Childhood Friend of the Zenith -
Chapter 370: Gathering of the Orthodox Faction (11)
It was just past noon.
Henan was always bustling with people, but today felt particularly suffocating.
The inns were packed to capacity, forcing some people to bring their own stools just to find a place to sit.
The female servants were busier than usual as well.
-Another drink, please!
-Coming right up!
The building buzzed with loud, overlapping voices.
The sheer number of people made it noisier than usual.
But there was something unusual, a clear path had formed through the dense crowd.
Perhaps this unusual path made the streets feel even more congested.
A clear path was made for people and carriages to pass by.
Behind that path, people watched without crossing the invisible line.
There was only one reason why so many people had gathered and cleared the way.
-They… are here!
The shout silenced the crowd in an instant.
A figure emerged at the entrance of the path leading to the Murim Alliance, capturing everyone’s attention.
Thud.
From afar, someone walked toward the crowd. But it wasn’t just one person, an entire group approached.
They wore matching robes, each with a sword strapped to their waist.
A murmur rippled through the crowd.
-It is Wudang Sect…!
The approaching group belonged to the Wudang Sect, one of the Ten Sect Alliance’s esteemed factions.
They had come from Hubei for the Orthodox Faction’s gathering.
At the head of the group stood none other than—
-The Immortal Sword of Wudang…!
An old man with long white hair, neatly tied back, stood tall in the signature robes of the Wudang Sect.
His sharp expression and the distinct aura of Tao Qi marked him as a formidable martial artist.
It was said that he was known for using Sword Manipulation, and had been consistently listed among the five greatest swordsmen of the world.
The Sword Immortal walked past the crowd and stepped his feet into the Murim Alliance with guidance from the Alliance members.
The martial artists of the Wudang Sect walking into the Murim Alliance didn’t take that long, but people enjoyed every moment of it.
The Head of the Wudang Sect and one of the greatest masters in the world was not someone one could see on the streets every day.
And he wasn’t alone; many more martial artists were still to come.
This explained the overwhelming crowd filling the streets.
The Orthodox Faction’s gathering brought together key figures from across the Central Plains, and the people were eager to witness them firsthand.
As for me, I could only watch in stunned silence from afar.
“They could just use carriages, but instead they are doing that on purpose.”
I couldn’t understand why they bothered walking. Wudang Sect wasn’t exactly poor, so why would they choose this?
However, when I looked at the streets full of crowded people, I saw the martial artists walking slower for people to watch.
Perhaps this was an unofficial agreement both sides made?
A show for people to watch?
It’s a farce.
I was only able to laugh out speechlessly.
If this were a tournament or a festival, it would have been understandable.
Events like that were for people’s entertainment; it would make sense to put on a show there.
But is it really necessary for the gathering of the Orthodox Faction?
I couldn’t help but question the need for such theatrics at a meeting that determined the Alliance’s future.
Though, if it was for the sake of public opinion, I suppose I couldn’t say much.
No wonder why they told me to walk through the entrance as well.
I silently thanked myself for not going along with it.
If I did, then I would’ve attracted all the gazes like the Sword Immortal of Wudang like earlier.
Though it’s possible that people don’t know who I am.
But I doubted that. Everyone in Henan seemed to enjoy gossiping about me the most.
What a fucking joke, seriously.
I forced the frown off my face and turned to the trembling idiot beside me.
“Friend, stop shaking. The roof might collapse because of you.”
“O-O…O…O-Okay…”
Was that really a response?
I sighed deeply at his pathetic state.
The bastard who looked like he might drop dead was Cheol Jiseon.
Surprisingly, Cheol Jiseon was one of the so-called Young Prodigies chosen for the meeting.
I did become a little curious after seeing his name.
Namgung Bi-ah and Tang Soyeol weren’t listed, but somehow Cheol Jiseon was.
“You’ve been like this since yesterday, right?” “…N-N… No?” “No my ass… You were trembling so hard yesterday, you could barely eat.”
“…”
Cheol Jiseon’s pupils moved crazily because of how nervous he felt.
Dealing with him on the way to the Murim Alliance was a nightmare.
I would’ve rather taken Pe Woocheol or Gu Jeolyub.
Either of them would have been far less trouble.
“Sigh.”
I got a headache again.
As I rubbed my temples, another cheer erupted from below.
-It’s the Tang Clan…!
The earlier cheers for Wudang Sect paled in comparison to this one.
It was to be expected.
The one who had just appeared was a Lord from the esteemed Four Noble Clans.
My gaze automatically aimed towards the street.
A group of people, clad in the same Tang Clan attire that Tang Soyeol wore, walked down the path.
The difference between a clan and a Sect could be seen here.
Unlike the Taoists of Wudang that didn’t decorate themselves much in comparison to others, Tang Clan that was known for providing weapons to many other clans and armies, noticeably seemed to have used more money in making themselves look better.
From their elaborate attire, I realized that Tang Soyeol had actually been modest in her decorations.
That man.
Leading the group was a middle-aged man.
He wore a dark green robe that shimmered faintly in the light.
Simply looking at him sent a sharp, bitter sensation to my tongue.
The Poison King, Tang Cheongi.
He was the Lord of Tang Clan, a martial artist unrivaled in the art of poison.
At least he was, until Tang Soyeol mastered the state of Ten Thousand Poisons Immunity, earning herself the Poison Queen title.
He looks pretty kind.
I had always wondered why Tang Soyeol seemed so gentle, despite coming from a clan infamous for poison and assassination. But seeing her father’s face, I understood.
His build was noticeably smaller compared to other martial artists.
In fact, he was even smaller than I was.
And considering how small I was, that said a lot about his slight frame.
Did I really not see him last time?
I thought back to my visit to the Tang Clan for their military exhibition.
It seems like I didn’t get to meet him back then due to all the excuses I made.
I smirked after being reminded of that memory.
‘I was seriously crazy, huh.’
A blood relative of a noble clan visiting the Four Noble Clan and not even meeting its Lord?
At the time, I hadn’t realized how ridiculous it was, but looking back, I really had been a crazy bastard.
I’m surprised my father didn’t get mad at me.
That trip to Sichuan might have been forced, but I’m sure he had a reason for sending me.
In hindsight, I had only gone for a bit of serendipity and returned, which was insane.
Lost in my thoughts about the past,
“Hey… Yangcheon…”
Cheol Jiseon’s voice trembled as he spoke.
“What?”
“Are you going to stay here…?”
“This is pretty fun, don’t you think?”
“…I feel like I’m going to vomit.”
“…”
I frowned at his response, and Cheol Jiseon flinched when he saw my expression.
“N-Never mind, you can keep watching.”
“Stop being so scared, that’s not why I frowned.”
Like Cheol Jiseon said, I didn’t have to watch this.
I wonder who else is coming.
As far as I knew, Kunlun, Wudang, Shaolin, and Beggar’s Sect from the Ten Sect Alliance were coming to Henan for the meeting.
The rest of the Sects informed the Alliance that they won’t be attending.
I wonder why.
Hearing about it made me curious.
After all, it wouldn’t have been strange for every sect to attend such an important meeting.
What shocked me even more was that Mount Hua wasn’t coming, despite Yung Pung and the Sword Queen already being there.
“Hmm…”
Questions swirled in my mind.
But sitting here thinking about it wouldn’t give me any answers, so I stood up and turned to Cheol Jiseon.
“Let’s go.”
“O-Oh, really?”
“Yes. It would be strange for us juniors to be late after all.”
“G-Got it.”
With so many key figures attending, it would’ve been disrespectful for us to arrive after them.
I had no other choice since the world was so obsessed with respect.
I really can’t stand it.
But that wasn’t my only concern.
I was more bothered by the thought of running into the White Heavenly Sword later, but there was nothing I could do about that.
I bit my lips once and jumped off the building without a second thought.
Left alone on the roof, Cheol Jiseon stared at me disappearing into the distance and muttered,
“…What about me?”
His voice was filled with confusion.
It was understandable, after all, I’d dragged him up here, and he didn’t have the ability to climb down on his own.
******************
Inside a waiting room provided by the Murim Alliance, a dense, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air.
The tension didn’t stem from the room itself, but from the overwhelming Qi of those gathered inside.
This room was reserved for the Lords of the clans, and naturally, everyone present hailed from noble bloodlines.
Among them, a man with a small, slight build sat in the foremost seat, calmly sipping his tea.
It was the Lord of the Tang Clan, the infamous Poison King, Tang Cheongi.
The other Lords around him sat stiffly, visibly uneasy in his presence.
That’s what it meant to be one of the Four Noble Clans’ Lords.
Tang Cheongi was well aware of this and calmly continued sipping his tea.
Just as he was about to take another sip, the door burst open.
Slam-!
The door swung open with a resounding noise.
“Ah, this isn’t good. Looks like I’m terribly late to the party.”
The newcomer, in stark contrast to Tang Cheongi, possessed an enormous physique.
He was a giant wearing a dark outfit with scars all over his face.
Tang Cheongi glanced at the man and let out a quiet sigh.
He didn’t want to exchange words with that foolish man.
But avoiding him like a child wasn’t an option.
Forcing a polite smile, Tang Cheongi greeted him.
“It has been a while, Lord of Peng.”
“Good to see you, Lord of Tang. Have you been well?”
The giant’s identity was the Lord of Peng Clan, the Dao King Peng Jeowoo.
“Yes, as well as ever.”
“That’s good to hear.”
After their brief exchange, Peng Jeowoo strode over and sat across from Tang Cheongi.
“Lord of Tang, I heard that you arrived yesterday.”
“Correct.”
“Why the rush? You could’ve taken your time after such a long journey.”
It was essentially a subtle jab, asking why he’d arrived so early.
Tang Cheongi responded with a smirk.
“I had to make sure that I’m not late, so I chose to be safe and come early.”
He basically responded by saying that it was simply a respectable thing to do, you disrespectful bastard.
After a brief, tense silence between the two,
“Hahaha!”
“Hahahaha!”
Both of them laughed out as if they were waiting to do so.
“It’s been a while, but you haven’t changed a bit, Lord of Tang.”
“You as well, Lord of Peng. Ah, perhaps you feel more mature than last time.”
-Even after all this time, your level hasn’t changed at all, you bastard.
-Just look in the mirror. Your face is falling apart.
With every word exchanged, the tension between them grew heavier.
The Alliance members and even the other Lords in the room began to worry the tension might erupt into a fight.
Then…
Creak-
The door opened again and someone appeared.
This time, it was the White Heavenly Sword, Moyong Tae.
Unlike last time, when he wore tattered robes, Moyong Tae looked immaculate—befitting the owner of Moyong Clan’s prestigious merchant associations.
His garments were of obvious high quality, and the ornaments on his waist and wrists gleamed exquisitely.
Upon seeing him, Tang Cheongi rose to his feet.
“It has been a while, Lord of Moyong.”
His tone and expression were entirely different from when he’d addressed the Lord of Peng Clan.
This was no surprise. The Tang Clan and Moyong Clan shared strong trade ties, and both had reaped significant benefits from their cooperation.
Because of this, Tang Cheongi welcomed Moyong Tae.
Moyong Tae returned Tang Cheongi’s warm welcome with a light smile.
“Have you been well, Lord of Tang?”
“Come here and have a seat.”
Moyong Tae naturally took a seat near Tang Cheongi upon hearing him.
Watching this, Peng Jeowoo let out a mocking smirk.
“It’s been a while.”
“Good to see you, Lord of Peng.”
Despite Moyong Tae’s polite greeting, Peng Jeowoo’s gaze remained icy.
Moyong Tae didn’t say a word to his gaze and greeted him.
Peng Jeowoo’s frown deepened as he fidgeted, clearly unsatisfied with Moyong Tae’s response.
“Lord of Moyong.”
“Yes.”
“I was informed that you arrived a week ago, is that right?”
“That’s right.”
Peng Jeowoo smirked at Moyong Tae’s nonchalant response.
It was blatantly a mocking smirk.
“Why were you in such a hurry for you to come to the land of Henan that early?”
“I heard my daughter had been humiliated, so I came immediately. That’s the obvious duty of a father, wouldn’t you agree?”
Peng Jeowoo’s brow twitched at Moyong Tae’s words.
“Does that mean that you think we are bad fathers?”
At Peng Jeowoo’s obvious provocation, Moyong Tae shot him an unreadable look.
It was clear Peng Jeowoo was deliberately trying to stir up conflict.
But Moyong Tae merely smiled softly and replied.
“I didn’t mean it that way, but if that’s how you took it—”
Dribble.
The sound of tea filling Moyong Tae’s cup seemed unnaturally loud.
“Then so be it.”
Crack.
A surge of Combat Qi flared from Peng Jeowoo’s shoulders in response.
Tang Cheongi sighed, recognizing that this would escalate into a fight if left unchecked, and stood up to intervene.
Swish-!
“…!”
All the Lords in the waiting room turned sharply toward the door.
A mysterious presence seeped through the door.
Step… step.
With the entire room attuned to the presence, the footsteps of the newcomer echoed loudly despite their softness.
The sound wasn’t particularly loud, yet it rang crystal clear to everyone present.
Then…
Creak-
The door creaked open slowly, revealing the figure beyond.
Were they mistaken?
The moment the door opened, it felt as though the room had been engulfed in heat.
Peng Jeowoo’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the man who entered.
He didn’t expect that person to come.
That man… is…
He had been informed of the man’s arrival, yet he still found himself stunned that the man had truly left Shanxi.
What shocked him more was the unease creeping through him at the man’s mere presence.
The man scanned the room with his fierce, penetrating gaze.
The Lords all flinched when his gaze reached them.
His gaze was way too cold and sharp for them.
“…”
After he was done looking around, the man walked through the awkward atmosphere that filled the room.
He walked directly toward the section where the Lords of the Four Noble Clans were seated.
It seemed only natural that he would stop by them, yet he walked right past without a second glance.
Reaching the front of the room, he calmly pulled out a seat and sat down, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
The whole sequence took only moments, yet not a single person in the room uttered a word.
As though savoring the silence, he took in the room before finally speaking.
“Nice to meet you.”
His voice was deep and commanding, resonating through the room.
“I am Gu Cheolun.”
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