Childhood Friend of the Zenith

“That’s the Young Master?”

A man who looked to be around the age of twenty.

I cringed at the sight of him throwing a tantrum.

No, hold on. Why is a member of the Peng Clan here? No to mention the fact that a member carrying the royal blood of Peng Clan was causing a mess like a kid in front of everyone.

“Nah, no way.”

There was no way that this was the actual Young Master of the Peng clan. It had to be a scammer.

A scammer with balls of steel.

Impersonating the Young Master of one of the Four Noble Clans was going to put him in a lot of trouble.

However, at this point, yesterday’s memory of me running into Peng Ah-Hee suddenly flashed through my mind, but I quickly erased the thought – or at least, I tried to.

None of this made sense.

Something had to be wrong somewhere.

Plus, in my previous life, I never heard about the Young Master of Peng coming to the Nine Dragons Ceremony, so this was going to be handled without any problems.

Surely.

“What’s going on?”

As I was about to ignore the situation and leave, I ran into the Second Elder.

“Some weirdo is causing trouble.”

I gave him a quick answer and once again planned to leave. I had some business, so I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

But the Second Elder stopped me.

“I was looking for you since this morning my back has been aching a lot.”

“What nonsense are you on about? You look even healthier than me.”

“Hmm. I noticed it yesterday too, but you’ve suddenly gotten better at talking back to me. It’d be nice if your martial skills also got better like that.”

He ruffled my hair – and head – again.

Urgh, I feel dizzy..

.

“Ugh… Why were you looking for me?”

He could have ordered the servants, so why did he take the matter into his own hands?

“Ah, nothing important. After the match ends-”

“So why am I not allowed? I showed you everything that I needed to show! Must I show my shadow arts in order for you to believe me?”

“…Please sir, try to calm down. We are also-”

“No! I told you, I don’t have much time! You said anyone with a certificate is allowed.”

The Second Elder’s gaze turned towards the man. Shadow martial arts were a type of martial art passed down to the Peng Clan.

Not only that, but it was a martial skill only passed down to those of the bloodline of Peng.

I wanted to stop the Second Elder as I didn’t like where this was going, but he was already out of my reach.

“…Shit.”

“You are the son of Peng?”

The Second Elder was suddenly in front of the man claiming to be the Young Master of Peng.

“G-greetings to the Second Elder!”

All the men showed respect to him when they saw him.

Of course, the people who signed up for the competition were also staring at the sight.

“Right, it is good to see you all working diligently. You, you’re the son of Peng?”

The man fixed his posture after hearing the Elder’s words.

“I am Peng Woojin, Young Master of the Peng Clan. It is an honour to meet the Flaming Fist of Gu.”

‘Flaming Fist’ was a title given to the Second Elder.

The Second Elder smirks at Peng Woojin’s words.

Did getting greeted with his title put him in a good mood?

“So you are the son of Peng. Your physique definitely says so. Your face also looks just like that sucker Lord of yours.”

To call the Lord of the Peng Clan a sucker…

No matter how I looked at it, the word “manly” definitely suited the Second Elder.

“So, why did you come here?”

“I came here to support the swordsmen of Gu.”

“You are the Young Master of Peng, yet you left the swordsmen at your place?”

“It’s no fun there.”

The Second Elder laughs at Peng Woojin’s response. It was as if he was talking to a madman.

“You are a madman. The Peng Clan has a madman in their family.”

“Thank you, sir. I hear that a lot.”

“It’s not a compliment.”

I suddenly noticed a black ring on the hands of Peng Woojin. It was the same ring that Peng Ah-Hee had.

‘Damn it, He is real…’

Why the hell is he here doing all this nonsense?

“I came here as I heard that anyone with a certificate may enter. But they refused to let me in even though I had shown everything to them.”

“…Did you come here after getting permission from the Lord of Peng?”

“There was no way he was going to let me leave, so I ran away.”

He really was a madman.

“You really are a madman.”

For the first time, I agreed with the Second Elder. This guy really was a madman.

The Second Elder smirked again after looking at his body. He looks kinda perverted…

“Your body is well built. Your age?”

“I turned 23 this year.”

“Such a body, and at such a young age as well… Peng is raising a dragon. I wish our little rascal would be at least half like you.”

Was he referring to me when he said “rascal”?

However, I didn’t feel hurt even though I was being compared to him since if that man was really Peng Woojin of Peng, then he was indeed a dragon.

Sword King Peng Woojin.

That was the title he was given in the future, at a point not too far from now.

The leader of the Heavenly Black Army was known to be equal to one of the Heavenly Venerables, ❰Disgraced Venerable❱ Bijuu.

Him being equal to one of the Heavenly Venerables meant that he couldn’t at all be compared to other martial artists.

But he died in a battle against Peng Woojin.

It was said that he was already tired from previous battles before he faced Peng Woojin, but Peng Woojin still won despite facing him alone.

When Bijuu heard the news, they themselve gave Peng Woojin the Sword King title.

The Second Elder smirked while stroking his long beard.

“He showed his certificate, and seems to be battle ready, so isn’t it okay?”

What on earth did he just say?

The guards seemed to have trouble with the Elder’s words, just like I did.

“…But Lord Second Elder, even then-”

“What’s the problem? Isn’t this what he wants?”

“Yes my Lord. I would love to enter the Nine Dragons Competition. I really want to work as a swordsman of Gu.”

“See, he wants this himself.”

The eyes of the guards shook as if there was an earthquake. They didn’t know what to do with this situation.

When the cold sweats of the guards were about to make a puddle on the ground, a saviour appeared.

“Brother!”

The person who appeared with a loud voice was Peng Ah-Hee.

“You idiot!”

She proceeded to kick him hard in the stomach. She definitely put Qi into that kick.

“Urgh!”

Peng Woojin, who got sucker-kicked in the stomach, flew a short distance, then fell and rolled along the ground.

“…Geez, that looked like it hurt.”

Is he dead?

“You idiot, you earn the title of Young Master but you run away after leaving a short letter!?”

Peng Ah-Hee, who wasn’t satisfied by a single kick, rushed over to Peng Woojin and started raining more on him.

Thankfully, Peng Woojin didn’t die. Sadly, he started letting out more screams.

“Ugh… Agh! Wait… Wait…!”

“You run away only to become the swordsmen of another clan? Are you seriously out of your mind?!”

Damn, that’s a spot she shouldn’t kick him at…

“Your brother’s – ugh – gonna die! Hold – uff – on a sec-ow! Ah-Hee!”

“Then die! Die, you idiot!”

“Who’s gonna be the Lord if I die?!”

“Who cares?! Even a dog would be better than you!”

“Argh!”

I looked away from the brutal sight. The Second Elder also scratches his cheek, troubled by the situation.

I carefully walked towards the Second Elder and spoke to him.

“Is it alright to leave them like that? He’s really going to die if we let them be.”

“The men of the Peng Clan are built so well that even beating them up with the strongest steel won’t kill them. Don’t worry about it.”

“Save me…”

“…Are you sure?”

Peng Ah-Hee took a breath and calmed down a little after beating up the man like a doll.

Peng Woojin, meanwhile, still laid on the ground, emanated an aura that made one uncertain as to whether he was still alive or not.

“Get up.”

Peng Ah-Hee spoke in an icy tone, but Peng Woojin continued lying on the ground, now seeming to be more dead than alive.

“If you don’t get up, I’m going to destroy your genitals with a brick.”

“I’m up!”

Peng Woojin shot up immediately, cold sweat streaming down his back upon hearing the unimaginably brutal words.

Peng Ah-Hee let out a deep sigh while looking at Peng Woojin.

She seemed to have a lot of thoughts.

“Well, I found you, so it doesn’t matter… Let’s go back home, brother.”

People who were wearing black appeared behind Peng Ah-Hee.

They were members of the Peng clan, who were also included among Peng Ah-Hee’s escorts.

Peng Ah-Hee, who was momentarily shocked when she saw me and the Second Elder, came over to us.

“I apologize for causing so much trouble.”

“You are the daughter of Peng?”

“Yes, I am Peng Ah-Hee, Flaming Fist sir.”

“Unlike your brother, you seemed to be educated well. That bear of a man really has some great kids.”

A bear-like man calling another man a bear…

“We won’t forget about the troubles we have caused here and will surely repay you. We will take our leave now so that we don’t cause any more trouble.”

“I’m not going back, Ah-Hee.”

Peng Ah-Hee turns around and looks at Peng Woojin with axe-like eyes.

“You’re really going to keep bullshitting?”

“I’m not bullshitting. I have no plans to go back to the Peng clan.”

“What’s the reason then brother, why are you acting like this?”

“The Peng Clan is no fun.”

Why is that madman always talking about having fun? Peng Ah-Hee responds as if she also read my mind.

“Then the Gu Clan is fun? Are all the other clans more fun than the Peng? Why are you always on about having fun in other places?”

“It’s probably more fun than our place at least.”

“Brother, please grow up. You are the Young Master.”

“Exactly why I must have fun before I become the Lord. The only way to not become the Lord is to either die or become half disabled, and I don’t like those choices.”

Peng Woojin’s eyes showed that he had already made up his mind.

“I may not want to become the lord, but I don’t see anyone else worthy enough to become one. Besides you, Ah-Hee, everyone in the clan are just a bunch of beasts who have the name of Peng, and they can’t beat me even if they all fought me at once.”

He harshly judges the other members of his bloodline as he speaks.

He may have come off as someone with too much pride and arrogance, but he definitely had the talent to back it up.

“But then I can’t let you become the Lord, so I’ll inevitably become the lord one day. That is the reason why I accepted the Young Master title which I loathe and find annoying.”

I somehow saw justification in the madman’s reasoning, as if I myself had gone insane while listening to his rant.

Peng Ah-Hee rubbed her temples. It seemed she’d gotten a headache because of the situation.

Then, the Second Elder stepped in.

“I was going to let him participate as this old man thought it’d be fun, but since I have to think about the Peng Clan’s perspective, let’s make a deal.”

At the Second Elder’s words, Peng Ah-Hee looked at him nervously while Peng Woojin looked at him with visible excitement.

“I’ll let you in if you beat me in a battle.”

“…What nonsense are you on about?”

I was expecting him to say something smart, but nope.

Even if Peng Woojin becomes one of the strongest in the future, he still had a lot to learn as of now. There was no way he was going to beat the Elder.

“…Wait, you don’t even have to beat me by brute force. I’ll count it as a win if you can hit me in ten attacks.”

“That’s it?”

Peng Woojin lit up at the words of the Second Elder. Peng Ah-Hee, who was behind them, only looked at them nervously, unable to interfere.

“Yes, I’ll let you have ten attacks. You win if you can so much as touch my clothes within those ten attacks.”

Peng Woojin pulled out his sword and got into his battle stance as soon as the conversation ended.

Wait… They are going to do it here when there are so many people here?

“Wait-”

I was going to stop them but the Second Elder punched at Peng Woojin’s face in a flash.

– POW!

Peng Woojin fell to the ground after making a sound that shouldn’t have been produced by a mere punch.

His fall was different from when he rolled to the ground after Peng Ah-Hee’s attacks.

…He might have actually died this time.

“I controlled my strength, so he’ll be up soon.”

“…Second Elder, weren’t you only going to dodge?”

“I never said that.”

This old man…

“Anyways, this problem is solved now, right?”

“But even so, was punching the guy really the only option, especially when the guy you punched is the Young Master?”

“If a man is annoying, shutting them up is the solution.”

“…It’s just that violence shouldn’t be the way.”

“How dare you say violence?! It was a duel.”

“…But you said he wins if he touches your clothes. Doesn’t that mean he won since he touched your fist?”

When I stabbed him with facts, the Second Elder let out a fake cough.

He definitely didn’t think that far ahead.