Chapter 193: Know Your Place (1)
Creek-
With an echoing creak, I stepped through the grand gate.
After months of travel, I finally arrived at the Gu Clan.
The chilly winter had gradually transformed into spring, awakening flowers that had been napping through the cold season.
It marked the one-year anniversary since my regression.
…Has it really only been a year? It feels like so much has happened.
My frail body, once struggling to climb a single stair, had somehow been pushed to the peak realm.
Gone were the days of moping around in my room; now, I bore the grand title of True Dragon.
This past year had been a whirlwind of changes.
“Hm?”
As I entered, a perplexed sound escaped my lips.
Despite my return, the atmosphere felt oddly still.
“What’s this?”
I had sent word in advance, so servants should’ve been here to greet me. Yet, all I saw was an unsettling quiet.
What’s going on?
Something felt off. Sure, the clan lived a reserved life, but this was unusually silent.
“What’s wrong, Young Master Gu?”
Tang Soyeol approached as I stood there, puzzled.
She had decided not to head straight back to Sichuan but to stay for a while.
When I asked her if it was alright, she averted her eyes and said it was fine.
That clearly meant it was not fine, but I didn’t press the issue.
“It’s just a bit too quiet.”
“Indeed… it is overly quiet.”
It was unnaturally silent.
So silent that it was unsettling.
That silence morphed into an eerie sense of unease.
Something must have happened…
As I scanned the surroundings, I attempted to head toward the center.
No, I planned to move.
The moment I decided to, I became aware of a presence rushing toward me.
At first, I thought it might be the steward.
But quickly, I realized it was someone else approaching.
A small, delicate figure came sprinting toward me.
It didn’t take long for me to identify her.
She wore the distinct attire of our blood relatives, and her neatly braided hair was a familiar sight.
Looking at the girl dashing toward me, I said, “Why are you still here?”
It was none other than Gu Ryunghwa.
And she shouldn’t have been in the Gu Clan at that moment.
Considering she should have left for Mount Hua along with the Plum Blossom Sword already, it was perplexing why she remained here.
“O-Oppa…”
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing her tearful expression and shaky voice made me rush over and grab her shoulders.
“What happened?”
“O-Oppa…”
As I got closer, Gu Ryunghwa finally began to cry.
It seemed like there was indeed a serious problem.
“First, let’s calm down…”
“The Second Elder… the Second Elder might…”
“What?”
My attempts to soothe Gu Ryunghwa were abruptly interrupted as her words stirred a tempest of emotions within me.
“What did you say?”
I asked her directly, unable to mask my tumultuous feelings.
“O-Oppa…”
In response to my demand, she sobbed even more.
But this was not the time to comfort her.
“Stop crying and tell me clearly.”
My tone was sharp, but I couldn’t help it.
While Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah rushed over to comfort her, I was unable to let my expression soften.
Gu Ryunghwa finally managed to notice my anxious demeanor and spoke with a quivering voice.
I desperately hoped I had misheard her.
“T-The Second Elder… might die.”
With that second confirmation, my heart sank.
Questions flooded my mind; why was Gu Ryunghwa still not heading to Mount Hua?
Why had no one come to welcome back a clan member, and why was the atmosphere so chaotic?
Additionally, my original intention to see the First Elder the moment I arrived seemed trivial now.
In an urgent rush, I burst into the clan’s medical room.
The scent of blood hit me as I drew near.
Bandages stained crimson from wiping away blood were haphazardly piled in a corner.
The palpable Inner Qi of martial artists in the room only widened my sense of unease.
“What’s happening…”
Doctors from both within the clan and from outside were bustling about in a frenzy.
Their faces glistened with sweat as they tended to the patients, all of whom were members of the Gu Clan’s sword unit.
Judging by the insignias on their uniforms, they were all from the Fifth Swordsmen.
With my eyes scanning the room for the right presence, I gathered my determination to search for someone specific.
And I finally sensed it.
In the last room of the medical building, the presence of the Second Elder was unmistakable.
Just as I moved to enter, someone blocked my path.
“You can’t go in!”
I shot a sharp look at the doctor who had stopped me, and he flinched back, trembling.
“What?”
Glaring at him, I saw him visibly shudder.
“The Elder is in the middle of surgery… it’s an emergency, so no one is allowed in…”
Inside that room, it seemed the Immortal Healer was treating the Second Elder.
Hearing the term “emergency” from none other than the world’s top physician made it clear how dire the situation was.
I clenched my teeth, suppressing my urge to shatter something.
“Where’s the steward?”
I needed to get to the bottom of why this situation unfolded.
“I’ll fetch him now.”
Before long, the steward arrived in the medical room.
In typical moments, I would’ve approached him first, but now I couldn’t bear to leave this space.
“Sorry I couldn’t greet you outside when you returned…”
“Let’s skip the apologies. What’s going on here?”
I interrupted the elder’s courteous speech.
Apologies felt pointless to me at this moment.
“What happened for everything to end up like this?”
“We were ambushed.”
“Ambushed?”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t comprehend it.
An ambush?
You’re saying the Second Elder was ambushed?
Putting aside that the Second Elder held the second-highest position in the clan, he was mainly active within it.
He occasionally ventured to Anhui and other regions, but the notion of someone of his caliber falling victim to an ambush was beyond baffling.
Is it tied to the Fifth Swordsmen?
I glanced at the Fifth Swordsmen scattered around the floor.
The Fifth Swordsmen, of course, were under the leadership of my older sister, Gu Huibi.
That made a thought flit through my mind.
Come to think of it…
Before I left for Hanam for the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament, the Second Elder had mentioned he was going to assist Gu Huibi because she required his help.
The steward then continued.
“There was an assault on the front lines.”
“You mean that assault caused this?”
I couldn’t fully grasp the situation, but the Second Elder was undoubtedly a martial artist who had surpassed the Fusion Realm.
In martial arts lingo, reaching the Fusion Realm meant transcending normal human limitations, transforming into a force of nature.
Such beings wielded influence akin to a typhoon.
So who could possibly assault a martial artist who could be deemed a walking calamity?
How?
“Do you know who it was?”
“I can’t say for sure, but we sent a search team to gather information. Yet, we have an idea of who it might be.”
I leaned in, intrigued. Fortunately, it seemed he had a lead on the culprit.
After a brief pause, the steward spoke again.
“Lord of the Black Palace.”
Hearing that name, my eyes widened in surprise.
It was an inevitable shock.
I definitely didn’t expect to hear that name right now.
“Based on the gathered testimonies, it seems the one who orchestrated the ambush is the Lord of the Black Palace.”
The Lord of the Black Palace?
He was the master of the Black Palace and was one of the Four Emperors and Five Kings.
He would meet his demise a few years later with the demise of the Black Palace due to the Murim Alliance.
Why on earth is that individual involved?
I would only be able to confirm whether it truly was him once the Second Elder hopefully woke up. However, if it was accurate, I needed to understand why the Black Palace Lord targeted the Fifth Swordsmen and the Second Elder.
This too, is unfamiliar territory for me.
I had no memory of the Second Elder facing an attack at this point in time.
While it may be feasible that I simply didn’t recall,
There’s no way I wouldn’t remember something like this.
No matter how dense I was, it should be impossible to forget an incident of such severity.
I had already experienced numerous alterations in the future, but
Could things truly change this drastically?
Given that I had no prior recollection of such a situation in my past life, the chances were high that my actions had led to this unforeseen outcome.
Then where did it all begin?
While I couldn’t pinpoint where the twisting began, I had to figure out how the Black Palace Lord came to be involved.
“Wait.”
While I pondered amidst my headache, an important realization struck me.
“Steward.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“What about my sister?”
The steward’s expression darkened ominously at my question.
The Fifth Swordsmen were directly linked to Gu Huibi.
If the Second Elder had gone to help her,
then where was Gu Huibi herself?
“Where is she?”
Gu Huibi wasn’t in the medical building. Plus, knowing her personality, if she were in good health, she wouldn’t be absent from this scene.
She wouldn’t just hide away in her room while the members of her squad and the Second Elder were hurt.
Thus, it became imperative that I learn her whereabouts.
The steward hovered for a moment before finally responding.
“The Black Palace Lord took the lady with him.”
“Ha.”
After hearing the steward, I rubbed my face in disbelief.
What an avalanche of shoddy luck this was.
Without even getting the chance to unpack, I slumped against the wall of the medical room to pass the time.
At intervals, Wi Seol-Ah tried to bring me meals, but I had no appetite right now.
Instead, I fidgeted with my dry lips, staring blankly ahead.
My gaze faltered around the room, not truly resting on any specific thing but lost in my thoughts.
Gu Huibi was abducted.
According to the steward, the Black Palace Lord had taken her.
So their target all along was Gu Huibi?
Was the sudden emergence of the Black Palace Lord, who overwhelmed both the Second Elder and the Fifth Swordsmen, concerning Gu Huibi?
If so, what was the reason behind her abduction?
Why? Why Gu Huibi?
No matter how hard I thought, I could not comprehend it.
The real question is…
This incident caused my father to leave the clan.
I heard he left alongside the First Swordsmen.
I had been informed that as soon as the Second Elder was placed under the Immortal Healer’s care, father departed from the clan.
His goal likely revolved around finding and retrieving Gu Huibi.
Given that he seldom left the clan unless some major calamity arose, his departure indicated the gravity of this specific event.
And considering that my father never seemed overly affectionate toward his children, I felt there was more to his motivation than just familial concern.
Grind.
I felt my teeth clench together.
I hadn’t expected to return from Hanam and be immediately thrust into such a drama.
A man who seemed stout enough to last another decade just fell into chaos like this…
There were so many inquiries swirling in my mind regarding the Dishonored Venerable’s letter and the ring he secretly passed to me, yet who would’ve guessed that the bear-like old man would end up like this?
“Fuck.”
A curse slipped out under my breath as Gu Ryunghwa stirred slightly beside me.
I had to quell my rising frustration.
Glancing at Gu Ryunghwa, my thoughts drifted to the Plum Blossom Sword.
The master of Mount Hua had stayed with Gu Ryunghwa for a brief period.
I heard that the Plum Blossom Sword left with the First Swordsmen as well.
I was informed that the Plum Blossom Sword had departed alongside my father to provide assistance to her.
I had no clue how much strength she had regained after the demonic qi contamination, but even if she had completely reclaimed her power, I felt gratitude for her willingness to assist the Gu Clan.
I requested that Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol go to their chambers, and I asked Hongwa to keep an eye on Wi Seol-Ah.
I didn’t want anyone to witness the turmoil on my face, especially not them.
As I lingered, waiting for time to pass…
Creek-
The door to the room where the Immortal Healer worked began to creak open slowly. Hearing the sound, I immediately stood up.
Emerging from the door with a weary expression was the Immortal Healer.
Spotting me waiting outside, he wore a look of surprise.
“What are you doing here…”
“Immortal Healer! Is the Second Elder okay?”
I interrupted him, shouting out my concern. The Immortal Healer covered his ears and frowned sharply.
“Do you want my eardrums to burst? Why are you screaming?”
Ugh-
He huffed a breath, visibly wobbling.
At the sight, I quickly rushed over to assist him.
“Are you alright?”
“It’s from sitting too long! I’m fine, just old!”
He grumbled while unfastening his clothes.
“The treatment went well. It’ll take a while for him to recover, but he will wake up shortly.”
Upon hearing the Immortal Healer’s words, I heaved a sigh I’d been holding in. He clicked his tongue at my relieved demeanor.
“So, you just sat around here the moment you got back, huh?”
“…”
“What a foolish kid. What do you think will change by sticking around here when you’re not even a doctor?”
With that, he stepped aside to allow me entry.
It was as if he was suggesting I should go in.
Without hesitation, I strode into the room.
“…!”
Inside, the Second Elder lay straight on the bed.
His massive frame made the room look particularly small; however, that wasn’t the detail I needed to focus on right now.
There are signs of something having pierced through his upper body.
Even though the operation had been successful, the signs were still clearly visible.
Bandages failed to conceal those marks even slightly.
It may not have been a large wound considering the Second Elder’s body size, but it was still expected to be lethal.
Not only that, I sensed the extent of chaos on his entire form.
As the Immortal Healer entered the room after me, he began to explain.
“Even in unconsciousness, his Qi was staunching the wounds. His healing ability is extraordinary; had he been any weaker, those injuries should have killed him long ago. Truly a monster of a body.”
“…Hah.”
“Now that you’ve seen him, you should take your leave. Having you linger here will only create further disturbance.”
“…Any idea when he’ll wake up?”
I pressed, anxious for answers.
“Do you think I can tell that? If I could, I would’ve been a fortune teller, not a doctor! Though it’ll take time, he’ll likely regain consciousness within four days, so stop fretting and just get lost!”
Though his tone was harsh, I took solace in the fact that he did provide information.
He was merely urging me to stop worrying and to find some rest, so I took one last look at the Second Elder before turning around.
As the Immortal Healer advised, remaining here now served no purpose.
“Please take good care of him. I will come back to properly express my gratitude next time.”
“Humph.”
With that, I made my way back toward the medical room, carefully lifting Gu Ryunghwa.
I then handed her over to a waiting servant.
“She likely won’t awaken easily, so please take her to her room.”
“Understood.”
Since I had discreetly administered acupuncture on Gu Ryunghwa, she wouldn’t wake up just yet.
Probably by tomorrow morning, she would come to, though.
“Should I inform the other servants to prepare a meal?”
Concerned about my lack of eating, the servant posed the question. I shook my head in refusal.
“No, I’m not in the mood for food right now. Plus…”
Crack.
My shoulders loosened as I cast my gaze in a specific direction.
“I have somewhere I need to go.”
I stifled the surging emotional currents within me.
I had to suppress the chaotic feelings that arose from the matters regarding the Second Elder and Gu Huibi.
“I’ll be back a little late.”
With those words, I set off.
The destination I was headed toward was Gu Sunmoon, where the First Elder would be.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.