[{"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-141":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},1240167,1667,"Chapter 140: Harmonic Sword Jang Cheon (2)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-141",141,"\u003Cp>༺ Harmonic Sword Jang Cheon (2) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it came to the Harmonic Sword, Jang Cheon…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could say he was the most ideal Leader of the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Alliance Leader, he was able to keep the clans and other groups of the Orthodox Factions under control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the state of public order noticeably improved under his leadership after he succeeded the Sword Emperor, Wi Hyogun, who had resigned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first assumed leadership, there were debates about whether the Alliance Leader should have been Shaolin’s Head Abbott or Mount Hua’s Celestial Plum Blossom instead…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jang Cheon’s capable leadership quickly quelled those discussions in just a few years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did he have a good personality, but he also was talented in martial arts, so he was known as a man of perfection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least in the eyes of the world, that is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize for coming here so suddenly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A handsome middle-aged man with a kind look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His downward-pointing eyes made him seem like he was smiling even when keeping a straight face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Greetings, Alliance Leader.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully knelt on one knee before Jang Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Jang Cheon saw my actions, he quickly waved his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to show respect. I’m the one who barged in, after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could I not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was none other than the Alliance Leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His martial arts level might be lower than the Celestial Plum Blossom or the Heavenly Venerables, but the significance of his position could not be ignored either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of power, he wielded more influence than the Four Noble Clans or the Ten Sect Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew it… I should have planned this beforehand, but I made a mistake since I was in a hurry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did come here rather suddenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the timing was quite inconvenient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess this was where I could say the first impression really was that important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize once again for coming here so suddenly, Young Master Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s no problem at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While looking at Jang Cheon, I thought to myself…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did the Murim Alliance Leader come to me himself, considering that he could have summoned me instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Numerous thoughts ran through my mind, but there was one that was the most likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was half sure of this, to be more accurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Dishonored Venerable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dishonored Venerable’s recommendation letter that the Second Elder gave me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only reason I could fathom which made sense for the Alliance Leader’s sudden visit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though I wonder if it’s really something that’d make him come to me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Venerables’ name held prestige, but I still wondered if it was enough for the Alliance Leader to come meet me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does he have a problem with the Dishonored Venerable?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader took something out of his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I looked at it, it was the recommendation letter I brought, as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the way, the servants in the room had already been sent away before we began talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already told Hongwa to go to the meetup with Gu Jeolyub and the others in case I was late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also told her to punish Wi Seol-Ah by having her hands raised in the air until the meetup time, so Hongwa should be fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu, I rushed here so rudely as I wanted to ask you something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body tingled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a sensation that passed by my shoulders, so I flowed my Qi around. I was able to feel that a barrier had been set up inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This recommendation letter…Did the Dishonored Venerable give it to you directly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the Alliance Leader came here because of that damned recommendation letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, I felt like the Second Elder was trying to push me off a cliff, all in the name of my own good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t see how things always turn out like this if not for such a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did not get it directly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you got it from someone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh, I felt a strange feeling from the Alliance Leader’s expression and tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like I was being investigated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t the best feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An investigation when he barged into my room so abruptly, treating me as though I were a criminal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, may I ask the Alliance Leader why you are asking me this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked as respectfully as possible while concealing my feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how annoyed I was, I couldn’t just afford to show my fangs to the Alliance Leader, in the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You become so quiet in front of strong people … how shameless.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to know when to bark and when to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life was a precious thing, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of the few things I learned in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader let out a fake cough and fixed his tone, as he realized his earlier mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize. I showed an ugly behavior just now because of me being in a hurry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a quick apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader was lowering his head to a mere young prodigy that easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is he acting?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he being genuine or just putting on a show?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could not know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader did apologize, but I was curious about something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On how the situation turned out this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What did that old man give me again?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought he gave it to me for my own benefit, but was there more to it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swear there was nothing normal with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before explaining, the Alliance Leader handed the recommendation letter back to me and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The content inside this letter, did you ever get to read it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I did not read it, sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t bother to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t need to and it wasn’t respectful to do so either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, I even had a slight bit of trust in the Second Elder as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I believed that everything he did was for my benefit, even if things got messy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do read it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing the Alliance Leader’s words, I opened the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words written were unsophisticated and there were only a few lines of writing, which really reflected the Dishonored Venerable’s personality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The content inside was what you would expect from any recommendation letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– I, Bijuu, have my eyes on this child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Since when did he have his eyes on me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Second Elder claimed that he got this recommendation letter two years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During that time, I had never crossed paths with the Dishonored Venerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, he wasn’t really in a situation where he could just appear in the world right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real problem came from the next line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Even someone as lazy as myself raised him with full sincerity, so there shouldn’t be any room for disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– This child will destroy the sky one day. You may have high hopes because I’ll make sure of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was strange…really strange, actually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were many lines written in the letter that I couldn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I don’t think this recommendation letter was written for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that way, no matter how much I looked at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way the content inside the letter was referring to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was no denying that my name was written on the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, it felt like an unknown story that I never knew about was being unfolded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A feeling gradually welled up within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That uneasy, ominous, and strange feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the last line I read from the recommendation letter was enough to make me gasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– P.S. I made good use of the treasure. I’ll send it to you through my disciple, so I hope that you’ll keep it discreet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh fuck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at the Alliance Leader with shaky eyes after reading the last line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like I knew why this situation came to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I had to stay silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You shouldn’t have included that last line, you damned old man…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those words were bound to lead to a misunderstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since this letter didn’t even look like it was written for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader gazed at me before asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you the disciple of the Dishonored Venerable?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Alliance Leader…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciple, my fucking ass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never even once saw his face, let alone received training from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was possible that such an arrangement might occur in the future, but as of now, it hadn’t happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That old man said it was a recommendation letter… Did he take the Dishonored Venerable’s letter which was written for someone else?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What were these people up to?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to be the one responsible for this embarrassing incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like going into a rat hole right now if I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to list another problem, the Alliance Leader was making a concerned expression in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This handwriting does indeed seem like it’s from the Dishonored Venerable, but I’m not sure how I should take this in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could we pretend that the recommendation letter part never happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked just in case, since I already had an invitation letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it would just be better to pretend such a thing never happened, rather than involving myself with some bothersome hassles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m afraid not. This was written by the Dishonored Venerable and it is in your name as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impersonation maybe…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I doubt that anyone would dare to impersonate a Heavenly Venerable, and the stamp and aura on the letter appear genuine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had scrutinized the letter thoroughly, leaving me with no escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand what you may be worried about, but there’s no need to worry since you claimed not to be his disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, some words from the Alliance Leader that made me feel relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I contemplated how to deal with this situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s just that if you are really the Dishonored Venerable’s disciple, I wondered if you knew his current location.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because of the treasure mentioned in the letter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging by your reaction, you seemed to be clueless. Is that correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I actually knew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that the Dishonored Venerable was hiding himself somewhere in the west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I also knew why he chose to hide himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I obviously had no intention of telling him that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’ll probably end up asking the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed disappointed, as if he had lost his only clue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he also seemed relieved, as if he had found a whole new clue from this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it, because of the treasure that’s mentioned in the letter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader stopped for a moment upon hearing my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am indeed concerned about the treasure that the Dishonored Venerable took, but that’s not all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a different reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no intention of asking any more questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He probably wouldn’t answer me anyway and if he did, it would only get me more involved in things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I already had a goal in mind when I came here, so I’d rather not add any more tasks.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I had known that this recommendation letter would bring forth such a chaotic situation, I wouldn’t have used it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As our conversation came to an end, the Alliance Leader stood up and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry for wasting your precious time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is no problem, Alliance Leader. I’m glad that I got to meet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m thankful that you say that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It definitely wasn’t the best way to meet, but I still had to talk nicely to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, to be honest, the Alliance Leader wasn’t in a position where he could easily believe everything I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he backed away when he could’ve easily pursued a more intrusive investigation on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It doesn’t seem like it ended on a good note, though.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a feeling that not all of his suspicions had dissipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So there was a chance that he might do something behind the scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, that was the Murim Alliance’s specialty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world was split into the Orthodox and the Unorthodox Factions, but many people already knew that the line that separated those two had been blurring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To list differences between the two sides…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Orthodox Faction pretended to be unaware of the changes,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Unorthodox Faction didn’t seem to care too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the Alliance Leader I met just now had a kind demeanor that made him look like a good person…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t believe all of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know much about that man,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that was what made it scary to judge him solely on appearances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Him being the father of that bastard is the biggest reason.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the thought of him made me rage inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever I pictured his damned face, I clenched my teeth without even realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for talking with me. I shouldn’t take up any more of your time, so I shall take my leave now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader moved towards the door, then glanced at me and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was honestly surprised when you said that you weren’t his disciple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked back at the Alliance Leader, wondering what he was saying all of a sudden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you were the Dishonored Venerable’s disciple, I would have ranked your talent quite high, but you say you aren’t… So it’s quite surprising for me, but I also see this as the rise of a new star.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I saw your elder sister, I thought that they had produced another tiger just like the Tiger Warrior from the Gu Clan…But they were hiding a bigger dragon after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, the Alliance Leader had assessed my current martial level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t surprising, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he, too, was a martial artist who had reached a higher realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his words filled me with pressure, making my stomach feel tight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be expecting quite the performance from you in this tournament.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, the Alliance Leader left the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His presence immediately faded away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can rate\u002Freview this series here.\u003C\u002Fp>",2370,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","089cdaa62beb1de787fe0bc5771b4a8c91afe8c48923f78c779fdf6b14b59a04","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-142","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-140",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]