[{"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-670":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},1240420,1667,"Chapter 669","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-670",670,"\u003Cp>As the sun gradually set,I stood in the heart of a tranquil forest, glaring at the figure before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp eyes, a distinctive trait of the Gu family, long black hair cascading down, and crimson eyes radiating heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The appearance was all too familiar, forcing me to tense my body to suppress the surge of emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman tilted her head and spoke to me.“Brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of that long-unheard title made me wrinkle my nose instinctively.“…Sister,” I replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words left my lips, and not only did my nose wrinkle, but my entire expression twisted. The woman was none other than Gu Heebi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi, the \"Sword Phoenix.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eldest daughter of the Gu family. My older sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what drew my attention most was Cheonma, clinging to Gu Heebi’s back and peeking out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was I supposed to call this absurd situation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no other word that came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Gu Heebi greeted me with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t bring myself to smile back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Holy Spear I had been holding retracted the moment I saw Gu Heebi, and its energy naturally flowed back into my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, my Qi sense remained sharp, spread out like piercing spikes as I steadied my breath and assessed the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was scanning my surroundings, Cheonma, still peeking from behind Gu Heebi, pointed a finger at me.“Sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?” Gu Heebi tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He followed me,” Cheonma said cautiously, her tone brimming with suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Gu Heebi tilted her head in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, I narrowed my eyes and stared at Cheonma.‘…What did she just say?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Cheonma just call Gu Heebi sister?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What kind of insane nonsense is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t make sense of the situation. But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, Yeon-ah, that’s not—” Gu Heebi began, but I interrupted her sharply.“Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I unleashed my energy in full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening my heart entirely, the energy that had settled deep within surged to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled by the sudden burst of Qi, Gu Heebi’s eyes widened, and her body stiffened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Step away from her,” I ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi didn’t reply. Cheonma’s expression, however, twisted into a scowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Move away,” I repeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Cheonma said curtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vrrrm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura radiating from me turned lethal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fear and anxiety that had been lingering vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would kill her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would kill her and remove her from Gu Heebi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only thought consuming my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then prepare to die,” I declared coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was going to kill her anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had to happen eventually, now was as good a time as any.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any doubts about whether I could win had long since disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I resolved myself: I would kill her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, I reached out my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy from my heart surged into my arm, condensing into a solid form of Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using it as a weapon, I struck toward Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As my fingertips approached her, I prepared to rip her throat out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My wrist was effortlessly caught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her cold voice, I shifted my gaze to Gu Heebi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her crimson eyes were ablaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her gaze burned with heat, the emotions within were oddly cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked in a chilling tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat radiating from her grip on my wrist made me furrow my brows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced up at her.“…Sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve reached Hwagyeong?” I asked bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi’s expression shifted to one of surprise, mirroring my own disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…How did she reach it?’ I wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi had ascended to Hwagyeong. The heat I felt moments ago and the energy I sensed through contact confirmed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How in the world had she managed that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is something like this even possible all of a sudden?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi had always been called a prodigy, even in her youth. She’d shown overwhelming talent, earning her the title of the \"Sword Phoenix.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d inherited her mother’s beauty but was infamous for her vile temperament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Disgusting and vile,’ I thought bitterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her skills with a blade had earned her the nickname \"Sword Phoenix,\" another title had soon followed: “Mad Woman.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Two mad titles? How awful must you be to earn that?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi’s temperament was infamous, even within the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Someone as pure as me could barely endure her,’ I thought sarcastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no matter how terrible her reputation was, there was always one thing people said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Her talent is extraordinary enough to make up for her personality.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her abilities had even surpassed prodigies like Mount Hua’s Yeongpung and Wudang’s Woo Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, reaching Hwagyeong was too much. It was abnormal, even for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where did this come from?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t doubt her talent, but this level of mastery felt excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did this happen because of me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Was it because of her?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gaze fell on Cheonma, who glared back at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she done something to Gu Heebi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or why were the two even together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Questions piled up in my mind, and I readied myself to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother. Stop,” Gu Heebi said firmly, stepping in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeon-ah, stop as well,” she continued, addressing Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma frowned but didn’t move. I noticed faint energy swirling around her hand, ready for a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeon-ah. Your sister is speaking,” Gu Heebi said sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi’s stern voice made Cheonma grimace. After a moment of hesitation, she withdrew her energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood frozen, unable to process the absurdity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma, obeying someone else—it was surreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stared in disbelief, Gu Heebi sighed lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We need to move. This place…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister,” I interrupted, my voice tense. “Do you even know what you’re dealing with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Follow me,” Gu Heebi cut me off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll explain when we get there. For now, just follow,” she said, turning her back to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma shot me a glare before following Gu Heebi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ha,” I exhaled deeply, suppressing my frustration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at their retreating figures, biting my lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as I followed after them, my gaze stayed locked on Cheonma’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>********************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I followed them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We didn’t walk for long, but as we continued, the sun had completely set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I began to wonder how far we were going, we finally arrived at our destination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small hut stood atop a hill deep in the forest, far removed from any signs of civilization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this where they’ve been living?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought barely formed before Gu Heebi stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in,” she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Cheonma quickly entered the hut, her movements familiar in a strange way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, the room was dark and silent. Gu Heebi waved her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fwoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flame ignited in the extinguished lamp, illuminating the modest, somewhat cluttered interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma tilted her head as she looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, today’s your cleaning day,” she said, her tone flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ahem,” Gu Heebi cleared her throat, clearly caught off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been busy today, so I forgot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma nodded expressionlessly, accepting Gu Heebi’s flimsy excuse without question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching their exchange, I stayed silent, my patience wearing thin. Just as I felt it would reach its limit—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeon-ah, why don’t you step outside for a bit and take a walk?” Gu Heebi suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay,” Cheonma replied simply, showing no resistance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our eyes met as she turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she walked past me, her shoulder brushed mine, and I felt my hand instinctively clench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak. Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door slowly closed, and Cheonma’s presence disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Gu Heebi slowly sit down on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t have tea or anything. Do you need some?” she asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I say yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll send someone to get it. She’s gotten quite good at errands after a few tries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to ask who she meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’s been making Cheonma run errands?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, forget it,” I sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t need tea anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just explain what’s going on,” I demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not even a proper greeting after so long? This sister of yours is quite hurt,” she replied with a smirk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not in the mood for jokes,” I said, frowning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi chuckled at my expression, a smile that only irritated me further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Explain. Why are you keeping that with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had only half-believed what Moyong Hee-ah had told me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think it could be true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But seeing it now, I realized it was. Gu Heebi really was keeping Cheonma close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had this come to be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my question, Gu Heebi’s smile turned bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘That’? Brother, isn’t that a rather disrespectful way to refer to someone?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t dodge the question. You don’t even know what that is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could I not know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her response made me narrow my eyes. Did she really understand Cheonma’s nature? How could she?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As unease and doubt began to rise, Gu Heebi spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve met before, at Heukyagung. After what I saw there, how could I not know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words were both reassuring and unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must have been referring to the young Cheonma she saw at Heukyagung.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, it meant she didn’t know everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, and yet you’re keeping that with you? Are you insane?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even from a fragment of that situation, it was clear Cheonma wasn’t a normal being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, she wasn’t human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you keeping something so dangerous by your side?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And how do you know it’s dangerous?” Gu Heebi retorted, her tone sharper now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How do you know whether that child is dangerous or not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I don’t know, who would?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew things about this world that no one else did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma was dangerous—undeniably so. The only issue was proving it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I was the only one who understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it obvious just by looking?” I argued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no such thing as ‘obvious,’ especially for people like us. Don’t you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words made me bite my tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t wrong, but it didn’t mean I would back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, I told you not to dodge the question,” I said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stubbornness ran deep in our family, but so did mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m asking why you’re keeping that with you. If you keep dodging, I’ll stop talking altogether and handle things my way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was holding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t care what Gu Heebi thought or felt about the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one goal before me, and I wouldn’t avoid it any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Explain. Before I get up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning of my words was clear. If I stood, it would be the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if you get up…? Will you harm that child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t answer. My intent was clear enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, I just had to wait for her response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm,” she muttered, her gaze softening unexpectedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sudden calmness was surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her demeanor was so collected that it was almost unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time I’d seen her was years ago, and her composure now was as remarkable a change as her martial skill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if this was something Cheonma had brought about—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It only made me dislike the situation even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother,” Gu Heebi finally said, her voice steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words made my gaze sharpen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you looking down on me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, but others might not understand. You, though—you’re different. I mean it,” she replied with a soft smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a serene smile reminiscent of our mother’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t reach me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister, I’m not in the mood to listen to nonsense—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m keeping that child with me because it concerns our family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words stopped me in my tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Qi I’d been preparing receded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The term coming from Gu Heebi’s lips was significant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The family’s business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant Gu Heebi was saying her reason for keeping Cheonma close was tied to the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bullshit,” I spat, unable to hold back my irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bullshit? You’ve got quite the mouth on you these days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s not bullshit, then what is it? Have you completely lost your mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Heebi wasn’t the type to throw around the phrase family business lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at my most reckless in the past, I’d never dared to misuse it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That phrase carried immense weight in the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you attach that to something like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s exactly as I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister,” I pressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you knew who sent that child to me, you’d understand,” she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words struck a nerve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who sent Cheonma to her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it have been someone from the Gu family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that why she called it family business?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I racked my brain but couldn’t come up with an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who in the Gu family had the authority to make such a claim?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Father, there wasn’t anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the elders or the swordmasters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father made most of the family’s decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it have been him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, that’s impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately dismissed the thought. Father would never do such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even if he did, he wouldn’t send something like this to Gu Heebi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then perhaps Elder Il?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed plausible, given his influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, even less likely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, Elder Il would be the last person to allow this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left the other elders, but they were essentially figureheads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They wouldn’t interfere in the family’s affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one fits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I felt my frustration reach its peak, Gu Heebi answered my unspoken question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grandfather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was Grandfather who sent that child to me,” she said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An answer I never expected.\u003C\u002Fp>",2292,"2026-06-05T15:10:12.585Z",1,"novelbin.me","706d2dc43ffbcc2b806af7e2dbff12c6ee64dbe339de46d7e84e30c8adf34eb5","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-671","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-669",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]