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Who knows why the humans held a festival on that occasion, when he met Chung Myung for the first time. It was probably the mid-autumn festival, as the Plum Blossom Sword Saint was stuffing his cheeks with desserts suspiciously similar to mooncakes bearing the emblem of the Mount Hua Sect.
The atmosphere in the human world was joyful and changeable. Before the happiness over and the New Year Festival baubles had completely disappeared, they would start setting up the booths to sell the Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes. It seemed like they wanted to celebrate a festival at every chance they got, as if the seasons were more valuable than day and night.
To Jin Dongryong, both were just changing cycles that overlapped in a colorful hodgepodge too fast to appreciate.
And so was human life too.
If there was one thing dragons were taught from their youth, it was to avoid becoming attached to the mortal world. Humans, animals and flowers, they were all equally fragile and fleeting. You could appreciate a flower on the way, but after a little nap it will have withered for a long time. It might have lived comfortably until its petals withered in the winter, or perhaps a passerby tore it off the road on a whim; the fate of those beings was uncertain, one could only make an educated guess. Anyway, the result was the same.
Jin Dongryong understood that concept on an intellectual level, but as an inexperienced young dragon, he found himself fascinated by humanity. Dragons were independent, arrogant, and reclusive. To start chatting with someone would take hundreds of years of casual interactions leading up to getting to know each other, not to mention exchanging gifts or courting a mate.
The simplicity of human interactions was bewildering and liberating, drawing Jin Dongryong in as a rebellious teenager seeking to grow beyond his family's archaic teachings. He found himself especially fascinated by cultivators, who managed to harmonize with their surroundings and lengthened their life as a result. Whether any had achieved immortality remained to be seen.
However, if he were to bet on any human capable enough to get him ascending to the heavens, Jin Dongryong would point to the Plum Blossom Sword Saint without hesitation. That brat, barely sixty years old but powerful enough to beat Jin Dongryong into the protagonist of a horror story.
“So a dragon,” Chung Myung snorted, placing his foot on Jin Dongryong's back, preventing him from standing up. "You are weaker than I thought. I hope you aren't the strongest or I will be very disappointed."
It wasn't the first time Jin Dongryong had faced a martial artist, but it was the first one-sided defeat he had suffered.
Annoyed, Jin Dongryong vowed, “Plum Blossom Sword Saint, when I go through my first growth phase, I will definitely beat this defeat back at you!"
Chung Myung kicked him again, dissatisfied with his tone. "Huh, wait... Are you a baby dragon?"
Clumsily, Chung Myung withdrew his foot from him.
"Oh god, if my Sahyung finds out, he's going to yell at me again for bullying the kids..."
His previously carefree face contorted into awkward grimaces that couldn't be properly appreciated as Jin Dongryong's vision began to dim. He couldn't even complain properly before losing consciousness.
At that time, Jin Dongryong -as he was known-, had just left his parents' nest after a discussion arising from the need to become independent sooner than average due to the rivalry he had with his brothers. Dragons were naturally proud and territorial, so having three young males growing up together prompted them to argue at every possible opportunity. His mother wiped a tear from the corner of her eye as she sent him away, claiming that he had barely laid the egg a couple of decades ago.
Technically, he was a child in every way. However, since he began living with humans, he decided that if mortals could mature at twenty, then a dragon should be able to do so much sooner. Furthermore, every place he went, he was treated according to his physical appearance, so Jin Dongryong himself felt that he had definitely grown up compared to the past despite not having passed more than a couple of years since he descended from the mountains.
Chung Myung's speech was a bitter reminder. Perhaps it will be hundreds of years before Baek Cheon goes through his first phase of growth, then not even Chung Myung's bone dust will remain in this world to do something about.
"Come, come here," Chung Myung urged him gently, seeing him wake up. "It's the first time I've met a dragon, let's talk a bit."
"How old are you? What, you're younger than me but you already call me a brat? Tsk, tsk, tsk, it seems little Dongryong likes to show off."
"Do you live in a cave? Hmm, a bit disappointing you doesn't. I guess I couldn't expect a baby to have his own house."
"Is your treasure a lot of money? Okay, okay, are they gold items then? Neither... Wow, you don't even have a treasure. Hmmm, are you really a dragon?"
"Why do you look human? If you're a dragon, you must have scales and wings!... I-is that your form? Pffff, hahahaha!— What an adorable little thing, your feet are still stubby. Well, you are forbidden to change into your human form, now you are my pet. No... I told you not to change, do you want me to hit you to learn to obey?"
Jin Dongryong sulked into a small ball after being harassed by teasing. The stalker didn't show a pinch of mercy to preserve the dignity that befits a dragon or even to show basic courtesy typical among normal humans. If he was anyone else, he might think that Chung Myung looked down on him for being a dragon.
However, the swordsman could also show moments of kindness.
"Mm, it seems that Sahyung doesn't like the idea of putting a necklace on you, but look here," Chung Myung held out his hand. 'So they will know that you belong to Mount Hua."
Taking the cloth in his hand curiously, Jin Dongryong unfolded the white ribbon. The ends fluttered in the wind, appearing to be as common as any other piece of cloth. On closer inspection, Jin Dongryong noticed the small embroidered plum blossom symbol nestled not so inconspicuously in the center.
Jin Dongryong didn't know what was so special about this Mount Hua Sect, but Chung Myung had an unhealthy obsession with that place. He thought that humans didn't have lairs and treasures, but this Mount Hua was clearly Chung Myung's lair, and every item in it was his treasure.
And now, that overprotective dragon was extending a ribbon with the emblem of his prized treasure.
Maybe Chung Myung was a better dragon than him. Jin Dongryong had descended too soon, weak as he was, no lair or treasure, and he had broken the only rule his clan made sure to repeatedly emphasize. It was unfortunate that they were right while he was myopic in realizing the reality earlier.
It was too late for him.
When Chung Myung left, as a withered flower or a stalk uprooted from the road, Jin Dongryong would lament the impermanence of humans.
"When I wake up, will you still be here?"
Chung Myung sighed, patting the sleepy little dragon's head. During the years they had shared, Jin Dongryong had grown in physical and cognitive abilities far more than at any other stage in his life, even since he was a tiny egg. The energy consumed had drained him almost completely. Chung Myung only realized what the problem was when the dragon kept crashing into the walls, tripping over his own feet, dropping his head into the bowl of food only to startle himself with sauce on the face, and lose himself staring into space for hours with no apparent purpose.
"I'll be here."
Finally, Chung Myung dragged him back to Mount Hua, towards a small cave that was barely a crevice in the side of one of Mount Hua's cliffs. The place had been customized with a mat, a chest, and a glowing stone that lit up the interior. Despite being far from adequate by lair standards, it was much better than having nothing.
"Are you really not a dragon?" Jin Dongryong asked with narrowed eyes.
Each time, the suspicions of him grew more and more.
"Then I wouldn't have gray hair," Chung Myung replied without haste.
With a friendly push Chung Myung forced him to lie down, patting him on the back to signal him to change into his dragon form. Annoyed, Jin Dongryong complied. Chung Myung's fingertips ran over the thin skin of his wings, cooing to the little dragon.
"Chung Myung... When I wake up, you..."
“I'll be down here on Mount Hua."
Jin Dongryong let out a shaky breath.
'But I'm afraid.'
How many seasons he had seen pass. Germinate, blossom and wither; born, grow and die. Jin Dongryong had witnessed this cycle repeat itself countless times.
And again.
"Wake me up soon," he reminded him one last time before closing his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Go to sleep, kid."
Jin Dongryong fell into a peaceful dream. Inside his mind, everything was warm and pleasant. The sensation was suspiciously similar to Chung Myung's body heat that enveloped him as he slept.
All around him, the plum blossoms were in full bloom, the petals dancing in the air, falling to the ground to accumulate on a red and white silk mat. Under those trees, Chung Myung practiced his Sect's sword forms, glowing with reddish spiritual energy that made the plum trees bloom like an illusion. The practice continued with the hissing of the air with the swing of the sword filling the silence until Chung Myung reached the final stance. Only then did he turn around, looking in his direction.
"Ah, so there you are... Haven't you had enough sleep? I've been waiting for you for ages!"
Sleep...
Dream, it's a dream!
In a panic, Jin Dongryong widened his eyes.
Who knows how much time had passed, but he felt more rested than ever. Was this what a couple of years felt like? Or maybe it was decades? It couldn't have been that long or else Chung Myung would have woken him up with a well-placed kick. The swordsman could be violent when he needed it.
As he mentally calmed down, his body fluttered anxiously to the edge of the cave, flying past the cliff to look at the Sect from the top of the mountain.
The Sect... Didn't it seem a little different?
He blinked a few more times.
It seemed that there was one less building. Jin Dongryong remembered it well, since the golden pavilion was the best way to get a dragon's attention. In reality, there seemed to be one or two additional buildings while smaller ones were missing, disturbing the view from the top...
How long had it been!?
The answer was one hundred years.
Baek Cheon was one hundred and forty-nine years old, a young dragon not yet in his prime, with no lair or treasure, when he realized the true meaning of life for humans.
Perhaps this was why they liked to use every excuse to celebrate on high, the reason why they weren't afraid to intertwine their lives through joys and sufferings as if there was no long period for careful deliberation. Humans didn't hesitate to leave their mark on the world, or even on the insignificant heart of a solitary dragon, a mark that would remain beyond their limited lifetime.
Time proved to be the place where the most important thing for him was stored, the memories he gathered together with Chung Myung, a priceless treasure that couldn't be touched or shown. It was more valuable than gold, and no one else could have it no matter how much they wanted it. Only Jin Dongryong would remain guarding the memory fragments of him as a dedicated guardian.
The ends of the white ribbon fluttered in the air as the young dragon bowed in front of the Sect Leader.
“Baek Cheon, second class disciple, greet the Sect Leader!”
How long had it been?
Enough years for Baek Cheon to make his own home in this Mount Hua Sect.
The elders were kind, his martial brothers were clumsy but well meaning.
Only the plum trees remained the same, a reminiscence of the past.
They were the same ones that he had observed with a certain someone, and Jin Dongryong wouldn't let that go away, ever.
Flowers were meant to fade, but a dragon would be fiercely dedicated to protecting the lair in which he carefully guarded his treasure even if it was the last thing he did.
Time passed.
One year.
Two years.
Ten.
And fifteen.
... Until finally someone came.
"Have we met somewhere before?"
Fierce eyes stared at him over the cloth, the same piercing gaze that Jin Dongryong was unable to master despite being a dragon himself.
"It must be your imagination."
Could be.
Sometimes he had the feeling that he had gone crazy.
Is what he remembers real or fake? No one else in this world remembered that name, that person, or this place. There were only a handful of people in this Sect, as if time slowed down.
Twenty years after since Jin Dongryong, no, since Baek Cheon joined the Mount Hua Sect, and that person's figure doesn't stop overlapping with that of his sajil.
At some point, Baek Cheon closed his eyes by accident. As always, it seemed that those with the name Chung Myung had the potential to exhaust poor defenseless dragons. These past few years had been even more hectic than those years past, with the Plum Blossom Sword Saint dragging him around.
Who knows when he fell asleep, but luckily, this time there was someone who would wake him up.
"Sasuk, hey, get up already, sleepyhead."
With a mischievous smile, Chung Myung lifted his arm, covering the lower part of Baek Cheon's face to leave only his eyes on view. His unfocused eyes blinked sleepily multiple times before he could focus on the person in front of him.
"Huh?"
"Dongryong, have we met somewhere before?"
"This punk... How many years has it been since you sneaked out to drink alcohol?"
Chung Myung laughed, pulling his arm away from him to stroke the edge of the ribbon on his forehead.
"No, no, Sasuk. Think wisely."
Baek Cheon was silent.
“…We have met many times, Chung Myung-ah."
Chung Myung sighed. "And if I told you that... This time I came to wake you up, as I promised?"
With a sharp breath, Baek Cheon felt the world around him stop. Unsteadily, he rose to his feet, holding Chung Myung's narrow shoulders in his hands.
"You damn-...!" He stopped. "I thought I was going crazy, why didn't you...?"
'Why didn't you say something earlier?'
He was the same hooligan from a hundred years ago.
'You said to wake me up in a couple of years, who's the dragon with a distorted sense of time here!'
"Y-you..."
Baek Cheon wanted to verbalize his complaints, but his lower lip trembled. His eyes didn't seem to cooperate either as the landscape in front of him grew increasingly blurry until tears slipped down his cheeks in a flicker.
“H-hey, you don't have to cry either,” Chung Myung stammered, patting him on the back a couple of times. Then he seemed to think better of it, gently wiping away the tears with the loose fabric of Baek Cheon's clothing, that heartless brat.
Baek Cheon immediately changed into his small dragon form, pressing himself against Chung Myung's chest, who was smaller than he remembered. Even his energy was different, and yet his arms were still warm.
"Shhh, it's alright, everything's alright. You've done well,” Chung Myung murmured, holding the trembling little dragon. "Aigoo, how come they say that dragons are aloof and cool? Mine only knows how to cry and complain..."
Baek Cheon blew his nose on Chung Myung's robes in revenge.
“…Dongryong, now I am in charge of your training."
"I don't mind."
Sighing, Chung Myung let it go for this occasion.
A hundred years had passed.
He had given up hope of finding anyone he might have met after arriving at Mount Hua only to find that cave empty. But then, in a chance encounter, he came face to face with the same youthful face from the past, as if it had been a painting. It was at that moment that Chung Myung truly realized what Baek Cheon meant when he called him a child.
For a long time he hesitated to reveal his true identity to Baek Cheon. Despite so much time having passed, for Baek Cheon it was nothing more than a pleasant nap at best. For Chung Myung it was two complete lifetimes that he could have lived in that interval.
Meeting again meant saying goodbye again, this time permanently.
How much pain will Baek Cheon go through then?
Will he live in the hope that if he waits long enough, Chung Myung will reincarnate again?
Had he known this would happen, Chung Myung wouldn't have talked to Baek Cheon from the beginning.
Back then, that little dragon looked terribly lonely, as was Chung Myung himself.
Yet at least he was free.
After a pause, Baek Cheon returned to his human form, engulfing Chung Myung in a crushing hug.
“Nice to see you again, Chung Myung-ah."
'Poor pitiful little dragon,' Chung Myung thought, 'he doesn't know any better.'
Only when he saw Mount Hua so different from the past, all the people he ever knew gone, did Chung Myung realize how terribly selfish it was to approach the dragon's heart on purpose. Dragons were mythical creatures that rarely came down from their lairs, it wasn't easy to tell if they did either, since most of them weren't as careless and naive as the little dragon.
His Sahyung had warned him, the first time he told him about Baek Cheon.
“If you get too close to him, in turn, he will reciprocate with affection. It doesn't seem bad, but dragons and humans are different creatures, they aren't meant to mix."
"It's alright, Sahyung. I only go out from time to time to have fun with him, it's nothing special."
Back then, his Sahyung had given him a pitying look that he didn't think much of.
"Looks like this is a lesson you'll have to live to learn."
Hyun Jong, Hyun Young, Hyun Sang, Un Am, Un Geom, Baek Sang, Yu Iseol, Yoon Jong, Jo Gul, Tang Soso, Hye Yeon, and Chung Myung.
Baek Cheon carefully guarded the memories he formed with his precious people.
He would be the guardian who would keep their will burning.
Despite being young, he understood better than dragons much older than him about how important and fleeting life was.
Not for that he would walk away in an attempt to protect himself from the eventual parting from him. Even now, he felt the impulse that motivated him to continue overcoming the challenges that came his way from the inside like a flame. That was the true mark of a dragon's treasure.
Because if he hadn't met Chung Myung-ah...
Maybe his heart would be lighter
And also an empty shell.