Chapter 388: Love (1)
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In truth, Peng Chae-hyang had very few memories shared with Peng Gyeong-seung. The relationship between parent and child in prominent clans was, in general, largely distant.
Because parents had many duties as the backbone of the household, and children were busy receiving martial arts training and education to carry on the family name.
Memories and affection such as those commonly found in ordinary respectable families were difficult to expect.
However, no matter how common that tendency was, in the case of Peng Gyeong-seung and Peng Chae-hyang, the severity was extreme.
Because of the demonic qi concealed deep within Peng Chae-hyang, Peng Gyeong-seung had kept his distance from her, and Peng Chae-hyang, with her naturally anxious personality, could not approach her cold father.
Therefore, from her childhood, Peng Chae-hyang possessed not a single warm memory related to her father, Peng Gyeong-seung. And naturally, the same was true for Peng Gyeong-seung.
From Peng Gyeong-seung’s perspective, there were more than enough excuses. As one of the foremost masters in the Central Plains, Peng Gyeong-seung could not help but sense Peng Chae-hyang’s demonic qi even more sensitively.
The instinctive revulsion arising from having accumulated spiritual qi existed before conscious thought. As to why he felt revulsion toward a daughter he should find precious and lovely, Peng Gyeong-seung could only experience profound confusion.
In the end, Peng Gyeong-seung committed a misjudgment here. Because he did not know Peng Chae-hyang harbored demonic qi, he built a logical structure within himself that he had come to dislike Peng Chae-hyang because his wife had died. Once he constructed a logic that satisfied him, he now possessed a concrete reason to dislike Peng Chae-hyang.
However, ever since Muk Hui-yeong visited the Hebei Peng Clan, Peng Gyeong-seung’s heart had changed a little. In truth, even Peng Gyeong-seung knew rationally. That Peng Chae-hyang bore not the slightest responsibility for his wife’s death. There was no way he could not know that.
Therefore, Peng Gyeong-seung had also changed his mindset and made efforts in his own way. Because it was only natural for a father to love and cherish his daughter.
“How dare a thing that hasn’t even become human…”
Thus, Peng Gyeong-seung standing before Peng Chae-hyang right now was an extension of those very efforts.
Of course, even setting all that aside, protecting a member of the clan was also the duty of the Clan Head.
“Krrrgh.”
As the black flame continued to approach while letting out the groans of a beast, Peng Gyeong-seung erupted the internal energy throughout his entire body.
Though there was a proverb in the jianghu to conceal thirty percent of one’s strength, Peng Gyeong-seung could intuit it instinctively. Now was not the time for that.
Peng Gyeong-seung’s robes billowed and his sleeves grew taut. His reputation as the Saber Emperor, one of the Three Great Saberists Under Heaven, had not been earned for nothing.
Though swords were used far more widely than sabers in the jianghu and thus the Five Great Sword Masters Under Heaven were treated as higher in standing, even so, the Three Great Saberists Under Heaven were not attached with the prefix ‘Under Heaven’ without reason.
Even the black flame paused momentarily at Peng Gyeong-seung’s immense momentum. A pressure distinctly different from the martial artists it had exploded with simple hand gestures until now was radiating from Peng Gyeong-seung.
“Die, you monster!”
The Hebei Peng Clan’s signature technique, the Five Tigers Severing Door Saber, unfolded from Peng Gyeong-seung’s hands. It was a momentum resembling none other than five tigers pouncing at once.
The black flame raised its hand to explode Peng Gyeong-seung’s saber just as it had done all along, but a saber thoroughly enveloped in astral qi was not so easily handled.
The hand shape of the black flame was sliced off and tumbled to the ground. A flash of hope flickered in Peng Gyeong-seung’s eyes. A portion of the black flame fell onto the earth.
Soon, the continuously burning black flame died down, revealing human fingers. Unmistakably, what was inside was a human. That alone brought Peng Gyeong-seung a sense of relief. Because a man cloaked in black flames had not even been recognizable as either human or monster. Now that it was confirmed to be a human and not a bizarre force or chaotic spirit, Peng Gyeong-seung had no reason to hesitate.
Seizing the momentum, Peng Gyeong-seung unleashed glittering Saber Force. Refined astral qi was capable of severing the black flame.
In truth, as if facing astral qi for the first time, the black flame did not think of countering, and began to step backward.
“I told you to run!”
Peng Gyeong-seung shouted toward Peng Chae-hyang, who was watching blankly.
Though he had forced it to retreat for a moment, the fact that the black flame remained a dangerous threat had not changed.
“…Ah.”
Peng Chae-hyang regained her senses. But even so, her feet would not budge.
Because Peng Gyeong-seung had a high level of martial arts, he had subconsciously sensed Peng Chae-hyang’s demonic qi and disliked her, but Peng Chae-hyang, who was not at that level, had always yearned for Peng Gyeong-seung’s love.
And she, too, had felt that her relationship with her father was improving. To be precise, her father’s efforts were visible to her.
In such a situation, fleeing was not an easy choice. Like other young maidens, Peng Chae-hyang had wanted to spend warm moments with her father. However, because Peng Chae-hyang did not have an outgoing personality, she could not readily approach Peng Gyeong-seung, harboring only the naive thought that perhaps it would improve on its own someday.
“Father…”
Yet right now, if she fled and Peng Gyeong-seung died. What was she supposed to do?
“Don’t just stand there like a fool!”
Peng Gyeong-seung urged Peng Chae-hyang once more. Even amid that, Peng Chae-hyang was agonizing.
Would obeying Peng Gyeong-seung’s words here be loving her father, or would ignoring Peng Gyeong-seung’s words and staying together be loving him?
Right then, the black flame began to burn fiercely. The flames erupting from the black flame formed a circle trapping Peng Chae-hyang and Peng Gyeong-seung. From the circle, walls of black flame rose up.
“What a relief.”
Peng Chae-hyang said. It was rather a refreshed voice.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“This choice was far too painful for me. Now that the choice of running away is gone, I feel as though my head has cleared.”
Peng Gyeong-seung looked at Peng Chae-hyang with surprised eyes. Before Peng Gyeong-seung, Peng Chae-hyang had always been a timid daughter who could not properly express her opinions and shrank back. Yet right now, she was stating her own opinions with clarity. Thinking about it, it seemed she had been like that ever since returning from the New Justice Association.
“Young Master Muk had quite a large influence on you.”
At Peng Gyeong-seung’s words, Peng Chae-hyang’s face flushed hot. Though she had merely spoken what she felt, Peng Chae-hyang’s reaction was radiant, unfitting for the current situation. Seeing his deceased wife in that shy Peng Chae-hyang, Peng Gyeong-seung was momentarily dazed.
“…It would have been nice had we shared conversations like this normally as well.”
Peng Gyeong-seung spoke in a low voice. What the two needed was not extraordinary memories that no other family possessed. It was merely the time to exchange such trivial, personal stories and get to know one another.
Only now did Peng Gyeong-seung realize that truth. And the same was true for Peng Chae-hyang. Because Peng Chae-hyang had never once asked Peng Gyeong-seung a personal question either.
“Indeed.”
“Regret is always late. But regret is not entirely a bad thing. Can it not become the strength to move forward?”
“That is true.”
“Thinking about it, I failed to impart even such life wisdom to you. Not that what I failed to do for you is limited to just one or two things.”
“No. Father was busy as well.”
“I am grateful that you say so, but in the end, that is a lie. Relationships begin from truth.”
Peng Gyeong-seung said.
“It is true that I disliked and avoided you without reason. Even now, I cannot explain it. Because it was utterly humiliating to dislike my daughter without explanation, I could not bring myself to tell you.”
“…I understand.”
“I wish to apologize for that first. Though right now is hardly the time for it.”
Peng Gyeong-seung let out a hearty laugh. Despite the perilous situation, that laugh was contagious. Peng Chae-hyang smiled along as well.
“In truth, thinking it would be hard to speak in front of you, I even tried writing letters to give you. Writing letters made it feel a bit better.”
“…Did you really?”
“However, you will never see them. Because I was embarrassed and threw them all away.”
“What a pity.”
However, the conversation between father and daughter did not last long. Because the black flame began approaching once again.
“Stay behind me for now. As you know, our clan’s martial arts are more efficient when fighting alone.”
“Yes.”
Peng Chae-hyang nodded. Given the nature of the Hebei Peng Clan, which wielded great sabers, fighting together carried a high risk of tangling their stances.
Therefore, Peng Chae-hyang had no choice but to watch Peng Gyeong-seung from behind with an anxious heart.
Just moments ago, she had seen the beginning of the father-daughter relationship unraveling after being locked for over twenty years. That was why Peng Chae-hyang grew even more desperate.
The black flame and Peng Gyeong-seung clashed once more. When Peng Gyeong-seung’s massive saber swung, the sound of the atmosphere exploding rang out.
However, the black flame did not foolishly just hold its hand out as before. From the black flame’s hand, an explosive roar erupted once again. But this time, it was not an explosion from clashing with the saber. It exploded before the saber and hand even made contact.
The explosive force itself possessed nonsensical might. In an instant, Peng Gyeong-seung was caught in the recoil and sent flying backward.
“Father!”
Peng Chae-hyang screamed and rushed toward Peng Gyeong-seung. But Peng Gyeong-seung planted his saber into the ground to halt himself, then gestured with his hand to Peng Chae-hyang. It was a sign telling her not to come.
As if finding it curious, the black flame waved its hand, continuously generating explosions. It appeared as though it was only now learning how to use its own power.
“An abnormal bastard.”
Peng Gyeong-seung gritted his teeth and tried to charge. Just then, an explosion erupted behind the bastard’s back, propelling the black flame forward with the recoil. It was generating explosions to fly forward using the recoil force. It was practically the speed of an arrow being fired.
“No!”
Peng Chae-hyang screamed. Confronted with the black flame flying forward swiftly in an unanticipated manner, Peng Gyeong-seung failed to respond in time. Before he could even swing his saber, Peng Gyeong-seung’s head was seized by the hand of the black flame.
“…Ah.”
Peng Gyeong-seung let out a dazed gasp. Those were Peng Gyeong-seung’s final words. Peng Gyeong-seung’s head exploded beneath the grasp of the black flame. With everything above the neck gone, Peng Gyeong-seung’s large body collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Watching that, Peng Chae-hyang felt that something lacked all reality. Beyond the nonsensical method and martial arts, this situation itself simply did not feel real. Because Peng Chae-hyang had never once considered Peng Gyeong-seung’s death.
As Peng Chae-hyang stared at Peng Gyeong-seung’s corpse with vacant eyes, the black flame slowly walked toward Peng Chae-hyang once more. The black flame’s target had been Peng Chae-hyang from the very beginning. A dark shadow fell over Peng Chae-hyang.
“…”
Reflexively, Peng Chae-hyang swung the saber strapped to her back in a wide arc. However, she was not yet at the level of manifesting astral qi, and that saber blew apart from a single wave of the black flame’s hand.
Peng Chae-hyang looked at the black flame. The black flame drew near once more. In that instant, Peng Chae-hyang reflected upon her life. Memorable scenes from over twenty years of accumulated memories flashed past in a split second.
And the most memorable of all was, undeniably, that night with Muk Hui-yeong. Only then did everything begin to feel real to Peng Chae-hyang.
Her father’s death, her own death. And an eternal parting with Muk Hui-yeong. When she felt the heat of the black flame, Peng Chae-hyang closed her eyes. She thought it would be better if it exploded her entire body. Because she hated the thought of Muk Hui-yeong ever seeing her unsightly corpse.
“Chae-hyang!”
Just before the grasp of the black flame could touch her, a voice calling her rang out from high above in the distant sky.
Both the echoing voice and the location seemed like a hallucination to Peng Chae-hyang.
However, simultaneously, someone landed with a tremendous bang between the black flame and Peng Chae-hyang.
Blankly, Peng Chae-hyang gazed at the back of the person who had landed. Though dust billowed from the impact of the landing, and it was only a view of his back. Peng Chae-hyang was able to recognize who he was in an instant.
“…Gege.”
It was the moment Peng Chae-hyang realized her love for Muk Hui-yeong anew.