The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

A single beautiful blue flower

I wish to pluck you and offer you to the heavens.

Under the Nine Heavens, the Serpent-Slaying Heaven, I wish to pluck you and offer you to the Heavenly Lord.

As the Heavenly Lord swung his sword and severed the serpent, that sword became known as Heuk-am, or darkness.

As the Heavenly Lord drove out the demons with a mirror, that mirror became known as Mang-hon.

As the Heavenly Lord rang a bell to expel the evil spirits, that bell became known as Gwi-ryeong, or ghost bell.

As the Heavenly Lord shattered the Nine Heavens, thus a new sky descended.

The Serpent-Slaying Heaven descends.

---

Heuk-am appeared young.

If one were to guess his age by his appearance, he would be in his mid-thirties.

However, Il-oh, who brought the tea leaves, did not dare to guess the age of Heuk-am.

When he first met Heuk-am ten years ago, he looked exactly the same.

Just like Mang-hon and Gwi-ryeong, Heuk-am has existed since the beginning of the Evil Cult.

It was unclear which generation of Heuk-am he might be, but it was clear that he was a man whose age could not be measured by his appearance.

His deeply set eyes and firmly closed mouth hinted at his personality.

Heuk-am merely opened his eyes to look at Il-oh.

“Boil it and bring it.”

“Yes.”

Why would anyone hesitate in such a secure place?

Il-oh quickly prepared the tea set to brew the tea.

Meanwhile, Heuk-am continued to be immersed in meditation.

No weapon was visible by his side. Yet, there was an overwhelming eeriness as if one’s breath could stop at any moment.

Very few knew the true extent of Heuk-am’s martial prowess, but at the very least, he was strong enough to tear apart several Supreme Peak masters with his bare hands.

Heuk-am symbolized the sword of the Evil Cult Leader, the Heavenly Lord. His martial arts reached the heavens. Among the Three Great Divine Positions, including Mang-hon and Gwi-ryeong, he was the strongest.

This meant that Heuk-am’s martial arts were unsurpassed within the Evil Cult.

“Hoooh…”

Heuk-am inhaled. It was as if a giant old tree was sucking up the water from the earth.

The last time he inhaled was at least 30 minutes ago.

While breathing slowed down during energy circulation, this was excessive.

Heuk-am was more akin to a plant than an animal.

Il-oh, who brought the tea set, brewed the tea beside him as if accustomed to it.

After adding the leaves and brewing the tea, he discarded the first infusion and brewed the tea a second time.

As the deep fragrance of the tea filled the abandoned garden…

“Hoooh…”

Heuk-am took another long breath.

An unbelievable harmony occurred then.

Tsstsstsstssts—

The weeds within the radius of where he was sitting lost their vitality and withered instantly.

In contrast, Heuk-am’s aura grew more vigorous.

The feeling of being as detached as an old tree was no longer there.

His enormous stature, nearly seven chi tall, was overpowering just by its presence, further emphasized by his long, untied black hair.

“Have you brought the tea?”

“I will pour it for you.”

Il-oh poured the tea into the teacup.

The hot steam vigorously rose from the tea-filled cup.

Heuk-am absurdly swallowed the tea in one gulp.

It was hot enough to cause burns, yet he did not even grimace.

“Is this what they call fine tea?”

However, he looked at the empty teacup as if disappointed, then threw it to the ground.

Clang-

The teacup shattered into pieces.

“I cannot understand the taste of the Sword Emperor.”

“Shall I brew another pot?”

“That will be all for today. What tea next time?”

“The Sword Emperor also enjoyed the Maojian tea from Xinyang.”

“Prepare that one.”

Heuk-am, who seemed utterly disinterested in tea, tasted fine teas only because of the Sword Emperor.

It was a whim of Heuk-am that began when he heard that the Sword Emperor enjoyed tea.

It was unusual for the typically reticent and serious Heuk-am to exhibit such capricious behavior.

However, Il-oh, who had served Heuk-am for quite a long time, was not surprised.

“I will prepare it.”

“Hmm.”

The only thing Heuk-am truly had passion for was martial arts. His curiosity about the Sword Emperor and his desire to know more stemmed from the fact that the Sword Emperor met Heuk-am’s standards.

Heuk-am, who could be said to have reached the zenith of martial arts, saw him as a worthy opponent.

The Sword Emperor was such a precious opponent.

“The Wudang Sect is noisy,” Il-oh said while tidying up the tea set.

Unlike the Twelve Shadows who directly followed Heuk-am’s commands, Il-oh was closer to a servant attending to needs.

However, while staying at Mount Wudang, he had to take on the role of the Twelve Shadows.

“Is it because of the envoys from the Murim Alliance?”

“That is my understanding.”

“I see.”

Heuk-am didn’t seem particularly interested.

Among the Three Great Divine Positions under the Heavenly Lord, Heuk-am was not the one who schemed.

A sword existed to cut. The task of a sword was to keep itself sharp.

Strategizing was the task of Mang-hon, and conducting rites was the work of Gwi-ryeong.

Heuk-am was staying here because of the Sword Emperor. Dealing solely with the Sword Emperor was relatively light work.

While managing the orthodox faction’s top swordsman might not seem light, when you considered that the tasks of Mang-hon and Gwi-ryeong could determine the fate of all of Central Plains, it was so.

“The Sword Emperor has marked someone as a successor.”

“Even so, it’s probably just a formality bound by the norms of the sect.”

Heuk-am showed no interest in the fact that the Sword Emperor had essentially taken a disciple.

The likelihood that a disciple of an Absolute master became an Absolute master themselves was extremely slim.

An Absolute master was a gift from the heavens.

Yet, the following remark did elicit a reaction from Heuk-am.

“Moreover, he intends to pass on the divine art of Zhang Sanfeng, which drove him mad.”

“Hmm.”

Heuk-am thought deeply, then muttered, “It seems he has not completely despaired.”

As if imagining something, a flash of light sparked in his eyes.

Heuk-am was experiencing contradictory emotions.

The desire to fight and kill the Sword Emperor, and the hope that he would advance to the next level.

He had been observing the Sword Emperor here for quite some time, but nothing had changed.

“…It doesn’t matter. Those who have let go of everything are naturally stronger than those who hold onto their attachments.”

“Do you think it’s time for you to intervene?”

“Not yet, the fruit has not ripened enough to fall on its own.”

Heuk-am, too, was a subordinate under the Heavenly Lord. He only listened to the Heavenly Lord’s commands.

However, the instructions the Heavenly Lord gave to Heuk-am were not specific.

‘If the Sword Emperor becomes a threat, kill him.’

Even the current Sword Emperor, despite being an Absolute master, was not a threat to the Evil Cult at a level that Heuk-am couldn’t handle alone.

The term ‘threat’ was somewhat ambiguous.

The first possibility was that the Sword Emperor could unite the orthodox Murim. If his mind fully recovered and he came down from Mount Wudang, and united the orthodox Murim, he could disrupt some of the plans established by Mang-hon.

And the second possibility was…

Il-oh asked cautiously, “Do you think the Sword Emperor can advance beyond the Absolute realm?”

“I would hope so.”

If so, the Sword Emperor’s Taiji Wisdom Sword would even reach the Heavenly Lord.

If the Sword Emperor entered a new realm, then Heuk-am would ascend Mount Wudang.

And he would certainly kill the Sword Emperor.

The repercussions would be immense, but a sword did not think about what comes after it cuts.

Il-oh asked with a slightly trembling voice, “…Is a new era about to begin?”

Although Il-oh was not high-ranking within the cult, the ramifications of killing the Sword Emperor were clear.

“That’s what Mang-hon wants. To turn reality into chaos and overturn it.”

“Yes…”

Heuk-am was no fool.

He was of course aware that he was being used by Mang-hon and the Heavenly Lord.

It was thanks to the subordinates of Mang-hon that he could see the affairs of the sealed Wudang Sect as clearly as the palm of his hand.

Suddenly, Heuk-am felt the urge to give them a command.

So, he kicked the ground.

Fragments of the teacup he had shattered earlier floated in the air.

With a wave of his hand, Heuk-am scattered them.

Pabababak—

The fragments flew into every corner of the garden, embedding themselves there.

And where the fragments landed, one person after another dropped from seemingly nowhere.

It was astonishing. Concealed figures fell from the empty air, possessing stealth skills so advanced that not even a Supreme Master could sense them.

It was more akin to sorcery of the Left Path than a mere technique.

“You dogs of Mang-hon.”

The inner energy contained within the fragments incapacitated the Hidden Ghosts.

Yet, in their pain, they still managed to kneel on one knee and compose themselves.

“I know that Mang-hon has ordered you to disrupt things at a critical moment.”

Heuk-am could take the lives of the Hidden Ghosts at any moment. They all felt this reality.

“But until then, you will earn your keep. Go and find out who will really become the successor of the Sword Emperor.”

Heuk-am wondered why the despondent Sword Emperor had decided to pass on the martial art of Zhang Sanfeng to the Wudang Sect.

“Yes!”

The Hidden Ghosts received the order and dispersed swiftly.

Their bodies seemed to dissolve like mist, mysterious and ominous.

Heuk-am fell into thought.

“Come to think of it, there was that young man from the Baek Noble Clan.”

An envoy of the Murim Alliance had arrived at the Wudang Sect.

He had heard reports that Baek Yi-gang was among them.

The boy from the Baek Noble Clan had been entangled in a case of meridian blockage disease before. He was the sufferer of the Great Yin Meridian Blockage, who should have died long ago, yet he was still alive somehow.

The name Baek Yi-gang, which had not interested him until now, took hold in Heuk-am’s mind after a long time.

---

And then Wudang.

The thirty-two who were filtered out in the first test all held onto their dreams, eagerly awaiting the next test.

No one yet knew what the next test would be, so they all speculated and made a fuss.

Among the 32, only one person remained calm.

Yi-gang, who had a better alternative after learning Zhang Sanfeng’s martial art, was that one person.

Yi-gang was sitting in the open field.

‘But what exactly is the martial art left in the hidden cave?’

To an observer, it might seem like he was meditating alone, but in fact, he was conversing with Zhang Sanfeng.

「Didn’t I tell you before?」

‘You didn’t tell me.’

「Ah, hmm…」

Only the Sword Emperor himself, who has visited the hidden cave so far, knew the martial art.

Yi-gang suddenly realized that this was a very important issue.

What kind of martial art was it that Zhang Sanfeng didn’t leave it to the Wudang, even going so far as to specify that it wasn’t meant for Wudang?

「It’s definitely not a Wudang martial art.」

‘Is it a sword technique? Or a cultivation technique?’

「It’s not a cultivation technique, and it’s a bit difficult to call it a sword technique…」

‘So, what is it then?’

「No, is it a sword technique? Hmm… no, that’s not it.」

Yi-gang clicked his tongue in annoyance.

As he had felt during their first meeting, Zhang Sanfeng, contrary to his appearance, had an indecisive side.

He glanced at Yi-gang and then cleared his throat.

「It’s a dance.」

‘A dance?’

「A sword dance, I’ve named it Heaven Ascension Dance.」

Heaven Ascension Dance. It didn’t sound like the name of a profound divine art.

「I devised it towards the end of my life… I didn’t specifically leave it with the sect.」

How impressive must this sword dance be that it shocked the Sword Emperor so much?

Yi-gang became truly curious.

「Shall I show it to you?」

‘Is that possible?’

「There’s nothing I can’t do.」

Zhang Sanfeng assumed a stance as if to dance, then slowly lowered his arms.

「However, it doesn’t quite feel right without holding my sword. Would you like to join me with your own?」

Yi-gang picked up a sword, and it was suggested that he mimic Zhang Sanfeng’s movements.

Yi-gang looked around to make sure no one was there. His keen senses confirmed no one was near, so it seemed alright to perform the sword dance.

「Now, take this position like so…」

“Mm.”

Yi-gang copied Zhang Sanfeng’s stance.

It was far from practical as a fighting stance.

Zhang Sanfeng looked very delighted.

「As with any dance, footwork is most crucial. Do you dance well?」

‘No.’

「Ha, I’ve never seen a Taoist who can dance well. It’s natural that Taoists shouldn’t indulge in music and dance… Now, slowly…」

Yi-gang slowly followed Zhang Sanfeng’s movements.

He could not yet feel anything profound or extraordinary.

It was just after he had copied three movements.

“No way!”

A thunderous shout rang out.

He had made sure there was no one around, but suddenly someone burst forth.

Yi-gang froze as he recognized who it was.

“H-how could you…!”

The one who appeared was the Sword Emperor.

He looked utterly shocked, unlike his usually detached demeanor.

“Explain yourself—!”

He had witnessed Yi-gang performing Zhang Sanfeng’s Heaven Ascension Dance, which was supposed to be a secret not shared with anyone.

「Ahem.」

Zhang Sanfeng cleared his throat and then swiftly retreated into the Divine Demon Disk.