Chapter 195
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 195.
“Y-young master! That’s too extreme. A rebellion, of all things… Even if it succeeds, what if the family head returns?!”
Ha Yeon-jeong panicked as she tried to dissuade Yoo Tae-rang.
It was an absurd thought. Not only was there no guarantee of success, but even if they did succeed, Yoo Moo-hak wouldn’t just sit idly by.
‘If a rebellion breaks out, the family will suffer heavy losses, and many people will die. The family head would never stand by and watch the family be ruined.’
Yoo Tae-rang would lose his position as successor, and he might even face greater punishment.
His life could be in danger.
Even if they succeeded, he might end up losing his life—a ridiculous tragedy could unfold.
‘This must not happen.’
Even Ha Yeon-jeong, who had carried out countless dirty deeds, couldn’t accept this plan.
But then—
“Then we just have to kill all the other successors.”
“Huh? What do you…?”
“Starting with Yoo Baek-jun, then Yoo Jung-yeon, and even Yoo Min—kill them all. If there’s no one left to inherit the family, they’ll have no choice but to pass it to me.”
“Y-young master!”
Ha Yeon-jeong was horrified.
“For that, the swordsmen alone won’t be enough. Contact the Black Shadows. Tell them to send as many expendable men as they can spare.”
“You’re even bringing in outside forces?! That’s—!”
“Ha Yeon-jeong.”
Yoo Tae-rang cut her off.
He stared at her in silence for a long moment. His gaze was icy cold.
“I am not making a request.”
His voice was as cold as his eyes.
“I am giving you an order.”
“……!”
It was a declaration that he wouldn’t entertain any objections.
Ha Yeon-jeong suppressed her trembling body and met Yoo Tae-rang’s gaze again.
His pupils shimmered with an eerie crimson hue.
What filled them was—
“If you refuse my order, I’ll kill you too.”
Madness.
Ha Yeon-jeong shuddered—not from cold, but from terror. Yoo Tae-rang stared at her silently.
Though he said nothing more, his eyes commanded her to leave at once.
“I… I’ll do as you say.”
There was no persuading him.
Having made that judgment, Ha Yeon-jeong decided to withdraw. Her mind was in chaos.
‘How? What should I do?’
Should she obey Yoo Tae-rang’s orders?
Either way, it would lead to ruin. Whether the rebellion succeeded or failed, nothing good would come of it.
Moreover, rumors were circulating that Yoo Baek-jun might possess foresight abilities.
‘What if he predicts the rebellion?’
If they were to move, they had to be extremely cautious.
They needed to confirm whether the rumors about Yoo Baek-jun were true and whether he had already foreseen their plans.
In truth, the best course of action would be to ignore Yoo Tae-rang’s orders and find a way to survive on her own.
‘But…’
Ha Yeon-jeong bit her lip.
That was a last resort—something she shouldn’t even consider now. She quickened her steps.
And once again, the waterfall fell silent.
Left alone, Yoo Tae-rang smiled faintly.
“The family… is mine.”
It had always been that way since he was a child.
Yoo Tae-rang stepped forward.
Watching him, the Sword Demon grinned in satisfaction.
***
At the same time, in the family estate.
“Haaaam—”
—Khaaaam.
Yoo Baek-jun was yawning loudly.
Perhaps it was contagious, because Seol-yeong, nestled in his arms, also stretched its jaws wide in a big yawn.
He playfully stuck his finger into its mouth.
—Gack! Keuk? Mreow?
Seol-yeong’s eyes widened.
It wriggled, trying to figure out what had entered its mouth.
Once it realized it was a finger, it tried to bite down—
But Yoo Baek-jun pulled it out just in time.
“Too slow, too slow.”
—Grrrr…
Yoo Baek-jun chuckled teasingly, and Seol-yeong glared at him with narrowed eyes. As he dodged its snapping jaws, he thought about Yoo Tae-rang.
‘He’s probably thinking about it right now.’
Yoo Baek-jun gazed into the distance from atop a tower overlooking the family estate.
Likely toward the waterfall where Yoo Tae-rang had gone.
Even without hearing it directly, he could easily guess what that bastard was plotting.
‘By now, he’s probably halfway gone.’
Yoo Tae-rang’s Unique ability—the Sword Demon.
A malevolent spirit that had been with him since he first awakened as a hunter.
It granted him immense power but, in exchange, eroded his humanity.
‘Honestly, it’s the root cause of Yoo Tae-rang becoming like this.’
A being devoid of humanity, willing to kill even family if they stood in his way.
The Sword Demon’s desire was simple:
‘To take over Yoo Tae-rang’s body.’
And that outcome wasn’t far off.
Still, Yoo Tae-rang’s unique ability, despite its risks, was undeniably powerful.
The only reason he didn’t use it freely was because he had to be wary of others’ scrutiny.
“Yoo Tae-rang is definitely a troublesome bastard.”
—Mreeeow!
“Whoa, almost got me.”
Yoo Baek-jun yanked his finger away just before Seol-yeong could sink its teeth in.
Annoyed, it began moving faster, determined to catch him.
‘Even though he took a big hit this time, his influence within the family is still strong.’
Aside from the Busan branch, Yoo Tae-rang had loyalists planted in other branches as well.
This time, he would likely summon them discreetly to stage his rebellion.
“If it ended there, it’d be a relief.”
But of course, it wouldn’t.
Yoo Baek-jun smirked bitterly.
‘He’ll probably borrow outside forces.’
The most likely candidate was the Black Shadows.
They had ties with Yoo Tae-rang for years and were a notorious organization in the underworld.
Not an enemy to be taken lightly.
“If he’s bringing in outside forces, then I should too… right?”
This was a decision that required careful thought.
If he brought in an external guild, they would demand compensation for their services.
Moreover, the mere fact of relying on outside help could become a stain on his reputation once he became family head.
‘But if it’s not an external guild, but people I’ve recruited myself… that might not be so bad.’
Elves, dwarves, necromancers.
Of course, they alone wouldn’t be enough. He’d need the help of Yoo Jung-yeon and Yoo Min as well.
And one more thing—
‘We can’t suffer too many losses, nor can we afford to give too much.’
Considering the future of the Sword Saint family under his leadership, losing too many swordsmen here would be disastrous.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed.
‘This is driving me crazy. Why is everything so complicated?’
How nice it would be if he could act as recklessly as Yoo Tae-rang.
But he wasn’t in a position to do so.
‘Just about a week left.’
All he could do was think hard and prepare as much as possible.
And, while he was at it—
‘I should reassure my dear brother.’
Yoo Tae-rang would charge ahead without a second thought, but Ha Yeon-jeong, who followed him, wouldn’t.
She’d prepare cautiously, suspecting everything.
To keep them at ease, he had to pretend he knew nothing.
“Alright, then—ow! Hot!”
—Chomp! Mrreow! Nomnom…
A sudden sharp pain brought tears to Yoo Baek-jun’s eyes.
Seol-yeong, who had been relentlessly chasing his finger, had finally succeeded in biting down.
“Hey! Why bite this hard just because I stuck a finger in your mouth?!”
—Nom, grrr…
“Tch, look at you. What’s there to be proud of?!”
—Mreow, mreeeow…
Yoo Baek-jun pinched Seol-yeong’s soft, doughy cheeks and stretched them mercilessly.
It flailed its paws, struggling to break free from his grip.
‘Looks like things are about to get busy again.’
Yoo Baek-jun sighed as he played with Seol-yeong.
—Mreeeow!
Whether this really counted as ’playing’ was debatable.
***
The next day.
A joint memorial service was held in the family estate.
It was to honor the swordsmen who had lost their lives in the Busan incident and to commemorate the spirit of Yoo Kang-ho.
Only family members were invited—no outsiders.
“…….”
“…….”
Rows of photographs and flowers lay before them.
People bowed their heads in mourning, and not a single word was spoken.
“We honor the legacy of these great warriors.”
—Thud!
Yoo Moo-hak drove his sword into the ground.
The earth trembled, and the magic flowing from his blade seeped into the soil.
“They were braver than any, fearless in the face of…”
Yoo Moo-hak began his eulogy.
It praised the valor and noble sacrifices of the fallen swordsmen.
Yoo Baek-jun watched the ceremony from the very back.
‘Quite the turnout.’
Nearly every member of the Sword Saint family seemed to be present.
Though outsiders—especially government and association officials—had expressed interest in attending, Yoo Moo-hak had firmly refused.
‘They’d probably drag the press along too, so it’s better they didn’t come. Less hassle.’
Yoo Baek-jun exhaled softly.
At the front stood the family members, including Yoo Tae-rang.
“He must be feeling a lot of pressure. Wonder if he’s okay?”
“Young master, someone might hear you…”
“Please be careful, young master…”
Han Seong-ah and Choi Seung-min, standing beside him, panicked at his muttering.
“Why? It’s not like I said anything wrong.”
“Yoooung maaaaster…”
Choi Seung-min whined pitifully.
Yoo Baek-jun smirked and shook his head.
‘Guess you could say I’ve got a thick face.’
Among those who had been close to the deceased, murmurs of blame toward Yoo Tae-rang were growing.
They whispered that if he had commanded properly, so many casualties could have been avoided—comparing his failures to Yoo Baek-jun’s past successes in Seoul.
‘Not bad. I should have Jeon Soo-yeon stir up those rumors a bit more.’
Yoo Baek-jun blankly observed the memorial service.
After some time, Yoo Moo-hak’s lengthy eulogy concluded, and the ceremony neared its end.
“We are grateful for your contributions.”
As Yoo Moo-hak finished speaking, the magical energy he had infused into the ground earlier surged.
The earth rumbled, and moments later—
“Oh…”
Flowers began to bloom.
Countless ice flowers sprouted from the snow-covered ground, swaying in the wind.
Their petals scattered into the air, painting the surroundings in delicate frost.
“May you now rest in peace.”
It was the final act of the memorial.
Nothing too grand—just flowers that bloomed when infused with magic, prepared in advance.
Still, the visual effect was striking.
“Compensate the bereaved families generously.”
“Yes, family head.”
Yoo Moo-hak turned and left.
Now, it was time for those who had been close to the deceased to offer personal tributes.
“Hmm…”
“What are you staring at?”
Yoo Baek-jun remained in place.
His gaze was fixed on one spot, and Yoo Jung-yeon, who approached him, tilted her head in curiosity.
“Yoo Tae-rang? He’s with the grandmasters.”
“Yeah. Grandmasters Jeon Dae-kwon and Lee Gun-mo.”
Yoo Baek-jun was watching Yoo Tae-rang.
He was conversing with Jeon Dae-kwon and Lee Gun-mo, and the atmosphere seemed warm.
The two grandmasters had long served Yoo Tae-rang. They would never swear allegiance to anyone else.
‘Even if I become family head, nothing will change for them.’
They would desperately push for Yoo Tae-rang to take the position and join his rebellion.
They’d mobilize their subordinate swordsmen en masse to support him.
“…….”
A faint smile touched Yoo Baek-jun’s lips.
Seeing this, Yoo Jung-yeon felt uneasy. It felt like he was plotting something ominous.
“Sister, you know, I really hate leaving behind loose ends.”
“What’s with the sudden shift in tone?”
“I just hate situations where things get tangled up later because I didn’t take care of something when I had the chance.”
Yoo Baek-jun’s gaze lingered on the two grandmasters laughing with Yoo Tae-rang in the distance.
“Those two grandmasters…”
A cold smile played on his lips.
“There’s no need to let them live.”
They were clearly future liabilities.
A good idea had just come to him.
A way to weaken the enemy’s forces without causing massive casualties.