Chapter 390: Nice to Meet You.

It was just past noon.

This was the time when Gu Yangcheon was deep in training within a cave.

Around that time, the mistress of the Gu family, and the owner of a famous merchant guild in the Central Plains, The Lady of White Flowers Mi Hyoran, was facing her husband.

Deureureuk tak.

Amidst the quiet atmosphere, the sound of a watermill could be heard faintly from the back.

There were three teacups placed in total.

From two of those teacups, a gentle steam was rising.

Mi Hyoran extended her fair hand without a tremor and lifted her teacup.

Swallowing a sip of tea silently, Mi Hyoran opened her mouth to speak to her husband right after moistening her throat.

“Did you have a good talk?”

Her voice was, as always, monotone, but Mi Hyoran’s expression was chillingly cold.

Gu Cheolun, knowing this, avoided her gaze, not offering a direct answer. Mi Hyoran added, looking at Gu Cheolun.

“Just how well you talked, you managed to bruise our child’s eyes black and blue.”

“…”

“Do you have anything to say about this?”

The calm question, as if she were willing to hear at least an excuse, felt even more terrifying.

The aura emanating from Mi Hyoran, an ordinary person uninvolved in the martial world, was unusual.

It was so much so that even with the subtle heat Gu Cheolun was emitting, the room felt like it was dropping in temperature.

Gu Cheolun let out a rare, brief cough before speaking to Mi Hyoran.

“There was a bit of trouble.”

“Of course, there should have been. If there hadn’t been, it would have been a major issue.”

“…”

What major issue? Gu Cheolun knew it certainly wasn’t anything good, though he didn’t know what it was.

Mi Hyoran let out a deep sigh at Gu Cheolun’s expression.

“Seeing the child’s expression, it seems things resolved well, so I won’t say much more…. However, I am rather disappointed that you made such a precious face look like that.”

A precious face?

Gu Cheolun looked at Mi Hyoran with a strange expression.

After all, even though Gu Yangcheon was his son, his face wasn’t exactly what one would call precious.

“There was an unavoidable reason.”

It couldn’t be helped. That must be right.

The aura Gu Yangcheon was emitting back then was close to killing intent disguised as a spar.

Gu Cheolun immediately recognized it as the same aura he felt from the Battle Lord of the past.

Seeing Gu Yangcheon not only wielding two kinds of energy but also containing power that could erupt at any moment, Gu Cheolun rushed forward first.

After all, he couldn’t just stand by and watch his child die.

However, he simply didn’t feel the need to explain the specifics to Mi Hyoran.

Hearing this, Mi Hyoran said to Gu Cheolun.

“Do you have any reasons that aren’t unavoidable?”

“…This time, it truly couldn’t be helped.”

At Gu Cheolun’s words, Mi Hyoran’s delicate brow furrowed.

“Didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t inflict injuries?”

“Since it was a spar, that too was unavoidable…”

“You said you were going to talk, not spar. Was this ‘conversation’ perhaps a physical exchange?”

“Kuhm.”

Gu Cheolun eventually let out a cough and took a sip of tea.

Watching him, Mi Hyoran felt frustrated, yet also a slight sense of relief.

This was because she sensed that some of the weight Gu Cheolun carried had lessened.

‘He seems a bit lighter.’

Sensing that, she wasn’t directing any further anger.

Putting that aside, causing bruises on the child’s eyes was something Mi Hyoran found somewhat unacceptable.

‘Where on earth is there to hit that child?’

Despite this, the reason she wasn’t fully expressing her anger was… because speaking about it would be no different from her own guilt and fear that had made her keep her distance from the child, so she was simply refraining from condemning herself.

What was fortunate, at least, was the attitude of the women who had reacted indignantly upon seeing the child’s condition.

Their demeanor, as if they were about to draw their swords at any moment, didn’t look bad to Mi Hyoran.

The woman named Sword Dancer, in Mi Hyoran’s view, had already been engaged, so she received high marks.

As for the other women around, their standings varied.

Many women came to mind.

First and foremost, the one receiving the highest marks is the daughter of the Moyong family. Was her name Snow Phoenix?

Mi Hyoran liked the fact that she seemed to be subtly making moves behind the scenes, along with the rumors circulating.

Although it would be dangerous to have her as an enemy, Mi Hyoran immediately knew that most of her actions would benefit her son’s future.

In other words.

It might be because she seemed similar to herself.

Furthermore, it was also because she was the daughter of the ‘Moyong family’.

After all, there was a daughter of the Moyong family among the women who used to cling to Gu Cheolun in the past.

Of course, she was completely different from the Moyong Hi-ah that Mi Hyoran knew.

If one were to compare, she probably felt similar to her own daughter, Gu Huibi.

‘So many women….’

Mi Hyoran chuckled inwardly at the thought that flashed through her mind.

She had worried because Gu Yangcheon seemed unable to get along well, but he seemed to be managing alright.

His fortune with women doesn’t seem bad either.

However.

‘In this aspect… he’s too much like his father.’

That, in itself, was another worry.

Having too much fortune with women also meant a path of hardship in the future.

In that regard, Gu Yangcheon seemed destined for a path paved with hardship.

Gu Cheolun wasn’t the type to care about such things, but Gu Yangcheon seemed different.

Moreover, the women involved each possessed unbelievable backgrounds, so all Mi Hyoran could do was subtly scheme behind the scenes.

“…So.”

Gu Cheolun’s head moved at Mi Hyoran’s words.

“Did the child seem comfortable?”

It was the most important question.

Had the child become even slightly more at ease because of it?

Mi Hyoran looked calmly into Gu Cheolun’s eyes. Gu Cheolun’s eyes still looked heavy, but a subtle difference could be felt.

Accepting Mi Hyoran’s gaze, Gu Cheolun carefully spoke.

“I don’t know.”

His thick, heavy voice paradoxically held something subtle mixed within.

“What has changed from such a small incident. I still don’t know.”

“Didn’t you ask the child?”

Had he gotten a little better? Had he not asked? Gu Cheolun shook his head at Mi Hyoran’s words.

“I didn’t ask.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know that either. However.”

Mi Hyoran listened intently to Gu Cheolun’s words. It was because she sensed hesitation.

“The third one… called me father when looking at me.”

“…!”

In a way, it was a natural thing to say.

It’s natural for a child to call their father ‘father’, but…

…that natural act held many meanings upon closer inspection.

Mi Hyoran examined Gu Cheolun’s face.

His expression hadn’t changed, but Mi Hyoran could see the minute tremor in his eyes.

“…And you? How are you?”

“I don’t know. I am still too incompetent a human to understand all of that.”

“…”

He didn’t deny it.

In Mi Hyoran’s eyes, Gu Cheolun was an outstanding figure as the family head, but quite lacking as a parent.

Of course, Mi Hyoran herself was likely no different.

“It’s difficult.”

Mi Hyoran nodded inwardly at Gu Cheolun’s softly spoken words.

Then, looking at Gu Cheolun, she said.

“It’s late.”

“…”

“Very late. Realizing this difficulty should have happened much sooner.”

Not just sooner, but much, much sooner. Both for her and Gu Cheolun.

This was Mi Hyoran’s regret.

If only they had realized this a little sooner, things would have been better…. But they hadn’t.

That was Mi Hyoran’s regret.

“…So. Try to get to know him, starting now.”

“I will try.”

Gu Cheolun hesitated briefly before answering like this.

With those words, things should be alright for now.

Because Gu Cheolun’s promise to try wasn’t an excuse to run away, but truly meant what it said.

Having heard the conversation up to that point, Mi Hyoran slowly rose.

If she had one wish.

-He called me father.

Just as Gu Yangcheon had uttered the word ‘father’ to Gu Cheolun.

‘Someday.’

Someday, she too…

Thinking that far, Mi Hyoran closed her eyes.

A thought that it was somewhat arrogant brushed past her mind.

Having cleanly erased any lingering attachments, Mi Hyoran offered a subtle greeting to her husband before leaving the room.

Left alone, Gu Cheolun closed his eyes while drinking the remaining tea.

Various thoughts swirled within him, but when gathered together, the worry was ultimately one thing.

‘It’s difficult.’

Relationships.

It was because the guilt weighing him down was too heavy.

Perhaps this, too, was another karma he had been avoiding.

Gu Cheolun comforted himself, thinking thus.

-It’s late.

Just as Mi Hyoran had said, it was a worry that came far too late.

Now, rather than finding it difficult, he had to choose something else.

“…”

Gu Cheolun soon opened his eyes cautiously and gazed quietly at the door Mi Hyoran had exited through.

Jjoreureuk.

He began to fill the teacups.

He first filled the teacup before him, then proceeded to fill the one across from him.

It was strange.

Mi Hyoran was already gone, outside the room.

After filling those teacups, Gu Cheolun spoke.

“I apologize for making you wait.”

It seemed too sudden to be directed at the empty air.

However.

Deureureuk.

As Gu Cheolun finished speaking, the door Mi Hyoran had left through opened, and someone entered.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in black martial attire.

Gu Cheolun knew this man.

He was from a famous aristocratic family in Xi’an.

He was a martial artist known as Bi-jeok, the head of the Bi family of Xi’an.

Recognizing him, Gu Cheolun rose to his feet. It was to offer a greeting.

However, the greeting was not directed towards Bi-jeok.

Gu Cheolun was waiting.

For the person who would enter behind him.

Bi-jeok, confirming this, entered with an awkward expression and carefully moved aside.

To allow someone else to enter. Then, the person Gu Cheolun was waiting for entered the room, passing Bi-jeok.

Gu Cheolun observed the person who entered.

It was a young martial artist.

Judging by his age, he looked to be around the same age as Gu Cheolun’s own child.

He seemed to be just past his twenties.

From his martial attire, it was vaguely possible to tell he was of the Bi family lineage.

Perhaps he was the Bi family head’s son.

Therefore, normally, Gu Cheolun would have paid his respects to Bi-jeok first, but…

Gu Cheolun bowed his head first to the young man who entered ahead.

This was because the preceding figure held a much higher position than the Bi family head.

“Greetings, Elder.”

At that gesture, a subtle emotion flickered in the young man’s eyes.

“Surprising. You haven’t even introduced yourself yet.”

“Thank you for coming despite the rather sudden request.”

“Ah… If you act like this, there’s no fun in teasing you.”

I was planning to start by teasing you a bit, you know.

Pae-jon chuckled, approached Gu Cheolun, and plopped down on the seat across the table.

“It’s been a while, Gu family head. It’s rather difficult to count how long it’s been. Since we’re at it, let me reintroduce myself.”

Pae-jon picked up the pre-filled teacup and said.

“I am Pae-jon Bi-ju. And…”

Pae-jon’s eyes turned to Gu Cheolun, who had already been looking at Pae-jon.

“I am your son’s teacher.”

As the words were spoken, a heavy atmosphere began to fill the room.