Gu-ak slowly walked toward Buk-ak-shin, gesturing to his subordinates as he did. Trapped in a sudden encirclement, Buk-ak-shin shouted in a panic.
"Great Elder! I don't know what nonsense this kid's been spouting, but why are you doing this to me?"
"Buk-ak-shin, strip off your clothes. Everything, down to your undergarments."
At that moment, Buk-ak-shin's body trembled as though struck by lightning.
"Elder! Are you truly intending to humiliate me like this?"
"This will only take a moment. If I'm wrong, I'll kneel and apologize."
"..."
Buk-ak-shin fell silent, then made his choice—to flee.
'Well, at least he's quick-witted,' Yang-hui thought. Buk-ak-shin knew there was no escaping a search in this situation, whether it was done in private or openly. Realizing this, he must've judged that fleeing was his only chance to survive.
'Too bad he's not as fast as Gu-ak, though.'
Before Buk-ak-shin could even break through the encirclement, a battle-axe, the very weapon that had earned Gu-ak his nickname "Blood Hound," embedded itself in Buk-ak-shin's calf.
"Arghhhh!"
As Buk-ak-shin's agonized scream filled the air, Gu-ak's enraged roar followed.
"Buk-ak-shin! You vile traitor! After all I did for you!"
In his fury, Gu-ak ripped through Buk-ak-shin's lower clothing, exposing the skin on his thigh, where a tattoo in the shape of a small blue snake lay beneath the torn fabric. Blood welled from the jagged wound left by the axe, but the tattoo was unmistakable.
"So, there really was a tattoo."
"Elder! Elder! I was wrong! Please, listen to my—aaaargh!"
A chunk of Buk-ak-shin's teeth shattered from his mouth as Gu-ak's iron-like fist smashed into it. Gu-ak wasn't done, either.
'He's not going to kill him on the spot. Most likely, they'll take him for interrogation since he's been revealed as a spy.'
Yang-hui observed as Gu-ak crushed Buk-ak-shin's limbs, ensuring he could neither flee nor resist. Suddenly, a calloused hand covered Yang-hui's eyes. It was Baek Mu-ryang.
"This is far too brutal for a young one to see."
"..."
Yang-hui relished the warmth for a moment before gently pulling Baek Mu-ryang's hand down with both of his own.
"I'm alright, Father. Besides, there are still matters we need to discuss."
With that, he took a step forward.
"Brother Gu."
Gu-ak, still venting his fury by pummeling the crippled Buk-ak-shin, turned his head.
"Little Brother."
His usual term of endearment had shifted from "brat" to "little brother."
"I think this should be enough to settle the score for wiping out that gang of third-rate thugs. Would you agree?"
"…I do. I owe you a debt, Little Brother."
Yang-hui almost slipped back into the familiar language of his old rogue days, about to quip that he'd be calling him "little brother" from now on. But in the present situation, such a joke would be a reckless risk.
'Still, I'll save it for later.'
"I'll ask once more. Now that the grievance has been resolved with this, does that mean there's no remaining grudge between the Baek family and Hon-gyo faction?"
"As the son of the Hon-gyo faction Lord and its vice-chief, I assure you, the grudge is erased."
The Baek clan servants, who had been wearing anxious expressions, now looked visibly relieved. Even Baek Mu-ryang, ever the dignified family head, couldn't completely hide the slight softening in his expression.
However, Yang-hui wasn't finished.
"In that case, let's discuss another matter."
"Another matter? What else is left to discuss, Little Brother?"
"While our grudge has indeed been settled with this matter, there's still one more issue—this one belonging to our Baek family."
Yang-hui gestured toward the shattered main gate.
"What will you do to settle this matter, Brother Gu?"
As a reminder, a manor's main gate stands as a symbol of the family's dignity and honor. They had broken through that gate and entered the premises without permission; such an offense exceeded that of merely taking down some small-time thugs.
'In fact, if we measured by the gravity of the offense, this is far worse. One could even say it warrants a life-or-death struggle.'
Though Gu-ak likely thought he had sufficient justification and didn't need to worry about consequences, circumstances had changed.
"I'm sure you're well aware, Brother Gu, that the head of our family has his own allies, just as you do."
Baek Mu-ryang's ally was the direct descendant of a powerful family—a connection far more formidable than someone like Buk-ak-shin. As Yang-hui recalled Baek Mu-ryang's powerful ally from his previous life, Baek Mu-ryang looked at him in surprise and asked.
"Yang-hui, how did you know that I had such a connection?"
"Living on the road and in humble quarters, I hear things now and then. I'm also aware of how close you and your ally are—that he would step in at a moment's notice to settle any matter."
Yang-hui replied politely, then turned his gaze to Gu-ak, whose face had turned grim.
Gu-ak clearly knew of Baek Mu-ryang's powerful ally. It seemed he had thought his own justifications would keep Baek Mu-ryang from interfering.
"Indeed, the grudge is gone, and now only this one issue remains. What would you have me do, Little Brother?"
"Our Master is not one to fuss over small matters. If you'd leave some funds for the gate repairs, he'd laugh it off."
Funds for the gate repair. Understanding the implication behind Yang-hui's words, Gu-ak sighed in exasperation.
"Little Brother… you're quite cunning for your age."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
With a resigned sigh, Gu-ak looked around at his subordinates.
"Everyone, take out your money pouches and place them on the ground."
Following his own order, Gu-ak retrieved his own hefty money pouch, then even took Buk-ak-shin's and placed it all before Baek Mu-ryang as he cupped his hands in apology.
"I sincerely apologize for the offense. As a gesture of atonement, we'll leave all the money we have to cover the cost of repairing your gate."
If word of today's events got out, what kind of story would it become? Most likely, it would be said that Hongyo Bang broke down the Baek family's gate, only to lose every coin they had as compensation before they left.
'At least, it won't be the kind of disgrace that brought shame to the family in my previous life.'
Watching this unfold, Yang-hui smiled in satisfaction. He had managed to completely reverse the outcome of that incident from his past life.
"Well, it seems the matter between our Baek family and Hon-gyo faction is now entirely settled. We'll be on our way. Follow me, everyone."
After the Hon-gyo group retreated like a receding tide, Yang-hui turned to the steward, a grin on his face.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Baek Yang-hui of the Baek family."
"..."
A heavy silence fell over the courtyard. Not a single servant dared to question Yang-hui's words.