822 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend, Chapter 822: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archives Squeeeeze. "Ugh..." With the pressure building on his throat, Muk Yeon let out a muffled groan. His toes were already off the ground, suspended in the air. He was being lifted by his neck. The sensation of choking and pain was present, but what truly dominated was a deep sense of helplessness and terror. He really couldn't do anything. All he could manage was to let out ragged breaths. "Huuu...kkk..." The room was cold. It was autumn, and even when the lights were on, one could feel the chill, but now it wasn't the case. Something was forming on his forehead. Muk Yeon could quickly discern it was sweat. It was hot. The cold air had vanished, replaced entirely by heat, and it seemed like the temperature was rising. Muk Yeon looked down to see who was in front of him. It was the figure raising the room’s temperature and clutching his neck. Even though Muk Yeon, whose internal energy was akin to an ordinary person's, struggled to discern his opponent in the darkness, he could see those burning red eyes. Eyes as if aflame. Just by them, he could tell who his opponent was. "Muk Yeon." A heavy voice permeated Muk Yeon's ears. "I shall ask once more." His tone was calm, devoid of fluctuation. Yet, Muk Yeon could sense the suppressed rage within it. Anger. His opponent was barely containing fury that had welled up to his core. A man ordinarily cold despite using fire techniques. Yet, here he was, this man, expressing such wrath. Muk Yeon found the situation oddly fascinating despite its dire nature. "Where is my son?" “Ah..." With the words came a small release of pressure on Muk Yeon's neck, just enough for him to speak. Noticing this, Muk Yeon carefully mouthed his words. "If it... were you... you would already know, wouldn’t you?" His opponent's eyes furrowed slightly at Muk Yeon's words, a sign of affirmation. Likewise, Muk Yeon was confident. The man before him must have come knowing the situation to some extent. He was already certain. Once angered, there was no stopping him, but until that point, he upheld his principles meticulously. He was well aware of what devastation his fury could cause. That's why. That's why he was even more terrifying. He knew the extent of his own strength all too objectively. It was always like that, though Muk Yeon had always found this man, Gu Cheolwoon, difficult to deal with. Too upright to be swayed. He possessed the strength to maintain his unwavering beliefs, yet that strength was perilous. Firm beliefs weren’t necessarily aimed at righteousness. Thus, he shackled himself. Though powerful enough to break free at any time, his own beliefs held him back. That was the time they had created. "..." The owner of those red eyes, Gu Cheolwoon, released his grip, observing Muk Yeon. Thud-! Freed from the hand, Muk Yeon fell to the floor, his aged body collapsing. “Cough-! Cough--!!” As he coughed heavily, Gu Cheolwoon bent forward, meeting Muk Yeon’s gaze. "I will change the question." “…Cough.” "Why did you do it?" “…!” At Gu Cheolwoon's voice, Muk Yeon's body stiffened. Even without internal energy, he could tell. The present sensation was pure killing intent. A chilling sensation creeping up his neck, a feeling as if his will to breathe was not his own. His vision began to blur. The only thing he could see was Gu Cheolwoon's red eyes. Sss... The air he inhaled had become overwhelmingly hot. As if it would burn his lungs. 'Still the same.' Feeling this, Muk Yeon recalled a memory from the past. There were two then, now called the Three Lords. The greatest martial artists of the era. The heads of the Nine Great Clans. No one could predict who would win or lose against them, but the young man, not yet the middle-aged man of today, had spoken. -There is no reason to run. Not a trace of trembling in his voice. The same deep and resonant tone softly reverberated towards them. -Thus, I will not flee. Even while hiding a dying woman behind him and himself bleeding profusely, the young man continued to speak to them. Someone had asked then, possibly Ugak Suseok, as Muk Yeon recalled. Could he possibly win in this situation? To give up that monster and return willingly. Otherwise, they would have no choice but to kill him. It seemed that way to anyone. A fight without odds. Unable to escape, unable to win through combat. Everyone knew it, yet even if his heart ceased beating. -Why should you be the ones to decide my loss? His eyes had not died. -I have not lost yet. -Even in the moments when my breath stops, that will remain so. His heart roared and blazed brightly. Even faced with absolute powers, the young man did not back down. -In that case, come. So-called flame. That was the fire shaped like a human. Truly a flame that would burn endlessly until he drew his last breath. A pure fire driven by belief and will. Recalling that time, Muk Yeon unwittingly let out a smile. Chuckle… "..." At the sight of that smile, Gu Cheolwoon's brow furrowed, seemingly uncomfortable with the notion of laughing in such a situation. "…I'm sorry." Muk Yeon promptly apologized. Why was he laughing then? The reason became immediately clear to him. "I had not meant to laugh. I just thought of your son." Yes, that was undoubtedly why he laughed. "I thought he was similar yet dissimilar to you. But now I see it, he resembles you quite a bit." Thinking of Gu Cheolwoon as a fire that will burn without end, on the other hand, another flame came to mind. An enigmatic child, invoking curiosity as if shrouded in mystery. He too seemed like a flame endlessly kindling, like Gu Cheolwoon, yet now he appeared different. ‘Cold.’ Though his father seemed cold on the outside yet was truly hot. That child, on the contrary, burned fiercely, yet appeared cold. Definitely a flame. But for some reason, there was a deep coldness within. Experiencing so much in so few youthful years, his eyes already held the weight of time. In his tone and voice, slight hints of hostility occasionally surfaced. That coldness was a sign of restraint. He could ignite and consume everything around him at any moment, but he kept himself hidden, maintaining that cold facade. If Muk Yeon had to choose, he found that side more terrifying. Yet... "Huh...?" For some reason, Muk Yeon suddenly felt his breath returning. The suffocating pressure lightened and the oppressive killing intent seemed to ease. Puzzled by this odd sensation, Muk Yeon raised his bowed head. The burning red eyes of Gu Cheolwoon were still before him, yet as Muk Yeon looked, he thought: 'Something seems to have softened.' The gaze felt less menacing than before. Was it an illusion? If not, why? While pondering this strange sensation, Muk Yeon caught Gu Cheolwoon's voice. "Back then, I made a promise to you." Gu Cheolwoon addressed Muk Yeon, though his tone seemed to have changed... "I said that as long as I fulfilled your wishes, you would not interfere." "..." "I did as you desired." The weight of Gu Cheolwoon's words prevented any retort from Muk Yeon. "As you wished, I fought a war. I burned many and built mountains. Furthermore..." A hint of danger flickered in Gu Cheolwoon's eyes. "Even knowing what injustices the Martial Alliance executed in the name of justice during that war, I turned a blind eye." Muk Yeon's mouth could utter no rebuttal. Gu Cheolwoon's gaze was devoid of emotion, making it hard to bear. "It did not matter. The collapse of justice and honor was already known to me, and it wasn't of great importance." As Gu Cheolwoon continued, Muk Yeon realized it. Emotion was weaving into his voice. "Thus, I did not shy away from the bothersome task of binding Sama Ohje. It was not a difficult task." Screech. The table moved. The table, along with the items piled on top of it, shuddered and scattered. "Even when the elder made the wrong choices, and my subordinates met their deaths because of it." Cracks appeared instantly in the surrounding structure. "That too did not matter. What held importance was my promise alone." “…Gu Daesu.” "You should know." Even in response to Muk Yeon's call, Gu Cheolwoon persisted with his speech. "You know that I could break this trivial promise anytime I wished. Is that not so?" "..." Muk Yeon nodded slightly instead of responding verbally. "And yet, I refrained, strangely enough, because of a small stubbornness." Gu Cheolwoon moved his hand. "The determination to uphold someone’s wish." Whose wish he intended to protect was unspoken, but Muk Yeon knew the answer. "Thus, I endured." Creak. As his rough hand moved slowly, flames wrapped around it. "In accordance with the promise, I let her go from my hand." Though the flames did not grow in size, their presence became ever more vivid. "This was to honor the end of the reprieve." With a roar-!! The flames, coloring the atmosphere, seemed ready to explode. At that moment. Boom-!!! Someone appeared and rushed forward. Gu Cheolwoon, as if anticipating it, moved his hand. Snap-! The flame-wrapped hand clutched the incoming sword. His gaze remained fixed. Gu Cheolwoon did not seem bothered at all by the one wielding the sword, focusing solely on Muk Yeon. "Everything was for the promise with you all. I had stated it then, too." With a crunch-! A tightening force in Gu Cheolwoon's hand broke the captured sword. And then. Thud-!! “…!!” With a harsh sound, someone knelt down. The figure who barged in and wielded the sword was none other than the Sword King, leader of the guardians of the alliance. Kneeling with a pained expression, the Sword King seemed to have sustained a blow, though the specifics of his injury remained unseen. "I will protect what I must protect, so you should too. Otherwise, I will not be stopped. Do you remember this?" “…I remember." "I see. You remember." At Muk Yeon's reply, Gu Cheolwoon nodded briefly. Then. Snap-! "Ugh!" He grabbed Muk Yeon's neck once more. "Then why?" His voice betrayed confusion. "Why is that child working under the alliance's protection?" "Urgh…" He couldn't answer the question. He couldn't even breathe. "I did as I was told." “Ugh.” "I followed through to gain the reprieve." As Gu Cheolwoon continued speaking, the Sword King attempted to act. But he couldn't. Muk Yeon gestured for him to stay still. "The desire was to remain unseen, so I hid and refrained from intervening with the children." With each word, Gu Cheolwoon's expression changed. His eyes gradually filled with anger. "But." Ssshh. A crackling sound arose from the floor. The wavering flames began to devour the ground inch by inch. "Why do you meddle with my 'belief'?" The flames grew with his emotions, enveloping Gu Cheolwoon. Muk Yeon was staring at a catastrophe. Should it erupt here, it would be an unstoppable disaster. "Answer me. If you don't..." Gu Cheolwoon looked at Muk Yeon and spoke. "I will erase the Martial Alliance from the world today." It wasn't a bluff. Just as he did in the Tang clan, Gu Cheolwoon sincerely intended to obliterate the Martial Alliance. To him. It wouldn't be that difficult a task.