It had been a wild goose chase.

He'd thought it might be a trap. Maybe a lure.

Even so, he couldn't turn back right away.

The torn clothing they'd found, supposedly a trace of his son, really had been his son's.

And every time he was ready to give up, a new trace turned up.

Love for his son?

It was nothing so soft.

It was the insult of it, more than he could bear. Someone had dared to defile the sanctum of the Tyrant Blade Gok Clan and deceive its Clan Head.

And a destructive hunger to punish that arrogance.

He'd lost his head, and he couldn't think fast.

The urge to smash their trap to pieces, whatever it was, had been stronger.

If not for the carrier pigeon his clan sent only in emergencies.

If he hadn't heard the news of the attack.

Gok Cheonmu would have gone on searching every place a trace had turned up.

He looked at the Gok Clan's main gate, his eyes gone cold and still.

The gate stood not quite shut, waiting for him like a beast with its jaws open.

"Clan Head. Let me go in first."

Eom Cheol, master of the Overlord Guard, said it heavily.

But Gok Cheonmu shook his head.

"Everyone wait here."

Whip. Tak.

Gok Cheonmu got down from his horse and walked to the gate, unhurried.

Any other time, he'd have been too worked up to hide it, and he'd have had his men tear the place apart.

But now he could keep his composure.

Because he could feel it.

Killing intent, seeping out from beyond the gate.

Faint, but aimed squarely at him.

Creeeeak.

Gok Cheonmu threw the gate open.

The first thing that hit him was the smell of blood and burning.

And right after that, he saw Seo Woojin, sitting right at the gate.

"Seo Woojin..."

Seo Woojin greeted him with a gentle smile.

"I've been waiting."

Gok Cheonmu took in his surroundings once. Broken wreckage was everywhere, and he could see halls scorched black.

Then, just as Seo Woojin had done,

he…