A Reunion and a Secret
Yoo-sung looked at the two men standing before him, a wave of deep emotion washing over him.
Though the passage of time had aged them slightly more than he remembered, there was no way he could fail to recognize his own flesh and blood.
Yoo-sung bowed politely toward the two men staring intensely at him.
"I have returned, Father. Brother."
The expressions on the two men's faces as they watched Yoo-sung bow were a complex tangle of emotions.
Anger, irritation, longing, relief, and love-hate all flickered across their features, but in the end, they were family.
"You insolent rascal. Follow me inside for now."
No matter how resentful and angry they were, they could not cruelly leave a child who had returned after ten years out in the cold morning dew.
Understanding his father's heart, Yoo-chan also turned around with a heavy sigh.
Yoo-sung quietly followed behind the two.
Impressive.
The flow of time had not merely altered their appearances.
In Yoo-sung's memory, his father and brother were decent martial artists.
They were considered quite formidable in the local area, but in the vast Central Plains, they were merely at the Peak Realm and Transcendental Realm, respectively.
Even so, considering this was the periphery of the martial world, it was a highly respectable achievement.
Yet, meeting them again after ten years, both had clearly crossed over a major threshold.
Even if ten years was said to be enough time for rivers and mountains to change, ten years in the world of martial artists was by no means a long time.
Even if ascending from the Peak Realm to the Transcendental Realm was relatively easier.
The Transformation Realm.
He had not expected his father to reach the Transformation Realm.
Though it was currently called a mere academy, the history of the Heavenly Sword Academy was once grand enough to dominate the entire region.
It was only natural that his father, who inherited that bloodline, possessed extraordinary martial talent.
However, although his father had ascended to the Transformation Realm, it was difficult to completely erase his inherent weaknesses.
If I return what I brought with me, will he be able to overcome that wall?
Only when one achieves complete harmony of mind, body, and energy can they be called a true master of the Transformation Realm.
In this chaotic era, many martial artists claimed the title of the Transformation Realm, but those who truly deserved it were far fewer than one would think.
Those who had merely chipped away at the wall of the Transformation Realm through sheer internal energy or superior martial arts were also called masters of the realm.
His father was currently standing right on that boundary.
This will be interesting. Watching Father break through that wall.
Yoo-sung smiled faintly to himself, his martial curiosity piqued by his father's prowess the moment he returned.
And Brother...
The smile that had formed while looking at his father instantly vanished, and Yoo-sung's expression darkened.
A cold light flickered in his eyes, but no one noticed the subtle shift.
His brother, a master of the Transcendental Realm, was in an incredibly unstable internal state.
His dantian is damaged. And it wasn't destroyed by someone else... Did he break it himself?
For ordinary martial artists, peering into another person's internal state as Yoo-sung did was an impossible feat.
But the Divine Eyes Yoo-sung had acquired made the impossible possible.
His brother's dantian was damaged due to a disruption in the harmony of Yin and Yang.
As a master of the Transcendental Realm, there was no way he didn't understand the harmony of Yin and Yang. He must have known exactly how dangerous such a choice would be.
What could have possibly driven him to shatter that balance of his own accord?
He was curious, but...
I can ask him about it slowly later.
Leaving his questions about his brother aside for now, the three arrived at their father's study.
"Speak. What on earth have you been doing, wandering around for ten whole years!"
They said ten years was enough time for rivers and mountains to change.
Yoo-sung had left the Heavenly Sword Academy at the tender age of eighteen, and he hadn't sent a single letter in a decade.
Naturally, his family had feared the worst, thinking he might have met a grim fate.
The world was a brutal and perilous place, after all.
Of course, they had prayed for their son and brother to return safely.
But they couldn't afford to be blindly optimistic in such a harsh reality.
Even in this remote corner of the Central Plains, rumors of the Hundred Years' War raging across the martial world had reached their ears.
They couldn't ignore the possibility that Yoo-sung might have been swept up in that devastating conflict.
"Tell us calmly what has happened to you all this time."
At his father's prompting, Yoo-sung began to spin the tale he had prepared in advance.
A long time passed.
Yoo-sung's ten years were neither too light nor too heavy a tale.
Since he had to swallow the truths that were too dangerous to speak aloud, it took quite a while to finish.
Yet, his father and brother listened in silence, never once interrupting him.
Clack.
"You have suffered much."
Those were the first words his father uttered as he set down his empty teacup.
"I understand now why you couldn't even send a letter."
His brother also nodded, showing his understanding of Yoo-sung's circumstances.
Is it really going to be this easy?
Yoo-sung relaxed slightly at their reactions.
Just as a smile began to form at the unexpectedly smooth reunion—
Rumbleee.
Of course.
Yoo-sung clicked his tongue inwardly as he felt the chilling killing intent blooming around his father.
The wrath unleashed by a master of the Transformation Realm was formidable.
But to Yoo-sung, it wasn't threatening in the slightest.
However, since he couldn't exactly strike back against his own father...
I'll have to play along and take it.
Crash!!
"Oho. It seems you weren't just idling your time away as you claimed."
The eyes of the master of the Heavenly Sword Academy shifted as he watched Yoo-sung effortlessly dodge his sword strike.
He doesn't seem much different from Yoo-chan.
His eldest son, Do Yoo-chan, was a master of the Transcendental Realm.
Though he currently lived with a damaged dantian—a ticking time bomb that could rupture at any moment.
He had never once blamed Yoo-chan for his choice.
How could anyone condemn a father's choice to save his own child?
However, Yoo-chan's choice had left the master of the Heavenly Sword Academy with a heavy dilemma.
Choosing the successor who would lead the academy in the future.
Though it was still a matter for the future, considering Yoo-chan's condition, he desperately needed a reliable successor.
You have returned at just the right time.
His joy at his son's safe return was brief.
Since the boy had kept them worried sick for ten years, a proper scolding was in order.
At the same time, he wanted to test what Yoo-sung had gained from his ten years in the Jianghu.
However, his intentions were cut short by a voice that suddenly echoed in the room.
"That is enough. Shouldn't we warmly welcome our son on his first day back after so long?"
The soft, beautiful voice belonged to his beloved mother.
Yoo-sung slowly turned toward her.
The moment he saw his mother, who still possessed her graceful beauty despite the years, all the tension melted from Yoo-sung's heart.
"I have returned, Mother."
His mother smiled gently at his greeting and opened her arms wide.
"Welcome home, my son. Come, let me hold you."
At her words, Yoo-sung stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"Your father and brother will have plenty of time to scold you later, so for now, I shall prepare a warm meal for my son."
With Yoo-sung's late-night return, the day at the Heavenly Sword Academy drew to a close much later than usual.
"Follow me."
In the early morning, Yoo-chan suggested taking a light stroll, and Yoo-sung followed him without a word of complaint.
As they climbed the mountain behind the academy—a path they had walked together since childhood—Yoo-sung felt another pang of guilt upon hearing of Yoo-chan's marriage.
My sins are truly great.
To think he hadn't even been present for his own brother's wedding.
"You also have a niece. She is quite a free spirit, much like you."
"A niece too..."
Realizing anew just how much time he had lost, Yoo-sung's heart grew heavy.
The weight of those missed years felt far heavier than he had anticipated.
However, he quickly shook off the regret.
Even if he could go back in time, his departure from the Heavenly Sword Academy had been inevitable.
To travel freely in the vast world.
That was the dream Yoo-sung had harbored in his chest for as long as he could remember.
Though that very dream had ultimately dragged him through endless, exhausting battlefields.
They were moments he would never regret.
"What is my sister-in-law like?"
"She is beautiful on the outside, but her heart is even more beautiful. It is better for you to see her yourself rather than have me explain. I will introduce you over some tea after our stroll."
Yoo-sung nodded quietly at Yoo-chan's words.
Thus, the brothers conversed about trivial matters as they made their way up the mountain.
"...."
"...."
At some point, their conversation naturally drifted into silence.
Yoo-sung waited quietly for Yoo-chan to speak.
"I am truly glad you returned, Sung-ah. Now that you are back, a great weight has been lifted from my mind."
"Father is still in good health, and you are here too, Brother."
"That may be true, but it is always wise to prepare in advance."
As the eldest son, it was only right for Yoo-chan to become the next head of the family, but the injury to his dantian was the obstacle.
"You might not know this, but there is a problem with my body. I may seem fine now, but... I am in a state where things could go wrong at any moment."
"...."
As Yoo-sung's expression darkened, Yoo-chan continued with a gentle smile.
"Do not look at me like that. My life is not in danger. Though my path as a martial artist will likely come to an end, martial arts are not everything in life, are they?"
It was a highly significant statement.
It carried the weight of someone who had made a choice fully knowing it would mean abandoning his life as a martial artist.
To call it a mere illusion was impossible; there was truly not a single shred of regret on his brother's face.
Just like when Yoo-sung had left the Heavenly Sword Academy in the past.
It meant Yoo-chan had made his decision with absolute certainty.
To such a brother...
What right do I have to say anything?
If I must do it, I will.
Besides...
I can just find a way to heal his body.
His father was still healthy, and his brother was currently fine.
Which meant that if his brother's body returned to normal, Yoo-sung wouldn't have to become the head of the family.
His brief regret over not properly studying medicine quickly faded.
Even if he couldn't do it himself, there were those who could.
I can just track down the Divine Physician or the Demonic Physician.
They were highly renowned doctors in the martial world.
Unmoved by mere wealth, they possessed eccentric personalities that matched their peerless medical skills.
Bringing them here wouldn't be easy, but if he demanded they repay the debts they owed him, they wouldn't be able to refuse so easily.
And if that doesn't work, I can just drag them here by force.
Yoo-sung listened to his brother's worries with a light heart.
Seeing his brother's expression ease as he unburdened himself, Yoo-sung felt that much was well worth the trouble.
After descending the mountain, Yoo-sung followed his brother to his quarters.
He was secretly looking forward to meeting his sister-in-law.
What kind of woman had his brother—who had always been rather shy around women—married and had a child with?
Creak.
The door opened, and as a woman stepped out, Yoo-sung's eyes instantly turned cold.
"....!"
The woman was also visibly startled upon spotting Yoo-sung, but she quickly masked her shock.
"This is your sister-in-law."
Completely oblivious to the tension, Yoo-chan introduced his wife, and Yoo-sung bowed his head politely.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Do Yoo-sung."
Even as the words left his mouth, his voice was transmitted directly into the mind of the woman called his sister-in-law.
His sister-in-law flinched slightly at Yoo-sung's sound transmission.
She was just as shocked as Yoo-sung.
Though perhaps not quite to the same degree.
To think that Na Hye-mi, the 'Ice Flower' and illegitimate child of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, had become his brother's wife.
At Yoo-sung's warning—which was barely disguised as one—Na Hye-mi smiled and spoke aloud.
"So you are my brother-in-law. I have heard so much about you... I am glad we could finally meet."
Hearing her gentle voice gave Yoo-sung a strange sensation.
The 'Ice Flower' he had heard of and the woman standing before him now were different in so many ways.
Is it a mask, or...
Perhaps this was her true self.
Whatever the case, it didn't matter right now.
"It is a pleasure, Sister-in-law. I am Do Yoo-sung."
Right now, she was not the Ice Flower of the North Sea, but simply his brother's wife.
"I will leave you two to chat for a moment. I will go bring your niece, Soso."
Leaving Yoo-sung and his wife to get acquainted, Yoo-chan turned and walked away.
Click.
Once Yoo-chan left, a heavy silence settled between Yoo-sung and Na Hye-mi.
"Explain."
At Yoo-sung's low command, Na Hye-mi let out a soft sigh and began to speak.