Chapter: 369
Baekcheon Sword Master, Mo Yong-tae.
He is a character who once vied with the current Sword King, Namgung Jin, for the title of Sword King.
Of course, there were more than just a handful of people contesting for that position.
But this just goes to show how extraordinary a warrior Mo Yong-tae truly was.
Now, he is regarded as the weakest among the heads of the four major families.
That’s likely due to matters related to Mo Yong-hee, as his influence has shifted more towards the merchant sector rather than the martial world.
A figure closer to a father than a mere warrior, and even closer to a father than a lord.
That was the Baekcheon Sword Master I knew.
Up to here, it’s fine.
Even if Baekcheon Sword Master focuses on pursuits outside of martial arts, what does it matter to me?
The problem now is…
Why on earth is this guy here now? That’s it.
Grrk…
The pressure from Baekcheon Sword Master’s hand gripping my shoulder is intensifying.
“…”
When I sneaked a glance up at Baekcheon Sword Master, his gaze was nothing short of lethal.
If he had truly reached the realm of mind swords, wouldn’t my throat be sliced open right this second?
‘This is tricky…’
What should I even say about this situation? I hesitate for a moment.
The answer is already glaringly obvious.
‘What could it possibly be? A totally messed-up situation. That’s what it is.’
I wondered if there could be a more straightforward answer than this.
“Um… sir?”
Moyong Hi-ah, looking stunned before me, speaks while gazing at Baekcheon Sword Master.
Then, Baekcheon Sword Master shifts his deadly glare from me to Moyong Hi-ah.
And just like that, his expression transforms completely.
As soon as he looked at her, the wild murderous intent in his eyes changed to one that seemed to have softly killed me several times over, turning into a warm and gentle gaze in an instant.
“How have you been?”
“Uh… how did you…?”
“Are you hurting anywhere?”
Moyong Hi-ah is all flustered, but aside from that, Baekcheon Sword Master busies himself inspecting her body.
“Have you eaten? No, I told you not to skip meals, so I’m sure you must have eaten.”
“…”
Grrk…
Even in this brief pause, the grip on my shoulder tightens further.
This is starting to hurt, you know.
Peering at Baekcheon Sword Master, Moyong Hi-ah asks, “Uh, but there are still seven days till the gathering, so why did you come now?”
“I can’t even tell how my daughter is doing; how could a father not care?”
I couldn’t help but feel an unusual freshness in Baekcheon Sword Master’s words.
An ordinary father would probably say something like that, but considering Baekcheon Sword Master’s position, it seemed like a stretch.
Did he realize something from Baekcheon Sword Master’s words?
Moyong Hi-ah opens her eyes wide and asks, “Then… did you really come alone?”
“The elders and the swordsmen will probably be a bit delayed.”
What that meant was that he came alone. A head of a prestigious family, he came without his bodyguards or servants.
Somehow, it seemed utterly bizarre for the head of a noble household to act like this.
‘Does that mean he threw his pride out the window?’
He was quite the remarkable person in various senses.
Moyong Hi-ah, visibly shocked, furrows her brows.
“What were you thinking…? There are people watching, and what about Sega’s reputation…!”
When Moyong Hi-ah spoke somewhat accusatorily, Baekcheon Sword Master gave a strange expression and replied, “That reputation is nothing compared to children.”
As soon as he said that so casually, Moyong Hi-ah was left momentarily stunned into silence.
Ah, it seems he’s soft to this kind of stuff.
Seeing Myanmar Hi-ah’s reaction, Baekcheon Sword Master grinned.
“Moreover…”
He turned his gaze back to me and continued, “My precious daughter could be stuck with some punk… What’s so important about saving face?”
“…”
Drip… drip…
Sweat trickles down my face.
This man definitely figured out who I was.
Or wait, is it more unusual that he didn’t?
Thoughts of our previous conversation flash through my mind.
– He has a fiancée but still tries to charm another woman.
– He mentioned breaking off the engagement with his fiancée just to meet my daughter.
– Turns out, there are more women besides my daughter.
“…”
On hearing that, I thought, “Wow, there are some real lunatics in this world.”
That lunatic … is me.
It was indeed me.
‘… So this was me.’
Baekcheon Sword Master’s ominous words come rushing back.
Did he really say something about crushing limbs?
I remember sympathizing with the thought that it might turn out that way.
‘Hmm…’
Having recalled it all, I nodded to myself, thinking.
What a crazy kid this is.
You effectively dug your own grave, didn’t you?
‘Is this memory popping up simply a trick of the mind?’
That could be the case.
Why now of all times does this kaleidoscope of memories from when I died in my past life come flooding back and drive me mad?
“So, Young Master, I still haven’t heard the answer to your question.”
“Uh…”
“What is your name?”
His gaze is already filled with certainty. Is the reason he asks again to confirm his suspicion?
He sure is thorough.
Now, what should I do? I can’t just gloss over this without answering.
‘… Should I pull the Gujeolyeop card?’
The name that sprang to mind was Gujeolyeop.
Whenever situations like this arise, that’s the name I always used. It was the same with Namgung Biana and Dang So-yeol.
It was a convenient name to fall back on.
‘But I don’t think he’s the type to believe that.’
The name Gujeolyeop has begun to be recognized now.
Using it is becoming increasingly tough.
In the end, it seems I’m cornered into revealing my name.
“… I am…”
I pondered about what could happen if I revealed my name and he decided to draw his sword.
Because the deathly glare digging into my back was no fabrication.
This wasn’t just a matter of winning or losing. It was about the father of Moyong Hi-ah, Baekcheon Sword Master pointing his sword at me.
If I could avoid a conflict, I would prefer that.
I stifled a sigh about to escape, swallowed hard, and opened my mouth.
“I pay my respects to the Lord of the Murong family… I am from the Gu clan…”
“Dad.”
Just as I was about to state my name, Moyong Hi-ah ran over to hug Baekcheon Sword Master’s arm.
Wait… why did her address suddenly change? Dad?
“Um, could we not do this here… let’s first find a place to rest. You must be very tired, right?”
“Daughter, I’m sorry, but I still have things to discuss with this rotten bastard…”
Baekcheon Sword Master’s index finger now points straight at me. I could clearly hear how he went from “Young Master” to “rotten bastard.”
This is definitely a dangerous situation…
“Eeeeeek!”
…Huh?
My eyes widen as if illuminated by lanterns at the high-pitched sound.
Did I mishear that? It definitely came from the direction of Moyong Hi-ah.
As if to confirm that her previous words were not a lie, Moyong Hi-ah burbles out, “Aiying… Daddy… Hee-ah wants to eat something…! Can’t we at least go for now?”
Pffft.
Water spews from Peng Ah-hee’s mouth as she observes the scene with keen interest.
Is that goosebumps creeping over my arms and neck? Yes, it’s definitely goosebumps.
What in the world is that voice?
‘…’
I’m at a loss for words.
The fact that ‘that’ Moyong Hi-ah has a voice like that is shocking enough.
But the way she speaks… what gives?
Am I still trapped in some kaleidoscope? I seem to have just passed the point into a full-blown hallucination.
If not, this is utterly incomprehensible.
As Moyong Hi-ah continues, contorting her body as if to enhance her argument,
The atmosphere abruptly turns frigid.
It’s astounding how an air filled with imminent explosion can just chill like that.
Just astonishing.
Glancing over at Moyong Hi-ah, I notice her ears are turning as red as if about to burst.
Looks like she’s quite embarrassed by her own words.
‘Yeah, I get it. If I’d done something like that to my father, I would have bitten my tongue and died on the spot.’
And there it is.
I know what Moyong Hi-ah really intended.
Even so, there’s no way someone of Baekcheon Sword Master’s caliber would let that slide, just because she was trying to act cute.
“Haha, is that so? If our daughter has something she wants to eat, then that’s our priority.”
But it wasn’t how I expected.
The sharp man who seemed poised to slice me to ribbons has vanished, replaced by a goofy, happy-go-lucky figure smiling broadly.
Upon seeing that reaction, Moyong Hi-ah tries to quickly drag Baekcheon Sword Master’s arm away.
Amusingly enough, it seems Baekcheon Sword Master doesn’t mind as his feet start to move slowly.
As the two leave the guest house with heavy steps, I hear a murmur in my ear.
-I’ll see you later.
“…”
That was definitely Baekcheon Sword Master’s voice. It’s clear he wouldn’t let this go easily.
Why did I get the feeling he was saying, ‘Wash your neck and wait’?
Could it be a misunderstanding?
‘… It’s definitely not a mistake.’
There’s no way it’s a misunderstanding. To me, it looks like Moyong Hi-ah has used all her strength to save me.
Otherwise…
‘Eing, ahing…’
There’s no way the calm, rational Moyong Hi-ah would let that slip off her tongue so easily.
She must’ve been quite determined to do that.
So what now? For now, Moyong Hi-ah has taken Baekcheon Sword Master with her.
She’ll definitely return.
Should I escape?
‘There’s no way that’s going to fly.’
Where on earth would I run to? I’ve got a meeting to attend in a week.
As I fret and stew over what to do, I hear a voice from behind.
“… Hey, Young Master.”
I can hear the conversation from the group sitting at the table watching.
“Huh?”
Dang So-yeol responds to Peng Ah-hee’s words, looking somewhat bewildered by the shocking events of just now.
It seems like Dang So-yeol is still unable to shake off the shock.
Noticing this, Peng Ah-hee asks with great seriousness.
“… Later, in front of Lady Moyong…”
“Mm-hmm.”
“If I call you ‘Young Miss Lee Ing’ in a teasing manner… will I get scolded?”
“…”
The atmosphere grows colder once again at Peng Ah-hee’s question.
Are you really going to get scolded for teasing?
‘That one is going to get beaten to a pulp before me!’
It was clear.
If Peng Ah-hee acted like that in front of Moyong Hi-ah, she would be reduced to dust in an instant.
Not to mention calling her ‘Young Miss Lee Ing’. The sound of it just…
Pffffft.
The moment I turned my head in response to the sound,
Somebody burst out laughing while everyone else was trying to hold back their laughter.
The strange thing is, when I looked back, no one’s expression had changed,
Except that I could tell some of them were looking at one person with peculiar eyes.
The one pretending they didn’t notice such gazes was Namgung Biana.
Several days passed since we weathered that storm at the inn.
I spent several nights with my tension levels through the roof.
I kept thinking that maybe an assassin might come.
What sort of assassination could this be?
Looking at Baekcheon Sword Master’s expression at the time, it seemed it could easily happen, so I wondered.
To my relief, that never came to pass.
After the day Baekcheon Sword Master left the inn with Moyong Hi-ah,
He hadn’t shown up for several days.
The same could be said for Moyong Hi-ah.
It seems like…
‘Is Moyong Hi-ah keeping him under wraps?’
Using that “Eing” or “Ah-ing” technique?
‘If so, that’s quite an effort.’
Once that thought crossed my mind, I couldn’t help but nod in agreement. I felt a gratitude towards Moyong Hi-ah that I’d never felt before.
However, I found myself pondering.
‘Honestly, I wonder if Moyong Hi-ah talks like that at home.’
This has been a recent contemplation of mine.
Somehow, her natural manner of speaking had become familiar to me.
Could it be that at home, she speaks in that tone and voice?
‘That can’t be right.’
I quickly brushed that thought away.
There’s no way such a distinguished figure as Moyong Hi-ah could act like that.
“Have your musings concluded?”
“…Yes.”
While I was taking a moment to breathe, someone spoke to me.
It was Paejon. He often appeared like this while I was training.
I wasn’t sure what he usually did.
But I was in the cave throwing punches like I always do.
Paejon examined my condition from various angles, smiled, then asked, “Is it worth it?”
“No. I’m dying.”
It’s not worth even mentioning.
Just today, I nearly fainted more than five times from the pain.
Even as I complained, Paejon just smiled as if enjoying it.
“…You’re just throwing punches. Is this really okay?”
That’s a fundamental question.
I realized long ago how astonishing the power of Tuapacheonmu was.
That I can still feel stronger now speaks of some unbelievable efficiency.
But I still don’t quite grasp why it’s insisted upon doing this in a cave or some other place.
What could be the intention behind this?
Paejon regards me with a peculiar gaze at my question.
“It seems you still don’t understand the greatness of what you’re doing.”
“Really?”
“Didn’t you say it’s painful?”
“Well, that’s just my feeling…”
“Do you think an ordinary human could endure that pain and keep throwing punches?”
“….”
“I was convinced from day one. You are destined to be my disciple.”
Setting aside the idea that I’m simply learning,
It seems he was referring to how I started throwing punches in the cave from day one.
“Is that all?”
“Maybe one day it could be okay. Two days would be tough, but anything beyond that is usually unbearable for a normal mind.”
That made sense—
With Tuapacheon’s depth,
The kind of pain inflicted by Tuapacheon Gong was beyond imagination.
Yet, if you can only endure that pain, there’s no limit to how strong you can become.
Pain is nothing.
It’s much better than the helplessness and self-deprecation that comes from being unable to do anything.
As I wore a confused expression, Paejon just smiled.
“While I do worry for your twisted state of mind, as a teacher, you truly are a pillar of strength.”
“You say that I’m twisted for merely noticing a person? That’s a bit much…”
“I meant I’ve been waiting for you. Hurry up and finish this already. Only then can I teach you how to extend your fist.”
Upon hearing that, I felt a sense of emptiness.
“Is this arduous process really just about extending a fist?”
“Precisely, this struggle is what it’s all about.”
What nonsense. I thought as I continued to throw punches.
“Ah, hell.”
While I tirelessly extended my fists,
At Paejon’s summoning, I stopped my movements and turned my head.
“Is it about time to go?”
“…”
I frowned at Paejon’s comment.
I had been contemplating whether to act oblivious and slip away.
Paejon forcibly called my bluff.
“…I guess I should go.”
At last, I let out a deep sigh before throwing on the outer garments I carelessly discarded in a corner of the cave.
The reason was simple.
Today was the day of the political meeting.
I was in a situation where my attendance was quite forcibly required.
Chances are, Baekcheon Sword Master would also show up.
Moreover,
All the heads of the four great clans, including Baekcheon Sword Master Mo Yong-tae, would be present.
Thinking about that, I swallowed hard.
No matter how I looked at it, a chaotic scene was on the horizon.
I turned to Paejon and asked, “Are you going as well?”
Since Paejon’s status is that of a distinguished member of the bloodline, I thought he might not attend either.
Paejon simply chuckled and said to me, “Why would I?”
“…”
That expression, his smirk, is just the most irritating thing in the world.
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