Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 404 (Part 2)



404 (Part 2)

“What’s strange?”

“He’s strangely calm.”

The Dark King soon thinks of Gu Yang-cheon.

The Master may not know but Gu Yang-cheon is a young man who has already caught the Dark King’s interest.

A person with a talent that could go down in history?

Such things do not particularly intrigue the Dark King.

The reason the Dark King is interested in Gu Yang-cheon is that he possesses something both similar and different to himself.

Moreover he might hold the key to unraveling the curse of the love song that binds the Dark King.

Above all.

‘Taecheon is interested.’

The being the Dark King has been pursuing so fervently is showing interest in Gu Yang-cheon and he is certain of it.

That’s not all.

The reason the Dark King tells the Master that Gu Yang-cheon is strange is none other than this.

‘He doesn’t change at all.’

Around the time he was about to die three times in his hands.

What Gu Yang-cheon did was surprisingly attempt to grasp the Dark King.

Up to this point it could be understood.

It was said that the training would end the moment he caught the Dark King so that must have been the reason.

However.

‘He tried until the end.’

Until the sun rose and the training ended Gu Yang-cheon continuously attempted to grasp the Dark King.

If one were to ask what the problem was.

During the near ten deaths he faced.

From beginning to end Gu Yang-cheon showed no fear of death whatsoever.

The Dark King could feel it.

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Gu Yang-cheon was making every effort to sense the Dark King’s presence.

He kept trying to grasp him showing no signs of fear or fatigue at all.

Ordinary people would typically be terrified or beg for their lives in such a situation.

No matter how many times they died and came back to life.

Gu Yang-cheon’s attitude was something that could not be easily dismissed.

Even the Dark King known as the King of Assassins.

It was strange.

Though martial artists have a higher threshold for endurance.

Gu Yang-cheon felt somewhat different.

He was completely unshaken by death and pain. To an abnormal degree.

‘And.’

The Dark King’s gaze which had been on Gu Yang-cheon turns to the Master.

“You already knew didn’t you?”

“Um?”

The Master looks at the Dark King as if to ask what he means.

But the Dark King was already convinced.

The Master must know all about Gu Yang-cheon’s strangeness.

‘Is that why you asked me for help?’

If the Master truly knows that his disciple is in such a state does that mean he judged that it was fine for him to undergo such training?

If that is indeed the case.

‘You are still quite something.’

In terms of achieving martial arts the Master was also not within the normal range.

A teacher who entrusted his disciple to the Dark King’s hands and adopted such a cruel training method from the beginning.

And a disciple who instead of questioning it calmly endures and seeks a breakthrough.

To the Dark King both were strange individuals.

Thinking this the Dark King turned his gaze from the Master to the wine cup.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Whatever their circumstances it was of no concern to the Dark King.

Just as they had their objectives the Dark King only needed to achieve his own.

This was no different from an act done simply because he had been asked.

Having thought this far the Dark King spoke to the Master.

“Just don’t forget about the request.”

“Don’t worry I won’t forget.”

The Master replied to the Dark King as if he were tired and then stood up.

There was little wine left and having watched the situation all night he needed to go train himself.

“Oh right.”

Just before leaving the Master looked at the Dark King and asked.

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“How long do you think it will take? Until that child succeeds.”

“…”

At the Master’s question the Dark King looked at him with a strange expression.

How long would it take until Gu Yang-cheon reached him?

The Dark King seemed to ponder for a moment before answering.

“At this rate it’s impossible.”

He replied in an extremely firm voice.

“That’s quite definitive.”

“It would be faster to find another way.”

Though it might be judged as just a day.

With Gu Yang-cheon’s method even if he died and revived he would not be able to reach the Dark King.

The Master might have had some intention behind preparing such training but at least from the Dark King’s perspective that was how it seemed.

However despite the Dark King’s firm denial the Master merely smiled.

The Dark King did not like that smile of the Master.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly which was the epitome of his expressionless face.

Whenever the Master wore such a smile it usually meant that an unexpected incident was about to occur.

“Well that aside. I hope for your continued support.”

“…”

The Dark King then ignored the Master’s words and vanished.

Seeing that the Master also moved on.

As he walked he thought.

‘Impossible.’

The Dark King said it was impossible for Gu Yang-cheon to reach him but the Master thought a little differently.

‘I don’t think it will be that simple.’

Though he hadn’t seen much of him he was a child who always showed more than he expected.

Wouldn’t this time be no different? The Master held onto such expectations.

******************

Time approached noon from morning.

Just before the carriage was about to depart again I was training after hastily having breakfast.

Though I was still tired from the chaos of the night I couldn’t afford to skip training.

Thud.

In the midst of this I decided to take a short break upon hearing the news that Pae Woo-cheol had arrived.

I set down the massive rock I was holding and asked Pae Woo-cheol.

“Who has arrived?”

“They say someone from the Moyong Clan has arrived.”

“Oh has it finally come?”

Hearing that I nodded.

It seemed that Moyong Hee-ah had arrived.

They had said they would join us in a few days but had they really arrived in just one day?

As I thought I should go see them since it had been a while.

“Ugh….”

I saw Cheol Ji-seon lying on the ground exhaling tired breaths.

Pae Woo-cheol looked at me with a strange expression and asked.

“Uh… how did Ji-seon Hyung-nim end up like this…?”

“I just thought he looked too weak so I figured I’d make him train a bit and look at him now. Tsk tsk a man should not be this weak.”

“Ah yes….”

“If you’re going to train you might as well do it here. You can train with him.”

At my words Pae Woo-cheol glanced somewhere. There he saw.

Huff-! Huff!

There was Woo-hyuk moving tirelessly while holding a rock slightly smaller than the one I had.

Even though he was sweating profusely he moved steadily as if he had no intention of resting.

That sight looked cool perhaps because of his handsome face.

I on the other hand looked like a drenched rat. Life is so unfair.

He was even training hard; aside from the fact that he was a Daoist who ate meat and had a troublesome personality he lacked nothing. Ah those two things might be huge drawbacks.

But then again he had a fiancée so it probably didn’t matter much.

Even if I looked for flaws his appearance would likely cover them up. I really found it disgustingly annoying.

“Damn it.”

“What?”

“That wasn’t directed at you. So can I go now?”

“Ah yes… but….”

Pae Woo-cheol had a look that suggested he had more to say.

“Besides Miss Moyong it seems another person has arrived.”

“Another person? Who?”

I tilted my head at Pae Woo-cheol’s words.

Who else besides Moyong Hee-ah had come?

From the tone of Pae Woo-cheol it didn’t seem like a servant so could it be Baek Cheon-gyeom?

‘No that guy no matter how reckless he is wouldn’t come all the way here.’

I judged that a clan head of a prestigious family wouldn’t have followed his daughter this far.

Of course… given that guy’s personality I couldn’t be entirely sure.

As I looked at Pae Woo-cheol with a slightly worried expression.

Pae Woo-cheol revealed the identity of the unexpected guest.

Ah thankfully it wasn’t Baek Cheon-gyeom.

It was just someone even more unexpected.

“Senior Baek Ryeon-gyeom has come.”

“Uh…?”

I had to wear a dumbfounded expression at the unexpected name that popped out of Pae Woo-cheol’s mouth.

…Why is that lady’s alias coming up here?