The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The examiners surveyed the spot where the rock had fallen.

Originally, after crossing the log bridge, one was supposed to set the rock down on this sandy area.

Therefore, nobody expected someone to throw a giant rock weighing over 200 jian, or about 160 kilograms.

After thoughtful deliberation, the examiners finally reached a consensus.

“It seems there is no problem according to the rules.”

“Of course, that’s obvious. But scoring it is a different matter.”

“Well, almost no one can replicate this, so we should just score it the same, based on the time taken.”

“The bell of the sand clock didn’t even ring twice.”

The sand clock was a clock made based on the principle of an hourglass. It rang approximately once per breath.

“The full score criteria is to arrive before the bell rings five times. So, it should be a full score.”

“Then let’s do that. Full score, full score!”

With the declaration of the examiner, cheers erupted.

So Woon and Cho Myung-hwi clapped and rejoiced.

“Ha, haha!”

Peng Gu-in burst into hollow laughter.

He had no idea what had just happened.

Masters of internal energy could overcome insufficient physical strength with their internal energy. But even that was not as easy as it sounded.

It seemed like he had accumulated internal energy, but Yi-gang, suffering from meridian blockage disease, couldn’t possibly have profound internal energy.

That meant he must have some physical strength.

To think that he threw that heavy rock with his thin arms was unbelievable.

‘Could it be that he has more developed practical muscles than he appears to have?’

Peng Gu-in, who couldn’t even imagine the secret of physical power, had no choice.

It was his turn, and he stood in front of the rock.

Peng Gu-in, with hands as big as lids, grabbed the rock tightly and infused his arms with Qi.

“Huh!”

The rock was heavy, but not too heavy for Peng Gu-in to lift. As he raised the rock up to his chest, the overseeing examiner exclaimed in admiration.

But that wasn’t the end.

Surprisingly, Peng Gu-in lifted the rock with one hand.

“This is a real man!”

Then, just like Yi-gang did, he hurled the rock.

Creak—

Boom!

Fortunately, the sound of his bones creaking from his waist was drowned out by the noise of the falling rock.

“Hu, huhuhu… H-how was that!”

Peng Gu-in was sweating profusely.

Even so, throwing a 200 jian rock with one hand was too much. He felt a sharp pain in his waist.

He would have to get acupuncture after this was over.

“Damn it, from now on, throwing rocks is banned!”

However, the examiner was annoyed, looking at the deeply indented ground. It was because the coarse sand had splattered onto his face.

There were few who admired Peng Gu-in for receiving a full score.

“Young Master Baek is truly remarkable. To have such strength.”

“Indeed. Today was quite an eye-opener.”

Moreover, So Woon and Cho Myung-hwi also missed Peng Gu-in’s feat as they were conversing with Yi-gang.

“Kugh.”

Naturally, it seemed more astonishing to see the thin and pale Yi-gang’s feat than the large-framed Peng Gu-in passing the test.

Peng Gu-in, with a stiff back, knelt on one knee.

“Those who have passed, proceed to the light footwork test area. You will undergo the second test.”

Peng Gu-in felt an inexplicable sense of defeat, but he was not disappointed.

People only noticed the strength of the Peng Clan’s Twin Tigers but didn’t realize how great their movement technique was.

‘Light footwork is important too. If you’re slow on your feet, you can’t respond to emergencies!’

As a child, during a stay at the Peng Clan’s villa, young Peng Mu-ah once collapsed due to a high fever.

Since then, after carrying his sister on his back and running to find a doctor, the Peng Clan twins diligently trained in light footwork.

Now, they were confident they wouldn’t be outmatched in light footwork by their peers, the successors of the same age.

-Stay sharp, Gu-in!

At that moment, he heard a familiar voice through sound transmission.

Among the spectators, his elder brother Peng Gu-hwi was watching.

-Get up and properly assess that guy who covets our Mu-ah!

“…Ugh!”

Peng Gu-in sprang to his feet.

Creak!

His waist made a sound again, but Peng Gu-in wiped his forehead with a refreshed expression.

“Let’s see how it goes.”

He walked steadily towards the second test area.

---

The second test was, as the examiner said, an assessment of light footwork.

However, it wasn’t possible for so many people to run a race together. So, the examiners quickly devised a way to assess light footwork efficiently.

First, they dug a large pit, one zhang wide and ten zhang long.

They filled the area with water and floated small wooden buoys, smaller than a palm, tied to strings at intervals.

At the end, they hung a bell on a long pole.

The test-takers had to run across the water, stepping on these flimsy pieces of wood.

The buoys at the beginning wouldn’t sink even if stepped on, but later, they became as small as a palm, causing those with insufficient light footwork skills to fall into the water.

To get a full score, one had to jump from these fragile buoys and ring the bell hung high up.

More than half of the test-takers fell into the water midway.

Since it was muddy water collected from rain, falling in meant getting soaked in smelly and dirty water.

This time, Peng Gu-in attempted it before Yi-gang.

No one thought that such a bulky man would pass easily.

Peng Gu-in moved like lightning, leaping up and ringing the bell.

Ding-!

“…Pass!”

“What’s the score?”

“Full score…”

“See!”

Peng Gu-in, holding his waist, rejoiced.

Ignoring the pain in his waist, Peng Gu-in didn’t even use the Peng Clan’s movement technique.

“A-amazing! You were really fast.”

“I had no idea Brother Gu was such a master of light footwork. Indeed, I’ve had quite an eye-opening experience today!”

Cho Myung-hwi seemed to have several revelations a day. This time, the praise rightfully went to Peng Gu-in.

Both So Woon and Cho Myung-hwi spared no admiration. Peng Gu-in’s agility was that astonishing.

“Hahaha. Light footwork is indeed essential for a passionate man.”

“Is that so?”

“To protect the ones dear to you, you need to be quick on your feet. Isn’t that right!”

Peng Gu-in glanced at Yi-gang.

Hoping at least to receive a look of respect.

“…”

But Yi-gang seemed lost in thought, sitting blankly.

When Peng Gu-in kept looking, Yi-gang finally felt the gaze and turned his head.

“…Ah.”

He raised his thumb in a moment of realization, as if to praise reflexively.

For Yi-gang, it was an impulsive compliment.

However, for Peng Gu-in, the gesture was incomprehensible. Seeing Yi-gang hurriedly lower his hand only made him more suspicious.

‘Did he just insult me?’

At that moment of doubt, the call came.

“Next, please come forward.”

It was Yi-gang’s turn.

So Woon and Cho Myung-hwi also passed the previous test. They had moved the rock impressively.

The same was true for the light footwork test.

So Woon, though unstable, managed to ring the bell. His feet got wet, but his movements weren’t bad.

Cho Myung-hwi’s performance was even more remarkable.

Even Peng Gu-in was inwardly surprised by his fluid movements. Considering that his sect, the Heaven Sword Sect, wasn’t that great, his martial arts skill was impressive.

“Haha, Brother Baek, I truly wish you success.”

The way he encouraged Yi-gang showed his upright character.

With decent talent, a neat appearance, and a good personality, Peng Gu-in thought he was quite likable.

‘Mu-ah, if you’re choosing a man, better choose someone decent like him.’

He knew Peng Mu-ah disliked burly and rough warriors.

But he never expected her to fall head over heels for Baek Yi-gang.

In fact, upon closer consideration, Yi-gang wasn’t the worst person.

His status and sect were exceptional. Though he didn’t like his gigolo-like appearance, it didn’t matter if Peng Mu-ah liked him.

However, meridian blockage disease was a different matter.

‘Why choose someone… who’s going to die soon?’

Everyone born with meridian blockage disease inevitably met an early death.

Even though it seemed like he was trying to heal, in Peng Gu-in’s eyes, Yi-gang still looked frail.

Peng Gu-in wanted to root for Peng Mu-ah, but he couldn’t. How heartbreaking it would be for a young lady to become a widow.

Peng Gu-in steadied his wavering heart.

“Get ready!”

Then the examiner raised a white flag.

“Start!”

As soon as the flag was lowered, Yi-gang leaped onto the buoys.

Disappointment quickly showed on the faces of the onlookers.

“…Too slow.”

“He needs to pick up speed.”

So Woon and Cho Myung-hwi were right.

Yi-gang’s start was slow. At that pace, the buoys would sink into the water.

Once he wobbled, his speed would slow down even more, and that would be the end.

“No, it’s not like that.”

But Peng Gu-in said so, somewhat indignantly.

“That guy… no, that friend isn’t shaking the buoys he’s stepping on much.”

“…Ah!”

That was true. Yi-gang’s movement technique wasn’t fast, but it was lighter than anyone else’s.

The water should have been rippling more, but there were only slight ripples spreading.

“Someday, walking on duckweed to cross a river won’t be just a dream.”

It referred to a martial arts realm of stepping on duckweed to cross a river.

Peng Gu-in was praising Yi-gang’s movement technique.

Just as he said, Yi-gang reached the end of the pit and lightly jumped up.

Ding-ding-ding-ding—

His body was light, but not his hand ringing the bell.

The bell swung back and forth and almost fell into the water.

“P-pass!”

The examiner declared his pass.

A cheer erupted from the crowd, and So Woon and Cho Myung-hwi clapped again.

“Wow! Brother Baek is also amazing. Isn’t this a tie with Brother Gu, then?”

“…That’s right.”

Peng Gu-in nodded his head.

He hid his status to closely observe Baek Yi-gang, whom Peng Mu-ah fancied—

To find out what kind of person Yi-gang truly was.

But he never expected things to turn out this way.

A sound transmission hit Peng Gu-in’s ears.

-Hey, you… surely you won’t lose to him?

‘…’

-Hey! Pull yourself together!

Peng Gu-hwi, watching from a distance, might feel at ease. But Peng Gu-in was instead starting to feel uneasy.

He glanced over at Yi-gang.

The examiner, trying to retrieve the bell from the pit, had slipped and was floundering in the water.

Yi-gang immediately went into the pit to rescue the examiner, unconcerned about his clothes getting dirty in the filthy water.

“Haha, Brother Baek seemed aloof, but I didn’t know he had this side to him.”

“Indeed…”

“The next test will require us to work together. I’m looking forward to Brother Baek’s performance.”

Hearing Cho Myung-hwi’s words, Peng Gu-in raised his eyebrows.

“Work together?”

“Didn’t you hear? That’s why we formed a team. To undertake the All-knowing Master’s test.”

That was Cho Myung-hwi’s story.

After significantly narrowing down the pool of successors in the first round, the next challenge was to break down a formation created by the All-knowing Master himself.

“We need to dismantle various mechanism traps and find the Life Gate of the formation to get out.”

“Why would they do such a thing…”

Breaking down formations and dismantling mechanism traps.

Even for Peng Gu-in, this was daunting. It was more about using brains than brawn.

The All-knowing Master once trapped and killed an entire unorthodox sect in a Qimen formation.

“Haha, but don’t worry. The mechanical devices probably won’t be lethal, and the difficulty of the formation will be reduced. Besides, we have Young Master Yi-gang on our team, don’t we?”

“Baek Yi-gang is…”

“Yes, Henan’s Sage. We are really lucky, haha!”

Peng Gu-in had to admit it.

He could no longer look down on Yi-gang from above.

Now, he had to face the challenge with a determination not to lose.

---

“The second test will be conducted in teams. Those who have lost their team members, come here and form new teams!”

Initially, they were competitors, but later they had to cooperate to escape the Qimen formation.

A cooperative attitude was necessary, and it wasn’t just about being skilled in martial arts but also about being smart.

This harsh test method was personally created by the All-knowing Master himself.

The name of the Qimen formation set up was the “All-knowing High Formation.”

A large tent was erected around the spacious garden, formerly used as a training ground, so that the interior of the test area was not visible.

From entering the Open Gate of the All-knowing High Formation to exiting through the Life Gate, it took at least an hour.

Inside, there were several mechanical devices brought by the All-knowing Master himself.

Currently, only arrow racks with removed arrowheads were being fired, but with a slight modification, they could shoot poisonous darts or sharp iron coins – truly rare items.

Astonishingly, the All-knowing Master set up this All-knowing High Formation in an instant. Setting up a Qimen formation so quickly was an incredible feat.

To the amazed martial artists of the Murim Alliance, he said with a grin, “I never thought I’d bring my treasure, the Three Ghosts Bronze Cauldron, here… All of the All-knowing High Formation is contained in it.”

What he showed was a heavy-looking bronze cauldron.

It was a three-legged pot, with a face resembling a goblin carved on the lid.

The goblin’s face had three eyes, and they were so delicately carved that the eyelids could be opened and closed by pushing them.

“What do you mean? The entity inside sets up the formation for me.”

After saying something outlandish, the All-knowing Master opened one of the goblin’s closed eyes.

As a red gemstone eye appeared, white mist spewed out from the mouth of the pot’s goblin.

The mist gradually spread and formed a formation.

“Just in case, I advise you not to touch it.”

To the Murim Alliance martial artists curiously inspecting the cauldron, the All-knowing Master said with a sly smile, “If you don’t want all the successors to die.”

Afterwards, the Murim Alliance examiners took turns guarding the cauldron.

A big problem would arise if, by accident or someone’s prank, more of the goblin’s eyes opened.

If two eyes opened, someone would get injured.

If all three opened, everyone in the formation would die.

That was the All-knowing Master’s explanation.

The examiner currently on duty looked up at the sky.

“Why aren’t they coming…”

The sun was high in the sky, indicating the time for a shift change had passed.

Just then, the next examiner on duty came running breathlessly.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“What are you doing! You’ve missed the lunch break.”

“I was changing clothes…”

“Clothes? Why?”

“I fell into the pit at the test ground. So, I got delayed changing.”

“People really lack caution. I’ll go eat, you sit here.”

Guarding the bronze cauldron was easy – just sit and watch. Despite the constant mist from the cauldron being a bit unsettling, it was a comfortable duty.

The examiner who came for the shift change stopped the departing guard.

“Have the next participants entered the test?”

“Yes, it was group 221. They went in quite confidently.”

“Thanks.”

After the previous guard left, the examiner was alone.

He quietly chuckled to himself.

“…Huhu.”

Then, he began to caress the bronze cauldron.

As if he had encountered a coveted object, he touched the goblin’s face with his fingers.

Tap, tap—

As he lifted the remaining closed eyelids of the goblin, two more bright red gemstone eyes were revealed.

And the mist pouring out became much denser.

A cold smile appeared on the examiner’s lips.

Then, he listened attentively, as if waiting for something.

“Ahh, aah—!”

Beyond the curtain, someone’s scream rang out.

It was undoubtedly someone from group 221.

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