Chapter 196: Know Your Place (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 196: Know Your Place (4)
The First Elder’s visibly shocked expression confirmed my suspicions.
Just as I thought.
I knew from my past life that the First Elder was afflicted with a terminal illness. His life had already been nearing its end even before my father’s flames finished him. All his current actions were undoubtedly born of desperation.
This knowledge was precisely why I dared to bare my fangs so recklessly against him now. I was aware he was currently in a weakened state.
Though he appears somewhat stronger than I anticipated.
That much was clear from our brief clash moments ago. He had sensed my presence and attempted to shield himself with a Qi barrier, but his failure to detect me initially had exposed a critical vulnerability.
Moreover, the energy he had just revealed…
To think he’s actually a Fusion Realm martial artist…
A warrior who has reached the Fusion Realm emits a distinct Combat Qi, setting them apart from ordinary martial artists. Of course, only those at a significantly advanced level, or others who have reached a similar realm, can perceive this sensation. Thanks to my past life experiences and overcoming my own obstacles, I could sense a fraction of it.
The First Elder’s body is corrupted.
While it was true he was a Fusion Realm expert, I could now discern that his Qi flowed in a bizarre, unnatural manner. Observing it more closely…
It seems to be the only thing preventing his body from complete shutdown.
This corruption was undoubtedly caused by his illness.
It’s not readily apparent, though.
He was holding himself together remarkably well, maintaining a youthful vigor despite his advanced age. From an outside perspective, he had successfully concealed his condition. Had I not been aware of his illness from my previous life, I might never have noticed.
The First Elder finally broke the silence. “…You keep spouting nonsense I cannot comprehend.”
He was still feigning ignorance, but that was irrelevant to me.
Keep pretending you know nothing, if you can.
“You must have been desperate,” I said. “You are one of the most foxlike people I know, yet you bungled this one horribly.”
“You bastard! I showed you respect because you are of the clan’s bloodline! But you grow more outrageous by the minute. How dare you speak to a clan elder in such a manner!”
The First Elder’s shouted outburst seemed almost comical to me. Unconcerned, I let my amusement show openly. “I’m sure I warned you last time.”
I reminded him of the story about the dog that bared its fangs at its owner, even attacked him, and what its fate ultimately was.
“I remember saying it died of starvation after all its teeth were pulled out.”
I had definitely issued that warning.
Do not mess with me.
“And yet, it still tried to bite.”
Perhaps he found my warning amusing. That was understandable. How could a seasoned elder be intimidated by a young boy’s threat? But I wasn’t the one he should have feared. He should have been wary of my father, the Clan Lord, the Second Elder, and all the other clan members who supported me. My father, especially, should have been his greatest concern.
The First Elder knew this, yet he still laid hands on me. Was he so confident he wouldn’t be caught? Perhaps. But from my perspective…
“You were simply so desperate that you had no time to worry about the consequences.”
He was driven by sheer desperation, and nothing more.
“Right?”
The First Elder responded with silence. Knowing how he met his end in my past life allowed me to grasp a sliver of his desperation. Yet, being no saint myself, it felt like looking into a mirror. In the end, his old and worn body could no longer contain his bottomless greed.
“Ha.”
The First Elder, who had kept his mouth shut, released a hollow laugh. “You continue to speak incomprehensible nonsense.”
Although he persisted in his pretense, the cracks in his facade were now glaringly obvious.
- !
The Qi saturating my middle dantian began to stir. Simultaneously, the heat contained within my body started to swirl.
Ssss-
Visible steam emanated from my mouth, but it wasn't due to the cold. It was purely from the intensifying heat.
“Keep pretending ignorance. It makes no difference to me.”
“My young Yangcheon, it seems you are the one who is mistaken.”
The energy gathering under the night sky, palpable to my senses, was unmistakably the First Elder’s Sword Force. The Sword Qi within his blade seemed to intensify by a level. His body might be breaking down, but he was a genuine Fusion Realm martial artist. The Combat Qi I felt from him was not something I could take lightly.
I ignored the cold sweat trickling down my spine, a reaction to the dense Combat Qi pressing down on me.
“It seems you fail to realize you have done something you cannot take back,” he said.
“Something I can’t take back?”
“I do not know what has happened to you, but very well. It is understandable you might suspect me, given our strained relationship.”
As the First Elder engaged in this sophistry, he continued to charge his energy. I, too, focused on circulating my Qi and sharpening my senses as I listened.
This foxlike old man.
Even while talking, he was using his Qi, readying his stance to block my attack from any direction. He was attempting a strategic conversation to buy time.
“However,” he continued, “you have no proof.”
His sword trembled almost imperceptibly, reacting to his Qi. There was no audible Sword Resonance, but I couldn’t afford to lower my guard.
“Do you believe your father will let this transgression slide once he learns of the trouble you have caused?”
“Aww, are you worried I might be exiled?” I responded with a light smile.
The First Elder smiled back, as if expecting this very response. “You are as confident as ever, relying on your status as the clan’s sole son. But that privilege… often leads to harsher judgments. You seem to believe your position is unassailable…”
“I have no idea what strange notions are filling this old man’s head.”
“What?”
“Why would you assume I came here without any evidence?”
I saw the First Elder’s eyes tremble at my response.
“Nonsense,” he retorted.
“You think I’m speaking nonsense?”
“You are cornered, so you resort to lies. If you apologize now for the trouble you have caused, this old man may yet be lenient, despite the severity of your actions.”
He seemed convinced I was bluffing. Ironically, I did have evidence. Not proof of the ambush itself, but a justification so solid that even if I beat the First Elder to the brink of death…
The clan would scarcely be able to reprimand me.
“You remain the same pathetic old man as always.”
The intense heat swirling within me caused my body temperature to skyrocket. Thick steam poured from my pores, and my body thrummed with excitement, feeling as if it might explode at any moment.
“I don’t know if your illness has addled your mind, but you never should have let your greed consume you.”
“…You bastard…! Do you think you rule the world just because the Clan Lord and the Second Elder back you!?”
“Back me, my ass.”
Blaaaze!
A ring of light-red flame erupted and swirled around my body. Unlike before, when the slightest flame nearly made me faint, I could now summon an immense conflagration with ease.
[It’s thanks to all that shit you ingested.]
Elder Shin’s voice echoed in my mind, tinged with amusement. I couldn’t argue. I had indeed consumed far too much.
Meanwhile, the First Elder stared at the flames enveloping me, his eyes trembling. Recognizing the emotion lurking deep within his wrinkled eye sockets, I spoke.
“Are you jealous?”
“…!”
“Because you’re staring at flames you can never create?”
The Gu Clan of Shanxi was renowned for its mastery of fire arts. This was an indisputable fact. All direct bloodline members of the clan wielded Gu Flame Wheel Art—with the sole exception of Gu Ryunghwa, who had joined Mount Hua. The most definitive proof of one’s lineage in the Gu Clan was the ability to conjure fire.
However, members of the branch families lacked this innate talent. Their process of building internal heat was similar to the Gu Flame Wheel Art, but it remained mere heat. Ultimately, it meant that sharing the Gu surname did not guarantee the ability to summon true flames.
I understood the emotion in the First Elder’s eyes. It mirrored the gazes I had seen in my past life.
“You bastard…” he snarled.
“You mentioned I lack evidence.”
I slowly raised my hand, pointing toward the First Elder’s residence. “I don’t need to bring evidence when it’s all stored right there.”
“Ha! You think you’ll find anything useful there? How foolish.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be in your main room. You’re not that stupid.”
“Then…?”
“But what about the basement hidden behind that bookshelf?”
“…!”
The First Elder gasped audibly. I knew of this place from my past life. That basement contained documents meticulously detailing all of Gu Sunmoon and the First Elder’s schemes. There were so many it was clear he had hidden them with great care.
Although it seemed he managed to dispose of the most critical ones later, after somehow catching wind of discovery.
But that would happen years in the future. What about now? Had the First Elder already anticipated being caught and destroyed the evidence? Judging by his expression, thankfully, it seemed he had not.
“How… how could you know of that…?” He was profoundly shocked.
It was understandable. I had just casually revealed his most secret basement, a place he had gone to great lengths to conceal with arrays and other means. It had taken me a full month in my past life to locate it and break through all his defenses.
Did Father truly have no idea about this?
I wondered if my father was genuinely unaware that the First Elder was hiding such a thing right under his nose. Honestly, I didn’t know. It was possible Father knew and was merely pretending ignorance. But that seemed unlikely.
“Do you really think I’d answer you if you asked?” I replied mockingly.
I heard the distinct sound of the First Elder’s teeth grinding together. As I watched him, I gradually intensified the flames around me.
“Don’t mistake this for a child’s tantrum, First Elder.”
The expanding Qi accompanying my flames began to slowly erode the energy field the First Elder had established earlier. I was widening my territory.
“This is a punishment from the clan’s bloodline.”
With my father absent from the clan, ultimate authority fell to the Steward. Not the First Elder, the highest elder, nor any other elder… but the Steward. This had been an unbroken law of the Gu Clan since the Great War of the Blood Demon centuries ago.
And before confronting Gu Sunmoon, I had obtained the Steward’s approval to come here.
I honestly didn't expect him to agree.
I had essentially told the Steward I was going to destroy the First Elder, giving him a brief explanation. I was prepared to accept any punishment, but things had unfolded more smoothly than anticipated.
“Punishment? How dare a brat like you speak of punishing me when I have done nothing wrong!”
“Think on that yourself, if you are truly ignorant.”
I cut him off, signaling the end of our pointless conversation. “Or simply consider this me deciding to fuck you up because I find you annoying. Frankly, that’s what it feels like to me.”
With that…
A small sun bloomed into existence, completely engulfing the First Elder.
* * *
The fundamental difference between the First Rate and Peak Realms is that a Peak Realm martial artist’s Qi gradually merges with their body. The Qi, which once lay dormant within the dantian, undergoes a transformation upon overcoming a great wall and gaining new enlightenment. The dantian awakens, allowing Qi to suffuse the martial artist’s entire being, enhancing it further. It allows one to see and hear more acutely without conscious effort, marking the beginning of transcending normal human limitations. That is the Peak Realm.
Then…
What of the Fusion Realm?
Many have attempted to answer, yet their answers vary. In the end, they all point to the same truth. I dare to call this stage a process of transcendence—gaining the ability to perform feats previously thought impossible.
In my past life, that demonic human with the Hwangbo surname, the Silent Fist, described it as ‘becoming God.’ At the time, I scoffed and slapped his head, calling it nonsense, but I later grasped the significance of his words. It was the realization that this stage existed on a completely different level beyond the Peak Realm.
And after reaching the Fusion Realm and ascending further…
I entered a supreme territory.
That is how I chose to describe it.
Slaaam!
Flames swept across the ground, spreading in every direction. The sight of this devouring inferno instilled a momentary fear even within me.
Swish!
A wave of Sword Force sliced cleanly through the flames. The sword stroke was flawless, aimed at me with perfect precision. I dodged it with ease; it wasn't particularly threatening.
Swoosh!
But the second sword wave was the real attack.
“You bastaaard!”
Accompanied by the First Elder’s roar, a storm of heat began to swirl violently around the area. This was the First Elder’s own heat.
“You truly wish to see blood, I see! Very well! If that is your desire, I shall teach you a lesson as your elder!”
“Your tongue is still lively, I see, spouting such bullshit.”
Tap.
With a light step, I launched into a low leap. My airborne form shot toward the First Elder at blinding speed, flames wreathing my fist.
The Fiery Fangs of a Beast.
It was the same technique I had used in the tournament.
Rooaar!
A giant wolf-shaped flame materialized, sweeping across the entire area. The seemingly sturdy rock path shattered, leaving only fiery scars. Had I been facing a young prodigy like before, the fight would have ended in a single blow.
Swish-!
But my flames were effortlessly sliced apart by his heated sword.
As flames exploded with a deafening roar, I keenly observed the First Elder’s movements.
So easily? Not exactly.
His sword was immensely powerful and fierce, a testament to his realm, but I detected a slight hesitation in his breathing… a moment where he exerted more force than necessary.
His broken body is hindering him.
This explained why a Fusion Realm expert appeared so diminished. Even with a single swing, I could tell he was overexerting himself.
I wondered how many martial artists I had encountered in this life who had reached a similar stage. I hadn't kept count, but comparing the First Elder’s Combat Qi to theirs…
At the very least, he isn’t on their level.
Even compared to someone like the Azure Heavenly Sword, Namgung Jin, the disparity was clear. If I were to rate him honestly, if Namgung Jin fought me seriously with his full power, I likely wouldn't last ten exchanges relying on pure strength alone, without any tricks. That was the difference a realm could make. Honestly, surviving ten clashes would be nearly impossible.
Which means I still have a very long way to go.
But what about the First Elder right now?
It’s doable.
That was the conviction conveyed by my instincts.
Swish!
The First Elder’s sword shot toward me in a quick, straight line. It was a basic strike, but executed by an experienced swordsman at close range, it carried fierce intent. It was a familiar Sword Art.
The Red Dragon Sword.
The signature Sword Art of the Gu Clan. The extreme power concentrated in the blade made it dangerous even if it only grazed me. I could sense the intense heat radiating from his sword, despite the heat I myself was generating.
“You’re faster than I expected,” the First Elder remarked, his breathing stable as he charged at me with increased speed.
Comparing his Sword Art to practitioners like Muyeon and Gu Jeolyub was like comparing heaven and earth. The First Elder’s movements were in a league of their own.
Swish-!
A flash of light skimmed past my cheek in an instant.
Tsk.
If not for the slight pauses in his movements caused by his illness, I would have been in serious danger. That much was evident. His body might be broken, but he was still a Fusion Realm martial artist.
“You showed such spirit, yet you prove nothing,” he taunted.
“You only start talking once you think you can win? What a sad old man.”
In response to my words, the First Elder adjusted his posture, a smile playing on his lips.
Swoosh!
Simultaneously, a heavy, palpable killing intent emanated from him, mixing with his anger and making the very air feel dense and oppressive.
Sigh.
I wiped my forehead. The vicious killing intent had triggered my body’s reaction, leaving my hair damp with cold sweat.
It won’t be easy, right?
[If you already know the answer, don’t bother asking.]
So mean. What’s wrong with helping me a little?
[You don’t even want that help, yet you ask anyway, you little shit.]
After Elder Shin’s retort, I refocused my gaze. I still had a considerable amount of Qi left in my dantian—roughly half, I estimated. Despite expending a massive amount to recklessly unleash flames, I still had this much remaining. It was a testament to the sheer quantity of Qi I had consumed into this small body.
The First Elder stared at me and spoke. “This is your last chance.”
“What chance?”
“I don’t know how you discovered my condition, but look at the situation. No matter what great talent you possess, Yangcheon, right now, you have nothing but bravado.”
“And?”
“So, if you apologize now, I will accept it and let you off lightly.”
“Oh? You’d really let me go as if nothing happened? And you get nothing in return?”
The First Elder let out a short, dry laugh. Then his expression turned serious. “I wouldn’t say nothing. For my leniency, you will have to fulfill certain… demands.”
In essence, he would only let me off if I apologized and made him look like the magnanimous elder.
Listening to his greedy blathering, I asked, “And what happens if you don’t let me off?”
“I can assure you, it will not end well for you.”
He likely couldn’t outright kill me, being of the direct bloodline. But he was clearly implying he would do everything in his power to ruin my life.
“What, are you going to target the people around me again?”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he persisted in his pretense. “However, that is certainly one option available to me.”
“Ha.”
I let out a derisive laugh at his blatant intimidation attempt. Despite his illness-weakened state, his sharpness remained, and he made no effort to conceal the greed that festered with his age.
“Even though you are just a dog, it seems your old age has blinded you.”
“…You.”
“Is it too difficult for you to understand? I’m telling you to fuck off.”
At my harsh words, the First Elder flinched momentarily. He clearly hadn’t expected such language from me.
His expression darkened instantly as he channeled more Qi. In that moment, his energy pressed down heavily throughout all of Gu Sunmoon. Even in his weakened state, his power was formidable, making me wonder how fearsome he must have been in his prime.
But I felt no fear. Instead, a bitter taste filled my mouth—or perhaps it was anger.
“What did you say?” he demanded, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard, or hoping for a different response.
I answered clearly. “If you are a dog living in the corner of this house, then I’m telling you to know your place.”
“Haha…”
Suddenly, the oppressive energy that had filled the area vanished like mist.
No, it didn’t vanish. All that immense energy was instantly condensed into the First Elder’s sword.
“Fine. If that is your attitude, then I shall grant you exactly what you wish.”
As the First Elder spoke, I also gathered my Qi.
That looks a bit dangerous.
His already formidable sword had now become a weapon that could be lethal with even a glancing blow. Did that old man truly intend to kill me? If not, he was at least planning to completely cripple my body.
I continued to charge my energy as I watched him.
A moment later, the First Elder began to move slowly. “You brought this upon yourself. Remember that.”
The overwhelming power of his energy created an illusion of the sword moving independently. The space around him distorted, filling the air with a palpable sense of dread.
After taking a light step, the First Elder focused his mind.
Red Dragon Sword, Seventh Form.
Sword of the Transient Eclipse.
As his sword swept down…
It seemed as if the moon in the night sky was severed in two.
You won’t die.
The sweeping motion cleaved through the space where I, Gu Yangcheon, stood.
Slash!
A devastating impact struck the ground, obliterating everything in its vicinity. The sound of destruction was endless as nearby buildings were demolished in the wake of the attack. This was the ultimate technique of Gu Sunmoon, the final form of the Red Dragon Sword Art, which the First Elder had barely mastered in his later years.
Compared to its first use, this attack was weak. But it was sufficient. Just enough to not kill me. That was the First Elder’s intention.
This much shouldn’t be fatal, judging by his current realm.
As the energy continued to ravage the area, the First Elder placed a hand on his chest, breathing heavily. “Huff… Huff…!”
The recoil from using more energy than necessary wracked his body. The backlash was so severe he felt he would need at least fifteen days of rest.
“…But even so, if this is the result…”
It wasn’t a bad trade. He now had a valid excuse for having ‘subdued’ the Clan Lord’s son so severely. It also bought him time to destroy the evidence in his basement and ensure Gu Yangcheon’s silence. This much was acceptable.
“Anyway.”
“…!”
“What a crazy old man you are.”
Hearing a voice speak so clearly amidst the chaos, the First Elder forced his exhausted body upright. That voice shouldn’t be possible right now.
Slam!
Before he could react, a fist slammed into his stomach, doubling him over. There was no time to scream from the excruciating pain before another fist connected with his face, snapping his head back. His teeth exploded from his mouth in a spray of blood. He couldn’t even process what was happening.
All he could see was fire.
However…
…Blue…?
The color of the flames was different. The flames Gu Yangcheon had shown earlier were a light red. But the fire the First Elder saw now was a stunning, sky-blue.
He didn’t have time to observe it for long.
Craack!
In an instant, his leg was shattered, and his body crumpled to the ground.
“Ugghh…”
Kneeling, the First Elder could only manage a choked groan. He couldn’t scream properly with all his teeth gone.
“I told you.”
Hearing the voice directly in front of him, the First Elder slowly raised his head. There stood Gu Yangcheon, looking down at him, completely unharmed…
“That I would pull all your teeth out if you barked too much.”
His body was now wreathed entirely in blazing blue flames.