930 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 930: The Best in the World Friend of Almighty A creak. Pieces of a fragmented barrier fell to the ground. Yet as if they were merely a mirage, these pieces crumbled into dust in an instant. Whether the fragments were large or small, they all vanished regardless. “…This is….” Gu Bong found himself stunned, staring at the pieces strewn about. The dark curtain, which seemed impervious and ever-encroaching, shattered. Gu Bong had felt an overwhelming terror from it that dissipated so easily. Too easily. Crack-! Gu Yangcheon brushed away the rough remnants of the barrier with a hand, as if it was an inconvenience. The nonchalant way he did it was almost unbelievable. “What a nuisance.” He clicked his tongue and tossed the thing he held to the ground. It was a person. Thud-! A figure with black hair landed heavily as though she were an object. Gu Bong swallowed, recognizing who she was despite not having seen her for decades. His brother. Even though his face was swollen beyond recognition from numerous blows, Gu Bong could tell it was him. “Urgh… Uggh…” The figure groaned in pain, blood streaming from his mouth. What on earth had happened? Gu Bong desperately wanted to know but couldn't bring himself to ask. “Why are you doing that?” A voice broke through. As Gu Bong raised his gaze slightly, he noticed Cheon An staring at him brazenly. “From before, it seemed like you enjoy kneeling down?” He chuckled. Indeed, Gu Bong was kneeling. “...” Unable to respond, Gu Bong remained silent, and Gu Yangcheon extended a hand toward him. The hand landed on the cuffs Gu Bong wore. Creak. “…!” Gu Bong’s eyes grew wide seeing his nonchalant grip on the cuffs. They weren't just any cuffs; they were made of Yo Stone. Gu Bong had managed to break them once, but hadn’t fully freed himself. Yet, Gu Yangcheon simply grasped them... Crush-! And pulverized them in his hand. “Why keep something like this, not even a decoration.” “…What…?” Stunned, Gu Bong gazed blankly at the broken cuffs. His mind seemed to drift, unable to comprehend what just occurred. It was a truly unbelievable thing. “Ah…!” Recalling how Gu Yangcheon shattered the barrier and pinned his father against the wall, Gu Bong hastily turned his gaze. Looking at the wall—‘Huh?’ Not a single trace remained of what he had seen with his own eyes. It was puzzling, giving rise to questions in his mind. Just then— Crack---!!! Suddenly, cracks began to form in the surrounding barrier. The fissures spread swiftly, extending until the entire barrier shattered to pieces. Thud---!! The night collapsed upon itself. Shards crumbled and scattered across the floor. Gu Bong bewilderedly watched the spectacle. “Remarkable.” A voice echoed from afar. It was the voice of the dark leader. Gu Bong looked in that direction, frowning. Unlike before, when shrouded in an aura that obscured his features, this time his face was clearly visible. A middle-aged man with blackened hair and a stern expression—he was the master of this place. Gu Bong couldn’t bear to meet those eyes and turned his head away. “How did you know?” His voice directed at Gu Yangcheon. Surely a sneer. “How did I know? It was obvious.” “Obvious?” “Yes.” Gu Bong couldn’t fathom what he meant by “obvious.” It seemed the man was just as puzzled as he was, as he continued questioning Gu Yangcheon. “That can’t be right.” The man’s voice hinted at irrefutable certainty that it was impossible. Gu Yangcheon laughed, louder than before. “If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do. You don't expect an explanation, right? Even if you did, you wouldn’t get one from me.” “...” A brazen and slightly sharp manner of speaking. Though it was a familiar tone he always used, Gu Bong sensed something different today. He had caught on to its uniqueness. ‘He speaks that way to everyone.’ No matter who he spoke to, his attitude remained unchanged. Whether it was casual or formal, the underlying meaning of his words never wavered. “Interesting.” Even the man found a spark of intrigue. An emotion missing from his eyes for a long time. “Are you from the Mount Hua Sect?” “Can’t you tell by looking?” Gu Yangcheon pointed to his chest. A plum blossom symbolizing Mount Hua was embroidered there. The man studied the emblem and then Gu Yangcheon’s hair. “Black hair?” Hair darkened like coal. And his ears and tail. A color rare in this place. The man observing Gu Yangcheon’s hair tilted his head. The meaning behind that glance didn’t escape Gu Bong. ‘Could it be?’ Is he suspecting Gu Yangcheon as the perpetrator of the attack? ‘No.’ Gu Bong began to rise. He wanted to stand between Gu Yangcheon and the accusation. But— Clasp-!! “…!” Gu Yangcheon’s hand pressed firmly on Gu Bong’s shoulder, holding him down. A gaze pierced through. Gu Yangcheon warned him with his azure eyes. - Stay still. “...” Gu Bong obediently sat back down. “Not purely black... it seems like the color is mixed?” “Yes. That’s correct.” “There have been no rumors of someone as powerful as you in Mount Hua.” “Thank you for the compliment. I usually avoid such attention.” “Hah.” The man gave a dry chuckle at Gu Yangcheon’s comment. However— “How did you escape from the underground?” His words abruptly shifted the atmosphere. Ssshhhh---!! The immense energy surged, causing Gu Bong’s shoulders to tremble uncontrollably. A menacing black aura began to emanate from the man, much stronger and more intense than before. "How did I get out, you ask?" Even amid such auras, Gu Yangcheon maintained his smile. "You treated your guests terribly, so I just broke out." Boom---!! A powerful blue aura surged from Gu Yangcheon, flooding the room and causing Gu Bong to wince, uncomfortable from the sudden increase in temperature. "Despite the effort to see your son, you treat people like criminals. That's not right, is it?" “...” “Made my mood terrible.” With that, Gu Yangcheon shed his smile, and the auras clashed intensely, creating cracks throughout the room that made it seem like it might collapse. “Hmm.” At that moment, the man uttered a short sound, suppressing his aura once again. "I am the leader, Heukryeong. What is your name?" "From Sanseo... No, Gu Yangcheon of Mount Hua." "Gu Yangcheon. Join the Heuksaek Division. I'll give you the position of the next leader." “…!” Gu Bong recoiled at Heukryeong's words. The next leader position? Despite having two sons for this role? Granted, one was unconscious from a beating, while the other had left home, but still. It was absurd to think of offering such a position to a total stranger. “Leader?” Gu Yangcheon tilted his head at the suggestion. "I'm not one of yours." "It doesn't matter." "Isn't it for purebloods only?" “Aren’t you pureblood?” “…Hmm.” Gu Yangcheon hesitated briefly before answering. “Roughly, yes.” Gu Bong frowned at the response, thinking it might be a lie. "Come over here then. I’ll make you the leader." The same conditions as before—offering the position of nobility's leader, a suggestion that never came to Gu Bong. “Hm.” Gu Yangcheon scratched his chin as if contemplating seriously. Was he really considering it? Gu Bong widened his eyes in disbelief, but— "I'm not really interested." Luckily, Gu Yangcheon declined the offer. ‘…Lucky?’ Why was it fortunate? Gu Bong swallowed hard, confused by his own thoughts. "Why not? Is your heart deeply attached to Mount Hua?" “Not really.” Without hesitation, Gu Yangcheon shook his head. “...” Such boldness. Despite facing the leader, he showed no attachment to his affiliation and openly admitted it. He had mentioned before that what happened to Mount Hua didn't concern him much. Still, to utter such a statement in front of his own father was unexpected. There was little attachment. Heukryeong, hearing the response, asked Gu Yangcheon again. “What if?” “I don't particularly feel attached, but... you know how it is.” “Know what?” “I want to be where there's a stronger leader. That's it.” “...” Sssik. With Gu Yangcheon’s statement, Heukryeong’s brows furrowed deeply. Wanting to be where the strongest leader was—that implied— “You're saying Mount Hua’s master is stronger than me?” “Oh, come now…. That’s not what I meant.” Gu Yangcheon waved his hand dismissively. Then— "Obviously, there's no comparison." He said, wiping the playful expression from his face. Thud-! Heukryeong’s energy trembled violently, clearly irritated. A tense atmosphere loomed. Gu Bong sensed the volatility of the situation: if his father lost control, unimaginable disaster would ensue. Should he intervene in this? As Gu Bong hesitated— Saiiigh…. Contrary to expectations, Heukryeong’s aura gradually calmed down. It wasn't natural; it was clearly being forcibly suppressed. “I see.” Heukryeong nodded. “I respect your faith in your master.” “No, not quite the master—” “Then what is your purpose, Gu Yangcheon?” “Purpose?” Heukryeong now looked at Gu Yangcheon with evident loss of interest, his previously strong emotions vanishing in an instant. His gaze shifted to Gu Bong. “There must be a reason for using such a method to see me.” Heukryeong seemed convinced that Gu Yangcheon had used Gu Bong to make this meeting happen. Additionally— “Ah, that.” Indeed, that was accurate. “Nothing major.” Gu Yangcheon glanced at Heukryeong and inquired. “I need to meet some people called generals for certain reasons. Do you know how I might do that?” Gu Bong was left speechless by the question. ********* As dusk began to fall, more people started gathering despite the previous day's incident, rendering the place fairly crowded. In the midst of this— “…Are you truly insane?” Gu Bong addressed me. His expression twisted as he looked at me. “What do you mean?” “If you’re not mad, how could you do something like that?” “What do you mean? What’s wrong?” “…Everything from start to finish was problematic!” That was harsh. I clicked my tongue lightly and Gu Bong continued. “Using me recklessly to infiltrate that place, your conduct there, and the words you spoke—all problematic.” “Enough, weren’t there at least some right answers in that lot?” “…Do you genuinely think so?” “I do.” Honestly, I couldn’t even tell what was supposedly wrong. In any case— “It all turned out fine, didn’t it?” Despite the claimed problems, the outcome was good. “We’ve come out unharmed and are walking here safely.” I had been a bit concerned about being locked up, but everything had worked out with Gu Bong. Moreover— “I even obtained this.” I shook the token I held before Gu Bong. It was something I acquired from Heukryeong. The effect of this item would likely mean— “No more hassle with telling the gatekeepers every detail. Isn’t that convenient?” No need for scrutiny when mentioning the name of Mount Hua. Taking everything into account, only good had come from it—so why was this fellow fretting? I couldn’t comprehend it. Sensing my attitude, Gu Bong spoke as if exasperated. “…You simply don’t understand what kind of being he is.” A shadow of fear lingered in Gu Bong’s eyes. "Whatever scheme might be in play, there’s always a hidden agenda. There’s a reason they let us go so easily this time," Gu Bong expressed with a hint of caution. "Of course, there is. They’re not fools to just hand over something like this for nothing," I replied casually. Heukryeong merely gazed at me silently, and after a moment, he stated that we'd meet again soon. That’s how I received this token. "You knew all that... knowing the kind of relationship I have with him...!" Gu Bong raised his voice, sounding agitated. "You seem to misunderstand something," I retorted to his distressed outburst. "I'm not really interested in you. I just assumed you were some family's son." “How could...!” "Oh, by the way, they said you're a concubine’s son, right?" “…!” "A son of a mistress, was it? Something like that," Gu Yangcheon noted with a grin, unbothered by the jagged truth. At that, Gu Bong clenched his teeth tightly. This wasn’t something he could overlook easily, ready to make his move at any moment. "Well, I’m an illegitimate child too. Also a concubine’s son." Gu Bong paused mid-stride at my blunt admission. "Just so you know." “…You.” "Sorry for using you. I really had to. I’ll probably use you again in the future. Apologies in advance for that, too." "..." How can someone be so audacious? To boldly say they’ll need you again—it’s almost diabolical. Gu Bong was visibly trembling in anger when— "You should understand. I have a lot to do to find my mother...." My words trailed off as I abruptly stopped. Gu Bong followed my gaze, seeing what I was looking at. A familiar face had appeared in view. 'Who is she...?' He didn’t know her name. Probably no one did. All that was known was that she was someone Gu Yangcheon had brought along, never associating with anyone else but him. 'I thought she said she wasn’t coming along today.' She had insisted on not coming today, so he assumed she wouldn’t. Why was she here then? Moreover— 'Is she hurt?' She appeared to be in discomfort. Gu Bong looked back at me, but I was already gone from my spot. Where had I gone? “What are you doing?” Gu Bong’s eyes widened at the sound of a voice. I had approached the woman and grabbed her shoulders. “What is this about!” I asked with apparent surprise. In the middle of the bustling crowd, with onlookers glancing at the commotion, the situation unfolded in unexpected ways. The sun was setting as evening approached, drawing more people to the scene despite the previous day’s events. The area grew ever more crowded. Amidst this bustling scene— “…Are you truly mad?” Gu Bong directed his words at me. “What do you mean?” “If you’re not out of your mind, how could you do such things?” “What do you mean? What’s the issue?” “…Everything from start to finish is the issue!” His words were harsh, and I clicked my tongue at the tone. Gu Bong continued with his grievances. “From recklessly using me to infiltrate, your behavior there, to the final words you spoke. It’s all problematic.” “Ah, come on…. Wasn’t there at least one right choice in there?” “…Do you genuinely believe that?” “Of course.” I honestly couldn’t see what was supposedly wrong. “Everything turned out well, didn’t it?” Despite being criticized, the results were all fine. “We walked out safe and sound, didn’t we?” Even though there was a moment when it felt dicey while locked up, in the end, everything was okay as we emerged unscathed together. Furthermore— “I even obtained this.” Shaking the token I had received from Heukryeong in front of Gu Bong. Its significance was clear. “We won’t have to report everything to the guards anymore. Isn’t that convenient?” With the token, our movements wouldn’t be scrutinized just because we were from Mount Hua. Considering everything, only beneficial outcomes emerged—so why was this guy so wound up? I couldn’t understand it. In response to my attitude, Gu Bong spoke, exasperated. “…You don’t understand the nature of that individual.” A shadow of fear seemed to dance in Gu Bong’s eyes.