Chapter 6. I Am Actually the Strongest Under Heaven

Hugong continued to grind his teeth.

The family head, Beomcheon, feeling pity, took his hand and caressed it.

“It’s alright. My child, it’s alright. It’s just a dream. Nothing will happen.”

Grind.

Hugong’s teeth ground even harder.

It wasn’t nothing.

With this, it became clear.

He and Beomhang had undergone soul transmigration.

Was the soul transmigration Beomhang’s doing?

Whether it was or not, the enraged Hugong finally exploded.

“I’ll kill this crazy bastard! To die as he pleases, even if you’re dead, I’ll kill you!”

As he thrashed and shouted, the bed rocked.

The family head, Beomcheon, and the physician stumbled backward in surprise.

Hugong was completely out of his mind. He rolled his eyes back and struggled.

“How can a person do that! Shouldn’t you have at least consulted me once… Ugh!”

Hugong, who had been rampaging, lost his mind and fainted.

His body was weak, and the toxins had not yet been fully purged, so the mental shock was a great strain on his body.

The family head, Beomcheon, swallowed hard.

The physician followed suit.

“D-did you hear that?”

“I-I heard it.”

“It wasn’t ‘I want to die,’ was it?”

“No, it was definitely… ‘I’ll kill him.'”

“Isn’t that amazing?”

“I was actually… moved.”

For the grandson who lived because he couldn’t die,

For the Eldest Young Master who chased after death,

To say he would kill someone.

For the family head or the physician, there were no sweeter words.

***

Five days after hearing the news of the suicide.

In the meantime, the family head, Beomcheon, had fallen ill with a fever and was groaning.

He had been suffering from old age, and this incident had pushed his mental fatigue to the extreme. After a few days, he recovered and received a report on the situation over the past few days.

Then his eyes widened.

“What are you talking about? The eldest is doing push-ups?”

“How could I lie? At first, of course, he couldn’t do any. The Eldest Young Master would just tremble his arms and collapse.”

“That would have been the case.”

“But now, surprisingly, he can do up to seven. He’s different every day.”

“What?”

The family head, Beom, couldn’t understand what he was talking about.

He even wondered if he was hearing things due to his severe fever.

The report continued.

“That’s not all. He’s also doing squat jumps and holding horse stances, and he’s been diligently training his body every day. He’s sweating profusely without any sign of difficulty, and today, he even started doing the splits.”

“Why is he doing the splits!”

What’s he going to do by tearing that!

The family head’s mind went numb.

He knew his eldest grandson’s physical condition better than anyone.

For that boy, just breathing was a strenuous exercise.

He couldn’t even walk properly, yet he was squatting and jumping. That meant that both his feet were leaving the ground at the same time in some way, and he couldn’t picture it.

The report couldn’t be a lie.

The eldest grandson had a total of five guards.

The close guard, Songhwa, served as his attendant and watched over him, while the other four were in hiding, carrying out the mission of preventing suicide.

The grandson’s every move did not escape the guards’ eyes.

“He asks for meals first, and he eats a lot. He also drinks more than a bucket of water a day. On top of that, he’s been training his body for several days, so it’s definitely unusual.”

“Could it be…”

Beomcheon clenched his fist tightly.

The guard nodded his head firmly.

“Yes, this situation is a reenactment of what happened a year ago. No, his current state is even more unsettling than back then. He’s clearly intending to train his body and end his life quickly. It’s dangerous for the Eldest Young Master’s physical strength to improve any further. We must stop him. It’s time to seal his pressure points and make him lie down all day.”

“Hmm…”

Beomcheon’s eyes wavered as he recalled the incident from a year ago.

At that time, Beomhang had shown a sudden change.

He had eaten with them with a bright complexion as if he were starting anew, and he had even taken walks with a smile. Everyone had been so happy.

But five days after that.

The boy had taken advantage of a moment of carelessness and hanged himself.

The memory of him bursting into mad laughter with bloodshot eyes when they had saved his life just before he stopped breathing was still vivid.

‘But, he clearly told me to save him not long ago…’

The family head still wanted to believe.

Wasn’t it that his physical training had been going on for over seven days while he was bedridden? Maybe this time it was real. Last time, he had even trembled in his sleep, saying he would kill someone.

It was rash to block off even the possibility out of fear of being betrayed.

“I will see him myself and talk to him. Bring him here right now.”

“Yes.”

At the summons, Hugong, drenched in sweat, faced the family head.

He had only done about twenty squat jumps, but sweat was pouring down like rain, and his calf muscles were pulling as if they would snap, and he had come without washing. It was because he had to sweat profusely again after finishing the conversation anyway.

“How is your memory? Do you remember anything?”

“Not yet… sir.”

Hugong, still awkward with honorifics, stuttered slightly.

“Not at all?”

“…Yes. Not at all… no progress.”

The stuttering wasn’t just because of the honorifics.

Hugong’s breathing was rough, cutting off and starting again in the middle.

Beomcheon, unable to stand the sight, frowned in displeasure.

“You’re a mess. Do you really have to do the splits right now?”

Even in front of the family head, Hugong was struggling to do the splits.

“I can’t waste… a single moment… Aack… sir. Whether my memory returns… or not, nothing will change. My current physical condition is… a blade of grass. A person shouldn’t live like this.”

The family head frowned.

‘His legs aren’t splitting.’

No, it wasn’t just that they weren’t splitting.

It was unbelievable to see how little a person’s legs could spread.

That wasn’t doing the splits; it was just standing with his feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart. But seeing his face turn red, it was clear he was using all his strength.

“What are you going to do from now on?”

“I plan to do things one by one. For now, training my body is the priority, but ugh… there are still many things I don’t know, and many things I have to do.”

“Many things to do?”

The family head tilted his head, unable to understand.

‘The only thing that boy has to do is die.’

“I know that the way people look at me is not favorable. Huk, huk, huk!”

At some point, Hugong had switched from doing the splits to push-ups as he spoke.

The family head bit his lower lip at the sight.

Then, as the push-ups exceeded five, he began to count without realizing it.

“…Six, …seven, …eight. Nine, that’s it! That’s it! Oh! Eleven… amazing.”

The family head eventually cheered and burst out in admiration.

But the eldest grandson’s training was not over.

“Ahem, take a break while you do it. What are you doing starting squat jumps already? Your body won’t be able to take it. Three, four, five!”

He was worried, but when his eldest grandson jumped better than he expected, the family head ended up counting again. He was surprised and worried, and his heart became complicated. He had wondered if he could even do squat jumps, but right in front of his eyes, both feet were leaving the ground. His surprise was beyond words, but he was suspicious of his intentions for doing this in front of him.

He could have finished the conversation calmly, and then gone back and trained his body, but his current appearance seemed desperate to show off.

“Huk-huk… I have something… to tell you.”

“Speak.”

“Beomhang is… dead.”

The family head’s eyes grew as wide as lanterns.

“W-what do you mean by that?”

Hugong, who had finished his squat jumps, gasped for breath.

Sweat poured down his forehead like rain, dripping onto the floor.

But he straightened his shoulders and looked directly at the family head.

The obituary must be announced.

The family head, the family, had a right to know the truth.

About the death of the Eldest Young Master of the Cheonhwa Library.

“Hoo… it is as I said. The Eldest Young Master of the Cheonhwa Library, Beomhang, is dead. Since he is dead, he can no longer die, and there is no need to fear or worry that he will die.”

The family head had a bad feeling.

“Then who are you?”

“I am…”

The family head’s eyes wavered as he looked at his eldest grandson’s lips.

This was the eldest grandson who had suddenly shown a strange gaze and behavior.

The family head caressed his hand and swallowed dryly.

Hugong grinned.

“…the Strongest Under Heaven.”

Hugong finished his words and, with a kiai, immediately bent his legs.

“Heup!”

The truth had been told, and the wounds of the heart had to be soothed.

Not all truths bring only happiness.

At that moment, the family head’s heart pounded rapidly.

The Strongest Under Heaven? For someone like that, his eldest grandson’s legs were trembling like crazy. He had just started…

Did saying he was dead with his own mouth mean he had changed his mind? But how should he interpret the sudden mention of being the Strongest Under Heaven? His complicated feelings were reflected in his wavering eyes.

‘Could it be… he’s gone mad…’

***

Late at night, wine cups are filled and emptied.

On the second floor of a tavern, by the window.

Two young men were seated.

Beomhang’s cousins.

The Second Young Master of the Cheonhwa Library, Beomyun, and the Third Young Master, Beomumong.

Yun poured down wine one after another, and his younger brother filled the cup when it was empty. By the fifth bottle, Yun’s body, drunk, swayed. Even so, he held out his empty cup.

“Brother, the night is deep. Please stop drinking and let’s get up.”

“Is this why you followed me? Don’t ruin the taste of the wine and just fill my cup.”

“Please drink only this cup.”

“This bottle.”

As Yun pointed to the wine bottle, Bumong politely filled the cup as if he had no choice.

“By the way, little brother, this brother of yours has something he’s curious about.”

“Please speak.”

“You’ve been diligently going somewhere every morning lately.”

“Pardon?”

Bumong’s complexion changed in surprise.

Yun chuckled.

“Don’t do anything useless. Do you really think that beast has lost his memory? He’s training his body for his health? Have you already forgotten the smile of that day? What about father? It’s all futile. At this rate, we’ll just get a huge betrayal from that guy.”

“Brother, with all due respect, I’m somehow looking forward to it this time. Grandfather also said he seems a little different this time, and for father’s sake too…”

“Oh, so my dear little brother has been going to pay his morning respects to that crazy guy every morning to suck up to him.”

“It’s not like that, I just hope things go well.”

“Haa…”

Yun let out a big sigh.

“Bumong, listen carefully. That guy turned into a devil a long time ago. Even if the sky splits in two, that guy will never change. Only when he dies will everyone finally be at peace. Don’t forget that we almost lost grandfather.”

Beomyun persuaded him in a gentle tone.

But when his younger brother still looked sullen, he burst into a hearty laugh to change the mood.

“You rascal, cheer up. Now, since we’re feeling down, let’s move to another place to drink. Drinking without a courtesan doesn’t make the wine taste good.”

“Brother.”

“What are you doing not getting up? Hurry up and get up. Let’s go out and have some real fun. You need to get to know women too.”

He grabbed his arm, but Bumong didn’t budge.

“I said, let’s go.”

“Brother, please try talking to eldest brother once. He’s really not the same as before. Recently, when I’m with eldest brother, for some reason, I feel happy. I feel good…”

“Shut up! You feel good? And what? Eldest brother? I told you I’d kill even you if you called him that.”

Beomyun’s eyes turned ferocious.

Clang!

He grabbed the wine bottle and slammed it on the table.