The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

The people of Rangachen Village looked at Yi-gang with wary eyes.

The village chief’s family was no different, but they still prepared a place to sleep and food for them.

When the Divine Monk handed over one silver nyang, the village chief was overjoyed.

Thanks to the well-dried and clean straw bedding and blankets they provided, Yi-gang and his group enjoyed a comfortable night’s rest after a long time.

There were chickens raised here as well. The crowing of a rooster signaled the dawn.

Yi-gang woke up to that sound.

As he stepped outside, he was reminded that this was not the familiar Central Plains but the Tibetan Plateau.

The sky was incredibly high.

The higher the place closer to the sky, the more it seemed to tease him by drifting further away.

Unlike other places on the plateau, tall trees grew here.

It was said that this was because water flowed down from a small lake atop the mountain.

The dawn sky was tinged with a bluish-gray hue.

Yi-gang scooped water from the jar to wash his face.

Then he mixed in some hot water heated in the brazier and wiped his face.

The cold dawn breeze was chilly but refreshing.

While drying his face with a dry towel, Yi-gang suddenly froze.

Before he realized it, a young girl, Tsering, was standing beside him, holding a water jar.

“…Good morning.”

“Not really.”

Despite Yi-gang’s awkward greeting, Tsering pouted.

It seemed she was sulking because he hadn’t responded to her call for help the previous night.

Yi-gang glanced at Tsering’s face and flinched once more.

It appeared she had cried quite a lot last night.

Her eyes were swollen.

“You woke up early.”

“I had to fetch water.”

Yi-gang realized that the water he had used to wash his face was fetched by Tsering.

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard since early morning.”

Even a ten-year-old girl had to do her share of labor in a village like this.

For an orphan with no family, surviving in a highland village required such effort.

There was nothing he could say to comfort her, nor did any words of encouragement come to mind.

However, Tsering remained quietly by his side without leaving.

Yi-gang wondered if he should give her some candy, but the licorice was with the Divine Monk.

“…Aren’t your hands cold?”

“It’s okay. Today’s the last day I have to fetch water anyway.”

“Ah, congratulations…?”

Tsering punched Yi-gang’s thigh with her fist.

The light tap, of course, didn’t hurt.

Yi-gang then noticed that there were wounds on the back of Tsering’s hand.

When he grabbed her wrist, she flinched in shock and struggled to free herself.

“What are you doing!”

Although she seemed bold, she reacted dramatically just because her wrist was grabbed.

Yi-gang spoke calmly, “Stay still for a moment.”

It seemed likely that she had grown up getting hit quite a bit.

The village chief’s wife, who had dragged Tsering by the wrist the night before, had also looked extremely rough.

Yi-gang took out some wound ointment and applied it to Tsering’s wounds.

Upon closer inspection, there were not only wounds on the back of her hand but also on her forearms and legs.

Even Tsering, who had been flaring up like a wild cat, soon calmed down.

“What are you applying?”

“It’s called wound ointment. It prevents wounds from getting infected and boosts healing.”

“I don’t need something like that anymore…”

The wound ointment Yi-gang used was a secret ointment of the Baek Noble Clan.

It was a rare medicine known as Illusion Flower Ointment, so such scratches would heal quickly.

Tsering hurriedly ran back inside the house.

While Yi-gang was giving a bitter smile, the door of the house soon opened.

The face that popped out wasn’t Tsering’s but the village chief’s.

“Come in and have breakfast.”

“Yes.”

A savory aroma had been drifting out already.

Yi-gang entered and joined the village chief’s family for breakfast.

Contrary to what he had expected, Tsering was nowhere to be seen.

It was said that orphans, including her, ate separately.

Since the Divine Monk and the Four Great Vajra didn’t come, only Yi-gang and Gal Dong-tak participated in the breakfast.

The village chief cautiously offered Yi-gang a seat.

“I’m not sure if it will suit your taste, but…”

“…It’s fine.”

Yi-gang was quite surprised.

He might have even been a little touched.

The dietary habits of the Tibetan Plateau were very different from those of the Central Plains.

Perhaps because of that, the breakfast stirred Yi-gang’s old memories.

‘This is bread and butter.’

「I, too, am reminded of my hometown.」

There was fried bread made from wheat flour in the Central Plains as well.

But that smooth, white lump was undoubtedly butter.

“It’s made from goat’s milk. And this soup is made with goat meat…”

There was a stew made by roughly chopping potatoes, adding barley, and boiling it thoroughly with lamb.

It was unmistakably a stew.

Yi-gang sat down and enjoyed this exotic meal.

“You’re eating better than I expected…”

The village chief smiled with satisfaction.

There were few things more pleasing than seeing a guest from outside enjoy your food.

“It’s delicious.”

“Would you like a cup of tea as well? It’s a bit different from the ones in the Central Plains…”

The tea the village chief offered also widened Yi-gang’s eyes.

The familiar aroma was undoubtedly black tea.

Moreover, the village chief added a bit of goat milk and a slice of butter to the tea.

“It will warm you up.”

Indeed, it did. The subtle sweetness of the goat milk and the rich flavor of the butter were exceptional.

Yi-gang finished the tea with satisfaction.

With his guard lowered, the village chief cautiously began to speak about things he had not mentioned before.

“Normally, our village folk are quite warm-hearted, but this time, everyone was frightened.”

“…?”

Yi-gang soon understood what the village chief meant.

He seemed to be referring to the villagers’ initial wariness toward the group.

“We were worried too, but you brought Tsering back safely, after all.”

“I see.”

“In fact, there was an unfortunate incident just a few days ago.”

“An unfortunate incident?”

The village chief began talking smoothly about things that hadn’t even been asked.

“A wicked and dangerous shaman appeared.”

“A shaman…”

“He tried to perform evil sorcery in our village, so we drove him out immediately. Some people got hurt in the process.”

A shaman—something Yi-gang hadn’t imagined hearing about.

“By any chance, did you see that shaman on your way here?”

“…No, I didn’t.”

“The lamas traveling with you seem to possess great spiritual power…”

Yi-gang realized why the village chief had welcomed their group despite having been troubled by such a sinister figure.

They had mistaken the Divine Monk and the Four Great Vajra for lama monks.

Yi-gang did not bother to correct this misunderstanding.

“If we encounter that wicked shaman on our way out, we’ll make sure to teach him a lesson.”

“That shaman is exceptionally quick, so he’ll surely stay hidden.”

“I’m sorry, but our business is urgent, so it will be difficult for us to search for him.”

“I—I see.”

The village chief murmured regretfully.

However, no matter how warm the hospitality had been, there was no avoiding the inevitable.

“Then, during the upcoming rain ritual, we’ll have no choice but to ask the White Dragon about the shaman.”

「It’s finally here!」

Hearing the village chief’s words, Bodhidharma let out a cheer.

Yi-gang had also been wondering when he would get the chance to ask about the dragon.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that White Dragon.”

Yi-gang explained the incident where he had seen a white dragon swimming across the sky on his way here.

The village chief responded with a proud and satisfied expression.

“So you have seen the White Dragon.”

“Does it live around here…?”

“Yes, the White Dragon is like a guardian deity who watches over our village.”

As the conversation shifted to the dragon, a look of reverence and respect appeared on the village chief’s face.

Gal Dong-tak, chewing on some meat, chimed in, “Hmm, last time it was the Fire Dragon, and now it’s the White Dragon?”

“…Huh?”

Yi-gang quieted Gal Dong-tak and asked the village chief to continue explaining.

“The White Dragon has lived in the Dragon Pond atop the mountain since ancient times. We hold a ritual for the White Dragon once a year.”

That ritual, as it turned out, was the rain ritual.

“The White Dragon brings rain to care for us. The abundance and prosperity of our village are all thanks to the White Dragon.”

It was similar to the situation in Wangjia Village, yet fundamentally different.

Compared to the story of the Fire Dragon breathing fire, this sounded far more plausible.

「Bringing rain is undoubtedly the power of a dragon.」

After all, dragons originated from water and were spiritual beings that controlled it.

Moreover, Rangachen Village was indeed prosperous.

Unlike the gaunt faces of the people in Wangjia Village, the villagers here looked well-fed.

This was despite the plateau being far harsher than the warm mountains of Sichuan.

“Tomorrow is the day we climb to the Dragon Pond to offer a ritual to the White Dragon…”

Yi-gang’s eyes sparkled.

Before Bodhidharma could even suggest it, Yi-gang quickly asked, “May I accompany you?”

The village chief looked slightly troubled.

However, the fact that this was his only reaction gave Yi-gang hope.

Seizing the opportunity, Yi-gang pulled out one nyang of gold from his pocket.

The amount Yi-gang offered was worth ten times more than what had been paid for lodging and meals. The village chief’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’ve always wanted to see a dragon. I promise I’ll just watch quietly without disturbing the ritual.”

“You really didn’t have to give this…”

Despite his words, the village chief tucked the gold into his robe.

“If only you are coming, then… I suppose it’s fine.”

Yi-gang smiled faintly.

The situation was unfolding satisfactorily.

The next day.

「The White Dragon! The White Dragon is a particularly special dragon among dragons. Do you know the most famous White Dragon?」

Bodhidharma seemed to be in a good mood.

It was obvious from how talkative he became and how he started showing off his knowledge about dragons.

‘No.’

However, when Yi-gang’s reaction remained indifferent, Bodhidharma grew annoyed.

「How can someone claiming to be a Taoist be so ignorant! It’s the Dragon King of the West Sea, of course.」

‘Ah…’

「The most famous White Dragon is Ao Qin, the West Sea’s King of Vast Compliance. In terms of controlling water, he possesses the most outstanding powers.」

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas were significant immortals in Taoism, so there was no way Yi-gang wouldn’t know of them.

If that were the case, could the dragon living atop the mountain Yi-gang was climbing now be a relative of the West Sea Dragon King?

It was unclear why a relative of a sea-dwelling dragon would be at the mountaintop of a plateau.

Yi-gang was climbing the mountain with the people of Rangachen Village.

The villagers were dressed elaborately in their traditional attire.

They carried offerings for the ritual, including young goats, chickens, and crops.

While walking with the village chief’s family, Yi-gang made eye contact with Tsering.

She had applied something like bright red rouge to her face and lips.

Yi-gang waved his hand to greet her, but for some reason, Tsering coldly turned her head away.

「This is exciting. I’m looking forward to it.」

‘…I’m feeling a bit uneasy.’

「What do you mean?」

‘I don’t feel any presence of the dragon this time,’ Yi-gang said thoughtfully.

Even when he encountered the shed skin of the Fire Dragon buried in Wangjia Village, he could sense its aura.

But this time, despite having clearly seen a dragon flying, he sensed nothing.

「Hmm, if it’s a fully matured dragon, it might be hiding its presence. Don’t you martial artists do the same?」

‘Well, that’s true, but…’

Could dragons also reach a state like returning to simplicity and truth, just like martial artists?

He didn’t know yet, but he would soon find out.

They had finally arrived at the Dragon Pond atop the mountain.

A Dragon Pond referred to a pool of water collected in the mountains.

Due to the natural terrain, a deep pool had formed, earning its name as a place where a dragon resided.

The pool on the mountain above Rangachen was indeed worthy of being called a Dragon Pond.

Even though the water was clear, the depth was so great that the center appeared pitch black.

It was large enough that it truly seemed like a dragon could live there.

Traces of previous rituals remained around the Dragon Pond.

The village chief approached Yi-gang and whispered softly, “From this point, we’ll begin the ritual. Please don’t be startled and remain quiet, very quiet.”

Yi-gang nodded.

The villagers began placing various offerings on the altar set up in front of the pool.

The ritual seemed distinct from Taoist ceremonies, appearing instead as part of their ancient customs.

Instead of incense, they lit a single candle made from goat fat in the center.

The village chief placed a young goat on the altar and personally slit its throat.

The blood flowing from the goat trickled down the altar and mixed into the Dragon Pond.

“Ooh! O Dragon God, the villagers of Rangachen call upon you with earnest hearts!”

Then, the village chief bowed deeply toward the Dragon Pond.

All the villagers bowed in unison.

Yi-gang frowned slightly and then casually bowed his body.

「This ritual for the dragon feels far too ancient. It’s more like a sacrificial offering from ancient times.」

Even Bodhidharma, who had experienced those “ancient” times, seemed displeased.

Bubbles began to rise from the Dragon Pond.

Could it finally be the moment to witness the White Dragon?

“Come forth! O White Dragon!” the village chief cried out earnestly.

But what followed next caused Yi-gang’s expression to harden.

“We offer a young girl. Please grant us rain!”

‘Offering a young girl.’

Then, as if it explained why she had been so elaborately adorned, Tsering stood up and walked forward.

Yi-gang met Tsering’s gaze.

“Please accept this offering!”

Tsering’s eyes were swollen again today.

She had been crying alone the previous night.

The reason was likely because…

「A human sacrifice!」

Bodhidharma’s furious outcry and Yi-gang rising from his seat happened simultaneously.

Yi-gang strode toward the village chief, who was reaching for Tsering’s wrist.