Childhood Friend of the Zenith
Chapter 367: Gathering of the Orthodox Faction (8)

Heroes are born in times of turmoil.

This phrase is well-known throughout the Central Plains.

The records of the past proved this to be true, and the current generation was no different. It’s as if history itself speaks the truth.

Wherever there is danger, there are always those who rise to meet it.

Some strive to find hope in the darkest times, pressing forward even in the face of death.

People call them heroes.

The ambush at the Heavenly Dragon Academy this year was no different.

Though the world is mostly peaceful, with only the occasional Demon posing a threat, many Young Prodigies were injured and killed in this incident.

Thankfully, the ambush ended within a day, but it left many casualties.

The Murim Alliance didn’t announce an exact number, but it’s estimated that dozens, if not a hundred, perished in the attack.

If this wasn’t a shock from out of nowhere, then what was?

Many criticized the Murim Alliance for failing to prevent so many deaths.

Some began to question their purpose altogether.

They didn’t care about the circumstances or challenges they faced.

People fixated solely on the Alliance’s failure to protect the Young Prodigies.

They claimed the future’s brightest hopes had been crushed by the Alliance’s incompetence.

Even though the Unorthodox Faction was responsible for the ambush, the Murim Alliance was blamed.

It has always been like this. In times of crisis, people look for someone to blame and this time, it was the Alliance.

Though it was true that the Murim Alliance was incompetent.

Furthermore, those who stood out during the incident drew the public’s attention.

People took an interest in those who played key roles in the disaster.

The Central Plains still failed to get rid of Demons and people wanted a hero for it, so they forced a hero to be born.

In short, this generation seemed to make heroes out of anyone with sufficient talent.

So who were the ones that stood out to people during the incident while the Alliance was busy dealing with the mess?

Was it the Water Dragon, who stepped up against the Unorthodox Faction to protect his seniors and juniors?

Or perhaps the Sword Dragon, radiating heroism with his aura of plum blossoms?

Many students and instructors had fought bravely against the Unorthodox Faction, yet, amusingly, it was someone else who stole the spotlight.

One person had taken down the leader of the ambush, forcing him to his knees.

Many people were surprised by the fact that a Young Prodigy fought and won against the head of the enemies, especially since even the Qinghai Sword of Kunlun Sect had lost an arm in the battle.

Thanks to that, many people started to talk about the possibility of that Young Prodigy reaching Fusion Realm.

Fewer than a thousand martial artists had ever reached Fusion Realm, as it was notoriously difficult, even for those who devoted their entire lives to training.

Peak Realm wasn’t called the graveyard of martial artists without reason.

Many people struggled to reach the Fusion Realm after having reached the Peak Realm, so it was called the grave of mediocrity.

But a Young Prodigy, not even twenty, achieving such a level? It was almost unbelievable.

After all, no one in history had ever accomplished such a feat.

Still, it wasn’t a lie that the Young Prodigy defeated the leader of the enemies.

The Qinghai Sword confirmed this too after regaining consciousness.

Moreover, it was said that the young martial artist had left immediately after his victory.

He went to confront other Unorthodox Faction enemies who were targeting the students.

The witnesses also commented about how the sky was especially red that day.

The mountain filled with the scent of blood had its sky change to a red color, and it was filled with a burning smell shortly after, erasing the scent of blood.

The cries of the Young Prodigies soon gave way to the screams of the enemies. By sunset, all the Combat Qi and killing intent that filled the mountain had been replaced by Flame Qi.

The one who ruled under the red sky showed no hesitation in dispatching his foes to hell.

Moreover, his method of dealing with them was said to be very violent for him belonging to the Orthodox Faction.

He either destroyed the enemy’s body making them disabled, or burned them alive while holding them by the neck.

Many frowned at the story of a young Orthodox martial artist being so vicious, but others believed it was his uncontainable rage that fueled him.

It was said that the Young Prodigy knew that many people of the Orthodox Faction were killed in the ambush which is why he didn’t hold back his violence in the mountain filled with the scent of blood.

Bullshit.

Of course, the young man dismissed the tale, saying he was simply blowing off steam, but most believed he was just being modest.

In the end, he was the hero who stopped the ambush by defeating the enemy leader.

He was more ruthless than anyone toward his enemies, yet showed no hesitation in saving others.

His fierce appearance struck fear into those who saw it, yet his heart was said to be kinder than anyone’s.

He was following the same path as his father, the Tiger Warrior.

False rumors once circulated, calling him the “dog son” of his “tiger father,” but many now believed these were spread by the Tiger Warrior himself to mask his son’s abilities.

This is obvious, but when the young martial artist heard this tale, he ground his teeth, calling it all nonsense.

Despite him shouting that he wasn’t such a heroic person as the story made him out to be, it was too late as the rumor was spread everywhere in the Central Plains.

Moreover, he also had his background.

He was the only son of the Tiger Warrior, who once instilled fear in the hearts of all Unorthodox Faction martial artists.

Furthermore, he was the younger sibling of the greatest Young Prodigy, the Sword Phoenix.

He won in the tournament of the Dragons and Phoenixes, was the youngest to reach Fusion Realm, and bore the True Dragon title, proving him to be the true dragon among the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes.

Others even referred to him as the biggest star of the Meteor Generation.

Because of this, after the incident, people began acknowledging him as a master rather than just a Young Prodigy.

They admitted him to be a martial artist after saying that the True Dragon wasn’t someone that could be considered a mere Young Prodigy.

Thus, they bestowed upon him a new title.

He was no longer the True Dragon among the Young Prodigies but a new hero born into the world.

People wanted a hero.

And he was precisely the hero they sought.

He not only showed heroic acts of saving others without hesitation, but he also showed utmost violence against the people of the Unorthodox Faction.

He brought brutal punishments to his enemies with a demon-like ferocity, inspiring people to bestow a new title upon the True Dragon.

“Lesser King of Hell.”

“…!”

Trip.

Slam-!

As I was repeatedly striking, my fist slipped at the sound of that name, colliding with the wall.

A crack appeared with a loud impact, shaking the entire cave.

I quickly covered my ears, flushed with embarrassment, and glared at the person who’d said the name.

“Hehe.”

“…You think that’s funny?”

As I looked at her in disbelief, Moyong Hi-ah just smiled, munching on the dumplings she’d brought.

“It’s hilarious.”

“I don’t find it funny in the least.”

“How odd… Do you really hate it that much? I think it’s a pretty cool title.”

“You know… you should at least say that with a straight face, Young Lady of Moyong Clan.”

“Ah, it seems I slipped up there.”

Moyong Hi-ah realized her slip-up and tried to stifle her smile with her fingers.

I ground my teeth after seeing that sight.

Sigh.

However, I couldn’t afford to do anything bad to her.

I couldn’t hurt someone who came out early just to bring me food.

All I could do was grumble silently.

Lesser King of Hell, my ass.

My blood boiled every time I heard that name.

If I ever find the person who came up with that name, I’ll show them the real meaning of hell.

It was a title that made even the True Dragon sound respectable by comparison. I was from the Orthodox Faction, yet my title had “hell” in it.

Who in the world would come up with that?

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

It had been a month since people started calling me by that title. The trouble began when odd rumors about me started circulating.

…What? I fought against evil*… and what?*

I only fought those Unorthodox bastards because I was in a bad mood, but somehow, the story got twisted in bizarre ways.

Sure, I despised the Unorthodox Faction, but what I did wasn’t anything grand enough to be called “judgment” or “punishment.”

I only killed those I needed to, and I did it without hesitation.

I couldn’t understand why people saw this as a great thing.

Seriously, these guys love spreading rumors.

The real problem was the way the Qinghai Sword made it sound like I’d single-handedly taken down the enemy leader.

I’m going to go insane.

I mean… it was sort of true.

But the real issue wasn’t just that the story was twisted to make me look like a hero. It was how fast the rumors spread and how quickly they stuck me with a bizarre new title.

“It sounds fine to me. Do you really hate it that much?”

“Does it… really sound normal to you?”

The Lesser King of Hell sounds normal? Is she serious?

Moyong Hi-ah offered an awkward smile when she saw my disgusted look.

Judging by her reaction, it seemed she didn’t even think the title was exactly normal.

“The name may be weird…”

“See? You agree with me.”

“…But what matters is that you’ve earned yourself a title as a martial artist.”

She wasn’t wrong.

A title for a martial artist was very important.

A title embodied the essence of a martial artist.

It reflected their martial style, traits, and the level they had achieved.

Because of this, some immature types would make up titles for themselves to sound impressive, but those were quickly forgotten.

A true title was one given by others.

The current Three Venerables weren’t called that because they claimed it for themselves.

They earned the title because people acknowledged them as the strongest martial artists.

It was the same with my father’s title, the Tiger Warrior, and the titles held by each of the Lords from the Four Noble Clans.

For a martial artist, a title carried immense weight.

…Even so.

“This is just too much…!”

I stomped my foot in frustration, but Moyong Hi-ah watched me calmly, her expression unchanged.

She was more than used to seeing me act this way.

It’s all fine.

People now considered me a master instead of a mere Young Prodigy? Fine.

That was fine.

It was all fine.

This incident had earned me fame, and I figured it might even help me later on.

The Lesser King of Hell? So what if it sounded a little cringe-worthy?

When I thought about it, it was still better than the title I’d had in my previous li—

…Maybe not, they’re both pretty awful.

…Still, I could live with it.

People had already started calling me the Lesser King of Hell whenever they saw me, with some even calling me terrifying or remarkable, but I could tolerate it all.

The important part was something else.

How did these rumors spread so quickly?

Rumors about me had spread at an unbelievable speed.

I didn’t know about other regions, but here in Henan, they spread at a ridiculous pace.

It was so out of hand that people in bars and inns talked about me day and night.

“It is indeed strange.”

Judging by Moyong Hi-ah’s reaction, it seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

“I can’t help but feel that it was done artificially.”

“Agreed.”

“But… You already know the reason for this.”

“…”

She wasn’t wrong.

I knew exactly how I’d ended up in this mess.

It is all planned.

I may have played a big role myself for these rumors to spread, but the Alliance was ultimately behind it.

“Considering how quickly these rumors spread, the Beggar’s Sect must have helped.”

I was almost certain.

I was convinced the Murim Alliance had a hand in spreading these rumors about me. There was no other explanation.

The Murim Alliance’s reputation was at an all-time low.

People had tolerated the Murim Alliance’s incompetence because they were the heart of the Orthodox Faction, but now complaints were erupting openly against them.

As a result, people started calling for the Alliance to be reformed, and some even questioned their existence if they couldn’t protect anyone.

This only made me wonder more.

Why focus on me in this situation?

At first, I thought the Murim Alliance was using me to divert attention away from their own failures.

This was the method they used every time whenever they were met with problems.

I figured they were doing the same thing now, but a closer look suggested otherwise.

At this point,

It seemed like they were actually elevating my reputation.

They were even willing to tarnish their own image to boost mine.

But why?

If that really was the case, why would they go to such lengths?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand.

I couldn’t figure out their goal.

And the biggest problem,

…Why did I end up with such a terrible title?

In the end, my frustration circled back to that ridiculous title.

Because if all of this was true, then it meant that the Murim Alliance was responsible for coming up with such a name.

Craaack-

I ground my teeth and threw a punch.

Slam! Slam!

The echo of my blows filled the cave again. Moyong Hi-ah sighed as she watched.

“Please, I told you to rest.”

“I’ve rested plenty.”

I kept training as I replied.

“…You’ve barely rested for five minutes.”

“That much is enough.”

“You are seriously crazy.”

Moyong Hi-ah sounded exasperated, but I didn’t let it stop me.

How many days had it been since I’d started this?

I’m not sure. It feels like a week.

I hadn’t kept track, so I wasn’t sure. I’d only guessed the days I’d spent here in the cave, not counting my previous days of training.

Even though I was starting to feel worn out, I didn’t have a choice.

I’ll do it since he told me to.

The crazy training was only because the Dishonored Venerable himself had commanded it.

Some time had passed since I’d asked him to train me.

For martial artists, it was an unspoken rule to abandon everything they’d learned in order to master new techniques.

Everyone believed that it was necessary, but I still clearly remembered in my mind.

I could recall the Dishonored Venerable’s expression when I’d stubbornly told him I wouldn’t train under him unless he accepted my terms, and the shift in his gaze as I began absorbing his Mind Arts.

He had a speechless expression in a way, and it was also correct to say that he showed shock from it.

Just as I’d expected, I managed to contain the Dishonored Venerable’s martial arts without discarding my Destructive Flame Arts.

Putting that aside, I was able to learn his martial arts in just a few days.

It was much easier than I expected.

To my surprise, learning his martial arts wasn’t difficult at all.

The Dishonored Venerable himself also said that it wasn’t difficult to learn.

Of course, containing two distinct Mind Arts simultaneously was a different story.

The Dishonored Venerable’s expression had shown just how shocking this was.

-This is unbelievable.

I assumed it was only possible because my body could tolerate multiple types of Qi.

Honestly, I hadn’t encountered any issues.

I was a little nervous because ‘Mind Arts’ was different from Qi, but this omnivorous body of mine didn’t seem to be picky with anything.

However…

-So you… truly possess the Celestial Martial Body.

The Dishonored Venerable seemed to view me differently.

He’d spoken with a deeply shocked expression.

-You are able to contain two different Mind Arts with such a control. Just what kind of control do you possess?

He sounded as if he’d discovered a new world, though to me, it was just nonsense.

What did he mean by how I controlled my Qi in such a way?

He said this with his hand placed on my back when he was helping me learn his Mind Art.

-How can you have such fine control over it?

-…Pardon?

Even the Dishonored Venerable’s curiosity had been piqued. But, of course, all I could say was,

-…It just worked.

That was all I could say.

Honestly, I didn’t understand it myself.

Even i thought my answer was absurd, and I worried he’d be angry, but to my surprise, he looked amused.

That face of his, it was scary…

Was that the problem? I believed it was.

That was why he made me do this crazy training.

I successfully learned his Mind Art, so it was now time to learn his martial arts.

A Divine Art known as the Heaven Destruction Art.

The Dishonored Venerable had created it himself, and it hadn’t even existed for a full century.

Just his strength alone showed just how powerful this Divine Art was.

Having been on the receiving end of his attacks, I knew better than anyone just how powerful his art was.

I wondered what he’d teach me first. When I, unusually excited, asked him, he answered with a cheerful tone.

-Pass by these mountains only using the Heaven Destruction Art.

-…Pardon?

-You are only allowed to use your fist and nothing else.

After taking me to the mountain, the Dishonored Venerable started to leave, leaving me with some nonsense.

When I quickly tried to get some clarification,

-…Wait, could you-

-Oh, also,

The Dishonored Venerable cut my words and said this.

-I don’t want you to call me master just yet, so there is no need for that.

With that final sentence, he vanished instantly.

Now, he only reappeared occasionally to check on my progress.

That was why I found myself in the middle of this insane training.

That crazy man..

Only using my fist to get through these mountains? The idea was absurd, and I was at a loss for words every time I thought about it.

I must be just as crazy for actually doing it.

Here I was, just as insane, trying to break through these mountains with my fist.

Anyone else would probably wonder why they were even attempting this.

Moreover, it wasn’t just one or two days, but close to two months.

One might think I’d be better off continuing my original training, but I realized on the first day just how different this was.

This is…

The Divine Art called the Heaven Destruction Art.

I began to understand why it had been easier to learn than I’d expected.

If anything, this was more of a restriction rather than a Divine Art.

Whenever I moved my body using this Mind Art, my muscles screamed in agony.

My Dantian felt weighted, as though iron marbles were dragging my entire body down.

At first, I grumbled, questioning why he’d taught me this, but over time, I began to understand.

This Mind Art didn’t exist to bring pain to one’s body, but it was instead changing the body.

Every time I used this Mind Art, my body transformed.

The changes were subtle, yet each time I trained, I could feel my muscles strengthening.

It was an unbelievable Mind Art.

Its effects were staggering, and while constant training was necessary, it was amazing how simply using this Mind Art enhanced my body.

It would shock the whole world if this Mind Art was revealed.

It explained how the Dishonored Venerable had grown so powerful after achieving Eternal Youth, but there was one major problem.

It’s too painful.

Using this Mind Art to move brought an overwhelming amount of pain.

I said this earlier, but my whole body felt great pain from it.

The pain was so intense that even throwing a single punch was difficult at first.

Every movement, twisting my hips, lifting my arm, sent waves of intense pain through me.

Even now, after all this time, the pain remained just as intense.

Sweat poured from me after the slightest movement, and more than once, I’d even fainted from the pain.

I couldn’t help but wonder if the Dishonored Venerable himself experienced this pain each time he used the Mind Art.

If so, then he really is a pervert…

This Mind Art was way too crazy.

As absurd as it was…

I could feel myself getting stronger.

The progress was slow, almost imperceptible, yet I could sense the gradual increase in my strength. The key was that I could feel it.

It was as if my body itself was transforming, rather than just my skill level.

If the Dishonored Venerable had created this with that intent, then he was indeed a monster.

Though I hadn’t even received proper training in the Heaven Destruction Art yet, I continued this grueling routine in the cave because it was undeniably effective.

“How long do you intend to keep this up?”

To anyone who didn’t understand, this training must have looked pointless, maybe even insane.

Moyong Hi-ah seemed to be thinking exactly that.

“You are seriously going to hurt yourself, Master Gu…”

“It’s fine.”

I couldn’t reveal the Dishonored Venerable’s identity to anyone, nor could I talk about his training methods. So, to anyone else, I probably looked like a lunatic pounding away at a cave wall.

Despite everything, she still brought me food without asking questions.

Is that because… they are already used to me doing strange things?

That was kind of insulting, actually—

“Ugh…”

My fist stopped midair as a sudden, intense pain shot through me, too overwhelming to ignore.

I probably would have fainted if I hadn’t been careful.

“…”

Moyong Hi-ah sighed deeply and stood up after watching me.

“Please make sure you eat.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes, and Young Lady Namgung will visit you tomorrow.”

“You all should just rest instead of coming out here every day.”

The girls seemed to be taking turns bringing me food, even though I wasn’t in the cave all day.

I came back at night to eat, so I didn’t understand why they bothered to bring me lunch.

And yet, they still took turns.

And how does she even know that I leave the cave at night?

Moyong Hi-ah somehow knew that I had left at night and visited me from time to time.

Just how did she find out?

“I’d like to rest too, but it’s not so easy. Young Lady Namgung is sharp about these things… unlike someone.”

“What?”

“Anyway, I’ll take my leave now. You’ll be back by evening, right, Master Gu?”

“Maybe…?”

Moyong Hi-ah frowned, clearly unsatisfied with my answer, but turned back toward the entrance without saying anything further.

Then,

“Oh, right.”

“What now?”

“Make sure you’re all cleaned up a week from now, alright?”

With that reminder, she turned and left the cave, disappearing from sight.

“…Tsk.”

Her words reminded me of something I’d forgotten.

She was referring to the gathering of the Orthodox Faction starting next week, and I had to attend the meeting.

I wondered why I had to go, and it was because I was involved with the incident and how people called me the Lesser King of Hell.

Just thinking about it gave me a headache.

And that wasn’t the only thing making my head throb.

“Sigh…”

The thought made me sigh automatically.

How many are coming again?

It was because of who would be attending the meeting.

It made sense for key figures from the Four Noble Clans and the Ten Sect Alliance to come, but that wasn’t what was giving me a headache.

It was because of who I’d heard would be coming from the Gu Clan.

Who was it again?

The First Elder, the Captain of the First Army, Lady Mi, Gu Huibi… and even Father.

Honestly, the lineup itself was fine.

I knew it was necessary for the Gu Clan to attend an Orthodox Faction gathering as a noble clan.

It’s just…

…Why father?

Father coming to Henan was unprecedented.

With the Lords of the Four Noble Clans attending, it made sense for the Lord of the Gu Clan to attend as well. But Father always seemed to avoid coming to Henan for some reason.

He was called the guardian of Shanxi, and it was true that he was busy as a Lord, but he especially showed reluctance coming to Henan.

He never left Shanxi unless absolutely necessary, and since he’d only ever left for matters concerning Gu Huibi and my engagement, I guessed he must feel uneasy about Henan.

Was this incident really so important that Father would come all the way to Henan?

In some ways, maybe it was, but I couldn’t help but wonder.

But more than anything else,

Seeing father makes me feel uncomfortable.’

It was still the same.

It might be a little better than before, but facing Father still felt uncomfortable.

Just thinking about it was enough to make me pause mid-punch.

“Maybe I’ll stop here for today.”

With that thought weighing on me, I couldn’t focus.

In the end, I decided to end my training for the day and halted the flow of the Mind Art within me.

Instantly, the pressure and pain melted away, and I could move freely again.

I was drenched in sweat.

Training through the pain had left me soaked.

But it also felt pretty refreshing.

My usual training rarely left me sweating, so I took this as a good sign.

Afterward, I changed into a fresh set of clothes and left the cave.

I headed to the inn provided for the students.

The survivors of the ambush weren’t allowed to return to their clans or Sects unless people from their homes were sent to them.

Of course, students were allowed to leave if their clans or Sects sent a letter to the Alliance saying that there was no need for that, but that rarely happened.

With the upcoming Orthodox Faction gathering a few months away and the Alliance providing decent lodging, most students opted to stay.

As I reached the bustling streets of Henan, fragments of people’s conversations reached my ears.

-The Alliance this time…

-Last time, the Alliance Leader said…

As usual, people were loudly discussing the latest rumors,

-So about the Lesser King of Hell.

With me as one of the main topics, I pulled up a face cover.

I didn’t usually bother with a face cover, but the persistent rumors practically forced me to use one.

…How annoying.

It made me sigh.

I don’t know how I ended up in such a situation.

I’ll return as soon as possible.

As I was walking past by people with fast footsteps,

“Master.”

A voice called out to me.

Who was it? Did they notice who I am?

I stopped, turning toward the voice. I considered ignoring them but found myself pausing.

The man addressing me also wore a face cover.

I wasn’t able to see his face, but-

He’s strong huh?

I could sense his strength.

The man stopped, studying me, likely sensing the same thing.

“…Do you need something?”

He didn’t seem to recognize me.

The man, masking his surprise, answered my question.

“Do you know how I can get to the white forest inn?”

“…Hmm?”

I frowned slightly at his response.

His destination was the same as mine.

Sensing my wariness, the man continued,

“I was told that my daughter was staying there, but I don’t really know how to get there as I came in secret.”

Hearing this, I sized him up from head to toe.

He was powerful. My inability to gauge his level suggested he was either in Fusion Realm or an advanced Peak Realm martial artist.

Sensing my continued caution, the man reached into his pocket and pulled something out for me to see.

It was a letter with the Alliance’s stamp on it.

That’s…

It was an invitation to the Orthodox Faction gathering.

After seeing that, I turned my back against the man. He seemed to be a relative of one of the students staying at the inn.

With so many students there, I couldn’t tell whose family he belonged to, but judging by his stance, he was clearly a formidable martial artist. Was he from a clan or a Sect?

I was curious, but there were more important things on my mind.

“Follow me.”

“Oh, you are guiding me there?”

“Not exactly. It just so happens I’m headed there myself.”

I began to lead the way.

Following me, the White Heavenly Sword, Moyong Tae started to make his way as well.

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