Childhood Friend of the Zenith

༺ Heavenly Eye (3) ༻

[It’s too risky.]

Elder Shin cautioned against my plan.

But the Chief Abbot of Shaolin had extended an invitation for me to join and the Blood Demon also urged me to visit him.

‘I’ll get to learn everything once I go there.’

[So, you’re stepping into enemy territory? You understand how dangerous that is better than I do.]

The Blood Demon was already aware of my existence and showed interest in me.

‘I’m not saying I’ll do it immediately. I’m just considering it as an option.’

As Elder Shin pointed out, I acknowledged the danger of such an act.

However, Elder Shin most likely recognized it as a viable option as well.

‘It’s hard to seek only easy paths when faced with formidable obstacles.’

During our conversation, one point of agreement with the Chief Abbot was that we had to prepare for the upcoming disaster.

I wasn’t sure if the Chief Abbot was referring to the disaster involving the Heavenly Demon, but whatever it was, I couldn’t overcome it alone.

Especially if there were more unknowns than knowns.

‘Don’t worry, I do value my body more than anyone else’s.’

[Ah, is that why you roll around everywhere so recklessly?]

‘I am pretty gentle with my body, I’d say…’

…Maybe not?

[Tsk…]

Elder Shin clicked his tongue at my words. This meant that he was just not going to bother talking anymore.

Despite my casual remark, I seriously had to weigh the decision to join Meteor.

‘I’ll decide after researching more about them.’

I wasn’t certain if I could uncover more answers just by delving deeper into the matter.

Moreover, it would likely be challenging if Shaolin and the Beggar’s Sect were under the control of the Murim Alliance.

‘He mentioned that Father knows, right?’

That’s what the Chief Abbot said, so I had to ask Father.

As such, the first thing I needed to do was leave Shaolin.

I was already planning on going back anyway, and since I’m done here…

“Oh.”

As I was walking to leave Shaolin, I couldn’t help but exclaim.

Namgung Bi-ah, accompanying me, glanced my way, wondering what was up.

I then grabbed Namgung Bi-ah’s hands and infused heat into them.

“…?”

Namgung Bi-ah looked at me, wondering what I was doing, but I hastily addressed her.

“Wait for a bit, you won’t be cold with this much heat.”

“Hmm…?”

“I’ll be back in no time, so stay right here, okay?”

Namgung Bi-ah nodded lightly to my words.

She was probably dumbfounded by this, but she chose not to question me.

[Where are you going?]

‘I just had something that came up.’

[In Shaolin…? Now of all times?]

‘Yeah.’

I kicked the ground and jumped up high in the air, leaving Namgung Bi-ah standing there in surprise.

All while doing my best to conceal my presence.

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

In the room now occupied by only two men, the Mighty Staff finally broke his silence.

“Chief Abbot.”

It was addressed to the Chief Abbot who had been quietly sipping tea.

“Could I ask why you disclosed so much to that child?”

“A reason. huh?”

Hehe-

The old man chuckled dryly.

Only a tiny amount of people in the Murim Alliance and Shaolin knew about the upcoming disaster.

It was also something that only the Chief Abbot could share with others.

Because there was nothing good about the whole world knowing about this.

After a moment of silence, the Chief Abbot finally responded to the Mighty Staff.

“I just felt that it was necessary.”

“…Chief Abbot…”

“Did you see that child’s reaction as well?”

The Mighty Staff started to think about the True Dragon after the Chief Abbot’s words.

Despite the negative rumors surrounding him, the boy displayed respect and appropriate behavior.

“…When he reacted in a questioning way?”

“I’m talking about when he heard about the disaster.”

The Mighty Staff’s beard trembled slightly after hearing the Chief Abbot.

He wondered what his Chief Abbot was talking about.

However, he couldn’t help but gasp after hearing what his Chief Abbot said afterward.

“He was calm about it. In fact, he seemed more shocked when he heard about Meteor.”

“Yes.”

“…!”

“It felt as if he already knew about the upcoming disaster.”

Ssss-

Light smoke started to emanate from the Heavenly Eye’s mouth.

This smoke was formed with Qi, and this showed that the Chief Abbot’s life was gradually diminishing.

“Didn’t you find the light in his eyes special? Despite being a young child?”

He was different compared to the beautiful girl sitting next to him.

That girl seemed like she had no interest in the world to begin with.

Unlike her relatives with the surname of Namgung…

She resembled a pristine white pearl.

Her attention was solely directed at the boy beside her, and even the Mighty Staff, who spent his life as a monk, noticed this.

How could she do that when she had the Shaolin’s Chief Abbot in front of her?

‘The light in the boy’s eyes.’

It was something that the Mighty Staff didn’t really pay attention to.

He was a young prodigy who displayed talent in this year’s tournament, and the Mighty Staff was impressed by his well-trained body at his age…

“I pray that the boy decides to join us.”

“…I’m having a hard time understanding.”

The world seen through the Heavenly Eye by Shaolin’s Chief Abbot was beyond the Mighty Staff’s understanding.

After all, it wasn’t visible to his eyes.

Even though the disaster was mentioned by the Heavenly Eye, he didn’t know how big this upcoming disaster was for his Chief Abbot to persist despite his weary body.

The Chief Abbot himself said that the disaster would come to the world, but he wouldn’t be present when it occurred.

That was precisely why they had to prepare a lot for this.

The Mighty Staff couldn’t say anything as he watched his Chief Abbot pray for the future despite his own life dwindling.

“There was likely a reason for him to entrust me with this responsibility. Therefore, I have to accept it.”

The Chief Abbot said that his Heavenly Eye was his responsibility. And the Mighty Staff acknowledged that there was a meaning to this.

“Mighty Staff.”

“Yes, Chief Abbot.”

“I must go visit the Alliance.”

“You went last time, you should rest this time.”

The Mighty Staff said those words because of his Chief Abbot’s health, but the Mighty Staff already knew that his Chief Abbot wouldn’t listen to him.

“There isn’t much time, so I should be quick on my feet.”

Did he mean there wasn’t much time until the world faced the impending disaster?

Or did he mean his own life was running out?

The Mighty Staff couldn’t dare to ask this question.

“…I will contact the Alliance.”

“I appreciate it.”

The Mighty Staff left the room, and the Heavenly Eye, who was left alone in the room, calmly seated with closed eyes.

Noises and winter breeze that entered through the window broke the silence, but the Heavenly Eye remained oblivious to them, his mind consumed by thoughts of the boy he met earlier.

‘It’s hot. Very hot.’

Merely closing his eyes didn’t impede the Heavenly Eye’s vision.

In fact, it heightened it.

Closing his eyes allowed the Heavenly Eye to perceive more, raising questions about many things, but this one was especially unique.

‘But it’s all black inside.’

It was endlessly hot, but it was also filled with darkness.

It seemed like a contradicting scenery, yet in some peculiar way, the elements harmonized.

Because of that, the Heavenly Eye felt like his eyes were telling him that he should be keeping his eyes on that boy.

The Chief Abbot wondered in his mind what it was that he had to look out for, but he concluded that there was meaning in everything in the world.

“…All this is the will of heaven.”

The Heavenly Eye prayed with closed eyes for one meaning to extend into a prolonged era of world peace…

And for his life to be helpful in achieving that peace.

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

Sweep. Sweep.

Someone was sweeping the floor with a brush smaller than the average size.

It was a child monk who appeared to be barely ten years old.

It was Heeyoung, the youngest monk in Shaolin.

“I said I’m perfectly fine with working again…”

Heeyoung spoke quietly while sweeping the yard.

It was because others didn’t let Heeyoung go back to his duties after the incident on that day.

‘I told them it’s fine…’

For some reason, Heeyoung had lost all memories of the past ten days. He felt bewildered waking up in the medical room, staring at the ceiling.

He had his condition checked by a medic, but there were no major issues with his body and the medic suggested that the memory loss was likely due to overexertion.

Consequently, Heeyoung, who worked diligently to maintain Shaolin’s reputation, was forcefully given time off.

He was even prohibited from martial arts training until his body fully recovered, but Heeyoung couldn’t say anything since it was his seniors who told him that.

‘Seniors must be working hard right now…’

Heeyoung felt disappointed. Joining Shaolin later than others, he believed he needed to put in extra effort.

“But seriously, why can’t I remember anything?”

Heeyoung couldn’t understand.

The medic attributed his memory loss to overworking, but Heeyoung didn’t believe he had exerted himself that much.

Waking up for the first time was actually more challenging.

After all, he felt uncomfortable moving his body that hadn’t moved in days.

‘According to my seniors, I worked the same as usual.’

Heeyoung couldn’t help but be frustrated because he couldn’t remember anything.

Currently, he was only permitted to sweep the ground.

‘How will I be able to at this rate…’

Many complimented Heeyoung for having talent, but Heeyoung couldn’t fully grasp it himself.

He wanted to become the center of Shaolin.

Though it was rather an ambitious thought to have inside his small body.

Sweep sweep.

‘I don’t think I can achieve anything in my current state…’

Heeyoung continued to sweep the ground after letting out a sigh. He was frustrated on the inside, but he remained committed to his work.

It was because he was taught that it was only right for the environment around him to be clean, and not just his own body.

Tap.

“Hmm?”

Something caught onto the brush as he swept the ground.

He felt a distinct sensation inside the pile of leaves that had bundled up.

Pushing the leaves aside, Heeyoung wondered if a small rock had lodged itself in the pile.

To his surprise, underneath the leaves, he discovered a mysterious object.

“This is…”

It wasn’t a rock that had caught onto Heeyoung’s brush.

It was a thin book.

Heeyoung carefully picked the book up and opened it to check what it was about.

“…Huh?”

Heeyoung’s eyes widened when he looked at the contents inside the book, then looked around to see if someone had accidentally left the book behind.

However, there was no one in sight.

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

Around 30 minutes after Gu Yangcheon told Namgung Bi-ah to wait, right as the heat he had given her was about to disappear, Gu Yangcheon returned.

“…Why are you like that?”

Gu Yangcheon asked Namgung Bi-ah.

Which was understandable because Namgung Bi-ah was sitting on the ground, curled up.

There was no way that her legs hurt just because she stood for 30 minutes.

“Where… did you go…?”

Namgung Bi-ah slowly stood up and questioned Gu Yangcheon upon his return.

“I just had something come up.”

He spoke casually, though a hint of fatigue was detectable in his tone.

It was only 30 minutes. And given Gu Yangcheon’s martial capabilities, making him tired wasn’t an easy feat.

This meant that he moved around recklessly, expending a lot of his Qi, or that he moved cautiously due to excessive Qi usage.

Namgung Bi-ah wondered what he had to do in Shaolin that warranted such activity.

“…”

However, she refrained from vocalizing her thoughts.

Instead, she carefully approached Gu Yangcheon and reached out to his hair.

Amidst his black hair with a faint red aura, she picked out something.

“Leaf…”

“Oh, it must’ve caught onto my hair on my way back.”

Gu Yangcheon quickly stole the leaf from Namgung Bi-ah’s hand and threw it aside.

As he did so, he murmured, ‘When did this thing get on me? No one else saw it, right?’

“I’m hungry. Let’s go.”

Having said that, Gu Yangcheon grabbed Namgung Bi-ah’s hand.

Since others were likely back at the guesthouse by now, they had a reason to rush.

Pull-

“Hmm?”

Attempting to move swiftly, Gu Yangcheon found Namgung Bi-ah frozen in place, unmoving like a rock.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Slowly.”

“What?”

“…Go… Slowly.”

Gu Yangcheon furrowed his brow, perplexed by Namgung Bi-ah’s unusual behavior.

In response, Namgung Bi-ah delicately wrapped her arm around his.

“…Go slowly… since it’s just us two…”

“…”

Gu Yangcheon fell silent, taken aback by Namgung Bi-ah’s careful and somewhat shy words.

At that moment, Namgung Bi-ah noticed a slight reddening of Gu Yangcheon’s ears.

After seeing that, Namgung Bi-ah smiled slightly.

She wanted to walk even slower than this, but she knew that Gu Yangcheon, with his personality, wouldn’t permit it.

Namgung Bi-ah knew that she wasn’t the only person who he cared about.

But even so, she wanted to be a little greedy.

After all, this also felt like a good time to do so.

“Are you okay?”

When Namgung Bi-ah gazed into his eyes and inquired, Gu Yangcheon let out a sigh.

“…You, where did you learn this?”

Namgung Bi-ah paused for a moment after hearing Gu Yangcheon.

Then she responded with a hushed voice.

“…Soyeol…”

It seemed like she couldn’t lie in the end.

Gu Yangcheon smiled at her reaction.

“You keep learning weird things from her. What are you, a child?”

“…”

“Let’s go.”

After finishing his sentence, he began to move.

However, Namgung Bi-ah noticed that Gu Yangcheon didn’t say no to her request.

Not only did he not let go of her arm that was hugging his, but his walking pace was also notably slower than usual.

Namgung Bi-ah felt something tingle inside her every time she saw him like that.

Even though the heat that Gu Yangcheon had provided must have dissipated by now.

“Oh, I think we are gonna leave tomorrow. You don’t have anything left here to do, right?”

Namgung Bi-ah nodded to Gu Yangcheon’s words.

Hanam held no particular interest for her.

She had only come because it was Gu Yangcheon’s destination.

‘…Cheonjun…’

Suddenly, thoughts of her younger brother crossed Namgung Bi-ah’s mind.

She hadn’t seen him since the tournament, so she wondered what happened to him.

After his fight against Gu Yangcheon and being transferred to a medical room, she had observed him from far away.

It was her younger brother after all.

But she quickly dismissed those thoughts.

‘…He should… be fine.’

Her concern for her brother ended there.

As her mind was already occupied with thoughts of a sword and a certain someone’s face.

And that certain someone spoke.

“…Can we go a little bit faster? I’m hungry.”

“…”

“Alright, don’t glare at me like that…”

Since he spoke tactlessly, Namgung Bi-ah hugged his arm tighter as punishment.

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