Chapter 19

Yeo Un-jeok quietly studied Yang-hwi.

“Young Master So. A figure of the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang’s stature is bound to travel with guards. Ambushing such a man alone is far too reckless.”

“Killing him is out of the question. Villain or not, he is still the father of the man Sister Rang loves.”

“This old man may know a bit of martial arts, but my skills are hardly worth mentioning.”

“Simply crippling his dantian should suffice. That way, Brother Gu can step up as the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang.”

Yeo Un-jeok kept insisting it was impossible, but Yang-hwi pressed on with his demands, entirely unbothered.

Before long, Yeo Un-jeok let out a heavy sigh.

“Young Master So. Whatever makes you think an old man like me is capable of such a feat?”

“When we traded blows the other day, I could tell you were showing me immense mercy, sir.”

“I have no idea what you mean. You’re mistaken.”

Instead of pressing the point, Yang-hwi simply offered a sly grin.

‘I didn’t catch it when we first met, but… this old man is concealing his martial prowess.’

Yang-hwi had been born with the Peerless Intuition of Qi. He could pick up even the faintest trace of Qi Perception to gauge the reserve of inner energy pooled in another person’s dantian.

Factoring in their presence and momentum, he could deduce an opponent’s martial prowess with near-perfect accuracy.

However.

‘He seems far too ordinary. Utterly unremarkable—as if deliberately painted over and concealed.’

A master whose true depth eluded even Yang-hwi’s senses.

That fact could only mean one thing.

“There is an adage in the martial world: always hold back thirty percent of your strength. I merely suspect you have a hidden card tucked up your sleeve, sir.”

“…….”

“You don’t have to do it if it’s truly impossible. But if you pull it off, it will pave the way for Sister Rang to spend the rest of her days with the man she loves.”

“…….”

Watching the silent Yeo Un-jeok, Yang-hwi merely smiled.

The Honggyo Gang and the Gyojin Gang, the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang and Gu Ak—and now, Yeo Un-jeok.

Every actor for the play had taken the stage.

All that remained was to let the dance unfold in grand fashion.

“Oh, right.”

Yang-hwi tossed out the remark with casual nonchalance, as though it had just crossed his mind.

“This is about what comes after everything is settled, but… have you decided where you’ll stay next?”

* * *

The Gyojin Gang launched an ambush against the Cheongsa Gang. Just like the Cheongsa Gang’s earlier raid on the Honggyo Gang, it came without warning—not a single challenge letter had been exchanged beforehand.

Yet there was one key difference from the feud between the Honggyo Gang and the Cheongsa Gang.

“Hey, did you hear? It’s absolute chaos over at the Cheongsa Gang.”

“I did. Just the other day they were clashing with the Honggyo Gang, and now the Gyojin Gang has ambushed them from behind.”

“That’s not half of it. They say every gang in the area, big and small, has piled on to tear the Cheongsa Gang to pieces.”

Yeo Un-jeok had scattered hundreds of flyers across the Marketplace, detailing the counters to the Cheongsa Gang’s authentic martial arts.

Naturally, rival factions scooped up the counter-techniques, each harboring their own dark Greed.

“Tsk. After throwing their weight around like tyrants, the Cheongsa Gang is finally done for.”

“Good riddance, I say. Nothing could be more satisfying.”

Not a single person felt pity for the Cheongsa Gang as it hurtled toward total ruin.

Out of the four major powers ruling E’an County, they had always ranked first when it came to villainy.

As time wore on and the Cheongsa Gang’s forces dwindled to less than half their original strength,

The Honggyo Gang—having kept its gates barred despite suffering Cheongsa’s relentless assault—finally began to move.

“From this moment on, our gang launches a total attack against the Cheongsa Gang!”

Rallying every man under his banner, the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang declared total war and threw everything he had at the Cheongsa Gang.

It was an all-out offensive, reinforced even by factions from neighboring counties secured through the political marriages of his children.

By that point, the Cheongsa Gang was little more than a battered rag riddled with holes.

All that remained was a scramble over who could carve out the juiciest piece of meat.

Naturally, the battlefield soon devolved into a direct confrontation between the Honggyo Gang and the Gyojin Gang.

“Honggyo Gang! We set the entire dinner table, and you jackals dare swoop in?!”

“We are only taking back the businesses the Cheongsa Gang seized from us through cowardly tricks!”

Each side shouted its own justification, though in truth, justifications hardly mattered.

In the Unorthodox Faction, martial force was the only argument that ever settled a dispute.

[A message to the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang, Gu Cheol-hyo.]

After reading the letter brought by the Gyojin Gang’s messenger, the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang scoffed and crushed the paper in his fist.

In short, it proposed a duel to the death between their leaders to minimize the casualties among their subordinates.

“Insolent bastard doesn’t know his place.”

Historically, the leader of the Gyojin Gang and the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang were considered evenly matched in martial prowess.

Yet the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang was certain he could crush his rival with ease.

His confidence stemmed from the enlightenment he had gained while mastering the refined Rock-Cleaving Axe Technique devised by his son, Gu Ak.

‘Arrogant cur. I’ll split your skull wide open.’

And once that was done, he fully intended to uncover the identity of the person who had caused this mess and bury an axe blade deep in his head.

Even if he only ruled a petty syndicate confined to a single county, a gang leader was still a leader.

Gu Cheol-hyo, the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang, was well aware that some hidden expert had sown this discord by spreading the counter-techniques.

‘You never dreamed my son would be genius enough to counter your counters, did you? Just wait. I will have my revenge.’

Flanked by four trusted subordinates acting as his guards, the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang departed for the designated dueling grounds.

It was then that Yeo Un-jeok stepped into their path.

“Out of the way, old man, unless you have a death wish.”

One of the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang’s guards barked the warning.

Still, Yeo Un-jeok stood firm, blocking the alley with an unreadable, fathomless gaze.

The moment the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang flicked his hand toward one of his men, Yeo Un-jeok moved.

Shhk—!

The guard who had raised his axe to strike upon receiving the order was decapitated before the swing could even begin.

No bladed weapon was visible in Yeo Un-jeok’s hands, yet the severed neck was sliced remarkably clean.

“Leader of the Red Bridge Gang, Gu Cheol-hyo.”

The sound of Yeo Un-jeok’s voice struck Gu Cheol-hyo like the arrival of a grim reaper from the underworld.

It was the primal dread of a man staring directly into the jaws of death.

Decades of clawing through back alleys to reach the pinnacle of a syndicate had honed Gu Cheol-hyo’s survival instincts to a razor’s edge.

“Kill that old man, all of you!”

Barking the order, Gu Cheol-hyo immediately threw himself backward.

However.

Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!

Four clean cutting sounds echoed, and in the next breath, Yeo Un-jeok stood barring Gu Cheol-hyo’s path.

“Considering what you have done, it is truly a pity to spare you, but…”

Given the cruelty inflicted on his daughter, slowly ripping the man limb from limb over twelve double-hours would hardly suffice as punishment.

However.

‘Since that bright and intelligent child wished for it…’

“Spend the rest of your life drowning in regret.”

Gu Cheol-hyo never heard the final words.

Blinding agony tore through his lower abdomen, and darkness swallowed his senses as he collapsed.

* * *

Ever since the Black Dao Factions ruling E’an County tore into each other in an all-out war, fear had gripped the common folk for months on end.

It was hardly surprising; blood soaked the brothels where laborers sought solace after dark, and brawl after brawl shattered the taverns where working men stopped to eat.

Still, there were definitely advantages, too.

‘Well now, the streets have become very clean.’

In times past, one could hardly set foot in the Marketplace of E’an County without encountering at least a pair of Black Path Band thugs swaggering about.

Now, not a trace of that unpleasant nuisance remained.

Over the span of two months, dozens of bloody skirmishes had dragged every last cutthroat into the meat grinder—down to the lowest Third-rate lackeys.

‘Even so, given time, new vermin will start crawling out again.’

Except in E’an County, that would never happen.

Because Yang-hwi fully intended to ensure it stayed that way himself.

Whistling a jaunty tune, Yang-hwi strolled toward Hoyoung Pavilion.

“You have arrived, Young Master.”

An eight-year-old boy frequenting a brothel was a bizarre sight by any standard, but the guard watching the entrance bowed with utmost deference.

It was only natural, seeing as the guard was a family retainer of the Baek Manor.

“Young Master Hwi. The guest is waiting in the Cheongho Room on the third floor.”

“Understood. Keep up the good work.”

Pride beamed across the guard’s face—the distinct fulfillment of a man finally putting his hard-trained martial arts to practical use.

While most people say they dislike working, honest labor is beneficial to the mind and body.

With a quiet chuckle, Yang-hwi headed up to the third floor.

“Brother Gu. I’ve arrived.”

“Ah. You’re here.”

Gu Ak, who had been drinking with an uneasy air hanging over him, looked up as Yang-hwi entered.

‘Look at those bottles… he’s already emptied four of them.’

“Young Brother So. Since you called for me, you must have heard the rumors.”

Yang-hwi nodded.

“I heard about the tragedy that befell your father. It is a very regrettable affair.”

“Forget about that part. Is that all you know?”

“I am also aware that your married brothers are calling in outside forces to seize the leadership of the gang.”

He had also learned through Yeo Un-jeok that the Gyojin Gang was circling like a vulture, looking for an opportunity to exploit the rift.

In short, the Honggyo Gang was a complete mess right now.

“Right… I figured you’d know that much, Young Brother So. Then, what is the reason you asked for this seat with this Gu Ak during such a busy time?”

Beneath the grim exhaustion etched onto his face, a glimmer of hope peeked through.

Taking in Gu Ak’s expression, Yang-hwi spoke in an even tone.

“Brother Gu. You are currently being kept in check by the collective pressure of your brothers, aren’t you?”

It was because he was the only successor among them to have reached the First-rate Realm.

“That’s right. Do you happen to have a brilliant strategy to solve this? To tell you the truth, I need your wits now more than ever, Young Brother So. If you live up to my expectations, I will reward you handsomely.”

“Brother Gu.”

“Speak.”

“Who do you think I am?”

“You are the Young Master of the Baek Manor.”

“And in addition to that?”

“…?”

“A peerless talent. A pillar of talent seen once in a century. The greatest talent under the heavens. That is none other than this body, Brother Gu.”

It was an outrageously brazen declaration, yet instead of the usual bewilderment, Gu Ak leaned in with genuine curiosity.

“Which means you actually have a way?”

“It is simple. Kill all your brothers and become the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang.”

“…Don’t tell me that’s really all.”

“Yes. Don’t bother making excuses about the number of bodyguards or concerns about the aftermath. You’ve already weighed the odds, and you know as well as I do that you could pull it off, Brother Gu.”

“…….”

Gu Ak had no rebuttal. What Yang-hwi said was the absolute truth.

Bodyguards? With proper preparation, a sudden strike would cut straight through them.

Attacks from external gangs who had gained justification? Once he became the Leader of the Red Bridge Gang, he could simply seek shelter under a massive Unorthodox Faction.

Yet the reason Gu Ak could not do so was simple.

“You can’t stomach fratricide, can you? Sister Rang would be terrified. Besides, you are not of such a cruel nature, Brother Gu.”

“…….”

Again, Gu Ak could only swallow his silence, unable to deny it.

In contrast, Yang-hwi’s tone that followed was remarkably light.

“Then it is simple. Throw it all away and become a member of the Baek Manor.”

Gu Ak’s eyes widened to their absolute limit.

“What are you saying? Telling me, a member of the Unorthodox Faction—no, even more than that, the direct heir to a gang—to stoop to that?”

“Is your pride hurt?”

“You know damn well that’s not what I mean. I have ties and grudges accumulated from a lifetime in the Unorthodox Faction.”

Of course, Yang-hwi knew. Taking Gu Ak under their wing would give Baek Mu-ryang and Han Seok-eon massive headaches for the time being.

However.

“Didn’t I tell you, Brother Gu? I promised that no matter what happens, I would ensure you and Sister Rang could grow old together in peace. That I would put my neck on the line.”

Gu Ak remembered that wager—remembered Yang-hwi staking his life on those exact words.

He simply had never imagined it would take a shape like this.

“…Young Brother So. Do you trust me?”

That single question held a world of unspoken weight.

To this, Yang-hwi answered with only one sentence.

“Because you did not use the Poison Bomb.”

Dozens of Poison Bombs had been hauled away when they looted the Secret Hideout of the Cheongsa Gang.

Yet even when the Honggyo Gang was driven to the brink under the Cheongsa Gang’s fierce onslaught, Gu Ak had refused to unleash them.

It was because the Poison Bomb would inevitably cause massive devastation to the surroundings, far beyond simply killing the enemy.

‘Gu Ak can walk a different path. His heart is not warped.’

“Come to the Baek Clan. Wash away the black stains and put on white robes. If for nothing else, do it to become a lover worthy of standing beside Sister Rang.”

Finishing his words, Yang-hwi grinned. Gu Ak watched him, remaining silent.

“…….”

It was the same brazen and sly smile as always, but for some reason,

In Gu Ak’s eyes, it looked more reliable than any expression in the world.