[{"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-144":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},1240170,1667,"Chapter 143: Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament (2)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-144",144,"\u003Cp>༺ Dragons and Phoenixes Tournament (2) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squeeze!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand’s grip grew stronger, bit by bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because Jang Seonyeon was putting strength into his hand as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still maintained his smile, but there was a hint of jealousy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jang Seonyeon’s strength took me by surprise. Had he already broken through his limits at this point of time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After feeling that, I thought about putting more strength into my hand, but Jang Seonyeon loosened his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your way of greeting is rougher than I expected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jang Seonyeon shook his hand in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry. I’m not very good at controlling my strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded back with a smile to Jang Seonyeon, who was also smiling at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol quietly whispered, ‘Oh no…!’, but I did my best to ignore her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No worries. It happens. The Gu Clan, huh? I’m honored to meet a blood relative of such a great clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, I’m sure you are. Even Though three out of the Four Noble Clans were here, you spoke as if the Gu Clan was greater than them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew it was a compliment, but coming from him, it was hard to take it in a positive way. Since I didn’t know what he was hiding behind that smile of his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to talk more, but unfortunately, I’m short on time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t respond to Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since I could not say, ‘Let’s meet again.’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After our brief exchange, I went to my seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much I could do to him at that spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also left because I could not afford to look at Jang Seonyeon’s eyes any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like I might lose control of my fist at any second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to twist his neck right then and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat down and took a sip of the tea that was served in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that did little to quell my boiling anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was all the talking going on in the banquet, or the mixed Qi in the air caused by the presence of numerous martial artists in one spot…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cared about none of those right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I feel sick.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that I couldn’t do anything to him, even though he was right in front of my face, grated on my nerves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol, who was next to me, spoke with concern after reading my expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced a smile on my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. I just don’t feel too well right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, usually when you make that handsome face, it means you have a problem…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moyong Hi-ah started to cough after hearing Tang Soyeol’s serious tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Handso… Never mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was beginning to realize that Tang Soyeol had weird tastes, especially after seeing her greet Namgung Cheonjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was actually crazy weird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Namgung Bi-ah refilled my emptied tea cup, I turned to check on Wi Seol-Ah. Wi Seol-Ah seemed tired, just like before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because she had to stand throughout the event?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But even so, I can’t let her sit down in a setting like this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since that was the case, I hoped she could endure a little longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah didn’t seem to mind too much, as she waved at me whenever our eyes met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, I had to keep checking on Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mostly because something might have happened with Jang Seonyeon before I got here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why am I even worried, though?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many things changed and I was the only one who knew about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was I worried when even Wi Seol-Ah still didn’t know anything yet?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite this realization, I couldn’t shake off my concern for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Wi Seol-Ah probably was clueless…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The son of the Alliance Leader…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the first time that a child of the Alliance Leader has participated in the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, he’s someone I’ve never seen before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think? From the outside, he looks like a wimp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still judge people just by their looks? You should know not to judge a book by its cover. Just look at the Poisonous Bee, tsk tsk…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s none other than the Alliance Leader’s son, so I think we could have high hopes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A new dragon might be born into the world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, did you know? The Gu Clan this time… “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People around me were talking about Jang Seonyeon as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which just showed how significant his background was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the Alliance Leader’s son, who was unknown to the world, and was a blood relative of the Taeryung Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it in different terms, he would be the future leader of his clan after the Harmonic Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amidst all this chatter, I continued to wipe my hand on my clothes because of the disgusting feeling that remained on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand that shook hands with Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That filthy sensation was lingering for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that I never expected to meet him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I certainly didn’t anticipate it happening this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…This happened this year?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew that Jang Seonyeon appeared in the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament to become a young prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it happened in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, was that supposed to be this year?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what I could recall, I thought it would occur a bit further in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And if that was the case, does that mean the future has been changed?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My actions had already changed the future, so perhaps this was another twist in the timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at Jang Seonyeon, who sat far away from me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That bastard still had that same face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clenched my fist to hold back myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I couldn’t afford to do anything right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>God dammit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol’s voice snapped me out of my inner turmoil, and I turned towards her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol was pointing towards the entrance of the banquet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered why, so I focused, then saw someone entering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Lightning Dragon, Namgung Cheonjun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I thought I’d be the last one.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Lightning Dragon entered with all attention on him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Cheonjun’s expression seemed much more relaxed than last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did something good happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t the only strange thing, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought for sure that he’d try his best to sit next to us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Namgung Cheonjun only gave one look towards Namgung Bi-ah before choosing a different seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was a coincidence or not, he went towards where Jang Seonyeon was sitting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stand-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t the only one that reacted to Jang Seonyeon either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moyong Hi-ah, who was next to us, also got up immediately as if she was waiting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I think I need to move my seat, is that allowed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I became a little confused after hearing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why is she asking me that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to deny her request as she looked at me with her striking sky-blue eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, go ahead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was assigned their seat for the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was not forbidden to switch seats of the same ranking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the story would be a little different if a lower ranking tried to switch seats with a higher ranking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a deep and cold sigh, which definitely belonged to Moyong Hi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could never read her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered why she was reacting that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked as if she was a little hesitant towards him. But what reason would Moyong Hi-ah have to hesitate about him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could think of several possibilities, but considering how she had stubbornly clung to him in my past life, her behavior seemed rather strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But I shouldn’t care about that right now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While maintaining my normal expression, I also had to calm down my boiling anger inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ironically enough, my training method with Elder Shin was helping me control my threatening aura that could erupt at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was emotion also a form of Qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t completely suppress them, but I felt like I could calm them in check and channel them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does this also count as enlightenment?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course not, it was just something I had always been capable of but had never learned to harness properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin would have probably spoken to me while nagging at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’ll probably return soon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to believe that. Since I couldn’t really search for him or anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I did was greet him, yet my mind was so shaken already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What do I do…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was similar to back when I met Zhuge Hyuk, but this case was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would kill him, and that was not going to change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing in question was how I would go about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no way of doing so at this moment. It was impossible to take any action with so many eyes on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This feeling is always so annoying.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood that this wasn’t the right time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also knew that acting recklessly would be detrimental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the desire to kill him clouded my judgment like a fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept calming down my desire, which threatened to break free from the fog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s not forget my main goal of coming here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to realize that he wasn’t my main goal for this trip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a hand on my shoulder and another hand gripping mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah was putting her hand on my shoulder after sneakily coming behind my back. When I looked at her with a shocked expression, Wi Seol-Ah wore a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the cold sensation on my hand came from Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah was grabbing my hand tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t smiling like Wi Seol-Ah, but she was staring into my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is she worried?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like they had noticed a change in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found it amusing that something as simple as this could calm me down, yet I was also impressed by their perceptiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t look fine…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What reason would I have not to be okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly… so why aren’t you okay then…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I said that I was fine, but Namgung Bi-ah had no intention of believing me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, her grip on my hand tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After warming Namgung Bi-ah’s cold hand, I calmly pulled my hand away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine now. I really am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master, is it because you’re hungry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah, I must be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, I felt like my thoughts were settling in the right way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Let’s calm down.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t like this was the only chance and it didn’t even qualify as a real chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of risking everything by acting impulsively, it made more sense to wait for the right moment or create an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap… tap… tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fingers, which had been tapping on the table in a display of frustration, slowed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quietly closed my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I closed my eyes, I was able to feel the sensation of Wi Seol-Ah’s hand on my shoulder more clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which helped me realize even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For her…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And for myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my closed eyes and glanced at Jang Seonyeon, seated a bit farther away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was by chance or not, that bastard met my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His smile as he greeted me was still just as disgusting,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I was able to smile back at him this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he bore no sins in this life…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t a particularly forgiving person, and I didn’t intend to let him off easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it weren’t today, I wouldn’t wait too long until it happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more than anything,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– The Alliance Leader is entering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I couldn’t do anything to that bastard right now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no intention of sitting idly by either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything that that bastard might gain from this gathering,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I planned to claim it for myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can rate\u002Freview this series here.\u003C\u002Fp>",2011,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","46833606852dbdbd228cf231eec620272e2f7c69ced05eabf312d308dbb6139f","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-145","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-143",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]