Chapter 135
Chapter 135
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: An Offer from the North Sea Ice Palace
-----------------------------------------------------------------
From a while ago.
She had been standing there. Wi Seong-cheon leaned out over the railing to stare at her. The distance was considerable, but her face was perfectly clear.
An exotic look. Nothing like the martial bone inheritors such as Paeng Yeon-hwa or Hwangbo Seong-u. If one had to compare, she resembled Cheong U-bin of the Jang-i tribe, though her ears were not nearly as long as those of the Jang-i people.
Even so, her features were so striking that it made one question if she could possibly be the same person.
She let her hair fall long, mirroring the hue of a clear blue sky, and fixed this way with vivid azure eyes. Her skin was as pale as white jade.
'A color-eyed one.'
There was no need to wonder who she was. Workers from Golden Thread Lake approached the woman standing stock-still. They were burly martial artists hired to guard against any potential incidents.
「……What are they doing?」
Wi Seong-cheon pointed toward the woman as she tussled with them. At his words, Je-gal Yi-hyeon chuckled while swirling his wine cup.
「The North Sea Ice Palace is in dire financial straits.」
「Pardon?」
「It's a bit indelicate to say it this way, but the North Sea Ice Palace hasn't been wiped out solely due to the mercy of the Je-gal Clan and the Black Serpent Union.」
「What do you mean……」
「The Black Serpent Union provides them with a measure of financial support, and the Je-gal Clan permits their catches in certain seas under our control. In exchange, the North Sea Ice Palace refrains from meddling in Je-gal Clan affairs in Guangxi.」
Wi Seong-cheon turned to Je-gal Yi-hyeon with a look of utter disbelief.
「Isn't the North Sea Ice Palace one of the six great unorthodox renowned sects?」
「What's the point? They refuse to take outsiders as disciples—only blood kin.」
Lay disciples formed a major pillar of any sect's finances. Yet the North Sea Ice Palace accepted none.
Thus, they received no funding through such channels either.
「They cling to their traditions to an excessive degree and refuse to stoop to anything contrary to the martial path. Truth be told, with their level of martial prowess, earning money would be trivial. And yet the North Sea Ice Palace remains shackled by tradition and does no such thing. 'How could the heirs of the snow country debase themselves with the labors of the soil?' Still, they can't very well starve, so they eke out a living with some fishing in the seas.」
「……So that's why she's pulling this?」
「This place is pricey.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon guffawed.
「Not just this lake—the entire surrounding area is Golden Thread Lake's private property. Simply setting foot here demands a small fortune, which the North Sea Ice Palace could never afford. She must have slipped in without permission.」
That explained the scuffle. Wi Seong-cheon glanced back that way with pity in his eyes.
Unauthorized entry or not, the guards dared not lay rough hands on her. They had no wish to provoke her rashly. They merely insisted she leave the premises, but Snow Flower Ha Ji-eun ignored every word with a stony face.
「……Not going to help her?」
「The blood kin of the North Sea Ice Palace possess tremendous pride. I would like to assist, but she would perceive it as mere pity.」
「Then you're just going to leave her be?」
「You really don't know, do you.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon chuckled as he lifted his wine cup to his lips.
「People with lofty pride are almost always stubborn and overweeningly proud themselves.」
It was impossible to refute.
When he turned to look again, the altercation had ended. The guards who had approached to eject Ha Ji-eun stood frozen solid, mouths still agape.
The distance was great, but Wi Seong-cheon could make out the thin layer of frost blanketing their skin.
Ha Ji-eun walked forward. Her foot touched the rippling surface of the lake.
Crack!
The ripples ceased. Ha Ji-eun pressed on without stopping. Wherever her feet landed, a frozen path formed.
「Heavenly Snow Transformation, handed down only to the palace lord's direct line. What a spectacle.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon chortled as he peered downward. Ha Ji-eun, having crossed the lake, halted and now gazed up at them.
「You've come all this way—seeking permission?」
「I worried it might come across as rude.」
「A fine show warrants a round on the house.」
At those words, Ha Ji-eun sprang lightly into the air. She alighted on the pavilion's railing and looked down upon Je-gal Yi-hyeon and Wi Seong-cheon.
「That means you'll welcome me as a guest?」
「Naturally.」
Ha Ji-eun nodded and stepped down from the railing. Je-gal Yi-hyeon's reply signified he would cover whatever bill she racked up.
Wi Seong-cheon stared at Ha Ji-eun in sheer disbelief.
[Didn't you say she has immense pride? This is fine?]
[She's not so inflexible as to spurn even this.]
In the end, didn't that just mean she acted on her own whims? Ha Ji-eun descended from the railing and took a seat beside Wi Seong-cheon as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She then casually turned her head to regard him.
「Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace—Snow Flower Ha Ji-eun.」
「……Ah, yes. The young sect leader of the Heavenly Flower Sect……」
「Latent Dragon Wi Seong-cheon, young hero.」
「Pardon?」
「Join hands with me.」
She proposed it without the slightest hesitation. Wi Seong-cheon gawked at Ha Ji-eun's face before sneaking a peek at Je-gal Yi-hyeon's expression.
Je-gal Yi-hyeon watched them with evident amusement, stroking his chin.
「……Out of the blue like this?」
「Young Je-gal. Have you spoken with Latent Dragon?」
「I have.」
「Then there's no need for me to belabor the point.」
Ha Ji-eun's blue eyes bored into Wi Seong-cheon. Her limpid pupils reflected his face like a mirror.
「Join hands with me.」
「That's……」
「I returned expressly to meet you.」
「I……」
「I had planned to make contact before you joined the Je-gal Clan.」
「No, wait a……」
「Though Young Je-gal stole a march on me.」
Ha Ji-eun showed no inclination to hear him out. Wi Seong-cheon was no stranger to his words falling on deaf ears—conversations with Mu Yeon-jun had gone much the same. If anything, Mu Yeon-jun had been the more accommodating one.
「Young lady, just a……」
「Whatever terms you desire, I shall accommodate them as best……」
「Interrupt me one more time and I'll seriously.」
「……Seriously?」
Ha Ji-eun cocked her head. Je-gal Yi-hyeon could no longer hold back his laughter. Wi Seong-cheon unclenched his fist with a sigh.
「……Yeah, seriously…… I'll head home.」
Ha Ji-eun blinked. She stared at Wi Seong-cheon for a moment before nodding. Then she abruptly snatched up an empty wine cup and thrust it toward Je-gal Yi-hyeon.
「Pour.」
「Hm?」
「You said you would welcome me as a guest.」
「And if I don't?」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon asked with a roguish smile. Ha Ji-eun fixed him with an icy glare.
「Do you intend to eat your words?」
「Minds change on a whim.」
「Then there's no helping it.」
The wine cup in Ha Ji-eun's grasp frosted over, white rime forming upon it. As she set it down to rise, Je-gal Yi-hyeon raised a hand to halt her.
「Just a jest—sit yourself.」
「Why?」
「My mind changed again, that's all. Besides, I have no desire to cross you.」
「Are you pitying me?」
「Perish the thought. As I said—my mind changed.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon spoke with a straight face. Ha Ji-eun gave a reluctant shake of her head and resumed her seat.
「Since you put it that way, refusing would ill befit decorum.」
It was comical to hear her frame such blatant coaxing in those terms, but he couldn't very well laugh outright.
He had heard as much from Jeong Mi-ju, and from Je-gal Yi-hyeon too—the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace brimmed with pride.
Drip. Je-gal Yi-hyeon topped off Ha Ji-eun's cup.
「A bit more.」
「I know the drill.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon filled it to the brim with a practiced air. Yet the wine did not spill over. Ha Ji-eun's profoundly yin-attuned inner power had frozen it solid.
Her expression unchanging, she moistened her lips with a single drop before setting the cup down.
「Drain it and I'll refill.」
「No need.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon shrugged at her curt response.
「Young hero.」
「Ah, yes.」
Wi Seong-cheon scratched his chin as he regarded Ha Ji-eun. Je-gal Yi-hyeon chuckled into his drink, his demeanor suggesting he had no intention of meddling in Wi Seong-cheon's decision. Or did he? Wi Seong-cheon lapsed into thought.
Ha Ji-eun's brazen demeanor flustered him, but thanks to Je-gal Yi-hyeon's prior rundown of Black Forest affairs, his thoughts did not snag.
Which meant it came down to choosing a line.
Thunderclap Je-gal Yi-hyeon and Snow Flower Ha Ji-eun. Both were among Black Forest's six paramount stars. Among the Black Tyrants, the prime choice for an alliance would naturally be the Seven Star Black Dragon Sanggwan Hu—but Wi Seong-cheon had yet to make contact.
'Moreover, it's questionable whether Sanggwan Hu even has his eye on me.'
No students dispatched to Black Forest from the Heavenly Academy had been finalized yet, but predicting as much was child's play. The upper class—Dragon-Phoenix—would certainly be sent.
'Where do I rank?'
Not first.
That much was certain. The stars' top recruitment targets would be the tournament victor Woo Ha-yeon or runner-up Mu Yeon-jun. Black Dragon Sanggwan Hu would likely prioritize them as well.
By contrast, Je-gal Yi-hyeon and Ha Ji-eun had their sights set squarely on Wi Seong-cheon.
「Do the two of you regard each other as enemies?」
Wi Seong-cheon asked, looking between Je-gal Yi-hyeon and Ha Ji-eun.
「We compete in the Black Forest.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon was the one who answered.
「But we are hardly enemies. The Je-gal Clan and North Sea Ice Palace have long been acquainted.」
「We would become enemies if necessity demanded it.」
「Is that how you see it? I do not.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon bared his white teeth in a grin. Ha Ji-eun thawed a sliver of her frozen wine and licked off a drop.
「You don't consider me an enemy, then.」
「Good heavens, no. Your Heavenly Snow Transformation has advanced considerably since I last beheld it. To be frank, I could not guarantee victory in a fight against you.」
「……」
「But the inverse holds true as well. We'd only know for certain upon crossing blades, but is there any need to do so prematurely?」
Ha Ji-eun set her wine cup down without reply. Wi Seong-cheon gathered his thoughts while under their gazes.
「Prematurely.」
Wi Seong-cheon murmured with a smirk.
「Indeed, there's no need for the two of you to bare your fangs just yet.」
「What are you driving at.」
「What is your aim, young lady? Simply to recruit me into an alliance? And what do you seek to gain thereby?」
「Didn't Young Je-gal tell you?」
「I am asking your aim.」
「You're asking the obvious.」
Ha Ji-eun's eyes grew keen.
「My desire is the North Sea Ice Palace's glory.」
「Glory?」
「To become the Black Demon King's formal disciple and make its name resound.」
「What does that have to do with the North Sea Ice……」
Wi Seong-cheon could not comprehend and nearly pressed her, but in that instant Je-gal Yi-hyeon's transmission reached him.
[Ha young lady may be a paramount star in Black Forest and the young palace lord besides, facing no personal hardship—but the other disciples of North Sea Ice Palace lead grueling lives. She funnels her Black Forest earnings into the palace coffers as much as possible, but it's hardly abundant. Become the Black Demon King's formal disciple, however, and the palace's finances would improve markedly.]
A matter of survival, then.
「……Do the stars of Black Forest never join hands?」
「Why wouldn't they? Necessity sees them ally freely—then break apart just as readily. Such occurs most frequently among the lesser stars. Betrayals abound in equal measure.」
「I require no one's aid. Only the supreme arts of the North Sea Ice Palace shall prove my worth.」
Ha Ji-eun spat the words in a frigid tone. Je-gal Yi-hyeon shrugged as if he had anticipated as much, and Wi Seong-cheon easily discerned what Je-gal Yi-hyeon sought.
He had welcomed Ha Ji-eun as a guest not out of mere amusement at the situation.
「Understood, young lady.」
Wi Seong-cheon nodded and extended his hand.
「I shall join hands with you.」
Ha Ji-eun's lip twitched. But no smile formed.
Her face remained as coolly impassive as ever as she extended her hand in turn.
Thus did they clasp hands. Ha Ji-eun's was exceedingly cold.
「And with brother as well.」
Wi Seong-cheon grinned and reached toward Je-gal Yi-hyeon, who seized his hand without missing a beat.
「……What do you think you're doing?」
Ha Ji-eun's voice sank as cold as her grip. Wi Seong-cheon, holding both their hands in his own, tilted his head at her.
「What it looks like?」
「I have no patience for games.」
「This isn't a game. You said stars can ally, didn't you?」
「And?」
「For this occasion, why don't the two of you join hands as well.」
From the moment he hadn't turned Ha Ji-eun away. Je-gal Yi-hyeon had hoped for precisely this.
Never had he intended to secure merely Wi Seong-cheon to check Black Prince or the other paramount Black Tyrants.
Stars could ally with one another whenever their interests aligned.
In that regard, Ha Ji-eun made for an enticing piece.
「What happens in such a case?」
「Hm, nothing's firmly established yet—but stars probably won't share merits equally.」
「Then the two of you can settle matters between yourselves later.」
We'd only know for certain upon crossing blades, but is there any need to do so prematurely?
Je-gal Yi-hyeon had all but spelled it out for her.
「I shall take both your hands.」
Wi Seong-cheon said, meeting Ha Ji-eun's eyes.
「More allies are always better in these matters. I can't promise what I might achieve in Black Forest just yet, but the two of you can hash out the division later.」
「Makes no difference to me. More allies are preferable, as you say.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon turned to Ha Ji-eun.
「And you, young lady? Having returned from Black Forest, you seem quite keen on Latent Dragon yourself.」
「……I simply deemed Sword Seal and Heavenly Person difficult to recruit. You must as well.」
「Black Tyrants brim with the greedy.」
「Do you take me for a fool?」
Tsk.
Ha Ji-eun clicked her tongue and shot Wi Seong-cheon a glare.
「I've heard Dragon-Phoenix is arrogant and unyielding.」
Not the sort of thing for her to say. Wi Seong-cheon and Je-gal Yi-hyeon shared the thought but kept it to themselves.
「Even if we wished to recruit them, it would prove no easy task.」
「Most are righteous to the marrow. They might covet the rewards, but they'd never fully commit to the unorthodox.」
Disciples of renowned orthodox sects—what else could one expect? But what of Wi Seong-cheon?
'Latent Dragon is surrounded by Mok-geol, Ho-a, and Dok-jeop.'
'Sword Seal holds him in particular esteem, they say.'
'Dok-jeop is Heavenly Killer's disciple……Who knows how much stronger he's grown in mere months.'
'Even that Sa-hee treats Latent Dragon with fondness.'
'Heavenly Person shows an inexplicable favoritism solely toward him.'
Je-gal Yi-hyeon and Ha Ji-eun harbored identical thoughts. Word of the Heavenly Academy tourney had already spread through unorthodox murim.
Oddly enough, Wi Seong-cheon stood at the center of its prodigies.
'Secure Latent Dragon, and we might draw in Heavenly Person or Sword Seal too.'
'Even if not, Latent Dragon's prowess is undeniable.'
'He toppled Strongbone and Little Buddha-Image.'
'He forced Poison-Blood Ghost Demon to withdraw.'
'Subdued Bi-yeon in an instant, they say.'
In the end, Ha Ji-eun held the weaker hand. The financially strained North Sea Ice Palace had little to offer in alliance recruitment.
By contrast, scions like Je-gal Yi-hyeon could proffer a bounty of terms.
Whether the orthodox prodigies would accept him remained dubious—but Ha Ji-eun had no cards to play.
「Very well.」
Ha Ji-eun shook her head in resignation.
「If that's your will, young hero, so be it. Young Je-gal—for the time being, I shall join hands with you as well.」
「And betrayal?」
「I stake my life upon it.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon smiled thinly and released Wi Seong-cheon's hand.
「Splendid. A mere verbal pact it may be, but I stake the Je-gal Clan's honor upon it.」
「As do I—the North Sea Ice Palace's honor.」
「Then what of me? Staking Heavenly Flower Sect feels a touch inadequate.」
「Ha ha, in that case, stake your personal honor.」
Je-gal Yi-hyeon laughed as he spoke, though his curved eyes gleamed sharply.
「If you're to clasp our hands together, that is.」
Wi Seong-cheon grinned nonchalantly despite the veiled threat.
「I'm honored to possess an honor worth staking.」
「Latent Dragon's name suffices anywhere.」
「But brother, demanding an answer on the spot is a bit much. I'm grateful you hold me in such esteem, but.」
Wi Seong-cheon glanced between Ha Ji-eun and Je-gal Yi-hyeon.
「I shall give it deep consideration regardless.」
「Consideration alone?」
「That suffices. I'm confident.」
Though Ha Ji-eun lifted her brows in query, Je-gal Yi-hyeon silenced her and raised a hand toward the deck below the pavilion.
「Such a response calls for celebration in itself. Don't you agree, Ha young lady? With so little set in stone for the Heavenly Academy-Black Forest exchange, let us not press Latent Dragon unduly.」
Ha Ji-eun tsked softly and averted her gaze from Wi Seong-cheon. She too had opted to withdraw for the moment.
As Je-gal Yi-hyeon said, few details of the exchange had been finalized.
「This calls for revelry, yet the table has grown shabby. Fetch Golden Thread Tower's finest liquor. Prepare fresh dishes as well.」
No sooner had he spoken than Ha Ji-eun—who had been nursing her cup—drained it in one go and shot to her feet.
「Talks concluded—I shall take my leave.」
「No, why the rush?」
「There's no cause to linger.」
「Nonsense. Haven't we agreed to join hands? We must celebrate together.」
「You mean?」
「If nothing urgent beckons, stay and share the festivities.」
「……Since you phrase it so, refusing would ill befit decorum.」
Ha Ji-eun sank back into her seat with evident reluctance.
As the new premium dishes and liquor began arriving, her face remained as blankly rigid as ever—but gulp.
Wi Seong-cheon heard the workings of her throat as she swallowed dryly.