Chapter: 501
“Is it just me, or is it a bit hot?”
These were the first words Woohyuk uttered as soon as we returned to the Tang Gate.
After hearing Woohyuk’s words, I glanced around.
‘Hot?’
Indeed, there was a slight tingle of heat in the air.
Of course, it made sense with summer rolling in, causing the temperature to rise.
‘What’s going on?’
Something felt a bit off, though.
I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was different, but there was a subtle discrepancy nagging at me.
Maybe it was because I had trained in flame art, but I felt the variations in temperature more acutely.
I considered raising my perception to investigate further, but decided to let it slide for now.
‘It’s just the heat.’
I shrugged it off, attributing it to a hotter-than-usual day.
There was something more pressing at hand, after all.
… Rot… Rot…
An irritating voice echoed in my ear, a persistent annoyance that had plagued me throughout our return.
Without realizing it, I scowled as I walked back to the Tang Gate, haunted by that incessant voice.
“What the hell…”
“Could you please just be quiet?”
Shin Noya finally couldn’t take it anymore and snapped back. Oddly enough, there was a twinkle of amusement in his voice.
“Now, doesn’t it look like that!”
The owner of the cold voice, Namgung Myung, shouted at Shin Noya, but instead of being bothered, Shin Noya merely laughed it off.
“Sigh… I know it’s a bit odd to say this, Myeong-ah.”
“What is it?”
“You look surprisingly well. I like it.”
“You bastard…!”
“Hey, could you all just keep it down? This noise is driving me insane!”
I wanted to cover my ears because of those old guys squabbling childishly all day.
However, blocking my ears wouldn’t reduce the clamor.
Damn it.
In this headache-inducing scenario, I had to squeeze my eyes shut.
Cradled in my arms was a brainchild. One that Goeseon should have rightfully possessed.
It wasn’t even a brainchild belonging to Namgung Bi-ah.
Why on earth was this in my hands?
I couldn’t grasp this unexpected twist of events.
…How did I end up with this?
As I left the noisy elders behind, I began mulling over the cause of the situation.
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
I simply… grabbed the brain.
Maybe that was the real issue.
I had only intended to pick up the fallen brainchild with a good (or at least, decent) heart and deliver it to Goeseon.
I had no clue it would turn out to be a problem.
When Goeseon witnessed me casually picking up the brain, he wore a shocked expression and asked:
“How… can you even pick that up?”
“Huh?”
I had to respond with a dumbfounded look.
“Pick it up? I just did it with my hands, what do you mean ‘how’?”
Meanwhile, aside from Goeseon, Namgung Myung also seemed to have a problem with this.
“What’s going on here…? What is this…!”
His reaction was nothing short of dramatic, almost like he’d seen a ghost!
I had merely caught a brainchild. What on earth could be wrong with that?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Namgung Myung voiced his doubts.
“…Why can you, who isn’t even of the Namgung bloodline, hold the brainchild?”
“What did you just say?”
My eyes widened at Namgung Myung’s next outrageous statement.
‘Wait, are you saying you can’t hold a brainchild unless you’re affiliated with the Namgung family?’
“What does that mean…?”
“You should have been completely incapacitated by now… Why are you still here, unscathed?”
What exactly were these terrifying implications? That I should have been incapacitated?
For the first time, I recalled the flash of light that occurred as soon as I caught the brain.
Could it have been a sign of intent?
Thinking along those lines made me want to toss this wretched brain away immediately.
But…
“…Why didn’t anything happen?”
Unlike the intense reactions of Namgung Myung and Goeseon,
the brain merely glimmered fleetingly; nothing catastrophic occurred.
In fact, it felt really nice and snug in my hands.
“Just put it down.”
I heard Namgung Myung’s chilling command in my ears. I didn’t quite understand why, but the fact that my brain hadn’t exploded was itself a good sign, so I let it go.
For now, I needed to return it to Goeseon and figure things out from there.
Just as I was about to step towards Goeseon, I heard:
“Wait a moment…!”
“…?”
Suddenly, Goeseon reached out and halted me.
“There’s no problem with me holding it?”
“No… but…”
“It’s not like I’m in excruciating pain or anything. Is that what you’re implying?”
Were you really concerned about my health status?
“Yeah… I’m not really in pain or anything.”
“Good.”
What’s so good about that?
Goeseon’s face, in response to my answer, took on a strange expression.
It looked almost… ecstatic?
Why on earth was he suddenly wearing that expression?
Meanwhile, I wasn’t alone in noticing the bizarre look on Goeseon’s face.
“Hold on… Descendant, what are you trying to pull?”
Namgung Myung immediately seized on Goeseon’s intentions, his voice fraught with urgency.
What was going on here? What was happening?
At that moment, I stood there blankly, clueless about the entire situation.
“Catch that guy right now!”
Namgung Myung shrieked. Great, my ears felt like they were going to burst!
Grimacing, I turned back to Goeseon.
Hwoosh—!
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, I felt a tremendous pressure emitting from Goeseon.
It was comparable to that moment when he genuinely attempted to fight me.
What could have provoked that reaction?
And then, Goeseon matter-of-factly said,
“For a few days, please.”
“Huh?”
Without pause, he directed that to me.
“Catch that man!”
Bam—!
Whoossshhh—!
He vanished into thin air, creating an enormous gust of wind.
“Huh…?”
I stood there, momentarily frozen, trying to grasp the bizarre turn of events.
“What happened…?”
“Inoooh!”
At the sight, Namgung Myung wailed.
Seeking clarity, I turned towards Woohyuk to unravel the chaos.
Interpreting it as a need for an explanation, I glanced at Woohyuk, who was now casually picking his nose as if nothing was amiss.
Is that hunky face really digging for gold?
As I gawked at Woohyuk in shock, he casually mumbled while eyeing the space where Goeseon had disappeared.
“He popped again.”
It was only then, after hearing Woohyuk’s calm remark, that I pieced together what had transpired.
I looked down at the brain in my hand while listening to Namgung Myung’s fervent exclamations.
And I pondered.
Could it be that…
“Did I really just… inherit this?”
It certainly felt that way.
After the whirlwind of events, I found my way back to my room.
The sun was just about to set; I had initially planned to find the fallen and tease them under the pretext of training.
Given the circumstances, however, that plan was unfeasible.
“You’re all just a bunch of show-offs, hah!”
“Ugh…”
“…Damn it…”
Returning to the present, I now had to contemplate various things while eyeing the brain resting in my room.
‘What should I do with this?’
It seemed like Goeseon had left the brain with me.
Should I be pleased about this?
Honestly, it was something I should be ecstatic about.
‘It finally worked out as I had hoped…’
After all, I had come seeking a brain, and now it was in my hands. It seemed reasonable to celebrate.
‘But… this doesn’t feel right…’
I still felt that nagging unease wouldn’t disappear.
I hadn’t been able to voice any of the things I intended to say, and I truly didn’t expect Goeseon to just hand this to me and dash off.
‘A few days…? What’s the deal with that?’
Only a few days?
What on earth was going on? Where had he gone after leaving this with me?
Goeseon’s actions were rather perplexing.
From Woohyuk’s comfortable demeanor, it appeared this happened quite regularly.
“That damn guy… truly…!”
Watching Namgung Myung react, it seemed as if this was a one-off occurrence for him as well.
“You need to return this to him, at once!”
Namgung Myung repeated this insistently, clearly unhappy with the situation.
“…How the heck do you expect me to return something? I don’t even know where he went!”
I had no way to track the monster that had bolted away with all its might.
“I said find him and return it! No exceptions!”
Namgung Myung began grinding his teeth with frustration, losing his composure.
“Oh dear! Why are you yelling at someone else’s grandchild!”
It was not the type of situation Shin Noya would let slide without comment.
“Someone else’s grandchild? If one didn’t know better, they might think Shin Noya was your grandson!”
“You just picked up something that should have been thrown away!”
“What? Something meant to be discarded?”
“Just looking at it, it seems that brat doesn’t really care for you. If you hate him so much, just leave him be. Tsk tsk, you’re being foolish.”
“What do you know…!”
Oh boy, here we go again with the bickering.
The thought of this tedious argument re-sparking sent a surge of irritation through me.
“What do you mean you don’t know? Just looking at how the Namgung family is acting tells me everything I need to know.”
“…crunch.”
“I get that your descendants who set the foundations feel pity, but… As I mentioned earlier, for us, who have already passed away, getting entangled further would just be greed…”
“What do you know to talk like that?”
Namgung Myung’s voice shifted as he interrupted.
Until just now, he seemed to rant with raw emotion, but suddenly, his tone became subdued.
However, amidst that calm surfaced an anger that was enough to make anyone flinch instinctively.
“You can say that because the plum blossoms on the volcano still bloom brightly.”
“Myeong-ah.”
“After centuries, how can you show up now and speak? You know nothing of what had befallen us. Can you comprehend what I, ‘we’, felt throughout those long years?”
“…?”
At Namgung Myung’s frosty remarks, Shin Noya momentarily fell silent.
The frustration woven into his tone was palpable, practically suffocating the air.
“Everyone worked hard with their eyes set on the same goal. You did, and so did we. Yet…”
“Myeong…”
“Your volcano, which lay peacefully, is still falling, while those of us who volunteered to sacrifice ourselves are doomed. Is it your belief to simply spectate? Is attempting to arrest this downfall merely a selfish act?”
“…”
I gulped at Namgung Myung’s statements, realizing he wasn’t entirely wrong.
Reflecting on it, I couldn’t argue against his words.
Namgung Myung’s Namgung family seems to have forgotten the very essence of martial arts, leading to their gradual erosion.
The Tang Gate had rotted to the extent that they needed to plead for someone else to clean it up.
What about the Shaolin of Hwang-a-bul-yeong? In my humble opinion, their fate was no different.
Would the love song of Yeonilcheon fare any better? It had long since crumbled into history.
What then of the volcano?
Even in my previous life, right before I and Cheonma were to obliterate it, the volcano was known to be a strong, prestigious clan safeguarding Shaanxi.
The plum blossoms birthed from their swords remained stunning.
Was that the reason Shin Noya found himself at a loss for words?
“Awakening with my original belief and cursing me now. If that were the case, why didn’t you hurry and show up?”
Sharp words laced with mockery escaped his lips.
I could feel Namgung Myung’s fury.
“…So, you meant to avoid meeting me all along?”
“I had forgotten. I don’t recall why I have struggled to endure until now. Right now, all I seek is to reshape the twisted sword of the Namgung clan.”
The Blood Demon War that had never been conclusively settled, left behind for future resolution—
The marks and beliefs left behind to aid in that task.
Namgung Myung had all but declared to have forgotten it all.
Hearing those words, I pondered deeply.
Could I dare label him as selfish? I couldn’t.
Not one to commit to unreciprocated sacrifices, should I scorn someone who aims to mend his fractured lineage even now?
If it were me, I wouldn’t have made any sacrifices at all.
Yet…
“What about Noya?”
I deemed Noya’s perspective might differ.
The Shin Noya I had come to know, despite his exasperating demeanor, embodied the attributes of a true hero.
As I awaited Noya’s words with a tinge of worry, he finally stated,
“…I see.”
Was that a confirmation of Namgung Myung’s resolve?
While anticipating Noya to continue, he added,
“As expected, you aren’t a genius.”
“…!”
“What?”
Suddenly, Shin Noya threw out that unexpected statement. It felt like a repeat of previous banter.
What on earth did he mean?
Just as I was on the verge of questioning Noya in bewilderment, a sound outside the door interrupted my thoughts.
Knock, knock!
I had been so absorbed in the dialogue I hadn’t noticed someone approaching.
I focused my narrowed gaze towards the door.
“Who is it?”
Silence.
I called out again, but received no reply. Clearly, there was someone lurking outside.
‘What the…?’
Assuming there was no response, was it Nahi?
I had intended to ask Nahi something today.
If it were her, I knew she’d respond when called.
Then who could it be? Rising from my seat, I noticed a shadow. It was rather large—far too big for Nahi.
Then, could it be the righteous leader?
Creaaak.
With questions in my mind, I opened the door.
“…Huh…?”
I found myself freezing in place at the sight of the figure beyond the threshold.
A massive form clad in crimson armor adorned with golden patterns,
with signs of haste evident from the dust and disheveled mane of the black horse nearby.
And those fierce red eyes! It was a visage I couldn’t mistake.
Staring into his calm gaze directed at me, I blurted out without thinking,
“Lord…?”
“…”
Right.
Standing before me was none other than my father.
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