Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 560 (Part 1)



560 (Part 1)

”’〈 Chapter 561 〉 I am.

Woooooong–!

At the time when an unknown vibration was gradually resonating.

Amidst the somewhat busy crowd of the Mu-dang Woo-baek was facing Geom-hu.

The weather was clear with warm tea set aside.

Yet the atmosphere between the two was no different from the depths of winter.

“It’s unfortunate that things have come to this.”

After a brief silence Woo-baek spoke and Geom-hu raised his head.

Geom-hu’s eyes were not the usual gentle gaze but rather like icy blades.

“Did you just say it’s unfortunate?”

Geom-hu’s voice was filled with anger.

“It was the Mu-dang that committed the act yet how can you be so brazen?”

“I believe there is a significant misunderstanding. We merely captured the circumstances and acted accordingly.”

“Is it your claim that locking up a guest who sought the Mu-dang for business is justified?”

“Geom-hu.”

Swoosh.

As Woo-baek began to speak he pulled something out in front of Geom-hu. It was a bracelet made of jade.

This was the bracelet that had been stolen from someone at dawn.

It was also the item found just moments ago in Gu Yang-cheon’s residence.

“Can you still say that after seeing this?”

“…”

“Careful measures were taken for the transaction with Hwasan. This bracelet known as Yeomyeong was once a symbol of the Mu-dang. It is indeed a precious item for us as well.”

The bracelet Yeomyeong (黎明).

It was a treasured item belonging to the past representative martial artist of the Mu-dang known as the Mu-dang Absolute Sword.

“Thus when Hwasan wished to exchange Yeomyeong for Gwi-jeong I was filled with joy. That is why we prepared so thoroughly.”

Get notified for updates: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

Geom-hu listened silently to Woo-baek’s words.

He did not offer any rebuttal.

“Amidst all this the item was ultimately taken and later we discovered it in the residence of one of our trusted guests. Therefore we took appropriate measures.”

Woo-baek spoke calmly but Geom-hu had to let out a hollow laugh.

“That’s a ridiculous joke.”

“A joke…?”

“Do you not think so? You call them trusted guests yet you never truly trusted the children from the start did you?”

From the moment they had made the wristbands cold.

To all the measures taken afterward.

There were too many issues to consider them trustworthy at this point.

Hearing Geom-hu’s words Woo-baek smiled and replied.

“Thus no problems arose.”

“Elder Woo…!”

Woo-baek’s attitude finally raised Geom-hu’s voice.

“So you lock them up without even hearing them out properly?”

“If it were merely a matter of the treasured item we could have avoided such actions. However.”

Creak.

Woo-baek’s eyebrows twisted sharply.

“Our child has met with death.”

“…That is…!”

Wasn’t it a suicide?

Geom-hu who was about to say that had to close his mouth.

He could not speak carelessly about the death of a disciple.

And.

Woo-baek knew well of Geom-hu’s character.

“A person has died. A talent who was to lead the Mu-dang has met death overnight. The circumstances suggest suicide but I absolutely do not believe that.”

“…So are you implying that Elder Woo thinks our children could have done such a thing?”

“Rather than thinking that I cannot definitively say it is not so.”

The circumstances were as such.

On the very day a guest visited an issue arose with the treasured item.

And on that day the Mu-dang’s master met his death.

Moreover the lost treasured item was found in the residence of the guest who had visited.

The circumstances were sufficient.

“In such a situation what is it that Geom-hu finds unsatisfactory?”

Frost settled in Woo-baek’s eyes.

“Are you perhaps asking for leniency because they are from the great Hwasan?”

“That is different. At the very least I question whether it is right to lock someone up based solely on suspicion.”

Join our discord and ping me to update more chapters. Discord: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

“Given how clear the circumstances are do you expect us to treat you with all due respect? If something happened to Hwasan would you be able to speak as you do?”

It throbbed.

Geom-hu felt a tightening in his chest at Woo-baek’s words.

There was nothing wrong with what he said.

However from Geom-hu’s perspective it was a situation filled with doubt and frustration.

From the beginning.

‘What on earth are you plotting? Bi-seong-gyeom.’

Geom-hu felt even more so because he knew that something was being orchestrated within the Mu-dang.

Following the actions or the instincts of Woo-baek one could tell that he intended to do something regarding this matter.

Originally Geom-hu had intended to use him.

That was why he accepted their intention to briefly leave their post while guarding the treasured item.

At Geom-hu’s level he could recognize such intentions.

However.

‘An incident occurred in that brief moment.’

As expected while Geom-hu was away an incident occurred.

No that too was not a confirmed fact.

The incident happened some time after that.

It was merely that Geom-hu was convinced that something had happened while he was absent.

The subtle presence he had felt while on guard had vanished the moment he left his post.

It was certain that something had happened then but Geom-hu did not know what it was.

Hiding his complicated emotions Geom-hu began to speak.

“The one who first committed rudeness to prevent the incident was Elder Woo. Have you forgotten?”

“Rudeness?”

“You forced the wearing of the wristbands for surveillance purposes. Moreover.”

Holding back the rising anger Geom-hu frowned and continued.

“You said you could not even capture the circumstances of the child’s movements.”

“…”

An item was discovered in Gu Yang-cheon’s drawer.

Given that multiple incidents had occurred locking someone up could be somewhat justified.

However there was one problem.

It was regarding the measures taken just prior within the Mu-dang.

The request to confirm the movements of the other party had been made including the wristbands.

Furthermore.

At the time the incident occurred Gu Yang-cheon had remained still in his place.

“Didn’t you confirm that yourself and speak of it?”

Throughout the night Gu Yang-cheon had not moved from his residence.

Yet immediately after the incident a treasured item from the Mu-dang was found in Gu Yang-cheon’s drawer?

This suggested that the problem might lie elsewhere.

“The one who took such thorough measures to prevent an incident is now ignoring the evidence aren’t you?”

“…Geom-hu I say again. The circumstances were as such.”

“Just because an item was found in a drawer you claim the child is the culprit? Are you saying that child is indeed a wind-and-cloud spirit?”

“There is a possibility of that.”

“Ha….”

They were not understanding each other.

Both were thinking the same way.

What should they do? They could not simply back down like this.

Meanwhile Geom-hu was inwardly recalling a young man.

From a small boy.

Years had swiftly passed.

He was now a young man who resembled his father completely.

‘What are you thinking?’

While continuing the argument with Woo-baek that thought occupied his mind.

Why was that?

Even though they had not properly greeted each other yet.

Whenever he thought of that young man it felt as if all of this was tangled up.

It had always been like that.

In significant events Gu Yang-cheon somehow stood at the center.

And the current incident was no different.

Every time that happened Geom-hu would think.

Perhaps just as before.

In this complicated incident as well.

Could it be that Gu Yang-cheon is at the center of it?

If so does that mean that this incident ultimately contains the child’s intentions?

‘I don’t know.’

What that child intended to do.

Or perhaps this was merely Geom-hu’s own delusion.

He would have never thought such things ordinarily.

‘Was it the problem of seeing it directly?’

The moment he saw Gu Yang-cheon he instinctively felt something.

That something had changed.

The gaze looking further away.

And the energy that was particularly distinct.

The energy that was not hidden but rather revealed itself appeared strangely foreign.”’