Childhood Friend of the Zenith

༺ I’m Fucked ༻

I noticed something unusual when I arrived at Gu Clan’s front gate.

Not only did I sense a few unfamiliar presences, but I also felt a different atmosphere inside the Gu Clan.

“It’s not the martial artists from the main clan.”

Some martial artists from outside Gu Clan had been gathered here for a few months, so that part wasn’t strange.

After all, Tang Soyeol, who was a direct blood relative of the Tang Clan, was staying here as a guest.

As such, martial artists of Tang Clan were in Gu Clan as her escorts, but this felt different.

‘Their Qi is sharpened.’

This was a trait that could be sensed from people like Namgung Bi-ah or Gu Huibi, who were sword users.

And since martial artists of Namgung Clan had left the clan due to their lord’s order, the only ones who remained here to emit such an aura were the martial artists of Gu Clan, but this atmosphere was different from Gu Clan’s unique one.

I had felt this ever since I reached the streets.

Amid the somewhat different atmosphere, a small change was happening.

And because a change was happening in a clan where almost nothing ever changed, I couldn’t help but notice it even though it was such a subtle difference.

And I learned that the reason for this change wasn’t because of Shanxi, but the outsiders.

‘It seems like someone came.’

When I looked around, I saw faces that I had never seen before.

I noticed their light-blue uniforms and especially the accessories on them.

‘That shape… is definitely them.’

It was one of the Four Noble Clans and a clan that was famous for their Sword Arts along with Namgung Clan.

Moyong Clan.

I was sure that that clan was known for emitting such an atmosphere, but…

‘Why here?’

If they really were from the Moyong Clan, what business did they have with the Gu Clan to come here?

I wasn’t the only one who noticed them, because Gu Huibi, who was on my back, spoke while staring at them.

“Oh? It’s those fops from Moyong Clan.”

“How could you call them fops…”

“They look disgusting because of how they dress.”

I laughed, thinking Gu Huibi’s words were absurd.

I couldn’t believe she was judging others like that just because she had a fierce appearance.

To be fair, I had nothing to say to counter her.

Because honestly, martial artists from Moyong Clan did go overboard with their adornments regardless of their gender despite being martial artists.

‘Anyway, what brought them here?’

I hadn’t heard anything about us having guests from the Moyong Clan.

Though that was understandable because I had done something similar to breaking out of jail, and Father had also left the clan, so we didn’t get any news about it.

Then, from that group, I saw someone walking lightly towards us.

Along with her light footsteps, I felt a faint bit of Ice Qi from her.

And because of her hair and seductive eyes, it was impossible for me not to know who she was.

However, I wondered why she was in the Gu Clan of all places.

“Hello, Young Master Gu.”

The Snow Phoenix, who approached me with a gentle smile on her face, still had her usual beauty, but for some reason, her face seemed more radiant than before.

“We meet again. Have you had a good time lately?”

“…Why are you here exactly?”

When I asked her dumbfoundedly, Moyong Hi-ah only replied with a smile.

If it was someone else who saw this smile, they might be charmed by it, but because I had spent so much time with her in my previous life, I knew right away what that smile of hers meant.

‘It’s a fake smile.’

It was a smile that Moyong Hi-ah made whenever she lied about something…

Or whenever she tried to conceal her emotions.

‘Why the hell is she here.’

Did they think Gu Clan was a place for them to hang out?

I couldn’t believe three of the Four Noble Clans were gathered here.

Now I felt afraid that even that man from the Peng Clan would come.

As I stared at her with a slight frown, Gu Huibi also spoke up.

“Snow Phoenix? Why are you here?”

“…Sword Phoenix.”

“It’s been a while. I guess today isn’t cold for you, huh?”

When Gu Huibi spoke with a smile, Moyong Hi-ah’s mask shook a little.

These two, did they not get along?

Because Gu Huibi was the Sword Phoenix, I assumed that they had met in a place like the Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, but their atmosphere didn’t seem friendly.

“…I heard that something happened.”

“It wasn’t anything major.”

“But it seems that way judging by the look of it.”

“Oh?”

To Gu Huibi’s sharp words, Moyong Hi-ah didn’t back down and fought back with her own words.

Yeah, they didn’t have a good relationship.

I also admired Gu Huibi’s persistence in provoking others despite her inability to move her body properly.

“So what did you come here for?”

“Do I have any reason to tell you?”

“What did you say?”

“You are not the Lord, nor are you even the Young Lord…”

After saying those words, Moyong Hi-ah glanced at me.

It seemed like she wasn’t going to back down, as Gu Huibi began to smile.

“Oh…? Is it just me or do your words have lots of thorns in them?”

“Did I say anything wrong?”

The atmosphere only got worse.

Even Namgung Bi-ah, who usually didn’t care about things like this, hid behind my back.

“I came to the Gu Clan for business matters, not for a vacation.”

“Business?”

Business, she says…?

The fact that Moyong Hi-ah came here for business meant that the Moyong Clan was involved.

‘But why would the Moyong Clan bother?’

Moyong Clan of Liaoning.

They too played a part in suppressing the Gate of Demons as they were one of the Four Noble Clans, but what they really specialized in was making a business with the silk that came from moth-type demons.

Furthermore, the clothing they made with such material was beautiful and durable, so it was very popular among women of high class.

In other words, it meant that the Moyong Clan and the Gu Clan had nothing to do with each other.

‘We don’t have relations with anything like that.’

Because we were a clan that mostly used heat and Fire Arts that were destructive, we didn’t have to make any relationships with any organizations that specialized in using silk.

The same applied to having business with them.

Which was why it was so strange.

‘A reason for Moyong Clan to come to Gu Clan for a business matter.’

I couldn’t think of anything no matter how much I thought about it.

“How about you get off now that we have arrived.”

“Brother, we didn’t arrive yet.”

“I know you can walk just fine, Sister, so get off now.”

Just because her body became weak didn’t mean that she couldn’t walk.

I clicked my tongue and let go of Gu Huibi as if I was throwing her away.

As expected, Gu Huibi landed on the ground just fine, and pouted to show discontent.

“Even so, isn’t it a bit rude for you to throw me away like this?”

“You should be thankful that I didn’t throw you to the ground.”

“Not only did your words become more disrespectful, but you also became ruder. Big Sis didn’t raise my little brother like that…”

“What are you talking about, I grew up by myself.”

It almost seemed as if she had raised me like she was my mother.

After putting aside Gu Huibi, who rambled on, I took a look at the clan.

Putting aside the fact that Moyong Hi-ah was here, if they came here for a business matter, I felt like it wasn’t just Moyong Hi-ah who came here, but other higher-ups from their clan as well…

Father headed to the Gu Clan as soon as he arrived in Shanxi.

It was most likely because he knew that this place was safe.

‘Perhaps, Father already knew about this.’

That there were guests who came to Gu Clan.

To check, I was going to ask Moyong Hi-ah about it, but Moyong Hi-ah was talking with Namgung Bi-ah.

“It’s been a while, Young Lady Namgung.”

“Hell…o.”

“Oh, maybe I should call you the Sword Dancer now?”

“…?”

Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head after hearing Moyong Hi-ah.

It seemed like she was confused about the Sword Dancer title.

‘…She probably doesn’t even know that she’s being called that.’

Many gained titles in this year’s Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament, but there were only three young prodigies who became famous.

One of them was obviously me, who earned the title of True Dragon.

The second was Jang Seonyeon, who was called the New Star.

And the third was Namgung Bi-ah.

Sword Dancer, Namgung Bi-ah.

It was a title given to her because of the sword dance that she showed in the tournament and the beauty that she had to begin with.

Besides that title, she was also called titles such as the Greatest Beauty of Anhui or the Zenith of Beauty, which was a bit terrifying.

But in the end, the Sword Dancer was what became her official moniker.

Though Namgung Bi-ah herself didn’t seem to care one bit.

‘…I wonder what’ll happen.’

Despite Namgung Bi-ah becoming a Demonic Human in my past life, her talent was still recognized and she earned the Sword Queen title.

Which was why she was called the Demonic Sword Queen.

Though this happened after Gu Huibi died, who was originally planned to become the next generation’s Sword Queen.

But since I had no intention of letting Gu Huibi die in this life, I wondered if that meant that Namgung Bi-ah would never get the Sword Queen title.

That was a question that popped up in my mind.

‘It’s actually better that way.’

I didn’t know how Namgung Bi-ah would feel about this, but it was better for me at least.

The title of Sword Queen being attached to her felt like a fang that was stuck deep inside my chest and wouldn’t come out.

‘Though, their talents… are a bit hard to judge.’

Gu Huibi, who was often called the treasure of Gu Clan that was sent down by the heavens, was one of the greatest young prodigies in this generation.

She was already a Peak Realm swordswoman when I regressed and with her gradually gaining experience, as long as nothing extraordinary happened like in my past life, she would naturally progress to the top.

It was possible that she would reach a much higher level than I expected.

However…

If I thought about Namgung Bi-ah’s talent…

If I asked myself if her talent was inferior to Gu Huibi’s…

Unlike the past, I wasn’t sure of it anymore.

‘She’s also a monster. A very incredible one at that.’

Namgung Bi-ah in my past life, was one of the Demonic Humans who didn’t receive any Demonic Arts from the Heavenly Demon.

But with the Namgung Clan’s treasure, Thunder Fang, she reached a higher realm just with her sheer talent, so her talent was extraordinary.

However, after seeing Namgung Bi-ah’s young prodigy self with my own eyes, I couldn’t justify describing her talent with mere words like that. Namgung Bi-ah’s talent was really that overwhelming.

‘…Putting aside the fact that she reached the Peak Realm at that age…’

Her swordplay also became much sharper compared to the first time I met her.

Furthermore, her ability in Qi control to use the Master of Swords like it was nothing and even the amount of Qi she possessed.

Just by looking at those things, unlike me, who was privileged with regression and energy from external sources, Namgung Bi-ah was an individual who achieved everything with only her talent.

‘This is why… I hate geniuses.’

It felt like my jealousy that I thought I had almost none left was slowly coming back.

When that emotion started to poke at my lower dantian…

[Stuff it back deep inside your mind. It makes you look pathetic.]

Elder Shin scolded me in a disappointed voice.

‘Ugh…’

[How have you not matured yet at your age? You should take it as a good thing since she’s your person.]

He wasn’t wrong.

I knew that more than anyone, but because of my incompetent personality, my emotions always bounced up from time to time without being able to hold back.

I shook my head to shake off those thoughts.

I had to organize my thoughts about what happened in the Black Palace.

And I also had to focus on cleansing the Demonic Qi that should be inside Gu Huibi’s body.

‘…In addition…’

Because I left the clan right after breaking out of jail, I wondered how I should face the girls who were probably waiting in my place.

‘I should probably avoid the Second Elder for a bit.’

He probably knew that I left the clan without listening to him, so I didn’t know what would happen if I got caught by him.

“Oh, right!”

Moyong Hi-ah, who was having a short conversation with Namgung Bi-ah, came slightly towards me and spoke.

“Young Master Gu.”

“Yes?”

Her smiling expression with her alluring eyes greatly showed Moyong Hi-ah’s unique charm.

‘Seriously what’s up with her?’

But to me, it only made me want to distance myself from her rather than being charmed.

Why did she keep making that face full of plans?

Because none of the girls around me were normal, I found myself putting a boundary without realizing it.

And because she was the one with the darkest personality out of all of them, this was more so the case.

Whether she knew my feelings or not, Moyong Hi-ah continued to speak calmly.

Or at least, she tried to.

“It’s nothing much… But I have something to-”

“Young Master.”

If it wasn’t for the steward who interrupted in the middle of it.

“Young Master, the Lord of the Clan ordered you to come to his room immediately.”

“…”

My breath stopped after hearing the steward.

After all, I knew why he called me.

‘The reckoning has come.’

Time to get in trouble.

Because of that thought, it felt like cold sweat was forming on my forehead.

After leaving me behind with shaky pupils, the steward spoke while looking at Gu Huibi.

“I’ll escort the Young Lady to the medic room.”

I saw martial artists of Gu Clan come from behind.

It seemed like they were thinking of carrying Gu Huibi there.

After seeing that, Gu Huibi spoke with a sour tone.

“No need for that, I can walk fine.”

To prove her words, Gu Huibi shook off the dust on her clothes and stood up to walk away.

Why did she have to be carried by me if she could walk perfectly fine like that?

‘She really has to be addicted to messing with me.’

I really had to be the only normal person out of all my family members.

After putting aside Gu Huibi, the steward looked at Moyong Hi-ah and spoke carefully.

“Young Lady of the Moyong Clan. We prepared a place for you to rest after you finish your conversation. You should head there.”

After hearing the steward’s kind words, Moyong Hi-ah nodded slightly.

Moyong Hi-ah seemed like she had something to say to me, but it seemed like she had no intention to bring it up again.

“It seems like now isn’t the best time, so I shall visit you next time, Young Master Gu.”

Oh, or maybe she just realized that something was strange.

How keen of her.

[Kid, with your current rotting expression, anyone would know how strange your situation is just by looking at you.]

‘…’

Namgung Bi-ah put on a worried expression while looking at me, then she spoke shortly.

“Good… luck.”

“…Right, thanks.”

Namgung Bi-ah cheered me on with both her fists clenched, but it didn’t comfort me one bit.

Because of how much hell I would have to face, her reassurance didn’t reach my heart.

Without being able to rest my exhausted body, I immediately headed to the Lord’s room.

For some reason, it felt like I always had to visit the Lord’s room whenever I returned to the clan.

When I stepped into the familiar but uncomfortable room, Father was waiting for me in the same position as always.

How could a person who had just returned from a long trip look so calm like that?

I couldn’t understand.

One thing that was different was that Father’s eyes were slightly widened.

But it was obvious that that wasn’t a good sign.

Father, who was reading letters, spoke without looking at me.

“Third child.”

“…Yeah, yes?”

“You seem to have caused a lot of trouble.”

I knew right away.

‘…I’m fucked.’

In Father’s calm voice, a maelstrom of anger was mixed in.

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