Chapter 105
“Excuse me, may I ask you something?”
The cold was bitter and biting.
Amidst the ceaselessly falling snow, an old man in thick clothes was working without rest.
When someone approached and spoke to him, the old man glanced over briefly before continuing his work as he answered.
“Aye. Ask whatever you like. If it’s something I know, I’ll answer.”
“Do you know where the North Sea Ice Palace is? I was told it was around here.”
“The North Sea Ice Palace? If you’re looking for that, just follow the main road to the right for about half a day, and you’ll find it.”
Once again, the old man merely pointed with his hand and continued his work.
“I see. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. But the road is treacherous, so you’d best be caref… Huh?”
Having just finished his task, the old man turned his head, but the person he had been speaking with just moments before had vanished without a trace.
The old man’s face went blank.
“There was definitely someone here…”
Someone who looked like he or she was from the Central Plains was dressed in thin clothes.
“Did I see a ghost?”
A shiver suddenly ran down the old man’s spine.
It was the thought that it might have truly been a ghost. Otherwise, how could someone wear such thin clothes in this freezing place? Did that even make sense?
The old man rubbed his arms and began to work even more diligently, trying to forget what had just happened.
*Heave. Ho.*
Only the sound of the old man’s diligent movements echoed far along the path where snow was steadily piling up.
***
This was the North Sea.
It was literally the cold continent of the north, a place where a tremendous chill blew all year round.
But even in this land of snow and cold, there was one place whose name shone brilliantly throughout the Murim: the North Sea Ice Palace.
Moreover, the current Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, Seol Ja-gang, was even listed among the Ten Great Masters of Murim, meaning the Ice Palace’s influence in the current martial world was by no means small.
But now.
Unbeknownst to anyone, a great crisis had befallen the North Sea Ice Palace.
“How! How could you do this!”
In the Palace Lord’s Hall of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Facing the sharp spear tips lined up before him, a youthful man with skin so white it was almost pale screamed, his face contorted.
Behind the young man, a middle-aged man who resembled him staggered, his complexion dark and ashen.
The Palace Lord’s Hall was currently in a standoff between warriors of two factions due to a sudden rebellion.
*Damn it!*
The pale-skinned young man ground his teeth in frustration.
He was the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, Seol Jong-woo.
And behind him, sitting on a large, ornately carved chair and coughing ceaselessly, was the pale-faced man who was the current Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace, Seol Ja-gang.
How had it come to this?
It was a year ago that his perfectly healthy body had begun to rapidly deteriorate.
At first, thinking it was an illness, they had summoned all manner of physicians to examine his symptoms.
But far from getting better, they couldn’t even determine the name of the disease.
There were a worsening cough, limbs that grew weaker by the day, a face that was turning black as if dying, and a body that was gradually wasting away.
No medicine could alleviate the symptoms, and Seol Ja-gang’s condition only deepened.
It was only recently that they discovered the nature of his ailment.
Seol Ja-gang’s symptoms were not from an illness, but from a deadly poison.
He had been poisoned and was slowly dying.
And the culprit was none other than the Palace Lord’s own brother.
With bloodshot eyes, the Young Palace Lord Seol Jong-woo glared at the men they were facing, and beyond them, at the middle-aged man who was smiling arrogantly.
“This cannot be. How could you abandon all human decency!”
“My, my. What are you talking about?”
It was that man.
That man was the mastermind behind this entire affair.
His name was Seol Ja-gyun.
He was the younger brother of the North Sea Ice Palace’s Lord, and thus, an uncle.
This was his doing.
The elders had always said to be wary of him, for he was greedy and avaricious.
But his father had embraced him, saying he was the father's only brother, and had overlooked all his flaws.
And yet.
That man, knowing no gratitude, had gone so far as to attempt to assassinate his own brother, the Palace Lord.
As Seol Jong-woo raced him, saying he was his only brother and had overlooked all his flaws, yet that man, knowing no gratitude, had gone so far as to attempt to assassinate his own brother, the Palace Lord. As Seol Jong-woo’s fists trembled, the ashen-faced Seol Ja-gang placed a hand on his shoulder. “Step aside.” “Father! You can’t. Not in your condition!” “No. I cannot forgive that bastard.” Though Seol Jong-woo’s fists trembled, the ashen-faced Seol Ja-gang placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Step aside.”
“Father! You can’t. Not in your condition!”
“No. I cannot forgive that bastard.”
Though he had been poisoned for a long time and could not properly use his strength, the aura Seol Ja-gang unleashed when he set his mind to it was still formidable.
“Heh heh. As expected of my dear brother. You truly are remarkable to have such an aura even in your state.”
Seol Ja-gyun smiled slyly, gently stroking the tip of his beard with his fingers.
Normally, Seol Ja-gyun would have quickly tucked his tail at Seol Ja-gang’s fierce energy, but he still wore an arrogant smile.
It was because he had an ace up his sleeve.
“But what to do? The only thing I prepared wasn’t just poison. I know very well that if I don’t succeed this time, my own head will fly. Heh heh.”
mile. It was because he had an ace up his sleeve. “But what to do? The only thing I prepared wasn’t just poison. I know very well that if I don’t succeed this time, my own head will fly. Heh heh.” As Seol Ja-gyun chuckled, someone soon appeared from behind him. It was a man with a large sword scar on his forehead. At his appearance, Seol Ja-gang’s face twitched. He was a master. He could tell the moment.
It was a man with a large sword scar on his forehead.
At his appearance, Seol Ja-gang’s face twitched.
He was a master. One could tell the moment he appeared.
His presence was anything but ordinary.
The man who had just revealed himself introduced himself.
“I am Maeng Ha-cheon of the Shooting Flying Twin Swords.”
“The Shooting Flying Twin Swords!”
Even here in the North Sea, far from the Central Plains, his name was well known.
Although he had not made it onto the list of the Ten Great Masters, the Shooting Flying Twin Swords was a peak master who was evaluated to become one in the future.
He might even be a master not far behind a fully healthy Seol Ja-gang.
After a quick assessment of the situation, Maeng Ha-cheon licked his lips and spoke.
“Tsk, I was hoping to get a taste of the great Ice Emperor’s Ice White Divine Art, what a shame. Dealing with a corpse really takes the wind out of my sails.”
He was acting utterly arrogant, as if he had already won.
And for good reason. Seol Ja-gang’s condition was just that bad.
So bad that even a master far below Maeng Ha-cheon could have taken him down somehow.
So it was no surprise that he spoke this way.
Seol Jong-woo now looked at Seol Ja-gyun with a face that was beyond anger and into disbelief.
“As if poisoning my father wasn’t despicable enough, you brought in an outsider? Have you truly lost your mind? How could you commit such a terrible act…!”
“Hmph. A brat like you, who was promised everything from your birth, would never understand!”
you brought in an outsider? Have you truly lost your mind? How could you commit such a terrible act…!” “Hmph. A brat like you, who was promised everything from your birth, would never understand!” As Seol Jong-woo berated him with all his might, Seol Ja-gyun, the instigator of this rebellion, twisted his face and spoke. He looked as if he had a perfectly valid reason for his actions. “Do you have any idea?”
He looked as if he had a perfectly valid reason for his actions.
“Do you have any idea how much I’ve been ignored and suffered my entire life, being compared to my brother! Just because I was the second son, I had to endure all that contempt!”
His eyes were now gleaming with madness.
“If I had been the firstborn! Yes, if that brother of mine who thinks he’s so great didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have ended up like this! Besides, I could have made the Ice Palace even greater than it is now. Yes. Of course! So what I’m doing is all for the future of the Ice Palace! Do you understand!”
Ha.
It was utter nonsense.
He had been a problem child since he was young, and because he was arrogant and conceited without having the talent to back it up, he had long since fallen out of favor with his father, the previous Palace Lord.
Even after he was old enough to know better, his temperament never changed.
He caused all sorts of scandals and problems wherever he went, not to mention his bad behavior.
In other words, the treatment he had received until now was all his own doing.
And yet, he thought all of it was discrimination and contempt he received for being the second son.
How could he be so ignorant of himself?
It was the height of absurdity.
It was nothing more than the ravings of a foolish man blinded by greed.
The problem was that the man spouting this nonsense was holding a sword.
I was too complacent.
He had felt something was off a year ago, when his father’s health began to decline rapidly.
He shouldn’t have ignored that feeling back then. He should have taken measures somehow.
To think that man had prepared this much for today’s rebellion.
His father’s health began to decline rapidly. He shouldn’t have ignored that feeling back then. He should have taken measures somehow. To think that man had prepared this much for today’s rebellion. Neither Seol Ja-gang nor the Young Palace Lord, Seol Jong-woo, had anticipated this. “Seol Ja-gyun! You bastard! How could you…!” Enraged by his brother’s shameless self-justification, Seol Ja-gang pushed his inte-gang.
“Seol Ja-gyun! You bastard! How could you…!”
Enraged by his brother’s shameless self-justification, Seol Ja-gang pushed his internal energy too hard, coughed up blood, and collapsed.
“*Guuuhk!* *Cough, cough!*”
“Father!”
“Tsk, tsk. Well, then. There’s no need to drag this out any longer. Please take care of them quickly.”
rnal energy too hard, coughed up blood, and collapsed. “*Guuuhk!* *Cough, cough!*” “Father!” “Tsk, tsk. Well, then. There’s no need to drag this out any longer. Please take care of them quickly.” At Seol Ja-gyun’s urging, Maeng Ha-cheon nodded. He drew the twin swords from his back and strode toward Seol Ja-gang. “Stop him!” Unable to just watch, Seol Jong-woo and the Palace Lord’s personal guards tried.
He drew the twin swords from his back and strode toward Seol Ja-gang.
“Stop him!”
Unable to just watch, Seol Jong-woo and the Palace Lord’s personal guards tried to block him, but it was hopeless.
*Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang.*
With just a few swings of Maeng Ha-cheon’s swords, they were all swiftly subdued.
But he did not take their lives. Why?
It was because Seol Ja-gyun had instructed him to spare everyone but the Palace Lord for now.
It was to create a plausible picture for when he officially took over as Palace Lord.
*Swoosh.*
Having cleared away everyone blocking his path, Maeng Ha-cheon stood before Seol Ja-gang, who was spitting blood on the floor.
“I’m just a man who works for money, so don’t resent me too much. It’s not like I’m doing this out of any personal grudge.”
He then raised his sword high.
“N-No! Father!”
Seol Jong-woo, collapsed on the floor, reached out his hand toward Seol Ja-gang.
Taking in that last image of his son, Seol Ja-gang closed his eyes.
His heart felt utterly empty.
If only he could have faced his enemy in proper condition and met his end, he wouldn’t have felt this way as a martial artist.
But to die like this.
As a martial artist, he felt he had truly run out of luck.
Just as Maeng Ha-cheon was about to swing his sword down with great force,
*KUUWAAAAANG!*
The doors of the Palace Lord’s Hall suddenly shattered, and warriors came tumbling inside.
In that instant, everyone’s gaze turned to the entrance.
“My, what’s this? I just wanted to come in and have a word, but why is everyone so uptight? It doesn’t look like you’re planning anything good, either.”
Dusting off his hands, a handsome man dressed in the attire of the Central Plains walked in.
But the strange thing was his thin clothing, which was completely out of place in the North Sea.
Regardless of whether people found him strange, the man opened his mouth.
“Ah, you all seem busy, but I’m in a bit of a hurry myself. This place is just so ridiculously far.”
*Wh-Who?*
Everyone stared at him with the same expression.
Then, he grinned and said.
“I’ve come to buy a root of the Ice Phoenix Herb.”
For a moment, a silence fell over the entire North Sea Ice Palace, which had been in a state of urgent turmoil.
The man was none other than Yeo Un-hwi.