Chapter 1143: Scorched World.

A yakgwa placed upon a large hand.

Gu-ryun thrust something completely unfitting towards me and smiled.

“How is it.”

What kind of reaction was he expecting? Not knowing what to say, I just stared at the yakgwa.

After staring for a long time, I frowned and said.

“…What is this?”

What is this thing?

Why are you suddenly thrusting a yakgwa at me? It was absurd enough that he just appeared, but the things he said after appearing were even stranger.

“Why? Do you dislike yakgwa?”

“…No, it’s not a matter of liking or disliking it?”

Does he not realize it’s not about the yakgwa?

Gu-ryun reacted as if he didn’t understand my words at all.

“Hmm… I haven’t seen anyone who dislikes yakgwa, you know.”

He put it back into his pocket as if disappointed. Seeing that, I unconsciously recalled the past.

‘He did carry yakgwa around every day.’

Il-jang-ro was always like that in my memory. Even while scolding me, he’d give me yakgwa, and even if it wasn’t that, he’d give me yakgwa for anything.

What was even funnier was.

‘I don’t really like yakgwa. You eat it.’

Il-jang-ro himself didn’t like yakgwa. He didn’t like sweet food itself in the first place.

“Um, Il-jang… no, Dae-hyeop.”

“Why is that?”

“Why are you carrying that around?”

Why would someone like that carry yakgwa? Since the situation was what it was, I asked the question.

“Oh, this?”

Gu-ryun answered with a bright smile to my question.

“The stoic guy in my house likes yakgwa.”

“Stoic?”

“Yeah. Don’t you know him? The guy called your unit commander.”

Huh…?

“Yes…?”

Did I hear wrong? I frowned at Gu-ryun’s words.

‘…Father likes yakgwa?’

Not just anyone, but Father likes yakgwa? And was that guy carrying yakgwa around because of it?

‘…That makes no sense?’

No matter how I thought about it, it was an impossible combination? My face went blank at the unimaginable reason.

“…Is it true?”

“Yes. Is that so surprising?”

“I suppose so?”

I couldn’t imagine my father eating sweets. In reality, Father had never tasted anything like that.

But turns out, such a father actually liked yakgwa.

‘This is shocking…?’

It was a completely unimaginable statement.

“Hmm. That can happen. Well, that doesn’t matter anyway. So, kiddo, won’t you talk with this old man for a bit?”

“You say that suddenly?”

“Yes.”

“…”

Seriously, why are these people acting like this today? It’s the same with Pae-jon too; I don’t know why everyone is so desperate to hold onto me.

‘…I’m incredibly busy.’

This is not the time to talk with Gu-ryun. I needed to meet Cheong-ryong-dae-ju, not to mention Father, immediately.

“I’m sorry, but-…”

As I thought that, just as I was about to refuse Gu-ryun’s words.

“The thing I want to ask isn’t anything special.”

Gu-ryun, seemingly unbothered by my words, asked me what he wanted to ask.

“Kiddo. By any chance, are you a clan member of the Gu family?”

“…”

I froze upon hearing that. What is this?

A chill ran down my spine.

‘Where did he feel it?’

How did Gu-ryun know? My mind raced.

‘I didn’t do anything to get caught?’

He must have already heard that I was Pae-jon’s disciple. Is he asking me here if I’m a Gu family clan member?

This is impossible. I hid my aura well. Pae-jon is one of the Three Sovereigns, and he said he felt it when he touched my body…

‘Huh? No way?’

As I reconsidered, one thing came to mind. It was the moment Gu-ryun wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

Just like Pae-jon did back then, it’s possible he felt the Gu-yeom-hwa-ryun-gong I had sealed within my body, but…

‘It can’t be.’

I judged it couldn’t be. Even though Gu-ryun was much stronger than when I knew him, he wasn’t at a level where he could grasp this.

Then, where on earth did he know it from? I tried hard to hide my panic and said to him.

“What kind of nonsensical statement is that?”

I denied it, saying, “Why would I be a Gu family clan member?” as if evading the question.

“That’s what I’m saying. Even I find it hard to understand myself.”

Tuk.

Gu-ryun then lifted my chin slightly with his finger.

“These eyes. This… this countenance just can’t come from another family.”

“…Huh?”

“Look at this. These fierce and insolent eyes. This face that looks like it could kill someone just with its gaze.”

“…”

What? Is he insulting me right now? It really feels like he’s insulting me.

Feeling disgusted, I pushed Gu-ryun’s finger away.

“What are you doing?”

“No, no matter how I look at it, he resembles them.”

“…Resembles what? Perhaps.”

I thought of Father, who must be somewhere inside right now, and said.

“You mean with the unit commander?”

Resembling Father. If that were the case, it would be somewhat understandable.

“What are you saying? How could you resemble Cheol-un? You’re saying something insulting to Cheol-un.”

“…”

Damn it.

I was just deeply hurt. I know Father is handsome, but those words were a bit much, weren’t they? This time, it really stung.

“If you insist on comparing, you resemble our family’s head more than that Cheol-un guy.”

“…”

Putting the hurt behind me, my ears perked up. The word ‘family head’ echoed in my ears.

‘If you mean the current Gu family head…’

Grandfather.

Where I was from, he was the one acting as the acting master to bear the Gu family’s legacy.

“He resembles that person greatly…”

“…”

I had heard this before. That I resembled Grandfather, not Father.

People often mistook me for Father simply because the aura within my body resembled his.

I had heard that my appearance resembled Grandfather’s side.

‘But to hear it here.’

To hear it from Gu-ryun, of all people.

Do I resemble him that much?

“If he resembles him this much… no matter how I look at it, it makes me suspicious.”

“Suspicious?”

“Yes. I’m thinking perhaps that person… might have caused some trouble somewhere.”

“…”

“It’s the same with me mistaking you for that Cheol-un guy. If they were half-brothers, it would be another story, wouldn’t it?”

“No…”

My head hurt. It wasn’t even funny how he came to think such things, but…

‘…Strangely enough, it does fit.’

At least blood flows between us, so I had nothing to say about that part.

“…So, are you thinking that I am Gu family head’s illegitimate child?”

“It was a relatively rational deduction. How was it?”

“Where is this rational…?”

Who treats someone as an illegitimate child just because they resemble someone?

It was unreasonable.

“I am not that. If you’ve said all you wanted to say… I’ll be going now.”

There was no need to hear more. Moreover, it was obvious that hearing more would only give me a bigger headache. Because there were subtly sharp remarks mixed in, it maximized the fatigue of the conversation.

I moved away from him as if avoiding the situation.

“Hmm? Really? Then, it can’t be helped. I’m sorry for being suspicious.”

Gu-ryun also seemed to have no intention of obsessing further, and I thought the matter was concluding.

Then.

Tuk! De-gureureu!

“Oh, dear!”

Something fell from Gu-ryun’s pocket and rolled over.

It was a bead. And not just any bead, but one stained red somewhere.

“…Hmm?”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry. Would you pick that up for me?”

“…”

Since it had rolled over, I picked it up for now. Gu-ryun approached and tried to pick it up, but.

Kwak-!

“…!?”

Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist.

“…What are you doing?”

Just as I was about to ask him what he was doing.

Hwa-reureureuk-!!

“…Huh?”

Gu-ryun suddenly clenched his fist and raised the heat.

Chiiiiiiik-!

Steam rose above his fist, his skin turning red from the heat.

Even…

Kwaaaaaaah-!

Anyone could feel the fighting spirit emanating from Gu-ryun’s body. A tingling, vibrating aura bloomed.

‘Crazy?’

Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden? This wasn’t even the kind of energy one would use for playing around. It was an overwhelmingly large amount.

I had to break free from his grip. As I thought that and channeled a bit of energy into my hand.

Huuuung–!!!

“…Huh?”

As my energy wrapped around the hand holding me, the bead suddenly emitted light. What was this? Why was this bead acting up again?

Startled, I froze for a moment unconsciously.

“Got it.”

Gu-ryun immediately withdrew the energy from his body and brought something close to the bead. It looked like just a bamboo tube.

And then.

Jureureuk.

Something flowed down from the bamboo tube. It was blood.

“…What are you doing?”

What on earth was this? For now, I pulled my arm out of Gu-ryun’s grip. Unlike the pressure just now, it came out easily. Gu-ryun had loosened his grip.

“What on earth…”

I tried to ask about Gu-ryun’s intention, but.

Hwaaaaaaaa—!!!

Then, the bead suddenly burst with light.

It was a crimson sparkle. It wasn’t intense or wide-ranging, but the bead clearly sparkled.

“Hmm.”

Seeing that, Gu-ryun nodded at me and then added an explanation belatedly.

“Ah, this is the Blood Wheel Bead. I happened to acquire it by competing for a mystical item with your teacher.”

“…Compete for what?”

Competing for mystical items…? Just as I was about to frown at the world’s strangest word.

‘…Wait a minute. The Blood Wheel Bead?’

It was a name I felt I’d heard somewhere.

Oh.

‘That.’

It seemed like a mystical item from the Gu family’s secret records?

Wait…

‘…That thing’s effect definitely…’

As soon as I recalled the mystical item’s effect, my eyes widened like saucers.

“The mystical item’s effect is simple. You put energy into the bead, and when another person’s blood is shed upon it, the bead may or may not react, but if it does, it shines like this. If it shines here.”

The meaning is precisely this.

“Proof that you and the owner of the blood are related. Ah, and for reference, this blood is.”

Gu-ryun twinkled his eyes and smiled.

“It’s Cheol-un’s blood, which I just received. How about that?”

“…”

“Even with this, are you not a Gu family clan member?”

Damn it.

He was truly a cunning old man.