Chapter: 930
Thud, thud.
Broken pieces fall to the floor.
The shards that fell to the ground turned to dust and vanished in an instant, as if they were just a mirage.
Whether large or small, the outcome was the same.
“…What is this…?”
Gubong, faced with this bizarre situation, wore a dumbfounded expression.
The curtain of darkness had shattered.
What seemed indestructible and gradually consuming everything around it was now shattered into pieces by Gubong’s overwhelming fear, reduced to nothing.
So easily.
Screech—!
Guyangcheon, seemingly bothered, brushed his hand against the rough parts of the curtain and pushed it aside.
His nonchalant demeanor was absurdly unsettling.
“What’s this annoyance?”
Tsk!
He clicked his tongue sharply and threw something he was holding onto the floor.
It was a person.
Thump—!
A black-haired figure fell to the floor like an inanimate object.
Gubong swallowed hard as he observed it.
Though he hadn’t seen him in decades, Gubong recognized him.
It was his older brother.
His brother was unconscious, his face swollen from the blows he’d received, but there was no mistaking it.
“Ugh… Hee-hee… Ugh…”
He was groaning in pain; blood was seeping from his mouth.
What on earth had happened?
Gubong was intensely curious but couldn’t summon the courage to ask.
“Why are you acting like that again?”
A voice interrupted. Gubong raised his gaze slightly and saw sparkling blue eyes fixated on him.
“I’ve been sensing it since last time. Got a hobby for kneeling or something?”
With a smirk, he said this.
As it happened, he too was currently kneeling.
“…”
Gubong remained silent, too stunned to reply, and Guyangcheon reached out to him.
His hand brushed against the cold metal of Gubong’s handcuffs.
Click!
“…!”
Gubong’s eyes widened to the size of lanterns at the sight of Guyangcheon easily gripping the handcuffs.
They weren’t ordinary handcuffs; these were crafted from precious stones.
Though Gubong had managed to break one off, he had only severed it partially—not completely free.
Yet Guyangcheon grabbed hold and—
Crack—!
He crushed it effortlessly.
“It’s not even jewelry—what’s with these ridiculous things?”
“…Uh…?”
Gubong stared blankly at the shattered cuffs, momentarily stunned.
He couldn’t grasp what had just occurred.
It was utterly insane.
“Ah…!”
Suddenly, Gubong turned his gaze away in a hurry.
Let’s consider that Guyangcheon had just obliterated the barrier.
The thought of the darkness—how he’d pinned his own father against the wall—flashed in his mind.
Staring blankly at the wall, he pondered.
‘Huh?’
There wasn’t a single trace left. What was going on? He had seen it clearly with his own eyes.
In a fleeting moment of doubt, Gubong speculated whether something was amiss.
Crack—!!!
Suddenly, cracks began to form in the surrounding barrier.
The fissures spread rapidly until the entire barrier shattered into pieces.
Crash—!!
The freshly created night collapsed.
The fragments crumbled and scattered across the ground.
Gubong was entranced by the sight.
“That’s amazing.”
A voice, echoing from afar, drifted over.
It was the voice of the chief, cloaked in darkness.
Gubong narrowed his eyes at the unseen figure.
This was different from before. In the earlier instance, he could hardly make out the features hidden behind a veil of energy.
This time, he could clearly see the shape of a middle-aged man with dark, somewhat blunt features.
He was the master of this place.
Sitting casually in a chair with his legs crossed, he directed his gaze this way.
Gubong couldn’t bear to meet those eyes; he turned his head away instead.
“How did you know?”
The man questioned Guyangcheon.
If not mistaken, it was definitely a mocking tone.
“How would I know? I saw it.”
“You saw it?”
“Yes.”
What could he possibly have seen? Gubong was utterly perplexed.
Was it the same case for the man? He reiterated the question to Guyangcheon, filled with curiosity.
“That can’t be true, right?”
It was impossible for anyone to have seen it. The man’s conviction was palpable.
Guyangcheon chuckled upon hearing those words.
This time, the laughter was even more pronounced.
“If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. You don’t expect me to explain myself, do you? Even if you do, I won’t.”
“…”
His tune was shameless and oddly sharp.
Though Gubong had often felt this way about him, today, it seemed even more pronounced.
Because he recognized his demeanor.
‘He treats everyone like this.’
No matter who his opponent was, his attitude remained unchanged.
Whether he was using honorifics or casual speech, the underlying meaning didn’t shift.
“That’s interesting.”
He was captivated by the man’s gaze.
It was a feeling that had vanished from the depths of those observing him.
“Are you also a person from the volcano?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
Guyangcheon, pointing to his chest, proclaimed.
Emblazoned on his chest was the plum blossom, the symbol of the volcano.
The man observed the symbol for a moment before turning his gaze to Guyangcheon’s hair.
“You have black hair.”
Jet-black and shining.
And ears and a tail.
Such a color was rare here.
The man, scrutinizing Guyangcheon’s hair, nodded.
Gubong understood the implication behind that look.
‘No way.’
Was he suspecting Guyangcheon of being the mastermind behind the attack?
‘No, no.’
Gubong quickly rose to his feet.
He hurriedly attempted to shield Guyangcheon from the man.
Crack—!!
“…!”
Guyangcheon’s hand pressed down on Gubong’s shoulder, subduing him forcefully.
He could feel the intensity of the gaze.
Guyangcheon was warning Gubong with his azure eyes.
Stay still.
“…”
Gubong sank back into his seat.
“It’s not pure black hair… It looks like there’s some color mixed in?”
“Yes, something like that.”
“I’ve never heard of anyone as strong as you from the volcano.”
“Thanks for the compliment. It’s usually like that.”
“Ha.”
The man let out a hollow laugh at Guyangcheon’s words.
However.
“How did you escape from the basement?”
With those words, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
Whoosh—!!!
A tremendous energy shot through, causing Gubong’s shoulders to tremble violently.
A black aura began to seep from the man.
It was considerably darker and far more intense than before.
“How did I escape?”
Guyangcheon managing to retain his smile, replied, “I broke free, as you treated me like a rat.”
Gush—!!!
A powerful blue energy erupted from Guyangcheon’s form.
With the energy brushing past him, Gubong frowned deeply.
The room’s temperature soared abruptly.
“I worked hard to let you see my son. You can’t treat people like criminals.”
“…”
“Spoiling their mood, very ungracious.”
As he spoke, Guyangcheon wiped away the smile on his face.
Crack, crack, crack—!!!
The energies clashed, creating cracks that marred the walls of the room.
At this rate, it felt as if everything would collapse.
“Hmm.”
In that moment,
The man let out a short grunt, and the energy he emitted grew quiet.
“I am the Leader, the Black Spirit. What is your name?”
“Shanxi… No, it’s Guyangcheon from Mount Hua.”
“Guyangcheon. Enter the darkness. I’ll grant you the position of the next leader.”
“…!”
Gubong, hearing the Black Spirit’s words, froze in disbelief.
The position of the next leader? But he had two sons already vying for that place?
Of course, one had been beaten to a pulp.
And the other had run away from home.
Even so, offering the position to someone he just met was utterly absurd.
Gubong was left speechless at the proposal.
“A leader?”
Guyangcheon nodded thoughtfully after hearing the proposition.
“I’m not your child, though?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Shouldn’t one be a pureblood to receive that?”
“Aren’t you a pureblood?”
“…Hmm.”
Guyangcheon hesitated briefly before answering.
“That’s somewhat accurate.”
Gubong frowned at those words.
He wondered if it could be a lie.
“Then come this way. I will grant you the leader’s position.”
Just like before; an offer to relinquish leadership over a noble house.
Gubong had never encountered such an opportunity before.
“Hmm.”
Guyangcheon rested his chin on his hand, seemingly deep in thought.
Thinking over this?
Gubong’s eyes widened at this sign of hesitation.
“Not really feeling it.”
Fortunately, Guyangcheon rejected the offer.
‘…Thank goodness?’
What was there to be thankful for?
Gubong suppressed a breath as conflicting thoughts raced through his mind.
“Why? Do you harbor some deep affection for Mount Hua?”
“Not particularly.”
Guyangcheon shook his head with conviction.
“…”
He was quite assertive. To openly dismiss any attachment was almost surprising.
However, the author had mentioned that he didn’t particularly care about the volcano’s fate.
He just never expected he’d be this blunt in front of his own father!
Not feeling particularly tied to any emotional bond, the Black Spirit queried Guyangcheon once more.
“If not, then?”
“Not really feeling any sense of belonging… I mean, there’s something akin to wanting to stay close to a stronger leader—something like that.”
“…”
Crack!
As Guyangcheon spoke, the Black Spirit’s brow furrowed deeply.
Wanting to be near a strong leader, that statement implied quite a lot.
“Are you saying the master of the volcano is stronger than me?”
“Eh…? What do you mean by that?”
Guyangcheon waved dismissively, as if the notion were ludicrous.
And then,
“Of course, he doesn’t even compare.”
He said it with a playfulness stripping away all seriousness.
Growl—!
The dark spirit’s energy swelled in agitation, indicating imminent danger.
Gubong assessed the scene.
If his father were to unleash his fury right then, it would spell catastrophe.
Should he intervene? While hesitation marked Gubong’s stance,
Swish—…
Contrary to expectations, the Black Spirit’s aura began to calm.
The energy didn’t fade naturally; it felt more like it was being forcibly subdued.
“I see.”
The Black Spirit nodded.
“I value my master’s trust.”
“No, I’m not your master—.”
“Then what do you want, Guyangcheon?”
“What do you mean by that?”
The Black Spirit gazed at Guyangcheon, devoid of interest.
All the emotion previously present evaporated in an instant.
The Black Spirit’s gaze shifted towards Gubong.
“There must be a reason you went through such lengths to meet me.”
The Black Spirit was convinced Guyangcheon had used Gubong to gain an audience.
Moreover,
“Ah, that’s it.”
Indeed, that notion rang true.
“It’s nothing major.”
Guyangcheon looked at the Black Spirit, inquiring.
“I have some circumstances that require me to see those generals. Do you have any idea how to go about that?”
Gubong felt a heat flash to his face, unable to contain his surprise at those words.
*
As the sun began to set, the number of people was gradually swelling before nighttime officially set in.
Despite the quietude following previous events, the crowd was still thick.
In those moments,
“…Are you really insane?”
Gubong remarked to me.
I turned around at those words; Gubong was staring at me with a twisted expression.
“What?”
“How could it come to this unless I’ve gone mad?”
“No, what’s wrong? What’s the issue?”
“…It’s a problem from start to finish!”
That was harsh. I clicked my tongue slightly. Amidst that, Gubong added,
“The fact that you took advantage of me to gain entry, your behavior there, the words you said in the end—those were all part of the problem.”
“Come on… surely there was at least one correct response?”
“…Do you genuinely believe that?”
“Then you bet!”
Honestly, they said it was all wrong, but I didn’t even understand what was incorrect.
It made sense why.
“In the end, things went well.”
On the topics noted as problems, the actual outcome appeared favorable.
“Coming out healthy and walking around here normally is quite impressive.”
I’d panicked a bit when locked up in jail, but, either way, look where we ended up—with Gubong too!
Even.
“I even brought this back.”
I shook the credential I held in front of Gubong.
It was something handed to us by the Black Spirit.
The benefits of that item were likely—
“It’s sooo much easier without needing to report everything to the gatekeeper.”
No longer having to mention the volcano’s name or undergo exhausting interrogations.
Consider all of that, and times were good, so why was this guy acting like this?
I really couldn’t understand.
In response to my stance, Gubong seemed frustrated.
“…You’re oblivious to what kind of entity he really is.”
Faint terror glimmered in Gubong’s eyes.
“No matter what you do, there’s bound to be a scheme in play. There’s a reason he let you off the hook this time.”
“Well, of course. He’s not an idiot; would he really let me go just like that while handing over something like this?”
Upon hearing my words, the Black Spirit loomed silently, and not long after, he promised to see me next time.
With that, the credential I had received.
“So knowing all that… you went along with it? Knowing our connection!?”
“No, I believe you’re misinterpreting things.”
I turned to Gubong, who raised his voice, clearly agitated.
“I’m not that invested in you; I just figured you were just some noble’s kid.”
“That’s…!”
“Oh, by the way, didn’t you say you’re a bastard?”
“…!”
“You mentioned being the son of a concubine, didn’t you? Or something like that?”
As he said this, Guyangcheon laughed, touching on his own shortcomings.
Upon hearing this, Gubong clenched his teeth in frustration.
This remark was one he couldn’t simply overlook. Regardless of circumstances, he was ready to charge ahead.
“I’m also a bastard. Son of a concubine.”
Guyangcheon dropped that declaration casually, causing Gubong to halt in his tracks for a moment.
“It’s just like that.”
“…You.”
“I’m sorry for using you. I really needed it, so I did. I’ll use you again next time, too. Apologies for that in advance.”
“…”
What kind of shamelessness is that? To brazenly say he’ll need to use me again?
What sort of devil’s bargain is this?
Gubong quaked with anger as it built inside him.
“Just understand, I’m on a quest to find my mom, and I have a lot going on…”
In the midst of spewing words, Guyangcheon suddenly fell silent.
Gubong, observing this, looked in the direction Guyangcheon was towards.
There stood a familiar figure.
‘That woman…?’
I didn’t know her name.
Probably no one did.
She was a presence that only Guyangcheon brought with him; no one else dared approach her.
‘Didn’t you say you weren’t following me?’
I thought maybe that was just for today.
So why was she here?
Moreover,
‘Doesn’t she look hurt?’
She certainly appeared to be at least somewhat uncomfortable.
Seeing that, Gubong glanced back at Guyangcheon, who was already gone.
Where had he gone?
“What are you?”
Gubong’s eyes widened at the tone of voice.
Guyangcheon was already close to the woman, gripping her shoulder firmly.
“What’s the meaning of this?!”
He exclaimed, shock painted across his features.
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