Chapter 19: Something You Shouldn’t Dare Touch (1)

Something You Shouldn’t Dare Touch (1)

Look at this bastard.

His damnably flushed cheeks, his damnably wavering pupils, his damnably averted gaze.

Seeing that handsome jerk’s damnably annoying behavior, I can tell he’s fallen for her at first sight.

And no wonder, Wi Seol-ah, with her slightly damp hair and anxious eyes, possessed a truly destructive aura.

It was a dangerous appearance, capable of shattering defenses and burrowing into one’s heart in an instant, unless one was a sage hardened by years of cultivation in Confucianism, Taoism, or Buddhism.

Even I feel floaty, so how could that guy possibly resist? In the end, he was instantly conquered by Wi Seol-ah.

“Tsk.”

Wi Seol-ah, clueless about the situation, stared at me with vacant eyes.

Feeling inexplicably annoyed, I pulled Wi Seol-ah back a bit further.

Seeing that, Gu Jeolyub, despite being family, hastily tried to control his expression, but… he couldn’t hide his flushed cheeks.

Elder Lee, standing nearby, couldn’t hide his twitching lips as he watched Gu Jeolyub.

‘Look at him trying so hard not to tease.’

What a grumpy old man.

“Ahem! Ahem!”

Gu Jeolyub kept clearing his throat, perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere. Though I doubt it would improve the mood.

“L-let me say it again. I, Gu Jeolyub, request a sparring match with a member of the main family’s bloodline.”

‘Look me in the eye when you say that, you bastard….’

It was obvious his eyes kept darting towards Wi Seol-ah. I casually waved my hands dismissively, signaling him to leave.

“Sparring? I’m not interested, so go back.”

It was clearly going to be a hassle. Showing up unannounced to demand a sparring match wasn’t exactly polite. It was practically an act of disrespect.

I had plenty of justification to refuse. Seemingly displeased with my attitude, Gu Jeolyub’s tone changed.

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes, I’m terribly afraid.”

“Still so weak, running away from something as trivial as this…”

“Yes, yes, I’m incredibly weak. Of course, I am. Absolutely.”

Using the secret technique of ‘hearing it in one ear and letting it out the other,’ Gu Jeolyub’s eyes began to twitch. His breathing grew ragged; he was clearly furious.

So what are you going to do about it? I said I wouldn’t do it.

A relative showing up at the main house first thing in the morning to demand a sparring match? The justification was clearly on my side.

As the guy started sputtering, seemingly reaching his limit, Elder Lee approached and asked,

“Jeolyub-ah, why are you demanding a sparring match like this? Is it perhaps because of Elder Il?”

‘Elder Il?’

Gu Jeolyub faltered at Elder Lee’s question but didn’t answer. However, I had enough information from Gu Jeolyub’s silence to form an answer.

‘It was just pathetic politicking.’

So this is why this suddenly happened.

‘I really shouldn’t have caused trouble during my sparring match with Gu Yeonseo.’

Everyone in the clan knows Elder Il is ambitious. Yet, the reason the main family couldn’t curb Elder Il’s ambition was none other than me.

A member of the main family with a lowly disposition and no talent.

Merely being male made him woefully unqualified for the position of Clan Head. Furthermore, he was of concubine lineage.

Elder Il’s ambition served as a sort of contingency for the clan. Elder Il constantly sought to turn that contingency into a certainty.

But that contingency had begun to waver. It was because of the news that I had won my sparring match against Gu Yeonseo.

Most dismissed it as mere luck, but the ripple effect of ‘what if’ was likely unwelcome for Elder Il.

“So that’s why you’re resorting to such childish tactics.”

Feeling utterly ridiculous, I was about to ignore him and head back to the training grounds when Elder Lee spoke to me.

“Since he went to the trouble of coming all this way, why not indulge him just once?.”

His words were absurd, and looking at Elder Lee, his face was filled with the two characters: ‘Interest.’ He seemed to be cooking up some strange scheme again.

“Elder Lee, do you want to see me get beaten and end up on the ground? Why are you pushing me like this?”

Elder Lee glanced slowly between Gu Jeolyub and me, then said with a smile.

“This old man doesn’t think Yangcheon, you’ll go down that easily.”

This slippery old geezer.

I glared at Gu Jeolyub. Just a brief glance was enough to tell.

‘This is going to be tough.’

It was certain. This damnably annoying guy was stronger than Gu Yeonseo.

Since I lack the means, I can’t properly gauge the energy he harbors or his martial arts level, but… my gut feeling told me so.

Gu Yeonseo probably has higher internal energy or martial arts proficiency. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Gu Yeonseo is stronger. That was precisely why I could dodge Gu Yeonseo’s attacks and win.

“Regardless, I will not spar. I don’t want to get caught up in bothersome politicking.”

Hearing this, Elder Lee pouted as if disappointed. Seeing a mountain of a man like that make such a face sent a slight, no, a considerable shiver down my spine.

Gu Jeolyub also pouted, his plans thwarted. It was an expression that suited his damnably ugly face perfectly.

Then, he turned and spoke to Wi Seol-ah.

“Excuse me, are you a servant of the main family?”

He didn’t exactly stutter, but he couldn’t hide the slight tremor in his voice. Wi Seol-ah, wrapped in a blanket, tilted her head at Gu Jeolyub’s words. That movement made Gu Jeolyub stagger as if he’d been struck hard.

Why the hell is that guy sparring by himself all of a sudden?

“Yes! I am a servant.”

At Wi Seol-ah’s reply, Gu Jeolyub straightened his staggering body. Then he looked at me and said,

“Young lady, wouldn’t you rather come to me than be a servant to someone so weak? I can provide you with a much better environment and take good care of you.”

What kind of fucked-up offer is that in this situation? How exactly would you take good care of her? Meanwhile, his increasingly red cheeks suggested he was embarrassed, which annoyed me.

Even I thought this was going too far, so I cut in to intervene.

“What kind of dog-like talk is this….”

“I like Young Master.”

It was the first time I’d heard Wi Seol-ah speak with such firm conviction since my regression. Not just me, but Elder Lee and Gu Jeolyub’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I won’t go to anyone but Young Master.”

Wi Seol-ah’s words sent a jolt through my chest.

‘…This isn’t good.’

This is not a good situation. I frantically rubbed my chest with my hand. It’s definitely not a good situation.

This was different from the curse the Heavenly Demon had placed on me; in a way, it was a more insidious curse. I thought I could escape it through death, but I couldn’t let this happen again.

Wi Seol-ah was looking at me. What emotions were in her eyes? What I knew for sure was that I shouldn’t look into Wi Seol-ah’s eyes for too long right now.

I shifted my gaze to Gu Jeolyub. Whether consciously or not, he seemed shocked, unable to maintain even his minimal composure. It was awkward.

I let out a deep sigh and stood up. Stretching my stiff body, I walked past Gu Jeolyub.

“Follow me. I’ll give you that sparring match or whatever.”

From behind, I heard a strange sound: “Ooh!” It was obviously Elder Lee.

Gu Jeolyub gritted his teeth and followed me. Is he happy to have someone to take his anger out on?

‘Why do I always get dragged into troublesome affairs?’

Why? Because I’m the one causing it all myself. That’s right! That’s it.

…Shit.

---

“Did I make the wrong choice?”

That was my first thought upon entering the training grounds for the sparring match. Why do I always regret things after I’ve done them? I never liked myself.

Tuduk tuduk-

As I stretched my body this way and that, my joints cracked. I asked Elder Lee, who was watching me with a strange look while I warmed up,

“Why did you tell me to spar?”

“I didn’t. You said you would, Yangcheon.”

“Didn’t you suggest it at first? And since you didn’t stop me and even came along happily, it’s partly your fault too.”

This was me throwing back Elder Lee’s own words at him, which he’d said after I beat up that Peng guy during the Nine Dragons Assembly. As if knowing that, Elder Lee laughed heartily.

“Yes! You’re right, it’s partly my fault too.”

“So why did you suggest it to me?”

[It’s because of Elder Il.]

It seemed like bad news, as Elder Lee used telepathy (傳音) to communicate with me. It had been a while since I’d heard telepathy, and my head hurt slightly.

“What do you mean?”

I wasn’t capable of responding via telepathy right now, so I just answered bluntly. Elder Lee responded, looking bewildered.

[Hey, shouldn’t you at least respond cautiously when using telepathy? ]

“It doesn’t matter anyway.”

…Grumph

Elder Lee let out a small groan.

[Elder Il is an ambitious man. You already know that, don’t you? Ambition is fine to a certain extent, but it doesn’t seem good for the clan to use even his own bloodline for it.]

As Elder Lee said, this sparring match was clearly a piece of political maneuvering. If I lose here, Gu Jeolyub’s standing in the clan will rise. Conversely, if Gu Jeolyub were to lose to me.

‘The impact would be immense.’

From Gu Jeolyub’s perspective, it would be unimaginable. The reason Elder Il sent Gu Jeolyub to me, knowing all this and forcing him into such a situation, must be because he believed Gu Jeolyub absolutely wouldn’t lose.

‘He’s just very desperate.’

I don’t understand why Elder Il would orchestrate such a clumsy and forced event. Was there really something so urgent? I listened quietly to Elder Lee’s words, then spoke again.

“…Well, since I’m doing this troublesome deed, shouldn’t I get something out of it too?”

[What…?]

“If I win against him, please grant me one request.”

[Why should this old man grant your request just because you say you won…?]

“If you refuse, I’ll just roll around on the ground right now and lose.”

[You say the strangest things. If you, Yangcheon, lose after coming all this way, it will cast a shadow on your future succession as Clan Head….]

“Elder Lee, you keep assuming I want to become Clan Head.”

Feeling sufficiently warmed up, I began rotating my wrists and approached Gu Jeolyub.

“I don’t particularly have any desire to become Clan Head.”

[…!]

Elder Lee gasped in shock at my bombshell statement. Did everyone think I wanted to be Clan Head?

‘I left all that ambition behind in my past life.’

I thought to myself. Is it really ambition? Or perhaps because I think it’s too much for me? No, it’s simply because it’s useless to me.

What being Clan Head truly entails, what one must harbor in their heart to live as one. I knew that all too well now, sickeningly so.

“Are you warmed up?”

“Mostly.”

Gu Jeolyub greeted me, holding a wooden sword. Indeed, seeing him face-to-face confirmed it. This guy was much stronger than Gu Yeonseo.

As I prepared for the match, Gu Jeolyub suddenly apologized.

“I feel sorry towards Young Master Il.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Last year, during my sparring match with Young Master Il, I went too far.”

“Did we already fight?”

“Yes, Young Master Il was bedridden for a month because of it.”

He was bedridden for quite a while… Why don’t I remember that?

“Young Master Il is too weak.”

“Now you’re even picking a fight.”

“I heard you defeated Young Lady Lee, but that was merely a coincidence.”

“Right, I think so too.”

“However, my grandfather doesn’t seem to think so, which is the problem.”

“Right, right, I think so too.”

Gu Jeolyub glared at me in response to my answers. Oops, did he catch me just agreeing vaguely?

Gu Jeolyub quickly shook his head side to side and continued.

“I don’t want to bully the weak, but I detest the weak becoming Clan Head even more.”

“You do realize you’re saying that right in front of the Clan Head’s direct descendant?”

It was a dangerously reckless statement to make so casually.

Whoosh!

Heat brushed against my cheek. It was emanating from Gu Jeolyub. It was different from the Blazing Wheel Technique passed down only to the direct line of the Clan Head. The cultivation technique Gu Jeolyub inherited was the Blazing Flame Art (俱先炎功). While it also contained heat, it was a mind technique focused on compression and speed, unlike the destructive power gained from the Blazing Wheel Technique.

‘His martial arts level… is it 3-star?’

On par with Gu Yeonseo; the intense heat Gu Jeolyub was emitting clearly indicated as much. Ah, maybe I should just forfeit right now.

[What I said earlier.]

As if waiting for this moment, Elder Lee’s telepathic message arrived.

[If you win this match, I swear on this old man’s name, I will grant your request.]

‘Now I can’t easily forfeit either.’

…This is always how things turn out for me.

With a resignation that wasn’t quite resignation, I began circulating my Blazing Wheel Technique internally. The cultivation technique circulating within my body began to push back against Gu Jeolyub’s internal energy.

A spark appeared in Gu Jeolyub’s eyes.

“Elder Lee.”

It was Gu Jeolyub who called out to Elder Lee.

“Why do you call?”

“I also have something I wish to obtain if I gain victory in this match.”

Looks like this bastard overheard our conversation earlier. He’s got sharp ears, I swear…

Elder Lee glanced at me before replying to Gu Jeolyub.

“Yes, the conditions must be equal. Jeolyub, what do you desire?”

Only then did Gu Jeolyub point at something with his hand. There was Wi Seol-ah, casually popping a yakgwa into her mouth.

“I want that servant.”

There was clearly desire in Gu Jeolyub’s eyes. Perhaps not mere lust, but something closer to carnal desire. Hearing those words right now.

“Haha.”

Felt incredibly fucked up.

“You fucking bastard.”

Immediately after, I felt something snap inside me.