Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 938

Within the grounds of Yahwol Palace, a white banner flew proudly, marking the territory.

This estate was the property of one of the four families personally honored by the General.

With substantial military strength and control over multiple merchant districts, the family held great sway.

It was also the home of Baek Wol, leader of the Baek Family.

The Baek Family was an aristocratic house founded under the General’s favor.

Among the families, the Baek Family considered bloodline purity the highest virtue.

In other words, social order was rigidly maintained within their domain.

Purity was law.

This was a creed the Baek Family lived by, and inside these walls, no one of impure blood dared lift their eyes.

In such a place—

Step. Step.

Footsteps echoed through the hallway.

A man dressed in tidy garments, his long hair tied back, moved at an unhurried pace. Even tied, his hair was so lengthy it trailed along the floor, brushing the ground as he walked.

Yet, his physical presence was not imposing.

He had a slender build, his frame almost too fragile for a man.

There was no intimidating aura about him. He appeared as if a gentle push might topple him.

“…Haaah…”
“Haaah…hh…”

Throughout the estate, all those present bowed their heads as he passed.

Not one dared to meet his eyes.

And yet—

“Hmm-hmm-hm~.”

He paid no mind to their deference, humming softly as he continued his slow stroll.

With every step he took, the people nearby pressed their foreheads even closer to the floor.

They all understood.

This was the only way to avoid provoking his anger.

After ambling for a time, the man came to an abrupt halt.

“Hey.”

His voice was quiet and deep.

“Aren’t you going to open the door?”

“…!”

The individual seated nearby scrambled to their feet. They seized the handle of the large door before them and hurriedly pulled it open.

Creeeeak!

As the firmly shut door groaned open, the man patted the opener’s shoulder.

Tap, tap.

“Thanks.”

“N-not at all… It’s my duty.”

The person stammered out a reply. The man offered a slight smile and then stepped through.

Inside lay an enormous bed, so large that the feet of the man lying upon it hung over the edge.

It was Baek Wol, patriarch of the Baek Family.

Baek Wol lay utterly still, unconscious, his massive form stretched out as if devoid of life.

A young man with hair the same shade as Baek Wol’s sat at his bedside.

Hearing the door open so abruptly, the young man scowled and turned.

“What is the—! How dare you…!!!”

His voice rose in anger, but his eyes widened in shock upon recognizing the visitor.

“It’s been a while.”

The man waved amiably, smiling at the young man.

The youth instantly leapt to his feet and dropped into a deep bow, his forehead touching the floor.

“G-General… General, it is an honor to be in your presence.”

“Have you been well?”

Ignoring the prostrate young man, Baek Sang, the man pulled a nearby chair over and settled into it.

Baek Sang remained frozen in his bow, mirroring the others outside, not daring to shift a muscle.

He even held his breath.

Trickle, trickle.

The sound of water being poured filled the room.

“I stopped by to see how things were, but it seems the situation has become rather intriguing.”

“Well, that is…”
“Oh, no explanation is needed.”
“…”
“Child, would you look up at me?”

At the man’s words, Baek Sang cautiously raised his eyes.

Their gazes met.

The instant Baek Sang saw the man’s vertically slit pupils and glowing amethyst eyes, he went completely rigid.

This was a being capable of annihilating this entire estate with a mere flick of his wrist.

Baek Sang swallowed hard, forcing himself to remember that fact.

“I have duties assigned by my Master, so I cannot afford to devote much attention to you. Does that displease you?”

“N-not at all. How could I possibly…”

“I am glad to hear it.”

The man let out a sigh of relief, as though genuinely put at ease.

“I’ve been observing from afar, but for something like this to happen while I was preoccupied… It is truly aggravating.”

“M-my most sincere apologies.”

“Oh, I am not seeking an apology. You know I am not that petty, do you not?”

“Yes, of course.”

Baek Sang did not dare contradict him.

If he did, there was no telling what might become of the estate they were in.

“Well, putting that aside…”

The man rose and carefully examined Baek Wol’s condition.

“Hmm?”

He tilted his head, studying Baek Wol intently.

“You said he has been like this for how many days?”

“It has been no more than four days.”

“Four days?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly at the response.

Four days. It might sound brief, but for a member of the Moonlit Night Clan, it carried serious implications.

“Four days, and he remains in this state?”

Baek Wol’s condition was far from good.

As a pureblood of the Clan, his regenerative abilities should have been extraordinary.

And yet, external wounds persisted, and his internal state was not much better.

“…Hmm.”

Perhaps the severity of the injuries had delayed his recovery, the man thought.
But as he continued his inspection, his expression grew intrigued.

‘It feels… inhibited.’

The healing process itself seemed unnaturally slow.

Even injuries that should have long since closed remained.

“…I see.”

After a close examination, the man nodded as if reaching a conclusion.

“There must be a rat in our midst.”

Perhaps someone held a grudge against Baek Wol.

Or maybe they had an entirely different motive.

But one thing was certain.

Someone was stirring trouble.

And—

“…How dare they.”

—doing so in a place blessed by him, in the City of Lunar Night.

Crack.

Needle-sharp claws extended from the man’s fingertips.

Seeing this, Baek Sang began to tremble uncontrollably.

The man, indifferent to Baek Sang’s reaction, muttered under his breath.

“Who could it be?”

Who would be bold enough to do this?

As he pondered, a possibility occurred to him.

‘Could it be another General?’

Was it one of the others competing for his position?

He began mentally listing potential suspects.

‘Duryeong, that oaf?’

Unlikely.

Though they did not get along, that brute never left his own territory without direct orders from their Master.

Besides, he cared so little for administration that such scheming was beneath him.

‘Then… Yarang?’

That maddening woman. He gritted his teeth as he pictured the brown-haired female.

She possessed no divine tree, no legitimate claim to her rank, and yet she held the title of General solely due to their Master’s favor.

He could barely stand the sight of her.

But still—

‘No, it isn’t her.’

It would not be Yarang.

That left only one other possibility.

‘That wretch with the repulsive wings.’

The one with those disgusting wings.

Could he be behind this?

‘It is possible.’

He was a creature whose thoughts were inscrutable. If it was him, such a plot seemed entirely plausible.

“…Hmm.”

The man could not reach a definitive conclusion.

That individual was reportedly occupied with a task for their Master recently.

If it was not one of the three Generals, could it be an independent actor?

“Child, was the perpetrator from the Moonlit Night Clan?”

“Y-yes. He possessed both the ears and the tail.”

“And?”

What else do you know? The man’s prompting led Baek Sang to answer hesitantly.

“He called himself Cheonma.”

“Cheonma?”

“Yes. He claimed to be Cheonma.”

“…Hmm.”

Cheonma?

The man stroked his chin, contemplating the name.

“…Cheonma…”

It was a name he had never heard before.

“We have not yet been able to gather any further information.”

Baek Sang added cautiously, watching the man’s mood.

“I see. Understood.”

The man, showing no further interest, turned toward the door.

The state of the one blessed by his power was concerning, but this was not the time to dwell on it.

‘The white one is finished.’

What’s done is done.

‘I shall check on the blue one next.’

He decided to visit the others who had not yet been targeted.

‘Who could it be?’

As he walked out, the man slowly licked his lips.

Anticipation? Curiosity?

Or perhaps fury?

A whirlwind of emotions churned within him.

But above all—

‘I was running short on prey in any case. This is ideal.’

—he was hungry.

***

As the sun started to dip below the horizon, I was walking away from Shin Noya’s residence, my pace leisurely.

Cherry blossoms adorned the streets, their petals shimmering faintly in the sunset’s golden glow.

A gentle breeze stirred the falling blossoms, crafting a scene that was nothing short of magical.

But—

“What’s the problem?”

None of it registered with me.

What occupied my thoughts was something else entirely.

“…Is it truly that odd?”

The name I had meticulously chosen for my new power…

It had been met with contempt.

“No way…”

I simply could not comprehend it.

“Isn’t it impressive?”

Cheonma Divine Art — didn’t that sound formidable?
It was, undoubtedly, one of the finest names I had ever conceived.

Compared to styles like Flaming Wheel Martial Art or Rending Twin Blades, this was superior in every way.

Cheonma Divine Art. A direct, potent name. It signified a divine technique wielded by Cheonma.

“And they called it… what?”

Did they say it was tasteless? Or unrefined? The specific word was irrelevant—the condescension was identical.

“They understand nothing.”

What could an old man like him possibly know about style? His reaction was a product of his utter lack of taste.

I had shared the name at his request, and he had responded with derision.

The sheer nerve left me without words.

“Let’s see if I ever share anything with them again.”

From now on, I would only reveal such things to those who could appreciate them.
The world simply wasn’t prepared for me yet. That was all.

Turning my attention to the path ahead, I continued walking.

‘…Hmm.’

Abruptly, I frowned.
A sharp pain emanated from within—centered on my heart.

‘It’s still there.’

As I had felt earlier, the backlash was still causing internal havoc.

My energy refused to circulate smoothly.

Swollen meridians obstructed the flow, and the qi radiating from my heart was sluggish.

Shin Noya had stated bluntly:

«Rest for at least seven days. If you continue to exert yourself, you will cause permanent damage.»

His words were severe, but they were not incorrect.

Though I had given it a name, it was a power I could not yet properly wield.

‘I still have far to go.’

Fusing one technique with another, generating friction between them—
It yielded explosive power, yes, but…

My body could not handle the recoil.

Knowing how resilient my body was made this all the more significant.

If even this physique could not endure it—

‘It is not yet usable.’

A power that could only be invoked through sheer force of will was pointless.
I knew that better than anyone. For now, I could only take comfort in the fact that it had worked.

‘To wield it truly… I will need a far more refined method.’

I needed to discover a better way.

And at that moment, I was on my path to do exactly that.

After walking for some time, I reached my destination—a place I had visited just the day before.

“…Back so soon?”

As I neared the entrance, the owner of the house emerged to greet me.

It was the Tortoise.
Smiling, I responded with warmth.

“How have you been?”

“You saw me only yesterday.”

“Even so, much can change in a day.”

“…Hah.”

The Tortoise seemed to suppress a sigh, his face a mask of mild exasperation.

“Come now, no need for such dismissal. We settled everything, did we not?”

“…Tch.”

At my words, he clicked his tongue and turned away.

The Tortoise entered the house through the open doorway.

And suddenly—

Whoosh!

“…Oh.”

My perspective shifted abruptly.

Though I had not taken a single step, I found myself seated inside the tea house.

Not only that—I was already in a chair, and the Tortoise was pouring tea for me.

Trickle.

The tea slowly filled the cup before me.

“So.”

The Tortoise spoke, his eyes fixed on me.

“What is so urgent that you return the very next day?”

His tone was laced with curiosity.

“Oh, well…”

Urgency wasn’t quite the term, but there was something I needed to know.

There were countless things I could have asked him about.

When it came to magic, my knowledge was nearly absent. If I began asking, I could easily devise hundreds of questions.

But right now—

“There is something I wish to ask you first.”

More than anything else, I needed this answer.

“Do you know of a method to reverse time? To journey to the past… or the future?”

“…”

The Tortoise’s expression contorted, his face wrinkling with displeasure.

Simultaneously, the entire tea house shuddered violently.