Book 1 Chapter 8: Minor Clan Lord Yang(3)
Translator: Hwarang
Editor: Jay
Yang Gi Chul leapt towards his son and landed next to him.
“What happened?”
Rather than being worried or surprised. his reaction after finding out what happened was disappointment and anger, “Let me ask again, what happened here?”
After hearing his father speak Yang Gi Kang forcefully opened his eyes. He said in a painful voice, “Father… it was him… he tried to kill me…”
Finding out that I almost crippled his son Yang Gi Chul gave me the death stare. Since he couldn’t attack me directly right now he asked one of his subordinates.
“Is this true?”
“The thing is…”
The subordinate was hesitant and was mumbling something.
Slap!
Yang Gi Chul slapped his subordinate’s face.
“You stupid bastard. Why were you just standing there, letting him get all beaten up like that?”
Because he couldn’t hold back his rage he kept on hitting his subordinate.
Smack! Slap! Smack! Slap!
I knew the true intention behind those attacks. The one Yang Gi Chul was hitting was not his subordinate, but me. It was a warning for my father that the next one that he was going to hit was me.
The subordinate who was getting hit finally collapsed after passing out. However, Yang Gi Chul didn’t seem like he was satisfied with that, so he stepped on his subordinate a couple more times before walking in front of my father.
“How will you take responsibility for this?”
Father stared at me. I looked back at my father blankly yet proudly. I wonder how he took my action?
I was afraid he was going to be forced into something, but he calmly asked what happened.
“What happened here?”
Seo Jung explained what happened in full detail to my father. How Yang Ki Kang was forcefully trying to flirt with Song He, how Kwang Du tried to stop it, but was told to do something inhumane, and how I gave him a chance to apologize before disciplining him. Luckily, he didn’t forget anything important.
If he was a normal father, he would keep his head lowered in shame. But Yang Gi Chul was the complete opposite as he was questioning my father.
“For a couple of maids and servants, you dare make my son like this?”
There was no further need to question his character. Because what he said showed his true character.
Then he threatened me, “How will you take responsibly for what you did?”
They were like two peas in a pod.
But, I saved my words as well as my fist. It wasn’t a matter of winning or losing, but a matter of face.
At this time my father said something that I didn’t expect, “I think your side should take responsibility for this.”
Not just me but everyone else was surprised. Everyone’s glance went toward my usually calm father. He had a very fierce and sharp atmosphere around him.
“What did you just say?”
“If your son trying to beat my son with his fist wasn’t enough, he even raised his blade against my son. He raised his blade against my weaponless son! I think there are enough witnesses here to prove what happened.”
Father looked around the whole courtyard, giving everyone a glance. Our clan’s subordinate gave a nod while the Yang Clan’s subordinates stood there in silence. There were too many people present to say anything otherwise.
My father added a little more salt to the wound, “If it was someone else I wouldn’t, but since it is you I will give you some face and forget everything that happened.”
“What?”
“You know if everyone from Kang Ho gets a wind of what happened, your clan will become the laughing stock of not just this city, but other areas as well.”
Yang Gi Chul’s face turned ugly. He was about to explode in rage and raise his blade against my father.
“So what are you trying to do right now?”
My father returned the question back to him, “What are you trying to do?”
The pressure between the two Gaju collided. But my father had the advantage.
I didn’t know that my father was hiding this kind of expression. My father’s normal expression was just an illusion hiding his true nature. He was a tiger hiding behind his calm and collected nature. My father was a martial artist to the bone. How expert of a martial artist he is was a question for later, but I finally understood why Seo Jung never left my father. He truly understood my father and saw him as someone worthy of his loyalty.
Yang Gi Chul couldn’t act rashly so he came out another way. “First pay up the money that you borrowed.”
“Sure.”
The Yang clan was more powerful than our clan, but this time they only brought twenty men, so they didn’t really want to have a clash with my father. They never truly had any confrontation with my father before, so they were all afraid of my father’s capabilities. Thus, they couldn’t do anything.
“The guests are leaving.”
His expression was stoic as if he was saying ‘spray the salt at the guests to chase them away’.
Yang Gi Chul left our house with his son and subordinates, full of rage and anger.
My father asked me a question, “Why did you do that?”
My action today really surprised my father. He was going to believe in me and was going to ask question later.
“They tried to mock our clan. What he did was something that a normal human wouldn’t do.”
Then I stared at Kwang Du and Song He. They were flabbergasted, this was the first time that they heard that they were part of my family from my mouth.
After glancing between Kwang Du and me couple of times, he left for his room with his hands in his back.
“Elder Seo follow me.”
“Yes, Gaju-nim.”
It seemed as if they were going to discuss future measures. He didn’t compliment me or criticize me. But I took his silence as a compliment.
As Seo Jung was following my father he glanced toward me. Rather than giving me a look of criticism, he gave me a look of acceptance.
Not only Seo Jung, but everyone else from the servants and maids, to the guards were all looking at me in a new light.
Especially Song He, she looked as if she wanted to run towards me and give me a hug.
I squatted next to Song He and stared her in the eyes. “Were you scared?”
“No… Yes.”
“Don’t be afraid of him. He isn’t even worthy of being afraid of. Don’t worry, I, as well as everyone else here, will protect you.”
Song He looked at everyone, and they all gave her a smile and nodded. These were the ones who were truly loyal to my father after everyone else left.
“Thank You, Young Master, and everyone.”
She finally shed the tears that she was trying to hold back. This was the first time that she truly felt safe.
Before she left, she said in my ear, “Now I truly believe you, Young Master.”
After everyone left, I was alone with Kwang Du. He collapsed on the floor, since his legs gave out after being so nervous.
“I think I’m going to vomit.”
“Don’t, then you’ll have to clean it up.”
He gave me a sick smile.
“Are you not afraid young master?”
“Why would I be afraid?”
“What if they attack us? I told you before that right now the Yang Clan is the strongest in the city.”
“Didn’t you see their subordinates’ expressions? They are resentful of their master. There are not many who are truly loyal to them. On the other hand, you know how our subordinates are. These are the men who are truly loyal.”
“But if we fight, they have the numbers advantage.”
“War isn’t fought with just numbers. And war doesn’t happen that easily.”
You could trust me you fool, you have no idea how many campaigns I have been in and how experienced I am in this. I practically lived in the battlefield.
“Someone who is as calculating as Lord Yang won’t move that rashly. He will only attack when victory is guaranteed.”
“Even if his son is crippled?”
“He didn’t even carefully observe his son. He got mad not because his son got hurt, but because I didn’t give him face and attacked his son.”
“Is there a difference?”
“There is, this is a different type of rage.”
Yang Gi Chul was someone who was very arrogant and prideful.
“I don’t understand what you are talking about.”
“You don’t have to. Go and get some rest.”
As he was about to leave, he turned around and grabbed my hand.
“Young Master.”
“What?”
“Thank you for what happened.”
“Alright. Make sure you never forget what happened.”
“Hehe.”
He left taking large and buoyant strides.
From my experience, I knew that Yang Gi Chul wasn’t the type make a move immediately. He would find a way to take revenge without getting his hands dirty. If he did he make a move, he would do it in the most gruesome and cruel way possible.
So I decided to make a move first. After this crisis was over, I decided to train in silence.
“Lord Yang is a prideful person. He will never let go of this quietly.”
My father replied to my mother, “But he won’t do anything rashly.”
“He is someone who is very calculating. So, let’s just pay off our debt. He could use that as an excuse to do something.”
Byuk Do Jun nodded. He understood Yang Gi Chul perfectly. But getting twenty thousand nyang was no easy task.
When they were doing well others couldn’t do anything to them. But now that they were in this situation, others were bullying them to gain the favor of the Yang Clan. However, he didn’t resent them. He resented himself for not rearing his son the correct way. This all happened because of his ignorance.
Im Ae Hwa put a small treasure box on the table.
“If we sell this we could get enough money to pay off the debt.”
When Byuk Do Jun opened the box, there was a small jade necklace inside the box.
“This is?”
Byuk Do Jun looked surprised and shook his head.
“No, we can never sell this. This is the heirloom that was passed down from you clan. This is your most treasured item.”
“No, it’s not my most treasured item, if we could sell…”
“No, until you bury me you will never sell this.”
“This is just an item.”
“No, it is not just an item, it is the heirloom that your father gave you. Your most treasured item”
“What I treasure the most is you and Dan-ee.”
Byuk Do Jun couldn’t say anything. He knew full well how much his wife loved him. He knew how much she had sacrificed for her son, and how much more she could sacrifice. But he didn’t want her to sacrifice anymore.
Im Ae Hwa tried to convince her husband.
“You shouldn’t be stingy about this. Something like this can be bought again. But there are certain things that can’t be bought.”
Since her husband was firmly saying no, she changed her strategy.
“Honey, I think Dan-ee finally grew up. What we have to protect is not something like this but our child.”
“Do you trust your son?”
She said without hesitating, “Of course I trust him.”
“Even though he tricked you all this time?”
“It is because he is our son.”
Even though their son had said that he was going to change his ways many times before, this was the first time that they thought something was different.
This time he had proved it with his actions. For the last ten days, he was training in martial arts and when Kwang Du was in trouble, he didn’t hesitate to intervene.
Byuk Do Jun gave a sigh, “I don’t know.”
He was surprised that with just ten days of training, how his son able to cripple Yang Gi Kang. His son didn’t even use any techniques, but with just his bare hand beat up Yang Gi Kang. He was worried that his son might have learned some dangerous cultivation technique.
Let’s just say the Yang Gi Kang is bad at martial arts, but the way his son talks, the way he acts and even his stare had changed.
“Maybe he has just grown up now.”
Byuk Do Jun forcefully nodded at his wife. He just nodded and agreed with his wife, hoping that this wasn’t a fluke. But on the other hand, he was happy. He was feeling proud that his son finally grew up. There was now something that he could hope for. With the change in his son he wanted to raise the Byuk Clan to its past glory.
“Anyway, I understand your thoughts clearly.”
Byuk Do Jun took the box.
“Thank you for understanding me.”
But he never had the thought of selling the necklace. He just took it for safekeeping, since he was afraid that his wife might sell it behind his back. With this new profound strength, he wanted he face this challenge head on.
“Don’t worry too much, my wife.”
Im Ae Hwa smiled and grabbed her husband’s hand.
“I am not worried. I have never been worried since marrying you.”