Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: The Letter from Gildju
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A single carrier pigeon fluttered down onto the Baek Clan Manor with a soft cooing.
A single letter flown in from Gildju.
Baek Yang-hui slowly read through the words.
'The conquest of Gildju is finally over.'
It had been a full three months since the warriors, led by Baek Mu-ryang and the Tang forces, had set out on their campaign.
They had finally succeeded in wiping out every last black path faction in Gildju.
'It took longer than expected... No, I shouldn't think of it that way.'
Gildju was the second largest region in the vast expanse of Gangseo Province.
It was no mere province—it was a territory so expansive that an entire small kingdom could have fit within it without issue.
Not only had they eradicated five major black path sects, but they had rooted out every last remnant hiding in the shadows, all in just three months. That was remarkably swift.
[I gathered representatives from Gildju's common folk and asked them.] [If they had a choice, they wished our clan would leave Gildju and return home. I warned them that Honam's black path forces might invade, but they wouldn't budge.] [I'll respect their decision and head back immediately.] 'As expected of Father. He didn't have to warn them, but he told me everything anyway.'
And yet, they still wanted the Baek Clan to withdraw.
True to form for the insular, hostile folk of the guest clans.
'They're no fools—they know it could get even more dangerous from here on out.'
But people often fail to choose the right path even when they know better.
Someone who nearly drowned as a child can never enjoy swimming again, no matter how safe the water is.
Having wandered as refugees and endured persecution for generations, they viewed all outsiders with suspicion, no matter how much goodwill was shown.
'That said, once they open their hearts, they'll become an unshakable stronghold that never betrays.'
With those thoughts, he rose to his feet.
His steps led him to the hall where the Namgung men were staying.
He wanted to relay the news to Namgung Cheon-hu.
"Young Master Namgung, the Gildju subjugation is complete. They're heading back soon."
"I see. Understood."
The business was done, but instead of turning away immediately, Yang-hui lingered, watching Namgung Cheon-hu for a moment.
Namgung Cheon-hu met his gaze, his expression asking if there was more.
He was impassive as always, but Yang-hui caught the faint undercurrent of emotion.
'Hmm. He's starting to feel like killing me. Well, I'd feel the same in his shoes.'
Not long ago, Namgung Cheon-hu had boasted that he would lead mobile strikes against Gildju's black path sects.
In other words, the Gildju subjugation was originally the Namgung Clan's responsibility.
But even with Namgung Cheon-hu himself, their twenty peak realm experts had been cut in half to just twelve.
Still a decent number, but not quite enough for long-range expeditions and mobile warfare across such distances.
"Any issues with Muju's security?"
"No particular disturbances."
As a result, Namgung Cheon-hu and the rest of the Soaring Heaven Sword Squad were merely filling in for the absent Tang and Baek forces.
They were playing guard dog for the rear lines in Muju.
"Take care of it."
"Don't worry."
As he left the Namgung quarters, Yang-hui furrowed his brow.
'No way those bastards are behaving themselves.'
The Namgung Clan handling Muju's security wasn't Yang-hui's idea.
Namgung Cheon-hu had volunteered first.
He dressed it up as guarding the rear, but he'd essentially volunteered to be the house dog.
'They've basically given up on earning merits and claiming a stake in Gangseo later.'
They wouldn't abandon scheming entirely... so they must have decided to play the long game.
And that wasn't all.
'A house dog. If the dog opens the gate, outsiders can rob the place more easily.'
They wouldn't team up with bandits to burgle the house, but a silent dog left everything defenseless all the same.
In Yang-hui's mind, that was the only reason the Namgung Clan had volunteered for rear guard.
'The problem is, Namgung Cheon-hu knows I see through it.'
He clicked his tongue. The issue was cornering a Namgung Clan young master on circumstantial evidence alone—there would be hell to pay later.
If he could just catch solid proof of Namgung Cheon-hu colluding with the black path, things would be so much simpler.
Well, these were all factors to weigh in the game of intrigue.
'In the end, to topple the Namgung bastards, I need to create a situation where they can't wriggle out.'
That meant striking at their vulnerabilities, even at some risk.
Ideally, gaps that seemed ironclad to Namgung Cheon-hu while ensuring maximum safety on his end.
'Tricky. So tricky.'
He'd have to put his head together with Little Bookworm and devise a solid plan.
Lost in thought, he soon arrived at his residence's rear garden.
There he saw Adu and Je-gal Seol-ha training.
"Seol-ha."
"Ah, senior brother!"
Je-gal Seol-ha flashed a bright smile and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"If you're training, why not do it in the training hall?"
"Others were there."
She still hadn't outgrown her shyness around strangers.
"It's not like I need a lot of space anyway. I can practice my forms right here from a seated position."
Je-gal Seol-ha demonstratively plucked the strings of her bipa.
A beautiful melody shot out, kicking up dust on Adu's chest.
"It's a training method that's impossible without a monk, though."
"Impossible? Even against Adu, it feels a bit too brutish."
Je-gal Seol-ha was honing her peak realm sound arts by using them on Adu.
And in a one-sided barrage against a stationary target, no less.
Even if he was tough, treating him like a meat shield seemed excessive.
"That's rich coming from you, senior brother. You spent days bombarding me with killing intent to teach me Righteous Spirit Manifestation."
"...Fair point."
It was efficient, if brutally crude.
Normally, one's mind would shatter, leading to heart demons or qi deviation before mastering it.
'Makes me grateful all over again that the little guy endured it for months.'
He'd kept it going because she seemed to handle it, but he'd have stopped at the first sign of her resolve cracking.
"Seol-ha, you done?"
"Yeah. That's it for today."
"Then gimme rice cakes."
"I'll get some soon. Want to come pick them out together?"
"For real? Awesome!"
For the record, Adu's compensation for assisting her training was a daily bundle of rice cakes.
Barely worth a single silver tael.
'Well, I'm the worst offender for exploiting Adu... but Seol-ha's changed a lot.'
She used to kneel at the drop of a hat, saying things like, "This girl will repay the favor!" over the pettiest things.
Now she was boldly shameless to a fault.
Far, far from the refined daughter of a noble house.
How did this happen?
'...As long as Adu's happy with it.'
Something about getting beaten helping his external arts training, plus free rice cakes.
A peak realm sound arts master could shatter an opponent's internals and externals with a single pluck, so it was genuine training... but still...
He just smiled warmly.
Good was good.
"So, you two heading out?"
"Yeah. Gonna wash up and grab rice cakes."
"Mind if I join?"
"You too, senior brother?"
"Yeah. My head's a mess—thinking dinner out might clear it."
"Mood changers are important. I'll hurry and wash up."
Je-gal Seol-ha's face lit up as she flitted away like a feather.
From her haste, she must have been starving.
'No, hold on.'
Je-gal Seol-ha didn't reappear for a full hour.
It had been early evening when she left, but now the sun was dipping low.
"Kept you waiting long?"
No polite modesty from her.
"Yeah. Forever. Like, insanely."
"Seol-ha, did you nap?"
"Hehe. Why the attitudes? A real man waits patiently for a lady to doll up."
She spun gracefully, her ornate silk skirt billowing.
And she really did look stunning.
No veil like usual, either.
Her aura alone could captivate any man, and now she'd revealed her made-up face.
"What about your veil? You okay with this?"
"Time to enjoy some stares for once. If guys swarm me, chase 'em off, senior brother."
"That'd be easy enough, but..."
Wasn't the problem their leering thoughts grossing him out?
"Let's go. I sent someone ahead to order food while waiting."
"The usual place."
He led Adu and Je-gal Seol-ha to the tavern.
Yuwalu. Once one of the Protection Assembly's businesses, and the site of the Yuhang Assembly.
Nestled at the foot of Lake Yuhang's namesake hill—a scenic gem of Agan-hyeon.
"Welcome, young master. Right this way to the top floor."
As the waiter guided them up the stairs and reached the assigned private room's door...
'Hm? Someone's inside.'
The presence was faint, as if cloaked in stealth arts, but not enough to fool Yang-hui's senses.
Definitely two martial artists in the room.
'Assassins?'
He eyed the waiter. No tension whatsoever.
So they'd snuck in without the staff knowing.
—Someone's inside. Stay ready, just in case.
Yang-hui sent a transmission to Je-gal Seol-ha and Adu, then shoved the door aside like lightning.
The next instant, surprise flashed across his face.
Both occupants were people he knew.
"Chui-dal? Old man?"
"Come in, young master. Ho ho ho."
Chui-dal and Yeo Un-hyeok. The pair waiting in the room for Yang-hui.
'Come to think of it, half a year has flown by already.'
Chui-dal and Yeo Un-hyeok had left half a year ago to train in the Spirit Ghost Sect's secret arts along the New Earth Meridian Veins.
Eight months had passed since—about time for their return.
"But how'd you know to come here?"
"Brother! About that, see..."
Chui-dal approached with a beaming grin, then his eyes bulged like saucers.
Reunion joy evaporated into sheer shock.
"B-brother... the young lady behind you..."
"Ah."
Yang-hui realized why Chui-dal had frozen mid-approach.
This punk, ditching his long-lost brother for a girl?
'Even if Seol-ha's beauty is otherworldly, that's a bit much.'
Protocol first—he introduced Je-gal Seol-ha to Yeo Un-hyeok.
"Little sister, say hello. This old gentleman is the head of our clan's Baek-ri Hall. And this fool with the dumb look is Chui-dal."
After greeting Yeo Un-hyeok, Je-gal Seol-ha eyed Chui-dal with sparkling curiosity.
"So you're the Young Master Chui-dal. Senior brother talks about you loads."
"Y-young master? T-too much, way too much honor."
His stammering was hilarious.
"Chui-dal, oh Chui-dal. The Chui of shameful, the Dal of otter."
"Ah, brother! Quit with that weird crap!"
"You gave up on it years ago—why whine now?"
He strode over and slung an arm around Chui-dal's neck.
"Ashamed in front of Seol-ha? After all this time? Did I raise you to lose composure like this? How's the next Spirit Ghost gonna be useful with such shallow calm?"
"Ack! Brother! Violence right off the bat after so long?!"
"This violence? It's brotherly love, you punk!"
"Ow! That hurts! Damn it!"
That instant, Chui-dal slipped free like his head was oiled.
"...Huh. Not bad."
Yang-hui had always expressed affection toward Chui-dal in earnest.
He'd squeezed just now as a joke, with real force.
And he'd escaped that easily?
"Heh heh heh. I'm not the me of old."
"True that. Upgrading you from wild otter to tame duck Chui-dal."
"Duck? Ha! A fifteen-year-old first-rate prodigy, and you call me a duck?"
Chui-dal puffed his chest proudly—then sensed the mood shift.
"Brother?"
"Chui-dal."
"Yes? Why the sudden chill?"
"'Cause you're the only first-rate here."
"What?!"
Yeo Un-hyeok aside, Yang-hui, Adu, and Je-gal Seol-ha were all peak realm.
"F-for real?"
"Yup."
"......"
Chui-dal recalled the hellish agony of the Asura Hell Great Law he'd endured for half a year.
Days of pure torment. He'd survived only dreaming of this moment.
"Boy prodigy, was it? By the way, we don't call first-rates 'prodigies.'"
"......"
"First-rate scrub duck Chui-dal! Rolls off the tongue perfectly."
Suddenly, tears welled in Chui-dal's eyes.
"Hey. You crying?"
"......"
Chui-dal, age fifteen, shedding tears in front of a girl for the first time!