Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Third-Rate Martial Family Becomes World's Best
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Twenty-five years later, during the Demonic Uprising, five demonic cults revealed themselves.
Among them, the Divine Cult... was hands-down the worst.
'That leader bastard... must be about my age by now.'
The Divine Cult wasn't feared for having the strongest forces.
In fact, it had the fewest members of the five demonic cults, making it the weakest in terms of raw power.
Well, the issue was that every single one was an elite demon, tough to handle even in small numbers.
And at the top, the one who commanded absolute fanatic devotion from all the fiends.
-Heavenly God! Defy the heavens for a new world!
-Heavenly God!
The Divine Cult called their leader the Heavenly God.
We called him something else.
The great evil born of heaven.
The greatest demon under the sky.
The Heavenly Demon.
"You filthy Blood Cult dogs, we already know you're allied with the Heaven-Defying Divine Cult. So spill what you know."
Even if his memories were wiped, there had to be at least a sliver left.
They couldn't erase everything without damaging his personality and sense of self, so they'd leave the bare minimum.
Proof was that the Ghostly White Horse still remembered he was with the Blood Cult.
But.
Yang-hui didn't get the answer he wanted.
"Heaven-Defying Divine Cult...? Never heard of it."
"Ah, you bastard. You need more punishment."
Yang-hui immediately channeled pure energy into the Ghostly White Horse's upper dantian.
"Wait! Graaah! I-I really don't know! I swear!"
"You really don't know?"
"Yes! The only group our Blood Cult contacts is the Bright Cult!"
The Bright Cult. Full name: Sun-Moon Bright Cult.
One of the five demonic cults that would rise later.
"Your memories weren't wiped?"
"No! We can't have clashes while lurking in the shadows, so memories stay intact. Knowing about the Sun-Moon Bright Cult proves it!"
So he really knew nothing about the Divine Cult?
They all rose up at once like clockwork, so they had to know each other.
Were they not even aware of each other's identities at this point?
"Tell me everything you know, including the Bright Cult."
"Urgh..."
The Ghostly White Horse ground his teeth.
He, who had killed countless masters, extracted their souls to enslave them, and mocked even death itself, reduced to this.
The energy in the kid before him was perfectly opposed to his sorcery and inner power.
And not just opposed—it unilaterally shattered and annihilated them, a superior counter.
'Even those Daoist bastards trembled before me. How the hell does a mere brat have this kind of energy...'
"Ah, you bastard. Thinking nonsense again."
The mysterious energy struck his upper dantian once more, twisting the Ghostly White Horse's body as he screamed.
"Graaaah!"
Pain like everything that made him who he was vanishing.
In truth, the pure energy was destroying the foundation of this sorcerer.
This agony was worse than death—no, worse than hell itself.
In the end, the Ghostly White Horse spilled everything he knew to Yang-hui.
"You bastard. At this point in time, you're just a paper tiger."
Yang-hui clicked his tongue.
Compared to the infamous terror he'd unleash in the future, he had no real substance now.
Well, his fame came after he got the Four Ghosts—evil spirits that even peak experts couldn't face without soul projection techniques.
Pfuk!
Yang-hui stabbed his sword tip into the Ghostly White Horse's forehead.
Worried about any sorcery to prolong his life, he confirmed the kill several times, then infused pure energy to be thorough.
'The only useful info I got... is that the Blood Cult's already lurking around now.'
Meager results for the effort.
Still, it planted vigilance for the future—not a total loss.
'Feels like I took a loss anyway. Can't have that.'
Humans hate losses, after all.
To shake off this feeling, time to grab some gains.
Conveniently, there was the perfect mark: the South Gold Merchant leader.
With that thought, Yang-hui walked over to where the South Gold Merchant leader was.
"Little brother. You're back. That demon bastard?"
"Dead. He knew less than expected."
"No slip-up in interrogation? Haha, shoulda done it myself."
Gu-ak's gaze carried a hint of 'Even you can't do everything.'
Yang-hui just smiled.
'Yeah, right. If you'd stepped in, he wouldn't have said a word.'
Things had changed a lot during the interrogation.
The warriors who'd occupied the South Gold Merchant compound were all bound, and the merchant's guards were cleaning up under the leader's orders.
"Young hero! You're here!"
The South Gold Merchant leader spotted Yang-hui and came rushing over, panting.
His face still beamed with overwhelming gratitude.
"Thanks again, young hero! Oh, we haven't properly introduced ourselves. I'm Nam Geum-jeok, leader of the South Gold Merchants."
Couldn't give his real name, so he fudged it.
"I'm Wang Sam, a wanderer traveling with my righteous brother."
"Haha, Wang, the young hero. I've been thinking how to repay this grace. All I can offer is money."
The South Gold leader ordered a guard to bring a money pouch.
"Thanks for saving my life, young hero."
Yang-hui took it and opened it right away.
'What the...?'
Not expecting it to be opened immediately, the leader looked flustered as Yang-hui peered inside.
It felt heavy—jackpot, he thought—but it was all silver taels.
'Miserly old skinflint usurer. Figures—that's how he fattens his belly scamming folks with loans.'
Truth be told, Yang-hui had felt a tiny pang of guilt toward the South Gold leader.
The guy didn't know, but Yang-hui was the root cause of today's mess.
Spreading rumors to trash the compound and lure in the Ghostly White Horse, then taking a reward for the rescue? It pricked his conscience a bit.
But that guilt melted away.
'Yeah, accelerating the downfall of a scumbag who deserves to crash—guilt's a luxury.'
"Sorry, young hero. In the chaos, we raided a warehouse someone had stashed loot in..."
"No worries. I didn't do it for payment."
Yang-hui replied flatly and continued.
"Well then, we'll be off."
"Ah, stay longer so I can properly repay—"
"No need."
His intentions were transparent. With the compound in ruins, he feared more warriors drawn by rumors—better to keep any ally around.
"Gu-hyung. Let's go."
"Got it."
He and Gu-ak left the compound without a backward glance.
"Tch. Meager gains for the effort."
"Happens sometimes. Wasn't the goal helping the Baek Bookstore anyway?"
"True, but as I said before, true prodigies turn one stone into two birds."
"I've thought this before, but you sound more like a black path bastard than me."
"How dare you use such insulting words, Gu-hyung!"
"...If you can't properly explain why it's insulting, I'll challenge you to a deathmatch."
"I'll tell Rang-nim! That Gu-hyung tried to kill me!"
"...Grah! If I escort you again, call me beast, not man!"
Teasing Gu-ak to soothe his regrets, Yang-hui suddenly realized he'd forgotten something.
"Oh yeah, where'd Chui-dal go?"
"Forgot about that punk."
He'd told him to stand watch from the hill nearby while waiting.
They leaped toward it.
But no one was on the hill.
"This guy, told him to wait here—where'd he go?"
"These damn brats never listen."
"...Gu-hyung. Go find him."
"Why me?"
"Young master's orders. Gotta obey, right?"
"..."
That was when.
"Huff, huff! Big bro! Great hero Gu! Help me out!"
Chui-dal was climbing the hill, grunting.
A massive bundle hung on his back.
Yang-hui dashed over and flicked his forehead hard.
Kwang!
"Ow! Jeez!"
"Jeez? Jeez? You punk. Told you to wait—where'd you wander off to?"
"Don't be too harsh, little brother. Little bros learn by watching big bros."
"Like how I've learned so much from you, Gu-hyung?"
"..."
Silencing Gu-ak, Yang-hui rolled up his sleeves for a proper scolding.
But.
Chui-dal didn't flinch, dropping the bundle.
"Hmph! See this first, then talk, big bro!"
"What's this... Hm? Ah? You rascal?"
Chui-dal grinned cheekily.
"Heh heh heh. If you can still scold me after this, I'll take it gladly!"
The bundle held gold bars, gold ingots, and all sorts of jewels.
Eyeballing it, worth at least two hundred nyang in gold.
"Where'd you get this? Don't tell me...?"
"Heh heh heh. Things got messy, so this little bro filled in for you."
In other words, he'd snuck into the South Gold Merchant's treasure warehouse and cleaned it out.
"You rascal!"
This haul more than covered any losses.
Yang-hui locked Chui-dal's head in his armpit and ruffled him wildly.
"You clever kid! Such a good boy!"
"Heh heh! Did good, right? Praise me more!"
"Wouldn't trade my fully grown righteous brother for a little bro like you! You did awesome!"
"I know I did great!"
Watching the two brats' antics, Gu-ak just stayed quiet.
'Rang-rang. I miss you.'
Gu-ak felt especially lonely today.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In Muju County, Ak-an District, at the heart of Baek Clan Manor in Jiangxi Province.
The clan head's office was in the midst of a heated meeting with the elders.
"Sigh. Big trouble, clan head."
Baek Mu-ryang, freshly out of seclusion, asked the sighing chief steward.
"That short?"
"Hopelessly short. At this rate, we'll have to sell off one of our hard-won businesses."
The meeting's main topic was money.
"After the Black Path Warlords fiasco, we borrowed to repair the damage. And when we took over businesses, we paid fair prices."
It couldn't be helped. Unlike black path gangs seizing businesses cheaply through force, Baek Clan Manor was a righteous white path martial clan.
"Only natural. We did business properly—righteously, even before that."
Among their holdings was a tavern protected from black path warlords by mobilizing all Baek warriors, then acquired after building ties with the owner.
They could've lowballed the price, but Baek Mu-ryang paid full value, straight as an arrow.
'Our clan head's temperament is what it is—unavoidable... but so frustrating.'
Chief Steward Han Seok-eon handled all the clan's finances.
To him, Baek Clan Manor teetered on bankruptcy.
Too many expenses before revenues kicked in.
'Like before Young Master Hui returned.'
Thinking of the boy who'd become young master after Baek Mu-ryang's seclusion, a spark lit in Han's mind.
'Yes, if we hold out till Young Master Hui returns...'
Young Master Baek Yang-hui. In Han's eyes, a child born with a merchant god's fate.
Unconsciously, Han formed a circle with thumb and forefinger.
He was certain. This time too, Hui would bring heaps of wealth.
So just hold on till then...
'Not sure we can. Young Master Hui, please hurry back.'
That moment.
A clan servant knocked and shouted loudly.
"Clan head! Young Master Hui has returned!"
Han Seok-eon reacted before Baek Mu-ryang.
He shot up, yelling.
"Did Young Master Hui bring anything!?"
"He's got a huge bundle with him, per Book Pavilion Leader Baek!"
"Yes! Just as I thought!"
Han dashed out barefoot.
"Young Master Hui! How much this time!?"
Seeing Han's beaming face and circled fingers, Yang-hui grinned and shouted.
"Two thousand nyang worth!"
The Baek Clan Manor, struggling with finances, welcomed its merchant god.