Chapter 74: Forgiveness is Easier than Permission
Kwak Jeong.
A character paying homage to the one everyone in the wuxia world thumbs up for in Kim X's SaX YoungX Legend.
At just sixteen, he'd already reached the cusp of first-rate peak and the entry to Peak realm—a genius of the highest order.
His personality was a bit arrogant, as young clan heirs tend to be at that age, but he cherished his family fiercely.
And though he was still straddling boyhood and youth, he already showed the makings of a devastatingly handsome flower boy. In short, the wuxia world's perfect son.
So why's he staring at me like lasers are shooting out of his eyes?
This Kwak Jeong was glaring at me with an intensity like he was about to fire lasers from his eyes.
I wasn't one to back down.
Sure, the Sado family was seen as rootless compared to the Kwak family, and I'd lose in a one-on-one fight. But I was the family head, and he was just the young heir.
In times like these, you pour your internal energy into your eyes and stare back.
I channeled the energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art into my gaze. And then...
“……!”
Kwak Jeong flinched in shock and averted his eyes. It was only natural—even Peak realm masters couldn't meet that aura head-on.
“Looks like the Kwak family doesn't know manners. No greeting, just bulging eyes and all.”
Tak Horak, standing behind me, snickered.
“You punk! This person is—.”
One of the warriors standing rigidly behind Kwak Jeong flushed red and shot back.
“Sam Ho. Enough. It's my fault. Don't cause a scene.”
“But young master.”
“I said enough!”
Kwak Jeong rose from his seat and bowed to me.
“I've been rude. I'm Kwak Jeong, young heir of the Nine Yin Kwak family.”
“You've got a loyal subordinate.”
Still seated, I eyed the man called Sam Ho, packing my gaze full of internal energy once more.
“But keeping a dog that barks at a tiger without recognizing it? That's how you hasten your master's doom.”
Insulting words. But...
Perfect.
From a Heavenly Demon Divine Cult member's perspective, it was a compliment. Like saying, “Brush your teeth for three minutes after every meal”—wholesome advice.
Any ordinary cultist would've been justified in cleaving him down on the spot. This was downright gentlemanly.
“……I apologize for my rudeness.”
Sam Ho got the message, gritting his teeth as he bowed to me. Kwak Jeong piled on.
“Don't step forward without my say-so from now on. Especially not in front of my master.”
“……?”
……?
Tak Horak wore a dumbfounded look.
“Haha, even the Kwak young heir wants to take this Black Shadow Divine Guard captain, Tak Horak, as master? Big ambitions.”
“Not you.”
Kwak Jeong's eyes turned to me.
“I, Kwak Jeong, have come to take the Sado family head as my master.”
“What nonsense is this?”
“Exactly as I said!”
Kwak Jeong shot to his feet.
“I've long admired the Sado family head! Martial arts at Super Peak! Poetry, calligraphy, painting—all top-notch! Unflinching character even before the Poison Demon, and mind games that flipped the entire Sado family on its head! The perfect model of a cult member!”
“……!”
Suddenly, Tak Horak stepped forward from behind me.
“Kwak young heir, you get it. Staring straight at the family head wasn't insolence—it was admiration. But you're still missing some.”
“What?”
“Take me, Tak Horak. I've been at the family head's side since before he shook the martial world—his closest confidant!”
“Ooh!”
“A reputation for magnanimously overlooking subordinates' mistakes! Calculation skills that'd make the Je Gal clan weep in awe, and document processing faster than anyone. Our family head excels not just in martial arts, but in scholarly pursuits too!”
“……As expected!”
Watching all this, Pa Cheon and I thought...
……What a bunch of idiots.
'How vulgar, Your Highness.'
[If seeing that doesn't make you curse, that's the weird part. Why are all the idiots drawn to you?]
The reason was obvious.
'Accept it. We're the protagonists.'
[……Don't tell me you're about to say everyone's the protagonist of their own life or some nonsense.]
'No, not that. Whatever.'
In this Return to the Murim world, which had diverged wildly from the original, if there were protagonists, it was me and Pa Cheon.
So the genre novel iron rule—“Protagonist's allies get intelligence nerfed”—had kicked in. Not just these two. Un Yeop Ja, Dang Si Hyeok, Paeng So So—all the same.
'The silver lining...'
Was that none of these blatantly nerfed idiots were outright enemies. They might backstab later, but luckily, neither Kwak Jeong nor Tak Horak were blind schemers. If anything, they were clear-eyed fanatics.
Those with “open eyes but blind hearts” are the worst backstabbers.
Anyway.
“Master! Accept me as family head— no, family head! Take me as your disciple!”
“I agree! Only a Kwak young heir is worthy of the family head's teachings.”
They both subtly glanced at Sam Ho. The one sane one among them looked mortified.
“……Please, I beg you too......”
He finally caved to the two fools' pleading stares.
The problem? No matter how much they begged, I couldn't teach the kid.
Sure, I had acting skills and salesman silver tongue honed in corporate sales. I could fool elders and heavyweights—tricking a punk like Kwak Jeong would be easy.
But...
Spar with him, and my cover's blown.
I could win. I'd taken down Sado Mu Yeol in one exchange.
But that was life-or-death, over in one breath. A proper spar, clashing dozens of moves? All my tricks would be exposed.
Game over.
“The Nine Yin Divine Fist of the Kwak family is renowned even in the cult. And a fist specialist begging teachings from me, a swordsman?”
“All paths converge at the end, don't they?”
“Speaking of ten thousand paths returning to one?”
“Yes!”
“Then let's talk fundamentals.”
I set down my teacup.
“Sado and Kwak are both among the Six Demonic Families. The Nine Yin Kwak family is a top contender. If you become my disciple, it'll embarrass your family.”
“That's fine!”
“Fine?”
Kwak Jeong's eyes sparkled.
“A true cult member worships and follows the strong! No reason I shouldn't.”
“Got permission from your family head?”
“I'll get it now. Forgiveness is easier than permission.”
Pure nonsense.
The Six Demonic Families represented the cult while checking each other for balance. Kwak was one of the two strongest.
Their heir becoming another family's disciple?
This wasn't just master-disciple stuff—it was political dynamite.
Like handing over the heir as a hostage.
'Kwak Jeong alone is trouble enough—drag in the whole Kwak family?'
A nightmare. I'd need ten lives.
“Impossible—.”
“If you take me as disciple, I'll hand over the Kwak family seal.”
“—not entirely.”
“…….”
“…….”
Pa Cheon clicked his tongue.
[Don't embarrass me with that body of mine.]
I was embarrassed too, but no choice.
The Kwak family seal could solve my current bind in one shot.
'With the Kwak seal, it's doable.'
Red Dragon Revolution Family lived off their own hype—useless. Il Wol Chu family schemers, suspicious. Eum Hyeol Jin family? Psychopaths wouldn't back Sado.
Only Goe Mountain Iron Family left.
'Iron family's a burden, but compared to the rest...'
That'd mean recognition from two of the Six. Blow up the Il Wol Chu elder plot before it starts.
I eyed Kwak Jeong.
Teaching this clear-eyed kid? Absurd. But...
'He's a genius type.'
Genius types level up on a few pointers. Un Yeop Ja did, Paeng So So did, Sa Wol did.
'This kid too...'
Problem: Convincing Kwak Ri Yeon, the Nine Yin Divine Fist Overlord, family head.
[But the Kwak head's no ordinary cultist.]
I nodded inwardly at Pa Cheon's words.
Cultists worshipped strength above all, but scheming was their passive trait. Hide power, mask intent—necessary for the weak to topple the strong.
Kwak family was different. Plop them in the central plains, they'd pass as an upright righteous clan. Not the clichéd hypocrites, but one of the rare true ones.
No slimy plots there.
'Though they're prickly in other ways.'
Still better than the rest.
“Go back and get permission from your family head.”
Let's see his reaction first.
A day passed since Kwak Jeong left.
No word yet.
Sa Wol's reports showed no unusual activity from Kwak family either.
What now... This is tricky.
“Yeah.”
[How are you so calm?]
I set down the documents and said,
“Foolish mortal. No news is good news.”
[Acting like a monk now?]
“Think. Your son suddenly wants to disciple under another family head. What would you say?”
[Throw him in Punishment Cave.]
“Right. That's normal. But now?”
[No reaction.]
“Exactly. Silence means one of two things: They're ignoring me completely, or they want something too.”
But I was a Six Families head, a rising master (sort of), renowned for training subordinates (sort of). Not ignorable.
[...You demon. Mostly dumb, but sometimes wise in a weird way.]
“You see it all in sales, sword boy. Folks like you nobility wouldn't get it.”
Anyway.
Whatever happened, I couldn't do much now. Better focus energy on what I could control.
Presence.
As I sorted papers, Sa Wol appeared.
“What is it?”
“Word from Kwak family.”
“I see.”
Feigning calm, I took the letter from Sa Wol.
Prove yourself a true head of the Six Demonic Families with recognition from another house, and we shall accept you as Kwak Jeong's master. In doing so, the Kwak family shall extend its recognition as well.
So, in summary...
[Not a true Six Families head? Get another family's endorsement first, then we'll let you teach Kwak Jeong? And bonus, Kwak recognition too?]
'Feels familiar.'
[Familiar?]
'Like job hunting where no one lets newbies build experience. Newbie? "Should've built it yourself." Polite rejection.'
Think I'd give up?
Kim Dong Yun here—will and tricks are all I've got.
“Not without options.”
“What?”
“Sa Wol, can you bring Kwak Jeong? Willingly, of course.”
“Yes.”
Sa Wol nodded crisply and vanished.
[What're you planning?]
“A famous strategy from my world.”
[Which?]
“Bill Gates son-in-law strategy.”
[...Bill who?]
“Layer lies on lies till it becomes truth.”
I stood.
“First, prepare to head to Goe Mountain Iron Family.”
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon