Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 578: The Miracle of Shaolin (4)

A Martial Artist Known as Gui Seung (鬼僧).

He had once belonged to Cheonra Heukmangdae, a direct unit under Cheonma, even before the formation of the Guichal Sword Unit led by the Sword Demon (Geomma).

A fearsome executioner of his era, Gui Seung had earned a reputation for his ruthless deeds. Yet, I had little personal connection with him.

Back when Gui Seung was active as a demonic martial artist, I had only just fallen under Cheonma’s control.

At that time, I hadn’t yet joined or been assigned to any unit, and so I had never crossed paths with him.

Even before he became a demonic martial artist, we had never met face to face.

Naturally so.

‘I was an incompetent idiot back then, while he...’

He was among the brightest stars of his generation, hailed as one of the most talented martial artists.

That was Gui Seung—or rather—

‘Should I call him the Divine Dragon (Shinryong) now?’

Together with Jang Seon-yeon, he was a rising hope of the orthodox factions, lauded as Shaolin’s miracle.

Meanwhile, I was a disgrace to my family and a thug of Shanxi. We were in entirely different leagues.

And now, here he stood before me.

I looked directly at him.

Under the moonlight, his gleaming bald head caught my eye first.

Beneath it, his faintly glowing yellow eyes, his solid build, and his height—just shy of seven feet—stood out. His physique was powerful and well-trained.

Looking at his body alone, I could tell—

‘A martial artist specializing in external techniques.’

His frame showed signs of rigorous physical training. As a martial artist from Shaolin, external techniques would naturally be his forte.

‘Seeing him like this is fascinating.’

I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic.

I never expected to meet him like this, in such a peculiar situation.

To stand face to face like this felt surreal.

‘The Miracle of Shaolin.’

Also known as the Last Divine Dragon or the Ultimate Genius.

He was known by many titles.

And I had no reason to dispute any of them.

‘Because they’re all true.’

If anything, those titles might even fall short.

Even if his selection as the Divine Dragon had involved some political maneuvering by Shaolin and the Alliance, his abilities spoke for themselves.

‘He was more than qualified to become the Divine Dragon.’

A martial artist capable of reaching the Hwagyeong (Realm of Transformation) in his twenties.

He had more than earned his titles.

Thinking back, I recalled something else.

‘He’s about the same age as me.’

Perhaps a year or two older, at most.

To achieve Hwagyeong at such an age was enough to warrant being called one of the greatest geniuses in history.

Though I had reached Hwagyeong at a younger age...

‘I’m an exception.’

It didn’t matter if he was called the youngest in history or the ultimate genius.

Had I not existed, those titles would have belonged to him anyway.

Looking at it that way, it was rather strange.

‘With his abilities, they wouldn’t have needed to resort to underhanded tricks.’

From what I could see now, Shaolin and the Alliance wouldn’t have needed political schemes to place him in the position of Divine Dragon.

He would have qualified naturally, based purely on his merit.

The fact that such schemes had been employed suggested there was more to the story.

Perhaps it even tied into—

‘Why he abandoned Shaolin and fell.’

Was there a connection between his defection and the underhanded tactics?

I often wondered about that.

But there was no way to know for sure.

By the time I emerged into the world as a demonic martial artist, Gui Seung had already been killed by other Shaolin warriors.

‘I heard it took dozens of elite martial artists from the Alliance and Shaolin to kill him.’

And even then, nearly half of their forces were wiped out in the process.

‘Curious.’

I stared at the Divine Dragon with genuine intrigue.

What had driven him to become a demonic martial artist?

Though curiosity bubbled within me, now wasn’t the time to ask such questions.

Instead, I decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“You seem to like meat,” I remarked.

“...”

The Divine Dragon’s expression immediately soured, his face wrinkling in annoyance.

Fair enough. Asking a monk about his apparent love of meat wasn’t exactly polite.

But—

‘He did eat it.’

I had seen him. At the tavern earlier, he had been eating dumplings.

Well... I hadn’t actually seen him eating.

‘But I saw the leftovers.’

That was evidence enough.

“The dumplings there are good, I’ll admit. But I never thought they’d be good enough to tempt a monk.”

The idea of food so delicious that it could make even a monk break his vows amused me. It seemed like great marketing material for the tavern.

I chuckled as I spoke, and finally, the Divine Dragon opened his mouth.

“I’m not sure what you mean, benefactor...”

His earlier annoyance was gone, replaced by a serene and composed expression.

I tilted my head.

Ah, I see.

‘He’s going to feign ignorance.’

With no concrete proof, he intended to deny everything.

Unfortunately for him, I had proof.

“If that’s the case, you should’ve wiped the grease off your mouth first.”

At my words, the Divine Dragon froze, then hurriedly wiped his mouth.

I pressed on.

“And there’s something stuck between your teeth, too.”

“...!”

Panicked, he began to check his teeth, only for me to smirk and add,

“Ah, that one’s a lie.”

As I laughed, the Divine Dragon froze in place like a statue.

His expression changed as he realized there was no longer any escape.

I couldn’t help but laugh again at his reaction.

After a moment of silence, the Divine Dragon cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Ahem.”

Then, straightening his posture, he spoke formally.

“Do you have business with me, benefactor?”

Ah, so he wanted to pretend the earlier conversation never happened.

How amusing.

I let out a hollow laugh and took a step forward.

It was an unannounced movement, but the Divine Dragon didn’t react outwardly.

Perhaps he was unconcerned?

At least, that’s how it appeared.

But then—

Buzz.

I felt it.

Energy rippled from the Divine Dragon’s feet, spreading outward.

The dense, concentrated energy expanded, forming a domain that encompassed the entire area.

In a matter of moments, the surroundings were firmly under his control.

I chuckled at the display.

‘Not bad.’

The way he deployed his energy was swift, meticulous, and impressively thorough.

It was a technique worthy of admiration.

As I observed the domain, I spoke.

“Is it proper for a monk seeking enlightenment to be this aggressive?”

Sensing my tone, the Divine Dragon replied calmly.

“You’ve yet to answer my question, benefactor.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded at his response.

It wasn’t just the formation of the domain that intrigued me.

‘His energy is rough.’

The energy contained hostility, making my heart instinctively react.

This meant—

‘He’s upset.’

Was it because of my earlier teasing?

Possibly.

Understanding this, I decided to address him directly.

“If I upset you, I’m sorry.”

“...?”

The Divine Dragon blinked, clearly surprised by the sudden apology.

“Come on, even a monk can enjoy meat sometimes. How can anyone live without eating meat?”

I grinned as I spoke, leaving him momentarily bewildered.

It seemed he hadn’t expected me to apologize so easily.

As I spoke, I focused my energy, drawing it from my heart to push back against his domain.

Buzz!

The energy flowing from me pushed his slightly, loosening its grip on the surroundings. Finally, I could breathe a bit easier.

Crunch—

I lightly stretched my body, loosening up my joints. However, I didn’t close the distance between us.

‘I’m not here to fight.’

At least, not today. That wasn’t my intention.

Looking directly into the Divine Dragon’s golden eyes, I spoke.

“I was just curious.”

That was the simple truth.

If I had to put my purpose into words, it was exactly that.

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? To stop by a tavern and find the ‘Miracle of Shaolin’ eating dumplings.”

“...”

Hearing the term ‘Miracle of Shaolin,’ I noticed the Divine Dragon’s brow twitch.

Without hair to hide his expressions, every slight change was strikingly visible.

“I’ve seen a Taoist nibble on some meat before, but a monk? That’s a first for me.”

The Taoist in question was half-mad, so I didn’t think much of it. But Shaolin monks... they were different.

That was the perception, at least.

‘Then again, even Huangabul-young reportedly ate meat in secret.’

According to Shin Noya, Shaolin’s legendary hero Huangabul-young also indulged in meat. Criticizing the Divine Dragon for this would be hypocritical.

Even so, I chose to press the topic. It wasn’t to belittle him but simply to start a conversation.

Granted, the direction it had taken was rougher than I’d planned.

“You seem to know who I am, benefactor,” he said, his tone controlled.

“Of course I do. How could I not?”

If you asked anyone in Hanan about its most famous figures, the list would be short.

One would be the new Alliance Leader, the Wudang Sword Saint.

The other was the man standing before me—the Divine Dragon.

“The new Divine Dragon, right?”

“...”

Even if he denied it, no one would believe him.

The youthful face that looked barely older than twenty, the overwhelming physique, and—

‘That immense energy—there’s no mistaking it.’

Anyone who saw him would recognize it.

‘He’s extraordinary.’

In my previous life, I had only glimpsed him from afar. My pitiful state back then had prevented me from truly understanding his power.

Now, standing face to face, I could clearly see it.

‘He deserves the title of a monster.’

To reach this level at barely twenty... it was incomprehensible.

How did he manage it?

‘Could it be...?’

“Did you... turn back time as well?”

“Pardon?”

“No, never mind.”

I quickly dismissed my own words.

Even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew it couldn’t be true.

‘The idea of another regressor is too exhausting.’

It was ridiculous, yet looking at the Divine Dragon made me wonder. His sheer presence was that impressive.

For someone to achieve this level without divine intervention or extraordinary luck...

‘He truly is an unparalleled genius.’

A prodigy blessed by the heavens. There was no other way to describe him.

As I admired him, I realized I hadn’t introduced myself yet.

“By the way, I’m—”

“I already know.”

“Hmm?”

I paused mid-sentence as the Divine Dragon interrupted me.

The declaration surprised me.

“You know me?”

“Yes,” he replied, his expression calm and unwavering.

“I know who you are, benefactor. So Yeomra, Gu Yangcheon.”

“...!”

Hearing my alias and name, my eyes widened.

“What? How do you know that?”

This was unexpected. How did he know who I was?

Just as the question crossed my mind, he answered.

“I believed it,” he said, his voice resolute.

“Believed?”

“If someone with your power exists, it could only be you. That’s what I believed.”

“Ah.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle in admiration.

It seemed the reason I recognized him and the reason he recognized me were one and the same.

The problem was—

“Then why do you dislike me?”

The hostility in his energy had grown sharper the moment he confirmed my identity.

When I asked, he remained silent.

Usually, when someone was confronted like this, they’d deny it outright. But his silence was as good as confirmation.

‘What is this?’

Was it because I teased him too much? Or maybe it was because I had been so informal upon our first meeting.

Hmm.

‘Both are fair reasons to dislike me.’

I could admit that much. Not that I planned to change, but still.

‘That doesn’t feel like the whole story.’

The Divine Dragon’s animosity felt deeper than just a bad first impression.

Something else seemed to be at play.

I stared into his eyes, waiting, until finally—

“...Are you here to participate in the martial tournament?”

He chose to deflect, posing a question instead of answering mine.

His intent was clear—he didn’t want to answer.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

So, I decided to play along.

“Well, since it’s happening, I might as well join.”

“I see,” he replied, nodding slightly.

“That’s a relief.”

“Hmm?”

A relief? What did he mean by that?

“I enjoyed our meeting today, benefactor. I’ll see you... in three months.”

With that, he turned and began walking away.

I tilted my head, puzzled.

The first statement was an obvious lie.

But the second—

‘Three months from now...? Does that mean he’s entering the martial tournament too?’

Was this some sort of declaration of intent?

If so, it was oddly refreshing.

‘This is a first, isn’t it?’

I couldn’t recall another time someone had said, “I don’t like you, so meet me at the tournament.”

And to think it came from someone I’d just met today.

Realizing this, I called out.

“Hey.”

The Divine Dragon paused mid-step.

I could see his shoulders subtly shift, as if preparing for something.

Was he expecting a fight?

Unfortunately for him, I had no such plans.

“I’ll keep your dumpling secret from Shaolin.”

“...”

He froze for a moment before slowly turning to face me again.

Then, after a brief hesitation,

“...Thank you for that.”

He bowed slightly, pressing his palms together in a gesture of respect, before turning once more and walking away.

His pace quickened, as though he couldn’t leave fast enough.

He’s embarrassed, I thought, laughing under my breath.

“Ha.”

Watching him disappear into the distance, I couldn’t help but muse.

Shaolin, Wudang, Mount Hua—each sect was supposed to produce the most well-rounded individuals.

Yet somehow, every one of them had a screw loose.

The world was clearly in chaos.

As I stroked my chin, I muttered,

“Three months...”

The Divine Dragon’s parting words lingered in my mind.

I hadn’t planned to take the martial tournament seriously, but now?

“Now it feels personal.”

If I put emotion into my strikes, it would be hard to hold back.

And that could lead to trouble.