Chapter 369: Gathering of the Orthodox Faction (10)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 369: Gathering of the Orthodox Faction (10)
Moyong Tae, the White Heavenly Sword.
In the past, he had vied for the title of Sword King against the Azure Heavenly Sword, Namgung Jin.
Of course, others had also contended for the throne, but Moyong Tae had been the most formidable competitor.
These days, he was widely regarded as the weakest Lord among the Four Noble Clans, primarily because he prioritized his daughter and the family's merchant interests over martial pursuits.
He was a Lord and a father first, and a martial artist second.
That was the White Heavenly Sword as I knew him.
Up to that point, everything was straightforward. Why should I care what path the White Heavenly Sword chose in life?
The problem, however, was that this very man was standing right in front of me.
Clench.
His grip on my shoulder tightened gradually.
“…”
I glanced up at his face. His eyes were terrifying.
If he had truly mastered the Mind Sword, he could probably sever my head right here.
This is problematic…
I scrambled for a way to handle the situation, but the answer was already painfully clear.
What do I mean, 'how'? I'm just fucked.
No conclusion could be more obvious.
“My… Lord?”
Moyong Hi-ah addressed the White Heavenly Sword, her eyes wide with shock.
His piercing gaze shifted from me to her. In an instant, his expression transformed completely.
The cold, deathly glare he had fixed on me melted away, replaced by the kindest, softest look imaginable the moment it landed on Moyong Hi-ah.
“Have you been well?”
“How… did you get here…?”
“Are you feeling unwell in any way?”
Though Moyong Hi-ah spoke in a panicked tone, the White Heavenly Sword ignored her questions and began fussing over her condition.
“Have you eaten? No, of course you would have made sure to eat on time.”
“…”
Clench.
Even as he spoke to her, the pressure on my shoulder intensified. It was starting to hurt.
Then, Moyong Hi-ah managed to ask a question. “…T-There is still an entire week until the meeting. Why are you here so early?”
“How could a father wait when he doesn’t even know how his daughter is doing?”
It was fascinating in a completely unexpected way. Any normal father might do the same, but for a man of his status, it was extraordinary.
Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes widened as a realization seemed to dawn on her. “Then… did you come here alone?”
“The Elders and the main contingent will be arriving a little later.”
So he had come alone. A Lord of a Noble Clan, traveling without his entourage. No wonder his appearance seemed somewhat unkempt for someone of his stature.
He came here all by himself without a care for his image, huh? In some ways, he was a very impressive man.
However, Moyong Hi-ah frowned deeply, clearly shocked by his actions. “How could you do something like this? People will notice you! You should at least care about the clan’s image!”
When she spoke in a reproachful tone, the White Heavenly Sword replied with an unusually earnest expression. “That clan’s image isn’t more important than my child.”
Moyong Hi-ah froze, falling silent at his response. Oh, so she’s weak to things like this.
Seeing her reaction, the White Heavenly Sword shifted his gaze back to me and continued, “Moreover…” His voice hardened. “My precious daughter might have gotten entangled with some good-for-nothing scoundrel… so why would I care about my image?”
“…”
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my temple. This man definitely knew my identity now. Honestly, it was surprising he hadn’t recognized me the moment we met.
Fragments of our earlier conversation echoed in my mind.
-He’s already engaged to another girl.
-My daughter said he’d leave his fiancée to be with her.
-I even heard rumors that bastard is seeing other women besides my daughter.
“…”
Hearing that story, I’d thought the guy was a complete bastard. But that bastard… was me. It had been about me all along.
…So this was my story, huh?
The White Heavenly Sword’s terrifying words from earlier echoed in my mind. Hadn’t he said he would crush that bastard’s arms and legs? And I had even had the audacity to tell him I hoped he’d achieve his goal.
Hmm… I nodded grimly to myself. What a crazy fucker I am. I’ve truly dug my own grave.
Is my life flashing before my eyes right now? It certainly felt possible. My life hadn’t flashed before my eyes when I died in my past life, so why was it happening now?
“So, Young Expert. I believe I haven’t gotten your answer yet.”
“Uh…”
“What is your name, Young Expert?”
He seemed certain of my identity already, but was asking just to confirm it? What an immaculate personality. What should I do? There was no way to avoid answering.
…Should I use Gu Jeolyub’s name? It was the first thought that crossed my mind. I’d always used his name in situations like this. It had worked when I met Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol for the first time. It had always been a reliable fallback.
But I doubt he’ll believe me even if I say it. Gu Jeolyub’s name was somewhat well-known now, making it harder to use. In the end, I had no choice but to reveal my real name.
“…I am.” The thought of him unsheathing his sword the moment I said my name sent chills down my spine. The killing intent pressing against my back was no illusion. This wasn't about whether I could win against him. The issue was whether the White Heavenly Sword, Moyong Hi-ah’s father, would draw his blade against me. Fighting him was the last thing I wanted to do unless absolutely necessary.
Barely steadying my panicked breathing, I gulped nervously and spoke. “I greet the Lord of the Moyong Clan… I am the Gu Clan’s… “
“Father.”
Just as I was about to say my name, Moyong Hi-ah darted forward and wrapped her arms around the White Heavenly Sword. Wait… why did she call him that? Father?
“L-Let’s not do this here… We should first find a place for you to stay. You must be tired, right?”
“Daughter. I’m sorry, but I’m not finished dealing with this rotting piece of…”
The White Heavenly Sword’s finger pointed toward me. I also clearly heard him call me a "rotting piece of shit" instead of "Young Expert." I’m really in a dangerous situation right n—
“Eeengh!”
…What?
My eyes widened at the sharp, unexpected sound that pierced my ears. Did I mishear that? It seemed to have come from Moyong Hi-ah.
As if to confirm I hadn’t imagined it, Moyong Hi-ah spoke again. “Eeengh… Daddy… Hi-ah wants something to eat…! Can we just leave for now?”
Pfft. I saw Peng Ah-hee spit out her water, unable to hold back her laughter. Did I just get goosebumps all over my arms and neck? I definitely did. What on earth was that overly sweet, ticklish voice?
…
My brain short-circuited. It was shocking enough that such a sound came from Moyong Hi-ah, but her reason for doing it was beyond comprehension. Was this some hallucination before death? Had I stepped into an illusionary state? If not, I had no way of making sense of this.
After Moyong Hi-ah spoke, twisting awkwardly, the atmosphere turned ice-cold in an instant. The heated tension dissipated surprisingly fast. A quick glance at Moyong Hi-ah revealed her ears had turned so red they looked ready to burst. She looked utterly mortified by her own actions.
Understandable. If I ever did something like that to my father, I’d bite my tongue and end it right there. I understood why she did it, but I doubted someone like the White Heavenly Sword would be swayed just because she—
“Haha, should we go eat then? What could be more important than my sweet daughter being hungry?”
Never mind.
The fierce, sharp man who had been ready to tear me apart was gone, replaced by a doting father with a bright smile. Seeing his reaction, Moyong Hi-ah quickly grabbed his arm and tried to lead him away.
He seemed ready to leave without resistance, but just as they exited the inn, a voice echoed in my mind. -I’ll see you later.
“…”
The White Heavenly Sword had spoken to me telepathically. He wasn’t going to let me go, no matter what. It felt like a warning to prepare my neck for our next meeting. Surely, I’m just imagining things, right?
…Yeah, right. Imagination my ass.
Of course, it wasn’t my imagination. Moyong Hi-ah had clearly done everything she could to save me. Otherwise, the cold and composed Moyong Hi-ah would never have uttered something like ‘Eeengh…’ in that tone. She must have steeled herself considerably.
But what now? She might have dragged him away for the moment, but he would definitely be back. Should I seriously run away?
No, that’s not going to work. Where could I even go? I still had to attend the upcoming meeting.
As I racked my brain for a solution, I heard the girls begin talking among themselves.
“…Hey, Soyeol.”
“Hmm?”
Tang Soyeol responded to Peng Ah-hee, though she still seemed dazed from what she’d just witnessed. With a serious expression, Peng Ah-hee fixed her gaze on Tang Soyeol and asked, “…Do you think I’ll get in trouble if I called Young Lady Moyong…”
“Yes?”
“Young Lady Eeengh…?”
“…”
The room’s atmosphere turned icy the moment Peng Ah-hee spoke. Would she get in trouble for making fun of Moyong Hi-ah?
She’ll die before I do. That much was certain. Peng Ah-hee would be reduced to dust if she mocked Moyong Hi-ah for that. And seriously, Young Lady Eeengh? That was a bit much—
Pfft.
I whipped my head around at the sound of a stifled laugh. Someone had clearly failed to hold back. Strangely, when I looked at the girls, their expressions were perfectly neutral. But I noticed they were all staring at one person with peculiar looks.
It was Namgung Bi-ah, her head turned away as if she was entirely uninvolved.
* * *
A few days had passed since the chaotic storm at the inn.
I’d spent every night since then on high alert, worried that assassins might come for me. One might think I was being ridiculous, but the expression I saw on the White Heavenly Sword’s face that day was more than enough to justify the fear.
Funnily enough, though, nothing of the sort had happened. Since the day he left with Moyong Hi-ah, he hadn’t shown himself again. The same went for Moyong Hi-ah.
Perhaps…
Is Moyong Hi-ah actually keeping him in check… using that eeengh eeengh act?
If that’s the case, it must be very hard on her.
The thought made me nod instinctively. I even felt a rare flicker of gratitude toward her.
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Could it be that Moyong Hi-ah actually speaks like that at home?
The idea had been nagging at me. She had sounded as if she was already used to speaking in such a way.
No way.
I dismissed the thought immediately. There was absolutely no way someone like the great Moyong Hi-ah would act like that.
“Are you done with your thinking?”
“…Yes.”
As I caught my breath, someone spoke to me. It was the Dishonored Venerable. He appeared from time to time during my training. I had no idea how he spent his time, but I was, as usual, busy training with my fists in the cave.
The Dishonored Venerable smirked as he assessed my condition. “Well? Is it easy for you?”
“Not even close. I feel like I’m dying.”
Easy, my ass. Even today, I had fainted more than five times from the pain.
Despite my complaints, the Dishonored Venerable smiled, clearly pleased with my answer. “…I’m just striking with my fist. Am I really doing this correctly?”
This was the question weighing most heavily on my mind. I knew how impressive the Heaven Destruction Art was. The fact that its power amazed me even at my current level showed just how incredibly effective this Mind Art was. But I couldn’t figure out why he had me digging a cave with it. What was his intention?
The Dishonored Venerable fixed me with an odd look. “From your question, it’s clear you don’t realize just how remarkable your training is.”
“Huh?”
“You said it yourself that it’s painful.”
“Well, that is indeed how I feel…”
“Do you think an ordinary person could endure this level of pain and keep training the way you are right now?”
“…”
“I became certain after the first day. You definitely need to become my disciple.”
He had been impressed that I managed to start digging through a cave with just my fists on the very first day.
“Just because of that?”
“Lasting one day is impressive enough. But the second day is even harder, and from then on, only someone with an unshakable mentality could endure this training.”
It was somewhat understandable. The Heaven Destruction Art’s Mind Art inflicted pain far worse than I had imagined. Still, I could feel myself growing stronger as long as I endured the agony. I’d take pain over the helplessness and shame of weakness any day.
Seeing the confusion still etched on my face, the Dishonored Venerable simply smiled. “While I’m worried about your twisted path, you’re truly reassuring as a student.”
“Twisted path… isn’t that a bit cruel…?”
“It means I’m looking forward to what you’ll become. Now hurry up and finish this training. Only then can I teach you the One Fist technique.”
His words completely drained my enthusiasm. “All of this… just to learn a single fist technique?”
“Indeed. That’s what this training is for.”
Ridiculous. But even as I thought that, I kept striking with my fist.
“Child.”
I paused mid-strike and turned toward the Dishonored Venerable as he called out.
“Isn’t it time for you to go soon?”
“…”
I had to frown. I was already considering pretending I had forgotten, but he made sure to remind me. “…I do indeed have to go.”
With a sigh of resignation, I began changing into a clean set of clothes. The reason was simple. Today was the first day of the gathering of the Orthodox Faction. I’d been all but forced to attend. The White Heavenly Sword would be there, along with all the other Lords of the Four Noble Clans. With that thought, I suppressed my nervousness. No matter how I looked at it, I could already tell the meeting would devolve into chaos.
I turned to the Dishonored Venerable with a question. “Are you going too?”
Given his noble clan background, I thought he might, but he only smiled in response. “Why would I?”
“…”
That smug expression was easily the most annoying thing I’d ever seen.