Childhood Friend of the Zenith

༺ A Winter That Isn’t Cold (2) ༻

By the time Moyong Hi-ah and her servant returned back to her room, night had already fallen.

After changing her clothes and lightly washing her face, Moyong Hi-ah sipped the tea her servant offered, then settled into her bed, snugly tucking herself under the covers and closing her eyes.

As she closed her eyes, she was immediately reminded of what happened earlier.

She was reminded of the boy who had never once given her any attention, no matter how much she tried getting closer to him.

And the boy who appeared lost in thought throughout the entire day.

Also…

– Do refrain from doing things that would make you exhausted. It’s more work for others around you as well.

The words that the boy said to her on the staircase still felt like they were echoing in her ears.

– Especially when you are weak to the cold.

That was what the boy said to her.

Moyong Hi-ah couldn’t help but wonder how he knew about that, especially when she never once showed it.

Whether it was her breath, the way she walked, or even the subtle act of tucking her hair behind her ears, she never once showed any flaw in her movements.

‘…Did I show it by accident?’

Moyong Hi-ah believed that wasn’t the case.

Since she had lived her whole life with the cold, it was very easy for her to hide it from people.

Therefore, there was no way that the boy found out.

Nonetheless, his words struck her as exceptionally peculiar, far beyond a simple act of courtesy during the cold winter.

‘Gu Yangcheon…’

The boy had almost no information spread about him despite coming from a noble clan.

And now, he had become more famous than anyone in just a matter of a few days.

‘He’ll probably be called by his title more often than his name now.’

His commanding presence, enveloped in formidable flames, cast a daunting shadow over the current young prodigies of the world.

How could one not fall in despair when faced with such a thick and high wall in front of them?

‘…The Lightning Dragon already seemed to have been destroyed.’

Namgung Cheonjun hid himself after his fight against Gu Yangcheon.

His last appearance was when the Young Lord of the Peng Clan appeared to take him.

And thanks to that, Moyong Hi-ah’s carefully laid plan was shattered.

It had probably already been twisted ever since she met Gu Yangcheon.

What Moyong Hi-ah hated the most was when her plan didn’t go accordingly.

However, it was different this time.

‘…I wonder why.’

She asked herself, but Moyong Hi-ah already knew the answer.

The unfamiliar sensation she had felt ever since she met him had become clearer when she fought him in the tournament.

And now, after today, she was certain.

He was her hope.

That was what her instincts were telling her. That she couldn’t afford to lose him.

Even without her intuition, Moyong Hi-ah already knew.

Moyong Hi-ah carefully rubbed her stomach with her hand.

“It’s warm…”

She felt heat inside the area of her dantian.

Heat.

That was a word that had never been in Moyong Hi-ah’s world.

The fact that she could get what she had longed for just by simply grabbing a boy’s hand left her with a sense of futility, yet she also couldn’t describe the emotion that plagued her.

“…Ha.”

‘So this is what warmth feels like.’

Moyong Hi-ah was able to find comfort with this small warmth in this bitterly cold winter.

‘How could something like this be possible?’

The heat she felt during her fight wasn’t a mere coincidence.

She had become certain of that after what happened today.

The heat emanating from Gu Yangcheon had an effect on the coldness inside her.

Was it related to his mastery of Flame Arts? Moyong Hi-ah wasn’t inclined to believe so.

After all, she had once received help from one of the Hundred Masters of the Central Plains who used Flame Arts.

However, despite getting heat from the master, the cold Moyong Hi-ah felt remained unyielding.

It was a cold that natural fire, energies from demons, and even martial artists’ Qi couldn’t dispel.

Yet Gu Yangcheon had effortlessly vanquished it.

‘…Perhaps.’

‘He could cure my cold?’

Moyong Hi-ah sprouted that hope without herself realizing it, despite knowing that having such emotions didn’t fit her personality at all.

Whether it was the Gu Clan’s Flame Arts or it was only Gu Yangcheon who could do such a thing was not something she had the answer to.

But what mattered most was that his heat was able to give her warmth.

Although most of the warmth had dissipated by now and only a faint remnant remained, Moyong Hi-ah wouldn’t be able to forget the memory of the first time she had felt that heat from him.

It was so warm.

And it was so cozy.

She pulled her blanket tighter around herself, hoping that this heat would linger a while longer.

‘…Only a few days from now.’

Moyong Hi-ah expected that it would be only a few days until Gu Yangcheon left Hanam.

It was because in Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes, Gu Yangcheon wasn’t the type to enjoy traveling long distances.

He did seem like he had a soft heart when it came to the girls around him, but in the end, he ultimately held the upper hand.

Thus, any change to his plans would be rare.

‘…’

Moyong Hi-ah tried to think of a plan for her future actions, but she found that her thoughts were immediately jumbled.

Even though she was so used to coming up with a plan in a matter of no time, she couldn’t think of anything because her mind was now consumed by the recollection of the boy’s voice and the way his eyes had regarded her.

– Could you give me your hand for a second?

!!!!

The boy’s words echoed in Moyong Hi-ah’s mind, causing her to abruptly rise from her bed and toss her blanket aside.

“…Ha… Ha… “

After that, Moyong Hi-ah started to feel…

That perhaps something was wrong with her.

******************

In the guest house, a cold atmosphere lingered for some reason.

And it wasn’t solely due to the winter night’s cold.

Wi Seol-Ah sat before her untouched meal…

Namgung Bi-ah refused to look at me for some reason…

And Tang Soyeol’s glances seemed sharper than usual.

Even Muyeon, who was about to give me a scolding, seemed to have shut his mouth after reading the atmosphere.

‘…I’m fucked, aren’t I?’

This was the biggest sense of danger I felt in a while.

I’d felt so many senses of danger up to this point, but this was the most dangerous of them all.

“…Er.”

“…You said you’d tell me.”

Right as I was about to say something, Namgung Bi-ah’s words cut me off.

“…You said…that if you go somewhere… you’d tell me.”

“…”

I could feel a range of emotions from Namgung Bi-ah which was a rare occurrence.

And her current expression was undeniably one of disappointment.

She was displaying disappointment towards me.

And such an emotion from her meant that she was extremely mad.

“…Sorry.”

In the end, that was the only thing I could say.

“…You’re being so unfair.”

“Hngh.”

Wi Seol-Ah didn’t even give me a glance.

Her sulking was evident from the untouched food in front of her.

“I… I also want to go with the Young Master.”

“We can go next time then.”

“Next time when?”

“…”

Good point.

When could be the next time, I wondered… Because we had to return home soon.

“We… go to places together a lot back at home.”

“But back in the Young Master’s place… there is no Shaolin Temple!”

I found her insistence puzzling, as the only inhabitants there were elderly individuals and some fish.

Furthermore, considering how that fish was also technically a monk, Shaolin was only filled with monks.

Oh… which was why they were called Shaolin.

[Kid.]

‘Yes?’

[You seem happy, which is rare to see.]

‘…Are you really blowing a fan right now in an effort to burn a house?’

[Didn’t you know? I’m quite skilled at annoying people.]

‘…’

I really hated Elder Shin’s laughter.

“…First.”

While I was still reeling from the impact of Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah’s words, Tang Soyeol spoke up.

“How did that end up happening?”

“…How did you guys end up knowing?”

“Because Lady Moyong left after telling us.”

What?

“Lady Moyong told you guys before leaving?”

“Yes.”

Oh fuck me…

As I was taken aback, I started to hear Elder Shin laugh.

[She got one up on you, it seems.]

“…Did she tell you guys why?”

“She did.”

I tilted my head after hearing Tang Soyeol’s response.

“Then why are you asking?”

After hearing my question, Tang Soyeol spoke while looking at Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah.

“Because they said they have to hear it from Young Master Gu himself.”

“…”

It basically meant that they wanted to hear the information directly from me rather than from Moyong Hi-ah.

I didn’t know how to describe this feeling, but I felt pretty special. At the same time, I also couldn’t help but feel rather pressured by all those eyes on me.

‘I’d rather… fight someone at Peak Realm again.’

This was so hard for me that I even compared this to a life-or-death situation.

Silence followed Tang Soyeol’s words. This meant that they were waiting for my response.

And because I understood their feelings, I had to say something in the end.

“…She was waiting for me ahead of time.”

Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-ah perked up after hearing my response.

“Lady Moyong was?”

“Yeah.”

“W…Why?”

“…I don’t know? She was just waiting.”

“And Young Master Gu chose to enter with her just like that?”

“…Well, because the situation somehow turned out to be like that… It just happened?”

“Is that somehow really somehow?”

“Somehow is… somehow, right?”

At this point, even I didn’t know what I was saying.

[Did you get hit in the head or something… You’re broken right now.]

“Then…”

Then, Namgung Bi-ah spoke, her gaze fixed on me.

“…Are we not going together?”

“Where…?”

“Shaolin Temple…”

“Why are you all so obsessed with that place?”

“Because… you went with her.”

“…”

How did they never fail to make me speechless?

My words seemed to fail me every time they brought up these topics.

To be honest, there were a ton of things I could think of to say and many excuses in my head that I could use, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to voice them.

Was it because of those sad and disappointed eyes?

The silence settled in again, and Muyeon, unable to bear it any longer, retreated outside, accompanied by Hongwa.

I turned to Muyeon with pleading eyes, silently seeking his help, but he didn’t even glance back, leaving me to face this situation alone.

This had to be revenge for what I did to him earlier…

As I anxiously scanned the room, not sure what to do…

“…I want to go too.”

Namgung Bi-ah spoke to me with a quiet voice.

“I… also want to go with you.”

“To Shaolin Temple…?”

I became confused after hearing Namgung Bi-ah.

After all, Namgung Bi-ah didn’t seem like the type to have any interest in that clan.

Shaolin was a place that had basically no relations with swords.

In response to my bewildered reaction, Namgung Bi-ah shook her head and spoke.

“…Anywhere.”

Oh.

Only then did I finally comprehend her emotions.

It was jealousy.

It was an emotion that Namgung Bi-ah hadn’t known she was capable of and one I wasn’t particularly experienced with either.

I never knew that she could feel this way about me.

“…Uh.”

The realization made it difficult for me to respond.

A warm feeling surged within my chest, but I stumbled over my words due to my uncertainty.

“Let’s… go then.”

When I spoke up, Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes widened.

“All together.”

At those words, a slight change came over Namgung Bi-ah’s lips.

I could feel her emotions more than anyone from that tiny change of hers, but I couldn’t think of any alternative solutions.

Fortunately, whether it was Wi Seol-Ah or Namgung Bi-ah, they all seemed to be satisfied.

[Do they really look like they are satisfied?]

‘…Are they not?’

[‘Fine, I’ll give you a pass since you tried’, is what their expressions are saying. Sigh… If I knew that I’d be seeing this after I woke up, then I would’ve just chosen to stay asleep.]

‘…’

After I finished talking, I shoved food in my mouth and went up to my room.

As I walked up the stairs by myself, I overheard Wi Seol-Ah, Namgung Bi-ah, and Tang Soyeol engaged in a hushed conversation.

But when I glanced at them, they all shut their mouths like nothing happened.

‘What were they talking about?’

I was a little curious, but it wasn’t a situation where I could just go to them and ask, so I just continued to my room.

As I lay on my bed, relief washed over me, knowing that I had barely survived that situation.

[You look as if you returned from a cave filled with demons.]

“It’s somewhat similar…”

[What nonsense. You’re talking absolute horseshit. Do you think there is such a happy cave like that anywhere?]

I lacked the energy to respond to Elder Shin, so I took out the book I picked up earlier.

Considering that it hadn’t been consumed by the flames, it seemed to be made with the leather of a demon.

‘Is this important?’

The book’s exterior looked fairly ordinary, so it didn’t seem too important.

[Are you going to open it now?]

“It’s better to do it now than later.”

With those words, I opened up the book.

“Hmm?”

I uttered those words instinctively as I saw the first page of the book.

Not only were there descriptions with poor writing in the book, but the book was also mostly filled with a poor drawing of what seemed to be human bodies.

After seeing that page, I scrolled through the book.

Flutter.

As I scrolled through the book, it became clearer the more I saw it.

All those small movements and the details written inside the pages…

‘…They seem like Shaolin’s martial art.’

Everything in the book seemed like they were related to Shaolin’s martial arts.

******************

Ssss.

Inside the empty dark room, only the sound of a brush could be heard.

An elderly man sat, calmly writing a letter.

The tea before him had long since cooled, its warmth dissipating, yet the teacup remained full, as it seemed like the old man didn’t even take a single sip from it.

– Grandmaster.

A voice from outside addressed the old man, and his piercing gaze shifted to the door.

But his hand continued to move.

“Come in.”

As soon as the old man gave approval, a man entered the room as if he was waiting to do so.

The man in the black uniform appeared while hiding his face, then he carefully showed respect to the old man.

The man paid his respects, but the old man’s focus remained steadfast on the letter in front of him.

The newcomer then spoke while looking at the old man.

“…Number Three has been eradicated.”

Pause-

The old man’s hand only halted in response to the news.

“Eradicated?”

“Yes.”

The old man couldn’t understand the word ‘eradicate’.

They were beings that could only meet their demise through old age.

But the man just said that Number Three died?

The old man’s gaze remained fixed on the man.

The man flinched his shoulders under the elder’s scrutiny, but he continued on without stopping.

“The energy lost its connection. It seemed like he touched the shackle.”

“Number Three is that fierce fella, correct?”

“…Yes.”

‘That was the one who threatened to kill me every time.’

‘Unlike his personality, he was efficient in getting the job done, so I kept him around.’

‘So I wonder what happened.’

“Touched the shackle huh…”

“…Yes.”

“I hope Number Three didn’t disclose anything crucial.”

‘If Number Three chose to mess with the shackle, it means he was in an extremely dangerous situation.’

‘Perhaps, the Murim Alliance noticed?’

However, that seemed highly unlikely.

It was because these guys wouldn’t be detected even if they brought the Three Heavenly Venerables.

‘However, I can’t afford to be complacent.’

‘If the Alliance really did notice something…’

It was still problematic.

Putting aside the Harmonic Sword, there was a good chance that information about this reached Wi Hyogun or that bastard.

The old man took out a different colored letter and picked up his brush.

“Go send other children to check if any traces remain.”

“…Understood.”

He swiftly wrote the letter and handed it to the man.

“Deliver this to the Palace Lord.”

“Should I deliver it right away?”

“Yes, do also include the fact that there is a chance that we might be delayed with the Shaolin-related business.”

“Understood.”

The man then began to leave right away, but the old man stopped him.

“Wait.”

“Yes, Grandmaster.”

“How are things going related to the Gu Clan?”

“Because it seems like the right time, I’ve sent the children to Hanam in advance.”

The Gu Clan’s business was about the letter that the First Elder of the Gu Clan, Gu Changjun, sent.

The letter contained many complimentary words, but what he truly sought was help with internal clan politics.

‘How pointless.’

The old man mused to himself, although he had to accept such a request due to the offerings Gu Sunmoon had presented.

A faint smile crossed his face.

‘It seems he still doesn’t grasp the futility of his desire.’

He might have reached a respectful level in martial arts, but Gu Changjun still didn’t get it.

There were things one shouldn’t covet.

“The target is the boy of the Gu Clan?”

“Yes.”

The old man didn’t think much of him as he didn’t seem like he could cause any trouble. It seemed like Gu Changjun shared that perspective, as he hadn’t mentioned much about him.

But judging by how he was bringing the boy up now,

‘It seems like he’s a bit desperate.’

The old man took a sip of the tea that had cooled down long ago.

“Gu Yangcheon was his name, yes?”

“Yes, we are getting more information on him, but I heard that he showed talent in a tournament.”

“Hmm… It indeed seems like he has inherited talent.”

He was none other than the son of Gu Cheolun.

The old man would have found it weirder for him to have no talent when he had the same bloodline.

‘…While he might be just a young prodigy, caution is necessary, especially since he’s that man’s child.’

The reckless child, who used to be known for having no talent, was now suddenly blooming his talent.

‘And that Gu Clan child happens to be in Hanam right now.’

The old man briefly considered that Number Three also used to be in Shaolin for a bit, but the old man shook his head.

Given the presence of numerous young prodigies and guards in Hanam for the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament, it was far-fetched to think that the Gu Clan child would be associated with Number Three.

The old man felt he might have overthought a bit too much.

“There won’t be any problems, correct?”

“Yes.”

“I see. Proceed.”

In response to the old man’s words, the man respectfully lowered his head and left the room.

Creak.

Once the man was out of sight, the old man leaned his back on his chair.

Due to his proximity to the candle flame, the long scar that once marred the back of his neck, where a dragon tattoo had originally been, had disappeared.

The old man rubbed his neck.

Even after all these years, he still felt pain from that scar of his.

The old man whispered to himself.

“…It won’t be long until we see each other, so do wait.”

The old man who had been known as the Black Dragon in the past whispered his friend’s name inside the dark room.

“Wi Hyogun.”

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