Chapter 120: The Sword's Tip is Crooked (1)
Stepping out of my quarters and moving at a brisk pace, I reached my destination in no time.
It was the annex where Nangong Bi-a was staying.
As far as I knew, Nangong Jin would also be staying here.
Initially, I considered heading to Gu Seonmun, where they were said to be having a conversation based on the elder's words.
Because I thought that would maximize the reaction a bit more.
I hesitated for a fleeting moment, but ultimately concluded it would be better to head to the annex first, if only to check on Nangong Bi-a's condition.
When discussing the engagement schedule, the sun had still been up, but now the moon had already risen in the sky.
Walking along the path following the fluttering fallen leaves, I soon found myself in front of the annex's door.
Just as I was about to enter the annex, someone blocked my path.
"You may not enter."
At the cold voice, I checked who it was; it was a martial artist of the Nangong family.
I looked at the man and said.
"Do you not know who I am?"
"I do."
"Then what is this situation?"
"It is the Patriarch's order."
"I'm pretty sure I left word in advance..."
As I mentioned earlier, I had no intention of just barging in, so I had clearly instructed a servant to deliver a message.
"Did our servant not come?"
"She did."
"And?"
The man did not answer my question.
Oh... Is he ignoring me? I felt a bit displeased, but didn't think it was a major issue.
Although it was an annex owned by the Gu family, a guest was currently using it, and even if I were a blood relative of the Gu family, I had no intention of picking a fight if they didn't want visitors.
If it were another prominent family, I probably would have raised hell. But at the very least, I didn't have the thick skin of a prestigious family left to throw a fit over something like this.
The only problem was.
"You should have told me. You said the servant came."
"...I rejected her because of the Patriarch's order."
"Right, you rejected her, so you're blocking me now. Well then, you see,"
As I tried to slightly step through the open door, the martial artist grabbed my shoulder.
He grabbed me without any hesitation.
I looked at the man and asked.
"Then where is our servant?"
At my words, I felt the man's hand flinch. If he had rejected her, the servant should have come down and told me.
Yet, until the sun gave way to the moon, the servant did not return.
Of course, it was possible the servant forgot to convey the Nangong family's rejection to me.
If that were the case, I could just scold her for doing a poor job and be done with it.
But why did I feel like that wasn't the case?
The man from the Nangong family hesitated briefly before answering me.
"...That, we don't know either..."
"Hey."
"...!"
As I cut off the conversation with a changed tone, he looked down at me with startled eyes.
I let go of the smile I had been forcing.
"If you're going to lie, you shouldn't let your voice tremble. Who the fuck do you think is an idiot?"
Growling, I immediately pulled up my internal energy. The man hurriedly reached for his sword hilt, but at this distance, it was far too slow.
Crack-!
The man's hand that was grabbing my shoulder twisted grotesquely, and my fist, filled with internal energy, struck his ribs hard.
He tried to scream from the shock and agony that followed, but I struck his jaw in a chained sequence, knocking him unconscious.
Thud.
The man collapsed ungracefully to the floor. I picked up the fallen man and threw him into the annex.
Only then did others appear from inside, drawing their swords.
I heightened my qi sensation and surveyed the surroundings.
'Doesn't seem like anyone who has crossed the wall is here.'
Among the dozen or so martial artists, there didn't seem to be anyone beyond the Peak Realm.
Isn't that strange? The Thunder Dragon's guard definitely seemed to be a martial artist who had crossed the wall, yet the Patriarch's own men were not.
'Is it carelessness, or arrogance?'
Whichever it was, it was a fitting description.
There was a probability they were hiding their presence, but more than that, I needed to focus on something else. Perhaps because the presence outside changed, Nangong Bi-a hurriedly came out of the annex.
Right now, what I wanted to see did not include Nangong Bi-a either.
My qi spreading around the annex soon caught what I was looking for. The location was an outhouse tucked away in a corner.
I moved my feet, killing my emotions. The Nangong martial artists seemed to be shouting something at me, but it didn't reach my ears.
As I ignored their words, they reached out as if trying to physically stop me, but crushing the jaw of the guy approaching me brought silence all too easily.
I opened the door of the outhouse I had reached without obstruction.
"Ugh... Ugh..."
The servant was there.
Her face was swollen beyond recognition, and perhaps because her body was severely injured, she couldn't move properly. Let alone speak clearly.
Whether from the pain, she was shedding tears.
She was the person I had sent to the Nangong family during the day.
I didn't even know her name. She was merely a servant belonging to me. I recall she used to come occasionally to bring me meals.
When I thanked her, she would startle and tremble, then awkwardly smile.
I had no feelings for her, nor had I given her any affection.
Regardless, seeing my person like this made me feel quite strange.
"What should I do."
Not knowing what expression I was making, I covered my mouth with my hand.
The servant said something to me with lips that wouldn't move properly.
"Eo-eo-i-a..."
I couldn't understand what she was saying. There was no way the servant could use sound transmission. Yet, the emotions seemed to be conveyed, which made it even more fucked up.
"What should I do, really."
Young Master Gu... this is.
Perhaps finding the situation awkward, I backhanded the guy trying to explain the situation. Crack! Along with the sound, teeth fell scattering to the floor. As he tried to stop the blood flowing down with his own hand, I dislocated his joint.
A chilling sound spread as bone protruded from the broken arm. Only then, realizing the situation had drastically worsened, the martial artists took proper stances with their swords drawn.
Hwaaaah...
Flames quietly boiled up.
I had to calm down. She was someone I didn't even know well. This wasn't something to be so enraged over.
I had to think so.
Otherwise, I would kill them all.
"Wai...!"
"Don't come."
Seeing the situation, Nangong Bi-a tried to approach me, so I suppressed my surging breath and spoke to her.
"If you come right now, I feel like I'll really hate you."
At my words, Nangong Bi-a froze as if she had turned to stone. Her eyes trembled, and she tried to say something, but ultimately, she took no action.
Nangong Bi-a probably didn't know about this. If she had known, this wouldn't have happened.
In a way, it was the result of my own indifference. Because I hadn't anticipated something like this happening.
It wasn't that I couldn't; I just didn't.
'Fuck.'
The area around the annex filled with heat. The rings of the Gu Yeomhwa Wheel Gong began to rotate on their own within my body. The speed gradually increased, and the flames threatening to explode at any moment swirled endlessly inside my body as their exit was blocked.
Martial arts represent a martial artist's emotions.
That remained the same no matter how high a martial artist's realm rose.
Therefore, one must always remain calm. The further one crosses the wall, the wider the vessel of the mind becomes, and accordingly, the lake deepens and broadens alongside it.
That was the reason martial artists sought enlightenment and to cross the wall.
I am still immature.
That is why I am so enraged.
"Hey."
"...Huh?"
"Could you take that person to the medical room?"
I asked Nangong Bi-a. I couldn't just leave her like that. Nangong Bi-a, who had been standing still, ran to the outhouse without hesitation at my request and scooped up the bloodied servant in her arms.
Soon, enveloping herself in qi, she leaped toward the medical room.
"Stop her! The young lady must not go out...!"
The martial artist who was about to shout flinched. It was because the surroundings were instantly engulfed in flames. The suffocating heat had already dominated the space.
I spoke to them from within the gaps of the heat.
"I won't ask why you did this, because it'll be a fucking shitty reason anyway."
If I were to ask why they did such a thing, the reason would be the same old crap. For being arrogant for a mere servant, how dare a lowly servant. Just because they didn't like her.
Because the Patriarch ordered it? Well, reasons like that would come up. It wouldn't be anything important.
"C-calm down. Young Master Gu."
"That's right... this is all..."
"Since you guys are like that too, don't ask me why I'm doing this."
I said with a smile. I didn't intend to smile, but I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from trying to rise. Is it a remnant of the past? When anger surged, the corners of my mouth would slightly rise without me realizing.
"Because I'm also doing this for a fucking shitty reason."
With those final words, flames from all directions engulfed the bastards.
A faint scent of blood and the smell of burning human flesh reverberated around. Nangong Jin, who had stepped into the annex, glared at Gu Yang-cheon but couldn't easily speak.
The martial artists guarding the annex numbered at least over ten, ranging from second-class to first-class, and even some who were touching the wall.
Because it was a somewhat hastily scheduled trip, they couldn't mobilize a proper guard unit, but still, this was the Nangong family.
These were not people who should end up in such a state at the hands of a single child.
"...What is the meaning of this?"
The physical condition of the unconscious men was severe. Not only were bones broken or shattered somewhere in their bodies, but some also bore wounds that would not heal easily.
"How dare you. You do this to people who carry the Nangong name on their backs, and what? Internal energy? Because you're praised for your high talent, you run amok not knowing the fear of tigers. Do you truly want to die!"
Even at Nangong Jin's fierce roar, Gu Yang-cheon didn't bat an eye.
Rather, his appearance of smiling even in this situation looked deeply unsettling.
What exactly is that bastard's identity? Nangong Jin knew that even with that small physique and young mind, Gu Yang-cheon had become a martial artist who had crossed the wall.
Whether he was managing his aura well made it difficult to discern properly, but at this point, it was harder not to notice.
Truly absurd. That someone with such talent is Gu Cheol-un's son. Let alone the fact that his own son was of a similar age to that bastard in the same era.
'Why does the world not take my side.'
More than the Nangong martial artists rolling on the floor vomiting blood, that fact made Nangong Jin even angrier.
"I agree, I didn't intend to run amok like this either. But the world just wouldn't help me."
Tap, tap. Gu Yang-cheon nudged the head of an unconscious martial artist with the tip of his foot.
Seeing that, Nangong Jin frowned.
'It seems something happened.'
It meant this wasn't an accident that occurred without any justification. At this, Nangong Jin clicked his tongue inwardly. It would have been better if that were the case.
Hiding such inner thoughts, Nangong Jin continued speaking as if shouting.
"You seem to be acting arrogantly because this is the Gu family's land!"
"Not particularly. I'm a more polite person than you'd think."
He didn't back down a single word.
Did that brat not properly recognize who was standing in front of him right now? Nangong Jin sneered and swelled his internal energy.
The internal energy instantly turned into a qi pressure. The overwhelming dominance originating from Nangong Jin's body crushed both of Gu Yang-cheon's shoulders.
Nangong's ultimate technique, the Emperor Sword Form.
It was a conceptual martial art that allowed the Nangong family to wear the frame of an emperor.
It wasn't just at the level of mimicking the form like Nangong Cheon-jun or Nangong Bi-a used, but the true Emperor Sword Form used by a martial artist who had risen in rank.
He directed all this qi at the boy. Even if he had surpassed the Peak Realm, he would surely be unable to endure for more than a few seconds and would collapse. Teaching him the difference in rank and correcting his perspective before conversing would be easier.
Nangong Jin thought so.
"...What!"
However, contrary to expectations, Gu Yang-cheon was handling the qi without any issue.
At this very moment, he should be unable to even breathe and groaning.
He even walked over to Nangong Jin with nonchalant steps.
Gu Yang-cheon, who finally reached Nangong Jin with calm steps, looked up at him and said.
"As I told you earlier."
He continued speaking endlessly, as if he truly felt no pressure at all.
"Won't you have a clash of internal energy with me?"
"How ridiculous. Just because you're engaged to my daughter, you think a little brat like you can do something with me...-"
"If I lose in a clash of internal energy, I will offer my left arm."
At Gu Yang-cheon's calm words, Nangong Jin momentarily couldn't continue speaking. It made him wonder what he had just heard.
"What did you just say?"
"Do you not need it? One of my arms."
At Gu Yang-cheon's words, Nangong Jin exhaled and scoffed. Because he realized once again that while his talent and realm were high, he was still a mere brat.
"Where would I even use your arm if I received it?"
Saying it as if it were ridiculous, Gu Yang-cheon looked into Nangong Jin's eyes and spoke.
"You will need it, also for your son's future. Isn't that why you came here?"
At Gu Yang-cheon's words, the smile disappeared from Nangong Jin's face. Only then did Nangong Jin look at Gu Yang-cheon with a proper gaze.
It was a misjudgment. This guy was not a brat.
How far was he looking when he spat those words? Nangong Jin had to feel so much from Gu Yang-cheon's statement.
It was a statement that was profound yet hollow inside.
"...You."
"If the situation is too much to handle, you can say something else."
At Gu Yang-cheon's words, Nangong Jin nodded without realizing it.
Taking the arm of the likely future Young Master in the Gu family's territory was too much no matter how he looked at it.
Even if Gu Yang-cheon said it was fine, this was the realm of dispute.
Grind.
Feeling like he was being dragged in more and more, Nangong Jin asked Gu Yang-cheon.
"Even if it's trivial, I must hear it. What is it you want from me that you go this far?"
"There is only one thing I desire."
Gu Yang-cheon picked up one of the swords scattered around.
A sword out of nowhere? The doubt was brief, and at Gu Yang-cheon's following words, Nangong Jin had no choice but to draw his sword.
"If I win the duel against you, Patriarch, I would like you to give me your daughter."
Splatter-! Rumble-!
Before Gu Yang-cheon could finish speaking, blood spurted from his cheek and an explosion sounded from behind. Nangong Jin's sword wind had swept past.
"Because you kept humoring me, it seems I looked like too much of a joke to you."
The emotion-filled voice disappeared, and Nangong Jin's tone sank deeply. This was a sign of extreme anger.
"That you still have your head attached after giving me such an insult is solely because you are of the Gu family's bloodline. I warn you, do not cross the line any further."
Gu Yang-cheon wiped the blood flowing down his cheek with his fingertip. It was hard to see when he had drawn and swung his sword.
It meant he was outstanding at utilizing internal energy.
As expected, there's no chance of winning if I fight him head-on, Gu Yang-cheon organized his thoughts even in the midst of this.
"What is the reason you are angry right now?"
"You bastard..."
"Is it because of your daughter, or because I requested a duel? Or perhaps, are you afraid?"
The tip of the sword Gu Yang-cheon held pointed toward Nangong Jin. This was the first time facing that arrogant expression directly.
In his past life, what he had faced was Nangong Jin's head, which Nangong Bi-a was holding.
Rumble.
A thunderous aura fluctuated around Nangong Jin's body. The aura of a martial artist who had surpassed the Wall Realm was this suffocating and stifling. It was an aura Gu Yang-cheon was feeling for the first time in this life.
Nangong Jin looked at Gu Yang-cheon with even more sunken eyes and said.
"Are you requesting a duel with me with a sword right now?"
"As you can see, I am. I'm better at wielding a blade than you'd think."
At Gu Yang-cheon's words, Nangong Jin laughed out loud. However, it was not a laugh born of good humor to anyone listening.
"In the past ten years, this is the first time I've felt so insulted. To be treated like this by a mere brat who barely has half a chance of surviving."
"Didn't I provide a reasonable justification?"
"Shut up for a moment. I'm refraining from tearing your mouth apart."
He's enduring this.
Why on earth. Even if he were to draw his sword and behead me it wouldn't be enough, yet Nangong Jin was holding back.
Is his temper naturally like this? Impossible. He's simply watching the situation. He might be mindful of Gu Cheol-un, or mindful of this land.
..
...
Whatever it was, it was fine for Gu Yang-cheon. Because thanks to that, he could pull this crap.
Finally, with a strange expression of expressionless eyes but a smiling mouth, Nangong Jin said to Gu Yang-cheon.
"Very well, I will do as you wish. It seems I too will have to rip off your arm and take it to your father to relieve my anger."
Even in this situation, Nangong Jin didn't mention Nangong Bi-a. He didn't seem to have any intention of asking what meaning was contained in the internal energy Gu Yang-cheon had wagered.
Whether he didn't think he would lose, or he simply had no interest from the start.
Gu Yang-cheon thought it would be both.
"The ones lying on the floor seem to be dying, shouldn't you treat them first before we do this?"
It was strange for him to be worried about the people he had put on the floor, but Nangong Jin spoke as if he didn't particularly care.
"It doesn't matter. It won't take long anyway."
It was an arrogant and heartless remark.
Since it was the words of none other than the Cheongcheon Sword King, it was understandable that it was full of confidence.
It was true that the plan was to make him this angry, but since it happened more easily than expected, Gu Yang-cheon had to feel a slight sense of bewilderment inside.
'Is his mental fortitude weaker than expected?'
[Considering your fucking shitty tone, that Nangong guy is close to a Buddha.]
'...Must you go that far...'
[Like hell 'that far'! It's more miraculous that your head is still attached right now. What exactly are you trying to do by pulling this?]
A duel with the Patriarch of the Nangong family.
In Shin Noya's view, it was an impossible feat no matter how he looked at it. Even if a rule was set to not use internal energy.
Let alone holding a sword. Hadn't he just destroyed whatever slim chance of winning he had?
[What are you going to do...]
Shin Noya, who was about to demand why he had created such a fucked up situation, stopped speaking at a sudden passing thought.
It was a thought born out of 'what if'. Gu Yang-cheon was not a swordsman.
Moreover, he had never even seen Gu Yang-cheon training with a sword in his presence. Therefore, this duel was originally a fight with no chance of winning.
Unless someone else fought in his place, that is.
[...Kid.]
'Yes.'
[This seat you made to fight... I'm right, aren't I?]
At Shin Noya's words, Gu Yang-cheon answered as if dumbfounded.
'What kind of nonsensical question is that?'
[Right? Even I thought it was a bit much...]
'Of course you have to fight for me, Noya. I don't know how to use a sword.'
[You really are a fucking piece of shit.]
At Gu Yang-cheon's shameless remark, Shin Noya ultimately had no choice but to spit out a filthy curse.