I feel overwhelmed by the presence.
I felt like I definitely understood what those words meant.
The heat spreading from the center of Gucheolun is suffocating.
The insects that were singing in the forest all held their breath, and the wild animals that were wandering around had already fled.
Parsasasak.
It’s spring, and the aftereffects of winter still linger.
As the heat spread, the surroundings felt sizzling.
In a situation where it is difficult to even breathe and drink.
Mo Yong-tae speaks with difficulty while looking at his opponent.
“… chivalrous.”
When he called out his nickname, Gu Cheol-woon’s gaze turned to Mo Yong-tae.
Deep red eyes and hair that gradually turns red.
And the presence that gradually grows bigger.
Mo Yong-tae swallowed his shock as he looked at Gu Cheol-woon like that.
‘Was Ho-hyeop this strong?’
It is said that this is a hero who has already passed his prime. But he still has this much presence.
‘Are you saying that you lived hiding your power?’
It was a rumor in the Central Plains that the tiger that had once roared was past its prime and had become weak.
If he had been hiding his power, I don’t know why.
Mo Yong-tae thought it was reasonable, thinking of Gu Cheol-woon.
The past glory he had was something that no one of the same generation as Gu Cheol-woon could not have been unaware of.
He is from the Later Index and was chosen as the strongest figure among all the dragons of all time.
The youngest leader of the Shinryongdae, the most powerful swordsman in the Blind Sect.
The leader of the time, Geomjon, once declared that the greatest person in the world in the future would be a good knight.
The best in the world. This is a name that any warrior in the Central Plains would have dreamed of.
And the closest known swordsman even asserted it.
People thought that this was what would happen to Ho-hyeop in the future.
Before the Shinryongdae incident occurred, Geomjon left his position as the leader, and Hohyeop took over as the head of the Gu family and went into hiding in Shanxi.
As time goes by.
As the generations changed several times, the name of Hohyeop gradually began to fade.
Hohyeop, who had been a fearsome figure to Sapa, was now simply called the head of the Shanxi District.
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When my son, Geombong, started to make a name for himself.
It was a time when people were saying that his prime had passed, as his physical condition had worsened due to the demonic incident and he had not been able to recover.
After Gu Cheol-woon stepped down from his position as the Grand Master, he never showed any force except for the Jinma Gyeongmun that exploded in Shanxi, so such rumors must have spread even more.
but.
‘… It’s all just rumors.’
Mo Yong-tae, who was facing the current Gu Cheol-woon, was confident.
The rumors spreading throughout the Central Plains are false.
The Gu Cheol-un in front of him right now was not just a low-ranking player among the 100 best masters of the Central Plains.
Baekcheon Sword Master Mo Yong-tae is a martial artist of Hwagyeong. He is also a person whose name is ranked among the top 100 masters.
Such a Mo Yong-tae was now looking at Gu Cheol-woon and was certain of his defeat.
The heat and presence that Gu Cheol-woon exudes alone is enough to confirm defeat.
Is this being the lowest of the hundred great masters like you?
‘That’s nonsense.’
Geuggeuggeuk-!
“…!”
Under increasingly intense pressure.
Mo Yong-tae held his chest, which was tightening.
“Baekcheon Sword Master.”
“… Huh… Gasp… .”
Gu Cheol-woon begins to approach Mo Yong-tae, who is sweating profusely.
“I asked, ‘What are you doing?’”
In his deep voice, I can sense his genuine anger.
Even though it is a constant voice with no fluctuations in pitch.
The energy contained there is expressing anger.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
“… Huh… .”
It’s not that I’m not answering, it’s that I can’t.
Gu Cheol-woon slowly extends his hand as if he doesn’t care about Mo Yong-tae’s situation.
As Mo Yong-tae’s giant hand approached, he felt like he was dying.
Just before Gu Cheol-woon’s hand gradually covers Mo Yong-tae’s face.
“…father.”
Towering.
Gu Cheol-woon’s body stops at Gu Yang-cheon’s voice. Then he turns his head towards Gu Yang-cheon.
To Gu Cheol-woon, the word ‘father’ was a title he had never heard from Gu Yang-cheon in nearly ten years.
At the moment of hesitation, Gu Yang-cheon approached Gu Cheol-woon and said this.
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“I’m fine.”
It seems that Guyangcheon is also having trouble breathing due to the heat.
Although his breathing seemed labored, Goyangcheon continued to speak.
“Lord Mo Yong was just teaching me a lesson. Please clear up the misunderstanding.”
“…”
After hearing the words, Gu Cheol-woon and Gu Yang-cheon quietly watch.
Although the red eyes were burdensome, this time, Goyangcheon did not avoid looking at them.
A few seconds passed like that.
Swish.
Gu Cheol-woon raises his body and withdraws his hand that was trying to grab Mo Yong-tae.
“Ugh.”
Only then was Mo Yong-tae able to let out the breath he had been holding.
It was thanks to this that the presence and heat that had been suffocating him disappeared in an instant.
Looking at Mo Yong-tae, who is out of breath, Gu Cheol-woon opens his mouth.
“Baekcheon Sword Master.”
At that call, Mo Yong-tae raises his head, wiping away the cold sweat running down his face.
“Is that true?”
“…”
I was troubled over how to answer. I wondered if it would be right to ask for help from Guyangcheon here.
If I had answered according to my pride, there was no way of knowing what Gu Cheol-woon would think.
I wonder if he would kill himself, but the behavior that Gu Cheol-woon had just shown was no different from that.
Mo Yong-tae, who had thought about it that far, closed his eyes tightly and gave an answer.
“… That’s right.”
“…”
After hearing Mo Yong-tae’s answer, Gu Cheol-woon makes a strange expression and takes a step back.
It felt as if Mo Yong-tae was giving himself some distance to make it easier for him to get up.
And then.
“I apologize. I made a mistake because I didn’t understand the situation properly.”
He apologizes to Mo Yong-tae in a calm voice.
The important thing is that his voice doesn’t sound apologetic at all.
He would know given the circumstances.
This means that Guyangcheon is surrounding Mo Yongtae.
However, offering an apology meant that he had chosen to just let it go. Knowing this, Mo Yong-tae bit his lip and sat up.
“… It is my fault for causing misunderstandings. Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
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Fake apologies and thanks are exchanged to show justification.
Mo Yong-tae looked at Gu Yang-cheon behind Gu Cheol-woon.
Gu Yangcheon was looking at Mo Yongtae with a subtle expression.
When I was wondering what kind of expression it was.
-… I’m sorry. I know you won’t like it, but if you’d like, I’ll come see you formally next time.
‘…’
The sound of the Guyangcheon River passes by Mo Yongtae’s ears.
He said he would come and see me formally next time.
I wonder if he knows how Mo Yong-tae will react when he comes looking for him and that’s why he’s saying that.
Mo Yong-tae still didn’t like Gu Yang-cheon, but no matter how he looked at it, there was no reason to blame him.
– It happened.
-…!
Gu Yangcheon widens his eyes after hearing Mo Yongtae’s voice.
This is because Mo Yong-tae’s speech has completely changed to a condescending tone.
It may seem like he should only see it in a negative light, but somehow Gu Yangcheon didn’t seem to dislike Mo Yongtae’s behavior that much.
-There’s no need to come here.
-but….
-I will come to see you again next time.
-… .
Does that mean that next time you’re going to fight with the intention of killing for real?
When the corners of Guyangcheon’s mouth were about to tremble.
-I’ll come back with my daughter then. Be prepared.
-…
-I’m saying this so you don’t misunderstand, but I didn’t acknowledge you.
-yes.
-It will continue to be like that in the future.
-All right.
The fact that he came to see Mo Yong-hee means that he won’t fight with his sword like he did now. Maybe he’s gone a little too far.
While thinking like that, Mo Yong-tae takes the lottery ticket from Gu Cheol-woon.
“… It’s late at night, so if you permit me, I’d like to leave first.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Even if it was unexpected, I will visit you again in person next time to once again apologize for the trouble I caused your child.”
Gu Cheol-woon nodded after hearing Mo Yong-tae’s words.
After confirming this, Mo Yong-tae lets out a weary sigh and disappears.
When the distance between them grew farther and farther away, Mo Yong-tae’s presence was no longer felt.
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Phew-
Gu Yangcheon felt an unknown aura surrounding him.
It must have been Gu Cheol-woon who struck it hard.
“…”
Goo Yang-cheon had to look at Gimak and Gu Cheol-un alternately with an ambiguous expression.
Goo Yang-cheon scratched the back of his head for a moment.
“Your Majesty.”
Finally, he looks at Gu Cheol-woon and asks a question.
“okay.”
“Why did you do that?”
A question filled with doubt.
Just before Gu Cheol-woon asks Gu Yang-cheon what his intentions are, Gu Yang-cheon adds.
“You were already watching.”
Gu Cheol-woon’s eyes widened slightly at Gu Yang-cheon’s words.
******************
My father had been watching me for a while.
I am sure of that.
“Why did you have to persecute the Murong family?”
The conversation I had with Mo Yonggaju. The martial arts that started with me asking him to teach me a trick.
Father must have been watching everything from the beginning.
As evidence, my father spoke to me with somewhat surprised eyes.
“How did you know?”
It meant that it was correct.
And, the reason why I, who had not even felt a trace, was certain about this was none other than this.
“I thought that would be the case for the lord.”
“…”
“At least if you made a promise, you wouldn’t be late or forget.”
I wanted to talk about my father and mother.
Since we had planned to meet here after finishing our meal, I had no intention of my father coming late, so I came first.
And that prediction was correct.
“That’s why I’m curious. How did you do that?”
In the midst of all this, why did my father intervene so late?
If you wanted to interfere, you could do so as much as you wanted.
The martial arts that my father had just shown me would have been enough.
‘Just how strong are you?’
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Even now, when I reached Hwagyeong, I still didn’t realize how strong my father was.
One thing I can be sure of is that my father is overwhelmingly stronger than the Baekcheon Sword Master just now.
This is something that can be known even through past lives.
I haven’t seen many moments where my father directly demonstrated his inaction.
This is my second time in this life.
The appearance shown in the Black Palace.
Even the presence you showed just now.
I’ve only seen it twice, but that alone was enough to convince me.
My father is strong.
It’s so much more than I could ever have imagined.
“… I wonder why you came so late and persecuted Baekcheon Sword Master.”
As soon as I ask my question, my father’s hair begins to return to its original color.
The little bit of heat that remained in the air is also recovered.
Then, just as I was finally able to catch my breath, my father said to me:
“It was just something that had to be done.”
“What should I have done?”
“okay.”
What does that mean?
“I originally had no intention of interfering.”
“Then why… .”
“Because he really intended to point his sword at you.”
“…!”
“Do you need any more reasons?”
Because Mo Yong-tae seriously intended to fight me.
If it was just a lesson, I would have let it slide.
It meant that I intervened because they were trying to cross the line.
“… Are you saying that you really intended to kill me?”
I remember the heat that was in my father’s hands.
If Baekcheon Sword Master’s face had been covered like that, something quite frightening would have happened.
But fortunately, my father shook his head slightly in the negative to this question.
“I was just trying to make a pretext. I would have taken similar measures even if you hadn’t stopped me.”
“…”
Show that you are angry and try to cover up what happened just before.
Or, it meant that he had come up with various excuses to make Mo Yong-se appear humble.
Does that mean that you calculated this and acted in the meantime?
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Thinking back to that point, I felt a bit scared of my father.
“… I understand, but are you okay with that?”
“What do you mean?”
“You must have hidden your power. I wonder if it was okay for you to show it to the Murong family head like this.”
If you’ve been hiding your powers until now, there must be a reason.
I wondered if it was okay to show off my strength so nonchalantly.
Then the father says, as if he is puzzled.
“Third.”
“yes.”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
“yes?”
My father looked at me with his characteristically sharp eyes.
He spoke to me, running his huge hand through my hair.
“This family has never hidden itself even once.”
“…!”
I swallowed my breath inwardly at my father’s words.
You never hid it in the first place?
“There was just no need to reveal it.”
“But, the rumor is….”
“Do you think what other people say is that important?”
“That’s not it.”
“The same goes for the main character. This time, I just used it where it needed to be used. It has no other meaning.”
This is a story I didn’t know.
My father never hid his power from the beginning.
He neither denied nor confirmed the rumors that were widely spread throughout the Central Plains.
What I mean is, I didn’t use my strength because I had nothing to use it for.
It was quite a shock to me.
‘… That’s unexpected.’
This was something I really didn’t know.
Considering my father’s personality, that’s understandable.
I never thought that would actually happen.
When I was feeling empty.
“Third.”
My father calls me.
“Yes, my lord.”
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“You’ve climbed over the wall.”
“…”
I swallowed hard at what he said to me.
My father was telling me something that was beyond my control.
“… Yes.”
“When did you get over the wall?”
“It’s been a little over two months.”
“I see.”
Gu Cheol-woon nods after hearing what I said.
There was no further reaction.
My son reached the flower garden before he could even pass the age limit, and that reaction was the end.
What a consistent person….
“Thank you for your hard work. You did well.”
“Yes. Thank you… Yes?”
I widened my eyes and looked at my father at his words.
When I looked at my father again, he wasn’t looking at me.
Should I say that the gaze is strangely misaligned?
“My lord…?”
“I said I had something to ask the head of the household.”
“Ah. Yes.”
I was about to ask where he was looking.
My father drags the conversation and brings it back to the main topic.
I guess it meant not to ask.
Only then do I swallow my dry saliva.
This must be because I remembered again why I came here alone with my father.
Yeah, there was a main point.
I had to look at my father and ask him the question I wanted to ask.
“Your Majesty.”
At my call, my father turns his gaze to me again.
He opened his mouth, facing the red eyes there.
“I heard that my mother is alive.”
“…”
My father’s shoulders move slightly in response to my question.
He continued speaking while observing the reaction.
“…Does your Majesty know where my mother is?”
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“…”
After hearing the words carefully, my father looked at me and was silent for a long time.
How did you know? Why are you suddenly asking this?
Are you struggling to send me that question?
While I was thinking like that, I was also thinking about the answer.
Father’s mouth opened.
“okay.”
“…!”
“I know.”
My heart began to beat faster at my father’s answer.
