Chapter: 390
It was just past noon.
Gu Yangcheon was deep in his training in the cave.
At that moment, Mi Hyoran, the mistress of the Gu Clan and the owner of a well-known merchant house in the Central Plains, was facing her husband.
Knock, knock.
In the quiet atmosphere, the sound of a watermill could be heard faintly in the background.
There were three teacups set on the table.
Gentle steam was rising from two of them.
Mi Hyoran reached out her delicate white hand steadily and lifted her teacup.
Silently, Mi Hyoran took a sip of tea and, after moistening her throat, looked at her husband and said,
“Did you have a nice chat?”
Her voice was as flat and unvarying as always, but her expression was chillingly cold.
Gu Cheol-woon, aware of her chilling demeanor, didn’t respond and subtly avoided her gaze. Seeing him like this, Mi Hyoran added,
“You divided things up so well that you left the child’s eyes all bruised blue.”
“…”
“Do you have anything to say about that?”
Her calm inquiry, as if expecting an excuse, felt even more intimidating.
The atmosphere that Mi Hyoran, an ordinary person without a single bet, radiated was unusual.
Despite the warm aura emitted from Gu Cheol-woon, the room felt chilled to the bone.
Gu Cheol-woon let out a rare cough before addressing Mi Hyoran.
“There was a bit of a situation.”
“Of course there was! If there hadn’t been, we would have had a huge problem!”
“…”
What could that significant issue be? Gu Cheol-woon didn’t know, but he sensed it was definitely not good.
Mi Hyoran sighed heavily at the sight of Gu Cheol-woon.
“From the looks of your child, it seems things went well, so I won’t dwell on it too much… but I am a bit disappointed that you left such a precious face like that.”
Precious face?
Gu Cheol-woon stared at Mi Hyoran with a puzzled expression.
While Gu Yangcheon was indeed their son, there wasn’t anything about his face that could be deemed precious.
“There was an unavoidable reason.”
There was no way around it. That sentiment was probably true.
The energy Gu Yangcheon had been releasing was close to a fight disguised as a bet.
Gu Cheol-woon recognized it immediately; it was the same energy he had sensed coming from the past.
Seeing Gu Yangcheon wield not just one but two forms of energy, alongside the formidable power that could explode at any moment, sent him running away instinctively.
There was no way he could just sit back and let his child perish.
Yet, he didn’t feel the need to elaborate on this to Mi Hyoran.
“So, is there something about this that couldn’t be helped?” Mi Hyoran inquired.
“…This incident truly couldn’t be helped.”
At Gu Cheol-woon’s words, a frown appeared on Mi Hyoran’s beautiful forehead.
“You promised you wouldn’t inflict any injuries on him!”
“Because it was a duel, there was nothing I could do…”
“You said you were going to talk, but you never mentioned a duel. Was that conversation a physical one?”
“Um…”
Gu Cheol-woon finally coughed and took another sip of tea.
Watching this, Mi Hyoran felt a mix of frustration and a twinge of lightness.
She sensed that the burden Gu Cheol-woon had been carrying felt a little lighter.
‘Well, at least it’s a bit lighter now.’
Feeling this way, she didn’t explode in anger any longer.
However, it was somewhat unacceptable for Mi Hyoran to have inflicted a blue bruise on her child’s eye.
‘Where could that child have possibly deserved to be hit?’
Even though she felt this rage, she couldn’t express it fully.
Bringing it up would only remind her of her own guilt and fear, which made her no different from the one who had kept her child at bay.
At least it was a comfort to see the women’s furious attitudes, ready to rise at the sight of the child’s condition.
They looked as if they could draw their swords at any moment, and to Mi Hyoran, that wasn’t a bad thing.
The woman known as Geommuhee had already been engaged, so she was earning accolades in Mi Hyoran’s eyes.
As for the others in the vicinity, their reactions were a tad mixed.
Several women came to mind.
First up for praise, the daughter of the Mo Yong family. What was her name? Seolbong, perhaps?
Mi Hyoran was pleased with the whispers and the fact that she seemed to be scheming behind the scenes.
It could have been dangerous to view her as an enemy, but Mi Hyoran promptly recognized that her actions would largely benefit her son’s future.
In other words,
She saw a bit of herself in her.
Also, it was because she was the daughter of the Mo Yong clan.
Among the women who had trailed Gu Cheol-woon in the past, there had been a daughter from that family too.
Of course, she was completely different from the one Mi Hyoran thought of as Mo Yonghee.
If she had to compare, she would say she resembled her daughter, Gu Hee-bi.
‘So many women…’
Mihyoran couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at the sudden thought.
She had worried because Gu Yangcheon seemed to be struggling, but it appeared he was doing fine after all.
His fortune in women didn’t look too shabby either.
But then,
‘This part… he resembles his father too much.’
If that was another source of worry, then it was indeed worth worrying about.
Having too much luck with women could denote hardships in the future.
In that regard, Gu Yangcheon’s struggle appeared rather clear.
Gu Cheol-woon wasn’t one to worry about such things, but Gu Yangcheon seemed to be the opposite.
Moreover, considering the absurd backgrounds of each of the women involved, all that Mi Hyoran could do was steadily concoct her plans from behind the scenes.
“… So.”
Gu Cheol-woon turned his head at Mi Hyoran’s words.
“Did the child appear comfortable?”
It was the most vital question.
Had that child found any respite from it all?
Mi Hyoran looked steadily into Gu Cheol-woon’s eyes. His gaze remained heavy, but she could sense a slight difference.
Receiving Mi Hyoran’s searching gaze, Gu Cheol-woon carefully responded.
“I’m not sure.”
Mixed with his deep and throaty voice was something soft and ambiguous.
“I still don’t know what difference such a small thing makes.”
“Didn’t you ask the child?”
Had things improved a bit? Did he not even bother to ask? Gu Cheol-woon shook his head at Mi Hyoran’s question.
“I didn’t ask.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know that either. But.”
Mihyoran lent him her ear. He seemed hesitant, as if contemplating something for some time.
“The third one. He called me ‘Father’.”
“…!”
In many ways, that was a given.
It was only natural for a child to call their father ‘Father’.
But upon deeper reflection, that simple phrase held many meanings.
Mi Hyoran scrutinized Gu Cheol-woon’s face.
While there wasn’t an obvious change in expression, she could see his pupils trembling slightly.
“…What about you?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’m still too incompetent to grasp it all.”
“…”
He didn’t deny it.
Mi Hyoran perceived Gu Cheol-woon as an excellent head of the family, yet he fell short as a parent.
Of course, she was no different in that aspect.
“It’s difficult.”
Gu Cheol-woon muttered quietly, and Mi Hyoran nodded inside.
And then, looking at Gu Cheol-woon, she said,
“It’s late.”
“…”
“It’s way too late. Realizing it’s difficult should have happened much sooner.”
Far more quickly than a little. They both should have acted much faster, she and Gu Cheol-woon alike.
That was Mi Hyoran’s regret.
If only she had recognized things a bit sooner, it could have been better… but that wasn’t the case.
That was Mi Hyoran’s regret.
“… So, try to understand now.”
“I will try.”
Gu Cheol-woon hesitated briefly before responding.
If that’s what he means, then they should be okay for now.
Gu Cheol-woon’s pledge to try was genuine, not one intended as an escape.
After hearing that much, Mi Hyoran slowly stood up.
If she had one desire.
– He called me ‘Father.’
Just as Gu Yangcheon had called Gu Cheol-woon “Father”.
‘Someday.’
Someday, she too…
After reaching that thought, Mi Hyoran closed her eyes. A somewhat arrogant notion flickered through her mind.
Having fully eradicated her doubts, Mi Hyoran greeted her husband discreetly before stepping out of the room.
Left alone, Gu Cheol-woon closed his eyes and sipped the remaining tea.
He was besieged by many thoughts, but when all was said and done, he faced just one.
‘It’s difficult.’
Relating to others.
The weight of guilt bearing down on him felt immense.
Wasn’t this also, in the end, just another sin he had been ignoring all along?
Gu Cheol-woon consoled himself as those thoughts swirled.
– It’s late.
As Mi Hyoran rightly pointed out, it was far too late for worry.
Rather than contemplating the hardships, he must choose a different course now.
“…”
Finally, Gu Cheol-woon carefully opened his eyes and silently observed the door Mi Hyoran had exited through.
Slurp.
He began filling his teacup.
First, he filled the cup before him, then he proceeded to fill the cup across the table.
It was strange indeed.
Mi Hyoran had already exited the room.
After finishing with the teacups, Gu Cheol-woon remarked,
“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
It seemed far too abrupt for empty air, as if nothing stood in its place.
But then,
Knock, knock.
As soon as Gu Cheol-woon finished speaking, the door that Mi Hyoran had exited swung open, and someone stepped inside.
It was a middle-aged man dressed in black martial arts attire.
This man was someone Gu Cheol-woon recognized.
He was the well-known leader of the Seoanbi family in Xi’an.
As Gu Cheol-woon recognized him, he rose to greet him, intending to make a polite introduction.
However, it was not an introduction aimed at the bandit.
Gu Cheol-woon was awaiting someone.
The person who would enter right after the first.
The bandit, realizing this, entered with a sheepish expression and carefully stepped aside.
As someone else approached, Gu Cheol-woon’s anticipated guest finally entered the room, stepping past the bandit.
Gu Cheol-woon examined the newcomer.
A young martial artist.
He appeared to be around the same age as Gu Cheol-woon’s child.
Perhaps just a bit over their tender years.
His martial attire hinted he was related to the Seoanbi clan.
Most likely the child of the neighboring master.
And normally, he would have shown deference to the bandit first.
However, Gu Cheol-woon bowed his head respectfully to the young man instead.
This was because the young figure stood at a much higher standing compared to the bandit.
“It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
A strange emotion flickered in the young man’s eyes at that address.
“How surprising. I haven’t even made an introduction yet.”
“Thank you for coming despite the sudden request.”
“Oh… if it’s like this, there’s no fun in teasing anymore.”
He had initially intended to start with some friendly banter.
Chuckling, the master of the Seoanbi clan approached Gu Cheol-woon and plopped down on the opposite side of the table.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Gu. It’s tough to pin down just how long it’s been. Let’s reintroduce ourselves.”
Lifting his pre-prepared teacup, the master, Pajon, introduced himself.
“I am Pajon of the Bijou clan. And…”
Pajon’s gaze rested on Gu Cheol-woon, who had already been eyeing Pajon.
“I am your son’s teacher.”
As the statement settled, a dense atmosphere began to fill the room.
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