[{"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-241":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},1240267,1667,"Chapter 241: Old Rat (1)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-241",241,"\u003Cp>The Heavenly Dragon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An educational institution formed to train swordsmen to battle Demons post-Blood Disaster caused by the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy documented every demon's occurrences, traits, weaknesses, and counterstrategies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such information was open to all students of the academy and there were even instructors that educated students on these topics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might sound quite nice, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, I mean, it's not exactly a bad place…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever it was, the current Central Plains had more situations where martial artists fought against demons rather than each other, so it wasn't bad to educate people on this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it's just that, is it really necessary to go there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Learning martial arts within one's clan was preferable, and without this privilege, luxury like attending the Academy wasn't an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant those without a strong background couldn't attend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without an invitation from the Academy, you couldn't go; and even with one, not meeting specific criteria meant you couldn't enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant only those from noble clans or their direct relatives could attend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since members of noble clans are already trained to fight demons at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Heavenly Dragon Academy wasn't the only institution that trained swordsmen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are already two in Shanxi, with several others established in each region by the Murim Alliance's approval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn't any other special reason why many tried to attend the Heavenly Dragon Academy despite knowing this fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...It's mostly for honor and making connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They say that the most important thing in life is building connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, for someone from a noble clan, these connections were paramount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Graduating from the greatest institution, the Heavenly Dragon Academy allowed one to build connections along with learning some politics which showed just how many purposes this place served.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The importance of this is such that even Father, usually indifferent to these matters, sent all his children there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were up to me, recalling the trouble caused by Gu Huibi, I wouldn't send any more kids there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Father, seemingly indifferent, sent all his children there as if he didn't care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born into a noble clan, one can't simply choose not to go, all the more if they're going to become the Young Lord of the clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Initially, I planned to run away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I regressed, I had plans to escape before it was time for the Heavenly Dragon Academy, but somehow ended up in a situation where escaping wasn't an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's my own doing, so there's nothing to be done about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, given how things turned out, I might as well retrieve that item from the basement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was meant to be discovered only after the appearance of the Heavenly Demon, so taking it shouldn't be too problematic, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that it wasn't right to do such a thing, but I was telling myself that it was okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What's… wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing my unease, Namgung Bi-ah, resting against me, opened her eyes to gently ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It's nothing. I was just reminded of something annoying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Dragon Academy could bind me for up to two years, a year at the least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the young elites, it might be a holiday or a chance for blood relatives to meet, but to me it was just a waste of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How beneficial could the knowledge from there really be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It'd be nice if I could just pick out what's needed and escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I haven't run out of options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was far from optionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's just a bit, no, extremely bothersome to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting that concern aside, my mind wasn't only on this issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why so soon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had questions about the time of the Heavenly Dragon Academy opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't open every year like the tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes and it only opened at a certain time, and I could've sworn there was still some time left until that time came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It should at least be winter…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While pondering, I looked at Namgung Bi-ah leaning on me, realizing why things were moving this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it because of the engagement ceremony?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The engagement ceremony in Namgung Clan of Anhui that I was planning for right after I was finished with my business in the frontlines, it seemed like that decision was made after this consideration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess it means that the ceremony can't be delayed any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Namgung Bi-ah with a peculiar expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't because I felt reluctant to be engaged with Namgung Bi-ah after all this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too late for me to feel that way, and things were too different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Now that I think about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn't she supposed to attend the Academy too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thought suddenly occurred to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah didn't go to the Academy in my previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was fair, because if someone like Namgung Bi-ah went to the Academy, then her becoming famous was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was about her beauty or talent, a story about her would spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I thought about her age, the time for her to go had already passed a while ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah turned over twenty this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that she was easily old enough to attend the Academy last time it opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did the Namgung Clan delay it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than delay, it's more accurate to say she wasn't sent at all, as she didn't attend in my previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at it now, it indeed seemed strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the time, whether it was Namgung Bi-ah's future notoriety or her role in her clan's downfall, I wasn't too concerned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sane person would join the Demonic Cult. Moreover, when a martial artist from the Orthodox Sects defected to the Demonic Cult, it often resulted in the destruction of their own clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's just that her case was surprising because she was from the Four Noble Clans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wonder what happened to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did the girl leaning against my shoulders with her eyes closed experience in my past life to drive her insane and slaughter her bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point in time, I became curious about those things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though, in my past life, I wasn't curious about any of these matters at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was put into a situation where I had to stick around her whether I liked it or not, and I surprisingly wasn't curious about what kind of life the Demonic Sword Queen had..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess it was because my own life was crappy enough; I didn't want to pry into another crappy life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After staring at Namgung Bi-ah, I shifted my gaze to the moon hanging in the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was neither a full moon or a crescent moon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moon halted midway to fullness, and shone brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of life did you live?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this point in time, I was regretting a little on how I didn't ask her such a question at that time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of moon gazing, I coughed deliberately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here I am, rambling again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was senseless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nothing but rambling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Me pointlessly pulling out memories that had been buried away and thinking about them was the very definition of pointlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should wake up as well and… Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started to wake up Namgung Bi-ah, but Namgung Bi-ah who was dozing off on my shoulders, had woken up at some point and was staring forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What the, what are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called Namgung Bi-ah confusedly, but she continued to look forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssss…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, I felt Namgung Bi-ah's Combat Qi gradually charge up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zap\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Uwh!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bi Yeonsum next to me, silent till now, flinched at her sudden release of Lightning Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing all of a sudden…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried asking her once more, but Namgung Bi-ah instantly pulled her sword out and swung it in front of her as it seemed like she couldn't hear me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cddddk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uggck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her Sword Qi enhanced with Lightning Qi slashed through many trees that surrounded her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of trees were felled with a single swing, clearing a large space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This showed how much Namgung Bi-ah had improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! What are you doing all of a sudden this late at night!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't fathom why Namgung Bi-ah reacted this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I checked my surroundings just in case there was a Demon near us, but I couldn't detect any presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn't make sense in the first place for Namgung Bi-ah to notice a Demon's presence before I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Namgung Bi-ah had a nightmare?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her with that thought, but she responded still staring forward, not looking my way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Stench.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There was a stench…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stench?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Namgung Bi-ah's comment, I sniffed the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What stench? I can't smell anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I really had to describe it, I mostly smelled the forest, and the grass and dirt in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a forest filled with Demons, but ironically enough, the grass at night had a pleasant scent to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah didn't respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then as she looked forward, she tilted her head randomly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Was it… a mistake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say you brat?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You say it's a mistake after suddenly getting up and cutting all the trees around us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stared at Namgung Bi-ah speechlessly, she came back to her usual expressionless face and sat down in the spot where she was originally seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap tap\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tapped the ground, signaling me to sit beside her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How absurd, seriously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't help but smirk after seeing her like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I sat down beside her again, Namgung Bi-ah leaned against my shoulder once again and shut her eyes as if nothing happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mood around us mixed within the quiet night again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brrr..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seemed like Bi Yeonsum was extremely surprised because he was shivering after seeing Namgung Bi-ah's act just now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it seems like he's more scared than surprised…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I assume he'll be fine on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't need to worry about him that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked in the direction Namgung Bi-ah had swung her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Namgung Bi-ah appeared clumsy,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Indeed, she is clumsy,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when it came to this regard, she was very sharp and sensitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that her instinct and five senses as a martial artist was extremely high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was I really wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I said that my current sense was much higher than Namgung Bi-ah's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clench\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Namgung Bi-ah with her eyes closed and the trembling Bi Yeonsum behind, I subtly intensified my Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drop\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi spreading out from my Middle Dantian merged with the breeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I carefully controlled the faint Qi, reaching beyond the felled trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the dark night, a mysterious person passed through the forest rapidly, stepping on tree branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite working his feet restlessly, the assassin's mind was filled with complicated thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How bewildering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword attack that the girl sent out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the assassin thought about her brutal but well-controlled Qi, cold sweat began to flow down their back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Her Lightning Qi was definitely that of the Namgung Clan's.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin was surprised by the girl's beauty at first, but they had to be surprised one more time after seeing her swing her sword after noticing their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gaining a good amount of distance, the assassin stopped moving and began to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really is strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin was more confident than anyone in hiding their presence and hiding in the near surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was thanks to their talent that they were able to escape during emergencies and became an Elder of a Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I almost got caught by a young girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt both dejected and shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a very surprising thing for a person at her age to overcome her wall to become a Peak Realm martial artist, but this was a whole different story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin's presence shouldn't have been caught, but the girl seemed as if she somehow noticed their presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though instead of saying she noticed me…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt somewhat different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the result was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This almighty Ghostly Dark Tiger was… caught by a martial artist who's around twenty huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin felt more spooked than shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gladly stepped forward as it was the Young Master's request…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current blood relatives of the Lord were very reluctant to make a request to others due to the situation they were going to put in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making a request meant that they had to return the favor someday, which would most likely happen when the Young Master became the Young Lord, or even the Lord one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also didn't expect him to ask me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering how he assassinated people at work, his existence was a flaw for the Hwangbo Clan that was called the clan of Orthodox Sects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Young Master coming to the assassin kindly came with a request, and suggested that he will help erase the assassin's past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was why the assassin accepted such a pointless request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn't think it would be difficult to scare some young prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't an assassination request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shutting down a young prodigy's mouth and killing their spirit with a little bit of bullying was so easy to the point no one would find out about it especially since they were located in the frontlines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was an unexpected problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin came to check rather than to initiate his mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl noticing my presence is one thing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The biggest problem was the True Dragon that his Young Master spoke about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin wondered how great he was considering how he defeated the Young Master and his escorts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I can't see it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't see how much and what the True Dragon possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike how he was able to see that the girl overcame her wall as a martial artist, he wasn't able to see through the True Dragon just by looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Such a thing shouldn't be happening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant two things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant that the True Dragon was talented in hiding and controlling Qi to the point that even the assassin couldn't feel it, or it meant that he was at a higher level than the assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin laughed in disbelief as that absurd thought brushed past his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha, it seems like I've gone crazy due to my old age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way that the young boy was skilled enough to hide his Qi and presence away from the assassin, and the second was even more impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems like I'm not fully in my head as it's been a while since I've gone out for a job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be fair, it has already been a few years ever since he last went out for a request, so it was understandable that his rusty body made a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I should first go back and look for a better ti-“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, obviously the cam-“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he heard a voice from behind, the assassin opened his eyes wide and swung his fist without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung at the speed of wind with his Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cwak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his arm was caught by the person before he could achieve his goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, the Qi around his arm didn't finish its job, so it scattered away in the air in the form of a wind wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin started to sweat when he stared at the one that caught his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though that person himself had an easygoing expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I doubt that an old man like you went out for a walk this late at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assassin gradually felt more pressure in his arm that was caught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…You…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure he felt was much stronger than he expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the two black eyes of the young man that stared at the confused assassin started to turn red, and such a color was so dense and radiant it almost seemed scary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing him starting to smile lightly and feeling his violent Qi, the assassin realized that something was wrong, but the young man asked a question with the same voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does the Old Rat of the Hwangbo Clan have to do with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An engulfing flame rose as he asked his \u002Fgenesisforsaken\u003C\u002Fp>",2717,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","26dfdcd4ebd84b93ae41240c77e111be8bd85634a37eb97d0d7a9a49a7026d56","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-242","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-240",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]