Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 413 (Part 1)



413 (Part 1)

Even with the arrival of summer my day didn’t change much.

If a little heat could change things that would be even stranger.

I simply felt that time was flowing as the weather changed.

“Hah.”

After finishing a grueling training session I took a moment to rest.

With my slightly heated body I stared straight ahead.

Unlike me who was resting the front was filled with heat.

It was the heat generated by the martial artists emitting their qi.

Clang-! Clang-clang-!

Rough sounds echoed continuously.

The air was thick with a mix of qi.

If you were to ask where this sound was coming from it was the sound of Namgung Bia and Jang-ryong engaged in a fierce duel.

If you’re wondering why the two were suddenly sparring.

It had become a trend since the day the White Lotus Sword caused a stir.

I was watching it with interest.

‘This is a first.’

The duel between the two.

Jang-ryong and Namgung Bia.

Geniuses who would have never crossed paths in their past lives.

By the time Namgung Bia properly appeared in the Central Plains Jang-ryong had already passed away.

It was simply fascinating that these two were now dueling right in front of me.

Moreover.

‘It’s quite intense.’

The duel between the two was extremely fierce.

The previous duel with the White Lotus Sword was similar but this felt different.

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The similarity in their levels was evident.

Both were at the peak of their mastery.

Though they were lacking to cross the wall to the next realm they were certainly not weak enough to be pushed around anywhere.

Clang-! The blades clashed sending sparks into the air.

The traces left by the enhanced qi on the swords were also clear.

Not to mention.

‘They’re fast.’

Both were focusing on speed in their swordplay and their physical speed as well as their judgment was remarkable.

My gaze turned to Jang-ryong.

Even if I didn’t know much about Jang-ryong’s martial arts one thing was clear.

‘His movements are quite rough.’

There was a roughness that made it hard to call him a master.

Is this how all the Wudang practitioners are?

‘Not at all.’

That guy is the odd one out.

That much was certain.

Compared to other masters from different sects he felt distinctly different.

For example just looking at the sword dragon known as Yeongpung you could tell.

The Plum Blossom Swordsmanship itself is said to be too rough to be used as a proper sword style.

Yet Yeongpung had a cleanliness that was closest to the basics.

You could say it was faithful to the fundamentals.

In contrast Woo-hyuk was.

‘He’s insane.’

He moved freely possessing only the framework of the ‘wave’ that the Wudang sought.

Countless people must have given Woo-hyuk the alias Jang-ryong for this very reason.

Such movements are impossible without being a genius.

Breaking away from the swordsmanship of Wudang he constructs his own path while moving without any issues?

An ordinary martial artist would live their life focusing all their concentration to not be consumed by the framework of martial arts.

But Jang-ryong was the opposite hence he was called a genius.

And this was true for his opponent Namgung Bia as well.

Crackling-! Thunderous energy continuously poured out from Namgung Bia’s body.

Seeing that I couldn’t help but chuckle in disbelief.

‘She’s grown again.’

The number of thunderous energies being emitted had increased.

This meant that Namgung Bia’s qi had also increased.

Or is she secretly taking some elixir? Why does it seem to grow every time I see her?

‘Even her control ability…’

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The unnecessary movements of the thunderous energy had decreased.

This meant that Namgung Bia was becoming more accustomed to controlling it and furthermore.

‘The weight of the Emperor’s Sword form has also increased.’

Her sense of using the Namgung Clan’s secret techniques had grown as well.

Namgung Bia truly was.

“Day by day…”

“Isn’t she pretty?”

“Pretty!?”

As I suddenly turned my head at the voice that interrupted there was the White Lotus Sword smiling at me.

“Ah!”

I jumped back in surprise creating some distance.

Seeing my reaction the White Lotus Sword made a wounded expression.

“…Look at you? Reacting as if you saw a bug?”

“What do you expect when you pop up out of nowhere…! You startled me.”

“Then I’m your guard so should I just walk around like this? I should be quiet.”

“Why would you act like that even to the person you’re guarding?”

“There’s a saying that to deceive the enemy you must first deceive your allies.”

With the White Lotus Sword’s cheerful words I let out a deep sigh.

That saying wasn’t meant to be used in situations like this.

‘What on earth is wrong with this woman?’

She often pops up like this and it’s quite startling.

I looked at the White Lotus Sword with a disapproving gaze.

Her smile as if she enjoyed startling me was incredibly annoying.

When I first saw her she wasn’t like this at all… I don’t know how it turned out this way.

As time passed there had been some changes in my relationship with the White Lotus Sword.

In other words it would be more accurate to say that my perspective had changed.

First of all it was fine to treat her somewhat casually.

‘…What should I call this?’

From the perspective of a junior as long as it wasn’t overly harsh insults she didn’t seem to mind if I acted a bit cocky.

To put it positively she was magnanimous but on the flip side she was a bit dull.

Knowing this I could adjust my attitude towards her.

‘Even aside from that.’

I glanced at the White Lotus Sword’s shoulder.

It was a part where we had agreed to place a restriction.

‘She really would place a restriction.’

Though the White Lotus Sword had said to place it if she couldn’t trust herself I hadn’t expected her to genuinely ask for it.

A martial artist who has reached the realm of enlightenment would know how dangerous it is to place a restriction on oneself.

Yet the White Lotus Sword accepted the restriction without any hesitation.

I couldn’t tell if she knew I would use this to my advantage or if she just accepted it willingly.

Of course thanks to that the White Lotus Sword wouldn’t cause any more incidents like before.

However this led to a change that was different from usual.

“How do they look?”

“What do you mean?”

“Those two. Who do you think will win?”

This was precisely the point that the White Lotus Sword had started to speak to me more frequently.

It was understandable since she was often around as my guard.

But because of that it became a bit distracting. Just like her personality she sometimes asked strange questions.

Just like now.

‘Who do I think will win?’

I had to slightly furrow my brows at the White Lotus Sword’s question.

It was a difficult question.

Jang-ryong and Namgung Bia were remarkably similar in their levels.

They were both at the peak of their mastery about to face the wall of enlightenment.

For two people who had just crossed their twenties it was an extraordinary level to reach.

‘…Even if I’m an exception.’

I was an exception for having defied time. I wasn’t a genius to begin with.

Originally the peak is a level that a martial artist from a prestigious family typically reaches around thirty after repeated efforts.

If you think about it reaching the complete mastery after another ten years of effort is what makes the current prodigies known as the generation of meteors.

In that regard those two had.

‘They’ve already surpassed the framework of prodigies.’

To ask who would win between such two?

‘…’

It might be ambiguous but they looked quite similar no matter how I saw it.

However.

My gaze was particularly on Namgung Bia.

Crackling-!

With a violent sound the mixed sword flux left traces in the air.

As I mentioned earlier the thunderous energy was incomparable to when I first saw it.

‘Hmm.’

The extending thunderous energy couldn’t penetrate Woo-hyuk’s surroundings.

It couldn’t break through the wave that the Wudang sought.

‘He’s flowing well.’

The flow that the Wudang aims for which is said to be the essence of martial arts.

Even though Woo-hyuk’s sword was rough it didn’t deviate from that essence.

He flowed and absorbed the attacks.

Woo-hyuk’s sword absorbed the sword flux that Namgung Bia scattered and swung again.

The extending sword qi rapidly shot out repeatedly.

Namgung Bia’s delicate control was at a level that could make one gasp.

Yet Woo-hyuk’s spirit of flowing and absorbing was astonishing.

Just watching it made me want to chuckle.

‘Damn geniuses.’

In any case there was nothing likable about geniuses.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and focused back on the duel.

The question the White Lotus Sword had asked about who would win.

Though I said I didn’t know in reality I instinctively understood.

My gaze was once again on Namgung Bia.

She continued the duel without a hint of frowning but I could sense it.

That duel.

“Namgung Bia will lose.”

I could tell that Namgung Bia would be the one to lose.

Upon hearing my firm answer the White Lotus Sword widened her eyes in surprise.

“That’s unexpected. You’re more decisive than I thought…?”

“Isn’t that why you asked me since you thought the same?”

As I spoke while looking at her with a disapproving gaze the White Lotus Sword smiled slyly.

“I thought you would give a different answer since you’re close to them.”

“This is separate from that.”

“Still you don’t deny that she’s one of your people.”

“…”

I didn’t respond to the White Lotus Sword’s playful remark and turned my head away.

The duel was still ongoing but my furrowed brows showed no signs of relaxing.

‘What’s going on with her?’

On the surface everything seemed fine but both I and the White Lotus Sword knew.

Something was off with Namgung Bia.

Her destructiveness and astonishing control were not the problem.

The issue lay within the duel itself.

In Namgung Bia’s movements I could sense an unknown inner demon lurking in the gaps.

How could such inner demons be mixed into a life that was solely about wielding a sword?

That was a question I found somewhat puzzling.

I recalled the Sword Demon Queen from my past life.

Her goal was solely to see the tip of her sword and there were no inner demons on that path.

Yet why did Namgung Bia now have such inner demons mixed in?

As I pondered this my gaze turned to the White Lotus Sword.

Noticing my gaze the White Lotus Sword looked a bit awkward and spoke to me.