The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

Peeeeep—

The conch horn sounded.

There was an emergency on Mount Wudang. The appearance of unidentified intruders was naturally a matter of concern.

Moreover, they were in the midst of searching for a successor to inherit the martial arts of Zhang Sanfeng, which made the situation even more urgent.

Peeep—!

A conch horn sounded from a different direction.

Three first-generation disciples wearing a sword teamed up and ran across the mountain.

The lightfoot technique of the Wudang Sect was so quiet that it was praised for its silence. The pursued would only realize the situation once they were caught up close.

However, even the skilled martial artists of the Wudang Sect couldn’t keep up this time.

Despite running towards the sound of the conch, they couldn’t even catch the tails of the Hidden Ghosts.

The first-generation disciples who had been thoroughly scanning the area again accelerated with their lightfoot technique.

And above them in the trees they had already checked, the leader of the Hidden Ghosts appeared.

It was as if they had burst through the fog, an abrupt appearance.

Even for the experts, the ability to hide their presence with stealth techniques seemed nearly invincible.

“This way.”

The leader spoke in a low voice, braving the danger.

The nearby bushes rustled. One, two, three, four.

Excluding the two subordinates who had just died, three more were still following.

“There’s not much time. Avoid contact.”

The leader knew the weaknesses of the stealth technique.

At first glance, the stealth technique seemed perfect, but it only functioned properly when remaining still.

When moving, its secrecy diminished slightly, and if one attempted to attack someone, they would inevitably be exposed. Moreover, there was a limit to how long the stealth technique could be maintained…

-Are we retreating?

-Do we need to recover the bodies of Pal-gwi and Yuk-gwi?

Il-gwi, the leader, answered the subordinates’ telepathic messages.

“Both of you report to Heuk-am.”

It was clear that Heuk-am was commanding the Hidden Ghosts.

Heuk-am’s order was to monitor the Sword Emperor and those who would inherit Zhang Sanfeng’s martial arts from him. This mission was ultimately completed.

But Il-gwi’s words were not finished.

“The three of us, including myself, will stay to fulfill Lord Mang-hon’s command.”

Heuk-am had speculated that the Hidden Ghosts were under Mang-hon’s secret orders, and this turned out to be true.

Since the Hidden Ghosts were originally created by Mang-hon, they were essentially his limbs.

Swoosh—

Il-gwi disappeared again.

Instead, they began to move deeper into Mount Wudang to carry out Mang-hon’s orders.

Until the Wudang Sect martial artists finally decided that the intruders had already fled, Il-gwi and the other Hidden Ghosts burrowed deep into Mount Wudang.

Digging into the ground and employing the Ghost Feeding Technique, they became like corpses. They were lying in ambush.

---

The intrusion by the Hidden Ghosts was about to be discovered, and Wudang was on the verge of going into emergency alert.

Dam Hyun and his party moved towards the detached residence arranged by Wudang.

It was a charming, though not luxurious, detached house a little away from Tianzhu Peak.

A place like a garden with a small spring. Dam Hyun was holding Cheongho there.

“Euh-he-he.”

Dam Hyun barely managed to suppress a burst of laughter.

As he kept letting out such laughter when facing Cheongho, Cheongho started to dislike seeing Dam Hyun laugh.

Dam Hyun knew this, but today he couldn’t hide his joy.

Cheongho was feeling very good, sleeping quietly in Dam Hyun’s arms.

Although his ears flickered occasionally, Cheongho did not scratch or run away even when Dam Hyun stroked him.

Being careful not to wake Cheongho, Dam Hyun slowly stroked Cheongho’s back.

Dam Hyun liked both dogs and cats.

Dogs were loyal. Humans might seem to be willing to give whatever another wanted in everyday interactions, but they could be treacherous.

In that regard, dogs were incomparably better than humans.

However, if he had to say, he slightly preferred cats over dogs.

Cats did not show loyalty to humans. They were wary and easily angered, and it’s unpredictable what they might do next.

They didn’t allow themselves to be touched carelessly. But it’s precisely these traits that made them charming.

Still, there was an animal he liked even more.

“Foxes are the best…”

Foxes were the perfect animals.

They possessed both the goodness of dogs and the quirkiness of cats. Above all, their appearance was the epitome of cuteness.

While all young animals were cute, Cheongho was on another level.

With its small, black-bean-like nose, sharp snout, and fluffy down.

The most striking feature was its fluffy tail.

Cheongho’s mysterious blue tail was something one couldn’t help but want to touch.

However, Cheongho hated having its tail touched, so Dam Hyun had only managed to touch it once.

Wriggle—

He thought he might be able to touch the tail while Cheongho was sleeping in his arms, but he refrained.

‘If I make a mistake now, I’ll mess up the big plan.’

One should not lose sight of the bigger prize by coveting small gains.

Dam Hyun was aiming for something big.

That was to play with Cheongho.

‘I will definitely do it… playing with foxtail grass.’

Playing with foxtail grass was an incredible feat shown by Yi-gang.

After witnessing it with his own eyes, Dam Hyun had been sick with envy for days.

Yi-gang had merely waved ordinary foxtail grass in front of Cheongho.

But Cheongho was so enchanted by the movement of the foxtail grass that it jumped around joyfully.

Dam Hyun had tried to imitate this, but Cheongho only wriggled its tail and stayed put.

But today was different. Cheongho seemed to be in a good mood, so it was worth a try.

Dam Hyun picked a long and suitable piece of foxtail grass and waited.

He was determined to wait as long as it took for Cheongho to wake up naturally.

He even forgot about the spell and the Qi Men formation he had given to Cheong Su to counteract.

Fortunately, Cheongho opened her eyes after a short while.

Flap—

Cheongho perked up her ears and then suddenly raised her head.

“Haha, you’re awake…! Shall we play?”

Cheongho turned to look at Dam Hyun and then noticed the foxtail grass.

Dam Hyun quickly swayed the foxtail grass back and forth.

Normally, it would have shown at least some interest.

However, Cheongho showed no interest at all and stood up abruptly.

Instead, it made a whining noise, scrambled up Dam Hyun’s arm, and climbed onto his head.

Since this had never happened before, Dam Hyun was taken aback.

Cheongho, with a puzzled look, stared blankly in one direction.

Only Cheongho knew that this was the direction where Yi-gang and Heaven Ascension Cave were.

“Wh-what’s the matter? It’s dangerous, come down…”

Dam Hyun couldn’t move and just stood there.

Instead of coming down, Cheongho started howling in the direction where Yi-gang was likely to be.

Being a fox, Cheongho rarely cried out loudly, so it was the first time Dam Hyun had heard such a cry.

“Kiiing…”

The reason was that the bond with Yi-gang, which had been connected by the Heavenly Thunder Bell, had suddenly snapped.

Not understanding why, Dam Hyun tried to put Cheongho down.

“First, come down and… Oh!”

But Cheongho jumped off Dam Hyun’s head.

Startled, he hurriedly caught Cheongho.

The problem was that he had grabbed her tail.

“Kyaaang!”

“Oh!”

Cheongho was still small, but it must have hurt quite a bit because Dam Hyun had grabbed it hard in his panic.

The moment Dam Hyun realized his mistake, there was a flash of light.

Crackle—!

“Aaack!”

Dam Hyun screamed as he fell over.

As soon as Dam Hyun let go of the tail, Cheongho started to run frantically.

It was in the direction where Yi-gang and Heaven Ascension Cave were.

The autumn wind caused waves in Cheongho’s fine fur.

Thud thud thud—

Cheongho ran fiercely.

It was the first time the connection maintained by the Heavenly Thunder Bell had been severed.

A forceful power had broken the connection. Something definite had happened to Yi-gang. Cheongho was certain of that.

Crackle—

Blue sparks flashed beneath Cheongho’s feet.

Eventually, it looked like a streak of lightning.

---

Entering Heaven Ascension Cave, Cheong Hye had a look of terror on his face.

He looked like a rat thrown into water, which was natural since he had been kicked and rolled down by Yi-gang.

He tried to forget the sore pain in his chest and continued walking.

Despite the startling situation, Cheong Hye had already become obsessed with the divine arts of the Sword Emperor and Zhang Sanfeng.

‘Turn crisis into opportunity!’ With that mindset, he moved forward.

He felt extreme fear when he encountered a strange stone door, but it started to open as he knocked on it.

It was a stroke of luck caused by an item Dam Hyun had made, which countered the stone door’s formation.

The passage was long thereafter. It was dark enough for no light to penetrate.

The problem was that the floor was very sticky, and it seemed he had sprained his leg, making it hard to move.

He might have been hit badly by Yi-gang.

As he couldn’t move fast, fear naturally overwhelmed him.

‘C-could they all be dead?’

The Immortal Divine Dragon was strong, but those Hidden Ghosts were no ordinary threats.

Cheong Hye, who had grown up within the Wudang Sect, was shocked.

He felt overwhelming fear from these inhuman freaks.

“Uh, uuh!”

Then, a light appeared ahead.

At the same time, a ladder going up was visible. He had finally made it.

In his hurry, Cheong Hye tripped over a rock and fell.

His face was covered in mud.

As Cheong Hye struggled to get up, he heard footsteps this time.

Thud- Tap- Thud—

He looked back but saw nothing.

Therefore, Cheong Hye was certain that a Hidden Ghost was following him.

“Aaagh!”

He got up and ran, but Cheong Hye’s pace was slow.

The pursuer’s footsteps were regular.

Thud, thud, thud, and soon they were very close.

It seemed as if the Hidden Ghost’s curved blade might sever Cheong Hye’s throat at any moment.

Cheong Hye, in a final act of desperation, turned and swung his sword.

Clang!

With a rebounding force that felt as if it would tear his grip apart, the sword was knocked away.

Sparks flew briefly, revealing the pursuer’s face.

A cold gaze, as if looking at an inanimate object.

From the darkness, a pale hand shot out. That icy hand gripped Cheong Hye’s throat.

Blurp—

Then, his other hand tapped Cheong Hye’s body several times.

Perhaps struck at a vital point, intense pain surged through him.

“Gaaah!”

Cheong Hye rolled on the ground.

Looking up at his assailant who had applied pressure points, he said, “Wh-why… do you do this?”

The opponent was not a Hidden Ghost.

It was Yi-gang, who had dealt with them and followed.

However, for some reason, Yi-gang had applied pressure points to Cheong Hye’s body.

He thought he was completely immobilized by a strike to the paralysis point, but strangely, his body moved.

However, soon Cheong Hye felt a chill down his spine.

The internal energy in his lower abdomen had solidified. Even when he tried to circulate his energy, the flow of Qi was halted.

“Did Immortal Divine Dragon do this…?”

“Yes.”

“Why…?”

“How can I let someone who struck his senior brother from behind go unpunished?”

Yi-gang’s expression was hard to discern.

In the darkness, Cheong Hye felt the terror of being watched by a venomous beast.

Yi-gang had heard all the conversations between Cheong Hye and Cheong Su.

Including the fact that Cheong Hye had ambushed his brother…

“Wudang has raised a pitiful bastard.”

It felt as if his heart had plummeted.

Immortal Divine Dragon had returned to the formidable atmosphere he had when they first met.

He gestured slightly.

“Get up.”

“…Yes.”

Cheong Hye climbed up the ladder.

A strange space appeared. A high-ceiling secret cave. It was bright due to several night pearls embedded in it.

Cheong Hye’s gaze slowly moved along the wall.

Noticeable scars were engraved on it.

They were sword marks.

It seemed unlikely that a fierce battle had taken place here, yet the sword marks extended along the wall to the floor.

Cheong Hye was also a distinguished swordsman.

He could tell that these marks were made by one person.

‘Founder Zhang Sanfeng…’

Probably long ago, these marks were left by Zhang Sanfeng who had discovered this secret cave.

They were traces of a sword dance following a massive flow.

And following the sword marks, at the end of his gaze was…

“G-Great Senior Elder.”

The Sword Emperor was sitting cross-legged.

He opened his eyes that had been closed and looked at Cheong Hye.

“Have you come?”

If he had been sitting here, he would have heard all the conversations between Yi-gang and Cheong Hye.

Including the fact that Cheong Hye had struck Cheong Su on the back of the head.

“I-I…”

“That’s enough.”

The Sword Emperor cut off Cheong Hye as he searched for an excuse.

He appeared utterly indifferent.

“O-oh… then, for now.”

Cheong Hye, although sweating, hesitated and couldn’t hold back.

The Sword Emperor’s eyebrows twitched.

Suppressing his shame, Cheong Hye exclaimed, “For now, I have also arrived. First…”

The condition for the test was to meet the Sword Emperor first.

No matter the disgrace involved, Cheong Hye had ultimately met the Sword Emperor first.

He couldn’t help but harbor a sliver of hope.

It was something that could earn him a scolding for not knowing shame.

Fearing that the Sword Emperor might shout at him, Cheong Hye bowed his head deeply.

However, no shout came; instead, a punishment flew in from behind.

Thwack!

Yi-gang had struck Cheong Hye on the back of the head.

Feeling pain as if his eyeballs were about to burst, Cheong Hye clutched his head. It was so painful that tears trickled down.

“Grrrr…”

“Shameless bastard.”

The Sword Emperor neither scrunched his eyes nor scoffed.

He simply asked Cheong Hye in a strange tone, “Do you also wish to learn the Founder’s martial arts?”

Cheong Hye, feeling hopeful, lifted his head.

“Yes!”

“You are not qualified.”

“…”

“However, it wouldn’t be bad to see it once with your own eyes.”

What a whim. There was unmistakably a trace of pity in the Sword Emperor’s eyes as he looked at Cheong Hye.

“Watch, this is the Heaven Ascension Dance.”

The mysterious ultimate technique, the Heaven Ascension Dance, left here in the secret cave by Zhang Sanfeng.

However, when Yi-gang performed it, it was just a lifeless dance.

Swoosh—

The Sword Emperor drew his sword.

The wrists showing the bone finally made the Sword Emperor’s age apparent.

The sword began to draw a slow curve.

Whish—

There was no fierce momentum, as if no energy had been imbued.

However, a strange aura could be felt.

Yi-gang and Cheong Hye watched the sword dance quietly, afraid to miss even a moment.

「Hmm.」

The same was true for Zhang Sanfeng.

Yi-gang quietly asked in his mind, ‘How is it?’

「The junior…」

Regret was evident on Zhang Sanfeng’s face.

It seemed he felt guilt watching the Heaven Ascension Dance that the Sword Emperor was performing.

「The heavenly realm… truly, this has become tragic.」

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