[{"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-93":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},1240069,1667,"Chapter 92: Preparation (1)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-93",93,"\u003Cp>༺ Preparation (1) ༻\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an inexplicably cold winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could feel the chill of the winter seep through my knees as I kneeled on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was unable to see the faces of the people standing around me due to the shadow acting as a veil, covering their faces, but I knew instinctively what kind of expressions they were making right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she feel pity? Sympathy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They definitely felt no emotion— not even an iota of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of all these hateful eyes, was me— looking listlessly at the visage of a woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was touching my cheek with her trembling hands as tears streamed down incessantly from her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I… was unable to utter even a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing I was capable of— just staring at the pitiful woman with hollow eyes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢I’m sorry…｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was unable to understand the meaning behind the apology of the crying woman’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What is she so sorry for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Mom is sorry…｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She kept repeating the same string of words— a sad tune accompanying her trembling voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was still unable to utter a word. Not even a whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered in my mind… just what kind of expression was my father making while standing beside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, I was unable to look up and find out…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, if I did… I would probably crumble into pieces inside…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, perhaps, I had already reached that point…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…Let go now.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father’s cold voice reverberated in my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mother’s hand, caressing my cheek, slowly but surely went down with the command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…I’m sorry.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those same goddamned words… they feel like they were being hammered into my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just whose fault was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the time of snowfall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started shivering due to the icy cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The outer garment that mother covered my body with… had been blown away by the cruel wind,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, no one cared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the first time I had experienced such a chill in my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not due to of the season, morphed in frigidity and cold, but rather the sensations I was feeling— which made me feel like I was freezing up from inside out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had come to learn that this was much scarier than any amount of coldness that the seasons can inflict me with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Preparations?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢It is all ready, sir.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mother lowered her head after registering the few words that had been exchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I, who had been watching the spectacle the whole time, finally asked my father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…Why?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t dare to look up to his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, I was still sure that father was looking at me when I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…Why are you showing me something like this?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was just unable to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did I have to watch this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do I have to watch my mother crying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor did I want to know or understand for that matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢What is it that you want from me…?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢What I want from you?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father’s icy cold voice descended upon me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just what was the identity of the emotion that lay within his voice?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it anger?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was too calm and monotone for it to be anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it sadness then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was too dry and steady for it to be called sadness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Nothing.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help but stare at father’s eyes when I heard his emotionless response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢I have nothing I want from you. Stay alive, that’s all I need from you.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those lines delivered in a cold and apathetic tone, and a frigid chill in his eyes, I was forced to endure the horrifying sensations of the suffocation I felt in my heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes that had been trained on me shifted locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Open.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that commanding word along with a small movement of his hands, a huge door appeared behind mother, ripping into the space beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door that appeared with the rushing wind was tinged in a red aura— a sickening stench of unknown origins mixed into the gale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢What is…｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I started to feel puzzled and afraid of its presence, mother carefully held my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at mother with a deep tremble in my eyes, but I was unable to see her face as her head had been lowered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…Take care of Ryunghwa.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Mom…?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I did not want to let her go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to ask where she was going— and why she had to leave us behind,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it was already too late for me to ask any questions. Immediately, I reached my hands out towards my beloved mother, however, just as the door’s aura grazed past mother’s body— her body began disappearing from existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢N… No! Mom!｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tried to do something, anything to get ahold of my mother… however, I was instantly pushed back by father, unable to go forwards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately tried to rush back, trying to do anything in my powers to stop mother, but the door had already closed in that short time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the place mother had been sitting on in her lonesone, was empty— without a single trace of anyone’s presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if nothing was even there in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Why… Just why?｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could you do this to us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I cried out emotionally, but father’s eyes never looked at me for even once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want him to love me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew that he wasn’t the type of person who could feel things like love and affection, so I was fine with it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want anything from him. Because my young self was already satisfied with the things I already had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢…Why…! Why, why! Why!!｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I charged at father using all my strength and started hitting him with evrything I got— as though I was hitting on a wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t hurt him one bit, I knew, but I felt like I was about to go insane if I at least didn’t retaliate this much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I ended up in a state where I couldn’t use my arms anymore, as all Qi had already left those small confines, father spoke in that same frigid tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Are you satisfied.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It really seemed that there was not a trace of emotions in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I heard his words, instantly, I collapsed to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness filled up my vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was at that moment that my young self learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That this feeling was known as despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I was wallowing in this sickening emotion— as tears flowed down my face in tandem with my heavy breaths,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father passed by my collapsed self, as though it meant nothing to him, and spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>｢Follow me, I have something to show you.｣\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those were the words leaking out of his lips— but it was more akin to orders than anything else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As my body was already being forcefully dragged away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was unable to think about anything any longer, nor did I wish to think about anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wanted to live forever inside this darkness that now permeated my existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as if to show me that what I had seen had not been enough already, when I was forcefully brought into the Gu Clan’s basement,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I finally saw what kind of clan the Gu Clan was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the clan was made and the reason of our existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father then informed me that this was our fate— fate of the members of our clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to realize in that dark and colorless night of winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the rest of my life would be nothing but a surefire ride of hell on earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stayed quiet for a while after registering the Sword Master’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t expect this coming from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I never expected that the Sword Master would question me as such.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…About my mother?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was understandable since she was indeed my mother’s friend, however, that knowledge didn’t pique my curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did she not hear from Gu Ryunghwa?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or did she know something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew that Gu Ryunghwa had seen everything that transpired on that fateful day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, she had lost conscience after some time, so she hadn’t been able to see it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How come you are curious about that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spoke, unaware of the sharpness that naturally exuded from my tone. I definitely had to calm myself down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master maintained her calm expression even after hearing the tone of my voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where my mother went— it was something I’ve been curious about all my life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was ironic about it was that— I was only able to realize the truth after meeting the Heavenly Demon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother passed away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that really what happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked myself that question— a question whose answer I didn’t wish to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only right that Gu Ryunghwa keeps the resentment and hatred she felt for the clan and me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truth is a sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to keep that goddamned truth inside of my mind..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think I can tell you any more about it as this is our clan’s matters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I signaled that I was not willing to answer her question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was honestly better than straight-up telling her lies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master, after hearing my words, stared into my eyes for a long, long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I too didn’t avoid her gaze and stared back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As our staring contest continued, suddenly, the Sword Master closed her eyes in resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right… I’m sorry for asking something that’s painful for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. It’s already in the past.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for understanding. Oh… I’m curious about when you’ll return to your clan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe we will start on our way after one or two days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even with the tournament starting soon…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the Sword Master’s reaction, it seemed to me that she was unaware of Gu Ryunghwa’s refusal to return home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was originally planning on leaving after the event, but I am thinking of going early as my little sister said that she won’t return to the clan with us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Ryunghwa had been ordered to return to the clan at a certain time every year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the deal that my father had made with the Sword Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I had to bring her back with me no matter what,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, considering the fact that father had sent me here while offering a heavenly pill,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m tasked to bring her back and I’m in a position where I won’t get in trouble even if I throw a tantrum.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The higher-ups of the clan would probably have their eyes trained on me,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I would likely get in some trouble if I were to stubbornly force her to return with me— however, it wouldn’t lead to any big problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’ll just take care of it by himself if he feels the need for it,’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that wasn’t his intention, he would’ve taken care of this matter himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shouldn’t have sent me to this place if that were to be the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to force a girl to come with me when she clearly had no desire to do that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I should be the only one to be forced to do something that I don’t want to do.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting ahold of the things I was forced to let go of in my past life, one thing at a time, was something that should be done by myself, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master donned a befuddled expression on her face after hearing my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had spoken it with the express intention of not leaving any leeway for any problems, but did it still cause some troubles after all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contrary to my growing worries, the Sword Master merely nodded her head in acknowledgement soon enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay. I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she stood up promptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I apologize for taking up your time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You are leaving?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since I said everything I came here for, I should leave already. The eyes outside are also quite scary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eyes outside…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Sword Master went out of my room, I also followed her outside, intending to send her off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be waiting excitedly for the request you’ll make.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t have to be excited about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is an important matter… but I still had to think about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I believe that next time, I’ll come with the Immortal Healer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You don’t need to come to me. I’ll visit you one last time before I leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master smiled kindly, a smile that had reached even her eyes, after hearing my words but didn’t say anything in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huh? Was she signaling that she wasn’t going to listen to me…? I was starting to feel a bit scared now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I went outside with the Sword Master, I saw Gu Ryunghwa and Namgung Bi-ah standing outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought that she had gone out to train already, but what was she doing here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah repeatedly looked at me and the Sword Master with her characteristic emotionless expression on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was about to go towards her, wondering why she had beeen acting like that, but the Sword Master went up to her first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you are that child.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah was slightly taken aback when she saw the Sword Master going up to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was about to lower her head as a show of respect— it was understandable since the Sword Master was a respected mastial artist of the Martial World,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Sword Master grabbed Namgung Bi-ah’s hand with a soft touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for saving my disciple… Thank you so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… It’s…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was refreshing and unique, seeing Namgung Bi-ah so flustered and lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard a lot about you from my disciple. That there was a pretty girl that took care of her and helped her a ton with her training and swordsmanship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Ah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah looked away, feeling embarrassed due to her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are beautiful just like my student stated. I never saw such a pretty child in my whole life.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah’s head kept lowering further and further the more compliments she received from the Sword Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master then spoke while looking at the shy Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that you are Yangcheon’s fiancée.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yangcheon?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to stop on my tracks for a split moment when I heard her speak that word so naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t expect her to think that we were that close already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah nodded her head ever so slightly in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed like she had no intention of denying that fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I also half-gave up on that thought too…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Both yours and Yangcheon’s heart are so kind, so you’ll be a good match for each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I really don’t think that’s true.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I held myself in from speaking out as I didn’t want to ruin the good atmosphere that was going on between them. However, I denied that notion immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master left after telling Namgung Bi-ah that she wanter to see her one more time before she left with us so that she could repay her for teaching and then saving her disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked Namgung Bi-ah after I checked that the Sword Master had left the premise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t go to train?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had taken off the bandages from her arms already— thankfully, it seemed that her broken hand had healed already, that too in a few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hm, thankfully— Huh? What’s wrong with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nah, you just look like you are in a good mood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that my mistake?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like Namgung Bi-ah was smiling ever so slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still had that usual emotionless look going on… but for some reason I myself was unaware of, she looked like she was in a good mood right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not really.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the replyt Namgung Bi-ah gave to my question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in my view, she definitely seemed to be in a good mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it because of the compliments she got from the Sword Master?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had the belief that she didn’t really care if someone called her pretty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I guess she was still weak to compliments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>* * * *\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master mused while going to the hut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What happened back then?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was about the children’s mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Yangcheon seemed like he definitely knew something about the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he was intentionally hiding it from the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much so that it seemed like he would turn hostile if she were to press him further for answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master didn’t want that to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only was she indebted to him, but she also felt guilty that she couldn’t do anything for him in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wanted her disciple to be happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what she prioritized as her master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she neared the end of her life due to her disease, the only desire she had was for her disciple to find happiness in life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ryunghwa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Ryunghwa stopped in her tracks after hearing her master’s call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had a bright smile on her face because even the small act of holding her master’s hand gave her endless happiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that you said you wouldn’t return to the clan, is that right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark shadow covered her face as soon as she heard her master’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um… when I told him I didn’t want to go, he said I didn’t have to…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you should. A promise is a promise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Ryunghwa couldn’t respond further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her master had become healthy. It was a miracle like no other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were able to walk together hand in hand, something that was impossible not long ago, and they were even able to train when they had some free time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like a dream to Gu Ryunghwa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why she was more hesitant to answer further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was true that she didn’t want to go back to the clan for even a second, however, there were also other reasons behind her decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main reason back then was… that her beloved master did not have much time left to live,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, there was another reason now for her reluctance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What if something happens to master again when I’m gone?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She just felt uneasy leaving her master behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Sword Master noticed her thoughts, she patted Gu Ryunghwa’s head softly and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do not worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since you feel so uneasy, let us go together this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Ryunghwa became puzzled after hearing something that she was unable to make sense of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Master then looked at the puzzled disciple of hers and laughed out loud. She wasn’t just lying to calm her down right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was being serious. Dead serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems like I have something to do in the Gu Clan too, so let’s go together this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master… going together?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A question mark immediately formed on top of Gu Ryunghwa’s head at that thought.\u003C\u002Fp>",3169,"2026-06-05T15:09:38.751Z",1,"novelbin.me","9df22b6a7679af63628c8c127e994e492f466f7fd8c080e91de2d095f037681b","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-94","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-92",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]