Chapter 571: My Family Has a Bit to Inherit Too
Chapter 571: My Family Has a Bit to Inherit Too
“How do you plan to strike back?”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s question, Lee An mentioned a specific name.
“Through Yeon Baek-jin.”
Lee An accurately perceived that he was at the heart of this matter.
“The way he approached Team Leader Seo, and the way he showed up here today… that man definitely knows something.”
Geom Mu-geuk and Seo Jin nodded in agreement.
“First, we need to determine whether he is an enemy or not.” Lee An’s gaze shifted toward Seo Jin. “And Yeon Baek-jin will surely approach Team Leader Seo again.”
“I’ll try to figure out his intentions then,” Seo Jin offered.
“No! There’s no need for that. That man… he gives me a bad feeling. The way he looks at you isn't normal, Team Leader Seo.”
Geom Mu-geuk could see it clearly. Lee An had felt it too—the ominousness in his eyes. It was a catastrophic premonition regarding the fate of those two.
Right now, it was mere interest, but that emotion would eventually grow beyond his control and lead them both to ruin.
Lee An, we must change that fate.
Lee An spoke to Geom Mu-geuk. “Young Cult Leader, please find out what Yeon Baek-jin uncovers from Pyo-san.”
“I’ll do that.”
To whom else could she make such a request? And who else could answer so readily?
She realized anew that she was fighting this battle with the finest sword and shield in the Murim. That was why this was a fight she absolutely could not lose.
“In the meantime, I’ll stop by Tongcheon Pavilion and the Eun-wol branch with Team Leader Seo to gather the necessary information. The counterattack will begin from there.”
The reason she was taking Seo Jin to Tongcheon Pavilion and the Eun-wol branch was to teach her how to contact them and receive intelligence.
“Then, I’ll see you later.”
As Geom Mu-geuk turned to leave first, Lee An spoke from behind him.
“Thank you, Young Cult Leader.”
“For what?”
“For everything.”
Lee An knew better than anyone how difficult it was to stay by someone’s side and protect them like this. It would be much more comfortable for him to just step forward himself. Yet, Geom Mu-geuk was giving her a chance—a chance to gain experience and grow.
Geom Mu-geuk was grateful to Lee An for always saying thank you. She likely didn't know how much strength those words gave him. They were the ultimate power that allowed him to endure until the very end.
The power of those simple words of gratitude.
Even knowing this, people still make mistakes. They say those words to strangers several times a day, yet fail to say them to the people who truly need to hear them, even after years have passed. Simply because they are close.
“If you’re that grateful, pay me back in cash!” Geom Mu-geuk shouted as he leaped into the air.
Watching his figure vanish in an instant, Lee An murmured to herself, “Then I couldn't pay you back even if I went bankrupt dozens of times.”
* * *
When Pyo-san regained consciousness, he found himself bound to a chair with his Demonic Acupoints suppressed.
He had suddenly lost consciousness while following Yeon Baek-jin, and when he woke up, he was here.
Where is this?
Intense heat radiated through the room. Weapons hung everywhere, the walls were scorched, and the flames of a furnace glowed red like molten lava.
Pyo-san realized where he was immediately. This was the iron workshop operated directly by the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall.
Because the hall had so many members, dozens of weapons were damaged or destroyed every day. Thus, the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall operated its own forge to supply weapons and sold the surplus to outsiders.
Why did he bring me here?
There was no one working in the workshop, save for a single man standing before him with his back turned. Pyo-san recognized him instantly by his snow-white hair.
Yeon Baek-jin was looking at the weapons piled in the corner, but he noticed Pyo-san had woken up without even turning around.
“Everything piled here is defective. They look fine on the outside, but they’re useless. Later, they’ll be melted down in that pit of fire and reborn as new weapons.”
Pyo-san spoke cautiously. “Even if you are the Hall Master’s brother, you shouldn't treat an instructor like this, should you?”
Yeon Baek-jin didn't turn around, but Pyo-san could feel the cold smile on his face.
“A man who tries to kill a hall member is no instructor.”
“Kill a hall member? What are you talking about?”
Pyo-san feigned ignorance, but if that were going to work, he wouldn't have been brought here in the first place.
Yeon Baek-jin turned and approached Pyo-san. He leaned down to meet the seated man's eyes, staring with a gaze that was cold beyond measure. Everything around them was scorching hot, yet Yeon Baek-jin alone felt freezing.
Pyo-san suddenly remembered what Gi Seok had said.
— Yeon Baek-jin is a man more calculating and cold-blooded than anyone.
Pyo-san sensed that his life was hanging by a thread.
“I only want one answer.”
It wasn't about Seo Jin, nor the deceased Im Hyeon, nor Bang So of the Black Snake Unit. What Yeon Baek-jin actually wanted was a location.
“Where is that place?”
“!”
Pyo-san’s heart sank.
He knows. Yeon Baek-jin already knows.
Pyo-san tried his best to remain calm as he met Yeon Baek-jin’s eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
A look of blatant displeasure bloomed on Yeon Baek-jin’s face. He did not hide his emotions.
“I am not a man who asks twice. But just this once, I will ask again. Where is that place?”
Pyo-san could feel it. If he didn't answer, he would truly die. But he also knew that even if he did answer, he wouldn't be spared. Furthermore, his superiors would never let him live if he leaked the secret.
He truly hadn't expected Yeon Baek-jin to move so boldly.
When there was no response, Yeon Baek-jin stood up and turned away without a hint of regret.
“There is only one fate for useless things in this place.”
Yeon Baek-jin’s subordinates stepped forward and pulled Pyo-san to his feet. They dragged him toward the roaring furnace as if they intended to burn him alive.
“Wait! Great Hero Yeon! Every member of the White Dragon Unit saw me being taken by you! If you kill me, you won't be safe either!”
Yeon Baek-jin simply stood there with his back turned, silent.
There’s no way he’ll kill me, Pyo-san told himself.
However, the subordinates pushed his face toward the pit of fire. Feeling the searing heat, Pyo-san felt an extreme sense of terror. Even if they didn't kill him, his face would be completely ruined.
“Please! Don't do this! I really don't know anything!”
As if to show they weren't merely trying to scare him, the martial artists continued to push. He resisted desperately, but with his internal energy suppressed, he could not overcome their strength.
“Aaaaargh!”
It was too hot. They said the pain of burning to death was the most agonizing. He never imagined his life would end like this.
It was right then.
“Do you really intend to burn that man to death?”
A calm voice echoed through the room. At those words, the martial artists pushing Pyo-san stopped.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Pyo-san fell backward, scrambling away from the fire. One side of his face was red as if half-cooked. If it had been even a moment later, his face would have been destroyed. Pyo-san gasped for breath.
The person who appeared was Yeon Baek-in, Yeon Baek-jin’s older brother and the Hall Master of the Yellow Dragon Martial Arts Hall.
His aura was no ordinary thing. Those who hadn't seen him might think he was just a typical hall master, but the man who revealed himself exuded the presence of an Absolute Master.
He was only a year older than Yeon Baek-jin, and true to their brotherhood, the two looked alike. However, the atmosphere they gave off was quite different. Unlike Yeon Baek-jin, who felt free-spirited, Yeon Baek-in felt well-ordered and disciplined. Also, his hair was pitch black.
Behind him stood the direct martial artists who protected the Hall Master, and Gi Seok, the leader of the instructors and Pyo-san’s superior, was also visible.
Yeon Baek-jin wasn't particularly surprised by his brother’s appearance. He was so composed that he looked like someone who had expected Yeon Baek-in to come.
At their appearance, all of Yeon Baek-jin’s subordinates quietly retreated through the back door.
“What brings such a distinguished person to such a humble place?”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The two brothers’ gazes locked in midair. It was a look that suggested they both had far too much to say to each other but were holding it all back.
“What am I doing? I was just having a conversation with Instructor Pyo.” Yeon Baek-jin walked toward Pyo-san. He spoke while looking at the flames that had nearly consumed the man. “It was a very heated conversation between men. Wasn't it, Instructor Pyo?”
Pyo-san said nothing, but his eyes were full of resentment.
Gi Seok stepped forward and addressed Pyo-san. “Tell the Hall Master what happened.”
After bowing politely to Yeon Baek-in, Pyo-san reported the day’s events.
“There was an accident today during the White Dragon Unit’s sparring where a hall member died. Great Hero Yeon seized me because of that and tried to force a confession, asking if I was involved.”
Since there were many eyes watching, he didn't mention the "place" Yeon Baek-jin had asked about.
Yeon Baek-in asked his brother, “Is this true?”
“Except for the part where the member who died today was a rat from the Black Snake Unit.”
Pyo-san spoke urgently. “You can't conclude that based on a single tattoo.”
“You also left out the part where that guy already had a history of killing an instructor,” Yeon Baek-jin countered.
Pyo-san could say nothing to that.
Yeon Baek-in spoke calmly. “I, as the Hall Master, will investigate this matter personally.”
At that, Yeon Baek-jin smiled and said, “I’m sure you will.”
His tone suggested that his brother was on the same side, causing Yeon Baek-in’s expression to harden.
“Take Instructor Pyo to the Hall Master’s Pavilion.”
The subordinates in the back took Pyo-san and left.
Yeon Baek-in gave a stern warning. “Do not interfere in the hall’s business ever again! If something like this happens one more time, I won't forgive even you.”
After dropping that cold remark, Yeon Baek-in turned to leave, but Yeon Baek-jin spoke from behind him.
“Are you even interested in the hall’s business, Brother?”
Yeon Baek-in flinched and stopped in his tracks. When he looked back, Yeon Baek-jin was facing away, staring only at the flames of the furnace. After staring at his younger brother for a moment, Yeon Baek-in seemed about to say something but swallowed his words and continued on his way.
For a while, Yeon Baek-jin just stared blankly at the fire. Then, the moment he turned to leave, he flinched and stopped moving.
Someone was standing in front of the pile of defective weapons in the corner.
Yeon Baek-jin was inwardly shocked. No matter how complicated his thoughts were, to think he hadn't even realized someone had entered? If that person had intended to attack him, he might have been struck down.
“Who are you?”
The man wearing the White Dragon Unit uniform turned toward him. It was Geom Mu-geuk. For some reason, he had revealed himself directly.
“Ah, Great Hero Yeon!”
Yeon Baek-jin’s gaze instinctively turned cold. “What were you doing here?”
“Ah, I was seeing if there were any weapons among these that could be used again. Even if they were originally fine, isn't it possible for some to be mixed in by bad luck and be destined to melt away?”
The two men’s gazes locked. Yeon Baek-jin was certain that Geom Mu-geuk was no ordinary person. The way he moved with a beauty like Lee An, the way he became close with Seo Jin as soon as he joined the hall… and the way he showed himself here.
He revealed his presence on purpose. Otherwise, he would have vanished quietly. How much did he hear?
Yeon Baek-jin asked, “And? Did you find anything worth fixing?”
Geom Mu-geuk stared intently at Yeon Baek-jin and said, “I can't really tell just by looking. They might look okay, but most of them probably turn out to be trash once you actually try to use them.”
Geom Mu-geuk walked over to the side of the flames where Yeon Baek-jin was standing. Yeon Baek-jin secretly circulated his internal energy, preparing for a surprise attack.
However, Geom Mu-geuk simply crouched down in front of the furnace. After staring at the fire for a moment, he recalled the past.
“I remember playing with fire with my older brother when I was young.”
Yeon Baek-jin just listened, looking down at him with cold eyes.
He’s full of openings.
Everything was an opening. It felt like he could kill him in a single strike right now. The back of the head, the neck, the back—they all felt like vulnerabilities.
Yet, he didn't feel like suppressing him. It was a strange feeling, as if he didn't want to fight. He wasn't the type of person to endure such a situation or leave such a strange man alone.
“I remember being scared back then that my brother might push me into the fire. That anxiety still remains.”
Yeon Baek-jin’s expression hardened at the mention of the brother. It was clear the story was brought up because he had seen him meeting with his own brother.
He was here since then.
That meant neither his brother nor the other martial artists had noticed this man hiding.
“I take it you aren't close with your brother.”
“We tried to kill each other. My family has a bit of an inheritance to settle as well, you see.”
“How much is it?”
“Quite a lot.”
“Then your brother must be dead by now.”
The light of the fire flickered on Geom Mu-geuk’s smiling lips. “No. He’s alive. In fact, we’ve become quite close now.”
“Then there must not have been much to inherit.”
Geom Mu-geuk said with a meaningful smile, “I could tell you the secret if you want. How to avoid shedding blood between brothers in a power struggle! What do you think? I’ll tell you if you buy me a drink.”
“I don't need it.”
He was certainly an extraordinary man, but he talked so much nonsense that it was difficult to grasp his true nature.
Geom Mu-geuk, who had been crouching, stood up and returned to the pile of scrap metal.
“Shall we try to find one? To see if there’s at least one that doesn't need to be melted down?”
He was a truly strange fellow. Regardless of his skill level, Yeon Baek-jin hadn't expected anyone to make such a proposal.
“Why are you obsessed with this?”
“There are just too many things being thrown away in this world.” Geom Mu-geuk turned back to him and added, “Isn't it unfair? To be discarded like this when you’re perfectly fine.”
The flames of the furnace flickered hotly on Yeon Baek-jin’s face as he stared at Geom Mu-geuk.
“Who are you?”