Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I was screwed.

That was the first thought that came to mind.

‘Ah, I’m seriously screwed.’

This was bad. I never expected that relic to show up here.

‘I didn’t even know it still existed.’

Even though the Gu Clan’s secret archives were smaller compared to other major families, the number of relics stored inside was not insignificant.

I hadn’t memorized each and every one of them. But the reason I remembered this one was—

‘Because it’s a truly bizarre object.’

A relic that could determine whether two people were related by blood.

The fact that such a thing existed was strange enough.

The ironic part was that many prestigious families were willing to pay a hefty sum just to borrow it.

Apparently, in families where things were particularly messy, this kind of verification was necessary more often than one would expect.

Because of that, I had at least some knowledge of it.

‘But I never thought…’

That I’d be the one on the receiving end of it.

I frowned as I watched the blood trickling down the surface of the bead. Blood Wheel Bead. This was how it worked.

The user would infuse the bead with their qi.

Then, they would introduce the blood of the person to be tested.

During that process, if the bead reacted, it would begin to glow.

‘…And now, just like that.’

The bead, now shimmering in a golden light, had a single, undeniable meaning.

‘It’s proof of blood relations.’

It confirmed that the owner of the qi and the owner of the blood were of the same lineage.

“That’s quite the strong glow. Don’t you think so?”