1296 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"My father has kidnapped the Poison Phoenix." At those words, my face scrunched up tightly. "...Did you just say that the Young Lady has suddenly been kidnapped?" Tae Hoan repeated the statement, as if it was hard to comprehend. "Exactly as I said." "But why?" There was only one thought that crossed my mind. "Why her?" Why would my father suddenly appear and take the Poison Phoenix with him? 'What is going on here?' It was hard to understand. It wasn't Mi Hyoran but the Poison Phoenix that was taken away. Was there really a compelling reason for that? 'Could he have acted on his own accord?' My mind started to spin. 'Considering the timing...' It would have been after I caused chaos at the Sword Queen's stronghold. Unlike my own slowed movements due to exhaustion, my father would have had no such limitations. 'My father would have been quick.' With his presence, he would have reached here at a faster pace and might have created chaos before my arrival. 'Was his true aim the Poison Phoenix?' If the intention was to capture or kill me, he could have come for me directly. The fact that he sought this place instead bothered me. 'Was it an order from the Sword Queen?' Or was there another participant involved? While I couldn't be certain, the essential question remained. 'Why was the Poison Phoenix taken?' Ultimately, the reason mattered most. As I struggled to comprehend, Tae Hoan intervened. "...Wouldn't it be best to go inside first?" "Oh, yes." Following his suggestion, I entered the cave's interior. * * * The interior was relatively intact compared to the outside. It indicated the battle had taken place outside. Reaching the designated spot, I questioned Tae Hoan. "Divine Dragon Deputy Leader." "Speak." "Why did you let them go so easily?" "..." My question was blunt, causing Tae Hoan to hesitate momentarily. My father had promised to leave if they handed over the Poison Phoenix. The fact that she was taken away without a fight and the area remained undisturbed meant... "You just let them go, right?" It implied that she was surrendered without a struggle. "..." Tae Hoan remained silent, yet his silence spoke volumes, confirming my suspicion. Watching Tae Hoan's expression, I continued. "If it were Young Lady Tang..." The Poison Phoenix I knew, even if only briefly. "I'm certain she insisted on going of her own accord. Correct?" "That..." The Poison Phoenix reminded me of Tang Soyeol. Extraordinarily so. Thus, rather than considering what the Poison Phoenix might have done, I interpreted her actions through the lens of Tang Soyeol's likely actions. And, to my mixed feelings of relief... "...Indeed." My prediction was correct. "Hmm." Before my father began the fight, the Poison Phoenix had voluntarily agreed to go with him. This much was expected. "So, you truly let her go?" Nodding, I reiterated my previous question. "..." Tae Hoan bit his lip as if slightly uncomfortable. Seeing this, I scratched my cheek before speaking. "I'm not blaming you." I was earnest. There was no point in blaming them for simply letting her go. It was more of a casual inquiry. "I was merely curious, why you let her go so easily." At that declaration of simple curiosity, Tae Hoan expressed with a wounded pride. "...Our combat readiness against the Divine Dragon was clear." "What do you mean?" "It was evident that victory was beyond our reach." "Ah." It was a straightforward answer. Accepting that defeat against my father was inevitable led to their decision. Nothing could be simpler than that conclusion. 'Was there nothing else to consider?’ It seemed there wasn't any additional reasoning. "So that's why the Young Lady was handed over..." "There was no other choice." "I see." There was no option but to comply rather than risk a battle. "I understand now." Nodding approximately, I inquired further. "Then, where is Miss Mi Hyoran?" The unconscious Mi Hyoran—inquiring about her, Tae Hoan pointed below. "She's in the underground treatment room. There aren't many skilled in medicinal arts, so she's simply resting." "...Hmm." Hearing she fainted from shock was a bit concerning. I figured I'd need to check on her condition later. 'Where did Namgung Jin go?' With Mi Hyoran unconscious, Namgung Jin's whereabouts were unclear, raising questions. 'I'll worry about him later.' Dealing with Namgung Jin was a task for another time. "Alright. For now, please guide Young Lady Hyun. I’ll check out the situation further first." "Oh, understood..." As Tae Hoan moved to guide the Young Lady away, I asked the air. "What exactly happened here?" Upon my words, someone appeared as if landing from the sky. It was the Dark King. With his characteristic impassive expression, he regarded me. "I heard the Divine Dragon appeared. What's going on here?" "You should have heard the explanation, no?" "I did hear it, but I thought it might be better to get details from you, Dark King." "..." After a brief silence, the Dark King spoke to me. "The explanation doesn't differ much. A man from the Gu family arrived and demanded the young lady of the Tang family. Since she volunteered to go, the matter was closed." The statement aligned with what Tae Hoan had said. Up to this point, it was clear, but I had another critical question. "Why didn't you intervene, Dark King?" The Heaven-level martial artist present here. I was curious why the Dark King refrained from getting involved. ‘Well, if I had to guess...’ A vague notion began to form. 'Wouldn't it seem unnecessary for him to interfere? Something like that, maybe.' The Dark King was one to act independently. Though he was now working alongside Mi Hyoran, that too was out of necessity. ‘He isn't tied to sect affairs.’ As someone who moved without regard for orthodoxy or unorthodoxy, I figured he would avoid getting involved in an unnecessary hassle. With that in mind, I asked. “There was a reason?” Offering an unexpected answer to my speculation, the Dark King replied. “There was indeed a reason.” "A reason?" It wasn’t just like that? Surprised, my eyes widened. “The Sword Sovereign intervened.” “…What?” It was an answer I hadn't anticipated at all. * * * Ssssss! The wind rustled fiercely through the grass. The atmosphere was eerie and silent. In the grasslands teeming with creatures, the air should have been filled with piercing cries. Ssshh. But the arrival of a young man silenced even the monsters. "...Where exactly are we going?" The Poison Phoenix, trailing behind him, asked. Her question, however, was buried in silence. The young man offered no response. "Hey." The Poison Phoenix called out to him again, her face twisting in frustration at his attitude. Whoosh-! "...!" A large hand suddenly cupped her face. "Utter another word," a deep voice invaded her ears. "And I'll crush your face." "..." "Try anything unnecessary, and you'll die." A chill ran down the Poison Phoenix’s spine at those words. Though devoid of emotion, she understood the gravity. '...He's serious.' From a young age, the Poison Phoenix had been adept at discerning lies. It was like tasting something—when faced with a liar, her tongue would tingle. Thus, she was confident. The young man, Divine Dragon Gu Cheolun, was speaking the unvarnished truth. His words were sincere, lacking any deceit. This honesty, free of malice or intimidation, made them even more frightening. "..." The Poison Phoenix clamped her mouth shut in response to Gu Cheolun's warning. Only after she remained silent did he withdraw his hand. "Huff..." Only then did she release the breath she had been holding. Step. Gu Cheolun resumed walking. Watching him, the Poison Phoenix began following once more. '...Should I try to escape?' Her lips were sealed, yet her mind churned. Gu Cheolun continued his stride, seemingly unconcerned with her presence. If the chance arose, couldn't she make a run for it? Such thoughts flickered through her mind. 'Perhaps.' With enough luck and effort. Maybe she could escape. If he remained this unwary, perhaps using all her strength could make it possible. "..." She discreetly firmed her resolve, casting her eyes around for hiding spots. In this grassy terrain, with enough stealth, it seemed feasible. 'Stealth has always been my forte.' Growing up in the Tang family meant embracing skills such as subterfuge and stealth crucial for an assassin. As a daughter of such lineage, she believed escaping was within her capability. '...Should I give it a try?' She steeled herself to move. If she didn't draw attention by stirring her energy abruptly, her escape might succeed with swiftness. Her plan was to vanish and flee. Just as she began to channel her energy with this intention. "Stop that." "Huh..." The voice came from behind her. "That's not a wise choice." It was a gentle voice. Turning around upon hearing it, she saw... "...Ah..." A familiar face confronted her. "...Sword... Sovereign?" The Sword Sovereign Wi Hyogun stood behind her. How? As the golden eyes glimmered in the darkness, the Poison Phoenix found her voice trembling. "Divine Dragon, you're up to some unsavory activities." The Sword Sovereign spoke, casting his gaze towards Gu Cheolun. "Were you planning to kill the girl?" "..." Gu Cheolun returned the Sword Sovereign's gaze. "I warned her." What did that mean? The Poison Phoenix couldn't immediately understand but soon realized. 'Could it be...' Gu Cheolun's prior warning. 'Try anything unnecessary, and you'll die.' She recalled those words. Which meant. '...He knew all along.' Even knowing she might attempt an escape, Gu Cheolun deliberately ignored it. With the intent to kill her. "The Sword Empress wishes for her, yet you still considered killing the child?" Gu Cheolun again met the Sword Sovereign's eyes at this inquiry. "Don't concern yourself." Gu Cheolun disregarded the Sword Sovereign, continuing his stride. "..." Left alone, the Poison Phoenix quivered with unease. "Let's go," the Sword Sovereign gently urged, patting her shoulder and following Gu Cheolun, leaving the Poison Phoenix biting her lip. '...I can't escape.' The situation seemed dire. As the Poison Phoenix bit her lip hard enough to bleed, she reflexively closed her eyes. In a fleeting thought, a face appeared in her mind. 'Young Master Baek...' The face she envisioned with her eyes tightly shut was his.