Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 390



390

It was just past noon.

Gu Yang-cheon was deep in training in the cave.

Around that time Mi Hyo-ran the mistress of the Gu family and the owner of a famous trading company in the Central Plains was facing her husband.

Creak thud.

In the quiet atmosphere the sound of a watermill could be heard faintly from behind.

Three teacups were placed on the table.

From two of them a gentle steam was rising.

Mi Hyo-ran extended her white hand steadily and lifted her teacup.

After silently sipping a mouthful of tea she turned to her husband and spoke.

“Did you have a good conversation?”

Her voice was as flat as always but her expression was chillingly cold.

Knowing this Gu Cheol-woon avoided her gaze without giving a specific answer. Mi Hyo-ran added more words while observing him.

“From the looks of it you made our child’s eyes turn blue with bruises.”

“…”

“Do you have anything to say about this?”

Her calm inquiry as if she was willing to hear an excuse felt even more terrifying.

The atmosphere emitted by Mi Hyo-ran an ordinary person without any qi was unusual.

It was so intense that even though Gu Cheol-woon was subtly radiating heat the room felt cold.

Gu Cheol-woon rarely at a loss for words cleared his throat and spoke to Mi Hyo-ran.

“There was a bit of a situation.”

“Of course there had to be. If there hadn’t been it would have been a serious problem.”

“…”

What kind of serious problem could it be? Gu Cheol-woon sensed that it was definitely not a good one.

Mi Hyo-ran sighed deeply at his demeanor.

“Seeing the child’s expression it seems things went well so I won’t say much… but it’s disappointing that you made such a precious face look like that.”

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Precious face?

Gu Cheol-woon looked at Mi Hyo-ran with a strange expression.

Even though Gu Yang-cheon was her son he didn’t think of him as having a precious face.

“There was an unavoidable reason.”

It couldn’t be helped. That statement was likely true.

The energy Gu Yang-cheon was emitting at that time was close to a violent outburst disguised as qi.

Gu Cheol-woon could immediately recognize it as the same energy he had felt from the past master.

Seeing that Gu Yang-cheon was not only using two types of energy but also contained a power that could explode at any moment he had to act quickly.

He couldn’t just stand by and watch his child die.

However he didn’t feel the need to explain this in detail to Mi Hyo-ran.

Hearing this Mi Hyo-ran asked Gu Cheol-woon.

“Is there a reason you couldn’t help it?”

“…This time it truly couldn’t be helped.”

At Gu Cheol-woon’s words a wrinkle formed on Mi Hyo-ran’s beautiful forehead.

“You promised me you wouldn’t hurt him.”

“Since it was a spar it couldn’t be helped…”

“You said you were going to talk not spar. Was that conversation perhaps a physical one?”

“Cough.”

Gu Cheol-woon finally cleared his throat and took a sip of tea.

Seeing this Mi Hyo-ran felt a mix of frustration and a slight sense of relief.

She sensed that the weight Gu Cheol-woon had been carrying had lessened a bit.

‘He’s a little lighter now.’

Feeling this she was no longer angry.

That said it was still unacceptable for Mi Hyo-ran that her child had been left with bruises.

‘Where could that child have been hit?’

Yet she didn’t fully express her anger.

She refrained from voicing it because she knew that discussing it would only reflect her own guilt and fear which had kept her distant from the child.

Fortunately the women who had been ready to spring up at the sight of the child’s condition were somewhat reassuring to Mi Hyo-ran.

Their readiness to draw swords at a moment’s notice was not a bad sight in her eyes.

The woman known as Geom Mu-hee had already been engaged so Mi Hyo-ran was inclined to give her high marks.

The other women around her had varying degrees of differences.

Several women came to mind.

First and foremost the one who scored the highest was the daughter of the Moyong Clan. Was it Seol-bong?

The rumors surrounding her and her subtle manipulations behind the scenes pleased Mi Hyo-ran.

If she were an enemy it would be dangerous but Mi Hyo-ran could immediately tell that her actions would mostly benefit her son’s future.

In other words.

It might be because she resembled Mi Hyo-ran herself.

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Moreover she was the daughter of the ‘Moyong Clan.’

Among the women who had once followed Gu Cheol-woon around there had been a daughter of the Moyong Clan.

Of course she was quite different from the Moyong Hee-a that Mi Hyo-ran knew.

If she had to compare she would feel somewhat similar to her own daughter Gu Hee-bi.

‘Several women…’

Mi Hyo-ran chuckled softly at the thought that suddenly crossed her mind.

She had worried that Gu Yang-cheon was struggling but he seemed to be doing well.

His luck with women didn’t seem bad either.

However.

‘This part… he resembles his father too much.’

That was another concern.

Having too much luck with women could lead to hardships in the future.

In that regard Gu Yang-cheon seemed to have a clear path of difficulties ahead.

Gu Cheol-woon was not the type to worry about such things but Gu Yang-cheon appeared to be different.

Moreover the women he was involved with each had absurd backgrounds so all Mi Hyo-ran could do was subtly manipulate things from behind the scenes.

“…So.”

At Mi Hyo-ran’s words Gu Cheol-woon moved his head.

“Did the child seem comfortable?”

That was the most important question.

Had that child found even a little comfort?

Mi Hyo-ran looked steadily into Gu Cheol-woon’s eyes. His gaze still seemed heavy but she sensed a slight difference.

As Gu Cheol-woon accepted Mi Hyo-ran’s gaze he cautiously spoke.

“I don’t know.”

In his deep heavy voice something faintly mixed in contradicted his words.

“I still don’t know what has changed with such a small matter.”

“Did you not ask the child?”

Had things improved even a little? Did he not ask? At Mi Hyo-ran’s words Gu Cheol-woon shook his head.

“I did not ask.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know that either. But…”

Mi Hyo-ran leaned in closer to listen to Gu Cheol-woon’s words. She sensed hesitation in his demeanor.

“The third child called me ‘father’.”

“…!”

In a way it was a natural statement.

It was only natural for a child to call their father ‘father.’

However that simple statement carried multiple meanings.

Mi Hyo-ran scrutinized Gu Cheol-woon’s face.

Although there was still no change in his expression she could tell that his eyes were trembling slightly.

“…What about you?”

“I don’t know. I am still an incompetent human being who cannot understand everything.”

“…”

He did not deny it.

In Mi Hyo-ran’s eyes Gu Cheol-woon was an outstanding figure as Clan Head but as a parent he was lacking.

Of course Mi Hyo-ran was no different.

“It’s difficult.”

At Gu Cheol-woon’s softly spoken words Mi Hyo-ran nodded inwardly.

Then she looked at Gu Cheol-woon and said.

“It’s late.”

“…”

“It’s very late. Knowing that it’s difficult should have come much sooner.”

It should have come not just a little sooner but a lot sooner. Both for her and for Gu Cheol-woon.

This was Mi Hyo-ran’s regret.

If they had realized this just a bit earlier things might have been better… but they hadn’t.

That was Mi Hyo-ran’s regret.

“…So please try to understand now even if it’s late.”

“I will try.”

Gu Cheol-woon hesitated briefly before responding.

That statement would suffice for now.

Gu Cheol-woon’s promise to try was not a means of escape but was genuinely meant.

Having heard that much Mi Hyo-ran slowly rose from her seat.

If she had one wish.

– He called me ‘father.’

Just as Gu Yang-cheon had called Gu Cheol-woon ‘father.’

‘Someday.’

Someday she too…

With that thought Mi Hyo-ran closed her eyes a somewhat arrogant thought crossing her mind.

Having neatly erased her lingering feelings Mi Hyo-ran greeted her husband without him noticing and stepped out of the room.

Left alone Gu Cheol-woon closed his eyes while finishing the remaining tea.

Many thoughts flooded his mind but when gathered together they ultimately boiled down to one concern.

‘It’s difficult.’

Relationships.

The heavy burden of guilt weighed down on him too heavily.

Wasn’t this also another karma he had been avoiding?

Gu Cheol-woon thought this as he calmed himself.

– It’s late.

Like Mi Hyo-ran said it was a worry that had come far too late.

Now he needed to choose something other than difficulty.

“…”

Eventually Gu Cheol-woon carefully opened his eyes and quietly watched the door through which Mi Hyo-ran had exited.

Churrr.

He began to fill the teacups.

First he filled the cup in front of him then he started filling the cup across from him.

It was strange.

Mi Hyo-ran had already left the room.

After filling the cups Gu Cheol-woon spoke.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”

It was a sudden statement directed at the empty air almost too abrupt.

However.

Creak.

As Gu Cheol-woon’s words fell the door that Mi Hyo-ran had exited opened and someone entered.

A middle-aged man dressed in a black martial arts uniform.

Gu Cheol-woon recognized this man.

He was a well-known figure from the western region.

A martial artist known as the Clan Head of the Seogang family.

As Gu Cheol-woon acknowledged him he stood up to greet him.

However it was not a greeting directed at the Clan Head.

Gu Cheol-woon was waiting.

For the person who would come in behind him.

Seeing this the Clan Head entered with an awkward expression and carefully stepped aside.

So that someone else could enter and then the person Gu Cheol-woon had been waiting for stepped into the room passing the Clan Head.

Gu Cheol-woon examined the newcomer.

A young martial artist.

He appeared to be around the same age as Gu Cheol-woon’s child.

Perhaps just past his teenage years.

His martial arts uniform vaguely indicated that he was a member of the Bi family.

He was likely the child of the Bi Clan Head.

Thus under normal circumstances he would have first paid his respects to the Clan Head.

However Gu Cheol-woon bowed his head first to the young man.

The young man held a position much higher than the Bi Clan Head.

“I greet the Elder.”

In response to this attitude a strange emotion flickered in the young man’s eyes.

“Surprising. You haven’t even introduced yourself yet.”

“Thank you for coming despite the somewhat sudden request.”

“Oh… if you come out like this it won’t be fun to tease you.”

Originally he had intended to start with some teasing.

With a chuckle the master approached Gu Cheol-woon and plopped down on the seat across from him.

“It’s been a while Gu Clan Head. It’s hard to count how long it’s been. By the way let me reintroduce myself.”

Lifting the pre-poured teacup the master spoke.

“I am Master Bi-ju. And…”

The master’s gaze turned to Gu Cheol-woon who had already been looking at him.

“I am your son’s teacher.”

As soon as the words were spoken a heavy atmosphere began to envelop the room.