731 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 731 of "The Best in the World’s Childhood Friend" - Northern Hare: Web Novel Archive - I do not permit it. Cheonbong Gyeolguk, one of the hundred great masters and the guardian of the Shaolin sect chief, spoke firmly. - Yuyeon, do you realize what you're saying right now? - I do. Despite his resolute demeanor, Yuyeon did not waver. - I wish to face him. - And so, you're asking me to alter the fight schedule? Do you really think that's a feasible request? Yuyeon wanted to face So Yeomra in the fourth round of the main competition. That's why he came to Gyeolguk Cheonbong with his request. Upon hearing this, Cheonbong's expression turned stern. - This selection was made impartially by the league... - Everyone knows it isn’t fair anymore. Yuyeon's words caused Cheonbong to scowl. - What did you say? Are you implying—! - Yet, I also believe it’s the will of Buddha. After all, I am a member of Shaolin. There was meaning in this as well. Even if it was something he couldn't quite understand, if the sect head, Cheonan, accepted and attempted it, it was akin to Buddha's decree. Yuyeon sought to understand it in that way. However. - ...Please, just this once, listen to my wishes. - Yuyeon! - I must meet him before it’s too late. Throb—! Every movement brought a sharp pain in his chest. Enduring it, Yuyeon thought. Before it was too late. Before he sustained more injury. While he still had the power to show. He had to meet him at any cost. - Yuyeon, do you not grasp the significance this martial gathering holds for Shaolin? - I understand. That’s precisely why I have stepped forward. - Knowing that, and yet...! - But this is something I must do. Yuyeon exhaled slowly and spoke to Gyeolguk Cheonbong who stood before him. - Because I am the one who must become the roof of Shaolin. - ...! - One day, I must stand at the summit under Shaolin’s name. He was well aware of the expectations Shaolin had placed upon him. How could he not? He knew too well, which made his life all the more sorrowful. - Thus, I must confront him. He steadied his voice that threatened to tremble. - Otherwise, the regrets that will linger until my dying day will become the wall I cannot climb. - ...Sigh...! - I will keep reliving these regrets as I recall this moment, which will in turn hinder my path forward. - You... With a conflicted face, Cheonbong responded to Yuyeon's words. - Are you threatening me by betting yourself? - Namu Amita Buddha. Yuyeon did not deny it. If his request wasn’t granted, he would be ensnared in a demon heart and unable to achieve anything. And that would mean even Shaolin's hopes wouldn’t come true. Yuyeon’s words carried that implication. - This brat... truly...! Understanding the meaning behind Yuyeon’s words, Gyeolguk Cheonbong was about to explode in anger but— - Enough. - ...! A voice from behind caused the elder to halt. - Let it be. It was Cheonan, the chief of Shaolin. - ...But... - Listen to the boy’s wishes. I’ll personally convey the message to the swordmaster. - Sect chief...! Though Gyeolguk Cheonbong spoke in shock, Cheonan merely gazed silently at Yuyeon, who knelt down. - Yuyeon. - ...Yes. - Is that truly your desire? - ...I am sorry. - No, don't apologize. What you intend to do might also be the will of Buddha. Even if it seems unreasonable, granting it isn’t a difficult task. Cheonan dragged his aging body closer to him. - What we seek to do is also an unreasonable task diverging from our intentions, after all. Yuyeon couldn’t muster any response to his self-spoken words. Cheonan’s voice was heavy with sadness. - Considering we've forsaken our principles, we must appear quite muddied in your eyes. - That’s not true... - I understand. We only follow what we believe we must do, inadequate as it is to rid us of our guilt. Cheonan gently stroked Yuyeon's hair with a soothing touch. - Do as you wish. But... His gentle caress paused after a few more strokes. - Don’t forget the place you must return to in the end. - ... The place he must reach. The summit he must stand upon under the name of Shaolin. - Yes... I will remember... Yuyeon replied, biting his lip against the weighty solemnity in his voice. It was a coerced opportunity he had received this way. And thus, came the chance he had obtained. Crunch—! “…!” Seeing the world collapsing, Yuyeon's eyes quivered. ‘…What…?’ What exactly happened? He pondered but didn’t linger on the thought. Yuyeon's staggering form was swiftly moving. Crack—! An impact surged from the left. He immediately twisted his body. “Click.” Accompanied by a short click of the tongue, Yuyeon was struck back. Crash—! “Ugh!!” Thud—! He was scattered. Golden afterimages continually flickered in the air. These were remnants formed from his own energy, fragments of the Hwangagyeongnam. Broken, crushed, and extinguished. Even the impenetrable technique of Shaolin had been shattered by a mere bare hand. ‘Impossible…!’ Yuyeon gritted his teeth and moved. He tried to widen the distance, but could not. Before he knew it, his collar was seized, halting any chance to escape. Hwangagyeongnam was supposed to prevent an opponent from closing in. It certainly should have been. Yet, his opponent, unfazed, crushed and penetrated his armor with a simple hand. And then— Whack—! Crack—!! The armor shattered as a fist was driven through it. “Gah!” The force immediately assailed Yuyeon. The armor wrapping his body was destroyed. Pain pierced his core, bringing him to his knees. Thud. “Huff... Ugh...?” As he coughed up pain, he thought. It was an unbelievable situation. What had happened? ‘Certainly... certainly.' At the start of the duel, he charged in, deploying Hwangagyeongnam to seize the advantage. And then. And then…? ‘It shattered…’ Shattered. Hwangagyeongnam was ground up by his opponent’s touch. Rattle. As the energy fell to the ground, Yuyeon lifted his head. The opponent was already looming over him, looking down. Barely thirty seconds had passed since the start. In that brief time, Yuyeon was already kneeling. “I told you, didn’t I?” Flinch. Yuyeon’s body trembled in response to his opponent’s voice. “You could die if you mess up.” “...” Blue eyes. Despite the instinct to look away from the piercing gaze, Yuyeon mustered the courage to hold it. “Tsk. How do you intend to fight looking like that? Even now, you can’t maintain yourself properly.” His tone was indifferent, leaving Yuyeon momentarily speechless. He was right. Yuyeon couldn’t control his energy well due to the wound in his chest. Because of that, he was far weaker than usual and couldn’t perform the movements he desired. ‘Even so.’ He shouldn’t have fallen in such a humiliating way. So why had it come to this? Yuyeon already knew the reason. ‘…He’s strong.’ His opponent was simply strong. The young man standing before him—his ideal and goal—was exceedingly powerful. That’s all there was to it. Clench. He tightened his fist. Then he got back to his feet. Intense pain pierced his chest. Was it a result of the rebound? As Yuyeon pondered this and prepared to resume the fight— Thud—! “Gah!” A sudden kick lifted Yuyeon off the ground. Rolling with the impact, Yuyeon struggled to regain his stance and anticipate the next attack. However. “…Hoo…huff….” Gu Yangcheon stood, unmoving, before him. What was he planning next? As Yuyeon endured the pain and observed, Gu Yangcheon slowly raised his hand. Zum. He conjured a powerful, sharp energy at his fingertips. Was he going to attack with that? Why would someone who uses fists create such an energy? How should he deal with it…? Swoosh—!! “…!!” The scene unfolding before Yuyeon's eyes widened in shock. “What are you doing—!” He exclaimed loudly. There was no other choice. Gu Yangcheon had sliced his own chest open with his energy. Drip. Blood flowed from the deep wound, staining his black robe. Though the color masked the depth, the severity of the injury was evident. “Benefactor---!!” “Shut up.” “…!” “Don’t shout. It’s me who’s in pain, not you. People might think it’s you who’s bleeding.” Despite the apparent agony, Gu Yangcheon didn’t bat an eye. “You asked me to even the playing field.” “What does that—!” “Then isn’t this fair?” Gu Yangcheon chuckled, bleeding. “This way, you can’t make excuses.” “…Excuses?” Yuyeon grimaced in confusion at his words. “You can’t claim you lost because you were in pain. Or that your body didn’t obey you, even though you could have won.” “…!” With his explanation, Yuyeon was struck silent. Was he truly injuring himself this severely over something like that? It was absurd. “Even if that were the case...! No matter what, I would have accepted the outcome...!” “Fascinating. Why do you keep doing this to me?” Speaking, Gu Yangcheon raised his hand to the air. “At first, I thought you disliked me... but that doesn’t seem to be it. Well, even if it isn’t.” Then. “I’m doing this because I want to. So keep quiet.” Wh-o-o-o-o-o-m!!! An enormous flame erupted from Gu Yangcheon’s fingertip into the air. The blue fire shot up endlessly toward the sky. Yuyeon watched, feeling his body tremble uncontrollably. All of that was his ki. Even letting it out for a few seconds would exhaust his core. Yet Gu Yangcheon was releasing it for ten seconds. Twenty. Over dozens of seconds. After expelling flames for such an unreasonably long time— “I think that's enough.” Gu Yangcheon halted the flames and turned to Yuyeon. “I’ve depleted half. Half of my energy.” With those words, Yuyeon understood. Not only had Gu Yangcheon injured himself, but he had also drained his own energy. For one reason alone. “Now I should be closer to your level.” To mirror Yuyeon’s condition. Such were the losses and injuries he had incurred just for that. He had done this without hesitation. “How about now? Do you feel more capable?” “…Benefactor….” “I was going to do it before the fight began.” Swoosh. Gu Yangcheon wiped his chest. Merely moving his hand coated it in blood. “I didn’t think you’d charge at me like an idiot right from the start. Are you stupid? Why expend energy recklessly when you're injured? That’s insane.” “…That’s…” “You said you wanted to beat me. That’s not how it works. Unless you plan to lose, that’s nonsensical. Ah, were you planning to lose?” “I was not….” Yuyeon gritted his teeth and stood. The surroundings were eerily silent. The voices that once cheered for him had long since fallen silent. The flames he spewed and his previous actions had overwhelmed everyone nearby. Every gaze now fixed on Gu Yangcheon, not him. But rather than feeling robbed, he felt indifferent. Perhaps, he thought, this was what he had been hoping for all along. His body may be in pain, but his mind was clearer than it had ever been. “I will defeat you.” “Alright.” His statement was unwavering. Hearing it, Gu Yangcheon chuckled. “I sensed it earlier too. It’s refreshing.” “...” “No one in this lifetime has ever said that to me. They all realized it only after getting beaten to a pulp.” Drip—! The flow of blood thickened. Gu Yangcheon made no move to staunch the bleeding. “But you’re different…. I wonder why.” “...” Yuyeon offered no response to his question. He couldn’t quite define what he was feeling. If it was admiration, then it was admiration. If respect, perhaps that too. From the outside, it appeared to be competitive spirit. But in essence, perhaps it was those two things. That was what Yuyeon thought. “Did I ever do something to you? I don’t think so.... Not yet, anyway.” Even if Gu Yangcheon couldn’t remember, it didn’t matter. As long as Yuyeon remembered, that was enough. With silent resolve, Yuyeon raised his fists. “…Thank you for your consideration. I have regained my composure.” Adopting a more formal stance, Yuyeon bowed as a gesture of gratitude. "I will treat this with all sincerity." "...Hmm." Gu Yangcheon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly at the sight. "Ah... honestly." He mixed a sigh into his words as he continued. "The more I see you, the more I like you. Though I really shouldn’t." What could that mean? As Yuyeon pondered over it, Gu Yangcheon took a step forward. In that instant— Whoooshhhh—!! An immense energy began to surge from Gu Yangcheon's body. "Guh... huh...!?" Tremble, tremble. Yuyeon's body started shaking uncontrollably, more violently than ever before. The instant he confronted the energy, his muscles felt as if they were solidifying. What on earth is this? Is it murderous intent? He recalled the previous encounter. The violent clash between Jin Imsuk and Bi Seongdo. Yuyeon had witnessed overwhelming murderous intent there. It had been shocking. How could a person exude such fierce killing intent? Such thoughts filled his mind, yet— 'Th-this is...' This was incomparable. The energy was so terrifying it didn’t even seem right to call it mere killing intent. His mind threatened to unravel. "What was it you said?" Gu Yangcheon slowly approached Yuyeon. "Did you ask me to take it seriously?" As if mulling over Yuyeon's words, he echoed them back. "Alright. I'll respect that." His smile, instead of fading, grew wider. The energy fused with his fierce smile. For Gu Yangcheon, this was an unusual experience. Reaching a new realm and harnessing newfound insights for the first time. This was his first opportunity to unleash his full power in such a situation. Therefore, if there was one thing he hoped for— "Handle it." It was simply a small hope that this fight wouldn’t break Yuyeon.