Chapter 793: If you say one more word.

The Gu family of Shanxi is a clan of Flame Arts.

This has been the case since the Gu family first appeared in the Central Plains until now.

The Gu family’s patriarch and direct bloodline all used Flame Arts.

The Sam-mae Jin-hwa, which ignites flames using bets.

At first glance, this and the Gu family’s martial arts seem similar, but their origins are different.

A clan that existed in the Central Plains, led by Flame Arts users generation after generation.

That was the Gu family of Shanxi.

However.

‘Not all members of the Gu clan use Flame Arts.’

Although it’s a clan where Flame Arts are fundamental, not all blood relatives could use it.

Only direct descendants, the clan head’s born lineage, could cultivate the Nine Flame Wheel Arts in their dantian.

Those from collateral branches, who weren’t direct descendants, learned other inner arts besides the Nine Flame Wheel Arts.

The inner arts they learned were divided into several branches, but…

…they shared the common trait of dealing with heat.

Such as storing heat in the body to enhance physical abilities.

Or using it to perform swordsmanship.

Even if they couldn’t use Flame Arts, they adapted other inner arts.

Some even trained these to such an extent that they could rival the power of the main family’s direct inner arts.

The former First Elder, Gu Changjun, was a prime example.

And furthermore, the old man currently furious.

“Hoo-up!”

The current First Elder.

Gu Ryun of the Flame Fist.

He was no different.

Kwaaaaaaaah—!!!

The ground flipped over from the old man’s strike.

The sound and impact were immense, signaling the strike’s intensity.

Moreover.

Kwang-! Kwang-kwang-! Kwaang-!!

Not only was the destructive power immense, but the speed was also rapid.

‘Wow.’

I inwardly marveled as I dodged the punch.

‘The old man’s still got it.’

I know the First Elder has reached the Hwa-gyeong.

How could I not know?

He was probably someone who reached Hwa-gyeong before I was even born.

Furthermore, the position of Elder in the Gu family was originally one that only direct blood relatives could inherit.

Only the Sect Leader of the Gu-seon Sect could ascend to the Elder position without being a direct descendant.

That old man was the unique exception who broke that rule to become an Elder.

This means…

…he held that much influence within the Gu family,

…and it also meant he was strong enough to wield such influence.

Chiiiik-!!

I could see steam emanating from the First Elder’s body.

As the steam rapidly dissipated, his skin flushed red,

and simultaneously, the weight of the surrounding internal energy changed.

I frowned at the stifling sensation.

Hooook-!!

At that moment, a fist appeared right before my nose.

I turned my head and evaded the assault.

Then, I twisted my waist.

My body spun rapidly, and I channeled that momentum into my leg.

Ppaak-!

My leg struck the First Elder’s abdomen.

The First Elder, taking the impact, was pushed back slightly, but…

…at that instant.

Oudeuk-!

“Huh?”

The First Elder suddenly grabbed a nearby tree and ripped it out.

‘Crazy.’

How could he pull out a tree so easily, like pulling a radish from a field?

What’s more.

Hoo-oook-!

The First Elder swung the tree he held mightily towards me.

The ancient tree was massive, but his strength was so immense that its speed was incredibly fast.

It was obvious there was force imbued in it.

It was tricky to dodge. In this situation…

‘It’s better to break it.’

As soon as I decided, I channeled energy into my hand and swung.

Kwadeuk-!!

‘What?’

As expected, the ancient tree shattered from the punch. The problem was…

‘There was no force imbued?’

There was no force imbued in the ancient tree at all. Only then did I realize.

‘Damn.’

It was the First Elder’s ploy.

The ancient tree, shattering too easily, actually made my stance falter.

Fragments of the tree scattered through the air.

Through the gap,

Chiiiik-!

with a familiar steaming sound, the massive body lunged.

It was the First Elder, his muscles fully expanded.

He swung a huge fist towards me.

My stance was already broken. I couldn’t dodge.

With no choice, I raised my arm to defend.

Kwajik-! Kuung!!

“…!”

My body was pushed back by a greater impact than expected.

Kkeugeuk-!

I braced myself against the ground, controlling the recoil.

When I finally managed to stop,

“…Ha.”

A wry laugh escaped me from the pain in my hand.

“Hey, aren’t you going a bit too far?”

As I asked incredulously, the old man before me nodded.

“What do you mean?”

What do I mean?

“I thought you’d hold back a bit. You’re really hitting me with genuine intent?”

My arm wasn’t just numb; it was tingling.

This wouldn’t happen unless he was hitting me with genuine intent.

‘My protective force was shattered.’

I had painstakingly covered myself in it for defense, only for it to shatter from a single punch by the First Elder.

Honestly…

“You call this etiquette training? I’ll die if I get it twice.”

“Hmph.”

Tung-! Tung-!

Even when the First Elder lightly stamped his foot, I felt vibrations.

Clearly, I was the one getting beaten black and blue, yet the old man looked thoroughly displeased.

What could be the problem?

Sensing something odd, I watched the First Elder closely.

“Yangcheon-ah, you’re the one making a fool of this old man.”

The First Elder said, frowning.

“What did I do?”

“This old man is trying so hard for you. Why aren’t you fighting properly?”

“…”

Oh no.

Hearing the First Elder’s words, I chuckled sheepishly.

‘…He saw through me, didn’t he?’

I had been trying to let his attacks slide without counterattacking,

and it seemed the First Elder had already figured that out.

That seemed to be why he was so displeased.

But…

‘I can’t help it.’

This was truly unavoidable for me.

‘What if I hit him wrong and something happened to the First Elder?’

I’m still in a situation where I can’t properly control my power.

If I counterattacked in that state, I couldn’t even predict what would happen to myself.

Because of that, I couldn’t counterattack and was just loosely deflecting his attacks.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Perhaps displeased by that, the First Elder clicked his tongue repeatedly.

“You don’t seem to have matured, but you’ve become like a dried squid since I last saw you.”

“Dried… what?”

“It means why are you so busy hesitating, burdened by so much worry.”

“…”

“Surely, you don’t think this old man can’t withstand a mere cotton swab from his grandson?”

“If so, that’s a pointless worry.”

Chiiiik—!!

The steam emanating from the First Elder’s body intensified.

“I am Gu Ryun of the Flame Fist.”

The heat that erupted enveloped the surroundings.

“There’s much talk about you becoming king, being hailed as a hero. It seems you’ve opened your eyes carelessly.”

Koong-!!

Soon, steam mixed with internal energy began to emanate from the First Elder’s body, his presence gradually growing.

“I am not so weak as to be unable to handle my grandson’s antics, let alone discipline him.”

“No, that’s not it… Kkng.”

It’s a dilemma.

For some reason, the First Elder seemed unwilling to back down.

‘If he’s this unreasonable, maybe running away is the right move.’

If we can’t communicate, maybe I should just bolt.

Thinking like this is all that comes to mind now.

I used to run away every day whenever the First Elder asked to spar, so maybe I could do that again, but…

‘The feeling is different, though.’

Before, I ran away because I didn’t want to fight when I couldn’t win.

But this time, my situation was the complete opposite.

I didn’t want to fight in a situation I couldn’t control,

and I didn’t want to hurt him because of it.

So, just as I was busy plotting my escape,

“Judging by your expression, you’re thinking of running away again if things get tough.”

“…”

I was caught red-handed.

“…It’s not like that…”

“Yangcheon-ah.”

“Yes….”

“Since when did you become so sensible that you fear fighting this old man?”

“Isn’t it natural for people not to fight like that?”

“Hoho.”

Hearing my words, the First Elder burst into laughter.

“Yesterday, on my way here, I saw a yellow dog.”

“A dog, suddenly?”

“What do you think that dog would bark at you if it saw you now?”

“…How would I know that?”

“It would tell you to stop bullshitting.”

“…”

“It means even a neighborhood dog would say that if it heard you.”

“No, what the…”

“However, even if he’s a bit lacking, he’s still my grandson. What can I do? I have to help him.”

Cutting me off, the First Elder moved his jaw.

Each time, a ‘ttududeuk’ sound echoed from his neck.

“I’ll give you a reason.”

“…A reason, you say?”

“That’s right. If you defeat this old man… Yes, shall I give you a gift?”

A gift? I frowned at the sudden topic.

“Why are you suddenly talking about a gift?”

“You know that sly old man who found you earlier?”

It seemed he was talking about the former Grand Master.

“You asked, didn’t you? What kind of guy is he?”

“…”

“I’ll tell you that.”

“…!”

At the First Elder’s words, my eyes widened instantly.

“And, I’ll also tell you one of that old man’s secrets.”

“…You don’t mean, like, his true identity is the former Grand Master of the Baekhwa Merchant Guild or something, do you?”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think this old man is such a petty person?”

“…”

“Answer.”

“…Of course not.”

I thought it was definitely the case, so I was relieved when he said it wasn’t.

Anyway.

“So, Yangcheon-ah.”

At his call, I looked back at the First Elder.

“Even after I’ve given you this much reason, do you still intend to disregard this old man?”

Hearing the question, I quietly took a breath.

“I think there might be some misunderstanding.”

Oooooooh-!

Power slowly gathered in my heart.

Instantly, energy spread through my body.

Heat rose, and my body gradually began to activate.

Feeling this, I continued speaking to the First Elder.

“I have never once disregarded you, Elder.”

Yes, never once.

In my life, I’ve never once disregarded the First Elder.

I might have cursed him inwardly a few times… but I never disregarded him.

And this time was no different.

‘This isn’t disregard… if I had to put it precisely.’

It’s concern.

It’s something I’d die of embarrassment saying, but this is the truth.

It was purely out of concern for the First Elder.

“You’re quite old, so why do you keep making things harder for yourself?”

“Huh? This brat’s way of speaking again…”

Ttuk.

The First Elder, mid-sentence, suddenly widened his eyes.

Ssssssss—!!

I released the power within my body.

Opening my restrained body, the blocked energy broke free from control,

Saaaaaa—!!

and gracefully flowed out from my shoulders.

As expected.

‘It’s going overboard.’

It was a much greater amount than I intended.

Thanks to that, the speed at which it permeated my body was fast, but it was inefficient.

“…Hohoho…”

Seeing this, the First Elder let out a wry laugh.

If I was surprised, how much more so was the First Elder? His eyes clearly showed disbelief.

Seeing that, I asked,

“Elder, do you perhaps intend to stop now?”

“What?”

At my final question, the First Elder’s laughter deepened.

“Stop with the pointless talk and just fight me. Like I said earlier.”

The First Elder’s large fist was aimed at me.

“…Yes, you are.”

What stubbornness.

Sighing, I spoke to the First Elder,

“Elder. As I said again, I’m having trouble controlling my strength right now-“

Just as I spoke, I saw something before my eyes.

It was similar to before. The First Elder’s fist.

However.

‘My word.’

There was a significant difference from before: the First Elder’s fist appeared much slower.

My perception speed changed.

And accordingly, my body’s reaction speed also changed.

Hooook-!

Pwaaang–!!

The dodged fist released ripples in the air.

Then, I burrowed into the First Elder’s embrace.

“…Hup!”

The First Elder quickly changed his movement.

His fist was already extended, making it too late to retract; he tried to brace himself using his lower body, but…

…by then, my fist had already made contact with the First Elder.

Tung-.

A brief contact.

It looked like an insignificant touch.

But…

Ooooooong—!!

“Kuh…!?”

The subsequent shock made the First Elder’s body convulse.

A gust of wind surged, sweeping him away and sending him flying.

The First Elder flew quite a distance.

Watching him, I took just one step.

Tuk.

My foot lifted off the ground, and before I knew it, my body was behind the First Elder.

“Huh!”

Seeing that, the First Elder gasped in surprise.

Simultaneously, he turned his upper body and continued his assault.

It was the same as before.

His fist was strong, and despite his expanded muscles, the speed was fast.

But…

I was just a bit faster than that.

Tuk-! Tutuk-!

I whipped my hands like a whip, deflecting his attacks.

My ‘Mind’s Eye’ informed me of all the First Elder’s attacks.

Since the speed was fast, deflecting them wasn’t too difficult.

“Hahahahaha–!”

The First Elder’s rough laughter pounded in my ears.

What could be so exciting about this situation?

Chiiiik—!!

Steam erupted, obscuring my vision.

It was intentional. Since the steam itself was made of internal energy, my Mind’s Eye was temporarily blinded.

Swiiik-!

The moment my vision was obscured like that,

the First Elder thrust his fist through the obscuring steam.

Just before the surprise attack, meant to exploit my lapse in vigilance, reached my face.

Kwak-!

“…! “

Unfortunately, the First Elder’s fist couldn’t carry out its intent.

Because my hand caught his wrist and stopped it.

I could feel it from my palm touching his wrist.

How hot the First Elder’s body was, and that he truly intended to face me.

“…”

Feeling this, I clenched my fist.

Dugeun-!

The ring of flames bound to my heart pulsed greatly.

A great surge of energy gathered in my fist, proportional to the force I exerted.

Tuk.

Flames sprouted at the tips of my skin.

No long contemplation was needed.

The energy had gathered, so I just needed to release it.

Ooooooong–.

Following the vibration, my fist extended.

It was smooth, as if it had been waiting, and natural, as if guided by someone.

What is this?

A strange sensation flashed through my mind.

This feeling.

It felt subtly different from usual.

It felt like I was floating, and something was different from my usual movements.

Not only the movements but also the energy contained within were significantly different.

It was as if I was possessed by the energy.

Could this be enlightenment?

Enlightenment, found out of the blue while beating up the First Elder?

I don’t know what it’s enlightenment about, but I know the feeling is different.

My instincts told me.

Remember this feeling right now.

The feeling of my body floating yet being natural, the exhilaration of being able to accomplish anything.

Remember this.

To do that, I had to grasp it firmly somehow.

I had to remember the current sensation and perfectly complete the movement.

I knew this better than anyone,

“…”

but I changed the angle of my extending hand.

My fist grazed the First Elder’s chest and dug into the empty space at his side.

Kwaaaaaaaah—!!

Flames erupted immediately.

Gu-yeom Tae-ryun-ah.

Azure flames burst forth and swept everywhere.

The flames were much larger than usual, engulfing the surroundings, but surprisingly, this time they didn’t affect the terrain.

They simply burned.

Watching the azure flames flicker like eyes, I caught my breath.

“…”

My breathing wasn’t particularly ragged.

It was true that my internal energy drained instantly, but it wasn’t to the point of being burdensome.

However, the reason my breath was ragged was different.

‘I missed it.’

I missed something that felt like it was coming. That breath. That sensation.

Missing that fleeting moment brought a sense of emptiness.

‘…Should I not have let it go?’

It was a moment that might never come again. Wasn’t missing it a huge loss?

I thought so, but…

‘I can’t help it.’

There was no other way.

After all, I couldn’t actually land a direct hit on the First Elder.

“Ah….”

Thinking that far, I regained some composure.

Come to think of it, this wasn’t the time for this.

“Elder-“

I quickly checked on the First Elder. He was staring at me with a blank expression.

‘Oops.’

His expression was quite shocked.

Even so, was this a bit too much? I told him to fight properly, but did I cross the line in the end?

Tensely, I observed the First Elder’s mood.

“Ha-.”

“Ha?”

“Hahahahaha–!!”

“…?”

Suddenly, the First Elder started laughing boisterously,

“This brat! This brat!”

and as always, began ruffling my hair wildly.

“Amazing! Truly amazing–!!”

“…No, wait… just a moment….”

“Hahaha–!!”

Far from being shocked, he reacted with immense excitement.

Why on earth is he acting like this?

Did I accidentally hit his head? No, I definitely grazed him…?

In any case, I was getting tired of my head shaking, so I had to stop the First Elder first.

“…No, stop it now.”

“Well done.”

“…”

“You worked hard.”

Hearing that, my reaction froze.

“Brat. How hard must you have lived to reach this point.”

The words I was about to say remained unspoken, and the hand I was about to pull away stayed put.

Tadak.

Tadak.

Amidst the crackling sound of the still-unretracted azure flames burning,

in the gap where I’d momentarily forgotten the usual occurrences, I realized it again.

No matter how much my skills improved or my realm deepened, the reason I could never act recklessly towards the First Elder.

“You did really well. My grandson. I’m proud.”

“…”

The only person who ever praised me in my life.

It was only the First Elder.

That suddenly came back to me.

******************

Right after my hair was thoroughly ruffled.

It didn’t take long for the situation to settle down.

“Hahahahaha, this brat-!”

Of course, the First Elder didn’t stop laughing afterward either.

Wasn’t he bothered that I beat him?

No, at this point, he seemed to be enjoying it.

For some reason, the First Elder kept patting my back relentlessly, and I was reaching my limit.

“…My back’s going to break at this rate.”

“Ah, right. This old man got carried away because I was in such a good mood.”

“What exactly is making you so happy?”

“Hmm?”

Not only did he say things like ‘control your strength’ and cross the line, but I even ended up winning, so I thought the First Elder would surely be displeased.

“How could I not be happy?”

The First Elder seemed very different from me.

“When I realized my grandson had grown up so much. Of course, I’d be happy.”

Technically, I’m not his grandson.

I tried to say that, but closed my mouth.

Because I knew this wasn’t the time for such words.

“Yangcheon-ah. How about you?”

“What do you mean…?”

“After moving your body, don’t you feel like your head has cleared up a bit?”

“…”

Cleared up.

‘I don’t know.’

I’m not sure.

My complex thoughts hadn’t disappeared, and moving around a bit wouldn’t solve them, but…

“It does help, though.”

At least it’s better than before. I did feel that.

It wasn’t entirely bad. Just as I nodded, thinking it was okay,

‘Oh, wait a second… hold on.’

A thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“…Elder.”

“Hm?”

“I’m just asking in case, but…”

“Yes, tell me.”

“You didn’t do this on purpose, did you?”

I asked, looking into the First Elder’s eyes.

He started this sparring match under the guise of discipline, but in reality, he just seemed happy that I had grown stronger.

Even now, his only concern was whether I was okay.

That means…

“…From the beginning, you were just doing this to cheer me up…?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…”

The First Elder said it with a smirk, but that only confirmed my suspicion.

No wonder he suddenly picked a fight.

‘This old man?’

This is absurd.

Why would someone his age resort to such a crude method?

I was about to sigh and speak,

“Elder…”

“Ah, speaking of which, we had a bet, didn’t we?”

The First Elder cut me off as if possessed.

“This old man lost. So, as promised, I’ll tell you.”

“…”

The bet.

It was the condition the First Elder had set during our sparring match.

If I won the sparring match…

‘He said he’d reveal the identity of the former Grand Master and one secret.’

It was something I was curious about.

What kind of person is this old man called the former Grand Master, to speak as if he knows about the Gu family?

And what secrets does he hold?

I am curious about that, but…

‘…Since it’s the First Elder saying it, it’s probably not very good information.’

But he was in the middle of telling me something, so I wanted to finish that first.

“What’s important right now isn’t that-“

“That old man was originally from the Gu family. He was even a direct blood relative, just like you.”

“You’re getting on in years, but you keep… what?”

Hearing the words I hadn’t finished speaking, I froze with a dumbfounded expression.

“…Eh?”

This was yet another unheard-of, crazy statement.