Chapter 18: The Treasure of the Baek Ri Clan (3)

Cho Un-hwi paused for a moment, then turned his head.

“It seems we have an outsider eavesdropping on our important conversation.”

“Master So is not an outsider. He’s practically family.”

“I’m a worrier by nature. I must have mistaken his intense gaze for something else.”

“Watch your tongue! Master So is not someone a lowly instructor like you should be addressing so casually.”

“Haha, it’s alright,” So Yong-dae said, waving his hand dismissively. He bowed slightly.

“How can a groom not be captivated by his bride?”

“You seem a bit old for her…”

“There might be an age gap, but I assure you, I’m more than capable of cherishing and loving Miss Baek. Isn’t that enough?”

He pulled out a small scroll from his robe and unfurled it.

It was a portrait of a beautiful woman who bore a striking resemblance to Baek Ri-seol.

“I even commissioned a portrait of her, as a token of my affection.”

Cho Un-hwi examined the portrait, his brow furrowed.

“The woman in the portrait does resemble Student Baek, but she seems much older.”

“That’s my late wife. I proposed to Miss Baek because I believe she’s my wife’s reincarnation. Don’t you understand my feelings?”

“Pfft!”

Cho Un-hwi burst out laughing.

The room fell silent, and everyone glared at him.

He continued to chuckle, oblivious to the hostile atmosphere.

He turned to Baek Ri-seol.

“Student Baek, don’t you find this hilarious?”

“…Instructor?”

She was startled. It was the first time anyone had addressed her directly since she entered the room.

Cho Un-hwi gestured towards So Yong-dae with his chin.

“That toad-faced geezer claims to have had a beautiful wife like that? Do you believe that?”

“How dare you!”

Baek Ri Jeong-sun slammed his fist on the table, shattering it into pieces.

“You insolent fool! I tried to be reasonable, but you’ve crossed the line! I’ll teach you some manners!”

He gestured towards his guards.

They drew their swords, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

The atmosphere was tense, but Cho Un-hwi remained calm, his voice light and playful as he addressed Baek Ri-seol.

“Baek Ri-seol, what should we do?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Can I kill them?”

“What?!”

***

What was this instructor talking about?

Her father was the White Dragon Swordsman, a renowned master of the Baek Ri Clan.

And the guards who were surrounding them were the elite of the Muhan Branch, each a skilled martial artist.

Baek Ri-seol wondered if Cho Un-hwi had lost his mind.

“Are you joking?”

“Joking? I’m always serious.”

“But that’s…”

“Think carefully before you answer. Your decision will determine your fate.”

“!”

Her fate.

His words sent a shiver down her spine.

‘Can I really decide my own fate?’

She had always lived her life according to her family’s wishes.

She looked at her father, her mother, and her brothers.

Their cold, disapproving gazes made her heart sink.

“Hey, don’t be scared! Where’s that fiery spirit of yours?”

It’s easy for you to say!

How can I stay calm in this situation?

She wanted to retort.

But before she could speak, Cho Un-hwi kicked a table leg into the air and caught it in his hand.

He struck the table leg with the edge of his hand, shaping it into a makeshift club.

“Take your time. I’ll get rid of anyone who tries to influence your decision.”

“Be careful! Those are my father’s elite guards!”

“Careful? Why would I be careful?”

Swish!

Two guards lunged at Cho Un-hwi from both sides.

They moved with the speed and precision of first-rate masters.

But then.

Cho Un-hwi dodged their attacks with a slight shift of his body, then took a step forward.

The guards stumbled and fell to the ground, their swords clattering beside them.

‘How did he do that?’

Baek Ri-seol’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the guards collapse, their bodies frozen in mid-attack.

“I told you, I’m good with staffs.”

“You bastard! You’re skilled!”

Another guard charged at him, his sword glowing with internal energy.

He had witnessed his comrades’ defeat and was taking no chances.

Clang!

Cho Un-hwi kicked a box into the air, deflecting the guard’s attack with his club.

He flicked his left index finger, and the guard cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground.

Thud.

A silver ingot rolled out from beneath the guard’s body.

Baek Ri-seol realized that Cho Un-hwi had flicked the ingot with his finger, striking the guard’s pressure point.

‘How… how is that possible?’

The guards in this room were skilled martial artists, handpicked by her father from the main branch of the Baek Ri Clan.

Each one of them was a master swordsman.

And yet, they were being defeated so easily.

By this nameless instructor.

Her eyes twitched nervously.

But she also felt a surge of excitement.

“Can you use hidden weapons too?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m good with hidden weapons too.”

“You didn’t! You said you could use swords, sabers, spears, staffs, and bows!”

“Did I? Well, let’s just say I’m good with swords, sabers, spears, staffs, bows, and hidden weapons.”

***

The room was filled with stunned silence.

Baek Ri Jeong-sun was furious. He couldn’t believe that his elite guards had been defeated so easily.

“You were hiding your true strength.”

“I wasn’t hiding anything. You’re the idiot who couldn’t see it.”

“You arrogant fool!”

This wasn’t going according to plan.

Baek Ri-seol was wavering.

“Take Seol-ah and leave!”

“Yes, Master!”

But before his guards could move, they collapsed to the ground, silver ingots rolling out from beneath their bodies.

‘What kind of hidden weapon technique is this? Why can’t my guards resist it?’

He couldn’t stand by and watch any longer. His men were panicking.

He drew his sword.

“I tried to be patient, but I won’t tolerate you harming my men and corrupting my daughter! You’ll pay for this with your arm!”

Baek Ri-seol’s face paled as her father drew his sword.

Cho Un-hwi might have been impressive so far, but her father was on a completely different level.

“Father, please forgive Instructor Cho!” she pleaded.

“Silence!”

Baek Ri Jeong-sun raised his sword, his internal energy surging through his body.

A wave of heat emanated from him, distorting the air around him.

It was the stance of the White Dragon Sword Technique, the Baek Ri Clan’s secret technique.

“This is getting interesting.”

“You bastard! The games are over!”

Baek Ri Jeong-sun lunged forward, his footwork so powerful that it shattered the floor beneath him.

Swish!

He appeared before Cho Un-hwi in an instant, his sword aimed at his head.

‘No!’

It was a devastating attack, powerful enough to cleave a boulder in two.

Baek Ri-seol screamed as she saw Cho Un-hwi standing there, seemingly defenseless.

But then…

Cho Un-hwi tossed his club aside.

“A cheap trick!”

Baek Ri Jeong-sun sliced through the club, but Cho Un-hwi had already kicked two swords into the air.

The swords spun in the air, then landed in his hands.

“Two swords?”

He struck a familiar pose.

“Behold! The Supreme Invincible… Dual Sword Technique!”

“Pfft!”

Despite the ridiculous name, Cho Un-hwi’s swordsmanship was breathtaking.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

His two swords moved like lightning, striking at Baek Ri Jeong-sun’s vital points with deadly accuracy.

He aimed for his neck, his legs, his thighs, his shoulders.

His swords danced around Baek Ri Jeong-sun, their movements so swift and fluid that it seemed as if he were trapped in a cage of blades.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Baek Ri Jeong-sun was forced to retreat, his footwork frantic and erratic.

Baek Ri-seol couldn’t believe her eyes.

Her father, the invincible White Dragon Swordsman, was being pushed back.

‘He’s… losing?’

The White Dragon Swordsman.

An unparalleled master.

He might have been overrated as a swordsman, but he was still a formidable opponent.

“White Dragon Swordsman? You’re more like a stray dog. Come join Dongcheon Hall. I’ll train you properly.”

“You bastard!”

Baek Ri Jeong-sun roared in anger and unleashed his full power.

His sword glowed with a brilliant white light, its blade shimmering with a translucent aura.

Baek Ri-seol knew what that meant.

“Sword Qi! He’s using Sword Qi!”

It was a legendary technique, said to be attainable only by those who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts mastery.

Sword Qi was said to be capable of cutting through anything.

She had thought that Cho Un-hwi, despite his impressive display, would be no match for her father’s superior internal energy cultivation and his mastery of Sword Qi.

But then…

Their swords clashed.

Clang!

A deafening sound echoed through the room as their blades collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.

“Ugh!”

Baek Ri Jeong-sun stumbled backward, clutching his chest.

The impact of their clash had disrupted his internal energy flow, causing him internal injuries.

He quickly recovered and leaped into the air, performing a somersault to create distance between himself and Cho Un-hwi.

It was a skillful maneuver, worthy of the White Dragon Swordsman.

“Nice dance moves.”

But Cho Un-hwi wasn’t impressed.

Baek Ri-seol suddenly had a vision.

‘Transfer the recoil from the clashing blades to your feet and unleash a powerful strike.’

She recognized the move.

Cho Un-hwi spun around, his swords flashing through the air like a bird taking flight.

‘White Crane Ascending.’

Swish!

Crash!

Baek Ri Jeong-sun crashed through several tables, his body flying across the room.

Her father, the fearsome and powerful White Dragon Swordsman…

“Ugh…”

…was lying on the floor, defeated.

“See that?”

“I… I… what?”

“That’s the technique you mastered.”

“Sniff… sniff…”

Tears streamed down Baek Ri-seol’s face.

The walls that had confined her for so long were crumbling.