Chapter 568: To Henan (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 568: To Henan (2)
After our meeting with Drunken Beggar Woo Bong, we returned to our quarters and immediately began packing our things.
Contrary to our expectations that this would be a drawn-out affair, the matter had been settled with surprising speed.
[Since Drunken Beggar Woo Bong has confirmed the details, there is no need for further discussion.]
That was the message delivered to us by the Sword of Wudang—a man who hadn't even shown his face since our arrival.
It was a blunt dismissal. Since the Leader of the Beggar’s Sect had finished his interrogation, he saw no further reason to deal with us.
From our perspective, it was utterly absurd.
Is he saying he’s done with us, so we’re no longer needed?
We had come as guests, yet he had appeared exactly once at the very beginning and never again. Of course, the Sword Queen would act as our representative to conclude the formal talks later, but it felt as though he had zero interest in speaking with young prodigies like us.
I wanted to believe this was just my own insecurity, but that wasn't the only thing bothering me.
Still, for him not to come see me at all is a bit strange, isn't it?
I wasn't being arrogant; it was an objective assessment.
Between myself, the Sword Dragon—who was poised to become the next Sword King—and Gu Ryunghwa, the renowned disciple of the Sword Queen, the Sword of Wudang chose to remain absent? This was a problematic stance for him to take. It meant he had no intention of fostering goodwill with the young generation who would one day dominate the Central Plains.
Especially for a man who values his reputation so much.
Why had he gone out of his way to bring the Leader of the Beggar’s Sect here? On the surface, it was to investigate the Wind Cloud Ghost Thief or the truth behind the attack. But I suspected a different motive lurked beneath the surface.
Then again, that was part of the plan.
I had expected the Sword of Wudang to act this way. In fact, I had hoped for it.
Though I didn't expect Drunken Beggar Woo Bong to show up in person.
I had anticipated someone from the Beggar’s Sect would accompany him, but I hadn't expected the Sect Leader himself to grace us with his presence.
...Because it had to be that way.
The reasoning behind my prediction was simple. First, there was the matter of the Wind Cloud Ghost Thief. As I’ve said before, even without the Mount Hua Sect issue, Wudang needed the Beggar’s Sect to spread specific rumors.
Phrases like: [Wudang, the choice of the Wind Cloud Ghost Thief.]
The problem was that in his attempt to exploit this, the Sword of Wudang’s mention of the thief had prompted Drunken Beggar Woo Bong to act personally. From my perspective, this was a dangerous predicament. I didn't know the old man well, and there was a high chance he might notice something. I was inwardly anxious.
But it went more smoothly than I expected.
Fortunately, no issues arose. That in itself was a surprise. And thanks to that, the situation had actually turned in my favor.
Not only was Wudang attacked, but Drunken Beggar Woo Bong himself came to confirm it.
This alone would generate massive rumors. More importantly, this was exactly what the Sword of Wudang wanted. He was likely hoping these rumors would spread far and wide.
The Heavenly Demon who attacked this place will be romanticized, and his legend will spread throughout the Central Plains.
It had to be this way. Only then would there be a justification for Wudang being breached and the attack succeeding.
The narrative they had to push was clear: The Heavenly Demon is overwhelmingly strong—so strong that Wudang, in the absence of the Sword of Wudang, could not stop him. He is a villain who opposes the entire Alliance.
To protect Wudang’s reputation and mobilize the Alliance to hunt this "Heavenly Demon," they had to frame it this way. It was far better to be defeated by a transcendent master than by some nameless grunt.
Not bad.
Looking at it that way, it was advantageous for me as well. At least, up to this point.
I shifted my gaze. Amidst the whistling wind, I looked past the trees toward the heart of Wudang. I stared at the place where they resided, my eyes cold and hollow.
I wish I had killed one or two more.
I had killed Woobaek. I had corrupted Jicheol into a Demonic Human and forced him to commit suicide. I had snuffed out two of Wudang’s pillars—one from their future and one from their present.
And yet, it wasn't enough.
What a pity.
I should have killed more. It was the best I could do while sticking to the plan, so it couldn't be helped, but the regret lingered. I had truly intended to slaughter all of Wudang’s elders.
So that bastard might feel a little better.
I smiled bitterly as I recalled the past. The face of my friend, who used to follow me around like a shadow, flashed through my mind. He was always so annoying that I’d hurl every curse I knew at him, but he never left.
Until the very end.
I remember his last words to me.
[Go on ahead. Thank you for everything.]
That’s what he said while covered in blood, holding back a tide of demons.
Fucking idiot. What was there to be thankful for?
His incomprehensible gratitude remained lodged deep in my heart. He should have abandoned a useless cripple like me and saved his own skin. What was he thinking, throwing away his precious life like that? It’s not like he even survived.
The Sleeping Dragon died in the end. That day, Wudang’s brightest star lost its light.
And do you know what’s truly hilarious? The Sleeping Dragon fell from the sky for my sake, but the ones who truly wanted that star to fall were none other than the Wudang Sect itself.
By the time I learned the truth, it was far too late. I tried to burn them all to death then, but the Heavenly Demon of that era had ordered me not to touch Wudang. I never understood why.
In the end, the only thing that mattered was that Wudang drove the Sleeping Dragon to his death. Why? Why did they have to kill their own brightest star in such a way? I don't know. I don't know, and I don't care.
All I know is that they killed him. That is the only fact I need to focus on.
And the culprit behind that scheme is among the elders. I don't know if the Sword of Wudang was involved, but someone in that inner circle is responsible. I don't know who, and I don't know how many.
But it doesn't matter. If I don't know the exact culprit, I’ll just kill them all. Every last suspect. That would solve the problem.
"Tsk."
It was a shame I had to stop here, lest the plan I’d laid out go awry. It couldn't be helped.
I made the decision, so I have to stick to it.
When I chose to leave my training, I set a rule for myself: revenge would always be a secondary objective. It must never interfere with what needs to be done. Pushing further now would be a clear interference.
So, I endure.
For now.
I told myself to be patient. I had prepared for the right time, so I had to wait. I repeated the mantra in my head.
"Hmph."
I took a short breath and composed myself, circulating my internal energy to cool my emotions. Woong—!
As the energy flowed, my mind grew cold and clear. However...
Twinge.
"...Ugh..."
As I tried to circulate my Qi, a sharp pain shot through my heart. It was the internal injury. I had to grit my teeth against the agony; it was far more severe than I had anticipated.
...I’ll have to visit the Immortal Healer.
According to my schedule, I was supposed to head straight to Henan, but it seemed a detour to see the Immortal Healer was necessary. Now that my plans were accelerating, I needed to gather "the guys" for a talk anyway.
Jiseon should be at the Hwangbo Clan. I’ll send word for him to meet me in Henan.
As I was tidying my clothes and pondering what to do about the others...
Rustle.
"...!"
A sudden sense of wrongness washed over me. I whipped my head toward the sound and froze.
Someone was sitting on the table in my residence—a room that should have been empty.
"Holhol."
The Leader of the Beggar’s Sect, Drunken Beggar Woo Bong. He was perched casually on my table. He had even brewed tea, though I had no idea when he’d prepared it.
A cold sweat broke out across my skin as I stared at the old man.
When... when the hell did he get in here?
I hadn't felt a thing. Not his entrance, not the moment he sat down, not even the sound of the tea brewing. I hadn't sensed a single trace of his presence.
Is it because of my injuries? My dulled senses had failed to pick up his movements. Or... Did I fail to sense him at all?
It was entirely possible that I was simply incapable of detecting him. Considering who he was—the legendary Wind Cloud Ghost Thief whom no one could ever catch—it made perfect sense.
...This isn't the time for that.
Before the silence stretched too long, I raised my hands in a respectful greeting.
"...I greet the Leader of the Beggar’s Sect."
"Holhol. That’s enough. I came unannounced, so there’s no need for such formalities. If anything, I should be the one apologizing."
As I tried to maintain protocol, Drunken Beggar Woo Bong raised a hand to stop me.
"I’m sorry if I startled you."
"...Not at all."
Of course I’m startled. How could I not be? I swallowed the words. Why is he here? Wasn't his business finished?
Tension coiled in my gut. While I carefully managed my expression, unsure of his intentions, the old man spoke.
"I came in such a hurry because I have something to ask you."
I braced myself for the question.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes...?"
At his question, my body turned to stone.
"You looked to be in quite bad shape."
"..."
My eyes narrowed. A chill ran down my spine. A thousand thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant, but I fought to keep my face a mask of calm.
"What do you mean by that, all of a sudden...?"
"Holhol."
Drunken Beggar Woo Bong chuckled. It looked like a simple, grandfatherly laugh, but to me, it sounded like the edge of a blade. Cold and sharp.
"Child of the Gu Clan," he said. "You seem skilled at concealing things with your energy, but there is a flaw."
Gulp.
The sound of me swallowing seemed to echo like thunder in the quiet room.
"Even if one cannot see inside, the subtle differences on the outside cannot be hidden. Your gait, for example."
"...!"
"Even the slightest pain in a fingertip causes a visible change in movement. Unfortunately, you don't seem very good at hiding such things."
He deduced I was injured just by watching me walk, even though I masked my internal state with Qi?
No way.
I had done everything in my power to stay hidden. How could he have noticed in such a brief window of time?
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Contrary to the chaos churning inside me, my voice remained steady.
"Holhol."
Seeing this, Drunken Beggar Woo Bong laughed again, seemingly amused. "Don't be so tense. I was just speaking out of concern. If you wish to hide it, then so be it."
"I am perfectly fine, Sect Leader."
"Hmm."
It sounded like he was willing to let it go. But I couldn't admit to anything here. I had to feign ignorance until the bitter end, even if I’d been caught.
"Alright. If you say so, then it must be so."
At my continued denial, the old man nodded. "Then, may I ask one more thing?"
"..."
Before I could even give him leave to speak, he continued.
"Child. Do you know what the one thing is that cannot be erased completely, no matter how well you remove all other traces?"
As he spoke, the old man slid something onto the table.
"...!"
I frowned at the sight of it.
Dawn.
The treasure of Wudang that had been in the Mount Hua Sect’s keeping. The very treasure I had intended to steal during this mission.
Why does Drunken Beggar Woo Bong have that?
Before the question could fully form, the old man looked me in the eye.
"A scent. No matter what traces you erase, a scent does not fade so easily. So, I wanted to ask..."
His voice dropped an octave.
"Why does this treasure carry your scent? Child, do you happen to know the reason?"
I had to figure out a way to kill Drunken Beggar Woo Bong in this very spot.
Somehow, I had to think of a way.