666 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 666: The Northern Rabbit There was a time when things weren’t as graceful as they are now. "Hey." Back when I was known as Seolbong rather than by my name. A time from days long forgotten by everyone. When we kept our edges sharp to avoid each other. Despite us not being on terms to exchange pleasantries if we crossed paths, she always seemed to come looking for me. Seeing Seolbong seeking me out made me frown deeply. Though she was the same, Seolbong spoke curtly as she looked at me. "Let's eat." "I'm not eating." Coming out of nowhere to talk about food? It was both bewildering and familiar. Whenever Seolbong sought me out, it was either to talk about food or to hurl insults. "Just eat. Everyone else has already started." "Is that even food?" It wasn't decent food. We only managed to cook some monster meat, just enough to stave off hunger. Especially in times like these when there was nothing substantial, everyone was trying to endure their hunger. Upon hearing my words, Moyong Huia looked at me with a pitiful expression. "Are you really going to be picky here? Just eat what you get." "I said I'm not eating. Are your ears blocked? Why are you making me repeat myself?" "What, are you planning to starve to death?" "Might be better than living here." Smack-! "Argh!" Pain jolted through as my head spun. Seolbong had hit the back of my head as she approached. It hurt so much I almost passed out. "You crazy woman...!" Just as I was about to vent my rising fury at Seolbong. "While everyone else is struggling to survive, don't talk nonsense." I hesitated under Seolbong's gaze. "I know you're slow-witted. I know you look like someone who could die any day." "Then why bother coming to annoy me? You hate me, don't you?" "Yes, I do. I despise people like you who don't value their lives." "Then why..." "But I won't let you die like this." "Huh...?" She says she hates it but won't just let me die? What kind of nonsense is that? Just as a surge of irritation was about to escape my lips. "The food's not going to be any less if you eat a bit more. So don't worry and just come eat." "...!" Seolbong's words made my mouth shut. "Do you think we don't know? Everyone knows why you're doing this. So don't act like a fool and come eat. You're too weak to stand watch and fend off the monsters." "...Damn it. What are you talking about? I'm out here because I don't even want to see your faces." I tried to explain, but Seolbong looked unfazed. "I don't know what you're trying to do. I don't care, so I won't even say thanks." "Why would you say that to me? I'm only doing this because I want to die, so just leave me!" Only after shouting did Seolbong finally leave without adding another word. Thinking back, I might have understood why Seolbong seemed so obsessed with life. It was likely her own illness that drove her to struggle more than anyone else here. To her eyes, I must have been a truly despicable person. I couldn't care less if I died and barely had any desire to live. Even now, looking back, I was someone I'd want to tear apart. No doubt, I would've done so. I was that foolish. Hence, what puzzled me more was this. Shortly after our heated argument. Seolbong appeared before me again not long after. "I told you to just leave, why are you back..." I scowled at Seolbong who appeared once again. She was holding something hefty in her arms this time. "Eat." It was monster meat. Food she had gone out of her way to procure. "Wow, you really are a crazy woman, aren't you?" "Yes, I'm crazy. So eat." This is driving me insane. Why bring this here? What am I even doing sitting here like I’m some kind of fugitive? And there’s so much of it. Enough that there’ll surely be others who can’t eat. "So, what do you expect me to do with all this?" "If you don’t eat, I’ll bring even more. And if you refuse again, I’ll just toss it all on the ground so no one can eat it." "Huh...?" No matter what I said, Seolbong genuinely intended to carry this out. Her eyes were serious. She really would toss it all if I didn’t eat. But why? Why go to such lengths for me? Unable to grasp it, I stared at Seolbong. "So, just eat." Seolbong repeated her initial words to me. "And live. If the situation is unavoidable, fine. But if you can survive, then live." "...You." An abnormal obsession with life. For a woman who seemed flawless, she appeared to be somehow broken. Why was she so fixated? Back then, I couldn’t comprehend the reason. I was too young and lacking to realize anything at the time. One thing I did know, however, was that both Seolbong and I were twisted in some similar way. And in that, I found a faint sense of kinship. That must have been why. "Tsk." The reason I, despite my pride, accepted the food. And later, when Seolbong asked me for a sacrifice and I agreed without much fuss. All of it was likely because of this brief memory. "...Why are you looking at me like that?" Moyong Huia tilted her head at my gaze. Yes, it’s not Seolbong (雪鳳), but Moyong Huia. "It’s just, an old memory came to mind suddenly." "An old memory? When? Was it when we first met?" "Something like that." "Now that you mention it, it’s been years already. You were prettier back then, you know." Moyong Huia remarked wistfully. I found that funny. How much time has passed, really? "You're laughing again. What's so funny? Or was I really prettier back then and that's it?" "Who knows." After a moment’s thought, I blurted out. "I didn’t realize it back then. But now, you seem beautiful." "...What did you say?" During those days, I barely had the energy to notice Moyong Huia's face. Back then, I didn't even try to look at her, but now everything seemed so different. "You don't frown at me anymore." Well, sometimes you do, but the emotions in your eyes aren't unpleasantly so. That's why I make an effort to see you more these days. And well, I've realized you are a bit pretty. "W-what is this all of a sudden?" Hearing my words, Moyong Huia's face turned bright red. Her skin was so pale that it was quite noticeable. "Did I misspeak...? No, that's not it... How strange..." "How could you see a person like that?" "Are you feeling ill, noble sir? Lady Shini didn't mention anything..." "Who's saying I'm sick...? Wait a moment." There was something about Moyong Huia's words that snagged my attention. "Why bring up Lady Shini here?" "Ah." At my point, Moyong Huia's face showed a fleeting expression of realization. "Don't tell me... Have you been hearing about my condition from Lady Shini?" "No, of course not." "..." I looked at her with suspicion. Though I trusted that Lady Shini wouldn’t casually share her patient's health details. I really believed she wouldn't. "It's hot. Isn't it really hot, noble sir? Let's go get something cool." Moyong Huia, trying to change the subject, began walking ahead. I watched her back and chuckled to myself. "Goodness." Moyong Huia rarely made mistakes, but when she did, she got quite flustered. That made her seem a bit cute... '...Hmm?' I halted my thoughts midway. Cute? Did I just think Moyong Huia was cute? 'I must be really tired.' I must not be in my right mind. Otherwise, there was no way I would think that. Shaking my head, I hurried to catch up with Moyong Huia who walked ahead. "Wait up. Let's go together." Even with her ears turning red, Moyong Huia didn’t stop walking despite my call. ****************** Even after checking a few more inns, there wasn’t any sign of unusual activity. It was fortunate enough, given the abnormalities seen earlier with the merchant group and the inns. By the time we finished, it was well into the afternoon. "With that, the merchant tasks are done," said Moyong Huia, now holding a stack of letters. Hearing this, I frowned deeply. "Merchant tasks, you say?" "Huh?" "So, there's more work left?" Startled, I asked, and Moyong Huia smiled. "Don't worry. What's left won't take long." So, there is more, huh. "...Do you usually have this much work?" "No. It's reconciliation day, which happens every couple of months. These surprise checks make staffing adjustments easier." Staffing adjustments... Obviously, she meant people, not actual water. "So, it just so happened I got dragged out today?" "It's not coincidence. I purposely chose today to bring you along." "What...?" "That way, it's a good excuse to keep you around longer." Moyong Huia continued walking, her voice carrying its usual lilting tone. And she still held onto my arm tightly as she led me. Unlike the earlier rounds in the city, we were now walking through a forest path. "Where are we headed now?" It certainly didn’t seem like a place for a merchant group. Being summer, it was especially buggy, hot, and humid. Knowing how much Moyong Huia detested insects, I created a protective barrier around us to keep them away. "The leader has been working on a project recently." "A project?" "Yes. We've acquired some land in the forest to construct a building." I had heard about that. Even Bumdong had come looking for it before. "Because Dongdong landed on the property Baihua Merchant Group purchased, right?" As I recalled that, it clicked. "This place..." "Yes, it's the very place, noble sir. Where you arrived." The spot where I had come riding on Dongdong. "That's why we're tightening the grip on our associated merchants and inns a bit more." "What are you planning to build there?" "A security bureau." "...What?" Immediately, my eyebrows knitted in confusion. A security bureau? "Baihua Merchant Group is setting up a security bureau?" "Yes." It didn't make sense. A merchant group establishing a security bureau wasn't unusual. Especially now, with monsters rampant, it wasn’t uncommon for merchants to set up their own security. They couldn't always hire martial experts for protection, so sometimes they ran their own bureaus. Given this context... "Baihua Merchant Group already has one." The Baihua Merchant Group already operated a security bureau. The Baihua Security Bureau, if I recalled correctly? I’d heard they ran it together with their main operations, and now... "Setting up another bureau in Hanam?" Out of all places, Hanam. It was under the sect’s control, where neither the Martial Alliance nor the Shaolin let others set up a bureau lightly. Moreover... "Did the Alliance approve this?" To set up a bureau there, they’d need formal approval from the Alliance. But I hadn’t heard anything about such approval being granted. "That part still hasn’t been approved... But the leader has a way, she said." A way, she said. If Madam Mi stated so, then indeed, something was up. "So, you're buying land and starting the construction regardless?" "Yes. Since preparations started today, we’re on our way to see it." Not long after she said those words, sounds resonated from within the forest. Thud-! Thud-! - "Watch out for that tree over there!" - "Mr. Jang!! The framework over here doesn't fit!!" It seemed like the master carpenters were hard at work constructing a building. Is that the direction we're supposed to head? Just as I was about to walk towards the noise. "Not that way, noble sir." "Hmm?" Moyong Huia tugged my arm, leading us in a different direction. "Where are we going? The construction is over there, right?" "The building can wait. They only started today, so there's no need to see it right now." "Uh?" "What we—no, specifically you, noble sir, need to see isn’t the building, but the people." "What?" See the people? Her unexpected remark left me puzzled. As we walked along, we stumbled upon a clearing not too far ahead. It didn't look like a naturally formed place. Rather, it seemed to have been deliberately cleared. And from there, I sensed a dense aura. 'What's going on?' A group of people gathered in the clearing, exuding this palpable energy. It was remarkably intense. Even a rough estimate suggested there were several dozen individuals. 'They're all at least first-rate.' Each person's level was extraordinary. "Who are these people?" Confused about the situation, I turned to ask Moyong Huia. "They're all candidate escorts." "...?" All these people are escorts? And they're only candidates? 'But why are their levels so high?' First-rate level escorts would typically be at least Minor Escort Leaders, but these aren't even full escorts yet. I was about to voice my confusion when Moyong Huia continued, seemingly catching onto my thoughts. "The leader seems to be planning something special with this security bureau." "So, they gathered this level of talent?" The minimum standard was first-rate, with some even surpassing that. Most of these people were overqualified to merely serve as escorts. "Anyway, we hope you'll lend a hand, noble sir." "...What exactly do you want me to help with?" "You need to select seven of them... It would be great if you could help us identify the most suitable ones." "..." They wanted me to be the judge. A judge to select escorts, nonetheless. With a sense of incredulity, I laughed quietly and looked around at the assembled group. The faces of the dozens of people were far from thrilled. Understandably so, being gathered under the scorching sun for evaluation couldn't sit well with anyone. Especially considering many were in their young, fiery prime. Observing those around me, I noted: 'Fifteen first-rate, nine peak, and even a seasoned peak-level individual?' It's fascinating they gathered individuals of such caliber for a role like this. As I scanned each face briefly, my gaze paused. "...Huh?" My attention fixated on someone at the very back of the group. Amongst the others showing clear signs of irritation, one person stood out with a peculiar lack of expression. I found my eyes glued in that direction. '...What is this?' Instantly, my eyes widened as I recognized not only a familiar face but also one that should never be here. Our eyes met. The person had already noticed me, offering a casual wave of the hand upon eye contact. It seemed intended as a greeting. Yet, I couldn't reciprocate. Why on earth... '...Why is that person here?' Why is the Heavenly Demon here of all places? I couldn't possibly grasp what was happening.