What Yeon Woo Jin pressed into their hands was a Harmony Pill.“Go give it to your mother.”“Th—thank you.”He handed one to Bu Cheongi as well and said,“You too. Take it to whoever you want to give it to.”“Thank you, my lord.”“Alright, off you go.”At Yeon Woo Jin’s easy smile, the two bowed their heads.“Yes, my lord. We’ll be back.” ****Gi Ho—no, Hyeok Ryeon Ho—hesitated at the gate of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.A clan guard spotted him.“Huh? Isn’t that the young master Ho?”He turned at the voice that recognized him and saw a welcome face.“Ma Seung!”The man was the very guard who escorted his mother.Which made him all the happier to see him.“My word, young master—where have you been? We were worried when you vanished.”“And you? Have you been well?”“I’ve been fine, but how have you been, young master? From the look of you, I’d say… not bad…”One glance at the clothes told the story.They weren’t shabby. They were well made and well kept.His complexion looked good, too.He looked better than he had while living in the clan, which was puzzling.“Hahaha. I’ve been doing well. Life is much easier now than when I was here.”“I’m glad to hear it, but you could at least have sent word. People are worried.”“Is my mother well?”“She grows thinner by the day from worrying about you.”“R—really? Take me to her.”When Hyeok Ryeon Ho hurried ahead, Ma Seung followed at his shoulder.“Mother!”A voice she knew.A voice she’d ached for. A woman kicked her door open and ran out.“Ho—Ho… is that really you?”“Yes! Mother! I’m home.”As if she didn’t dare believe it, the woman approached him slowly.Her hand cupped his face—and then the tears came in heavy drops.“It is you! My son! It really is my Ho!”WHUMP—“Mother! I’m sorry I didn’t contact you!”At his apology, the woman said,“No. I’m grateful—grateful you came back to me alive.”She drew back the son she’d clung to and studied his face.“Looks like you’ve been well.”“I’m sorry.”“No, thank you for staying healthy.”Hyeok Ryeon Ho took in his mother.Still lovely. Still graceful.But her clothes were worn.Only then did the wrongness of the place hit him, and he looked around.The many attendants were gone; only a single maid remained.“Mother, where did the other attendants go, and why is only that girl left? And what’s with the state of this hall? It looks completely neglected.”“It’s nothing you need to worry about. Well—were you on your way back from greeting your father?”“No.”“That won’t do. Go at once and pay your respects to your father.”He looked at his mother.“Go on.”“Yes, Mother.”“Good. For my son’s sake, I’ll have to show off my cooking again today. It’s been too long.”“I’ve missed your food so much.”“Have you? Then go and give your greetings. I’ll have all your favorites ready.”“Yes. I won’t be long.”After stepping out of his mother’s quarters, Hyeok Ryeon Ho asked Ma Seung,“What happened?”Ma Seung hesitated, then said,“It all turned like this after you left, young master. The Clan Head declared he no longer considered you his son and said there was no reason to honor your mother either… He cut off all support.”“Is… that true?”“It is.”Hearing this, Hyeok Ryeon Ho stopped in his tracks.He looked back toward his mother’s residence.If his father had cast off both his mother and himself, there was no reason to stay here.It would be better to take his mother away and care for her himself.He had a place outside now; he could provide for her well.He set off toward the Clan Head’s Office.To offer his final bow—and then leave with his mother.To sever his ties with the Hyeok Ryeon line for good. ****“Clan Head, young master Ho has arrived.”“Who?”“Young master Hyeok Ryeon Ho.”“Hmph! I have no such son.”“Shall I send him away?”“No—let him in. I’ll hear what face he thinks he can show me.”“Understood.”The Clan Head of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan, Hyeok Ryeon Pae, did not bother to hide his displeasure at the news that the son who’d left home had returned.A moment later—Seeing Hyeok Ryeon Ho stride in with such confidence, he sensed something had changed.Once inside, Hyeok Ryeon Ho bowed to Hyeok Ryeon Pae.“I hope you have been in good health, Father.”“Hmph! Who are you calling ‘Father’? I’ve never had a son like you.”At that, Hyeok Ryeon Ho said,“Is that so? Then I will offer you a farewell, Clan Head.”He no longer called him Father. He called him Clan Head.Hyeok Ryeon Pae’s expression turned grim and dangerous.“I will be taking my mother with me as well, Clan Head. Thank you for what care you showed us until now.”Even under that deadly glare, Hyeok Ryeon Ho’s face did not change.Once, the boy would have trembled and begged forgiveness.He had changed.He felt like a man, a true one.In Hyeok Ryeon Ho, Hyeok Ryeon Pae saw himself.But he could not back down here.He had to seize the initiative, once and for all.“Clan Head? Hah… Fine, get out. But from this day on, you will never use the name Hyeok Ryeon anywhere. Do not even think of seeking help from our clan.”“Understood. As you are casting me off, I will use the surname Gi from now on.”“What?”He’d expected the boy to bend a little if pushed out—but the boy had come ready with a new surname.Fury surged.SPRING—“Are you so eager to die? Did you just proudly declare in front of me that you’re discarding the Hyeok Ryeon name?”“You told me to discard °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° it, Clan Head. I am merely following your will.”“Silence! Watch your tongue. I could cripple you and throw you out.”Hyeok Ryeon Ho met his gaze squarely and said,“I won’t go down easily.”“What?”Unbelievable.Who did he think he was talking to like that?His habits needed correction.Had his gall swelled from not seeing his father for a while?He’d have to show him fear again and make him cower like before.WOOOOOM—A vast pressure rolled off Hyeok Ryeon Pae’s body.It speared straight at Hyeok Ryeon Ho and began to press him down.DRRRR—The crushing weight landed on him.But his knees did not bend.Hyeok Ryeon Pae was startled to see him endure it.To withstand this much force—What in the world had he been doing outside to grow this strong?Had he stumbled into some great fortune?He increased the pressure.Even so, the boy held.KRAK—The floor beneath Hyeok Ryeon Ho’s feet cracked under the force.Still he held.Unbelievable.He’d grown this strong?WHOOOM—He pushed power close to his full might at the boy—yet Hyeok Ryeon Ho still endured.His father no longer frightened him.How many life-and-death bouts had he fought at his lord’s side?Compared to his lord’s killing intent, his father’s aura was nothing.He could endure this all day.“What on earth happened to you out there?”“A great many things.”“Did you gain a great opportunity?”“A great opportunity… Yes. I did.”Its name was Yeon Woo Jin.Drawing his aura back, Hyeok Ryeon Pae forced a genial smile.“Heh-heh, you rascal. You should have said so. Then—what’s your realm now? You were First Stage, Transformation, before, weren’t you?”“I was. I’m Ninth Stage, Transformation, now.”“What?”Hyeok Ryeon Pae gaped.In just two years, he had leapt eight whole stages.“Ninth Stage, Transformation? Then that would make you stronger than your second brother…”At that age—already Ninth Stage, Transformation.At this rate, he might become the strongest martial artist in the history of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.The thought of casting him out evaporated in an instant.What mad house would discard a genius like this?None.You’d manufacture a pretext to keep him if you had to.“Heh-heh-heh. My Ho, you misunderstood your father.”The sudden softness in Hyeok Ryeon Pae’s voice didn’t sit right with Hyeok Ryeon Ho.“Boy, do you think I did it because I truly hated you? I worried for you—for your own good.”“And that man is the one who neglected my mother and left her to rot?”“I’m sorry. I’ll see to her from now on. Satisfied?”“No. I’m leaving, Clan Head.”BANG—!“You wretch! You dare ignore me? You think I’ll let you walk out unharmed?”“Even if you break my limbs, it won’t matter. I’m leaving.”“Fine! Let’s see if you can still talk like that after your limbs are truly broken!”Deciding words were useless, Hyeok Ryeon Pae sprang up and hurled himself at his son.WHOOOM—A dreadful force writhed around his hand as he swung it straight at Hyeok Ryeon Ho.Hyeok Ryeon Ho twisted aside and slipped the blow.That he dodged so lightly was both gratifying and infuriating.Hyeok Ryeon Pae chained attacks together, leaving no gaps at all.FWIP— FWIIP— FWIP-FWIP—And the boy either slipped or parried every one.Then, with feather-light footwork, he drifted back out of range.Not just a talent.An all-time talent.How had he not seen it?How had he not seen what a staggering person he was?In Hyeok Ryeon Pae’s mind, a happy vision bloomed.Hyeok Ryeon Un as Little Heavenly Lord, Hyeok Ryeon Gun as Young Clan Head, and Hyeok Ryeon Ho as the power behind them both—then the Hyeok Ryeon Clan would be perfect.So he thought.But the problem was how to turn Hyeok Ryeon Ho’s heart back.Hyeok Ryeon Pae halted his assault and tried to soothe him again.“What I said earlier—I only said it in anger. How could you not be a Hyeok Ryeon? Anyone can see you’re my son and a member of the Hyeok Ryeon Clan.”Even so, Hyeok Ryeon Ho showed no sign of changing his mind.“No, Clan Head. As of today, I am Gi Ho.”“If you truly do this, I will break you.”“Do as you wish.”Hyeok Ryeon Pae fixed him with a murderous stare.Then he sighed and said,“Haah… Fine. Have it your way.”Could he simply not bring himself to hurt his own son?“Promise me one thing before you go.”“What is it?”“That you won’t show yourself to the world.”“I can’t.”“What?”“I already serve someone, and I must remain at his side and attend him.”“You serve someone?”“Yes. I will make him the Little Heavenly Lord.”Make someone Little Heavenly Lord?Could it be—?“You’ve attached yourself to another clan? Which one? Speak!”“It isn’t another clan.”“Not one of the Five Guardian Clans? Then—don’t tell me—Yeom Woo Jin?”“Yes.”“Ha… You fool. You think that brat will become Little Heavenly Lord?”“That’s the wrong question. He is already the Little Heavenly Lord.”Unshakable conviction.True, heartfelt loyalty.Astonishing.With that skill and the Hyeok Ryeon name—what on earth did he lack?At this point, Hyeok Ryeon Pae’s interest finally piqued in the man called Yeom Woo Jin.He’d dismissed it as a fight among the Five Guardian Clans and paid little mind. Not anymore.“If I want you back, that Yeom Woo Jin has to disappear. Isn’t that right?”It was a threat meant to cow him.But—“Do you think the Hyeok Ryeon Clan could make that happen? Not even if all Five Guardian Clans joined forces.”He’d fallen, and fallen hard.This was serious.In that case, he could not let the boy go.“I can’t let you leave. Until the Little Heavenly Lord is decided, you will remain here for the time being.”

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