Chapter: 639
The strange occurrence happened while I was in the midst of crossing the forest.
“Hah… Ha…”
This is the forest path leading to Hanam, a place where we set up camp while passing through.
Leaving behind the carriage fluttering a red flag, we ventured deeper into the forest.
“Hoo…”
A serene spot where a stream gently flows behind a gravel field. A woman is kneeling there.
Creak—!
The woman barely manages to hold herself upright, using her sword as a cane.
“…Hah… Hoooo…”
Swish.
The blonde woman gasps for breath, wiping away the sweat trickling down her face.
Her vision is blurry, and her body looks so fatigued that she seems on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
But it’s not just what you see.
The woman knew.
Her body had long reached its limits, and it would be no surprise if she collapsed right now.
Yet, the woman could not allow herself to fall.
At least, not in front of the figure standing before her; it would be utterly shameful to fall now.
“Ugh…”
With a pained groan, she forces herself to her feet.
Every part of her body aches.
This has been the state of affairs since she embarked on this not-so-regular journey.
Still, there are no regrets.
After all, everything she did was because of her own desires.
“Hah…”
She tries to calm her ragged breathing as she puts her palms together, concealing her trembling hands.
“…Thank you for your teachings.”
“Hmm.”
The blonde woman.
The figure in front of her nods in response to Wi Seol-ah’s greeting.
The gravel field has been a mess for quite some time now.
Long, rough gash marks from swords are scattered everywhere, and the ground is disturbed by the aftermath of the commotion.
However, the space where the man stands remains completely unscathed.
It feels as though a ferocious storm had just swept through.
That spot was the one oasis in this chaos.
Watching it, Wi Seol-ah swallows her breath.
‘…Not a scratch.’
Despite having swung her blade non-stop.
Her sword didn’t even graze the opponent, let alone force him to move an inch.
Just how vast is the gap in their levels?
Gooooooo…
Woohoo—!
The sword embedded in the ground still bears her name.
It had been a while since she’d regained her energy, yet the blade continues to vibrate.
This signifies Wi Seol-ah’s prowess as a swordswoman, but that would mean nothing to her opponent anyway.
“It’s lacking to even call it a teaching. You probably didn’t feel a thing.”
Wi Seol-ah swallowed hard at the man’s heavy tone.
“…I’m sorry.”
“I didn’t mention it hoping for an apology. That’s all it conveys.”
Slap.
Leaving behind the scattered gravel, the giant man, Gu Cheol-woon, slowly begins to walk towards her.
“There seems to be no point in continuing this exercise. I’m sure you know that.”
“… ”
Wi Seol-ah felt compelled to bite her lips at Gu Cheol-woon’s words.
The difference in their abilities is staggering.
There is no lesson left to learn from this encounter.
Wi Seol-ah sighed internally at Gu Cheol-woon’s cold but clear words.
“Thank you. I received many blessings from you, my lord.”
Her choice was an acknowledgment.
Gu Cheol-woon nodded at those words.
Then he addressed Wi Seol-ah.
“I don’t know what your thoughts are, but if you seek greater heights, you might want to seek out your grandfather.”
“… ”
Wi Seol-ah’s eyes flicker at Gu Cheol-woon’s words, as they hint at her grandfather.
She struggled to respond to Gu Cheol-woon, her thoughts tangled.
“Hmm.”
Gu Cheol-woon noticed her hesitation, but showed no particular reaction as he continued walking.
He hadn’t intended to elicit a reply anyway.
It was merely a piece of advice.
Whether to act upon it or not was entirely her decision.
As he walked, Gu Cheol-woon suddenly scanned their surroundings.
A calm and tranquil forest.
Ten days or so had passed since they embarked on this journey.
How much longer until they reached their destination?
It probably won’t be long now.
At most, they had less than seven days and nights left.
‘Hanam, huh?’
Gu Cheol-woon pulled out a letter as he contemplated the destination.
It was a correspondence from the clan, concerning an important event happening in a few months.
The Heavenly Dragon Martial Arts Festival.
A grand celebration for warriors being hosted by the clan.
Gu Cheol-woon’s expression remained stoic as he read the letter, but a spark of interest flickered in his eyes.
Is he intrigued by the martial festival now?
That would be surprising.
For Gu Cheol-woon, such things held no significance.
This was simply…
‘I wonder.’
What kind of spectacle will that child showcase?
It was merely curious anticipation.
Thus, while recalling his only son, Gu Cheol-woon was startled by a voice coming from the front.
“Your Majesty.”
He shifted his gaze.
There stood a petite woman with slightly slanted eyes.
Gu Yeonseo, the second daughter of the Shanxi clan.
With a hesitant expression and a soft voice, she spoke to Gu Cheol-woon.
“I’ve been told the meal is ready… I was hoping to know if you’d like to join….”
With her shy demeanor, Gu Cheol-woon nodded without any noticeable reaction.
“I’ll be there soon.”
“Ah…! Yes!”
Gu Yeonseo’s expression brightened at Gu Cheol-woon’s reply.
Seeing this, Gu Cheol-woon felt an uncanny emotion surge through him.
Amidst the multitude of feelings, one stood out glaringly.
It was a reproach against himself.
What’s worse,
‘Is it nearing?’
He wished for the time to approach gradually.
While he tried to delay it, the one thing Gu Cheol-woon could neither grasp nor hinder was time itself.
Time marches on.
‘The child has exceeded the limits of youth.’
The time for relinquishing the position of the Gu Clan leader was drawing near.
‘This is no easy task.’
Whatever it is, given all he has accomplished and amassed, nothing comes easily.
That was the thought that lingered.
Whoosh—.
The wind that dances upon him is warm.
It speaks of summer’s lingering presence, mixing with the gentle breeze.
As Gu Cheol-woon tried to walk calmly, suddenly…
BZZZT—!
He halted, halted by the vibrations felt in his chest.
Immediately, he pulled something from his sleeve.
What was clutched in Gu Cheol-woon’s powerful hand was a yellow pouch.
Unlike usual, his actions were a bit rushed as he tore the pouch apart.
Riiip—!
The fabric tore as if it were paper, and what was inside rose into the air.
A red jade bead.
Gu Cheol-woon frowned upon seeing this.
The bead is known as Guisa’s jade.
It is one of the eight prized items owned by the Gu Clan, given to Gu Cheol-woon by his rightful wife, Mi Hyo-ran.
This jade holds two powers.
One being that it responds when someone with the same bead blows a betting wind.
And then…
Gu Cheol-woon had previously told Mi Hyo-ran to use it in dangerous situations.
By her character, she would have stayed away from creating dangerous situations.
‘But if it’s shining…’
With a snap, Gu Cheol-woon clutched the bead.
Cracck—!
The pebbles around his feet quaked under his weight.
It seemed like the circumstances were taking a dramatic turn.
Gu Cheol-woon felt heat gradually rising within him.
Fortunately, the jade not only sends signals to the opponent but also possesses another power.
That’s the second capability.
Smash—!
Gu Cheol-woon crushed the jade in his grip.
As a result, Fwoosh—! in an instant, flames engulfed Gu Cheol-woon’s form.
“Oh right, my lord. And… Huh?”
As Gu Yeonseo, who had walked ahead, turned around to look, she found no one standing on the gravel any longer.
Ggggrrrr—.
With a terrifying roar that rattled the surroundings, the monstrous body wobbled and sunk to its knees.
Crash—!!
Kneeling, it unleashed tremors upon the ground.
From left shoulder to midway down its spine,
a behemoth with much of its snout obliterated collapsed.
Even when three high-ranking martial artists combined their efforts to break its defenses,
this body had never fallen until now.
It was surrendering so easily.
Ggggggrrraaaah—!!
The creature cried out in pain.
Watching this, Biju couldn’t help but smirk.
“Ha! Tough little thing.”
With half of its upper body blown away, it would be no wonder if it met its end, yet the creature continued to wail.
Such vitality was both impressively resilient and intriguing.
What’s more humorous is—
‘Someone like that gets taken down by a single strike?’
That someone could turn such a creature into this state in just one blow.
Biju turned his gaze sideways to spot the person responsible standing right there.
A man was stomping over the crushed snow.
Standing a tad over eight feet tall, with broad shoulders.
Wearing a red robe adorned with gold alongside natural windswept hair.
Swoooosh—.
Heat radiated off his right shoulder line, with hair gradually changing to a fiery red.
“Heh heh.”
Biju laughed incredulously at the sight.
His face bore a smile, yet his body felt entirely contrary.
Chills ran up his arms. Cold sweat trickled uncontrollably down his back.
Just standing in his presence put one on guard.
Such was the sensation Biju experienced.
Facts: all those surnames are on different levels.
The figure passing by looked as if he had reached the realms beyond mortals and could rightly be called a monster.
Actually, maybe—
‘Even if I regain my original strength, I wouldn’t predict the outcome.’
At a glance, one would think Biju was still in his prime.
But that was mere speculation.
He reached such heights he couldn’t feel certainty any longer.
Crack.
Biju suppressed the competitive spirit that bubbled within.
Encountering a formidable presence made him want to throw himself into vermilion conjecture.
‘What on earth is he doing here?’
The guardian of Shanxi.
The one tacitly allowed by the clan.
A figure who is both a dear friend’s progeny and the father of a disciple.
And perhaps…
‘He might have reached transcendence.’
The indomitable tiger warrior, Gu Cheol-woon.
He trailed slowly to stand alongside Biju.
Shhhh—!
The heat he radiated parched the throat.
Some distant cold had vanished; only warmth surrounded him now.
“You employed a rather inconvenient method.”
Biju chuckled at the deep, rumbling voice.
He knew precisely what Gu Cheol-woon was referring to.
“Guess I’ve been seen.”
Thinking so, Biju glanced at Gu Cheol-woon.
Gu Cheol-woon remained focused ahead, not even acknowledging Biju.
From this, Biju remarked,
“I’ve inadvertently been rude since your presence was scarce. I apologize.”
There was no telling how long Gu Cheol-woon had been around. Yet Biju recognized he was observing quietly.
Thus, he had acted a bit foolishly.
He uttered to retreat, knowing full well he wouldn’t genuinely do so.
Biju wasn’t thinking of dying either.
As expected, his stubborn apprentice seemed offended.
Such actions served to draw attention.
“…Father?”
In that scenario, Gu Yang-cheon raised his voice, confused.
Gu Cheol-woon still didn’t divert his gaze.
All that remained was the front.
Ggggrrrr…!
The kneeling monstrosity began to twitch.
It rapidly regenerated its lost body.
Flesh and bone rapidly surged to fill the voids.
A truly grotesque sight.
Graaaah—!!
In mere moments.
In the blink of an eye, the body that had been halved was wholly restored.
It was an astonishingly quick recovery.
As soon as its form returned, the monster charged toward Gu Cheol-woon.
Boom—! KaBAM—!
With astonishing speed it lunged forward.
Shh—!
Its claws shot sharply straight towards Gu Cheol-woon.
But—
Fwoosh—!
Again, a brief burst of heat emanated.
Kaboom—!! Thud—!
The monster’s arm tore away as its upper body exploded once more.
The edges of shredded flesh bore scars.
Its skin, blackened as if scorched, began to regenerate yet again.
Indifferent to this, Gu Cheol-woon clenched his fist again, showing no sign of concern.
Whack—!
With a blunt strike, he swung his fist down at the beast.
Kaboom—!!
Kyaaaaaah—!!!
A wave rolls forth, and the recoiling monster that had been healing suddenly stumbles back.
“You’ve gone mad.”
Goo Yang-cheon exclaims.
Having exerted maximum effort and struggle just to gouge the defense, he nearly fell short.
Crack—!
Gu Cheol-woon’s punch, in contrast, shattered the creature’s defense without even a hint of effort.
BAM—! KAPOW—!
Kyaaaaak… Kkraak—!
The beast convulsed during the follow-up flurry, and yet remained unable to mount its counter.
THUMP—!
Kyaaaaak—!
Regardless of Gu Cheol-woon’s monolithic stature, the monster was tenfold its size.
Shocking weight differences found the beast swaying with each strike Gu Cheol-woon delivered.
In truth, was it weakened by the prior engagement?
‘… That can’t be true.’
The monster’s regeneration and strength remained intact.
It was simply a blatantly visible truth.
‘…The regeneration speed is lagging behind.’
Each time Gu Cheol-woon struck,
Smash! Smash!
The creature’s defenses fractured, and where it struggled to heal,
Boom—!
It invariably just led to destruction in different places.
A straightforward display of overwhelming brutality.
What was being delivered to the monster by Gu Cheol-woon was pure violence.
How could this be?
‘Wasn’t it shattered just by imaginative force?’
Based upon the intel gathered by Biju, one would assume that would be the case.
But what was this situation?
The veil being mercilessly shredded in Gu Cheol-woon’s wake,
… no possible way.
‘Every strike draws on imaginative power?’
Is every blow intrinsically imbued with imaginations even without intent?
If so, just how could that be?
To say nothing of the fact itself,
‘…Why is father here?’
Why was father even here in the first place?
That was the uneasiest query in Gu Yang-cheon’s mind.
Why had a nobleman intended for Shanxi felt compelled to suddenly appear here?
Of course, Gu Cheol-woon was absorbed in his task, entirely indifferent to Guyangcheon’s questions.
“Kyaaaaah—!!”
The monstrosity howling violently swung its claws.
CRACK—!
Without hesitation, Gu Cheol-woon obliterated the monster’s claws.
Fwhoosh—!
When a massive tail swooped in,
Boom—!
It twisted at a bizarre angle upon striking Gu Cheol-woon’s fist.
The cycle of breaking and regenerating continued without pause.
GWWAAAHHH—!!
The beast, reduced to sheer instinct, remained relentless in charging forth, baring its fangs with its twisted arm towards Gu Cheol-woon.
Just then…
Crack—!
Rather than evade, Gu Cheol-woon grasped the creature’s jaws directly.
Squeeze—!
The monster’s immense strength threatened to push Gu Cheol-woon back slightly.
“Hmph.”
A brief exhalation was followed by—
Gu Cheol-woon tightened his hold and tore the monster’s mouth apart.
Rriiip—!
Kyaaaaah—!!
The monster howled in agony, writhing desperately.
Charged by the pain, Gu Cheol-woon leaped at it once more, swinging his fist anew.
Woosh—! His fist punctured the monster’s upper body, and as the impact erupted forth, the brute was sent sailing into the air and skidded back.
Boom!!
The once-great monstrosity crashed into the ground, sending up a tremendous gust that shook the earth.
“…”
Having witnessed this, Gu Yang-cheon found himself speechless.
What on earth should he even say?
The scenario was so staggering he couldn’t even process it.
“…Just now….”
What exactly did I just witness?
His mind spun with confusion, enveloped in despair.
In one snap, the seemingly hopeless situation turned upside down.
Aside from that—
‘…My father was that strong?’
He stared blankly at Gu Cheol-woon’s back.
Hurling the white monster as if it were a mere toy magnified the enormity of his already indomitable presence.
Of course, he’d already been aware of this.
His father was undeniably stronger than known rumors suggested.
‘A bottom-ranking player among the top hundred martial artists?’
Such a notion scarcely seemed plausible.
If that were the case, the Celestial Demon War would have already concluded victoriously for the Martial Alliance long ago.
His father was nowhere close to such a position.
Even…
‘He even defeated the Heavenly Lord.’
In the Tang Clan hall, he had once defeated one of the Three Lords, the Heavenly Lord.
‘Sure, the Heavenly Lord was in a poor state at the time.’
Yet that didn’t negate the fact he was conquered.
This implies Father could compare with the Three Lords or possibly—
‘…Might be even stronger.’
After all, the one who dealt a near-fatal blow to the Celestial Demon was this father he now confronted.
Despite having been weakened afterward, he had pushed the Celestial Demon to the brink of death.
‘How extraordinarily strong could he be?’
Noya stated that this era bore curses, yielding walls thicker and lower than in ages past.
In such times, how formidable has Father become?
Where exactly does his mastery lie?
‘Is that a realm I could reach?’
It was suddenly a question Gu Yang-cheon found himself wondering about.
At that moment,
“Third.”
Gu Cheol-woon’s imposing voice caused Gu Yang-cheon to flinch.
“…Yes.”
“How is your physical state?”
“Uh, I’m okay.”
Truthfully, he wasn’t completely okay.
The wound upon his chest had long been staunched through sheer effort, yet the energy within him had waned, reaching its limit from frequent exertion of strength.
However, he didn’t feel the need to divulge such details.
He felt embarrassed to portray himself as weak.
“I see.”
And, at that, Gu Cheol-woon nodded slightly at Gu Yang-cheon’s reply.
That was all.
“…”
“…”
A silence settled between the father and son momentarily.
‘…Why must I ask why you are here?’
Gu Yang-cheon felt unable to voice that query.
There wasn’t necessarily a grand reason to inquire.
‘We hadn’t met since I’d been scolded…’
Immediately past was the experience when Gu Yang-cheon had failed his training.
He had been scolded fiercely by Gu Cheol-woon and had not encountered him since.
He’d sent messages riding on a general’s back but meeting in person had been long overdue.
While he hadn’t been trying to avoid it on purpose…
‘…Honestly, I had been.”
Contemplating on it and amending that thought right away.
To be honest, he hadn’t completely avoided it, but the entire atmosphere felt quite awkward now.
As the awkward silence lingered.
“Third.”
It was Gu Cheol-woon who spoke first.
“Yes.”
“Did you personally refine that martial art?”
“…?”
In that instant of pondering what on earth it meant, Gu Yang-cheon finally grasped what Gu Cheol-woon was alluding to.
It seemed to concern the Yeomokseongchang.
‘Oh, so you’ve seen it.’
It appeared his father had witnessed him employ the improved variant of the jade.
‘So just when did you start observing?’
He didn’t know; that detail was elusive.
The key takeaway was—
‘…Am I about to get scolded again?’
At this age, he found himself worried about incurring more reproach from his father.
Having done something he ought to avoid, he now anticipated another lecture.
“Well done.”
“…!”
In a startling turn of events, Gu Cheol-woon praised him.
“Not bad at all.”
With those unexpectedly kind words, an unenviable smile crept onto Gu Yang-cheon’s face.
Realizing this, he quickly turned away, covering his mouth with his hand.
Even while covering his mouth, the emotions were unmistakably blooming.
It was undeniably juvenile ecstasy.
Determined to suppress such feelings…
Fwoosh—!
“Huh?”
At the stirring energy sensed ahead, Gu Yang-cheon turned his head.
It was a vaguely familiar sensation.
There,
“…Huh?”
Gu Cheol-woon had conjured a jade upon his palm.
It was a sturdier jade than Gu Yang-cheon’s and had significantly faster momentum.
Was he preparing to throw it at the monster? Gu Yang-cheon pondered.
Whoosh—!
The jade began to rapidly spin.
Krinkle—!
“…!?”
Then suddenly, it started to reshape itself.
Fwoosh—!
And with that, an astounding energy surged forth.
Khhhrrrk—! The jade twisted and crumpled.
Yet it neither exploded nor faltered.
With far greater precision and strength controlling its power.
Gu Yang-cheon’s eyes widened as he watched in awe.
How could he not be astounded?
There before him was the exact version of the transformed Yeomokseongchang he had long admired.
Gu Cheol-woon had materialized a perfected spear, showcasing it.
Unable to maintain the explosive energy, he had conjured a barrier merely through will.
A completed martial art achieved solely through one’s own power.
Gu Cheol-woon was visibly demonstrating this to Gu Yang-cheon.
As he closely examined the spear, he opened his mouth again.
“It’s somewhat unstable and rough, but it’s a commendable attempt with impressive results.”
Describing precisely, he shared his brief impressions with Gu Yang-cheon.
And then—
“Continue striving in the future.”
With that remark, seeming to shed no further burden, he reclaimed the energy surrounding the spear.
Whoosh—!
The energy of the spear dissipated into the air, and Gu Yang-cheon asked in a trembling voice,
“…Uh, how… did you do that?”
This is a martial art he has crafted and adapted personally.
Even if Gu Cheol-woon surpasses him in skill, it defies logic for him to utilize it so effortlessly.
To demonstrate even greater proficiency is baffling.
How on earth can he accomplish this? Gu Yang-cheon’s tone was laced with disbelief.
As Gu Cheol-woon turned to face Gu Yang-cheon, he replied with a quizzical expression.
“Didn’t you show me how?”
“… Was that all?”
The finishing strike aimed at the monster,
Were you suggesting he merely followed that demonstration?
What nonsensical implication was this?
Gu Yang-cheon wore a look of utter confusion.
Then Gu Cheol-woon executed the final blow.
“Is that really so difficult?”
“… ”
After absorbing that response, Gu Yang-cheon reflected.
‘Curse that person’s life.’
Even whilst cursing his talent, that wasn’t a strong enough sentiment.
He was so overwhelmed with a sense of insatiable emptiness that he might have sighed.
Grrrrr—.
The distant sound drawing nearer stole his breath away.
‘Damn it all.’
He noticed the beast Gu Cheol-woon had hurled staggering back to its feet once more.
Had it simply endured that much punishment?
‘Is there truly no way to kill it?’
It seems with such regenerative capabilities and vitality, capturing it is an impossible venture?
These thoughts were driving him towards the brink of despair.
At that moment,
Flutter—!
The crimson robe danced in the wind, the voice declaring,
“You’ve performed excellently. I shall give you a reward.”
“Yes?”
Swish—!
As Gu Cheol-woon announced this, he approached, stomping through the snow.
“Kyaaaaaah—!!!”
From afar arose a fresh howl of the monster.
Yet, Gu Cheol-woon proceeded meticulously towards it.
“Third.”
Addressing Gu Yang-cheon, Gu Cheol-woon stated,
“This is a command.”
His tone was deep and resolute.
“From this second onward, don’t divert your gaze from me for a single moment.”
Upon hearing that, without thought, Gu Yang-cheon shifted to face his father.
“Furthermore, do not get lost in what you see. This is what the head of the family—”
The words momentarily faltered.
Taking a half step forward, he continued,
“A father’s lesson to you.”
Wha—!
With that, a surge of heat erupted from Gu Cheol-woon’s feet.
As that heat radiated outward, Gu Yang-cheon’s eyes widened in shock.
‘A lesson?’
Out of nowhere, the idea of a lesson?
What could this possibly imply?
Yet, before long, doubts shattered against the ensuing surge of heat.
Whoosh!
The fervent warmth radiated, melting the surrounding snowscapes.
Small embers began to gather at Gu Cheol-woon’s back.
Then came the moment.
Tick—!
As something ground against something else,
Kaboom—!!!
A tidal wave of flame erupted into the skies.
Essence itself (奧義).
“Nine Flame Mountain’s Five Forms (俱炎極太山悟形).”
Then the heavens became engulfed in flames.
The night sky receded to yield and behold the White Night.
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