Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 256 chapter – The Letter You Sent (2)

Upon seeing the awkward and rough handwriting on the letter, I found myself momentarily dumbfounded. The fact that Wi Seol-Ah had sent me a letter was surprising enough, but to think she had written it herself—this was entirely unexpected.

‘Could she even write?’

This was my first thought, and though it might seem like I was underestimating her, I had always assumed that, having lived secluded on the mountain with the Sword Sovereign, she might have been illiterate. But if that assumption was wrong, then perhaps she had learned to write just to send me this letter. If that’s the case, then this letter in my hands suddenly feels much heavier.

Rustle.

I carefully unfolded the letter, curious about what she had written. The anticipation was unbearable, but my hands moved slowly, contrary to my impatient heart.

Young Master, are you doing well? I’m doing fine.

‘Haha.’

The handwriting was indeed crooked and uneven, but there were no signs of corrections. She must have rewritten this many times before finally sending it. This was the final version she had decided on.

I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye.

Indeed. She should have at least said something before leaving. At the very least, she could have left a letter like this before she disappeared.

Were you disappointed that I left without a word?

‘Disappointed…’

Honestly, I would be a little happy if you were.

Was I disappointed? Thinking back now, I suppose I was.

Even now, I sometimes feel her absence. The mornings are quieter without Wi Seol-Ah’s loud voice waking me up, without her appearing out of nowhere to ask what I’m doing, or insisting on eating together at mealtimes.

‘Young Master, are you okay?’

Her voice, full of concern, now echoes in the empty spaces she left behind, making those gaps feel even larger.

‘It’s only been a little over a year…’

Barely a year. Yet, the memories of that short time seem so significant that I can’t help but feel their absence keenly.

I continue reading the letter slowly. There isn’t much written, just that she’s doing fine, the food where she is doesn’t taste very good, and while the scenery is beautiful, she still prefers the mountains she saw at the Gu Clan.

However…

‘She seems to be trying very hard to convince me she’s doing fine.’

Her words are filled with reassurances, as if she’s trying to make sure I don’t worry about her.

Oh, and I’ve started learning the sword from Grandfather.

‘From the Sword Sovereign?’

So she’s finally started learning? Wait, then who taught her to wield a sword back at the Gu Clan?

I had assumed the Sword Sovereign was her teacher all along.

It’s fun. Grandfather even said I’m doing well.

Of course, she would do well.

Considering what I remember from my past life, it’s only natural. Without such talent, she wouldn’t have been called the Divine Sword.

I’ve grown a lot taller too. Grandfather said I might soon be taller than him, and he seemed a bit disappointed.

Given that the Sword Sovereign isn’t very tall, it’s surprising that Wi Seol-Ah has grown so much. Is this really true?

‘I didn’t mind her being small.’

If what the letter says is true, I’ll be a little disappointed.

I’m learning a lot. Although being apart from you makes me sad, I was told this is necessary for the future.

I frowned at those words.

If she was told this was necessary, it means someone else had said it to her. Was it the Sword Sovereign who told her that?

I will learn much more. That way, I’ll be able to protect you, Young Master.

“Protect me?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the boldly written words.

“…What’s there to protect?”

Rather than protecting someone else, I wish for her to live her life for herself. In her past life, she spent her entire life protecting others. In this life, I hope it will be different.

‘And now she wants to protect me.’

It was a heavy responsibility she was placing on herself.

I miss you.

These words that followed were just as heavy.

Do you miss me, Young Master?

I find it difficult to comprehend the depth of affection you have for me.

Can I really accept such words from you? Can I truly accept the emotions you send my way? Even though you left my side, you still search for me, and that fills me with a strange, bittersweet joy. Yet, at the same time, it terrifies me.

I miss you very much.
So please wait for me.
I will definitely come to see you, Young Master.

Her emotions seemed to be deeply etched into the words, written with such care. I read the letter to the end, smiling and sighing simultaneously.

‘You’re not going to tell me to come to you, are you?’

Despite filling the letter with countless thoughts, she never mentioned for me to come to her. Only that she would come to me.

‘…It almost feels like she’s telling me not to come.’

In some ways, it seemed that way, as if she didn’t want me to come until she was ready.

Goodbye.

With those words, the letter ended. I carefully folded it and placed it inside my robe. Despite it being just a simple greeting saying that she was doing well, it was hard to see it as just that.

“…When did you bring this?” I asked.

“It was about three months after you left for the front lines.”

So it’s been a little less than a year. And no more letters since then?

“Are you planning to go?” the First Elder asked, wearing a sly grin.

“…Where are you talking about?”

“If it’s to Qinghai, the distance is considerable, but it’s not impossible.”

The First Elder had once told me about where Wi Seol-Ah was staying.

Qinghai.

It’s where Mount Kunlun, one of the Nine Great Sects, and the main house of the Zhang Clan are located.

“…”

“I find it curious that you haven’t gone yet.”

Why haven’t I gone? To be honest, there were dozens of reasons not to go. If the Sword Sovereign and Wi Seol-Ah had made their choice, what right did I have to question it?

But even with all those reasons aside, if I wanted to, I could easily come up with a justification to go. And if I didn’t have any justification, I could just ignore it and go anyway.

‘Honestly, I was thinking of stopping by after dealing with the matter in Anhui.’

If I really need to go to Shenlong Hall, I could squeeze in a visit during the remaining time. It would be tight, but not impossible if I really wanted to.

That was the plan, at least.

I will definitely come to see you, Young Master.

“…I’m not sure yet.”

Hearing my words, the First Elder looked at me with a curious expression, as if trying to read my thoughts or perhaps thinking I was pathetic. After a moment, he sighed deeply and turned his gaze to the Hao Clan’s Lord, who was sweeping the yard.

“Well, if that’s your decision, so be it.”

“Why does that make me feel uneasy?”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, are you done with your business?”

“…Yes, I suppose.”

In truth, I came here to complain, but after all that had happened, I felt resigned.

‘…As for Baezon.’

As the First Elder said, he promised to come, but it’s unlikely he’d come immediately.

‘If it comes to it, I’ll just run.’

Even if Baezon wants to see me, I can just avoid him. Although I’m not sure if I can actually avoid him if he really wants to see me.

‘Let’s not think about it now…’

Thinking about it would only be depressing, so I decided to ignore it for now.

“I’ll be leaving now.”

“Hm? Leaving already?”

“Yes, I’m supposed to meet with my father later.”

“Hm… I see, well, you should come by more leisurely next time.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

Staying here for too long would only lead to trouble, so I had no intention of staying any longer.

With a heavy heart, I bowed to the First Elder and began to walk away. Although I needed to speak with the Hao Clan’s Lord, the air around the old man was so thick with embarrassment that I decided to leave it for another time. Since he was staying at the First Elder’s place, I could always come back tomorrow or the day after.

‘Doesn’t seem like he’s planning on returning to the Hao Clan.’

Even if his identity was a secret, he was still the head of a major sect. Was it really okay for him to stay in a place like this?

‘Well, if Father allowed it, it must be fine.’

If there had been any issues or if things had gone wrong, my father would have dragged him back and dealt with him accordingly.

After casting one last glance at the old man, I resumed my walk toward the main house.

+++++++++++++++++=

After Gu Yangcheon left, the sweeping of the yard by Old Man Muk came to an abrupt halt.

Guryun was lying down on the porch, wearing a rather blank expression.

“Kids grow up fast, but he’s changed quite a bit,” remarked Old Man Muk, watching Gu Yangcheon’s departing figure.

His voice carried a strange emotion.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Guryun responded, recognizing the greed in Muk’s tone.

Along with his words, a subtle warmth filled the small abode.

“What’s this? Are you trying to intimidate an old friend who’s already weak?” Muk responded.

“You know my temper, so you should know I’m capable of it,” Guryun replied.

“Even after all these years, that temper of yours hasn’t died down.”

“Just stay a while and then go back to where you belong.”

“Your stubbornness remains unchanged.”

The affection Guryun had shown Gu Yangcheon moments before was now replaced by a sharp demeanor.

Old Man Muk knew that this was the true face of Guryun, who was known as the Flame Fist.

He also knew the true meaning behind Flame Fist’s title, so he refrained from further comments.

“I wasn’t being greedy.”

“You’re lying, and it’s obvious.”

“Well, I did wonder for a moment if he might be a good match for my daughter, but can’t you overlook that?”

“That’s exactly what I mean by greed, you damned old man. Do you even know how old your daughter is?”

“She’s past thirty, give or take?”

“My grandson already has a young, gentle, and beautiful bride, so leave him be.”

And there were quite a few choices available for him. For some reason, Gu Yangcheon had an abundance of luck with women.

“Hmph.”

Old Man Muk snorted, clearly displeased, but Guryun paid him no mind.

Turning away from Guryun, Old Man Muk looked in the direction Gu Yangcheon had gone.

His eyes were calm now, different from before.

“The fire within him is growing.”

The presence of Gu Yangcheon had grown much stronger since the last time Muk had seen him.

Was it because he was the son of a hero?

No, more than that…

“It would be more accurate to call him the son of a noble demon.”

He didn’t know how much of his mother’s bloodline Gu Yangcheon had inherited, but if it was substantial, then it was only natural.

Unfortunately, it seemed his younger sister had not inherited the same traits, but it was important that at least one of them had.

“May that flame continue to grow.”

That flame, once fully grown, would burn away the karma that plagued this land.

With this hope, Old Man Muk watched Gu Yangcheon leave, sincerely wishing for his success.

“Hah! You’ve stopped working!”

“If you don’t like it, why don’t you do it yourself!” Muk finally snapped, unable to bear Guryun’s remarks any longer, and charged at him with the broom.

+++++++++++++++++=

Somewhere in Seoan.

A middle-aged man was sweating as he climbed a steep path.

“…Damn it, this path is really something!”

Startled by the man’s outburst, birds fluttered their wings and flew away.

The middle-aged man, Choo-ong, a member of the Beggars’ Sect, reflected on how he had ended up in this situation.

“…Damn it.”

The more he thought about it, the more curses naturally escaped his lips, but there was no one around to reprimand him.

Crack.

As he stepped on a twig while walking through the forest, he remembered that it had been a year since he had been tricked by Jinryong into coming to Seoan.

‘…If only I hadn’t gone then.’

It would have been better if he hadn’t. For a year now, he had been tormented by this regret every single day. It was tiresome, but without these thoughts, he wouldn’t have been able to endure the misery of his situation.

How did he, a once-prominent member of the Beggars’ Sect, end up like this?

Choo-ong sighed deeply.

As he walked through the forest for a while, he saw a small cabin in the distance.

“…Damn it.”

Just seeing the cabin made Choo-ong tense up. He really didn’t want to go there, but he couldn’t stop his feet.

He knew that if he didn’t go, the monster inside might come out and do something terrible.

Finally, he arrived in front of the cabin.

Creak.

He opened the door and stepped inside.

Someone was already waiting for Choo-ong inside.

“…Hehe, sir, I’ve arrived.”

Despite his large frame, Choo-ong adopted a submissive attitude as soon as he saw the person sitting in the chair.

This was a survival tactic he had developed over time, although the young man in front of him didn’t seem to care.

“You’re late.”

At the sound of the man’s heavy voice, Choo-ong hurriedly approached, rubbing his palms together.

“Oh, you see… There was a lot to do, so I’m a bit late.”

The young man glanced at Choo-ong and then closed his eyes. Choo-ong briefly entertained the idea of striking the man on the head, but he quickly dismissed it.

If it were that easy to win, he would have done it already.

Unfortunately, the man in front of him wasn’t someone who could be dealt with that way.

‘…Crazy bastard, who said this guy was the weakest among the Six Dragons? I’m going to find the bastard who spread that lie and teach him a lesson.’

Remembering the year he had spent being dragged around by this man, Choo-ong knew that Bi Uijin was far from the level of a mere young master.

This guy wasn’t someone that mere children could mess with.

‘Where did this monster come from?’

If he had to compare, he would say that only Peng Woo-jin, known as the Dragon of the Peng Clan, or Geom Bong, who was now considered the top of the young masters, could match him.

‘What about Jinryong then?’

When he thought of Jinryong, Gu Yangcheon, who had sent him here, Choo-ong realized that it was hard to compare them.

In any case, they were both monsters.

Bi Uijin looked at Choo-ong and asked, “Did you deliver the letter I sent?”

“Yes, I delivered it right away.”

“And no reply yet?”

“Haha… Yes, that’s correct.”

Bi Uijin frowned, clearly displeased.

“…Hmm.”

Was something bothering him?

When Bi Uijin frowned deeply, Choo-ong’s shoulders flinched in response.

The atmosphere was tense, and Choo-ong knew that these situations usually didn’t end well for him.

But he knew there was a way out.

Before Bi Uijin could do anything, Choo-ong quickly spoke up.

“Uh, sir.”

Bi Uijin’s cold black eyes turned toward Choo-ong.

The intensity of that gaze made Choo-ong’s body stiffen, but he couldn’t stop talking.

“…I saw the young lady looking for you earlier.”

“…”

When he mentioned the youngest lady of the Bi family, Bi Uijin’s expression softened slightly.

As expected, this was the magic bullet.

For some reason, this man, who was so unpredictable and foul-tempered, was strangely soft when it came to the youngest lady.

“She probably wanted to have a meal with you…”

Before Choo-ong could finish his sentence, Bi Uijin was already on his feet.

He would likely head down to the town to find the young lady. It was a stroke of luck that Choo-ong had encountered some members of the Bi family earlier.

‘Thanks to this, I’m saved…!’

If not for that, he might have ended up hanging from a tree.

Relieved, Choo-ong watched as Bi Uijin left the cabin.

“If anything comes up, let me know immediately.”

“Oh, of course, I’ll go right away!”

“And if you run away again, you know what’ll happen.”

“Yes, sir…”

Choo-ong involuntarily shuddered as he recalled what had happened the last time he tried to escape and got caught.

“Oh, and burn this on your way down.”

As Bi Uijin passed by, he handed Choo-ong a letter.

“What’s this…?”

“I’m glad I’ll be able to see it sooner than expected.”

“What?”

Choo-ong turned around to ask what he meant, but Bi Uijin had already disappeared.

Curious, Choo-ong looked at the letter in his hand.

It read:

“Shinryonggwan admission scheduled.”

“…Huh?”

The message was completely unexpected.