919 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The place I returned to after leaving Gu Bong was the building I had just been in. Fortunately, it wasn't too far away, and having memorized the path, it was easy to find. However, it still took longer than I had anticipated. The reason being: 'I just can't shake off the anger.' There wasn't enough time to calm the rage that had reached the top of my head. 'Damn bastard.' The more I thought about Gu Bong, the more my irritation grew. 'I should have beaten him more.' I should have left him in such a state that he couldn't gather his senses, unable to get up for at least half a year. Not having done so was starting to haunt me. "Huuuh..." I sighed, brushing my hair back. Of course, doing so didn’t alleviate my anger. 'Even that kind of person is a disciple.' Since Noya seemed to treasure him, I tried to see him in a better light. Or I felt a sense of waste breaking something cherished. 'Why bother with such an idiot?' All those feelings faded away in an instant. That moment when Gu Bong finally discarded his pride and knelt. Bang. I burst through the door, startling everyone inside. Suddenly, there were many more people gathered than before. Among them were the second disciples I had seen earlier, along with those who had been waiting inside. They all rolled their eyes towards me, busy trying to gauge my expression. The meaning behind their expressions was simple. 'Who the hell is that guy?' Their perplexed looks were evident, but I chose to ignore them and pointed at one person with an annoyed expression. "You there." "Uh, y-yes? Me, you mean?" "Yeah, you. Come here." With a gesturing finger, the person I pointed at approached with a bewildered face. He was the disciple who was previously arguing loudly with someone named Baek Do Ryeong or whatever. "Who was that guy earlier?" "Excuse me...?" "The Baek something. That idiot. What's his deal?" When I asked about the fool from earlier, the disciple's face turned puzzled. It wasn't a look of 'why are you asking?' but more like 'why don't you know?' "Explain quickly." I growled, furrowing my brows, prompting him to start speaking hesitantly. "Th-that is the heir of the Baek Family." "Baek Family?" "Yes... the one named Baek Wool." Baek Wool. That seemed to be the name of the Baek Do Ryeong guy. That’s settled, so the next question. "What exactly is the Baek Family?" "Excuse me...?" "If you make me repeat myself again, I’ll yank your tongue out." “...it's one of the three noble families existing in Yawolgung.” "One of the three... is it significant?" "...Yes... it's one of the few families maintaining pure bloodlines and receives direct protection from generals..." Pure bloodlines. The term seemed to nag at me as I’d been hearing it quite often, but what truly caught my attention was the latter part. Protection from generals? "What is a general?" "...?" "Your expression." "Oh, yes..." I pointed out his look, which seemed to view me as a fool, and he corrected his expression. Then, I asked again. "What’s a general?" "It’s one of the four beings under the Master of Man Gye...." "...Hmm." I narrowed my eyes. Someone under the master. Talking about my mother always left me with a strange reaction. Dodging the topic, I continued to ask. "And the nobility?" "It refers to the pure-blooded protected by the general." "And that pure-blood is that Baek something?" "Yes... that's correct." "Is being a general or a noble that great...? Enough to be so intimidated?" "..." "Your expression." "...Those who possess the nation's protection, their words are law. Since they are chosen by the master, it’s a given." Hmm. Listening to his words provoked a lot of thoughts. Speaking so calmly meant it was likely true. The belief that being chosen by the master is self-evident seems to be an accepted notion here. This means... 'The existence of the master here and their subordinates hold a significant position, more than I expected.' They are treated as something much greater than I initially thought. Then... "What’s the reason those people clash with Hwasan?" "That is..." The disciple hesitated, as if he was uncertain whether he should speak. I was about to force him to talk when— "It's alright, go ahead and explain..." I heard a voice from behind. It was Gu Bong, who had belatedly opened the door and entered. I glanced at him briefly. His expression was thoroughly unpleasant, and he seemed to be doing a lot of thinking. “…Hwasan School, having no purebloods in its ranks and not receiving the master’s protection, is relatively weak.” "Not receiving protection..." I wasn't sure what exactly that meant, but judging by the reactions of the guards at the entrance and the Baek guys earlier, it was clearly a significant matter in this world. “It is because our sect leader took pity on our lacking selves and accepted us unconditionally that this problem arose....” The disciple’s eyes were filled with sorrow. “Without both the general’s protection and even the master’s approval... struggles with public perception arise...” "So." I interrupted the disciple. “You’re saying it’s seen as nothing more than a gathering of riffraff, warranting disdain and disregard?” “...” His face twisted into a painful expression, confirming my words. “You’re implying that’s why you're experiencing such ridicule, even in dealings just involving food supply?” “It’s unavoidable... it's hard-won just to manage this much...” "Okay, fine, but." There was something I couldn’t understand. I got it. The protection, the general, whatever. Accepting the poor circumstances, I understood that too. "Does your sect leader know about this situation?" "...." Would Shin Noya be aware that his disciples are experiencing such difficulties? I was certain about one thing in this regard. 'He wouldn't know.' With that old man’s personality, he wouldn’t have stood idly by if he had known. "...I think he probably doesn’t know the details." The disciple hesitantly replied, confirming my suspicion. Then. “Why wouldn’t he know? From what I gather, there’s no way he wouldn’t." “The sect leader… is restricted from approaching other countries.” The response came not from the disciple who had been speaking, but from Gu Bong. “Restricted?” “Yes. The sect leader is not only prohibited from approaching other countries, but also from getting involved in matters relating to them.” “Why?” “Because that is the condition under which Hwasan is allowed to exist.” “Hmm…” Upon hearing this, it vaguely reminded me of what had happened before. Wasn't it the leader who mentioned something? That black ox guy had said something. ‘Wasn’t it about breaking a contract or agreement?’ Noya had insisted that wasn’t the case during a dispute. “So you’re saying Noya is unaware and cannot go to other places?” “That’s correct. The sect leader probably doesn’t know… And truth be told, we prefer it that way.” “Why?” I asked, puzzled by Gu Bong's words. It was strange to wish for someone to stay uninformed. “He took us in when we had nowhere to go and raised us with love… We don’t want to trouble him any further.” I almost sneered at the mention of raising them with love but stopped myself. With a blank face, I asked. “Is that why you said it was okay for just me to kneel alone?” “...” Gu Bong’s silence was an affirmation. Ha ha. I laughed out loud seeing that. Just like I thought earlier, it’s the same this time. “Idiots.” “...” Even at my words, Gu Bong said nothing. ‘What? You don’t want to trouble him?’ Not even funny. The absurdity is overwhelming. “You all know nothing about that old man.” “What…?” “Do you really think he’s unaware of this matter?” No way. There was no way that sharp and sly old man wouldn’t have known. ‘So why did he send me here?’ Now I understand clearly. ‘Damned old man.’ Was he planning to make me do what he couldn’t do himself? Absurd. I thought about this as I moved. At the same time, I spoke to the Heavenly Demon. “Don’t follow me. Stay quietly here. If you follow, you’ll really be screwed.” “...” The Heavenly Demon, who was about to move, flinched and stopped. As I suddenly moved, Gu Bong looked at me and asked. “…Where are you going, venerable one? Shouldn’t we return to Hwasan immediately?” Without meeting his gaze, I answered. “I’ll go earn my keep. Wait here.” Right now, I had to take care of a task I wasn’t even aware of, rather than what he suggested. ********** A grand mansion located on the eastern side of Yawolgung. It was a place referred to by others as the Baek family. People rushed in urgently and announced: “Emergency—!” “The young master is injured...!” Suddenly, chaos erupted within as people rushed in, carrying someone. Baek Wool, the heir of the family, was brought in with a battered face, slung over a guard's shoulder, and those who saw this rushed around in pandemonium. “The young master is in critical condition…! Call a healer immediately!” “Move quickly, I said!” “Urgh…” An uproar ensues. Baek Wool kept bleeding from his mouth, and the servants, their faces pale, had to rush around. Were they worried about Baek Wool’s injury? No. That was not what truly mattered. What they feared now was not Baek Wool. No matter how much an heir he was, he was just that, an heir. What truly frightened them now was…. “What is going on here?” A low voice resonated within. Upon hearing it, everyone in the mansion came to a standstill simultaneously. At that moment. Crrr-! A growl, reminiscent of a tiger's, rumbled ominously. Simultaneously, deadly energy swept through the area. “Heugh...” “Gaaah...” Choked by the pressure, everyone fell to their knees. A figure slowly walked through those who could barely hold themselves upright. As he moved, his stark white hair dragged across the ground. It was immeasurably long and rough. Given that this being’s stature was just under eight cheok (approximately 8 foot), the hair appeared even longer. This being passed through the servants and looked down at the fallen Baek Wool. Upon seeing this, veins protruded on his forehead. “What is going on?” “L-leader…” “I asked what is going on.” Crrr----!!!! When the man spoke, a roar accompanied his voice. The entire building shook with that sound. “Eek…” The man who had been questioned trembled violently. His body was gradually being crushed by the fear. “Answer me.” “…it is…that…” The trembling man dug his nails into his hand. If he didn’t answer, he would die. A bit of pain was better. He had to answer somehow. Otherwise, he would surely die. So, the man forced his trembling lips open. “…Hwa-san…” Two characters. That was all he managed before losing consciousness. Thump. He collapsed on the ground. “Hwa-san?” The being's eyes flared with a blue light upon hearing the words. “Ha.” His lips twisted upwards into a sneer. “Do those bugs dare….” Despite generously extending mercy to them, such a thing was done? Crack-! The being clenched his massive fist and turned around. “Where are they now?” “They just finished trading, so soon they will… exit with the provisions…” “Is that so?” The corners of the man’s eyes tilted upwards at the news. “Guide me. I’ll go find them and tear them limb from limb myself.” This being’s name was Baek Wol. He was the leader of the Baek family, a noble family, and a general of Yawolgung. A disciple of Liu Sa. UltraM 2024.09.29 05:38 Report Apostle Five characters 0 Yeonwoo 2024.10.29 05:05 Report Is it a power level detector? 0 Only logged-in members can post comments. 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