787 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Translated and Implemented Instructions In the Chronicles of the World's Greatest Swordsman, Chapter 787 (787/820) Some might say. At this point, what really remains for me to fear? Among the Ten Great Masters. Even at the top tier. If it were solely a confrontation of martial prowess, perhaps only ten formidable opponents remain, if I were to include the hidden masters surpassing my level. Unless it reaches the Three Supremes tier, I'm confident I can escape alive, regardless of the situation. Thus, frankly speaking, there shouldn't be much that instills fear in me. ‘…Strength isn’t the only source of fear, though.’ While strategy can be overcome with greater power, there are certainly things that cannot be broken so easily. Humans possess memories, after all. Memories so indelibly imprinted that they reappear as nightmares. Those ingrained in us, never to be forgotten. For me, that preeminently means my father. Oh, of course, even in terms of sheer force, there’s no hint of victory visible yet. Anyway… At any rate, the implication is that human fear isn’t solely birthed from strength. For me, that encompasses not only my father but also the rest of my family. To be precise. ‘It wouldn't be wrong to say that's everything.’ There were aspects I previously refused to acknowledge, yet have started to confront. I remain buried in those memories. Although becoming a dragon has improved certain aspects somewhat. When I faced Gu Heebi (구희비). It must have been this realization that allowed me to confront her without purely succumbing to fear. Though, claiming I completely overcame it would be overstating. I’ve simply grown more comfortable bearing it. That would be the correct sentiment. Indeed, it was exactly that. Knowing this, I quickly attempted to flee. Roughly packed my belongings and thought to hide somewhere. Just as I prepared to spring into action— Boom-!! The door was roughly thrown open from outside. At the same moment, “Hahaha—!!” The coarse laughter of an old man reached my ears and made my body tremble. “Well, well! Isn’t this our Star King (Seongwang / 성왕) grandson! Hahaha—! Your face is glowing beautifully!” “…” Damn. Too late. ****************** It was an incident from when I was young. Perhaps around the age of thirteen in my past life. The situation was one where, even to my judgment, I had caused extraordinary trouble, and the incident reached not my father, but Elder Il (Iljang-ro), who was then known as Elder Yi (Ijang-ro). I had always been remarkable in my unruliness, and at the time, instead of feeling guilt, I was brimming with irritation. The setting was the hillside behind the Gu household. Led by the hands of Elder Yi, I was taken there, drawn away. A clear expanse lay stretched before my eyes. Though not meticulously maintained, it wasn't an unpleasant sight. “Our grandson, do you know this?” Watching the view, Elder Yi questioned me. “How would I know if you don’t tell me? Also, I am not Elder Yi’s grandson.” I responded with a scowl. Thinking back now, it was an extremely cheeky reply. ‘Or was it? I might even answer like that now.’ If there is any difference, back then, it was filled with a deeper malice. Always quick to snarl and unwilling to allow anyone to approach me. Perhaps that’s why I never regarded Elder Yi’s persistent approach kindly. “Is that so? What a shame. Hahaha—!” Despite it all, Elder Yi only laughed, as if unbothered. He did the same then. “Why’d you drag me here? Untie this right now.” My body was tightly bound with ropes. I could untie it effortlessly now, but then, I was merely a helpless child. I yelled in frustration, loathing the confinement, yet Elder Yi paid no mind, staring just at the vast field. “...Fuck. I said untie this!” Eventually, unable to suppress my anger, I cursed. Only then did Elder Yi glance my way. His laughter persisted unchanged. Yet. I should have realized then. Behind that smile, there lay a trace of anger. “Yangcheon (양천아).” “Untie this right now!” “Why did you do it?” “If you don’t untie me, I’ll kill you all...!” “Why did you do it, Yangcheon?” “...Damn...! What did I do!? What did I ever—!” “That child almost died.” Elder Yi’s words staunched my flow of words. Those words were the reason for my being dragged to this mountain. Indeed, at that time I had nearly killed someone. The victim was likely my attendant. Though my memory isn’t clear, she seemed to be a woman a couple of years older than me. She had been struck by a porcelain I had thrown and collapsed. Had she not been properly treated, she might’ve died. “Why did you do it?” “...” Elder Yi asked for the reason. Why did I do it? Indeed. Why had I done such a thing? It’s not that I can’t remember. I knew the reason. Simply because the food she brought was tasteless. That was the reason, purely and simply. For that sole reason, I flew into a rage. That’s how the incident occurred. “The child has awoken after treatment. However, she won’t be able to serve you anymore. And she won’t work at our household either.” A monetary sum disproportionate to the situation was granted to her, stemming from an ordeal involving the clan’s bloodline. After her treatment, she was ensured enough support for a lifetime’s subsistence. This was something I learned by searching through records in my later years. “…So what?” I sneered. “Lucky for her, my inept servant ended up with money. Thanks to me.” I chuckled. Speaking those words, I laughed. Reflecting in hindsight, I was unaware of how ashamed and ugly I was within. Even throwing the porcelain wasn’t intentional. As usual, I was in a rage, and the porcelain was heavier than expected. Failing to control my strength, it veered off in an unintended direction. That's how the mishap came to pass. Honestly, I considered it fortunate that she survived. “It was just a single servant gone. Is that really such a problem?” Yet, the words leaving my mouth belied my inner thoughts. “If she had done her job properly, I wouldn’t have done that. Someone so incompetent dare serving me... just get me someone better next time!” I shouted with a fierce venom. The louder and more menacing my words, the more they sought to conceal my shameful heart. Translated and Implemented Instructions Back then, I was like this. “Untie me right now! I said, untie me—!!” I thrashed and struggled, but the ropes were too strong to loosen even a bit. “Grrr-!!” In the end, I lost my balance and tumbled onto the ground. The rocky surface was as sharp as it was stinging. I was in a situation where I might get hurt. “Unt… untie me—!” Even in such dire circumstances, Elder Il (Ijang-ro) remained the same. “A mere servant, you say.” The old man stroked his large beard and nodded. “That’s right. To you, she might just be a mere servant. If that child didn’t come from a noble lineage, that much is true.” This was the noble consciousness often spoken of. The Gu family was among the ranks of eminent families, and despite not showing it overtly, an eminent family remained an eminent family. Thus, Elder Il carried some of that consciousness as well. Yet. “But not being of noble birth doesn’t give you the right to treat her carelessly.” Finished with that separate reason, Elder Il looked at me and continued. “So, are you saying I should care about a mere servant?” “Whether you care or not is up to you. At the very least, don't create unnecessary troubles.” “Unnecessary troubles?” “Yes, because of your pointless actions, the family had to spend excessive money on that child. That is undeniably a harm to the family. If this isn’t a harm, then what is?” Do not cause harm to the family by creating incidents without justification, rather than concerning yourself with a child’s life or death. That was the essence of Elder Il’s words. “…Huh?” I let out a sarcastic laugh at the unexpected comment. “Yangcheon (양천아), do you know why I brought you here?” “How would I know? Untie me this instant, damn old man—!” “It’s simple. To give you a punishment.” Punishment. Hearing those words made my eyes widen fiercely. “Punishment for what—! I’ve done nothing wrong!! It’s that worthless girl’s fault for not doing her job….!” “I’ve told you, harming the child isn’t what’s at issue.” Swish. Elder Il moved his sturdy arm and picked me up. I was lifted lightly as if clutching an apple. “It’s one thing to not restrain yourself in the face of provocation, but Yangcheon, your threshold is incredibly low. Additionally, your petty temper is causing damage to those around you. This is why you’re being punished.” “As if there’s such a thing! I’m a bloodline of the Gu family—! Why should I receive punishment?” Thinking back, my ears grew hot. Naturally, it wasn’t said out of pride for being of Gu lineage. These were empty words, spoken because something needed to be said. Tools used to vomit out my emotions somehow. That’s what it felt like. “Someone like you punishing me? Why should I accept that—! Let me go—! Untie me. Untie me right now—!” I continued my relentless outcry. “I care not for what you think. This is solely a punishment bestowed by this old man.” With those last words, Elder Il casually tossed me aside. “Urk!?” I sailed through the air and landed with a thud on the ground, rolling further. As I was bound, I couldn’t stop myself with my own strength. After my body finally came to a halt… “Guh…” I groggily lifted my head and surveyed my surroundings. I had rolled quite a distance and arrived at the center of a plain. Since it was summer daytime, it was particularly hot. The ground was so heated that my body felt like it was burning. At that time, I had only just begun the initial stage of learning the Nine Flaming Wheels Technique (Guyeomhwarungong / 구염화륜공), so I had nearly no heat resistance. “…What is this… What is this….” Just why was I suddenly tossed here? As I pondered in confusion— “I contemplated what sort of punishment would be fitting.” Elder Il spoke to me from a distance. “It seems simplicity is best.” “What are you talking about! Untie me this instant—!” “At your age, you should start doing things independently. Let’s see if you can untie yourself.” “What the—!” “Well then, I’ll be back in three days. Farewell.” “What?” Concluding with those words, Elder Il turned and walked away. I cried out, bewildered as I watched him depart. “Untie me—! No, don’t leave me! What am I supposed to do here—!!” My body was tightly bound. Under the blazing sun, atop a mountain. It was a situation far removed from anything resembling survival. Come back in three days? You’re lying, right? I stared in disbelief, but Elder Il was already out of sight. “Damn you, wretched old man!! Come back right now—!!” The words I yelled only echoed back to me. Elder Il truly did not reappear. And precisely three days later. Dying slowly from dehydration and hunger, while hiding from wild animals, Elder Il lifted me out of the bushes and said. “If a similar situation arises again, it won’t be three days but seven weeks.” I could say nothing to his smiling words. I wanted to curse him out thoroughly, but alas, I lacked the strength. This was closer to abuse than a punishment. How could a clan elder inflict such on a bloodline? I learned later that Elder Il received some punishment for this incident. He did not step down from his elder position, but his standings were pushed behind Elder Samjang (Samjang-ro) and Elder Sajang (Sajang-ro). Meaning that even Elder Il couldn’t treat me arbitrarily. And Elder Il would have known that all too well. Yet the old man didn’t change in his demeanor towards me, whether he received punishment or not. If I caused excessive trouble, he would punish me. And he too would receive punishment. I’d cause trouble. He’d come to punish and receive punishment. The cycle repeated, and I spent that time busy avoiding Elder Il. He had a knack for dragging me away for training and scolding me if I caused trouble. In many ways, Elder Il was perhaps even more extreme than Gu Heebi. “You rascal—! Didn’t even send a single message! Unbelievable—!! You’ve got quite the talent for startling this old man, hahaha—!!” Even now, that old man hadn’t changed a bit. “…My head… please… stop shaking it.” Elder Il ruffled my hair with all his might, causing my head to sway. “Hahaha—!!! You’ve grown so tall, haven’t you? I knew this would happen. How could the son of your father not grow? You were just waiting to grow later—! You were so short back then—!” “…” Translated and Implemented Instructions A height increased by shedding the past, yet still shorter than Elder Il (Iljang-ro), who was close to eight feet. But it seemed enough to please Elder Il, who was beaming broadly. Seeing this, my heart ached somewhat. '…It's all because I shed my past.' Had I not, I’d have been far shorter than this. Mention of my burly father made it ache even more. “Have you eaten?” “…I was going to, but I lost my appetite.” “Oh come now. A young guy like you shouldn’t skip meals. You’re at an age where you need to eat to grow!” “…” Due to whom do you think I lost my appetite? Seeing Elder Il pat my shoulder without a clue made my insides twist even more. ‘I didn’t manage to escape in the end.’ Damn it. I tried to make a quick escape the moment I heard the news. Unfortunately, I couldn’t. “It’s nice here.” The moment I tried to flee, Elder Il barged into my quarters like a ghost. And thus, I ended up in this predicament. “I think I should stay here, too.” Hearing Elder Il say this made me grimace instinctively. “What’s with those terrifying words? I refuse.” “Refuse? Come now. Why not have a bath with this old man after a long time, hmm?” “I refuse even more. That’s just creepy, what a chilling thought.” “This rascal? Just because you’re all grown up now, you’re getting all uppity. It’s all about building affection and such…. Ah.” Elder Il, having been spouting nonsense—or perhaps not—suddenly looked at me as though he’d realized something. And then he smiled. ‘…Oh damn.’ A smile full of intent. I could predict what he was going to say next. “So that’s it. The great Star King (Seongwang / 성왕) doesn’t want to bathe with an old man like me. Understandable.” 'Damn it.' Just as expected, he brought up the nickname. “Yes, yes. Truly, the great Star King.” “…That’s not it.” “As the distinguished Star King, you must not associate with a trivial old man like me.” “I’m telling you that’s not it.” “Great and remarkable Star King, so no meals or baths….” “…” Clearly not listening, I sighed deeply and rubbed my forehead with my hand. ‘This was why….’ This was exactly why I wanted to escape. ‘How vexing.’ It was obvious at first glance that he would tease me endlessly. Especially because he was one to tease non-stop all day. Even Paejon (패존) was the same. Every time I saw him recently, his sneering face infuriated me immensely. And now, another person who could tease just as much had shown up. How could life be peaceful? ‘Haaa….’ Suppressing a rough sigh, I asked Elder Il, who was still teasing. “So, what brings you here?” “Hm? Oh, it’s because the great and magnificent…” “Okay, can we stop that already?” I said as I furrowed my brows, and only then did Elder Il stop talking. Though he looked disappointed, fortunately, he didn’t continue. “I heard you weren’t coming. So what brings you all the way here?” There were members of the Gu family (Gu-ga / 구가) already in Hanam (하남), but there was no news of Elder Il coming. Typically, Elder Il rarely left the clan and especially avoided going towards Hanam. Unless there was a major incident, like the one involving the Divine Dragon Academy a few years ago, he wouldn’t move without a compelling reason. So why did he come this time? I asked in that context. “Why, you ask? I came because I heard you, Yangcheon, were involved in a major incident.” His response left me momentarily dazed. “I heard you fought significantly. Is your body alright?” “…Ah.” Was the reason really me? “From what I see, you don’t look injured. I can’t tell if you were hurt or not. If injured, have you been treated well? I heard the Divine Doctor is around…. But don’t trust that guy too much. He has a bit of a quack side.” “…” Endless chatter flowed from him. While it caught my attention that he called the Central Plains’ best doctor a quack, even overlooking that… “I’m fine.” Knowing that most of his countless words were filled with concern, I felt incredibly sheepish. Did he truly come shortly after hearing about me? ‘It’s not like Shanxi (산서) is that close to Hanam.’ How many days had passed since the incident broke out? If he came upon hearing the news, it must have been hurriedly, just barely making it in time. It surely would have been like that, yet could an old man like Elder Il, no matter how lively for his age, have made it in one go? If that were the case, a mixed feeling within brushed against an unsettling sensation. “…For someone your age, why do such a thing? You should’ve just stayed at home.” And so, I ended up voicing something I didn’t mean. “Hehe. Just say I suffered, you’re still as eloquent as ever.” “That’s not it.” “Sure, sure.” Nod. Elder Il nodded and ruffled my hair again. His coarse touch was still uncomfortable, but I didn't resist unnecessarily. “Oh, by the way, I heard something on the way, Yangcheon.” “…Yes.” “I heard you became the Grand Leader (Daeju / 대주) of the Alliance. Is that true?” “…It happened somehow.” I haven’t even correctly settled in, yet I caused a commotion from day one. “Hmmm.” “Why do you ask?” Having heard me, Elder Il let out a hum. I wondered why all of a sudden. It didn’t seem like he was asking just to tease. ‘…Could it be?’ Did I err by not consulting the Gu family before taking the Grand Leader position? ‘Indeed.’ That was indeed an issue. I outright accepted the terms and became a Grand Leader, but I still had tangled issues. Accepting the Grand Leader position here would cause problems in returning to the clan and taking up the Family Head (Sogaju / 소가주) position. Because of that, not only my father but the elders amongst the family should have been consulted separately. ‘…I forgot.’ I had been so busy lately that I forgot momentarily. Thus, Elder Il might find it troublesome here and could command me not to take up the Grand Leader post. ‘I’ve already committed to the task; now I have to finish it.’ Half a year. Considering it requires about half a year of the plan to be feasible, a thought crossed my mind on how to persuade him. As I pondered deeply, Elder Il began to speak carefully. “This has turned into a bit of a predicament.” It seemed my prediction was correct. “Well, the thing is…. Elder Il.” Translated and Implemented Instructions "At this point... my ban from entering Hanam due to past trouble will be exposed because of this old man." "I have my own circumstances... wait, what?" "Hm?" "Yes?" I stopped mid-sentence and looked at Elder Il (Iljang-ro). A moment of silence passed. "Oh dear. A slip of the tongue!" Thunk! Elder Il tapped his head with his fist, feigning cuteness. "…" It wasn't cute at all.