Chapter 151

Chapter 151
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Chapter 151
Chapter 151: Shattered Mood and Grand Strategies

A solemn, weighty exchange of glances passed between them. Then a single woman broke the tender, stirring atmosphere that would have moved any man to his core.

“Ugh, what are you two doing? You’re giving me the creeps.”

The sixteen-year-old regressor and the genuine fourteen-year-old—who had been gazing at each other with eyes brimming with unshakable trust—turned and fixed Jeon Gal Seol-ha with sharp, piercing stares.

“Nom nom… wow, this rice cake is delicious!”

Before either could utter a word in reply to her, Aduga’s loud, crisp munching as he devoured the treat cut through the moment and proved impossible to ignore.

In short, the mood was completely ruined.

She really couldn’t act her age, always carrying on like a child.

“Exactly. That little strategist got all serious out of nowhere, and I ended up going along with it.”

The young strategist, suddenly left adrift, looked to Yang-hui with eyes brimming with hurt and betrayal.

“Kids these days, honestly.”

“I am not a child!”

Clearly, being called a child still rankled deeply.

“To shape the fate of the wider world, one must first cast aside narrow, short-sighted thinking. Do you understand?”

The decision their father had made was no foolish stubbornness over some trivial matter. It was a calculated move to secure something truly great—the heartfelt loyalty of the people—by refusing to compromise even on the smallest point of principle.

“Even if appearances suggest otherwise, we must frame it as such.”

“Indeed. I still have much to learn.”

“No—you were not lacking. You simply did the very best you could within the limits of your understanding at the time.”

The word “lacking” had no place being used of someone who had given everything they had. Only by recognizing where one falls short can one climb toward greater heights.

“Of course, securing immediate, visible gains also has its merits. So—what would you propose we do?”

The young strategist, his perspective newly clarified, quickly put forward a flexible, well-considered counterplan, right there on the spot.

“We will spread carefully crafted accounts explaining why the Baek Clan is marching out at this very moment.”

“Precisely.”

On the surface, the Baek Clan moving against Gilju now seemed nothing but a losing proposition. Yet the guest clans of Gilju had stepped forward in support without hesitation, fully aware that harm to one could easily become harm to all. Why? Because the Baek Clan would never turn a blind eye to the suffering of ordinary people! Because they valued harmony above narrow clan interests!

“Come to think of it, stepping in before the Honam Black Dao can unleash chaos across Gilju would also serve our material interests quite well,” the young strategist murmured to himself, sinking deeper into thought—the sort of habit that comes naturally to those who spend their days weighing strategies.

“If we take into account how other regions and powers will respond in the future… building a solid foundation… no, it wouldn’t just be advantageous—it could be the perfect masterstroke.”

He had always relished explaining his reasoning so he could show his insight. Since I had given him the necessary direction, it was time to let him take the lead.

“How would that work?” I asked, genuine curiosity in my tone.

At my question, the young strategist swept his arm wide in a grand, confident gesture. “Surely the young master already knows! The very nature of the guest clans!”

“They keep to themselves and view outsiders with suspicion?”

“Exactly!”

The guest clans were insular and wary of those not of their own, for as refugees and wanderers scattered across the realms, they had suffered greatly at the hands of strangers.

“Even now, they suffer. All five Black Dao gangs plaguing Gilju are made up of outsiders.”

Had those Black Dao thugs come from the guest clans themselves, the Baek Clan would never have stood a chance of winning Gilju as a stronghold. The people would have felt kinship with fellow guest clans, whether they walked the path of light or shadow.

“Winning the hearts and trust of the guest clans is the key. In that light, the Clan Head’s choice was truly wise.”

Privately, I wasn’t entirely convinced. But he had accepted the decision, and now he was weaving it into a compelling vision. That was the duty of a strategist—to frame the Clan Head’s choices in the best possible light. Though of course, if a decision were truly unwise, it would also be his duty to speak up and urge correction.

“Here is the plan: we drive out the Black Dao gangs—these outsiders who oppress the people! Then the Baek Clan will withdraw, declaring we seek nothing further!”

The Honam Black Dao—and with them the Hyeong Mountain Sect—waited just beyond Gilju’s borders, grinding their teeth in rage. The guest clans would have no choice but to turn to the Baek Clan for help.

“Even after the Baek Clan rids Gilju of the Black Dao, the people will still see us as outsiders. They will want us to leave. So we shall—and when the Honam Black Dao invades, we will come to their aid once more!”

Truly sharp-witted. One small hint, and he had grasped the entire picture. The core of his plan was to win the guest clans’ loyalty and trust. Through that, we would gain not fleeting gains, but the enduring foundation the Baek Clan needed to make Gilju its own.

“Excellent. Draft a detailed, actionable plan based on what we have discussed. You are dismissed.”

“Yes, Young Master!” He bowed, then practically bounded from the room, bursting with energy.

I watched him go, a faint smile touching my lips. Once he had laid out his proposal, I would guide him further. The young strategist was, at heart, someone who thrived on proving his brilliance and took great pride in his ideas. Guiding and tempering that enthusiasm was essential. No matter how thorough his plans, he could not foresee every variable. But having lived through all this before, I knew which variables would prove decisive.

For example, the ronin from the guest clans. In my past life, when the Hyeong Mountain Sect seized control of Gilju, their fiercest resistance came not from the orthodox sects of Jiangxi, but from these very guest-clan warriors.

It was time to send word by messenger pigeon. And to undermine the schemes of the Namgung Clan as well… news of what had transpired at Mount Hwasan would soon reach Jiangxi. If only the timing could fall perfectly into place…

Now only I, Aduga, and Jeon Gal Seol-ha remained. Aduga was fully occupied with his rice cakes, so I turned to the other.

“Seol-ha, you said you had something you wished to speak of?”

“I did… but now there is one more thing I would ask.”

“What is it?”

“Will you one day become Head of the Baek Clan, Senior Brother?”

Where had this come from? “How could an adopted son take that position? The next Clan Head will be that boy.”

Unlike in my past life, I had poured so much effort into guiding him, ensuring he would not falter. My whole purpose was to raise him to be an exceptional leader. To claim the title for myself from the start would only invite trouble. As the Baek Clan’s founding showed, a family may rise to greatness through one extraordinary figure—but for that legacy to endure across generations, it must stand on solid, lasting foundations. No single heir could excel in every way forever. In that regard, the boy was the ideal successor.

“My goal is to make this clan the greatest under heaven. Carrying it forward will be his role.”

“…If your father had found you first, rather than your uncle, so much might have been different.”

“Perhaps. Would it truly, though?”

I thought of the life I had known before. The Jeon Gal Clan—one of the Five Great Clans—faced its own share of troubles now. Most pressing was the growing friction with the Mount Wudang Sect. In the vast expanse of Hubei Province, the Wudang Sect on Mount Wudang and the Jeon Gal Clan on Mount Yongzhong had long coexisted. But Wudang’s ambition knew no bounds, and tensions were rising. Information I could not yet make use of…

“Why do you ask this all of a sudden?”

“I was only wondering. I wished to know why you give yourself so completely to the Baek Clan.”

“Is there anything strange in devoting oneself to family?”

“You make it sound so right and proper, I have no answer left to give. So you truly have no intention of becoming Clan Head?”

“None.”

“Then what will become of you once Heon-so succeeds?”

I saw where her thoughts led. A figure of greater strength and influence than the Clan Head would always be a source of unease—inevitably drawing loyalty and creating division. Even the young strategist had looked at me as though I were his future lord.

“When that time comes, I will step back. For the good of the clan.”

“I see.”

“It is a long way off.”

“Even so.”

I studied her face, curious as to what lay behind her question. Her expression shifted with unspoken thoughts.

“Let us speak no more of this. What was it you originally wished to ask?”

“Very well. I seek to attain the Peak Realm.”

I fell silent, understanding the weight of her words. “You wish for my help?”

“I do.”

“Hmm… the surest path would be to learn directly from your Master.”

Jeon Gal Seol-ha shook her head. “My Master says I must find my own way. She also says my progress is already remarkably swift.”

She was right—haste would only mean missing what truly mattered. I knew this well myself. In my past life, I had reached the Peak Realm in my twenties, and had glimpsed the path even beyond it. Yet I did not rush my cultivation now. I was building a foundation broad and unshakable, so I might rise higher still. It was the wisest course. And because of it, when I attained the Peak Realm, I had been able to overwhelm even Blood Eye Ra; and in Hangzhou, I had defeated foes who stood at that same height.

“Junior Sister—cultivation level and true strength are not one and the same. Two masters of the Peak Realm may differ greatly in power. To stand apart, you must build wide and steady, never rushing upward.”

“I know. Seeing you and Aduga makes that plain. Even so…”

I watched her in silence. She had faced much in the recent clash with the Black Dao—her first true battle, the first time she had taken a life. It was only natural to feel shaken.

“You feel you lack the strength you need.”

“I do. To be honest, I had thought my progress was such that I might already stand among the finest in the world.”

It was true. Jeon Gal Seol-ha—who in another life would become the Soul Enchanting Demon Queen, whose name would echo through ages of bloodshed—was advancing at a truly astonishing pace. To reach the First-Rate rank at just fifteen was an achievement few could match, especially given the rigorous demands of the Immaculate Jade Spirit Technique she practiced.

“But it was not enough. Today, I could do nothing.”

“That is not so. You fought better than most who have attained the Peak Realm, Seol-ha.” Her mastery of sound arts gave her strength, especially in battle against many foes.

“Please—do not comfort me. I know I still fall short. So help me, Senior Brother.”

“Even I cannot simply grant someone the Peak Realm.”

“I have heard otherwise. They say both the Head of the Baek Merchant Guild and the Clan Head himself reached new heights under your guidance.”

I had taught Gu-hyung and my father, it was true—but I knew their arts, their strengths and weaknesses, as I knew my own. To guide Jeon Gal Seol-ha would be far more difficult, for I had no deep knowledge of the arts she practiced.

“Are you certain you are not simply unconfident?” She smiled, half teasing. “Even you cannot know everything, can you? If you cannot, then I will find another way.”

It would not be easy—but it was not impossible either. In truth, I had already been considering how I might help her. And now that she had challenged me so directly, how could I refuse?

The path lay in uniting body and spirit, and in grasping the three great insights—advancing quickly while laying a foundation that would endure forever. I must also tread carefully, so her Master would not take offense. Having a master of sound arts at the Peak Realm would be a tremendous advantage in the struggles ahead. And if I could strengthen Jeon Gal Seol-ha and guide her to that height, I would earn the gratitude of her Master—and of the Jeon Gal Clan itself. To have the loyalty of one of the Five Great Clans and a Heavenly Martial Sovereign… it was a challenge worth undertaking. But there was one thing I must say first.

“Junior Sister.”

“Yes?”

“Are you prepared?”

“Prepared?”

“For what lies ahead. It will be far more painful than the training that perfected your physique.”

Months before, she had undergone the agonizing process of refining her constitution through the Probing Blood Points. It had been excruciating then—and what lay ahead would be far worse. For the first time, doubt flickered across her face. But it was too late to turn back now. We would face this together.
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