Chapter 92: Preparation (1)
It was a bitterly cold winter.
I could feel the chill of the frozen ground seeping through my knees as I knelt.
The faces of those standing around me were obscured by shadows, but I could tell what kind of gazes were trained upon me.
Was it pity? Sympathy?
No…
There was nothing—just a profound sense of numbness.
Among all those unfeeling stares, I focused only on the face of the woman before me.
Tears flowed continuously from her eyes, while her trembling hands caressed my cheek.
I could not utter a word.
I could only look at her with empty eyes.
“I’m sorry…”
I couldn’t grasp the meaning behind the apology that escaped her lips.
Sorry for what?
What could she possibly be apologizing for?
“Mom is sorry…”
She repeated those sorrowful words, her voice shaking with grief.
Still, I couldn’t say a thing.
I silently wondered what expression my father held as he stood beside me.
I couldn’t bring myself to look up.
If I did, it would surely shatter me into pieces.
Or perhaps I had already been shattered, back then…
“…Let go now.”
Father’s cold voice rang like a distant echo.
My mother’s hand, which had been gently caressing my cheek, slowly descended with his command.
“…I’m sorry.”
The same damned words stabbed at my heart.
Whose guilt was this?
Snow started to fall.
I began to tremble, my body shaking from the chill.
The outer garment my mother had draped over me was swept away by the biting wind, yet no one seemed to care.
This was the first time I had truly experienced such coldness in my life.
Not merely from the season, but a sense of ice that crept in from within.
I finally understood that this was far more terrifying than any cold brought by wintry winds.
“Preparations?”
“It is all ready, sir.”
After those few exchanged words, my mother bowed her head solemnly.
Watching this scene unfold, I finally turned and asked my father.
“…Why?”
I couldn’t dare to gaze into his eyes.
Yet, I could sense that he was indeed looking at me.
“…Why are you showing me something like this?”
I was utterly lost.
Why did I have to witness this?
Why must I see my mother’s tears?
I had no clue.
Nor did I want to know or understand.
“What is it that you want from me…?”
“What I want from you?”
Father’s icy voice crashed down upon me.
What emotions lay concealed within that tone of his?
Was it anger?
Yet it was too calm for that.
Was it sadness?
But his voice was so dry, one wouldn’t dare call it that.
“Nothing.”
Without realizing it, my gaze shot up to meet his eyes as he offered that emotionless reply.
“I want nothing from you. Just stay alive, and that will be enough.”
His words fell like a sudden gust.
With those lines spoken in a cold, detached tone, a frigid chill coursed through me, suffocating my heart.
The stares that had been fixated on me shifted.
“Open.”
With that simple command and a small gesture, a massive door emerged behind my mother, tearing the air apart.
The door that appeared with swirling winds radiated a deep crimson aura—an unsettling stench intertwined within the breeze.
“What is…?”
Confusion and fear welled up inside me, but just then, my mother carefully grasped my hand.
I looked at her with trembling eyes, but her head was lowered, obscuring her face.
“…Take care of Ryunghwa.”
“Mom…?”
I was reluctant to set her free.
I wanted to demand where she was going—why she had to leave us behind.
But before I could ask, it was too late. I reached out with desperation, but the moment the door’s aura brushed past her, her form began to fade away.
“N… No! Mom!”
I flailed, my body moving instinctively to grasp her, but was shoved back by my father’s forceful hand.
I struggled to rush back, anything to stop her, but in that fleeting moment, the door snapped shut.
The spot where my mother had been sitting was empty—nothing remained except an echo of her presence.
As if she had never existed.
“Why… Just why?”
How could you do this to us?
I cried out in anguish, yet still, my father didn’t cast a single glance my way.
I didn’t want his love.
I already knew he was incapable of such emotions, so I was okay with that.
I didn’t want anything from him; my young heart was already overwhelmed trying to protect what little I had.
“…Why…! Why, why! Why!!”
I charged at him, pouring all my strength into my blows, hitting him as though he were a wall.
It ought to have hurt him, but it didn’t.
Yet, if I didn’t retaliate even this much, I felt like I would lose my mind.
Eventually, my arms lost their strength, and as the Qi drained from me, father spoke again in that same cold tone.
“Are you satisfied?”
It seemed there wasn’t a trace of emotion in that voice of his.
Upon hearing those words, I crumpled to the ground.
Darkness engulfed my vision.
In that moment, I realized.
This is despair.
As I lay there in the depths of this wretched emotion, tears streamed down my face, mingling with my heavy breaths.
Father walked past my collapsed figure, as if I was nothing to him, and spoke softly.
“Follow me, I have something to show you.”
Those words spilled from his lips like an order more than anything else.
My body was already being dragged away against my will.
I could no longer think nor did I wish to.
All I desired was to remain forever ensconced in this darkness that now enveloped my existence.
However, as if to prove that the horror I had witnessed was merely the beginning, I was led into the basement of the Gu Clan.
In that place, I finally understood what the Gu Clan truly was.
Why it had been formed and what we were meant to do here.
Father told me that this was our fate—the fate of our clan.
I realized then, on that dark winter night.
That the remainder of my life would undoubtedly be a living hell.
I remained silent for a moment after hearing the question posed by the Sword Master.
It was an unexpected inquiry.
I never imagined she would dare to ask me about something like this.
…About my mother?
It made sense since she was indeed friends with my mother, but that revelation did little to ease my curiosity.
Did she not hear from Gu Ryunghwa?
Or did she know something?
I was aware that Gu Ryunghwa had witnessed everything that unfolded on that fateful day.
Yet, she had lost consciousness shortly after, leaving her unaware of the complete truth.
“How come you are curious about that?”
My tone was sharper than I intended, a hint of defensiveness creeping in. I needed to tame my voice.
The Sword Master maintained her calm demeanor, even in light of my tone.
The whereabouts of my mother. That was a question that had lingered in my mind for as long as I could remember.
It was ironically only after meeting the Heavenly Demon that I began to uncover the truth.
“Mother passed away.”
Was that truly what had occurred?
I found myself wrestling with that question—a question whose answer I was reluctant to digest.
It was only right for Gu Ryunghwa to harbor resentment and hatred towards the clan due to this.
Truth is a sin.
That damn truth—this burden I had to bear.
“I don’t think I can tell you any more about it, as it’s our clan’s matter.”
I conveyed my unwillingness to elaborate.
Honestly, it was better than outright lying to her.
The Sword Master remained silent for a moment before fixing her gaze upon me.
I didn’t shy away from her stare; instead, I held my ground.
After a lengthy moment of silence, the Sword Master finally closed her eyes.
“I’m sorry for asking you something painful.”
“It’s fine. It’s in the past now.”
“Thank you for understanding. Oh… I’m curious—when do you plan to return to your clan?”
“I believe we’ll set off after a day or two.”
“Even with the tournament approaching…?”
From her reaction, it seemed she was unaware that Gu Ryunghwa had refused to return home.
“Originally, I planned to wait and leave after the event. But now that my little sister has declared she won’t return with us, I will leave sooner.”
It had been agreed that Gu Ryunghwa would return home to the clan at a specific time every year.
It was one of the conditions set by my father with the Sword Master.
Given that, it was imperative I brought her back.
However, considering the circumstances under which my father sent me here while offering a heavenly elixir,
‘I’m expected to bring her back, and I’m also in a position where I can get away with throwing a tantrum.’
The higher-ups in the clan would likely be watching,
And if I were to cause a fuss, I would face some consequences, but nothing serious would arise.
‘If it gets too troublesome, he’ll handle it himself,’
If that wasn’t his intention, he wouldn’t have put me in this situation.
I didn’t want to force a girl who clearly had no desire to go along with me.
‘I’m the only one who should be forced to do something I don’t want to do.’
Taking back what I relinquished in my former life, piece by piece, was a task meant only for me.
The Sword Master wore a puzzled expression after hearing my words.
I had been adamant to leave no room for issues, yet it seemed it might have still caused some concern.
Contrary to my rising anxiety, the Sword Master soon nodded in understanding.
“Okay. I see.”
She promptly rose to her feet.
“I apologize for taking up your time.”
“…Are you leaving?”
“Since I’ve said all I needed to, I should take my leave. The gazes from outside are also a bit intimidating.”
The gazes from outside…?
As the Sword Master stepped out, I followed her outside, determined to see her off.
“I look forward to the request you’ll make.”
“You don’t need to feel excited about it.”
It was an important matter… but still something I had to mull over.
“I have a feeling the Immortal Healer will accompany me next time.”
“…There’s no need for that. I’ll pay you a visit one last time before I leave.”
Upon hearing that, the Sword Master smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling, but said nothing further.
Huh? Was this a sign that she wasn’t going to heed me? A shiver of unease trickled through me.
“Huh?”
As I stepped outside with her, I was greeted by the sight of Gu Ryunghwa and Namgung Bi-ah standing there.
I had expected her to be out training today. What brought her here?
Namgung Bi-ah regarded the Sword Master and me with her usual emotionless expression, glancing back and forth.
I started to approach her, wondering what was up, but the Sword Master reached her first.
“So you are that child.”
When the Sword Master approached, Namgung Bi-ah showed a hint of surprise.
It made sense that she would respect the Sword Master, given her reputation as a renowned martial artist of the Martial World.
Yet, the Sword Master gently grasped Namgung Bi-ah’s hand.
“…Ah!”
“Thank you for saving my disciple… I truly appreciate it.”
“Um… it’s…”
Namgung Bi-ah looked flustered, caught off-guard.
“I’ve heard so much about you from my disciple. She mentioned a lovely sister who helps her with her training and swordsmanship.”
“…Ugh…”
Namgung Bi-ah blushed and turned away slightly, clearly flustered.
“You are every bit as beautiful as she described. I’ve never come across such a lovely child in my life.”
As the compliments flowed, Namgung Bi-ah’s head lowered further, as if trying to dig a hole into the ground.
The Sword Master, observing this bashful display, remarked,
“I heard you are Yangcheon’s fiancée.”
Yangcheon?
I had to pause momentarily at how casually that name rolled off her tongue.
I hadn’t anticipated them to be that close already.
Namgung Bi-ah offered a small nod, showing no hint of denial.
It seemed she had no intention of disputing that fact.
As for me, I had also lessened my resolve to fight it off…
“Both yours and Yangcheon’s hearts are so kind; you’re bound to be a lovely couple.”
‘That doesn’t seem correct at all.’
Though I held my tongue, it was clear I contested that notion internally.
After relaying her thanks, the Sword Master said she wanted to speak with Namgung Bi-ah again before we left, expressing her desire to repay her for the assistance given to her disciple.
Once I confirmed that the Sword Master had departed, I turned to Namgung Bi-ah.
“Did you not go to train?”
“…No.”
Fortunately, her arm, which had been bandaged, appeared healed after a few days of rest.
“…Well, that’s a relief. But hey, what’s up with you?”
“Huh?”
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
Was that just my imagination?
Namgung Bi-ah seemed to carry a faint smile that I had never noticed before.
Although she maintained her usual emotionless facade, there was a lightness in her demeanor that felt different.
“Nothing is wrong.”
Her answer came but sounded dismissive.
However, I was certain she appeared to be in good spirits—it had to be the compliments!
‘Maybe she’s more susceptible to compliments than I thought?’
On the way back to the hut, the Sword Master pondered.
…What had happened back then?
It had to do with the children’s mother.
Gu Yangcheon appeared to know something about it for certain.
Yet, he seemed to be trying desperately to hide it from everyone.
So much so that he might even display animosity if pressed further.
The Sword Master didn’t want that outcome.
Not just out of gratitude for saving her own life, but also guilt for being unable to assist him in return.
She wanted nothing but happiness for her disciple.
That had always been her priority as a mentor.
As she neared the end of her life due to her illness, her single wish was for her disciple to find joy.
“Ryunghwa.”
Gu Ryunghwa froze at the sound of her master’s voice.
The mere act of holding hands brought her overwhelming joy, a pure smile lighting her face.
“I heard you said you wouldn’t return to the clan, is that so?”
“Oh…”
As those words reached her, a shadow fell over Gu Ryunghwa’s face.
“Um… when I told him I didn’t want to go, he said I didn’t have to…”
“But you should. A promise is a promise, after all.”
“Yet…!”
Gu Ryunghwa struggled to respond.
The Sword Master knew she had regained her strength, a miraculous turn of events.
They were now able to take strolls together, something that had been a distant memory, and whenever time allowed, they practiced together.
For Gu Ryunghwa, these moments felt dreamlike.
Thus, she found herself hesitant to defy her mentor.
Sure, part of her mind screamed that she didn’t want to go back to the clan even for a moment, but other considerations weighed on her as well.
The main reason was that her beloved mentor’s time was precious.
Now, however, it extended beyond that.
‘…What if something happens while I’m gone?’
She felt an unnerving sense of unease leaving her master alone.
When the Sword Master noticed the turmoil in her disciple’s heart, she gently patted Gu Ryunghwa’s head.
“Do not worry.”
“Master…”
“Given your worries, we’ll go together this time.”
“Huh…?”
Gu Ryunghwa found herself bewildered by her master’s unexpected promise.
The Sword Master laughed heartily at her disciple’s bewilderment. She truly meant it.
“It appears I have business to attend to at the Gu Clan as well, so let’s go together this time.”
Master… coming with me?
Her mind was a chaotic swirl of question marks at the thought.
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