The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

Taijutsu, literally meaning body techniques, were the foundation of martial arts.

All martial arts clans, all martial artists of every sect, learn taijutsu. Whether it was a sect that taught swordsmanship or one that taught the staff, it remained the same. Before handling a weapon, it was more important to first master one’s own body.

Even if it was not a fist or feet technique, there were various ways to utilize one’s body, particularly through the use of knees and elbows.

This was because these were the two hardest parts of the human body. They had dense bones covered by skin that was less sensitive to pain. When used correctly, they were no different from blunt weapons.

And besides the knees and elbows, there was another equally hard part, and that was the forehead.

If one were to get hit in the face with a solid headbutt, even the greatest martial master would undoubtedly have a nosebleed.

However, due to its lack of dignity, the orthodox Murim martial artists tended to refrain from using it.

Still, one should know how to handle a headbutt. The method was simpler than one might think.

You lowered your chin, ensuring the blow landed on your forehead instead of your face.

Bang!

A sound as if a hammer and anvil clashed echoed. The foreheads of Yi-gang and Ha-jun collided briefly before separating.

“Argh!”

“Ugh!”

Both Yi-gang and Ha-jun staggered. It must have been a jarring impact.

“Whew, stop.”

Yi-gang raised his hand to halt the sparring.

He took deep, ragged breaths.

“It seems I’m too exhausted to continue.”

Saying this, he sat down heavily and continued to breathe heavily.

They had already engaged in sparring three times consecutively. If this had been Yi-gang’s stamina from the past, he would have accomplished the impossible. His stamina had been drained for quite some time now.

“Ugh, it hurts.”

Ha-jun squatted down, clutching his swollen forehead. It was noticeably inflamed.

“Brother, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

On the other hand, Yi-gang only appeared to be out of breath. His forehead, though slightly pink, looked perfectly fine.

Moyong Jin, who had been watching since the beginning of their spar, clenched both his fists tightly. His body was slightly trembling from excitement.

‘I had thought it might be a draw…’

Yi-gang’s martial arts were truly nothing special. He was not mistaken.

Just by observing his heavy panting, it was clear that Yi-gang’s stamina was in a poor state. His movements were sluggish, suggesting he might not be able to harness his internal energy.

However, that adaptability and fearless momentum—

Even if it was possible with a wooden sword, grabbing the sword by its side and pulling for a headbutt? He was not afraid of getting hit by the wooden sword at all.

If Moyong Jin had been in Yi-gang’s place, could he have done the same?

Though Moyong Jin was much stronger than Yi-gang, he had not been as bold against Ha-jun.

And above all, to put it strictly, the sparring could be considered a victory for Yi-gang. In contrast to Ha-jun, who clutched his forehead and groaned, Yi-gang looked perfectly fine.

In other words,

‘What a hard head!’

Despite his frail appearance, it was clear that Yi-gang’s skull was very thick.

At that moment, Yi-gang looked at Moyong Jin.

“How was it?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you say you would give advice?”

“Oh… Right.”

His request for advice was not empty words.

“I noticed your upper body movements couldn’t keep up with the footwork technique. To put more power into the sword, you should pay more attention to your lower body.”

“Hmm. I see. Thank you.”

Yi-gang nodded slowly.

It was sincere and precise advice, exactly what Yi-gang needed. The Immortal Divine Sword also affirmed Moyong Jin’s words.

“Good. I’ll be counting on you in the future.”

“In the future?”

“Yes, from now on, I’ll be training at the Red Jade Training Hall every day. Let’s practice our swordsmanship diligently together.”

“Wow!”

The final exclamation was not from Moyong Jin but from Ha-jun.

He seemed pleased by the news that Yi-gang would be coming every day.

And Moyong Jin’s face did not show displeasure either. On the contrary, he looked slightly happy, his expression brightening.

“Alright!”

“It’s not ‘alright,’ it’s ‘yes.’”

“…Yes.”

Seeing Moyong Jin’s nervous smile, Yi-gang thought,

‘Just as I suspected, he doesn’t seem like a malicious person.’

「Hmm, that’s what I’m saying.」

‘I doubt someone like him would feed Ha-jun Sangong powder and request a sword seizing spar.’

Moyong Tak had such a scheme in mind. He planned a sword seizing spar between his younger brother and Ha-jun in front of the young martial artists of Xi’an.

Furthermore, his plan was to show off Moyong’s prowess to the spectators, even resorting to dirty tricks if necessary.

However, looking at Moyong Jin’s naive face, it was hard to believe.

「That kid might not be aware of his brother’s plans.」

Yi-gang agreed with that sentiment.

“Speaking of which, it’s been difficult to see Young Master Moyong Tak lately.”

“Huh? Oh.”

“How is he doing?”

“He’s probably… mingling with the martial artists here in Xi’an. My brother has always liked doing that.”

“I see.”

He seemed clueless.

“Well, I should be going.”

Time had flown by. It would soon be dark.

Yi-gang left the Red Jade Training Hall ahead of Ha-jun and Moyong Jin.

He could have trained a bit more, but truthfully, he was not feeling well. When he touched his forehead, he felt a sharp pain.

“Ugh.”

「You still haven’t mastered the secret art of strengthened body.」

He was a tad late in using the secret art of strengthened body when he was headbutting. It was because he never expected Ha-jun to hit back with his own forehead.

While walking, Yi-gang halted due to the surging pain.

He leaned against a tree for a moment and rubbed his side. As expected, it was sore from the massive blow by the wooden sword.

Suddenly, Peng Mu-ah popped out from behind the tree he was leaning against.

“Are you alright?”

“Gah!”

It was fortunate that he froze when surprised due to his nature; otherwise, he might have screamed embarrassingly.

“You’re hurt!”

“No, no, I’m fine.”

“Who did this to you? Was it Moyong Jin?”

“It’s okay. More importantly, how long have you been watching me?”

Peng Mu-ah had been hiding behind the tree, watching Yi-gang.

Instead of answering his question, she grabbed Yi-gang’s face, inspecting his reddened, swollen forehead.

「Hehehehe!」

The Immortal Divine Sword chuckled.

Peng Mu-ah kept following Yi-gang like this.

Eventually, an exasperated Yi-gang glared at her once, but it backfired. From then on, she started following him secretly.

“That Moyong Jin, the scoundrel! How could he do this to someone so fragile?”

“It’s just a minor injury from sparring with Ha-jun. Go away.”

“That guy? That evil Baek Ha-jun!”

“Heh.”

It was indeed bothersome, but Yi-gang could not exactly hate her for it. In his eyes, she was just a child.

It was hard for anyone to be cold to someone who approached with such goodwill.

Peng Mu-ah took out an ointment with a fragrant scent from her pouch.

“Stay still. This is a special ointment from our Peng clan.”

While Peng Mu-ah seriously applied the ointment to his forehead, Yi-gang remained still.

“Why did you spar? It’s not good for your body if you push it too hard.”

“I’ve told you many times, I’m not that weak.”

“You’re lying…”

Yi-gang could not understand why Peng Mu-ah was so clingy. Could it be because he was handsome?

「Tsk.」

‘Ha-jun also looks quite similar to me, but seeing that she shows no interest, it seems it’s not because of my looks.’

In contrast to his previous life, he was born with a more refined appearance in this life. But it did not seem like Peng Mu-ah’s fondness was solely based on his looks.

“I’ll scold that Baek Ha-jun for you, so don’t worry.”

“There’s no need…”

She, of the same age as him, stepped forward, wanting to protect Yi-gang.

「What do you think the daughters of martial arts clans would have grown up seeing? In their surroundings, there would have always been brutish men who knew nothing but strength.」

‘Then, what about her…’

「Due to that, many of them develop unusual tastes in the opposite sex. Such as being well-versed in cultured arts like poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Or they might be drawn to those who elicit a protective instinct, liking those who appear frail.」

Looking at Peng Mu-ah fussing over whether he had any other injuries, it seemed quite plausible.

‘Still, she’s just a kid. Such a bother.’

But from Yi-gang’s perspective, it felt like nothing more than a child’s curiosity.

Yi-gang made an effort to keep a cold expression. His patience had its limits.

With a voice as cold as dripping ice, he prepared to speak harshly.

“Why were you hiding in a place like this?”

‘Just stop being annoying and go away.’ That was all he intended to say with his question.

“I have something to give you.”

“Something to give me?”

However, that statement shattered the mask he was trying so hard to maintain.

Soon after, Peng Mu-ah pulled out a small wooden box from her belongings. Curiosity sparked in Yi-gang’s eyes.

“It’s something my father gave to me… Well, he didn’t say it was only for me, and there are two pills in there anyway…”

“What is it?”

“It’s good for the body. Not exactly an elixir, but close.”

As Peng Mu-ah opened the box, a rich aroma enveloped them.

“It revitalizes the body’s energy and is also good for internal injuries. He told me to take it in case anything happens. Anyway, I’ll be returning home in a little over a month. You should have one.”

Despite her casual demeanor about it, the aroma was profound. Two medicine pills, each the size of an acorn, were wrapped in gold foil.

“You…!”

Yi-gang, who was planning to act indifferent, was deeply moved.

“You’re giving me something so precious?”

“You seem unwell. I’m healthy.”

“Thank you!”

Yi-gang quickly accepted the medicine pill.

“Eat it right away. They say you should consume a Mending Origin Pill as soon as you take it out of its container.”

“You truly are kind.”

If it was good for the body, Yi-gang would not hesitate to consume it.

「Haha, such a naive fellow.」

Watching Yi-gang chew the pill thoroughly, the Immortal Divine Sword laughed softly.

But Yi-gang was entirely engrossed in savoring the taste of the pill.

“It has tuber fleeceflower. Must’ve been aged for about a hundred years. With ligusticum striatum… Hmm, and they added licorice and honey.”

“You can discern that?”

“Of course, I can.”

Not long after Yi-gang ingested the pill, he felt a warm surge throughout his body.

His vision became clearer, and his senses felt electrified.

“This is truly a good pill.”

Although she claimed it was not an elixir, it was evidently a precious medicine pill. It would undoubtedly help in the healing process if one had internal injuries, and perhaps even enhance one’s internal energy.

But it might be of no use to Yi-gang.

“Hehe. In that case, can you do me a favor?”

Peng Mu-ah asked cautiously. Feeling cheerful, Yi-gang nodded with enthusiasm.

“Well… um, in about a week, a famous performance troupe will be coming to Huaqing Pool. Would you like to watch it with me?”

Huaqing Pool was a renowned place in Xi’an. It was a garden built by Emperor Xuanzhong of the Tang dynasty for his consort Yang Guifei, famous for its beauty.

It would be fun to see if there was a performance troupe there.

‘A date invitation.’ (“Date” in english)

「Date… What’s that?」

There was no reason to decline.

“Sounds good.”

“Really? Truly?!”

Peng Mu-ah seemed joyful as she playfully twiddled her fingers.

“Then, see you then!”

With that, she suddenly turned and ran off.

“She might trip if she runs like that. Wonder why she’s running away.”

「She’s probably shy. No matter how smart one acts, theory and experience are different. Haha.」

The reward of receiving the precious medicine called the Mending Origin Pill was more than plentiful. Seeing how much Peng Mu-ah cherished it brought a smile to Yi-gang’s lips.

However, Peng Mu-ah’s joy did not last long.

That very night, at the dinner table, Moyong Tak brought up a topic.

Yi-gang inquired,

“A banquet?”

“It’s not exactly a banquet, more like an intimate gathering. Hehe, do you remember that place I told you about last time?”

“The one known for its good food and drinks?”

“Yes, the Greatest Gold Tower. In about a week, I’ve arranged to rent the whole place out. All the renowned figures of Xi’an and the handsomely groomed talented people will gather.”

It was so grand, it could not be described as modest even in jest.

“I’ve formally sent out the invitations. Let’s enjoy it as the main guests.”

It was not an atmosphere where one could decline.

Listening to the conversation, the anxious Peng Mu-ah suddenly raised her hand and asked,

“That, that’s in the evening, right?”

Her commitment with Yi-gang was during the daytime.

“Yes, to share exquisite drinks, we’d have to meet in the evening. After all, they say Xi’an’s nights are brighter than its days.”

“Oh, then that’s great!”

Peng Mu-ah sighed in relief and smiled. However, her expression hardened at the following words from Moyong Tak.

“Hahaha! During the day, there’s a performance by a troupe from Beijing at Huaqing Pool. Let’s watch it together and then have fun together in the evening!”

“…Oh.”

Peng Mu-ah’s face looked as if the sky had fallen.

Yi-gang averted his gaze quietly.

‘Well, at least I kept the promise.’

Seeing Jin Ri-yeon in a fluster beside Peng Mu-ah, who looked on the verge of tears, Yi-gang took a big sip from his cup.