[{"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-932":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},1240682,1667,"Chapter 931","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-932",932,"\u003Cp>It was a night when the crescent moon blossomed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clouds hung low, sinking endlessly, making them feel closer than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath them, the field of grass reflected the moonlight, exuding an inexplicable clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was that kind of night.A night where the moon shone brightly.A night where the sky was beautiful.A night where the wind felt exquisite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it beautiful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A night where I liked you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, it’s beautiful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words weren’t directed at the moon.If I had to specify, it was more about the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sky where countless stars bloomed like flowers.The fields below were alive with blossoms,And the sky above was adorned with stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, what was blooming on your face?I often thought this when looking into her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She laughed at my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...You’re as incorrigible as ever.”“When have I ever said anything bad?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t recall ever saying anything offensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at her, feigning injustice, but she smiled her characteristic smile and replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You always say cruel things.”“…Like what?”“The things you say keep me alive. They’re cruel and heartless words.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t understand.She often said incomprehensible things like this,Always with a sorrowful expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you crying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, brushing her pale cheek with my fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not crying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She grasped the back of my hand and responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her touch was cold.It always was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, she would often cling to me,Saying that since she was cold and I was warm,Holding me made her feel a little more at ease—Enough to live another day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what she used to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey.”“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman in my arms pointed toward the sky with her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you see?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I lifted my head to look.Was she asking me to describe everything I saw?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, I spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see the night.”“And?”“The stars filling the night, and the clouds wrapping around them.”“And?”“The moon rising above it all.”“And then?”“I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d said everything I could see.If she wanted more, I honestly didn’t know what else to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing my words, she rolled her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was something she did when deep in thought.I liked that about her, so I quietly watched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, it has to be the night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words were abrupt and cryptic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned, asking, “…What are you talking about?”“The first thing you saw was the night, wasn’t it?”“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wasn’t that just what anyone would notice when they looked up?I wanted to say that, but she interrupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then it’s decided. I’ll be your night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”“If I become your night, you’ll think of me every time you look at it.”“...”“Maybe you’ll even think of me whenever you see the sky itself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night? Sky?She kept speaking in riddles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t forget me, no matter what.”“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words left me staring at her, speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t argue with the absurdity of her statement because of the desperate expression she wore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, I made a promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You are my night.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I promised to think of her whenever I saw the darkened sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s how I vowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled at my words.But as I looked at her smile, I felt a pang of unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why do you still look like you’re crying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered as I gazed into her trembling eyes, forcing a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said, her shoulders trembling slightly.Feeling pity, I pulled her into an embrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As always.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet somehow, it didn’t feel like I was holding her.It felt as though I was embracing an empty mist,Something ephemeral that could dissipate at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I held her tighter, she might break.If I let go, she might disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This time, too, I’ll believe you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the vast sky, she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her words, I could only respond.That was all I could do for the woman in my arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I held her for a while—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spoke to me again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Call my name.”“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her request made me chuckle faintly.Was that even something to ask for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This much, I could do anytime she wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether for a fleeting moment or eternity, I would do it for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that thought, I opened my mouth to speak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But my lips froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t remember.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was her name?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why couldn’t I recall it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panicked by the strange feeling, I looked down at my arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was nothing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman I had just been holding had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was I holding just now?I was certain I had been holding something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why couldn’t I remember anything?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With trembling eyes, I looked up at the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And all I saw was an empty night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong with you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gripping small shoulders tightly, I demanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked down at her chest.Her clothing was torn in several places,And blood was flowing from a wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sword wound?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging by the state of it, it was a clean, precise cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where had she gone to get hurt like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focused, I examined her body carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It hurts…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma grimaced slightly and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I snapped in irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course it hurts, you idiot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Look at her!! How could it not hurt?”“…No… my arm… hurts.”“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced at her shoulder.My hand was gripping her tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing this, I immediately let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was I even holding her like that?I frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why are you hurt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had she been doing to end up in this state?I couldn’t understand and demanded an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cheonma didn’t respond.She simply stared at me in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing? Hurry up and answer me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I pressed Cheonma impatiently, she tilted her head and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why?\"\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her response only deepened my already furrowed brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean, why?\"\"Why are you asking?\"\"What do you mean, why am I asking? It’s obvious—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it?Why was I asking this in the first place? My question felt slightly off. This wasn’t it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of asking why she was hurt, I should’ve asked what she had been through.Trying to correct myself, I began to speak again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you—\"\"Are you worried?\"\"What...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words stopped me mid-sentence like a mechanical error.Cheonma stared at me intensely as she asked, her violet eyes locking onto mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment our eyes met, my entire expression twisted—my eyes, my brow, everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t talk nonsense.\"\"...\"\"I’m not worried about you. What bothers me is that I told you not to cause trouble, and here you are, coming back like this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly.It wasn’t worry.I had things to do here, and I needed to wrap them up quickly. If this idiot stirred up any more chaos, it would be a real problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So just answer properly—\"\"You’re worried about me.\"\"Stop twisting my words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did she keep misinterpreting what I said? My irritation flared.Meanwhile, Cheonma’s lips curved up ever so slightly, as if she found the situation amusing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That annoyed me even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you smiling?\"\"I’m not.\"\"You’re smiling right now.\"\"I’m not.\"\"You little—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I reached to grab her by the collar but stopped myself when I noticed her battered, disheveled body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I retracted my hand, looking at her again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cut the nonsense and tell me properly. What happened?\"\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma hesitated for a moment, her lips moving slightly before she finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I went to see someone.\"\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who could you possibly need to see around here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was there anyone in Mangye that Cheonma would know?It didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she came back injured, it could only mean one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fought someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who in the world could she have fought to end up like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I puzzled over this, Cheonma added, \"It was that person we saw last time.\"\"...Last time?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A memory surfaced—Cheonma had once gone after someone lingering around Mount Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were here, too?\"\"Yeah.\"\"And you got into a fight and ended up like this?\"\"I made a mistake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma spoke with a tone of regret, almost indignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, I thought so too.The fact that Cheonma got hurt at all was unusual enough to baffle me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I won’t lose next time.\"\"Next time? What the hell are you talking about?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I ran a hand through my hair, exasperated.Frustration welled up inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the hell is going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just around Mount Hua, but even here, they kept showing up. It was infuriating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And how did you even find them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had she tracked down someone monitoring us?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma tapped her fist lightly against her palm as if the answer were obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I followed you.\"\"Followed me?\"\"Yeah.\"\"Why?\"\"Because it’s fun.\"\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What should I do?Should I actually hit her? Could I even hit her?I seriously debated it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway... So you fought the person spying on us?\"\"No.\"\"What? You just said you did—what are you saying now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonma pointed at me, cutting me off mid-sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s this about?\"\"It’s you.\"\"What about me?\"\"They were watching you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to look behind me.It was Gubong, standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... What you’re saying is...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Cheonma and I had been traveling together, the spy had been focused on me alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And how do you know that for sure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gubong and I had been together the whole time.I hadn’t even noticed when the tailing or surveillance started.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant one of two things:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either Cheonma was lying, or...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spy was skilled enough to evade my detection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both scenarios were equally troubling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was the former...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already don’t trust Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she were going out of her way to lie to me, the situation would become even more complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it was the latter...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s going to be a pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either they were using powers I couldn’t perceive, or they were simply far more capable than me.That alone made things convoluted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at Cheonma’s injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They managed to hurt Cheonma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she called it a mistake, it didn’t mean she was lacking in skill.Who could it have been? Which faction were they from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I pondered, one figure came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Could it be Mother?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mother I didn’t even know.Could she be the one behind this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit down on my thumb, lost in thought over the unpleasant possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But,\" Cheonma said suddenly, breaking my train of thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They were... strange.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words caught me off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a forest far from Yahwol Palace,a woman stumbled as she clung to a tree trunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each step, blood fell to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oddly, her blood wasn’t red—it was a deep, purplish hue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman slid down the tree, sitting on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff... huff…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her breathing was labored, her ears and tail drooping as if expressing her exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She reached up to remove the black mask on her face, as though it had become stifling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the mask came off, a wave of heat dissipated into the air.Her concealed face was now exposed to the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huff… urgh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her head fell forward, her brown hair cascading to cover her face entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And within that moment, her golden eyes glimmered faintly in the dim light.\u003C\u002Fp>",1850,"2026-06-05T15:10:21.117Z",1,"novelbin.me","92cd2165e8f214999a4c13fca872ca234e4c0a12d6cab0f2216faa32d86ad19b","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-933","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-931",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]