Led by his father's hand toward the Baek manor, Baek Yang-hwi was finally able to squarely face his current situation.
'Reverse Heaven Fate-Reversal, Return to Proper Flow, Return and Fulfill Wishes.'
The unidentified voice from the heavens that had rung out right after he'd gone against the flow of time.
The flow of heaven had been reversed, altering his fated destiny, so the disrupted heavenly mechanism needed to be set right.
Was it a decree from some celestial realm or upper world?
Yet apart from telling him to return and fulfill his wishes, there had been no other instructions.
For now, he was utterly clueless as to what was going on.
Even so, Yang-hwi broke into a joyful smile.
He had no idea how it had happened or even if it was possible.
'But one thing is certain: I've returned to the past.'
His muscles were still underdeveloped. His hands were small and thin like fern fronds.
Yang-hwi's body was so tiny and light that Baek Mu-ryang could still sprint at full speed even with him piggybacked.
He had entered the Baek family at the age of eight, meaning he'd reversed a full thirty years of time.
In other words, this was his chance.
A tremendous chance.
After wandering the jianghu for over a decade, he'd never encountered even a single opportunity.
But after dying, this massive stroke of fortune had come his way?
'Thank you, Primordial Heavenly Lord, Supreme Old Lord.'
No, it felt more like reincarnation, so maybe he should thank the Buddha instead?
He had no clue who had turned back time for him, but it seemed he'd need to track down a Taoist master or monk soon and donate generously.
As Yang-hwi mulled this over, Baek Mu-ryang raced down the main road and arrived in Muju—specifically, Ak-an County where the Baek family resided.
Muju's Ak-an County couldn't compare to Namchang, the provincial capital of Jiangxi Province, but it was still a sizable city hosting dozens of sects including the Baek family.
"We're almost there, Hwi-ya. See? The main house is just over there."
A wide manor at the heart of Ak-an County, old but meticulously maintained.
Its grand gate bore a plaque reading "Baek Clan Manor" at the top.
Strikingly, it wasn't made from ordinary wood but sturdy black ebony, intricately carved with dozens, even hundreds, of clouds.
"The gate's unusual, isn't it? Our founder made and carved it himself."
It wasn't the uniqueness that had caught his eye.
He had simply paused upon recalling the fate awaiting that gate soon.
"I know."
"Hm? Have you been here before?"
"Impossible not to know. The Baek clan's benevolence has saved hundreds of beggars, and I was one of them."
It wasn't a lie. Before becoming adopted, Yang-hwi had indeed begged for food at the Baek manor several times.
"Is that so? Our fates were connected even then. Come on in."
There was no gatekeeper. The Baek family wasn't prosperous enough to station one idly about when there were no guests.
Baek Mu-ryang opened the gate himself and stepped inside.
"Madam! Chief Steward Han! I'm back!"
At Baek Mu-ryang's booming call, the doors of the main hall swung open, and the household servants emerged one after another.
One chief steward, Baek Mu-ryang's wife, his two children, and a dozen or so servants.
These made up the entirety of the Baek family.
"Has the master returned? Who's the child on your back?"
Baek Mu-ryang gave an awkward smile.
Even as clan head, he knew he'd face considerable backlash for what he had to say.
But Baek Mu-ryang had no intention of changing his mind, so he placed a hand on Yang-hwi's shoulder and answered.
"From today, he's my son. His name is Baek Yang-hwi!"
The gathered servants' eyes went wide, their gazes converging on the filthy, ragged Yang-hwi.
Yang-hwi, too, gazed wistfully at each of them in turn.
His mother, Jeong In-hwa. His younger brother, Baek Heon-so, and younger sister, Baek Yeon-yeon. Chief Steward Han Seok-eon and the rest of the servants.
Meanwhile, Han Seok-eon—the chief steward who handled the clan's internal and external affairs—stepped forward as their representative to pose the question.
"Master, if you say son, do you mean adopting him into the family register?"
Baek Mu-ryang averted his gaze slightly as he replied.
"That's right, Chief Steward Han."
"..."
A troubled expression crossed the chief steward's face.
It was the look of someone thinking the master's occasional compassion had once again veered in a strange direction.
Of course, Chief Steward Han deeply respected Baek Mu-ryang and upheld the clan head's authority.
Thus, he rephrased his concern.
"Master, if you're going beyond mere care to formally adopting him, shouldn't you consult with the matriarch first?"
Having spoken, the chief steward glanced at the Baek clan's matriarch—Baek Mu-ryang's wife and lady of the house, Jeong In-hwa.
Jeong In-hwa, who was in poor health, was dressed in thick clothes despite it being midsummer.
"I'm sure the master, cough, has his reasons."
Jeong In-hwa smiled even as she coughed. As the old saying went, like husband, like wife—she shared Baek Mu-ryang's temperament.
"Matriarch! This isn't something to smile about!"
"Cough, but it's a joyous day with a new family member. How could I cry, Chief Steward?"
Baek Mu-ryang's face brightened, in stark contrast to the darkening expression of Chief Steward Han.
But the chief steward could not yield here.
As steward, he had a duty to uphold the clan's laws and dignity.
With a sigh, Chief Steward Han performed a fist salute and bow toward Baek Mu-ryang.
"The Han family has served as stewards of the Baek clan for centuries. I ask: what is your reason for decreeing this child's adoption?"
"To save the pitiful."
"I believe the master's words and deeds must be backed by righteousness and justification. I understand the intent, but what justification is there for forging a blood tie beyond accepting him as a servant?"
"That would be... the child's eyes told me of his orphan's plight."
"Then it was not your own..."
Baek Mu-ryang responded, and Chief Steward Han questioned again on behalf of all.
Yang-hwi silently observed and listened to the exchange that dragged on for a time.
'It seems I've definitely returned to the past. Most of the servants dislike the adoption, just like in my previous life.'
In truth, this was only natural. Baek Mu-ryang wasn't some commoner but the head of a clan, small though it was.
He even had an eldest son, Baek Heon-so, and second daughter, Baek Yeon-yeon.
'In my previous life... I just hid behind Father and waited for him to resolve things. Even after, the servants all resented my presence for a long while.'
He couldn't let this life follow the same path as the last.
With that thought, he took a bold step forward.
Naturally, he drew all eyes. Receiving everyone's attention, Yang-hwi formally performed a fist salute and bow.
"An ancient text says bonds begin with introductions, yet mine is belated. I am he who has roofed the sky and bedded the grass."
Yang-hwi performed another fist salute toward Baek Mu-ryang before continuing.
"To such a one as I, the Peerless Righteous Benefactor Baek Daxia bestowed the name Yang-hwi. Thus, I ask that you call me Baek Yang-hwi. Chief Steward, would you hear me out?"
"Speak, young master."
"You say there is insufficient justification for me to become the master's son. Then, may I create that justification?"
A puzzled look crossed Chief Steward Han's face.
"Create justification? How so?"
"What if I bestow a grace so immense that all of the Baek family must acknowledge it?"
Chief Steward Han nearly cried out in agreement and slapped his knee.
It was as if a lifeline had dropped from the heavens just when he was agonizing over how to dissuade the master.
'A child with a sense of shame! What fortune!'
"With such justification, the entire clan would agree. Master, shall we proceed?"
Baek Mu-ryang silently regarded Yang-hwi.
"Hwi-ya, my wish to make you my son was my own will. There's no need to politely decline out of consideration."
Not only Chief Steward Han but even Baek Mu-ryang seemed to think Yang-hwi was making this proposal merely to graciously refuse the adoption.
But Yang-hwi intended to live as his father's son in this life, just as in the last.
'It's about time. Ah, right now.'
Commotion erupted outside, and suddenly the Baek manor's grand gate came crashing off its hinges.
Kwang!
Though made of solid black ebony and meant to be unbreakable, the gate panels had detached from the frame.
Through the now-empty gateway strode a dozen black path ruffians led by two men.
'Blood Axe Gu-ak. Black Ghost North Evil Spirit. Same as my previous life.'
The leader of the group, Blood Axe Gu-ak, bellowed in a thunderous voice.
"Peerless Righteous Benefactor Baek Mu-ryang! I've come for the blood debt!"
A clan's gate symbolized its dignity.
Though it had been smashed, Baek Mu-ryang hardened his face coldly instead of erupting in rage.
The auras emanating from the two men at the forefront were in no way inferior to his own.
"Blood Axe Gu-ak, is that you?"
"You've heard of me. That's right."
"I've no grudge against Crimson Sect Hall. What is this rudeness?"
"Rudeness? After antagonizing the Great Crimson Sect Hall, you didn't expect this much?"
In an instant, Baek Mu-ryang's face stiffened rigidly.
"Antagonizing Crimson Sect Hall? What nonsense is this?"
Crimson Sect Hall was one of the top three black path sects even in Muju's Ak-an County, boasting immense power.
It was particularly aggressive in expanding its influence.
The reason for their sudden assault on the Baek manor was simple.
"The Muddy Black Gang you wiped out today flew under our banner! You know what that means!"
Baek Mu-ryang let out a groan. The Muddy Black Gang itself consisted of third-rate rabble he could sweep away single-handedly, but Crimson Sect Hall was another matter.
To put it bluntly, the Baek family's strength didn't even reach one-tenth of theirs.
"I merely punished those who abandoned humanity. You know they trafficked people and peddled drugs?"
"Crimes against humanity or heaven make no difference—they were under our banner. Any punishment is our affair! You've crossed the line, Righteous Benefactor."
It wasn't wrong. If the Muddy Black Gang truly was under Crimson Sect Hall, then he had indeed struck first.
"I merely followed the righteous path. How could I pass by wrongdoers unchecked?"
"Words worthy of the Peerless Righteous Benefactor."
As Gu-ak retorted, North Evil Spirit—who had been standing behind him—burst into laughter.
"Peerless Righteous Benefactor! Seems the rumors are true—you never let injustice slide, huh? Puahaha!"
"Restrain yourself, Evil Spirit."
"Sorry, big brother. Seeing the Righteous Benefactor live up to his title got to me."
Yang-hwi ground his teeth in secret upon seeing North Evil Spirit shrug nonchalantly.
'That arrogant bastard dares.'
Peerless Righteous Benefactor Baek Mu-ryang: the Baek clan's head and a second-rate expert.
Beyond meaning "to bestow," the character shi also connoted "to flaunt."
North Evil Spirit had just mocked him as someone who flaunted righteousness despite his unremarkable martial prowess.
'I was pondering which method to choose, but this works perfectly. Black Ghost North Evil Spirit—you're dead today.'
Harboring that thought, Yang-hwi accomplished what had been impossible at this point in his previous life.
"Suuuuup, whooooo."
With a single breath, he sensed the qi filling heaven and earth.
In that instant, the world transformed. His qi sense had awakened.
'The rabble average ten years of cultivation, North Evil Spirit around thirty, Gu-ak about forty.'
If others knew, it would shake heaven and earth.
No matter how keen one's qi sense, estimating another martial artist's dantian capacity without special detection techniques was impossible.
A terrifyingly acute qi sense—one of the few talents the heavens had granted Yang-hwi despite giving him nothing else.
'In comparison, the manor... The servants all have meager inner power, and only Father has thirty years. As expected, we can't overpower them with the family's strength.'
It was unavoidable. There simply hadn't been time for martial training while scraping together money to sustain the household.
Though a martial clan by heritage and name, in reality it fell short—a pitiable family.
The head was second-rate at best, most servants third-rate: a true third-rate martial clan.
That was the Baek clan—now more widely known as the Baek manor.
'On this day in my previous life, the family suffered an irrecoverable wound.'
On this day in his previous life, Baek Mu-ryang had sustained injuries requiring months of recovery, and the family assets had even been plundered.
For Crimson Sect Hall's part, looting the meager assets was meant to humiliate them.
It was to spread word among the surrounding righteous sects: touch our affiliates again, and this is your fate.
'You think I'll stand by and watch Father and the clan suffer that humiliation again?'
Fortunately, his thirty years of memories included intel on Crimson Sect Hall.
And some of it was immediately useful.
Yang-hwi quickly whispered into Baek Mu-ryang's ear.
"Father."
"Hwi-ya, stay put."
"I have a plan to get us out of this."
"What do you mean?"
"Too long to explain. I'll use what I picked up living on the streets as a beggar."
The situation was urgent. Breaching etiquette, he bolted forward without permission.
And then, he performed a fist salute toward Gu-ak.
"Brother Gu! How do you do?"
In that moment, a dumbfounded look spread across Gu-ak's fierce face.
Not just Gu-ak—everyone in the manor felt utter bewilderment.
"Gu... brother...?"
For reference, Gu-ak was about twenty years older than Yang-hwi.