Chapter 497 - Let me have a grip, just once.
*Creak—.*
The pressure pushing against the sword handle was considerable.
Goeseon had to contemplate whether to draw the sword out like this or not, but.
'Damn.'
He soon realized what his mistake was and furrowed his brows.
For a moment, he had almost moved in response to the fighting spirit he felt from the Little Goeseon in front of him.
Little Goeseon.
That word fit him perfectly.
Looking at Gu Yangcheon, Goeseon became certain once more.
'This is really….'
No matter how flustered he had been by Namgung Myeong's actions, he hadn't been able to read Gu Yangcheon's movements.
And conversely, he recalled that Gu Yangcheon had read his own movements and acted accordingly.
How could that be?
This wasn't an issue that could be dismissed simply by calling him the youngest Hwagyeong or whatever.
Goeseon raised his gaze and met eyes with Gu Yangcheon.
He could see it.
The look in Gu Yangcheon's eyes as he gazed at him.
His black eyes were dyed blue, and the surging fighting spirit from his body was clearly felt.
This brat was already a finished product.
A martial artist equal to himself.
Not some junior he needed to teach and guide.
This brat already had to be placed on the same level as himself.
Goeseon's own pathetic flesh, surging in response to the fighting spirit, was proof of this.
'Ah, this is quite troublesome.'
Was it because he hadn't drawn his blade in a while lately? His body was heating up on its own.
And towards someone around his disciple's age, at that?
'How pathetic. Pathetic.'
He had thought he left the heat of youth behind in his younger days, but it seemed he was still stuck in that place.
Goeseon found himself absurd, yet he did not avoid Gu Yangcheon's gaze.
He couldn't avoid his eyes. Because Gu Yangcheon's gaze was far too resolute.
"I asked what you were trying to do."
His decisive tone was brimming with anger.
Goeseon thought no matter what he said, Gu Yangcheon wouldn't believe him, but he felt he should explain himself first, so he opened his mouth.
"...This is, you see… there are, um, circumstances."
"I'm not asking Goeseon."
At Gu Yangcheon's words, Goeseon had to pause.
He wasn't asking him? Then who was he asking?
As Goeseon frowned at the incomprehensible words, Gu Yangcheon looked toward Goeseon's chest and spoke.
"I'm asking Noecheonilgeom. What were you trying to do just now?"
"...!"
At Gu Yangcheon's words, Goeseon swallowed a dry breath.
Only then did Goeseon recall that Gu Yangcheon could also hear Namgung Myeong's voice.
'Perhaps, was that why he moved?'
Goeseon thought about the reason Gu Yangcheon's reaction had been so fast.
He wondered if Gu Yangcheon had moved after hearing Namgung Myeong's voice.
'Is that really the case?'
Goeseon immediately erased that thought.
His instinct was telling him. That wasn't it.
Furthermore.
'If he had moved after hearing it, he would have been too late.'
If he had moved after hearing Namgung Myeong's voice, it would have been slightly too late.
'How strong is he?'
Having figured that much out, a sudden curiosity flashed by.
What level had this child reached?
At first, he thought he could see it, but now that thought had changed.
It was ambiguous.
Meaning he couldn't see it properly.
'Which means.'
The fact that he couldn't properly grasp Gu Yangcheon meant that—
Gu Yangcheon's realm was approaching his own.
Not merely having just crossed the wall.
Meaning a Hwagyeong that was completely settled.
'How is that possible?'
It was unbelievable even with it right before his eyes.
He had heard that Gu Yangcheon hadn't even come of age yet.
Where did a martial artist who hadn't come of age stand? His own disciple, whom he had thought a heaven-sent prodigy, had reached the peak around the time he passed the age of twenty.
That alone had earned him the title of a heaven-sent prodigy and made him the sole recipient of the Mount Hua Sect's every expectation.
Yet.
'What is this brat?'
At an even younger age, he was in the Hwagyeong, on the same level as those called the current Hundred Great Experts?
Goeseon couldn't suppress his rising interest.
Namgung Myeong's words flashed through his mind.
—Because a greater monster is attached to him….
Namgung Myeong had certainly said that when referring to Gu Yangcheon.
Which meant.
'It means something is attached to this brat as well.'
Just like himself?
Just as Goeseon's emotions were rarely fluttering like that.
*Humm.*
The sword embryo inside his chest began to vibrate as if resonating.
[Impressive.]
It was Namgung Myeong's voice.
[I wasn't pleased since you're not a swordmaster, but it seems Sincheol did raise you properly, separately speaking.]
"Ha."
As expected, Gu Yangcheon let out a hollow laugh as soon as Namgung Myeong finished speaking, as if he could hear his voice.
"I think Senior is under some kind of misconception."
[What?]
Unlike before, a drastic difference was felt in his tone. Compared to their previous meeting where he had been relatively courteous.
Now, with slightly raised lips and an expression full of irritation, he gave off the feeling that he was barely holding on to courtesy.
"Our old man didn't really do much. I grew up on my own."
[Huh...?]
At the nonchalant remark, Namgung Myeong let out a surprised dry breath.
He seemed to have never expected Gu Yangcheon to give such an answer.
Hearing Gu Yangcheon's answer, Goeseon became certain.
As expected, there was someone attached to that brat's side as well.
Sincheol.
A name he had heard somewhere before...?
In the moment Goeseon was racking his memory trying to recall who it was.
"I'll ask again."
Gu Yangcheon spoke with a face much more distorted than before.
"Just now, what were you trying to do?"
[This is none of your business.]
At Namgung Myeong's words, Gu Yangcheon smiled. He was clearly smiling, but looking at his expression, it seemed more correct to say he was angry.
"If it's none of my business, then you're saying you were trying to lay a hand on him?"
[...Can you not understand the words 'family matter'?]
"Haha."
Gu Yangcheon let out a small laugh and then.
Spat out words in a low voice.
"Family matter, my ass."
*Flinch.*
At Gu Yangcheon's words, the surroundings chilled. Uhyeok, who had been watching from behind, covered his mouth with his hand and widened his eyes.
Namgung Bia, who was beside him, turned her head away and closed her eyes.
From that appearance, the feeling of 'Here we go again.' was strongly felt.
[Just now…. what did you say?]
Namgung Myeong asked Gu Yangcheon as if he had misheard, but Gu Yangcheon's expression was the same.
"Ah, fucking hell. Are all the men surnamed Namgung not right in the head? Why do you all try to draw your swords first? Try to draw them? Can't you be a bit more peaceful?"
Even the courtesy he had barely been holding onto was shattered.
Was that his true nature?
[You brat...! Are you insulting the Namgung Clan now!]
"I've been through so much shit, so I'm allowed to curse. Family matter, my ass. I was trying to hold back, but the world really isn't helping. What family matter is some dead old codger going on about? That's senility, Senior."
"Wow."
At Gu Yangcheon's machine-gun-like outpouring of words, Goeseon couldn't help but admire him unconsciously.
Because those words contained everything he had wanted to spit out while looking at Namgung Myeong.
Though it did sting a bit that the men surnamed Namgung were being cursed at all at once.
No matter how much Namgung Hyeong said he wanted to throw it away, his surname was still Namgung.
Looking at Gu Yangcheon, Goeseon's eyes gleamed.
He himself couldn't curse so unreservedly like that.
Gu Yangcheon, who had been gritting his teeth, suddenly looked up at the empty air and growled.
"Ah, hold back, my ass! I'm barely holding back as it is when the situation is already fucked. They started it first."
It seemed like he was speaking to someone other than Goeseon or Namgung Myeong.
"Why are you even bringing that up right now? Would the old man have held back? See. But why are you only scolding me?"
"...Uh. Little Goeseon... no, Young Master. Please calm down for a moment."
Goeseon tried his best to calm the situation, but.
The problem arose here.
"No, why is that damn family all like that? No wonder their martial arts are twisted."
*Thud—!*
At Gu Yangcheon's words, a shock radiated from the sword embryo. Only then did a feeling of alarm rise in Goeseon.
It was already too late.
Gu Yangcheon had.
Brought up the very subject Namgung Myeong wanted to avoid most. That the martial arts were twisted.
It was unknown if that child knew about the Namgung Clan's problem and said it, but.
[Descendant.]
This would have been enough to grate on Namgung Myeong's nerves.
A voice far calmer than usual.
Goeseon could tell from that voice that Namgung Myeong was truly furious.
Sure enough.
[It seems I'll have to teach that wet-behind-the-ears brat a lesson.]
At Namgung Myeong's words, Goeseon had to squeeze his eyes shut.
'Old man, that's not exactly something I want to do?'
Those words meant he was telling him to discipline Gu Yangcheon.
The problem was that, unlike his surging fighting spirit, Goeseon didn't particularly want to exchange blows with Gu Yangcheon.
He was trying to treat him as an equal martial artist, but.
Separate from that, the very act of fighting his disciple's friend was an extremely uncomfortable matter.
'Well, since a child said it, if I just let it slide appropriately....'
He had intended to wrap it up lightly and move on, but.
[It's an order.]
'...Huh?'
At Namgung Myeong's words, Goeseon had to swallow a dry breath.
'Old man, are you out of your mind?'
An order.
This was a promise between only Namgung Myeong, Goeseon, and Namgung Hyeong.
Just five times.
Only five times would Namgung Hyeong listen to Namgung Myeong in any matter.
It was a promise made when escaping the Namgung Clan.
No matter what it was, if Namgung Myeong called it an order, he would follow.
Such was the promise.
Of these, three had already been used.
The first order was to learn the true sword path of the Namgung Clan according to Namgung Myeong's will and later pass it down to the Namgung Clan.
The second was when stopping the Great Demonic Scripture that occurred in the secular world.
The third was... something he didn't want to remember, so he'd skip that.
'Ha, you're going to use an order just to teach that brat a lesson?'
Goeseon spoke to Namgung Myeong as if it were absurd, but.
Namgung Myeong was resolute.
[I can endure other things, but I cannot let words that insult the Namgung go unpunished. That is unacceptable.]
'I'm going crazy.'
Why couldn't that nauseating Namgung praise be stopped?
Namgung Hyeong truly thought so, but.
It couldn't be helped.
A promise wasn't something you could just skip because you didn't want to.
The moment Goeseon made up his mind like that.
*Taang—!*
"...!"
The fingertips of Gu Yangcheon, who had been pushing the sword handle, bounced back.
Goeseon hadn't shown any action whatsoever, yet his hand had bounced back from the recoil.
While Gu Yangcheon was widening his eyes looking at his tingling hand.
"I don't know if you heard the conversation or not. But it seems I have to teach you a lesson."
Goeseon spat out words calmly to Gu Yangcheon.
"...Goeseon."
"Ah, I really hate this kind of thing. And to be humiliated in front of my disciple too."
Goeseon scratched the back of his head as if annoyed.
Having not washed it for quite some time, every time his bluish-white hair shook, dandruff fell off in chunks.
Gu Yangcheon watched that and expanded his senses.
"..."
And stopped breathing right there.
He could feel it.
The fighting spirit slowly rising from Goeseon's body.
Something far too rough and crude to be called a Taoist's energy could be felt.
A complete Hwagyeong.
No, a place slightly higher than that.
The realm of a superhuman approaching the transcendence that Paejon had spoken of. Goeseon's pressure, which was clearly close to that place, was this heavy.
A savage feeling that viscously choked his throat.
It seemed Goeseon was truly thinking of fighting him.
Gu Yangcheon felt the tingling shivers spreading because of that.
'Whew.'
Could let out a sigh of relief.
And indeed.
'Just as planned.'
Because fortunately, things were flowing exactly as he had planned.