789 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 789: North Rabbit “...” “...” Their eyes met for a moment. Gu Hee bi was at a loss for words, unable to comprehend the scene before her. Mi Hyoran, observing her eldest daughter, simply sighed. Time continued to flow. "Uh?" Mi Hyoran gently lifted the child on her lap, setting him aside, and carefully moved the tea and refreshments out of sight. And then— “You're here.” “...” “Sit down.” She acted as if nothing unusual had happened, displaying her usual demeanor. Witnessing this, Gu Hee bi wondered if she might have been hallucinating. “Mother.” “...” “What is this…?” Of course, pretending nothing had happened wouldn't work. Gu Hee bi frowned at her mother’s peculiar behavior, causing Mi Hyoran to knit her brows slightly. It seemed Mi Hyoran had realized that her act wasn't convincing. “This is... what kind of... no, who is that child…?” Gu Hee bi stammered, clearly startled as her eyes darted wildly, as if she had seen something she shouldn't have. Especially— “That kid…” Her gaze shifted toward the child, who stood frozen. Her eyes widened further. How could they not? How could she not be surprised at that face? “...Huh?” The child tilted his head as he watched the stunned Gu Hee bi. The innocent expression on the child's face seemed to draw her back into her memories. [Look here! It's a flower—! I'll give it to you, sister.] [Sis—! Play with me—!] A time when laughter was abundant. The memory of that little boy, running to present a flower after plucking it for her. The younger brother who always clung to her, following her around. “…Oh… Oh…” The child looked exactly like her younger brother from back then. Adorably similar, perhaps even more so.... But undeniably, that child closely resembled her brother. Seeing that, Gu Hee bi moved instinctively. Mi Hyoran’s recent actions and the reason she had been unexpectedly summoned here slipped from her mind. Approach first. Approach and think while patting his head. Gu Hee bi decided and began to approach the child. At that moment— “Yangcheon….” Whoosh!! “…!?” A gust of wind surged from beside Gu Hee bi. Something stirred up the air, shooting forward at breakneck speed. No one around had a chance to react to the sudden speed. In shock, Gu Hee bi fixed her gaze on one spot. There— “Yeon Ah…?” A woman with black hair, whom Gu Hee bi knew as her sister, was closely embracing the child who resembled her brother. Confused by the incredible speed and the sudden situation, Gu Hee bi was left bewildered. Even Mi Hyoran, who rarely expressed surprise, showed a hint of shock. Everyone was taken aback for a moment. Thud. Movement was sensed from all around. Gu Hee bi immediately reacted, shouting. “Wait—!” Thunk, thunk, thunk!! Blades poured in from all sides. ****************** Almost dragged by Elder Il Jang, I found myself in a familiar place by the time I realized it. A well-kept pathway. The elegant dwelling visible beyond it. It was a space not typically aligned with mine, but it held a familiar setting. ‘Having visited the Tang Pavilion yesterday, I couldn’t not recognize it.’ Yesterday. I had ventured there stealthily under the cover of night. It was, in fact, the residence of Mrs. Mi. Pulled along by Elder Il Jang, I ended up here once more. The reason was to meet someone. As the place is Mrs. Mi’s residence, one might think I came to see her, but that wasn't the case. ‘Hmm.’ I surveyed the place with a subtly tense expression. Indeed, I wasn’t here to see Mrs. Mi. Elder Il Jang mentioned, I was brought here to meet my grandfather. ‘To be precise….’ Grandfather. In a manner of speaking, that’s what he’d be. ‘No blood relation whatsoever, though.’ Given my family ties, the elderly man I met last could be called my grandfather, but technically, there was another. The founder of the Baekhwa Trading Company, which Mrs. Mi operates. That’s Mrs. Mi’s father. ‘…Hmm.’ Even recalling it brings questions. Is it really appropriate to call such a person grandfather? ‘He isn’t even my actual grandfather.’ After all, I am the child of a concubine, which means there is no blood relation to Mrs. Mi, let alone her father. Moreover— ‘I’ve never even seen him.’ I’ve never met Mrs. Mi’s father, the founder of the Baekhwa Trading Company since I was born. ‘I just found out he was alive.’ Not only have I never seen him, but I’ve also never heard about him. So, he’s alive. ‘I wonder if Gu Hee bi and Gu Yeon seo knew.’ Gu Hee bi and Gu Yeon seo might know. While I’m an outsider, they are truly his granddaughters. This makes it even more puzzling. ‘Why now?’ Not only did this founder suddenly reappear, but he specifically chose Elder Il Jang as his escort to Hanam. And with that— ‘Why did he ask to meet me?’ Why would he specifically seek me out? This was yet another turn of events that hadn’t occurred in my previous life. No doubt, it’s probably due to the troubles I’ve caused. ‘I can’t figure it out no matter how much I think.’ What’s the issue leading to this situation? Even as I wracked my brain, nothing came to mind. So, I looked up and asked the broad back of the man leading ahead. “Elder Il Jang.” “Hmm?” The eight-foot-tall old man turned his head at my call. “Why on earth does he want to meet me?” Why the Founder of Baekhwa Trading Company sought me out, I asked Elder Il Jang. “Well.” “...” “Maybe he just wants to see his grandkid.” The answer was hardly helpful. Expecting some hint from this old man was my mistake. “...I’m not even his grandchild, so why would he want to see me? If he wanted to, he would have already come.” “Hmmm, is that so?” “In the first place, why did you take on this escort duty, Elder? You are a man of age.” A person noteworthy enough to be an Elder of a Great Family. It was odd for someone of his stature to undertake an escort mission to Hanam. Elder Il Jang casually scratched his cheek with his hand at my words. “…Well, you know. It just sort of happened that way. Think of it as a good opportunity to stretch my legs while catching up with you.” “Stretch your legs? Isn’t that usually called traveling, not just a stroll?” Whoosh—! I stopped mid-sentence and ducked. Elder Il Jang swung his fist towards the top of my head. He chuckled as his punch sliced through the air. “Oh wow, you dodged?” “Use your words, please…. Violence is not the answer.” “Hmph, it seems you're getting better at splitting hairs with each day.” Elder Il Jang reluctantly flexed his wrist as if disappointed. I looked at him and spoke. “Be honest with me.” “Hm?” “Didn't you lose a bet or something again?” “...” Flinch! Elder Il Jang’s shoulders twitched slightly at my question. “Wh-what are you saying? What’s this about me losing a bet...?” “Isn’t that what happened?” “Of course not! You think I'm some kind of madman obsessed with gambling!” “Your history speaks for itself, doesn't it?” “...” Elder Il Jang clammed up as if he had nothing to retort. How could I not be suspicious? ‘Who the hell brings back a sacred relic from the Mount Hua Sect just because they won a drinking bet?’ I had gone through a lot in Shaanxi because of that. Everything odd tied back to either drinking or gambling when it came to this old man. ‘As expected, this seems to be another one of those cases.’ It seemed he had some ulterior motive once again. ‘Clearly, it's something.’ Elder Il Jang tried to whistle nonchalantly, but all that came out was forced, breathy whooshes. “…Elder Il Jang.” “I told you, it’s not like that.” Not like that, sure. His expression told me otherwise. He had definitely gotten himself into something again. “Be honest, truly.” “About what?” “What trouble have you gotten into this time?” I pressed on, interrogating Elder Il Jang. When it came to the trouble that Elder Il Jang caused, one might think it’s something easily managed, without much consequence. But not for me. ‘Bet on it.’ Reflecting on everything I’ve gone through in this life, I was certain. ‘Whenever Elder Il Jang caused trouble, it inevitably affected me.’ No matter how I tried to avoid it, I always got involved somehow. How many times had I've been left to clean up the messes caused by Elder Il Jang's mishaps? This time wouldn’t be any different, so I was determined to get a confession out of him. “It’s not, it’s not! Don’t you trust me?” “Of course not. Maybe others might, but how can I trust the Elder—?” Woooom—!!! “!” I stopped mid-sentence and turned my head. I felt an energy surge from inside the residence. “Hm? What’s wrong?” Elder Il Jang looked puzzled. It seemed he hadn’t sensed it. Maybe my heightened senses were allowing me to feel it? No, it wasn't that. My sensing abilities weren't fully accessible at the moment since I had sealed most of them away, leaving me with a much smaller range than usual. So, what was this energy? ‘…This…’ It immediately seized my heart. Shortly after, my heart reacted sharply as if resonating. Thump! Whooom—! Simultaneously, I sensed another energy surge from inside. “...” “Yangcheon?” Elder Il Jang called out in concern, but— Whoosh—!!! Flames burst from beneath my feet, propelling me forward. Boom—! The momentum surged as I pushed off. In just a couple of strides, the scenery around me transformed in a flash. Despite the likelihood of mishaps from such uncontrolled speed, I couldn’t afford to care about that now. It was urgent. Whoosh—!!! I became a blaze piercing through the residence. I brushed past the entrance. Before the guards stationed at the door could even register my presence, I had already made it inside. Nevertheless, my speed didn’t diminish. My destination was wherever the energy was radiating from. If my instinct wasn’t wrong— ‘This energy is surely….’ Gritting my teeth, I steadied my breath. I wasn’t far; I reached my destination within a few seconds. The energy seemed to emanate from Mrs. Mi’s room within the residence. I headed straight to the room. And as I surveyed the unfolding scene inside— “…Huh?” I narrowed my eyes at what I saw. ‘What in the world….’ The room was crowded with numerous people. The decent size of the room, thanks to the grandeur of the residence, appeared cramped due to the sheer number of occupants. Among the crowd was— ‘Gu Hee bi.’ With a sword gripped tightly, she seemed to be glaring at something, alongside Mrs. Mi, who appeared shocked. And— ‘Heavenly Demon (Cheon-ma)?’ A woman with a familiar back. She was cradling Doldol Yi. Surrounding her were warriors clad in dark attire. Judging by their stance, they seemed to be covert guards stationed to protect Mrs. Mi. Each and every one of them was pointing their weapons, filled with murderous intent, at the Heavenly Demon. ‘…What’s going on here?’ What in the world was happening? Why was the Heavenly Demon in that room holding Doldol Yi? And why was the energy being released in waves? “...” I attempted to grasp the situation, eyes darting around for answers. Then— “Release him immediately.” One of the covert guards addressed the Heavenly Demon. “If you don’t let go now, we'll cut you down.” Insanity. They were ready to attack the Heavenly Demon. I held my breath at the audacity of their threat. Simultaneously, I glanced at Gu Hee bi and Mrs. Mi. With the proximity to the Heavenly Demon and them all being in the same room, if the Heavenly Demon was provoked and went on a rampage, I’d have a tough time getting them out safely. With that assessment, I sprang into action. Whoosh—! “Huh!?” “What—!” I dove into the gap between the blades. The covert guards reacted sharply to my sudden intrusion, but fortunately, they paused when they recognized my face. “Young Master…?” “Put down your weapons.” “What?” “Set those aside and check on Madam Mi first.” “But….” “I’ll handle this. Just do it quickly.” “...” At my firm command, the guards shot me puzzled looks but, reluctantly, began moving to secure Mrs. Mi. Creating some distance and getting things under control slightly. Only then did I approach the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon still held Doldol Yi tightly. “Hey.” “...” “What’s your deal?” She showed no reaction to my call. The Heavenly Demon just kept embracing Doldol Yi, breathing steadily. I continued speaking, trying to provoke a response. “What the hell are you doing here?” My tone was somewhat aggressive. I wanted to gauge her reaction. Contrary to my words, my heart was racing with nervousness. What’s really going on? Is there a hidden intention here? I thought things might have changed in this life, but is the Heavenly Demon still the same as ever? Anxiety filled my every thought. “I’m asking what you think you’re doing right now.” I spoke with a firm voice, channeling strength through my chest. I had to be ready to activate my senses immediately if something went wrong. I gathered that strength for this moment. I reached out slowly, my hand touching her shoulder as I applied gentle pressure to pry her away. Swoosh. At that moment, the Heavenly Demon lifted her head, meeting my gaze. Her face emerged from her black hair. I froze. I couldn’t help it. “…What’s this?” The Heavenly Demon, who had been holding Doldol Yi— “Are you crying?” —was crying. And not just lightly; she was sobbing deeply.