Chapter: 793
Shanxi is the leading family of the Flame Arts.
This has been the case from the time the Gu family first appeared in the Central Plains until now.
The head of the Gu family and all direct descendants have utilized the Flame Arts.
It’s a threefold evolution that ignites flames using Qi.
At first glance, this might look similar to the martial arts of the Gu family, but fundamentally, they are different.
They were a family that existed in the Central Plains, spearheaded by generations of Flame Arts practitioners.
That was the Shanxi family.
However.
‘Not every Gu descendant uses the Flame Arts.’
While the essence is that the family’s base is Flame Art, not every blood relative is capable of using it.
Only those of direct lineage, the clan head’s own descendants, can store the Nine Flames Wheel Technique within their dantian.
Those who are not from this main line have learned other deep techniques apart from the Nine Flames Wheel Technique.
The deep techniques they practiced were divided among various schools, yet they all shared the commonality of dealing with heat.
Whether it was to enhance physical abilities by containing heat within the body or using it in swordsmanship, they managed to apply other techniques even if they couldn’t use Flame Arts.
There were some who trained to such extremes that they were able to generate strength equivalent to that of the direct lineage of the main family.
A prime example is the former Elder Gu Chang-jun.
Additionally, there was the old man currently bristling with anger.
“Hoo-wup!”
The current Elder.
Gu Ryun.
He too was no exception.
Kuaaaaaaaa—!!!
The old man’s strike flipped the ground upside down.
The sound and impact were tremendous, as if to demonstrate the force of his blow.
Moreover.
Bang-! Bang-bang-! KWAANG-!!
Not only was the destructive power immense, but the speed was also impressive.
‘Wow.’
I silently admired, dodging the punch.
‘The old man still holds up well.’
I understood that the Elder had reached Hwagyeong.
How could I not know?
He probably was at Hwagyeong before I was even born.
Let alone, in the Gu family, the position of Elder can only be filled by direct blood relatives.
Only the head of the Guseonmun sect could assume the Elder’s role without being a direct descendant.
That elder had broken all rules to rise to the position.
This meant one thing.
It indicated that he held considerable influence within the Gu clan.
Moreover, it meant he was strong enough to wield such influence.
Chi-iiik—!!
Steam was visibly rising from the Elder’s body.
As the steam was rapidly released, his skin began to turn a shade of red.
Simultaneously, the weight of the Qi around us shifted.
I squinted my eyes at the rough sensation.
Whoosh-!!
At that moment, a fist appeared right before my face.
I turned my head to evade the attack.
Then I twisted my waist.
My body spun swiftly, using that momentum to power my foot.
Bam-!
My leg struck directly at the Elder’s abdomen.
The shocked Elder staggered back slightly.
At that moment.
Crack-!
“Eh?”
The Elder suddenly grasped a nearby tree and uprooted it in one swift motion.
‘Crazy.’
How can he pull a tree out so easily, like digging out something from a field?
What’s more.
Whooooosh-!
The Elder swung the massive tree toward me with tremendous force.
The tree was gigantic, but his strength made it fly toward me at an incredible speed.
It was apparent that there would be a considerable force behind it.
It was tricky to avoid. If it came down to this.
‘It would be better to break it instead.’
As soon as I formed that thought, I filled my hand with energy and swung.
I intended to smash that old tree with my fist.
Crunch-!!
‘What?’
Just as I suspected, the punch shattered the old tree. But the real issue was.
‘No aura is circulating?’
There was no sign of any power surrounding that old tree. That’s when I realized.
‘Oh no.’
It was a trap set by the Elder.
The tree, breaking apart so easily, threw my balance off.
Splinters of wood flew through the air.
Through the scattered debris.
Chi-iiik—!
A familiar sound of steam whooshed in as a colossus barreled toward me.
It was the Elder, his muscles expanded as he charged.
He swung his massive fist in my direction.
The situation had crumbled. There was no way to dodge now.
I raised my arms in a last-ditch defense.
Crack-! Boom!!
“…!”
The impact was greater than I had anticipated, sending my body reeling back.
Ge-ge-geek-!
I braced myself against the ground to counter the recoil.
Once I barely managed to stop myself.
“…Hah.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the pain in my hand.
“Isn’t this a bit much?”
I asked in disbelief, as the old man in front nodded his head.
“What do you mean?”
As if trying to test my patience.
“I expected you to show some restraint. You really went all out, didn’t you?”
My arm felt numb to the core, hardly able to function.
It was impossible for this kind of ache to occur without a serious hit.
‘My protective aura was wrecked.’
I had covered myself in defenses only for the Elder’s punch to shatter them in an instant.
What a situation…
“They called this etiquette training. If I get hit twice, I might not survive.”
Hmph.
Thump-! Thump-!
Even as he kicked his feet lightly, I could feel the vibrations.
Clearly, I was the one taking the beatings, yet the old man had a discontented look.
What could the matter be?
With a strange vibe washing over me, I silently observed the Elder.
“Yangcheon, you’re the one making a fool of me.”
The Elder frowned as he addressed me.
“What did I do?”
“The old man is sweating buckets here. How could you not put forth the effort?”
“…”
Come on.
Hearing the Elder’s words, I chuckled awkwardly.
‘…Looks like I’m not fooling anyone?’
I’d tried to avoid attacking if I could.
The Elder seemed to have figured that out long ago.
That’s probably why he didn’t seem pleased with me.
But.
‘I can’t help it.’
Truthfully, I had no other option.
‘I knew what could happen to me if I went too hard on the Elder.’
I still hadn’t mastered controlling my powers.
If I launched a counterattack now, I couldn’t foresee the outcome for myself.
Because of that, I hadn’t gone for a counterattack and had been somewhat reckless with my evasions.
Tsk tsk tsk.
The Elder clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
“You don’t seem to be maturing. You’ve turned into a dried squid since our last meeting.”
“Dried… what now?”
“What’s got you so worried that you’re hesitating this much?”
“…”
“Is it possible that this old man can’t withstand a little strike from his grandson?”
I couldn’t respond.
“If that’s the case, it’s a pointless worry.”
Chi-iiik—!!!
The steam emanating from the Elder’s body thickened even further.
“I am Gu Ryun of the Flame Arts.”
The heat pouring from him enveloped the area.
“You’ve been acclaimed as a king and recognized as a hero. You’re up in the clouds, it seems.”
Boom–!!!
Gradually, the Elder’s physique began mixing steam with energy, his presence growing ever more imposing.
“I am no weakling who cannot discipline his grandson, let alone show him any technique.”
“No, that’s not it… Uh.”
I was stuck in a dilemma.
For some reason, the Elder showed no signs of retreating.
‘If communication is this difficult, wouldn’t my best bet be to escape?’
If we can’t talk this out, shouldn’t I just run away?
That idea popped into my head as I reached this point.
I had fled every time the Elder came to spar, so why wouldn’t it be the same this time?
‘But it feels different.’
In the past, I would flee because I couldn’t win and didn’t want to fight.
This time was the complete opposite.
I didn’t want to fight in a situation I couldn’t control.
A situation where I didn’t want to inflict any injuries either.
So, just as I was about to ponder an escape plan.
“From your expression, it seems you’re thinking about running away again.”
“…”
I was caught red-handed.
“…That’s not true.”
“Yangcheon.”
“Y-yes…?”
“Since when did you start fearing a brawl with me, your elder?”
“Isn’t it wrong for people to fight like that?”
“Hehehe.”
The Elder burst into laughter at my words.
“Just yesterday, on my way here, I saw a yellow dog.”
“Why are we suddenly talking about dogs?”
“That dog… if it saw you now, what do you think it would bark at you?”
“…How am I supposed to know?”
“I’m sure it’ll suggest you stop being such an idiot.”
“…”
“Even the neighborhood dog would say the same thing if it heard you.”
“No, I mean….”
“One, he may be a bit simple, but he’s still my grandson. I have to help him.”
The Elder interrupted, moving his jaw.
With each shift, a sound echoed from my neck.
“I’ll give you a reason.”
“…Are you suggesting there’s some justification?”
“Yep. If you manage to beat me… how about I give you a gift?”
A gift? I furrowed my brow at the unexpected suggestion.
“What kind of gift are you referring to?”
“There was that cunning old man who came looking for you earlier, right?”
This likely referred to the story about the first leader.
“You asked a question about him, didn’t you? What did he do?”
“…”
“I’m going to tell you that.”
“…!”
I widened my eyes instantly at the Elder’s words.
“And, I will also disclose a secret about that old man.”
“…What do you mean? Please don’t tell me you’re about to reveal that he is the first leader of Baekhwasangdan or something similar.”
“What kind of absurd talk is that? Do you think I’m that petty?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“…Of course, I don’t think so.”
I figured it would be so, so I’m relieved to hear that’s the case.
Anyway.
“If you’re prepared then, Yangcheon.”
I looked into the Elder’s eyes again at his call.
“Even though I’ve offered you this reason, you still plan to disregard me?”
Taking a moment to collect myself after hearing the question.
“I think there may be a misunderstanding here.”
Woooooo–!
My heart was gradually filling with strength.
Suddenly my body’s energy began to spread throughout my body.
As the heat rose, my body slowly became revitalized.
Feeling this, I kept conversing with the Elder.
“I’ve never disrespected you, Elder.”
Yes, not even once.
In all my years, I have never disrespected an elder.
Sure, I cursed under my breath a few times… but I’ve never shown disrespect.
This held true once more.
‘This isn’t disrespect… if anything specific can be called that.’
It’s concern.
This sounded embarrassing to admit, but it was the truth.
It was a genuine word from my heart towards the Elder.
“I don’t understand why you, at your age, continue to put yourself through this much trouble.”
“Huh? What nonsense is this…”
Suddenly, the Elder’s eyes widened.
Sszzzz–!!!
He unleashed the power hidden within.
When he threw open the energy that was being contained, the trapped strength broke free, flowing with elegance along his shoulders.
As I anticipated.
‘He’s taking it up a notch.’
It was much more than what I had hoped for.
As a result, the speed with which it infiltrated my body was rapid, but the cost-effectiveness was nowhere near ideal.
“…Hahaha…”
Given what I was witnessing, the Elder let out a chuckle.
I was surprised, but what about the Elder? His look conveyed disbelief.
I asked, watching him.
“Elder, do you have any intention of stopping now?”
“What?”
His laughter deepened at my last question.
“Stop talking nonsense and just come at me. As I said earlier.”
The Elder’s massive fist was aimed squarely at me.
“I am Gu Ryun of the Flame Arts.”
“…Yes, I got that.”
Stubborn as ever.
Seeing that Elder, I sighed before speaking up.
“Elder, I must reiterate, I’m sincerely struggling to control my strength right now—.”
The moment I spoke, something formed before my eyes.
It was similar to before—all too familiar. It was the Elder’s fist.
But.
‘That’s different.’
There was indeed a marked difference this time: the Elder’s fist appeared to move much slower than before.
The speed of perception had shifted.
Accordingly, my body’s response speed had also adjusted.
Whoosh–!
Bang–!!
When I evaded the blow, a wave surged through the air.
Then, I dove right into the Elder’s arms.
“…Hah!”
The Elder quickly altered his approach.
He had already committed his punch; it was too late to retract. He utilized his lower body to try to regain his form, but at that moment, my fist had already made contact with the Elder.
Thump–.
A brief moment of contact.
It may have looked trivial on the surface.
But.
Wooooow—!!
“Cough…!?”
The follow-through of shock jolted the Elder’s body.
A forceful gust blew, sending him spiraling back.
An Elder sent hurtling a significant distance.
I took merely one step forward after seeing that.
Tap.
With my feet leaving the ground, I found myself behind the Elder in a flash.
“Wow!!”
The Elder gasped in surprise as he witnessed my movements.
Simultaneously, he twisted his upper body and continued his barrage.
It mirrored what had transpired before.
His fist was powerful, and given the bulging muscles at play, the speed was equally swift.
Yet.
I was just a bit faster.
Thud! Crack!
I whipped my hands through the air, repelling his attacks as if they were mere strands of silk.
My senses warned me of every attack by the Elder.
The velocity made it rather easy to deflect them with slight motions.
“Hahahaha—!”
The sharp laughter of the Elder hammered into my ears.
What on earth found such glee in this tumult?
Chi-iiik—!!!
Steam erupted, clouding my view.
This was clearly intentional. Because the steam itself emerged from my Qi, my sense went momentarily clouded.
Shhhh—!
At that moment when my view was obscured.
From within the veil of steam, the Elder’s fist shot out.
Seizing upon my moment of inattention, his fist was about to land squarely on my face.
Snap—!
“…!!”
Unfortunately, the Elder’s punch wasn’t able to fulfill its intent.
My hand snatched his wrist and halted it in its tracks.
I could feel how intense the heat emanating from his body was just by gripping his wrist.
I could also tell he genuinely meant to engage me in earnest.
“….”
As I processed that, I clenched my fist.
Thump—!
The fiery currents thrummed in sync with my heart, shaking fiercely.
A massive energy coalesced in the fist as strength was drawn within.
Snatch!
A flame flickered at the edges of my fingers.
No deep contemplation was required here.
The energy was amassed; I merely needed to release it.
Wooooow—!
With the tremors, my fist advanced forward.
It felt fluid, as if it had been waiting for just that moment. It moved with a grace, as if some force was guiding me.
What is this?
A peculiar sensation swept across my mind.
This feeling.
Somehow, it felt subtly different from the norm.
It was as if I were elevated—my movements strayed from their usual path.
Not just the actions, the power imbued within felt markedly distinct.
It was as if I were possessed by the energy itself.
Could this be enlightenment?
Was I experiencing a moment of realization while battling the Elder?
I had no idea what this insight pertained to, but I recognized that it was distinct from anything I had felt.
My instincts beckoned me.
“You must remember this feeling!”
A sensation akin to being weightless, yet utterly natural—a sensation as if anything is within my grasp.
“Remember this!”
To achieve that, I had to hold onto this sensation firmly.
I needed to cement that feeling while accurately completing my motion.
I knew better than anyone how crucial this was.
“….”
I adjusted the angle of my extended hand.
My fist veered past the Elder’s chest and burrowed into the empty space at his side.
Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!
An explosion of flames erupted forth.
The Gu Flame Wheel Technique.
Blue flames burst forth, engulfing the surroundings.
The flames were significantly more monstrous than usual, yet surprisingly, this time, they didn’t disturb the terrain.
They merely blazed brightly.
I inhaled deeply as I eyed the shimmering blue flames.
“….”
It wasn’t as if my breath had come in sharp gulps.
While the Qi had rushed out almost instantaneously, it was hardly overwhelming.
However, the cause for my labored breathing did not stem from any physical exertion.
‘I missed the moment.’
I felt like I had let something slip by. That breath. That sensation from moments ago.
I had let an instant slip through my fingers. The emptiness that came with that realization surged in.
‘…Should I have held on tighter?’
That fleeting moment might not return. Wasn’t it a considerable loss to have let it pass?
Such thoughts echoed through my mind.
Yet, in the end.
‘I can’t help it.’
It was unavoidable.
That didn’t mean I could genuinely strike the Elder directly.
“Ah….”
At that point, my mind kicked back into gear; thinking back, I realized this wasn’t the right time.
“Elder—”
I quickly scanned for the Elder, who was staring at me with a dazed expression.
‘Uh-oh.’
His face bore an expression of considerable shock.
Even with that, had I gone too far? While I did tell him to go all out, did he ultimately cross the line?
I observed the Elder’s mood with trepidation.
“Ha-.”
“Ha?”
“Hahahahahaha—!!”
“…?”
Out of nowhere, the Elder erupted into loud, hearty laughter.
“This kid! This kid!”
Just as always, the Elder went on to rumple my hair in exasperation.
“Truly remarkable! Absolutely phenomenal—!!”
“…Uh, wait a minute…”
“Hahaha—!!”
Far from being startled, he appeared utterly elated.
What on earth could this mean?
Perhaps he took a hit to the head by accident? Surely, he had swung and missed but…?
For now, I had to induce the Elder to stop before I got too exhausted from being shaken about.
“…No, just stop now.”
“Well done.”
“…”
“You’ve done great.”
Hearing that caused me to freeze in place.
“You’ve come this far, how hard must you have worked?”
The thoughts I meant to say were swallowed, but the hand that I meant to swat away remained.
Tap. Tap.
Amid the sound of the flames still consuming themselves.
I realized, amidst the fleeting moments when I had forgotten the mundane, again why I could never act recklessly toward the Elder.
“Well done, my grandson. I’m proud of you.”
“…”
The sole person throughout my life who ever praised me.
That person was solely the Elder.
And that realization hit me all at once.
Just after I gave an enthusiastic hair shake.
It didn’t take long for things to unwind.
“Hahahaha this kid—!!”
Naturally, even afterward, the Elder couldn’t rein in his laughter.
Could it be that he didn’t feel insulted by having lost to me?
No, at this point, it felt like he genuinely relished it.
For reasons unknown, he kept patting my back with zeal—now reaching my limit.
“If this keeps up, my back might just burst.”
“Ah, right! It seems the old man got carried away in his elation.”
“What exactly is causing this surge of joy?”
“Hmmm?”
Having crossed all bounds of power controls, and managing to take a win, I figured this should be a moment of frustration in the Elder’s mind.
“How could I not feel delighted?”
The Elder’s sentiments seemed awfully dissimilar from mine.
“I see you, my little grandson, have grown so much! I can’t help but revel in this fact.”
Let’s be real; I’m not his grandson.
I was about to argue that point, but I just sealed my lips. I recognized that now wasn’t the time for such discussions.
“Yangcheon, what about you?”
“What do you mean…?”
“After moving, don’t you feel clearer of mind than before?”
“…”
Clearly clearer of mind.
‘Well….’
I honestly could not tell.
My tangled thoughts hadn’t evaporated, and it wasn’t like taking this little outing would resolve much.
“It has provided some help.”
At least it felt better than it did moments ago.
Not a bad experience overall; as I nodded, a thought hit me abruptly.
‘Wait… just hold on.’
With a sudden flash, a thought crossed my mind.
“…Elder.”
“Hmm?”
“I just wanted to double-check.”
“Go ahead, ask.”
“Were you perhaps doing this on purpose all along?”
Looking into the Elder’s eyes, I queried. He had initiated the spar under the facade of training but seemed more thrilled about my growth than anything else.
At this moment, he was merely checking whether I was alright.
That suggested…
“…From the very beginning, you intended to let me off to boost my spirits….”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“…”
The Elder smiled slyly, which reaffirmed my confidence in my thoughts.
For some reason, he wanted a fight.
‘This Elder?’
Ridiculous.
Why would a person of his age resort to such foolishness?
I began to express this incredulity but…
“Elder….”
“Ah, speaking of which, we had a wager, didn’t we?”
The Elder interrupted me smoothly.
“Consistently, I lost. Guess I’ll inform you as promised.”
“…”
The wager.
It was the condition he had confrontationally posed me during our duel.
When I managed to win against him…
‘I think he mentioned revealing the identity of the first leader and one of his secrets.’
That was something I had been intrigued about.
What exactly was that old man, the first leader, saying about Gu’s affairs, knowing seemingly everything?
What secrets could he possess?
There was that curiosity in the back of my mind.
‘…However, being something the Elder stated, it probably wouldn’t craftily be very useful.’
There were other matters that needed my attention as well. I wanted to conclude this first.
“That’s not what’s crucial right—”
“That Elder was originally part of the Gu family. He was, in fact, a direct descendant just like you.”
“Hold on, you keep… what now?”
I paused in astonishment as his words sank in.
“…Pardon?”
This was indeed nothing but madness I had never heard before.
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