390 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Heaven's First Friend - Episode 391: Northern Rabbit - Web Novel Archive** It was just past noon. Guyangcheon was immersed in intense training within a cave. Around the same time, Mihyo-ran, the mistress of the Gu family and owner of a famous trading group in the Central Plains, was facing her husband. Creak, thud. In the quiet atmosphere, the gentle sound of a waterwheel could be heard from the back. Three teacups were placed on the table. Two of the teacups were wafting delicate steam. Mihyo-ran extended her pale hand without a tremor and lifted her teacup. After silently taking a sip, she moistened her throat and looked at her husband to speak. “Did you have a good conversation?” Her voice was as flat as ever, with no fluctuation, but Mihyo-ran’s expression was chillingly cold. Knowing that, Gu Cheol-woon didn’t bother to respond and subtly avoided her gaze. Mihyo-ran continued, observing him. “It must have been quite the talk, to leave our child with a bruise.” “...” “Do you have anything to say about this?” Her calm inquiry, as though she would at least hear an excuse, felt even more intimidating. Mihyo-ran, an ordinary person without martial skills, exuded an atmosphere that was anything but ordinary. So much so that even though Gu Cheol-woon inherently radiated warmth, he felt as though the room temperature had dropped. He cleared his throat in a rare moment of vulnerability and addressed Mihyo-ran. “There was an incident.” “There certainly had to be. If not, it would’ve been a serious matter.” “...” What serious matter, he wondered. Whatever it was, Gu Cheol-woon knew it couldn’t be anything good. Mihyo-ran let out a deep sigh at her husband's demeanor. “Seeing the look on our child’s face, it seemed resolved, so I won’t say much more… but I am disappointed you marred a precious face.” A precious face? Gu Cheol-woon looked at Mihyo-ran with a peculiar expression. Although Guyangcheon was his son, he wouldn't have considered his face particularly precious. “There was no other choice.” Indeed, there was no other option. That was the truth. The aura emanating from Guyangcheon at the time was closer to the frenzy of a beast in disguise. Gu Cheol-woon had immediately recognized the essence once felt from the Overlord in the past. Seeing Guyangcheon wielding two different energies and containing potentially explosive power within, Gu Cheol-woon had reacted instinctively. After all, he couldn’t just stand by and watch his child die. However, he didn’t find it necessary to explain this all in detail to Mihyo-ran. Listening, Mihyo-ran spoke to Gu Cheol-woon. “Is there truly no choice except yours that it couldn’t have been avoided?” “…This time, it was truly unavoidable.” Mihyo-ran’s delicate brow furrowed at his words. “You promised me you wouldn’t harm him.” “It was in the heat of a sparring session, there was nothing else...” “You mentioned discussing matters, not sparring. Was this conversation perhaps with fists and blows?” “Hmm.” Gu Cheol-woon again cleared his throat, taking a sip of tea. Watching him, Mihyo-ran felt exasperation but also a certain lightness. She noticed the weight surrounding Gu Cheol-woon had slightly diminished. ‘He’s lightened up a little.’ Sensing this, she refrained from further anger. Nonetheless, the blue bruise under their child’s eye was something Mihyo-ran found difficult to overlook. ‘Where on such a dear one is there space to strike?’ Despite this, she refrained from fully expressing her anger. Telling herself it was akin to betraying her own guilt and fear of being distant from the child, she bit back her resentment. The only consolation was the attitude of the women who quickly rose upon seeing the child's state. Their readiness to draw a sword if necessary wasn’t poorly regarded from Mihyo-ran’s perspective. The woman named Geomwoo-hee had already scored points, being formally engaged as she was. The other women’s standings varied. Of those who came to mind, the daughter from the Moyong family, Seol Bong, was receiving the highest marks. Both the rumors about her and her discreet maneuvering behind the scenes appealed to Mihyo-ran. Though she would be dangerous as an enemy, Mihyo-ran quickly realized that many of the young woman’s actions would benefit her son’s future. Put simply, it might be because she saw some of herself in them. Moreover, being a daughter of the 'Moyong' family played a part. After all, among the women who used to follow Gu Cheol-woon in the past, there was a daughter of the Moyong family too. Of course, she was entirely different from Moyong Hi-ah in Mihyo-ran’s eyes. If she were to draw parallels, she might say there was a resemblance to her own daughter, Gu Hui-bi. ‘Numerous women...’ Mihyo-ran let out a small, amused smile at the thought that crossed her mind. She had been concerned Guyangcheon seemed to struggle with interactions, but he appeared to be managing just fine. His luck with women didn’t seem too bad either. However. ‘This... he resembles his father too much in this aspect.’ If it was a concern, it was that he bore too striking a resemblance to his father in this aspect. Too much charm and entanglement could spell troubles ahead. In this regard, Guyangcheon’s path seemed fraught with struggles. Gu Cheol-woon may have not been the type to care about such things, but Guyangcheon seemed different. Especially since each woman entangled had a background beyond reckoning, Mihyo-ran found herself subtly making strategic moves behind the scenes. “…So,” At Mihyo-ran’s words, Gu Cheol-woon turned his head. “Did the child seem at ease?” This was the most important question. Had the child found any solace, even the slightest? Mihyo-ran calmly looked into Gu Cheol-woon’s eyes. While Gu Cheol-woon’s gaze remained heavy, there was a perceptible, subtle difference. Under such scrutiny from Mihyo-ran, Gu Cheol-woon carefully spoke. “I don’t know.” Contradictory to the deep and heavy tone, there was a hint of something serene interwoven. “I’m still unsure of what changed with just this small incident.” “Didn't you think to ask the child?” "Did you ask if he felt any better?" Mihyo-ran inquired, tilting her head slightly. Gu Cheol-woon shook his head in response. "I did not." "Why not?" "I don't know that either. But..." There was noticeable hesitation in his voice. Mihyo-ran listened attentively, sensing his reluctance to continue. "Our third child... he called me Father." "...!" A seemingly simple remark. It's natural for a child to call their parent "father." Yet, beneath that simplicity lay numerous implications. Mihyo-ran examined Gu Cheol-woon's face closely. Though his expression did not change, she could detect a slight tremble in his eyes. "...And how do you feel about it?" she asked gently. "I don’t know. To understand it all, I am still an incapable man." "..." She did not deny it. To Mihyo-ran, Gu Cheol-woon was an outstanding head of the family but fell short as a parent. Of course, Mihyo-ran was no different, she acknowledged silently. "It's difficult." Gu Cheol-woon's quiet admission made Mihyo-ran nod internally. She then spoke while looking at Gu Cheol-woon, "It's too late." "..." "Much too late. Realizing how difficult it is should have come sooner." Much sooner than just slightly earlier. Both she and Gu Cheol-woon had been too late. That was Mihyo-ran’s regret. Had they realized it sooner, things might have been different, but they hadn’t. That regret lingered within Mihyo-ran. "So, try to understand now, even if it's belated." "I'll make an effort." Gu Cheol-woon briefly hesitated before responding with this resolve. Those words would suffice for now. His promise to try was genuine, not an escape, and Mihyo-ran knew that. Having heard this, Mihyo-ran stood up slowly. If she had one wish, it was this: -As he called me Father. Just as Guyangcheon had addressed Gu Cheol-woon as his father. 'Someday...' She hoped that someday she, too... Mihyo-ran closed her eyes briefly, brushing away thoughts that felt a bit presumptuous. Clearing herself of any lingering regrets, Mihyo-ran subtly bid farewell to her husband and exited the room. Left alone, Gu Cheol-woon sipped his tea, closing his eyes. Various thoughts troubled him, but at the core, there was one central concern. 'It's difficult.' Relationships. The heavy burden of guilt felt overwhelmingly oppressive. He wondered if this wasn't simply another neglected responsibility he couldn't ignore. Reflecting on this, Gu Cheol-woon sought comfort in his thoughts. -It’s too late. As Mihyo-ran pointed out, it was indeed too late a worry. Now, rather than wallowing in difficulties, he needed to choose a different path. "..." Gu Cheol-woon cautiously opened his eyes, watching the door Mihyo-ran had exited through. Gently, he began pouring tea into the empty cups before him. First, he filled his own cup, then moved on to fill the one across from him. A peculiar action since Mihyo-ran was no longer in the room. But after refilling the teas, Gu Cheol-woon spoke. "I apologize for keeping you waiting." It almost seemed he was speaking to the empty space, yet his words were unexpectedly directed. Creak. At his words, the door Mihyo-ran had exited through opened once more, and someone stepped in. A middle-aged man dressed in black martial robes. He was a figure Gu Cheol-woon recognized. He was known as the lord of the Xi'an Bi family, a well-reputed clan in the region, named Bi-jeok. Upon recognizing him, Gu Cheol-woon rose to greet him. However, his greeting was not meant for Bi-jeok. Gu Cheol-woon was waiting for another person to show up. Bi-jeok, realizing this, awkwardly shifted aside, allowing the awaited individual to enter the room. The person Gu Cheol-woon had been anticipating entered past Bi-jeok. A young martial artist—not much older than a youth—strode in, roughly the same age as Gu Cheol-woon’s own child. Judging by the martial robes, one could faintly discern him as a member of the Bi family. Perhaps he was the offspring of the Bi family lord standing beside him. Typically, Gu Cheol-woon would first pay respects to the known elder, Bi-jeok. However, he inclined his head towards the young man, who held a higher standing than the Bi family lord himself. "An honor to meet you, sir." The young man’s eyes flickered with an indescribable emotion at Gu Cheol-woon’s greeting. "Interesting. You recognized me with no introduction." "Thank you for accommodating such an abrupt request." "Ah... this makes it less fun to tease you." Under different circumstances, a bit of teasing might have been in order. With a light chuckle, the Overlord (Paejon) sank into a seat across from Gu Cheol-woon. "Long time no see, Master Gu. It's hard to count how many years it's been. So let me reintroduce myself." Lifting the teacup already prepared, the Overlord introduced once more. "I am Paejon Biju. Furthermore..." Paejon's gaze met Gu Cheol-woon’s, who had been watching him all along. "The mentor to your son." Simultaneously, a heavy atmosphere descended upon the room.