[{"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-323":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},1240299,1667,"Chapter 323: Hands-on Training (3)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-323",323,"\u003Cp>Two months had passed since I began attending the Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The harsh winter was drawing to a close, and soon, the beauty of spring would arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The frozen ice on the land started to melt, as if getting ready for the flowers to bloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, without doing anything, another year had been added to my cursed age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fucking hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t cared about my age in my past life, but now, every passing year reminded me how much busier I needed to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t exactly bring me joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike most people, I knew I had to make the most of the time I had left, making each day crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, a month had passed since my venture into the Academy’s basement for the secret vault, and much had changed since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First off, the Murim Alliance had been alerted to the secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they couldn’t investigate it yet due to the Academy still being in session, they placed a powerful Formation around its location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, extra instructors were assigned to night patrols, thanks to the trouble the Water Dragon and I had stirred up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was certain they resented us for it—it was unnecessary and pointless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I do feel a little guilty about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I remembered how much I hated going on patrol in my past life, so I did feel rather sorry for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what can I do about it? I have my own problems to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can’t afford to worry about others, you know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tsk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, I’d been asked to cooperate with the Murim Alliance on their future investigation of the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let me clarify—it was a “cooperation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of interrogating me, they wanted my help to explain how I had found the secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was probably thanks to my background and my title as the True Dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the First-Class Beggar’s Pass must have helped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that they had my information from the Beggar’s Sect had to be a major factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, it seemed to have worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I’d probably still face punishment for breaking curfew and wandering around at night, but I wasn’t too concerned about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next on the list is the issue with the Sword Queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen had agreed to help me by keeping the Qinghai Sword occupied, all because of the treasure called the Stone of Mount Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to her, the treasure was hidden inside the secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What can I do since that place no longer exists?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen had said it was fine that I couldn’t find it, but her expression told a different story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seemed like there was a bigger problem than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seemed there was a bigger issue at hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh? Did she hear something from the Qinghai Sword?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea what kind of conversation they’d had, so I let it slide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was another problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What am I supposed to do about this thing wrapped around my arm?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cloth wrapped around my left arm was becoming a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a light pink cloth, wrapped around my arm like a bandage, but it was far from ordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For starters, it clung tightly to my arm, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t remove it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried everything to get it off of me, but I wasn’t able to as if it became part of my skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might’ve been a different storyif it were just ordinary cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was faintly-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, was faint even the right word?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was faint, yet somehow dense at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel the same dense Tao Qi on my left arm that I had sensed when Elder Shin saved me in the secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was definitely the Tao Qi of Mount Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of it, the Tao Qi throbbed, resonating with the energy from my arm, practically guaranteeing I’d be discovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real problem is… I have no idea what this cloth even is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that Elder Shin had woken up and taken control of my body to claim this thing meant it was a treasure he recognized—likely something from his past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory of Yeon Il-Cheon did say that the secret vault was all prepared for Elder Shin after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what is it then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just what kind of treasure was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was ridiculous to add another treasure to my already growing collection, especially one this eye-catching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It doesn’teven seem to have any special power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I just consider it a cloth that emits Tao Qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was there some other use for it that I simply hadn’t discovered?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’sfrustrating that the one person who could explain all of this has fallen back asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saving me at a crucial moment, Elder Shin had drifted back into slumber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast went silent as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since that moment, the beast that had been relentlessly howling for food every day had hidden itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did it disappear? No, that didn’t seem likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that it was still there, lurking inside my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As time passed, more and more mysteries seemed to pile up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They swirled around me, leaving my mind in a haze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do they think that they are fishes?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I absentmindedly tapped the table with my fingertip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an old habit of mine whenever my thoughts became tangled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…I’m finished with the vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d also developed the habit of shelving questions I couldn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a habit I picked up recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With so much to do, I couldn’t let myself get bogged down by questions with no clear answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to set them aside and focus on my immediate problems instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a form of thought suppression, I suppose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My finger continued its rhythmic tapping as a face and name surfaced in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…The bastard is from the Beggar’s Sect, so they are hard to find as of now. What about the other one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one reason I kept thinking about these people and committing them to memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are more of them than I expected. Can I really eliminate them all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was making a mental list of all the bastards I needed to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew by now that justice was a farce—something I’d learned after the calamity descended upon the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most of those who called themselves the Orthodox Faction projected an image of heroism and virtue, while their true nature was rotten to the core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing how more from the so-called Orthodox Faction ended up joining the Demonic Cult than those from the Unorthodox, I began to wonder if the Unorthodox Faction was the lesser evil after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why I had chosen to attend the Heavenly Dragon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to eliminate anyone who needed to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to raise my martial level, to become strong enough to carry out these executions without a hitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Woong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at the familiar sensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, I’d been getting these dizzy spells from time to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It went away after a moment, but the sickening sensation definitely didn’t feel the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It always left me in a foul mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started to wonder if it would be better to just throw up and get it over with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Student.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’s becauseI’ve been slacking in my training?I should probably-\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Student Gu Yangcheon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t even heard him—I’d been spacing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snapped out of it and looked up, only to see Cheol Hwanho glaring at me with a frown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, I was in the middle of a lecture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I called you three times and you didn’t answer. Should I take that as you not paying attention?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did respond. You must’ve missed it as I was too quiet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I obviously lied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Hwanho probably knew it too, judging by the disgusted look on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t realize a person could look that disgusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You learn something new every day, I guess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you claim to have been paying attention, I suppose I can ask you a question?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I shall answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please explain why the Blue-Sky Birds are less active during the nigh- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s because they breed during that time. They must be perverted as they only do it at night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and their only real weakness is their beak. But since they can’t fly, just catch them and burn them al—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ignores me, even though it’s genuinely good advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue-Sky Birds are part of the blue Demons, but despite having wings, they can’t fly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They also have surprisingly long necks for creatures that resemble chickens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, they were one of the few demon species that reproduced, and strangely, they only did it at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that though, it’s rare for a martial artist to be ambushed by them after daytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made them easy to hunt at night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess my answer was right—Cheol Hwanho resumed his lecture with a disappointed sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should focus though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And by focus, I mean focus on pretending to pay attention, rather than actually listening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A little more, huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wouldn’t be long before the moment I’d been waiting for arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the lecture ended, Cheol Hwanho said this before leaving the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hands-on training is coming up soon. Don’t forget.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded, hearing his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the moment I’d been waiting for all week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually, I’d chat with my group after finishing my daily lectures and grabbing a meal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the only time I really got to take a mental break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, though, I’ve been using that time to train instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because my group had become busier as well, and the fact that I needed to continue working on myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Push my arm more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh! Pow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I focused on my stance and unleashed a burst of Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint trail of Qi lingered in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was disappointing. my timing was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…It’s stillhard to release it fast enough. Maybe I should incorporate more feints?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I should’ve been focusing on mind training, I found myself moving like this, still thinking about that fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If speed ismy only advantage, I’ll eventually get caught and lose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dragon Warrior, or rather, Dishonored Venerable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My fight with him that day left me feeling frustrated, driving me to train like this whenever I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the problem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was much faster than him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had more Qi than him, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite all that, I couldn’t get close, and he dodged every attack no matter how I approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was slower than me, yet somehow faster at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it the difference in how we see things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I learned where I needed to improve after that fight, but it wasn’t easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite losing to the Dishonored Venerable, a master of close combat, I had no excuses. A loss was a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t feel frustrated by the defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already experienced plenty of losses in my life, and I knew catching up to geniuses was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This only made it more important for me to find an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would’ve been nice if I were a bit smarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d be more efficient, and I’d make better use of my body in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would it be like if I were half as smart as the Man of Heaven?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let my mind wander to useless thoughts like this out of frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pulled the flames back into my body, channeled the heat to my Dantian, and took a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The field was already filled with the heat I poured out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked the person who had been quietly watching me as I drew in my Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a hollow answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was Namgung Bi-ah who had been watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You were cool…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not like that…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, I almost smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ended up training with Namgung Bi-ah because everyone else was busy, so I asked her to join me for the first time in a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah usually leaves halfway through my training, but I asked her to stay today until the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t seen Tang Soyeol recently, and while Wi Seol-Ah showed up daily as if it were routine, she left today with a disappointed look, probably because she had something else to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moyong Hi-ah had been busy ever since the start of the Academy, and I learned that Gu Yeonseo was doing something with her group today, so I dragged Namgung Bi-ah here, as it seemed like she was free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you see any flaws?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t expect much help from Namgung Bi-ah, but I asked anyway—after all, she was a Peak Realm martial artist, a genius destined to become great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head for a moment before looking directly into my eyes and responding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too fast…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll go slower for y- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You seem a bit rushed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I assumed it had been too fast for her to follow, but Namgung Bi-ah’s answer was different from what I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rushed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mhm… You seem rushed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I repeated her words in my mind, flexing and unclenching my fists as I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rushed, huh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew I’d been feeling rushed lately, but had it seeped into my movements too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I need to fix that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Namgung Bi-ah could see it, it was definitely something to be concerned about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After observing me a little longer, Namgung Bi-ah spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Want to do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I paused for a moment after hearing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I told you, use full sentences.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed and reminded her. Namgung Bi-ah clapped her hands, realizing she had forgotten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a second, I panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you want to… spar?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, it’s spar, as expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I think about it, I’ve never sparred with Namgung Bi-ah before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah had been bugging me for a spar ever since my regression, but I never accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, one day, she just stopped asking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh right, you stopped asking me to spar after a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if she was asking now because it had been so long, or if her intentions were different this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I responded, Namgung Bi-ah brushed her hair back and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Scary…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scary?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sparring with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah’s blue eyes locked onto mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were… scared of sparring with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time seemed to freeze for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Scared? Me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mhm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered what she meant, but I already knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to fight with Namgung Bi-ah, even if it was just a light spar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… that’s why I stopped asking. I’m fine with it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you just did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe… you would feel better after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I probably would feel much worse.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then it’s fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah returned to her usual calm expression, as if she had no regrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mood was always quick in changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you… ever?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You speak as if a spar is that precious of a thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nah, it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the calamity ends, when the world finds peace again—when there are no more threats and only calm remains—then I’d spar with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it felt strange to put such weight on a simple word like “spar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seol-Ah too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes widened at Namgung Bi-ah’s unexpected words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had brought up Wi Seol-Ah out of the blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did she mean by her question?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could she know what Wi Seol-Ah said to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are y- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Just kidding…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked with a shaky voice, but Namgung Bi-ah just smiled lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She waved her fingers at me, gesturing for me to come closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was treating me like a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite complaining, I still went over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doi- “\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pat, pat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I got close, Namgung Bi-ah began to pat my head, her hand moving in that slow, deliberate way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s all okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What are you doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, stunned by her sudden gesture, but Namgung Bi-ah simply smiled warmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I feel good… when you do this… to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… I’m doing it for you too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was trying to cheer me up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t necessarily feeling bad to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Funnily enough though, her actions did make me feel a little better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I saw how hard Namgung Bi-ah was trying to pat my head, I couldn’t help but smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough training for today, thanks to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A full moon rose in the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure, their gender indistinct, stood atop the wall surrounding the Heavenly Dragon Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a tiny spot, just outside Qinghai Sword’s reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure was staring down silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure remained still, watching, their gaze fixed on one person below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bird landed on their shoulder, quiet as the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure removed the letter tied to the bird’s leg, handling it with practiced ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-After four days, advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mission would begin soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They crumpled the letter, and the bird on their shoulder vanished like mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the bird disappeared, so did the figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving no trace, as if they’d never been there at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure’s name was the Dark King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ruler of the night.\u003C\u002Fp>",2900,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","1895b217c2068dec6f3c8eb76e26044767433565e1b47567ce9a76eb2d0daedc","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-324","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-322",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]