Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Winds of Chaos
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The central training ground of Baek Clan Manor. The three Baek siblings were sweating profusely as they threw themselves into their training.
“Ha! Ha!”
“Yap! Yap!”
With Baek Heon-so and Baek Yeon-yeon’s shouts as the backdrop, Yang-hui repeated the first through third forms of the Heaven-Covering Three Swords at an excruciatingly slow pace.
Only after completing a full ten repetitions did he finally release his stance.
Even with his training robes utterly soaked in sweat, Yang-hui wore a smile brimming with fulfillment.
‘With this, I’ve achieved perfect mastery of the Heaven-Covering Three Swords.’
Mastering a sword art wasn’t merely about piercing through its profound principles.
All martial arts ultimately manifested the truths of heaven and earth through the body itself.
Without a solid foundation of physical conditioning, true mastery could never be attained.
‘I’ve built up a full year’s worth of internal energy cultivation, and my body is more than ready to wield the Heaven-Covering Three Swords.’
A young, vibrant frame. Shortcuts known only because he’d once reached those heights before.
In his previous life, it had taken three years to arrive at this realm.
Three months had passed since entering Baek Clan Manor, meaning he’d achieved this dozens of times faster than before.
“Huuuu...”
Watching Yang-hui exhale at length, Baek Heon-so—who had stopped his own training at some point to spectate Yang-hui’s sword forms—shouted out loudly.
“Brother, incredible! That display just now was just like watching Father. Don’t tell me...”
Yang-hui nodded.
“You got it right. I’ve mastered the Heaven-Covering Three Swords.”
“Whoa!”
There wasn’t a trace of the old jealousy on Baek Heon-so’s face, filled instead with genuine awe.
His innocent, childlike features shone purely with admiration and yearning for his brother.
Yang-hui couldn’t help but smile warmly to himself.
‘Just keep growing up straight and true like this, So-ya.’
He hadn’t expected mending fences with the kid to be this straightforward.
Why hadn’t he managed something so simple in his previous life?
‘I was young back then too. Just as lacking.’
Things would be different from now on.
With that in mind, Yang-hui spoke up.
“So. Yeon. I’m stepping out for a bit, so keep at your training.”
“Oppa, out again?”
Baek Yeon-yeon’s face fell into a pout, her longing to tag along plain as day.
“I’ll bring back sweets and chicken skewers, so train hard till then. Got it, Yeon-ah?”
“Okay...”
Her persistent sulk tugged at his heartstrings a little, but he couldn’t bring her along.
He was off to meet Fake Deer for Horse, Yeo Un-jeok.
Yang-hui straightened his scholar’s robes and headed straight for Steward Han Seok-eon.
“Steward Han, mind if I head out for a short while?”
Going out had been a hassle before, but now the entire household was accustomed to Yang-hui’s outings.
Han Seok-eon nodded readily.
“Of course, Young Master Hui. Say, when might you bring some good news?”
“News?”
“This kind, I mean.”
Han Seok-eon curled his thumb and forefinger into a circle.
‘Ah, money...’
Yang-hui gave an awkward smile.
“I’m working hard at it.”
“Much appreciated. You and I are the only ones minding the household purse in Baek Clan Manor.”
“Isn’t Father grinding away at it daily too?”
“The Clan Leader spends every coin he brings in.”
It wasn’t wrong. Baek Mu-ryang had a particularly soft heart, doling out charity far and wide until barely enough remained to put food on the retainers’ tables.
“Father just invests in things money can’t buy. The main house will soon wave goodbye to poverty anyway. With that, I’m off!”
“Bring the God of Wealth with you!”
Leaving Baek Clan Manor behind, Yang-hui made straight for the rendezvous point with Yeo Un-jeok.
Yeo Un-jeok had arrived early and was already waiting.
“Young master, you’ve come.”
“I hurried over, but you beat me here. Have you reviewed all the counters I provided?”
Not long ago, Yang-hui had jotted down the counters for every underworld faction’s martial arts in Akgwan County, the Crimson Gang included.
Yeo Un-jeok had insisted on verifying their authenticity first, to build mutual trust.
Yeo Un-jeok nodded gravely.
“Over the past days, I’ve picked fights on the sly—without raising suspicion—and tested every last one.”
Yang-hui posed the question despite already knowing the answer.
“And the results?”
“All of them… flawless counters.”
It had to be. He was confident he knew those Akgwan underworld arts better than their own practitioners.
“Where on earth did you get these counters from? Not just one faction, but every art from multiple groups.”
He gave a straightforward reply.
“Rolling with the beggar crew, I’ve watched Akgwan’s underworld thugs scrap over a hundred times at least.”
“So you devised them yourself. Impossible. You’re just eight, barely months into martial arts.”
Fair point—at least within the bounds of common sense.
But—
“Elder. How many heaven-defying geniuses do you reckon exist out there, beyond mortal measure?”
“…You claiming to be one of those peerless prodigies?”
Yang-hui shot back with utterly brazen confidence.
“If not, how else do you explain this?”
“…”
His face radiating self-assured pride, Yang-hui keenly observed every shift in Yeo Un-jeok’s expression and aura.
Truth be told, his argument wasn’t airtight.
Piecing things together without revealing his regression had its limits.
But—
‘Convincing people isn’t all logic. The speaker often carries more weight.’
When a nobody and a famed elder voiced the same claim, which held sway?
The elder’s, naturally.
So playing the transcendent genius lent far more persuasive heft right now.
His feats so far—counters aside—were already freakish for an eight-year-old.
“…An outrageously bold claim, yet no other explanation fits. So what’s your plan now?”
‘He’s buying it. Good.’
Yang-hui smiled and answered.
“Elder. Picture two underworld factions, evenly matched and bitter foes. If one snags counters to the other’s arts, what happens?”
“They’d pounce to devour them whole.”
“And if, at the life-or-death brink, you toss counters to the other side too?”
“They’d rip each other to shreds. With this many counters, sounds like you’re aiming beyond a two-way brawl—three-way, or more.”
Yeo Un-jeok fixed Yang-hui with a steady gaze.
“Rivers of blood, countless dead. That sit well with you, young master?”
Pressure test? Or probing resolve?
Yang-hui nodded without a flicker of hesitation.
“Their deaths stem from their own greed. No greed, no underworld war.”
“Fair, but regrets might follow. Blood debt crushes every shoulder equally.”
Yang-hui paused a beat before responding.
“You know Akgwan County’s the kind of dump where even kids can’t safely step outside?”
Last time he’d tried taking his siblings out, Han Seok-eon had flat-out refused without escorts.
Akgwan was that sort of hellhole. Kids wandering alone? Anything could happen, no questions asked.
“Dirty upstream means murky downstream. Black factions overrun Akgwan. Even I—a martial family scion—catch hell; imagine the common folk.”
Yang-hui hadn’t breathed a word of his Yeo Un-jeok partnership to anyone.
But even if Peerless Righteous Helper Baek Mu-ryang found out, he’d fret without forbidding it. Yang-hui’s path had never strayed from his father’s teachings of justice.
Did that conviction show on his face?
After a silence, Yeo Un-jeok spoke.
“You’re a real enigma, young master. Martial prowess, cunning stratagems, unyielding heart—all mismatched for your age.”
Yang-hui just grinned.
“Hence the self-proclaimed world-shaker title. Best of luck to us, elder.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Gyo Cheol-jeong, sub-branch leader of Blue Serpent Gang’s Sa-mi Hall, clutched his throbbing leg once more and tried to sleep.
‘Goddamn it. Fucking bullshit. Those thieving dog bastards. Catch ‘em and I’ll rip ‘em apart limb by limb.’
Gyo ground his teeth recalling the thieves who’d looted the secret stash under his watch.
Some brat beggar as bait, and those mutts ransacked the whole thing.
Because of it, he’d been beaten to death’s door by the gang leader—and months later, that leg still ached from the thrashing.
‘Damn it all. Gotta nab those thieves fast.’
The Blue Serpent Gang leader had half-killed him before ordering the culprits caught.
Three-month deadline. Miss it, and Gyo was a dead man.
Problem was, zero leads.
‘Somehow catch ‘em. Or rack up merit elsewhere to bury this mess.’
But how?
No path forward. Each day tightened the noose around his neck.
As frustration peaked—
Thud.
Something struck the door. Jumpy Gyo rushed out and found a stone with several paper scraps tied to it.
‘What the hell?’
Unfurling the notes, Gyo’s eyes bulged in shock.
[Hereby granting you the counters to Crimson Gang’s Rock-Cleaving Axe Method—first three forms.]
He’d scrapped with Crimson Gang endlessly, so he knew at a glance.
The scribbles were genuine counters to their signature art.
‘Who the... no, forget that—with this...!’
Why had Blue Serpent Gang stockpiled weapons and cash in secret?
For doomsday—and to feast on Crimson Gang when the moment came.
‘Hand this to the leader, and it’ll bury my screw-up with merit to spare!’
That settled it. Sender’s identity or motives? Irrelevant.
Gyo craved more years of life, and this doused the fire scorching his feet.
‘Straight to the leader!’
Midnight or not, Gyo bolted for Blue Serpent Gang headquarters.
“Oi! Tell the gang leader—Sa-mi Sub-branch Leader has urgent business!”
After relaying to the guard, he waited. A sour-faced middle-aged man emerged.
Pale, bluish complexion like a venomous serpent.
The Blue Serpent Gang leader himself.
“You worthless cur. I told you: no face till those stash-raiders are dragged in.”
Gyo groveled through the abuse, bowing low.
“Gang leader, had no choice—this is critical. Take a look.”
The leader snatched the papers from Gyo’s hand.
“Better be worth it, or you’re done for... Hm? What’s this...?”
Bent double, Gyo peeked up with a beaming grin.
“Spot on. Crimson dogs’ Rock-Cleaving Axe Method. The counters.”
“Where’d you get it?”
“Chasing thief leads, I saved some wounded elder staggering about. Turns out a martial arts master—handed me these in thanks and vanished.”
Lame story, full of holes. But tales from the martial world like that cropped up daily.
The martial world was vast. Eccentrics abounded.
“Real deal? Lie to me, and I’ll carve your head off personally.”
“You’ve seen it yourself—no fakes in these counters!”
True enough. Stronger than Gyo and intimately familiar with Crimson arts, even the leader confirmed their authenticity.
“Hmmm...”
The gang leader’s mind whirred.
‘Just first three forms, but that’s all most grunts know anyway. Then...’
Distribute to every underling, then war on Crimson Gang?
Victory was in the bag.
“All hands! Summon Sa-du, Sa-a, Sa-an sub-leaders—now!”
And so, the winds of upheaval began stirring in Akgwan County’s black martial underworld.
A mere eight-year-old boy’s machinations had set it all in motion.