916 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The fervent hope of Gu Bong, fervently wishing for no trouble, seemed almost laughable as fists clenched naturally. "What the hell is that look in the eyes?" 'It's making me feel absolutely miserable.' Fury surged. Should I just gouge out their eyes? Or maybe crush their face so no such expression can surface again? Amidst such pondering. "What is it? Do you have some business here?" The gatekeeper frowned as he looked at me. "I don't like the look on your face." This bastard? "What are you going to do if you don't like it...?" "You said it was urgent. Come quickly!" Just as I was about to press forward, Gu Bong came over and grabbed my wrist. He laughed gently as he addressed the gatekeeper. "My apologies. My companion isn't in the best shape today." "Companion? Who are you calling a companion-!" "Companion, come quickly." Then he began to drag me along. Truthfully, I could have broken free with strength, but I chose to hold back for the moment. Then, just like before, words brushed my ears. "Those Huashan bastards, so arrogant. Tsk." Hearing that, I furrowed my brows deeply. There was definitely something. 'There must be something going on here.' It seemed like there was some hidden detail that I wasn't privy to. ****************** Dragged along by Gu Bong, I entered inside. Inside, the crowd seemed even larger. Should I even call it a crowd? I pondered briefly, but couldn't think of another word to describe it. 'Anyway, there are an ungodly number of creatures.' To give an example, it was like Hanam during a festival. The bustling atmosphere was almost identical. In other words, it was a horribly uncomfortable and overwhelming vibe. While navigating through the crowd for a while, I pulled my wrist free with force. "Let go." Swish-! I forcibly released my hand and rotated my wrist slightly. As if loosening a slight stiffness, I twirled it while addressing Gu Bong. "Explain. What was that about earlier?" "…" Gu Bong made a grim expression in response to my question, seemingly reluctant to explain. However. "Not going to talk? Should I cause a scene?" Wasn't easy to back down. “...Ugh...!” Gu Bong flinched, looking troubled. He should know by now. I am the type to do what I say. Knowing this, Gu Bong hesitated but finally sighed and opened his mouth. "…Huashan doesn't have a good standing with outsiders." Not in a good standing, he said? I wore a peculiar expression upon hearing this. It hinted for further explanation. "I don't know which area the esteemed guest is from, but there would be few places in the current Myriad Realms that speak well of Huashan. Perhaps none at all." "And why is that?" "…Do you truly not know?" "I'm asking because I don't. Why ask something I already know?" I thought internally. Ah, Shin Noya didn't properly brief them about me. Which means. 'He either forgot to explain… or deliberately chose not to. Or perhaps.' It's something that shouldn't be explained. It must be one of the three. Judging by what I see, the last reason seemed most likely. 'But even then, he didn't explain it to me?' What is it, an expectation for me to figure it out on my own? Unbelievably frustrating, really. That crazy old geezer. While internally cursing Shin Noya thoroughly, "A nation exists only with the master's permission." Gu Bong began to add to his explanation. "Permission?" "Indeed. Even this Night Moon Palace can only be called a palace because there's permission from the master of the Myriad Realms." For a nation to truly exist as a nation, it requires the master's permission. 'Does this mean the permission is above the people? Or is there something even more intricate needed?' "And is Huashan not like that?" "…That's correct." "Why though?" "…" Why is Huashan different, I asked with curiosity. "…" Gu Bong simply looked at me and spoke with a slightly stiff face. "I can't explain that much." "Huh? You've been talking fine until now, why stop?" "Because the esteemed guest is not from Huashan." "…!" It was impossible not to fall silent at the firm tone. Not only was the speech firm, but also the gaze and the conviction in his voice were solid. "Even if you have been escorted by the head of the Huashan, this is an internal matter of Huashan which cannot be disclosed to outsiders." "Even if I threaten to beat you up?" "Even if my head is twisted and my heart is plucked, it remains unchanged." "Okay." Acknowledging such firm words, I nodded. That was the truth. Of course, my threat to beat him up was true as well. "Fine, then." While still curious, I didn't dig any further. Even if I probed, he wouldn't tell me. And I understood the words Gu Bong had spoken. 'Indeed.' I am an outsider. I know nothing about the Huashan that Shin Noya spent over a century building. Even considering the sense of connection and emotion I feel toward Noya, it differs greatly from what Gu Bong and the people of Huashan feel. There was no room for further exploration here. 'Besides.' Even if I don't know now, I am confident I will learn soon enough. 'I will acquire the information one way or another.' This assurance was simple. 'Noya had told me to see for myself.' The fact that the old man sent me here means I will inevitably find out without having to seek it out deliberately. Most likely, he believed this way would be more convenient for me. "…" Gu Bong seemed puzzled that I gave up without a word, but for me, that reason was enough. With my interest quickly waning, I asked Gu Bong. "So, where do we go now?" "…Follow me." He resumed leading the way. As did the Heavenly Demon, we entered deeper into the Night Moon Palace. ********** As we walked, I glanced around. The crowd was filled with many who had the ears or tails of beasts. Of course, there was also a mix of them among the crowd. The extent to which they leaned towards the beastly or the human side varied, one might say. ‘Fascinating.’ Although the appearances varied, their activities and the overall atmosphere weren't much different from Zhongyuan. Just like the streets of the Huashan Sect that Noya had created. The streets here were also bustling with energy and vibrance. ‘The buildings look a bit different though.’ The buildings scattered along the streets were different in size and shape compared to those in Zhongyuan. To me, they looked completely new and unfamiliar. Seeing this, it certainly reinforced the idea that this was indeed a different world. ‘…Another dimension, perhaps.’ A thought I hadn't entertained before. This place definitely wasn't my world. From the unfamiliar air to the skies, and even the appearance of creatures alike. Seeing all this, the reality of the situation set in deeper for me. And with that realization came a new question. ‘How do we communicate here?’ How did language work in this place? It was something I had never really considered. Even in another world, we're still able to communicate...? Though this was a mystery, I didn't ponder too deeply on it. As long as communication works, that's all that matters, right? We passed through the crowd and entered an alleyway. There were significantly fewer people here than before. Naturally, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. ‘Hmm.’ Unlike the lively streets just moments ago, a dark and damp aura rose within the alley. It certainly didn't seem like a path leading to a normal place. We walked a considerable distance further down the alley. Eventually, a rather worn-out building appeared. Despite the cracks here and there, it seemed relatively well-maintained compared to the surrounding structures. “…Is this our destination?” "It is." As improbable as it seemed, it was the truth. What is this place? With a puzzled expression, I observed the building as Gu Bong opened the door and stepped inside. Creeeaak-! The sound of old hinges echoed as the door was pulled open. In that moment, Whoosh-! ‘Oh.’ As the door opened, a presence was immediately felt from within. Realizing this, my eyes widened. ‘What is this?’ I hadn't felt any presence before, but opening the door suddenly made it evident. ‘Doesn't seem like an array. Is it some form of sorcery?’ At first, it was just speculation, but the more I thought about it, the more certain I became. Could it be that I've come to recognize the subtle differences between arrays and sorcery? Ever since I witnessed the power of the turtle, I felt like I understood something new. Entering through the opened door, just as the presence had indicated, there were four individuals inside. As soon as they saw Gu Bong, they greeted him with surprised expressions. "Gu Bong Sa-suk…!" "Have you been well?" Gu Bong greeted them with a smile. Judging by their titles, they seemed to be his second group of disciples. The individuals who had been exchanging greetings turned their gazes to us, who were standing behind Gu Bong. "Uh, Sa-suk… who are these individuals?" Hearing the question, Gu Bong responded with a slightly awkward smile. "They're here to assist us today. They are esteemed guests of our sect, so please show them respect." Upon hearing that, I let out a dry laugh. "You, the one with the least manners, saying that. Isn't that right?" "I don't know." "…Ahem." It seemed Gu Bong overheard my conversation with the Heavenly Demon and cleared his throat in response. "Sa-suk… so, what happened to your face… Ah, did you possibly have another incident with Seol Yeong…?" "It’s nothing like that. It was no big deal, so don’t worry about it." Judging by the mention of Seol Yeong, it appeared he often got beaten up by her. Fascinating. ‘I thought Gu Bong was stronger than Seol Yeong.’ But considering his stubborn and fiery nature, he probably deserved to be beaten from time to time. “Anyway, are the preparations complete?” Gu Bong swiftly changed the subject as if to steer the conversation away. After all, the main purpose of our visit wasn't idle chatter but procuring provisions. As soon as he broached the topic, the expressions of the second line disciples changed to an odd look. Gu Bong noticed their faces and immediately queried, "Why do you all look like that?" "Well…." "Answer quickly." Pressed by Gu Bong, one of the disciples spoke up, "It seems we've run into some issues with the Baeksaek family." “What…?” Gu Bong's expression darkened upon hearing the disciple's response. “What do you mean?” “There have been some complications with the purchasing process….” “Lead us there immediately.” Before the disciple could finish his explanation, Gu Bong instructed, and the disciple quickly began guiding us to the location. ‘What on earth is this?’ It seemed like something had gone awry right from the start.