Chapter 226:
Two months had passed.
The season that had begun with spring was now nearing its end, waiting for the arrival of summer.
The brightly blooming flowers were preparing for their last farewell.
Whoosh—! Whoosh!
The young man swung his sword.
Under the blazing sun in the field.
Droplets of sweat dripped from his chin.
“Ha…!”
The wooden sword in his hand trembled slightly.
It was the aftermath of hard training.
Ignoring the trembling legs that felt like they would give out at any moment, the young man swung his sword once more.
Thud!
When he stomped his foot on the ground, a wave of pressure radiated around him.
The energy that permeated his body straightened his sword path.
At its peak, the energy brimming at the sword’s tip soared boundlessly.
Swish!
As he cut through the air, a sword qi erupted from the blade.
Crash!
Only after sweeping the area where he had struck down a few trees could he finally come to a halt.
“…Hah…”
With his movements paused, he let out a deep breath.
Whoosh.
The energy that had been pressing down on his body was drawn back into his dantian.
The young man, soaked in sweat, steadied himself while catching his breath.
How difficult.
The young man, Muyeon, thought.
It had only been two months since he reached the Peak Realm.
The joy of having crossed a barrier and the thrill of entering a new world were still vivid, but the realm he stepped into after reaching the peak was infinitely larger and broader.
Now that he reached the world he had only longed for, he realized how arduous the training and countless realizations he needed to proceed to the next stage would be.
Still, Muyeon wiped away his thoughts and concentrated on his breathing.
“There’s plenty of time. Let’s not rush.”
That was advice someone had endlessly repeated to him.
Though the actual tone wasn’t quite as gentle.
“-Don’t overreach, just do what you can. You have to know your place; if you fumble around without understanding that, you won’t get anywhere.”
It was advice from a boy with a fierce countenance.
The boy he served, who would become the greatest pillar of the Gu Clan.
“…Has the Young Master been living in such a world all along?”
It felt like his respect for Gu Yangcheon deepened even more after reaching the Peak Realm.
“The Young Master truly has talents bestowed from the heavens.”
The first time he saw Gu Yangcheon was just over a year ago, and back then, he was merely a clumsy martial artist who had barely reached the Third Rate.
Yet, at some point, he began to blossom with talent.
He reached the Second Rate.
Then the First Rate.
Beyond that, he broke through barriers and reached the Peak Realm without Muyeon even noticing.
To achieve all of that in just a little over a year was truly outrageous talent.
“…There are countless people who train their whole lives without ever reaching the Peak Realm.”
Initially, when he witnessed this, Muyeon was filled with envy and jealousy.
But now, he felt a strange peace.
Perhaps it was due to the words of the servant who had spoken to him that night—it was the starting point.
Swish!
After finishing his training, he tidied away the wooden sword and wiped his sweat.
Just then, someone approached Muyeon.
“You did well.”
Hearing the voice, Muyeon turned his gaze.
“…Ah, Miss Hong.”
The servant named Hongwa had appeared and offered water to Muyeon.
Muyeon lightly bowed his head and took a sip.
He was thankful to quench his parched throat.
Hongwa, watching him carefully, cautiously asked, “Have you made any progress?”
“It’s always about the same.”
“From your expression, it seems like things are going relatively well.”
“…Haha.”
As Hongwa spoke with relief, Muyeon smiled shyly.
It was the day he had declared his rise to the Peak Realm to the clan.
The Swordsman Corps and the Gu Sunmoon had both been shaken up once again.
A new youngest martial artist had emerged in Gu Sunmoon who had reached the Peak Realm.
Moreover, the First Elder, who had once been the head of Gu Sunmoon, had passed away.
At this moment, the hidden schemes of the late First Elder were being uncovered one by one.
With the idea of Gu Jeolyub inheriting the head position being precarious, discussions were flooding in that Muyeon was indeed qualified to lead Gu Sunmoon.
Given that Muyeon had originally belonged to the Swordsman Corps, there were talks of quickly pulling him from the escort squad to allow him to rejoin the Swordsman Corps in active duty.
A martial artist at the Peak Realm was surely a candidate for a Vice-Captain position in the Swordsman Corps.
Yet, Muyeon turned down all these propositions.
He felt he wasn’t deserving of such titles.
“-I have things I wish to accomplish. Until I finish that, I don’t want any position.”
With that statement, Muyeon ended the discussions.
Of course, many captains and members of Gu Sunmoon wanted to talk more with him.
But they all fell silent at the sight of the Second Elder’s fist.
“Muyeon.”
“Yes.”
“…Are you still going to speak to me formal?”
“…I’m just not used to it, you see.”
With a somewhat futile expression, Hongwa changed the topic.
“I heard that Young Master Jeolyub visited yesterday.”
“Oh, yes, that’s correct.”
“Was he doing okay?”
At Hongwa’s question, Muyeon smiled bitterly.
“He will be fine in no time.”
That was all he could say.
Gu Jeolyub would surely be alright.
In his mind, the boy he had encountered before was a resilient martial artist with a strong spirit.
Muyeon, still recalling Gu Jeolyub’s weary appearance, deftly shifted the conversation.
“Oh right, it’s today, isn’t it?”
“The day the Young Master comes out?”
“Yes.”
“Correct. Though I don’t know when he’ll actually come out…”
Gu Yangcheon had been in closed-door training for two months as punishment.
Time had passed by quickly, far quicker than he had anticipated.
“…Should I just inform him as soon as he’s out?”
Before going into seclusion, Gu Yangcheon had made several requests to Muyeon.
The requests themselves were not overly complicated.
Thus, it was an easy task for Muyeon to complete.
But, like always, he pondered why Gu Yangcheon had made such requests.
“The Young Master probably has a reason for everything.”
Muyeon merely thought that way.
After all, he knew he wouldn’t fully comprehend the thoughts of geniuses like Gu Yangcheon.
“Ah, did you hear the news?”
“About what?”
“The event that the Moyong Clan is setting up this time…”
“Ah, yes, I heard they’re collaborating with the Tang Clan…”
“Yes, they’re going to sell clothing along with accessories, which means visitors from places beyond Shanxi will come,”
“Oh, I see.”
Muyeon recalled having heard snippets of that news.
Naturally, the direct descendants of the Moyong Clan were residing in the Gu Clan currently.
“The Snow Phoenix, was it?”
“Yes, the Snow Phoenix Moyong Hi-ah.”
She had visited Gu Yangcheon a few times, and Muyeon had seen her up close.
“She was a beauty.”
A lady who knew how to appreciate and invest in her own beauty.
She exuded a charm that drew men in with every gesture and smile.
To Muyeon, that was how the Snow Phoenix appeared.
However, Gu Yangcheon appeared notably uncomfortable, always avoiding her gaze.
“Why could that be?”
Muyeon was perplexed.
After all, who hated a beauty?
“Perhaps it’s because of Lady Namgung?”
Though Moyong Hi-ah was charming.
The most beautiful person Muyeon had encountered in his life up to this point was Namgung Bi-ah.
Without much embellishment.
And despite wearing comfortable clothes to train and tying her hair back, she was someone with an utterly different level of beauty.
So much so, Muyeon had even felt a tinge of jealousy towards Gu Yangcheon for being engaged to her.
“…So about that…”
“Huh?”
“If it’s not too much trouble for you… maybe we can….”
“Oh! There you are!”
Just as Hongwa was about to say something, her sentence got interrupted by someone approaching.
Without delay, Muyeon had to salute out of respect to the newcomer.
“I-I greet the Second Elder.”
“Yes, yes, long time no see.”
“Yes.”
It hadn’t been long since they last met just days ago.
“Oh, Hongwa’s here too.”
“….”
“Hmm? Why the long face?”
“It’s nothing. I greet the Second Elder.”
“Oh, is that so…”
It felt like Hongwa’s expression was unusually dim.
Perhaps she was unwell.
“I heard that he would be coming out soon.”
“Oh…! The Young Master?”
“Correct. Would you like to go together?”
“Yes.”
Muyeon nodded in agreement to the Second Elder.
It was a day he had been waiting for over the past two months.
Hongwa lowered her head to the Second Elder and took a step back.
“Then, I shall go and prepare some food.”
Perhaps it was the thought of Gu Yangcheon coming out soon that hurried Hongwa away.
However, her demeanor still seemed off, which left Muyeon feeling uneasy.
“…Hmm, did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all. Hongwa seems just a bit under the weather.”
“Oh dear, I should have sent her to the medical ward.”
Hearing the Second Elder’s words, Muyeon smiled.
Then they began to walk together.
To enumerate the events from the last two months, the first point of note would be regarding the hidden vault of the First Elder.
Just as Gu Yangcheon had mentioned, there had indeed been a secret vault at the First Elder’s residence, filled with amassed wealth and evidence that the First Elder had shared information with external forces.
This brought justification to Gu Yangcheon’s action against the First Elder, as it showed he had known something prior. Subsequently, the First Elder was stripped of his position and denied even a proper burial.
Even if a burial were granted, it was unlikely he would find peace within the Gu clan’s grave.
Moreover, Gu Jeolyub, being a blood relative, faced repercussions as well.
However, thanks to the planning of Gu Yangcheon and the Second Elder, Gu Jeolyub managed to secure his dantian and continue to operate as a member of the Gu Clan while sacrificing his position as the head of Gu Sunmoon.
Though Gu Jeolyub was unable to engage in activities befitting the branch clan of the Gu Clan, he bore no resentment toward this arrangement.
On the contrary, he secretly expressed his gratitude to Muyeon for even being afforded this opportunity.
“Much else happened, but…”
The remainder were matters that Muyeon wished to discuss upon meeting Gu Yangcheon.
As they arrived, several familiar faces came into view.
A woman in the distance, donned in traditional attire.
“So the Snow Phoenix arrived as well.”
She was a blood relative of the Moyong Clan who had not departed from the clan due to business reasons.
And beside her…
“…!”
As Muyeon shifted his gaze to the side, he gasped involuntarily.
Namgung Bi-ah stood next to Moyong Hi-ah.
In many ways, this came as no surprise.
After all, it would have been strange if Namgung Bi-ah hadn’t shown up to this gathering.
However, the reason for Muyeon’s shock had less to do with that.
“…Wow.”
Even the Second Elder beside Muyeon gasped in astonishment.
This was because Namgung Bi-ah standing tall was shockingly beautiful.
Gone was the girl who usually dressed in comfortable martial attire with her hair tied back.
Now stood an awe-inspiring beauty that could even leave onlookers breathless.
“A little decoration made such a difference.”
Unlike her usual self, it was apparent that Namgung Bi-ah had made an effort to beautify herself.
While her makeup was lighter than that of Moyong Hi-ah or Tang Soyeol, the subtle enhancements were enough to bewitch the crowd.
Namgung Bi-ah’s head moved as she made eye contact with Muyeon.
“…”
Nod.
Immediately, Namgung Bi-ah bowed her head slightly to Muyeon.
In turn, Muyeon mirrored her gesture of respect but couldn’t shake the rapid beating of his heart.
“…Should I use my Qi?”
He considered for a moment, but eventually shook his head.
A plethora of people have congregated. Yangcheon seems to be fortunate with friends, contrary to his personality.
The Second Elder said this, sounding proud as though it were his own achievement.
Although a few new faces could be seen since Gu Yangcheon had entered, it was still a considerable crowd.
It was, in fact, surprising to see so many people gathered just to witness someone emerge from closed-door training.
“Not much time left, so he should be out soon…”
Just as the Second Elder finished his sentence…
Boom!
Sounds echoed from the entrance.
Creek.
Was it the vibrations that stirred the dust and made it tumble down?
The heavy door gradually opened.
Whoosh!
An immense wave of heat surged forth from the entrance like a storm.
The warmth that swept away the dust held something distinctly different.
“…This….”
The heat can only be described as Qi. Dense and pure.
As the heat dissipated, revealing the interior shrouded in darkness,
Step.
Footfalls could be heard.
“Damn it.”
Along with that, a familiar voice brushed against their ears.
The voice, laced with every sort of complaint, felt comfortable to Muyeon yet oddly dauntless.
“Finally feel like I can breathe again.”
With each approaching step, the figure of a boy gradually became clearer from the shadows.
He wore the same attire from before entering.
“…Did he grow a little taller?”
For some reason, Muyeon couldn’t shake off the feeling he was a touch taller.
Boys tend to grow quickly around that age, yet his growth seemed unusually pronounced.
“Hmm? What’s going on?”
As the boy carelessly swept aside his hair, surveying his surroundings, his eyes, still fierce as ever, caught Muyeon by surprise.
Violet…?
For some reason, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes appeared tinged with a violet hue.
However, as he blinked, they returned to their original shade.
Muyeon tilted his head at the occurrence.
“Was that my imagination?”
It probably was.
As he mulled it over, Gu Yangcheon displayed his signature expression of disbelief.
“Why is everyone gathered here?”
“We were waiting for you, you rascal.”
“…Why would you wait around for someone coming out of punishment?”
The Second Elder approached Gu Yangcheon, intending to pat his shoulder, yet halted in his tracks.
All stared at him momentarily, puzzled over the abrupt silence.
“What’s wrong?”
“Yangcheon.”
“Yes.”
“You smell.”
“…?”
Upon hearing the Second Elder’s remark, Gu Yangcheon sniffed his sleeves, instantly disgusted.
“…What… in the name of heaven, is that smell?”
It seemed he truly reeked.
“It’s certainly worse than the smell of shit, so let’s talk after you clean up.”
“Alright…”
Witnessing this humorous scene, Muyeon had no idea what expression to wear, shielding his face as he chuckled inwardly.
This reunion had turned out to be far more outrageous than expected.
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.