### Chapter 33
#### Looking for the Hint (1)
Namgung Cheonjun was trembling while holding his crotch area.
He couldn’t even scream, with blood and saliva dripping from his open mouth alongside the mess from his nose.
This was a far cry from the dignified image of the esteemed Namgung heir.
The mighty Namgung Clan.
The backbone and the largest pillar of the Four Noble Clans.
Namgung Cheonjun was meant to become the master of such a colossal clan.
Now, that very man was crawling on the ground, crying tears of blood while clutching his groin.
“Stop overreacting; it didn’t break.”
Just the right amount of control.
It hurt like hell, but ultimately, it was only at a level where it could still be fixed.
I had gone through this countless times in my previous life.
Even if my body had changed, that didn’t make it any harder.
‘If I had kicked a little harder, he would have really been done for.’
…Honestly, I had nearly broken them.
But in the end, nothing catastrophic happened.
“You… You goddamn bastard…”
“Wow, you can still talk after all of this.”
I had thought he’d roll around for several more minutes, but he turned out to have more resilience than I anticipated.
I approached him and twisted his arm.
Crack!
“Augghhh…!!”
He was slyly trying to regain control, but I snagged him first.
Even in this state, his eyes were filled with a murderous glint.
The sharpness of his killing intent pricked my skin, causing me to curl my lips in a smirk.
“Why did you cross the line, anyway? I was ready to let you off as long as you didn’t leak any of that Qi.”
Namgung Cheonjun was dead serious.
The amount of Qi he had infused into the wooden sword, and the dreadfully thick aura he unconsciously radiated.
He genuinely intended to kill me.
Was it just a mistake driven by emotion? Yet, looking into his eyes now, it was clear there was no excuse.
I firmly asked, “So, how many people have you killed?”
At my question, Namgung Cheonjun’s aura wavered momentarily.
“Not less than a dozen, right?”
“What… what nonsense are you spouting?!”
His voice trembled with panic.
Whether he denied it or not, it mattered not. I was already convinced.
Had he only slaughtered the wicked that terrorized the weak? From what I could tell, he hadn’t.
The air was thick with it.
A suffocating aura, starkly unusual for someone his age. While others might overlook it, there was no mistaking it for me.
Why did Namgung Cheonjun—heir of an Orthodox faction’s foremost clan—carry such a formidable aura?
Thinking of the Lord of the Namgung clan from my past life, this wasn’t too surprising.
Creek…
“Ugh…”
I increased the pressure on his arm. He groaned in pain.
‘What should I do now?’
I could shatter his arm completely or dislocate his shoulder.
I shouldn’t permanently incapacitate him, as that would be too much to manage.
Yet, allowing him to go free wasn’t even a consideration.
Letting someone who’d just tried to kill me off scot-free would make me a disgrace.
“Young Master Gu…!”
As I deliberated, Tang Jooyeok rushed in.
“How about we wrap it up here? The duel is already…”
How ridiculous.
His comment made me burst into laughter uncontrollably.
Tang Jooyeok paused at the sound of my laughter.
As silence fell for a moment, filled only with Namgung Cheonjun’s tortured groans and my amusement, I asked him, “Did you not sense his murderous intent? Surely, you felt something.”
It was clear, at least for someone of Tang Jooyeok’s caliber—he must have realized what was happening.
Namgung Cheonjun was certainly aiming to take my life.
“How could you ask me to let him go when he loaded that Qi into his sword, intending to kill me during a simple spar?”
That wasn’t what a martial artist would do.
Overlooking the fangs ready to strike at me was absurd for anyone in our profession.
If I didn’t at least pull all of his teeth, akin to still being at risk from a rabid animal, I was being foolish.
“Did you think to excuse his actions due to his youth? He’s older than me.”
Truth be told, I was likely double his age, but that hardly mattered in this context.
I tightened my grip, and the pitch of Namgung Cheonjun’s groans soared higher.
Tang Jooyeok quickly interjected, “Cheonjun is from the Namgung clan. If something were to happen to him…”
“Yes, he is indeed from Namgung. But do you know?”
Crack!
“AGHHHHH!!!”
“It’s precisely because he is Namgung that he’s still alive. It’s due to his family name that I’m holding back my anger so much. But what if the roles were reversed?”
Though the Gu clan was a renowned family, it paled in comparison to the Namgung clan; it had a long way to go. But what if our places were swapped?
He might still be breathing, but my circumstances would’ve been vastly different.
What if I brought one of those spectators—who’d been anxiously watching—and placed them in Namgung Cheonjun’s position?
The answer was too easy.
“I’ve restrained myself numerous times. You wouldn’t know this, Young Master Tang, and I’m not looking for your understanding.”
I confidently finished my train of thought as I conversed with Tang Jooyeok.
I pulled Qi into my arms.
In an amount similar to what Namgung Cheonjun had infused into his sword.
Snap!
“…!!!”
Namgung Cheonjun began to tremble wildly.
Then that shriek echoed across the training area.
His screams became so loud that it irritated me; I struck the back of his neck, knocking him out.
Tang Jooyeok rubbed his face in frustration.
He was the one who had given us permission to use the training space in the first place, so it was no surprise he looked troubled.
However, that hadn’t changed the fact I wasn’t about to ease up on this punk.
‘Am I in the wrong here?’
Suddenly, I recalled the Second Elder’s warning not to stir up any trouble.
What would I say if they found out I had made a mess of Namgung Clan’s son?
‘At least I didn’t kill him.’
I would probably say something like that.
The fallout would linger, and it was likely the Namgung clan would retaliate, but,
I suspected nothing major would happen once I considered the current leader of the Namgung Clan.
‘It’s not like they would dare to mess with the Gu clan over this.’
Leaving behind the unconscious Namgung Cheonjun, I stood and faced the room.
Oddly enough, Tang Soyeol was there kneeling with a flushed face, while Namgung Bi-ah remained perfectly expressionless.
It was strange to see her in this state, especially with her brother having been treated like that.
There was neither anger nor resentment on her face. Instead, she looked calm and composed—a serene river flowing through.
“Here…!!”
The people from the Tang Clan appeared.
Probably here to take Namgung Cheonjun to doctors for treatment.
Then the Namgung clan’s people followed suit. Were they here as guards? Each one of them radiated impressive strength. It was expected from the escorts of one of the four noble clans.
One of the escorts approached me.
“I am the escort for the Young Master, Macheol.”
The man bowed lightly, showing me respect.
From a glance, he appeared to be a highly skilled martial artist.
“Now that the duel is over, we will be taking Namgung Cheonjun for treatment.”
I commented, “You haven’t said much; I presume you were watching all along.”
Macheol chose not to respond.
It was just as I suspected.
That was the source of the peculiar feeling that had been lingering.
“I don’t care what you do with him; just handle it however you wish.”
Sure, he’d be in discomfort with his arm for a few days, but other than that, his other injuries would heal within a day.
As for the spot where I kicked… I might’ve gone a touch overboard, but that shouldn’t lead to anything serious.
…Or at least that’s what I hoped.
With Namgung Cheonjun loaded onto a stretcher and left, the training ground was marked with his blood.
Tang Jooyeok seemed lost in a tangle of thoughts, likely reflecting on whether he was the one who had to deal with all this.
‘Why invite us here in the first place if you weren’t ready for the unexpected?’
I decided to put that matter aside.
In the end, it was all Namgung Cheonjun’s fault. He crossed the line far too many times.
“I don’t think I should stick around any longer; I’ll take my leave now.”
Maybe I could use this as an excuse to bail on the Tang Clan’s Military Exhibition? That would give me an extra day to search for the secret vault.
My clan might get on my case about it, but my priority was still the vault.
Father would likely not care much, but the General or the Second Elder would probably give me an earful.
Then again, it was the Second Elder who’d understand my reasons, so I’d only have to deal with the General’s frustrations.
Just as I was stepping away,
“Hmm…?”
Someone grabbed my sleeve.
It was Namgung Bi-ah.
“What is it?”
Why is she still here when everyone from the Namgung Clan has already left?
Does she have something to say about Namgung Cheonjun?
After staring at me for quite a while, Namgung Bi-ah finally spoke up.
“Your name…”
“…What?”
“Tell me your name.”
“I already told you.”
I clarified I was Gu Jeolyub; has she forgotten so soon?
With unwavering eyes, Namgung Bi-ah replied, “That… was a lie.”
“…”
“You lied. Tell me your real name.”
…How does she know?
Namgung Bi-ah’s gaze betrayed no doubt that she believed the name I had given her was a phony.
There were moments in the past when she’d caught on to things far more peripheral than necessary.
“…Before that, I want to ask you one thing.”
“Sure.”
It was a pivotal question. I looked her in the eyes and asked, “Why do you keep speaking informally to me?”
“…”
It appeared as though Namgung Bi-ah couldn’t answer that and turned away.
Is she challenging me to a fight?
After carefully scrutinizing me again, she finally conceded, “If you won’t tell me, I’ll just keep following you around… Young Master.”
I almost collapsed right there.
‘…Has she lost her mind?’
Aren’t you aware that I can’t stand having you trailing me?
‘This girl… Was she always like this back then?’
“I’m the one who turned your brother into a bruised pulp, you know?”
“That was Cheonjun’s mistake.”
“Even so, why would you want to befriend the one who just pummeled your sibling?”
Regardless of how much I resisted, Namgung Bi-ah was relentless, holding onto me.
I didn’t think she would give up after becoming set in her ways.
‘…What if she really decides to follow me endlessly?’
The thought gave me chills.
To think of the antics she pulled in my previous life, it wouldn’t be beyond her at all.
“What’s so fascinating about me that you’re curious about my name?”
Namgung Bi-ah remained silent, merely continuing to gaze at me.
The intensity of her stare caused me to frown, rubbing my face in response to her scrutiny.
How did we end up on this path?
“…If I tell you, will you stop pestering me?”
“Sure.”
And you’ll speak formally?
“Sure. Yes, Young Master.”
Ugh… I sighed deeply at her answers.
Of late, it seemed I had been sighing more often. After a moment’s hesitation, I spoke.
“…Cheon.”
“Hmm…?”
“Gu Yangcheon.”
I reluctantly blurted out my name.
Once I revealed it to her,
“There, happy now? I’m leaving. Please, don’t follow me anymore.”
I turned and walked away briskly.
Namgung Bi-ah echoed my name, “Gu Yangcheon.”
From a distance, Tang Soyeol gasped upon seeing Namgung Bi-ah’s expression.
Namgung Bi-ah softly whispered,
Gu Jeolyub is a fake.
“This one… is real.”
With that, Namgung Bi-ah smiled radiantly.
A smile bright enough to illuminate everything around her.
*
After the duel, I returned to my quarters.
Surprisingly, Wi Seol-ah didn’t seem bothered by my absence.
I heard she had spent her time amusing herself with the servants, triggering a pang of mischief inside me, so I playfully flicked her forehead.
Night fell before long, and I found myself munching on dumplings beside Wi Seol-ah, who was indulging in yakgwa.
‘…What a mess I made.’
I should’ve known to reign it in sooner.
To be precise, I probably shouldn’t have even attended the meal in the first place. Still, I had no regrets about laying a beating on Namgung Cheonjun.
I could’ve pulled off his arm entirely, leaving him a left-handed ghost, but no—out of kindness, I had merely broken one arm.
I felt a swell of pride in my self-restraint.
‘That was cutting it close.’
Namgung Cheonjun was an accomplished swordsman.
For all his flawed personality, his physique showcased the elegance that came from a noble lineage.
The only hitch was the fact that he was a swordsman from the Namgung clan.
I had indifferently gazed at their sword techniques over and over.
Seeing the turmoil among the agitated beings wanting to rid the art of its inconsistencies forced me to familiarize myself with their swordplay.
Amid my muddled thoughts, I let slip my name to Namgung Bi-ah out of guile, tinged with a small sense of guilt.
…Though the greater reasoning was my terror that she might dog me for eternity.
Still, it felt like I had gained a valid excuse.
I should refrain from attending the Military Exhibition due to the incident I caused.
Even if the Tang family attempted to hold me back, how would they counter my reasoning based on guilt?
What loomed larger was the potential fallout once I returned to my clan. I’d likely face a brief scolding… Though the General had a frightening temper when he was irked.
Wi Seol-ah suddenly thrust something in my direction, pulling me from my musing.
It was a piece of yakgwa.
“Young Master.”
“Hm?”
“Would you like a yakgwa?”
…Are you really offering me food?
What kind of world is this?
When I feigned excessive shock, Wi Seol-ah frowned in discontent.
I giggled at her expression.
“…Oh, how amusing! Why this sudden offering?”
“Your face seemed rather troubled…”
Did I?
With hands that trembled slightly, Wi Seol-ah handed me the yakgwa.
There was no way I could decline.
When Wi Seol-ah’s expression turned to one of disbelief—Wait, he really took it?—it struck me as humorously cute.
I popped the yakgwa into my mouth right in front of her, eliciting a despair-laden response from Wi Seol-ah that lifted my spirits.
It was genuinely hilarious, easing some of my tension.
“Seriously, I, a fool by default, trying to overthink everything for once.”
“Hey… How could you devour a yakgwa in one bite…”
I turned my back on the forlorn Wi Seol-ah, sent her to bed, and headed to my room.
Let’s not overthink the situation.
Let’s focus on the Golden Nature first.
Starting tomorrow, I truly had to keep busy.
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