Chapter 430: Three Reasons for a Gift
Chapter 430: Three Reasons for a Gift
Geom Mu-geuk followed the Ice Palace Master.
He had assumed the Ice Palace Treasury would be located outside the palace walls. He imagined a place in the deep reaches of the North Sea, perhaps hidden within a blizzard-shrouded mountain where the cold was enough to freeze one’s very soul.
Instead, the Ice Palace Master led him deep into the heart of the North Sea Ice Palace.
“This is the first time I’ve ever opened this place to an outsider.”
“It is an honor, Palace Master.”
“It is a reward for saving this palace.”
After passing through a series of gates guarded by the Ice Palace’s elite warriors, they reached a frozen lake.
“From this point on, step exactly where I step. Follow me closely.”
Geom Mu-geuk could tell immediately—a formation had been laid across the seemingly ordinary lake. The true terror of this formation lay in its unpredictability.
He had never experienced a formation deployed over a frozen lake before. While one’s mind was preoccupied with the tension of the ice potentially shattering underfoot, the true danger would strike from an unexpected direction to consume them.
Geom Mu-geuk followed her, treading precisely on the spots the Ice Palace Master marked.
What would happen if one failed to find the Gate of Life? Would they sink into the frigid depths as the ice shattered, or would they wander atop this lake for eternity?
As they walked in silence, the Ice Palace Master suddenly spoke.
“That child, Lee An... is she the kin of a demonic practitioner?”
“No. She was entrusted to the Cult at a very young age.”
The Ice Palace Master continued walking in silence. Her back suggested she had more to say.
“But why do you ask?” Geom Mu-geuk prompted.
Whether it was her appearance or her temperament, Lee An was certainly no ordinary person, but given the Ice Palace Master’s personality, Geom Mu-geuk hadn't expected her to show such interest.
“It’s nothing. The thought just crossed my mind. Watch your step.”
The Ice Palace Master resumed her diligent pace across the lake, stepping only on the Gate of Life.
Once they passed through the formation, a valley appeared. It was a narrow path between cliffs, barely wide enough for three or four adults to stand side-by-side.
Whirrrr.
The wind was cold from the very entrance. It wasn't just a chill; it was bone-chilling. This was the true path to the Ice Palace Treasury.
“It has suddenly grown much colder,” Geom Mu-geuk remarked.
A faint smile played on the Ice Palace Master’s lips. “The cold hasn't even truly begun.”
The Ice Palace Master felt a slight thrill at the thought of showing the Young Cult Leader the true meaning of cold. Saving the palace was one thing, but since he had insisted on entering a place supposedly inaccessible to anyone without the Extreme Cold Body, she intended to show him the fierce, biting winds of the North Sea.
“Come, let us go.”
This time, she did not lead the way but walked side-by-side with Geom Mu-geuk. She needed to monitor his condition. Regardless of his mastery, a single mistake here could lead to death.
With every step, the temperature plummeted.
“Do not force yourself to endure it too harshly,” she warned.
“It is still bearable.”
The phrase "lungs freezing over" was coined for moments like this. It wasn't cold because a bitter wind was blowing; rather, it felt as though they were approaching the very source of ultimate frost. One step led into a colder space, and the next into one colder still. The transition was stark.
Shweeee.
A strange sound echoed, though it wasn't the sound of the wind.
“Are you alright?”
From the halfway point onward, the Ice Palace Master checked on Geom Mu-geuk’s condition with every step.
However, Geom Mu-geuk was perfectly fine. He felt the cold, but it did not hinder his movements or cause him pain. The Ice Palace Master had worried he might freeze solid where he stood, yet Geom Mu-geuk walked with ease. In fact, he walked even more vigorously than she did.
Shweeeeeee.
Though there was no wind, the strange sound grew louder the further they walked.
The Ice Palace Master’s surprise deepened. If he didn't possess the Extreme Cold Body, it meant he possessed some other demonic art capable of withstanding this absolute zero.
Does such a demonic art truly exist?
The cold intensified as they progressed. It was no longer the kind of cold that merely froze water instantly; it was a cold that transcended common sense and human limits.
Neither Geom Mu-geuk, who had consumed the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit, nor the Ice Palace Master, who endured with her unique internal energy, were in a position to converse. The cold was simply too overwhelming.
Eventually, the two reached the end of the path. There stood a massive wall of ice. It wasn't ordinary ice. Its frigidity was indescribable, as if it were the source of all the cold in the world.
In essence, the two had walked toward the very origin of frost.
Surprisingly, there was a door set into that wall of ice. It was nothing short of amazing that someone had hollowed out a space and created a room here.
The Ice Palace Master opened the door and stepped inside. Geom Mu-geuk followed. The moment she closed the door, silence fell. The strange ringing in his ears vanished, and the insane cold disappeared as if it had all been a lie.
Inside, it wasn't even that cold. It felt like being inside a house made of ice. He even had the premonition that the further they went toward the center, the more the cold would subside.
Conversation was possible now, but the Ice Palace Master stared at Geom Mu-geuk in silence for a long time. Finally, she asked for confirmation once more.
“Do you possess the Extreme Cold Body and have been deceiving me?”
“As I told you before, I do not possess the Extreme Cold Body.”
“Then do you have a demonic art that allows you to withstand such cold?”
“No. I doubt any demonic art of our Cult could endure this.”
He truly believed that. The Ice Palace Master even wondered if the Young Cult Leader somehow knew the secret martial arts passed down only to the masters of the Ice Palace.
“Is there not one other way to endure any cold? A legend passed down in the North Sea...”
After a moment of dazed silence, the Ice Palace Master recalled a single possibility.
“Could it be? You?”
Geom Mu-geuk spoke honestly. He didn't want to leave any lingering doubts by being vague.
“Yes. I have consumed the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit.”
Geom Mu-geuk saw just how wide the Ice Palace Master’s eyes could get when she was truly shocked. The Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit was a spirit medicine spoken of only in legends. It was the pinnacle of medicines that granted resistance to cold; not only could one withstand freezing temperatures, but one could also easily absorb any energy of a cold attribute.
“Did the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit truly exist?”
Even the Ice Palace Master had considered it a myth—a mystery that existed only in stories.
“I was fortunate enough to encounter the opportunity.”
The Ice Palace Master shook her head firmly. “The Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit is not something one obtains through luck alone.”
If it were, the fruit would not have remained a legend.
And the person who obtained it was the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult? Furthermore, that same man had saved the Ice Palace. Was this all a coincidence? The mastermind behind the plot had been targeting the Ice Palace Treasury, yet here he was, standing in this very place with the man who had eliminated that mastermind.
Was all of this truly just chance? Or were they standing before each other within the inevitable flow of destiny?
“Let us enter.”
They walked slowly down a corridor made of ice. At the end of that corridor was a vast space—the Ice Palace Treasury.
The walls, the ceiling, the floor, and even the display cabinets—everything in sight was made of ice. This place was different from other treasuries. All the treasures were encased within the ice, frozen in various sizes like ice bricks.
The ice was crystal clear. Because of this, the weapons stored within appeared as if they were floating in mid-air. Geom Mu-geuk had never seen such a mystical sight.
“This is truly magnificent.”
The Ice Palace Master smiled. “Even a significant amount of Heat Yang Energy cannot easily melt this ice.”
It was difficult enough to reach this place, but even if one did, it would be no simple task to extract the treasures. She was curious to see what Geom Mu-geuk would desire.
Geom Mu-geuk pointed to a single sword among the treasures. “Is that sword the Cold Heaven Divine Sword?”
“It is.”
It was a legendary sword said to double the power of anyone who practiced ice-based martial arts.
“And that one next to it is the Shattering Blade.”
“You truly have an excellent eye for weaponry.”
In addition to those, many other divine weapons were stored there—items the North Sea Ice Palace had collected over centuries. Nevertheless, the Ice Palace Master had a feeling.
He won't choose a sword.
Though he hadn't drawn the Black Demonic Sword in her presence, she could sense it. The sword Geom Mu-geuk carried was superior to any weapon in this room.
Indeed, while Geom Mu-geuk was impressed by each weapon, he did not choose any of them.
Next to the weapons, jewels seemed to float in the air. The gems encased in small pieces of ice looked even more mystical. Some were incredibly expensive, making the top-quality Poison-Repelling Pearl and Night-shining Pearl nearby look humble in comparison.
However, Geom Mu-geuk passed those by as well. He walked slowly, hoping the Secret Casket might react. The two pearls the Secret Casket had acquired so far had not been found among precious items; they had been discarded or hidden. He had hoped that, as a twist, one might be sitting proudly among these rare jewels, but the Secret Casket remained silent.
Next was the area where spirit medicines were displayed. It was a literal array of medicines that could not be obtained even with a fortune. Even the least effective among them was a precious item that martial artists would dream of consuming.
Geom Mu-geuk passed that area as well. He examined various things closely so as not to give the impression that he was looking for something specific.
“Is there nothing you desire?”
“I intended to choose something if it called to me, but so far, nothing has.”
He had looked through the weapons, the spirit medicines, and the artifacts, but the Secret Casket remained silent.
Is there nothing in the North Sea Ice Palace for the Secret Casket to absorb?
He wondered if it wasn't reacting because everything was inside ice, but there was nothing he could do about that. He couldn't exactly ask her to melt everything for him.
Just as he was about to give up, a large mural on the far wall caught his eye. It was a depiction of a massive white dragon ascending to heaven. Geom Mu-geuk walked toward it.
As he approached the mural, the Secret Casket in his robes reacted.
Geom Mu-geuk was startled. He hadn't expected the Secret Casket to react to a mural. As he got closer, he saw why. The mural wasn't just a painting. A blue sapphire was embedded where the white dragon held its Wish-Fulfilling Pearl, and red rubies were set in its eyes. Various colored jades were embedded in its claws and throughout its body.
And among those various jades was a piece of white jade. The Secret Casket was reacting to it.
It’s a White Essence!
If he hadn't come over to look at the mural, he never would have found it. Who had hidden these things like this, and why? He couldn't know for now. He could only hope that since fate had brought him to it, the day would come when he would understand.
Geom Mu-geuk spoke to her. “May I choose one of the jades embedded in that mural?”
The Ice Palace Master was surprised. She hadn't expected him to ask for a jade from a mural. “Do you want the Wish-Fulfilling Pearl?”
“No.” Geom Mu-geuk pointed to the white jade embedded at the very tip of the tail. “Please give me that tail.”
While white jade was precious, it was nothing compared to the treasures they had seen earlier.
“May I ask why you specifically want that one?”
“In the Cult, people often compare me to a hidden dragon or an ascending dragon. However, I always wish to live as the tail. I want that white jade to remind me of that humility.”
The Ice Palace Master still looked as though she couldn't understand. She leaped lightly into the air, plucked the white jade from the wall, and landed. No matter how she looked at it, it was just a piece of white jade.
“Are you certain this will suffice?”
“Yes, it is enough. Besides, just touring the Ice Palace Treasury has been a priceless experience for me.”
Geom Mu-geuk took the white jade and tucked it carefully into his robes. Because she didn't know the true significance of the white jade, the Ice Palace Master misunderstood his intentions.
He doesn't want to be a burden to me.
If that was the case, she couldn't let him leave like this.
“It is not enough for me,” she said unexpectedly.
She wouldn't have brought him here if she didn't intend to give him something proper. She couldn't send away the man who saved the Ice Palace with nothing but a single piece of white jade.
The Ice Palace Master went to the spirit medicines. Using Telekinesis, she brought down a piece of ice from the highest point of the display.
“In any case, you are the only one who can consume this.”
As she injected her internal energy, the ice melted, revealing a small bead. It looked like a bead carved from ice, but it was the pinnacle of North Sea spirit medicines: The Ten Thousand Extreme Ice Essence.
It was the greatest among medicines with a cold attribute, but because its energy was so extreme, it was known that only someone who had consumed the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit could survive taking it.
“May I truly accept something so precious?”
“If you do not eat it, it will simply stay frozen here forever.”
Geom Mu-geuk already possessed more internal energy than almost anyone in the Murim, but he was still thirsty for more. Practicing the Nine Calamities Demonic Art required a vast amount of energy, and he had to use it while opening the Time Heaven Secret Technique within the Space-Time Displacement Technique. To Geom Mu-geuk, internal energy was time. It was the power to protect everyone.
“Take it, quickly.”
“Then I shall decline no further and accept it with gratitude.”
Geom Mu-geuk consumed the Ten Thousand Extreme Ice Essence right then and there.
It was an incredibly cold energy. If his body hadn't been prepared by the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Fruit, he would have frozen solid and died the moment he swallowed it. The massive energy of the Ten Thousand Extreme Ice Essence surged through his meridians. It roared like a wild northern gale, but his body was already tempered to weather such storms.
After carefully regulating his True Qi, the energy gathered in his Dantian and became pure internal energy.
Until now, he had vaguely thought his internal energy might be the greatest in the Murim, but now he was certain. His internal energy was undoubtedly the most vast. He wasn't happy simply because he had more energy; he was happy because he could reach the higher realms of the Time Heaven Secret Technique and the Nine Calamities Demonic Art even faster.
Today was a series of surprises for the Ice Palace Master. She hadn't expected him to refine the Ten Thousand Extreme Ice Essence so quickly. Because of that, her third gesture of goodwill was even easier to decide.
“Choose one more.”
“This is already more than enough.”
“There are three reasons why I am giving you three gifts.”
“What are those reasons?”
“The first is a reward for uncovering the cause of the previous Palace Master’s death and eliminating the masterminds.”
He understood that much. He was the savior of the Ice Palace.
“The second is for making me look back at myself.”
Geom Mu-geuk understood. It was because he had told her that her daughter was still standing behind her. It was gratitude for mending the relationship with the daughter she might have lost forever.
“The third is a gift given in anticipation.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You will understand someday what those words mean.”
It was an investment in her daughter’s future. By the time Han Seol became the Ice Palace Master, Geom Mu-geuk would be the Heavenly Demon. She was making a request in advance: Please look after the North Sea Ice Palace, and my daughter, in the future. If that request cost only a single treasure, it was a bargain.
Geom Mu-geuk guessed her heart. Therefore, he accepted her feelings for her daughter.
“Then I shall choose one more.”
Geom Mu-geuk looked around the room once more. Since this one wasn't a gift for himself, he chose even more carefully.
“Then I will take this as the final one.”
What Geom Mu-geuk chose was a wine cup.