Chapter 3: Why Are You Here? (1)

Why are you coming out of there?

Appearing by tearing through the void and spewing out monsters is called a Demon Realm Gate (魔境門).

How terrifying it is that it spews out countless monsters that are more ferocious than beasts and crave only slaughter.

When the first Demon Realm Gate was discovered, it was surely a disaster, and humanity must have felt like they were a hair’s breadth away from the end.

Fortunately, within a short period, it was discovered that monsters were weak against the martial arts possessed by warriors.

Thanks to that, warriors began to join forces to fend off the disaster.

As time passed, the number of monsters decreased, and people found stability, but unfortunately, they couldn’t completely close the Demon Realm Gates.

Still, throughout the Central Plains, Demon Realm Gates continued to open.

Centuries later, and now, the sword brigades of the numerous families and sects spread across the Central Plains primarily manage these Demon Realm Gates.

The Gu family’s sword brigade is no different.

This is why the Gu family is called the protectors of Shanxi.

Demon Realm Gates close after spewing out a certain number of monsters.

The problem is that the monsters who emerge through the Demon Realm Gates are not exactly well-behaved.

Ferocious monsters not only turn their surroundings into a mess, but also devour any living creature they see.

If there happens to be a village nearby, the extent of the casualties is something one can hardly imagine.

Nowadays, after many years since the appearance of Demon Realm Gates, education and systems are in place to close them, making the danger relatively lower.

Once every season.

There are times when a gate much larger than a normal Demon Realm Gate opens.

A gate that spews out monsters larger and stronger than usual ones was called a True Demon Realm Gate (眞魔境門).

The reason the Gu family’s head, the center of the family, personally took action was because of that.

The welcoming ceremony for the family head, who had just finished sealing the gate (封門) that began at sunset, was quite modest.

It was the family head’s strict rule not to think highly of someone for doing what they were supposed to do, and he seemed to be acting accordingly.

Of course, since all the blood relatives currently within the Gu family were gathered, it was far from a simple, modest gathering… but for me, it was a time when I couldn’t tell if I was eating through my nose or my mouth.

As the quiet atmosphere continued, the first person to speak was Gu Cheol-un.

“I heard you’ve made progress in your martial arts.”

It was a remark casually made during the meal. He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular.

Gu Huibi, the eldest of the family head’s four children, had long been recognized for her high talent and was currently out on assignment with the Gu family’s sword brigade. The youngest was currently away from the family.

And it certainly wasn’t me.

That left only one person.

“Yes, I gained a small enlightenment and reached the Third Star a few days ago.”

Gu Yeonseo replied with a confident smile. Her expression was completely different from the one she had when she looked at me earlier.

“That’s fast for your age. It’s good to see. Continue to strive harder.”

“Thank you. Father.”

As Gu Yeonseo turned her head back, our eyes met.

Her previously bright smile vanished, and her face crumpled instantly, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.

‘Seriously, that’s the look you give when you see a bug.’

Gu Yeonseo is now fifteen. The Gu family’s internal energy cultivation technique is notoriously slow to yield results, so reaching the Third Star at her age was quite remarkable.

It was a testament to Gu Yeonseo’s talent and effort.

It was impressive, truly, but the already uncomfortable atmosphere made my stomach churn as if I were about to get indigestion.

My inner pocket was stuffed with the digestive aids I’d brought earlier.

I’d definitely have to take them after this.

The only silver lining was that I could eat foods I barely had access to while struggling desperately in my past life.

Among the feast that threatened to break the table legs, I picked up a glistening dumpling.

“Third child.”

…Although I couldn’t eat it.

“Yes.”

I carefully placed the dumpling I had picked up back down.

Unlike when he praised Gu Yeonseo earlier, Gu Cheol-un was looking at me.

Was it just a coincidence?

“I heard you went out to the market street.”

“Yes?”

The market street? Was he talking about the first day I returned?

Confused, I just stared blankly, and Gu Cheol-un continued to stare at me without a word, as if waiting for my answer.

“Yes, I went out briefly.”

Since I didn’t think I did anything particularly problematic, I answered casually.

If there was a problem, it might be that I met Wi Seol-ah, but that should be my own issue.

“Hmm.”

What is it?

Gu Cheol-un didn’t say anything else afterward, but he seemed to have something he wanted to say. I didn’t bother asking.

Why is he acting like this?

I remember him not being the type to ponder things like this.

In the end, Gu Cheol-un never brought it up with me.

Before long, the excruciatingly awkward mealtime finally ended.

I tried to eat something, but the subtle gazes I felt completely killed my appetite.

Gu Cheol-un left first, and Gu Yeonseo glared at me for a long time before leaving.

I considered trying to eat the remaining dumplings again, but put down my chopsticks.

The family meal, the first in years, ended just like that.

Even the little I had eaten felt like it would upset my stomach, so I quickly drank a digestive powder mixed with warm water.

That seemed to help a bit, maybe?

So, can I just go lie down for the day now?

‘Ah… I was told to come to the room later.’

I remembered being summoned to the family head’s study earlier that day. What could it be for?

What was I even doing around this time? Since I’d been summoned to the study for causing trouble more than once or twice, it was hard to guess the reason.

I just have to brace myself and go. After all, it’s probably shit I created myself.

Just as I was steeling myself like that.

“Young Master. The family head sent word, ‘You don’t need to come to the study.'”

a servant relayed.

In the end, I was left alone at the dining table, staring blankly at the remaining dumplings.

What the hell…?

---

In my past life, I yearned for ‘freedom’.

I wanted to live a life not devoid of my own will, but one where every action was imbued with my intention.

Back then, choosing to extend my life, even if it meant living as a damned mine, was definitely my choice.

If I had known it would turn into a life so filled with regret, I would have ended my life right then and there without hesitation.

But as a result of not doing so, I ended up living a life where even death wasn’t under my control.

How much I regretted it.

And how much I realized.

The days I foolishly refused to acknowledge my own talent and tried to become a star without making any effort.

The days I tried to project my incompetence onto others through arrogance and anger.

By the time I realized that such things couldn’t hide my sordid self, it was already too late.

That’s why, when the chance I had so desperately wished for finally arrived, I couldn’t afford not to seize it.

I had to live a life different from my past one.

No, I wanted to live differently.

Perhaps that’s why. After regaining my senses upon returning, the first thought I had was:

‘Can I kill the Heavenly Demon?’

Even I had to admit it was an utterly preposterous wish.

To kill all the Three Venerables, whose martial arts were said to transcend even the heavens, and how could I possibly kill the monster who single-handedly burned down two of the Nine Great Sects?

It was fleeting.

After all, the Heavenly Demon would eventually be killed by Wi Seol-ah in the future, and the Demonic Cult wouldn’t last long after that.

I just wanted to live a peaceful life, or perhaps, if I were being a bit greedy, a slightly prosperous one, just enough to get by.

However, it would be unavoidable to get entangled with the Demonic Cult in the near future.

Even if I was a child half-abandoned due to foolishness, the Gu family blood runs in my veins.

Just like ‘they’ did to me in the past.

Could I really avoid the reach of the Demonic Cult, which couldn’t even properly withstand the Four Great Families?

Would it be okay if I abandoned the family and ran away? Perhaps if I hid deep in the mountains, where the hands of the ‘mines’ couldn’t reach…

“…You damn idiot, even after coming this far, you’re still thinking about running away.”

The thought that surfaced unconsciously made my teeth chatter.

I wanted to slap myself, but I couldn’t move for fear of ruining my upright posture.

Trying hard to ignore my preemptive fear, I erased the floating thoughts from my mind.

How long has it been since I decided to live uprightly, changed from my past self, that I’m already thinking about giving up?

Chewing my lip, I steeled my resolve.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it was definitely well past the Hour of the Rat (23:00-01:00).

In the center of my room, I sat cross-legged, taking a deep breath. Then, I exhaled the air filling my lungs.

My exhaled breath carried a faint trace of internal energy (內氣).

‘Seriously, such minuscule internal energy…’

After searching my body meticulously, I barely found a small amount of internal energy in a corner of my dantian.

My sister, born the year after me, reached the Third Star at such a young age, making the comparison stark.

To put it bluntly, it means I haven’t put in even a speck of effort.

With such barely tangible internal energy, there wasn’t much I could do right away.

‘It’s much smaller than expected, but it’s not impossible.’

There wasn’t much I could do, but it wasn’t entirely nothing.

The cultivation technique passed down to the Gu family members, the Gu Flame Wheel Technique (俱炎火輪功), is based on fire manipulation.

It’s similar to the Samadhi Divine Fire (三昧神火), which uses immense internal energy to ignite flames, but fundamentally different.

Slowly, and steadily, the cultivation technique built up within the body blossoms when the time comes.

The red, flickering internal energy of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique, successfully bloomed through long cultivation, resembled the shape of a burning flame.

For example, Gu Cheol-un’s alias, ‘Tiger-like Hero’, came from his fierce movements enveloped in flickering flames, resembling a tiger, and the sight of him punishing evil with that power led to him being called the Tiger-like Hero.

Gu Yeonseo, who would later be known as the ‘Crimson Flame Sword’, also had her Gu Flame Wheel Technique’s energy surrounding her sword resembling flames, hence her moniker.

The internal energy I possessed, though small, was undoubtedly the Gu Flame Wheel Technique.

Only upon reaching the Fourth Star could one emit even a small amount of red energy, and reaching the Seventh Star would allow one to envelop their entire body with it.

As for me, I’m barely at the First Star.

Compared to Gu Yeonseo, let alone Gu Cheol-un who must have reached at least the Seventh Star, I was utterly pathetic.

The reason I’m doing this pointless stuff under the moonlight is partly because my body is still young, and partly because the energy scattered throughout my body from immature cultivation needed to be gathered before it dissipated, so I could use it as a foundation to reach the Second Star.

My unwarranted ambition regarding martial arts should have been left behind in my past life.

But I needed to gain strength to survive.

I hated even imagining the life I lived as a ‘mine’, but ironically, the martial insights I gained then were what I was using now.

The problem was.

“…If I try any more, I’ll really kick the bucket.”

Using my meager internal energy sparingly, I meticulously scanned the acupoints throughout my body to gather the energy just before it vanished.

It wasn’t easy.

Not only did I need intense concentration, but using such a small amount of internal energy this way was incredibly difficult.

As I delicately manipulated my senses for a long time, my back was already drenched in cold sweat.

Just getting this far was impressive, but trying to do more with this amount of internal energy would surely lead to qi deviation.

“…Hoo.”

I exhaled after finishing the arduous task.

After sighing, a satisfied smile spread across my lips.

Although I regretted not being able to do more, it wasn’t without results.

“Not bad.”

The slightly increased internal energy and the faint warmth I felt in my body confirmed it.

This was proof that the Gu Flame Wheel Technique had reached the Second Star.

It was thanks to the fact that, due to my lack of proper cultivation, there was more scattered energy in my body than expected.

“Though I wonder if ‘thanks to my incompetence’ is the right way to put it.”

Several hours had passed since I started cultivating the technique, but thanks to successfully reaching the Second Star, I felt refreshed.

“If I tackle things one by one like this, something will eventually work out.”

Since I couldn’t wash my sweat-soaked body completely, I finished with a light wash of my face, changed my clothes, and lay down on my bed.

I thought it was a decent start.

‘Let’s just keep going like this….’

Step by step, steadily, but not too slowly.

I will endure it all, and ultimately overcome it.

A life different from my past, that was my sole purpose.

‘I must not mess around carelessly and cause unnecessary ripples in the future.’

Let’s live quietly, doing what needs to be done. Until everything is resolved.

At the very least, until the Heavenly Demon dies, I intend to keep my mouth shut and live quietly.

That was the plan…

“Ah, h-hello, I’m Wi, Wi Seol-ah!”

Why are you suddenly coming out of nowhere…?