Yi-gang was accompanied by the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering.

When he appeared, all eyes turned to him.

The duel between Hwa So-so and Na Hee-yeon had ended, and the crowd that had gathered because of it began to flock toward Yi-gang.

It was only natural.

Since the assembly of the successors here, Yi-gang, who had yet to show himself, had become the topic of everyone’s curiosity.

People were often more interested in things they knew only a little about rather than those they knew well.

Among the spectators, there were some who were acquainted with Yi-gang.

However, no one dared to approach him or speak first.

Yi-gang, in turn, didn’t give anyone so much as a glance.

He and the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering walked straight through the crowd.

From somewhere, martial monks of the Jeong line appeared and joined Yi-gang.

Including a dozen monks, Yi-gang’s entourage stopped in front of a pond within the Guest Hall.

Without uttering a word, Yi-gang and the monks began moving.

“What are they… doing?”

“Are they building something?”

It all started when the monks began bringing in materials, including wooden planks.

Empty barrels, planks, and tools like hammers and nails were used as they quickly began crafting something.

Yi-gang and the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering also participated in the process.

Beop Yun, though blind, moved swiftly and precisely as if he could see. Beop Jin, who was crippled, sometimes moved by walking on his hands. Beop Jae, despite his hunched back, carried more heavy loads than anyone else.

Even Yi-gang, unable to use his arms, used his feet and, at times, his teeth to tie planks together with ropes as part of the labor.

The successors who had been holding swords silently observed this scene.

The labor, conducted in silence and under such watchful eyes, felt surreal—like a scene from an old tale.

“…He’s skilled.”

“Could someone born without the use of their arms become that proficient?”

What the successors focused on, more than anything, was Yi-gang himself.

He was a young swordsman who had once risen to the position of the most promising successor.

Born into the Baek Clan as its heir, he had not only been unable to learn martial arts but had also been destined to die young before the age of 20.

Yet, in the end, this young genius had struggled desperately to overcome the divine punishment he had been born with.

Now, he had fallen to this state.

Still, it was clear his spirit remained unbroken.

Look at how he quietly labored without caring about his uncomfortable body.

The sight stirred something in people’s hearts.

Reverence and respect for unyielding determination.

And, at the same time, a base satisfaction in witnessing the fall of one who once stood ahead of them.

But not everyone would feel such emotions.

“Ah…!”

Baek Ha-jun, who had rushed over before anyone else, was the one to react.

Even though he was the first to arrive, he still couldn’t bring himself to speak to Yi-gang.

His older brother hadn’t spared him a single glance.

Ha-jun felt a suffocating wave of shock.

“Brother…!”

He had heard about Yi-gang’s condition.

He had braced himself, knowing it was quite severe.

But seeing Yi-gang’s state with his own eyes was far worse than anything he had imagined.

“Why… what on earth happened to you?!”

Ha-jun’s shout caused the crowd to step aside.

Yi-gang also turned to look at Ha-jun.

“…You’ve come.”

“…”

Yi-gang remained as composed as ever, but Ha-jun was different.

And it was no wonder—Yi-gang’s arms weren’t just immobile.

He had heard that both arms had turned black, but now the demonic Qi that had spread to his forearms had climbed to his shoulders, chest, and even his neck.

Since being possessed by the Blue-Eyed Mad Demon, Yi-gang’s hair had faded to an ashen gray, and his already thin frame had grown even more gaunt.

The demonic energy creeping up his slender, pale neck exuded a sinister aura.

Yi-gang’s condition clearly looked worse than when So Woon and Noh Shik had last seen him.

Noh Shik muttered quietly, “So Woon… doesn’t he look worse than before?”

“It seems so.”

Had Tang Eun-seol’s attempt to teach Yi-gang how to manage demonic energy failed?

Meanwhile, the tense standoff between Ha-jun and Yi-gang continued.

“I heard you weren’t well, but…”

“Step back.”

Yi-gang spoke coldly and mercilessly.

Ha-jun froze in place, startled.

Though both had grown up now, Ha-jun was suddenly reminded of their childhood.

Yi-gang, who had always chosen to isolate himself as the outcast of the family, came to mind.

“Go.”

Yi-gang dismissed Ha-jun without a second thought and rejoined the monks.

Only Beop Jin glanced at Ha-jun with pity, clicking his tongue softly.

The monks continued assembling planks and tying ropes around empty barrels.

Upon closer inspection, the barrels had been coated with glue to ensure they were waterproof.

“…Are they planning to float a boat?”

Someone murmured those words.

It wasn’t a boat, but the idea of floating something on water wasn’t far off.

The monks quickly placed the raft they had constructed onto the pond.

Though it was called a pond, the Guest Hall’s pond was vast, almost like a small lake.

There was even a dock prepared for mooring boats.

The rope tied to the raft was secured to the dock, and the monks used poles to push the raft outward.

The raft drifted slowly toward the center of the pond.

For a moment, people wondered why they were doing such a thing…

“Ah!”

Yi-gang suddenly leapt onto the raft.

The raft, carrying him alone, floated steadily until it reached the center of the pond and stopped.

The rope connecting the raft to the dock was interspersed with hollow barrels, spaced like stepping stones leading to Yi-gang’s raft.

Afterward, only the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering remained, while the monks scattered away.

“What is he planning…?”

“Is he asking us to cross over using that raft?”

The purpose of the sequence of actions was unclear.

However, the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering soon provided an explanation.

Beop Jae planted a flag at the dock, seemingly prepared in advance.

The white flag bore a phrase written by the Divine Monk himself:

“The brave who cross the river shall obtain the red bead.”

The phrase “red bead” immediately caught the interest of the successors.

Until now, they had been fiercely competing to acquire the yellow bead.

Those with sharp eyesight noticed that Yi-gang, standing on the raft, had something hanging around his neck.

“It’s the red bead…”

“Red jade!”

The red bead, identical in shape to the yellow jade bead, was hanging around Yi-gang’s neck.

Was this a test to cross the water and seize the red bead from Yi-gang?

“Ahem.”

A dry cough interrupted the moment, coming from an older individual.

That small sound, for some reason, drew everyone’s attention.

“You young ones, brimming with vitality, should charge forward with bravery and determination…”

“A-Alliance Leader!”

It was none other than the Divine Monk who had appeared unnoticed.

Recognizing him, the successors quickly cupped their fists in respectful salutation.

The Divine Monk gave a casual nod before continuing.

“…Seeing you all merely watching and hesitating, I had no choice but to step in.”

Everyone listened intently to his words.

“The yellow beads you’ve been so fervently seeking are utterly meaningless on their own.”

It was like a thunderbolt out of the blue.

“However, the red bead hanging around Yi-gang’s neck has meaning. Those who are confident, go and take it.”

The bead hanging from Yi-gang’s neck, some of the successors eyed it greedily.

Crossing the pond and overpowering a swordsman who had lost the use of both arms to steal the bead—it seemed like an easy task.

That’s what they thought.

“You may cooperate if you wish. Do whatever you please. However, this bead game will conclude within a few days.”

The Divine Monk even allowed collaboration.

“Don’t cling to formalities and procedures. Only those who can think on their feet will survive the turbulent world of martial arts.”

“Do whatever you wish.”

The successors waited eagerly for the Divine Monk to finish speaking.

“…What are you waiting for? Why aren’t you moving?”

As soon as he finished, some individuals sprang into action.

Unlike the Nine Sects One Gang or the Seven Great Clans, successors from sects less concerned with appearances moved swiftly.

Lightning Flash Quick Blade, Jeung So-yo. Yue Fei’s Successor, Meng Hu. Wandering Blade, Yo Seok-jin.

Those who had not obtained any beads or had only one bead dashed toward the dock.

“Move aside!”

“Argh!”

Their actions clearly showed they believed that the first to board the raft would claim the red bead.

Meanwhile, Ha-jun remained frozen in his original spot.

Standing as if guarding the dock, his gaze fixed on the pond.

He stared blankly at Yi-gang, who stood atop the raft.

His older brother, as though detached from the commotion on the shore, was gazing only at the sky.

The sound of successors rushing from behind reached him.

“I’ll get there first!”

The fleet-footed Lightning Flash Quick Blade closed the distance and was now directly behind Ha-jun.

“…”

At that moment, Ha-jun made his choice.

He placed his hand on his sword.

An attack, faster than Lightning Flash Quick Blade’s swiftest strike, was unleashed.

Smack!

Lightning Flash Quick Blade couldn’t react in time, and the sheathed sword struck his side.

Had Ha-jun unsheathed the sword, it would have been an instant kill.

However, because the sword remained sheathed, Lightning Flash Quick Blade merely tumbled into the pond.

Splash!

“Gah! Cough, cough! Ugh!”

Lightning Flash Quick Blade flailed in the water like a drowned rat, paddling toward the edge of the pond.

Yue Fei’s Successor, Meng Hu, and Wandering Blade, Yo Seok-jin, who had been rushing forward, stopped in their tracks with bewildered expressions.

“What are you doing?!”

“How dare you ambush him like that?!”

Ha-jun, however, didn’t respond.

With a flick of his hand, he let the sword’s scabbard fall away.

Meng Hu and Yo Seok-jin drew their weapons as well.

Yet, unease was evident on their faces.

Hoping the Divine Monk would intervene and stop Ha-jun’s sudden actions, they turned to him.

“Hoho, hahaha!”

However, instead of scolding Ha-jun, the Divine Monk burst out laughing.

“There’s at least one who understands two things when you say one! Yes, toppling others is also fair game.”

This was effectively an endorsement of Ha-jun’s actions.

Meng Hu and Yo Seok-jin scowled, but it was a foolish moment of hesitation.

Before the Divine Monk had even finished speaking, Ha-jun crouched and charged forward.

Clang!

Meng Hu’s weapon was a wide-bladed podao.

Ha-jun’s cold iron sword, forged from Firelight Forge, embedded itself directly into the center of the podao’s blade.

Yo Seok-jin threw a pair of daggers to join in, attempting a coordinated attack, but the narrow dock limited their advantage.

Despite that, the two daggers hurtled directly toward Ha-jun’s vital points.

However, Ha-jun shoved Meng Hu’s podao to the right, disrupting the trajectory of the daggers.

Clang!

Amazingly, the flying daggers ricocheted away.

From that moment, the outcome on the narrow dock was as good as decided.

Splash!

The first to fall into the water, kicking up a spray, was Yue Fei’s Successor, Meng Hu.

“I-I surrender!”

Wandering Blade Yo Seok-jin raised both hands and declared his surrender.

“…I can’t swim.”

With that flimsy excuse, he hurriedly disappeared into the crowd.

Ha-jun didn’t sheath his sword.

Instead, he blocked the dock and stood tall, holding his sword upright, facing the successors still watching him.

Though his stance was confident, it also appeared recklessly bold.

“Haa…”

Watching this, Peng Mu-ah let out a sigh.

She alternated her gaze between Ha-jun and Yi-gang.

Ha-jun’s expression seemed as calm as usual, but Peng Mu-ah, who had known him the longest, could tell otherwise.

“His eyes have gone wild.”

She could see that Ha-jun was so agitated that he was no longer thinking rationally.

The successors hesitated for a moment, but their indecision didn’t last long.

“If you defeat each other here, you can steal their beads!” Hyun Gak, the Guest Hall Head, stood next to the Divine Monk and explained the rules, “Also, Yi-gang has a total of three red jade beads.”

This meant that, besides the one hanging around his neck, he possessed two more red beads.

“Great! Let’s go!”

Finally, even the successors of the major sects began to move.

On Du-jin of the On Clan Fist charged forward, his fists colliding with a loud bang as he ran.

“Iron-Blood Sword Dragon, your arrogance is overwhelming.”

Blue-Wave Sword of the Nanhai Sect leaped in, her ponytail whipping through the air.

“Noh Shik, young hero! Aren’t you coming?”

“Oh, let’s go together!”

Plum Blossom Radiance Hwa So-so and Noh Shik also joined the fray.

Peng Mu-ah, exasperated, finally drew her blade.

“What on earth is this madness?”

She tripped one of the successors running toward the dock as she made her way forward.

In an instant, the area around the pond turned into utter chaos.

Yi-gang, meanwhile, stood calmly, watching the spectacle at the pondside, as though he were just another spectator.

Yi-gang let out a bitter laugh.

Splash! Splash!

People were falling into the pond, sending up sprays of water.

This was due to the fierce fighting taking place on the dock, where Ha-jun, Peng Mu-ah, and Moyong Jin held their ground.

“I told them to cross the raft, so why are they doing this?”

It was intended for the successors to compete against each other, but Yi-gang hadn’t expected his own younger brother to trigger the chaos.

Still, he didn’t find it entirely unpleasant.

However…

“What a pointless act.”

What was the point of blocking the dock?

There were more than just a few successors trying to reach the raft.

Even if they didn’t use the stepping stones, there were other ways to get to the raft.

Eventually, one person managed to reach Yi-gang’s raft.

“…Am I the first?”

The first to arrive was a tanned swordsman.

Dong Yu-pyeong, the Blue-Wave Sword of the Nanhai Sect.

Instead of charging toward the dock, he had taken a roundabout route along the pond’s edge, throwing planks and barrels into the water.

Using them as stepping stones, he swiftly made his way onto the raft.

As expected of a Nanhai Sect swordsman who honed his skills fighting pirates in the southern seas.

“I’m not one to enjoy robbing a cripple, but will you hand over the bead willingly, Baek Yi-gang?”

“Your mouth is as bold as the world.”

“Ha-ha.”

Dong Yu-pyeong wielded a thin thrusting sword.

“If you refuse, I have no choice.”

The Nanhai Sect was renowned for its practical swordsmanship.

Thus, like lightning in a storm, his blade struck swiftly and fiercely, targeting Yi-gang’s shoulder.

Until then, Yi-gang hadn’t moved.

Dong Yu-pyeong was certain that his sword would pierce Yi-gang’s shoulder.

It was the intuition of a seasoned swordsman.

However—

Clang!

Incredibly, Dong Yu-pyeong lost his grip on his sword.

His outstretched hand was torn, and his thin, elongated jageom bent into an absurd shape,

rolling across the raft.

“Wha…”

And hovering midair along the trajectory of his thrust was an unfamiliar black sword.

“What is…”

“Is this your first time seeing it?”

Yi-gang smiled.

At his command the Shooting Star Fang showcased the art of telekinetic swordsmanship.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep