One of the Three Respected Ones of the World, the Venerable of Defeat, said personally,
He said that this is the era of meteors.
It was a statement made because geniuses of the century were appearing one after another, like stars falling from the sky to the ground.
This is truly an unreasonable era.
There are so many talented people that outstanding geniuses become mere talents,
Talents become commoners,
And commoners become dullards.
How unreasonable is this era?
From the perspective of the Central Plains, it could be seen as the most brilliant era, given the many outstanding martial artists being produced.
But not for me.
‘I was born in the wrong era.’
A phrase I heard countless times.
‘You’re not without talent… but it’s a bit peculiar.’
A phrase I heard thousands of times.
‘Compared to my sisters, you’re quite disappointing.’
A phrase I heard tens of thousands of times.
The time when I was filled with anger, not knowing my place, was probably around this time.
I was not a star amidst the countless stars falling from the sky.
Back then, I blamed the world’s unfairness.
I couldn’t blame my bloodline because others were too brilliant.
However, in contrast to my inability to become a star,
There are always stars that shine even more amidst countless stars.
The Southern Palace’s Thunder Dragon,
The Tang Family’s Poison Peak,
The Huashan’s Sword Dragon, who is now quiet but will soon make plum blossoms bloom at the tip of his sword,
And the Wudang’s Sleeping Dragon, who won’t remain asleep for much longer.
Among the countless young martial artists, those who have secured the positions of Dragon and Phoenix through talent and effort are the stars of this era.
It is almost certain that the next generation’s top martial artist will emerge from among them.
Sword Phoenix was particularly dazzling among them.
The youngest prodigy.
A presence that stands out among the writhing dragons.
When Pang Wujin, who was called the True Dragon, took over the position of the young master of the Pang family and stepped down as the youngest prodigy,
The position of the youngest prodigy naturally went to Sword Phoenix.
Surprisingly, no one raised any objections.
Those who were full of arrogance and confidence did not even hint at any objections.
This indicated how outstanding Sword Phoenix’s status was.
That’s why I hated her.
I hated that she had a talent I could never match, even though we shared the same father.
I hated that her name always came before mine wherever I went.
To me, Sword Phoenix was like an insurmountable wall,
A vast sea that I could never cross no matter how hard I rowed.
That’s why I hated her.
She was so far ahead, making me feel so distant and exhausted that I always wanted to run away.
After lamenting for a long time, another thought came to mind.
‘Is this the real reason?’
No answer came to mind.
I already knew the answer, so there was no need to think about it.
‘...Actually, the biggest problem is...’
No matter how many reasons I listed for hating her,
I knew the truth.
No matter how many reasons I created to justify hating her,
I couldn’t actually hate her.
That was what I hated.
Until now, it was definitely like that...
“Little brother.”
“...Yes.”
“Yes? Y-Yes!?”
“Yes... Yes, Sister...”
“That’s right. Little brother, your hand is dropping again. Hold it up straight.”
“...Yes.”
Trembling, I slowly raised my arm back up and thought,
‘...Not hating her is a joke, I can really hate her now with all my might.’
I felt I could do it easily now.
...That wretched woman.
******************
The escape plan I was about to carry out was easily thwarted as soon as I heard the news.
The elder in front of me grabbed me.
“Where are you going?”
“...Elder, can’t you just pretend not to see me this once?”
“What are you talking about? Your engagement and the fact that your sister has come home?”
“Yes, there are two reasons, and I’m running away!”
“...I can’t understand. Your sister has come home after several months, how can you leave without seeing her?”
“Why would I see her if I know something bad will happen...? I’ll be stuck in the mountains for a few months, so don’t look for me.”
“...Have you eaten something wrong in Sichuan? Why are you acting so strangely, I want to knock you out.”
The elder’s menacing words made me stop in my tracks.
This crazy old man...!
Especially since he grabbed me by the neck, I couldn’t escape no matter what I did.
Even if I had improved, it was still futile in front of the elder.
Still, I was looking for a way to escape and thinking about how to run away.
Then, I felt a presence I never wanted to feel.
‘She’s coming... coming this way...!!’
They said she was in the family head’s room...!
Despite the elder’s words, I could clearly feel the presence getting closer from a distance.
The extended Nine Flame Wheel Technique resonated with the familiar presence, making my body feel hotter as it approached.
‘What kind of presence is this, crazy...’
The presence is too strong.
No, really, does she have flames around her body?
How can a human approach with such heat?
‘At least try to hide it...!’
That crazy woman is not hiding her presence at all, as if she wants to melt everything around her.
The elder put me down on the ground due to the overwhelming presence.
There was no point in trying to escape now.
Just as I thought that,
Someone landed softly in front of the hall.
I took deep breaths and focused on the intruder.
Despite the overwhelming presence, she had a rather delicate body.
Her long black hair cascaded down her back with a hint of red, and her eyes were a deep red.
This was proof that her Nine Flame Wheel Technique had surpassed the fifth level,
And that she had become a martial artist who could make a name for herself in the Central Plains.
She had inherited the fierce eyes of the Gu family, but her strong beauty was evident in her sharp features and the powerful aura she exuded.
While my second sister, Gu Yanxue, had a relatively gentle appearance,
This terrifying person had the face of my father.
Her red robe, which fluttered due to the surging aura, had a magnificent tiger embroidered in gold.
This was the robe worn by the leader of the Gu family’s sword team.
She looked at me for a long time before running her hand through her hair.
Only then did the oppressive aura disappear.
I finally exhaled, and her crimson lips opened simultaneously.
“Little brother.”
Her voice, slightly lower for a woman, was steady and heavy.
“Little brother.”
“Eh...?”
“You should greet me first when you see me.”
“...”
Cold sweat trickled down my face.
...What should I say? I went through hundreds of thoughts in a split second.
Finally, I managed to speak.
“Hello...?”
“...”
No response.
She just nodded her head.
Seeming unsatisfied, she added more words.
“S-Say it?”
Nod.
She finally nodded, as if satisfied with my words.
‘...I’m going to lose it.’
Sword Phoenix, Gu Xibei.
My eldest sister whom I hadn’t seen in years.
What should I say? She looks the same?
Gu Xibei was looking down at me with fierce eyes.
‘...Why is she looking down at me?’
Why? We’re about the same height.
...I realized I was already kneeling.
“...?”
...What?
Did I kneel instinctively?
Surprisingly, the fear ingrained in my body made me do this.
“Good, you’re quick.”
Gu Xibei smiled, seemingly pleased with my actions.
...Her smile was terrifying.
“Raise your hand too.”
“...Eh? Why the hand?”
“Not raising it?”
At her words, my hand immediately rose.
This was not by my will.
Shitty early education...
“Little brother.”
“...Yes.”
“Yes? Y-Yes!?”
“Yes... Yes, Sister...”
“That’s right. Little brother, your hand is dropping again. Hold it up straight.”
“...Yes.”
Why is she acting like this as soon as we meet after a long time?
I glanced at the elder for help, but he was looking at me with a satisfied expression.
“You two still have a good relationship.”
“...Does this look good to you?”
“Hahaha!”
Gu Xibei, without any reason, started scolding me and then bowed to the elder.
“It’s been a while, Elder.”
“Yes, how have you been, Xibei?”
“I’m always the same.”
“Always the same? I’ve heard that you’re doing well as the leader of the sword team.”
“It’s thanks to the hard work of the team members.”
The elder and Gu Xibei exchanged pleasantries and greetings.
All good,
But do I have to keep my arm raised like this?
‘...At my age...’
My arm trembled.
Not because it was tiring to hold it up, but because of shame.
...Really.
“This is a bit much...!”
I can’t take it anymore.
After regressing, being controlled like this is unacceptable.
Finally, I couldn’t stand it and lowered my arm to confront Gu Xibei.
“What am I, a kid, now...!”
“Raise it again.”
“Yes.”
Damn...
Gu Xibei turned to me, slightly meeting my gaze.
Her eyes, red from the cultivation technique, were both mysterious and terrifying.
“Little brother.”
“...Yes.”
“What did you do wrong?”
“You came, and I tried to run away...?”
“...Did you try to run away?”
Shit... This isn’t it.
I cleared my throat and tried to avoid her gaze, but Gu Xibei poked my cheek with her finger, turning my head back.
What did I do wrong to deserve this scolding?
When people are in a crisis, they become smarter, and another reason came to mind.
“...Is it because of my second sister?”
“Yanxue?”
“Yes, if it’s because I hit Yanxue’s face...”
“Yanxue hit your face?”
...This isn’t it either?
It feels like I’m confessing one by one.
But strangely, Gu Xibei looks indifferent this time.
Why does she look like that when her sister was hit?
“It’s surprising, I didn’t think Yanxue would hit you.”
“If it’s not that, why are you scolding me, Sister?”
Gu Xibei glared at me with fierce eyes, seemingly annoyed by my question.
The aura creeping out made me shiver.
“You.”
“Yes.”
“Engaged again, huh.”
“...What?”
I involuntarily made a stupid face.
What did I just hear?
Did I hear it right?
Clearly, she said engaged... What does my engagement have to do with me being scolded now?
Ignoring my confusion, Gu Xibei continued.
“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”
“I just found out today...”
Even if I had known earlier, why would I have to tell Gu Xibei about my engagement?
...Wait, so am I really being scolded for this?
“Are you angry about this?”
“Of course I’m angry about this! You got engaged again without my permission!?”
“What the hell! Are you really crazy, Sister!?”
I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief.
Did she drink too much at noon or something? What strange things is she saying!
As I shouted, Gu Xibei’s brow furrowed.
That’s the expression she makes when she’s really angry.
Oh, this is dangerous...?
Hiss!
Sure enough, heat radiated from Gu Xibei’s body.
The fluttering robe revealed how much inner energy she contained.
‘...She’s really serious...’
The instinct of a brother raised by her said to bow my head now.
My rationality said it was too late.
‘Crazy... What do you want me to do now?’
I thought about trying to escape, but Gu Xibei’s fierce voice stopped me.
“Crazy? You can’t say that because I’m letting you...”
“Master...?”
An unexpected voice interrupted.
The burning aura from Gu Xibei instantly disappeared.
Turning to the source of the voice, I saw Wei Xueya holding a bowl of steaming buns and looking at me.