Chapter 19
Yeo Un-jeok quietly stared at Yang-hwi.
“Young master. Someone like the Honggyo Sect Leader would surely be accompanied by guards. Attacking him alone would be reckless.”
“We’re not going to kill him. No matter how vile he may be, he’s still the father of the man Sister Rang loves.”
“I may have learned a bit of martial arts in my time, but I’m hardly formidable anymore.”
“I think crippling his dantian should be enough. That way, Gu-Hyung can take over as the new leader of the Honggyo Sect.”
While Yeo Un-jeok muttered about forbidden techniques, Yang-hwi casually laid out his plan.
A long sigh escaped Yeo Un-jeok.
“Young master… Why do you think someone like me is even capable of such a thing?”
“I remember the time we exchanged a move or two. You were gracious enough to go easy on me.”
“I don’t know what you’re implying. That must be a misunderstanding.”
Yang-hwi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he smiled faintly.
‘I didn’t notice it the first time, but now I’m sure—this old man has been hiding his true strength.’
Born with the rare gift of “Heaven’s Sense,” Yang-hwi could perceive the faintest traces of qi and estimate the depth of another’s internal energy. When combined with clues like posture and pressure, he could practically deduce someone’s full martial capability.
And yet—
‘He’s too average. Too perfectly mundane. As if he’s deliberately concealing it.’
To Yang-hwi, this only meant one thing.
“There’s a saying in the martial world—‘Always keep thirty percent of your power hidden.’ I simply assumed the elder had his own card up his sleeve.”
“……”
“If it’s truly impossible, then I won’t force you. But if you succeed… it could open a path for Sister Rang to spend her life with the man she loves.”
“……”
As Yeo Un-jeok sat in silence, Yang-hwi simply smiled.
Honggyo Sect, Gyojin Sect, their sect leaders—Honggyo Sect Leader and Gu-Ak—and now, the final piece: Yeo Un-jeok.
All the actors of this grand opera were now assembled.
It was time for the curtain to rise on a spectacular performance.
“Oh, right,”
Yang-hwi said with exaggerated casualness, as if the thought had just occurred to him.
“Once all of this is over… do you have any place in mind where you’d like to settle down?”
****
Meanwhile…
Gyojin Sect launched a surprise attack on Cheongsa Sect, just as Cheongsa Sect had done to Honggyo Sect not long ago. It was a clean strike—no declarations, no warnings.
But this time, there was one key difference.
“Hey, did you hear? Cheongsa Sect is in chaos.”
“Yeah. First, they brawled withthe Honggyo Sect, now Gyojin’s hit them hard.”
“And that’s not all. Apparently, every little sect and faction around is swarming in to bite at Cheongsa Sect.”
Yeo Un-jeok had anonymously scattered hundreds of pages across the markets—pages detailing the weaknesses in Cheongsa Sect’s secret martial arts techniques.
Naturally, those documents fell into the hands of countless sects, each one eyeing Cheongsa Sect with greedy intent.
“Serves them right. After all the cruelty they inflicted, Cheongsa Sect’s finally finished.”
“Good riddance. Feels like a breath of fresh air.”
Not a single soul expressed pity for the impending annihilation of the Cheongsa Sect.
Among the four dominant powers of Akan-hyeon, the Cheongsa Sect was infamous for being the most ruthless and brutal.
Time passed.
And once Cheongsa Sect’s forces had been whittled down to less than half…
Honggyo Sect, which had remained eerily silent despite being attacked first, finally made its move.
“From this moment forward, Honggyo Sect declares all-out war on Cheongsa Sect!”
The Honggyo Sect’s leader rallied all his forces and struck with overwhelming might.
He even secured aid from allied sects in neighboring regions—bonds forged through arranged marriages of their children.
By then, Cheongsa Sect had become a ragged mess, full of holes and vulnerabilities.
Now, it was simply a matter of who could carve off the juiciest share of the spoils.
Naturally, the war devolved into a two-way standoff between the Honggyo Sect and the Gyojin sect.
“Honggyo Sect! You dare swoop in like a pack of wild dogs after we laid the table!”
“We’re only reclaiming the businesses Cheongsa Sect seized through underhanded tricks!”
Both sides shouted their justifications, but no one really cared about honor or cause.
In the world of the underbelly, the only way to settle a dispute… was through brute strength.
****
[To the Honggyo Sect Sect Leader, Gu Cheol-hyo]
After reading the letter delivered by Gyojin’s envoy, Gu Cheol-hyo let out a scornful laugh and crumpled the parchment.
The letter proposed a duel—a life-and-death showdown between sect leaders to minimize bloodshed among their followers.
“The nerve… That arrogant fool doesn’t know his place.”
Though the two leaders were said to be evenly matched, Gu Cheol-hyo was confident in his victory.
After all, he had attained new enlightenment by mastering the improved Rock-Cleaving Axe Art created by his son, Gu-Ak.
‘Arrogant bastard… I’ll crack your skull wide open.’
And once he dealt with the Gyojin sect, he had another target in mind—the one who had orchestrated this entire mess.
Even if the culprit turned out to be just the head of some tiny backwater sect…
A sect leader is still a leader.
Gu Cheol-hyo knew someone had sown discord and leaked the counter-techniques. And that someone would pay.
‘Whoever you are… You underestimated my son’s genius. I’ll make sure you regret it.’
And so, Honggyo Sect Sect Leader Gu Cheol-hyo departed for the appointed site of the life-and-death duel, bringing four subordinates to serve as both guards and aides.
It was then that Yeo Un-jeok appeared.
“Old man, unless you’ve got a death wish, get lost.”
One of Gu Cheol-hyo’s guards barked out the threat.
But Yeo Un-jeok simply stood in their path, silent, his eyes deep and unreadable.
He moved only when Gu Cheol-hyo gave a subtle hand signal to one of his men.
Schlick!
A guard raised his axe to strike—but his head was severed before the blow could fall.
There wasn’t a single visible blade in Yeo Un-jeok’s possession, yet the cut on the man’s neck was clean, almost surgical.
“Gu Cheol-hyo. Sect Leader of Honggyo Sect.”
The moment Gu Cheol-hyo heard that voice, an image flashed in his mind—an emissary of the underworld.
It meant only one thing: his body was screaming in primal fear of death.
Gu Cheol-hyo’s instincts, honed over decades of crawling through the shadows and clawing his way to the top of the martial underworld, kicked in immediately.
“Kill that old bastard!”
He barked the command and quickly retreated backward.
But it was already too late.
Schlick! Schlick! Schlick! Schlick!
Four precise sounds of flesh being torn. And then, Yeo Un-jeok stood before him once more.
“It’s a shame, truly… when I think of what you’ve done.”
Truthfully, when he recalled what Gu Cheol-hyo had done to his daughter, even tearing him apart over twelve full hours would have felt merciful.
But…
‘That bright, clever child… this was what he wanted.’
So instead—
“Live out the rest of your days in regret.”
Gu Cheol-hyo didn’t even get to hear the final words.
A sharp, agonizing pain bloomed in his lower abdomen—and then everything went black.
****
Several Weeks Later:
After the violent conflict between the underworld sects of Akan-hyeon, the citizens lived in constant fear for quite some time.
Every day brought more bloodshed—fights erupting in brothels where men sought to unwind, and taverns where the weary hoped only to fill their bellies.
But amidst the chaos… There was a silver lining.
“Damn, the streets are cleaner than ever.”
The marketplaces of Akan-hyeon had always had at least one or two swaggering thugs loitering about, flexing their petty authority.
Now, not a single one remained.
Dozens of battles over the span of two months—big and small alike—had wiped them out, even the lowest bottom-feeders among them.
‘Of course, give it time and a few rats will crawl back out…’
But not in Akan.
Because someone intended to make sure they never would.
Yang-hwi whistled cheerfully as he made his way to Hoyoungru Pavilion.
“You’ve arrived, young master.”
Normally, it would be suspicious for an eight-year-old child to visit a brothel. But the guard at the entrance simply bowed with respect as he saw Yang-hwi approach.
And rightly so—he was a servant of Baek Family Manor.
“Young Master Hwi. Your guest is in the Blue Lake Room, on the third floor.”
“Got it. Thanks for your service.”
The guard’s face brimmed with pride. After all, he’d spent years training in martial arts, and now he finally had the chance to put those skills to use.
Most people dislike hard work, but a bit of honest labor can be good for the body and soul.
Yang-hwi smiled faintly and began ascending to the third floor.
“Gu-Hyung. Your junior has arrived.”
“Ah. You’re here.”
Gu-Ak sat drinking with a restless air, his eyes drifting toward Yang-hwi.
‘Four bottles already…’ Yang-hwi noted silently, eyeing the empty liquor containers on the table.
“You called for me, so I assume you’ve heard the rumors,” Gu-Ak said, his voice heavy.
Yang-hwi gave a slow nod.
“I heard about the tragedy that befell your father. It’s truly unfortunate.”
“Forget that. Is that all you know?”
“I also know that your brothers—those bound by political marriage—are drawing in outside forces in an attempt to seize the position of Sect Leader.”
And yes, thanks to Yeo Un-jeok, he also knew that the Gyojin Sect was waiting to exploit the split from the shadows.
In short, Honggyo Sect was in complete disarray.
“I figured you’d be aware,” Gu-Ak said with a bitter smile. “So tell me, why request this meeting now of all times?”
His tone was low, but there was a flicker of hope in his eyes.
Yang-hwi, meeting that gaze, answered evenly.
“Gu-Hyung. Right now, your brothers are all conspiring to hold you down. Am I correct?”
It was because Gu-Ak was the only heir to have reached the level of a first-rate martial artist.
“You’re right. Do you… have a plan to fix this mess? Honestly, I’ve never needed your cunning more than I do now. If you help me, I’ll repay the favor however I can.”
“Gu-Hyung.”
“Speak.”
“Who am I?”
“You’re the Young Master of Baekga Manor.”
“And besides that?”
“…?”
“A peerless genius. The once-in-a-century pillar of potential. The greatest prodigy under the heavens. That’s who I am, Gu-Hyung.”
It was absurdly arrogant and shameless—but Gu-Ak, instead of scoffing like usual, looked intrigued.
“So you’re saying you have a way?”
“It’s simple. Kill all your brothers and take the position of Sect Leader.”
“…That’s it?”
“Yes. Don’t start whining about bodyguards or aftermath logistics. You know full well that if you strike first and plan properly, it’s doable.”
Gu-Ak fell silent.
Because Yang-hwi was right.
Bodyguards? With the right preparation and timing, they weren’t a problem.
Outside sects gaining a pretense to attack? Once Gu-Ak took control of the Honggyo Sect, he could easily bring the sect under the protection of a larger dark-path alliance.
But the reason Gu-Ak hadn’t done it was obvious.
“You hate killing your own blood, don’t you? Sister Rang would be horrified. And you… You’re not that kind of cruel person.”
Again, Gu-Ak said nothing.
Yang-hwi, on the other hand, continued with a light-hearted tone.
“In that case, it’s even simpler. Just give it all up and become part of Baek family.”
Gu-Ak’s eyes widened.
“What are you saying? You’d have me, a member of the underworld—no, a direct descendant of a dark-path sect—join you?”
“Is it hurting your pride?”
“You know that’s not what I mean. I’ve got debts and grudges I’ve built up living as a dark-path martial artist.”
Of course, Yang-hwi knew. If Gu-Ak were to join Baek family, it would bring nothing but headaches for Baek Mu-ryang and Han Seok-Eon.
But…
“I told you, Gu-Hyung. No matter what happens, I’ll make sure you and Sister Rang get your happy ending. I’ll bet my life on it.”
Gu-Ak hadn’t forgotten those words. He just hadn’t imagined they’d come to him in this form.
“…Do you really trust me, Junior brother?”
His voice held layers of doubt, fear, and hope.
Yang-hwi answered with just one sentence.
“You didn’t use the poison bombs.”
Dozens of poison bombs were stolen from the Cheongsa Sect’s secret vault.
Even when the Honggyo Sect was cornered by the Cheongsa Sect’s full-scale assault, Gu-Ak hadn’t used a single one.
Because poison bombs didn’t just kill the enemy—they left a wake of destruction in their surroundings as well.
‘Gu-Ak can still walk a different path. His heart isn’t twisted.’
“Come to the Baek family. Wash off the black. Wear the white. Become the kind of man Sister Rang can proudly stand beside.”
With that, Yang-hwi flashed his usual sly grin.
Gu-Ak watched him in silence.
“….”
That grin was as shameless and mischievous as ever.
And yet—
To Gu-Ak, it had never looked more trustworthy.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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