Chapter 195: Know Your Place (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195: Know Your Place (3)
How is this possible?
Gu Changjun could not hide his astonishment as he stared at Gu Yangcheon.
I, of all people, mistook him for someone else?
It had all happened in a flash, but the fact that he had mistaken Gu Yangcheon for the Lord was unbelievable.
Even if… that brat broke through his bottleneck…!
He had seen it, however faintly. Gu Yangcheon had surpassed the wall and reached the Peak Realm. The fact that Gu Yangcheon had achieved this at such a young age, while his own grandson and hope, Gu Jeolyub, had not, felt like a cruel twist of fate.
But that was beside the point. Such a thing should have been impossible.
The flames emanating from Gu Yangcheon were terrifyingly similar to those the Lord had wielded in the past. Of course, their martial arts would look similar—they practiced the same clan techniques. But that wasn't what Gu Changjun meant.
It was the terrifying blaze, unique to the clan's bloodline. The way the flames roared like a ravenous beast, voraciously consuming everything in their path… it was eerily familiar. The resemblance was so striking that Gu Changjun's mistake almost seemed justified. It also meant the boy was far more powerful than he had imagined.
But even so…
The intensity of the flames should have been on a completely different level. Even if the Lord was past his prime, for Gu Changjun to mistake this young brat for him… Was the boy just exceptionally skilled at controlling his flames?
If that wasn't the case…
…I knew it. My body is…
"You seem rather shocked, since you've gone quiet," Gu Yangcheon's voice cut through his thoughts.
"…!"
"This is a return gift for the present you gave me, First Elder. What do you think?"
Gu Yangcheon was smiling, but the wide grin only made him look more frightening. The anger woven into his voice contradicted his outward demeanor.
Gu Changjun forced his expression back under control. "…A gift, you say? I don't recall doing anything that would warrant such anger from you, Yangcheon."
"Anger, First Elder? How could I possibly be angry when you were so… generous?"
Rustle.
The sound of Gu Yangcheon's footsteps on the scorched earth put Gu Changjun on edge.
"And as for anger… I can't afford to waste it on an animal."
Gu Changjun frowned at the blunt insult. It was clear exactly who Gu Yangcheon was referring to.
"Your tongue has grown rougher in our time apart. And here I thought you had finally matured. Do you forget who you are speaking to?"
"How could I mature in such a short time? Besides…"
Pow-!
Gu Yangcheon kicked the faltering guard squarely in the face, knocking him unconscious. Blood spilled from the man's mouth.
"I've learned there's a limit to how long one should pretend to be polite. I was very well-trained in that regard."
"…You…!"
Slaaaam!
Enraged, Gu Changjun stomped his foot, sending a wave of Qi rippling through the area. The stomp of a martial artist who had reached the Fusion Realm was powerful enough to reverberate throughout all of Gu Sunmoon…
Yet Gu Yangcheon's expression did not change in the slightest.
"I don't know what has provoked this tantrum, but even as a direct descendant of the clan, there is a limit to your arrogance!"
"I agree."
Instead of being cowed, Gu Yangcheon gathered his own Qi, ready to retaliate. "You should remember that I am the direct bloodline."
Cracking his neck, he looked more like a street thug than a noble clansman. "So why do you keep stirring up trouble? I told you it'd be better if you did nothing."
By now, all pretense of formality had vanished from Gu Yangcheon's speech. His words were laced with pure anger, and his Qi—the Qi of a mere boy—pushed back against Gu Changjun's own.
The First Elder was a Fusion Realm expert. Gu Yangcheon, despite his monstrous talent, was still only at the Peak Realm. Even if he had perfected that state, the difference in power should have been clear. This shouldn't have been possible.
Yet Gu Changjun was not surprised. Instead, he frowned, because he knew exactly why this was happening.
…Crack.
His chronic illness made it difficult to control his Qi. Unable to utilize his energy properly, the aging process—once slowed by his martial prowess—was resuming its natural course. His weakened body could not muster even half the strength of his prime. Because of this, he was struggling against a martial artist from a lower realm.
However… no one else in the clan knew this. He had hidden his condition for the sake of his ambitions. He was the only one who knew the truth. That was also why he had remained silent and hidden, pretending to be unaware of the great Immortal Healer's presence.
I was waiting for the right moment.
He had made sure the Lord left the clan, and the Second Elder had his eyes closed for now. With the Immortal Healer still in the clan, Gu Changjun had intended to secretly seek a cure for his ailment. He had longed to meet the healer for years. This was the perfect opportunity.
If only Gu Yangcheon hadn't shown up.
This is a problem.
The child he had dismissed as a mere pebble in his path had revealed himself to be a hidden mountain. And Gu Changjun had realized it too late.
If I had known earlier, I would have eliminated him by any means necessary.
Who could have predicted a brat like him would block my path so soon?
Gu Changjun steadied his stance and raised the sword he had drawn earlier.
But the brat doesn't know.
There was no way Gu Yangcheon could know about his chronic illness. This only deepened Gu Changjun's confusion. Why was the boy being so violently confrontational?
I know he's immature and has a fiery temperament…
And as a young prodigy who had reached the Peak Realm, it was natural for him to be arrogant. But Gu Changjun began to suspect a deeper reason for this aggression.
Perhaps…
Was I discovered?
Did Gu Yangcheon find out about my commission to the Great King?
I didn't take the Great King for a failure.
While not intimately familiar with the Great King, their long collaboration had led Gu Changjun to believe the man was not one to fail.
But even if he did fail…
Furthermore, even if Gu Yangcheon had discovered that he was behind the clan's recent incident, it wouldn't matter. The boy had no proof.
"What is the meaning of this violence!"
"Just looking at your face, it's obvious you know everything. Pretending otherwise is just pathetic."
"You keep spouting nonsense…! If you insist on this, then this old man will have to…"
"If that's not it, then perhaps you're just desperate?"
"What?"
Gu Changjun questioned the meaning, but Gu Yangcheon was already gone from his previous position.
A breeze brushed past him for an instant. Gu Changjun instinctively swung his sword, but it cut through empty air. A sharp slash cleaved through nothing, and the flames that flickered there vanished, leaving only a faint trace.
He's not there…!
He had swung toward the source of the presence, but all that remained was a wisp of fire.
Then… where…!
Slam!
A small fist shattered the formidable Qi barrier protecting his waist. Despite the barrier's strength, it broke as easily as paper.
Pow!
"Ugh!"
The explosive impact of the fist sent a violent shudder through Gu Changjun's body. Thankfully, he kept his footing and wasn't sent flying.
Chhhhh!
Instead, he was pushed back, his feet carving skid marks into the ground.
"Cough…!"
When he finally caught his breath, blood trickled from his mouth. It was only one attack, slowed by the barrier, so the damage should have been minor. But the pain radiating from his waist disrupted the stability of his Inner Qi, wracking his entire body.
"Haaa…"
Rather than dwelling on the humiliation of being struck by Gu Yangcheon, Gu Changjun found himself sighing at the level of skill displayed in that single blow.
The boy had concealed his presence for an instant to ambush him. He had created a decoy within the flames to mislead him. And then, the fist that broke through his defense… Gu Changjun knew exactly how much power was required to execute such an attack. Gu Yangcheon's movements were flawless, his skill level leaving the elder utterly astonished.
…He's a monster.
It had only been a year since Gu Yangcheon began his martial training. Even with genius talents that the Lord himself had failed to recognize, this level of prowess defied all logic.
Ring-
"…!"
Sensing a presence, Gu Changjun raised his sword again. This time, it was no mistake. Gu Yangcheon was deliberately revealing his location.
"How lame."
A voice emerged from the darkness. In the aftermath of the giant flame that had overwhelmed the guards of Gu Sunmoon, the only discernible features were Gu Yangcheon's red eyes, glowing like embers in the dark.
"…You brat! Even if you got in a lucky hit…!"
"Lucky? Is that the excuse you're using with a body that can't even react properly?"
"…What?"
Hearing the mocking tone, Gu Changjun felt his heart skip a beat. It was as if Gu Yangcheon knew something.
Whether aware of his thoughts or not, Gu Yangcheon smiled, shaking out his hand. He spoke with chilling certainty.
"Your body. It's broken, isn't it? Especially your heart."
"…!"
Gu Changjun's thin beard trembled.