Chapter 789: Control Your Strength.

“…”

“…”

Their eyes met for a moment.

Gu Huibi couldn’t say anything as she looked at the scene before her.

Mi Hyoran let out only a breath as she looked at her first daughter like that.

Time flowed like that.

“Hmm?”

Mi Hyoran smoothly lifted the child in her arms, sat them down beside her, and carefully moved the snacks and tea placed before them out of sight.

And then.

“You’re here.”

“…”

“Sit down.”

She acted as if nothing had happened, just like usual.

Seeing this, Gu Huibi almost wondered if she had seen a hallucination for a moment, but…

“Mother.”

“…”

“What is it…?”

Of course, it was impossible for that to work.

Mi Hyoran’s brow furrowed slightly at Gu Huibi’s questioning frown.

She seemed to have noticed it wasn’t working.

“What… what is this supposed to be…. No, and what about that child….”

Gu Huibi stammered, unable to speak properly. Her eyes were shaking wildly, as if she was terribly shocked.

It was a look as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have. Moreover.

“That kid…”

Her moving gaze froze as it landed on the child.

And then, her already wide eyes opened even wider.

It couldn’t be helped.

How could one not be surprised the moment they saw that face?

“…Huh?”

The child tilted their head, looking at the stiff Gu Huibi.

The child’s innocent face seemed to pull one into memories just by looking at it.

[Look! It’s a flower! I’ll give it to you, Nuna.]

[Nuna-! Play with me-!]

A time when there was still much laughter.

The image of him running over to give her a flower he’d picked.

Her younger brother, who used to follow her around closely, holding her hand.

“…Uh… uh huh…”

It was exactly like how he looked back then.

If anything, he seemed a bit cuter now….

But undeniably, that child strongly resembled her younger brother.

Seeing that, Gu Huibi’s body moved on its own.

The way Mi Hyoran had just acted. The reason she was suddenly summoned here.

None of that registered in her mind.

First, approach him. Approach him, pat his head, and then think.

As Gu Huibi thought this and moved to approach the child.

At that moment.

“Yangcheon…”

Whoosh-!

“…!?”

A gust of wind erupted next to Gu Huibi.

Something, creating wind, shot forward like an arrow.

Acceleration that no one around could react to. Gu Huibi fixed her gaze on the place where the situation unfolded next.

There.

“Yeona…?”

The black-haired woman she kept as a younger sister was tightly hugging the child who resembled her younger brother.

Gu Huibi was flustered by the speed and suddenness of the situation, which she couldn’t even comprehend.

Mi Hyoran, standing beside her, also showed a rare look of surprise.

Just as everyone was flustered.

Clank-.

Signs of presence emerged from various places.

At this, Gu Huibi immediately moved her body and shouted.

“Wait-!”

Clatter-!

Blades rained down from all directions.

---

After being half-dragged by Elder Il for quite some time.

By the time I realized it, I was in a somewhat familiar space.

A neatly maintained pathway. Above it, a luxurious residence.

It was a space that didn’t quite suit me, but the background was familiar.

‘Since I was just here yesterday, how could I not know.’

Yesterday.

It was this place, which I had cautiously headed towards last night.

Specifically, the residence where Madam Mi stays.

I was led by Elder Il and arrived here once again.

The purpose was to see someone.

Since it’s Madam Mi’s residence, I thought I was naturally here to see her, but…

That wasn’t it.

‘Hmm.’

I scanned the residence with a subtly tense expression.

Yes, I wasn’t here to see Madam Mi.

Elder Il said I was here to see my grandfather, didn’t he?

‘To be precise about ‘grandfather’….’

Maternal grandfather.

If I had to put it that way, it would be.

‘Even though not a single drop of blood is shared.’

Right now, my grandfather seems to be limited to that old man I met last time, but if you count, there was one more person.

The Baekhwadang Trading Company run by Madam Mi. The first leader who brought it into existence.

That is Madam Mi’s father.

‘…Hmm.’

As I recall it, a question arises.

Can I really call someone like that a maternal grandfather?

‘If you think about it, he’s not even a real grandfather.’

Anyway, since I’m the child of a concubine, and not blood-related to Madam Mi, it naturally wasn’t a maternal grandfather either.

What’s more.

‘I’ve never even seen him.’

I had never seen Madam Mi’s father, the first leader of the Baekhwadang Trading Company, in my life.

‘I only just found out he was alive.’

Let alone seeing him in person, I’d never even heard of him.

So he was alive.

‘I wonder if my sisters knew about this.’

Gu Huibi or Gu Yeonseo might know.

I’m a complete stranger, but they would be his actual granddaughters.

Of course, that makes it even stranger.

‘Why on earth.’

Not only did this person called the first leader suddenly appear, but he also specifically came to Hanam with Elder Il as his escort.

And because of that….

‘Why me?’

Why would he specifically seek me out to see me?

This too, was something that didn’t happen in my previous life.

Perhaps, as always, the trouble I caused is the problem.

‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know.’

What was the problem that led to this situation?

Even racking my brain right now, nothing came to mind.

So I lifted my head and asked, looking at the large back in front of me.

“Elder Il-nim.”

“Hmm?”

The eight-foot elder turned around at my call.

“Why on earth are you looking for me?”

Why the first Baekhwa leader is looking for me. I asked Elder Il about this, but…

“Well…”

“…”

“Maybe he’s just calling because he wants to see his grandson, wouldn’t you say?”

No particularly helpful answer came back.

Well, it’s my fault for expecting something from this old man.

“…He’s not even my grandson, so why would he want to see me? And if he wanted to see me, he would have come sooner.”

“Hmmmm, is that so?”

“In the first place, why did you, Elder Il-nim, take on the role of escort? You’re quite advanced in years.”

Someone who is an elder of a prestigious family.

It was strange that such a person would take on the role of escort and follow me all the way to Hanam.

At my words, Elder Il casually scratched his cheek with his hand.

“…It’s just… it happened somehow. It worked out well. Anyway, you can just think of it as coming out for a stroll while seeing you, can’t you?”

“A stroll? That’s usually called traveling, not a stroll-“

Whoosh-!

I turned my head as I spoke.

Because Elder Il had suddenly swung a fist at the crown of my head.

As his fist grazed the air, Elder Il let out a hollow laugh.

“Oh ho. You dodged?”

“Talk it out, please…. Violence is bad.”

“Hmph, it seems you’re getting better and better at catching words as the days go by.”

Elder Il moved his wrist as if disappointed.

Looking at him, I said.

“Tell me honestly.”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you lose another bet and come here?”

“…”

Flinch-! At the question, Elder Il’s shoulders trembled slightly.

“Wh-what are you talking about? What do you mean I lost?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

“Of… of course not! You think of me as some gambling addict, you brat!”

“It’s hard to believe you when your track record is so flashy.”

“…”

Elder Il shut his mouth tightly, as if he had nothing to say.

How could I not suspect?

‘Who else would bring a precious artifact of the Mount Hua Sect after winning a drinking bet?’

Think about the hardships I went through in Shanxi because of that.

Whenever that guy caused trouble, it was always related to alcohol or bets.

‘Judging by his reaction, it’s probably something like that again.’

As expected, it seems there’s a reason he’s feeling guilty this time too.

‘It’s obvious.’

As if trying hard to change the subject, Elder Il kept whistling.

What was funny was that he couldn’t even whistle properly, so only the sound of wind, hoo! hoo!, could be heard.

“…Elder Il-nim.”

“Hey now, I told you it’s not like that.”

As if.

I could tell from his expression. This old man seems to have done something again.

“Please, tell me honestly.”

“What?”

“What trouble have you caused this time?”

I pressed him with questions, as if interrogating Elder Il.

Trouble caused by Elder Il? At first glance, it seems like there’s no major problem if an individual causes trouble and handles it themselves, but…

That wasn’t the case for me.

‘It’s unconditional.’

I was certain based on the things I’d experienced living this life.

‘Trouble caused by this old man affects me.’

No matter how much I try to escape, I get entangled strangely.

How many times have I cleaned up the messes Elder Il made, turning them into crap?

Since it didn’t seem like this time would be any different, I tried to get Elder Il to confess somehow.

“No, I’m telling you it’s not like that. Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I don’t trust you. If it’s anyone else, maybe, but how could I trust you, Elder Il-nim-“

Woowoowoong—!!!

“!”

I stopped asking and turned my head.

It was because energy surged from inside the residence.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Elder Il looked puzzled by my reaction.

It seemed he hadn’t sensed it.

Is it because my senses have heightened?

That couldn’t be it.

Right now, I had most of my senses sealed because I wasn’t used to them.

The range was much narrower than usual.

Then what is this energy?

‘…This.’

It burrowed straight in and attacked my heart.

Following that, my heart reacted strongly, as if resonating.

Thump-!

Woowoong-!

At the same time, energy was felt once more from the residence.

“…”

“Yangcheon-ah?”

Elder Il called out to me with a worried expression, but…

Fwoosh-!!

My feet had already burst into flames and shot forward.

Thump-!

My inner energy meshed, increasing my acceleration.

With a couple of strides, the surrounding scenery instantly changed.

There was a high possibility of an accident due to not controlling my speed, but…

I didn’t care about that right now.

I was that desperate.

Fwoosh–!!!

Becoming a handful of flames, I burrowed into the residence.

I grazed the entrance.

Before the guards standing at the door could even register it, my body was already inside the residence.

Even so, my speed didn’t decrease.

My destination was where the energy was felt.

If it wasn’t my imagination.

‘This energy is definitely….’

Gritting my teeth, I steadied my breath.

It wasn’t far, so I reached my destination within seconds.

The energy seemed to be coming from Madam Mi’s room inside the residence.

I headed straight into the room.

And then, I quickly checked the scene unfolding inside.

“…Hmm?”

The moment I saw it, I had to narrow my eyes.

‘What is this.’

The room was filled with countless people.

Perhaps because the residence was large, the room wasn’t small either, but accommodating this many people made it seem somewhat cramped.

What I saw inside was.

‘Gu Huibi.’

Gu Huibi, gripping her sword and glaring at something. And Madam Mi with surprised eyes.

And then.

‘Cheonma (Heavenly Demon)?’

A woman with a familiar back.

Cheonma was hugging Ddol-dori.

Martial artists dressed in dark clothes were surrounding her.

Judging by their state, they seemed to be the Dark Guards (Amho) protecting Madam Mi.

They were all pointing their murderous swords at Cheonma.

‘…What is this situation.’

What on earth is this situation?

Why is Cheonma hugging Ddol-dori in that room.

And not only that, why is she emitting energy stealthily?

“…”

I rolled my eyes, trying to grasp the incomprehensible situation.

Just then.

“Get away immediately.”

One of the Amho spoke to Cheonma.

“If you don’t get away now, I’ll cut you down.”

Crazy.

Attacking Cheonma.

I swallowed a groan at that insane statement.

At the same time, I looked at Gu Huibi and Madam Mi.

The distance between them and Cheonma, gathered in one room, was close.

If Cheonma were provoked here and went berserk, it would be difficult to escape with those two.

After judging that far, I moved immediately.

Fwoosh-!

“Hut!?”

“What-!”

I dug deep and entered through the gaps between the blades.

The Amho tried to react immediately to my sudden appearance, but fortunately, they froze upon recognizing my face.

“Young Master…?”

“Put your swords away.”

“Yes?”

“Put those away for now and take care of the Madam first.”

“One…”

“I’ll handle it, so hurry.”

“…”

The Amho wore displeased expressions at my firm words, but fortunately, they moved first to secure Madam Mi.

The distance was barely widened slightly.

Only then did I approach Cheonma.

Cheonma, still holding Ddol-dori.

“Hey.”

“…”

“What are you.”

She didn’t stir even at my call.

Cheonma was holding that Ddol-dori fellow and just repeatedly breathing.

Seeing this, I added.

“What the hell are you doing here.”

A somewhat aggressive tone.

It was to check Cheonma’s reaction.

Unlike my words, my heart was trembling uncontrollably.

What could possibly be the reason for this?

Does she have some intention?

I wondered if something had changed in this life, but was it really Cheonma after all?

All sorts of anxieties seeped in.

“I’m asking what the hell you’re doing right now.”

As I spoke, I focused power into my heart.

If something goes wrong, I need to activate Tam immediately.

That was the power for it.

My slowly extended hand reached her shoulder, and I applied force to gently loosen her grip.

Swish.

Just then, Cheonma’s head lifted, and her eyes met mine.

Cheonma’s face revealed itself amidst her black hair.

Freeze.

Upon confirming that, my body froze like stone.

I couldn’t help it.

“…What are you.”

Cheonma, who had been hugging Ddol-dori.

“Are you crying?”

She was crying.

And very sorrowfully at that.