Chapter 119: Your Sword Tip Isn’t Straight. (1)

Leaving my quarters and moving with quick steps, I soon reached my destination.

It was the detached residence where Namgung Bi-ah was staying.

As far as I know, Namgung Jin should also be staying here.

At first, I considered heading to Gu Seon Mun, where Elder Lee was said to be having a discussion, following his words.

Because I thought that would maximize the reaction.

I agonized over it for a moment, but ultimately concluded it would be better to head to the detached residence to check on Namgung Bi-ah’s condition as well.

The sun was up when we discussed the engagement schedule, but now the moon had already risen in the sky.

Following the scattered fallen leaves, I walked along the path and soon found myself before the door of the detached residence.

As I tried to enter the detached residence, someone blocked my way.

“You cannot enter.”

Hearing the cold voice, I confirmed it was a warrior of the Namgung family.

I looked at the man and said.

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“I know.”

“Then what is this situation?”

“It is the Family Head’s order.”

“I’m sure I relayed a message beforehand….”

As I said earlier, I wasn’t planning to barge in recklessly, so I had definitely sent a servant to deliver a message.

“Didn’t my servant arrive?”

“They did arrive.”

“And?”

The man did not answer my question.

Oh… Are they ignoring me? I felt slightly displeased, but I didn’t think it would be a major issue.

Although it was a detached residence owned by the Gu family, it was currently being used by guests, and I had no intention of making trouble if a member of the Gu family themselves didn’t wish for a visit.

If it were another clan, I probably would have thrown a fit.

At least, I didn’t have enough pride left from being a prestigious family to get angry over something like this.

The only problem was.

“You should have said something; you said my servant arrived.”

“…Because of the Family Head’s order, we refused.”

“Right, you refused, which is why you’re blocking me now. Well then,”

As I tried to slip through the open door, the warrior grabbed my shoulder. He didn’t hesitate to grab my body.

I looked at the man and asked.

“Then where is my servant?”

I felt the man’s hand tremble at my words. If they had refused, the servant should have come down and spoken to me.

But the servant never returned, from sunset to moonrise.

Of course, it’s possible the servant forgot to relay the message that the Namgung side refused.

In that case, I could just scold them for handling things improperly.

But why doesn’t that seem to be the case?

The Namgung family warrior hesitated for a moment before answering me.

“…We don’t know about that…”

“Hey.”

“…!”

As I changed my tone and cut off the conversation, the man looked down at me with surprised eyes.

I forced the smile I had been wearing off.

“If you’re gonna lie, don’t let your voice tremble. Do you take me for some fucking idiot?”

Growling, I immediately raised my internal energy. The man hastily placed his hand on his sword hilt, but it was too late at this distance.

Crack-!

The man’s hand gripping my shoulder twisted unnaturally, and my energy-infused fist struck the man’s ribs.

He tried to scream from the ensuing shock and agony, but I followed up with a blow to the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

Thump.

The man collapsed uselessly onto the floor. I picked up the fallen man and threw him into the detached residence.

Only then did others inside draw their swords and appear.

I heightened my senses to survey the surroundings.

‘Doesn’t seem like anyone here has broken through the wall.’

Among the dozen or so warriors, none seemed to have surpassed the peak.

Isn’t it strange? The guards for the Thunder Dragon were definitely warriors who had broken through the wall, yet the Family Head’s own guards are not.

‘Complacency, or arrogance?’

Either way, it was a fitting description.

There was a chance they were hiding their presence, but I had to look at something else.

Perhaps because the presence outside changed, Namgung Bi-ah rushed out of the detached residence, but.

Namgung Bi-ah wasn’t what I was looking for right now.

The energy spreading around the detached residence soon pinpointed what I wanted. The location was a side room situated in a corner.

Suppressing my emotions, I moved my feet. The Namgung warriors seemed to be shouting something at me, but I couldn’t hear them.

As I ignored them, one reached out as if to physically stop me, but I easily shattered the approaching guy’s jaw, bringing silence.

Reaching the side room without further interference, I opened the door.

“Nngh… Ooei…”

There was the servant.

Her face was swollen beyond recognition, and she couldn’t move properly, her body clearly not intact. Not only that, but she couldn’t pronounce words correctly.

Perhaps from the pain, she was shedding tears.

She was the person I had sent to the Namgung residence earlier that day.

I don’t even know her name. She’s just a servant belonging to me. I remember her occasionally coming to bring me food.

When I thanked her, she would flinch in surprise and give an awkward smile.

She was someone I had no feelings for, someone I hadn’t grown attached to.

Regardless, seeing my person like this made me feel quite strange.

“What should I do?”

Not knowing what her expression was, I covered my mouth with my hand.

The servant spoke something to me with lips that barely moved.

“Ae-ai-a…”

I couldn’t understand what she was saying. There was no way the servant could use sound transmission. Still, the emotion seemed to get across, which felt even more like crap.

“Seriously, what should I do?”

“Young Master Gu…. This is…”

Seemingly flustered, the man tried to explain the situation, so I slapped his mouth. Pak! With the sound, his teeth scattered onto the floor. As he tried to stop the blood flowing down with his hand, I broke his joints.

A chilling sound spread as bone protruded from his broken arm. Realizing the situation had changed drastically, the warriors drew their swords and took proper stances.

Hwaaah…

Flames calmly began to boil.

I had to calm down. It was someone I didn’t even know well. This wasn’t something to get so angry about.

I had to think that way.

Otherwise, I’ll kill them all.

“Wait…!”

“Don’t come.”

Seeing the situation, Namgung Bi-ah started to approach me, so I held back my surging breath and told her.

“If you come now, I think I’ll end up hating you immensely.”

At my words, Namgung Bi-ah froze as if turned to stone. Her eyes trembled, and she wanted to say something, but ultimately, she did nothing.

Namgung Bi-ah wouldn’t have known about this. If she had, such a thing wouldn’t have happened.

In a way, it was the result of my own carelessness. I hadn’t anticipated something like this would happen.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t. It’s that I didn’t.

‘Fuck.’

The area around the detached residence filled with heat. The rings of the Nine Fiery Wheels Technique began to spin uncontrollably within my body. The speed increased, and the flames, about to explode, were contained within me, spinning around.

Martial arts represent a warrior’s emotions.

That remained the same no matter how high one’s martial arts realm reached.

That’s why one must always remain calm. The higher the realm one breaks through, the wider the vessel of the mind becomes, deepening and expanding like a lake.

This is why warriors seek enlightenment and strive to break through walls.

I am still immature.

That’s why I’m getting so angry.

“Hey.”

“…Yeah?”

“Could you take that person to the medical bay?”

I asked Namgung Bi-ah. I couldn’t just leave her there. Namgung Bi-ah, who had been frozen, didn’t hesitate at my request and ran to the side room, picking up the blood-soaked servant.

Soon after, cloaked in energy, she sprinted towards the medical bay.

“Stop them! The young lady shouldn’t go outside…!”

The warrior who tried to shout flinched. It was because the surroundings were instantly enveloped in flames. The suffocating heat already dominated the space.

From within the heat, I spoke to them.

“I won’t ask why you did it, because even if I listened, it would just be some bullshit reason.”

If you ask why they did such a thing, the reasons would all be the same anyway. Being insolent for a mere servant, daring to act like that. Simply because they didn’t like her. Because the Family Head ordered it? Those kinds of reasons would come out. It wouldn’t matter much.

“Calm… Calm down, Young Master Gu.”

“That’s right…. This is all…”

“You guys too, so don’t ask me why I’m doing this.”

I said it with a smile. I didn’t intend to smile, but I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from twitching upwards. Is it a remnant of the past? When anger surges, my lips involuntarily curl up slightly.

“It’s just because I have my own bullshit reason too.”

With that, flames engulfed them from all sides.

---

A faint scent of blood and the smell of burning human flesh permeated the area. Namgung Jin, entering the detached residence, glared at Gu Yangcheon but couldn’t speak easily.

The warriors guarding the detached residence numbered over ten at least, ranging from second-rate to first-rate, and even included those touching the wall.

Although the schedule was somewhat rushed, preventing the deployment of a proper guard unit, this was still the Namgung family.

They weren’t the kind of people who would end up like this from just one child.

“…What is the meaning of this?”

The condition of those who had lost consciousness was severe. Not only were parts of their bodies broken or shattered, but some bore wounds that couldn’t be easily treated.

“How dare you, after doing this to those bearing the Namgung name, still speak of what? A bet? Praised for your high talent, you act like you don’t fear the tiger. Do you truly wish to die?!”

Despite Namgung Jin’s fierce outburst, Gu Yangcheon didn’t bat an eye.

Rather, his smiling appearance even in this situation looked extremely unsettling.

What on earth could that guy’s identity be? Namgung Jin knew that Gu Yangcheon had become a warrior who had broken through the wall despite his small body and young mind.

It was difficult to tell if he was managing his energy well, but reaching this point, it was harder not to know.

It’s truly absurd. That someone with such talent is Gu Cheol-un’s son. Let alone the fact that my own son is around the same age as that brat in the same era.

‘Why doesn’t the world favor me?’

More than the Namgung warriors groaning and spitting blood on the floor, Namgung Jin found that matter more infuriating.

“I know, right? I didn’t intend to act out like this either. The world just isn’t helping me.”

Tap, tap. Gu Yangcheon nudged the head of an unconscious warrior with his toe.

Seeing that, Namgung Jin frowned.

‘Something must have happened.’

It meant this wasn’t an accident that happened without any reason. Namgung Jin clicked his tongue inwardly. It would have been better if it were.

Hiding these inner thoughts, Namgung Jin continued speaking as if berating him.

“You seem to be acting arrogantly just because this is Gu family territory!”

“Not particularly. I’m actually quite polite, you know.”

He didn’t back down an inch.

Does that brat not properly recognize who’s standing before him? Namgung Jin sneered, puffing up his internal energy.

The energy instantly transformed into pressure. The overwhelming might emanating from Namgung Jin’s body pressed down on Gu Yangcheon’s shoulders.

The Namgung’s ultimate technique, Emperor Sword Form. It’s the mental martial art that allowed the Namgung family to adopt the framework of being ‘Emperors’.

This wasn’t just a mere imitation like Namgung Cheon-jun or Namgung Bi-ah used; it was the true Emperor Sword Form used by a warrior who had reached the proper level.

He unleashed all this energy towards the boy. Even if he had surpassed the peak, he would surely collapse without enduring even a few seconds. It would be easier to talk after teaching him the difference in levels and correcting his perspective.

Namgung Jin thought so.

“…My!”

However, contrary to expectations, Gu Yangcheon was handling the energy as if it were nothing. He should have been struggling to even breathe right now.

As if unaffected, he even took steps forward, approaching Namgung Jin.

With calm steps, Gu Yangcheon finally arrived before Namgung Jin and looked up at him, saying,

“As I mentioned earlier.”

He continued speaking, seemingly under no pressure at all.

“Won’t you make a bet with me?”

“How laughable. Just because you’re engaged to my daughter, you think someone like you can do anything against me…”

“If I lose the bet, I will give you my left arm.”

Namgung Jin was momentarily speechless at Gu Yangcheon’s calm words. He couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“What did you just say?”

“Don’t you need it? My arm.”

Namgung Jin exhaled and scoffed at Gu Yangcheon’s words. He realized once again that although the boy had high talent and realm, he was still just a brat.

“What would I do with your arm, even if I took it?”

As Namgung Jin spoke dismissively, Gu Yangcheon looked him in the eye and said,

“You will need it, won’t you? For your son’s future. Isn’t that why you came here?”

Namgung Jin’s smile vanished at Gu Yangcheon’s words. Only then did Namgung Jin look at Gu Yangcheon with proper attention.

It was a misjudgment. This brat isn’t just a kid.

How far ahead was he thinking to say that? Namgung Jin had to perceive so much from Gu Yangcheon’s statement.

It was a statement pregnant with meaning, yet hollow inside.

“…You.”

“If you can’t handle the situation, you can mention something else.”

At Gu Yangcheon’s words, Namgung Jin nodded unconsciously.

Tearing off the arm of someone confirmed as the young master within the Gu family’s territory was, no matter how you looked at it, excessive.

Even if Gu Yangcheon said it was fine, this fell into the realm of dispute.

Grind.

Feeling increasingly drawn in, Namgung Jin asked Gu Yangcheon.

“Even if it’s trivial, I must hear it. What is it you want that makes you go this far?”

“I desire only one thing.”

Gu Yangcheon picked up a sword lying nearby.

A sword, out of the blue? The question lingered only briefly before Namgung Jin found himself drawing his own sword at Gu Yangcheon’s subsequent words.

“If I win a martial arts contest against you, Family Head, I would like you to give your daughter to me.”

Fshh-! Kwagagag-!

Before Gu Yangcheon could even finish speaking, blood spurted from his cheek, and a muffled explosion sounded from behind him. Namgung Jin’s sword aura had swept past.

“Because I kept indulging you, it seems you think I’m quite laughable.”

The voice filled with emotion disappeared, replaced by Namgung Jin’s deep tone. This was a sign of extreme rage.

“The only reason your head is still attached after giving me such an insult is solely because you are of the Gu bloodline. I warn you, do not cross the line any further.”

Gu Yangcheon wiped the blood trickling down his cheek with his fingertips. He hadn’t properly seen when the sword was drawn and swung.

It must mean he’s that skilled at applying bets. As expected, I wouldn’t stand a chance if we fought properly, Gu Yangcheon thought, organizing his thoughts even amidst this.

“What is the reason for your anger right now?”

“This brat…”

“Is it because of your daughter, or because I requested a martial arts contest? Or perhaps, are you afraid?”

The tip of the sword in Gu Yangcheon’s hand pointed towards Namgung Jin. This was the first time he had directly faced that arrogant expression.

In his past life, what he faced was Namgung Jin’s head, held by Namgung Bi-ah.

Kuwuung.

Lightning energy flickered around Namgung Jin’s body. The aura of a warrior beyond the Hua Jing realm was this suffocating and oppressive. It was an energy Gu Yangcheon was experiencing for the first time in this life.

Namgung Jin looked at Gu Yangcheon with a much calmer gaze and said,

“Are you challenging me to a martial arts contest with a sword right now?”

“As you can see, yes. I’m better with a blade than you might think.”

Namgung Jin burst into loud laughter at Gu Yangcheon’s words. However, it wasn’t the kind of laughter anyone would find pleasant.

“This is the first time in nearly ten years I’ve felt this insulted. To be treated like this by a child who might not have lived even a quarter of his life.”

“I did provide a reason, didn’t I?”

“Shut up for a moment. I’m holding back the urge to rip your mouth open.”

He’s holding back?

Why, though? Even drawing his sword and cutting off the head would be insufficient, yet Namgung Jin was holding back.

Is it his nature? No way. He’s simply being cautious. He might be cautious of Gu Cheol-un, or perhaps cautious of this land.

Whatever the reason, it was fine with Gu Yangcheon. Thanks to it, he could do this.

Finally, Namgung Jin spoke to Gu Yangcheon with a bizarre expression-his eyes blank, but his lips smiling.

“Fine, I’ll do as you wish. I, too, will likely only feel appeased after ripping off your arm and taking it to your father.”

Even so, Namgung Jin didn’t mention Namgung Bi-ah. He didn’t seem inclined to ask what meaning lay behind the bet Gu Yangcheon had proposed.

Was it that he didn’t think he would lose, or that he simply wasn’t interested in the first place?

Gu Yangcheon thought it was likely both.

“Those lying on the ground seem to be dying; shouldn’t we treat them first?”

It looked strange, worrying about those he himself had knocked down, but Namgung Jin spoke as if he didn’t particularly care.

“It doesn’t matter. It won’t take long.”

It was an arrogant and callous statement.

Coming from the Sky-Piercing Sword King himself, his confidence was understandable.

It was true that I had planned to provoke him this much, but it happened more easily than expected, making Gu Yangcheon feel slightly perplexed inwardly.

‘Is his mental fortitude weaker than expected?’

[Considering your shitty way of speaking, that Namgung kid is practically a Buddha.]

‘…Why go that far….’

[Go that far my ass! It’s a miracle your head is still attached right now. What are you trying to pull?]

A martial arts contest with the Namgung family head? In Elder Shin’s view, it seemed utterly impossible, even if they set a rule against using bets.

Let alone drawing a sword. Hadn’t that destroyed any chance of winning we might have had?

[What are you trying to do… ]

Elder Shin, who was about to question why Gu Yangcheon had created such a shitty situation, paused at a sudden thought.

It was a thought born of possibility. Gu Yangcheon isn’t a swordsman.

Moreover, from what he’d seen, he had never practiced wielding a sword. Therefore, this contest was doomed from the start.

Unless someone else fought in his stead.

[…Kid.]

‘Yes.’

[This is a situation you created to fight… right?]

At Elder Shin’s words, Gu Yangcheon replied incredulously.

‘What kind of nonsensical question is that?’

[Right? I thought so too… ]

‘Of course, you should fight for me, Elder. I don’t know how to use a sword.’

[You really are a bastard.]

At Gu Yangcheon’s brazen statement, Elder Shin finally couldn’t help but spew vulgar curses.