Chapter 44: Sword Phoenix (4)
“I heard that you smashed the Lightning Dragon’s arm.”
Those were the words my father spit out the moment I stepped into his study.
Without a greeting or even asking about my well-being, he just dove straight in.
…And what a tough question that is.
He has always been this way—remarkably consistent.
What should I say? Should I just tell him the truth?
“No, I didn’t smash it; I just slightly broke it…”
That was the first thing that came out after much contemplation, and it wasn’t much of a response.
I thought they pretty much meant the same thing, but I felt I had to say something.
Luckily, my father didn’t seem to care too much about what I said.
“Why did you do that?”
That was what really mattered.
He must have already heard the whole story, but still wanted to hear it directly from my mouth.
I took a deep breath, then slowly began to speak.
“The Lightning Dragon challenged me to a duel, and since he tried to kill me, I retaliated.”
It was a simple explanation, but honestly, that was all there was to it.
I had taunted him a bit, but ultimately, it was his fault for taking the bait.
“The Lightning Dragon tried to kill you?”
“Yes, we agreed not to use any Qi, but he imbued his wooden sword with Qi and tried to kill me.”
“Witnesses?”
“There were plenty of people around.”
The one who likely noticed it best was probably the Young Lord of the Tang Clan.
Tang Soyeol was also present, but her dazed expression afterward made her reliability questionable.
My father nodded to my answer.
“Then that’s all that matters.”
He had always been such a plain-faced person.
His son just won against the Lightning Dragon, and his reaction was merely this.
I had never seen my father shaken about anything.
Not when his son became a demon, not even when his bloodline dwindled, and certainly not when his own life was at stake.
As I stood quietly, absorbing the heavy atmosphere, my father made an unexpected remark.
“It seems you’ve made an achievement.”
“…Pardon?”
Those were words he once spoke to Gu Yeonseo during dinner.
Funny how now, he was saying the same to me.
Even though I had reached the 3rd realm so quickly, my father didn’t seem particularly fazed.
He was almost excessively indifferent.
“Good job.”
“…Thank you.”
…Huh?
Even a trivial compliment made me want to smile, though I did my best to suppress it.
What a shame that I would feel this pleased at my age just for receiving a compliment…
This might as well be my first.
Have I ever been complimented before? I doubt it.
That’s probably why such a small compliment affected me so much.
After inquiring about my situation, my father fell silent again.
Sometimes, I wondered if he ever suspected me of lying.
After finishing a glance at a letter, he shifted the conversation.
“I assume you met your fiancée since there was some conflict with the Namgung Clan.”
“…”
Now, that was the crucial part…
Sigh… fiancée, huh.
That word sent chills down my spine.
Hiding the tremor in my voice, I asked, “Could I ask how this situation came to be?”
“What do you mean?”
“The marriage arrangement with the Namgung Clan; I’m curious how it all went down.”
No matter how I thought about it, it felt too abrupt and random.
I had no new marriage agreements in my past life, and now a relationship with the Namgung Clan?
Without acknowledging my discomfort, my father replied, “This was a decision made at an Elder’s meeting. It won’t be an issue for you.”
“…”
Not an issue, my foot…
What on earth happened that suddenly made Namgung Bi-ah my fiancée?
As I pondered that, my father continued to speak.
“Even if you messed up the engagement with the Peng Clan, I don’t think you will botch this one.”
Did he realize I was disgruntled about this engagement?
I could detect the underlying implication in his words…
Don’t screw up a second time.
Because of that, I couldn’t really argue back.
All I could do was keep my mouth shut.
Flutter.
The sound of a letter opening and closing echoed in the lord’s room as I silently awaited his next words.
My father not telling me to leave indicated he still had more to say.
Tap tap.
He tapped the table with his ring finger.
It was a natural habit of his when deep in thought.
I frowned at that—a habit we shared that made me feel all the more like his son.
Suddenly, he stated, “The heart of summer is upon us.”
His words pulled me from my thoughts.
What on earth is he talking about all of a sudden?
“Yes, it is summer.”
I had noticed the increasing heat as the days passed.
But why bring that up?
Wait, summer…?
“The martial arts tournament at Mount Hua will begin shortly.”
My heart dropped at his words.
Hearing “Mount Hua” took my breath away.
It reminded me of the Mount Hua that had burned to ashes.
…Let’s not think about that.
I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart.
Noticing my state, my father inquired, “Is something wrong?”
“…No, what about the tournament?”
My father didn’t answer and instead handed me a letter he had been holding.
I cautiously accepted the letter and opened it.
Then I couldn’t help but frown at what I read.
I looked back at my father.
“…Why are you giving me this?”
“Bring her here.”
“Why would I…?”
“Because you must.”
What kind of nonsensical request is this?
I couldn’t help but scowl at him.
“You do realize I just returned from Sichuan, right?”
“I’ll allow you a week to prepare for your trip.”
“I can’t refuse this, can I…?”
What kind of lousy command was this? Asking me to make another long trip after just returning from one.
I started to speculate on whether he was feeling the heat a bit too much, but then again, it’s hard to believe a martial artist of flame arts would—
Did he have a change of heart or something?
The Gu clan rarely allows its direct descendants to leave their territory.
Gu Huibi was an exception only because she stood out with her exceptional talent.
But I was different.
Though it was common for heirs to embark on trips, I still looked young on the outside, and I couldn’t fathom why he wanted to send me out there flat out before I even ascended to the clan’s Young Lord.
Besides, I didn’t think too many people in high positions would approve of me roaming outside.
That’s how I assumed my father felt about me, yet he asks me to go that far?
“Father, even taking everything into account, isn’t it a bit too much for you to tell me to travel to Mount Hua of all places—”
“If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
“Oh? Then I’m choosing to not go—”
“However, if you decide to go, I’ll reward you with the ‘Euphoric Heavenly Pill’ from the clan’s secret vault.”
“Of course, I must go as the heir. Should I leave immediately?”
I blurted that out without thinking because of the mention of the pill…
Am I being too materialistic?
I felt a twinge of guilt as I glanced at my father, who wore a faint frown.
But getting the Heavenly Pill was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
It was a medicine second only to Sorim’s sohua medicine and would grant an amount of Qi equivalent to 20 years of training.
It was clear he was serious about handing me that pill from the clan’s secret vault as a reward.
Thanks to my previous ventures, my Qi had indeed increased, but it wasn’t that substantial; it just looked that way when compared to the pathetic Qi I had before.
In the end, my physical form and Qi were still indistinctly lacking.
“…You said I have a week before I leave, right?”
I thought that time might be too short since I still had quite a few things to take care of.
“Do you need more time?”
“Could I leave after ten days instead?”
At my request, my father nodded in agreement.
Then he shifted his focus back to reading letters.
How many letters did he have piled up?
Ten days, huh.
Luckily, I managed to get a concession.
In that case, there would be ten days available to me in Shanxi, and even though it was painful to know that I had to start yet another trip after I just returned, for the Heavenly Pill, it was worth it.
It was a bit surprising to me that my father even mentioned the Heavenly Pill for this task.
He wouldn’t just throw around lies, but was this task significant enough to give me that as a reward?
As I stood there reflecting, my father suddenly gestured toward the door.
“Your business here is done. Now go and rest.”
“Yes.”
I felt somewhat relieved to be dismissed since I was a little uncomfortable remaining here.
That meant I needed to visit the Haomoon clan right away and also incorporate some training, so I knew I’d have to move quickly.
Mount Hua, eh.
I remembered the plum blossoms blooming brightly in memory.
And how they all turned to ashes.
Can I really step foot back onto Mount Hua?
Let’s not dwell on that.
This wasn’t good.
Once I started thinking that way, it would spiral indefinitely.
But, it’s something that wouldn’t happen in this life.
As always, I had to keep it bottled inside.
All I need to do is complete the given task.
The only thing that mattered was focusing on the mission I had been given.
I thought back on everything my father and I had discussed once I exited his room.
Specifically, the task to bring back the youngest one from Mount Hua to the Gu Clan.
*
Upon returning to my residence, both the Second Elder and Gu Huibi had already left.
How dare they stir up so much chaos and just vanish after?
Of course, I was grateful to have returned to a peaceful abode.
As I made my way to my room to change clothes, I spotted the Sword Emperor wielding a broom.
The Sword Emperor, who seemed to notice me, respectfully bowed.
…It’s been a while, but somehow seeing him like that always makes me uncomfortable.
“Sniff…”
…Huh?
As I turned my gaze towards a strangely familiar sound of sniffling, I found Wi Seol-Ah on her knees with her hands raised as punishment.
It was reminiscent of how Gu Huibi had me stand before.
“What has she done to face such punishment…?”
Tears flowed from her eyes.
Even so, the Sword Emperor seemed unperturbed, working diligently and ignoring her cries.
I wondered why she was being punished, and quickly figured it out.
Oh right, she had followed me to Sichuan without telling anyone.
She probably got caught and was currently being reprimanded for going MIA for a whole month.
“Young Masterrr…”
Oh no, I accidentally locked eyes with Wi Seol-Ah while trying to sneak past unnoticed.
Wi Seol-Ah was looking at me, pleading for help, but I was helpless in this case.
…Running away is my only option.
With the Sword Emperor delivering the punishment, helping Wi Seol-Ah was out of the question.
“…Uh, it’s going to get cold at night, so please make sure to go inside once you’re done.”
That was all I could manage to say to the Sword Emperor.
He responded with a friendly smile.
“Yes, thank you for your concern, Young Master.”
“…It’s nothing.”
Getting cold at night? I mean, it’s summer!
I saw Wi Seol-Ah’s stunned expression at my pathetic attempt to intervene.
“Young Masterrr!”
“Hey! How dare you raise your voice while being punished!”
At the Sword Emperor’s shout, Wi Seol-Ah whimpered like a puppy.
I felt sorry.
But there was nothing I could do about it. You made your bed, now lie in it…
I ultimately turned a blind eye and went into my room.
Despite Wi Seol-Ah’s pitiful cries from outside, I purposely blocked it out.
All I wanted was to lay down; I was exhausted.
Having dealt with engagement talk, the issue of the tournament, and Gu Huibi all day had drained me.
Night was fast approaching, so sleep wouldn’t be an issue.
While I was just trying to catch a breath, a presence made itself known at my door.
“Master, it’s your servant, Hongwa.”
“What is it?”
“I have come to ask what you’d like for dinner.”
“…Oh, I’m not really hungry, so I’ll pass.”
The servant nodded and departed.
I briefly considered eating some dumplings, but then again, I really wasn’t in the mood for food.
All I wanted to do was sleep.
I could always snack on something later after my midnight training.
Yet, barely half an hour after sending the servant off, I started to regret my decision.
Someone barged into my room while I was enjoying a nap.
“Little brother! Aren’t you going to eat dinner!?”
It was Gu Huibi, with a dumpling in hand.
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