Chapter 3
Gu-Ak turned thirty this year—six years younger than Baek Mu-ryang, but twenty-two years older than Yang-hwi.
Not quite the age to be called “Hyung” by a bratty little kid.
And yet, Yang-hwi said it again with a shameless, almost radiant smile.
“Gu Hyung! This humble one greets you with respect!”
“Cheeky little runt, who the hell are you supposed to be?”
“Soon to be the son of the great hero Baek Mu-ryangl! The name’s Yang-hwi!”
“What?”
“Until just an hour ago, I was a poor boy on the verge of being sold as a slave—kidnapped by the scum from Naheuk clan under the flag of Honggyo Sect!”
At that, Gu-Ak’s eyebrows twitched.
Yang-hwi’s words could be interpreted in two ways.
One: The Naheuk clan deceived the Honggyo Sect and committed atrocities.
Or two: Under the banner of the Honggyo Sect, something unforgivable was done—something the upright White Path sects would never turn a blind eye to.
“I may be a bloodthirsty bastard, but I don’t make a habit of killing kids. If you’re here to play witness or stir up trouble, don’t expect to walk out alive.”
“How could I ever cause harm to you, Gu Hyung? Hahaha.”
Still grinning, Yang-hwi shamelessly used the “hyung” title again, casually watching for a reaction.
“I’ve got at least thirty years on you, kid. What kind of nonsense is this ‘hyung’ business?”
Looks like he softened a bit. He must’ve realized I’m not here to make threats, Yang-hwi thought, and kept pushing forward with his usual nerve.
“They say all under heaven is one family, do they not? In a way, aren’t we kin?”
“If that’s your logic, wouldn’t ‘uncle’ be more accurate than ‘brother’?”
“But then you’d become my father’s sibling, wouldn’t you?”
“……”
For a brief moment, Gu-Ak found himself thinking:
So it’s fine for me to be your damn brother, but not your uncle?
What kind of lunatic kid is this? How is he so utterly fearless?
“Alright then, you gutsy little brat. What is it you came to say?”
“Simple. I want to repay enmity with kindness.”
“You think a puny rat like you has the gall to repay today’s grudge with grace?”
“Right again, Gu Hyung.”
Gu-Ak snorted.
“If you can pull that off, I’ll start calling you hyung.”
“Really? You know a true man never speaks empty words, right?”
Yang-hwi raised the corners of his mouth into a sly grin and said just one thing:
“You’re looking for the mole in Cheongsa Sect, aren’t you?”
In that instant, both Gu-Ak and Buk-Ak-Shin froze, their faces turning to stone.
“You little rat—how do you know that?”
Cheongsa Sect had recently been locked in vicious turf wars with Honggyo Sect, making it one of the fiercest rival sects in the Black Path.
“Two hours ago, I was just a pitiful kid about to be sold. But up until three days ago, I was wandering everywhere, begging to survive. Meaning—I’ve heard a lot of things.”
“Stick to the point, you rat.”
“Very well. Hmm. Could I ask Gu Hyung to come just a bit closer?”
Gu-Ak’s lips twitched.
“You’re getting too damn cocky, you rat. Who do you think you are, giving orders?!”
Yang-hwi kept his calm.
“Then maybe Gu Hyung could order your sworn brother to back off. If he does, I’ll come to you.”
“What kind of bullshit game is that?!”
“Just hear me out. And if it does turn out to be bullshit, I won’t complain even if you kill me right here.”
Gu-Ak stared at Yang-hwi, who was casually offering up his life.
“You really are fearless, huh? Fine. Ak-Shin, fall back ten steps.”
“Hyung, is it worth humoring this little rat’s act?”
“Isn’t it fun? The brat’s wagering his life.”
Buk-Ak-Shin stepped back slowly, his expression unreadable.
“Alright then. Come here, rat. Let’s hear what you know.”
Yang-hwi dashed over and leaned in close to whisper into Gu-Ak’s ear.
“Funny, isn’t it? Every time a fight breaks out, Cheongsa Sect seems to act like they already know what Honggyo Sect is planning. That’s why you’re desperately trying to find the mole, right? Oh, and by the way… that tattoo on your arm? Quite dashing, Gu Hyung.”
A bold red palanquin was inked across Gu-Ak’s shoulder.
It was the mark of Honggyo Sect—all members of the Black Path had such tattoos.
Because betrayal, repentance, and desertion were so common in their world, branding their very flesh was a way to control them.
“Rat, didn’t I already tell you to get to the damn point?”
So impatient, Yang-hwi muttered internally, before continuing without missing a beat.
“You’re aware, I’m sure, that all members of Cheongsa Sect carry a blue serpent tattoo,” Yang-hwi said. “Why not check Buk-Ak-Shin’s body?”
Gu-Ak, already grim-faced, twisted his expression further as he grabbed Yang-hwi by the collar.
“So you’ve finally crossed the line. Are you saying my sworn brother is the mole?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Then your life is forfeit. I’ve already examined my brother’s body.”
“You probably haven’t checked in over a year. My guess? The last time was when he got his initiation tattoo.”
Gu-Ak scoffed.
“Wrong. I checked every single member just last month. And he didn’t hesitate—he even stepped forward and exposed himself first to prove his loyalty.”
But Yang-hwi remained calm, utterly unfazed.
“Is that so? I’m sure he pulled his trousers down... but did Buk-Ak-Shin take off his undergarments too?”
“……”
Of course he didn’t.
Yang-hwi had struck a nerve. He knew no one would strip down completely, not even for loyalty checks.
Seeing Gu-Ak at a loss for words, Yang-hwi continued smoothly.
“Cheongsa Sect needed absolute certainty that their mole would never betray them. So the tattoo was placed where it would never be seen—deep on the inner thigh, near the groin.”
Not in the usual places like scalp or back—ones popular in shady stories or outlaw memoirs—but in a spot no man would ever willingly show another.
A truly diabolical choice.
“...How would you know that?”
Because in the future, one of the traitors got exposed and sold out the identities of all the other moles.
But of course, he couldn’t say that.
“Who else would’ve seen the inside of a man’s thigh? While begging at a brothel, I overheard talk of someone with a blue serpent tattoo in that exact spot. And I knew what it meant.”
Yang-hwi turned and smiled directly at Buk-Ak-Shin.
“I even confirmed who it was. Turns out, he had enough guts to be a spy… but not enough to resist temptation.”
“……”
Silence fell as Gu-Ak began walking slowly toward Buk-Ak-Shin, signaling to his men as he went.
Suddenly surrounded, Buk-Ak-Shin shouted in disbelief.
“Hyung! I don’t know what this brat said, but what is the meaning of this?!”
“Ak-Shin. Remove your clothes. Everything. Even your undergarments.”
At that, Buk-Ak-Shin trembled like he’d been struck by lightning.
“Hyung! Are you really going to disgrace me like this?!”
“It’ll only take a moment. If you’re innocent, I’ll get down on my knees and beg your forgiveness.”
“……”
Then, without another word, Buk-Ak-Shin made his choice—he ran.
Smart bastard’s quick on his feet, Yang-hwi thought.
At this point, it didn’t matter if it was done in private or public—Gu-Ak was going to check. And Buk-Ak-Shin had clearly decided running was his only option.
Too bad he was still slower than Gu-Ak.
Before he could even break through the encirclement, a massive axe—one that had earned Gu-Ak his nickname “Blood Axe”—buried itself in Buk-Ak-Shin’s calf.
“GRAAAAGHH!”
Buk-Ak-Shin’s scream of pain echoed just as Gu-Ak roared in rage.
“Buk-Ak-Shin! You bastard! After everything—I trusted you!!”
The axe ripped through Buk-Ak-Shin’s trousers. It wasn’t a clean blow—his thigh split open along with the fabric, blood gushing out. But it was more than enough to reveal the blue serpent tattoo.
“So the tattoo really was there.”
“Hyung! Please, I was wrong! Please listen to me—KRAAAAGH!”
Chunks of white teeth flew from Buk-Ak-Shin’s mouth.
Gu-Ak had sealed his lips with a punch like a chunk of iron. And that wasn’t all.
So he’s not killing him right away. Makes sense—now that he knows Buk-Ak-Shin was the mole, he’ll want to interrogate him.
Yang-hwi watched as Gu-Ak shattered Buk-Ak-Shin’s arms and legs, breaking them so thoroughly that escape or resistance was no longer possible.
Then, suddenly, the world went dark.
A large, calloused hand had gently covered Yang-hwi’s eyes.
It was Baek Mu-ryang.
“Too brutal for a child to see.”
“……”
Yang-hwi quietly savored the warmth, then gently took Baek Mu-ryang’s hand in both of his own and lowered it.
“I’m alright, Patriarch. Besides… I still have a few things left to say.”
With that, he stepped forward.
“Gu Hyung.”
Gu-Ak, who had still been venting his rage even after shattering bones, turned his head.
“Little Brother.”
The title had changed—from “rat” to “little brother.”
“Don’t you think this settles the score for what happened with those third-rate thugs?”
“……I acknowledge it. I’m in your debt, Little Brother.”
For a moment, Yang-hwi nearly blurted out a joke from his Wanderer days—something like, Then I’ll call you my younger brother from now on, Gu.
But considering the current situation, that would be pure insanity.
Still, might be fun to save that for later.
“Then let me ask this again. Since grace has repaid the grudge, do we agree there is no remaining enmity between Honggyo Sect and my clan?”
“As son of the great leader of the Honggyo Sect and commander of the Hong Tiger Division, I state it clearly: the grudge is settled.”
The Baek family retainers, who had been tense and wary, finally breathed in relief. Even Baek Mu-ryang, ever the dignified patriarch, couldn’t fully hide the faint brightening of his expression.
But.
Yang-hwi wasn’t about to stop here.
“Then it seems we still have one more matter to settle.”
“Another? What are you talking about, Little Brother?”
“The silver repaid the grudge, but there’s another debt that remains. One that belongs to our Baek clan.”
Yang-hwi gestured toward the shattered front gate.
“What will Gu Hyung do about that?”
Once again: the front gate of a manor is a symbol of a clan’s pride and dignity.
To shatter it and barge in without permission—well, that could be considered an even greater insult than the one just resolved with blood and pain.
Honestly, if we’re measuring by weight of offense, this is way heavier. This kind of thing is enough to declare a full-on blood feud.
No doubt Gu-Ak had acted under the belief that he had justification. But that justification no longer stood.
“I’m sure you know this already… but just like you, our Patriarch has a sworn brother.”
And Baek Mu-ryang’s sworn brother was no ordinary man—he was the direct heir of a prestigious great house. Not even remotely comparable to someone like Buk-Ak-Shin. A true force to be reckoned with.
As Yang-hwi recalled the man he had met in his past life—Baek Mu-ryang’s sworn brother—Baek Mu-ryang tilted his head curiously.
“Hwi… how do you know I have a sworn brother?”
“When you live between the streets and the wild, you hear a lot of things. Including that the bond between you two is strong enough that if word of today’s events reached him, he’d roll up his sleeves and rush here without hesitation.”
Yang-hwi replied with polite composure, then turned his gaze to Gu-Ak, who now wore a serious, contemplative expression.
It seemed Gu-Ak, too, was well aware of who Baek Mu-ryang’s sworn brother was.
So he knew—yet assumed he could still push forward because the moral high ground was his.
“It’s true. The silver has repaid the grudge, and the enmity is gone. Only one grievance remains. What would you have me do, Little Brother?”
“Our Patriarch isn’t one to fuss over minor slights. If you were to simply leave behind enough for repairs to the gate, he’d laugh it off without a second thought.”
Enough money to repair the gate.
Gu-Ak immediately grasped the meaning behind the phrase and clicked his tongue.
“You’re... unusually cunning for your age, Little Brother.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Letting out a sigh, Gu-Ak looked around at his subordinates.
“Everyone. Take out your coin pouches and lay them on the ground.”
Following his own command, Gu-Ak pulled out a bulging pouch of money and placed it down. Then, as if that weren’t enough, he even took Buk-Ak-Shin’s coin pouch and added it to the pile. Finally, he turned toward Baek Mu-ryang and gave a deep martial bow.
“Righteous Chivalry. I offer my sincerest apologies for our transgression. As a gesture of penance, we leave behind all the money we carry to cover the cost of repairing your gate.”
And what will people say if today’s events become known?
Most likely that Honggyo Sect dared to break Baek’s front gate and had to forfeit all their gold before retreating in shame.
No more disgrace to the clan like in my past life. Not this time.
Watching it all unfold, Yang-hwi couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.
He had completely reversed what had once been a bitter humiliation in his previous life.
“It seems the debt between Honggyo Sect and the Baek clan has now been fully cleared. We’ll take our leave. Follow me, everyone.”
As Gu-Ak and the members of Honggyo Sect withdrew like the receding tide, silence fell.
Then, Yang-hwi turned toward the estate steward with a sly smile.
“Allow me to introduce myself once again. I am Baek Yang-hwi of the Baek clan.”
“……”
No one responded. None of the retainers had the courage—or grounds—to challenge his words.
-- The End OF The Chapter --
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