Chapter 167

Chapter 167
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**Chapter 167**
**The Benefactor’s Secret**

“Chui-dal, what you say holds merit. Why not let him come along later, once we’ve set out?”

“Exactly—we aren’t marching off to battle, after all. There’s no pressing need for him to tag along right now.”

As Dang-gun and Dang-yeon sided with Chui-dal, Yang-hui’s expression grew awkward for a moment.

*Not a single soul is on my side.*

It would be strange indeed to turn down someone seeking the benefactor who saved their life.

If only Gu-ak, who knew the full truth, were here now.

*Had I known it would come to this, I would have dragged Brother Gu along by force, no matter what.*

In truth, he had already tried persuading Gu-ak to join them, only to be turned down flat. Gu-ak had explained that travelling all the way to Sichuan might make his daughter Hwa-hwa forget what her father looked like. It was such a heartfelt, reasonable excuse that even Yang-hui could not bring himself to press him further.

“Brother, why are you so quiet about this? We’ll find him quickly and continue straight to Sichuan—just give us your blessing, won’t you?”

*You will not find him quickly, you foolish boy!*

Your benefactor is standing right here. There was never any search to be made in the first place.

Perhaps he should have told Chui-dal the truth when he had saved him?

*No—if I had, we would never have built this easy, playful bond we share now.*

Back then, Chui-dal had been a terrifying sight. Forced to master a ferocious heart technique, he had shown almost no emotion, carrying himself with a solemn gravity that ill suited a child. Would he truly have gone about calling him “benefactor” at every turn?

Just picturing Chui-dal behaving that way… it sent a chill down his spine.

*Ugh, never. Absolutely not.*

“Brother, if Chui-dal wishes to go, let him go. I am your true younger brother—I will stay right here at your side!” Baek Heon-so finished, his eyes gleaming with determination.

*What has gotten into him now?*

From his manner, he seemed determined to reclaim some standing he felt he had lost. It might have been endearing in years past, but Baek Heon-so had since undergone Pursuing Energy and Blood Clotting, growing into a tall, sturdy youth of fifteen. He was no longer cute—he was downright unsettling.

*True younger brother? For what it matters, you and I are not bound by blood either, So-ya.*

*Is everyone against me, save for myself?*

“Chui-dal… if you leave, who will I turn to for information?”

“We are bound for the Tang Clan—when would we possibly need outside intelligence? If anything arises, we can simply ask the Young Clan Leader himself.”

“That is right, Brother Hui. Should you wish to know anything, you may make use of the clan’s own network.”

“And if that does not suffice, I shall assign you agents from Baek-ri Pavilion.”

*Hmm. The information excuse has failed.*

“Chui-dal… Seol-ha and A-du have already departed. If you go too, I shall be dreadfully lonely.”

“Brother! I am here! I, Baek Heon-so, shall fill that empty place for you!” Flames seemed to kindle in Baek Heon-so’s eyes.

*You have no idea what you are saying, do you?*

The appeal to emotion had failed as well.

“That is how things stand, Brother. So—may this younger brother take his leave?”

“Wait just a moment.”

“Ah—why?”

It was time for the final resort. Since ancient times, those facing a desperate strait had held one last, sure recourse: a fabrication. In other words, a lie.

“Chui-dal, Chui-dal… the ‘Chui’ as in bitter cold…”

“Hey—I am not cold!”

“The ‘dal’ as in otter…”

“I do not look like an otter, either!”

“You cheeky rascal?”

Seeing Chui-dal hastily cover his head, Yang-hui pressed on.

“The truth is… I know exactly who your benefactor is.”

A sharp gasp escaped Chui-dal. “Truly? Then why have you kept this from me—wait a moment.” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You are not merely saying this to keep me from leaving, are you?”

“Not at all.”

“Then swear it—swear on the honor of the Heaven-Covering Hundred Families.”

“I swear it. I truly do know who he is.”

*Of course I do—it is me.*

It was not even a lie, strictly speaking. He did know the identity of the benefactor. Well, not yet a full lie, at any rate.

*To deceive well, blend truth with falsehood!* It was a stratagem as old as war itself—feint east to strike west!

“I have sworn as you asked. Now—may I go? The only reason I have kept this from you until now…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“…is that your benefactor does not wish his identity known.”

“What?” Chui-dal stared, stunned. “Why ever not?”

“Think on it logically. What kind of hero boasts of saving a single child?” Yang-hui spoke with an earnest, wistful tone. “Your benefactor was every inch the hero of legend—his bearing, his aura, all of it radiated nobility. Do you imagine someone like that would crave gratitude from the very child he rescued?”

“He is the very reason I strive to uphold justice… he embodied a pure, shining righteousness beyond compare.”

“I see… yes, he would be that kind of person, would he not?”

“Therefore, he would not want you seeking him out.”

“I understand that much. But should I not still offer him my thanks? Imagine it—the child he saved long ago grows, finds him, and expresses his gratitude properly. Would that not move him deeply? Would it not feel right?”

*Heh… well, yes, I suppose it would.*

“So tell me who he is. I shall go, pay my respects, and return immediately. Come on—who is it?”

“Brother?”

“I know his name and the title he uses… but consider this instead.” Yang-hui’s skin prickled with cold sweat as he scrambled for words. “Would it not bring him far greater joy to see you return not as an unknown boy, but as one of the most renowned young masters in the realm? Does that not make sense?”

“Well…”

“That is part of why we journey to Sichuan together. Surely it is better to stand before him as Baek-ri Chui-dal, rather than only Yi-li Chui-dal?”

“Ah—Yi-li Chui-dal is not even the name I use!”

“Now, now—Chui-dal, Chui-dal, the ‘Chui’ as in bitter cold…”

“I am not cold!”

Yang-hui allowed himself a faint smile as Chui-dal huffed in indignation. That ought to steady things. This line of reasoning felt solid—surely it would hold.

“Answer me this—would you rather go to him as an unknown, or as a celebrated young expert?”

“I have another thought. The Dragon-Phoenix Gathering is but three years away. Make your name there, prove yourself to all the world, and seek him out then! Your meeting will be all the more meaningful for it.”

Chui-dal fell quiet, turning the idea over in his mind, then nodded slowly.

“If you are certain you know, then… very well. There is no need to rush about searching blindly. But why not tell me now, so I may go when the time comes?”

“Ah?”

“It is just a name—how hard can it be to share?”

He had a point.

“Chui-dal.” Baek Heon-so spoke up at exactly the right moment. He and Chui-dal were of an age, and somewhere along the way they had become close—friends, or perhaps rivals bound by an unspoken, spirited competition.

“There is a reason Brother speaks as he does. You know what he is like.”

“True enough.”

“I, too, have grown frustrated when he would not speak plainly… but looking back, it was always for my own good. Is this not the same?”

Dang-yeon, who had been listening quietly, rode forward and patted Baek Heon-so gently on the shoulder. “Our So trusts Brother Hui completely, does he not? That was quite noble of you just now.”

Baek Heon-so’s face flushed bright red, and he looked away shyly. “Not at all, Sister.”

“It was. Trust between brothers is such a precious thing. My own brother never stops lecturing me.”

“That is only because you give him every reason to, Yeon-i.”

“See? There you go—lecturing already.”

Embarrassed, Baek Heon-so edged his mount a little further away before turning back to Chui-dal.

“Regardless—Brother always sees further than we do. Trust him and wait. He swore on the honor of the clan, did he not?”

Chui-dal looked from Baek Heon-so to Yang-hui, his resolve softening. “Very well. I shall train twice as hard. But you must promise to tell me, when the time is right.”

*What a relief. Well done, So-ya—perfectly done!*

He nodded solemnly. “You have my word. It is all for your sake. When that moment comes, you will know everything. I swear it on the honor of the clan itself.”

Precisely *when* that moment would be remained uncertain.

For now, the danger had passed. He would do well to change the subject before it arose again.

“Speaking of which—Brother Dang, I have a question.”

“Ask away, Brother Hui.”

“How do the Tang Clan elders regard us?”

Baek Mu-ryang had sent Yang-hui and Baek Heon-so to the Tang Clan in fulfilment of a ten-year pact. The Tang Clan stood among the most revered lineages in the realm, acknowledged far and wide as a great clan. Yet even such as they were fated to serve the Nine Great Clans and Five Great Families.

The Baek Clan—once the greatest under heaven, a founding member of the Five Great Families—had fallen so far that even local sects of ill repute scorned them as third-rate.

The terms of the pact between them were straightforward: should the Baek Clan rise to stand among the foremost martial families of Gangseo within ten years, the two houses would march to conquer eastern and western Hunan together, expanding their dominion.

“With the recent purging of the Black Dao, our clan is now hailed as the leading martial power in Gangseo. Do you believe the Tang elders will be satisfied?”

In truth, there had been little reason for the Tang Clan to ally with the Baek Clan in its former weakness. Even now, the Tang Clan’s strength dwarfed their own by three or fourfold.

“To speak plainly… it is uncertain. Our forces remain far too small to launch a conquest of Hunan. And there is more.” Dang-gun’s expression grew grave. “Decades ago, following the events of the Sword King’s Massacre of the Blood Cult, Hunan fell entirely under Black Dao control. One province lost in such a way points to but one master…”

“…the Blood Slaughter Union.”

The most feared of unorthodox powers—the very ones responsible for the slaughter that had erased Hunan’s orthodox sects generations ago. They were a force so formidable that even the Nine Great Clans and Five Great Families hesitated to cross them.

“The Blood Slaughter Union rules Hunan indirectly through Black Dao factions, for now… but should we so much as cast our eyes toward the province, they will strike without hesitation.” Dang-gun gave a heavy sigh. “And long before that—we may not even be strong enough to make the attempt.”

To seize a province was no small undertaking. With the Blood Slaughter Union involved, the great powers would surely intervene.

“Brother Hui… the courage you showed as a child was extraordinary. But we must look at things as they are. We have a duty to face reality.”

His words were true. The pact bound the two clans closely, and there was much they might achieve together without conquering Hunan. Baek Mu-ryang sending both his sons to the Tang Clan was likely meant to strengthen their bond above all else.

Yet—*the Blood Slaughter Union must fall*.

Retaking Hunan was not merely about territory or power—it was essential to all their futures. And to succeed, one great obstacle must be overcome.

*Brother Dang… I shall make the Tang Clan truly great, in every sense of the word. And I shall gather every advantage I can for our own clan while I am there.*

He kept these thoughts to himself, and instead smiled, bright and unconcerned.