1197 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"......" Suddenly, he found himself trapped in a prison, and some time had passed. He scratched his cheek and surveyed his surroundings. The area where he and Do Cheol had come in remained unchanged; the only noticeable difference was Do Cheol’s absence. "Hmm." He cautiously reached out to touch the bars in front of him. There was no particular sensation. As expected, the cold feel of metal was all his fingertips could detect. "What is this?" Were these just ordinary bars? He wrapped his hand around them completely. Again, there was no significant difference. In that case... 'Should I try ripping them off?' He decided to try and tear them off with force. With that intention, he exerted strength into his limbs. Creeaaak-!! At first, it seemed to be working. Tension heightened in his muscles, and he attempted to pull the bars apart with sheer strength. Despite his depleted energy, he had reached a certain level of achievement. The body he had trained and developed surpassed that of an ordinary person by far. So, these bars should be... Buzz-! "Huh." Just as he was about to give his all, he suddenly felt something strange from the bars. The moment he sensed it, his strength drained away from his grasping hand. "......Ah." Only then did he realize what these bars were. "......Naegeumseok." Naegeumseok. It was known to be a substance devised by the martial artists of the Wudang sect. Not exactly a type of stone or metal. To put it simply... 'A modified form of Hancheol*.' (*Korean traditional steel) A creation improved and researched based on Hancheol, and an... ‘Artificially produced mystical artifact.’ Unlike naturally existing mystical artifacts, it was called an artificially generated mystical artifact. Its effect was to suppress the internal energy of martial artists. Even mere contact with it could prevent the activation of one’s internal energy. ‘……This is Naegeumseok.’ The bars in front were made from that Naegeumseok. The problem was... ‘Why is this here?’ The existence of Naegeumseok didn’t belong to this era. As far as he knew... ‘It should have emerged as a reaction to the Jeongma Daejeon*.?' (*Great War of Demons and Righteous) It was intended to suppress demons during the Jeongma Daejeon. But it was bizarre for Naegeumseok to be present in an era several decades prior. ‘Am I mistaken?’ Even though he doubted his own observation, he was certain. ‘……No matter how I look at it, it’s definitely Naegeumseok.’ The reinforced strength from the modified Hancheol made it incredibly sturdy, and the draining of strength upon touch was unmistakably the effect of Naegeumseok. The intention was for these bars to resist destruction, even with a martial artist’s physical prowess, and prevent the manipulation of internal energy. That was the efficacy of Naegeumseok, and this was indeed it. "Why is this here?" No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t comprehend. "Tch..." His vital energy might not be infused in the receptacle, but it existed within his physique, causing a complication. ‘Otherwise.’ He might have attempted to pry open a gap using spells or mental techniques. ‘But none of that works now...’ Unable to meddle with the bars, it was rather problematic now. "What should I do?" He chuckled awkwardly, acknowledging that the family head had underlying intentions regarding him. The question lingered, though—what were those intentions? ‘I was not the target.’ The old man seemingly had no plans to instigate revenge upon him. The real target was likely... ‘The entirety of the Gu family clan?’ That seemed plausible. Do Cheol. The old man knew of his existence, but appears to have additionally aimed to exploit him for being of the Gu family lineage. ‘Hmm.’ What reason would there be to imprison a member of the Gu family here? And then... ‘What’s this?’ His gaze landed on a barred section beside him, directing his attention to a purple orb inside. It was the seed of a colossal divine tree, exuding a dark energy identical to that of a Heavenly Demon. "……Is this the curse that the Gu family granted to the Do family?" Could Do Cheol’s claim truly be correct? According to him, it was something entrusted to Do Cheol by the Gu family centuries ago, along with some restrictions. ‘……Hmm.’ Believing his words unequivocally was difficult. There seemed no apparent reason for the Gu family to conduct such an act. ‘……A calamity-inflicting seed.’ He contemplated while observing the orb. ‘So, what am I supposed to do here?’ What was Do Cheol’s motive for imprisoning him here? He pondered this extensively. Would reflecting on it lead to an answer? "Hmm…." Hoping for some development, he remained still, but things stayed unchanged over time. What was this? He expected something to happen since he was confined, but nothing occurred. What was he to do here? ‘Escaping seems somewhat impossible.’ Tap, tap. He tapped at the bars. Due to their presence, escape was neither here nor there. Reflecting on that... Plop. He sat down on the floor. "Maybe I should just take a rest?" Despite being confined, he didn’t fret. Nothing was occurring at the moment, and there was no reason to be restless. More importantly... ‘After all.’ Proper arrangements had been made. Therefore, there was nothing to be concerned about. However... ‘If there is something a little concerning…’ It was whether those arrangements would function smoothly. That lingered somewhat worryingly in his mind. * * * Creak. The mechanism closed, sealing the previously open space. Within that space, the head of the Sansudo family, Do Cheol, returned and inclined his head slightly. "Huuuuk…." A restrained, pained groan escaped him as he wiped away the cold sweat. At that moment. "Father…." Do Yoon, who had been waiting outside, entered and checked on him. "I’m fine." He had dispensed more energy than necessary, almost disturbing his inherent qi. It seemed he had lost quite a bit of strength. "……And Baek Yangcheon?" Seeing him return alone, Do Yoon inquired. Do Cheol, with a chilling gaze, responded, "I left him to his fate." "……!" Do Yoon's eyes widened at his words. "Father…! That’s…" "It was necessary. It’s the best option." "But…" "Do you intend to lead this kind of life indefinitely? I have no plan to pass down this burden to you." "……." Do Cheol perceived the emotions in Do Yoon's eyes. Upon observing them, he clicked his tongue internally. Do Yoon, blessed with exceptional talent according to the family's legacy, yet soft-hearted. Hence his reaction now. "This is a fortunate opportunity for us. A chance like no other." It was indeed a rare opportunity. With Taecheon's help vanishing and the Gu family’s heir out of reach, this was perhaps an irreplaceable chance. ‘Though it was a bit of a gamble.’ There was no alternative. A belated illegitimate child, which Gu would not pay significant attention to. It was said he possessed considerable energy. Without a doubt, as prey, he held sufficient value. 'Hopefully.' Hopefully, this would mark the end of their own personal hell. That was Do Cheol's only wish. "There’s no time. The deed is done. Now, return swiftly and attend to your duties." "Understood… understood." Despite Do Cheol’s command, Do Yoon stood up without erasing the frown on his face. Witnessing this action caused a simmering frustration within Do Cheol, but it was inevitable. ‘Gu Seongyeol.’ Head of the Gu family. And the Gu clan themselves. To escape their grasp, there was no other option. The problem was… ‘…if there’s one thing bothering me.’ Baek Yangcheon. The one thrown as prey for the calamity. He was troubling. ‘What is it?’ He was reportedly strong. Thus, deemed valuable as prey. ‘Why can’t I sense anything?’ There was nothing to perceive from Baek Yangcheon. It meant not even a hint of energy was detectable. How could that be? ‘Is he truly that strong?’ The possibility was slim. Given his age among the younger generation, there were limitations. Even when facing the monstrous heir of the Gu family, there was still something visible to assess. ‘The fact that I can’t see anything at all.’ It was as if he didn’t possess energy at all. Do Cheol didn’t believe that. It seemed impossible. And it shouldn’t be the case. ‘If no energy exists.’ He failed to meet the criteria as prey. He would simply be caged, and things could go awry. ‘…It can’t be.’ According to Do Yoon’s words, they couldn’t even fathom how strong he was. Surely, someone of that caliber couldn’t be devoid of energy. ‘He must be concealing it.’ Using a method neither of them understood, he must be hiding it. That was Do Cheol’s assumption. Indeed, it had to be that way. There was no other conceivable explanation. Unless the vessel had broken. "Hoo…" He wiped away his sweat. By the time night turned to morning, surely, everything would be concluded. If that happened... ‘The future of the Central Plains might remain unknown.’ At least their own burden would come to an end. For Do Cheol, that was enough. After wiping the remaining sweat, he sat in the family head’s chair. He intended to take a brief rest before finishing the remaining tasks. While contemplating that... Fwoosh. "……?" Suddenly, he sensed a small spark. The instant he felt it, Do Cheol rose to his feet. It was only a fleeting sensation, but there was certainly something palpable. He promptly pushed the chair back and exited the building. Bang! The door opened, and the outside world came into view. The first thing he saw was his son. Do Yoon stood with his back to Do Cheol, visibly tense. "…Ha." Seeing this, Do Cheol squinted his eyes. But it wasn’t his son he focused on. It was the person standing directly in front of Do Yoon. "You are…" The young man standing before Do Yoon. "Excuse my intrusion." A burly figure with black hair tinged with red and eyes igniting like flames. His features were sharp yet mild, akin to a sculpture—an intimidating presence, despite his youthful appearance. Renowned in the Central Plains as the 'Divine Dragon,' deemed the strongest among the younger generation. "I am Gu Cheolun of the Gu family." The heir of the Gu family. "I came to have an audience with the family head." "……." He faced Do Cheol. As part of Baek Yangcheon’s arrangements.