[{"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-704":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},1240743,1667,"Chapter 703","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-704",704,"\u003Cp>The Emei Sect —one of the Nine Great Schools, representing the orthodox martial sects of the Nine Heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Situated in Sichuan, it stood apart from other sects in that it was composed exclusively of female martial artists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was that? I wasn’t sure.Frankly, I didn’t care enough to find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what I did know, it wasn’t always this way.After the Blood Demon War, the sect began exiling male disciples and restructuring itself with only female practitioners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People often wondered how such a sect could retain its status among the Nine Great Schools while being exclusively female, but such speculation was meaningless to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Qi enters the body, gender ceases to matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the perspective of martial artists, the distinction between men and women was irrelevant.Power was defined by cultivation, not biology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s those idiots who hesitate because she’s a woman that are the real problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That kind of thinking might apply to ordinary people, but for martial artists, it was meaningless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hesitating or getting distracted by a pretty face? That’s how you end up with your throat slit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the demonic invasion of Sichuan, the Emei Sect had been particularly troublesome for this reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that their strength or strategies were overwhelming, but rather, the invaders—drunk on lust—created problems for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nuns of the Emei Sect, despite their monastic nature, often grew their hair out, keeping it short or shoulder-length.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This appearance led some of the invaders, beast-like creatures that they were, to commit unspeakable acts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least I kept the Black Flame Brigade in check.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those caught behaving that way were burned alive, so there were no issues in my brigade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the Ghost Blade Unit and the Green Flying Flag Unit weren’t as disciplined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t until I crushed the Sword Demon and ripped out the intestines of one of the culprits in the Green Flying Flag Unit that things finally calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it had nearly jeopardized the conquest of Sichuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, I needed to focus on the woman in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair was cut to shoulder length, and a deep scar ran across her cheek. She looked to be in her thirties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have no idea who she is.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t a famous martial artist—not based on her appearance, at least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I locked eyes with her, examining her scarred face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s this about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Urgh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tightened my grip on her throat, and she let out a strangled groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already disrupted her Qi flow and sealed her movements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cultivation level? At most, she was at the Zhengjing stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using my free hand, I examined her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression twisted in humiliation, but I ignored it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the musculature, she’s an assassin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her well-developed physique marked her as one, though the calluses on her hands suggested she was also skilled in palm techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An assassin with a martial artist’s palm techniques—an unusual combination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Curious. Why would a nun of the Emei Sect be skulking around like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loosening my grip slightly, I posed the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-What… are you talking about? W-Why are you doing this to me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected, she feigned ignorance, refusing to answer my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared into her eyes calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her pupils were shaking uncontrollably, her breathing was uneven, and her heartbeat raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it fear? Or panic?It was hard to tell the exact difference, but it didn’t matter much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did matter was one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She recognized me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had called me the Little Lord of the Underworld.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary people almost never recognized me.That was by design—thanks to the Murim Alliance’s agreements and my own efforts to keep a low profile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, she had recognized me instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it’s entirely unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if rumors about me weren’t widespread, anyone with a keen interest might know enough to recognize me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It doesn’t feel like that’s the case here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her reaction wasn’t just surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This encounter itself is suspicious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to understand the reason behind this entanglement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does a nun of the Emei Sect have business with our Miss Pi Yeon-Yeon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Pi… Yeon-Yeon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pi Yeon-Yeon—A fabricated identity for Bong Soon, my little bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was also a decoy I had deliberately set loose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s right, bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen was a figure of immense interest—someone the Alliance tried desperately to keep under wraps and other factions paid close attention to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been dead for decades, and her legacy had been passed on to Mount Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, then, would anyone bother monitoring or interfering with her supposed traces?It made sense for the Alliance, but for others, it raised questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen wasn’t known to belong to any specific faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her final days, she was said to have been allied with a group, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was just the Alliance’s fabrication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t trust it.And even if it were true, it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it’s real, I’ll make it fake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evidence can be manufactured.The Sword Queen’s legacy was a double-edged sword to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who, aside from the Alliance and me, would seek to uncover this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a lingering curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who was moving in the shadows, and why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are they an ally?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or were they an obstacle—a pointless nuisance in my plans?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the question. To answer it, I needed bait—bait valuable enough to draw them out while subtle enough not to expose itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had cast my line into the ocean, and to my surprise, something bit almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that something was none other than…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emei Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nuns of Sichuan. The so-called guardians of the region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they had nearly been wiped out in my previous life, they were an oddly notorious group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they had taken the bait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Let… me go! Little Lord of the Underworld, why are you doing this?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First things first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring her plea, I asked my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why were you watching that child?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been seen observing Bong Soon outside the tournament preliminaries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be precise, my agents—subordinates of the Shadow King stationed around the area—had reported her behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you talking about? I wasn’t watching anyone…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her words denied it, her breathing grew slower, her pulse steadying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A well-trained liar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, it was hard to tell if she was acting or genuinely lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, I had other ways of finding out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If not the child, then was it the Guiyeong Tree you were watching?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her reaction was immediate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Got you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her widened eyes and disrupted breathing gave her away entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… what are you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tried to regain her composure, but it was already too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You were startled by the object Miss Pi was carrying, weren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the staff the Sword Queen used to carry, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked with a grin, watching as the woman’s cheek twitched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her expression had already collapsed into shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight was utterly satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s only natural. I meant for it to be discovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guiyeong Tree (貴英木).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name alone might suggest it was merely some kind of wood, but it was a rare artifact—a weapon crafted from a mystical material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It resembled a wooden staff carved from a tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it could also become a wooden sword or a spear, depending on the wielder’s intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weapon could transform, similar to the effect of Gui-jeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen was known to use a wooden sword, and it was likely she wielded the Guiyeong Tree in that form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“H-How do you know about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice trembled as she stammered, unable to hide her astonishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How I know isn’t important. What matters is why you reacted so strongly to seeing it. Isn’t that right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staff Bong Soon carried was engraved with black embroidery in the shape of a flower. That was one of the distinctive features of the Guiyeong Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen had likely concealed this engraving by wrapping the handle.In my previous life, the Demon Spear wielder had done the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something I had only learned later, directly from the Demon Spear wielder himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a specific reason I used the Guiyeong Tree as bait:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The artifact is bound by bloodline inheritance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unique property of the Guiyeong Tree was that it could only be wielded by those of the same bloodline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone else would be unable to use it.It was similar to the characteristics of the Namgung Clan’s Thunder Fang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was a key difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Thunder Fang, which could recognize and accept any acknowledged member of the Namgung Clan, the Guiyeong Tree required true blood relations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a fact the Demon Spear wielder had explained to me. In practice, no one but him could even touch the Guiyeong Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s when I realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Various factions have been searching for the Sword Queen’s descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was aware that factions were not only collecting information about the Sword Queen but also investigating whether she had any children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gathered intelligence confirmed as much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This led me to wonder:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How were they planning to identify her descendants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely they weren’t relying solely on physical resemblance. There had to be a method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I speculated that the Guiyeong Tree was that method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I instructed Bong Soon not to conceal its engraving and to carry it openly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiously, even the Murim Alliance, which should have been more diligent in its efforts, appeared oblivious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This means the Murim Alliance knows neither of the Sword Queen’s child nor the distinguishing features of the Guiyeong Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, this woman from the Emei Sect…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She not only recognized the Guiyeong Tree but also understood its unique characteristics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This confirmed my suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me ask again. Is your target our Miss Pi—or is it the Guiyeong Tree?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She seemed to realize there was no way to escape, and even maintaining her composure had become impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed her cheeks, forcing her mouth open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guhk!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, she flinched in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sent a small pulse of Qi to inspect her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t hidden poison under her tongue or behind her teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After confirming this, I kept the pressure steady, ensuring she couldn’t bite her tongue to attempt suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whatever the case, the Emei Sect is clearly involved…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grk… Urk…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s curious. Why did this happen so suddenly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Queen was known to be unaffiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t tied to any specific faction or sect and had risen to her status purely through her mastery of swordsmanship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was the Emei Sect searching for Bong Soon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or… were they searching for the Guiyeong Tree instead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the Guiyeong Tree have once been a signature artifact of the Emei Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s plausible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might not be about finding the Sword Queen’s bloodline. Instead, perhaps the Sword Queen had stolen the Guiyeong Tree from the Emei Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were the case, they might have spent decades trying to recover it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An artifact of that value could certainly inspire such persistence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is all speculation, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it was worth keeping in mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, knowing the Emei Sect is involved is enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much was a fruitful discovery.The fact that the bait worked so quickly was a bonus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now for the final order of business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grk…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman writhed, unable to even close her mouth properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately for her, I wasn’t finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truthfully, I don’t care about Pi Yeon-Yeon or the Guiyeong Tree. What I’m about to ask is the most important thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it came down to it, I could always turn her into a demon to extract the answers I needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that would be my last resort. I preferred not to corrupt others needlessly, especially without fully understanding their circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, let me ask you something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head slightly, speaking as if the matter was trivial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I drank some poison this morning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was that your doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman flinched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her reaction didn’t escape my notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it was you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-No… no…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tried to deny it, but with her cheeks held tightly in my grip, her words came out garbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching her struggle, I clicked my tongue lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, now I feel bad for suspecting the Poison King. I thought it was obviously his doing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regrettably (or perhaps not), my second guess turned out to be correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flashed with unspoken questions—how did I know? How could I pinpoint it so precisely?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a reasonable reaction. After all, there was no clear evidence or motive pointing to the Emei Sect as the culprits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard a rumor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately for her, my past life had been rich with useful information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say the Emei Sect, the so-called nuns of Sichuan, has recently been targeting prominent male martial artists out of jealousy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that true?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That rumor had circulated in my previous life but hadn’t surfaced in the present timeline yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had started creeping up when the Little Sword Star rose to prominence. Whispers claimed that the Emei Sect was secretly sabotaging men in the martial world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was merely repeating a story I’d heard back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I looked into it, I found evidence pointing to a few cases besides mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the rumor was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grrk… urk…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There had been reports—gleaned from my network of spies—of innkeepers, servants, and even courtesans attempting to slip poison into food or drinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had occurred throughout Hunan from the previous night until dawn today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The culprits varied, but the poison used was always the same, and every attempt had failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The perpetrators, amateurs paid significant sums, had been caught using laughably crude methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To me, it was clear: those failures were deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The common thread?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The victims were all participants in the martial arts tournament.Specifically, they were young male martial artists starting to make a name for themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, despite the failed attempts, none of the victims sought help from the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That in itself was amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why wouldn’t they turn to the most reliable authority in Hunan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just about pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the orthodox factions didn’t trust the Murim Alliance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was, in a word, a mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-No… no…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why go to such lengths? I’m genuinely curious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her denials meant little to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that a rumor from my previous life had proven true was amusing enough, but the motivations behind it intrigued me even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if it was worth turning her into a demon to extract the answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this was an excellent opportunity—not just to gather information about the Sword Queen, but perhaps more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t planned to create any new demons for the time being, but if it served a purpose, the situation might justify it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I corrupt her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated, weighing my options, when a better idea struck me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This involved more than one faction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emei Sect, the Murim Alliance…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And possibly others. What I needed to figure out was:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are the Emei Sect and the Murim Alliance allies?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or were they opposing forces?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re both orthodox factions, so they’re unlikely to be outright enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t necessarily mean they were in full cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were working together, it wouldn’t make sense for the Murim Alliance to lack information about the Sword Queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever the nature of their relationship, one thing was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To me, both are enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was far better to exploit that dynamic than to get caught between them and struggle unnecessarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having come to a decision, I smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman shivered as if sensing danger, and I tightened my grip on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound was sickeningly satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vast residence located in the northern region of Hanam Province.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of the areas managed by the Martial Alliance.Currently, it was being used by disciples of the Mount Hua Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the third-largest residence under their jurisdiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaargh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sharp scream echoed through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-Sister!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeonyeong has been…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The women dressed in martial arts uniforms turned pale as they rushed to assess the situation.At the center of their gathering lay a woman, motionless, having already drawn her last breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Yeonyeong, a second-generation disciple of the Mount Hua Sect who had been dispatched on a mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-what is the meaning of this…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A corpse suddenly discovered in the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the women faced the grim reality, their expressions twisted in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Step aside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice came from behind, causing everyone to flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The women immediately cleared the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elderly woman strode forward with measured, dignified steps toward Yeonyeong’s lifeless body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold, lifeless corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the marks on her neck, it seemed she had died instantly from a single blow.The old woman, her gaze sharp, scanned the surroundings as she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What happened here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“T-that is… while we were on watch, s-someone appeared out of nowhere….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman’s expression darkened at the explanation.This was a space under the Alliance’s jurisdiction, not to mention that it was being guarded by disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, how could a body suddenly appear in such an unimpeded, open space?And,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The child I sent on a mission?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the five she had dispatched on a secret mission the previous night?It was incomprehensible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing something was amiss, the old woman examined the corpse once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She noticed something clasped tightly in the deceased’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman immediately attempted to pry it free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body was stiffening, making it difficult to open the hand, so she applied more force, causing a cracking sound to echo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after crushing the hand completely was she able to retrieve what appeared to be a letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman, seemingly unbothered by the mangled hand, unfolded the item to inspect it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the letter was the emblem of the Martial Alliance, accompanied by a single line of text.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Do not delve further into the secret.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she read the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s dangerous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter suddenly caught fire and disintegrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, the Sect Leader of the Mount Hua Sect, and one of the Seven Masters of the Martial World.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pulverizing Moon Fist Immortal grimaced, her face contorted with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>",3076,"2026-06-05T15:10:16.200Z",1,"novelbin.me","f1a0022e0686716e1d028bdd9c03c45c67baa257406eacf44fa5868cd0f9012a","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-890","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-889",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]