Chapter 49. Twin Swords of the Wind and Clouds (24)
Cheong-Cheong trembled as she responded to Hye-Ryeong’s steel-like words.
“I-I didn’t know. Please, forgive me.”
The person who responded to her wasn’t Hye-Ryeong, but her younger sister and the other person with true authority, Ju-Ryeong.
“You didn’t know? Oh, ho, that really is such a peculiar phrase. Then, does that mean it's okay for you to act like that because you didn’t know?!”
With every word, Ju-Ryeong’s rage grew more potent at the thought of the insignificant Cheong-Cheong provoking Sang-Woon, who was already a volcano ready to erupt, and turning the whole situation into such a fiasco.
She was so irritated that she even circulated her qi as she yelled at Cheong-Cheong.
“Are you saying that if a guest who comes to our gates is dressed modestly, that gives you the right to act like a snob?! Since when did our prestigious Baek Family become so excessive?!”
“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me...”
“Patriarch! We need to take this opportunity to punish her properly. This time, it wouldn’t be too much even if we kicked her out of the family for her actions!”
“Ha...”
Moo-Hoon let out a deep groan.
Cheong-Cheong was his most recently acquired concubine and his latest favorite. She had continued to cause him anxiety due to her consistently excessive behavior, and now, she had finally made a major blunder.
His inaction and passivity had come back to bite him, but there was nothing he could do.
“What do you think about ten lashes and confinement to her quarters for three months as a punishment?” Moo-Hoon said cautiously.
Ju-Ryeong snorted at his words and spat, “Are you planning on glossing over this with a measly ten lashes? To someone who committed such a serious crime, and a concubine no less? What do you think he will say if he finds out?”
“T-then, what about fifty lashes? She has a weak constitution, even this much could be dangerous to...”
“How have you gotten to this age with such little sense, Patriarch? Do you really like women that much?!”
As Ju-Ryeong shouted, Moo-Hoon lowered his head. His sisters were older and had always been stronger than him, so he could only endure the bullying he had been subjected to since childhood.
“I-I’m sorry...”
Even after seeing the patriarch of the family grovel in such an unsightly manner, the elders, who had been preaching about respect and adhering to custom, didn’t say a single word, just clicking their tongues in disapproval.
It was only then that Cheong-Cheong realized that Moo-Hoon could never have shielded her from what was coming.
All he amounted to was a figurehead.
Ultimately, it was decided that Cheong-Cheong would be confined for three months and receive fifty lashes on the first and last day of her confinement.
* * *
In a massive drawing room, Dok-Du, Gwang Ryeok-Gwi, and Rat were huddled in a corner, wary of their surroundings. From the way they sat, it was difficult to believe that they were once people who ruled the streets of Anqing.
Of course, it was to be expected; the weakest link of the food chain within the Black Hand had just entered the manor of the Iron Sword Baek Family, one of the leaders of the Righteous Faction.
It only made sense that they were terrified.
Dae-Woong looked around the drawing room, constantly impressed, as he sipped on the expensive tea they had been served; in the meantime, Jin-Jin spoke to Woo-Moon, lecturing him on various topics—trivial things about how to act as a member of an Ancient Family and etiquette.
Her husband, Dae-Woong, was a bit dim-witted and was the furthest thing from proper manners, so teaching him would require a long period of time. She thus first focused on Woo-Moon, who was quick to understand.
“I understand. Yes, yes... yes, mother.”
Woo-Moon was smart, so he understood and remembered everything she said as soon as she mentioned it.
Then, Sang-Woon suddenly sent him a message.
–Come out, and don’t tell Jin-Jin I called for you.
Woo-Moon made some excuses to Jin-Jin and eventually met with Sang-Woon at the rear of the Baek Family manor.
“You called?”
“Do you know how your mother ended up with those internal injuries?”
“I haven’t heard anything directly from anyone, but I did overhear when you and Mother spoke about it before. I understand that she had suffered internal injuries while running away from an arranged marriage.”
“I see. In truth, your mother was assumed to be dead within the Baek Family until now. There was even a funeral. Most likely, the memorial tablet is still there, too.”
Hearing those words, Woo-Moon’s eyes flashed.
If the situation back then had been enough for the Baek Family to assume she had died, it meant that something truly serious had happened.
“From what I know, the pursuit squad chased after your mother relentlessly. They continued even after Jin-Jin went toward a cliff a thousand zhang high, one high enough that she could have fallen and died with a single misstep. Your mother had suffered internal injuries in the chase. She couldn’t hold on any longer...and she fell.”
Woo-Moon’s eyes turned cold.
He hadn’t been educated or raised in a noble family; he was truly a country bumpkin. Thus, it was completely incomprehensible to him for someone to be forced into a marriage arranged by one’s family and for even a pursuit squad to be sent just because that person refused to adhere to the rules.
Moreover, because of that, his mother had suffered for all that time with her internal injuries and could have even died!
“After your mother was forced into that situation, I secretly investigated what had happened, and it was only then that I realized it—what really happened on that cliff that day. I will never tell your mother what it was, but I know exactly what they did.”
“Could it be... that they had intentionally tried to murder her and pretend it was an accident?”
There was burning rage within Woo-Moon’s voice.
Sang-Woon answered Woo-Moon’s question in full detail, explaining to him who was involved in it, the identity and strength of those leading the pursuit squad, and the ridiculous scale of the pursuit—all of these far beyond what such a situation would have warranted.
Hearing this, Woo-Moon’s eyes became even colder.
“I was going to handle this myself, but I think it would be better if you did it with your own two hands. Besides, a more pressing matter just came up, so I have to leave for now.”
“Before you leave, please tell me who the mastermind behind it all was.”
Sang-Woon hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“...There are two sisters who have always been jealous of Jin-Jin, most likely because Jin-Jin is of higher status and more outstanding than them even though they are around the same age.”
Woo-Moon realized it in an instant—Sang-Woon was referring to Hye-Ryeong and Ju-Ryeong.
He became even more horrified when he remembered how Hye-Ryeong had feigned such joy at seeing Jin-Jin for the first time, lying through her teeth while she faked her tears.
Woo-Moon clearly imprinted their names in his mind.
“I understand, Grandfather. By the way, are you leaving because of that group that tried to kill you by recruiting the Blood Cloud Devil Emperor?”
Sang-Woon nodded.
“Yes, you’re right. That’s right. I have a bad feeling about them. I have to go find out who they are and what their purpose is. My gut tells me those bastards...they’re not normal.”
Although his grandfather’s face darkened, Woo-Moon responded offhandedly without much concern.
“Still, aren’t you an Absolute Master, Grandfather? They will regret messing with you.”
Hearing his grandson’s words of trust in him, Sang-Woon chuckled.
“Hehehe, it really feels good when people believe in you. But anything can happen in the gangho. Woo-Moon, do you really think that there are only fourteen Absolute Masters in the gangho?”
“There are eight members of the Eight Heavenly Martial Emperors and six in the Six Rising challengers, so...yes?”
“When you first saw this grandpa of yours, were you able to tell that I was stronger than you?”
Woo-Moon thought for a moment and said, “No... I didn't. I actually thought that you were someone who never cultivated.”
“Well, there’s your answer. Those with low cultivation cannot notice if someone much stronger than them is hiding their powers. Now, then, what do you think?”
It didn’t take long for Woo-Moon to connect the dots.
“Ah...! A cultivator can only accurately judge opponents of the same or lower cultivation than himself...wait, then...does that mean that somewhere in the unexplored parts of the gangho, there could be people who are stronger than you, Grandfather?”
Sang-Woon, satisfied with how quickly his grandson had figured it out, smiled and shook his head.
“I don’t know myself. However, I’ve also met a few people who, despite being Absolute Masters like me, live in quiet seclusion instead of competing amongst the world’s strongest. Woo-Moon, the gangho is vast, and the experts are as numerous as there are grains of sand. What has been revealed isn’t everything, so you have to always be careful. Do you understand?”
“I will keep this in mind, Grandfather.”
“Good, very good. In any case, the outside world is not a place for you to worry about just yet. What’s important right now is the Baek Family. Can I leave it to you?”
“You don’t have to worry about us. I’ll take care of it.”
Sang-Woon chuckled at his grandson’s confident words.
“There shouldn’t be many obstacles in your path in this little Baek Family, so I’m going to go with peace of mind. Will you be able to handle things wisely and be confident in the results?”
“Do you not believe in me?”
“Nope.”
“...would you like to see me go crazy?”
“You mean you can get crazier than this?”
“Yes. Would you like me to show you?”
“No, it’ll give me nightmares. Let me rephrase. My trust in you is as strong as steel.”
"Thank you."
It really was a wholesome relationship between grandson and grandpa.
“Now, I’m going to take my leave. Take care of your parents and your junior sister. Okay?”
“Understood.”
After saying that, Sang-Woon waved a hand and left.
Woo-Moon was about to turn around and go back, but for some reason, the sight of his grandfather’s back caught his eye.
It all felt so strange, almost as if they parted ways and they would never see each other again.
“Please be careful, and if things get dangerous, please run away.”
“Pfft-hahaha!! In this entire world, there is only one person who would say something like that to Baek Sang-Woon. Okay, good, it’s my grandson’s request, so I’ll consider it, I guess. Hahaha!”
Hearing Sang-Woon’s answer, Woo-Moon finally felt relieved.
“Understood. Have a good trip, Grandfather.”
At this point, there was something that Woo-Moon had yet to hear about the Palm Martial Emperor. Besides being known as the Blood-Stained Palm, he was also known for the one principle that guided his martial path.
The only path in battle is forward.[1]
His grandfather was braver and more prideful than anyone else he had ever met. He had never once turned his back on any opponent, no matter who he met, how slandered or disrespected he was, or how far into the battlefield he had gone.
Flying toward the sky, the Palm Martial Emperor threw a small pouch to Woo-Moon.
“Don’t forget! You can only take a single drop!”
It was the Pure Stalactite Milk.
* * *
“Is this where we are going to live now?”
Located on one side of the main manor of the Baek Family was a small residence made up of three buildings. It was nothing grand, but there was also nothing outwardly strange about it, so the Song family was rather pleased.
Woo-Moon pointed at the smallest and most shabby-looking building.
“You three! You brats are going to live there from now on. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
Even though it seemed shabby in comparison to the surrounding buildings, to the Dok-Ryeok-Rat trio, the building they were assigned looked quite exquisite. It had two spacious rooms, had antique patterns carved into its walls, and even had tiles on the roof.[2]
“Wow, it’s amazing.”
“I guess we really are at the Baek Family.”
The three people entered the room with admiration, their expressions of happiness so plain and clear that even a blind man could’ve seen what they were thinking.
‘Now we don’t have to see that demon king so often.’
Dae-Woong and Jin-Jin entered the largest building, the one in the middle, while Woo-Moon took Eun-Ah to the remaining medium-sized building
With that, the family spent their very first night at the Baek Family Manor.
As no one called for him and no guests had come, Woo-Moon stayed late into the night at the training hall behind their residence, practicing his martial arts before going to bed.
‘It’s pretty fine, I guess. Strange draft though.’
It seemed as though there was a bit of a draft coming in. Still, it didn’t matter much because as soon as he felt the chill, the Forbidden Divine Art qi circulated automatically, warming him up immediately.
The next day, after finishing breakfast, he returned to the small courtyard in front of his residence, where he found his parents and a number of strangers waiting for him.
A warrior with ten men in tow saluted Woo-Moon.
“Following the orders of the patriarch, we have selected and brought guards for Elder Jin-Jin’s family.
Jin-Jin asked curiously, “Elder? Why are you calling me that?”
“Upon Second Mistress Ju-Ryeong’s insistent request, you have become an elder as of this morning.”
Although she had become an elder, rather than calling for her and discussing it with her, it seemed as though they had just gone and decided it among themselves.
‘Seems like this man is also one of Second Cousin Ju-Ryeong’s people.’
When asked his name and position, the man responded that he was Yoon Ha-On, the vice-captain of the Tiger Fang Squadron of the Iron Sword Four Beast Battalion, one of the lower-ranking battalions of the family’s armed forces.
The Iron Sword Four Beast Battalion was made up of four units named after ferocious beasts: Eagle Talon Squadron, Dragon Fang Squadron, Lion Fang Squadron, and Tiger Fang Squadron.
Yoon Ha-On reported that the ten men behind him had been selected as the family’s bodyguards, so Woo-Moon stepped aside and took a look at them.
‘What the hell is this?'
Even though he had expected them to be useless, this was too much.
Some of them looked pale and yellowish, as if they indulged in alcohol too much; some others had a sword hanging at their waist, but the lack of calluses on their hands clearly showed their lack of training; finally, some others had clearly ruined their own bodies by training improperly.
‘It would be easier to just take untrained people and teach them from scratch.... Wait a moment, that makes sense. I really can pick some untrained people and teach them!’
Woo-Moon thought deeply for a few moments. He wondered how long he would be staying at the Baek Family and how much time he would have to invest if he decided on recruiting their own guards and teaching them directly.
‘Okay, it’s fine. It probably won’t take that much time. Hehe, they probably sent these useless losers on purpose, but let’s see who gets the last laugh.’
“Wait a moment, we’re going to talk for a bit.”
Yoon Ha-On responded very politely, “Understood. I’ll wait.”
Woo-Moon went inside the house with his parents and told them his idea.
Dae-Woong had a disapproving expression on his face.
“Hmpf. Do you really think that would work? Don’t you think it would be better just to keep those brats with us?”
“They won’t be useful anyway. It would be the same with or without them. Besides, they seem to have been in the Baek Family for a while and should be closer to the people on the other side. Who knows if they’ll turn on us later?”
Jin-Jin agreed with her son's opinion. With his wife and son on the same side, Dae-Woong could no longer oppose.
“Okay. Even to me, it’s clear that those bastards are already too far gone. Do whatever you think is best.”
Woo-Moon returned to the courtyard and let Ju-Ryeong’s underling know about their decision.
“We don’t need them. Actually, I plan to go to a nearby slum or orphanage and bring back some children. Is that okay?”
The man was taken aback. “Children? What do you plan to do with them?”
1. One of the Five Precepts for Secular Life as stated by Won Gwang, monk and scholar of the Silla Dynasty. ☜
2. In this era, in smaller cities like Anqing, most buildings had shingled or even thatched roofs. ☜