Childhood Friend of the Zenith -
Chapter 377: White Heavenly Sword (1)
The meal began after our family borrowed a whole inn.
Father, as expected, occupied the highest seat, with Lady Mi and the First Elder seated on either side of him.
Gu Huibi and Gu Yeonseo were sitting down as well, but it seemed like Gu Yeonseo cried judging by the redness in her eyes.
This part was fine.
It wasn’t surprising that she had cried.
Whether she cried because it had been a long time since she last saw Lady Mi or for some other reason didn’t matter to me. There was another issue at hand.
Why are they here?
That was what concerned me.
This was supposed to be a family meal, yet there were a few unexpected faces in the room.
Some of them didn’t belong here.
First,
Why is Namgung Jin here…?
Namgung Jin, the Lord of the Namgung Clan and the Azure Heavenly Sword.
He was sitting near father, and for a moment, I thought I was imagining things.
Why is that man even here?
Not only that, but Namgung Bi-ah was sitting next to him as well.
She waved lightly when she saw me enter the room.
‘Whatever, this much is fine.
Since Namgung Bi-ah and I were engaged, it was understandable.
Sure, we could have a meal with them as they were technically our family as well.
Though I hadn’t expected it, I could at least accept the situation.
…But why is she here too?
Next to Namgung Bi-ah, there was Wi Seol-Ah.
Wi Seol-Ah’s expression made her emotions clear.
She herself seemed unsure of why she was here.
Our eyes met, and her trembling pupils seemed to plead for help.
From the look of things, it was obvious she’d been dragged here against her will.
But by who?
Even if she had been dragged here, wasn’t it strange that Father allowed her to—
…Oh.
Is it because Father knew that Wi Seol-Ah was the Sword Emperor’s granddaughter?
Still, I doubted that Father had personally invited her.
Then,
- …I brought her… myself.
I heard a telepathic voice in my ears. It was Namgung Bi-ah.
- You did? You… brought Wi Seol-Ah?
- Mhm…
- Why?
- Can I… not?
Namgung Bi-ah asked with a confused tone, but what shocked me more was that she thought it was perfectly fine to bring her along.
- …But this is…
- I… got approval*.*
- Approval? From who?
- Mother-in-law…
I frowned slightly at Namgung Bi-ah’s words.
Lady Mi allowed this to happen?
But why would she?
I gazed at Lady Mi immediately.
She met my gaze without hesitation.
Just as I was about to ask her, Lady Mi spoke first.
“Are you just going to stand there?”
“…I was about to sit down.”
I walked over and took the seat directly across from Namgung Bi-ah.
It was because that was the only empty seat left.
Oddly enough, Wi Seol-Ah was seated next to Gu Huibi.
As a result, Gu Huibi leaned in and began questioning her.
“You…”
“Y-Yes?”
“Have we met?”
“…!”
Wi Seol-Ah flinched after hearing Gu Huibi.
It was understandable though, as Wi Seol-Ah did indeed meet Gu Huibi in the past.
It was around the time I returned to the Gu Clan after my trip to Sichuan, which coincided with Gu Huibi’s return to the clan.
That happened before even a year passed ever since I regressed.
After seeing Wi Seol-Ah at the time, Gu Huibi said this to me.
- Give her to me.
She had asked me to hand over my own servant to her.
I dismissed her request as nonsense and nearly lost all my hair to her flames in response.
It was a rather horrifying memory to call it a reminiscence.
Gu Huibi, clearly recalling all of this, stared at Wi Seol-Ah as she spoke.
“You little cutie. Do you not remember this big sis?”
“W-Wait…”
“I’m glad to see you again, but I wonder why you are here hmm?”
Gu Huibi hugged Wi Seol-Ah and started to pat her as if she found herself a new prey.
Wi Seol-Ah cast me another pleading look, silently begging for rescue, but there was nothing I could do.
Then, Namgung Bi-ah spoke to Gu Huibi.
“…Um.”
“Hmm?”
Gu Huibi frowned after hearing Namgung Bi-ah speak.
She didn’t really like Namgung Bi-ah all that much.
Well, more like she feels uncomfortable around her.
Back when I worked my ass off in the frontlines, Namgung Bi-ah usually was around Gu Huibi.
Although Gu Huibi openly displayed her dislike for her, Namgung Bi-ah never complained and continued to follow her everywhere for missions and taking care of Demons.
Perhaps Namgung Bi-ah is fond of Gu Huibi?
But it’s Gu Huibi…?
Why though…?
I couldn’t understand no matter how much I thought about it, but this was the reality.
“…Me too please.”
“What?”
When Namgung Bi-ah leaned her head toward Gu Huibi’s hands, silently asking to be patted as well. Gu Huibi looked stunned for a moment.
I also became dumbfounded after seeing such a sight.
I never imagined Namgung Bi-ah would make such a request.
Gu Huibi immediately frowned at Namgung Bi-ah’s request and responded bluntly.
“No, you are not cute because you’re too big.”
“…!”
After bluntly rejecting her, Gu Huibi resumed patting Wi Seol-Ah.
Namgung Bi-ah’s expression was indescribable, her face turning pale from the shock.
Seeing her reaction, I couldn’t help but think to myself.
By “big,” she meant Namgung Bi-ah’s height… right?
Definitely.
Wait, that’s not what’s important here.
I momentarily forgot what mattered because the situation was too amusing.
Without delay, I sent a telepathic message to Namgung Bi-ah.
- Then… you called him here too?
Namgung Bi-ah looked at me with a soulless expression and showed confusion.
Her eyes questioned whom I was referring to.
In response, I pointed toward the bastard seated at the far end of the table.
There, a handsome young man with a bright smile sat, the last person I expected to see.
“I was so hungry, so I’m really grateful to be invited to this meal.”
He didn’t even seem to care about the uncomfortable atmosphere that filled the room.
It was Woo Hyuk, the Water Dragon.
I was utterly shocked at the sight of him.
He was supposed to be with the Wudang Sect, so why was that bastard here now?
Just as I began wondering why he was here, Lady Mi noticed my confusion and spoke.
“I called Master Woo here.”
“You did?”
Lady Mi brought the Water Dragon bastard?
“He said that you were his friend, is that not true?”
“…Well… it is.”
I wondered how the Water Dragon ended up here, but it seemed Lady Mi had invited him.
And father allowed all of this to happen…?
I mean he let Cheol Jiseon come, so I guess it wasn’t a stretch to allow the Water Dragon too…
But could he really afford to bring all of them when Namgung Clan’s Lord was here as well?
“The Lord of Namgung readily approved when I mentioned that he was your friend.”
“Ah, I see…”
Lady Mi promptly answered my lingering question.
It was clear why the Lord of Namgung hadn’t objected to any of this.
That man…
He had to get on my good side, so he would allow them to come.
By now, this had stopped being a family meal altogether.
Slide-
Then, the door behind opened and the First Elder made his appearance.
“Whew, I almost showed up late.”
“…First Elder?”
“Hmm?”
The First Elder gave me a puzzled look when I called out to him.
There was only one reason for me to call him.
It was because…
…Why does he have that on his shoulder.
Cheol Jiseon was draped over the First Elder’s shoulder like a sack of laundry.
“Why is he… never mind.”
I shut my mouth as I was about to ask him.
By this point, I gave up trying to understand and decided to just go with the flow.
There was no point in trying to figure everything out, so I chose to focus on filling my stomach instead.
******************
Nothing out of the ordinary happened during the meal.
Of course, there shouldn’t have been any problems since we were simply having a meal.
However, with so many people present, numerous conversations were happening simultaneously.
Namgung Jin and the First Elder were the ones talking the most.
The First Elder asked if the Heavenly Venerable was doing well and why Namgung Cheonjun didn’t come.
Oh, and Namgung Cheonjun’s absence from the meal was for the same reason he hadn’t been able to attend the Academy.
It was because I ordered him not to come anywhere near Namgung Bi-ah, so he couldn’t come to Henan even if he wanted to.
Gu Huibi was still busy squishing Wi Seol-Ah.
She must’ve taken quite a liking to her, as she didn’t stop even after learning that Wi Seol-Ah was the Sword Emperor’s descendant.
The Water Dragon also caught my attention.
While Cheon Jiseon could barely eat, overwhelmed by the tense atmosphere, this bastard was devouring everything in sight without a care.
…Please, you bastard…
Isn’t it a bit much for a Taoist to have chicken legs in both his hands?
Even father, who rarely paid attention to anyone, kept glancing at the Water Dragon.
I didn’t say anything to the Water Dragon despite his behavior because he didn’t seem too well.
Normally, he wore a cheerful, sleepy expression, but today it seemed oddly different.
It was strange for him to be here at all, considering he should’ve been with the Wudang Sect.
Though it’s also strange how my family allowed him to come as well.
I didn’t know what happened, but it was certain that the Water Dragon wasn’t in the best condition.
I had been worried about him ever since I saw his reaction to his fallen companions during the incident.
He would smile whenever I spoke to him, but I knew he was faking it every time.
I recognized it because it was the same smile he had worn in the Abyss during my past life.
Even during the meal, the Water Dragon acted as if everything was fine whenever I talked to him,
But I’m still bothered by it.
I couldn’t help but feel concerned for him.
The Water Dragon did nothing but eat. When the meal ended, he gave a brief farewell and vanished.
Wait, so he really only came to eat?
How absurd.
Perhaps I was worried for nothing.
I had assumed he wanted to talk to me about something.
Anyway, the meal came to an end just like that.
As I said, it was just a meal—nothing too importa—
Oh.
Actually, there was one thing.
During the meal, Namgung Jin asked my father a question.
- When should the wedding take place
I nearly choked when I heard him say that.
I did not expect him to ask that question.
It wasn’t necessarily problematic though. We were old enough to marry each other after all. Had Namgung Bi-ah not been a martial artist, she might have been forced into marriage even earlier.
Namgung Jin’s question was understandable, but he hadn’t anticipated the awkward atmosphere that followed.
Wi Seol-Ah’s pupils trembled wildly, as though struck by an earthquake, while Gu Huibi’s glare toward Namgung Bi-ah grew even sharper.
Namgung Bi-ah, however, simply stared at me, showing no visible reaction.
That gaze of hers made me feel pressured.
Though she didn’t seem to expect an answer, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy under her gaze.
Then, Father responded to Namgung Jin.
- My son still has many things to care for, so how about we talk about it when he is free.
Thankfully, Father delayed the plan for now.
He did so because of my upcoming plan to head to Sichuan.
But one day,
One day, they’ll properly talk about it.
What will I do then?
Moreover…
My Young Lord position.
In my past life, I became the Young Lord of the Gu Clan shortly after turning twenty.
As long as there isn’t a big change in this timeline, or even if there is, I would become the Young Lord.
In fact, I might even become the Young Lord sooner than expected.
I planned on running away because I didn’t want that to happen.
But now, too many things had become tangled. Not only had I uncovered truths I previously didn’t know, but I also learned that my clan was entangled in countless problems.
As a result, running away was no longer an option.
Does that mean I just have to embrace it?
If I had a different option, then I would’ve taken it already.
However, I didn’t see any other options right now.
I only had a few years left.
In that short amount of time, I had to take care of many things.
Is it just me, or are the problems piling up with each passing day?
I would’ve liked to believe I was mistaken, but sadly, that wasn’t the case.
“Sigh.”
I drew in a deep breath of fresh air and slowly exhaled. The night view of Henan remained as bright as ever.
“Ough…”
Someone came out from the inn following me, and it was Wi Seol-Ah who had an exhausted expression on her face.
Noticing her, I asked,
“Are you… you aren’t okay, huh.”
“…I am fine.”
She looked utterly defeated after spending the entire day with Gu Huibi.
“You didn’t even seem to eat that much.”
“That’s not true. I ate… a lot.”
“Stop lying to me.”
I saw her finish a single dish.
Ate a lot my ass… If she were her usual self, she would’ve cleaned out at least five dishes.
“That girl… No, Namgung Bi-ah invited you?”
“Ah, yes. Sis… she said we had to go somewhere and brought me here. I’m sorry, I must’ve caused trouble.”
“…It wasn’t any trouble, so don’t worry about it.”
I couldn’t speak for the others, but at the very least, I didn’t think she caused any trouble by attending the meal.
Upon hearing my answer, Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’m glad you feel that way.”
She smiled brightly, clearly pleased by my response.
I gazed at her smile for a moment before turning away.
It was the same with Namgung Bi-ah. Wi Seol-Ah’s smile was hard to look at for a long time.
“I’m curious about something.”
“Yes?”
“Did your grandfather not come?”
“…”
Wi Seol-Ah fell silent the moment I mentioned her grandfather.
I’ve felt this ever since, but Wi Seol-Ah’s expression became worse every time I mentioned her grandfather.
It seems like she doesn’t know what he’s doing either.
It was none other than the Black Dragon who ambushed the Academy.
Given his history with the Sword Emperor, I thought there was a chance the Sword Emperor might attend the meeting, but he didn’t.
I decided to ask Wi Seol-Ah another question.
“What are you going to do now?”
“I…”
“Are you going back? Or…”
I wanted to ask if she wanted to come with me, but I hesitated, unsure if I should.
Wi Seol-Ah hesitated as well, unable to answer right away.
She might have been hoping I would invite her,
“Take your time to think about it.”
But I believed that there would be no point in it if I did.
Wi Seol-Ah’s own decision making was more important than anything.
After a long pause, Wi Seol-Ah opened her mouth to say something,
- Where did the cutie go?
“Eek…! I’ll be leaving first, Master Gu…!”
“Oh, okay, let’s meet aga- “
At the sound of Gu Huibi’s voice, Wi Seol-Ah bolted before I could finish my sentence.
It was clear she had a tough time dealing with her.
For her to act like that.
After seeing Wi Seol-Ah run away,
“Ahem.”
Another approached me, clearly wanting something.
“Have you… been well?”
It was Namgung Jin.
I had noticed him staring at me for a while, but I chose to pretend otherwise.
“Ah… Yes. It’s been a long time.”
“Ahem…”
For some reason, Namgung Jin seemed slightly different.
Though his arrogant demeanor remained, he appeared more mature than before.
…Or, maybe he’s just acting hoping for another teaching from me.
If that were the case, it would be a huge problem.
I wasn’t the right person to teach him.
Elder Shin had taught him the first time, and I got lucky the second time by relaying what the Demonic Sword had told me in my past life.
I had nothing left to offer Namgung Jin, which made this situation problematic.
Namgung Jin finally broke the silence.
“First, I would like to congratulate you.”
“About what?”
“I heard that you earned yourself a new title.”
“…Ah, yes.”
He’s congratulating me, right?
It almost feels like an indirect insult.
Feeling somewhat insulted, I watched as Namgung Jin stepped slightly closer and spoke.
“So…”
“I have plans I made with the Lord, so I shall see you in the future.”
Before Namgung Jin could finish, I quickly made my escape.
It would’ve been a huge problem if I was caught there.
I’d likely face the same issue again in the future, but it would’ve been especially troublesome to deal with right now.
Because of that, I used my father as an excuse and ran away.
I looked back to see if he was following me, and he thankfully wasn’t.
Staying on high alert for Namgung Jin, I headed toward the spot where I planned to meet my father.
After Gu Yangcheon left, Namgung Jin who had his sight on Gu Yangcheon turned his gaze away from him and looked towards the inn’s entrance.
Then, he quietly spoke.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go with him.”
As Namgung Jin finished speaking, someone stepped forward.
It was his daughter, Namgung Bi-ah.
Namgung Bi-ah approached Namgung Jin and parted her lips to speak.
“…He… has some business to take care of.”
“I see.”
There was a moment of silence.
Father and daughter hadn’t made much progress in improving their strained relationship.
It was also too late for them to start now.
Not that either Namgung Jin or Namgung Bi-ah seemed to care much about it.
“First daughter.”
“Yes.”
Namgung Bi-ah responded to Namgung Jin’s call.
“…As you wanted, I delivered your message to him.”
“…”
“He gave me an answer before I came to Henan.”
Namgung Bi-ah’s eyes widened slightly at Namgung Jin’s words.
Just who was Namgung Jin referring to?
It was…
“Your great-grandfather would like to see you.”
One of the Three Venerables.
The Heavenly Venerable, Namgung Jeolcheon.
He was looking for Namgung Bi-ah.
******************
After parting ways with Namgung Jin, I headed toward an open field in Henan.
I had already arranged to meet Father here, so all that remained was to wait.
I wondered when he’ll come. I doubt he’s going to be late.
Once our conversation began, what should I ask him first?
Should I begin by asking about my mother’s whereabouts?
For now, that was the most important question.
Whether it was the beast inside my body or the advice I was given which was to absorb the Celestial Sword’s soul, they were all related to my mother.
Moreover…
- The ruler of the Abyss inside your body.
That was what the Blood Demon said to me.
Was the beast truly significant enough to warrant such a grand title?
What was my mother’s intention for her to put that thing inside my body?
To find out about all of these things, I needed to find my mother, who was still alive somewhere.
Furthermore, the Blood Demon is a problem as well.
The Blood Demon appeared from time to time using Jang Seonyeon’s body, but the last time felt different compared to the past.
Moreover…
There appeared to be a connection between the Blood Demon and the scale that had formed on my right arm.
He said that the pain that I felt was because of its hatred?
According to the Blood Demon, the pain was a result of the scale’s hatred toward him.
This meant that the Blood Demon knew about the scale on my right arm.
He mentioned altering his plans after noticing that change in me.
Just what was the Blood Demon planning?
As more questions filled my mind,
Swish…
I sensed a presence from behind me.
Father came.
He had arrived earlier than I expected.
With that thought, I turned around.
“Huh…?”
But it wasn’t Father’s presence.
The presence was so subdued that I initially thought it was Father concealing himself, but it turned out to be someone entirely unexpected.
The man wore a light blue outfit and his signature delicate embroidery was beautiful.
A sword hung at his waist, and the accessories he wore appeared quite expensive.
The middle-aged man who wore worn clothes no longer existed, and instead a man with a tidy appearance made his appearance in front of me.
“It’s good to see you.”
The man spoke to me.
“…How did you-”
Shing-
Moyong Tae, the White Heavenly Sword, quietly drew his sword, his gaze fixed on me.
He then spoke.
“Now do you have any intention of telling me your name?”
“…”
I frowned instinctively upon seeing him.
Great, now this guy wants a piece of me…
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