The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The bug that crawled down his throat was the size of a finger. If it weren’t for pressing on the paralysis and mute acupoints to prevent collapse, Yang Gu-jeon would have screamed hideously.

Swallowing Gu Poison was a terrifying ordeal.

What was even more frightening was that at some point, the squirming movement of the bug in his stomach was no longer felt.

‘H-has it been digested?’

That would be for the best. There was nothing more to wish for if the bug squirming inside his stomach had melted away.

However, Yang Gu-jeon himself knew that this was unlikely.

The people he met after a desperate escape were suspicious to the extreme.

Even though the main force had left, they didn’t care at all that the Murim Alliance warriors were clearly guarding the area.

As evidence, they easily broke through the guard while carrying the large-bodied Yang Gu-jeon, who had lost an arm.

They must have entered a Qi Men formation. The surrounding visibility changed swiftly as fog thickly enveloped the area.

Walking towards a cliff, an old thatched house appeared in an instant.

Yang Gu-jeon was dumped there.

They seemed to have forgotten about Yang Gu-jeon, busying themselves with their own tasks for a while.

“The smell is awful.”

“It’s coming from the one we brought in a little while ago.”

“We’ll leave him until Mang-hon sees him, but I doubt there will be much to harvest. He looks like he knows nothing.”

“That seems likely.”

The one who fed Gu Poison to Yang Gu-jeon was called Sam-ho.

Unbelievable words flowed from his mouth, which was wrapped in bandages.

“Has Namgung been dealt with?”

“Since Shaolin sent the One Hundred Eight Arhats, obviously. The Four Great Vajra were included.”

“Hmm. Heuk-am no longer needs to get involved then. They naturally would have been completely exterminated.”

“What’s the point of us discussing such grand plans?”

The extermination of Namgung. Is that even possible? After all, the Vice-Alliance Leader of the Murim Alliance is Namgung Yu-baek.

Yang Gu-jeon was so dumbfounded he almost snorted in disbelief.

“The Master of the Ghost Valley, to think that this old ghost would create such a massive tomb.”

“I heard he used nearly half of the cult’s budget at the time. I’m not sure how the permission was granted.”

The word “cult” came up.

The first thing that came to mind was the Demon Cult. For Yang Gu-jeon, it was difficult to assume the Evil Cult.

“The assault on the Divine Monk. Since the Four Great Vajra have left, the guard for the Divine Monk must have weakened, hasn’t it?”

“Ten people from the Second Assassination Squad attacked. The Divine Monk was said to have suffered a wound on his hand.”

“So, he is still one of the Ten Grandmasters. They say he’s old and sick.”

The talk of an attack on the Murim Alliance Leader even came up.

“And the ten from the Assassination Squad?”

“All dead, none captured, they committed suicide.”

“If we had taken the entire Second Assassination Squad or just about ten people from the First Assassination Squad, we could have taken down the Divine Monk.”

“Exposing the Second Assassination Squad like that, it seems like the cult will start to make its move soon.”

“After the incident at the Baek Noble Clan, they must be aware of our existence.”

Yang Gu-jeon thought these people were either tremendous bluffers or plotting an enormous conspiracy.

The former would be somewhat of a relief, but the latter would be a big problem.

Hearing such talk, he would surely be killed to silence him.

Cursing their carelessness, Yang Gu-jeon pretended to lose consciousness.

Pretending to faint seemed like the only way to save his life.

“When will we interrogate this one?”

“Mang-hon will do it personally.”

At the mention of interrogation, Yang Gu-jeon’s body slightly trembled.

Being captured by a suspicious organization meant he also had to consider the possibility of torture.

Yang Gu-jeon, who was once a promising successor, had received training on how to endure torture.

The training covered how to respond during torture and how to prevent leaking the sect’s secrets.

However, only one thing remained in his memory.

‘In the end, you can’t avoid breaking.’

There are hardly any who can endure torture to the end. Then, perhaps it’s right to start talking at some point.

Pretend to endure for a while to gain favor, then leak some information about the Murim Alliance to save his life.

Those were Yang Gu-jeon’s thoughts.

And finally, the time for interrogation came.

A person named Mang-hon burst through the door.

“Is this the bastard?”

“Yes.”

Contrary to the polite attitude of his subordinates, the one called Mang-hon spoke crudely.

“Did you go all the way there to bring back this filthy clod of dirt?”

“He is one of the successors who entered the Five Elements Tomb. His name is Yang Gu-jeon…”

They seemed to have already figured out Yang Gu-jeon’s identity. The fact sent shivers down his spine.

“You said your name is Sam-ho?”

“Yes.”

Swish—

The sound of something sharp cutting through fabric was heard.

Yang Gu-jeon, who had his eyes closed, was startled.

“Hmm, I wondered why your face was wrapped in bandages. It was because of burns.”

“I thought it might be unpleasant to look at.”

It seemed like Mang-hon had cut off Sam-ho’s face bandages.

“Did Heuk-am do this to you?”

“It happened when I was young, my house caught fire. On the contrary, Heuk-am actually saved me.”

“Ha! Indeed. He was always the odd one thinking himself a gentleman.”

Every time Mang-hon moved, a jingling sound was heard.

Yang Gu-jeon became really curious about what kind of strange person Mang-hon was.

Very slightly, he opened his eyes a sliver.

Then, a monstrous face came into view.

Dull gray eyes like those of an old carp. Yet, a youthful and androgynous appearance.

To match, his ash-gray hair was disheveled, and there seemed to be tattoos etched on his face.

Several rings made of silver were embedded in his lips, and small nail-like objects were also embedded below his eyes.

The jingling sound must have come from those silver ornaments.

“Such an ugly face. And an arm cut off too.”

Who could be talking about whom? Yang Gu-jeon kept his eyes closed.

“Get up, you bastard.”

“…”

“Playing dead, are you?”

“…”

“Hey, someone seat this guy in a chair.”

Yang Gu-jeon relaxed his body as much as possible.

While someone was seating him in a chair and tying his arms and legs, he desperately recited in his mind, ‘Just endure for a moment, and then spill everything.’

He didn’t know what they wanted, but he was willing to say anything.

How he survived underground, the secret martial arts of his sect.

But speaking too soon might make him seem worthless and lead to his death, so he was prepared to endure at least for a moment.

Yang Gu-jeon groaned.

“…Ugh, where is this?”

“Oh?”

“You all are… who?”

“Oh my? Hehehe.”

Mang-hon laughed, jingling his earrings.

“An interesting fellow. Worth interrogating.”

“…You’re going to torture me?”

Yang Gu-jeon quickly looked around, but surprisingly, there were no tools that looked like they were for torture.

There was suspicious blood pooled on the floor, but no traditional tools like saws or tongs were visible.

“Yes, that’s the plan.”

Crushing the slight hope that had risen, Mang-hon moved behind Yang Gu-jeon.

Anxious about what might be done, Yang Gu-jeon clenched his teeth.

Thinking to endure it, he suddenly spoke up, curious.

“First off, what are you curious about… Ugh.”

Something cold burrowed into the back of his head, and Yang Gu-jeon’s eyes rolled back.

There was no pain, but his body wouldn’t move as he wished.

What Mang-hon had pushed into the back of Yang Gu-jeon’s head was a long acupuncture needle.

“Hmm, yes, first tell me how you survived.”

Yang Gu-jeon initially tried not to answer.

However, when Mang-hon twisted his wrist, words involuntarily spilled out from his mouth.

“…Ah, inside, moss… ah, groundwater.”

With each flick of the long needle, Yang Gu-jeon spilled all his secrets. It was a bizarre harmony.

Mang-hon didn’t need to resort to torture.

By employing strange methods, he was able to extract all the information he wanted.

“You are a useless guy.”

“Ah, yes…”

“And a piece of trash.”

“Ah.”

How long had he been doing this?

Yang Gu-jeon could no longer speak human words and eventually collapsed.

Only then did Mang-hon click his tongue and retrieve the needle.

“The Confused Mind Extortion Technique is regrettable. They die too quickly.”

He said it was regrettable, but Sam-ho and his colleague trembled.

The Confused Mind Extortion Technique, Mang-hon’s secret technique of stirring the brain to extract desired information.

Mang-hon turned to look at Sam-ho.

“Where is Heuk-am?”

“…I cannot say.”

“Do you want to taste the needle as well?”

Mang-hon laughed, holding up the blood-stained needle.

Sam-ho just bowed his head in apology.

“Right, it’s obvious. He must be at Mount Wudang, monitoring the Sword Emperor, or wandering around the Imperial Palace.”

“…”

“Haha. Let’s see who will open the Enshrined Deity Box later.”

Mang-hon left with a burst of laughter.

Sam-ho quietly cleaned up Yang Gu-jeon’s body.

Yi-gang and his group ran north.

Pahan was an excellent guide, and all the horses ridden by Yi-gang’s group were swift horses of superior breed.

Even Ha-jun, who rode a horse borrowed from Baek Ryu-san, lagged behind.

“Hyah!”

With Pahan’s shout, his horse easily leaped over a ditch.

The horseshoes struck the stones, sparking flashes of light.

Then, Yi-gang’s horse, followed by Ha-jun and Dam Hyun, leaped over the ditch.

It had already been ten days since they left the Murim Alliance.

They had consistently covered hundreds of li each day.

Relying on the power of West Sky Castle was an excellent choice.

Having horses wasn’t enough to embark on a journey.

Above all, a skilled guide was needed, and Pahan was someone worthy of the Nine Spear King’s trust.

Thanks to him, they reached the entrance to the Kunlun Mountains via the fastest route.

They passed the checkpoints by showing the flag of West Sky Castle before even needing to present their passes, and they were able to rest the tired horses along the way.

“Once we cross that ridge, there will be people to meet us.”

“How did they arrive before us?”

“No matter how fast a horse is, it cannot beat a courier pigeon. We travel in curves, but the bird flies straight.”

Yi-gang immediately understood Pahan’s explanation.

Indeed, upon crossing the ridge, martial artists of West Sky Castle were standing by.

Given Pahan’s apparent high status, they adopted a form of military salute.

“From here, we cannot enter riding horses.”

“Yes.”

The group silently dismounted their horses.

Yi-gang stroked the face of the horse that had carried him this far.

The Ferghana horse, panting heavily, licked Yi-gang’s palm once.

“Thank you.”

“Hee-hee—”

As if to respond, the horse snorted once and then followed the martial artists of West Sky Castle.

Pahan looked at Yi-gang’s action with a curious gaze.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Soo-ryeon obey someone other than the General.”

It was pure admiration, but Yi-gang did not smile.

He had maintained such a composed attitude since leaving the Murim Alliance.

“The Kunlun Mountains are very wide, so it would be better to go up before it gets dark.”

“Yes.”

It had been a rough journey. Pahan, as instructed by the Nine Spear King, did not go easy on them and pushed hard.

Even the martial artists of West Sky Castle, accustomed to riding and marching, found the forced march challenging.

Yet, Yi-gang and his group did not complain once. For Pahan, who had prejudices against the delicate-looking orthodox successors, this was surprising.

Was the situation that urgent?

When they had walked deep into the mountains for a while, Pahan stopped.

“We should start preparing for the night camp.”

It was still before sunset.

“We can still walk further, can’t we?”

“The mountains quickly become dark. Once night falls, one must not stray from the fire; that’s a principle in the Kunlun Mountains.”

Despite the urgency, Yi-gang had so far followed Pahan’s instructions without any complaints.

This time was no exception.

Yi-gang quickly started preparing for the night camp.

He fetched water and collected dry branches and logs for firewood. He used a flint to start the fire.

All these were tasks he learned by observing what Pahan did.

His younger brother also prepared for the night camp, following his older brother.

Dam Hyun, Yi-gang’s senior brother, was a bit of an odd character, but it wasn’t bad since he didn’t grumble about the orders.

Pahan added steamed rice, jerky, and salt to the pot hung over the fire.

While it boiled, he tore up wild greens he had picked and tossed them in by hand.

With water added and simmered gently, the result was a porridge that, while not tasty, was edible.

Eating a bowl warmed them up inside.

The meal proceeded quietly.

After eating the porridge, everyone cleaned their bowls and tucked them away.

“…”

It wasn’t their first night camp, but Pahan and Yi-gang had never properly conversed before.

Caught by such a thought, Yi-gang was the first to ask a question.

“Is the person with the injured eye that the Nine Spear King mentioned possibly…”

“No, that’s not me.”

Pahan smiled unconsciously.

Among the Nine Spear King’s subordinates, there was one who had been blinded in one eye by being kicked by the Ferghana horse.

Being one-eyed himself, Pahan seemed to have sparked Yi-gang’s curiosity.

Though Pahan was usually reticent, he felt like opening up today.

“This wound came from a battlefield. I was struck in the eye by an arrow.”

“…”

“You don’t have to look at it that way. It’s fortunate enough that I didn’t die. The General even sent silver to my hometown as compensation for the eye.”

“You’ve been with him for a long time, I see.”

“I was the aide-de-camp serving under General So.”

Pahan was much closer to So Jin-gong than Yi-gang had imagined.

Yi-gang listened attentively without showing his surprise.

“Treating a village boy from the Kunlun Mountains too kindly.”

“Are you from here?”

“That’s why I can be a guide. Even the martial artists of West Sky Castle don’t enter the mountain range. Because you can’t ride horses there.”

Yi-gang nodded.

There was a strangely exotic aura about Pahan.

The Kunlun Mountains, located at the northwestern edge of the Central Plains, are no ordinary place, reputed to be inhabited by immortals.

“…I’ve spoken too much. Go to sleep. We need to wake up early in the morning and set off.”

Pahan seemed embarrassed for having talked so much.

He had warned them several times about this place. The Kunlun Mountains were filled with peculiar things, so don’t carelessly touch anything around.

Being from this place, Pahan had seen a lot growing up.

Among those were monsters that would horrify the Han people of the Central Plains.

Even if Yi-gang and his companions were exceptional successors, they would be shocked upon encountering those creatures. That’s what Pahan thought.

“I’ll take the first watch.”

The first night watch was decided to be Pahan’s responsibility.

In this place where keeping watch at night was essential, the group, extremely tired, fell asleep quickly.

Pahan did not ask about their purpose.

Neither the reason they sought the Kunlun Mountains nor why they were in such a hurry.

He was just serving as a guide according to the Nine Spear King’s orders.

Crackling sounds came from the flickering campfire.

The Kunlun Mountains were significantly colder compared to the plains.

Despite it still being late summer, the damp air stole away body heat.

Pahan had draped himself in animal skins.

His nose twitched as he poked at the campfire with a stick.

Beyond the acrid smell of burning, there was also a sweet scent mixed in.

“…”

Beyond that, there was also a strangely rancid smell, like that of animal saliva.

Not just one, but several.

Pahan’s hand slowly moved towards his zhanmadao blade.

Crunch—

The heavy steps of a beast finally broke a branch.

Pahan drew his zhanmadao blade like lightning and shouted, “Wake up…!”

The moment Pahan was about to wake up the group and swing his blade at the beast that appeared behind them.

Something swiftly passed by Pahan.

Swoosh—

There was a flash of light.

In front of Pahan, Yi-gang, who had swung his sword, was already there.

The wild boar with red stripes, attracted by the smell of humans, had its mouth split vertically.

“…It’s over.”

Pahan did not see when Yi-gang had awakened, nor did he catch the trajectory of his sword swing.

Pahan felt a chill down his spine at the swordsmanship of Yi-gang, whom he had considered inexperienced.

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