[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith":3,"chapter-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-11":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Childhood Friend of the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1239937,1667,"Chapter 10: Nine Dragons Day (4)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-11",11,"\u003Cp>༺ Nine Dragons Day (4) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the Young Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man who looked to be around the age of twenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cringed at the sight of him throwing a tantrum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, hold on. Why is a member of the Peng Clan here? No to mention the fact that a member carrying the royal blood of Peng Clan was causing a mess like a kind in front of everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nah, no way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way that this was the actual Young Master of the Peng clan. It had to be a scammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scammer with balls of steel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impersonating the Young Master of one of the Four Noble Clans was going to put him in a lot of trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, at this point, yesterday’s memory of me running into Peng Ah-Hee suddenly flashed through my mind, but I quickly erased the thought – or at least, I tried to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of this made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something had to be wrong somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, in my previous life, I never heard about the Young Master of Peng coming to the Nine Dragons Ceremony, so this was going to be handled without any problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I was about to ignore the situation and leave, I ran into the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some weirdo is causing trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave him a quick answer and once again planned to leave. I had some business, so I wanted to leave as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Second Elder stopped me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was looking for you since this morning my back has been aching a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense are you on about? You look even healthier than me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. I noticed it yesterday too, but you’ve suddenly gotten better at talking back to me. It’d be nice if your martial skills also got better like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ruffled my hair – and head – again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urgh, I feel dizzy..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh… Why were you looking for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could have ordered the servants, so why did he take the matter into his own hands?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, nothing important. After the match ends-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why am I not allowed? I showed you everything that I needed to show! Must I show my shadow arts in order for you to believe me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Please sir, try to calm down. We are also-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! I told you, I don’t have much time! You said anyone with a certificate is allowed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder’s gaze turned towards the man. Shadow martial arts were a type of martial art passed down to the Peng Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but it was a martial skill only passed down to those of the bloodline of Peng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to stop the Second Elder as I didn’t like where this was going, but he was already out of my reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Shit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are the son of Peng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder was suddenly in front of the man claiming to be the Young Master of Peng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“G-greetings to the Second Elder!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the men showed respect to him when they saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the people who signed up for the competition were also staring at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, it is good to see you all working diligently. You, you’re the son of Peng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man fixed his posture after hearing the Elder’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Peng Woojin, Young Master of the Peng Clan. It is an honour to meet the Flaming Fist of Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Flaming Fist’ was a title given to the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder smirks at Peng Woojin’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did getting greeted with his title put him in a good mood?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you are the son of Peng. Your physique definitely says so. Your face also looks just like that sucker Lord of yours.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To call the Lord of the Peng Clan a sucker…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how I looked at it, the word “manly” definitely suited the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, why did you come here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came here to support the swordsmen of Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are the Young Master of Peng, yet you left the swordsmen at your place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s no fun there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder laughs at Peng Woojin’s response. It was as if he was talking to a madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are a madman. The Peng Clan has a madman in their family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, sir. I hear that a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not a compliment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly noticed a black ring on the hands of Peng Woojin. It was the same ring that Peng Ah-Hee had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it, He is real…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the hell is he here doing all this nonsense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came here as I heard that anyone with a certificate may enter. But they refused to let me in even though I had shown everything to them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Did you come here after getting permission from the Lord of Peng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was no way he was going to let me leave, so I ran away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really was a madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really are a madman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, I agreed with the Second Elder. This guy really was a madman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder smirked again after looking at his body. He looks kinda perverted…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your body is well built. Your age?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I turned 23 this year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Such a body, and at such a young age as well… Peng is raising a dragon. I wish our little rascal would be at least half like you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he referring to me when he said “rascal”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I didn’t feel hurt even though I was being compared to him since if that man was really Peng Woojin of Peng, then he was indeed a dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword King Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the title he was given in the future, at a point not too far from now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader of the Heavenly Black Army was known to be equal to one of the Heavenly Venerables, ❰Disgraced Venerable❱ Bijuu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Him being equal to one of the Heavenly Venerables meant that he couldn’t at all be compared to other martial artists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he died in a battle against Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was said that he was already tired from previous battles before he faced Peng Woojin, but Peng Woojin still won despite facing him alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Bijuu heard the news, they themselve gave Peng Woojin the Sword King title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Second Elder smirked while stroking his long beard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He showed his certificate, and seems to be battle ready, so isn’t it okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What on earth did he just say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guards seemed to have trouble with the Elder’s words, just like I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…But Lord Second Elder, even then-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the problem? Isn’t this what he wants?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes my Lord. I would love to enter the Nine Dragons Competition. I really want to work as a swordsman of Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See, he wants this himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes of the guards shook as if there was an earthquake. They didn’t know what to do with this situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the cold sweats of the guards were about to make a puddle on the ground, a saviour appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person who appeared with a loud voice was Peng Ah-Hee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You idiot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She proceeded to kick him hard in the stomach. She definitely put Qi into that kick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin, who got sucker-kicked in the stomach, flew a short distance, then fell and rolled along the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Geez, that looked like it hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he dead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You idiot, you earn the title of Young Master but you run away after leaving a short letter!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee, who wasn’t satisfied by a single kick, rushed over to Peng Woojin and started raining more on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, Peng Woojin didn’t die. Sadly, he started letting out more screams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh… Agh! Wait… Wait…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You run away only to become the swordsmen of another clan? Are you seriously out of your mind?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, that’s a spot she shouldn’t kick him at…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your brother’s – ugh – gonna die! Hold – uff – on a sec-ow! Ah-Hee!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then die! Die, you idiot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s gonna be the Lord if I die?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who cares?! Even a dog would be better than you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Argh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked away from the brutal sight. The Second Elder also scratches his cheek, troubled by the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully walked towards the Second Elder and spoke to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it alright to leave them like that? He’s really going to die if we let them be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The men of the Peng Clan are built so well that even beating them up with the strongest steel won’t kill them. Don’t worry about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Save me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee took a breath and calmed down a little after beating up the man like a doll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin, meanwhile, still laid on the ground, emanated an aura that made one uncertain as to whether he was still alive or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Get up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee spoke in an icy tone, but Peng Woojin continued lying on the ground, now seeming to be more dead than alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t get up, I’m going to destroy your genitals with a brick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin shot up immediately, cold sweat streaming down his back upon hearing the unimaginably brutal words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee let out a deep sigh while looking at Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed to have a lot of thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I found you, so it doesn’t matter… Let’s go back home, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People who were wearing black appeared behind Peng Ah-Hee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were members of the Peng clan, who were also included among Peng Ah-Hee’s escorts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee, who was momentarily shocked when she saw me and the Second Elder, came over to us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize for causing so much trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are the daughter of Peng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I am Peng Ah-Hee, Flaming Fist sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unlike your brother, you seemed to be educated well. That bear of a man really has some great kids.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bear-like man calling another man a bear…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We won’t forget about the troubles we have caused here and will surely repay you. We will take our leave now so that we don’t cause any more trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not going back, Ah-Hee.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee turns around and looks at Peng Woojin with axe-like eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really going to keep bullshitting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not bullshitting. I have no plans to go back to the Peng clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s the reason then brother, why are you acting like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Peng Clan is no fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is that madman always talking about having fun? Peng Ah-Hee responds as if she also read my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then the Gu Clan is fun? Are all the other clans more fun than the Peng? Why are you always on about having fun in other places?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s probably more fun than our place at least.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, please grow up. You are the Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly why I must have fun before I become the Lord. The only way to not become the Lord is to either die or become half disabled, and I don’t like those choices.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin’s eyes showed that he had already made up his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I may not want to become the lord, but I don’t see anyone else worthy enough to become one. Besides you, Ah-Hee, everyone in the clan are just a bunch of beasts who have the name of Peng, and they can’t beat me even if they all fought me at once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He harshly judges the other members of his bloodline as he speaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He may have come off as someone with too much pride and arrogance, but he definitely had the talent to back it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But then I can’t let you become the Lord, so I’ll inevitably become the lord one day. That is the reason why I accepted the Young Master title which I loathe and find annoying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I somehow saw justification in the madman’s reasoning, as if I myself had gone insane while listening to his rant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee rubbed her temples. It seemed she’d gotten a headache because of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the Second Elder stepped in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was going to let him participate as this old man thought it’d be fun, but since I have to think about the Peng Clan’s perspective, let’s make a deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the Second Elder’s words, Peng Ah-Hee looked at him nervously while Peng Woojin looked at him with visible excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll let you in if you beat me in a battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What nonsense are you on about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was expecting him to say something smart, but nope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Peng Woojin becomes one of the strongest in the future, he still had a lot to learn as of now. There was no way he was going to beat the Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wait, you don’t even have to beat me by brute force. I’ll count it as a win if you can hit me in ten attacks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin lit up at the words of the Second Elder. Peng Ah-Hee, who was behind them, only looked at them nervously, unable to interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I’ll let you have ten attacks. You win if you can so much as touch my clothes within those ten attacks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin pulled out his sword and got into his battle stance as soon as the conversation ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait… They are going to do it here when there are so many people here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was going to stop them but the Second Elder punched at Peng Woojin’s face in a flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– POW!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin fell to the ground after making a sound that shouldn’t have been produced by a mere punch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fall was different from when he rolled to the ground after Peng Ah-Hee’s attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…He might have actually died this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I controlled my strength, so he’ll be up soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Second Elder, weren’t you only going to dodge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never said that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyways, this problem is solved now, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But even so,was punching the guy really the only option, especially when the guy you punched is the Young Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If a man is annoying, shutting them up is the solution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s just that violence shouldn’t be the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you say violence?! It was a duel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…But you said he wins if he touches your clothes. Doesn’t that mean he won since he touched your fist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I stabbed him with facts, the Second Elder let out a fake cough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He definitely didn’t think that far ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>",2403,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","2fdca61ec726bb200b616ff02da44370099fd4b6877c85e2cb27012c9dd3270c","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-12","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-10",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]