The Dragon King’s power is strong and warm.
She felt dumb that I was terrified by the Imoogi that the shamans summoned.
‘Dragon King…!’
Shaman Hong held back the tears that were about to fall.
She hasn’t even apologized to the Dragon King and the Dragon Clan, how dare she shed tears?
When Shaman Hong took in a breath of the warmth from the Dragon King, she felt a presence.
She covered her mouth and hid herself because she couldn’t feel even a hint of a dragon’s energy from the thing that was approaching.
‘Why here?’
Yoohwang appeared out of nowhere, not looking so good.
Her skin exposed in the air was unsightly.
Flesh was falling off as if the sprouted scales had been forcibly removed, and blood was dripping uncontrollably from her body.
When the monster absorbed the shamans’ powers through the scales, Yoohwang cut off her scaly raw flesh and ran away to this place.
‘I don’t think the Dragon King made her like that. Don’t tell me Imoogi… Oh?’
While Shaman Hong observed Yoohwang’s bated breathing, she found something in her hand.
There was only a part of Yoohwang’s grip, but that alone allowed Shaman Hong to recognize what it was.
Yoohwang was holding onto a Yongsae made of Hwangryong’s bones.
It seems that Yoohwang took advantage of it when the Dragon Palace was eroded and stole it.
‘What is she trying to do with Hwangryong-nim’s yongsae?!’
The Dragon Clan has two sources.
The Yongsae, made of bones from Cheongryong and Hwangryong, was also the key to the boundary that protected the Dragon Clan.
The ritual held by the shamans tried to destroy that very same thing.
However, if the Yongsae is brought outside, the Dragon Palace’s boundary may shake again even if there are no longer traitors.
That was the only thing Shaman Hong knew about it, but there might be bigger secrets she didn’t know of.
‘I should stop her.’
Shaman Hong showed unimaginable courage than her usual fragile appearance.
Bravery seemed to course her blood the moment the Dragon King came down.
Hong’s heart, which had been killed by the shamans over the years, was about to be revived.
Shaman Hong began to follow her awkwardly.
Yoohwang was so nervous heading somewhere that she didn’t notice her tail.
‘It’s facing up. The Dragon King must be there, so why…’
Even though she was much stronger than Hong, it didn’t seem like she would notice her anytime soon.
It was as if someone was controlling Yoohwang.
Then, when they finally got out of the basement…
Yoohwang opened the door and the Yellow Cloud Lake was seen.
A butterfly came as if it were waiting for Yoohwang.
Seeing the butterfly, Shaman Hong’s body trembled in fear.
‘It’s that butterfly!’
Shaman Hong heard a very scary story years ago when Yeom Junyeol was assigned to facilitate the entrance exam practical test as a member of the Student Association.
Shaman Hong witnessed Yoohwang and the other shamans talking to the butterfly.
The butterfly said that things would happen at school during the entrance exam, so they should stop Yeom Junyeol and Yong Jegun from intervening.
But after the butterfly disappeared, Yoohwang said,
— Those people seem to be in trouble if Yeom Junyeol dies now, but wouldn’t it be better to end this quickly?
— We can send the Cintamani’s owner together with Yeom Junyeol to prevent him from intervening.
Shaman Hong noticed that the shamans were trying to kill Yeom Junyeol.
The Dragon Clan had to quickly fall for the shamans to fulfill their wish.
They prioritized their wish over the Black Screen’s plan, so they wanted things to proceed quickly.
If they follow the Black Screen’s will, the shamans have to tell Yeom Junyeol and Yong Jegun false information that it would rain in Eungwang High to prevent them from going to the practical test site.
But they didn’t seem to follow the Black Screen’s words.
— We better tell Junyeol that it’ll be sunny. He might notice what’s going on at the test site while riding Hongryong.
— Let’s make Hong do it so it doesn’t look like we mixed up the weather. Hong is an inexperienced child, so if she pretends that she just predicted the weather wrong, Junyeol will keep it a secret.
Shaman Hong was stuck in place even after the shamans left.
This was the first time she learned that they were prepared to kill the Dragon Clan in exchange for immortality.
Shaman Hong knew about the terrible plan but failed to inform the Dragon Clan.
If she speaks up without evidence and says that the shamans are trying to kill the Dragon Clan so they can live forever, who would believe her?
Her only basis was an overheard conversation about the weather.
It was obvious that Yoohwang and the other shamans, who spent longer time with the Dragon Clan and got their trust, would be believed instead of the newcomer Hong.
— Hong-ah, tell the Cintamani that it will rain, but tell Junyeol that it will be sunny.
Yoohwang gave her instructions before the day of the entrance exam.
It was a strange instruction, but Shaman Hong would’ve followed blindly if she hadn’t known the story behind it.
But she couldn’t do it, knowing that her words would put Yeom Junyeol in danger.
Shaman Hong did not have the wit or courage to reveal the shamans’ betrayal, but she wanted to protect Yeom Junyeol at least.
So, when she was alone with Yeom Junyeol, she said,
— I think it’s going to rain tomorrow.
Of course, the rain didn’t come.
Yeom Junyeol judged that Shaman Hong just misread the weather and hid her mistake.
Even after hearing that Yeom Junyeol was cleared, the shamans thought that the school merely implemented indoor guidelines due to the circumstances on campus.
Only Hong knew that she told Yeom Junyeol that it would rain.
And before Christmas Eve, Shaman Hong saw that butterfly again.
——————
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This time, something bigger and more frightening awaited than the practical test.
— …Uhm, I don’t think the weather will be good today.
Shaman Hong spoke up with all her wisdom and courage.
It was a lie with the hopes that Yong Jegun and Yeom Junyeol would stay at home.
— I think it’s going to rain. I wish you two would stay in the building.
But Yong Jegun just laughed and walked away as if he knew everything.
There was no room for Shaman Hong to stop him, not even a chance to run after Yong Jegun.
All Shaman Hong could do was pray.
‘Dragon King, please protect the two of them.’
As Christmas approached, the Dragon Clan’s territory and the Dragon Palace were scattered with Imoogi’s scales, making it impossible for the Dragon King to come close.
Hong’s prayer never reached the Dragon King.
She had no choice but to watch the other shamans spray rotten snow over Eungwang High.
She pretended to be weak and ignorant of spraying snow, but Yoohwang instructed to slap her cheek to make her get a grip, and eventually, the snow fell on Eungwang High.
But then, a miracle happened.
Yoohwang collapsed in black snow, and the dragons who went to Eungwang High returned safely.
‘No, they weren’t safe. Everyone was seriously injured and exhausted.’
Shaman Hong trembled with fear and anger as she recalled the bloodstains on Yong Jegun’s clothes.
A butterfly appeared beside Yoohwang before all those scary things, and now, that butterfly was in the Dragon Palace.
“I want to make a deal. The Yongsae in exchange for the information I know about the Dragon Clan and my cooperation. Let me escape the Dragon Palace and live forever!”
Yoohwang shouted at the butterfly with bloody eyes.
The butterfly replied to her.
[The terms are not balanced.]
“Yes, but I don’t intend to ask for more than escape here and eternal life.”
Yoohwang smiled, her blackened mouth from dried blood rising.
She was arrogant, uncharacteristic of a fugitive that she was.
Yoohwang smiled, thinking that the Yongsae and her intel and cooperation were of great value.
Partly because the butterfly’s voice sounded very sweet and humble.
[You’re mistaken. Your information and cooperation have no value at all. You’ve lost the Dragon King’s power, and you’ve even lost Imoogi that we worked so hard to create.]
The butterfly spoke with great coolness, in a sweet voice that was no different from just now.
[That person chose you in the first place because the shaman who succeeded you is too good. On the other hand, you are so incompetent that you ruined the plan he has prepared for so long.]
“What! How dare you say something like that to me…!”
The butterfly looked at Yoohwang with what seemed like a faint joy.
As if the butterfly were happy thatthat person’splan had been ruined.
The butterfly’s wings fluttered more, and the scaly powder sprayed in the air increased.
[Unlike you though, the Yongsae you have is of great value. But a deal isn’t on the table right now.]
“Don’t you covet this? Are you going to give it up now? If you let me escape—”
[I’m going to take it with me.]
The butterfly chuckled, and Yoohwang belatedly understood.
Yoohwang, who has now lost all her value, will be abandoned and the Yongsae will be taken from her.
Yoohwang freaked out and gripped the Yongsae deeper in her arms, but the powdery scales from the butterfly looked as if they would hit her.
When the scaly powders were about to pull the Yongsae…
Hwiiii!
But before the powder completely swallowed the Yongsae, a reddish cloud pushed the butterfly away.
Although it was a foggy cloud, it had a subtle light with the energy of the Dragon King who descended on the Dragon Palace.
It was from Shaman Hong.
‘Why is Hong’s cloud as is?’
Yoohwang questioned it for a moment.
The powers of the shamans should’ve been taken away by the Dragon King, but Hong can still summon clouds.
The Dragon King retrieved the powers of the shamans that were eroded by Imoogi, so Hong’s power that remained untouched remained.
Yoohwang, who forgot for a moment that she was supposed to punish Hong, spoke fondly.
“Good job, Hong-ah! Let’s use that butterfly to get out of here.”
Yoohwang spoke fondly while she thought about how she could take away Hong’s power.
Seeing Yoohwang like that, Hong was washed away by emotions and moved her clouds.
The red-colored clouds arrested Yoohwang who held the Yongsae tightly.
Swooooo!
“…I don’t want to.”
Yoohwang tried to clear her vision, but the clouds blocked her.
Yoohwang trembled with humiliation because she couldn’t shake off Hong’s clouds, the ones that she regarded as weak and insignificant.
Shaman Hong screamed.
“I don’t want to hear you!”
Fwaaaat!
When Shaman Hong shouted to the point where her throat hurt, her throat suddenly felt warm.
Warm air came in and seemed to heal her throat.
At the same time, she felt a pressure that made her knees and shoulders get heavy.
As Hong turned, she saw clouds of five colors.
Beyond the clouds stood the Dragon King, the Dragon Clan, and the palace’s guests.
***
Not everyone has the power to break things down and move on.
Some people, like Kwon Lena, can only resist passively in the face of unbearable misfortune, and others like Gye Bastard do not change their attitudes unless they are pushed to the limit.
Shaman Hong is in a similar situation.
That’s why she’s given Yeom Junyeol and Yong Jegun false weather predictions before.
‘But I thought Shaman Hong would eventually join the others.’
The possibility of that is gone.
Shaman Hong’s face had no scales, and she was still wielding the Dragon King’s powers.
Seeing her delighted face when she saw the Dragon King, my lingering doubts flew away.
‘I expected the possibility of her being a traitor, but I didn’t think she could be brave enough to intervene between Yoohwang and Nabiryeong.’
I suggested to Hwangryong to prepare for butterflies in the Yellow Cloud Lake, anticipating that Yoohwang would go there last.
But I didn’t expect that Hong would interfere.
Kugugugu!
“It’s the first time I’ve caught a butterfly down here.’
Hwangryong moved his cloud to isolate the butterfly, which I think is Nabiryeong’s minion, and recovered the Yongsae using Unryong.
Encouraged, Unryong gushed and retrieved the Yongsae from Yoohwang.
Yoohwang struggled and tried to hit Unryong, but there was no way she could fight against Shaman Hong and Hwangryong’s clouds at the same time.
The Dragon King turned his head as he looked at the scene.
“Dragon King, the cleansing of the palace is done.”
The five people from the Dragon Clan turned up and reported.
The dragons left the monster up to Hwangryong and Cheongryong and went around to wipe out the remaining Bear Clan minions.
The Dragon Palace was all cleansed, but there was still someone absent.
[Jegun is waiting for you, so go meet him.]
The Dragon King spoke to Kim Shinrok who stood in the distance.
Jeokho seemed to want to ask “Why are you making my son run an errand?” but he held back because Yong Jegun’s name was mentioned.
Kim Shinrok didn’t have as harsh an impression as Jeokho, but he looked questioning too.
The Dragon King explained affectionately.
[Didn’t you tell him to watch you? Go on, Yong Jegun is waiting for you.]
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