1227 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Immediately after deciding to look into the matter at the Divine Dragon Squad. Having finished my conversation with Paejon, the place I headed to was the library that existed within the alliance. Although I was officially on probation, being a member of the Blue Dragon Squad made it easy enough to come and go from the library. The inside was tranquil. There were a few people where the martial arts books were, but the section containing historical records was deserted. Who has time to study among warriors? Most would be too busy with their physical training. I wonder how many individuals would frequent the library in such an environment. “This one, and...” I gathered all the record books. It amounted to over ten volumes. With this much... ‘One day should be enough.’ Just one day. That should be sufficient. I’ve always been a fast reader, and I have a knack for memorizing. ‘The Poison King didn’t believe it.’ I recalled how the Poison King was skeptical when I claimed that a day would suffice even with so much material. But when I showed him, his expression changed. ‘What did he say again?’ He asked why someone with such a mind was living like this. It was quite a rude comment. Laughing at the memory, a memory that wasn’t quite a memory, I moved to sit at a nearby desk. “Oh.” “......” Someone was already sitting there. Surprisingly, it was the very person I had just been thinking about—Tang Cheongi of the Iron Dragon Squad, in his younger days. “......Do you like books?” “Don't mind me, okay?” “Yes.” I tried to strike up a conversation, pretending to be friendly, but his response was sharp. Smiling awkwardly, I sat a little distance away. Then, I began reading the books. ‘History of the Alliance.’ I skipped that part. I already knew it well. Out of boredom, I had once read it thoroughly. Ignoring that, I skimmed through the other chapters. ‘Found it.’ It didn't take long to discover. ‘Divine Dragon Squad.’ Of the Blue Dragon Squad, these were the parts concerning the Divine Dragon Squad. ‘Things that originally don’t exist in this world.’ The Divine Dragon Squade had vanished, and their records were wiped out. I hoped to see them now, and fortunately, I was right. The records of the Divine Dragon Squad’s creation and its reasons were detailed enough. ‘……The founding reason is Yeon Ilcheon.’ It was created by the first leader of the alliance. The reasons were the protection of the alliance and the eradication of monsters. Not much different from the reasons for the Blue Dragon Squad's creation. ‘They bestowed symbolism upon it.’ Divine Dragon Squad was heavily imbued with symbolism, and as time passed, the Divine Dragon Squad itself began to evolve. The elite of the alliance. As the value of the Martial Arts Alliance rose, so did the value of the Divine Dragon Squad. They seemed to emphasize the strength of the Divine Dragon Squad to uphold its symbolism, adding more anecdotes over time. ‘Maybe that’s why they started masking the identity of leaders.’ Information on past leaders was non-existent. Wearing masks and hiding their identities seemed to be the rule. ‘……That means we don’t know the current leader of the Divine Dragon Squad either.’ Though it seemed unlikely that a mask alone could obscure someone’s identity. ‘It's probably not just any mask.’ I recalled the mask given by the Dark King. As with that, the mask worn by the leader of the Divine Dragon Squad likely had mystical properties. “Hm.” Taking a deep breath, I began examining other books one by one. After reading for a long time, it became clear. ‘There's a lot of information.’ But its quality wasn’t very high. I felt that official records lacked most of the essential details. “Click.” I closed the book and looked out the window. Time had flown by because of my intense focus. ‘Seems pointless to read further.’ The parts I wanted to verify were lacking, making standing up an obvious conclusion—realizing there was no point in continuing to read. I was about to clean up roughly and move when— “Hmm?” I felt a gaze. Turning my head at the unfamiliar sensation, I saw Tang Cheongi, the Poison Dragon, glaring at me. “……Do you have something to say?” “No.” “Then why do you watch me like that?” “These are just how my eyes look.” “…Ah, yes. I see.” Anyone could see the murderous intent, but I decided to ignore it. Since he denies it, what more could I say? I continued to head outside the library. Creeeak. Tang Cheongi also pulled out his chair and followed me. Was this just a coincidence? With those thoughts, I moved, but then— “Let me ask just one thing.” Tang Cheongi called out to me. “Yes.” “What’s your relationship with Lady Mi and Lady Hyun?” “......What?” My expression twisted upon hearing the question. What sort of relationship? “No relationship at all, actually.” “Then you committed such lewd acts without a relationship?” “What… Lewd? Did you just say lewd?” I couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected word. “You did such things with two women—what else could it be if not lewd?” “I did nothing, I assure you.” “Lady Hyun confessed everything during the investigation.” “What?” Investigating Lady Hyun? That’s news to me. What could Hyun Soyeon have said? “She mentioned you held her in your embrace.” “…….” My head throbbed. “Lady Hyun said that?” “Yes. And it's true you came out of Lady Mi’s room, is it not? What exactly are you doing? Are women that good to warrant coveting those taken?” “...No.” What’s there to covet? It’s infuriatingly unjust. “What’s there to covet? And to be honest, how is it any of your concern?” The Poison Dragon was overstepping boundaries. It's one thing if it were an Iron Dragon investigation, but this seemed filled with personal emotions. “What is it? Why are you acting like this?” He was infuriating. While holding back, he kept provoking me. I pointed that out and spoke more directly. “To someone like you, my sister would never..." “Sister? Poison Pheonix?” “I would never give my sister to someone like you.” “......” My head hurt. Had they collectively lost their minds? Why are they acting like this to me? Moreover— “Why the casual speech?” I've been speaking respectfully, yet this man had been using informal terms right from the start. “Aren’t we not at that level of familiarity? I haven't done anything wrong, so what’s with all this fuss…” Grinding my teeth, I spat words at Tang Cheongi. "I really don't like you," he boldly declared. "You're entering the martial arts tournament too, right?" "Most likely." Whether voluntarily or not, I ended up participating. "Looking forward to it. See you then." With those words, Tang Cheongi turned his back on me. It was a clear invitation to face off at the tournament. "......" I stared intently at his retreating figure. Then I spoke up. "Where do you think you're going?" "......?" I grabbed Tang Cheongi's shoulder, spun him around, and drove my fist into his stomach. Thwack! "Ugh!?" Tang Cheongi's body crumpled with a low thud from the unexpected attack. I promptly kicked him, sending him flying backward. Thud! The library door swung open as Tang Cheongi tumbled to the ground. "Hack!" Tang Cheongi coughed hoarsely after being struck in the stomach. Observing this, I spoke. "Walking out after saying everything you wanted? That's not right." And what? See you at the martial arts tournament? As if! Who's romanticizing things in a situation like this? "Aren’t you looking to die?" "Urgh... you bastard..." "Picking a fight means you should be prepared to take a hit." Even with my weakened body, I’m not one to let things slide lightly. Lately, my luck just hasn't been the best. ‘First Namgung Jin and now this.’ Both Tang Cheongi and others—why are they after me like this? "This... this bastard..." Tang Cheongi began to move. Noticing his slightly trembling shoulders, I stepped back immediately. Swoosh—something whisked past me. A dagger. "Hah." He even used a dagger—guess he means business? I laughed. All the better if we can be serious about this. Thud! He stomped the ground firmly. Tang Cheongi’s body faded. Seemed like he was using concealment techniques. If I lose track of his presence now, I wouldn’t be able to catch him. So, I focused my eyes. The angle of his feet, the position of his shoulders, the direction he was gazing. I filtered through the misleading moves among these. It might have been challenging with a different assailant. ‘But right now, it’s manageable.’ With Tang Cheongi being just in the late stages of his Poison Dragon skills, it’s a different story. Shortly after Tang Cheongi’s body faded, I swung my hand through the air. Grab—! "What...!" Tang Cheongi was startled as I caught his collar. His face showed disbelief at how I grabbed him. I explained while looking at him. "You should’ve masked your scent. The stench is overwhelming." "......!" A bluff. There’s no way there’d be a smell. The basics of being an assassin are stealth and scentlessness, and in that respect, Tang Men are thorough. In fact, they're adept at masking with poison perfectly. By the way, I read this part in Tang Men’s library. Holding Tang Cheongi, I intended to slam him to the ground. His spinning body was about to crash when— Thud—!! "Hmm?" Something interfered. Another person’s foot was there, supporting Tang Cheongi’s head to prevent injury. I looked up. A familiar face appeared. ‘Poison Pheonix.’ Poison Pheonix, who was Tang Cheongi's sister. She had intervened to save him. "…Looks like I owe you an apology again." Poison Pheonix spoke to me with an awkward smile. "We seem to run into each other often... although I didn’t expect it to be under these circumstances." “Do we need to exchange greetings?” “Haha... no, I think it’s okay.” I released Tang Cheongi’s collar at Poison Pheonix's appearance. “Sis...” Tang Cheongi looked at her. “Cheongi.” At her words, Tang Cheongi quickly responded. “There’s a reason for this...” Trying to make excuses somehow, he stammered, but— “I apologize.” Before he could finish, Poison Pheonix turned to me and apologized. “Please wait a moment. I need to take care of this.” “What...?” Just as I was about to ask what she meant— Thwack! "Ugh!" Tang Cheongi’s head snapped back, as Poison Pheonix's fist connected with his face. As the orange hue from the setting sun bathed the area, blood spattered in the air. It was a nosebleed—Tang Cheongi’s. And it wasn’t just that. Crunch. “Aarrgh!” Amidst the brutal sound, Tang Cheongi let out a scream. “I clearly told you.” Despite the agonized cries, Poison Pheonix was unfazed. “To behave.” Crack. “Ugh...!” “Didn’t I, Cheongi? Why don’t you listen to your sister?” “S-sister... please... aaahh!” “…Wow.” I covered my eyes with my hands at the bizarre scene. Even I found it extremely terrifying. ‘…She’s a frightening person.' I had to revise my perception of Poison Pheonix. She was far more ruthless than I had anticipated. “Aaahh!” Tang Cheongi clutched his groin, wailing. It was a sight too gruesome to bear.