Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I entered the hall.

Inside, a little over twenty people were already waiting.

As I moved further in, the air prickled against my skin.

The sensation made me click my tongue inwardly.

Tch.

‘These guys and their ridiculous power games...

’ Martial artists always acted this way when gathered.

They spread their Qi needlessly, pushing their auras against each other like invisible duels.

A bunch of fools, really.

‘Why waste your energy?

Do they think it’s endless?

’ Honestly, even if they all combined their strength, I’d still have more.

But no, they just had to puff out their chests and flaunt their power.

It was a surefire way to get themselves killed.

In war, idiots like these burned themselves out early and crumbled when it actually mattered.

‘You just can’t deal with people who’ve never tasted war.

’ Cursing to myself, I waved my hand lazily.

Whoosh—!

The suffocating energy dissipated slightly.

Finally, I could breathe properly again.

But— “...!

” “....

” It seemed a few of them noticed what I’d done.

Their gazes shot toward me, sharp and curious.

I simply smiled awkwardly.

“Sorry.

It was a bit hard to breathe.

” I brushed it off casually and found a spot to sit.

There were no assigned seats, so I perched on a shaded part of the wooden veranda.

Even though I ignored their continued stares, I could still feel them.

‘How long is this going to take?

’ Time was all I cared about now.

The preliminaries were still ongoing, and I had no idea how long it would take for the second round to begin.

On top of that— ‘How are Wi Seol-ah and Seong Yul doing?

’ The others who had entered the competition were on my mind.

‘They should be fine...

right?

’ If their tests were the same as mine, there was no way they’d fail.

Still, I couldn’t help but worry—especially about Wi Seol-ah.

‘...

Is she doing okay?

’ It was like watching a child play near deep water.

I felt like running out right now to check on her.

‘She always used to giggle when things got tough.

She wouldn’t pull that here, would she?

’ Wi Seol-ah had changed from my past life.

The once-cold Divine Sword now had an air of innocence that sometimes bordered on foolishness.

Her current self looked healthier, sure, but the lack of social awareness worried me.

‘I’ve probably coddled her too much.

’ I wanted her to live differently this time—to avoid the path she’d taken before.

But perhaps the actions I’d taken to protect her had turned into a problem of their own.

It gnawed at me, this balance between doing what’s right and what’s best right now.

‘It’s difficult.

’ How was I supposed to know what the right way was?

It was a question I had no answer for.

Thud.

Lost in thought, I noticed a presence in front of me.

Looking up, I saw a shadow blocking the sunlight.

Someone was standing there.

“It’s been a while.

” A rough, deep voice.

I looked up and saw a massive man in dark clothes—the Blade King, Peng Zhou.

‘Well, this is unexpected.

’ I hadn’t expected him to approach me.

I thought we’d ignore each other, pretending not to know one another.

Clearly, I’d miscalculated.

He stared down at me with an unreadable gaze, and the others nearby turned to watch, curious.

Well, I couldn’t just ignore him now.

“It’s been a while, Lord Peng.

” I greeted him politely, and his brow twitched slightly.

“So it really is you.

” “Yes, it’s me.

” I rose to my feet as I spoke.

As much as I wanted to keep sitting, I still had to show some respect.

“I greet you as a member of the Gu family.

” I offered a slight martial salute, bowing my head.

It was a minimal show of courtesy, but it seemed to settle him somewhat—his oppressive presence eased slightly.

‘Is he actually pleased with that?

’ “Looks like you’ve learned some manners.

” ...

Guess he is.

Or so I thought— “I suppose you’ve matured.

Back then, you weren’t worth anything.

” Never mind.

“Did time finally knock some sense into you?

” “...

I suppose so.

” I swallowed the irritation rising in my chest.

I deserved this.

‘This is what I get for being an idiot when I was younger.

’ Peng Zhou was my former fiancée’s father.

I’d insulted her and broken the engagement—a mistake I couldn’t erase.

So, of course, he’d hold a grudge.

“I heard you’re engaged to the Namgung family now.

” Of course he’d bring that up.

“Yes, that’s correct.

” “The Sword King’s daughter, right?

They call her the Sword Dancer.

” The itch of provocation crawled across my skin.

Peng Zhou’s words were polite on the surface, but every syllable had sharp edges.

“The Gu family is impressive, I’ll give you that.

Breaking off an engagement with the Peng family and still managing to snag the Namgung family...

Truly remarkable.

” I smiled faintly.

“Thank you.

I was just lucky.

” “Lucky, huh?

No, it’s your family’s power, not yours.

” There it was—the sharpened jab.

‘This old bastard.

’ His words had gone beyond sarcasm.

They were carefully honed barbs meant to sink into my pride.

But I held my ground.

‘I’ve grown up, haven’t I?

’ If I hadn’t, I’d already have punched him.

Instead, I smiled calmly.

“Your son, Peng U-jin, seems quite exceptional.

When he takes over, the Peng family will soar even higher.

” “....

” Peng Zhou’s face stiffened, the muscles in his jaw twitching.

I hadn’t needed to say much—just the truth, laced with implications.

After all, wasn’t it his leadership that had brought instability to the Peng family?

“You...

brat.

” I watched as his expression crumpled.

“Peng U-jin is a remarkable young man.

Truly worthy of leading the Peng family.

” “...

Hah.

” Even though I’d just praised his son, the Blade King’s expression darkened further.

The oppressive aura around him thickened, and I felt the weight of his anger pressing down on me.

“You really are your father’s son.

” Clang—!

The tension in the air was palpable.

Nearby martial artists instinctively braced themselves as Peng Zhou’s killing intent surged.

“Everything about you—even the way you speak—is just like him.

” I tilted my head, unfazed.

Was that supposed to be an insult?

Because to me, it sounded like a compliment.

I stared back at him, meeting his gaze directly.

The hostility in his eyes had deepened.

What could have been the problem?

I had provoked him a little, sure, but this kind of intense reaction was unexpected.

‘Was it his inadequacy as a leader?

The comparison to his son?

Or was it something else?

’ As I pondered, a strange thought struck me.

It wasn’t those things—no, not exactly.

‘Wait...

am I the problem here?

’ No, not me specifically...

‘It’s my father, isn’t it?

’ He had mentioned how similar I was to my father right before his aura flared.

The root of his anger was probably buried there.

If that were the case, then what exactly was the problem?

After a brief moment of thought, I decided to ask him directly.

“Lord Peng, I’m curious about something.

” “What nonsense are you going to—” “Have you ever been beaten by my father?

” “....

” He froze.

The oppressive aura around him vanished so quickly that it was almost comical.

I blinked, widening my eyes in surprise.

“Oh.

So it’s true?

” His reaction said it all—he really had been beaten.

‘Wow.

’ Now I understood why he was so worked up.

I’d wondered why he seemed to have a vendetta against me.

So it turns out my father had knocked him around at some point.

‘Father...

just what were you up to in your younger days?

’ How exactly did you end up beating the head of one of the Four Great Clans?

I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity about my father’s past.

“Grrr...

” A low, rumbling growl escaped Peng Zhou’s lips.

His clenched fists trembled, and the killing intent swirling around him thickened.

But then, as though forcing himself to calm down, he released a shaky breath.

“...

Gu family brat.

” “Yes?

” “You should be grateful this is within the Murim Alliance grounds, where the rules are enforced.

Were it not for those rules, you would already be groveling on the floor.

” The rules were clear: any unauthorized fights during the preliminaries would result in immediate disqualification.

That was something we’d all been informed of before the competition began.

He was essentially reminding me to be grateful for those rules.

“You’re right about that,” I replied calmly.

“Rules...

are truly a wonderful thing, aren’t they?

” Sometimes, wild dogs needed to be beaten into submission.

But here, the rules held us back, protecting him from me.

What a shame.

Peng Zhou glared at me for a long moment before turning on his heel.

As he walked away, I could feel his barely restrained fury.

I suppose he knew that if he stayed any longer, he might lose control.

‘What a pity.

’ If only he were a little more stubborn, things might’ve gotten interesting.

‘Was that really all he came here for, though?

’ Had he seriously sought me out just to pick a fight?

What a pointless way for a clan leader to spend his time.

Tsk.

Even after such a brief exchange, I already understood why my father had hit him.

Suppressing a sigh, I sat back down on the wooden veranda.

I felt exhausted.

Closing my eyes, I let myself rest.

All I wanted was for time to pass quickly.

I sat there, ignoring the prying gazes, and let myself relax.

Half a shichen later, the second test began.

****************** The sky had turned crimson.

The sun was setting, its golden light bleeding across the horizon.

Considering the first test had started at noon, a fair bit of time had passed.

Standing among the gathered participants, I waited once again.

The first round was over.

All the successful candidates had been gathered here to begin the second test.

“The number of participants who passed the first round is fifty-eight.

” A martial artist from the Murim Alliance sorted through a list and handed it to someone.

The recipient was an elderly woman with stark white hair and sharp, hawk-like eyes that seemed to pierce through everything.

She glanced at the list briefly before straightening her hunched back and sweeping her gaze across us.

“Cluck cluck...

Greetings.

I am Yeoseon, the leader of the Wind Dragon Division.

” The murmurs in the crowd were audible, and I could feel a shift in the atmosphere.

Yeoseon, the leader of the Wind Dragon Division.

Better known as Bima-pa Yeoseon.

The only female among the Eight Division Leaders of the Murim Alliance.

She was said to be the second longest-serving martial artist in the Alliance, right after the Sword Emperor.

But her strength in direct combat wasn’t particularly impressive.

The Wind Dragon Division specialized in formations and magic techniques, and Yeoseon was an expert in that field.

Her martial skills might have been the lowest among the Division Leaders...

...

but that didn’t mean she was weak.

‘This old bat caused me no end of trouble.

’ In my past life, Yeoseon had been the one assisting Jegal Jihui, the Murim Alliance’s strategist.

Her formations and magic were a nightmare to deal with.

Illusions, traps, and battlefield-wide formations.

Yeoseon was a specialist in large-scale warfare rather than one-on-one combat.

Her value was so high that even the Sword Demon and the Green King had teamed up to deal with her.

“I will oversee this second preliminary round, so I hope you’ll cooperate....

” There were no murmurs of protest this time.

Unlike the first round, no one dared to speak.

It made sense.

Most of the weaklings had been eliminated already.

Those of us who remained weren’t here to gawk at high-level martial artists.

All we cared about now was surviving whatever test lay ahead.

“Like the first round, this test will be quite simple.

” Yeoseon spoke, drawing a line in the dirt with her cane.

“All you need to do...

is cross this line.

” “...

What?

” “Cross the line?

” For the first time, voices of disbelief broke the silence.

Her words were so unexpected that everyone looked dumbfounded.

Crossing a line?

That’s it?

It sounded far too easy.

But then— “I have already set up a formation around this area....

” Yeoseon continued, and everyone’s expressions darkened.

“You are already inside the formation.

Escaping it won’t be easy....

” A chill swept through the group as her words sank in.

No one had noticed when we’d entered the formation.

That alone spoke volumes about Yeoseon’s abilities.

“With fifty-eight of you here, I only need half to pass.

First come, first served: twenty-nine participants.

” At that, the tension in the crowd skyrocketed.

We had to break through Yeoseon’s formation.

It sounded simple, but we all knew better.

“The first twenty-nine to cross this line and tap my shoulder will pass.

” Yeoseon’s wrinkled eyes gleamed as she scanned the group.

“Now, let’s begin—” “Wait, so we just have to tap your shoulder?

” A voice cut her off mid-sentence.

Yeoseon frowned, clearly displeased that someone had interrupted her.

“Yes, you simply have to cross the line and tap my shoulder.

However—” She paused.

Something felt off.

The voice had come from right next to her.

Tap.

Tap.

Yeoseon stiffened as she felt someone tap her shoulder.

Turning her head, she found me standing there, grinning.

“So...

can I go home now?

” “...?

” For a moment, she was speechless.

Just like in the first test, I didn’t wait for an answer.