Chapter 5

Looking at Baek Mu-ryang’s exceedingly heavy expression, Yang-hwi felt puzzled.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

Though not as much as in his current life, he had distinguished himself from his very first training in his past life as well.

Indeed, even at the young age of eight, it had taken him merely three years to master the Open Heaven Sword Technique, so what more needed to be said?

“Hwi-ya. Remember well the Internal Cultivation Exercise I am about to show you, and try following along.”

Finishing his words, Baek Mu-ryang stepped firmly onto the ground and began moving his body back and forth.

‘Harmonious Six-Combinations Art.’

An Internal Cultivation Exercise is usually a Mental Method where one sits cross-legged to gather and circulate qi.

However, the Baek Clan’s Internal Cultivation Exercise was just the Harmonious Six-Combinations Art, a Dynamic Exercise that combined physical training with a bit of qi gathering.

Supposedly, there had been a high-level internal cultivation Mental Method in the past, but it had been lost to time.

“Have you memorized all the formulas and movements?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Then go ahead and perform it.”

Taking a breath, Yang-hwi slowly began to move his body.

Though his young, unconditioned body made the movements exceedingly clumsy, the subtle mysteries of the Harmonious Six-Combinations Art were perfectly embodied within them.

Baek Mu-ryang’s complexion darkened even further.

“Hwi-ya. You are truly…”

A tremendous genius.

‘No matter how low its level may be, one must memorize formulas hundreds of characters long and execute movements precisely to stimulate the acupuncture points. How can he do it so easily…?’

“So. And Yeon-i.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, Father.”

“I have something to discuss with Hwi in private, so practice on your own for a while.”

Having instructed his two biological children, Baek Mu-ryang led Yang-hwi to a corner of the Martial Arts Field.

“Hwi-ya.”

“Yes, Father.”

“You might not have realized it until now, but it seems you were born with peerless talent for martial arts.”

“Yes. I knew.”

Baek Mu-ryang showed a surprised expression.

“Hmm? You knew?”

“Yes. Fights broke out among the Beggar Gang more often than one would think. Watching them exchange fists and kicks, I often wondered why they couldn’t dodge when it was so slow.”

“…I see.”

Silent for a moment, Baek Mu-ryang continued.

“Hwi-ya. I am considering retracting my decision to adopt you as my son.”

“Pardon? Why is that?”

A completely unexpected situation. Why on earth was Father acting like this?

“You are a pearl buried in the mud. Your worth is too great for our Baek Clan to hold. Instead of taking you as an adopted son, I am thinking of sending you to my sworn brother.”

“…….”

Baek Mu-ryang’s sworn brother was a master from a renowned major sect.

Only then did Yang-hwi realize what Father was thinking.

‘I displayed too great a talent.’

Instead of harboring greed upon discovering a prodigy, he wanted to set him free to swim in a bigger pond.

‘This was the kind of person Father was.’

First in Dispensing Chivalry Baek Mu-ryang. A righteous man considered second to none when it came to bestowing chivalry.

Wandering under the heavens, Yang-hwi had never once met a person of such noble character as Father.

“Father.”

“Speak.”

Yang-hwi looked at Baek Mu-ryang with upright and steadfast eyes.

“Father, you chose me. You offered to let me become your son.”

However.

“In that moment, you were not the only one who made a choice.”

I, too, chose the Baek Clan.

“My name is Baek Yang-hwi. The person who will shine light upon and brighten the grand reputation of the Baek Clan. The moment Father reached out his hand to me, I made that decision.”

“…Hwi-ya.”

“Having a separate master is fine, but I have no intention of leaving the family. Nor do I have any intention of becoming someone who cannot call his father ‘Father’.”

‘I will make the Baek Clan the greatest family in the world.’

Yang-hwi smiled as he looked at his Father, who was overwhelmed with emotion.

“I understand. Since you must build your foundation anyway, let us think about this slowly.”

Baek Mu-ryang called Baek Heon-so and Baek Yeon-yeon back over.

Baek Heon-so, wearing a pouting expression, and Baek Yeon-yeon, beaming with a smile, approached.

Yang-hwi held back his laughter as he looked at Baek Heon-so’s face.

‘He’s all puffed up, just like a blowfish.’

His mindset would need to be thoroughly fixed, but… seeing So so young made him truly cute.

Even if he hated him, family was family, and a younger brother was a younger brother.

Yang-hwi had never once disliked Baek Heon-so.

He was simply a younger brother who needed a bit more hands-on guidance.

“Father must take his leave now. Train in martial arts for the next three shijin, take a rest, and after that, work on your academic studies.”

After supervising their martial arts for about one shijin, Baek Mu-ryang instructed his children to devote themselves to practice and left the manor.

In other words, only the three Baek siblings remained in the Martial Arts Field.

“…….”

A moment of silence. An awkwardness settled in as Baek Mu-ryang—the adult and mediator—disappeared.

Of course, Yang-hwi was completely unbothered, and Baek Yeon-yeon was simply innocent, so Baek Heon-so was the only one feeling the awkwardness.

‘That kid. He’s full of spite.’

“So-ya.”

“…I haven’t accepted you as my elder brother. Don’t call me that.”

So was naturally envious and jealous by nature.

Yet Yang-hwi had flawlessly demonstrated martial arts, earning Baek Mu-ryang’s admiration, and had even been taken aside for a private conversation.

For So, who was at an age where he starved for his father’s affection, feeling hostility was in a way only natural.

‘…Though that doesn’t mean he can act so insolently.’

Looking at Baek Heon-so, a fond smile spontaneously formed on his face.

Of course, it was a fondness of a different nature compared to when he looked at Baek Yeon-yeon.

‘I was planning to start reforming him anyway, and he’s giving me an excuse all on his own.’

Yang-hwi heightened his Qi Perception as much as possible to check if anyone was nearby.

Assured that the only witness to what was about to happen would be the beaming Baek Yeon-yeon, Yang-hwi immediately shifted his weight onto one leg and stood crookedly.

“Hey, you little brat.”

“?!”

Baek Heon-so was thoroughly shocked.

Even if it was a Third-Rate Martial Clan, by commoners’ standards it was a prestigious family of local gentry.

In other words, since his birth, Baek Heon-so had never once been called by a vulgar address like “little brat.”

“Y-You… did you just call me?”

“Is there any other little brat here besides you?”

Baek Yeon-yeon raised her hand high.

“Me too, Brother!”

An attitude completely opposite to Baek Heon-so’s. Baek Yeon-yeon was still beaming brightly even now.

To be precise, her whole body radiated a desire to talk to Yang-hwi right away and ask him all sorts of things.

‘It really brings back memories of my past life.’

Baek Yeon-yeon. Yeon-ah was a younger sister who looked just like their always kind and gentle mother, Jeong In-hwa.

Pure as a blank sheet of paper and warm as spring sunshine, a child who always needed to be protected.

Yang-hwi sent a warm, affectionate smile toward Baek Yeon-yeon.

“Our Yeon-ah isn’t a brat, but a pretty and good young lady, isn’t she?”

“Really?!”

“Of course.”

“We only met yesterday for the first time, so how did you know, Brother?”

“I know everything. I can tell at a glance. For instance…”

Yang-hwi looked at Baek Heon-so.

“Just like how I noticed at a glance that little So over there doesn’t like me.”

While Baek Yeon-yeon was thinking that it would be stranger *not* to notice that…

Yang-hwi continued speaking.

“You arrogant rascal. Whether I became Father’s adopted son or not, I am older than you. Don’t you even know the proper decorum between elders and juniors?”

For Baek Heon-so, who had been raised delicately, the current situation was a series of shocks.

Harsh words he was hearing for the first time in his life. On top of that, a menacing attitude completely opposite to when Baek Mu-ryang was present.

Baek Heon-so couldn’t get a grip on himself.

“In the first place, what are you so dissatisfied with, you punk?”

“The eldest son of the Baek Clan is me! Why do I have to accept you as my elder brother?!”

“First: because Father decided it. Second: because Mother acknowledged it. Lastly, third: because you will still be the one acting as the eldest son in the future.”

The young Baek Heon-so failed to notice that a deeper meaning lay within those three reasons beyond their surface appearance.

He was simply resentful at being outmatched in words.

“Grr…”

Watching a seven-year-old child huffing and puffing in rage felt cute, but…

‘I can’t be like this. I shouldn’t be soft like in my past life.’

In his past life, Baek Heon-so had to ascend to the position of family head at the tender age of nineteen.

Because he had been spoiled, he was immature, and his warped personality was never corrected.

Thanks to that, the family’s fortunes declined day by day, and Yang-hwi had to watch the money he worked to the bone to earn melt away.

“Little brother, let me ask you one thing. Why can’t a beggar become your brother?”

“You’re not even the same blood as us!”

“You must have heard the tale of the Oath of the Peach Garden. Right now, even Father has sworn brothers.”

“Th-That’s…”

Hesitating, Baek Heon-so suddenly shouted out.

“Anyway, no! You were a beggar!”

At that moment, Yang-hwi decided how strictly he would discipline Baek Heon-so.

‘I can’t let the future head of the main family grow up to be a scoundrel. I must take up the switch with the heart of Mencius’s mother.’

He landed a surprise flick to the forehead of little So, who was yelling at the top of his lungs.

Thwack!

“Ow! What are you doing!”

“Baek Heon-so. As you said, I was a beggar. That means ever since I was born, I have lived by feeding myself through my own efforts. But I wonder if you have ever fed yourself even a single meal on your own.”

“How is that something to brag about!”

“It is something to brag about. Because even if I were kicked out of here right now, I could easily survive on my own. I am asking if you could do the same.”

Yang-hwi raised his hand to flick him once more.

Still, perhaps because he was a child of a martial clan, Baek Heon-so tried to duck away quickly, refusing to be caught twice.

Thwack!

Yang-hwi’s flick landed squarely in the middle of Baek Heon-so’s forehead.

“Ow!”

“So, as you know, among the martial arts world’s famous Nine Great Sects and One Band, the Beggars’ Sect is a sect of beggars. Could you look down on beggars in front of a member of the Beggars’ Sect?”

Baek Heon-so was rendered speechless.

“There is no person beneath heaven who is not precious. As Father’s child, you too are probably a good-natured person who wouldn’t normally look down on someone just for being a beggar.”

It was not a guess, but a certainty. Even in his past life, Baek Heon-so had been a good child before he went astray.

In the end, the issue was simply that Baek Heon-so viewed him as an outsider who had barged in and couldn’t accept him as an elder brother.

Yang-hwi raised his Wooden Sword.

“It seems a lesson is in order. Raise your sword.”

“Hmph! As if I’d back down!”

Baek Heon-so hoisted his Wooden Sword high.

“Baek Heon-so. If you win, I will grant you whatever you wish. But if I win, make sure to address me dutifully as Hyung-nim.”

“Really? A man’s word is worth a thousand gold pieces!”

Baek Heon-so was full of confidence. Being only seven years old, he had failed to truly comprehend how extraordinary the talent Yang-hwi had displayed earlier really was.

He was merely convinced that he, having practiced swordsmanship for over two years, could not possibly lose to Yang-hwi, who had held a Wooden Sword for the first time today, even if Yang-hwi was a year older.

“I’ll give you a three-move handicap as a special favor!”

A smirk escaped Yang-hwi.

What, a three-move handicap? Without even the eyes to gauge his opponent’s skill?

“This brat really learned only the worst habits.”

Walking forward with slow, deliberate steps, Yang-hwi swung his Wooden Sword down from above.

Because it was a slow attack, Baek Heon-so raised his sword without difficulty to take a defensive stance, but…

Clack!

As if bending in midair, Yang-hwi’s Wooden Sword slipped past Baek Heon-so’s blade and struck the crown of his head.

“Gahhhhh!”

Looking at Baek Heon-so, who had collapsed clutching his head in just one move—let alone three—Yang-hwi let out a sigh.

“Get up, kid.”

“Hic, wahhhh…”

Even if he was a child of a martial clan, he was still a delicately raised seven-year-old child.

Baek Heon-so was too young and fragile to endure the pain of being struck on the head with solid wood.

Yet, looking at Baek Heon-so whose tears were dripping down, Yang-hwi spoke even more sternly.

“Get up. Or you’re getting hit again.”

Thump!

When Yang-hwi slammed his Wooden Sword onto the stone paving of the Martial Arts Field, Baek Heon-so gasped and scrambled to his feet.

Thoroughly terrified, his body was trembling subtly.

“Baek Heon-so. If you are a child of a martial clan, do not succumb to pain. No matter what happens, never let go of your sword. Got it?”

“Y-Yeah… sob…”

“Not ‘yeah’, it’s ‘yes’. Where do you get off talking informally to your Hyung-nim with such rude manners?”

“Hic, sob, y-yes…”

Seeing that, Yang-hwi smiled warmly.

‘I have to raise him tough. That’s the only way he’ll become a strong person.’

“This time I’ll give you a three-move… no, a ten-move handicap. Come at me, So.”

“…….”

Even though there was no way he hadn’t heard Yang-hwi’s words, Baek Heon-so hesitated and couldn’t bring himself to move.

He was completely overwhelmed.

“If you don’t attack, I’m coming to you.”

“G-Grr!”

Baek Heon-so charged as if in desperation.

“Dieeee!”

Ah, this brazen little rascal.

‘Isn’t shouting “die” a bit much, little brother?’

He met the tip of the rushing Wooden Sword with the tip of his own.

Deflecting it easily with a slight application of force, he jabbed Baek Heon-so’s waist with his finger.

“It’s true that waist power is important in a downward strike, but applying strength is different from letting your body go stiff.”

Next, he tripped Baek Heon-so’s feet, then grabbed the back of his collar before he hit the ground to pull him back upright.

“And don’t focus all your attention on your upper body just because you’re swinging a sword. The most important thing in martial arts is always the lower body.”

In that manner, Yang-hwi pointed out Baek Heon-so’s flaws with every passing move.

“Now, the tenth move. End.”

Yang-hwi lightly pressed the tip of his Wooden Sword against Baek Heon-so’s solar plexus.

At that, Baek Heon-so weakly dropped his Wooden Sword.

‘I trained for two years… yet against someone who learned the sword for the first time today… I lost…’

“Sob, hic…”

Yang-hwi looked at the sobbing Baek Heon-so for a moment.

From now on, he intended to offer a carrot instead of the whip.

“So. Look at this.”

Yang-hwi pulled a silver ingot from his chest and thrust it forward.

Baek Heon-so’s eyes went wide as silver coins at the sight.

He was so surprised that his crying stopped instantly.

“A silver ingot…? How do you have such a large amount of money…?”

A single silver ingot was worth a worker’s daily wage.

Meaning that while it might be different for an adult, to the young Baek Heon-so, it was a very large sum.

“You saw yesterday that the Black Path Band left behind their money pouches. I was closest to them. So I swiped one.”

“W-Why did you do such a thing…?”

Yang-hwi grinned.

“Why else? To buy something delicious for my cute siblings on the day I properly introduce myself. In that spirit, should we skip training today and all go buy some sweets?”

As a true eldest brother, one must also teach the joy of playing truant!

“Yeon-ah, what about you? Won’t you go out with your brother?”

“I’d love to! I’d really, really love to!”

Watching Baek Yeon-yeon jumping up and down, Baek Heon-so whispered softly.

“Me too…”

“What? I can’t hear you, little brother.”

“Me too… together…”

Even if they had fought just a moment ago, it was a temptation far too powerful for a seven-year-old child to resist.

Yang-hwi chuckled and pulled Baek Heon-so to his feet.

“You’re covered in dirt. Both of you go wash up and change your clothes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes…”

Yeon-ah skipping away cheerfully, and So heading off to wash up while glancing nervously.

Truly, the carrot and the stick had been excellent tools of discipline since ancient times.

‘By the way, surely today… strictly speaking, tomorrow, wasn’t it?’

Recalling what had happened on this day in his past life, Yang-hwi planned what he needed to do outside.

‘If done right, it’s an opportunity to gain an ally for the family and earn a lot of money. To do that… I must first go find Gu Ak.’

For the record, the reason Yang-hwi had suddenly called Gu Ak “Brother Gu” and shown a friendly attitude was all for today.

To strike a deal with Gu Ak using a tiny, young body, he had to leave an impression that was not just deep, but borderline bizarre.

“Shall I see if I can get Gu Ak to call me ‘Hyung’, just as promised?”

Yang-hwi grinned slyly.