Wudang's Shocking Inheritance

Mudang... bugs? I stood up from my seat, politely cupping my hands in a fist and bowing deeply. Gu Yang-so nodded with a broad smile spreading across his face.

"Of course! The Beggar Clan's lightness skill is the best under heaven! As your senior, how could I not respond to your passion for martial arts?"

What I was asking for now was basically a face-saving gesture. It was like requesting just the shell of their core inner arts and techniques, without any true intent behind them. He liked that I, the junior, was only asking to see half a move instead of getting it handed over outright—that's why he was so enthusiastic. Shameless beggar bastard...

Gu Yang-so quickly cleared a wide space, probably afraid I'd change my mind, and launched into an explanation without missing a beat.

"Among the Beggar Clan's lightness skills, hailed as the best under heaven, the most famous are the Drunken Eight Immortals Step and Swallow Twin Flight. But the pinnacle ones, passed down only to those above Seven-Bag Beggar rank, are the Ten-Thousand Li Wind-Chasing Body Technique and the Flying Sky Shadowless Technique."

"Ooh..."

I reacted with admiration to his words, and his excitement built—he started talking even faster, the beggar bastard.

"The technique this old beggar has mastered is the Flying Sky Shadowless Technique. Considering our connection, I'll show it to you in detail."

With that, Gu Yang-so began darting around above the ground like a flash of lightning. The Flying Sky Shadowless Technique lived up to its name: blindingly fast and feather-light movements, with not a single shadow in sight. No stench wafting off him either—truly miraculous.

Fast yet stealthy, I guess?

My realm was too low to grasp the true essence perfectly, but I kept my eyes wide open, watching him intently. And then, finally, a message window popped up before me.

As expected, the messages appeared one after another. I closed them and linked the skill right away. This was what I'd been aiming for from the start.

The familiar influx of information and the embedding of the technique's operation method into my body made my feet twitch involuntarily. After leaping around for a good while, Gu Yang-so approached when my reactions started to fade, looking puzzled. Seeing me focused and twitching my feet, his expression gradually turned subtle.

He must have been confused. It felt like his technique, but not quite enough to confirm...

"Indeed! The Flying Sky Shadowless Technique. It deserves to be called the best under heaven. Junior expresses his deepest gratitude to senior once more."

"Uh, uh... yeah."

"It's getting late, so let's call it a night. To move diligently, one must sleep early."

"R-right, let's do that."

Gu Yang-so, still hesitant, watched as the situation wrapped up in the blink of an eye and I lay down to sleep. He fidgeted before tidying his own spot too.

With his own words out there, he can't press the issue.

It was a deal sealed with the half-jar of liquor. He'd demonstrated it himself as if personally teaching me, but there was nothing he could do about me mastering it just by watching. And it was awkward to probe further—without the Beggar Clan's inner arts, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their unique energy wouldn't be detectable anyway.

Inner arts? My mana stat would handle that naturally—no need for that skill. Just a waste of points.

I chuckled inwardly and closed my eyes.

+++

Perhaps because he was an elder-level master of the Beggar Clan, no incidents occurred on the way up Mount Mudang. A huge relief for me, with no backing or power yet.

Still, wary of any mishaps, I'd been brazenly using the Flying Sky Shadowless Technique with a straight face the whole time. What could he do about my heaven-defying talent for picking it up at a glance?

As expected, Gu Yang-so first let out a roar of frustration, but when I confidently invoked our "bond," he couldn't argue. He ended up slumping like a wet dog, grumbling the entire way to Mount Mudang.

Every time he eyed the half-jar, he sighed, and it felt like my decade-old heartburn was easing up.

I deserve this lightness skill. Time to forgive him.

How many times had I swallowed vomit from the stench wafting beside me?

"Elder, after you."

"Hmph! Finally, I can uncover your secret."

Still griping bitterly over losing his technique, I suppressed a laugh and began ascending the mountain.

After trekking for a while, soaking in the majestic aura of Mount Mudang, the Mudang Sect's plaque and "Sea-Cleaving Finger" finally greeted us.

Fortunately, Gu Yang-so was also from the swordless Beggar Clan. Unarmed like lowly scoundrels who didn't carry blades, we approached the guarding martial artist under the plaque.

The guard recognized him by the knots at his waist and cupped his fists in greeting.

"It's an honor to visit our Mudang Sect. Lone Wanderer Hero Gu. This lowly second-generation disciple Jin-mu greets the hero."

Gu Yang-so stroked his beard with a pleased expression at the second-gen disciple who knew him.

"Mm. Nice to meet you, young hero Jin-mu."

"What brings the great hero to our sect?"

The second-gen disciple bowed politely, inquiring about the sudden visit from a senior ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of the jianghu.

"Nothing major. As a Beggar Clan member, I couldn't resist my curiosity and followed this young man. He has business with Mudang Sect."

At Gu Yang-so's words, I stepped forward and cupped my fists.

"Kang San, making my debut in the jianghu. I've come to Mudang Sect to honor my master's dying wish."

The abrupt, disjointed words drew a puzzled look from the second-gen disciple. But my polite demeanor, backed by Gu Yang-so's presence, kept things civil.

I straightened my posture and declared boldly.

"My master's name was Hyun-chung. He was once known in the jianghu as the Mudang Divine Sword."

The sudden bombshell from my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mouth left not just the disciple, but even Gu Yang-so beside me, stunned.

I ignored their reactions and pressed on. Shameless and composed—that was the play now.

"Per my master's dying wish, I've come to deliver his remains to Mudang Sect."

These weren't the words of some nobody—they came from the companion of the renowned Lone Wanderer Gu Yang-so. I subtly lifted the coffin slung on my back with a pointed glance. Sensing the gravity, the disciple said to wait and vanished in a flash.

My chest swelled with pride. Enduring that stench had paid off. If I'd come alone, I'd have been turned away flat...

"Please wait here until word comes from inside."

Turning, I saw even Gu Yang-so, like the gatekeeper, grasping the severity. His eyes trembled as they fixed on the coffin strapped to my back.

"I-is it true? You're really Hyun-chung Jin-in's disciple? The Divine Sword who blocked the Demonic Cult's great demon head?!"

From our travels, I'd heard that the Heavenly Demon, wounded by the Divine Monk and Divine Sword, had abandoned dreams of unifying the jianghu, bringing the current era of peace.

If I play my cards right, this could be my golden ticket... Disciple of a jianghu legend. Even by seniority, that's like a late-career general.

I nodded gravely at Gu Yang-so's question.

"My apologies, elder, but honoring my master's dying wish takes priority now. Once everything's settled, I'll explain in full."

At my polite words, Gu Yang-so realized this was sect business and fell silent.

Ignoring his wistful gaze, how long did we wait? Staring blankly at the plaque, a massive aura suddenly surged from beyond the mountain gate—people rushing toward us. Potent presences mixed with lesser ones; the whole Mudang Sect was coming.

From the setting booklet, Hyun-chung Jin-in's status was on par with the sect leader, like the eldest senior brother. If he hadn't died, he'd surely be sect leader now. Play this well, and excluding the leader and elders, I could wield unchecked power.

Soon, the mountain gate burst open roughly, and Taoists poured out.

First impressions mattered—keep the momentum. Standing tall with shoulders back, a white-bearded Taoist with sharp eyes approached slowly.

Sh-it. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠S-rank? Fire Realm master!

His aura didn't quite match the cutscene from my opportunity gain, but it was close. Beside me, Gu Yang-so tensed, his teeth grinding audibly.

These self-proclaimed righteous sects were a mess—indiscriminate intimidation like it was second nature.

Steadying my trembling limbs, I met his gaze head-on. In a blink, the pressure from the Taoist vanished, and he spoke.

"I am Hyun-heo, 36th sect leader of Mudang Sect. I hear your master is Hyun-chung... my senior brother. May I see proof of that claim?"

Like hell I had any. He was curious about the coffin on my back, that's all. From here on, it was verbal warfare.

I straightened my robes, set the coffin down, and knelt formally.

"I don't know why you'd think proof exists between my master and me, but this lowly one merely seeks to fulfill his dying wish."

In this era, no lie detectors or CCTV. Just word-of-mouth rumors in ancient China. Speak well, and you could become emperor.

Finishing calmly, I slowly opened the coffin lid from my kneeling position. There lay Hyun-chung Jin-in's corpse, neatly embalmed before meeting Gu Yang-so—much cleaner now.