1087 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 1087: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archive** *Smack!* A harsh sound reverberates as Namgung Jin's head snaps upward. "Guh-." A short groan is heard but it doesn't continue. A fist crashes down in front of his raised head. *Thud!* The noise resembles the sound of a rock shattering. The impact erupts again, sending Namgung Jin's body spinning through the air. Following his rotating body, a stream of blood traces a circle in the air. Though his body is launched high, it seems it will soon crash back to the ground. "Grr...!" Even in that brief moment, Namgung Jin couldn't touch the ground. This is because an approaching figure seized him by the neck, holding him firmly in place. "Damn it." A raw curse slips out. Everyone flinches at the sight of the menacing grimace and the blazing blue eyes. "Why do I put up with this?" *Tsk.* The click of a tongue and the familiar appearance of a careless demeanor. "These men from the Namgung family are all so strange, aren't they?" "Guh...!" "Why do you keep getting on my nerves?" Namgung Jin's body trembles violently, shuddering from the residual pain. *Smack!* "Ugh!" Another fist pierces his solar plexus. Namgung Jin's body convulses, and he coughs up blood. "Do you know what I despise the most?" Infusing the statement with annoyance, he spoke to the man. "People who are weak but don't know their place and act up." *Thwack!* "If you can't even manage, shut up and live quietly. Don't piss people off." Words tinged with self-loathing, for he lived foolishly in his previous life. Thus, as he was beating Namgung Jin to a pulp in a fit of emotion, Those who sat watching from the Azure Dragon Corps, as well as the rookies surrounding them, were wide-eyed in shock. "Namgung Jin... is being beaten like that?" "What...?" "You couldn't even see it." The senior members of the Azure Dragon Corps watched in disbelief. It was only natural. Who was Namgung Jin, the Sword Dragon? A leading candidate to be the next head of the Namgung family and was once considered the strongest of the rising stars before the appearance of the Divine Dragon. Had it not been for the Divine Dragon, the seat of vice-captain of the Azure Dragon Corps would surely have belonged to the Sword Dragon, they said. Though his personality showed some flaws, he was highly regarded as one of the top rising stars. Such a Sword Dragon was now held utterly powerless. Perhaps this is why the expressions of the rookies were also far from normal. "...To think the Sword Dragon would be handled like this?" "It's unthinkable. And by someone in the same league as us...?" That someone of their own rank—a new recruit just assigned to a unit—would overpower the Sword Dragon, was simply inconceivable. Amidst those who were too stunned to believe it all, "What do you mean 'same league'? That's a ridiculous notion." A solemn voice cut through. The eyes of the rookies turned to see... "You think a peer like Baek is the same as you? That’s preposterous." It was Do-yoon, another rookie, brimming with a certain confidence. "...Comrade Do. What do you mean?" "What do you think?" Do-yoon quickly responded to the confused inquiry of a colleague. "Baek is fundamentally different from us." "What?" "It's obvious. Are you not aware of the actions Baek has taken since joining our main guild?" At those words, a spark of understanding began to flicker in the eyes of his peers. Indeed, they began to recollect the events involving the enigmatic Baek Yangcheon. Firstly, During the first admission test sparring with the Sword Division’s examiner, he defeated the examiner in a single strike. While victories against the examiner were not unheard of, winning with a single blow was unprecedented. Secondly, In the second test on magical creatures' knowledge, he was the only one to achieve a perfect score. This demonstrated his prowess not only in combat but also in intellect. And thirdly, "He is someone even one of the Three Grandmasters of the martial world took a personal interest in." The Three Grandmasters. The Grandmaster of Defeat from the righteous sect personally wished to take Baek Yangcheon as a disciple and even attended the Azure Dragon Corps’ banquet for him. Such feats point to Baek Yangcheon as an extraordinary figure just for his entry into the guild. The issue arises here. “How is it that such an extraordinary individual remained unknown until now?” “...Huh?!” “Indeed…” Do-yoon’s words cast a contemplative shadow on their expressions. How could such an exemplary figure have remained hidden from notice all this time? It is indeed peculiar. Look, he displays such formidable power against the Sword Dragon as well. How could... “He not be granted the title of a dragon?” Given he was among the top ranks of rising stars, it seemed odd he had not received the revered titles of Dragon or Phoenix. As these questions lingered, Do-yoon lowered his voice further. “In my opinion,” he said. His peers leaned in to listen closely. At that moment, “Don’t you think Baek is... no, our friend Yangcheon might have been raised in secret by the Baek family?” “In secret...?” While the term ‘peer’ subtly shifted to ‘friend,’ other listeners were too caught up in his theory to mind. “Yes. Possessing a grand ambition, the Baek family, once considered insignificant, must have been nurturing a prodigy in secrecy to reassert their presence...!” “What?!” The Baek family never had a significant presence historically. “Right. So, that must be why someone of his skill remained unknown?” “...Putting it that way, it makes sense.” His unexplainable prowess. His vast knowledge of magical creatures. And his silent notoriety. If he were the Baek family’s secret weapon raised in confidentiality, it all clicks. “We might be witnessing a new chapter in history.” Do-yoon nodded enthusiastically, gaining confidence from their reactions. “Wow...” As they all accepted the thesis, nodding along in understanding. As the misunderstanding slowly took root in the onlookers’ minds, becoming their truth, "These idiots." Baek Yangcheon, or rather, Gu Yangcheon himself, frowned as he listened to everything being said. --- He had heard every word. "What? Secret weapon?" He couldn't believe it. What secret weapon? The absurd misunderstanding spread like wildfire. The voices were loud and clear, without any attempt to be discreet. In his already heightened sensory state, there was no way he couldn't hear such boisterous voices. *Sigh.* He resisted the urge to sigh. This situation wasn’t ideal. "What am I going to do?" How should he handle this? The ridiculous rumors were one problem. "I've made a mess." There was also Namgung Jin, who lay in a bloody heap, panting. This was another issue. He hadn’t hit him that much, yet Namgung Jin was already half out of it. Wanting to keep things reasonable due to the gap in their abilities, he didn't mean to overdo it. "I didn’t notice." He was not accustomed to fighting weaker opponents at his transcendent level, hence the slight miscalculation in moderation. "...What now?" It seemed like he had really caused a scene. Even aside from that, he had acted out of anger. But it couldn't be helped. "Ran his mouth, making me lose my temper." He had tried to restrain himself, but this was really Namgung Jin's fault. "He even looks just like Namgung Cheonjun." To be precise, Namgung Cheonjun resembled him, but that detail was irrelevant. The real issue was how that loathsome face exacerbated his anger. "That’s why I ended up hitting him a bit too hard." He hadn't planned to go this far, but it got a bit tricky. Still, he was careful not to hit him in the eyes. That much he controlled. "They only resembled Namgung Biya in the eyes." He had restrained himself fervently, even though he had the thought. "I could have just smashed his family jewels." Thinking of Namgung Cheonjun, he briefly considered eliminating any chance of a future lineage, but, "I can’t do that." Namgung Biya’s future existence couldn’t be jeopardized because of Namgung Cheonjun. "Hoo." He exhaled, releasing the strength that had been held in his grip. Namgung Jin slumped to the ground, shallow breaths indicating he wasn’t dead. Watching him, he thought. "This guy grew more refined with age." Whether this peculiarity only existed in this world or if it existed in the Central Plains as he knew it was unclear. In comparison to the Sword King he knew, Namgung Jin here was a raw thug. "Mm." As he observed Namgung Jin, he noticed the attention on him. Though all the eyes were fixated on him, one presence in particular stood out. Though irritation lingered, opportunity remained. With intentions clear, Yangcheon lifted a foot over Namgung Jin. And, very subtly— A very faint hint of killing intent was emitted. Something anyone else would hardly notice, a mere whisper of threat. He wrapped the intent around his foot, ready to stomp on Namgung Jin's head when— Flare. The faint sound of igniting flame crackled in his ear, accompanied by searing heat. Right beside him. As he turned his gaze, *Boom!* A massive crimson flame erupted before him. Quickly and harshly, the crimson flame engulfed him. Yet it didn't touch him. It was just close enough to burn him with the slightest movement. The crimson flame, charged with spirit. Amidst this searing heat, he sensed an uncanny coldness. Recognizing the familiar presence within the blaze, He looked at the master of the flame. "The duel is over." An intense voice announced, as a young man with fiery eyes looked down at him. "Stand down, Baek Yangcheon." His father, expressionless, radiated energy towards him. Yangcheon smiled as he saw this. "Stand down?" He replied to his father with a grin. "Make me." A wrinkle formed between his father’s brows at the audacity. ...Truthfully, this confrontation made him nervous, but he stubbornly held his ground.