Childhood Friend of the Zenith - Chapter 546
-Yura.
A gentle and affectionate voice.
The old man, as always, smiled at the young man.
-Yura.
At the call, the young man opened his eyes, but he couldn’t raise his bowed head.
He didn’t have the right to.
-Yura. It’s okay.
It’s not okay.
The young man spoke in a voice that didn’t come out.
‘Master…’
I’m not okay at all.
With that thought, the young man lowered his head even more.
He knew this was all a delusion.
He knew that the words were also a product of his imagination.
-It’s okay.
Now it was a voice he couldn’t hear.
A voice he shouldn’t even attempt to hear. The young man kept reminding himself.
-Yura.
The voice echoed in his ears incessantly.
The young man couldn’t stand it and covered his ears.
-Yura… Yura…
The sound pierced through the silence and penetrated deep into his being.
The gentle voice, with each repetition, started to feel unfamiliar.
This was always the case.
Despite experiencing it countless times, the young man never got used to it.
He was just overwhelmed by fear.
-Yura… Yura…
Something was choking him.
In the cold sensation, the young man unknowingly opened his eyes. Even if he didn’t want to, he couldn’t stop it.
What he saw next was…
-Yura…
His vision filled with a face distorted by pain, an old man looking at him.
And the gazes of eyes surrounding him, all fixed on him.
Seeing the sight before him, the young man trembled uncontrollably.
He tried to turn his gaze away, but the old man in front forcibly held his throat and forced his gaze.
And then…
-How… Why…
-Did you… kill the master…!
The young man blurted out the fact he least wanted to recall.
*
“Cough…!”
Gasping for breath, he struggled to sit up.
“Ugh… ugh… ugh…”
He managed to raise himself, but his body was drenched in sweat.
His back was soaked, his hair was damp with sweat.
“Heh… heh… well…”
The young man grabbed his shoulders with his hands.
It was an attempt to stop his trembling.
Of course, the trembling didn’t stop.
After trembling for a while, the young man finally regained his senses and started to look around.
He was met with unfamiliar faces, unable to make sense of the situation.
Then, suddenly…
“Why are you suddenly trembling like a scared rabbit?”
At the abrupt voice, the young man turned his gaze.
Not far away, sitting on a rock, someone was looking at him, holding a dumpling in one hand.
“…”
Looking at him, the young man absentmindedly touched his cheek.
He could feel the pain clearly.
Touching it gently, he could feel the swelling.
As he felt the pain, the memories came flooding back.
His actions, mixed with desire, leading him to lose control.
And the moment the author suppressed him.
“…”
The young man rolled his eyes to look at his opponent.
An appearance that seemed youthful but slightly surpassed it, with fierce eyes.
The unfamiliar eyes contained a strange, unsettling feeling.
Looking at him, the young man asked.
“Who are you?”
As he uttered the question, his opponent’s eyebrows twitched.
It was a peculiar expression, a mix of annoyance and surprise.
Watching the slight change, the young man regulated his breathing.
‘Where am I?’
Breathing out, he looked around.
A dense forest and rocks came into view.
It seemed to be a bit distant from where he had been.
Had the author brought him here?
Considering that, the young man asked his opponent.
“Are you from the Maeng?”
“What?”
Hearing the question, his opponent burst out laughing. It was a reaction of disbelief.
“Seems like you know you’ve done something to piss off the Maeng.”
“…”
Upon hearing the words, the young man’s gaze lowered.
He was well aware of that fact.
Thud.
Lowering his head, he felt a presence approaching.
It was getting closer and closer.
“What the hell, man? You were charging at me like you wanted to kill me earlier. Now why this?”
With a sword brimming with vitality, he had attacked with the intention of tearing him apart.
It seemed odd to do it now.
“Sorry.”
The young man apologized.
Again.
It was what he did when he couldn’t contain his desires and went mad.
And it was what he did when he couldn’t gain forgiveness from his opponent.
A continuation of a life-long experience.
“Hmm.”
Was it the apology that was the problem? The reaction from his opponent was particularly sharp.
“Did I pick the wrong person?”
At the sound of his voice, the young man looked up.
The unfamiliar eyes were fixed on him from up close.
“I thought that was the case, but now it’s a bit ambiguous. Seriously, why are you pretending to be okay?”
“…Really?”
“Normally someone who kills people should be going crazy. Why do you look like that now?”
“…”
Listening to the words, the young man bit his lip.
It seemed like the stranger was aware of his condition.
If that’s the case…
‘Is this the end?’
The young man had a premonition of his impending demise.
He knew he had the condition of the Cheonsal, a condition that allows him to grasp his own death.
He even expressed it in his own words: he’s a person who has come to capture himself.
He had no intention of fleeing, but in the first place, he wouldn’t be able to escape.
The young man was well aware of the power gap between him and his opponent.
‘I couldn’t even graze him.’
It was an overwhelmingly defeat.
Even if he had been in his normal state, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. That’s how significant the difference was.
‘…It’s better this way.’
The young man stifled a laugh.
Yes, it’s better this way.
His life had become exhausting.
As time went on, his madness deepened, and his gruesome body grew more desirous of death.
Craving and craving.
It was like an insatiable appetite, never satisfied no matter how much he consumed.
He endlessly desired the deaths of others.
In the end, this desire led to the death of his master, who was like a father to him.
‘At least it’s fortunate.’
The remnants of his sanity from the past were somewhat returning.
Thanks to that, he could recall his mistakes and prepare for his death.
Satisfied with that, the young man gently closed his eyes.
He wanted to be prepared for what was to come.
“Look at that expression. What are you doing?”
Seeing this, Gu Yangcheon, the opponent, spoke in an irritated voice.
The situation was already hard to understand.
Why did the Black Demon suddenly seem to resign himself to the situation?
‘What the hell?’
The more he looked, the less he understood.
Gu Yangcheon thought that if he had to draw the scene he was most bewildered by just after his return, this would be one of the three scenes he’d pick.
‘Who is this guy?’
The seemingly quiet person… Who was he?
At least he didn’t know who he was.
‘He’s supposed to be the Black Demon, right?’
In terms of appearance, and the power and aura he used back then, he should be the Black Demon. But his current appearance was completely different from back then.
Who is the Black Demon?
The master of the Guichal Sword Unit, the assassination unit of the Magic Guild.
A guy so immersed in vitality and merged with killing that his nickname became “Black Demon.”
For that reason, his temperament was known to be extremely eccentric.
He was famous for his violent and cruel nature.
‘What the hell is this?’
Gu Yangcheon couldn’t figure it out the more he looked at him.
The Black Demon he was looking at now was very different from the one he knew. The posture of bowing and closing his eyes had no sign of wavering.
Where had the devil that was rampaging on the stage gone? What was left was a calm young man’s atmosphere.
“Duin.”
Yes.
That was the atmosphere of a Duin that could often be seen in the streets.
A guy who closed his eyes, seemingly giving up on everything and showing no intentions. Seeing him, Gu Yangcheon scratched the back of his head with a frustrated expression.
‘Should I just stick to the plan?’
Originally, the plan was to capture the Black Demon, who had just begun to move, and turn him into a puppet using a mine.
Doing so and using him until his death. That was the plan concerning the Black Demon in Gwangdong.
However, now it felt somewhat off.
‘It’s not a problem for that appearance alone.’
The reason was that the atmosphere he showed at Geokjan was different from now.
If his expectations were correct…
He needed to learn more about the Black Demon.
“Hey.”
When he called him, the guy opened his eyes and looked at him.
His eyes were still cloudy yellow.
“What’s with that look? What are you doing?”
Seeing him, Gu Yangcheon clicked his tongue in irritation. The guy still seemed surprised, which was almost the same as agreeing.
‘If this guy is really the Black Demon…’
That would be something he never knew.
There was no other choice.
‘…It didn’t show in his sword either?’
The swordsmanship the Black Demon used in his past life didn’t show any traces of being from the Duin Clan.
The richness of the Do-Gi wielded by the people of the Do-Gi Clan, and the unique flow of the Duin Clan’s sword, were completely absent.
The fact that he displayed it in the recent battle meant…
‘He intentionally erased it.’
He must have intentionally erased the sensation of the Duin Clan.
It meant he had erased the feeling of the Do-Gi himself.
Whether that was possible or not was beside the point; the fact that he had done it was certain.
‘If this guy really is the Black Demon…’
But that wasn’t the only question.
Gu Yangcheon looked at the guy, who was staring at him in surprise, and continued.
“Why would a Duin Clan member come all the way to Gwangdong and act like this?”
“…”
“As far as I know, the Duin Clan doesn’t teach its members to randomly go around killing people.”
Kkuk.
The young man’s eyes widened like a lantern when he heard the question.
“Tch.”
Seeing that, Gu Yangcheon had to restrain himself. Because he couldn’t tell whether that meant yes or a nearly indistinguishable denial.
‘If this guy is really the Black Demon…’
This was something he didn’t know at all.
‘…In his sword, there was no sign of that.’
In his past life, the swordsmanship used by the Black Demon didn’t have any sensation of the Duin Clan.
Neither the richness of the Do-Gi that the Do-Gi Clan possessed nor the unique flow of the Duin Clan’s swordsmanship were present at all.
The fact that he showed it in the recent fight meant that…
‘He’s intentionally erasing that.’
He must have erased the feeling of the Duin Clan intentionally.
Whether that was possible or not didn’t matter; the fact that he had done it was undeniable.
‘If this guy is really the Black Demon…’
But that wasn’t the only question.
Looking at the guy, who was looking at him in surprise, Gu Yangcheon continued.
“Why would a Duin Clan member come all the way to Gwangdong and do this?”
“…”
“As far as I know, the Duin Clan doesn’t teach their members to go around killing people willy-nilly.”
“Tsk.”
Seeing the guy, he had to bite his tongue. It was because he couldn’t tell if it was an affirmative or a denial, almost the same as one.
Upon hearing the words, the young man clenched his fist.
“… It has nothing to do with the Guanyun Clan. It’s just me who’s messed up.”
Seeing his response, Gu Yangcheon narrowed his eyes.
“Then, you admit that you killed people around here?”
“Yes.”
As he heard the answer, he nodded his head slightly.
His worn-out clothes and a distinct air of shabbiness, even the attempt to hide his Guanyun identity.
Looking at all this, there was one conclusion.
“You’ve escaped, huh?”
“…”
“Am I right?”
He chuckled as he spoke, and the young man lowered his head deeply.
“…It’s not like that.”
“If it’s not that, then what is it?”
“I just… felt that I didn’t belong there, that’s all.”
He felt like he shouldn’t belong there. The young man really thought that way.
Hearing this, Gu Yangcheon spoke in a flat voice.
“Did your master tell you to do the same?”
“…”
Unexpectedly, his head shot up at those words.
“What…!”
“Earlier, you were mumbling in your sleep quite heavily. Seems like you really miss your master, huh?”
Did he make a noise when he had a nightmare?
The moment when the young man trembled as if he were ashamed of something, clenching his fist.
Gu Yangcheon looked at him and thought to himself.
‘Seems like it.’
It seemed like all of his predictions were correct.
The fact that the Black Demon was related to the Guanyun Clan was surprising enough, but what was even more surprising was…
‘He’s the disciple of Cheonghae Ilgeom?’
Cheonghae Ilgeom, the old man who had been a grandmaster and had passed away. He was someone Gu Yangcheon had met before at Shinryong Hall.
It wasn’t a particularly deep connection, but he was someone who had left his mark on Gu Yangcheon in his own way.
Cheonghae Ilgeom…
‘Secretly raising Cheonsalsung?’
Was the Black Demon really a disciple of Cheonghae Ilgeom?
This wasn’t certain, but it wasn’t too difficult to assume.
He wasn’t of a different constitution; he had the Cheonsalsung.
Someone who secretly took him in and raised him to that point.
And even in the Dogi that emitted the atmosphere of Guanyun, there was a hint of purity.
If he wasn’t Cheonghae Ilgeom, then he should at least be someone with power and influence.
In Gu Yangcheon’s eyes, there was only one person in Guanyun who fit that description: Cheonghae Ilgeom.
‘Tsk.’
He bit his tongue as he thought that.
‘Of all things…’
The connection between Cheonghae Ilgeom and the Black Demon.
He wanted to simply ignore such a thing and turn him into a mine. After all, if he was going to become the Black Demon, it didn’t matter what intent Cheonghae Ilgeom had.
However.
“Killed nearly ten people around this neighborhood.”
It bothered him to just ignore that.
“Even if the guy from Cheonghae ended up here, since distance is distance, he would have killed a lot even within that area, right?”
“…”
“Otherwise, the smell of blood wouldn’t be so strong.”
The scent of blood emanating from him.
Whether he didn’t think of hiding it or hadn’t properly washed up, the stench was unusually intense.
The guy had killed people.
The scent of blood was so strong that it indicated the cruel method he used.
“…Yes.”
The guy didn’t deny it.
There was a faint sense of guilt in his expression.
‘You shouldn’t have done that.’
Gu Yangcheon wished that it was an act.
While hiding such a feeling, Gu Yangcheon continued speaking.
“I looked into it a bit. The guys you killed in this neighborhood, most of them had criminal records, right?”
“…”
Thud.
He took out the report that had been in his bosom and threw it in front of him.
The victims of recent murders.
It was a journal with information about those guys.
“Rapists. Arsonists. Did you deliberately choose only such guys to kill?”
“…”
Without answering, the guy nodded his head slightly.
“Why?”
“…I couldn’t let innocent people die.”
“Whether they’re guilty or not. It’s okay to kill people?”
“No. Killing people is also a sin.”
His firm answer was unexpected.
Honestly, from Gu Yangcheon’s perspective, he didn’t think it was a sin.
He never thought of human lives as something precious.
If they deserved it, then they should be hit. If they deserved to die, they should die. That’s what he thought was the way of the world.
“But why did you kill them?”
“…Otherwise… there’s a possibility that innocent people might die.”
After hearing the answer, Gu Yangcheon fell silent for a moment before speaking.
“By your hands, right?”
Thud.
Hearing that, the young man clenched his fist even tighter.
“…Yes…”
Cheonsalsung.
A destiny that led one to kill people and live.
Some called it instinct.
To him, it was as natural as eating and breathing.
Though history viewed it as a rather fucked-up constitution.
Seeing it directly made it seem even more fucked-up.
“So, that’s why you killed them.”
“…I’m sorry. I’ll accept any punishment I deserve.”
“I don’t need an apology from you. Then, what were you planning to do at the inn earlier? Did you plan to do something to those aristocrats?”
“…No.”
Unable to control his trembling hands, the young man tried to steady himself by holding his own hands together.
“I’m sorry… Please kill me. I’ve done wrong…”
He tried to kill himself because he couldn’t resist his instincts. He seemed desperate to do so.
Was it true?
Was the remorseful appearance and the admission of guilt genuine?
Was the one who had been hunting down sinners to kill, the same one who had tried to kill innocent people like in the inn?
Was this really the first time?
He wasn’t sure. Moreover…
‘I’m not really interested.’
He wasn’t placing much importance on this matter.
Apart from killing people or not, it wasn’t a big deal to Gu Yangcheon.
What was truly important to Gu Yangcheon was…
‘Was the Black Demon never really insane from the beginning?’
Though he seemed on the verge of madness, unable to overcome his instincts…
It was strange that he was never really like that from the start.
‘If it were the guy I knew, I would’ve just turned him into a mine and be done with it.’
Now that he knew all these trivial things, he found it somewhat intriguing.
Or maybe that wasn’t the only reason.
– Take it slowly… Then… There will be fewer regrets…
Those were the words left by his fiancee, who had left for Bukhae without listening to him.
It probably meant something like, “Control your temper and try not to kill people.”
“She said she’d come back this year.”
It had been two years since she went there.
Since she said she’d be back by this year, it was about time for her to return.
Maybe she was already on her way back. With that in mind, Gu Yangcheon got up.
“If there’s anything bothering you, take your time. I told you to do so.”
As Gu Yangcheon mumbled words he couldn’t understand, the young man looked at him with a puzzled expression.
And then…
“If you have business, come out quickly.”
As Gu Yangcheon spoke outright, he sensed a presence from somewhere.
Shortly after, a few people appeared from beyond the forest.
The culprits were none other than the mute warrior named Seodong, whom Gu Yangcheon had met last night.
As soon as Seodong appeared, he cornered Gu Yangcheon.
“… We meet again. Daehyeop.”
“Yes. Nice to see you. Thanks to you, I’ve found the person I was looking for.”
Upon Gu Yangcheon’s words, Seodong’s gaze shifted towards the young man kneeling beside him.
Eyes with a yellow tint, an appearance that seemed to exceed the age indicated by his hair.
It was the impression that Gu Yangcheon had described at that time.
In other words…
“Killer.”
The talk of the culprit who had been causing a ruckus in the Gwangdong region recently.
Ignoring Seodong’s reaction, Gu Yangcheon spoke.
“Do you have something to say to me? Our conversation seemed to have ended well last night.”
Hearing his words, Seodong straightened his body. Although he tried to explain, someone by his side stepped forward to stop him.
He was a middle-aged man with a massive build.
Looking at him, Gu Yangcheon’s eyes narrowed.
‘He’s strong.’
Compared to the peak warrior Seodong, he exuded a formidable aura.
Hwagyeong.
That man was a Hwagyeong warrior.
Seeing Gu Yangcheon staring at him, the man smiled slightly and took control of the situation.
“Nice to meet you for the first time. I’m Wiseok, in charge of the Gwangdong Branch of the Murim League.”
Hearing the name, Gu Yangcheon nodded inwardly.
Judging from his demeanor, he didn’t think Wiseok was at the Great Master level. He hadn’t expected the local chief to show up in person.
‘Well, if he’s at the Hwagyeong level, he’s too good for a mere chief.’
If he was a Hwagyeong warrior, he could enter the ranks of prestigious families. It would be strange for someone like that to take charge of a small branch.
“I apologize for coming without an appointment. I came in a bit of a hurry.”
At Wiseok’s words, Gu Yangcheon nodded his head. Though his attitude was brief, there was a glint of interest in Wiseok’s eyes.
“My subordinates told me that you’ve been of assistance in capturing the Red Demons?”
“I caught them because I happened to see them passing by.”
“…Just passing by the Red Demons…”
Hearing Gu Yangcheon’s words, Wiseok chuckled.
“Although it’s not an easy task, it’s quite impressive. I came to express my gratitude for your help.”
“I’ve received your gratitude. So, what do you want?”
Get to the point. That’s what his words implied.
Given how openly he was speaking, Wiseok would certainly not be oblivious to this.
“I’d like to ask your name. Just accept my thanks. It’s quite a hassle to just let you go.”
Hearing this, Gu Yangcheon raised an eyebrow.
“Why do you need my name? It’s enough to just say thank you. Why go through all this trouble?”
“Haha, it wouldn’t be right for us to just let you go without anything in return. Besides…”
Wiseok’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“In the report, it was mentioned that you managed to tame demons. Seriously?”
Hearing that, this time, Goyangcheon chuckled.
“Come on, that’s just nonsense. How can a person tame demons?”
“That’s what I’m saying. It’s not really a believable story, but it was written in the report.”
“So, did the person who wrote the report dream all that up?”
With a smile that seemed amused, Goyangcheon’s eyes crinkled, but Wiseok’s skepticism remained evident. His firm gaze was fixed on Goyangcheon.
Seeing that, Goyangcheon’s laughter faded.
“So, what do you want then?”
His slightly elevated voice quickly sank, making the atmosphere instantly heavy.
“Tsk…”
Seodong, who was standing beside them, startled and stepped back. He must have felt like his body was being pierced. The intensity of the tension was that strong.
“Just get to the point. What do you want?”
Even with the tension, Wiseok held his ground.
He maintained a steadfast posture, as if demonstrating his rank within the Hwagyeong.
“We need to deal with an unidentified figure. Given the uncertain circumstances, we want to gather solid information about you. Furthermore…”
Wiseok’s gaze shifted towards the young swordsman.
“Recently, there has been a noisy uproar caused by a killer, and it seems you might be related. I’d like to hear about that as well. So, if possible, I’d like to discuss the matter more thoroughly back at the headquarters.”
Hearing this, Goyangcheon spoke.
“So, you’re telling me to obediently follow you for an investigation, right?”
“I will treat you with respect.”
His tone was affirmative.
“What if I refuse?”
“I hope you won’t. If possible, I’d like to treat you with the utmost respect.”
Goyangcheon’s grip tightened on his sword as he spoke.
It was almost a threat, not much different from coercion.
If you don’t follow, I’ll subdue you.
That meaning was unmistakable.
Somehow, it seemed like they had brought more personnel than he expected.
Seodong wasn’t the only formidable figure here. There were individuals of higher status present. Perhaps they were even greater than Seodong.
“Feels like being treated like a demon.”
Goyangcheon thought as he sensed the weight of the situation.
Red demons could be easily hunted, yet they held considerable power. It seemed that the display Goyangcheon had shown Seodong was quite impactful. They had come thoroughly prepared.
Realizing this, Goyangcheon laughed.
“Haha.”
He couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Amusing.”
He spoke without hiding his intentions.
It wasn’t anger that made him laugh. He found the situation genuinely amusing.
Looking at Wiseok in front of him, Goyangcheon pondered.
How could he not laugh?
“It seems I’ve thrown a better bait than expected.”
While the incident with the swordsman was unexpected, the rest of the plan was proceeding as intended. How could he not consider this fortunate?
Goyangcheon thought about this as he turned his gaze back to Wiseok.
“Alright.”
At that moment,
“Shall we?”
The sound of unsheathing swords echoed from all sides.