Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Jade Token Ploy
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Before laying out his plan to Gu-ak, Yang-hui reminded himself of the conditions he had to uphold.
‘Rang-rang’s father must come to antagonize the Crimson Gang and instead become an ally of the Baek Clan.’
The former was to prevent the power and influence of the Black Path Tyrant from growing, while the latter was a step closer to making them the world's greatest clan.
‘So first, keep it vague. There’s no need to reveal everything right away anyway.’
Yang-hui opened his mouth with a sly smile.
“Brother Gu. In the end, the problem is that Sister Rang is just a powerless courtesan with no backing. So…… let’s give her one.”
“What?”
“Does Sister Rang have any family?”
“No. She’s an orphan.”
Gu-ak stated firmly.
‘As expected, even she sees herself as having no family. And those around her think the same.’
“Then let’s make one. For example, how about it turns out she has a father after all?”
“……Is that the method you mentioned before, little brother?”
Gu-ak’s expression visibly chilled.
It went beyond deflation into disappointment—no, even further, to barely concealed anger.
“Tell me. Is the best conclusion from that brilliant mind of yours to fabricate a father for Rang-rang?!”
He didn’t seem to expect an answer, as Gu-ak continued shouting.
“Do you think I haven’t considered such a simple idea? The reason a father would disown Rang-rang is because she offers no power! What influential figure who could aid the Crimson Gang would stoop to claiming her as kin? Even if you fool people into believing he’s her father, without ongoing support, he’ll cast her aside!”
Watching Gu-ak’s face flush red with rage, Yang-hui grinned broadly.
“You’re laughing? You little brat, want me to make sure you never laugh again?”
The moment Gu-ak grabbed his collar, Yang-hui spat out a single line.
“What if there’s a perfect solution that resolves every issue?”
Gu-ak’s hand halted abruptly, refusing to advance further.
“There’s…… a way? What is it?”
Instead of answering, Yang-hui thrust his neck forward into Gu-ak’s grip and grabbed his own collar tighter.
“Brother Gu! Once a man draws his sword, he must cut through the grass! Finish what you started!”
“……”
Gu-ak felt a surge of frustration, but for entirely different reasons than before.
This little punk had an uncanny knack for knowing exactly when he held the advantage and could afford to provoke.
“Ahem. Little brother. I got a bit excited. My feelings for Rang-rang run so deep…… I trust you, as a fellow man, understand.”
“I understand completely! Of course!”
Even as he nodded, Yang-hui clung to Gu-ak’s hand with both of his, dangling like a monkey.
“……”
“Little brother.”
“Yes, Brother Gu!”
“As you know, I’m from the Black Path Tyrant faction, so my mouth runs a bit loose.”
It wasn’t fully satisfying, but by Gu-ak’s standards, it counted as an apology. Yang-hui released his grip.
Still, he didn’t forget to add one more line.
“As the eldest son of a righteous Baek Clan family, I shall understand!”
“……Ugh. So, what’s your plan?”
“Simple. Just post notices everywhere saying we’re searching for Sister Rang’s long-lost father.”
“And you’ll bring someone who can convince my father?”
“Something like that.”
“What if it doesn’t work out?”
“Well, shall I end up just like you? I’ll stake my neck on it.”
Does this kid think his life is some coin he picked up off the street?
Gu-ak stared at the smirking Yang-hui.
“Even if it fails, nothing bad happens anyway. How many people know Sister Rang is your lover?”
“At least my father does.”
“You’re already on his bad side, so one more disappointment won’t add any new shame.”
Gu-ak slumped down and chugged from his liquor bottle.
“Hoo. Little brother. Rang-rang…… she’s truly precious to me.”
“Well, for a brute like you who’s so wild and selfish to listen to a wild kid like me, it must take no small amount of affection.”
“So you knew you were a brat?”
“Isn’t self-awareness the basics for a martial artist?”
“For someone like that, you sure lack any sense of your place.”
“If I truly lacked it, I wouldn’t be meeting you alone like this!”
“……”
Even after baring a bit of his heartfelt sincerity, this punk wouldn’t yield an inch.
Gu-ak realized he’d grown numb—no, resigned—to the kid’s cheeky speech by now; he didn’t even feel the urge to snap anymore.
“Let’s hear the specifics.”
“Gladly. To avoid hassle, how about we discuss it with Sister Rang present?”
“Hm? You want to meet Rang-rang?”
“I’m curious what kind of woman could captivate a devoted man like Brother Gu.”
“So you know how to flatter too?”
“If I wanted, I could lick my tongue shiny with it.”
Gu-ak chuckled and hoisted Yang-hui over his shoulder, leaping out the window.
“When someone suddenly flies you into the sky like this, at least pretend to be surprised. What kind of kid has no sense of thrill?”
“Make it more surprising then.”
“Good grief. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
After bounding across rooftops for about a li, Gu-ak stopped before a small, modest yet beautifully adorned tiled house.
“Rang-rang. It’s me.”
Moments later, the door creaked open. A dazzlingly beautiful woman appeared.
“Brother Gu!”
She beamed a flower-like smile, embraced him, and looked up.
Their exchanging gazes dripped with affection; it was obvious they were deeply in love.
‘First time seeing her in person, but I get why Gu-ak fell for her.’
She wasn’t just beautiful—she showed such genuine warmth that even a bearish man couldn’t miss it.
Rang-rang was the kind of woman no man could resist.
“Oh, who’s this young master here?”
“Hm. Just some kid I know……”
Yang-hui quickly cut in.
“I’m Brother Gu’s sworn brother. Baek Yang-hui, here to pay respects to my sister-in-law!”
Gu-ak fell silent. Rang-rang let out a soft laugh.
“Brother Gu calls someone as young as you ‘little brother’? Oh, how cute!”
To anyone watching, the one who seemed cute was Gu-ak, not Yang-hui.
‘To think you can use ‘cute’ for a rough-looking guy like that. She’s fully smitten.’
“Heh heh, our Brother Gu is pretty cute, yeah. Brother Gu, do you realize how cute you are?”
In front of his lover, Gu-ak couldn’t even get angry. He just bowed his flushed face and trembled.
“Even your shy look is cute, Brother Gu!”
“So even the young master sees Brother Gu’s charm?”
“Of course! Impossible not to.”
“Strangely, everyone else seems scared of him.”
“They just can’t see the cute heart hidden beneath that fierce exterior!”
Yang-hui had said it purely to tease, but Rang-rang seemed utterly sincere.
‘Fun, but he’s about to blow. Time to wrap it up.’
“Sister Rang. If it’s not too much trouble, might I trouble you for a cup of tea?”
“I can’t just send away Brother Gu’s little brother. Come in, young master. You too, Brother Gu.”
Rang-rang linked her arm with Gu-ak’s and led the way.
Gu-ak, who’d been planning to stay behind and give Yang-hui a beating, was dragged inside by the slender woman despite his bulk.
“Here, have some tea. Brother Gu, you must be here for me…… but what brings the young master?”
Instead of speaking, Yang-hui glanced at Gu-ak.
It was a signal to decide what to say and what to hold back, setting boundaries in advance.
Fortunately, Gu-ak took the lead in explaining.
“Here’s the thing. To make our marriage happen, we’re thinking of using a little scheme.”
“So it turns out the young master is Brother Gu’s strategist?”
“Ahem. Not exactly. The kid’s clever, so I occasionally ask his opinion.”
That was Yang-hui’s cue to jump in.
“Which is why we need Sister Rang’s help. We need to fill in the details for the notices when searching for your father.”
“But I lost my father long ago. I wouldn’t know what to write.”
“Is that so?”
Yang-hui slurped his tea. Then it hit him.
‘Hm? This taste. And this energy.’
Of course. Gu-ak, Rang-rang, and the Crimson Gang.
Not everything he knew from his past life was the whole story.
Circulating his qi secretly with the Harmonious Heaven Principle Origin Art, Yang-hui reviewed the facts he knew from his past life alongside the new information.
‘One. The Crimson Gang Leader will kill Rang-rang no matter what the future holds. Two. The Crimson Gang Leader and Rang-rang’s father will end in mutual destruction.’
And finally, three.
Rang-rang’s father was in a position where he couldn’t reveal his identity, but if they used his talents, it could resolve the issues that had seemed impossible at first.
‘If I use these conditions well……’
A scheme came to mind: one that would unite Gu-ak and Rang-rang while turning her father into an ally of the Baek Clan.
Yang-hui spoke up immediately.
“Then let’s do it this way. Sister Rang, tell me about your childhood. I’ll embellish it into the notice.”
Gu-ak looked skeptical.
“You’ll write it yourself, little brother? You’re smart, but aren’t you still too young to have finished the Thousand Character Classic?”
“And how far did you get in your studies, Brother Gu?”
“Ahem, for a martial artist, mastering the Thousand Character Classic is enough. Of course, I’ve read the Classics too.”
It was obvious he’d barely scraped by with the Thousand Character Classic.
But when a man has his lover nearby, any real man has to hype him up, even inventing merits if needed.
“Wow! Reading the Classics too? That’s impressive! This little brother barely memorized the Thousand Character Classic, so I was just planning to think up the content and leave the writing to you, Brother Gu!”
“Kehm. I see.”
He was pretending otherwise, but Yang-hui could see Gu-ak’s shoulders subtly rising.
What a cute Black Path Tyrant.
“Then, Sister Rang. Do you have any memento with a story behind it? Something to make the notice more convincing.”
Even as he spoke, Yang-hui anticipated her reaction.
After all, he’d insisted on seeing her in person to get that item.
“I don’t have anything like…… Ah!”
Rang-rang lightly skipped over and returned with a small jade plaque.
“When I first started working at that tavern as a child, a guest left this with me. He said it was something to connect me with someone precious, and to never sell it but keep it always. Hearing that, I couldn’t bear to part with it, no matter how hard times got. I wore it around my neck and endured.”
A blue plaque with a single boldly engraved character.
The script was so unique and strange it was hard to read, but it was clearly the character for “True” (眞).
‘The token from her father. Confirmed.’
With this, the first and final condition to lure Rang-rang’s father was met. Everything else could be fabricated freely.
“This should be enough, Sister Rang. Mind if I borrow it for a few days?”
“Please do, young master. That plaque fulfilled its duty once I met Brother Gu anyway.”
‘No, it hasn’t. The precious person that guest meant is her father himself.’
Yang-hui smiled faintly and turned to Gu-ak.
“By the way, Brother Gu. Before we proceed, wouldn’t it be best to move Sister Rang’s residence to the Baek Clan Manor?”
“Hm? Why?”
“Whatever happens, it’ll cause a stir. The Crimson Gang Leader might fly into a rage and do something terrible. In that case, the safest place you trust most is the Baek Clan Manor, right? What else is there?”
“……”
It was irrefutable. Everyone Gu-ak knew was from the black path.
Black path folks weren’t without loyalty, but with the Crimson Gang Leader himself involved, there wasn’t a single one he could trust.
‘In that case…… entrusting her to the Peerless Righteous Helper is a hundred, a thousand times better. Even Father can’t touch the Baek Clan Manor easily.’
In truth, the Baek Clan Manor was a thorn in the side of Ak-an County’s black path gangs.
Their forces were puny enough to wipe out in a day, but they couldn’t touch them carelessly because of the clan head’s sworn brother.
That’s why they’d charged in immediately when Baek Mu-ryang gave them an excuse before.
Though they’d ended up handing over their treasury and retreating thanks to Yang-hui’s silver tongue.
“We’ll do that. Rang-rang, stay at little brother’s clan for a few days.”
“I don’t fully understand the reason, but if it’s Brother Gu’s word, it must be right. Understood.”
The discussion ended.
Gu-ak escorted Yang-hui and Rang-rang to the Baek Clan Manor before departing.
“Sister Rang, please make yourself at home, even if it’s inconvenient for a few days.”
“Ho ho ho, thank you for your kindness, young master.”
And so Rang-rang’s life as a guest at the Baek Clan Manor began.
The very next day, notices went up everywhere.
Not just in Ak-an County, but Muju, Namchang, throughout all of Jiangxi Province, and even neighboring Hunan Province.
📜 Public Notice 📜 The blue-clothed beauty of unparalleled grace, Rang-rang, seeks her father! A father who lost his twenty-five-year-old daughter…… She has kept the jade token given by her father as a proof of identity, shaped like…… Those seeking to reclaim their lost blood bond, come to the Baek Clan Manor in Ak-an County, Muju, Jiangxi! Exactly three days later.
On a midnight when the full moon hung bright in the sky, the Baek Clan Manor received an uninvited guest.