[{"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-974":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Childhood Friend of the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":12,"novelImage":21},{"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},1240400,1667,"Chapter 973","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-974",974,"\u003Cp>\"You know where it is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his words, my eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had asked on a whim, not actually expecting an answer.But he really knew? That caught me off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Where?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Noya casually pointed at the ground beneath us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I followed his gesture, but all I saw was stone pavement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why the hell was he pointing there?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to ask, Noya spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Underground. Yahwol’s Divine Tree exists deep below.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Underground?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Divine Tree—wasn’t that supposed to be something like the massive one on Mount Hua?Yet he was saying that such a tree wasn’t above ground, but deep beneath it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, my thoughts just stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How the hell does a tree that big even exist underground?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I only know that it’s there,\" Noya continued. \"But I don’t know how it exists, nor do I know how to enter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So there’s a specific entrance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course there is. Considering the Divine Tree’s value, it’s only natural that it wouldn’t be somewhere easily accessible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Then what about Mount Hua? They left their tree out in the open.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If making it inaccessible was the norm, then Mount Hua’s tree was a complete contradiction.That argument didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I pointed that out, Noya let out an awkward laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That one is technically hidden too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bullshit.That thing was visible from miles away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think I’m lying? From the start, Mount Hua was a place that very few could enter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded like he was trying very hard to justify it, but I wasn’t buying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I just nodded absently, letting him say whatever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You little—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently, he didn’t like my attitude.His fist clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" I quickly interjected, \"since you don’t know where the entrance is, that means we have to find it ourselves?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That made him click his tongue and lower his fist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crisis averted—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Urgh…!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I grabbed my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>God damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, you have to find it,\" he said, looking noticeably more satisfied after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guess that punch put him in a better mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But at least you won’t have to search completely blind.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you think I mean? Someone already knows where it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Someone…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t have to look far. Someone who knows everything about Yahwol is right nearby.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who—\" I started, then stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I already knew the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who knew everything that happened in Yahwol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who ruled over this land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…You mean Yusa?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The General of Yahwol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yusa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone knew where the Divine Tree was, it would be him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made perfect sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s no way he wouldn’t know.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Divine Tree itself was something tied to the General.The idea that Yusa wouldn’t know its location was ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone had the answer, it was him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been about to ask how to get that information out of him—But then, a thought crossed my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Noya. Don’t tell me—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya had deliberately come to Yahwol to meet Yusa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had assumed it was just to mess with him, to shake things up for his own reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I thought about it, this could mean—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Was your goal all along to get the Divine Tree’s location from Yusa?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that what Noya had been after from the very start?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked at him, searching for an answer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was my answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant I was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*********************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time daylight fully broke, Yahwol was in complete turmoil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And how could it not be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>News had spread like wildfire—The head of the Blue Clan, the dominant force in Yahwol’s largest trade district, had been ambushed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse, he had sustained grave injuries, teetering on the edge of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A noble had been attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tensions had already been high after what had happened to the White Clan.Now, with this second assault, the unease thickened into something heavier—something dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one responsible hadn’t just invaded the estate.He had waltzed in alone, gone head-to-head with the clan head, defeated him, and vanished without a trace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And during the battle, he had ripped out the heir’s eye, playing with him like a toy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How the hell was that even possible?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only had someone assaulted one of the most powerful aristocrats in Yahwol—They had humiliated him, mocked his entire clan, and walked away as if nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The absurdity of the situation left Yahwol’s people in chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that chaos—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had spread all the way to the noble families themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yahwol Manor – The Council of Clans\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the highest point of Yahwol stood a mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was smaller than the estates of other nobles, its location isolated and precarious—Yet no one dared question its authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was called Yahwol Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place had been built under Yusa’s direct orders—The very General of Yahwol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever an emergency arose—Whenever an issue escalated beyond what could be controlled—The aristocrats gathered here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And today marked the first time in nearly fifty years that its doors had been opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within this place—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Didn’t think I’d be seeing your face again so soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the round table, the Black Clan’s leader, a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe, spoke quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Across from him, the White Clan’s leader, a towering brute of a man, ground his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even after all these years, your smug, rotten face still pisses me off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His growled words dripped with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Clan’s leader simply stared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Clan’s leader narrowed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Are you laughing?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, my apologies,\" the Black leader said, his voice laced with amusement.\"I just couldn’t help myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the hell is so funny?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s just… rather entertaining,\" the Black leader mused.\"Seeing a man who’s been locked up in a room for weeks suddenly act like he’s got a spine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You bastard—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Krrrrk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Clan’s leader shot up from his seat, sending his chair scraping back against the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, murderous aura flooded the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer weight of it sent a suffocating pressure outward.Most of it came from the White leader himself—But an equally sinister black energy began to rise in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air thickened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single wrong move, and a battle would erupt right here and now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Can we not do this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A honeyed voice slipped between the clashing energies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Fwoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both auras unraveled like threads, scattering harmlessly into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two men turned, their aggressive glares landing on the woman who had spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She met their gazes with complete indifference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You called for a meeting,\" she said lightly.\"And then you start throwing tantrums the moment you see each other? Come on.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Red.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair was scarlet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was Hong Jeong, the leader of the Red Clan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ignored their reactions and continued, her tone casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s remember why we’re here, brothers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was smooth, even playful—But her eyes burned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no intention of hiding her ferocity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Blue Clan was weak, yes,\" she admitted.\"But they weren’t that weak. And you both know it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White leader scowled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yet now, the Blue Clan’s head is barely clinging to life—his chest torn open.And his heir? Had his eye ripped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell me, brothers—does that seem normal to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A low, taunting chuckle left her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was speaking to the White Clan’s leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Black and White Clans had their tensions, the real hostility had always been between the White and Blue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Years ago, the two had clashed, and the White Clan had crushed the Blue Clan in battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the Blue Clan had been completely humiliated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the White leader had no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thrown jabs at the Black leader earlier—But now, he was silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not to mention,\" Hong Jeong added, \"this so-called invasion?The bastard walked right into the estate and fought them on their own turf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their own domain.And yet they still lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What does that say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…What are you getting at?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Jeong tilted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, nothing much,\" she mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Clap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She snapped her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just think we have a very dangerous guest in our city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah… Don’t tell me you’re scared?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White leader scoffed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Jeong’s eyes widened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my.Are you not scared, brother?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean, you’ve already been beaten half to death by Cheonma, haven’t you?Why act so tough when the whole world saw you get your ass handed to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother, a little self-awareness goes a long way.Acting tough after such a pitiful loss? It’s just embarrassing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You bitch—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enraged, the White leader’s energy surged again—But before he could strike—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Jeong laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Rumble—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A crushing force exploded from her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her energy wrapped around her like a living thing, pulsing with killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother, brother, brother…Why do you always bare your fangs?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile was razor-sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It just makes me want to pull them out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or maybe… should I peel off that arrogant face of yours instead?If you’re curious, just say the word.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Jeong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red Clan’s leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the strongest noble in Yahwol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her name alone carried a weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as she shifted, her aura took shape—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black leader clicked his tongue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes ago, she had told them to calm down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, she was the one who had successfully provoked the White leader into an unstoppable rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she was laughing about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s dangerous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had always been dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By age alone, she should be no different from his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she had risen to the head of her clan by slaughtering her own family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That power.That instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That insanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wasn’t just strong—She was twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black leader sighed and moved to stop them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Jeong’s eyes widened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the next instant, she withdrew her energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden shift left both the Black and White leaders momentarily stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice rang from the center of the round table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White leader immediately sat down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Jeong, as if she had never even been angry, elegantly returned to her seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had spoken was a young man with light green eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the one who had summoned this council.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll say this now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The mood I’m in right now is shit.So don’t piss me off.Or I will kill you.Got it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Yahwol’s apex predator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Yusa—the General of Yahwol.\u003C\u002Fp>",1775,"2026-06-05T15:10:22.035Z",1,"novelbin.me","5066ee696df2f2b5ee1fb26d87c73da1a338f1872c170f3d31d7f48d83a6f890","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-651","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-973","https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]