Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 738

The day of the Round of Sixteen began.

The number of people gathered in the waiting room was noticeably smaller compared to the first day.

On the final day of the preliminaries, even non-participants had been allowed to come and go briefly, but from the Round of Sixteen onward, that was no longer permitted.

Thanks to that, the waiting room felt much more spacious.

‘The weather’s nice.’

Looking up at the sky, today felt particularly clear.

Not a single cloud marred the view, making it an especially sunny day.

If one were in the mood, it would’ve been the perfect weather for a picnic.

While taking in the weather, I subtly shifted my gaze to observe my surroundings.

Contrary to the bright day, the atmosphere in the room was grim and oppressive.

It was all because of the overwhelming aura emitted by the martial artists.

‘Ugh.’

I let out a quiet sigh.

Despite the clear sky, this place alone felt dark and heavy.

The tension and vigilance mixed into the air transformed the energy into something rough and stifling.

The reason, as already mentioned, was the martial artists.

Though, calling it the martial artists as a group felt somewhat inaccurate.

‘That guy’s a mess.’

The oppressive energy was mostly emanating from one middle-aged man sitting apart from the others—the Blade King.

The pressure was so intense that it seemed to weigh down the entire room.

The Blade King was radiating an immense killing intent in every direction.

At first, I thought he was just showing off like before, but...

‘This time, it’s real.’

Unlike the last time, his energy felt entirely different.

This was pure emotion—his fluctuating aura amplified by his feelings.

The Blade King sat still with his eyes closed.

From him, I could sense a murderous rage.

I wondered why he was so angry, though the reason was obvious.

‘…Because the old man beat him up.’

Although the match between me and Yu Yeon had somewhat overshadowed it, the fight between the Twin Dragon and the Blade King remained a hot topic.

The incident where one of the younger generation, the Twin Dragon, had thrashed the Blade King and forced him to forfeit still stirred discussions.

Because of that, the Blade King became the subject of countless rumors.

Claims ranged from him being unworthy of his title to suggestions that he was an incompetent leader hiding behind the clan’s reputation.

Well, the second one wasn’t exactly wrong, so I could let that one slide.

Anyway.

‘Thanks to that, their trade connections started fleeing one by one.’

More than half the support flowing into the Blade King’s faction had dried up, and those in Zhongyuan began pointing fingers at him.

Given the circumstances, it was understandable that he had fallen into such a miserable state, but...

‘He’s too old to be throwing tantrums.’

If he was that frustrated, he could’ve just stayed home instead of showing up and posturing like this.

Tsk, tsk.

I clicked my tongue and lightly waved my hand.

Whoosh—!

A wave of Qi dispersed into the air, unraveling the tangled energy in the room.

Whoosh—!

As the Blade King’s killing intent weakened slightly, sighs of relief echoed around the room.

I thought things might finally settle down, but—

“…What do you think you’re doing?”

A heavy voice rang out from across the room.

It was the Blade King, the source of the oppressive energy.

“What do you mean?”

I replied, knowing he was addressing me.

The Blade King opened his eyes and stared at me.

His gaze was sharp.

His already menacing expression made him look even more terrifying.

“…How dare you tamper with my Qi….”

Was he annoyed?

The Blade King slowly rose from his seat.

With a sharp exhale—whoosh!—the intensity of his aura increased.

“Hm.”

What the hell?

Had he completely lost it?

I knew he wasn’t in great shape, but the way he was approaching me made it seem like he was actually planning to fight.

If he caused a disturbance here, he’d be disqualified.

Was he seriously insane?

While I stared at him in disbelief, the other martial artists were also eyeing him warily.

Srrrk.

I heard a faint sound beside me.

Tang So-yeol was gripping something inside her sleeve.

A dagger, perhaps?

‘Don’t.’

I immediately grabbed her wrist.

I understood her intentions, but acting now would only put her at a disadvantage.

So what should I do?

Should I get up and block him somehow?

Just as I was debating, tilting my head in thought—

“Lord.”

Someone placed a hand on the Blade King’s shoulder.

It was Peng Woojin.

“Please calm down. There are too many eyes—”

Slap!

A sharp sound froze the room.

The Blade King had slapped Peng Woojin across the face.

Peng Woojin’s head snapped to the side.

I could see blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Even you dare look down on me? Is that it? Have you grown so ambitious now that you’re set to inherit this position?”

“...”

Peng Woojin wiped the blood from his lips.

Judging by how red his cheek was getting, he must have been hit pretty hard.

“Don’t get cocky just because you have a bit of talent. I’m the Lord. Don’t forget your place.”

Wow.

What an absolute disgrace.

His shattered pride and overwhelming inferiority complex were practically radiating off him.

It was astonishing how someone could be so pathetic.

Even more.

‘I can sense demonic deviation.’

Traces of demonic deviation could be felt in the Blade King.

It was faint for now, but if left unchecked, it could devour his entire body.

‘Getting beaten by Paejon must’ve been hard on him.’

If it had actually been Paejon, he probably wouldn’t have ended up like this. But thinking it was the Twin Dragon who beat him seemed to have pushed him over the edge.

Pathetic.

As I stared at the Blade King with such thoughts—

Peng Woojin, who had been slapped earlier, smiled faintly.

Seeing that made me frown instinctively.

“I’ll keep that in mind. However, I think it would be best if you held back for now.”

Everyone in the room was watching the Blade King.

No matter how unhinged he seemed, he wasn’t so far gone that he didn’t notice.

“…Tsk.”

The Blade King glanced around after hearing Peng Woojin’s words, then fixed his eyes on me and muttered.

“You were lucky, brat. Don’t expect a next time.”

“...”

With that, he turned around and left.

‘Wow.’

I couldn’t help but grimace.

What kind of third-rate villain line was that?

‘I think this is the first time I’ve actually heard something like that.’

Maybe I’d heard it before, but if I did, I probably killed the person before they could finish saying it.

“Ugh….”

The cringe made my skin crawl.

I rubbed my arms to shake off the feeling.

How embarrassing.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

I barely managed to suppress my growing irritation.

Was this what demonic deviation and a broken ego looked like?

I resolved then and there never to grow old like that.

And then—

‘Looks like their household’s a mess too.’

The reason I frowned when I looked at Peng Woojin.

The moment the Blade King slapped him, I saw killing intent in Peng Woojin’s eyes.

Not anger—killing intent.

I didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed like things weren’t looking good in that household either.

‘Hmm.’

Not that it was my problem.

‘They can deal with it themselves.’

I had enough problems with my own family without worrying about someone else’s.

Turning away from the Blade King, I spoke to the others beside me.

“Relax a little. Looks like nothing’s going to happen.”

At my words, Tang So-yeol finally released the tension in her shoulders.

Clang.

Meanwhile, Yung Pung, who had been sitting to my left, adjusted his sword.

Tang So-yeol’s reaction was understandable, but what was Yung Pung’s deal?

“…Were you planning to fight him? Why are you holding your sword like that?”

I asked in disbelief, and Yung Pung gave a sheepish smile.

“Haha. It wasn’t intentional… I just tensed up a little.”

Yeah, right.

I saw how ready he was to draw his sword if the Blade King had come even a step closer.

I appreciated the sentiment, but it felt like overkill.

‘You’ve got a match coming up. Don’t waste your energy on something like this.’

Especially not on something so pointless.

Even as I turned away, I cast one more glance at the Blade King.

‘A king, huh?’

The Six Seats.

Titles passed down based on influence.

Martial artists ranked just below the Ten Masters but still considered at the upper levels of Hwagyeong.

‘…Influence, huh.’

The weight carried by such titles and the focus on status rather than martial ability felt strangely out of place.

If handled correctly—

‘This could be useful.’

Not the Blade King himself. A useless guy like that wasn’t worth using.

But the weight carried by titles like ‘King’ or ‘Queen’—those could be useful.

‘How do I make use of it?’

I pondered the idea.

I had to grab hold of thoughts like this when they came, as they often led to good outcomes.

But before I could delve deeper—

“Contestants, please prepare yourselves!”

A voice called out from the entrance, forcing me to click my tongue.

So much for brainstorming.

“Contestants Gu Yangcheon and Yung Pung of Mount Hua, please come forward!”

I was up first.

“It’s our turn.”

Yung Pung stood up immediately upon hearing the announcement.

“Let’s have a good match.”

He flashed his usual smile as he spoke.

I looked at his face for a moment before nodding.

‘Right.’

For now, I needed to focus on the opponent in front of me.

Not just because of what Yung Pung said—

‘I’ve got my own business with him too.’

I also had my own reason to face him.

Or more accurately—

‘That energy.’

The familiar energy I could sense within Yung Pung.

That was what I had business with.

 
   ******************
   

The biggest change leading into the Round of Sixteen was, without a doubt, the arena itself.

It seemed preparations had been made in advance, as the stage was noticeably different from the preliminaries.

It wasn’t just sturdier—most of all—

‘It’s bigger.’

The arena had nearly doubled in size.

This was likely the reason why they gave us a few days off between matches.

Originally, it had been much farther from the audience seating.

But now, with the expanded arena, the boundaries had been pushed closer.

Tap, tap.

I tapped the ground lightly with my toes.

Even that was enough to tell—

‘It’s solid.’

The material was far tougher than what we used in the preliminaries.

It seemed they mixed in even more The Everlasting Cold Iron this time.

‘At this level…’

It won’t break easily.

While I was nodding to myself, roughly gauging the stage’s durability—

—“It’s the So Yeomra!”

—“Waaaah—!!”

Cheers erupted from the audience.

I looked up to see countless people waving at me.

—“Waaaaah—!!”

—“So Yeomra!”

“…Hmm….”

The overwhelming noise and the still unfamiliar nickname made me uneasy.

I was used to resentment and criticism, not reactions like this.

—“You can do it!”

—“You’re amazing!”

—“So hand— I mean, cool!”

What was that? Why change mid-sentence?

‘…Good grief.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Should I wave back?

No, that’d be too much.

Instead, I clenched my fist lightly.

It was hard to know how to respond.

Even if this was a situation I had created out of necessity, it still felt strange.

This kind of praise and attention—

It always felt like something I didn’t deserve.

“You seem embarrassed.”

The voice came from Yung Pung, standing across from me.

He must’ve caught on to my reaction.

Hearing that, I scratched my neck.

“…Not really.”

“It’s fine. Actually… isn’t it about time you received this kind of attention?”

I tilted my head slightly at Yung Pung’s words.

“What do you mean?”

In response to my question, Yung Pung glanced at the audience.

The excitement from the stands still hadn’t died down.

“It’s something I’ve thought about before. With your skills, Young Master Gu, you should have received this kind of attention long ago.”

“…You’re exaggerating.”

“Not at all. If anything, I find it more surprising. Even after rising so high, you’ve remained humble. It’s something many people admire.”

“...”

I feel sick.

How far was he planning to polish my image?

If he kept going, I might not be able to hold my expression together.

Just as I thought I’d have to plug my ears, thankfully, Yung Pung changed the subject.

“I also wanted to take this moment to thank you again.”

Thank me?

That was sudden.

“For what?”

“For back then. If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably still be looking at the sky from inside my well.”

Ah.

So he meant when we met at Mount Hua.

“The world outside the well is vast. I’ve encountered countless people—many of whom I couldn’t even imagine before.”

The Prodigy of Mount Hua.

A talent with the sword, hailed as the most gifted among the younger generation.

Yung Pung had been praised that way his entire life.

In the previous timeline, though, that talent had withered inside the well.

‘But he’s not wrong.’

I didn’t deny it.

When it came to swordsmanship alone, Yung Pung’s talent was undeniable.

Of course, there were those like Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah who were equal to or perhaps even better than him.

“Whenever I faced such people, I always thought back to the moment I met you.”

“…Thinking about me like that is kind of creepy.”

“Haha… My apologies. But I truly mean it.”

It felt even creepier because he was being sincere, but I chose not to say it out loud.

“In those moments, I would remind myself—I’m lucky I met you first.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Whenever I felt even the slightest arrogance creeping in, thinking of you crushed it instantly. It reminded me to know my place.”

"..."

Hearing those words, I swallowed dryly.

Wasn’t that more of a bad thing than a good one?

Did I hit him too hard back then? No, that couldn’t be. I wasn’t even at my peak at the time.

How badly could I have beaten him?

“Thank you again. I was able to make it this far thanks to you, Young Master Gu.”

“…Uh… yeah… sure….”

Thanking me for beating him up—it was hard to know how to respond to that.

Scratching my cheek awkwardly, I looked at Yung Pung and asked,

“So, Sword Dragon.”

“Yes?”

“How about now?”

“…Pardon?”

I was simply curious.

“Do you think you can win this time?”

“...”

Back then, I’d stood as an unshakable wall.

What about now?

As I asked, Yung Pung fell silent for a moment.

The referee seemed nervous, but I ignored him.

After a brief pause, Yung Pung finally answered,

“I don’t know.”

His reply was ambiguous.

“But—”

Shing.

At that moment, he drew his sword.

“I’ve always been thinking about reclaiming my Hero Sword from you.”

I smirked at the sharp blade reflecting in the light.

Back when I first visited Mount Hua, Yung Pung had entrusted me with something before we parted.

He’d said I should return it when we met again.

But we both knew what he really meant.

Not just meeting again,

But—

‘A satisfying match.’

Or giving it back only if he could defeat me.

Both of us had understood that from the start.

And my answer, both then and now, hadn’t changed.

“Yung Pung, that’s not going to happen.”

Crack.

Loosening my grip, I added,

“You’ll never get that Hero Sword back.”

I would always remain his wall—let’s see if he could climb over it.

That was my answer then, and it was my answer now.

As we got into position, the referee raised his hand, ready to begin.

Ssshhk.

“The Sixteen Rounds of the Divine Dragon Martial Tournament….”

The crowd fell silent as the referee’s voice rang out.

All eyes focused entirely on the match.

“Gu Yangcheon of Shanxi versus Yung Pung of Mount Hua… Begin!”

At the referee’s declaration—

Whoosh—!!!

Blossoms burst into bloom around Yung Pung.

There was no hesitation.

The petals spread out, thicker and more vibrant than before, filling the air.

It was incomparable to what I had seen back then.

He’d definitely grown stronger.

As I stared at the petals, caught up in a strange feeling—

‘Huh?’

Through the swirling petals, I focused on Yung Pung.

Amid the ever-blooming and falling blossoms, I glimpsed him.

But—

‘…What is that?’

Something was off.

‘What’s going on?’

Each time the petals brushed past, Yung Pung’s appearance seemed to shift.

He looked taller at one moment, then his clothes appeared to change.

What was this?

‘Is it an illusion formation or some kind of illusion art?’

It didn’t seem like he was actually changing.

It felt more like it was just my eyes playing tricks on me…

As I narrowed my eyes and tried to analyze the situation—

“…!”

I opened my eyes wide in shock.

His face was changing.

Yung Pung’s face was literally transforming.

Wrinkles appeared, and his facial structure began to shift.

For a second, I thought he had aged into an old man.

But that wasn’t it.

He looked fierce—completely different from the gentle Yung Pung I knew.

Sharp, vicious eyes and hardened features.

Just one look, and I could tell he was a harsh, foul-mouthed man.

And yet, the face was familiar.

I hadn’t seen it many times, but I’d crossed paths with him once before.

The kind of man who would click his tongue and call me a bastard without hesitation.

The moment I recognized that face—

Whoosh—!

Boom—!

“Kuhk!?”

Before I knew it, my fist shot out.

Yung Pung took the hit square in the face and rolled across the floor.

“…Oh.”

He tumbled and skidded along the ground.

I must’ve hit him pretty hard—there was blood left behind in his wake.

And that’s when it hit me.

 “...Oops.”
   

I made a mistake in controlling my strength.