Chapter: 383
What is this hand?
Is this really my father’s hand?
Then why is it above my head?
My head isn’t working properly; I wonder if something is broken.
It was an unexpected situation, but I knew what I was doing with my own hands.
The more I thought about it, the more my breathing became ragged and my head started to feel dizzy.
As reality gradually dawned on me, my heart began to sink coldly.
– I thought of an answer.
My father told me.
– I kept thinking about it, but there were no words that really resonated with me.
– What’s that all of a sudden…?
– You are a son.
My eyes widened at my father’s words.
– What are you to me? That is the only answer to that question.
The question, what was I to you?
Are you going to give me the answer to this now?
– Please stay still. First…
– I’m sorry.
I flinched at my father’s words. What do you mean by “forgive me”?
– I forgive you for trying to harm your child with your own hands.
– …
I bit my lips hard at the sound of the words.
How did you know my intentions from the beginning?
Where on earth did you notice that? When I couldn’t calm my shaking eyes.
Father continued talking.
– I forgive you, but, one, you must not forgive me.
– Now… is that what you want to say now?
A rough hand stroked my hair. It was a rough and awkward touch.
I wanted to kick it out right away.
Funnily enough, that didn’t work out.
– Good job. Not bad.
A rough voice like a hand pierced my ears.
– Third.
– … yes…?
– Let me ask you. First, did you leave with a smile?
– …
I was speechless at the question.
– … I don’t know… I don’t know.
I wasn’t avoiding the answer. I really couldn’t remember.
The expression on Gu Hee-bi’s face at the end. What was Gu Hee-bi doing…?
– I see.
My father just nodded quietly at my answer.
– Then, remember this.
My father’s red eyes gradually began to turn black.
The hair appeared to change color from red to white rather than black.
This was evidence that the vitality was dissipating.
I wanted to do something when I saw it, but I already knew it was too late.
– Live.
– …!
My heart sank when I heard those words.
– Father…
I urgently called my father.
– …
My father had already passed away.
Without bending your knees at all, he stood on both legs as before.
That’s how my father died.
Rather, it was I who knelt down when I saw that.
– Ah…
Something went wrong.
This is not it.
I felt like bursting my heart and dying right then.
But I couldn’t do that.
– Live.
Because my father’s words already bound me like chains.
Why did he say that? Was it to atone for his sins while he lives?
If not… why on earth did you say that to me?
I crouched down, covering my face with both hands.
There was no screaming or crying.
I just took a deep breath.
How long had he been there?
Tadak-
I felt a presence behind me.
– … This is…
Someone who checked the situation blurted out in surprise.
It was the Demon Sword.
She came to me, breathing heavily, as if she had run, and asked me.
– Are you okay?
It wasn’t okay.
None of it was okay.
– Why… the leader clearly… told me not to go…
She was right.
Cheonma told me not to go to Guga.
I headed here alone.
It’s finally come to this point.
The Demon Sword Master looked around and spoke in an urgent voice, as I didn’t say anything.
– First of all… you have to avoid… in a little while… people will come.
The Demon Sword Master grabbed my shoulder.
I didn’t want to move while lying down like this.
All my bets were lost, and my body, exhausted from battle, wouldn’t follow my will.
– Let go… just leave it like this…
After hearing my tired words, Magumhu tied me up with a blood clot.
– …!
– Sorry… but this won’t work.
The weakened body was unable to release the acupuncture point of the Demon Sword.
I had to just get out of the way and surround her.
Even while moving quickly.
My eyes were filled with the image of my father.
It got further and further away until it could no longer be seen.
He killed his father.
I still vividly remember that time.
‘… Damn.’
This is why I couldn’t easily resent my father in this life.
Every time I looked into my father’s eyes, I was filled with guilt along with fear.
How could I forget?
The feeling I had in my hand back then is still vivid.
Perhaps it’s because memories of that time are coming back to me. My breathing is starting to get rough.
I even made a bet to stabilize things, but even that wasn’t easy.
At that sight, my father looked at me with a strange expression.
It overlaps.
My father’s white hair, which had turned pure white.
The appearance back then, when the eyes had turned black instead of the red ones they are now.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Ah, no… that’s not it.”
Maybe it was because of the memory that just came to mind, but it was a bit difficult to meet my father’s eyes.
I shook my head, trying to erase it.
“… I understand what you are saying, but I still need to know.”
These are the circumstances, and my father’s sudden apology.
It was a story I didn’t know about, so it was incredibly confusing.
That wasn’t the main point.
“Please… can’t you just tell me?”
“…”
It seems as if the father is wondering what to do in this situation.
Stop and think.
Then, not long after, he gave me an answer.
“Okay. I’ll tell you.”
“…!”
Just as my face was about to brighten up a bit.
“But there is a condition.”
“What are the conditions?”
Conditions, what my father said to me made me stop in my tracks.
It was okay though. I meant to tell you anyway.
“I’ll do whatever conditions are required…”
“Fight me and win.”
“Excuse me?”
I think I misheard something…?
I carefully looked at my father’s face, wondering if he was joking.
As always, he had a serious look in his eyes.
“That… that you want me to fight the lord and win?”
“Right.”
“It’s me.”
“Right.”
I asked again, but my father’s eyes were still the same.
After confirming that far, I immediately made a look of disappointment.
“Why don’t you just tell me?”
“I said so from the beginning.”
“…”
That’s true.
No, I almost got swept away by my father’s words without realizing it.
“But you have to set some conditions for it to work. What is that…?”
“Did you expect defeat from the start? It’s a bit disappointing…”
“Yes. You said that even though you knew I couldn’t win. How petty.”
“…”
“…”
Unintentionally, I started treating my father as casually as I usually do with others.
Is it messed up?
It was something I had never said or done to my father before.
Thanks to that, one of my father’s eyebrows crumpled.
It was a feeling I didn’t like very much.
If this were to happen, it seemed like all requests and such would really disappear.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”
“I feel that you don’t like it that much. Let me change the conditions a little.”
Just as I was about to hurriedly spit out an apology, surprisingly, my father showed signs of changing his words.
Why…? I guess it’s fortunate that I didn’t get in trouble and just got over it…
“Only once.”
“…!”
“If your attack touches me even once, I will tell you.”
“One… are you talking about once?”
“Yes, just one blow. If you can’t even do that, I won’t tell you where your mother is. Even if you find out on your own, I’ll do whatever it takes to stop you.”
“Isn’t it a bit much to not tell me, but to block me from finding out something on my own?”
When I frowned at something I didn’t understand and spoke, my father cut me off firmly.
“If you can’t even do this, you will die there.”
“…”
“There is no agreement beyond this. If you don’t like it, go back.”
I really don’t know why my father is so obstructive.
What was contained in those words was ‘worry.’
Could it be because of the conversation I had with my father just before?
I don’t know why but I had that feeling.
I felt like I was shivering without even knowing it.
It wasn’t that I hated it so much that I’d die.
Trying to calm my emotions, I asked my father.
“So, are you saying we should spar here now?”
My father nodded in response to the question. Seeing that, I had to add a comment as if I was embarrassed.
“I just had a duel with Baekcheon Sword Master. I don’t have much strength left.”
“I know.”
“You know that, but you still want to do it?”
“Don’t you like it?”
“… Of course.”
Just when I was about to say no,
There was a story my father just told me.
– There is no agreement beyond this. If you don’t like it, go back.
“…”
So, to put it simply, if it bothers you, don’t do it. I don’t have to do it.
Is this what you’re saying?
Hah.
It’s ridiculous.
‘Our father… was a more petty man than I thought?’
I don’t like any of the conditions either.
I set some conditions because I didn’t think I would give in easily.
Even that condition was not easily achieved.
It is impossible to measure how strong my father is right now.
The important thing here was that it was completely invisible.
Because it meant that I was too strong to understand. Even now that I have reached Hwagyeong.
That means my father’s strength is not visible.
Where on earth is he?
‘You want me to hit a father like that?’
This is ridiculous.
That was such an absurd statement.
I was looking at my father with a puzzled expression.
My father tells me.
“Aren’t you going to do it? Then let’s go back.”
He was even provoking.
At this point, I thought, honestly, maybe he just wanted to spar with me.
Furthermore.
Even though I know full well that there’s no chance of success.
“… No.”
If it comes out like that.
I didn’t want to run away either.
“I will do it. Right now.”
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