1222 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

----!!!!! Silently, Namgung Jin screams. He drops to his knees and buries his head into the ground. “Guhhk... Ughhhhh!!” The pain seems unbearable as he fails to produce a proper sound. The way his body trembles is quite impressive. While watching him pitifully, Mi Hyoran rushes over with a startled expression. "Baek Gongja...!!" She exclaims, looking at Namgung Jin who has collapsed. Observing her, I nonchalantly dust off my hands. “Can’t you see?” Why ask something so obvious? “I’m stepping on him.” “No...!” Indeed, I am stepping on Namgung Jin. A simple and accurate response. “How can you say such a thing...! What are you trying to do? Why did you come out?” Mi Hyoran seems unable to understand. “Everything could have been solved if you had just stayed inside...! Why are you causing a misunderstanding?” “A misunderstanding?” I chuckle lightly. When I laugh, Mi Hyoran hesitates. “Oh, this is irritating.” The irritation that slipped out of my mouth seems to surprise Mi Hyoran as she lightly flinches. I sweep my hair back. My irritation flares, though it's directed not at Mi Hyoran, but at Namgung Jin. “Hey.” I poke him lightly with my toe. “Uh-hhh..." Clutching his left arm, he groans quietly, reminiscent of someone else. Oh, right. This guy's son ended up like this with me once, too. “Stop faking it. I even took your left arm out of consideration.” Knowing he uses his right hand for his sword, I intentionally crushed his left hand. Yet, I don’t understand why this guy is making such a fuss. “You bastard...!!” Even in this state, he seems determined as he grits his teeth and glares at me. “You again... You’re the one...! What did you do with Miss Mi?” “What nonsense, you crazy fool. I didn’t do anything.” What a disgusting thing to say. “Didn’t do anything...? If you didn't, why were you coming out from there?” “Well, there was a reason, but what are you going to do with that?” “It’s really you...” Grrrr... The man groans and gets up. He must be in considerable pain, yet he bears it well. “It’s you again, coveting my women. Gu Cheolun. You’re worse than that guy.” “...What disgusting nonsense are you spewing now?” His words annoy me. “What do you mean, ‘your women’? Neither of them were yours.” Regarding Hyun So-yeon, maybe. But Mi Hyoran, certainly not. Look at Mi Hyoran now, casting a look of sheer disdain toward Namgung Jin. “Okay, it might be something that could be misunderstood, but it really isn’t. So, cut the crap.” Coming out of Mi Hyoran’s room could cause a misunderstanding. I understand. Even I would think that, but that’s not why I hit him. Did grabbing Mi Hyoran’s wrist tick me off? Sure it did, but that wasn’t enough to break his arm. However. “The reason I’m pissed is different.” I tightly grip his neck. His weakened body makes it a bit of an effort to lift him, but it’s manageable somehow. “No matter what, you shouldn’t be careless. A man should know when to keep his mouth shut.” “What are you... talking about...” “You filthy bastard. You leaked my information to Baekhwa Sangdan, didn’t you?” “...!” “What are you saying?” At my words, Namgung Jin’s body stiffens. His reaction was the answer. “What are you talking about...” Denying it now is too late. I smile brightly and apply more strength to my grip. “Aarghhh!” “What am I talking about? It’s just as it is.” The reason for my anger was because he leaked my information to the Baekhwa Sangdan. It was suspicious from the start. The incident in Hanam, where it was revealed that I was associated with the Gu clan, somehow became known to the Baekhwa Sangdanju. I wondered why that was. No matter how fast information spreads, this was unusually quick to reach them. How could information about something that happened so recently have already spread all the way to Hanam? There's only one explanation. A carrier pigeon? Not likely. This is something else. “It was you who leaked the information, wasn’t it?” “...” “Isn’t that right?” Among those present, there was someone who leaked the information. And it was him. When I stated my reasoning, Namgung Jin’s expression became quite a spectacle. “Well, bastard.” If he had only said no. “With a look like that, claiming otherwise won’t be believable.” “...Grrr...” Namgung Jin grits his teeth. I release the grip I held on him. Finally, he collapses to his knees, gasping for air. “Honestly, I don’t care whether you sell or not?” I continue speaking to the fallen Namgung Jin. It’s not like it’s top secret information, and I expected it to reach someone’s ears soon enough. However. “Selling my information and then flaunting it, causing trouble everywhere, that’s a bit much, isn’t it? Especially when it inconveniences me.” “...This...” “I can’t just completely ruin that smug face of yours. Why do you keep provoking me?” There are limits to what I overlook. The only reason I let this young Sword King live is for one thing. It’s the same reason I didn’t kill and let the scoundrel of the Namgung family live. “Stop blaming others because you can’t get the girls you want. Look for the reason within yourself. You worm. That’s why you always end up like this.” “You...!” Namgung Jin tries to shout, but I kick him before he finishes. “Guh!” “Be thankful I only took an arm. Otherwise, I would’ve ripped out your throat and shown it to you.” I’m serious. He got lucky. “Be grateful to your bloodline. If not for that, you’d have already died by my hands.” Namgung, the surname. The daughter he will have. That saves him. “Anyway... The Namgung clan sure is lucky.” Their lives are annoyingly persistent. Is it because they have such a fortunate family? It would be nice if my family had some of those traits too. Tsk. I clicked my tongue. As I stood there, I noticed martial artists approaching from behind. Seems the commotion reached them. “...Sword Dragon?” Namgung Jin, with his broken arm, was watched closely by the person guarding the door earlier. Tang Cheongi, known as the Poison Dragon, looked on with wide eyes. “What on earth is…” "Could you take care of him, please?" "...What?" "I can't stand the sight of him, and I doubt he’d appreciate me touching him." "..." He seems unable to fathom what transpired. Still, leaving things as they are isn't an option, so Dang Cheongi tries to help Namgung Jin up. “Let go…!” Namgung Jin shakes off Dang Cheongi’s hand. “...Don’t help me. I’ll handle it myself.” With a deeply furrowed brow, he forces himself to stand. Despite his broken arm, he seems to be holding on through sheer willpower. Then he looks at me. "…" More accurately, he seems to be looking at Mi Hyoran behind me. In response to his gaze, Mi Hyoran turns her head slightly away. Seeing this, Namgung Jin turns his own head and exits. As the situation comes to a close, I find myself thinking. "Now then, should I return to..." I consider having a conversation with Mother when suddenly, “Halt.” Tang Cheongi stops me. “Yes?” I look at him, puzzled about why he’s stopping me, and he speaks with an incredulous expression. “Where do you think you’re going?” “There was a conversation I was having. I’d like to continue it.” “After causing a scene like this, do you really think that’s appropriate?” “…What’s the problem? It’s over now, isn’t it?” “This was a disturbance within the clan. We need to understand what happened, so you’ll need to move to the investigation room. It’s best not to resist.” “….” At those words, I rub my face. ‘...That damn Namgung brat.’ He’s no help at all. Ugh... * * * The place I was taken to by Tang Cheongi was the investigation room within the clan. Just as it sounds, it was a place for investigations, full of iron bars and walls. "…." Sitting there, I propped my chin and continuously sighed. I can't believe I've caused such a commotion on my first day here. ‘But it was justified to be upset.’ It’s all Namgung Jin’s fault. None of it was my doing. As I sat there thinking, “What exactly did you do?” Tang Cheongi questioned me. The one conducting this investigation was none other than Tang Cheongi himself. As someone who witnessed the events, he was tasked with the investigation. “He pissed me off, so I hit him.” “…Is that all there is?” “Yes. Do I need more reasons?” “No, you don't. But without more, you might end up locked up.” "..." His words made me think. ‘How should I put this?’ I came out of the room of the woman Namgung Jin liked, flustered him, and stomped on his face. When he tried to fight, I broke his arm. That's the summary of the situation. "…." If I say that, I might be in trouble, right? Instinctively, I sense as much. ‘Will mentioning that he sold my information help resolve this?’ I’m not sure. It seems a bit uncertain. If I just lay it out as it is, I’ll merely be seen as a crazy fool who causes trouble after charming women. “What happened with Baekhwa Sangdanju?” In the meantime, Tang Cheongi catches onto something amiss with keen intuition. "...Why do you think that?" “The circumstances suggest it.” Wow, smart guy, isn't he? As I’m pondering, impressed. “It seems close to what happened.” Tang Cheongi deduces from my reaction. Then with a sigh, “Haa...” He lets out a mysterious sigh. “What do they see in someone like you…” “Yes?” “…Sword Dragon has gone in for treatment. We’ll proceed with the investigation once it's done. Wait here for now.” Tang Cheongi stands up. Is he just leaving like that? “Wait.” Shouldn’t he at least let me explain? As I attempt to stop him, Slam!! “Hm?” “…Hmm?” The door to the investigation room swings open, revealing someone standing there. “Oh dear.” A large, burly man appears. He is so tall that he has to duck significantly to get through the door of the investigation room. “Really, every place is so cramped, isn’t it?” An old man enters, looking displeased. As I stare at the unfamiliar face, still processing it, “…Huh!” Tang Cheongi lets out a gasp of surprise upon seeing the old man. “…How!” Does he know this person? It makes me wonder about the reaction. “It’s not you.” The old man glances at Tang Cheongi and shakes his head slightly. “Then.” He shifts his gaze to look at me. Right then. Whooosh-!!! A fist suddenly flies toward me. It stops right in front of my nose, the wind from the punch tousling my hair. A massive fist looms in front of me. After a brief pause, “Mmm!” The old man retracts his punch, sounding satisfied. “So it’s you. The disciple of that rascal, Bijuu.” “…?” Hearing this, I thought, “…Who is this crazy old geezer?” “What?” “Oh no.” I should have kept that thought to myself… That was a mistake.