〈 Episode 639 〉 White Night (白夜)
The incident occurred while they were passing through the forest.
"Haa… ha…."
It was a place they had set camp upon the forest path leading to Hanam.
Leaving behind the carriage flying a red flag, deeper into the woods.
"Huuh…."
A place where valley water flowed gently behind a gravel bed. Upon that ground, a woman knelt on one knee.
Scrape—!
The woman barely held herself up, using her sword as a cane.
"…Haa… huuuh…."
Swish.
The golden-haired woman panted roughly and wiped away her sweat.
Her vision was blurry, and her body looked so exhausted it might collapse at any moment.
And it was not merely appearances.
The woman knew.
That her body had already reached its limit, and it would not be strange if she collapsed right then.
Yet, the woman could not collapse.
At least, not like this before the figure standing before her.
"Kuh…."
Groaning with effort, the woman raised her body.
Her entire being ached.
This had been her state ever since she began this journey that was not a journey.
But she harbored no regrets.
Because all of this was what she herself had wished for.
"Huu…."
Forcing her ragged breathing to calm, the woman pressed her hands together.
Hiding her trembling, she took a posture of respect.
"…I am grateful… for your teaching."
"Hmm."
At the greeting of the golden-haired woman, the figure before her nodded.
The gravel bed had long been reduced to a mess.
Long, rough sword scars crisscrossed it, and the ground was upturned by swirling aftershocks—but the space where the man stood remained in perfect form.
As if a fierce typhoon had passed.
That spot alone was a sole paradise.
Wi Seol-a swallowed silently as she saw that.
'…I couldn't touch him at all.'
She had swung without rest.
Yet she could not so much as move her opponent a single step, let alone touch him with her blade.
Just how vast was the gap in their levels?
Goooo….
Ooooong—!
Sword light remained on the blade stuck in the ground.
Though she had withdrawn her energy some time ago, the blade still vibrated.
This signified the great heights Wi Seol-a had reached as a swordsman, but to her opponent, even that was meaningless.
"It shames me to call this teaching. You likely felt nothing, young lady."
At the man's heavy voice, Wi Seol-a swallowed dryly.
"…I apologize."
"I did not say it seeking an apology. I meant it purely as stated."
Crunch.
Leaving the piled gravel behind, the huge man—Gu Cheol-un—slowly moved his feet.
Toward Wi Seol-a.
"I believe there is no longer meaning in exchanging moves. You must know this as well."
"…"
Wi Seol-a had to bite her lip at Gu Cheol-un's words.
The gap was too great.
There was nothing more to learn from exchanging moves.
At Gu Cheol-un's cold yet clear words, Wi Seol-a sighed inwardly.
"I am grateful. I have received many fortuitous encounters from the Family Head."
Her choice was acceptance.
At those words, Gu Cheol-un nodded.
And he spoke toward Wi Seol-a.
"I know not your thoughts, but if you seek a path beyond this, you should likely seek out your grandfather."
"…"
At Gu Cheol-un's words, the corners of Wi Seol-a's eyes trembled.
It was because of talk of her grandfather.
Wi Seol-a could not easily offer a reply.
"Hmm."
Seeing this, Gu Cheol-un showed no particular reaction and continued walking.
He had not asked seeking an answer from the start.
It was merely advice.
Whether to act on it or not was her decision.
As he walked, Gu Cheol-un suddenly surveyed his surroundings.
A quiet, silent forest.
It had been roughly ten days since they set out on their journey.
How much further remained to their destination?
Likely not long.
At most, less than seven days and nights remained.
'Hanam.'
Gu Cheol-un identified their destination and took out a letter from within his clothes.
It was a letter from the Alliance—or more precisely, regarding a great event to be held in a few months.
The Divine Dragon Martial Tournament.
A grand festival for martial artists hosted by the Alliance.
Gu Cheol-un's expression was impassive as he looked at the letter, but a heat seeped into one corner of his eyes.
Was this interest in the martial tournament now?
Impossible.
Such things were meaningless to Gu Cheol-un.
This was merely—
'I wonder.'
What kind of sight that child would show.
Nothing more than interest in that.
Gu Cheol-un, thinking of his one and only son in that manner—
"Family Head."
—moved his gaze to the voice coming from ahead.
There stood a woman with a small frame and slightly upturned eyes.
Gu Yeon-seo, the second daughter of the Shanxi Gu Family.
With a somewhat hesitant expression and a small voice, she spoke to Gu Cheol-un.
"The meal is prepared…. I was wondering if you would perhaps eat together…."
At her characteristic behavior, as if reading his mood, Gu Cheol-un nodded without much reaction.
"I'll be right there."
"Ah…! Yes!"
At Gu Cheol-un's reply, Gu Yeon-seo's expression brightened considerably.
At her visible reaction, Gu Cheol-un felt a strange emotion.
Among his many emotions, what was particularly large was probably—
Self-reproach toward himself.
Moreover.
'Is it about time?'
The moment was gradually approaching.
He had tried to delay it somehow, but what Gu Cheol-un could neither grasp nor stop was time itself.
The time would come.
'The child has passed the age of adulthood.'
The moment to pass the position of Young Family Head of the Gu Family was approaching.
'It is not easy.'
Whatever it was. What he had done, the accumulated matters left plainly in their place—nothing was easy.
Such was his thought.
Hwaah—.
The wind that blew was warm.
A warm breeze mixed with the season, as if proving it was still summer.
Gu Cheol-un felt this and was about to walk calmly when—
Oooong—!
He stopped.
At the vibration felt from his chest, Gu Cheol-un halted his steps.
He immediately grabbed something from his bosom.
In Gu Cheol-un's large hand was a yellow pouch.
Unlike his usual self, he grabbed and tore the pouch with somewhat hurried hands.
Srrrip—!
The cloth tore like paper, and the object inside floated into the air.
A red jade bead.
Gu Cheol-un's brow furrowed at the sight.
The bead's name was Gwisa's Jade.
It was one of the eight precious artifacts possessed by the Gu Family, and something Gu Cheol-un himself had given to his first wife, Mi Hyo-ran.
Gwisa's Jade held two powers.
One was that if the holder of the matching bead infused it with internal energy, this bead would react.
And.
Gu Cheol-un had told Mi Hyo-ran to use it in dangerous situations.
Given her personality, she would not have put herself in danger.
'Yet if it is glowing.'
Crack.
Gu Cheol-un clenched the bead.
Crackle—!
For an instant, the gravel around his feet shook slightly.
It seemed the situation was taking a rather sudden turn.
Gu Cheol-un slowly filled his body with heat as he thought.
Fortunately, the bead possessed another power besides sending a signal to its counterpart.
The second power was exactly that.
Crack—!
Gu Cheol-un crushed the bead he was holding.
Then. Hwaruruk—! In an instant, Gu Cheol-un's body was engulfed in flames.
"Ah right, Family Head. And… huh?"
When Gu Yeon-seo, who had been walking ahead, turned back to look at Gu Cheol-un—
no one stood upon that gravel bed where he had been.
******************
Grrrrr….
With a howl echoing around them, the massive body shook and knelt.
Kuuung—!!
Its knees hitting the ground created tremors.
From its left shoulder to half its waist.
The demon collapsed with most of its snout destroyed.
A body that three Hwagyeong martial artists and one martial artist at the peak could not breach, even when attacking in unison to break through its barrier and damage it inside—
was collapsing so easily.
Karrrr…!!
The creature let out a howl, as if in pain.
Watching this, Patriarch Bi-ju suddenly let out a laugh.
"Huh. It is quite tenacious."
With half its upper body blown away, it should have died instantly, yet the creature was still howling.
Truly tenacious and fascinating vitality.
What was amusing was—
'Rather than such a bizarre creature,'
there was someone who had reduced such a monster to that state with a single blow.
Bi-ju shifted his gaze to look beside him.
Because the perpetrator happened to be standing right next to him.
A man walked over, squinting his eyes.
A height slightly over eight cheok and broad shoulders.
Not to mention the red overcoat with gold trim fluttering in the wind.
Shhiii….
An arm emitting heat along his right shoulder line, and simultaneously, hair gradually turning red.
"Heh heh."
Watching this, Bi-ju laughed as if bewildered.
His face was smiling, but his body was in the exact opposite state.
Goosebumps covered his forearms, and cold sweat ran down Bi-ju's back.
His flesh was on guard merely from looking.
Such was Bi-ju's impression.
'Anyway, those of that surname all defy common sense.'
The one passing by him now seemed to have already reached the Beyond-Heaven, enough to be called a monster.
No, perhaps—
'Even if I regained my full strength, I could not predict the outcome.'
He appeared to still be far below Bi-ju's prime, but—
that was not a certainty.
Having reached a realm beyond perception, nothing could be certain.
Kkuuk.
Bi-ju suppressed the fighting spirit rising within him.
Seeing a strong man before him, his fighting spirit kept trying to rise regardless of the circumstance.
'Just why is that man here?'
The Guardian of Shanxi.
One silently acknowledged by the Alliance as a Beyond-Heaven.
The father of a close friend's child, and the father of his disciple.
And.
'Perhaps.'
One who might have reached Transcendence.
The Tiger Hero, Gu Cheol-un.
He slowly walked over and stood beside Bi-ju.
Saaaah—!
The heat made one's throat dry.
The cold that had been rising was gone, and only hot air circulated around them.
"You used a somewhat uncomfortable method."
At the heavy voice, Bi-ju let out a smirk.
Because he knew what Gu Cheol-un was talking about.
'I suppose he found out.'
Thinking so, Bi-ju looked at Gu Cheol-un.
Gu Cheol-un did not send his gaze to Bi-ju but looked straight ahead.
Seeing this, Bi-ju spoke.
"You didn't appear for quite a while, so I acted somewhat rudely. My apologies."
He did not know when Gu Cheol-un had arrived, but Bi-ju knew he had been watching the situation.
Thus, he had done something rather childish.
He had said he would block it and told them to run.
Ah, of course, he had not meant it.
Bi-ju had no intention of dying whatsoever.
As expected, his stubborn disciple had acted angry.
And such actions were enough to draw out the watcher.
"…Father…?"
In this situation, Gu Yang-cheon called out in confusion, but
Gu Cheol-un did not turn his gaze this time either.
He looked only ahead.
Grrr…!
The kneeling demon moved.
It was rapidly regenerating its lost flesh.
Flesh and bone filled the empty spaces, squirming.
A truly grotesque sight.
Kyaaaah—!!
In mere seconds.
The body that had half blown away had fully recovered in that short time.
A speed worthy of being called bizarre.
Once its body recovered, the creature immediately charged at Gu Cheol-un.
Kung—! Kwaak—!
It charged at tremendous speed.
Shiiik—!
Sharply protruding claws aimed straight at Gu Cheol-un.
However.
Hwaruk—!
Once again, flames briefly flared.
Kwaak—!! Pung!
Krrruk—!?
The demon's arm and upper body blew apart once more along with its attack.
Traces formed at the edges of the torn flesh.
Skin scorched black as if burned. It began regenerating again immediately.
Seeing this, Gu Cheol-un clenched his fist as if he could not care less.
Hwiiik—!
With a crude motion, he swung his fist at the creature.
Kwaang—!!
Kyaaaaaah—!!!
An explosion burst forth, and the demon staggered as its regenerating flank was struck.
"Crazy."
Gu Yang-cheon spat out a word.
He had used all his strength, employing the Form of Mental Manifestation, to barely break through the barrier.
Kkadeudeuk—!
Gu Cheol-un's fist was shattering the creature's barrier without any trouble.
Kwang—! Kwaang—!
Kyaak… kraaaak—!
The creature thrashed under the continuing onslaught. Yet it could not properly counter a single blow from Gu Cheol-un.
Kung—!
Kyaak—!
No matter how huge Gu Cheol-un was, the demon was at least ten times larger.
As if the weight class difference were a joke, the demon shook with each and every blow.
One might think it had weakened from the previous battle, but—
'…That's not it.'
The demon's regenerative ability or strength had not dropped.
It was simply a matter of logic.
'…The barrier can't keep up with the speed of regeneration.'
When Gu Cheol-un struck once,
Jjjeojeok—!
the demon's barrier shattered, and even if it tried to barely fill that gap,
Kwang—!
Krrrrrk—!!
he would destroy another part.
Truly one-sided violence.
What Gu Cheol-un was doing to the demon was truly violence.
How could he do this?
'Wasn't the barrier supposed to break only by the power of mental manifestation?'
The Patriarch had thought so based on the information and situations he had grasped.
What was happening now?
The energy barrier crumbling to bits at Gu Cheol-un's touch.
…Could it be?
'Does every single attack contain the power of mental manifestation?'
Did it mean that his movements inherently contained mental manifestation without needing anything special?
If so, how was that possible?
Moreover.
'…Why is Father here?'
Why was his father here in the first place?
Gu Yang-cheon was most curious about that.
Why had this gentleman, who should be in Shanxi, suddenly appeared here?
Kraaaa—!!
The demon, left with nothing but instinct without reason, charged tirelessly, ignoring its twisted arm and baring its fangs at Gu Cheol-un.
Then.
Kwak—!
Far from dodging, Gu Cheol-un reached out and grabbed the creature's snout.
Kkeugeuk—!
The demon's strength was great, and Gu Cheol-un's body holding it was pushed back slightly, but—
"Hm."
A short shout mixed with breath was heard.
Gu Cheol-un applied force to his grip and tore the demon's snout apart.
Jrrrrip—!
Kuaaaah—!!
The demon with its torn snout let out a scream mixed with pain and thrashed.
Gu Cheol-un leaped toward it and swung his fist again.
Kkuk—! The fist dug into the demon's upper body, and kwaang—! Internal energy burst out, and the demon's body floated into the air and flew backward.
Kuuuuung!!
The massive body that had risen high fell to the ground, causing tremendous vibrations with a blizzard.
"…"
Having witnessed up to that point, Gu Yang-cheon could not bring himself to say a word.
What could he say?
It was a shocking sight, to the point where nothing came to mind.
"…Just now…."
What did I just see?
Confusing and chaotic.
The somewhat despairing situation had reversed in an instant.
Apart from that—
'…Was Father always that strong?'
He stared blankly at Gu Cheol-un's back.
Throwing the white demon around as if it were a toy, his already large back looked even more massive.
He had known from the start.
That his father was far stronger than the rumors suggested.
'Lower ranks of the Righteous Faction's Hundred Grandmasters?'
It wasn't even funny.
If that were the lower ranks of the Righteous Faction's Hundred Grandmasters, then the Heavenly Demon Great War should have ended in the Martial Alliance's victory long ago.
His father was absolutely not at that level.
Moreover.
'He even defeated the Heavenly Lord.'
There was a record of him defeating the Heavenly Lord, one of the Three Lords, in the Tang Clan's underground.
'Of course, even if the Heavenly Lord's condition was abnormal at the time.'
The fact that he won remained unchanged.
In other words, his father was comparable to the Three Lords.
Or perhaps—
'He might be even stronger.'
Of all people, it was his father who had inflicted a fatal wound on the Heavenly Demon.
He had weakened from being afflicted by demonic energy as a result, but he had pushed the Heavenly Demon to the brink of death.
'Just how strong is he?'
The old man had said that the current world was cursed, with thicker and lower walls than in the past.
In such a situation, what level had his father reached?
What was his father's realm?
'Is that a place I can reach?'
Gu Yang-cheon suddenly wondered that.
Then.
"Third."
At Gu Cheol-un's characteristically thick voice, Gu Yang-cheon flinched.
"…Yes."
"How is your condition?"
"I-I'm fine."
He actually wasn't fine at all.
The wound on his chest was staunched with internal energy, and his vessel's energy was completely empty, having reached its limit from consecutively using the Holy Spear.
However, he didn't bother saying such things.
Because he was embarrassed to act weak.
"I see."
Gu Cheol-un nodded slightly at Gu Yang-cheon's reply.
That was all.
"…"
"…"
The conversation between father and son was briefly dominated by silence.
'…I should ask why he's here.'
Gu Yang-cheon couldn't bring himself to ask.
There wasn't a particularly big reason.
'I hadn't seen him since he scolded me….'
After failing while practicing the Flame Prison Holy Spear at the Gu Family and getting severely injured.
He had been scolded harshly by Gu Cheol-un and hadn't met him since.
He had sent words through the steward occasionally, but meeting in person was something after a long time.
It wasn't exactly that he had avoided him on purpose….
'…I did avoid him.'
He corrected himself mid-thought.
Honestly, he had avoided him quite a bit. Thanks to that, it was an extremely awkward moment.
While that awkward silence continued.
"Third."
It was Gu Cheol-un who spoke first.
"Yes."
"Is that a martial art you improved yourself?"
"…?"
Before he could wonder what that meant, Gu Yang-cheon belatedly understood Gu Cheol-un's question.
It seemed to be about the Flame Prison Holy Spear.
'So he saw.'
It seemed his father had seen him using the improved Flame Prison.
'Then, since when was he watching?'
He didn't know. He couldn't know that far.
What was important was—
'…Am I getting scolded again?'
The fact that at his age, he was worried about being scolded by his father.
He had done something he was told not to, so he thought he might get scolded again.
"Well done."
Surprisingly, Gu Cheol-un offered praise.
"It wasn't bad."
At the unexpected praise from Gu Cheol-un, the corners of Gu Yang-cheon's mouth crept up, ill-fitting for the situation.
Realizing this, Gu Yang-cheon immediately turned his head and covered his mouth with his hand.
Even covering his mouth couldn't hide the rising emotion.
It was a truly childish emotion.
He tried to force it down and cast it aside when—
Hwaruruk—!
"Hm?"
At the energy felt from ahead, Gu Yang-cheon moved his head.
It was somehow familiar.
There—
"…Huh?"
Gu Cheol-un had created a Flame Prison above his palm.
A Flame Prison that was harder and possessed far faster rotation than Gu Yang-cheon's.
Had he made it to throw at the demon? Just as he thought that—
Hwiiiii—!
The Flame Prison gradually spun faster.
Kkigigik—!
"…!?"
It began changing shape.
Hwaak—!
At the same time, tremendous energy was felt.
Kkeugeugeuk—! The Flame Prison twisted and crumpled.
Yet it did not explode or become unstable.
Far more precise and powerful internal energy control.
Strength entered Gu Yang-cheon's eyes as he watched.
How could it not?
There, in that place, was the correct form of the Flame Prison Holy Spear that Gu Yang-cheon had so desired.
Gu Cheol-un forged the completed Holy Spear and held it in his hand.
He had not forcibly created a vessel with mental manifestation because he couldn't control the explosive power.
A martial art completed by controlling it solely with his own power.
That was what Gu Cheol-un was showing Gu Yang-cheon.
Gu Cheol-un carefully examined the spear in his hand and soon opened his mouth.
"Somewhat unstable and rough, but it was a considerably good attempt and result."
As if examining point by point, he shared his brief impression with Gu Yang-cheon.
And then.
"Continue to work hard in the future."
As if having no further attachment after those words, Gu Cheol-un withdrew the energy of the spear in his hand.
Hwaak—!
The spear's energy was swept away into the air and disappeared. Gu Yang-cheon asked in a trembling voice,
"…Ho-how… did you do that?"
It was a martial art he had improved and created himself.
No matter how much higher Gu Cheol-un's realm was, it made no sense for him to use it so easily.
And to use it even more perfectly.
How could he? Gu Yang-cheon asked with a tone mixed with bewilderment.
Gu Cheol-un turned his head to look at Gu Yang-cheon and answered with a rather puzzled expression.
"Didn't you show me?"
"…With that?"
The final blow forcibly made to shoot at the demon.
Did he mean he copied it just by seeing that?
What nonsense was this?
As Gu Yang-cheon made an expression showing he couldn't understand at all.
Gu Cheol-un delivered the final blow:
"Is that difficult?"
"…"
Hearing the answer, Gu Yang-cheon thought.
'Damn this life.'
He had never hated talent so much.
A sigh was about to escape from the overwhelming sense of futility when—
Krrrrr—….
He couldn't even continue at the sound heard from afar.
'Damn thing.'
Because the demon Gu Cheol-un had sent flying was rising again.
After taking that much damage, it was still getting up?
'Is there no way to kill it?'
With that level of regeneration and vitality, was there no way to catch it at the moment?
He was growing sick of such thoughts.
Then.
Peolleok—!
A red overcoat fluttered in the wind, and a voice was heard.
"You showed me a fine sight. I shall give you a reward."
"What?"
Sabak—!
Having spoken, Gu Cheol-un walked out with squinted eyes.
Kyaah—!!!
The demon let out a bizarre howl from afar.
Toward such a creature, Gu Cheol-un continued walking calmly.
"Third."
Gu Cheol-un spoke to Gu Yang-cheon.
"This is an order."
It was a thick, resolute tone.
"From now on, do not take your eyes off me for even a moment."
At that voice, Gu Yang-cheon instinctively looked at Gu Cheol-un's back.
"Also, do not become immersed in what you see. This is the Family Head's—"
The continuing words briefly cut off.
Taking half a step further, the voice continued.
"—teaching that your father bestows upon you."
Hwaah…!
With that, heat erupted from Gu Cheol-un's feet.
Seeing that heat, Gu Yang-cheon widened his eyes in surprise.
'Teaching?'
Teaching, all of a sudden?
He wondered what this meant.
But that question was soon completely shattered.
Saaaaaah!!
Hot heat escaped and began melting the surrounding snow.
Small embers gathered on Gu Cheol-un's back.
At that moment.
Tik—!
With the sound of something grinding.
Kwaaaaaaa—!!!
An enormous pillar of flame soared into the air.
Secret Art (奧義).
"All-Flames Extreme Mount Tai Enlightenment Form (俱炎極太山悟形)."
Thus, the heavens were engulfed in flames.
The night sky retreated, and White Night arrived.