13화

Before laying out his scheme to Gu Ak, Yang-hwi took a moment to review the essential conditions in his mind.

‘I have to make Rangrang’s father turn against the Honggyo Gang and become an ally to the Baek Clan instead.’

The former was necessary to curb the rising power and reach of the Black Path Band; the latter would bring him one step closer to forging the world’s greatest clan.

‘Which means I should keep things vague for now. It’s not like I need to lay all my cards on the table right away.’

Yang-hwi parted his lips into an artful, knowing smile.

“Brother Gu. At the end of the day, the trouble is simply that Sister Rang is an ordinary courtesan without any backing. So… why don’t we just create one for her?”

“What?”

“Does Sister Rang have any family?”

“None. She’s entirely alone in this world.”

Gu Ak’s answer was absolute.

‘Just as I thought. She believes she has no family, and everyone around her thinks the same.’

“Then we can just invent one. How about we make it look like she had a father all along?”

“…Is this the brilliant scheme you were babbling about, Young Brother So?”

Gu Ak’s gaze turned bitterly cold.

It went far beyond mere disappointment; there was sharp irritation in his face, bordering on outright fury.

“Tell me. After turning that sharp little brain of yours, the best conclusion you could muster was to fabricate a father for Rangrang?”

He wasn’t waiting for an answer. Gu Ak’s voice rose to a roar.

“Do you take me for a fool who never thought of something so obvious? The reason my father wants to throw Rangrang out is because she offers no advantage! What influential figure powerful enough to aid our Honggyo Gang would stoop so low as to claim her as his daughter? Even if we dupe the old man once, without steady, tangible backing, he’ll discard her the moment he sees through it!”

As Gu Ak’s face flushed crimson with towering rage, Yang-hwi merely grinned back at him.

“You find this amusing? You little bastard, do you want me to wipe that smirk off your face forever?”

The instant Gu Ak reached out to seize him by the collar, Yang-hwi slipped a single remark between his teeth.

“What if there’s a flawless way to solve every single one of those problems?”

Gu Ak’s reaching hand froze dead in the air.

“A way? There’s a way? What is it?”

Rather than answering, Yang-hwi craned his neck forward, purposefully feeding his collar right into Gu Ak’s motionless fingers.

“Brother Gu! A real man who draws his blade shouldn’t shy away from chopping a radish! Go on, finish what you started!”

“…”

Gu Ak felt a fresh surge of vexation, entirely different from before.

This little imp had an uncanny knack for sniffing out the exact moment he held the upper hand—and used it to be as insolent as humanly possible.

“Ahem. Young Brother So. I lost my temper for a moment. My feelings for Rangrang run so deep… and you’re a man yourself, so I trust you understand.”

“I understand! Am I not a man who gets it? Of course I do!”

Even while nodding profusely, Yang-hwi gripped Gu Ak’s thick wrists with both hands and let his small frame dangle mockingly from them.

“…”

“Young Brother So.”

“Yes, Brother Gu!”

“As you know, being from the Black Path Band, my tongue can run a bit coarse.”

It was hardly a grand apology, but coming from a brute like Gu Ak, it was practically a formal bow of contrition. Yang-hwi let go of his wrists.

Naturally, he couldn’t resist sneaking in the last word.

“As the eldest son of an honorable Baek Clan family, I shall graciously overlook it!”

“…Ugh. So, what kind of trick are you planning?”

“Simple. We have Sister Rang put up notices far and wide, making a public search for her long-lost father.”

“And then you, Young Brother So, produce someone capable of persuading my old man?”

“Something along those lines.”

“And if it all falls apart?”

“Well, how about the same wager as last time? I’ll put my neck on the line.”

Does this brat think his own life is some stray coin he picked up off the street?

Gu Ak glared at Yang-hwi, whose mouth was split in a wide, impish grin.

“Besides, even if it fails, what harm is there? Do many people even know Sister Rang is your lover?”

“My father knows, at least.”

“Since you’ve already earned his displeasure, handing him one more disappointment won’t bring any new disgrace anyway.”

Gu Ak collapsed onto a seat, grabbed a jug of liquor, and guzzled it down in heavy gulps.

“Whew. Young Brother So. Rangrang… she means the world to me.”

“Well, seeing a violent, headstrong man like you actually listening to the prattle of an audacious brat like me proves just how deep your affection runs.”

“So you know you’re audacious?”

“Isn’t the first rule of martial arts to know oneself?”

“For someone who claims to know himself, you certainly don’t know your place.”

“If I truly didn’t know my place, I wouldn’t be sitting here sharing a private drink with Brother Gu, would I?”

“…”

Even after he had laid bare a shred of his vulnerable heart, the boy refused to yield a single inch.

Realizing that he wasn’t even flaring up in anger anymore, Gu Ak sighed inwardly; he had grown accustomed to the brat’s sharp tongue—or rather, completely given up on fighting it.

“Give me the specifics.”

“With pleasure. But to spare us unnecessary hassle later, why don’t we discuss it with Sister Rang present?”

“Hmm. You want to see Rangrang?”

“I’m naturally curious to see the remarkable woman who managed to ensnare the heart of such a dashing figure as Brother Gu.”

“Look at you. Even a brat like you knows how to flatter?”

“When it serves my purpose, I can polish my tongue until it gleams.”

With a dry snort, Gu Ak scooped Yang-hwi up under one arm and vaulted out the window.

“When a man suddenly flings you into the open sky, you could at least pretend to look startled. There really is no fun in messing with you, is there?”

“Then by all means, give me something truly startling next time.”

“Hah! Why do I even bother?”

After bounding across the rooftops for the time it took to brew a pot of tea, Gu Ak came to a halt outside a small, modest, yet exquisitely kept tile-roofed residence.

“Rangrang. I’m here.”

A moment later, the front door creaked open, revealing a woman of breathtaking grace and beauty.

“Gaga!”

Her face blossomed into a radiant smile as she threw her arms around him, tilting her head up to look at Gu Ak.

The tender warmth passing between their eyes was so thick it practically dripped; one didn’t need a second glance to know they were hopelessly in love.

‘This is my first time seeing her with my own eyes, but no wonder Gu Ak lost his senses.’

She wasn’t merely stunning; she projected an earnest, unabashed affection that even a man as dense as a bear couldn’t miss.

Rangrang was the kind of woman no red-blooded man could resist.

“Oh, and who might this young master be?”

“Hmm. Just a kid I know…”

Yang-hwi cut in without missing a beat.

“I am Brother Gu’s sworn brother! Yang-hwi of the Baek Clan offers his humblest greetings to Sister-in-law!”

Gu Ak stood frozen in stunned silence, while Rangrang let out a melodic chuckle.

“Gaga took someone as young as this young master as his sworn brother? My goodness, how adorable!”

To anyone watching, it was glaringly obvious that the word ‘adorable’ was aimed squarely at Gu Ak, not Yang-hwi.

‘So you really can call a rough, hulking brute adorable. Love is truly blind.’

“Heheh, our Brother Gu has plenty of charms that are quite adorable. Tell me, Brother Gu, are you aware of your own cute side?”

Before the woman he cherished, Gu Ak couldn’t bring himself to roar in anger; instead, his entire face turned beet red as he hung his head, trembling with bottled mortification.

“Even the way you get shy is adorable, Brother Gu!”

“So the young master sees Gaga’s charms as well?”

“Of course, of course! How could anyone miss them?”

“It’s so strange—everyone else seems so terrified of Gaga.”

“They simply lack the discerning eyes to spot the gentle darling tucked beneath that fierce, manly exterior!”

Yang-hwi was pouring on the mockery purely to tease, yet Rangrang nodded along with utter sincerity, genuinely believing every word.

‘This is entertaining, but he’s about to burst a blood vessel. Time to pull back.’

“Sister Rang. If it wouldn’t be an imposition, might I trouble you for a warm cup of tea?”

“I could never turn away Gaga’s dear brother at the door. Please, come inside, young master. You too, Gaga.”

Looping her slender arm through Gu Ak’s, Rangrang led the way. Gu Ak, who had been itching to stay behind and thrash Yang-hwi within an inch of his life, found himself led helplessly indoors by the delicate courtesan, his towering bulk completely forgotten.

“Please, enjoy the tea. But while Gaga came to see me… what brings you here today, young master?”

Rather than speaking right away, Yang-hwi cast a sidelong glance toward Gu Ak.

It was a silent prompt, asking him to draw the boundaries of what should and shouldn’t be revealed.

Fortunately, Gu Ak took the cue and began to explain in his stead.

“Here is the matter. We are planning a certain maneuver to secure our marriage.”

“My, so this young master is actually Gaga’s strategist?”

“Ahem. Not quite. The brat just happens to be clever, so I occasionally listen to his thoughts.”

Yang-hwi deftly chimed in.

“To that end, I need Sister Rang’s assistance. We need specific details to write on the public notices we’ll be posting to search for your father.”

“Yet I lost my father so long ago. I wouldn’t even know what to put on such a paper.”

“Is that so?”

Yang-hwi took a quiet sip of his tea. The moment the liquid washed over his tongue, his senses snapped awake.

‘Wait. This taste… and this lingering essence.’

I see. Gu Ak, Rangrang, and the Honggyo Gang.

The scraps of rumor I picked up in my past life were only half the truth.

Discreetly channeling his Harmonious Heavenly Dual Origin Art to circulate his True Qi, Yang-hwi cross-referenced his past memories with the revelation before him.

‘First. No matter how the future unfolds, the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang will inevitably murder Rangrang. Second. The Leader of the Red Bridge Gang and Rangrang’s father will eventually destroy each other in mutual ruin.’

And lastly, the third piece.

Rangrang’s father is in a position where he can never reveal his true identity, yet his unique craft can resolve the very dilemma that has been tying my hands.

‘If I play all these pieces right…’

A brilliant gambit flashed across his mind—one that would unite Gu Ak and Rangrang while binding her father as an indispensable ally of the Baek Clan.

Yang-hwi spoke without hesitation.

“Let’s proceed like this. Sister Rang, tell me whatever memories you retain from your childhood. I will embellish the story and draft the notices accordingly.”

Gu Ak eyed him with deep suspicion.

“You intend to write them yourself, Young Brother So? Clever as you are, aren’t you still at the age where you’ve barely finished the Thousand Character Classic?”

“And just how far have your scholarly pursuits carried you, Brother Gu?”

“Ahem! For a warrior, finishing the Thousand Character Classic is more than plenty! Though naturally, I have browsed the Four Books as well.”

From the way he coughed, he had clearly barely scraped past the Thousand Character Classic.

Even so, when a man is in the presence of another man’s beloved, courtesy demands that one conjure up nonexistent virtues to preserve his dignity.

“Incredible! You’ve actually studied the Four Books? That is truly magnificent! As your humble brother, I can barely memorize the Thousand Character Classic, so I merely intended to compose the phrasing and ask you to brush the transcription, Brother Gu!”

“Hmph. Ahem. Well, of course.”

Though Gu Ak tried to maintain a stoic facade, his broad shoulders puffed up visibly.

For a thug of the Black Path Band, he was absurdly easy to handle.

“Now then, Sister Rang. Do you happen to possess any heirloom or keepsake with a story behind it? Anything that would lend credibility to our notices would be perfect.”

Even as he asked, Yang-hwi was already bracing for her reaction.

Securing that very token was the sole reason he had insisted on visiting her in person.

“I don’t think I have anything of the sort… Ah!”

Rangrang fluttered away toward her chambers and quickly returned, cradling a small Jade Pendant.

“When I was taken in as a child to work at a tavern, an elderly patron left this with me. He told me it was a token that would one day reunite me with someone precious, and insisted that I must never sell it, no matter how desperate I became. Hearing that, I could never bring myself to part with it. Through every hardship, I kept it around my neck to endure.”

It was a pale-green stone, carved with a single character in low relief.

The brushwork was ancient and archaic, almost unrecognizable at a casual glance, but there was no mistaking the stroke: ‘Jin’ (眞)—the mark of truth.

‘The keepsake her father bestowed upon her. Unquestionably.’

With this, the first and final bait required to reel in Rangrang’s father was securely in hand. Whatever details remained could be spun out of thin air without the slightest consequence.

“This is more than sufficient, Sister Rang. Would you mind if I borrowed this for a few days before returning it?”

“By all means, young master. Now that I have met my Gaga, that pendant has already fulfilled its destiny.”

‘Hardly. The precious person that guest spoke of was none other than himself—your father.’

A faint, knowing smile danced on Yang-hwi’s lips as he turned to Gu Ak.

“By the way, Brother Gu. Before we set this scheme in motion, wouldn’t it be wiser to relocate Sister Rang to the Baek Manor?”

“Hmm? Why there?”

“Whichever way this turns out, it’s bound to cause a massive uproar. If the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang flies into a rage, there’s no telling what atrocity he might commit. If that happens, what place is safer or more trustworthy to you than the Baek Manor?”

“…”

The boy’s logic was ironclad. Gu Ak’s entire circle of acquaintances belonged to the underworld.

It wasn’t that the Black Path lacked loyalty, but if his father—the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang—personally stepped forward, there wasn’t a single soul among them Gu Ak could trust.

‘In that case… leaving her in the care of First in Dispensing Chivalry is a hundred, a thousand times better. Even my old man cannot touch the Baek Manor on a whim.’

In truth, the Baek Manor had long been a stinging thorn in the eyes of the Black Dao Factions throughout E’an County.

Its forces were mere dust that could be swept away in a single afternoon, yet no one dared lay a finger on the grounds because of the Clan Head’s sworn brother.

That was precisely why they had seized upon Baek Mu-ryang’s reckless provocation the other day, charging straight in the moment they were handed an excuse.

Even if that excursion had ended with them getting ensnared by Yang-hwi’s sharp tongue and trudging home with empty coin purses.

“We’ll do as you say. Rangrang, pack your things and stay at the Young Brother’s estate for a few days.”

“I don’t fully understand what is happening, but if Gaga says so, it must be for the best. I will obey.”

With their agreement struck, the discussion drew to a close.

Gu Ak escorted Yang-hwi and Rangrang back to the Baek Manor before taking his leave into the night.

“Sister Rang, please make yourself entirely at home, even if our quarters feel unfamiliar for the next few days.”

“Hehehe, I am deeply grateful for your warmth, young master.”

Thus began Rangrang’s unexpected stay as an honored guest of the Baek Manor.

The very next morning, public notices were plastered across every prominent wall.

They sprang up not only throughout E’an County, but across Muju, Nanchang, and the entirety of Jiangxi Province—eventually spilling even into neighboring Hunan.

[Rangrang, the pristine courtesan who sells her artistic craft but never her virtue, seeks her long-lost father!]

[To the father who lost his daughter of five-and-twenty years…]

[She has guarded the Jade Pendant gifted by her father as a sacred token of their bond, the carving of which resembles…]

[If you wish to mend the severed ties of blood and heaven, present yourself at the Baek Manor in E’an County, Muju, Jiangxi…]

Precisely three days later.

Beneath the silvery radiance of a full moon hanging high in the midnight sky, the Baek Manor welcomed an uninvited guest.