Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Patsy
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“Pretty hefty, huh? Looks like you were planning to go grab a drink after this?”
“How the hell...?”
Dang Gon’s face was one of utter disbelief.
Well, yeah, that made sense.
Not only had I flawlessly executed a footwork technique that took others at least three months to even pick up, but I’d also demonstrated such mastery that I could pickpocket a peak expert’s money pouch right off him.
Of course, even a genius like me couldn’t have mastered Shadow Phantom Step to this degree in such a short time.
Truth be told, this was a bit of sleight-of-hand trickery.
「Young Lord! I did exactly as you commanded, so please show mercy-」
‘Got it. I’ll take it into consideration.’
「Thank you! I ask for nothing but reincarnation—command me as you will!」
With Shadow Phantom Step, I’d only approached Dang Gon. It was the wraith who’d snatched the pouch. I’d secretly planted one on him beforehand and tucked it into the pouch.
My upper dantian hadn’t fully matured yet, so physical manifestations were limited, but something like this was a piece of cake.
But Dang Gon, oblivious to any of this, looked utterly bewildered.
“Had you already mastered Shadow Phantom Step-”
“How could I have, when I’m not even allowed in the martial library?”
“Then how in the world-”
“Guess I’m just more of a genius than that Mad Gale Knight, huh.”
I pulled exactly thirty taels of silver from the pouch and handed the rest back.
Thud!
Dang Gon hadn’t even thought to catch it. The pouch hit the floor, noticeably lighter.
“Uncle, got anything else? This is getting kinda boring.”
Dang Gon’s face twisted.
Meanwhile, I grinned.
Heh.
What a catch.
* * *
Two hours later.
“No... way......”
Dang Gon lay sprawled on the ground, pale as a ghost.
Why, you ask?
Because I’d just stripped him of his last remaining coin. Heh heh heh.
Dang Gon was truly a giving tree. Every time I scratched at his insides, he spilled everything without holding back.
‘One more round! Just one more, Young Master!!’
‘No money? Bah! Money’s no big deal—I’ll fetch more! Wait here a sec! I’ll withdraw from the money house right now!!’
‘Heh heh heh! See? Even you, Young Master, might handle Soul-Scattering Strike, but Mad Gale Body Technique? That’s a different story!’
‘What? One more? Hahaha! Listen here, Young Master. Mad Gale Body Technique is our Gale Wind Corps’ pride and joy, our prized unit technique. How could I... Ah, forget it! Fine! Let’s do it!’
‘...Huh? That’s not right? How are you doing Mad Gale Twelve Spins-’
‘Nooo! Nooooo!’
‘Please, please, not this money...! Mercy! Forgiveness! Pleeeease!’
By intentionally losing here and there and playing hot and cold just right, he hooked even deeper.
In the end, Dang Gon lost every last penny he had.
He’d probably coughed up most of his techniques, too.
Even the prized unit techniques of the old Gale Wind Corps, boasted by the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
But that was only natural.
Even if I’d never trained martial arts in my past life, I wasn’t without insight.
After all, I’d been surrounded by experts my whole life.
My master, in particular, had often demonstrated swordsmanship drills for me personally.
As a result, my eye for martial arts was as sharp as it could get. I could see through the secrets of most techniques at a glance.
Plus, over the past two months, I’d diligently honed Lone Dragon Heart Formula and Ferocious Tiger Twelve Strikes, getting a solid grasp on this body’s control.
By fine-tuning those subtle differences, I could absorb techniques like a sponge soaking up water.
Of course, I’d only grasped the basics—no depth yet—so I couldn’t use them in real combat right away.
But a few practice rounds would fix that.
Alright, the mood was ripe now.
Time to drop the final bait?
“Ending the bets here feels kinda unsatisfying.”
“I’ve got nothing left to put up.”
With dark circles under his eyes, he looked like a walking corpse.
“But you’ve still got one thing left, right?”
“One...?”
“Gale Wind Dance.”
“!!”
Thud!
I set down the pouch—which was getting too heavy to hold—with a grin.
“I’ll stake this whole thing. What do you say?”
“But Gale Wind Dance...”
Dang Gon fidgeted on his butt but couldn’t finish his sentence.
Yeah, I figured.
Gale Wind Dance was the very identity of the old Gale Wind Corps.
In Sichuan’s martial world, the Gale Wind Corps was legendary.
They’d crushed the momentum of their long-time rivals, Qingcheng and Emei Sects, and blunted the edge of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s push into the Central Plains.
Thanks to them, the Sichuan Tang Clan had expanded beyond Sichuan to dominate the western Central Plains.
Gale Wind Dance was the ultimate technique, exclusive to Gale Wind Corps members.
They said once activated, it whipped up gales in all directions, shredding everything.
Mix in poison, and the area became a death zone; load it with hidden weapons, and it was total devastation.
Naturally, the Sichuan Tang Clan guarded Gale Wind Dance secrets tightly—it was one of the few techniques absent even from the Heavenly Demon Arsenal.
And I intended to claim it.
“I know. Clan approval required for private transmission, right?”
“But-”
“There’s an exception, though? For the unit leader’s direct subordinates.”
“!!”
“You’re treated like trash now, sure, but you’re still the branch leader’s eldest son, aren’t you? Plenty qualified.”
“......”
Dang Gon bit his lip hard.
He couldn’t argue with a single word.
Then his eyes sank deep.
Gone was the easy mark; in his place stood a core member of the old Gale Wind Corps, brimming with ferocity.
Whoooosh—
My skin prickled.
Impressive, I thought. Even a bit surprised.
I’d only ever seen his usual listless, unmotivated self.
To think he’d been hiding this true face.
“Gale Wind Dance is as good as our lives. Even you, Young Master, won’t get away with treating it like mere betting stakes—I won’t allow it.”
Look at him, getting all high and mighty.
But he didn’t know one thing.
That I was a master bullshitter.
“You really think I’m treating it like stakes?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Nope.”
“What-”
“You’re so dense. You think all those ‘bets’ so far were just regular gambles?”
“?”
Doubt flickered across Dang Gon’s face for the first time.
I thumped my chest in feigned frustration and poured out my plea.
“I’m convincing you. That I’ve got the talent.”
“!”
“If I’d just asked to learn Gale Wind Dance upfront? You’d have laughed it off, right?”
“!!”
“Without goading you like this, I wouldn’t even get a shot. So forget those prior bets—look straight at me, Dang Un-hwi, and judge.”
I locked eyes with Dang Gon, his aura surging, and drove in the final point.
“Do I look unqualified to inherit the Gale Wind Corps’ legacy?”
“!!!”
His aura went beyond surging—it was explosive.
「I always say this, but-」
「There’s gotta be a devil hanging off the Young Lord’s tongue. Countless cultists got swept up and ruined their lives. Truly the demonic mouth-」
‘Wanna die?’
「S-sorry!」
「W-we’ll behave!」
Whatever the wraiths blabbered, I just stared silently at Dang Gon.
His mind was probably a whirlwind right now.
Words stirring old memories, seeing the branch head’s caliber in someone he’d dismissed as the second young master. Total chaos.
Dang Gon hadn’t stayed out of the succession fight from lack of interest.
There’d been no one worth backing.
His loyalty to Dang Ho-san proved it, so hitting that mark and satisfying it properly would reel him in easy.
The key to landing a patsy isn’t just provocation—that fizzles quick, breeds resentment later.
But ensnare their heart and body fully, and they’ll hand over not just their wallet, but the deed to their house. That was Dang Gon right now.
And pulling him to my side wasn’t just for snagging Gale Wind Dance.
Beyond the Dark Lord’s visit, how much grief would Namgung San-yeong keep stirring up?
I needed an umbrella.
At least one in the Nine Dragons Branch Family that could shield me.
Dang Gon was just the start.
Through him, I planned to gradually reach out to the entire old Gale Wind Corps.
Namgung San-yeong and Dang Yu-chang were probably cackling now, smug about their clever scheme.
They’d learn soon enough.
That the trap they’d set would soon clamp around their own necks.
“......”
Dang Gon fell silent for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.
“I’d heard you’d changed lately, Young Master, but this isn’t just change—it’s like you’re a whole different person.”
Sometimes silence says more than a hundred words.
“Were you hiding your true self from the world all this time?”
“Who knows, maybe?”
“With the great madam’s scrutiny before, you stayed hidden. Now with the Dark Lord’s visit imminent, time to show your face—something like that?”
I’d laid the groundwork just right, and now Dang Gon was drumming his own beat.
“Very well. I’ll show you Gale Wind Dance. I’ve already shown it to the eldest miss and third young master, so no issue with you.”
Tsss—
A wind mixed into Dang Gon’s aura, stirring up a vortex.
“But even those other two prodigies wouldn’t dare attempt it. Don’t get reckless.”
Dang Gon assumed a proper stance, courtesy intact.
His eyes brimmed with goodwill toward me.
“How about we tweak the bet?”
“The bet...?”
Dang Gon faltered at the word “bet” even as the mood peaked.
“You said it’s tough to learn in one go. Honestly, even I think Gale Wind Dance might be a stretch... If I master it by day’s end, you buy me a drink. I fail, I buy. Deal?”
“Drinks? Sounds good!”
A smile crept onto his lips soon after.
And then.
Kwarung!
A gale engulfed the training hall in white.
* * *
‘No matter how genius the second young master is, this’ll be tough.’
Dang Gon was enjoying this moment immensely.
Back when he’d been ordered out of Jeongpung Pavilion by the great madam’s command, he’d only planned to kill time half-heartedly.
‘Wanna bet?’
‘Scared?’
The light taunt had sparked a lesson that was now pure fun.
‘Do I look unqualified to inherit the Gale Wind Corps’ legacy?’
That line especially had struck him hard.
‘The Gale Wind Corps’ legacy... After disbanding us, when did he ever have time to think of that?’
The branch leader seemed like a different man since founding the Nine Dragons Branch Family.
Once burning with ambition that fired up everyone around him,
Now he was just a quiet lion, dutifully handling assigned tasks.
Lacking drive, many members had drifted away over the past twenty years—only a handful of close aides remained.
Yet in Dang Un-hwi’s talk of the Gale Wind Corps’ legacy, Dang Gon saw the old leader’s shadow for the first time.
‘I hope it’s not just slick empty talk.’
If asked whether he’d side with Un-hwi in the succession fight he’d shunned so far, he’d say no—he’d never pick anyone.
Not until the branch leader showed his intent. That was the pact among the old members.
But if asked if he’d gained a good drinking buddy, he could smile and say yes, for sure.
It sure seemed that way.
...But moments later.
“I lost again! Lost again! Damn iiiit!”
Dang Gon chewed his handkerchief to shreds, cursing his own misjudgment.