Chapter 414: The Young Cult Leader Is Asleep
Chapter 414: The Young Cult Leader Is Asleep
“We’ve met three times?”
Han Seol had no memory of meeting Yang-seok, the eldest son of the North Blood Sect, three times. She only recalled seeing him once in the past.
“Today marks the fourth,” he replied.
“My apologies. My memory isn’t what it should be.”
“Not at all. You are a very busy person, so it is only natural.”
Yang-seok felt a sting to his pride, but he acted magnanimously, projecting an air of boisterous confidence.
He was infatuated with Han Seol. But then again, who wasn't? Was there a single young man in the North Sea who didn't harbor feelings for her? Winning her hand meant more than just gaining a beauty; it meant aligning oneself with the North Sea Ice Palace, the most prestigious family in the region.
However, she was known as the Ice Beauty for a reason. He had never heard a single rumor of her giving her heart to anyone.
“But tell me,” she asked, “what brings you here today?”
First, Han Seol offered her condolences.
“I heard the news about your younger brother. You must be deeply grieved.”
“My heart is heavy, but I am managing to overcome it.”
Yang-seok was privately puzzled. There’s no way this cold Young Palace Master came all this way just because of my brother. He suspected there was another motive.
“I heard you’ve been investigating the demonic cultists and the death of the Master of White Liquor Snowy Plains lately,” he said. “Is the investigation going well?”
“I’m looking into various leads, but it hasn’t been easy.”
Han Seol had considered many ways to approach Yang-seok without raising suspicion on her way here. She had decided to use the investigation as her pretext, and fortunately, he had brought it up first.
“Do you happen to know anything regarding that incident?”
“I wish I could help, but I know nothing.”
Han Seol let out a soft sigh. “Are you aware that demonic cultists are currently staying at the main palace?”
“How could I not know? My brother died because of them.”
Of course, if he were to speak his true feelings, it would have been: Thanks to those cultists, I finally got rid of that thorn in my side.
“The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult is acting with utter tyranny,” Han Seol continued. “He’s even pressuring us to produce evidence for this case immediately.”
Yang-seok felt he finally understood why Han Seol had sought him out. This is an opportunity.
She was a woman who wouldn't even give him a second glance no matter how hard he tried to get close to her.
“If there is anything I can do to help, I will do it,” he promised.
*
While Yang-seok was busy trying to get into Han Seol's good graces, Chan stood guard outside the guest hall.
Ha Gyeol walked toward him.
Chan glanced at him indifferently, but in truth, he was observing Ha Gyeol intently. Given his profession, Chan had encountered countless guards in his time. When he first saw Ha Gyeol, the man possessed all the hallmarks of a professional.
The way he walked while staying alert to his surroundings, the quick movement of his eyes as he scanned the area, the tenacity with which he tried to identify hidden weapons on others, and even the bloodshot eyes that betrayed chronic fatigue—he was the quintessential guard.
And yet, he’s leaving his post?
They had arrived together, but as soon as Yang-seok entered the guest hall, Ha Gyeol had stepped away for a moment. Even within the North Blood Sect, it was highly unusual for someone guarding the successor to leave their post.
What if an accident happened? What if a sudden fight broke out with the Young Palace Master? A guard’s job was to worry about the things others didn't. Because Ha Gyeol seemed so perfect on the surface, this behavior felt even more jarring.
Chan wanted to ask what could possibly be more important than protecting the successor. He had no way of knowing that Ha Gyeol had gone back the way he came to harvest a maidservant’s blood for himself.
Just then, Ha Gyeol glanced up at the roof of the building.
“Is something the matter?” Chan asked.
“No.”
He had definitely sensed something.
Chan also scanned the surroundings, but there was no one. Even when he raised his qi to search more aggressively, he felt no presence nearby.
I’m certain he felt something.
If Ha Gyeol had sensed something that Chan hadn't, did that mean he was a superior master? If he had sensed something, he should have informed Chan. Was Chan just any guest? He was escorting the Young Palace Master of the Ice Palace.
Though it grated on his nerves, Chan did not let it show.
*
Meanwhile, the conversation in the guest hall was in full swing. Naturally, Yang-seok did most of the talking while Han Seol listened.
Before arriving, Han Seol had worried about whether she could pull off this performance. But now that she was doing it, it wasn't as difficult as she had expected. She even wondered if she had a natural talent for deception.
“There is one thing I’m curious about,” she said.
“What is it?”
“Why did your brother get involved with the Demonic Cult?”
Yang-seok’s expression faltered for a split second, but he quickly regained his composure.
“You know how it is, Young Palace Master. Those Demonic Cult bastards are like a pack of wolves, looking for any excuse to sink their teeth in and take a piece of you.”
Exactly. She had thought all demonic cultists were like that, too.
“You’re right. And the ones who came this time are truly strange people.”
To him, it sounded like an insult, but her words carried a hint of praise. Though she knew Yang-seok wasn't being honest, Han Seol made a promise for the future.
“Would you be willing to meet the Young Cult Leader with me next time?”
She had made this choice entirely because of Lee An. During a previous situation, when she had to make a choice, Lee An had told her: You’ve done enough; let’s leave the rest to Geom Mu-geuk. The result had been surprisingly good. This was the same logic. She didn't want to keep meeting that man alone anyway.
Yang-seok interpreted her proposal his own way: she wanted his strength to help her deal with the Young Cult Leader.
“Very well. The North Sea sects must unite their strength.”
“Thank you. I shall take my leave for today, then.”
Yang-seok was reluctant to see her go. He never imagined a day would come when he would be on such good terms with the Young Palace Master. He had gotten rid of his brother thanks to the Demonic Cult, and now he was imagining the pleasant possibility of gaining a wife as well.
Han Seol left the premises with Chan. As they walked away, Chan stole another glance at Ha Gyeol. He was a perfect guard even now, yet that sense of dissonance persisted.
Once the two had departed, Yang-seok spoke to Ha Gyeol.
“She’s cold, yet charming.”
“If you put your tongue to ice, it doesn't come off easily,” Ha Gyeol replied.
Yang-seok shot a cold look at him. He neither trusted nor liked the man. Ha Gyeol was a guard his father had assigned to him to keep him under surveillance.
Sometimes, looking at him made Yang-seok feel foul. Though Ha Gyeol always maintained a polite attitude, there were moments when he was strangely provocative. Like now. Where does this arrogant bastard get off telling me to be careful? You’d better watch your own tongue before I rip it out.
Just then, a martial artist ran up to them.
“The Sect Leader is looking for you.”
*
“If things go well, I believe I can bring the Young Palace Master to our side.”
Yang-seok reported his encounter with Han Seol to the North Blood Sect Leader.
“The Young Palace Master came to find out something through you.”
“I suspect as much. I will use her in reverse to gather information from their side.”
The North Blood Sect Leader nodded. “Always be cautious.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
As Yang-seok prepared to withdraw, the Sect Leader signaled for Ha Gyeol to stay. “You, stay behind for a moment.”
Yang-seok walked out first. He hated moments like this—when his father had heard his full report but still insisted on double-checking everything with that man. He assumed his father was getting some report regarding Han Seol. His father was a suspicious man, through and through.
Trust your son for once!
However, reality was flowing in a completely different direction.
Once his son was gone, the North Blood Sect Leader opened a secret door behind the main hall and led Ha Gyeol inside. It was a space meant only for the two of them.
Inside was a small hall. It was a bizarre and eerie place, decorated entirely in shades of crimson. A thick scent of blood hung in the air.
As they entered, the power dynamic between the two reversed.
Ha Gyeol’s aura shifted. A faint blood-colored energy emanated from his eyes and body. It was a presence so terrifying that merely being in the same room felt suffocating.
“Have you still not found one?”
At Ha Gyeol’s question, the North Blood Sect Leader answered respectfully.
“No, I received word just a moment ago. We have finally found someone with an Extreme Cold Body, and they are currently being transported here.”
Ha Gyeol’s expression brightened instantly. “How long will it take?”
“They should arrive in three days.”
“Three days!” It was the first time Ha Gyeol had looked so joyful. That was how important finding an Extreme Cold Body was to him.
“Now that we have found the Extreme Cold Body, please keep your promise.”
Suddenly, a red energy erupted from Ha Gyeol’s eyes.
“Argh! Stop!” The North Blood Sect Leader let out a scream filled with terror. Red circles appeared on both sides of his forehead, swelling as if they were about to burst. “Please, spare me!”
The Sect Leader pleaded desperately. If they swelled any further, the blood vessels in his head would rupture, killing him instantly. The precarious moment stretched on until finally, the red energy in Ha Gyeol’s eyes faded. The swelling on the Sect Leader’s skin subsided.
“The promise will be kept when the Extreme Cold Body is brought before me.”
“I... I understand.”
The North Blood Sect Leader was inwardly anxious. Would the man truly keep his promise once he got what he wanted? He had fallen into Ha Gyeol’s hands because of his own greed. Greed had created a weakness, and that weakness had allowed something foul into his blood.
Yes, ruin always came from greed. But it was also greed that had allowed him to come this far. The Sect Leader considered even this a part of the process. He would survive, just as he always had.
Ha Gyeol spoke calmly. “Until then, you must ensure the Demonic Cult does not move.”
“Do not worry. Are they not currently pinned down under the Ice Palace’s surveillance because of the Drunken Demon incident?”
Then, Ha Gyeol uttered something startling. “The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was here today. It was a very faint sensation, but if he could evade my eyes to that extent, it must have been him.”
The North Blood Sect Leader spoke quickly. “I will send word to Elder Seo immediately. Perhaps this unauthorized excursion of his will provide us with an opportunity. We only need three days.”
The Sect Leader bowed respectfully and hurried out of the room. As he turned away, his eyes held a fierce determination to defy fate. Life or death would be decided in three days.
Left alone, Ha Gyeol manipulated the back wall. He pressed, pulled, and toggled specific spots, operating the mechanism with great care.
Rumble.
A door slid open, revealing a secret room within a secret room.
Inside was a massive tank made of ice that could only be crafted in the North Sea, allowing one to see inside. The tank was filled with blood, mixed with various medicinal substances. A bizarre scent wafted out—the scent of Fragrant Snow Ice Wine mixed into the blood.
A man was submerged inside the tank. Normally, nothing should have been visible through the blood, but strangely, his body could be seen clearly. He had long limbs, fantastic musculature, and a perfect physique that looked as if it had been carved by a master craftsman. What drew the eye most, however, was the man’s hair. It was as red as blood.
Ha Gyeol spoke to the man in the tank. “Master, we have finally secured an Extreme Cold Body.”
At those words, the red-haired man inside the blood opened his eyes. The moment he did, he projected a staggering presence—one that completely overwhelmed Ha Gyeol.
He looked young, yet he was by no means young. The man in the tank was the Blood King. Ha Gyeol was his sole disciple, the one who had inherited the Blood King’s martial arts.
The Blood King smiled. As he rejoiced, the blood in the tank began to bubble and froth.
“Another order to return has been issued,” Ha Gyeol added.
The Blood King spoke. Even from within the liquid, his voice was low and carried a deep resonance. “We are not going back. Not until we have stained the entire North Sea in blood.”
*
Seo Nak, leading a group of Ice Palace martial artists, stormed into Geom Mu-geuk’s residence.
Lee An blocked the door. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Where is the Young Cult Leader?”
“He is currently asleep.”
A sneer crossed Seo Nak’s face. “I received a report that the Young Cult Leader has left his quarters.”
Lee An’s heart sank. If it was discovered that he had left without permission, the consequences would be severe.
“You must have been misinformed. He is sleeping right now.”
As she tried to close the door, Seo Nak reached out and blocked it. Lee An was determined not to back down, but Seo Nak had come prepared.
“Step aside. If you interfere with me carrying out the Palace Master’s orders, that in itself will be an act of defiance.”
Seo Nak pushed his way inside with his experts. Since she couldn't actually fight him, Lee An was forced to retreat. Seo Nak stared at the bulging blanket on the bed.
“See? The Young Cult Leader is asleep. So please, everyone, leave,” Lee An said, acting her heart out.
It didn't work.
“I don't see his wooden pillow,” Seo Nak noted. He meant that a pillow had been stuffed under the covers to create the bulge. He looked like a man who had come here already certain that Geom Mu-geuk was gone.
“Pull back the blanket yourself,” Seo Nak commanded Lee An.
Lee An looked back at the Drunken Demon. He was simply staring out the window with a nonchalant expression. This is not the time for that! Then again, it wasn't as if he had a clever solution either.
“Hurry! Do you dare to insolently defy the Palace Master’s command?”
Lee An had no choice. She walked toward the bed.
Whoosh!
In a fit of desperation, Lee An whipped the blanket away.
“...!”
In the next instant, everyone in the room froze. Geom Mu-geuk was lying there, clutching his wooden pillow.
“Are you trying to take my blanket away in this freezing North Sea?” he asked groggily. “Even when you can see I’m sleeping while hugging my pillow?”
Utterly shocked, Seo Nak’s face turned red as he began to stammer. “H-how? Why are you...?”
Everyone was stunned, but the most shocked person in the room was Lee An. It was a miracle she didn't scream.
Young Master, why are you coming out from there?