Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: Five Ri Chui-dal
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"Ugh, ugh! I endured that hellish time just to be of help to you, brother. How can you be so cruel to this little brother!"
Chui-dal sobbed pitifully. The spacious guest room was filled with his wails.
Any ordinary person would feel sympathy and pity for him, even without any prior connection.
But.
"Chui-dal, oh Chui-dal, Chui-dal with the 'chui' from ugly and 'dal' from otter. You look even uglier when you cry."
The sobbing stopped abruptly. Chui-dal stared at Yang-hui with a dumbfounded expression, utterly speechless.
No, I'm bawling my eyes out so pathetically here, and that's what you say?
As that thought crossed his mind, Chui-dal suddenly realized something.
His master Yeo Un-hyeok aside, even Je-gal Seol-ha and A-du showed no signs of pity on their faces.
A-du was busy stuffing his face with rice cakes from the table.
Je-gal Seol-ha wore an expression of pure curiosity, like she'd seen something fascinating.
A-du the monk, fine. But even the Je-gal young lady?
Could it be that his sworn brother's disciples were cold-blooded to the bone?
"Seol-ha can read people's emotions. You're busted, man."
"......Tch."
Chui-dal wiped away his tears in an instant and glared at Yang-hui while crossing his legs.
"Hey, it's been ages since we last met. Weren't you even a little moved or anything? You're as cool and collected as ever."
"Kid, do you think I don't know you by now?"
From the start, Chui-dal had a tragic backstory—losing his father and getting kidnapped into an assassin sect. It wasn't strange for him to cry over a little teasing.
Yang-hui chuckled as he continued.
"Even when you're scheming, you gotta know your limits. Now, in front of this young lady you've just met, you're the guy fake-crying to win her sympathy and favor."
"N-no, that's not it! My goal was just to fool you, brother!"
Chui-dal rubbed his hands together like a lowly errand boy as he turned to Je-gal Seol-ha.
"Heh heh, Je-gal young... no, Sister Je-gal! This is Hu-i, your brother's little brother, greeting you once more. You aren't upset about it, right?"
Surprisingly, Je-gal Seol-ha accepted the title Chui-dal had given her.
"This sister has a big heart, unlike some people, so don't worry."
"Ahh, just as I thought. Well, some folks are just exceptionally narrow-minded. Living in such a big house and still acting like that. Tsk."
"Ahaha! You're as fun as they say."
"Did brother praise me? No way."
"It was all curses, but they were entertaining to hear."
"No matter how much you twist it or stir things up, the truth shines through. Anyway, you're my sister now—speak casually!"
"Should I? Then I'll call you Chui-dal too."
"Yes, sister!"
Hmm. Seol-ha isn't one to open up easily to others, and neither is Chui-dal.
Why do they click so well?
Well, from Seol-ha's perspective, it made sense to like Chui-dal.
He hadn't seen into his heart directly, but Chui-dal was the loyal type who'd stuck with him until the very end of his previous life—a man of outstanding character.
From Chui-dal's side... well, no man could possibly keep his distance from Seol-ha.
A flicker of unease rose within him.
What if later they team up against me in arguments, ganging up because they're close?
Teasing Chui-dal and those around him was one of life's joys. A pincer attack would ruin the fun.
He felt the need to shift to a serious topic.
"Still, that's impressive. How'd you do it? Making someone cry that convincingly on the spot takes a ton of practice."
"One of the sect's secret techniques. If you can control your facial muscles, squeezing out a few tears is nothing."
Seeing Chui-dal's shoulders puff up slightly, Yang-hui tossed out another compliment.
"Your Stealth Skill is pretty good too. Lady Yeo aside, I didn't even sense your presence."
It was a forced compliment, but not a lie.
His senses were sharp enough, yet all he'd picked up inside the room were the auras of the two people.
He hadn't identified them from their auras.
"I never thought even you, Chui-dal, could mask your aura from me. Your Stealth Skill has reached a profound level."
"Hahaha! My sect's Stealth Skill is the best in the world, so even you wouldn't notice, brother!"
Now Chui-dal's shoulders weren't the only thing puffed up—his nose was sky-high too.
Kid, you went through hellish training and all, but you're still just a brat.
So easy to read.
Time to punctuate it with a touch of sincerity.
"Yeah, yeah. You've worked hard all this time. I mean that sincerely."
With a serious expression, Yang-hui's words hit differently this time. Chui-dal looked genuinely moved, if only a little.
"......Thanks. Well, I'm still just a low-tier first-rate at best."
"True."
"Tch, I figured even you would apologize for teasing me in this mood."
"Why would I fall for it when your intentions are so obvious? Anyway."
Yang-hui turned to Yeo Un-hyeok, who had been watching their banter fondly.
"You must have heard from the Baek-ri Branch that I was coming here?"
"That's right. We were waiting to surprise you."
Good. It meant Yeo Un-hyeok and Chui-dal were still hidden cards.
If Namgung Cheon-hu didn't know they'd returned, he could use that.
And their achievements seem even better than expected.
"Sorry to ask right away, but I need a favor. Let's talk over the meal first."
As they enjoyed the still-warm food, he explained the Baek Clan's current situation.
"You probably heard from the Baek-ri Branch, but our immediate enemy at the main house isn't the unorthodox paths—it's the Namgung bastards."
"And you're telling us this right when this old man and his disciple return... You want us to keep watch?"
"Exactly."
To take down Namgung Cheon-hu, they needed proof above all else of his collusion with the unorthodox paths.
Attacking the young lord of one of the Five Great Clans required that much justification.
"If you personally step in, Pavilion Lord, you could monitor Namgung Cheon-hu's every move."
Yeo Un-hyeok smiled warmly at Chui-dal.
"For that, my disciple would be better than this old man."
Yang-hui looked puzzled at Chui-dal.
Namgung Cheon-hu and the Heavenly Sword Brigade were all peak experts.
Wouldn't the peak-realm Yeo Un-hyeok be better than low-tier first-rate Chui-dal?
"My cultivation is higher, but my disciple has properly inherited the Shadow Thrust lineage, young master."
Chui-dal thumped his chest proudly.
"What did I tell you? After my training trip, I'd be totally different."
"He's right. He's still young, but his achievements surpass mine. At least in Shadow Thrust secret arts like Stealth Skill."
Yeo Un-hyeok had become a disciple of the Spirit Ghost Sect too late and hadn't fully inherited the lineage.
Chui-dal, though young, had the talent that earned him the name Baek-ri Chui-dal in his previous life.
Still only about five ri for now... hmm.
"Alright. Let's see what Five Ri Chui-dal can do."
"Ah, come on! Why'd 'Five Ri' suddenly get added? I'm sick of just plain Chui-dal!"
"If it bugs you, train harder and make it Ten Ri, Hundred Ri, Thousand Ri."
"Tch. Just watch me, brother."
The joking ended there. Yang-hui's eyes turned serious as he asked Chui-dal.
"Chui-dal. If you get caught, you're dead. You confident?"
Chui-dal matched his demeanor.
"Of course. Trust me, brother."
"Good. I will."
"Hm? What's with you actually saying you'll trust me straight-up?"
Yang-hui smirked.
"It's not like that, Chui-dal."
From my previous life until now, I've never once doubted you.
Je-gal Seol-ha watched Yang-hui and Chui-dal quietly.
A sudden surge of jealousy welled up.
Does senior brother... trust me like that too?
Looks like she wouldn't sleep tonight.
She planned to pour more effort into the project she'd been working on alongside her three months of training.
Senior brother, your junior disciple is me.
A junior disciple feeling competitive toward her senior's sworn brother.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Cheongha Pavilion, used as the reception hall in the Baek Clan Manor.
Where Namgung Cheon-hu was staying.
Feels like I'm sneaking into my own house to catch a thief.
Chui-dal hopped the wall and approached Cheongha Pavilion with that thought.
Of course, he was under Stealth Skill, and none of the guards noticed.
The Discipline Pavilion Lord might chew someone out later.
The head of estate security was Discipline Pavilion Lord Kwak Mun.
Strict and by-the-book, so there'd probably be a fuss.
Should be fun.
Grinning, Chui-dal scaled a pillar and climbed onto the roof.
As my master taught, every building has three doors.
The regular door for people, windows, and air vents.
Every building had vents for ventilation. Otherwise, it'd rot.
Unless it was something massive like the Shaolin's scripture vault, built with intent.
Chui-dal slipped in through the vent and easily reached the ceiling above Namgung Cheon-hu's guest room.
Vents were narrow and winding, so he shouldn't have been able to move fast.
But Chui-dal's movements were faster than a sprint, and he squeezed through gaps too narrow for a person.
Body-Swap Trace-Erasing Art. The ultimate technique for real thievery.
The Spirit Ghost Sect's supreme secret art, Body-Swap Trace-Erasing Art, literally combined Stealth Skill and Bone Shrinkage into a peerless technique for changing form and erasing presence.
Layered with the Asura Hell Great Law.
Now, Chui-dal could slip through the tiniest cracks like a cat or scuttle through dark crevices like a cockroach, utterly undetectable.
"......"
A faint voice from below.
Infusing his ears with energy sharpened his hearing.
"In three days."
Three days?
The ceiling was woven wooden planks, with tiny gaps.
He threaded Heavenly Silken Threads through a gap and circulated his qi.
Another Spirit Ghost secret: Silken Shadow Knots.
This art handled up to ten threads at once, but had more uses outside combat.
Got it.
He could peer inside the room through the threads.
Namgung Cheon-hu sat in a chair, holding a letter.
Suddenly, Chui-dal noticed he looked different from months ago.
His presence felt darker somehow.
"Kill. I will kill him. Cheon-yeong. My brother. Baek Yang-hui. How could you. Father. Why would you do this to me. Heavens, why. Defile... yes, defile. Even if it dirties my hands. Heavenly Sword Brigade... Namgung Clan. Tang Clan. Must deal with them. Baek Yang-hui. Baek Yang-hui. Baek Yang-hui. Baek Yang-hui......!"
Muttering random phrases—it clearly wasn't a conversation.
No context connected them.
Disjointed ramblings.
Dismissing it as anxiety-induced babble didn't fit... it felt ominously wrong.
Possessed by a ghost or something?
Gives me the chills for no reason.
That was the moment.
Namgung Cheon-hu's muttering stopped dead.
"I will obtain it. Three days."
Three days. This seems important.
Attempting more against a peak expert was risky.
But to boast in front of brother, I need something decisive.
He pushed the threads further with maximum Body-Swap Trace-Erasing Art.
The threads extended a chi above Namgung Cheon-hu's head, bending to read the letter.
[Two Hundred (二百), Three Days (三日), Open Gate (開門), Annihilate (滅).]