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Chapter 7: The Elder’s Proposition

“Whew-!!”

The energy barrier shook violently.

It was partly due to my inability to properly control my energy, but the old man’s words were truly shocking.

“…What do you mean by that?”

I stared at the elder with furrowed brows.

Had he traversed time? He surely questioned me in such a manner.

‘What is this?’

My mind raced, the cold feeling returning quickly.

How could he possibly know to ask me this?

No way…

‘…Is this old man also a returnee?’

I realized that there was another returnee besides myself.

I didn’t know if it meant he had turned back time or if he had come from another world, but it didn’t seem strange to suggest another character existed.

With that thought, I watched the old man with a heightened sense of vigilance.

Could it be that the first clan leader of the Baekhwa Sect is also a returnee?

While I was caught up in all sorts of thoughts, the old man set his teacup down and continued speaking right afterward.

“I overheard something. The First Prince has accomplished great things at such a young age, so I just thought I’d throw it out there.”

“…”

“Looking at the First Prince’s reaction, it seems I might’ve gone too far with my jest. I apologize.’

“…A jest, was it?”

“Hmm?”

The elder tilted his head with a curious look.

“Then, did you truly traverse time?”

“No, of course not. That would be impossible.”

Hahaha.

I waved my hand and laughed awkwardly.

“It was just such a ridiculous statement that I got flustered for a moment. ‘Traversing time’… it’s utter nonsense, right?”

As I tried to hide my embarrassment, the old man stared at me silently.

‘Is he suspicious of me?’

It was incredibly awkward.

I was finding it hard to gauge whether he was fishing for information or if he suspected me based on my bizarre reaction.

‘Damn it.’

His previous taunts about my awkward acting popped into my head.

Had I known beforehand how to react, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. But now, with those words about time travel popping out of nowhere, my mind turned blank.

No matter how much I tried to play it cool, it felt too late. Just then, the old man spoke once more.

“I don’t think it’s an impossible idea.”

“Excuse me?”

The elder spoke nonchalantly while watching me.

“The First Prince. When living as a merchant, one encounters many people.”

I pretended to listen while my mind was still working.

“Some boast about having come from another world, claiming their body isn’t their own and that they are actually the greatest being of the past. You meet all sorts.”

“Isn’t that just lunatics?”

If someone claimed they were from another world or that their body wasn’t their own, who could possibly take that seriously?

‘These people seem out of their minds, huh?’

Such absurdities left me dumbfounded.

“Do you really believe that…?”

“I don’t.”

“But.”

“I also don’t think every single word is a lie.”

“Eh?”

“In this world, there are many ridiculous happenings, and since I’m not certain, I can’t dismiss them all outright.”

“…”

His words carried an unknown sharpness.

“The First Prince.”

“…Yes?”

“Though I began joking, your circumstances do not concern me much.”

“…”

Cold sweat began to bead on my forehead.

How should I express this feeling?

It wasn’t cold, but it felt like a chill was pouring in from somewhere. My surroundings felt lined with thousands of sharp daggers pointing at me.

He knows everything.

That elder seems to know everything about me.

That feeling pierced straight through my skull.

‘Whew…’

I had felt similar with Muk Yeon, but this was even more intense.

What should I do?

Thoughts raced through, but there weren’t many options.

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say… but can you tell me why you’ve called for me?”

Forget about everything else. What I wanted to know was why he summoned me.

In such a situation, bullheadedly pushing forward was essential.

Lacking the confidence to play it cool, and knowing my doubts weren’t reasonable, I narrowed my eyes as I spoke.

The elder watched me silently for a spell before finally responding.

“Ah, yes. The reason. Right… the reason.”

He nodded a few times, as if he had just recalled something.

“I’m sorry. With age, I’ve developed the habit of forgetting easily.”

“…”

“Yes… I had called the First Prince.”

What was this? Had he lost his mind?

The conversation kept veering off track.

“Why did I call for you again?”

“…”

I truly believed he had lost it.

After staring blankly into space for a moment, the elder suddenly widened his eyes.

“Ah! Now I remember…”

“…Ah, that’s a relief.”

“Indeed. I was going to ask you something.”

“Uh… yes… I’m listening.”

What is this he wants to ask?

Feeling tense unlike before, I awaited his words.

And then.

“By the way, First Prince.”

“Yes, elder?”

“Do you plan to become the clan leader?”

“…”

Once again, the elder delivered an unexpected question.

“…Suddenly?”

“Yes.”

“That came out of nowhere.”

You want to know if I plan to become the clan leader?

It made me involuntarily nod.

“Why do you ask?”

My tone slipped into incredulity, irritation seeping through.

This old man called me here only to ask such a thing?

He’s been speaking bizarrely since earlier, and I was beginning to get annoyed.

“Why do you want to know?”

But after asking, I realized that I inquired much more than I intended.

“How badly do you want to get rid of me?”

Even with the elder’s polite request for my reasonable energy to be unleashed, he was now merely asking me such simple things?

“Well, you see…”

The clan leader position was supposed to be inherited, so I had never given it much thought.

Not that it was truly anything I could decide.

“Ultimately, it’s a decision made by the clan leader, isn’t it?”

Sure, my father and the elders would hold significant influence, but…

Even if I completely despised it, that was simply out of my hands.

While I might be able to run away if I were so inclined,

the position could not be handed over to me.

“Then what do I have to do?”

Although it may have sounded like I was styling for a fight, the reality was that I genuinely hadn’t the slightest clue about his motivations.

What could this elder possibly want?

Could it be about the offspring of the lesser clan leader or that lame-duck oldest son?

The fact he came so far suggests that he might seek to influence whom he prefers.

“I’m not sure how my rise as clan leader could affect you.”

“There might be an effect… it’s not insignificant. After all, concerning our daughter, it is linked.”

Just as I expected.

His interest truly pertains to Lady Mi and her daughter, Gu Huibi Gu Yeonseo.

“If that’s the issue, I have nothing to say. As I mentioned before…”

“If they say you’re to be the leader, would you be willing to accept?”

“…”

If they say I’m to be the clan leader?

At that question, I furrowed my brow.

“Hmm…”

I was at the moment expected to take on the role of lesser clan leader, but a clan leader…

“That is not something I can decide. Such things cannot be acquired simply by wishful thinking, nor can you refuse if you do not wish it.”

“…”

Did that count as an answer?

While hiding my true thoughts, the elder continued to watch me.

Was my answer unsatisfactory?

“First Prince.”

“Yes, elder?”

“Do you understand what it means to be the clan leader of Gu Clan?”

“…Huh?”

“That before that, do you know what the name ‘Gu’ means at all?”

“Isn’t that just some generic family name? Isn’t it?”

I’m aware most clans didn’t have specific meaning attached to their names, whether it was Nangong or any other family.

“What’s the significance of that?”

“From your reaction, it’s evident you are unaware. So I asked.”

“Unaware?!”

The meaning behind the clan leader and Gu Clan?

Me? Unaware?

‘How ridiculous.’

I felt almost silly laughing.

How could he dare to suggest I didn’t know anything?

“Then do you know, elder? What this clan truly means?”

“Certainly more than you, First Prince.”

“Then tell me. What exactly are you so sure of?”

Just exactly what could he claim to know that would warrant his haughty tone?

I challenged him with a scoff to see if he could even back it up.

“Hmm… The ‘Gu’ refers to…”

Kwang-!

Just as the elder was about to speak, the closed door swung open, and someone entered.

The sound boomed, and it was none other than Lady Mi.

‘Oh no.’

I thought I might get interrupted, but I did not actively barricade against it.

Now it seemed that had caused an issue.

With a highly agitated expression, Lady Mi stepped into the room.

“Lady Mi…?”

“What’s happening here?”

Without even asking what the issue was, she advanced towards the elder, her voice cold.

The elder turned his gaze, meeting Lady Mi’s sharp demeanor.

“Clan leader. Can you explain what you’re doing? To interrupt my conversation like this? It seems you’ve overstepped your boundaries.”

“Uh, wait a moment…”

“I’m not the one who crossed the line. That was you.”

“…”

My mouth fell closed in disbelief.

Had Lady Mi truly been so furious before?

It must have been the first time I had witnessed it.

“Do you really not know how out of line you’ve been?”

“Is it wrong to tell you something you need to know?”

“You’re trying to tell me something I don’t need right now!”

“That’s incorrect. A ‘wrong’ means you’re just ignorant. Those who created this situation are the real offenders.”

“You’re in no position to make judgments. What an unnecessary overreach you’ve taken.”

Suddenly igniting into an unyielding war of words, their dialogue seemed too intense for a father-daughter exchange.

After a few more exchanges went back and forth.

“Once again, Clan Leader. I am still in discussion with the First Prince. Thus, would you kindly excuse yourself?”

Upon the elder’s words, Lady Mi turned her gaze toward me.

“First Prince.”

“Yes? Yes…”

“I apologize. Thank you for visiting today, but I must cut this short. It seems like this conversation will take a while.”

“No, I think I should be here too…”

“I implore you.”

“Yes…”

I walked away without glancing back.

Not because it was a request, but because the intensity in Lady Mi’s eyes suggested a depth of icy terror unaligned with her cordial demeanor.

No matter how much I might want to know, it appeared I would not be privy to further information.

‘…’

Why is the Gu Clan referred to as such?

What does being the clan leader truly entail?

I’m left wondering if that elder is indeed aware of what it means, but in this moment, it appears I’ll hear nothing more.

‘…Tsk.’

Just as I pondered whether to stay firm in my seat,

whoosh-!

I gather the energy around, walking away from Lady Mi’s side.

“…Then, I’ll see you next time.”

There was no reply.

Suppressing the uncomfortable feeling, I gripped the door handle.

Creeeak-!

The door closed behind me.

Immediately after Gu Yangcheong left, the elder quietly called out, “Mujin.”

Lady Mi whispered softly to someone.

In that instant, an energy began to extend from the center of the room.

Whoosh-!

The energy barrier unfolded once more.

A wind generated by a bet swept past Lady Mi.

Her neatly arranged hair swayed, and her chilled gaze focused on the elder.

“What are you doing?”

“Do you wish to hear what just transpired?”

The elder responded, observing the surroundings.

“Looks like you’ve put up the Cheonghaeseok.”

The Cheonghaeseok was a treasure that allowed one to overhear what occurred within a room.

While the range was limited and the distance made eavesdropping near impossible, so it wasn’t commonly used.

“Yes. I might not know what nonsense you would say.”

“Clan leader shows much in the way of disrespect, doesn’t he? Or perhaps…”

His colorless eyes turned to Lady Mi.

“Is it that the child has become precious to you?”

“…”

The tone shifted, and as those words landed, Lady Mi’s brow creased even further.

“You dare act like a father after all these years? It seems you’re far too late for that.”

The fury was evident on her face.

The sight elicited a faint smile from the elder.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you angry.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Are you that afraid of revealing the truth to that child? You know it’s something that they will inevitably find out.”

The youthful child standing before him was a scion of the Gu Clan, and exclusively the son of the clan leader.

He reflected on Gu Yangcheong, the often mentioned figure stirring up news in the Central Plains recently.

“Pointless actions.”

“That’s why you’ve deemed it necessary to come to interrupt me. After decades of absence, you think you’d just show up to say these things?”

“Also, it served as an incentive. If I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be speaking to me at all.”

“Do not twist my words. The decision to leave was not mine.”

The reply raised Lady Mi’s voice.

“After all this time, you still think you can act however you wish. What gives you the right to speak to me as if you’re a clan leader?”

Bang-!

Lady Mi’s thin hand struck the wooden table with force.

The cup tipped over, and tea spilled across the floor.

The liquid, cool yet steady, soaked into the cloth beneath.

While the situation unfurled, the elder remained composed as ever.

“Being reckless is innate to your nature. It’s not like I’ve forgotten that.”

“What is the matter to you…”

“How you turned down your own father, disregarding me to choose a rock from the clan? Isn’t that how you treated me?”

“…”

A ‘rock’ from the clan.

Upon uttering that phrase, Lady Mi found herself momentarily silenced.

“I had indeed warned you! That child is a storm! No one could bow their head to him, and for the sake of achieving whatever goals, he would ultimately abandon you. That’s just how it is. Just look at the monster disguised as a woman next to him.”

Her arm that touched the ground trembled momentarily.

“My excellent daughter. Back then you proclaimed you could withstand anything.”

“…That is…”

“Now? How do you feel as you observe? Did he win against everything as you predicted?”

“…”

“Isn’t it absurd? He hasn’t overcome anything. Instead, he barely had offered up even a ‘vessel’ to contain his own storm. Truly remarkable, but is that to create a situation for himself where he can build his own empire? If so…”

“Mind your tongue.”

At her gruff tone, the elder raised an eyebrow.

“No one has the right to insult that person or that child in my presence.”

As her hand dropped from the table’s surface, a drop of blood fell onto the tea-soaked floor.

Lady Mi’s palm was injured from the impact,

but she bore it without flinching.

“That also applies to you.”

Lady Mi’s voice radiated a sense of sharpness as if fangs were bared.

“…Haha.”

Amused by the sight, the elder suddenly burst into laughter.

Yet,

“You’re still ensnared by your lingering attachment.”

The laughter he held was gone almost instantly.

“Your sentiment borders on the idea that you could stand beside him. You still have not been able to let go of that thought.”

“…”

“Why can’t you see? My daughter. That is something for those like us to never pursue.”

The trembling blood flowed further from Lady Mi’s palm.

“I warned you to leave that part of yourself behind if you chose to depart, yet you remain engaged with it.”

“I’ve never thought of giving up. And that sentiment won’t change even with the flow of time—”

“How much do you perceive that time remains?”

“…”

Her breath caught in her throat at the elder’s words.

“Do you genuinely believe time remains?”

“…You…”

“Looking at your grown child, I knew.

His presence is unmistakably derived from his father.

Many will think the world unreasonably intervenes at such times.

How on earth could he bear such power at that age?

How is it that he touches such heights?

——Many curious inquiries shall arise, but the elder won’t worry about them.

Understandably.

“There is not much time left.”

To carry on the mantle, they were supposed to be exceptional beings who arose to continue the legacy.

“That, more than anyone else, you should be aware of.”

Through generations, the inheritance of the Gu Clan meant such beings.

“To barely wear the facade of a human, he won’t be long until he commits himself to the mission.

And the moment he has prepared his child, it shall inevitably unfold.”

The clan leader position conveyed great meaning.

“Serving as a vessel to accept sins. Therefore, shedding human emotions, only the belief of clinging to the laws remains.”

When that time arrives.

“My daughter. Will he still wish for you by his side?”

“…”

Struck silent by the elder’s words, Lady Mi couldn’t respond.

“Expectations can lead only to disappointment. By that time, he won’t even resemble the person you knew. No, he cannot be called human at all.”

Just the vessel remaining.

What could ever be inside?

“What lies within will fasten the urgency each day as that child strengthens… or perhaps…”

The elder’s gaze drifted to the door Gu Yangcheong had exited.

“…He may have already become prepared for it.”

A tinge of guilt appeared in his otherwise stoic eyes as he spoke those words.

*

Sss-.

In the heart of the cave, where the wind carried a chilling aura.

The surroundings felt so silent, devoid of any living presence that it appeared merely a void.

Nothingness surrounded me.

Within the very depths of such a space.

Cling!

Clang!

The sound broke the stillness in short intervals.

Deep inside the recess, that sound resonated.

What on earth could it be? The question didn’t linger long.

As I focused on the epicenter of the sound, an anomaly surfaced within the all-encompassing darkness.

Whoosh-!!

The flame erupted.

As the flame burst into life, its small size belied the explosive power it held, illuminating the entire area in radiant light.

With the surroundings brightened, the cause now emerged from obscurity.

Revealing itself was an enormous door nestled firmly amidst the darkness.

The sheer size of it was astonishing to the point that one would question how it could even be housed within such confines.

Megaton chains bound the door’s great frame as if on cue.

Cling-!

That sound was the consequence of the chains rattling.

The noise echoed through the atmosphere, a plight of chains that strained against keeping the door firmly shut.

A deeply sealed door was restrained by chains yearning for release; and just behind them.

Kugugugu-!

A figure struggled beneath the tension of the chains.

A tall body, dwarfing human proportions.

His muscular frame was covered in so many scars, it belied the form of a giant among men.

Yet, in stark contrast, he appeared tiny next to the chains he grasped.

There he stood, holding tightly against the struggling chains.

The effort was evidently laborious, sweat drenched him heavily.

Despite trembling arms and bloodshot eyes, the man uttered not a single word.

“…”

He simply exerted more force into his grasp.

A steadfast refusal to let go. As the man tightened his grip, flames exploded forth.

Whoosh-!!

The flames unfurled, intertwining with the chains, securing them in place.

The once trembling chains snugged even tighter against the door, halting the commotion entirely.

“…”

And only after observing this did the man release the chains he had held clenched.

Crimson stains marked his grasp.

His hands were torn and mangled.

It must have been excruciating, yet the man wore no expression.

There, the elder approached silently, “Impressive.”

“You truly managed to endure that.”

As the elder’s words reached him, the man slowly turned his head.

“You’ve arrived.”

His gravelly voice was tinged with fatigue.

“How did it feel? Was it manageable?”

“…”

As he listened, the man turned his eyes back to the door.

The door he had only a moment ago strained against remained utterly unmoving, engulfed in flames.

“Do not see it as disappointment. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to hold on for so long.”

“I’m not disappointed.”

“Well, that’s good.”

Giggling softly, the elder felt amused.

The man, however, remained focused.

“Why are you here?”

“Hmm.”

It was as if the elder cherished this response.

“What if I did something? What then?”

Clung!

The tremor subsided abruptly.

Was it a lack of reaction? It seemed that way. Yet it was merely a foreshadowing of calamity.

A harbinger moment before the storm.

“Cackling.”

The elder raised his hand slightly as if to soothe.

“You seem frightened. Stepping over even your father isn’t beyond possibility.”

“…”

“Do not worry. Before being your offspring, he is my precious grandchild, so no harm shall come to him. I only wanted to see that child’s face, nothing more.”

Despite how he uttered those words, the man’s expression turned cautionary in a flash.

What might that stubborn child have tried to do to me?

Though the elder found that question intriguing, he decided it prudent not to inquire.

Now was not the moment.

“Son.”

His attention returned to the man.

“Do not forget. Before the time passes, the child must be elevated to the position of lesser clan leader. Furthermore, it is imperative that you too should come to this position sooner than later.”

“…I’m aware.”

“Very well, you must remember that.”

Whoosh!

Flames began to rise from the man, Gu Cheolun’s body.

“That is our offshoot.”

“…”

He didn’t emit a single reply.

Surrendering to the flames, he began to drift toward the place he had to be.

As he transformed into a blaze, the space fell empty.

Within that location, they faded away quietly, the elder moved with a calculated calm.

Just before the great door, now beaming solemnity.

He walked slowly, standing before the door, the elder rendered a quiet remark.

“How truly sorrowful.”

As he uttered these words, his expression revealed little emotion, contrasting against the weight of his words.

 

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