Chapter 761: O-ryong-jaeng-ju (4)

By the time they let the predecessor Hong shaman in, checked her identity, and completed the body search, it was already midnight.

It was clear that she was the previous Shaman Hong.

Opinions were divided on whether she should be let in, but the favor eventually turned to do so.

The condition was that she should be disarmed, but the predecessor shaman didn't have even a single item card with her.

However, considering the possibility of her using energy waves, it was decided that she'd be restrained from doing so.

Yeom Junyeol watched the process with a complicated mind.

'No matter how strong the power of the shamans is, they're no match for Granda Chokryong. I can't believe they're so wary of a former shaman...'

Yeom Junyeol looked up and around the lobby, as he watched the former Hong shaman with a heavy bracelet on both hands.

It's not obvious, but many of the items in the building have been replaced.

Many people didn't notice it because it was replaced with the exact type of item.

However, the observant Yemo Junyeol noticed it.

Everything that the shamans gave or touched was replaced.

'My guess must've been wrong.'

Yeom Junyeol guessed based on his trust in the shamans.

The enemy of the Dragon King attacked the shamans and cursed them.

There's a possibility that the aftermath of the curse remains on the items and gifts touched by the shamans.

In consideration of the shamans' feelings, those items were replaced in secret.

This was what Yeom Junyeol thought, but seeing the current situation made him think he was wrong.

'Did the shamans become enemies? No, maybe they were found out to be enemies. It's a huge possibility.'

If Yeom Junyeol's family and the shamans were in a hostile state, it was also understandable why a gag order was placed.

Yeom Junyeol was close with the shamans, especially with Shaman Hong who was the same age as him.

Therefore, he refrained from speaking about what he knew to be considerate of them.

Based on his idea and recalling the recent events, the answers to his stacked-up questions came up.

Yeom Junyeol's hypothesis became increasingly solid.

Confused by the sadness and dismay, Yeom Junyeol chose not to show his feelings.

'I could be wrong. But something is definitely going on. They must've wasted their precious power in protecting me. I should reduce their burden from now on, even by a little.'

Yeom Junyeol decided to focus on what he could do now and immediately.

It was to draw information from the former Shaman Hong.

She showed fear in front of the Dragon Clan, but she was different with Yeom Junyeol.

She showed favor for him, who recognized her first and helped her get out of the woods, and she'd feel less pressure from the younger Yeom Junyeol.

Yeom Junyeol thought that they'd have a smooth conversation.

"Grandma, it's been a while since I saw former Shaman Hong-nim so I would like to talk to her."

"Junyeol-ah..."

Chokryong hesitated and looked at the former shaman using her eyes filled with energy waves.

The waiting dragon also gave a word to Chokryong, who seemed to brief her about the powers of the former shaman.

Chokryong, judging that she could suppress the shaman's power, spoke.

"Alright, but your grandmother will be coming with you."

"Thank you. It was very cold outside so I'll prepare you a hot drink."

"I'll drink ice water if it's from you, Junyeol-ah."

Other than Chokryong, a dragon and a Red Lion team member accompanied Yeom Junyeol and the former Hong.

The reception room located on the first floor of the team building felt cold, whether because it was large compared to the number of people who entered or because every single one of them remained vigilant.

Yeom Junyeol prepared tea for the former Shaman Hong to drink.

"It's been a while, Hong noona. Ah, you stepped down so I shouldn't call you by that name anymore."

"...You can call me whatever you want."

The former Shaman Hong smiled awkwardly as she picked up the cup.

His voice was familiar to her, but as she didn't see him very often either, she was also unaccustomed to him.

Yeom Junyeol compared her current appearance with his memory of seeing her a few times after she quit being a shaman.

The former Shaman Hong's face was very emaciated.

She was skinny as if she hadn't been eating well, her skin was rough, and her clothes were very old.

Chokryong pointed this out.

"You don't seem to be healthy. You could've asked the Dragon Clan for help if something had happened. The Dragon Clan doesn't neglect even the predecessor shamans."

"Well, I..."

Although she was almost beaten at the door because no one recognized her, Chokryong was right.

She wouldn't have been treated like that if she had come with proper procedure.

Even the former shaman knew this well so she couldn't respond properly.

Then, Yeom Junyeol spoke kindly.

"Noona, did something happen? Please tell me if there is anything I can do to help."

"...Everything that happened to me is my fault."

"I heard that the Dragon Clan helps the shamans live a comfortable life after retirement. It's only natural for me, a descendant of the Dragon Clan, to help as well."

The former shaman bowed her head, feeling bad at Yeom Junyeol's sincerity.

At that time, the Red Lion team member turned on a hologram and showed it to Chokryong.

Yeom Junyeol had a glimpse of some of them.

It was an investigation file on the shamans.

'Did the Red Lion intelligence team move to investigate noona?'

Judging from the length of the document, the intelligence team must've been digging into it for quite some time now.

Chokryong quickly checked the content of the hologram and said,

"Fraud is not only the responsibility of the deceived victim. It's the perpetrator's fault."

"What? Fraud?"

Shocked with Chokryong's words, Yeom Junyeol looked at the former Shaman Hong.

She had her head down in shame.

Perhaps because of the sadness so far, the shaman cried out in a ragged voice and shed tears.

'She has been scammed. We could've helped if she asked...'

Yeom Junyeol soothed the sobbing woman.

Perhaps because Yeom Junyeol treated her like family, the former Shaman Hong began her story.

"I-I... I thought that if I did what those people said, I'd become a shaman again..."

According to her story, she was tricked into thinking that her skills would be strengthened.

Former Shaman Hong fell into the tricks of the fraudsters who said she could become a shaman again.

Yeom Junyeol was both angry and suspicious.

The shaman's words were strange, which Chokryong pointed out.

"I heard that you voluntarily stepped down. Why did you change your mind?"

"I didn't want to quit!"

The former shaman shouted.

"But I am not wise like Shaman Yoohwang-nim, not strong like Shaman Nok-nim, or as bright as Shaman Byeok-nim. I can't mix well with my surroundings like Shaman Ja-nim, so I had no choice but to quit for the sake of the Dragon King."

The former shaman recited the reasons why she had to quit, muttering herself in a cracked voice.

Perhaps her throat was hurt from the shout she just let out.

She disparaged herself as much as she could, saying that it was foolish to not give up her regret of quitting.

Yeom Junyeol was stunned.

'Why did noona think that? I don't think she came up with that on her own. Someone planted it on her.'

She may not be the most outstanding shaman, but she was by no means lacking.

Yeom Junyeol remembered her as a friendly and bright person even though she was passive in talking.

But the woman in front of him now seemed like a different person.

"So I thought that if I get a little stronger, I might be able to become a shaman again, maybe the other shamans will tolerate me, and then maybe I'd become a shaman at the Dragon Palace..."

Those who were present couldn't say anything while the former shaman poured out her precious words like throwing up poison.

Even Chokryong stopped talking and just watched her.

Yeom Junyeol was quietly listening and suddenly thought of something crazy.

'If the shamans became enemies, then wouldn't they be the ones who made her like that?'

Yeom Junyeol asked the former shaman.

"You said you came to see Uncle Cheongryong. What do you mean something scary is going to happen?"

The former shaman pulled out a purse as big as her hand.

A faded piece came out of the purse.

It had a familiar energy wave, but it was difficult to detect properly.

'Dragon scales?'

It looked like dragon scales, but its color was bad and the strength of it didn't feel formidable.

Chokryong recognized it first.

"It's the same shape as Cheongryong's scales."

"Uncle Cheongryong's? But its color and strength..."

The former shaman answered.

"This is Cheongryong-nim's scales! When I quit being a shaman, he told me to come and show this if something happened... but..."

If she had Cheongryong's scales, why didn't she show it at the entrance?

Yeom Junyeol thought it was strange, but looking at the scale's condition it made sense.

Nobody would think that it was Cheongryong's.

"Can we contact the Dragon Palace now? I want to make sure that Uncle Cheongryong is safe."

"There's a way. Leave it to me."

"Yes, please. Oh...?"

Yeom Junyeol blinked, seeing that the color of the scales seemed to be changing.

When Yeom Junyeol tried to point this out...

Beeeep!

As soon as the device let them know it was midnight, a warning alarm rattled the Red Lion building.

An alarm indicating that an otherworld has spawned inside the building.

***

Just before midnight, at the Blue Pavillion at the Blue Dragon Palace.

Jeokho was looking out the open window.

As he looked outside as if he were monitoring the entire Dragon Palace, he sensed a familiar energy.

It was Cheongryong.

"I don't see the others here. Are they all out?"

"My son and Jo Euishin are doing something with Hwangryong. Yong Jegun went out to look at the shamans. He must be curious about their reactions to his tricks."

"Yong Jegun is consistent."

Since coming to the Dragon Palace, Cheongryong and Jeokho have become close.

They both had similar characteristics, and Jeokho was in great joy as Cheongryong told him stories from Kim Shinrok's childhood.

"Didn't you say you were going to stay at the Yellow Dragon Palace today?"

"Hmm, I've come to look around the Blue Dragon Palace. I had an ominous feeling, but it seemed like nothing."

Cheongryong looked dark.

It was difficult to notice because his energy waves are usually well divided, but when Jeokho looked at him with his glare skill, Cheongryong's power seemed unstable.

When Jeokho tried to check Cheongryong's condition again...

Guuung!

There was a roar heard outside the Blue Dragon Palace.

It reached the palace as the floor shook with it.

Several loud collisions followed.

The quiet dragon palace was shocked in the aftermath.

'Don't tell me they're going to move before the third test!'

Jeokho's first thought was his son's safety.

He wanted to run to his son right away, but there was a separate role for him after the enemy attacks.

Kim Shinrok is currently with Jo Euishin and Hwangryong, so Jeokho convinced himself that his son would be safe.

Jeokho spoke to Cheongryong in a calm voice.

"We need to check the locations of the Dragon Clan. We also need to make sure that the candidates are safe and... Cheongryong!"

But before Jeokho finished speaking, Cheongryong fell on the spot.

Jeokho caught him and looked around with caution.

There was something unusual going on throughout the Dragon Palace.

The color of the Blue Dragon Palace, which reacts to Cheongryong's power, gradually changed.

It wasn't just the Blue Dragon Palace.

The color of the other palaces was also changing.

From Obangsaek to Ogansaek.

(T/N: Obangsaek is the five colors of Black, Red, Blue, Yellow, and White. The Ogansaek is Sulphur, Green, Jade, Red, and Purple, the shamans' colors.)

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