[{"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-824":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},1240624,1667,"Chapter 823","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-824",824,"\u003Cp>Flames flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the tips of Gu Cheolwoon’s feet, heat began to spread. Gradually, the energy took shape and transformed into flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fire, which started scorching the floor, soon turned into shimmering waves, burning fiercely as if reflecting its master’s emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he not be angry? He wanted to burn everything down right that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, he held it back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To describe Gu Cheolwoon’s life—it was a life of endless restraint and contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the destiny of every bloodline born into the Gu family, the burden of their clan’s legacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them, Gu Cheolwoon’s life was especially so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu family was a lineage born to atone for their ancestors and inherit their sins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all of the family’s history, there had never been anyone like Gu Cheolwoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything about him was exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was what his father often said when he was still a father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That there had never been anyone like him in the Gu family’s history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Gu Cheolwoon proved those words true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even among the Gu bloodline, known for their relatively small builds, he stood out with his unusually large frame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he first began practicing Gu Flame Wheel Technique, he entered the realm of Intent almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It took him less than a year to reach the Five Star level, a process that typically required five years on average.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grew stronger simply by breathing and sleeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a phrase often said in jest, yet it applied to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A genius bestowed by the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A monster who could perhaps rival Yeon Ilcheon, the man who supposedly stopped the Blood Disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Gu Cheolwoon in the Gu family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To remain confined in Shanxi—a place where the Gu family had faded into obscurity—was a waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his father, the head of the family, made a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time in history, a direct descendant of the Gu family was sent out into the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unprecedented act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While a head or a successor could leave upon inheriting their position, never before had someone been sent out entirely like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could his father make such a choice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Cheolwoon never understood. He wanted to ask, but it was too late now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The head of the family back then was no longer present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he called him father or the previous head, that man no longer existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had taken on the family’s burdens—the sins that the Gu family’s head must bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, Gu Cheolwoon would have to walk that same path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, at the age of nineteen, Gu Cheolwoon stepped out into the world. He had no ambitions of his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply accepted his father’s wish to experience the world and return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And sometimes, Gu Cheolwoon wonders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did those experiences truly help?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing things he should not have seen, enduring things he need not have endured—did they truly lead to the outcome his father desired?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer that came to mind was no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world had not changed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, it had worsened. Not a single thing had improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only he had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But was that the right outcome?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. He could not even say that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the start, it was impossible to judge right and wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he could not determine what was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of life was like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why must one live so relentlessly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What meaning existed in beliefs without purpose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know, and he had no desire to find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought, perhaps, it was fine to simply live—calmly and silently—even without a grand purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the mindset he held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until one day, he met a woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Nice to meet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cracks formed in his stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something began to fill the emptiness inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It did not take him long to realize that it was emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with it came resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was nothing grand. At first, it was simply following her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Don’t do that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before doing something, he began to think twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, if possible, he held himself back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Make sure you eat. Be careful—it’s cold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “And stop hitting people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little things filled him in ways he had never expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They became the pillars that allowed him to endure even in the most desperate moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer thought about right and wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he realized it, there was only one thing that mattered to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not something grand enough to call a belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was simply a wish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wish to protect someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vow to keep that one person safe, no matter the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, it was enough for Gu Cheolwoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, even now, it might still be enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was that it was no longer just her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had endured countless storms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without worrying about right and wrong, he had lived with only one focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living for someone else was not so bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was willing to give anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “…Please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of all the time he had struggled to create, he had to let her go with his own hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Take care of the children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He repeated her final words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How cruel they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he, without her, do as she asked?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed the words he could not bring himself to say aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because without her, he was nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching his children crumble and break, unable to do anything, he realized then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That he had never truly lived as a father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always been capable of doing anything if he set his mind to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But being a father was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His daughters began to fear him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His son looked at him with resentment and dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had no idea what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The void left behind was enough to shatter everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he turned away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because it was his only choice, but because he was a coward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shut his eyes to what he saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his ears to what he heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when he could do something, he chose not to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would it not be easier to grow numb?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To let himself be swept away, diluted, and broken?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That thought crossed his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years passed, though he had lost count.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slowly sank. Nothing mattered anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “…Do I really have to do this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice broke through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Yes, I do. I’ll do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His dull gaze sharpened, if only slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something felt different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “But do I really have to…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Fine. I’ll go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him flinch and mutter as he left, Gu Cheolwoon tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he could not pinpoint what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surface, his son seemed the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Broken, just like him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And knowing that, Gu Cheolwoon had done nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been shackled by fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he realized it, it had already been too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or so he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Young Master defeated Blade Kiing in a duel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, something had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Blade Kiing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Yes. And he won.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His child was changing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it did not take long to realize it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Young Master led in Shanxi…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Young Master stood out at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Young Master prevailed at Shinryong Pavilion…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It happened in the blink of an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he remained frozen, his son prepared to stand tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his wounds and resentment, the boy endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Gu Cheolwoon finally asked himself—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had he been doing all this time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Take care of the children.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice echoed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought losing her left him with nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now he saw differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was so much he had to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet for ten years, he had done nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While his son changed, he had stayed still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— “Father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One day, his son called him that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A word he thought he would never hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was far too lacking to be called a father. Yet, those words had burrowed deep into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the moment he truly felt the weight of what he had to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>— \"Please.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words that echoed in his mind every day were always the same, yet felt different each time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did it mean to be a father?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not know. He had never properly experienced it himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it acceptable to realize it only now, when it was far too late?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought crossed his mind, but it was no time for hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was already too late to hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What point was there in wavering when he could delay no further?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was something he could do, then he had to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had failed to do so before. Moving forward, he would have to succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s neck, fragile enough to snap at any moment, was clenched tightly in his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Gu Cheolwoon spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re about to give me an excuse, forget it. Do you think I don’t know this was your intention all along?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely held himself back from burning everything to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This habit of restraint before acting—he had formed it decades ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He loosened his grip slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huff… huff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to hear an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Cheolwoon’s decision would depend on that answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would he erase the Martial Alliance from existence—or hold back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he considered this, his eyes remained fixed on Muk Yeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Gu Daeju.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon addressed him, causing Gu Cheolwoon’s brow to twitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Use the proper title. Do I still look like the clan head to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t ask for an apology. I told you to explain yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Cheolwoon’s sharp tone made Muk Yeon hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He briefly contemplated how to begin before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Young Master Gu was needed by the Martial Alliance. He knew this, and that’s why he chose it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So now you’re trying to excuse it as my son’s choice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu had something he wanted from the Alliance, and the Alliance had expectations for him as well. It was a simple transaction—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon’s explanation was cut off as Gu Cheolwoon nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re just as shameless as ever, shifting the blame.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muk Yeon’s eyes widened at those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized Gu Cheolwoon had already made his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re unnecessary. You were back then, and you are now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A spark ignited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Cheolwoon’s body was enveloped in flames. He had made his choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, he would erase the Martial Alliance from existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever came of it, he would bear the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As an unworthy father, it was the least he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The family’s burden ends with me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gu family’s curse and shackles—he would sever them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would not pass down that meaningless atonement to his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that resolve, Gu Cheolwoon unleashed his energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swordmaster moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His broken blade began to glow with aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gu Cheolwoon moved first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames at his fingertips surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the swordmaster could even swing, Gu Cheolwoon’s hand had already reached for his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whooosh—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden gust of wind tore between Gu Cheolwoon and the swordmaster, forcing them apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Cheolwoon withdrew his hand, frowning as he widened the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no need to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, he would have ignored the gust and torn the swordmaster’s head off without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of who the wind belonged to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden light swirling in that wind resembled moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*****************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ssshhhk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wiping his hands with a cloth, he stepped outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hands were stained with blood, so he had to clean them off—even if just roughly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t because he felt uneasy about killing people. That no longer bothered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The information’s useless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the number of bodies he had left behind, he hadn’t gained much intel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what frustrated him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had killed so many, yet none had revealed anything worthwhile before they died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be precise, it wasn’t that they didn’t speak—it was that they didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed these men knew nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why were they doing this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was their connection to the Celestial Stream Sect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many times he asked, the answer remained the same—they didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were they mere underlings? Was their intelligence network this poor?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even driven some to the brink of demonification to force answers, but the results were no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah—there was one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing he managed to learn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were part of an organization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not that it was particularly impressive—just its name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d have to investigate further to find out more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for now, the only thing he knew was the name:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ilcheon Cult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an organization he had never heard of—even in his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>",2157,"2026-06-05T15:10:19.687Z",1,"novelbin.me","fe1f5d2714d69991e6a39af97c94255cfe31d4f39868d91a1b6c20f4f4cc2632","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-825","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-823",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]