Chapter 60. Nine-Tattooed Dragon (3)
He dreamed of a distant past.
There had been countless heroes.
They had begun as bandits.
But they had refused to end as nothing more than bandits.
"Carry out Heaven's will."
"Possess both loyalty and righteousness."
They tried to act on behalf of Heaven...
And live with both loyalty and honor.
But the world was chaotic.
Things did not unfold the way the heroes wanted.
After surrendering to the imperial court...
They fought foreign invaders.
They fought rebels.
And countless heroes died.
Then...
When the wars ended...
The court began throwing away the hunting dogs that were no longer useful.
Lu Junyi, who had ranked second, was poisoned with mercury through the schemes of corrupt officials and later drowned.
Then...
Poisoned wine was sent to Song Jiang.
Many years passed.
Eventually...
Shi Jin became a Constellation.
At first...
He thought he could start everything again.
He believed they could rebuild Liangshan in the Spirit Realm.
And this time...
They could finally achieve the great ambition they had failed to accomplish.
But reality was different.
Most of his old comrades had lost the passion they once possessed during their Liangshan days.
They seemed content with the relaxed life of Constellations...
A life without real worries.
Worse...
There was no leader to become their center.
Song Jiang was nowhere in the Spirit Realm.
Lu Junyi also refused to take the role of leader.
Shi Jin had been deeply disappointed.
But he did not give up.
If he couldn't revive Liangshan in the Spirit Realm...
Then he would simply create a new organization on Earth.
Fortunately...
Shi Jin was an A-rank Constellation.
Perhaps because his nine dragon tattoos had become so famous in later generations...
He possessed greater recognition than many of the other Liangshan heroes.
Using the power of an A-rank Constellation...
Shi Jin began exerting influence over Earth.
He made mistakes.
He learned.
And little by little...
His influence grew.
But the more he worked...
The more painfully he realized one truth.
He lacked the capacity.
Compared to Song Jiang or Lu Junyi...
His ability as a leader was painfully inferior.
He also lacked talent for strategy.
Plans and schemes frequently failed.
Originally...
Shi Jin had simply been a martial artist.
He had once led a group of bandits...
But eventually joined Liangshan.
His natural talent had never been leadership or strategy.
It had always been martial arts.
Fighting enemies.
Breaking through them.
That was what suited him.
Even knowing that...
Shi Jin did not abandon his dream.
He gathered Contractors.
He built influence.
He suffered loss after loss because of poor plans.
He didn't care.
He poured Origin Power into Earth without hesitation.
And after struggling for years...
He finally came to control a fairly large organization.
The Hwaseong Sect.
But...
He had never intended to stop there.
He wanted to expand it until it ruled the entire Capital Region.
Then...
Its power would spread beyond the Capital Region.
Eventually...
It would advance into China itself.
It would dominate the continent.
And fulfill the dream Liangshan had never achieved.
That...
Was the dream he had pursued.
When Shi Jin regained consciousness...
He was lying on the floor of his throne in the Spirit Realm.
After suffering fatal damage from Kang Yujin's attack...
He had been unable to maintain [Demonic Star Descent].
The backlash had traveled all the way to his true body in the Spirit Realm.
"..."
He didn't even need to open his status window.
He could tell.
He wasn't going to disappear completely.
But...
The damage was so severe that he would be unable to act as a Constellation for quite some time.
"So..."
"It ends like this."
His consciousness was already fading.
Apparently...
He was about to enter something similar to suspended animation.
"Tsk, tsk."
A voice came from above.
"You got completely wrecked."
A rough-looking man with dark skin stood over him.
Li Kui.
He had somehow already arrived at Shi Jin's throne.
"Hey."
"Wake up."
Li Kui tried to force Shi Jin upright.
Then he realized Shi Jin couldn't even move a finger.
He frowned and sat down beside him.
"So this is what happens when you get defeated while descended on Earth?"
"You used Descent without even knowing that...?"
"I've never lost before!"
"This is my first time losing like this too..."
"Then how do you know?"
"You gather information from other places..."
"Idiot."
"Hmph."
Li Kui snorted.
"I already know I'm ignorant."
Then...
He looked down at Shi Jin.
"But you know..."
"What?"
"You look better."
"..."
"Better than the last time I visited."
Shi Jin couldn't see his own expression.
Still...
It was true that he didn't feel particularly bad.
Why?
He suddenly remembered how he had died long ago while fighting rebels.
Back then...
He had been killed by an arrow from an ambush.
This time...
He had fallen after fighting a promising young man with everything he had.
Seen that way...
This ending wasn't so bad.
"When you were fighting Kang Yujin down there..."
Li Kui continued.
"You looked alive."
"Really alive."
He laughed.
"You suit showing off your martial arts and fighting like hell."
"Not sitting around manipulating people and plotting schemes."
Shi Jin couldn't deny it.
Even though the fight with Kang Yujin had stirred all kinds of emotions...
It had also given him a sense of fulfillment he had not felt in a very long time.
"If..."
"Hm?"
"If I can wake up again..."
Shi Jin spoke weakly.
"Maybe I'll live a little differently after that."
He would stop pretending to be a leader.
Stop forcing himself to act like Song Jiang.
Perhaps...
He could become a Constellation more worthy of the name Nine-Tattooed Dragon Shi Jin.
"Living like me isn't that bad."
"You're way too lazy..."
Shi Jin answered bitterly.
Then...
His expression became troubled.
"But..."
"What?"
"The organization I built on Earth..."
"The Hwaseong Sect..."
"I'm worried about it."
He wasn't afraid of falling asleep like this.
But...
He was worried about the Hwaseong Sect.
"Now that I'm in this state..."
"I can't support them anymore."
"Many officers have already fallen."
"The organization's strength has been weakened."
"If my support disappears too..."
"The Hwaseong Sect could collapse almost immediately."
"..."
"That's what I'm worried about."
Li Kui answered casually.
"You don't need to worry."
"What?"
"Everything's already being handled."
"What do you mean...?"
"That nameless S-rank Constellation."
Li Kui grinned.
"He said he's already prepared a solution."
"Nameless S-rank Constellation?"
"Yeah."
"He told me not to worry."
Shi Jin was caught off guard.
But...
He didn't feel like demanding an explanation.
For some reason...
He felt he could simply leave it to that Constellation.
"Then..."
"I really don't need to worry?"
"That's what he said."
Shi Jin gave a slight nod.
Hearing he didn't need to worry made him feel strangely relieved.
"Li Kui."
"What?"
"I gained great authority as a Constellation."
"I manipulated countless people..."
Shi Jin gave a bitter smile.
"But looking back..."
"Fighting alongside all of you in Liangshan felt far more meaningful."
"Oh, come on."
Li Kui lightly tapped Shi Jin's head with his fist.
"You're only realizing something that obvious now?"
"Hahaha..."
"Enough."
"Go to sleep."
Shi Jin closed his eyes.
The moment he did...
He felt strangely peaceful.
Come to think of it...
He hadn't truly rested in years.
Knowing an old comrade was beside him...
Shi Jin allowed himself to finally relax.
Perhaps...
He would dream again.
Of that distant past.
[B-rank Constellation 'Hunter Favored by the Moon Goddess' is deeply impressed by your feat of defeating even a Constellation.]
[B-rank Constellation 'Hunter Favored by the Moon Goddess' sponsors you with 5,000,000 Coins.]
[A-rank Constellation 'Third Son of the War God' evaluates you as a true martial warrior of this age.]
[A-rank Constellation 'Third Son of the War God' sponsors you with 10,000,000 Coins.]
[A-rank Constellation 'Prodigy with Three Heads and Six Arms' points out that technically you did not defeat the opponent alone because you received help from another Constellation.]
[A-rank Constellation 'Prodigy with Three Heads and Six Arms' adds that your performance was still acceptable.]
[A-rank Constellation 'Prodigy with Three Heads and Six Arms' sponsors you with 20,000,000 Coins.]
[S-rank Constellation 'Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip' sponsors you with 40,000,000 Coins.]
Kang Yujin watched the sponsorship messages continue appearing.
Then...
A weak voice came from the man lying on the floor.
"Y-You bastards..."
The body had already been completely ruined.
But the man seemed to be squeezing out the last of his strength to speak.
"What..."
"Will you do now...?"
It wasn't Shi Jin's voice anymore.
It belonged to the original owner of the body.
Han Sewon...
The former second-in-command of the Hwaseong Sect.
"What do you mean?"
Kang Yujin answered coldly.
"We'll give this organization back to Jegal Geum."
"Ridiculous..."
Han Sewon's voice contained mockery.
"This organization called the Hwaseong Sect..."
"It survived because of the full support of the 'Hero of Nine Dragons.'"
He coughed blood.
"Do you really think the organization can function properly after making an enemy of him?"
"..."
"Besides..."
"The 'Hero of Nine Dragons' himself was probably injured in that fight."
"He might be unable to pay attention to Earth anymore."
Han Sewon continued speaking despite the blood leaking from his mouth.
"Without the protection of the 'Hero of Nine Dragons,' the Hwaseong Sect will become weak almost immediately."
"Then..."
"Won Pilso will swallow it whole."
"Won Pilso?"
Lee Sion, leaning against the wall with an exhausted expression, answered.
"He's a Contractor who controls a large area south of Seoul."
"From Bucheon to Seongnam."
"He's been watching the Hwaseong Sect for a long time."
"Exactly."
Han Sewon gave a bitter smile.
"The Hwaseong Sect has already been weakened by internal conflict."
"If Won Pilso learns that we've also lost our Constellation's protection..."
"He'll attack immediately."
Han Sewon laughed weakly.
"In the end..."
"The Hwaseong Sect is finished."
"..."
Even Lee Sion couldn't immediately deny it.
She apparently agreed that Han Sewon's point made sense.
"Hmm."
A voice suddenly came from outside the office.
"Is that really true?"
Everyone looked over.
"It's true that the Hwaseong Sect suffered heavy damage."
"There were major personnel losses because of the internal conflict."
"This excellent fortress was partially destroyed."
"And Jegal Geum, the leader, is exhausted."
"You..."
Han Sewon raised his head weakly.
"Who are you?"
No answer came.
Instead...
Kang Yujin's eyes widened.
The man entering the office...
Was someone he had never expected to see.
"But if Kang Yujin's group helps the Hwaseong Sect..."
The newcomer smiled.
"That should more than compensate for those losses."
"Don't you think?"
He looked directly at Kang Yujin.
"You're not planning to leave coldly now, are you?"
"After all..."
"You were the one who beat down almost every officer of the Hwaseong Sect."
"Shouldn't you take at least some responsibility?"
"That's..."
"And operating alone in the Capital Region isn't a good idea anyway."
He continued smoothly.
"Just like Jegal Geum tried at first..."
"Other organizations might target you and set traps."
"So..."
"It would be much more convenient for your group to rely on the Hwaseong Sect for now."
The man raised both arms.
"Still..."
"There's one major problem left."
"What is it?"
He looked toward Han Sewon.
"Answer me."
"You lying there half-dead."
Han Sewon coughed.
"T-The biggest problem is..."
"We lost the protection of our Constellation."
"Exactly."
The man nodded.
"The support of the A-rank Constellation 'Hero of Nine Dragons' is gone."
"So naturally..."
"The organization becomes weaker."
"Even with Kang Yujin's group helping."
Han Sewon stared.
"That's why I came."
"What...?"
The man spread his arms grandly.
"Everyone of the Hwaseong Sect."
"From now on, I, the 'Leader of the Expedition,' will take responsibility for all of you."
"You don't need to worry."
"I'm only a B-rank Constellation..."
"But I possess the authority to terminate your contract with an A-rank Constellation and re-contract you under me."
He smiled brightly.
"From now on, all of you can become my Contractors."
Leader of the Expedition.
The leader of the Argonauts...
The legendary Greek band of heroes.
The leader of what could be called humanity's first all-star team of heroes.
Jason.
The same hero Kang Yujin had once beaten down...
Had appeared.
Using his authority to freely descend to Earth whenever he was recruiting Contractors.
"I already manage countless Contractors at once."
Jason laughed confidently.
"So even if all of you join me at the same time..."
"It won't burden me at all."
"Rely on me as much as you want."
For the Hwaseong Sect...
It was an offer they could hardly refuse.
