809 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The Best Under Heaven - Chapter 809: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Library The fierce battle, witnessed by all sword members, ended rather anticlimactically, catching everyone by surprise. No one anticipated such an outcome. Wi Seol ah and Namgung Bia lay defeated. In their place stood the unexpected Tang Sohyeol. Seeing Tang Sohyeol smile so brightly left me at a loss for words. ‘Really?’ A multitude of feelings washed over me. How should I perceive this? Tang Sohyeol had appeared out of nowhere and knocked both of them out. The key here is the word 'suddenly.' ‘I didn’t notice.’ Despite the intensity of the battle, I failed to detect Tang Sohyeol's involvement. Surrounded by distractions, my perception had dulled. Even with my senses blocked, it was an astonishing revelation. This indicated Tang Sohyeol had learned to conceal her presence to an extreme degree, intending to influence the battle’s proceedings. ‘Tang Sohyeol breached my senses and slipped between the two...’ To be precise, she gradually concealed her presence from the two focused on their fight. This was subtle enough to deceive even me. Once perfected, she awaited the optimal moment... ‘And she succeeded.’ When the situation was ripe, she intervened immediately, ending the match. “Huh.” An involuntary exclamation escaped me. ‘Impressive.’ Did she plan this from the beginning of their fight? Or did she prepare once the battle was underway? It doesn’t really matter. Tang Sohyeol executed her plan, utilizing her strengths. And the result was success. ‘Probably, no one else here noticed.’ If even I didn’t realize it, then no one else here would have either. Yet Tang Sohyeol managed it. “Haha...” Reflecting on this, I let out a slight chuckle. The quiet atmosphere drew attention, and I sheepishly smiled as I spoke. “It seems the squad leader has been settled. If anyone has objections, speak now.” “...” “...” “If you have grievances, voice them.” Despite asking again, no responses came. It was expected. They weren’t of low standing not to understand. ‘The ambush wasn’t some coincidence.’ A meticulously calculated outcome. Those with discernment and experience would recognize the implications of the current result. ‘Engraving it in their minds sufficiently.’ Who else here could have achieved that? To enter a sword gust and stop it directly? It wouldn’t have been too tough for me. But other than me, could anyone else have done it? I doubt it. However, since Tang Sohyeol succeeded, her worth was undeniably proven. Of course, there could be dissatisfaction. Tang Sohyeol’s demonstration was brief, while Namgung Bia and Wi Seol ah showed a different caliber in their duel. I respect anyone who felt otherwise. In that case. ‘Tang Sohyeol can handle it.’ She can settle it through a duel, just as she did now. That would make it apparent that Tang Sohyeol isn’t undeserving of any complaints. “Since there seem to be no objections, Tang will take one of the two positions.” I spoke as I shifted my gaze. I directed my attention toward the group that watched us with wide eyes. “Have you decided on your side?” “…!” “Judging by your expression, it seems you haven’t decided yet.” As predicted, they hadn’t chosen their squad leader. Watching that, I chuckled as I said. “There seems to be some circumstances, so I'll extend your deadline to tomorrow. However, if it’s not settled by then, I’ll appoint someone suitable at my discretion, so keep that in mind.” Can they decide by tomorrow? I pondered as I spoke. It seemed unlikely they’d decide. It would be great if they were lucky enough to choose, but I didn’t think they would. Even if they did, it wouldn’t matter much. After all, their side wasn’t the focus. “One side is decided... and the other side’s decision seems complicated due to the situation.” With a swift motion, I raised the fallen bodies of Wi Seol ah and Namgung Bia into the air. And then. “Huh?” Immediately threw them toward Tang Sohyeol. Tang Sohyeol hurriedly caught the suddenly airborne bodies. “Ugh?!” Her small stature made it hard for her to see past the two she caught. “…As squad leader, ensure the fallen are sent to the medical unit.” “J-just a moment….” “Dismissed.” Assigning Tang Sohyeol her first task, I turned my back. Thus, the assembly on the first day concluded. ***************** Afterwards, I returned to my quarters. I heard there was a space for commanders within the headquarters. However, since I hadn’t moved all my belongings, I had to stay in my quarters for the time being. Thud-! A loud sound resonated. It was the sound of a massive rock hitting the ground in a designated area within the quarters. “Phew.” The youth, who had been training with the rock, wiped his sweat and spoke. “So, you just returned like that?” His gaze was filled with disbelief. Meeting his eyes, I awkwardly responded. “I did my best.” “You should have brought them along or something.” “There were too many eyes on us. I couldn’t attend to them separately.” I felt unjustly accused. After leaving Wi Seol ah and Namgung Bia to Tang Sohyeol, I returned, and that was Hyeok’s reaction. He was suggesting I should’ve left them with Shin Ui. ‘Does he think I didn’t want to bring them?’ I wanted to more than anyone else. But…. “Once they're part of the squad, you can’t just openly intervene.” Unless it was a personal matter, certain things became impossible. There was no helping it. The children needed to understand this, too. “Hmm...” Hyeok, upon hearing the answer, tilted his head slightly before speaking to me. “You’re unnecessarily strict about these things." “...” “Well. You’ll handle it.” That was the end of his reaction, as though it settled everything, and Hyeok began wiping himself with the towel next to him. Having trained intensely all day, he looked unusually exhausted. ‘Or it could be due to his internal injuries.’ I knew he still bore the effects of the martial arts duel.... ‘I told him to take it easy.’ For a man with a beaten-up body, he unnecessarily displayed his strength, ending up like this. ‘Does he think just because his body appears younger, he actually is younger? Anyway, it's like he aged backwards, straight from the rear.’ Interrupting my thoughts, I pivoted my body. A boulder swept past me, skimming the ground. Boom! “...” Ignoring the rock that shattered the ground, I stared at Hyeok. “Shame. If my body were in top condition, I would've hit it.” “Are you out of your mind…?” “I figured you were cursing me internally, judging by your expression.” “...” His intuition is annoyingly sharp. “That’s… not the case.” “Speak while meeting my eyes. Tsk, tsk...” Having missed the timing, I decided not to look him in the eye at all. “Judging by the way you threw that, your body's fully healed now.” “Hmph.” “So why didn’t you help out a bit, like you said?” I added bluntly, prompting a chuckle from Hyeok. “Are you still sulking over that?” “I’m not sulking, just saying.” “Sure you aren’t.” Hyeok, having wiped his body clean, hung the towel beside him. Watching that, I slightly clicked my tongue internally. Why didn’t he help? The meaning was simple. I had invited Hyeok to join the formation of the Sacred Dragon Division as a member. I thought it’d be convenient for training and for him to conceal his identity, but he declined. He mentioned having things he needed to do and that it wasn’t possible. As a result, I had to fill the five positions with others. I wasn’t too bothered. It was a half-joking suggestion anyway. ‘What could he need to do?’ Hyeok’s claim of having something to do was a bit concerning. ‘…Whenever this guy claims to have work, something big usually erupts.’ It made me uneasy. Maybe it's just my imagination, but the elderly around me seemed oddly strange. Whenever they mentioned having work to do, it inevitably led to some major incident. “You’re making that odd expression again.” “…What expression?” “Hm…” Hyeok gazed at me suspiciously. I feigned ignorance as best as I could. “Never mind. You acting strange isn’t new….” “…As if you’re normal—Just kidding.” Boom. At my protest, Hyeok set down an even larger rock than before. How can anyone be so violently inclined? “How is it, the more time passes, the more your temperament gets sharper instead of maturing?” “It’s a misunderstanding.” “Doesn't seem like it…” “…Anyway, why did you call me here?” Avoiding his suspicions, I steered the conversation to the main point. This meeting was orchestrated by Hyeok. We’d chatted enough. Now it was time to get to the heart of the matter. “Ah. It’s nothing significant.” In response to my question, Hyeok said. “It seems you’ve had some sort of fortuitous encounter lately. Is that right?” “Yes.” I answered without hesitation. There was nothing to hide or withhold. Hyeok surely knew about the changes resulting from the outstanding beast. “You always seem to consume something. When there’s good stuff, shouldn’t you share a bit with your master?” “…I thought I had given you some?” I had occasionally supplied rare medicines and herbs. Though his progress was slow despite consuming everything, each time I thought about it. ‘I’ll never try to turn back time.’ Given the choice, I’d rather bite my tongue and die than end up like that. “Is there a connection between your calling me and my fortuitous encounter?” “Yes. It’s always been like that, hasn’t it?” “By that, you mean…?” “Have you grown accustomed to the Heavenly Plain?” “...” “It’s not quite enough time to be fully familiar, but….” Hyeok dusted off his palms lightly and added more words. From his comments, I instinctively knew. The reason he called me was precisely this. “It seems you’re ready to move on to the next stage.” To teach the next phase of the devastating whip martial art I needed to learn. The following day whisked by like an arrow. “...Whew.” A whisper of a sigh seeped out. My expression was far from pleasant. How could one look good when exhaustion was etched all over their face? Honestly, even moving proved difficult. ‘This is unbearable.’ My body, having spent all its energy, responded enormously to the slightest movement. Not only did my muscles tremble, I had expended so much qi that my heart still felt tingly. ‘Troublesome old man.’ Grit. My teeth ground fine on their own. The source of my current state was the memory of yesterday’s training. Even though it hadn't been long since I had learned the Heavenly Plain, Hyeok had already shown me the next step, the Skybreaker. The formidable martial art that he demonstrated during his bout with the martial king, the Skybreaker. ‘Compress and compress again the qi from the devastating whip martial art... until it explodes.’ It was an astoundingly powerful technique. Merely employing it would offer considerable aid, and as Hyeok said, since it was reconstructed based on the Gu clan’s fiery furnace, it shouldn’t have been too hard to learn. ‘Not at all.’ It was a downright absurd idea. It was anything but easy. ‘How much qi did I expend last night?’ I repeatedly filled and depleted my energy reservoir until it was hollow. To grasp the feel of it, I practiced intensely and extensively. ‘Couldn’t grasp even a hint of it.’ Ultimately, I failed. The difficulty far exceeded my expectations. ‘…How on earth can I utilize this?’ The sensation was entirely different from everything I'd learned of the devastating whip martial art so far. While originally it involved pain, the actual difficulty wasn’t especially high. ‘This is different.’ Skybreaker was different. While the first and second forms merely relied on the movements and qi to unleash simple martial arts: ‘Skybreaker demands everything.’ This current form required utilizing everything I’d learned. I had to endure sharply increased pain while coordinating my qi. Master the movements flawlessly. Through this process, I had to prevent any breakdown, holding open my mind’s eye and maximizing with the Heavenly Plain. I nearly lost my mind. Hyeok seemed entirely unsurprised by my failure, possibly expecting such an outcome from the start. He must have known mastering the feel on the first day was unrealistic. ‘Hiss…’ Acknowledging the difficulty of my tasks, my lips involuntarily curled inward. It was due, in part, to the multitude of things I needed to accomplish. ‘It's not just with the Devastating Whip Martial Art; I also need to keep advancing in sorcery.’ Learning Skybreaker was great, but there was an overwhelming amount of other things I was juggling. Sorcery, in particular, stood out. ‘...This isn't exactly easy, either.’ I'm picking it up from time to time with Shin Ui, but combining it with martial arts seems like a daunting task. For now, even just laying the groundwork seems like it's pushing my limits…. ‘However.’ If I manage to succeed like I hope to. ‘It will be incredibly powerful.’ I anticipate that something extraordinary will emerge if I succeed. “Phew.” I exhaled a deep sigh. It's good that I'm continually finding ways to grow stronger. ‘But maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.’ I wondered if my perception of urgency led me to overextend myself. Handling all of this, while still managing my responsibilities, was taking its toll on my body. ‘But what can I do?’ I already knew. This was the only way. So I have no choice but to persevere relentlessly. ‘If it doesn't work, make it work.’ I internally repeated the phrase that Hyeok would often say like a mantra. Though it’s a foolhardy statement, nothing resonates as truthfully as it does. No matter what challenges arise, overcoming them is what matters. Even if it seems impossible, make it possible. Just as I tried to cement that determination in my heart— “What?” I frown at the words I hear the moment I step into the room. “Where did you say?” In response to my question, the elder, Muk Yeon, speaks. “Gyecheonmun.” “…Gyecheonmun?” “We've confirmed information linking Gyecheonmun in Sichuan to the Demonic Cult.” An unexpected name surfaced after such a long time.