Chapter 193: Know Your Place (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 193: Know Your Place (1)
Creeeak—
The massive gate swung open, and I stepped across the threshold.
My journey had spanned months, but I was finally back at the Gu Clan.
Winter’s chill had already given way to spring; flowers bloomed, shaking off their slumber. A full year had passed since my regression.
…Has it only been a year? So much has happened.
My body, once too weak to climb a single step, had somehow reached the Peak Realm. Instead of cowering pathetically in my room as I would have in the past…
I now bore the title of True Dragon.
Indeed, this year had been… eventful.
“Hm?”
A sound of confusion escaped me the moment I entered. Despite my return, the clan grounds were unnaturally quiet.
“What’s going on?”
I’d sent word ahead. Servants should have been waiting, yet I saw barely anyone.
Strange.
The atmosphere felt off. The Gu Clan was reserved, but never this deathly still.
“Is something wrong, Young Master Gu?”
Tang Soyeol approached, noticing my stillness. She had decided to stay with the Gu Clan for a while instead of returning to Sichuan. When I’d asked if that was alright, she’d averted her eyes and said yes—a clear sign it wasn’t. I didn’t press further.
“It’s just… unusually quiet.”
“It… certainly is.”
Quiet. Eerily so. The silence bred a palpable tension.
Something’s happened.
Scanning my surroundings, I moved toward the clan’s central compound. Or, I tried to.
A presence was rushing toward me. For a moment, I thought it was the steward, but I quickly discerned the figure was smaller, more youthful. A girl with braided hair, wearing the distinct uniform reserved for the clan’s bloodline.
I recognized her instantly.
“Why are you… still here?” I asked as she ran up.
It was Gu Ryunghwa. She shouldn’t have been here. By now, she should have departed for Mount Hua with the Plum Blossom Sword.
So why was she still at the clan?
“B-Brother…!”
“What’s wrong?” Seeing her tear-streaked face and hearing her shaky voice, I rushed forward and gripped her shoulders. “What happened?”
“Brotherrr…!” As I drew near, she broke down completely.
Something was seriously wrong.
“Calm down first, and—”
“Second Elder… the Second Elder is…!”
“What?”
My attempt to soothe her shattered as her words sent a jolt through me. “…What did you say?” I asked, my own emotions laid bare.
“Brotherrrr…!” She only sobbed harder.
This was no time for comfort. “…The Second Elder is what? Tell me clearly. Stop crying.”
My tone turned sharp, but I couldn’t help it. Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah rushed over to console Gu Ryunghwa, but my expression remained dark.
Finally, Gu Ryunghwa spoke through her trembling voice. I prayed I’d misheard her the first time.
“T-The Second Elder… might die.”
My heart stopped for a beat.
* * *
Gu Ryunghwa’s unexplained presence, the lack of a welcoming party, my plan to see the First Elder—none of it mattered anymore.
I burst into the clan’s medical ward.
The metallic tang of blood grew stronger as I advanced. Bloodied bandages were piled in a corner. The air was thick with the Inner Qi of martial artists, intensifying my dread.
“…What is this?”
Not only were the Gu Clan’s own doctors present, but physicians from outside were also bustling about. Sweat poured down their faces as they tended to the wounded—all members of the Gu Clan’s swordsmen. Judging by the insignias on their uniforms, they were all from the Fifth Swordsmen.
My eyes apprehensively swept the room as I pushed forward, dredging up my Qi to search for one specific presence.
I found him.
In the innermost room of the medical building, I felt the Second Elder’s Qi.
As I moved to enter, someone blocked my path.
“Y-You cannot enter!” A Gu Clan doctor flinched and stepped back under my sharp gaze.
“What?” I glared, and his shoulders trembled.
“…T-The elder is undergoing emergency surgery! The Immortal Healer gave strict orders—no one is allowed inside!”
“…”
So the Immortal Healer himself was operating. For the world’s greatest physician to use the word ’emergency’… I understood the severity of the situation.
Clenching my jaw, I forced myself to relax my fists. “…Where is the steward?”
I barely restrained the urge to smash something. I needed to understand how this had happened.
“I greet the Young Master.”
The steward arrived in the medical ward shortly after. Normally, I would have gone to him, but I refused to leave this building now.
“My apologies for not greeting your return—”
“Skip the apologies. What happened here?” I cut him off. Pleasantries were useless. “How did everyone end up like this?”
“…It was an ambush.”
“An ambush?”
“Yes, sir.”
I couldn’t comprehend it. An ambush? On the Second Elder?
Disregarding his high status within the clan, he was a martial artist who operated primarily from our secure grounds. While he occasionally traveled to places like Anhui, the idea of a warrior of his caliber being ambushed to the point of near-death was baffling.
Is this connected to the Fifth Swordsmen?
My gaze fell on the wounded fighters. The Fifth Swordsmen were led by none other than my sister, Gu Huibi.
A thought struck me.
…Now that I think about it…
Before I left for the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament in Hanam, the Second Elder mentioned he was going to assist Gu Huibi.
The steward continued, confirming my suspicion. “The army was ambushed.”
“And this was the result?”
I didn’t know the exact details, but the Second Elder was a martial artist far beyond the Fusion Realm. Reaching Fusion meant transcending mortal limits, becoming a force of nature—a walking calamity.
Who could have done this to him? How?
“Do you know who was responsible?”
“We dispatched intelligence teams to investigate. Based on the evidence gathered… one individual stands out.”
My focus sharpened. The steward seemed to have a lead.
After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke. “The Palace Lord of the Black Palace.”
My eyes widened. It was an involuntary reaction. That was a name I never expected to hear at this point in time.
“…After piecing all the evidence together, we concluded the Black Palace Lord was behind the ambush.”
The Black Palace Lord?
The ruler of the Black Palace, one of the feared Four Emperors and Five Kings. A man who, in my memories, was supposed to die—and his palace be destroyed by the Murim Alliance—years from now.
…Why is he involved now?
I would need the Second Elder’s account to be certain, but if true, I had to understand why the Black Palace Lord would target the Fifth Swordsmen and the Second Elder.
This… I have no memory of this.
The Second Elder was not attacked at this time in my past life. It was possible I’d simply forgotten, but…
There’s no way I’d forget something this major.
No matter how foolish I had been, an incident of this magnitude would have been seared into my memory. The future had changed countless times already, but…
…Could it have shifted this drastically?
Since this never occurred before, my own actions must have triggered these unforeseen consequences.
When? Where did the divergence start?
As I wrestled with these thoughts, a crucial realization dawned.
“Steward.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“What about my sister?”
“…”
The steward’s expression darkened at my question. The Fifth Swordsmen were Gu Huibi’s command. If the Second Elder had gone to aid her…
Where was Gu Huibi now?
“Where is my sister?”
She wasn’t in the medical building. And even if she were unharmed, she would never be resting in her room while her subordinates and the Second Elder suffered. Her character wouldn’t allow it.
After a tense pause, the steward answered. “…The Lord of the Black Palace took the lady with him.”
“Ha.”
A dry, humorless laugh escaped me. I brought a hand to my face.
One shitty thing after another.
* * *
I never even unpacked. I just leaned against the wall in the medical ward, my back to the cold stone.
Wi Seol-Ah brought me food, but I had no appetite. I stared blankly ahead, absently worrying my chapped lips, my mind churning.
Gu Huibi… abducted.
According to the steward, the Black Palace Lord had taken her.
Was she the target all along?
Did the Black Palace Lord’s sudden appearance, his overpowering of the Second Elder and the Fifth Swordsmen, all revolve around capturing Gu Huibi?
But why? Why her?
No matter how I turned it over, it made no sense.
…And then there’s the other problem.
Because of this, Father had left the clan.
He departed with the First Swordsmen.
I was told that once the Second Elder was under the Immortal Healer’s care, Father had immediately set out. His objective was undoubtedly to find and rescue Gu Huibi.
For Father to leave the clan—something he rarely did unless the true Gate of Demons appeared—spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation. Given his usual detachment from his children, there must have been another, deeper reason for him to act.
Crack.
My teeth ground together.
To return from Hanam and be greeted by this…
A man who seemed like he had ten good years left in him…
There was so much I wanted to ask the Second Elder—about the Dishonored Venerable’s letter, the ring he’d secretly given me. Who would have thought that bear of an old man would end up like this?
“…Damn it.”
The curse slipped out. Beside me, Gu Ryunghwa stirred in her sleep, forcing me to swallow my frustration.
My thoughts turned to the Plum Blossom Sword Master. She had stayed at the clan with Gu Ryunghwa.
I’m told she left with the First Swordsmen.
She had departed with Father to lend her strength. I didn’t know how much power she’d regained after being cleansed of the Demonic Qi, but I was grateful she’d chosen to aid us.
I’d told Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol to retire to their rooms and asked Hongwa to take Wi Seol-Ah back. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this. Especially not them.
As I waited, time crawling by…
Creeeak—
The door to the Immortal Healer’s operating room slowly opened. I was on my feet in an instant.
The Immortal Healer emerged, looking utterly drained. He started upon seeing me.
“Why are you—”
“Immortal Healer! Is the Second Elder alright?” I cut in, my voice louder than intended.
He winced and covered his ears. “You’ll burst my eardrums! Must you shout?”
Ugh— He staggered, his legs unsteady from being seated for so long. I quickly moved to support him.
“…Are you okay?”
“It’s just old age, catching up after sitting too long.” He waved me off, removing his blood-spattered outer robe. “The surgery was a success. It will be a long recovery, but he should regain consciousness soon.”
A sigh of relief I didn’t realize I was holding escaped me. The Immortal Healer clicked his tongue at my visible reaction.
“You rushed here the moment you returned?”
“…”
“Stupid boy. What good is waiting around when you’re not a doctor?”
With that, he stepped aside, clearing the path into the room.
I entered without hesitation.
“…!”
The Second Elder lay on the bed. His massive frame made the room feel small, but my attention was locked on his injuries.
…There’s a hole clean through his upper body.
Even after the surgery, the wound was starkly visible, the bandages unable to conceal it entirely. Compared to his giant physique, the penetration wasn’t huge, but it was clearly a fatal injury. Damage was evident across his entire body.
The Immortal Healer entered behind me. “Even unconscious, his Qi is slowly healing the wounds. His regeneration rate is monstrous—anyone else would be dead. A real freak of nature.”
“…I see.”
“Now that you’ve seen him, get out. You’re just making a racket.”
“…When will he wake up?”
He clicked his tongue again. “If I knew that, I’d be a fortune-teller, not a doctor! At most, it will take four days. Stop worrying uselessly and go get some rest!”
His words were harsh, but he’d given me the information I needed. There was nothing more for me to do here.
“…Please look after him. I will properly express my gratitude next time.”
“Hmph.”
I turned my back to the Immortal Healer, carefully picked up the sleeping Gu Ryunghwa, and carried her to an adjacent room. I handed her to a waiting servant.
“She won’t wake up. Take her to her quarters.”
“Understood.”
I’d discreetly used an acupuncture technique to ensure her sleep. She’d wake tomorrow morning.
“Shall I have a meal prepared for you at home, Young Master?” The servant asked, concerned I’d eaten nothing.
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’m not hungry. Besides…”
Crack.
I looked toward a specific direction and rolled my stiff shoulders.
“I have somewhere to go.”
I forced my raging Qi and turbulent emotions into submission. The news about the Second Elder and Gu Huibi had stirred a storm inside me, but I had to suppress it.
“I’ll be back late.”
With those words, I set off.
My destination was Gu Sunmoon, the residence of the First Elder.