The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

All of the Seven Great Immortals were both sorcerers and Peak masters.

Yo Myung-sa was no exception.

Her weapon consisted of a pair of twin daggers, curved blades typically used by the barbarians of Yunnan.

A dagger shot out from her fluttering sleeves, aiming for Yi-gang’s neck as it passed by.

Yi-gang tilted his head to avoid it.

Although he completely evaded the dagger’s blade, the sword energy enveloping it was far thicker than he had anticipated.

Screech—

The thin skin beneath his ear was sliced open, and blood splattered.

In terms of martial prowess, Yi-gang was naturally far superior.

However, what he held in his hand was not his familiar longsword but a short willow leaf throwing knife barely a hand span in length.

It was the very thing that the Guardian had thrown earlier as a warning.

Yi-gang overcame the disadvantage of his weapon through his mastery of martial arts.

As the willow leaf throwing knife aimed for her face, Yo Myung-sa recoiled in shock.

Yi-gang advanced, intending to cut off Yo Myung-sa’s breath in one swift move.

At that moment, Zhang Sanfeng shouted, 「The opponent is a sorcerer! Be even more vigilant!」

Yi-gang had faced opponents more skilled than Yo Myung-sa before, but he had never actually fought against a sorcerer.

Upon hearing Zhang Sanfeng’s warning, Yi-gang decided to step back.

It was the right choice.

Two long snakes suddenly shot out from Yo Myung-sa’s sleeves, where she held her daggers.

“Hisssss—!”

The bright red snakes even had horns on their heads.

They flew up as if they had wings, baring their fangs.

“Damn…!”

Thanks to the distance he had created, Yi-gang could react in time.

He split the head of one snake vertically with his dagger, while his hand grabbed the neck of the other.

Boom—

The snakes dispersed, leaving only a bright red mist behind.

It wasn’t that she was carrying real snakes; it was a type of spell.

Moreover, even the mist itself was dangerous.

「Hold your breath!」

It was clear that inhaling it wouldn’t be good.

Yi-gang held his breath as he prepared to charge through the mist.

At that moment, Yi-gang caught sight of Yo Myung-sa’s face.

She was quietly waiting for him.

Her eyes were calm, like a hunter who had set a trap and was waiting for the beast to walk into it.

The moment Yi-gang saw that look, he changed his mind and altered his actions.

He pretended to step into the red mist but pulled his upper body back.

Tick—

And in that instant, the red mist burst into blue flames.

It was just a moment, but the light was so intense that it was blinding, and the heat made his face burn.

“Ugh!”

Yo Myung-sa groaned as if in frustration.

That was her last chance. Even though she had unleashed all her hidden tricks, she couldn’t stop Yi-gang.

Only then did she resign herself to her fate.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

She let out a loud scream to call for help.

Yi-gang subdued her in an instant.

Using the Azure Forest’s Wisteria Hand, he twisted her arm behind her back and pressed the dagger against her neck.

“Is there nothing more to say? If you provide me with useful information, I’ll make your end painless.”

“…Ugh!”

Yo Myung-sa bit her lip hard.

“Do you think you’ll be safe after killing me?”

“We’ll see.”

“Ugh, if you don’t want to die, let me go now!” Yo Myung-sa shouted boldly instead.

Yi-gang hesitated for a moment.

It wasn’t because he was persuaded by her words.

He was considering what would happen after he killed Yo Myung-sa.

Since the scream was heard, chaos would soon ensue. Perhaps, he might have to face all of the Seven Great Immortals.

‘…Is it possible?’

「If they are gathered together, we could wipe them out in one fell swoop…」

Yi-gang had the Flood Dragon’s heart in his possession, and by his side was the spirit of Zhang Sanfeng.

If Zhang Sanfeng were to possess him, it would be easy to handle the Seven Great Immortals, no matter how strong they might be.

Nevertheless, there was a reason why he couldn’t use such a trump card.

“The Emperor is in our grasp! If you don’t want to be accused of treason and face execution by dismemberment…”

As Yo Myung-sa said, if they couldn’t wipe out the Seven Great Immortals in one go, or if the Embroidered Uniform Guard rushed in and things went wrong, there was a chance they could be accused of treason.

They had to avoid any action that would harm the clan or the martial sects.

As Yi-gang hesitated, Yo Myung-sa’s confidence grew.

“Yes, think carefully. You are…”

“Disgusting creature.”

But regardless of anything—

“Nothing that comes out of your mouth is truthful or valuable.”

—there was no reason to keep Yo Myung-sa alive here.

Her face turned pale.

---

Bang!

Yi-ryong smashed the door open.

Wi Mi-hyeon and Jeok-woong, who had rushed alongside him, were startled, but his actions were unwavering.

The first thing that caught Yi-ryong’s eye was Yi-gang standing calmly.

He wasn’t holding a sword, and his stance was just an ordinary one.

However, Yi-ryong could tell with certainty that Yi-gang was a swordsman. The chilling sensation along his spine told him so.

And, just below Yi-gang to the right, Yo Myung-sa lay collapsed.

She lay dead, blood flowing from her mouth.

Yi-ryong felt his mind go completely blank, as if it had turned white-hot.

Crash—!

The moment of the sudden clash erupted without warning.

A loud noise echoed as the shockwave spread out.

The hems of Yi-ryong and Yi-gang’s clothes fluttered wildly, as if caught in a storm.

The teacups on the table fell, shattering with a loud crash.

“…You bastard.”

It was as if flames were about to pour out of Yi-ryong’s mouth.

The scar left on his forehead, from when he had been branded, burned as if it were still fresh.

“You…!”

However, Yi-gang’s face, facing him, remained completely calm.

His glass-like eyes stared directly into Yi-ryong’s, devoid of anger or passion, as if ice had been embedded in his eye sockets.

That expression ignited Yi-ryong’s fury.

Hand Aura condensed in Yi-ryong’s hand.

Sword Aura gathered on the dagger Yi-gang held.

Just as another clash was about to erupt—

“You seem to be mistaken,” Yi-gang spoke dryly.

“…”

“I wasn’t the one who killed her.”

Yi-gang glanced at Yo Myung-sa’s corpse with his eyes.

Yi-ryong, still wary of Yi-gang, opened his mouth, “Heuk Seok-gye.”

“Eldest Brother… This is…!”

He had ordered Heuk Seok-gye to investigate, but the reaction was unusual.

Only then did Yi-ryong turn his gaze to Yo Myung-sa’s body.

“…”

And the Hand Aura condensation covering his fist dissipated into nothingness.

A willow leaf throwing knife was embedded in the center of Yo Myung-sa’s forehead.

It was a fatal wound, more than enough to take her life.

However, what truly stopped Yi-ryong’s breath was none other than the form of that dagger.

“Guardian…!”

A white blade with a golden handle—there was no doubt it was a willow leaf throwing knife used by the Guardian.

“The ceiling opened, and a willow leaf throwing knife flew out. It was an unavoidable accident.”

“…”

“That woman tried to respond, but the skills of the master in the ceiling were extraordinary. I tried to help as well, but…”

“…”

“So, it was the Guardian.”

Yi-gang threw the dagger he had picked up from Yo Myung-sa onto the floor.

The clattering sound echoed in the silence.

Yi-ryong remained still for a long time.

His mind was filled with confusion.

That was definitely the Guardian’s willow leaf throwing knife.

If the Guardian had intervened, it made sense that Yo Myung-sa was taken down so easily.

What he couldn’t understand was, ‘why?’

Why would the Guardian, who had remained silent until now, kill Yo Myung-sa?

Aside from Yi-gang, who was present here, no one could guess the reason.

Yi-ryong raised his head and looked up at the ceiling.

He felt like tearing the Guardian to shreds right then and there. However, that was not possible.

“…Can you explain in detail what exactly happened?”

“Of course.”

Yi-gang nodded.

While Yi-ryong was deliberating, Yi-gang was calculating.

The possibilities. He was assessing the possibility of wiping out all of the Seven Great Immortals here.

‘How long would it take to deal with Yi-ryong and the two behind him?’

「If I possess you, I can subdue the one in front in ten moves and the two behind in three seconds each.」

Only three members of the Seven Great Immortals had come with Yi-ryong.

Even if he dealt with all of them…

“What is going on here! Huff!”

At that moment, the Embroidered Uniform Guard appeared.

They were horrified to see Yo Myung-sa’s corpse.

Ordinarily, the Embroidered Uniform Guard would not have been allowed into the inner quarters, but due to the presence of King Gye-yeong, they had expanded their patrol inside.

Yi-gang gently placed the Flood Dragon’s heart he had been toying with back in his hand. The weight in his heart leaned towards staying still.

「You’ve made a wise choice.」

Yi-gang walked steadily towards the door.

Yi-ryong remained still, but Jeok-woong and Heuk Seok-gye’s hands twitched slightly.

“I’ll explain everything. But first, I’d like to leave.”

“…”

Yi-ryong glared at Yi-gang for a moment before stepping aside.

Yi-gang walked through the open door.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard, wary of both the Seven Great Immortals and Yi-gang, made way for him.

「Indeed, it is quite surprising.」

Zhang Sanfeng’s words were true.

Just a moment ago, Yi-gang had thought of the Guardian as a way to resolve this situation.

The mysterious and silent Guardian.

He had intended to pin the responsibility on him.

But then, at that exact moment, the ceiling opened, and the Guardian’s willow leaf throwing knife was fired.

It took her life.

「Whether he understood the situation and decided to help, or it was merely a coincidence…」

‘I’m not sure.’

Neither Yi-gang nor Zhang Sanfeng could know the exact truth.

However, it was undoubtedly a stroke of luck for Yi-gang.

Upon returning to where the Emperor was, King Gye-yeong and his children were gathered with serious expressions.

Yi-gang gave his statement to the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Seven Great Immortals about what had happened before leaving the palace.

There wasn’t much to add beyond what he had already told Yi-ryong earlier.

In the heavy atmosphere, Yi-gang and King Gye-yeong left the palace.

---

That night, in the inner courtyard of Huangtian Palace.

Yi-ryong and the Seven Great Immortals stood in a small outdoor garden that the Emperor no longer visited.

Or rather, it should now be called the Six Great Immortals.

Under the starless night sky, the lit torches cast shadows on Yi-ryong’s face.

He stared at Yo Myung-sa’s corpse with hollow eyes.

He knew Yo Myung-sa was not satisfied with the current situation, but Yi-ryong had considered her a sibling.

He thought the other members of the Seven Great Immortals felt similarly.

“Wi Mi-hyeon.”

“Yes, Eldest Brother.”

“The blood of the County Princess?”

“It still holds value as a reagent.”

“I see.”

The purpose of summoning King Gye-yeong and his children through the Emperor today was to secure the Honorable County Princess’s blood.

The plan was successful, and the results were satisfactory.

However, they had not anticipated that Yo Myung-sa would be killed by the Guardian.

“Eldest Brother, please calm yourself,” advised Heuk Seok-gye, the calmest of them.

Only then did Yi-ryong realize that his hands were trembling.

“We cannot confront the Guardian about this.”

“…Do you think I would jeopardize our grand task out of revenge?”

“Not necessarily, but…”

“There’s no need to worry.”

In Yi-ryong’s hand was the willow leaf throwing knife that had been embedded in Yo Myung-sa’s forehead.

He carefully placed it inside his robe, as if he intended to keep it.

“The moment our grand task is complete, the world will pay its price. That includes the Guardian.”

Today, they had been especially cautious and set up a formation around the inner courtyard.

Not even the Guardian would dare eavesdrop on their conversation here.

“The Great Plan will commence on the Longevity Festival.”

“When you say the Great Plan…”

Their strategies were prepared in various ways, depending on the situation. A total of five strategies, ranked by their risk level and severity.

And what came out of Yi-ryong’s mouth was the most dangerous, the fifth strategy.

“It is the Great Plan of the Beast Blood Ritual.”

“Eldest Brother!”

A strategy involving a sacrificial ritual with the blood of beasts.

It meant performing a blood sacrifice for the Heavenly Demon.

“Isn’t that plan too extreme? First of all…”

The startled Heuk Seok-gye tried to dissuade Yi-ryong.

He assumed that Yi-ryong had lost his reason in anger.

However, Yi-ryong’s voice that followed was nothing but calm, “Think wisely, Heuk Seok-gye. Do you really believe the Guardian is a mindless puppet? Even after witnessing today’s events?”

“…”

“He clearly has his own agenda. The Great Plan of the Beast Blood Ritual is the most appropriate.”

If the Great Plan of the Beast Blood Ritual were to begin, countless people would die.

Members of the imperial family, ministers, and even the Emperor.

And perhaps all of the Seven Great Immortals as well…

“Tomorrow, I will issue an imperial decree with the Emperor’s seal.”

“…Understood.”

Yi-ryong stood up from his seat.

“Burn Yo Myung-sa’s body and bury the ashes in the ground.”

It was a cold way to handle the body of a comrade.

However, none of the Seven Great Immortals thought of it that way.

“At least, among us, she will depart the most peacefully.”

Tonight, Yi-ryong and the Seven Great Immortals were all prepared to die painfully and be torn apart.