Chapter 379: Baekcheon Sword Master. (3)

The emotion Moyong Tae felt upon seeing the blazing flames was bewilderment.

‘…Has he truly reached Hwagyeong?’

Moyong Tae’s insides churned as he witnessed the true form of So Yeomra, of whom only rumors had spread.

The emotion that followed was jealousy.

The competitive spirit that warriors instinctively possess.

Jealousy towards the talent possessed by another grew abundantly.

Although Moyong Tae had indeed put down his sword.

He too was a warrior, and he felt astonishment and jealousy seeing a genius who would be recorded in history.

Reaching Hwagyeong before even reaching the age of adulthood.

Once one reaches that level, can it truly be called mere talent?

Even if many people spat out words like ‘monster’ or ‘the true star of this era’ while looking at So Yeomra.

Ultimately, unless one sees it firsthand, it doesn’t feel real.

In that sense, Moyong Tae had to swallow a groan as he looked at Gu Yangcheon.

‘…I see.’

Because he saw it directly, his acceptance was swift.

Moyong Tae was certain.

The person currently before his eyes.

Was the future Number One Under Heaven.

The brightest star burning the hottest. Only after feeling its heat directly could Moyong Tae admit it.

That Gu Yangcheon would become the center of this era.

However.

‘That doesn’t mean I can view him favorably.’

Whether he’s the future Number One Under Heaven.

Or the center of the current era, that wasn’t important. What mattered to Moyong Tae was solely his daughter.

-…A blood relative of the Sanseo Gu family pays respects to Head Moyong-nim.

He replayed Gu Yangcheon’s words directed at him.

‘It’s too late.’

The words were already far too late.

If he was going to say it, he should have said it when he first asked.

Over the past few days.

What Moyong Hi-ah had done while staying with Moyong Tae.

Was talk solely about Gu Yangcheon. He remembered that.

-The Young Master.

-Dad. There’s the Young Master, you know.

-This is something the Young Master likes.

‘…’

As he listened to his daughter’s bright smile and words, Moyong Tae felt his heart tearing apart.

His daughter, whom he had raised with utmost care, giving her everything.

Seeing her smiling foolishly, smitten with some good-for-nothing fellow.

How could he possibly feel good about it?

Even if he were the only man who could save his daughter’s life.

Moyong Tae struggled to maintain his sanity.

But, conversely, it was also his daughter who helped him maintain that sanity.

-…Please don’t hate the Young Master too much. Just once. Can’t you see him favorably just once?

No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t see Gu Yangcheon favorably.

Moyong Hi-ah was making her first unreasonable demand to her father.

She was a child who had never made a demand in her life.

Disliking the thought of her pain harming the family.

She was a child who endured pain without ever showing it.

For such a child to speak with such a pained expression.

It was too great a shock for Moyong Tae.

Therefore, he had to face Gu Yangcheon even more.

‘Who are you?’

What exactly was his identity, that he had captured his treasure’s heart?

How great was he, to do such a thing?

Moyong Tae needed to know.

If Gu Yangcheon had ultimately refused to give his name and abandoned the confrontation with Moyong Tae.

As mentioned earlier, Moyong Tae would not have taken Moyong Hi-ah and left for the Moyong family estate.

The only way to cure Moyong Hi-ah, who suffered from a chronic illness, was Gu Yangcheon, for now.

He didn’t know how that fellow’s heat could help his daughter, but.

It was definitely a cure for a disease that even divine physicians couldn’t find a remedy for. So he wouldn’t have gambled with his daughter’s life.

Instead, he would have received confirmation. Confirmation that immediately after the treatment, he would sever all ties with Moyong Hi-ah.

He would have secured that.

But Gu Yangcheon ultimately uttered his name.

‘I don’t like it.’

Moreover, Gu Yangcheon.

Seemed to understand the meaning behind Moyong Tae asking for his name.

Even knowing that, he spat out his name, and then requested a spar first.

‘…I don’t like this either.’

If not for Moyong Hi-ah’s request.

This meeting wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

Moyong Tae had to suppress the rising discomfort.

Squeeze.

For now, he just had to teach that worthless fellow a lesson.

And get an answer.

‘What can you do for our daughter?’

‘Is there a place for my daughter within that vessel?’

Moyong Tae needed to know that.

Seeing Gu Yangcheon charge, Moyong Tae moved. The sword he held began to glow.

It was Sword Aura (Geomgang), something only achieved after surpassing a certain level of swordsmanship.

Gu Yangcheon had already become flames, charging before Moyong Tae.

‘Fast. Incredibly fast.’

Moyong Tae’s eyes widened as he saw him.

It was surprise at Gu Yangcheon’s speed.

But.

Speed wasn’t something Moyong Tae lacked either.

The sword tip sliced through the air.

The target was Gu Yangcheon’s chest.

Would he hold back as a senior? No such thing.

His daughter was on the line. A father wouldn’t gamble with his daughter’s life.

That was Moyong Tae’s conviction.

The moment Gu Yangcheon charged in, Moyong Tae’s blade glowed.

Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Swish-!

Gu Yangcheon twisted his body, dodging the sword.

The trail of Sword Aura followed the blade that cut the air.

Swish-!

Trees behind them were sliced sequentially. The mark left by the Sword Aura.

Gu Yangcheon didn’t look back. Doing so would mean his neck being severed at that moment.

Instead, he moved one step closer to Moyong Tae.

Pressure formed from the foot that landed on the ground.

That was where he set his pivot point.

His waist twisted.

Following that, energy gathered in his fist. Concentrating the energy in one spot, he thrust it forward.

Great Fiery Wheel Fist.

Fwoosh-!

The beast-shaped flame that erupted right in front of him engulfed Moyong Tae.

Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon immediately shifted his gaze sideways.

As he turned his head, he could see the blade already flying towards him.

It meant Moyong Tae had dodged the flame attack in the first place.

Gu Yangcheon wrapped his fist in Fist Energy and swung it.

Clang-! He struck the sword’s surface, altering its trajectory.

Moyong Tae hadn’t expected Gu Yangcheon to counterattack like this.

‘Striking the blade’s surface?’

While a blade was flying towards him, he struck its surface to change its path?

This wasn’t something a martial artist would do against a sword practitioner.

Especially with Sword Aura involved, one wrong move could lead to instant death.

Yet, Gu Yangcheon swung his arm as if nothing happened.

‘This guy….’

Moyong Tae had to change his perception of Gu Yangcheon.

These movements should have been built upon countless real combat experiences.

But based on the information about Gu Yangcheon, he was too young to have accumulated such experience.

So, was it purely talent?

Moyong Tae’s eyes narrowed.

He didn’t intend to show his true strength, but how far should he go?

He could feel a growing ache in his chest.

His instincts were already acknowledging Gu Yangcheon as an equal after just these few exchanges.

Then.

Pak-! Gu Yangcheon, having pierced the sword path, threw a punch at Moyong Tae.

However, the incoming punch seemed slightly slow.

‘A feint?’

Just as he considered slicing Gu Yangcheon down, hesitation crept in.

It was too obvious to be just a simple feint.

At that moment.

Fwaa-! Flames erupted from Gu Yangcheon’s fingertips, obscuring Moyong Tae’s vision.

Was the previous feint meant for this?

‘Pointless act…!’

Moyong Tae’s sense of energy was still active; he immediately swung his sword, extinguishing the flames.

Gu Yangcheon was found instantly.

But in that brief moment.

Gu Yangcheon had distanced himself from Moyong Tae, holding out his hands, palms open.

Something was completed above his palms.

A massive orb, by the looks of it.

‘…What is that.’

Moyong Tae swallowed dryly.

The immense energy comprising the orb made him pause involuntarily.

Dangerous.

Instinct screamed the word.

Grrr.

Moyong Tae immediately filled his sword with energy.

Gu Yangcheon, without hesitation, threw the Flame Orb in his hand at Moyong Tae.

The massive orb, emitting heat, flew towards Moyong Tae.

Seeing that, Moyong Tae swung his sword imbued with white internal energy.

He knew he should dodge, but Moyong Tae couldn’t.

He had to face it.

Uiryeong Biseon Sword.

Uiryeong Baekye Il.

The signature techniques of the Moyong family unfolded in Moyong Tae’s swordplay, flying towards the Flame Orb Gu Yangcheon had thrown.

Kwagugeuk-!

“…What?”

Moyong Tae’s white Sword Aura sliced through the Flame Orb far too easily.

Seeing that, Moyong Tae himself let out a sound.

Based on the energy he felt, it shouldn’t have been cut so easily.

Boom-! The Flame Orb exploded in mid-air, creating a blast wave, but its power wasn’t that great.

Something was strange.

Just as Moyong Tae felt the anomaly, he sensed something within his energy field.

“You…!”

Gu Yangcheon’s presence.

Hidden by the air pressure and flames exploding in mid-air, Gu Yangcheon had somehow closed the distance to Moyong Tae’s face.

He thrust out his fist.

Only then did Moyong Tae realize.

From the moment Gu Yangcheon used flames to obscure his vision, everything he had done until now was a planned feint for this single strike.

Ha.

‘Monster… He’s a monster.’

Even if he wasn’t going all out, being outplayed by this young kid was absurd.

How could such a person be born in this era? Moyong Tae felt a sense of futility.

Even as he thought this, Moyong Tae instinctively raised his sword into a defensive stance.

Padudeuk-! The protective aura surrounding Moyong Tae was crushed by Gu Yangcheon’s punch.

It contained considerable energy.

Boom-! The fist met the sword’s surface.

Moyong Tae tried to block the impact entering his body, but couldn’t absorb it all, causing his legs to lift off the ground.

Immediately, Moyong Tae, floating in the air, was swept away by the shock and pushed back rapidly.

“Kkuh.”

Kwak-! He jammed his sword into the ground, slowing his momentum.

Even so, he felt pushed back considerably.

Just as he managed to stop his flying body.

Moyong Tae immediately focused his gaze on Gu Yangcheon. He needed to be ready for any potential follow-up attacks.

However, Gu Yangcheon remained standing in the exact spot where he had been fighting Moyong Tae.

Seeing that, Moyong Tae frowned.

‘Was he waiting?’

That posture looked exactly like he was waiting for Moyong Tae to regroup.

To be put in this position by a junior, moreover, the scoundrel who stole his daughter’s heart.

Flames ignited in Moyong Tae’s mind.

Separately, he also had something to say.

“My apologies.”

Gu Yangcheon flinched at Moyong Tae’s apology.

He hadn’t expected him to offer an apology.

“What are you suddenly talking about…?”

“My apologies for disrespecting you, Young Hero, and not taking our sparring match seriously.”

Moyong Tae had treated Gu Yangcheon lightly, considering him a weaker opponent.

Therefore, this was an apology offered as a martial artist to his opponent.

“You are strong, Young Hero. So I will face you seriously.”

“No, you don’t have to… It’s fine if you just count me as defeated….”

Tuduk.

Gu Yangcheon’s words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Moyong Tae drew his sword and reassumed his stance.

Instantly, Sword Energy spread in all directions.

“…Sip.”

Feeling that energy, Gu Yangcheon had to bite his lip.

The level was vastly different from the Sword Energy he saw initially.

It was clear Moyong Tae had been holding back against Gu Yangcheon.

‘Damn it.’

This wasn’t what he wanted.

Gu Yangcheon frowned. This wasn’t what he truly wanted.

He thought he only needed to prove his worth to Baekcheon Geomju.

Gu Yangcheon was simply flustered by Baekcheon Geomju’s sudden shift.

‘What should I do? He really seems intent on fighting seriously.’

If he hadn’t wrapped his body in strong energy, his clothes would have been sliced off by the aura Baekcheon Geomju was emitting.

The energy was that intense.

‘…Should I run now?’

He desperately wanted to, but seeing that expression, running away now would spell disaster.

‘Do I really have to do this?’

Just as he was contemplating whether he truly had to fight Baekcheon Geomju seriously.

Thump….

Suddenly feeling a heavy presence, Gu Yangcheon’s head turned involuntarily.

Someone had appeared between Baekcheon Geomju and Gu Yangcheon.

Immediately after.

Kwaaaaaa-!

The intervening individual began emitting energy.

The Sword Energy of Baekcheon Geomju and the heat Gu Yangcheon was emitting were simultaneously suppressed.

“…Ugh.”

Feeling this, Gu Yangcheon inwardly gasped.

Hot.

Even for Gu Yangcheon, who had mastered fire techniques, it felt hot.

And then, resonance occurred. The Gu Yeom Hwaryu Technique coiled within his body.

It was resonating with the heat currently suppressing him.

It couldn’t be helped.

This heat was the same power as the heat he was emitting.

Only.

The level of accumulation was vastly different, so he was suppressed without even being able to resist.

The owner of the heat pressing down on the surroundings cast their gaze towards Moyong Tae, who had drawn his sword.

The red robe the man wore fluttered in the wind.

The presence that began to surge gradually expanded.

“Baekcheon Geomju.”

“…!”

The man called out to Moyong Tae in a low, heavy voice.

Gu Yangcheon could tell.

The man was rarely angered.

As the overwhelming energy poured down, Moyong Tae looked taken aback.

The man, Gu Cheol-un, spoke while looking at Moyong Tae.

“What is this you’re doing?”

As he spoke, Gu Cheol-un’s black hair began to turn red.