Chapter 200: Dao(道) and Thief(盜) (2)

Dao Zun.

Even compared to Venerable Buddha, she was of an earlier generation. If she were still alive, she would be over a hundred and twenty years old—the oldest living being in the Murim.

One of the Three Supremes and among the top martial artists in the Murim. But if I were to pick two defining traits of this Dao Zun…

First, despite the earth-shaking fame she carried, not many actually knew what she looked like.

Second, barely anyone in the Murim knew where she came from.

“You’re saying, So Cheon, you are the disciple of that Dao Zun?”

Who was Dao Zun?

She’d been quiet in recent decades.

But some seventy or eighty years ago, she was the legendary righteous martial artist who had taken down the most demonic sects and cultists across the Central Plains.

It was even said that the only reason the Evil Overlords of Heaven managed to establish themselves thirty years ago was because Dao Zun had gone quiet.

And now this sticky-fingered punk was claiming to be Dao Zun’s disciple?

‘Don’t tell me the Dao Zun I knew was actually “Phantom Thief” instead?’

So Cheon, meeting my intense stare, began to avert his eyes.

“Uh, so about that…”

Watching him sweat bullets while dodging my gaze was downright pathetic…

I let out a soft sigh and pushed aside the curiosity bubbling up within me.

“No, later. I am seriously curious, but now’s not the time to dig into that.”

“R-right!”

With Gwan Hyun glaring at us from just a few steps away, there was no time to poke into So Cheon’s past.

‘Hmm, wait a minute?’

Then an idea popped into my head—something I could use to get under Gwan Hyun’s skin.

I suddenly started poking So Cheon in the cheek as I provocatively addressed Gwan Hyun.

“Gwan Hyun. I didn’t even know this punk was Dao Zun’s disciple. But how did you know such a classified secret? Just how obsessed were you with Dao Zun to dig that up?”

Twitch!

His eye visibly twitched in response.

I followed up with another jab.

“Or maybe it’s… inferiority complex?”

“You sure like flapping your lips with no filter.”

That one landed.

Flash!

A ray of light exploded from Gwan Hyun’s sword in fury.

Famed for swift swords, even the renowned Jeomchang Sect would have to take a step back from this speed!

I hastily raised my sword to block the sudden strike.

BOOM!

“M-My Lord?!”

I barely managed to deflect the ambush.

But in return, I got slammed straight into the building behind me—part of the Dokgo Clan’s compound.

So Cheon shouted in alarm.

“W-what?! Where the hell did that fierce My Lord who stood toe-to-toe with Mother go?!”

Maybe he had stayed put, trusting I could handle it.

‘That one was dangerous. I almost failed to react.’

If I’d fought Song Yangja at full strength back in Iron Steed Prison Cave, it probably would’ve gone down like this.

Gwan Hyun stared at the spot where I’d crashed, looking surprised.

“You’ve seen the Great Harmony Sword Qi? I didn’t think you’d be able to react to that speed.”

Great Harmony Sword Qi.

It referred to the Wudang Sect’s ultimate qi-gong, achievable only by mastering the extreme form of the Supreme Tai Chi Sutra.

I brushed off the debris and slowly got up.

“Damn, you really went all out for just scratching your pride a little.”

Gwan Hyun let out a short chuckle.

“It’s a senior’s duty to fix the arrogance of his juniors.”

“And one of my favorite things is beating up old men.”

I began gathering my qi in earnest.

A kind of aura field began forming around me as a black whirlwind started to rise.

“Shall we continue?”

If we fought here, the center of Luoyang would be reduced to rubble.

The founding of the Black Lotus Union, in cooperation with the Lord of Luoyang, would also be significantly delayed…

“No, I’ll stop here.”

“……?!”

“Since you blocked my last strike, it’ll cause more loss than gain to press on.”

Gwan Hyun, who moments ago looked ready to tear me and So Cheon apart, suddenly sheathed his sword and completely flipped his stance.

His clean surrender left me dumbfounded.

But I had somewhat expected this after blocking his Great Harmony Sword Qi.

‘…As expected, someone who rose to become the Murim Alliance Leader in his past life—his calculations are razor-sharp.’

He regained his composure with astonishing speed.

If he had come alone, he might’ve made a different choice. But right now, his defeated Wudang disciples were scattered all around.

If he fought me here recklessly, they’d all end up dead.

Still, it was a bit unbelievable.

‘Could Venerable Buddha have been right? That man’s goal isn’t a resurrection of the past but rather the revival of the Wudang Sect itself…’

If Gwan Hyun were just seeking personal survival, he wouldn’t care one bit whether his disciples lived or died.

“I’ll leave quietly today. That’d be best for both sides, wouldn’t it?”

I decided to place a bet, trusting Venerable Buddha’s words.

“Sorry, but I can’t just let you walk away.”

“…What did you say?”

“I made a bet with your disciple.”

“A bet?”

As he narrowed his eyes, I casually tossed a large stone his way.

“Illyeong Han Mubaek. Known in Wudang as Han Baek, an outer sect disciple. He promised to reveal his location if he lost in the duel.”

“……”

I repeated the wager I’d made with Jeonmu to him.

Of course, I intentionally left out the part about the Zhangbo Blade.

I instinctively sensed that if I brought it up now, he’d go all in for a kill.

Gwan Hyun was silent for a moment after hearing the bet’s terms.

“Illyeong… You really do know a lot about our sect.”

I raised my alertness, keeping a close watch on his next move.

And in that tense standoff…

“Illyeong is currently at the Demonic Cult.”

“…!”

“Dae Cheon-gun conscripted him. I have no idea what he’s doing there.”

He revealed Han Mubaek’s location far too easily.

“Are you sure it’s okay to give that away so easily?”

I asked, momentarily baffled, and Gwan Hyun scoffed.

“Hmph, Illyeong should’ve belonged to the Demonic Cult from the start. Things just got twisted, so our sect was temporarily keeping him. Why would I have any reason to cherish some puppet of Dae Cheon-gun?”

That much was clear.

Given how flamboyantly I’d stirred things up, it wasn’t hard to guess that his fate had been drastically altered.

In my previous life, he’d never become a disciple of the Wudang Sect in the first place.

“Besides, you don’t even know what Illyeong looks like, do you? So there’s no harm in telling you.”

Hmm…

I knew exactly what he looked like.

Though I felt a bit awkward, I moved on to the next matter.

“Gwan Hyun. If you could make the Wudang Sect the best under the heavens, would you consider joining hands with my Cult? Discreetly, of course.”

“M-My Lord, what are you even saying?!”

So Cheon was appalled beside me, but I held out my hand to stop him.

Gwan Hyun’s cold sneer soon followed.

“Kuhuhu. What’s the Demonic Cult to me? If it’s for the glory of Wudang, I’d even shake hands with the devil himself. I’d offer up my soul, gladly.”

“I see.”

At those words, I immediately changed my tone and expression.

“Don’t worry about your disciples’ safety. They’ve been restrained without a scratch.”

“……”

“……”

“I hope we can meet again with a smile next time, Master Gwan.”

Gwan Hyun frowned at my now completely expressionless face.

“You’re quite the snake-tongued bastard.”

“If the Wudang Sect is a group that can be reasoned with, then my Cult has no intention of treating it as an enemy. After all, Hubei is quite far from us.”

At that, Gwan Hyun let out a mocking laugh.

“You want to ‘reason’ with me? Then are you prepared to hand over the Jade Heavenly Demon Sword?”

Are you insane?

I’m already holding myself back from killing you where you stand, and you throw that out?

“That’s not going to happen.”

“And yet you claim to want to ‘negotiate’ with the Wudang Sect?”

“I’m not talking about right now, obviously.”

Negotiation doesn’t mean just handing things over unilaterally.

True negotiation only happens when both sides gain something mutually beneficial.

“What matters to you, Master Gwan, is the glory of the Wudang Sect, isn’t it? There’s no need to obsess over the position of Righteous Faction Alliance Leader.”

“That may be true, but it’s still the fastest and most reliable route. I wouldn’t want to miss that opportunity.”

This time, I gave him a mocking smile.

“Your ambition seems rather… small, Master Gwan.”

“…What?”

He blinked, genuinely caught off guard by my words.

“Are you really going to settle for the position of some righteous sect alliance leader? Will the name of Wudang truly be restored by just that?”

“What… are you getting at?”

My tongue slithered into his mind like a venomous snake.

“Not the Righteous Faction Leader… but the Murim Alliance Leader. Wouldn’t Wudang’s name be firmly reestablished if it produced the Murim’s Supreme Leader?”

“Th-the Murim Alliance Leader?!”

I recalled who he’d become in his past life and pressed forward.

“A true Murim Alliance—one formed by the unification of all factions, not just the righteous ones. What if the very first leader of that alliance came from Wudang? And what if ‘my Cult’ and ‘the Black Lotus Union’ worked beneath the surface to help make that happen?”

“……”

“Wouldn’t that be a beneficial deal for both sides?”

A Murim Alliance, not a Righteous Faction Alliance.

If all the major factions united, it would essentially create a new organization. There’d be no need to confront the Sword King politically.

And if a power struggle over leadership did break out, brute force could decide the victor.

Gwan Hyun didn’t respond.

But just from the look on his face, I could tell he was seriously tempted.

“As I said earlier, I’m not talking about the immediate future. I just hope we part ways today with the thought that such a future is possible.”

“…Heh.”

He let out a quiet sigh.

“To think someone could shake me this much… Looks like a new Devil Mind has been born within the Demonic Cult.”

“……”

Hmm.

Was… was that supposed to be a compliment?

“Very well. It may be far off, but I’ll remember that you made such an offer.”

“Thank you.”

Swish!

Gwan Hyun lifted six Wudang disciples into the air using Heavenly Object Grasping, a technique relying purely on internal energy.

I couldn’t hide my disbelief at that absurd act.

‘He really is a crazy monster.’

No telekinesis, no artifacts—he lifted multiple unconscious people using nothing but raw internal energy and willpower.

It was control on a transcendent level.

“Oh, just one last thing.”

I stopped Gwan Hyun just before he turned to leave.

“…What is it?”

“Could you tell me just one thing before you go? How did you know So Cheon was Dao Zun’s disciple?”

After a moment of silence, Gwan Hyun answered.

“The Ten Thousand Styles of Grand Supreme Tai Chi. That’s one of the secret martial arts of our sect, never shown to outsiders.”

“…!”

“It was practically lost after that damned man inherited it and was expelled from our sect.”

Hooh?

That was a secret even the wider Murim didn’t know.

“Even if the lineage was broken, there’s no way the head of Wudang wouldn’t recognize Wudang’s martial arts.”

With those words, Gwan Hyun stomped off, signaling the end of the conversation.

I watched him grow distant, then turned my gaze toward So Cheon.

‘So that means… this bastard, despite being from the Hidden Shadow So Clan, has mastered Wudang’s martial arts?’

He was truly like an onion—layer after layer of secrets.

It was then—

“H-hey, My Lord. There’s something I’ve been wondering.”

“What is it?”

So Cheon suddenly asked me.

“You really seemed to hate that guy. Is it okay to just let him go?”

“……”

“I mean, from what I’ve seen of your skills… you could probably take him. And more than that…”

He glanced at me nervously before adding in a low voice,

“You looked like you wanted to kill him, not just hate him…”

“…Haah.”

I let out a hollow sigh.

Seriously, with intuition like that, why the hell is this bastard wasting his talents on petty thievery?

“Killing him isn’t my top priority right now.”

“Priority?”

“I really do want to kill him. But if ‘the current her’ stands to benefit from him, then I’ll have to set my feelings aside for now.”

“…?”

So Cheon tilted his head, clearly not understanding what I meant by “the current her.”

“Talking to that guy again will only happen after everything in Luoyang is resolved. And only if, by then, neither of us holds any lingering grudges.”

Even if we didn’t settle things right this moment, the way things were going, either of us could point a blade at the other’s throat anytime.

This was nothing more than a temporary postponement—maybe even a sliver of hesitation.

“Anyway, this isn’t the issue we should be focusing on.”

“Huh?”

Thwack!

“Gyaaaah!”

I smacked So Cheon hard on the shin and glared at him.

“What was that? You’re Dao Zun’s disciple? And yet you were groveling with a leash around your neck, dragged around by people like Lord of Slaughter and Jeok Rua?”

“Y-you shouldn’t talk about someone’s mother like that…”

“Cut the crap and spill everything right now. Unless you want to be executed for conspiring with traitors.”

So Cheon gulped at the chill in my voice.

“S-seriously, it’s not much. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Start talking.”

“Ugh…”

With a sheepish face, So Cheon began to recall the past.

“Uh, I met Master around ten years ago.”

“When you were still with the House of Slaughter?”

“Yeah. It was right after Hyung-nim Byeok got sold off to the Ghost Command Unit. Training got insanely brutal around that time, and I hit rock bottom. So I just said screw it and ran away from the Sal Clan.”

“……”

“My sister was pretty out of it too, because of what happened to Hyung-nim. So sneaking out wasn’t that hard…”

“Enough about that. Just keep going.”

Even now, just thinking of that lunatic So Soryu makes my head spin.

“Well, I escaped, but I had nowhere to go. Didn’t have much of a will to live either. So I figured, might as well go nuts and sightsee at the Heavenly Demon Pavilion. I ended up wandering toward Heavenly Demon Peak.”

…Wow.

This guy’s really insane, isn’t he?

“So while I was near Heavenly Demon Peak, I happened to bump into Master, who’d unofficially stopped by our Cult.”

“Dao Zun came to the Cult?”

“Yeah. I don’t know the reason. Probably came to meet the Cult Leader.”

That did make sense.

If Dao Zun appeared near Heavenly Demon Peak, that was the only logical reason.

“So what happened? How’d you end up forming a connection?”

At my question, his already red face turned even redder.

“W-well, she had this candy pouch I really wanted…”

No… don’t tell me…

As my jaw dropped in horror, So Cheon confessed his now-regrettable past with an awkward smile.

“I tried to steal it but failed. Looking back, I guess that was my very first failure.”

“……”

“Master beat the crap out of me and told me I’d die miserably if I didn’t fix that sticky-fingered habit. She said I’d eventually meet someone who’d change my life, but at the rate I was going, I’d die before that happened.”

Unconsciously, I found myself nodding.

I’d never seen Dao Zun in person, but that man had to be a sage who could see right through someone with ghost-like precision.

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