The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

Neung Ji-pyeong had come down to Daojing County and was looking for an inn.

He visited once before, the Bright Moon Inn.

He took the most secluded spot and sat down.

A beam of sunlight that entered through a window on the second floor of the inn shone on Neung Ji-pyeong’s dark face.

He squinted because of the brightness.

“Bring me a strong liquor,” he said to the approaching server.

“As for the meal…”

“I don’t have an appetite… just bring anything.”

“Yes!”

Daojing County was used to seeing martial artists, but there was something about Neung Ji-pyeong’s appearance that was intimidating.

It wasn’t because his muscles were bulging or his body was covered in scars.

Neung Ji-pyeong looked neat.

If it weren’t for his strangely sharp eyes and cold lips, and excluding his warrior’s sword, he might have even passed for a scholar.

However, today, an extremely somber mood emanated from him.

The server brought a rather strong and expensive liquor from the inn, sensing what was needed.

Even before his meal was served, Neung Ji-pyeong poured himself a drink and gulped it down.

His throat felt as if it was burning, and warmth spread to his stomach. The scent of alcohol lingered in his breath.

Neung Ji-pyeong frowned.

It wasn’t because the liquor was harsh or low quality; in fact, it was the opposite.

“I asked for cheap liquor…”

What he had wanted was cheap alcohol.

Although Neung Ji-pyeong was not a drinker, cheap liquor held a special memory for him.

It was a bridge between his time as a successor in the Shadowless Sword Pavilion and his time as a guest of the Baek Noble Clan.

It was the cheap, potent liquor he tasted only while wandering Jianghu, evading the dark path warriors.

“…”

Was he trying to recall those memories by drinking? Even Neung Ji-pyeong couldn’t fathom his own heart.

If he couldn’t get properly drunk, he would just drink more.

Neung Ji-pyeong poured himself another drink.

It was a rule not to drink during missions.

But now, it might not matter.

Under the orders of the Murim Alliance, he came to Wudang. The directive given by Baek Ryu-san, the Iron-blooded Merciless, was to bring Wudang back into the world.

It could be said it was a success. In fact, it could be said that the mission was successfully completed by Yi-gang and the Golden Needle Phantom. Neung Ji-pyeong had played his part.

Then what was this guilt?

Was it shameful that he was secretly downing liquor alone?

That couldn’t be the case.

Though he desperately tried not to show it, faces kept coming to mind.

The face of his dying master.

The senior and junior brothers he had promised to meet again but never did.

His senior, the one who stole the secret techniques of Wudang and caused everything, the Shadowless Thief, Seonwoo Hwi.

‘That damn senior.’

Before Seonwoo Hwi earned the nickname Shadowless Thief, he was just an ordinary and devoted young man.

It seemed he was very fond of Neung Ji-pyeong, who was still a boy then. He was a young man with a gentle nature, always wearing a smile, until that night.

It was a night when he couldn’t sleep by chance.

Neung Ji-pyeong, who had stepped out to go to the latrine, met his senior under the dark night.

Seonwoo Hwi was dressed in black nightclothes.

Neung Ji-pyeong, startled, asked, “Where… are you going?”

He grimaced, then his face settled into a look of resignation.

“I’m leaving, and I will not return.”

“Sorry…?”

His expression looked terribly cold. So much so that he seemed like a different person from the senior he knew.

Seonwoo Hwi suddenly grinned. For a moment, it seemed like he had returned to the face of the senior Neung Ji-pyeong knew.

“Ji-pyeong, not everything in the world is as it appears.”

“…”

“Trust no one, not even me, your senior brothers, your master, or even… the sect.”

Those words were too cold to be coming from the usually gentle senior.

Before Neung Ji-pyeong could find words to reply, Seonwoo Hwi had disappeared over the wall.

And he never returned.

About 10 years might have passed.

Rumors circulated in the martial world of a new Divine Thief.

The nickname was Shadowless Thief. It was believed to be the former disciple Seonwoo Hwi, who had left the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

Eventually, he led to the destruction of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

“Am I still bound by the past…”

He did not resent Wudang much.

The object of his resentment was solely his senior Seonwoo Hwi. His master and his senior and junior brothers blamed Seonwoo Hwi too.

So, he thought he could control his emotions, but he couldn’t.

The longer he stayed in Wudang, the more the past came back to him.

Tranquil Sword, Neung Ji-pyeong.

‘A lone sword amidst tranquility.’

It was not a nickname that suited him.

Neung Ji-pyeong hung his head low. The effects of the alcohol were already hitting him. He was, in fact, not good with alcohol.

“Liquor, huh.”

And then, a voice came from behind, snapping him back to reality.

It was a familiar voice with familiar words, but it was a voice that should not be here.

“Drinking that will ruin your body.”

It was definitely Iron-blooded Merciless, Baek Ryu-san. That was the thought that crossed his mind without intent.

Baek Ryu-san had said exactly that, seeing Neung Ji-pyeong drinking alcohol.

Neung Ji-pyeong abruptly stood up and turned around.

Of course, Baek Ryu-san was not actually here.

“Sir Neung. So, you were here.”

Somehow, Yi-gang had found his way here.

Yi-gang’s voice resembled that of a young Baek Ryu-san.

“Young Master… how did you end up here?”

“I was looking for you, Sir Neung. It seemed you weren’t with the Wudang Sect.”

“…I am embarrassed. I have shown a disgraceful side.”

Neung Ji-pyeong reproached himself.

However, Yi-gang sat down opposite Neung Ji-pyeong.

“Where was the disgrace? Please, sit down. It seems the food hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Young Master…”

Neung Ji-pyeong eventually sat down.

He felt uneasy showing such a shameful side in front of Yi-gang, the son of his lord.

But he did not expect Yi-gang to bow his head and apologize there.

“I’m sorry, Sir Neung.”

“Young Master! Why would you…”

“My thoughts were indeed shallow; I failed to consider Sir Neung’s feelings. I am truly ashamed.”

“Lift your head. What…”

Neung Ji-pyeong was so embarrassed that his face turned red.

“Sir Neung, you even taught me the martial arts of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion. I was just laughing without thinking…”

“I have forgotten about the past as well. I am now working for the Baek Noble Clan. You need not worry at all.”

Yi-gang, having lifted his head, stared intently at Neung Ji-pyeong.

His eyes, clear as glass, seemed to see right through to Neung Ji-pyeong’s heart.

Feeling as if his lie had been caught, Neung Ji-pyeong was at a loss.

“…”

“May I hear the full story of what happened?”

“Are you referring to the incident at the Shadowless Sword Pavilion?”

“Yes, the misfortune with the Wudang Sect.”

Originally, he had not intended to tell him.

It was a well-known event in the distant past, but now everyone had forgotten about it.

Neung Ji-pyeong, being the person involved, had resolved never to speak of those intimate details.

Even if Yi-gang had asked.

“I will listen with a learner’s attitude.”

But perhaps it was because he had a few drinks. Or maybe because this place belonged to the Wudang Sect.

Neung Ji-pyeong finally opened his mouth.

Senior Seonwoo Hwi.

The gradual demise of the sect.

The response of the Wudang Sect.

The Murim Alliance stripped the Shadowless Sword Pavilion of its member status.

At some point, martial artists from the unorthodox faction began to attack.

Robbers demanded the Wudang Sect’s secret techniques.

“…That’s the story. Again, I hold no ill feelings towards Wudang…”

“I’d like to ask one thing.”

Neung Ji-pyeong hadn’t expected empathy or comfort.

But he hadn’t anticipated this question either.

“What kind of person was Seonwoo Hwi, the Shadowless Thief?”

“Excuse me?”

“He stole the martial arts of Wudang long after he left the sect.”

“That’s right. A cowardly and despicable person.”

“Was he like that even before he left the Shadowless Sword Pavilion?”

“…”

“I would like to hear Sir Neung’s honest thoughts.”

Neung Ji-pyeong thought for a moment before responding.

In truth, he had respected his senior. He felt that Seonwoo Hwi was a gentle and good person.

“That’s so.”

“…If he left the sect, he soon became a vagabond. Living as a vagabond can change a person enough.”

“I think so too. But… they say his meridians were cut and his dantian was sealed while the Taoists of Wudang detained him.”

“That’s what I’ve heard.”

“He might still be in Wudang.”

“Given the time that has passed… he might have died, right?”

Every word from Yi-gang seemed to pierce Neung Ji-pyeong’s heart.

That was the reason for his uncomfortable stay in Wudang. Perhaps because his senior might still be living nearby.

“At least there was no such person in the penance cave.”

“Is that so…”

Yi-gang had checked this before seeking out Neung Ji-pyeong.

He had directly asked the law enforcement hall chief at the penance cave.

Yi-gang rubbed his chin in a contemplative manner.

Neung Ji-pyeong couldn’t know what he was pondering.

“So, exactly what secret technique did he steal?”

“It was said to be the divine art of Zhang Sanfeng.”

“If it’s a divine art, do you know what kind of martial art it was?”

“I don’t know. It might be a sword technique or an internal cultivation technique… Wudang hasn’t spoken about it.”

That’s only natural.

Even if the secret techniques of Zhang Sanfeng were stolen, Wudang wouldn’t babble about everything.

It’s a shameful and simultaneously secretive matter. No mention was made of it at all.

The likelihood that the whereabouts of the Shadowless Thief were leaked due to an accident was high.

“Did the Murim Alliance strip the Shadowless Sword Pavilion of its member status at the formal request of the Wudang Sect?”

“That’s not likely, but…”

Neung Ji-pyeong felt a slight anxiety and annoyance.

“Young Master. I don’t understand the intentions behind your questions.”

However, Yi-gang’s face showed he didn’t care whether Neung Ji-pyeong understood or not.

After a moment of contemplation, he looked directly at Neung Ji-pyeong and said, “It’s dubious.”

“What are you referring to?”

“Several things. First…”

Yi-gang spoke with conviction.

“Wudang does not practice the punishment of severing the meridians and sealing the dantian to imprison someone.”

“…Pardon?”

Although cruel, it was a punishment that occured surprisingly often.

Even in Shaolin, especially in the penance cave, weren’t there not many such monks? It’s a method often used by Buddhist monasteries and Taoist sects that try not to take lives recklessly.

“While they may seal the dantian, they do not sever the meridians. If it comes to that, they would rather kill.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. I am certain.”

How could Yi-gang be so sure about Wudang’s rules? Neung Ji-pyeong was somewhat skeptical.

But Yi-gang did not have the face of a liar.

「How could Wudang sever someone’s meridians? That’s not the Wudang way!」

It was because Zhang Sanfeng had vehemently expressed his displeasure.

‘Then what is the Wudang way?’

「They would send them to the underworld to let heaven judge them, especially if they caught a thief who had stolen the sect’s martial arts.」

It means the rumor Neung Ji-pyeong heard was unlikely to be true.

Unless, of course, Zhang Sanfeng had died and the rules had changed.

“It’s not just that. He stole Zhang Sanfeng’s martial arts, right?”

“Yes…”

“Zhang Sanfeng did not leave any secret techniques or formulas in Wudang. Not any cultivation technique or sword techniques, nothing at all.”

“…”

He had heard this directly from the source.

「The only thing I left behind was the Heaven Ascension Dance, and even that was hidden securely. I don’t understand how they claim it was stolen and taken away.」

Yi-gang pointed out a third issue.

“Above all, I don’t understand why Wudang acted so indirectly. To strip the membership status and let the Shadowless Sword Pavilion dry up and die…

“After Seonwoo Hwi left the Shadowless Sword Pavilion, more than 10 years had passed since his expulsion. Wudang had no grounds…

“If that were true, they wouldn’t have touched the Shadowless Sword Pavilion at all.”

Neung Ji-pyeong remained silent.

Some points were things Neung Ji-pyeong had once found strange himself, and some were new perspectives offered by Yi-gang.

It was a problem worth thinking about, but… Neung Ji-pyeong hung his head.

“It’s all in the past now. What’s the point in questioning it?”

If there was to be any action, it should have been taken long ago, before the Shadowless Sword Pavilion was destroyed, and should have been officially questioned.

Neung Ji-pyeong felt a profound sense of emptiness.

“…It’s just something I should forget.”

“No.”

Then, Yi-gang stood up.

“As Sir Neung who has inherited even a small part of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion’s legacy, I must find out more.”

“Sorry?”

Neung Ji-pyeong was taken aback.

I wondered if Yi-gang was excited, but looking at his face, that wasn’t it.

His gaze was extremely calm.

“Find out more? Whom are you going to ask?”

“The Sect Leader of Wudang, of course.”

“What…”

How could a martial artist from a destroyed sect question the sect leader of Wudang about the past?

“I’m going there now.”

But Yi-gang was different.

Neung Ji-pyeong realized why he felt a familiar sensation from Yi-gang.

Yi-gang greatly resembled his own father.

With a calm demeanor, he carried the attitude that what must be done, will be done.

“Will Sir Neung accompany me?”

Even if Neung Ji-pyeong refused, Yi-gang would surely go to Myung Won and ask about the past.

Even if the questions were uncomfortable for him or for Wudang.

“I…”

Neung Ji-pyeong felt a surge of emotion.

“…I will follow.”

That moment long ago, when Iron-blooded Merciless Baek Ryu-san extended his hand to a pursued Neung Ji-pyeong.

It seemed as though that time had been recreated, more than 20 years later.

Neung Ji-pyeong stood up and followed Yi-gang.

Yi-gang ascended to the Purple Mist Hall without hesitation.

Having received the Heaven Ascension Dance from the Sword Emperor, Yi-gang was no longer a complete outsider.

With his unique position as a successor of Wudang’s legendary martial lineage, Yi-gang received curious glances from the Wudang martial artists.

“I would like to see the Sect Leader.”

For an outsider, this bold attitude could have provoked anger.

However, the first-generation disciple guarding the Purple Mist Hall could not express anger.

After a moment of thought, he relayed this sudden visit to the head.

“Let him in.”

“Thank you.”

Yi-gang entered the Purple Mist Hall.

Myung Won greeted Yi-gang as if wondering what the matter was.

“I have come because there is something I wish to ask.”

“What is it?”

And then Yi-gang spoke of the past.

Myung Won’s face stiffened.

“That is indeed a troublesome question…”

Yi-gang silently stared, demanding an answer.

“Truly, it’s a troublesome question.”

Under that gaze, Myung Won eventually sighed and spoke.