Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 373 (Part 1)



373 (Part 1)

“Long time no see.”

Seeing the Dark King greet him Gu Ryun frowned.

“So the guy I haven’t seen in over a decade finally shows his face.”

“You seem to be doing well Gu Ryun.”

“Does this look like I’m doing well to you?”

Gu Ryun pulled aside his martial arts uniform to reveal his chest.

There was a deep scar that had not yet faded.

It was a wound from his battle with the Head of the Black Night Palace.

After seeing that the cave fell silent for a moment…

Pfft.

It seemed that the Master of the Sword couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. Quite loudly too.

“Hahaha! Hahaha!”

“Is it funny that a person got hurt?”

“Hahaha…!”

Was it really that amusing? Tears were forming in the corners of the Master’s eyes.

“Gu Ryun has a hole in his body. Well done.”

“I just… let my guard down.”

“Wasn’t it you who said that letting your guard down is just an excuse for the defeated?”

“…”

Did I say that? Gu Ryun couldn’t remember but he thought it was something he might have said so he had to keep his mouth shut.

After a while of chuckling the Master of the Sword spoke to Gu Ryun.

“Who was your opponent?”

“Why are you planning to take revenge if you find out?”

“You’re talking nonsense. Do I look like someone who would do something so bothersome?”

“Truly you have no sense of friendship at all.”

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Gu Ryun spat out in disbelief and the Master took a sip of his drink.

He kept gulping down the alcohol as if he were thirsty.

The Master then asked Gu Ryun.

“How badly is your body damaged?”

“…”

It was a sudden question.

Shhh.

Gu Ryun didn’t answer the Master’s question.

He simply poured himself another drink in silence.

“It’s fine. I’m mostly okay.”

“Of course you’re okay. You’re walking around with a hole in your chest.”

“…”

“You seem to be getting old Gu Ryun.”

“Such things can be seen at a glance.”

“Not necessarily.”

The Master chuckled as he spoke. Gu Ryun sighed deeply at those words.

“If you want I can contact the Divine One for you.”

“I’ve already met him.”

“Hmm? You’ve met him?”

The Master’s eyes widened in surprise at Gu Ryun’s words. He met the Divine One?

He must be a hard person to find…

“Who do you think fixed my chest?”

“…Ha was it that old man?”

Noticing that the Dark King’s cup was empty the Master poured him more alcohol.

Yet he continued to engage Gu Ryun in conversation.

“What did the Divine One say?”

“What words are needed? He is the master of aging.”

“Do the people of your clan know what happened to you?”

“The Clan Head probably knows.”

Chuckle.

Gu Ryun laughed as if it didn’t matter.

“It’s not that important. As long as I can eat and relieve myself what significance does it hold?”

“You’re doing quite well then. It’s a wonder where that old Gu Ryun went.”

“When are you talking about?”

Gu Ryun clicked his tongue as if to say not to bring it up and the Master just smiled.

“Is it only time that can bring down a mountain?”

“Stop with the nonsense and pour me some more drink.”

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In response the Master poured more alcohol into Gu Ryun’s cup.

After downing the drink filled to the brim Gu Ryun asked.

“Is what you were doing going well?”

“What?”

“The search for a disciple.”

“Oh that.”

“Ugh tsk tsk. Just live as you are. Why bother with that nonsense?”

It was frustrating for both of them to see each other like this.

Gu Ryun found the Master frustrating. It would have been easier if he had just lived comfortably as he was.

Yet his friend insisted on seeing the end of martial arts even going so far as to attempt the Half-Reversal.

Even if he attempted the Half-Reversal and found no answers he should have given up.

In the meantime it was truly remarkable how he was still trying to find a disciple to see the end of his martial arts.

“Bijoo. Don’t you still realize how terrible your martial arts are for others to learn?”

When the skill is manifested it brings extreme pain.

It was hard to understand how it was created.

Pain ultimately leads to hesitation.

No matter how much intention is embedded in it.

Understanding it and enduring while practicing is a different story.

“What kind of madman in this world would endure that to learn martial arts?”

“Tsk if you can’t endure something like this what can you do?”

“You’d be hard-pressed to find a madman like you anywhere in the Central Plains.”

Gu Ryun was confident.

He acknowledged the Master’s skill and the value of his martial arts.

But it would be difficult to find someone with the talent and patience needed to learn it.

The Tua Pa Cheon Mu is not only about pain but is an incredibly difficult martial art that even the Master created but could not reach the extreme himself.

It’s a matter of talent and patience.

A person who can endure the pain felt during training?

‘Where in the world would such a person exist?’

Gu Ryun was convinced not just sure.

That’s why he only hoped for the Master’s teachings for his beloved Gu Yang Cheon.

He hadn’t asked to be accepted as a disciple.

‘Why would I make a precious child learn such martial arts?’

Although Gu Yang Cheon had already learned the bloodline martial arts called Gu Yeon Hwa Ryun Gong.

Bijoo this madman would tear it away and insert his own martial arts if he wanted.

“Maybe it’s time to give up and look for another way…”

“Actually I just took in a disciple.”

“…What?”

Gu Ryun’s eyes widened at the Master’s words.

He took in a disciple?

“You took in a disciple?”

“Hmm? Why are you so surprised?”

“What kind of madman would become your disciple?”

“…Gu Ryun it seems you’re misunderstanding something. I’m quite decent.”

The pinnacle of the martial arts world the Three Great Masters.

That was the value the Master held but to Gu Ryun it felt like crawling down a hellish road.

The Master was rather taken aback by Gu Ryun’s shocking expression.

“Didn’t you think it would come to this anyway?”

“What do you mean? What have I done?”

The Master couldn’t understand Gu Ryun at all.

It felt like their conversation was going off track.

“That is…”

“Wait a moment.”

Just as the Master was about to ask something about Gu Yang Cheon Gu Ryun raised his hand to stop him.

“What’s wrong?”

He asked as if something was the matter but Gu Ryun’s expression was extremely serious.

As if he were in shock unable to believe it.

“…Hey where did all the side dishes go?”

“…!”

At Gu Ryun’s words the Master quickly glanced towards the side dishes.

Then he saw that the food they had painstakingly brought was nearly gone.

“Hmm?”

At Gu Ryun’s words the Dark King looked at him as if to ask what was wrong.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why do you ask? Did this madman eat it all by himself? Where did he sell his sense of decency?”

“Then why didn’t you eat it?”

At the Dark King’s words both Gu Ryun and the Master looked at him in disbelief.

“Why is this guy’s appetite not diminishing despite his age?”

“…Oh what a pain. I brought it all with my old body and I couldn’t even eat a bite.”

Even with their words the Dark King simply took another bite of the remaining food.

“…Enough. I’ve seen him do this more than once.”

Gu Ryun sighed and took another drink.

The Master then asked the Dark King.

“Have you made any progress on your side?”

At his words the Dark King raised his head.

“In the past decade or so have you found what you were looking for?”

Each had their own desires during that time.

Since their goals were different the paths they took were also different.

After a brief silence in response to the Master’s question the Dark King answered in a calm voice.

“I haven’t found the complete thing but it seems I’ve discovered a path.”

“That’s quite fortunate.”

The Master had a vague idea of what the Dark King was dreaming of.

“What do you plan to do about the one who attacked Henan?”

It was a question about the treatment of the Black Dragon Sword.

“That guy. Is he related to you?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You wouldn’t have moved unless you caught a whiff of something.”

The Dark King did not answer.

But the two could only vaguely guess from his expression.

“Are you planning to take him to the main force?”

“If necessary.”

The main force the Master referred to was the Dark King’s residence and the headquarters of the Night Assassins.

“Is he someone who would break under torture?”

“I don’t know. We’ll find out when we try.”

The Master nodded at the simple words.

It was true. Usually people tend to talk when they are beaten.

Either they talk.

Or they die before they can.

“Rumor has it he was locked up in the prison of the Alliance.”

“I’ll take him to Sichuan first.”

“Sichuan…?”

At those words something came to the Master’s mind.

The implication of sending him to Sichuan which is far from the Alliance.

“Are you planning to use the Tang Clan?”

He suspected a connection with the Tang Clan the defeated faction in Sichuan.

Now they were referred to as the Four Great Families of the orthodox sects but those who knew the essence understood.

How dark and cruel the Tang Clan truly was.

“It will take a long time to head to Sichuan. Why aren’t you using any tricks?”

“Tricks?”

“I thought you wouldn’t want to wait and would take him back to the main force.”

If the Master knew the Dark King he would have been more than capable of doing that.

It was something the Dark King specialized in doing it without anyone noticing.

The Dark King nodded at the Master’s words.

“I originally intended to do that.”

As expected the Dark King seemed to have been thinking that way.

“It has become unnecessary. I have business in Sichuan so it would be better to go together.”

“Business? You have business in Sichuan?”

“Indeed.”

“…You too?”

As the Master spoke in confusion the Dark King tilted his head.