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“After the fight ended, the Nangong Clan was in utter chaos.”

During the banquet, an important figure from the Blue Dragon Clan suddenly made an appearance.

Not just anyone, but the Deputy Lord of the Blue Dragon Clan, Shin Ryong, who with his subordinates had caused quite the ruckus.

The fight that broke out suddenly drew everyone’s attention. It wasn’t just an ordinary scuffle; the intensity was off the charts.

Flames erupted and a huge explosion rocked the place. Sure, the building took quite the damage, but the bigger issue was that the banquet came to a screeching halt.

And then there was an even bigger problem.

“…The Second Prince has disappeared.”

Yes, the one who vanished from the Nangong Clan was none other than Nangong Hyeong. He didn’t just go missing; he vanished without a trace.

“He disappeared with the Thunder Fang…?”

Crack-!

Bam-!!

Nangong Jeohwi slammed his fist down onto the table, shattering it in half from the sheer force.

“What the hell just happened?!”

His face contorted in anger, and the martial artists nearby flinched at the intensity of his fury.

“You mean to tell me that you couldn’t stop that useless fool from disappearing with the Thunder Fang? Do you think that makes any sense? If you can speak, then start talking!”

The martial artists found themselves unable to utter a word in the oppressive atmosphere.

With a grinding of teeth in the suffocating silence, Nangong Jeohwi shifted his gaze to two individuals standing to the left of the Head House.

They were the ones who had caused this chaos and disrupted the banquet.

Shin Ryong, Gu Cheolun, and the subordinate Baek Yangcheon.

“What in the world did you do?”

He managed to force out his words while barely containing his emotions, prompting Gu Cheolun to bow his head.

“I’m truly sorry.”

“After all the effort to create such a joyous occasion, what is this disaster?”

“… ”

This was supposed to be the banquet that celebrated the closure of the Demonic Gate. Who would have thought it would turn into this horrific mess?

Inside the clan, stories were circulating due to that duo’s fight.

Amidst that chaos, the Second Prince disappeared with the Thunder Fang.

And that fact was like a thorn in Nangong Jeohwi’s side.

‘Damn it.’

Who could have predicted it would escalate to this point? I always thought he’d cause trouble someday, but not like this!

‘That ungrateful brat.’

After raising him, feeding him, for him to stab the family in the back like this?

Furthermore, the fact he vanished with the Thunder Fang sent Nangong Jeohwi’s rage soaring to the heavens.

“…Immediately dismiss the managers at Biwaegun, and order a search party to capture the Second Prince. Also.”

With a cold glint in his eyes, Nangong Jeohwi spoke to a figure nearby.

“If the situation escalates upon discovery, do not hesitate to sever limbs to subdue him.”

“Understood… I will obey.”

The figure exited after receiving the command.

It was apparent that the banquet was practically finished.

After commanding his subordinates, the clan leader turned back to Gu Cheolun.

“I must ask you, Deputy Lord.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“How on earth did this fight even start?”

“… ”

“I don’t believe someone of your stature would be so oblivious to cause a battle in the middle of another clan’s territory.”

Nangong Jeohwi pressed on, holding back his fury.

“Or was this conflict intentional?”

“… ”

The notion that the fight had been premeditated, and that it could be connected to Nangong Hyeong’s escape, was a nagging thought for him.

‘Reality aligns with this.’

From where I stood, it seemed that Nangong Jeohwi was sharper than usual.

It truly was my intention.

‘Maybe my father doesn’t realize this.’

While my father was embroiled in a fight, my own intentions were clear. Any fight between him and Nangong Hyeong would obviously draw attention.

And once that happened, everything would spiral out of control.

Nangong Hyeong’s escape? A definite no-go.

The fact he wanted to run off with the Thunder Fang was one issue, and then there was my involvement in helping him.

So, here we were.

‘If everything is going to fall apart anyway…’

Then let’s just make it a total disaster.

Which is why I’d opted for a fight with my father.

The outcome wasn’t bad. It drew attention, and in that chaos, Nangong Hyeong had dashed out. That was the result.

The real problem was.

‘Everything turned out well, but…’

Now, how am I going to clean up this mess?

It was good that Nangong Hyeong escaped, but that left me with a dilemma.

Nangong Hyeong ran off with the Thunder Fang. My father was, in essence, trying to stop both him and me.

If my father were to explain the situation then it would spell doom for me.

How on earth would he respond? As I contemplated my father’s next words, he suddenly turned back to Nangong Jeohwi.

“This was part of my training.”

‘Huh?’

That was an unexpected answer.

“What? Training?”

“Yes. While we were talking, a rebellion occurred and I wanted to teach a lesson.”

“Ha… So this battle was a lesson?”

“That’s right.”

My father nodded with a perfectly expressionless face.

Of course.

“And you expect me to believe that?”

Nangong Jeohwi wasn’t the type to simply take someone’s word without scrutiny.

Even if he might think my father was somewhat weak, he was rather sharp when it came to politics.

One thing was clear.

“Yes.”

Even then, my father’s demeanor didn’t change in the slightest.

“… Deputy Lord.”

“Please speak.”

“This cannot be brushed aside casually. No matter how much the Blue Dragon Clan has benefited the Nangong Clan, this is a distinctly separate issue.”

“I’m fully aware.”

“And yet you say such things while understanding that?”

“That’s right.”

“Huh!”

Nangong Jeohwi’s face twisted in disbelief. His earlier words had already issued a clear warning. This was not something that could be dealt with lightly.

But even after hearing this, my father maintained his stance.

“I apologize for the disrespect shown to the Nangong Clan. We will compensate for the damaged walls and broken buildings without any exception.”

“…That’s not the issue!”

Nangong Jeohwi almost shouted, but caught himself realizing it would lead to further misunderstanding.

This made the discussion straightforward. My father’s words meant:

“We regret the fight that occurred between our clans. We will also compensate for any damage caused during the commotion.

However, it’s just a simple fight. We have nothing to do with the Second Prince’s disappearance.”

As if he were explaining the clear narrative between them.

Crack.

Fists clenched tightly, Nangong Jeohwi pressed his temples with his other hand.

“Hoo…”

With a low exhale, he opened his cold eyes and spoke to my father.

“…I will have to check things out as well.”

“Understood.”

“However, if in the process of checking, anything contradicts the Deputy Lord’s words… you’d better be prepared.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

With that, he exited the Head House.

It was still quite late at night. It had already passed midnight when the incident occurred, and now it was nearing dawn.

Come morning, the Nangong Clan would probably be bustling with activity.

As I thought about that, I called out to my father, who was walking ahead of me.

“Deputy Lord.”

“…”

My father paused at my call.

He then turned slightly, glancing my way.

“…Why didn’t you say anything?”

I looked him in the eye, dodging his glare, and asked why he hadn’t explained the circumstances. Curious, I inquired.

“Baek Yangcheon.”

“Yes?”

“How did you help him?”

“…Huh?”

My father posed a question rather than answering me.

“What do you mean?”

“I asked why you assisted the Second Prince.”

“…Ah.”

Why? When I heard the question, I thought for a moment about why I had helped him.

Well…

“Just because.”

It was a light-hearted response, but it held a lot more than it let on.

If I were to be honest, it was because of the words that Nangong Hyeong had spoken about the hell he was in.

His earnest desire to escape from this hell resonated with me.

I may not know the details of Nangong Hyeong’s life, but I moved because of his words.

As I recalled that, my father stared at me quietly.

“Just because?”

“…Yes.”

Am I going to get scolded? I mean, I probably should. I helped a royal bloodline in the Nangong Clan run off with a treasure.

And my reason? Just a casual statement? That’s an absurd excuse.

As I pondered my situation in silence, my father suddenly said,

“I feel the same.”

“Huh?”

He spoke those peculiar words. He feels the same?

I was left confused, prompting my father to add more context.

“That’s my answer to your question.”

“Ah.”

Only then did I understand. It seems that was his answer as to why he helped me.

‘…Came back to bite me.’

He probably didn’t want to be pinned down by an explanation, so he silenced both me and himself.

Ugh. There’s no winning here.

Feeling sheepish, I scratched the back of my head.

“Follow me.”

My father turned his back and walked away. Curious about his intentions, I followed.

After a brief, silent walk, we arrived at a training ground.

Why are we suddenly at the training ground? I wondered as my father stepped in with purpose.

Entering the center, my father turned and looked back at me.

His gaze seemed to beckon me to come closer.

“…”

Nervously, I approached him.

“…Why are we here?”

I asked, and then my father’s eyes sparkled with intensity as he spoke.

“Repay what you owe.”

“Huh?”

He requested I repay him for helping me?

Suddenly?

Earlier, he’d said he helped me just because.

Now he seemed to want something in return?

But then,

“Do it properly.”

“…!”

My father exuded a powerful Qi.

“Show me your true ability.”

Whirr.

A sound like a ring turning filled the air.

“That’s the repayment I desire.”

Transform-!

From my father flowed a completely different aura than before.

 

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