Chapter 7: Younger Brother, Baek Ha-jun (2)

「Even if you aren’t going to eat late at night, why bother bringing back the ladle you left behind?」

“Leaving it might allow the servants to throw it away.”

「If they throw it away, you can simply purchase a new one. The artisans of the Firelight Workshop can craft even a ladle made of cold iron.」

“The artisans of Firelight Workshop can’t be used without the permission of the Clan Head. And that ladle is… a cherished item.”

Yi-gang walked facing the sunset. Since he came out, he might as well enjoy the feeling of taking a stroll.

Due to the presence of servants around, Yi-gang focused his mind and communicated silently.

‘By the way, am I truly becoming stronger?’

「What did you say? Hoho.」

‘I’ve trained with the Great Yin Flow for a month. But I don’t feel any difference.’

Yi-gang trained with the Great Yin Flow every day at the Red Jade Training Hall.

The Great Yin Flow itself was not a strenuous or complicated move. The problem was with mental strength.

The Great Yin Flow guided by the Immortal Divine Sword was not just a martial art that merely trained the body.

From the first to the ninth movements, he had trained to embed his will in each motion.

「Hit me.」

Upon the Immortal Divine Sword’s words, Yi-gang swiftly threw a punch. It was the third movement of the Great Yin Flow.

In a peculiar manner, the Immortal Divine Sword twisted his hand, blocking Yi-gang’s fist with his palm.

Thud-

Sure enough, the punch landed on the ghost’s body.

「Haven’t you become somewhat accustomed to embedding will in your body now?」

“…I have. But it’s not like my body has become faster or stronger.”

His punch was still slow and lacked strength. Although training rigorously in the Great Yin Flow, he felt a slight lightness in his body.

「If martial arts were so easily mastered, there’d be no need for the blood and sweat. Someday, you’ll experience the change in yourself.」

Yi-gang nodded to the calm words of the Immortal Divine Sword.

「What I’m curious about is the story of that younger brother of yours…」

‘Are you talking about Ha-jun?’

「It seems you aren’t on good terms.」

‘Yes.’

Yi-gang firmly replied.

‘When he was younger, he was adorable, so I played with him. He used to follow me around, calling me “big bro, big bro.”’

「Hehe, despite just a two-year age gap, you speak of him as if he were a small child.」

A two-year difference between siblings was not significant.

But to Yi-gang, who in his past life had been a fully-grown young man, Ha-jun truly appeared like a baby.

‘I raised him.’

「Haha! Then why are you not on good terms now?」

‘I distanced myself.’

There must be a reason when blood-related princes kill each other over the throne.

The Clan Head of the Baek Clan was no different from the king of the city named Xi’an.

When Yi-gang collapsed from a seizure around the age of ten and the issue of the Young Clan Head succession engulfed the clan, Yi-gang had no choice but to decide.

‘I tormented him a lot. I overturned Ha-jun’s birthday table. Pinched his cheeks until they bruised and he cried. Kicked his sobbing rear. I even secretly drank alcohol.’

「You were quite the rascal.」

’At first, he noticed, but as I was about to leave the family, our relationship deteriorated.

He did not even see me off. It was for the best.’

「It’s destiny for martial arts brothers to eventually draw their swords against each other. Don’t dwell on it.」

‘Didn’t you say family should always be harmonious?’

「Siblings are the exception.」

Yi-gang suddenly wondered if the Immortal Divine Sword also had siblings.

While pondering this, they arrived at the Red Jade Training Hall.

There, to his surprise, he found Baek Ha-jun and Neung Ji-pyeong, whom they were discussing just moments ago.

Yi-gang was as surprised as the first time he saw the Immortal Divine Sword.

“…Why are you here now?”

The younger brother he met after three years had grown a lot in that time.

Was he 12 years old? He was still youthful, but he had gotten taller. He might have been similar in height to Yi-gang, who was two years older.

“…”

Baek Ha-jun glared at Yi-gang, who appeared suddenly.

Yi-gang had not expected a warm greeting, but the cold reception left a bitter taste in his mouth.

「Oh, is that the kid? Glaring at his elder brother as if he wants to kill him. Is there another story you haven’t told me?」

‘I once destroyed all of Ha-jun’s treasured toys. Right in front of him.’

「Truly the world’s enemy.」

Yi-gang silently looked at Baek Ha-jun.

The younger brother also stared back at Yi-gang. His gaze and expression were extremely cold.

Should he say something? Perhaps greet him since it had been a long time? Or maybe make a casual, tension-easing remark like before?

“There was a visitor.”

Yi-gang made a third choice. He picked up the ladle he had left behind and turned to leave.

「What a boring choice.」

The time it took to pick up the ladle from the stove and turn around felt incredibly awkward.

Until that moment, Baek Ha-jun had simply stood still in place.

Yi-gang felt a slight relief and turned towards the door.

Suddenly, Baek Ha-jun, who had been standing behind him just a moment ago, appeared in front of the door, blocking Yi-gang’s path. It was a movement technique that Yi-gang did not even notice.

“Young Master Ha-jun!”

「What an impressive Moon Shadow Step!」

Neung Ji-pyeong and the Immortal Divine Sword exclaimed in unison.

The Moon Shadow Step was a light footwork technique taught to the direct bloodline and the retainers of the Baek Clan. The technique displayed by Baek Ha-jun, whom Yi-gang had not seen for three years, was impressively advanced.

「Heh! His agility is incomparable to our descendants. It reminds me of my younger days.」

Considering that the Immortal Divine Sword gave such a compliment, it must undoubtedly be of an exceptional level.

‘Uh, the descendant you are referring to is standing right next to you.’

「How interesting, this situation just got more entertaining.」

As much as the Immortal Divine Sword was enjoying it, the atmosphere in the training hall grew stranger.

Baek Ha-jun, having blocked Yi-gang with his footwork technique, said nothing. He simply glared at Yi-gang.

Yi-gang broke the silence.

“What do you want?”

“…”

Despite Yi-gang’s cold words, Baek Ha-jun remained silent.

「Ah, the moment of conflict has arrived! A confrontation between brothers, how thrilling!」

Yi-gang disagreed, but the Immortal Divine Sword seemed to think so.

Yi-gang relaxed his shoulders, his expression turned icy, and a cold aura emanated from him.

“If you’re going to block someone’s way, you should speak up. Do you plan to just stand there like a fool forever?”

“…”

“It seems you’ve forgotten how to speak while we were apart.”

Once he started speaking coldly, even sharp-tongued remarks came out easily.

His younger brother, who might have shed tears in the past, remained expressionless. They always say children grow up in the blink of an eye. Perhaps, due to Yi-gang’s cold demeanor, Baek Ha-jun was forced to mature quickly.

“Tsk.”

Yi-gang clicked his tongue in disapproval at Baek Ha-jun. Just as he was about to ignore him and walk away, the silent Baek Ha-jun hurriedly stopped Yi-gang.

“Wait, big bro!”

“…”

Yi-gang momentarily froze in place.

“What did you… say?”

It was a term of address he used to hear often in the past, but in this atmosphere, it seemed entirely out of place.

There was a crack in Baek Ha-jun’s previously cold and expressionless face.

“Big Bro… ther. I mean, Big Brother…”

Was it because they were meeting after such a long time? Baek Ha-jun, in his flustered state, trying to gather his scattered words, momentarily resembled his younger self from about six years ago.

Yi-gang could have reprimanded him, saying, ‘Can’t you still tell the difference between heaven and earth?’

But—

“Ha.”

Instead, Yi-gang just burst out laughing.

「…It’s turned rather bland,」

The Immortal Divine Sword remarked, seemingly disappointed.

「Brothers shouldn’t be on good terms.」

‘Is there a reason why they shouldn’t be?’

「Of course. If brothers get along, they end up sharing power. And if that happens, the world eventually gets torn apart. It’s inevitable.」

‘You have a point there.’

「I too had a brother once. But one day, he sent assassins after me. So, I took the assassin’s life and woke him up by smacking his head.」

‘…’

「I didn’t kill him. Instead, I broke his dantian and severed his meridians to ensure he lived a peaceful life.」

The Immortal Divine Sword spoke in a menacing tone.

Ignoring him, Yi-gang spoke to Baek Ha-jun.

“Aren’t you too old to call me ‘big bro’?”

“Big Brother…”

“Just call me ‘brother.’ It sounds silly the other way.”

Truthfully, at 12 years old, it was not inappropriate to address one’s elder brother as “big bro.” Still, Baek Ha-jun seemed incredibly embarrassed by his slip.

Although he assumed Yi-gang would only resent him, it seemed Yi-gang felt differently.

“So, why did you stop me as I was about to leave?”

“…”

Baek Ha-jun had halted Yi-gang, but he seemed unprepared with what to actually say.

“That is… um.”

Unlike Yi-gang, Baek Ha-jun was not good at quick retorts and was rather clumsy by nature. Though he hid his fluster behind a cold expression, his words lacked coherence.

“It’s been a while since we met. So, how about we go training together…”

Baek Ha-jun seemed to regain a bit of his confidence as he spoke.

“Right, like having a sparring session, as we used to do. Or what about racing together, big bro… I mean, brother!”

Somewhere between a child and a teenager, Baek Ha-jun looked at Yi-gang with eyes full of anticipation.

But Yi-gang, on the other hand, wore a baffled expression.

“Are you mocking me right now?”

“Huh…?”

“Challenging someone who can’t even use internal energy to spar?”

It was then that Baek Ha-jun realized the blunder in his words.

“So, you really want to get back at me, huh?”

“No, that’s absurd. Revenge? That’s not what I meant at all…!”

Baek Ha-jun’s face turned pale. He had intended to engage Yi-gang, but ended up touching a sensitive spot for him.

Of course, Yi-gang was not hurt by Baek Ha-jun’s words.

「He’s surprisingly easy to tease despite his initial impression.」

‘He’s still a child, after all.’

However, it was out of the question to have a sparring match with the incoherent Baek Ha-jun.

“How could I possibly get beaten by a younger sibling who still looks like a child?”

“Of course, I wasn’t talking about sparring using internal energy. Yes, I meant without using internal energy. Today is the day we train in the light footwork technique, not swordsmanship or external technique. Right, Squad Leader Neung?”

Neung Ji-pyeong, taken by surprise, nodded in agreement.

A match without using internal energy? Yi-gang was slightly curious, but he was resolute.

“So, you think just because you learned a bit of martial arts, you can look down on me? Fine then.”

“Today’s plan is ‘catching the goblin’!”

“What…?”

“It’s a game father taught us. A game we played together. It was actually a mobility technique training. If it’s that game…”

Yi-gang was momentarily taken aback.

“Catching the goblin” was a type of “game” they used to enjoy in their childhood. It involved a dangling red bean pouch and a blindfold.

But why would that game be mentioned in the context of mobility training?

「Ah, the training method I created is still being passed down. Hmm, if it’s that game…」

‘Was “catching the goblin” a training method?’

「Yes, it was.」

It was a story Yi-gang had not heard before, but thinking about it, maybe that game could indeed help in light footwork martial arts training.

“So, you want to play a game after such a long time?”

“It’s not a game, it’s training. If we do it together…”

“It’s not for you to decide. You should have first sought permission from Squad Leader Neung, who oversees your training. Tsk.”

“Ah.”

Yi-gang turned his attention to Neung Ji-pyeong, expecting the latter, being the more judicious one, to halt Baek Ha-jun.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

“Hmm. If Young Master Yi-gang participates, it will surely benefit Young Master Ha-jun.”

After a moment of contemplation, Neung Ji-pyeong nodded in agreement.

“Squad Leader Neung has given his permission too!”

“What…!”

Normally, Neung Ji-pyeong would have separated Baek Ha-jun and Yi-gang. It was incomprehensible why he had changed his stance so suddenly.

Could he have ulterior motives?

‘Does he expect Ha-jun to beat me?’

「Hehe, why not give it a try? I’ll teach you some techniques to make your movements more agile.」

‘Excuse me?’

The Immortal Divine Sword spoke in a straightforward manner without any hint of joking.

「Weren’t you curious? To see if anything has changed due to my teachings?」

‘Well, yes, but…’

「This is a good opportunity. They are talking about playing “goblin catch” without using internal energy. In that case, it would be less of a disadvantage even for a descendant with the blocked meridian condition.」

Yi-gang hesitated. Both Baek Ha-jun and, for reasons Yi-gang could not quite grasp, Neung Ji-pyeong were looking at him with anticipatory eyes.

Perhaps, there was no reason for him to back out.

Misunderstanding Yi-gang’s hesitation, the Immortal Divine Sword added weight to the decision.

「I didn’t mention this since I wasn’t certain. But if the descendant defeats that boy, I will provide a clue to extend your lifespan.」

‘You should have told me that earlier if you knew.’

「Make your choice.」

Yi-gang made his decision.

“Alright.”

“…!”

Baek Ha-jun’s face lit up with excitement.

“Where’s the blindfold?”

“Ah, it’s here, Young Master Yi-gang.”

Neung Ji-pyeong handed over the blindfold he was supposed to wear. Yi-gang gripped the prepared blindfold designed to obscure vision.

「A wise choice.」

‘I had no other choice.’

Yi-gang tried to sound a bit regretful.

「Hmm, then why does our descendant seem to be smiling?」

Smiling? Suddenly, Yi-gang touched the corners of his mouth. Indeed, his lips were slightly upturned.

“Then, let’s get ready.”

With an excited voice, Neung Ji-pyeong prepared for the “goblin catch.”

Yi-gang pondered. If Baek Ha-jun did not use his internal energy, would there be a chance to win?

It would be difficult.

‘Ha-jun is a genius. The Council of Elders recognized him too. They said he has a talent that could rival the best in the world.’

「That’s likely no exaggeration.」

The Immortal Divine Sword too recognized Baek Ha-jun’s excellence.

「Yet, descendant, who do you think is the one who trained you?」

However, that confident and slowly spoken statement,

「I am Baek Sung-cheon, the very one who slayed the Cult Leader of the Evil Cult and, with a single sword, rose to be the strongest.」

‘…’

「If that boy is a vessel that appears once in 100 years, then you, the one I chose, are the honored unparalleled vessel.」

Without a word, Yi-gang covered his eyes with the blindfold.

「Go forth. Go and teach that ignorant boy the difference between heaven and earth.」

‘In the place I lived before reincarnation, there was a saying.’

「Oh?」

He gripped the blindfold tightly.

‘The younger sibling is never the equal of the elder.’

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