850 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

As something flowed down, he furrowed his brows in pain. Lowering his gaze, he noticed his chest—more precisely, the area around his heart—had a gaping hole. He could see someone’s hand. It was the hand of the person who had pierced through his heart. With great effort, he shifted his gaze to the face of the owner of the hand, only to find a shocking revelation. It was none other than himself from a past life. With a sickening sound, the hand withdrew, accompanied by a burst of blood. "Cough," he choked, collapsing to his knees. The difference in elevation allowed the figure to look down upon him. The figure moved his hand before him and spoke. [Next time, come with an answer. Otherwise, you might as well take your own life.] And with those heavy words, a dark blaze engulfed his head. ****************** He sprang awake with a start, eyes wide open. “...Haah….” He panted heavily, clutching his chest. He fumbled a few times before finally exhaling a sigh of relief. Fortunately, his chest was intact. But still... “...Groan….” His whole body ached, muscles screaming in pain. No, it was far more painful than mere muscle soreness. ‘...It feels like my energy pathways are swollen.’ His entire body seemed swollen with energy pathways. The realization of the previous events dawned on him amidst the pain. “Damn.” He recalled what had happened at the end. Losing his consciousness and collapsing as energy erupted uncontrollably. He also remembered the moment he coughed up blood, forcibly suppressing his chaotic energy. Recalling that, he loosened his clothing. Marks were still clearly visible on his torso. Traces of fingers that had pierced in. ‘...Mostly healed now.’ The marks remained, but the wounds had largely healed. His body had become resilient enough that such wounds posed no threat. Gazing at them, he let out a low sigh. ‘The method worked.’ He had been worried about what to do as his energy rampaged so fiercely, but fortunately, he found a solution. How he controlled his energy by driving his fingers into his body. It was something the Heavenly Demon had done to him in a past life. Although hesitant since he had rarely experienced it, he managed to pull through by clenching his teeth and enduring it. ‘It actually worked.’ The fact that it did made him chuckle in disbelief, yet it had kept him alive. He narrowly avoided entering Qi Deviation or exploding. He had survived by the skin of his teeth. Finding solace in being alive, yet... “Damn.” He muttered curses as he pondered why his energy went berserk in the first place. The reason was none other than facing his pathetic past self after consuming a spiritual pill. He encountered and fought him. In the end, he lost. “...Damn it.” When he awoke after losing, his energy was tangled and began rampaging. He had no chance to process the situation; he had to subdue the chaos immediately. That was the least of his concerns. Though strange to say, his main focus wasn't on his life but rather... “Why did I lose?” Why on earth did he lose? He couldn't comprehend the outcome of that battle. “I should have been stronger.” His cultivation had surpassed that of his ebony flame self from the past life. He was sure he wouldn’t lose if they fought, and yet, he did. Why? “Was it because I couldn’t use my flames?” The sealing of the Nine Wheels Flame Technique—it was a problem, certainly. During the battle, he couldn’t employ his flame techniques. However. ‘Is that really the reason?’ Even fogging over that detail, it was incomprehensible. ‘Is being unable to use flames warrant such a one-sided defeat?’ The opponent used flame techniques while he couldn’t. Even so, the defeat was far too overwhelming. Could his opponent have been significantly stronger than he remembered? ‘No.’ That wasn’t it. The opponent was no different from how he had been in his past life. The only reason then was pure and simple. ‘I just lost.’ He lost purely based on skill. It meant in a battle of skills, he wasn’t capable of defeating his past life, and hence, he was eradicated. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he cursed. “Damn it.” Why? What was the problem? What on earth was that guy? It was undoubtedly because of him that he couldn’t use the Nine Wheels Flame Technique. Why was he, of all people, doing this in his past form? ‘Why now, of all times.’ It infuriated him. He had just begun to catch a glimpse of achieving transcendence. But now, of all times, his Nine Wheels Flame Technique was bound. “It’s urgent.” He had to reclaim that sensation before it was lost. Yet, with that thing blocking him, and without a way to win? He was ready to lose his mind. “…Sigh.” What to do? Instinctually, it spoke to him. He had to face it again, no matter what. So. “…Got to fight again.” With no time to spare, he couldn’t afford the luxury of procrastination. He immediately wanted to find it and fight again. The problem was... “…Was today when I was to see Il Cheonggeom?” It was the day they agreed to meet—the Il Cheonggeom, whom he had met last time as the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader. If he were to encounter him again like this, even if not winning… ‘Plan or not, all would be wasted.’ He realized meeting him peacefully was unlikely. Should he attempt it even while knowing that? Truly, he wanted to disregard all plans and crush it. But despite thinking that… “Damn it.” His body had already begun moving on its own. Even with halted martial arts, he wasn’t incapable. The tasks ahead were many. He couldn’t keep behaving with just pride as in the past. As he moved his pained body, the words from before echoed in his mind. [Much has changed.] “...” A saying lingered, spoken while extracting his left leg. [Do you think you’ve changed as much as everything else has?] He remembered those words clearly amidst the agony. [Don't fool yourself. You merely thought about changing. In truth, nothing has changed with you.] [You are still as vile and weak as ever.] Every word sharply pierced him, remaining vivid in his mind. “Bastard.” He muttered, grimacing. Though spoken to him, it was also meant for himself. Why indeed? [Why are you still alive?] Why couldn't I give him any answer? And more importantly: "What exactly do you want from me?" What answer could he possibly be expecting? I had no idea. ****************** I moved to face the Poison King. I had words of gratitude to express and something to discuss. “…Where exactly do you think you're going?" The Poison King spoke, his voice filled with disbelief at what I had just told him. "Do you know the state you were in when you collapsed?" "Yes. I'm aware. You must have been shocked, but I’m grateful for your help in straightening things out." And I meant it sincerely. I heard that after I collapsed, the Poison King had taken me to a physician. Also... "I heard you deliberately didn't inform Tang Sohyeol. I'm grateful for that as well..." He had sent Tang Sohyeol to the clan in advance without telling her. From my perspective, I was most grateful for that. If Tang Sohyeol had heard about it, she would have been worried sick. The Poison King must have understood this, hence why he did it. "The physician said your energy pathways are quite exhausted. They advised several days of rest; how is it you're planning to move so soon?" "My health isn't too bad, and I'm too busy to stay long. I will visit again with a proper expression of gratitude." "Do you…!" "I'm sorry for causing concern." I felt it was ironic, no matter how it sounded. The Poison King had done so much, even coming to this place when I collapsed, yet here I was, announcing my departure the moment I woke up. Moreover... "Still not going to explain anything?" It was unsettling not being able to share anything with the Poison King. Why did I suddenly need the Poison Pill? Why did it cause me to collapse? Even though I trusted the Poison King somewhat, my actions were still indefensible on my part. “…I apologize. I'll explain everything after I return.” “…” “I promise.” At this point, I should offer a plausible excuse, or simplify it. Plans... With the Dark King, I was to meet Il Cheonggeom. I intended to mess with his mind one last time and then perhaps meet with the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader separately. ‘If I subtly hint something about Il Cheonggeom during that process.’ I could precariously maintain the relationships between the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader and Il Cheonggeom. If I cultivated suspicion between them before bringing them together... ‘No... that would only mess up what Cheol Jiseon has been tasked to do.’ In which case, do I need more time? Yet the situation isn't great for buying time. ‘I can’t even properly see my own body, let alone extend the time. How would I even go about extending it?’ Fine, let's say I extend the time. Can anything be solved by doing so? Right now, there aren't enough red stones left, and I need to remake the Poison Pill... Everything was tight. I had to consistently achieve as I sought justification. Allowed no room for entanglements. There was so much to do. 'Damn, what to do...?' I had to sort out the tasks ahead. Simultaneously, I needed to assess my body's state. Additionally, I had to ensure that, once everything was wrapped up, there wouldn’t be any loose ends left unattended. My head throbbed. I clasped my forehead, wishing—more than anything—to erase my thoughts, but I couldn't. '…I need to organize.' Even if I didn't want to, it had to be done. I wasn't smart like Moyong Hee Ah or Jegal Syeong, nor even Cheol Jiseon. Because I wasn’t, there would be discrepancies. But I needed to handle even those discrepancies efficiently. To do that, I'd have to cut back on my sleep and constrain myself. Clenching my teeth, I tried to recall. Recall, somehow find a way to recall everything— “Young Master Gu—!” “…!” The abrupt shouting had me frozen on the spot. Looking over, I saw the Poison King staring at me. Only then did I snap back to the present. “Are you alright?” “…Ah. Sorry. Too many wandering thoughts.” I tried to reply with a smile. It was a terrible habit resurfacing. With an inward sigh, I steadied my breath. “…I'm really sorry. I'll return with an explanation…” “Young Master Gu.” “Yes…?” “Are you truly alright?” “Yes?” I was momentarily taken aback by the Poison King's words. “…Ah, yes. I'm really fine. I was just spacing out from overthinking.” “...” Even with my insistence, the Poison King seemed to wear a dubious expression. And that expression was one I hated seeing the most. "Today, my child spoke about you." A concern-laden face. It was the last thing I wanted to see in the world. "Recently, they said your condition hasn't seemed well." "…I'm not sure what you mean. I’m perfectly fine." "For the time we could spare... My child talked about you the whole day. It was truly unsettling. And yet..." Even as he spoke, the Poison King kept gazing into my eyes. "Seeing you now, I somewhat understand how she feels." He questioned me again, with those eyes. “…Are you really alright?” “...” I bit my tongue repeatedly. What did he mean by 'alright'? Moreover, why was he even asking if I was okay? To the person who walked in out of nowhere and caused chaos and turbulence, to the person who indiscriminately led his precious daughter around, why was he asking such a thing? I simply couldn't fathom the Poison King's mindset. Thus, the only response I could muster was: “Yes. I am alright.” I was alright. Or rather, I had to be. ****************** I was exhausted. In both mind and body, exhausted. As I left Tangmun and took my steps, that thought kept circling back to me. I hadn’t slept a wink last night, and somehow, the sun had already set. Every step sent jolts of pain through my body. My energy pathways hadn’t fully recovered. I had barely managed to restrain my energy; even my heart felt stressed. And beyond that— ‘Fatigue has accumulated.’ I could feel the weariness settling in my body. No, maybe if it wasn’t a physical strain, it was mental fatigue? ‘Maybe I should rest.’ Was it time for a break? Perhaps I needed one. But no, rest wasn't an option now. “…Phew.” Wiping my face, I arranged my expression. Sleeping was out of the question anyway. ‘For now. The priority is the Dark King.’ Upon arrival, I made my way to the Dark King and began addressing things one at a time as planned. Suppressing a sigh that threatened to surface, I took a step forward. ‘Endure.’ I promised myself I wouldn’t crumble. With that resolve, I would withstand it all. But if there was one thing I hoped for… ‘...I need to see the kids.’ Before doing anything else, I felt I needed to see their faces. Not that I had any particular intention in seeing them. Just seeing them would be enough. It would allow me to exhale once more, giving me the strength to take two more steps, even when I felt like stopping. “Ha-ha.” I chuckled inadvertently at the thought. How absurd. ‘After all the times I told them not to follow...’ I’d been demanding that they stay away not too long ago, yet here I was, finding comfort in having them around. Such contradictions. Aware of this, yet I still desperately longed to see them. Perhaps by doing so, I could muster the strength to endure the present. In the distance, I could see the Sichuan Branch. Upon seeing it, I straightened my hunched shoulders. At the same time, I regulated my breathing and adjusted my expression. “Captain!” As soon as I arrived, a squad member ran up to me. I waved slightly with a smile. “Sorry I’m so late. My apologies.” I felt awkward. I had assigned numerous tasks, but the supposed captain had gone out in the morning, fainted for an entire day, and returned late at night. Even if they questioned where I’d been, I had no answer. “…But nothing major happened, right?” “Captain... There’s a big problem.” “What?” “Namgung Dae-won and Wi Dae-won… they’re missing.” At those words. Snap— Something within me, barely holding on, finally broke.