Childhood Friend of the Zenith

It was already evening by the time I returned to the inn after a ‘fun’ sparring session with Gu Jeolyub.

Seated in the cafeteria were Namgung Bi-ah, who I hadn’t seen ever since we arrived in Henan, and Moyong Hi-ah, who still seemed busy as ever.

Moyong Hi-ah welcomed me as I entered, dragging Gu Jeolyub behind me, while Namgung Bi-ah gave me a stare.

“You came?”

“Yes.”

“Young Master is going to eat as well, right?”

“I am a bit hungry, so I might as well.”

I pulled a seat next to Namgung Bi-ah as I replied and sat down, while Namgung Bi-ah filled an empty cup with water for me as soon as I did.

I drank it and tossed Gu Jeolyub in some random corner.

He’d get up and eat if he was hungry.

In the meantime, I glanced around the inn.

“There aren’t that many people here, huh?”

Just like yesterday, it seemed like we were the only guests here.

Did she perhaps rent out the whole place?

“…Why are you staring at me like that?”

“You are the only one here willing to spend that much money.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

It was a rational guess.

I felt that Moyong Hi-ah was the type to rent out an entire inn.

But if she wasn’t the one who did…

“Then, there’s just no one here?”

Moyong Hi-ah was the person who recommended this inn.

She said that it was a fairly well-known inn and since we were all from noble clans, it wouldn’t be hard to get rooms.

If I was being honest, it probably wouldn’t be that hard for Moyong Hi-ah to rent out the entire place if she wanted to.

It’s pretty strange though,there should be more people in here around this time.

There must’ve been some reason, but since the entrance exam for the Heavenly Dragon Academy would start soon, there should’ve definitely been more people.

It felt strange because of how empty it was.

As we kept chatting with each other while waiting for the food, Namgung Bi-ah, who was pouring tea or water for me…

“…Oh.”

Suddenly looked towards the door and opened her eyes wide.

“Hmm? What’s wro– “

Just as I was about to ask her what was wrong, I also felt the presence of someone.

It was a group of people, but one presence that felt pretty familiar.

As the presence got closer to the inn…

Slam!

“Young Maaaster!”

Someone slammed the door open and rushed in along with the winter breeze.

“Young Masterrrr…!”

As soon as they found me, the person with a bright and cheerful voice came running towards me.

It seemed like they would have jumped right into my arms if Moyong Hi-ah and Namgung Bi-ah hadn’t stopped them.

“Agh!”

The lady who ran into Namgung Bi-ah’s arms unintentionally, looked at me with a dissatisfied expression, but they kept blocking her.

Then, Moyong Hi-ah spoke while staring at the lady who had just appeared.

“How can a full-grown lady like you try to hug him? Restrain yourself.”

Moyong Hi-ah let out a sigh and opened her fan, and the lady spoke angrily to Namgung Bi-ah, who was hugging her.

“Sis, even though it’s been a while since we last met, are you really going to be mean like this?”

“Even so… it’s a no.”

“…So cruel.”

Her green eyes had become denser than before and her dark green hair, which used to reach down to her shoulders, now reached her chest..

Then, as the lady met my gaze and she blushed as she put on a bright smile.

“Young Master… It’s been a while. I really wanted to see you …!”

“…Uh, right. It has indeed been a while.”

I almost took a step back due to the bright and dense emotion she displayed.

Looking a bit taller and much more mature compared to back then, she was the treasure of the Poison King, the precious child of the Tang Clan of Sichuan, the Poison Phoenix, Tang Soyeol.

It had been a little more than a year since we last met.

Compared to when I last saw Tang Soyeol…

She’s grown.

That was what I felt.

It was a rather brief analysis, but just as I said, Tang Soyeol seemed much more mature than before.

And because she was older than me, she was like this back then as well but now, she looked like a full-grown adult.

Perhaps it was because she had grown her hair longer?

Also, because of how cheerful she was, I was welcoming of Tang Soyeol as well.

After sneaking up to me, Tang Soyeol asked me a question.

“Did you read all the letters I sent you?”

“I read them all.”

“Oh really!?”

Tang Soyeol opened her eyes wide as if she was touched.

It was amusing to see her already big eyes becoming even bigger.

“Then why didn’t you reply…?”

Oh.

Hearing Tang Soyeol, I could only gulp nervously.

It was because I forgot.

“Didn’t I… reply occasionally?”

“You did not.”

“Sorry.”

Tang Soyeol spoke with a rare serious tone.

It might’ve been understandable if I didn’t reply while at the frontlines due to the various difficulties, but I had no excuse for not replying back to her once I returned to my clan.

I felt a little bad for Tang Soyeol after seeing her cheerful expression turn into a somewhat disappointed one.

“Food, yes. Have you eaten yet?”

“No?”

“That’s good, let’s eat first.”

Tang Soyeol let out a sigh after she noticed my intention as I quickly changed the subject.

“…But since I got to see you again.”

She didn’t say anything further and took a seat with a smile.

Just as Tang Soyeol was about to sit down, it seemed like she just remembered something and carefully brought up the topic while staring at me.

“Oh right, Young Master.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry, but I have a party with me… Can they join us as well…?”

“A party? Who?”

People who traveled with Tang Soyeol?

Although I found it strange, it was somewhat understandable.

Fair, it’s not like she’s Namgung Bi-ah.

Tang Soyeol seemed noble enough and was pretty sociable, though not as much as Moyong Hi-ah, so it was understandable that she traveled along with a party, but it still felt a bit random.

“Ah, we met on the way here and ended up traveling together. They’ll be here soon.”

“Do I know them?”

From Tang Soyeol’s expression, it seemed like I knew them as well, but then she reacted a bit strangely.

“N…o? Maybe not? I feel like you might know them… but considering that it’s the Young Master, it’s also possible that you don’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

I wondered what nonsense she was spouting.

What did she mean that I might know or not know them?

I was about to smile upon hearing her playful words…

“…!”

But that only lasted an instant because all the nerves in my body tensed up because of the presence I felt from the other side of the door.

“About that…”

Tang Soyeol tried to elaborate, but that wasn’t what was important at the moment.

Not a single word of hers entered my ears.

…No way.

Putting all my strength into my eyes, I looked towards the door.

Thump.

Thump.

My body trembled with a big thumping sound, as if my heart was telling me that I was feeling nervous.

Creak.

I saw someone enter as the door to the inn opened slowly.

Step-

Their physique wasn’t large and the sound of their footsteps were as quiet as a whisper, but to my ears, it sounded way too loud.

It was a martial artist, who seemed to be around the age of the Water Dragon, with dark black hair and wearing a black outfit, but that wasn’t all.

Despite his young age, it was impossible to read that person’s mind.

The man stepped in and our eyes met.

…Fuck.

A curse word naturally escaped from my mouth when my eyes met with his dull and lifeless black pupils.

They were the horrifying eyes I had seen in my past life.

And it seemed that he noticed me as well, because he continued maintaining eye contact.

It was terrifying.

I had to stop my cold sweat from breaking out as the nervousness climbed from my back to my neck and eventually to the crown of my head.

How long had it been since we last met?

It hadn’t even been that long, but it felt like an eternity.

Just as I was about to stop breathing due to nervousness…

“Ugh… Brother! Why are you just standing still without entering?”

Hearing a girl’s voice from behind him, the man in black turned his head .

“Seriously… We at least need to show Sister Tang our appreciation.”

A cute girl wearing the same black outfit as the young man pushed him with a frown on her face.

Though, he wasn’t really pushed by her.

“Ah, they are here. It’s them.”

I started coughing when I heard Tang Soyeol speak with a bright tone.

“…It’s them?”

“That’s right. I guess the Young Master also knows who they are?”

“…”

I knew, alright.

And I especially knew that man in black way too well.

He almost killed me, so how could I not know him?

As the girl pulled the young man towards us, his gaze was once again direct at me.

I didn’t know what he was thinking, but when I thought about what those eyes held, I had to hide my terror.

Fuck me…

I didn’t think that we would actually meet.

No, I knew that we would eventually meet, but I didn’t expect to meet him here.

I didn’t know that he would come to the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

He was the Young Prodigy who was called the Dragon Warrior at this point of time.

The Dragon Warrior, Bi Eejin.

He was pretending to be a Young Prodigy with that young body, but I knew his true identity.

He was the monster wearing the mask of a small dragon.

One of the Three Heavenly Venerables of the Central Plains who was also known as the peak of close combat.

And before the Heavenly Demon appeared, he was one of the strongest in the Central Plains, someone who swept an entire army of Demonic Humans with a single strike of his fist.

The owner of the west, Bijuu the Dishonored Venerable.

The terrifying man who said he’d come see me one day, was now standing before me.

******************Chirp– Chirp.

The sound of birds chirping could be heard from the woods.

On a forest path that led to Henan, was a person sitting by the riverside as the birds chirped away.

Her face wasn’t visible as it was completely covered, but by judging the shape of her body, it was easy to see that she was a lady.

The lady picked her sword after quenching her thirst by drinking the river’s cold water and started making her way again.

The rough cold winter wind continued blowing, but due to the warm excitement bubbling inside, she didn’t feel that cold.

A little more.

Just a little more, and she would reach him.

That was why she wasn’t feeling cold.

That was what the lady believed.

She knew that it was a strange thought, but she didn’t care.

The important thing was that the man she wished to see was inside the palace she could see from a distance.

As the lady continued walking with light steps, she pulled out a charm pocket and took something from it.

It was a black jade the size of a fingernail.

She then put it in her mouth and gulped it down.

The Immortal Healer told her that she could chew on it, but she didn’t do so because of how bitter it was.

It didn’t matter how much time had passed, the lady hated bitter things and loved sweet things.

Though it had been a while since she enjoyed something sweet as it wasn’t the yakgwa he had given her.

After gulping it down…

Step.

The lady continued with her journey.

As the lady walked through the rough but cool breeze…

“…”

She gazed towards the forest.

Her radiant golden eyes looked like they were searching for something.

She stared into the distance for a moment.

Shing.

Then, the lady suddenly drew her sword.

Then…

Swish–

With fluid movement, she drew a line with her sword.

Even though her movement was slow, a faint line was drawn in the air.

Its color was faint, but it was definitely a golden light.

Then…

Snap–!

The sound of something falling from the trees could be heard.

Step–

The lady walked towards the direction of that sound.

And over there…

Cough–! Huff–!

Was a man on the ground, struggling to breathe.

Despite the man’s sudden appearance, the lady’s eyes were calm, as if she was aware of his presence.

No, rather than calm, her eyes seemed cold.

“Who are you?”

The lady held her sword against the man’s neck and asked.

Her voice was clear, with no killing intent, but the same couldn’t be said for the aura rising from the lady’s shoulders.

When the man saw her aura, he barely managed to stop coughing and hastily replied.

“K-Kunlun. N-No, I came from the Heavenly Dragon Academy!”

Hearing the man, Jo Wiseok’s words, the lady put on a strange expression…

Shing– Click.

Then she sheathed her sword.

“Heavenly Dragon Academy…”

With those words in mind, the lady closed her eyes.

Then, she finally felt that her long yet short trip had come to an end.

As she closed her eyes, there was only one thought in her mind.

She wanted to see him as soon as possible.