My Dad Is the Strongest Under Heaven
Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Chapter 17. May Peace Ever Remain
The White Sword Sect.
It was an Orthodox sect renowned throughout the Central Plains for holding chivalry and righteousness above all else.
Above all, the Sect Leader of the White Sword Sect was a man widely praised for standing at the forefront of relief efforts for the local poor.
And yet…
It was late one night.
“K-kheook.”
“Ggggh…”
That very White Sword Sect had been reduced to an absolute wasteland.
Dozens of White Sword Sect martial artists lay sprawled across the ground in pools of blood, groaning in agony.
What in the world was happening here?
Crash!
The heavy doors of the central hall, once boasting antique grandeur, blew inward as if torn apart in an explosion.
Through the haze of rising dust, a lone man stepped inside.
Footsteps echoed, slow and measured.
Each unhurried, inexorable step resonated with unspeakable dread.
“Ju Do-gyun, Sect Leader of the White Sword Sect.”
“W-Who… Who in the world are you…?”
A man with a neatly trimmed beard drew his sword, barely half-dressed.
Behind him, on a grand bed, several young girls who had barely shed their childhood trembled in terror.
There were at least five of them.
The masked man who had descended upon the White Sword Sect in the dead of night let his eyes glint with cold disdain.
“Ha! Who could have imagined? A man who strutted about pretending to be a paragon of chivalry and justice was nothing more than a filthy degenerate committing every vile depravity behind closed doors.”
“H-How dare you! Do you know where you stand?! Do you think you can walk out of here alive?!”
“What about you is there to fear? Ah, Fallen Heaven? Should I fear those Unorthodox scoundrels you joined hands with?”
“W-What nonsense are you babbling?!”
It was a covert deal unknown to anyone in the world.
Yet as the man brought it up so casually, Ju Do-gyun shouted in denial, his face pale with shock.
Seeing his reaction, the masked man’s eyes curved into a faint, mocking crescent.
“Ah, are you waiting for them to come save you? What a pity. I slaughtered every last piece of that trash before coming here.”
“Wh-What? Don’t lie to me, you bastard! Do you have any idea how many martial artists belong to Fallen Heaven? You expect me to believe you wiped them out alone?!”
“Hm? Did you just confess to joining hands with Fallen Heaven?”
“Ngh.”
Realizing he had been trapped by his own words, Ju Do-gyun stumbled backward.
As if to close the distance between them, the masked man stepped forward with steady, measured strides.
This man was Yeo Woonhwi.
Why was he carrying out such a slaughter?
Because he knew a truth that no one else in the world knew.
And because he knew what was to come in the future.
The White Sword Sect and Fallen Heaven.
Through their conspiracy, a small rural village nearby—Sodam Village—would be burned to ash a few years from now.
And on that day, Yeo Woonhwi had lost his daughter, Yul-i.
As the number of women they kidnapped and murdered grew too large, the Murim Alliance began an investigation. To mislead and deceive the Alliance, they spread rumors that the fiend responsible was hiding in Sodam Village.
Before the Alliance could even verify the truth, the White Sword Sect conspired with Fallen Heaven to burn Sodam Village to the ground, framing it as an unfortunate, unavoidable sacrifice in their pursuit of the criminal.
Because of that, the innocent people of Sodam Village all met their deaths that night.
A quiet, humble village tucked away in the farthest corner of the Central Plains was wiped from existence by wretched martial artists, without ever knowing why.
This was the truth Yeo Woonhwi had uncovered in his past life, blinded by vengeance as he investigated the reality behind Yul-i’s death.
And so, the enemies of Sodam Village and Yul-i stood right before his eyes.
“Well, you don’t really need to know whether what I said is true or not.”
“What? Wh-What do you mean…”
“Because after tonight, the White Sword Sect will also vanish from the Murim.”
The masked man smirked beneath his cloth.
Even though his face was veiled, Ju Do-gyun could distinctly feel that mocking smile.
Never in all the years since ascending to his position had he felt such a sensation, but cold dread prickled across Ju Do-gyun’s skin.
The man before him felt more terrifying than the Grim Reaper himself.
Trembling uncontrollably, he looked into Yeo Woonhwi’s eyes.
Within those curving eyes blazed a horrific, suffocating murderous intent.
Only then did Ju Do-gyun realize that the man before him was no mere assassin sent by another.
Nor was he a righteous crusader acting out of simple chivalry.
The emotion blazing inside him was raw vengeance and wrath.
“Ugh… St-Stay back! Stay away from me!”
Ju Do-gyun swung his sword in a frantic spasm.
Yet the masked man deflected the blade with effortless grace, his backhand slamming directly into Ju Do-gyun’s face.
Crack!
Crash!
Ju Do-gyun flew across the room and slammed into the wall, shattered teeth tumbling from his mouth.
Half of his face felt entirely crushed from that single strike.
Agonizing pain tore through him.
“Aaaargh…”
“Tsk. You shouldn’t be hurting this much already. We’ve barely begun.”
Clutching his shattered face, Ju Do-gyun rolled his eyes in panic.
This man was a master.
One far beyond imagination.
He had sensed it when the man leisurely walked into his chambers after annihilating the White Sword Sect alone, but this intruder surpassed his wildest fears.
Perhaps the claim that he had decimated Fallen Heaven single-handedly was truly fact.
And that meant there was nowhere left for him to turn, no salvation remaining.
Where had such a monster suddenly appeared from?
Meanwhile, the masked man, Yeo Woonhwi, slowly closed the distance.
“Whatever I do to you will never be enough, but at the very least, don’t even dream of dying easily tonight. Because I won’t allow it.”
“N-No…”
Ju Do-gyun hastily tried to bite his own tongue.
He feared death, but suffering unspeakable torment only to die in agony was far worse.
The desperate need to avoid that fate drove him toward suicide—an act he had never once imagined in his entire life.
However—
Tap, tap.
Yeo Woonhwi’s hands were faster.
With a flick of his fingers, bursts of finger qi froze Ju Do-gyun’s body instantly in place.
“Not a chance. Not today.”
“Mmph.”
“Now then… allow me to show you what true hell looks like.”
“Gggh… Ggghhh… Aaaaargh!”
Yeo Woonhwi’s hand slowly enveloped Ju Do-gyun’s face.
Ju Do-gyun felt the terrifying illusion of sulfur burning against his skin.
That was the last thing Ju Do-gyun remembered with a sound mind.
It was time for him to taste hellish agony.
This was a task only Yeo Woonhwi had to carry out.
To appease the souls of Sodam Village who had perished so miserably in his past life.
And for the people of Sodam Village who would live on in this life.
That night.
Countless masters of both the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions lost their lives.
All by the hand of a single masked man.
A few days later.
“Goodness, what is all this about?”
Sodam Village, ever so tranquil, was filled with voices heavy with sorrowful reluctance.
Tears welled in the eyes of the villagers.
“Our Yul-i’s family is really leaving the village?”
“Where are you going in such a hurry? You could have stayed just a little longer…”
“Don’t go. Why leave such a wonderful place?”
Before them stood Yul-i’s family, holding their bundled belongings.
“I’m truly sorry. I’m sure we’ll meet again one day. Thank you so much for everything.”
“Ayy, don’t say that. Having your family here was a blessing for all of us. Isn’t that right?”
“Of course! With our lovely Yul-i’s mother, our adorable Yul-i, and our dependable Yul-i’s father, we always felt so reassured.”
Yeo Woonhwi smiled as he looked at the villagers who had all gathered to see them off.
They were truly good people.
After fleeing Hebei and enduring countless hardships, they had barely managed to reach Sodam Village.
Yeo Woonhwi often thought about how fortunate and thankful he was that he and Peng Seoyeon had found this place.
Even in his past life, all his happiest memories with his wife and Yul-i had been made in Sodam Village.
Naturally, Sodam Village could only ever be special to him.
That was why, even after making up his mind to return to Hebei, he had acted relentlessly.
He had driven out all the bandits across the surrounding lands, ensuring they would never dare set foot here again.
To them, the Yeo Woonhwi they saw that day must have been terror incarnate.
And he had personally dealt with the two factions that were destined to burn Sodam Village years later.
Now, as far as he knew, there was no one left to threaten Sodam Village.
All that effort had been Yeo Woonhwi’s parting consideration and gift for the people of Sodam Village.
Even if no one would ever know, it did not matter in the least.
“Take care on the road, then.”
The village chief offered a warm smile.
He too could not completely hide the wistful sorrow lingering in his expression.
He was the elder who had first taken in Yeo Woonhwi and Peng Seoyeon like family when they had arrived in Sodam Village with nothing.
“Yes, Elder. Now, Yul-ah, say goodbye.”
Yul-i, who had been blinking blankly without understanding what was happening, gave a polite half-bow at her mother’s words.
“Goodbye, everyone.”
The villagers gazed at Yul-i with boundless affection.
They all offered fond, wistful smiles, chiming in one after another.
“Oh, our sweet Yul-i. How does she bow so adorably? Goodbye, little Yul-i.”
“Stay healthy, Yul-i. We’re going to miss you.”
“Yul-i, when Auntie sees you next time, I’ll buy you so much candy—”
“Aigoo, even Yul-i isn’t crying, so why are you tearing up? A grown adult crying like that!”
“I know, right? Look at me making a scene.”
Warm laughter rippled through the crowd.
“Well, you have a long way ahead of you, so you’d best be on your way.”
“Yes. Please stay healthy, everyone.”
Peng Seoyeon, holding Yul-i in her arms, and Yeo Woonhwi, laden with their bags, exchanged their final farewells.
And so, Yul-i’s family left Sodam Village.
After walking for some time, Yeo Woonhwi turned to look back.
In the distance, the villagers of Sodam were still waving their hands.
If he ever heard word of trouble in Sodam Village in the future, Yeo Woonhwi intended to rush back in a single breath.
For now, however, it was farewell.
May everyone always be happy, and may Sodam Village forever know peace.
With that heartfelt wish, Yeo Woonhwi turned toward Hebei.
It was a new beginning.
