689 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 689: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archive** For ages, this central land has revered martial arts. Countless Taoist doctrines have spread, with believers and practitioners differing in their perspectives. Yet, under the pursuit of enlightenment, even Taoists aim to master the martial arts. Cultivating energy within the dantian, imbuing the body, and gaining insight. They relentlessly strive to transcend human limitations and ascend higher as martial artists. Scaling steep cliffs. Climbing and climbing until... 'A higher cliff awaits.' Inevitably, a far steeper and harsher cliff looms ahead. There is no end. They say that's the nature of martial arts. 'What a maddening tale.' If one becomes complacent, they fall; if they wish to ascend, they must endure unimaginable hardships to climb. Yet, at the top of such a climb, does a summit truly exist? Even if it does, will I ever witness it? I wasn't sure. If there's purpose in climbing, and if that in itself is martial art, then... 'Why bother doing such a thing?' A thought that others might find outrageous, but one that hasn't changed since I first considered it. Once, a hidden dragon from a past life said to me: - There's something about you that just doesn't fit the name 'martial artist.' I thought he was right. I do not worship martial arts. I have no interest in climbing cliffs; if I wished, I could stop and fall at any moment. Even upon reaching enlightenment, my thoughts have not changed. I do it simply because it needs to be done. To me, martial arts are nothing more than that. No more, no less. 'But then.' What is it that makes these people so captivated by martial artists, I wonder? I simply cannot understand it. "Pae, it's the Paeng family! The Four Great Families have arrived!" Amidst voices rising once again, I turned my head. From a distance, the largest carriage I've ever seen was approaching. A black-edged red flag fluttered atop it — the emblem of the Paeng family, known as the Grand Sword family. Inside that carriage is likely... 'Paeng’s family head must be inside.' Blade King Paeng Zhou. I remembered meeting him briefly in Hanam once. 'A person with quite the impression of a fool.' The situation back then was quite unfortunate. Despite being the head of a prestigious family, he had a unique ambition twinkling in his eyes. Ambition and greed are universal and aren't unusual in themselves. 'But a family head should know to mask it.' His lack of intention to conceal his true nature made the Blade King seem terribly petty. 'Still, his children turned out quite well.' Recalling Paeng Ah Hee and Paeng Woo Jin leaves a complex feeling. His skills, bearing the moniker of King, surely aren't lacking. 'I sensed an inner demon.' There was an indescribable darkness lurking within him. Rumor had it that after losing to the Sword Master in the competition for the Murim Alliance Leader position, he had been in seclusion... 'Yet he's here now.' He surprisingly attended the martial festival. I thought his anger would keep him away. 'He won't participate, surely.' Being both the Blade King and family head, he would merely attend, not compete. I nodded, confident in my thoughts, just as I was about to sip my tea. "Paeng family, huh? Quite the prestige." "Indeed, it's one of the Four Great Families." From a neighboring walled-off space, voices drifted to my ears. Seemed like other patrons were there. And then. "Oh? You still call them the Four Great Families?" A slightly irksome conversation began. "The Tang family has long been out of the picture. Can you really call it the Four Great Families?" A sharp pause. I noticed Tang So Yeol, seated before me, momentarily freeze. "Oh dear... it just doesn't roll off the tongue anymore." "Careful where you say that, you might face some backlash. You ought to be cautious when talking about the Tang family." I continued to gaze out the window, avoiding looking at Tang So Yeol. What expression might she be wearing? What reaction might she display? I was curious but refrained from looking, knowing she might appreciate my indifference. While pretending ignorance and turning my gaze away. "It still chills me to know such a vile place bears the name of a righteous sect." A brittle leaf shattered in my mind. It was too early for leaves to fall. "I understand the Alliance Leader showed them mercy. But can they still call themselves righteous?" "Brother Ju, calm yourself." "Calm down, my foot! I've heard there's a rumor that a bloodline of the Tang family appeared in the martial festival. Have you heard of this?" "Are you referring to the Poison Phoenix?" A flinch. I sensed the presence. It was Tang So Yeol. "Indeed, the audacity to show up at the martial festival." "Is it truly a fact?" "I’m telling you, I heard it from Bang who works at the registration desk daily. He claimed he saw it." "Oh dear..." The chilly reactions kept grating my nerves. "They abducted parentless children for sinister deeds... where..." The rough words had me rising from my seat. Though my head was cool, the heat inside me became unbearable. But then. A gentle grip stopped me. It was Tang So Yeol. "No..." "…" Her eyes were wavering as she looked at me. "Young master... no... please don't." "...You..." "You know this is something I must bear. Thus, it’s okay." "..." "They're not wrong, after all. So it's okay. Therefore..." Though she was not responsible. Everything was conducted by the elders without the family head's knowledge. If viewed this way, her frustration was understandable. But Tang So Yeol, with a slight moisture in her eyes, didn't protest further. Neither did the Poison King. Regardless of his knowledge, it was the family head's duty to bear incidents within the sect. The bloodline followed this principle, and so did Tang So Yeol. "..." I sat back down, holding Tang So Yeol's gaze. If she insisted it was fine, stopping me, what else could I do? Just as I attempted to divert my gaze out the window. "Excuse me." A voice came from an unexpected source. Someone had addressed the men speaking, and upon seeing the culprit, my eyes widened. It was none other than Moyong Hee-ah. What is she up to all of a sudden? "I understand it’s a good day, but can you lower your voices a bit? There are others here as well," she said, smiling at the men while standing up. "Who the heck are you?" The man, who had been in a tirade, frowned and glared at her. "And who are you to interfere—!" "Ju, Ju Hyung!" The man found himself abruptly stopped by his companion next to him. "What’s the matter with you! This young lady just...!" "You call her a young lady? Watch your words, Ju Hyung! Look at her waist, will you?" "Huh…?" Listening to the prompting, the man widened his eyes. His gaze fell on the sword at Moyong Hee-ah's waist. Although her face was hidden beneath a veil, the sword was enough to imply she was a martial artist. "Uh…." His eyes landed on the hilt, and his lips pressed shut. His reaction suggested he wasn’t a martial artist himself. "Uh, well…." "Please try to keep it down. Surely, you can manage that much, right?" "Ah, yes, indeed…." Stammering, the man nodded. Moyong Hee-ah calmly returned to her seat, and the sight made me chuckle. "Didn't you not like doing things like that?" I asked. What she did was indeed surprising for me. Moyong Hee-ah typically despised unnecessary interventions, and noise in an inn was to be expected, making her actions seem a bit forced. Was it because the topic of the Tang family was bothersome? This was the part I found puzzling. 'It wasn't her concern.' The issue was related to the Tang family and didn’t involve Moyong Hee-ah. The man's words weren't incorrect either, much like Tang Soyeol asserted. It was intriguing why Moyong Hee-ah stepped in at all. "I don’t like it," she replied with a strange expression, nodding. "I don’t like it, but it just annoyed me," she added with a surprisingly emotional explanation, something almost unlike her. Hearing that, I couldn't help but laugh. "You did well." She looked at me as if I said something ridiculous. "Of all things, you praise this? Unbelievable…." “…When have I never praised you?" "No conscience, I swear. If you don’t have a clue, at least have some honesty." "…" "Just stay quiet." "Yes, ma'am." I sealed my lips at her sharp words. It wasn't easy; she was always intimidating. Tang Soyeol turned to say something to Moyong Hee-ah. "You don't need to thank me. I really just got annoyed." "…" "And please don’t apologize either. That would just annoy me further." Moyong Hee-ah cut her off, stopping her words. Watching Tang Soyeol purse her lips pathetically, Moyong Hee-ah sighed. "Pull yourself together. Straighten your back. You’re already small, and you look even smaller like this." "…" "If you’ve resolved to take responsibility, do so with dignity. That’s the only way to endure." "…Yes." Tang Soyeol nodded. Witnessing the two of them, I turned my head. Martial artists continued to pass by in the street outside. Listening to the reactions, it seemed a few well-known individuals had gone by. As I sipped some more tea... "Oh!" My ears pricked up at the sound. "It's the Hwangbo family!" I turned my gaze to find another carriage entering, adorned with fluttering yellow flags. Not only the flags but the entire carriage was decked in yellow. 'They’ve arrived.' Indeed. This was the reason I lingered here watching. I had been waiting for the Hwangbo family to arrive. As I followed the yellow flag with my eyes, a voice echoed in my ears. - We have arrived. It wasn’t Nahee’s voice. It was a much deeper and resonant voice, another one I had been waiting for. - I will meet you at the designated location as instructed. Hearing this, I promptly stood up. As I moved, Wiseol Ah beside me rose as well. Gently, I placed a hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to stay seated. "I’ll go first. Come at your own pace." "Huh? Aren’t you going to stay and watch more?" Moyong Hee-ah squinted at me. "Leaving midway again, are you." Her gaze was quite intimidating, nearly paralyzing. But I had to endure it. "…There’s something I need to do. Sorry. I’ll join you for dinner." "I have plans tonight." "…" Great, a misunderstanding. She turned her head slightly, seemingly upset. I could understand her reaction, given how many times I had left like this. But I had no other choice. "The Namgung family hasn’t arrived yet; are you okay missing that?" "They’ll naturally come. Besides, their daughter couldn’t even make it here." Namgung Bi-ah had to prioritize her recovery and was refraining from too much movement. Hence, she couldn't accompany us here. 'Even if she came, she wouldn't be interested in watching her own family.' She didn’t seem particularly intrigued by it. Lately, she’s seemed more distracted than ever. 'She seemed to have had quite a realization.' From the outside, it seemed so, though certainty eluded me. I hadn’t given it much thought. ‘After all, that’s probably more beneficial.’ Namgung Bi-ah’s sword skills will only sharpen with my indifference from afar. This is a decision based on such reasoning. Considering everyone around us is a genius, it's best to let things run their course. ‘Besides, I have plenty on my plate, too.’ With less than two days left until the martial festival began, it was time to finalize the last tasks. "See you later." Offering my farewells to the group, I headed out. My destination was my own quarters. ****************** With plenty of daylight still left. I escaped the noise and returned to my residence. Despite the buzz of voices just moments ago, the place now was eerily quiet. The silence was comforting to my ears, yet it weighed on my heart. Step. I took a step forward. Wooong—!! I felt something brush against me. A sensory barrier had been placed around my quarters. A rather elaborate and dense barrier at that. Feeling this, I couldn’t help but grin. “Damn, someone improved.” The thickness and intricacy of the barrier had grown significantly since I had first witnessed it. At first, it wasn’t this well-crafted. Given how it’s improved while I was away, it seems there's some talent at play. ‘Naturally. Considering his family name is ‘Je Gal’, after all.’ Thinking of his full name, it wasn’t surprising that he excelled in techniques related to barriers. Without stopping, I continued to move closer to my quarters. It was silent. Not a whisper to be heard. The unnatural quietness was palpable as I reached for the door and opened it. Creeeeak—! As the door opened, a figure inside caught my eye. A somewhat pale and slender young man looked back at me. I waved at him. “It’s been a while.” “Yeah….” Cheol Ji-seon. A descendant of the Je Gal family with the full name Je Gal Jin-seon. He nodded at me. Seeing him after several months, he seemed worn down and weary. “How's your health?” “Not great, to be honest….” “Glad to hear you’re good. That means more work coming your way.” “...” I teased him a little, causing his face to twist in a strange expression. As if wondering why I bothered to ask. “Just joking.” “…Doesn’t feel like a joke.” “It’s a joke, trust me. Don’t you believe me?” “…No, I do, I do….” Despite looking subdued, I knew that wasn’t entirely true. ‘He still says what he wants.’ While he may appear timid and hesitant, he has a surprising amount of nerve. ‘That’s why I entrusted him with work.’ Would someone without guts have gone to Hubei alone? Not likely. Looking at the skillfully placed barrier in the room, I asked Cheol Ji-seon, “You’ve improved a lot. Been working hard?” “Yeah, not bad, right?” He beamed, seemingly happy with the praise. A man who always had such an easy smile. Overjoyed with such brief commendation. But truthfully, the praise was genuine. The barrier he seemed to have erected was exceptional. ‘Is it based on formation techniques?’ It didn’t seem like something he did with sheer force. I was briefly curious about the mechanics and considered examining it but decided against it. Since my previous experience dismantling the Heavenly Silk Array had been troublesome, I thought better of it now. Instead of focusing on that, I turned my attention to someone else in the room. Another person was present, kneeling at the rear, looking in my direction. I took a step toward him. “How have you been?” I greeted him, and he replied in return. “…Yes….” It was the same voice that had sent me the transmitted message earlier. A frame that evoked memories of Elder Iljang or Tang Deok — large and imposing. Those massive muscles filled every inch of his massive frame. Clearly, a powerful figure and a martial artist specializing in martial combat. Rough, raw energy emanated from him. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to meet mine. “I greet the Great Cult Leader,” he intoned. His eyes were a shade of violet, a symbol of a demonic practitioner. Below them, his yellow martial robes were visible. These robes represented the Hwangbo family, and particularly, the white embroidery was unique to only one within the Hwangbo family. “Yes, nice to see you.” The meaning of these words was singular. “Mangho Nine Fists Hwangbo Yulwi.” The man before me was the head of the Hwangbo family. Moreover. “Are you prepared to ascend among the Four Great Families?” It meant he was a demonic practitioner whom I had corrupted.