Chapter 194: Know Your Place. (2)

Speaking of Gu-seonmun.

It’s the place called the Sword of the Gu Family.

Gu-seonmun is the reason the Gu Family can be called the protectors of Shanxi, and it was the biggest pillar supporting the Gu Family under the name of a prestigious clan.

It trained and nurtured sword-users to kill demons, holding the justification of contributing to Shanxi’s peace.

Therefore, Gu-seonmun was the Gu Family’s main fighting force, and could be called the sword that protects the Gu Family and Shanxi.

Of course, there are times when they recruit sword-users from outside, like the Gu-ryong Guild, but ultimately, most of the personnel were raised in Gu-seonmun.

Representative figures include Elder Il himself, Mu-yeon, who is just past the age of adulthood and on the verge of reaching the peak level, and Gu-jeol-yeop, who shows signs of genius.

Considering that, besides Gu Huibi, who serves as the leader of the Five Swords, all other sword unit leaders are from Gu-seonmun, it’s no different from saying Gu-seonmun is the great root that forms the Gu Family.

Many people thought that the reason Father didn’t interfere with Elder Il, despite his intense ambition, was for this very reason.

Or perhaps, it was because I was truly incompetent, unable to inherit the position of Family Head, and there were many rumors that he intended to make Gu-jeol-yeop the Family Head as Elder Il wished.

Honestly, either reason seemed plausible enough.

‘I still can’t understand.’

Even now, as time has passed and I’ve begun to understand Father a little, even so.

I still couldn’t fully understand Father back then, nor the reason why the current Father simply tolerates Elder Il.

It was only after more time had passed, when Elder Il crossed the line, that I remember Father unleashing his flames.

The flames Father unleashed were undoubtedly anger.

A massive flame that enveloped the entire Gu Family.

That overwhelming sight was still vivid in my memory.

‘An old tiger,’ ‘a former superhuman who lost his prime,’ etc.

It was a sight that made me certain the rumors about Father, who had stopped his activities and remained only within the clan, were false.

However, separate from that, the fact that Father only intervened when things reached that point gave me a strange feeling.

I also knew Elder Il’s position and necessity within the clan, but it was overwhelming to understand Father for not cutting the visibly rotten branch.

How many times can you tolerate someone acting like a fucking asshole?

When you should be flipping the table and smashing it!

I couldn’t do that.

Didn’t Young Dragon once tell me to endure only three times?

My limit was exactly there.

“…Greetings, Young Master Il.”

Gu-seonmun is located in an area somewhat distant from the Gu Family.

Even so, it’s not to the point where it takes a significant amount of time.

But compared to its status as a branch family’s main base, it was indeed far.

The moment I stood before the main gate of Gu-seonmun, a martial artist guarding the entrance greeted me.

He seemed to be a member of Gu-seonmun.

“You know me?”

“How could I not recognize you, Young Master?”

I wondered if they might not recognize me, but fortunately, perhaps due to my striking appearance, it seemed there was no need to worry about not being recognized.

[Well, where else would you find a face as fierce as yours, you punk.]

The old man Shin, who subtly launched a personal attack, annoyed me, but I didn’t bother retorting right now.

“I’ve come to see Elder Il.”

“Ah, the Gate Master is not receiving guests right now.”

“Guests…?”

It had a strange nuance.

“You said you knew who I was.”

“Yes. Young Master Il…”

“But do I look like a guest?”

I could faintly see the gate member’s lips twitching at my words.

His expression suggested he was facing an inconvenient situation rather than being scared.

“It’s not that… but it’s rather late…”

“What about the time?”

“It’s too late, so perhaps you could make an appointment…”

At the gate member’s words, I unconsciously scratched my neck with my hand.

An inexplicable itch suddenly arose.

What should I call this, exactly?

‘…Ah.’

There was no need to ponder for long.

It was just bullshit. Even if I tried to think of sophisticated words, the answer was one.

“You’re treating me like fucking crap.”

“Pardon?”

I wasn’t exactly in control of my emotions today anyway.

How could I be normal when my home was a mess the moment I returned from my trip?

To put it mildly, my home was falling apart.

“Do I look like someone who cares about such circumstances?”

“N-no, that’s not it.”

“Stop thinking and be clear. Who do you see before your eyes?”

This is something I’ve never understood since long ago.

Gu-seonmun is undeniably a branch family of the Gu Clan.

Yet, Father, and even the previous generations, have made efforts until now not to consider Gu-seonmun a collateral branch.

Is it because Gu-seonmun is the Gu Clan’s sword?

Or perhaps, was it simply the virtue of the ancestors?

I too would not hold grudges or discriminate based on bloodline just because they are a branch family or collateral.

It would be more beneficial to eat a meal than to do such idiotic things.

But still.

Not doing enough also inevitably causes problems.

Looking at the current situation, I could clearly see that.

“Because you don’t treat dogs like dogs, they forget their place and keep crawling higher.”

“That’s…”

The gate member couldn’t finish his sentence and collapsed, staggering.

I roughly tossed aside the collapsed guy and opened the main gate.

Kiiiiiik.

Along with the sound of the gate opening, I could see the members inside approaching due to the presence.

“Young Master Il?”

“Why is that person…?”

They looked at me, who had suddenly appeared, with bewilderment.

I answered them in a friendly voice.

“Where is Elder Il? I came to see him.”

It was the same question as before.

The gazes of the martial artists looking around in confusion at my question.

Their hesitant movements, unsure of what to do.

Even the unknown glances directed at me.

That was enough.

“If you won’t tell me, I’ll find him myself.”

With that, I started walking.

Honestly, there was no need to search or anything.

I had visited once before.

Elder Il lives in the mansion located at the highest point of Gu-seonmun.

So, all I had to do was go there.

However.

“Young Master Il-nim.”

As expected, someone blocked my path.

He looked like a man slightly past twenty years old, and judging by the aura I felt, he was at the first-rate level.

“Currently, Elder Il-nim is…”

“You’re telling me to go back because he needs to rest this early in the evening?”

“…”

“Yet, seeing him causing trouble everywhere, he seems quite vigorous.”

The man’s expression slightly contorted at my words, spoken with a smirk.

It was the look of someone displeased with my words.

“Please mind your words. He is the Master of this main sect.”

“I’m the son of this clan’s head. Why? Did I say something wrong?”

“Even if you are of the main family’s bloodline, the Master…”

Haha!

I couldn’t help but laugh at the man’s rough words.

There was no need to listen further.

“Stop right there. I’m not in a state to be considerate or not.”

I lightly patted his shoulder a couple of times and tried to walk past.

Until the man grabbed me.

“You can’t go right now…!”

Bbaak-!

The man, who grabbed my shoulder as if to stop me, was flung backward with a dull sound.

Kung!

His large body flew up, soared through the air, and then hit the ground.

He rolled several times before finally managing to stop his body.

“Keuhuk…!”

As soon as his body stopped, the man collapsed and vomited blood onto the ground.

Clutching his chest, the man trembled as he coughed up blood.

It seemed the shock hadn’t subsided yet.

From my perspective, this was quite lenient.

If that crazy bastard from Mu-dang saw this, he would have been surprised, saying I’d become quite human.

Which meant there was no need to hold back anymore.

I slowly walked towards the man.

Jeobeok.

With each step, internal energy surged within my body, filling my lower dantian.

Hwa-reuk.

As I approached the man, I ignited flames around my body.

The crimson flames quickly swirled around me, transforming into the shape of a ring, and soon began to spin madly.

“Even a dog raised at home recognizes its master.”

As I moved forward, I gradually expanded the spinning ring.

The ring, rapidly consuming my internal energy, grew in size, spewing heat like a roar,

“And the lacking bastards don’t know their place, so they keep sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”

The heat surrounding me began to fill the vast space.

“Or perhaps, you guys just don’t quite grasp who stands before your eyes.”

I knew things were a mess back home, but I didn’t expect actual dogs to be running the show.

“If you dislike me coming to find him so much,”

“Kkeueuk….”

“As you wish, I won’t go directly to the old man’s place.”

The embers flared up, soaring into the sky.

The crimson flames, mixed with my internal energy, began to fill the sky.

Soon, the night of Gu-seonmun disappeared.

“If I don’t go to him, I just need to make him come to me.”

With a single gesture, the sky, dyed red, shifted.

The gate members finally took defensive stances against the sky filled with intense heat, but their response was far too late.

I then slowly drew my hand downwards.

The sky descended.

---

Kuuung!

Deolgeok.

“…Hm?”

A ripple disturbed the full teacup.

The vibration that broke the long silence and the wind brushing against my body were clearly internal energy.

“…What is this?”

Gu Chang-jun, the Elder Il of the Shanxi Gu Clan, also known as the ‘Tai-eul Sword,’ immediately rose.

What was felt from outside the room was an astonishingly powerful fighting spirit.

“No way.”

Kkang!

The teacup on the table shattered in half, perhaps due to the pressure felt from outside.

The tea water in the cup flowed down, wetting the floor.

Without paying it any mind, Gu Chang-jun opened the door and went outside.

“…!”

The moment he stepped outside, he felt a suffocating heat and blazing flames raging around.

Except for the crimson color, anyone could guess it was the Gu Clan’s fire-based martial arts.

Especially for Gu Chang-jun, it was an energy he couldn’t possibly mistake.

“Just who…!”

He voiced his question, but Gu Chang-jun had already thought of the culprit in his mind.

He believed there was only one martial artist in the Gu Clan capable of using such massive flames while simultaneously exerting a suppressing aura in all directions.

‘…I heard he wasn’t in the clan.’

The Tiger Hero (Ho-hyeop), Gu Cheol-un.

A member of the Central Plains’ Hundred Great Masters, and the head of the Gu Clan.

He figured only the Tiger Hero could unleash such flames now.

Gu Chang-jun thought so.

Even though the flames seemed weaker than before, he was the only answer that came to mind.

‘Why now, all of a sudden?’

He had to consider why Gu Cheol-un, not content with just returning to the clan, would go so far as to storm Gu-seonmun and act like this.

‘…Have I been found out?’

A few reasons came to mind, but there was only one action that would make Gu Cheol-un move personally.

‘It must be about leaking the information regarding Gu Huibi.’

Having finished his thoughts, Gu Chang-jun descended the stairs towards the center of the flames.

The place he arrived at was already like hell.

The members of Gu-seonmun were all lying on the ground, and even those who had barely regained consciousness were trembling as if they had seen something terrifying.

Seeing this, Gu Chang-jun could only grit his teeth.

‘Did he target the time when the main forces were absent?’

Currently, most of the Gu Clan’s martial artists, including the leaders and those who had reached a certain level, were away.

The one who ordered it was none other than Gu Cheol-un.

Of course, some were left behind, but it seemed they couldn’t contend with Gu Cheol-un either.

‘Family Head…!’

I judged he wouldn’t make a move since it concerned his own bloodline.

Contrary to Gu Chang-jun’s expectations, Gu Cheol-un was far more cold-blooded.

Gritting his teeth, Gu Chang-jun finally had to draw his sword.

He didn’t know why the Tiger Hero attacked recklessly without considering the consequences, but he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Family Head…! What is the meaning of this…!”

Gu Chang-jun, who was raising his internal energy to cut through the flames, stopped mid-sentence.

This was because, the moment Gu Chang-jun appeared, the flames enveloping the surroundings began to be drawn into one spot.

At the origin of the swirling, retracting flames, a figure could be glimpsed.

Finally, all the flames were swallowed.

On the scorched black floor, Gu Chang-jun, upon confirming the identity of the person standing alone, couldn’t close his gaping mouth.

The flames vanished, and the night returned.

The boy, alone in the darkness, burning with red eyes, spoke to Gu Chang-jun.

“I’ve often heard I resemble my father. Since you mistake me for him, I’m wondering if I should be pleased or displeased.”

He resembled the Tiger Hero, but he wasn’t the Tiger Hero.

“That…!”

No, he should have been the Tiger Hero.

That incompetent child shouldn’t have been standing here looking like that.

“It’s been a while, Elder Il.”

The boy, whose dark black hair had turned red, smiled broadly at Gu Chang-jun.

“Do you like the return gift?”

His voice was chillingly cold, unlike his expression.