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EP.33 In Search of Biwaegun (1)

Nangong Cheonjun was trembling, clutching his groin.

Unable to scream, blood dripped from his nose and mouth, mixing with the spit that pooled in his open mouth.

The once-dignified nobleman now lay in tatters.

The Great Nangong Clan.

The center of the Four Great Clans and the largest pillar of the Righteous Faction.

Nangong Cheonjun was meant to be the man destined to lead such a colossal clan.

Yet, here he was, crawling on the ground in utter despair.

“Quit your whining; it’s not even broken.”

Just the right amount of control.

Inflicting pain that felt like it might break but ultimately wouldn’t—something easily fixable.

It was a task I had done countless times in my previous life.

Even if my body had changed, it wasn’t that difficult.

‘If I had kicked harder, he would’ve been done for.’

…I really almost broke him, though.

As long as it didn’t break, that was what mattered.

“Y-You bastard…”

“Wow, you’re still talking after getting wrecked like that.”

I expected him to roll around for a few more minutes, but surprisingly, he had some guts.

I approached him and twisted one of his arms.

Snap!

“Gahh…!!”

He tried to sneakily turn the bet back on me, so I made sure to twist and hold him down first.

Even in this moment, his eyes were filled with killing intent.

I couldn’t help but curl my lips at the murderous glare that lightly tapped the top of his head.

“Why go over the line? If you hadn’t shown that killing intent, I would’ve let it slide.”

Nangong Cheonjun was serious.

The amount of intent packed into his wooden sword, the killing energy seeping out ever so subtly.

He truly intended to kill me.

A momentary mistake fueled by emotion? He had no excuses with those eyes and that energy.

I confidently asked him, “How many have you killed?”

For a moment, his energy wavered.

“At least dozens, right?”

“What…? What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Panic was mixed in his voice.

I didn’t care if he denied it. I was already convinced.

Had he killed evildoers, threatening others? I didn’t think so.

The depth of his killing intent was heavy.

Such a strong intent was hard to come by at his age. No way I wouldn’t recognize it.

Why was the bloodline of the representative noble family of the Righteous Faction, Nangong Cheonjun, harboring such intense killing intent?

Given my memories of the former head of the Nangong Clan, it wasn’t that shocking of a development.

-Crack

“Ugh…”

I applied more pressure to the twisted arm, and he groaned.

‘What to do?’

I could break it as it was, or dislocate his shoulder.

I couldn’t completely cripple him; that’d be too difficult to handle.

Still, there was no option to let him off the hook.

If the other side was harboring killing intent, just letting it slide would be foolish.

“Gu So-hyeob…!”

As I pondered my next move, Tang Juyeok rushed over.

“Perhaps it’s best to stop here. The martial arts sparring is already…”

How laughable.

It was such a ridiculous statement that I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Tang Juyeok froze at the sound of my laughter.

I immediately asked him, “Did you not feel the killing intent emanating from this brat? I doubt you didn’t.”

He should have sensed it, given his level.

The evidence was clear: Tang Juyeok couldn’t give me a straight answer.

“I infused my intent into the wooden sword. But should I still let him off the hook?”

As a martial artist, I couldn’t allow that.

Ignoring my sharpened teeth aimed at him was unacceptable.

Even if I couldn’t take his life, I would at least knock out his teeth.

“Do you think he’s just a foolish kid who made a mistake? This brat is older than I am.”

In reality, I was roughly double his age, but that wasn’t the point right now. I slowly put more pressure on his arm.

Nangong Cheonjun’s pained whimpers began to escalate.

Tang Juyeok urgently added, “…Cheonjun is a Nangong. If anything further happens, it could spell trouble for Gu So-hyeob.”

“Yes, he’s a Nangong. But do you know what that means?”

Thud.

“Graaah!!”

“Being a Nangong is the reason this brat is still breathing. The only reason I’ve restrained myself.”

If the roles were reversed, would he still be in one piece?

He’d be alive, sure, but would he still be fine?

What if one of those late-stage talents watching us, with their anxious eyes, had the roles reversed?

The answer was simple.

“I’ve held back a lot. You wouldn’t know, would you, Elder Tang? I don’t mean it as a request for your understanding.”

As I spoke to Tang Juyeok and wrapped up my thoughts, I drew energy from my lower dantian.

I shattered Nangong Cheonjun’s arm just like I had infused in the wooden sword.

Crack.

“…!!!”

Nangong Cheonjun trembled.

The delayed scream echoed throughout the training grounds.

His screeching was so loud that I hit the back of his neck to knock him out.

Seeing him go limp, Tang Juyeok wiped his brow.

He’d just lent me the training grounds, and an accident occurred, so I could imagine how troubled he was.

Still, that wasn’t a reason for me to let this brat off the hook.

“Did I mess up?”

I suddenly remembered Elder Lee advising against causing trouble.

What would he say if I told him I turned the son of the Nangong Clan into a bloody mess?

‘At least I let him live.’

If I explained, he’d likely say something along those lines.

Given the current head of the Nangong Clan, I doubted anything would be stirred up.

‘There are witnesses, and he started it first, after all.’

Most importantly, I doubted they’d be bold enough to mess with the Gu Clan.

With Nangong Cheonjun passed out, I stood up.

For some reason, Tang Soyeol was sitting down with a red face, staring this way, while Nangong Bi-ah maintained a blank expression.

It struck me as odd that even with her brother in disarray, she kept such a composed look.

Neither resentment nor fury, just a serene calmness in her eyes reminiscent of a quiet river.

“Over here…!”

The Nangong Clan members appeared from a distance.

They must be here to take Nangong Cheonjun to a physician.

Soon after, Nangong Clan members arrived as well. Perhaps guards? They all bore incredible strength, typical of the Four Great Clans.

One of them approached me.

“I’m Ma Cheol, the young master’s guard.”

He inclined his head slightly to me.

He was evidently a formidable martial artist.

“The sparring is over… so we will escort the young master.”

“By not saying much, I take it you witnessed what happened?”

The man named Ma Cheol didn’t respond to my question.

Indeed.

Was that the peculiar feeling of being watched?

“Do as you wish—take him or leave him.”

My arm would be sore for a few days, but other than that, it should be fine in a day.

The spot I kicked might have been a tad excessive, but it shouldn’t be a big issue.

…Or would it be?

With Nangong Cheonjun being carried away, bloodstains were left on the training ground floor.

Tang Juyeok wore a troubled expression, seeming to be stuck in a loop of thought.

Wasn’t he the biggest victim here?

‘Who asked you to call me?’

I resolved to leave without a care.

After all, it was all the Nangong brat’s fault for picking a fight.

“It doesn’t seem like a place to linger, so I’ll be heading off first.”

Maybe I’d slip away, giving myself more time to search for Biwaegun tomorrow? That way, I could extend my search by a day.

‘The clan might fuss about this, but finding Biwaegun is the priority.’

My father wouldn’t mind, and at worst, Elder Lee or Tang Juyeok might have a word with me.

Considering Elder Lee’s nature, after hearing the details, he’d likely say I did well for not killing him, while Tang Juyeok would provide the scolding.

As I eased my way out, someone grabbed my sleeve.

It was Nangong Bi-ah.

“What is it?”

The Nangong people had already taken Nangong Cheonjun away, so why was she still here?

Was there something she wanted to say regarding her brother?

After staring into my eyes for a while, Nangong Bi-ah finally spoke.

“Your name…”

“…What?”

“Tell me your name.”

“I already told you.”

I had directly told her it was Gu Jeolyub, three short syllables. Had she forgotten in that time?

With unwavering eyes, Nangong Bi-ah replied, “That’s a lie.”

“….”

“A lie. Tell me your real name.”

What? How did she know?

There was no hint of doubt in Nangong Bi-ah’s eyes; she firmly believed my name to be fake.

This scatterbrain could sometimes be surprisingly sharp where it didn’t matter.

“…Before that, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

It was a crucial question. I looked into her eyes and asked, “Why do you keep speaking informally to me?”

“…”

Nangong Bi-ah seemed unable to answer that question, averting her gaze.

Was she really challenging me?

As she scrutinized me, she finally said with a hint of resignation, “If you don’t tell me, I’ll keep following you… okay?”

…Is she insane?

I almost grabbed the back of my neck and collapsed.

Not only had she caught on to my lie, but did she also know how awkward it made me feel?

‘T-This crazy girl, has she always been like this?’

“Do you know who turned the little sister of that young lady into a bloody mess?”

“That’s Cheonjun’s fault.”

“Then why do you keep approaching someone who did that to your dear brother?”

No matter how hard I pushed her away, Nangong Bi-ah seemed intent on sticking to me.

Having come this far, her stubbornness would likely not allow her to back down easily.

‘…Am I going to have a stalker for real?’

I shuddered.

To deny it would be one thing, but the memories of her causing trouble in my previous life made it hard to be certain.

“What’s so interesting about my name that you want to know?”

She didn’t answer my question.

She just kept staring at me as if trying to see right through me.

With that piercing gaze, I frowned and rubbed my face.

Ah, how did I end up in this situation?

“…If I tell you my name, you won’t pester me anymore?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’ll speak formally?”

“Yeah. I promise.”

Sigh… I let out a deep breath at her answer.

Lately, I felt like I was sighing more often. After a brief pause, I finally spoke.

“….Cheon.”

“Yeah…?”

“Gu Yangcheong.”

I spat out my name briefly.

I clicked my tongue at the three syllables I barely managed to spit out.

“Is that enough? I’m leaving now, so stop bothering me.”

With that, I turned and rushed away from Nangong Bi-ah.

She repeated the name I had just revealed, “Gu Yangcheong.”

From a distance, Tang Soyeol looked shocked when he heard Nangong Bi-ah’s voice.

Nangong Bi-ah whispered softly, “Gu Jeolyub was a lie.”

“This… this is the truth.”

As she said that, a smile broke across her face.

It was radiant enough to brighten the surroundings.

After the spars ended, I returned to my residence.

Wi Seol-Ah didn’t seem bothered by my absence.

In fact, she happily told me she had great fun playing with the attendants while I was gone, causing me to feel a little vexed. I playfully flicked her on the forehead.

Night had fallen, and I was eating dumplings next to Wi Seol-Ah, who was having sweets.

‘…I messed up.’

I should have let it go. That’s what I felt.

To be precise, I shouldn’t have attended the meal at all. Of course, I had no regrets about slapping the Nangong brat.

I should have gone all out and made him a one-armed man instead of just breaking his left arm gently.

I felt proud that I had held back this much.

‘That was a close call.’

Nangong Cheonjun was an exceptional sword master.

Despite a pretty terrible character, his trained physique showed the quality of a noble family.

The issue was merely that he was a member of the Nangong Clan.

Having seen the relentless techniques of the Nangong’s sword and encountered madmen who were determined to eliminate the persistent issues related to swordsmanship, I was almost forcibly accustomed to their sword dance.

The reason I had spat out my name to the stubborn Nangong Bi-ah had a sliver of conscience behind it.

…In truth, I was mainly concerned that she’d genuinely cling to me.

After all, I could always make excuses.

I would say I couldn’t attend the Tangbing Tournament due to feeling guilty about causing a commotion.

Even if they tried to stop me at the Tang Clan, what could they say if I claimed I felt too guilty to face them?

What remained to be seen was what would happen when I returned to the clan, but being lightly scolded would only amount to a passing annoyance… ah, I dreaded Tang Juyeok’s anger.

As I fell into contemplation, Wi Seol-Ah offered me something.

It was a rice cake.

“Young master.”

“Yeah?”

“Would you like a rice cake?”

“…You’re offering me food?”

Goodness, what in the world is this?!

I put on an exaggerated shocked expression, and Wi Seol-Ah looked annoyed.

Seeing that made me burst into laughter.

“…Ah, this is funny! So why the sudden generosity?”

“Your face looks so complicated….”

Did I look that way?

With trembling hands, Wi Seol-Ah extended the rice cake towards me.

I accepted it as if refusing wasn’t an option.

Wi Seol-Ah looked utterly dumbfounded that I accepted it.

Then, without hesitation, I popped the rice cake into my mouth, leading to a look of despair on her face.

Watching her expression sent waves of amusement through me, lifting my spirits a bit.

“Ha, it’s amusing how a foolish person who used to be thoughtless is finally starting to think.”

“Hey… rice cake in one bite….”

Leaving behind the crestfallen Wi Seol-Ah, I hurriedly made my way into my room.

Let’s not overthink things.

‘First things first, the Geumcheon Clan.’

Starting tomorrow, I had to move with purpose.

 

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