Chapter: 502
I swallowed hard as I looked into the deep red eyes staring at me.
A solid body and a size much larger than mine.
A man with dark features and the fierce eyes characteristic of the Gu family.
The current owner of the household and the person I had the most difficulty with was standing right in front of me.
Guardian of Shanxi.
Hohyeop Gu Cheol-un. He was my father.
‘Why is my father here?’
I’m confused. Why is this guy here? Why is the person who should be in Shanxi in Sichuan?
‘Are you here for a trip…?’
Even though I know it can’t be true, I can’t help but think about it. The appearance of my father was that unfamiliar and strange.
My father looks down at me with an expressionless face.
Looking at my father’s face like that, I barely managed to ask him a question.
“… Why are you here?”
“…”
At my question, my father frowned slightly and looked me over. I felt like that gaze was quite intense.
My father, who had been looking at me like that for a while, soon broke his silence and spoke to me.
“… I saw the letter. I heard something happened at the Tang Dynasty. Is that true?”
“…!”
I opened my eyes in surprise at my father’s words. I was shocked to hear that he had seen a letter stating that I had been wronged.
‘… It’s already arrived?’
It was a few days ago that I heard from Nahi that the Tang family had sent a letter.
The messenger arrives quickly. It’s understandable that it’s fast since it’s not a normal bird but a monster.
If it is said that the direct seal of the party is engraved on it, only the governor or my father can see it.
Even if the governor sees it, he has to tell my father, so in the end, my father will see it.
But…
‘Then… how is your father here?’
No matter how fast the letter went, it was a different story for my father to have seen it and be here.
‘… That means you came from Shanxi to Sichuan in just a few days.’
It’s a distance that would take several months to travel by carriage alone.
It came in just a few days?
What… did you fly here?
‘No, even if it flies, that’s a problem.’
Based on my previous life, flying wasn’t really a problem for me.
If you have enough energy, it’s not all that difficult to use the heat you give off to float your body.
But thinking about using that ability to get from Shanxi to Sichuan, it was…
‘Impossible.’
Reflecting on my energy levels back then, it would take at least seven days and nights.
Even in a scenario where I used everything up to run.
If I factor that in based on now, it’d probably take around two weeks. The speed may be faster than before with some compression and rotation involved.
It would still take that long due to the land issues and my energy levels.
But, my father’s presence here ultimately means…
‘… He must have covered that ground in record time. This is absurd.’
Does that even make sense? It was a situation that I couldn’t understand, even with the evidence right in front of me.
“So… you’re saying you just came here after seeing the letter?”
“…”
I asked my father if that was really true, but he didn’t give me a clear answer. I watched, wondering why he was acting this way.
My father’s rough hand suddenly grabbed my cheek.
“Gah…?”
His hands were so big that he could easily hold my entire face in one hand.
He moved it around like it was a ball, and I couldn’t even protest pathetically.
My father, fiddling with my face as if it were clay, lowered his already low voice and asked me.
“Who made you look like this?”
Ah.
I wondered why, but it seemed to be about my face.
‘… Oh, I forgot.’
I’ve been forgetting what my face looks like these days.
Since my recovery is pretty good, I knew it would be gone in a few days anyway.
I wasn’t particularly worried about it.
Honestly, I never expected to see my father again like this.
At that moment.
“Third.”
“Yes…?”
“I asked who did this to you. Is it the people from the Tang family?”
“Uh… No…? It’s nothing to worry about….”
“Speak.”
Kook.
Gah!
Suddenly, his fingers tightened around my cheek.
For some reason, my father seemed a bit angry. Looking into his eyes felt like facing the consequences of rolling down the stairs. I don’t think I can talk my way out of this again…
So, does that mean I have to tell him?
After hesitating for a moment, I decided to just spill the beans.
“… It was Pajeon.”
“…”
When my father heard my answer, his eyebrows twitched.
Pajeon was responsible for this mess.
As I said that, my father’s hand that had been gripping my cheek loosened and withdrew.
I reflected on this revelation.
The fact that my blood relative had turned out like this means my father would want to handle it seriously, keeping the dignity of the clan in mind.
But probably, if it’s Pajeon, my father will let it slide.
In reality, since Pajeon has been my teacher with my father’s permission, it wouldn’t be fitting for my father to reprimand a mentor who was merely cracking the whip on a disciple for training’s sake.
As I pondered this, I glanced at my father.
His silence lingered for a few seconds as if he were deep in thought.
“I guess I should send a letter.”
He finally exhaled those words.
“Yes…? A letter?”
“It’ll take at least two days before I should come back.”
“…What’s with the suddenness?”
He started spouting some cryptic nonsense and then turned around to leave.
I stood there stunned, struck by confusion at his unannounced entrance and now abrupt exit.
“I will return at the hour of the pig, so be prepared.”
I heard my father saying he’d come back tonight.
“What do you mean by prepare…?”
I asked for clarification, and my father tilted his head slightly to look at me.
When I gazed into his bloodshot eyes, I felt an involuntary shiver.
“Prepare to explain the things that aren’t written in the letter. Do it.”
“…!”
I swallowed hard at his words.
“What’s up with your condition? What were you doing here? Explain this to me.”
“…”
After delivering that line, my father turned his head away and continued walking.
Poof!
In an instant, he transformed into a spark and vanished right before me.
Suddenly, the heat around me dissipated, and the minor pressure lifted.
Only then did I realize.
‘So this was my father’s influence….’
The reason the temperature was elevated around here and why I was feeling so tense was all because of my father.
Moreover, I finally understood why my body was so stiff.
‘… Is he angry?’
It seemed my father was quite annoyed.
If it was that visibly obvious, he must be seriously pissed.
‘And besides… I’ve been completely found out.’
The form I was hiding using transformation techniques.
My father also figured out that I was attempting something at the Tang Clan.
The meaning behind what my father just said started to sink in.
It was straightforward: he wanted an explanation about what was happening, but the implication behind it couldn’t be missed.
-I’m showing up to scold you later tonight, so you better brace yourself.
That had to be it.
Hmm….
Nodding in agreement, I acknowledged it was game over.
‘This is a disaster.’
No matter how I look at it, this is a major crisis.
Should I just take off now? That might actually be a better option.
[What a pitiful sight it would be to run away because you’re afraid of your dad’s scolding!]
Shin Noya interjected as if he found the situation ludicrous.
From where I stood, there was nothing more terrifying than this.
‘Noya, how about you play the role of my father’s son and see how that goes? Why not be all brave about it?’
Seriously, how on earth did he manage to come here this quickly?
I couldn’t comprehend how he had arrived in such a short time.
[That’s not that weird.]
‘Not weird…?’
Isn’t it bizarre that a distance typically taking months by carriage was crossed in just a few days?
As I grimaced at the outrageous assertion, Noya lowered his voice to explain.
[Even in our day, that was the case. Right now…. Even that guy Jemun, who was physically lacking… uh, I mean, that guy managed seven days and nights back and forth as if it were nothing.]
‘…’
Traveling from Sichuan to Shanxi in only seven days and nights? Noya sometimes reminisced about the era he lived in.
Each time I heard his stories, I found them hard to take seriously.
It was referred to as the Age of Despair, just a few years post the appearance of the Demonic Scriptures.
The Blood Demon War and its chaos happened around that time.
People often remarked about that era as a time of hopelessness.
[Yeah, it’s understandable that it seems unbelievable.]
Perhaps it was the underlying sorrow that made him sound so heavy-hearted.
‘No… I’m not saying I don’t believe it.’
[It makes sense to be skeptical. This world is bound to be that way. Rather, it’s a world that was designed to be so.]
‘Huh?’
I felt compelled to raise a brow at the puzzling tone underlying Noya’s words.
What did he mean when he said the world was “crafted” like that?
Simply boasting about how remarkable they were back then would not justify that ominous atmosphere.
What was it about? Why was Noya giving off such a vibe?
Could this be the subtle cause for my ongoing feelings of intimidation towards Noya lately?
Just as I was working out my thoughts while waiting for him to open up…
[This has always perturbed me.]
Eventually, Noya continued.
[The quality of warriors in this era is significantly lower compared to our times. I found that puzzling.]
‘… Lower quality, you say?’
[Without a doubt, the strengths of the later warriors appear far superior to what I encountered in my own days.]
The era of meteors.
It was a time when a host of exceptional individuals emerged, regarded as the era of hope.
But…
[Yet, the peak level of warriors here is depressingly low.]
When we speak of warriors reaching their prime, we’re not talking about the young elite at their physical peak.
Most warriors who began training before ten tend to follow this path while mostly being over forty.
If they hit their capacity for talent and are mired in mediocrity, that’s when they typically start to embody insights gained through practice.
If they advance past their peak, that’s usually when their skills begin to blossom.
‘Are you saying their levels are low?’
I had trouble accepting what Noya said.
The masters I had encountered were undeniably impressive.
I mean, just before this, there was that odd being, and what about the Three Lords?
As I contemplated Noya’s statements in light of them…
[It’s low.]
Even within that pause, Noya emphatically declared.
[This isn’t a reflection of martial art levels. Rather, the issue lies in the paltriness of the strengths they possess compared to their skill levels.]
‘… Paltriness?’
[Exactly. Whether they call themselves kings or esteemed ones, they are infinitely weaker than their titles suggest.]
As Noya spoke, his voice was thick with uncontainable melancholy.
[Initially, I pondered it might have just been a coincidence. Perhaps they had lost sight of martial arts’ essence, causing their intensity to dwindle. But thinking back, isn’t it odd that not just one or two, but the entire cadre of warriors has degraded?]
As Noya spoke carefully, I felt a chill creeping up my spine.
My stomach churned uneasily as I swallowed hard.
Through the age of Noya and into what’s now dubbed the era of peace, the reason behind the sudden decline in warrior quality from his perspective calls attention. Also, it explained the bitterness that lingered in Noya’s tone.
There was something nagging me about this, but I pushed it aside.
If that indeed were the case, we would face more than a few colossal issues.
I silently wished Noya would assure me that it wasn’t so.
With that apprehension stirring, I reached out to Shin Noya.
‘Noya, are you saying….’
[Kiddo.]
‘Yes?’
[Remember what Ilcheon said during our last encounter?]
‘… During our encounter?’
What Noya was referring to seemed to be when we crossed paths at Shinryukan.
‘Was it something Ilcheon said back then?’
I recalled Ilcheon treating me with disdain, almost threatening to end me.
I couldn’t quite remember it, continuing to mull over it, until Shin Noya provided the answer.
[The world never makes the same mistake twice.]
That’s right.
Ilcheon had indeed said that.
So now I find myself scouring countless worlds for a bitter truth… and the Blood Demon echoed the same idea.
‘Huh?’
Suddenly, as Noya spoke, a thought flitted through my mind.
It was such a dreadful thought.
‘Noya, don’t tell me you’re suggesting…?’
I called eagerly to Noya, wide-eyed, hoping for a denial.
[Jemun just told me.]
But…
[Right after we sealed the Blood Demon… the very first act of the world was…]
As always.
[To lay a curse on the “humans” of this realm.]
Nothing has ever gone according to my hopes in life.
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