Chapter: 794
The first leader of Baekhwasangdan is a direct blood relative of the Gu clan.
I had to stand there, my body completely frozen at the words of the elder.
No reaction came easily.
From the start, I couldn’t fathom how to respond to that insane claim.
After stumbling over my words for a while, I finally managed to spit something out.
“What nonsense is that supposed to be?”
“Why doesn’t it make sense?”
“…You call that talking?”
Do you really not understand why that doesn’t make sense?
‘How could that be possible?’
If he is indeed a direct blood relative of the Gu clan… wouldn’t that make his relationship with Madam Mi very strange?
‘Madam Mi is from the Mi family, after all.’
If the first leader of the clan is related to the Gu family, then his surname would be different.
Of course.
‘I wouldn’t know about a son-in-law, but…’
Given how messy the relationship between father and daughter was, there was a chance that she took her mother’s surname.
But that’s fine; surnames don’t really matter.
The important thing is…
‘So what about his marriage to my father?’
That meant the two of them were blood relatives.
If they are direct blood relatives, then they wouldn’t be considered father and brother. This implies a relationship through the grandfather’s side.
‘Doesn’t that mean they are cousins?’
A significantly close relationship, indeed.
In fact, it could be a situation where they could even call each other family.
If, in that scenario, my father married Madam Mi and had children…
‘Is that okay?’
To my common sense, that was rather incomprehensible.
‘…somehow.’
As soon as I laid eyes on the first leader, I thought, “That old man seems a bit ill-tempered.”
Could that be because he’s from my family?
Could Madam Mi’s cold demeanor be a result of that?
It seems this family has some inescapable quirks.
Well, is it really that surprising?
‘It’s already a farcical family; what more is there to be surprised about?’
Since when has my family ever been normal?
Even while pondering that, I thought, ‘…If I’m not amazed by this, wouldn’t that mean I’m crazy?’
Right away, a contradiction popped into my head.
No, does any of this make sense?
No matter how much I tried to view it positively, it couldn’t possibly be logical.
Thus, while rolling my eyes in confusion about how I should digest this information, I heard…
“Your expression is quite something to behold.”
“…”
The elder snickered, and I found that genuinely irritating.
“No… Are you seriously laughing right now?”
“What else can I say when you’re making such a funny face while looking confused? You’re a total punk!”
What? What’s wrong with my face?
Although my heart was deeply wounded, what was more important was what the elder said next.
“It’s obvious what’s running through your head, but if you really think about it, it’s not so bad, so don’t worry too much about it.”
“If you really think about it, it’s not so bad?”
“Exactly.”
“…How is that?”
What do you mean by “how”? I asked, focused on the conversation.
“Hmm? I didn’t think the bet went that far….”
“…”
The elder just smiled and shut his mouth.
Damn it.
‘So you’re not planning to tell me, huh?’
What a ridiculous predicament. It was my mistake to believe even for a moment.
Regardless…
‘Is it really true that this old man belongs to the Gu family?’
If what the elder said is to be believed, then the first leader is indeed part of the Gu family.
If anything, he’s probably a brother of my grandfather.
If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be odd for him to bring up the Gu clan.
But still…
‘The fact that I didn’t know about any living direct blood relatives.’
It feels increasingly bizarre, especially considering the oddity that he hasn’t learned martial arts despite being a direct descendant. To be exact, he doesn’t seem to have any skills at all.
‘Is this a situation where I can just brush all that off?’
The elder seemed to know all this, yet he acted nonchalant about it.
Even if he has a laid-back personality, there should be a reason behind his reaction.
‘Yeah, if there were any problems, then the marriage wouldn’t have been possible to begin with…’
Even if the Gu clan isn’t a perfectly functioning family, they’re still a family.
Particularly, the power of the elders is weak, while my father has quite the strong position.
‘For that, my father must have a strong reason.’
If he made some huge blunder in his youth, it would certainly complicate things.
Marriage to the head of Baekhwasangdan? No matter how beneficial that might have seemed…
‘That seems a bit troublesome.’
A direct marriage is quite a complex issue. And yet, to be in this state…
‘As the elder said, perhaps there was a valid reason for it.’
If not…
‘Perhaps there are very few who know about this.’
It was also possible that I just didn’t have the information at hand. But…
‘From my perspective, it seems more like the former.’
The first possibility weighs heavier than the latter.
Having thought this much, I turned to the elder.
“Elder.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you realize you’re truly ridiculous?”
“What? What do you mean?”
The elder looked at me in disbelief, while I could only sigh at his expression.
‘…Who is really the ridiculous one here?’
At this point, it became quite clear to me.
This is why the elder was saying all this.
He must’ve truly lost the bet, and that’s why he wanted to inform me about it? Well, that wasn’t the entirety of it.
The old man is one of the direct descendants of the Gu family.
So, if he knows about the family secrets, that wouldn’t be surprising. Moreover…
‘…Since their family is just as chaotic as mine, just try to understand.’
The elder was explaining the situation to me under the guise of revealing a secret.
Whatever it was that the initial leader did, he wanted me to be a little understanding.
‘Hah.’
Anyway, he seems to have mastered the art of bothering people.
‘…Setting that aside.’
He’s a direct descendant of the Gu family.
I was surprised, but honestly, I didn’t care that much.
‘What’s the big deal?’
As I said before, I’ve known since I was little that my family has always been a mess.
‘The only difference might be…’
That Madam Mi and I might share some blood relation.
The distance suddenly feels a bit (?) closer.
But that’s probably as far as it goes.
There’s nothing more than that.
Moreover, what’s significant now is still…
“So, in the end, why did that gentleman come looking for me? Do you know why?”
“Ah-!”
Regarding why the elder was seeking me out, it grew even more bizarre hearing what he had to say. He most likely didn’t summon me to spill the family secrets.
‘If that were the case, we would’ve met in a past life.’
There’s no reason for him to be seeking me out now.
This means that my reputation has grown, and my name has spread widely across the Central Plains.
And that must have something to do with it reaching the ears of the earliest sect leader.
‘If the first leader heard about it and decided to take action, then this surely must be linked.’
There must be a connection between my climb in status and the decision of the first leader to act after hearing about it.
I need to be aware of that.
So, I inquired the elder about this.
“Hmm.”
“Why? Is this a question you don’t want to answer either?”
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to…”
The elder stroked his beard repeatedly as he responded.
“By the way, this question relates to the secret I was going to share with you.”
“…Yes?”
The secret he meant to tell me.
I pondered what he could be referencing, but it didn’t take long for the clues to align.
‘Oh right. That was also part of it.’
He said he would reveal the identity of the first leader along with a secret.
But how could that secret be tied to this situation?
As I was still trying to piece that together…
“The reason that old man called you, along with the secret, is this.”
“Yes?”
“Because he is overly fond of his daughter.”
“Excuse me?”
At that declaration, my expression twisted into confusion. What on earth is he saying?
“That guy. He’s an absolute doting father.”
“…?”
What a nonsensical answer that was.
After that, I returned to my quarters.
There was more to discuss, but the elder stated he wouldn’t reply any further and abruptly vanished, claiming he had someone to meet.
As always, he seemed like a truly breezy person.
I found myself a little envious. Perhaps living that freely could be worth emulating.
The elder mentioned he would be staying at the Gu residence, but would often drop by. I naturally told him not to come.
Not that he was the sort to actually heed that, but it was better to avoid him in this way.
Inside the quarters, I sat in an empty room, deep in thought.
The conversation with the first leader I had just before? The role of clan heads?
Or was it questions regarding Cheonma?
I wasn’t thinking about any of that.
Of course, that wasn’t of utmost importance, but none of my thoughts were going there.
‘What did I feel earlier?’
The sensations I experienced during the duel with the elder earlier.
Countless phenomena felt throughout my body amidst that floating sensation.
I was trying to recall that fleeting moment often referred to as enlightenment.
Martial artists tend to say that if one doesn’t capture the moment when enlightenment descends, it becomes a lifelong regret.
That implies it’s quite a rare and important occurrence.
‘…Hmm.’
I let that slip through my fingers.
Why did it visit me so suddenly right at that moment?
I’m uncertain if it was really enlightenment, but I believe it to be so.
No, I’m confident.
An instinctive assertion blossomed within me.
That feeling was definitely enlightenment. Thoughts and energy were signaling the same.
That’s why it’s even more regrettable.
‘If only I had grasped it.’
What could have happened had I managed to hold onto that enlightenment?
Surely something would have changed.
Wouldn’t it have unveiled a new world fitting the name of enlightenment?
While it seems far-fetched to hope for such miracles, you never really know.
Why on earth did that epiphany occur so unexpectedly in the first place?
‘I have no idea.’
Even with enlightenment often arriving without warning, it surely wouldn’t come without a reason.
Especially if it visited during sparring?
‘This is my first experience of this kind.’
It was something I had hardly encountered before.
I contemplated the possibilities.
‘…Could it be the white horse stone that caused this?’
The white horse stone I hastily consumed.
The resulting increase in energy and firepower—could that be the cause?
It might just be.
No, evaluating causes, that seems to be the only explanation.
‘…But what good does it do me now?’
As I’ve stated, it’s already too late.
If only I had swung my arms decisively then to catch the enlightenment.
‘The elder might’ve ended up seriously hurt.’
Thinking that way, it seems the enlightenment was one I would never grasp anyway.
So, it’s just a lament of missed opportunity.
‘Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue and gazed outside the window.
The sun was already setting.
The day was winding down with none of my plans accomplished, and just like that, time slipped away.
‘If this continues, tomorrow is going to be a bit annoying.’
My life has a tendency to tangle up at the slightest hitch, leading to further entanglement.
That’s somewhat concerning.
“Somehow, it’ll all work out…”
Once things pile up, it eventually becomes too bothersome at some point.
I’ll manage it somehow. If it’s something I can’t sort out immediately, my future self will take care of it.
So for now…
“Let’s go check on the kids first.”
When I’m feeling exhausted and drained, I prefer to fill my mind with pleasant thoughts. With that mindset, I moved and stepped outside.
Having resolved my stuffiness through sparring with the elder, I aimed to disperse any lingering discomfort with joyous endeavors. I thought about that as I rose.
Walking with a tired, furrowed brow, I might have been weary enough that my focus was waning.
Consequently, I didn’t notice…
Whoosh whoosh.
For some reason, sparks flared up along my moving back.
Moreover…
“Speak up!”
“Urgh… Ugh…”
Tomorrow, I…
“Bark a little louder, you little rascal!”
The fact that one of the shareholders would meet a dreadful end!
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