Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Before laying out the plot to Gu Ak, Yanghwi quietly reviewed the conditions he needed to satisfy.
‘I must incite bitter hostility between Rangnang’s father and the Honggyo Gang, while ensuring he becomes a staunch ally of the Baek house instead.’
The former aim would keep the dark-path scoundrels from expanding their power, whereas the latter would mark another stride toward turning his family into the greatest clan under heaven.
‘For now, keep the details vague. There is no need to lay every card on the table right away.’
A cunning grin touched Yanghwi’s lips as he spoke.
“Brother Gu, stripped down to basics, the predicament stems from Sister Rang being merely an entertainer with neither status nor backing. Therefore… we shall simply fabricate a background for her.”
“What did you say?”
“Does Sister Rang have any living relatives?”
“None at all. She is an orphan without a single kin in the world,” Gu Ak replied with absolute certainty.
‘Just as suspected. She considers herself utterly alone, and everyone around her believes the same.’
“In that case, we can simply invent one. For instance, what if it turns out she had a father all along?”
“…Is this the grand strategy you were boasting about, Little Brother?”
Gu Ak’s countenance grew noticeably frigid.
Surpassing mere exasperation, a spark of genuine fury flared in his eyes.
“Speak plainly! Are you telling me that the pinnacle of that clever mind of yours is to concoct a fake father for Rangnang?!”
Without waiting for a reply, Gu Ak roared on.
“Do you think such a childish notion never crossed my mind?! The sole reason my father intends to discard her is that she brings zero advantage to our clan! What prominent figure capable of aiding the Honggyo Gang would stoop so low as to masquerade as her sire! Even if we trick my father momentarily, without real, enduring influence behind her, he will cast her aside regardless!”
Watching Gu Ak’s complexion turn crimson with mounting wrath, Yanghwi merely let out an amused chuckle.
“You find this amusing? You insolent little whelp, shall I wipe that grin off your face for good?”
Gu Ak lunged forward and seized the boy by the collar, but Yanghwi calmly dropped a single sentence:
“What if there exists a flawless method to resolve every single one of those concerns?”
Instantly, Gu Ak froze, his hand halting mid-motion.
“Such a way… actually exists? What kind of way?”
Rather than answering, Yanghwi craned his neck forward, actively pressing his throat into Gu Ak’s grasp.
“Brother Gu! Once a man draws his sword, he ought to at least slice a radish! See your deed through!”
“…”
Gu Ak felt an entirely novel wave of dumbfounded bewilderment wash over him.
This brat possessed a terrifying intuition for sensing exactly when he held the upper hand and precisely how far he could push his luck without breaking it.
“Ahem. Little Brother. I let my temper flare. My devotion to Rangnang runs deep… As a man yourself, you surely understand.”
“Of course I understand! Utterly and completely!”
Even as he nodded with exaggerated vigor, Yanghwi caught hold of Gu Ak’s withdrawing wrists, dangling from them like a deadweight.
“…”
“Little Brother.”
“At your service, Brother Gu!”
“As you well know, hailing from the dark path means I tend to possess a rather crude tongue.”
Though far from a gracious concession, by Gu Ak’s coarse standards it was practically a profound apology, so Yanghwi released his hold. Still, he could not resist tossing in a parting remark.
“Being the eldest son of an orthodox family, I shall display fitting magnanimity!”
“…Tch. So what is this grand move you intend to make?”
“The concept is elementary. We plaster notices everywhere and dispatch inquiries across the realm, announcing that Sister Rang is searching for her long-lost father.”
“And then you produce someone of sufficient stature to sway my father?”
“Something along those lines.”
“And if your little scheme collapses?”
“Well, shall we stake the same wager as before? I offer my neck.”
Does this brat treat his own life like loose copper picked up from the dirt?
Gu Ak stared at Yanghwi, whose smile stretched from ear to ear.
“Even if it fails, no real harm will come of it. After all, how many souls actually know Sister Rang is your beloved?”
“My father is aware, at the very least.”
“You are already in his black books, so disappointing him once more will hardly bring any fresh ruin upon you.”
Collapsing heavily onto a seat, Gu Ak seized a jug of liquor and gulped it down.
“Phew. Little Brother… Rangnang is genuinely precious to my heart.”
“Naturally. For a violent and stubborn man such as yourself, Brother Gu, to heed the words of a cheeky squirt like me could only occur out of extraordinary devotion.”
“So you are aware that you’re cheeky?”
“Is not self-knowledge the fundamental pillar of martial arts?”
“For someone claiming such wisdom, you certainly fail to know your place.”
“If I truly were ignorant of my place, I doubt I would be sitting face-to-face with you right now, Brother Gu!”
“…”
Even when he exposed a sliver of genuine vulnerability, this impudent runt refused to yield an inch of ground.
Noticing that his anger had completely evaporated, Gu Ak realized that he had grown numb to the boy’s sharp tongue—or rather, that he had entirely given up trying to tame it.
“Enlighten me on the specifics.”
“Gladly. However, to save us the trouble of repeating ourselves, why don’t we sit down alongside Sister Rang and discuss it together?”
“Hmm. You wish to meet Rangnang?”
“I am eager to see what sort of woman managed to utterly enchant such an imposing gentleman as yourself, Brother Gu.”
“So you do know how to flatter after all?”
“Whenever I put my mind to it, my tongue can roll as smooth as polished jade.”
With a hearty chuckle, Gu Ak hoisted Yanghwi over one broad shoulder and vaulted straight out the window.
“Leaping through open air without warning like this, could you not muster even a sliver of fright? What kind of child is so utterly devoid of amusement to tease?”
“Then try making it somewhat more terrifying next time.”
“Good grief. I should have kept my mouth shut.”
After darting across rooftops for roughly one da-gak, Gu Ak dropped down before a quaint, modest, yet exquisitely adorned tiled residence.
“Rangnang. I have arrived.”
Moments later, the wooden door swung open with a gentle creak, revealing an extraordinarily lovely woman.
“Gaga!”
Beaming with a radiant smile, the woman flung herself into Gu Ak’s embrace and gazed up at his face.
The warmth flowing between them was thick with unadulterated adoration; anyone watching would recognize in an instant how profoundly they cherished one another.
‘Though this is my first time laying eyes on her in the flesh, it is readily apparent why Gu Ak fell so hopelessly.’
Beyond her breathtaking beauty, she radiated an openness of affection that even the densest brute could feel to his core. Rangnang was simply the kind of woman no man could resist loving.
“Oh my, who might this young master be?”
“Hmm. Just a brat I know…”
Yanghwi cut across him cleanly.
“I am Brother Gu’s sworn younger brother. Yanghwi of the Baek house offers greetings to Sister-in-Law!”
Gu Ak lapsed into stunned silence, while Rangnang let slip a melodious laugh.
“Gaga went and took a sworn brother so young, Young Master? Oh, how utterly adorable!”
To any bystander, the word “adorable” was plainly aimed at Gu Ak rather than Yanghwi.
‘To describe such a terrifying brute as adorable… she is truly head over heels.’
“Heheh, our Brother Gu is indeed delightfully cute. Tell me, Brother Gu, are you conscious of your own charms?”
Unable to erupt into a violent temper before his beloved, Gu Ak bowed his flushed face, his hulking frame trembling with mortification.
“Even the manner in which you blush is adorable, Brother Gu!”
“So you perceive Gaga’s charm as well, Young Master?”
“Without a doubt! How could I possibly miss it?”
“How curious, considering everyone else seems terrified of Gaga.”
“They simply lack the discernment to perceive the endearing spirit nestled beneath such a fierce exterior!”
Though Yanghwi’s words had been intended purely to torment Gu Ak, Rangnang received them with earnest delight.
‘Teasing him is delightful, but his fuse is about to burn out. Time to rein it in.’
“Sister Rang, if it causes no inconvenience, might I impose upon you for a cup of tea?”
“I could never turn away Gaga’s sworn brother without hospitality. Please step inside, Young Master. Come along, Gaga.”
Threading her slender arm through Gu Ak’s, Rangnang guided them inward.
Gu Ak, who had been brooding over whether to linger behind and throttle Yanghwi, allowed himself to be dragged along by the delicate woman, his towering stature looking comical in its total capitulation.
“Please, enjoy some tea. Gaga certainly came to visit me… but what business brings you here today, Young Master?”
Instead of answering immediately, Yanghwi cast a meaningful glance toward Gu Ak.
It was an unspoken signal asking him to establish the boundaries of what could be revealed and what must remain secret.
Fortunately, Gu Ak assumed the duty of explaining.
“It is like this. We intend to employ a small stratagem for the sake of our union.”
“Oh? Does that make the young master Gaga’s military advisor?”
“Ahem. Hardly anything so grand. The boy happens to be clever, so I lend an ear to his thoughts from time to time, nothing more.”
Yanghwi seized the opening to intervene.
“Because of that, we require Sister Rang’s assistance. We must gather specific details for the notices we intend to disperse in search of your father.”
“However, I was separated from my father in my earliest years. I would not know what to recount.”
“Is that so?”
Yanghwi raised the porcelain cup and took a slow sip. Almost immediately, a revelation struck him.
‘Hm? This subtle flavor… and this trace of energy.’
Understanding dawned upon him. Gu Ak, Rangnang, and the Honggyo Gang.
The knowledge he possessed from his prior lifetime had not captured the complete truth of the tragedy.
Discreetly circulating his internal qi via the Harmonious Heaven Primordial Art, Yanghwi weighed his past memories against this fresh revelation.
‘First: regardless of how events shift, the Honggyo Gang leader invariably slaughters Rangnang. Second: the Honggyo Gang leader and Rangnang’s father ultimately drag each other down into mutual destruction.’
And finally, the third truth.
Rangnang’s father occupied a circumstance where he could never openly declare his true identity, yet the application of his unique skill was the exact remedy required to untangle the knot currently binding them.
‘If I maneuver these variables deftly…’
An ingenious blueprint took shape in his mind—one that would unite Gu Ak and Rangnang in marriage while binding Rangnang’s father as an indispensable patron of the Baek house.
Yanghwi spoke without hesitation.
“Then let us proceed in this manner. Sister Rang, share with me a few recollections from your tender years. I shall weave them into a compelling draft for the notice.”
Gu Ak regarded him with open skepticism.
“You plan to pen it yourself, Little Brother? Precocious though you are, have you not barely finished memorizing the Thousand Character Classic?”
“And pray tell, how far have your own scholastic triumphs advanced, Brother Gu?”
“Ahem. For a dedicated practitioner of the martial path, mastering the Thousand Character Classic is more than sufficient. Naturally, I have also perused the Four Books as well.”
Judging by his posture, it was plain as day that he had barely scraped through the Thousand Character Classic.
Even so, when in the presence of another man standing beside his beloved, martial etiquette dictated weaving nonexistent virtues out of thin air to preserve his pride.
“Incredible! You have studied through the Four Books? That is truly astounding! This lowly brother struggles merely to memorize the Thousand Character Classic, so naturally I intended only to compose the words and request your magnificent brushmanship to execute the text, Brother Gu!”
“Ahem. Indeed, quite so.”
Despite his attempt to maintain a stoic facade, Gu Ak’s shoulders hitched upward with pride.
Truly, for a ruthless dark-path enforcer, the man was remarkably simple.
“Now then, Sister Rang. Do you happen to possess any token that carries a past story? Any tangible heirloom that would lend unmistakable credibility to our notice would be ideal.”
Even as the inquiry left his lips, Yanghwi already anticipated what her answer would be.
After all, obtaining that precise relic was the entire purpose behind his insistence on meeting her face-to-face.
“I possess nothing of the so— Wait!”
Rising gracefully, Rangnang moved toward a chest and returned holding a modest jade medallion.
“During my youth, while toiling at the very first tavern that sheltered me, an unusual patron entrusted this to my care. He insisted it was an artifact destined to reunite me with someone precious to my fate, bidding me never to part with it or sell it under any hardship. Clinging to those words, I refused to surrender it even through the most bitter trials, keeping it clasped around my neck to endure.”
It was a pale cerulean jade plaque, carved with a single Han character rendered in prominent relief.
The brushwork was so grotesque and eccentric that deciphering it proved challenging, yet it undeniably formed the character jin (眞).
‘A relic left behind by her father. Without the shadow of a doubt.’
With this object in hand, the primary and absolute prerequisite for baiting Rangnang’s father was fulfilled. Every remaining narrative detail could be spun from whole cloth.
“This will serve our aims splendidly, Sister Rang. Might I borrow it for several days before returning it to you safely?”
“Take it freely, Young Master. In any case, now that Gaga is by my side, the token has fulfilled its destiny.”
‘Most likely not. The “precious person” that patron spoke of was almost certainly himself—her own father.’
Masking his satisfaction beneath a subtle grin, Yanghwi turned back to Gu Ak.
“By the way, Brother Gu. Before we ignite this storm across the province, would it not be prudent to relocate Sister Rang to the Baek Estate?”
“Hm? What is your reasoning?”
“Regardless of how matters unfold, this maneuver will create massive waves. Should the Honggyo Gang leader fly into a fury, he may resort to drastic cruelty. If that transpires, what stronghold within the region offers both the greatest safety and the utmost trustworthiness in your eyes, Brother Gu? Is there anywhere else aside from the Baek Estate?”
“…”
The logic was airtight. The circle of acquaintances Gu Ak maintained consisted entirely of dark-path ruffians.
It was not that men of the dark path lacked brotherhood, but should his father, the supreme leader of the Honggyo Gang, mobilize against him, not a single one among them could be trusted to stand firm.
‘In that scenario… placing our faith in the Peerless in Chivalry is a hundred, nay, a thousand times wiser. Not even my father would casually assault the Baek Estate.’
To speak the truth, the Baek Estate had long stood as an intolerable thorn in the side of Ak’an County’s underworld factions.
Its actual martial force was so meager that it could be eradicated in a single afternoon, yet owing to the clan head’s sworn brother, none dared provoke it openly.
That was precisely why, when Baek Muryang had inadvertently provided an excuse earlier, they had seized upon the pretext to attack immediately.
Even if Yanghwi’s silver tongue had ended up bamboozling them into surrendering their coin purses before fleeing empty-handed.
“We shall proceed as you say. Rangnang, take up residence within Little Brother’s clan grounds for a few days.”
“I cannot claim to grasp the complexities, but if Gaga wills it, it must be correct. I shall follow your guidance.”
With their consensus reached, the meeting drew to a close.
After shepherding both Yanghwi and Rangnang safely behind the gates of the Baek Estate, Gu Ak took his leave.
“Sister Rang, even if the quarters feel somewhat unfamiliar for a time, please consider this your own home.”
“Hohoho, your thoughtfulness is most kind, Young Master.”
Thus commenced Rangnang’s stay under the roof of the Baek Estate.
By the dawn of the very next morning, placards were plastered across every thoroughfare.
The notices blanketed not merely Ak’an County, but reached across Muju, spanned Nanchang, inundated all of Jiangxi Province, and even bled across the boundary into neighboring Hunan.
[Rangnang, a cheonggi artisan who offers her arts and never her flesh, searches for her lost father!]
[To any sire who was severed from a daughter currently five and twenty winters of age…]
[She retains a jade keepsake bestowed by her progenitor, the appearance of which corresponds to…]
[Whoever yearns to reclaim these fractured ties of blood, present yourself at the Baek Estate of Ak’an County, Muju, Jiangxi…]
And precisely three nights later.
Beneath the radiant, silver brilliance of a full moon in the deepest hour of the night, the Baek Estate was visited by an uninvited shadow.
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