373 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Greatest Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 374: Northern Hare - Web Novel Archive "It's been a while." Guryun grimaced at the sight of the Dark King extending his greetings. "The man who vanished for over a decade finally shows his face." "You seem to be doing well, Guryun." "Does this look like I'm doing well to you?" Guryun opened his robe to reveal his chest. There remained a dark, indelible scar. A memento from his previous confrontation with the Dark Palace Master. Observing this, the cave fell silent for a brief moment until... Pfft. Paezon couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter. And it was laughter of significant volume at that. "Hahaha! Haha!" "How can you laugh when someone got hurt?" "Hahah...!" Finding it so amusing, Paezon even had tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "That Guryun, with a hole in his body. Excellent work." "I was... just a bit careless." "Weren't you the one who used to say that carelessness is nothing but an excuse for losers?" "..." Had he said something like that? Guryun couldn't remember, but it seemed like something he would say, so he clamped his mouth shut. After laughing for a considerable time, Paezon asked Guryun. "Who was the opponent?" "What, so you can avenge me?" "Don't talk nonsense. Do I look like someone who would bother with such tedious tasks?" "You truly have no sense of friendship whatsoever." Guryun said, as if exasperated, and Paezon took another swig of alcohol. He seemed quite thirsty, downing drink after drink before turning to Guryun. "How badly is your body damaged?" "..." It was an abrupt question. Guryun didn't answer Paezon's inquiry. He merely filled his cup with more alcohol in silence. "It's fine. I'm in decent shape." "Decent, you say, having a hole in your chest." "..." "Seems like you've aged, Guryun." "That's obvious to anyone with eyes." "It's not entirely that simple." Paezon chuckled, and Guryun sighed deeply at his words. "If you wish, I can get in touch with the sage." "I've already met him." "Hm? You have?" This revelation caught Paezon off guard. He had already seen the sage? A man difficult to track down... "Who do you think repaired my chest?" "...So it was that old geezer?" Noticing the empty cup of the Dark King, Paezon refilled it. Even as he did so, he kept the conversation going with Guryun. "And what did he have to say, that sage?" "What is there to say? He is, after all, one of great sagacity." "Do the members of your family know about your condition?" "The clan leader surely does." Guryun laughed it off as if it was nothing. "It's not all that crucial. It doesn't affect eating or excretion, so what significance does it hold?" "You've grown rather distinguished, haven't you? I wonder where the old Guryun disappeared to." "What bygone story are you bringing up now?" When Guryun clicked his tongue as if to say not to do that, Paezon simply grinned. "Is time the only thing that can bring down the mighty mountain?" "Stop with the nonsense and pour the drink, will you?" At this, Paezon poured another drink into Guryun's cup as well. After downing the full cup, Guryun asked. "Are things going well with what you're up to?" "What." "Finding that disciple." "Ah, that." "Good grief. Why don't you just live as you are? Why go through such trouble?" It was always perplexing to both whenever they met. Guryun was exasperated with Paezon. Had he just lived as he was, things would have been easier. Yet, this friend, obsessed with pushing the boundaries of martial arts, had gone as far as rejuvenating himself. Even after achieving rejuvenation and finding no answers, he stubbornly searched for a disciple to realize the ultimate path of martial arts, which was truly baffling. "Bi-joo, do you still not realize how absurdly difficult it is for someone else to learn your martial arts?" The manifestation of heart energy brings unparalleled pain. It's an enigma how it was constructed in such a way. Pain inherently leads to hesitation. No matter how much meaning it holds. Understanding and enduring it to practice it is a different story altogether. "What kind of lunatic would endure that pain to learn martial arts?" "Tch, if one can't even endure this, what can they possibly achieve?" "A madman like you is hard to find anywhere in the martial world." Guryun was certain. He acknowledged the value of Paezon's martial prowess. But finding someone with the talent, plus the endurance and patience needed to learn it, would be challenging. The martial art, Tuafachenmu, was as painful as it was problematic; a martial art so complex and difficult that even its creator, Paezon, had not reached its pinnacle. It required immense talent. And finding someone who could withstand the gruelling pain of training, with both talent and patience? 'Where in the world does such a person exist?' Guryun was convinced, albeit not entirely without doubt. Thus, even to his cherished Guhyangcheon, he only hoped for Paezon's teachings, not for him to be taken as a disciple. 'Where would I send such a precious child to learn those martial arts?' Guhyangcheon had already mastered the clan's martial art, Guyom Hwarunggong. Yet Bi-joo, this lunatic, was the kind to rip it out and insert his martial art if desired. "How about giving up soon and finding another way..." "I've just taken on a disciple, as it happens." "...What?" Guryun's eyes widened at Paezon's words. Did he say he took on a disciple? "You've taken on a disciple?" "Hm? Why are you so surprised?" "What lunatic would become your disciple?" "...Guryun, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I am quite a decent choice." As one of the Three Immortals and the pinnacle of the martial disciplines. That was the value Paezon held, but to Guryun, it felt like stepping into the path of hell. Paezon was the one left bewildered by Guryun's shocked expression. "Wasn't this expected from the outset?" "What are you saying? What have I done?" Paezon couldn't understand Guryun at all. It felt as if their conversation was veering off track. "That is..." "Wait." Just as Paezon was about to inquire about Guhyangcheon. Guryun raised a hand to stop Paezon from speaking. "What's the matter?" Paezon inquired as if wondering what was going on, but Guryun's expression was intensely serious. His face was awash with disbelief and shock. “…Hey, where's all the food gone?” “…!” At Guryun's words, Paezon quickly glanced over at the food spread. The dishes they had painstakingly brought were almost completely gone. "Hmm?" The Dark King gave him a puzzled look, as if to say, "What's the problem?" "What's the matter?" "What's the matter, you madman? Did you eat all this by yourself? Where's your sense of decency?" "Then why didn't you all eat some yourselves?" Guryun and Paezon exchanged looks of disbelief at the Dark King's words. "It's strange how his appetite hasn't diminished with age." “…Oh, my head aches. I went out and got all this in my old age, only to not get a single bite.” Despite Guryun and Paezon’s complaints, the Dark King continued to devour the remnants of the food. “…Forget it. It's not the first time I've seen him act like that.” Guryun let out a sigh and took another swig of his drink. Paezon turned to the Dark King and asked. "Is there any progress on your end?" At his question, the Dark King lifted his head. "Over these many years, have you found what you were looking for?" Each of them had their own ambitions. Their goals were different, and so their paths diverged as well. The Dark King took a moment of silence before replying in a calm voice. "I haven't found something complete, but it seems I've discovered a path." "That's good news." Paezon had a vague idea about the Dark King's aspirations. “What about the one who attacked Hanan? What do you plan to do with him?” He was asking about the Black Dragon Sword's disposition. "Is that man connected to you?" "I don't know yet." "If you don't know, there must be something you sniffed out to make you move." The Dark King didn't respond. But the two could make inferences from his expression. "Are you thinking of taking him back with you?" "If needed." By 'back', Paezon was referring to the Dark King's residence and the headquarters of the Iron Night Assassins. “Is he the kind who will talk under torture?” “I don’t know. We’ll find out once we try.” Paezon nodded at the straightforward answer. It was true; usually, continuous interrogation methods tend to open mouths. Either they talk or... They die before they do. It was one of the two. "I heard he's locked up in the Martial League's prison." "He'll be brought to Sichuan first." "Sichuan...?" At those words, something clicked in Paezon's mind. Sending him to a place as distant as Sichuan indicated... "You plan to utilize the Tang Sect." He suspected a connection with the Tang Sect, the rulers of Sichuan. Now known as one of the four great sects of the righteous path, those who truly understood knew just how dark and brutal the Tang Sect could be. "It’ll take a long time to travel to Sichuan. Why aren’t you using your usual methods?" “Methods?” “I thought you'd just take him straight back to your place because you hate waiting.” If it were the Dark King Paezon knew, he would certainly do that. Making it happen stealthily was the Dark King’s specialty. The Dark King nodded at Paezon’s remark. “I originally intended to.” As expected, the Dark King confirmed he had considered it. "But now there's no particular need to. Since I have business in Sichuan, I can take him along." "Business? You have business in Sichuan?" "Yes." "...You too?" Paezon asked, bewildered, which made the Dark King tilt his head. By 'you too?', he implied that Paezon was also headed to Sichuan. “Are you saying you’re going as well?” “I have matters to attend to.” In truth, it was related to Guhyangcheon’s affairs, but Paezon figured it was essentially the same thing. “Will the head of the Bi family permit this?” “What if he doesn’t?” “You're right.” The Dark King nodded at Paezon's words. He had a point. Officially, he was the father of Bi Eojin and the head of the Bi family. But Bi-joo's will held the most sway. 'The Dark King heading to Sichuan.' Whether he would accompany them was uncertain, but if he did, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. 'There are tasks I need him to do.' He had things to inform Guhyangcheon about, and asking the Dark King seemed feasible. Though Guhyangcheon likely wouldn’t be thrilled about it. As the conversation continued, Guryun popped a piece of the remaining food into his mouth and spoke. "Everything's fine and all..." His words captured the attention of Paezon and the Dark King. "...But why are you two discussing matters only you understand when you’ve summoned a guest?" His voice was tinged with disappointment. ****************** As I entered the interior of the League and made my way to the hall, many were already gathered. Seeing this, Cheoljisun began trembling as if an earthquake had struck. Understandable, given the hall was filled with genuine high-ranking individuals. ‘Where should I sit?’ I scanned the room, searching for a seat amidst the gathering of heads of commercial groups, representatives from various clans, and prominent members of the martial community. ‘Should I just sit somewhere random?’ Not wanting to make a fuss, I thought of just pulling a chair near the back when— -Third son. A familiar voice rang in my ear. Startled, I turned toward the direction of the voice to see a pair of piercing red eyes from afar. It was my father. -Come over here. “...” I was taken aback. His seat was right at the front. Why was Father sitting there of all places? Normally, he wouldn’t have chosen such a conspicuous seat. “Yangcheon?” My gaze must have shown my confusion, as Cheoljisun called out to me. After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided to bring Cheoljisun along and move. As I approached, I recognized several familiar faces along with my father’s. One of them was Namgung Sega's head, Namgung Jin. "It's been a long time since... we last met." "Have you been well all this time?" "I've been the same as always. But it seems you've been well—I've heard quite many praises lately." "…Yes." The word 'son-in-law' unexpectedly slipped from Namgung Jin's lips. While my ears were itching with the urge to scratch, I found myself unable to do so in this setting. The real issue was that several people reacted to the term ‘son-in-law’. Among them was... ‘Oh dear.’ It turned out to be the White Heaven Sword Master. His glance toward me was as sharp as ever, indicating that his feelings had yet to soften. Understandable, considering it wasn't an emotion easily resolved. Of course, it wouldn't be quickly resolved. Another familiar face was the Poison King from earlier that day. His expression was filled with visible discomfort. Did I offend him? I couldn't recall doing anything wrong to this man in particular. ‘Then again, being berated for doing nothing wrong is practically my specialty.’ Having been through it so often, I didn't think much of it. Lastly... ‘…He’s here too.’ It was Peng Zhou, the father of Peng Woo-jin and Peng Ah-hui, also known as the Blade King. While it was understandable for the White Heaven Sword Master, I couldn't help but wonder why this man looked at me with those eyes. Then again, given our history, it wasn't surprising he didn't harbor fondness toward me. After all, I'd hurled insults at his daughter and called off the engagement; liking me would indeed be madness. Aside from these notable figures, there were numerous other heads of families whose names I didn’t know. Among them, there were a few whom I recognized. Almost all the heads of the prestigious families of Zhongyuan seemed to be gathered. Watching all of them, I cautiously offered my greetings. “…The descendant of the Guga family greets the lords.” “Uh, the descendant of the Iron Blood family greets the lords….” Following my lead, Cheoljisun also paid his respects. Then we carefully found a place to sit. Originally, as soon as I took my seat, those around me, recognizing me, would have started engaging in conversation. Yet, for some reason, everyone held their tongues like mute statues. Why were they acting this way? Was it because the meeting was about to start? That could be the case, but something... ‘They seem a bit intimidated?’ There was an uncanny sense of that in the air. Maybe it was my imagination. These people could hardly be intimidated by anyone. “…!” As soon as I settled into my chair, I inadvertently flinched. Father was staring intently at me. ‘What’s this? Did I mess up somehow?’ His gaze made me quickly enumerate my possible blunders. ‘I’ve messed up too often to pinpoint what's wrong now.’ The sheer volume of my past transgressions left me bewildered. Just as I felt I might choke under the pressure and considered saying something— “Patriarch….” “Good job.” “Yes?” Father said that and then turned away. I stared at him, thinking I must have misheard. But he didn’t look my way again. His unexpected praise left me with a curious thought. ‘…Is he ill?’ For a moment, I considered the possibility that Father had contracted some terminal illness. But that couldn't be. I had never witnessed him fall ill, even in my past life. Of course, lacking the courage to ask why he praised me, I decided it was best to avoid his gaze as naturally as possible. Amusingly enough... ‘…This is annoying.’ I found myself oddly pleased by his praise, which was maddening. It was just words, so why was I feeling buoyant? I took a deep breath to calm my inexplicable excitement. No matter my age, it wasn't proper to get so giddy over a single compliment. “Yangcheon, what’s up?” “What?” “Well…. You suddenly looked like you were smiling….” “Be quiet.” “Okay.” I silenced Cheoljisun, who was obliviously interrupting, and waited patiently. I sensed that the meeting was about to commence. It wasn't just me. The once buzzing hall had fallen into a silence akin to a room full of mice. Footsteps echoed through the quiet. A figure who had been waiting stepped up onto the podium. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. The man who hosted the gathering, the current leader of the Martial League, Pleasure Sword Jangcheon, had taken the podium. After taking a deep breath, he began speaking slowly. -First. His voice boomed across the hall, likely amplified using inner energy. -Since this meeting is born from the incident in Hanan, I first offer my apologies as the League Leader. At those words, Jangcheon bowed his head. I could tell from the numerous scrolls he held that he had much to say. I observed the proceedings calmly. Although things were quiet now, I suspected it would soon descend into chaos. Everyone would start pointing fingers, delineating faults and discussing rights and wrongs. Tempers would flare as those gathered began voicing their long-held grievances. Such a tumultuous scenario was exactly why I wished to avoid attending. ‘Why was I summoned here?’ Intending to make use of me somehow, they had even gone the length of sending an invitation stamped with the League leader's seal. I still hadn’t figured out their intentions. Just as these questions loomed, I felt it. ‘…What is this?’ The sensation of a gaze was unmistakable. It was too obvious not to notice. Someone was undoubtedly observing me from somewhere. It wasn't hard to locate the source of such piercing eyes. It was strange not to have felt it sooner. The direction was behind the League leader. It was amidst a cluster of people who appeared to be part of the League’s guard detail. Curious, I slightly extended my energy senses. “…!” I discovered it quickly. And the moment I confirmed who was behind that gaze, I felt a heavy weight settle within me. ‘That bastard….’ The one staring at me intently. ‘Jang Sunyeon…?’ It was Jang Sunyeon. After I supposedly burned him in the demon realm, I had returned to this world, endlessly chasing his traces. Because there hadn’t been any, I thought perhaps something else had transpired. Yet there Jang Sunyeon stood, smiling wickedly at me from behind the League leader. Seeing that smile, I sensed a subtle difference. I couldn't quite say why, but he seemed different from the Jang Sunyeon I remembered. Sensing the discrepancy, I channeled energy into the Qi Seer without hesitation. Familiar with entities that wore the guise of people, I wondered if this was a similar occurrence. ‘…No.’ Remarkably, there was nothing unusual about him. So why this odd sensation? Then it happened. Screech—! “…Ugh…?” A fierce heat pulsed through my right arm. The pain radiated from the area where my skin had transformed. Gripping my arm tightly, I struggled against the sudden burst of agony. ‘What is going on? Why is this happening?’ I gritted my teeth and tried to endure the pain as I turned my gaze back to Jang Sunyeon. And once again, I was caught off guard. Seeing me writhing in pain, Jang Sunyeon wore an expression of surprise, as if he had stumbled upon something curious. His eyes appeared to have taken on a strangely red hue.