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Chapter 559: Wind and Cloud Ghost

The final day for the Wind and Cloud Ghost to make an appearance was upon us.

As the sun began to set, an unusual presence was felt near Mt. Wudang.

Crack-!

Someone was swiftly moving through the grass.

Dressed in a black mask and completely covered in dark clothing, they were darting around at an alarming speed.

If there was any doubt, it was that they seemed a bit anxious, likely due to their hurried movements.

Tap-Tap-!

After some time on the move, the figure landed at their destination and hid on the ground.

In front of them was a small residence, and Wudang disciples stood guard, performing their duty with vigilance.

The figure’s eyes gleamed at the sight.

That was it.

The place where their objective and goal lay.

‘The location of the treasure.’

A rendezvous point for Hwasan and Wudang treasures.

Indeed, that place was just there.

Tomorrow, after the five days were up, the treasures would be returned to Hwasan and Wudang, parting ways.

This was a careful measure to ensure safety against any unforeseen circumstances.

The figure shifted their gaze to observe someone.

Among the guardians was a woman of exquisite beauty.

Clad in a beautifully pressed white robe peeking from her light blue martial robe.

Seated in the position of the current Sword Queen was the Plum Blossom Sword Queen So-i.

She was also personally on guard to protect Hwasan’s treasure.

Seeing this made the figure bite their lip.

‘In half a time point.’

In half a time point, the Sword Queen would vacate her spot.

Though it would be but a fleeting moment, that was enough for the figure.

Time passed.

Holding their breath, exactly half a time point later.

The vigilant Sword Queen began to show signs of movement.

This was it.

The moment they had been waiting for. The time the Sword Queen would be away would barely last a few seconds.

The chance was now.

Suppressing the cold sweat trickling down, the figure raised their ‘Taoist Qi.’

Then, it was a matter of rushing in and seizing the treasure.

Yes, that alone would suffice.

Everything was for the Wudang.

Just as the figure was about to spring into action—

“Hello?”

A voice rang in their ear.

Crack-!

“Ugh…!?”

Feeling a grip on their neck, the figure’s vision twisted in an instant.

With no time to assess the situation, everything became a whirlwind.

Trying to move, the figure realized.

The fierce gust now overwhelming them was due to their own legs being lifted off the ground.

How fast could someone be to impose such pressure on them?

An overwhelming sense of dread flitted through their mind.

But it was short-lived.

Bang-!

At some moment, the wind ceased, and with a jarring sensation, the figure rolled across the ground.

They needed to get up.

Survival instinct beckoned them to act.

But just then—thunk!—something crashed down onto their chest.

“Gah!”

Incomprehensible pain forced a whimper from their lips.

Looking down at their chest.

Someone’s foot was firmly pressing against it.

At that moment.

“By any chance…”

The owner of the foot spoke to the figure. Following the voice, they looked up.

And there, the figure felt a jolt of pain.

Trying to hunch their body caused agony in their chest and injured shoulder.

“Did you forget what I said? That would be quite disappointing.”

The tone was cheerful, yet the voice carried a chilling sharpness.

The owner of the foot was someone entirely unexpected.

Swoosh-!

Moonlight illuminated them.

The figure cloaked in darkness revealed their identity.

Their hair shimmered softly with a blue tint under the moonlight.

And a fearsome-looking face with piercing blue eyes shone brightly.

This definitely wasn’t the crimson gaze they had possessed just hours earlier; the young man’s eyes were now eerily blue.

“I told you.”

The young man spoke.

“If you draw your sword, you die. Did you forget?”

His words echoed ominously in the figure’s ears.

It was the declaration heard earlier at the inn.

Yes, the identity of the figure was none other than Wudang’s second disciple, Righteous Dragon Sword Ji Cheol.

“…how…how…”

Ji Cheol struggled to speak.

The situation was utterly baffling to him.

How was this person here?

At this moment, he should have been at the residence under Wudang’s watch.

Why was he in such a situation in front of Ji Cheol?

Perhaps sensing Ji Cheol’s bewilderment.

The blue-eyed youth, Gu Yangcheong, smiled faintly at his question.

Then, he loosened the pressure of his foot, allowing Ji Cheol to breathe again.

Only then could Ji Cheol exhale the oxygen he had been holding in.

“Cough…huff…”

As Ji Cheol gasped for breath, Gu Yangcheong spoke again.

“Seems like you’re surprised by my presence. Does that mean it’s strange for me to be here?”

At those words, Ji Cheol moved his hand.

He attempted to draw the sword at his waist.

“…!”

But his hand grasped nothing.

The sword that was supposed to be there was completely absent.

“Looking for this?”

Before Ji Cheol stood Gu Yangcheong, waving something.

It was none other than Ji Cheol’s sword.

“Why would you just toss your sword aside like this when you’ve mastered swordsmanship?”

“…when…!”

Swish-!

“Ugh!”

Ji Cheol screamed, rolling on the ground as pain struck his chest.

Struggling to overpower the pain, he clung to the floor, his eyes darting around.

‘What the heck is going on?’

He couldn’t comprehend both the pain he felt and the mysterious presence of Gu Yangcheong.

Yet, what puzzled him most was his current situation.

‘How…?’

How was this person here?

He should be in the residence.

‘Surely, under supervision…’

“They should be watching over me.”

“…!”

As if reading Ji Cheol’s mind, Gu Yangcheong approached and continued speaking.

“But you see, I can’t stand being cooped up. So, I took a little nighttime stroll.”

His words seemed casual, yet they made no sense.

The disciples of Wudang would never allow such behavior.

However, Gu Yangcheong continued as if he wasn’t concerned.

“During my leisurely walk, I just happened to stumble upon our dear disciple passing by.”

“…”

“Based on your character, it doesn’t seem like you’d take a stroll. What’s the reason behind this secretive attire and mission?”

How should he even answer that?

The contemplation didn’t last long.

“I had some business there for a moment… ugh!?”

Crack-!

As Ji Cheol attempted to explain, Gu Yangcheong suddenly seized his neck.

“That answer won’t do. In this conversation, I’m the only one who can lie.”

“Gh…guh…”

“Oh, but that seems a bit unfair, so let me share something you’re also curious about.”

Something Ji Cheol would be curious about.

Saying that, Gu Yangcheong showed his wrist.

“I left the cord of fate behind. It’s a bit of a hassle, you see.”

“…what…?!”

Ji Cheol’s eyes widened at that sentence.

Leaving the cord of fate behind.

That was inconceivable.

If he did leave it, how could Gu Yangcheong be here?

Finding Ji Cheol’s reaction amusing, Gu Yangcheong smiled wider.

“This gadget is pretty amusing. It lets you track the movements of the wearer.”

A tool that allows swift tracking of the status of comrades during hunts or missions.

Woo Baek had explained it that way.

“But the most important part isn’t what he explained.”

“…guh….”

“This thing sends a signal when severed.”

“…!”

“Right?”

At Gu Yangcheong’s words, Ji Cheol’s heart began to race.

He realized Gu Yangcheong spoke true.

The cord of fate served the dual purpose of keeping track of each other’s status.

However, should anything happen to the cord itself, it would alert someone of rank.

While the range was limited, one could obtain that information within Wudang without hassle.

This meant that, while checking someone’s status…

Not only could they discern abnormal behavior, but in close quarters, they would also know their trajectory.

How did he know such details?

Moreover.

‘How did he get here without it?’

Ji Cheol’s mind overflowed with questions.

Gu Yangcheong found his confusion utterly funny.

“Understanding this suddenly made me realize something. There was a strange part to this all.”

The bad odor he had sensed during the day.

Gu Yangcheong had pondered the source of that foul smell for some time before finally recalling what it might be.

“Their responses. As if… they were watching us, but didn’t seem to take it too seriously?”

“Guh….”

What in the world did that mean?

“Not a single individual suspected us.

Especially when the Wind and Cloud Ghost, claiming to be here to steal the treasures of Wudang, has materialized after dozens of years.”

Initially thinking they were simply on guard against the covert and infiltrating Wind and Cloud Ghost, he figured they must have intended some form of surveillance.

But it felt oddly unsettling and suspicious.

The rumors claimed that the Wind and Cloud Ghost had reemerged in this lifetime too.

Ji Cheol wondered if he had been causing so much trouble that things had gone awry.

But he also knew his hunches had never been wrong.

Could there be something more to it?

He contemplated until suddenly.

“I had an epiphany.”

He felt like he was understanding something.

Yet….

“It was not a certainty.”

That was the catch.

If it wasn’t a certainty, what should he do? The answer was glaringly simple.

“So I thought I should just ask.”

He could just ask.

He could kindly and gently inquire what was happening.

Conveniently, he had ‘a gift’ in hand to offer this, so he might as well check.

Yet.

“Something feels off…”

Something was moving.

So swiftly during this night.

It didn’t seem to be training.

And while it did feel like someone might be chasing after someone else, it just didn’t add up.

The destination was clear, yet the path was bizarre.

As if they intended to obscure their presence.

“Given the body of that poor fellow, it won’t be easy.”

Ji Cheol had one shoulder injured during the fight, and it wasn’t from long ago.

Though it could be healed with his level of realm, moving at that speed during the dead of night was still odd.

The words sparked a reaction from Ji Cheol.

Gu Yangcheong continued speaking after observing Ji Cheol’s reaction.

“So I wanted to ask.”

Thus, he had caught him.

This was hardly difficult for Gu Yangcheong.

While breaking the fellow’s shoulder, he had slipped in Qi, one he would never allow to be removed.

“It was something I wouldn’t let slip away.”

Wriggle.

“Guh…!?”

Ji Cheol felt something wriggling within him.

Deep down in his Lower Dantian, something unknown began to stir.

Along with that, Gu Yangcheong’s blue eyes grew even more brilliant.

Together with the light, his presence began sweeping over Ji Cheol’s entire body.

The grip upon Ji Cheol’s neck loosened slightly.

Just enough for him to speak.

“Hey.”

Gu Yangcheong inquired.

“Are you the Wind and Cloud Ghost?”

“…!”

At the question, Ji Cheol felt his heart drop.

But.

“Or are you merely the ‘role’ of the Wind and Cloud Ghost?”

Tremble-tremble.

Ji Cheol was shaking uncontrollably.

But he gritted his teeth, determined.

He couldn’t let anything spill from his lips.

No matter how overwhelming the fear was or what torture he might face. He vowed not to give away that much.

“Answer me.”

“…I… am…?”

At the command conveyed, Ji Cheol’s mouth responded on its own.

His expression reflected disbelief.

Because it wasn’t his will.

To that.

“Correct.”

Gu Yangcheong merely smiled, seemingly satisfied.

That smile brimmed with the fulfillment of finally uncovering answers to his long-standing queries.

As if not intending to hide it, Gu Yangcheong beamed even brighter.

“Thank goodness.”

Absolutely thankful.

“That the Wudang is even dumber than I anticipated.”

It seemed he could use this to his advantage.

Just splendidly so.

The next morning.

Ji Cheol, Wudang’s second disciple, was discovered dead on the back mountain of Wudang.

It appeared he had taken his own life by decapitating himself.

And to supplement this claim, a letter lay on the ground.

As warned in the letter sent five days prior.

The Wind and Cloud Ghost had successfully stolen the treasures.

However, for reasons unknown, the treasure belonging to Hwasan was left behind, while only Wudang’s treasure had vanished.

As a result, the atmosphere among Wudang turned upside down by broad daylight.

 

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