowed. The same goes for Seolhong.
“Long live Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor!”
“Long live Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor!”
Thump…
thump!
Accompanied by the sound of loud drums, a palanquin surrounded by curtains was lowered behind Banghyu.
Even though the palanquin was lowered to the ground, it was so high that the person sitting in it was looking higher than Banghyu.
Gulp…
The room was silenced as best as it could to the point where the sound of someone swallowing could be heard.
The dragon emperor, surrounded by a veil, glanced around at everyone bowing and nodded.
Banghyu was his mouth and spoke on his behalf.
“From now on, what Banghyu says is the will of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor, so listen carefully.”
“yes!”
“yes!”
Sigh-!
Banghyu opened the scroll.
Whirling-!
The magic engraved on the scroll was activated, creating a mirage like an illusion.
The smoke swirled silently, creating a human shape, and soon the shape depicted the movements it had shown so far.
The person who was made up of acting was Taeyul.
“Deficit rate. “Raise your head.”
“yes.”
Taeyul raised his head and saw the smoke unfolding in front of Banghyu. It gave him goosebumps to see himself, made up of acting, repeating what he had done before, but he did not show it.
“How did you feel about the first trial?”
Taeyul’s first test was to eliminate a group of criminals producing counterfeit currency and the criminals who colluded with them.
The size of the organization was difficult for even Yonghwa to handle, and if it had been a normal Yonghwa, it would have failed in the first test.
There was a serious difference in difficulty from the beginning between Seolhong’s first test and Taeyul’s test.
“I felt like I wasn’t good enough.”
“why?”
“There were inevitable casualties among the imperial citizens who participated as helpers in the work, and after the work was over, we faced their resentment.”
“Didn’t you successfully complete one trial?”
“It didn’t matter whether the trial was successful or not.”
The Yonghwas lowered their heads and rolled their eyes.
What on earth does that mean?
Are you saying that the success or failure of the ordeal was not important?
“Why?”
“When I got up and set out, I was confident that I would succeed, and I did.”
A statement that seems arrogant at first glance.
But there was no one here to criticize those words.
Taeyul had a strong mentality and even power, and knew how to utilize it.
Maybe he was the man closest to the dragon here.
“But it wasn’t perfect. The problem was resolved, but unrelated people were sacrificed and a cycle of hatred was created. “This is why I realized I was inadequate.”
“Is that really the case? The organization you eliminated is a group of robbers who have created countless victims by viciously squeezing the blood of the people of the empire. Even if there are casualties, it is nothing more than a cessation of bleeding compared to the countless pains that the robbers will cause in the future.”
“….”
“I don’t accept it. Do you want to be perfect?”
“We want to be perfect.”
“It’s just an ideal theory.”
“Even if that’s the case….”
Taeyul said, looking beyond the curtain instead of Banghyu.
“I think that anyone who wants to become a dragon should pursue their ideals.”
“… It is a path that can never be reached.”
“It is not an unattainable path. “It is a path that has never been reached.”
The other Yonghwas’ conversations became chilly as Taeyul said without saying a single word.
Who could answer Banghyu like that?
At that moment, a voice as if the mountains and rivers were shaking was heard from beyond the curtain.
“The room is spacious, young dragon.”
“….”
Bang!
Taeyul hung his head again.
Dragon Emperor Hongcheon opened his mouth, so we should not make eye contact with him.
His eyes could be seen beyond the curtain.
“Your hands and your will cannot reach the entire East. “Emotions are only draining, and hesitation creates more victims.”
Taeyul’s body shrank tightly.
Hongcheon is absolute.
Being looked at by someone like that has the same psychological impact as being pierced by a spear. There was never to be eye contact.
“In the end, the people of the empire must also be regarded as nothing more than numbers.”
“… How come?”
“Because the heart will be the first to break.”
“….”
“There is no such thing as a heart that can understand all hearts. So your heart will be broken first.”
Shrug…
“I will do it.”
“Even if that path is wrong?”
“I, Taeyul, want to become a dragon and will not give up until the end.”
“… Lift your head up.”
Taeyul raises his head again.
A dragon’s gaze was given to him.
I was shaking…
My body was shaking and cold sweat was running down my body.
“Continue your vacation.”
“yes.”
The tests for Taeyul continued, and each time he did not give in and answered according to his beliefs.
Taeyul never once gave the answer Yongje wanted. That alone deserved the respect of Yonghwa.
“…go forward.”
“yes!”
The pressure on Taeyul disappeared.
Banghyu called someone else this time.
“Shinyou, the red girl.”
“yes.”
Shinyo also received the same baptism of questions that Taeyul received earlier. Shinyo gave a different answer than Taeyul.
“The truth of the world lies in silver and circles. “He who becomes a dragon must stay away from both silver and won.”
“Is that what you are after?”
“In the end, I think achieving a perfect center is the quality a dragon should have.”
Hongcheon rested his chin and made a sound.
“Hmm… I have no silver or won… In the end, my essence is similar to Taeyul. “But you know that this is also abnormal, right?”
“I understand it better than anyone else.”
“Then it is done. “I will watch.”
I will watch.
Since the Dragon Emperor himself said that he would be interested in it, it was as if he had confirmed the fact that Shinya was also considered to be the next generation dragon.
The 50 selected Yonghwas secretly looked forward to it.
Taeyul, who is currently in first place in the Dragon Battle rankings, and Shinyo, who is in second place, have received questions and answers, so they will also receive them.
But that was their mistake.
Tak…
Banghyu folded the scroll where the fantasy had unfolded.
“Then with this…”
“Wait…”
Hongcheon slightly raised his hand, interrupting Banghyu.
Banghyu kept his mouth shut and waited for Hongcheon to speak.
Sigh…
the finger pointed at someone.
The direction the finger was pointing towards was a small child with his head down at the edge.
“Why is that child here?”
It was Seolhong.
Banghyu was startled and turned his gaze towards Suha. The servant whispered the story of how Seolhong came to be here.
Banghyu nodded and whispered that fact to Hongcheon.
“So that’s how it happened… Seolhong.”
“yes!”
“The great sorcerer Wangju, who was dispatched to Tomaku, told me. “Everything that happened in Sodong.”
Gulp…
“Aren’t you disappointed? “Are you in a reality where you didn’t get any attention even though you defeated Eoksini?”
“I thought it was natural.”
“Tell me why.”
“All of my brothers’ trials were probably more difficult and required more attention than mine. Evaluation in the Battle of Braves will be determined only by trials, so even if I achieved high results in Tomaku, it is natural that my brothers who underwent more difficult trials would achieve greater results.”
“Even though I put the darkness to sleep?”
“Defeating Darksini is not included in the trials. “It is not worth evaluating.”
The other Yonghwas bit their lips.
As the rumor that Seolhong defeated Eodukshini turned out to be true, questions arose as to whether that incident was not reflected in her evaluation.
“But why did you deal with Eoksini?”
“Because it had to be.”
“… what?”
“It was absolutely necessary to save the miners.”
“That’s fun.”
Hongcheon’s eyes changed.
“Raise your head. Seolhong.”
“yes.”
Seolhong also made eye contact with Hongcheon.
“It is as you said. Yonghwa’s evaluation will be determined only through trials.”
“yes.”
“Everyone follow due process.”
Seolhong’s gaze heated up.
“If you want to move forward, go through due process and trample on suspicion and jealousy. “That is the meaning of being a dragon.”
This was said to all Yonghwa, but it sounded special only to Seolhong.
As if to say that they will be waiting.
When Yongje nodded, Banghyu continued speaking.
“The Yonghwas must have heard rumors about Eoduksini’s resurrection, even if it was too late.”
“yes.”
“yes.”
Banghyu floated a large scroll in the air.
“A grave threat has arrived in Khan. However, it would be inappropriate to stop the struggle because of that… so we will change the method of competition.”
Pak-!
The scroll unfolded and letters appeared in the air. In addition to the numbered list, there was even a score written next to it.
“Raise your head.”
All the Yonghwas’ heads lifted up.
Yonghwa’s face crumpled seriously as he looked at the letters floating in the air. The list was a list of trials to come.
“Now, each person will choose a trial and complete it within a set time limit. You must complete the selected trial before you can take on other trials. And so…”
The method of fighting changed.
“We will select the Yonghwas who earned the most points.”
All kinds of absurd ordeals were written in the air, laughing at Yonghwa.
* * *
While the Yonghwas had an audience with Hongcheon, Kang Seol and Jang Du walked through the palace garden. Yonghwa’s minions, including Yongseoks, were all scattered around, killing time.
“Haha… we were also in the heart of the warrior back then.”
“Is that true?”
“Okay, I guess I should stop by often. Shinyo seems to like it too.”
“Thank goodness. “It’s a big attraction in Yocheon, so it’ll be interesting no matter when you go.”
“Tsk… How about we leave Yonghwa alone and have a drink later?”
“Oh, that won’t be easy.”
“Well… Miss Seolhong is still at an age where you need to take care of her, right?”
“So, Shinyo, is the situation different?”
“Darji Shinyo actually pathologically hates me following along. Especially in the summer, when people scold me for smelling like sweat… Tsk… Then why don’t you sit down and drink near Yonghwa’s dorm?”
Kang Seol smiled and nodded.
“That’s okay.”
“ha ha ha! This guy is not the kind of guy who begs to go out for drinks. “Perhaps he has feelings for you?”
“… yes?”
Suddenly an unpleasant thought crossed Kang Seol’s mind.
“That’s not what I meant. “Don’t scare people.”
“I was really surprised.”
As Snowfall and Jangdu were walking in the garden, they felt a slight commotion.
“This is a scam!”
“Seup… Do you have to say it that way to use it?”
“No, that’s strange. “It definitely went into the first glass!”
“Well, you probably saw it wrong. Anyway, come on! This is my money now…”
“Do it again!” Let’s do it again!”
“As long as you have money, you can do anything.”
A gambling game where you put a dice in a glass and mix it with another glass to guess which glass contains the dice.
Women and men were brazenly fooling around in the place where the dragon stones were gathered.
Among them, the one that stood out the most was a woman wearing blue clothes and spinning a glass.
Jangdu clicked his tongue.
“Tch… I’m meeting you here.”
“Do you know this woman?”
“I am the miser Jinryeo and Taeyul’s subordinate.”
“It’s not a dragon stone?”
“Taeyul has many subordinates. There is a separate dragon stone. “I’m not one to ignore my subordinates, but…”
“It seems like that woman is also strong.”
“yes. But I guess it’s a little different from people like you and me.”
“What if the texture is different?”
“You’ll know when you watch.”
After a while.
“This is strange! Obviously…”
“Shh! Please make room for the next person. Huh? masthead!”
“Oh shit. “You saw me.”
“masthead! Where! I have to give it a try! You brought a lot of money for me again, right? “You know that if you run away, you’re not a man’s son, right?”
“… you damn bastard. Okay, let’s get together again.”
Jinryeo welcomed Jangdu with a coquettish smile.
Crackling…
When Jangdu sat down on the small chair, the chair screamed.
“Have you done anything?”
“The chair creaked. “Don’t get distracted.”
“Hoho… You’re deaf, but you’re sensitive! Shall we begin?”
“However much!”
Swish swish-!
It was clear at a glance that Jinryeo was strong. It was difficult for the eye to keep up with the speed at which the teacup containing the dice was mixed.
Even the head was holding his head and groaning.
“here!”
“Wrong!”
“Ugh! “Did you scam me again?”
“Do you have any proof?”
“Damn it…”
Money came out of Jangdu’s money bag one after another. However, he only won loose change and inevitably lost in games where large sums of money were at stake.
Kang Seol called Jang Doo.
“masthead.”
“Ugh?”
“I will try.”
“Really? Even you, this damned fraudster…”
“I’ll do it.”
Jinryeo sneered.
“Huh… It’s more fun than it looks, right?”
“here.”
When Kang Seol bet a larger amount than expected from the beginning, Jinryeo’s eyes widened.
“That friend….”
“Isn’t that Seolhong’s Yongseok?”
“obsidian? Did you say obsidian?”
“No way…”
Jinryeo’s expression changed.
“Ah… He’s the one of whom there are many rumors.”
“rumor?”
“What happened at Tomaku?”
“ah.”
“Let’s see where you have talent in playing.”
Whoosh whoosh!
The speed at which the glass was spinning was incomparable to that of Jangdu. Kang Seol fixed her gaze so as not to miss the glass containing the dice.
widely!
“Now where are the dice?”
Kang Seol frowned.
“Don’t you know? “What a pity…”
Jinryeo was confident of victory.
She had a special ability that others did not have, and there were only a few people, including Taeyul, who knew about it.
Her abilities were useful in battle, but they shined even brighter when given simple rules like gambling.
You can never, ever know.
It wasn’t just because he had quick hands that he was able to fool the eyes of experts who thought he was incompetent.
This wasn’t just a game of probability either.
All of her losses so far have been as she intended. There was never a single unintentional defeat.
Ssssssssssssssssssssssssss…
“Here.”
The ability has now been activated.
The match has been decided.
Because the position of the dice has been moved.
“No, here.”
But suddenly Kangseol changed his answer to another glass.
“… yes?”
“Here are the dice.”
Jinryeo’s eyes grew as big as a flower lantern.
Laughter was heard from all directions.
“Puhahahaha! “You’re wrong!”
“It’s not there, buddy. “The first choice I made was correct!”
“I guess the rumors were exaggerated.”
Even Jangdu laughed.
“oh my! “You left money for our drinks, right?”
Kang Seol chuckled at Jang Doo’s words.
Jinryeo drank the cup that Kangseol had chosen.
Everyone’s expressions suddenly hardened.
“… uh?”
“what?”
“You got it right, right?”
Jinryeo is a miser who is favored by Yonghwa Taeyul.
Her expression changed coldly. When she said it sincerely, the other person never once noticed the position of the dice, but something strange happened.
Only then was Jinryeo able to look into Kang Seol’s eyes.
Golden eyes that seem to suck you in.
Jinryeo bit her molars and spoke kindly.
“Let’s play one more round.”