My Dad Is the Strongest Under Heaven
Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Chapter 47. Paeng Do-hwan
“Squad Leader Paeng! Thank you so much for the pointer last time. Thanks to you, I finally won a sparring match for the first time! Haha.”
“Reporting back from leave, Squad Leader! My mother told me to pass along her heartfelt thanks to you. I’m truly grateful as well.”
“Squad Leader Paeng. What you helped me with the other day was really…”
Every time Paeng Do-hwan walked down the paths of the estate, members of the Paeng Clan would approach him with warm smiles and greet him.
Even a casual glance made it plain that everyone held immense goodwill toward him.
Perhaps it was only natural.
He was a man who always sought to help others, constantly striving to fill in the gaps where they fell short.
Though his presence was somewhat overshadowed by the brilliant genius Peng Seojin, the people of the Paeng Clan loved Paeng Do-hwan nonetheless.
No one doubted that Paeng Do-hwan would one day become a figure who brought great glory to the Hebei Peng Clan.
“Well now, look who we have here.”
It happened while Paeng Do-hwan was strolling through a secluded garden.
A pair of men stepped into his path.
“If it isn’t the heroes who brought honor to our clan! Haha.”
Paeng Do-hwan’s face lit up with unmistakable delight.
They were none other than Oh Chae-mu and Gu Tae-san.
After all, Paeng Do-hwan had entered the White Wolf Troop in his youth and spent no small amount of time alongside them.
Oh Chae-mu and Gu Tae-san flashed broad grins in return.
The three had shared close ties for years.
“How have you been?”
“Same as always, of course.”
Paeng Do-hwan gave an easy, refreshing laugh.
“In fact, I’ve been eager to see you two. Just how did you pull off such an astounding feat? Even after hearing the reports, I could hardly believe it. You were both truly incredible.”
Paeng Do-hwan praised them with genuine admiration, shaking his head in wonder.
And yet—
“Haha. Well, things just happened to turn out that way.”
“It was just dumb luck, honestly.”
Hm?
Strangely enough, Oh Chae-mu and Gu Tae-san only offered awkward, strained smiles in response.
A look of bewilderment crossed Paeng Do-hwan’s face.
The men he knew would have thrown their heads back in boisterous laughter and bragged to their hearts’ content after achieving such a triumph.
Instead, their reactions were peculiar.
“At any rate, I was hoping we could share some drinks soon to celebrate and hear the full tale of that day’s heroics. It’s great that we ran into each other like this. Let’s set a date right now.”
“Sounds great! Haha!”
“Before that, we came here because there is something urgent I must tell you.”
Oh Chae-mu’s expression suddenly turned grave.
“Hm? What is it?”
Paeng Do-hwan raised a brow, gazing at Oh Chae-mu.
“Do not do it.”
“Do… what?”
“It was you and the Elder who refused the Patriarch’s command to take up the post of Captain of the White Wolf Troop.”
“The time wasn’t right back then.”
To be precise, he had merely followed his father’s wishes.
And things were different now.
The look on Paeng Do-hwan’s face seemed to say exactly that.
Watching him silently, Oh Chae-mu let out a short sigh.
If only, if only Paeng Do-hwan had accepted the offer back then, they wouldn’t be in such a difficult spot.
The reason Oh Chae-mu had repeatedly turned down the offer to become Captain—an offer extended to him even before Paeng Do-hwan—was because he wanted Paeng Do-hwan, the direct disciple of the former Captain and the one who understood the White Wolf Troop better than anyone, to take the seat.
But the situation had changed now. Drastically so.
That was why the two men, who knew Paeng Kyung-ho and Paeng Do-hwan better than anyone, had come to warn him in advance.
Because they knew he would make a move to claim the Captain’s seat no matter what.
And it was blatantly obvious who his target would be.
In truth, rather than a warning, this was advice steeped in deep concern.
“Whatever it is, just do nothing. I am truly telling you this for your own good.”
“Hmph.”
Paeng Do-hwan could not fathom why Oh Chae-mu and Gu Tae-san had sought him out just to say such things.
What was going on? Even if he asked now, it seemed unlikely they would give him a straight answer.
Besides, even if they tried to stop him, his nature was such that once he set his mind on something, he had to see it through to be satisfied.
And so…
“I have no idea what you two are thinking, but I’ll keep it in mind. I have business to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now. It was great seeing you both. Let’s schedule those drinks next time.”
As if he had nothing more to say, Paeng Do-hwan turned on his heel and walked away.
“He’s going to cause trouble.”
“Mm.”
Watching his retreating figure, Oh Chae-mu and Gu Tae-san let out heavy, repeated sighs.
“Well, maybe getting knocked down a peg won’t do him any harm.”
“I’m not worried about him getting knocked down a peg—I’m worried his whole nose will get broken.”
At Gu Tae-san’s words, Oh Chae-mu nodded in wry agreement.
He could only pray that it would end without too much damage.
A few days passed.
Yeo Woonhwi continued to spend time every day at a quiet, secluded training ground in the Paeng estate, pretending to practice martial arts with Noh Ilbong.
Peng Seoyeon had secretly watched them from hiding for about two days before stopping altogether.
Yul-i had grown far too bored, leaving her mother no choice.
And so, while passing the time in leisurely fashion—
“Excuse me, but I need to step away for a moment to take care of some business. Ugh.”
“Hm? What is the matter?”
“Well, uh, the thing is, my… my stomach…”
“Ah, I see.”
Noh Ilbong soon scurried off in a hurry, muttering that he urgently needed to relieve himself.
Judging by the way he waddled, it seemed his absence might not be brief.
Yeo Woonhwi called out after the receding figure of Noh Ilbong to take his time, then settled down casually on the ground, quietly looking up at the sky.
The sky was impeccably clear, without a single cloud in sight.
It was a truly peaceful day.
Just then—
“Greetings, Captain.”
Someone approached Yeo Woonhwi.
Glancing toward the voice, he saw a man with clean, striking features wearing a confident smile.
It was Paeng Do-hwan.
“I finally get to meet you. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
He introduced himself briskly.
Paeng Do-hwan.
It was a name Yeo Woonhwi recognized as well.
“I heard you had begun martial arts training, and it seems the rumors were true.”
“News travels fast.”
“Haha. Well, it is an internal matter within the family, after all.”
Paeng Do-hwan smiled.
“At any rate, since we’ve met like this, I was wondering if I might be of some help, inadequate though I may be.”
“Hm? In what way?”
“Gaining varied experience is always important. Since you’re likely only practicing the basics, I thought it might be growing tedious.”
Yeo Woonhwi let out a quiet chuckle at his words.
The man had a clever way with words.
He knew how to speak without grating on one’s nerves.
And Yeo Woonhwi was well aware of why this man had sought him out.
He merely chose to feign ignorance.
“Then what should we do?”
Yeo Woonhwi asked, feigning innocence.
Seizing the opportunity, Paeng Do-hwan brought forth the topic he had prepared.
“True learning comes from actual combat. The White Wolf Troop is one of the Three Great Martial Squads representing the Paeng Clan. Whether you wish it or not, you will inevitably face harsh battles down the road.”
“I suppose so. Even during the recent bandit subjugation, things escalated far beyond what I anticipated.”
“Indeed. And as the Captain of such a troop, you need to quickly grow accustomed to the clash of blades. Would you care to share a brief, simple sparring session with me?”
“A sparring match… between you and me? Wouldn’t the gap in our skills be too vast? I wonder if that would serve as proper practice.”
Paeng Do-hwan smiled smoothly at Yeo Woonhwi’s words.
“Of course, I don’t mean a serious, all-out bout. Rather, think of it as lightly trading a few moves in the spirit of a spar, allowing me to point out areas for improvement right on the spot.”
“Hmph. Is that so?”
“Ah, if it feels too burdensome, you need not accept. I didn’t say this to pressure you.”
“No, let’s do it. That sparring match.”
“Oh! Excellent. Well then.”
Soon, the two stood facing each other.
“Most of our clan’s high-tier martial arts utilize the saber. However, lower-ranking warriors choose between the sword and the saber depending on what suits them. Typically, this is the technique most begin with.”
Paeng Do-hwan walked over to a weapon rack situated at the edge of the training grounds and took a wooden sword in one hand and a wooden saber in the other.
He then lightly demonstrated one of the lower-tier techniques that common martial artists learned and practiced using the wooden sword.
“However, that also has its limits. The signature techniques of the Paeng Clan almost entirely utilize the saber. Even among bladed weapons, the essence shifts depending on the weapon in hand. Like this.”
As he spoke, Paeng Do-hwan performed the exact same technique he had just displayed, this time with the wooden saber.
The sensation it carried was distinctly different from that of the sword.
“Oho.”
“If possible, I recommend that you learn the saber. Setting aside immediate progress, it is far better in the long run.”
Of course, whether Yeo Woonhwi possessed the perseverance to continue learning martial arts without giving up was the far greater question.
“I see.”
Yeo Woonhwi nodded at Paeng Do-hwan’s words.
“Now then, since you are holding a wooden saber, try executing a downward strike. I will observe your form.”
“Like… this?”
Yeo Woonhwi deliberately played the part of a clumsy novice.
“That’s right.”
Watching Yeo Woonhwi swing a few times with awkward motions, Paeng Do-hwan nodded.
“Generally, a saber attacks with this kind of feel. And defense is usually handled like this. Do you grasp the rough idea?”
“It’s difficult.”
“Haha! It’s always like that in the beginning. For now, just focus on getting a general feel for it. And no matter the weapon, the one wielding it must never be dragged along by it. You must maintain a solid center of gravity. That’s it. Next, I’ll teach you how to naturally defend against or evade an incoming strike. Now, why don’t you try attacking me?”
“Hm? Are you sure that’s alright?”
Who is worrying about whom right now?
Paeng Do-hwan inwardly sneered at Yeo Woonhwi.
“Haha. Even if you attack with everything you have, there is no chance I will be harmed, so rest assured.”
“Is that so? Hmph.”
Yeo Woonhwi glanced around.
Scanning the area with his qi perception, he confirmed that no one was nearby.
There were only the two of them here.
A faint smile touched Yeo Woonhwi’s lips.
A slight urge to tease the man welled up inside him.
He knew well enough that this man was not evil.
Yet his intentions right now were all too transparent.
Disguising this as a chance encounter, teaching him martial arts under the guise of guidance, only to demonstrate the stark divide between their calibers as martial artists.
And in doing so, making him realize that Paeng Do-hwan was far better suited to lead the White Wolf Troop.
Normally, he would have ignored it, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so.
For Yeo Woonhwi, this was a truly fascinating twist of fate.
Before his regression, the Captain of the White Wolf Troop—no, the Red Wolf Troop—had been this very man.
Whatever had transpired, the Captain of the Red Wolf Troop who bore the Paeng surname, the one who left the Paeng Clan to hunt down villains under that name, was none other than Paeng Do-hwan.
He did not know the circumstances that had driven them from the Paeng Clan.
Perhaps he would learn in time, but he felt no desire to forcibly pry into it.
Above all, their lives were destined to be different now.
Still, perhaps because of his memories from his past life, Yeo Woonhwi found himself rather fond of Paeng Do-hwan.
In other words, at this very moment, the Captain of the White Wolf Troop in this life and the Captain from before his regression stood face-to-face.
Of course, Yeo Woonhwi was the only one who knew this truth.
‘How amusing.’
For some reason, the desire to tease him flared up.
There were simply some people who brought out a mischievous streak.
To Yeo Woonhwi, Paeng Do-hwan was just such a person.
Let’s see how he reacts.
Meanwhile, seeing Yeo Woonhwi remain motionless, Paeng Do-hwan urged him on.
“Go ahead, attack me.”
“Very well. Then watch yourself.”
“Haha. Don’t worry, just give it everything you’ve—”
Boom.
It was at that exact instant.
The air violently rippled with immense pressure.
Huh… what?
Paeng Do-hwan’s eyes began to shake violently.
Only then did he realize that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.