Chapter 48
Chapter 48: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
A quarter of a century later, amid the chaos unleashed by the demonic factions, five wicked sects would step into the light.
Of that sinister bunch, the Divine Cult was unquestionably the most dreadful.
‘The fiend at the head of it all… ought to be roughly my current age right now.’
The Divine Cult commanded dread not through sheer volume of soldiers. In truth, its roster was the sparsest among the five wicked factions, rendering it the most modest in pure headcounts. The terror lay in its composition: every devotee was an elite demon practitioner, a walking catastrophe to confront.
Commanding their undivided, fanatical worship stood the supreme sovereign of darkness.
— O Heavenly God! Overthrow the skies and shape a fresh realm!
— O Heavenly Goddd!
Such were the cries of zealots venerating their leader as a living deity.
He was remembered by distinct monikers:
The supreme scourge granted by the heavens.
The peerless fiend beneath the sky.
The Heavenly Demon (天é”).
“I am well aware that you vile Blood Cult curs have formed an alliance with the Heaven-Defying Divine Cult. Start speaking and hold nothing back.”
Even if his memory had been scrubbed clean before his departure, some fragment of knowledge had to linger. Obliterating every single recollection would shatter an individual’s sense of self and mental stability, meaning his masters must have permitted him to retain vital basics. The mere reality that Ghost Slave Hundred Demons still recognized his allegiance to the Blood Cult proved as much.
Yet the reply yielded no satisfaction for Yanghwi.
“The Heaven-Defying Divine Cult…? That name means nothing to me.”
“Still playing dumb, you scoundrel? It seems your flesh requires a deeper roast.”
Without hesitation, Yanghwi forced immortal qi straight into the upper dantian of Ghost Slave Hundred Demons.
“Hold! AAAARGH! I speak the truth! I swear on my life I know nothing of them!”
“You dare claim ignorance?”
“I truly know nothing! The sole faction our Blood Cult maintains ties with is the Bright Cult!”
The Bright Cult. Formally designated as the Sun-Moon Bright Cult (日月明敎). It stood among the five wicked factions destined to plunge the realm into turmoil in the years to come.
“Are you certain that isn’t simply because the rest of your recollections were expunged?”
“It is the absolute truth! To avoid conflicting with one another while lurking in the shadows, that memory was intentionally preserved! My awareness of the Sun-Moon Bright Cult confirms it!”
Did he genuinely possess no awareness of the Divine Cult?
Given that all five factions would emerge simultaneously as though moving to a shared rhythm, mutual awareness seemed guaranteed. Could it be that during this current era, far from coordinating their movements, they remained wholly ignorant of one another’s true identities?
“Lay out every detail you possess, including all matters concerning the Bright Cult.”
“Kh…”
Ghost Slave Hundred Demons clenched his jaws in bitter agony.
To imagine that he—a dread figure who had butchered countless martial experts, bound their spirits into servitude, and profaned the sanctity of death—was reduced to such pathetic squalor. The strange energy flowing from this youth functioned as the ultimate bane to his vile arts and internal reserves. It was a domineering counterforce that thoroughly crushed his essence in total subjugation.
‘Even veteran Daoists trembled when facing this seat, so how can a mere child wield such transcendent power…?’
“Daydreaming again, you wretched dog.”
The strange energy surged anew through his upper dantian, causing Ghost Slave Hundred Demons to convulse and howl in torment.
“GRAAAAAGH!”
The sheer agony felt as though his very soul was being disassembled. In truth, the immortal qi was unraveling the sorcerous core that sustained Ghost Slave Hundred Demons. The searing affliction was severe enough to make death—nay, an eternity in the depths of hell—seem like a welcome mercy.
Broken by the torment, Ghost Slave Hundred Demons finally bared every secret he harbored.
“Tsk. At this stage of your life, you truly were nothing more than an empty shell.”
Yanghwi clicked his tongue in disdain.
Weighed against the monstrous reputation Ghost Slave Hundred Demons would forge in the years ahead, his present self possessed remarkably little value. Then again, the fiend would only rise to infamy after mastering the Four Ghosts—spectral horrors impervious to ordinary sword energy, against which only apex realm masters wielding the qi of intent could hold their ground.
Thwack!
Yanghwi plunged his blade deep between the brows of Ghost Slave Hundred Demons. Fearing the sorcerer might cling to life through some hidden necromantic trick, he struck several additional fatal blows to guarantee the kill, afterward circulating immortal qi through the corpse to extinguish any lingering malice.
‘In the end, the sole harvest from all this trouble… is knowing that the Blood Cult has already begun its clandestine schemes.’
Measured against the toil expended, the yield was terribly thin. Still, obtaining early warning to fortify his preparations was not without merit.
‘Even so, leaving empty-handed leaves a foul taste. I cannot simply accept a total loss.’
Human nature naturally recoiled from coming out behind. To dispel this hollow irritation, he needed to wrest some tangible gain. Fortunately, the Master of Namgeum Merchant Guild was conveniently positioned nearby.
With that thought in mind, Yanghwi strode toward the gathering merchants.
“Little Brother. You have returned. What became of that wicked cultivator?”
“Slain. He proved far more ignorant than anticipated.”
“You did not simply botch the questioning, did you? Haha, I should have taken charge of the extraction myself.”
Gu Ak looked at him with an expression that clearly signaled amusement at the thought of Yanghwi encountering something beyond his capability.
Yanghwi offered only a faint smile in response.
‘Of course. Had you stepped in, you would not have dragged a solitary syllable from his lips.’
During the time spent on the interrogation, the courtyard had undergone substantial order. The rogue martial artists who had stormed the Namgeum Merchant Guild were now securely bound, while the guild’s private guards hurried about cleaning the grounds under their master’s direction.
“Young Hero! You have safely returned!”
Noticing Yanghwi, the guild leader hurried forward in frantic gasps, his face still bathed in profound relief and gratitude.
“My gratitude knows no bounds, Young Hero! In the heat of the moment, I failed to introduce myself properly. I am Namgeum Jeok, Master of the Namgeum Merchant Guild.”
Unable to disclose his true identity, Yanghwi offered a fabrication.
“I am Wang Sam, a wanderer roaming the realm alongside my sworn brother.”
“Haha, so it is Young Hero Wang. I have been racking my mind over how best to return such a monumental debt. For a humble merchant such as myself, the only genuine expression of thanks is silver and gold.”
The guild master gestured toward an attendant guard, who stepped forward with a purse.
“Accept this token for preserving my life, Young Hero.”
Taking hold of the pouch, Yanghwi loosened the drawstring immediately.
‘Hold on, is this all…?’
Taken aback by the youth inspecting the gift without hesitation, the guild master shifted his gaze uncomfortably between Yanghwi’s expression and the pouch.
The weight had felt fairly substantial, leading Yanghwi to hope for a treasure, but the pouch held nothing more than common silver coins.
‘A skinflint through and through. Then again, that tightfisted greed is precisely how he accumulated his fortune, bleeding people dry with usurious loans.’
In honesty, Yanghwi had felt a fleeting sliver of remorse toward the merchant master. Though the man remained unaware, Yanghwi was the true architect of the turmoil that had unfolded today. Spreading the rumors that wrecked the residence and drew the attention of Ghost Slave Hundred Demons had weighed on his conscience just slightly when accepting a reward for saving the man’s neck.
That slight prick of guilt vanished on the spot.
‘Indeed. A predator destined for ruin merely met his downfall a little ahead of schedule. Feeling remorse for such a man is a useless indulgence.’
“Pray forgive me, Young Hero. During the bedlam, some opportunistic scoundrels pillaged the vault where our treasury was stored…”
“Think nothing of it. I did not intervene out of a desire for compensation.”
Offering a cool, detached reply, Yanghwi turned away.
“We shall depart now.”
“Ah, if you could remain just a little longer, I could offer proper hospitality to repay your heroic rescue—”
“There is no need.”
The merchant’s transparent scheming was painfully obvious. With his defenses shattered, he lived in terror that other roving martial artists might descend upon hearing the gossip, and he desperately sought to retain capable muscle.
“Brother Gu. Let us be off.”
“Understood.”
Yanghwi and Gu Ak strode away from the ruined compound without glancing backward.
“Tsk. All that sweat, and the payoff was utterly abysmal.”
“Such is the way of the world. Was our primary objective not to assist the Baekseo bookshop in the first place?”
“True enough. Even so, as I noted earlier, a prodigy of my caliber should always strive to fell two birds with a single stone.”
“The more I listen to you, the more you resemble a seasoned underworld scoundrel rather than an orthodox heir.”
“How can you level such a slanderous insult, Brother Gu!”
“…Unless you justify why that comment wounds your delicate sensibilities, I might just have to draw my weapon for a duel to the death.”
“I shall report this to Sister Rang! I will tell her you raised your blade against me!”
“…Aaargh! If I ever volunteer to play your escort again, may heaven turn me into a beast!”
While washing away his irritation by bickering with Gu Ak, Yanghwi was struck by a sudden realization.
“Wait a moment, where did that rascal Chudal disappear to?”
“I completely lost track of him.”
They sprang across the terrain toward the knoll where they had ordered him to keep watch.
The crest of the rise stood entirely bare.
“I explicitly instructed him to remain stationed here. Where did the boy wander off to?”
“These unruly youngsters. Not a single one knows how to obey an order.”
“…Brother Gu. Track him down and haul him back.”
“Why should the task fall to me?”
“Because it comes as an instruction from your eldest young lord. Ought you not display proper obedience?”
“…”
Just as their banter stalled, a voice came panting up the slope.
“Huff, wheeze! Boss! Great Hero Gu! Lend a hand over here!”
Chudal appeared, stumbling up the incline while gasping for air under the strain of an immense sack bound to his shoulders.
Gliding over in an instant, Yanghwi struck the boy’s forehead with a solid finger-flick.
Thump!
“Ow! Curse it all!”
“Curse it all? Curse it all? You impertinent whelp. I told you to stay put. Where did you run off to without permission?”
“Go easy on the lad, Little Brother. A younger brother naturally mirrors the conduct of his elder.”
“Just as I glean such refined conduct by observing you, Brother Gu?”
“…”
Having struck Gu Ak dumb, Yanghwi rolled back his sleeves, preparing to lecture Chudal properly.
Yet the boy showed no fear whatsoever, setting down his heavy load with an air of unshakeable pride.
“Hmph! Gaze upon this before you scold me, Boss!”
“What could this possibly… Huh? Wait? You little…?”
Chudal’s lips curled into a broad, mischievous smirk.
“Heheheh. If you still possess the heart to beat me after looking inside, I will take the blows without a whimper!”
Resting within the cloth were stacks of gold nyang, solid bullion, and a glittering array of exquisite treasures. Even a conservative appraisal pegged the value well above two hundred gold nyang.
“Where on earth did you seize this? Did you genuinely…?”
“Hehehe. It seemed things were turning sour, so your loyal younger brother took the initiative to wrap up the business you left unfinished.”
Stripped of poetic phrasing, the rascal had quietly emptied the treasury of the Namgeum Merchant Guild.
“You magnificent little rascal!”
A sum of this scale easily eclipsed whatever minor shortfall they had suffered.
Yanghwi swiftly trapped Chudal’s head beneath his elbow, pulling him into a vigorous noogie.
“You brilliant scamp! You utter genius of a boy!”
“Heheh! A splendid haul, was it not? Keep the praise coming!”
“A clever younger brother is worth more than a battalion of sworn elders! Splendidly done!”
“Naturally! I know my worth!”
Witnessing the lively banter between the pair of youngsters, Gu Ak simply held his peace, staring into the distance.
‘Rangnang. I long for your presence.’
For reasons he could scarcely articulate, Gu Ak felt uniquely lonesome under the afternoon sky.
Within the Baek Estate, settled in the center of Ak’an County, Muju, Jiangxi Province.
A meeting of the family council was taking place inside the Clan Lord’s quarters, as had become routine.
“Haah. We are facing a dire predicament, Lord of the House.”
Baek Muryang, having only recently concluded his period of closed-door seclusion, directed his gaze toward the lamenting Steward Han.
“Is our shortfall truly that severe?”
“Beyond measure. If this pattern persists, we may be forced to liquidate one of the enterprises we fought so bitterly to secure.”
The chief matter dominating the council remained, as ever, the clan’s depleted coffers.
“In the wake of the recent dark-path skirmishes, we even borrowed funds to reconstruct our damaged establishments. What is more, during the initial acquisition of those properties, we paid honest, unblemished prices for every single deed.”
The decision had been unavoidable. Unlike the ruthless syndicates of the dark path who used threats of violence to seize land for pocket change, the Baek Estate stood as an honorable martial lineage bound to the upright orthodox path.
“It was the proper course to take. It was a matter of moral duty—nay, even setting duty aside, it was merely adhering to fair and honest commerce.”
Among the ventures currently maintained by the Baek Estate was a local drinking house. The clan had dispatched its own warriors to guard the tavern amid the gang conflict, eventually purchasing the establishment only after forging genuine goodwill with the proprietor.
Under such circumstances, an ordinary buyer would have driven the price into the dirt, but Baek Muryang had firmly paid the full asking price out of uncompromising righteousness.
‘I understand our Lord’s unyielding character all too well, so I cannot blame him… yet it is undeniably maddening.’
Steward Han Seok’eon carried the burden of managing the Baek Estate’s total treasury. From his perspective, the clan was balancing precariously on the brink of financial collapse. Staggering sums had been poured out before a single copper of profit could be harvested.
‘It feels as though we have slipped back into the desperate days before Young Master Hwi stepped into our lives.’
The moment his thoughts settled on the boy whom Baek Muryang had officially taken in as the eldest young lord, a spark of hope ignited within the steward’s chest.
‘Indeed, if our foundations can merely endure until Young Master Hwi steps through the gates…’
Eldest Young Lord Baek Yanghwi. To Han Seok’eon, that youth seemed blessed from birth under the shining star of the god of wealth.
Without thinking, Steward Han shaped his thumb and index finger into the familiar round shape of a coin.
He held no doubts. Young Master Hwi would inevitably return bearing a veritable mountain of silver and gold, just as he always did. If they could simply weather the storm until that hour…
‘Yet whether our funds can withstand the wait remains the question. Young Master Hwi, I beg of you, return with haste.’
At that precise second.
A household servant rapped sharply against the wooden door, his voice ringing through the corridor in a sharp pitch.
“Lord of the House! Young Master Hwi has arrived!”
Before Baek Muryang could even draw breath, Han Seok’eon reacted first. Springing from his seat like an unleashed hound, he bellowed into the hall.
“Did the Young Master carry baggage upon him?!”
“The Master of Baekik Pavilion is indeed bearing an enormous sack across his shoulders!”
“I knew it! The heavens be praised, I knew it!”
Han Seok’eon sprinted past the threshold in his bare socks.
“Young Master Hwi! What is the tally this time?!”
Catching sight of the steward’s radiant grin and the circular gesture raised toward the sky, Yanghwi’s face broke into a broad, triumphant beam as he roared back.
“Twenty thousand nyang!”
Over the troubled grounds of the Baek Estate, which had groaned beneath the weight of impending ruin, the benevolent god of wealth had made his grand descent once more.
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