[{"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-885":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},1240735,1667,"Chapter 884","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-885",885,"\u003Cp>Stepping outside, I went to find the Poison King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was clear: the Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I saw him, I started to ask,“How is the preparation progre—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I stopped mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison King was staring at me. His expression looked terrible, as if he might collapse at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to ignore it, I asked,“…Are you all right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The concern slipped out without me realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison King’s voice carried a hint of irony as he replied,“…Young Master Gu, are you all right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me? Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His unexpected question caught me off guard, and I tilted my head in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your face is awfully red.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reflexively, I touched my cheeks. They felt warm—no, hot—much hotter than usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why am I like this? I swallowed nervously. The aftermath of what had happened earlier hadn’t worn off yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is ridiculous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it Namgung Bi-ah’s actions and my reaction to them? Or perhaps Tang So-yeol’s words and expressions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, it wasn’t good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How am I reacting like this over something so trivial at my age?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I included my past life, my age wasn’t exactly small. How could a little push like that shake me this much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was embarrassing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was more than this, wasn’t I?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a deep breath, I circulated my energy through my body, forcing myself to calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the heat gradually dissipate, I muttered,“…It’s just warm. The weather’s unusually hot today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s almost winter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Winter can be warm sometimes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone else is wearing fur coats.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I run hot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison King gave me a strange look. This old man… did he know something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, he doesn’t know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he knew, he wouldn’t be standing there looking at me like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If he knew, he’d immediately fill me with poison, not stare.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering his personality, if he’d caught onto Tang So-yeol’s intentions, he would genuinely be trying to kill me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, this was just suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I added a quick explanation to cover myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s true. And besides, shouldn’t I be the one worried about you, Clan Leader Tang? You don’t look great yourself. Are you sure you’re all right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. Will you believe me if I say that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then no, I’m not fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s how you look.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glare he gave me was razor-sharp. Maybe I’d teased him a little too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearing my throat, I said more sincerely,“My concern is genuine. Should I call for a doctor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need. So, what brings you here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I came to ask how the preparation is going.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can my appearance serve as your answer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s sufficient. But will you be able to meet the deadline?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll have to try.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not very reassuring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Would you prefer I say, ‘Even if it kills me, I’ll manage it’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m joking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I wasn’t, but the sharp look he gave me made me backtrack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison King stared at me for a moment before sighing.“…I’ll meet the deadline, but it’s not easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manufacturing process didn’t suit the Poison King at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Martial Alliance had eased material procurement, the final ingredient remained the critical issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison King’s qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dokcheon  required his poison-laden energy to complete. Not just a little—a massive amount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Enough to leave him bedridden for days after making even one.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d heard he could make three in Dokcheon pill a week at best, even if he pushed himself to his limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was the upper limit. The average was two per week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Which is already an impressive number…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For comparison, creating a Great Pill could take several master alchemists months, sometimes years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Producing one or two Dokcheon​​​​​​​ pill weekly, with even higher efficacy, was nothing short of miraculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you contact the trading company? Any progress?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Probably. The Young Master of the Tang Clan would have handled it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this significant matter was managed by the Young Master and not the Poison King himself...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That could only mean one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s preparing to pass on the mantle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a signal that he was getting the Young Master used to taking responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s not surprising, given the timing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the Poison King was still in his prime, preparing for the transition early would make things easier later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving that aside for now, I asked,“If it’s too much, isn’t there another way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For instance, having the Young Master help with the process.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was too hard on him, why not have the Young Master or one of the elders assist with the manufacturing to increase output?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Poison King laughed dryly, as if he found my suggestion absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young Master Gu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re deeply mistaken about something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s not surprising. People like you don’t usually know these things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I’m not following.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did he mean by “people like me”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I appear to have a small reserve of energy to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hesitated. His qi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I narrowed my eyes, considering his question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Small?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, it wasn’t small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t exceptionally large either, or so I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing my uncertainty, the Poison King chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Within my rank, I possess an abundance of energy. Among the Hwagyeong, particularly those of the King-level, I’m in the upper echelon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was surprised, but it wasn’t unbelievable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using poison arts inherently consumed more qi. Flame techniques worked similarly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was bringing this up, though, it could only mean one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even someone like me struggles with this process. Having others help wouldn’t make much difference. Not everyone is like you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have an absurdly large reserve of energy, Young Master Gu. That’s why you don’t understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get it. Geniuses rarely understand the limits of ordinary people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s probably the case for you as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being called a genius out of the blue left me with a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t wrong, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In both my past and current lives, I’d rarely, if ever, faced a lack of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same with the Dokcheon​​​​​​​ pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the Poison King struggled to make one, I could likely produce several without stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given that, I couldn’t deny his point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, his message was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without your assistance, this is the best I can do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since I had asked for the impossible, I immediately apologized. The Poison King chuckled and accepted my apology, brushing it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, it must have sounded like the ignorant words of a clueless genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I consider myself lucky for that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So, the current quantity is the best we can manage.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had hoped for faster results, but it wasn’t bad. The downside was that it was grinding down the Poison King’s vitality—but that wasn’t my concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s not my life being spent.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, I nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then, we’ll proceed with preparations as they are now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, then…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke with a face full of worry, though I knew there was nothing else I could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Please don’t overexert yourself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And if it’s possible, even if it’s painful, please hurry up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I’m sorry… That just slipped out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My honest thoughts had escaped before I realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling awkward, I gave an embarrassed smile, while the Poison King stared at me in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chuckle carried a chilling undertone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bolted immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon returning to my quarters, I noticed someone was already inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one person who could come and go without my permission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than Cheol Ji-seon. He sat at the desk with dark circles under his eyes, reading through a stack of documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see, glad to hear you’re fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring his reply, I sat across from him. Cheol Ji-seon scowled for a moment but quickly returned to his neutral expression. He probably knew glaring at me wouldn’t accomplish anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s the task I assigned you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He got straight to business, skipping unnecessary chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The trading company has agreed. Once the Tang Clan is ready, we can proceed immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just spoke to the Poison King. It seems we can move forward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood. I’ll relay the message right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our conversation was efficient, with no wasted words. We both knew there was no time for small talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve also sent a message to the main headquarters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the reply?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It should arrive in a few days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell the branch manager to handle it. We can’t afford to wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We needed to leave for Hunan without delay. The message to the main headquarters was mostly a formality, meant to maintain appearances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the other matter I asked you to investigate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve been gathering information, but…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Ji-seon trailed off, looking troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s nothing solid. It’s all vague.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigation pertained to Yeon Ilcheon. We were trying to uncover everything about him, but apart from well-documented history, there wasn’t much to find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t surprising. He was a figure from centuries ago, after all. For an ordinary person, that would be enough reason to let it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue in irritation. For me, even scraps of information could be crucial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give me everything you’ve gathered so far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s a lot. Are you sure you don’t want a summary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have time to prepare one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then just give me everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there wasn’t enough time, I could just sleep less—or not at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, I would have asked for a summary, but I couldn’t risk Cheol Ji-seon collapsing from overwork.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one of us had to sacrifice rest, it was better for me to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least my body wouldn’t break from exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That settles that. Now, about the next—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah, before that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Ji-seon interrupted, handing me a letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s from the strategist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “strategist.” There was only one person he referred to this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jegal Hyuk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded and took the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this about all of a sudden?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I unfolded it and began reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As my eyes scanned the words, my expression hardened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing my reaction, Cheol Ji-seon asked hesitantly,“…Is something wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t have read the letter. All correspondence from Jegal Hyuk was meant for me alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nodding to reassure him, I said,“It’s fine. Let’s wrap up here for today. It seems I need to get things moving quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did it say—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, I handed him the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Ji-seon read it, and his face immediately darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter read:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cut him off before he could dwell on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s probably nothing major.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, I stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But we’ll need to move a bit faster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brushing my disheveled hair back, I added,“Inform the Sword Division and the branch manager. Tell them to prepare to leave tomorrow, if not sooner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had originally planned to wait three days, but now the timeline had tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Dragon Division was starting to move, and their timing couldn’t have been worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it just a coincidence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Unlikely.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After creating the Sacred Dragon Division to counter the demonic factions, they were mobilizing the Divine Dragon Division in my absence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that a coincidence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s far more likely to be intentional.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if it wasn’t, the fact that the Martial Alliance was making moves remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, we needed to act as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What we need to do is already clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at Cheol Ji-seon, I gave my orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you send the information to the branch, ensure it reaches the main headquarters as well. Time it so…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that the information reached Hanam before the rumors spread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The news reaches them just before the rumors do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We needed to drop something big.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Next Day\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from Sichuan, news spread rapidly: the Tang Clan had succeeded in restoring their family’s legendary Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Tang Clan made no official statement regarding the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The restoration of the Pill, a long-cherished dream of the Tang Clan—if true, it was expected to create a massive ripple effect across Zhongyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the shocking news didn’t end there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rumors also suggested that the Tang Clan intended to commercialize the Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A miraculous elixir, unattainable even by the likes of Shaolin, Wudang, or Mount Hua, would now be available for purchase? It sounded absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, letters confirming the truth of these rumors were flying toward Hunan at breakneck speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whistle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the opposite direction, a carrier pigeon darted toward the Sichuan branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Attached to the bird’s leg was a letter marked with a distinct floral emblem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unmistakably the symbol of the Baekhwa Trading Company.\u003C\u002Fp>",2129,"2026-06-05T15:10:20.656Z",1,"novelbin.me","71e1bf8bfdda76f7ab40f1be4797affdd84683189ad60ce2ba976626992a5a49","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-886","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-884",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]