Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 886

Chapter 886

The initial emotion that washed over me as I read the letter was pure bewilderment.

From the first word to the last, I couldn’t fathom what any of it was supposed to signify. It took a considerable amount of time to process the words because the entire concept was utterly illogical.

When I finally pieced together the letter’s meaning, the only thought that formed was:
“What manner of deranged foolishness is this?”

Even after comprehending the words, I found it impossible to accept them.

“What are they claiming my father has done?”

Committed an offense against the Alliance and been taken into custody? It was ridiculous. Under any other circumstances, I would have dismissed it as pure fantasy and shredded the paper.

There is no greater absurdity. That is precisely how I should have reacted.

The critical issue, however, was this:

“This letter came from Lady Mi.”

The sender was unmistakably Lady Mi herself.
The Baekhwa Trading Company—bearing the leader’s distinct seal—along with the specific homing bird she employed.

Everything indicated a single, inescapable fact: this letter was genuine.

“Master…?”

Wi Seol-ah moved toward me, having noticed my rigid posture. I lifted a hand to halt her.

“Wait.”

“…”

She could not approach me any further at that moment.
I required a clear mind to think this through, and her proximity would only complicate that.

“What is this?”

What in the world was happening? What could this possibly mean?

The first question I needed to resolve was:

“Is this letter real?”

Had Lady Mi truly sent it? On the surface, all evidence suggested she had, yet it was difficult to accept at face value.

“There is also the chance that someone is forging Lady Mi’s identity.”

It was possible that someone had gone to great lengths to replicate everything from the paper and the bird to the penmanship. But…

“The likelihood of that is negligible.”

It was not a possibility worth entertaining seriously, so I dismissed it.

“Then…”

If Lady Mi had indeed written and dispatched this letter to me, what was her purpose in doing so?

“…That my father is a criminal and is now in a cell.”

That was the outcome stated.
But the message did not clarify Lady Mi’s intention in delivering this news.

Was she attempting to tell me not to be concerned because it was a minor issue? That did not seem probable.

“If that were the case, the letter would have said so.”

Furthermore, if it were not a serious situation, Lady Mi would never have bothered to send this message to me in the first place.

And also…

“She clearly has knowledge about Father. That makes this all the more strange.”

My father, captured and jailed by the Alliance? It was incomprehensible.
He had not turned himself in; he had been apprehended and imprisoned.

Who in the world could have managed to do that to him?

“I am aware of my father’s strength. He is likely even more powerful than I am now.”

Which meant…

“Does anyone in the Alliance exist who could possibly seize him?”

Among the Three Grandmasters, Cheonjon would not do it, Geomjon is absent, and Paejon is an impossibility.
In other words, none of the Three Grandmasters were responsible.

So who else could it have been?

“The Sword Emperor?”

Was it the Sword Emperor, one of the Ten Strongest under Heaven? That seemed feasible.
He was more powerful than I was, after all.

But…

“Would that still be the case now?”

That was before I arrived in Sichuan. My cultivation had progressed swiftly since then, and I did not believe the Sword Emperor could easily overwhelm me now.

“Could they have joined forces?”

Even if that were true, it seemed unlikely. And if they had, then…

“…What possible motive could they have?”

What justification could exist for taking such extreme measures? The letter only mentioned that he had committed a crime.
It gave no details about the nature of the crime or the manner of his capture.

This implied…

“Was it something too obvious to state?”

Or perhaps…

“Was there no opportunity to include those specifics?”

The more I pondered it, the more a cold dread settled within me.
The heart that had been hammering violently only moments before was now quiet, and the energy that had felt ready to erupt had stilled.

The calm before the storm.

That was precisely what this felt like.

“What should I do…?”

“What?”

“…What action should I take regarding this?”

I murmured while stroking my chin, my eyes locked on the floor.
The commotion of loading supplies, which had been lively earlier, now seemed to fade into the distance.

A low hum.

The energy inside me began to circulate with a steady rhythm, making the surrounding air tremble.

This is not good. It is growing more difficult to contain.

“Think logically.”

If I allowed my emotions to take control now, the situation would spiral into chaos.
I had to find a way to stifle what I was feeling.

Even if Father were imprisoned, what could truly happen to him?

“That is not possible.”

What kind of man is my father? Nothing will harm him.
There must be an explanation for all of this. Yes, there is no cause for alarm—I should simply continue as planned.

Father will undoubtedly be fine…

“Endure.”

“…”

Crumple.

The letter wrinkled in my tightening fist.

“Mas-”

“Seol-ah.”

“…!”

I spoke her name in a low tone, and she started.

“Y-yes? Yes? Yes… yes?”

I had never addressed her by her name before. It felt inappropriate to do so under these circumstances, but I had no alternative.

“My apologies, but may I ask you to do something for me?”

“…Uh… yes? Yes, yes. Of course, anything.”

Wi Seol-ah stammered, clearly taken aback, but I scarcely registered her reaction.

“When you next see Cheol Ji-seon, follow our arranged plan and instruct him to deal with any issues with flexibility.”

“Ah… understood.”

“When you see Tang So-yeol, tell her to guide the others to a secure location. Also, offer her my apologies.”

“Uh…”

As I continued giving orders, Wi Seol-ah looked at me with a strange expression. It seemed she had discerned something.

“Master… are you leaving?”

“…”

I stared into empty space.

“Yes. An urgent matter has arisen, so I will depart ahead of you.”

“Wait, what does that mean…?”

“Remain safe. I will attempt to retrieve you if the situation allows.”

“Mas-!”

Fwoosh!

My body transformed into flames and launched into the sky.

The feeling of the ground vanished in an instant. It was my first time converting my entire form into fire, and the sensation was unusual, but it did not matter.

Even as my body became pure flame, a coldness lingered deep within.
Or… was it that I believed it felt cold? Perhaps the heat raging inside me made it impossible to perceive accurately.

In that moment, I could not think of anything.
If one thought barely surfaced, it was this:

“How long did it take?”

How many days had it taken Father to journey from Shanxi to Sichuan?
Three days? Or was it four?

I could not recall precisely. But it was irrelevant.

“Faster than that.”

Two days.

Even if I had to consume every last bit of energy within me, I would arrive within that time.
With that solitary purpose, I channeled all my power into my core.

Fwoosh!

The fire blazed brighter as I ripped through the heavens.

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

Creak.

The chill of autumn felt even keener in the damp underground cell. A heavy iron door moaned as a figure stepped inside, their footfalls echoing against the cold stone floor.

Slow, measured steps. Feeble and tired, accompanied by an exasperated sigh and a furrowed brow that betrayed the old man’s agitated state.

Drip. Drip.

Water trickled from somewhere above, landing on the old man’s shoulders. Though it surely seeped into his garments, he appeared not to notice. His attention was fixed solely on his goal.

Finally, the old man halted before an iron cell.

Within, a figure sat in silence, perfectly still. Even seated, the man’s substantial build was immediately apparent. At the sound of the footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes.

Standing before him was another large, elderly man.

In the cell’s darkness, two faint crimson lights glowed.
Seeing them, the old man spoke.

“You cut a pitiful figure, Former Clan Leader Gu.”

“…”

“Why would you do something so foolish at your age? Even in your most reckless youth, you never attempted stunts like this. Tsk, tsk…”

“Elder Il.”

At Gu Cheolwoon’s words, Elder Il clicked his tongue repeatedly, as if chastising a child.

“When I first received the news, I found it unbelievable. But witnessing it myself is even more so. What exactly are you doing here?”

“There were reasons.”

“Reasons, you say? I’m sure there were. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in this state.”

Despite Elder Il’s sharp tone, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression remained impassive, revealing nothing.

“Let me be direct. Did you truly assault and threaten Muk Yeon, that old schemer?”

“Yes.”

“Good grief.”

At the immediate reply, Elder Il dragged a hand over his wrinkled forehead.

“Then why not finish the task? Why leave it unresolved and wind up like this?”

“That was the plan.”

“Well, damn.”

Elder Il released a heavy sigh. He had been speaking in jest, but the blunt answer left him speechless.

The notion that Gu Cheolwoon had tried to kill one of the Alliance’s chief strategists and was jailed for it was shocking enough. But what was even more perplexing was…

“If that was your goal, you should have seen it through. What is this half-measure?”

Elder Il could not make sense of it.

“Why allow yourself to be captured?”

Gu Cheolwoon sat behind bars, yet his hands were free, and he was under no physical restraint.

This meant he could break out whenever he wished.

No, more than that—

“If you had wanted to, you could have obliterated the entire Alliance headquarters that day. And yet you are here. What is going through your mind?”

“It was necessary.”

“Necessary?”

Elder Il’s eyes narrowed at Gu Cheolwoon’s response.

“This incident will undoubtedly provoke the other elders. While your status will remain intact, it will certainly cause needless complications. You are aware of this, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And you still considered this necessary?”

“Yes.”

The answer was firm. Now somewhat irritated, Elder Il voiced the question on his mind.

“Is this about Yangcheon?”

At that, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly. It was subtle, but not enough to escape Elder Il’s keen gaze.

“Cheolwoon.”

His tone softened.
Since the day Gu Cheolwoon had become clan leader, Elder Il had addressed him with the utmost formality. This was the first time in over ten years he had used his name so familiarly.

“Whatever you are trying to accomplish… is this truly for Yangcheon’s benefit?”

“I do not know.”

“What?”

For the first time, Gu Cheolwoon’s response lacked its usual certainty.

“I believe it is. But having never fulfilled the role of a proper father, I cannot be sure.”

“What a wretched answer.”

It was a side of Gu Cheolwoon that Elder Il had never witnessed.

No matter the odds, Gu Cheolwoon had never wavered.

Even when the entire world seemed to oppose him.
Even when confronted by an insurmountable enemy.

Gu Cheolwoon had always stood firm, meeting every challenge without flinching.

That was his nature.

And yet…

“What burden is so heavy it weighs you down like this?”

“I do not know that, either.”

Gu Cheolwoon now seemed profoundly troubled.

The man who had once stood as a pillar of strength in the darkness now appeared strikingly vulnerable. It was maddening, yet at the same time, strangely comforting.

To feel comforted while the clan leader was imprisoned—Elder Il could scarcely believe it himself.

“Your wife is deeply distressed about you.”

“…”

“And soon, your daughters will learn of this as well. So I will ask you once more.”

From outside the bars, Elder Il looked directly at Gu Cheolwoon.

“Are you truly certain about this?”

“Yes.”

Gu Cheolwoon’s reply was once again unwavering.

Moreover…

“There is no cause for concern. Even if something were to occur—”

His crimson eyes burned with resolve.

“I will ensure that it does not.”

“…”

Where did such confidence come from, even in this state?
In that instant, Elder Il saw a familiar likeness.

“Like father, like son.”

Without a doubt.

He had wondered how someone as controlled as Gu Cheolwoon could have a son with such a fiery temper.

“I had forgotten.”

Gu Cheolwoon was not controlled.
He only appeared that way; in truth, he was a man of intense passion.

That same passion must have driven him to assault the Alliance for daring to lay a hand on his son.

Only one mystery remained.

“Why didn’t you finish it?”

He could have annihilated them, yet he held back.
He had permitted his own capture and now sat in a cell, unrestrained.

“What in the world occurred?”

Whatever it was, it must have been monumental to bring him to this point.

Elder Il considered pressing for an answer, but one glance at Gu Cheolwoon’s face told him all he needed to know.

“There is no chance he will tell me.”

That was an expression he knew well. Gu Cheolwoon had been like this since his youth, internalizing everything and bearing his burdens alone.

Age had not softened that stubbornness in the least.

And…

“His son is exactly the same.”

Gu Yangcheon had inherited his father’s temperament as if it were copied directly. Not that Gu Cheolwoon appeared to realize it.

They were far too alike.

With the exception of their faces, of course.

“Hyoran mentioned that she informed Yangcheon of the situation.”

“…”

Gu Cheolwoon’s composed facade cracked, his eyes twitching slightly—a reaction more pronounced than any he had shown so far.

“By now, the message should have reached Sichuan. Yangcheon is likely agonizing over it as we speak.”

At that, Gu Cheolwoon let out a soft, low chuckle.

“He will not.”

“What?”

“If it is him, he will resent me for it. He will probably feel more at ease because of it.”

“…”

Whether he truly believed that, Gu Cheolwoon’s expression was tranquil, as if that result were a comfort to him.

“…Tsk.”

Elder Il clicked his tongue in frustration.

“A father who fails to understand his own son—that is simply unacceptable.”

With a sigh, Elder Il went on.

“Your son resembles you to a disturbing degree, though you do not appear to see it.”

As time passed, they had only grown more similar. If anything, the son’s nature was even more volatile than the father’s.

Where Gu Cheolwoon seemed collected, Gu Yangcheon’s ferocity was plain for all to see.

That was why Elder Il was concerned.

“If the father has been reduced to this state because of the son…”

What would happen when the son discovered his father’s predicament?

“Let us pray he does not set the Alliance ablaze.”

No, surely he would not.

After all, he was now a Division Leader of the Alliance. He would not do something so irrational, would he? That would be a genuine disaster.

Surely, Gu Yangcheon would not…

“…Would he?”

Abruptly, Elder Il felt a wave of apprehension.

He had a terrible premonition about this.
And when it came to such feelings, he was seldom mistaken—particularly in matters like this one.