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Kuuuuuk.

“Cough…”

Muk Yeon let out a whimper, feeling pressure in his throat.

His toes were already floating in the air. His neck was gripped tightly, lifting him up just like that.

As a result, he felt a suffocating sensation and pain, but the bigger problems were the helplessness and fear.

He could really do nothing. The only thing he could do was to barely exhale the bubbling saliva.

“Huu…kugh…”

The room was cold.

It was apparent that autumn had arrived, as the chill persisted even with a fire lit. But now, that was no longer the case.

Something was forming on his moist forehead. Muk Yeon quickly realized it was sweat.

It was hot. The cold air had disappeared, replaced by only heat. In fact, he felt the temperature rising even more.

Muk Yeon glanced down at something.

A figure was raising the room’s temperature and gripping his neck. Being an ordinary person, it was hard for Muk Yeon to identify his opponent in the darkness, but even in the gloom, he could see the glowing red eyes clearly.

Like burning flames, those eyes alone told him who his opponent was.

“Muk Yeon.”

A heavy voice pierced Muk Yeon’s ears.

“I’ll ask again.”

The tone was calm, devoid of highs and lows. Yet, from it, Muk Yeon could feel a thick rage. The opponent was barely suppressing a fury that bubbled over his very being.

It was the same man who usually radiated coldness even while using fire techniques. To see him this angry was, curious as it was, astonishing even in this situation.

“Where is my son?”

“Ggh…”

As if his words were being choked out, his grip loosened slightly, just enough to allow him to speak.

Noticing this, Muk Yeon cautiously said, “If it’s you… then you must already know… why I’m here, right?”

At Muk Yeon’s words, the opponent’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew this was a sign of affirmation.

Moreover, Muk Yeon believed firmly in his statement.

That this man had already come somewhat aware of the situation.

He was always certain.

Once his anger flared, it was unstoppable, yet until then, he maintained his limits well.

It was because he understood what kind of calamity his anger could cause.

Thus, it was all the more terrifying.

Someone who was too aware of his own power.

Muk Yeon had found this man, Gu Cheolun, difficult to understand for a long time.

Because he was unwaveringly principled. He possessed the strength to uphold that principle, and yet, that strength was perilous.

A sturdy principle yet not directed towards blindness.

So he had shackled himself. So powerful that he could untie it directly anytime, yet his own belief kept him shackled.

It had taken time to create this.

“…”

The owner of the red eyes, Gu Cheolun, silently stared at Muk Yeon, loosening his grip.

Thunk! Muk Yeon’s body fell heavily to the floor as he slumped down in a weakened state.

“Cough—! Cough—!!”

As he coughed roughly, Gu Cheolun leaned over, looking directly into Muk Yeon’s eyes.

“Let’s change the question.”

“…Cough.”

“Why did you do it?”

“…!”

Muk Yeon’s body stiffened at Gu Cheolun’s voice.

Even without a bet, he could discern it. The current aura was of killing intent.

A chilling sensation crawling up his throat like a meticulous needle. Even the will to Breath felt as if it was being overtaken by the opponent.

His gaze began to drift farther away. All he could see was Gu Cheolun’s crimson eyes.

Suuuuuuu.

The air he inhaled now felt unbearably hot.

It felt as if it would burn his lungs.

‘Still the same.’

As he perceived this, Muk Yeon recalled a certain past.

Back then, it wasn’t true, but now, those called the Three Eminent Beings were two.

The world’s greatest during that era.

The chief and the leader of the Gu Sect.

Facing opponents against whom victory was unfathomable, the young man of that time, not the middle-aged man he is now, said:

– There is no reason to run away.

A voice that felt no tremors in it at all. Just as low and heavy as now, it resonated softly towards them.

– So I shall not flee.

Despite hiding a dying woman behind him and bleeding profusely himself, the young man continued to speak to them.

Someone had commented on his appearance. If he recalled correctly, it was Woo Bongchwigae.

Did he still think he could win in this situation? To return without letting that monster go.

If not, he would have to kill them.

It was obvious to anyone.

The odds were against them. There was no place to escape, and they couldn’t win through fighting.

Everyone knew it well, yet even if their hearts were dying,

– Why do you define my defeat?

His eyes had not dimmed.

– I have not yet lost.

– Even until the moment my breath ceases, it shall be so.

His heart was blazing, burning with light.

Even in front of absolute power, the young man would not retreat.

– Thus, come forth.

So-called flames. That was a flame shaped like a human.

Indeed, a flame that would burn endlessly until he took his last breath. A blazing fire that burned with nothing but belief and will.

Recalling that time, Muk Yeon inadvertently let out a smile.

Hehe…

“…”

At his smile, Gu Cheolun’s brows furrowed. It seemed he found it uncomfortable that someone would smile in such a situation.

“…I apologize.”

Muk Yeon casually offered an apology.

Why did he find himself smiling just now? As he pondered the reason, it quickly became clear.

“I didn’t intend to laugh. I suddenly thought of your son.”

Indeed, the reason for his smile was just that.

“I thought he resembled you somewhat but not entirely. Now, it seems he resembles you quite a lot.”

Thinking of Gu Cheolun as a flame that blazes endlessly made him remember another flame.

A curious child, full of the greatest secrets.

He had originally believed it was another flame that continued to burn like Gu Cheolun. But now, it felt different.

‘Cold.’

If his father appeared cold yet was genuinely passionate.

That child seemed to burn fiercely, yet at the same time, he felt cold.

It was certainly a flame, but for some reason, a deep chill could be sensed. At most, he was in his early twenties; what had he experienced that would give his eyes a sense of time, and in his tone and voice, the occasional hostility?

Thus, that coldness was restraint.

He could ignite at any moment and burn everything around him, yet he conceals himself, maintaining a cold demeanor.

In truth, Muk Yeon found that more frightening.

Yet.

“Huh…?”

For some reason, Muk Yeon suddenly felt his breath returning.

The heavy breaths became easier, and the suffocating killing intent seemed to lessen. In this strange moment, he lifted his lowered head.

Before him, Gu Cheolun’s red eyes were still visible, but Muk Yeon thought about it.

‘Something feels lighter.’

The gaze directed at him seemed less menacing than before.

Is this an illusion? If not, then why?

In the midst of this odd sensation, as Muk Yeon pondered the questions, Gu Cheolun spoke.

“Back then. We surely made a pact.”

Gu Cheolun addressed Muk Yeon. Yet, his tone seemed somewhat different…

“If I fulfilled what you desired, I would not interfere.”

“…”

“Thus, I did as you wished.”

Muk Yeon couldn’t respond to the question as Gu Cheolun’s words were too heavy to articulate anything.

“I waged war as you desired. I burned many and piled them into mountains. Moreover.”

A chilling glint passed through Gu Cheolun’s eyes.

“I also remained silent even after knowing what was done in the name of justice for the Martial Alliance.”

Muk Yeon’s lips fell still. In Gu Cheolun’s eyes, despite the lack of any emotion, it was precisely that that made it all the more difficult.

“It mattered not to me. I had already realized that the meaning of justice and agreement had crumbled long ago. It was nothing of great importance to me.”

As Gu Cheolun continued, Muk Yeon could sense it.

The emotion in his voice was gradually filling up.

“So I went through all the trouble of binding Samaoje with the Golden Binding technique. It wasn’t all that difficult.”

Kiiigkkk.

The table shifted.

Not just the table, those on top of it rattled and scattered.

“Even when your elder made the wrong decision, causing my subordinates to meet their death.”

Crack!

The building cracked in an instant.

“It mattered not. What was important to me was only the pact.”

“…Gu Great Lord.”

“You’d know if it were me.”

Even at Muk Yeon’s calling, Gu Cheolun merely continued his soliloquy.

“I could have destroyed this trivial pact at any time. Couldn’t I?”

“…”

Muk Yeon merely nodded his head slightly in response.

“Yet, I refrained from doing so, oddly enough, due to a small stubbornness.”

Gu Cheolun’s hand moved.

“My stubbornness to preserve the wind.”

Whose wind is he referring to?

While the crucial part of his words was missing, Muk Yeon knew the answer.

“Thus, I endured.”

Creeeek.

The rough hand that moved slowly ignited in flames.

“According to the pact, I sent her off with my own hands.”

The flames wrapped around his hand did not grow in size, but they became increasingly vivid.

“That was to uphold the end of the grace period.”

Wham—!!

The flames that had been layered suddenly gathered, as if they were about to burst at any moment.

At that moment.

Boom—!!!

Someone dashed in.

Gu Cheolun, as if he already knew, moved his hand.

Crack—! The gripping hand caught the incoming swordblade.

Yet his gaze remained unchanged.

Gu Cheolun looked only at Muk Yeon, as if he didn’t care about the sword’s owner at all.

“Everything was for the sake of the pact with you. I told you back then.”

Clang—! As Gu Cheolun tightened his hand, the captured sword shattered.

And then.

Ka-boom—!!

“…!!”

With a violent sound, someone knelt.

The individual who burst into the room and attacked was the Great Lord of the Guardian Unit, the Sword Sovereign.

The Sword Sovereign, on one knee, grimaced. He clearly seemed to have been hit, and yet all one could hear was the sound of something breaking, not knowing what had happened.

“I will protect what I ought to protect, so you too must do the same. If you don’t, I won’t stop either. Remember this?”

“…I remember.”

“Very well. You remember.”

At Muk Yeon’s response, Gu Cheolun nodded for a moment. Then—

Crack—!

“Cough!”

Gu Cheolun once again seized Muk Yeon’s neck.

“Then why did you do it?”

His voice was one of bewilderment.

“Why is that child working within the confines of the alliance?”

“Ggh….”

Unable to answer the question, Muk Yeon found himself struggling to breathe.

“Surely I did as requested.”

“Cough.”

“That meant we could buy the grace period by doing so.”

The moment Gu Cheolun continued his words, the Sword Sovereign tried to move. However, he found himself unable to do so.

This was because Muk Yeon discreetly signaled for him to remain still.

“Wishing to remain hidden, I chose not to interfere with the children, thus I concealed my presence.”

Both the emotion in his voice and Gu Cheolun’s expression were likewise intertwined.

The fury was gradually filling his eyes.

“But.”

Chiiiing.

From the ground, an unsettling sound rippled. The flickering flames began gradually consuming the floor.

“Why on earth are you touching my ‘belief’?”

The flames engulfed Gu Cheolun in response to his emotion.

Muk Yeon gazed into the catastrophe. If it were to explode here, it would be a calamity that no one could easily stop.

“Answer me. If not, then…”

Gu Cheolun looked at Muk Yeon.

“From today, I will erase the Martial Alliance from this world.”

This was no lie.

Just as he had done in the Tang Clan, Gu Cheolun was genuinely intending to erase the Martial Alliance.

For him now, it was not particularly difficult.

 

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