[{"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-87":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},1240063,1667,"Chapter 86: Purple Hue (1)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-87",87,"\u003Cp>༺ Purple Hue (1) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I’d found Namgung Bi-ah on the ground…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was reminded of the last memory of the Demonic Sword in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The memory of her figure, slowly dying in my arms under the rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I was too carefree.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only after that experience that I realized I’d been too carefree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had seen my world change in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so I’d begun spectating from afar instead of involving myself with the flow of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, if I’d just done nothing in the first place, none of this would’ve ever happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even while knowing that, I involved myself anyways even though I didn’t want to because I knew that I couldn’t just sit still and do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still scared and afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t changed at all even after death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What the hell am I doing?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What have I been doing ever since I came back?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do I want to kill the Heavenly Demon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I really did, I would’ve given a sword to Wi Seol-Ah instead of a servant uniform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I knew that that was the easiest solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, even while knowing that, what have I been doing instead this entire time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched the Sword Emperor watch over Wi Seol-Ah with a smile, thinking that he had a plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though I knew that all he wanted was for Wi Seol-Ah to never wield a sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what have I gained from this sad excuse?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was able to see her smile, a smile that I’d never seen from Wi Seol-Ah in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand I couldn’t hold before was now next to me and gave me warmth as if it was trying to tell me to hold onto it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hand I should’ve let go of was now next to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arms were now open as if welcoming me into their embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But… did I honestly deserve to be in those arms?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even her beautiful smile would go away once the Heavenly Demon appeared in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was running away while knowing that, so do I really deserve such treatment?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked myself again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew the answer, but the fear I felt still remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t fight the Heavenly Demon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to fight it because I was afraid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It doesn’t have to be me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the excuse I gave myself so that I could continue having an easy life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been living a carefree life because of that one sad excuse even though I’d committed so many sins and murders in my previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to convince myself with the thought that, since I’d already died once, I could take it easy and have a happy life,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I already knew what would happen, and so I suffered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept running away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I trained at night, but I didn’t really have a goal for why I did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept reminding myself of how I would run away when the time came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept trying to convince myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That it was enough, that I didn’t need to do anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢So, are you satisfied?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But out of nowhere, an unknown voice asked me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Just with that, are you satisfied right now?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had nothing in me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place still felt like the dream I felt on my first day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clear but dim dream that I couldn’t wake up from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was how I’d felt, but I still had to think about my responsibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to think of hundreds of excuses that I could give myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I had to take responsibility for the events that would occur in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I didn’t want Wi Seol-Ah to wield a sword,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone else had to wield it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, if Namgung Bi-Ah ever wanted to leave me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to let her go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though she was my fiancée, I had many excuses to separate myself from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>… But even so, I can’t let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of my pathetic selfishness, I kept hoping that she wouldn’t leave me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, I had to take responsibility alone for all the burdens that had stacked up around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t afford to just run and hide anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So if I couldn’t let go of anything and didn’t want to lose anything,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to wake up from this dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a new ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An unfamiliar ceiling came into view when I opened my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You woke up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And along with it the sight of an old man with white hair that spread everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Immortal Healer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t believe that the first person I saw after waking up was the Immortal Healer, and as I was about to move my body in shock…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ughhh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I screamed at the sudden ache that tore through my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was so painful to the point that I almost tore up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Jeez, do you not know what being careful is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wha… What happened…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if someone had bitten off a part from each of my bones, the pain was so much that it was indescribable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I continued struggling with pain, I tried to recall the last thing that happened before I lost consciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems like everything went well, so don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Healer told me the answer after reading my expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did I lose consciousness, and what about Ya Hyeoljeok? …And what about Namgung Bi-Ah?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Um… what about the girl that was-”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The girl that was next to you is in much better shape than you, so don’t worry and just stay in the bed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I see… Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, it seemed like Namgung Bi-Ah was okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I didn’t get the chance to ask about Ya Hyeoljeok.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I’d been about to ask, the Immortal Healer spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems like your body isn’t that badly wounded, so once the pain goes away, you should be able to get up again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even though I told you that you might die if you used too much Qi, you drained all of it anyways.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I swear kids these days think that they are invincible or something… I don’t know why they are so reckless when their lives end with just one stab of a knife.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I put on a bitter smile at the Immortal Healer’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he said, I was too reckless after I lost my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I really wasn’t in the right mind back there.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think I’d used up all of it without worrying about the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I probably had other options, but for some reason, I couldn’t calm myself down back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Namgung Bi-Ah was on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And, why did I lose consciousness?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I definitely had some Qi left, and my body hadn’t been too physically exhausted either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, nearing the end I had started to feel some pain because I used up too much,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I was still able to move around freely, unlike before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I feel like… I heard a voice in the end.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was foggy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I definitely felt like that I’d heard a voice,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just couldn’t remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I tried to remember, my head started to ache in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>– Tap\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alongside the sound of a plate being placed next to me, a bitter smell wafted into my nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it medicine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, something came to my mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I turned my gaze toward it, I saw Zhuge Hyuk trying to feed me something with a spoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After wondering for a short while about what I should do, I just ate it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was way bitter than I expected, so I was a little surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just a medicine that suppresses your pain so eat all of it, only then you will feel better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I listened to the Immortal Healer and ate all of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was strange, thinking that Zhuge Hyuk was the one feeding me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a little more and someone will come. Everyone was waiting for you to wake up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How long was I out for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two days, and after this night it’ll be three.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…T— Two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been out for that long?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suddenly remembered Wi Seol-Ah who had told me to have a safe trip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was probably extremely worried about me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you woke up, these kids here will probably feel at ease now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned in the direction the Immortal Healer was looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the corner of the room, I saw two girls sleeping while resting their backs against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Wi Seol-Ah and Namgung Bi-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They waited for you without even sleeping, but they fell asleep just as you woke up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, my heart felt tingly as I looked at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was looking at them, the Immortal Healer spoke to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to you ask you something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you remember how I called you a living corpse back then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I remember.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the reason why I’d been looking for demonic stones in the first place, so I couldn’t forget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Healer was looking at me strangely as if there was a serious problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m prideful in my ability as a doctor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could say that he was being arrogant, but it was understandable since these words came from the Immortal Healer himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I lived my whole life with that thought, but this is the first time I’ve seen such a thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Did you find a new problem in my body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is my body some sort of battlefield? Why are so many things happening inside it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it because of all the troubles I caused in the past?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I began to wonder why all of these problems were popping up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Healer spoke with an expression that showed his complicated thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s calm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of those Qis inside that were trying to devour each other, they are now calm as if they are dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ve… calmed down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’d only been like 10 days since he’d told me that I could explode at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing the Immortal Healer’s words, I, in shock, tried to put Qi around my body, but whether it was because I was tired or something, my abdomen just shook, and I found that I couldn’t use my Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, a different type of sensation flowed through my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately stopped moving my Qi after I felt the chills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Demonic Qi…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was demonic Qi flowing inside my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was murky and unstable, but, it was definitely…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic Qi that Ya Hyeoljeok had had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master is a dummy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A dumb I-Idiot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I woke up in the morning, I found myself getting scolded by Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My first task for the day, I found, was to calm down Wi Seol-Ah who had been about to cry as soon as she saw me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after some time had passed, I still wasn’t able to completely calm her down because her eyes were still wet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you always get hurt when I’m not there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I found that I couldn’t answer Wi Seol-Ah’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I honestly felt like that always happened…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Then again, I always try my best not to bring her along if I know that it’ll be dangerous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the main reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyways that was that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah wiped her eyes that were wet with tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered if I should pat her head or not, but I couldn’t easily move my body because I still hasn’t fully healed yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You… really are a dummy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait-!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah, in the end, burst out crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she started to cry, Namgung Bi-Ah who had been standing quietly next to her handed her a handkerchief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-Ah had one of her arms wrapped up in bandages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Immortal Healer, she would heal in just a few days since every other part of her was fine and she was a martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wi Seol-Ah while wiping her eyes spoke to Namgung Bi-Ah with a sobbing tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Sis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Can I blow my nose?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked that really carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-Ah seemed dumbfounded because it was unexpected, but she nodded, saying it was fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I heard Wi Seol-Ah blow her nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, for some reason, felt like I shouldn’t be watching her, so I turned my head away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she gave the handkerchief back to Namgung Bi-Ah, she made a face wondering what she should do with the handkerchief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess I’ll just buy her a new one later…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While we were talking, the Immortal Healer came in and frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All of you go outside, I have to do a checkup now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“C… Can we stay a little longer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think I can focus with all of you here? Go outside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wi Seol-Ah who had been spoiled every time because of her beauty, was kicked out by the Immortal Healer who didn’t seem to care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Namgung Bi-Ah left along with a disappointed Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind didn’t feel at ease because she looked at me disappointedly even while she was leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the two girls left, the Immortal Healer grabbed my arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How are you feeling?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I feel much better than yesterday.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still can’t let you loose just yet so just stay in bed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems like he’d noticed that I want to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place didn’t seem like the hut I saw last time, was I still in Mount Hua?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While I was staying still, the Immortal Healer suddenly spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still haven’t thanked you yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Healer said those words to me while I was just lying in bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I responded confusedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You became like this fighting the guy that was aiming for the hut.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The guy that was aiming for the hut?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that Ya Hyeoljeok’s main goal of coming here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d honestly just fought him because I was extremely mad, so it wasn’t the situation that the Immortal Healer thought it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dohwa would have to come here for more info… but it’ll take a while because of all the things that are happening right now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you say all the things, is something happening right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not my place to talk about it. Dohwa will tell you all about it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Immortal Healer’s expression was gloomy while he was saying those words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a bit frustrated because I couldn’t see what was happening outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After massaging my arm for a long time, the Immortal Healer stood up, seemingly done with the checkup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll be able to get up soon as it seems like you mostly healed. But stay in bed today as well just in case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it. Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Immortal Healer left, I thought for a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About my body’s situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Immortal Healer can’t feel demonic Qi.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been doing a checkup until now, but he didn’t mention anything about demonic Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be possible that he purposely hid it from me,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I felt like that possibility was quite low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know how the demonic Qi had appeared in my body, but it seemed like it was, thankfully, slowly starting to purify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same as last time when I’d absorbed the energy from a demonic stone with my demonic absorb ability, and my destructive flame arts devoured the demonic Qi afterward and purified my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the demonic Qi I currently had was noticeably different when compared to the demonic Qi I’d absorbed from the demonic stones or the Qi I got from the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It especially felt similar to the murky Qi Ya Hyeoljeok had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if I’d stolen his Qi or something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did I absorb his Qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Absorbing Qi not from demonic stones, but from person?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d never heard of such an ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I probably shouldn’t even be saying this in the first place since I absorbed energy from several demonic stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, I believed that the Immortal Healer saying that my energy had calmed down was also related to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…So in the end, I guess my demonic Qi is also getting calmed down as well.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which would mean that I wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of looking for a demonic stone to absorb it to test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt a bit uneasy, thinking that I’d have to involve myself with the demonic Qi of the Heavenly Demon even in this new life,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had to get into the right head space starting now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one more thing that I was concerned about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since I woke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Elder Shin.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept calling Elder Shin, but no response came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Elder Shin…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called for him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And still got no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been calling for him ever since I woke up last night, but he hadn’t responded once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I called for him both out loud and in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no response came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where did this old man go…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin had disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>",2882,"2026-06-05T15:09:38.751Z",1,"novelbin.me","484978da8cd5632b5bee8571f8be070192ad8c34fa509ceec9edb6798bc63c77","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-88","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-86",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]