[{"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-143":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},1240169,1667,"Chapter 142: Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament (1)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-143",143,"\u003Cp>༺ Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament (1) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck my life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought to myself while shaking off the bits of threads stuck to the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do with this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let my guard down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now I was paying the price for underestimating the Second Elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him to be so slick with his giant physique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could have never imagined this twist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, let’s think positively. There is a chance that this isn’t actually a treasure, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely a treasure wouldn’t look so cheap and rusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mount Hua’s treasure I had last time may have been a pain in my ass, but it definitely did have traits of a treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scent of plum flowers that had emanated from it was proof of its value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this is just junk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ring that had rusted to the point where I couldn’t even discern its original color.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There seemed to be a hollow space in the center where a gem might have been, but now it was empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it had been a mistake on the Second Elder’s part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he accidentally included this ring while putting in silver coins. That had to be it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You sure you’re not just telling yourself that?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s be objective, does this look like a treasure to you, Elder Shin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ring that had no scent or aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt fragile, like it would break with the slightest pressure. so there was no way such a thing was a treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be anything but that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Wouldn’t it be better to show this to the Alliance Leader first?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did consider that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could go directly to him and ask him something like ‘Is this a treasure?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But I have to go to the meetup first.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t really afford to dwell on this too long,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I didn’t have much time to spare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gathering had already started quite a while ago, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I carefully put the ring back in my pouch, hiding it deep in my pocket, and set off for the meetup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, the guide outside assured me that I wasn’t late as I opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the place was filled with people talking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place was completely filled with martial artists around my age already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While there were a few individuals who appeared to be in their thirties, the majority were in their twenties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I found myself among the last generation of the young prodigies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was odd to think that it wasn’t the current generation, but us, the last one, that had made a name for ourselves during the past war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, I recognized some people from clans I was familiar with, while others were entirely unknown to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as I walked further into the hall, I started to see more people of familiar clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were intentionally positioned in that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from Bacheonmaru, the waiting room, and now the banquet hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stark contrast in treatment among different clans was blatantly noticeable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if you wished to avoid discrimination, you had to rise through the ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Either by being born into a more prestigious clan or by climbing the ranks yourself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t that cruel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They themselves already knew that surpassing those born into noble clans was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where is it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spot I was assigned was all the way to the front row.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This, too, was most likely because of the recommendation letter I showed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After walking for a bit while looking around, I saw Gu Jeolyub, who was seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jeolyub had also noticed me, as our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I guess we weren’t assigned the same seats.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was sitting closer to the front, but not right at the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a good way to see where the Gu Clan ranked compared to other clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though he could have likely sat with us since we were in the same crew.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like Gu Jeolyub and I were purposely separated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was a problem looming nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard, so you were from the Gu Clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jeolyub happened to be sitting right near Hwangbo Cheolwi, whom he had fought last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hwangbo Cheolwi had a scowling face, while Gu Jeolyub appeared to be silently cursing his luck, indicating that he wasn’t in the best situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Endure until the gathering ends.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Hwangbo Cheolwi was hot-headed and reckless, the Alliance Leader would soon arrive to start the event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once it ended, everyone should start moving, so things should improve from there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked away and continued walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I passed a certain point, I felt a change in the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noble clans, the blood relatives of noble clans, or those who made huge donations to the Murim Alliance every year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who basically acted as the pillar of the Murim Alliance, were seated in the frontmost row. It was a completely different atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And my destination was the very front row.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah standing far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those two must have found me a while ago, as they were already looking at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suppressed the smile that crept onto my lips and made my way toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I drew closer, I saw Moyong Hi-ah and Tang Soyeol as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I walked closer to them, my breath caught as I noticed the person conversing with Tang Soyeol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I saw a boy talking to her with a smile on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like the world around me suddenly became silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from my feet that had come to a halt, I felt a hot breath climb up my body through my abdomen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I released the breath that I was holding, it came out as a searing heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to calm down my Qi, but it only got worse, as I stared at that boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Meteor Sword.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fiancé of Wi Seol-ah in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who betrayed the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man that I wanted to kill the most was standing there in his youthful form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I just hold it in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I could see his disgusting eyes and hands right there in front of my eyes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Do not forget your role. I’m saying you shouldn’t forget where you belong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His current smile reminded me of the way he had spoken to me in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– You crawl on the floor, while you give the shining world to her? What a hero you are. But so what? You’re still a demonic human in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Don’t be mistaken. Whether it’s her, the world, or even time, you have nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– It doesn’t even belong to the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames began to flicker behind my back. This life was different from my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that more than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I realized once again. That I couldn’t forget anything that had happened in that life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– All of it is mine. After all, I swore to myself that it would be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bastard said that to me when he saw me for the last time, right before the Heavenly Demon and the Celestial Sword fought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was still clear to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes from back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the desire blazing within his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And me, who couldn’t do anything despite noticing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of it was still clear to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Towards that bastard, I took just one step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I myself didn’t even know what I would do to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right at then,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My boiling anger started to go away when someone grabbed my wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I then looked at the person who grabbed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing I noticed was her short hair that barely reached her shoulders,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she looked at me with those same black eyes again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl flinched when our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the girl, Peng Ah-hee, asked me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You. What did you try to do just now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I didn’t do anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least say that after you fix your eyes. Do you even realize how you look right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered. Judging by the slight fear in Peng Ah-hee’s eyes, I must have appeared quite intimidating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t let out any killing intent, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, I controlled myself just enough to hide that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-hee asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was referring to Jang Seonyeon, who I was looking at.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After calming the heat inside my body, I shook my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I don’t know him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You go to someone you don’t know with such eyes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He happened to look similar to someone I hated, so I couldn’t help it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just because of that…? You still don’t have a very good personality, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Peng Ah-hee’s apparent disgust with me, I felt like I was slowly regaining my senses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-hee continued to stare at me as she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while since we last met, but instead of a greeting, your first instinct is to cause trouble. I guess that’s just the way you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has been a while. How have you been?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I practically had to drag that out of you. Just drop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Woojin mentioned that Peng Ah-hee was also coming the last time I spoke to him, and here I was running into her unexpectedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did see Young Lord Peng earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I already had a feeling he’d come to you, considering all he does is talk about you in the clan… So stop talking about that bastard. I get pissed off just hearing about him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like Peng Ah-hee was still busy keeping Peng Woojin under control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I worked on calming myself down as I noticed the sweat forming on my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That was dangerous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever I was trying to do, I almost did it without even thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Elder Shin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called for Elder Shin, but there was no response from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit my lips slightly. I knew something like this was going to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in Mount Hua, when I couldn’t control my anger, I had lost my connection with Elder Shin as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since consuming that flower from Mount Hua, I hadn’t experienced any outbursts like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it because I’m running low again on demonic Qi?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear that I needed to consume more demonic Qi to keep the energy within me in check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But did it also affect my emotions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had expected it to last a few months, but it seemed to have dwindled faster than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s your seat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced over at my seat after hearing Peng Ah-hee’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Peng Ah-hee looked towards the spot where my crew was, she made a slightly shocked expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For some reason, all those people are females?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just a coincidence…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, it would be, given that you don’t really have a face that would charm any girls.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why insult me when we’ve just met again after so long?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How lucky of you to be surrounded by a garden full of flowers all by yourself. Those girls have so many eyes on them already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around and realized she was right. It made sense as there was not just one, but a bunch of girls with beauty that would undoubtedly draw many eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And your spot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-hee responded with her finger pointing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, Peng Ah-hee also was in the front seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re already late so go and sit for now. We’ll talk later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but make a strange expression after hearing Peng Ah-hee. What does she mean by ‘we’ll talk later?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-hee smirked, as she read my expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that you had an engagement, but that doesn’t mean things have to be awkward between us, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our engagement had been broken when we were younger, and we had settled our relationship amicably the last time we met a few months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t like we actually liked each other anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after we had resolved our animosities, our relationship had become more comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to explain it in words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And I said this last time, but I’m older than you. So stop talking so informally.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peng Ah-hee said before walking toward her seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Alliance Leader would arrive soon, so I also needed to find my own seat and sit down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I feel calmer, thanks to her.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I took my eyes off Peng Ah-hee’s back, my sights naturally went towards that bastard again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My emotions that boiled instantly, cooled down just because of this little thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My anger, resentment, contempt, and desire to kill still remained, but they no longer had full control over my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was able to control my emotions. And that was just because I talked with Peng Ah-hee? I’m sure she helped, but I didn’t think that was the sole reason that helped me calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully approached my group, managing my expression in order to avoid drawing attention to myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m worried about Elder Shin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a good chance that he’d be gone for a long time like last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it wasn’t stange for him to disappear at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I drew closer to my crew, Tang Soyeol noticed me as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol’s cold expression instantly melted into her usual cheerful one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, I’m late.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I was worried.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I arrived, Jang Seonyeon also turned his gaze towards me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke to Jang Seonyeon first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And, you are?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely managed to tone down my aggression, so I couldn’t afford to even make an attempt at a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the contrary, Jang Seonyeon smiled back at my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Taeryung Clan’s Jang Seonyeon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Taeryung Clan, you say…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Jang Seonyeon’s introduction, Tang Soyeol and Moyong Hi-ah’s way of looking at him changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was understandable since that clan belonged to the current leader of the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Of course, it had to be around this time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit my lips slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, I understood why young prodigies received better treatment from the Murim Alliance, starting from the rooms they were provided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the moment when Jang Seonyeon made his debut as a young prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beginning of his rise to fame as he showcased his genius talents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I happened to overhear a conversation about my father… So I couldn’t help but join in on this lady’s conversation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol shut her mouth when she saw Jang Seonyeon’s smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It appeared that she was talking about the Alliance Leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I then glanced over at Wi Seol-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, Wi Seol-ah was yawning in the back without being noticed. It seemed like she didn’t converse with Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is nice to meet you. I’m quite embarrassed as it’s my first time in a place like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying those words, Jang Seonyeon reached his hand out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at that hand for a bit, then slowly grabbed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jang Seonyeon’s expression turned shocked as he felt the pressure from my grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it is nice to meet you as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept my potentially explosive killing intent confined within my body,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And hid my hatred towards him beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried my best to speak calmly and softened my rough tone, channeling my emotions into my blazing gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Gu Yangcheon of Shanxi’s Gu Clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when I met Nachal in Mount Hua, he said these words to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– You should at least know the name of someone who’s going to kill you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did those words suddenly come to mind?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stared at Jang Seonyeon, I purposely raised my lips to form a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, uh…Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I then saw Tang Soyeol react strangely which I ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because my attention was solely on Jang Seonyeon while holding back a plethora of feelings…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I failed to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah, who was standing at the back, was staring at Jang Seonyeon with a chilling gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can rate\u002Freview this series here.\u003C\u002Fp>",2678,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","ac064b4bc5021656498f88cee5577a8158a65ffdfef3ee4fb53c50559bb2ae2f","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-144","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-142",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]