Chapter: 373
“It’s been a while.”
Gu Ryun frowned as he looked at the Dark King greeting him.
“The fellow I haven’t seen in over a decade finally shows his face.”
“It looks like you’re doing well, Gu Ryun.”
“Does this look like I’m doing well to you?”
Gu Ryun pushed aside his uniform to reveal his chest.
There was still a dark scar lingering there, refusing to fade.
It was a wound incurred during a battle with the Black Night Princess.
Seeing that, the cave fell into a momentary silence…
Phew.
Paejon could no longer contain himself and burst into laughter—loudly, I might add.
“Hahaha! Haha!”
“Does someone getting hurt make you laugh?”
“Ahaha…!”
Apparently, it was so funny that tears formed in the corners of Paejon’s eyes.
“That guy is putting holes in his body. That’s quite the talent.”
“I just let my guard down a little.”
“Weren’t you the one who said that carelessness is just an excuse for losers?”
“…”
Did he really say something like that? Gu Ryun couldn’t recall, but he felt it was plausible enough that he had to bite his tongue.
After a good while of chuckling, Paejon addressed Gu Ryun.
“Who was your opponent?”
“Why? You planning to take revenge if you find out?”
“Are you out of your mind? Do I seem like someone who’d go through all that hassle?”
“Truly, friendship means nothing to you.”
Gu Ryun scoffed at his disbelief, prompting Paejun to take another swig of his drink.
He gulped down the alcohol repeatedly as if he were parched.
Paejon then questioned Gu Ryun.
“How badly is your body damaged?”
“…”
That came out of nowhere.
Slurp.
Gu Ryun stayed quiet in response to Paejon’s inquiry.
He merely poured more alcohol into his glass.
“It’s alright. I’m feeling fine.”
“You must be feeling fine, walking around with a hole in your chest and all.”
“…”
“You look old, Gu Ryun.”
“You can tell that just by looking.”
“It’s not always like that.”
Paejon chuckled heartily at this, while Gu Ryun let out a hefty sigh.
“If you want, I can reach out to the Immortal Healer.”
“We’ve already met.”
“Huh? You met?”
Paejon looked taken aback at Gu Ryun’s words. You met the Immortal Healer?
He must be a hard person to locate…
“Who do you think fixed my chest?”
“…Oh, was it that old man?”
Noticing the Dark King’s cup was empty, Paejon filled it again.
Yet, he kept the teasing banter directed at Gu Ryun.
“What did he say? The Immortal Healer.”
“What more is there to say? It’s the price of getting old.”
“Does your family know you’ve ended up like this?”
“The clan head must know.”
Chuckle.
Gu Ryun smiled like it was nothing out of the ordinary.
“It’s not that big of a deal. It doesn’t interfere with eating or doing my business, so what’s the point?”
“You’re doing quite well, I see. I wonder where the old Gu Ryun went.”
“When are you talking about?”
As Gu Ryun clicked his tongue to signal he wished to change the subject, Paejon just grinned.
“Is it just that time can only bring down mountains?”
“Quit your nonsense and pour me some drink.”
With that, Paejon filled Gu Ryun’s cup with wine.
Gu Ryun took a mouthful of the drink and asked, “So, how’s your little project going?”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking about looking for a disciple.”
“Oh, that.”
Ugh, tsk tsk. “Just live as you are. Why bother with all that trouble?”
Both felt equally frustrated with one another.
Gu Ryun felt exhausted. Life would have been easier if he had simply continued along as before.
This was a close friend who had gone as far as to risk his own life just to experience the ultimate goal of martial arts.
He even committed ‘Hanrohwando’ in a fit of determination to see everything through.
If he reached the peak and found nothing, he had to give up.
Yet, even amid all this, it was remarkable how he still found ways to invite a disciple and chase the end of his martial arts.
“Biju! Don’t you realize how terrible your martial arts are that no one else can learn them?”
When that deep energy is invoked, it brings excruciating pain.
It’s reached a level where I can’t quite grasp how it was formed.
Pain ultimately brings about hesitation.
No matter how much intention is woven into it.
Understanding it, enduring it, and putting it into practice are completely different stories.
“What kind of lunatic in the world would endure that just to learn martial arts?”
“Tsk, if you can’t even handle that, what can you achieve?”
“It’s likely you won’t find anyone as crazy as you anywhere in the Central Plains.”
Gu Ryun made a bold claim.
He acknowledged the merit of Paejon’s inaction and martial arts.
However, finding someone with both the talent and the patience to learn it would be quite rare.
Tuapacheonmu is an immensely challenging martial art that, despite being created by the Emperor, Paejon has never been able to master completely.
Even without any of its issues.
A person capable of enduring the pain felt in training, equipped with both talent and patience?
“Where on this Earth can a person like that be found?”
Gu Ryun held a conviction bordering on certainty. Therefore, he only hoped for the teachings from the Supreme Being for the Guyangcheon he cherished.
He hadn’t asked to be taken on as a disciple.
“Who would send such an exemplary child to learn such gritty martial arts?”
Guyangcheon had already mastered the clan’s martial art known as Guyeonhwaryun Gong.
Yet Biju, that madman, if he set his mind to it, would rip apart anyone’s training and embed his own martial art instead.
“I guess it’s time to give up. How about exploring another way…?”
“Well, as it happens, I was just about to take in a disciple.”
“…What?”
Gu Ryun’s eyes widened at Paejon’s words.
He took in a disciple?
“You took in a disciple?”
“Huh? Why are you that surprised?”
“What kind of crazy lunatic would take you on as a disciple?”
“… Gu Ryun, it seems you’re misunderstanding. I’m quite alright.”
The three greatest warriors in the world, at the pinnacle of martial arts.
That’s the worth Paejon had, but to Gu Ryun, it was the image of crawling straight into hell.
Paejon was dumbfounded by Gu Ryun’s shocked face.
“Given you thought it would end up this way, weren’t you expecting it?”
“What are you on about? What did I do?”
Paejon was just as confused by Gu Ryun.
Something felt off; it was like their conversational threads had crossed.
“Is that so….”
Wait a sec.
Just as Paejon was on the verge of asking something about Guyangcheon.
Gu Ryun raised his hand to stop Paejon from talking.
“What’s the hurry?”
He inquired what was happening, but Gu Ryun’s expression remained incredibly serious.
As if shocked, staring in disbelief; it was quite the face.
“Hey, where did all the snacks go?”
“…!”
Gu Ryun’s words made Paejon swiftly glance toward the appetizers.
There, the food he had worked so hard to acquire was almost gone.
“Hmm?”
The Dark King regarded Gu Ryun’s words as though questioning him.
“Why the fuss?”
“Why, you crazy man! Did you eat all of this yourself? Where did you pawn your morality off to?”
“Then why didn’t you eat any?”
At the Dark King’s words, Gu Ryun and Paejon looked utterly confused.
“I wonder why that guy still has such an appetite despite getting older.”
“… Oh dear, what a shame. I bought it thinking I’d eat at least a bite, yet I’ve not had a morsel.”
Despite the two men’s exclamations, the Dark King just swallowed another bite of the remaining food.
“…Fine. It’s not the first or second time watching that guy do this.”
Gu Ryun sighed deeply and took another sip of his drink.
Paejon frowned and shifted the subject back to the Dark King.
“Are you making any progress on your end?”
The Dark King raised his head at the question.
“In the past several years, have you found what you’re looking for?”
During this time, they each had their own desires.
Since the goals they sought were different, their paths also diverged.
The Dark King fell silent for a moment in response to Paejon’s query.
Then, in a calm voice, he recounted, “I haven’t discovered the complete answer, but it seems I’ve found my way.”
“That’s a relief.”
A hint of what the Dark King was aiming for floated through Paejon’s mind.
“What about that guy who attacked Hanam? What do you intend to do about him?”
It was a question regarding the Black Dragon Sword’s fate.
“That fellow, does he relate to you?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
“Can’t say I don’t smell something fishy, so I’d best stay alert.”
The Dark King chose not to respond.
The two could only guess at the vague expressions exchanged.
“Are you thinking of bringing them back as they are?”
“If necessary.”
When Paejon referred to “they,” he meant the Dark King’s residence and the headquarters of the night watchmen.
“Is this the kind of fellow who would end up torturing someone?”
“I have no idea. You’ll recognize the truth once you try.”
Paejon nodded along. That made sense. Generally speaking, if you hit someone, they’d usually talk.
Either that, or you’d have to deal with them before they spoke.
“Word is he got locked up in the Meng prison.”
“I’ll take him to Sichuan first.”
“Sichuan…?”
At that mention, something sparked in Paejon’s mind.
What did it mean to send someone to Sichuan, distancing them from Maeng?
“Are you considering involving the Tang Clan?”
He speculated it might relate to the Tang Clan, who were the losers in Sichuan.
Though they are now referred to as the Four Great Families of the Righteous, those with a clear understanding knew exactly how dark and brutal Tang Clan truly was.
“It’ll take quite some time to reach Sichuan. Why not utilize your manpower?”
“Manpower?”
“I thought you didn’t want to wait, yet you’re sending him all the way back to where he came from.”
If Paejon knew the Dark King, he was someone who would handle it with great discretion.
It was no surprise he was perfectly capable of navigating such matters unseen.
The Dark King nodded in agreement.
“Actually, that had been my initial thought.”
As expected.
It seemed the Dark King had been weighing that option all along.
“However, that necessity has faded now. I have some business in Sichuan that I need to attend to as well.”
“Business? You too?”
As Paejon spoke in disbelief, the Dark King tilted his head curiously.
The meaning of “you too?” implied that Paejon would be heading to Sichuan as well.
“Are you saying you’re going too?”
“I have my affairs to attend to.”
To be more precise, it was related to Gu Yangcheon, but Paejon figured it was close enough.
“Will the Lord of the Rain grant permission for this?”
“If they don’t allow it, what’s the plan?”
“That’s a fair point.”
The Dark King nodded in agreement with Paejon. Because it was true.
Though nominally the father of Bi-jin and head of the Namgung family.
Ultimately, it was Bi-jung’s desires that held more sway.
‘The Dark King is off to Sichuan.’
Whether he went or not remained to be seen, but if it happened, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.
‘As luck would have it, I needed something done, too.’
It was the perfect moment to relay something to Gu Yangcheon.
This part seemed something the Dark King could help with.
Naturally, that was still questionable whether Gu Yangcheon would be all too enthusiastic about it.
And.
Watching from a distance, Gu Ryun popped a morsel of the leftover food into his mouth and said, “Everything’s fine, but…”
At those words, both Paejon and the Dark King turned their attention.
“…What’s with you guys talking about something that only you know?”
His tone was noticeably tinged with disappointment.
Upon stepping into the meeting room, I found several people already gathered.
Seeing that, Cheol Ji-seon started to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.
It was no surprise. The people inside were prominent figures without a doubt.
‘Where’s a spot to sit?’
I was scanning around, searching for a place to settle.
I spotted a variety of seats: some for clan leaders, a few reserved for the heads of other families, and spaces for visitors from different sects.
In this busy cluster, I needed to find a place to sit.
‘Should I just sit somewhere?’
I wasn’t keen on getting too involved; perhaps I could just pull over a chair from nearby and plop myself down.
-Second.
A familiar voice pierced my ear.
Startled, I turned my head toward the sound, and in the distance, I saw bloodshot eyes staring back at me.
It was my father.
-Come here.
“…”
I was flabbergasted. Of all places, that seat happened to be in the front row.
What was Dad doing sitting there?
Normally, you wouldn’t catch him in a spot like that.
“Yangcheon?”
As I wavered in confusion, Cheol Ji-seon caught sight of me and called out.
Wondering what to do, I ultimately decided to drag Cheol Ji-seon along.
Arriving at that spot, I found not just my father, but also several familiar faces.
One of them was Namgung Jin, the head of the Namgung family.
“Long time no see… it’s good to… meet you.”
“…I hope you’ve been well.”
“I’m always like this. Your son-in-law seems to be doing well. He’s received a lot of praise.”
“…Yes.”
I never imagined I would hear the word “son-in-law” come out of Namgung Jin’s mouth.
My ears felt quite itchy, but in this situation, I had to resist scratching them.
The issue arose when a few people reacted to the word “son-in-law.”
One such individual was…
‘Oh, here we go.’
At first, I thought it might be someone else, but it was the Baekcheon Sword Master.
His glance darted my way remained sharp as ever. It seemed his emotions had yet to diffuse.
Well, it surely wasn’t a feeling that would clear up easily.
Another familiar face was the Poison King I had glimpsed earlier in the day.
His face was laced with discomfort.
What had I done? I didn’t think I had done anything wrong to him.
‘Well, isn’t it my specialty to get cursed at even if I didn’t do anything?’
I had experienced enough of that to not give it much thought.
Last but not least…
‘…Oh, there’s that old man too.’
Father to Peng Wu-jin and Peng Ah-hee, he was the Taoist King, Peng Zhou.
I could understand Baekcheon Sword Master’s glare but found it baffling as to why that old man looked at me like that.
Of course, considering our history, it made perfect sense since he wasn’t particularly fond of me.
Having unleashed verbal abuse at his daughter and even breaking off their engagement, it’d be quite mad for him to like me.
Among those, many other unrecognized heads of clans were present.
Several of them were people I was familiar with as well.
Almost all the distinguishable clan leaders considered reputable in the Central Plains had gathered there.
I cautiously prepared to bow to them.
“…The bloodline of the Gu family greets the lords.”
“Ch-cheolga bloodline greets the lords….”
Following my greeting, Cheol Ji-seon also paid his respects.
Afterward, I cautiously pulled out a chair and settled down.
If it were a normal situation, as soon as I sat down, the surrounding clan heads would have sparked conversation and tried to engage with me.
For some reason, however, everyone sat like wax figures, keeping their mouths firmly shut.
What’s up with that?
Could it be that they were maintaining silence as the meeting was about to commence?
It’s possible, but somehow it felt…
‘Are they… scared?’
That thought drifted across my mind.
Must be my imagination. What cause would these elders have to fear anything?
“…!”
Right after I took my seat, I was jolted by surprise.
My father was staring at me with piercing intensity.
‘What? What did I do wrong now?’
I quickly tried to recall any trouble I might have caused under that gaze.
‘Could I actually not remember what I did wrong since I’ve caused a bit too much chaos?’
Truth is, I’ve made such a myriad of blunders that I honestly just didn’t know anymore.
As I pondered, in dread, what should I do or say, I felt obliged to break the tension.
“House master…”
“Good job.”
“Excuse me?”
My father said that to me and turned his head away.
I stared at him, convinced I had misheard.
But my father didn’t look my way again.
The sudden and unsolicited compliment from my father made my mind reel.
‘…Is he unwell?’
This raised thoughts that perhaps my father was suffering in some manner.
I tend to think he’s fine. After all, I never witnessed any illnesses in the past life.
Of course, I wasn’t about to inquire why he praised me, either.
It felt a bit unnatural to probe into that, so it was probably best to maintain my distance.
In the midst of this strange event, I surprisingly felt…
‘…I find this quite annoying.’
It was vexing how oddly pleased I felt.
Left to my own devices, I couldn’t even tally the reason for my gentle feelings—how absurd is that?
I took a moment to breathe and compose myself.
At this age, feeling giddy about one lone compliment shouldn’t be something that mattered much.
“Yangcheon, what’s up?”
“What do you mean?”
“No, just… you’re suddenly smiling…”
“Shush.”
“Okay.”
After stifling the clueless Cheol Ji-seon’s interruption.
I patiently awaited.
It felt like things would kick off shortly.
And it wasn’t just me.
The meeting area, previously filled with chatter, had grown eerily silent.
Tap tap.
Footsteps echoed, and someone ascended the stage.
No need for recognition; the one who climbed up was the host of the meeting—
Nakgeom Jangcheom, the current leader of the Murim Alliance.
The figure took a moment to breathe before slowly opening his mouth.
-First of all—
His voice boomed across the hall, likely amplified by energy.
– As this meeting convenes due to an incident that transpired in Hanam, as the leader, I sincerely apologize first.
As Jangcheom spoke, he bowed his head.
The piece of writing clutched firmly in his hand suggested he had quite a lot to say.
I observed this process calmly.
At present, silence filled the room, but soon enough, it would likely descend into chaos.
Disputes would ensue over this and that, demanding accountability. Accusations of wrongs and merits would fly about, and so on…
The gathering would unearth the grievances they’d held back, spiraling into heated deliberation.
With such convoluted scenarios on my mind, I had actually aimed to avoid attending this meeting.
‘What’s the purpose of my invitation here?’
Why would they bring me to a meeting bound by the authority of the leader?
It was still shrouded in mystery.
While wrestling with these thoughts…
‘…What is this?’
I could feel a stare coming from some direction.
It was so blatantly intent that I couldn’t possibly overlook it.
I was certain someone was fixated on me from afar.
Finding the source of the gaze wasn’t all that tricky.
It’s unusual for such a fierce glare to be ignored.
It came from behind the leader.
Among the members who appeared to hold the swords in the Murim Alliance, I sensed the gaze.
Curious, I raised my senses to track it down.
“…!”
I located it almost instantaneously.
And as I confirmed who owned that gaze, I felt something heavy settle in my gut.
‘That guy…’
The one staring at me.
‘Jang Seon-yeon…?’
Indeed, it was Jang Seon-yeon—the one I hunted down everywhere for traces right after I burned him alive in the Demon Realm and came to the real world.
Having gone without a hint, I began to wonder if something else had transpired.
Jang Seon-yeon stood behind the leader, grinning at me.
That smile struck me with an odd vibe.
Should I say there was something different about Jang Seon-yeon?
The moment I sensed the peculiarity, I funneled my energy into detecting any ghostly presence.
Having encountered individuals who donned masks before, I wondered if it was a similar situation this time.
‘…No way.’
Shockingly, I didn’t catch anything strange about him.
So what could this bizarre feeling be?
At that moment.
Chiiiii-!
“…Ugh…?”
My right arm flared with intense heat.
I could feel the pain in the areas on my skin that were going through transformation.
As sudden agony had me wrapping my arms around myself.
‘What’s happening? Why is this occurring?’
I fought against the pain and looked back at Jang Seon-yeon.
As my gaze returned, I was shocked once again.
Upon witnessing my agony, Jang Seon-yeon wore an expression of fascination, as if he had stumbled upon something remarkable.
His eyes remarkably shifted to an unusual crimson hue.
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