Chapter 197: Know Your Place (5)
The flames resembling a clear sky enveloped my entire being, illuminating the dark surroundings.
Crash-
Behind me, the aftermath of the First Elder’s attack still rippled through the area.
As I gazed upon the devastation, a slight tremor ran through my shoulders.
That was truly lethal, even if I had merely brushed against it.
It was precisely because of that that I had to resort to this.
I didn’t want to use it.
Seeing the blue flames swirling around me made my stomach turn.
This was the energy that the Blood Demon had infused within me, and the enigmatic power that Jang Seonyeon wielded.
I chose to label it Blood Qi.
Blood Qi strengthens both body and martial arts to extreme levels.
In a way, this power shared similarities with Demonic Qi, yet it felt distinctly different.
It turned my flames blue, intensifying their destructive nature, while enhancing my physical prowess to match.
The difference was striking merely by utilizing this energy; it truly was an outrageous force.
However, the drawbacks were equally apparent.
Using it rapidly depleted the Qi that I had stored in my dantian.
Even while engulfing the area in flames, my Qi had remained relatively stable.
But now, just because I surrounded myself with these flames, my reserves were vanishing at this rate.
Is it even worth this price?
Of course, I managed to tip the scales in my favor because of this power, but I didn’t find it particularly pleasant.
It would have been dangerous if I hadn’t used it.
In the past, I had vowed never to employ Demonic Qi again, but upon realizing that I couldn’t afford to be picky, I made my choice.
Nonetheless, using an energy with nefarious origins always felt dirty.
Especially so, when I didn’t even know what it was.
I wanted to keep it hidden as much as I could.
Given that it dramatically altered the color of my flames, I couldn’t carelessly wield this power.
Moreover—
Boom—!
“…Phew.”
As soon as I called back my flames, my body felt the recoil.
I had to grit my teeth to suppress revealing my pain, careful not to let my expression falter.
Damn… it hurts like hell!
During my journey home, I had experimented with this power a few times in training. However, since this was the first time using it in an actual battle, I completely underestimated the aftereffects.
Even so, this was way overboard.
I thought I was somewhat accustomed to pain.
My body might not be, but I thought my mental resilience was pretty solid.
Yet, this was just too excessive.
Indeed, I can’t use this often.
It might have been manageable if the recoil were milder, but at this rate, my body could easily suffer permanent damage.
Even now, I struggled to hide the slight tremor in my arm.
Still, I could see how formidable this power was.
It may not elevate me to the Fusion Realm level—
Though it didn’t push me past a new realm, it undeniably brought me quite close.
Remembering Jang Seonyeon displaying the power of a Peak Realm martial artist when he was merely a first-rate fighter, I understood this.
Then, what if I used it at a higher stage? Would the effect be the same?
That thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook my head.
Such a thing was impossible.
After all, nobody could cheat their way to ascend a new level.
Cough…! Pheeew…
Splatter—
As I watched blood spill from the First Elder’s mouth, who knelt before me, I hid my trembling hand and fixed my gaze on him.
With his hair in disarray and his body battered, he looked up at me with trembling pupils, conveying utter defeat.
It was the decline of a master who had once been a key strength in the Gu Clan.
Seeing him reduced to this state was hardly a comforting sight, even if he had aimed his sword at me.
“Hughh…”
Only a weak wheeze emerged from the First Elder.
All his teeth had been knocked out and lay broken, hence the difficulty in his speech.
All of your transgressions have likely been documented in that basement of yours.
“Ughhh… No….”
His slurred words were hard to decipher, but I could sense the First Elder’s emotions clearly.
Are you still going to squirm pathetically? I suggest you stop.
“Why—How could it be you…! That bastard…”
“Well, why am I in this position? It’s rather unfortunate for you.”
This was simply a thoughtless retort.
Even if I had been a reckless fool as expected by the First Elder, his demise was already a certainty.
His desperation had merely pulled this moment closer.
I looked down calmly at the First Elder as he poured out his emotions, and I spoke flatly, “Gu Sunmoon, Gu Changjun.”
At the mention of his name, the First Elder’s eyes widened with shock.
“Because you collaborated with outsiders and jeopardized our clan, even attempting to harm our bloodline, your position as Elder is hereby revoked.”
“What makes you believe a mere brat like you has the authority to do such a thing…?!”
“Why can’t I? Are you hopeful that obtaining the Young Lord title will change anything?”
The reality would remain unchanged regardless.
The First Elder was likely aware of this, too.
If my father returned to find this scene, would the First Elder’s fate be any different?
“I’ve devoted my life to the clan! How dare a lazy brat like you threaten my position!”
Indeed, the First Elder had done quite a bit for the clan.
For decades, he had led Gu Sunmoon.
The Gu Clan’s sword had fought for peace in Shanxi, which definitely held its significance, but
That still doesn’t mean you can cross lines you shouldn’t have.
“What do you know?”
“Do I need to? I have no interest in your sob story.”
It was a position unreachable for him, being from a branch family.
No matter his effort, he could never attain it.
The details of his past were irrelevant to me.
It was his life story, and whatever choices he made, he must bear the consequences himself.
After finally shaking off the recoil, I reached out and seized the First Elder by the neck.
Though he attempted to resist me, channeling his Qi, he quickly coughed up blood.
It seemed his body wasn’t cooperating.
“Let go! Bastard! Even if you’re the Lord’s son, you can’t do as you please. There are clear clan rules!”
I wonder why you did all this, despite knowing the clan’s rules.
I tightened the grip around his neck.
The First Elder had to die here.
Even if I spared him, the chances of survival after my father returned were slim to none, but
He witnessed my flames.
Since the First Elder had seen me utilize Blood Qi to evade his strike and retaliate, I couldn’t allow him to live.
“At the very least, it won’t be as painful as last time.”
In my previous life, father had slowly roasted the First Elder alive, and I wasn’t looking to exert that much effort again.
As I prepared to snap his neck, suddenly—
“First Young Master!”
My body froze at the voice from behind me.
The First Elder felt the same.
“No…”
His despairing voice revealed he didn’t wish to be seen like this.
And frankly, neither did I.
How on earth did he know?
I turned around, eyes wide with surprise, only to find Gu Jeolyub panting heavily.
I had instructed Muyeon to keep Gu Jeolyub occupied before any trouble began, so how did he arrive at Gu Sunmoon?
But that’s not the issue at hand right now.
My grandfather was bleeding from the mouth, and here I was, gripping his neck.
Huff—huff!
I noticed the panic in Gu Jeolyub’s eyes as he registered the scene before him.
His labored breaths hindered any coherent speech.
“Y-Young Master. W-What is this…?”
Unable to comprehend the situation, he called out to me with a shaky voice.
Tsk.
I merely clicked my tongue and turned away.
This was an utterly crummy situation.
More so, it was exactly the kind of predicament I wanted to avoid.
Kid.
Sigh.
Elder Shin’s voice called me, urging me to make a quick decision as I exhaled deeply.
It was precisely for this reason that I preferred to stay out of sight.
I gripped the First Elder’s neck tighter.
Crack—!
With a heavy sound, the light in the First Elder’s eyes began to fade.
Shortly after, his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
“G-Grandfather!”
Gu Jeolyub rushed over to his fallen grandfather.
I found his trembling voice and weeping face quite bothersome.
“Gu Jeolyub.”
But I shoved that emotion aside and called out to him.
Upon hearing my voice, Gu Jeolyub looked up at me, shaking with tears in his eyes.
His face was a storm of emotions, tears flowing unabated.
I could have deciphered those feelings if I chose to, but right now, I had no choice but to look away.
“Since the head of Gu Sunmoon has been stripped of their title and can no longer act, you shall inherit that position.”
“W-What are you saying right now? How could this possibly have happened?”
“I won’t entertain any objections.”
“First Young Master!”
Gu Jeolyub shouted in protest, but I merely stared back at him with a stoic expression.
As our gazes met, Gu Jeolyub’s face twisted with rage as he prepared to draw his sword.
“If you do that, I’ll have no choice but to kill you.”
At my words, Gu Jeolyub froze in place.
I had intentionally released a suffocating amount of killing intent.
There was no way he could withstand that much.
“Why… why?!”
Even in this dire situation, Gu Jeolyub was desperate to regain control of his body.
It was painfully clear he was struggling to come to terms with everything unfolding before him.
A young man, not even twenty yet, was bound to react this way.
After a moment, I swiftly struck the back of Gu Jeolyub’s neck with a light chop, knocking him unconscious.
As he slumped to the ground without a sound, I stepped forward to catch him.
So you decided not to kill the child.
…
Did you grow fond of him during that brief time together?
I offered no reply to Elder Shin’s question.
Moments later, I sensed numerous presences approaching from the entrance.
It appeared the main clan’s members were finally aware of the unfolding situation and were arriving.
I dropped Gu Jeolyub to the floor and turned away.
Nothing is scarier than showing mercy. You must realize that this is a better path for both you and that boy.
…
This is your choice, so I won’t push further, but rest assured, you’ll come to regret it.
After hearing Elder Shin, I brushed my hair back.
Considering how much I had to regret already, adding one more wouldn’t be so conspicuous.
At the very least, that’s what I chose to believe for now.
To be more precise—
I had no other choice but to think that way.
In a corner of the dungeons beneath the Black Palace,
A woman slowly opened her eyes, having regained consciousness.
“Ha!”
As consciousness returned, the woman sat up and immediately scanned her surroundings.
It was a dark room, and in front of her lay iron bars.
An unsettling emptiness pervaded the air, revealing the dire nature of her situation.
Where am I?
The woman, Gu Huibi, struggled to recall her last memories, muddled thoughts aching in her head.
She needed to understand why she was here and where exactly this was.
“…!”
Fortunately, her memory returned swiftly, but soon after, Gu Huibi felt a wave of anger rise within her.
Visions of the absurdly powerful martial artist who had invaded the battlefield, combined with the ineffectiveness of her own efforts to protect herself, filled her mind.
“Damn it.”
The image of the Second Elder, valiantly fighting to safeguard her, only to be mortally wounded by the enemy in the end, consumed her thoughts.
Then, the recollection of losing consciousness immediately afterward hit her like a freight train.
That’s such a pathetic memory.
This was precisely the kind of failure she loathed most.
In a haze of guilt, Gu Huibi turned her head to survey her surroundings closely.
Where am I?
First and foremost, she had to discover the reasons behind her current predicament.
But scanning her surroundings yielded only one conclusion.
A prison?
She was encircled by iron bars, confined within a cell.
As Gu Huibi continued to look around with a bewildered expression,
“Why don’t you stay still? You’re bothering me.”
A voice drifted toward her from nearby.
Having failed to pick up on their presence, Gu Huibi immediately moved back upon hearing the voice.
“Ugh!”
As she attempted to escape, she stumbled and fell to the ground, bound by restraints.
“Haha, I expected that.”
Clang.
A dreaded sound of metal scraping against the ground approached.
As the sound drew nearer, Gu Huibi attempted to regain her battle stance, steadying her breath, but
For some reason, her Qi wouldn’t respond.
Acupuncture?
Her dantian felt intact, suggesting that she had been subjected to acupuncture to suppress her power.
When the sound came close enough for her to sense, she finally managed to catch a glimpse of the intruder as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
“…!”
It was an old man.
His frail and abnormal physique bore multiple signs of torment.
And most noticeably, his eyes had been wrapped in cloth.
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