---

Chapter 556: Wind and Cloud Ghost

Exiting the inn, I made my way up to Wudang.

It didn’t take long to climb the mountain.

Just as Yu Baek said, I was being treated with utmost respect.

“Though, to be honest, it’s just a horse carriage-level of respect.”

A carriage adorned with the Wudang emblem.

That’s what I rode in, and for now, it was enough.

At least I could feel the warmth of being treated well.

But there was one problem.

“How on earth did that happen…?”

Being in a confined space, my younger sister’s voice sounded exceptionally loud.

I frowned slightly at Gu Ryeonghwa’s words and replied.

“What do you mean how? I just did it.”

“No…! Don’t joke around…!”

No matter how much I thought about it, Hyanghwa seemed to doubt me, pestering me with questions.

“That Righteous Dragon Sword… Ji Cheol, right?”

“…What?”

Hearing her words, I tilted my head in confusion.

Righteous Dragon Sword…?

“Did that jerk have a nickname too?”

That Ji Cheol, who was flaunting around without knowing his place.

Judging by Gu Ryeonghwa’s reaction, it seemed he was quite famous after all.

“Well, I’m in the prime of my life, beyond adulthood.”

Reaching the pinnacle of maturity, it was only natural to have a nickname according to the standards of the Central Plains.

“Guess there are so many monsters around; I forgot for a moment.”

I had unintentionally underestimated his level.

“Brother, you could have gotten hit, you know?”

“Hit by whom, you little rascal?”

Thud-!

“Ow…!”

I ended up smacking my forehead due to her incessant nagging.

“Hit? Nonsense.”

If Ji Cheol had such a level being one of the Three Great Disciples, then the future leader of Wudang seemed in trouble.

“Looks like he couldn’t even beat Yeongpung.”

Comparing him directly with Yeongpung, who was the youngest among the Three Great Disciples of Hwasan, Ji Cheol seemed weaker.

Let alone.

“I think Woo Hyeok could beat him too.”

Sleeping Dragon, the other of Wudang’s Three Great Disciples, would certainly not fall behind Ji Cheol.

Of course, considering that both are geniuses of a different league, Ji Cheol was still a noteworthy figure.

Just.

“He’s only as good as that.”

I found myself unimpressed.

Regardless of realms and talents, he was just that strong.

“Perhaps I should have beaten him a little more.”

A twinge of regret hit me late.

If I had hit him more, that would have been fun. Missing that chance was regrettable.

“That old man should have intervened quicker.”

If he had interfered sooner, it wouldn’t have gotten so messy.

“Was he testing the waters too much?”

The old man was so obsessed with watching closely that it made things a bit rough.

“Tsk.”

But in the end, I had gained a lot from it, so I considered that a silver lining.

Yeah, what I had learned was that.

As I climbed Wudang Mountain, I was confirming those events.

Not particularly valuable information, though.

“There’s something going on with Wudang.”

That was the extent of it.

Since it was something evident from Ji Cheol and Yu Baek’s behavior.

There seemed to be some problem at Wudang.

Anyone could tell that.

“What could it be, though? It seems pretty big.”

Although Ji Cheol appeared angry.

There was a lot of information wrapped up in that.

The way he treated Wudang, despite coming here on a schedule.

Full of arrogance and pride.

“It feels like he’s not just trying to boast for the sake of it.”

It seemed he intended to do something after asserting dominance.

Clearly, the Elder was secretly observing the situation.

Which meant.

“Everything that happened earlier was all planned.”

It was like an order from the upper echelon of the Elder.

“An outsider, one capable of moving between Wudang, is under scrutiny.”

The emergence of a foreign matter meant an incident had occurred.

“What could it be?”

Around this time, something must have happened in Wudang.

I didn’t know. My memory was hazy.

“The issue now is that my past life memories are useless.”

Except for major events, most memories were twisted, making it hard to rely on them.

That indicates that.

“I have to find out for myself.”

In any case, I’d know more once I’m in.

“After all, I made a huge scene.”

Intentionally pushing Ji Cheol and showing it to Yu Baek was the intention here.

Explaining it would be courtesy, right?

That’s what I thought.

“If I take you to Wudang now, it means I would accept you.”

I already displayed justification and reason.

With this, Wudang had two choices.

“Either return to Hwasan and create enmity with rudeness.”

Or explain per rule and politely ask for understanding…

In this case, I was confident Wudang would choose the latter.

“It’s not like Wudang has the status to make enemies right now.”

Even though the Sect Leader became the Clan Leader.

Hwasan is Gu Paibang, after all. Its historical value is significant.

Would Wudang apologize first to Hwasan without reason?

“Although they may have become somewhat foolish, they’re not that dumb.”

Experiencing sudden growth, but their status wasn’t that large yet.

In a situation where public perception mattered in the Central Plains, Wudang wouldn’t take that gamble.

Besides.

“They already made one mistake, right?”

They were caught trying to do something stupid.

They would be eager to cut ties but wouldn’t act so foolishly again.

“So, what I’m saying is…”

I turned my gaze to look straight ahead and said.

“Do try to loosen up your expression.”

“…”

The one I spoke to was Yeongpung.

Yeongpung awkwardly chuckled at my words.

“What’s with that grim face?”

“…I’m sorry. I just feel a bit nauseous from the carriage…”

“If you’re feeling nauseous at that realm, then you must be gravely ill. You know that, right?”

“…”

“If you feel nauseous on such a smooth ride, then that’s nonsense.”

He needed to experience the carriage driven by Baek Cheon-gyeom.

Ah, so this is what genuine motion sickness feels like.

But since I hadn’t experienced that, I couldn’t trust Yeongpung’s words.

“Did you do something wrong? Why are you making such a face?”

“…That’s not it. I was just sorry towards Gu So-hyeob…”

“What do you have to be sorry for? That was my fault.”

“…”

“I should be the one apologizing, why are you making such a face?”

Honestly, I didn’t feel sorry at all.

If anything, I was annoyed I didn’t get to hit harder.

“I did take action, so I’ll use that later.”

Whatever the outcome, it shouldn’t have been Yeongpung showing such an expression.

“Blame me instead. Ask why an outsider made things uncomfortable for you. Say it like that.”

At my blunt words, Yeongpung was taken aback.

“No, how could I dare say that?”

“I’m saying you should. That would be appropriate.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Didn’t you claim to be the successor of the Hwasan Sword God?”

“…!”

I referenced Yeongpung’s earlier words.

“I’m not sure what you think, but if that’s true, it ought to be so. Even if it’s not, you shouldn’t cower.”

If Yeongpung truly claimed to be the successor of Shin Noya.

“You should stand proud. If you were a disciple of Hwasan, you must be proud.”

“…”

At the very least, I thought that’s what Shin Noya would have done.

Or rather, I hypothesized that if he deemed Hwasan beneath him, he would have drawn his sword and sliced Ji Cheol in half.

I was not truly a disciple of Hwasan, so I merely held back.

However, Yeongpung was different.

This seemed to be his first experience in such a situation, making him flustered.

But even there, he should have maintained his confidence.

“If the successor stepped back, it would be no different than Hwasan stepping back.”

“…Junior…”

“That would mean that you yielded, and the seal given to you by Maehwa Seon signifies that.”

“…”

Upon my words, Yeongpung shut his mouth, his expression turning pained.

Then he opened his mouth to speak to me.

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize.”

I had to cut him off.

“Don’t say thank you either. At least right now, you shouldn’t say that to me.”

Unintentionally, annoyance crept into my tone.

Why was that?

“Why? Also, I know the answer.”

Pretending to be ignorant, I knew it clearly.

“Next time, just don’t act like this. Keep that thought in your mind, and that’ll be enough.”

“…Yes.”

His earlier words bothered me.

Thoughts of Yeongpung claiming to be the successor of Hwasan were swimming in my mind.

Whether that was true or not.

Seeing Yeongpung shrinking away like that made me feel as if he were treating Shin Noya that way.

That annoyed me.

“Don’t bow your head when it’s not warranted.”

If Shin Noya were here, he wouldn’t.

That’s how I chose to live.

So if you claim to be his successor, you should do the same.

That was the meaning behind my words.

Yeongpung wouldn’t understand that.

Afterward, I closed my eyes to take a breath. A brief period of uncomfortable silence passed in the carriage.

“We have arrived.”

At the sound of that, I opened my eyes quickly.

Immediately, I retrieved the energy barrier I had unfurled in the carriage.

Feeling the energy return to my lower dantian, I sighed.

“I’m exhausted.”

I could already feel a lot of gazes and ears directed my way.

As I sensed those annoying stares, I thought about how I would roast them.

“If possible….”

I wanted to burn them right from the roots.

My mind was filled with thoughts.

“You’ve had quite the journey.”

As soon as we arrived at Wudang, we found ourselves at Yu Baek’s abode.

“Normally, I would want to give you space to rest comfortably, but I’m terribly sorry that I cannot.”

Yu Baek said with a smile.

“And once again, I apologize for the mess my foolish disciple caused earlier.”

Swish.

Tea water splashed on the table in front of us.

“I am Yu Baek of Wudang, serving in the Elder role. Additionally, I have come here as…”

Yu Baek continued smiling.

“In the capacity of the representative of the Wudang Sect Leader.”

Viseng Sword Yu Baek, the old man introduced himself, waiting for my companions to respond.

“Hwasan’s second disciple, Gu Ryeonghwa,” one of them said.

“I am Yeongpung, the third disciple of Hwasan,” the other added.

As their introductions finished, Yu Baek’s gaze shifted toward me.

Feeling that gaze, I continued.

“I’m Gu Yangcheong of the Gu Clan. And that one over there is my guard.”

“…?”

The unexpected mention of Seongyul as my guard made him look puzzled, but he didn’t deny it.

Fortunately, it seemed he had some perception.

Upon hearing my introduction, Yu Baek’s eyes shone.

“Although it’s an affair of Wudang and Hwasan, may I ask how a junior like you ended up here?”

“Well, it’s because of the Gu Clan, but I’m also somewhat a person of Hwasan.”

“Is that so, junior?”

“Yeah. I don’t carry a clan token but hold the title of Honorary Disciple.”

Just after I solved the matters at Hwasan.

Since I didn’t want anything to happen due to my Taoist Qi casting, I received that honorary title from the Sect Leader.

As an outsider, I couldn’t learn Wudang’s martial arts.

However, it symbolized that they recognized me as akin to a member of the clan for the grace I had bestowed upon them.

That title was what they called the honorary disciple.

“…Oh….”

Yu Baek nodded slightly upon hearing that.

“I didn’t expect to use this here.”

Getting involved in the matter became easier. That worked out well.

Indeed, doing anything could lead to its use later.

“…So you’re an honorary disciple, which means Wudang owes you a great debt.”

“Yeah, kinda.”

I didn’t want to explain too much, so I glossed over it.

In this moment, Gu Ryeonghwa and Yeongpung were looking at me with uncomfortable expressions.

As if questioning whether such behavior was appropriate with the Elder of Wudang.

“Well, what could be done?”

I thought this much was demonstrating profound courtesy.

If I’m hiding my emotions from that sly old man, then I’m doing my best.

“Feeling uneasy.”

With his actions and the way he felt, that old man was nothing short of a rat.

Just then.

“Um, Elder.”

Yeongpung cautiously spoke to Yu Baek.

“Speak.”

“I heard that the Sword Demoness is currently at Wudang.”

“Oh, yes. The Sword Demoness is here at Wudang right now.”

At Yeongpung’s question, I noticed Gu Ryeonghwa’s expression brighten.

“The Sword Demoness is here after all.”

While I had only heard the rumors, I wondered if she would appear or if she wouldn’t.

“Oh, she should be bringing the items now.”

“What items…?”

“The items your guests wish to retrieve.”

From Yu Baek’s words, Yeongpung’s expression lit up.

So the Sword Demoness must be.

“She must be bringing Gui Jeong, right?”

I thought while subtly hiding my left arm.

“…Does she really have that?”

Wudang possessing Gui Jeong.

When I first heard about this, it sounded absurd.

But hearing that the Sword Demoness was bringing it made it feel somewhat real.

If there’s an issue, it would be.

“Does it really exist?”

I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

If Wudang indeed has Gui Jeong.

Then what is this wrapped around my arm?

“I’m here to confirm that.”

But I had no choice but to wonder.

“Also, regarding the matter of the sect, I hope you’ll allow us to go through a bit of procedure before retrieving Gui Jeong.”

Upon hearing Yu Baek’s words, I asked.

I found it to be an opportune time.

“If there’s something to take care of, what is it?”

This was the explanation I had been waiting for.

I had questions regarding why they were being so cautious with an outsider.

What reason did Wudang have to act this way?

With those questions in mind, I inquired.

Yu Baek replied.

“It’s about a letter that arrived recently at our sect.”

“A letter?”

“Yes.”

What letter would be significant enough to warrant this much fuss?

“The letter didn’t contain much, but the sender was the problem.”

I listened closely to Yu Baek’s words.

And at his next words, I had to hide my surprise inside.

“Wind and Cloud Ghost.”

“…!”

“He sent us a message.”

Even if it wasn’t now, it was a title quite famous among martial artists from the old Central Plains.

With just that name alone, one could grasp the entirety of the situation.

Wind and Cloud Ghost, Mu Myung.

“He said he would take our sect’s symbol within five days.”

In other words.

He was referred to as the Thief of Treasures.

Moreover.

“…Why is that old man’s name coming up here?”

I recognized that moniker as belonging to someone I knew.

 

---