Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 322: Hands-on Training (2)

I wondered if it all started after that awkward lunch.

Or maybe it began when Wi Seol-Ah made her unexpected confession.

For some reason, Wi Seol-Ah had started acting a little different.

After my afternoon training and lecture, as I rested, I could feel someone watching me.

I looked around, trying to figure out what it was, when I noticed a head poking out from the crack in the door.

“Hmm?”

I squinted, focusing on the door. The initial shock faded as I recognized a familiar face.

Of course I did, it was Wi Seol-Ah after all.

At first, I thought I was seeing things, but it was really her.

What was she doing?

I wasn’t the only one who noticed her—my roommates were staring in the same direction, equally puzzled.

Wi Seol-Ah was already attracting attention from others as she was the descendant of one of the Heavenly Venerables.

On top of that, her growing beauty had made her a target for some unsavory characters.

It was understandable, though.

How could she not, looking like that?

Though personally, I missed the days when she still had some baby fat in her cheeks.

“Brother?”

As Pe Woocheol noticed, he called out my name.

“I know.”

Slide.

I stood up as soon as our eyes met.

She was obviously here for me.

I would be hurt if that wasn’t the case… but surely, I was right.

Wi Seol-Ah flinched when I approached, but thankfully, she didn’t run this time.

She always used to bolt, but at least now she was staying put.

Is she some kind of a wild animal?

It was that difficult to approach her.

Smirking to myself, I stepped closer to Wi Seol-Ah and asked,

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah…!”

“What do you mean ‘Ah’?”

Why was she acting all surprised when we’d just made eye contact?

Her reaction showed that her eyes were still as big as ever.

Though they had a sharpness now, gradually resembling the ones I remembered from my past life.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Yet, her behavior showed me she was still different from the Celestial Sword I once knew.

“Do you have anything you want to say to me?”

“No, it’s not like that.”

Her hair swayed with every shake of her head.

In just a few years, her once-short hair had grown long.

Now reaching all the way to her waist.

As I gazed at the strands of brown hair streaked with gold, Wi Seol-Ah spoke.

“I just wanted to see you…”

Her words pierced right through my chest.

I never expected to hear that from Wi Seol-Ah.

“…”

Her words left me speechless.

Before I could recover, Wi Seol-Ah took advantage of my shock and ran off, disappearing right after she finished speaking.

Why does she run away every time I try to say something back?

Maybe she really is a wild animal?

This wasn’t the only time Wi Seol-Ah ran away.

We’d meet occasionally during training, but she always bolted after just a few words.

But at least now, it felt like she was trying to make an effort.

It was better than before, since she wasn’t running away immediately like before.

Still, her constant peeking at me was getting a little unnerving.

Why was she acting that way?

My head was already filled with conflicted thoughts thanks to what happened in the morning.

Yet, the culprit herself was acting that way…

Was she trying to make me even more flustered?

If that was the case, she was successful in doing so.

Thanks to her, I was more conflicted than ever.

With group training done for the day, it was time for my individual session.

Normally, I’d eat with the others around this time, but tonight I decided to skip dinner since everyone seemed busy.

I figured my recent bouts of spacing out were due to a lack of training, so in a way, this was for the best.

I rarely missed a chance to catch up with the others during mealtime, so it had been a while since we hadn’t met due to conflicting schedules.

Moyong Hi-ah had been busy lately, saying she had some business to take care of, while Tang Soyeol mentioned she had plans to meet up with Peng Ah-hee.

Namgung Bi-ah casually mentioned she was having dinner with Gu Yeonseo, which came out of nowhere.

Wait, since when were they close to each other?

Could I even say that they got closer?

I’d heard they were grouped together, and it seemed they spent a lot of time together because of it.

I’d been a little worried about Gu Yeonseo, so I was relieved Namgung Bi-ah was with her.

I heard from the rumors that Namgung Bi-ah had a high position in her group.

Though that was predictable, considering how the biggest talent of the group was bound to become the most famous.

It was the same for others too.

Swoosh…

The heat from my body dispersed into the cool wind.

Right now, I was in the field behind the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

The training grounds were obviously packed, and if I went there, I’d probably just end up watching Pe Woocheol train or making Gu Jeolyub roll around.

So, I decided to find a quiet spot to train on my own.

Squish.

I circulated my Qi through my Dantian, checking its condition.

The amount of Qi I possessed remained the same.

Even with my recent focus on Mind Arts, my Qi hadn’t progressed much.

That was understandable—my Qi level was comparable to a Fusion Realm martial artist, and given how much I’d consumed, it was difficult to push it further in my current state.

What about my body though?

It’s hollow.

I’d torn through and regenerated my body countless times, aiming to strengthen my foundation. It was stronger than others my age, but only just.

I still lacked compared to other Peak Realm martial artists.

I’d only reached this stage thanks to my past life’s experience and the sheer volume of Qi I possessed. It allowed me to build a tall, though unstable, tower.

It wasn’t a tower that would fall easily, but that didn’t necessarily mean that it was built well.

Tsk.

It meant that if I ran out of Qi—the foundation of this tower—it could still collapse.

I could fix that by training my body and strengthening it, but that would take too long.

A full-body transformation was the only real solution, but even that wasn’t a perfect option.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to even consider that right now.

What should I do?

The heat of my Qi still coursed through my body.

I kept channeling it through my middle Dantian, then up to my top Dantian.

It at least feels like the path became smoother.

The process was far smoother than when I’d first tried channeling Qi to my top Dantian.

But even now, I could barely reach it, let alone break through.

Why though?

I couldn’t understand.

Why was this all I could manage?

My Qi alone wasn’t enough to break through.

And just trying to reach my top Dantian nearly drained my Qi completely.

It only confused me more.

It’s not like I lack Qi though.

I definitely had more than enough Qi.

The fact that I felt like I was running out when trying to reach my top Dantian meant the problem lay elsewhere.

I believed that it was a problem with my mind.

Something in my mind was stopping the Qi from reaching my top Dantian.

What was the problem?

My mind was a mess of conflicting thoughts, making it impossible to pinpoint the issue.

First, it was my lack of Qi after regressing. Now, it was a mental block.

I didn’t know why I ran into problems every time.

“Sigh…”

With a heavy sigh, I pulled my Qi back into my Dantian.

The cold winter breeze hit me once my body cooled down.

As steam puffed from my mouth in the cold air, I turned and called out,

“It’s cold, so come here.”

“…!”

I noticed a figure flinch behind the trees.

“Stop peeking and get over here.”

I gestured with my hand, and the figure slowly revealed themselves.

Of course, it was Wi Seol-Ah.

It was almost endearing, watching her approach slowly but surely.

I channeled my Qi to warm the air around us as she got closer.

“Is it a hobby?”

“Huh…?”

“I’m asking if peeking became your hobby.”

“N-No.”

“Then why have you been acting like this all day?”

“…”

“Why do you keep peeking at me like that?”

I grabbed Wi Seol-Ah’s cheeks with both hands and gave them a playful tug as I finished speaking.

“Ouigh…!?”

Wi Seol-Ah eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting me to actually pull her cheeks.

She didn’t have as much baby fat on her cheeks as before, but I could still pinch them easily.

It was almost fascinating how much I could stretch them, given how slender her face was now.

“The thing you said to me in the morning too. Are you trying to harass me?”

Wi Seol-Ah’s eyes widened at my words.

I then released her cheeks.

I hadn’t pinched too hard, but Wi Seol-Ah still rubbed her cheeks, wincing from the slight sting.

“Why have you been acting this way?”

I wondered what she was up to.

I had no clue what was going through Wi Seol-Ah’s mind, but there had to be a reason for her strange behavior.

I needed to know what it was.

After hesitating for a moment, Wi Seol-Ah finally answered, her eyes trembling.

“…T-They told me that this would work.”

“This would work? Who told you that?”

“…They said that I would successfully charm you if I keep staring at you like this…”

Charm?

Did she just say the word charm?

The word charm came out from Wi Seol-Ah’s mouth?

“…Charm?”

I repeated the word in my head three times, still not understanding, so I said it aloud.

It wasn’t a word I ever expected to hear from Wi Seol-Ah, no matter how I looked at it.

Maybe she realized that too, or maybe she was just embarrassed, because she quickly turned her head away.

“Wait, so you kept peeking at me the whole day trying to charm me?”

“…”

“…Just how is that charming?”

The only “charm” I’d ever experienced was during battle in my past life, but even then, I knew it took a lot more than just staring to charm someone.

Sure, maybe someone like Moyong Hi-ah, with her seductive eyes, could pull that off, but Wi Seol-Ah didn’t have that kind of expression.

Just where did she learn such a thing from?

It all sounded ridiculous.

Perhaps,

Wi Seol-Ah was beautiful enough to charm a man just with a glance.

But to think Wi Seol-Ah would actually try to do something like that…

…Nah, there is no way.

Yes, that certainly wasn’t the case.

Also, charm?

Wherever she learned it from, if Wi Seol-Ah was really trying to charm me,

…

My brain stalled for a second.

I couldn’t think anymore.

How had things ended up like this?

I fumbled for a response when she suddenly said,

“…It seemed like this didn’t work, so I’ll try something else next time.”

“What?”

Her words snapped me back to reality.

Something else next time…?

“What are you going to do? Wait, what are you even doing now?”

I had no idea what Wi Seol-Ah was up to.

She confessed she liked me in the morning, and now she was trying to charm me.

I asked, genuinely confused by what she was after. Wi Seol-Ah’s expression hardened, the shakiness in her eyes gone.

“Trying hard.”

“Trying hard?”

“Yes, I’m trying hard. I couldn’t afford to do nothing, so I’m doing this at the very least. So please… don’t hate me for it.”

Her words, along with that soft smile, pierced straight into my chest.

I couldn’t bring myself to respond.

I couldn’t tell her there was no way I could hate her.

It would’ve been better if I did manage to tell her that though.

Because of that, my mind was filled with fog which led to a headache.

Not unbearable, but uncomfortable enough.

As I felt that sensation, Wi Seol-Ah spoke again.

“Master Gu.”

“Hmm?”

Wi Seol-Ah spoke to me.

“…Can I try hugging you?”

Her words caught me off guard, spoken in a careful, hesitant tone.

I hadn’t expected it, though it was something I’d heard from her before—long ago, in my past life.

-In times like this… just please hug me.

She probably didn’t remember this.

I was pretty sure that only I remembered this happening.

Before I could respond, Wi Seol-Ah moved.

She rushed into my arms.

She had grown a bit, but she was still much smaller than me, completely enveloped by my frame.

I hesitated, unsure if I should wrap my arms around her, but then I felt her body trembling slightly.

I wasn’t able to win against her, so I tapped her back lightly.

It was all I could do for her at the moment.

How ironic.

I knew that I had so many things to say to her, but I chose to keep my mouth shut in the end.

I couldn’t do or say anything until I took care of at least one of the burdens weighing on me.

It was a choice I had to make—not just for myself, but for everyone around me.

With that thought, I finally spoke, my voice strained.

“…Could you please loosen up a bit? I might die.”

As usual, Wi Seol-Ah’s grip was tight and unrelenting, making it hard to breathe.

“…No.”

But she strictly denied my request, so I decided to endure it as I didn’t want to ask twice.

After a few minutes, Wi Seol-Ah finally loosened her grip, darting off and vanishing before I could figure out how to handle the situation.

******************

Under the soft light of the moon filtering through the windows, Peng Ah-hee, a blood relative of the Peng Clan—one of the Four Noble Clans—made her way forward, carrying a warm teacup.

She was heading to see her friend.

When she reached her destination, she found Tang Soyeol gazing out the window, a cool breeze blowing in.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, you came?”

Tang Soyeol smiled when she saw Peng Ah-hee with the tea in her hands.

“Is something outside?”

“Hmm? No, I just heard that the night sky is pretty.”

Peng Ah-hee glanced out the window, expecting a beautiful night sky, but only saw a few faint stars—nothing remarkable.

She gave Tang Soyeol a curious look, then set the teacup down on the table.

“You’ve also been eating less recently. Are you feeling okay?”

“I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”

Tang Soyeol replied, taking a sip of her tea.

Peng Ah-hee’s expression shifted as she asked,

“Did Master Gu do something?”

“Cough…”

Tang Soyeol choked on her tea, coughing it out after hearing Peng Ah-hee.

Peng Ah-hee calmly wiped the table, clearly used to this reaction.

“Wh…What are you talking about, Ah-hee?”

“Judging by that face of yours drunk in emotion, I concluded that that was the case. Am I wrong?”

“…”

Tang Soyeol hesitated for a moment after hearing Peng Ah-hee’s question.

“…You are half correct.”

“I knew it. Should I go beat him up for you?”

“N-No…! My Master Gu doesn’t go easy just because his opponent is a girl…!”

“You speak as if you are certain that I’ll lose… That hurts me a lot you know…?”

Despite her words, Peng Ah-hee knew the truth.

Gu Yangcheon, now known as the True Dragon, was the top of his generation.

There was no way she could take him on, especially without a title of her own.

“…I just, feel kind of pathetic.”

“All of a sudden?”

Peng Ah-hee opened her eyes widely upon hearing Tang Soyeol.

The Poison Phoenix, the first masterpiece of the Tang Clan, feeling pathetic?

It was absurd.

“Why do you feel that way?”

“I just do.”

Though Tang Soyeol smiled as she spoke, her eyes betrayed a sense of emptiness.

“Master Gu is quite popular, you know.”

“…Uh, yes.”

It wasn’t something Peng Ah-hee could understand, but she had to admit that Gu Yangcheon was incredibly popular with girls.

Each and every girl around him all came from incredible backgrounds.

“Bi-ah sis too.”

The Sword Dancer, a future candidate for the Sword Queen.

“Young Lady Moyong as well.”

She might not be much of a martial artist, but the Snow Phoenix excelled in other areas.

“And Seol-Ah.”

Then there was Wi Seol-Ah, descendant of the Sword Venerable.

…It really is strange.

Peng Ah-hee felt a shock each time she thought about it.

She just couldn’t understand why such incredible girls were always around Gu Yangcheon.

Though I feel like I’m starting to understand recently.

The Gu Yangcheon of the past was a reckless troublemaker, and she would’ve tried to steer Tang Soyeol away from him. But now… Gu Yangcheon seemed different.

He still had a rough personality, but he wasn’t acting that way towards the girls that liked him.

And his martial prowess was a point of pride for them.

Becoming the youngest to reach Peak Realm in history was an accomplishment any clan would covet—it hinted at the potential to become the future Zenith.

Even the Poison King who loved Tang Soyeol, would shed tears of blood.

…Though his reaction would be a bit different if he learned that Gu Yangcheon had other girls around him besides Soyeol.

He would try to poison Gu Yangcheon to death as soon as he see him.

Peng Ah-hee was certain.

Setting that aside, Tang Soyeol was feeling inadequate compared to them.

“Why do you think that way? You also- “

“I know that there isn’t a need for me to feel that way, but I can’t help but feel that way you know?”

Tang Soyeol kept the smile on her face.

“I know I shouldn’t compare myself to them, but I do anyway. I have nothing besides the Poison Phoenix title.”

Despite saying pitiful words, Tang Soyeol sipped her tea with a calm expression.

Peng Ah-hee often found it impressive how Soyeol could speak so gently while belittling herself.

She felt that she would be very hurt if she was in Tang Soyeol’s shoes.

“S…o? Are you going to give up on Master Gu?”

“Hmm?”

Tang Soyeol tilted her head at the question..

Peng Ah-hee now was confused seeing her reaction.

Wasn’t that what she was trying to hint?

“Why would I give up on Master Gu?”

“Was that not what you were trying to say? I thought… you were saying that you lacked compared to others, so that you are giving up.”

Tang Soyeol chuckled at Peng Ah-hee’s assumption.

“I guess that’s not it then?”

“Nope, it is not.”

After a long, soft laugh, Tang Soyeol turned her gaze to the moon.

“Give up? If I was going to give up, I would’ve done it long ago. I’ve always known I’m not on Seol-Ah’s level or the others’.”

“Then?”

“Because I lacked, I found myself looking for a different path.”

“Different path?”

“Yes. I can fulfill it my own way.”

Peng Ah-hee couldn’t quite grasp what Tang Soyeol meant by “fulfilling it her own way.”

There was something different about the way she smiled as she spoke.

Hadn’t she come here to complain?

“Ah-hee.”

“Hmm?”

Tang Soyeol turned to look directly at Peng Ah-hee.

“Could you help me?”

Tang Soyeol had very calm eyes as she said those words.