The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

Yi-gang had his eyes closed.

Those who have mastered internal energy at an advanced level can do many things.

True Qi is life force, which is the essence.

By absorbing the natural energy and channeling it into the lower dantian, martial artists can circulate it through the eight meridians, allowing them to surpass the limits of their physical bodies.

With arms that are not particularly thick, one can bend iron bars, and they can leap great distances in a single bound.

They can even sharpen their senses.

They can dodge a sword flying from behind or eavesdrop on secret conversations in the next room.

However, Yi-gang could not do any of these.

This was because the Divine Monk had placed a restriction on his dantian.

Without True Qi, even martial artists are no different from ordinary civilians. Blinded, they are even more so.

Yi-gang walked slowly with his eyes closed.

He reviewed the sparring match he had with Sitting Buddha Beop Jin a few days earlier.

‘I was overconfident.’

Indeed, he had been overconfident.

When he was young, he once fought his uncle, Baek Jin-tae.

At that time, Baek Jin-tae’s dantian had been shattered, and he even had a large hole in his abdomen.

Moreover, he had endured prolonged, brutal interrogation, leaving him in a debilitated state.

Nevertheless, Yi-gang had indeed won against his uncle, who was once a Supreme Peak master.

Back then, he thought it was possible. After all, he had used every possible means.

But now, in hindsight, he realized it was purely luck.

‘Both Father and Ancestor… They certainly trained me hard.’

To send a sick Yi-gang against a Supreme Peak master.

It was dangerous, but in the end, he won without dying.

Even a Supreme Peak master can be defeated by a martial artist of much lower level if their physical state is severely compromised.

Yi-gang nearly lost to Beop Jin as well.

It happened as he took his seventh step.

Yi-gang suddenly stopped and turned his body to the right.

“Hm!”

Beop Jin murmured in admiration.

This meant Yi-gang had successfully avoided the obstacle in front of him.

Yi-gang continued to focus.

Beop Yun advised in a gentle voice.

“The Venerable Aniruddha only attained the Heavenly Eye after losing his sight. First, concentrate on senses other than sight.”

What Yi-gang was doing was indeed a training of pure intuition.

Even without sight, Beop Yun lived without showing any discomfort. It was to learn that very method from Beop Yun that Yi-gang had covered his eyes.

“First, focus on your hearing. Listen to the sound of the wind.”

“Senior Brother, won’t the benefactor have trouble concentrating if you keep talking?”

“I-is that so?”

Beop Yun appeared flustered, causing Beop Jin to chuckle.

Beop Yun, the first of the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering, was kind and gentle, yet somewhat clumsy.

Compared to Beop Yun, Beop Jin had a much more cheerful personality.

“Still, it’s quite impressive. I tried to imitate Senior Brother, but I couldn’t manage it.”

“It’s not easy to walk on your hands, much less avoid obstacles while blindfolded.”

“That’s true. Haha! If I fall, my face will surely get scraped.”

Yi-gang wanted to silence the two who were chatting.

He used remarkable concentration to avoid the obstacles.

With his vision blocked, he had to rely on his other senses.

He detected large obstacles by sensing the flow of the wind against his skin.

Thud.

He deliberately made a loud footstep.

The sound echoed back from the obstacle nearby.

Though it was a very subtle sound, after repeating this task for three days, Yi-gang had gradually grown accustomed to it.

He slightly wrinkled his nose and took a breath.

There was a faint smell of mud mixed with the scent of water.

This indicated that there was a swamp nearby. It was yet another obstacle.

“Hm…”

However, no matter how much he relied on his senses, they couldn’t completely replace sight.

Passing through this path filled with obstacles at speed was nearly impossible.

Even with heightened senses due to the Great Yin Meridian Blockage, there were limits.

“Even if you rely on the remaining five senses, it still cannot be called the Heavenly Eye.”

Beop Yun advised in a low voice.

“The key is the sixth sense.”

Awaken the sixth sense. Open your spiritual eye. Unlock the heavenly gate.

These were familiar words.

He began to understand why the Divine Monk had instructed him to learn from the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering.

But could one use the sixth sense just because one was told to?

Yi-gang, who had been taking a step, suddenly froze.

But it was already too late. His body tilted, and eventually, his foot slipped in.

Squelch!

Yi-gang twisted his shoulder to remove the blindfold covering his eyes.

His right foot was deeply stuck in the swamp.

His foot was damp. Unable to use his arms, cleaning himself and changing clothes would be quite cumbersome.

It was an unmistakable failure, but his reaction had been impressive.

Beop Jin reacted excitedly.

“Didn’t you try to avoid stepping just now?”

“Well, I can’t see, so I didn’t know.”

“I definitely saw it. I saw it!”

“The benefactor’s talent is remarkable!”

Both Beop Yun and Beop Jin showed a fair amount of goodwill toward Yi-gang.

Pulling his foot out of the swamp and stepping forward, his footprint left a mark in the mud.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Yi-gang slumped down in front of a rock.

Beop Jin dragged himself over to him.

“Hehe, it feels unpleasant, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it certainly does.”

“Still, it’s far gentler than the way Senior Brother Beop Yun trained in the past.”

It is said that even Beop Yun didn’t overcome his visual impairment from the beginning.

He gained something similar to the Heavenly Eye through a training process like Yi-gang’s.

“Instead of pouring water into the pit, they brought waste from the latrine and poured it in.”

“…”

“Great Senior Uncle Mu Myung personally poured it in, saying that a sense of crisis would help develop the sixth sense… Would you like to give it a try, benefactor?” РΆ

“No, thank you.”

It’s said that even as the Murim Alliance Leader, the Divine Monk occasionally carried waste buckets and emptied toilets.

Critics claimed he sought zen by personally engaging in the most menial tasks, though Yi-gang wondered if it was just eccentricity.

“Here, a towel. Please use it.”

“Thank you.”

Yi-gang received a white towel from Beop Jin.

When asked how he took it without using his arms, he answered that he used his mouth.

Then, he removed the shoe from one foot, gripped the towel with his toes, and used it to dry his wet right foot.

“It’s becoming quite natural now.”

At first, it felt incredibly awkward.

After all, Yi-gang was the legitimate heir of the Baek Noble Clan, a gentleman among gentlemen.

And yet here he was, receiving a towel with his mouth and holding it with his toes to dry himself.

It was undignified behavior. That’s what he thought.

However.

What was wrong with a man without hands using his feet to clean himself?

During the day, Jeong Myung no longer attended to Yi-gang.

When Beop Jin told him to use his feet like hands, Yi-gang hesitated at first.

But soon, he felt ashamed of his own hesitation.

Beop Jin spoke seriously.

“I cannot help you like Senior Brother Beop Yun. I cannot use my legs, and you cannot use your arms.”

There was something Yi-gang could learn from Beop Jin as well.

It was more intuitive than he expected.

“If you don’t have feet, you use your hands, and if you don’t have hands, you use your feet.”

“You are right, venerable.”

“Shaolin is famous for its fists, but that’s not all there is to it. Only when you can use both your fists and feet naturally can you truly approach mastery of external martial arts.”

“Yes.”

“I will help you to use your legs freely.”

Training with Beop Jin felt much more playful than walking blindfolded through a path full of obstacles.

Writing with his feet or eating—engaging in everyday activities.

Although honing leg techniques was part of it, most of the training resembled playful activities.

However, Yi-gang silently followed Beop Jin’s instructions.

Yi-gang was inwardly certain.

‘If it weren’t for their physical limitations, the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering would have long since become masters.’

The Divine Monk had said that these individuals could not be called Peak masters outside, but the reality was a bit different.

In terms of skill, they were certainly no less than Peak masters.

If they had trained in martial arts under the same conditions as other Shaolin monks, how high might they have reached?

‘Is it a meaningless thought?’

For that reason, Yi-gang followed them without question.

At the very least, his choice seemed to have touched Beop Jin’s heart.

The gaze Beop Jin directed at Yi-gang was warm.

It was the same with Beop Yun. A gentle smile appeared on his lips when he spoke to Yi-gang.

However, Yi-gang had not captured the hearts of all the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering.

Beop Jin glanced at Beop Jae and chided him.

“Hey, Senior Brother Beop Jae, ease up that expression. Why are you so unkind to our kind-hearted benefactor Yi-gang? Senior Brother Beop Yun, please say something.”

“Hm? I can’t see his expression…”

“Can’t you sense it with your sixth sense?”

“Right. Beop Jae, relax a little.”

The Ugly Buddha, Beop Jae.

Hunched over with a sour expression, he turned away from Yi-gang.

From the moment they first met, he seemed to avoid Yi-gang.

For some reason, it felt as though he simply disliked him.

Beop Jae raised his thumb and pulled his two fingers back in a sign language gesture.

Yi-gang didn’t understand the sign language, so he remained silent.

Beop Jin nodded and translated the sign language.

“He says, ‘There’s nothing to teach a cocky guy!’”

“…”

“That’s what he said.”

Beop Jin wasn’t interpreting the signs solely for Yi-gang.

The first of the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering, the Blind Buddha Beop Yun, couldn’t see the signs due to his blindness. Beop Jin acted as an interpreter between them.

Meanwhile, the second, Beop Jae, though deaf, understood Beop Yun’s words by reading his lips.

Beop Jin slowly tried to persuade the Ugly Buddha.

“Senior Brother, why are you being so stubborn?”

“…”

“I know how much you dislike good-looking people, don’t I? Sure, even Senior Brother Beop Yun is handsome. And I’m probably better looking than you, Senior Brother.”

“…”

“What? You’re saying I’m ugly too? What do you mean, calling me your fellow comrade in ugliness?”

Beop Jin seemed greatly aggrieved by Beop Jae’s sign language response.

Yi-gang quietly observed their exchange.

“Still, this is a direct order from Great Senior Uncle Mu Myung. It’s not something to be stubborn about.”

“…”

“Yes, it’s true that Great Senior Uncle Mu Myung told Yi-gang to observe and learn from us. He didn’t exactly tell us to teach him anything… What? You’re saying he should ask directly?”

Beop Jin turned to Yi-gang.

“He says you should ask Senior Brother Beop Jae what you want to learn from him.”

Yi-gang hesitated for a moment.

From Beop Yun, he had learned how to overcome the lack of vision.

From Beop Jin, he had learned how to cope with impaired limbs.

Then, what could he learn from Beop Jae?

“To overcome, even without hearing…”

Yi-gang stopped mid-sentence.

Beop Jae furrowed his brows sharply, shook his head, and then closed his eyes entirely.

There was no point in speaking further.

“Ah, ah!”

Soon, Beop Jae turned and fled.

Though his back was hunched, it seemed his light footwork was entirely unaffected, as he moved with remarkable speed.

Yi-gang and the monks could only watch the back of the fleeing Ugly Buddha.

“Oh dear, Beop Jae has run off.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, benefactor. But please, don’t be too hard on Beop Jae.”

Beop Yun murmured with a bittersweet tone.

Was there a reason for Beop Jae’s cold attitude toward Yi-gang, saying he disliked “handsome guys”?

But what came from Beop Yun’s mouth was a different story.

“When he was young, Beop Jae had a chance to be healed.”

A body with a hunched spine and hearing loss.

It seemed these weren’t conditions he was born with.

“He suffered a severe fever. To the point where he lost his hearing and his back became hunched. The abbot who raised the young novices requested the Great Recovery Pill from the head monk.”

“…”

“But by then, Beop Jae had already passed the critical point between life and death. Permission to administer the Great Recovery Pill wasn’t granted, and he was left with lifelong aftereffects.”

Yi-gang recalled the words of the Divine Monk.

The Great Recovery Pill was never given unless it was to “save a life.”

It seemed to be an unbreakable rule.

“I know that not only the Head Monk but even the Divine Monk opposed it. But this time, the Divine Monk provided the Great Recovery Pill to you, benefactor…”

Yi-gang felt as though something was lodged in his throat.

Yi-gang understood Beop Jae’s behavior.

Beop Jae had been denied the Great Recovery Pill, leaving him with lifelong limitations, while the Divine Monk had given the Great Recovery Pill to an outsider like Yi-gang.

“It makes sense that he dislikes me.”

“Think nothing of it. We have already renounced the world and devoted ourselves to Buddhism. Beop Jae’s training is simply lacking.”

Though he spoke firmly, Beop Yun’s voice held a hint of compassion.

Yi-gang also understood Beop Jae’s excuse of disliking “handsome guys.”

After all, his hunched back and scarred face were due to his severe fever.

However, when Yi-gang mentioned this, Beop Jin shook his head.

“What are you saying? Senior Brother Beop Jae has disliked good-looking people ever since he was a young novice. You wouldn’t believe how much he initially hated Senior Brother Beop Yun.”

“…I see.”

Yi-gang nodded.

In any case, passing the test set by the Divine Monk required earning the approval of all the Three Buddhas of Endless Suffering.

That included gaining Beop Jae’s acceptance.

“Venerable Beop Jin, there’s something I wish to learn.”

“Something you wish to learn? In addition to what you’ve already learned?”

“Yes. I’d like to have a conversation with Venerable Beop Jae.”

Yi-gang requested new instruction from Beop Jin.

“Please teach me sign language.”

“Ah…!”

Beop Jin was impressed.

The first, Beop Yun, seemed moved, his voice even trembling slightly.

“Are you learning sign language to communicate with Beop Jae?”

“Yes.”

“You’re the first benefactor I’ve seen with such an idea. Amitabha…”

Beop Jin happily accepted Yi-gang’s request.

“You’re sharp-minded, so you’ll pick up sign language quickly. Shall we start right away?”

“Yes.”

“Now, keep your left arm down and raise your right hand, then tap twice. This sign means ‘thank you’ in sign language.”

“Ah…”

Yi-gang closed his mouth and focused his gaze on Beop Jin.

Beop Jin chuckled awkwardly.

“Haha, I was just joking, just joking. Why are you looking at me so seriously?”

“I’ll start by understanding sign language.”

“Very well. Hehe.”

Beop Jin stopped joking and began to teach sign language earnestly.

From then on, Yi-gang practiced sign language every day.