Chapter 164: The Administrator of the White Path

When could Baek Moo-jin establish a martial arts sect?

Establishing one wasn’t difficult, but growing it into a force recognized as a ‘sect’ in the martial world was challenging. Above all, it took time. Nevertheless, Baek Moo-jin resolved to found a sect from nothing, alone, and put his plan into action.

He settled in Hanzhong and began by selecting a barren, empty location. His companions were limited to Seo Mun-geuk, Hong Yu-gang, and Jin So-hye, while his advisors were Dao Wang and Kwon Wang.

Thus, Baek Moo-jin began building his sect in Hanjung.

How long would it truly take?

What scale would it reach?

How would he gather and teach disciples?

Nothing was decided, yet Baek Moo-jin’s resolve was unwavering.

From the moment Baek Moo-jin began building his sect… He created everything with his own hands.

He personally transported stones and timber, leveled the ground, examined roofing materials, and even learned how to build houses with tools in hand.

Amidst this, he interacted with visitors who came, sometimes accepting challenges, and never skipping a day of fierce sparring with Jin Sohye.

Thus, Baek Moo-jin was gradually becoming the most renowned man in Hanjung.

Around that time, within Bicheon, they were grappling with concerns diametrically opposed to Baek Moo-jin’s worries.

2.

The greatest martial arts sect.

The greatest power.

Mysteriously passed-down martial arts.

The watchdog of the martial world.

The epithets and rumors attached to Bicheon were numerous.

Even such a man had his worries.

The time had come to decide on an issue where all of Bicheon could not unite as one in heart and mind.

The successor.

Selecting the next leader of Bicheon.

It was an inevitable problem that the greatest, most massive, and most secretive organization simply had to face.

Who on earth would become the next leader of the lowly?

Pushing the immediate problems far to the back, the high-ranking officials of Bicheon had gathered in one place to hold a meeting.

The composition of these ‘high-ranking officials’ was peculiar.

Among them were the current sect leader, the former sect leader, the most active elder-level figure of the present era, and the head of a prominent family. However, the two most prominent figures present were none other than the Sword Emperor and the Blade Emperor.

The Sword Emperor and the Blade Emperor were both present. Yet, the undisputed leader among these heads was one man.

The Sword Saint of Huashan.

Even though the Sword Saint had sent a proxy to this gathering and was merely receiving reports, he was a figure against whom no one dared voice the slightest complaint.

In other words, all the most powerful figures in the White Path had gathered here.

The area was sealed off by the guard squadron’s perimeter.

Even selection for the guard required passing strict scrutiny.

After all the procedures and formalities, the meeting itself was finally underway.

The moderator, a middle-aged man known as Taebaek Unja, an elder of the Taebaek Sect, addressed the officials seated on the unique chairs arranged in a circular structure.

“We will now proceed with the regular meeting. Before that, the secretary should withdraw. There was an instruction to conduct a meeting without leaving a record.”

“Excuse me? Which person…”

It was puzzling that the secretary, whose role was to record reports for the Heavenly Lord, was being ordered to leave. Then Taebaek Unja said.

“It was the Sword Saint who said it, so understand it as such.”

“Understood.”

The secretary, who had been recording the meeting, stood up and quietly slipped out. A silence fell over the assembled group. Taebaek Unja stepped forward to the center, looked around, and said.

“Mahon Jongju is dead. I imagine you all know roughly how he died.”

“So what is Baekmujin doing now?”

In response to a senior disciple’s question, the moderator replied.

“He’s said to be founding a new sect.”

“A martial arts sect?”

“He’s established himself in Hanzhong. They say the scale of his territory alone is larger than that of the Nangong Clan.”

“What?”

“But for now, only one main house and a separate room have been built.”

A heavy silence fell at those words. Someone was laughing.

“They secured land larger than the Namgung Clan’s, built a single house, and what are they doing with it?”

“They say he personally supervises the construction and sometimes even carries heavy materials himself.”

“What a peculiar fellow.”

“A great martial arts sect is about to emerge.”

“Are people flocking to him?”

At the last question, Taebaek Unja glanced around. What he wanted to say came next.

“It’s said that as many as fifty people visit daily… Those who camp out with Baek Moo-jin already number over a hundred. Even when Baek Moo-jin sends them away each time, they gather again in equal numbers a few days later to help with construction or drink among themselves. Rumors spread that he killed the Demon King, drawing challengers from nearby sects and onlookers alike, creating a bustling scene before the gates. Quite the spectacle, I suppose.”

“So they built a gate and now it’s bustling with activity?”

“Exactly. Seems there isn’t even a main gate. Anyway, since they plan to stay in Hanjung for now, there’s no real need to watch for other movements. It’s just a motley crew of losers from the martial contest gathering, so aside from the Martial King and the Tao King, there are no heavyweights.”

“What do you mean by ‘other movements’?”

“Like the nearby Huashan Sect or Zhongnan Sect issuing a challenge…”

“I wish they would. They’d defeat Zhongnan only to be stopped at Huashan… Let them be.”

“Understood.”

Someone spoke in a grave tone.

“By the way, since the Demon Lord is dead… Hmm?”

At that moment, a man in his thirties entered the meeting hall. He looked frail, coughing intermittently like a consumptive as he walked in. His face was that of a man in his thirties, but his hair was more white than black, making him appear haggard.

As soon as he entered, he spoke in a weak voice.

“It’s been a long time. Seniors…”

“You’ve come? Young Master…”

“Young Master, welcome.”

“It seems too late to join the meeting now, but why did you arrive so late?”

The man called Young Master then forced a smile and sat down in an empty seat.

“I hurried over hoping to hear some news, as I have no one to report to and know little of the world’s affairs. My apologies for being late. Please forgive my discourtesy.”

As Young Master apologized politely, the others fell silent.

This man who appeared out of nowhere was none other than the second son of the Bicheon Clan.

He held no official title, yet Bicheonju had placed him in the position of ‘Administrator of the White Path’.

The Administrator of the White Path.

It was the most arrogant title in the history of the martial arts world, and also one that should never have existed.

Though he had withdrawn from the succession struggle due to frail health, people’s assessments of him were not unfavorable.

The consistent assessment was that Young Master Xiao was gentle and humble.

However, the White Path’s leadership viewed him merely as a messenger to convey their wishes to the Heavenly Lord. Regardless of his personal merits, he was completely excluded from the succession race for the Heavenly Lord’s heir, and his health was extremely poor.

As people began recounting stories about Baek Moo-jin, Young Master So, who had been listening quietly, seized the moment when silence fell and spoke softly.

“Father…”

“…

“It is said he will soon appoint an heir and step down.”

Even as one of the elders expressed surprise, he addressed the young master reproachfully.

“Why are you only telling us this now?”

The young master, looking weary, replied.

“Everyone, this concerns my family. It was decided not long ago. Privately······”

“Since when did the position of the Lord of Bicheon become a private matter?”

At this, the young master replied with a reluctant expression.

“Anyway, that’s how it stands, and I plan to vacate the position. Whether my elder brother takes it or the youngest inherits it, it’s time for things to become more active…”

Another senior disciple cut off the young master again.

“You are aware that the Demon Lord has perished, correct?”

“I have heard.”

“I will inform you of our plans to restore order shortly. We shall meet again at the main house.”

The young master smiled at the head disciple’s words, which were practically an order to leave.

“Please do not include Baek Moo-jin in that plan. In a way, he did what we should have done ourselves, did he not? He possesses the rare bearing of a great hero.”

“That is not for you to decide, Young Master Yi.”

As the head of the Zhongnan Sect responded coldly to every point, Young Master Li retorted with a bitter expression.

“Is that so? I merely stated my opinion. Now, please continue your discussion.”

The Young Master staggered to his feet, so weak he might have collapsed, then bowed to the assembly and withdrew.

As Young Master Xiao disappeared, the head of the sect and the family heads sighed deeply.

“How could such a son come from that dragon named Bicheon…”

“The succession will proceed as planned, with the eldest son inheriting.”

“The eldest prince is too old. Considering Baek Moo-jin and Gu Do, the youngest might inherit instead.”

“The eldest and youngest have a vast gap in martial prowess. He cannot be Baek Moo-jin’s opponent. Wasn’t it originally decided that the eldest, now the heir to Bicheon, would handle the Demon King?”

“Why are you so quiet today, Sword Master?”

At those words, the Sword Master glared at the head of the Xingshan Sect and snapped.

“Aren’t you the one talking too much?”

Breaking the silence, the disciple chimed in.

“Isn’t everyone being too dismissive, assuming the young master is ill? To casually utter words like an expulsion order to someone sent to work together… Be careful, everyone.”

The sect leaders, clan heads, and elders all fell silent at once.

Factions within the White Path weren’t a recent development, but since the decline of the Heavenly Lord, the divisions had become increasingly stark.

3.

[Be careful, everyone…].

Having stepped outside and walked a considerable distance down the corridor, the young master heard the disciple’s words before closing his ears.

Then he offered a smile to the Sword Master and the Disciple.

‘Tired souls.’

The lowly group he belonged to was an abnormal collective.

Somehow, it had become the group deciding how to write the history of the martial world.

The plan for dealing with the Demon Lord had already been set.

Just like in the old days, the Bicheon would appear at the most dramatic moment…

They would kill the Demon Lord and demonstrate that peace in the martial world was maintained by the lowly. It sounded simple in words, but the reality was complex. Yet, carrying out that complex task as if it were a natural duty was the work of the old faction that supported the lowly.

Bicheon and the Old Guard.

Over decades, the roles of savior and supporter had reversed. Now, there was no longer any hierarchical relationship between them. They had become organizations engaged in power struggles, and talk even surfaced that the next Bicheon Master should come from the Old Sect.

Each time, the response from the Bicheon faction was consistent.

“Very well. But let us settle it through a martial contest. A tournament to determine the greatest under heaven… Bicheon will participate.”

When Bicheonju gave this answer, the old faction fell silent. Even the group of former martial arts masters managed by the Crown Prince maintained their silence. They were all those who had been defeated by Bicheon. They all held their breath, like those who merely wished for Bicheonju to grow old and die.

But the young master still feared his father.

‘Make them believe. That we are puppets.’

Who could possibly know he was teaching his sons this?

That when his father, over seventy years old, stepped forward, he could sever the heads of the sect leaders in less than half an hour…

And if he fought them a little longer, he could annihilate not just the weapons, but the very existence of those who arrogantly called themselves ‘Kings’ in the martial world.

Having never displayed his power, the name of the lowly man was slowly becoming a ‘myth’.

Baekdo was revealing his true colors.

‘I will become the Lord of Bicheon.’

The atmosphere around Bicheon had grown lax enough that he could reveal that ambition.

But the Lord of the Lowly was watching everyone.

A sigh escaped the young master.

Because the father he knew had not changed one bit, then or now.

‘He watches over the martial world.’

He lived by that creed.

The White Path should have realized the Heavenly Lord was toying with them, yet these were the very ones who treated him so rudely even as he staggered, stricken by illness. Only the Sword Master and the Tao Master were the masters who truly checked him; the Sword Saint, knowing everything, was merely a cooperating observer. Or perhaps he too harbored ambition…

The young master thought of his elder brother.

He would be no different.

If the Young Master had been in a position to manage the leaders of the Nine Sects.

Surprisingly, the eldest young master had gathered the leaders of the previous generation’s Black Path and Demon Path under his command.

In other words, the eldest prince was the ‘Overseer of the Black Path’.

He didn’t even bother distinguishing between the demonic arts, collectively calling them all the ‘dark arts’.

Under the name ‘Bicheon’, he gathered and restrained the leaders of various factions without distinguishing their political affiliations.

When the Demon Lord ran rampant, it was Bicheon’s role to step forward.

However, this Bicheon was a system where only a master from the previous generation, capable of absolutely defeating the Demon Lord, would step forward.

If that master of the previous generation lacked sufficient capability, Bicheon would step in.

Yet for quite a long time, there had been no instances of the Heavenly Guardian stepping forward.

The masters of the Nine Sects or the masters of the previous generation stepped forward to maintain peace in the martial world under the name of ‘Bicheon’.

The young master sighed as he watched the leaders of the White Path growing increasingly fierce.

‘Whoever becomes the successor must change this atmosphere. Before that…’

Young Master So resolved to relinquish his position as administrator of the White Path. He planned to seek out his father and tell him he would entrust the position to his youngest son.

He had already prepared his answer should his father ask.

He was tired from watching over the White Path.

He wanted to rest.

Whether his father flew into a rage or threatened to kill him, the young master was determined to walk away from it all.

Amidst this, Baek Moo-jin came to mind.

‘He wants to establish a martial arts sect?’

A smile touched the young master’s lips.

‘What an interesting fellow.’

Did he even know the martial world was rotting away?

Somehow, Baek Moo-jin’s actions—personally hauling a single tree and even creating martial arts techniques while founding a sect—left a deep impression on Young Master So’s heart. While they were decaying, Baek Moo-jin was building a house.

‘I wonder if I’ll ever meet him before I die.’

The administrator of the White Path walked slowly along his daily stroll, thinking of Baek Moo-jin.

The Administrator of Baekdo End