790 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 790 of "Heaven's Greatest Man's Childhood Friend" - Northern Rabbit Eyes reddened, as if inflamed. Tears welled within them, cascading down the cheeks. Fluttering eyelashes and slightly furrowed brows quivering. A faint blush colored the nose, with lips drawn downward in despair. Trying to suppress the tears yet failing, an expression beyond control. That unique distortion was etched on her face. That was the expression of the Heavenly Demon. "...What? Are you crying?" At this, the hand that had been holding on was released. It was nothing short of an astonishing sight. The Heavenly Demon was crying. The exalted being who lorded over the heavens, gazing down at all, was sobbing so pitifully. And she was embracing Doldol Yi while doing so. Even her fingertips, along with her entire body, trembled visibly. Doldol Yi, cradled within her arms, wore a bewildered expression. Not only she but those around her, too, stood with the same astonishment. ‘What is this?’ Truly, what could it be? Why was she sobbing like this here? Was she even a being who could shed tears in the first place? I've seen her sneer or look with disdain, but this is the first time witnessing such a tear-streaked face. Seeing her like this, she seemed more like Wi Seol-ah. Beyond just looking alike, there was a similar vibe. Was that why? "..." The hand that had been slightly pulled away hesitated. The Heavenly Demon, endlessly embracing Doldol Yi and weeping, looking so sorrowful. Watching her evoked an indescribable feeling. [Come here.] ‘Hm?’ I squinted my eyes. Turning my head slightly, I scanned my surroundings. Whose voice was that? It felt like someone said something, but the words came in sporadically and felt alien. [Shouldn’t you greet your dad?] "..." A headache surged forth. I had to clutch at my temples momentarily. Whose voice was it? Clearly, I heard it, but it didn’t fully register in my mind. The ensuing headache even disrupted my breathing. Creak-! At that moment, as if something was about to break apart within me, a sound echoed. Whoom-! Suddenly, a vibration radiated from deep within my heart. It felt as though something that was on the brink of breaking apart was being forcibly pulled and held together. Slowly. Like tying a loosened string with sticky glue, the vibration tightened something. The headache vanished instantly, as did the faintly echoing voice. My breathing calmed, and the trembling in my fingertips subsided. Whether due to my emotions settling, the hesitation also disappeared. I grasped the Heavenly Demon’s shoulders and gave a firm tug. "Get out." "..." There was a pull, as if she didn’t want to be detached. Feeling this, I frowned. "Why the sudden commotion out of nowhere? Do you think this is your house? Get out quickly." "..." "Why on earth are you embracing him and crying uncontrollably? Do you know him?" Asking if she knew Doldol Yi, the Heavenly Demon’s eyes wavered. What’s this? Does she really know him? Even as I pondered where they might have met, I was filled with questions. "…Don’t… know." The Heavenly Demon spoke. "What?" "I don't know... I don’t know…." She claimed to not know. To say she didn’t know who the child she was embracing was. While it made sense, after all. "Then why is your face like that?" Her ignorance was strange. Why didn’t she know it? The Heavenly Demon’s eyes reflected a perplexed confusion. "What kind of expression is that?" "…I don’t know…." "So, you grab a child you don’t recognize, start crying without cause, and now wear that face?" "I don’t… know that either." "Then what do you know?" "No…." Thud-! "…!" With that, I yanked the mumbling Heavenly Demon away. Perhaps caught off guard, she was easier to pull away this time. The distance between her and Doldol Yi widened. Despite reaching out, as if trying to hold on, her attempts were in vain. Grip-! I held her wrist firmly to halt her. "If you don’t know, then let go." The voice that escaped was chillingly cold, even to my ears. "..." Was it the tone of my voice that caused it? The strength faded from her hand as she listened. Sensing this, I pushed the Heavenly Demon backward. She was sent flying towards Gu Hee bi, who caught her hastily. The increasing distance seemed to calm the situation somewhat. Watching this unfold, I turned my gaze to Doldol Yi. "Are you okay?" "Uh? Yeah. I’m alright." Contrary to the Heavenly Demon’s intense reactions, Doldol Yi appeared unperturbed. Maybe it was because he was originally a demon from the core. "Looks like I have another mother I didn’t know about." "What kind of crazy talk is that?" He spouted some nonsensical words, clicking his tongue briefly as he did. "I was just enjoying a good meal. Tsk." "…" Indeed, something is off with him. His face resembles mine from when I was young. But why does he exude such a gloomy feeling? ‘His face may resemble mine, but nothing else does.’ I certainly wasn’t like this, so he’s not similar to me. Clearly, something odd is at play here. That must be it. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense. As I gazed at Doldol Yi with a puzzled expression, he suddenly darted off somewhere. His expression changed as he took a step. From a twisted, sneaky grin to— “Grandma-!” —innocent eyes and mouth, bursting forth with a ridiculous title, running off somewhere. ‘Unbelievable.’ Aghast, I saw that his destination was Mrs. Mi. Doldol Yi suddenly ran over to Mrs. Mi and embraced her, and, as if that wasn’t enough— ‘What did he call her? Grand…what?’ What did he just call Mrs. Mi as he ran to her? I felt my mind go blank with shock. I expected Mrs. Mi to be furious, no matter who she was, but— "Were you very frightened?" ‘Huh?’ "No, not really." "…" To my surprise, Mrs. Mi calmly picked up Doldol Yi and patted his back. “…?” I glanced somewhere involuntarily. I looked over at Gu Hee bi. More astonishing than the Heavenly Demon’s tears was witnessing this interaction. What am I witnessing here? Though I turned to Gu Hee bi, as if asking what on earth was happening— "…" "…" Gu Hee bi slightly shook her head at my gaze. She didn’t know either. ‘Ah, I see.’ I nodded. ‘Everything’s a mess.’ I truly didn’t understand anything. Honestly. This feels more like a dream than actual reality. Thinking this, I slightly lowered my head. The direction was not towards Gu Hee bi but the Heavenly Demon whom she was holding. The Heavenly Demon, as earlier, watched Doldol Yi clinging to Mrs. Mi with a strange expression. I furrowed my brow and spoke to her. "Hey." "…" "That's enough, for now, you should…" I was about to say 'follow me out.' "Quite a commotion, isn’t it?" "...!" A voice resounded from outside the room. Everyone's gaze shifted towards the sudden source of the sound. The entrance of the room. Precisely a few steps away from Gu Hee bi's back. The voice came from there. Standing at the place where everyone’s eyes gathered was the owner of the voice just heard. ‘…’ I looked at him and realized instantly. ‘It’s that old man.’ That very person. The old man draped in plain white clothes with lush white hair, marked by wrinkles. ‘The one who called me.’ A man who, before Mrs. Mi, led the top and who was the elder that summoned me. The First Master of Baekhwa Tower. *************************** A chirping sound near the window. It might be late morning, but with that sound, it feels like morning has just arrived. In some ways, it could be described as a peaceful moment. Sunlight slipped through the window, birds merrily chirped, and it seemed there couldn’t be a more peaceful time. ‘How...’ Yet, contrary to such a setting. ‘This is really bothersome.’ Internally, I was feeling increasingly suffocated. I couldn’t help it. Relaxing in this situation would mark me as strange. I glared at the tabletop. The tea placed before me, once steaming hot, now showed no trace of warmth—undrunk since it was first poured. This meant that a considerable amount of time had passed, and in that time, I had not taken a single sip. ‘Ugh.’ It was a discomfort that couldn’t be borne lightly. Indeed, it really was uncomfortable. "Ahem." I’d lost track of how many times I’d cleared my throat. It felt awkward keeping my eyes fixated on a single spot, causing me to look around dozens of times. I repeated this over and over. ‘Why isn’t he saying anything?’ The man before me remained unresponsive. To look at him, he seemed like an old man in his eighties. There was no indication that he practiced martial arts. His eyes were as sharp as if they could cut. Even with his age, he exuded a robust aura as if untouched by life’s storms. He had features hinting that he might have been quite handsome in his younger days. He was Mrs. Mi's father, the first master of Baekhwa Company, and nominally my maternal grandfather. Ever since the old man uttered a single word upon appearing and quieting the room, he had entered this room without further ado. He had immediately called for me, so I came in, unable to pay attention to the Heavenly Demon or anything else. Since I first confronted him, it has been about one-twelfth of a day. I hadn’t shared a single word with him during that time. The reason was simple. It was because the old man wasn’t saying anything. Conversely, I wasn’t much of a talker either. By this point, there was an element of stubbornness that kept my mouth shut. ‘Why did he call me in the first place?’ Called in with my schedule cleared, yet no discussion ensued. ‘Could it be some kind of power struggle?’ Though it seemed pointless to engage in such, it might be possible if he disapproved of me. An illegitimate child slated to inherit the family line solely by being a son. If he thought his accomplished granddaughters were being overshadowed by me, it was a plausible scenario. ‘…Hmm.’ If that was the case, I didn’t have much to say. He wasn’t entirely wrong, after all. Hence, I thought I might as well concede and bow first, setting aside any power struggle or nonsense. "Uh, well." I finally opened my mouth, directing my words at the old man. "Elder." Upon hearing the address, the old man looked at me. His gaze was cold. Just as Mrs. Mi’s sharp gaze might have suggested, it seemed she had inherited it from him. Was the term ‘elder’ displeasing to him? No alternative terms came to mind at that moment. "I heard from Elder Il Jang. He mentioned that you were looking for me." Upon my cautious inquiry, the old man's previously closed lips finally parted. "Indeed." A straightforward reply. It was a voice I only heard after quite some time had passed. "…Is there a reason I could ask about?" Why had he called for me? A figure with no connection in my past life seeking me in this one. While occurrences like these had happened a few times before, the figure before me was beyond my conceivable imagination. This scenario gave me a peculiar feeling. ‘Today is filled with strange occurrences. It's frustrating.' Aside from this old man, the unexpected reaction of the Heavenly Demon and Mrs. Mi's subsequent behavior—each alone was enough to arouse suspicion. It meant my mind was entangled in complexity. Tap. The old man lifted a teacup. Without answering my question, he took a sip of the tea. Like mine, his tea had also gone cold by now. After a light sip to quench his throat, he spoke. "I apologize." "What?" His apology startled me into disbelief. "Suddenly…what for?" "I realized upon drinking the tea. The tea is cold, which made me understand that much time has passed." "…" Could it be that he hadn’t noticed the time passing? "As I age, it seems I often find myself lost deep in thought. I apologize." "…No, it’s fine. And please speak comfortably. Your formality makes me a bit uncomfortable—" "I don’t address those I’m not close to informally, so please understand." "Oh, alright." I was left speechless and simply closed my mouth. He doesn't address those he isn't close to informally. His words constructed a formidable barrier. This indicated I wasn’t considered someone close, and contrary to Elder Il Jang's words, he hadn’t come merely to see his grandson. There was that implication hidden within his words. ‘Then, what’s the real reason?’ What was it that prompted him to seek me out? I had no clue. ‘I hope this gets wrapped up quickly unless there's something significant, as I’m busy on my end too.’ I didn’t particularly have any reason to be pleased or offended that the old man was seeking me out or keeping his distance. After all, we were unrelated strangers without a drop of shared blood. There was no significant connection with him even in my previous life, so it didn’t bother me much. Only the fact that he was Mrs. Mi’s father. That detail alone lingered slightly in my mind, but... '...Why does that even bother me?' The thought suddenly struck me. Was there any reason for it to matter? Mrs. Mi, upon reflection, was just as much a stranger as he was. 'Hmm.' I couldn’t quite understand why such thoughts were crossing my mind. Anyway. "So, what might be the reason you've sought me out?" I felt slightly more at ease after the old man's words. If he didn’t have any specific intentions with me, then I had no reason to be concerned. Feeling more relaxed, I casually spoke. "…" The old man simply stared at me. His gaze was so intense that I pondered correcting my posture. ...Should I really change it? Just as I was considering this intently— "I have called you here for a particular reason." Fortunately, the old man began speaking before I could make a decision. "Simply put, I wish to ask you a question." "What might that be…?" "Could you set up a barrier for us?" "...?" Without objection, I waved my hand. Woong--!! In an instant, a barrier enveloped the surroundings. However, unable to control the power well, it materialized quite thickly. "It’s done." "Thank you." What was he planning to say that he suddenly requested a barrier? Mystification was giving way to frustration. "Now, let me ask." The old man posed a question to me. "Did you turn back time, Young Master Il?" Woong-!! Upon hearing his words, the painstakingly erected barrier trembled violently.