"Huff… Huff… Hah…"
Baek Richeon, who had been stubbornly clenching his teeth while chasing from behind, finally collapsed with a splat.
His eyes were wide with shock.
What the hell just happened!?
He couldn't understand.
Why on earth was he losing in terms of stamina?
After that, the exhilarating beating continued.
How long had it gone on like that?
"Ugh… Keugh…"
Baek Risang let out an unidentifiable groan as his eyes rolled back.
He had taken so many blows that he ended up fainting completely.
The warriors of the Baekri clan who had been watching could only stare in disbelief.
The Third Young Master won? And against the Second Young Master… so overwhelmingly?
Honestly, it was absurd.
Who was Baek Risang?
He was the one everyone was certain would follow in the eldest son's footsteps and raise the prestige of the Baekri clan.
He wasn't necessarily a once-in-a-century genius, but…
He had enough talent to be called a gifted man, and he never neglected training—making him one of the most skilled among his peers.
And yet, here he was, getting utterly pummeled by the Third Young Master, who had lived his life as a disgrace until now?
"Quick—take him to the Medical Hall!"
"Hurry!"
The warriors of Baek Woon-dae rushed to act, though none of them could understand what had just happened.
If Baek Risang ended up seriously harmed, they too wouldn't escape punishment.
In the midst of all this, the culprit himself, Baek Riwon, looked perfectly calm.
He glanced at Baek Richeon, who was standing there slack-jawed.
"See that? This is why basics are important. That guy didn't have any, so I beat him like a dog. If you don't want to end up like that, you'd better train your fundamentals hard."
"You… you, you…"
"What, did you just wake up from a nap? Why can't you speak all of a sudden?"
Baek Riwon chuckled and patted his shoulder.
But Baek Richeon simply could not close his gaping mouth. I mean—after witnessing something like this, what could one possibly say?
"C-can you handle this? The First Wife won't just let this slide…"
Baek Richeon finally regained the ability to speak human words.
"Handle? What exactly am I supposed to handle?"
"Well, obviously, since you beat her son into that state, she's going to—"
"What, try to kill me?"
"…!"
The sheer boldness of that remark left Baek Richeon speechless.
Baek Riwon smirked.
"If it's not something like that, it's no problem. And frankly, I doubt she'd want to broadcast that her son got beaten senseless by the child of a concubine."
Indeed, if that fact got out, Baek Risang's honor wouldn't just hit rock bottom—it would be buried there.
"Of course… it's already too late to stop the rumor from spreading. With so many witnesses, there's no way it won't."
"Still… she'll try to retaliate."
"I told you—so long as she doesn't try to kill me, it's fine."
"No, but even so—!"
"I said it's fine."
Baek Riwon spoke with a smile.
"Whatever retaliation comes, just ignore it. What could the First Wife possibly do to me?"
At most, she could summon him to scold him for hours.
Or maybe send warriors from her own faction to try and beat him up.
Baek Riwon chuckled at the thought.
But Baek Richeon still seemed uneasy.
"A-and if she really does try to kill you?"
"Me?"
"Y-yeah. What then?"
"If it really comes to that…"
The smile disappeared from Baek Riwon's lips.
He spoke with a cold expression.
"She'll pay the price."
A price so heavy she'd regret it until the moment she died.
A shiver ran down Baek Richeon's spine.
The Second Young Master was utterly crushed by the Third Young Master!
Just as Baek Riwon had predicted, the rumor spread like wildfire.
At first, people didn't believe it.
The timid Third Young Master knocked the Second Young Master unconscious?
It was absurd—unthinkable.
But…
"They say it's true."
"There were more than twenty witnesses. Why would all of them lie?"
"Wow… so that crazy rumor's actually real?"
The truth of the matter was quickly confirmed.
After all, too many people had seen it: the Baek Woon-dae members present, nearby servants, and even the Fourth Young Master, Baek Richeon.
There was no hiding it now.
Naturally, the clan was in an uproar.
"We must punish that brat immediately!"
Baek Risang's mother, the First Wife Jeong Sun-hwa, was livid.
That her son had been beaten was shocking enough—but the culprit being Baek Riwon made it even worse.
The child of a concubine she had long ignored and tormented had beaten her own son so badly his bones might be broken?
She would never let that slide.
"But, Great Madam, please calm yourself—"
"Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down when my son is in this state!?"
She gestured toward Baek Risang, wrapped head-to-toe in bandages.
His condition was poor; thanks to Baek Riwon's deliberate beating, he'd be bedridden for at least two to three months.
"Still… even if we wanted to punish him, we lack the proper grounds and rules for doing so."
The clan's Law Enforcement Chief, Baek Lisa-il, spoke with visible discomfort.
"What do you mean there's no grounds!? Law Enforcement Chief—do you seriously believe that lowborn brat could have mastered proper martial arts and done this to my son?"
"That's…"
The Chief was at a loss for words.
Even he thought this was strange.
Just until recently, Baek Riwon had been a coward who barely trained, and now he'd beaten Baek Risang to a pulp?
Impossible—at least under normal circumstances.
"He must have learned demonic arts. Only that could make someone this strong in such a short time!"
"…!"
Jeong Sun-hwa's words made the Chief's face stiffen.
"Great Madam… demonic arts? How could a son of the Baekri clan learn such a thing?"
The Baekri clan was a prestigious orthodox family, descended from the legendary hero who slew the greatest demonic master in history.
To accuse one of its members of practicing demonic arts was dangerous—it could damage the clan's honor.
"Then how else do you explain it? Do you know some other reason for his sudden strength?"
"Well… perhaps he's been secretly training all this time?"
"Don't be ridiculous! You think a little secret training could create such skill? And why would he hide it until now?"
Probably because you'd have thrown a fit if you knew,
the Chief thought—but he swallowed the words.
"I will have the Law Enforcement Hall investigate this matter thoroughly. Please calm yourself until then."
Given the seriousness of the situation, it had to be reported to the Clan Head directly.
And truth be told, he was curious himself.
"…Fine. But let the Demon-Slaying Unit handle the investigation."
"What?"
"It might involve demonic arts—so it's only right the unit most knowledgeable about them takes the lead."
The Chief frowned.
The Demon-Slaying Unit belonged squarely to the First Wife's faction.
Her intentions were clear as day.
Still, he relented.
"As long as one of our own Law Enforcement warriors accompanies them, I'll agree."
"That's fine."
The next day, two warriors visited Baek Riwon.
"Greetings, Young Master. I'm Seongho from the Demon-Slaying Unit. This here is Warrior Heo from the Law Enforcement Hall."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Heo Su-in."
They greeted him cordially, but Baek Riwon tilted his head.
"Nice to meet you, too. But what brings the Demon-Slaying Unit and Law Enforcement here?"
"We've received a report you may have learned demonic arts. We're here to verify it."
"…Ha."
Baek Riwon let out a short laugh.
So that's how they wanted to play it.
"And how do you plan to check?"
"We'll inspect your internal energy. But since some demonic arts are subtle, we'd like you to come with us for a few days so we can run thorough checks."
Seongho smiled warmly—almost too warmly.
Anyone else might have thought he was being friendly.
But Baek Riwon could see the malice beneath.
They'll probably lock me up and 'check' me by grilling me nonstop—piling on pressure no child could bear.
The real goal wasn't to investigate, but to torment him.
"Declined."
"…What did you just say?"
"I said no. Why would I follow you? I don't have time to waste."
"Young Master, I'm speaking politely only because you share the Clan Head's blood. But you're under suspicion of practicing demonic arts—"
"So?"
"…If you keep this up, we'll have no choice but to take you by force."
Baek Riwon laughed outright.
The twitch in Seongho's eyebrow showed he didn't appreciate it.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing. Just… how laughable you are."
"…Laughable?"
"Yes."
Baek Riwon's gaze sharpened like a blade.
"You really think someone like you could take me by force just because you want to?"
"…!"
Seongho's face froze in shock.
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