Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 968

Chapter 968

For a moment, Yusa’s words stole my breath.

‘A general?’

Shin Noya—a former general?
And worse—a traitor who had turned against my mother?

Could it be true?
If so—

‘How?’

How in the world had Noya ever risen to the rank of general?

I frowned, struggling to process it all, when—

Crack—!!

“Kugh!”

Noya seized Yusa by the face and drove him into the earth.

“You never change.”

Bang—!

Bang—!

Bang—!

Three more brutal impacts, each shaking the ground violently, even through the barrier I’d erected.

“That mouth of yours has always been your downfall. That miserable tongue never knows when to stop.”

Bang—!!!

A final slam, and then he hauled Yusa up by the hair.

“Ghh… haah….”

Yusa’s features contorted in agony.

“Tsk.”

Watching him suffer, Noya wore a faint, cold smile.

Something in that expression made my blood run cold.

I checked instinctively—was he radiating killing intent?

No.

There was none.
Yet the sheer force of his presence alone felt crushing.

‘Hah…’

I let out a silent breath.

I’d always known he was powerful.
He’d beaten me mercilessly more times than I could count, and now he was handling Yusa with ease.

Of course he was strong.

But—

‘Is this old man truly a Daoist?’

That was what troubled me.

This was a figure said to be honored throughout the Daoist world.

Among the great sages who moved with the rhythms of nature, celebrated for their wisdom and virtue—

Shin Noya was one of the most revered, second only to the Plum Blossom Immortal of Mount Hua.

And yet, in this moment, he resembled nothing more than a common street brawler.

“You… bastard…”

Yusa groaned.

Blood trickled from the edge of his mouth. He was clearly in terrible pain.

It wasn’t just from being smashed into the ground. That alone wouldn’t have broken him.

No—

‘It’s not the force. It’s the qi he channeled into every strike.’

I saw it clearly.
With each impact, Noya had driven qi deep into the earth.

This wasn’t mere brutality.
It was calculated—perfectly controlled.

‘Mad old man.’

Even in that short, violent display, his mastery was absolute.

Compression. Application. Control.

Though he wielded it with violence, his technique was impeccable, refined.

‘I never noticed it until now.’

But now I could see it.

I’d often wondered why his qi felt so coarse for a Daoist.

But—

‘It’s the complete opposite.’

Out of all the Daoists, Noya’s qi was the purest, the most exact.

It all came down to how he used it.

If he wished, it could become a lethal edge.
Or it could be as gentle as falling blossoms.

‘…Hah…’

I caught myself inwardly laughing.

‘Why am I appreciating his technique at a time like this?’

It was absurd—analyzing skill while watching a man being brutalized.

Just then—

“Yusa.”

“Khh…”

Noya spoke, observing Yusa’s struggle to regain his footing.

“Only one thing matters, now as always.
Will you do it, or not?
That’s the only question you need to answer.
Stop wasting my time and let’s have a real conversation.”

“…Conversation?
What could I possibly have to say to a traitor…?”

“How long do you believe your master will keep you at her side?”

“…”

For the first time, Yusa—who had been unshakable—went still.

After a weighted silence, he finally spoke.

“What are you talking about….”

His voice shook.

As if Noya had touched a raw nerve.

And Noya knew it. His smile didn’t fade as he pressed on.

“You feel it, don’t you?
With your intuition, you can’t possibly miss it.
You’re only refusing to admit it.”

“Be quiet! You abandoned us long ago! What would you know?!”

“If that’s true, then why did you come back to Yahwol Palace instead of remaining in the Chaos Region?”

“…!”

Yusa’s eyes widened in shock.

“…How did you…?”

“Heh.”

Noya gave a dry laugh at Yusa’s reaction.

“I may be old, but I still hear things. I still see things.”

And then—

Swish.

Noya released his grip on Yusa’s hair.

I expected Yusa to lash out the instant he was free.

But—

He didn’t.

He remained where he was.

“With the Abyss destroyed and the other generals fighting to regain control, you should be the busiest of them all.
So why are you here?”

“…”

“Think.
You already understand why.”

“…Be silent.”

“Your master is making ready for a shift.
And—”

“I said. Be. Quiet…!”

Crack!

The enchanted ropes began to fray and come undone.

‘This is turning dangerous.’

I watched the rising tension, my throat dry.

“If that shift comes, you might be the first one she casts aside.
And you know it—”

“I said shut your mouth!!!”

Crack—!!!

Yusa roared—

And the ropes shattered completely.

Gubong’s hand flew to his sword. I braced myself, ready to move.

But—

“Yusa.”

The confrontation didn’t intensify.

Even freed, Yusa didn’t strike at Noya.

“You were destined to be the most brilliant ruler Moonlit Night would ever know.”

His eyes blazed with hatred and lethal intent—but he only stared.

And as if he’d predicted this very reaction, Noya continued.

“How did you fall so far?
Did you lose sight of what you once desired?
Even your fur has dulled, lost its—”

“Enough riddles. Speak plainly,
Hwayeon.”

Yusa interrupted him.

At that name—my attention sharpened.

Hwayeon.

The name Yusa used was unfamiliar, unsettling.

“You could have stayed hidden like a coward.
Why return now and start this trouble?”

Yusa’s rage intensified. His tail swelled. His pale green hair lengthened.

Seeing this transformation, Noya spoke with unnerving calm.

“Yusa.”

His gaze showed no trace of fear.

“I have an offer for you.”

“You? Making an offer to me?”

“I’ll give you the one thing you’ve always desired.”

Understanding dawned on Yusa’s face.

He knew exactly what Noya meant.

“…You.”

“Yusa.
Wouldn’t you like to claim mastery over this land?”

“…!”

And with those words—

“I can make it happen.”

—a sudden, deep silence fell over everything.

 

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

Time drifted by, and I eventually returned to the same spot.

As evening began to descend, I perched on the ledge of a building, watching the sky.

A look over my shoulder showed the wreckage from before—the fractured earth, the scattered rubble.

I released a soft sigh amid the disorder.

Hearing me, someone settled beside me.

It was Noya.

“Why so gloomy?”

And, inexplicably, he was holding something.

I looked—it was a skewer of food.

‘What in the world?’

Why did he have a skewer now, of all times?

Puzzled, I glanced away—

Gubong was holding one too.

His strained expression made it clear he hadn’t taken it willingly.

Noya had undoubtedly forced it into his hand.

“Eat. It’s tasty.”

“…You’re really eating right now?”

“Staying alive is the whole point of all this.
So yes, we eat.”

“Incredible.”

His blunt practicality left me without a reply.

What was even more absurd—

Was that I accepted the skewer he offered.

And without thinking, I took a bite.

Infuriatingly—
It was delicious.

As I ate, I turned to Noya and asked,

“Noya.”

“Hm?”

“What just happened back there?”

The sunset washed the sky in shades of orange and red.

I kept my eyes fixed on it, but my question was for him.

“What are you referring to?”

“Yusa.”

I meant his comments about Yusa’s master.

Noya let out a casual “Ah.”

“That?”

He shrugged it off as unimportant.

But his next words carried a gravity that belied his tone.

“It’s straightforward, really.
The one who should have ruled this land—was Yusa.”

“…”

He said it lightly, but the implication was staggering.

“…What does that mean?”

“Just what I said.
Yusa was meant to be the greatest of the Moonlit Night Tribe.”

He spoke offhandedly, picking at his teeth.

His nonchalant demeanor irritated me.

“So, naturally, he believed he would become the master.
But… circumstances changed.”

“Circumstances?”

“I don’t know the specifics, only that it was enough to fill him with bitterness.”

“…”

So Yusa was the intended master—but it was taken from him.

And because of that, my mother assumed the role instead?

‘Wait… then what does it mean to be the master?’

From what Mua had told me, the master of this world is bound to its very core.

‘Didn’t she say that when the master changes, all life is wiped away and begun anew?’

But if Yusa was denied that destiny, it contradicted everything I’d been taught.

Clearly, there was more to this.

And besides that—

“…Then…
what about you being a general?”

Shin Noya—a former general, but a traitor who betrayed the current master?

That, above all, was the hardest thing to accept.

So I asked him.

This time, Noya’s expression grew somewhat more solemn.

Then—

“It was a favor for your mother.”

His voice was steady, but carried weight.

“Not the master of Mangye.
Your mother.”

With those words, he said something utterly bewildering.