Ulterior Motive

"B-Brother!"

Gu Tae-san stepped aside as O Chae-mu, the eldest brother figure and de facto leader of the White Wolf Unit, entered the room.

"How dare you be so rude to someone from the main family."

"What? But I..."

"Shut your mouth."

"Yes, brother."

Gu Tae-san, who had been emanating such a fierce aura just moments ago, now bowed his head without a peep before O Chae-mu.

*So this is the man.*

O Chae-mu.

The central figure and leader of the White Wolf Unit. It was widely believed that without this man, the White Wolf Unit would have disbanded long ago.

Even Peng Mugang was known to greatly respect this man.

Everyone wondered why he wasn't made the official commander of the White Wolf Unit.

But in fact, Peng Mugang had already offered him the position several times.

However, he had adamantly refused each time.

Saying that someday, someone more suitable than himself would appear.

Whether he truly lacked the ambition for such a high position that anyone would covet, or the desire for honor, he was quite an unusual man indeed.

Hmm.

For Yeo Un-hwi, the White Wolf Unit was an extremely intriguing group.

So when Peng Mugang ordered him to take charge of the White Wolf Unit, he didn't refuse.

No, he was rather pleased.

When he had decided to return to the Peng Family, he had actually forgotten that the White Wolf Unit was part of it.

This incident had reminded him of their existence again.

In truth, the White Wolf Unit that Yeo Un-hwi remembered was not like this.

A group of wandering warriors who eradicated evil in the martial world.

That was the White Wolf Unit that Yeo Un-hwi recalled.

For Yeo Un-hwi, who had hunted down major villains under the name "Blood Demon" before his regression, he couldn't help but be drawn to the White Wolf Unit's unrestrained actions.

Though they were known as the Red Wolf Unit back then rather than the White Wolf Unit, it was widely known that their true identity was the White Wolf Unit that had once represented the Peng Family's military force.

They didn't particularly try to hide that fact either, as he recalled.

For such a White Wolf Unit to come under Yeo Un-hwi's command after he returned to the Peng Family, before they left to become the Red Wolf Unit - it was quite a strange twist of fate indeed.

He was curious.

Why did these righteous warriors end up leaving the Peng Family to operate as wandering warriors under the name Red Wolf Unit?

But meeting them like this now, he felt he understood.

These were not men who could be bound by the rules of an organization.

The White Wolf Unit he had seen on the way in looked more like a pack of fierce wolves than orthodox warriors belonging to a prestigious family.

How could he not laugh?

Wolves with eyes full of justice and chivalry, who went mad at the sight of injustice.

It felt like seeing a collection of things that both fit together and clashed completely.

And the man before him exuded that atmosphere more than anyone.

At a glance he seemed like an excellent master from a prestigious family, but his eyes were fiercer and more arrogant than anyone's, like a proud wolf.

*No wonder they fell out of favor.*

How could ordinary people from a prestigious family embrace such men?

Even if Family Head Peng Mugang accepted them, those below him wouldn't be able to tolerate it.

These men needed someone who could adequately veil their wild nature.

In that sense, O Chae-mu clearly wasn't suited for the commander position.

If anything, he would only reinforce people's preconceptions about the White Wolf Unit.

Though he had the qualities, considering the various circumstances within the Peng Family, he was the last person who should become commander.

Perhaps O Chae-mu knew this himself.

Maybe that's why he had consistently refused the many offers.

*I see.*

Indeed, you can only truly know someone after meeting them.

"First, I must apologize. Tae-san made a big mistake."

Yeo Un-hwi smiled in response to O Chae-mu's words.

"I inadvertently overheard your conversation on the way in. I understand fully why you've come. Yes, of course we must follow the Family Head's orders. Greetings, Commander."

O Chae-mu bowed his head with a compliant expression.

Yeo Un-hwi soon nodded as well.

"I appreciate your saying so."

"Not at all. Then I'll gather the members right away. They should all see the Commander's face and greet you properly."

"Please do."

As Yeo Un-hwi nodded, O Chae-mu quickly gathered the members who were scattered throughout the mansion.

Having heard bits and pieces about why they were suddenly being assembled, their faces didn't look pleased.

They sincerely considered O Chae-mu as their true commander, regardless of what anyone else said.

So they couldn't look kindly upon this unexpected figure sent from the main family as commander.

Especially someone who had never properly learned martial arts, a son-in-law no less - from their perspective, he was nothing but a useless burden.

No matter how much trouble they caused, the White Wolf Unit was still one of the Peng Family's representative military forces.

Yet to appoint such an incompetent figure as their commander - what an absurd decision.

Their unwavering loyalty and respect for Family Head Peng Mugang, who had never faltered in any situation, was turning into endless disappointment.

"Greetings. I am Yeo Un-hwi."

All the members gathered in a small courtyard inside the dilapidated mansion.

Yeo Un-hwi stood facing them.

The members' eyes and atmosphere clearly revealed their hostility towards Yeo Un-hwi.

Their fierce aura was enough to make ordinary people tremble.

Among them were the twin brothers he had first encountered upon arriving, and the woman who had smacked them.

*Their names were Gi-su, Gi-sang, and Do-gyeong, wasn't it?*

In any case, judging by their expressions, their feelings seemed to be the same.

Yeo Un-hwi laughed inwardly.

*They really don't like me, do they?*

It was understandable.

Perhaps he would have acted the same way in their position.

But that didn't mean he intended to back down meekly.

This was a task ordered by his father-in-law, and regardless of what they thought of him, Yeo Un-hwi was very interested in the White Wolf Unit.

And if possible, he hoped they would remain as the White Wolf Unit, the sword of the Peng Family, rather than becoming the Red Wolf Unit.

"Judging by everyone's eyes, the atmosphere doesn't seem very welcoming. But I've also come here on the Family Head's orders, so I can't just leave right away no matter how you act. So while we're together, I hope we can get along well. I'm not sure how long we'll be together, but that's my wish."

Everyone looked slightly surprised at his frank words.

But that didn't mean the negative atmosphere suddenly improved.

Yeo Un-hwi continued speaking to them without showing any signs of being intimidated.

"And I have no intention of lording over you and telling you what to do. There's no need to be wary of me. Just continue doing your work as you have been until now. That's all."

With those final words, Yeo Un-hwi ended his greeting.

After a brief farewell, Yeo Un-hwi left the White Wolf Unit's quarters, leaving behind a peculiar atmosphere he had stirred up. Someone spoke up:

"Can we really believe what he said?"

"Surely not. How could that be?"

"But Brother, why did you act that way?"

"What do you mean?"

Despite Yeo Un-hwi's fairly decent greeting, the White Wolf Unit's impression of him remained quite poor, which was perhaps to be expected.

He hadn't cowered like a mere scholar as they had expected, nor had he acted arrogantly beyond his station. But because of that, the White Wolf Unit became even more suspicious of him.

In this atmosphere, Gu Tae-san quietly asked O Chae-mu, who had been silent:

"Why did you accept him? You should have just told him it was nonsense and chased him away from the start."

"And then what? Did he seem like he would back down easily?"

"Well..."

That wasn't the case.

Yeo Un-hwi hadn't even flinched when Gu Tae-san smashed the wall with his fist.

It was strange.

That wasn't the behavior of a scholar who had never learned martial arts before.

Even if he had just started learning recently, it still didn't make sense.

Was he just brazen? Or what was he relying on?

If it was just because he was the son-in-law, that took extraordinary nerve.

O Chae-mu had quickly grasped this just from overhearing the brief exchange between Gu Tae-san and Yeo Un-hwi.

"So what do you plan to do? Leave him be? Accept him as commander?"

"Of course not. Having someone who knows nothing of martial arts above us would ruin our reputation. That's not like us."

They couldn't let someone become the White Wolf Unit's commander just because he was the son-in-law.

It wasn't a position they had refused only to hand it over to such a man.

Gu Tae-san looked at O Chae-mu curiously.

"So you have another plan?"

"Chasing him away ourselves isn't a good method. It would only make our already precarious situation with the main family worse. If we cause more trouble now, the Family Head will surely be greatly disappointed."

"Ah, so you do have a plan?"

"Tsk, you need to learn some patience. Why so impatient?"

"It's just how I'm made, what can I do?"

O Chae-mu clicked his tongue at Gu Tae-san's constant prodding.

The two were as close as real brothers.

That's why O Chae-mu was the person Gu Tae-san felt most comfortable with, and also the person he respected and feared the most.

He followed and admired O Chae-mu to that extent.

In a situation like this, it was clearly the former, which was why Gu Tae-san was badgering O Chae-mu so much.

Shaking his head at his impatient brother, O Chae-mu finally revealed his scheme.

"We'll make him leave on his own."

"On his own? How?"

"By making him feel, 'Ah! I can't survive here!' Wouldn't that work?"

A grin spread across Gu Tae-san's face at O Chae-mu's words.

He had only thought about chasing him away directly, not such a method.

O Chae-mu continued:

"That mere scholar probably thinks his life has blossomed by becoming the son-in-law of the Hebei Peng Family, one of the Five Great Families. He definitely won't welcome such a difficult situation. He's sure to run back to the main family and beg for a different position."

"Oh, I see!"

"Now then, bring me the recent requests that have come in for our White Wolf Unit."

Gu Tae-san's face lit up excitedly at his words.

That was the reason O Chae-mu had so readily accepted Yeo Un-hwi.

And he had no doubt that his scheme would work.