The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The length of the bell set was about one zhang.

However, the part of the bell set that the disciples could grasp was the end of the topaz rod.

When they blew their energy into the dragon head, the topaz bells hanging from the staff began to shake, starting with the ones closest to them.

The number of clear bell sounds that rang determined their scores. This test did not involve strength, agility, or other skills like swordsmanship.

The only thing they could use was their own internal energy.

Those disciples with lower scores so far took turns testing their achievement in internal energy.

The internal energy test carried the most weight and quickly decided the fate of the third-generation disciples, with mixed reactions of joy and sorrow.

Some came down crying, while others came down smiling.

Gradually, it was the turn of the top-ranking disciples.

He possessed a physique that was hard to believe for someone in his teens.

A tall stature and large hands. Jun Myung’s forearm, gripping the dragon head of the staff, twitched.

Maybe it was because he had blown all his strength into it, but Jun Myung’s neck veins stood out as he shouted with energy.

“Kkuooh!”

And the topaz bell set accepted his energy.

Starting with the bell closest to Jun Myung, they began to ring clearly.

“Ooooooh!”

Jun Myung’s resounding roar seemed all the more desperate.

It appeared his shout of energy wasn’t in vain.

Jun Myung managed to ring nine bells, the highest record so far.

He raised his hands in joy, exclaiming happily.

“Eujah!”

Just as he was about to come down feeling relieved, Sage Do Seon, smiling awkwardly, said, “Wait a moment. Hehe.”

“Y-yes?”

“It seems you might have to do it again.”

This was a disconcerting piece of news for Jun Myung, who had already exhausted his internal energy.

“The sound of your shouting drowned out the bell sounds.”

“Oh, uh…”

“For the next time, we’ll have to rely on visual confirmation.”

Do Seon, genuinely apologetic, instructed him to do it again. Jun Myung’s expression turned as if he was about to cry.

But there was no way to defy the command of the examiners.

Jun Myung tried again without shouting his energy-filled yells.

Naturally, his performance was much worse than before.

After ringing six bells, Jun Myung came down with a devastated expression, as if the sky had fallen.

Watching this, Yi-gang clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly.

Jun Myung knelt down in frustration, and Yu Su-rin and Son Hee-il came to console him. However, their consoling faces bore wide smiles.

Their eyes met with Yi-gang’s.

Yu Su-rin and Son Hee-il sent him even brighter smiles than before.

“…I’m screwed,” Yi-gang muttered absentmindedly.

「How could it not be possible?」

‘That’s what I was about to say.’

Yi-gang’s expression was calm. But his inner state was not entirely so.

「Usually, to test internal strength, one would swing a sword at a blue stone or lift a heavy rock.」

‘I can’t do anything with this method.’

What’s the use of succeeding in all the tests so far?

If he doesn’t achieve at least the minimum in this test, he would have to treat those three as his senior brothers and sister.

The thought of being bossed around by kids whose heads haven’t even dried from birth whitened Yi-gang’s mind.

Meanwhile, Yu Su-rin rang six bells and came down with a gloomy face.

Still, her score should be better than Yi-gang’s.

‘Is there really no way?’

「Umm… You could try.」

Yi-gang had no intention of giving up so easily after coming this far.

Then, Son Hee-il rang the bells.

…Dede-dedeng—

The clear sound of the bell set rang precisely eleven times. It didn’t seem like it, but he must have had significant internal strength.

He had a face filled with emotion.

“It’s done, done…”

He muttered so. Though the exact rankings were uncertain, he had definitely widened the gap with his friends, Jun Myung and Yu Su-rin.

Unless there was an upset, the position of the great disciple would belong to Son Hee-il.

“Next up, Baek Yi-gang. Come on up.”

Following Sage Do Seon’s order, Yi-gang stood up.

He went up to the platform with the bell set, and Son Hee-il came down. Their gazes collided for a moment.

Son Hee-il was smiling, while Yi-gang was expressionless.

Regardless of his inner feelings, showing anxiety on his face would be a fool’s act.

Yi-gang stood on the platform.

The platform was higher than he thought, and the bell set was quite large.

“Hmm, you’re the last one.”

Sage Do Seon chuckled while fanning himself with a fan. He did this even though it was not hot, as it was still spring.

“I’ve heard you have meridian blockage disease. Then, you can’t use your internal energy.”

“That’s correct.”

Sage Do Seon’s eyes curved like a half-moon.

Although not as much as the Wisdom Sword Pavilion Master, he too had taken an interest in Yi-gang. Along with the saying that the Great Yin Meridian Blockage, a gift from heaven, suits a Taoist flower disciple.

“Rather than dedicating your short life to the sword, how about coming to a deeper world?”

Hiding his mouth with the fan, Sage Do Seon suggested, “The world of the Tao and alchemy is boundless too… How about joining Bright Sun Pavilion? Hehe.”

Somehow feeling a shiver, Yi-gang got goosebumps on his back.

“This doesn’t seem like the right time to discuss this.”

“Hehehe, right. Go ahead and give it a try.”

Yi-gang placed his hand on the dragon head at the end of the topaz rod. He felt a lukewarm warmth.

“With all your best.”

Even without Sage Do Seon’s words, that was Yi-gang’s plan.

Yi-gang held the dragon head with his right hand and fiddled with a necklace in his pocket with his left.

The necklace with the jade ring attached was the same ring that the Immortal Divine Sword once cherished, made of topaz.

「Topaz is a gemstone particularly sensitive to Qi. That’s why they made the bell set with this precious topaz for testing internal energy.」

Even just the dragon head he was holding could be sold for dozens of silver nyang.

Topaz felt smooth and emitted a faint spiritual energy.

He was well aware of its properties, as he always wore it around his neck.

「Though the major meridians of the descendant are blocked, making it impossible to accumulate internal energy in the dantian, it doesn’t mean you’re ignorant of the flow of Qi.」

The Immortal Divine Sword explained in detail.

Yi-gang knew what he had to do even before the Immortal Divine Sword finished explaining.

「The inherent energy of the topaz…」

‘…I must make use of it.’

He couldn’t infuse his own internal energy into the bell set like the other third-generation disciples.

Then he had to utilize the Qi of all things, even the faint energy inherent in this topaz bell set.

「Show those kids your true strength!」

All the third-generation disciples, the examiners, and even the second-generation disciples were looking at Yi-gang. Some with a bit of expectation, and others with slightly mischievous predictions.

Yi-gang closed his eyes. He needed to exert extreme concentration now.

And then he remained silent for a long time.

As Yi-gang stood silently with his eyes closed, the third-generation disciples started whispering.

“What’s he doing, has he given up?”

“Hehe, is he asleep?”

There were those who were flustered and those who mocked. The murmuring gradually spread.

“He has meridian blockage disease, he can’t use internal energy.”

“He should just come down.”

“What’s the use of just standing there…”

On the contrary, Son Hee-il and the trio were quiet. They were just tensely watching Yi-gang with his eyes closed.

The first to notice the anomaly was none other than Sage Do Seon.

“Wait, everyone be quiet.”

After calming the commotion, he listened intently. Do Seon’s eyes widened.

It was not a mistake.

Kiii—

A small, sharp sound was being made.

The sound was coming from where Yi-gang’s hand was. Upon closer inspection, Yi-gang wasn’t just closing his eyes; he was sweating profusely.

Kiiiing—

The sound began to grow louder. Now, even the second-generation disciples nearby realized what was happening.

“This is…”

“Whoa.”

From Yi-gang’s fingertips, the topaz was vibrating.

The vibration gradually spread. Even Do Seon could see the bell set trembling, from the dragon head to the topaz staff, and all twelve bells hanging from it.

“How could he possibly…”

Jin Ri-yeon murmured. Only Do Seon realized what Yi-gang had done.

‘Is he manipulating the faint energy of the topaz?’

Everything has Qi. But manipulating it was no ordinary feat. Bringing objects to hand with Qi Kinesis and sending swords flying with Sword Kinesis were all feats only absolute martial masters could achieve.

Although it may not be comparable, it was still something Yi-gang, who couldn’t even accumulate internal energy in his dantian, shouldn’t have been able to do.

“What should we do, Pavilion Master?”

“Umm…”

But Do Seon was at a loss on how to make a judgment.

The condition for the test was to ring the bells.

Yi-gang was making the bell set vibrate with his amazing skill, but he was unable to actually ring the bells.

“Pavilion Master?”

“Just a moment…”

Perhaps with a bit more time, he might be able to ring the bells.

However, Do Seon couldn’t afford to give Yi-gang any more time.

Crack—

An uneasy sound came from the topaz bell set.

Do Seon’s mouth fell open. Flashbacks raced through his mind.

He remembered what his senior brother, Sage Do Geum, the Management Pavilion Master, had told him.

‘You want money to make a bell set?’

‘Yes, senior brother.’

‘And you’re going to make it out of topaz?’

‘Hehe, yes.’

‘…Has this kid lost his mind!’

Sage Do Geum was about to hit Do Seon with a ledger. Even the good-natured Do Seon had to dodge in surprise.

To accurately measure internal energy, Do Seon had desperately persuaded Forest Lord and Do Geum to fund this project. And what he got was this topaz bell set.

‘Thank you so much, senior brother!’

‘If it breaks while using it, I’ll take all your treasures and sell them. And if that’s not enough, I could even cut off your belly fat and sell it at the butcher’s.’

Remembering Do Geum’s ferocious expression, Do Seon couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“Stop!”

The vibration of the topaz bell set ceased. As Yi-gang gently removed his hand from the dragon head, Do Seon let out a sigh of relief.

“The attempt was innovative, but the purpose of this test is to measure the achievement of internal energy.”

Regrettably, as an elder of the sect, his evaluation had to be strict.

Do Seon announced Yi-gang’s score.

“You did not ring any bells.”

The lowest record until now was ringing four bells. Yi-gang was certain to receive the lowest score. And it was overwhelmingly the lowest score.

Yi-gang’s rank, which had always been at the top, would have drastically fallen this time.

The third-generation disciples quietly watched Yi-gang descend the platform.

Do Seon watched with a sorry expression.

He felt a bit regretful inside.

‘…Was I too hasty?’

He had been scared off by his senior brother’s angry face, but in reality, topaz was not a soft rock.

It’s not something that could be easily broken even if struck with full force, and he wondered if he had needlessly been scared and stopped the test.

‘Umm, it’s already a thing of the past.’

Do Seon approached the bell set with a bitter sentiment.

After all, this bell set had fulfilled its mission splendidly this time. It wouldn’t be used again until the next first-flower promotion examination, which would be in more than ten years.

Just as he was saying this and stroking the dragon head of the bell set—

Tick—

With an ominous sound, the dragon head where Yi-gang had placed his hand broke off and fell apart.

“Uh, ugh!”

The dragon head shattered into dust as soon as it hit the ground.

The composure on Do Seon’s face also shattered.

“No wayyyy!”

The place where Yi-gang had held it was covered in cracks like a spider’s web.

“Can’t this be fixed somehow?”

“It seems impossible to repair.”

On the platform where Yi-gang had just descended, Sage Do Seon gathered the fragments of topaz.

“Then, can’t it be fixed with some sort of spell or technique?”

“Even if you ask me… For spells, you would know better, Pavilion Master…”

“O-of course.”

Both Sage Do Seon and the flustered second-generation disciples were visibly disturbed.

Yi-gang quickly squeezed himself among the third-generation disciples to hide.

‘I got a real scare there.’

He had realized that the cracks were starting to form from the tips of his fingers while concentrating.

It was fortunate that Sage Do Seon had called an end to the test just in time.

「Still, it’s a shame.」

‘…Yes, it is.’

But there was nothing to be done about the disappointment.

Yi-gang had done his best. At one point, it felt as though the topaz had become an extension of his arm.

He might not have achieved body and sword unity, but he had come close to body and jade unity.

Then, lost in thought, Yi-gang was called from both sides.

“Yi-gang.”

“Yi-gang!”

Turning to his left, he saw the second-generation disciple Jin Mu.

Turning to his right, he faced less welcome faces. Yu Su-rin, Son Hee-il, and Jun Myung, all wearing wide smiles.

They greeted each other in front of Yi-gang.

“Ha-ha, you guys worked hard.”

“Not at all, Senior!”

The trio bowed to Jin Mu. Jin Mu laughed heartily, going “uhahaha.”

“You guys, you’ll soon become official disciples.”

“That’s right!”

Son Hee-il smiled broadly.

“Senior, do you have any idea what our ranks will be?” he asked directly.

“Hmm?”

“The exams are practically over now.”

The scores hadn’t been calculated yet, but it was true. The rankings for the first-flower promotion examination would be determined based on the tests conducted so far. This would also set the hierarchy among the third-generation disciples.

Jin Mu had overseen the entire first-flower promotion examination as an assistant to the examiners.

“What do you think, Senior? About our rankings.”

This implied that they already had a rough idea of the results.

Jin Mu pondered for a moment and then chuckled.

“Well, yes, you guys will find out soon enough.”

The trio, and even Yi-gang, were all waiting for Jin Mu to reveal more.

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