Childhood Friend of the Zenith

༺ An Unsatisfactory Act (1) ༻

It was finally time to return to Shanxi after completing my visit to Shaolin.

There wasn’t much to do even if I stayed for longer, and nothing to gain either, so I really had to leave.

Despite spending just a little over ten days in Hanam, a lot unfolded during that time.

‘I also got to learn many things.’

I encountered things I already knew about and learned new things.

“You didn’t leave anything here, right?”

I kept asking that question to Hongwa as she diligently packed. I must have asked her five times already.

And because of that, Hongwa also seemed to be tired of that question.

“I did.”

“You did?”

“You didn’t bring much here, so it’s fine.”

I guessed she indirectly insulted me there, but it was okay.

After all, it was indeed true that I didn’t bring much.

‘Why burden myself with unnecessary stuff?’

All I needed was my training uniform.

[You’ve got a point there!]

‘…’

When Elder Shin showed a reaction of agreeing with me, I felt a bit strange.

It almost feels like he understood something beyond the surface.

[What’s wrong with a martial artist prioritizing their training?]

If Elder Shin thought that I’d been sleeping for too long in the morning, he forced me to wake up and train.

And that became a habit of mine and doing that was now second nature to me, but this also made me wonder about Elder Shin’s own training regimen back when he was still alive.

‘…It definitely wasn’t a normal amount, that’s for sure.’

Thinking about the intensity of Yung Pung’s training, I didn’t think that the man being called the Divine Sword of Mount Hua trained any less than him.

Elder Shin scoffed after reading my mind.

[Don’t you also think you should increase your training intensity?]

‘Yeah, I probably should.’

Whether it was the newfound energy or the merging of my Qi with my body, training no longer drained me as it once did.

‘Even just now…’

Despite intensifying my morning training today, I didn’t really feel anything.

[It became one with your body.]

The state of Qi merging seamlessly with one’s body after reaching the Peak Realm.

They often called this state the perfected form of the Peak Realm.

[Then, this is where the trek begins.]

‘Yes.’

I nodded to Elder Shin’s words.

Having grown accustomed to the Peak Realm, it was time to set my sights on the Fusion Realm.

However, making this transition was no less formidable than a martial artist breaking through the First-Rate to Peak Realm barrier.

There were quite a lot of martial artists who couldn’t reach the Fusion Realm despite being called geniuses or whatever.

There were also lots of people who were just satisfied with reaching the Peak Realm.

‘Though that doesn’t apply to me.’

In my case, I couldn’t afford to stop here. Having trodden this path before, hesitation wasn’t an option for me.

But Elder Shin’s caution about this being a trek was rooted in the extensive preparation required.

Adjusting to my Qi was one aspect, but mastering the newly accessible dantian demanded time.

Many people claimed that reaching this realm required enlightenment, but my case was different.

I had Qi that completely filled up my dantian.

If I could accumulate enough to overflow like a brimming bowl, a new world awaited me.

Of course, this only applied to me.

There couldn’t be that many people in the world who could use that much Qi like me.

Only people like me were able to do that by absorbing a ton of Qi through demonic arts.

‘But first, I must fortify my body to withstand such Qi.’

Qi was one thing, but I also had to focus on making a strong foundation for now. This realization fueled my decision to intensify my training.

‘Can I reach it before I hit the age of twenty?’

I had to.

Only then would things become easier.

[You are in a hurry, it seems.]

‘The situation doesn’t allow for relaxation.’

[Indeed, I agree that you need a little bit of desperation.]

Once I got back home, I planned to intensify my training.

‘And I’ll also ask Father about Meteor.’

I’d go visit Haomoon Clan… and also finish some pending tasks.

‘Are you okay?’

[Hmm? About what?]

‘I’m asking if it’s okay for you to go back like this.’

I was asking about his friend in Shaolin.

The Light of Might, Cheolyoung.

Going back home meant uncertainty about when I would return.

However, Elder Shin responded calmly to my question.

[What’s the problem? We’ll see each other again anyway.]

As if what he said was obvious.

[Plus, if I go to him now, that bald fucker will probably just bombard me with curse words anyway.]

‘…Curse words?’

A monk… curses?

Thinking about it now, I recalled Elder Shin telling me about the Chief Abbot at that time choking on some meat and doing something.

Was that the Light of Might?

Now I felt like I understood why they were close friends.

‘Like attracts lik-‘

[What did you say?]

‘Nothing.’

[…Hmph, that sucker said himself that he wanted to rest, so I’ll let him do that. But if I see him later and he’s still in the same state, then it’ll be as simple as me cursing at him to give him a lesson.]

Elder Shin’s candid remarks offered a glimpse into his friendship with the Light of Might.

I guessed they really were friends.

‘Friends, huh?’

The concept was unfamiliar to me, having never cared about such relationships in my life.

‘Oh, there is one person.’

There was exactly one person. That bastard was probably sleeping somewhere on Wudang’s mountain at this period of time.

He was someone I could call a friend, but he wouldn’t remember me in this life, so that was all pointless.

‘I did hope to see his face this time.’

Unfortunately, he didn’t appear in this year’s tournament, leaving the timing of our next meeting uncertain.

“Young Master!”

When everyone was almost done packing, Wi Seol-Ah popped out and ran into my arms.

“We are done preparing!”

I inquired, brushing her hair.

“You’re done?”

“Yeah!”

When Hongwa saw her, she quickly came over and pulled Wi Seol-Ah away.

“Seol-Ah!”

“Hnngh…!”

Every time she got into trouble, her tearful face looked cute, so I tried to pinch her cheek out of habit.

‘…But there isn’t much to grab onto.’

Compared to the first time I met her, most of her baby fat was gone now, which tugged at my heart.

[You are hurt about such a thing… are you right in your head?]

‘Elder Shin wouldn’t know since you’ve never touched it before.’

[…]

I heard Elder Shin choke after hearing my words.

I wondered if I hit his nerves a bit too hard, but he was the one who started this first.

So it was Elder Shin’s fault.

As the servants continued packing, I went down to the guesthouse.

I saw others talking since they were done packing up, but in between those people, I saw Namgung Bi-ah sleeping with her head down and Tang Soyeol sipping her tea calmly.

And…

‘Why is she there?’

The person, who sat next to them with a mask on, was definitely Moyong Hi-ah.

It was the first time I had seen her since our last encounter in Shaolin.

Though only a few days had passed.

“Oh! You are here, Young Master Gu?”

Tang Soyeol greeted me with a bright smile.

It appeared that Tang Soyeol had been smiling more frequently lately.

“Would you like to eat?”

“Isn’t everyone done?”

“We still have some time left, so it should be fine for you to eat.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll gladly.”

When I went closer, Tang Soyeol pulled out the chair next to her.

And the way she tapped on that chair looked as if she was telling me to sit there.

Once settled, I called the waitress and ordered food. As always, I was happy with noodles and dumplings.

“But…”

As soon as I sat down, my attention was naturally drawn to Moyong Hi-ah.

“Why is Lady Moyong here?”

I asked, but she seemed unresponsive, not turning her gaze toward me.

What’s this? Was she ignoring me?

‘And why is she wearing a mask?’

She did wear a mask when I saw her for the first time back in Bacheonmaru, but I was sure she hadn’t worn it ever since.

“Lady Moyong?”

Moyong Hi-ah finally turned around when I called her for the second time.

But the way she turned her head around seemed very stiff.

“…Hel”

“Hell?”

“lo.”

“Are you sick?”

“No…”

But then why was her voice trembling that much?

She looked like she was broken, so I leaned toward Tang Soyeol’s ear and asked her.

“…What’s wrong with her?”

Tang Soyeol shook her head at my question.

It seemed like she didn’t know either.

“She came here in the morning without saying a word. And she’s been like that ever since.”

Yeah, but why…?

I thought that she came here because she had something to say, but her unnatural demeanor made me reconsider.

And beneath her mask, I noticed her flushed cheeks and ears.

“Lady Moyong.”

“…Yes.”

Thankfully this time, I was able to get an answer from her.

“Is something the matter?”

“…It’s…”

Moyong Hi-ah began but hesitated, closing her mouth.

A silence followed, accompanied by the subtle sound of her breathing.

After some moments, Moyong Hi-ah composed herself and continued talking.

“I heard that you were leaving today, so I came to bid you a farewell.”

Wherever had caused her earlier unease seemed to have dissipated.

She was back to her natural self again.

I was a bit bothered by her broken look, so it was good that that was fixed, but I still didn’t know why Moyong Hi-ah was acting that way up until now.

“A farewell, you say?”

“Yes.”

Moyong Hi-ah then carefully took out something from her pocket and handed it to me.

I accepted it and asked her.

“What is this?”

“If you ever get to use our shop, then you may use this.”

I examined what Moyong Hi-ah gave to me.

It was a ring with a jade stone at its center.

Judging by what Moyong Hi-ah said, I think this ring could grant me special treatment at the Moyong Clan’s shop.

“Why are you giving me this?”

Moyong Clan’s shop might not be the world’s greatest, but it was a well-known shop.

And because they mainly focused on importing and exporting cloth and silk, many relied on the shop for crafting high-quality clothing.

“I saw that your uniform was very worn.”

My clothing was indeed pretty ripped apart since I did roll around in them a lot.

“…I never really cared about such a thing after all.”

Moyong Hi-ah responded with a slight smile.

I couldn’t see it because of her mask, but it at least seemed that way.

“It’s not something you should be so pressured by. Don’t think of it as anything big since I’m just giving it to you as a light gift.”

“…I see, thank you.”

Her words made it challenging to decline the gift.

I felt like I also needed to give her something, but I didn’t really have anything on me despite being a relative of a noble clan.

Right as I began to wonder if I should dig into my belongings, Moyong Hi-ah calmly stood up.

“Then, I’ll be leaving first.”

“Huh?”

I became dumbfounded after hearing what she said.

“You came here to give me this?”

“Yes, it is better to take care of a business as soon as possible after all.”

My eyes slightly widened after hearing Moyong Hi-ah.

When she referred to the word ‘business’…

‘Did she do this for the clan’s connections?’

Thanks to that, I began to feel more at ease. I didn’t have to feel bothered at all if she did this for the relationship of her clan and mine.

‘I looked way too deep into it, it seems.’

Because so many others had become attracted to me, the idea that Moyong Hi-ah might harbor different feelings for me had crossed my mind.

But thankfully, it was just an arbitrary thought.

‘Yeah, it was weird of me to think that Moyong Hi-ah would have such feelings for anyone.’

I thought I knew a lot about Moyong Hi-ah, but I made a mistake.

It was simply because I showed excellence in this year’s tournament that she approached me in the place of her clan.

“I’ll gladly accept the gift, Lady Moyong.”

After hearing my response, Moyong Hi-ah lowered her head slightly.

Then, she started to walk away with dignity, accompanied by her servant.

“Oh, Young Master Gu.”

Moyong Hi-ah, who was about to leave through the door, suddenly called me.

“Yes.”

When I responded, Moyong Hi-ah didn’t say anything, but instead seemed somewhat hesitant.

In some ways, she looked like she was just standing still, but because I had reached a higher realm, I noticed that Moyong Hi-ah’s breathing became a bit rougher.

It looked as if she was controlling her breath while hiding it as best as she could.

“Are you going back to the clan right away?”

“I believe so.”

“…I see.”

Moyong Hi-ah, who seemed like she was about to say more, shook her head slightly and spoke.

“Then, we’ll meet next time.”

With those words, Moyong Hi-ah left through the door.

And her steps were faster than before for some reason.

It seemed like she had something to convey, but instead, she chose a simple farewell.

‘…Huh?’

I didn’t know what it was, but this exchange definitely made me feel bothered.

I felt like there was something more to it.

As I was wondering why that girl was acting like that…

[As expected, she’s just like the others.]

Elder Shin spoke in a hushed voice.

‘Who are you talking about?’

Was he referring to Moyong Hi-ah just now?

If that was true, I wanted to ask who Moyong Hi-ah was similar to, but a sudden feeling warned me not to press the matter.

It was as if Elder Shin was giving off an aura telling me not to ask him about it.

‘I think I’ll actually be sliced in half if I asked him now.’

My survival instinct was telling me that.

As I was complimenting myself for holding back…

“…It’s all over.”

I found Tang Soyeol mumbling to herself quietly.

“It does seem like it happened again… but when? And why?”

“…What’s up with you now?”

It was scary at this point because no one seemed normal.

When I asked her with a worried tone, Tang Soyeol turned her head around toward me.

“Young Master Gu, are you a flower?”

“What are you saying, a flower?”

“Then why are bees constantly being attracted to you?”

“…What?”

“It should be the opposite normally… it should be…”

I first put aside Tang Soyeol, who was mumbling to herself, and picked up a dumpling and began eating it.

It felt like getting involved in her current state might be more trouble than it was worth.

‘…I guess she had a nightmare or something.’

Because there was bound to be a day when no one was in their right mind.

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

Wudang Mountain, located in Hobuk.

It was one of the places that belonged to the Ten Sect Alliance, and it was where the Wudang Clan practiced their swords and martial arts.

A young Taoist was huffing while running up the tall steep mountain.

And just by seeing the crumpled letter in his hands and his shaky eyes, it was obvious how urgent he was.

And that boy, who was running for an endless amount of time, was finally able to stop after reaching a giant tree.

“S…Senior!”

Without even the time to take his breath, the boy shouted.

He shouted toward the top of the tree.

“Senior… Seniooor!”

Despite his pitiful shouts, the sought-after person had no intention of coming out.

In the end, the boy ground his teeth and shouted in a louder voice.

“Hey you fucking…!”

Pow!

“Aghh!”

Then a rock was flung out of seemingly nowhere, which made the boy fall backward while screaming.

Following this, someone landed in front of the fallen boy.

“You need to fix your manner of speaking, Junior.”

“…You won’t appear if I don’t do this, though.”

The person before him was a young man with a somewhat absent-minded expression.

He seemed like a martial artist of Wudang because of the uniform he was wearing and the sword he had on his waist, but the aura that he put out made him seem far from a Taoist.

“You should know that now is a napping time for your senior, who should be like the sky to you. So why do you call?”

“The sun is bright out, so what do you mean nap-“

“Do you want another bonking?”

“…I heard that Senior Woo lost.”

The young man tilted his head in response.

“Yeah, he didn’t really have the competence to win there after all.”

He was a student of Wudang who entered this year’s tournament, and since the young man himself said that he wouldn’t go, they told him that they picked out some other fighters.

‘But it’s obvious that wouldn’t work.’

The boy continued to speak while rubbing his forehead where he had been hit.

“That’s not all, it was said that he lost in the first round.”

“…Huh?”

The young man frowned after hearing the boy’s words.

“Anyways, that’s not what’s important here, Senior.”

“…That’s not the important thing, you say?”

‘You’re telling me that a Wudang’s student losing in the first round isn’t the important thing? Then what is?’

“Senior, do you know this person called Gu Yangcheon?”

“Gu… what?”

The young man frowned further after hearing the boy.

The boy then knew that if he said anything wrong here, then he would be hit once more by his senior.

After feeling his survival instinct, the boy immediately handed the letter he was holding to his senior.

“What is this?”

“A letter that was sent by Senior Woo.”

“A guy who lost had the audacity to send a letter? Haha…”

Something was mixed within his laugh.

The boy knew whatever was mixed that laugh wasn’t anything good.

‘Senior Woo…’

The boy only hoped for the best for Senior Woo.

As the young man read the letter, he suddenly spoke.

“He’s close to me?”

The first part of the letter was filled mostly with excuses for why he lost in the tournament.

The young man briefly skimmed through that part as it wasn’t important to him, but he couldn’t help but cringe his eyebrows when he read the last lines of the letter.

“Yes, Senior Woo told me that if this was true, then to ask you and return to him…”

“Who was it that you said?”

“Gu… Yangcheon.”

“Yeah, and who is that?”

‘Why is he asking me that?’

The boy made sure his expression didn’t change.

Inside the letter, it’s said that this person named Gu Yangcheon was close with the Water Dragon, but…

‘The guy in front of me right now seems to have no idea of who he is.’

“You don’t know?”

“…Yes, I too am- “

“Then go find out.”

“…Huh? Pardon?”

“He said he’s close with me, but I don’t know him myself, so go find out about it.”

“…”

The boy looked at the young man, no, the Water Dragon with a dumbfounded expression as he didn’t know what his senior was talking about.

Then the Water Dragon spoke to the boy with a kind-looking smile on his face.

“What are you doing, Junior? Run.”

The boy then smiled back at him…

‘Fucker.’

While cursing at him in his head.

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