Chapter 417: Someone Even Opens the Gates of Hell
Chapter 417: Someone Even Opens the Gates of Hell
Endless waves of blood energy surged and crashed, yet they failed to breach the Great Demonic Wall.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!
The blood energy, squeezed out to the very last drop, was completely neutralized.
The dozen or so martial artists who had leaped into the air, sacrificing their lifeblood for the Self-Destruction Art, were now little more than hollowed-out corpses. With gaping holes in their chests, they lay strewn across the frozen earth.
The Great Demonic Wall did not vanish immediately; it shimmered in the sunlight, revealing its majestic, imposing form.
Drunken Demon slowly turned his head.
Geom Mu-geuk, who had been standing behind him, was now at his side, his Black Demonic Sword thrust forward.
“I couldn’t allow Brother to be harmed by an attack like that.”
It wasn't a standard strike, nor was it a final ultimate technique unleashed at the climax of a fierce struggle. This was the Self-Destruction Art, triggered the very moment they were spotted. Although it bore the name 'Art,' it was a desperate explosion that could hardly be called martial arts.
Geom Mu-geuk had deployed the Great Demonic Wall because he refused to let Drunken Demon suffer even a single scratch from such a wretched suicide strike.
The scene was symbolic.
— The only existence in the Murim who can eliminate despicable and atrocious evil with even greater ruthlessness... I believe we must find our reason for being there. Because we can block the evil that ordinary people cannot.
Drunken Demon gazed at the Great Demonic Wall and bowed his head respectfully. It was a gesture of reverence toward the Nine Calamities Demonic Art. Only then did the Great Demonic Wall slowly begin to fade.
He looked at Geom Mu-geuk and spoke with formal gravity.
“Thank you, Young Cult Leader.”
In this moment, having been saved by the Nine Calamities Demonic Art, they were not brothers, but a Demon Lord and his Young Cult Leader. Geom Mu-geuk returned the sentiment.
“I will never forget that the Demon Lord stepped forward to protect me.”
He meant every word. When Drunken Demon had moved to block the Self-Destruction Art with his own body, Geom Mu-geuk had been truly moved.
After sharing that moment of mutual respect, Geom Mu-geuk circulated his qi to scan for any remaining presence. There was no one. These were all the enemies who had been lying in wait near the ruined main hall.
Just then, the outer gate creaked open, and the Ice Palace Master walked in.
In the distance behind her, three or four corpses were visible. They were all frozen solid.
“I dealt with a few who caught my eye.”
She had tried to stay out of the fray as much as possible, honoring her promise to give Drunken Demon priority in the fight.
Her gaze shifted to the dozen corpses littering the ground.
They used the Self-Destruction Art all at once.
She had seen the wall of Gang Qi towering over the fence from afar. How could she not recognize the level of mastery required to manifest such a thing?
The Young Cult Leader has truly mastered the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
If the Young Cult Leader’s martial arts were already this formidable, she felt a chilling sense of awe imagining the sheer scale of the Heavenly Demon’s power.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to her.
“These are the people who subverted an elder of the North Sea Ice Palace, joined hands with the North Blood Sect, and do not hesitate to use the Self-Destruction Art.”
The Ice Palace Master realized the situation was even more dire than she had anticipated. Although she kept a close watch on the affairs of the Murim to ensure her sect never fell behind, she had never heard of such a group until now.
The Ice Palace Master walked over to Seo Nak, who lay collapsed on the ground.
Having taken the brunt of Drunken Demon’s attack, his body was a wreck, and he was barely clinging to life.
Just who did you join hands with?
The Ice Palace Master looked down at him with frigid eyes before turning away in silence. She didn't even want to grant him the mercy of a final word.
As she turned, Seo Nak wheezed.
“...Han Yi-gyeong.”
The Ice Palace Master flinched, her footsteps halting abruptly.
She slowly turned back and looked down at Seo Nak.
Lying in the dirt, Seo Nak laughed. Since his mouth was filled with blood, the sight was gruesome.
Han Yi-gyeong.
She was the Ice Palace Master’s elder sister.
Long ago, they had fought a bitter battle for succession. Her sister, who was soft-hearted, had eventually left the North Sea for her sake, yielding the position of Palace Master.
Since then, she hadn't looked for her sister.
She told herself it was because being involved with the Palace would only bring her sister trouble.
But in truth, she had intentionally avoided searching. She had feared that if their relationship continued, her sister might grow greedy for the throne again. At the time, she truly harbored such concerns.
So, she lived while forgetting. At first, it was a conscious effort. Later, it became natural.
The reason she had thought of her sister again recently was because of Geom Mu-geuk.
When she received the report that Geom Mu-geuk had settled his own succession struggle without shedding the blood of his kin, she had thought of the sister she had cast aside.
Looking back now, there must have been a way. Could they not have selected a successor peacefully, just as Geom Mu-geuk had done?
What was she so afraid of back then? Thinking about it now, she and her sister had been fine, but those around them had been hysterical.
Regardless, the Ice Palace Master felt a heavy sense of debt toward her sister.
Her sister could have enjoyed everything she possessed now.
And now, the dying Seo Nak had invoked that name.
But why?
In response to her cold gaze, Seo Nak said, “I chose you, not Yi-gyeong.”
It wasn't the rambling of a dying man. Seo Nak’s eyes, in a final burst of clarity, were sharp.
“Don't you want to see her?”
The Ice Palace Master’s hand began to glow with a pale light; she didn't want to hear another word.
Just as she reached out to end him—
“She might even have a family.”
Seo Nak laughed, looking as if he held a winning hand. The blood filling his mouth spilled over his chin.
Is this it? His final revenge?
Knowing a secret but refusing to tell.
He knew that at this moment, news of her sister would strike her harder than any blade. No other words would make her blink.
“What if she has a daughter? She’ll live her whole life without ever knowing her aunt is the Ice Palace Master. Maybe she lost her parents early and is suffering somewhere as a maidservant. Or maybe she’s a courtesan, selling smiles to any man with a coin.”
The Ice Palace Master stared into his eyes and spoke with eerie calm.
“I’m not curious. Whether she lives as a maidservant or a courtesan.”
The Ice Palace Master did not drop her decorum. She remained polite, showing him that none of his provocations would land.
“I’ve lived my life forgetting her until now; did you think I’d become curious all of a sudden? Did you think I’d feel a pang of conscience at such words? You are foolish to the very end.”
Seo Nak’s eyes twitched, and the mocking laughter vanished from his face.
A pure white energy erupted from the Ice Palace Master’s hand, engulfing Seo Nak’s body. Excruciating cold and pain spread through him instantly.
“Aaaaaagh!”
His entire body began to frost over as he writhed in extreme agony. He screamed for her to kill him.
“Even if you know, do not tell me where she is. It would only be a nuisance. Keep your mouth shut!”
Seo Nak continued to thrash in pain.
He died only after enduring the most intense agony he had ever felt in his life.
The Ice Palace Master looked down at the corpse with a complex expression. Inwardly, she had hoped. She had hoped he would beg for his life, pleading that he would tell her everything he knew if she just stopped the pain.
But seeing him die without speaking even through such torture, she realized his words were merely a final attempt to torment her. Even if they weren't, she chose to believe so. She had no intention of being a puppet in his schemes.
The Ice Palace Master spoke to Geom Mu-geuk.
“I’ve unintentionally shown you the Palace’s shame.”
“Shame? You ended your succession struggle brilliantly without shedding the blood of your kin.”
“My sister was the brilliant one.”
“If she is such a wise sister, she must be living happily somewhere.”
She knew it was a polite platitude, but Geom Mu-geuk’s words gave her a small measure of comfort.
The Ice Palace Master changed the subject.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“Next, I intend to strike the North Blood Sect.”
The Ice Palace Master wanted to lead her subordinates and wipe out the North Blood Sect immediately, but that would result in heavy casualties.
Then, Geom Mu-geuk said something unexpected.
“If you would permit it, I intend to visit the North Blood Sect with the Young Palace Master for reconnaissance.”
Sending her daughter to the North Blood Sect? The Ice Palace Master was silent for a moment. She hesitated because the enemy was so dangerous, but...
“Do so.”
She judged that when war broke out, it would actually be safer for her daughter to be by Geom Mu-geuk’s side. She had seen the wall of Gang Qi, and she had shared tea with her daughter. She trusted him because he was the one who had made that possible.
“Please handle the task of wiping them out, Palace Master. This time, I will give you the priority.”
The Ice Palace Master nodded. The reason Drunken Demon and the Young Cult Leader had come was to uncover the truth behind the Institute Head’s death. Now that they had uncovered it and taken their revenge, they could have simply returned home.
And yet, they were offering to fight the enemy together. The Ice Palace Master felt grateful and reassured by Geom Mu-geuk’s presence.
“Then, I shall see you later.”
After bidding farewell to Geom Mu-geuk, the Ice Palace Master also shared a respectful goodbye with Drunken Demon.
Once she left, Geom Mu-geuk turned to Drunken Demon.
Drunken Demon handed the Blood Tear to Geom Mu-geuk.
“Drink.”
He never let his unique weapon, the Blood Tear, pass into the hands of others.
Geom Mu-geuk was the only exception.
Geom Mu-geuk took a refreshing drink of the Ice Wine inside the Blood Tear.
“Ah, that’s good. It’s the most delicious Ice Wine in the world!”
Drunken Demon took back the Blood Tear and drank deeply.
“It really is delicious!”
The two spoke loudly on purpose. They knew the person who had brewed the liquor would be listening from somewhere in the heavens.
After finishing all the liquor left in the Blood Tear, the two stood side by side and looked up at the sky.
Drunken Demon smiled brightly.
Geom Mu-geuk had a thought. Perhaps, at this moment, the Institute Head was looking down from the sky and smiling back at them.
*
“Don’t worry.”
At the words from behind, Lee An, who was standing by the window, turned her head. The person who had spoken was Han Seol, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Because my mother went with them.”
It seemed that because Lee An was staring blankly out the window, she appeared worried.
Lee An answered honestly.
“To be honest, I was thinking about something else. I don’t worry about what the Young Master does. I have enough of my own worries to fill a mountain; why would I worry about whether the sun will rise tomorrow or not?”
After staring at her for a moment, Han Seol asked, “Because he’s a transcendent being?”
Lee An thought she was being teased. Of all the things to say, I’m going to be tormented by that expression forever!
“Yes, because to me, he is a transcendent being.”
Since she wanted to address this eventually, Han Seol asked again, “If the Young Cult Leader told you to die, could you?”
It was a question she thought would be difficult to answer, but Lee An didn't hesitate.
“Yes. I can die. I’d kick the gates of hell wide open and say this: ‘I’m here because my Young Master sent me!’ Ah, but if it’s the Young Master, he’d probably become friends with King Yama and get me an exemption. I’d be the only one suffering in the pits of fire, wouldn't I?”
Han Seol shook her head, barely holding back the words that rose to her throat. Since they had spent a few days together, she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.
Lee An said it for her.
“You were thinking I’m a crazy bitch, weren't you?”
At Lee An’s words, Han Seol’s expression clearly said, ‘As long as you know.’
Lee An smiled brightly and looked out the window again.
“Actually, that was the easiest question to answer. Because he’s not the kind of person who would ever tell me to die. It’s a question I can boast about because I know it’ll never happen.”
Han Seol looked at her back. Can such a deep bond really exist between people?
“If you’re like that, wouldn't the Young Cult Leader feel burdened?”
If it were her, she thought she would feel burdened. If someone looked at her with such absolute expectations, she would feel she had to do better, to show a better side of herself. The pressure would be immense.
“He won't.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“Because he isn't foolish enough to consider my words a burden. He’ll just be happy. He’ll think, ‘All my hard work was worth it.’”
Honestly, Han Seol was envious of Geom Mu-geuk. Gaining someone’s absolute trust and support was truly no easy feat.
Just then, Geom Mu-geuk and Drunken Demon returned to the residence. Upon seeing them, Han Seol asked urgently, “What about my mother?”
“The Palace Master has returned to the Ice Palace.”
The news that Elder Seo was indeed a traitor and that he was dead was delivered.
It felt strange to Han Seol. It wasn't that Elder Seo’s betrayal was strange, but the fact that there was someone behind him.
Since she had treated him as an uncle since childhood, he was like a great elder to her. And yet, there was someone else pulling the strings of such a man—a man who had always seemed so strong.
Han Seol was worried about her mother. She must have trusted and relied on Elder Seo deeply.
Suddenly, she realized this was the first time she had felt this way.
I’m worried right now.
Surprisingly, she realized she had never once worried about her mother until now. Her mother had always been a pillar of strength, and nothing had ever happened to cause such concern. And yet, just a moment ago, she had asked about her mother’s well-being first. She felt a heat in her heart that she had never felt before.
Can a person’s heart change so easily? No, is it okay for it to change like this?
Did changing like this mean it could also change to hold even greater feelings of hatred?
Han Seol suddenly felt like asking Geom Mu-geuk about such matters. For some reason, she felt that if it were Geom Mu-geuk, he would give her a clear answer. She didn't actually ask, though.
“What do you plan to do now?”
“We’ve declared war on them by killing Elder Seo.”
The real battle had now begun.
“The next target is the North Blood Sect. Before striking them, the priority is to find out why they were seeking an Extreme Cold Body. It would be best if we could get inside.”
Then, Han Seol remembered something and spoke up before Geom Mu-geuk could even ask.
“When I met Young Master Yang of the North Blood Sect before, I told him I would visit again with the Young Cult Leader. Let’s go together.”
Geom Mu-geuk honestly explained the current situation.
“It will be a very dangerous task. The person you were just talking to might suddenly use the Self-Destruction Art right in front of your eyes.”
Was it because of that heat she felt in her heart for the first time in her life? Strangely, Han Seol wasn't afraid. She only thought that since it was a matter concerning the Ice Palace, she should be the one to step forward and solve it.
“Someone even says they’ll open the gates of hell.”
Han Seol looked at the smiling Lee An and added firmly, “Then I’ll be the one to tear open the North Blood Sect.”