Childhood Friend of the Zenith

While a flurry of activity surrounded the wagons, I found myself frowning at the words spoken by the Celestial Master.

"Where did you say you planned to go…?

"I was pretty sure he said the Gu family.

The Gu family…?

‘...

Is there another Gu family I’m not aware of?

’No matter how hard I thought about it, no other Gu family came to mind.

Sure, there could be one somewhere, but there was no way the Celestial Master wouldn’t know which Gu family he was referring to.

"Senior.

""Speak.

""Why the hell… No, I mean, what are you saying all of a sudden?

"I barely managed to stop myself from blurting out a curse.

Impressive.

I’ve matured.

In the past, I would’ve just said it outright.

Instead, I carefully chose my words, making an effort to show respect.

"Why would you leave a perfectly fine household and come to ours?

"The person standing before me was none other than the Celestial Master.

This was the man who had left the three masters behind, abandoned his position as the Namgung family head’s mentor, and was often referred to as the true master of the household.

To put it bluntly, he was the kind of person who could act like a king in the Namgung family.

And yet, he wanted to rely on the Gu family?

Not only that...

‘...

After getting thoroughly beaten by my father just a few days ago?

’The Celestial Master had been soundly defeated by my father not long ago.

The image of him engulfed in flames as he was pummeled was still fresh in my mind.

‘At least he looks physically fine now.

’Despite how badly he’d been burned back then, he now stood before me without any signs of injury.

In fact...

‘...

He seems more clear-headed?

’The dark, murky aura that used to surround him was gone, replaced by a bright and refreshed energy.

Should I call it uplifting?

Or perhaps invigorating?

‘It’s the same sense I get from Father and Paejon.

’It was a subtle, indescribable feeling—something new that hadn’t been there before.

As I observed the Celestial Master, I turned my attention to the Divine Doctor beside him.

The Divine Doctor, unusually, wore a somewhat troubled expression as he glanced at me.

There was even a hint of guilt in his eyes.

‘What the hell is going on?

’While the Divine Doctor’s presence here could be explained by our agreement involving the White Demon Stone, what about the Celestial Master?

‘Is this really the year of misfortune?

’Not only had I encountered the three elusive masters—figures I might never have seen in my lifetime—but now it seemed they all intended to lodge at the Gu family.

For others, this might have been considered an incredible stroke of luck or a fortuitous opportunity.

‘...

Yeah, right.

’From my perspective, it was nothing more than a string of bad luck.

I wanted to flat-out refuse, but instead, I said:"May I ask your reasoning first?

"I had to hear his reasons before anything else.

As I posed the question, my gaze shifted to another direction.

It was where Namgung Bi-ah was.

I didn’t need to guess what she was doing.

She was undoubtedly napping in my carriage.

"Has the Gu family head left?

" the Celestial Master asked.

"Yes.

He departed for Shanxi yesterday.

""I see… I’m too late, then.

"What is this about?

Was he planning to seek revenge or something?

Considering how badly he was defeated, I suppose he had a right to feel aggrieved, but revenge…‘That’s not going to work.

’Based on what I saw back then, there was almost no chance of the Celestial Master defeating my father.

Unless it was some group effort.

As an individual?

Impossible.

The one relief was...

‘...

That doesn’t seem to be his intention.

’The aura around the Celestial Master didn’t give off any vengeful vibes.

As I studied him with a curious expression, he addressed me.

"I merely wished to offer my gratitude, but it seems I’m too late.

""Gratitude?

"At those words, I instinctively stepped back....

He gets beaten to a pulp and then wants to express gratitude?

Could it be he has… peculiar tastes?

I’d never considered the Celestial Master to be that kind of person.

Noticing my horrified expression, the Celestial Master chuckled.

"You have quite the imagination.

Don’t worry—I have no such inclinations.

""...

That’s a relief, but still…""I simply wish to convey my thanks.

If not for the Gu family head, I wouldn’t have opened my eyes.

"Opened his eyes?

If anything, it seemed more like Father had tried to close them permanently.

Setting aside the strangeness of his statement, the important thing was his reasoning.

"Are you saying that’s the reason you wish to come to our household?

""Is that not acceptable?

""...

It’s not about whether it’s acceptable or not… It’s just that I can’t understand why.

You could return to the Namgung family.

Furthermore…"The Tang Clan incident was still under investigation by the Murim Alliance.

If it was revealed that the Celestial Master was involved, the alliance would likely initiate their inquiries.

Of course...

‘If the Celestial Master throws a tantrum, they won’t be able to do much.

’Being one of the three masters, he could simply refuse to cooperate, and there would be little they could do.

That meant his decision wasn’t out of fear of repercussions.

Which meant I had to ask.

"Do you also have a reason for not returning to the Namgung family?

""...

"The Celestial Master fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting elsewhere.

He was looking toward the other Namgung family members present.

"...

I cannot return just yet.

"When he finally spoke, there was an unusual tremor in his eyes.

"Until I’ve corrected my wrongdoings, I won’t set foot in the Namgung household.

"Wrongdoings?

It was an uncomfortable word to hear.

‘...

Did something change after he was burned by the flames?

’Did he have some kind of revelation near death?

I couldn’t fully grasp what he meant, but he seemed determined to achieve something.

"So that’s why you want to…"...

live off of us, is it?

I bit my tongue to keep the words from spilling out.

"You wish to stay with us for a while, is that it?

""Would that be so wrong?

I may be old, but I can still contribute as a guest.

My strength hasn’t diminished, I assure you.

"Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh internally.

What exactly did he plan to do?

Was he going to act like a servant, as the Sword Master once had?

No way—I would absolutely decline.

‘...

That was a nightmare.

’The Sword Master had cleaned my room, chopped wood, and even helped prepare meals.

It was so uncomfortable that I nearly threw up every day.

And to make matters worse, I couldn’t even acknowledge it openly.

Now, the Celestial Master wanted to do the same?

Just imagining it was exhausting.

Forcing my expression back to normal, I replied:"...

Before that, are you sure about this?

""What do you mean?

""Even if you don’t return to the Namgung family, there are members of the Namgung family in our group.

Are you comfortable with that?

"Not going to the Namgung family and traveling with its members were entirely separate issues.

I was curious about how he viewed this.

The Celestial Master hesitated briefly before meeting my gaze.

"I can handle it.

That, too, is something I must face…""No, that’s not what I meant.

"I cut him off, realizing he might have misunderstood.

"It’s not about whether you can handle it.

It’s about whether they will be okay with it.

If they’re not, what will you do?

""…!

"The Celestial Master’s eyes widened at my blunt remark.

I didn’t know much about the dynamics within the Namgung family, nor did I care to learn.

But Namgung Bi-ah was important.

Their relationship might be strained, and if she felt uncomfortable with him joining, then…‘It doesn’t matter if he’s the Celestial Master or not—I won’t allow it.

’Even if it led to a messy situation, I wasn’t going to back down.

‘I’ve got solid support, anyway.

’While the Celestial Master wasn’t a weak martial artist, my current backers were no slouches either.

‘...

Paejon might not intervene, but the Shadow King would likely support me.

’In short, I had enough backing to hold my ground.

Watching the Celestial Master’s expression closely, I noted it wasn’t as composed as before.

Was he offended?

Possibly.

I doubted he was used to hearing such words directed at him.

As I weighed the possible outcomes of this interaction, the Celestial Master surprised me.

"I see… I’ve shown my shortcomings once again.

"His response was unexpected.

Nodding as if acknowledging a newfound understanding, his blue eyes sparkled with clarity.

For a moment, I wondered if the Shadow King had taken the wrong medicine—or if this old man had.

"Thank you.

You’ve helped me realize something important.

""...

Uh, sure…""I almost made a grave mistake, but thanks to you, I’ve come to understand.

If they feel uncomfortable, I won’t insist on going.

""...

"His gentle smile deepened, his face lined with wrinkles.

Was this really the Celestial Master?

Or was this some impostor in disguise?

"...

Well.

"I tried to say something, then closed my mouth.

Rubbing my forehead, I turned to the Divine Doctor.

His eyes were practically pleading with me for help.

"Tsk.

"I clicked my tongue.

"I understand.

However, I must clarify that this decision lies with the Gu family head, not me.

I’ll send a message to the household.

"It wasn’t a definitive acceptance.

Even if Namgung Bi-ah and I were okay with it, the final decision would rest with my father.

And, frankly, I planned to subtly suggest he refuse.

"Thank you.

"The Celestial Master smiled as though even this response was enough.

That kind smile… why did it feel so burdensome?

‘He looked terrifying when I saw him in the afterlife.

’Surrounded by an ominous killing intent and exuding sharpness, the Celestial Master back then was a far cry from the kind grandfatherly figure now before me.

Maybe people do mature after being beaten down.

I didn’t know.

After bowing to the Celestial Master, I headed for the carriage.

As I neared the carriage, the bustling activity of the servants carrying supplies caught my attention.

I moved quietly, pondering my next steps.

"Senior.

""Yes?

"The moment I called out, a transmission echoed in my mind.

I scanned the surroundings, searching for the source of the transmission.

Amid the workers tirelessly loading goods, I sensed a faint but deliberate presence.

So, the Shadow King was here.

Normally, I wouldn’t have noticed, but this time, he seemed to be intentionally revealing his presence.

"I have a request," I transmitted.

"Speak.

""Could you send a message for me?

""Consider it done.

"The Shadow King accepted immediately.

I intended to send details about the Celestial Master to the Gu household, and I knew enlisting the Shadow King’s aid was the fastest way to do so.

"I’ll have it dispatched immediately," he replied.

He was likely referring to sending members of the Cheolya Assassination Squad—a name that struck fear across Zhongyuan—simply to deliver a letter.

I couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions about that.

Suppressing my thoughts, I brought up the main reason I had reached out.

"And regarding what I requested yesterday…?

"This was the real issue.

Yesterday, I had asked the Shadow King to take Tang So-yeol as his disciple.

The Shadow King hadn’t immediately agreed but mentioned he needed to determine whether it was feasible.

Like Paejon’s Tua Pacheonmu, the Shadow King’s poison arts seemed to require specific conditions to be met.

"It seems possible," he replied.

I nodded at his response.

Thankfully, Tang So-yeol seemed to meet the criteria.

"In that case, please proceed according to the conditions I laid out.

""Understood.

"That was the end of our conversation.

The conditions I had set were simple: the Shadow King would accept Tang So-yeol as his disciple, but only if she agreed willingly.

If she refused or chose to abandon the training, that would be the end of it.

I only wanted to give her an option.

Whether she walked that path was entirely up to her.

Would this truly help her?

I couldn’t say for sure.

Was placing Tang So-yeol under the Shadow King’s tutelage the right thing to do?

I wasn’t certain.

Still, it seemed like the most efficient solution at the moment.

‘If you always stick to the “right” path, you won’t survive.

’The Poison King’s philosophy had left me with a lot to consider, but I understood one thing clearly: there were times when doing the "right" thing wasn’t enough.

As I opened the carriage door, the first thing I saw was Namgung Bi-ah.

She was lying half-asleep, her head resting on Wi Seol-ah’s lap.

Noticing me, she lazily waved a hand.

"You’re back…?

""You look so carefree.

"No matter what had happened recently, Namgung Bi-ah’s attitude remained the same.

And for some reason, that annoyed me.

It felt like I was the only one stressing out.

Driven by that irritation, I flicked her forehead.

Smack!

"...

Ah…"Namgung Bi-ah responded with a pitiful sound, almost like a whimper.

Then, as if nothing had happened, she closed her eyes again and went back to sleep.

Unbelievable.

Wi Seol-ah, who had been gently stroking her hair, glanced up at me.

"Are you done?

"The dynamic between us had flipped over time.

There was a point when Wi Seol-ah had seemed more like a child, but now, she appeared more like an older sister.

‘…Is it because she’s grown?

’Her height, her figure, even her demeanor—it had all matured significantly.

Or maybe it was just the atmosphere she carried now.

"Not yet.

I have to head back out.

"Preparations for departure weren’t finished yet.

Moyong Hee-ah was managing the situation outside, so I figured I should go assist her.

My brief visit here was because I needed to say something to Namgung Bi-ah.

"Hey.

"I called out to her using a transmission.

Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes opened slightly in response.

"Your great-grandfather came to see me.

""...

"Hearing that, Namgung Bi-ah groggily propped herself up.

Her disheveled hair made it clear how relaxed she had been.

When I mentioned the Celestial Master, Namgung Bi-ah stared at me.

"He says he wants to travel with us.

What should I do?

Should I refuse?

""...?

"Her expression was one of pure confusion.

That made sense.

Even I found it baffling that the Celestial Master would suddenly want to join us.

"If you don’t want him to come, I’ll refuse.

He said he wouldn’t insist if you objected.

""...

"Namgung Bi-ah and the Celestial Master’s relationship was likely complicated.

Considering everything I knew from my past life, it was a possibility.

That’s why I had decided to ask her opinion first.

"I don’t mind…"Namgung Bi-ah answered softly before lying back down on Wi Seol-ah’s lap.

"...

Seriously.

"I had hoped she would object, but she didn’t.

Damn it.

‘So now I’m left hoping my father will refuse.

’That seemed to be my last option.

But just two weeks later…I would come to realize that even my father had betrayed my expectations.