Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The Predicted Night Raid
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The leader of the Advance Teaching Gang drew his broadsword and leaped forward.
His subordinates, gripping their own broadswords, followed right behind.
Ak-an County hugged the lakeshore, its bustling streets twisting through countless alleys. Yet the gang leader vaulted over walls and dashed across rooftops, carving a straight path forward.
Paths were made for feet to tread upon, after all.
But nothing stood in these men's eyes right now.
"Move faster."
As the gang leader barked the order upon spotting townsfolk scrambling away at the sight of them, his men chorused back in unison.
"Yes, sir!"
Civilians could run all they wanted, but they were no match for men employing lightness skills to charge in a straight line.
Still, the leader's mindset was one of utmost caution.
'I'll exterminate them without fail. That little brat especially—I'll tear him apart with my own hands.'
The sprawling grounds of Baek Clan Manor came into view in the distance.
How infuriating it had been to see a mere third-rate martial family occupy the largest estate in Ak-an County just recently.
Today, that manor—guardian of its spot for centuries—would be reduced to ashes.
The gang leader raised his hand. At the signal, every warrior silenced their presence.
"Approach quietly to within ten zhang, then strike all at once."
He whispered the command and took slow, deliberate steps forward.
'The only wildcard is the Baek Clan Head, who's reached the pinnacle realm. But we outnumber them two-to-one.'
Even with a pinnacle expert on their side, overwhelming numbers would secure victory.
Besides, Baek Mu-ryang was surely still recovering from his injuries sustained in the duel at dawn.
He calculated coldly and reviewed every detail meticulously.
The conclusion?
'Today, the Baek Clan falls.'
But the Advance Teaching Gang leader had overlooked one crucial fact.
He believed his judgment sound—cold and thorough—yet he failed to notice the anomaly.
The Baek Clan Manor was unnaturally quiet.
"Now! Kill them all! Three of the four deputy leaders, with me against the clan head. East Deputy Leader, take command and slaughter the rest!"
His roar—nearly a bellow—rang out as he vaulted over the manor's grand gates.
The sight that greeted the gang leader upon landing in the courtyard...
"As expected. You've come just as predicted?"
The Baek Clan retainers, weapons at the ready as they waited, all curled their lips into smirks in unison.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Two hours earlier.
"Steward Han. Before opening the banquet, there's something we need to prepare for."
Steward Han looked puzzled at Baek Yang-hui's words.
"Prepare for what, Young Master Hui?"
"A surprise attack from the Advance Teaching Gang."
Seeing the steward's face harden, Yang-hui continued.
"They devoured the Protection Assembly without any pretext. Do you really think they'll accept defeat in the life-or-death duel so easily?"
"......"
"......"
Not just the steward—no one among the retainers gathered there could muster a reply.
It sounded all too plausible, even to them.
"One might think they wouldn't stoop so low as to crush their own last shred of face. But the problem is, they just might."
"Preparing won't hurt."
"The only downside is delaying the banquet, but warding off disaster comes first."
After aligning with the steward, Yang-hui relayed the idea to Baek Mu-ryang, who had just finished reuniting with his wife.
"Sound reasoning. Better safe than sorry—let's do it."
And so, the Baek Clan retainers shifted from banquet preparations to defenses against a raid.
Gu-ak, who had gone all-in for the duel but never swung his axe, was especially enthusiastic.
"All warriors of Reformation Hall, heed me! The time has come to repay the Baek Clan's grace for taking us in. Any who harbor traitorous thoughts will be executed on the spot—fulfill your duties!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
Watching Gu-ak and the Reformation Hall warriors, Yang-hui whistled inwardly.
'They're finally starting to shape up.'
It had been half a year since Gu-ak had earnestly begun reforming these black path warriors.
He hadn't fully stripped away their old habits, but they were at least presentable now.
'Well, Brother Gu did lay down the law with a beating just a month ago.'
Back then, a spy among the Reformation Hall had leaked info about their ties to the Tang family.
That was what prompted the Advance Teaching Gang's duel challenge.
Consumed by shame and humiliation over his poor management, Gu-ak had unleashed his fury on the hall's members—and since then, their attitudes had improved markedly.
'Speaking of which, I need to sort out that spy issue too. But defense comes first.'
Non-martial retainers were gathered in the manor's safest central area, while the rest armed themselves.
About an hour passed like that. Baek Mu-ryang emerged after finishing Jeong In-hwa's treatment, and Yang-hui informed him as well.
"Hm. Quite right. If it ensures safety, delaying the banquet is no issue at all."
With the clan head's approval, Yang-hui sent a sound transmission to Yeo Un-hyeok.
-Elder, could you scout discreetly and warn us if the Advance Teaching Gang approaches?
-Gladly.
Yeo Un-hyeok's form melted into the shadows.
How long did they wait?
-Your prediction was spot on, Young Master. The Advance Teaching Gang is coming. They'll arrive in about half a gak.
Baek Mu-ryang's eyes gleamed as he received the same transmission.
"The Advance Teaching Gang is on their way. Everyone, fortify positions and wait in silence."
The retainers took their places with disciplined precision.
The Baek Clan had no advanced joint formation to pass down, but they arranged a simple one optimized for combined attacks and defense.
-Young Master, the enemy is nearly upon us. Any moment now.
Right after Yeo Un-hyeok's transmission tickled their ears...
"Now! Kill them all! Three of the four deputy leaders, with me against the clan head. East Deputy Leader, take command and slaughter the rest!"
With a roar, a shadow cleared the gates and landed in the inner courtyard.
A middle-aged man wielding a broadsword. Anyone could tell he was the Advance Teaching Gang leader.
Seeing the widening eyes of shock and dismay, Yang-hui couldn't hold back and spoke up.
"As expected. You've come just as predicted?"
As more Advance Teaching Gang members poured over the gates, Baek Mu-ryang raised his sword high.
"Loose the stones!"
They had anticipated this and prepared accordingly.
Aware of their numerical disadvantage, countermeasures were in place.
Piles of stones stacked in key spots were one such measure.
"Waaah!"
"Bet on who lands the best hits!"
"Aim for the heads!"
Stones flew skyward like a storm of shooting stars, blotting out the heavens.
They wouldn't deal major damage to trained martial artists, but they were plenty to restrict movement and inflict minor wounds.
"Damn it! Don't flinch—charge! We outnumber them!"
The Baek Clan retainers held their ground even as the enemy rushed forward, instead reinforcing their defensive stance.
In truth, they couldn't advance even if they wanted to.
Because...
"Argh!"
"M-my legs!"
"Damn, it's a trap!"
Pits dug across the courtyard hid sharp metal spikes.
'Roughly thirty percent caught.'
The Advance Teaching Gang members whose soles were shredded couldn't deploy lightness skills and were pelted helplessly by the next volley of stones.
"Argh!"
"Aaaargh!"
Only half the gang made it to the Baek retainers' fortified lines.
Their numerical advantage evaporated.
"Father. If we take out their leader first while the situation favors us, victory will be easy."
"Well said."
Baek Mu-ryang's sword quivered faintly, emanating brilliant white light.
"Advance Teaching Gang Leader."
"Baek Clan Head!"
"Your vile nature never changes."
"Shut your mouth!"
As Baek Mu-ryang stepped forward, three deputy leaders formed a tight enclosure around him.
'To end this quickly, I need to throw a wrench in their plans.'
"Brother Gu! With me!"
"Got it!"
Yang-hui leaped alongside Gu-ak, slashing his sword at one of the three deputy leaders.
Heaven-Covering 108 Swords, First Stance.
Shooting Feather Pierces Rock.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Heaven-Covering 108 Swords (Lv. 1) Piercing thrust—low trajectory.
Vuuung!
The sword blade shot out with a resonant hum, aiming straight for the deputy's groin. He hastily dodged aside.
From the opposite side, Gu-ak swung his axe at another deputy simultaneously.
The enclosure was broken.
"Father! Hold them while I ask you to finish quickly!"
"Right!"
Yang-hui faced his assigned opponent, a deputy leader.
"Why not run now? Otherwise, you're dead."
The deputy's face flushed crimson at the impudent words from a kid clearly weaker and only eight years old.
"Shut it! Even if I go down, I'll rip off your tiny prick first!"
My, calling death upon himself.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ No fatalities. Three injured.
That was the cost of annihilating or routing the entire Advance Teaching Gang.
A victory so overwhelming, one could call it bloodless.
"Now we can truly claim to be Ak-an County's overlords."
Baek Mu-ryang, wiping his sword clean, turned to Yang-hui.
(For reference, the bloodstains belonged to the Advance Teaching Gang leader.)
"Hui, was this within your calculations too?"
"Less a calculation, more an inevitable outcome. Black path groups aren't called that for nothing."
"I see. Ak-an County's overlords..."
Baek Mu-ryang gazed at the retainers bustling to clear scattered stones and fill in the pits.
"Just yesterday, I desperately hoped only to protect those under my roof. And now this."
His eyes shifted to Yang-hui.
A mere eight-year-old boy. Since his arrival, the clan had transformed.
From a clan head forced to handle outside work for lack of funds, they'd gained multiple legitimate businesses.
Though black path origins, they'd built a force worthy of a martial family.
And not just that—they'd even reclaimed their lost hereditary arts.
'The grace he bestowed is profound and deep. Even fulfilling my role as father for life, could I repay even a hundredth?'
"Looks like you've repaid that hundredth now."
"Hm?"
Baek Mu-ryang's eyes widened, wondering if his thoughts had been read.
"What grace do you mean?"
"The grace of reaching out to this cave-dweller, of course—Father's grace."
"That's long been repaid. I never even considered it a debt."
"Then the same goes for me, Father. So please, don't look at me like I owe you."
In that moment, Baek Mu-ryang gained enlightenment.
Families don't tally debts between them.
That's what made them family—clan and household.
'I thought to truly see him as my son, yet I fell short.'
Yang-hui smiled at the shifting light in Baek Mu-ryang's eyes.
Gratitude remained, but the sense of debt was gone.
The gaze his father from his previous life had always given him.
Exactly that.
'I can never see my past-life father again... but Father, I'll make your dream come true.'
Turn the Baek Clan—no, the Baek family—into the world's greatest house.
Which brought to mind something that needed addressing.
"Father, I have something to discuss."
"What is it? Speak freely."
Yang-hui glanced at the retainers after a moment's thought.