1190 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"...What's going on?" Leaving Do Yoon behind, I went to find Gu Sung Yeol. As I opened the chamber door and stepped inside, his piercing eyes met mine with a complex expression on his face. With his signature sharp and slit-like gaze, he looked at me, and then his brows furrowed deeply. "What have you been through?" "Oh... You knew right away?" I was surprised. Others hadn't noticed, but as soon as he looked at me, it seemed Gu Sung Yeol did. "What exactly happened?" "Well, I endured quite the ordeal while saving your daughter." I tried to lighten the mood with some humor, but Gu Sung Yeol's response remained stoic. He wasn't exactly entertaining. "It's not really a big deal. By any chance, are you familiar with someone named Taecheon (泰天)?" "…Taecheon?" As soon as I mentioned Taecheon, Gu Sung Yeol’s eyes widened, indicating his recognition. "What does this mean?" "I encountered a being named Taecheon the other day. He possessed your daughter's body." "What?" Crack. With those words, the atmosphere in the room heated intensely. Under the overwhelming pressure, I spoke, suppressing the urge to swallow nervously. "...Could you calm down? I'm currently not in the best physical condition." "......" Whoo— Thankfully, as soon as I spoke, the oppressive atmosphere eased. "Taecheon appeared...? How could he set foot in Zhongyuan?" "I don’t know that much." Whether I was the target, or if there was another purpose, I wasn’t sure. But from the feel of it… ‘I didn’t seem to be the main objective.’ It seemed like he was targeting Gu Seon, and when he sensed me, he interacted incidentally. "Masters from other worlds shouldn't be able to set foot in Zhongyuan. Without the consent of this world’s guardians, they can’t come here…" "Excuse me. Who gives that consent?" "The Gu family." "…The Gu family?" "I heard you know about our purpose. Is that not true?" "I do know, but..." Still, I didn’t realize we could grant such permission. And who would give that consent…? ‘It doesn’t seem to be the head of the family... so there’s only one possibility.’ A previous head. The one who inherited the beliefs of the current ancestors and acts as a proxy master. "In such circumstances, not only did he descend but also dared to use our clan?" Crrrrunch. With a tight grip, Gu Sung Yeol crushed the desk. "If what you're saying is true. Taecheon has crossed a line…" It seemed that Taecheon engaged in something quite remarkable. "…Then, your current condition is also Taecheon’s doing?" His gaze turned towards me again. "Ah. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that, but… this is..." I explained the situation: how I attempted a possession transition, lost my memory afterward, and currently had energy blocked in my upper danjeon. Of course, I omitted anything concerning Nam Goong Bia. Upon hearing this, Gu Sung Yeol seemed wrapped in contemplation, his expression changing as he dove into silence. It remained that way for a while. "…Energy blockage, you say." "Yes. Can’t anything be done about it?" I was desperate. The ancestors could arrive unannounced, and this place isn’t exactly safe; if my energy is blocked, I’m powerless. Even perceiving Nam Goong Jin, who should be at a peak level, proved difficult. "I’m unsure why it’s blocked. Could it be because the energy transferred to the upper danjeon...?" "That wouldn’t be the reason." Gu Sung Yeol firmly denied. "…It's a natural occurrence for energy to gather in the upper danjeon as one's tier advances. It means the vessel has blossomed." "Blossoming of the vessel?" "Yes. A master is a conduit with the earth. Haven't you sensed the vast energy the world offers?" "…Oh. Yes." I did feel it. The sensation as though the world was uplifting me. I hadn’t forgotten the rich feeling as though all of nature was supporting me. "To receive that expansive and widespread energy, higher energy is necessary, and the foundational step for that is the blossoming of the upper danjeon." "…A necessary, natural process, then?" "It’s more complex than that. This is what makes it possible." "Then… what about the reduced energy?" "The notion that your energy has decreased is incorrect too." Gu Sung Yeol scrutinized me intently. As though trying to assess my condition, though with the blockage, he likely couldn't see much. "…It hasn't lessened; it's more accurate to say it's been condensed." "Condensed...?" "While having abundant energy might have been an issue... Ultimately, if the upper danjeon has opened and accepted the master tier, that energy has likely become the essence of a master." "This is quite complicated. Can’t you simplify it?" "…It means other weaker energies have been absorbed." "Ah." Whether it was demonic energy, spiritual energy, or my own... It signified that all of these were ultimately consumed by divine energy and unified into one. "This part, however... I've never witnessed such energy convergence before, so it's not a certainty. It's merely a conjecture." "Hmm…" Frankly, I wondered if there was anyone else with a body as unusual as mine in Zhongyuan. Even Gu Sung Yeol seemed uncertain as he stated. ‘I think he's right.’ The energy merged by divine forces. That felt correct. "But then, why is it diminished? Even if condensed, it seems strange." "It was likely discarded." "Discarded?" "It's probable that unnecessary parts were eliminated, leaving only the purest, most elemental energy." "…Why would it decide on its own to discard what's unnecessary?" This was bewildering. I didn't consider it unnecessary. Why erase undesirable energy? It was nonsensical. "If that's not the case... who knows." Was he indicating this too was unknown? "…And the blockage of my energy? Isn't this an issue arising from the attempted possession?" Just as uncertainty was creeping in— "This occurs because your body hasn't fully received the tier, leading to internal energy closure." Gu Sung Yeol promptly responded, seemingly understanding the cause. "It hasn’t accepted the tier?" "More accurately... it pertains to the mind rather than the body." "What do you mean?" "I’ll ask you." With eyes lowered, Gu Sung Yeol questioned me slowly. "Where lies your identity?" "Pardon?" "What do you consider yourself to be?" "…Me?" "My own identity?" "Hmm... not sure?" I’d never really pondered over it deeply. Having already cast aside my humanity, if I had to define it... "Wouldn't it be a dragon?" It's a fact I've come to accept now. I am a dragon. At the point where I've awakened and am using that power, it's true. But then... "In that case, the problem lies there." "What do you mean?" "Where have you kept the essence of your true form?" "...Pardon?" I narrowed my eyes. True form? What do they mean by that? "I'm right here." "No, you are not the true form." "…What are you talking about?" "Where have you placed the core belief and energy of what it means to be a dragon?" "No way..." I was the true form, so where on earth did they mean I had put it? I looked at Gu Sung Yeol in confusion. "Find that. Without it, you are incomplete as a master." "......." No true form? What does that mean? What is my true form? "As for your energy… it seems your vessel that couldn't fully accept the tier has closed off to protect itself, so it should be left as it is for now." "Are you saying it will return with time?" "That's uncertain. However, that is the most likely outcome." "...Damn it." It was an issue. In the end, even Gu Sung Yeol wasn’t completely sure. "Sigh... understood." I sighed and turned away. "Where are you going?" "I have some business to attend to. Since my body’s healed, I thought I might step out. Oh, am I not allowed to go out?" "......." This concerned the previous conversation. Are you my enemy? I hadn’t received an answer to that, and he might want to keep me tethered. Especially since, right now, my chi is unusable. If Gu Sung Yeol wished it, I couldn't leave. However... "…Go ahead." Gu Sung Yeol chose to let me go despite my words. I didn't find it strange. Even if I left and ran, he would quickly find me, so maybe he was just letting me go comfortably. Thinking that, I made my way to the door. "Oh, alright. Then I'm off." "Wait." "Yes?" Just as I grabbed the doorknob to open it, Gu Sung Yeol called out to me. "Why?" I glanced back at him, wondering what he wanted to say. "Thank you." "...." He expressed his gratitude to me. "Thanks to you, my daughter returned safely. I express my thanks." "Ah… uh…." It was unexpected. I never thought he would thank me. "…It's nothing. Then." I awkwardly scratched my cheek, bowing my head. Strangely, my neck and face felt itchy. --- I found Do Yoon with an awkward expression. "Baek Chin Woo. What's with that face?" "It's nothing. Maybe a bug bit me? It's annoyingly itchy." My mood was unsteady, making it hard to grasp anything. Was it discomfort? Or was I startled? I wasn't sure. Staying in this strange state of mind... "Hmm, well, that can happen. Are we ready to go now?" Do Yoon addressed me. I nodded in response to his words. "Yeah, let's go. Where should we head?" "This way." "Wait a moment." "Hmm?" Just as I was stepping to follow him, I stopped. My chi remained blocked. It was dangerous no matter where we went. So I needed a backup plan. "Is it alright if I bring someone else along?" "…Who?" When I mentioned bringing someone else, Do Yoon asked. "There's someone." I smiled and introduced him. "So, how about you come along, senior?" "…What kind of crazy talk is this?" Nam Goong Jin looked at me with a face full of disdain.