[{"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-927":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},1240677,1667,"Chapter 926","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-927",927,"\u003Cp>As I left the teahouse and walked through the village, a wide smile spread across my face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was in an exceptionally good mood. I had finally resolved the problem I’d been mulling over for so long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As I thought, it was all about the sequence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Squish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached up to touch the beast ears now perched on my head. The soft, malleable texture was surprisingly well-crafted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This isn’t bad at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t feel quite as solid as when the turtle had placed them, but this level was just right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What mattered more than perfection was that I no longer had to worry about them coming undone at inconvenient times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The turtle said they’d last three days, didn’t he?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d mentioned that if I moved too aggressively within that time, they might unravel.That’s why I took the time to learn it myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Judging by the way things are going, I’m going to need to do this a lot. It’d be annoying if it unraveled in the middle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To wrap things up quickly, I needed control over the process and the situation.Right after my conversation with Shin Noya, I started dissecting the sorcery applied to my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through that process, I learned a few things.The foundation of this sorcery lay in the heart, while its scope encompassed the entire body.It wasn’t just about growing ears and a tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprisingly, the energy spread throughout my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just about adding physical features; it was creating a barrier of sorts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to reveal, but to conceal.It was more about erasing one’s presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s not as simple as just masking energy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could I describe it? While it did overlay the body, it went a step further—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Overlaying the soul?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like the sorcery was forming a barrier directly over the soul.The ears and tail were merely superficial features.There were deeper, more intricate layers and processes at work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘At first, I couldn’t understand why such a thing was necessary.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after delving into it, I understood.This wasn’t just necessary—it was essential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overlaying the soul meant altering one’s very essence.It wasn’t on the same level as wearing a mask or using Qi Translation Techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This sorcery obscured the core of one’s being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I examined and experimented with it, the truth became clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…This is insanely difficult sorcery.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for me, it was one of the most challenging techniques I’d encountered.It took me an entire day just to grasp the fundamentals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An entire day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Most things don’t take me more than a few hours.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that I had to spend an entire night just to figure it out spoke volumes about its complexity.For the first time, I was genuinely impressed by the turtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did he create this himself?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he developed it rather than learning it from someone else, that would be worthy of admiration.And it also made me wonder—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What exactly is he?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of person lives here as an elder of the Mount Hua Sect, yet has nothing to do with swords?He doesn’t even stay in the sect, running a teahouse in the village instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll have to visit him again someday.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had knowledge I didn’t.And since I needed information on sorcery anyway, this was a perfect opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no guarantee the turtle would share anything.But I had to try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to understand sorcery better.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more I studied it, the more I realized.If I wanted to link Nine Flames Firewheel with Tua Pacheonmu, I would need the power of sorcery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to miss.Eventually, I would have to corner the turtle and get answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I walked, lost in thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excuse me, Master Gu?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gubong addressed me hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where are we going?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his question, I glanced around. Now that he mentioned it, we were already outside the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where were we headed? I’d gotten so lost in thought that I’d forgotten for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good point. Where should we go?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I asked Gubong for directions, his face twisted into an incredulous expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Why are you asking me that?\"\"Because you know the way, and I don’t.\"\"Shouldn’t you at least tell me where you want to go first?\"\"I already told you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d mentioned it from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yahwol Palace. That’s where we’re going.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my words, Gubong’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right now?\"\"Yeah, right now.\"\"Immediately?\"\"Immediately.\"\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gubong’s face contorted further. Going back to Yahwol Palace after just one day?His expression showed that he could hardly believe it, but I was dead serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I was serious.If I weren’t, I wouldn’t bother dragging someone as annoying as him along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If efficiency were my only concern, it would be far better to travel alone than to endure an uncomfortable companion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet I was willing to put up with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Because he’s necessary.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In my eyes, Gubong was essential. Not just for now, but for the future as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So stop complaining and lead the way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke with irritation, and Gubong bit his lip.It looked like he wanted to protest, but instead, he simply started walking ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This way…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He began to guide me, his steps reluctant.Watching this, I smirked and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Done complaining?\"\"…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I didn’t need to ask. In fact, asking was a bad idea.It could come across as mocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew all that, yet I asked anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I still have my complaints. But if this is what the Sect Leader wishes, I will simply follow.\"\"Hmm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His response carried an almost blind devotion to Shin Noya.I’d noticed it before—it was almost pathological.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I point it out? Or do something else?I considered it for a moment, but I’d already decided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ignored it. There was no point in getting involved.I didn’t particularly want to, either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he’d always been this way or if it had worsened after I arrived, I didn’t care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as it didn’t cause me unnecessary discomfort, it didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pointed forward and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lead the way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had far too much to do to waste time worrying about things like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*********\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We stepped outside. Leaving Mount Hua was easier than expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like when we entered, sprinkling the powder allowed us to pass through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Breaking through the barrier before was clearly a mistake.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a proper method, and tampering with it had been the issue all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Then why not just explain it beforehand?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That insane old man. Would it kill him to explain things before throwing me into the deep end? Why does he always act first and explain nothing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really couldn’t understand him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a long sigh and kept walking. Outside, the sun was nearing its zenith, signaling it was close to noon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long had we been walking?As I’d mentioned before, running wasn’t an option, so we kept a steady but moderate pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like we’d been walking forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I wish I could just fly there.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I figured there was a reason we couldn’t, so I walked on in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t exchanged a single word with Gubong.There hadn’t been any need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gubong kept his mouth shut and focused solely on guiding the way.I followed him, lost in my own thoughts, planning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How long will this take?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much time would it take to resolve the plans I had set in motion?And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Even if it succeeds.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if everything went according to plan.Even if I managed to return to Zhongyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How much time will have passed?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time moved differently here and in Zhongyuan.Even though I’d only spent a few months here, Shin Noya had lived over a hundred years in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clung to the hope that not too much time had passed, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The sooner, the better.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was best to return as quickly as possible.There was no time to waste lingering in this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Just being around Cheonma is a problem in itself.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many complications.I had mountains of unfinished business, and I had no intention of wasting time here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I needed to prepare to escape as soon as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But first—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to finish what I came here to do.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t leave without completing the task I’d promised. It had caused some delays, but it was something I could handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, it was for Noya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scratched my cheek, lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then it hit me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What about after?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After helping Noya,when everything was done, and it was finally time to leave—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is Noya coming with me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought struck me out of nowhere.Ever since Noya had asked me for help last night, it had been lingering in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Noya had cared enough to make such a request, he must have deep ties to the Mount Hua Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent 150 years here.Far more time than he’d spent with me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps even more time than he’d spent in Zhongyuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When everything was said and done, would Noya leave Mount Hua to return to Zhongyuan with me?The question lingered in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Tch.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought left a bitter taste on my tongue.I already had an inkling of what his answer might be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinding my teeth, I forced the thought out of my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re here,\" Gubong said abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lifted my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, we are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the distance, Yahwol Palace came into view, just as I’d remembered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without another word, we walked on.Before long, we stood before the palace gates once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***********\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere at the entrance was quieter and more subdued than before.The lively, bustling energy of the crowd was gone, replaced by an air of tension and vigilance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t surprising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It must be the aftermath of yesterday’s raid.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the chaos I’d caused, this was to be expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they likely hadn’t expected was that I’d return after just one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who goes there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we approached the gatekeepers, they raised their spears defensively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d seemed indifferent last time, but now they were sharp and alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’re from Mount Hua.\"\"…Mount Hua?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Gubong’s words, the gatekeepers’ expressions twisted.They hesitated the moment they heard it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just because we were outsiders.There was something else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing this, Gubong narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is something the matter—\"\"Please wait here for a moment. Hey!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper cut Gubong off, quickly raising a hand to signal someone in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gubong’s face hardened, realizing something was amiss.In contrast, I smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was looking—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Perfect.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed everything was going exactly as I’d hoped.\u003C\u002Fp>",1763,"2026-06-05T15:10:21.117Z",1,"novelbin.me","13d2bcc05f3e7052c5224a36674da293b2c856b6fbc0afe06bfd9c845544b4bc","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-928","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-926",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]