The feeling that surged in him as he watched the blazing flames was one of dismay.
‘…So he has truly reached the stage of the Flame Boundary.’
Seeing the true face of Little Lord Yama, whose rumors had spread so widely, Moyong Tae felt a knot of emotions. And among them, jealousy was the most intense.
It was a competitive spirit that came instinctively to any martial artist, a burning envy of the talent others possessed.
Even though Moyong Tae had supposedly laid down his sword, the sheer genius standing before him was enough to shock and stir jealousy in his heart.
To reach the stage of the Flame Boundary before even the age of twenty… Could such an achievement even be called mere talent?
Although many spoke of Little Lord Yama as a monster, a true star of this era, it was hard to comprehend without witnessing it personally.
That’s why, as Moyong Tae gazed at Gu Yangcheon, he swallowed his emotions.
‘…I see.’
Seeing it for himself made acceptance come quickly. Moyong Tae was certain.
The man before him would one day be recognized as the strongest under heaven.
The brightest star, burning at its hottest—Moyong Tae could finally admit that this man was destined to become the focal point of this era.
However.
‘That doesn’t mean I have to like him.’
Whether he would be the strongest in the future or the center of the current age was irrelevant to Moyong Tae. The only thing that mattered to him was his daughter.
"A member of the Sanseo Gu Clan greets Master Moyong." As he recalled what Gu Yangcheon had said, Moyong Tae realized it was too late.
The words should have been spoken when he first asked.
For the past few days, the only thing Moyong Heea had talked about was Gu Yangcheon.
"Sir." "Dad, you know, Sir…." "This is what Sir likes." Listening to his daughter’s bright laughter and words, Moyong Tae felt his heart shatter.
The daughter he had raised with such care, who he had given everything to, now giggled foolishly because of some man.
How could that make him happy?
Even if that man was the only one who could save his daughter, Moyong Tae found it hard to maintain his composure.
But it was also his daughter who kept his reason intact.
"Please, don’t hate Sir too much. Just once, could you look at him kindly?" It was impossible to see him kindly, no matter how he looked at it. For the first time, Moyong Heea was demanding something of her father.
She had never asked for anything before.
Even when in pain, she endured silently, not wanting to bring any trouble to the family.
To see her with such a pained expression made this even more shocking to Moyong Tae.
For that reason, he had to confront Gu Yangcheon.
‘What are you?’
What kind of person could take his precious daughter’s heart so completely?
How exceptional must he be to deserve such affection?
If Gu Yangcheon had ultimately not revealed his name or refused to meet Moyong Tae, he would not have taken his daughter back to the Moyong family just yet. With no other means to cure her, Gu Yangcheon was all he had.
He couldn’t say how that man’s heat might help his daughter, but he knew it was the only way.
So Moyong Tae wouldn’t gamble with his daughter’s life.
Instead, he would have demanded a promise.
The promise that as soon as the treatment was complete, every connection to Moyong Heea would be severed.
But Gu Yangcheon had spoken his name.
This did not sit well with him.
‘I’d rather he hadn’t said anything.’
It was as if Gu Yangcheon had understood the significance behind Moyong Tae’s request for his name, yet he still offered it up, and even asked for a duel first.
‘…This doesn’t sit well with me either.’
Had it not been for Moyong Heea’s plea, he wouldn’t even have entertained this meeting.
Moyong Tae had to suppress his irritation.
Now, he simply had to teach that insolent man a lesson and get his answer.
What can you do for my daughter?
Can she find a place within your boundaries?
Moyong Tae needed to know.
As he watched Gu Yangcheon charge forward, Moyong Tae moved his body, his sword beginning to radiate a fierce aura.
It was a Sword Aura, a power reserved only for those who had surpassed the limits.
By the time Gu Yangcheon, now a blazing flame, had closed the distance, Moyong Tae had already noticed his speed.
‘He’s fast. Very fast.’
Caught off guard by Gu Yangcheon’s velocity, Moyong Tae’s eyes widened.
But speed was not Moyong Tae’s weak point either.
The tip of his sword cut through the air, aiming directly at Gu Yangcheon’s chest.
There were no concessions from a senior to a junior here.
His daughter’s future was on the line. A father does not compromise when it comes to his child.
That was Moyong Tae’s conviction.
As Gu Yangcheon closed in, Moyong Tae’s sword emitted a burst of light.
Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon frowned slightly.
Shiii—!
He twisted his body to dodge the sword, avoiding the Sword Aura that left a mark in the air.
Chaaak—!
Trees in the background were sliced in succession, evidence of the Sword Aura’s impact.
Without glancing back, Gu Yangcheon advanced a step toward Moyong Tae, channeling energy into his planted foot.
He twisted his waist, gathering Qi into his fist, then launched it forward.
Guyeom Taryun Ah.
Fwoosh—!
A beastly flame erupted right in front of Moyong Tae, who dodged it immediately.
Gu Yangcheon noticed Moyong Tae’s evasion out of the corner of his eye as he prepared another move.
His hand enveloped in Qi, Gu Yangcheon swung it, altering the trajectory of the incoming blade.
Thud—!
Moyong Tae hadn’t expected him to strike the flat of his sword, redirecting its path.
‘Hitting the flat side?’
Changing the trajectory of a blade in midair wasn’t something expected in a duel between martial artists and swordsmen.
Sword Aura surrounded it, meaning a single mistake could be fatal.
Yet, Gu Yangcheon swung without a care.
‘This kid….’
Moyong Tae realized he would have to reassess his opinion of Gu Yangcheon.
The movements were too polished to be anything but the result of countless real-life experiences.
Yet, from what he knew, Gu Yangcheon was too young to have amassed such experience.
So was it pure talent?
Moyong Tae narrowed his eyes.
He had no intention of being serious, but now he questioned how far he would have to go.
He could feel his heart pounding, his instincts acknowledging Gu Yangcheon as an adversary.
At that moment.
Pak—! Gu Yangcheon lunged in with a punch aimed at Moyong Tae.
However, the punch seemed a bit slow.
‘A feint?’
Just as he was about to slash, he hesitated.
The feint was too obvious.
Then suddenly—
Fwoosh—! Flames burst from Gu Yangcheon’s fingertips, obscuring Moyong Tae’s vision.
So that feint was for this?
‘A pointless act…!’
Yet Moyong Tae’s senses were fully active, and he instantly swung his sword to dispel the flames.
In the next moment, he located Gu Yangcheon, but for a brief instant.
Gu Yangcheon had widened the distance between them, his hand outstretched, with something forming in his palm.
It was a massive orb.
‘…What is that?’
Moyong Tae swallowed dryly, instinctively feeling the immense energy contained within it.
This is dangerous.
His instincts whispered urgently.
Gugugugu.
Moyong Tae immediately infused his sword with Qi.
Without hesitation, Gu Yangcheon hurled the blazing orb toward Moyong Tae, who retaliated by slashing at it with a sword infused with a pale Qi.
He knew he should dodge, but he couldn’t.
He had to confront it.
The Yi Yong Bisen Sword (义随备先剑).
Yi Yong Baek Ye Il (义随白艺壹).
With a technique only the Moyong family could wield, Moyong Tae slashed at the orb.
Boom—!
“…What?”
Moyong Tae was stunned to see the orb sliced apart so easily by his pale Sword Aura.
He had felt its energy—it shouldn’t have been so easily cut down.
Boom—! Fwoosh—!
The orb exploded in the air, but the impact wasn’t as powerful as he had anticipated.
Something was off.
In the next moment, his senses caught something.
“Damn…!”
It was Gu Yangcheon.
Using the burst of air and flames to conceal himself, Gu Yangcheon had closed the distance between them again.
He threw a punch.
Only then did Moyong Tae realize.
From the moment he had obscured Moyong Tae’s vision with flames until now, every move had been leading up to this one strike.
Ha.
‘Monster… A true monster.’
Even if he hadn’t given it his all, he found himself overwhelmed by this young man. He felt utterly dumbfounded.
How could a person like this be born in this era? Moyong Tae felt a wave of futility.
But even then, instinctively, he raised his sword to defend.
Creak—! Moyong Tae’s protective Qi around him was crushed by Gu Yangcheon’s punch, revealing the strength behind it.
Crash—! The punch connected with the flat of Moyong Tae’s sword.
Despite trying to withstand the impact, he felt his legs lift off the ground.
As he flew back, he planted his sword in the earth to slow himself down.
After finally stopping, Moyong Tae immediately looked back at Gu Yangcheon, ready for any incoming attacks.
But Gu Yangcheon stood motionless, right where the battle had been.
Seeing this, Moyong Tae furrowed his brow.
‘Is he waiting?’
It seemed like he was giving Moyong Tae a chance to collect himself.
To think he would receive such a gesture from someone who had stolen his daughter away….
Anger flared within Moyong Tae’s heart.
Despite that, he also had something to say.
“I apologize.”
Gu Yangcheon looked at him in surprise, not expecting an apology.
“What do you mean…?”
“I apologize for looking down on you and not taking this duel seriously.”
Moyong Tae had regarded Gu Yangcheon as weaker and thus hadn’t fought earnestly. This was an apology, from one martial artist to another.
“You are strong. I will face you properly now.”
“You really don’t have to… You can just consider it my loss….”
Snap.
It was clear Moyong Tae wasn’t listening to a word Gu Yangcheon was saying.
He lifted his sword and assumed a fighting stance, and his Qi spread in all directions.
“…Damn.”
Sensing the Qi, Gu Yangcheon bit his lip. The level was entirely different from what he had initially seen.
This was proof that Moyong Tae hadn’t been serious.
‘I’m screwed.’
This isn’t what I wanted.
Gu Yangcheon grimaced. He hadn’t expected this.
He only wanted to prove his worth to the Lord of the White Sky Sword.
But seeing Moyong Tae suddenly get serious threw him off.
‘What should I do? He really seems intent on fighting for real.’
If he hadn’t enveloped himself in Qi, his clothes would have been torn to shreds by Moyong Tae’s energy.
‘…Should I just run?’
The thought was tempting, but one look at Moyong Tae’s expression made it clear that fleeing wasn’t an option.
‘Do I really have to?’
As he hesitated, a heavy presence made him turn.
Someone had appeared between him and Moyong Tae.
Immediately.
Boom—!
The intruder’s presence suppressed both Moyong Tae’s Qi and the heat radiating from Gu Yangcheon.
“…Ugh.”
Gu Yangcheon took a breath. It was hot.
Even he, who had mastered fire techniques, found the heat intense. And along with it, came a strange resonance.
His Guyeom Taryun Ah, coiled inside him, resonated with the new heat.
It was inevitable.
The heat was identical to his own, only at a much higher level, suppressing him completely.
The owner of this oppressive heat turned his gaze to Moyong Tae, his red robe billowing in the wind.
The presence continued to expand.
“Lord of the White Sky Sword.”
“…!”
The man’s low, weighty voice addressed Moyong Tae.
Gu Yangcheon could tell.
This man was rarely angered.
Feeling the immense Qi, Moyong Tae showed a hint of surprise.
The man—Gu Cheolwoon—spoke to Moyong Tae.
“What are you doing?”
As he spoke, Gu Cheolwoon’s black hair began to turn red.