Chapter 2

The young lord of the Gu Clan. 2

When it comes to the Gu family of Shanxi, they are treated as a prestigious family with a notable reputation.

Though not on par with the so-called Four Great Families:

The Namgung Clan of Anhui.

The Peng Clan of Hebei.

The Tang Clan of Sichuan.

The Moyong Clan of Liaoning.

Compared to them, the Gu family of Shanxi may lag behind somewhat, but many believe that the Gu family is undoubtedly an illustrious house in its own right.

The current head of the clan, Tiger Warrior Gu Cheol-un, is one of the Hundred Masters of the Central Plains and even among them, he is counted as one of the strongest warriors.

His beliefs and sense of justice were well-known among many people.

The warriors under the Gu family do not oppress the common folk but instead protect them from threats.

It’s no wonder they’re called the guardians of Shanxi.

The prestige of the family, the goodwill of the common people, and even the children of Gu Cheol-un have already begun to stand out among the younger generation of warriors.

The eldest daughter, Gu Hee-bi, has proven herself as a representative of her generation and is already known by many as Sword Phoenix.

The second daughter, Gu Yeonseo, shows talent equal to Gu Hee-bi, and it is anticipated that she will easily inherit her sister’s title in the future.

As a long-standing righteous faction family, not only is the head of the household strong, but the bloodline continues to be powerful. Over time, the foundation of the Gu family will surely grow stronger.

Many believed this would happen sooner rather than later.

I too believed this until the only son and young lord of the Gu family turned traitor and joined the demonic humans.

“Young Master.”

The sound of a servant announcing morning woke me up. Looking around, sunlight was already streaming through the window.

“I’m awake.”

A hoarse voice escaped my lips. I hadn’t slept at all last night because I couldn’t understand what was happening.

Sighing quietly, I washed my face without water.

“…Is this really not a dream?”

It’s been three days since my heart exploded and I regressed to my childhood.

“What really happened?”

No matter how many times I asked the empty sky, there was no answer. No matter how much I thought about it, I still didn’t know.

The first day was just emptiness. Dreaming of a time I could never return to left me feeling hollow inside.

I ate and slept, though I should’ve realized something was different when I could taste the food.

I spent the second day dazed and confused.

“You idiot.”

Only on the third day did I finally realize—what an absurd situation!

Turning my head, I looked outside the window where sunlight shone through an open window, unlike the iron bars of the Torture Chamber in the underground headquarters of the Murim Alliance.

After scolding myself for being so dull, a wave of joy began to rise within me as I recognized the situation.

I had returned to the happiest time of my life, despite the fact that everything had gone wrong before.

Even if I don’t know why this happened, if it’s real…

‘No, it must be real.’

I desperately hoped it was true. The doubts I had were barely suppressed by the overwhelming reality I felt throughout my body.

If I’ve truly returned to the past, what should I do now? Where should I start?

There were countless events ahead that I needed to organize in my mind.

There was so much to think about, thousands of thoughts swirling in my head, when someone outside the door called my name.

“Young Master.”

This broke my concentration.

“The Lord of the House will arrive soon.”

Hearing this from the servant made my whole body tense. It was something I hadn’t dared to think about with my mind already overwhelmed.

“Father is coming…”

Apparently, Father had been away on business and was returning to the estate. After several years, including my past life, I was seeing him again.

My head already hurt.

The feelings toward my father after such a long absence weren’t ones of longing or joy but more akin to fear.

The cold gaze and sharp words I experienced in my previous life still lingered in my chest.

They haunted me whenever I had a moment to think.

‘You reckless fool, until when do you plan to live like this? Do you intend to remain a disgrace to our family?’

These were words my father said to me when I was around fifteen. I don’t blame him; I lived a pathetic life deserving of such criticism.

I understood it all, but every moment I lived through back then stayed etched in my heart.

And it’s still the same now.

I am still afraid of my father.

“Young Master?”

Not hearing a response from me, the servant called again from outside.

“I’ll get ready and come out. How much time is left?”

“About half an hour.”

“Prepare some water for washing, please.”

“Right away, Young Master.”

I could hear the servant’s nervous voice. My unexpected willingness to prepare myself must have surprised her. As a child, I used to throw tantrums every morning, breaking whatever I could find because I didn’t want to wake up.

I lost count of how many items I shattered in the house.

The reason for these baseless excuses and tantrums was simply that I didn’t want to see my father.

Even now, it’s uncomfortable, but there’s no longer any reason or time to run away.

After finishing my wash and changing into clean clothes, I tidied myself up. The servant helping me kept trembling slightly, which bothered me. Was she worried I might throw something or swing an object around?

Would a teenager really do that?

‘…Maybe I did before.’

I couldn’t bear to think further.

Stepping out of the room, I felt the gazes of many people. Not only could I feel their stares, but I could also clearly hear their whispers.

“Why is he coming out to greet the Lord of the House?”

“He always complained about getting up…”

I heard their murmurs clearly. Calling my former war-level tantrums mere complaints showed how kind these people were.

As one of them caught my eye mid-sentence, they startled and tried to kneel, but I stopped them with a raised hand.

Had I been the old me, what would I have done?

Hmm…

‘Let’s not think about that…’

I probably caused enough chaos back then. Those two likely wouldn’t have been seen around the estate the next day.

Walking along, I noticed the flowers blooming beautifully. Despite my complicated inner turmoil, spring was calm and peaceful.

I wasn’t sure if it was winter or autumn when I died at the Murim Alliance.

I’m not sure which season it was.

Perhaps I now have the leisure to observe the seasons, or maybe I’m just stupidly staring at flowers.

“Probably the latter.”

“Pardon?”

The escort guiding me on the first day of my regression mistook my muttering.

“Nothing.”

After walking for about an hour, passing through the courtyard and the garden, I arrived at the main gate of the Gu estate. By the time I got there, many people had already gathered.

Most of them were faces I hadn’t seen in days.

They seemed surprised to see me here as well. Most bowed their heads in greeting, and though it felt awkward after such a long time, I didn’t show it.

Passing through the crowd, I reached those who didn’t bow to me.

One of them spoke to me.

“It’s strange to see you here.”

The speaker was a girl with long hair tied neatly at the back. She appeared to be around fifteen years old.

She was undoubtedly beautiful, but her straight posture and piercing eyes hinted at her martial prowess.

There weren’t many people in the Gu family who didn’t bow to me, especially girls of her age. In fact, there was practically only one person.

Hongyeom Sword Gu Yeonseo.

The girl was a blood relative of the Gu family and my younger sister by birth.

Gu Yeonseo would likely become a promising young warrior soon and later gain fame as an excellent female swordsman. She did in the future, after all.

Gazing up at my older sister whom I hadn’t seen in a while, I replied,

“This is a place I should be.”

In response, Gu Yeonseo snorted.

“So the kid who knows that has been hiding his face until now?”

Her cold voice reprimanded me. She was right. As a member of the Gu family, I had indeed avoided responsibilities based solely on my emotions.

“Yeah, why did I do that?”

“What?”

“I admit I was wrong. I’ll apologize to the Lord of the House later.”

At my clear apology, Gu Yeonseo made a strange expression.

Moments later, she clicked her tongue and said,

“I don’t know what kind of act you’re pulling this time, but messing with people’s minds is going too far. I’m starting to get angry now.”

She turned her head sharply after delivering her warning. It was tough, as usual. Though I wanted to say something more, I couldn’t.

“The Lord of the House has arrived.”

Following the servant’s announcement, I shifted my gaze to the entrance, where a carriage was approaching the main gate. A red stallion, twice the size of regular horses, galloped tirelessly and quickly reached the gate, stopping amidst the gathered crowd.

As the horse paused to catch its breath, the carriage door opened, and a figure stepped out wearing a crimson robe with a long scar cutting across half his face.

The fierce gaze alone was enough to make many lower their heads as his red eyes scanned the assembled group.

‘Father.’

It was my father, Hu Hyo Gu Cheol-un, the head of the Shanxi Gu family. He was a legendary figure, one of the few warriors who stood out among countless others.

His gaze quickly swept over everyone and stopped briefly on me. I met his eyes without flinching.

His fierce gaze terrified me as a child.

But only for a fleeting moment. Father then shifted his gaze elsewhere, showing no further reaction. This wasn’t surprising; that was just how he was.

“Lord of the House. We are fortunate you returned safely.”

“Steward.”

“Yes, Lord of the House.”

“Is there any sword corps available currently?”

“The First Sword Corps is resting after returning, but the Fourth Sword Corps is on standby.”

“Tell the captain of the Fourth Sword Corps to prepare and report to me before midnight.”

“Understood. Congratulations on your safe return, Lord of the House.”

With the brief conversation over, the Lord of the House silently moved forward, and everyone followed his lead. I walked behind, gazing at my father’s broad and heavy back.

Though returning felt like a miracle, there were numerous tangled issues to address.

‘Still, it’s fortunate I didn’t return too late.’

If I had returned years into the future, it would have been beyond repair. Things would have deteriorated significantly.

This was definitely good fortune.

However, even now, I wasn’t sure where to begin unraveling the problems.

Uttuk.

Father, who had been walking steadily, suddenly stopped.

“The third son should come to the Lord’s Room after finishing dinner separately.”

He spoke without turning back, leaving me bewildered.

‘Third son’ was undoubtedly referring to me. Why me? What could Father possibly want with me…?

‘…There are too many possibilities.’

“Understood.”

With my reply, Father resumed walking.

By the evening meal, I decided on the first thing I needed to do after regressing. It was an important task.

“Mukyeon.”

I whispered the name of my escort softly.

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Could you guide me to the congressman’s office before dinner?”

Hearing this, Mukyeon wore a serious expression.

“Is anything hurting, Young Master?”

“No, I just think I’ll definitely get indigestion from eating, so I want to get some medicine beforehand.”

“Ah…”