772 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Fighter's Childhood Friend - Chapter 772: Northern Rabbit As evening still lingered on the horizon, lanterns slowly began to awaken around the quarters. The sky was draped in hues of dusk, as if in reverent anticipation of the moon's ascent. A gentle breeze began to announce the arrival of autumn—a season of transformation. Nestled within the confines of the living quarters was a small, inconspicuous storage room. Inside, a myriad of individuals had gathered, each a testament to unique personalities and varied traits—as distinct as autumn leaves. Be it gender, martial arts prowess, or even the clothes they wore, there were no similarities amongst them. Yet, a singular thread wove them together: they were all bound to the command of one individual. They moved solely at the behest of this one's orders, incapable of deviating from a command once issued. This gathering was yet another consequence of such an order. Among those assembled was a woman with short, raven-black hair, known simply as Bongsoon. Her eyes fixated on a man secluded in the corner. "Ugh...ughhh…" A low moan escaped from the shadows. The sound was of a groan resonating from a behemoth of a man, whose stature, if upright, might scrape the ceiling. With muscles as potent as an iron grip, he was reported as possibly the strongest among those present. Even Bongsoon herself was certain of her defeat should they clash. "Ughhh...urrhhh…" Yet this very man was reduced to quivering on the floor, forehead pressed into the ground. For two days, she had heard rumors of his condition. Sweat poured off him, giving the appearance of a man with sealed strength. For the second day, he remained in this pitiful stance. Although such a sight provoked an inherent sympathy, none in the room dared express pity for the man. No one even gazed in his direction, for such was forbidden. Perched atop the man was a young figure. As long as the young man remained, such insolence was impossible. Gulp. Bongsoon swallowed, her throat dry, eyes trembling as she surveyed the scene. '...Terrifying.' Fear gnawed at her—a feeling alien to Bongsoon, who rarely succumbed to such dread. The root of it all was her master—the man she served, her savior, and one fated to sow his seed within her. Known to her as the Cult Leader, he was the source of it all. 'The Cult Leader... Why, why is he so angry?' She hid her trembling hands as her throat worked to swallow her apprehension. She was not alone. All present were acutely aware of his mood. Typically scowling or wearing an expression of irritation, today was different. Today, he wore a mask of indifference while sitting atop the punished man, Dangeok. A face devoid of emotion, seemingly detached, yet the reality was starkly different. Everyone in the room felt their survival instincts kicking into overdrive. 'The Cult Leader... he's furious.' That was rage incarnate. From his impassive exterior, an aura seeped forth, so potent it filled the room, as if drowning it in a darkness that devoured light. Breath became difficult to find, leaving one to ponder what could have invoked such wrath—a sensation akin to grasping lungs tight. In that dread, Bongsoon found a peculiar realization. 'Exhilarating...' A sensation not entirely unwelcome—though perilously close to addiction. Just when the overwhelming allure threatened to engulf Bongsoon wholly... "...Ughh…." A strained, breathless sound escaped from Dangeok, shifting under the young man's scrutiny. "Is it hard?" "N-No... Not at all..." "That's right, it shouldn't be." A sly smile crept onto the young man's lips, causing everyone around to tremble. "If a fool who doesn't even bother listening finds this hard, that's not right, is it?" "...I-I'm sorry." "Apologies? None needed. You probably didn't listen because it was unnecessary." A sudden pressure descended. "Urgh..." The weight must have increased, for Dangeok gasped for breath. "Such a mighty Guiakchang has no need to heed my words, right?" "Ugh...!" "I thought I told you to wrap it up and prepare for reinforcements, but you forgot because fighting was too fun? Is that your excuse? You think I planned this operation just for fighting?" "...My apologies..." Now even Dangeok's colossal arms began to shake. Witnessing his massive arms tremble was a strange sight indeed. After pressing down for quite some time, the young man spoke up. "Hey." "Y-Yes...?" The young man, Guyangcheon, addressed Cheoljiseon beside him, while Dangeok continued to writhe in torment. "Just between us, hypothetically speaking." "...What?" "What if... we were to eliminate the Hwangbo clan from the equation, would that be problematic?" "...Huh?" Had he misheard? Cheoljiseon couldn't help but twist his face in disbelief at Guyangcheon's words. "What do you mean by that?" "Literally. What if we consider removing Hwangbo from the picture?" "..." To eliminate Hwangbo from the current scenario? Even considering such an act... Cheoljiseon quickly concluded his thoughts. Truth be told, he knew the answer the moment the question was posed. "It would be problematic, wouldn't it?" Extremely, excruciatingly problematic—so much so that figuring out where to start would be near impossible. And yet. "Do you have some kind of plan?" Cheoljiseon trusted Guyangcheon. This friend of his never spoke without reason—it must have been intentional this time as well. Though his conviction remained unshaken... "No." "Huh...?" The answer left Cheoljiseon bewildered. "Something just ticked me off a bit. Had a mind to just scrap everything." "What do you..." Words bordering on madness? Cheoljiseon bit back his response with difficulty. "Never mind. Just half-joking." "..." Half genuine, then? Just how alarming was that? Could he truly be unaware of the dread it inspired? "Is the Hwangbo clan the reason you're angry?" "Hmm?" Guyangcheon donned an enigmatic expression at Cheoljiseon's inquiry. "What are you talking about? I'm not angry." "..." "...?" "Ugh..." Yeah, right. Everyone in the room shared a common thought. It seemed the person in question was utterly unaware. Guyangcheon appeared oblivious to just how dark and intense the emotions he was exuding had become. Should someone tell him? Cheoljiseon pondered for a moment but quickly dismissed the thought. 'If I say something wrong, I'll get hurt.' Experience had taught him that trying to correct matters would only result in his own suffering. Best to pretend ignorance for now. With that conclusion, Cheoljiseon swallowed dryly. Then. "Oh, by the way, what about that?" Guyangcheon asked, causing Cheoljiseon to tilt his head in curiosity. "About what?" "The matter of the Zegal clan's capture on their mission." "Ah..." With the follow-up explanation, Cheoljiseon finally understood. Descendants of the Zegal clan who had opposed the League. He knew Guyangcheon had planned to use that uprising to his advantage. Guyangcheon was asking if it was really okay. "What does it matter?" Cheoljiseon replied with a gaze that had turned slightly cold. "They aren't the real thing. It doesn't matter what happens to them." "Hmm." A cold, dry response. Guyangcheon nodded slightly at that answer. The strategy to use the Pildo Ma as a sacrificial pawn. Before executing it, Guyangcheon had discussed it with Cheoljiseon. There would be mentions of the Zegal clan, and the plan was to involve their descendants. The public perception of the Zegal clan might become more negative as a result—was he okay with that? Cheoljiseon asked only one thing in return: Would the promise to restore the Zegal clan's honor remain unchanged? To this, Guyangcheon had nodded affirmatively. At most, three years. Within that time frame, he assured that the Zegal clan would be restored to its former glory. "Keep your promise." "Of course." As he answered, Guyangcheon studied Cheoljiseon closely. "They aren't the real thing, huh." The Pildo Ma aren't the real deal. That particular phrase rankled him. "In a previous life, Pildo Ma served as the escort division for Cheonyuranga." Such a historical fact had now cloaked itself in mystery. The Pildo Ma were actually descendants of the Zegal clan. Cheonyuranga, too, was linked—could this truly be a coincidence? "In such a context, for Cheoljiseon to be indifferent to what happens to Pildo Ma suggests..." Cheoljiseon was tender-hearted and capable of forming attachments. He was even prone to feeling vague guilt over the deaths of complete strangers. Given such a nature, his lack of concern for the deaths of Pildo Ma suggested... "He must have hated them." Why did one descendant of the Zegal clan dislike another? "Shinyu and Zegalhyuk were the same." The perspective extended to both Pildo Ma and Shinyu, prompting a judgment that a deeper reason existed. 'It's something to investigate.' It was time to start looking into it. He already had other matters concerning that individual to explore. Once this was over, he'd need to take action. Having reached that decision. Guyangcheon pulled a letter from his robes, extending it to Cheoljiseon. "What is this?" "A letter I received from the League today." As soon as Guyangcheon mentioned it came from the Martial Alliance, Cheoljiseon accepted and unfolded it promptly. At that moment, "What...!?" Wide-eyed surprise was etched on Cheoljiseon's face as he read the contents. Guyangcheon chuckled at the reaction, offering clarification. "They're asking me to take on a leadership role." "Leadership...? They want you to lead, so they sent this?" "That's what they say." "Has the Martial Alliance gone mad? "Seems like it, don't you think?" "The so-called righteous faction... Why would they appoint you to a leading position...? Do they wish to ruin the League?" "I figure that's it... what are you, nuts?" Having listened for a while, something seemed off, prompting a bewildered question. Cheoljiseon quickly clasped his mouth, as if realizing a mistaken slip. "My words slipped, it seems." "Doesn't sound like that was a slip. It felt genuine." "N-No..." Cheoljiseon's complexion paled. Just as Guyangcheon was about to retort further, he dismissed the thought with mild irritation. Even having this conversation seemed tedious. "Enough. Just tell me what you think." "Regarding the terms? Or..." "The terms are clearly insane. That's not the issue. Is it worth considering—yes or no?" "…" Faced with the question, Cheoljiseon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you considering accepting the leadership position?" "I don't know. Maybe." "It’s a perilous role." He answered honestly. "It will disrupt the schedule you've set. Even if you're strong, it’s a den full of tigers." "You're right about that." The demonic cult had begun to gain notoriety. The League was trying hard to contain it, but that was proving difficult. And for good reason. ‘It's not just any death but the death of the Do-king.’ Claims that the Zegal clan orchestrated the attack were easy enough, but… Beyond that, a creature called Cheonma appeared during the attack, and the Do-king, one of the six venerables, was dead. Officially, Peng's house attributed the incident to Guiakchang, a known demonic subordinate within the League. Under his hand, Bi Seongdo suffered severe injury, the Do-king perished, and multiple League martial artists lost their lives. Yet the catch was... Dangeok didn’t kill the Do-king. This was confirmed through probing restrictions. Therefore… ‘Someone killed the Do-king and framed Dangeok for it.’ That was the correct view, and Guyangcheon had a suspect in mind. ‘Peng Woo-jin.’ Bi Seongdo’s Peng Woo-jin. This piece of filth must have orchestrated it. He’d slain his father and pinned it on the demonic cult. Regardless—it was unnecessary for the demonic cult to deny involvement. ‘No one would believe otherwise.’ With infamy already earned from the Henan raid, declaring innocence wouldn’t be believed. ‘Perception can change—it’s not all bad.’ This burgeoning infamy wasn’t completely negative. For instance, Dangeok, mistakenly thought to have slain the Do-king, was now recognized as a rising powerhouse. Dangeok's fearsome reputation worked to Guyangcheon’s advantage. So it was precisely for this reason that he refrained from acting further. Thanks to the recent events, rumors about the demonic cult were snowballing by the day. Many within the ranks hoped that the League would officially issue a kill-on-sight order. Such an order meant using any means necessary to eliminate them. No matter what task was at hand, the very report of a demonic cult sighting would set the local branch and the League's strongest mobilizing immediately for the hunt. Having been targeted by such an order in a past life, I knew all too well what a nuisance it was. ‘I couldn’t even take a proper dump.’ Eventually, when I gained the power to incinerate those who sensed me, it became easier. But in the beginning, even visiting the latrine was risky. You never knew if someone would stab you through the cesspit. Understanding that made me realize just how ludicrous it was for me to consider going as the head. "But then again, such an opportunity is rare." "What?" "All the people I need to deal with are gathered in one place. Isn’t it more efficient to take them all out at once rather than picking them off from afar?" Not to mention that this was an excellent chance to retrieve what I needed from the League. Additionally... 'I haven't fully utilized Bongsoon yet.' It’s the perfect moment to deploy a hidden blade I’d carefully prepared. "That's absurd." Despite my explanation, Cheoljiseon remained steadfast in his opposition. "If you truly intend to proceed... You'd have to overhaul all your plans and future schedules." "Yeah." "Is it worth taking that risk?" "I don't know." "What?" Cheoljiseon's face blanked at my answer. What kind of response was that? "You don't know...?" "Yeah. I don’t know." "Then why would you...?" "I don't know. It just feels like it needs to be done." "There's no rationality to that...!" If it feels necessary, then it must be done. Though there are countless reasons why not taking action might be wiser, Cheoljiseon felt exasperated enough to burst at my reasoning. However... "If it feels like it needs to be done, then you do it. It’s always been that way." I declared with certainty, demonstrating that my decision was unwavering. "That being said, as I mentioned earlier, the plan…." "Right. The plan may be a bit off?" It wasn't just a little, but Cheoljiseon was about to correct me when... "That’s why I need you to figure it out." "Huh...?" Cheoljiseon hesitated, perplexed by my offhanded request. What did I just say...? "I'll also be reaching out to the others, so I need you to figure it out too." "What...what are you talking about?" He prayed it wasn’t what he thought. Yet, he asked, hoping otherwise. "A plan where everything turns out fine even if I do this. Find that plan for me." "…" "Can you handle that?" A request disguised as a domineering command. Finally, Cheoljiseon understood. Guyangcheon had already determined his answer before posing the question. Moreover, the entire meeting had been arranged to convey this very command. ****************** One day later at the Martial Alliance. I was seated in a considerably different setting compared to the day before. Though the previous room wasn’t terrible, this one exceeded expectations. It was a lavishly adorned guest chamber, imbued with prestige and impeccable preparation. ‘Didn’t realize the League had such a place.’ It was my first time in this kind of room. I hadn’t even known of its existence. Then again, when would someone like me ever have had the occasion to enter a room like this? Superior accommodations in the League were worlds apart from my usual realms. ‘It feels novel.’ Yet here I was, seated in such a place—it was deeply moving on several levels. As I discreetly observed my surroundings... "This was unexpected." A voice broke the silence. I immediately turned toward the voice’s owner. There sat an old man across the desk. He was someone I’d prefer to avoid a second encounter with if possible. Renowned as the "Brain of the Sword," and revered as the strategist who led the League to its peak. Until the rise of Zegalhyuk, this man was hailed as the pinnacle tactician and nightmare of battlefields. The Nightmare of Battlefields. I looked at Mookyeon and spoke. "Is that so?" "Yes, I did not anticipate you would come within a day." Hearing the words, I allowed a small smile to cross my lips. "Once a decision is made, it’s better to act swiftly." "Very true. Then, may I assume that Your Highness has made a decision?" "Yes. That’s why I’m here." "I see." A brief silence ensued. Mookyeon seemed to be awaiting my full answer. I met his gaze briefly before breaking the silence once more. "About that ‘request’ you made of me." "Yes." "I will accept it." “…!” Mookyeon's eyes widened at my prompt response. Did he truly not expect me to accept? I was curious about his reaction but didn't delve further. There were more pressing matters at hand. "But." I shifted to the main topic. "There are a few conditions." Now began the true test. I was about to engage in a fierce negotiation with the mind of the League.