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NpsfJXVFeyqbbh4V

Chapter 50

“Why don’t you raise a disciple just for fun? Is that all you’re asking of me?”

“Yes. I have no other requests.”

“Hahaha.”

Yeo Hyuk let out a gentle laugh as he looked at Yang-hwi.

“I owe both you and the Baek Clan a great debt. Honestly, even if you were trying to exploit this old man, I would have accepted it all without complaint. But not once have you tried to do so.”

Baek Mu-ryang quickly waved his hands.

“The two martial arts techniques you returned to us were already a tremendous blessing for the clan. I could never take advantage of you after that.”

“People call those who live with such a heart righteous, saying they’re free of greed.”

“I’m only doing what I believe is right.”

Yeo Hyuk chuckled again, his smile clearly tinged with a deep satisfaction and joy.

“A disciple, huh? I may have inherited a mediocre martial lineage, but even so, I can’t just take anyone in as a student.”

“I understand.”

“I’ll try training a disciple for leisure, just as you asked. But I can’t guarantee that it’ll be that boy.”

“Even just putting his talent and aptitude to the test is more than enough, Master Yeo.”

‘Because if it’s Chudal, he’ll pass without a doubt.’

And if he were deemed unworthy as a disciple… well.

He could just teach him the martial arts Chudal had created and refined in his past life.

“Well then, let’s sort out what you’ve gained from this journey.”

Aside from the promising Chudal, there were also twenty thousand gold coins, four roots of Thick ginseng, the elixirs he’d already consumed, and the renegotiated profit share with the White Scroll Antique Bookstore.

“This isn’t just a case of killing two or three birds with one stone—no, this is a five-birds-one-stone victory, Master Hwi. Hahaha, truly, the god of fortune has descended upon us!”

Looking at the Baek Clan’s current state and all that Yang-hwi had acquired, it was clear what needed to be done next.

“The emergency funds have been taken care of. What do you plan to do with the remaining money, Clan Head?”

“Hm. Since the clan is growing in strength, expanding our businesses would be a good idea. But it might also be wise to keep it as an emergency reserve. It’s a dilemma, General.”

“It’s a good problem to have—worrying about having too much money,”

Yang-hwi laughed. “That it is, hahaha.”

Raising his hand to speak, Yang-hwi offered a suggestion.

“For now, it would be best to save it as emergency funds.”

“And why is that, Master Hwi?”

“Because refining Thick ginseng may cost us money as well.”

More precisely, it was to attract skilled physicians who would later visit Akan-hyeon.

‘Even aside from alchemy, we need talented doctors in the clan—especially for my mother’s sake.’

Jeong In-Hwa would pass away a few years later from a chronic illness.

Yang-hwi had no intention of letting her die early in this life.

“You have a point. Nothing in excess is ever good. Then let’s hold off on expanding businesses for now.”

With that and various other matters settled, the elder council meeting finally concluded.

‘Phew. I can finally wash up and see my siblings.’

Yang-hwi stepped out of the office with Gu-Ak and offered his thanks.

“Gu-Hyung, thank you for your hard work during the trip.”

“Heh, it’s fine. I can finally go see Rang-rang now.”

Gu-Ak reached into his chest pocket, clearly fiddling with the ornamental hairpin he had purchased before entering the Baek Clan.

He’d been away a long time, and it seemed he was planning to give the hairpin as a gift to ease any resentment Yeo A-Rang might feel.

‘Must be nice.’

Watching Gu-Ak always stirred a curiosity in Yang-hwi—what it might be like to marry and live a long, peaceful life together with someone.

In his previous life, Yang-hwi had wandered the martial world, creating martial arts, and had never known love.

In truth, most drifters led similar lives.

‘Maybe in this life... I should try marriage once.’

With that thought, Yang-hwi ran off toward his siblings’ quarters.

“So! Yeon-ah! I’m back!”

At the sound of his voice, Baek Heon-So and Baek Yeon-yeon came rushing out.

“Hyung-nim! You’re back!”

“Oppa!”

The bright, beaming siblings ran up to him—then paused briefly when they noticed Chudal standing beside Yang-hwi.

“Ah, this is Chudal. As of today, he’s become a member of the household.”

“It’s not Chudal, it’s Ihu! Could you please at least use my real name when introducing me?”

Chudal grumbled but still bowed politely to the two siblings.

“Young Master. Young Lady. I’m Ihu.”

“Ah, uh, hello.”

“Nice to meet you!”

“Tch. You keep getting ruder to me, yet you’re so polite to my siblings.”

“Well, you said you’re an adopted son, didn’t you? It’s always wise to stay in the good graces of the real powers.”

“Oh, well, you’re not wrong.”

Yang-hwi chuckled quietly, then turned to look at his younger siblings.

“So. Yeon. Chudal is someone I think of as a younger brother. I’d appreciate it if the two of you could get along with him.”

“If you say so, Hyung-nim, we understand.”

“Got it, Oppa!”

“Since So and Chudal are the same age, it would be great if you could push each other through healthy competition.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Then that means you’re my older brother too! I’m going to start calling you Chudal Oppa from now on! Chudal Oppa!”

As Baek Yeon-yeon skipped over cheerfully, Chudal’s cheeks flushed red.

For someone like Chudal, whose past was unlike most, this kind of situation was entirely new—and frankly, a little embarrassing.

“Oh, that reminds me. So, have you been training hard with the Heaven-Shrouding Sword?”

“Of course, Hyung-nim! Would you like to see?”

Shouting with enthusiasm, Baek Heon-So firmly stepped forward.

Each movement carried hints of refined technique, proof that he had been training diligently.

“You rascal. You’ve worked hard. Very well done.”

“Thank you, Hyung-nim!”

Watching Yang-hwi pat Baek Heon-So on the head, Chudal felt a strange sensation stir within him.

‘He’s always nagging me and messing around... and yet, he can be so kind to his siblings?’

As if sensing the faint twinge of envy in Chudal’s eyes, Yang-hwi turned toward him and spoke.

“Chudal, if you want to become Master Yeo’s disciple, you’ll have to give it your all. I believe in you, Chudal.”

Unlike his usual teasing tone, Yang-hwi’s voice now was firm yet gentle.

Chudal couldn’t help but respond instinctively.

“Yes, Hyung-nim!”

And so, the promising future pillars of the Baek Clan spent a meaningful moment reinforcing their bond.

*****

During the council meeting earlier, Steward Han had said Yang-hwi had reaped the rewards of “five birds with one stone.” But in truth, that wasn’t quite accurate.

If you counted the secret information he’d obtained, it was more like seven birds with one stone.

Yang-hwi now sat cross-legged on his bedding, deep in thought.

‘Back when I regressed, I assumed that having knowledge of the future would make everything go my way. But I need to be more cautious and better prepared.’

There were two major pieces of information he had gathered this time.

First: The newly formed trade caravan was connected to Sword Immortal.

Second: From this point onward, Blood Sect and Divine Sect would begin secretly spreading their influence in the martial world—and if left unchecked, it would all lead to a massive Cult Disaster twenty-five years from now

‘These are still just fragments of information. I have no way of confirming them or digging deeper right now.’

Sword Immortal was practically a mythical figure. With his current access to intelligence, Yang-hwi had no means of tracking him down.

The same went for the Blood Sect and the Divine Sect. There was no way to stop them from laying their groundwork in secret.

‘In the end, the only answer is to strengthen the Baek Clan as quickly as possible and establish our foundation as a true power.’

It hadn’t even been a full year since his regression.

They had grown stronger faster than he’d expected—but there was still a long way to go.

For instance, they barely had the manpower to properly run essential branches like the medical division or an intelligence network.

‘If I wait a bit longer, the medical department will find a workaround. The real issue is the intelligence division... I may have to rely on outside forces for now.’

Having internal intelligence capabilities was absolutely essential to becoming a true household name.

But building a network from scratch would take a great deal of time and money—so for now, the smart move was to rely on established intelligence groups like Gae Setc or Hao Sect.

‘Still... things are going much more smoothly than I anticipated.’

The most noteworthy achievement was the expansion of the martial unit.

Gu-Ak had been tirelessly working in his role as the rehabilitation overseer, converting former underworld thugs into proper martial warriors.

For a righteous sect like the Baek Clan to take in so many ex-criminals was a risky move—but it was only possible thanks to Gu-Ak, a former dark world elite himself and now a trusted master.

‘Bringing Gu-Hyung into the clan was a masterstroke.’

In every way, he was proving invaluable.

Just during the most recent journey alone, if not for Gu-Ak, things would’ve gotten quite messy.

At this point, maybe he deserved to be treated with the dignity of a full household branch leader…

…Nah, not yet.

Messing with him was just too fun.

The way he reacted every time made it hard to resist.

‘Forgive me, Gu-Hyung. Please just bear with it until Chudal toughens up and starts biting back at me. Then I’ll stop using you as my stress toy.’

If Gu-Ak heard that, he might be so furious he’d swear to leave this world entirely.

Unbothered by that hypothetical fury, Yang-hwi moved on to envisioning the next stage of his plan.

‘Right now, if the Baek Clan wants to grow even faster, there are two things I must take care of.’

First, eliminate Gyojin Sect and the Suhoji Assembly to solidify the Baek Clan as the undisputed ruler of Akan-hyeon.

Second, refine the Thick ginseng to multiply both its quality and quantity—then distribute it to the household members to boost their strength.

In terms of order, the second should ideally come first.

But there was a problem.

‘In addition to alchemy skills, I need a physician—one with top-tier medical expertise in both injuries and internal illnesses.’

Such doctors were exceedingly rare, even across the entire land.

Most of them were famous and, consequently, incredibly expensive to hire.

Of course, Yang-hwi knew of a way to solve this problem.

‘The only issue is that it’ll take a few more months before that method arrives in Akan-hyeon.’

Yang-hwi stroked his chin, falling deep into thought.

Roughly three or four months from now…

A group of important guests from Sichuan would arrive in Akan-hyeon. And they just so happened to possess all the skills and talents the Baek Clan desperately needed.

‘Tang Family of Sichuan.’

Also known more commonly as the Sichuan Tang Clan.

They were a rapidly rising force over the past few years—officially a righteous martial clan, but uniquely adept in the use of concealed weapons and poison.

‘Due to their specialization, the Tang Clan also tends to have many physicians.’

This was something Yang-hwi had already confirmed in his previous life.

Although they hadn’t yet reached the status of a major house at this point in time, in the future, they would become known as the Tang Noble Clan, or Tang Clan, and eventually be counted among the Five Great Houses of the Martial World.

‘Forming an alliance with the Tang Clan would bring countless benefits. That opportunity is approaching—I have to seize it.’

A brief pang of regret crossed his mind. Because the Tang Clan was formed entirely of blood relatives, their internal bonds were notoriously tight—and that made it nearly impossible to recruit any of their members individually.

‘Alchemy and medicine alike... If only I could bring some of them into the Baek Clan.’

And then—

‘Hm? Wait a second.’

A brilliant idea struck him.

A plan that could bring those very Tang Clan members to Akan-hyeon early, and perhaps even get them to stay with the Baek Clan.

Without a moment to lose, Yang-hwi rushed to find Baek Mu-ryang.

Fortunately, he was still in his office.

“You want to leave the clan again? What are you talking about, Hwi?”

Baek Mu-ryang looked at him with concern, but Yang-hwi replied with full confidence.

“For the sake of peace and stability for all people under the heavens… I shall go slay just one demon!”

It was the perfect move—a brilliant twofold strategy.

By drawing the martial artists and physicians of the Tang Clan to Akan-hyeon ahead of schedule, Yang-hwi could strengthen his position for the upcoming alliance negotiations and give the Baek Clan a decisive advantage.

---The End Of The Chapter---

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