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Chapter 7: The Shocking Letter

The first thought that crossed my mind upon reading the content was a sense of confusion.

From beginning to end, I wondered what in the world was being said. Understanding it took much longer than I expected.

As time passed, I finally began to grasp the letter when the second thought hit me—“What the heck is this crazy nonsense?”

Despite understanding, I found it hard to believe.

“Is my father really doing something like this?”

Is he imprisoned for wrongdoing? It felt so absurd. Under normal circumstances, I would have dismissed the letter as utter nonsense and torn it apart.

But this was no ordinary nonsense. It was supposed to be dismissed, yet here I was, struggling.

The root of the issue was that this letter had been sent by none other than Lady Mi.

The very owner of this letter was Lady Mi herself.

The Baekhwa Sect, and a letter stamped with the sect leader’s seal, along with the unique handwriting of Lady Mi.

All of it pointed toward the undeniable truth—that this letter was real.

“Prince…?”

Wi Seol-Ah approached me with a concerned look, and I raised a hand to stop her.

“Hold on.”

“…”

She mustn’t come closer now. My mind was racing, and if she approached, I would be in trouble.

“What’s happening?”

What in the world was going on?

I needed to think this through.

The first thing I needed to establish was,

“Is this letter truly authentic?”

Was it really sent by Lady Mi? While it looked real, I found it hard to fully trust.

“There’s a possibility someone could be impersonating her.”

From the letter to the handwriting, there was a chance someone could have copied her style. However—

“That possibility is slim.”

The chances were not substantial enough for me to consider it seriously, so I pushed it aside for now.

“So then…”

If this was truly from Lady Mi, what could her intentions be?

“…my father is imprisoned for a crime.”

That was the consequence.

Yet, there was no indication of Lady Mi’s intentions within.

Was she saying not to worry, that it was no big deal? I doubted that.

“If it was something trivial, she would have included it in the content.”

Also, if it were indeed no big deal… Lady Mi wouldn’t have gone through the effort to send me a letter.

Besides,

“She seems to know about my father as well. That makes it even more serious.”

My father is imprisoned by the Alliance? It made no sense to me.

Not just detained, but actually imprisoned?

Who could possibly have done this to him?

I knew my father was strong—stronger than I was now, for sure.

That meant,

“Is there really anyone who can subdue my father in the Alliance?”

It couldn’t be any of the Three Eminent Beings: not the Heavenly Lord, the Sword Sovereign is mysteriously absent, and the Master of the Martial World is unlikely too.

In other words, none of the Three Eminent Beings could be responsible.

Who, then?

“The Sword Emperor?”

The legendary Sword Emperor, the mightiest of all? If that were the case, there could be a chance.

He’s stronger than I am.

But,

“Is he still that strong?”

That was before coming to Sichuan. With my level skyrocketing now, I believed I would not fall short in a confrontation with the Sword Emperor.

“Did they engage in a combined attack?”

Still, it seemed unlikely. If that were true…

“What’s the justification?”

What could possibly justify such drastic actions? The letter only mentioned that a crime was committed.

It didn’t specify what crime or how he got imprisoned.

This meant…

“Was there no need to mention it?”

Or,

“Did they lack the time or leisure to include it?”

The more I thought, the colder my insides became.

My heart, which had been racing just moments ago, began to calm down. The energy that felt on the verge of bursting grew still.

The calm before the storm.

That’s precisely how my body felt at that moment.

“What should I do…?”

“What?”

“…How should I handle this?”

I murmured while stroking my chin, my gaze fixed on the floor.

The noise of the bustling excitement around me faded away.

Woo Hyeok.

The energy starting to flow from my body shook the air.

This was not good. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hold back.

“Think rationally.”

Acting on emotion now would create problems.

Thus, I needed to kill my emotions somehow.

If my father was imprisoned, what would that mean for him?

“There’s no way that’s true.”

What kind of person is my father that something would happen to him?

Surely, there would be some circumstances. Yes, there’s no need to worry; I should just carry on as I had been.

He would surely be all right…

—Live.

“…”

Crunch—!

The paper in my hand crumpled under my grip.

“Prince…?”

“Seol-Ah.”

“…!”

Her name escaped my lips in a low voice, making Wi Seol-Ah flinch.

“What? What? What…?”

I had never called her by her name before, but given the current situation, I had no choice.

“Can I ask you for a favor?”

“…Uh… yes? Yes, yes. Of course, of course.”

Wi Seol-Ah stammered as if malfunctioning. Surprisingly, even that didn’t catch my attention.

“Once you see Cheol Jiseon later, tell him to handle anything that comes up flexibly according to what we agreed upon.”

“Uh… okay.”

“Also, if you see Tang Soyeol, tell her to safely bring the kids back and to apologize on my behalf.”

“Uh…”

As I continued to speak, Wi Seol-Ah watched me with a strange look, seeming to grasp something.

“Prince… Are you… going somewhere?”

“…”

I stared into the void.

“Oh, I have a sudden urgent matter, so I’m leaving first.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“Stay safe. If possible, I’ll come to get you.”

“Prince—!”

Whoosh—!!!

My body transformed into flames as I propelled myself upward.

The presence on the ground quickly faded into the distance. It was my first time turning my whole body into flames, and the sensation was peculiar, but that was the last thing on my mind right now.

Even though my body was on fire, I still felt a chill inside.

Or was I just thinking it felt cold? It’s possible I was too heated to even realize it.

Right now, I couldn’t recall anything else.

If there was only one thing that came to mind…

“How long did it take?”

How long did it take for my father to travel from Mount Shan to Sichuan?

Was it three days? Or four?

I couldn’t remember exactly. It didn’t even matter.

“Faster than that.”

Two days.

Burning all my energy to make it within that time frame.

With only that thought fueling my heart,

Whoosh—!!!

The flames swiftly crossed the void.

Creeeak.

In the chilly basement that felt especially cold for an autumn day, someone opened the iron door and entered. They stepped on the frigid stone floor and walked down the corridor.

Slow steps betrayed a sense of helplessness.

A sigh of irritation escaped, coupled with the crinkled brow of the elder, revealing his state of mind.

Drip. Drip.

Water droplets fell somewhere, soaking the shoulder of the elder.

Though it was damp, the elder seemed unconcerned. He continued walking towards his destination.

Eventually, he arrived in front of an iron cage.

Inside sat someone quietly. Even sitting, their presence loomed large.

The large figure quietly opened their eyes at the sound of footsteps.

Before them stood a massive elder.

Within the dark confines of the cage, two red lights glinted.

Upon seeing those lights, the elder spoke.

“What a ridiculous sight. Gu Clan Leader.”

“…”

“Why are you doing things now that you didn’t even attempt back in your reckless youth? Tsk, tsk…”

“Elder Lee.”

With Gu Cheolun’s words, Elder Lee clucked his tongue repeatedly.

“When I first heard the news, I thought it was absurd. But seeing it for myself, it’s quite something. What on earth are you doing?”

“There was an incident.”

“There must have been, indeed. That’s why the Gu Clan Leader is in such a predicament.”

Despite Elder Lee’s words, Gu Cheolun remained expressionless.

“Let me ask, Muk Yeon. Did you indeed ambush and persecute that old man? Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Unbelievable.”

Elder Lee rubbed his wrinkled forehead upon hearing the firm response.

“Why didn’t you just kill him then? Instead of this muddled situation.”

“That’s what I aimed to do.”

“Ha ha ha. Ridiculous.”

A deep sigh escaped his lips. I had jokingly mentioned it, yet here was the serious answer.

I can’t believe someone can be so brazen.

The act of trying to kill the sect’s strategist was absurd enough, but the most ridiculous thing is…

“Why did you let yourself be captured?”

The sight of Gu Cheolun being locked inside the cage didn’t compute for Elder Lee.

He hadn’t even been properly restrained; he merely sat quietly in the cage.

This implied that if Gu Cheolun wished, he could escape at any time.

No, fundamentally,

“If the Gu Clan Leader wanted, he could have obliterated the Alliance on that day. Yet here he is, what could possibly be the reason?”

“It was necessary.”

“Necessary?”

Elder Lee furrowed his brow at Gu Cheolun’s reply.

“Given the current events, the other elders are likely to move. Obviously, even so, your position as the clan leader won’t be shaken, but some troublesome matters may arise. You know that very well, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Yet knowing all this, it was still necessary?”

“Yes.”

His response was unwaveringly resolute. That drew Elder Lee into pondering.

“Was it about Yangcheon?”

Gu Cheolun’s expression shifted minutely at the inquiry.

Elder Lee, knowing he shouldn’t miss such subtle hints, pressed further.

“Cheolun, I don’t know what you’re planning, but is this truly for Yangcheon?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

“What?”

Until now, he had been answering with conviction, yet there was a strange lack of certainty in his recent response.

“I’m proceeding this way with that thought in mind, but having never lived as a father, I can’t be entirely sure.”

“What an unseemly answer.”

It was a sight Elder Lee had never encountered before. Gu Cheolun, who had never been brought down by anything, was now showing signs of doubt.

No matter how the world turned against him,

Even if the most unbeatable opponent stood before him,

Gu Cheolun had never faltered.

Rather, he had always gathered strength and responded with dignity.

That was Gu Cheolun.

Yet now,

“What concerns you so much?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Gu Cheolun appeared tormented.

Once a beacon of light in darkness, he now seemed profoundly human.

That was frustrating, yet somehow reassuring to see his human-like appearance.

Here was the clan leader trapped in a cage, and I felt relief? I couldn’t believe it myself.

“Your wife is worried about you.”

“…”

“Soon enough, your daughters will likely learn about this as well. So let me ask again.”

Elder Lee peered at Gu Cheolun from beyond the bars.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes.”

Gu Cheolun’s response regained its firmness.

Moreover,

“There’s nothing wrong. Even if something does occur, as always, I will ensure it doesn’t happen.”

The glow in those red eyes intensified.

“Just as always, I will prevent any harm from coming.”

“…”

Where does such confidence come from, even in the current predicament?

In that moment, it felt as if I saw someone else overlapping with him.

‘So alike.’

He truly is his son.

I wondered how such a fiery child could emerge from this calm figure, but I had momentarily forgotten.

Gu Cheolun wasn’t calm; he merely appeared so. He was more fiery than anyone else.

Thus, realizing someone had touched his son would send him into a frenzy against the Martial Alliance.

If I was left pondering any singular question, it was this.

‘Why didn’t he do it?’

Despite being able to, Gu Cheolun refrained from acting.

He even allowed himself to be caught, not enduring any proper restraints, yet he ended up here in a cage.

‘What in the world happened?’

What could have occurred to bring him to this state?

I wished to ask, yet seeing Gu Cheolun’s expression made me understand.

‘He wouldn’t say anything even if it killed him.’

No matter what I said, that expression indicated nothing would get through to him. It had always been like that.

He would bottle up his frustrations until he couldn’t anymore.

He had aged, yet that stubbornness remained.

And then,

‘…He even inherited that.’

That damned stubbornness had likely been passed down to his son as if replicated.

The two were far too similar.

Ah, except for their faces.

“Hyoran mentioned it. She said she had informed Yangcheon about the situation.”

“…”

Gu Cheolun’s eyes flickered for the first time. It was the greatest response he’d shown.

“By now, the correspondence should have reached Sichuan. Your child must be in disarray.”

Gu Cheolun let out a low chuckle at Elder Lee’s words.

“Not likely.”

“Hmm?”

“That child must be harboring resentment toward me. In fact, she might be feeling at peace.”

“…”

Whether he genuinely believed it or not, Gu Cheolun’s expression reflected serenity.

It was almost as if he was relieved by that thought.

‘…Tsk tsk.’

Elder Lee clicked his tongue in exasperation.

“Is it not too ridiculous for a father to be so unaware?”

With a sigh, Elder Lee spoke.

“Your son bears an excruciating likeness to you. You seem to be oblivious to that.”

Every passing day, the resemblance grew stronger. In fact, if I were to consider just their temperament, the son exhibited even worse demeanor.

While from this side, he might appear composed, the other side carried an unyielding fierceness.

So, that made me worry all the more.

‘While you, the father, are in this state due to your son…’

The son, who seemed far more intense, would likely explode if he learns of his father’s condition.

‘There’s no way he wouldn’t, right?’

Surely he wouldn’t just randomly ignite the Alliance into flames, would he?

No way.

Surely that couldn’t possibly be the case for someone who has risen to the position of Great Lord. If that were to happen, the situation would spiral out of control.

I was confident Gu Yangcheon wouldn’t act so rashly.

…At least I hoped so.

“…”

Elder Lee suddenly felt a deep sense of unease.

Bad premonitions tend to often be accurate.

Especially in situations like these.

 

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