Chapter 201

Daoist Master Cheongjin still wore a faint smile. But unlike the gentle curve of his lips, his eyes were as cold and clear as ice.

His profound gaze, its depth impossible to fathom, seemed to pierce through to a person’s very core.

When Pyo Wol didn’t answer, Daoist Master Cheongjin set down his geomungo and rose from his seat.

He picked up the teapot on the table.

Trickle!

He filled a teacup to the brim and offered it to Pyo Wol.

Pyo Wol accepted the cup without a word.

A subtle fragrance of tea wafted from the freshly brewed liquid.

It seemed quite a fine tea leaf had been used, as it cleared the mind.

Daoist Master Cheongjin poured another cup for Woo Pyeong Dojang, then filled his own.

He took a sip of tea before continuing.

“I’ve thought about it carefully. Why you went to the trouble of moving So-yeol’s body to the Scripture Depository. It seems there could only be one reason. To naturally enter our sect’s Secret Depot and read the books. After you left, I checked, and found that you had only read books related to the Martial World’s Secret History.”

“……”

“For you, uncovering the cause of So-yeol’s death must have been a good excuse to enter the Scripture Depository. It would allow you to read the books stored there without anyone’s interference.”

Pyo Wol neither confirmed nor denied it. He simply stared silently at Daoist Master Cheongjin.

A gentle smile still hung on Daoist Master Cheongjin’s lips.

On the surface, he looked like a kind-hearted neighborhood villager, but within, he hid a sword as sharp as the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword, the symbol of Wudang.

For now, the Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was safely sheathed, but the moment it was drawn, its sharp edge would surely aim for Pyo Wol’s heart.

Depending on Pyo Wol’s answer, the sword he held in his heart would either be drawn or remain sheathed.

Although his Junior Martial Brother, Daoist Master Sangjin, was called the greatest sword of Wudang, Daoist Master Cheongjin’s Martial Arts were no less formidable.

It was only because Daoist Master Cheongjin disliked being in the spotlight and had no desire for fame that he had yielded the honor of being Wudang’s greatest sword to Daoist Master Sangjin; in truth, the difference between them was extremely minimal.

There were not many Martial Artists in the Wudang Sect who could withstand the pressure Daoist Master Cheongjin exuded.

Even Woo Pyeong Dojang, who had entered with him, had turned pale. But Pyo Wol, who was directly facing Daoist Master Cheongjin’s piercing aura, showed no change in expression.

Daoist Master Cheongjin asked.

“What are you looking for? Did our sect’s Scripture Depository contain the information you wanted?”

“There was nothing special.”

“So you did read them.”

“To some extent.”

“How audacious! To dare use such a petty trick against our sect.”

“In any case, I found the cause of death for you.”

“Hah! That is true.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin let out a sigh.

In that instant, the atmosphere in the Great War changed.

The flow of air, which had been churning fiercely as if about to explode, turned gentle.

Only then did Woo Pyeong Dojang let out a sigh of relief.

“Hoo!”

The most nervous person among them was Woo Pyeong Dojang. It was he, after all, who had brought Pyo Wol to Mount Wudang.

If any unpleasant incident occurred between the two sides, the responsibility would be his, so his tension was bound to be high.

Daoist Master Cheongjin took another sip of tea and continued.

“I am grateful for that. I never imagined such a Silver Needle would be embedded in the root of the tongue. But there is something I find strange.”

“Speak!”

“Is it possible to kill a person with such a fine Silver Needle? The tongue is an important organ, but it has no Death Sword of its own.”

“Asking me to explain that is the same as asking me to reveal my trade secrets.”

“Hmm! It must be a technique from an Assassin’s Secret Transmission.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin furrowed his brow deeply.

He was quite an accommodating person.

Even if he couldn’t fully accept another’s way of thinking, he tried to understand it in his own way and propose a compromise.

“Then let’s do this. If you tell me what you are looking for, the Wudang Sect will do its best to find out for you.”

“In exchange, you want me to tell you how Do-dong was killed with the Silver Needle?”

“Precisely. I think it’s a rather fair trade. What do you think?”

Daoist Master Cheongjin’s compromise was quite reasonable.

Pyo Wol felt that the old Daoist Master before him was a formidable opponent.

Someone who was merely strong in Martial Arts was not that frightening. But a cunning old fox with a deep mind was much trickier to deal with. Because they would make attractive offers like this that were hard to refuse.

Having finished his calculations, Pyo Wol opened his mouth.

“There is something called the Life-Death Blood Point.”

“Life-Death Blood Point? I’ve never heard of it.”

“The name doesn’t matter. I made it up. What’s important is that an Acupoint called the Life-Death Blood Point exists, and depending on the time, physical condition, and surrounding circumstances, a fatal Death Sword flows through the human body like a sticky oil. If this Death Sword moves deep beneath the skin, it’s not a problem. It’s barely affected by external impact. But if it settles in a delicate organ like the tongue, it becomes a big problem.”

“An incredible story. That such an Acupoint exists.”

“It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not. I’ve told you the truth.”

“Hmm!”

Daoist Master Cheongjin was deep in thought.

Life-Death Blood Point was an Acupoint he had never heard of.

Nowhere in the Martial Arts Manuals of the Wudang Sect was an Acupoint called the Life-Death Blood Point recorded.

The story was so outlandish that it was hard to believe. But he couldn’t dismiss it as a complete lie either, because his opponent was an Assassin.

Assassins were different from ordinary Martial Artists.

The Martial Arts of the Wudang Sect ultimately pursued the Path of the Sword Immortal, the path to realizing immortality through the sword.

Naturally, they sought enlightenment in the Life Sword rather than the Death Sword.

In contrast, the Martial Arts of an Assassin began with the study of death.

Their starting point and their goal were bound to be the complete opposite of the Martial Arts of a prestigious sect like Wudang.

It wouldn’t be strange at all if something like the Life-Death Blood Point existed in an unknown realm that only an Assassin could venture into.

What’s more, the man before him was a man who reigned at the very pinnacle of that unknown realm.

“This Life-Death Blood Point, is it something every Assassin knows?”

“Of course not!”

“Meaning only a very few know of it. Then, can anyone who knows of the Life-Death Blood Point use this technique?”

“Even if one knows of the Life-Death Blood Point’s existence, knowing its exact location is nearly impossible. It requires an extremely delicate operation of Internal Energy, so killing someone with the Life-Death Blood Point under normal circumstances is impossible.”

“Then how did the one who killed So-yeol find the Life-Death Blood Point and pierce it with a Silver Needle?”

“First, they would have struck a Paralysis Blood Point to paralyze the body. Then they would have injected their own Internal Energy to find the location of the Life-Death Blood Point. If they had learned a special Internal Energy Mind Method, it would be entirely possible.”

“That would make sense. Since the location of the Life-Death Blood Point they found happened to be under the tongue, simply inserting a fine Silver Needle would have been enough to stop So-yeol’s breath.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin closed his eyes.

The mention of Lee Soyeol’s name made his heart ache.

Although he was just a mere Do-dong who had not even been officially registered with the Wudang Sect, Daoist Master Cheongjin considered him a member of the Wudang family.

It was because of his deep affection for his Disciples that the Daoist Masters of the Wudang Sect respected Daoist Master Cheongjin even more.

“Now it’s your turn. Tell me what you are looking for. I will do my best to help.”

“For a Daoist Master of the Wudang Sect, you have a quick mind for schemes.”

“What do you mean?”

“You speak as if you’re helping me, but in reality, you’re trying to find out my objective.”

“Heh heh! It’s just that as one gets older, only the schemes get better. In my youth, I would face any crisis or adversity head-on, but now that I’m old and ache here and there, I want to avoid situations where I might get hurt if possible. That’s how I ended up with more schemes. You’ll understand when you reach my age. There’s no need to invite pain upon yourself.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin’s expression did not change one bit.

That he didn’t seem detestable was a talent in itself.

It felt like dealing with an old raccoon dog that had lived for at least a thousand years.

Pyo Wol shook his head slightly and said.

“You know Jin Geum-woo, right?”

“How could I not? He was a talent who would have brilliantly illuminated the Jianghu. Hah!”

Daoist Master Cheongjin let out a sigh.

As good-natured as he was, he couldn’t hide his complex feelings at the mention of Jin Geum-woo’s name.

When he first heard of Jin Geum-woo’s death, he thought a rising star that would have lit up the Jianghu had fallen. That was how great a shock Jin Geum-woo’s death had been.

“What was your relationship with Jin Geum-woo?”

“He called me a friend.”

“He considered you, an Assassin, a friend? That’s hard to believe.”

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me. It’s a fact that he kept sending me letters like a girl.”

“Hmm!”

Daoist Master Cheongjin let out a low groan.

He instinctively felt that Pyo Wol was telling the truth.

“I’m looking for the ones who killed Jin Geum-woo.”

“Ones? It seems you think a group of them killed him.”

“That’s right! So I’m looking for clues related to his death.”

“What does that have to do with the books in this sect’s Scripture Depository?”

“……”

Pyo Wol briefly considered how much he should say.

The group called the Nine Dragons that Jin Geum-woo had been chasing was not yet known in the Jianghu. If he mentioned it carelessly and it reached their ears, he might commit the folly of Startle the Snake in the Grass.

“The ones Jin Geum-woo was tracking are like a Mirage in the desert. Their true nature is unclear. It’s possible Jin Geum-woo was mistaken. That’s why I had to confirm their existence first.”

“Looking at the books you read, they were mostly about the history after the Jianghu Great War. It seems you think the group Jin Geum-woo was chasing might have been formed after the Great War.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin’s insight was beyond Pyo Wol’s imagination.

He had inferred the truth from just Pyo Wol’s vague words.

If Daoist Master Cheongjin were an enemy, he would be the first target to eliminate.

For a moment, dozens of Assassination methods to eliminate Daoist Master Cheongjin flashed through Pyo Wol’s mind.

As if sensing Pyo Wol’s thoughts, Daoist Master Cheongjin raised both hands and said.

“Ah! Don’t worry. I have no intention of speaking of what I learned today to anyone outside. It’s still just a guess, isn’t it? With no evidence whatsoever, I don’t want to lose face by bringing it up first. The position of Sect Master of the Wudang Sect requires one to be more mindful of face than you might think.”

“……”

“Don’t look at me with such scary eyes. I don’t want to die yet. Then, this should work. I will officially grant you access to the Scripture Depository. You probably couldn’t get enough information reading in a hurry before, so take this opportunity to read at your leisure.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin’s proposal was not a loss for Pyo Wol at all. In fact, it was what Pyo Wol had wanted.

“Fine! In return, make sure no one else approaches while I’m inside the Scripture Depository.”

“I will do so.”

Daoist Master Cheongjin readily agreed.

Pyo Wol showed a slightly surprised expression at Daoist Master Cheongjin’s attitude, which was devoid of any hesitation.

Even if there were no important Martial Arts Manuals, completely opening up the Scripture Depository, which could be called the identity of one’s sect, was by no means an easy decision.

Daoist Master Cheongjin was still smiling at Pyo Wol.

The moment he saw that smile, he realized.

He realized that Daoist Master Cheongjin had not yet brought up his most important business.

Even though he must have been burning with curiosity, he hadn’t asked Pyo Wol a single thing, instead giving him only what he wanted.

At this rate, he wasn’t just a thousand-year-old raccoon dog, but could be called an imugi.

His cunning was enough to put an Assassin to shame.

To give everything one could to open the opponent’s heart, and make them offer what one wanted on their own.

It was a high-level tactic that an ordinary person could not even conceive of.

Pyo Wol decided to play along with Daoist Master Cheongjin’s game just this once.

“The Assassin is probably in his twenties.”

“Oh! Why do you think so?”

“He’s audacious. An older Assassin is cautious and extremely reluctant to get entangled with a prestigious sect like Wudang. The reward isn’t that great compared to the risk.”

“That makes sense.”

“A young Assassin, but I’m excluding teenagers. The traces were erased too perfectly for it to be the work of a teenager. But his methods are too excessive for someone in their thirties. Seeing the coexistence of Blood Qi and caution, the probability of him being in his twenties is the highest. And he has immense pride in himself. The fact that he deliberately left the Silver Needle behind when he could have retrieved it might mean he wants his fame to be known through this killing.”

“He concealed his tracks so perfectly, yet he wants his fame to be known? I don’t understand.”

“Everyone has a contradictory side. They don’t want their true identity revealed, but they want to enjoy fame as an Assassin. They are cautious, but also full of vigorous Blood Qi. That’s why I said he’s in his twenties. Also, to be able to identify the Life-Death Blood Point at such a young age, he likely comes from an Assassin’s Gate with a long lineage. Only such a place would possess this level of Secret Transmission. In all of All Under Heaven, there is only one such Assassin’s Gate.”

“Is… it the Hundred Wraith Union?”

“Yes! And among them, he is likely one of the Ten Blood Assassins. I once hunted an Assassin from the Hundred Wraith Union, and while his Killing Method was bizarre, it was by no means at this level.”

“Hmm!”

Daoist Master Cheongjin let out a low groan.

He had suspected as much when he received the fine Silver Needle from Woo Pyeong Dojang, but hearing the confirmation from Pyo Wol’s lips made his chest feel tight.

If faced head-on, the Hundred Wraith Union was nothing to be afraid of, but an assassin group like that would never reveal themselves and fight fair and square.

For Orthodox Faction Martial Artists like those of the Wudang Sect, opponents who hid themselves in the shadows like the Hundred Wraith Union were particularly tricky.

Daoist Master Cheongjin muttered.

“For what reason on earth did the Hundred Wraith Union infiltrate our sect?”