Chapter 227: Rumor of Departure (2)
Two months had passed.
The season that had marked the beginning of spring.
Had already reached its end and was waiting for summer to arrive.
The flowers that had bloomed in splendor were preparing for their end.
Huwook—! Hook!
The young man swung his sword.
Over the field scorched by the blazing sun.
Sweat dripped steadily from the tip of his jaw.
“Huooo…!”
The wooden sword in his hand trembled fiercely.
An aftereffect of his grueling training.
With legs that felt ready to give way at any moment,
the young man swung his sword once more.
Thud!
As he stomped the ground with his foot, wind pressure surged outward.
The internal energy permeating his flesh straightened the path of his blade.
Having reached the Peak, the fierce aura coiling at the tip of his sword soared endlessly.
Shiiik!
Sword qi erupted from the tip as it tore through the air.
Crack!
Sweeping through the surroundings, it only came to an end after cutting down several trees.
“…Haa….”
Only after halting his movements could he exhale a deep breath.
Huuuuk.
The internal energy that had been pressing upon his body withdrew into his dantian.
Drenched in sweat, the young man steadied his exhausted breathing and composed himself.
‘This is difficult.’
The young man, Muyeon, thought.
It had been merely two months since he had ascended to the Peak.
The exhilaration of having surmounted the wall and the thrill of having touched a new world still remained.
But the world that unfolded after rising from first-rate to the Peak was far higher and wider than that.
Having finally reached the world he had only ever longed for,
he could not fathom how much more grueling training and countless realizations it would take to cross over to what lay beyond.
But Muyeon cast aside his idle thoughts and focused on his breathing.
‘There is plenty of time. I mustn’t be impatient.’
It was advice someone had given him countless times.
Of course, the actual tone had not been this gentle.
“Don’t run your mouth and just do what you see. A person should know their place; if you don’t know that and keep acting impertinent, you won’t even make it to where you’re going?”
These were words spoken to him by a boy with a fierce face.
Muyeon's own lord.
The boy who would become the greatest pillar of the Gu Family.
‘…Has the young master been living in such a world all along?’
Only after reaching the Peak did his awe toward Guyangcheon grow deeper.
‘The young master truly is a talent bestowed by heaven.’
When he had first laid eyes on Guyangcheon, it had been a little over a year ago.
At that time, Guyangcheon had been a crude martial artist who might, at best, have barely touched the third-rate.
Then, as if something had changed, his talent had begun to blossom at some point.
He touched the second-rate.
Reached the first-rate.
And before Muyeon could even see it clearly, he had surmounted the wall and arrived at the Peak.
Recalling that it had taken merely a little over a year, it was truly an absurd talent.
‘…There are swaths of people who train in martial arts their entire lives yet never reach the Peak.’
Watching this, Muyeon too had been swept up in envy and jealousy inwardly at first.
But now, having reached this point, he felt somewhat more at ease.
Perhaps it was thanks to what that attendant had said to him that night.
Sswak!
After finishing his training, as he was tidying his wooden sword and wiping away his sweat,
someone approached Muyeon.
“You’ve worked hard.”
Muyeon shifted his gaze to the speaker.
“…Ah. Lady Hong.”
The attendant Hongwa appeared and offered Muyeon water.
Muyeon lightly bowed his head and drank the water she handed him.
He felt fortunate to be able to quench his parched throat.
Hongwa, watching him, cautiously asked,
“Have you made any progress?”
“It is much the same as always.”
“From your expression, you seem to be doing fairly well.”
…Ahh.
At Hongwa's words, spoken as though relieved, Muyeon smiled with an embarrassed expression.
The day Muyeon announced to the family that he had reached the Peak,
the Guseonmun had been turned upside down, along with the Sword Squad.
This was because a martial artist who had reached the Peak at the youngest age in Guseonmun’s history had been born.
Moreover, the First Elder, who had been the sect leader, was now dead.
And with the deeds the First Elder had been plotting behind the scenes being revealed one by one,
the position of Young Sect Lord that Gujeollyeop was to inherit had become precarious.
Talk had arisen that Muyeon was more than sufficient to lead the next generation of Guseonmun.
Furthermore, if one recalled that Muyeon had originally belonged to the Sword Squad,
there had even been talk that he should be pulled from the bodyguard unit immediately and made to serve in the Sword Squad once more.
After all, a martial artist who had reached the Peak was someone guaranteed a position equal to at least a squad leader.
However,
Muyeon refused all of it.
He felt it was beyond his standing, and furthermore—
“I have something I must do. Until that task is complete, I do not wish to accept any position.”
With those words, Muyeon ended all discussion.
Of course, the various stewards and members of the Guseonmun had wished to discuss the matter further.
But at the Second Elder’s gesture, they all fell silent.
“Brother Muyeon.”
“Yes.”
“…Are you still speaking formally to me?”
“…I am simply not used to doing otherwise.”
Hongwa wore an expression of exasperation, then brought up another matter with Muyeon.
“I heard that Young Master Jeolyeop came by yesterday.”
“Ah. Yes, that’s right.”
“Was he alright?”
At Hongwa's question, Muyeon smiled bitterly.
“He will be.”
That was all he could say.
Gujeollyeop would be alright.
At the very least, the boy Muyeon had watched was a sturdier martial artist than he seemed.
Recalling Gujeollyeop, who had still looked haggard, Muyeon deliberately changed the subject.
“Ah, that’s right. It’s today, isn’t it?”
“The day the young master comes out?”
“Yes.”
“That’s right. Though I don’t know when exactly he will emerge….”
It had already been two months since Guyangcheon had entered closed-door training as punishment.
The time had flowed like an instant, faster than he had imagined.
‘…Am I simply to relay it to him as soon as he comes out?’
Before entering closed-door training, Guyangcheon had asked Muyeon a few favors.
The contents of the requests were not particularly difficult.
So for Muyeon, it was a simple matter.
But as always, he had no idea why Guyangcheon would ask such things.
‘The young master always has his reasons.’
That was all Muyeon could think.
Because at his level, he could not hope to understand a genius like Guyangcheon.
“Ah, Brother Muyeon, have you heard the news?”
“What news is that?”
“The one about the event the Moyong Family is holding this time….”
“Ah, I have heard. About collaborating with the Tang Sect….”
“Yes. Not only clothing but also accessories, they say. People will come not just from Shanxi but from other regions as well.”
“Oh, is that so.”
He vaguely remembered hearing the news.
Moreover, a direct descendant of the Moyong Family was currently staying at the Gu Family estate.
‘Seolbong, was it.’
Seolbong Moyong Huia.
She was a woman who had come to see Guyangcheon several times, so Muyeon had seen her face up close.
‘She was a beautiful woman.’
A woman who knew her own beauty and knew how to cultivate it.
Every smile and gesture was filled with a charm that drew men in.
The Seolbong Muyeon had seen was such a person.
However, Guyangcheon had only ever regarded her with a thoroughly uncomfortable gaze, avoiding her.
‘Why is that?’
Muyeon could not understand.
He wondered if there was anyone who disliked a beauty.
‘Could it be because of Lady Namgung?’
Although Moyong Huia was beautiful,
the most beautiful person Muyeon had seen in his life was Namgung Bia.
She hardly adorned herself at all.
She was a woman who wore comfortable clothes and tied her hair up to train as usual.
Namgung Bia possessed a beauty of an entirely different caliber.
So much so that Muyeon had even felt jealous of Guyangcheon for being engaged to such a Namgung Bia, albeit briefly.
“…So, what I wished to say was.”
“Hmm?”
“If it’s alright with you, Brother Muyeon… this time, together….”
“Oh! There you are!”
Just as Hongwa was about to speak,
someone approached and cut her off.
Muyeon, seeing the interloper, immediately composed himself in courtesy.
“Greetings, Second Elder.”
“Yes, yes. Long time no see.”
“Yes.”
Though it was hardly a long time—he had seen him just a few days prior.
“Ah, Hongwa was here as well.”
“…”
“Hm? Why do you look like that?”
“It is nothing. I greet the Second Elder.”
“O-oh, I see….”
For some reason, Hongwa’s expression seemed darker than usual.
Was she feeling unwell?
“The thing is, word has come that he will be out shortly.”
“Ah…! Do you mean the young master?”
“Yes. Shall we go together?”
“Yes.”
At the Second Elder’s words, Muyeon nodded.
For he had been waiting two months for this.
At this, Hongwa bowed her head to the Second Elder and stepped back.
“Then, I shall go prepare the meal.”
Perhaps because she had heard the news of Guyangcheon’s emergence,
Hongwa quickly disappeared to prepare the meal.
Her expression had somehow not been good until then, so Muyeon was faintly worried.
“…Hm, did this old man do something wrong?”
“Not at all. Servant Hong simply seems to be feeling unwell.”
“Oh dear, I should have sent her to the medical hall.”
Muyeon smiled at the Second Elder’s words.
He then followed the Second Elder.
!
!
.
If he were to recount the events of the past two months one by one,
first was the matter of the First Elder’s secret vault.
As Guyangcheon had mentioned, there existed a secret vault within the First Elder’s quarters.
Inside, alongside accumulated wealth,
there was evidence that the First Elder had shared information with outside forces.
Thus, justification was established for Guyangcheon having known of the matter and punished the First Elder.
Furthermore, the First Elder was stripped of his position and simultaneously denied a proper funeral.
Even if a funeral were held, he would likely not be interred in the Gu Family’s burial ground.
Additionally, the treatment of his direct descendant, Gujeollyeop, was also decided.
Perhaps thanks to the measures Guyangcheon and the Second Elder had taken in advance,
he managed to preserve his dantian and was allowed to continue his activities as a member of the Gu Family.
However, while stepping down from the position of Young Sect Lord of the Guseonmun,
he became unable to perform the duties available to a branch member of the Gu Family.
Gujeollyeop harbored no resentment toward this.
Rather, he secretly conveyed to Muyeon that he was grateful even for this much.
‘There were many other matters as well, but…’
The rest was talk to be brought up face-to-face with Guyangcheon.
By the time they arrived at the location,
a few people who had arrived early caught his eye.
A woman wearing a veil in the distance.
‘Seolbong has come as well.’
She was a bloodline of the Moyong Family who had remained at the Gu Family due to certain matters.
And beside her….
“…!”
Shifting his gaze to her side, Muyeon caught his breath for a moment.
Beside Moyong Huia stood Namgung Bia.
In a way, this was only natural.
It would have been stranger if Namgung Bia had not appeared at this place.
However, this was not the reason Muyeon was surprised.
“…Heoh.”
The Second Elder beside him also let out a breath of admiration.
Because Namgung Bia, standing perfectly composed, was impossibly beautiful.
Gone was the woman who went about in comfortable martial uniforms with her hair roughly tied up.
In her place stood a peerless beauty under heaven, so dazzling it made one’s head spin.
‘To think that just a bit of grooming could transform her to that degree.’
Unlike usual, Namgung Bia seemed to have adorned herself with charms.
It was lighter makeup than what Moyong Huia or Dang Soyeol usually wore.
Yet that alone was an appearance enough to overwhelm the surroundings.
Namgung Bia moved her head, and her eyes met with Muyeon’s.
“ ”
She gave a slight bow.
Namgung Bia lowered her head slightly to Muyeon.
In response, Muyeon also showed courtesy.
But he could not stop his heart from pounding.
‘…Should I circulate my internal energy?’
He pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
“Many have gathered. It seems this brat Yangcheon has quite the fortune in people, unlike his personality.”
•
The Second Elder spoke as if he were proud of his own affair.
Though the number of people had changed somewhat from when Guyangcheon had entered, it was still no small crowd.
In a way, it was stranger that so many had gathered simply for someone finishing closed-door training.
“The time we were told is nearly here, so soon….”
Before the Second Elder’s words could even finish,
Rumble.
A sound came from the entrance.
Groan.
Perhaps because of the vibration, dust fell in clumps as changes gradually took form.
A heavy door slowly opened.
Huuuuk!
An enormous heat erupted from the entrance, riding on a whirlwind.
The heat that swept past, pushing away dust, clearly had something else mixed within it.
‘…This is….’
The heat he felt was all internal energy.
To think that such dense and vivid heat was all internal energy.
The heat that poured out like a cascade vanished completely.
From within the darkness where the interior could not be seen clearly.
Step.
The sound of footsteps was heard.
“Damn it all.”
And together with it, a familiar voice brushed past his ears.
As if everything in the world were a nuisance.
A voice thickly laced with negative emotions.
To Muyeon, it was a voice that was familiar, yet strangely reliable.
“Now I finally feel like I’m alive.”
As the footsteps drew closer, the boy’s figure gradually became clearer from within the darkness.
He wore the same clothes as when he had first entered.
‘…Has he grown taller?’
Somehow, he felt as if the boy had grown a bit bigger.
Boys at that age grew fast, but this seemed a little faster.
“Hm? What the.”
The boy’s eyes, scanning the surroundings while roughly brushing his hair back, were still fierce.
In that moment, Muyeon had to flinch as he met the boy’s eyes.
‘Purple…?’
Because Guyangcheon’s eyes were dyed in a purple light.
But.
With a single blink, they returned to their original pupils.
At that sight, Muyeon tilted his head slightly.
‘Was it an illusion?’
It was probably an illusion.
Even as he held that thought for a brief moment.
Guyangcheon spoke with his characteristic dumbfounded expression.
“Why are you all gathered here?”
“We were waiting for you, brat.”
“…No, why would you wait like this for someone coming out after receiving punishment?”
The Second Elder approached Guyangcheon to pat his shoulder, but
he stopped mid-step.
Everyone looked at him, wondering why he had stopped.
“Why do you stop?”
“Yangcheon.”
“Yes.”
“You stink.”
“…”
At the Second Elder’s words, Guyangcheon sniffed his sleeve and made a disgusted face.
“…What the hell is this smell?”
It seemed to be quite a foul odor.
“Well, it seems far worse than the smell of shit, so let’s talk after you wash up.”
“Yes….”
Watching this, Muyeon didn’t know what expression to make and had to cover his face.
Because the situation was far cruder than he had expected.