Chapter 58
A challenge letter from the Gyojin Sect. No—more accurately, a duel of life and death where everything was on the line.
The entire Baek Family Manor was thrown into a state of emergency. Even Baek Mu-ryang, who had been in seclusion, broke his retreat and convened a meeting of the clan elders.
That’s how grave the situation was.
“Chief Han. Please read the letter aloud for everyone to hear.”
Unfolding the letter from Gyojin Sect, Chief Han began reading in a loud, clear voice.
“To summarize, they propose selecting three representatives to engage in a duel of life and death one month from now. The side that loses twice or more must leave Akan-hyeon.”
In essence, they were betting the very survival of their sect on this contest.
As murmurs spread, Baek Mu-ryang posed a question.
“Why would they suddenly do something like this? If anyone has any guesses, please speak up.”
There was a moment of silence. Everyone appeared to be deep in thought, contemplating possible motives.
Yang-hwi, too, sank into contemplation.
‘Ever since the Dark Path War, Gyojin Sect has been desperate to become the dominant power in Akan-hyeon.’
With the collapse of their strong rivals Cheongsa Sect and the Honggyo Sect, their ambitions had likely flared up.
From the perspective of the Gyojin Sect’s leader, the swiftly rising Suhoji Assembly and Baek Family must have been thorns in the side.
‘That’s why they ambushed and swallowed the Suhoji Assembly in one swift move. The only reason they didn’t strike at the main house first was probably thanks to Uncle Seon.’
So long as the Jegal Clan was backing them, the Gyojin Sect couldn’t attack the Baek Family without justification.
Otherwise, the backlash would be too much to handle.
‘But then… Why the rush, even after taking down the Suhoji Assembly? There’s no urgent reason.’
In terms of power dynamics, the Baek Family and the Suhoji Assembly had to join forces just to stand a chance against the Gyojin Sect.
With the balance between the dark and white paths now broken, the longer the Gyojin Sect waited and solidified its forces, the more advantageous it would be for them.
Yet here they were, immediately requesting a duel after taking over the Suhoji Assembly.
A theory flashed through his mind.
‘Ha… I focused too much on outward expansion and neglected internal affairs.’
Frowning, Yang-hwi raised his hand. Baek Mu-ryang looked at him.
“Hwi-ya, speak.”
“Yes, Clan Head.”
He laid out his suspicions. As the explanation lengthened, the expressions of all attendees grew more and more rigid.
“Hwi-ya… Are you saying—”
“Yes. That’s correct. There is a spy within our main house.”
Tension rippled through the room as the attendees looked warily at one another.
Yang-hwi immediately shook his head.
“There is no spy among the people in this room.”
The attendees were limited to Clan Head Baek Mu-ryang, Chief Han Seok-Eon, Yang-hwi himself, Gu-Ak, Yeo Hyuk, and Gwak Moon, who had been the strongest warrior in the Baek Family before Gu-Ak’s arrival.
“It is true that only those of us present here knew of the alliance with the Tang Family and the plan to establish a branch sect within the main house.”
However—
“That doesn’t mean the other retainers couldn’t have guessed the general mood and developments.”
The rare elixirs that had been refined in their place.
The warm, familial atmosphere during the feast.
The fact that Tang martial artists had left behind those affiliated with the Poison Medic Division.
Even if just these details had been leaked, it would have been enough to send the Gyojin Sect leader into a frenzy.
“Clan Head. It seems the time has come for this old man to repay the kindness I’ve received. If you give me time, I’ll track down the spy.”
“I’d be truly grateful for that, Elder.”
With Yeo Hyuk assigned to handle the spy matter, the conversation returned to the challenge issued by the Gyojin Sect.
“A three-versus-three duel of life and death in a month’s time. What does everyone think we should do?”
“Clan Head, since this challenge came from Dark Path scum, can’t we just ignore it?”
Hearing this from Chief Han, Yang-hwi subtly shook his head.
‘Absolutely not. Chief Han isn’t a martial artist, so he doesn’t quite understand.’
This was a challenge scroll delivered directly from the leader of one faction to the leader of another.
If they ignored it, the Gyojin Sect would loudly proclaim that the Baek Family’s leader had been too frightened to respond.
Baek Family’s honor and dignity would be trampled.
In short, avoiding the duel was not an option.
“Chief Han. That course of action won’t do. Does anyone have intel on Gyojin Sect’s current top fighters?”
Gu-Ak raised his hand.
“I did hear one troubling piece of information, Clan Head. When they ambushed the Suhoji Assembly, there was an unidentified master-level warrior among them.”
“An unidentified master? A wandering swordsman?”
“Most likely. And… if my hunch is correct, he might be the Blood Night Wanderer.”
“The Blood Night Wanderer?!”
Everyone in the room widened their eyes.
That was because the Blood Night Wanderer was a legendary master widely known in the region.
“If it’s truly him… Ngh.”
“The rules of the duel were that the three participants must be: the clan leader, the successor, or someone of equivalent rank, and one of the strongest retainers.”
Assuming a peak-level master like the Blood Night Wanderer was helping Gyojin Sect…
Their leader, Lee Hoyang was already a first-class master.
It was said that even the Young Leader had reached the second class at a surprisingly young age.
In other words, their odds of winning were extremely low.
“Out of three matches… it might be hard to win even one.”
“……”
“What about asking the Jegal Clan or the remaining Tang family members for help?”
“Impossible. The Jegal Clan is too far to reach within a month, and none of the remaining Tang family members are peak-level masters.”
That meant the only real solution was to hire a wandering martial artist and offer them a generous payment to temporarily become a sworn member of the family.
That was likely how the Blood Night Wanderer had been brought into the Gyojin Sect as well.
‘This is turning into a real mess. If only Elder Yeo could step forward, things would be simple… but that’s out of the question.’
Although Yeo Hyuk was indeed a peak-level master, he was also a public enemy of the martial world.
No matter how many disguises he wore, to officially participate in a duel of life and death would be far too dangerous.
‘It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation—and both options are a loss for the main house. Damn it, Gyojin Sect really set this up well.’
If they rejected the challenge, their honor would be in ruins.
If they accepted, the odds of victory were painfully low.
‘Even if I manage to take down their young leader… the problem is the Gyojin Sect Leader and the Blood Night Wanderer.’
They had a peak-level and a first-class master. On this side? Two first-class fighters.
Even looking at it optimistically, the odds were fifty-fifty—which still meant entering this duel was a losing proposition.
The elder council that began in the morning stretched on until sunset.
Around that time, Yeo Hyuk, who had gone to root out the spy, returned to the meeting hall.
In his hand, he held someone by the collar, half-dead and limp.
“Clan Head. I’ve found him.”
The man Yeo Hyuk dragged in was a martial artist from the Rebirth Pavilion.
That meant he had once belonged to the Dark Path, but defected to the Baek Family Manor just a few months ago.
Gu-Ak, enraged beyond words, hurled himself forward and kicked the spy hard.
“You bastard!”
“K-kehuk!”
“How dare you?! How dare you spy on us, you filthy animal!”
“I-I’m sorry! I just… I got blinded by the money, I— Guhk!”
“Enough, Rebirth Pavilion Leade,” said Baek Mu-ryang calmly.
As Gu-Ak backed off, Baek Mu-ryang drew his sword.
“I’ll ask only once. Is the hired wandering master aiding the Gyojin Sect truly the Blood Night Wanderer? Answer truthfully, and I’ll grant you a merciful death.”
The spy, having already resigned himself to death, closed his eyes and opened his mouth.
“As far as I know… yes. I’m truly sorry, Clan Head.”
Baek Mu-ryang didn’t respond.
He simply swung his sword.
Vwoom!
The sound was like wings slicing through air. A sword strike with speed and precision, characteristic of someone who had reached Realm of Phoenix Wings, pierced directly through the spy’s heart.
“With this, it’s confirmed.”
“Clan Head, we have no chance of winning like this. We must hire a wandering master too…”
“The problem is… we don’t have the funds to hire a peak-level expert.”
If there were more time, they could sell off one of their businesses to raise the money.
Or rather, they could simply ask the Jegal Clan for help.
‘A month… what a perfectly calculated timeline. And if we try to delay it, they’ll say we’re afraid and start barking nonsense.’
In the end, there was only one solution left:
To overcome this crisis with the main house’s strength alone.
‘Can we do it…?’
The young leader of Gyojin Sect, who had reached the second-class level at such a young age?
Others might not believe it, but Yang-hwi had full confidence in defeating him.
So if one victory was a sure thing…
Then it would be up to either Baek Mu-ryang or Gu-Ak—the two first-class masters of the Baek Family—to secure one more win.
‘Right. Even if the chances are slim, it’s time we take the gamble.’
It wasn’t completely hopeless.
Maybe not Gu-Ak, but Father’s ultimate martial art was the Heaven-Shrouding 108 Sword.
If they took it step by step—trained fast, and attained true insight—it was possible.
‘And if things get really bad, we still have the trump card known as Elder Yeo. First, let’s give it a try.’
“Clan Head, I have a solution.”
“Oh? Hwi, let’s hear it.”
“It’s simple. You, Clan Head, must reach peak-level within the month.”
“Hm? Hmm…”
Baek Mu-ryang couldn’t bring himself to give even a half-hearted yes.
Which was natural.
He hadn’t even been at the first-class level for half a year, and now he was being told to reach peak level?
It was beyond unrealistic. If it did happen, it would be nothing short of a miracle.
However—
“Clan Head… no, Father. We have no other way. You achieving this is the only breakthrough we have left.”
If reaching peak level in under half a year from first-class was to be called a miracle—
To reverse time itself was, from the beginning, an impossibility.
Compared to that, achieving a miracle didn’t seem so hard.
‘And while we’re at it, we might even be able to treat Mother as well.’
“So why not take a leap of faith—believe in me, and in yourself, Father. Just give it a try.”
Yang-hwi grinned mischievously.
****
Exactly one month later.
The upcoming duel of life and death between Gyojin Sect and the Baek Family had become the talk of the town, stirring up a storm in the markets of Akan-hyeon over the past month.
Though the Baek Family had accepted the challenge without making any formal announcements, Gyojin Sect had gone out of their way to spread the news far and wide, using hired hands to make sure everyone heard it.
‘Well, of course. Whether it’s a formal duel or a life-or-death match, if there’s something at stake, there have to be an audience and official witnesses.’
No doubt Gyojin Sect had also spread the word to shame and humiliate the Baek Family.
They likely believed that hiring the Blood Night Wanderer had secured them an easy victory.
‘Let’s see if things go their way.’
The agreed battleground for the duel was a wide clearing near Ryu Hangho Lake.
It wasn’t even time yet, and already the field was packed with spectators.
“Father.”
The Baek Family’s party was situated on the northern edge of the clearing. At the center sat Baek Mu-ryang, legs crossed in meditation, eyes half-lidded in silent focus.
“Yes, Hwi?”
When their eyes met, Yang-hwi raised the corners of his lips.
“You’re confident, right?”
“……”
Baek Mu-ryang remained silent and closed his eyes again. At the same time, he untied the sword case from his waist and cradled it in his arms.
“Junior Brother… Are you sure this will be okay?”
Gu-Ak, the third participant in the duel, asked with a hint of unease.
Both Yang-hwi and Baek Mu-ryang had been in closed-door training right up until this very morning.
Which meant Gu-Ak had no clue what had been going on.
“Gu Hyung, trust us.”
Yang-hwi grinned that same shameless, brimming-with-confidence smile, and Gu-Ak found his tension easing without even realizing it.
It wasn’t just the words—it was that smile, the one that always seemed to pull the impossible into the realm of the real.
“By the way, Gu Hyung—thank you. Even though this is a matter of the main house, you still agreed to participate in the duel.”
“Ahem… I am a part of the Baek Family now. It’s only natural.”
Yang-hwi suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
To think that the very man who had once humiliated the main family in a previous life was now one of their strongest allies.
“Gu Hyung.”
“What is it, Junior Brother?”
“I’ll get you some amazing tonic herbs for… enhancing stamina.”
“A-hem! I don’t need anything like that.”
Come on now… For someone who’s been so active every night for months, you’ve had zero results.
He was about to say it aloud but swallowed the words.
No matter how close you are, there are some things men just don’t say to each other.
“It’s just a gift from me. Please accept it.”
“Hrmph… If it’s a gift, then I won’t refuse.”
It was just then—
“Gyojin Sect is here!”
“They’ve arrived!”
A ripple of noise spread through the crowd, and before long, the Gyojin Sect delegation made their appearance.
There was Gyojin Sect Leader Lee Hoyang, the Young Leader Lee Myeongchu…
…and the wandering swordsman and peak-level master, the Blood Night Wanderer.
“Well, well. Lord of the Baek Family Manor, you actually came. How surprising. I was sure you’d chicken out and run.”
Laughter erupted at the Gyojin Sect Leader’s taunting greeting.
By now, the odds between the two factions—their likely winners and losers—had already been widely circulated.
“Still, I guess even he knows what honor is, being a Clan Head and all! Hahaha!”
Though his eyes remained half-lidded, Baek Mu-ryang didn’t bother responding.
It seemed he didn’t even consider it worth acknowledging.
Yang-hwi, however, had a different opinion.
“You Gyojin Sect bastards are all tongue and no balls—I heard the rumors were true!”
Gyojin Sect Leader Lee Hoyang’s eyes shot wide open. The last thing he expected was to be insulted like this—by an eight-year-old child.
And that wasn’t all.
“Pffft, puhaha!”
“The young lord of the Baek Family’s got quite the sharp tongue!”
“Hah! So that’s why their ‘that’ part is short, but their tongues are long instead! Bwahaha!”
The laughter that now surrounded them was even louder than when the Gyojin Sect Leader had delivered his provocation earlier.
Flushed red with embarrassment, Lee Hoyang jabbed a finger at Yang-hwi.
“Y-You little brat! Didn’t anyone teach you to respect your elders?!”
“There’s a condition that makes your tongue shrink when talking to Dark Path bastards like you. Though I bet yours is still longer than ‘that’ other thing.”
Another wave of laughter rippled across the clearing.
Just as Lee Hoyang looked ready to explode with rage, the Young Leader stepped forward.
“Father, there’s no need for someone of your stature to lower yourself by speaking to such an ill-bred brat. Leave the child to me.”
“…You’re right, Chu.”
Lee Myeongchu, the Young Leader, drew his massive six-foot blade.
“Hey, brat. Judging by the looks of it, you’re one of the ones stepping into the duel. That right?”
Yang-hwi gave a faint smirk and casually unsheathed his sword.
“Correct. But if you lose to a brat, how exactly do you plan to recover from the humiliation?”
“Puhahahaha! What arrogance! Fine, I’ll give you ten seconds. Swing as much as you like, you damned brat.”
Ah, that line… he’d heard it before somewhere.
“Ten seconds, huh… Sounds fun.”
Vwooom—his blade began to hum with a buzzing sound, like the flapping of a wasp’s wings.
In the next instant, Yang-hwi dashed forward, using The Thousand Vessel Step, and appeared right in front of the Young Leader.
Clang!
“Urgh?!”
As the shock and confusion spread across Lee Myeongchu’s face, Yang-hwi flicked his tongue.
“Now we’ve got nine seconds left. Think you can handle it?”
---The End Of The Chapter---
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