1265 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Paejon's hideout had been attacked, and the whereabouts of those who were there remain unclear. The first thought that came to mind upon hearing this was: ‘……That's absurd.’ It was something I couldn't possibly believe. Paejon had been attacked and disappeared? ‘That's laughable.’ That monstrous old man. And he hadn't even reverted to his youthful form this time, possessing even more strength than in his past life. How could he be defeated by something as trivial as an apostle's attack? ‘An apostle isn't that powerful.’ Absorbing and defending against deadly energies—it's a concerning ability for a martial artist. But it's nothing that can't be dealt with using a certain level of force. It wasn't just the successors who were transferred from the past; even the formidable monsters have come along. ‘And among them, Paejon, who stands at an unprecedented level, fell to an apostle?’ That's nonsensical. “What does that even mean?” I asked, furrowing my brows, as Tang Cheongi also creased his brow in response. “It is as it sounds. He was attacked by an apostle……” “Are you saying Paejon was defeated by an apostle? Come on. That's absurd. Are you telling me to believe that?” I laugh as I say it, but— “Just explain it properly.” It was a split second. When I hardened my expression and spoke sternly, Tang Cheongi's eyes widened. Poison Phoenix moved as if to intervene. “Stay put.” Bang—! At my words, she froze. Ssssssss. My shoulders trembled with suppressed energy. This was the best I could manage to hold back. “Explain it properly. I can't afford to hold back or let go on this matter.” “…….” Tang Cheongi paused at my words. I could afford to give him that much. It was Tang Cheongi, after all. After a brief silence— “……An apostle launched a full-scale attack.” Tang Cheongi explained with a sigh. “A full-scale attack?” “Yes. It wasn't just a hideout... calling it a hideout is misleading. Paejon never intended to hide. People just gathered around him.” He was there with no intention to hide. That was typical of the old man. Indeed, if it was Paejon, he would have stood proudly, daring anyone to challenge him. “At first, even the apostle couldn't harm Paejon. His strength was not something they could easily overcome. However.” “However?” “……There was a problem.” At the mention of a problem, I listened carefully. “Most apostle wouldn't dare touch Paejon… but there was one among them who was of a different caliber.” “A different caliber?” “Yes.” “……Who might that be….” “Cheolhyul Buseon.” “……!” Hearing Tang Cheongi’s words, my eyes widened. “The most formidable warrior of this era became an apostle. Paejon’s hideout was attacked by him.” “What?” It's astonishing enough that even the Sword Queen became an apostle. But Cheolhyul Buseon? The most formidable fighter of our time has become an apostle? And then. “Are you saying Paejon was defeated?” Are you saying Paejon was defeated by Cheolhyul Buseon? As I spoke with a firm gaze— “I don't know.” “Hmm?” Tang Cheongi uttered a peculiar response. He doesn’t know? As I looked on puzzled, Poison Phoenix continued the explanation. “……We don't know the outcome of the ambush. We have no idea what happened to Paejon afterward or what happened to Cheolhyul Buseon.” “What do you mean by that?” “Exactly as it sounds. We don’t know the whereabouts of Paejon or Cheolhyul Buseon after that.” Both of them disappeared after the confrontation. “Whether Paejon is alive, or whether Cheolhyul Buseon is… or if both are dead. We just don’t know. All we are certain of is that an attack took place there by the apostle.” “…….” “Does that explain things……? If you're satisfied, could you please suppress your energy? It's affecting others negatively.” Poison Phoenix showed her hand, her right fingertips trembling. It seemed to be more from the repulsion of the energy than fear. Seeing that, I concentrated my energy and restrained it within myself. It was an energy obtained from consuming an apostle, so I couldn’t recklessly unleash it since there were others around besides the two of them. “……I apologize. It was unintentional.” I apologized, retrieving my energy, and organized my thoughts. ‘……The possibility that Paejon was defeated.’ It might be a different story if it were Cheolhyul Buseon instead of another apostle. Though I don't know his exact strength, he was called the most formidable warrior. ‘I didn’t even consider that.’ The thought that Paejon could come into this world and be attacked and defeated like my father becoming an apostle was something I never considered. Slick. I ran my hand through my hair—a habit when I felt stifled. “…….” Poison Phoenix briefly glanced at me. I felt her gaze. I looked at her, wondering what it was. “……Why are you looking at me?” It didn’t seem like she was just staring. Her eyes were curious, so I asked, and she spoke while maintaining her gaze. “No reason. I just heard something and… thought how much you resemble him.” “Who do you mean……?” “I heard that Young Master Baek is related to the Gu family. So, perhaps that’s why.” An indescribable emotion flickered briefly in Poison Phoenix's eyes. “……Divine Dragon Deputy Leader. You seem somewhat similar to Young Master Gu.” “……What?” In what way? I genuinely thought that. That I resembled my father? It was something I had never heard throughout my life. Naturally, as a son and in his youth, I should resemble him, but no matter how I look at it, my father and I didn't seem alike. Perhaps only in our fierce eyes? Even objectively, it was like that, so what did Mi Hyoran see in me to say we looked alike? “Do you mean I resemble Gu Young Master? In appearance?” “What kind of nonsense is that?” She gave an expression as if telling me not to talk nonsense. “Of course, Young Master Baek is much more handsome.” “…….” Hearing that, I felt oddly uncomfortable. Just like Tang Soyeol, whenever those Tang women said someone was handsome, I felt it wasn't a compliment? “……But you just said I resemble him…….” “I wasn't talking about the face.” “Then what do I resemble?” “It's the feeling.” “The feeling?” “Yes, I have a knack for noticing people’s habits…… and there's something similar.” “……Is that so?” Habits that resemble my father's... I have no idea what she's talking about. "Oh, by the way... not that, but maybe...." Just as Poison Phoenix was about to continue speaking to me— "Lady Tang, hold on a moment." I interrupted her. "Hmm?" Poison Phoenix looked at me questioningly. And right at that moment, Knock, knock. There was a sound from outside. "Are you in there?" The voice was followed by a message. "The Young Lady is requesting your presence." Upon hearing that Mi Hyoran was looking for me, I got up. Somehow, I had a feeling this would happen. * * * Upon receiving the call, I headed to Mi Hyoran's residence. I lost count of how many times I've been there. By now, the path to her place is becoming familiar. At her residence, Mi Hyoran greeted me with a composed expression. "……You're here." "Yes, I heard you called for me." "I've confirmed what you told me earlier." "Oh, really?" It was faster than I expected. I had heard it wasn't a short distance, so I wondered how she managed it. I was curious about the method, but Mi Hyoran's words were more important. "……It was true. They say there's nothing left in the space where the apostle resided. Was it really your doing?" "I told you it was, didn't I?" "……." Nothing left in the space? I did make sure to handle it thoroughly. After all, I consumed everything, leaving nothing behind. "……How exactly did you…?" "Is there a special way to kill? I just dealt with it." "That's absurd. Are you saying there's no method to handle an apostle?" "Yes. What more do you need? Just crush them with brute strength." "……." I said it in a tone that implied that if it were so simple, why couldn't they do it? At my words, Mi Hyoran bit her lip. "……Hoo." Though my words were a bit provocative, there was no need to continue the conversation. The important thing was that the facts had been confirmed. "Anyway. Now that the issue with the apostle is resolved...... you must have something to say to me." "What would that be?" Mi Hyoran feigned ignorance, but it was a futile attempt with me. "You must have thought of something. Knowing now that I can handle an apostle, doesn't it mean I can also solve your earlier concerns?" "……." The discussions about the apostle from before. And the realization that I could be the solution to those issues. That's why she hastily confirmed it and called me back. "You……" Mi Hyoran gave me a look that said she couldn't quite understand me. "Do you ever listen to someone while they speak?" "That remains to be heard, but if it's something doable, I'll give it a try." "……." Upon hearing my answer, Mi Hyoran suddenly let out a sigh. It was as if she realized something. Her reaction made me smile. It was indeed easy to converse with her. "……What do you want?" "You catch on quickly." I also had something I wanted from her. And Mi Hyoran must have picked up on that. "Go on, Mi Lady, tell me your request first. If it's something I can help with, I'll share my own then." "……." Mi Hyoran seemed to ponder my words for a moment. However, it didn't take her long. "Alright." Her response was swift. "If you truly are the one who dealt with the apostle in the west… there's something I want to ask of you." "What is it?" "The hideout to the west. I mean…." Mi Hyoran paused briefly before speaking. "Could you accompany me to the hideout of the Divine Dragon Deputy Leader?" "……Hmm?" Her request made my eyes widen. The hideout where the Divine Dragon Deputy Leader resided—the very thing Poison Phoenix had told me earlier. It's not the fact that it came up that surprised me. The reason for my surprise was— ‘……What’s this? Things just got easier.’ What I had been planning to request was quite similar to what Mi Hyoran was asking.