The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

Yi-gang’s exploration team was the first to enter.

A cold tension flowed in front of the entrance to the Five Elements Tomb.

Under the cold gaze of Namgung Yu-baek, the subsequent exploration teams began to enter.

The interval between them was about fifteen minutes.

After Namgung Shin paid his respects to the Great Clan Head Namgung Yu-baek, fifteen minutes had already passed.

“Shaolin’s First Fist, Jeong Myung, and 11 others, it’s your turn.”

Following the words of the Inspection Squad Leader, Jeong Myung set off.

“Amitabha Buddha…”

Muttering the Buddhist chant softly, Jeong Myung was followed by eleven successors.

The abbot instructed Jeong Myung, to participate in the Dragon-Phoenix Conference and achieve excellent results.

And to enter the Five Elements Tomb to seek the deep understanding of the Five Elements Divine Lord, his martial arts, or spiritual elixir.

As a disciple of Buddhism, he had no attachment to personal glory. However, the orders of the sect were absolute.

Jeong Myung, obsessed with delivering results, was sought out by the Divine Monk.

The senior brother of the abbot and the most respected elder in Shaolin, the Divine Monk.

Unlike other martial high monks, he did not appear strong, but his humble appearance exuded a certain aura.

He asked Jeong Myung about his resolve.

When Jeong Myung spoke his resolve with great tension, Grand Master Mu Myung only laughed loudly.

“So, did the abbot tell you to seek the martial arts of the Five Elements Divine Lord?”

“Th-that’s right.”

“Let go of your greed, Jeong Myung.”

Even if he was the leader of the Murim Alliance, as a disciple of Shaolin, he had to take the abbot’s orders seriously.

Jeong Myung asked cautiously, “How can I, as a disciple…”

“You fool!”

“Yes.”

Mu Myung laughed and then asked, “Do fish come onto land because they are thirsty?”

“…”

The Divine Monk said this and then left.

It was a Zen question, but not as difficult as the ones exchanged by scholar monks.

He was reprimanding Jeong Myung and the abbot.

Was it because Shaolin lacked martial arts that they coveted the martial arts of the Five Elements Divine Lord?

Even though he understood this, there was nothing Jeong Myung could do about it.

After all, he had the solemn command of the abbot.

The so-called peerless divine arts held immense value.

If he could acquire the martial arts of the Five Elements Divine Lord, Shaolin’s martial arts would advance significantly.

Groooooo—

A strange sound accompanied by a damp wind rushed in from inside the passage.

After passing by a suspicious stele a little while ago, the sound grew louder and the wind stronger.

The source of the sound was clear.

Fist-sized holes were regularly drilled in the wall.

They were holes of unknown depth. Initially, there was concern that arrows might shoot out, but that didn’t happen.

The wind rushing from inside resonated in the holes, creating the sound.

“Ugh, it smells fishy.”

A female warrior from the Sungyo Sect covered her nose.

The fishy smell was just like that. It was a scent that could not be detected without a martial artist’s heightened senses.

Now, it had become so strong that everyone in the party could smell it.

Krrrrrrrrr—

And then, the sound of a mechanism that had been continuing from a little earlier.

There hadn’t been any traps activated yet, but the continuous sound was agitating everyone.

“Shaolin’s First Fist, you’re well-versed in formations, aren’t you?”

A large martial artist asked with a frightened expression. Others also looked at Jeong Myung with hopeful eyes.

“I can’t say I’m thoroughly versed.”

“The Shaolin’s 108 Arhat Formation is one of the most renowned techniques in Jianghu, isn’t it?”

“Amitabha Buddha.”

There’s a big difference between a Qi Men formation like the All-knowing High Formation and the Arhat Formation used for combined attacks.

But the essence was the same. One reason they chose Jeong Myung was because Shaolin was knowledgeable in formations.

Jeong Myung suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Perhaps because of the conversation about formations, he saw the surroundings differently.

Since it was the tomb of the Five Elements Divine Lord, if a formation was set up in this crypt, it was likely made based on the principles of the Five Elements.

If that’s the case, then this damp moisture contained the energy of water. There was a high possibility of an underground water vein.

He guessed that Baek Yi-gang, who had gone ahead, would have made the same deduction.

“Why do you stop, sir monk?” one of the successors asked, sounding anxious.

“I thought it was just a fishy smell, but it seems that’s not the case.”

“What do you mean…?”

“That is…!”

Jeong Myung’s eyes widened as he rushed forward.

His party followed closely behind him.

What lay beneath Jeong Myung was someone’s clothing.

“Torn clothes…”

“That’s the outfit Young Master Baek was wearing!”

Everyone recognized the garment.

This cloth, made of red silk with elaborate embroidery, was not something just anyone could wear. It was indeed the robe that Henan’s Sage had been wearing.

Why would Baek Yi-gang’s robe, which had been setting new trends among the martial artists of Kaifeng City, be lying here?

Jeong Myung spotted the problem.

“It seems to be stained with blood.”

“And it smells bad.”

The condition of the clothes was poor.

Covered in dirt and emitting a foul smell like blood.

One of the successors muttered anxiously, “Could it be that Young Master Baek has been attacked…”

“That’s impossible.”

Would Baek Yi-gang, who defeated Namgung Shin, be so easily overpowered?

Drip

A single droplet of water fell from the ceiling.

Jeong Myung looked up, his pupils dilating.

There was an inscription on the ceiling.

The hungry ghost cannot see or hear.

Yet, it still desperately tries to fill its hungry belly.

It seemed like the inscription was deliberately written by the designer of the headstone.

“Hungry ghost…?”

“Isn’t that the creature from hell?”

A hungry ghost is a type of spirit mentioned in Buddhist scriptures.

A monster from hell, huge as a mountain but with a mouth as small as a needle, always starving.

“Such a thing couldn’t possibly exist in this world.”

But somehow, an ominous feeling arose.

Screams erupted shortly after.

“Aaaaaah!”

Something terrified the warrior of the Sungyo Sect.

It burst out from the wall.

Krrrrrrr—

It was a chubby worm, the size of a baby’s forearm.

It resembled a caterpillar, but was dozens of times larger, with brown legs wriggling and making noise at the front of its squirming head.

There wasn’t just one or two of these creatures.

There were easily dozens of holes on the left, right, and even the ceiling. Considering the path they had taken so far, there would be thousands.

From most of the visible holes, these bizarre worms were emerging.

It was a hair-raising sight.

“Hu, uh, uuuuh…”

Someone made an unsightly noise, but nobody failed to understand.

“Are these worms what they call ‘hungry ghosts’?”

Jeong Myung was still somewhat calm.

But even Jeong Myung felt a chill down his spine at what happened next.

The worms, which had no eyes, all simultaneously opened their mouths.

Despite clearly being worms, they revealed bright red mouths filled with hundreds of sharp fangs.

Keeeeek!

Soon, worms began to fall from the holes.

And about an hour ago the same thing happened to Yi-gang’s group.

“Huaaaaaaaah!”

The one who screamed was Moyong Jin.

Although Moyong Jin had been trying to maintain a calm, sword-like demeanor, he let out a scream as the worms fell.

“Huaaaaaah! Aaaaaah!”

It was due to an instinctive surge of disgust.

The group instinctively huddled together.

So Woon clenched two spears tightly and froze, while Yi-gang and Tang Eun-seol remained calm.

Especially Tang Eun-seol, who was accustomed to dealing with repulsive poisons, was very composed.

She frowned and covered Moyong Jin’s mouth.

“Be quiet.”

“Kuuuuuuh!”

Normally, Moyong Jin wouldn’t have let anyone cover his mouth. But he was out of his mind as hundreds of caterpillars the size of a baby’s forearm poured out from the walls.

“Be quiet like Young Master Baek. They’re not that disgusting.”

Moyong Jin finally stopped screaming upon seeing Yi-gang’s composed demeanor.

Yi-gang had just instinctively thrown away the jerky he was chewing, but otherwise, he was fine.

Of course, inside he didn’t feel that way.

‘Kuaaaaah!’

「Quiet!」

Yi-gang was someone who didn’t show his surprise outwardly.

It was only after the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon expressed anger that Yi-gang stopped his internal screams.

“I knew those holes in the wall weren’t for hidden weapons…”

Thanks to Tang Eun-seol, Yi-gang hadn’t been worried about hidden weapons emerging from the holes in the wall.

If the holes were meant to shoot hidden weapons, they wouldn’t have been made so obvious, was her opinion.

Yi-gang speculated that they might emit poison gas, but that wasn’t the case either.

If they were to release poison gas in such an open passage, it would cost too much, was the answer.

“Were they passages for worms? But how have they survived for hundreds of years…”

Recruiting Tang Eun-seol was a great decision by Yi-gang.

Yi-gang, who had finally regained his composure, spoke up, “They are called ‘Hungry Ghost Parasites.’ They’re not ordinary worms.”

“That’s new to me. They don’t seem to be poisonous.”

“Yes, they’re not poisonous. They devour even their own kind when active, but when there’s no food, they dry up like pea-sized stones, and revive when water is sprinkled on them.”

He had only read about them in books at the Grand Library.

The moment Moyong Jin couldn’t bear it any longer and was about to swing his sword, Yi-gang stopped him.

“Stop!”

“Ugh…”

The swarming Hungry Ghost Parasites did not attack Yi-gang’s group. Instead, they flocked to the palm-sized piece of jerky Yi-gang had dropped on the ground.

“These creatures can’t see or hear, but they have a keen sense of smell.”

The jerky was just one piece, but the worms swarming it numbered in the hundreds.

They entangled with each other and soon began to bite and tear at one another.

Pshh—

An unidentifiable yellowish liquid, either blood or bodily fluid, spurted out.

A rotting, foul smell filled the air.

“Th-that must’ve been the smell.”

So Woon wondered if the odor he had detected was from the Hungry Ghost Parasites’ bodily fluids.

The worms grew more frenzied, biting each other even more.

Soon, the ones that accidentally got injured were devoured by their kind, leaving no trace.

“They don’t target living animals, but they go crazy for the flesh of dead carcasses.”

“It looks like they’re eyeing us now.”

With what might be antennae or forelegs, they groomed around their mouths as they looked up at Yi-gang’s group.

Yi-gang raised his head and looked up at the ceiling.

“…Tsk.”

Be prepared for hunger.

“It seems to be because of the jerky.”

Those carrying it might not notice, but dried jerky emitted a strong scent.

Sure enough, the Hungry Ghost Parasites began to stealthily approach Yi-gang’s group.

“Run!”

It was uncertain how long the exploration of the Five Elements Tomb would take.

A martial artist can endure hunger for a long time, but in this uncertain situation, it was difficult to give up on food.

Yi-gang’s group started to run.

They were confident they could escape from such slow-moving worms.

However, the problem was that more Hungry Ghost Parasites had already emerged ahead of them.

“It’s creepy, but if we step on them and keep going…!”

“No, if they smell blood, they might go even crazier!”

Moyong Jin’s suggestion was immediately rejected.

Meanwhile, the Hungry Ghost Parasites continued to pour out of the holes relentlessly.

Did the designer of the Five Elements Tomb intend for the intruders to starve?

Yi-gang was not pleased with the situation.

Throwing the jerky might give them a chance to escape, but it felt like playing right into the designer’s hands.

「If you were alone, you could escape.」

‘Just wait.’

As Yi-gang suddenly stopped, his companions were startled.

The Hungry Ghost Parasites approached slowly as if wary, but their encirclement only tightened.

He hesitated to carelessly take out the jerky from his pocket. The creatures might get excited by the smell.

“Young Lady Tang. The scent coming from you, like flowers.”

“…Why, all of a sudden?”

Tang Eun-seol always had a unique floral scent about her.

Among the women of the Tang clan, it was common to carry fragrant fragrance pouches, partly to mask potential poison scents and partly due to personal preference.

“That scent is quite strong, could you give me some?”

“What for?”

“Hurry.”

Tang Eun-seol, though surprised, promptly untied and handed over her fragrance pouch.

Yi-gang sprinkled it on everyone’s bodies.

“Trying to mask the smell with another smell? But in this surrounded situation…”

Yi-gang took off his robe.

Then he took out a bit of the jerky and wrapped it in the cloth.

Krrrrrick!

Was it because he took out the jerky? The Hungry Ghost Parasites started to go crazy.

Yi-gang caught one of the attacking creatures with his robe.

He could feel the Hungry Ghost Parasite wriggling through the fabric.

Frowning, Yi-gang muttered, “It was my favorite robe. Tsk.”

Then he tightened his grip.

Puh-uk—!

Before the Hungry Ghost Parasite’s fluids could spread, Yi-gang threw the robe far away.

A bait mixed with the rotten fluids of the creature’s kin and the smell of the jerky.

The Hungry Ghost Parasites swarmed like a wave.

They would leave no trace, cleaning up both the fluids and the bits of meat.

“Now’s the time!”

Yi-gang and his group started running again.

They strained not to accidentally step on the swarming Hungry Ghost Parasites.

Fortunately, it seemed the effect of the overturned fragrance pouch was working.

The Hungry Ghost Parasites were swarming each other, spilling fluids and clumping together.

When they were almost out of breath from running, a new terrain finally appeared.

There was a somewhat wider space with five open doors.

Each was marked with the characters for Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

“Oh!”

So Woon made a mistake.

He accidentally stepped on and burst a Hungry Ghost Parasite.

His left foot was soaked with the rotten-smelling fluid.

At the same time, the surrounding Hungry Ghost Parasites swarmed in.

“To the Wood door!”

At Yi-gang’s shout, the group didn’t hesitate and ran through the first door.

As soon as the entire group entered, a stone wall descended.

Kwaaang!

The passage was completely blocked off.

The Hungry Ghost Parasites trying to follow were sprayed with yellow fluid and became fodder for the others.

“Uweeeek!”

So Woon retched from the foul smell.

Yi-gang, looking a bit pale, tapped on the stone wall that blocked the passage.

“There must be another way out.”

It was a door that couldn’t be broken down.

They had no choice but to go inside.

Their bodies were splattered with the rotten-smelling fluid, but there was no way to wipe it off. They couldn’t afford to waste precious water either.

“Ugh, the smell.”

“Be satisfied that we saved the food.”

Moyong Jin nodded his head.

Fortunately, there were no holes in the walls of this place.

They didn’t feel a threat to their lives, but it was mentally exhausting from the start.

Yi-gang took another look at the closed stone wall.

‘I’m worried about how Ha-jun and Su-rin will handle this.’

Not everyone might be able to save their food like Yi-gang did.

Was it a guess about Yi-gang’s worries?

Tang Eun-seol approached and placed her hand on Yi-gang’s shoulder.

Yi-gang turned his head to look at her face.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay.”

Tang Eun-seol looked sadder than anyone else.

“It’s about that fragrance pouch I cherished.”

Yi-gang lifted his sleeve to smell it.

“The scent seems a bit strong. It feels a bit overwhelming.”

Tang Eun-seol wore an angry expression.

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