Chapter 93. The Taiyi Secret Scroll (4)

Bucheonbaek helped me carefully lean Jigeoncheok against the willow tree. Seeing Jigeoncheok, who looked as if he might stop breathing at any moment, I asked:

"Did you save him?"

"Um, well, since he's from the same sect, I thought I might as well. It was a side job, you know."

Bucheonbaek scratched his blood-soaked head, looking a bit embarrassed. I was impressed that he had managed to save someone amidst the chaos; it couldn't have been easy.

'He's quite skilled.'

At that moment, Jigeoncheok coughed up a mouthful of blood and opened his eyes with great effort.

"Wh-Where... am I?"

"Still in this world."

Jigeoncheok frowned, still confused, and then looked at Bucheonbaek with eyes that were gradually losing their light.

"Are you... Bucheon... Sir? The Iron Lion of Hubei?"

"I am that person."

Jigeoncheok, even on the brink of death, bowed his head with great effort to express his gratitude.

"Thank you... for helping me... cough, thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's too late anyway."

Bucheonbaek looked very bitter. Reflecting on it, it was probably something he couldn't have prevented. It would have been impossible to save someone in the midst of a chaotic three-way battle involving over thirty warriors, even for someone of Bucheonbaek's caliber.

'But he still brought him this far.'

For most skilled martial artists, even surviving in such a chaotic situation would have been difficult. However, Bucheonbaek said apologetically:

"I'm sorry for being too late. I should have interfered earlier."

"No... Sir... Sir..."

Jigeoncheok, despite his pain, expressed his gratitude. Then he looked at me and asked:

"Who is... the person next to you?"

"Just a bodyguard. From Baegun Escort Agency."

"Bodyguard..."

I showed him the escort agency's badge, and he looked at it, trembling with pain, and with great effort, he said:

"If you are... then... one thing, please... escort..."

"Huh?"

Jigeoncheok, with his hand, which was almost unrecognizable from the damage, trembling, pulled out a book from his chest. The book was covered in blood and very dirty.

He extended the book, which he held with his trembling hand, towards me, and with a desperate look, he pleaded:

"Give it to my son... in the hut to the east of the village..."

"Wait, just a moment—"

"Please... I beg you..."

I didn't know what to say and tried to stop him, but my words didn't reach him. Jigeoncheok, having only managed to say "I beg you," lowered his head and could not continue.

***

Twenty years ago, when the massacre at the Yi family estate occurred, Jigeoncheok was receiving training at Wudang Sect, just like his ancestors, which allowed him to avoid the disaster.

However, Jigeoncheok never considered it a stroke of luck. Every time he closed his eyes, he could hear the screams of his dead brothers, and every time he fell asleep, he saw the bodies of his parents.

It was natural for him to be consumed by a desire for revenge.

'The Yi family is already gone. How can I face my parents and brothers in the afterlife without avenging this blood feud?'

In reality, the family was already in ruins. Jigeoncheok chose revenge over restoration.

From the day he decided on revenge, Jigeoncheok pursued the culprits and the truth with an almost possessed determination. Initially, he suspected the Nine Dragons Gang, but there were inconsistencies with the known facts.

'There are some suspicious aspects.'

He approached the Beggar Sect and the Xiaomen, gathering and combining all relevant information.

It was not an easy task. It was difficult, and his friends gradually distanced themselves from him. His wife, who had been taking care of the collapsed household, fell ill from overwork and eventually passed away.

"Please take care of our Jinhoo..."

"I'm sorry..."

Now, the Yi family consisted only of Jigeoncheok, his son, and a servant who had been taking care of him since his Wudang days.

Even in the face of his wife's death, Jigeoncheok did not stop. He couldn't stop. He had come too far to stop.

However, his efforts were not entirely in vain. Through his relentless investigation, he managed to get closer to the truth.

'It wasn't the Nine Dragons Gang. Some unknown individuals were involved.'

While the Nine Dragons Gang had coveted the Yuelu Secret Scroll, the attackers who stole it and destroyed the family were not from the Nine Dragons Gang. There were other individuals involved.

'Why did Xintou make such a claim?'

At the time, the Nine Dragons Gang could not have had the Yuelu Secret Scroll. So, why did Xintou make such a claim? Jigeoncheok reached this question.

To get an answer, he had to meet Xintou. However, it was not easy to meet someone as elusive as Xintou. It was almost impossible, but Jigeoncheok did not give up.

'I must catch him.'

Spending the little remaining family fortune, he pursued Xintou for years. Finally, he managed to capture Xintou Zonglimei.

He believed he could finally uncover the truth, but unfortunately, he got nothing. Zonglimei, upon being captured, bit the poison pill hidden in his mouth and committed suicide.

He did not threaten or torture; he only asked for an answer, for the truth.

Yet, Zonglimei chose to take his own life. It was incomprehensible.

However, the words he left before dying were peculiar.

"He should be at Jiugua Fort. I heard they moved it but made a mistake. Go there. The Yuelu Secret Scroll is there."

"The Yuelu Secret Scroll is there? What do you mean? Who told you this?"

But Zonglimei, in agony, only repeated that he was sorry and then died.

"It was something I couldn't avoid. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

What exactly couldn't be avoided? Why was the Yuelu Secret Scroll at Jiugua Fort? And why was he sorry? Nothing made sense.

Thus, Jigeoncheok lost the thread again. The thread that could lead him to the truth. However, he did not lose heart. The emotions of regret and despair had long since dulled and broken.

Fortunately, Jiugua Fort was not far from where he was staying. He hurried there.

Along the way, he sought "cooperation" from the village chief of Goshang Village. He learned that a group of travelers passing near Jiugua Fort had been robbed and found dead, confirming that Xintou's story was true.

'Is the Yuelu Secret Scroll really there?'

With a small sense of hope, he went to Jiugua Fort, only to find that the Nine Dragons Gang was in the middle of a massacre. Jigeoncheok secretly followed them and, seizing an opportunity, managed to steal the Yuelu Secret Scroll.

However, everything did not go smoothly. He obtained the Yuelu Secret Scroll, but his identity was exposed in the process. The Nine Dragons Gang, enraged, began to pursue him.

Worse still, the pursuers were not just from the Nine Dragons Gang. The Four Seas Sect and the Yan Ying Gang joined the chase, having somehow heard the news.

He evaded and fled, eventually reaching Wushan Village, where he had hidden his son. However, when he finally met them at the inn, Jigeoncheok was prepared to die.

'Is this the end?'

However, he did not want to beg for his life or hand over the Yuelu Secret Scroll. He was a descendant of the Taiyi Sword Master. It was too late, and sometimes he forgot this fact.

He realized that this was the end of his long journey and stood up.

"Such noisy fellows."

He wanted to see his wife, his parents, and his brothers.

He smiled faintly, thinking he would finally see them.

It was a long time coming.

***

When Jigeoncheok lowered his head, I quickly brought my hand to his nose. But there was no breath.

"..."

He was dead.

I felt a complex emotion as I looked at him. Death was a common occurrence in the martial world, but this time, it felt different.

'...'

I looked at the book he was still holding. The cover, covered in blood, read "Yuelu Secret Scroll."

'Is this the Yuelu Secret Scroll that caused the massacre at the Yi family estate twenty years ago?'

It was the same Yuelu Secret Scroll that Bucheonbaek had called the "key to the Taiyi Secret Scroll."

I realized that this was what the Nine Dragons Gang's warriors had demanded. I wondered why Jigeoncheok did not hand it over to save his life. It seemed understandable, yet it also seemed incomprehensible.

'If it were me, I would have handed it over.'

Was it a death befitting a warrior?

I couldn't say. It seemed understandable, yet it also seemed incomprehensible.

I looked at Jigeoncheok's mangled hand and carefully took out the book. I examined the cover and then stood up to speak to Bucheonbaek.

"Bucheon Sir, this is..."

At that moment, Bucheonbaek, seeing the cover, exclaimed in a trembling voice:

"Could it really be the Yuelu Secret Scroll?!"

The moment he saw the words "Yuelu Secret Scroll," a mad desire flickered in Bucheonbaek's transparent eyes.

'...'

Seeing that look, a chill ran down my spine, and I felt a heavy pressure. It was a terrifying look, even for someone who had been traveling with him for days.

A pure, almost insane greed flickered in Bucheonbaek's eyes.

'He covets this?'

I couldn't understand, but I could empathize. Bucheonbaek was a martial arts fanatic who had lived for decades. It would be strange if he didn't desire an unparalleled martial arts technique.

'But this is a keepsake.'

It belonged to Jigeoncheok and the Yi family. He had a son, and this should be passed on to him.

Should I try to persuade him, or should I hand it over?

I didn't know what to do and could only look at Bucheonbaek.

At that moment,

'...?'

The heavy pressure that had been weighing on me suddenly disappeared. I was puzzled, and Bucheonbaek spoke in a low voice:

"...I'm ashamed."

The mad desire in Bucheonbaek's eyes gradually subsided. The flames slowly died down, and a sense of regret and shame passed over his face before it returned to its original state.

'...'

Surprisingly, Bucheonbaek had managed to suppress his desire in that short time. I cautiously called out to him:

"Bucheon Sir...?"

"Forget it. I had a moment of ugliness."

Then, with a bitter expression, he shook his head and said:

"It's not easy to let go of desire, even at my age."

"Isn't that true for everyone?"

Desire is universal. It's natural for it to arise. What's more impressive is the ability to suppress it.

When I said this, Bucheonbaek replied, "It's a mystery," in a way that made it unclear who he was talking to. Then, looking at me, he regained his composure and said:

"Let's go. We need to get to the boy."

"..."

We couldn't properly prepare the body, so I leaned it against the tree and closed his eyes.

'May you rest in peace.'

May you find a better place.

***

We immediately headed to the place Jigeoncheok had mentioned. There was only one hut on the outskirts of the village, so it wasn't hard to find.

However, the moment we saw the entrance, we knew something was wrong.

"This is..."

"We must have been too late."

The entrance to the hut was in disarray. The door was broken and had flown off. We cautiously entered and saw a man lying on the ground. He appeared to be in his fifties, and upon closer inspection, he was already dead.

I shook my head, indicating that he was already dead, and asked Bucheonbaek:

"Is this a relative of Jigeoncheok?"

"I'm not sure. From his clothes, he might be a servant..."

"..."

Looking around the hut, I saw that there were clothes of a medium size, indicating that someone else had been there. I felt uneasy and said to Bucheonbaek:

"What do we do now?"

"I'm not sure either."

Bucheonbaek also seemed at a loss.

After a moment of thought, I recalled a scene from a detective manga I had read, where the detective calculated the time of death.

'Right. It might not have been long ago!'

I approached the man's body again and checked his temperature. The body was still warm, and the blood had not yet clotted.

"The body is still warm. The culprit can't have gone far."

"Good! Let's chase them!"

Bucheonbaek and I quickly left the hut and searched for any traces. We looked for any blood or other signs, but the road was in such a mess that it was impossible to track them.

'If only they had dropped something like Hansel and Gretel.'

At that moment, Bucheonbaek called out to me:

"Look here!"

I went to where he was pointing and saw a bloodstain that looked freshly dried. It seemed to have been left secretly while being dragged. It pointed in a specific direction, indicating the direction they were taken.

"It looks like a sign of direction."

Bucheonbaek, carefully examining the bloodstain, nodded and said:

"I agree. It seems to be a clever child. He left it in a way that wouldn't be easily noticed."

"Let's follow this direction."

We hurried along the bloodstain. Soon, we saw a group of people forcibly dragging a child. They were dressed like the Nine Dragons Gang members we had seen earlier.

We hid and quickly discussed a plan.

"What do we do now?"

"Hmm. We can't just attack recklessly."

With Bucheonbaek's level of martial arts, defeating them all would be easy, but if the Nine Dragons Gang members took the child hostage, the child's life would be in danger.

After some thought, I suggested a diversionary tactic.

"I'll throw a flying dagger from behind to draw their attention. When a few of them break off, you attack from the front."

"That's a good idea."

Bucheonbaek nodded and hid at the front of the road, out of sight.

'97... 98... 99...'

I slowly followed the group, counting. When the time we had agreed on arrived, I threw a Blood Shadow Dagger at them.

—Whoosh!

The Blood Shadow Dagger flew in a perfect trajectory. I smiled in satisfaction as I watched its bloody path.

'Got one.'

A scream followed, and one of the Nine Dragons Gang members fell forward, hit in the neck by the Blood Shadow Dagger. The other members immediately drew their swords and looked around, shouting:

"Who's there!"

I didn't respond and immediately threw another dagger. The most skilled among them drew his sword and deflected it.

—Clang!

Seeing the dagger deflected, I shouted with force:

"Nine Dragons Gang! Do you really think you can escape the Four Seas Sect's notice?"

"Four Seas Sect?! Damn, how did you know...!"

If only you were as trustworthy as you claim, life in the martial world would be much easier.

I threw another dagger. This was my last one, and I didn't really expect it to hit. My main goal was to draw their attention.

—Clang!

The skilled opponent deflected the dagger with ease and shouted to his subordinates:

"There's only one of them! Capture him quickly!"

Three of them broke off and ran towards me. I immediately turned and used my lightness skill to flee.

'It's working...!'

As we distracted the enemy, Bucheonbaek, who had been hiding, attacked from the front.

"Haah!"

"Wh-What?!"

Bucheonbaek quickly crushed the head of the Nine Dragons Gang member holding the child and then launched a three-attack combo, taking out another member. The Nine Dragons Gang members were shocked and hesitated