The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

As the elder looked at Yi-gang, his mouth twisted into a grin.

There were more missing teeth than there were in place.

It’s natural for an old man, but with such a mouth, he seemed more like an old village elder rather than an ethereal Taoist master.

However, it was clear that he was a former master of the Jang line who had left the Council of Elders.

“How interesting.”

This time, it was Su Yun-jin, once known for sending a hundred real swords flying with just one Cotton Palm strike.

He was a junior brother of the legendary Su Ryong-ja, and now one of the only three living masters from the generation before last.

“He might not have a Taoist bone, but he surely is a vessel of the Tao.”

He prodded and poked at Yi-gang’s limbs.

The fact was, there was something that Yi-gang was particularly weak against—old men.

Elderly men approaching with kindness were quite bothersome, but somehow, it was hard to be harsh with them.

It would have been another matter if these reclusive masters of Wudang had shouted or scolded, but clearly, they were not showing any hostility.

“Feeling your energy, it seems you’ve been through all kinds of hardships, haven’t you?”

“Yes… well…”

“Hehehe. And you’re carrying around a Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox as if it’s a kitten?”

A Jang line Taoist recognized the identity of Cheongho.

The color of Cheongho’s fur was different from that of a mature Heavenly Thunder White-Tailed Fox. Her tail wasn’t white but covered in blue fur.

However, the recognition of her identity was due to the elder’s extraordinary depth of knowledge.

“She is still a child.”

“Yes, she does appear so.”

Someone started tapping on the top of Yi-gang’s head with a finger.

Wondering if the person was crazy, Yi-gang looked up and saw the elder’s admiring expression.

“There are signs that the fontanelle opened at a young age. He doesn’t seem to be an ordinary priest. Are all the children of the Azure Forest like this?”

“I don’t think so, Senior Uncle.”

Myung Won made an awkward expression. The old monsters gathered here were not even the kind that a sect leader could casually handle.

“It’s strange, really strange. Sniff.”

There was someone smelling Yi-gang.

“It doesn’t feel like a young child at all, but rather, he smells fragrant.”

Saying that a person smelled fragrant was practically an insult. Yet, no mischievous expression could be found on the face of the elder who said it.

Rather, he glanced around for a while.

His gaze momentarily stopped at the place where Zhang Sanfeng was.

「Hehe.」

Zhang Sanfeng gave a somewhat embarrassed smile, but the Taoist did not seem to see through to Zhang Sanfeng.

Just when Yi-gang was about to divert the Taoists’ attention again.

Finally, the person they had been waiting for appeared.

“What in the world!”

He was the one who had kicked up the most dust as he ran.

Despite being the farthest away, he was not that late, so his light footwork must have reached the heavens.

“You couldn’t call because the drumsticks were confiscated, how did you call out?”

It was clear he was old, but his face was flushed red, contrasting starkly with his snow-white hair, making his fiery temperament evident.

Stubbornness reflected in deep wrinkles earned over the years.

The highlight was his eyes.

They were not particularly bright or intense.

His eyes were cloudy green, turbid. In Yi-gang’s view, it was clear he suffered from glaucoma or a similar eye condition.

How could he have seen through what Yi-gang was thinking? He suddenly shouted at Yi-gang.

“My eyes are like this but I can see well, you brat!”

“Yes, I too can see the sage clearly.”

“What? Hahaha!”

He suddenly burst out laughing at the audacious response.

As Su Ryong-ja arrived, other Taoists who were interested in Yi-gang quietly stepped back one by one.

This was because he had the highest status and a fiery temperament, making him respected by everyone.

Even Myung Won, who had been flustered, watched as Sage Jang Hyun hurriedly stepped forward.

“I apologize, Master. There was an urgent matter. I had no choice but to disturb your seclusion.”

“How did you get the drumsticks!”

“It was hidden in the floor of South Rock Palace here.”

“What?”

It seemed that even Su Ryong-ja did not know that Zhang Sanfeng had hidden a drumstick in the floor of South Rock Palace.

“This is absurd…”

“Even if it’s a coincidence, isn’t it the will of Heaven, Senior Brother? Hehe, one must follow the Heavenly Tao.”

Su Yun-jin, a junior brother of Su Ryong-ja, shrank his neck as Su Ryong-ja glared sharply at him.

Myung Won explained the circumstances that led to his calling on behalf of Neung Ji-pyeong.

Su Ryong-ja tapped his temple pensively.

“Seonwoo… Hwi, Seonwoo Hwi… Hmm.”

Fortunately, it seemed Su Ryong-ja was familiar with that name.

“Since this matter involves you, Senior Brother, we will take our leave now.”

Realizing it was not their concern, the other masters quickly prepared to depart.

It clearly looked like a situation with some interesting backstory, but they seemed to have no attachment to it.

As if their prior interest in Yi-gang had been a facade, they returned to the mountains.

Truly, they were people worthy of being called recluses.

Neung Ji-pyeong bowed respectfully before speaking, “My name is Neung Ji-pyeong. I am a disciple of the destroyed Shadowless Sword Pavilion… and a junior of the exiled Seonwoo Hwi.”

Su Ryong-ja looked at Neung Ji-pyeong with an unreadable expression.

“I would like to inquire… what crime Seonwoo Hwi committed… and whether that crime was sufficient to justify the destruction of our Shadowless Sword Pavilion,” Neung Ji-pyeong asked with a voice that couldn’t hide his tension.

“Please, could you tell me about that day?”

“Seonwoo Hwi was…”

He thought there had been some misunderstanding.

Perhaps there was a misunderstanding about his senior, Seonwoo Hwi.

However, Su Ryong-ja’s response was clear.

“He was a thief. That’s why I captured him.”

“Ah…”

A feeling of hopes being shattered.

It was true; Senior Seonwoo Hwi was indeed called the Shadowless Thief.

Neung Ji-pyeong barely held onto his composure and asked further, “What did he steal…?”

“He stole my heart.”

“…Excuse me?”

Everyone looked at Su Ryong-ja’s face.

It seemed like a misunderstanding.

“To be precise, he stole my attention. He was an extraordinary fellow. Utterly cunning.”

It was unlikely that Su Ryong-ja, hardly a young girl, had literally had his affections stolen by Seonwoo Hwi.

“He stole my shoes. Came right into the heart of Wudang to do it.”

“Shoes…?”

“He left a letter saying he wanted a private meeting with me. I couldn’t help but be curious.”

Only then did they understand what Su Ryong-ja was saying.

It was astonishing. To sneak right into the heart of Wudang and steal Su Ryong-ja’s shoes.

“Many have wanted to meet me, but this method was a first. So, I went out and captured him.”

“My senior… He shouldn’t be that skilled a master to infiltrate the heart of Wudang and steal your shoes, “Neung Ji-pyeong pointed out.

He was called the ‘Shadowless Divine Thief,’ but he was clearly of the Peak master level.

Originally, the question had arisen from how his senior could have stolen Zhang Sanfeng’s secret manual.

“It was certainly so, he was indeed a unique fellow. He was practicing a mysterious divine art.”

The term divine art came up.

“I’m not sure how the story came about that he stole Founder Zhang Sanfeng’s secret manual. That’s not true. The reason why the Shadowless Sword Pavilion was ousted by the Murim Alliance was something else.”

This was a story not even the former sect leader Sage Jang Hyun knew.

Su Ryong-ja explained the past events.

Seonwoo Hwi shouted in despair, feeling a threat to his life from Su Ryong-ja.

“Please, listen to me for a moment!”

“Hmph.”

Even in his old age, his fiery temperament remained, imagine how much more intense it was when he was younger.

Su Ryong-ja swung the shoe thrown by Seonwoo Hwi like a sword.

Seonwoo Hwi couldn’t find his footing against this relentless attack.

He moved vigorously to avoid getting hit in the face with the shoe.

But how could he possibly confront an elder of the Wudang Sect with just the martial arts of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion?

The shoe eventually smacked Seonwoo Hwi across the cheek.

Snap—

It was a jolt that shook his molars.

“Cough! The reason I sought out the Sage was…”

He was not given a chance to answer.

Su Ryong-ja, a legendary master of Wudang. Seonwoo Hwi had come seeking the Sword Emperor’s teacher driven by desperation to cling to any possibility.

He believed that only the Azure Forest, Shaolin, and Wudang were capable of confronting the great evil he had uncovered.

Su Ryong-ja was pleased when he came alone following the letter’s instructions, but things did not go as planned.

Thud-thud-thud.

After being pummeled with shoes, Seonwoo Hwi realized.

Su Ryong-ja intended to personally beat to death the thief who dared to mock him.

To survive, one must move.

Seonwoo Hwi pulled out a small blade from his bosom and thrust it towards Su Ryong-ja’s shoulder.

But Su Ryong-ja did not even mock him; he just reached out his hand in response.

Was he really going to catch a blade charged with sword energy with his hand?

Hesitation crept into Seonwoo Hwi’s hand. But it made no difference to Su Ryong-ja.

His hand fluttered softly like a leaf in the wind.

It glided over the blade and tapped the back of Seonwoo Hwi’s hand.

It was clearly the Cotton Palm, the pinnacle of Wudang’s palm technique.

When training the Cotton Palm, Wudang martial artists reportedly stuck wet rice paper on a rock and struck it.

When one mastered the Cotton Palm up to the twelfth star, the rice paper did not tear, but the rock beneath shattered into pieces.

And now, Su Ryong-ja’s hand had merely tapped the back of Seonwoo Hwi’s hand gently.

Crack—

However, Seonwoo Hwi could not help but drop the small blade as his wrist bone shattered.

Before he could even fully feel the agony, his body was dragged along. Su Ryong-ja had grabbed his broken wrist.

He spoke for the first time, “Show me everything you have.”

Then, another Cotton Palm struck, this time flying towards Seonwoo Hwi’s throat.

If hit, it would surely be instant death.

Seonwoo Hwi gritted his teeth and resorted to his last resort.

He focused his mind. And used that martial art.

The divine art that allowed him to sneak into the heart of the Wudang Sect and steal Su Ryong-ja’s shoes.

With Su Ryong-ja firmly gripping Seonwoo Hwi’s acupoint, it seemed impossible to free his wrist from such a refined technique.

Whoosh!

But Seonwoo Hwi’s body escaped from Su Ryong-ja’s grip as if he were a ghost.

And in an instant, he was behind Su Ryong-ja.

“Please wait! When someone speaks, at least listen to them…!”

However, Su Ryong-ja was not an easy opponent either.

With a movement technique close to teleportation, he instantly got behind Seonwoo Hwi again.

Swoosh—

This time, he did not use a palm technique.

Suddenly, he drew a pine-patterned sword and it touched the nape of Seonwoo Hwi’s neck.

“For such insignificant martial prowess, it’s unbelievable you have such a divine art.”

“…”

“Shadowless Sword Pavilion?”

Su Ryong-ja mulled over the name of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

He had heard of it but did not know much about this mid-sized sect.

“I was a disciple there, but it is no longer my sect. I left on my own accord.”

“I’m not interested. What I’m curious about is…”

The strange movement technique shown by Seonwoo Hwi.

Or rather, could that even be called a movement technique?

It must be known in Su Ryong-ja’s extensive knowledge.

“Where did you learn that martial art that doesn’t seem like a martial art.”

“…”

“Answer me. That is not a technique of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.”

“May I… turn my head?”

Su Ryong-ja, realizing that Seonwoo Hwi couldn’t see him, told him to turn around.

Though Su Ryong-ja maintained his composure, he couldn’t help but flinch when he saw Seonwoo Hwi’s face.

Seonwoo Hwi was shedding a single tear.

But his face was clearly smiling. It was like someone trapped in darkness had found hope.

“Ah, do you recognize it?”

“…Your martial art? I have a guess.”

Seonwoo Hwi suddenly knelt down and bowed.

His coming all the way to Mount Wudang to draw out Su Ryong-ja was all for this reason.

Because there was no one else in the martial world who could recognize this martial art.

The only one who could uncover that dark secret was Su Ryong-ja, known as the Taoist sect’s legend.

“I learned this martial art at the sect. I witnessed with my own eyes the horrendous sins committed by my own sect that I left.”

“…”

“The Shadowless Sword Pavilion has committed crimes. To uncover them, I left the sect and have been gathering evidence for many years.”

The past unraveled.

Su Ryong-ja’s expression hardened as he listened to Seonwoo Hwi’s tearful confession.

“Wait, my senior, did Seonwoo Hwi really say that!”

Neung Ji-pyeong interrupted Su Ryong-ja.

Su Ryong-ja frowned as if displeased, but Neung Ji-pyeong did not notice.

“What, no, what exactly is the martial art you’re talking about?”

“Radiant Shadowless Art.”

“Radiant Shadowless Art? There is no such martial art in the Shadowless Sword Pavilion…”

Neung Ji-pyeong’s face turned pale.

Radiant Shadowless Art, and Shadowless Splendor. It was a secret art known only to a very few within the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

But what does that have to do with the ‘crimes’ of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion?

“I’ll tell you everything, just wait. And there was definitely a problem with your sect. The previous leader of the Murim Alliance didn’t strip it of its member status for no reason. There was no reason to disclose the issue carelessly, though…”

“…”

“The Radiant Shadowless Art is a martial art of Taoist lineage. It’s such that no one except someone of my caliber could recognize it.”

It was not boasting, simply stating facts.

Was it true that Shadowless Splendor was not originally a martial art of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion?

The truth spilled from Su Ryong-ja’s mouth.

“It is the martial art of the legendary Taoist sect, the Quanzhen Sect.”

The Quanzhen Sect, any Taoist martial artist would at least know the name of this sect.

Seonwoo Hwi also knew about the Quanzhen Sect.

The problem was…

「If it’s the Quanzhen, it’s the one that was destroyed by the Evil Cult.」

…that the very cause of their destruction was indeed the Evil Cult.

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