Chapter 390: Nice to Meet You (2)

Nice to Meet You (2)

It was just over noon.

Gu Yangcheon was still training inside the cave.

At that moment, Mi Hyoran, the esteemed owner of the renowned White Flowers Merchant Association, was meeting with her husband.

A soft slide, followed by a gentle tap.

In the tranquil atmosphere, the faint creak of a waterwheel echoed in the background.

Three teacups rested neatly on the table.

Thin wisps of steam curled up from two of the three cups.

With a delicate, pale hand, Mi Hyoran lifted her teacup.

She took a silent sip, her gaze settling coldly on her husband before speaking.

“Did the conversation go well?”

As always, her voice was monotone, yet her expression remained as icy as ever.

Gu Cheolun, well aware of her demeanor, averted his gaze in silence. Mi Hyoran, unimpressed, pressed on.

“I see the conversation went well, judging by the black eye he walked away with.”

“…”

“Do you have anything to say to that?”

Mi Hyoran speaking calmly, willing to hear any excuse from him only made her sound scarier.

Though she possessed no Qi, the aura she exuded was nothing short of terrifying.

Despite the faint heat radiating from Gu Cheolun, the room felt unnervingly cold.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Gu Cheolun finally responded.

“There was a reason for it.”

“Of course there was. If not, you’d be in far greater trouble.”

“…”

What kind of trouble? Gu Cheolun wasn’t sure, but he knew it wouldn’t be pleasant.

Mi Hyoran sighed deeply at his response.

“I won’t say much since the child seemed pleased with the outcome… but I am disappointed you damaged his precious face.”

Precious face?

Gu Cheolun shot her a perplexed look.

Though Gu Yangcheon was his son, Gu Cheolun had never considered his face particularly precious.

“I had no other choice.”

He wasn’t wrong.

At the time, Gu Yangcheon’s aura resembled Combat Qi masquerading as ordinary Qi.

Gu Cheolun immediately realized that it was the same aura that he felt from the Dishonored Venerable in the past, and Gu Yangcheon not only used two Mind Arts, but also attempted a technique that could have caused his body to explode.

Because of that, Gu Cheolun took action immediately as he couldn’t afford to leave his son to die.

Still, he saw no need to explain everything to Mi Hyoran.

Mi Hyoran responded to Gu Cheolun after hearing him.

“No other choice, you say?”

“…I swear by it.”

Mi Hyoran’s smooth forehead creased slightly at his response.

“You promised you won’t hurt him.”

“It was just a spar, I couldn’t—“

“You said you’d have a conversation with him, not a spar. Or was it a physical conversation?”

“Ahem.”

After an awkward cough, Gu Cheolun took a slow sip of his tea.

Though Mi Hyoran found him frustrating, a sense of relief washed over her.

The heavy atmosphere surrounding Gu Cheolun had lightened somewhat compared to before.

He’s loosened up a little.

Because of this, Mi Hyoran refrained from scolding him further.

It was a relief, but she still couldn’t accept him leaving such a large bruise on their child.

That child is so thin and fragile.

Even so, Mi Hyoran suppressed her anger, knowing she too had kept her distance from the child too out of fear and guilt.

She was no different from her husband in that regard, so she had little room to argue.

However, she felt solace in the reactions of the two girls upon seeing the child’s bruised face.

They looked ready to draw their swords at a moment’s notice.

The one known as the Sword Dancer already ranked highly in Mi Hyoran’s eyes, given her engagement to the child, but her opinions differed when it came to the others.

Many girls came to mind, but the one who stood out the most to Mi Hyoran was the girl from the Moyong Clan.

The Snow Phoenix, was it?

Mi Hyoran found fond of her because of her rumors and the way she took care of things behind the scenes.

Keeping her as an enemy would have been risky, but Mi Hyoran was certain that someone like her could greatly benefit her son in the future.

In many ways, Mi Hyoran liked her because she saw much of herself in the girl.

Not only that, but she was the daughter of the Moyong Clan.

Incidentally, one of the girls who once pursued Gu Cheolun also hailed from the Moyong Clan.

Of course, in Mi Hyoran’s eyes, Moyong Hi-ah was nothing like that other girl.

If she had to compare it to someone, that girl was similar to her daughter, Gu Huibi.

Multiple girls, huh…

A smirk formed in Mi Hyoran’s mind at the thought.

She had once worried about Gu Yangcheon struggling to make friends, but that didn’t seem to be the case, especially when it came to girls.

However,

He’s a bit… too similar to his father regarding this part.

She was worried about it.

His luck with girls might bring him plenty of trouble down the road.

However, Gu Yangcheon’s path in this matter seemed far smoother.

Gu Cheolun wasn’t the type of person to care about this, but that didn’t seem like the case for Gu Yangcheon.

Moreover, each of the girls around him came from unbelievable backgrounds, so Mi Hyoran did all she could to make his path smoother.

“…So,”

Mi Hyoran spoke, drawing Gu Cheolun’s attention.

“Did the child seem comfortable?”

This was the most important question.

She wondered if the child became more comfortable after the conversation.

Mi Hyoran gazed into Gu Cheolun’s eyes. They still held their usual gloom, but something had shifted.

After a moment, Gu Cheolun carefully started to respond.

“I’m not sure.”

His deep, heavy voice carried an unfamiliar emotion.

“I’m not sure if a simple conversation like this could change anything.”

“Did you not ask the child?”

Mi Hyoran’s gaze sharpened as she questioned him, but Gu Cheolun only shook his head.

“I didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. However,”

Mi Hyoran leaned in slightly as Gu Cheolun hesitated, his words faltering.

“The third child… he called me father.”

“…!”

It should have been obvious.

A child calling his father by that name was natural, yet it carried so much meaning.

Mi Hyoran observed Gu Cheolun’s face.

His expression remained unchanged, but the faint tremble in his pupils betrayed his emotions.

“…How do you feel?”

“I don’t know… I’m not competent enough to understand such things.”

“…”

At least he didn’t deny it.

Gu Cheolun was a great Lord in Mi Hyoran’s eyes, but he still lacked a ton as a parent.

Of course, she wasn’t much different herself.

“How difficult.”

Mi Hyoran nodded slowly at his response.

After a pause, she spoke again.

“It’s too late now.”

“…”

“We should have realized much sooner how much he was struggling.”

In truth, they should have realized it far earlier, long before now.

That regret weighed heavily on Mi Hyoran’s heart.

“So, starting now… please try to understand him better.”

“I’ll try.”

Gu Cheolun’s response came after a short pause.

For now, that was enough.

Gu Cheolun said those words not to run away, but because he was serious about making a change.

Hearing his answer, Mi Hyoran slowly rose from her seat.

There was one thing she truly longed for.

– He called me father.

Just as Gu Yangcheon had finally called Gu Cheolun father,

One day,

One day, I hope…

Mi Hyoran closed her eyes, realizing she was being too greedy.

Pushing the thought aside, Mi Hyoran bid her husband farewell, masking her emotions as she left the room.

Left alone, Gu Cheolun took a sip of his tea and closed his eyes.

Countless thoughts flooded his mind, but they all led to a single conclusion.

It’s difficult.

Relationship.

The weight of guilt pressed down on him, almost unbearable.

Maybe this, too, was a burden he had been avoiding all along.

Gu Cheolun calmed himself.

– It’s late.

Like Mi Hyoran said, he was too late.

Instead of dwelling on regret, he needed to find another way forward.

“…”

Slowly, Gu Cheolun opened his eyes and gazed at the door Mi Hyoran had walked through.

Dribble.

He poured himself another cup of tea.

Once his cup was full, he reached for the cup across the table and began filling it as well.

It was strange.

After all, Mi Hyoran had already left.

Once he was done, Gu Cheolun spoke.

“Apologies for keeping you waiting.”

He suddenly spoke into nothing but empty space.

However,

Slide.

As soon as he spoke, the door Mi Hyoran had exited through slid open, and someone stepped inside.

A middle-aged man, dressed in black, entered the room.

Gu Cheolun knew this person.

A man from a well-known clan in Xi’an.

His name was Bi Jeok, and he was the Lord of Xi’an’s Bi Clan.

Gu Cheolun stood up to greet his guest.

However, it wasn’t so that he could greet Bi Jeok.

He was waiting for someone else.

Bi Jeok stepped further into the room, quietly moving to the side.

He did so to allow someone else to enter.

Finally, the one Gu Cheolun had been expecting arrived.

Gu Cheolun observed the person.

It was a young martial artist.

He appeared to be around the same age as Gu Cheolun’s son.

The young man appeared to be in his early twenties.

From his attire alone, Gu Cheolun could tell he was a direct descendant of the Bi Clan.

It was reasonable to assume that he was the son of Bi Jeok, the Lord of the Bi Clan, who stood beside him.

If that were the case, Gu Cheolun would have greeted Bi Jeok with due respect. Instead, he bowed his head to the young man.

It was because the young man was in a much higher position than the Lord of Bi Clan.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

The young man’s expression shifted to one of mild surprise at Gu Cheolun’s greeting.

“I’m shocked. I didn’t even introduce myself yet.”

“I thank you for visiting me despite my sudden request.”

“Damn… I don’t even get to play around.”

The young man hoped to tease Gu Cheolun a little.

With a smirk, the Dishonored Venerable took a seat across from Gu Cheolun.

“It’s been a while, Lord of Gu Clan. Honestly, it’s hard to say how long. Allow me to introduce myself again.”

The Dishonored Venerable spoke while lifting his teacup.

“I am the Dishonored Venerable of Bi Clan. And- “

Their eyes met, Gu Cheolun’s gaze locked with the Dishonored Venerable’s.

“I am your son’s master.”

The moment he spoke, a heavy silence settled over the room.