Chapter 432: The Gates of the Ice Palace Are Open to You
Chapter 432: The Gates of the Ice Palace Are Open to You
The snow-covered courtyard was clean and serene.
Snow clung to the trees like white flowers in full bloom, and icicles hanging from the eaves sparkled with a clear, crystalline light.
Stepping into this pristine white space, Lee An began to perform the Flying Heaven Sword Technique upon the untouched snow. Now that Geom Mu-geuk and the Drunken Demon had returned safely, she had only one thing left to focus on.
Now, the only thing I have to worry about is my own life.
In the Murim, being good-natured or possessing a beautiful face was often a liability rather than an asset if one lacked the strength to back it up.
I train for the Young Master.
She no longer held the mindset of a mere escort warrior. She trained for herself now, believing that her own growth would ultimately become the best way to serve Geom Mu-geuk.
She swung her sword, gliding across the snow. As the exceptionally beautiful woman performed the Flying Heaven Sword Technique amidst the wintry landscape, she looked like a figure from a masterpiece painting.
After completing a set of forms, she paused to look down at the footprints she had left behind. Since she had never performed the forms on fresh, untouched snow before, this was the first time she had seen her footwork recorded so vividly.
"This is the First Form: Balanced Heaven Form. And this is the Second Form: Changing Heaven Form..."
Suddenly, her gaze fixed on one spot.
"I knew it! This part widened again. What on earth is the problem? Please, someone tell me!"
As she looked up toward the sky, she gasped in surprise. Geom Mu-geuk was floating in the air above her; she hadn't realized when he had arrived.
"Young Master? What are you doing up there?"
"What else? I was looking down to see where the problem was."
Geom Mu-geuk, who had been observing her footprints from above, descended lightly to the ground. Lee An hadn't received his guidance in quite some time. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, she spoke quickly.
"When I perform the Eighth Form: Yellow Springs Form, my back foot keeps flaring out to the right. I’ve been practicing constantly to fix it, but I just can't seem to correct it."
"Why won't it be corrected? You clearly know what the problem is."
"It must be because my ability to interpret martial arts is lacking."
"Or perhaps you're overestimating the Flying Heaven Sword Technique?"
Lee An turned to look at him, startled. Geom Mu-geuk nodded with a serious expression, signaling that he wasn't joking.
Lee An looked back at her footprints.
The Young Master means that I might not actually be wrong. If that's the case...
She fell into deep thought while staring at the tracks in the snow.
How much time passed?
"Was it something like this?"
Lee An startled as she raised her head. The surroundings had grown dim before she realized it. Geom Mu-geuk was still standing in the same spot, watching her.
"Young Master? What happened?"
"You entered a trance."
She was even more shocked by the mention of a trance. "It felt like only a brief moment had passed."
"That is the nature of a trance."
"But it wasn't such a grand dilemma that it warranted falling into a trance."
"Then what qualifies as a grand dilemma?"
"I wouldn't know."
"It was a point well worth agonizing over," he said firmly.
Then, Lee An asked in surprise, "Wait... have you been standing there this entire time?"
"I couldn't let your trance be broken."
Geom Mu-geuk knew exactly how important this moment was for her. Most martial artists never experienced such a state even once in their lives.
"You shouldn't have stood there until your legs ached just for my sake."
"Compared to the time you spent standing guard at my door, this is nothing."
"That was just my job."
She was grateful he said that. She had never expected a reward for her time as his escort, yet a single word like that turned all her past hardships into something worthwhile. Geom Mu-geuk always practiced what he preached: if you have something to say, make sure to express it.
"So? What conclusion did you reach?"
"I think it's fine even if it flares to the right. It’s a foot position that doesn't leave me vulnerable to attack, and it doesn't interfere with the transition to other forms. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find a reason to keep it perfectly straight."
"Then why didn't you think of that until now?"
"Because I assumed the Flying Heaven Sword Technique couldn't possibly be wrong."
To her, the Flying Heaven Sword Technique was a perfect martial art. It was, after all, the technique the successors of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult mastered before learning the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
Instead of answering with words, Geom Mu-geuk showed her.
He began to perform the Flying Heaven Sword Technique right where she had left her tracks. His footprints began to overlap with hers. Lee An watched with wide eyes, determined not to miss a single movement.
It was the same technique, yet it was different. It was different yet the same, and the same yet different. They say you see as much as you know; seeing him demonstrate now felt entirely different from when she had watched him in the past. It would likely look different again once she reached Great Achievement.
He finished, leaving his footprints behind. Lee An focused on the specific spot she had been agonizing over.
"Oh? Young Master, your foot is flared to the right as well."
Geom Mu-geuk smiled. "It means the answer you found was correct."
Lee An was happy, but also found it unexpected. Why did the manual imply the foot should be in a straight line? Geom Mu-geuk resolved her doubt.
"I don't know if the creator intended it or if it happened by chance, but this specific part acts as the greatest wall on the path to reaching Great Achievement in the Flying Heaven Sword Technique. It is the point where the rigid forms first begin to gain freedom."
This meant she had taken another step closer to the Great Achievement of the Flying Heaven Sword Technique. Though she put in immense effort and received much guidance from Geom Mu-geuk, she also possessed a natural talent for martial arts.
"Thank you so much, Young Master."
How could she have found the answer without him? If he hadn't told her previously to trust herself rather than the sword technique, she might never have experienced that trance.
"Now, let's slowly prepare to return to the Main Cult."
"Young Master. I was thinking of staying behind to continue the mission I was assigned."
Her original purpose for leaving the Cult was to recruit Seo Jin, the younger sister of Gwi Ryeongja, as a Ghost Shadow Squad Leader. However, she had ended up here in the North Sea due to a woman's plea to save her husband.
"Shall I go with you?"
Lee An shook her head. "I want to accomplish this task on my own."
This was her own journey through the Murim, one that had brought her all the way to the North Sea after simply being offered a cup of water. Whether she succeeded in bringing Seo Jin back or not, she had a feeling she would return having grown significantly. It would be even better if she reached Great Achievement by then.
"Be careful when someone offers you a cup of water," Geom Mu-geuk teased.
Lee An laughed heartily at his joke. Just then, a warrior from the Ice Palace arrived to deliver a message.
"The Palace Master requests an audience with both of you."
Geom Mu-geuk could sense it. The Ice Palace Master had called for them because of Lee An.
*
The Ice Palace Master was waiting alone in the Palace Master’s Hall. After exchanging greetings, she asked the question she was most curious about.
"Was Lord Drunken Demon satisfied?"
She wanted to know the reaction of the Drunken Demon after he received the Ice Palace Holy Cup. Geom Mu-geuk wanted to vividly describe how happy and excited the Drunken Demon had been, but he considered the man's dignity.
"He was very pleased."
"That is a relief. Come, please sit."
Once Geom Mu-geuk and Lee An were seated, the Ice Palace Master served tea. Lee An found herself staring at the pattern on the teacup again.
"You mentioned before that you felt you had seen this pattern somewhere, didn't you?"
"Looking at it again, I'm certain. I have definitely seen it before."
Geom Mu-geuk looked at it and saw a drawing of two birds in flight; it had a very unique feel to it.
The Ice Palace Master stared at Lee An in silence. From the moment they first met, her eyes had been drawn to the girl for some reason. After watching Lee An quietly for a moment, she made an unexpected request.
"May I check your pulse? I will tell you the reason after I have done so."
Lee An was flustered. For a martial artist, giving someone access to their pulse was akin to handing over their life. Unless they were injured, they never allowed it. Of course, she didn't think the Ice Palace Master would harm her, but her hesitation was natural.
She glanced at Geom Mu-geuk. He said nothing. If he had judged it to be a situation he should stop, he would have stepped in. With that thought, Lee An gave her consent.
"Yes, I understand."
As Lee An held out her arm, the Ice Palace Master took her pulse. As she examined Lee An's meridians, the Ice Palace Master’s eyes widened. A surge of emotion she had held in her heart for a very long time flickered across her face.
Both Geom Mu-geuk and Lee An could feel her unusual agitation. After taking a moment to sip her tea and calm herself, the Ice Palace Master spoke quietly, her gaze still fixed on Lee An.
"The pattern drawn on this teacup was created by my elder sister, who left the Ice Palace long ago."
Lee An still couldn't guess the nature of the strange emotion the Ice Palace Master was displaying. "Could it be that I saw the pattern your sister drew somewhere?"
"Perhaps. One thing is certain: this pattern is unique in all the world. No one else would draw such a design."
The Ice Palace Master’s voice was trembling. Even when the Ice Palace had been in grave danger, she had remained calm, but now she was shaking.
"Before Elder Seo died, he mentioned my sister. In that moment, I felt it. This man killed her."
At that time, Seo Nak had been devoted to her. He had exercised a twisted sense of loyalty to ensure her sister could never threaten her position as Palace Master.
"Before he died, Elder Seo told me. He said my sister had a daughter. He spoke vaguely just to torment me, but he definitely said there was a daughter."
Only now did Lee An understand why she had checked her pulse, and why she was telling this story. Lee An’s heart began to pound wildly. She had never dreamed she would have such a conversation in the Palace Master’s Hall.
The decisive words flowed from the Ice Palace Master’s lips.
"The women of our family are born with special meridians that are exceptionally well-suited for learning Ice Arts."
The result was already clear in her trembling voice.
"You are my niece."
Lee An remained frozen in a daze. Despite the secret of her birth being revealed, she was eerily calm. She didn't know how to react. She had lived her whole life believing she had been abandoned by her parents as a child. And now, her mother was the Ice Palace Master’s sister?
She looked at Geom Mu-geuk. She truly wanted to ask: Young Master, she says I'm the Ice Palace Master’s blood relative. How am I supposed to react to this?
Reading her mind, Geom Mu-geuk asked, "How do you feel?"
"Just..."
She was about to say she felt dazed, but suddenly, a surge of emotion welled up within her. The image of a mother losing her life to a villain flashed through her mind. Until now, she had thought her parents had abandoned her. She had resented them deeply for it.
"I..."
Her throat tightened with unshed tears, and she couldn't continue. Both Geom Mu-geuk and the Ice Palace Master waited for her. It was only after a long while that Lee An composed herself. After taking a deep breath, she stated her feelings.
"Even so, nothing will change."
She delivered her conclusion in a calm tone.
"In the future, I will still be the Fist Demon’s daughter, the Young Cult Leader’s former escort, and the Ghost Shadow Squad Leader. I am satisfied with my life. I don't wish to change it."
It was a harsh thing to say to the woman who was her aunt, but it was her honest feeling. As if she had expected such a reaction, the Ice Palace Master remained calm as well.
"Yes, do as you wish."
She felt sorry for Lee An. Her sister's tragedy had ultimately been because of her. Was it a prank of fate? Lee An, a victim of a succession struggle, now most trusted and followed the man who had ended his own succession struggle without shedding blood.
"Thank you for growing up so well."
The Ice Palace Master was so proud of Lee An. She was truly grateful that she had grown into such a fine person.
"I heard you came all the way here to save the husband of a woman who gave you a cup of water. I might not have come, but my sister would have. You are exactly like your mother."
Perhaps an inescapable fate had led her here to the North Sea. A destiny imbued with her mother's desperate longing.
"From now on, the gates of the Ice Palace are open to you. Come whenever you wish."
"Thank you."
The Ice Palace Master wanted to give Lee An a hug, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Feeling flustered and emotionally overwhelmed, Lee An was the first to offer a polite bow.
"Then, I shall take my leave first."
"Yes, go and rest well."
The words 'aunt' and 'niece' did not come easily to either of them yet. Once Lee An left the hall, only Geom Mu-geuk and the Ice Palace Master remained.
"She will need some time."
"I suppose so."
The Ice Palace Master was overjoyed at the thought of having found her sister's daughter. However, Geom Mu-geuk put a damper on her soaring spirits.
"It would be best not to announce this fact officially."
"Why is that?"
"Did your sister not leave because she hated the succession struggle? If it's revealed that Lee An is of your bloodline, someone like Elder Seo might appear one day and try to use that fact to plot a conspiracy. In the end, your niece might be forced to shoulder the same fate."
She hadn't thought of that. In her excitement, her first instinct had been to tell everyone.
Truly, the more I experience him, the more he surprises me.
Since meeting him, Geom Mu-geuk had been absolutely flawless.
"We will be leaving tomorrow at dawn."
"Already?"
She felt a sense of regret. To feel sad about the departure of the Demonic Cult’s Young Cult Leader? Before Geom Mu-geuk’s arrival, she would have thought such an emotion was absurd. But because he had come, she had repaired her relationship with her daughter, found her niece, and the Ice Palace had escaped its crisis.
"Then, please take care until we meet again."
"I pray you achieve your great ambition."
As Geom Mu-geuk turned to leave, the Ice Palace Master spoke from behind him.
"When there is a gathering of the Rising Stars, please invite Seol-yi as well."
She was showing her intent to send her daughter to the Central Plains. If Geom Mu-geuk was waiting there, she could send her with confidence.
Geom Mu-geuk smiled brightly and left a cryptic joke.
"Of course. I'll have to invite her, if only because I'm curious about our Young Palace Master’s dancing skills."
*
Before leaving, Geom Mu-geuk stood side-by-side with the Drunken Demon atop a snowy peak.
"I was able to pull this off because you came with me."
It was the honest truth. Had he come alone, he wouldn't have been able to handle such a massive conspiracy. He had killed the Blood King, but considering the process leading up to it, it wasn't an enemy he could have managed by himself.
"If I were alone, I wouldn't have gotten this cup, and I would have been the last one you visited after leaving the Cult."
The Drunken Demon subtly pressured him to visit him first from now on, but it didn't work on Geom Mu-geuk.
"I'm still going to visit you last, Brother."
"Why on earth?"
"Because it's comfortable."
"You mean because I'm an easy target!"
"It's because I want to finish meeting everyone else so I can drink comfortably with you at the end."
"What a fine excuse."
Even if he were never to visit, how could the Drunken Demon ever feel resentful toward Geom Mu-geuk? Through this journey, he had not only grown closer to the Young Master but also felt he understood a little more about what kind of person he was.
The two men silently enjoyed the majestic snowy landscape that could only be seen from the summit. Before descending, they shared a drink. They poured the final cup into the air from the top of the snowy peak.
"Institute Head, we've had a good drink and now we're off!"