**Sword Phoenix (2)**
The Defeated Venerable, one of the Three Venerables Under Heaven, once said it himself.
He said that this was the age of meteors.
It was a term born from the fact that geniuses of the century were appearing like stars piercing the heavens and falling to earth.
This was truly an absurd age.
There were simply too many talented people. The outstanding geniuses became merely gifted.
The gifted became ordinary.
And the ordinary became dullards.
What an absurd age this was.
From the Central Plains’ perspective, it could perhaps be called the most brilliant age of all, since it was a time when so many exceptional martial artists were emerging.
But not for me.
*I was born in the wrong era.*
I had heard those words countless times.
*“It’s not that he has no talent... but he’s a little peculiar.”*
I had heard those words thousands of times.
*“Compared to his sisters, he’s rather disappointing.”*
I had heard those words tens of thousands of times.
The time when I, ignorant of my own station, was consumed by anger must have been around then.
In the midst of the stars pouring forth into the world, I alone was not a star.
Back then, I blamed the absurdity of the world.
I could not blame my bloodline, because everyone else’s brilliance was simply too dazzling.
But just as I had failed to become a star, there were stars that shone even more brightly among the countless others.
The Namgung Lightning Dragon was one such star.
So was the Tang Clan’s Poison Phoenix.
The Mount Hua Sword Dragon was quiet for now, but before long, plum blossoms would bloom from the tip of his sword.
And it would not be long before Wudang’s Hidden Dragon awoke from its slumber.
Among the countless young martial artists, those who had claimed the places of dragons and phoenixes through talent and effort were the stars of this era.
It was almost universally accepted that if the future Number One Under Heaven were to emerge, it would be from among them.
The Sword Phoenix was an especially dazzling woman even among those stars.
The foremost of the younger generation.
A person who radiated an especially remarkable presence amid the writhing dragons.
When Peng Ujin, who had been called the Divine Dragon, accepted the position of Young Lord of the Peng Clan and withdrew from the younger generation,
the position of foremost among the younger generation naturally passed to the Sword Phoenix.
Astonishingly, no one objected.
Those who must have been filled with arrogance and confidence did not voice even the slightest protest.
That alone showed how lofty the Sword Phoenix’s status was.
And so, I disliked her.
I disliked that, despite being children of the same father, she possessed a talent I could not even dare to reach for.
I disliked that wherever I went, her name was attached before mine.
To me, the Sword Phoenix was a wall I could never cross, no matter what means I employed.
She was a vast ocean I could never cross, no matter how hard I rowed.
That was why I disliked her.
She was so far ahead of me, so distant and difficult to reach, that I always wanted to run away.
After lamenting inwardly for quite some time, another thought occurred to me.
*Is that really the reason?*
No answer came to mind.
There was no need to think of one. I already knew.
*...The real problem is.*
No matter how many reasons I piled up and stretched to explain why I disliked her,
I knew the truth.
No matter how many reasons I came up with, no matter how much justification I found for hating her,
in the end, I could not hate her.
And that was what I disliked.
Until now, that had certainly been the case....
“Little brother.”
“...Yes.”
“Yes? Y-yes!?”
“Y-yes... Big Sister.”
“That’s right. That’s how you should answer. Little brother, your hands are dropping again. Hold them up straight.”
“...Yes.”
As I raised my trembling arms back up toward the sky, I thought,
*...Not hating her, my ass. I think I can hate her like crazy now.*
It seemed like something I could do quite easily now.
*...This wicked woman.*
******************
The escape plan I had intended to carry out the moment I heard the news was stopped far too easily.
The Elder of the Second Hall, who had been standing in front of me, grabbed me.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“...Second Elder, couldn’t you just pretend you didn’t see me this once?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? There’s the engagement, and now your sister has come?”
“Exactly! Even one of those reasons would be more than enough, and there are two of them! That’s why I’m running away!”
“...This old man cannot understand you. Your sister has returned home after several months. Why would you try to leave without even seeing her face?”
“How do you know what she’ll do to me if I see her face...? I’ll be holed up in the mountains for the next few months, so don’t look for me.”
“...Did you eat something strange in Sichuan? Why are you acting so foolishly that you’re making me want to knock you unconscious?”
I stopped moving for a moment at the Second Elder’s murderous words.
*This crazy old man...!*
He had grabbed me by the back of my neck, so there was no way I could escape no matter what I did.
Even if my internal energy had increased, it was still meaningless in front of the Second Elder.
Even so, my eyes kept searching for somewhere to run, while my head considered how I might escape.
Then I felt an aura I absolutely did not want to feel.
*She’s coming here.... She’s coming this way...!!*
They said she was in the clan head’s quarters...!
Contrary to the Second Elder’s words, I could clearly feel an aura approaching from far away, drawing closer by the moment.
The Nine-Flame Fire Wheel Technique that had grown stronger was resonating of its own accord with a familiar aura.
The closer that aura came, the hotter my insides grew.
*Damn it, what kind of aura is this?*
Her presence was far too powerful.
No, seriously, had she wrapped her body in flames or something?
How could a human being approach while releasing that kind of heat without a care?
*At least try to hide it a little...!*
That lunatic was not concealing her aura at all, as if she intended to melt everything around her.
Under the pressure of that tremendous aura, the Second Elder dropped me onto the ground.
There was no point trying to run anymore, anyway.
The moment I thought that,
someone lightly descended beyond the main gate and landed in front of the residence.
I repeatedly took deep breaths and fixed my eyes on the intruder.
Her body was remarkably delicate compared to the aura wrapped around it.
Her long black hair flowed down her back, faint traces of red shimmering through it, while both her eyes were a deep crimson.
It was proof that her Nine-Flame Fire Wheel Technique had surpassed the fifth star.
It meant that she had become a martial artist capable of making a name for herself among the Central Plains’ strong.
She had inherited the Gu Clan’s fierce eyes, but together with her aura and sharply defined features, they gave her the appearance of a powerful beauty.
If my second sister, Gu Yeonseo, had a relatively gentle appearance,
this terrifying woman was the spitting image of our father.
The red robe fluttering in the surging aura was embroidered with a magnificent golden tiger.
That was none other than the robe worn by the commander of the Gu Clan’s Sword Unit.
The woman stared at me for a long while before brushing her hair back with one hand.
Only then did the oppressive heat vanish.
As I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding, the woman’s vivid red lips opened at the same time.
“Little brother.”
Her voice was somewhat low for a woman, and its unwavering tone carried a heavy weight.
“Little brother.”
“Uh...?”
“If you see your big sister, shouldn’t you greet her first?”
“....”
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
...What was I supposed to say? In that brief instant, I went through hundreds of possibilities.
Then, at last, I managed to force out a word.
“Hi...?”
“....”
There was no answer.
She merely gave a small nod.
It seemed that was not enough, so I added a few more words.
“Have... a nice day?”
Nod.
As if she had finally approved of my words, she nodded as though she had been waiting for them.
*...This is driving me insane.*
The Sword Phoenix, Gu Huibi.
My eldest sister, whom I was seeing again after several years.
What should I call this? Should I say she was unchanged?
Gu Huibi looked down at me with blazing eyes.
*...Why is she looking down at me?*
Come to think of it, weren’t we roughly the same height?
...That was what I thought, until I realized that I had somehow fallen to my knees.
“...?”
....Huh?
Had I knelt down instinctively?
Astonishingly, the fear etched into my body had made it happen.
“You’re quick to act. I like that.”
Gu Huibi grinned as if she liked what she saw.
...Her smile was terrifying.
“You need to raise your hands too.”
“...Huh? Why my hands?”
“Are you not going to raise them?”
At those words, my hands shot up.
This, too, had nothing to do with my own will.
*Damn that early education....*
“Little brother.”
“...Yes.”
“Yes? Y-yes!?”
“Y-yes... Big Sister.”
“That’s right. That’s how you should answer. Little brother, your hands are dropping again. Hold them up straight.”
“...Yes.”
Why was she acting like this the moment she saw me again after so long?
I glanced at the Second Elder, subtly signaling for help, but he was looking at me with an expression of deep satisfaction.
“Your siblingly affection is as strong as ever.”
“...Does this look good to you?”
“Ha ha ha ha!”
Gu Huibi left me standing there in punishment for no apparent reason and turned to the Second Elder to offer him a proper greeting.
“It has been a long time, Second Elder.”
“Yes, Huibi. Have you been well?”
“I have always been the same.”
“Same, my foot. I have heard that you are performing your duties properly as commander of the Sword Unit.”
“That is only because all the members are working so hard.”
The Second Elder and Gu Huibi exchanged pleasantries, laughing and chatting as they caught up.
That was all well and good.
But did my arms really have to stay like this?
*...At my age, no less.*
My arms trembled.
Not because they were tired from being raised, but because I was shaking with humiliation.
....I really was.
“This is just wrong...!”
I couldn’t stand it any longer.
Having returned to the past, there was no way it made sense for me to be pushed around like this.
In the end, unable to endure it, I lowered my arms to protest to Gu Huibi.
“I’m already how old, and you’re making me...!”
“Raise them again.”
“Yes.”
*Damn it....*
Gu Huibi left the Second Elder behind and approached me, lowering her gaze until our eyes met.
Her irises had been dyed red by her cultivation technique, inspiring both an otherworldly mystery and fear.
“Little brother.”
“...Yes.”
“Do you know what you did wrong?”
“I tried to run away even though you came to visit...?”
“....You tried to run away?”
*I’m screwed.... That wasn’t it.*
When I gave a fake cough and tried to avert my eyes, Gu Huibi poked my cheek with one finger and turned my head back toward her.
What was this? What had I done wrong to deserve being scolded like this?
They say people become clever when faced with danger, and another possibility occurred to me.
“...Is it because of Second Sister?”
“Yeonseo?”
“Yes. If you’re doing this because I slapped Sister Yeonseo...”
“Yeonseo was slapped by you?”
...Huh? So that wasn’t it either?
For some reason, it felt as though I was confessing to things one by one.
Strangely, however, Gu Huibi looked rather unimpressed by this confession.
Her little brother had been slapped, yet why did she look like that?
“That’s strange. I didn’t think Yeonseo was someone you could slap.”
“If that’s not it, then why are you doing this to me, Big Sister?”
Perhaps my words had offended her, because Gu Huibi glared at me fiercely.
The aura slowly crawling out of her body prickled against my skin.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“You’re getting engaged again, aren’t you?”
“...What?”
I unconsciously made an incredibly stupid face.
What had I just heard?
Had I heard her correctly?
She had definitely said “engaged”... but what did my engagement have to do with me being scolded right now?
As if my confusion were of no concern to her, Gu Huibi continued.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I only found out today...?”
Even if I had known beforehand, why would I have needed to tell Gu Huibi about my engagement?
...No, wait. Was I really being scolded over this?
“Are you angry about that?”
“Of course I’m angry about that! You got engaged again without your big sister’s permission!?”
“What the hell are you talking about!? Big Sister, have you gone crazy!?”
I was so dumbfounded that a hollow laugh escaped me.
Had she gotten drunk in the middle of the day? What kind of ridiculous nonsense was she spouting?
When I shouted back in anger, Gu Huibi’s brow furrowed.
That was the expression she wore when she was truly angry.
Uh, this seemed a little dangerous...?
Whoosh!
As expected, heat poured from Gu Huibi’s body.
Looking at the robe fluttering in the wake of that heat, I could tell just how much internal energy she held within her.
*...I think I’m screwed.*
The instinct of a younger brother who had grown up getting beaten told me to slam my head into the ground right now.
My rationality told me that it was already too late for that.
*You crazy bastard... Then what am I supposed to do?*
I was just beginning to inch away, wondering if I should try running even now, when Gu Huibi’s fierce voice rang out.
“Crazy? Since I’ve been going easy on you, you’re saying things you shouldn’t...”
“Young Master...?”
An unexpected voice cut into the moment.
Gu Huibi’s aura, burning as if it were about to explode, vanished in an instant.
I turned toward the voice and saw Wi Seol-ah looking at me while holding a bowl filled with steaming dumplings.
“What...?”
I looked at Wi Seol-ah, then turned back toward Gu Huibi as a chill ran through me.
The blazing eyes that had been fixed on me were now aimed at Wi Seol-ah.