1195 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

As soon as Do Yoon arrived, he left the Gu family. Since he had already received permission from Gu Seongyeol beforehand, leaving was not difficult. Even though he heard that Jin Yeon Ryeong was looking for him, he decided not to go, feeling uncomfortable about it. "Where would Pejon be?" He had mentioned going out; where could the old man have gone? He said he'd go see some people, but how many could he possibly see? "......A person Pejon would seek out." Does such a person exist in Shanxi? I didn't know much about the man, so nothing came to mind. "Tsk." He clicked his tongue and moved his hand slightly. "When will my energy return?" The talk of a 'true body' or whatever it was bothered him. What in the world is a 'true body'? "......I've heard about it." The dragon possesses a 'true body.' It was said that the enlarged form during battle is the dragon’s true form. "They said the real progression isn't happening because the true body can't be found." What is this true body? I am I, so what's this true body nonsense? "Ugh." A body full of mysteries. So, if I don't have a true body, am I fake? It's ridiculous. "What's wrong?" "Oh, just had a frustrating thought for a moment." Do Yoon waved his hand in the air at Baek Yangcheon’s words. Then. "Hey. Baek Yangcheon." "What?" "About Sword Phoenix senior." "Yeah." He replied with an indifferent expression. Was he going to ask about the earlier spar? "It's no big deal but—" "Are you close?" "......Just did it because I was asked to. Why?" He squinted, looking at him sideways. What did he say? "......Are you close?" "Hmm?" "......?" It seemed like a rather irrelevant question given the situation. Was that really what he wanted to ask now? "......Why do you ask?" "Oh, just... well..." The guy awkwardly trailed off with a sheepish smile. What's up with this reaction? Could it be... "Do you like Sword Phoenix?" "No, I don't!" "Wow, could it be it's true?" "I'm telling you, it’s not true!" Despite his denials, his expression wasn’t very convincing. Look at this guy. “Everyone and their brother…” It's like a love nest everywhere. Was this era always like this? Well... "Since it's an era without wars, maybe." Even though the demonic faction was more influential than later times, since it was before the Great War of Righteousness and Demonic, it was a relatively more peaceful time. "Speaking of which." When was the Great War of Righteousness and Demonic again? It was called a war, but it was more of a brief rebellion that ended quickly. I wasn't sure how far off it was from the current time. Anyway... "Talking like you’ve got a world-changing mission... and yet you've got a romantic interest?" "......I said it's not like that!" "Then why are you asking if I'm close?" "I was just curious." "Hilarious. And if we're close, then what? Fine, we're close. We can't live without each other." I laughed dryly, and Do Yoon's expression shifted. "See, your face just fell apart." "No... it's not that." "Oh, please... these infatuated guys…" "What do you mean by infatuated…!" It was an embarrassing term, and Do Yoon’s face turned red. What's the problem now? "Are you infatuated or not?" "......I am, but..." "Right, you're infatuated, so you act that way with Sword Phoenix." "Let's stop talking about this." "I wasn't the one who started it." Who's the one who asked first? I was merely playing along. Should I stop teasing him now? "We're not really close. Seems like she dislikes me extremely." "Oh, really?" "Why's your face instantly brightening? If you’re trying to keep it hidden, don’t bother..." "......" "This is ridiculous. Be honest, you're just too lazy to lie, right?" Is this the right approach? It seems like we're going to see something significant, yet Do Yoon's reaction feels too soft and mild. Is this really the revenge-burning guy from before? I shook my head. Time passed swiftly, and before I knew it, we had arrived at the Do family. * * * Upon reaching the Do family, I inspected the nearly fallen door. "......This is just." It was practically a ruin. It looked even more so at night. What’s so eerie about it...? It definitely didn’t appear to be a house where people lived. "Let's go in. Father is waiting." "...Oh, right. We have to go in, don't we?" "Why?" "It's nothing." I felt an odd sense of agreement with Namgung Jin's earlier reaction as we stepped into the Do family estate. Even inside, there was little sign of life. Though my senses were somewhat impaired, even taking that into consideration, it was silent. Do Yoon continued walking into the central building as if accustomed to it. As I followed him in, "You've arrived." Inside, Do-cheol was waiting for us. "Welcome." "Pardon my intrusion." "Thank you for coming all the way at night. Would you like some tea?" "No, I tend to have trouble digesting when I drink tea at night." "I see..." "As you mentioned, I have come to see you." I decided to honor Do-cheol's proposal to show me something. I was curious to see the connection between the Do family and the Gu family. "You seem eager to get straight to the point." "That seems best. I am not planning to spend the entire night here." "......Hmm. Alright then, if Young Master Baek insists. However, before we proceed, can you bear it?" "Pardon?" "What I am about to show you is beyond belief for the people of Zhongyuan. I'm asking if you can endure it after seeing it." "Ah... well..." Wouldn't I be able to handle it? No matter what it is. "......I've already seen too much." My understanding deviated significantly from that of the people of Zhongyuan. Could anything else be more surprising at this point? "......Very well." At my response, Do-cheol turned his back and spoke to his son. "You stay here." "...Father?" Do-cheol's words made Do Yoon widen his eyes. He seemed surprised by the command to stay put. "I've provided enough nourishment, additional measures are not required." "...But..." "Go on." "...Understood." Nourishment? Listening to their conversation, I frowned. Nourishment? Like they’re feeding an animal? The conversation was strange... While I was puzzling over this, Do-cheol moved. He approached one of the adjacent bookshelves and pulled out a book. In that instant. Creaking—!! "Oh." Sounds of mechanisms moving came from the surroundings. Whirrr—! Rough noises echoed in succession. Clunk. With the sound of gears shifting, a staircase appeared as the floor opened up. "A mechanism." For such a mechanism to exist in this dilapidated corner of a house. How on earth did they set this up? Not only would this require a considerable amount of money, but there would also be no one capable to commission it to. "Let's head down." "Ah, yes." Do-cheol and I descended the staircase. As we went down the stairs, Do Yoon watched me intently. His gaze felt intense. Additionally, I could feel his emotions. The emotion Do Yoon harbored as he watched me was undoubtedly 'hesitation.' * * * The staircase wasn't overly long. Unlike those endless staircases from a past enchantment, this one was just a straightforward flight of stairs. Not long after descending, the bottom came into view. Upon arrival, Do-cheol grabbed a lamp that was beside him. Fwoom. Even without lighting it, the lamp illuminated. Was this the Three Flames Technique? This signified that Do-cheol was at a considerable level of mastery. I longed to gauge just how strong he was, but I was unable to and found it somewhat frustrating. "They installed something like this on the floor. How intriguing." "This has been in the Do family for a very long time." "A long time ago?" "Yes." "......Hmm." A long time ago... I wonder from when exactly. I walked slowly, following the light of Do-cheol's lamp. Much like the staircase, the path wasn't too long. Then a metal door came into view. I widened my eyes at the peculiar state of the door. 'Why is it so complex?' There were numerous locks and mechanisms attached to it. What kind of measures were necessary to install all of that? And was it even designed to be opened? Opening it seemed like it could take an eternity. Just as I felt unsettled from the overwhelming sight, Creak. Do-cheol effortlessly disengaged all the mechanisms. It seemed second nature to him. Once the door opened, Do-cheol stepped inside. I cautiously followed behind. Inside, there was a rectangular space, but it wasn't particularly spacious. While glancing around, trying to discern what might be held within this space. 'What is that...?' Something caught my eye. At a distance, there was a cell made of metal bars. And. 'What's inside there?' There was something inside the bars. It didn't seem like a living creature. It was akin to an enormous gem? No, it wasn't a gem... 'It's an egg.' The shape was more familiar than I expected. Like the ones I saw at the frontline previously. A much larger one was encased inside this cell. But then. '......Wait.' I froze. As I moved closer to the egg, something felt off. "......Master Do, what is that?" Even as I spoke, my gaze remained fixed on the egg. "I understand your shock." "......" Master Do spoke as if he understood my feelings, but it wasn’t the egg itself that surprised me. The energy. The energy emanating from the egg—despite my disrupted senses—was plainly palpable. Thump. Thump. My heart raced. Yet, I couldn't distinguish if it was my heart or... ‘Is it the resonance from the egg?’ The rhythmic pounding echoed as if in harmony, trying to overwhelm my senses incessantly. "This is it." Do-cheol started to explain, but the words didn’t fully register. 'Why.' Why is this happening? "That is..." '......From that egg.' "The curse that the Gu family placed upon us." Isn't it the celestial demon's energy I'm sensing?