Childhood Friend of the Zenith

༺ The First Sin (2) ༻

The heat emanating from the fifth rank of Destructive Flame Arts filled the room, enveloping me in its sweltering embrace.

Even I, with my resilience, couldn’t help but feel the intensity of the flames.

As I surveyed the scene, my attention was drawn to the headless Fusion Realm martial artist lying motionless on the floor.

His name was…

‘What was it? I never got to hear it.’

He had attempted to introduce himself, but his words were lost in the chaos of the moment.

Pushing aside the fallen man—a casualty of my father’s attack, I focused my gaze on Father’s condition.

His cape billowed behind him, animated by the power of his Qi, while his crimson uniform danced in sync.

Just the sheer force of his Qi made it difficult to breathe.

But what caught my attention the most was…

‘He has no injuries anywhere.’

Father was in a state of near perfection, save for a few scratches and bleeding on his hand—a result of recklessly tearing through the formation barrier.

Besides that, he remained unscathed.

“…Lord.”

Gu Huibi, who seemed equally taken aback by my father’s sudden appearance, stared at him with eyes filled with shock.

It was understandable, considering how unexpected it was for a man of his stoic nature to leave the clan in order to save her.

‘That reaction makes sense since she doesn’t know.’

If I were to recall my past life, when I had transformed into a Demonic Human, and the First Elder’s plot had caused harm to Gu Yeonseo.

Father’s reaction at that moment clearly showed that he was not one to disregard his children’s well-being.

‘Though, it was a side of him not known to others.’

Father stood in silence observing Gu Huibi, before shifting his gaze to Namgung Bi-ah, and finally landing on me.

His piercing eyes bore into mine.

“Third child.”

His voice cut through the air, cold and commanding.

“…Yes.”

“Why are you here?”

I know, right?

Why am I here?

Without being able to answer, I averted my gaze.

Noticing my evasion, he turned his attention back to Namgung Bi-ah.

“We will discuss this later, once we return.”

He seemed to be giving me a pass for now.

Well, we didn’t have the luxury of time to delve into every detail, after all.

With those words, Father turned his back on me; But I couldn’t let the opportunity slip away.

“Lord.”

I called, causing him to slightly turn his head, his fierce red eyes fixed upon me.

His intense gaze almost made me flinch, but I pressed on, determined to seek the answers I sought.

“…What happened to the Lord of the Black Palace?”

“The Black Palace Lord?”

“Yes, the Palace Lord was definitely headed towards you.”

The black fog had headed towards the center of the crimson sky, which was most certainly where father was.

“The Palace Lord, you say…”

Father stood silent for a moment upon hearing my question…

“Yes, I saw him.”

Then continued, as if recalling the encounter.

“Our eyes met from afar, and then he disappeared.”

He disappeared?

I had expected him to put up a fight, but judging by Father’s words, it seemed that the Palace Lord had chosen to flee.

“Did you not try to capture him?”

Father averted his gaze and spoke, his eyes fixed ahead.

“I prioritized what was important.”

He made it clear that finding Gu Huibi was of greater importance than apprehending the Black Palace Lord.

Once he confirmed her safety, Father wasted no time and continued walking without a hint of regret.

“You cold bastards!”

Elder Mook, who had been standing silently in the background, finally erupted in frustration.

“Jeez! An old man is in such a state, do you not feel any remorse?!”

Father glanced in Elder Mook’s direction upon hearing his outburst.

“The children may be understandable, but at least you should know better!”

Elder Mook shouted at Father, his eyes boring into him.

Father, in response, stared back at Elder Mook.

“It has been a while.”

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at that greeting.

Father and the Lord of Hao Clan knew each other…?

Elder Mook scoffed in disdain, hearing Father’s stiff response.

“Wow, look how quick you were to greet me. Even though I’m sure you found me quite a while ago.”

“I had heard of your passing, but you look quite alive.”

“My resilience far surpasses my appearance, as you know well.”

Elder Mook’s tone was irritating, it was as if he was trying to remind Father of their once-close relationship.

Father, understanding the old man’s intention, looked at me and issued an order.

“Third child.”

“…Yes.”

“Carry the old man.”

With those words, Father resumed his stride, simultaneously lifting Gu Huibi’s body into the air and bringing her towards him.

Witnessing such a sight, I let out a deep sigh.

‘In the end, I have to carry this old man.’

I had no choice but to comply with Father’s command.

Grabbing the shackle that bound the old man I swiftly broke it, just as I had done with Gu Huibi.

“Fortunately, it seems like your father understands me.”

Ignoring Elder Mook’s remark, I hoisted him onto my shoulders.

“Ugh! Be a little gentler, will you!”

“Please quiet down before I get a sudden urge to throw you away.”

“…The way you speak is strangely reminiscent of your father’s in his youth.”

That sounded like an insult for some reason.

‘How does Father and the Lord of the Hao Clan know each other?’

The Lord of the Hao Clan, a person veiled from the whole world, was connected to Father, a connection that I was unaware of.

‘…I don’t know much about Father’s past in the first place.’

But I had a vague idea that it was far from an ordinary youth.

The sight of the Fusion Realm martial artist lying dead on the floor was proof enough.

‘A Fusion Realm martial artist dying from a single strike…’

It was no easy feat, even if done by an ambush.

Furthermore, the fact that he didn’t even use Fire Arts meant he hadn’t even unleashed a fraction of his full power.

‘I can’t help but wonder if Father has reached the pinnacle.’

The pinnacle of the Destructive Flame Arts, a level that even I couldn’t achieve in my past life, but it was quite plausible that Father had already reached such a level.

After all, besides Wi Seol-Ah, the only one who managed to leave a scar on the Heavenly Demon, something unachievable even by the Three Venerables…

Was Father.

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

When I stepped outside of the jail, I was greeted by the sight of all the martial artists from the Black Palace already dealt with, and the direct army of the lord—The First Army, standing before us.

Father emerged from the prison, prompting the Captain of the First Army to approach him.

“Victory is ours. We’ve overpowered them. Some remnants have fled, but their capture is assured.”

‘They are already finished?’

I couldn’t help but furrow my brow at the Captain’s words.

How were they able to deal with the elite troops of the Black Palace so quickly?

Father seemed to find it peculiar as well, appearing deep in thought.

‘…They certainly weren’t a small force.’

However, considering they were supposed to be the greatest force of the Unorthodox Faction, their numbers were disappointingly low.

The man who was supposedly the Vice-Lord of the palace held significant power as a Fusion Realm martial artist.

‘But that is still way too little.’

It was clear to me that they lacked the necessary strength.

…It was as if…

‘…They were planning on escaping from the very beginning.’

It seemed to be the answer no matter how much I thought about it.

The suspiciously small force and the loose formation barrier only reinforced my suspicion.

‘Had they intended to abandon the Main Palace all along?’

I couldn’t come up with any other explanation.

It left me pondering the reason behind their decision.

‘Just why?’

If the Lord of the Black Palace really chose to leave the Main Palace behind, there had to be a compelling motive for such a drastic action.

‘…That ominous flower as well, it was undoubtedly the work of the Black Palace.’

The flower I obtained in Mount Hua, I couldn’t help but wonder what the Black Palace was up to with such an abomination.

And if I were to think about it, was there really just one flower?

‘If there are more, then what purpose did they serve?’

I didn’t have much knowledge about the Black Palace from my past life.

The information I had on them was scarce, and with everything happening one after another, I had little time to gather more.

Still after all that, the reason for Gu Huibi’s kidnapping remains as well…

‘Will I even be able to find out?’

It was uncertain if those bastards had left any clues behind.

However, our utmost priority was ensuring Gu Huibi’s safety.

As I observed her injured body, I thought…

‘I can purify the Demonic Qi, but…’

The Demonic Qi was preventing her from utilizing her own Qi, so it was crucial to address it.

However, as she had endured the Demonic Qi with a severely weakened body for a few days already, recovering her health came before anything else.

If possible, I wanted to secretly absorb the Demonic Qi from her before we reached the clan.

After all, that would be far more convenient than getting caught by the Immortal Healer or Father.

‘Then there’s the Lord of the Black Palace who disappeared, I have to find that bastard…’

The Palace Lord himself was a formidable martial artist, and instead of confronting him, Father had gone straight towards the jail in search of Gu Huibi.

So, it was strange for him to have hidden himself.

Furthermore…

‘If he was planning to hide, why did he bother confronting Father in the first place?’

Father had mentioned exchanging glances with the Palace Lord, so it seemed like they had indeed crossed paths, even if only briefly.

As I organized my thoughts, Gu Huibi, who was receiving light treatment, began explaining everything that had transpired in the Black Palace to the First Army.

She recounted her encounter with the Palace Lord, her entry into an unknown room, and her meeting with a child.

Her explanation only added to my confusion.

‘A Child?’

What did she mean by a child?

According to Gu Huibi, there was a child present in the Black Palace.

She described this child as having a strange aura, appearing to be extremely malnourished, and severely lacking communication skills.

Initially, I might have dismissed it as part of their hidden agenda, some sinister plot of theirs they had planned behind the scenes.

However, what I heard next was troubling.

“…What?”

“What’s wrong, Little Brother?”

“What did you say just now?!”

I couldn’t help but ask, gripping Gu Huibi’s arm tightly.

Namgung Bi-ah approached, attempting to intervene, but I wasn’t in a state where I could care about such a thing, I was far too consumed by what I had just heard.

“…The child looked similar to who?”

This… this shouldn’t be possible.

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

After hearing Gu Huibi’s words, a surge of anger coursed through me…

Slam!

I couldn’t contain my emotions and ran, breaking everything in my path.

Despite still being in a weakened state, I disregarded all caution and charged forward, recklessly channeling my Qi, ignoring the crippling pain.

‘Shit…’

[Brat, calm down…!]

Elder Shin, taken aback by my boiling Qi, tried to calm me down; But I couldn’t heed his words.

‘Shit, how is this even possible?!’

Gu Huibi’s revelation was something I could have easily dismissed.

The actions of the Black Palace, whatever plot they may be hatching behind the scenes, were not my immediate concern.

The primary objective of this mission was to save Gu Huibi.

Pursuing the Palace Lord and attempting to overpower or kill him was beyond my current capabilities.

It would have been satisfying to achieve such feats, but I couldn’t afford to lose sight of my limits.

However, the hidden problem that Gu Huibi had brought to light was far too important to be dismissed.

‘The Palace wasn’t the one subservient to the Demonic Cult.’

The reason behind the martial artists of the Black Palace being able to wield Demonic Qi, it felt like the foggy landscape was gradually becoming clearer.

‘Was the Black Palace the root of it all?’

Their Demonic Qi was inferior to the point that it was unusable for me.

That fact had made me complacent, I only ever tried to find their relation to the Demonic Cult, never even considering the possibility that they might just be the root of it all.

‘If this is just a mistake…’

I hoped that my current conjecture was just a result of overthinking, but as always, fate was harsh as ever…

Slaaam!

Fueled by my frustration, I slowly descended into the basement, smashing and tearing through the walls.

I went deeper and deeper, surpassing even the jail Gu Huibi was trapped in.

“Ah…! Young Master?”

As I went deeper, I encountered a soldier from the First Army who was setting up a formation barrier.

Judging by the presence of so many people gathered here, it seemed I couldn’t go any further.

As expected, the Vice-Captain of the First Army was observing a massive door in the distance.

The door matched the description Gu Huibi had given.

“…Young Master?”

The Vice-Captain looked at me with a perplexed expression as I went closer, seemingly wondering why I was there.

Ignoring his gaze, I asked the Vice-Captain.

“…The door, can’t you open it?”

“Ah, I was studying it as it appeared to be enchanted by a formation.”

The Vice-Captain seemed to believe that the door remained shut due to some formation.

As I stared at the imposing door before me, I gasped inwardly.

‘Formation? It’s far from it.’

The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew.

It was familiar to me after all, especially the violet-colored gem embedded in the door.

Without hesitation, I reached out my hand towards it.

“Young Master…! It’s dangerous for you to…!”

The Vice-Captain tried to stop me, surprised at my sudden action…

Slam!

The door reacted to my presence, causing the Vice-Captain to step back in shock.

Could they not feel it?

The malevolent Qi emanating from beyond the door.

It was all too clear to me. A familiar sensation, a sensation that seemed to reach into the very depths of my soul.

Slam… Slam!

The door moved, responding to the Demonic Qi, and I pushed it open with all my strength.

Seeing the door open, the swordsmen behind me were eager to enter the room…

…!

But their movements halted as soon as they felt the oppressive energy within.

It was a natural reaction for martial artists possessing Qi, it was their instincts warning them of the danger of Demonic Qi.

Leaving them behind, I stepped into the room.

As soon as I entered, darkness enveloped me, making it impossible to see anything…

Blaaze.

In an instant, I conjured flames to illuminate the room.

“…This is.”

The room was far larger than I had anticipated.

The floor was littered with dried leaves and petals, and there was a clear scorch mark, as if something had been set ablaze— judging by its trace, a book.

Following the trail, my gaze landed on the wall…

“…Ha.”

And to my surprise…

“…How entertaining.”

There stood the Lord of the Black Palace, who I had been searching for.

Beside him stood an old man, his face filled with age spots, a face I knew all too well.

‘The Great Oni…’

It was the old man who oversaw the affairs of the Demonic Cult.

Though he appeared older than in my past life for some reason, there was no mistaking his identity.

Furthermore, behind them stood a Gate of Demons, wide open.

It wasn’t a Gate of Demons of any of the four representative colors, but a violet-colored one instead.

A Gate of Demons in a basement of all places, a situation too absurd to comprehend.

Yet, I wasn’t surprised.

This was one of the abilities possessed by that ‘Bastard’ after all.

“How were you able to open the door?”

Though the Palace Lord’s gaze filled with fascination was fixed on me, my attention was solely on the child in his arms.

A frail body, to the point that the outlines of bones could be seen, and jet-black hair cascading downwards.

Even the child’s vibrant violet eyes.

Just by these characteristics alone, I knew with certainty; Yet as if to further confirm my suspicions, the evidence was etched on the child’s face.

“Ha, fucking hell…”

The child’s visage, as it looked at me while tilting its head…

Was so much like her that it sent shivers down my spine.

Like Wi Seol-Ah.

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