CFZ

The Shanxi Gu Clan is a family of flame arts.
It had been that way ever since the Gu Clan first emerged in Zhongyuan.

All the clan heads and direct descendants wielded flame techniques.
Their martial arts bore a superficial resemblance to the Sammaejinhwa technique, which used qi to ignite flames, but the two were fundamentally different.
The Gu Clan was a prestigious family rooted in flame arts.

That was the Shanxi Gu Clan.
However—
‘Not all Gu descendants can use flame arts.’

While flame arts were the foundation of the clan, not everyone in the bloodline inherited them.
Only the direct line, born into the main family, could cultivate Guyeomhwaryungong—the Nine Flames Firewheel Technique—in their dantian.
Branch families, on the other hand, had to train in different internal energy techniques.

These techniques varied across styles, but they all shared one common trait—heat manipulation.
Whether it was enhancing physical abilities by imbuing the body with heat or channeling it into sword techniques,
Even those who couldn’t wield flame arts developed other heat-based techniques.

Some even trained to the point where their abilities rivaled the main family’s flame arts.
Gu Changjun, the previous Elder Il, was one such example.
And the same went for the furious old man standing before me now—

“Huup!”
The current Elder Il.
Gu Ryun, the Flame Fang Fist.

He was no exception.
Kwaaaaang—!!!
The ground split open under the force of the old man’s punch.
The sound and shockwave made the sheer power behind it clear.

And not just power—
Bang! Bang! Bang! KWAANG—!!
His speed was just as overwhelming.

‘Wow.’
I dodged his fists while marveling inwardly.
‘The old man’s still got it.’

I knew Elder Il had reached the Hwagyeong realm.
How could I not know?
He’d probably been in the Hwagyeong realm since before I was even born.

Only direct descendants of the Gu Clan could become elders.
The sole exception was the head of the Gu Sun Sect, who could be appointed elder despite being from a branch family.
Yet this old man had shattered that rule and earned his position.

That meant—
He had enough influence within the clan to break tradition.
And he was strong enough to back up that influence.

Hissss—!!
Steam began to rise from Elder Il’s body.
His skin turned red as heat poured out,

And the weight of the surrounding qi shifted.
I frowned at the stifling sensation.
Whoosh—!!

Suddenly, a fist appeared right in front of me.
I tilted my head to dodge it and twisted my waist.
My body spun quickly, and I drove my leg forward.

Smack!
My kick landed directly on Elder Il’s stomach, pushing him back slightly.
But then—

Crack—!
“Huh?”
The old man grabbed a nearby tree and yanked it out of the ground.

‘What the hell.’
He pulled it out as easily as plucking a weed.
And then—

Whoosh—!!
He swung the massive tree at me with full force.
Despite its size, it flew toward me at an alarming speed.

It was obvious it had been reinforced with qi.
Dodging was risky.
In that case—

‘Breaking it is faster.’
I made my decision and gathered energy in my fist.
I planned to shatter the tree with a punch.

Crack—!!
‘What?’
The tree broke apart as expected, but—

‘There’s no qi in it?’
The tree hadn’t been reinforced with qi at all. That’s when I realized—
‘Damn it.’

It was a trap.
Because it broke so easily, my stance wavered.
Wooden fragments scattered through the air.

And through that gap—
Hissss—!
I heard the familiar sound of steam and saw a massive figure charging in.

Elder Il had expanded his muscles,
And his giant fist swung straight at me.
My stance was already broken, so dodging was impossible.

I raised my arms to block—
Crash! BOOM!!
“…!”

The impact was far stronger than I expected.
I slid backward,
Gritting my teeth as my feet dug into the ground to slow me down.

Finally, I managed to stop.
“…Ha.”
I let out a dry laugh as pain throbbed in my arms.

“Elder, don’t you think this is a bit much?”
I looked at him in disbelief.
“What’s too much?”

What’s too much?
“I thought you’d go easy on me, but you’re really trying to beat me up.”
My arms were trembling.

There was no way he hadn’t used his full strength.
‘My defensive qi shattered.’
I had coated myself in protective qi, but one punch from Elder Il had broken through it.

Unbelievable.
“You said this was etiquette training. If I take another hit like that, I might die.”
“Hmph.”

Thud. Thud.
Even the slight movements of Elder Il’s feet made the ground tremble.
I was the one getting pounded, yet he looked more annoyed than I did.

What’s his problem?
I studied him carefully.
“Yangcheon, you’re underestimating me.”

Elder Il furrowed his brow.
“What did I do?”
“This old man is putting in the effort, but you’re not even trying.”

“…”
Damn it.
I laughed awkwardly.

‘…He caught on.’
I’d been holding back, avoiding counterattacks.
And Elder Il clearly noticed.

That’s why he was so annoyed.
But—
‘I can’t help it.’

I really couldn’t.
‘What if I lose control and hurt him?’
I still wasn’t confident I could control my power properly.

If I fought back and misjudged my strength, I didn’t know what would happen.
That’s why I’d been dodging and deflecting instead.
“Tsk, tsk.”

Elder Il clicked his tongue repeatedly.
“You’ve gone soft, boy. Like a dried-up squid.”
“A what?”

“What are you so afraid of? Why are you hesitating?”
“…”
“Do you seriously think this old man can’t handle one of your little taps?”

I couldn’t answer.
“If that’s what you’re worried about, forget it.”
Hissssss—!!!

The steam rising from Elder Il grew denser.
“I am Gu Ryun, the Flame Fang Fist.”
Heat poured out, distorting the air around him.

“People call you a king, an untouchable hero. But it seems it’s made you soft.”
Boom—!!!
The heat and qi radiating from Elder Il intensified.

“This old man isn’t so weak that I can’t handle disciplining my own grandson.”
“No, I didn’t mean it like that… Damn it.”
I was stuck.

It didn’t look like Elder Il was going to back down.
‘At this point, wouldn’t running away be the smart move?’
The thought crossed my mind.

If reasoning wasn’t working, maybe I should just bolt.
I used to run away all the time whenever Elder Il suggested sparring. Why not now?
‘But this feels different.’

Back then, I ran because I couldn’t win.
Now, it was the opposite—I didn’t want to fight because I couldn’t properly control my strength.
I didn’t want to risk hurting him.

Just as I was about to seriously consider running—
“Judging by that look on your face, you’re thinking of running away again.”
“…”

He saw right through me.
“…That’s not true.”
“Yangcheon.”

“Yes…?”
“When did you grow up so much that you’re suddenly afraid of fighting me?”
“Aren’t people supposed to avoid fighting if they can?”

“Haha.”
Elder Il burst out laughing at my reply.
“Yesterday, I saw a yellow mutt while walking here.”

“…Why are we suddenly talking about dogs?”
“What do you think it would say if it saw you now?”
“…How would I know that?”

“It’d bark at you to stop being ridiculous.”
“…”
“Even a dog would tell you to cut the crap.”

“What the—”
“But you’re my grandson, even if you’re a little slow. So I’ll help you out.”
Elder Il cracked his neck as he spoke, a series of sharp pops echoing.

“I’ll give you a reason to fight.”
“…A reason?”
“Yes. If you beat me… hmm, how about I give you a gift?”

A gift?
I frowned at the sudden offer.
“What gift are you talking about?”

“You know that sly old man who called you earlier?”
He was talking about the founding head.
“You asked what his deal was, didn’t you?”

“…”
“I’ll tell you.”
“…!”

My eyes widened at his words.
“And I’ll even share one of his secrets with you.”
“…Don’t tell me it’s just something obvious, like how he’s the founder of the Baekhwa Trading Company.”

“What nonsense. Do I look like someone who’d set up a childish trick like that?”
“…”
“Answer me.”

“…Of course not.”
I’d been so sure that’s where this was going. Thank god it wasn’t.
Anyway—

“Yangcheon.”
I looked up at Elder Il when he called me.
“I’ve given you plenty of reason now. Are you still planning to ignore me?”

I took a deep breath at his words.
“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”
Vrrrm—

Heat slowly built in my core, and qi spread throughout my body.
The rising heat activated my muscles, and I continued speaking.
“I’ve never once [N O V E L I G H T] ignored you, Elder.”

Not even once.
Sure, I might have cursed him out a few times in my head, but I never disregarded him.
And this time was no different.

‘It’s not disrespect—it’s…’
Worry.
It sounded embarrassing even in my own head, but it was true.

I was genuinely worried about him.
“Why is an old man like you pushing himself so hard?”
“Huh? This brat and his mouth—”

Thunk.
Elder Il’s eyes suddenly widened.
Vrrrrmmm—!!

I released my suppressed energy.
As the locked-up qi poured out,
Whooosh—!!!

It spread through my shoulders and radiated outward.
As expected—
‘I’m going too far.’

Far more than I intended.
The release was too fast, and the energy efficiency was terrible.
“…Hahaha…”

Elder Il let out a dry laugh.
Even I was surprised by the surge.
His disbelief was practically written all over his face.

I asked cautiously,
“Elder, do you want to stop this before it gets out of hand?”
“What did you say?”

Elder Il’s grin only widened.
“Stop spouting nonsense and come at me. Like I said earlier—”
He raised his massive fist.

“I am Gu Ryun, the Flame Fang Fist.”
“…Yes, I heard you.”
Good grief.

I sighed and added,
“Elder, I’m telling you, I really can’t control my strength righ—”
Before I could finish, something flashed in front of me.

Another punch.
But—
‘Seriously?’

This time, it felt slower.
My perception and reactions had shifted.
Whoosh—!

BOOM—!!
I dodged the punch, and it detonated in midair.
Then I closed the distance.

“…Hup!”
Elder Il tried to adjust his stance.
But he’d already committed to his punch and couldn’t retract it in time.

He used his lower body to defend, but—
I had already struck.
Thump.

It was a light touch.
Barely more than a tap.
However—

Vrrrm—!!
“Guh…?!”
The shockwave that followed made Elder Il’s body stagger.

He was swept backward by the force.
He flew a significant distance.
I took a single step forward.

Tap.
My foot left the ground, and before I knew it, I was behind him.
“Huh!!”

Elder Il gasped in disbelief.
He immediately twisted his upper body to counterattack.
It was the same as before.

His punches were strong, and his muscles—swollen with power—moved faster than expected.
But—
I was just a little faster.

Smack! Smack-smack!
I whipped my hands like lashes, deflecting his attacks.
My enhanced perception, showed me every incoming strike.

The punches were quick, but knocking them aside wasn’t difficult.
“Hahahaha—!”
Elder Il’s boisterous laughter echoed, hammering my ears.

What the hell was so exciting about this?
Hissss—!!!
Steam erupted, clouding my vision.

It was intentional.
The steam carried qi, temporarily blinding my Siman.
Whoosh—!

And through the haze—
Elder Il’s fist tore toward my face, exploiting my momentary blind spot.
Just before it could land—

Grab—!
“…!!”
Unfortunately for him, it didn’t.

My hand shot out, seizing his wrist in midair.
I felt it—the heat radiating off his skin.
The power coiling within his muscles told me just how serious he was.

“…”
Acknowledging that, I clenched my fist.
Thump—!

The flames tied to my core flared, pulsing like a burning heart.
As if in response, qi surged into my hand, gathering strength.
Fwoosh.

Flames licked along my knuckles.
I didn’t need to think.
The energy had already formed.

I just needed to release it.
Vrrrm—.
I thrust my fist forward.

It felt smooth, like it had been waiting for this moment.
It felt natural, like someone was guiding me.
What is this?

A strange sensation swept over me.
Something felt different.
I felt weightless, yet sharper—

Both my movements and my qi felt distinct from before.
It was like I was entranced by the energy itself.
Was this… enlightenment?

Had I stumbled upon some profound insight while punching Elder Il?
I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew—
My instincts screamed at me to remember this feeling.

This floating sensation.
This perfect rhythm.
This intoxicating confidence that I could do anything.

I had to lock it in.
I had to finish this move perfectly to make it mine.
I understood that better than anyone.

But—
“…”
I adjusted my angle mid-strike.

My fist veered past Elder Il’s chest and instead targeted his open side.
Kwaaaaang—!!!
Flames erupted instantly.

Guyeom Taeryun-ah.
Azure flames exploded outward, flooding the area.
They burned larger and brighter than ever before, yet—

This time, they didn’t scorch the ground or damage the surroundings.
They simply burned.
Calm and controlled.

Crackle, crackle.
I steadied my breathing, watching the flames flicker.
“…”

I wasn’t out of breath.
I had expelled a massive amount of qi, but it hadn’t left me drained.
And yet my breathing was shaky for another reason—

‘I missed it.’
I’d let it slip away.
That fleeting sensation—the rhythm, the clarity.

I lost it.
The hollow feeling of missing that moment pressed down on me.
‘…Should I have gone through with it?’

Would it have been better to seize that moment, even if it meant hitting Elder Il directly?
The thought crossed my mind, but—
‘There was no helping it.’

I had no choice.
I couldn’t risk seriously injuring Elder Il.
“Ah…”

Snapping back to reality, I turned toward him.
“Elder—”
I froze.

Elder Il was staring at me, wide-eyed and dazed.
‘Oh, crap.’
He looked shocked.

Had I gone too far?
I mean, he told me to take it seriously, but maybe I really had crossed the line.
I tensed, trying to gauge his reaction.

“Hah—”
“Huh?”
“Hahahahaha—!!”

“…?”
Suddenly, Elder Il burst into laughter.
“This brat! This brat—!”

And, as always, he reached out and started messing up my hair.
“You’re amazing—! Absolutely amazing—!!”
“…Wait… wait a second—”

“Hahaha—!!”
Far from being upset, he was ecstatic.
What the hell was going on?

Did I accidentally hit him in the head?
No, I was sure I had pulled the punch.
Regardless, I was starting to get dizzy from all the hair-tugging.

I needed to stop him.
“…Seriously, enough already.”
“Well done.”

“…”
“You’ve worked hard.”
His words made me freeze.

“This brat… How hard you must’ve worked to get here.”
I swallowed the words I was about to say.
And I didn’t push his hand away.

Crackle.
The faint crackling of the lingering azure flames echoed as they burned away.
Even amidst the stillness, I was reminded of a simple truth—

No matter how much stronger I had become, no matter how high my cultivation had climbed, there was one reason why I could never treat Elder Il carelessly.
“You’ve done well. My grandson. I’m proud of you.”
“…”

He was the only person in my life who ever praised me.
And that realization hit me all over again.

   ******************
   

Several Moments Later—
After practically offering up my hair to him, the situation finally settled down.
“Hahahaha! This brat—!!”

Of course, Elder Il’s laughter didn’t stop.
I had expected him to be annoyed—after all, I had overstepped with my remarks and even ended up winning the spar.
But no.

He seemed downright ecstatic.
For some reason, Elder Il was so pleased that he wouldn’t stop pounding my back.
At this point, I was starting to worry about internal injuries.

“…Elder, I think my ribs are going to crack.”
“Oh, right. My bad. I guess I got carried away.”
“What exactly has you so happy?”

“Hm?”
I expected anger or disappointment, but Elder Il was acting completely differently than I had anticipated.
“Why wouldn’t I be happy?”

Elder Il grinned.
“My grandson has grown so strong. Of course I’m proud.”
Technically, I wasn’t his grandson.

I considered correcting him but decided against it.
Now wasn’t the time for that.
“Yangcheon.”

“What is it?”
“Don’t you feel better after moving your body?”
“…Better?”

I’m not sure.
My thoughts were still tangled.
This wasn’t something a quick sparring session could fix.

“…I guess it helped a little.”
It was better than before, at least.
I nodded slightly.

Then—
‘Wait, hold on a second…’
A sudden thought crossed my mind.

“Elder.”
“Mm?”
“I just need to check something.”

“Go on, ask away.”
“…Did you do this on purpose?”
I looked directly into his eyes.

He’d started this spar under the pretense of teaching me a lesson.
Yet, throughout the match, he seemed more excited about my growth than anything else.
Even now, all he cared about was whether I was okay.

“So… was this all just to help me blow off some steam?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“…”

His grin was all the confirmation I needed.
Of course.
That sneaky old man.

I should’ve known something was off the moment he dragged me into this.
‘Seriously, this geezer?’
I could hardly believe it.

Why would an old man like him resort to such a ridiculous method?
I let out a sigh, about to call him out—
“By the way…”

“Elder—”
“Oh, right. We had a bet, didn’t we?”
And just like that, Elder Il cut me off again.

“I lost. So I’ll keep my promise.”
“…”
The bet.

Elder Il had promised that if I won,
He’d reveal the truth about the founding head and share one of his secrets.
I was curious.

Who exactly was that old man?
Why did he speak as if he knew everything about the Gu Clan?
What kind of secrets was he hiding?

I was curious, but—
‘…Knowing Elder Il, this probably won’t be anything good.’
There was still more I needed to address first.

“This isn’t the time for that—”
“The founding head was originally part of the Gu Clan.”
“…What?”

“A direct descendant. Just like you.”
“…Huh?”
His words froze me in place.

“…What?”
Was this some kind of joke?
I stared blankly, unable to process what I had just heard.

This was insane.
Absolutely insane.