After a brief introduction, Docheol officially became a member of the Gae Gak Sect.
While her combat prowess made her a perfect fit for the vacant position of Grand Protector, for now, she remained an ordinary disciple.
Resources were lacking to create a title worthy of her abilities, and the trust between us wasn’t yet fully established.
Of course, given Docheol’s personality, she’d likely follow my orders to some extent.
After all, I defeated her, and she acknowledged that fact.
However, my other followers were a different story.
There’s an old saying about a rolling stone displacing a settled one, and Docheol might start bullying my followers.
That, I cannot allow.
While Baekrang or Red Dragon might handle her, the other followers wouldn’t stand a chance.
The gap in strength could lead to unnecessary accidents.
Thus, it’s best for her to remain an ordinary disciple for now, as a gesture of respect toward the others.
That aside, the fact that a member of the Four Fiends had joined the Gae Gak Sect left me with mixed feelings.
On the surface, it felt like the sect was becoming an organization that leaned toward the monstrous side of things.
While my followers all looked relatively tame to my eyes, that’s from the perspective of a lizard.
Humans, for instance, would probably be startled just by the sight of a seemingly docile Crocodile King Lizard.
Even our “cute” representatives, Tus and Pus, would likely terrify people at first glance.
Despite their adorable faces, they were the size of wolves.
If humans encountered something beyond that level of spiritual power, they might faint or foam at the mouth.
It’s fortunate that the Ten Thousand Great Mountains are cut off from the outside world.
That said, I’m not overly concerned about human perceptions.
No matter what we do, the True Dragon, a master of public opinion, could defeat us with a single statement.
If the True Dragon declared us as evil, the Gae Gak Sect would instantly become public enemy number one in the martial arts world.
Thus, the priority is ensuring we don’t fall prey to the True Dragon’s narrative.
By slowly expanding our influence, as Red Dragon did with the Mount Hua Sect, we could mitigate the impact of the True Dragon’s propaganda.
At the very least, we could split the Central Plains in two, creating an opportunity to unite my followers and confront the True Dragon directly.
...When I think about it, I really do sound like some shadowy mastermind. But that’s probably just my imagination.
“This Gae Gak Sect, it’s quite a profound group. Gae Gak... Gae Gak is Gae Gak, and Gae Gak is Gae Gak, yet Gae Gak is also Gae Gak,” Docheol muttered after hearing Soyeong’s chatter.
Why does she seem so fond of it?
Even I found the doctrine confusing at first, so someone hearing about it for the first time would likely feel lost.
“To be honest, I didn’t care what your intentions were. I lost to you and submitted. Whether you killed me, took my neidan, or enslaved me, I was prepared to follow your will completely.”
“Enslaved...? Your body...? G-Go Daehyup! You’re still so young, and you’re already resorting to such shameless acts?”
Soyeong’s ears turned bright red.
Docheol’s phrasing was... odd.
“Enslaved to work her body” didn’t sound particularly Gerorong.
It was probably meant in the context of a combat slave.
“But the more I hear, the more intrigued I become. Gae Gak... of all things, why Gae Gak...?”
“Gegek.”
What’s wrong with Gae Gak?
Don’t pay too much attention to Soyeong’s nonsense.
While her chatter might sound like nonsense to others, to me, it’s usually meaningful.
Still, this time it really is nonsense.
“To seize the highest from the lowest—that is Gae Gak. And the Gae Gak Sect exists for that purpose, does it not?”
“Ahem, and I’d like you to know that this Gae Gak Sect owes much of its success to a certain adorable young lady from the Tang Clan.”
Soyeong, could you at least put a bit of effort into lying convincingly?
Although, she’s not entirely wrong.
The Gae Gak Sect was indeed born thanks to Soyeong misinterpreting my cries as “Gae Gak.”
...Wait.
Could it really be true that Soyeong is the reason the Gae Gak Sect exists?
Even the Gae Gak philosophy and the epiphanies I’ve had under its banner... were they all thanks to her?
“Go Daehyup? What’s with that sharp look?”
Could it be that this girl was secretly highly capable all along?
Now that I think about it, she’s a healer, dabbles in cooking, handles potent poisons, and seems oddly competent in certain moments.
...Why did I ever think Soyeong was useless?
“Huh? I feel like your gaze is drilling a hole into my chest.”
I might need to reassess my evaluation of Soyeong.
“In my view, the Gae Gak Sect seems to embody the idea of a ground-crawling lizard aiming to capture the True Dragon in the heavens.”
“To seize the highest from the lowest.”
It was one of the core tenets of the Gae Gak Sect, and I suppose it fit quite well.
I guess if you interpret things generously, you could understand it that way.
As I stood there, unconvinced, Docheol’s lips curved into a slight smile.
“Indeed... even if you hadn’t defeated me, I might have joined after hearing your purpose. It seems like some rather interesting times await by your side. Though, of course, the master-servant relationship would have been reversed.”
The path ahead for me and my followers was clear.
Honestly, I’d love nothing more than to spend peaceful days with those I’ve grown close to—eating good food, sharing stories, and making memories.
But those who seek to disrupt that peace have appeared and will continue to appear.
To achieve my goal, I must eliminate the threats that loom over us.
Namely, the True Dragon, my greatest rival, and Al-Yu, my bitter foe.
“Of course, you won’t be able to fight my father just yet.”
Bit by bit, I needed to build the strength to confront the True Dragon.
Recruiting Docheol was the first cornerstone in that plan.
“The True Dragon is currently injured.”
“Gek?”
I was caught off guard by that unexpected piece of information.
The True Dragon, injured?
“A long time ago, during a great war, he suffered a wound that nearly cost him his life. He’s been recovering in seclusion at Kunlun, but it seems unlikely he’ll ever fully heal.”
Most likely, his opponent in that war was the former Gomodo.
“Even though it’s an old injury and he’s compensated for his lost strength with new powers, it wasn’t a meaningless wound. However, something strange happened not too long ago. My father left Kunlun briefly to face another rival and returned wounded once again.”
The True Dragon was injured again?
And not even by Gomodo this time?
“Although the recent wound isn’t as severe, it seems to have dealt him significant psychological damage. Not just because he was hurt again, but because he failed to kill his opponent and was forced to retreat. Of course, his opponent must have suffered greatly as well.”
Could the True Dragon be weaker than I thought?
No, that couldn’t be it.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
It must mean that his recent opponent was absurdly powerful.
Who could it have been?
If I could align myself with such a being, I might not have to worry about the True Dragon anymore.
...Though I couldn’t be certain they’d be on my side.
“Even with the True Dragon in his current state, you’re not strong enough to take him down. You... well, you could withstand one of his breaths, at least.”
So, I can’t survive two breaths?
...Maybe I should just appreciate the progress I’ve made.
“Another problem is that there’s no way to face the True Dragon without entering Kunlun. You’d have to go there yourself to fight him.”
Even if I gained strength comparable to the True Dragon’s, initiating an attack on his domain would be almost impossible.
“Confronting the True Dragon in Kunlun, which isn’t even your territory? That’s absurd.”
The only reason I managed to defeat Docheol was because the entirety of this mountain was within my domain.
If I struggled this much, imagine the True Dragon, a mystical being who’s lived for countless ages.
For him, Kunlun is practically an extension of his body.
“Unless you’re the Gomodo, no one else could pull off such a reckless feat.”
“Hmm... Gomodo hasn’t told you about that yet?”
Soyeong glanced at me.
I didn’t think it was necessary to explain, so I hadn’t said anything.
The Yongsaengguja all recognized me, so I figured Docheol would too.
But judging by her reaction, I was wrong.
As I kept silent, Soyeong kindly explained.
“Wait, you’re the Gomodo?”
Docheol sounded uncharacteristically startled.
“This is... Gomodo?”
Her hands squished my cheeks, which was slightly annoying, but the sensation wasn’t unpleasant, so I let it slide.
“The Gomodo I knew was more menacing... bloodthirsty...”
What kind of being was the former Gomodo, for Docheol to describe him as menacing?
“Well... judging by the power I saw earlier, you could indeed be called the Gomodo’s successor.”
I had assumed Docheol, being under the True Dragon’s influence, would dislike the Gomodo, but her reaction wasn’t bad.
She seemed to revere strength, so she might even like the title.
Her focus was on challenging the True Dragon, so such matters were irrelevant to her.
“Indeed, with a tail like this, one can’t deny you’re the Gomodo.”
“Gek!”
Docheol lifted me by my tail.
It’s a bit odd to base her recognition on my tail, but since the name Gomodo includes “tail,” I guess it makes sense.
“Still, that doesn’t change anything. Even as the Gomodo’s successor, storming Kunlun now would be suicidal. As much as I enjoy fighting, I want no part in a futile endeavor.”
If even Docheol refused to consider it, that shows how hopeless the idea was.
“But that doesn’t mean you should give up. You must use what you have to close the gap between you and the True Dragon and make the fight feasible.”
Docheol seemed to want me to grow stronger—at least enough to make a fight with the True Dragon viable.
It was clear that our goals aligned.
“As I said earlier, the True Dragon is injured. While he’ll keep an eye on you, he’s in no position to act directly.”
“Gegek.”
“This is an opportunity, though you still can’t attack him outright.”
“Gek...”
She’s talking so much—it must mean she has something in mind.
“Instead, there’s a way to deal a significant blow to the True Dragon.”
I knew it.
“And it could also make you and your followers even stronger.”
Settling into her hand, I waited for her to continue.
“The Ten Thousand Great Mountains are a sacred land for mystical beings. It’s where the True Dragon and the Gomodo emerged, a place of unparalleled spiritual significance. Of course, its treasures aren’t limited to mystical beings.”
“Gegegek.”
“Yes, exactly what you’re thinking.”
So, that’s it.
“W-What exactly is it?”
Soyeong pretended to know but quickly revealed her confusion.
“...What is it?”
I knew it.
“Gegek.”
Honestly, I wasn’t sure either, but I let out a sinister laugh as if I did.
“The spiritual medicines produced here are on another level. The True Dragon’s followers have been gathering them to aid his recovery.”
The True Dragon’s subordinates are collecting spiritual medicines in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains?
Stuff like Hwarina or Seolsam?
“If you destroy their operations and steal the medicines, both you and your followers will benefit greatly.”
So, she’s suggesting I become a thief?
There aren’t many lizards as principled as me, you know.
“Gegege...”
Letting out an evil chuckle, I popped a stolen dumpling into my mouth, recalling a certain white-haired someone.
It seems the time has come for this righteous thief to act once again.