The fragmented pieces fell to the ground with a brittle crack.

Once they hit the floor, they disintegrated into dust, vanishing as if they had been mere mirages.

No matter the size—big or small—they broke apart all the same.

“This is...”

Gubong stared at the sight before him, his expression frozen in disbelief.

The barrier made of darkness had shattered.

It had seemed unbreakable, gradually consuming everything in its path. Yet, the absolute terror Gubong had felt just moments ago had been undone—effortlessly, as if it were nothing.

Crack!

Gu Yangcheon brushed his hand over the rough, jagged edges of the broken barrier, clearing it away as though it was a mere nuisance.

The casual way he acted left Gubong at a loss for words.

“What is this annoying thing?”

Click.

With a short click of his tongue, Gu Yangcheon tossed something to the floor.

It wasn’t an object—it was a person.

Thud!

A figure with jet-black hair fell to the ground like discarded luggage.

Gubong swallowed hard.

It had been decades since he’d last seen him, but he recognized the man instantly.

It was his older brother.

Though his face was so swollen from repeated blows that it was barely recognizable, Gubong was certain of it.

“Ugh... guh...”

The man groaned, a pained sound escaping his lips. Blood dripped freely from his mouth.

What in the world had happened to him?

Gubong wanted to ask but couldn’t summon the courage.

“And what’s with you?”

A voice broke through his thoughts.

When Gubong lifted his gaze slightly, sharp, glinting blue eyes were staring directly at him.

“You know, I’ve been wondering. Do you have a hobby of kneeling or something?”

Gu Yangcheon smirked, his voice laced with mockery.

As he said, Gubong was kneeling on the floor.

“...”

Unable to respond, Gubong remained silent.

Gu Yangcheon reached out his hand toward Gubong’s wrists.

His hand touched the cuffs Gubong wore.

Creak.

“...!”

Gubong’s eyes widened in shock at the sight.

These weren’t ordinary cuffs—they were made of refined Yoseok Stone.

Though Gubong had managed to crack them slightly through his own strength, he hadn’t been able to fully remove them.

But Gu Yangcheon casually gripped the cuffs and...

Crunch!

...crushed them with his bare hands.

“Why are you wearing this junk like it’s some kind of accessory?”

“W-what...?”

Gubong stared blankly at the shattered remains of the cuffs.

His mind swirled in confusion, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

“Ah...!”

Suddenly, Gubong’s attention shifted.

Never mind the fact that Gu Yangcheon had destroyed the barrier or how easily he’d done it.

What struck him was the memory of his father—the one pinned to the wall by the overwhelming darkness.

He turned his gaze toward the wall.

“Huh?”

But there wasn’t a single trace left.

How could that be? He’d seen it happen with his own eyes.

Before Gubong could dwell further, a loud crackling noise echoed around them.

Crackle!

The surrounding barrier began to splinter rapidly.

The cracks spread like wildfire, and in an instant, the entire barrier shattered into fragments.

Crash!

The artificial night crumbled away.

The remnants fell to the floor and scattered like ash.

As Gubong stood there in a daze, a voice called out from the distance.

“Fascinating.”

It was the voice of the Master of Darkness.

Gubong frowned as he turned to look.

This time, the aura surrounding the man didn’t obscure his features.

Unlike before, when the energy had made his face unrecognizable, now Gubong could see him clearly.

A middle-aged man with a hardened expression and hair dyed black.

This was the master of the place.

Sitting calmly in a chair with his legs crossed, he looked in their direction.

Gubong averted his eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

“How did you know?”

The man spoke, addressing Gu Yangcheon.

The faint trace of mockery in Gu Yangcheon’s voice was unmistakable as he replied.

“How did I know? I saw it.”

“You saw it?”

“Yes.”

What had he seen?

Gubong couldn’t understand, and judging by the man’s puzzled reaction, neither could he.

“That’s impossible.”

The man’s voice carried an air of certainty.

Gu Yangcheon chuckled, louder this time.

“If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. I wasn’t planning to explain it anyway.”

“...”

His tone was sharp and brazen, as it had always been.

Today, however, it struck Gubong differently.

He realized something.

“He treats everyone the same...”

Whether he spoke formally or informally, his words carried the same unchanging tone.

“Interesting.”

A hint of intrigue appeared in the man’s gaze.

That intrigue wasn’t directed at Gubong but squarely at Gu Yangcheon.

“Are you from Mount Hua?”

“Can’t you tell just by looking?”

Gu Yangcheon pointed to his chest, where the plum blossom emblem of Mount Hua was embroidered.

The man glanced at the symbol before shifting his gaze to Gu Yangcheon’s hair.

“Black hair, huh?”

His blackened hair and ears stood out in this place.

The man’s eyes carried an unspoken meaning that Gubong picked up on immediately.

“Could it be...”

Was he suspecting Gu Yangcheon as the mastermind behind the attack?

“This can’t be...”

Gubong scrambled to his feet, intending to intervene, but...

Grab!

“...!”

Gu Yangcheon pressed down on Gubong’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

His sharp blue eyes bore into Gubong, delivering an unspoken command:

Stay still.

“...”

Reluctantly, Gubong sat back down.

“Not entirely black, though. It seems like there’s a hint of color mixed in?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I’ve never heard of someone as strong as you from Mount Hua.”

“Thanks for the compliment. That’s usually the case.”

The man let out a dry laugh at Gu Yangcheon’s response.

But then, the air around them shifted abruptly.

“How did you escape the underground?”

Swoosh!

A suffocating aura emanated from the man, far more intense than before.

Even under the pressure, Gu Yangcheon’s smile didn’t falter.

“How? You treated your guest like crap, so I broke my way out.”

Blue energy surged violently from Gu Yangcheon, clashing with the dark energy.

The room’s temperature spiked sharply.

“You went through all that effort to meet your son, and yet you treat people like criminals. That’s no way to act, is it?”

“...”

“Ruining someone’s mood like this.”

Gu Yangcheon’s smile vanished as he spoke.

Crack!

The collision of their energies sent fissures through the room.

At this rate, everything seemed on the verge of collapse.

“Hmm.”

Suddenly, the man withdrew his aura, the oppressive energy dissipating.

“I am Black Spirit, the leader. What is your name?”

“From Mount Hua... Gu Yangcheon.”

“Gu Yangcheon. Enter the Black Sect, and I’ll make you the next leader.”

“...!”

Gubong gasped audibly.

The next leader? His sons were right there—well, one unconscious and the other estranged—but even so...

“Leader?”

Gu Yangcheon tilted his head slightly.

“I’m not one of your blood.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t you have to be pure-blooded?”

“You’re not?”

“...Well.”

Gu Yangcheon appeared to ponder briefly before replying.

“Close enough.”

Gubong furrowed his brows at the obvious lie.

“Then come over. I’ll make you the leader.”

The same condition was repeated.

Gubong had never heard of such an offer before.

“Hmm.”

Gu Yangcheon propped his chin on his hand as if genuinely considering it.

Was he seriously debating this?

Just as Gubong’s eyes widened in disbelief, Gu Yangcheon shook his head.

“Not interested.”

For Gubong, it was a relief—or was it?

What exactly was fortunate?

The thought came to Gubong unbidden, and he swallowed hard.

“Why is that? Are you so deeply attached to Mount Hua?”

“Not really.”

Gu Yangcheon shook his head without hesitation.

“...”

He was confident, unapologetically stating that he had no attachment to his affiliation.

It wasn’t entirely unexpected—he had mentioned before that the fate of Mount Hua didn’t particularly concern him.

What surprised Gubong was that he would admit the same thing in front of his own father.

With Gu Yangcheon’s frank response, the Black Spirit asked again.

“Then why?”

“I don’t particularly feel a sense of belonging, but, well, you know how it is.”

“How what is?”

“You’d rather stay somewhere with a stronger leader, wouldn’t you? Something like that.”

“...”

Crack.

The Black Spirit’s brow furrowed deeply at Gu Yangcheon’s reply.

“Are you saying the leader of Mount Hua is stronger than me?”

“Oh, come on, what are you talking about?”

Gu Yangcheon waved his hand dismissively, as if the very notion was absurd.

Then, with the playful expression wiped from his face, he spoke.

“Of course, there’s no comparison.”

Rumble!

The Black Spirit’s energy surged violently, a clear sign of his irritation.

The tension in the air was palpable—on the brink of an explosion.

Gubong assessed the situation, knowing that if his father lost control, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Should he intervene?

Before he could decide, however...

Ssshhh...

The Black Spirit’s energy began to settle, though not naturally—it was being forcibly restrained.

“I see,” he said, nodding.

“I respect your faith in your leader.”

“Not a leader, per se—”

“Then why have you come, Gu Yangcheon?”

“My reason for coming?”

The Black Spirit’s gaze sharpened, all traces of emotion erased from his eyes.

He turned his attention to Gubong.

“You must have had a reason to go to such lengths to meet me.”

The Black Spirit was convinced that Gu Yangcheon had used Gubong to facilitate this meeting.

And he wasn’t wrong.

“Ah, that.”

Gu Yangcheon smiled.

“It’s nothing too serious.”

Looking at the Black Spirit, he asked, “I need to meet some so-called generals. Do you happen to know how I might do that?”

At those words, Gubong nearly choked.

*********

The ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) sun was beginning to set, the hour approaching nightfall.

Rather than dispersing, the crowd seemed to grow, likely due to the timing.

Although the area was quieter than usual due to recent events, it was still bustling with people.

In the midst of it all—

“You’ve gone completely mad, haven’t you?”

Gubong muttered, glaring at me.

“What?” I asked, turning to look at him.

His expression was twisted in frustration as he stared at me.

“What’s the matter?”

“You’re insane—there’s no other explanation for this!”

“Hey, what are you even talking about? What’s the problem?”

“Everything! From start to finish!”

That’s harsh. I clicked my tongue softly.

“Everything about what? Be specific.”

“Everything! Using me to get in there, the way you acted while we were there, and the things you said before leaving—it’s all a problem!”

“Aw, come on. Surely I did something right?”

“Do you genuinely believe that?”

“Of course.”

Honestly, I don’t even know what I supposedly did wrong.

Besides—

“It all worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

Despite all the supposed issues, the outcome was fine.

“You’re here, walking around in one piece, aren’t you?”

I’d thought I was screwed when we got locked up, but we’d gotten out just fine.

Not only that—

“And we got this, didn’t we?”

I waved the plaque I’d taken from the Black Spirit in front of Gubong.

Its value?

“Now we won’t have to report to every damn gatekeeper. Isn’t that convenient?”

With this, I wouldn’t have to deal with endless questioning or show Mount Hua’s name at every checkpoint.

Despite all this, Gubong still seemed upset.

I couldn’t understand why.

Seeing my indifference, he spoke again, his voice tinged with frustration.

“You don’t understand what kind of person that man is.”

Fear flickered faintly in Gubong’s eyes.

“No matter what he does, there’s always a scheme behind it. There must be a reason he let us go so easily this time.”

“Well, obviously. Do you think someone like him would give us this for free?”

The Black Spirit had said, “See you next time,” as I’d left with the plaque.

“And yet you still... You knew this and still went through with it? Knowing the kind of relationship I have with him?”

“I think you’re mistaken.”

I spoke to Gubong, who seemed on the verge of losing his temper.

“I don’t really care about you. I just figured you were some noble’s kid.”

“You—!”

“Oh, and I hear you’re illegitimate, huh?”

“...!”

“A concubine’s son, right? Something like that.”

Gu Yangcheon smirked as he pointed out Gubong’s sore spot.

Gubong clenched his teeth in rage.

He couldn’t let this slide, not this time. He was ready to attack.

“I’m illegitimate too. A concubine’s son.”

Gu Yangcheon’s casual confession froze Gubong in his tracks.

“I’m just saying.”

“You...”

“Sorry for using you, but I really needed to. And I’ll probably use you again in the future, so... sorry in advance.”

“...”

How could anyone be so brazen? Apologizing in advance for future schemes?

It was absurd, even demonic.

Gubong’s body trembled with anger.

“Just try to understand. I’ve got a lot to do—like finding my mother.”

Gu Yangcheon trailed off, his gaze shifting abruptly.

Curious, Gubong followed his line of sight.

There stood a familiar figure.

“Her...?”

He didn’t know her name—no one did.

All anyone knew was that Gu Yangcheon had brought her along, and she avoided everyone but him.

“She said she wasn’t coming with us today...”

So why was she here?

And more than that—

“She looks injured?”

She seemed unsteady, clearly in discomfort.

When Gubong glanced at Gu Yangcheon for an explanation, he was gone.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Gubong’s eyes widened as Gu Yangcheon appeared beside the woman, gripping her shoulder firmly.

“What is this about?!”

His expression showed genuine shock.