Chapter 412: Finally, He Has Seen It.
Chapter 412: Finally, He Has Seen It.
“Lord Drunken Demon!”
At Geom Mu-geuk’s call, the Drunken Demon lifted his head.
Geom Mu-geuk felt a wave of relief upon confirming that the man had not been consumed by madness or rage. Had he been in his right mind, there was no way he would have committed such a senseless act.
“There’s no need to explain twice, so let’s wait a moment.”
The Drunken Demon nodded, understanding Geom Mu-geuk’s intent. Conversely, the Ice Palace warriors surrounding him grew even more tense at Geom Mu-geuk’s appearance. Several of them turned to face him, their guards raised.
They seemed certain that the Drunken Demon was the one responsible for the carnage.
A moment later, Lee An arrived, followed shortly by Han Seol.
Both women were struck with shock. One of the deceased was Jo Myeong, the man in charge of liquor ingredients at the White Flower Snowy Plains—the very man who had informed them that the Institute Head had shared drinks with Elder Seo on several occasions.
The two women exchanged a look before their gazes shifted. Han Seol looked first at the Drunken Demon.
Surely, you didn’t kill them?
In this situation, it looked like his handiwork to anyone watching.
Lee An, however, looked at Geom Mu-geuk.
What should we do? It looks like Lord Drunken Demon has fallen into a trap.
Had the person standing beside her not been Geom Mu-geuk, her heart would have been pounding out of her chest.
But seeing Geom Mu-geuk’s calm eyes, her agitation subsided instantly. He had the kind of gaze that made one feel he could resolve any crisis in the world. No—even if he couldn’t, it didn't matter. He was the kind of person whose mere presence was enough to steady the soul.
They didn't have to wait long.
Warriors bearing shields and spears appeared from all directions, sealing off the perimeter.
It was the Northern Wind Squad, the elite warriors of the North Sea Ice Palace who answered only to the Ice Palace Master. Clad in heavy armor and equipped with shields, they were composed of individuals whose martial arts surpassed any other elite organization within the palace. One could tell how formidable they were just by the extraordinary light in their eyes.
The Northern Wind Squad blocked the area like an iron fortress. Some members lined up on either side, creating a path with their shields. The Ice Palace Master walked through their disciplined ranks, followed by personal bodyguards dressed in pure white martial robes.
Until now, she had only been seen in the Palace Master’s Hall, appearing like a solitary figure in a castle of ice. Seeing her outside like this, she felt like a completely different person—a ruler in her element.
The Ice Palace Master looked at the corpses without a word. Her expression was colder than ever. She had confirmed that among the dead were those who possessed no martial arts at all.
Only then did Geom Mu-geuk speak to the Drunken Demon.
“Lord Drunken Demon, what happened?”
Finally, the Drunken Demon opened his mouth.
“That man contacted me, saying he had something to tell me.”
The corpse the Drunken Demon looked at was indeed Jo Myeong, the man Lee An and Han Seol had met.
“Just as I was about to speak with him, the blood vessels in his neck suddenly burst. The others who came running after hearing the noise suffered the same fate.”
Then, someone spoke up, their voice a sharp shout.
“How are we supposed to believe your words?”
The person who arrived next was Seo Nak. Not long ago, he had withdrawn from the Palace Master’s Hall with a troubled expression, but his current momentum was entirely different.
“You expect us to believe that while you’re covered in blood like that?”
The circumstantial evidence was damning. Drenched in gore, the Drunken Demon looked every bit the murderer.
At that moment, Geom Mu-geuk stepped forward.
“That is exactly why you can believe him.”
As everyone’s eyes turned toward him, Geom Mu-geuk calmly asked, “If Lord Drunken Demon had truly killed them, would he have allowed himself to be covered in blood?”
Geom Mu-geuk turned to look at the Drunken Demon and continued.
“Even if their vessels burst right in front of him, he could have avoided the spray if he had intended to. Yet, the fact that his clothes and hands are stained like that…”
After a brief pause, Geom Mu-geuk said, “It means he was trying to save them.”
The Drunken Demon nodded silently. Even without him making excuses, Geom Mu-geuk had accurately grasped the situation.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to the Ice Palace Master.
“If the Demon Lord had truly intended to kill those people, he would have done so without anyone knowing. He wouldn't have been surrounded here while drenched in blood. You know, don't you? What the Demon Lords of our Cult are capable of.”
Of course, the Ice Palace Master knew. If the Drunken Demon had set his mind to it, the warriors who first surrounded him would already be corpses.
Then, Seo Nak asked heatedly, “Then why is he just standing there?”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze remained fixed on the Ice Palace Master.
“He waited out of respect for the Palace Master. He trusted that you would make a wise and fair judgment. If he had fled this place, the problem would have only escalated.”
A faint smile played on the Drunken Demon’s lips. Yes, this was why he could remain calm. As long as Geom Mu-geuk was there, he wouldn't be easily framed.
“We must not easily trust the words of demonic practitioners,” Seo Nak asserted firmly. “Naturally, he must be detained until the investigation is complete.”
Geom Mu-geuk countered immediately.
“That would be unfair treatment.”
“Unfair? What do you mean by that?”
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to the surrounding warriors.
“You have all likely heard the rumors that we are investigating the death of the Institute Head of the White Flower Snowy Plains. During that investigation, we discovered suspicious circumstances. Someone among the masters of this Ice Palace secretly requested the deceased Institute Head to brew Fragrant Snow Ice Wine.”
Seo Nak’s expression stiffened instantly. He hadn't expected Geom Mu-geuk to bring that up here.
“That master hid that fact from us. However, even after we uncovered the truth, we did not detain him. Why? Because we respected the North Sea Ice Palace and its Palace Master.”
The surrounding warriors exchanged uneasy glances.
Seo Nak couldn't find a word to argue. If the conversation continued, Geom Mu-geuk would reveal right here that the suspicious person was him.
Geom Mu-geuk’s eyes sank into a cold chill. He hadn't shown anger once since arriving at the Ice Palace, but for the first time, he radiated an aura as sharp as frost.
“We respect you, but are you saying you will not respect us?”
Had the Ice Palace Master not been present, he would have released his pressure to crush Seo Nak then and there. But because he was before her, he maintained his etiquette.
Han Seol was startled by Geom Mu-geuk’s sudden transformation. The man before her now was not the one who made frivolous remarks. That cold, sharp appearance actually suited the Ice Palace perfectly.
Finally, the Ice Palace Master, who had been watching, stepped in.
“I understand the Young Cult Leader’s point.”
After glancing back and forth between the Drunken Demon and Geom Mu-geuk, the Ice Palace Master commanded her subordinates.
“Lower your swords.”
The surrounding warriors lowered their weapons.
Seo Nak did not give up.
“Palace Master, you must not believe their words.”
“Yes, we must thoroughly investigate the cause of death,” the Ice Palace Master said, then turned to the Drunken Demon. “Do not leave the palace without the permission of this Palace.”
She wouldn't imprison him, but he wasn't to leave freely either. That was the Ice Palace Master’s compromise.
To this, Seo Nak added, “The masters of this Palace must monitor them until the investigation results are out.”
The Ice Palace Master accepted that opinion. However, she added one condition for Geom Mu-geuk’s sake.
“Only until the investigation is over.”
The Drunken Demon waited for Geom Mu-geuk’s reaction. In this matter, he would move according to Geom Mu-geuk’s decision. Geom Mu-geuk said nothing, which meant he should accept the compromise.
The Drunken Demon readily accepted the proposal.
“I shall do so.”
As the Drunken Demon left the area, Lee An followed behind him.
Before leaving, Geom Mu-geuk spoke to the Ice Palace Master.
“You asked why I was provoking him to this extent.”
Earlier, she had asked him what his reason was for provoking Seo Nak so much—why he was trying to show her the man's true colors. At the time, Geom Mu-geuk had replied that while he was indeed provoking him, it wasn't for her benefit. Now, Geom Mu-geuk finally answered that question.
“It seems that person has finally seen it.”
He meant that there was someone behind the scenes. He had provoked Seo Nak to draw out the mastermind behind him.
“Then, I shall see you later.”
Geom Mu-geuk, who was about to leave after bowing to the Ice Palace Master, turned back to Han Seol.
“What are you doing, not coming along? Didn't you agree to become a member of our group? Are you only a member when things are going well?”
The Ice Palace Master and Seo Nak both looked at Han Seol.
The Ice Palace Master looked at her daughter without showing any emotion, while Seo Nak was the opposite. He shook his head with a stern expression, silently telling her never to follow them. She was a daughter who had never once disobeyed him.
“I’m coming.”
Han Seol moved her feet to follow Geom Mu-geuk.
Once the three had left, Seo Nak looked at the Ice Palace Master. “You must not let the Young Palace Master associate with the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.”
At this moment, the Ice Palace Master couldn't clearly distinguish whether his behavior was shamelessness or a heart truly acting for the sake of the Ice Palace. That was how long they had spent together.
To betray all those years? That thought clouded her cold judgment.
“I will keep a close eye on them.”
The Ice Palace Master turned and left the area. As she departed, the Northern Wind Squad and the guards withdrew in an instant.
To the warriors who were about to examine the corpses, Seo Nak said with a sorrowful face, “Leave me alone for a moment.”
Since everyone there knew well how much Seo Nak cherished the people of the Ice Palace, they all quietly withdrew and gave him space.
Seo Nak looked down at the corpses alone. Instead of sorrow or regret, he was lost in other thoughts.
He is helping me.
Just as he was cornered because of the Fragrant Snow Ice Wine, an incident like this had occurred.
It was then.
Slither.
Blood began to flow from the pooling puddles. The blood crept toward Seo Nak’s feet. Thinking it was just a natural occurrence, Seo Nak stepped aside.
Then, as if it were alive, the blood turned and headed toward him again.
Startled, Seo Nak moved to the other side to avoid it. The blood changed direction again and flowed toward him.
Backing away, Seo Nak asked, “Is it you?”
At Seo Nak’s question, the flowing blood stopped. It was as if it had understood his words.
Seo Nak said in a trembling voice, “I am grateful for this. I will deal with them now without making any more mistakes.”
As if it had understood, the blood that had been paused for a moment slowly began to return to the original puddle. Surprisingly, no bloodstains remained on the floor where the blood had flowed. It returned as if being absorbed back into the original pool.
Seo Nak walked slowly and looked down at the puddle. Before he knew it, the blood had returned to being ordinary, stagnant liquid.
He felt that perhaps this incident wasn't meant to help him, but rather to warn him.
His face was reflected on the surface of the blood. It was the grim face of a man who had made a decision from which there was no turning back.
*
“Stop swallowing your anger and just have a drink instead.”
Despite Geom Mu-geuk’s words, the Drunken Demon continued to sip his tea.
“This makes you even scarier.”
The opponent had framed the Drunken Demon. In other words, they had framed a Demon Lord. He must be furious beyond belief, yet the Drunken Demon was still only drinking tea.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to Lee An.
“I don't know who it is, but they picked the wrong opponent.”
Lee An could also tell that the Drunken Demon was truly enraged. What was surprising was his restraint. She had thought he would be the most easily provoked among the Eight Demon Lords, but he was controlling himself better than any other.
“I suppose that’s why you were able to become the Drunken Demon.”
When Lee An expressed her sincere admiration, the Drunken Demon gave an awkward smile. As a man who drank, he made an effort to control himself, but he was fundamentally an emotional person. His coolness since arriving here was possible because of one specific desire: the desire to show a cool side of himself to Geom Mu-geuk. He wanted to show that he wasn't just a man who got drunk and threw himself into lakes.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to the three of them.
“Thanks to this, we’ve confirmed it for sure. Seo Nak is definitely connected to the mastermind.”
The Blood King had finally begun to move. As soon as Seo Nak fell into trouble, he acted immediately. He was not far away.
The one surprised by those words was Han Seol.
“A mastermind?”
“I believe someone is holding hands with him and plotting a great conspiracy.”
Unlike the Drunken Demon and Lee An, who already knew the truth, Han Seol was unaware of such details.
“Why didn't you tell me beforehand?”
To her question, Geom Mu-geuk replied, “That seems like a question you should ask the Palace Master.”
“Mother knows as well?”
“I believe so.”
When Geom Mu-geuk felt Han Seol’s expression stiffen as if she felt alienated, he said, “It’s likely not just the Palace Master’s problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means it’s time for the Young Palace Master to have a conversation with her mother.”
He was now saying to Han Seol what he had said to the Ice Palace Master. He believed that what the two of them needed was a conversation.
“In my relationship with my father, I was the one who approached him first. Considering my father, it was truly no easy task. But if they’ve raised us to this age, isn't it our duty as children to make them say, at least once, ‘So the brat has grown up this much’?”
Of course, Han Seol had never thought of it that way.
“The problem between you two isn't a matter of being far or near, or cold or warm. The problem is that it has become frozen solid.”
The word ‘frozen’ struck Han Seol’s heart. She felt it was true. Now, even before she could feel disappointment, she would simply think, Mother has always been that kind of person. She had no intention of pulling what was far closer, nor of turning what was cold into something warm.
“Why are you telling me these things?”
“Because I’m a bit of a meddler.”
There must be some intention. Han Seol couldn't guess Geom Mu-geuk’s true motive. He was someone who naturally made her think, What a truly strange man.
Lee An asked Geom Mu-geuk, “Why did they frame Lord Drunken Demon?”
“They were that desperate. In other words, it means Elder Seo is an indispensable person to them.”
Geom Mu-geuk had gathered various pieces of information about the opponent through this incident. Furthermore, he was already planning the next step.
“They’ve tied our feet with this incident.”
Ice Palace masters were guarding the outside of their quarters. It meant they would be monitored wherever they went.
“Actually, it worked out for the better.”
“For the better?”
Not only Lee An, but even the Drunken Demon and Han Seol looked at Geom Mu-geuk with expressions asking what he meant.
“Conversely, it means that whatever we plot, it won't be attributed to us.”
“Ah! Because we’re being monitored here! But it doesn't seem like it’ll be easy to slip out secretly.”
“We aren't going out. There’s someone else who will do that job splendidly in our stead.”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at one person. The gazes of the Drunken Demon and Lee An followed his toward that same person.
Facing the three people looking at her, Han Seol shouted before even hearing the words.
“I refuse!”