Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Invitation to the North Sea Ice Palace
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‘What should I do now?'
Such thoughts ran through his mind as he stepped out of the brothel.
Thanks to Jeong Mi-ju, he'd easily obtained information from the Beggars' Sect branch, but the problem was that he had far too much time left.
Even subtracting the travel time back to the Heavenly Academy, there was still a full month until the semester started.
What to do with that month?
If he'd known it would be like this, maybe he should've just gone back with Jeong Mi-ju.
The main headquarters of the Golden Name Escort Agency—Jeong Mi-ju's home base—was in Zhongqing, fairly close to the Heavenly Academy.
'The Beggars' Sect must have a branch in Zhongqing too. If I'd just followed Senior Jeong Mi-ju...'
No doubt he'd end up running errands for her left and right.
Thinking about that made him glad he hadn't gone with her.
And the fact that Jeong Mi-ju hadn't insisted on taking him along probably meant there was a good reason for it.
'Maybe the Guangxi branch has more reliable info. Or...'
Perhaps it was consideration on her part.
Zhongqing was the heart of the righteous faction martial world.
Even the Apostolic Sect couldn't match the Beggars' Sect when it came to knowledge of the unorthodox world, and the Zhongqing Beggars' Sect branch might not have as much intel on the black path as the Guangxi one.
In the end, his thoughts narrowed to the idea that Jeong Mi-ju had been looking out for him.
At the same time, he pondered how to make use of this suddenly free month.
Should he just head back to the Heavenly Academy like this?
Honestly, that didn't appeal.
Then maybe go somewhere else.
'Sichuan... might be worth a visit.'
It was a fair distance, but not impossible.
If he visited the Tang Clan there, he wouldn't be treated poorly.
Not only Dang Heeran, but even Dang Seona showed plenty of interest in Wi Seong-cheon.
There were other places he felt like checking out too.
Wi Seong-cheon's body was vastly different from other martial artists'. Plus, the Return Flow—a variant of the Star Absorption Great Law—put considerable strain on his body.
His middle dantian had opened, greatly increasing his internal energy, and after the sparring tournament and the training cave, his martial arts had advanced significantly. But he still hadn't found a solution to the drawbacks of the Return Flow.
'If I can fully merge it into oneness and use Spirit Ignition, would that solve it?'
He had no certainty, so he wanted to show his body properly to the Poison Martial Lord and hear what she thought.
"...Huh?"
Lost in thought as he walked, Wi Seong-cheon blinked.
Deep in the alley, someone stood as if hiding, yet made no effort to suppress their presence.
Their gaze was blatant too, openly declaring their recognition of him through silent insistence.
Ha Ji-eun.
She looked exactly as she had last time.
It had only been a few days, so no change in appearance was expected, but she was even wearing the same clothes.
Were they similar outfits, or did she own multiples of the exact same one?
Wi Seong-cheon tried not to dwell on it as he tilted his head.
"...What are you doing there?"
"I've been waiting for you, young hero."
Of course. What other reason would the Little Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace have for coming to the entertainment district?
Ha Ji-eun's brows furrowed as she stared at the blinking Wi Seong-cheon.
"Did you enjoy yourself fully?"
"Pardon?"
"You just came from the red-light district. Hitting places like that from early evening—what a surprise. You seem like a lecher despite appearances."
"No, wait. Don't misunderstand. I did go to the brothel, but..."
"But?"
"I didn't do anything you'd imagine."
"With the scent of powder wafting off you, pretending otherwise is a bit shameless, isn't it?"
"I told you, no."
"Then you must've visited the Beggars' Sect."
Ha Ji-eun muttered. Wi Seong-cheon scowled in injustice at her words.
"You knew the brothel I came from was a Beggars' Sect branch—why make that assumption?"
"You never know. Even if it's a Beggars' Sect branch, it looks like a cheap brothel on the outside. You could be a pervert who prefers the low-end stuff despite how you seem."
"What the hell do you think I am?"
"I didn't particularly want to misunderstand you, but the situation suggests it. They say righteous sect luminaries who act like paragons on the surface secretly indulge in twisted lusts behind closed doors."
"You've got some strange prejudices. There might be some like that in the righteous factions, but I'm not one of them. So why were you waiting for me?"
Such biases weren't much different from the righteous factions' prejudices against the unorthodox.
Arguing each one to clear misunderstandings felt frustrating, so Wi Seong-cheon waved it off and asked why she'd been waiting.
Ha Ji-eun straightened her posture and replied.
"I'd like to invite you to the North Sea Ice Palace."
"...Pardon?"
"You were treated lavishly at the Zhuge Clan for several days. We shook hands at the Golden Thread Lake then, so it's only proper for the North Sea Ice Palace to invite and host you as well."
Indeed.
She was trying to lure him in, in her own way.
Ha Ji-eun made no effort to hide her intentions.
Wi Seong-cheon had no reason to refuse. He nodded and replied.
"I'd be grateful for the invitation. Shall we go now?"
"Yes. Follow me."
Ha Ji-eun turned and led the way out of the entertainment district.
Wi Seong-cheon fell silent upon seeing her destination.
There stood a shabby cart utterly incomparable to the carriages of the Golden Name Escort Agency or the Zhuge Clan.
"Get in."
"...Where's the coachman?"
"I can pull it myself—why need a coachman?"
Ha Ji-eun retorted as she climbed onto the driver's seat. Wi Seong-cheon watched with a troubled expression, then sat beside her instead of boarding the cart.
"Why not get in the cart?"
"Riding alone feels... a bit much."
"I brought the cart for you. Get inside."
Faced with her stubborn words, Wi Seong-cheon meekly stood, entered the cart.
A faint fishy smell lingered in the cramped, uncomfortable interior.
Wi Seong-cheon coughed dryly and climbed back out.
"Why get off?"
"Weird smell..."
"Hm, that could be. This cart was originally for hauling catches."
"...I'll sit on the roof."
"Fine. At least you got on the cart, even if it's the roof."
Her response brimmed with determination to make use of the cart she'd brought.
The roof was just as uncomfortable, but far better than the fish-stinking interior.
"Hya!"
With an energetic shout, the cart lurched forward.
The horses pulling it were in poor shape too, making the progress pathetically slow despite her cry.
"How long till we arrive?"
"It'll take quite a while—take a nap."
Ha Ji-eun replied without looking back.
The worn wheels jolted so badly sleep was impossible.
Wi Seong-cheon pulled a book from his bosom and asked again.
"Aren't you curious why I went to the Beggars' Sect?"
"Obvious. No need to ask. Before formal exchanges begin, you wanted intel on the black path and its tyrants."
She wasn't so dull as to miss even that.
"I'm driving, so don't mind me."
"If you say so."
Wi Seong-cheon nodded and opened the book to read.
Ha Ji-eun glanced back midway but didn't ask about it.
Flipping through, Wi Seong-cheon focused on her information.
Ha Ji-eun.
Age twenty-one.
Martial art: Celestial Snow Transformation.
Little Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Born with an extreme yin constitution, the Heavenly Yin Body.
Thanks to it, she'd been hailed as the North Sea Ice Palace's top talent, expected to surpass the current Palace Lord, the Ice White Divine Lord, and drew attention from childhood.
Three years ago, at eighteen, Ha Ji-eun ventured into the black forest on her own.
The Palace Lord Ice White Divine Lord and others strongly opposed it.
The black forest brimmed with dangers.
Even as one of the six unorthodox great sects, once inside, her sect couldn't shield her.
The North Sea Ice Palace and its lord didn't want to lose their prized golden child of brilliant talent.
But Ha Ji-eun quickly made her mark.
She rose through the ranks fast, becoming a Six Star Saint within three years.
Now, it wasn't an exaggeration to say the current North Sea Ice Palace operated under her.
Gold and treasures granted to upper saints flowed straight back to the palace.
But it wasn't enough.
The North Sea Ice Palace was a massive blood clan. And they were hopelessly antiquated.
Centuries after leaving their homeland, they clung to traditions from hundreds of years past.
Children of the North Snow don't do menial tasks.
That was the North Sea Ice Palace's tradition.
Originally, they were an alien race that ruled the vast northern lands.
Even after centuries, the bloodline remembered roaming the harsh, blizzard-swept plains freely.
They don't do menial tasks.
Fine words for refusing labor.
They fished for sustenance but nothing else.
And that wasn't all. For centuries, the North Sea Ice Palace had striven to return home.
Whenever funds accumulated, they'd prepare an expedition north—and no one ever returned.
That was the North Sea Ice Palace.
Wi Seong-cheon couldn't comprehend their traditions.
A sect with that much power had endless ways to earn money.
Take in disciples, ally with merchants or escort agencies. That alone would improve their lot, yet they hunkered down prattling about tradition.
'No choice but to be desperate.'
Wi Seong-cheon glanced up at Ha Ji-eun on the driver's seat. She was a girl shouldering her sect and bloodline's fate.
"...Just curious—what do you plan if you become the Black Demon King's disciple?"
"I won't stop at disciple. Someday, I'll be the Black Death Alliance Leader."
A salty, fishy scent began mingling with the wind.
"To do that, I must become the Black Demon King's disciple. His martial arts are unrivaled in the world. With the North Sea Ice Palace's Celestial Snow Transformation plus the Black Demon King's Divine Demon Extermination Method, I'll surely surpass him."
"And after becoming Black Death Alliance Leader?"
"I'll unify the martial world."
Ha Ji-eun answered without looking back, and Wi Seong-cheon's jaw dropped at the absurdity.
"Surpassing the world's greatest, the Black Demon King, to become Black Death Alliance Leader—that makes me the world's greatest then. Unifying the martial world won't be hard."
"Uh..."
"The North Sea Ice Palace, honing fangs and claws for centuries, will lead that war. The Martial Alliance? Who knows where they'll be, but if things stay as they are, still in Zhongqing. I'll crush them with the full Black Death Alliance forces, then march on the royal capital in Anhui."
"No way."
"I'll topple the imperial palace. Take the emperor hostage, make him my puppet, muster the palace guards, and advance on the Demon Realm."
A brutal scheme unfit for her lovely face.
Ha Ji-eun continued without pause.
"After toppling the Demon Realm and Demon Cult, I'll hang the Heavenly Demon's head high to declare the era of demons ended."
"...What if the Demon King descends?"
"I'll kill the Demon King."
Easy words.
Wi Seong-cheon marveled, tongue clicking.
"Even if demonic beasts linger after the Demon Cult's fall, no matter. I'll conquer them. Only then can the North Sea Ice Palace return home. Once I reclaim our homeland..."
Ha Ji-eun tilted her head back slightly.
"I'll give my unified martial world to you, young hero."
"...Pardon?"
"If you join hands with me and make me the Black Demon King's disciple in this exchange. Questionable if you'll live that long, but children of the North Snow don't forget favors."
"...It's not really a favor worth that."
"We can't give you anything now, so a promise for the distant future instead. If you make me his disciple, when all's done and I return north, take the world I've unified."
Absurd words.
All that hinged on her words becoming 'reality'—was it even possible?
Even if she became the Black Demon King's disciple, Wi Seong-cheon couldn't imagine her killing him and taking over as Black Death Alliance Leader.
Nor her unifying the martial world and toppling the palace.
"You're serious?"
"Of course."
Ha Ji-eun replied without hesitation.
Was it overflowing ambition, or ignorance of the world?
Wi Seong-cheon let out a hollow laugh and looked up.
North Sea Ice Palace.
Four characters etched on a large rock.
"This is the North Sea Ice Palace."
Slowing the cart, Ha Ji-eun spoke with pride.
Wi Seong-cheon pondered what impression to voice.
The North Sea Ice Palace looked nothing like the 'sects' or 'clans' he knew.
A rundown fishing village.
Centuries ago, the North Sea Ice Palace ruled from a grand fortress on the frozen wastes, but now, this shabby village was it.