The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

『The Chronicles of the Great Hero of the Martial World, Volume 3』

……

The prestige of the great Namgung Noble Clan in Anhui Province has fallen.

They face the risk of decline, just like the Sagong Noble Clan and the Yang Clan Manor.

The Emperor King Sword Style can no longer reign supreme as the emperor king.

……

At a young age, Namgung Shin’s eyes lit up as he read through an old book.

Its contents were interesting. He wondered when it had been written. The mention of the Sagong Noble Clan and the Yang Family suggested it was very old.

He found this book in the clan’s library.

Despite its mundane name, “The Chronicles of Great Heroes of the Martial World,” the writing was powerful and the descriptions detailed.

Namgung Shin continued to read the book.

……

It was Namgung Gyeong-cheon who overcame such a crisis in Jianghu.

He appeared with the grandeur of thunder as if to slash through the world.

It was an unbelievable event even for the author, had they not witnessed it.

A bolt of lightning had struck his sword.

It could be passed off as merely an unfortunate event, but the problem was that the lightning did not disappear and remained.

Blue lightning flashed from his sword.

At that time, the author who witnessed the extraordinary sword that alone cut through dozens of demons, named it Sword Lightning.

……

It was the content talking about the first appearance of Sword Lightning.

Namgung Shin’s heart was pounding. The author gave it the name Sword Lightning, which was nothing short of amazing.

……

The author asked Namgung Gyeong-cheon if it was a new divine art of the Namgung clan.

However, Namgung Gyeong-cheon appeared somewhat flustered and embarrassed.

‘Do not ask. It is not something I can speak of lightly.’ And with that, he left.

The author felt puzzled by Namgung Gyeong-cheon’s actions but did not inquire further.

He was a hero who saved Jianghu and a genius who devised a new realm called the realm of Sword Lightning.

His name would be remembered forever.

……

Having read up to there, Namgung Shin closed the book.

He began to doubt the credibility of the book.

‘This is the first time I heard about it…?’

It was said that a person named Namgung Gyeong-cheon invented the Blue Lightning True Qi and first introduced Sword Lightning.

However, he had never heard of such a person’s name before.

If the contents of this book were true, at least Namgung Shin, a member of the Namgung Clan, should have known that name.

He found out the reason much later.

The realm of Sword Lightning, which only a few martial artists of the Namgung Clan could use.

It was, in truth, not a proper martial art.

It wasn’t even human power to begin with.

By the time he realized it, it was already too late.

---

“Keuk.”

With a sudden intense pain in his body, Namgung Shin opened his eyes.

What caught his eyes were stars that seemed about to pour down. The night sky was clear, with the Milky Way streaming brightly across it.

Then, had Namgung Shin escaped to the surface? Or perhaps he had already died and arrived in paradise.

It seemed unlikely that he had escaped to the surface, nor did it seem likely that he had entered paradise instead of hell.

Then, this place must still be the underground of the Five Elements Tomb.

“…What is this?”

Looking around, Namgung Shin uttered the same words that Yi-gang had when he first entered this place.

The countless stars filling the night sky were not stars at all.

It wasn’t even the sky to begin with.

Upon closer inspection, what was emitting light from the ceiling of the cave were small insects.

These creatures, which neither wriggled nor flew, were quietly attached to the ceiling, emitting light from their rears.

They looked like starlight because thousands, tens of thousands of them were clustered together.

Soon, Namgung Shin realized that there was a lake in this place, and he was lying on someone’s outer garment used as a makeshift mat.

Fragments of memory began to resurface.

He remembered up to the point where he had obtained the Five Elements Divine Art and had been knocked unconscious by an arrow to the back. He thought he had died, poisoned by the corpse poison… Had he been pushed by Yi-gang into somewhere and fallen into the water?

His body was wrapped in bandages. It must have been Yi-gang or Moyong Jin who treated him. Namgung Shin’s bag always contained bandages.

“…Huk!”

Namgung Shin was startled as he felt his chest.

That meant—

The one who had changed the bandages must have seen what was embedded in Namgung Shin’s solar plexus.

Instinctively, Namgung Shin looked for his sword.

But the sword was nowhere to be found.

A cold voice came from behind him.

“Looking for your sword?”

“…”

The person who approached was Yi-gang.

Namgung Shin looked up at Yi-gang, frozen in place.

“The water in the lake was clear enough to find it.”

“Return it to me.”

“Not even a thank you for saving your life?”

“…Thank you.”

“No need to thank me.”

Yi-gang wasn’t holding his sword. Instead, he was holding pieces of wood that could be used as firewood. How he had acquired them in this underground was unknown.

“Did you…?”

“See it?”

“…”

“That thing embedded in your chest.”

It was a shock, though he had thought it obvious that Yi-gang would have seen it.

Namgung Shin’s face turned pale.

It was something that had to be kept a secret.

For the sake of the clan, and for Namgung Shin himself.

Anyone who saw it must die. That was Namgung Yu-baek’s order.

But Yi-gang threw the firewood to the ground and approached Namgung Shin.

He bent down and said coldly, “I know that it’s not yours.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’m talking about the Blue Eye Gem you have embedded in your chest. It’s not yours, is it?”

The term Blue Eye Gem was unfamiliar to him. But he understood what it meant.

It wasn’t something Namgung Shin had had since birth.

The Blue Eye Gem was harming Namgung Shin’s body every moment.

“It’s absurd. To have it embedded in your body.”

“What concern is it of yours.”

“My concern? I’m the original owner of that Blue Eye Gem.”

“Owner…?”

“No, to be precise, it belonged to my friend.”

Namgung Shin couldn’t understand what Yi-gang was talking about.

He seemed perfectly sane, but his words were as difficult to grasp as those of a madman.

However, that cold expression did not look like a joke at all.

“I was going to pull it out right away. But my friend stopped me. She said you would die immediately.”

“…”

Indeed, the Blue Eye Gem had already firmly attached itself to Namgung Shin’s body. Forcibly removing it might kill Namgung Shin.

“But I can’t just leave it be. The reason I saved you and didn’t let you die is because I wanted to ask.”

“…What do you want to ask?”

“How did you end up with the Blue Eye Gem embedded in your body.”

Namgung Shin felt an urge to draw his sword right then and there.

It was a reaction to the murderous aura emanating from Yi-gang.

“If you don’t answer, I will forcibly remove it. Even if you do answer, I intend to take it.”

Yi-gang coldly glared at Namgung Shin before standing up.

It seemed he was okay with not hearing the answer right away.

Namgung Shin silently watched Yi-gang, who was gathering the firewood to start a fire.

The person who approached him next was Moyong Jin.

“Hey.”

Namgung Shin recalled from his vague memories that Moyong Jin had saved him.

“Take it.”

Moyong Jin returned Namgung Shin’s sword.

Receiving his sword, Namgung Shin frowned. Moyong Jin’s appearance was unusual.

On the sword he was holding, a fish was skewered.

A prestigious clan’s sword master using his sword like a fisherman’s harpoon.

Yet, Moyong Jin seemed unfazed, as if accustomed to it.

“Follow me.”

“…”

With an awkward atmosphere, Namgung Shin silently followed Moyong Jin.

His body wasn’t in great condition, but it was more manageable than he expected. He felt fortunate just to be alive.

Suddenly, Namgung Shin realized something important.

“How long was I unconscious?”

“It’s hard to say exactly, day and night. Probably more than ten days.”

“…!”

Namgung Shin was shocked to hear he had been unconscious for over ten days.

“I thought you might die, but you didn’t. Thank Yi-gang. If it weren’t for him, you surely would have.”

“…I will do that.”

Yi-gang, who had even emitted a killing intent, had saved Namgung Shin?

It was hard to believe, but Moyong Jin didn’t seem to be lying.

The place where Moyong Jin and Namgung Shin stopped was in front of a huge iron gate. The gate was engraved with a unique pattern.

“This is said to be the symbol of the Master of the Ghost Valley.”

Click.

The moment Moyong Jin mentioned this, one of the dozens of protrusions on the iron gate receded.

“As time passes, those protrusions recede. It seems about half of them have gone in while you were waking up.”

“If the other half goes in…”

“It seems the gate will open. That’s what Brother is guessing.”

Considering he had been unconscious for about ten days, it meant they would have to wait at least another ten days for the gate to open.

Moyong Jin took something out. Namgung Shin’s eyes widened upon seeing it.

A golden bamboo slip. It was that which contained the Five Elements Divine Art.

Moyong Jin noticed Namgung Shin’s gaze.

“Read it in front of the fire since it’s dark.”

He then handed over the Five Elements Divine Art without hesitation.

Yi-gang and Moyong Jin must have read it before. Namgung Shin stood in front of the fire started by Yi-gang and read the bamboo slip.

“…The Five Elements Divine Art.”

It was indeed the Five Elements Divine Art.

The Five Elements Divine Lord who had succeeded in handling the Five Elements Qi, considered impossible for a human. The supreme divine art created from his enlightenment.

Namgung Shin’s hands trembled.

The reason he, no, the Namgung Clan wanted the Five Elements Divine Art was clear.

It was to revive the Blue Lightning True Qi, which was being actualized by integrating it with the clan’s cultivation technique, so that there would never need to be another person like Namgung Shin.

While stirring the campfire, Yi-gang spoke up, “Your expression doesn’t look good.”

Indeed, as Yi-gang said, Namgung Shin’s expression was not bright.

“It’s a hollow face for someone who seemed to wish for death.”

“…”

It was to be expected.

Namgung Shin neither needed to learn nor could he learn the Five Elements Divine Art.

Because a jewel containing the power of lightning was embedded in his chest.

“Aren’t you going to tell me how you found the Blue Eye Gem or why you embedded it in your chest?”

“…I cannot say.”

“Your loyalty to the clan is remarkable.”

A shadow fell over Yi-gang’s face, who was backlit by the campfire.

Namgung Shin saw the sword Yi-gang was carrying. He was ready to draw it at any moment.

“Let me say it again, the Blue Eye Gem is not your possession. I will take it back by force if necessary.”

“…I still can’t understand what you’re talking about.”

“But since I’m curious about the details, I’ll give you a choice.”

For the first time, Yi-gang looked at Namgung Shin and spoke, “It seems Moyong Jin has a grudge against you, so I want to give him a chance to settle it.”

“…”

“Under the condition that you do not use the power of the Blue Eye Gem. If you win, I won’t ask about the Blue Eye Gem anymore. But if you lose, you have to tell me its secrets.”

His tone was firm, as if he would not tolerate any rebuttal.

As if waiting for this, Moyong Jin picked up his sword. It seemed they had arranged this beforehand.

A bit of fish blood was still on Moyong Jin’s treasured sword.

“Just so you know, regardless of the outcome, I will take the Blue Eye Gem.”

It was no different from saying he intended to kill Namgung Shin.

After a moment of contemplation, Namgung Shin realized he had no choice.

Perhaps Yi-gang and Moyong Jin had kept him alive just for this duel.

Then, he had no choice but to draw his sword.

Swoosh—

Moyong Jin glanced slightly at Yi-gang.

‘Is it really okay?’ It seemed as if he was asking. Yi-gang did not even offer a smile.

The moment Yi-gang was about to signal the start of the duel—

“Then, let’s begin…”

—a sound like thunder rumbled.

It came from Namgung Shin’s stomach.

Considering he had been unconscious and had survived on only water for ten days, it was inevitable.

An awkward silence followed, and Yi-gang clicked his tongue.

“First, sit down and have some grilled fish. It would be regrettable if you couldn’t exert your strength because you’re hungry.”

“…Thank you.”

Namgung Shin sat down.

Moyong Jin also let out a small sigh and sat down.

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