The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The fact that the Peng Clan’s Twin Tigers were completely doting brothers towards their sister was something Ha-jun had already known.

But for even their father to be a fool for his daughter was beyond his expectations.

Peng Mu-ah had often mentioned it with a weary expression, but seeing it in person was a different experience.

“Hmm! Absolutely not!”

Just hearing his booming voice was like listening to a tiger roar.

The back of his hand, with veins bulging like wriggling earthworms, rested on his blade.

Peng Mu-hyeok’s Gate-Breaker Five Tiger Blade was renowned throughout Jianghu.

Though it was rumored that he had reached the pinnacle of Supreme Peak, the sheer presence he exuded was overwhelming.

They say that the martial path was endless, and among those grouped as the Supreme Peak master, the levels varied immensely, and he truly embodied that.

Peng Mu-ah was to leave for Shaolin with Ha-jun.

One of the reasons Ha-jun visited the Peng Clan was not just to deliver the letter but also for this purpose.

“I understand.”

“Hmph!”

After letting out a deep breath, Peng Mu-hyeok slightly lowered his head.

For the Peng Clan Head to lower his head was probably only for matters related to his daughter.

With that, Ha-jun left the Peng Clan Head’s residence.

The Peng Clan’s Twin Tigers immediately attached themselves to Ha-jun.

Two hands, as large as pot lids, clamped down on Ha-jun’s shoulders.

Although Ha-jun was tall, Peng Gu-in and Peng Gu-hwi, the two brothers, were even larger than him.

“Ha-ha-ha! Good!”

“Thanks for earlier!”

They seemed to have noticed when he intended to refuse the marriage proposal involving Peng Mu-ah.

It appeared they mistakenly thought he was about to decline due to some subtle hints they gave him.

Ha-jun found himself wondering what would happen if he openly stated that he wasn’t interested in Peng Mu-ah either.

“Well, honestly, if it were you, Ha-jun, I wouldn’t mind having you as a brother-in-law. Don’t you seem a bit more reliable than Yi-gang? Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m giving permission for the marriage.”

“Yeah, but maybe it’s just me, but you didn’t seem particularly thrilled when the topic of marriage came up, hmm?”

Ha-jun made no reply to Peng Gu-in, who was glaring at him.

They then led Ha-jun to a building.

Just because it was the Peng Clan of Hebei didn’t mean the entire estate was filled only with training halls.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Though modest, they did have a space that could be called an office.

The Peng Clan’s Twin Tigers seated Ha-jun in front of a desk, then sat down across from him.

Sitting side-by-side, they looked almost like constables interrogating a criminal.

Ha-jun suddenly wondered if these two brothers even slept side by side like that.

“How have you been?”

“I’ve been training.”

“Have you made any progress?”

Peng Gu-in asked with a warm gaze, like that of a senior who genuinely cared for his junior.

After hesitating, Ha-jun answered, “I’m not sure yet.”

“You haven’t had any real combat experience, right?”

“Yes. But I haven’t been neglecting my training.”

“I’m sure. Knowing your nature, the Vice Leader must have thought the same.”

Ha-jun hadn’t been able to participate fully in the fight against the Unorthodox Union due to going through the Baek Noble Clan’s Young Clan Head process.

Yet, he had trained his swordsmanship as if honing himself with every cut. Compared to a year ago, he must have grown much stronger.

“But this time, I think the Vice Leader was mistaken.”

“…”

“It seems you don’t understand.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“The experience of risking one’s life in battle is invaluable to a martial artist. In that life-or-death, all-or-nothing moment, a martial artist breaks out of the cocoon encasing them.”

It was a statement reeking of sweat.

Peng Gu-in rested his chin on his hand.

For a moment, Ha-jun was startled. Peng Gu-in’s right hand was missing both his ring finger and pinky.

“Gu-hwi and I are twins. Our personalities are similar, and our martial prowess were on the same level. If we fought nine times, I’d win four times and lose five. But now, things are different.”

“You bastard…”

“I’ve reached the Supreme Peak, but my brother still hasn’t managed to form his Blade Aura. Why do you think that is?”

“Showing off, are we?”

Ignoring Peng Gu-hwi’s grumbling, Peng Gu-in proudly puffed out his chest.

“It’s because I’ve come closer to death more often.”

“Yes.”

Peng Gu-in had fought against the Green Forest League. As a result, he lost fingers and faced death several times.

Peng Gu-hwi, however, had fewer real battle experiences due to time spent recovering from injuries.

“You probably haven’t heard, but the standard of orthodox Murim is rising. Young masters at the Supreme Peak level, once rare, are now springing up like bamboo shoots after rain.”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t a lie. Peng Gu-in was proof of that, as were Mount Hua’s Divine Sword Hwa Mu-cheon and Ha-jun’s brother, Baek Yi-gang.

One day, Ha-jun would also have to overcome that mountain.

But why was Peng Gu-in bringing this up now?

It surely wasn’t to mock the choice of Iron Blood Merciless Baek Ryu-san.

Soon, Ha-jun understood the purpose behind Peng Gu-in’s story.

“Our Mu-ah, too! She fought by my side.”

Peng Mu-ah had gained real battle experience.

Even before that, Peng Mu-ah already had the grand nickname of Blade Maiden. She belonged to the Mengho Unit of the Peng Clan and led the fight against the Unorthodox Union.

“And she gained incredible experience. Out of all the members of your cohort, she’ll be the first to reach the Supreme Peak.”

“Yes! Without a doubt.”

The Peng Clan’s Twin Tigers spoke with absolute certainty.

Only then did Ha-jun realize—the entire point of this elaborate story was, after all, to boast about their sister.

To think that all that buildup had led to this.

However, Ha-jun wasn’t the type to let his emotions show easily. He remained silent with a calm expression.

“Do you agree?” Peng Gu-in asked.

So he answered, “No.”

“Then, who do you think will reach the Supreme Peak first? You?”

“Yes.”

Following his brother’s path. That’s how it would be.

Ha-jun responded as such, and Peng Gu-in laughed heartily.

“Ha-ha-ha! As expected! I like it!”

“Well, let’s see what you’ve got.”

The suggestion to test each other’s skills finally came up.

When heirs of prestigious martial arts clans reunited, it’s only natural to check each other’s progress.

Moreover, this was the Peng Clan.

Ha-jun had already anticipated a sparring session. In fact, he was relieved it hadn’t happened sooner.

“You have your sword with you?”

“Yes.”

Peng Gu-in looked ready to head to the training hall at that very moment.

“And the weather’s nice, too.”

Sunlight from a summer day filtered through the lattice-patterned wooden window.

The backlighting cast a shadow over Peng Gu-in’s slightly lowered face.

“With Mu-ah not here, it’s the perfect time…”

Ha-jun assumed that Peng Gu-in would guide him to the training hall, but that was his soft-hearted misjudgment.

“Now is just perfect.”

Peng Gu-hwi subtly stepped aside.

Peng Gu-in remained seated, unmoving.

But at that moment, Ha-jun’s entire body sensed danger.

With every hair standing on end, he crossed his arms instinctively.

The sturdy table suddenly seemed to bulge upward.

Kwaaang!

What shattered the table from below was Peng Gu-in’s leg.

Had Ha-jun not blocked it, that kick would have smashed his jaw.

Bam!

Even though he blocked it, the impact was tremendous.

With a pain that felt as if his arms were about to break, Ha-jun was flung into the air.

“Good!”

In that instant, Peng Gu-in grabbed a broken table leg and gripped it firmly. He used it as a substitute for his own blade.

The intention was clear—he planned to swing it and target Ha-jun.

However, Ha-jun responded even while airborne.

He swung his sword, still in its scabbard, executing the Heaven’s Shadow Sword Technique.

The force was enough to shatter wooden fragments instantly.

Kwaang!

Yet, it was Ha-jun’s sword that was pushed back instead.

Peng Gu-in, having reached the Supreme Peak, had become a master who could even imbue wooden fragments with Qi.

“Draw your sword!”

This sparring match had begun in the office.

In such a cramped space, dueling with live blades was dangerous, but Ha-jun couldn’t dare ignore the demand.

Peng Gu-in threw a wooden fragment.

The muscles of his massive arm bulged, and the piece of table shot forward like a cannonball.

At such close range, a throw infused with internal energy was as powerful as a real cannonball.

Then, the sword light flashed.

Kwa-gak!

The wooden fragment split in two, each half crashing into the furniture behind it, smashing them to pieces.

It felt as though a storm had swept through the office.

“Excellent!”

Peng Gu-in had already drawn his blade.

Unlike Ha-jun’s, it was a reverse-edged blade, with the edge facing backward.

Ka-gang! Kaang!

Sword light and blade light clashed.

As they exchanged each strike, Peng Gu-in’s smile grew wider.

The fighting spirit of a Peng Clan martial artist was no less intense than that of any unorthodox martial artist.

Meanwhile, how was Ha-jun faring?

The more their swords clashed, the calmer his expression became, like a man with iron flowing through his veins.

He couldn’t match Peng Gu-in purely in strength.

When facing a strong opponent, it was essential to adapt and respond accordingly.

Ha-jun aimed to steer the duel into a contest of refined techniques.

But Peng Gu-in didn’t fall for it so easily.

“Do you think the unorthodox scum will let you control the fight as you wish?”

“…”

“Retreat!”

He drove the tip of his long blade forcefully into the wooden floor.

Ha-jun immediately understood what this was.

He had witnessed it a few times while with Peng Mu-ah.

The blade technique that raised the Peng Clan to one of the Seven Great Clans.

“The Gate-Breaker Five Tiger Blade…!”

The unnaturally long great blade scraped against the ground, generating rotational force.

Through this, it delivered a mighty slash toward the opponent.

Even years ago, Peng Mu-ah had demonstrated enough power to split rocks with this technique.

If Peng Gu-in executed it, reverse edge or not, it would slice cleanly through a person’s torso.

But at the moment, it was a difficult choice to understand.

The Gate-Breaker Five Tiger Blade had a notable weakness—a large opening.

For an experienced swordsman like Ha-jun, the decision was instinctual.

He thrust his sword straight toward Peng Gu-in’s exposed upper body.

“Do you think the unorthodox scum would stand still against an ambush or combined assault?”

At that moment, Peng Gu-hwi, who had been standing back, threw a chair.

Ha-jun unintentionally muttered a curse.

He easily sliced the oncoming chair with his sword.

However, in that brief interval, Peng Gu-in had prepared the Gate-Breaker Five Tiger Blade.

Kwa-ga-gak!

The Gate-Breaker Five Tiger Blade cut upward from the floor, splitting the wooden boards below.

Sensing danger, Ha-jun tried to dodge.

“…”

Peng Gu-in’s blade halted.

It wasn’t out of mercy.

His gaze had shifted from Ha-jun to the window.

Crash!

Simultaneously, the window shattered as someone broke in.

With the sunlight streaming in, a slender woman—unusual for a martial artist of the Peng Clan—entered.

Beneath her elegantly pinned-up hair, a pale nape was visible.

She held a great blade that seemed excessively long for her frame.

And her noticeable fangs showed as her lips curled into a snarl.

“What are you doing!” Peng Mu-ah thundered.

Peng Gu-in, startled, withdrew his blade.

Peng Gu-hwi turned around awkwardly, whistling as if nothing had happened.

“You smashed everything! Are you out of your minds!”

“Well… I was just… happy to see Ha-jun.”

“You’re saying you wrecked Uncle’s office because you were happy to see him!”

“We weren’t wrecking it; we were just sparring…”

“The training hall is right outside!”

Ha-jun sheathed his sword and watched as Peng Mu-ah verbally battered her brothers.

The once fierce Peng Gu-in was now flustered, his imposing demeanor gone.

“You know the unorthodox scum fight dirty. Ha-jun hasn’t experienced it, so I was just…”

“Just stop it already, enough!”

Peng Mu-ah patted Peng Gu-in on the back.

Peng Gu-in chuckled awkwardly and fell silent.

Peng Mu-ah scolded him for a while, clearly displeased, before suddenly turning around.

“I’m late, aren’t I?”

“No, it’s fine.”

She must have known that Ha-jun had arrived, yet she hadn’t shown up until now.

“I’m heading out soon. I was delayed packing.”

It seemed she was planning to leave for Shaolin immediately.

“You!”

“…Yeah?”

Peng Mu-ah directed her irritation toward Baek Ha-jun as well.

“You and your brother—how can you both be exactly the same? Not once have either of you properly responded to my letters.”

Peng Mu-ah often sent letters to Yi-gang and Ha-jun.

They didn’t contain much. She simply asked how they were, and Ha-jun had responded a few times.

“I just didn’t have much to say…”

“Ha! The only one who replies properly is Moyong Jin,” Peng Mu-ah fumed, frustrated that even their excuses were the same.

“Well, it’s nice to see you after so long.”

Truthfully, Ha-jun was glad to see her too.

Peng Mu-ah was perfectly dressed, even down to the long, dangling great blade that suited her surprisingly well.

“Let’s go! To Shaolin!”

She looked to be in a great mood, but Ha-jun had to speak up, “…We can’t go straight there.”

“What?”

There were more letters entrusted by his father.

And there were also a few sects he had to visit on the way.

Ha-jun suddenly understood why his father hadn’t sent him directly to Shaolin but had him visit other sects first.

As the Young Clan Head of the Baek Noble Clan, he was clearly meant to greet and make an impression on them.

“We have… other places to stop by?”

“Yeah.”

Of course, this didn’t make Peng Mu-ah happy.

She was quite disappointed to realize they still had a long way to go before reaching Shaolin.

“Maybe I should just go on my own…”

Meanwhile, other prodigies from different sects were likely already making their way to Shaolin.

And indeed, that was the case.

At Shaolin, where Yi-gang was already staying, heirs of the Seven Great Clans and the Nine Sects One Gang had begun to arrive.