[{"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-149":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},1240175,1667,"Chapter 148: Friendly Martial Arts Competition (1)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-149",149,"\u003Cp>༺ Friendly Martial Arts Competition (1) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Orthodox Faction, there were three well-known tournaments that stood out the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first one, hosted by Murim Alliance, was called the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament and it’s aim was to pick out the star that shined the brightest,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second tournament, once again organized by the Murim Alliance, was the Heavenly Dragon tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was pretty much the biggest tournament the Orthodox Faction had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also a tournament that many martial artists eagerly anticipated since it didn’t follow a fixed schedule for its occurrence, unlike the Dragons and Phoenixes tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the third…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll ignore this one as this won’t ever happen.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around the time of this tournament, the world would turn into a mess anyway due to the appearance of the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Heavenly Dragon tournament was scheduled to take place in a few years…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The timing of this tournament wasn’t ideal either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But both tournaments weren’t really that important in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered was that I had to step forward in the arena for this tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tournament that was made for the young prodigies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To see which stars shined the brightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a tournament that could introduce the world to newly emerging talents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what this tournament was for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It honestly wasn’t without its flaws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The era of the Orthodox Faction’s pure and honorable generation had already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gu Clan’s Gu Yangcheon of Shanxi, third group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After checking the paper I picked from the box, I slipped it into my pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Third group huh… It’s gonna take a while.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I got unlucky and was put in the third group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any hopes of finishing my match quickly and taking a break faded away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ugh-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I went outside, it seemed like the others had already picked from the box as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol approached me immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu, did you get to see your group yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What group are you in? I got in the second group!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, it seemed like I wouldn’t have to face her too quickly as she was in the second group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am in the third… Why is she acting like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of my conversation with Tang Soyeol, I saw someone sitting forlornly in a corner against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others were looking at her too, but without a care in the world, Namgung Bi-ah continued to repeatedly bang her head against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was up with her now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tang Soyeol responded with an awkward smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sis said she got in the first group…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong with that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t it good that we were all in different groups?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She said that it won’t be fun since she has to fight us much later…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That crazy… No, I need to hold myself back from saying bad words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had appeared calm for a while now, but did she suddenly get possessed by a ghost obsessed with fighting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was she depressed about such a thing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so absurd that I let out a smile, and went toward Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What group…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After noticing my presence, Namgung Bi-ah asked me without turning around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, I had to respond while looking at the back of her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ughhhh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you hate it that much?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She groaned as if she was sick, so I went closer to her and placed my hand on her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She flinched at my touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah who sat still, nodded her head eventually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While looking at her, I asked Gu Jeolyub who was watching this next to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What group are you in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I’m in the first group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, he said he’s also in the first group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Lame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I told her this so that I could hopefully make her feel better…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gu Jeolyub faltered in shock after hearing Namgung Bi-ah’s cold words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Jeolyub’s face looked so pathetic that I had to apologize to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah, with her gloomy aura, started to lift herself up from her distressed position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does she feel better already?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wasn’t that way too fast?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah nodded in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I thought about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was genuinely taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She actually experienced this phenomenon called thinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah frowned a little after noticing what I was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s way too keen…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She always looked numb, but she possessed a sharp sense when it came to things like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Continue. You said you thought about something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Isn’t it okay as long as I win?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…If I win all my battles, then I could see you, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah was saying that winning all her fights would eventually lead her to cross paths with us in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’d obviously be the case, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you never even considered the possibility of losing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether that’s you, me, or whoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah didn’t seem to have the slightest thought of any one of us losing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Also, I thought she was only fixated on martial artists who wields swords?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could’ve sworn she was only obsessed with swordsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it now appeared that her obsession had shifted to any martial artist as long as they were strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she change without me noticing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded to Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could always lose before I get to see you, you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was always a chance for a plot twist in every story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I doubted anything like that would happen in this tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah locked her gaze onto my eyes before responding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s obvious… that I won’t lose.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she sounded so certain as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or, are you going to lose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes were quite overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t fathom what I had done, for her to have so much belief in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to avoid her burdensome eyes to respond to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to make eye contact with her for some reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nope.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah smiled, her eyes expressing satisfaction with my answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I came back to my barrack for the time being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The process of preparing the full tournament bracket would take a while and I had to save strength for the tournament, so I couldn’t train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, not me, but the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body itched for training as I had skipped training both yesterday and today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I endlessly flowed my Qi within my body to strengthen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I wasn’t putting all my focus into it, so the results were less than impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt weird that I was going crazy because I couldn’t train, even though back in my past life, the thing I detested the most was training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should I go train?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you thinking of doing it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Muyeon’s voice who was waiting outside the barrack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surely there is a training area somewhere, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master, don’t you have a fight today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t bothered to learn specific details as I didn’t really care about the fight too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I had to do was show up when I got called.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t sure if I would mess up because I let my guard down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t mean I had to be overly nervous for the fight either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want to go up on the stage in my place, Muyeon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha… Thank you for your words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh, I didn’t say that to get a thank you out of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was genuinely considering if he might be interested in fighting in my stead since I was too lazy, but it seemed like Muyeon took it the wrong way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Or maybe, he wants to participate in the tournament too?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muyeon was still young and some young prodigies participating in the tournament were older than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it made sense that he might have some ambition to join the tournament as he was a martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll ask him about it later.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of asking Muyeon, this was something I had to discuss with the clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I doubt there would be any problem with Muyeon participating since they sent Gu Jeolyub as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He isn’t a blood relative, so it may not be allowed, though.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that the Gu Clan had high hopes for Muyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been discreetly preventing the swordsmen from taking Muyeon again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You’re not taking him from me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like he became an escort for only a temporary period, but it was hard to let such a person go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A good mind along with remarkable talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the biggest thing was that he was someone that I didn’t know in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muyeon seemed like he wanted to go back to his team of swordsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my eyes, his desire to rejoin the swordsmen stemmed from something he left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to create an incentive for him to return to my side once he had resolved his issues with the swordsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Maybe I have to dig around the house storage.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was half-joking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were definitely some items in my house that would help Muyeon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t enough to keep him with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, that was what I thought of Muyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Muyeon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there anything you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muyeon appeared bewildered by the unexpected question and turned around from where he was gazing outside of the barrack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, I just thought that you might need something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think that’s something you say to the same sex… Are you perhaps- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You piece of…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muyeon’s eyes held a little bit of playfulness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had he become so at ease with me that he felt comfortable joking around?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also felt like I could relate to him because of what Peng Woojin said to me the last time I saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Peng Woojin was truly a maniac.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure why you’re asking me this, but I’m fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. What I have right now is already more than enough for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded to Muyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, I couldn’t charm him with things like these.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master, Young Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want to eat dumplings?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…When did you bring that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was starting to feel hungry as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah brought food for me precisely at the right time, as if she was waiting for that to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I went to the streets with Sis Hongwa in the morning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh… For the clothes that she mentioned last time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah! We bought dumplings along the way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took the dumpling from her, split it in half, and offered the other half to Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah hesitated for a moment but took it in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because of what I said to her last time, she looked hesitant to accept any of my food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can I go outside later?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Errand with Sis Hongwa!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Errand huh, I didn’t assign anything to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did something run out or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food could’ve been running low, but did they really need to restock when we still had some days to spend here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared into Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they seemed as round and innocent as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go ahead. And make sure you do what I told you last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kay! Wear a cover! Listen to Sis Hongwa words!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the last one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If there are no escorts, then take Bro Muyeon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon…!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, you remembered it all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muyeon interrupted in the middle, clueless of what was going on, but I ignored him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have a safe trip.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I patted her head out of habit, Wi Seol-Ah shouted while smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yup! I’ll do my best! Young Master needs to win too, okay? I’ll be cheering you on!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did she mean by doing her best?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt like she was doing enough for me already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Just this much is enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah probably wouldn’t have a normal growth anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when considering the best-case scenario, her current lifestyle might only last a few more years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, rather than for Wi Seol-Ah’s…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I created this situation selfishly for my own sake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Would you resent me later in the future?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike my worries, Wi Seol-Ah would probably not resent me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the only one who had memories of my past life was me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, even if she were to resent me in the future, it wouldn’t change anything,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, I’ll do my best too .”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up too after our conversation ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I heard people talking outside my barracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like the moment I had been waiting for had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I then pinched Namgung Bi-ah’s cheek to wake her from her slumber, then took her with me outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I went outside and approached where a lot of people were gathering, I saw a large wooden board with many people’s names on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like before, Tang Soyeol approached after spotting me. It seemed like she had been waiting for me outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bracket came out faster than expected.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded to Tang Soyeol, but I had my eyes on somewhere else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Third group… Bi Clan’s Bi Yeonsum.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like that was my opponent, but the name didn’t ring a bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that I couldn’t recall either the name or the clan, it was unlikely that this person held significant influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Hmm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this wasn’t the important thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I moved my eyes and checked the brackets for others as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like I didn’t have to worry about others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the opponents assigned to them, it seemed like we would meet in the later rounds of the tournament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s statistically quite difficult for all of us to end up in different groups. Did the Murim Alliance do this on purpose?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the blood relatives from the four noble clans were put in different groups,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And other well-known names had also been separated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though the participants themselves don’t seem to care that much.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t too shocking for this to happen as this wasn’t the first or second time that Murim Alliance did something like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All my hopes for the Orthodox Faction had long been burnt away, so from my perspective, they didn’t even have the slightest bit of credibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one thing that made me frown a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Tang Clan’s Tang Soyeol of Sichuan vs. Taeryung Clan’s Jang Seonyeon\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as those words caught my eye…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My expression turned serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can rate\u002Freview this series here.\u003C\u002Fp>",2427,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","5132cdf44dc42d208188a926bde4174208b669f67eb6124463818b8d2a94fc54","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-150","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-148",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]