879 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 879: The World's Greatest Friend** Two more days had passed since the incident unfolded. The actions related to the matter had mostly reached their conclusion, and a letter was sent to the main camp, informing them of the situation. Now, all that was left was to wrap up the unfinished business, and they could promptly return to Hanam. "Are you planning to visit the Tang Clan before leaving?" At Cheol Jiseon's question, I nodded. "I have to stop by at least once." "Only once?" "It's not the right time to stay any longer. I'll just make sure the commercialization state is okay. If everything's fine, I won't need to go a second time." "Then I'll get in touch with the storehouse." "Alright." I replied while reviewing the letter. Most of it consisted of reports. As I continued reading through them one by one, a thought came to mind, prompting me to ask Cheol Jiseon. "Did you get in contact with him?" "Oh, yes... I did." When I mentioned 'him,' Cheol Jiseon's expression darkened somewhat. It was understandable since Cheol Jiseon had been opposed to letting him in from the start. 'Then it should be resolved shortly.' Once that guy made his move, the issue with the Beggars' Sect would be taken care of soon enough. Although if certain people began to act, it might create another problem... 'I wonder what kind of moves Woo Bong will make.' The leader of the Beggars' Sect, said to have a connection with my father. I was curious about his actions, as they would dictate our future course. "Alright. Just make sure to notify the storehouse." "Sure." With that conversation wrapped up, I promptly got up. Outside, the weather was bright and clear. Perhaps it felt particularly hot today because... '...Hmm. Maybe it's not the sun itself.' There seemed to be something reflecting sunlight directly ahead. As I pondered, I looked forward. "Leader." The reflective source turned out to be something shiny. Standing before me was a handsome young man with a gleaming scalp. It was Divine Dragon. "...What brings you here?" Oh, the glare hurts my eyes. The brightness forced me to squint slightly, causing Divine Dragon's eyebrows to furrow. "Sorry. It's just a bit too blinding." I wasn’t exactly teasing him. Well, maybe just a bit. "...It's nothing." "Why do you always have something with you?" "..." Divine Dragon blushed a little at my question. Someone was touching his shiny head. Naturally, it was Bong Soon. There was no one else here who would do such a thing. "Hey." "Hmm?" "Careful, or you’ll peel his skin off. Get away from him." "No, Baldie Oppa said it's fine." "That title sounds ridiculous. Get away now." When I spoke with irritation, Bong Soon sullenly stepped back. Now able to talk, I turned to Divine Dragon. "Now speak—why do you seem disappointed?" “…! No, no, that's not it." "Yeah right. From where I stand, you seem pretty put out." "That's not it." "Would you swear on Buddha?" "..." He’s hesitating to answer. "...Honestly, there isn't a sane one among us." Shaking my head in disbelief, I sighed. A monk going weak over a girl, what a sight to see. It’s ridiculous the more you think about it. 'And of all people, he falls for that crazy one?' Sure, Bong Soon is pretty. She has an appearance that draws looks wherever she goes, but most people figure out within half an hour that they should steer clear of her. 'A tangle with her is a headache in many ways.' That realization usually comes to anyone. Yet this mad Monk seems immune to such wisdom. 'For her part, Bong Soon doesn’t seem to have any particular feelings towards him.' She simply sticks around because she finds his bald head amusing. It’s not because Bong Soon actually feels anything for Divine Dragon. Honestly, it would be great if she did feel something and stepped away. But that seemed too much to ask. "So, you really like her, huh?" "Wh-What...!" Divine Dragon stammered, his face turning beet red. "I'm a devoted disciple of Shaolin. I would never be swayed by such emotions." "Who said anything? I was just asking. If it's not the case, then fine." "..." I realized that pressing him further would probably do more harm than good. Why he turned out this way is anyone’s guess, but anyway... 'What was he like in his past life?' I couldn't help but wonder about this man's past life. He was the kind who betrayed Shaolin to join the Demonic Sect. What kind of person was he back then? 'I don't remember him getting involved with Bong Soon back then.' I had no recollection of them sticking together previously. Maybe this anomaly only occurred in this life. While it was likely, somehow I didn’t think that would entirely explain things. "So what’s your business? Why did you come to me at this hour?" "…" I asked him why he sought me out in broad daylight, and his embarrassed expression instantly changed. ‘Hmm?’ His face stiffened up, displaying dissatisfaction. "What’s with that look?" "...I wanted to know why I wasn't included in the operation." His words came bluntly, making me raise an eyebrow in understanding. Oh, so that's the case. ‘I wondered what brought him here.’ Now it all added up. "Having a break from work is a good thing, isn't it? You came here to bring that up?" During the recent operation, I didn't include Divine Dragon. I simply instructed him to remain on standby no matter what, and he dutifully obeyed. He hadn't done anything at all. Leading up to today. "It doesn't make sense to me." "And why not?" "...Because I am strong." "...Oh?" Where does that confidence come from? It's true, but hearing him say it aloud really puts me off. "You're insufferable." "…" So I told him outright. Divine Dragon’s face flushed with embarrassment. At least he had the decency to feel ashamed. "Well, yes... He is strong. You are, indeed. But still." Counting by standards, he ranks among the top in the Azure Dragon Division. Viewed objectively, he's stronger than Wi Seol ah at present. As for Namgung Bia... 'Namgung Bia has a favorable matchup, so you'd have to test it to know for sure.' Wi Seol ah's fierce combat style doesn't rely so much on sheer power. Namgung Bia, contrastingly, focuses on power despite her refined swordplay. In a fight, Divine Dragon would find it more challenging to face Namgung Bia. 'If Tang Sohyeol decided to concentrate and finish off Divine Dragon, I'd predict that Divine Dragon would lose.' Considering the difference in their levels wasn't that vast, the match-up aspects were significant. Of course, ‘Even with that, Divine Dragon still ranks in the top five.’ He had reached Huajing. A warrior standing in the realm of aspiration and a promising genius seen as a future abbot of Shaolin. Even among the handpicked elites of the Azure Dragon Division, he ranked in the top five. With this level, Divine Dragon had every right to be confident in his own strength. Indeed… If anything, 'He could have become a Leader if he wanted.' Maybe not at the level of Il Cheonggeom, but he would have been offered a Leader role within the Murim Alliance if he desired it. ‘If it weren’t for me being here.’ With my presence now, that possibility was out of the question, but regardless, Divine Dragon's worth was unrivaled. That’s why this situation didn’t sit well with him. “Is it because I am from Shaolin that I've been excluded?” This is unjust treatment. The sentiment was clearly reflected in his eyes. I smirked as I watched him. “What if that were the case?” “…!” His eyes widened in surprise. But he couldn’t follow up with anything. He didn’t expect me to actually say it outright. 'As expected.' Seeing this confirmed something for me. 'There's a certain charm to teasing this guy.' Innocent to a fault. How can someone be so naive after reaching such a level? '…Or, more accurately speaking, it's not so surprising.' -Love you. Considering how many such people were around me, there wasn’t much reason to doubt it. That said, enough of the teasing. “Kidding. Well, it was half-serious, but not the real reason.” At my added comment, Divine Dragon sighed softly. Did that sigh convey relief? If so, I felt a bit sorry for him. 'The real reason is worse than that.' Excluding him just because he was part of Shaolin. If that were the case, I’d only be seen as petty, and it would end there. However, “Then… why?” “It’s you.” That wasn’t the issue here. “You’ve never killed anyone before, have you?” “…!” His pupils shook violently at my words. His dirty yellow eyes stood out vividly. “This mission needed to be carried out silently and swiftly. There shouldn’t have been a moment’s hesitation.” If ordered to kill, he should have done it. His personal thoughts or backstory didn’t matter. “Could you have done that?” “…I can.” “Oh, so you, a revered monk who holds life sacred, could? Doesn’t that go against what you believe in?” “...” It’s not that Shaolin never kills. Even if they follow the tenets of Buddhism, they, too, are warriors. Losing lives during combat is common among them. “You’d definitely hesitate.” “…So, is that why I was excluded from the mission?” “Yes. You were useless for this mission. If anything, you’d have been a hindrance.” “...” I inserted the words like a knife. No need to sugarcoat it. What needed to be explained should be. “Monks…” “Don’t make excuses. Are you truly certain?” “...” Divine Dragon fell silent. Seeing this, I chuckled internally. 'Still, at least he doesn't deny or get stubborn.' He must not be sure of himself either. It was somewhat evident on his face. ‘That’s not good.’ He looked like someone too easy to take advantage of. “Hey, about you.” I was about to call him out on it when, “Leader.” A voice interjected from beside me. “The cleanup you mentioned is all done.” It was Seong Yul. “Oh, is it?” “Will you head out immediately?” “One moment.” I almost responded instantly but glanced over at Divine Dragon. “Have you made up your mind? Until then, don’t hold onto weird fixations.” “...” I spoke in a way only Divine Dragon would understand before turning away. Following Seong Yul's guidance, I started moving. “When I said my mind was made up… it already was.” Divine Dragon said, looking at my back. I didn’t react noticeably. I just glanced beside me. Seong Yul was looking at Divine Dragon with curious eyes. Observing those eyes, I kept moving. When Divine Dragon’s presence faded, “Hey.” I called to Seong Yul. He looked over at me. I added while observing his yellow eyes. “Between you two, who’s the elder?” And just like that. Seong Yul’s body froze in place. **The Secret Double Life** Enjoy your reading. --- GasinamooG - November 10: Firmly refuting women's misunderstandings - November 10: 🥬 Requesting a consensual roleplay app +13 November 10: Re: (Romance) Request for an extra story with a sinful other - November 10: [19+++ Romance] May's Garden - Seodamyeon - November 10: Martial Arts/Corporate satire - Request for Sichuan's Tang Clan - November 10: (Romance) Request for the May's Poplar Tree - November 10: Romance Fantasy (Ropan) [Shinbling] Thought it was a reverse harem but... - November 10: Request for "A Knight Who Lives Only for Today" starting from chapter 560 - November 10: 🥬 If you don't become the main character, you'll die, Come Back My Hero, Reverse Dungeon 🥬 +8 November 10: Rant about not getting anything in the shitty Rich2 game --- **Chapter 879: The World's Greatest Friend** 879th Chapter of "The World's Greatest Friend" (879/1058)