Childhood Friend of the Zenith Chapter 1146

The Night of Overlapping Moons

Clouds veiled parts of the sky, making the night seem even darker.

“A member of the Gu Clan, you say?”

Paejon, who had led me into a secluded corner, spread his aura barrier before asking me.

I remained silent.

Seeing my lack of response, Paejon stared at me, unblinking. The meaning behind his gaze was simple—he wasn’t going to stop staring until I answered.

How should I respond? No, that wasn’t the right question. My answer had already been decided.

If I wasn’t going to stay silent, there was only one thing I could say.

“…Yes.”

The moment the Bloodwheel Pearl activated, Paejon must have seen everything. There was no point in denying it.

“Hmm.”

Paejon kept staring at me.

“I thought you looked somewhat familiar… but I never imagined you’d be that bastard’s kid.”

I clenched my lips.

That bastard.

The words left a bitter taste in my mouth. Not because I held any affection for my grandfather—I didn’t. But hearing it said aloud still left me with a sense of unease.

Strangely enough, Paejon bit his lips as well, his expression laced with a peculiar frustration.

“That bastard sure has insane luck with his offspring. I’m almost jealous.”

He was obviously referring to my father and me.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, he continued.

“Are you a bastard child?”

“Something like that.”

“Figures. Knowing Gu Clan’s head, there’s no way he would have left you alone if he knew.”

His words carried little emotion, only mild disinterest. Even after learning I was a Gu, his attitude remained unchanged.

“Strange. That bastard never seemed the type to go around sowing his seed.”

“That’s a rather crude way of putting it.”

“I could be cruder, but I’m holding back.”

“…”

“Whatever. Anyway, Gu Ryun is going to be a pain for a while, so you’d best be prepared.”

With that, Paejon turned away. I tilted my head slightly.

“You’re leaving?”

“Yeah. What, did you want to train or something?”

“…No, not really.”

I hadn’t even said anything, yet he was already heading off. It caught me off guard.

“Do you not have any more questions?”

“Hmm? What more is there to ask?”

Paejon looked at me as if I were the strange one.

“You confirmed you’re a Gu. What else is there? Do you want me to ask why you found out?”

His expression showed he had zero curiosity.

“If I wanted, I could ask a million things. But that would be endless. Besides, it doesn’t look like you want to talk about it.”

“…That’s true.”

“Then that’s that. I’m not particularly interested, and besides…”

Paejon gave me a sideways glance.

“If you were truly my disciple, you’d know I don’t give a damn about things like that.”

“…”

“Tell me, disciple. What is the thing I value the most?”

“…Martial arts.”

“Good. You understand.”

Paejon grinned, seemingly satisfied.

“Then let me ask you another question. Does your situation hinder my pursuit of martial arts?”

“That…”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it did, maybe it didn’t. There were too many variables for me to give a definitive answer.

But.

“It does not.”

“If it did, I wouldn’t have taken you as my disciple in the first place.”

His tone was indifferent.

He had known all along and still chose to take me in as his disciple. That meant he didn’t think it was even worth worrying about.

“So just keep doing what you were doing. If Gu Ryun decides to make things difficult, deal with it.”

Paejon’s expression turned serious as he looked at me.

“From the way you talk, it seems like you already know Gu Ryun well. Am I wrong?”

“…”

Once again, I found myself unable to answer.

Paejon had an annoyingly sharp sense.

Seeing my hesitation, he turned away.

“I’m leaving. I’ll be back tomorrow. Be ready.”

With that, Paejon disappeared into the night.

I smacked my lips in frustration.

“Tch.”

No matter which world it was…

Whether it was this Paejon or the one from my past…

Both of them had a knack for leaving me speechless.

For better or worse.

**********

Tack.

Tak.

The faint flicker of a small flame swayed in the dimly lit room. It was a fragile ember, ready to be snuffed out by even the gentlest breeze.

Beyond the trembling fire, a man with Golden Eyes sat in silence—Wi Hyogun.

“Azure Dragon Division Vice-Commander.”

“Yes, sir.”

The young man, Gu Cheolwoon, responded to Wi Hyogun’s summons.

At that moment—

Fwoosh.

The faintly flickering fire surged, instantly illuminating the room.

Even as the flames danced, Wi Hyogun remained composed. His sharp gaze rested on Gu Cheolwoon.

“I heard something happened.”

“My apologies.”

Without hesitation, Gu Cheolwoon bowed in apology.

Wi Hyogun waved a hand dismissively.

“It wasn’t your fault. It was, by all accounts, a calamity.”

Gu Cheolwoon remained silent.

The conversation was about what had occurred in Anhui, where a White-Rank Demonic Beast had rampaged through the Magyeong Gate.

“What was the state of the White-Rank Beast?”

Wi Hyogun had already discussed this earlier in the day, yet he asked again.

“It was strong.”

Gu Cheolwoon’s response was concise and to the point.

Wi Hyogun chuckled softly.

“A simple answer.”

It didn’t matter.

The detailed reports had already been written. He had asked for a different reason.

“Yes, strong indeed. But what’s more intriguing is the one who eliminated that powerful being with such ease.”

At those words, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression shifted.

“They called themselves… ‘Cheonma,’ was it?”

The man who had claimed the title Cheonma.

He had effortlessly slain the rampaging White-Rank Beast—

And beyond that.

“Even the Heavenly Lord… was defeated.”

One of the Three Masters, Heavenly Lord, had been ambushed. His defeat had aided Namgung Hyung’s escape with Thunder Fang.

Because of this, the Namgung Clan had formally requested the Beggars’ Union to investigate Namgung Hyung’s disappearance.

The fall of the Heavenly Lord.

In other words—

It meant the Cheonma was at least at the level of a Three Masters combatant.

“Where on earth did such a figure come from… Not only is he strong, but he even controls demonic beasts?”

“We cannot be certain, but witness accounts suggest as much.”

Not only did this Cheonma possess overwhelming martial prowess—

But the creatures under his command were nothing ordinary.

A Black Demonic Beast, massive in size, rivaling a White-Rank Beast.

A humanoid demon, bearing wings upon its back.

They all followed Cheonma’s orders.

“A human controlling demonic beasts…?”

Historically, this was unheard of.

Beasts of Magyeong Gate saw even their own kind as prey. To think that they would obey a mere human—impossible.

However—

“During our research on the Red Demonic Beasts, we confirmed that they can control Blue and Green Demonic Beasts.”

The Red Demonic Beasts had led the Blue and Green Beasts in coordinated assaults.

If beasts could obey those of higher rank, then perhaps…

“But he is human.”

“…That’s right.”

This Cheonma was human.

Even if no one had seen his face beneath his mask—

There was no denying it.

A human… controlling demonic beasts.

The Truth Had Yet to Spread Across Zhongyuan

Even if they couldn’t entirely suppress the existence of Cheonma, the Beggars’ Union was at least managing to contain one crucial fact. They were actively preventing the full truth from spreading—to avoid plunging the world into chaos.

“…This requires immediate investigation.”

Wi Hyogun narrowed his eyes. This wasn’t an issue to be brushed aside.

Who exactly was this person?

A warrior of such caliber could shift the balance of power within the righteous sects. He needed to dedicate his full attention to the matter.

And aside from concerns about Cheonma—

“Vice-Commander, what of the matter I entrusted to you?”

There was still something left to discuss.

Hearing those words, Gu Cheolwoon’s gaze sharpened.

The task he had been assigned.

Wi Hyogun had ordered him to investigate Baek Yangcheon and Do Yun.

It was for that reason that he had inserted two new recruits into the mission this time.

So—what was the result?

Had he been able to uncover anything significant?

Gu Cheolwoon hesitated.

It had been a long time since he had felt this reluctant to report his findings. And for good reason—

“I don’t know.”

That was the truth. He simply didn’t know.

When it came to Do Yun, he had managed to gather a reasonable amount of information. Even amidst the chaos, there had been opportunities to observe him.

But Baek Yangcheon…

Thinking of that name, Gu Cheolwoon felt a strange unease creep over him.

“He’s… bizarre.”

Yes, bizarre—that was the perfect word to describe him.

His presence was unsettling.

He was indifferent and detached, yet overwhelmingly intense.

Even when one tried to ignore him, it was impossible.

Gu Cheolwoon couldn’t help but pay attention to him.

His concealed strength, the full extent of which remained unknown.

And more than that—

“…”

The fact that she—

The woman who never shared anything—had voluntarily given him food.

That detail gnawed at him.

“Ridiculous.”

It was just food.

All she had done was offer him something to eat.

And yet, for some reason, it bothered him.

Gu Cheolwoon didn’t know why.

All he could say at this moment was—

“I still don’t know.”

He had yet to fully grasp Baek Yangcheon.

“…Hmm. I see.”

Wi Hyogun nodded. He neither pressed for more details nor scolded him.

He simply continued reading through Gu Cheolwoon’s report.

“So… you wish to take a mission to Shanxi?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Judging by the personnel you listed, this mission is related to recent events, isn’t it?”

“That is correct.”

Wi Hyogun studied the document for a moment before setting it down.

“I’ll inform the Azure Dragon Commander separately. For now, remain on standby.”

“Understood.”

“Dismissed.”

“Yes, sir.”

Gu Cheolwoon bowed respectfully and stepped back.

At that moment—

“It seems your discussion has concluded?”

Before Gu Cheolwoon could open the door, Paejon strode in as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.

“…Vice-Commander, I believe I told you—”

“Ahaha.”

Wi Hyogun scowled as Paejon casually barged in.

Gu Cheolwoon, paying them no mind, exited the room.

Tak.

The door to the Alliance Leader’s Office shut behind him, leaving him standing in the darkened hallway, its walls stained with soot.

Creak.

As he walked down the corridor, a name kept surfacing in his mind.

Baek Yangcheon.

An unknown figure who had suddenly appeared.

Ever since his arrival, something had begun to crack.

“This is bad.”

He had a bad feeling about all of this.

And if he were to go to Shanxi, it would become an even greater problem.

Because if he went there, then without a doubt—

“My father will take an interest in him.”

His father.

The current head of the Gu Clan, Gu Cheolwoon’s father, would surely develop an interest in Baek Yangcheon, just like Gu Ryun had.

And that…

That was what worried him the most.

A feeling of deep, unshakable dread.