Childhood Friend of the Zenith

TL Notes: In keeping with the fandom, from now and forever, I will use the following in reference to the character Yung Pung: Titles Previous Timeline Plum Blossom Sword Emperor Current Timeline Sword Dragon __________________________________ "Why leave out the Emei Sect’s betrayal?

" My words struck a nerve.

Her eyes widened, her breathing quickened, and her heartbeat pounded audibly.

It all pointed to a single conclusion.

Watching her reaction, I let the corners of my lips curl up.

'Honestly, I was just fishing.

' But her response nearly confirmed it.

A creeping sense of discomfort stirred within me as I sorted out my thoughts.

And from that process, my conclusion was clear.

Crack—!

I tightened my grip on Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal’s cheek.

"Most of what you’ve said doesn’t add up.

" The Emei Sect was supposedly looking for Bong Soon—no, Pi Yeon-yeon—to clear the Sword Queen’s name?

It sounded nice.

Perhaps the previous Sword Queen had her reasons for leaving the Emei Sect and acting independently.

If that were the case, then yes—clearing her name would be a noble cause.

But there was a glaring problem.

"If that were true, you should’ve acted sooner.

" Why now, after all this time?

"It’s been at least twenty years since the war ended.

" The Great Conflict between the righteous and unorthodox sects had ended decades ago.

So what had the Emei Sect been doing all this time?

"Absolutely nothing.

" Not a damn thing.

If they had known the Sword Queen had been framed, they should have done something—anything—before now.

"You’re just making excuses because Bong—no, Pi Yeon-yeon—has appeared.

" They needed more than excuses.

"Oh, right, there was something.

" I already knew what the Emei Sect had been up to for the past couple of decades.

'I looked into it the moment Bong Soon was linked to them.

' It wasn’t exactly secret information.

It didn’t take much digging, but tying it to this situation painted an unsettling picture.

"The sect’s activities surged over the last twenty years.

New buildings, expanded lands—even festivals.

" "...!

" Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal flinched.

I pressed on.

"You’re supposedly Sichuan’s protector now, but that wasn’t always the case, was it?

" Only after the Tang Clan’s fall did the Emei Sect step in as Sichuan’s guardian.

Before that, the Tang Clan had dominated the region.

Their influence and wealth were unmatched.

They controlled most of Sichuan—its businesses, merchants, and even the defense against Magyeong Gate threats.

Meanwhile, the Emei Sect had been barely scraping by.

"Yet you rebuilt structures, expanded territories, and even held festivals.

Where did the money come from?

" "...!

" Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal’s shoulders trembled.

"You weren’t even active in the Martial Alliance’s events.

" Their disciples barely participated in tournaments like the Yongbong Gathering, and even when they did, their results were unimpressive.

Yet their numbers had grown.

"More disciples mean more costs—training, housing, resources.

" With minimal backing from merchants and no significant support from the Martial Alliance, how had they managed?

'No ties to the Alliance, few sponsors, and yet they not only sustained themselves but expanded.

' How?

Did the sect suddenly discover hidden treasures?

'Maybe they found an ancient vault.

' It wasn’t impossible.

And perhaps they only recently discovered Pi Yeon-yeon and learned the truth about the Sword Queen’s accusations.

But...

"That’s not it.

" Crack.

I didn’t believe in miracles.

"Ggh...!

Ngh...

" "You knew the Sword Queen was framed.

Whether you learned after the war or even before it—I don’t care.

What matters is you knew.

" The Emei Sect likely knew the truth all along.

"And you stayed silent.

Why?

Because you struck a deal.

" Despite the Tang Clan’s dominance, the Emei Sect had maintained its position as one of the Nine Great Sects.

"What did you get from the Martial Alliance?

" "...!!

" "Money?

Promises?

Or something else to secure your future?

" Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal’s eyes wavered, her fear beginning to show.

"You took their offer, didn’t you?

And you call yourself a sect leader?

" I had to be careful.

If I pressed any harder, I might crush her skull.

"This is why I can’t stand you people.

" My voice trembled slightly.

"You disgust me.

" Rumble—!

The ground beneath us cracked as my rage seeped out.

"You’re all the same.

Pathetic hypocrites.

" I’d come back to life and struggled to keep myself under control.

And look at me now—I was still keeping this senile old woman alive.

"Ggh...

cough...

cough.

" Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, seeping through my fingers.

Heat radiated from my palm, but my mind remained ice cold.

"Let’s sum this up.

" The Emei Sect had taken money and favors while staying silent for decades.

And now they’d suddenly emerged.

Was it really because of Pi Yeon-yeon’s appearance?

No.

They only found her after arriving in Hanan.

That meant they hadn’t known about her before.

So why now?

Looking at the circumstances, the answer was obvious.

"Because the Tang Clan fell.

" The Tang Clan’s collapse had shifted the power dynamics.

Their influence dwindled, leaving a vacuum.

Naturally, the Emei Sect’s position rose to fill that space.

They likely took on more responsibility for defending against Magyeong Gate threats, attracting new sponsorships.

'And with that came power.

' It was predictable.

Humans, given more than they deserve, tend to forget their place.

They forget where they came from.

I’d seen it too many times to be surprised.

'Humans are just like that.

' I had no illusions about people.

This was exactly why my expectations of humanity were always low.

Just this.

'I hate those who deny what they know.

' Those who believe they’re not at fault.

Whenever I see people like that, I want to burn them alive.

Just like now.

"Is that why you showed yourself?

" The reason the Emei Sect had surfaced in Hanan.

"Feeling bold now that you’ve regained some power?

Or maybe your past mistakes started haunting you?

" This was a warning to the Martial Alliance.

A declaration that they hadn’t forgotten what the Alliance had done.

How ridiculous.

I already knew the Emei Sect had plans to interfere with the participants of the Martial Arts Festival.

I didn’t know the exact intent, but one thing was clear.

"Did you feel the need to come crawling out now that your head’s gotten bigger?

" I swung my arm, hurling Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal away.

Thud—!

Roll!

Her frail body rolled across the floor.

"Cough...

urgh...!

" Thud!

I stomped down on her as she struggled to rise.

"Urgh...

agh...!

" "You’re no better than an insect.

You’re an old woman, yet you’re no adult.

" Yes, Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal had never grown up.

That’s why— 'She ended up being toyed with by her disciples.

' She didn’t even realize how far things had gone.

Not that I intended to enlighten her.

Any lingering pity I might have felt had long since vanished.

My words no longer carried even a trace of respect.

Respect was reserved for true adults.

And Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal was no adult in my eyes.

All I felt toward her was contempt and disgust.

"What do you want?

" "Huff...

w-what are you...?

" "What do you plan to do with Pi Yeon-yeon?

" Crack.

"Aghhh!

" I pressed down harder with my foot.

Snap!

Her ribs cracked under the pressure.

"How does her existence benefit you?

" I gave her time to think.

And I thought as well.

With a cold, calculating mind, I was already closing in on the answer.

Even so— "It doesn’t matter anymore.

" None of it mattered now.

I lifted my foot and reached out my hand.

Her limp body floated up before being caught in my grip by the throat.

"Ack...

urgh....

" "I’ve seen enough.

" There was no point in continuing.

"You’re no longer human to me.

" That was my judgment.

Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal was no longer worth considering as a person.

"W-what are you...

talking about...?

" She struggled weakly, her eyes filled with confusion ❖ Nоvеl?ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl?ght) and disbelief.

"Are you seriously planning to kill me?

" "Oh, now that’s a scary thought.

" I smiled.

"I doubt you came here without letting someone know where you’d be.

Killing you now would only make things unnecessarily messy.

" For now, it was just a nuisance.

Who knew how troublesome it might get later?

"Besides, I can’t kill someone so important, can I?

" I finished speaking and sent a pulse through my heart.

Thump!

A heavy beat.

My demonic energy surged, spreading through my body.

Sssshhh—!

Heat flared in my eyes.

Moon-Splitting Fist Immortal’s eyes widened.

"W-what...

urgh!

" She froze mid-sentence, paralyzed by the overwhelming force invading her body.

"Guhhh...!

Aghhhh!!

" Her frail body began to tremble violently.

I stared down at her with calm, indifferent eyes.

'If only.

' If there had been even a shred of decency in her, I wouldn’t have done this.

But then I laughed.

'Who am I kidding?

' I knew this would happen.

I’d known from the moment she appeared.

'It probably started that day at the Martial Arts Festival.

' The day I killed the Emei Sect disciple who tried to run away after seeing Bong Soon.

If I was being honest, I’d known this was inevitable even then.

'The real problem is that I let myself hope.

' Hope that she might be different.

That she might not be completely rotten.

'What a joke.

' What an absurd, pathetic hope.

"I’ve got issues too.

Ever since this body got younger, I’ve been too sentimental.

" I laughed at myself, remembering how I’d scolded Cheol Ji-seon not too long ago.

"But at least now I’m sure, thanks to you.

" I erased the last remnants of my expectations.

And I smiled.

"I’ll use you well before throwing you away.

You’ve got a lot of work ahead of you.

" I didn’t bother explaining what I meant by “throwing away.

” She would figure it out soon enough.

I smiled as I spoke to her.

"Ahhh—!!

" Her eyes darkened, sinking into despair as my words sank in.

****************** Four days had passed since the third main round ended.

It had been delayed after the Twin Dragons destroyed the arena, and now, the repairs were finally complete.

The announcement of the fourth main round’s start had spread.

Since it was an unprecedented situation, there were a few changes.

The unfinished matches from the third round—those who hadn’t fought—were now mixed into the fourth round.

Although there weren’t many matches left to begin with, the addition of more participants caused adjustments in the matchups.

Most people didn’t seem too concerned about it.

"What’s with that look on your face?

" I turned to the person next to me and couldn’t help but scoff.

"What do you mean?

" "You’re completely different from last time.

" The one speaking to me was Seong Yul.

The same Seong Yul who had looked like he was about to drop dead from anxiety just a few days ago.

Now, he seemed oddly at ease.

The reason was obvious.

'It must be because of the changed matchups.

' Originally, Seong Yul had been set to face a martial artist from Kunlun.

But the adjustments in the lineup had given him a new opponent.

That alone seemed to put his mind completely at ease.

"Are you that happy about it?

" "I don’t know what you’re talking about.

" "...

" I shook my head at his blatant lie.

What was it about that Kunlun martial artist that made him so uneasy?

Even if I hadn’t been curious before, I was starting to wonder now.

Should I investigate?

Beating him until he talked seemed like it would work.

I considered it briefly but pushed the thought aside.

'It’s not the time to be celebrating a reshuffled bracket.

' Seong Yul’s misplaced relief felt almost pitiful.

Turning my gaze to the matchups, I scanned the list.

- Jin Im-seok of Gwangju Jin Clan vs.

Peng Woo-jin of Hebei Peng Clan.

"Seriously?

" Even when the matchups changed, they still ended up facing each other?

I sighed, glancing at Seong Yul, who was trying to look calm and unbothered.

'He’ll figure it out on his own.

' For reference, the Kunlun martial artist originally set to fight Seong Yul was now matched against Tang So-yeol.

We were down to only a few participants now.

It was natural for familiar names to start appearing more frequently.

And the matchups reflected that.

- Pi Yeon-yeon of Seoan Pi Clan vs.

Yung Pung of Mount Hua Sect.

Bong Soon, surprisingly, was matched against Yung Pung.

'Who will win?

' I was genuinely curious.

Judging by their styles, Bong Soon seemed to have the advantage—but then again...

'You never know.

' Yung Pung might have grown stronger since the last time I saw him.

That was something I couldn’t be sure about.

Beyond that, I spotted several martial artists I’d already identified as being at the Hwagyeong level.

And among them were a few who seemed to be hiding their true strength.

"Ha.

" I let out a dry laugh after spotting my own name at the bottom of the bracket.

"So this is why they changed the matchups.

" At first, I couldn’t understand why they bothered reshuffling instead of just adding the remaining matches.

But now it made sense.

I sighed as I looked at the name listed as my opponent.

Of course.

- Gu Yangcheon of Shanxi Gu Clan vs.

Yu Yeon of Shaolin Sect.

The Divine Dragon.

My opponent was the Shaolin Sect’s greatest hope.