368 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 369 > Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Repository Hanam, often hailed as the most developed city, continues to shine brightly, as always. Unlike other places that naturally fall into darkness when night arrives, Hanam is perpetually illuminated. A string of lights hung between the buildings provides a glow that keeps the city from being swallowed by darkness, ensuring that even at night, Hanam is bustling with rows of street vendors and people enjoying themselves. I wove through the crowd, moving forward slowly. I clung tightly to ensure my bamboo hat wouldn’t slip off. To be honest, even this made me uneasy, so I used some of my inner energy to lessen my presence slightly. If someone without similar training looked at me, they would likely forget my face unless they were right up close. In fact, they might not even realize someone like me was there at all. It was in this context that I realized something about the man trailing behind me: from the moment I sensed him, I knew he was extraordinary. Despite my efforts to mask my presence, he had managed to single me out and call to me. Earlier, he’d been asking for directions to Baekrim Inn. Though I didn’t scrutinize him closely, I could tell he was a formidable warrior. The aura I detected from him was sharp. His gait and distinct breathing marked him as a swordsman. Even if I hadn’t seen the blade hanging from his waist, I would have been certain of his profession. At the very least, his mastery was at the level of proficient transcendence. He might have reached enlightenment, but I couldn’t assess it properly—likely because he was concealing his true level. His concealment didn't mean I couldn't detect it at all. In truth, it confirmed he was, at minimum, at proficient transcendence. Who is he, really? A martial artist of this caliber should be fairly well known. Unfortunately, his presence alone wasn’t enough to identify him. An unexpected trait caught my attention. “So, as I was saying, my daughter...” “...” His presence felt sharp and heavy, yet contrary to my expectations, he was quite talkative. Most of his chatter revolved around his daughter. To me, it was almost annoyingly verbose. “My daughter, who was already cute, has been growing prettier lately...” “I see.” “She takes after her mother, which is why she’s so adorable.” His voice carried a hint of laughter as he talked about his daughter, revealing his deep affection for her. A daughter, hmm. ‘So, there’s a female warrior staying at Baekrim Inn.’ A few candidates sprang to mind. There weren’t that many women admitted to the Shrine of the Sacred Weapon, after all. Identifying female swordsmen among them was even easier. However, just because the father wields a sword doesn’t mean the daughter necessarily follows suit. In the case of the Guga family, it’s the other way around: the father is known for martial arts while Gu Heebi is famous as a swordswoman. ‘Who could it be? Maybe someone from the Yeon family or the Seon family.’ I got the impression he belonged to a notable family but couldn’t be sure. I wasn’t one to remember every surname of every woman, after all. Even though I had a few in mind, there were only about five. The laughter in his voice suggested he was likely one of the surviving family members. I sent a discreet glance towards the man. His bamboo hat concealed most of his face. Even if I did see him, would I recognize him? I could amplify my senses with energy flow to see more clearly. But if I did that, he might notice that I was trying to get a better look at him. That could offend him, and it wasn’t worth trying just out of curiosity. I’m not usually one to meddle in other people’s affairs, but my interest in this man stemmed from one particular suspicion. ‘...Could he be...’ I wondered if he might be family to someone close to me. With word spreading that the heads of the Four Great Houses were all planning to attend, three of them were connected to me in some way. The fact that he was a warrior with a daughter made me wonder. However, I didn’t dwell on this thought for long. ‘At this point, with seven days left, they wouldn’t arrive this early.’ The Four Great Houses were renowned. This status meant that the heads of these houses were individuals who commanded extraordinary prestige and reputation. They were likely to be filled with people with strong pride. Is this just a stereotype? I think not. Especially as there’s been an ongoing battle of wits recently. The alliance meeting of the Righteous Faction was an essential battleground for such contests. Their first bout would be, humorously enough, over who arrived first. Though it might seem ridiculous, arriving too early was undesirable, despite not wanting to be late. In actuality, these contests were more common than one might think, absurdly so. Therefore, with seven days remaining, for someone to have arrived first would be unthinkable among such prideful families. ‘So it’s unlikely this man is from that circle.’ Even his clothing supported that thought. Disheveled attire that belied his aura — not something one would associate with such renowned families. Would a head of a prominent clan really lack a carriage, have no attendants, and end up asking for directions from others? Surely not. As I quickened my steps, the man called out to me again. “May I know what business you have at the inn, young hero?” “…I have an acquaintance there.” “Ah, an acquaintance, I see.” By his demeanor, he seemed not to suspect I resided there as a skilled resident practitioner. “Young hero.” “Yes.” Here we go again, why does he keep talking to me? “Have you heard of a rising talent known as Sohyeomra (Little Yama)?” “...” His question made me involuntarily flinch. Just hearing that moniker made my ears burn. “…Why do you ask?” “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Just that this figure has become renowned in Hanam lately.” “…Indeed, renowned… For improbable rumors, that is.” Damn it. Who would have thought I’d live to hear someone else talk about me like this? The man seemed oblivious to the fact that I was that Sohyeom... or that reputed figure. “Do you think it’s exaggerated, young hero?” “Yes, it’s an exaggeration. A very big one.” Upon hearing my response, the man suddenly started patting me on the shoulders. What’s with this guy? As I glanced towards the man, wondering about his behavior, he seemed particularly excited. "You have such deep thoughts for someone your age. I like you a lot." "...Is that so, all of a sudden?" What exactly seemed deep about my thoughts? All I mentioned was that the rumors about me were mostly puffed up. ‘Is this guy out of his mind?’ Thinking that, I unconsciously took a slight step back from him. It seemed best to escort him quickly and part ways. I hastened my pace. Although the distance to the inn wasn’t far, the crowd was cumbersome. Hanam is always crowded, but this time it was especially packed. The reason was obvious—the meeting. To be precise, people had gathered to catch a glimpse of the big shots attending the meeting. Monsters of the era, dubbed the kings, were mostly attending. It's a gathering graced by half of the top ten masters and many from the hundred masters rank. People flocked here because such monstrous figures were rarely seen in one place. As one person after another gathered, this chaos erupted seven nights prior. "Young hero." As I hurried forward, the man addressed me again. Should I just tell him I'm not interested in talking? "Do you happen to have a fiancée?" Now he’s delving into personal questions. "...I do have an engagement." Yet here I am, answering him. “I see. Do you have a fondness for your fiancée?” “Well, I don't particularly dislike her.” Why ask something so trivial? His constant questioning was suffocating. Upon hearing my response, the man fell silent. Perhaps he finally had nothing more to say. “My daughter, recently…” No, that wasn’t the end. Is he starting again? How much further to the inn? ‘Not much longer.’ I decided to stop answering and just keep walking. Getting there quickly and parting is the best policy. “My dear, sweet daughter seems to have fallen for some good-for-nothing.” “Haha. Is that so?” This really is personal. I wondered how troubling it must have been for him to bring it up. But it wasn’t a tale I was interested in. “They claim to even have a fiancée.” “I see.” However, it was a topic hard to ignore. A man with a fiancée, and yet his daughter likes him? Perhaps this man’s daughter isn’t entirely sane either. What’s so special about him? “They even told my daughter they’d leave their fiancée to be with her. Truly a scoundrel, isn’t he?” “A real madman.” Indeed, a crazy fellow. Not only is he courting another woman while engaged, he plans to break it off to be with the new one? ‘How impressive must this person be to get away with such things?’ He must be tall and handsome. Whoever he is, life must be quite easy for him. And to think that his daughter has set her heart on such a scoundrel, it's rather unfortunate. For someone like that would quickly abandon her for another woman. It’s a predictable love drama. ‘Tsk tsk.’ She’s probably just young and naive. Still, these days… just thinking about it makes my head spin. To be fair, I wouldn’t say I have much experience with that sort of thing, either. “It must be hard on you.” I initially didn’t want to engage, but his situation seemed so dire that I added a comment. “Thank you for understanding… And what’s more…” “Is there more?” “I’ve heard rumors that this rascal has other women around him, aside from my daughter.” “He’s quite something in many ways.” Not just a couple, but even more? Wow, truly incredible. How can someone manage that? If that’s a skill, it’s certainly a skill to envy. ‘Should I be envious of that?’ As a man, it’s a talent to be admired, in a way. Yet, why don’t I feel any envy? While I pondered silently, the man continued speaking. “For my daughter’s sake, I was ready to let it slide… but if the rumors are true…” ‘If they’re true?’ “I intend to break his limbs, no matter what.” His voice was filled with deadly seriousness. It seemed he really meant it. I’ve never had children myself, but if the situation were true, I would also want to tear that scoundrel apart alive. “I see… I hope you achieve your goal.” “I must have been rambling. Thank you for listening, young hero.” It seemed he realized he had been talking strange nonsense. I chuckled as I listened. "It was quite interesting." A lie, of course. It wasn’t particularly amusing, but since it was almost time to part ways, I humored him a bit. The parting time meant we had arrived at Baekrim Inn. Wasn't this the grandest inn in Hanam? I recall Morong Hee telling me about another inn that was quite grand and pleasant. This place was rather nice as well. Especially their food—it was quite delicious. ‘I wonder if the others are waiting.’ Given my recent madness in the mountains, our meal times have been all over the place. I told them not to wait for me and to eat first if necessary. But they still waited for me to return. That’s why I always tried to come back quickly. If that was their plan, then they were quite shrewd as well. I grasped the door handle of Baekrim Inn. At that moment, the man spoke to me. “Thank you for showing me the way. If the opportunity arises, I’ll repay you in some way.” Hearing that, I pushed the door open. Creak—. As the door opened, the interior of the inn came into view. “There’s no need for a reward. We just happened to be going the same way.” I wanted no further entanglements, but the man seemed to interpret it differently, as I heard him chuckle. “That won’t do. It’s only right to repay kindness. I, Mo Yong-tae, vow to reciprocate.” “No, really, there's no need to—what?” As I quickly set foot inside with the door wide open, my body froze. …Just now… What did this man just say? How did he introduce himself? “Mo Yong...?” “Gongja-nim!” An all-too-familiar voice brushed past my ears. It was Mo Yong Hee-ah. Noticing me from a distance, she ran towards me as if she couldn't get here fast enough. “Something big has happened... I just received word that my father has just arrived in Hanam... huh?” Mo Yong Hee-ah, who was usually composed, was uncharacteristically flustered as she reached my side. She froze, just like me, as she caught sight of the man who had followed me in. Confirming this, I turned to look behind me. Creak. My neck moved stiffly, as if it had rusted. With considerable effort, I shifted my gaze to see the face behind the bamboo hat. A sharp nose, thick eyebrows. A pair of frosty eyes that belonged to a strikingly handsome middle-aged man. And, with features that were sharp yet soft, kind yet chilling, I could see where Mo Yong Hee-ah got her looks. “…L-Lord?” Mo Yong Hee-ah addressed the middle-aged man with a trembling voice. The moment I heard her words, my mind went completely blank. Simultaneously, the man's gaze turned towards me. His eyes were piercing like icicles. “Young hero.” The voice calling me was completely different from before. Earlier, the man with the doting tone when speaking of his daughter now seemed to be suppressing explosive emotions. “…Ah… Huh?” “Though it’s late to ask.” Thud. The man's hand lightly rested on my shoulder. It seemed a gentle gesture, but my shoulder felt as if it might dislocate under the weight. Was it just my imagination? “What is your name?” “...” The question was laced with a deadly seriousness that made me nod involuntarily. Ah, I understand. This situation was undoubtedly... Not looking good for me at all.