Childhood Friend of the Zenith -
Chapter 368: Gathering of the Orthodox Faction (9)
Henan always remained radiant, a testament to its status as one of the most advanced cities.
While other places were shrouded in darkness at night, Henan remained brilliantly lit.
Strings of lanterns hung between the buildings, casting a warm glow over the city. Because of this, Henan’s streets bustled with people even late into the night.
I walked slowly through the crowd of people.
I was careful to ensure my face cover stayed securely in place.
Even with this, I honestly felt uneasy and used my Qi to slightly suppress my presence.
An ordinary person without Qi wouldn’t notice me unless they were directly in front of me.
Even those with Qi would have a hard time noticing my presence.
That being said, I instantly recognized the person trailing me as no ordinary individual.
He stopped me despite me suppressing my presence.
He casually asked for directions to the White Forest Inn.
Although I couldn’t get a clear look at him, I could sense he was a formidable martial artist.
His aura radiated a sharp, cutting intensity.
I learned that he was a swordsman from seeing his way of walking and breathing.
Even without those clues, the sword at his waist made it unmistakable.
At the very least, he appeared to have reached the perfect stage of the Peak Realm.
Just who is he?
A martial artist like him must be well-known, but it was difficult for me to figure out who he was just by observing his presence.
However, one thing about him caught me off guard.
“So my daughter- “
“…”
The man with the sharp, dense aura turned out to be far more talkative than I had anticipated.
He mostly rambled about his daughter, which I found rather tiresome.
“She was already cute enough, but somehow she is even getting more beautiful.”
“I see.”
“She is identical to her mother, which is just adorable.”
His cheerful tone made it clear how deeply he adored his daughter.
Daughter, huh?
So, it’s a female martial artist staying at the white forest inn.
A few names came to mind.
The Heavenly Dragon Academy didn’t have many women, and swordswomen were even rarer.
Of course, just because her father wielded a sword didn’t mean she did too.
Gu Clan was an example of that. Despite Father being a close combat martial artist, Gu Huibi spread her name as a swordswoman.
Who could it be? Someone from the Yeon Clan? Or perhaps the Seon Clan?
I predicted that she was from a clan.
Though I was aware of their existence, I wasn’t obsessed with girls and didn’t recall all their surnames.
I was able to think of around five girls.
From his cheerful tone, it seemed his daughter had thankfully survived the incident.
I stole a quick glance at the man.
I wasn’t able to see his face clearly due to the face cover he was wearing.
Even if I could see his face, there was no guarantee I’d recognize him.
I could use my Qi to sharpen my senses and get a clearer look at his face.
But doing so would alert him to my attempt.
He might take offense, so I couldn’t risk it, no matter how curious I was.
Despite my usual indifference toward others, I had one reason to be curious about this man.
…Perhaps…
I wondered if he was a family member of the people around me.
The Lords of the Four Noble Clans were all expected in Henan for the meeting.
Three daughters from those clans were on friendly terms with me, so I wondered if he might be one of their fathers.
But I dismissed the thought just as quickly.
There’s no way he’d arrive this early with an entire week remaining.
The Four Noble Clans were the pinnacle of nobility.
Their Lords carried immense honor, prestige, and an overwhelming sense of pride.
Was this a cliché view? I didn’t think so.
They were already in a situation where they relentlessly engaged in power struggles.
That’s why the Orthodox Faction gathering was of utmost importance to them.
Ironically, their primary concern was who would arrive first for the meeting.
Arriving late was unacceptable, but arriving first was equally undesirable.
This may sound ridiculous, but this happens more frequently than one would expect.
It was utterly childish.
For anyone to arrive this early, with a week still left before the meeting?
It would be unthinkable for such prideful men.
At the very least, this man isn’t one of their fathers.
His outfit proved this further. Unlike his aura, his appearance seemed quite shabby.
He didn’t resemble someone from a noble clan.
No Lord of a Clan would arrive without a carriage or attendants, let alone ask a stranger for directions.
Surely, that’s not possible.
Lost in thought, I was interrupted when the man behind me posed a question.
“May I ask why you are going to that inn yourself, Young Expert?”
“…I’m visiting a friend.”
“A friend, huh? I see.”
From his tone, it was clear he didn’t think I was one of the students staying at the inn.
“Young Expert.”
“Yes?”
How bothersome, why does he keep on talking to me?
“Do you perhaps know about the Young Prodigy with the title, Lesser King of Hell?”
“…”
My shoulders flinched instinctively at his words. Just hearing that title made me want to cover my ears.
“…Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no special reason. I just heard he’s been making waves in the streets of Henan recently.”
“…He’s famous, yes. Though it’s all due to some ridiculous rumor.”
Damn it.
I never thought I’d live to hear someone else talk about me like that.
Thankfully, the man didn’t seem to suspect I was the so-called Lesser King of Hell.
“Absurd, you say? Do you think so too, Young Expert?”
“Yes, it’s absurd. Far too absurd.”
As I replied, the man suddenly tapped my shoulder.
What on earth was he doing?
I gave him a questioning look, but for some reason, he seemed to be in a great mood.
“You think deeply for someone so young. I admire that.”
“…All of a sudden?”
What could he possibly have seen in me to say that? All I’d done was dismiss the rumor.
Perhaps he is out of his mind?
The thought automatically made me gain some distance away from him.
I resolved to part ways with him as soon as I led him to his destination.
I quickened my pace.
The inn wasn’t far, but the crowded streets slowed me down.
Henan’s streets were always busy, but recent events had made them even more congested.
It was obviously because of the gathering of the Orthodox Faction.
To be precise, the crowds had gathered to catch a glimpse of the key figures attending the meeting.
Most of the most monstrous martial artists were attending, including at least half of the Hundred Masters of the World.
It was rare to see these monsters, so people seized the opportunity to catch a glimpse of them as they arrived for the meeting.
One arrival after another had drawn a crowd, leaving the streets packed.
“Young Expert.”
The man called out to me again as I navigated the busy street.
Maybe I should tell him to shut up because it’s annoying?
“Do you perhaps have a fiancée, Young Expert?”
Now he’s prying into my personal life?
“…I do have one.”
Yet here I am, answering all his questions anyway.
“I see, do you like your fiancée?”
“Well, I don’t dislike her.”
Why was he asking me these questions?
This is starting to make me uncomfortable.
The man suddenly fell silent after my response, as though he had nothing more to say.
“Actually, about my daughter…”
Never mind.
Here we go again. How much farther until we reach the inn?
Not much farther now.
I decided that I would continue walking without responding from now on.
All I wanted was to get away from this man as quickly as possible.
“My sweet, kind daughter seems to have gotten tangled up with some no-good scoundrel.”
“Haha, I see.”
Now he’s really getting personal.
He must have been frustrated to pour all this out to a stranger, but I wasn’t interested in the slightest.
“Apparently, he’s even engaged to another girl.”
“Ah, I see.”
Yet, for some reason, I found myself listening more closely.
His daughter is interested in a man who’s already engaged?
She must be out of her mind too. Why would she fall for someone like that?
“My daughter told me that he would leave his current fiancée to get together with her… isn’t he a disgusting bastard for that?”
“What a crazy bastard.”
He seriously must be crazy.
Flirting with another girl while engaged was bad enough, but planning to break his engagement just to be with her?
How incredible must this bastard think he is to pull something like that?
He was probably tall and handsome. I didn’t know who he was, but he must’ve been coasting through life effortlessly.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl who fell for a bastard like him.
It was clear he’d leave her in no time to chase after another woman.
This kind of story was all too predictable.
Tsk, tsk.
It was understandable as the girl was still young and didn’t know about the cruelty of the world.
Kids these days… hearing this story was enough to make me shake my head.
Of course, I wasn’t exactly in a position to judge, given my lack of experience in such matters.
“You must be incredibly frustrated by all this.”
I didn’t want to engage, but I offered some comforting words after seeing the despair in his situation.
“I appreciate you for noticing my pain… Also,”
“There is… more?”
“I heard a rumor that bastard is seeing other women besides my daughter.”
“…What an impressive bastard he must be.”
He has more than just one or two girls around him?
Jeez, he must be something else. How does he even manage that?
I guess that’s a kind of talent in its own right.
Should I be jealous of him for that?
Most men would envy a talent like that, yet I felt nothing of the sort.
The man continued to speak as I was thinking.
“I… held back as my daughter requested, but if that rumor turns out to be true…”
is true?
“I’ll break his arms and legs. No matter what it takes.”
His voice dripped with killing intent. He wasn’t joking.
It was understandable. Though I had no children myself, I might do the same in his position.
“I see… I hope you succeed.”
“Thank you for listening to such a random story, Young Expert.”
He seemed aware of how odd it was to share such personal concerns with a stranger.
Hearing this, I responded with a faint smirk.
“It was pretty interesting to hear.”
I lied.
I wasn’t particularly entertained, but I feigned interest since we’d be parting ways soon.
It meant that we were nearing the White Forest Inn.
Was it the largest inn in Henan? The one Moyong Hi-ah mentioned last time was grand and impressive, but this one was equally remarkable.
The food is especially great here.
I wonder if the girls are already inside, waiting.
After my intense training in the mountains, I’d told them not to wait for me since my mealtimes had become irregular.
Yet, they always waited for me, no matter what.
Because of this, I made every effort to arrive as early as I could. If they waited deliberately, expecting this, it was impressive in its own way.
As I reached for the door handle of the White Forest Inn, the man spoke again.
“Thank you for guiding me. If we meet again, I’ll be sure to repay the favor.”
With his words still lingering, I pushed open the door.
Creak-
The door opened and the inside of the building entered my sight.
“There’s no need for that. I was coming here anyway.”
I said this to avoid further involvement with him, but he chuckled, seemingly misunderstanding my intent.
“I can’t let it go unreturned. It’s important to repay kindness. I swear on my name, Moyong Tae, that I will repay your favor someday, Young Expert.”
“No, you seriously don’t have to- …Wait what?”
Just as I was about to step inside, I froze in place, stiff as stone.
…Just now.
What did this man say?
“Moyong…?”
“Master!”
A familiar voice ran past my ears. It was Moyong Hi-ah.
The moment she noticed me, she hurried over.
“We have a problem! I just heard that Father has already arrived in Henan— …Huh?”
Moyong Hi-ah, who rarely ever looked panicked, froze like a statue the moment she saw the man standing behind me.
Noticing her reaction, I turned around.
Creak.
My body moved stiffly, as if it had rusted shut.
I forced my neck to turn and looked at the man’s face beneath the cover.
He had a sharp nose and thick eyebrows.
It was a middle-aged man with cold, frosted eyes.
Standing before the man, whose aura was both kind and cold, Moyong Hi-ah broke the silence first.
“…My… Lord?”
Her voice wavered as she addressed the middle-aged man.
Her words left my mind blank.
The man’s piercing gaze shifted toward me.
His eyes were as cold as falling snow.
“Young Expert.”
His voice now was completely different from before.
Earlier, his voice had been warm and cheerful as he spoke about his daughter.
Now, it felt like he was struggling to contain emotions on the verge of erupting.
“…Y…Yes?”
“It might be late to ask this now,”
Tap.
The man gently placed his hand on my shoulder.
Though his touch was light, it felt so heavy that I feared my shoulder might give out.
“But, may I ask your name?”
“…”
Hearing his question laced with killing intent, I could only nod to myself.
Ah, I see.
Looks like I’m absolutely screwed.
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