409 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The surroundings fell silent. Everyone held their breath, attempting to grasp what had just transpired. Seconds ticked by in what felt like an eternity, as the onlookers' minds raced with thoughts, each trying to make sense of the situation. Then, the silence shattered with a single utterance. "This is insane." With those words of shock, the floodgates opened, and a storm of questions erupted. "What was that just now? Did you see it...?" "How could the White Lotus Sword be pushed back?!" It was a martial artist's duel—a fierce battle where the stakes were high, filled with dangerous swordplay and lethal intent. Though called a duel, it was a confrontation only the bravest dared to intrude upon, where any misstep could spell disaster. And yet, no one could intervene. "How could this be...?" "People said he was impressive, but the rumors were true." Everyone's eyes widened as they watched a young man casually insert himself into the midst of the blade-dance. He was scanning those around him with an intense gaze while clutching his forehead in thought. This was the man whom the martial world regarded as the most promising warrior on the horizon. "Little Yama..." It was Little Yama Guh Yang-cheon. He gained fame for subduing the mastermind behind the Xinlongguan assault and eradicating the villains mercilessly to uphold the prestige of the righteous clan. Riding on these achievements, he transcended the status of a promising youngster to emerge as a rising star. "...Rumor has it he's reached the Flower Realm. Could it be true?" "Come on, hasn't he yet reached the age of twenty? Isn't this all a bit exaggerated?" "But if it's not, then how do we explain this...?" One martial artist, trying to suppress his envy over Little Yama's talent, fell silent. Even as a martial artist himself, he couldn't deny the greatness of the brief display of skill he had just witnessed. Moreover, the level of mastery was so profound that it was nearly incomprehensible how the scene had played out. "Even so, to reach the Flower Realm at that age..." Reaching such a pinnacle at his age already seemed unbelievable. But a realm above that? This, the man found hard to accept. That unreasonable jealousy—the kind that resides in all humans—was likely the reason. And many shared his sentiment, which stood as testament to Little Yama's exceptional talent. So much talent, in fact, that it instigated jealousy even in seasoned martial artists. Regardless, to have gone so far as to drive back the White Lotus Sword itself... That young man managed to withstand, and even repel, the swordplay of none other than the White Lotus Sword—a formidable heroine recognized as a potential successor following the recent death of the previous Sword Queen. A master among masters, counted among the top five idols of female swordsmen. Although she had ceased activity some years back, her reputation remained unblemished. The reality was clear. But for this young man to stand against her... Watching from afar, the man couldn't wrap his head around it. And neither could anyone else. While Little Yama absorbed all their gazes, inwardly he cursed himself. "...Damn it. I really messed this up." He surveyed the crowd from the corner of his eye. More onlookers than he would have liked. "Damn it." The inner muttering of self-reproach continued. Numerous factions were gathered for a journey to Sichuan, making the group larger due to the transport operation's goal. As evident from their widened eyes and the incessant murmurs, the situation was far from favorable. -Little Yama... they whispered. -It's Little Yama... The infamous title whispered into his ear only served to irritate him further. Alongside his frustration, regret welled up, which rapidly turned into resentment towards those who provoked this mess. "What's this nonsense at the break of dawn..." He glared at the figures sprawled on the ground. As the three women cautiously rose, their shoulders flinched at the look they received. Without uttering a word, he mouthed: We'll talk later. His expression was writ large enough for them to understand, and they averted their eyes. Turning away from the trio he secretly cursed, his gaze met another—the woman looking dazed in the opposite direction. Moyong Bi-yeon, the White Lotus Sword, sitting on the ground seemingly in shock. Watching her, his brow furrowed involuntarily. "What's with this woman?" She had age and experience, so what on earth led her to cause such a commotion? It wasn't the sparring itself. Sparring was just what martial artists did when their wills matched. Though their minds might clash, it was something they could do freely. On the path of cultivating skill through sparring, it was an occurrence anyone could encounter. If anything, it was an excellent opportunity for learning on the part of the student involved. But things nearly escalated into a disaster. The sword intent during the sparring was extremely intense, bordering on lethal. One could chalk it up to the heat of the moment if it weren't for the overwhelming force the White Lotus Sword channeled at the end. "Was she planning on destroying everything?" It wasn't mere intimidation; the force was excessive. Had it not been intercepted, the unleashed energy at the sword's tip would indeed have caused havoc. If it had come to that... "No one would've died, but still." Considering the skill level of those involved, it was clear that things could have easily turned bloody. Throb. As that realization hit, an inexplicable pain coursed through my arm. It seemed I had sustained some minor damage from the recent ordeal. Fortunately, the injury wasn’t severe, nor was it a sword wound. Upon examining it, I sighed inwardly with relief. “That was close.” To the onlookers, it might have seemed as if I had effortlessly intervened and defused the situation, but the reality wasn’t that glamorous. I timed my intervention to coincide with the moment both sides hesitated, exploiting their momentum to turn the tide. What might have seemed impressive was merely a desperate measure to protect myself, yet it ironically left me worse off. “Sigh.” Already exhausted, and now this. Concealing the pain still throbbing in my arm, I created a barrier of internal energy to prevent any unwanted attention and turned to address the White Lotus Sword. “…What exactly is going on here?” White Lotus Sword, breaking out of her daze, finally focused her attention, realizing the situation unfolding around her. “Uh…” She stood up, seemingly just now becoming aware of her surroundings. I continued speaking as I locked eyes with her. "Senior." "Yes?" "I'm curious if engaging in a scuffle like this is part of your role as my protector." My words, tinged with sarcasm, caused a flicker in her expression, a twitch of irritation. Whether her anger was directed at herself or at me was unclear, yet it didn’t deter me from pressing on. "Well... this is, you see…" "If your role is to protect, then why are you sparring with my companions instead of watching my back? I don't get it." "..." "Or, were you hoping they'd get hurt?" Given her seniority, my words may have been lacking in propriety, but my fiery temperament demanded I speak my mind. Half-biting her lip in response to my harsh tone, White Lotus Sword scowled but didn’t counter. Though I momentarily worried she might target me with her blade, the truth was the truth. "What were you thinking, staging such a spectacle in front of all these people?" She hesitated briefly before answering, but her response was startlingly honest. “…I just saw them around and thought it’d be fun to play…” Her avoided gaze as she confessed made me chuckle dryly. It would have been easier to accept if she'd claimed she aimed to impart a lesson through sparring. Yet her candid admission of casual boredom left me baffled. "Aren't you a bit too old to be 'playing' with youngsters like them?" "…Ugh." She flinched, my words hitting their mark. Despite her appearance of youth, she was of my father's generation. Certainly not the age to be leisurely clashing swords with near twenty-year-olds out of boredom. The puzzling part was not that she was embarrassed rather than angry at my jibes. ‘Naturally.’ Given the situation, that was the appropriate response. Most who had surpassed that level at their age would likely be too full of themselves, lashing out at someone like me for such comments. Yet, White Lotus Sword merely looked abashed. ‘To be sure.’ Considering she’d almost created a disastrous situation, embarrassment was indeed fitting. Had I been in her place, I might have spent days hiding my face in shame. Whatever she intended or whoever she was didn’t matter to me. What mattered was the potential harm she could have caused to those three due to a mistake. Suppressing my irritation, I spoke out. “Even if Lady Mi has granted her approval, if you’re going to take such liberties as a protector, let us consider this position nullified.” “What…?” Her expression shifted instantly at my words. Did I speak too cryptically? In simple terms, I was suggesting she leave if she intended to act independently rather than fulfilling her protective role. I hadn’t needed or wanted such a guard to begin with. With that settled, I could finally rid myself of this nuisance. “I’ll inform Lady Mi myself later, so please feel free to enjoy your travels without further concerning yourself with the role of protector.” “Ah, no, wait…!” I turned my back on her midsentence. I had no wish to engage further with someone whose intentions were still unclear to me. White Lotus Sword appeared startled, but I dismissed the barrier and began walking away. I had no desire to linger under the scrutiny of so many eyes. Even in departing, I didn’t forget to address the trio who breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “I’ll speak to you guys later.” "…" I noted their crestfallen expressions as I swiftly left the scene. It wasn’t that I intended to reprimand them, but hearing the reasons behind the morning's chaos would be necessary. Although, it wouldn’t guarantee there’d be no anger on my part. *************** Later that day, with the morning’s events behind me, midday approached. I engaged in training by moving heavy rocks, given that we would have to travel by afternoon. My intention was to focus on simple physical training, avoiding deep concentration. “Hah…” Regulating my breathing, I lifted a stone several times my body weight, using no internal energy, relying solely on physical strength. The exertion left me gradually sweating, a rare burst of vitality emerging with it. ‘To think sweating will invigorate me… What’s become of me?’ In the past, I'd have called anyone claiming this insane. Even while training with Yeong-pung, I cursed under my breath at the madness. And yet here I was, doing it myself without a second thought. While hefting stones, Wu-hyeok, training beside me, lobbed a rock aside and questioned. "There was a big incident this morning. What happened?" Wiping the sweat from his brow, Woo-hyeok asked me about the incident. Ah, he wasn't there? "…Every martial artist seemed to have seen it, but how did you miss it?" "I don't like crowded places," he replied nonchalantly. True enough, even in a previous life, he had that sort of aura. I considered briefly explaining what happened, but decided against dredging up memories best left untouched. "It was nothing special." I brushed it off casually and returned my focus to training. Woo-hyeok looked like he wanted to press for more details, but seeing my unwillingness to elaborate further, he merely pouted and resumed lifting rocks. Why did he have to pout like that? It was almost tempting to fix it with a punch. As I felt an irritation rising and was about to vent out loud, Pae Woo-cheol spoke up. "It might not have been a big deal to you, but it was quite impressive, hyung." "You were watching too?" "If it concerns you, hyung, how could I not watch?" "…" This guy is getting on my nerves with his sycophancy. Why are all the men around me so peculiar? Come to think of it, everyone's a bit off, gender notwithstanding. I reminded myself once more of the truth I’d come to realize many times: ‘I am the most normal here.’ Yeah, undoubtedly. While nodding to myself amidst the unfolding scene, I noticed another in the circle start to falter. “…I can’t… No more…” Trembling, Cheol Ji-seon collapsed onto the ground, unable to continue his training. Seeing this, Pae Woo-cheol snorted and goaded him. "Come on, Ji-seon hyung. You can still manage two more sets, can’t you?" "That's insane! Two more? Impossible!" Cheol Ji-seon exclaimed in shock while Woo-cheol only smiled mischievously. "So I was mistaken. My bad." "Of course it's unfair, any more than—" "You've got enough energy to shout though. I'd say three more sets. Let's go.” "Aaaargh!" What on earth are they doing? Whatever it was, I had no desire to get involved. Shifting my attention, I prepared to resume my training. Then, I felt someone approaching from a distance. I quickly turned my head in the direction of the approaching presence. "This presence…" Before long, Woo-hyeok must have sensed it too, as he followed my gaze. In that moment, I caught sight of a woman landing gracefully, her black hair flowing. My brow furrowed instinctively. “…The White Lotus Sword.” The unexpected visitor was none other than the White Lotus Sword herself. Seeing her arrive unannounced, I wondered, ‘Does she have business with me?’ Given how things had unfolded earlier in the day, it was likely she had some matters to discuss. Perhaps she was here to express anger over the disrespect I had shown her. ‘This could be troublesome.’ Indeed, it was odd she hadn’t gotten angry on the spot earlier. Whether my criticism was valid or not, Middle World’s unspoken rule dictated it should have sparked some fury. I sighed, trying to piece together a plan. ‘Maybe if I apologize, she’ll let it go.’ If I just said I was upset at the time, regret my rude behavior, and that it was unavoidable, maybe she’d accept a simple bow of contrition. However, as she drew nearer, the look on her face was unsettling. It wasn’t just fury; there seemed to be urgency too. ‘Could it be…’ Was she planning to attack, just like this morning’s incident? I swallowed dryly, tensed at the thought, and watched her approach warily. The closer she came, the stronger the tense atmosphere became. While I hadn’t interacted with her extensively, she seemed like someone with an unpredictable personality. Worried about what she might do, as she got closer, I prepared to display courtesy when, without warning, she dropped right before reaching me. ‘Is this an ambush?!’ I prepared myself to counter, drawing upon my inner energy. But what happened next took me entirely by surprise. The White Lotus Sword suddenly clutched at my pant leg. "What…!" Baffled, I looked down and before I could react, she was wailing. "I'm sorryyyy! Forgive meee…!!" "…Wait…!" She clung to me, wailing and causing quite a scene. Woo-hyeok, Pae Woo-cheol, and Cheol Ji-seon were all staring at me with puzzled expressions. Among them, Cheol Ji-seon quietly whispered, "Even the White Lotus Sword…? Isn’t the age gap a bit much…?" Frustratingly, his voice rang out all too clearly. Even more annoying was the way those nearby seemed to be nodding in agreement at that absurd conclusion. It seemed a ridiculous misunderstanding was brewing. “Hey! It’s not like that…! Let go! Why are you doing this?!” "I'm soooorrryyy!" I protested loudly, but it appeared no one was particularly inclined to buy my explanation.