[{"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-795":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},1240595,1667,"Chapter 794","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-795",795,"\u003Cp>The founding head of the Baekhwa Trading Company is a direct descendant of the Gu Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing those words from Elder Il left me frozen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood there, stiff as a board, unable to form any immediate reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How was I supposed to respond to something so absurd?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long moment of struggling to find words, I finally managed to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What kind of nonsense is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s so nonsensical about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Do you even hear yourself right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he really not understand why this didn’t make any sense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How the hell is that even possible?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the founding head was truly a direct descendant of the Gu Clan… wouldn’t that make the relationship with Lady Mi even more complicated?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Lady Mi was born into the Mi Clan.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if her father, the founding head, was from the Gu Clan, then they would have had different surnames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Unless he married into the Mi Clan.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was possible that he took his wife’s surname.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially considering how strained their father-daughter relationship seemed to be, it wouldn’t be surprising if Lady Mi took her mother’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That part I could let slide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surnames weren’t the issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bigger problem was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What about my father’s marriage?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the founding head was a direct descendant, then he and my father had to be related.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not as siblings, obviously, but as cousins at the very least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wouldn’t that make them family?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Close family, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if my father married Lady Mi and had children with her…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is that even okay?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By my standards, it didn’t sound right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Now that I think about it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought the founding head seemed a little ill-tempered when I first met him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that just the Gu bloodline acting up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, Lady Mi’s cold demeanor…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could that be the Gu bloodline too?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how far we ran, it seemed like we couldn’t escape our roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But honestly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I even be surprised?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu Clan had been a mess for as long as I could remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I tried to brush it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…But can you really ignore this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t just dismiss it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This didn’t make any sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I wrestled with the implications, Elder Il snickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got quite the look on your face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to glare at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think this is funny?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, I can’t laugh? You’re the one making funny faces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was my face really that bad?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words stung, but I pushed it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered more was his next comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be, so don’t worry too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Not as bad? How?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly as I said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How can you say that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared at him, waiting for an explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? I don’t think that was part of the bet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bastard just smirked and clamped his mouth shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s not planning to tell me anything else.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t believe I fell for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So the old man really is from the Gu Clan.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Elder Il was telling the truth, the founding head was part of the Gu Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most likely, my grandfather’s brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would explain why he knew so much about the clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why didn’t I know about him?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why didn’t anyone ever mention a living direct descendant?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He doesn’t even seem to have any martial arts training.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t sensed any qi from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, combined with all the other inconsistencies, left me even more confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Elder Il doesn’t seem worried at all.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite knowing all this, Elder Il acted like it wasn’t a big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how laid-back he was, there had to be a reason for his attitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yeah… If something was seriously wrong, the marriage never would’ve happened.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu Clan wasn’t exactly the most stable family, but it was still a noble house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elders may not have had much authority, but my father’s position was unshakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘For that to be the case, my father must have had solid justification.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If my father had committed some grave mistake, there was no way the marriage would’ve been approved—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it was politically advantageous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A marriage between close relatives? That’d be too much.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if the marriage happened anyway—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There must’ve been a reason why it was acceptable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Or very few people actually know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a chance the information had been hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, it’s probably the first one.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was willing to bet there was more to this story than I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned back to Elder Il.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really are sneaky, you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Il frowned at me, looking genuinely offended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I just sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Like you’re one to talk.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, it was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Il hadn’t told me this because he lost the bet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was just an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had dropped this bombshell to make me understand something—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the founding head was part of the Gu Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he knew the clan’s secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…That his family is just as messed up as mine, so maybe I should cut him some slack.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Elder Il’s way of saying I should try to be more understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seriously.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He really had a talent for making things complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Still.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether the founding head was from the Gu Clan or not—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I honestly didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So what?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew my family was a mess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing that changed was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Lady Mi and I might be more closely related than I thought.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe our blood ties were a little closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered most right now was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So why did that old man call for me? Do you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had the founding head summoned me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Elder Il was right, it wasn’t just to talk about the Gu Clan’s secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If that was the case, he should’ve contacted me in my past life.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be related to my recent rise in status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Something about my name spreading through the martial world?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever it was, there had to be a connection between my reputation and his sudden interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I asked Elder Il about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Is this another question you don’t want to answer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, it’s not that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Il stroked his beard as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It just so happens that this ties into the secret I was going to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The secret he’d promised to reveal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d almost forgotten about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Oh, right. That was part of the deal.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d agreed to tell me a secret along with the truth about the founding head’s identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he was saying this was related?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was still trying to process it, Elder Il continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The reason that old man called for you and the secret I mentioned…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s because he adores his daughter too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My brows furrowed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The man’s a hopeless doting father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no idea what he was talking about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>****************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I returned to my quarters afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Il had refused to explain further and then disappeared, claiming he had someone to meet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, he was like the wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it was a little enviable—being able to live so freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Il said he’d drop by again since he was staying at the Gu Clan’s estate for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I told him not to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it would stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just hoped I wouldn’t have to see him too often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in my empty room, I sat down and fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t about the conversation with the founding head, the Gu Clan’s responsibilities, or the mysteries surrounding the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, none of that was on my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What occupied my thoughts was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What was that sensation earlier?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feeling I’d experienced during the spar with Elder Il.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That floating sensation and the flurry of changes within my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment of clarity that martial artists often referred to as “enlightenment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was trying to recall it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martial artists always said that if you failed to grasp enlightenment when it came, you’d regret it for the rest of your life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how rare and precious it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Hmph.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had let it slip away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know why it came so suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or if it really was enlightenment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my instincts told me it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, I was sure of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be enlightenment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My thoughts, my energy—they all told me the same thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which made it all the more frustrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What if I’d held onto it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if I’d captured that fleeting moment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would something have changed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would I have gained insight into a new world, as the name “enlightenment” implied?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded far-fetched, but who could say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why had it come to me in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I don’t get it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enlightenment didn’t just appear out of nowhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially not during a spar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is a first for me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d never experienced anything like it before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I started to speculate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Was it the White Jade Stone?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Jade Stone I’d devoured in a hurry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the enhanced qi and firepower the reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it was the only explanation I could think of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Not that it matters now.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d already missed my chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I’d tried to capture that moment by striking Elder Il with full force—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He would’ve been seriously injured.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about it, I never really had a choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was just me lamenting what could’ve been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tsk.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue and glanced out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun was already setting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d wasted an entire day without getting anything done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tomorrow’s going to be a hassle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My life was like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One misstep, and everything spiraled into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was frustrating, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’ll work out somehow…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When things piled up too much, I tended to stop caring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Future me would deal with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I should go check on the kids.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When life got too heavy, it was better to focus on something light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, I stood up and stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d vented my frustrations through the spar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now I needed something pleasant to clear my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tired and frowning, I started walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too drained to focus, I failed to notice it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint flames flickering across my back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh… Agh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also failed to realize—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Keep barking, you worthless dog.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That by tomorrow, I’d be beating one of the clan leaders to a pulp.\u003C\u002Fp>",1793,"2026-06-05T15:10:17.629Z",1,"novelbin.me","415e2b04537cecb8f4040a621787c507a9e9d9c8a106a0f33b4761c45d94ea9e","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-796","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-794",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]