Childhood Friend of the Zenith

“Are you sure this is okay...?

” Nahi’s voice broke the silence as we walked down the path.

It came right after Bumdong disappeared, dragging the Flying Dragon Division away.

I glanced at her briefly before asking back.

“What do you mean?

” When I met her gaze, Nahi lowered her head and answered hesitantly.

“I’m concerned about letting the Flying Dragon Commander go so easily...

” “Why?

Do you think that kind of threat won’t be enough?

” “...

” Nahi didn’t respond, her silence answering my question.

She probably thought I should’ve done more.

I understood her worry.

‘She must be wondering why I used such a simple approach when there were better options.

’ All I did to Bumdong was threaten him using his family.

I didn’t place a binding spell on him, nor did I corrupt him with demonic Qi.

‘I could have, but I didn’t.

’ I’d already imbued him with demonic Qi, ready to crush him if necessary.

And setting a binding curse would have been just as easy.

But I had my reasons for holding back.

“You don’t need to worry about it.

I’ve already thought this through.

” “But if the commander ends up revealing everything...

” “He won’t.

” The mention of his daughter was enough to keep Bumdong in line.

I was sure of it.

‘The guy cares deeply for his daughter.

’ I knew he had a child from my past life.

When Bumdong succumbed to becoming a demon, it became public knowledge that he’d hidden a child in Hubei.

The Peng family used that knowledge to take his daughter hostage.

At the time, I doubted he’d care about his child after becoming a demon.

But to my surprise, as soon as the news spread, Bumdong stormed into the Peng family alone.

The result?

He was assassinated by the Peng family.

Even after transforming into a demon, he showed how much he valued his blood ties.

‘And even if he doesn’t care this time...

’ It wouldn’t matter.

“There are still ways I can use him.

Just focus on what I asked you to do.

” “...

Understood.

” Nahi bowed slightly.

I turned to her and asked, “What about her?

” I was referring to the crazy woman who destroyed the Flying Dragon Division earlier.

Nahi answered cautiously.

“As you ordered, I’ve tied her up and gagged her in the corner of her quarters.

” “Good.

Keep an eye on her.

She’ll probably wake up within two hours.

” And when she does, she’ll go berserk again.

The thought alone gave me a headache.

‘I really didn’t want to bring her.

’ She’s too much trouble to handle, but she was the only one who fit the role I needed for this plan.

“When that maniac wakes up, report it to me immediately.

” “Yes.

” “And has there been any word from Jiseon?

” “He reported that he’s on his way.

” “Then he’ll arrive in a few days.

” Five days at the most would be ideal for wrapping up everything efficiently.

“Check on the Thousand-Network Commander’s movements and send me a report summarizing what’s happening on my sister’s side by tomorrow.

” “Understood.

” With a polite bow, Nahi disappeared into the shadows.

“Hm.

” After sending her off, I glanced around.

The time was shifting from late morning toward noon.

It was already shaping up to be an aggravating day.

‘I guess I’ve already missed my chance to eat.

’ I would have to make some decisions now.

The scheduled meal time with the others had long since passed, and I’d already sent word that I’d be delayed because of Bumdong.

They had likely eaten without me.

‘It’s too awkward to head straight into training now.

’ Especially since I had an important matter to attend to later today.

Might as well use this free time to take care of that first.

“...

Tch.

” Clicking my tongue briefly, I straightened my thoughts.

As much as I hated to admit it, dealing with someone like Bumdong had wasted more time than I’d expected.

‘I’ll just get back to work.

’ Resolving myself, I took a step forward and started walking.

****************** The place I headed to was none other than the Baekhwa Trading Company, specifically the top floor, where the chamber of the head resided.

“You’ve arrived.

” “Yes.

” Upon entering the room, Lady Mi came into view.

As always, she was surrounded by a mountain of correspondence on her desk, her eyes meticulously scanning each letter.

Among the pile, a single flower stood out—a flower I had given her before my trip to the North Sea.

‘It’s still not wilted?

’ It was surprising.

Flowers typically didn’t last this long, yet here it was, as fresh as ever.

Rustle.

The sound of Lady Mi flipping through letters filled the room.

Watching her, I couldn’t help but think of Moyong Hee-ah, whom I’d seen recently.

She was learning under Lady Mi, and the resemblance between them was becoming more apparent.

‘Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

’ The thought left me with mixed feelings.

As I stood there with a complicated expression, Lady Mi spoke up.

“I heard there was an incident.

” “...

” Her words made me laugh awkwardly.

Damn.

‘She already knows.

’ She must be referring to this morning’s commotion with Bumdong.

I had come here immediately after dealing with him, yet she was already aware.

“...

It wasn’t a big deal.

” I tried to dismiss it casually, but her sharp gaze shifted from the letters to me.

“The Martial Alliance’s commander sought you out, and you call that nothing?

” Her piercing look made me gulp.

No matter how much my cultivation improved, I still found it hard to endure the stares of my father or Lady Mi.

“I know the Alliance has been monitoring the company, but for them to come to you instead of me...

Was it because of that conflict with the branch leader last time?

” “...

” Her insight startled me.

She even knew about that?

“Well, I resolved it,” I replied, deflecting as much as I could.

‘It’s not a lie.

I did resolve it.

’ Lady Mi stared at me intently, her gaze heavy.

It was uncomfortable, but I held my ground.

After a brief silence, she spoke again.

“Should I take care of it for you?

” “...

Pardon?

” Her sudden offer caught me off guard.

“Take care of what?

” “Whatever you ask.

” “No, I—” I hesitated, but I had a feeling I knew what she meant.

‘Is she offering to eliminate them for me?

’ Lady Mi was implying she could deal with the Flying Dragon Division if I wanted.

Even as one of the most powerful trading companies in Zhongyuan, it was unthinkable for Baekhwa to simply remove a division of the Martial Alliance.

But even setting that aside— “No need.

I can handle it myself.

” Even if it were possible, I had no intention of relying on Lady Mi for this.

I intended to handle this on my own, as I had decided from the beginning.

Hearing my response, Lady Mi gave a small nod.

“I understand.

” She wouldn’t ask again.

Her demeanor was as decisive as ever.

It didn’t bother me, as this wasn’t the main reason I had come to her today.

“There’s something I’d like to ask.

” “Speak.

” “What’s going on with the Patriarch?

” Lady Mi froze briefly, her gaze returning to me.

“I understand he sent you a letter.

” “Yes, I saw it, but...

” Lady Mi had handed me a letter with my father’s message, yet— ‘Something about it felt off.

’ Even though it was his handwriting and tone, something didn’t sit right with me.

“I was wondering if something might have happened.

” “...

” Lady Mi’s expression shifted slightly, a hint of contemplation in her eyes.

That alone told me something was indeed going on.

I waited for her response.

“After some thought...

I cannot tell you yet.

” Her answer was disappointing, and I clicked my tongue internally in frustration.

“You have yet to inherit the family’s duties.

It cannot be helped.

” “...!

” Her additional remark chilled me.

“I understand.

” I quickly concluded the conversation while processing the implications of her words.

‘She cannot tell me yet.

’ Specifically, it was because I had not inherited the duties of the family.

Which meant— ‘The heir can know.

Something significant has happened to Father.

’ Moreover, it was clearly a matter too sensitive to be discussed freely.

Lady Mi had chosen her words carefully to convey this to me indirectly.

For her to make such a calculated “slip” of the tongue was no accident.

“...

Thank you.

” I bowed to her, and Lady Mi nodded lightly, confirming my suspicions.

‘Something’s definitely happened to Father.

’ It was clear that something big was happening, but— ‘This is tricky.

’ It wasn’t something I could investigate easily.

Nor was it something I could meddle in.

Lady Mi was right—I hadn’t inherited the family’s duties yet.

‘For now, I’ll just have to wait.

’ In the meantime, it seemed best to visit Gu Heebi.

‘I need to ask her about Grandfather as well.

’ And I couldn’t keep stationing people to monitor Cheonma forever.

‘They already know we’re watching.

’ Cheonma had noticed the people we’d placed around them, which was making it harder to approach.

‘Tch.

’ Nothing ever goes smoothly in my life, does it?

Shaking off the unpleasant thoughts, I addressed Lady Mi.

“I’ve completed my business here, so I’ll take my leave.

” “Where are you heading now?

” Her question came just as I was about to step out.

“I’ll likely head toward the Alliance.

” “The Martial Alliance...

” Lady Mi’s tone shifted slightly at the mention of my destination.

“Does that mean you intend to leave today?

” Her sharp intuition once again saw through my intentions.

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

It was difficult to converse with someone this perceptive.

Especially when they were someone I couldn’t just shut up with force.

“...

I figured it’d be less crowded if I left now rather than in a few days.

” “I see.

Safe travels.

” “...

Thank you.

” With that, I stepped out of the room and began walking.

With my business at the trading company concluded, I made my way toward the Martial Alliance.

Lady Mi’s guess about my purpose was spot on.

‘The timing is just about right.

’ The roads leading to the Alliance were unusually crowded.

The reason was simple.

With less than ten days until the Martial Tournament, today marked the first day participants could register.

Martial artists filled the streets, far more than usual.

Crowds of spectators had gathered to see them, and the sheer number of people was overwhelming.

And yet— ‘In five days, it’ll be even worse.

’ This was just the first day.

By the final day of registration, the place would be absolutely packed.

After all— ‘The noble families and elite clans will all show up on the last day.

’ That was when every renowned martial artist would gather.

It wasn’t as if they couldn’t come earlier, but noble families and elite clans had their peculiar reasons.

‘They think showing up on the first day would look undignified.

’ It’s the classic belief that the main character should always make a grand entrance at the end.

Those people cared far too much about appearances to come early.

Coming on the first day might make it seem like they’d been eagerly anticipating the tournament.

Showing up in the middle was too ambiguous, and since everyone else would be flaunting their grandeur on the last day, they couldn’t be left out.

‘Politics and appearances...

tch.

’ What a miserable way to live.

Would it kill them to live a little more freely?

Not that I was complaining—I preferred dealing with fewer people anyway.

Thinking about how packed it would be later, I decided to finish my registration early.

That’s why I made the effort to come on the first day.

Weaving through the ❖ Nоvеl?ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl?ght) crowd, I finally arrived at my destination: the entrance to the Martial Alliance headquarters.

While the main building remained off-limits, the entrance area was open for today’s registration.

Normally, even this part would be closed, but they’d made an exception to accept applications.

“Please form an orderly line!

” As I entered, I could hear one of the Alliance’s staff shouting, struggling to maintain order amidst the chaos.

Within the crowd, martial artists from various factions whispered among themselves.

“Isn’t that the Suncheon Radiant Sword?

” “What?

That’s the rising star everyone’s talking about!

” The name meant nothing to me.

Suncheon what?

‘What a ridiculously long nickname.

’ Why use more than five syllables for a name?

It’s so tedious to remember.

“Why would a wandering swordsman who’s only been active in Cheonghae come all the way here?

” “Cheonghae must’ve felt too small for him.

He’s probably trying to make a name for himself.

” “True...

they say he surpassed the peak at only thirty years old.

That’s incredible!

” The man himself wasn’t saying a word, but the crowd was already drumming up a frenzy around him.

This is why I hated being in crowded places.

“That man!

Could he be the Wave-Felling Sword of Sichuan?

” “And next to him—the Forest-Trembling Fist!?

” Everywhere I went, all I heard were titles being thrown around.

Judging by the reactions, these people must’ve been famous martial artists—famous to everyone but me, apparently.

‘I thought I’d been paying more attention to worldly affairs lately.

’ Yet, even in this life and the last, I’d never heard of most of these people.

‘Well, it’s not like I cared much about martial artists anyway.

’ With so many of them out there, it wasn’t surprising that people ranked them and gave them nicknames.

The Hundred Masters, the Ten Great Martial Artists—these lists only existed because others cared enough to talk about them.

I was probably the odd one out for not knowing.

“And that person over there—!

” “And the one beside them—!

” The exclamations continued, but I ignored them and kept moving.

The buzz around me was growing more intense.

The sooner I finished this, the sooner I could leave and get back to training.

‘This line looks short enough.

’ I found a relatively short line and joined it.

Despite the massive crowd, the lines weren’t too long.

The reason was simple: most of the crowd was here to spectate, not participate.

‘You can’t even apply without a recommendation letter.

’ This year’s tournament required a recommendation from the Alliance to participate, meaning only recognized martial artists could join.

Which explained why so many people were here to watch—they wanted to see the best of the best in action.

The Martial Alliance was quite good at creating these kinds of spectacles.

“Next!

” The line moved quickly, and it was my turn soon enough.

I approached the receptionist and handed over the letter I had been carrying.

The receptionist, visibly tired, accepted the letter and opened it.

“...

A letter from the Gu family...

oh?

” Their eyes widened as they read the contents.

I frowned.

‘This isn’t good.

’ I had a bad feeling about this.

“Could this be...

So-So Yeom—” Of course.

Before the receptionist could finish the cursed nickname, a loud voice rang out.

“The Divine Dragon is here!

” The announcement drowned out the receptionist’s voice.

“The Divine Dragon?

You mean that genius from Shaolin is here?

” The crowd erupted in murmurs, turning their attention away.

Even I couldn’t help but react.

The Divine Dragon?

Could it be the one I knew?

‘That bald bastard came on the first day instead of waiting until the last?

’ I had assumed Shaolin would show up at the very end, so why was he here so early?

Turning toward the commotion, I spotted the source of the announcement.

“You fool, that’s not the Divine Dragon!

” Someone corrected the man who had shouted.

“Be precise.

That’s the former Divine Dragon!

” ‘Huh?

’ I tilted my head in confusion.

The former Divine Dragon?

‘If they mean the previous Divine Dragon...

’ There was only one person who fit that description.

My gaze followed the murmurs, and sure enough, I saw a familiar figure.

From head to toe, he was dressed in black.

A sleek blade hung at his waist, symbolizing his martial prowess.

The man who would one day be known as the Blade Emperor, a master of Zhongyuan.

The former Divine Dragon.

Peng Woojin stood there.

‘Why the hell is he here already?

’ Seeing Peng Woojin, I tilted my head.

It had been a while since I’d seen him, but I didn’t expect to run into him here.

As I stared at him with a strange expression, Peng Woojin seemed to notice me.

Our eyes met.

And in that instant— “Oh!

” Peng Woojin reacted.

“Look who it is!

” And, of course, he shouted it loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Sanseo Gu’s pride, Gu Yangcheon, my friend!

Hahaha!

” “...

” Goddamn it.