Chapter 219
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 219.
Having left the Hunter Association, Yoo Baek-jun kicked the ground and grumbled.
"Tch, I came all this way for nothing and just saw something disgusting. But I couldn’t just not come either."
He let out a sigh.
It was a situation where it was only natural to feel annoyed.
"Taming."
At Yoo Baek-jun’s sudden remark, Han Seong-ah’s eyes widened.
"By that, you mean…?"
"The family head has always shown a cooperative attitude toward the Hunter Association. Perhaps they thought you might be different from previous family heads and follow their lead—this was a test."
Lee Jun-woo, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
They killed rankers. Of course, that was part of the reason they were summoned, but—
More than that, the real intention was likely to test Yoo Baek-jun, who had just become the new family head.
"If they thought my personality was soft enough that sweet words alone could sway me, they would’ve tried to coax me right then and there."
Yoo Baek-jun clicked his tongue.
"What nonsense. It’s not like I follow the Hunter Association because I like them."
"Well, it’s just that the image the family head has built up until now…"
"They saw me as a pushover, is that it?"
Lee Jun-woo gave a bitter smile.
In the past, Yoo Baek-jun had complied with deals between the Hunter Association and the government. On top of that, he had cooperated with the Association on many matters.
There was also the weak image Yoo Baek-jun had built up before ‘I‘ entered his body, so it was only natural.
"How do you think they’ll respond?"
"How? They’ll apologize. They’ll say Jo Yang-woo acted out of line, that they never had such intentions…"
The talk about the floating island had only come from Jo Yang-woo’s mouth.
Baek Jang-hyeon hadn’t said a word. He had only agreed at the very end.
"Pathetic. It was probably Baek Jang-hyeon who instigated that ‘out-of-line’ behavior."
"So, they used Jo Yang-woo as a sacrificial lamb to test us."
"Exactly."
Baek Jang-hyeon must also know about the contract Yoo Baek-jun had made with the government.
The contract regarding the floating island.
Even though he knew the ownership belonged to the Sword Saint family, he got greedy over the benefits and decided to test the waters.
"Jo Yang-woo was just a pawn in their game."
Yoo Baek-jun began walking.
He then boarded a white limousine waiting not far away.
"Jo Yang-woo has deep ties with the blacksmith guilds. Especially Vulcanus. They’ve backed him with a lot of support."
"I see. To think you even knew that—when did you study all this…?"
Han Seong-ah’s eyes sparkled.
It seemed like a misunderstanding was building, but Yoo Baek-jun decided to let it slide for now.
"What Jo Yang-woo said—it wasn’t just his personal opinion. He must’ve gathered the opinions of those connected to him."
"By that, you mean…"
"The blacksmith guilds dislike me—no, the Sword Saint family."
And the mastermind was likely Jeong Seung-hoon.
Lately, their sales had already been declining, and now they were taking another hit because of the Black Iron equipment.
They’d probably try to develop their own gear using Black Iron to turn things around.
"The world sees kindness as weakness. Well, it’s not exactly surprising."
"Whether it’s the Hunter Association or the guilds, they’re all overreaching. Greed beyond one’s station will only ruin them."
Yoo Baek-jun shook his head.
"I think I’ll smash the Vulcanus guild a bit. If I push them further into a corner… I might be able to get something useful."
"I’ll let Jeon Soo-yeon know."
"Good. Ah, and—"
Yoo Baek-jun took out a map.
After staring at it for a while, he pointed to a specific location.
"Send people here too."
"Jeju Island? Why there…?"
"There’s probably a Gate here. Just check if it exists."
"A Gate?"
Yoo Baek-jun opened his palm.
A crimson aura rose from his grasp. The Blood Mist Absorption flickered in his hand.
"Yeah, some interesting things will pop out of the Gate here."
If its existence was confirmed, he planned to head to Jeju Island immediately.
He’d need it to prepare for the upcoming conflict with the Association.
"Ugh, there’s never a peaceful day."
Yoo Baek-jun returned to the family.
* * *
With Yoo Baek-jun gone, only the Hunter Association members remained in the conference room.
"Hah, haah…!"
The quiet room was filled with the sound of Jo Yang-woo’s ragged breathing.
"Wh-where the hell did that crazy bastard come from…?"
Jo Yang-woo trembled.
The unbelievable pressure he’d felt moments ago—for an instant, he had genuinely thought he might die.
It was the first time in his life he’d ever felt that way.
"……"
Baek Jang-hyeon stared at him coldly before slowly speaking.
"Mr. Jo Yang-woo, are you alright?"
"Y-yes."
"Then I’d appreciate it if you took responsibility for your own mistake."
"Wh-what? What do you…?"
Jo Yang-woo was flustered.
"I’m talking about what you brought up regarding the floating island. Since it was your mistake, you should personally apologize to the Sword Saint family."
"Kuh…!"
Baek Jang-hyeon’s words were ice-cold.
Jo Yang-woo bit his lip.
"If you apologize personally, this will end here. But if you don’t, the entire Hunter Association will have to step in."
"……"
If that happened, Jo Yang-woo’s position would be in jeopardy.
They wouldn’t let someone who caused such a mess stay in their seat.
It was better for one person to bow their head and end it here.
"F-fine."
In the end, Jo Yang-woo nodded and hurriedly left the conference room.
Baek Jang-hyeon dismissed the others as well.
Only he and Chae Jeong-jun remained.
"Phew…"
Baek Jang-hyeon sighed.
"As expected, he’s not an easy opponent."
"Are you alright?"
"There’s no reason not to be."
Chae Jeong-jun approached and handed him a cup of coffee.
Baek Jang-hyeon savored the aroma.
"Keep an eye on whether Jo Yang-woo properly apologizes. From what I’ve seen of Yoo Baek-jun, he’ll definitely make an issue of it."
"Understood."
"Personally, I had hoped Yoo Tae-rang would become the family head…"
Baek Jang-hyeon clicked his tongue, and Chae Jeong-jun’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Yoo Tae-rang? Isn’t he even more troublesome than Yoo Baek-jun?"
"No, people like him are easier to handle. Especially since he’s so publicly exposed."
"On the other hand, Yoo Baek-jun…"
Baek Jang-hyeon nodded.
"He’s only recently emerged. There’s hardly any information about his personal tendencies or anything else."
Predicting his actions and reactions wasn’t easy.
He sighed again, and Chae Jeong-jun cautiously spoke up.
"Then wouldn’t it be better to establish friendly relations with Yoo Baek-jun…?"
"Director Chae."
Tap.
Baek Jang-hyeon set down his coffee cup. He glared sharply at Chae Jeong-jun.
"You said something similar last time, and now you’re saying it again? I don’t understand. Why the sudden change?"
"It’s just…"
"You agreed with the idea that we must be wary of the extralegal power held by prestigious families and major guilds."
"Yes, I did. But…"
Chae Jeong-jun sighed.
"The Sword Saint family—no, Yoo Baek-jun—is different from the other rotten figures. Rather than antagonizing him…"
"That’s just your opinion."
"Chairman!"
Baek Jang-hyeon turned his back.
"What do you think is the symbolic existence of this country? What comes to mind when you think of Korea?"
The Hunter Association? The government? No.
The name known worldwide—
"The Sword Saint family."
It was the Sword Saint family.
A place so renowned that people from all over the world come to learn swordsmanship, backed by the power to match.
"The prestige that family holds, the power they’ve built upon it—it’s dangerous. Especially for the Association and the government."
"But—"
"You know it too. The crimes committed by the successors of the Sword Saint family."
"……"
Chae Jeong-jun lowered his head.
Not Yoo Baek-jun, Yoo Min, or Yoo Jung-yeon. The other successors.
"Yoo Kang-ho and Yoo Tae-rang have committed countless crimes and used their power to cover them up."
"Yoo Baek-jun is different from them. And the Sword Saint family itself—"
"How can you be so sure?"
Baek Jang-hyeon stood up.
"Yoo Baek-jun has the same blood as those bastards. There’s no difference."
"What do you intend to do?"
"The Sword Saint family, and other families and major guilds like them—we must weaken the power they hold."
For that, Baek Jang-hyeon was prepared to do anything.
"Chairman."
"I don’t want to hear any more. Come back when you’ve sorted out your thoughts."
A one-sided dismissal.
Chae Jeong-jun couldn’t say anything more and reluctantly left the conference room.
Thud.
The door closed.
"……"
Chae Jeong-jun looked back at the door.
His expression was deeply troubled.
"I…"
He felt an intense unease.
"I feel like this choice… will lead the Association to ruin."
And he desperately hoped that unease was wrong—just an overreaction.
* * *
The next day.
Yoo Baek-jun left the family.
"Whew, it’s getting hot now."
Yoo Baek-jun looked up at the sky.
A clear blue sky greeted him.
Perhaps because it was summer, sunlight poured down intensely.
"The humidity makes it feel worse."
"Must be because we’re surrounded by the sea."
Currently, he was on Jeju Island.
The results of the investigation he’d assigned to the intelligence department had just come in yesterday.
As soon as they arrived, Yoo Baek-jun had immediately headed to Jeju Island.
"Is the situation here still the same? The conflict between the Hunter Association and Jeju City?"
"Yes, family head."
Beside him was Choi Gun-woo.
After taking a boat from Busan, Choi Gun-woo, the Busan branch leader, had accompanied him.
Han Seong-ah was also with them.
"The Hunter Association branch on Jeju Island is infamous for its incompetence. There have been multiple incidents because of it. The Jeju side keeps asking for improvements, but…"
"They’re not doing anything."
Yoo Baek-jun didn’t know the details either.
All he knew was that political interests were tangled up in it.
"What about the Sword Saint family branch?"
"There isn’t one. Being an island makes access difficult, and the Association hasn’t been cooperative."
"Hmm."
The Sword Saint family had branches in several regions of Korea.
They served as a kind of guild, taking in those who wanted to leave Seoraksan and enter society.
Swordsmen and instructors affiliated with these branches worked like regular hunters, clearing Gates and dealing with monsters…
‘They’re too good at their jobs—that’s the problem.’
Because of this, some regions trusted the Sword Saint family more than the Hunter Association.
It wasn’t for nothing that the Association tried to keep them in check.
Their own authority and power weakened in those areas.
"If they don’t like it, they should just do a better job."
Yoo Baek-jun scoffed.
How could he, as the Family head, let the family be collared like dogs?
Especially when thinking about the future.
"What will you do?"
"Back during the Seoul Great Invasion, the Hunter Association’s incompetence almost got exposed. We covered for them then."
"I’ve heard about that."
Thanks to that, the Association and the government faced less criticism than they should have.
Without the Sword Saint family’s help, they would’ve been torn apart.
"This time, we’ll do the opposite—actively expose their incompetence."
He had no intention of helping this time.
An incompetent Hunter Association branch. A large Gate on Jeju Island they hadn’t even noticed yet.
If the Sword Saint family handled it—
‘Especially in a dramatic way.’
A smile crept onto Yoo Baek-jun’s lips.
This was going to be fun.
"Choi Gun-woo."
"Yes, family head."
"We’re just innocent tourists. Got it? Just passing by."
"Of course."
The two exchanged a sly, knowing grin.
Han Seong-ah, following behind with Seol-yeong in her arms, tilted her head in confusion.
"Why are they like this?"
—Meow.
Seol-yeong yawned, utterly uninterested.