1153 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 1153: The Childhood Friend of the World's Number One I accepted the woman's invitation and entered the cabin. The interior of the cabin was not much different from what I anticipated. In fact, it would be more accurate to say it was more neatly decorated than I had imagined. Everything was well-organized, and a faint, pleasant aroma lingered in the air. Just as the subtle tension within me started to fade in the warm atmosphere. "Please, have a seat." The woman gestured kindly towards the table. "Thank you." Without hesitation, I took a seat at the table. On it, two teacups and some traditional sweets had been placed. "I don't have much prepared... Will this be alright?" "I appreciate your hospitality." A soft trickling sound accompanied the filling of the teacups. Instantly, a gentle fragrance filled the space. 'A scent I've never encountered before.' What kind of tea is this? Even during my time learning poison techniques from the Poison King in Sichuan, I hadn't studied leaves like these. Having seen countless herbs, this was a fragrance I'd never encountered before. Just then. "This is a tea made from the gaewulcho." The woman, perhaps having read my expression, offered an explanation. "Gaewulcho?" I was surprised to hear this. Gaewulcho... "...it's a poisonous plant, isn't it?" It was indeed a poisonous plant. When consumed in large quantities, it could cause paralysis. "Yes, but when it's properly washed in mountain stream water and dried during this season, the toxicity is removed, leaving a delightful aroma." "..." I'd never heard of this before. It was knowledge not shared by the Poison King. 'Toxicity can be removed, huh.' Was such a property possible? Curiosity piqued, I lifted the cup without hesitation. "Thank you. I'll enjoy this." I took a sip. Being immune to all poisons, this kind of toxin wouldn't affect me, so I drank it without concern. As suggested by its fragrance, the taste was similarly soft and profound. "…It's delicious." "I'm glad you like it." The woman smiled brightly at my compliment. She exuded a gentle and pleasant aura. '…Who is she, though?' That was the question. Who was this woman? And why was there such a place within the Gu family estate? 'I’ve never seen this place before.' Since my birth, I'd never heard or seen such a place existing here. The path leading here was blocked until not long ago... ‘This area was supposed to be nonexistent.’ Whether it was erased later, the area was nothing but overgrown with grass and trees. While pondering the identity of this place and the woman. "So, what brings the young martial artist here?" The woman inquired about my purpose first. "…Ah. I was exploring the surroundings as I found my way here. It’s my first time on this side, and I was told it was alright to look around..." "Oh, I see. The headmaster mentioned as much." "That's right." "So, you are a guest of the Gu family." I nodded respectfully at her words. “…Yes. I am Baek Yangcheon from the Green Dragon squad under the Martial Alliance." "Oh my… the Green Dragon squad." Hearing this, the woman nodded with a smile. "Welcome. My name is Jin Yeonryeong." Jin Yeonryeong. Another unfamiliar name. Judging from that, and the fact she wasn’t a Gu, she clearly wasn’t from the Gu family. ‘…Hmm.’ Who is she, really? Why does she live here in a small cabin? I pondered as questions continued to surface. "I'm sorry for the sudden invitation. I’ve been feeling quite lonely lately… It seems old age brings a sense of solitude." The woman admitted to me bashfully, prompting me to wave my hand dismissively. "Not at all. I’m grateful for your warm welcome." "Thank you for your kindness." A brief silence followed our short dialogue. During that time, I continued observing the woman. ‘She doesn't seem like a martial artist.’ I couldn’t sense any martial energy. Neither did she exude the aura typical of those concealing their power. She seemed truly a civilian, an ordinary person who likely couldn’t fend off even the smallest beasts. Her age… was she over fifty? I could not be certain. Though not visibly aged, the white strands within her hair gave her a more mature appearance. ‘Moreover.’ She didn’t seem to be in good health either. ‘She seems ill.’ It wasn’t obvious, but the woman appeared to be sick. Not being a physician myself, I couldn’t gauge how severe, but my instinct suggested it was rather serious. ‘She doesn’t have much time left, it seems.’ That realization made me more attentive. It might have been the reason I ventured here, a place I normally wouldn’t tread. "Well… this lady…" I cautiously broke the silence. Before anything else, I needed to identify who this woman was, what her connection to the Gu family was. I was about to inquire about that when— "Is my child doing well there?" "I'm sorry? Your child?" Child? What child? "Who are you referring to...?" As I asked, without erasing her smile, the woman spoke to me. "I’ve heard my son is serving as the deputy leader in the Green Dragon squad." "…What?" Her son is the deputy leader of the Green Dragon squad? Does that mean... "Are you the mother of the deputy leader of the Green Dragon…?" "Yes. I am the mother of Cheol-un." "…" I was dumbfounded. If she was the mother of my father, then... ‘…My grandmother?’ This woman was, in fact, my grandmother. For the first time in my life, I met my grandmother. * * * Jin Yeonryeong. A woman seemingly in her forties to fifties. With a gentle appearance matching her demeanor, she possessed a unique aura. If I had to compare, she reminded me somewhat of the Sword Queen I had encountered in a past life. She had an atmosphere rarely found among those around me. Moreover. ‘Mistress of the Gu family.’ In this world, during the time my grandfather was the family head, she held the position of the family matriarch. Seeing her, I couldn't help but fall into deep thought. ‘...My grandmother?’ She was an existence I'd never heard of. It was the same with my grandfather. He was an unknown figure never mentioned by my father. Since I'd neither heard nor seen anything about them, I had naturally assumed they were deceased. ‘...So, she was alive during this time.’ I hadn't given it much thought, but meeting her was a strange experience. First of all, ‘She doesn’t resemble Father.’ There’s none of Father’s features in her appearance. While Father was rather handsome—no, annoyingly so—he did carry the distinctive features of the Gu family. ‘But this woman.’ Jin Yeonryeong didn’t have that. She exuded an overly gentle presence. More than that, “I hope your child is eating well?” “...Yes, he's eating well.” She had the typical concern of a mother worried about her child. "I should have packed some sweets for him on his long journey... but I wasn't able to. Did it suit your taste?" "...It's truly delicious." She offered me some sweets. I'd heard from Guryeon that Father really seemed to enjoy these sweets. "I'm glad to hear that." Jin Yeonryeong smiled again at my response. It seemed she was someone who smiled often. Not that it was a bad thing; it added to the comfortable atmosphere. ‘Grandmother.’ Unlike the negative emotions that arose when thinking of my grandfather, she felt warm and comforting. Perhaps that’s why I was feeling at ease. "It looks like you've finished. Would you care for some more?" "Oh, no need. What I had was more than enough..." "But you should have just a little more. It's best to eat while it suits your taste." "...This isn’t a ‘little’." The plate was suddenly piled high with sweets, far exceeding the notion of ‘a little’... "...Uh, well, thank you." I reached out my hand to eat. When was the last time I ate sweets like this? No, when have I ever had such an experience? ‘This could get overwhelming.’ No matter how tasty the tea and sweets were, this was almost too much, but— Unable to refuse, I simply placed them in my mouth. While munching on the sweets— "How old are you, Sir Baek?" Jin Yeonryeong asked me. "Ah, I reached adulthood this year." I hesitated briefly before responding, as I had to think about my age. "As I thought, you seem rather young... And your family?" "Family...?" "Yes. How about your parents...?" "Oh, well..." What should I say? After a moment of contemplation, I answered. "My father is alive." "Oh my..." Strictly speaking, my mother could be considered alive as well, but it felt awkward to say so, so I left it at that. Though I didn’t know why she was asking, I answered her anyway. "Oh, I see... I apologize..." "It's quite alright. It's just that why...?" Although I was caught off-guard by having to talk about my parents to my grandmother, I answered nonetheless. This prompted Jin Yeonryeong to begin saying something else— "Ah, it's nothing. It’s just that—" And then, Crackle. “...!” I heard the sound of a spark igniting from somewhere. Goosebumps erupted along my spine. The spark had sounded right behind me. Turning my head towards it, I saw— “...” Someone standing there. A middle-aged man clad in red martial attire, looking down at me and Jin Yeonryeong with blazing red eyes. When did he appear? I hadn't sensed his presence at all. Cold sweat started dripping on its own. Tension flooded my entire body. "Madam." The man addressed Jin Yeonryeong. His voice, though not as resonant as my father's, was deep and familiar. ‘...This voice.’ The voice of flames, the one who identified himself as my grandfather and demanded certain duties be fulfilled. The voice of flame. Moreover, he addressed Jin Yeonryeong as "Madam." ‘It must be him.’ This man was indeed— ‘My grandfather.’ The current head of the Gu family.