CFZ

The first thing I felt upon reading the contents was confusion.
From beginning to end, I couldn’t grasp what this was supposed to mean. It took me a long time to comprehend because it simply didn’t make sense.

By the time I barely managed to understand the letter, the thought that came to mind was:
“What kind of insane nonsense is this?”
Even after understanding it, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it.
“What is my father supposed to have done?”

Committed a crime against the Alliance and been imprisoned? It was absurd. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve dismissed it as utter nonsense and torn the letter apart.
There’s no nonsense quite like this. That’s exactly how I should’ve treated it.
The problem, however, was:

“This letter was sent by Lady Mi.”
The sender of the letter was none other than Lady Mi herself.
The Baekhwa Trading Company—complete with the unmistakable seal of its leader—along with the homing bird she always used.
All of it pointed to one conclusion: this letter was real.
“Master…?”

Wi Seol-ah approached me, noticing my stiff expression. I raised a hand to stop her.
“Wait.”
“…”

She couldn’t come any closer right now.
I needed to cool my head and think quickly, and her presence would only make it harder.
“What is this?”
What on earth was going on? What could possibly be the meaning of this?

The first question I had to answer was:
“Is this letter authentic?”
Was the letter truly sent by Lady Mi? On the surface, it seemed real, but it was difficult to believe it blindly.

“There’s also the possibility that someone is impersonating Lady Mi.”
From the letter to the bird and even the handwriting, it was possible someone had meticulously imitated everything. But…
“The odds of that are slim.”

It wasn’t a possibility worth seriously considering, so I set it aside.
“Then…”
If Lady Mi really had written and sent this letter to me, what was her intention behind it?

“…That my father committed a crime and was imprisoned.”
That was the result.
But the letter didn’t explain Lady Mi’s intent behind conveying this information.
Was she trying to tell me not to worry because it was nothing serious? That didn’t seem likely.

“If that were the case, it would’ve been stated in the letter.”
And if it weren’t a serious matter, Lady Mi wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of writing and sending this letter to me.
Furthermore…
“She clearly knows something about Father. That makes it even stranger.”

My father, imprisoned by the Alliance? I couldn’t make sense of it.
It wasn’t that he had willingly surrendered; he had been captured and imprisoned.
Who on earth could have done that to him?
“I know my father is strong. He’s probably even stronger than I am now.”

Which meant…
“Is there anyone in the Alliance who could capture him?”
Among the Three Grandmasters, Cheonjon (Heavenly Master) wouldn’t do it, Geomjon (Sword Master) is missing, and Paejon (Conquering Master) is out of the question.
In other words, none of the Three Grandmasters were involved.

So who else could it have been?
“The Sword Emperor?”
Was it the Sword Emperor, one of the Ten Strongest Martial Artists under Heaven? That seemed plausible.
He was stronger than I was, after all.

But…
“Would that still hold true now?”
That was before I came to Sichuan. With my cultivation now rapidly advancing, I didn’t think I would be easily overpowered by the Sword Emperor.

“Could they have combined forces?”
Even if that were the case, it didn’t seem likely. And if they had, then…
“…What reason would they have?”

What justification could there be for going to such lengths? The letter only stated that he had committed a crime.
It didn’t specify what crime or how he had been imprisoned.
This meant…
“Was it something that didn’t need to be said?”

Or…
“Was there no time to include those details?”
The more I thought about it, the colder my insides felt.
The heart that had been pounding furiously just moments ago was now still, and the energy that had seemed ready to explode had gone quiet.

The calm before the storm.
That’s exactly how I felt right now.
“What should I do…?”

“What?”
“…What should I do about this?”
I muttered as I rubbed my chin, my gaze fixed on the floor.
The noise of loading supplies, which had been bustling moments ago, seemed distant now.
A faint hum.

The energy within me began to flow steadily, causing the air around me to ripple.
This isn’t good. It’s becoming harder to suppress.
“Think rationally.”

If I let my emotions guide me now, things would get messy.
I had to suppress my feelings somehow.
Even if Father were imprisoned, what could possibly happen to him?
“That’s impossible.”

What kind of person is my father? Nothing will happen to him.
There must be some kind of explanation. Yes, there’s no need to worry—I just need to carry on as usual.
Father will surely be fine…
“Survive.”

“…”
Crumple.
The letter crumpled in my tightening grip.

“Mas-”
“Seol-ah.”
“…!”

I called her name in a low voice, and she flinched.
“Y-yes? Yes? Yes… yes?”
I’d never called her by her name before. It was shameless to do so in a situation like this, but I had no choice.

“Sorry, but can I ask you to do something for me?”
“…Uh… yes? Yes, yes. Of course, anything.”
Wi Seol-ah stammered, clearly flustered, but I barely noticed her reaction.

“When you see Cheol Ji-seon later, follow the plan we discussed and tell him to handle any problems flexibly.”
“Ah… okay.”
“When you see Tang So-yeol, tell her to lead the others to safety. Apologize to her for me as well.”

“Uh…”
As I added more instructions, Wi Seol-ah gave me a peculiar look. It seemed like she had realized something.
“Master… are you going somewhere?”

“…”
I stared into the void.
“Yes. Something urgent has come up, so I’ll head out first.”

“Wait, what does that mean…?”
“Stay safe. I’ll try to come pick you up if possible.”
“Mas-!”

Fwoosh!
My body transformed into flames and shot into the air.
The sensation of the ground beneath me disappeared in an instant. This was my first time completely turning my body into fire, and the feeling was strange, but I didn’t care.

Even as my entire body became fire, my insides felt cold.
Or… was it that I thought they felt cold? Maybe I couldn’t perceive it properly because of the heat surging within me.
Right now, I couldn’t think of anything.
If there was one thing that barely came to mind, it was this:
“How long was it?”

How long had it taken Father to travel from Shanxi to Sichuan?
Three days? Or was it four?
I couldn’t remember exactly. But it didn’t matter.
“Faster than that.”

Two days.
Even if I had to burn through all the energy in my body, I would get there in that time.
With that single thought, I focused all my energy into my heart.
Fwoosh!

The flames blazed as they tore through the sky.
 
   ******************
   
Creak.

The cold autumn air seemed even sharper in the damp underground cellar. A heavy iron door groaned as someone entered, their steps echoing off the chilled stone floor.
Slow, deliberate steps. Weak and weary, accompanied by an irritated sigh and a furrowed brow that revealed the old man's troubled mood.
Drip. Drip.

Water dripped from somewhere, landing on the old man’s shoulders. Though it must have soaked through his clothing, he didn’t seem to care. His focus was solely on his destination.
At last, the old man stopped in front of an iron cell.
Inside sat someone, quietly, motionless. Despite sitting, the man’s large frame was immediately noticeable. Slowly, he opened his eyes at the sound of footsteps.

Standing before him was an equally large old man.
In the darkness of the cell, two crimson lights glowed faintly.
Seeing them, the old man spoke.
“You look pathetic, Former Clan Leader Gu.”

“...”
“Why would you do something so foolish at your age, when even as a reckless youth you never pulled stunts like this? Tsk, tsk...”
“Elder Il.”

At Gu Cheolwoon’s words, Elder Il clicked his tongue repeatedly as if scolding a child.
“When I first heard the news, I thought it was absurd. But seeing it with my own eyes is even more so. What exactly are you doing here?”
“There were reasons.”

“Reasons, huh? Sure, there must’ve been. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here like this.”
Despite Elder Il’s pointed words, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression remained neutral, betraying nothing.
“Let me ask directly. Did you truly attack and pressure Muk Yeon, that old strategist?”

“Yes.”
“Good grief.”
At the unhesitating response, Elder Il ran a hand over his wrinkled forehead.

“Why not just kill him outright, then? Why leave it ambiguous and end up like this?”
“That was the intention.”
“Well, damn.”

Elder Il sighed deeply. He had been joking, but to hear such a blunt answer left him dumbfounded.
To think Gu Cheolwoon had attempted to kill one of the Alliance’s chief strategists and ended up imprisoned for it was shocking enough. But what was even more baffling was…
“If that’s what you intended, you might as well have done it. What is this mess?”

Elder Il couldn’t understand.
“Why let yourself be captured?”
Gu Cheolwoon sat behind bars, yet his hands weren’t bound, nor was he restrained in any meaningful way.

This meant that if he wished, he could escape at any moment.
No, more than that—
“If you wanted to, you could have wiped out the entire Alliance headquarters that day. And yet here you are. What’s going on in your head?”

“It was necessary.”
“Necessary?”
Elder Il’s eyes narrowed at Gu Cheolwoon’s response.

“This incident will undoubtedly stir the other elders into action. While your position won’t be shaken, it will certainly create unnecessary trouble. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you still thought this was necessary?”

“Yes.”
The answer was resolute. Elder Il, now slightly frustrated, asked what had been lingering in his mind.
“Is this about Yangcheon?”

At that, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression shifted ever so slightly. It was subtle, but not enough to escape Elder Il’s sharp eyes.
“Cheolwoon.”
His tone softened.
Since the day Gu Cheolwoon had risen to the position of clan leader, Elder Il had spoken to him with the utmost formality. This was the first time in over a decade that he had addressed him informally.

“Whatever it is you’re trying to do... is this truly for Yangcheon’s sake?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”

For the first time, Gu Cheolwoon’s response lacked its usual firmness.
“I believe it is. But having never lived as a proper father, I cannot be certain.”
“What a pitiful answer.”

It was a side of Gu Cheolwoon Elder Il had never seen before.
No matter the circumstances, Gu Cheolwoon had never faltered.
Even when the entire world seemed to turn against him.
Even when faced with an unbeatable foe.

Gu Cheolwoon had always stood tall, facing adversity head-on.
That was who he was.
And yet…

“What weighs on you so heavily?”
“I don’t know that either.”
Gu Cheolwoon now seemed deeply troubled.

The man who once stood like a beacon of light amidst the darkness now appeared strikingly human. It was frustrating, but at the same time, oddly reassuring.
To feel reassured while the clan leader sat behind bars—Elder Il couldn’t believe it himself.
“Your wife is deeply worried about you.”

“...”
“And soon enough, your daughters will learn of this too. So I’ll ask you again.”
From beyond the bars, Elder Il stared directly at Gu Cheolwoon.

“Are you really okay with this?”
“Yes.”
Gu Cheolwoon’s reply was once again resolute.

Moreover…
“There’s nothing to worry about. Even if something were to happen—”
His crimson eyes flared with determination.

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”
“...”
Even in this state, where did such confidence come from?
In that moment, Elder Il saw a resemblance.

“Like father, like son.”
No doubt about it.
He had wondered how someone as composed as Gu Cheolwoon could have a son so hot-tempered.

“I had forgotten.”
Gu Cheolwoon wasn’t composed.
He only appeared that way; in truth, he was a man of fiery passion.
That same passion must have driven him to storm the Alliance for simply laying a hand on his son.

There was only one mystery left.
“Why didn’t you?”
He could have destroyed them, yet he hadn’t.
He had even allowed himself to be captured and now sat behind bars, unrestrained.

“What on earth happened?”
Whatever it was, it must have been significant to bring him to this point.
Elder Il considered asking, but one look at Gu Cheolwoon’s face told him everything he needed to know.

“Like hell he’s going to tell me.”
That expression was one he knew well. Gu Cheolwoon had been like this even in his younger years, bottling everything up and bearing the burden alone.
Age hadn’t changed that stubbornness one bit.

And…
“His son inherited that too.”
Gu Yangcheon had inherited his father’s temper as if it were a copy-and-paste job. Not that Gu Cheolwoon seemed aware of it.

They were far too similar.
Except for their faces, of course.
“Hyoran said she told Yangcheon about the situation.”

“...”
Gu Cheolwoon’s calm demeanor faltered, his eyes twitching ever so [N O V E L I G H T] slightly—a reaction more intense than any he’d shown thus far.
“By now, the message should have reached Sichuan. Yangcheon is probably agonizing over it as we speak.”

At that, Gu Cheolwoon let out a faint, low laugh.
“He won’t be.”
“What?”

“If it’s him, he’ll hate me for it. He’ll probably feel more at peace because of it.”
“...”
Whether he truly believed that, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression remained serene, as if that outcome were a relief to him.

“…Tsk.”
Elder Il clicked his tongue in frustration.
“A father who doesn’t understand his own son—that’s unacceptable.”

With a sigh, Elder Il continued.
“Your son resembles you to an unsettling degree, though you don’t seem to realize it.”
As time passed, they only grew more alike. If anything, the son’s temperament was far fiercer than the father’s.

While Gu Cheolwoon appeared composed, Gu Yangcheon’s intensity was visible to all.
That was why Elder Il was worried.
“If the father’s been reduced to this state because of the son…”

What would happen when the son found out his father was like this?
“Let’s hope he doesn’t burn the Alliance to the ground.”
No, surely not.

After all, he was now the Division Leader of the Alliance. He wouldn’t do something so reckless, would he? That would truly be catastrophic.
Surely, Gu Yangcheon wouldn’t…
“…Would he?”

Suddenly, Elder Il felt uneasy.
He had a bad feeling about this.
And when it came to such feelings, he was rarely wrong—especially in situations like this.