Chapter 16: Necessity (1)
It has been three days since we returned from the Nine Dragons Ceremony. It’s also been three days since I discovered I could wield the demonic arts granted by the Heavenly Demon.
In the past few days, I’ve repeatedly circulated the fire Qi throughout my body, but I still couldn’t feel any traces of demonic Qi.
While it’s definitely a fortunate circumstance, I couldn’t help but wonder if the demonic Qi might be lurking inside me without my knowledge. So, I kept my guard up.
“Even after dying and coming back to life, those bastards still give me trouble.”
The training ground was filled with heat radiating from my body. Since I was still only at the second realm, the heat wasn’t overly threatening.
“…Am I still far from reaching the third realm?”
My understanding of controlling Qi should have been more than enough by now. However, the amount of Qi I could accumulate and my physique were like incomplete vessels for holding it.
In the end, all I could do was relentless training.
Thanks to that, I had been suffering from muscle soreness for days…
I opened the door to the heat-filled training ground and stepped outside. A gentle spring breeze washed over me, quickly cooling my overheated body.
“Hey! There’s still dust over there!”
“Hahaha…”
“…Hmm?”
What’s going on here?
As I approached, I recognized a familiar silhouette next to the Sword Emperor, who was surrounded by a cloud of dust. The figure was tall, over eight feet, with broad shoulders and a wild mane of white hair—a mark of age contrasting against his comically huge muscles.
I didn’t even need to verify; it was the Second Elder.
“Seriously, you should sweep more thoroughly! Look at this! There is dust everywhere!”
“Hahaha…”
What is this crazy old man doing?
The Second Elder was standing next to the Sword Emperor, frantically pointing fingers and barking commands at him.
I never imagined I would witness the great Sword Emperor being reprimanded for something as trivial as poor cleaning technique.
“Look at this! It’s like you’ve never held a broom before!”
The specks of dust that remained behind were so few, you could barely see them even with enhanced vision through Qi.
‘…Well, this is definitely something I didn’t want to walk into.’
The Sword Emperor and the Second Elder were both figures who had flourished in the same era.
There was no way they didn’t know each other.
So, what is this farcical scene I’ve stumbled across?
“What are you doing here, Lord Second Elder?”
“Oh! Yangcheon, you’re here.”
“…Did you come just to torment an elderly man?”
The Sword Emperor had requested to be called by his name, but knowing his true identity, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“I mean, this old man can’t even sweep properly. Tsk tsk, if he always works like this, he shouldn’t even be getting paid.”
But… I seriously don’t see any dust, though?
“It looks clean to me…”
“Absolutely not! If this is your standard, it’s no wonder this place is always messy!”
What was he talking about?
To the average person, this place would appear completely spotless.
Even the servants and Wi Seol-Ah put in the effort to keep it tidy.
So why this strange behavior? Was he doing this just to annoy the Sword Emperor?
No… Surely a respected elder from a prestigious clan wouldn’t stoop to such childish antics.
‘…Is the Sword Emperor okay with this?’
The Sword Emperor, maintaining his usual benevolent smile, didn’t seem to mind at all.
He just kept on sweeping.
“Hahaha…”
Of course, a person with the title of “Sword Emperor” wouldn’t be irritated over such—
“Hahaha!”
‘On second thought, he’s really angry.’
Upon closer inspection, I noticed the veins beginning to appear on his forehead.
I figured it was best to put some distance between myself and this ticking time bomb, but the Second Elder grabbed me.
“Finished with your training?”
“Yes, as you can see.”
“Hmm…”
“What’s wrong, Senior?”
“Nothing. By the way, your escort has been waiting over there.”
The Second Elder pointed towards my house’s entrance.
“Muyeon?”
Was he waiting outside for me? I thought I told him to come in if he needed something.
“Thank you, Senior. I’ll be heading out now.”
“Are you leaving…?”
“Huh?”
As I turned toward Muyeon, the Second Elder called out to me in a surprisingly pitiful tone.
“Yangcheon, are you not hungry? This old man brought something really delicious—”
“The Young Master already finished his meal earlier.”
The Second Elder was abruptly cut off by the Sword Emperor.
“Huh! You dare interrupt a conversation between two members of the esteemed Gu Clan!”
“Why are you behaving like this, Lord Second Elder?”
I hesitated mid-sentence as I felt the temperature drop several degrees.
What’s with this sudden bad feeling?
My finely tuned instincts were screaming at me to get out of there.
The unsettling aura was radiating from the Sword Emperor, who was still sweeping.
‘…Hmm.’
I wasn’t sure, but it felt as if the Sword Emperor was subtly signaling for me to leave.
In that case, I would gladly take his hint.
“Lord Second Elder, I have something urgent I need to attend to.”
“Then this old man will—”
“Take care, Senior.”
I didn’t stick around to hear his reply. Staying there any longer would surely involve me in something undesirable.
I quickly fled, dodging the Second Elder’s attempts to detain me.
After Gu Yangcheon departed, an unusual silence lingered outside the training area, leaving only the Second Elder and the Sword Emperor.
The Second Elder’s eyes darted nervously around the vicinity.
‘There are too many trees by the wall… Should I jump onto the roof?’
…He was plotting his escape route.
Seeing the mighty Sword Emperor sweeping floors was utterly ridiculous, sparking a mischievous thrill in the Second Elder.
He realized he may have crossed a line with his teasing. However, it was typical of impulsive nature.
For the first time in years, the Second Elder felt a foreboding sense of danger creeping up.
‘…I may have gone too far.’
Although Sword Emperor Wi Hyogun appeared to be a frail old man, he exuded an unstoppable bloodlust.
‘A sword fanatic who ruthlessly slaughters his enemies on sight.’
In the eyes of the Unorthodox Faction, the Sword Emperor was a psychopath who hunted them mercilessly.
He was someone who never hesitated to hunt down evil.
“Gu Ryoon.”
The Second Elder shivered as a chill enveloped the atmosphere. It was a sensation he hadn’t felt in a long while.
“Ahem… Senior, are you perhaps angry? I was only being playful. I’m sure Gu Yangcheon wouldn’t suspect—”
“That child really is remarkable.”
“…Hmm?”
“He was different two days ago, he was different yesterday, and today he is yet again different.”
The Second Elder, who had been distracted by his escape route, was caught off guard by the Sword Emperor’s remarks.
‘He changes every day.’
When the Sword Emperor first met Gu Yangcheon, he merely saw a kid from the Gu Clan.
Although he had learned not to judge solely based on rumors, that was all he could do.
Compared to other members of the Gu Clan, Gu Yangcheon’s fire Qi was valuable but not extraordinary, and his natural talent was even less impressive.
He was simply a child of the Gu Clan.
That was who the Sword Emperor believed Gu Yangcheon to be.
‘But now?’
He reflected on Gu Yangcheon’s recent figure.
His fire Qi showed no increase, nor did it feel hotter.
But it was stable.
Among the Orthodox Faction’s most ferocious fire Qi, only the Peng Clan’s could match it.
Controlling such volatile Qi was no small feat.
It required both natural talent and years of training.
But considering Gu Yangcheon’s young age, he couldn’t have undergone extensive training yet.
So, it clearly pointed to talent.
“Though I didn’t perceive anything special about him, it’s exceedingly rare for someone at his age to possess that kind of power.”
“I was astonished when I first laid eyes on him at the ceremony. Though a great while has passed since I last saw him, I never expected such a drastic change.”
“…Are you implying he was not like that the last time you encountered him?”
“It was only about three months ago when he ran away, claiming he couldn’t bear to train.”
That kid who once acted so immaturely appeared to have matured suddenly.
The training he had been doing now far surpassed the meager amounts he had previously done.
By word of his servants and escorts, aside from eating, sleeping, or taking brief breaks, he dedicated all his remaining time to training.
And it was training of intense caliber.
The Sword Emperor, always observing him closely, knew that Gu Yangcheon never slacked off.
“What could have spurred that child to wake up all of a sudden?”
It’s natural for people to change over time, but such drastic changes typically come with reason—something that urges them towards a different path.
It’s a universal truth.
What could have compelled Gu Yangcheon to change? The question lingered endlessly in the Sword Emperor’s mind.
“You think too much about this.”
The Second Elder sighed, clicking his tongue at the Sword Emperor’s brooding.
To him, it seemed that old age had led the Sword Emperor to overthink things.
“If something good happens, isn’t it enough? Why complicate it?”
The Second Elder felt relieved that all his prior concerns regarding Gu Yangcheon had been resolved.
‘What would the First Elder think of this?’
He briefly recalled his conversation with the First Elder.
He feared presenting the idea of Gu Yangcheon becoming the next lord since he was concerned about potential opposition. Gu Yangcheon’s lack of work ethic, combined with his mediocre talent, had made the proposition unfeasible.
The Second Elder felt relieved to have his greatest worries proved unnecessary.
“Senior, sometimes it’s best to keep things simple. The way they are is just the way they are.”
The elder’s words didn’t reach the Sword Emperor.
Especially since the discussion now concerned family.
“Thank you for your advice.”
The Sword Emperor expressed his gratitude nonetheless.
“Ahem… Now that we’re done here, I’ll take my leave—”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“I mean, I’ve seen both you and Gu Yangcheon, so I have matters to attend to—”
“Gu Ryoon, haven’t we still got something important to discuss?”
“I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about—”
The Second Elder froze as he sensed the mood shift yet again.
The Sword Emperor, with a lazy smile, spoke calmly.
“You were teaching me how to sweep, weren’t you? I’m quite eager to learn.”
The Second Elder suddenly recalled his earlier antics. It appeared he wasn’t so easily forgiven after all.
‘This man is really touchy…’
The moment the Sword Emperor took a step towards him, the Second Elder leaped onto the roof.
He had pre-planned his escape route.
*
Thud-Thud!
“What’s happening outside? Why is it so noisy?”
“I heard they are doing construction on one of the clan’s buildings. Could that be the source?”
“Really? It must be a major project if the noise is reaching us here.”
Something felt oddly familiar about that noise, but I brushed it off.
At the moment, my focus was not on the construction of a new building.
As I approached the entrance, I noticed Muyeon looking anxious and restless, as if he had something important to share.
When I inquired about his demeanor, Muyeon handed me a letter.
It contained just a few lines, but it held the exact message I had been eagerly awaiting.
[Your request, I’ll accept it.]
I couldn’t help but smile broadly upon reading the note.
No need to ponder over where this letter had originated from.
The Hao Clan had finally contacted me.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.