Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 580: In Step (2)

After Arriving in Hanam

Some time had passed since I arrived in Hanam.

Roughly a month had gone by, and the season was steadily approaching the height of summer.

It was early morning, and I was receiving a medical check-up from the Divine Doctor.

The Divine Doctor, who had been intently taking my pulse, opened his closed eyes and spoke.

“Hmm. Truly peculiar.”

“Is something wrong?”

His reaction seemed odd, so I asked. He looked at me with a curious expression and said,

“To have improved so much in just a month... what kind of body do you have?”

“Isn’t it thanks to your excellent treatment?”

“Haha, what nonsense. What treatment have I even given you?”

“...”

He wasn’t wrong.

While he had prescribed some medicine after checking my pulse, he’d mentioned that it likely wouldn’t help much. And indeed, the medicine didn’t have any significant effect.

“I thought it would take at least six months, even with a generous estimate... but it seems I won’t need to watch over you that long.”

“Is that so?”

I had estimated around three months for recovery, but the Divine Doctor had initially said six.

At the time, I thought his estimate seemed overly long.

Fortunately, it appeared I had been right.

...Which meant,

‘The Divine Doctor can’t fully grasp my body’s condition.’

In the end, it seemed I was the only one who could accurately assess my state.

It wasn’t something I could confirm with certainty, but if even the Divine Doctor didn’t know, it felt like no one else in the world would either.

In any case, there was no need for further check-ups. I straightened my clothes and prepared to leave.

That’s when he spoke.

“How are you getting along with Hyuk?”

It was a question he hadn’t asked in nearly a month.

“We’re getting along fine.”

Yes, very fine. And very busily so.

“...I see.”

“If you’re worried, should I send him back?”

Of course, this was an empty gesture. I had no intention of sending Je Gal-hyuk back to him.

Je Gal-hyuk had been more capable than I expected and was currently one of the most indispensable people to me. I couldn’t afford to let him go.

Even if the Divine Doctor asked, I wouldn’t return him. My suggestion was purely for formality.

Hearing this, the Divine Doctor chuckled dryly.

“No need. It’s what he wants, so interfering would be pointless.”

“...”

I looked at the Divine Doctor.

Despite cherishing Je Gal-hyuk, he seemed oddly nonchalant about this.

It was unexpected.

“Just make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

“...He’s not doing anything dangerous. I’m just giving him some light tasks to help with.”

That was a lie.

I intended to keep things as safe as possible, but I couldn’t guarantee it.

“And...”

He hesitated mid-sentence, his expression filled with uncertainty.

Seeing that, I sighed internally.

I knew exactly what he wanted to say.

“If you’re worried, should I arrange a meeting for you?”

“...”

“If you wish, I could even speak with him myself.”

By "him," I meant Cheol Ji-seon.

Cheol Ji-seon would likely arrive in Hanam soon, and when he did, arranging a meeting wouldn’t be difficult.

I didn’t say I’d bring him outright because I wasn’t confident about it either.

Normally, Cheol Ji-seon would agree to most things without hesitation, but this... was different.

‘He’s even had outbursts over it.’

The time he begged me to just kill him made it clear that this wasn’t something that could be resolved easily.

The Divine Doctor must have known this too.

“...No need.”

That resigned response was proof enough.

“...Understood.”

With that, I decided to drop the subject.

I could push the matter if I wanted, but...

‘There’s no need.’

If Cheol Ji-seon wanted to avoid it, I wouldn’t force him.

Still, I couldn’t help but think,

‘There’s definitely something going on.’

I was convinced that there was a deeper connection between the Divine Doctor and Cheol Ji-seon.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

I bowed politely and stood. There was nothing more to discuss, and I had things to do.

‘I should start training and stop by the trading company later.’

With my body partially recovered, I needed to resume my training in the morning.

Neglecting my body would only dull my senses.

It was time to push myself again.

In the afternoon, I planned to visit the Baekhwa Trading Company.

‘I need to send some letters.’

Though I could use assassins for faster delivery,

this correspondence required a more conventional approach, so I’d have to go through the trading company.

With my packed schedule in mind, I turned and headed for the door.

“Young one.”

The Divine Doctor called out to me just as I was leaving.

Did he have something else to say?

“What is it?”

“Has something happened?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“...Ah.”

I touched my cheek.

What kind of expression was I wearing?

I wasn’t entirely sure, but if he noticed, I knew the reason.

“...It’s nothing.”

Probably.

“I just didn’t sleep well.”

It must have been the dream. The dream I couldn’t remember from the night before.

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

Arriving at the Training Hall

After leaving the Divine Doctor, I headed to the training hall.

Thanks to Lady Mi’s careful preparations, the accommodations included a private training space.

It was modest in size, just right for physical training. Though it wasn’t large enough to unleash Hwagong, it was more than sufficient for other purposes.

I figured I’d stretch and loosen up a bit. With that in mind, I made my way to the training hall.

“Huh?”

Someone was already there.

When I looked closer to see who it was, I recognized Tang So-yeol.

She was kneeling in the center of the training hall, sitting perfectly still with her eyes closed.

‘Hmm....’

The sight made me pause in admiration. At the same time, my body tensed.

The energy filling the hall was suffocatingly dense. It wasn’t just thick—it was bone-chillingly cold.

How could I describe it?

Clean killing intent. That seemed the most fitting description.

‘...Wow.’

The killing intent, mingled with the energy, filled every corner of the hall. And yet, within it, there was a distinct sense of order.

This meant Tang So-yeol was controlling all of that energy herself.

But that wasn’t the only impressive thing.

‘Despite all this energy...’

There wasn’t a trace of poison.

As a member of the Tang Clan, her energy should naturally carry a hint of toxicity.

Yet the energy that filled the space now was entirely devoid of poison.

While my body had achieved Mandokbulchim—immunity to all poisons—it also meant I could sense poison more acutely.

And there was none here.

This could only mean one thing.

‘She’s reached a level where she can suppress poison within her energy.’

To be able to extract poison from one’s energy and wield it separately was a sign of incredible mastery.

‘In just two years, no less.’

Though she was still in the early stages of Hwagyeong, her progress from the brink of mastery to this level was astonishing.

And not just in rank—her ability to control her energy with such precision was equally remarkable.

‘What kind of training did she go through?’

I couldn’t even begin to guess what trials Tang So-yeol had endured.

I gazed at her, my eyes slightly subdued. She remained still, her breathing steady, seemingly unaware of my presence. Her concentration was absolute.

Seeing this, I clicked my tongue in disappointment.

‘Looks like I won’t be training today.’

Judging by her state, she was far from finished. I could still claim a corner of the hall for myself, but I didn’t feel like it.

I turned around.

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Fine, I’d train later. That was the plan for now.

Heading into Town

Leaving the hall, I headed toward the town center.

The Baekhwa Trading Company was situated in the heart of the town, a bit of a walk from my lodgings.

It was still early morning.

The sun was barely up, but the town was already bustling as usual.

The aroma of food being prepared began to fill the air, and the streets grew noisier as merchants set up their wares.

It was another morning like any other.

Amid the commotion, I walked quietly.

For some reason, though, I wasn’t in the mood to observe or take in the sights.

‘Something feels off.’

My chest felt heavy, my mood sour.

I had used Tang So-yeol as an excuse to skip training, but the truth was, I just didn’t feel like it today.

If I’d wanted to, I could have trained anyway. But something about today made me unwilling.

It felt like an unshakable frustration had wrapped itself around me.

‘What is it?’

What was bothering me?

I didn’t know.

Why was a mere dream affecting me like this? It was just another ridiculous dream like the ones I occasionally had.

‘Maybe I’m feeling anxious.’

Three months had passed since I started this endeavor.

Now, only about a month remained until the plan began in earnest.

Though I was outwardly calm, perhaps my insides weren’t. Maybe that was why I felt so restless.

I couldn’t say for sure.

What I did know was that I desperately wanted to remember the dream.

From the moment I woke up until now, my mind had been consumed by it.

‘This isn’t good.’

I had too much to do to waste time on something so trivial.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the thoughts.

“It’s just because I haven’t eaten.”

Yes, that had to be it. I was hungry, and hunger always made things worse.

Changing my course, I stepped into one of Hanam’s dimly lit alleyways instead of heading straight for the trading company.

Deciding to eat first, I started walking. But a question crossed my mind.

‘Then why not just go to a restaurant?’

I had wandered into an alley without thinking. Why had I come here instead?

The scene before me didn’t exactly scream “restaurant.”

The bustling crowds of the main street had vanished, leaving this area nearly deserted.

And yet, I kept walking. For some reason, my feet carried me deeper into the alley.

After walking a bit further, an old, shabby building came into view.

“...What’s this...?”

I stopped in front of the building, finally halting my steps.

Smoke rose from cracks in the old building’s windows, carrying a strange aroma that made me tilt my head.

‘This is unexpected.’

It smelled like food.

From this rundown building, tucked away at the far end of an alley, came the unmistakable scent of cooking.

I let out a dry laugh.

“What kind of crazy person would open a restaurant here?”

It was absurd.

This was an alley no one walked through, far from the busy streets. Why build a restaurant here of all places?

Even as I thought this, my feet were already moving toward the building.

The interior of the restaurant matched its exterior: old and decrepit.

The walls were worn, and cobwebs hung in some corners.

“Welcome.”

A voice greeted me, and I turned to see an elderly woman with a hunched back. There didn’t seem to be any other staff.

“It’s morning, so all we have is somyeon.”

With that, she disappeared into the kitchen.

...I hadn’t even said I wanted to eat yet.

“...Hmm.”

What should I do? I hadn’t planned on coming here, but somehow, I felt like I had to sit down.

Well, since I was already here, I might as well eat.

I moved to find a seat.

There weren’t many tables, and plenty of open seats were right in front of me. But my steps took me elsewhere.

It felt as if I was drawn to a specific spot.

The farthest corner. The oldest, most worn-down seat in the place.

For some reason, it felt like I was supposed to sit there.

But—

Slurp.

Someone was already sitting there.

They were eating.

Slurp.

A petite figure held a bowl as large as their face, noisily slurping noodles. They didn’t seem to care that their hair dipped into the broth.

And it wasn’t just one bowl. Several empty bowls were stacked nearby, evidence of how much they had already eaten.

I narrowed my eyes, but not because of the amount they were eating.

After seeing Wi Seol-ah’s appetite countless times, this was far from surprising.

The issue wasn’t how much they were eating.

It was who was eating.

“What...?”

I muttered as I stared at the woman devouring the noodles.

She paused, her chopsticks stilling mid-motion, and turned to look at me.

Our eyes met.

“Oh.”

The woman reacted, her long black hair swaying as her violet eyes gazed at me with a peculiar glint.

Then, she set her bowl down and gestured toward me.

“Hello.”

“...”

I couldn’t say a word.

No, I couldn’t even react.

Because no one—absolutely no one—could have expected to find the Cheonma sitting in a back-alley restaurant, eating somyeon.