Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 664

Dawn broke, marking the end of the night.

The sun began to rise steadily, reclaiming its place, and I moved my body, breathing in the crisp morning air.

I tilted my head slightly.

A dagger brushed past my cheek.

Shhhk—! Sharp.

Especially with qi imbued in it, if that dagger had struck me…

‘It would’ve dug in a little.’

Thanks to my body’s heightened durability, it wouldn’t have pierced through, but it would likely have embedded slightly into my skin.

I didn’t bother tracking where the dagger flew.
Instead, I took another step forward.

Vzzzz—!

Hearing a strange sound, I bent my upper body down.
Whoosh—! Though unseen, a sword slashed through the space above me.

Boom—!!

A sword force erupted behind me, its sound reverberating in the air.
The strength and texture conveyed through the sound weren’t bad at all.

I raised my arm and swung it downward.
Just as I extended it, it collided with a foot aiming for my face.

Bang—!!

The clash of inner qi echoed, and I immediately twisted my waist to add momentum to my rotation.

Shh—! Shh-shh—!

Following my movements, a sharp offensive closed in.

The fluid movements of the sword made its intent hard to discern.
It seemed as though Seong Yul was still trying to erase traces of the Kunlun style from his swordsmanship, yet his unique flair remained intact.

No matter how many feints were added, his sword relentlessly pursued its target.

‘Hmm.’

I smirked as I observed him.
The wielder of the sword was Seong Yul.

His murky yellow eyes darted back and forth.

He started by examining my chest.
To see if my breathing was steady or strained.
Then he quickly moved to my shoulders, arms, waist, thighs, calves, ankles, and toes.

In an instant, his gaze scanned my entire body, tracking my every movement.

Where I moved, where my movements ended—
Seong Yul constantly analyzed it all.

Even when I shifted my arm to feint an attack—

Shhhk—!!!

A sharp sword force dug deep as though to seal off my maneuver.

He had identified it as a feint.

‘This brat.’

Sharp instincts.
An excellent natural talent.

His sword grew faster with each passing moment.

Despite his level, the overall refinement of his technique was remarkable.
He didn’t shy away from combat and pressed forward without hesitation.

While the bloodlust emanating from his sword was somewhat grating, it was tolerable.

However—

“You lift your wrist too much when you slash downward.”

As Seong Yul’s eyes widened in realization, I lunged forward.
Flustered, Seong Yul altered his sword trajectory.

“Seriously.”

I had just pointed out the flaw in his downward slash, and he went ahead and used it anyway.

‘Tsk.’

I extended my arm.
The quickened offensive struck toward Seong Yul’s arm.

Though the flow of his defensive qi was decent, it wasn’t strong enough to block my attack.

Crack—!

My arm shattered Seong Yul’s defensive qi with ease.

“…!”

Realizing he couldn’t block the attack, Seong Yul hurriedly retreated, but it was already too late.

“Your quick reflexes are good, but you take too long.”

That always leaves an opening.

Boom—!

With that, I struck Seong Yul’s wrist.

“Ugh!”

Seong Yul’s arm was flung backward by the impact.
Yet, remarkably, he didn’t let go of his sword.
That resilience was commendable.

I’d have to praise him for that later.

‘For now, let’s deal with this.’

The harsh recoil disrupted his posture, leaving countless openings.

Seeing this, I prepared to kick Seong Yul, but—

Shhrik.

“Tsk.”

Sensing something behind me, I halted my movement and spun around.

Thunk, thunk, thunk—!!!

Daggers embedded themselves in the spot I had just vacated.

Turning my gaze forward, I saw another blade aimed directly at me.
I tilted my head to avoid it.

Shkk—!

The sword grazed my skin, leaving a shallow cut that healed almost instantly.
As I dodged, I grabbed the hand of the one who had ambushed me.

But—

Whoosh.

“Oh?”

As soon as I grabbed the arm, it dispersed like mist.

Fascinating. Was it an illusion?

Intrigued, I watched closely and shifted my footwork.

Shhhk—!

A dagger brushed past the tip of my nose.

Ssshhh—!

From the opposite side of the flying dagger came another attack.

It was a peculiar sight for something supposedly done by one person.

Moreover, every motion carried precision, entwined with qi, indicating she hadn’t achieved her level of mastery by mere luck.

‘She must’ve learned well under the Shadow King.’

I smirked as I looked at Tang So-yeol, who was wielding daggers against me.

The reason for this sudden situation was simple:
Paejon had sent a letter saying he’d be away for a few days, which gave me free time to train and evaluate the skills of these two.

And as a result—

‘Not bad.’

Both Seong Yul and Tang So-yeol possessed more power than I had anticipated.

Tang So-yeol, in particular, stood out.

Roughly four or five years ago, during the friendly Biwu Tournament held alongside the Yongbong Gathering,
she had been far less impressive.

Yet now, just a few years later, Tang So-yeol had grown from a promising young talent into a fully-fledged expert.

It was gratifying growth.

‘What must she have done to improve so much?’

Thinking about what Tang So-yeol, once merely average, must have endured to reach this level left a bitter taste in my mouth.

While dodging the blades crisscrossing around me—

Vzzz.

I felt a chilling aura from behind.

Without hesitation, I unleashed a qi-infused strike backward.
As expected, a sword force was rushing toward me.

Boom—!!!

The collision caused an explosive sound as the sword force dispersed.

At the same time, the two launched a coordinated attack.

If I tried to retreat, daggers and sword qi flew at me;
if I pushed forward, they moved to counter and block my attacks.

‘Hmm.’

It must have been their first time teaming up.

Yet Seong Yul and Tang So-yeol’s combined offensive was razor-sharp, as though they had been working together for years.

‘Must be good compatibility.’

Seong Yul created opportunities for Tang So-yeol to strike effectively,
and Tang So-yeol cleared paths for Seong Yul to execute his fluid sword techniques.

‘This is quite impressive.’

At this level, they could likely hold their own against a moderately seasoned Hwagyeong-level opponent.
Perhaps once Seong Yul reached Hwagyeong himself, they’d be even better.

Leaping lightly to create distance, I nodded.

‘This much is enough.’

Satisfied, I nodded again. There was no need to observe further.

At that moment—

Thud!

I stomped hard on the ground, propelling myself forward like a launched arrow.

Boom—!

The rush of air pressure heightened my speed.

“Ah!”

“Hup!”

The two briefly panicked but quickly moved to respond.
Seong Yul charged forward without hesitation, swinging his sword.

However, his attack didn’t reach me.

Thunk!

Before he could accelerate, my hand grabbed him by the collar and flung him into the air.

Whoosh—!

Seong Yul’s body soared through the air.

He tried to stabilize himself midair, but I sent another qi strike his way.

“Ugh!”

Though he blocked with his sword, the force sent him flying even farther.

I immediately turned my attention to Tang So-yeol.
My approach was no different than with Seong Yul.

But—

“Eek…!”

Tang So-yeol vanished into mist again.

Seeing this, I redirected my focus and reached into the empty space to my left.

Pinching my thumb and middle finger together,

Snap—!

I flicked them.

“Kyah!”

A dull sound and a scream echoed simultaneously.

“Ugh…”

Tang So-yeol suddenly appeared, clutching her forehead and collapsing to the ground.
Her stealth skills were excellent, but she couldn’t hide her flow from my inner sight.

By the time Seong Yul finally landed and tried to charge at me again—

Thunk.

“…!!”

My fist was already touching his chin.

Looking at Seong Yul, who was sweating profusely, I let out a small laugh and said,

“It’s over.”

With those words, I adjusted my posture to a more relaxed stance.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

Only then did Seong Yul exhale the breath he had been holding, his breathing ragged.

I glanced at Tang So-yeol and found her sprawled out on the training ground floor, resting.

Seeing this, I let out a dry chuckle.

“What exactly did you do to get so exhausted?”

It didn’t even seem like we did much, yet they were already worn out? Unbelievable.

“You both need to work on your stamina. Seriously.”

“…Young Master, you’re the strange one.”

Tang So-yeol, clearly exasperated, grumbled and shot back at me.

“We’ve been at it for over an hour….”

“Hmm? Really?”

Had that much time passed already? I thought it had only been about half an hour, but it seemed more time had elapsed than I realized.

Still.

“But it’s only been an hour, hasn’t it?”

“…What?”

“You need at least two hours for it to feel like you’ve done something.”

“…?”

The more I spoke, the more Tang So-yeol looked at me like I was speaking nonsense.
Her expression clearly said, Who trains for two hours straight in a sparring match?

‘Is that really so strange?’

When I sparred with Paejon, it usually lasted at least that long.

Granted, most of that time was spent getting beaten up, but I’d gotten used to it to the point where one hour felt insufficient.

When I was serious about training, I’d spar for two hours, then dedicate the remaining time to external martial arts practice.

A day spent using the training regimen I learned from the Mount Hua Sect left me feeling incredibly refreshed by the end of it.

‘Even as a regressor, I train tirelessly, and here they are, panting after just this… Kids these days are so weak.’

Shaking my head, I brushed myself off.

If it had already been an hour, that meant morning was approaching.
I looked at the two worn-out individuals and said,

“I’ll point out what you need to fix later. For now, let’s wash up and eat.”

“…Yes…”

“…Understood.”

Their responses were weak and unsteady, clearly reflecting their exhaustion.
Even I felt like washing up after moving around for the first time in a while.

Knock, knock.

“Excuse me.”

A gentle voice accompanied the sound of knocking from the entrance to the training ground.
Curious, I turned to see Moyong Hee-ah standing there.

“What is it?”

What was she doing here this early in the morning?
And…

‘She’s dressed up for some reason.’

Moyong Hee-ah, who usually had an elegant appearance, looked particularly refined today.

Her makeup was a bit more noticeable, and her attire seemed more ornate than usual.

“Are you done training?”

“Hmm… more or less?”

I had planned to do some personal training after breakfast, but the morning session was over.
Taking that into account, I replied, and Moyong Hee-ah said,

“Then, come with me somewhere.”

“Huh…?”

Her sudden request left me tilting my head.

…Go somewhere? All of a sudden?

“Where?”

“There’s a matter with the trading company. I want you to come with me.”

“And why should I—”

I was about to ask why I had to go when—

“…What was that?”

Moyong Hee-ah’s expression stiffened, and I quickly shut my mouth.
But it seemed it was already too late.

“You left me behind the last time without warning, and now this?”

“No, I—”

“Can’t you just come along without asking questions? Do you really need to ask so much?”

“I didn’t even—”

“You were about to ask, weren’t you?”

“…Fair enough.”

Her cold tone made me cough awkwardly.

“Do you have any idea why I’m working so hard? Just follow me when I ask you to.”

“…Why are you working so hard?”

“Because of you, obviously!”

Moyong Hee-ah’s sharp voice made me flinch.
She wasn’t even at her peak cultivation level yet, but her presence was overwhelming.

I found myself momentarily intimidated.

“You’re as oblivious as your conscience. How do you plan to survive if you don’t even realize this?”

“…Well, I…”

“Forget it. Just live cluelessly. That way, I’ll have a more secure position. I’ll make sure to inconvenience you just enough to make my life easier.”

“What does that even—”

“Stop talking and just come along. You can spare a day to keep me company, can’t you? Say no, and I won’t let it slide.”

Moyong Hee-ah’s fierce expression made it clear that refusing wasn’t an option.

“I’ll… just wash up quickly and come out.”

I had planned to use the time after training to organize my plans, but it seemed skipping out wasn’t an option today.

As I resigned myself to washing up,

“That’s so unfair.”

Tang So-yeol, still sprawled on the floor, suddenly chimed in.

She turned her head with effort to look at Moyong Hee-ah.

“You planned this, didn’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You waited until the training was over to show up! You were targeting a time when I couldn’t move!”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

Moyong Hee-ah smirked at Tang So-yeol’s indignant accusations.

“Why would I do that?”

“You just wanted to hog him for yourself! I want to go too!”

“Then come along. I don’t mind if Lady Tang joins us.”

“Ugh!”

Tang So-yeol gritted her teeth and tried to get up, but the aftermath of the sparring seemed to have taken too much of a toll.

Seeing her struggle, Moyong Hee-ah covered her mouth with her hand and said,

“Oh my, you seem really tired. You should rest well today, Lady Tang.”

“I can… do it!”

“What’s the point of trying to get up when you’re so exhausted? Just eat and rest. We’ll be back soon.”

“Y-Young Master…?”

I only meant for her to rest because she looked tired, but my words seemed to crush Tang So-yeol’s spirits completely.

Why was she reacting like that?

I had only told her to rest because she looked tired. Was it really that disappointing?

“Yes, you should rest. We’re just going to work anyway,” Moyong Hee-ah added, her tone now laced with satisfaction as if she had won some kind of victory.

“That’s so cruel…!!”

“Let’s go, Young Master.”

“…Right.”

I glanced at Tang So-yeol, who looked like a squirrel that had just lost its prized acorn, but before I could linger,

Grab—!

Moyong Hee-ah hooked her arm around mine and started pulling me along without delay.

As I was being dragged away, I remembered something and asked,

“What about her? Should we bring Wi Seol-ah along?”

Wi Seol-ah came to mind since she was likely nearby. If I was going out anyway, it might be a good idea to bring her along and maybe treat her to a meal.

Namgung Bi-ah was still recovering, so she couldn’t leave, but Wi Seol-ah enjoyed outings.

“Of course.”

Moyong Hee-ah smirked as if she had been expecting me to ask.

“I’ve already taken care of it.”

“Oh?”

Did she already arrange for Wi Seol-ah to join us? Impressive foresight.

“She won’t be coming. I made sure to ask her not to come today. So no matter what you say, it’s already decided.”

“…What?”

Not that she invited Wi Seol-ah but asked her not to come?

Her words left me dumbfounded.

Moyong Hee-ah, seeing my expression, chuckled and relaxed her frown.

“What’s with that dumb look on your face?”

“Your explanation makes no sense.”

“Your expression is very… you, Young Master. I like it.”

“You called me dumb but said you like it? Is that an insult? It’s an insult, isn’t it?”

“It’s a compliment. Really.”

With that, she loosened her grip on my arm slightly.

“Lately, I’ve been thinking that it might be better if you just acted more outwardly crude and incompetent. That way, no one would realize your true worth.”

“Why don’t you just insult me outright? How is this supposed to be a compliment?”

“It is. That way, no one will understand your value. Honestly, knowing as much as I do already gives me headaches. If you get even more impressive, I might do something drastic. So please, just stay the way you are.”

Stay incompetent? What kind of ridiculous demand was that?

I frowned deeply at her absurd statement. Moyong Hee-ah, still holding onto my arm, continued walking and quietly added,

“That way, I’ll have a clearer reason to stay by your side.”

Her pace quickened, and before I knew it, we had passed through the gates.

Outside, a small carriage awaited us.

Looking at its modest size, I asked Moyong Hee-ah,

“Why is the carriage so small?”

Normally, she used carriages at least twice this size. What was the reason for the change today?

To my question, Moyong Hee-ah replied,

“Because it’s cozier this way, so we’ll be closer together.”

“…Huh?”

“Now, let’s get to work. Hop in.”

Before I could question her further, Moyong Hee-ah used her feeble strength to push me into the carriage. Then, she climbed in after me and sat beside me.

For some reason, her expression looked brighter than it had in recent memory.

At least, it did until whatever task awaited us in the afternoon…
For now, that was certainly the case.