Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 501

“Is it just me, or is it a bit hot?”

The first thing Woo-hyuk said upon our return to the Tang Clan was that. I glanced around, considering his observation.

Hot?

Admittedly, I did feel a slight warmth. Summer was here, so it wasn’t unusual for the air to feel warmer.

What’s going on?

Something felt slightly off, though I couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe it was because I had trained in fire arts that I was more sensitive to temperature differences. I considered heightening my senses to check, but decided against it.

It’s just the temperature, anyway.

I concluded it was simply a hot day. Right now, I had more pressing concerns.

…Annoying…annoying…

The irritated voice resonating from my chest was the real problem. The voice, which had been bothering me all the way back to the Tang Clan, made me furrow my brows unconsciously.

Damn it… damn it…

Unable to contain himself, Shin Noya interjected, and, strangely, there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

What’s so amusing, Noya?

The cold, seething voice of Namgung Myung broke through, directed squarely at Shin Noya, but instead of answering, Noya only chuckled.

Oh, this is quite the sight, Myung. I’m really enjoying this.

You damned…!

Can you both shut up for a second? You’re driving me insane here!

I wanted to cover my ears against the incessant bickering, but that wouldn’t stop their voices.

My head was pounding.

In my arms was Thunder Fang, the sword that rightfully belonged to the Hermit. Or, at the very least, to Namgung Bi-ah.

How did this end up with me?

I had no idea how the situation had gotten to this point.

Turning a deaf ear to the two loud and quarrelsome old men, I recalled what had caused this mess.

The reason was simple.

I picked up Thunder Fang.

That must have been the problem.

I had intended to pick up the sword and return it to the Hermit out of some semblance of kindness.

I had no idea it would cause such an uproar.

The moment I casually picked up Thunder Fang, the Hermit looked at me, utterly shocked, and asked:

“How… how are you able to hold that?”

“Huh?”

I looked back at him, confused. How did I pick it up? With my hands, obviously.

As if the Hermit’s reaction wasn’t enough, Namgung Myung reacted even more strongly.

This… this can’t be…!

He seemed even more startled than the Hermit, which made little sense to me. Why was it such a big deal that I’d picked up Thunder Fang?

I scratched my head, puzzled.

How is it possible for someone without Namgung blood to touch Thunder Fang?

“What did you just say?”

Namgung Myung’s words made my eyes widen.

Was he saying that only someone with Namgung blood could touch Thunder Fang?

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You should have been burned by Thunder Qi on the spot… How…how are you unharmed?

Burned by Thunder Qi? The ominous thought reminded me of the brief flash of light from when I first picked it up.

Was that what the light was for?

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to throw this damned sword away.

But then…

Why… why didn’t anything happen?

Despite the Hermit’s and Namgung Myung’s shock, Thunder Fang merely flashed briefly and then did nothing. If anything, it felt comfortable in my hand.

Put it down immediately.

Namgung Myung’s grim voice echoed in my head. Although I wasn’t sure why Thunder Qi hadn’t activated, I decided to ignore it.

I’d hand it back to the Hermit and be done with it.

I began moving toward the Hermit when…

“Hold on…!”

“...?”

Suddenly, the Hermit extended a hand toward me, halting me.

“Are you saying you can hold that with no problem?”

“What?”

“No pain or discomfort? Nothing at all?”

Was he checking to see if I felt okay?

“Uh… no, nothing like that….”

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“Good.”

What’s good? The Hermit’s expression didn’t seem right.

It was as if he’d been waiting for this. His face was filled with excitement. Why was he looking at me like that?

And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Hold on… Descendant, what are you planning to do?

Namgung Myung, seemingly realizing the Hermit’s intention, sounded almost frantic. What was going on?

I was still standing there, clueless about the situation, when…

Stop him! Grab that brat right now!

Namgung Myung’s shout burst into my head. Damn, that was loud. I grimaced as I looked back at the Hermit.

Whoosh!

“Huh?”

An immense pressure suddenly radiated from the Hermit.

It was comparable to when he’d fought me with serious intent, just for a moment.

Why was he doing this?

Then…

“Take care of it for a few days.”

“What?”

With that, the Hermit threw out this sudden request.

Grab him now!

Whoosh!

With an incredible gust of wind, he vanished right before my eyes.

Uh…?

In the wake of the explosive effect from Eternal Flame, the Hermit had disappeared. I stood there in stunned silence, unable to process what had just happened.

“What the hell…?”

You fool!

Namgung Myung screamed in a mix of anger and desperation, and I looked at Woo-hyuk for an explanation.

Looking for answers, I glanced at Woo-hyuk, who casually picked his nose and seemed entirely unfazed by the scene.

Was he seriously picking his nose at a time like this?

While I stared at him in disbelief, Woo-hyuk looked at the spot where the Hermit had vanished and muttered,

“He’s run off again.”

The casualness of Woo-hyuk’s comment made me finally understand what had happened.

I glanced at Thunder Fang in my hand, while Namgung Myung’s furious grumbling continued to echo in my head.

And then it hit me.

…Did he just dump his job on me?

It seemed he had.

******************

After a series of events, I returned to my room.

It was just around sunset—normally, I would have gone to find Paejon, using training as an excuse to tease him.

But with how things had turned out, that plan was out of the question.

"[You sure love to show off, don’t you? Ha!]" "[Ugh…]" "[Damn it…]"

Back in the present, I found myself staring at Thunder Fang, lost in thought.

'What am I supposed to do with this?'

It seemed like the Hermit of Wudang had dumped Thunder Fang on me and left. Was I supposed to be happy about this?

Of course, in a way, I should be.

'It’s what I wanted, after all…'

I had sought out Thunder Fang, and now it was finally in my hands. So yes, I was supposed to be pleased.

'But… this doesn’t feel right.'

An unsettling feeling lingered. I hadn’t managed to say any of the things I’d prepared, and then, without warning, the Hermit just tossed this at me and left.

'…A few days? What does he mean, a few days?'

Just for a few days? He handed this over to me and then just disappeared—where on earth did he go?

The Hermit's behavior was hard to understand. Woo-hyuk seemed used to it, suggesting this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

"[That damn guy… truly…!]"

Watching Namgung Myung's reaction, it seemed like even he hadn’t experienced something like this before.

"[Bring me to him right now, right this instant!]"

Namgung Myung kept repeating this, clearly displeased.

"…How exactly am I supposed to bring him back? I don’t even know where he went."

There was no way for me to catch the Hermit after he’d bolted at full speed.

"[Find him however you can and bring me back to him!]"

Namgung Myung ground his teeth, starting to throw a fit.

"[Hey! Watch how you speak to a child in someone else’s household!]"

Shin Noya wasn’t one to stand by quietly. “Someone else’s household” he said, like I was his own grandchild or something.

"[Just be grateful I picked up this discarded brat!]" "[What did you say? Discarded?]" "[By the looks of it, your young master doesn’t seem all that fond of you. If he dislikes you so much, he should just leave—honestly, the only one here clinging on is you.]" "[What do you know…!]"

Ah, another argument.

I could already feel my insides burning at the thought of another one of their tiresome quarrels starting up again.

"[What don’t I know? Judging by the state of the Namgung family, it’s pretty clear.]" "[Grrr...]" "[I understand you’re working hard to protect your descendants, but as I said, we’re already dead. For us to interfere any further would be pure arrogance…]" "[What do you know to speak so flippantly?]"

Namgung Myung's voice took on a different tone, cutting off Shin Noya mid-sentence.

Earlier, it had seemed like he was venting his frustration, but now his voice was far more composed.

And yet—

The anger in his calmness was enough to make me flinch.

"[You can say that because your Mount Hua still stands in full bloom.]" "[Myung...]" "[After centuries, you finally appear, and you think you know? Do you have any idea what I, what ‘we’ have endured through all those years? Can you even comprehend?]"

Shin Noya fell silent, the resentment in Namgung Myung's voice was so palpable it left me breathless.

"[We all worked toward the same goal. You did, and so did we. But in the end...]" "[Myung...]" "[Your Mount Hua slumbers in peace, preserving its noble cause, while those of us who sacrificed ourselves watch our families decay. And you think that protecting what’s left is arrogance?]"

I swallowed, realizing there was truth to his words.

The Namgung family had forgotten the essence of martial arts and was gradually weakening.

The Tang family was rotting to the point where even Tang Jemoon had requested it be dealt with.

Would Shaolin be any different? From my perspective, no.

As for the Yeon family—they had long since fallen, existing only in historical records.

And then there was Mount Hua.

In my previous life, it had stood tall, safeguarding its lineage with unwavering strength, its blossoming plum flowers beautiful as ever.

Perhaps Shin Noya was silent because he understood this.

"[You wake up now, holding fast to your beliefs, only to criticize me? If you were going to, then why didn’t you show up sooner?]"

Namgung Myung’s words were sharp, brimming with bitterness.

"[So, is that why you said you wouldn’t see me?]" "[I’ve forgotten it all—why I endured up until now. The only thing I want is to straighten the twisted sword of Namgung.]"

They hadn’t been able to end the Blood Demon War properly, leaving it to be dealt with by the future generations.

The remnants of their beliefs and sacrifices lay scattered, unheeded.

Namgung Myung claimed to have forgotten all of this.

Listening to his words, I wondered.

Did I find him selfish? No.

How could I blame him for refusing to make sacrifices that would go unrewarded and for now deciding to mend his broken household with his own hands?

If it were me, I wouldn’t have sacrificed anything in the first place.

But—

‘What about Noya?’

I thought Noya’s stance might be different.

Despite his fiery personality, Shin Noya was indeed a man worthy of being called a hero.

Waiting for Noya’s response with a sense of concern, I finally heard his voice.

"[I see…]"

Did that mean he understood Namgung Myung’s intentions?

Expecting Noya to continue, I listened intently.

"[As I thought, you’re not really Myung.]" "[…!]" ‘…What?’

Shin Noya’s sudden statement startled me. He’d mentioned this before, hadn’t he?

What was he getting at?

Just as I was about to ask him what he meant, there was a knock.

Suddenly, I sensed someone outside the door.

Had I been so focused on the conversation that I hadn’t noticed someone approaching?

I narrowed my eyes, glancing toward the door.

“Who is it?”

‘…’

No answer. But I could tell someone was there.

‘What…?’

Judging from the silence, could it be Nahi?

I had called her over to discuss something today, but if it were her, she would have responded when I spoke.

Then who could it be? Rising from my seat, I looked at the shadow outside. It was much larger than Nahi’s.

Then… could it be Tang Deok?

Creak.

I opened the door, my curiosity piqued.

“…Huh…?”

The sight of the figure standing there froze me in place.

A massive build clad in red martial robes adorned with golden patterns. Dust clung to him in places, as if he’d traveled here in haste, and his black horse looked slightly worse for wear.

And those fierce, red eyes… there was no way I wouldn’t recognize this presence.

Looking into his calm gaze, I couldn’t help but mutter.

“Father…?”

“…”

Indeed.

The person standing at my door—

was, astonishingly, my father.