< Chapter 560 > This Venerable One.
It was the morning, one day into the five-day period.
Amid the surrounding clamor, people were gathered.
Most were clad in the light cyan martial robes symbolizing Wudang, surrounding something in a circle as though trying to confirm what it was.
Surprisingly, what they surrounded was someone's corpse.
The corpse was a promising talent who would have led Wudang into the future.
It was the corpse of Uiryong Sword Jicheol.
Biseong Sword Ubaek was silently looking down at Jicheol's body, which had gone cold.
Jicheol's flesh was dead, a sword having pierced straight through his throat.
Amidst the blood soaking the floor.
Beside it lay a letter that appeared to be a suicide note.
Its contents stated that he felt guilt in his conscience due to Wudang's narrow-minded actions and could bear it no longer.
Such was its content.
Crunch.
Having confirmed this, Ubaek clenched his fist tightly.
Then.
Whooooosh—!
A massive aura erupted from Ubaek's body.
Unlike his aged, wrinkled flesh and withered frame.
True to his reputation as one of the Central Plains' Hundred Great Experts, Ubaek's power was tremendous.
So much so that the surrounding objects trembled violently.
"Kkuh……"
"Heoeol…."
The Taoists of Wudang clutched their chests and staggered.
In that gap, Ubaek opened his mouth with fierce eyes.
"When was the child discovered?"
"It was shortly past the hour of Yin, Elder."
"...The hour of Yin."
It was not long after the time he had ordered the matter to proceed.
Crack.
Recalling this, Ubaek gritted his teeth fiercely.
Was it because Jicheol was disappointed in Wudang and taken his own life? It was not.
'Whose doing is this?'
Ubaek did not believe Jicheol had committed suicide.
There was absolutely no way.
He could not help but think so.
'Wudang's treasure has disappeared.'
Because Wudang's treasure had disappeared.
Watching this, some third-generation disciples and a few second-generation disciples thought the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief had handled the matter.
But Ubaek did not.
Furthermore, the first-generation disciples and elder-level figures, including Ubaek, did not see it that way.
To begin with.
'There is no Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief.'
Because the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief who had claimed he would appear was a lie itself.
In such a situation, Jicheol had died suddenly.
Moreover, it was Jicheol, who had been supposed to play the role of the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief in the night.
This immediately meant it was someone's doing.
'Who is it.'
Ubaek thought with cold eyes.
Who is it.
Who dared commit such an act inside Wudang.
And so cleanly, without a trace.
'Not only the handwriting on the letter, but there isn't even a trace of someone's hand having touched it.'
It was so immaculate that one might truly believe Jicheol had written it himself and cut his own throat.
It was unbelievable.
Who could have committed such a deed.
Could it be...
'Truly the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief?'
That thought flashed by for a moment, but Ubaek erased it from his mind.
Because that, too, was impossible.
It had already been decades.
The probability of a person who had never once appeared during all that time truly showing up for such a matter was extremely low.
Moreover, the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief had never killed a single person even while stealing.
Thus, he had to be excluded from the suspects.
'Then who on earth is it.'
Ubaek exhaled a rough breath and pondered.
He showed repeated concern, but.
It was not something to ponder for long.
If it wasn't the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief, there weren't many choices left.
'If it is something that happened in Wudang, and it is not Wudang's people.'
In the end, there were at best one or two choices.
"...I suppose I must go see the guests."
Ubaek said so, ordered them to take care of the corpse, and turned his back.
He was cold enough to freeze.
The old man's frozen eyes looked as though frost might fall.
However.
In those eyes, at least.
There was no sign of grieving for the death of a Wudang martial artist.
Not even the slightest bit.
******************
Amidst the clamorous atmosphere, I was drinking tea in my quarters.
"Hmm."
I took a sip and savored it sweetly.
"It's disgustingly tasteless though…."
And I simply set it down.
As expected, I don't know what flavor tea is supposed to be enjoyed for.
Hmph. I snorted and put the tea away.
In front of me, Seongyul was drinking tea without a word.
Seeing that, I smirked.
"Is it good?"
"...I do not know."
"Right."
It was an expression that truly did not know.
Seeing that expression, I spoke.
"Speak."
"...Yes?"
At the sudden words, Seongyul made a puzzled expression. Seeing that, I continued.
"You have something you want to ask."
"How...?"
"Your eyes say so."
"..."
It was a gaze that was plainly filled with things he wished to ask.
It was annoying seeing him hold it all in like that, so I asked first.
"...It is."
Then Seongyul opened his mouth with hesitant eyes.
"Previously, when I had a duel with the Sword Dragon Young Hero... There is a part I do not understand."
"Then? Why that?"
"How... did you stop it?"
I tilted my head at Seongyul's words.
I was wondering what on earth I had stopped.
"My... killing intent. Did you not stop it?"
"Ah."
So that was what he was talking about.
He was asking about when Seongyul had failed to stop the Cheonsal Star and tried to kill Yeongpung, and I had suppressed his killing intent.
Perhaps because he was so curious, Seongyul's eyes were unusually intense with interest.
No, rather than interest.
'Is it hope?'
That was the feeling I got.
'Even if he asks how I did it.'
There wasn't exactly a way to explain it.
"I just told you not to, that's all."
"..."
That was really it.
Telling him not to. That was all I had done to Seongyul.
However.
'It's just hard to explain, not that there's no method.'
I had simply used a somewhat special method.
This was not martial arts. It was not internal energy or demonic qi either.
I had merely issued a 'command.'
It was just that the command was a bit special.
What this means is.
'An advantage gained after the Shedding.'
Physical growth and a change in the dantian.
Including the vessel having grown larger. It was another change embedded in my body.
The Dark King had also described this as an 'authority' possessed by dragons.
'Authority, he says.'
Just hearing the word made it sound impressive.
It was truly great in reality as well.
At least, the Dark King's own authority, which he had explained to me, was worth that much.
The Dark King, cursed with dragon blood, did not possess strength equal to a true dragon.
However, he possessed an immortal body that could not die by its own will, and the authority that dragons wielded.
Here, authority meant.
Not using a specific energy, but rather a power usable simply because one is a dragon.
'The darkness the Dark King used—he said that was his authority.'
Creating an unfathomable black membrane.
A power that trapped one in darkness and made them come back to life no matter how many times they died.
A power perfectly suited to the Dark King.
'Perhaps he is called the Dark King because he possesses such a thing.'
Whatever the case, a dragon's authority is that outstanding.
Simply by being such an existence, one possesses that power.
Truly a biased and absurd power, is it not.
Such an absurd power.
Existed even in me, who had become a dragon.
The problem is.
'...He said it was such an amazing power, so why the hell is mine like this.'
Playing with darkness.
The authority of the Dark King, who had become a half-dragon through a curse, was so cool and outstanding.
Yet my own authority was incomparably shabby compared to his.
'Dragon Words. What the hell are Dragon Words.'
That was my authority.
Simply speaking.
Making others listen a little better to what was said.
That was the power of Dragon Words as I saw it.
It was truly absurd.
"...At least I wouldn't lose in a quarrel."
"Yes?"
"It's nothing. Never mind."
It was funny enough that I possessed such a thing claiming to be an authority.
But it wasn't even a power that worked on just anyone.
It didn't work on those of a certain high level, so it felt ambiguous to use.
At the very least.
With demonic qi already in the picture, the power of Dragon Words was also meaningless.
If I made them into a demonized human, they would listen well anyway; what meaning did this have?
'It's no different from something to lessen my guilt.'
The guilt felt when corrupting others.
It wouldn't be wrong to see it as an authority to reduce that.
'Funny. It's not like I'd use demonized humans on anyone I wasn't going to kill anyway.'
Unless they were scum worth killing, I did not demonize them.
That was my principle.
'Even so, it doesn't seem completely useless.'
Thinking so, I looked at Seongyul before me.
'It worked. Definitely then.'
Seongyul, who had tried to kill Yeongpung while unleashing the Cheonsal Star.
I had used Dragon Words on him then.
When I spoke with power, Seongyul released his killing intent in that moment.
Seeing that.
'Can Dragon Words control the Cheonsal Star?'
I had a feeling that perhaps it could.
That was the reason I hadn't made Seongyul into a demonized human.
I was keeping him aside for a moment because of that doubt.
'I have to make sure.'
Whether it worked or not, I would confirm it clearly.
If I judged that it didn't, then I would corrupt him into a demonized human.
That was what I thought.
'If things were as they should be, I would have done it even now, but.'
While there was the experiment of whether the Cheonsal Star could be controlled.
There was another reason I was reluctant to make Seongyul a demonized human.
'If only he had no connection to the Qinghai First Sword.'
If only there were no connection to that dead gentleman, I would have turned him into a demonized human long ago.
It was a slightly bothersome situation.
—May you find peace.
The face of the old man who had worried for my peace came to mind.
The sole reason I hesitated when looking at Seongyul was that alone.
Whether he knew that or not, Seongyul asked me.
"Um... Young Hero."
"What."
"May I ask one more thing?"
"What is it."
What else was left.
He did have much to ask.
'What will happen to him. Where we will go now. What to do, and so on.'
Rather, it was strange that Seongyul followed without asking anything.
Just when I thought he might start asking such things.
"I wished to ask how Wudang came to call themselves the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief."
"...!"
At the completely unexpected question, I widened my eyes looking at Seongyul.
Seeing my flustered expression, he looked at me with his characteristic vacant gaze.
"You... how did you know?"
How on earth did he know? I asked, full of surprise and wonder.
"I."
To my question, Seongyul answered without changing his expression.
"I can sense another's lie."
"What?"
It was another astonishing answer.
To be able to sense lies?
I was about to demand a detailed explanation, but Seongyul spoke first.
"Yesterday, when I faced Biseong Sword. I sensed a lie from him."
The letter saying the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief had appeared. And the words about it.
Most were lies.
"Oh...."
My eyes gleamed as I listened.
If those words were true, it was quite a useful ability.
'Did the Sword Demon have such an ability?'
Indeed.
There was something he used to say constantly in his previous life.
[Kkilk-kkil... I hate lies. That is why you die.]
And the words he always spat out when killing an opponent.
'Come to think of it, was he a torturer?'
I also recalled that the Sword Demon mostly played the role of torturing captured people.
Thinking about that.
Seongyul's words were credible.
"Amazing. Was such a thing possible?"
At my words of surprise, Seongyul's eyes widened.
"...You believe me?"
"You say so. Then it must be so."
To be honest, it was because of my past life experience that I accepted it so readily.
Who would easily believe such words?
"That's why I'm more curious. Why are you telling me this?"
"..."
This wasn't something easily spat out.
To be able to know another's falsehood.
This was extremely dangerous information.
Moreover, Seongyul was the Cheonsal Star.
There were already plenty of reasons to kill him; it was strange to hand me justification like this.
"...I am expressing this to you, Young Hero."
"Expressing?"
"That I have such an ability. I am expressing it. Because it is one of the useful tools I possess."
"Why?"
When I asked, full of doubt.
Seongyul looked at me and spoke calmly.
"I must let you know that I am even a little useful. So that you will not discard me."
"..."
For words spoken so calmly, they were quite chilling.
"...Wow."
I thought he was just a madman who knew nothing of the world and was plagued by frenzy.
Unexpectedly, Seongyul had sharp eyes.
'Pretending to be clueless. Was he seeing everything?'
That I was weighing something regarding Seongyul.
He seemed to have seen it all.
Not that I was weighing whether Seongyul was useful or not.
'Even so, he is useful.'
At an age not yet reaching his twenties, he remained at a fully matured peak.
He possessed the talent to become the Sword Demon later.
That alone made Seongyul's value outstanding.
"What if I discard or kill you after hearing that information?"
"I thought it was a story of value to you. As for killing me... it does not matter...."
Dying did not matter.
But being abandoned was a problem.
Those words were subtle.
"Strange words. Why are you afraid of being abandoned by me?"
At most, it hadn't even been a month since we met.
No affection or bond had formed between us.
From Seongyul's standpoint, it was natural to resent me for suddenly grabbing and dragging him around.
Rather, to spew out information to avoid being abandoned.
I couldn't understand it.
And.
"I do not know either."
Seongyul expressed the same.
"Therefore, I wish to take time to know the reason."
"You're quite the madman too."
"..."
In other words, he was saying he would follow.
I looked at Seongyul with a dumbfounded expression and sighed.
"You deal with that yourself."
I was in a position where I had to drag him along in the first place. It wasn't a matter of discarding or not.
Not yet, at least.
Thinking so, I brought up something else.
"You asked about the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief."
The question Seongyul had asked earlier.
Why Wudang spewed lies about the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief.
"It's just politics."
Political talk.
That was exactly it.
"The Wudang Sword Immortal who just became Alliance Leader, and the Wudang faction growing because of it."
It was a time when countless matters were exploding as they rode the flow of the era.
The Alliance Leader was deploying sword units here and there, raising stability and increasing support.
Thanks to that, Wudang's standing was growing day by day.
In such a gap.
'If rumors spread that the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief targeted Wudang.'
The attention contained within would grow even greater.
The martial faction that the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief chose upon his return.
Roughly that kind of feeling.
'On top of that.'
I recalled Jicheol from last night.
'I even swallowed Huashan's treasure while I was at it.'
What that guy had tried to do, jumping in while the Sword Empress disappeared.
I had wondered what a guy with a hurt arm was trying to do, even if it was an order.
'He probably did it because the situation was certain.'
A guy with a hurt arm.
He must have been stuck in the infirmary for treatment, so there was absolutely no chance of being accused as the culprit.
'The guys standing guard were probably all in on it too.'
The probability that everything had been arranged beforehand was high.
No, it was certain.
Originally, a guy named Jicheol would have claimed to be the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief and run off with the treasure.
If so, Huashan would have held Wudang responsible for failing to guard it properly, but.
'Public opinion would be swayed.'
—Of all people, it's something taken by the Wind-Cloud Ghost Thief.
—Is it reasonable to blame only Wudang for that?
Such words were highly likely to come out.
That was what public sentiment was originally like.
'Perhaps, things might have been arranged up to this point.'
I didn't hope for it, but there was a possibility that words had already been exchanged with the Gaibang.
If so, Huashan would find it difficult to easily demand responsibility, and thus Wudang would...
'They could secure both treasures.'
It meant Wudang could gain the attention they desired, protect their treasure, and even reclaim their lost Wudang treasure.
Even if Huashan ignored this and demanded they take responsibility.
'They would have already gained attention, and could lower the standing of Huashan, which despite being an Orthodox faction is not pro-Martial Alliance.'
Whatever happened, it was a situation where Wudang benefited.
What a fucking mess.
Is this what the so-called Orthodox faction does?
'They should quietly hole up and learn martial arts. Instead they're playing these politics.'
They'll get beaten up in the bloodbath later.
They had to be idiots.
Ah, of course.
'Thanks to that, handling matters was easy.'
Because several strokes of luck overlapped.
Things became somewhat easier on my end.
Thanks to Wudang being thoroughly rotten.
And that was.
The same for what would happen from now on.
Suuu.
I turned my eyes to the presence felt outside.
[Are you there?]
It seemed someone had come to my quarters.
At those words, I rose and went out.
Outside, many Wudang figures had arrived.
In the center stood Wudang's elder, Biseong Sword Ubaek.
Ubaek smiled slightly at me and spoke.
"I apologize for coming to find you when you should be resting."
"Not at all. Why has the Elder come? You must be quite busy."
It was a reference to Jicheol's death and the stolen treasure.
At this, the corners of Ubaek's eyes trembled slightly.
"...You must have heard. Matters have become somewhat complicated."
"I was just worried. Are you alright?"
"...Haha. Thank you for your concern."
Ubaek spoke to me with concern that contained not the slightest sincerity.
"Originally, this should not be... but since it happened in our main sect, I have come to unavoidably ask for your understanding."
"What is it?"
"Might we search your quarters for a moment?"
"...!"
At those words, I immediately furrowed my brow.
"Elder, are you suspecting me?"
"I am sorry, Young Hero Gu, but it is merely a confirmation."
"Ha."
I had to let out a hollow laugh at that.
And then I showed my wrist.
The wrist on which I wore the Yeonuiseon that Ubaek had told me to put on yesterday.
"You even put this on me for surveillance. And when something happens, you even search my quarters. What kind of absurdity is this...!"
"...I am truly sorry. But it is for certain confirmation. I hope you will understand."
Crack.
I had to grind my teeth.
And I walked out of the quarters with thumping steps.
"...This is absurd. Do as you wish. However, I will not forget this discourtesy shown by Wudang."
"..."
I growled and stepped aside; Ubaek gestured with his chin.
Immediately, Wudang's martial artists swarmed into the quarters.
They searched as if leaving not even a speck of dust behind.
Not long after.
"E-Elder!"
A Taoist brought something to Ubaek in a startled voice.
"F-found it."
The item carefully brought from my drawer was a jade bracelet with a blue hue.
Yes, it was the item Wudang had wanted to exchange.
Seeing it, Ubaek looked at me with surprised eyes.
"How did this... Young Hero."
A voice clearly filled with coldness.
I stammered at Ubaek's question.
"Th-this... why is this in my drawer...! I-I know nothing of this!"
"..."
I desperately tried to deny it, but Ubaek's eyes had already sunk heavily.
"Immediately."
It was a sign of anger, and Ubaek's voice trembled with fury.
"Subdue them. And lock them in prison. The Alliance Leader himself shall determine their fate."
Ubaek spat out words in a voice that seemed ready to kill immediately.
At Ubaek's words, Taoists approached me as if to subdue me.
Though I trembled as if terrified at that sight.
Inside, I had to smile broadly.
'It'll burn bright.'
Dried and rotten firewood.
They were good materials that would burn endlessly once lit.
Watching Wudang's current behavior, they were exactly that.
While being subdued obediently, I quietly spoke inwardly.
'Ttolttol.'
To that earthworm guy playing somewhere in the distant forest.
'I'm ready. Bring it.'
At that very moment.
Thudududuk—!
A vibration echoed from somewhere in the distant forest.