Chapter 112: The Dragon Army.
They were a sword troupe within the Murim Alliance, to be precise, a direct unit under the Alliance Leader.
Their assigned mission was to escort the Leader and manage the subordinate sword squads. However, they knew the truth—you see, their mission was not merely that.
The Leader at the time, the Sword Emperor, was never someone who needed protection in the first place.
He was already the famed sword itself, wearing the guise of a human, and for someone who had transcended the need for a sword, escort duty was a luxury he didn’t require.
The management of the subordinate sword squads was equally unnecessary. From the start, such tasks were not fitting for the Dragon Army.
While the Dragon Army was affiliated with the Murim Alliance and engaged in battles against the Unorthodox Factions or slaying monsters that preyed on the innocent, this was not their primary purpose at all. So, what was their true mission?
It had been fixed ever since the day when the Sword Emperor issued orders to the Dragon Army.
The rift in the air, the Gate of Demons, threatened all of humanity. What lay beyond it?
The sole mission of the Dragon Army was to investigate the Abyss.
Back then, Gu Cheolun was the head of the Dragon Army, and the Celestial Plum Blossom served under him.
Alongside the Sword Master, many renowned martial artists of the time belonged to the Dragon Army as well.
Dressed in the facade of protecting the people from the Abyss, the Celestial Plum Blossom voluntarily enlisted.
At that time, even the Celestial Plum Blossom tried desperately to dissuade her, but she had already made up her mind and left Mount Hua to join the Murim Alliance.
And that choice still haunted her to this day.
—Blaze!
Flames erupted from Gu Cheolun’s body, rising like a mirage.
With fierce eyes, he glared at the Sword Master and spoke.
“I wanted to treat you as a guest.”
“I appreciate your consideration, but that’s not what I’m here for.”
The heat gradually intensified, filling the room completely.
The flames that erupted, fueled by Gu Cheolun’s uncontrolled emotions, did not harm the room or the Sword Master; he was still maintaining control over his powers.
It became increasingly hard to breathe due to the searing heat, yet the Sword Master did not call upon her Qi. There was simply no need.
Just as the flames began to brush against the Sword Master’s hair…
They vanished in an instant. Gu Cheolun then spoke to the Sword Master in a calm voice.
“Your stubbornness remains unchanged.”
Gu Cheolun’s tone had shifted.
There was a hint of exhaustion woven into his words. The Sword Master picked up on this and replied, “It seems you’ve changed quite a bit, Captain.”
“I have, indeed. A lot.”
The Gu Cheolun she had last seen—the one she confronted when taking Gu Ryunghwa—was starkly different from the man before her now. In her memories, the past Gu Cheolun was a fiery man, much like the techniques he wielded.
He accomplished any task he set his mind to, and for any barrier in his way, he burned it away.
But what of now?
Despite being a master of fire techniques, an icy atmosphere now surrounded him.
Gu Cheolun, not shying away from his expression, said to the Sword Master.
“When you said you’d take my daughter, I clearly told you something.”
“Yes.”
“I told you not to inquire about my wife.”
“I remember.”
“Then what are you doing now?”
“I… I’m not asking about her, Captain.”
“Just because you twisted your words doesn’t change their meaning. You know better than I do that the contract we made back then was not a light one.”
Gu Cheolun’s cold gaze grew even more severe. Nonetheless, the Sword Master had no intention to retreat.
She hadn’t come all this way for that.
“Up until you disbanded the army, there was something we couldn’t understand. Even now, it’s even harder to fathom.”
“What is it?”
“How do you understand the Sword Emperor’s judgement?”
“…”
“You must know, right? You’re the only survivor that came out of the Abyss, Captain.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’m just curious. It’s a bit too late to resent someone since I’ve grown quite numb at this point.”
Although not too long ago, the burdens weighing within had rusted away with time.
It was likely that everyone involved in the army shared similar sentiments.
“Do you remember how many of your followers trusted and looked up to you?”
The Sword Master thought he would know the answer.
He certainly wouldn’t have forgotten.
“Cheonhee was the same. I want to know where that girl went, but I didn’t want to dive into where she’d come from.”
She must have returned to where she belonged. The Sword Master sincerely hoped that was the case.
Having approached like a gentle breeze, warming their hearts, it was only right that she departed in the same manner.
The Sword Master prayed it would be so.
“So I will ask you again. What did you see in the Abyss, Captain?”
At her question, Gu Cheolun only gazed back in silence.
That dreadful space held anything and could show everything.
The Abyss was a place that defied the common sense of the living world.
As silence lingered for what felt like an eternity, the Sword Master finally frowned slightly.
It wasn’t from being offended by Gu Cheolun’s lack of response.
Gu Cheolun simply stared at her without uttering a word, and after a moment, she finally came to understand.
“…Captain.”
It wasn’t that Gu Cheolun chose not to speak; he was unable to.
This was something the Sword Master was far too familiar with. It was an experience she had undergone herself.
“How—”
The Sword Master could not finish her sentence.
If Gu Cheolun had seen what she saw, she understood he wouldn’t be able to discuss it.
If that was true, if Gu Cheolun really did see that “tree”…
As her thoughts deepened, Gu Cheolun spoke up.
“Were you searching for Cheonhee? If not, why did you go beyond the gate again?”
“…!”
“If you also saw it, there’s no need for an explanation. It’s not even something that can be explained at first.”
At this point, the Sword Master realized Gu Cheolun had witnessed it as well.
He had also set his sights on the terrible, sinister thing. It was clear he wouldn’t utter such words if he hadn’t.
Gu Cheolun continued.
“Did I ever ask you to understand that old man? I did not. I never forgave him either.”
“Then, why…!”
—It had to be like that, after all.
The Sword Master held her tongue after hearing Gu Cheolun.
His gaze was hollow, his eyes dark like a bottomless pit—as if gazing into an endless void.
“I congratulate you on your recovery. I heard my son played a role in that, so I’ll be sure to ask him later.”
“…”
“I don’t know what you saw or how much, but you should stop there.”
Her curiosity flared as Gu Cheolun spoke those words.
She felt as if she were caught in a forbidden grasp, the suffocating sensation threatening her very existence—about to suffocate from the overwhelming Qi raging within her body. She couldn’t leverage any strength to fight back.
If Gu Cheolun had seen that, how was he still unscathed?
She recalled Gu Yangcheon mentioning that the Gu Clan’s techniques could cleanse and expel that murky Qi.
—Could it be thanks to that?
But if that were the case…
Something felt amiss. Be it the words spoken, the glimmer of his eyes, or even Gu Cheolun himself, the Sword Master sensed something empty within him.
His Qi still resonated with strength. Gu Cheolun retained his mastery as a martial artist.
She recognized that he hadn’t become lax in his training despite ascending to clan leader; she felt an insurmountable wall separating them.
It was akin to the wall she felt when eyeing the Leader of Mount Hua or the Sword Emperor.
‘Is a man of this caliber merely considered one of a hundred martial masters?’
It wasn’t just a sensation; her instincts buzzed with the certainty that this man harbored hidden truths.
Gu Cheolun was concealing his true self.
The sparse rumors circulating in the world crumbled weakly before her face, in the presence of truth.
The flames he exhibited in the past were far more potent. And whatever lay buried behind those flames didn’t seem trivial either.
“What turned you into this, Captain?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gu Cheolun’s tone reverted to normal.
It was an implicit refusal to discuss the matter further.
The Sword Master noticed this, arranging her hair as she said, “I will visit you again…”
“Of course, as it’s you, the Sword Master, I will always welcome your visits.”
His words lacked any semblance of warmth.
Moreover, his gaze was already fixed on the letter laid upon the table. His ungracious personality seemed to have evolved in a new direction.
The Sword Master left the room and strolled through the garden before her.
A servant trailed behind to guide her; yet, her mind was preoccupied elsewhere.
Though not much was gleaned from their dialogue, she felt she had gathered several important pieces of the puzzle.
—It was for that reason that I had to.
Gu Cheolun’s remark replayed in her head.
She thought about how everyone else might have forgiven the Sword Emperor, yet Gu Cheolun would not.
Over a decade ago, aside from a small number of individuals and the bedridden Sword Master, dozens from the Dragon Army followed the Alliance Leader’s command towards the Abyss.
They hesitated not at all.
In the Dragon Army, the Leader’s will was absolute; they believed that any command issued served the greater good of all.
That was how they united under one banner.
Time passed, and the Alliance Leader and the Dragon Army returned from the Abyss.
The Sword Master could only weep upon witnessing those who had returned.
Of over thirty members of the Dragon Army, fewer than ten returned, all appearing soulless and mute.
A few days later, the survivors—having barely returned—ended their own lives. All were masters of soaring capabilities.
None exhibited any physical frailty; none lacked mental strength, yet, they could not withstand such despair, spiraling to their own demise.
The Sword Master begged them. Please don’t die. They had survived, so they had to keep living.
Despite her pleas, they still chose death, even the youngest of the Dragon Army—a disciple of Mount Hua—being the final one to fall.
As a consequence, the Sword Emperor relinquished his position as the leader of the Murim Alliance and vanished from sight, while Gu Cheolun proclaimed the disbandment of the Dragon Army.
What transpired within that place remained shrouded in mystery until the end.
However, one thing that did become clear over time was that the Sword Emperor’s original goal was worlds away from the pursuit of peace.
—Rustle, rustle.
The sound of leaves being swept in the yard could be heard.
“Did you enjoy your meal?”
Stepping outside after finishing my food, I found the Sword Emperor busily sweeping the area.
“Yes, you should also eat something.”
“For someone of my status, snacking any which way is perfectly acceptable…”
“I’ve heard that one must eat more as they age. Please don’t skip meals.”
“You’re even concerned for an old man like me… Thank you, Young Master.”
“Yeah…”
By now, I was gradually familiarizing myself with conversations with the Sword Emperor.
Or perhaps it was more a matter of me acclimatizing to seeing the Sword Emperor as a servant.
“Grandpa!”
Wi Seol-Ah, emerging from behind, dashed towards the Sword Emperor, hugging him tightly.
While the old man patted Wi Seol-Ah’s head, he suddenly turned serious.
“Seol-Ah, did you eat with the Young Master again?!”
“Uh… well, um…”
“Did I not tell you, always?!”
Seeing Wi Seol-Ah shrinking back in trepidation, I quickly intervened.
“It’s all okay. I was actually the one who invited her to eat with me.”
“Young Master…”
With my interjection, Wi Seol-Ah quickly hid behind me. The notion of a servant eating at the same table as a Young Master doesn’t fit the mold. Yet, that didn’t matter to me.
Especially when it was Wi Seol-Ah. I wouldn’t mind if it were someone like Hongwa or Muyeon either.
It reminded me of that time when the servants were astounded at the prospect of sharing a meal with me during our camping trip.
It seemed their discomfort stemmed from the anxiety of eating alongside their master.
Now, however, they seemed to be getting accustomed to it.
—That’s probably just your imagination.
‘Why? They all appear to be fine with it.’
—No one feels comfortable munching in front of a threatening-looking chap like you.
The old man was back with the harsh wit. ‘Yet, the girls seem to have no issues eating in front of me…’
—Be grateful to those girls; they’re the rare ones in all this.
Following his cue, I glanced at Wi Seol-Ah and the two recent arrivals.
Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol were emerging from the insides.
‘Didn’t expect to see Tang Soyeol here, too.’
It was around dinner time.
‘It was just lunchtime; I took a brief rest in my quarters, and now, it’s already evening?’
As the meal preparations were wrapping up, the Namgung royal who had been in a separate guest quarter joined our company, and I accepted that without a second thought.
However, the surprise came with the arrival of Tang Soyeol.
She suddenly appeared, yelling “Sis!” at the top of her lungs, causing everyone to jump.
Though she quickly realized the company around her and hastily apologized, it was still quite shocking.
‘Did they squabble or something?’
When I saw them back in Sichuan, they seemed exceedingly close. Was there some tension now?
As I continued reassuring the Sword Emperor about Wi Seol-Ah’s actions being acceptable, Tang Soyeol stepped forward.
With a hesitant demeanor, she began to express her gratitude.
“I’m sorry for barging in so suddenly. It was rather disrespectful.”
“I was a bit surprised, but it’s fine.”
“Plus, the meal invitation…”
“I only mentioned it because I heard you hadn’t eaten. Was it troublesome?”
“N, No! Not at all… Actually, you can just call me more often—”
“Young Master! Should I fetch some yakgwa?”
Cutting in just as Tang Soyeol was about to say something more, Wi Seol-Ah piped up.
“What’s yakgwa?”
“A snack! We already finished our meal!”
“You’re going to eat more after all that?”
“Sister Hongwa mentioned we have a separate stomach for snacks!”
‘No, it just seems like you eat a ton.’
‘But if I say that, she’ll get upset.’
Teasing her was amusing, but I had to remember we had a guest.
Feeling a sweet craving, I asked Wi Seol-Ah to bring some yakgwa.
‘Come to think of it, Tang Soyeol was saying something before.’
“I’m sorry, what were you saying earlier?”
“…N-Nothing…”
Tang Soyeol’s face bore a somewhat dejected expression.
“…Even his servant is beautiful…” she mumbled while glancing towards the direction Wi Seol-Ah had darted off in.
I genuinely felt a little frightened, wondering if she truly was possessed by a spirit or something.
With Tang Soyeol still appearing somewhat somber, she turned to me.
“Um… Young Master Gu.”
“Yes?”
“About the request I mentioned earlier…”
“Oh.”
The Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes.
‘To be honest, it sounds like a hassle to attend.’
While the name seemed extravagant, the tournament consisted mostly of prodigies trying to outshine one another.
I could inquire about my purpose for attending, but since it was in Hanam, there was certainly some motive behind it.
“First, I’ll need to talk to the Lord, so I can’t provide a definitive answer yet.”
Sure, it was dependent upon my father’s approval, but I presumed he wouldn’t allow me to leave the clan again without reason, given my prior long absences, whether in Sichuan or Shaanxi.
‘If I can’t go, I could use that as an excuse to decline her request.’
Then again, the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes also offered an avenue for showcasing one’s name and reputation to the wider world. It would be disingenuous not to take that opportunity when it arose.
Yet this godforsaken clan was peculiar!
“T—Then, please let me know when you have an answer.”
“Of course.”
Once our exchange concluded, Tang Soyeol bowed slightly and retreated to her quarters with her escort.
“Are you leaving?”
After Tang Soyeol departed, I turned at the voice that vibrated beside me.
It was Namgung Bi-ah, glaring at me. A chill crept up my spine for no apparent reason…
“What’s with you? Why are you staring like that?”
—It looked like she was glaring at me. Did I slip up?
When she asked if I was going, it likely referred to the Tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes. I prepared to reply that I was uncertain. However, Namgung Bi-ah cut in first.
“If you are… then I’m going with you.”
“What?”
Before I could respond, she was already gone, leaving me in the dust.
‘Elder Shin—’
—Don’t talk to me. I could kill you right about now.
‘…’
I considered asking, but he seemed deeply ticked off, so I chose silence instead.
Soon after, Wi Seol-Ah returned with the yakgwa. Once we finished consuming them, night had settled in.
During that hour when everyone would have retired, I suddenly stood up and prepared. I held in my hand a flower I had brought from the Black Palace hideout.
Tonight, as planned, I was set to consume this flower.
My body had finally purified all the demonic Qi it had contained, and I had an inkling regarding how to utilize the life force within, having heeded Elder Shin’s guidance.
At this stage, I figured it would be alright to consume it.
—Are you planning to just gulp it down as is?
“That’s the straightforward method.”
Instead of brewing it into tea or dehydrating it, the most effective way of extracting all its energy was eating it whole in its freshest form.
—You don’t know how your body will react. Exercise caution.
Even with Elder Shin’s words echoing in my mind, I felt no concern.
Normally, I would have spent ages fretting over potential problems, deliberating if it was safe to consume. But for some reason, I trusted that everything would be fine.
Consequently, without a hint of hesitation, I tossed the flower—its petals—into my mouth, chewing and swallowing it.
—This crazy fool…! Why so sudden…!
“…”
I swallowed it whole without also bothering to draw upon the energy it contained.
“Why did I do that?”
It left me baffled in the aftermath of consumption.
I had gulped it down as if compelled by some external force. It felt oddly dictated by my own will but also not at all.
“What’s the deal now?”
—Thud!
Sensing something peculiar, I attempted to articulate it to Elder Shin, but abruptly shut my mouth.
With violent vibrations surging within me, something began to thrash about inside my body.
Something was approaching.
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