Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The Sixteen-to-Eight round had ended, and before the Eight-to-Four round began, I quietly examined the wooden board among the now-dwindled participants.

Only eight of us remained.

The results so far hadn’t deviated much from my expectations.

The Blade King and Bi Seongdo advanced.

Tang So-yeol and I also made it through.

And with the rest being martial artists who had hidden their true skills—practitioners at the Hwagyeong level—the only ones left were the true powerhouses.

This also meant that the Martial Arts Tournament was nearing its end.

At most, seven days and nights remained.

Even if it dragged out, there wasn’t much time left.

“Hmm.

” The matchups had been reduced and reduced again until only four matchups were left.

At this rate, only two or three duels would remain after today.

Despite the time left, staring at the wooden board left me with many thoughts.

—Peng Zhou of the Hebei Peng Clan versus Gu Yangcheon of the Shanxi Gu Clan.

I scoffed when I saw the engraved words that plainly listed my opponent.

“Well, damn.

” I had to admit one thing.

This tournament had deviated from my expectations far more than I’d anticipated.

‘We’re already facing each other?

’ Fighting the Blade King before the quarterfinals?

Not even I had seen that coming.

I thought I’d face him at the very end—the final showdown.

Even if the Blade King wasn’t in top condition right now, I never expected them to play that card so early.

‘I thought we’d meet in the finals.

’ I rubbed my smooth, beardless chin.

What was going on here?

‘Hmm.

’ My position had grown immensely.

Not to brag, but it was the truth.

The crowd outside was even larger and louder than during the Divine Dragon Tournament.

That meant expectations about me had skyrocketed.

And— ‘Thanks to Moyong Hee-ah’s quick maneuvering, my value went up even more.

’ After the Zhangyuan Trading Company’s head left, Madam Mi immediately took action upon hearing Moyong Hee-ah’s report.

Her method?

Spreading rumors.

[The head of the Zhangyuan Trading Company personally met with So Yeomra to discuss sponsorship.

] Just that one piece of news caused the endless wave of trading guild representatives to halt their approaches.

The richest merchant in Zhongyuan had entered the fray.

In other words, my value was now so high that I was out of reach for anyone below their level.

The smaller guilds stopped forcing meetings and instead focused on gossiping about the situation.

Approaching me had become too intimidating now that the Zhangyuan head was involved.

But this also meant that I was acknowledged as a future powerhouse worthy of such attention.

Additionally— ‘The Baekhwa Trading Company’s prior sponsorship was a smart move.

’ Their early support became an advertisement in itself.

This kind of swift action would bring enormous benefits.

‘They’re so damn fast.

’ Both Moyong Hee-ah and Madam Mi moved too quickly.

I’d also heard that they’d requested another meeting with the Zhangyuan head.

‘I got the letter about it yesterday.

’ The offers presented back then had already been outrageous, and the Zhangyuan head claimed he’d bring even better ones.

I pictured him in my mind and smirked.

‘I turned him down today because of the tournament.

’ It felt like the right decision.

‘No matter what offer he brings....

’ Rejecting him now was the smart move.

No doubt his offer was excellent, but— ‘After today.

’ My value would double—or more.

And his offer would have to adapt to that shift.

It was the correct choice to refuse him for now.

Still, I was curious.

‘Will he come back with a better offer or give up entirely?

’ I covered my mouth with my hand, unable to stop the corners of my lips from curling upward.

‘Whatever the Alliance Leader is thinking....

’ The unexpected changes weren’t bad at all.

If anything, they sped up my plans.

Clap, clap.

Dusting off my hands, I loosened my shoulders and looked up at the sky.

The clear, sunny sky.

Sparse, fluffy clouds made the scene strangely beautiful.

I grinned widely.

‘It’s perfect.

’ A day made for causing a commotion.

Today just felt like one of those days.

****************** “Waaaah—!!!

” —Myeongcheon of Guicheon Sect, victory!

The quarterfinals had begun, and time flowed steadily as the atmosphere of the Martial Arts Tournament grew hotter.

With the mounting excitement, the cheers of the crowd roared louder than ever.

It «N.

o.

v.

e.

l.

i.

g.

h.

t» was only natural.

This year’s tournament had already far surpassed the level of previous competitions.

‘...

Not bad.

’ Even I was a little impressed.

The latest victor was Myeongcheon of the Guicheon Sect.

I had never heard of the sect before, but his skills were extraordinary.

‘He’d easily rank among the top one hundred masters.

’ His opponent was Geum Seonyeon of the Geumseon Clan, a renowned martial artist skilled in dual-sword techniques.

Yet Myeongcheon had managed to secure victory against her.

It was an incredibly close match—one minor mistake would’ve cost either of them the fight.

It had been a while since I’d seen such an intense duel, and it left me in a decent mood.

‘The level of competition is definitely high at this stage.

’ The opening bout had been clean and captivating, especially with Hwagyeong-level martial artists facing off.

—Gundangseok of the Yoryeong Army versus Muk Seoljin of the Cheonghae Sect!

Begin!

The second match began shortly after.

Kwaaa—!!

Another massive explosion of Qi swept through the arena.

Feeling the surge graze my cheek, I thought to myself: This tournament had deviated from expectations in many ways.

Most of the favorites to win had already been eliminated, leaving behind fighters who were completely unknown.

And the emergence of these new masters had Zhongyuan abuzz with excitement.

Even I found myself drawn to the spectacle.

“It’s entertaining, isn’t it?

” A heavy voice interrupted my thoughts.

I turned to see a man with a grim expression.

The Blade King.

“Seems like you’re enjoying yourself quite a bit.

” I hadn’t expected him to start a conversation.

After staring at him briefly, I casually replied.

“Yeah, it’s pretty fun.

” “...

Hmph.

” Maybe it was my lack of formality that annoyed him, but his frown deepened.

Still, he quickly regained his composure and spoke again.

“Given your noble upbringing, it seems your education was lacking.

” A blatant insult.

Well— “Exactly.

” “What?

” I smiled and added, “It would’ve been nice if I’d received a better education, considering I come from a noble family...

What a shame, right?

” “...

” Since I wasn’t the only one from a noble lineage here, he immediately understood the jab.

This guy was hilarious.

I barely poked him, and he reacted like this?

“This brat dares...

” “Lord Peng, you’re an interesting man.

” I cut him off before he could finish his outburst.

“You know you’re not going to get a good reaction from me, yet you keep coming back to provoke me.

Are you into that sort of thing?

” “...!

” I had humored him before, but by this point, his repeated attempts to pick a fight had me genuinely curious.

Oh, wait— “Do you like me or something?

If that’s the case, like I told your son—I’m sorry, but I prefer women.

” “You little—!

” Fwoosh—!

The Blade King finally lost his temper and began releasing his Qi.

Or at least, he tried to.

Crack—!

“...!!

” Before his aura could even fully manifest, my energy surged out and crushed his presence.

His eyes widened in disbelief as his Qi was instantly suppressed.

I could see the shock all over his face.

I patted his shoulder lightly.

“Calm down.

It’s not a good look for someone your age.

It’s nice to see you’re still full of energy, but this is a bit much.

” I even tried to be polite about it, but the Blade King’s expression didn’t ease up.

What should I do...?

At this rate, I might end up beating him.

‘For Peng Ahui’s sake, I’m holding back as much as I can.

Why does he keep pushing it?

’ Honestly, under normal circumstances, I would’ve already knocked him out.

But I felt a little guilty toward his daughter.

‘Beating up her father in front of her would be awkward.

’ Especially since Peng Woojin was silently observing from behind.

‘Still, what’s his problem?

’ It made no sense.

The Blade King acted like he had a personal vendetta against me.

‘Paejon was the one who hit him, so why is he taking it out on me?

’ Sure, getting beaten by someone pretending to be one of the Twin Dragon must’ve been humiliating.

And it was no surprise that he was furious after being ridiculed by all of Zhongyuan.

But— ‘Why target me?

’ He barked at me like a rabid dog every time we crossed paths.

‘Hmm....

’ Thinking back, he’d been like this from the start.

At first, I thought it was because of the broken engagement, but now it felt like there was more to it.

Why did he seem so obsessed with me?

As I mulled over the question— “...

Those eyes.

” Grinding his teeth, the Blade King muttered, “The way you look at me—damn it, it’s just like your father.

” “...

” A sudden mention of my father.

I tilted my head slightly.

“...!

” The Blade King flinched.

Seeing his reaction, I steadied my breathing.

That was close.

‘I almost killed him.

’ I’d nearly gouged out the Blade King’s eyes just now.

Whew.

Barely held myself back.

Why the hell did he suddenly bring up my father?

I really almost snapped.

‘Damn it.

’ My anger had nearly ruined all my plans.

As I tried to calm my racing heart— ‘Hmm.

’ I couldn’t ignore the subtle undertone in the Blade King’s words.

His voice was heavy with emotion when he mentioned my father.

So I asked, “Lord Peng, may I ask something?

” There was no malice behind my words.

“Did my father beat you up before?

” It was a genuine question born out of curiosity.

But maybe that’s what set him off.

Crack—!!

A murderous aura exploded from the Blade King.

“What...

did you just say?

” “Wait...

hold on...?

” “Say that again.

” Oh, he’s really mad now.

The sheer intensity of his bloodlust surprised even me.

Wow...

This felt serious.

‘Did I just step on a landmine?

’ I might’ve messed up.

I forced an awkward smile and quickly tried to smooth things over.

“My apologies.

I didn’t think it was actually true.

Haha.

Friends fight when they’re young, right?

Or...

were you not friends?

Then I’m even more sorry.

” I offered a sincere apology for bringing up a painful memory.

I mean, it deserved an apology.

But despite my efforts— “You really are your father’s son.

” The Blade King’s rage didn’t subside.

Normally, I might’ve taken that as a compliment.

But right now, it was clearly an insult.

“Those eyes that act like they know everything.

The way you look at me like I’m pitiful.

It’s disgusting how much you resemble him.

” His voice grated as if he were chewing every word, and the sheer hatred in his tone sent chills down my spine.

“You people...

You’ll never stop looking down on me, not even after generations.

” Huff.

Huff.

His breaths were heavy and hot, barely restrained fury leaking out.

“Just wait and see, Gu Cheolwoon’s son.

Let’s see if you can still make those eyes at me when we face off in the ring.

Just wait.

” With that, the Blade King turned and stormed off.

He kept fixating on my eyes.

Did he have some kind of issue with them?

Watching his retreating back, I suddenly wanted to ask my father— ‘What the hell did you do to him?

’ What kind of beating turned a man into that?

Knowing my father, he wouldn’t have done it without reason, but...

Judging by the Blade King’s state, it might’ve been a bit much.

‘...

I guess I need to be more careful when I hit people.

’ Watching this unfold made me realize something.

If I was going to use my fists, I needed to be cautious.

Either strike with restraint—or make sure they don’t survive.

I nodded to myself, committing to that mindset.

Then, my eyes shifted past the Blade King to the person standing behind him.

Peng Woojin.

I noticed his expression.

‘...

’ And for a moment, I froze.

It sent chills down my spine.

The way Peng Woojin looked at his father...

Those hollow, vacant eyes.

Eyes devoid of emotion—nothing but an endless void.

I couldn’t believe someone could look at their own parent like that.

As I watched, our eyes met.

And then— Peng Woojin smiled.

Cheerfully.

He even waved at me like we were old friends.

‘...

’ Did he already forget his father just tried to kill me?

That overly cheerful demeanor irritated me to no end.

At that moment, I was sure of one thing.

‘The Peng Clan is doomed.

’ Both the father and son were completely unhinged.

‘Good grief.

’ Their family was an absolute mess.

I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of kinship as I shook my head.

Then, I turned my gaze elsewhere.

Somewhere beyond sight and beyond my Qi’s perception— But I knew someone was there.

Throb— The demonic energy bound to my heart stirred, signaling their presence.

‘I was planning to wait a little longer...

’ But after everything that had happened, there was no need to delay any further.

I sent a pulse of energy laced with my will.

Even if the message wasn’t perfectly clear, those who served me would understand.

The preparations were complete.

Now, all I had to do was wait.

It might take some time, but not too long.

And in the meantime— ‘I won’t be bored.

’ I smirked as I watched the Blade King’s retreating back.

Thankfully, I had a toy to keep me entertained until then.