My Dad Is the Strongest Under Heaven
Chapter 33
Chapter 33
Chapter 33. The Test
“Please withdraw the order.”
“What is the meaning of this insolence without so much as a greeting?”
Peng Mugang’s brow furrowed deeply at Peng Seoyeon’s discontented voice, having just burst into the Patriarch’s study.
She had rushed straight here the moment she heard the news from her younger brother, Peng Seojin.
Even as Peng Mugang narrowed his eyes, Peng Seoyeon did not shrink back in the slightest.
She was clearly not her usual self. Looking straight at Peng Mugang, she demanded an explanation.
“I am speaking of the order you gave to my husband through Seojin.”
“Noona!”
Just in time, Peng Seojin also stepped into the Patriarch’s study.
At his side was Yeo Woonhwi.
“The Patriarch’s study is not some common marketplace. Tsk.”
Peng Mugang clicked his tongue. Then, looking at his daughter, he spoke with a resolute face.
“Let me make this clear: I have no intention of retracting the order I gave today. So withdraw at once.”
“Father! Even so, there are things you can ask of someone and things you cannot! Commanding the White Wolf Troop, of all things!”
The White Wolf Troop (白狼隊).
A martial squad of the Peng Clan whose reputation was so notorious that anyone in Hebei who heard its name would shake their head.
Yet, comically enough, that notoriety did not stem from anything sinister; it arose because not a single one of them could ever tolerate an injustice.
Was that not a good and noble trait, one might ask?
Indeed. Perhaps their conduct was truer to the spirit of chivalrous knights-errant than anyone else’s.
The real problem, however, was that they truly could not bear an injustice for even a single, solitary breath.
No matter who the opponent was, no matter the circumstance, they would simply plunge headlong into action.
Thus, whether it was the Orthodox faction, the Unorthodox faction, high-ranking officials, or their noble scions, the moment they deemed someone a villain, they drew their blades first and asked questions later.
Thanks to this, if one were to recount all the trouble the Peng Clan went through cleaning up the messes they left behind, three days and nights would scarcely be enough.
Yet whenever someone tried to reprimand them, they would stand tall and declare they had merely acted rightly to bring no shame to the Peng Clan’s name, leaving the clan leadership utterly exasperated.
In other words, unless they were convinced themselves, the White Wolf Troop would not readily obey an order, no matter who stood above them.
Had they not belonged to the Peng Clan, their heads would have rolled long ago.
Yet, knowing better than anyone how truly righteous they were, the clan could neither cast them out nor find a suitable use for them. The White Wolf Troop was an impossibly thorny group to handle.
Back when the previous captain was still around, it had not been quite this severe.
However, after he retired and departed the Peng Clan, their unruly nature grew worse with each passing day, eventually leading to the present state of affairs.
Simply put, this was hardly a new problem.
Even before Peng Seoyeon had left the clan, it had been a constant headache, which was precisely why she stood so fiercely opposed to Peng Mugang’s decision now.
“Is there anyone in the Peng Clan who does not know that even seasoned squad leaders refuse the White Wolf Troop at all costs? And yet, you are telling my husband, who does not know a shred of martial arts, to take charge of them…!”
“He must earn his keep.”
“Pardon?”
“Did you expect him to sponge off us forever? Since he has come to live in the Peng Clan, he must earn his keep, must he not?”
“Father!”
“I did not tell him to go bicker and brawl with those lads. I told him to take them and do a ‘job.’ What is so wrong with that?”
“But that is…!”
That is pure absurdity, Peng Seoyeon swallowed the words back.
She feared she might lose her composure and misspeak if she said any more.
Yet she could not simply accept her father’s decision lying down…
“Yes. I understand.”
At that moment, Yeo Woonhwi, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward.
“D-Darling!”
Yeo Woonhwi glanced at the startled Peng Seoyeon and offered a broad grin.
He then patted her gently, as if telling her not to worry.
And then,
“I shall gladly do as you have commanded.”
He spoke with unmatched composure, looking straight at Peng Mugang.
“Hmph.”
Peng Mugang stared intently at Yeo Woonhwi.
He had heard the man possessed considerable stamina.
He, too, had caught wind of the rumors regarding the morning running session involving Yeo Woonhwi.
In truth, he was a man who never missed a single piece of gossip circulating within the clan.
He considered that part of a Patriarch’s duty.
For an ordinary, run-of-the-mill scholar to outrun martial artists forged through years of rigorous training was indeed far from common.
Weighing all the circumstances, Peng Mugang had harbored a strong suspicion that Yeo Woonhwi might perhaps be ‘him.’
Even the scent he remembered had been remarkably similar.
Yet Peng Mugang had soon come to believe his suspicion was mistaken.
Disguising encounters as mere coincidences, Peng Mugang had created several opportunities to cross paths with him, observing Yeo Woonhwi closely each time.
No matter how thoroughly he scrutinized him, however, Peng Mugang could not discern a single trace of cultivation.
To see nothing at Peng Mugang’s level of mastery meant that Yeo Woonhwi truly had not trained in martial arts.
The only other possibility was that Yeo Woonhwi was an unfathomable grandmaster far surpassing Peng Mugang himself, but that was an idea not even worth entertaining.
The only beings capable of such a feat before Peng Mugang were the Twelve Venerables of the World.
Which meant the man was simply good at running—or perhaps possessed a surprisingly sturdy martial skeleton.
All of that aside, Peng Mugang truly intended to test Yeo Woonhwi through this assignment.
To see how he would handle his subordinates, or if he could handle them at all.
In short, he intended to observe whether this man named Yeo Woonhwi was of any use to the Peng Clan, or if he was as utterly worthless as expected.
Of course, he knew.
He knew all too well that the White Wolf Troop was more difficult to manage than any other squad.
Yet Peng Mugang believed that was precisely what gave the test its meaning.
After all, if it were an easy task anyone could accomplish, there would be no reason to test him in the first place.
Others would already harbor biases simply because he was the daughter’s husband.
Perhaps, to see the true measure of a man like Yeo Woonhwi, the White Wolf Troop was the most fitting crucible.
The White Wolf Troop was a place where only pure(?), unvarnished fools gathered, free of any pretense.
How would it turn out?
Would he make an utter fool of himself as expected? Or…?
To be frank, Peng Mugang was far more interested in giving him a hard time than expecting any great result.
And so, Yeo Woonhwi was given three days before taking charge of the White Wolf Troop.
“I-I mean, why is he just standing there like that? It’s creeping me out.”
Beneath an impeccably clear sky.
The Peng Clan’s training grounds were filled today, as always, with the resounding shouts of martial artists at practice.
One squad among them, having trained intensely, took a brief respite in the shade.
As they sprawled out, drinking water and wiping their sweat, one of them caught sight of someone watching them from a distance and gasped in shock.
“Gasp, he came again today?”
“What in the world is he scheming?”
“You don’t think he’s going to ask to join the morning run again, do you?”
“Eek! Don’t even speak of it! I feel like I can finally breathe again; if that ‘Running Ghost’ latches onto us once more, I won’t survive it!”
“R-Right. I never want to go through that again. Those hellish mornings… Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me want to heave!”
“Hey, I’m not saying he will, just that he might.”
“Listen here, words have a way of becoming reality. And if that really happens, you’re dead by my hand. I’m dead serious, so take it to heart, understood?”
“Ugh. I never want to do that kind of run ever again. Never.”
“Alright, alright, I get it.”
Noh Ilbong, who had brought up the morning run only to be scolded mercilessly by his comrades, licked his dry lips with an awkward look.
In any case, within the Peng Clan, Yeo Woonhwi was no longer known as ‘that scholar fellow,’ but as the ‘Running Ghost.’
Just how dreadful had that shared ordeal been for such a moniker to take root?
Now, merely recalling Yeo Woonhwi sent a shiver through their spines.
Yeo Woonhwi had etched terror into the martial artists’ hearts in a truly bizarre fashion.
“Anyway, watching our training from afar these past few days… I can’t fathom what he’s after at all.”
“He was probably just bored cooped up inside his room. Let’s just ignore him completely.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. He’s only watching, what’s the harm? Pay him no mind. Let’s not get entangled like last time. Don’t even make eye contact. Understand, everyone?”
“Above all, Squad Leader. You need to be especially careful.”
“Hm? Ah. O-Of course! If I ever get tangled up with that Running Ghost again, I’m not human. Ahem.”
Noh Ilbong coughed dryly and nodded vigorously at the pointed looks from his squad members.
He had needlessly stepped forward last time claiming he would teach Yeo Woonhwi a lesson, only to witness the Running Ghost’s true terror firsthand, after which he had endured utter misery taking flak from both above and below for days on end.
Perhaps among everyone present, he was the one who dreaded the very mention of Yeo Woonhwi the most.
After some time had passed.
“Alright, thank you all for your hard work today.”
The day’s training came to an end.
Noh Ilbong, far more deflated than in the past, slowly rose from his seat.
The martial artists soon dispersed, and the squad leaders were also preparing to return to their quarters for a brief rest.
Tap.
Someone placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.
Hm? Who is it?
There were only a few people who would place a hand on his shoulder so familiarly.
At most, a few fellow squad leaders?
However,
“Gah?!”
Turning his head to check the owner of the hand, Noh Ilbong wore a look of utter horror.
It was the ‘Running Ghost,’ Yeo Woonhwi.
Why of all people had this man approached him? The squad leader felt like weeping on the spot.
Yet Yeo Woonhwi, oblivious to the man’s turmoil, merely beamed brightly and offered a greeting.
“Have you been well?”
“Pardon? Ah, yes. Yes, I have.”
Noh Ilbong replied with an awkward smile.
How could he possibly say, ‘I’ve lived in pure hell every single day because of you, you bastard’?
Ever since that legendary morning running nightmare, the squad leader’s attitude toward Yeo Woonhwi had shifted to one of utmost politeness.
“You look well.”
“Haha… thank you. B-By the way, what brings you here?”
“Ah. I was wondering… might I ask a favor of you?”
“A favor?”
At Noh Ilbong’s cautious question, Yeo Woonhwi nodded.
Damn it all, since when were we close enough for you to ask me of all people…
Though he had resolved time and again never to get entangled with him, he could hardly refuse without even hearing what the favor was.
If Yeo Woonhwi proposed another morning run in retaliation, he had no confidence in handling the fallout.
By now, as terrifying as Yeo Woonhwi was, Noh Ilbong feared the murderous glares of his fellow squad members even more.
Soon, Yeo Woonhwi whispered something into Noh Ilbong’s ear.
At once, his eyes went wide as saucers.
It was a request beyond his wildest imagination.
“Well, do you think you could do that for me?”
When Yeo Woonhwi offered another warm smile, Noh Ilbong found himself nodding without realizing it.
Just what kind of favor could it have been?