Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 690

Humans possess a vast range of emotions.

Among the most notable are the Five Desires and Seven Emotions.
These are the five desires and seven emotions that define human nature.

It’s said that these fundamental emotions must be overcome to reach a state of enlightenment…
But honestly, I wouldn’t know.
I’ve never been interested in that sort of thing.

‘What’s important here is…’

Whether it’s lust for flesh,
Greed for wealth,
Or the ambition for fame,

All of it depends on one’s ability to stay alive.
Ultimately, doesn’t that mean the most important desire is the will to survive?

The desire to maintain life.
The yearning not to die.

Perhaps that is humanity’s most essential desire.

I thought so as I looked at the middle-aged man kneeling before me.

He was the perfect example of that truth.

Hwangbo Yeolwi of the Nine Tiger Fists .

A martial artist who had reached the level of Hwagyeong, ranked among Zhongyuan’s Hundred Grandmasters.
He was renowned for his formidable fists, each blow carrying immense weight.

As the head of the Hwangbo clan, he wasn’t particularly extraordinary or lacking.
He was the very definition of a “standard” patriarch of a renowned clan.

“Shaolin reached out to you, I hear.”

But now, he had fallen. He was a demonic being.

At my words, Hwangbo Yeolwi carefully responded.

“…Yes. They attempted to make contact with our clan several months ago.”

“For what reason?”

“They sought to invite us to the upcoming Bi-mu-je and requested an official letter of endorsement from the clan head to celebrate the event.”

“A letter of endorsement from the clan head…”

I nodded slightly at his words.

‘An invitation makes sense.’

The Bi-mu-je is an event the Murim Alliance is pouring all its efforts into organizing.
It’s only natural for them to invite the Hwangbo clan, a renowned family.

‘But to specifically request an official letter of endorsement for the celebration…’

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, my eyes narrowing.

‘So, the Sword Saint is trying to solidify his position further.’

Compared to previous leaders of the Murim Alliance, the Sword Saint’s influence was relatively weak.
It made sense for him to seek ways to bolster his authority.

If letters of endorsement from renowned families and sects were publicly sent, it would signify their support for the Sword Saint.

‘It could be interpreted that way.’

What stood out as odd, however, was this:

‘Shaolin made the move directly.’

The strange part was that Shaolin itself had approached the Hwangbo clan to deliver this message.
It wasn’t conveyed by the Alliance’s envoys or even by the Wudang Sect, which closely supports the Sword Saint.
Instead, Shaolin personally reached out to a renowned family.

That was the oddity.

‘Are they trying to make a statement?’

By participating in this matter, Shaolin was showing their full support for the Murim Alliance.

‘It’s a clear declaration of intent to take a leading role.’

Shaolin’s abbot, known as Cheonan, reputed for his ability to foresee the future and read the trends of the world,
was making it clear that Shaolin backed the current Murim Alliance.

“Were there any other interactions with them?”

“…None have been reported.”

“Tch.”

I clicked my tongue.

‘So, it doesn’t differ much from what I heard before.’

The information aligned closely with what I had already received through Nahi.
And that was the problem.

‘There must be something more.’

At this point, I had already been receiving information from Shandong through Nahi.
I had hoped for something new, but it seemed there wasn’t anything significant.

“Well, I understand for now.”

Hiding my disappointment, I spoke.
Hwangbo Yeolwi bowed his head even deeper in response.

I studied him carefully.

‘His energy has stabilized significantly.’

This robust martial artist was as sturdy as he appeared.
His Qi within was no exception, brimming with balance and vitality.

However, there was a faint instability, barely noticeable unless examined closely.
After assessing his energy for a moment, I gave a small nod.

‘Not bad.’

Initially, his condition wasn’t just unstable—it was utterly wrecked.
But now, he had fully recovered and seemed firmly on track.

“Your complexion looks good. It suits you.”

“It’s all thanks to the blessings granted by you, my Cult Leader.”

Hearing this, I narrowed my eyes.

‘It seems the Dokcheon Pills have fully integrated.’

His energy had not only grown but had also become much denser.
This indicated that the pills were indeed working as expected.

‘I gave him three of them, so they had better have worked.’

The Dokcheon Pills, valued on par with Shaolin’s legendary Daehwan-dan,
were items I had provided him in triplicate.

The reason was simple.

‘He needed them.’

Hwangbo Yeolwi’s body had been deteriorating to the point of collapse.
This had been the key factor in his fall into demonic corruption.

For years, rumors had circulated about the declining health of the Hwangbo patriarch,
explaining his absence from public appearances.

Then, a year ago, he suddenly reemerged, as healthy as ever.
This revitalization had stabilized the previously wavering Hwangbo clan.

But to address those rumors—it was true.

At the time, Hwangbo Yeolwi had been dying.

‘And it was because of the unique traits of the Hwangbo bloodline.’

The martial arts of the Hwangbo clan, exclusive to their direct descendants, had inherent flaws.

Their external techniques, developed to an extreme,
and their domineering martial arts style gradually ate away at their vitality as they aged.

Some fell victim to external illnesses as their bodies deteriorated,
their muscles breaking down, their internal vessels damaged, their lives nearing an end.

This was the gap I exploited.

‘The desire to live.’

Fall.

And I’ll let you live.

That was the condition I offered Hwangbo Yeolwi.

As his body approached death, he accepted far too easily.

The regenerative power granted by demonic transformation.
The Dokcheon Pills that repaired his broken Qi.

There were other processes involved, but ultimately, the decisive factor was:

-I’ll elevate the Hwangbo clan to the Four Great Clans.-

Promising to secure a place for the Hwangbo clan among the Four Great Clans
shook his resolve to its core.

The primal desire to survive, coupled with his pride as a patriarch.

I exploited that and turned him into a demonic being with unexpected ease.

‘The Hwangbo clan has always been close to reaching the Four Great Clans.’

For generations, the Hwangbo clan had been seen as a prestigious family that fell just short of the mark.

But to end that legacy of mediocrity during his generation…
To become the greatest Hwangbo patriarch in history…

That had been Hwangbo Yeolwi’s greatest wish.

I gave him back his health and promised to make that dream a reality.
And Hwangbo Yeolwi chose to join hands with me.

‘I simply exploited the opening.’

Though it seemed like a significant expense at the time,
it was worth it to gain such a valuable pawn.

‘After all, Dokcheon Pills can always be made.’

I already possessed the formula,
and production was underway, conducted in absolute secrecy by the Tang Clan.

‘According to the Tang heir, there should be results by the end of the year.’

While I didn’t expect them to replicate the original entirely,
just producing a functional version would suffice.

“How about the other task I assigned you?”

“I have handled the branch family situation as instructed.”

The Hwangbo branch family.
This referred to the case with Mugwon.

“While they haven’t been granted access to the direct family techniques,
I’ve alleviated some of the injustices they’ve faced…”

I had taken measures to ensure Mugwon could live more comfortably.

“And additionally…”

Hwangbo Yeolwi’s eyes gleamed as he continued.

“We have prepared a meeting of the elders to nominate the second son, Hwangbo Cheolwi, as the heir, per your command.”

Hwangbo Cheolwi.
The second son of the Hwangbo clan.

‘I mentioned this before.’

That Hwangbo Cheok, the eldest son, was trash and would be dealt with,
while Hwangbo Cheolwi would take his place as the heir.
Preparations for this were underway as well.

“Not bad. You’ve done well.”

I allowed a faint smile to form.

Not bad at all.
Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly.

So I said to Hwangbo Yeolwi,

“Continue preparing what’s left. The time is approaching.”

“…!”

“Isn’t it time for the Hwangbo clan to ascend to the Four Great Clans?”

The time would come after the Bi-mu-je.

Or perhaps…

‘During the Bi-mu-je.’

Depending on the situation, but that would be the key moment.
It was time to secure a solid foothold.

“…This lowly life is entirely at your disposal, my Cult Leader.”

Hwangbo Yeolwi bowed so deeply his head nearly touched the ground.

I looked down at him with a cold gaze.
Of course, your life is mine to command.

‘That’s precisely why I use you.’

The plan had no flaws.
The only uncertainty was Shaolin’s involvement.

‘I’ll need to ensure Jegal Eui-cheon is thoroughly briefed on this.’

Jegal Eui-cheon, the strategist I trusted to handle such matters,
would need to move according to my intentions.

Though whether he would comply was another matter entirely.
As I was organizing these thoughts…

“Yangcheon.”

A voice called out to me from the side.
It was Cheol Ji-seon.

When I turned my gaze, he pulled something out from his pocket and handed it to me.

“…It’s a message from the strategist.”

“Hmm?”

Cheol Ji-seon’s expression looked somewhat uneasy, and as I accepted the item, I realized why—it was a letter from Jegal Eui-cheon.

‘Still not comfortable with him, huh.’

Both with Shin Eui and Jegal Eui-cheon, Cheol Ji-seon seemed to have little affection for either.
It wasn’t surprising. Ever since he learned that Jegal Eui-cheon was Shin Eui’s grandson, he had been like this.

Even though they shared the same family name, his attitude suggested there was clearly an unresolved issue.

‘They’ll sort it out themselves.’

I had no intention of involving myself further.
I was already swamped—no way did I have the time or energy to deal with their personal matters.

Sarak.

I unfolded the letter.

Inside, a few short lines were written. Each addressed the information and tasks I had requested.

-The child of the Flying Dragon Unit leader has been located and positioned as per your orders.-

It seemed they had successfully found Beomdong’s daughter.
As instructed, they had assigned personnel to keep her under surveillance.

And then.

-Suspicious activity detected from Wudang.-

‘Hmm?’

The next piece of information felt unusual.

-They appear to be secretly gathering cursed artifacts.-

‘Cursed artifacts?’

Wudang?

If Jegal Eui-cheon had written it, the information was likely accurate.
But what would Wudang want with cursed artifacts?

‘What are they planning?’

I couldn’t shake the unease. Instinctively, I knew—

‘They’re up to something.’

It was clear that Wudang was preparing for something ominous.

‘Tch, of all times, when the Shadow King is absent.’

Under normal circumstances, the quickest solution would be to send someone to infiltrate Wudang and gather information.
But considering the mess I caused there previously and the Sword Saint’s current presence in Henan, Wudang’s defenses were likely doubled, if not more.

Right now, the only person capable of slipping through their heightened vigilance was the Shadow King.

‘Even though I’ve already summoned him back, he still hasn’t returned. He must be dealing with something on his end as well.’

What to do…
After a brief moment of deliberation, my eyes lit up.

‘…There is one option.’

A method to obtain information about Wudang.
It wasn’t as reliable as using the Shadow King, but it was still a possibility.

I decided to have preparations made for this approach in the near future.

‘And finally.’

When I read the last line of the letter,

Pause—!
I froze for a moment.

“…Well, would you look at that?”

A laugh escaped my lips involuntarily.
How could it not?

The last line of Jegal Eui-cheon’s letter read:

-There is a high likelihood that the Blade King will attend the Bi-mu-je ‘in person.’ Keep a close watch.-

It was information I would have never thought possible.

And yet…

‘Things seem to be falling into place a little too smoothly lately.’

It was something I had secretly been hoping for, but not dared to expect.

   ******************
   

After finishing matters with Hwangbo Yeolwi and sending him back,
I headed to where Shin Eui resided.

Although meeting Namgung Bi-ah was part of my purpose,
the primary reason was to meet someone who had recently arrived there.

“It’s been a while.”

The man greeting me was a striking figure, a middle-aged man with sharp features and an unspoken air of menace.

I gave a small nod in response.

“Yes, it has been a while.”

This man was none other than the current Sword King,
the patriarch of the Namgung family, Namgung Jin, also known as the Azure Sky Sword King .

He was just leaving Shin Eui’s quarters, most likely after seeing Namgung Bi-ah.

“Have you been well?”

He looked at me with a faint smile that somehow grated on my nerves.

It was a smile that resembled Namgung Bi-ah’s, proving their connection as father and daughter.
But aside from that, there was something instinctively off-putting about him.

“…Yes. I trust you have been well, Patriarch.”

“You’re still as formal as ever, I see.”

“…”

What else was I supposed to call him?

Several titles came to mind, but none I could utter aloud.
If I were to name one… Lustful Bastard, maybe?
But I held my tongue, as that would be going too far.

‘The last time I saw him… it must’ve been about a year ago.’

That was when I visited the Namgung family on an errand.

I recalled the purpose of that visit.

‘Delivering a letter from the Celestial Sovereign.’

I didn’t know what was written in the letter, but I remembered handing it over before leaving.

‘…And I also made sure to handle some unnecessary issues at that time.’

Issues like Namgung Jin pestering me for Namgung Myung’s lost sword.
He had clung to me persistently, wanting to recover it.

To address that, I had made some moves in advance.

After briefly studying Namgung Jin, I spoke.

“It seems your training is progressing well.”

“It’s good to hear you say that.”

Namgung Jin smiled faintly at my words.

It wasn’t flattery. His current state was visibly different from before.

‘When I first saw him, he was halfway into the Hwagyeong realm.’

In just three or four years, Namgung Jin had fully transitioned into a complete Hwagyeong master.

He might still fall short of truly earning the title of Sword King,
but he was more than worthy of being called a powerful warrior.

‘Was that small piece of information really that helpful?’

The first hint had come from Shin Noya.
The second was something I had mentioned as a joke.

And the third was a strategy devised by the Celestial Sovereign.
I had asked for help in exchange for drafting a letter.

‘If three pieces of advice could elevate him to this level…’

It ultimately meant Namgung Jin had exceptional innate talent.
Well, considering he was Namgung Bi-ah’s father, it wasn’t too surprising.

“…It seems you were visiting your daughter?”

Namgung Bi-ah crossed my mind, prompting the question.

“Hmm, something like that. My daughter… and someone else as well.”

As he spoke, Namgung Jin’s gaze cooled, his expression darkening.

I wondered at his shift in demeanor until it hit me.

‘Ah.’

I realized who was inside.

The Hermit of Wudang, Namgung Hyung.

He was there as well.

Judging by Namgung Hyung’s current allegiance, it was no surprise the two didn’t get along.

Namgung Jin’s face briefly shifted before he regained his smile and addressed me.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering how your grandfather is doing.”

He was referring to the Celestial Sovereign.
As he had learned from the letter, the Celestial Sovereign was residing in Shanxi.

“I believe he is doing well.”

Probably.

‘Though it would be better if that weren’t common knowledge.’

Thinking about the Celestial Sovereign gave me a slight headache.

If word got out that the Three Sovereigns, considered the pinnacle of righteous sects,
had all stayed in Shanxi, what would happen?

‘It would look like a den of demons.’

It was obvious. Achieving something no sect or family could would lead to such rumors.

“…Still no intention of returning to the family, I take it?”

“That is something you’ll have to ask him directly. I wouldn’t know.”

“I’d like to, but… unfortunately, he doesn’t respond to my messages.”

After delivering that letter, the Celestial Sovereign hadn’t sent a single reply to the Namgung family.
If they sent anything to him, he either didn’t read it or returned it unopened.

‘The fact that they haven’t tried to visit him directly…’

It was likely due to some measure the Celestial Sovereign had put in place to prevent it.

“Well, if possible…”

Namgung Jin began to say something else, but I cut him off.

“Before that.”

There was something I needed to ask first.

“I heard the First Son is here as well. Where can I find him?”

The Divine Dragon, Namgung Cheonjun.

I had come here specifically to meet him.
According to Namgung Bi-ah, he had accompanied her, so I assumed he was here.

“Hmm?”

Namgung Jin replied,

“The First Son did not accompany us. He had some matters to attend to, so unfortunately, he couldn’t come to Henan.”

“…What?”

That wasn’t the answer I was expecting.

‘He didn’t come?’

Namgung Bi-ah had clearly said he would be coming.
Did he drop out midway?

‘This complicates things a bit.’

If Namgung Cheonjun had come to Henan—specifically, to where Namgung Bi-ah was—it would have violated the restrictions I had placed.
I intended to investigate how this was possible, but…

‘If Namgung Cheonjun didn’t come…’

It became a bit harder to confirm.

There was a possibility he couldn’t come due to the restrictions I had placed.
But there was also the possibility he chose not to come.

As far as I could tell, the restrictions were still intact, but there was no guarantee.

‘I’ll have to verify this.’

It seemed I would need to call Nahi to check.

‘Normally, I’d handle this myself, but…’

The Bi-mu-je was only two days away.
Trying to confirm this as well would be too much.

‘Tch.’

It was disappointing, but there was no helping it.
I decided to postpone it for now.

With that judgment, I bowed slightly to Namgung Jin.

“Thank you for your words. I will come to greet you properly another time, as it’s getting late.”

“It’s not that late… perhaps we could have a quick sparring session instead?”

Namgung Jin’s suggestion betrayed his subtle desire for some instruction.

But.

“Apologies, I already have prior commitments.”

Not a chance.

“I have plans for today, but I’ll visit you formally another time.”

Of course, I had no intention of visiting him again.

Ignoring Namgung Jin’s disappointed expression, I retreated to my quarters,
spending the rest of my time refining my training and organizing my plans for the coming days.

And just like that, two days passed.

The day of the Bi-mu-je had arrived.