Chapter 03 …
Lee Jinwoo—no, now he had to be called Gu Yangcheongang—slowly looked around the room.
The room was larger than he had expected, yet it radiated simplicity.
Along the walls were old bookshelves, their tomes carrying the full weight of time, while on the desk lay ink, brushes, and a half-written sheet of paper.
Gu Yangcheongang approached the desk and picked up the paper.
On it, a single line was written in delicate, beautiful calligraphy:
Life is short, and suffering is long.
A bitter smile formed on his lips.
From that line, he could feel the profound sadness and despair of a boy born frail, condemned to a life with an expiration date.
It felt as if a shard of ice had pierced his heart.
At that moment, a knock came at the door, accompanied by the voice of Hwang Nodae.
“Master Gong, I’ve returned.”
Gu Yangcheongang took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Nodae, what did Father say?”
“If you are not too unwell, he said to bring you here.”
Gu Yangcheongang walked to the wardrobe on one side of the room.
He chose the most formal clothes, but even such a simple act left him breathless and drained.
‘My stamina really… isn’t good.’
[You know it’s because of your illness. You just have to endure it until we find a treatment.]
‘Akasha, were you capital T?’
[I am a superintelligent AI created by the Doctor, of course.]
On the way to the main house with Hwang Nodae, Gu Yangcheongang carefully observed the surroundings as they passed through the garden.
The wall had cracks, and what was once a beautiful garden was now overgrown with weeds, leaving only a desolate wind to linger.
The tiles of the building had long since faded, and patches of peeling paint hinted at the decline of the family’s fortunes.
The training yard was overrun with weeds. Silence hung where the young warriors’ shouts used to echo, and there was not a single martial artist in training.
The once-glorious estate of the Gu family was fading into memory.
[Gu Yang’s family was once one of the ten great martial families. However, forty years ago, during the Great War Between the Righteous and the Demonic, the family suffered near-total devastation.]
Although Akasha had transmitted some of Gu Yangcheongang’s memories, there were too many missing links, so her organized explanation made it much easier to understand.
‘The Great War Between the Righteous and the Demonic?’
[A large-scale conflict between the righteous martial world and the demonic sects. During that time, Gu Yang’s leadership was nearly annihilated, and the main estate was completely destroyed. Many secret techniques were also lost.]
‘In short, the owner of this body is a descendant of a cursed, declining family, huh?’
[Not entirely wrong.]
‘In the other world, I got shot by armed robbers. Here, I’m terminally ill. And now, I’m from a declining family… My late mother wasn’t exaggerating when she said I had a hard fate…’
Muttering to himself, he and Hwang Nodae arrived at the main house.
Hwang Nodae bowed at the door and said inside,
“I have brought Master Gong, Head of the Family.”
“Bring him in.”
A deep, commanding male voice came from inside.
Hwang Nodae opened the door, and Gu Yangcheongang stepped inside with him.
Though tense, Gu Yangcheongang maintained a calm exterior, walking as he recalled proper etiquette from memory.
Across from him sat a middle-aged man and woman, a boy around twelve or thirteen, and a girl around six or seven, all on chairs.
The middle-aged man, with gray streaks in his beard and sideburns, sat upright with sharp eyes.
The woman beside him had a cold demeanor but was stunningly beautiful.
The boy and girl were also strikingly attractive.
Gu Yangcheongang instantly recognized them as Head of the Family Gu Yangbaek, his second wife Dong Yeonhwa, and his half-siblings Gu Yangcheongi and Gu Yangcheongcheong.
‘This family has superior genetics.’
[Gu Yangcheongang’s mother, the legitimate wife Seolhyang, died in a mysterious accident thirteen years ago. Dong Yeonhwa became the legitimate wife afterward, and then Gu Yangcheongi and Gu Yangcheongcheong were born.]
At that moment:
“Big brother!”
Gu Yangcheongcheong ran up with a bright smile and hugged Gu Yangcheongang’s waist.
The child looked up at him with large, contrasting black-and-white eyes.
“Didn’t you miss me?”
‘Ugh… this little one… cuteness is off the charts…’
Though in a boy’s body, the mind of a 38-year-old man, Gu Yangcheongang almost kissed the child but restrained himself.
Doing so in front of the Head and his wife would have serious repercussions.
Instead, he gently pinched Gu Yangcheongcheong’s chubby cheek.
“You’ll say something terrible. I missed our youngest so much.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Dong Yeonhwa, wearing a stern expression, told Gu Yangcheongcheong,
“Cheong-ah, stop and return to your seat.”
The girl glanced back, stood on tiptoe, and asked softly,
“Big brother, will you play with me later?”
“Alright.”
After returning to her seat, Gu Yangcheongang bowed politely.
“Father, Mother, your humble servant Cheongang greets you.”
Gu Yangbaek regarded him with deeply settled eyes and spoke:
“I heard you collapsed again. Are you alright?”
“I was only dizzy for a moment. I am fine now.”
“That’s a relief.”
Unlike Gu Yangbaek, Dong Yeonhwa did not even look at him. Her indifference was palpable.
Gu Yangcheongi pretended not to look, but his eyes betrayed a mixture of childlike curiosity and subtle, hard-to-interpret emotions.
Gu Yangcheongcheong looked at him with honey-like eyes and a smile.
Gu Yangcheongang felt this family’s relationships were quite complicated.
Especially his father Gu Yangbaek’s eyes, which contained a complex mix of emotions that were difficult to explain.
[Gu Yangbaek cares for his son but is deeply disappointed that he cannot practice martial arts. In a declining family like the Gu’s, having an heir who cannot cultivate martial arts is a serious matter. Therefore, the boy occupying the Doctor’s body carries immense guilt.]
‘The child must have suffered a lot emotionally.’
[Indeed.]
Gu Yangbaek spoke again:
“Cheongang, happy seventeenth birthday.”
“Thank you.”
“We decided not to hold a celebration to consider your health. I hope you are not disappointed.”
“I understand you did it out of care. Why would I be disappointed?”
Gu Yangbaek’s gaze deepened.
“You’ve grown up.”
Gu Yangcheongang lowered his head slightly without replying.
From within his father’s voluminous sleeve, Gu Yangbaek produced a silk pouch the size of a fist and handed it to him.
“Take it.”
Gu Yangcheongang felt warmth in his hand upon receiving the pouch and was slightly puzzled.
‘Did hot packs exist in this era?’
Gu Yangbaek said to him:
“Open it.”
“Yes.”
He opened the silk pouch and saw a miniature jade statue inside, about five inches in size, exquisitely crafted.
“This is a gift from your maternal grandfather. It is made of eternal jade, a precious item, so carry it with you at all times. It should help slow the progression of Guumjeolmaek.”
“Ah!”
Gu Yangcheongang’s eyes widened.
‘So the disease in this body really is Guumjeolmaek… If I can’t find a cure, my life is indeed limited.’
[Doctor, the maternal grandfather mentioned by the Head is Dong Hyundo, the head of the Geumtap Villa. He is Dong Yeonhwa’s father and one of the Empire’s Five Great Families.]
‘One of the Empire’s Five Great Families… That’s an incredible household. And such a wealthy family married their daughter into a declining house?’
[Doctor, you seem too much like capital T. The marriage between Gu Yangbaek and Dong Yeonhwa could have been a once-in-a-century romance that transcended status and background.]
‘You tend to see the world too beautifully.’
[Isn’t that better than seeing it cynically?]
‘Is this the stormy adolescence phase?’
[You know very well I am not even five months old.]
‘So not middle school age.’
[I haven’t even been to kindergarten.]
‘Confessing to being a baby, huh.’
[…]
Gu Yangcheongang engaged in a light debate with Akasha and then bowed.
“Thank you for the gift, Father.”
“Give your thanks to your mother. She put much effort into giving this to you.”
‘The man who usually ignores me went to such lengths? Strange. Did he do it just to ease his mind, or is there another motive? Unpredictable woman.’
Gu Yangcheongang hid his thoughts and bowed to Dong Yeonhwa.
“Thank you for your consideration, Mother.”
Dong Yeonhwa replied with a cold gaze:
“You must remain healthy for your father’s peace of mind. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Gu Yangbaek said:
“You already look pale. Go rest.”
“I shall take my leave then.”
After greeting, Gu Yangcheongang left the main hall.
Hwang Nodae, waiting, asked worriedly:
“Master Gong, you look exhausted.”
“I can endure. Let’s return.”
“Yes.”
Back in his quarters with Hwang Nodae, Gu Yangcheongang took out the miniature jade statue made of eternal jade.
A subtle warmth radiated through its smooth surface.
‘Akasha, Gu Yangbaek said this jade is eternal jade. What exactly is that?’
[It appears to be a special jade that has accumulated thermal energy deep underground over a long time.]
‘It seems to maintain the same warmth as when I first received it. Why?’
[The statue gradually releases stored heat, functioning like an energy storage device.]
‘So it’s meant to suppress the yin of Guumjeolmaek.’
[Agreed. Based on my analysis, it should be effective.]
Akasha could analyze its contact with Gu Yangcheongang’s skin.
Though the nanobots were not fully activated, the analysis was still highly useful.
[Doctor…]
‘Why?’
[The patterns etched on the statue surface show unusual energy signatures. It may not be mere decoration.]
Gu Yangcheongang’s eyes lit up.
‘Can you figure out what the pattern is?’
[I will analyze it. But as you know, my condition is not normal, so it will take some time.]
‘Take your time. I can wait.’
He returned the statue to the silk pouch, closed his eyes, and felt completely drained just from visiting the main house.
He immediately fell asleep.
