922 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

As soon as I entered the room, Gu Bong looked at me and asked, "Where on earth have you been?" Not only him, but the other disciples were also casting uneasy glances my way. "I just went for a little walk." "…All of a sudden?" "Yeah." "…" Gu Bong gave me a suspicious look. He didn't seem to believe me. But of course, it made no difference. What would change if he didn't believe me? "What are you staring for? Do you have a lot of time on your hands? Shouldn't you be busy?" "Because of someone…." "What?" "Nothing…." Gu Bong started to speak but trailed off with a troubled expression. There seemed to be something on his mind. "It's fortunate you're back, though you probably won't be able to leave anytime soon…." His expression was quite grim. "Having meddled with the Baek family already, they must have barred the path—" "That's not an issue." "Hmm?" Gu Bong squinted at my confident assertion. Not an issue? "What do you mean by that…? How can you be so sure?" "Oh, I overheard a little something during my walk." I replied with a slight laugh at Gu Bong's inquiry. "It seems like something significant has occurred outside." "…?" Gu Bong tilted his head in confusion. ******* The bustling streets of the Night Moon Palace felt unusually chaotic, filled with an atmosphere different from the usual. -What's going on? -How did this happen all of a sudden…? -Haven't you heard yet? Beast-like humans gathered and exchanged words. Their eyes were filled with anxiety and tension, hard to ignore. -It seems the leader was attacked. -What…? The leader? Who could have attacked them? -I've heard it's the Baekwol leader, supposedly…? -Uh…? Among the four families that make up the Night Moon, the Baek family was known for their particularly fierce nature. The sight of the Baekwol leader, blessed by the moon and notorious for their wild and savage demeanor, was enough to make anyone shudder. And now there was outrage — that such a figure could be attacked. Even more astounding were rumors claiming. -They hardly put up any resistance, I hear. -The Baekwol leader didn't fight back? -Yes, and it wasn't even a sneak attack, supposedly. -That sounds utterly implausible…. The rumors quickly spread, moving rapidly through the crowd. -So then, who on earth attacked them? -Well? From what I gathered from their servants…. What was it again. Ah. Heavenly Demon. -That's what they said. -Heavenly Demon…? What could that even mean…. Amidst the buzzing conversations, Gu Bong couldn't help but frown repeatedly. "…This isn't right." He couldn't make sense of the bizarre turn of events. '…The Baekwol leader was suddenly attacked?' Thinking of Baekwol. 'Wouldn't they be the leader of the Baek family?' The fierce leader with long hair and blue eyes, fiercely proud of their pure bloodline. That's how Gu Bong remembered Baekwol. -Half-blood. You're useless. "…" A soft voice invaded Gu Bong's thoughts, dredging up hidden memories that resurfaced with unwelcome familiarity. '…Tsk.' He clenched his fists and shook his head, wondering why he was recalling such old memories. He was different now, not like before…. -You just ran away, didn't you? "…" Gu Yangcheon's words pierced through, causing Gu Bong to close his eyes tightly. "Hoo…." He let out a deep sigh, steeped in frustration. As Gu Bong took a moment to collect his scattered thoughts, he was startled. "I mentioned it earlier." Gu Bong's body quivered at the voice, which matched the one he had just recalled. "Do you have time to be loafing around like this?" "…" "Looks like you've got work to do. Or do you disagree?" At Gu Yangcheon's prompt suggestion, Gu Bong opened his eyes. He was right. '…Things have taken a favorable turn.' They had beaten up a noble. Moreover, it involved the Baek family, with whom they had a direct contract. Baek Do Ryeong never really liked him in the first place, and he expected they would seize this opportunity to make him suffer. 'But in this situation.' If a fiasco such as their leader being attacked had indeed occurred, surely dealing with the aftermath would take precedence over personal grievances. Gu Bong found himself furrowing his brows. '…How could things turn out like this?' The unfolding circumstances seemed too convenient, as if engineered to enable a smooth escape. "…No way." Gu Bong halted his steps and looked towards Gu Yangcheon. Could it be possible? '…Could he have attacked Baekwol?' Was it possible that Gu Yangcheon attacked Baekwol to intentionally create a gap? The thought crossed his mind, but. 'There's no way.' Gu Bong immediately dismissed it. That was too far-fetched. The Baek family leader was supposed to be an immensely powerful warrior. 'And that would mean Gu Yangcheon defeated him?' In such a brief span of time? Gu Bong couldn't entertain the thought. But. '…Who knows….' He wasn't entirely dismissive of the possibility either. With a doubtful glance, Gu Bong looked at Gu Yangcheon, who retorted. "What are you staring at? Look ahead." "…" Gu Yangcheon's growl instinctively made Gu Bong lower his gaze. Realizing this, he was startled. Why am I feeling so intimidated? Though his pride was pricked, he didn't turn his head back. As he approached the bustling entrance, the chaotic atmosphere became vividly apparent. "Move! We need to find him!" "Don't let anyone leave without authorization!" The guards at the gate, alert, scanned every direction with tension. Witnessing this, Gu Bong frowned. 'If things are like this.... Leaving seems impossible.' Even if they weren't going to capture him directly, with the attack happening, they would inevitably control who got out. Could they really manage to leave in this state? Riddled with doubt, Gu Bong paused just as he was about to take another step. "Excuse me." "…!?" Out of nowhere, Gu Yangcheon spoke to the gatekeeper. Already occupied, the gatekeeper's face scrunched up when approached. "What do you want?" "Oh, just wondering if we could step outside. Can we leave right now?" The gatekeeper's expression soured even more at Gu Yangcheon's question. "Can't you see the situation? There's no way anyone can leave—" "Come on, don't be like that." As he spoke, Gu Yangcheon slipped something into the gatekeeper's hand. The gatekeeper flinched and then coughed awkwardly. "Ahem…." "We've properly fulfilled our contract and received our goods. Can't we just leave?" "...Contract, you say… Ah." The gatekeeper paused and checked Gu Yangcheon's attire. "The Mountain Clan, is it? You're here for provisions?" "Indeed. We've already completed our task... Can't you let us through?" "No matter what... things like paperwork require—" "Hey… let’s be reasonable… you know." Gu Yangcheon slipped another item into the gatekeeper's hand. The gatekeeper's expression relaxed further. "You know us. What power does the Mountain Clan have to attack the leader?" "…That's a fair point." "So let's not be rigid about it… some flexibility… you know." "Ahem…." Seemingly convinced, the gatekeeper subtly stepped aside, gesturing towards the entrance. "—Verify it properly." Pretending not to notice, he diverted his gaze elsewhere. It was an implicit invitation to hurry through. "Done." Gu Yangcheon erased his smile, motioning to the disciples to follow him. "Let's go." What just happened? Gu Bong was too baffled to comprehend the situation. How did that work? It didn’t make sense. They pulled their cart and stepped outside. The disciples remained bewildered. How did they manage to get out? Observing everyone's puzzled expressions, Gu Yangcheon spoke. "Isn't it good we're out? Why is everyone hesitating?" "…No, Master. What on earth just…." Gu Bong’s inquiry was met with a tut from Gu Yangcheon. "In this world, there's nothing that can't be done with a polite request." "…That can’t be right." If the world was that peaceful, things would never have escalated to this point, Gu Bong asserted firmly. Gu Yangcheon simply laughed in response. "It's because you weren't polite enough." "What—" "You fool. Politeness isn't just about your attitude." Gu Yangcheon formed a shape with his fingers, showing it to Gu Bong. Using his index finger and thumb, he made a circle. It's said all ends return to one. Or they called it the unchanging law. "It's money." If the world isn't kind, it’s because there's not enough money. Gu Yangcheon had handed money to the gatekeeper. "…. " Hearing this, Gu Bong's face darkened. In other words. "You mean you bribed him…?" "Bribed? I told you, it was politeness." "No…." Gu Bong hesitated mid-sentence. Fine. It was good that the bribe worked. "…But where did you get the money?" Where did he get the money to hand over to the gatekeeper? To his knowledge, Gu Yangcheon had no money. He didn't even know what the Night Moon Palace was, so how could he have something like that? Perhaps. "Did you steal it…?" Was it stolen? Gu Yangcheon narrowed his eyes at Gu Bong's words. "What nonsense are you spouting, you mad lad? Who stole anything? Who do you think I am, some thug?" "…" "…What's with that look? Why aren’t you denying it? Damn?" "…" Why wasn't he denying it? Was he asking because he genuinely didn't know? "Then did you…." "Want to get slapped?" "…" If neither, then what was it? If it wasn’t stolen or taken, then where did the money come from? "Clicking his tongue, Gu Yangcheon moved forward, "I procured it somewhat appropriately. Don't worry; it won't cause any problems." Gu Bong continued to stare suspiciously, yet found nothing suspicious in reality. Neither stolen nor taken. Just. 'I made it.' Using the power of the web, he created it. The form or value of money—he quickly looked it up. It wasn’t too difficult. It was just a minor inconvenience different from the central plains. He handed it over to the gatekeeper on that basis. ‘By now, it would have vanished.’ The money handed over would have disappeared over time. By now, the gatekeeper might have thought it lost or stolen, causing a commotion. 'At least we managed to leave.' He looked back. The fortress of the Night Moon Palace was growing distant. 'Looks like I might have to return.' Realizing this, he started to move again. "…Heaven's spawn." "…" "Son of Man-gye." The Heavenly Demon murmured softly, only audible to me. You crazy… thing. With forced ignorance, I continued onwards with steady steps. ******** Fwoosh. The flickering torch embedded in the wall barely illuminated the darkness. A man clad in blackened attire hurriedly walked forward. Seemingly in a rush, he bit his lip as he moved quickly, arriving at a large door. "Hoo." He took a moment to catch his breath, masking his impatience. Then. Knock-knock. He cautiously tapped on the door with his hand. Despite making his presence known, silence ensued. Knock-knock. He knocked twice more. Another silence, perhaps? Just as the man was about to knock again. -Who is it? A voice came from within the door. The thin, raspy voice caused the man to swallow hard, then speak. "It's Yeom Eon, leader. I have urgent news…." -Come in. Creak-! The moment permission was granted, the door swung open. Yeom Eon had not opened it. The door opened of its own accord, and Yeom Eon pushed his trembling toes inside. Fwaaah. At that moment, the light disappeared. A profound darkness enveloped Yeom Eon. The only thing visible was the table ahead. And seated there was someone. Swathed in pervasive blackness, their face was obscured. Yet, he lacked curiosity. Yeom Eon immediately knelt, averting his gaze from the figure. It was darkness incarnate. Staring too long would only paint him in the same darkness. "What is it?" The darkness inquired. Hearing this, Yeom Eon suppressed a shiver and replied. "…The Baek family leader has been attacked and is currently bedridden." "Hmm?" The intriguing response from the shadowy figure in the room was palpable when Yeom Eon spoke. "Baekwol?" "Yes... That's correct." "Who did it?" More than the fact that Baekwol was attacked, the shadowy figure was more curious about who dared commit such an act. "...We have yet to determine their identity." The inability to find out who was responsible caused a slight ripple in the air. It was clear the leader's mood had shifted unfavorably. Sensing this, Yeom Eon hurriedly added more information. "But, there's another issue." The atmosphere calmed, not because it stopped but more like it waited. As if silently urging him to continue. "It has been reported that today... a member of the Baek family has suffered a misfortune." "The bloodline you speak of—is it that fool?" A noble’s kin so incompetent there was no need to remember his name. "Yes, that’s right." "And?" "However… regarding this matter…." Yeom Eon swallowed hard again, as if his mouth was dry, and continued. "The eldest son… is said to be involved." The air vibrated intensely. "Guh…!!" Yeom Eon gasped and clutched his chest. The area around him shook violently. "Is that so?" The voice from the darkness spoke. "Interesting." The tone was calm, but there was an undertone of fury saturating the words.