Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 644: Thunder God (Thunder Fang) (5)

"Isn't it in the Secret Cave of Shanxi?"

"What do you mean it's inside the artifact? What nonsense is that?"

Namgung Myung's perplexed words left me momentarily dazed.

Whiing.

A chilling sensation brushed past. It was an illusion.

The surroundings had long been still; there was no way for the wind to blow. This was purely a feeling I sensed.

It felt cold.

The emotions rising from within pierced my chest and penetrated my mind. It wasn't internal energy, yet it lightly tapped on my upper dantian.

A stifling and oppressive sensation. When I felt a chill at the thought, I barely managed to regain my composure.

"What do you mean by that...?"

The words I barely managed to utter were trembling.

"The Master's remnant will was inside the Huashan Sect artifact. Are you saying that wasn't intentional on your predecessors' part?"

Could my memory be wrong?

Even entertaining that idea for a moment, I knew better than anyone it wasn’t the case.

It was more plausible that Namgung Myung had misspoken.

‘Perhaps he meant it was in the Secret Cave?’

So, then... what was it again?

The Huashan Sect artifact, whose name I couldn’t even recall anymore. Was Namgung Myung saying that artifact was in the Secret Cave of Shanxi? That seemed more likely.

But.

‘If that’s the case, Namgung Myung’s reaction doesn’t make sense.’

I could still vividly recall Namgung Myung’s surprised expression at the idea of it being in the artifact. That was undoubtedly a genuine reaction.

‘Think.’

What could have happened here?

While I was staring wide-eyed in confusion, Namgung Myung frowned and spoke to me.

"It was inside the artifact... Are you saying that’s true?"

"Yes."

How could I forget?

The artifact that absorbed energy on its way to the Huashan Sect, along with the voice of Noya that I heard back then.

It had been over five years, yet I couldn’t forget that day.

Which made it all the more troubling.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Something didn’t add up. I needed to figure out what had gone wrong.

"...Did you say that Master Noya, the Sword of Huashan, was in the Secret Cave?"

"Yes."

"And his will was placed inside the artifact left there?"

I asked the question as my suspicions came to mind. Namgung Myung slightly shook his head.

A clear denial.

"That never happened, nor should it ever happen."

"Shouldn’t happen? Why not?"

"Placing a will into an artifact only buys time. It wouldn’t serve the purpose we desired."

"Purpose..."

It was likely referring to Master Noya’s reincarnation, or perhaps his revival.

That must have been the goal Namgung Myung was talking about.

I mulled over his words. Could he be lying?

Was it possible that this man, known as the Thunder Blade, was lying outright?

I had to consider such possibilities as I judged the situation.

"So... you're saying what happened with the artifact was not intentional on your predecessors' part?"

Even as I sank into my thoughts, I kept speaking. I couldn’t let him see that I was suspicious.

‘If...’

If Namgung Myung’s words were true, there was one scenario that began to surface in my mind.

Several months ago, back in Hubei, I had coincidentally encountered Yeongpoong.

The words he spoke then kept coming back to me.

"I think I’ve become the heir."

Yeongpoong had secretly confided in me that he had become the heir of the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Huashan Sword. I had feigned surprise and scoffed.

Naturally. I was Noya’s heir.

Even though Yeongpoong was a member of the Huashan Sect, that fact would never change.

At least, that’s what I had believed back then.

‘...But Yeongpoong said he discovered it in a cave in Shanxi.’

The familiar energy he carried, the voice he claimed to have heard.

It hadn’t seemed like Yeongpoong was lying, and I had thought there must have been some misunderstanding.

Even so, deep down, I was confident that I was the true heir.

But now.

That confidence was beginning to waver.

‘It all lines up.’

The cave discovered in Shanxi.

The traces and energy found within... and even the voice. It all aligned with Namgung Myung’s mention of the Secret Cave.

If that place really was the cave left behind by Noya—

‘But those are just traces and opportunities. It’s not the same as reincarnation.’

Just as I had obtained Noya’s energy and will from the Huashan artifact, Yeongpoong had only acquired traces. Reincarnation was a completely different concept.

The reincarnation had failed.

That seemed to be the correct conclusion.

"His will was indeed inside the artifact. It was specifically the Huashan Sect’s artifact. Do you have any idea why this might have happened?"

I set aside the matter of Yeongpoong and focused solely on my own experience.

"I don’t know. If what you say is true, then something must have gone wrong along the way."

"..."

Tap. Tap.

I quietly tapped my waist with my fingers.

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

‘What could have happened?’

Although preparations had been made beforehand, the fact that the situation had ended up like this meant that, as Namgung Myung suggested, something had gone wrong midway.

Perhaps the incident Yeongpoong experienced was also related to that disturbance.

‘Something went awry, disrupting the plans. Noya couldn’t reincarnate, and his will ended up in the artifact.’

Meanwhile, Yeongpoong found traces of Noya in Shanxi and was recognized by his sect as the heir.

It seemed even the heroes I’d met in the past weren’t aware of this.

‘The likes of Tang Jemun and Yeon Il-cheon might know, but Hwang Ah-bool-young and Namgung Myung seem unaware.’

Assuming, of course, that the Namgung Myung before me was the real one.

The paths had twisted and overlapped so much that the end was no longer in sight. How had Noya failed to reincarnate? I pondered the question before asking Namgung Myung.

"Why were you trying to reincarnate the Sword of Huashan in the first place?"

There was so much to think about, but I couldn’t reach any conclusions. I needed to gather more information.

Leaving aside the fact that Noya’s reincarnation had failed, why Noya specifically? That was the question I decided to ask.

How such a thing was possible didn’t matter right now. That would be a pointless inquiry.

The purpose was more important.

When I posed the question, Namgung Myung looked at me with an enigmatic expression.

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"Why are you curious about that?"

"Because it’s strange."

How could it not be?

"The greatest warrior of that era was Geumcheon Gwonwang."

The tale of a small clan in Sichuan rising above major sects and renowned families to reach the pinnacle was still famous today.

What’s more, the trading company his family ran had risen to become Zhongyuan’s most powerful trading company, making him a figure of unmatched power, fame, and wealth.

He was none other than Yeon Il-cheon, the Martial King of Geumcheon, and one of the heroes who ended the Blood Disaster centuries ago.

Not to mention—

‘He was a regressor like me.’

A being who had even turned back time.

And yet.

"Why did you choose the Sword of Huashan over such a man?"

Why had they chosen the Sword of Huashan over the greatest warrior of that era? It was something I had always been curious about.

"..."

Namgung Myung fell silent at my question.

I waited. He didn’t seem to be ignoring the question but rather deliberating over how to respond.

After a moment of waiting, Namgung Myung finally spoke while looking at me.

"Because he was the only one who fit."

"Excuse me?"

An odd answer emerged.

"No matter how much we thought about it. He was the only one."

"I don’t understand."

Was Noya their only option?

Could that statement mean—

"...Are you saying the Sword of Huashan was stronger than the Martial King of Geumcheon?"

"No, that guy never defeated Ilcheon. Neither I nor anyone else ever did."

"I see."

I thought perhaps he had been a hidden powerhouse or something like that, but Namgung Myung was resolute.

"Then, why was it?"

"Successor."

"Yes."

"You said you’ve spoken with Shin Cheol's will before, haven’t you?"

"...That’s correct."

Though it was more often sarcastic exchanges or bickering laced with insults, that could still be considered a conversation.

"What kind of person was he, in your opinion?"

"...Am I allowed to answer honestly?"

"Go ahead."

"He was a crazy old man who was nothing like a Daoist despite claiming to be one. He lacked tact, had a filthy temper, and any conversation lasting more than ten sentences always ended in anger."

"..."

Oh no. Did I go too far?

I wondered if I should have phrased it more delicately, but Namgung Myung's reaction was unexpected.

"So, you truly are that guy’s successor."

I had expected him to get at least a little upset about me insulting his friend, but for some reason, he nodded. That response irritated me for no discernible reason.

"That’s not the answer I was looking for, but you’ve hit the mark. He wasn’t Daoist-like at all."

Namgung Myung’s expression subtly shifted as he began talking about Shin Noya.

It looked almost wistful.

"Unlike other Daoists, he didn’t bother with hypocritical platitudes. Instead, he constantly spewed curses, and whenever he picked up a sword, he was nothing short of a madman."

"..."

His expression looked nostalgic, but his words painted a starkly contrasting picture. What kind of life had the real Noya lived? To be called a lunatic even by his closest friend...

I shook my head.

‘How strange of a man was he?’

It was hard for someone as normal as me to understand.

As the explanation continued, I found myself wondering if Noya really had been the wrong choice.

"But."

Namgung Myung’s voice suddenly became clear.

"Despite all that, he was someone who never wavered in his convictions."

"Convictions?"

Convictions.

The weighty word made my shoulders feel slightly heavier.

"You asked why it was Shin Cheol."

"Yes."

"Because, among us, his convictions were the most unwavering."

Unwavering convictions.

What exactly did that mean? I wasn’t sure.

Perhaps my expression gave it away, as Namgung Myung continued explaining while looking at me.

"Hwang Ah-bool-young had a strong spirit but was weak-willed."

He was referring to the Shaolin hero, the bald old man embodied in the carp.

"Knowing that himself, he chose to step back and remain within Shaolin."

Stepped back.

That likely meant he had given up on reincarnation.

"Tang Jemun, unlike Hwang Ah-bool-young, had firm convictions. But her martial ability was the weakest. Moreover, her compatibility was poor."

I recalled the woman I had encountered at a lake in Sichuan. Despite her name, she was delicate and beautiful.

"Yeon Ilcheon’s convictions were incomplete. As for me, I had too many lingering attachments. That’s why it was Shin Cheol."

"I still don’t understand. What does that even mean?"

He kept talking about convictions, but what exactly was he getting at?

These were heroes who had saved the world. How could their convictions be considered weak? Surely, they were far deeper and stronger than mine.

When I asked with that intent, Namgung Myung made an ambiguous expression. It seemed both bitter and resigned.

"We couldn’t afford to falter."

That statement carried an unsettling weight.

"That’s why we had to choose someone who wouldn’t break under any circumstances."

"And what does that have to do with convictions? Are you saying the others had weak convictions?"

"No, all of us were strong."

"Then..."

"The problem was the direction of our convictions."

Namgung Myung’s gaze became unfocused.

"Do you know what kind of convictions were important to us?"

"...I don’t."

"The world."

His words made my eyes widen slightly.

"We needed to save the world. For that, we required unwavering convictions."

"That’s—"

"Hwang Ah-bool-young lacked confidence in his convictions, which could falter at any moment. Tang Jemun’s martial ability was weak, and her convictions were rooted in compassion, which disqualified her."

Compassion. There was no need to ask whom that compassion was directed toward. It seemed like everyone but that clueless old man already knew.

"The same applied to me. I..."

Namgung Myung paused before continuing.

"I wished for the revival and safety of my family more than for the world."

I tilted my head at his somewhat somber tone.

"How is that different?"

Stopping the Blood Disaster to save the world.

Wasn’t that enough? I couldn’t understand why he saw it differently.

"It’s very different."

"What is?"

"Living for the world and having that as an additional goal are two entirely different things. That’s why all of us had to step back."

"Then, are you saying Noya lived for the world?"

"Yes."

"...!"

There wasn’t a shred of hesitation in his response. That answer left me momentarily speechless.

"To save the world. That was the only reason he wielded his sword. Even as the leader of a sect, he never let go of that stubbornness."

That man?

As I considered Noya’s usual temperament, I thought of voicing my objections. But then, I remembered how I had always regarded Shin Noya as a hero.

"A sword wielded solely to save the world. That’s why we chose him and bound his soul to the Secret Cave."

Namgung Myung stopped mid-sentence, seeming lost in thought as he looked away.

"How his body properly reincarnated while his soul was trapped in the artifact, I can’t fathom."

He appeared genuinely puzzled. Clearly, something had gone awry in their plans...

Wait.

"Hold on."

Just then, I realized I might have heard something odd.

"Senior."

"Speak."

"Did you just say the Sword of Huashan’s body?"

Namgung Myung had just said that his body had properly reincarnated.

Could it be true that while his soul was trapped, Noya’s body had been reincarnated?

Startled by the magnitude of this revelation, I asked for clarification.

"What are you talking about?"

Namgung Myung looked at me again and said,

"Isn’t it standing right before me?"

"...Excuse me?"

I immediately glanced around.

Paejon, Seong Yul, the Black Lion, and the palace lord were all visible.

They were all frozen in place.

Was it one of them?

When I looked back at Namgung Myung in confusion, his gaze was fixed on one spot.

"You."

Me.

"You are his reincarnation."

Hearing those words, my expression twisted into something indescribable.

"Me?"

...Me?