Chapter 110
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 110.
Silence filled the room.
The guild members were stunned by the sudden turn of events, while Song Tae-yeon, who had been struck, groaned in excruciating pain.
Crash! Bang!
Yoon Song-ha shattered the silence.
She began smashing every piece of furniture in the room with her fists.
Each one was a priceless luxury item, now reduced to splinters.
“Wh-what are you doing?! Stop her!”
“Y-yes? But how…?”
“Stop her now!”
Song Tae-yeon screamed.
His voice was muffled and weak from missing teeth. Hearing his order, the guild members hesitated before attempting to restrain Yoon Song-ha.
“You wanna die too?”
“N-no…”
“W-we’re fine.”
But they froze under her icy glare.
Leaving the stiffened guild members behind, Yoon Song-ha finished her rampage.
Then, she straightened her back.
“Ah, that felt good!”
She said it as if a weight had been lifted.
It was as if all the stress she had bottled up for years had finally been released.
With a bright smile, Yoon Song-ha left the room.
“You damn bitch!”
Slowly regaining his senses, Song Tae-yeon hurriedly chased after her—from the top floor to the first floor, then outside.
There, he saw Yoon Song-ha.
“Th-that’s…!”
She was getting into a luxurious limousine.
The limousine looked familiar. White, with a distinct design—there was only one like it in the country.
“Hey, thanks! Song Tae-yeon!”
It belonged to the Sword Saint’sfamily.
Yoo Baek-jun poked his head out and waved his hand mockingly, as if deliberately trying to provoke him.
If that was his intention, it worked perfectly.
“Y-you son of a—!”
There was only one meaning behind this.
Yoon Song-ha had decided to join the Sword Saint’s Family.
It didn’t matter if she joined another guild—he had planned to kick her out anyway.
It didn’t matter.
But the fact that it was Yoo Baek-jun made his blood boil.
“Aaaaargh!”
Song Tae-yeon roared in fury, flailing wildly as passersby scrambled to get out of his way.
His secretary rushed over in a panic.
“G-Guild Master! There’s an urgent call for you.”
“What now?! Can’t you see the state I’m in?!”
“I know, but… it’s the Magic Tower.”
“The Magic Tower?”
Song Tae-yeon immediately took the call.
Even in this state, he couldn’t ignore a call from the Magic Tower.
—Is this Song Tae-yeon?
“Yes, Jin Baek-cheon. This is Song Tae-yeon.”
—Your tone sounds off. Did someone hit you?
“N-no, it’s not that…”
Song Tae-yeon dodged the question.
Anyone could tell his speech was slurred.
Jin Baek-cheon paused briefly, then brushed it off and continued.
—Anyway, I called about the engagement we discussed earlier.
“Yes! As I mentioned, I’m willing to concede anything within reason! Even our development rights—”
—No, that’s no longer necessary.
“Huh?”
The response was baffling.
Last time, Jin Baek-cheon had seemed satisfied—why was it suddenly unnecessary?
‘Is this bastard asking for more?’
As Song Tae-yeon scowled, ready to negotiate again, Jin Baek-cheon spoke.
—Let’s pretend the engagement never happened.
“What?! Wait a minute! Last time, you said you were positively considering it—!”
—I changed my mind. I found someone I like better than you or your guild. And—
Jin Baek-cheon chuckled softly.
—My daughter said she’d choose her own partner. I figured I’d indulge her a little. Got it?
“Wai—!”
Click.
The call ended.
“…….”
Song Tae-yeon stood frozen, his mind blank.
It felt like the ground had crumbled beneath him.
* * *
“Whew! I should’ve done this sooner!”
Inside the moving car,
Yoon Song-ha let out a satisfied laugh.
“Are you happy?”
“Like a ten-year weight’s been lifted off my chest. Honestly, I regret not beating him up more!”
While Song Dae-san was bedridden, Yoon Song-ha had no choice but to serve under Song Tae-yeon.
The stress must have been unbearable—even during the last meeting, it was intense.
“But is this really okay? You said it was fine, so I went wild, but what if they come after you?”
“They could try, but, well…”
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at the fading Golden Lion Guild building.
“Do you think they’ll have the energy for that?”
Song Dae-san was dead.
Those who had led the guild’s golden age alongside him were either expelled or retired, and most of their followers were also kicked out.
All that remained were Song Tae-yeon’s loyalists and the neutral faction.
‘He danced before he could walk—if the alliance with the Magic Tower had worked, he might’ve swayed the neutrals too.’
But Yoo Baek-jun had blocked that path.
Not just that—he’d also liquidated much of the assets Song Dae-san had transferred to him.
“What about the people who got kicked out this time?”
“They said they’d start their own guild. With the money and buildings you provided, plus their existing connections, they shouldn’t have much trouble.”
“Not bad.”
It seemed they planned to recruit the neutral faction still inside the guild.
Yoo Baek-jun thought of Song Tae-yeon.
‘What a fascinating character.’
His erratic behavior after Song Dae-san’s death was beyond comprehension.
He was like a runaway train with no brakes.
‘Maybe he’s acting relieved on the surface, but inside…’
Perhaps no one was more devastated by his father’s death than Song Tae-yeon.
Not that it mattered either way.
“You don’t need to worry about Song Tae-yeon. The assets Song Dae-san entrusted to me have been transferred to the rightful recipients, so that’s settled.”
“I’ll put them to good use.”
Yoon Song-ha had received a significant portion.
“Now, let’s get this contract signed.”
Yoo Baek-jun handed her the contract—already reviewed by both sides.
Just as Yoon Song-ha was about to sign,
“Let’s be clear.”
She suddenly spoke up.
“I’m joining under you, not the Sword Saint Family. I can’t stand other people bossing me around as my superiors.”
“Oh…”
A true crusher.
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
“That won’t be an issue. If anyone tries, just beat them up.”
“I’m done cleaning up after people like Song Tae-yeon. I’ve had enough.”
“Hmm, that stings.”
There was a pointed edge to her words.
“Good. So, young master, what exactly do you plan to do with me?”
“I’m taking over the Sword Saint family.”
“Do you need me for that?”
“Yes.”
Yoo Baek-jun lazily leaned back into the plush seat, a faint smile on his lips.
“Not to brag, but I have little influence in the family. Almost none.”
“Figures. I’ve barely heard your name. Isn’t the leading Successor Yoo Tae-rang?”
“Yes, I have to take down my older brother.”
As he’d told Min Yi-jae before.
“Anyway, I’d like your help with that. Alongside Min Yi-jae.”
“Min Yi-jae?! That gloomy bastard? Wait, you recruited him too? How?”
“Luck played a part. I plan to recruit more people besides him.”
Yoo Tae-rang already had the support of most instructors and disciples in the family.
His faction was solid, so those under his wing wouldn’t defect to Yoo Baek-jun.
‘To survive, I need to pull in neutral parties like Han Seong-ah—’
Or recruit outsiders. Like Min Yi-jae or Yoon Song-ha.
Fortunately, he knew of certain character events he could exploit.
“You don’t have to follow me to the Sword Saint family. We’ll set up a separate branch in Seoul.”
“Like a guild house?”
Yoo Baek-jun nodded.
He planned to create a separate space for his recruits.
Frankly, the Sword Saint family’s estate was too unwelcoming for outsiders.
“And… it’s about time we send Song Tae-yeon off.”
Yoo Baek-jun glanced at where the Golden Lion Guild’s building had been, now out of sight.
From now on, the Golden Lion would fall.
Miserably.
* * *
Before returning to the family, Yoo Baek-jun headed to a private residence on the outskirts of Seoul.
Han Seong-ah assisted him.
“Young Master, I’ll wait outside.”
“Mm.”
Downtown Seoul was still under reconstruction. The outskirts were quieter, better for focused work.
Especially for mastering secret techniques.
“Let’s see.”
—Mmm? Waaah…
“There, there. You go take a nap.”
Yoo Baek-jun gently pushed away Seol-yeong, who was curiously poking at the secret book, before opening it.
It was blank.
But that didn’t mean it contained nothing.
“…….”
The book glowed.
The knowledge within—left behind by the Martial God for his successor— flowed into Yoo Baek-jun’s mind.
—It contains mysteries ordinary people cannot comprehend, too profound to grasp.
—But with the talent bestowed by the heavens, you can understand them.
What if he hadn’t possessed the Heavenly Martial Body?
The book would reject him. A crackling surge of lightning would repel him—unpleasantly so.
He’d experienced it before.
‘Back when I didn’t know about the Martial God’s tomb.’
Naturally, he hadn’t obtained the Heavenly Martial Body either.
Without it, Yoo Baek-jun’s body was practically trash.
In that playthrough, ‘I’ barely survived by exploiting every bit of veteran knowledge.
Then, by sheer luck, he obtained a sapling of the World Tree and discovered this event, hoping to escape his weakling fate—
—You are unworthy.
—The Secret Book of the Martial God rejects you!
That was the only message he received.
Remembering that playthrough gave Yoo Baek-jun a headache.
He’d died shortly after, hadn’t he?
“That won’t happen this time.”
Yoo Baek-jun absorbed, savored, and accepted the knowledge flowing into his mind.
Even with the Heavenly Martial Body, mastering this knowledge would normally take time.
But,
‘I’ve used these countless times in previous playthroughs.’
There was nothing difficult about it.
Yoo Baek-jun opened his eyes. Message windows appeared before him one after another.
[You have used the Secret Book of the Martial God.]
[Your comprehension of the Heavenly Destruction Fist Technique has greatly increased. Skill rank has risen.]
[You have learned Twin Dragons’ Clash, Iron-Cutting Fist, and Heavenly Thunder.]
[Locations of other traces left by the Martial God have been recorded in the Book of the Martial God.]
Yoo Baek-jun checked his skills.
*Iron-Cutting Fist: Coats the fist in swirling energy, tearing the target apart upon impact.
*Heavenly Thunder: Dashes forward like a bolt of lightning, delivering a devastating punch.
Both skills were excellent.
But the most important was Twin Dragons’ Clash.
*Twin Dragons’ Clash: Like two dragons clashing, allows the user to simultaneously execute two different fist techniques with each hand.
An incredibly concise description.
The effect was anything but simple.
He could use two different fist techniques at once—like Iron-Cutting Fist with one hand and Fist technique with the other.
‘A total cheat skill.’
It was undeniably an overpowered skill.
Of course, it had drawbacks. The insane magic consumption—only someone like Yoon Song-ha, with a Dragon’s Heart, could sustain it.
‘Even with my current Magical Veins…’
A single use would drain over half his magic. It wasn’t a skill one could use constantly.
“Hmm, I wanna try it out.”
And that opportunity…
“Is coming.”
There would be one.
His dear older brother, Yoo Tae-rang, would soon send a horde of villains his way.
Humming, Yoo Baek-jun stood up.
“I’ll test it in real combat then.”
His older brother was helpful in many ways.