789 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Translated and Implemented Instructions ### Chapter 789: Childhood Friend of the Zenith "…" "…" Their eyes met for a moment. Gu Heebi (구희비) was at a loss for words at the sight before her. Mi Horan (미효란) merely let out a silent breath as she gazed at her eldest daughter. Time flowed on like this. "Hmm?" Mi Horan gently picked up the child in her arms and sat it beside her, cautiously moving the refreshments and tea to a less visible spot. Then, as if nothing was amiss, she spoke. "Oh, you're here." "…" "Take a seat." Her demeanor was calm, as if today's events were nothing out of the ordinary. Such nonchalance made Gu Heebi question whether she had imagined everything moments ago. "Mother." "…" "What… is this?" It was unsurprising her inquiry fell short. As Gu Heebi frowned, Mi Horan’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. It seemed she'd realized her daughter's words had no effect. "This is… What on earth… No, who is this child…?" Gu Heebi stammered, barely able to articulate her astonishment. Her eyes darted wildly, betraying her shock. She had the look of someone who had seen something unimaginable. Moreover, "That child…" Her gaze shifted to the child and then froze. Her eyes widened even further. It was only natural. How could one not be shocked upon seeing that face? "…What?" The child tilted its head, looking curiously at the rigid-faced Gu Heebi. The innocent face, just by looking at it, drew memories back to the surface. [Look! It's a flower—! Here, it's for you, sis.] [Sis—! Play with me—!] Back when those smiles were abundant. A time when he broke off a flower and sprinted towards her, eager to give it to her. When her youngest brother clung to her hand and followed her around everywhere. "…Oh… oh…." It was exactly like those days. Though perhaps a bit cuter now… there was no mistaking it, this child bore a striking resemblance to her younger brother. Seeing this, Gu Heebi's body moved on its own. Ignoring Mi Horan's earlier demeanor and the reason she'd been summoned so abruptly to this place. None of that mattered. First, she had to approach him. She had to go to him and think after giving his head a gentle pat. Just as Gu Heebi was about to approach the child, In that moment. "Yangcheon…." Whoosh—!! "…!?" A gust of wind swept past Gu Heebi. Before anyone could react, something cut through the air and darted forward. The rapid acceleration took everyone by surprise, and Gu Heebi’s gaze concentrated on one spot. Over there. "Yeon-ah…?" A woman with black hair, known as her brother’s guardian, was embracing the child who resembled her brother. The swiftness and suddenness of the situation left Gu Heebi stunned. Even Mi Horan, typically composed, was visibly surprised. As everyone reeled from the unexpected event, Clatter. The sound of footsteps echoed around them. Reacting instantly, Gu Heebi moved and shouted. "Wait—!" Clang—clatter! Blades rained down from all directions. --- Being half-dragged along by Elder Il (일장로), we eventually arrived at a familiar place. Once I realized where I was, I found myself in this well-known area. The neatly maintained path. The luxurious residence before me. Not a place that particularly suited me, yet it was a familiar setting. 'Having been here just yesterday, I couldn’t possibly not recognize it.' Yesterday. In the dark of night, filled with trepidation, I had come here. It was where Lady Mi resided. Led by Elder Il, I found myself here again. The purpose was to meet someone. Given that this was Lady Mi’s abode, one might think I came to see her. But that wasn’t it. 'Hmm.' I surveyed the place with a tense expression. No, I wasn't here to see Lady Mi. Elder Il mentioned I was here to see my grandfather. 'Though, to be precise….' Maternal grandfather. That was the more accurate term if one cared for specifics. 'Not that we share a drop of blood.' Technically, my grandfather would be that old man I met before, although there was one more. Lady Mi’s Baekhwa Trading Company (백화상단). Its founder. The very man who was Lady Mi’s father. '…Hmm.' Pondering the thought raised questions. Could I truly call such a person my maternal grandfather? 'It’s not as if he's my real grandfather.' In any case, I am the offspring of a concubine, thus there was no shared blood with Lady Mi, and surely no reason to call someone my maternal grandfather. Moreover, 'I’ve never even met him.' I had never once seen Lady Mi’s father, the founder of the Baekhwa Trading Company, in my life. 'I only just found out he was alive.' I hadn’t even heard of him, much less seen him. So, he was alive after all. 'I wonder if my sisters knew.' Gu Heebi or Gu Yeonseo might have known. Though to me, he was a stranger, to them he was a real grandfather. Though that made things even more peculiar. 'Why on earth?' This founder of the trading company suddenly appearing wasn’t strange enough; he even brought Elder Il along as a bodyguard to Hanam, and— 'Why seek me?' Why would he specifically seek to meet me? This event never occurred in my previous life. As always, it seemed like an outcome of the chaos I had sown, but— 'I have no idea.' What had gone wrong to lead to this? Thinking about it, nothing came to mind. Raising my head, I asked the broad back in front of me. "You know, Elder Il." "Hmm?" The towering Elder Il turned back. "Why would he seek me out?" Why would the founder of the Baekhwa Trading Company seek me? I asked Elder Il, but— "Who knows." "…" "Just wanted to see his grandson or something, wouldn’t you think?" The response wasn’t particularly useful. Honestly, expecting something from this old man was where I erred. "…I'm not even his grandson, why would he want to see me? And if he missed me, he could have come ages ago." "Is that so?" "Moreover, why would you, Elder Il, take on the task of escorting him, considering your age?" A figure significant enough to be called an elder of a prestigious family. It was peculiar that such a person would take on the role of escorting and come all the way to Hanam. At my words, Elder Il scratched his cheek with a hand. Translated and Implemented Instructions "…Well, it just ended up that way. It's all for the best. Think of it as taking a walk to see you along the way." "A walk? Isn't that usually called a journey, not a walk—" Whoosh—! As I was speaking, I instinctively ducked. Elder Il (일장로) had swung his fist at my head without warning. As his punch brushed past in mid-air, Elder Il let out a small chuckle. "Oh? You dodged?" "Talk it out, talk it out… Violence is a bad thing." "Ha, you're getting better at twisting words as time goes by." Elder Il lamented and rotated his wrist. Watching him, I spoke. "Be honest with me." "Hmm?" "Did you come because you lost a bet again?" "…" Elder Il flinched slightly at my question. "W-What are you talking about? I never lost such a thing." "This isn't one of those situations, is it?" "Of course not! Do you see me as some gambling-addicted old man?" "Given your track record, it's hard to say otherwise, isn't it?" "…" Elder Il clammed up like he had nothing more to say. How could I not suspect? "Who wins a drinking bet only to bring back a relic from the Mount Hua Sect (화산파)?" The trouble he caused in Shaanxi with that incident… Whenever Elder Il seemed like he'd gotten involved in some mess, it was always related to drinking or gambling. "Judging by your reaction, it seems that's the case again." Sure enough, it seemed there was something suspicious going on this time as well. "It's obvious, isn't it?" Elder Il, trying desperately to change the subject, simply whistled unconvincingly, producing nothing but a breathy whoosh. "Elder Il." "I said no, didn't I?" Yeah, right. His expression gave it away. The old man was definitely up to something again. "Be truly honest." "About what?" "What trouble have you caused this time?" Pressing further, I continued to probe. Elder Il causing some trouble? It seemed harmless enough since he usually cleaned up after himself, but not this time. 'It's inevitable.' From the events of this life, it was undeniable. 'The trouble this old man causes always impacts me.' No matter how I tried to escape, I always ended up entangled. How many times had Elder Il's mess ended up as my responsibility? It seemed this time would be no different, so I intended to get a confession from him. "No, I said no. Don't you trust me?" "Of course I don't trust you. Of all people, how could I ever trust Elder Il—" Vroom—!!! "!" I halted mid-sentence and turned my head. There was a surge of energy coming from inside the house. "Hmm? What's wrong?" Elder Il seemed puzzled by my reaction. It seemed he hadn’t perceived it. Was it because my sensing abilities had improved? It couldn't be. Currently, I had most of my senses sealed since I wasn’t accustomed to them, making the range much narrower than usual. So what was this energy? '…This.' It struck directly at my heart. Immediately, my heart thumped violently in resonance. Thump—! Whooosh—! Simultaneously, another wave of energy emanated from inside the dwelling. "…" "Yangcheon?" Elder Il called in a concerned tone, but— Burst—!!! My feet were already igniting with flames, propelling me forward. Boom—! My Qi (기) aligned perfectly, accelerating me even further. In a few strides, the surrounding scenery blurred into a rush. The risk of crashing due to uncontrolled speed was high, but I paid it no mind. I was in a hurry. Flare—!!! Becoming a flash of flame, I delved into the residence. I brushed past the entrance. The guards at the door barely realized before my body was inside. Yet my speed didn’t wane. My destination was the source of the energy. If I wasn’t mistaken, 'This energy is definitely…' I gritted my teeth, evening my breath. It wasn’t far off, and in seconds I reached my destination. The energy seemed to be coming from Lady Mi’s room inside the house. I headed straight into the room. Then I quickly took in the scene unfolding inside. "…Hmm?" I squinted upon seeing it. 'What is this.' The room was filled with numerous individuals. Though the spaciousness of the house made the room seem large, it appeared cramped with so many people. Inside, there was— 'Gu Heebi.' Gu Heebi held a sword, directing her gaze at something, and Lady Mi looked on with startled eyes. And there. 'The Heavenly Demon (천마)?' A familiar femine silhouette. The Heavenly Demon was hugging Ddolddol (똘똘이). Surrounding her were martial artists clad in black garb, seemingly the secret guards who normally protected Lady Mi. They all aimed their blades, fraught with lethal intention, at the Heavenly Demon. '…What is going on here.' What on earth was the situation? Why was the Heavenly Demon in that room holding Ddolddol, letting out such energy? "…" I rolled my eyes, attempting to decipher the inexplicable scene. At that moment, "Step away at once." One of the secret guards addressed the Heavenly Demon. "If you don't retreat now, I will not hesitate to strike." Madness. They were threatening to attack the Heavenly Demon. I swallowed at the audacity of such a statement. Simultaneously, I glanced at Gu Heebi and Lady Mi. The distance between them and the Heavenly Demon wasn't great. If the Heavenly Demon became agitated and went into a frenzy, escaping with those two would be challenging. Having gauged the situation, I sprang into action immediately. Flare—! "Ah!?" "What the—!" I slid into the gap between the blades. Although the secret guards reacted immediately to my sudden appearance, recognizing my face, they paused. "Young Master…?" "Put down your swords." "Pardon?" "Put that away and attend to the lady first." "But…" "I'll handle this, hurry." "…" With my firm directive, the guards made disgruntled expressions but, thankfully, prioritized attending to Lady Mi. A slight gap opened between us. Finally, I approached the Heavenly Demon. Still clutching Ddolddol tightly, the Heavenly Demon was there. "Hey." "…" "What are you doing?" Translated and Implemented Instructions Despite my calling, there was no response. The Heavenly Demon (천마) continued to hold Ddolddol (똘똘이), breathing deeply in repetition. I added more words in response to this sight. "What on earth are you doing here, causing such chaos?" My tone carried an edge of aggression. It was to gauge the Heavenly Demon’s reaction. In truth, my heart trembled with anxiety. Why was she behaving this way? Was there an ulterior motive? I had hoped something had changed in this life, but was she still the same Heavenly Demon at her core? Doubt seeped through me. "I'm asking, what are you doing?" I spoke, channeling strength into my heart. Should anything go awry, I’d need to activate my Qi immediately. It was for that purpose I gathered my strength. My hand slowly reached out, touching her shoulder to gently pry her away. Silence. At that moment, the Heavenly Demon raised her head and our eyes met. Her face appeared from beneath her black hair. I froze. I couldn't help it. "…What is this?" The Heavenly Demon, who had been holding Ddolddol, "Are you… crying?" was weeping. And her tears flowed mournfully.