I Am the Youngest Disciple of the Martial Arts World’s Mastermind
Chapter 55
Chapter 55
The Youngest Disciple of the Murim’s Hidden Mastermind
Episode 55
“Young Miss Dang has a point. Let us extinguish them.”
“I brought a few Luminous Pearls just in case.”
Namgung Ryeong-hwa had no choice but to take a step back in the face of the trio’s consensus.
“…If you insist.”
‘Good, well done!’
I pumped my fist in secret.
Soon after, the young experts extinguished their torches, and after a brief moment of commotion, they found the proper path.
“……! Over here!”
It was only after complete darkness had fallen that they realized moonlight was seeping in from somewhere.
And they noticed there was a single wall that the moonlight did not touch.
Upon that wall was a deep sword mark. A long discussion ensued regarding how to open the door.
Eventually, Namgung Ryeong-hwa, relying on the faint moonlight, began to perform a sword dance following the lines of that mark.
Her sword dance was so sharp and beautiful it created the illusion of light shimmering even in the darkness, and her internal force was so profound that….
Rumble—!
“……!”
Before long, the mechanisms and formations responded to her internal energy and activated.
A stone door, more than a foot thick, slid open smoothly, revealing a path leading deeper underground.
“Let us descend in order. It is dark.”
“Then I shall….”
Whew, it’s time for me to move underground as well.
I was about to head down the stairs reserved for the disciples of the Murim’s hidden mastermind when I hesitated and looked back at the six backs through the small opening once more.
“…….”
What was that? I think Yongyong just twitched a little.
Even without that, there was someone I was already feeling a bit uneasy about.
The last of the three people I had been keeping a close eye on, namely….
Since the torches were extinguished and the path was dark, the group decided to descend the stairs while sharing the three Luminous Pearls brought by Yoo Chwi-san of the Wudang Sect.
With only that faint green glow as light, the darkness of the cave felt even deeper and more remote.
Given that these were ancient ruins, they couldn’t rule out the possibility that the stairs had collapsed or the path was cut off somewhere.
‘We should descend with some distance between us. If there is danger ahead, shout to warn the others.’
To prepare for this, the young experts moved their feet cautiously at regular intervals, following Deung So-han’s suggestion.
The one leading the way was Baekri Hyuk. As the Young Head of the Baekri Clan, he naturally took the lead, braving the danger as if it were expected of him.
However, his grip on the Luminous Pearl was tight with tension.
Only now, in the darkness where no one could see his expression, did Baekri Hyuk bite his lip, his face contorting as he muttered inwardly.
‘Damn it.’
This was becoming a farce.
He hadn’t noticed at first, but at some point, the leadership of the group was shifting away from him and toward Deung So-han of the Hengshan Sect.
Baekri Hyuk had never been pushed aside by his peers.
For a man who had lived believing in the prestige of the Baekri Clan and his own pride, having the situation dictated multiple times by Deung So-han—who was younger than him—was truly unpleasant.
It was the same at this very moment.
‘Should I have offered to stand at the very back instead?’
From the moment Deung So-han stepped forward to take the rear, Baekri Hyuk began to fixate on that position.
In the dark, the rear was just as dangerous as the front. It was a spot that required more caution than any other, and where ambushes occurred most frequently.
‘If that fellow steps up again this time….’
It was that guy who mediated the fight between Ryeong-hwa and the Mount Hua priest; it was that guy who discovered the secret code. It was also that guy who deduced that the secret door could be opened by infusing internal energy into the sword mark….
And what if that fellow even defeats the threats they encounter on the way to the center of the cavity?
Naturally, Deung So-han would be etched into the minds of the young experts as the one with the highest standing among them.
The problem was that this gathering wasn’t just some casual social club; it was an expedition to Yak-seon’s Hidden Depository, formed through the summons of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader and rigorous duels.
‘If only that brat wasn’t here, there wouldn’t be any issues….’
He was the only one with the personal connection to stop the mischievous Namgung Ryeong-hwa.
The best way to carve one’s position into the minds of these youngsters was to demonstrate the skill of a predator tamer right before their eyes.
‘What if I let Ryeong-hwa do something dangerous one more time and then save her…?’
It was while Baekri Hyuk was deep in thought.
[Shall I give you a hand?]
A low, soft whisper reached him like a breeze brushing past his ear.
“……!”
Baekri Hyuk stopped in his tracks instinctively.
This voice.
[…Ryeong-hwa?]
[Brother Hyuk, doesn’t Young Master Deung bother you?]
Namgung Ryeong-hwa, who was behind Baekri Hyuk in the descending order, sent a transmission of sound that no one else could hear.
At her voice, Baekri Hyuk’s eyes flashed sharply.
After a brief silence, instead of denying her words, Baekri Hyuk asked:
[What do you plan to do?]
Namgung Ryeong-hwa coyly brushed against Baekri Hyuk’s shoulder as she lowered the volume of her transmission even further.
[You’ll see. I only wanted to ask for your thoughts, Brother Hyuk.]
[…Then you could have just handled it yourself.]
[In a group like this, shouldn’t Brother Hyuk be the leader, after all?]
“…….”
The seductive words stimulated Baekri Hyuk’s hidden desire for recognition.
Baekri Hyuk flinched involuntarily and touched the corner of his upturned mouth.
Then, struggling to keep his voice steady, he whispered back.
[Do not do anything too dangerous.]
[Yes, of course.]
With that, a secret alliance was formed.
“Wow….”
A gasp escaped me automatically.
Not because I was actually impressed, but because it was so absurd.
The transmission between the two was meant to be a secret, but it was perfectly audible to my ears, as my internal force was deeper.
Baekri Hyuk wasn’t the last person I was keeping an eye on, but since Namgung Ryeong-hwa’s aura was unusual, I had naturally been watching them both.
And the result?
“How can someone be so wicked!”
Deung So-han had not only resolved the conflict between Namgung Ryeong-hwa and Yeong-do so far, but he had even shared the credit for entering the core area of the depository by suggesting the sword dance.
And yet, Namgung Ryeong-hwa was conspiring with Baekri Hyuk to play a trick on him.
I didn’t know exactly what scheme she had cooked up yet, but my intuition was spot on.
‘If I leave this alone… there’s going to be a major accident.’
However, as a disciple of the Murim’s hidden mastermind, I had a duty to coordinate this situation safely and return the young experts in one piece.
That included even the nasty Namgung Ryeong-hwa, without exception.
‘To think Namgung Ryeong-hwa would poke at the cracks in the anxious Baekri Hyuk….’
Something was definitely going to happen.
What would be the best way to handle this?
Naturally, in the game, Ryang would have snatched all the elixirs once they reached the bottom anyway, so there was no need for such worries.
‘First….’
I used a lightness technique to pull ahead of Baekri Hyuk. As my toes lightly brushed the ground, my body soared without a sound.
Among the young experts here, there was no one faster than me.
It was only after walking quite a bit longer that Baekri Hyuk finally reached the bottom.
“…I think this is the end!”
After confirming that the stairs went no further, Baekri Hyuk raised his voice to announce the fact.
A moment later, the others used their movement arts to quickly reach the floor.
Surveying the pitch-black surroundings, Yoo Chwi-san muttered in an anxious tone.
“The area is too vast for the Luminous Pearls to light up this darkness.”
“And… it’s cold.”
Dang Cheong-a shivered beside him.
Truly, perhaps because they had descended so deep, the air had become chilly enough for their breath to turn into mist.
It was then.
Whoosh!
“……!”
As if sensing human presence, the torches hanging on the walls of the winding passage began to ignite all at once.
They were torches the group hadn’t even realized were there until they caught fire.
Namgung Ryeong-hwa instinctively squinted and tried to extinguish the light.
“What is this….”
“Wait.”
Baekri Hyuk stopped her and read the words carved largely into the wall.
“…To the descendants who have found their way here. I congratulate you on entering the depository where the soul of the Medicine Immortal resides. If you do not forget the teachings of the Medicine Immortal until the end, the depository will grant the descendants what they desire.”
The meaning of this inscription was clear.
Whether there were treasures or not, this was not simply a place to satisfy one’s greed.
However, the way the words were received differed for each person reading them.
“…….”
A few of them cast subtle glances at the rest of the group.
