Childhood Friend of the Zenith - Chapter 218

Chapter 218: Omen (5)

༺ Omen (5) ༻

‘How long has it been, I wonder?’

I hadn’t seen Gu Jeolyub ever since I had killed the First Elder. I didn’t bother searching for him, believing it would be best for me to not see him again.

‘It’s not like I could’ve done anything to help him.’

Should I have apologized?

I couldn’t bring myself to do so. It wasn’t an impulsive act, and if I was going to have regrets, I would’ve never killed him in the first place.

I was quite surprised to see Gu Jeolyub. His face had grown much thinner, he seemed to be going through a very hard time.

‘But I didn’t expect him to visit me.’

Well, I needed to talk to him about some matters related to Gu Sunmoon anyway.

After the end of the Elder’s Meeting, I had been thinking of visiting him soon, so it was unexpected for Gu Jeolyub to visit me instead.

Step.

Step by step, he slowly approached me.

‘...Hmm.’

I didn’t know what Gu Jeolyub would do to me in his current state, yet I didn’t react and simply observed him.

Wi Seol-Ah tried to step in front of me, as if trying to protect me, but I quickly grabbed her shoulder, signaling her not to do so.

“Young Master.”

“Yeah.”

After a moment that seemed to stretch on for far longer than usual, Gu Jeolyub finally arrived in front of me.

“...I would like to ask you something.”

His request piqued my curiosity. It seemed he had no intention of attacking me—not that I would allow it anyway—Instead, he instead wanted to ask me something.

“Ask.”

I granted him permission, waiting patiently for him to start speaking. After a while, Gu Jeolyub finally spoke.

“...Why did you do it?”

His lips shook as he uttered those words.

“Hm.”

His words weren’t filled with resentment, nor was it filled with anger or curses. He simply wanted a reason.

‘I heard that he didn’t leave his room for a while.’

I had heard about his whereabouts from time to time. Since the First Elder’s funeral, he had secluded himself in his room.

“Why did I do it?”

“...Yes.”

“Haven’t you already heard? The reason behind my actions?”

“Yes, I have.”

He must have already heard about it from the Second Elder, Muyeon, or other members of the clan. It wasn’t a small incident, so I was sure it was often discussed in the clan.

“Then why do you ask? You already know.”

“I felt the need to hear it directly from you.”

It was strange.

Gu Jeolyub’s gaze remained fixed on me, his emotions boiling beneath the surface. But even in his agitated situation, he only asked me for a reason.

Of course, he likely chose this option because he knew that he couldn’t harm me.

‘But he’s choosing not to run away.’

Though I don’t know if it could even be called ‘running away.’ Whichever it was, Gu Jeolyub had come to face me directly. With that realization, I responded to him.

“Your grandfather crossed a line that I couldn’t ignore.”

My voice sounded colder than I had expected.

“He not only targeted me, but also those around me. Moreover, he was becoming poisonous for the clan.”

Without pausing, I spoke calmly, my words harsher than my tone. It wasn’t the time to be considerate with my choice of words.

“I took matters into my own hands because I couldn’t let him continue unchecked.”

“...”

“If you were expecting a different answer from me, I apologize, but there isn’t one.”

I didn’t know what Gu Jeolyub wanted from me by seeking me out, but this was all I could offer him.

He stared at me silently.REaad updated stories at n/o/vel/bin(.)com

“I wasn’t hoping for any response.”

“Then?”

“I only asked because I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? What?”

I frowned slightly, puzzled by his cryptic words. What was it that he didn’t know?

“What I should do from now on... I don’t know the answer to it.”

“So you came to me for an answer?”

“No... not exactly.”

I understood that he was struggling with his own inner turmoil, having his world suddenly turn upside down.

However, if he had come seeking answers from me, it was an utterly foolish move.

‘Stupid bastard.’

What closure did he expect from me? What did he want from someone who had killed his grandfather?

It seemed that even Gu Jeolyub himself didn’t have the answer to that question.

After all, he was still just a young boy, not even in his twenties, a teenager overwhelmed by the harsh realities of his circumstances.

I asked him. “Do you resent me?”

“Yes,” he replied without any hesitation.

“Do you seek revenge?”

“...”

He fell silent. It seemed that he wanted to spit out the word ‘yes’, but couldn’t bring himself to do so easily.

“No?”

“...I do.”

“Then why did you hesitate?”

Was it because he was scared to state his desire of wanting to kill a direct blood relative of the clan? That was somewhat understandable, if I were in his shoes though, I wouldn’t have been able to hold back.

‘How could I keep my sanity if the person who killed my family stood right in front of me?’

Though I have some semblance of control myself at my age now, if I was Gu Jeolyub’s age, I wouldn’t have been able to contain myself.

As I wondered how he could control himself like that, Gu Jeolyub responded.

“...Because it would go against justice.”

“Justice?”

Justice, you say? It was rather random.

“If everything that the Young Master said about Lord... about my grandfather is true,” his voice trembled ever so slightly, “me resenting the Young Master wouldn’t be justified.”

The First Elder hadn’t hidden his ambitions. Not only had he manipulated events to ensure his grandson became the Young Lord of the clan, but he had also been scheming behind the scenes.

If all that was true, Gu Jeolyub believed that his resentment towards me wouldn’t be justified.

So, was he having conflicting thoughts because he still harbored resentment towards me? I couldn’t understand.

“How complicated you are.”

“...”

“I don’t know why you’re suddenly talking about justice, but there’s nothing I can do for you.”

Whether Gu Jeolyub resented me or not, whether he wished to take my life, there was nothing I could do to resolve his inner conflicts.

I wouldn’t be concerned even if he resented me, and if he truly sought my death...

‘I’ll kill him.’

I would have no choice but to end his life. There would be no second chances.

The best consideration I could offer him was to not lay a finger on him at this moment.

The First Elder had a funeral, but I knew I wouldn’t be allowed near the graves that held the remains of the important figures of the clan.

They couldn’t afford to let a sinner like me enter.

If the sins of the First Elder were to be exposed, it could potentially impact Gu Jeolyub as well.

‘You’re not wrong.’

My current actions were leaving a small ember of a flame alive, even in the face of an impending calamity.

However...

“...I wanted to be a bit greedy in this life.”

[Tsk.]

Elder Shin remained silent thereafter.

Grab.

I felt a sensation of something wrapping around my hand. When I looked, I saw Wi Seol-Ah gently holding onto my hand.

“Young Master... are you okay?”

“Why? Do I not look okay?”

“Well... you look like you are having a hard time.”

“Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine.”

I don’t know why I looked like that to Wi Seol-Ah, but I was fine.

As always, I had to stay perfectly calm. As Wi Seol-Ah looked at me with worried eyes, I gently patted her head and spoke to the empty space in the air.

“So, could you please explain to me now?”

Although it seemed like no one was present, someone was there.

Rustle.

From the tall grass beside a tree, a giant figure emerged, making me wonder how he managed to hide.

The Second Elder didn’t appear to have fully recovered yet, as he still had bandages wrapped around his body.

“You’ve become sharper than before.”

“Isn’t it weirder for you to hide there with your body?”

Despite me saying this, the Second Elder’s ability to conceal himself was quite impressive. I wouldn’t have noticed him if my senses hadn’t picked up on him just now.

“Is there a reason why you informed that bastard about me going to the battlefield?”

“I told him because he asked.”

“Even though you didn’t tell me?”

“Why would I tell you when you don’t even listen to your grandfather?”

“...”

As expected. The Second Elder was still mad about escape.

Feeling guilty, I scratched my cheek, and the Second Elder continued speaking.

“I know that you requested for Gu Jeolyub’s well-being.”

“...Ahem.”

How did he know? I only secretly told Father.

“Is that why you chose to take care of Gu Sunmoon?”

“I only did it because it’s better than the Third or the Fourth Elder doing it. I’m only managing it. Training the martial artists and their martial arts is a responsibility given to the captain of the First Army.”

“The First Army’s captain?”

When it came to swords, the strongest man of Gu Clan, was the First Army’s captain.

I didn’t know who would win if he was compared to the First Elder in his prime, but at least in the current point of time, he was the strongest.

‘I guess if it’s the First Army’s captain... it’ll be fine.’

If I thought about him, he was certainly better than anyone else I could compare to. He at the very least wasn’t someone that would plan something behind the scenes.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Jeez, how fast of you to ask.”

“It’s better than me not asking at a- ...Put your fist down please. You know you are a patient, right?”

An old man that wasn’t even in his best shape, still had his violent personality.

“I’m fine, a wound like this is healed if I put my saliva over it.”

“...Is your saliva a medicine that heals anything?”

Why would the Immortal Healer exist in the world if such a thing existed.

“Anyways, it seemed like you brought a special guest as well.”

“Oh.”

After hearing the Second Elder, I thought about the old man that would be in Gu Clan’s jail right now.

‘I totally forgot about Hao Clan’s Lord.’

I forgot about the Lord of Hao Clan that I brought from the Black Palace.

“What happened.”

“Is it perhaps, someone that the Second Elder also knows?”

The Second Elder let out a fake cough while brushing his beard after hearing my question.

“It’s someone that I barely met for a moment. I knew that he would end up that way with the way he acts.”

‘So the Second Elder also knows about the Lord of Hao Clan.’

I wonder how so many people knew about Hao Clan’s Lord when not many things are known about him.

‘Anyway, this really isn’t a normal household.’

It became certain to me.

“It was an old man I found in the Black Palace, and father told me to bring him with us.”

In times like these, it was wise for me to use Father as an excuse.

As expected, the Second Elder nodded his head without saying anything when I brought up Father.

“...If that’s the case, then I guess the Lord himself would take care of it.”

I didn’t know whether he would make relations with the Hao Clan, or use him for a different purpose, but since the Hao Clan’s Lord already got caught by father’s gaze, it was hard for me to reach him.

“Putting aside the guest...”

After cutting off the conversation, the Second Elder took a letter out of his pocket and handed it to me.

“I didn’t know that you had some sort of relationship with the Beggar’s Sect.”

“Beggar’s Sect?”

Beggar’s Sect all of a sudden?

I took the letter from him wondering what he meant. On the letter that the Second Elder gave me, a stamp of the Beggar’s Sect was on it.

‘This is...’

Judging by the small name that was written underneath the stamp, I was able to know who sent the letter.

Chuwong.

It was a letter sent to me by the future Beggar King.

‘I knew that a letter would be coming to me.’

But it came faster than I expected. I wonder what information is written in it.

If it’s the information on the Silent Fist or the Dishonored Venerable that I asked for back in Hanam...

‘I hope that it’s the Dishonored Venerable if possible.’

If I had to choose one, I hoped that it was information on the Dishonored Venerable. Because he was the one that I was more urgent for.

‘I also hope that there aren’t any problems.’

In the letter that Chuwong sent, there was a short sentence written inside.

-True Dragon... Save m...

-There is no problem.

“...”

Putting aside the line that looked like it was erased in the middle of writing, after reading the second line, I carefully folded the letter and put it in my pocket.

I then nodded my head and whispered.

“Seems like he got caught.”

I think I could forget about Chuwong for a bit.

He’ll be fine. He is the Beggar King after all.

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