[{"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-314":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},1240290,1667,"Chapter 314: The Dragon's Diary (5)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-314",314,"\u003Cp>It was a familiar name, one I haven’t heard in a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the name of the old man who resided within me, and the name of the Divine Sword of Mount Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was this man in front of me speaking his name?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man, just what is he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, he had golden hair and eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did it remind me of the Celestial Sword from my past life, but there was something odd about his half-transparent form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shincheol he said, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only a few could—Cheonyoung, whom I met back in Shaolin, or Namgung Myung from the secret vault of the Namgung Clan, and other lingering heroes who left behind their souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This person…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t seem like Namgung Myung, nor was he Cheolyoung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That only left one possibility…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could only be either the Heavenly Poison, or…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name that came into my mind, almost of its own accord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeon Il-Cheon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Iron Fist, Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of the five heroes who halted the Blood Demon’s Blood Disaster, the Zenith himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And like me, he too was a regressor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in front of me, was he really Yeon Il-Cheon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I spoke his name, his expression shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his reaction, I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you the Iron Fist?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Yes, I am Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He confirmed it—he truly was Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I struggled to conceal my shock at his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His golden hair, eyes, and steel-like physique were unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything matched the descriptions from the records, convincing me that this was truly the Iron Fist. But one question still nagged at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Light of Might said that you didn’t remain in this world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when I met with Cheolyoung last time, he told Elder Shin that Yeon Il-Cheon didn’t get to leave his soul in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the man standing before me, who claimed to be Yeon Il-Cheon, truly him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing my words, the man’s face reflected shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You met with Cheolyoung?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Not Shincheol?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had met him together, of course, but I wasn’t sure if I should reveal that just yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know much about the person in front of me after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I answered, the man glared at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he staring at me like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-…What’s the current year?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has been many centuries ever since the Blood Demon disappeared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Centuries, huh…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s eyes became dim for a moment. What could he be thinking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t let my guard down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could I burn it? Where are the possible escape routes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could I retreat from the entrance I had come from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s possible that the entrance has been blocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if I break through the wall with my flames? That would be risky, though, given I wasn’t sure what part of the basement I was in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant it wasn’t the safest option to alter the layout of this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was caught up in my thoughts,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You have good eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man abruptly gave me a compliment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You seem to have lots of thoughts in your mind, that’s not a bad habit. For you to always expect the worst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing my question, the man looked toward the entrance I had come through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You are not Shincheol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He repeated the same words as before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, I am indeed not Elder Shin, but does he think I don’t know that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It only made him seem weird in my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-But you managed to enter through that door. And you’re standing before me now. How is that possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned slightly upon hearing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did that mean no one could enter this door unless they were Elder Shin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…What’s going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I noticed this back when I met the Light of Might. Was there something truly special about Elder Shin? It felt like everyone was looking for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Moreover, you mentioned meeting Cheolyoung. What exactly are you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words made me pause and think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that Elder Shin’s soul was inside my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the man had said, if this room was meant only for Elder Shin, could I have entered because his soul is inside me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, about that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to explain, the man interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-I know that you have Shincheol’s soul inside you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He seemed to already know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-I knew ever since I met you, that Shincheol was inside you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His firm tone triggered a dull ache inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t exactly pain, but a strange sensation of vibrations and twisting deep within me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unlike the usual hunger-driven whining of the beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached out to Elder Shin in my thoughts, wondering if it was him, but the sensation vanished as quickly as it came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hoped that he would wake up soon, he had been asleep for far too long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then could I begin to understand everything clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he still gave no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-That’s why I ask. Who are you?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Divine Sword of Mount Hua is in my body, then how is it a problem that I did all of the things you mentioned before?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back when I met the Light of Might.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I heard Namgung Myung’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or even now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If all of this was intended for Elder Shin, doesn’t that mean everything happened because his soul is inside me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he find this so problematic?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man shook his head at my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-It’s because it shouldn’t be only his soul that’s here. The person I should be meeting with, should’ve been Shincheol himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What nonsense are you talking about? How could you expect the Divine Sword of Mount Hua here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin had already died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same went for the man who called himself Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Light of Might, the Thunderous Sword, and the Heavenly Poison too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Centuries had passed, meaning they either perished in the Blood Disaster or succumbed to old age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, everyone was searching for Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when I first met the Light of Might, he fell into despair upon realizing I wasn’t Elder Shin, as if everything had gone awry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s happening?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who exactly was Elder Shin that everyone was searching for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if they needed him to come back alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does that mean that the Divine Sword of Mount Hua should’ve been resurrected?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, how else could I interpret his words?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him to say that Shincheol was meant to enter this secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just couldn’t understand. When I asked with a frown,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Yes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His calm response left me stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did I hear just now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes widened in disbelief, but the man kept speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Shincheol should’ve found this place after resurrecting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you-“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-In order to change the world’s fate, to break the curse and burden piled on this land, it was the decision we made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Because of that, we remained on this land, even if it meant leaving our souls behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If what the man said was true, then it meant that Elder Shin should’ve been resurrected on this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To change the world’s fate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fate of the world, along with the curse and burdens that had accumulated over time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just hearing it gave me a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is this ‘fate’ that made you all stay here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s gaze changed as he heard my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if he got more serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Child of this generation, do you know about the Blood Demon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I not? That damned bastard is the source of so many of my problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I frowned in frustration, the man continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-What do you think the Blood Demon is?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did he mean by that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studied my expression for a moment, then spoke in a cold, deliberate tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-The Blood Demon is calamity itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a familiar word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-It is the curse that befell the peaceful Central Plains. A calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to grasp the true meaning behind his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he calling it a calamity because the Blood Demon wreaked havoc on the world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was able to tell that wasn’t what he necessarily meant by his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calamity, this word surely had a different meaning to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You mentioned that centuries have passed since the Blood Demon vanished?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Even though you’re not Shincheol, the fact that you’ve found this place means the Blood Demon has returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-What a pitiful story. It means we couldn’t alter the world’s fate after all…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the creature that tried to borrow Jang Seonyeon’s body was truly the Blood Demon, it meant that it still existed in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, I couldn’t see how this connected to my presence here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does that have to do with what’s going on right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-This world should have met its end in the grasp of the Blood Demon’s hand. That was the fate of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world should have met its end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he referring to the Blood Disaster caused by the Blood Demon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That didn’t make sense because they did a good job in stopping it, so what kind of nonsense was he on about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if that’s true, you guys- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-If we had truly stopped the calamity, the Blood Demon wouldn’t have resurfaced in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-We weren’t able to, which is why we resorted to sealing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was exactly what the Light of Might had told me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He mentioned that the only thing the five heroes managed to do was seal the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what did he mean by the world’s fate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still couldn’t understand what he meant by those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he claiming the world was meant to end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Because of that, we had to make a decision. We had to somehow stop the Blood Demon even after our deaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So you chose to resurrect the Divine Sword of Mount Hua?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-That’s right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how can you expect to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could they hope to change someone’s fate when they were only human?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I considered asking him, but the sight of the man in front triggered a memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He, like me, was a regressor, someone who had also traveled through time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does that mean he knew how to make such a thing possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Judging by your expression, it seems you know a bit about me. Who was it, I wonder? Did you hear from Cheolyoung?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No, I heard it from the Divine Sword of Mount Hua.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-That bastard still has a loose tongue, huh? Strange that you’d believe such a ridiculous tale…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, that’s because I also went through a regression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to ask you something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had countless questions, but organizing everything he had told me was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just what is fate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To change the world’s fate, they made the decision to resurrect Elder Shin to this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was curious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not of how they came to that decision, but why they had to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said the world was destined to meet its end. I want to hear more about that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-It’s exactly how it sounds. The fate of the world… should’ve been in the hands of the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And who made such a decision?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-I cannot say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of bullshit is that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not? Is it because I’m not the Divine Sword of Mount Hua?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Yes, it’s because you are not Shincheol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you knew his soul was within me. Doesn’t that mean you can tell me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Precisely why I can’t tell you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of nonsense was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My scowl deepened with rising anger, but his face only grew colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-It wasn’t only the Blood Demon we sealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It wasn’t?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-The most important thing was to destroy the calamity held by the Blood Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The calamity…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant they had to destroy the calamity that would have drenched the Central Plains in blood, bringing the world to its doom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That means…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Does that mean the calamity will return if the Blood Demon is resurrected?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-No, it won’t return. It wasn’t sealed—it was burned to ashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then doesn’t it not matter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the calamity was destroyed, why was there anything left to worry about?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just what was their problem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing my question, the man spoke in a regretful tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-That was our mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words caught my full attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mistake, he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A mistake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-The calamity wasn’t truly ended. It was merely postponed. The Blood Demon’s disappearance didn’t take the calamity with him—it was delayed, waiting for another time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But a calamity isn’t a tangible thing… You speak as if it comes back endlessly- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calamity doesn’t just vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They just get delayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world’s fate cannot be changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his words sank in, one name flashed in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Demon…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, Elder Shin said this to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Demon, whom I feared the most and often thought of, seemed eerily similar to the Blood Demon from his timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man in front said that calamity is only delayed into the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does that mean that the next calamity is the Heavenly Demon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the world’s end was supposed to follow the Blood Demon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does that mean it’s the Heavenly Demon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If… that’s the case,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my past life, the Celestial Sword had slain the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doesn’t that mean the calamity was prevented?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t fully grasp the concept of fate, but didn’t that mean Wi Seol-Ah had stopped the calamity?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t everything go well?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I had that thought,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Shincheol was our final hope to stop the calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man continued to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was basically telling me that Elder Shin’s role was to come back around the same time of the next calamity, to stop it for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…But that’s not possible?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did it all get twisted?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were far too many issues for me to process all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First of all, I hadn’t met anyone in my past life who resembled a reincarnation of Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were far too many problems to call Wi Seol-Ah the reincarnation of Elder Shin, and though I wondered if it might have been Yung Pung, his abilities and circumstances in my past life didn’t add up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Did he die without me knowing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was possible, but then there was the matter of the treasure that held Shincheol’s soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, it seemed that Elder Shin failed to resurrect and his soul became trapped in a treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand it fully, but after sacrificing so much and waiting hundreds of years, they had ultimately failed their mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Cheolyoung fell in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I somewhat understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having reached that conclusion, I asked the man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why was it Elder Shin, of all people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zenith of the time, and the heart of the five heroes, was Yeon Il-Cheon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given how Elder Shin often spoke of Yeon Il-Cheon’s immense strength, it should have been Yeon Il-Cheon resurrected, not Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You heard from Cheolyoung correct? That I wasn’t able to remain on this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-He is correct. Unlike them, I wasn’t able to remain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then exactly are you now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He claimed to be Yeon Il-Cheon, so what did he mean?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-I am just a memory of the past. A memory that remained to inform Shincheol of everything if he came to this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A memory of the past?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had heard of something like that,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such a thing was possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He left it behind in a secret vault, protected by a Formation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it really set to activate the moment Elder Shin arrived?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed far beyond the capabilities of mere humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that Cheolyoung I met back in Shaolin, Namgung Myung, and even Yeon Il-Cheon right now were all just destined encounters for Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-It is sin to travel through time, as it defies the fate given to them by a higher entity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-It’s why I couldn’t remain on this land, and why Shincheol was the best person out of all of us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is sinful for a person to regress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was extremely concerned by that phrase, but I chose to set it aside for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It should have been Elder Shin, you say.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Yes, Shincheol… He is our hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man who curses, drools over women, and yells at me whenever I have girls around… carried such a heavy burden?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard I tried to wrap my head around it, it just didn’t fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the man’s words were really true,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then what should I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did I need to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had absorbed Elder Shin’s soul and Qi, and now I was getting all these revelations when all I wanted were some treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what did I need to do now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I then slid a question in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… Should I just leave now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was asking if I could leave since I could ask Elder Shin later when he wakes up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What choice did I have, really?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much I could do with things as they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, I’d heard some shocking stuff, but none of it meant I could take action right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what about the treasures inside the secret vault?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these treasures were meant for Elder Shin, didn’t it make sense for me to take them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I continued to look around awkwardly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Even if one tries to change fate, it will return to its original place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-No matter how much one struggles, they will only learn this in the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then suddenly started to say random things with a heavy tone of voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-How you managed to get here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-How you have Shincheol’s soul inside you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-What do you think that means?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he suddenly behaving like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange feeling began to creep over me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the sudden shift in his demeanor right in the middle of his explanation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-The twisted fate that we used all of our strengths to achieve…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Was undone, restored to its original path by someone’s interference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the secret vault began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You may not leave this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words left me speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t leave, he says?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What kind of nonsense is this? Are you taking your anger out on me because things didn’t go your way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does he expect me to do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned violent out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck me…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room trembled harder. Something was definitely happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I made a break for the entrance—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zaaap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I hit an invisible barrier and was thrown back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agh! Ugh, why are you doing this!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I yelled after being repelled, but his expression only grew colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For fucks sake, it’s not my fault that you guys failed, so why are you suddenly doing this! Whatever the Blood Demon is, I’ll stop it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve been busting my ass trying to stop the Heavenly Demon, and now the Blood Demon gets thrown in too—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you can’t be doing this to me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know why he was trying to erase me from existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does he have anger issues or something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space around me started to crumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinct told me I was screwed if I stayed any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I explode this place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know if I had enough strength, but I didn’t have time to think it over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I opened my palm, gathering my Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t expected to do this right after recovering from my injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I used the Flaming Sphere again, I’d definitely hurt myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’m not in a situation where I could worry about getting injured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I first have to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flaming-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-You are the calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to unleash my Secret Arts with full force, his words caused all my Qi to dissipate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was stunned into silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard, what the hell did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-I don’t know what kind of life you’ve led.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I asked what the fuck you just said, you bastard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-How Shincheol’s soul ended up inside you, and how you reached such a level at your age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Moreover…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-How you were able to regress like me. I don’t know any of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew about my regression too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How? Just how?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to debate that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What does that have to do with you calling me a calamity? Shouldn’t you keep me alive then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he knew how I’ve been dealing with everyone else’s mess since my regression, shouldn’t he be helping me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why the hell are you trying to kill me, you crazy bastard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-The one who let slip from their grasp once won’t be foolish enough to let it happen again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re talking nonsense aga—“\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Have you never thought your regression was odd?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-That is fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a violent vibration ringing in my head, I felt my end approaching. My body refused to move, snared by his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My regression…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words hit me like a knife to the chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if everything in my head went away and was now filled with heavy thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You are the calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept getting reminded of what the man said to me which made it hard for me to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Craaack…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the space around me began to collapse, I felt my body breaking apart with it, struggling to pull myself out of my spiraling thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, I was completely paralyzed, unable to move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand moved, but not by my own will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My limbs began to move, but it wasn’t me controlling them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-…What…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting this either, but I was just as confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if someone was controlling my bod-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ You have no trust in yourself. How about you take that dick off of you. You dumb idiot. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment I heard that voice, my foggy mind cleared, as if wiped clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coarse voice of an old man—the voice I had longed to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder Shin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I said his name, I heard a chuckle in my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hehe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-…Shincheol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man muttered in disbelief, but Elder Shin remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike with the Light of Might, he wasn’t even greeting him back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he guided my hand towards something in the distorted space, pulling cloth away from the treasures, searching for something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder? This isn’t the time for you to…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to rush him, but he kept moving my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then in the end, he grabbed something from the pile of objects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-…You will regret it, Shincheol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man spoke as he watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ Regret? ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he grabbed something from the pile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ As always, this is my decision. I will have no regrets. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That playful yet confident tone—it was unmistakably Elder Shin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Shincheol…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ You’ve gotten worse over the years, Il-Cheon. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ But it was still nice seeing you. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Elder Shin spoke,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh-!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The object in my hand released a scent, filling the room with the overwhelming fragrance of plum blossoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Taoist Qi was powerful and grand, unlike anything I had ever experienced before—far beyond anything I’d encountered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[ Hold your breath, kid. ]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin’s voice echoed as my vision was overtaken by a sea of plum blossoms.\u003C\u002Fp>",3950,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","390a555c3ef3137190e878777833dfa0d6a73484046513c0dc3679d82dbd9c9b","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-315","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-313",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]