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Childhood Friend of the Zenith (Web Novel) - Chapter CH.1106: The World of Ascension (36)
Chapter CH.1106: The World of Ascension (36)
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Namgung Jeohwi
His level of skill was that of a seasoned, peak martial artist, and currently, he was the head of the Namgung family.
In terms of pure combat strength, his ranking wasn't particularly high, but his exceptional political skill and intelligence allowed him to defeat his brothers and ascend to the position of head of the family.
Because of this, people often said that he became the family head due to luck or that he lacked the qualifications, but...
Ultimately, he was chosen by the elder council and the previous family head, so his position as the family head was irrefutable.
‘...Bloodlust, huh.’
The idea of bloodlust being present in Namgung Jeohwi's body puzzled me.
‘What’s going on?’
How could this be? Why would there be traces of bloodlust within Namgung Jeohwi’s body?
It seemed like it might just be a misunderstanding.
‘No, that can’t be.’
I was no stranger to bloodlust—having experienced the Blood Demon myself.
There was no mistaking the presence of bloodlust in his body.
It was definitely bloodlust.
‘Hmph.’
I sat and thought deeply. Then I looked up at the ceiling. It was high. This wasn’t the cramped space I felt in the carriage, but an actual room.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
Do Yoon, who was unpacking beside me, asked.
"It’s nothing. Just have some things on my mind."
"Then I'll go out for a bit."
"Where are you going?"
"I’m going to train."
Do Yoon said this and went outside.
I was currently staying in a residence within the Namgung family compound.
Since I came in with the family head, there was no need for additional identification verification.
The problem was...
‘What the hell is going on?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t make sense of the bloodlust in Namgung Jeohwi’s body.
‘Has it been active already?’
When did the Blood Demon start becoming active? The fact that there was bloodlust now meant it had likely been active for some time.
‘Hmm.’
Had the Namgung family already been touched by it? It was an unexpected situation.
‘How did Namgung Jeohwi end up?’
I recalled. He was a figure I didn’t remember well. No wonder.
‘He’s already dead and gone.’
Namgung Jeohwi died during the period I was active, and I didn’t know much about his death. My own family didn’t know much, so how could I possibly know about someone else’s family?
The only thing I remembered was...
‘He died from an illness.’
That was all I knew. Namgung Jeohwi died from a chronic illness.
But...
‘Was it really just an illness...?’
Looking at it now, some doubts came to mind.
‘Could it really have been just an illness?’
Deaths caused by illness were common among martial artists. It was common even among regular humans.
‘For martial artists, death usually happens because...’
They either die of old age, from illness, or in battle.
It was likely one of these three, and illness was certainly not out of the ordinary.
No matter how skilled or physically trained one was, sickness couldn’t be avoided.
‘In that sense, it’s not strange, but...’
When I looked at it like this, it seemed suspicious.
Was it because of the bloodlust? I focused on the cause of death.
‘What is this feeling?’
The unease. Namgung Jeohwi’s death. Illness.
‘He wasn’t exactly low in rank.’
He didn’t seem to be the type to die young, especially at his level.
It wasn’t that long ago either.
‘Aside from the bloodlust, there seems to be no issue with his body.’
Of course, unless I were a god, I couldn’t fully inspect his body, but there didn’t seem to be anything strange.
With that in mind...
‘Could it be?’
Was his death related to the bloodlust? And furthermore...
‘Could it be that...’
The reason he was able to become the family head despite his lack of strength was... actually...
‘...the Blood Demon’s scheme?’
Could it have been the work of the Blood Demon?
This thought crossed my mind suddenly.
‘Hmph.’
I scratched my head.
‘This is getting ridiculous.’
I hadn’t expected the Namgung family to already be under influence. I would have preferred not knowing. Now that I do, it’s nothing but a headache.
‘Ah, but it’s not like I can solve it.’
It’s pointless to worry about it. Nothing will change. It just makes me more anxious.
"Ugh. Damn it."
I grew frustrated. I regretted looking into it.
Whether it was Namgung Jeohwi, the Blood Demon, or whatever, this was not the time to focus on those things.
"I’d rather die than keep worrying."
I stood up and walked out. The weather was still clear. My father had told me to wait until he gave further orders, but...
"Better to do something than stay idle."
It might be useful to find something out here. Who knows, I might learn something useful.
With that thought, I gathered my energy.
Snap.
With a snap of my fingers, an illusion of my own body appeared in the room.
It was a construct made with my power.
Since I had already covered the bedding, it would last for about an hour.
‘Alright then.’
Shall I move?
I thought to myself and activated my stealth technique.
**********
Inside the Namgung family compound was vast. As one of the four great families, its size was naturally impressive.
‘It feels a little bigger than the last time I was here.’
It felt even larger compared to when I visited for the engagement ceremony.
The size of the family seemed to have increased rather than decreased over time.
‘Is it a management issue?’
Maybe it had been reduced for management purposes because it was too large.
‘Perhaps they reduced the number of guards.’
With the peaceful times lasting, they might have cut back.
Well, this wasn’t that important.
Thud!
I moved slowly, scanning my surroundings. My destination was clear.
‘Where was it again?’
It was a place I had been before.
At the time, I had been permitted to go there by the family head, but the layout had changed, and it was taking longer than expected to find it.
‘Hmph.’
Where exactly was it?
While I was looking around...
‘Ah.’
I found it.
In a not-so-large room, four martial artists were gathered.
‘That’s it.’
Thankfully, it didn’t take as long as I feared.
Thud.
I landed lightly. After making sure I wasn’t noticed, I examined the building.
‘The shape hasn’t changed.’
It was the same place I had visited before. This was the secret area within the Namgung family.
The exterior hadn’t changed significantly since I last saw it.
That was fine, but...
‘Now, how do I get in?’
My goal was inside, and I had to figure out how to get in somehow. What method should I use?
I pondered, but...
‘...I have no choice.’
There was only one way.
Shhh.
I accelerate my body and launch it.
Thud—! Thud-thud—!!
In the blink of an eye, I passed by all four of them. Before long, those who had been standing upright slumped down.
I had knocked them out with a single blow to their chins.
Afterward, I gathered them with my telekinetic powers and placed them in a corner.
Snap—!
Once again, I snapped my fingers, using my power. Immediately, the figures of the individuals materialized.
I made them stand still, then approached the door.
‘Time... maybe about half a moment.’
At most, it would take half a moment. If I anticipated that someone would come to relieve them, that would be a safe amount of time.
Screech.
I opened the door and entered. I quickly surveyed the surroundings.
The interior looked somewhat different from the last time I visited. The arrangement was slightly different, perhaps.
‘Hmm.’
As I examined the area, my senses picked up on a disturbance.
Thud.
“...!”
I immediately concealed my presence, feeling the change in the air.
‘What’s this?’
There’s a presence inside?
‘Who is it?’
Who has entered this place? As I hid in the shadows, I overheard a voice.
“...I told you, I’m not doing it. Why do you keep bothering me? It’s disgusting.”
The voice had a mocking tone, filled with irritation.
“I’m not doing something so troublesome. I’ve already been eating dirt here in the family. Why should I do that? Get someone else. My brother, even though he’s got a terrible attitude, does the job well. Want me to introduce him?”
The sarcastic speech and the irritation were palpable.
Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes.
‘This voice and tone...’
Someone familiar, perhaps? Could it be...?
I shifted slightly to avoid being detected. I needed to confirm who it was, but I was hidden behind a bookshelf, so I couldn’t see the figure clearly. After a moment, I could finally make it out.
‘Ah.’
I confirmed and widened my eyes. As expected.
A young man with white hair was sitting at the center of the room, staring at something.
There was a sword hanging on the wall, but it had no blade, only a handle.
The sword used by the Demon Sword Queen, which Namgung Bi-ah currently possessed.
‘Noe-a.’
The precious relic of the Namgung family. The divine sword used by Namgung Myung several centuries ago.
‘That means...’
Does that mean the person in front of me is who I think it is?
Just as I was about to move in closer for a clearer look.
“Eh? What’s that?”
The young man suddenly turned around.
“...Who’s there? Nah, it can’t be, old man.”
“....”
“Eh?”
Our eyes met. His face was visible.
It was him.
The young man’s identity was none other than Namgung Hyeong.
*********
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Namgung family, a conversation was taking place.
"Thank you for coming."
Namgung Jeohwi, the head of the Namgung family, was facing a young man—one of the most notable figures in the late martial arts world, now the leader of the Divine Dragon Division.
‘...Impressive.’
The youngest vice-leader of the Azure Dragon Division.
I had heard he was suddenly drawing attention, and I had been curious about how extraordinary he might be.
‘He’s this impressive.’
Namgung Jeohwi couldn't help but marvel at Gu Cheolwoon, the leader of the Divine Dragon Division.
‘It’s invisible.’
What level of power did he possess? It wasn’t visible. This meant that the young man in front of him was on par with him—or perhaps...
‘Stronger.’
It meant that he was stronger.
No matter how talented Namgung Jeohwi was, the fact that he could be compared to this young man, whose skill level was already beyond his own, made him feel both awe and envy.
‘Sansa's family, was it?’
The family from Sansa. He recognized the name. He had been told to avoid any ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) connection with them, but...
‘To think someone like this would emerge from there.’
To see such a genius come from a place that usually didn’t produce such talents made him feel some jealousy.
Although Namgung Jin was no slouch, someone of this caliber made even feelings of envy arise.
“No, I’m just following orders.”
“...No matter what, you’ve come to assist the family, and for that, I am grateful.”
He cleared his thoughts. Even though envy existed, it was time to focus on the task at hand.
“If I may, as the letter mentioned, this concerns a matter...”
“Yes.”
“Recently, there have been strange occurrences at the Magyeong Gate in Anwi.”
“...”
Gu Cheolwoon’s brows furrowed at hearing the words “Magyeong Gate.”
“It seems the time for the Great Magyeong Gate to manifest is coming, and since it’s Anwi’s turn, the Namgung family must act.”
“Yes.”
The Great Magyeong Gate.
Was Anwi’s time finally coming?
Upon hearing this, Namgung Jeohwi spoke.
“I’ve heard that the state of the Great Magyeong Gate is unusual.”
“...What do you mean?”
“It’s different from the usual form. I mean...”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Red.”
“...!”
“The Magyeong Gate has turned red.”
At those words, Gu Cheolwoon’s eyes narrowed.
