Chapter 83
Chapter 83: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
The carriage sped along the thoroughfare at a brisk pace.
Lounging lazily on the padded bench within, Yanghwi let out a smug chuckle.
“Heheh, Ascending Dragon Sword. Well, Chudal, doesn’t that carry a magnificent ring to it?”
“Boss, are you really going to keep harping on about your moniker the entire ride?”
“Probably until the novelty wears off.”
“…Is an epithet honestly worth this level of endless gloating?”
“What’s that? Sorry, my ears don’t pick up the mumblings of people who don’t possess a title of their own!”
“…….”
Flushed with sheer indignation, Chudal cast pleading glances toward Tang Gun, Tang Yeon, and Gu Ak, desperately seeking someone to take his side.
Gu Ak paid him no mind whatsoever.
“Ahem. Little Brother, permit me to offer my congratulations once more. The Ascending Dragon Sword… It carries a dignity equal to One Chivalrous Deed a Day.”
Once known throughout the provinces under the terrifying moniker Blood Axe, Gu Ak had been instructed by Baek Muryang to execute a single righteous deed each day from the moment he entered the Baek house.
Seven years had slipped by since that command. In the intervening time, One Chivalrous Deed a Day had evolved into his recognized title across the jianghu, a name Gu Ak carried with boundless satisfaction.
“Master of Baekik Pavilion! You are joining in on this too?!”
Chudal shifted his desperate gaze toward the siblings, Tang Gun and Tang Yeon.
Yet both of them were already renowned figures bearing illustrious monikers—the Hidden Dragon and the Poison Flower.
“Haha, show a little patience, Little Brother Chudal. The Ascending Dragon Sword… Had such a striking moniker been bestowed upon me, I would likely be walking on clouds as well.”
Tang Yeon, the final hope Chudal had clung to, offered no salvation.
A playful grin tugged at the corners of her lips.
“Indeed, indeed. What youth wouldn’t be completely swept away after claiming such an illustrious title at his age?”
“Unbelievable… Not you as well, Sister Yeon…”
“Hoho! Once you earn a proper epithet for yourself, Chudal, his excitement will make complete sense.”
Observing Chudal’s sheer despair, Tang Gun felt a pang of sympathy and intervened, turning toward Yanghwi.
“All the same, do not tease Little Brother Chudal too harshly. Lacking an epithet is sorrowful enough without enduring constant mockery on top of it.”
“A reasonable point. Very well, I shall let it rest.”
Seeing Yanghwi concede without a fight only stoked Chudal’s sense of grievance.
“When I asked you to stop, you brushed me off completely! Yet the second Brother Tang speaks, you relent on the spot! That is utter favoritism!”
“Are you truly attempting to measure yourself against Brother Tang?”
“We are both flesh and blood! Where is the difference?!”
“Why, you insolent little…”
“Haha, Brother Hwi. Overlook it for now.”
“Tsk.”
Despite his lingering irritation, a question began to take shape in Chudal’s mind.
I have noticed this before, but Boss consistently shows an odd softness toward Brother Tang.
For whatever reason, whenever Tang Gun voiced a thought, Yanghwi seemed markedly more receptive, even when the sentiment was identical to what others had expressed.
It makes little sense. Boss is usually an intractable, self-centered tyrant who marches strictly to his own drum, so—
“Hey. You were just cursing me behind your teeth, weren’t you?”
“N-No, not at all!”
Chudal scrambled to redirect the conversation.
“Setting that aside, Boss, why on earth did you extend an invitation to the Jeongwol Sect?”
Just yesterday, mere moments before taking leave of the Jeongwol Sect, Yanghwi had invited their foremost elders to visit the Baek Estate.
To Chudal’s reckoning, such an overture appeared entirely contradictory.
“If the main family aims to establish total supremacy over Muju, our priority must be to displace the Jeongwol Sect. Why offer them hospitality?”
“Chudal.”
“Yes?”
“Is your vision truly incapable of peering beyond the very next step?”
Confronted with Yanghwi’s nonchalant demeanor, Chudal gave an awkward laugh.
The man could never provide an explanation without slipping in a barbed slight beforehand.
“Since your foolish little brother cannot see through your designs, I beg you to enlighten me.”
“The rationale is elementary. We must mend the main family’s critical vulnerability.”
“A vulnerability? Could the main family possibly have one?”
Throughout the preceding years, the Baek Estate had transformed and expanded at a velocity that rendered ordinary descriptions of growth utterly inadequate.
Having witnessed that meteoric ascent firsthand, Chudal genuinely failed to perceive any glaring deficiency.
“What possible flaw could we possess? Our authority continues to spread without hindrance.”
“Allow me to address that on his behalf. Would you permit it, Brother Hwi?”
Yanghwi offered an assenting nod to Tang Gun.
He was equally interested in observing how the young master of the Tang Clan analyzed the situation.
“By all means.”
“Then hear me out. Little Brother Chudal, the vulnerability burdening the Baek house is straightforward. It is a deficiency of depth in manpower.”
“Manpower? But Young Lord, the martial forces serving the main family can hardly be called meager.”
With the prestige of the Baek Estate resounding across the territory, an endless stream of pugilists had arrived seeking entry beneath their banner.
Furthermore, the reformed dark-path fighters brought under Gu Ak’s command—given his dual role overseeing both the Baekik Pavilion and the Reformation Pavilion—were numerous in their own right.
Because of those influxes, the retainers sworn to the Baek Estate easily numbered several hundred blades.
“Little Brother Chudal speaks the truth. When evaluating mere headcounts, your forces are ample. Even so… consider what occurs when you set your numbers beside our Tang Clan.”
With his usual propriety, Tang Gun first looked to Yanghwi to ensure his candor would not overstep boundaries.
“Brother Hwi. I pray my forthcoming words will not provoke your displeasure.”
“You speak of unvarnished truths. Even if the assessment cuts, reality remains reality. Speak freely, Brother Tang.”
“Then I shall speak plain.”
Tang Gun resumed his appraisal.
“The number of apex realm masters allied with our Tang Clan surpasses twenty individuals.”
“Ah.”
It was a solitary declaration, yet Chudal instantly comprehended the inherent fragility of the Baek house.
“We possess no senior generations.”
“Precisely so.”
The martial path was, by definition, a craft that demanded decades of bitter refinement before reaching full maturity.
“Take the Nine Sects as a comparison. The Baek house is entirely devoid of first-generation foundation disciples and veterans possessing the weight of seasoned elders. While you continue to recruit and cultivate raw prodigies, they can currently support only the burden expected of third-generation or second-generation disciples at most.”
In theory, one could mend that gap by courting unaligned wandering experts traversing the realm.
Yet the core dilemma persisted elsewhere.
“Why would an established apex realm master deign to align with the Baek house when they could readily pledge themselves to an ancient, illustrious sect of greater standing?”
The Baek house was developing at an unprecedented momentum, beyond any doubt.
Even with that momentum, the mountain before them remained steep.
Only four years remain on the Ten-Year Pact forged with the Tang Clan. In that narrow window, our current might must multiply five- or six-fold.
To manifest a growth five to six times greater than what had taken six years to build, and to do so within four short years.
“We shall either absorb them entirely, or if that proves unfeasible, bind them firmly as steadfast confederates. That is the precise calculation behind inviting the Jeongwol Sect to our halls.”
Chudal observed Yanghwi with genuine awe.
His sworn elder brother was merely one year his senior, yet the scale and foresight of the man’s strategic vision belonged to an entirely different realm.
“By the way, is it prudent to lay bare such delicate matters before Merchant Jin?”
Naturally, Jin Geumbo, the merchant who had commissioned the escort, remained seated within the very same carriage.
Yanghwi turned toward Jin Geumbo, his expression carrying a knowing, provocative smirk.
“I spoke intentionally so he could hear, so there is no harm done. He had almost certainly deduced as much already. Is that not the case, Merchant Jin?”
Jin Geumbo gave an uneasy, faltering laugh.
“Ha, haha. This lowly Jin can only express boundless admiration for the profound vision of Young Hero Ascending Dragon Sword. It is now clear why the Baek house has soared across the skies like an ascending dragon in recent years.”
“There is no need to flatter me with grand words.”
“Flattery? It is pure, indisputable reality! You are a truly peerless talent, Young Hero Ascending Dragon Sword!”
Jin Geumbo had initially addressed him as Young Master Hwi, but the moment Yanghwi earned his grand title, the merchant had relentlessly persisted in styling him ‘Young Hero Ascending Dragon Sword’ at every turn.
To elevate and disarm a counterpart through unyielding pleasantries.
Such was the hallmark of an old, cunning trader—or perhaps…
“I must offer my apologies once more, Merchant Jin. I regret that our transit suffered delays on account of my personal affairs.”
“I have assured you repeatedly that it poses no issue! On the contrary, bearing witness to the valor of our young heroes was an honor in itself!”
“It was not that you secretly wished for my prestige to ring out louder, was it?”
“Th-That could not possibly…”
Seasoned merchant though he was, Jin Geumbo failed to mask his sudden agitation.
Yanghwi’s words had struck straight into his guarded designs with surgical exactness.
He is an unnervingly sharp young hero. Exactly how much of my intent has he laid bare?
The sole stipulation Jin Geumbo had presented to the Baek house was a single condition: that the Sword Dwarf—or rather, the Ascending Dragon Sword—personally escort the convoy.
Despite that simplicity, a persistent dread gnawed at Jin Geumbo, whispering that every thread of his concealed ambition had already been deciphered.
“Well, let it rest. Since our house accepted the escort, we shall deliver you safely to your destination without fail, so set your mind at ease.”
“……I place my full faith in your care, Young Hero Ascending Dragon Sword.”
At that juncture, the carriage’s speed began to abate.
“Ah. We have reached the Yangtze.”
The Yangtze River traced the northern boundary of Jiujiang, marking the northernmost edge of Jiangxi Province.
Their design was to board a river transport here and navigate along the waters toward Anhui.
“Let us see. The embarkation point… Ah, over there.”
Following a wait of several shichen by the docks, a craft of sufficient girth to accommodate the carriage drew near, and Gu Ak signaled with a raised arm.
“Helmsman! A carriage and six souls aboard. What is the passage price?”
“Whither are you bound?”
“Our path leads to Anhui.”
“That aligns with our route. One hundred silver nyang will suffice.”
Chudal’s eyes rounded in shock.
“A hundred silver nyang along an existing route?! That is outright ro—Ouch!”
Yanghwi struck the back of Chudal’s head and unfastened his coin pouch.
“Foolish boy, crossing a provincial expanse for a hundred nyang is an absolute bargain.”
Taking the payment in hand, the captain commanded his deckhands to secure the carriage upon the deck.
With the remaining travelers boarding behind them, the vessel parted smoothly from the embankment.
Yanghwi’s entourage made landfall in the vicinity of Anqing within Anhui Province.
It served as the most direct vantage point from which to advance toward their ultimate destination, Gyesu.
“Merchant Jin. Between this place and Gyesu, we intend to cut across the terrain by the straightest possible route.”
“The prerogative of navigation belongs to the escort master. I shall defer to your guidance.”
“We will likely be forced to pass the night beneath the open canopy for part of the trek.”
“Sleeping beneath the stars is an old acquaintance to a wandering trader. Do not temper your pace on my account.”
Though he spoke with indifference, enduring raw winds and unforgiving weather was never pleasant for a merchant completely devoid of internal cultivation.
Taking that into consideration, while Yanghwi chose direct terrain, he aimed the draft animals toward settlements wherever feasible.
“Just ahead rests a small settlement known as Pungga Village. We shall secure lodging there until morning.”
“As you say, Young Hero.”
Pungga Village was a refuge Yanghwi had frequented across several journeys during his previous existence, back when he wandered the realms as an unattached drifter.
Though that period lay over a decade into the future, as an established ancestral settlement, it was certain to exist in the current era as well.
If recollection serves, the headman of Pungga Village back then was roughly my own age.
A warm, distant memory from his former life resurfaced.
A youthful village chief who had ventured to his quarters deep in the night bearing wine, shyly revealing that he had dreamed of becoming a renowned swordsman in his childhood.
Thanks to that candid gesture, they had shared an unforgettable night of drink and laughter.
Perhaps in this life, I can pass him a fundamental technique or two.
Such were the small privileges afforded to someone who had traversed the river of time in reverse.
It was precisely as that thought crossed his mind.
Hm?
His keen internal senses picked up an anomaly unraveling beyond the mountainous rise.
A few moments later, Chudal and the rest of the company registered the unnatural disturbance as well.
“Brother Hwi. Commotion echoes ahead.”
“Boss, there are traces of fresh blood on the road.”
“I am aware. Just beyond that ridge…”
Breaking off his sentence, Yanghwi propelled himself forward into the air.
Vessel Thousand Steps (器千步), Swift Swift Swift (快快快).
Rushing forth like a gale, he consumed a span of a hundred zhang as if it were a single pace.
A thatched dwelling situated at the threshold of Pungga Village came into view. Positioned before the door was an assailant brandishing a sabre.
A vicious grimace and coarse animal pelts—an attire that unmistakably identified a brigand to anyone with sight.
Yanghwi unsheathed his blade.
Clang!
Deflecting the brigand’s sabre to the side, he whipped his leg upward in a vicious snap.
“What bastard dares—GYAAAH!”
The tip of his boot landed squarely upon the man’s dantian, sending the bandit tumbling through the dirt with a ragged shriek of agony.
“Gaaagh! Aaargh!”
Disregarding the outlaw’s writhing cries, Yanghwi directed his attention toward the middle-aged woman who had nearly fallen under the blade.
Paralyzed by terror, she shook violently, unable to formulate even a breath of gratitude.
“Brother Hwi. What has transpir—Bandits.”
Arriving in his wake through his own lightfoot movement, Tang Gun’s face hardened with severe fury as his eyes fell upon the felled marauder.
At that instant, the middle-aged woman lunged forward, clutching the fabric of Yanghwi’s trouser leg.
“P-Please spare us! The marauders have overtaken the village!”
Yanghwi immediately extended his internal perception outward in an expansive wave.
“Brother Tang. In addition to this wretch, twelve more are scattered within the village.”
“Twelve? Very well. Know that none shall leave with their lives.”
It was an unmistakably lethal proclamation, yet Yanghwi offered an unhesitating nod.
“Understood. I will steady this woman and catch up immediately.”
The Tang siblings and Gu Ak bounded toward the heart of the settlement without delay.
Chudal lingered behind beside Yanghwi rather than advancing.
“B-Boss. Isn’t executing all twelve of them somewhat extreme?”
“…….”
Yanghwi studied the youth in absolute silence.
Reflecting upon it, the boy was still merely fourteen.
Far too tender in years to view slaughter with detachment.
“Chudal. Inscribe this into your mind.”
He swept his blade through the air.
The head of the brigand rolling upon the dirt was severed cleanly from his neck.
“Among those who choose the path of the bandit, not a single soul merits mercy.”
At that precise heartbeat.
“Because they are the sort of vermin who orchestrate this.”
Yanghwi’s hand clamped down hard on the forearm of the woman lunging toward his spine.
A concealed dagger was gripped tightly within her fingers.
“Die! Die, damn you! Please…!”
Even with her limb held in an iron grip, the woman continued to thrash in madness.
A civilian lacking even a sliver of internal energy daring an assassination against an armed martial artist, and continuing in frantic desperation even after being caught?
Only one explanation remained.
“Who is held captive? A child?”
The woman offered no words, but the wild tremor rippling through her gaze gave away the answer.
“A child, then.”
Securing children as leverage beforehand and compelling the common folk to stage an ambush, was it?
They had undoubtedly spotted the carriage advancing from afar and prepared this trap along the path.
Striking the woman’s acupoints to seal her movement, Yanghwi spoke.
“To weaponize a child… Chudal, advance.”
A frigid, unforgiving fury surged through his veins.
It was clear that every last one of these scoundrels would have to be torn out by the roots.
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