[{"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-14":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},1239940,1667,"Chapter 13: Obsidian Insignia","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-14",14,"\u003Cp>༺ Obsidian Insignia ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I messed up…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the first thought Gu Yangcheon had when he returned to his place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m screwed. Royally screwed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m so retarded. Why did I do that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remembered how Gu Yeonseo collapsed to the ground after being slapped. Her nose was bleeding, too…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body was pretty weak and I didn’t put any Qi into it, so it probably didn’t do any serious damage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But even so, I went too far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t talking about the slap itself when I said ‘I went too far.’ That was honestly justified on my part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just that I destroyed Gu Yeonseo’s reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I really have to make a Gu blood relative eat dirt so pathetically in front of all that crowd in the middle of our clan’s festival?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was understandable that Gu Yeonseo got so hot-headed because of her young age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I was almost twice her age if I combined both my current age with my previous life’s years, and I still let my emotions get the better of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m still so immature, even with all this experience.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait, wasn’t it the Second Elder’s fault that he instigated me into doing all of that at his age?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Why was I even asking, of course it was his fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>–Swoosh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breeze passed me by and left behind a sound that tickled my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spring breeze was still cold, even though winter had already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could withstand the cold, even in light clothing, thanks to my flame Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah-choo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to the sound of the sneeze and found Muyeon and Wi Seol-Ah standing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah came over to me while Muyeon gave his greetings. She had a roll of cloth in her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you holding in your hands?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young master… your hand…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skin on my palm was peeling off and there was a bit of blood coming out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because I had slapped Gu Yeonseo while her body was still swathed in Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person with Qi inside their body had faster regeneration compared to an average person. An injury like this would heal pretty quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is nothing. I’m fine—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could finish, Wi Seol-Ah rushed to cover my hand with the cloth. She was clumsy with it, as she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to do it myself, but I couldn’t stop her when I saw the tears dripping from her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked so cheerful while she was watching the Second Elder beat up Peng Woojin, so to see her act like this at such a small injury threw me off a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wi Seol-Ah wrapping bandages…is pretty cool, I guess.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The future Zenith was bandaging my hand for me. Wouldn’t this be considered an honor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She finally stopped bandaging me after my hand had become twice as thick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah spoke to me like she was about to start weeping at any second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young master, does it hurt a lot…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It didn’t at first, but now I feel like it does after this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you’re saying it doesn’t hurt, right? Thank goodness…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Are you only listening to what you want to listen to?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a little walk in the night and circled around my place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Gu Yeonseo alright?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Whatever.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided not to worry about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not like this already ruined family relationship was going to be fixed from now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Obviously not for Gu Yeonseo, and obviously not for me, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I came back to my place, the lights were already on in my room. I asked one of the nearby servants what was going on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She replied with an astonished expression, saying, “Huh…? They said they already informed you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked to see who was in my room, so I opened the door and there he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh! Young Master Gu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lunatic… No, it was Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>********\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hello, my name is Peng Woojin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know, Sir Peng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can just call me Bro Peng or Brother Peng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think we are close enough for me to address you like that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is this lunatic here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why was Peng Ah-Hee covering her face right next to Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like she was embarrassed as her ears were all red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee aggressively pulled on her brother’s clothes and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother… Shouldn’t we apologize first for something we did?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was able to hear the embarrassment in her quivering voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing Peng Ah-hee the realization dawned upon Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right… I should have come here alone since you guys broke up. I apologize for not realizing sooner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my god… you moron.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I agreed with Peng Ah-Hee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee had no choice but to speak for her brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apologies for coming here so late at night without saying anything beforehand. My lunatic of a… My brother really wanted to see you and I couldn’t stop him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Peng? Wanted to see me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You may call me Bro Peng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will pass.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to be involved with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin just sat still with a smile on his face, not saying anything as the tea that the servants brought grew cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what brings you here…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he here to complain to me about the incident with the Second Elder? Peng Woojin still had a red swelling on one side of his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the spot where he’d gotten hit by the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He said he controlled his strength…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is this him “controlling his strength?” Did putting in a bit more strength mean he could make heads explode with his punch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…The mere thought of that scared me. It might actually be possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I really have nothing to do with what the Second Elder did to you. I swear I tried to stop him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh, is he not here because of that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin started to speak as I expressed my confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just wanted to see you since I heard you were the little brother of the Sword Phoenix.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re close with my eldest sister?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had never heard about Peng Woojin being close to Gu Huibi. Well to be honest, I wasn’t really close to her either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if I had to choose, I was probably still closer with Gu Huibi than Gu Yeonseo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought of her as close, but I’m not sure how she feels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then you probably aren’t.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Huibi’s personality was not the type to be friendly with Peng Woojin. It was more likely for her to try initiating a fight instead of a connection with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I came here to see you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you want to see me? It’s not like I’m special or anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does he want from a useless guy like me, huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, our clans in general weren’t really on good terms with each other after the engagement was dissolved\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought that the Sword Phoenix was the only fun person in the Gu Clan, but there was one more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he talking about me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fun? He was going on about “fun” again. Like the first time I saw him, he was always looking for “fun,” which I didn’t really get.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He definitely is a weirdo.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although, it wasn’t that strange, since there weren’t many martial arts masters who were normal anyways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I still didn’t want to involve myself with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be beneficial to get into Peng Woojin’s good books since he would become the Sword King in the future, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This guy is hard to read.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was very hard to understand because of his bizarre personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you want to meet someone from Gu, it would be better to go see my sister instead. I’m not all that special.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I probably won’t be able to see her if I go there right now, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You don’t have to go now. You can go tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hm, I wonder if she is still unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came to see Young Master Gu. I don’t really have interest in the Young Lady Gu anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, can you please learn to not say some things sometimes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm, sorry. I’m not very good at that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What am I going to do with this person?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like I was going to get a headache all over again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin took something out of his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is my gift to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The item looked like a small black wooden insignia that had “Peng” written in gold on it. It didn’t particularly seem all that special, but Peng Ah-Hee was shocked as if he had given me something very important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, isn’t it absurd for you to just give this away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who cares, they gave it to me for me to use. Whoever I give it to is my decision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But still…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is essentially a guest pass to the Peng Clan. If you come visit with that, you would be treated just like a Peng Clan family member.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please take it back…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he giving me this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I took it, I really felt like I was going to be inevitably involved with Peng Woojin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But, I have broken the engagement with your clan, so…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t care about that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, I care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please take it, Young Master Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignored Peng Ah-Hee completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be good to have the Peng Clan’s favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had no idea why Peng Woojin was treating me like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about you hold onto it and give it to my eldest sister instead? I heard you were very close—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was going to, but Sword Phoenix didn’t even bother listening to me. This is quite the precious thing to have… Why is she refusing it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already got rejected! Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what about my second sister?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m giving it to you because I’m interested in you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I like women, Sir Peng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I like women, too, of course. Then again, maybe not? Probably yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why are you questioning that… You’re giving me goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin took back the Obsidian insignia, seemingly disappointed when I kept refusing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee couldn’t raise her head up after her brother’s insane act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, at least she was normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just wanted to lay down on the bed more as time passed by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of the duel, I had used my body too much and was really tired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin, who seemed to notice my fatigue, got up to leave, even though he still seemed disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess that was really all he came here for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin asked me a question as he was about to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you going to enroll in Heavenly Dragon Academy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, probably.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To live as a martial artist of the Orthodox Faction meant that I would have to get through the Heavenly Dragon Academy set up by the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although it was possible to learn enough martial skills within the clan alone, in order to be recognized as a swordsman qualified to close the Gates of Demons, graduation from a martial academy after being taught everything about demons was required.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, martial academies existed in other places as well, and not just at Heavenly Dragon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for those of the Orthodox Faction, it was obvious to enter Heavenly Dragon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though I should try to think of a way to run away.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The education lasted for a whole year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t have the spare time to just waste an entire year like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, then you would become my subordinate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin tapped my shoulders with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was trying to establish ties with me through the academy since his other methods weren’t working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Was it because I won against Gu Yeonseo and also slapped her hard afterwards? Why is he so obsessed with me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be weird even for a woman to act like that, so a man expressing so much interest towards me gave me goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee, while following her brother out, stopped to look at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you to talk to me formally, I’m older.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said when I speak formally, it makes you sick, so what do you want me to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-Hee finally continued after hesitating for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you suddenly apologizing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…When I knocked you over and broke your arm on the day our engagement was annulled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You did?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I went through such a scary thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did I do to make you do such a scary thing…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You told me I was the child of a concubine or whatever.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I deserved it, then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I honestly probably deserved having both of my arms broken for that. So it was a bit weird to see her apologizing instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to apologize. I should be the one to do so instead. I apologize for my conduct back then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we were both in the same situation, me saying that to her back then only made me a hypocrite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just due to my own pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know if she accepted my apology or not, but at least her expression seemed to soften up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Take care as well. And though you may not like what my brother gave you, he gave it with good intentions, so use it whenever you want.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gave me what, I thought I returned that—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sensed something in my pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I searched my pockets, the black wooden insignia came out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did he…!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…When Peng Woojin tapped my shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He put it in then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out an empty laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a lunatic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heaved a sigh and put the black wooden insignia back in my pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * * * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the third day of the Nine Dragons Ceremony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the day of celebration and partying, but I got into the carriage to return to the clan as soon as I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard that Gu Yeonseo had already set off at midnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She woke up, thankfully.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was thankful she woke up without any lasting damage, but it was even harder for me to face her now, when it was already quite difficult before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the preparations were done, the carriage set off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was trying to rest, but then Wi Seol-Ah started to lean towards my shoulder as she fell asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly passed Wi Seol-Ah to another servant as I also began to doze.\u003C\u002Fp>",2439,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","cb0f82748e17cf638d084bbe62b5a3ab28dc66b9b0520be8cb7862d6a78e05c7","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-15","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-13",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]