The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

During the Song Dynasty, there was a remarkable Taoist named Wang Chongyang.

He practiced the inner alchemy to its extremes, accumulating tremendous Taoist power, and had seven outstanding disciples.

Together, they founded a sect, which was none other than the Quanzhen Sect.

The Quanzhen Sect became the supreme Taoist lineage.

At that time, no other Taoist sect could compare to the Quanzhen Sect, except for the Azure Forest. It was said to be greater than even the Wudang.

There were also stories that the current Mount Hua Sect originated from the lineage of Quanzhen, making it a sect with significant roots.

In fact, the legitimacy of Quanzhen went back even further.

It was said that Wang Chongyang’s teacher was a legendary immortal named Lu Dongbin, who belonged to the Eight Immortals of Taoism.

A fellow member of the Eight Immortals, Zhongli Quan, also studied under this legendary immortal who used the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique to slay evil dragons and save the world from despair, a tale reminiscent of Jiang Ziya.

The Quanzhen Sect revered Lu Dongbin as Lu the Progenitor and honored him as a great ancestor of the sect.

However, despite their fame, the Quanzhen Sect was annihilated more than 200 years ago.

It was the work of the Evil Cult.

The tablets of their honored ancestors were completely burned, and the martial artists who rose up with swords were tragically killed.

Although the Evil Cult also suffered losses, there seemed to be no one left to stop them.

The revenge of the Quanzhen Sect was only accomplished much later.

The orthodox martial artists and Immortal Divine Sword gathered under the banner of eradicating the Evil Cult and attacked their main base.

They even succeeded in beheading the notorious leader of the Evil Cult.

The leader of the Evil Cult was an Absolute master and the best in the world at that time, only because of Immortal Divine Sword could they barely manage to kill him.

Some said that the Evil Cult was subdued too easily given its known strength, but those who knew the prowess of the Immortal Divine Sword had no doubts.

However, the martial arts of that Quanzhen Sect—

Among them, the secret technique called “Radiant Shadowless Art” was revealed to the world through the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

There were no similarities between the Shadowless Sword Pavillion and the Radiant Shadowless Art except for the word “shadowless.”

Then…

“…Did the Shadowless Sword Pavilion inherit the lineage of the Quanzhen Sect?”

Su Ryong-ja made the most likely inference.

The surviving lineage of the Quanzhen Sect had possessed the Radiant Shadowless Art and passed it on through the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.

But Seonwoo Hwi just clenched his teeth.

“I hoped it was that at first too. But… it wasn’t.”

However, if that were the case, Seonwoo Hwi wouldn’t have left his sect and come to Su Ryong-ja to report the change.

Su Ryong-ja furrowed his brows and asked, “Is that so?”

“The head of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion acquired this martial art through a trade.”

“A trade?”

“He agreed to perform dirty deeds and act as someone’s underling in exchange for the martial art. He even asked them to deal with the enemies of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion by providing them with an elixir.”

“…Who are they!”

Su Ryong-ja was greatly surprised. It was indeed a suspicious story.

“I don’t know exactly, but they are no ordinary people. The head of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion knows as well. I suspect they might be descendants of the Evil Cult, but…”

“Since when has this been happening?”

“It seems the trade has been happening for at least 50 years.”

“Fifty years…!”

It was no short period.

That’s why Su Ryong-ja, as an elder of the great Wudang Sect, found something utterly incomprehensible.

“How can he trust such suspicious people and make such a trade? And that too, a person who is the head of a sect!”

No matter if they promised to give him a martial art.

No, rather, isn’t that more suspicious?

While he didn’t know what they demanded from the Shadowless Sword Pavilion, Su Ryong-ja couldn’t accept it.

“…It’s because of desire.”

However, that was a naïve thought only possible because Su Ryong-ja had started as a genius in the great Wudang Sect and had a smooth path to becoming an elder.

Seonwoo Hwi knew how far humans could be driven by desire.

“Still, it seems the Shadowless Sword Pavilion wasn’t corrupt from the beginning.”

“Then…”

“Their initial demands weren’t much either. They just asked for information about other sects related to the Shadowless Sword Pavilion.”

“Just for that, they gave away the manual of the Quanzhen Sect’s divine art?”

“At first, they must have been suspicious. But the martial art was indeed authentic.”

The head of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion wouldn’t be a fool either.

But his ambition was too deep compared to his capabilities.

He probably thought he could make his sect greater than the Five Great Clans in his generation.

And those who passed on the Radiant Shadowless Art, seeing the head’s greed, gradually increased their demands.

“We turned the Radiant Shadowless Art into the martial art of the Sword Pavilion. Claimed it was a hidden divine art and kept it secret to avoid spreading…”

They taught the Quanzhen Sect’s martial arts to the most outstanding disciples and recorded its effects to pass on, and in return, they received an elixir.

“They started committing murders. They set up opposition with the sects they pointed out…”

Initially, they were opposing a small bandit faction.

The place called the Murim faction was inevitably a gathering of those who pursued struggle, so there was no problem up to here.

“They used poison, plotted conspiracies, and assisted in their acts of violence. Among the sects that were annihilated…”

However, their demands gradually deviated from the path of humanity.

The Shadowless Sword Pavilion became their hands and feet.

“It’s not widely known, but our sect was involved with several others. Among them…”

Seonwoo Hwi listed numerous names. These were people the Shadowless Sword Pavilion had killed or crippled.

“Danwon School, Sound Sword Hall, Heavenly Rain Hall and other renowned solo practitioners. The death of the Three Virtues Gentleman was also due to the Shadowless Sword Pavilion…”

All were different cases of death or annihilation.

Among them, there were details that would shock Su Ryong-ja.

“…and also, the Seonwoo Clan.”

Seonwoo Hwi’s voice trembled. He was a martial artist from the small Seonwoo clan.

That single statement seemed to explain why Seonwoo Hwi had come all this way.

“What I have said is the absolute truth.”

Seonwoo Hwi knelt down and pressed his forehead to the ground.

“I tried to reveal and punish the sins of my sect alone. But with my own power, I couldn’t change anything. Please help me, Sage!”

If Su Ryong-ja hadn’t set up a Qi barrier to block the sound, Seonwoo Hwi’s voice would have resonated throughout the entirety of Wudang.

“I will ask. Do you have any clues about the identity of the organization that has been operating in the dark?”

“I have heard the name. It seems to be the person in charge of that organization. It doesn’t seem to be his real name though…”

“Speak.”

“He calls himself Gwi-ryeong…”

Gwi-ryeong.

Unknown to them, Gwi-ryeong was the most secretive figure among the Three Divine Positions of the Evil Cult.

Even Su Ryong-ja didn’t know his name.

“That’s right.”

Su Ryong-ja moved like lightning.

Tadadak—

Seonwoo Hwi, who had been lying prone, was swiftly subdued with acupoint pressing.

Su Ryong-ja lightly hoisted him onto his shoulders.

“I do not believe everything you’ve said, but it doesn’t seem to be entirely false, so I will spare your life.”

Then he used his movement technique to head towards Purple Mist Palace, where the sect leader resided.

That’s how things turned out.

After that, Seonwoo Hwi was not seen again.

---

The story has ended.

Neung Ji-pyeong was trembling with his hands.

The truth he had learned after decades was simply too much to accept.

A sect annihilated, having colluded with a suspicious force.

The martial art taught by his master as a secret was not of the Shadowless Sword Pavilion but from the annihilated Quanzhen Sect.

Moreover, those who passed it on must have been wicked people.

“How can, how can something so absurd…”

“It was personally investigated by the Alliance Leader at the time. Even Mu Myung, that monk, must know about it.”

He said that Divine Monk Mu Myung was aware of this fact.

He could verify the truth when he returned to the Murim Alliance.

Though he wanted to do so immediately, Neung Ji-pyeong also knew deep down that Su Ryong-ja had no reason to lie.

“I don’t know why they just stripped them of their member status without conducting a direct investigation…”

“Master, why didn’t you tell me even a single word!”

It wasn’t just Neung Ji-pyeong who was bewildered.

Su Ryong-ja hadn’t told the secrets to the then sect leader, Sage Jang Hyun either.

“The Alliance Leader at the time asked me to keep it strictly confidential. He said it was something that must be kept secret and would tell me immediately if he found out the truth. So I did just that.”

“No matter what…”

“Enough! What do you plan to achieve by questioning me about the past! Don’t you still understand that the ways of the world are unpredictable?”

He was sharply rebuked and lost for words.

“But… if you had understood the truth, you should have told me.”

“I didn’t hear the truth either.”

“What?”

“The previous Alliance Leader died suddenly, didn’t he? From a boil on his back that was lanced, leading to a fatal fever.”

That incident was why the Divine Monk Mu Myung became the Murim Alliance Leader.

At that time, although an in-depth investigation was conducted following the sudden death of the Alliance Leader, it was deemed an unfortunate accident.

But hearing about it now, it seemed like a suspiciously convenient death.

“Then… where is Seonwoo Hwi now?”

“That guy?”

It is unlikely that Seonwoo Hwi’s dantian was shattered or his limbs’ meridians were severed.

A peculiar anticipation was visible on Neung Ji-pyeong’s face. It was neither hope nor anger.

“He went to Yunnan to find a clue about that Gwi-ryeong person and then disappeared. That was already 15 years ago.”

It was a long time ago, but at least it was after Yi-gang was born.

Neung Ji-pyeong was even more surprised that his senior was still alive up to that time.

The fact that only Su Ryong-ja knew about this incident was just as hard to believe.

Su Ryong-ja spoke as if preaching, “To attain true understanding one must embrace inaction. As a practitioner, I sought emptiness, but as an elder with position within the sect, I could not ignore my duties.”

It might seem irresponsible, but Su Ryong-ja was indeed a Taoist hermit.

Neung Ji-pyeong eventually bowed his head.

Yi-gang sat beside him, and quietly placed his hand on his back.

“I knew nothing…”

Perhaps, Yi-gang might have unnecessarily unearthed some harsh truths.

Things thought to have been settled long ago.

Had Neung Ji-pyeong not heard the story, he might have continued to harbor only resentment towards Seonwoo Hwi and forgotten everything.

But Yi-gang neither apologized nor offered consolation.

To do so would have been akin to deceiving Neung Ji-pyeong.

“However, it wasn’t something that could just be forgotten. Thank you, Young Master.”

Neung Ji-pyeong stood up.

And bowed deeply to Su Ryong-ja.

“Thank you, Sage.”

“Hmm. Seonwoo Hwi mentioned that there were still good kids in the Shadowless Sword Pavilion. It seems you were one of them.”

“…”

“He might still be alive. He was no ordinary person, and he could have perfected the Radiant Shadowless Art.”

Su Ryong-ja’s gaze towards Neung Ji-pyeong changed.

From near indifference, it now contained a hint of goodwill.

“If that guy comes back, I will have a letter sent.”

Neung Ji-pyeong bowed deeply once more.

Then, he asked about something that was bothering him.

“He perfected the Radiant Shadowless Art?”

“Yes, indeed. In the Shadowless Sword Pavilion, it was transformed and practiced under the name Shadowless Splendor.”

Indeed.

That was what had been passed on to Yi-gang. The Immortal Divine Sword had also acknowledged its exceptional nature, calling it an extraordinary martial art.

“I did say it was perfected, but using the martial art of the annihilated Quanzhen seemed shameful… so it was completely revamped.”

“What?”

Neung Ji-pyeong gasped.

“That technique is of a type that most people cannot even learn. Only those with specific talents can master it.”

Yi-gang inadvertently recalled the Immortal Divine Sword’s assessment.

「Hmm! Although it’s crude compared to the perfected Great Yin Flow, it seems to be aimed at achieving spiritual powers.」

He had said that.

“Even I couldn’t master it properly. Apart from Seonwoo Hwi, only one other person managed to learn it. That kid restored the Radiant Shadowless Art to its proper form.”

Although it was unknown who he was, it was clear he had tremendous talent.

“Yes, go and ask. It’s not something for the Shadowless Sword Pavilion to claim, but since the martial art has lost its owner, what does it matter? Go and ask him.”

At that, Myung Won made a troubled face, and Jang Hyun clicked his tongue as if it was a pity.

But Su Ryong-ja didn’t mind.

“To whom are you referring?”

“Who else, my disciple.”

Since there were only two disciples and Jang Hyun here wasn’t the one, that left only one answer.

“The Sword Emperor?”

To Yi-gang’s question, Su Ryong-ja nodded as if it was the most obvious thing.

---

It was unimaginable that someone else besides Su Ryong-ja knew everything.

That and was someone who had conversed and even saved each other’s lives.

The Sword Emperor was still not able to move freely, but he was up from his sickbed.

He had heard the story from Neung Ji-pyeong.

About the Radiant Shadowless Art and the words from Su Ryong-ja.

“I was really surprised when Master brought Seonwoo Hwi. It was like he had caught a wild boar, carrying him on his shoulder.”

“…I see.”

“That guy suffered a lot. He kept trying to escape, so the Master thought about breaking his legs.”

The Sword Emperor smiled warmly, as if he remembered that time.

“If it’s your senior, he might still be alive. I haven’t seen him since he went to Yunnan, but he was as virtuous as the Taoists of Wudang.”

Only then did Neung Ji-pyeong seem to be relieved.

Then, the Sword Emperor turned to Yi-gang.

“I thought I owed you a debt I could never repay, but I am glad I can help you even a little.”

He declared while looking at Yi-gang, “I will teach you the Radiant Shadowless Art here.”

Neung Ji-pyeong was the happiest.

Then, the Sword Emperor added softly, “It might finally lead you to the next realm.”