Chapter: 559
The last day that the Wind and Cloud Guardians were scheduled to appear.
As the sun began to set, a presence was felt near Wudang Mountain.
Crunch-!
Someone was moving quickly through the grass.
Wearing a black mask and covered from head to toe in dark clothing, this figure was darting around at a fast pace.
One somewhat questionable detail was that, perhaps due to their speed, they seemed a bit impatient.
Tap-!
After a while of moving, the figure finally landed at their destination and concealed their body.
In front of them stood a small residence, and it looked like the shamans were standing guard as if to protect it, keeping watch over the four pillars of destiny.
Upon seeing this, the figure’s eyes gleamed.
That was the place.
The location where the figure’s purpose and goals resided.
A place with treasures.
A location where the volcano’s and shamans’ noble items gathered.
Yes, that was it.
After the scheduled five days, tomorrow the treasures would be returned to the volcano and the shamans, and they would part ways.
This was a precautionary measure to keep things safe just in case something unexpected happened.
The figure shifted their gaze and focused on someone.
Among the guards stationed at the residence was a woman with a striking appearance.
Draped in a light blue martial arts uniform over a neatly pressed white outfit was none other than the Plum Blossom Sword Queen, currently holding the title of Sword Queen.
She, too, was standing guard to protect the treasures of the volcano.
Seeing that, the figure bit their lip.
In half an hour…
In half an hour, the Sword Queen would leave her post.
It would only be for a brief moment, but that would be enough time for the figure.
Time passed.
So, with bated breath, precisely half an hour later, the Sword Queen, who had been quietly on guard, began to shift.
Now, it’s time!
This was the moment they had been waiting for. Even if the Sword Queen’s absence lasted only a few seconds…
The opportunity was now.
The figure discreetly summoned their dōgi, concealing the cold sweat running down their body.
All that was left was to rush in and seize the treasure.
Yes, that was all that mattered.
Everything was for the shamans.
Just as the figure was about to throw themselves into action…
“Hello?”
A voice whispered in their ear.
Crackle-!
“Ugh…!?”
The figure felt a vice grip around their neck and their vision twisted.
There was no time to assess the situation. Their vision was blurred, and a surge of wind rushed by them.
Trying to react, the figure soon realized.
The wild gust that enveloped them was the result of their own feet being lifted off the ground, moving rapidly.
How fast must someone be to exert this level of pressure on them?
A wave of fear washed over their mind, but that didn’t last long either.
Thud-!
Suddenly, the wind ceased, and the figure rolled on the ground as if they had been thrown.
They needed to get up.
Survival instincts clawed at them, but…
Bam-! Something slammed into their chest, anchoring their rolling body.
“Ugh!”
They gasped as agonizing pain erupted within.
Looking down, they saw someone’s foot crushing their chest.
At that moment…
“Just a thought.”
The owner of the foot addressed the figure. The latter lifted their head in the direction of the voice.
And they had to feel the pain.
As they attempted to curl up, discomfort shot through their chest and injured shoulder.
“You don’t remember what I said? That’s a bit disappointing.”
The speaker wore a smile, but there was a sharpness in their tone.
The owner of the foot was completely unexpected.
Saaaaah-!
Moonlight illuminated the area.
The figure hidden in darkness was revealed.
They had hair that shimmered with a faint blue hue, possibly due to the moonlight.
In addition, the fierce-looking face with blue eyes sparkled vibrantly.
Just this morning, those eyes had clearly been red, yet for some reason, the young man’s gaze glowed in shades of blue.
“I told you.”
The young man spoke.
“If you draw your sword, you die. Did you forget that?”
His voice resonated in the character’s ears.
After all, this was something they had heard just this day at the guesthouse.
Yes, the individual’s identity was none other than Ji-cheol—the second disciple of the shamanist faction, the Dragon Sword.
“… How… How…”
Ji-cheol struggled to articulate his words.
This was an utterly incomprehensible situation.
How was this person here?
At this point, he should have been in the residence, under the watch of the shamans.
How could he end up in this kind of scenario?
Did the tension in his mind give way to an understanding?
The blue-eyed young man, Gu Yangcheon, responded to Ji-cheol’s silent inquiry with a subtle grin.
Then, he relaxed the pressure on Ji-cheol’s chest, allowing him some breathing room.
Only then could Ji-cheol draw in much-needed air.
“Ugh… gasp… .”
As he finally managed to exhale, Gu Yangcheon spoke to Ji-cheol again.
“Seeing how shocked you are, I guess my presence here is unexpected?”
At that, Ji-cheol instinctively moved his hand.
He was trying to pull out the sword sheathed at his waist.
“…!”
His hand grasped nothing but air.
The sword that should have been on his waist had vanished without a trace.
“Looking for this?”
In front of Ji-cheol, Gu Yangcheon playfully waved Ji-cheol’s own sword.
“If the swordsman is careless with the sword, what use is it?”
“… When…!”
Thwang-!
Ji-cheol, struck in the chest, screamed and rolled helplessly on the ground twice.
Afterwards, as a weak Ji-cheol struggled to regain composure, he had to frantically grip the ground and roll his eyes in confusion.
‘What in the world is happening?’
He couldn’t comprehend the pain or the bizarre appearance of Gu Yangcheon.
More pressing than that was the current situation.
‘How…?’
How was this guy here?
At this moment, without a doubt.
‘He should be…’
“Staying at the residence while….”
“…!”
As if sensing Ji-cheol’s thoughts, Gu Yangcheon approached.
“I can’t stand feeling cooped up, though. I just went out for a midnight stroll.”
The nonchalant explanation was absurd.
If they were disciples of the shaman, such a thing wouldn’t have been allowed.
However, Gu Yangcheon continued his banter unaffected.
“I was taking a leisurely walk when I thought, ‘Well, this is quite the event!’ as I happened to catch sight of our dojo.”
“…”
“You don’t strike me as the type to sneak out for a stroll like that, so I wonder what you’re doing all dressed up in secrecy?”
How should Ji-cheol even respond to that?
The contemplation didn’t last long.
“I have something to… uh…!?”
Crack-!
As Ji-cheol attempted to formulate an excuse, Gu Yangcheon suddenly seized his neck.
“That kind of answer won’t do. In this conversation, I’m the only one allowed to lie.”
“Grrk… gurk…”
“Oh, but that’s a bit unfair. I’ll share what I think you might be curious about, too.”
Something intriguing.
As he spoke, Gu Yangcheon presented his wrist.
“I left the Yeon-ui-seon behind. It’s a bother to deal with.”
“… Huh…?!”
At those words, Ji-cheol’s eyes widened.
He left the Yeon-ui-seon behind?
This made absolutely no sense.
If that were true, Gu Yangcheon shouldn’t even be here.
Finding amusement in Ji-cheol’s startled reaction, Gu Yangcheon smirked.
“This is quite the interesting object; it allows you to track the wearer’s movements.”
It was an item designed to quickly check the status of team members during monster hunts or mission assignments.
Wu Baek had described it just like that.
“But you didn’t explain the most crucial aspect, did you?”
“… Huh…?”
“If you sever it, it sends a signal, right?”
“…!”
“Am I right?”
At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Ji-cheol’s heart began to race.
He knew it was precisely as he said.
The purpose of the Yeon-ui-seon was not only to relay situational awareness.
If an issue occurred with the line itself, it would alert someone of a high rank.
The range was somewhat limited, but within the shaman, it wouldn’t be hard to keep track of things.
This implied that while confirming the wearer’s condition…
It could detect abnormal activities, and if close enough, track movement patterns.
How did this guy know all of that?
Also.
‘How did he even get here?’
How had he gotten this far while leaving the Yeon-ui-seon behind?
Ji-cheol’s gaze was filled with confusion.
And Gu Yangcheon found it absolutely hilarious.
“Thinking it through, I feel like something’s off.”
The foul scent he sensed during the day.
Gu Yangcheon mulled over the source of that unpleasantness for quite a while.
Then finally, a vague recollection came to mind.
“Their responses… They seem to be watching us, yet they don’t seem to act on anything significant.”
“Ugh…”
As Ji-cheol tried to decipher what that could mean…
“Not a single person suspected us.”
Ji-cheol realized the implication of Gu Yangcheon’s remark.
“Isn’t it strange? That the Wind and Cloud Guardian reemerged after decades seeking to pilfer treasures from the shaman. Yet, while they stay vigilant towards outsiders, no one raises an eyebrow?”
Initially, Ji-cheol thought they might have been coldly setting up the Yeon-ui-seon to avoid confusion with the infiltrating Wind and Cloud Guardians.
He assumed there might have also been an aim of surveillance.
However, something felt off, something smelly.
‘I’ve never heard of the Wind and Cloud Guardian reappearing in past lives.’
Sometimes he mused if his own interference had distorted things into a mess.
This kind of gut feeling had never led him astray, so he suspected something wasn’t quite right.
With that in mind, he tried to piece it together.
“Then suddenly…”
He felt a glimpse of understanding.
But…
“I wasn’t entirely certain.”
That was the troublesome part.
If he wasn’t sure, what should he do? The answer was strikingly simple.
“So I thought I’d better ask it directly?”
He could just ask.
That could clarify the situation.
Simply put, he just had to ask politely (?) and nicely (?).
Conveniently, he’d handed a ‘gift’ to the person skilled at asking, so he decided it was time to find out.
But.
“Something felt off about it.”
They had begun to move.
At an astonishing speed in the dead of night.
It seemed odd to say it was training.
It felt suspicious to claim he was pursuing someone.
And it didn’t match up if he was just headed somewhere.
He could see where he wanted to go, but the route they were taking was just… strange.
As if…
“As if trying to obscure their presence.”
“Ugh…!”
“It’s unlikely a person in poor health could manage that.”
Ji-cheol had one shattered shoulder from injuries that occurred that day.
While he wasn’t incapable of healing, moving that swiftly at night was quite extraordinary.
Thrum.
At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Ji-cheol shuddered violently.
Witnessing the reaction, Gu Yangcheon continued.
“That’s why I wanted to ask.”
Thus, he caught Ji-cheol.
It wasn’t a difficult task for Gu Yangcheon.
He had infused some energy into the shoulder when he had struck.
A kind of energy that would ensure Ji-cheol couldn’t escape.
Wiggle.
“Ugh…!?”
Ji-cheol felt something stirring within him.
Dantian, somewhere deep inside him.
From that place, an unknown force began to shift slowly.
As that occurred, Gu Yangcheon’s blue eyes began to shine even brighter.
With the light, his presence expanded, starting to envelop Ji-cheol completely.
The grip on his neck loosened just enough for Ji-cheol to speak.
“You know…”
Gu Yangcheon directed a question towards Ji-cheol.
“Are you the Wind and Cloud Guardian?”
“…!”
At that inquiry, Ji-cheol felt his heart plummet.
But…
“Or not.”
That wasn’t the end.
“Is it the ‘role’ of the Wind and Cloud Guardian?”
Shiver shiver.
Ji-cheol’s body shook beyond his control.
Yet, he gritted his teeth and resolved.
He must not speak.
No matter how overwhelming the fear or torture, he had sworn he wouldn’t reveal that.
“Answer.”
“… I am…?”
The command he heard forced Ji-cheol’s mouth to respond of its own accord.
Ji-cheol wore a look of disbelief.
This wasn’t his own volition.
To that, Gu Yangcheon simply smiled, clearly pleased.
He wore a grin that overflowed with satisfaction at finally finding answers to frustrating questions.
Gu Yangcheon laughed even harder, not bothering to conceal it.
“Thank goodness.”
What a relief.
“Turns out the shamans are even dimwitted than I thought.”
Thanks to that, it seemed he would be able to manipulate the situation.
And he felt quite pleased about it.
The next morning.
Ji-cheol, the second disciple of the shaman sect, was found dead on the mountainside of Wudang.
Circumstantial evidence suggested he had cut his own throat to meet his end.
And, as if to confirm this, a note lay on the ground.
Just as had been foretold five days prior in a letter…
The Wind and Cloud Guardian succeeded in stealing the treasures.
However.
For reasons unknown, the volcano’s treasures were left behind, and only the shaman’s treasures vanished.
Perhaps that was why…
The atmosphere among the shamans turned upside down from the break of dawn.
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