Chapter 559

The final day when the Ghost Thief was expected to appear.

As the sun gradually set, the faint presence of someone could be felt near Mount Wudang.

Snap—

Someone was swiftly moving through the underbrush, their figure shrouded in black from head to toe. Their movements, though fast, exuded an air of urgency.

Tap—

After traveling for some time, the figure reached their destination, landing silently on the ground and hiding themselves. In front of them stood a small outpost, guarded by disciples of Wudang, vigilantly patrolling the area.

The figure's eyes gleamed.

That was it—the place that held their objective.

"The location of the treasure."

This was where the treasures of Mount Hua and Wudang were being kept. Tomorrow, after the predetermined five days had passed, the treasures would be exchanged and returned to their respective sects for safekeeping.

It was a security measure to prevent unexpected incidents.

The figure shifted their gaze, locking eyes on someone.

Among those guarding the outpost stood a woman of striking appearance. Dressed in immaculate white martial robes beneath a light blue outer garment, she radiated an air of composed elegance.

She was none other than the current Sword Queen of Plum Blossom, standing guard over the treasures of Mount Hua.

The sight of her made the figure bite their lip.

"Half a shichen."

(Half a shichen equals approximately one hour.)

In half a shichen, the Sword Queen would leave her post. The window of opportunity would be fleeting, but for the figure, it would be enough.

Time passed.

The figure remained hidden, waiting for the critical moment. When exactly half a shichen had elapsed, the Sword Queen began to move.

This was it.

The long-awaited chance. Though her absence would only last a few moments, it was now or never.

Suppressing the cold sweat running down their body, the figure summoned their internal energy, preparing to act. All they needed to do was charge in, seize the treasure, and escape.

Yes, that would be enough.

Everything was for Wudang.

As the figure steeled their resolve and prepared to move—

“Hello?”

A voice suddenly echoed near their ear.

Snap—!

“Ack—?!”

The sensation of a hand gripping their neck sent their vision spinning. Before they could comprehend what had happened, they felt the wind roaring past them. Instinctively, they tried to react, but realization struck them like a bolt of lightning.

The violent wind buffeting them was caused by their body being lifted into the air and carried at incredible speed.

How fast must this person be moving for their body to feel such pressure?

Terror flickered through their mind, but it was short-lived.

Thud—!

The wind stopped abruptly, and their body was flung to the ground. They rolled across the dirt, pain radiating through them.

Instinct urged them to stand, but—

Crunch—!

Something struck their chest, pinning them down.

“Guh!”

They gasped in pain, craning their neck to see what had immobilized them. A foot pressed firmly against their chest.

Then, a voice spoke.

“Hey, do you remember what I said earlier?”

They followed the voice, their gaze traveling upward to meet the face of their attacker. Pain shot through their body, making it difficult to move.

“I’d feel a bit disappointed if you forgot.”

Though the speaker’s tone was light, their voice carried a razor-sharp edge.

Under the moonlight, their features became clear—bluish hair faintly glowing under the silver beams, and sharp, piercing blue eyes that seemed to glint with predatory focus.

It was strange. Earlier that day, their eyes had been red, yet now they shone with a brilliant azure hue.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

The young man spoke again.

“If you draw your sword, you’ll die. Did you forget?”

The figure’s voice echoed in their ears. It was unmistakable. This was the same person who had warned them earlier in the day at the inn.

This was Gu Yangcheon.

The realization hit them like a hammer.

“H-how…?”

The figure struggled to speak, their disbelief evident. How could this man be here? Wasn’t he supposed to be under the watchful guard of the Wudang disciples?

Sensing their confusion, Gu Yangcheon smirked faintly and released the pressure on their chest, allowing them to gasp for air.

“Hah… haah…”

As they struggled to catch their breath, Gu Yangcheon addressed them again.

“Judging by your reaction, it seems odd to you that I’m here?”

The figure instinctively reached for their weapon, but—

“…!”

Their hand grasped at nothing. The sword that should have been at their waist was gone.

“Looking for this?”

Gu Yangcheon held up the missing sword, smirking.

“A swordsman shouldn’t be so careless with their weapon.”

“W-when…!”

Smack—!

“Ack!”

A sharp kick to the chest sent them rolling across the ground. Pain wracked their body as they came to a stop, gripping the earth in desperation.

“What… is happening?”

Their mind raced. The pain, the overwhelming presence of Gu Yangcheon, the sheer speed—it all made no sense.

“Why… is he here?”

He should have been at the outpost, guarded by Wudang disciples.

“Resting in the outpost, right?”

“…!”

Gu Yangcheon seemed to read their thoughts as he casually approached.

“But, you see, I don’t like feeling cooped up. So, I decided to take a little walk.”

His nonchalant words were anything but convincing. There was no way the Wudang disciples would have allowed him to wander freely, especially at night.

Gu Yangcheon continued speaking, as if unconcerned with any rebuttal.

"I was enjoying a leisurely stroll, and oh, what a surprise! I happened to see you, our esteemed second disciple of Wudang, wandering about."

"..."

"But you're not the type to go for casual walks, are you? And wearing such a secretive outfit—what exactly are you up to?"

How was he supposed to respond?

The answer didn’t take long.

"I just have some business to—urk!"

Crunch—!

Before he could finish his excuse, Gu Yangcheon grabbed Ji Cheol by the throat.

"That's not acceptable."

"In this conversation, only I get to lie."

"Grrk... gghh...!"

"Ah, but that would be a bit unfair, wouldn’t it? I’ll tell you a little something you’re curious about, too."

Curious? Gu Yangcheon’s words hung in the air as he extended his wrist for Ji Cheol to see.

"I left the Enyi Line behind. That annoying little thing."

"...Wh-what?!"

Ji Cheol’s eyes widened in shock.

He left it behind? That couldn’t be true. If he had, Gu Yangcheon wouldn’t be here.

Seeing Ji Cheol’s reaction, Gu Yangcheon’s lips curled into an amused smirk.

"It’s a fascinating little item, isn’t it? A device that lets you monitor its wearer’s movements."

The Enyi Line was a tool often used for missions or monster hunting. It allowed users to monitor the status of team members.

That’s what Elder Yu Baek had explained, at least.

"But they didn’t tell us the most important detail, did they?"

"...Ghh...?"

"If the line is cut, it sends an alert."

"...!"

"Right?"

Ji Cheol’s heart began to race.

Gu Yangcheon’s words were true. The Enyi Line not only monitored the user’s status but also sent a signal to high-ranking figures if tampered with.

The range was limited, but within Wudang, it was more than sufficient to track someone’s movements.

This meant that not only could it reveal one’s condition, but it could also identify suspicious behavior and even pinpoint their location if close enough.

But how did he know all this?

More importantly—

"How did he get out?"

How could Gu Yangcheon have left the monitored perimeter after discarding the Enyi Line? Ji Cheol’s eyes filled with questions.

Gu Yangcheon found his confusion amusing.

"Once I realized that, something seemed... off."

Earlier, during the day, Gu Yangcheon had sensed a foul stench—something figurative, not literal. He had spent a while contemplating its source.

Finally, he had a vague idea.

"Your reactions... it’s as if you’re watching us, but avoiding anything important."

"...Ghh...?"

Ji Cheol couldn’t understand his point, but Gu Yangcheon elaborated.

"Not a single one of you truly suspects us."

Ji Cheol realized what he meant.

"Isn’t it strange?"

"The Ghost Thief reappears after decades, threatening to steal Wudang’s treasure, and yet, you guard against outsiders without truly doubting them."

At first, Gu Yangcheon had thought the Enyi Line was being used to distinguish infiltrators from the Ghost Thief, perhaps even to monitor outsiders.

But something about it felt… off.

"I’ve never heard of the Ghost Thief reappearing in my past life, and as much as I’ve disrupted things, my gut is rarely wrong about this kind of thing."

He had considered it and come to a conclusion.

"And then suddenly, it clicked."

He understood, or at least he thought he did.

However—

"It wasn’t a certainty."

That was the problem—he wasn’t entirely sure. And when you weren’t certain, the answer was simple.

"Ask."

He had decided to ask directly.

"What’s going on here?"

And to ask, he needed to catch the right person. By chance, Ji Cheol had practically volunteered himself.

But then—

"Something seemed suspicious."

Ji Cheol had moved too quickly in the dead of night. His actions didn’t match someone training or chasing someone. His destination was clear, but his route was strange—almost as if he were deliberately masking his presence.

"Like someone trying to hide their tracks."

"Ghh...!"

"And with an injured shoulder? That’s not easy."

Ji Cheol flinched. His shoulder had been shattered earlier in the day. Though his cultivation level could eventually heal it, moving this fast at night was clearly unnatural.

Gu Yangcheon noticed his reaction and continued.

"So I decided to ask."

To ensure he wouldn’t lose track of Ji Cheol, Gu Yangcheon had infused his energy into the man’s body when he shattered his shoulder earlier. It was a simple task for him.

Ji Cheol’s body trembled as something stirred deep within his core. He felt it—a foreign presence moving within his dantian.

Meanwhile, Gu Yangcheon’s blue eyes grew even brighter, their light spilling over and engulfing Ji Cheol’s entire being. The pressure around his throat eased slightly—just enough for him to speak.

"So, tell me."

Gu Yangcheon’s voice cut through the silence.

"Are you the Ghost Thief?"

"...!"

Ji Cheol felt his heart sink.

But it didn’t end there.

"Or..."

Gu Yangcheon’s voice dropped, icy and unrelenting.

"Are you playing the Ghost Thief’s ‘role’?"

Ji Cheol’s body shook uncontrollably. He bit his lip hard, forcing himself not to speak. No matter the fear, no matter the pain, he couldn’t reveal the truth.

Yet—

"Answer."

"...Yes...?"

Against his will, Ji Cheol’s lips moved, betraying him. His face twisted in disbelief.

This wasn’t his doing.

Gu Yangcheon, satisfied, smiled faintly.

"Good."

His smile reflected a deep sense of satisfaction, as if he had unraveled a frustrating mystery.

Gu Yangcheon laughed openly, not bothering to conceal his amusement.

"How fortunate."

Truly fortunate.

"Wudang is even more incompetent than I thought."

And because of that, he could use this to his advantage.

"Very, very fortunate indeed."

******************

The next morning.

On the rear mountain of Wudang, the second disciple of the sect, Ji Cheol, known as the Dragon Medicine Sword, was discovered dead.

From the circumstances, it appeared he had taken his own life by severing his neck.

To corroborate this, a suicide note was found lying on the ground near his body.

As foretold in the letter sent five days prior, the Ghost Thief successfully stole Wudang’s treasure.

However—

For some reason, the Ghost Thief left behind Mount Hua’s treasure and disappeared with only Wudang’s artifact.

Because of this, Wudang was thrown into complete chaos, the sect's atmosphere in turmoil from the early hours of the morning.