1301 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Fwoosh. A massive gray flame flickered before my eyes. Within the visibly quivering fire, the overwhelming presence was tangible to my body. It was my father. His presence was solely there. “...Ha.” Seeing that, I let out a hollow sigh. It was unbelievable. “...This man, really.” I curled my lips into a smile. I must have perceived it wrong for a moment. Right, if I could feel it, he should have felt it too. “...He set a trap, didn’t he?” I examined the flames carefully. This was the Incandescent Wheel. A secret technique of the Gu family that can only be used after mastering the Fire Realm. It has the power to erase presence momentarily... I, however, used it to maximize my presence. But. ‘He could do it as well.’ It seemed my father could do that too. Not just floating it in the air, but installing it on the ground. ‘He crazily pushed it to last for days.’ The amount left was significant. I couldn’t even begin to guess how much he pushed in. The intention was simple. ‘A trap.’ A trap designed to ensnare me. By manipulating it with the Incandescent Wheel, it was as if announcing his presence here. ‘He anticipated that I would use the Qi Seal.’ He must have expected that I would use the Qi Seal to conceal my presence. Using the Qi Seal not only suppresses my presence but slightly dulls my sensation of others’ presence. ‘...Could it be?’ My eyes narrowed. The reason the Apostles attacked. I think I understood. ‘From that distance, they would only move by sensing resonance alone.’ From the moment they absorbed my energy, they would’ve invoked the Qi Seal. Once the Qi Seal is up, sensing the flame would become slightly ambiguous. ‘Even if it gets closer, realizing it is hard.’ Unless they get considerably closer, it becomes difficult to perceive. ‘Ha.’ He calculated this far? ‘I was caught.’ I was caught by my father's ploy. I have to admit it. “This man.” He had such meticulous thoughtfulness too? I never knew my father could strategize in this manner. I always thought he’d just destroy anything he disliked. “Whew.” I sighed, running my hand through my hair when— “Young Master Baek!” My companions approached from behind. “Ugh!” They hesitated, drawn back by the intense flames as soon as they came close. Seeing this, I waved my hand. Swoosh-!!! The gray flame subsided under my pressure. “...” “What happened?” “That just now...” I couldn’t hear the murmurs. I lost. I conceded defeat in the tactical battle against my father. I acknowledged it, but— “Tang Cheongi.” “...Huh?” That doesn’t mean I can just stand still. “It's time for the second plan.” “What is that—” Tang Cheongi was puzzled. Before he could react, I grabbed him by the neck and pulled him. “Gah!? Why all of a sudden...!” “Just stay still for a moment.” It's not the only way. Now was the time to implement the reason I brought Tang Cheongi along. ‘I lost once.’ But I won’t lose twice. I smiled, and upon seeing me do so. “Eek...?” Tang Cheongi flinched as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t. * * * Fwoosh. A breeze passed through the space momentarily. “...” The wind carried a scorching heat. Gu Cheolun, sensing it, opened his eyes which were closed. “Found it.” A heavy voice spoke, and someone in front reacted. Clang. A chain moved as a weary woman spoke. “…What did you find?” “...” It was the Poison Phoenix. She spoke with a weary voice, yet Gu Cheolun didn’t respond further. “Hey.” Feeling frustrated, the Poison Phoenix spoke again. “…When someone calls, it’s courteous to respond. How many days has it been?” She couldn’t count as the outside was not visible, but it felt like more than five days. During that time, the Poison Phoenix was bound by these chains, unable to do anything. Her energy was sealed, unable to move her Qi. Moreover, the monstrous young man stood guard, making any attempt to free herself futile. For nearly several days. Gu Cheolun hadn’t moved at all, only watching the Poison Phoenix. “How can a person not have any replacements...?” Usually, there’d be a shift, but Gu Cheolun didn’t. He merely sat in place for days. “Hey, Divine Dragon…” “Be quiet.” “...!” Her mouth sealed shut. She hadn’t done anything, yet her mouth wouldn’t open. Had he done something? The Poison Phoenix tried to move in aggravation, but— “Move, and you die.” “...” The same voice as last time, and she froze. Again, it didn’t feel false. It was a heavy statement devoid of any killing intent. It was even scarier. “...Hrm.” Gu Cheolun, who hadn’t moved for days, rose. His large frame filled some unknown space. “I’ll be back shortly.” “…Are you speaking to me—?” A quietly spoken statement. The Poison Phoenix wondered if he was talking to her and tried to respond. “I’ll be off then.” “...!” Golden eyes glimmered in the dark. The sight made the Poison Phoenix stiffen. There was someone else. Slowly emerging was a presence that made the Poison Phoenix gulp. “…Sword Sovereign…” “Will it take long?” “I shall go greet the Sword Queen.” “Yes, it won’t take long, then.” The Sword Sovereign nodded. With that reaction, Gu Cheolun vanished in a burst of flame. Left alone together, the Sword Sovereign sat without a word. “...” In the midst of all this, the Poison Phoenix couldn’t utter a word. There was no helping it. ‘…This is.’ Unlike Gu Cheolun, from whom no presence was felt. The Sword Sovereign had a sharp aura subtly radiating from him. It was terrifying. A feeling as if even a slight movement could result in being sliced apart. ‘Grit.’ The Poison Phoenix ground her teeth, body rigid. What are they trying to do? Why has the Sword Sovereign become like this? With countless thoughts swirling. ‘…Please.’ A certain face from before appeared in her mind. He probably wouldn’t come. He was never the type to come to anyone's rescue, and I knew well enough that I wasn't such a person to him. However. Despite that. ‘...Please don’t come.’ She wished fervently that he wouldn’t come to rescue her. She clung to even the smallest, faintest chance, praying again and again. * * * “This way, huh.” Clearing away the flames, I started moving again. Unlike before, when I had been going north, this time I turned westward. Again, it was quite a distance from the place they called the headquarters. “Here it is.” Looking around, I nodded. I subtly changed direction. Then— "Ugh... Please..." Tang Cheongi muttered, swinging back and forth as I carried him. “Hey, hold still. You’re making it hard to carry you.” “Ugh…” I was carrying Tang Cheongi in my arms. If you’re wondering why I was lugging around this bothersome fellow... ‘It’s hard to concentrate.’ It was because I was using him for a spell at the moment. ‘The resonance is slower.’ The resonance of martial arts only occurs among similar energies. Therefore, I had been following the energy of my father’s Flame Wheel Technique. Although I failed before— ‘There’s another way.’ Next, I needed to trace the energy of the Poison Phoenix itself. The problem was... ‘I have no way to track the Tang Clan’s energy.’ Without any Tang Clan energy, tracking the Poison Phoenix’s energy was impossible. So, what should I do? Fortunately, there was a way around this. ‘Sorcery.’ Even if I couldn’t clearly feel it, I could follow the Poison Phoenix’s energy. By using Tang Cheongi. I utilized the Tang Clan's energy in his core to cast a spell. I spread the threads of the spell in all directions to sense the same energy. The range wasn’t vast, but it was sufficient. ‘After all, it shouldn’t be far.’ From the place where the flames had spread... It wouldn’t be far from there. If it were such an absurd distance, those flames wouldn’t have lasted for days. Woo-ooong!!! As I expected, the spread threads caught onto the aura of the Tang Clan. ‘…Not extremely close, but.’ The important thing was that it had been caught. Now, at least, I wouldn’t lose track. “Left.” I kept changing direction. Even though the location was fixed, the vibration impressed upon the threads made it hard to ascertain precisely. It was a form of sorcery I wasn’t proficient in. ‘Never thought I’d need to use it.’ I had learned it from the old turtle, assuming I’d never have a chance to use this tracking technique. ‘...Truly, all knowledge finds its use.’ It’s a life lesson. If you learn it, it becomes useful somehow. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Young Lady Hyun asked. She was currently being carried by Namgung Jin. Her pace was too slow for fast travel. “Yes.” “But here…” Before us lay a wide-open plain. An area so clear, it was hard to imagine anything lurking out there. Was there really anything there? I could sense Lady Hyun’s skepticism quite clearly, but— “It’s here.” I was resolute. The threads told me so. Not seeing anything? ‘…There is something.’ My eyes narrowed. The moment we entered the plain, it was apparent. It wasn’t that there was nothing. It was that something was obscuring our vision. It wasn’t long before I stopped my racing legs. “Stop.” At my command, everyone halted. “Ugh…” Tang Cheongi, draped over my shoulder, slipped to the ground. I extended my hand, sweeping a finger through the air. With my mind eye open, I rotated the circle of my heart. As my hand, imbued with sorcery, moved— Splash. “...” The air rippled as though it were water. Observing it, I steadied my breath. “I found it.” Beyond this, something was concealed. Something obscured by sorcery.