1216 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

“This is...” A crimson bead. It was something I'd seen before and even used. It was during the time I stayed in the North Sea, likely during a battle with Mang. Back then, definitely— ‘Lady Mi gave it to me.’ She handed it over with a tone suggesting it was meant for use in dangerous times or simply to keep it close at hand. And the effect was— ‘...Father appeared.’ There were two beads, and if one was broken, the person who had the other bead would appear where the first one shattered. That was how— ‘Father appeared.’ Father appeared before me. So, if that’s the case— ‘Breaking this could likely...’ It might mean that Gu Seong-yeol would appear. Though I'm not entirely sure of the bead's effect, if Lady Jin gave it to me, that must be its purpose. “...But why give this to me?” Lady Jin seems to think I wouldn’t know what this is. It's quite baffling since I know exactly what it does. ‘Instead of giving it to Gu Seon or Father, she gave it to me?’ I'm puzzled as to why she’d give it to me and not her own children. Should I accept it? After a moment of contemplation, I tucked it into my garment. ‘...There might come a time when it’s needed.’ It's not completely without use. Though I'm not exactly sure how Gu Seong-yeol's appearance would change anything. “Thank you. Please let her know I’ll make good use of it later.” “You can tell her yourself.” “...Ah, yes.” For some reason, Father seems sharper than usual. Not just sharp, but with a heavy air about him today. ‘Is he possibly sulking?’ I wonder if he's upset about the conversation we had yesterday. He wanted to reveal an important secret, but I may have brushed it off nonchalantly. “Hmm... By any chance, Deputy Lord, are you upset or anything...?” “No.” “Ah, yes.” It definitely seemed like he was angry. I distanced myself a little, and Goo Seon immediately clung by my side. “What on earth did you do?” “...What do you mean?” “What did you do to anger that stone-like human?” “...You think he’s angry too, huh?” As I asked for confirmation, suddenly— “Argh!?” Goo Seon grabbed my side without warning. The sharp pain made my face contort. “What are you doing?” What kind of madness is this all of a sudden? I glared at Goo Seon, who returned with a sharp gaze. “What do you mean by 'that person' to your older sister?” “...Is that really important right now?” “It is important. Get it together, alright?” “...Tch.” The Gu family are all quite unhinged. Why does the family lack any normal folk? Except for me. “...Where is the Master?” Distancing myself from Goo Seon, I turned to Father and asked. “Isn’t Gu Seong-yeol coming?” In response to my question, Father spoke as he approached. “The Master has some commitments and regrets he cannot see you off.” “Ah, is that so?” It didn’t matter too much to me. “If we’re not departing immediately, I’d like to step out for a bit.” “Where is it you plan to go?” “I won’t be far. I've already secured permission from the Master.” “...” At my claim of having secured permission, Father nodded. Frankly, I hadn’t gotten any permission. Just said it in the moment. ‘Deal with the aftermath later.’ I had a feeling I’d hear about this afterward, but the future me would handle it. * * * Creeeak. I opened the door and stepped inside. The space remained as dark as ever. Whoosh. Holding a lantern, I pressed forward. Without moving my internal energy, I couldn't pierce through the darkness. After a while of walking forward, I reached my desired destination. “How have you been?” “...” At my words, someone lifted their head. It was Do Yoon. With slightly gaunt eyes, he looked at me. “...Baek Yangcheon.” “You’re not looking great.” “...What brings you here?” I scratched my cheek, noting his drastically different demeanor from when he was always smirking and laughing. “Just came to see how a friend’s doing.” “...Friend? Ha.” He gave a faint smile, a clear sneer. “You’ve come to mock me, I figure. Do I amuse you too?” “Quite the sharp tongue after I just kindly stated my intentions.” I came all the way here, so why respond so awkwardly? “I don’t think we ever considered each other true friends.” “Well, true, but we did say we were friends, didn’t we?” Generally, I don’t become friends with those plotting behind my back, and this one’s no different. However, I didn’t come to mock him. I barely have time to mock others when I’m busy staying alive myself. “What’s your goal?” “It’s nothing much. I just had a little chat with your father.” “...” Do Yoon’s expression twisted at the mention of Do Cheol. “How is Father...?” “Oh, he’s fine.” His limbs are intact. Both are under restrictions, so you can’t see him from here. “You... Did you know you’d receive his body if you became the head?” “...” “So, you knew.” “...How do you...” “Hmm.” As expected. ‘He knew too.’ If so— Is this guy the lord of the Black Night Palace? Do Yoon. Could this be the same person I witnessed as the master of the Black Night Palace? I still couldn’t be certain. Because— ‘I can’t be sure...’ There were still doubts about the master of the Black Night Palace. Simply put, they couldn't entirely be Do Yoon. ‘Reactions and sensations...’ It wasn't fully Do Yoon. Which means— ‘Perhaps.’ Could it be that not just the body, but memories are also transferred? That thought crossed my mind suddenly. Whether it transfers entirely or in some other manner, I was curious. “Is inheriting the body equivalent to inheriting the memories?” “...Are you seriously asking me that now?” Do Yoon responded incredulously, as if it was absurd. But why? “Who else would I ask?” “I heard you already met Father. Didn’t he explain all that?” “Oh, this wasn’t really something I asked your father.” “What?” “I planned to ask you.” “...How can...” It’s easier to gauge reactions and use you this way. I kept these reasons to myself. “Besides, I thought I’d check in, as I did call you my friend, after all.” “...” I spoke without genuine intent, and it seemed that Do Yoon didn’t quite believe me either. No matter, since that wasn’t what this was really about. “Whatever I know, I’m not going to tell you.” “Of course. I figured you’d say that.” “...” “So how about I make you an offer?” “...An offer?” “Yes.” I grasped the bars in front of me tightly and spoke to him directly. “I’ll let you out of here.” “...!” Do Yoon’s eyes widened in shock. “What...?” “If you answer me well, I’ll get you out of here.” “What kind of—” “I might even free your father too. What do you think?” “...” I could see his eyes trembling visibly. Seeing that, I continued speaking. “Your father has committed some acts, so they’ll either restrict his power or break his energy core, but he’ll live. His status will need to be completely changed, but being alive is something, isn’t it?” “...You...” “You seem to care deeply for your father. How about it? Doesn't it sound like a decent deal?” “...” As soon as Do Yoon heard that Do Cheol was captured, he surrendered himself. Whether or not he is the master of the Black Night Palace, he clearly has a strong sense of filial piety and isn't entirely a bad person. ‘Even then, back at that time.’ When he spoke of his goals involving the Gu family and the Divine Dragon, there might have been a visible sense of revenge, but the depth wasn’t that profound. Considering this, Do Yoon’s answer would probably be— “...How am I supposed to trust that?” I believed it wouldn’t be an outright refusal, at least. “It’s your choice whether to trust me or not. If you’re not interested, just say so. I won't press further.” Whether he chooses to rot in here or hangs on to the hope my words provide is entirely up to him. I didn't intend to insist further. As a moment passed,— “...What exactly are you hoping for?” Do Yoon asked me, and I gave a slight smile. “Tell me everything about the curse tied to the inheritance of your bodies in your household, including what you know. In return—” Looking at his tearful eyes, I said, “I’ll save you and your father.” Indeed, it wasn't an overly complex proposal. * * * Creak. I opened the carriage door and climbed in. Inside, I saw Goo Seon and Soi. As soon as I appeared, Soi wrinkled her nose, and Goo Seon nodded toward me and asked. “Oh? You really came back quickly?” “I said I'd be quick. Where’s the Deputy Lord?” “No idea.” “...No idea?” “Yeah. I’m not really interested.” “...” Oh, right. They're siblings. I suppose that makes sense. I felt a prickly gaze. Looking around, it was Soi. As expected. “He’ll probably find his way.” “That seems likely enough.” “Oh, when are we leaving? I’m bored to death.” “...We’ll probably set off soon.” It was about time. We were due to depart soon. ‘Paejon and The Immortal Healer must be in another carriage.’ They were probably riding in a different carriage. ‘Hmm.’ Ignoring Soi’s gaze, I leaned back against the seat. Namgung Jin and Hyun So-yeon should have chosen another carriage too. She likely facilitated that. Thanks to that, it was relatively quiet with fewer people. As I recalled my conversation with Do Yoon. ‘...The transference of conviction.’ I thought the transition was purely physical. But according to Do Yoon, it wasn’t just that. Conviction. Their personal mission. He mentioned that would transfer as well. Moreover— ‘It wasn’t just about passing down the body.’ If Do Yoon were to become the family head, his body would gradually alter to resemble Do Cheol, taking on his form and physique. Afterwards, Do Cheol, who bore the burden, would revert to his original form. It was supposedly a curse and a burden. ‘...This is reminiscent of something I’ve seen before.’ There was a scent lingering. This— ‘It resembles the curse of the Yeon family.’ Geum Cheon Yeon Ga. The curse of the Banyoujin bestowed by the Blood Demon. It was passed through bloodlines just like this. And other curses rumored to be delivered by the Blood Demon were much the same. ‘It can't just be a coincidence.’ I was certain of that. ‘While conviction rather than memory is transferred, it seems there could be some assimilation giving it the semblance of memory, too.’ It potentially allows behavior that suggests knowing things unknown, mirroring memory's guise. From thereon, the conveyed conviction could be precisely concerning— ‘Vengeance related to the Gu family, but if not—’ A divine tree. The egg the Heavenly Demon was sealed within. The desire to guard and nurture it could be instilled as well. That was my hypothesis. ‘The biggest issue here is—’ If this conviction can indeed be transferred,— ‘Why was the desire to escape the curse left unchecked?’ Just as with Do Cheol, the longing to escape the curse wasn't suppressed. Claiming that such conviction could be carried over but leaving this untouched was puzzling. ‘Even so—’ What was the Blood Demon striving for, exactly? ‘The Heavenly Demon’s essence is the Blood Demon’s essence.’ The entity of the Heavenly Demon was in charge of essence within the divided and sealed body of the Blood Demon. Which meant— ‘...Wi Seol-ah, who bore the same resemblance—’ She’s the body, perhaps. “...” I narrowed my eyes. If Wi Seol-ah is indeed the body of the Blood Demon, then just like with the Heavenly Demon, she is actually somewhere in this world. ‘...Sigh.’ I steadied my breath. Knowledge about those unknown to me steadily dug deeper. At this point, doubts arose. ‘Mother.’ Was it— ‘...Did you send me to witness all this?’ Was my path to learn what I didn’t know your preparation for such a world? ‘Then, what more is there left for me to uncover?’ As I pondered whether there was more I needed to understand,— Whoosh-! “...!” A spark flickered in front of my eyes. Caught by surprise,— —Just listen. The voice I heard belonged to Gu Seong-yeol.