I Am Your Grandfather (1)

Expert warriors could guess their opponent’s level just by observing the fight.

And the higher the level, the more likely the spar would be decided in an instant.

The fight between Baek Gyu and Cheon Su was also coming to an end in the blink of an eye.

“Kuaaak.”

Cheon Su’s right arm, clutching his sword, rose into the air, and at the same time, Baek Gyu’s blade had touched his uvula.

It was a situation where even a little bit of force could take the life of the opponent.

In silence, the sharp blade of the sword reflected the sunlight with a menacing hiss.

Shhh!

Facing obvious defeat, Cheon Su looked up helplessly in the face of the overwhelming difference in skill.

He raised his head to look at the sky, without even thinking about stopping the bleeding.

“Don’t mess with me and kill me already.”

“That was my actual intention.”

“…?”

“But Hyung gave me some advice. It’s good to remove the seeds at the root in advance, but an even better idea is to make them your own seeds.”

“Don’t talk shit. You think I would become your dog?”

Baek Gyu pulled back his weapon and answered with a serious expression.

“Please, Cheon Su. It is difficult for me to protect this place alone from the Justice Faction. Be a strong tree by my side.”

He was the only other skilled warrior in all of Ho County.

Even though he was a rival, killing him would mean exposing himself to greater danger from the Justice Faction.

“…”

Cheon Su hesitated. Baek Gyu turned his head and looked at the front door of the manor.

There stood a woman, trembling, holding her children. At first glance, one could tell they were all his blood.

“Think about it again. Unlike me, you have a lot to protect.”

Even at a late age, Baek Gyu still had no children. It was a concern because he didn’t know if it was a side effect of the martial arts or if there was something else.

After thinking for a moment, Cheon Su took a deep breath.

“And the conditions?”

Instead of answering, Baek Gyu stared at Jang Ryang, the leader of the alliance.

To be exact, at his shiny head.

“…come on.”

Shaving one’s head soon became a symbol of loyalty for the Strong Blade clan.

Baek Gyu smiled once and turned his back.

“I will give you a chance until tomorrow.”

He retrieved the twin blades from his belt and walked out of the manor with strong strides.

The men split to the right and left, clearing a path.

Baek Gyu squeezed through them and approached Yu Jinsan. Seol, who was at the back, was burying her face in her grandpa’s shoulder as if she were asleep.

“H-Hyung.”

“You did well.”

Everyone withdrew, with Baek Gyu and Yu Jinsan leading the way.

As they left the manor, Baek Gyu asked quietly,

“Do you really want to hold the shaving ritual?”

“These are people who have no more pride to lose. And if the alliance did it, why shouldn’t they?”

“Hmm. I think it is a good plan to keep him alive, as you said.”

Yu Jinsan nodded, looking at the distant mountain.

“The Mount Hua and Southern Edge sects aren’t too far from here. If the conflict between the Evil Sect and the Justice Faction intensifies, it will not be easy for Ho County to endure it. There is no guarantee that support will even come. So how can you kill an expert master in such a situation?”

“That does hold truth to it. Your left arm is cut, but you can still easily overpower a decent expert master with just your left hand.”

Cheon Su. The reason he lost was not because he was weak, but because Baek Gyu was too strong for him.

Cheon Su’s sword technique was swift, and it would be a tough match for Yu Jinsan too.

“Well, now that Ho County has been unified, you will also become an official alliance.”

“Hmm. The ruler of Ho County in Shaanxi, the 7th rank.”

If he did get ranked 7th in the Evil Way Alliance, then his position would be close to that of a sect leader in a famed sect.

He had literally become a giant in the Murim world now.

“Then, in the future, I will be able to meet the key people of the Evil Way Alliance in person.”

Baek Gyu knew exactly what Yu Jinsan was talking about.

Unidentified monsters had attacked the Yu family. The only clue to them was the dragon tattoo running up their necks.

Perhaps key people in the Evil Way Alliance with high-level information would know something.

“I haven’t forgotten about it. I will use the information network within the Evil Sect to find out who those people are that turned your family’s fate so tragically.”

“I still cannot sleep at night, thinking about how unjustly the kids were killed. I will never be able to forget the help you provided, Baek Gyu.”

“Eh, what is this now? If it weren’t for you, my clan would have entirely collapsed. I am so grateful to you.”

There was a gentle smile on the faces of Yu Jinsan and Baek Gyu.

“Things will be getting busier now. You have to command the entire troops of the Evil Sect in the Shaanxi region.”

Baek Gyu scratched the back of his head as if he were embarrassed.

“Maybe not? Then what do you plan to do from now on, Hyung?”

“According to the physician you introduced me to, I don’t have much time left. Before that, I plan to pass on everything I have to my granddaughter.”

“If you want, Hyung, I will have the kids teach you the clan’s martial arts.”

Normally, it was impossible for someone who had built their skills through the mental training of a Justice Faction to learn a different sect’s martial arts, like those of the Evil Sect. However, if it is Seol, who now possesses the body of a Grandmaster…

It was a tempting offer, but Yu Jinsan immediately shook his head.

“Thank you, but I must refuse. No matter what happens, I cannot shave Seol’s head.”

Baek Gyu burst into laughter at his serious words.

“Hahaha! What are you even saying with that straight face? There’s no way I would make such a request to Seol of all people!”

“I was joking too. Let’s talk later if we need to. Right now, it’s too much to absorb your skills.”

Complete peace had finally settled over Ho County.

This was because all the Evil Sect members now served under Baek Gyu.

Yu Jinsan managed to live well in the clan for the time being.

With no clues or news about his enemies, he stayed at home and devoted his time to his granddaughter.

They practiced the family’s Whirlwind Spear, and he passed on all the martial arts he knew, including spear techniques, palm techniques, and footwork, to the child one by one.

Yu Seol was incredibly talented. As time passed, her martial arts training progressed at a shocking rate, necessitating her concealment from the outside world.

Baek Gyu even created a separate, closed training hall within the clan for this purpose. He understood the child’s potential and spared nothing for her growth.

Time began to flow like free-flowing water.

And so…

Five years passed.

“Grandpa!”

The living room door burst open, and someone came rushing in.

The girl with waist-length hair, big eyes, and a cute face was Seol, now 8 years old. She was tall enough to reach an adult’s waist.

Yu Jinsan lay in the doctor’s bed, his health having deteriorated rapidly recently.

He spent his days lying down.

“…did you practice the footwork well?”

His voice was so weak that it resembled that of a sick hen.

Yu Seol kneeled in front of her grandfather’s bed and spoke through tears.

“Huh. I went all the way to Mount Sohwa.”

“…then how are you back so early?”

Until last year, Mount Sohwa was a place where he hiked the mountain range with the child and practiced footwork. Because it was quite a distance, it took at least half a day or more.

And now she had gone and returned in less than an hour? As part of her training?

“I ran back.”

“No one saw you, right?”

Yu Seol nodded and took something out of her pocket.

This black leaf, which she held in her small hands, had a human-like appearance—a rarity for a pill.

“Grandpa, try this… this shouldn’t hurt.”

It was definitely not a commonly found leaf.

The child was educated about the qi pills, but there seemed to be something she misunderstood.

“…that is a poisonous plant. If I eat this, I will die.”

Of all the poisonous plants, it was the most lethal.

How had she ended up finding something as rare as an elixir? It was a poisonous plant so dangerous that even Yu Jinsan would die from ingesting it.

Yu Seol looked around in disbelief, then brought the leaf to her mouth as if she wanted to taste it.

Yu Jinsan, who had been trying to stop her, gave up when he realized it was too late.

There was no need for him to have intervened in the first place. His granddaughter’s body was in prime condition, impervious to any poison in the world.

“Kuak! Awful!”

Yu Seol, tasting the leaf, spat it out.

She had run from mountain to mountain looking for a pill to give to her grandfather, but it turned out to be a poisonous one.

The child’s face quickly twisted into a sorrowful expression.

Yu Jinsan spoke softly, a kind smile on his face, upon seeing his granddaughter’s worry.

“I will get up soon, so there’s no need to find herbs or anything.”

How could she believe that? Tears fell from the corners of Yu Seol’s eyes as she buried her face in her grandfather’s chest.

“Uhhh. You can’t die, Grandpa… how can Seol live alone?”

Yu Jinsan stroked the child’s head and thought for a moment.

‘I guess I can’t put it off any longer.’

If he delayed any further, there was the risk of sudden death. Fortunately, his granddaughter had grown up, and now he could attempt the Body Reformation with peace of mind.

“Remember what I said before? You shouldn’t be surprised if your grandfather’s appearance changes a little.”

“Ughh. Okay.”

Yu Jinsan had been preparing for this time by constantly explaining to the child what Body Reformation was.

“I need to rest now, so please give me some time alone. Go and ask the uncles to play with you.”

“Yes.”

He couldn’t show the reformation process to a child, so after she left, Yu Jinsan sat up cross-legged and caught his breath.

He was in the right physical condition, and even the last blood point was thin, so it could be broken without much effort.

‘It would be nice to go back to middle age.’

According to Healer Mayang, it was impossible to say how young he would get.

Yu Jinsan didn’t want to become too young. A version of himself from just 10 years ago would be enough. At best, he wanted to see his granddaughter grow into an adult.

After completing the preparations, he began the cultivation without hesitation. Since he had experienced it once before, he didn’t face much difficulty.

A while later, as his profound internal qi pierced through the last blood point, a surprising change occurred.

Wheik!

Dazzling bright light filled the room, and Yu Jinsan, already lost in a trance and wandering through it, was unaware of the fact.

Crack! Crack!

His skin melted, new flesh began to grow, and his bones twisted and changed constantly.

He didn’t feel anything.

It was as if all the memories of his life were flowing back, returning to the beginning.

How much time has passed? His mind gradually cleared, and even the feeling in his body turned lighter, as if he could leap through the clouds.

Bit by bit, his body stopped shaking.

After a while, everything became as calm as a lake, and his eyes gently opened.

‘It is a success. How young have I become?’

This was the aspect he considered most important.

The first thing he noticed was that everything in the world seemed bigger.

And one more thing: the overly loose robe that was falling down his shoulders.

‘…no way!’

Yu Jinsan abruptly stood up, and at that moment, his pants dropped, chilling his lower body.

This worried him.

“Ah, this cannot be…”

Yu Jinsan was again startled by his own voice. It was a pitch that one would expect from children his granddaughter’s age.

His mind turned pale, but he couldn’t resist the shock.

He first scanned the room. Being naked, he needed to clothe himself.

Naturally, his old clothes no longer fit him. That’s when he noticed his granddaughter’s clothes strewn to one side. He felt a pang of shame, but he couldn’t take any risks now.

He tried on her clothes and found they fit his body perfectly, as if they were tailor-made. Even the shoe size was just right.

‘My child will be surprised when she sees me. This is too much.’

She would likely be beside herself with excitement.

For the moment, he needed to grasp the situation, so he stepped out of the residence.

The sensation of the wind on his skin was starkly different than before, a testament to how much his senses had sharpened.

There was also a lightness in his body that he had never known. The freedom of his previously aching joints felt alien.

“Let’s try a bit…”

Tat!

Yu Jinsan’s form struck the ground and then spun three times in the air, as light as a swallow. When he threw a punch, the wind swirled impressively around it.

In this state, he felt invincible. Confidence surged within him—the belief that he could vanquish any foe.

‘Haha. It feels like I could fly.’

Feeling somewhat reassured, Yu Jinsan decided to adopt a positive outlook.

What truly mattered was what lay within a person. Why fixate on something as superficial as a shell?

He was indulging in self-admiration when he was interrupted.

“Who are you?”

A familiar voice. Yu Seol had returned sooner than he had realized.

Now, what mattered was that they were eye to eye.

Yu Jinsan cleared his throat and spoke with a serious face.

“Do not be too shocked. I am your grandfather.”

Yu Seol looked at him in confusion, then with mischief. She bent her back and said,

“Then I am your grandmother.”

How dare she play a prank on her grandfather? As expected, he felt he looked too young for her to act respectfully.

Yu Jinsan then spoke firmly,

“Stop messing around and come here. I am really…”

But he couldn’t finish his sentence as his granddaughter vanished right before his eyes. She had used footwork as quick as a beam of light. In an instant, she reappeared in front of him, grabbing his ears.

He found it impossible to avoid her.

Although he had grown stronger due to Body Reformation, Yu Seol had already become a warrior of a different level.

“A thief? You stole my clothes and wore them.”

Yu Jinsan, caught by his granddaughter, screamed in horror.

“Yah! Y-you! Will you not let go? I am your grandfather!”