Something Feels Unfair
A bitter, freezing cold had settled over Mount Wudang.
In a secluded clearing, a young man in his mid-twenties swung his spear in a state of absolute trance.
The intense heat radiating from his body vaporized the falling snow the instant it touched him, sending wisps of steam rising into the frosty air.
Han Cheong-un, twenty-five years old.
This was not long after the end of the First Great War between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions.
At the time, Cheong-un had taken a leave of absence from the Wulin Alliance, retreating to Mount Wudang to refine his martial arts.
Crack!
With a sharp burst of air, he finally completed his spear forms.
"How was it?" Cheong-un asked, his face slightly flushed with exertion and filled with anticipation.
The person he addressed was an elderly Taoist wearing the robes of the Wudang Sect.
He wore a threadbare robe and carried a worn sword at his waist. Yet, despite his shabby appearance, he was a living legend of the Wulin and the very symbol of Wudang.
The Taiji Sword Emperor, Cheong-gong.
He was the Supreme Elder of Wudang and the greatest master of the Orthodox faction—or at least, that was how he had been known before the war. Now, the world described him with a single title:
The Undisputed Number One Under Heaven.
Indeed, the brutal history of war always births heroes. And he was the greatest hero to emerge from the recent conflict.
Having faced four leaders of the Sado-palmun alone, forcing them to their knees while he stood tall and unyielding, the world had no choice but to recognize him as the strongest. Now, that very man looked at Cheong-un and spoke.
"Splendid."
"It is all thanks to your guidance, Elder."
"Mm, of course it is."
The strongest man in the world saw no need for false modesty.
He continued, "But your effort was also commendable. Though, of course, it doesn't quite match the brilliance of my teaching."
"..."
"Ahem. The Eight Trigrams martial theory I devised was originally meant for the sword. It cannot have been easy to adapt it for the spear, yet you have made it entirely your own."
"Thank you, Elder."
Cheong-un bowed deeply, clasping his hands in respect, his face filled with emotion. His heart swelled at receiving recognition from his idol.
This boy...
Looking at Cheong-un, a mixture of pride and pity flickered across Cheong-gong's face.
At first, he had only heard rumors. He had grown curious upon hearing that a low-ranking martial artist in the Wulin Alliance's Seventh Sword Squad had achieved remarkable feats.
The stories ranged from him staying behind alone to buy time for his comrades to escape, to him fighting off an entire bandit clan single-handedly to save a commoner girl.
The tales sounded so exaggerated that Cheong-gong had sought him out just to see what kind of fellow he was. And when he saw him in person...
He's the real deal.
If anything, the rumors had understated his abilities.
His martial arts could not compare to the young geniuses of the prestigious Orthodox sects, but that was only because he had never learned any high-level techniques. The fact that he had reached such heights using nothing but the basic martial arts taught in the Wulin Alliance's training camps was nothing short of miraculous.
So, Cheong-gong had observed him further. In doing so, he realized two things.
First...
What a lucky bastard. Why do women stick to him like magnets?
It was surely a blessing from the heavens. The moment Cheong-gong took his eyes off him, a different woman would be by his side. It wasn't even as if the boy was actively pursuing them; they just gravitated toward him on their own.
And second...
He is upright. Stubbornly so.
In fact, he was far too upright. Watching his actions made Cheong-gong wonder if the boy would drop dead if he didn't act righteously, or if he possessed a few spare lives hidden away.
Before he knew it, thinking it would be a waste to let such a talent die, Cheong-gong had saved his life a few times. One thing led to another, and...
"And now we've ended up here," Cheong-gong muttered.
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself."
Regardless, Cheong-gong had brought Cheong-un to Mount Wudang to train him in earnest.
And after teaching him...
He is an even greater monster than I thought.
Honestly, he had expected the boy to have talent. But the Jianghu was always crawling with geniuses. If one searched the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, was there any place without a prodigy? Every generation produced its share of dragons and phoenixes. Cheong-gong had assumed Cheong-un's talent was merely of that caliber.
He had been dead wrong.
He had tested the boy step-by-step to see how much he could absorb, only to realize that Cheong-un had already mastered the Eight Trigrams martial theory—something Cheong-gong hadn't even finished developing yet.
He isn't a genius.
He was a monster. A freak of nature, just like himself.
Naturally, Cheong-gong had wanted to take him in as his disciple. But...
"You cannot do this, Martial Uncle!"
"How can we accept someone like him as a disciple of the great Wudang Sect?"
"Please consider our hierarchy and prestige! If he becomes your disciple, he will become our martial brother. Imagine the sense of deprivation the younger disciples will feel!"
The elders of the sect had risen up in unison to oppose it. Even the Sect Leader had stepped forward to object.
"Martial Uncle, I cannot allow this."
Their excuses were long-winded, but the reason was simple. They could not stomach giving such a high status to a youth who was nothing more than a low-ranking soldier of the Wulin Alliance.
"Tsk. Those so-called Taoists have minds narrower than a needle's eye. I need to find a day to crack all their bald heads open..."
"..."
Cheong-un smiled bitterly. Although he couldn't become an official disciple, the teachings he had received from this man were a debt of gratitude he could never fully repay.
"I am fine, Elder. Please do not worry about it."
"No, absolutely not. I cannot let this slide, if only to spite those unfilial martial nephews of mine."
"Pardon?"
"They think they can talk back to me just because they've grown a bit? I should just turn the whole sect upside down."
"..."
Cheong-un couldn't even bring himself to laugh. This was a man who possessed both the power to actually do it and the temper to match.
"Since it has come to this, I will teach the Eight Trigrams martial theory only to you."
"What?"
"I won't teach those bastards a single move."
"Isn't that leaking the sect's martial arts?"
"It's fine. This isn't the sect's martial arts; it's a personal technique I created myself. I can do whatever I want with it."
I feel like we should hear the Wudang Sect Leader's opinion on that...
"I just had a great idea. I'll teach you all of my personal martial arts."
"Uh, Elder?"
"Let's see... Since you're performing sword forms with a spear, it leaves too many openings in close-quarters combat."
"Excuse me, but..."
"I shall teach you the Soft Palm."
"You cannot do that, Elder!" Cheong-un cried out in shock.
The Wudang Soft Palm. Even as a pure palm technique, it was easily counted among the top ten in the world. To pass down a martial art that, along with the Taiji Sword Art, was the very symbol of Wudang?
Cheong-un spoke with a solemn expression. "Elder, how can you pass down Wudang's secret martial arts to an outsider? The sect's rules would never allow it."
"Fine, then. Instead of the Wudang Soft Palm, I'll teach you the Heaven and Earth Divine Palm. It's a new palm technique I created."
"A new palm technique?"
"Indeed."
"Just out of curiosity, how is it different?"
"The name is different. Isn't it obvious?"
"..."
Is this really okay? I don't think this is okay.
In the end, Cheong-un could not bend Cheong-gong's stubborn will. Thanks to those teachings, Cheong-un was able to learn high-level martial arts, which later played a crucial role in his rise to become the Number One Spear Under Heaven.
I could never call him master. But...
Aside from the basic martial arts he learned at the Wulin Alliance's training camp, the Taiji Sword Emperor was the only person who had ever truly taught Cheong-un.
In truth, even if someone saw Cheong-un using his spear techniques, they would never connect him to the Taiji Sword Emperor—unless they possessed an extraordinary level of insight.
"I will ask you again. What is your relationship with the Sword Emperor?"
Tsk. I guess he really is an elder of Mount Hua.
Looking at Hyeon-myeong's pressing gaze, he seemed convinced that there was some connection between Cheong-un and the Taiji Sword Emperor.
What should I do? I could deny it to the end, but... Ah.
An idea flashed through Cheong-un's mind. It was a sudden thought, but it held a high chance of success.
"I am sorry, but I cannot tell you that."
"You cannot? Why?"
"Without the permission of Cheongheo Jinin, I cannot speak of it."
"Cheongheo... Mmm... Are you related to him?"
"...I am sorry. I cannot say."
"Right. I see."
Hyeon-myeong's fierce glare softened slightly. The moment Cheong-un mentioned his connection to Cheongheo Jinin, the atmosphere shifted.
It worked.
Cheong-un smirked inwardly. Hyeon-myeong was an elder of Mount Hua, but he was someone who prioritized the Wulin Alliance over his own sect. And the person Hyeon-myeong had pushed so hard to become the Alliance Leader was none other than...
Cheongheo Jinin.
The man who had run a sword through Cheong-un's body. The Sect Leader of Wudang and the next Leader of the Wulin Alliance.
To ascend to the position of Alliance Leader, he had relied heavily on the absolute support of Wudang, Mount Hua, Zhongnan, Qingcheng, and other Taoist sword sects. And this man, Hyeon-myeong, must have been one of the closest allies who fiercely backed Cheongheo Jinin.
Selling out Cheongheo Jinin's name to him had worked instantly.
"Then you are... No, never mind. If you cannot speak of it, you do not have to answer."
Hyeon-myeong's mind was likely racing with complex thoughts. Right now, he was probably assuming Cheong-un was a hidden talent secretly raised by Cheongheo Jinin.
"Hmm... I see. So that's how it is."
What is?
"I understand."
Understand what, exactly?
Whatever theory Hyeon-myeong was spinning in his head, he seemed to have convinced himself of a very favorable conclusion.
"Let me ask you one thing. Is the secret cave of the Myriad Shadows Divine Thief that you are guiding us to real?"
"Of course."
"Can you swear it on the name of Cheongheo Jinin?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
Cheong-un answered without a shred of hesitation. His eyes shone with utmost sincerity.
"Very well. In that case, I will act as if I saw nothing. It is not a bad thing to have you owe me a favor..."
"..."
Cheong-un nodded silently.
That went well.
After crossing the Yangtze River and arriving in Hunan, the group quietly parted ways with the Wi Escort Agency and began to move on their own.
Their destination was Nokrok Mountain.
It was a rocky mountain said to be home to green deer, though it was not a particularly famous place. However...
"The secret cave is somewhere in this mountain."
"You don't know the exact location?"
"Yes. We will need to search from here."
"Hmm... I see," Hyeon-myeong said, nodding at Cheong-un's words.
"Very well. Let us split up. Spread out and search every inch of this mountain."
"Yes, Elder!"
"Understood!"
The Mount Hua disciples scattered at once. Cheong-un also moved separately, accompanied by Tang Jin.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the others...
"Do you really not know the exact location of the cave?" Tang Jin asked.
"Of course I do."
Cheong-un knew the exact location. Back then, the discovery of the Myriad Shadows Divine Thief's secret cave had been such a massive event that even the sects weakened by the war had scrambled to get a piece of it. Everyone knew who had found it, where, and what the outcome had been. Naturally, Cheong-un knew it all as well.
"And Lady Baek knows it well too. Isn't that right?"
At Cheong-un's words, Baek Su-ah quietly emerged from the shadows behind them. She walked toward Cheong-un and Tang Jin and spoke.
"Are you planning to hide the cave?"
"The Sect Leader of Mount Hua promised me half of the treasures inside the cave, excluding the Zaha Divine Sword."
"..."
"Honestly, I wouldn't have minded just taking one thing, but my friend here stopped me."
At Cheong-un's words, Tang Jin frowned and chimed in.
"Does it make sense for someone trying to establish a sect to look down on money? How do you expect to build a sect without funds?"
"Isn't there the Beggars' Sect?"
"Oh, really? Should we all become beggars then?"
"...Is that a bad idea?"
"Of course it is!"
"Hmm..."
"Besides, the Beggars' Sect is rich. They probably have more money than my Tang Family."
In any case, funds were essential to building a sect. And...
"Furthermore, judging by Elder Hyeon-myeong's behavior, I doubt he'll actually give us half. We might be lucky to get thirty percent—no, maybe not even ten."
At Tang Jin's sharp assessment, Cheong-un shrugged.
"Since you put it that way, I have no choice. I'll just have to stab them in the back."
He was jaw-droppingly shameless.
Was he always like this? Baek Su-ah wondered. No, he used to be frustratingly upright and transparent.
Baek Su-ah spoke in a dazed voice. "You've changed quite a bit. You weren't the type to resort to such petty tricks before."
"I had to change."
After being stabbed in the back, crippled, and left to rot for over a decade in a pitch-black dungeon, it would be stranger for a person not to change.
Cheong-un glanced at Baek Su-ah.
Her stunning beauty and mysterious aura were almost identical to how she had been in the past. Perhaps she was the only person in this world who could truly understand him, since they shared the same memories.
But...
She doesn't know, does she?
There was a crucial difference. She had died before him, so she couldn't possibly know what had happened to Cheong-un after her death.
Should he tell her? Should he let her know that several elders of her own sect had betrayed him and locked him in a dungeon?
I don't know.
It was a difficult judgment to make.
Lost in thought, the group finally arrived at their destination.
"It should be around here..."
"Here?"
Tang Jin looked at the scene before him, utterly bewildered. All he saw was an ordinary cliff face. Aside from some ivy growing over the rock, there was nothing unusual about it.
"There is a barrier hiding it from our eyes."
"A barrier?"
"The Myriad Shadows Divine Thief was a man of many talents. Naturally, he wouldn't leave his secret cave completely unguarded."
"Ah... Then what do we do? Sect Leader, do you know how to break the barrier?"
"I can do it if I have to, but..."
Cheong-un hesitated. He only knew one way to break a barrier.
If I smash everything to pieces, the barrier will break too.
It would work, but it would cause a massive commotion. If the Mount Hua disciples rushed over at the sound of the barrier shattering, they wouldn't be able to keep the cave to themselves.
In that case...
"Lady Baek."
"..."
"Since we've come all this way, why don't you lend us a hand?"
At Cheong-un's request, Baek Su-ah pondered for a moment before giving a slight nod.
"Promise me one thing."
"Name it."
"Once this is over, do not associate with me ever again. I do not wish to be involved with you..."
"Understood," Cheong-un replied without a moment's hesitation.
With that, Baek Su-ah stepped forward.
"Can she break the barrier?"
"Even if the head of the Zhuge Family came, no one could break a barrier better than her."
"What?"
Stepping forward, Baek Su-ah said, "Hold my hand."
Cheong-un took her hand. Tang Jin reached out to grab her other hand, but—
"Why are you pulling away?" Tang Jin asked as Baek Su-ah quickly withdrew her hand.
She replied, "It is easier to break the barrier if I have one hand free."
"..."
Cheong-un, standing beside them, offered, "Tang Jin, you hold my hand."
"..."
Well, that worked. It certainly solved the problem, but...
Something about this feels incredibly unfair.