Chapter: 380
I feel overwhelmed by the presence.
I felt like I definitely understood what those words meant.
The heat spreading from the center of Gu Cheol-woon is suffocating.
The insects that were singing in the forest all held their breath, while the wild animals that were wandering around had already fled.
Parsasasak.
It’s spring, yet the aftereffects of winter still linger.
As the heat spread, the surroundings felt sizzling.
In a situation where it is difficult to even breathe and drink, Mo Yong-tae speaks with difficulty while looking at his opponent.
“… Ho-hyeop.”
When he called out his nickname, Gu Cheol-woon’s gaze turned to Mo Yong-tae.
Deep red eyes and hair that gradually turns red.
And the presence that gradually grows bigger.
Mo Yong-tae swallowed his shock as he looked at Gu Cheol-woon like that.
‘Was Ho-hyeop this strong?’
It is said that this is a hero who has already passed his prime. But to have this much presence…
‘Are you saying that you lived hiding your power?’
It was a rumor in the Central Plains that the tiger that had once roared was past its prime and had become weak.
If he had been hiding his power, I don’t know why.
Mo Yong-tae thought it was reasonable, thinking of Gu Cheol-woon.
The past glory he had was something that no one of the same generation as Gu Cheol-woon could have been unaware of.
He is from the Later Index and was picked as the strongest figure among all time’s dragons.
The youngest leader of the Shinryongdae, the most powerful swordsman in the Blind Sect.
The leader of the time, Geomjon, once declared that the greatest person in the future would be Ho-hyeop.
The best in the world. This is a name that any warrior in the Central Plains would have dreamed of.
And the closest-known swordsman asserted it, so people thought that this is what would happen to Ho-hyeop in the future.
Before the Shinryongdae incident occurred, Geomjon left his position as leader, and Ho-hyeop took over as the head of the Gu clan and went into hiding in Shanxi.
As time goes by.
As the generations changed several times, the name of Ho-hyeop gradually began to fade.
Ho-hyeop, who had ruled as a fearsome presence to the Sapa, was now simply referred to as the head of the Shanxi District.
When my son, Geombong, started to make a name for himself, people started saying that his prime was over due to the demonic incident, which worsened his physical condition.
After Gu Cheol-woon stepped down from his position as Grand Master, he never showed any force, except for the Jinma Gyeongmun that burst forth in Shanxi, so such rumors must have spread even more.
But.
‘… It’s all just rumors.’
Mo Yong-tae, who was facing the current Gu Cheol-woon, was certain.
The rumors spreading throughout the Central Plains are false.
The Gu Cheol-woon in front of him right now was not simply a low-ranking player among the hundred best masters of the Central Plains.
Baekcheon Sword Master Mo Yong-tae is a martial artist of Hwagyeong, as well as someone whose name ranks among the top hundred masters.
Such a Mo Yong-tae was now looking at Gu Cheol-woon and was certain of his defeat.
The heat and presence that Gu Cheol-woon exudes alone is enough to confirm it.
Is this being the lowest among the hundred great masters like him?
‘That’s nonsense.’
Geuggeuggeuk-!
“…!”
Under the increasingly intense pressure, Mo Yong-tae clutched his tightening chest.
“Baekcheon Sword Master.”
“… Huh… Gasp… .”
Gu Cheol-woon begins to approach Mo Yong-tae, who is sweating profusely.
“I asked, ‘What are you doing?’”
From his deep voice, I can sense genuine anger.
Even though it is a constant voice with no fluctuations in pitch, the energy contained there is expressing fury.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“… Huh… .”
It’s not that I’m not answering; it’s that I can’t.
Gu Cheol-woon slowly extends his hand as if he doesn’t care about Mo Yong-tae’s situation.
As Mo Yong-tae’s giant hand approached, he felt like he was facing death.
Gradually, Gu Cheol-woon’s hand was about to cover Mo Yong-tae’s face.
“… Father.”
Towering.
At Gu Yang-cheon’s voice, Gu Cheol-woon’s body stopped. Then he turned his head toward Gu Yang-cheon.
To Gu Cheol-woon, the word ‘father’ was a title he had not heard from Gu Yang-cheon in nearly ten years.
In that moment of hesitation, Gu Yang-cheon approached Gu Cheol-woon and said this.
“I’m fine.”
It seems that Gu Yang-cheon is also having trouble breathing due to the heat.
Although his breathing seemed labored, Gu Yang-cheon continued speaking.
“Lord Mo Yong was just teaching me a lesson. Please clear up the misunderstanding.”
“…”
After hearing the words, Gu Cheol-woon kept a quiet eye on Gu Yang-cheon.
Although the red eyes were burdensome, this time, Gu Yang-cheon did not avoid looking at him.
A few seconds passed like that.
Swish.
Gu Cheol-woon raised his body and retracted his hand that was about to grab Mo Yong-tae.
“Ugh.”
Only then was Mo Yong-tae able to let out the breath he had been holding.
It was thanks to the fact that the presence and heat that had been suffocating him disappeared in an instant.
Looking at Mo Yong-tae, who was out of breath, Gu Cheol-woon opened his mouth.
“Baekcheon Sword Master.”
At that call, Mo Yong-tae raises his head, wiping away the cold sweat from his face.
“Is that true?”
“…”
I was troubled over how to answer. I considered asking for help from Gu Yang-cheon here.
If I answered according to my pride, there was no telling what Gu Cheol-woon would think of me.
I wonder if he would kill me, but the behavior that Gu Cheol-woon had just shown was no different from that.
Mo Yong-tae thought about this far, then closed his eyes tightly and gave an answer.
“… That’s right.”
“…”
After hearing Mo Yong-tae’s answer, Gu Cheol-woon made a strange expression and took a step back.
It felt as though Mo Yong-tae was creating distance for himself to rise up more easily.
And then.
“I apologize. I made a mistake because I didn’t understand the situation properly.”
He apologized to Mo Yong-tae in a calm voice.
The important thing is that his voice doesn’t sound the least bit apologetic.
He would know, given the circumstances.
This means that Gu Yang-cheon is surrounding Mo Yong-tae.
However, offering an apology meant that he had chosen to simply let it go. Knowing this, Mo Yong-tae bit his lip and rose.
“… It is my fault for causing misunderstandings. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Fake apologies and gratitude are exchanged as a show of justification.
Mo Yong-tae looked at Gu Yang-cheon, who stood behind Gu Cheol-woon.
Gu Yang-cheon was looking at Mo Yong-tae with a subtle expression.
When I was wondering what kind of expression it was…
-… I’m sorry. I know you won’t like it, but if you’d like, I’ll come to see you formally next time.
‘…’
The voice of Gu Yang-cheon brushed past Mo Yong-tae’s ears.
He said he would come to see him formally next time.
I wonder if he knows how Mo Yong-tae will react when he comes looking for him – that’s why he’s saying that.
Mo Yong-tae still didn’t like Gu Yang-cheon, but upon looking closely, there was no reason to blame him.
– It happened.
-…!
Gu Yang-cheon widened his eyes after hearing Mo Yong-tae’s voice.
This is because Mo Yong-tae’s speech had completely changed to a condescending tone.
It could be seen negatively, but somehow Gu Yang-cheon didn’t seem to dislike Mo Yong-tae’s behavior that much.
– There’s no need to come here.
– But….
– I will come to see you again next time.
-…
Does that mean that next time, he intends to fight with the mindset of actually killing?
When the corners of Gu Yang-cheon’s mouth quivered slightly.
– I’ll come back with my daughter then. Be prepared.
-…
– I’m saying this so you don’t misunderstand, but I didn’t acknowledge you.
– Yes.
– It will continue to be like that in the future.
– Understood.
The fact that he’s going to bring his daughter means that he won’t be engaging in swordplay like this again. Maybe he’s not all bad after all.
While thinking this, Mo Yong-tae takes his leave from Gu Cheol-woon.
“… It’s late at night, so if you permit me, I’d like to leave first.”
“Please do.”
“Even though it was unexpected, I will personally visit you next time to apologize again for the trouble I caused your child.”
Gu Cheol-woon nodded after hearing Mo Yong-tae’s words.
After confirming this, Mo Yong-tae let out a weary sigh and disappeared.
When the distance between them grew far enough that Mo Yong-tae’s presence was no longer felt, Gu Yang-cheon sensed an inexplicable aura surrounding him.
It must have been Gu Cheol-woon who cast it.
“…”
Gu Yang-cheon had to look at the aura and Gu Cheol-woon alternately with an ambiguous expression.
Gu Yang-cheon scratched the back of his head for a moment.
“Your Majesty.”
Finally, he looks at Gu Cheol-woon and asks a question.
“Yes.”
“Why did you do that?”
A question filled with doubt.
Just before Gu Cheol-woon could ask Gu Yang-cheon about his intentions, Gu Yang-cheon added.
“You were already watching.”
Gu Cheol-woon’s eyes widened slightly at Gu Yang-cheon’s words.
My father had been watching me for a while.
I am sure of that.
“Why did you have to persecute the Murong clan?”
The conversation I had with Mo Yong-tae. The martial arts that started when I asked him to teach me a trick.
Father must have been watching everything from the beginning.
As evidence, my father spoke to me with somewhat surprised eyes.
“How did you know?”
It meant it was correct.
And, the reason I was certain about this despite not feeling a trace was none other than this.
“I thought that would be the case for the lord.”
“…”
“At least if you made a promise, you wouldn’t be late or forget.”
I wanted to talk about my father and mother.
Since we had planned to meet here after finishing our meal, I had no reason to think my father would be late.
And that prediction was indeed correct.
“That’s why I’m curious. How did you do that?”
In the midst of all this, why did my father intervene so late?
If he wanted to interfere, he could have stepped in at any time.
The martial arts that my father had just revealed would have sufficed.
‘Just how strong are you?’
Even now, as I have reached Hwagyeong, I still did not understand exactly how strong my father is.
One thing I can be sure of is that my father is overwhelmingly stronger than the Baekcheon Sword Master I just faced.
This is something I can grasp even from my past life experiences.
I haven’t seen many moments where my father demonstrated his true might.
This is only the second time in this life.
The appearance he showed in the Black Palace.
And the presence he just demonstrated.
I’ve only observed it twice, but that alone was enough to convince me.
My father is strong.
So much so that it exceeds anything I could ever imagine.
“… I wonder why you chose to intervene with Baekcheon Sword Master.”
As soon as I pose the question, my father’s hair begins to revert to its original color.
The little warmth still lingering in the air is slowly dissipating.
Then, as I finally manage to catch my breath, my father speaks to me:
“It was just something that had to be done.”
“What needed to be done?”
“Yes.”
What does that mean?
“I originally had no intention of interfering.”
“Then why…”
“Because he genuinely intended to point his sword at you.”
“…!”
“Do you need any more reasons?”
It was because Mo Yong-tae truly intended to fight me.
Had it merely been a lesson, I might have let it slide.
This meant my father intervened because they had crossed the line.
“… Are you saying that you really intended to kill me?”
I remember the heat that lingered in my father’s hands.
Had he ceased to cover the face of the Baekcheon Sword Master just like that, something extraordinarily terrifying would have transpired.
But fortunately, my father slightly shook his head, denying that notion.
“I just needed to lay the groundwork. If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have executed the same plan.”
“…”
This could mean he expressed anger to cover up what happened just moments before.
Or, it indicated that he had prepared various excuses for Mo Yong-tae to take a more humble stance.
Did that mean he calculated this and acted accordingly?
Contemplating that made my father seem a bit intimidating.
“… I understand, but was it still okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“You must have hidden your power. I wonder if it was fine for you to reveal it to the Murong clan’s head like this.”
If you’d been concealing your powers thus far, there must be a reason behind it.
I was questioning whether it was truly acceptable to display your strength so casually.
Then the father, as if puzzled, responded.
“Third.”
“Yes.”
“I believe you’re misinterpreting something.”
“Pardon?”
My father’s sharp eyes met mine.
He ran his enormous hand through my hair and continued.
“This clan has never hidden itself, not once.”
“…!”
I swallowed hard at my father’s words.
You never hid it from the start?
“There’s simply never been a need to reveal it.”
“But, the rumors…”
“Do you think what others say is that important?”
“That’s not it.”
“Same goes for me. This occasion was simply an application where my power was needed. There’s no other significance.”
This was news I was completely unaware of.
My father never concealed his strength in the first place.
He neither confirmed nor denied the rumors that spread throughout the Central Plains.
What this suggested is that he chose not to utilize his power simply because he found no reason to.
This revelation shocked me deeply.
‘… That was unexpected.’
I genuinely had no prior knowledge of this.
Considering my father’s personality, it did seem plausible.
I never thought that this would be the actual case.
While feeling a sense of emptiness, my father called out to me.
“Third.”
“Yes. My lord.”
“You’ve crossed the threshold.”
“…”
I gulped in surprise at the sudden comment aimed squarely at me.
My father was perfectly indicating that I had crossed into a new realm.
“… Yes.”
“Since when did you cross over?”
“It’s been just over two months.”
“I see.”
Gu Cheol-woon nodded after processing what I said.
There was no further reaction.
My son managed to touch Hwagyeong before even reaching maturity, and that was all there was in response.
What a remarkably consistent figure…
“Thank you for your hard work. You did well.”
“Yes. Thank you… Huh?”
I widened my eyes at his words, staring at my father.
When I looked at my father again, his gaze was not on me.
Should I say it seemed misaligned in a strange way?
“My lord…?”
“I heard you had something to ask the head of the household.”
“Ah. Yes.”
I was about to ask where he was gazing.
Yet, my father swiftly redirected the conversation back to the main topic.
It seemed to suggest not to pry.
Only then did I swallow my dry saliva.
This realization dawned on me once more about why I came here alone with my father.
Yes, there was indeed a main point.
I had to look at my father and ask the question I had been longing to pose.
“My lord.”
At my call, my father turns his gaze towards me once more.
He opened his mouth, meeting those red eyes.
“I have heard that my mother is alive.”
“…”
My father’s shoulders moved slightly in response to my question.
Observing his reaction carefully, I continued.
“…Do you know where my mother is, my lord?”
“…”
After carefully articulating my inquiry, my father looked at me and fell into a long silence.
How did you learn? Why are you suddenly asking this?
Was he contemplating how to field that question?
As I delved into that thought while crafting my response…
My father’s lips parted.
“Yes.”
“…!”
“I know.”
My heart began to race rapidly at his response.
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