Grandfather stared at me intently. I hesitated in response to his gaze.
It was because this was the first time I was meeting anyone other than my mother and father.
“This child…”
“That’s right. He’s my child.”
“Wow… I see. You’ve grown up. You’ve really grown up… heh heh…”
Grandfather, my parents, and I all sat together in one room.
“I heard the movements of the sect have been suspicious lately, so I came by out of worry. Seeing that everything is organized without gaps, I feel a bit relieved.”
My mother asked with a dark expression.
“Has father not given up yet…?”
Grandfather nodded silently, and the atmosphere became unbearably heavy.
“We only have to hold out a little longer, right? It’s been many years already. It’s been over ten years and nearly half, so father must have settled his mind to some extent, I think.”
“Yeah. That must be it. Considering how long we’ve endured, there’s not much time left.”
“Yes.”
“Heh heh. The device for opening the stone gate is rather ingenious. I had quite a bit of trouble finding that tiny needle. I worried that I’d left marks all over the stone wall from searching so much.”
“Hahaha. I’m glad the formations that father taught me worked well.”
“What? This punk! You’re not there yet!”
“Hahaha!”
The atmosphere lightened a bit. Everyone put aside the topic of grandfather and turned to my story, blooming laughter around us. Grandfather ruffled my hair, bursting into a wide smile.
My family clearly had many stories to tell, but like any family, Grandfather thought I, his grandchild, was cute.
At first, I remained somewhat distant, but I quickly approached Grandfather. After all, he was the first person I was meeting aside from my mother and father.
From my current perspective, Grandfather was just a stern-looking old man trying to figure out how to treat his grandchild, but even his awkward behavior piqued my curiosity back then.
Anyway, Grandfather was content just to be with me, and I was happy just to have encountered him.
However, the farewell came quickly.
The next day, Grandfather said he had to leave.
“Grandfather, do you really have to go?”
“Heh heh. Yeah. I’m sad too, but… the circumstances won’t allow it.”
After ruffling my hair like that, he left with a wistful look in his eyes.
“When can I go outside?”
From then on, my curiosity about the outside world sprouted seriously. Though I sometimes watched my father go out and come back, wondering what was out there, it never piqued my interest that much.
After all, in this formation, there were no large animals, and the only living things around were small insects.
At the time, my only playmates were my mother and father, so my perception of the outside world was just that it existed somewhere.
However, after Grandfather visited, I realized there were ‘people’ outside, and I became curious.
What kind of person was my father’s mother? What about my mother’s father or mother?
I started to imagine those things.
My father, with a complicated expression, placed his hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“Yeah, Cheon-an. When you grow taller than me and start growing a beard like your father, I’ll take you outside.”
“Really?”
“Of course. When have you ever seen me lie?”
Adulthood.
At that time, I didn’t fully grasp its meaning, but I understand now. I might not have been clear about what my mother, father, and grandfather were planning for me, but I suspected it would conclude when I came of age.
This was related to the reason I had been dozing off regularly on the altar until now.
Circumstances suggested that my parents were likely the ones who created the [Blood Flux], which was the root of my hardships, but I accepted this calmly.
While my memories weren’t finished yet, I could be certain of one thing.
Grandfather, mother, and father—these three were acting for my sake.
How many days had passed with my curiosity about the outside world?
One day, while we were casually tending to our garden, as usual…
Suddenly, the doorway of the formation opened.
I thought Grandfather had come back and jumped up with a smile.
But it wasn’t Grandfather who stepped into the formation. It was multiple masked experts.
They drew their weapons and charged into the formation. The deadly aura they exuded made me instinctively step back, and both my father and mother quickly hid me behind them.
Then, a figure emerged behind them.
“It’s been a long time.”
“…Father!”
It was my maternal grandfather’s appearance.
Wearing a red robe, my grandfather glared at my mother and father with fiery eyes.
“How long did you think you could hide? You fools! How dare you interfere with my grand plans for fifteen years?!”
“This is my child! And he’s also your grandson! Why would you commit such a wicked act?!”
“Shut up! Even beasts know their master’s kindness and wag their tails! How dare you betray your father like this! A child trying to hinder my grand designs isn’t a child at all! What are you all doing? Subdue them!”
Four experts immediately lunged at us.
The sword aura blazing forth indicated they were peak experts. Even though my parents countered, they were overwhelmed in number and lacked even a decent weapon to defend against such a sudden attack.
My father’s swordsmanship was impressive, but he couldn’t face their sword aura with just a twig.
Swords are made of metal.
To understand the rhythm of a sword meant to understand the rhythm of metal. Even if they resembled each other, a wooden sword was not a sword.
To infuse a wooden sword with energy meant understanding the rhythm of wood itself… Considering that comprehending the rhythm of a metal sword after years of companionship is how one reaches the peak stage, it was obvious that infusing energy into wood was far beyond even that peak stage.
The masked experts quickly subdued my mother and father.
My maternal grandfather walked over at a leisurely pace and kicked my father.
“Ugh!”
Seeing this, I instinctively jumped out.
“Don’t bully my father! You bad guy!”
Of course, my struggle was easily blocked by one of the masked martial artists. Unsurprisingly, against a peak expert, my efforts had no impact.
“Oh? So you are the one.”
My maternal grandfather’s eyes glimmered as he looked at me. I was already exhausted from struggling to break free from the grip of a peak expert, gasping for breath.
“I am your maternal grandfather.”
“Don’t lie! Let my mother and father go!”
“Heh heh. I can’t do that. Your mother and father have wronged me. Haven’t you learned from your mother that wrongdoers must be punished?”
Squirming in response to my grandfather’s mocking gaze, I struggled, but how could I escape while being pressed down by a peak expert?
“People should face the consequences of their sins. So how about this? If you take on their punishment, I will release your father and mother.”
“Don’t, Cheon-an!”
My maternal grandfather, irritated by my father’s outcry, reached out his hand. And along with that, a red energy pierced through my father’s shoulder.
“Ugh!”
My father, pierced in the shoulder, let out a cry. He bit his lip, trying to endure the pain, but I answered, tears rolling down my face from the blood flowing from my father’s shoulder.
“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
“Heh heh heh! Good thinking!”
Though my mother and father called for me in desperation, the two of them were in a position where they couldn’t speak, their blood sealed.
The altar where I had been napping was dragged out to the courtyard, and my maternal grandfather laid me upon it, performing various rituals.
And that ritual was incredibly painful.
“Ugh! Aaaah! Aaaaaah!!”
I tried to stifle my groans so that my imprisoned parents wouldn’t worry, but this was no pain a child could withstand.
“Damn it! You brats! Deliberately creating impurities to corrupt this body! I was almost reduced to a mere commoner! If I had been delayed for a year, no, even a few months, it would have been irreversible! You little shits…!”
“Let my father… and mother… go…!”
Although my consciousness was fading due to pain, I still wanted to protect my mother and father. Hearing my mumblings, my grandfather’s face twisted, but he wore a satisfied smile.
“Hmph, you’re still my bloodline, so your willpower is quite useful. If you want to save your mother and father, then hold out a little longer.”
Every day.
I suffered from what felt like my entire body being torn apart around my veins. Unable to bear the pain, I screamed and wailed.
I couldn’t faint easily.
“Are you going to give up here? You need to save your father and mother.”
Those words were said by my grandfather to provoke me.
“Damn it! Physical problems can’t be resolved overnight. Oh, it couldn’t be helped.”
Was that when it started?
The vivid emotions of my past gradually faded away.
It felt as if my identity was dying.
Instead of passionate emotions conveyed to me, all that reached me now was mere information.
“Raise your upper body.”
At that time, I was more like a puppet than a person. I was mechanically following the simple commands from my grandfather, like a doll.
I was no longer bound to the altar. I was like a puppet that just obeyed my grandfather’s orders.
“Tch, is this all you can do?”
My grandfather, who had been maintaining some form of consciousness in me, murmured in discontent.
“Still, now that I’ve almost destroyed your will, a little more work and I can safely transport you.”
While visibly dissatisfied, he glanced at the room where my parents were trapped.
“Because of those brats, how many years will my grand plan be delayed!”
Twitch.
My body reacted. Was the desire to protect my parents still there?
Seeing my reaction, my grandfather frowned as he spoke.
“Hmph, hold on. Can you afford to ruin the grand plan because of a moment’s emotion? First, I must secure your leash fully.”
Just then.
The doorway of the formation opened.
The four masked experts and my grandfather were startled and turned around.
“…These bastards!”
At the entrance stood Grandfather.
With a swift draw of his sword, an immense aura erupted from him. Though I couldn’t properly feel the overwhelming energy due to the blockage at the time, I sensed it indirectly as the four figures trembling like aspen trees before him.
“Cheon-an!”
Grandfather called out to me, spotting me on the altar, with a desperate voice, but I just stared blankly ahead.
His furious gaze instantly locked onto my maternal grandfather.
“How… how can you commit such a wicked act! He’s your grandson! That child is your grandson!”
“Then you should listen to your grandfather well.”
“You bastard!!”
Even without sensing energy, I could feel my Grandfather’s aura erupting, while from my grandfather’s body, red particles gathered at his fingertips.
Those particles accumulating at his fingertips weren’t energy… it was blood.
Blood Sect.
My maternal grandfather’s origins were clearly tied to the Blood Sect.
How my mother had swiftly contained my blood and the crafty techniques shown during my rituals made me almost spiritually certain that we were from a Blood Sect family. This time, however, it was the definitive proof of this connection.
Bloody water, moving like a living snake, sprayed around, and Grandfather’s sword cleaved through that bloody water.
The droplets flung from Grandfather’s sword shattered the rocks that formed the exterior of the formation to pieces.
The peak experts were unable to withstand even the portions of blood or energy scattered by Grandfather, retreating in chaos.
Despite being so close to the fierce battle, I thought it was fortunate I would remain unscathed. But then, it made sense.
Though their hearts and goals were different, ultimately, this fight was about me.
A clash of immense powers was repeating, but for some reason, the altar I occupied remained unaffected.
In this contest, it was my grandfather being pushed back. Despite his efforts to blend bloody droplets and exert multi-directional pressure, it was ineffective against Grandfather.
Though their levels were similar, the martial prowess they had amassed as warriors was different.
As my grandfather found himself increasingly overwhelmed, he twisted his face in frustration and spoke.
“Bring that kid here!”
Father.
My maternal grandfather intended to use my father as a hostage, and Grandfather sensed that and tried to counter the experts’ movements, but it was impossible to hold off all four peak experts simultaneously.
Eventually, my subdued father was dragged out, and a dagger was placed around his neck.
“Don’t move! If you try anything funny, I’ll slice this guy’s neck!”
Grandfather’s sword wavered.
…This left a huge opening in the duel of martial artists.
Blood streamed from my maternal grandfather, and though Grandfather twisted his body to avoid the critical hits, he could not escape a blow that penetrated his side. The expression on Grandfather’s face twisted in pain as he stumbled.
“…You trash!”
Even then, my maternal grandfather seemed to feel shame from his current circumstance as his face flushed red with fury.
“Shut up! If you want to save your son…!”
Crack!!
Before my maternal grandfather could finish his sentence, a stream of blood erupted from the forehead of the masked expert holding my father’s neck.
…It was probably my mother’s doing.
I couldn’t figure out how she got free, but it appeared she had managed to release her pressure. My mother immediately patted my father’s back to release his blood, and he staggered, picking up the energy lost by the slain individuals.
“Stop him!”
In a situation no one could have foreseen, time seemed to freeze at my maternal grandfather’s shout.
Suddenly, everyone began to move.
My parents were, in no uncertain terms, in a dire condition. After all, they had been held captive for a long time.
They quickly began to be overwhelmed by the three martial artists.
Even in the face of their peril, they called for me.
“Cheon-an! Cheon-an!”
“Run away! Cheon-an!”
…In the depths of my memory, I was already turning my head away from my parents. I’m not sure what was going on back then.
But one thing was certain.
The desperate pleas of my mother and father to run away compelled me to act.
The stone gate through which Grandfather had entered was still open.
I jumped down from the altar and moved towards it.
“Stop! Don’t go! You brat! Stop!”
My maternal grandfather shouted frantically, trying to block my path, but Grandfather fiercely charged at him to clear a way. In the fierce exchange, blood gushed out from Grandfather’s side.
“Ugh! Run away! Cheon-an!”
I was moving away from my parents in order to rescue them.
Both my parents and Grandfather were in jeopardy.
…However, all I could do for my parents at that moment was to follow the command they issued.
So, I fled beyond the formation.
Memories of running through a forest on the first day of the dream resurfaced.
And that was the end of my childhood memories of Ho Cheon-an.
