Childhood Friend of the Zenith

A day had passed.

The night where I nearly died at Amwang's hands had come and gone, and fortunately, I was still alive.

I rose from the bare ground, not even having the luxury of a sleeping bag.

Though the environment wasn’t exactly suitable for sleep, it didn’t matter.

I hadn’t slept at all, instead sitting cross-legged, focusing on cultivating my inner energy.

“Hah.

”After spending the night circulating heat, I exhaled, releasing a hot breath mixed with frustration.

“Damn it...

”Physically, I felt relatively fine.

My body had reached the point where I could go a few days without eating or sleeping, but...

It was difficult to clear my head.

The conversation with Amwang last night kept replaying in my mind.

The gap between us was undeniable.

He was at the peak of his field, and even among the masters, he would undoubtedly be counted as one of the three supreme masters.

There was no way someone like me could match him.

I had experienced defeat countless times, and my spirit didn’t waver because of it.

I should just be thankful that I survived.

But the real problem was the conversation we had.

‘Amwang is a descendant of Yeonga?

’He never gave me a direct answer, but it was as good as a confirmation based on the context.

Then again, there was also the possibility that it was a lie.

‘It’s all too sudden.

’The Yeonga family had been wiped out hundreds of years ago.

If we’re talking about time, they perished long before the Zhuge family.

So now, to hear that their descendants were still alive...

‘It’s not impossible, but it’s hard to believe.

’Sure, there could be descendants.

There were many within the Zhuge family who lived hidden lives, concealing their true surname.

Even within my circle, there were three people I could think of who fit that description.

In that sense, it wasn’t entirely impossible for Yeonga’s descendants to exist.

‘But what are the odds that one of those descendants would be the King of Assassins?

’Moreover, Amwang seemed to have some sort of ulterior motive.

I felt it when he cornered me, like he was threatening me with something.

‘If Amwang really is a descendant of Yeonga...

’I lifted my sleeve slightly to reveal the mark still lingering on my arm.

‘What’s the connection with this?

’Amwang had threatened me because he sensed the energy I had absorbed in Yeonga’s vault, and he had noticed the mark on my arm.

The key point here is that he "sensed" it.

I thought the energy had disappeared, yet Amwang had picked up on it.

He had even figured out the secret of my arm that I had shown to no one.

Even if Amwang wasn’t really a descendant of Yeonga...

‘He definitely senses something from me.

’The problem is, I don’t know what it is.

There are clearly four different energies circulating within me, but does this mean there’s a fifth, as Amwang suggested?

‘What the hell...

My body’s like a garbage dump, full of all kinds of mixed-up junk.

’It’s not like I didn’t already have enough to deal with.

To top it off, Amwang referred to this as a "curse.

"A curse.

Even hearing the word sent chills down my spine.

‘What could this possibly be to warrant calling it a curse?

’It’s just a change in my skin, though admittedly a bizarre one.

It had only been a few days since I discovered it, so I hadn’t felt any real changes yet.

But judging by Amwang’s reaction, this wasn’t something good.

‘That bastard didn’t even stick around for me to ask him more questions, just said his piece and vanished.

’After he confirmed everything he wanted from me, Amwang disappeared the moment our conversation ended.

Meanwhile, I still had a mountain of questions.

What a coward.

Maybe I should just be thankful I didn’t die.

Although it was hard to be that positive, considering how angry I was.

‘Damn it...

Why are all these masters such selfish bastards?

’No, maybe I’ve got it wrong.

It seems like the only way to achieve such mastery is by being selfish and petty.

Not that I had any intention of seeking Amwang out again.

If he chose to hide, there’s no way I could find him.

Feeling drained, I glanced again at my forearm.

“Maybe I should go see the god of fate.

”Perhaps he might know something.

We were on somewhat familiar terms, so maybe he’d help me out.

But then again...

He wasn’t the kind of old man I could just summon whenever I wanted.

It was more of a hope than an actual plan.

For now, I started walking.

‘...

I should at least eat.

’The sun had risen, and I suddenly realized I hadn’t eaten in days.

Not that I felt particularly hungry, but...

I figured shoving something into my mouth would help clear my mind.

I headed toward the area where they were distributing food.

Given the situation, it was hard to find any decent meals.

It looked like the instructors and remaining cadets were sharing what little food was left.

There was something different, though.

‘There are some unfamiliar faces here.

’I noticed a few people with round eyes, scanning their surroundings.

Judging by their clothes...

‘They’re from the Martial Alliance.

’The crest on their sword scabbards and the style of their robes were unmistakable.

They were warriors from the Martial Alliance.

They were talking with the instructors, trying to assess the situation.

I heightened my senses to eavesdrop on their conversation.

—We’ve sent reinforcements from the main group...

—It seems they came from the Flying Dragon Corps...

—The Alliance Leader has also...

—The person leading this incident...

The black barrier that had been blocking communication was gone, and it seemed they had finally reached out to the Martial Alliance.

That means reinforcements should arrive within the day.

And with that...

‘Things are going to get chaotic.

’This news would undoubtedly spread across the martial world in no time.

The attack on Shinryong Pavilion by dark martial artists and the deaths of noble family members...

Even though the Beggars’ Sect is officially aligned with the orthodox sects, they won’t be able to keep everyone’s mouth shut.

Especially since this involves not just the Four Great Families but also the Nine Grand Sects.

There are orthodox sects out there that aren’t exactly friendly with the Martial Alliance, so you can bet some will start talking.

The Alliance is probably in a real mess right now.

That explains why the expressions of the Martial Alliance’s envoys looked so sour.

It was clear that things weren’t going well.

They’d have to send out notifications to the families of the cadets who died in the attack.

That would be another huge problem.

‘They may have already been notified.

’I wasn’t sure about other families, but for the Nine Grand Sects and the Four Great Families, it’s likely that they’d already been informed before the Martial Alliance could even reach out.

As I mulled over this, I grabbed a few rations to eat.

It looked like clumped rice or possibly something like a nutrient pill, but...

Right now, as long as it filled my stomach, I didn’t care what it was.

“Thank you...

”One of the cadets handing me the rations suddenly spoke.

I looked at him, puzzled.

“Are you talking to me?

”“Yes, I’m speaking to you, Sir Jinryong.

”‘Who is this?

’I didn’t recognize his face.

Judging by his presence, I could tell he was another cadet, and based on his posture, I could deduce he was in the unarmed division.

I wasn’t one to remember faces, but I was certain I had never seen him before.

“Sorry, but do we know each other?

”The young man smiled wryly at my question.

“You may not remember.

You were busy at the time.

”“Hmm?

”“I was about to be killed by the dark martial artists, and you saved me, Sir Jinryong.

”“Ah.

”It was right after my encounter with Cheonma.

I had been in a rage, wreaking havoc, but I still had enough sense to target only the attackers.

It seemed this guy was one of the people I had saved in the chaos.

“I just wanted to thank you.

”“It was just a coincidence.

There’s no need to thank me.

”It was purely by chance.

He just happened to be in the path of my rampage.

“That may be true, but the fact remains that you saved me.

”“...

”“I felt utterly powerless.

Despite all the training I had done, I was almost killed without being able to do anything.

I’m fortunate to still be alive, but...

It’s all so meaningless.

”I looked into the young man’s eyes.

The fire had gone out.

The flame that burns within all martial artists had been extinguished.

“The...

”“I had a preconceived notion of you from the rumors in the pavilion.

I didn’t realize you were the kind of hero who shines during times of war.

I apologize for that.

”The more he spoke, the more my chest tightened.

I wasn’t someone who deserved to hear such words.

“Some strange rumors must be going around...

I didn’t do much.

”In fact, I believed I was the one responsible for the current situation.

If something that shouldn’t have happened in the past was happening now, it was my fault.

The young man took my words as humility and merely smiled.

It was then that I realized why the gazes of the people in the pavilion had changed whenever they looked at me.

The fearful looks they gave me before...

their eyes had somehow changed.

I didn’t like it.

‘...

Don’t put me on a pedestal.

’I wasn’t someone worthy of such a position.

My head started to ache again.

“...

Thank you.

”“...

”As he offered one final apology, I said nothing.

I simply took the rations and turned away.

That young man would no longer walk the path of a martial artist.

His flame had died, and it would never reignite.

It bothered me, seeing him express his gratitude with such dead eyes.

I didn’t want to hear it.

I grabbed my food and kept walking.

Though I hadn’t even eaten yet, I already felt nauseated.

The stares directed my way were clearer than ever.

I ignored them.

I walked past everyone, searching for someone.

Fortunately, I found her quickly.

Her striking appearance made her easy to spot.

Among the people moving about, a woman sat on a boulder with her eyes closed.

Wi Seol-ah.

“What are you doing?

”I approached her slowly, and it seemed Wi Seol-ah sensed my presence.

She shifted slightly to make room for me.

It was an invitation to sit next to her.

Naturally, I sat beside her.

“How’s your body?

”“...

I’m fine.

”Her voice was slightly weary.

She opened her eyes and looked at me as she answered.

“What about you, Sir Jinryong?

”“I’m fine.

”As I spoke, I took a bite of the food.

As expected, it tasted like nothing.

I handed her the other portion I had brought.

“Ah...

”“Eat it.

You haven’t eaten, have you?

”“...

”Wi Seol-ah hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the nutrient pill-like food I gave her.

She cautiously took a bite.

Her brows furrowed almost immediately.

It must have tasted terrible.

“You still like sweet things, huh?

Is it that bad?

”“No, it’s just...

surprising.

”Her flustered expression was adorable, and I stifled a laugh.

“I’m sorry.

”Then, suddenly, I apologized.

“Huh?

”“For leaving you behind.

I’m sorry for that.

”“...

”It wasn’t like I had much of a choice, especially since Amwang had appeared out of nowhere.

But still, that was just an excuse.

If I had wanted to, I could have gone to her.

Not a day later, but right then and there.

“...

It’s okay.

”Wi Seol-ah accepted my apology and took another bite of the food.

Her brows furrowed again.

Why did she keep eating something she clearly didn’t like...?

Wait a minute.

“When did you finish eating?

”“Huh?

What do you mean...

Oh!

Where did it go?

”It looked like she had only taken two bites, but the food had disappeared from her hand.

It wasn’t a small portion either, so I should have needed several bites to finish mine.

At least her appetite was still intact, and that gave me some relief.

Though I wasn’t entirely sure why that made me feel better.

I barely managed to hold back my laughter.

If I laughed now, Wi Seol-ah might actually get angry.

She tried to hide her embarrassment, her ears turning red, as she swallowed the last of her food.

Then, suddenly, she asked me a question.

“Was...

Was my sister at peace?

”“...

”Her words brought a bitter smile to my face.

I wondered how long she had hesitated before asking.

I asked her silently in my heart.

How much do you know?

What have you said up until now?

“At peace, huh...

I don’t know.

”I couldn’t bring myself to ask her directly.

Wi Seol-ah lowered her head at my response.

“Do you know who she was?

”“I know...

vaguely.

”Vaguely, huh.

So she didn’t know everything.

“And do you know about me?

”“Not in detail...

”Maybe her sister hadn’t told her.

It wasn’t information that would bring her any comfort, after all.

“Do you want me to tell you?

”The question carried many meanings.

About my secret, about her sister’s story.

If Wi Seol-ah wanted to know, I could tell her.

But to my surprise, she shook her head.

I didn’t expect that.

I thought she’d be curious.

“You wouldn’t want that, Sir Jinryong.

”“...

”“My sister would have said the same.

”“You’re not her.

You can do as you please—”“Yes, I’m not my sister.

But even so, I won’t ask.

That’s what I want too.

”Her resolute words caught me off guard.

“I won’t be like my sister.

”“...

”Her words were complicated.

I had wished for that, yet I couldn’t help but wonder if it was even possible.

“She wished for it, and I wish for it too.

”The weight of the Divine Sword’s words seemed heavier now.

“But if there’s one thing that’s the same...

it’s that both my sister and I feel the same way about you.

”Wi Seol-ah’s expression held sadness, but there was also a sense of pride.

“Thank you, Sir Jinryong.

For coming to find me.

”She smiled.

Faced with that smile, I couldn’t bring myself to smile back.

I simply shoved more food into my mouth.

“Will I see my sister again?

”“You will.

You’ll see her again.

”Wi Seol-ah had spoken as if it were a far-off hope, but I answered without hesitation.

This time, it was Wi Seol-ah’s turn to look surprised.

“I’ll make sure of it.

”I stood up and grabbed her hand.

Wi Seol-ah flinched at the sudden gesture.

I spoke as I looked at her.

“Let’s go.

”“W-Where?

”She seemed to be anticipating something, and while I had a vague idea of what she might be hoping for...

Unfortunately, the plan wasn’t as exciting as she might have hoped.

“We’re going to check on the others.

”Wi Seol-ah’s expression noticeably soured at my words.

******************I dragged Wi Seol-ah along to the infirmary we had visited last time.

As far as I knew, Namgung Bi-ah still needed several more days of treatment.

Despite her remarkable regenerative abilities, her condition was still quite serious.

The only consolation was that there wouldn't be any permanent scars.

The same went for Tang Soryeol.

From my perspective, it was only right to visit at least once a day.

I couldn’t make it yesterday, though.

Wi Seol-ah still seemed unhappy about it, but she didn’t voice any complaints.

She must have understood the situation.

“Hmm?

”When we arrived, I sensed that something unusual was going on.

There was an inexplicable buzz in the infirmary, a quiet murmur of tension hanging in the air.

What’s going on?

Curious, I pushed the thought aside for the moment and kept moving forward.

By the time I reached my destination, though...

“Why is everyone gathered here?

”Not only were Tang Soryeol and Namgung Bi-ah present, but Peng Ah-hui and even Moyong Hi-ah were there, all wearing serious expressions.

As I approached and spoke up, their shoulders all flinched simultaneously.

What the hell?

What’s with their reactions?

I stared at them, puzzled.

Out of the group, Peng Ah-hui seemed the least troubled.

While the others wore inscrutable expressions, Peng Ah-hui looked as if she were bursting with excitement.

“Hey,” she called out.

“Yeah?

” I responded.

“You’re in big trouble,” she said with a wide grin.

“What?

” I asked, frowning.

Peng Ah-hui’s grin widened as she explained, “Our fathers are all coming here.

”“…What?

”“Wanna run for it while you still can?

”Her words made me frown even deeper.

What she was saying was clear enough.

It meant that the heads of the Four Great Families were all on their way here.