Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 514

“You really are your mother’s bloodline.”

When those words left my father’s mouth, my heart sank.

“What did you say?”

I had to ask again, just to make sure I’d heard correctly.

I needed to hear it again.

What I’d just heard was too monumental to let pass so easily.

“My mother’s bloodline?”

It was an obvious statement. I was her child, after all.

Or rather—

“It wouldn’t matter even if I weren’t.”

Honestly, it didn’t matter.

I’d even entertained the thought that I might not be.

I had heard people call her a calamity from a previous generation.

Which meant she wasn’t human.

She was something beyond human, like the Blood Demon or the Heavenly Demon.

So, I had occasionally wondered if I might not be her biological child.

But still, it didn’t matter.

“Even if I’m not her bloodline,”

I was still her child.

I could never forget those winter days when she’d walked with me, holding my hand as I held my sister in my arms.

The warmth of her hand made it bearable, even when it was bitterly cold.

So it didn’t matter.

It didn’t matter to me at all.

‘But what does he mean by that?’

If I weren’t her biological child, things would get complicated, as we’d have to figure out who I actually belonged to.

I couldn’t be anyone other than my father’s son; anyone could see that.

It didn’t matter either way.

That’s why I should have welcomed the confirmation that I was indeed my mother’s child.

But the question was, why was my father bringing this up now?

Especially while looking at my changed appearance.

“What… do you mean by that, exactly?”

“…”

Seeing my drastically altered appearance seemed to remind him of my mother.

The longing in his voice was strange, to say the least.

The meaning behind his words was clear:

‘He’s saying that he’s seen this look in my mother too.’

It left me feeling a bit dazed.

What did it mean if my mother had shown a similar appearance?

Setting aside my father’s nostalgia, his words had a chilling effect on me.

There was one other person I knew who exuded an atmosphere similar to what I was giving off right now.

‘No, actually, there are two.’

One of them, I wasn’t entirely certain about, so I left it aside.

But the other… the one I was certain about…

‘The Blood Demon.’

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, there was no denying it.

The aura of that damned creature who’d smirked at me…

The same arrogance, that hateful gaze—now, I could feel it in myself.

I’d thought it was simply an effect of the demonic energy.

The bloodlust that the Blood Demon had infused into me—that I’d absorbed completely during my transformation.

That was what I’d thought caused the similar aura.

But—

‘If my mother also carried this same kind of presence…’

Then that’s a problem.

The reason is—

The Blood Demon was a calamity. My mother was a calamity too.

If I exuded the same aura as those two…

[Young one.]

As my thoughts deepened, Noya suddenly interjected, almost urgently.

It was a warning that further thoughts in that direction were dangerous.

But that didn’t stop my mind from churning.

The words of Yeonilcheon echoed back to me:

“You are a calamity.”

Words I’d dismissed as nonsense but couldn’t shake.

Words that, even though I’d tried to ignore, lodged themselves firmly in my heart.

They were becoming clearer.

Am I really a calamity?

That damned thought began to flood my mind.

And the worst part?

Do you know what was even more cursed?

I was starting to think that, even if I was a calamity, I wouldn’t care much.

‘Shit… am I insane?’

I’d barely resolved just a year ago that I would not become a calamity.

And now, look at me.

Thinking that being a calamity wouldn’t bother me—it was chilling to the bone.

Maybe this transformation was affecting my mind as well.

This is… damn near intolerable.

I wanted to slap myself back to my senses, but I held back because my father was here.

I needed to get a grip. If I didn’t, I was really going to fall apart. Or was I already broken?

“Third son.”

“…!”

My father’s voice pulled me back to reality.

Now was not the time to fall into introspection.

What mattered was that my father had mentioned my mother.

I was about to ask him about it when—

“I’ll be heading up first.”

“…Excuse me?”

His abrupt words left me with a dumbfounded expression.

Heading up?

Just like that?

“Suddenly?”

When I asked, incredulous, my father lifted his gaze toward the ceiling.

“The Clan Head of the Tang Clan has arrived.”

The Poison King was here.

Hearing that, I extended my senses, but I felt nothing.

All I sensed was the same emptiness as before.

‘Because of that thing outside?’

The Fire Wheel Star, I think he’d called it.

That power in the sky that changed the color of the heavens and concealed all presences.

Was it because that power was in place that I couldn’t sense anything?

What kind of principle could manifest such an effect?

As I mused, my father began walking, passing right by me.

Was he really planning to just leave like that?

“Wait. Father, we still need to talk….”

I was about to move to stop him, but then my father’s gaze fell on me.

“You’re not yet qualified.”

I had to frown at his words.

A qualification?

“What do you mean? Why would I need some kind of qualification just to hear about my mother?”

Was he implying I’d need to take over as the successor to hear about her? If it was something I’d eventually have to do anyway, couldn’t he just tell me now?

Frustrated, I was about to snap, but—

“Have you forgotten what I said last time?”

My father cut me off.

“I told you to reach the Consummation.”

“…!”

“You haven’t reached it yet.”

The condition he’d set if I wanted to know my mother’s whereabouts was that I’d have to raise my Gu Flame Wheel Technique to the Consummate level.

It seemed that this condition also applied if I wanted to hear more about her.

‘This is infuriating.’

Hearing about her was excruciatingly difficult.

Now that I’d reached the Seventh Star, how long would it take me to reach Consummation?

It was so distant.

I tried not to feel impatient, but it was just too far away.

‘…I only barely reached it in my previous life.’

With the nature of flame-based techniques, advancing and building levels is extremely difficult.

Even with all the inner energy I’d invested, I only managed to barely touch that level back then. How long would it take me to reach it through the proper methods now?

‘It’s maddening.’

It was difficult to estimate.

A few years? It would be fortunate if it was only that long. I was only at my current level because of all the experiences and fortuitous opportunities from my past life.

‘I can’t just abandon that foundation and recklessly rise again like before.’

If I abandoned the foundation I’d painstakingly built and rose recklessly based on inner energy alone, everything would return to nothingness.

My past experiences taught me that rising in rank without a solid foundation was meaningless, so I couldn’t do it.

I briefly considered throwing a tantrum to get him to tell me anyway, but—

‘That won’t work either.’

I could tell just by looking at my father’s eyes.

Until I reached the Consummation level, he had no intention of telling me. His gaze was resolute.

I had no choice.

There was no way I could defy him and demand that he tell me.

It’s only worth defying him when you’re sure you can handle the consequences.

Having seen him just decimate the Celestial Master, there was no way I’d dare go against him now.

I held back.

Resisting the urge to demand answers, I watched as my father shifted his gaze.

As he looked away, I decided to ask about something else.

“By the way, Father…”

I gestured behind me with a hand.

“What… or rather, what do you plan to do about him?”

My father glanced back in the direction I indicated. There—

Crackle…

The Celestial Master was still burning in flames.

“…”

My father’s expression shifted as he looked at him.

I definitely saw it.

My father’s expression that said, ‘Oops.’

…Did he forget?

Did he really forget about the person he’d set on fire?

No, that couldn’t be it.

For a moment, my father’s gaze lingered on the Celestial Master, but soon, as if brushing it off, he turned away.

“Leave him be. It won’t take too long for the flames to die out.”

At my father’s words, I looked back at the flames surrounding the Celestial Master.

‘Does that mean there’s a reason to leave him like this?’

He had said something about burning away unnecessary things earlier.

‘What exactly was he trying to burn away?’

He wasn’t burning the body itself.

I couldn’t quite grasp what that meant. Was there some other purpose to the secret technique my father used?

Step.

As I pondered this, my father began walking toward the entrance.

Should I follow him?

The thought crossed my mind, but then—

“Wait here. I’ll bring the Poison King.”

“Wait… here? Me?”

Stay here and watch the burning Celestial Master and the Elder?

My father’s instructions felt a bit odd.

If the Poison King was coming, wouldn’t it be enough just to wait for him?

Plus, the barrier that had sealed off the entrance…

‘…Looks like Father tore it apart.’

He’d crushed it and cleared it away, so it seemed like anyone who knew the location could easily find their way here.

So couldn’t we just wait together?

But then—

“Isn’t there something you wanted to investigate here?”

“…!”

The weight of his words hit me.

Father had already figured it out.

He knew I had something to do here.

‘…Oh, damn.’

Along with what the Tang Clan Leader had said, this place was most likely connected to the Celestial Martial Body creation plan.

No, it was almost certain.

Otherwise, there would have been no reason to hide this place under such a dense barrier or to construct something this deep underground.

Moreover—

‘The atmosphere here feels different.’

There was the lingering poison from the moment I arrived, and beyond that, I could faintly see the corpse of a monster.

Now, with the inner energy and aura left over from the battle filling the space, there was also something else.

‘Which means….’

My father’s intention to leave and confront the Poison King outside—

It seemed I understood his hidden intent.

He was giving me some time.

‘To investigate what I need to know?’

Realizing my father’s intent, a bead of sweat trickled down my forehead.

Just how much had he figured out? Chilled by the thought, I bowed.

“…Thank you.”

“…”

Fwoosh!

The sound of flickering embers reached my ears.

When I lifted my head, my father was already gone.

Staring blankly at the empty space, Noya spoke to me.

[He figured out everything, didn’t he?]

“…It seems that way.”

I should have stayed put and waited until he returned. Moving around had only caused problems.

“…Tsk.”

Clicking my tongue, I started walking.

Since I’d been given some time, I had to make use of it.

I approached the Elder, who was still trembling.

“H-Heh… Ah… ah…”

The Elder was shivering as if he’d completely lost his mind.

He looked even more frail than before.

“Hmph.”

Seeing him like this made me sigh.

“Shame.”

It was a shame.

With him like this, there was nothing more I could do.

I would have preferred to be the one to break him down.

“Too bad, don’t you think?”

I looked down at him as I spoke, but the Elder only looked at me in terror.

“M-Mon…monster…m-monster….”

“A monster?”

Was he talking about me or my father?

Either way, it was similar.

The meaning might differ, but—

‘Perhaps I can still get something out of him.’

The Elder’s mind seemed completely broken. I wondered if he was faking it, but it didn’t seem that way.

What could he have gone through to end up in this state?

He might be too far gone for torture to work.

‘Should I capture one of his collaborators and question him?’

There was no way the Elder acted alone.

He might have influence, but he wasn’t a particularly impressive figure.

It seemed like things might get more complicated, but—

“Hm?”

I noticed something strange about the Elder’s hands, which were clasped tightly around something.

What was that?

It looked like he was clutching something.

I reached out to check, but—

“No… No…! This… not…!”

The Elder resisted as if he’d realized I was trying to take it from him.

Annoying.

“Should I just tear your arm off?”

“…!”

At my offhanded remark, the Elder froze.

“Tear… o-off…? No… don’t….”

Did he react to my threat of tearing off his arm?

Why?

Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter.

The important thing was that he reacted.

“That’s right. If you don’t hand it over, I’ll rip your arm off.”

Oh, and to be clear, this wasn’t just a threat.

I would actually do it if he refused.

I didn’t have time to waste arguing with him.

Realizing my sincerity, the Elder, with a face twisted in terror, extended his hands toward me.

What was he holding so tightly?

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Even now, he wouldn’t open his fists.

So—

Crack!

“Aaaah!”

I crushed the Elder’s wrist in my grip. His shriek pierced my ears.

I almost considered breaking his jaw as well, but—

When his grip loosened, I saw what he’d been holding and decided to let it go.

“What is this?”

I looked down at the object, tilting my head in confusion.

It was a jewel. A small one, at that.

Why was he clutching onto something like this?

I picked up the jewel from the ground and examined it more closely.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything special about it.”

It looked like an ordinary jewel, until—

Buzz…!

“…!”

The jewel in my hand suddenly started vibrating.

Inside, I felt an energy stirring, radiating outward.

When the energy brushed against me, my body reacted instinctively.

It was powerful.

Not only was there a strong poison contained within, but the sheer amount of energy thrashing about was immense.

“…Well.”

Seeing it, I was sure.

There was something in this jewel.

I held it out to the Elder.

“What is this?”

I asked, but the Elder only mumbled incoherently, his mind clearly gone.

Even so, he stared intently at the jewel.

“Hm.”

At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to get any useful information out of him.

When the body is damaged, there’s room for recovery, but when the mind is broken, it’s over.

Would I need to capture someone else?

That thought crossed my mind, but I also remembered something else.

There was one method.

It just wasn’t a particularly pleasant one.

“…But I should at least give it a try.”

I wasn’t sure if it would have an effect on someone whose mind was broken, but—

It was better than nothing.

Now wasn’t the time to be picky.

Grip.

“Krr…!”

I grabbed the Elder by the neck.

Thump…!

My heartbeat pounded heavily.

My energy surged outward.

My eyes burned with heat.

The energy bound in my heart traveled through my arm, piercing into the Elder.

“Kraaah!”

The sudden rush of energy sent the Elder’s body into violent spasms.

I didn’t stop, pushing more energy into him.

The Elder’s body devoured my energy bit by bit.

Feeling that, I infused my intent into it.

[From now on,]

This was a technique I’d once seen used.

[I am your sky.]

It was a technique resembling the method used by the Heavenly Demon.

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

Hanam.

Deep underground beneath it.

In a place so cold that even the air felt frozen, a young man lay with his eyes closed.

The young man, lying there as if dead—

Hum…

“…Mmm.”

A strange sensation caused him to open his eyes.

The woman standing by his side flinched.

It was not yet time for her master to awaken.

She glanced nervously at him, observing him carefully.

The young man’s crimson eyes glowed as he looked around, and the woman noticed something.

For some reason, her master was smiling.

“Heh heh…”

Without stopping, the young man—the Blood Demon—even let out a laugh.

How could he not?

“This is amusing.”

The Blood Demon ran his hand over his chest.

This allowed him to feel it even more clearly.

Something had broken.

One of the deeply bound connections he had carefully tied… snapped! It was gone.

It had been precious to him, something he’d kept tightly bound, and now it was severed like this.

“I wonder whose doing this is.”

He pondered briefly, but the Blood Demon already knew the answer.

He was aware of the place where his interest was directed, in Sichuan—within the Tang Clan’s domain.

Could it have been the Tang Clan’s doing? No, they lacked the power to do this. They weren’t even worth suspecting.

The value of the current Tang Clan was no more than that.

“It was that boy’s destination.”

The place where the one he had taken an interest in had gone. That was all.

Could this be a mere coincidence?

The Blood Demon thought not.

And yet—

“I hope it isn’t.”

He even wished it wasn’t.

If that child had grown powerful enough to sever his thread, it was more than he could wish for.

For the paradise he envisioned.

“Muhee.”

“Yes.”

At the Blood Demon’s call, Muhee responded. He wasn’t even looking at her.

Instead, his gaze was set far away—very far away.

“Send a message to Wudang.”

Then he smiled.

The Blood Demon could feel it.

That the arrival of paradise was not far off.

“Tell them we may be able to proceed with things a bit faster.”