Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 579



579

**Chapter 580: Night Arrival**

It had been some time since I arrived in Henan.

About a month had passed and the season was heading towards the peak of summer.

In the early morning of that time.

I was meeting with the divine doctor for a check-up.

As he focused on taking my pulse the divine doctor opened his eyes and spoke.

“Hmm. Truly a strange occurrence.”

“Is something wrong?”

Noticing the divine doctor’s unusual reaction I asked and he looked at me with a curious expression.

“To have improved this much in just a month. I cannot fathom what kind of body this is.”

“Isn’t it because you treated me well?”

“Haha what nonsense you speak. What treatment have I even provided?”

“…”

He was right.

He had taken my pulse and prescribed medicine but according to his words it wouldn’t be of much help.

In reality the medicine had not been very effective.

“I had expected it would take at least half a year at the very least… But it seems I won’t have to see you for that long.”

“Is that so?”

Contrary to my expectation of it taking about three months.

The divine doctor had initially mentioned half a year.

I had wondered if it would really take that long.

Fortunately it seemed my prediction was correct.

…That means.

‘It implies that even the divine doctor cannot fully grasp my condition.’

In the end it meant that only I could truly understand my state.

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

I wasn’t entirely sure. However if the divine doctor didn’t know I felt that no one in the world would.

Anyway.

Since further pulse-taking was unnecessary I organized myself and began to rise from my seat.

At that moment.

“Are you getting along well with Hyuk?”

The divine doctor asked.

It was a question he hadn’t asked in nearly a month.

“Yes we are getting along well.”

Yes he must be quite busy and doing well.

“…I see.”

“If you’re worried should I send him back?”

Of course it was just talk. I had no intention of sending Jeong Hyuk back to the divine doctor.

Jeong Hyuk had performed better than I had expected.

At this point he was one of the most necessary individuals so I couldn’t afford to send him away.

Even if I asked to send him back I had no intention of actually doing so; it was merely a formality.

As I spoke the divine doctor chuckled and replied.

“That’s enough. Since it’s what that child desires it would be unnecessary to intrude further.”

“…”

I looked at the divine doctor.

Aside from the fact that he had cherished Jeong Hyuk he seemed quite easygoing in this regard.

That was somewhat unexpected.

“Just make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

“…I won’t let him get hurt. I’m just helping him with some trivial tasks.”

That was a lie.

I planned to do so as much as possible but I couldn’t be certain.

“And….”

The divine doctor hesitated as if he wanted to add something.

His expression was filled with hesitation.

Seeing that I sighed inwardly.

I knew what the divine doctor was about to say.

“If you’re concerned should I arrange a meeting for you?”

“…”

“If you wish I can speak to that person as well.”

The “that person” he referred to was Cheol Ji-seon.

He would probably be entering Henan soon and it would be easy to arrange a meeting then.

The reason he said he would speak to him instead of bringing him here was that.

I also wasn’t entirely sure about it.

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

Normally he would agree to anything but.

This matter seemed a bit different.

‘He did have a fit about it.’

Seeing him get angry and say to kill me I figured it wouldn’t go as I wished.

And.

The divine doctor would likely know this well.

“…That’s enough.”

He said as if he had reached a state of enlightenment.

“…Yes. Understood.”

After hearing his words I decided not to bring up any further topics.

I could push if I wanted to but.

‘No need to.’

If Cheol Ji-seon was avoiding the topic I had no intention of dragging it out.

I merely thought.

‘There is definitely something going on.’

I was convinced that the divine doctor and Cheol Ji-seon were somehow connected.

That was all I was certain of.

“Then I will take my leave first.”

After bowing to the divine doctor I stood up.

There was no more to discuss so I needed to head out.

‘I need to train a bit and also stop by the Trading Company.’

My body had recovered to a certain extent so I needed to start training in the morning.

If I didn’t use my body it would become dull.

It was time to warm up a bit.

In the afternoon I had some business to attend to at the Baekhwa Trading Company.

‘I need to send a letter.’

Using the assassin group would be quicker.

However they had their own tasks and since it was a letter that needed to be sent in a somewhat formal manner I had to visit the Trading Company.

As I recalled my busy schedule and turned to leave my quarters.

“Ah hey.”

The divine doctor called me back perhaps there was something more to discuss?

“What is it?”

“Is there something troubling you?”

“Yes?”

“Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“…Ah.”

I stroked my cheek at the divine doctor’s words.

What could my expression possibly be like?

I wasn’t sure about the situation but if that was the case I knew the reason.

“…I’m fine.”

Probably.

“I just didn’t sleep well.”

It was likely the problem was the dream I couldn’t remember from last night.

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

After parting from the divine doctor I sought out the training hall.

Mrs. Mi had arranged for a training area within the lodging.

It was just the right size for physical training.

I couldn’t unleash my fire arts but that alone was sufficient.

I thought to loosen up my body a bit.

As I made my way to the training hall.

“Huh?”

There was already someone there.

Curious about who it was I checked and saw it was Tang So-yeol.

Tang So-yeol was kneeling in the center of the training hall sitting quietly with her eyes closed.

‘Hmm…’

Seeing that I couldn’t help but admire her.

At the same time a sense of tension filled my body.

The energy that filled the training hall was the issue.

The density was suffocating. The tightly packed energy was chilling to the bone.

How should I express it?

Pure killing intent.

That seemed to be the most accurate description.

‘…Wow.’

The energy mixed with killing intent filled the surroundings yet within it I could sense a clear order.

This meant that Tang So-yeol was controlling all this energy herself.

What was even more astonishing was that.

‘There’s so much energy yet.’

I felt no trace of poison within it.

As a member of the Tang Clan the energy she used should have contained poison.

Yet the energy filling this space had no trace of poison.

My body had reached a state of myriad poison immunity so I was immune to poison.

Conversely I could sense poison more clearly.

But there was definitely no poison in this energy.

This meant….

‘It signifies that she has reached a level where she can control poison.’

It meant that her mastery had grown to the point where she could extract poison from her energy.

‘In just two years.’

Though she was at the beginning of the transformation stage it was astonishing that she had come this far teetering on the edge of peak mastery.

Moreover if she had not only raised her level but also reached a level of such fine control over her energy.

‘What kind of training has she undergone?’

I couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of hellish training Tang So-yeol had gone through.

I gazed at her with somewhat subdued eyes.

She was still breathing steadily with her eyes closed seemingly unaware of my presence deeply focused.

Seeing that I had to click my tongue in disappointment.

‘Training seems out of the question.’

From the looks of it she would be at it for quite a while longer.

I could take up a space over there to train if I wanted but I didn’t particularly want to do that.

I turned my body.

Yes I would train after I returned.

That was my thought.

I stepped outside and headed straight for the city.

The Baekhwa Trading Company was located in the center of the city so I had to walk a bit from my lodging.

It was early morning now.

The sun was just beginning to rise but the city was bustling as usual.

Perhaps they had started preparing food as delicious smells began to waft through the air.

The streets grew noisy with those preparing goods.

It was just another morning like any other.

I quietly moved through the crowd.

For some reason.

Normally I would have taken the time to look around and enjoy the sights.

But for some reason I didn’t want to see anything right now.

‘Something feels off.’

I felt bloated and suffocated.

The reason I had come out without training using Tang So-yeol as an excuse was also because of this.

I could have trained if I wanted to but for some reason I didn’t want to today.

An inexplicable irritation enveloped my entire being.

‘What is it?’

What could possibly be the problem?

I couldn’t even understand it myself.

What was it about that dream that was making me so irritated?

It was probably just a silly dream I had occasionally.

‘Am I feeling anxious?’

Three months until work begins.

No now it was about a month left.

I was thinking about it calmly yet my insides felt anything but calm which was why I felt so frustrated.

I couldn’t figure it out.

One thing I could ascertain was.

I wanted to recall that dream no matter what.

From the moment I woke up until now.

My entire mind had been focused solely on that dream.

‘This isn’t good.’

I had many things to do ahead.

It felt like I was wasting time on something trivial.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

“This is all because I haven’t eaten.”

Yes it must be because I’m hungry.

That must be it.

I turned my steps.

From the path heading to the Trading Company I entered a dim alley in Henan.

Let’s fill my stomach first I thought as I moved.

But a slight doubt crossed my mind.

‘Then I should just go to a restaurant.’

I had naturally entered the alley but why had I come here?

I had moved without realizing it.

It was a scene where it didn’t seem like there would be a restaurant anywhere.

The crowd that had filled the main street had vanished.

There were hardly any people around almost none at all.

Yet I continued to walk.

For some reason my steps were heading that way.

As I walked a bit further in.

I spotted an old building in the quiet alley.

“…What the…?”

I could finally stop when I saw the building.

Smoke was billowing out from the cracks in the old building.

I had to tilt my head at the mixed scent of smoke and something else.

‘Is there food?’

There was a smell of food coming from a building at the end of this back alley.

Seeing that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What kind of crazy person builds a restaurant here?”

It was absurd.

There was hardly anyone passing by in this street.

To have a restaurant in such a back alley when there was a perfectly good road nearby.

Even while thinking that my feet were already walking toward the restaurant.

The inside of the inn was ordinary.

To be precise it meant there was no difference from the exterior.

The old building was just as worn down inside.

I could see cobwebs hanging on the walls.

“Welcome.”

Hearing the voice I turned my head to see an old woman with a hunched back greeting me.

There didn’t seem to be any waitstaff.

“For breakfast we only have noodles.”

As she spoke the old woman entered the kitchen.

…I hadn’t even said I wanted to eat yet.

“…Hmm.”

What should I do?

I had entered without realizing it….

For some reason I felt like I should sit down.

Well since I came all this way I might as well eat.

I moved to find a table.

There weren’t many seats but there were some right in front and beside me.

Yet I felt compelled to move my feet again as if there was a specific place I needed to sit.

It felt like there was a spot I was meant to occupy.

The very corner seat.

No matter how I looked at it it seemed to be the most worn-down spot in the place.

For some reason I felt like I had to sit there. That was the feeling I had.

However.

Slurp.

Someone else was already sitting there besides me.

They had already started eating.

Slurp.

A small figure was holding a bowl that was as big as her face and slurping up the noodles.

She didn’t seem to care if her hair fell into the dish or not.

In fact there were traces of several bowls stacked up indicating she had eaten more than one.

Seeing that I widened my eyes.

It wasn’t surprising that she was eating a lot.

I had grown accustomed to seeing Wi Seol-ah so that didn’t astonish me at all.

But the issue was the person currently eating in that seat.

“What…?”

I spoke while watching the woman who was continuously slurping up the noodles.

Then.

“Mm?”

The fingers that had been diligently using chopsticks paused and the owner of the noodles looked up at me.

Our eyes met.

“Ah.”

The woman reacted as she looked at me.

Her black hair flowed gracefully and her beautiful purple eyes held a strange expression as they gazed at me.

Then she set down her bowl and gestured toward me.

“Hello.”

“…”

At her greeting I found myself unable to say anything.

No it would be more accurate to say I couldn’t react at all.

And rightly so.

No one would have expected to encounter the Heavenly Demon (天魔) eating noodles in a back alley restaurant.