Chapter 415: I Permit a Drinking Session
Chapter 415: I Permit a Drinking Session
Geom Mu-geuk sat up from the bed.
“We’ve been seeing a lot of each other lately,” he remarked dryly.
Seo Nak stood there, dazed for a moment, before speaking in a low, strained voice.
“There must have been some mistake.”
Unlike his aggressive push earlier, he was now eerily calm.
“It seems someone is trying to put Elder Seo in a difficult position with false information.”
That someone is you!
Seo Nak felt his temper flare.
This isn't like me.
Ever since he’d become entangled with the Young Cult Leader, he had been struggling to control his emotions. Even his arrival here was proof of that. He should have checked under the covers more calmly and politely. Furthermore, even if he had seen the man in the bed, he shouldn't have reacted with such visible shock.
“I apologize for my rudeness,” Seo Nak said, regaining his composure and offering a formal gesture of respect.
“This isn't something that can be settled with a simple apology. I will be filing a formal protest with the Palace Master’s Hall regarding today’s incident.”
“As you wish.”
Seo Nak turned and left the room, followed by the warriors he had brought with him.
Once they were gone, Lee An rounded on Geom Mu-geuk.
“When on earth did you get here?”
“Just a moment ago. Right when you were opening the door for Elder Seo.”
“Through the window?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. Lee An glanced at the Drunken Demon.
Ugh, like brothers, indeed. You knew he was here and just acted like you didn't!
Lee An let out a long sigh of relief, clutching her chest.
“Ah! You scared me! I thought my heart was going to explode earlier.”
The Drunken Demon chimed in with a smirk.
“He was probably hanging off the window frame specifically to make your heart explode. He was just waiting for the perfect timing to jump in and surprise everyone.”
Lee An nodded in agreement with the Drunken Demon’s joke.
“Of course. He’s the type of person who would hang there in a blizzard if it meant he could startle someone. Fine. Since you gave us such a fright, I assume your little outing was productive?”
She had intended the words as a jab, but his response was immediate and grave.
“I found the mastermind.”
Lee An let out a small shriek. She was even more shocked now than when she had pulled back the covers earlier.
“Really?”
“I got lucky.”
“You really are the best in the world at surprising people!”
Geom Mu-geuk had secretly infiltrated the North Blood Sect and witnessed Han Seol meeting with Yang-seok.
While everyone else was focused on that meeting, he had intended to investigate the interior of the North Blood Sect. However, he saw the escort warrior who had followed Yang-seok leave his post.
Since it was an unusual move, Mu-geuk followed him and witnessed the man performing a Blood Art on a maidservant. The man had acted as if he were caring for her before suddenly casting the technique; it happened so fast that Mu-geuk couldn't have intervened even if he had wanted to.
“Who is he?”
“The head of security for the successor of the North Blood Sect.”
The Drunken Demon and Lee An nodded with grim expressions. As expected, the enemies were hiding in a completely unexpected place.
“Then did you reveal yourself to him on purpose?”
Earlier, Seo Nak had been certain that Geom Mu-geuk was not in the room.
Geom Mu-geuk nodded.
“I wanted to gauge his level of martial arts and confirm if the North Blood Sect and Elder Seo were connected.”
“And you confirmed both?”
Mu-geuk nodded again.
“One more thing. Our confinement here will soon be lifted. Since Seo Nak committed a great discourtesy toward the Young Cult Leader of the Divine Cult, the Ice Palace Master now has a pretext to set us free.”
Lee An looked at Geom Mu-geuk with a dazed expression.
“Do you know what I’m thinking right now?”
“What are you thinking?”
“Ah! How fortunate am I to be on the Young Master’s side? How fortunate am I not to be his enemy?”
Do you know what I’m thinking? Mu-geuk thought silently. How fortunate am I that you are by my side, looking so bright?
“I was so startled that I think my heart actually got stronger thanks to you,” Lee An added.
Geom Mu-geuk then turned to look at the Drunken Demon. The man was staring out the window in silence.
What was he thinking? Alcohol? The deceased Institute Head? Or perhaps Yeo-bin, whom he had left behind?
But all those guesses were wrong. Right now, the Drunken Demon was thinking about Geom Mu-geuk. How can he be so clever? How can he handle things so calmly without a hint of panic?
If Geom Mu-geuk hadn't been here, he would have had to handle everything himself. Could he have achieved such a result? For the first time in a long while, he found himself thinking that although Mu-geuk was his younger brother, he felt more like an older one.
“Brother.”
I’m not your brother. Just call me your younger brother.
The Drunken Demon turned to look at Geom Mu-geuk while harboring that silly thought.
Then, the words he had been longing for finally flowed from the mouth of his brother-like sibling.
“It’s finally time to start the drinking session.”
*
Upon returning to the Ice Palace, Han Seol headed straight for the Palace Master’s Hall.
“I’ve come for tea.”
The Ice Palace Master was taken aback. Although Han Seol had said she would come for tea upon her return, she hadn't expected her daughter to seek her out the very moment she arrived.
“Come in.”
Han Seol sat at the tea table prepared in the hall, and the Ice Palace Master prepared the tea herself.
“I’ll do it.”
“It’s fine. Just sit.”
The Ice Palace Master began to brew the tea. During the process, Han Seol watched her mother’s back in silence.
She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Should she ask what kind of tea it was? Or should she bring up the North Blood Sect first? Or perhaps just mention the weather?
It had been so long since they had exchanged anything but official business that she had no idea how to start.
She realized that speaking was much like martial arts. No matter how great a technique you have in your head, it’s useless if your body isn't accustomed to it. Similarly, no matter how earnest your heart is, if the words aren't on the tip of your tongue, they won't come out.
It was a moment where she realized once again that words are spoken with the mouth, not the head or the heart.
In the meantime, the Ice Palace Master finished brewing the tea.
“How is the taste?”
“It is good.”
The conversation died there, and an awkward silence followed. The Ice Palace Master was no less uncomfortable.
What should I say to my daughter? This was a dilemma she hadn't faced in her entire life.
And so, the two of them simply drank their tea in silence. It is said that you can tell how close a relationship is by how comfortable the silence is; these two still had a long way to go. It was a suffocating silence that made them wonder what they would have done if the tea hadn't been there to occupy them.
However, the Ice Palace Master didn't want to break the silence with just any idle chatter. In a way, she actually liked this awkwardness. It felt like the beginning of a new relationship.
It was Han Seol who finally broke the long silence.
“Palace Master, between a ruthless person and a kind person, who do you think survives longer?”
It was an abrupt question, but the Palace Master answered immediately.
“A ruthless person.”
Han Seol gave a faint smile.
“Our answers are the same.”
“Wouldn't any martial artist think the same?”
“Lee An, who came with the Young Cult Leader, said she thinks a kind person would survive longer.”
Lee An... she was a child who caught my eye when we first met.
“I was just curious. What you were thinking, Palace Master.”
Perhaps because of that question, the Ice Palace Master finally spoke the words that had been in her heart.
“I wanted to raise you to be strong. Like a child who wouldn't be shaken even by the howling northern winds.”
The tea inside the cup Han Seol was holding vibrated once, creating a ripple.
And? What about now? Do you think I grew up to be that kind of child, Mother?
After talking with her daughter, the Ice Palace Master finally realized something.
The reason she had tried to create this opportunity and the reason she had just said those words wasn't because of a sudden change of heart or because of Geom Mu-geuk.
Her instincts had known. If things continued like this, she would lose her daughter. In fact, she had already lost almost everything. She had simply been looking away, using her busy schedule as an excuse. If this continued, she would merely be the Palace Master who passed down the Ice Palace, not a mother.
Perhaps she had lived thinking it might already be too late. Avoiding the truth because she didn't want to confirm it.
Then Geom Mu-geuk had appeared. His words about how she would still be standing behind her daughter had pierced her heart, eventually leading her to this moment.
And she truly wanted to say this. It was a bit embarrassing, but she had to tell her daughter.
“You have grown well into such a child.”
Silence fell.
It was just a single sentence. But Han Seol felt as if a part of the frozen ice wall in her heart had shattered and come crashing down. The barrier was still massive, but the fact that it had broken for the first time was significant.
Han Seol finished her tea and set the cup down.
“Next time, I will brew it for you.”
*
To throw a drinking party in someone else's house, one needs the owner's permission.
“You look to be in a good mood.”
At my words, the Ice Palace Master offered a faint smile.
“My daughter paid me a visit.”
The expression on her face told me exactly how that meeting had gone.
“Congratulations.”
“It is thanks to you.”
“I only spoke a few words. It was you who chose to look back, Palace Master.”
The Ice Palace Master felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Geom Mu-geuk. Now she understood. She understood those unbelievable shifts in emotion described in the reports about him.
“However, what shall we do? I might have to ruin your good mood.”
“What is it?”
Geom Mu-geuk spoke seriously.
“I intend to deal with Elder Seo. Please give me your permission.”
The Ice Palace Master remained silent at the shocking statement. Perhaps she had expected things to turn out this way.
“I saw a master using Blood Arts at the North Blood Sect.”
At the mention of Blood Arts, the Ice Palace Master’s eyes flashed coldly. As far as she knew, there were no masters in the North Sea who used Blood Energy. In other words, it meant a conspiracy was underway at the North Blood Sect.
“He was connected to Elder Seo.”
“Evidence?”
“I have none.”
“Then you intend to kill an Elder of the Ice Palace based solely on circumstances?”
“I believe this is enough. We must also consider the several mistakes and lies Elder Seo has made previously.”
In particular, the fact that he had deceived even the Ice Palace Master until the very end regarding his request for the deceased Institute Head to brew Fragrant Snow Ice Wine was decisive. In that process, the Ice Palace Master had seen a different side of Seo Nak.
“You won't find any clearer evidence from them. They are far too cunning for that. Even if you took the time to find it, it would be too late by then.”
A brief silence followed. I gave her enough time to think.
“The opponent you need to worry about right now isn't Elder Seo. You’ve known him for a long time, so he might be your biggest concern, but he is merely an arm attached to the torso. What you need to worry about are the head and the torso.”
The decisive words that moved her were these:
“I am not the one making this decision.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your own bad premonition is what called us here. I am simply telling you that your intuition was correct.”
Finally, the Ice Palace Master made her decision. It didn't take very long.
“I will deal with Elder Seo myself.”
“Of course, you should. However, regarding the matter of Elder Seo, I would like you to give the Drunken Demon the first opportunity.”
Given the current circumstances, it was highly likely that Seo Nak was the one who had killed the Master of the White Liquor Snowy Plains.
There was another moment of contemplation, and this time too, the decision was swift.
“I permit the drinking session. However, you must invite me as well.”
*
Seo Nak was organizing decorations in the main hall.
Whenever his mind was cluttered, he would take out all the ornaments and rearrange them. He lined them up precisely once again. When he aligned them without a single error, he felt a thrill of pleasure from the perfection.
While he was absorbed in his task, he heard the door to the hall open behind him.
The sound of the door opening was different than usual. Normally, there should have been a report from a subordinate that someone had arrived before the door opened. But the door opening like that on its own meant an uninvited guest had arrived.
The subordinates guarding the outside must have all been neutralized.
Seo Nak spoke without turning around.
“Wait just a moment. I’m almost finished.”
Only after he had lined up the very last piece perfectly did Seo Nak turn around. The person staring at him in the hall was none other than the Drunken Demon.
When their eyes met, Seo Nak knew instinctively.
He has come to kill me.
Seo Nak sat at the table used for receiving guests.
“Thank you for waiting. Come, let’s sit.”
The Drunken Demon sat in the seat across from him. Seo Nak placed one of the cups on the table in front of himself and the other in front of the opposite seat.
“My throat is parched, perhaps from working so hard. Would you give me a drink?”
The Drunken Demon reached for the Blood Tear hanging at his waist and opened the stopper.
The fragrant scent of Ice Wine wafted out. It was the Ice Wine the Institute Head had made before she died. The Drunken Demon took a deep breath of the aroma and poured the liquor into the cup in front of him.
However, he did not pour any for Seo Nak.
The Drunken Demon drank alone. It was the first drink he’d had in a very long time. As the liquor spread through his body, he closed his eyes and wore a look of pleasure. Drinking the Ice Wine brought back a surge of longing for the Institute Head.
Even though the man had his eyes closed right in front of him, Seo Nak could not attack. This was because the Liquor Qi rising like a haze around the Drunken Demon’s body was flickering as if it were alive.
Slowly opening his eyes, the Drunken Demon asked, “Why did you kill her?”
The Drunken Demon poured a second glass, again only for himself.
Seo Nak toyed with the empty cup in front of him and said, “You should ask after giving me a drink. You have no heart.”
Even in this situation, Seo Nak showed no fear.
“You’re confident you can kill me, aren't you?”
The Drunken Demon neither confirmed nor denied it, simply staring at him in silence.
“That’s because you’ve grown complacent. I was the same. In this North Sea, there was no opponent who could make me feel tense.”
Seo Nak, who had always lived with a carefree smile, began to show his true self. He revealed his innate aura. The pressure that burst forth was cold and intense, as if it would freeze the entire world. He was a far greater master than his known reputation suggested.
“Complacency is a terrifying thing. Since you are a Demon Lord, you must have lived achieving whatever you wanted, right? You probably defeated enemies you shouldn't have been able to beat. Winning again and again. But if you look closely, your opponents weren't defeated by you, but by their fear of the Divine Cult.”
The Drunken Demon remained completely unfazed by Seo Nak’s momentum. He took another drink. Before they knew it, the Drunken Demon’s Liquor Qi had settled around them like a thick fog.
“I’m the one drinking, yet you’re the one talking nonsense.”
Seo Nak bared his teeth and laughed at the Drunken Demon’s composure. The man who always wore a kind smile now laughed like a predator baring its fangs.
“That woman was weak. She should have just made the wine in secret and been done with it, but she kept letting it weigh on her conscience. One day she came to me and said she had to tell the Palace Master the truth. Is your curiosity satisfied now?”
Then, the Drunken Demon gave an unexpected answer.
“I wasn't curious at all. Isn't the reason people like us kill good people obvious? It’s always for some trivial, selfish reason.”
“Then why did you ask?”
It was at that moment, as Seo Nak wore a look of incomprehension, that a voice spoke from behind.
“I said I was curious.”
The person who walked through the thick fog and sat down was the Ice Palace Master. She stared at Seo Nak and asked calmly, “Was that also for the sake of the Ice Palace?”