Chapter 558: Wind Cloud Ghost Bandit (Wind Cloud Ghost Bandit)

Inside a cave where cold air came and went.

Unlike the barren and dry surroundings, the tip of my nose was filled with the scent of plum blossoms.

It was the first time.

For such a rich and beautiful plum blossom scent.

A deep and profound fragrance I hadn’t even sensed from the Sect Leader.

Several days had passed, yet Yeongpung still vividly remembered the scene from back then.

The aura of the plum blossoms, which felt both rough and comforting at first glance.

[It’s good to meet you.]

Even the voice that echoed in my ears.

Yeongpung tried his best not to forget any trace of it.

[Though I cannot see or hear, if my voice reaches you, you must surely be a child of Hwasan.]

Even though it was just a voice that could be heard.

The moment Yeongpung heard that voice, he found himself instinctively showing respect.

I didn’t know who it was.

But.

For some reason, it felt like I had to.

[How is Hwasan now? Are the plum blossoms still beautiful?]

To the question, Yeongpung answered yes.

[I truly hope so.]

Perhaps not hearing Yeongpung’s answer, the voice offered its own reply.

In that voice, there was a faint longing and trust.

[Child of Hwasan, whose name I do not know.]

[My name is Sincheol.]

At the words spoken, Yeongpung had to widen his eyes.

In Hwasan’s long history, there were many who bore the Dao name Sincheol, but.

The one person Yeongpung recalled now was only one.

Hwasan Seon-geom (華山善劍) Sincheol.

He was one of the heroes who blocked the Blood Demon’s Blood Calamity, and.

A respected figure who enabled the Hwasan of today to shine.

And.

He was also the ideal Yeongpung dreamed of.

‘The greatest martial artist Hwasan has ever produced.’

They say the youngest Plum Blossom Swordmaster of the era was Yeongpung, but.

Until then, the one who held that nickname was Hwasan Seon-geom.

Even before Yeon Ilcheon, the greatest under heaven of that era, appeared in the Central Plains.

He was an ancestor who had never suffered a single defeat, evaluated as having reached the pinnacle of blooming plum blossoms.

That was Hwasan Seon-geom Sincheol.

It was said that if Hwasan Seon-geom wished to bloom the plum blossoms, even if it were the darkest night (漆夜), the sky would be dyed crimson.

He sought to save the weak populace in the name of Hwasan.

A great man who plunged into war, holding onto the collapsing Hwasan.

He was truly a figure worthy of being praised as a hero, someone respected by all Hwasan disciples.

His disposition was also said to be virtuous and kind, a benevolent person who could never overlook the sick and weak.

How could one not dream of such a person as an ideal?

Although the one Yeongpung wishes to defeat is a mere remnant of Gu family.

The one he wished to become was Hwasan Seon-geom.

As such.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Yeongpung could feel his heart pounding madly right now.

How could Hwasan Seon-geom be here?

Is this truly his voice?

No matter how much he tried to calm himself, Yeongpung couldn’t.

I must believe it.

How could I not believe it, sensing such a dense plum blossom scent?

Thinking thus, I looked at the orb before me.

This warm energy and the scent lingering at the tip of my nose were all felt from that place.

[You and I meeting here must mean we have finally reached our destiny.]

[My child. Child of Hwasan.]

For some reason, Hwasan Seon-geom’s voice sounded sad and heavy.

When Yeongpung answered such a question.

Hwasan Seon-geom spoke after a brief silence.

[Soon, a calamity will befall the world.]

Before Yeongpung could even react to the sudden words, Hwasan Seon-geom continued speaking.

[The very fact that I am saying this to you means that ultimately we… no, that I have failed.]

Yeongpung couldn’t understand what was being said.

Failed? What could Hwasan Seon-geom have failed at?

The Blood Calamity back then was surely blocked not only by Hwasan Seon-geom but also by them.

[I am sorry for leaving you with such unworthy predecessors.]

That’s not true.

Yeongpung protests that it’s absolutely not true, but.

It seemed Yeongpung’s voice couldn’t reach Hwasan Seon-geom.

[Child of Hwasan, whose name I do not know.]

[I wish you would finish the story I could not conclude.]

He was merely uttering his request, but.

Yeongpung didn’t care even if that were the case.

What was important was.

[Following in my footsteps… ]

The one he dreamed of as his ideal.

Was entrusting the task he couldn’t finish to him.

For Yeongpung, that was enough.

So, without hesitation, he grasped the nameless orb in the cave.

He fully received the pouring energy and took it into his body.

Feeling the plum blossoms rising within his dantian, Yeongpung could be certain.

This energy was definitely his energy.

Therefore, accepting it wasn’t difficult.

Although it had a rough and sharp nature, the roots were the same.

All he had to do was accept it.

Without needing to do anything special, the energy found its place in Yeongpung’s body as if it were its own home.

After absorbing all the energy, by the time Yeongpung regained his senses, his body had undergone countless changes.

His frame had thickened.

His meridians flowed with a dense demonic energy entirely different from before, and his cultivation level had also risen.

It was a fortuitous encounter.

Within his changed body and advanced cultivation, Yeongpung exhaled.

His heavy breath mixed thickly with demonic energy.

Feeling this, Yeongpung thought.

‘Have I truly become his successor?’

That I must do what he could not accomplish.

As a choice made naively, it was a heavy and chilling task, but.

Yeongpung could get fired up just by that.

I can do it.

No, I must do it.

If there’s something he couldn’t do, I will accomplish it.

I don’t know what kind of calamity is coming that made him leave such a will.

I will block the calamity, following in Hwasan Seon-geom’s footsteps.

I thought so for sure, but then.

“What the hell is this crap now…! Why don’t you get lost!?”

Yeongpung had to feel an unknown emotion upon seeing the scene before his eyes.

An emotion I had never felt since birth.

---

Something’s wrong.

It was the first thought that came to mind when the situation unfolded.

‘This isn’t good….’

In the midst of the sudden situation, I turned my head and looked at my right arm.

Something was tightly bound to my forearm, where nothing should have been.

‘…Shit….’

Seeing it, I cursed inwardly.

The feel of the object was incredibly familiar.

Of course. It was the same object I’d been carrying on my left arm for years.

The only difference was that this one was crimson.

‘The one on my left arm is sky blue.’

No, I couldn’t even say that much was different.

The one on my left arm was also crimson in the beginning.

Recalling that, I bit my lip.

‘It’s Gui-jeong.’

The thing that latched onto my right arm was definitely Gui-jeong.

Now that I saw it directly, I was certain.

This was indeed the treasured weapon of Old Man Shin.

Which means.

‘Two Gui-jeongs?’

The one bound to my left arm and the one that jumped onto my right arm.

Both are Gui-jeongs.

‘How did this happen?’

Although questions filled my mind about this strange situation, now wasn’t the time to ponder such things.

“…That thing.”

I looked up at the voice that spoke.

There was Geom-hu, as well as Gu Ryeong-hwa and Yeongpung.

And.

‘Even that old geezer.’

Even Woo Baek, watching this with apparent interest from behind.

As soon as I grasped the situation, I changed my expression.

With a look of utter surprise and confusion.

“W-what is this?”

Even as I said it, I felt a chill.

Because my words came out stiffly.

‘Damn it.’

I tried my best, but damn it, my habit of messing up whenever I tried to act was still there.

The fortunate thing was, despite my crappy tone, they didn’t seem to notice, perhaps because the situation was so unexpected.

“Geom-hu-nim… What is going on? And what is this?”

When I pointedly asked Geom-hu, she looked at me with surprised eyes and said.

“…That… is Gui-jeong….”

“G-Gui-jeong, you say!”

As soon as I heard that, I said to Geom-hu with wide eyes.

“Are you talking about the legendary treasured weapon used by Hwasan’s eighth Sect Leader, the hero who blocked the Blood Calamity, Hwasan Seon-geom Sincheol…!”

“Uh… huh?”

“It might look like a shabby, worn-out cloth, but in reality, it’s an indestructible legendary artifact that can even change into any shape the wielder desires!?”

“…Uh… yeah… huh, you know more than I expected.”

“How can this be! But how did this suddenly get into my hands…!!”

I put on the best reaction I could.

I thought even Old Man Shin, who always criticized me for lying, might understand this much.

“…”

“Oppa… are you hurt?”

‘Tsk.’

It seemed this didn’t work either.

‘Why?’

I just couldn’t understand it.

I thought I did pretty well?

‘What should I do then.’

If I realized the lie didn’t work, I should just play dumb and pretend I know nothing…

“Young Hero Gu.”

“Yeah?”

Clench.

I felt someone grab my right arm.

It was Yeongpung.

“This is the sect’s artifact.”

“Sect Leader?”

Wondering why he was acting like this, I looked into Yeongpung’s eyes.

‘Hmm…?’

Looking into Yeongpung’s eyes, I had to pause for a moment.

It was because something was permeating his pupils.

‘Look at this guy.’

That was a feeling all too familiar and annoying to me.

“Please return it.”

Squeeze.

The grip on my hand tightened.

Feeling that, I tried my best to ignore it.

Then, smiling, I said to Yeongpung.

“Sect Leader, I’m sorry, but I’d like to give it to you too.”

Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t want to give it away?

‘I was surprised too, you bastard.’

Suddenly, an artifact flew through the air and jumped onto my arm. How could I not be surprised by this?

“Could you first explain what happened? I’m a victim too.”

“…Return it.”

“Hmm.”

I was trying to explain calmly, but Yeongpung didn’t seem to be listening well.

Especially, I could feel the force on my arm growing stronger.

I considered explaining further, but suddenly a sigh escaped me.

‘Ah, this is annoying.’

As that thought crossed my mind, my arm moved on its own.

“Wait, calm down first….”

Sensing Yeongpung’s strange aura, Geom-hu rushed over to intervene, but.

WHAM-

“…!”

My hand was faster than that.

“Oof….”

Yeongpung, hit in the jaw, grunted briefly and collapsed.

I grabbed Yeongpung by the collar, ‘supporting’ him so he wouldn’t completely fall, then looked at Geom-hu.

Perhaps because I struck without hesitation, Geom-hu’s face was filled with bewilderment.

Looking into her eyes, I asked calmly.

“Could you explain it again?”

“…”

“I didn’t hear you properly.”

I said it with a smile, but the atmosphere had already turned cold.

---

Afterwards, I managed to sort out the situation.

Although Yeongpung had fainted, with Geom-hu and Gu Ryeong-hwa there, there was no problem.

‘It almost got a bit troublesome, though.’

I somehow managed to get through it.

Of course, others suffered more than I did.

‘What could I do? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?’

Since this incident wasn’t my intention, I felt wronged too.

I looked down at my right arm.

Unlike before, my hand was now empty.

Looking at it, I recalled the situation earlier and had to take a breath.

‘Fortunately, it listened well.’

The one on my left arm wouldn’t listen no matter how much I begged it to leave.

This one that interfered was thankfully obedient.

As I wanted it to leave, it loosened and came off shortly after.

‘Thanks to that, the situation was resolved, but.’

I could escape the feeling of being the one who snatched Gui-jeong out of nowhere.

The problem is.

‘Why was that?’

Why did that Gui-jeong come to me?

I heard that the moment Geom-hu brought the box and placed it on the table.

Gui-jeong supposedly escaped on its own and rushed towards me outside.

‘What kind of terrifying thing is that.’

As soon as I heard that story, I couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh.

It was the first time I’d heard of an artifact possessing its own will and acting like that.

‘I wondered if it had picked up some lingering thoughts, but.’

I felt nothing from Gui-jeong.

So, I came up with a few hypotheses.

‘The most likely one among them is that it’s because of Old Man Shin’s energy within my body.’

As it was Old Man Shin’s treasured weapon, I thought this was the only reason Gui-jeong might have acted that way.

However.

‘Then what about Yeongpung?’

That brings up the issue concerning Yeongpung.

Yeongpung clearly stated that he found Old Man Shin’s trace inside the cave and obtained a fortuitous encounter.

In that case, Gui-jeong should have gone to Yeongpung, not jumped towards me.

‘But it didn’t.’

Then it naturally leads me to think.

That trace Yeongpung obtained.

‘Is it truly Old Man Shin’s trace?’

It was a thought that constantly occupied my mind on the way here.

Has Yeongpung truly become Old Man Shin’s successor?

If so, what am I?

What is that Gui-jeong? And what does this situation signify?

If Old Man Shin were here, this would be easily solved, but since he isn’t, I had to ponder more.

Yes, pondering.

I was pondering like this, while being convinced myself that I was Old Man Shin’s successor.

The reason is simple.

‘Because I lack certainty.’

It’s not that I lack certainty about being Old Man Shin’s successor.

‘It’s that I lack certainty that his energy is fake.’

It was because I couldn’t be certain that the energy and trace Yeongpung possessed were fake.

Although it was somewhat ambiguous, the energy Yeongpung possessed was definitely Old Man Shin’s.

This was certainty.

‘I’ve gotten to know after spending a few days.’

It’s definitely the same energy.

So, I even tried hard, fearing the energies might resonate with each other.

Tsk.

‘This has become damn annoying.’

Gui-jeong or whatever. It was clearly a complicated matter.

It would have been easier if it were all fake, but since it all seems real, it’s infuriating.

‘Damn old man, why does he have to be absent precisely at a time like this.’

I cursed that damn old man inwardly but held myself back.

It was hard to curse someone who went to handle things in my stead, as my tiny conscience pricked me.

So.

Although I don’t quite like how things turned out.

‘I’ll think about this later.’

For now, let’s deal with the task at hand.

Thinking thus, I put strength into my foot.

“Grrrraaaahhh!”

As I pressed down firmly, a groan came from the floor.

I lowered my gaze and looked at the source of the sound.

Someone was lying under my foot, wearing a pained expression.

Looking at him, I said.

“I tend to keep my word.”

No matter what means I used, I kept my spoken words.

So, I was doing just that this time as well.

“I told you earlier.”

As I spoke, fear dawned in the opponent’s eyes.

As if enjoying his gaze, I continued with a smile.

“If you draw your sword, you die.”

At those words, the opponent, Mu-dang’s Ui-ryong-geom Ji-cheol, began to tremble slightly.