[{"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-909":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},1240657,1667,"Chapter 908","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-909",909,"\u003Cp>As dawn broke following another night, I stepped out of my quarters into the crisp morning air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fresh atmosphere surrounded me as I looked around. Things I hadn’t noticed before now came into view—the chirping of birds, faint shouts carried on the wind, and the unmistakable sounds of morning activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hyah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hyah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voices and movements were clearly from those beginning their early training. I focused my senses, taking a closer look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t much different from what I’d seen yesterday. Groups of people, who barely resembled humans, were gathered to practice their swordsmanship together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Higher! Don’t slack on your stance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the forefront stood what appeared to be an instructor, yelling at the trainees as they moved through their drills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the midst of such sweaty exertion, plum blossoms drifted gently from the trees, an oddly picturesque scene. If it weren’t for a few peculiarities, one could easily mistake this for the Mount Hua Sect of Zhongyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hyah! Hyah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Focus on your form! No slacking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Apologies, Instructor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can’t concentrate, you don’t need that arm. I’ll take it off for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“S-sorry, Instructor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take what off? Surely I misheard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you staring at?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice from behind caught my attention, and I turned to see Shin Noya emerging from the quarters, his face weary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just watching what’s happening over there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is watching them struggle that entertaining to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Nothing beats watching someone else have a hard time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Judging by your face, you’re not joking.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you enjoy it too, Noya?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Noya nodded in agreement, his face calm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I chuckled lightly and returned my gaze to the training grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How exactly did you set up this training system?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was curious about the structure of their training, so I asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no real system. It’s just done roughly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What kind of ‘roughly’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, the simple stuff. Train one or two properly, then have them teach the ones below them. Pass it down the line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was as basic as it got.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s a risky approach.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While it was the easiest way to manage a sect, it was also fraught with danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the initial teaching was sound, how many would actually absorb it correctly down the line?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though, judging by the training intensity and how the disciples are responding, it doesn’t seem too problematic.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I observed the trainees carefully, noting that the methods didn’t seem inherently flawed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered about the skill levels of the instructors leading the training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to ask Noya about it when I stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noy—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze mid-sentence, noticing the odd expression on Shin Noya’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was… petulant? Or perhaps twisted with annoyance. Either way, it was bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed internally. I knew exactly why he was acting this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you still sulking about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sulking!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as I pointed it out, Noya snapped, his voice rising. Not sulking? That expression screamed otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t even lose directly, so why are you so worked up about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said I’m not worked up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re not, then what is this? Don’t tell me it’s your pride that’s hurt—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my head just in time to see—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shit—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I barely dodged a punch that tore through the air, the pressure alone wreaking havoc behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was slower than usual, but the energy packed into it was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at Shin Noya, utterly incredulous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had the audacity to puff his chest and respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dodged it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I hadn’t, I’d be dead. Are you out of your mind?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You underestimate yourself too much. That wouldn’t have killed you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t make me laugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You brat…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Noya raised his fist again, I hastily shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’ve got grievances, take it up with the version of you that lost! Why are you taking it out on me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t lose!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You did!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, I took a solid punch. It was far stronger than usual, and I collapsed on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clutching my throbbing head, I glared at Noya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just wait. When I get stronger, we’ll see what happens next.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! As if someone like you could ever reach my level.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I did beat you before, didn’t I? Oh, sorry. My bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the atmosphere growing tense, I quickly apologized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man really had no sense of humor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is so unfair.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did I have to suffer like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was utterly ridiculous. And the reason for Noya’s tantrum was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It’s because I beat him in that spar.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specifically, the version of Shin Noya that resided in Yeongpung’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the Divine Dragon Martial Arts Festival, I had faced him and emerged victorious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, as we talked, this had come up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I told Noya about it, he had let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The funny thing was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I lost to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t even interested in the existence of another version of himself or the fact that I had wielded Eternal Bind. The only thing that mattered to him was that he had lost to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. You were utterly defeated and left crying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result of that sparring match was my victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had exploited an opening and managed to scrape out a win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though, to be fair, he was going easy on me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had known even then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That spar was more of Noya toying with me than an actual fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if I had caught him off guard and used Eternal Bind, the outcome was only possible because he had allowed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If Noya had really wanted, he could’ve taken my head in a single strike.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d realized it back then, and now I was even more certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Shin Noya had truly desired it, he could have killed me at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was a clear difference between the Noya I met then and the one standing before me now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t change the facts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, that was that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do you keep getting mad at me for this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, Noya began berating me again without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m pissed off because I lost to a brat like you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you’re just venting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you so shameless about it, old man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And didn’t you vent your frustration yesterday by nearly killing someone? At least I’m only using words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Bringing up the past is cheating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left me with no retort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, I had a reason for what I did. You don’t even have that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excuse me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, he had a reason? I waited to hear what nonsense he’d come up with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My reason is that I’m in a bad mood. That’s it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What an absolute load of crap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was giving me a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This is driving me insane.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held back a sigh and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why do you focus on the least important things and ignore everything else?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d told him plenty of significant things yesterday, but it seemed none of it mattered to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The only thing that matters to you is that you lost to me. Aren’t you even curious that I’m supposedly your reincarnation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words I’d heard from Thunder Blade himself—that I was supposedly Shin Noya’s reincarnation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, a body that was meant to be his reincarnation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was shocking, to say the least. Yet Shin Noya didn’t seem to care at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does something so trivial matter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Trivial…? Trivial, you say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How is that trivial? I was dumbfounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Actually, no.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya paused, realizing something might be off about what he just said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, even he probably thought that was a ridiculous response—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still, if that’s true, it makes the resemblance more believable, which is honestly a bit irritating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just die already, old man.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was stupid of me to expect anything meaningful from this guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dragged my hand down my face in exasperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha ha ha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, meanwhile, was busy laughing like he’d just told the funniest joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, abruptly, he stopped and addressed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You shouldn’t be blaming me. From the looks of it, you weren’t particularly shocked by the revelation either. Am I wrong?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I averted my gaze and gave a sheepish expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Judging by that face, I’m right. You either expected it to some extent or…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya clasped his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You already knew, didn’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his words, I bit my tongue and avoided his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That knowing look of his was unbelievably annoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit irritating when he was just a spirit, but facing it directly like this was even worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I have? It wasn’t something I could’ve even predicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, my reaction betrayed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in the end…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I didn’t mind.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, that was probably the simplest explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t about expecting or being certain—it just didn’t matter to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, being the reincarnation of someone like Shin Noya might even elevate my worth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it’d bring me closer to the people I wanted to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was probably the biggest part of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No way was I going to admit those thoughts to Noya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘In the end, this was probably all predetermined.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that I ended up with the plum stone containing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Gui Jeong ended up in my hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That I became entangled in all of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it all destined to happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, those thoughts crossed my mind. And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If it wasn’t predetermined.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it all orchestrated by someone?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, I’d been entertaining those unnerving thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what unsettled me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The possibility that everything I was doing was meaningless, just part of someone else’s plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It weighed on me constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Stop it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I furrowed my brows, forcing the thoughts away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were pointless, distracting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled deeply and shifted my gaze elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, I spotted the massive tree I’d seen before—the one they called the Sacred Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, Noya.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pointing at the Sacred Tree, I asked, \"I heard you planted that yourself. Are there plum trees here too?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trees here weren’t like anything I’d seen in Zhongyuan. That such a massive plum tree existed was fascinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the fact that Noya had planted it himself made it even more puzzling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing my question, Noya chuckled and answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, that? Of course not.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what is it…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the manifestation of the one who planted the seed. I planted it, so it bloomed as a plum tree. If someone else had planted it, something different would’ve grown.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s… possible?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tree’s form depending on the planter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s why it’s called the Sacred Tree. Isn’t it strange enough that a tree of that size even exists?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Fair enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s more extraordinary than it looks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya gazed at the tree with a satisfied expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I cherished it quite a bit. It wasn’t easy stealing it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, that must’ve been a—wait, what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly turned my head to look at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stealing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya’s expression faltered as he realized what he’d just said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did I not mention that before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at the Sacred Tree and continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That originally belonged to your mother, the ruler of this realm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I stole it and planted it here. Ha ha ha! Of course, that meant I spent the next fifty years fighting and running for my life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya said all this with a straight face, completely unfazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What the hell…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his words, I thought to myself, Should I run away now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was becoming increasingly clear that I’d made the wrong choice from the very beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ku-huhuhuhu…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ominous sound echoed through the massive cave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dark, damp center of the cavern, something sat hunched over, its heavy breaths reverberating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unsettling noise was none other than breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ku-huhuhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hulking figure with the head of a bull and the body of a human exhaled harshly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it due to injury?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. The ragged breathing carried pure, unbridled rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Still brooding, I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice echoed through the cave as someone stepped into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader’s fiery gaze flared to life as he recognized the figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Tusang.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the name, the man stepped forward, dark feathers falling from somewhere as he moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Master is concerned about you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Ku-huhuh...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader lowered his head at the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...I apologize.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tusang tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment of the apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you wish to make amends, it would be proper to speak directly to the Master, not to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Moreover, the Master has commanded you to wait. Cast aside your reckless ambitions for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[But…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leader.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader tried to speak, but Tusang cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you planning to defy the Master’s orders in a fit of rage?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Tusang’s stern words, the leader fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every fiber of his being wanted to charge out and tear those bastards apart, but in the end, the Master’s orders were absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Answer me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...Understood.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the leader’s response, Tusang nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand your feelings, but don’t let them trouble you too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tusang’s voice softened as he recalled someone in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yarang has moved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[...!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mention of that name, the leader’s breathing quickened for a moment, his fury flaring anew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Before long, the time you’ve been waiting for will come.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, Tusang turned and walked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before long, his presence completely vanished from the leader’s domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ku-huhuh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader exhaled sharply, flames flickering in the darkness as his emotions surged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That single statement made the leader’s heart pound violently again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the rhythm of his own heartbeat, he growled lowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Next time…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would capture and crush them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[All for the realm of Mangye.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leader slowly closed his eyes, settling into the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was waiting for his night to come.\u003C\u002Fp>",2369,"2026-06-05T15:10:21.117Z",1,"novelbin.me","9f297cfb0d8baf8f7ad88251c06b3e1481d1d27fd7c7b889cdab49a15bd0c101","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-849","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-848",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]