Childhood Friend of the Zenith

༺ Omen (2) ༻

The sky was orange and so was her hair.

It reflected the orange light and shone brightly, like gold.

That was not the only reason I was startled, though.

Her eyes seemed colder, and the way she called me was too familiar, but in a different way than usual.

-Young Master Gu¹For reference, it is the same “Young Master” but different in Korean. Also, she added “Young Master GU” for the first time, as to speak in a more formal way which is why Yangcheon is so confused.

It was as if she called me that in my past life.

‘Did I mishear?’

It sounded too clear for me to doubt it, and I knew this was not a dream.

I stood there, staring at Wi Seol-Ah with shaky eyes.

“What… what did you just call…”

I stumbled over my words, feeling my emotions become unstable.

Perhaps, just maybe, Wi Seol-Ah had also traveled through time like me, and my heartbeat quickened at that thought.

‘And if that is the case, what am I going to do?’

As I was about to ask her, I questioned myself in my head.

What would I do if that really was the case?

‘What would change?’

I paused.

I felt my body freeze completely, as if I turned into stone.

The emotion that gradually grew in my heart was fear.

I was afraid of the possibility that she had the memories from my past life.

‘Yeah.’

All the sins I committed.

The possibility that she remembered them all and that I would not be able to maintain our current relationship if that was the case.

That was what I feared.

‘What a retard I am.’

To worry about something so trivial after coming all this way.

I could not use the excuse that I felt this way because my body was still young.

I was just a pathetic human being, and I never wanted to admit that.

I could not breathe, and I could not finish what I was going to say.

I stared into Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes, motionless.

‘What should I say to her?’

If my suspicion was correct, what was I supposed to say to her?

Thousands of thoughts crossed my mind at once, but I could not say anything in the end.

Only silence remained.

Then…

Dribble-

A tear rolled down from one side of Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes.

Strangely enough, the tear that only flowed from one eye complemented Wi Seol-Ah’s beauty and gave her a unique atmosphere.

“Wha… wh… why…!”

I was greatly startled by that.

Why was she crying all of a sudden?

Tears were difficult to deal with, even after spending a long time with someone.

This was especially true for Wi Seol-Ah.

Whether she regressed or not, I did not know what to do, and Wi Seol-Ah spoke while looking at me.

“…Why… did you leave me here?”

Her voice was full of sadness.

But I felt more relieved after hearing that. It did not seem like she had gone through regression like I did.

‘Is she simply hurt?’

As she cried and her expression worsened, and as she sobbed, I could see the current Wi Seol-Ah in her.

“You brought Sis with you…”

Her sad and pitiful way of speaking was definitely the current Wi Seol-Ah.

I did not know if I should be more relieved by this fact, or more troubled by having to calm her down.

“…I did not bring her with me, she followed me herself.”

“You’re so cruel…! In the end… In the end…! You went with her…!”

How was I supposed to know that she would chase me?

‘The person who was most shocked by that was me.’

How was I supposed to know that she would chase me all the way to the Black Palace after reaching the Peak Realm out of nowhere?

I had a lot of excuses, but…

“Seriously… you are so cruel.”

I could not say them to Wi Seol-Ah, who was crying in front of me. I could not be so blunt.

‘…Ugh.’

I ran away at the last moment, leaving Wi Seol-Ah behind.

So, I expected that something like this would happen when I returned.

[So you expected it but didn’t worry about it is what you’re saying.]

‘…I did worry.’

But that worry was pushed aside by all the things that got in my way.

“Why… aren’t you yelling at me?”

“Huh?”

I was confused by Wi Seol-Ah’s words as she wiped her eyes. Yell at her for what?

“Me calling you Young Master Gu… why don’t you yell at me for it?”

“Eh?”

She called me by a different title.

-Young Master Gu.

Did she want me to yell at her for that?

“…What is it? Do you want me to yell at you?”

Was Wi Seol-Ah into that kind of stuff…? She didn’t seem like it.

She frowned a little and said, “It’s not like that…”

“Then what is it?”

She turned her head without answering. She looked like she was sulking.

“…Uh.”

I thought about what to say to her for a short moment. But seeing her wipe her tears, there was only one thing I could say.

“I’m sorry.”

I said it in a calm but not quite calm tone.

“I’m sorry I left you.”

I repeated it in case she didn’t hear me the first time.

“It wasn’t for any special reason, but I didn’t know if I could bring you there. It was too dangerous.”

The reason I brought Namgung Bi-ah with me was not just because she followed me, but also because she reached the Peak Realm.

I could worry less about her then.

Wi Seol-Ah asked.

“…Is it because I’m weak?”

“Yes.”

I answered honestly.

I couldn’t protect Wi Seol-Ah all the time, and I didn’t want to bring her to a place where anything could happen.

She didn’t seem too shocked by my answer.

She just kept wiping her tears and didn’t react much.

She hesitated for a bit, then said softly,

“You know. I… wish that Young Master isn’t hurt.”

“I’m healthy. You can tell by looking at me.”

“But then why do you always come back with injuries…?”

“…”

Did I…? I didn’t think I did this time.

Though I almost got hurt.

“I… will work hard.”

“Why do you keep saying that you’ll work hard? You’ve been working hard all this time.”

That’s how it seemed to me.

She shouted back, unhappy with my reply.

“You don’t need to know…!”

She acted like I had no clue.

Maybe she was talking about training her sword.

She had a wooden sword, but her swordplay was not very good.

I didn’t know much about swords, but I didn’t think that was the right way to use one.

‘Which means that the Sword Venerable isn’t the one training her.’

If it was the Sword Venerable, he wouldn’t teach her that way.

Her swordplay was too different from what I saw in my past life.

Well, it was similar, but hard to explain.

It was strange to call it lacking.

“So Young Master… could you please not leave me anymore?”

That was what she wanted to say in the end.

“I was so scared…”

I didn’t ask what she was scared of.

It felt uncomfortable for some reason.

“…I’m sorry.”

I didn’t say yes to her.

That would be a lie.

I didn’t plan to bring Wi Seol-Ah into danger in the future. But…

‘I don’t think I can let her sit by and do nothing.’

I learned that the Heavenly Demon existed in the world already, and I let the Palace Lord and the Heavenly Demon escape.

I couldn’t let Wi Seol-Ah think that we were still living in a peaceful world.

‘…Even though I don’t want her to pick up a sword…’

I thought she needed to be strong enough to protect herself.

Not as strong as the Celestial Sword in my past life, who was burdened by everyone’s expectations, but strong enough to defend herself.

The Sword Venerable would have been the best person to train her, but he didn’t do that.

‘I wonder what he’s up to.’

I couldn’t understand it.

I didn’t think the Sword Venerable would live as a Gu Clan’s servant forever.

I didn’t know why he was staying in the Gu Clan, or why he wasn’t teaching Wi Seol-Ah how to use a sword.

‘It seems like he’s up to something.’

I believed that the old man, one of the Three Venerables, had something going on in his life.

But I needed to know what it was in detail, especially after seeing the Heavenly Demon in the Misty Mountains.

I thought of that dark child, and looked at Wi Seol-Ah, who was sobbing in front of me.

‘They are different.’

They were definitely different people.

Their smiles might look similar, and their strange aura might feel similar, but she and that bastard were completely different.

‘I can’t say that they have no relation…’

But I had to tell myself that with certainty.

“Young Master.”

“Huh?”

“Again, you’re having a different thought, right…?”

“…No, I’m not.”

She caught me.

My habit of falling into my thoughts could be a big problem in a fight, so I had to fix it.

But it wasn’t easy.

“Really? Are you not lying?”

“…Of course not.”

“That’s not true, Young Master’s face right now is the one you have when you lie…”

“Wha, what is that expression.”

“A very weird one.”

“…?”

She sounded too blunt, even with her sobbing voice.

How cruel.

I saw her sniffle her nose a few more times, and the sky was turning darker.

It was getting colder too.

I didn’t feel it much, but Wi Seol-Ah would.

We had to go down now.

“Let’s go now, it’s going to get colder-”

Grab.

I tried to tell her that we should go, but Wi Seol-Ah came closer and buried herself in my arms.

I wanted to tell her that we should leave, but I heard her sniffle quietly in my arms.

I couldn’t speak, and I rubbed her small back to calm her down.

I also gave her some heat with my hand, so she wouldn’t get cold.

She tightened her grip on me. It felt like she wouldn’t let me go easily.

‘But… she’s stronger than I expected?’

It felt like my ribs would break if I endured Wi Seol-Ah’s hold for longer.

An ordinary person without any Qi might have actually broken.

“Let’s really go now. Hongwa will get angry.”

Not at me, but at you.

“…Ouungh.”

“That’s a yes, right…?”

She nodded her head in my arms, as if saying yes.

Was this enough?

I hoped so.

“Let’s go.”

“…Kay.”

I held Wi Seol-Ah’s hand so she wouldn’t trip, but it felt colder than usual.

Maybe it was because of the weather.

We walked slowly down the mountain before the sky got darker.

Wi Seol-Ah didn’t say a word to me.

She just sniffled quietly.

And I kept thinking about how her hand became warmer, even though I didn’t give her any heat.

**********

While Wi Seol-Ah was scolded by Hongwa after coming back from the mountain, Tang Soyeol was still outside the clan.

She wanted to talk to Gu Yangcheon, who had returned, but she had something else to do.

She was in the streets of Shanxi, where Gu Yangcheon often bought snacks.

‘…Phew.’

The streets were crowded with people in all seasons, but not the biggest street in Shanxi.

It was the closest to the Gu Clan, so it might have been the safest place in Shanxi.

But Tang Soyeol gasped when she saw the building that was being built in the center of the street.

‘…They are really building it?’

It used to be a bar, but it was closed down.

Now a bigger building was being built, for a famous business.

Tang Soyeol knew about this business.

She had received a letter about it, and it was well-known in the world.

The building that was being built was the business of the Moyong Clan of Liaoning.

Tang Soyeol stood still and watched the building being built.

Then someone spoke to her.

“You came early.”

“…You called me here.”

“Indeed. I did call you here.”

A lady who suited the cold night of spring.

The Snow Phoenix of the Moyong Clan. Moyong Hi-ah talked to Tang Soyeol.

She smiled and hid her face with a pretty fan that didn’t match the cold weather.

“But still, I didn’t mean for you to come right away.”

“Is that really true?”

“…Though it is possible that I did a little bit.”

Moyong Hi-ah’s slightly alluring movements were attractive to Tang Soyeol, who was also a girl.

A swamp that you couldn’t escape once you fell in.

That was what Moyong Hi-ah was as a woman in Tang Soyeol’s eyes.

“So, why did Lady Moyong call me here… can I get the answer to that?”

Tang Soyeol was startled when she got the letter from her, but she didn’t refuse it.

It was from Moyong Hi-ah, after all.

But she stuttered a bit, because she hadn’t seen Gu Yangcheon yet.

Moyong Hi-ah noticed that, and her eyes curved like half-moons.

“We should go inside first. It’s cold outside.”

“Can we?”

“Of course. I heard that the first floor is finished already.”

She finished her sentence and walked into the building.

Tang Soyeol stared at her back, and Moyong Hi-ah stopped and looked at her.

“Don’t worry. It should be good news for Lady Tang as well.”

“…Huh?”

She hinted that she would tell her more inside, and entered the building.

Tang Soyeol hesitated for a bit, then followed her.

And so, the two ladies’ conversation lasted until late at night.

**********

It was well past midnight, but the Lord’s room of the Gu Clan was still lit.

Gu Cheolun had a lot of things to deal with.

The trouble that Gu Yangcheon caused…

The Murim Alliance’s action to finalize the deal with the Black Palace…

The Palace Lord’s disappearance…

The incident with Gu Huibi…

And the business with the Moyong Clan.

The letters on his desk were piled up higher than ever.

It was understandable that Gu Cheolun was exhausted after leaving the clan for a long time, but his expression was emotionless.

He worked silently.

Flutter- Flutter-

The room was filled with candlelight and the sound of him opening letters.

He repeated those movements for a long time, until…

Pause-

He stopped.

He put aside everything on his desk and straightened his posture.

A guest had arrived.

“Please come in.”

Slide-

Someone opened the door and entered the room.

“I apologize for visiting so late.”

“It is not an issue.”

The guest who came at midnight was the Sword Venerable.

Gu Cheolun looked at him. His face was haggard and anxious, and his mighty presence seemed weaker.

Gu Cheolun knew why he came so late.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t support you for what happened recently.”

“It’s fine.”

Gu Cheolun knew that the Sword Venerable wouldn’t act just for Gu Huibi.

He had something else to do.

He asked the Sword Venerable.

“The reason you visited me, is it because the preparation is finished?”

He asked calmly.

The Sword Venerable nodded his haggard head.

“…Correct.”

It was a quiet night, so quiet that it was strange.

There was no sound of crickets in the silent midnight.

The Sword Venerable spoke without opening his eyes.

“As soon as the Immortal Healer is done preparing… I will leave.”

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Footnotes:

• 1For reference, it is the same “Young Master” but different in Korean. Also, she added “Young Master GU” for the first time, as to speak in a more formal way which is why Yangcheon is so confused