Chapter 20
“…….”
“…….”
“Junior brother.”
“Yes, Gu-Hyung.”
“I think... I need a bit more mental preparation.”
“Strike while the iron’s hot, or you’ll lose the right to call yourself a man. Keep hesitating like this, and something precious between your legs might just run away.”
“……”
Normally, even with death staring him in the face, Gu-Ak would snarl and bare his fangs rather than cower. But this time… he was more like a puppy that needed to poop—fidgety and visibly anxious.
And honestly, he had every reason to be.
After all, he was on his way to do something he’d never imagined doing in his entire life.
“To live as a white-path martial artist… What the hell is this even?”
The difference between the dark path and the white path was simple: it came down to whether one placed their own desires above propriety and righteousness.
At its worst, it meant extorting the weak in pursuit of wealth.
At its most benign, it meant holding back one’s temper instead of lashing out in anger.
Gu-Ak might not have been guilty of the former, but the latter? Yeah… no confidence there.
“By the way, Junior brother… you did give Baek Family Head—your father—a heads-up, right?”
“……”
Gu-Ak felt a chill crawl down his spine as Yang-hwi silently avoided his gaze.
‘Wait. No way. Did this punk…?’
They say bad hunches are the ones that always hit the mark.
And sure enough, when they arrived at the Baek family...
His fears turned into cold, hard reality.
“Hwi-ya. What did you just say? Hyeolbu wants to become a member of our household?”
“Yes, Father!” Yang-hwi responded brightly, paying zero attention to Gu-Ak’s inner turmoil.
“Is that true, Hyeolbu?”
“……”
Gu-Ak stared silently at Yang-hwi—then sent him a sound transmission.
—Junior brotherrrrrr!
—This wasn’t part of the deal at alllll!!!
Still cheerful, Yang-hwi declared,
‘I said I’d bring him to the house—I never said I’d get prior approval!’
Gu-Ak clenched his fists. He really-really wanted to smack that overly sunny head of his.
In the meantime, Baek Mu-ryang let out a soft sigh and spoke up.
“So it’s true that you wish to join our household, Hyeolbu. May I ask why?”
“……”
A long silence followed. A sign of intense inner struggle.
Finally, Gu-Ak opened his mouth.
“I’ll speak frankly, Righteous Chivalry... No, Family Head.”
When Gu-Ak raised his head, his eyes burned with fierce determination.
“I was born in the pits of the Dark Path. I’ve eaten nothing but the blade my entire life. But even someone like me… has found something worth giving it all up for.”
Just then, Gu-Ak caught sight of Rang-rang peeking from behind a pillar in the courtyard.
“Rang-rang is the woman I love. My Lover. She’s someone I’d throw everything away for. So…”
Could simply joining the Baek family protect her from every grudge and blade aimed his way?
The Baek family was a small clan; after all—its leader was barely at the second-tier.
But…
Gu-Ak’s gaze landed on one young boy.
Thud. He dropped to his knees.
“Please accept me as a member of the Baek Clan, Family Head.”
“……”
Baek Mu-ryang remained silent. And then more silent.
He stared at Gu-Ak’s bowed head, then shifted his gaze to Yang-hwi, and finally looked up at the sky.
“So this too… must be fate. Gu-Ak. I hereby accept you as one of our own.”
“I will serve with the loyalty of a dog and the strength of a horse, Family Head!”
“No need to lower yourself to dog-and-horse-level devotion,” Baek Mu-ryang replied with a gentle smile. “I know your worth, and I’ll treat you with respect. However…”
His voice hardened.
“The foremost virtue of our household is chivalry. Gu-Ak, bearer of the name ‘Hyeolbu.’ You must cleanse yourself of that disgrace. So I command you, as your new clan head: Perform one act of Chivalry every day. Earn yourself the title “One Deed of Chivalry Per Day.”
Gu-Ak’s face twisted in disbelief.
Chivalry? Every single day?
To him, chivalry was nothing more than a glorified wrapper for foolish ideals.
But then, without hesitation, he knelt again and clasped his fists in salute.
“As you command! I will obey, Family Head!”
Baek Mu-ryang stepped forward and personally helped Gu-Ak to his feet.
“Welcome, truly. I’ll assign you to Baek Clan among the outer buildings. From this day forward, you shall be known as Lord Baek-ik.”
“I am deeply honored by your kindness, Family Head.”
Watching the scene unfold, Yang-hwi smiled with satisfaction.
Everything had gone better than expected. He’d gambled on Gu-Ak joining the clan being worth it, and now the dice had landed just right.
While all the other clan members gawked at Gu-Ak, Yang-hwi quietly slipped away from the manor.
“Now then… he’s probably watching from somewhere…”
Yang-hwi scanned the area with a quick sweep of his head, and soon spotted Yeo Un-jeok standing alone at the peak of the tall pavilion where they’d first met. Without hesitation, he launched himself upward.
“Old man.”
“You’ve come.”
“You could have joined us down at the manor, you know. No need to stay so far away.”
The grand chaos he and Yeo Un-jeok had unleashed together had utterly destroyed the Cheongsa Sect, torn the Honggyo Sect in half, wiped out more than half of the dark-path forces in Akan-hyeon, and, in the end, brought massive profits to the Baek clan.
In short, everything was over now.
Which meant bringing Yeo Un-jeok into the household wouldn’t pose any problems anymore.
Yang-hwi looked at the greatest stake on the board—the man who’d contributed the most and yet remained in the shadows.
“Don’t you want to see your daughter?” he asked. “If you wish, I’ll personally lead you to her.”
“…No. Not yet.”
As Yeo Un-jeok quietly stepped back, Yang-hwi tilted his head and asked,
“There’s no need to be afraid. Sister Rang would welcome you with open arms. To her, you are a blessing.”
For a moment, the old man’s gaze, once fixed on the Baek Family, faltered.
And then he let out a breath of quiet amazement.
“Huh. You truly are something else, Young master. It’s uncanny how easily you see through the heart of a weathered old man like me.”
“I hear that a lot.”
Yang-hwi understood how the old man felt.
He probably wanted to speak to his daughter right away. To hold her hand, to call her name.
But the more you love, the more precious someone becomes, the harder it is to approach them.
Especially when the old man was a wanted man across the martial world.
If his identity were to be exposed, not only he but also Rang-rang would be in danger.
It’s not like he’d done anything outright evil like mass murder or cultist atrocities. And the fact that he’d managed to stay hidden all this time suggested there wouldn’t be any immediate issues.
Yang-hwi studied Yeo Un-jeok’s face in silence before finally speaking.
“Old man. Would you consider becoming a guest of our household?”
“Hm? You know what I am. I’m a public enemy of the martial world.”
“Then come in under a new name—as Sister Rang’s father. You can do that, can’t you?”
“You know who I really am, though.”
A secret exposed is no longer a secret—it becomes a weakness placed in someone else’s hands.
“Does it matter anymore?” Yang-hwi said plainly. “The moment both Sister Rang and Gu-Hyung joined our family, that risk stopped meaning anything.”
“…You’ve got a point.”
“The more I spoke with Sister Rang, the more I realized how lonely she’s been. She needs family, old man.”
Bringing Yeo Un-jeok into the Baek family was far more dangerous than bringing in Gu-Ak.
But it was a risk worth taking.
Because Yeo Un-jeok was the key that could accelerate Baekga’s rise more than anyone else.
“When you visit, use the name Yeo Woon-hyuk. Sister Rang will live on as Yeo A-rang, and you must live on as Yeo Woon-hyuk. Keep to that, and we’ll welcome you into the clan as a guest.”
As Yang-hwi finished speaking, he could see the turmoil churning in Yeo Un-jeok’s heart.
“A peaceful life… with your daughter. Don’t you want that?”
“…Yes. I do. Desperately. Enough to give up everything.”
“Then let me ask you—what is it that you want from me in return?”
“It’s simple. Just forge two martial manuals for me.”
Yeo Un-jeok’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Young Master. You do understand the level of my martial prowess, don’t you?”
“Roughly. Yeah.”
Through intuition, clues, and careful observation, Yang-hwi had managed to get a pretty accurate idea.
He still didn’t know how Yeo Un-jeok—once known as Crimson Cloud—had reached such a level.
“And all you want… is two manuals forged?”
“That’s right.”
“……”
For a brief moment, a gentle peace entered Yeo Un-jeok’s weathered, tired eyes.
“Now that I think about it… I never even thanked you.”
“Don’t think I’ve done anything worth thanks, though?”
“You saved my daughter from dying of poison. You devised a plan to help a public enemy like me. You even created a future where my daughter can live happily with the man she loves. And now, you’re offering even me… a place to stay.”
Hmm. Now that he was listing them all out, it did seem like Yang-hwi had done quite a lot.
But Yang-hwi hadn’t done any of it in search of gratitude.
He had simply followed the values he’d learned in his past life—values that had since become the cornerstone of his beliefs.
Of course, he wasn’t above mixing in a bit of personal gain for the sake of the Baek family’s prosperity.
“Since you’ve offered thanks, I won’t turn it down. In return, I’ll ask for one thing. Please forge two martial manuals for me. But—there’s one condition.”
“Go on.”
“I want them made to look like they’re two hundred years old. Ancient texts. And… you must not read the contents. You’ll have to keep your eyes covered.”
“Hmm.”
It didn’t take Yeo Un-jeok long to understand what Yang-hwi was asking for.
“Martial techniques, then.”
Yang-hwi gave a small, knowing smile and nodded.
“In the end, I do hold a weakness of yours, old man. So, in fairness, I’ve now shared one of mine.”
With his decades of experience roaming the martial world, Yeo Un-jeok easily understood what the boy meant.
“I swear on my daughter—I will not read what’s inside.”
“Thank you. Then when do you plan to visit the household?”
“Let’s finish our transaction first. The two manuals are payment for what you’ve done for me so far. But in exchange for accepting this old man as a guest of your household… what is it that you want?”
The most critical role Yeo Un-jeok would play was forging those manuals. Truthfully, Yang-hwi didn’t expect or need much else.
After all, building a relationship purely to “use” someone wasn’t exactly his style.
“Hmm… if you insist on calculating it—then just lend your strength now and then, when it’s needed.”
“That’s all?”
“Isn’t that what a proper guest does? Take it easy most days, and step up only when the time comes.”
Surprisingly, that was exactly what most guests at great clans were expected to do.
Yeo Un-jeok let out a deep, layered laugh.
“Hahaha… haahahaha…”
Yang-hwi pulled two books from his robe.
Both were handwritten martial arts scrolls he had prepared ahead of time.
One was titled Record of the Heaven-Covering Sword, the other Technique of Heavenly Harmony Art.
“If you do decide to come to the Baek family, please carry these two books with you in their aged form. They’ll serve as the ‘excuse’ to bring you in as a guest.”
With his eyes closed, Yeo Un-jeok asked calmly,
“Then set the boundaries. If I’m going to work on them, how far can I go? What kind of condition should they appear in?”
“You may look at the titles, so open your eyes. As for their condition—just good enough to be considered ‘well-preserved’ antiques should do.”
Yeo Un-jeok took the two books and read the titles aloud.
“Record of the Heaven-Covering Sword… and Technique of Heavenly Harmony Art.”
Given that Yang-hwi wanted them to appear as ancient texts, he likely intended to spread them within the Baek family—or at least needed some justification.
Had the boy created them himself? Or was there a hidden master behind him?
He wasn’t sure.
But—
“He holds my weakness. He’s given me a greater favor. And now, he even dares to offer me one of his own.”
From the perspective of someone who had lived in the murky martial world for decades, Yeo Un-jeok had no doubt.
The boy standing before him could be trusted.
And beyond that, Yang-hwi was an extraordinary prodigy—one it would never hurt to remain close to.
“Young Master.”
“Yes, old man?”
Yeo Un-jeok gave a respectful bow—to the young scion of the clan he would soon join.
“I shall perfectly fulfill your request, and visit Baek Clan seven days from now.”
And with that, Yang-hwi secured the allegiance of two legendary figures:
Hyeolbu Gu-Ak, and Crimson Cloud Yeo Un-jeok.
---The End Of The Chapter---
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