Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 430



430

**Chapter 431: The Lake of Regret**

By the time the banquet ended the night was well advanced.

A full moon hung in the sky and I was slowly walking along the Tang Clan’s path.

Woo-hyuk said the food at the banquet was delicious and wanted to eat more.

Cheol Ji-seon seemed to feel the same way so I left them behind and just walked out.

“Phew.”

Tonight was particularly bright.

The lanterns hanging here and there illuminated the streets.

The rising full moon was shining exceptionally brightly.

In stark contrast to my mood.

The world still looked bright.

I scanned my surroundings with darkened eyes and quietly spoke.

“Where’s Baekryeon-geom?”

At my question Dang-deok who had been following from a distance raised his head.

– I heard he was drinking.

“I knew it.”

If it were that woman it would be just like her. I let out a slight chuckle and resumed my walk.

“Go back to the room and wait quietly. I’ll walk a bit and then come back.”

“…”

Dang-deok glared at me as if to protest my command but soon after he started walking away.

Keeping that guy around for too long was a problem in itself.

After confirming that he had disappeared I paused for a moment.

I brushed my hand over my body once.

And then I recalled.

About the death that the divine had mentioned.

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‘Death huh.’

Didn’t they say the vessel had reached its limit?

‘No wonder.’

I had been wondering why the headaches and emotional fluctuations had been so severe lately; it seemed this was the issue.

The balance of my body was gradually twisting and the effects were spreading.

The Tuapachunmu was correcting my body and conducting an artificial Body Reformation.

When undergoing Body Reformation the vessel would naturally grow larger.

But could it truly keep up with the rate of breaking?

Moreover it was said that the more energy one accumulated the quicker the vessel would break. Training itself was in a dangerous state.

The master had said that at this rate I would reach that level within twenty years.

Learning martial arts and achieving Body Reformation in just twenty years.

This was indeed an astonishing speed.

However I had been told I had only ten years left.

They said I could last until the age of forty so perhaps I had more time than twenty years.

Even so it would be right to consider it as ten years.

What were the chances of achieving Body Reformation within that time?

Moreover with the blood calamity looming ahead could I even choose to build my level?

I think not.

‘Ten years huh.’

I repeated the thought in my cold mind.

How much time was left until the war?

The timeline had been pulled forward so I needed to account for that as well.

I could probably adjust my planned tasks a bit.

Was there a way to gather more strength?

I also had to find the hidden treasures and rare items across the nation.

After building up my strength I would need to turn the Murim Alliance upside down.

I would aim to accomplish all of that within five years.

Then I would have to think about the war for the remaining five years.

“Haha.”

Suddenly I burst into laughter at the thought.

Plans are always this precise yet accidents tend to occur in unexpected places.

Not everything would flow as I thought.

My death was also one of those things.

“Not good.”

I wasn’t afraid of death.

I had thought this could happen someday.

I knew that if I kept overturning the predicted flow something like this would arise.

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Even though I knew it all when it actually came crashing down many thoughts flooded my mind.

‘The divine said he wouldn’t give me medicine.’

Without the divine’s medicine ten years would be impossible; without it I might die tomorrow.

Not necessarily tomorrow but within a year.

If shorter then half a year or even a month.

That wasn’t bad.

It didn’t mean that death coming wasn’t bad.

‘Meeting the divine here.’

That was the reason it wasn’t bad.

The divine probably didn’t know there was something wrong with my body.

He was a martial artist not a physician.

He surely wouldn’t have known about the vessel’s problem.

If he had known he wouldn’t have pushed me to train so hard…

‘…No he might have done it even if he knew.’

Given that crazy personality of his it could have been possible but I didn’t think so.

This was a miraculous encounter.

Meeting the divine here was a coincidence and the divine recognizing the anomaly in my body was a miraculous encounter.

Moreover realizing that he could create a medicine to prolong my life from death was also a miraculous encounter.

He had said he wouldn’t give me medicine.

From the look in his eyes that statement was sincere and he surely wouldn’t easily reveal his intentions.

I didn’t care.

As my head cooled down my gaze also turned icy.

Despite his sharp tone and rough demeanor the divine had a deep affection.

Even after not seeing me for years he could tell just by the way he acted.

Not only that.

‘You have a significant weakness divine.’

He had a clear weakness.

Jeong Gyeong-hyeok.

From the time I spent with him in the Gu family I learned one thing.

The reason he roamed the Central Plains was because of Jeong Gyeong-hyeok.

I couldn’t know the exact reason but I was certain of this.

Then what was his purpose in doing so?

I didn’t know that either but I had a few guesses and most of those guesses would be weaknesses of the divine.

Even beyond that.

Jeong Gyeong-hyeok himself was a weakness for the divine.

Using that wouldn’t be too difficult for me.

“…”

I felt surprisingly calm as I recalled one by one.

Was it because Jeong Gyeong-hyeok would play a significant role in the blood calamity in the future?

‘No.’

No.

This was simply because the divine and Jeong Gyeong-hyeok weren’t that important to me.

A mindset that I could discard them at any time.

That dirty and heavy sensation made me feel like I might vomit.

Suppressing my self-loathing I moved my legs.

Step by step.

As I walked I thought.

Then what is important?

Is my death important?

That too was not the case.

I didn’t have much attachment to this life.

I had felt that way since the moment I returned.

A second chance? A chance for what?

A chance to atone for the things I had done in my past life?

‘Haha….’

It was futile.

Even if I tried to atone for the things I had done in my past life now could that truly be called atonement?

That was merely self-satisfaction.

A delusion that I had repaid my sins.

Then.

What was the reason for wanting to prolong a life I didn’t desire?

I didn’t need to ponder that for long.

I had known the reason all along.

“Young Master?”

“…”

Someone called out in surprise as they looked at me.

It was Wi Seol-ah.

Why was Wi Seol-ah here?

As I thought that and looked around I realized I had come to the lodging where Wi Seol-ah was staying.

The fact that Wi Seol-ah was here meant…

I slightly turned my head to the side.

Namgung Bi-ah was also sitting next to her looking at me.

They had said they were in the same place.

Namgung Bi-ah quietly observed me as I suddenly appeared her eyes widening as she approached.

Wi Seol-ah did the same.

“…Young Master? Is something wrong…?”

The two approached and looked at my face with worried expressions.

Seeing that made me smile bitterly.

It seemed I wasn’t very good at managing my expressions.

They had seen right through me.

I wished this hadn’t been revealed.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“…That’s a lie.”

Namgung Bi-ah looked at me with a face that clearly didn’t believe me.

But there was nothing I could do.

‘Did I just end up here while walking?’

I had walked without thinking instinctively heading here.

It felt ridiculous to say that as if I were a dog.

Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah who had been observing my condition seemed to sense something was off.

Well it was only natural for them to feel that way if I had suddenly appeared like this.

What should I say?

I pondered for a moment.

Nothing specific came to mind.

So I decided to just express my feelings as they were.

“I just wanted to see you.”

“…!”

“So I came by for a bit.”

I had suddenly wanted to see them.

That seemed to be the only thing I could say at the moment.

As I stepped a little closer to the two who looked surprised I found their stone-like expressions quite peculiar.

I chuckled at that and reached out my hand.

Swoosh.

“…!”

“Ah…!”

I carefully pulled them into an embrace a momentary resistance felt but they quickly relaxed and melted into my arms.

Their hair brushed against my nose tickling me.

The faint scent of their skin allowed me to ease my heavy heart a little.

If I had suddenly hugged them they might have been surprised enough to say something.

But neither of them said a word.

Were they that shocked?

Just as I began to feel a twinge of guilt.

Swoosh.

I felt a gentle hand stroking my back. It seemed they thought this was more important than blaming me.

Feeling that I closed my eyes.

‘So small.’

I could feel the two of them nestled in my arms.

Thin and small.

The energy contained within them was so strong that they felt small and delicate.

Receiving unreasoned comfort from them my mind remained complicated.

The reason for wanting to prolong this dull life.

I thought about that.

‘Ah….’

And then I recalled.

The peace and tranquility that Cheong Hae-il-geom spoke of.

The wrinkled eyes of the divine that had asked me where my peace was came to mind.

I also remembered the answer I hadn’t been able to give back then.

‘This must be my peace.’

I hoped that those who died for me would find peace.

And that the lives of those I held would be peaceful in the future.

Even for those who had burned their lives for me even if I hadn’t held them.

If it was a life for that then this life was enough.

Hadn’t I said ten years?

I would end the blood calamity within that time.

Even if I couldn’t I would try.

I had to make it happen somehow.

I had long discarded the option of giving up.

For that I could give up anything.

I could become anything.

Tightening my embrace I buried my face in my shoulder.

And I thought.

‘I can do it.’

I will not crumble.

I kept repeating that to myself.

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

The next day as morning arrived I faced the Poison King.

“I’m sorry for coming at such an early hour Clan Head Dang.”

Others were just starting their morning training.

It was around the time when they hadn’t even had a proper meal.

Seeing me suddenly appear the Poison King narrowed his brows.

I smiled slightly at that and said.

“Can I see the lake I mentioned before?”