Return of the War King Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A man stood laughing like a lunatic toward the sky, and someone’s watchful gaze lingered on him.

‘Should I go closer? Or not?’

They hesitated. A scene unlike anything they had ever seen before tightened the grip on their sibling’s hand.

‘What do I do?’

In his not-so-short eight years of life, this had to be the most dangerous and chilling moment.

Maybe today was a day to take the long way around. Just because a typhoon was blowing didn’t mean you had to walk straight into it.

‘Why don’t you ever think things through… or do you?’

Looking at his younger sibling grinning so innocently made his chest tighten.

Could she be doing it on purpose? The doubt came and went, but when she stared up at him, wide-eyed as if she didn’t understand a thing, all logic collapsed.

“Mom, I have training today. Can we go see him some other time?”

“Dad! It’s me, your daughter!”

‘Damn it!’

This isn’t good.

‘You little…!’

Hehe!

His innocent, clueless little sister, would it be so wrong to just smack her once? Just one solid hit, and then he will be the perfect older brother from then on.

‘Where do you think you’re looking?’

Gasp—Mom!

“Our sweet boy… are you really saying it’s because of training? You’re not just making excuses because you don’t want to see your loving father, the man who’s like the sky to you? No way. Of course not. You’re my son, after all.”

Tae-jin’s mothy, Yu-jin smiled warmly.

But watching her now made chills crawl down Tae-jin’s spine.

She spoke softly, calmly, but if he said no, he’d regret it.

‘You’ve just tossed your brother into the fire, and you’re fine with it?!’

Ha… she really is fine.

Just looking at her face, one’d never guess anything was wrong.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

“Yes, Daddy’s here. My little Mi-joo.”

Baek Yu-jin herself had said Mujin was fine with their son and daughter seeing him, but even she felt a twinge of confusion.

The man she woke up next to that morning… wasn’t quite the same. He wasn’t someone else entirely, but something about him had shifted.

‘He’s clumsy… and yet…’

There was something overwhelming about him.

As if she’d embraced a different man altogether.

Obscene.

Yu-jin flushed and shook her head quickly. Either way, the man cackling like a maniac was her husband Mujin. After living side by side for years, how could she not recognize him? Even if the whole world got confused…

’How could I not recognize the taste of my own husband’s skin?:

“Go say good morning to your father.”

“He’s scary…”

Her son’s hesitation made Yu-jin’s brows knit. The kindness in her smile cracked, and seeing it, Tae-jin nodded quickly. He was only eight, but allowances and meals mattered.

“Okay, I’ll go! Happy now?”

“Be sweet about it.”

“I said I got it!”

“You’re getting sassy, kid.”

To Tae-jin, his father Mujin felt like a stranger. He was never affectionate, was always out, and barely showed his face.

They hardly ever spoke, which made things awkward. Dad was scary, unfamiliar, and not very likable. Sure, Mom could be scary too sometimes, but she was way better than Dad.

“Come on, Mi-joo.”

“Mm!”

Grabbing Mi-joo’s hand, Tae-jin approached their dad with caution. Their gentle mother quietly followed behind, which gave him the little bit of courage he needed.

“Dad…”

“Daddy!”

Mujin, who had been tearing the sky apart with his thunderous laughing, a mad laugh directed at the heavens, suddenly froze and turned toward his children.

His wild eyes burned with madness.

Flinch!

Anyone who had once witnessed the killing aura of the former war king God of War would be paralyzed, their knees buckling under the pressure. Just looking at him was too much unless you had nerves of steel.

But now, things were different.

Woosh!

Before they even realized it, Tae-jin and Mi-joo were soaring through the air.

“My Tae-jin! My Mi-joo~~~~~!”

Tae-jin flailed, unable to process his dad’s sudden outburst. Understanding it wouldn’t change anything. He couldn’t bring himself to accept this unfamiliar side of his father and just kept floundering.

Flail, flail!

Unlike her panicked brother, Mi-joo was already nestled in their father’s arms, smiling like nothing happened. She wasn’t thinking much, which meant she was just enjoying the moment. Her older brother’s constant overthinking didn’t even register to her.

‘Dad’s changed!’

And in the weirdest way possible.

‘He’s totally lost it!’

Mujin was only now beginning to understand the heart of a parent who hadn’t seen their child in years. His son and daughter, still baby-faced and very much in need of a father, he had done them wrong.

“I’m sorry…”

He murmured low, but his throat tightened.

A son who was the spitting image of him…

And a daughter whose eyes were practically half her face.

Why…

‘Why had I made such a foolish choice, leaving behind my own son and daughter? As if I ever needed something as petty as fame and glory in the first place.’

‘I’ll never let go again.’

‘My son and daughter, this father will protect you.’

Rub rub, squish!

Mujin smushed and nuzzled Tae-jin and Mi-joo’s cheeks with all the affection he had. A vow burned in him, he would never be separated from them again.

Drip…

The tears refused to stop.

The Former War King was supposed to be an absolute sovereign of the battlefield. Who in the world would ever imagine such a man, who had once torn apart demonic beings while laughing, could even have tears?

But Mujin didn’t hide them.

Even if it looked undignified.

Even if others whispered behind his back.

So what?

He was happier than he’d ever been. He was home. And this time, they would never be apart again.

“Daddy! Are you crying? Stop it!”

“Yeah! Stop being a crybaby!”

Mujin blinked the tears away at his daughter’s little pat on the back, gazing at her with eyes full of love.

Tae-jin, meanwhile, was about to explode from the emotional whiplash of it all. The overwhelming affection, the unfamiliar warmth, it was just too much.

‘Dad! What’s wrong with you?’

Honestly, he kind of missed the old version of his dad.

Mi-joo was too simple-minded to notice, just giggling away, but for Tae-jin, this was more than surprising, it was cultural shock.

Yu-jin walked up silently and wrapped her arm around her husband’s waist despite his strange transformation.

“…Did you already forget about me?”

“Forget you? Never.”

*****

The Songho Sect traced its origins back to Kang Cheon-gyeong, the founder of the Cheongseon Sword. He was once ranked among the top 100 martial artists of his era and was the creator of the Ten Songho Swords.

For three generations, the clan had managed to preserve that swordsmanship legacy with modest success. But perhaps because they remained stagnant while the world evolved, they had slowly fallen behind.

Even the Songho Sect was painfully aware of that now.

They had poured their efforts into modernizing their cultivation methods and sword techniques, but even after three hundred years, it remained an unsolved problem.

Kang Woo-gyeong, the current patriarch of the clan, wielded the title of Heroic Chivalry Sword.

Within the province of Cheongyang, he was respected as both a hero and a sword master.

He longed to reach the peak of martial cultivation but had only barely stepped into the realm of first-class experts. Even so, in Cheongyang, he was still ranked among the top five swordsmen.

Recently, he had begun collaborating with the Bomon Merchant Guild to revitalize the fading clan. Though the times were difficult, he had strengthened the clan’s foundation and achieved modest results.

Still, due to his rather complacent and non-aggressive personality, he was someone who tended to accept reality as it was.

To a man like Kang Woo-gyeong, his firstborn son Mujin was a source of constant heartache.

The second son, Mu-ho, was a prodigy who had already surpassed the level of sixth stars and showed great promise in mastering the clan’s martial techniques. In contrast, Mujin had barely reached the third level despite consuming precious elixirs, his talent clearly lacking.

Still, he was his son.

As a father, he should have embraced him… but only for so long. When someone causes trouble every other day, messing things up left and right, how long can you keep speaking kindly?

Unless you’re the reincarnation of Buddha, don’t even try.

As much as Mujin had frustrated him, Kang Woo-gyeong still knew his son had been trying desperately, in his own clumsy way.

Just yesterday, he caused another incident.

Drunk and unruly, he wrecked goods at an inn and even injured a worker. Thankfully, the staff member wasn’t seriously hurt, and they compensated appropriately.

And yet… that damn kid!

It was already well past midday, and he still hadn’t shown his face.

Furious, Kang Woo-gyeong summoned his son.

Mujin finally showed up, late as ever.

This shameless brat!

Today, no matter what excuses he gave, they wouldn’t work. If he had even a shred of fear for his father, he’d at least pretend to behave.

He steeled himself to unleash a furious scolding.

But then—

Wham!

Just as he opened his mouth to shout “You insolent brat!”, his son ambushed him with a sudden hug.

Of all days, Mujin had picked the perfect one to catch him off guard. Even though Kang Woo-gyeong wasn’t a peak master, he was a first-class expert, and yet, his defenses failed entirely. It felt… strange, how easily he was caught off balance.

“……You little—!”

“I missed you, Father!”

What an opening.

“You know I love you, right?”

“…What did you just say?”

He should’ve shouted an entire bucket of curses by now, just to get it off his chest.

But the words stuck in his throat, shocked speechless.

Kang Woo-gyeong just stood there, listening to the ridiculous things spilling from his son’s mouth. He couldn’t figure out how to even begin replying.

“You have to live a long, long life, Father!”

“…?”

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake!’

‘Someone, come look at this, my son’s gone mad!’

In all his years, he’d heard plenty of nonsense, but this? This took the cake. His wife, standing beside him, just blinked silently in disbelief, clearly worried about her son’s mental state.

‘Is this really my son? Should we perform an exorcism? Maybe call a shaman?’

For a moment, Kang Woo-gyeong was seriously considering it.

What the hell is going on?

Had he swallowed poison? Even his gaze felt suspiciously serene.

You’d have to really mean it to pull this off.

Ssshh—

Only then did Mujin turn and finally notice his mother. His eyes misted over as he moved to embrace her—

Whoosh!

The matriarch of the Songho Sect, and Mujin’s mother, Lee Seon-mi was so startled by her son’s sudden change in demeanor that she instinctively stepped back.

He was her son, yes… but in that moment, he didn’t feel like it. Was he still drunk from yesterday? Or was he just putting on an act because he feared punishment from his father?

Either possibility felt oddly plausible, and that only made her more confused.

Kang Woo-gyeong, now regaining his composure, raised his voice.

“You brat! What kind of stunt are you trying to pull? Do you think this nonsense will wipe away your wrongdoing?”

“It’s all my fault! Whatever punishment it is, I’ll accept it gladly! So please—hit me, Father!”

“…What?”

Just a few days ago, this same grown man had clung to his pant leg, begging not to be hit, pleading to be forgiven just once.

The entire order of things had been turned upside down.

Though Kang Woo-gyeong hadn’t been thrilled, he’d intended to wrap things up without taking it too far. No matter how frustrated he felt, he couldn’t bring himself to truly be cruel to his son.

But now what was he saying?

He wanted to accept his punishment?

Wobble.

As his son stepped closer, Kang Woo-gyeong forgot his position and reacted just like his wife had.

It was already strange enough that his son had caught him off guard earlier, scrambling his martial instincts.

Now this, those eyes full of eager desperation to be struck. That wasn’t the son he knew.

“Father, Mother! I missed you so much!”

‘Has he truly gone mad?!’

Unlike his bewildered father, Mujin was just overwhelmed with happiness.

He was seeing the two people he had yearned to meet, even in dreams, alive and well. When he was younger, his father had only ever seemed harsh and frightening.

Resentment had dominated his heart: Why does he only pick on him?

Everything his father said and did had rubbed him the wrong way. He’d always been compared to his younger brother, and it had left him bitter. Yet even then, when he threw tantrums, his parents, grudgingly, gave in.

‘I should’ve gotten beaten properly!’

Back then, his father should’ve been tougher.

Instead, he got off easy and only strayed further from the right path. Maybe that’s why… deep down, he missed those beatings. If only he’d been punished more harshly, more often, maybe he would’ve woken up sooner. Regret weighed heavy on him.

Twitch.

Kang Woo-gyeong began to realize he was being pulled along, swept up in the unexpected offensive maneuver of his son. Maybe the boy had picked up some manipulative tricks to avoid a proper beating.

Half of it had worked.

He’d admit it.

He was definitely thrown off.

But he wouldn’t let it end here. Not today. Did Mujin think he earned the title Heroic Chivalry Sword through gambling? He was the finest blade in all of Cheongyang, he had to dole out punishment properly. Otherwise, the boy would never learn.

“Don’t think I don’t see through your little scheme. Down on your knees! Now!”

“Thank you, Father!”

‘Oh, you think this is cute?’

‘Not a chance, you rascal.’

“I might’ve been fooled once, but not twice. This time, I’ll discipline you properly so you finally straighten up.”

“As much as you like! Hehehe!”

“You little—!”

Had he been drinking again? Day drinking? Kang Woo-gyeong narrowed his eyes with suspicion.

Could it be medicine? But there wasn’t any scent, thankfully, it didn’t seem like it.

Either way, it seemed like he’d have to come down a little harder today. At least until his son’s scrambled brain settled into place.

‘He’s married already, for heaven’s sake. Isn’t it time he finally matured?’

No parent wants to beat their grown child. Still, Kang Woo-gyeong steeled himself and tightened his grip.

The buttocks were the best option. Even if he got hit, it wouldn’t show. No matter how disappointing a child might be, you couldn’t have the whole village gossiping about beatings. The butt was safest.

THWACK!

He swung the stick with considerable force.

The crack of impact rang out so sharply that Lee Seon-mi shut her eyes tight. She knew her son deserved it, but her heart still ached.

She prayed this would snap him out of it. Or at the very least, that he’d stop causing trouble and stay quietly at home.

‘Just one hit should do it.’

Kang Woo-gyeong figured that after a single blow, his son would leap up and start begging never to do it again.

That was the limit he’d assigned. After all, Mujin had no endurance, he’d taken three years to memorize even the Thousand-Character Classic. The boy had no tolerance for hardship.

And truly, he was a precious son, hard-earned.

No parent wants to raise their hand. That’s why this time, he’d pour his heart into this single strike, and then, maybe, pretend to give in and accept the apology.

---The End Of The Chapter---

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