355 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**The World’s Best Friend - Chapter 356: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archives** About the Alliance Meeting: When a significant event occurs that could shake the Martial Alliance, the core of the righteous path, a meeting is convened to address it. The Alliance is supported by the Nine Great Schools and the Four Great Families. Beyond them, several other renowned families and massive merchant guilds, fueling the cities and providing financial backing, also play pivotal roles. Leaders of these awe-inspiring entities gather in one place for discussions. At a minimum, they discuss how to handle the event, and at most, they even debate the very existence of the Martial Alliance itself. In my view, the current incident is serious enough to warrant such a meeting, so it will undoubtedly take place. Consequently, the esteemed figures will flock to Hanan. Whether it will actually be held in Hanan is uncertain, but I believe it will take place there. Of course, even if such a meeting is held, there is no absolute obligation for everyone to attend. 'Will they really not come?' It's a gathering where the core figures of the righteous path convene for discussions. Whatever the topics might be, they hold significant value. Simply being present serves as evidence of one's accomplishments and fame. For people who value their pride more than their lives, it’s certain they will attend. Especially since this incident involves... ‘Their children's safety….’ Even if only to express their anger, they will surely come. Up to this point, it’s understandable. However, I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind what Moryong Hee Ah just said. “…What do you mean? Running away?” Moryong Tai, father of Moryong Hee Ah and head of the Moryong Family, is known as Baekcheon Sword Master. Once, he competed with Namgung Jin for the title of Sword King. Back then, he was recognized as a prominent and skilled martial artist. But after marrying and having Hee Ah, his focus shifted. Regardless of his martial capabilities, as the head of the Moryong Family, he is undoubtedly expected to attend the meeting. ‘So, why should we run away?’ It’s a statement shrouded in mystery. What connection does his attendance have to us escaping? “What, does the head of the Moryong family want to kill me?” It was such an odd statement that I said it as a joke. But then... “Yes.” “...” She confirmed. What did she just say? “…W-what did you say?” Is Baekcheon Sword Master going to kill me? Furrowing my brow, I asked again, and Moryong Hee Ah averted her gaze as she began to speak. “…It's a bit embarrassing…” The way she brushed her arm suggested it really was embarrassing. “My father... is really fond of me.” Moryong Hee Ah confessed with a face red up to her ears. It wasn’t surprising since it was a well-known story. Everyone knew about the head of the Moryong Family’s unusual affection for his daughter. It was partly why the Moryong Family fell behind among the Four Great Families as a martial entity. “Then?” That’s one thing, but why does that become a reason to harm me? “The relationship between us... is not exactly normal, is it?” “Isn’t it? It seems pretty normal to me...” “Just keep quiet for now.” “…Oh, okay.” The severity in her voice silenced me. As for our relationship, to be honest, it isn’t exactly ordinary. I’ve been providing her with my heat to treat her condition on a regular basis. Her body suffers from innate frost symptoms, and my warmth combats it. This arrangement has been ongoing for several years. The coldness naturally freezes her body; it's only suppressed when she uses her inner energy, which in turn releases the coldness. Hence, while my warmth permeates her, she halts her martial practice completely, which she has been doing for years. This situation poses deadly risks for a martial artist, though Moryong Hee Ah didn’t seem bothered by it. In truth, the treatment was progressing well. Initially, the frequency required was every few days, but now it suffices to provide my warmth about once a month, so there seems to be a clear effect. ‘Ah, is that the issue?’ With a strange man constantly interacting with his cherished daughter to exchange warmth, it wouldn’t be odd for a caring father to flare up. What's odd is... “Didn’t we get permission to do this in the first place?” “What?” I intended to convey that the exchange of my warmth for treatment had been agreed upon with the Moryong Family. Significant treasures and merchant guild rights were exchanged. Elders from the Moryong Family visited us for this purpose. Thanks to that, several merchant guilds from the Moryong Family established themselves on our western lands, turning the area into a bustling marketplace. Such undertakings couldn’t have proceeded without the head of the Moryong Family’s permission. “…Well.” Moryong Hee Ah averted her eyes downwards at my words. What’s with that reaction? “Did you... do something?” “I didn’t particularly do anything.” A rare sight indeed. Watching Moryong Hee Ah make excuses was a unique spectacle. She’s the type to find alternative strategies rather than making excuses, and she'd rarely if ever find herself in a position to do so. “…You know, Sir.” Such an expression was exceptional indeed—something I hadn’t witnessed even in my past life. “Speak.” “Living life, people do make mistakes occasionally.” A reasonable statement, though totally uncharacteristic of Moryong Hee Ah herself. Responding, I echoed back to her: “Someone once said, if you prepare not to make mistakes in the first place, and if you can’t even do that, don’t start anything at all.” "Who said that? How could someone spout such arrogant and selfish nonsense... Must have been raised poorly. Everyone makes mistakes. Do they have no empathy? Terrifying." "…" Moryong Hee Ah wrinkled her brow, questioning how such words could be spoken. Her reaction forced a sigh from me internally. For context, those were words Seol Bong had said to me in my past life, following a mistake I made while hunting beasts. "So, what mistake did you make?" What have you done to suggest that Baekcheon Sword Master might kill me on sight? Hearing my query, Moryong Hee Ah hesitated several times before finally opening her mouth. "You might not know, but the deal initially set with the Nine Families... ended up being a bit more advantageous." "What?" "For instance, securing a merchant guild post in Shanxi was somewhat forced... Although it did get finalized." Indeed. Shanxi might not be the most active region today, unlike the bustling Anhui or Hanan nearby. Opening a merchant guild in Shanxi wasn't a beneficial move for the Moryong Family. Seeing that, I thought the treatment must have been crucial to them. But was the reality different? "Perhaps, it was something I said that caused the issue." "Hmm?" "My father... really wasn’t keen on the idea. Letting me entrust my body to an outsider." "Well, that makes sense if..." "He especially said he couldn’t allow it to happen with someone who’s already engaged. I didn't have much choice." Um? That sounds off. "So I said it to him. That, even if you have a fiance, your heart is already with me... and eventually, you would break off the engagement to get engaged to me." Huh? "So, I suggested they treat you as a son-in-law in advance." "...What did you just say?" "Guess he found that agreeable somehow. He granted my request. Lucky, right? It worked out pretty well." Moryong Hee Ah was still avoiding my gaze as she said this. It was clear that she was aware of how absurd her words sounded. So, to Baekcheon Sword Master, I was... Although engaged to the Namgung Family, my heart was supposedly with Moryong Hee Ah, planning to annul the engagement and marry into the Moryong Family. "How did it come to this?" Just listening to it was giving me a headache. How did things get so twisted? "I already told you." When I questioned her in disbelief at the bizarre situation, Moryong Hee Ah replied as if chastising me. "People do make mistakes... sometimes, right?" Was she seriously calling that an explanation? I stared silently at her. Feeling my gaze, Moryong Hee Ah kept her head down. An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. A smart person like Moryong Hee Ah probably knew exactly what she needed to say to diffuse the situation. But she held back, likely out of pride. After a few more seconds, unable to endure the silence, Moryong Hee Ah finally spoke. "...I'm sorry." I nodded slightly at her apology. Though she built up her pride, she would crumble quickly if she didn’t get such things off her chest. I wasn't entirely sure, but based on my experiences with Moryong Hee Ah, it seemed she acted like that. 'So the situation is...' From Baekcheon Sword Master's perspective: I, whom he considered a potential son-in-law, was neither that nor was the engagement with the Namgung Family over. To him, I was a person entangled with Namgung Seol, Tang So Yeol, and even his daughter Moryong Hee Ah. And while continuing this farce of supplying warmth to her, it was as if I were touching her inappropriately. Oh... 'This is a situation where I might deserve to be killed.' I can't fully empathize not having children, but considering his perspective, killing me would seem justified. He might feel that cutting me into pieces and setting them ablaze wouldn't suffice. '...This isn't good.' It's really not good. I understood why Moryong Hee Ah suggested running away. The biggest problem being—running away wasn't a feasible option. In fact, running could appear as a romantic escape, which might momentarily placate Baekcheon Sword Master.... "...?" A thought flashed in my mind as I stared at Moryong Hee Ah. She flinched, aware of my realization. "...You." "Ooh, it's hot. Isn't it really hot today, Master?" In this chilly spring, Moryong Hee Ah, who carries cold within her, claimed it was hot. It was hard to believe. "Hah." I chuckled in disbelief. In this lifetime, our relationship saved me from being played by Moryong Hee Ah. In a previous life, it might have been more troublesome. My gaze drifted skyward. 'With Baekcheon Sword Master, the Alliance Meeting... Before dealing with any of that, I have to handle this.' Surrounding us was a mysterious dark barrier. Resolving this was necessary for me to handle the coming events. But I had no idea how to disperse it. 'Attacking it during my demonic transformation seemed to have an effect, though.' Using Cheongcheon when I reached the state of enlightenment did little damage. However, leaving slight scars after demonic transformation showed its resilience. It was reluctant to revert quickly but still a strong power. 'There must be another way.' Handling this with force seemed impossible. A method to dispel it needed to be discovered. If Black Dragon Sword, the presumed caster, was imprisoned somewhere now, should I seek him out? "...Master." 'Even if he’s captured and reduced to that state, maintaining this, torturing won't...' “Master...!” “Huh?” Lost in thought, Moryong Hee Ah shook me by the shoulders. “What is it?” “Look over there, over there.” Curious about her urgency, I followed the direction she was pointing. And then... “…What?” Crack, crack! Everywhere I turned my gaze. A disturbance appeared within the dark barrier. The change was swift, unlike the gradual damage I had inflicted. Much faster. I soon realized: the barrier was being dispelled. **In the Darkened Space Behind Shinryong Hall** Dim light barely penetrated the eerie space, devoid of any natural illumination. It wasn’t underground nor within a building; it was instead surrounded by the same ominous barrier that enveloped Shinryong Hall until moments ago. Inside. An individual lay groaning, struggling to maintain consciousness. This was the old man once known as the Black Dragon Sword. “Huff… Huff…” Gone was the tentacled beastly form. The elder had returned to his original human shape. Yet, his movements were not free. Though his hands and feet appeared unshackled, Black Dragon Sword seemed confined, as if under some invisible restraint. Before him, someone approached and knelt, watching silently all along. Recognizing the newcomer, Black Dragon Sword gritted his teeth and spoke. “You… you’re….” “I have a question.” Unbothered by the intense killing aura emanating from Black Dragon Sword, the man posed his query. “Who stands behind you?” “This... this bastard!! How dare you!” The voice bellowed with venomous rage. A testament to heightened emotions. But to the man—known as the Darkness King—it was a tiresome, all-too-familiar cry. He had heard it countless times, to the point of detachment. His eyes were cold, devoid of emotion, as the Darkness King regarded Black Dragon Sword. “I already know, but I ask for confirmation. Would you kindly answer?” “…You betray me... You must have forgotten our deal…!” The jibe made the Darkness King tilt his head. A deal, indeed. “You swore never to betray a client... Is the curse so trivial to you?!” At Black Dragon Sword’s accusation, the Darkness King rolled up his sleeve. A cursed sigil was etched upon his arm, the skin around it slowly rotting away. A foul stench permeated the air. Under normal circumstances, this curse would induce unimaginable agony. Yet, not a sound escaped the Darkness King’s lips. “To never betray a client….” This principle was central to the reputation of his Assassin Guild. They never failed a mission and never turned against their benefactors. “A laughable notion….” The Darkness King harbored disdain for it. “Only because all involved were killed, the story didn’t spread. Your naive mind seems entranced by fantasies.” “…What?” “Moreover, I had no intent of honoring your words from the beginning.” Sssht. With a swift motion, he slid a blade across his forearm, severing it. The cursed limb thudded to the ground, useless. “You...” “Since answering seems difficult, let me ask you something else.” Displaying no more concern than if he had clipped a fingernail, the Darkness King maintained his stoic demeanor and pressed on with his question. “Is the master behind you, in fact, the owner of Beyond the Heavens?” His quiet inquiry was met with silence, a silence in which Black Dragon Sword gritted his teeth fiercely.