Chapter 2: The Young Master of Gu Family (2)

The Gu family of Shanxi. 2

Speaking of the Gu family of Shanxi, they are considered a rather renowned prestigious family.

Although compared to those called the Four Great Families:

the Namgung Family of Anhui (Namgung Family).

the Hebei Peng Family of Hebei (Hebei Peng Family).

the Sichuan Tang Gate of Sichuan (Sichuan Tang Gate).

the Moyong Family of Liaoning (Moyong Family).

the Gu family of Shanxi lags behind a bit, however.

Many people believe the Gu family will surely become a prestigious family just as renowned as them.

The current family head, Gu Cheol-un the Tiger Hero, is no less than one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Central Plains.

Moreover, he was a martial artist considered among the strong ones even within that group.

His conviction and sense of justice as a righteous path practitioner were famous among many people.

The martial artists belonging to the Gu family do not oppress the common people; rather, they defend against and repel threats to them.

It’s not without reason that they are called the Guardians of Shanxi.

Naturally, aside from the family’s influence and the goodwill-filled support of the common people, Gu Cheol-un’s children were already showing outstanding distinction as martial artists among the rising generation.

The eldest daughter, Gu Huibi, was already known by many as the Sword Phoenix, as if proving her status as a representative rising generation martial artist.

The second daughter, Gu Yeonseo, also showed talent comparable to Gu Huibi, and it was expected she would easily inherit Gu Huibi’s epithet in the future.

Not only was it a prestigious orthodox family passed down through generations, but the family head and the succeeding generations of descendants were also powerful, so the Gu family’s standing would only grow firmer as time passed.

Many people were convinced it would happen before long.

I too believed so myself.

Until the Gu family’s only son and Young Family Head turned into a demonic person, that is.

-Young Master.

I came to my senses at the sound of a servant announcing the morning.

Clearing my head and looking around, sunlight was already streaming in through the window.

“I’m awake.”

My slightly hoarse voice slipped out.

In the first place, I hadn’t slept a wink all night. I just couldn’t fall asleep because I couldn’t comprehend this situation.

Hmph.

I quietly let out a sigh and did a dry wash of my face.

“…It really isn’t a dream, is it.”

It’s already the third day.

Since I, who died from my heart exploding, returned to my childhood.

“Really, what happened?”

No matter how much I asked the empty air, no answer came back.

How did it come to this? I couldn’t figure it out even after thinking about it a hundred times.

The first day was just hollow. Because I was dreaming of times I couldn’t return to, my heart felt completely empty.

With that feeling, I even ate and slept.

I should have realized sooner from the fact that I could taste the food I ate.

But still, I just stupidly spent the second day blankly.

“Idiot.”

To only realize on the third day, what kind of nonsense is this?

I turned my head and looked out the window.

Sunlight was shining through the brightly opened window, not the damp iron bars of the Murim Alliance’s underground torture chamber.

As my self-reproach for my own obtuseness ended and I recognized the situation, a surge of heat began to rise within me from sheer ecstasy.

I had returned to the happiest period of my life, a life that had been broken, ruined, and fallen to the depths.

I don’t know what caused this to happen, but if it’s reality and not a dream…

‘No, it must be reality.’

I prayed it had to be so.

I barely managed to suppress the disbelief, the ‘what if it isn’t?’ feeling, with the sense of reality I felt throughout my entire body.

If it’s true that I’ve come to the past, what should I do from now on? Where should I start thinking?

I had to organize the countless events that would begin from now on in my mind.

There were too many things to think about, everything from one to ten.

As thousands of thoughts were spinning around in my mind, someone called me from outside the door.

-Young Master.

Because of that, the thoughts I had painstakingly gathered shattered.

-The Family Head is scheduled to arrive at the estate soon.

At the servant’s words, the hair on my body stood on end.

My mind had been overloaded for days, so this was something I hadn’t even dared to think about.

“Father is coming…”

Father, who had probably been away from the estate due to work, was returning. I didn’t know how many days he’d been gone, but for me, it was the first time seeing him in years, including my previous life.

My head is already starting to ache.

My feelings towards seeing Father after so long were closer to fear than longing or gladness.

The cold gaze and sharp words I felt from him in my previous life were still etched into my heart.

Those words, still deeply ingrained, came to mind frequently and tormented my mind.

‘You degenerate, until when do you plan to live like that? Do you intend to remain the shame of the family in the end?’

Those were the words Father said to me around the time I came of age. I don’t resent him. I lived insignificantly enough to deserve hearing such things.

It was understandable. I understand, but every moment I witnessed back then was stored away in my heart, and I lived carrying them.

And that was still the same now.

I was still afraid of Father.

-Young Master?

As I didn’t answer, the servant called me once again from outside.

“I’ll get ready and go out. How much time is left?”

-He is said to arrive in about thirty minutes.

“I need to wash my face, so please prepare that for me.”

-I will prepare it right away.

I could sense the servant’s flustered voice. He must have been flustered because, contrary to his expectations, I said I would prepare it myself.

As a child, whenever something like this happened, I would throw tantrums, throwing whatever caught my eye and saying I didn’t like being woken up in the morning.

I couldn’t even count how many household items I had broken.

The reason I threw tantrums, making flimsy excuses, must have been nothing other than the fact that I found Father unpleasant to see.

It was still unpleasant now, but I didn’t have the luxury or reason to run away at this point.

After finishing the face washing the servant prepared, I changed clothes and tidied myself up.

I was slightly bothered by the servant, who was helping me prepare, continuously trembling. Was he afraid I might throw something or swing something around?

A kid of thirteen or fourteen years old wouldn’t really do something like that, but…

‘…I think there might have been times like that.’

So I couldn’t bring myself to think further.

As I stepped outside the door after finishing my preparations, I felt the gazes of many people.

Not only did I feel their gazes, but I could also clearly hear them whispering amongst themselves.

-What’s the occasion? Why are you going out to meet the Family Head?

-After complaining that you didn’t want to wake up…

I could clearly hear them whispering amongst themselves.

People were truly kind to call those war-level tantrums ‘complaining’.

As our eyes met while they were speaking, they were startled and tried to kneel, so I raised my hand to stop them.

If it were me in the past, what would I have done?

Hmm…

‘Let’s not think about it….’

I would have thrown a massive tantrum, obviously.

Wouldn’t those two have been kicked out of the estate starting the next day?

As I walked, I noticed flowers blooming brightly. Unlike my incredibly complicated mind, the season was a comfortable spring.

Was the season at the Murim Alliance right before I died winter or autumn?

I don’t even know which of the four seasons it was.

“Probably the latter.”

“Pardon?”

The escort who was guiding me, just like on the first day of my regression, asked again.

“It’s nothing.”

Walking for about an hour, passing through the estate grounds and the garden, I arrived at the front gate of the Gu family estate.

When I arrived, many people had already gathered.

Most of them were individuals I hadn’t seen for the past few days.

Like the others, they seemed surprised that I had come here.

The majority bowed their heads and greeted me. It felt awkward experiencing this kind of situation after so long, but I didn’t show it.

Passing through the many people, I stepped forward until I reached those who didn’t bow their heads to me.

Someone among them spoke to me.

“…How strange. I didn’t expect you to come out.”

The one who spoke was a girl with long, flowing hair tied back tightly.

Even generously estimating, the girl seemed not to have reached twenty years old.

It was clear she would be called a beauty wherever she went, but her determined eyes and posture hinted slightly at the martial artist within.

In the Gu family, there weren’t many who could afford not to bow to me.

Especially if it was a girl of this age, there was practically only one person.

Gu Yeonseo, the Crimson Flame Sword.

The girl was a blood relative of the Gu family and my younger sister, born just a year after me.

Gu Yeonseo was probably a promising rising generation martial artist by now, and would later gain renown as an outstanding female sword master.

She did so even in the future.

I looked up at my sister, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, and said.

“Because it’s a place I should be.”

At my answer, Gu Yeonseo scoffed.

“A kid who knows that didn’t even show their face until now?”

Gu Yeonseo reprimanded me in a cold voice. She was right.

As Gu Yeonseo said, as a blood relative of the Gu family, I had only run away, prioritizing my own feelings, from a place I should have definitely appeared.

“Yeah, why did I do that?”

“…What?”

“I admit I was wrong. I’ll apologize to the Family Head later too.”

At my clearly spoken apology, Gu Yeonseo wore a strange expression.

That lasted only a moment before Gu Yeonseo clicked her tongue and said,

“I don’t know what act you’re putting on this time, but if you’re going to play games with people, I wish you’d stop here. Because I feel like I’m really going to get angry anymore.”

After firing off her words, she turned her head sharply. As expected, it wasn’t easy.

I wanted to add at least one more word, but even that wasn’t easy.

“The Family Head is arriving.”

Following the servant’s words, I shifted my gaze to the entrance and saw a carriage approaching the front gate from a distance.

The Red Hare, looking twice as large as other horses, ran relentlessly, crossing the Gu family’s front gate and arriving before the crowd in a short time.

As the Red Hare, having run for a long time, stopped in place and caught its breath, a person descended from the carriage after opening the door.

A middle-aged man wearing a red robe, like the symbol of the Gu family, and possessing a long scar crossing half his face.

With red eyes that scanned the gathered people, setting aside his stern gaze, many people couldn’t dare lift their heads.

‘…Father.’

He was my father, Gu Cheol-un the Tiger Hero, the head of the Shanxi Gu family.

A transcendent being, considered exceptional even among countless martial artists, was there.

Father’s eyes, which had been quickly scanning, stopped on me.

I too exchanged glances with Father without avoiding him.

Those stern eyes were so scary when I was young.

That lasted only a brief moment before Father shifted his gaze again. He didn’t show any further reaction.

It wasn’t that surprising. Father was always that kind of person.

“Family Head. I’m glad you returned safely.”

“Steward.”

“Yes, Family Head.”

“Are there any Sword Units currently being prepared?”

“The First Sword Unit is resting after returning, and the Fourth Sword Unit is currently on standby.”

“Then tell the Commander of the Fourth Sword Unit to finish preparations and come find me before midnight passes.”

“Understood. Congratulations on your return, Family Head.”

After the short conversation, the Family Head started walking without a word, and everyone followed him.

I too walked, looking at Father’s back. His back still seemed large and heavy.

Returning was like a miracle, but there were many tangled and twisted problems.

‘Still, it’s fortunate that it wasn’t too late.’

If I had regressed into the future, even just a few years from now, it truly would have been irreversible. It would have been far too late.

This was definitely good fortune.

But even now, it remained difficult to figure out where to start unraveling things.

Halt.

Father’s steps, which had been steady, stopped.

“Third, come to the Family Head’s quarters separately after the meal is finished.”

He said it, but didn’t look back. I was flustered.

Third was definitely the designation for me.

Me? Why? Why would Father call me separately…

‘…There are too many reasons, I can’t possibly guess?’

“Understood.”

As my answer followed, Father resumed walking.

Upcoming dinner. Until then, I decided on the first thing I needed to do. It was an important task, the first thing to do after my regression.

“Mu-yeon.”

I whispered the escort’s name in a very small voice.

“Yes, Young Master.”

“…Take me to the physician before eating.”

As I asked to go to the physician, Mu-yeon put on a serious expression.

“Are, are you perhaps ill?”

“…No, I feel like I’ll definitely get indigestion if I eat now, so I want to get some digestive medicine beforehand.”

“Ah…”