Chapter 433: To Call Her His Heart, To Treat Her as His Heart
Chapter 433: To Call Her His Heart, To Treat Her as His Heart
At dawn the following day, the carriage carrying Geom Mu-geuk’s party departed from the Ice Palace.
Lee An, who had decided to complete her interrupted mission rather than return to the Main Cult, agreed to travel with them until they cleared the borders of the North Sea.
As the carriage passed through the Ice Palace gates, someone was already waiting for them.
It was the Young Palace Master, Han Seol.
“I came to say goodbye.”
Geom Mu-geuk and the Drunken Demon offered a light nod from inside the carriage, while Lee An stepped out to represent the group. The two women had things to discuss.
“I heard from Mother.”
Han Seol referred to her as "Mother" rather than "Palace Master." It was partly because they had grown closer recently, but also because the matter at hand was family business.
Lee An gazed silently at Han Seol. They were now cousins.
“You were surprised, weren't you? I was shocked when the Palace Master told me yesterday as well.”
“You’re the older sister, so please, speak comfortably.”
It was the first time in her life that Han Seol had ever used the word sister. In the past, the word would never have come so easily. Perhaps it was because her relationship with her mother had shifted, bringing an unknown change to her heart. That was likely why this encounter didn't feel as uncomfortable as it might have.
“I thought I was the younger one,” Lee An remarked.
“……”
“It was a joke.”
“It’s still not funny.”
Han Seol had told Lee An her jokes weren't funny once before. But today, despite her blunt words, a small smile played at the corners of Han Seol’s lips.
“And this.” Han Seol held out a small box. “Mother told me to give this to you. She said to open it later.”
The box was tightly sealed, preventing it from being opened immediately. Though Lee An didn't know what was inside, she knew she had to show her gratitude.
“Please tell my aunt I said thank you.”
Just as Han Seol had called her "sister" for the first time, this was the first time Lee An had used the word "aunt." It felt incredibly awkward, but she forced herself to be polite, remembering how happy the Ice Palace Master had looked upon discovering she had a niece.
“Well then, safe travels.”
As Lee An turned to leave, she looked back at Han Seol once more.
“Seol, take care.”
When Han Seol looked surprised, Lee An quickly added, “Was that too soon?”
“No. A sister is a sister.”
Lee An was the type who knew how to be bold in moments like these. “Next time you come to the Central Plains, I’ll show you around.”
Han Seol nodded. It was an awkward, unfamiliar feeling, but it didn't feel bad at all.
Lee An climbed back into the carriage. Geom Mu-geuk leaned his head out of the window to bid Han Seol farewell.
“I shall invite you once all the Rising Stars have gathered. I will see you then.”
Han Seol did not yet realize that this gathering would be a place so extraordinary that even her status as the Young Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace would not be considered special.
With that, the carriage carrying Geom Mu-geuk, the Drunken Demon, and Lee An departed.
Han Seol stood in place, watching the carriage fade into the distance. The three of them had truly arrived like the wind and left just as swiftly.
The Ice Palace Master approached her side. She had been watching from a distance before revealing herself.
“Mother, have you ever been to the Central Plains?”
The Ice Palace Master flinched at the word "Mother." When was the last time she had been called that? Since Han Seol was still staring at the distant carriage, it was impossible to tell if she had said it intentionally or by accident.
“A few times.”
“What is the Central Plains like?”
Han Seol only knew of the Central Plains through stories and books. She wanted to hear her mother’s perspective. The carriage was gone, but in that moment, curiosity about the Central Plains bloomed in her heart for the first time.
The Ice Palace Master walked slowly toward a snow-covered tree and brushed it with her hand. The snow on the branches fluttered down like falling petals.
“In my youth, the Central Plains was a place like this: a place you want to return to when you are there, and a place you want to go back to once you have returned.”
As the years passed, those feelings had faded. Her longing for the Central Plains was no longer as great as it had been in her youth. She liked the North Sea. Neither the fluttering spring blossoms, the scorching heat of summer, nor the beautifully embroidered autumn leaves could surpass the beauty of this snowy landscape.
But that was her life.
The Ice Palace Master’s gaze, which had grown noticeably softer, turned toward her daughter.
“Your Central Plains will surely be different.”
*
The carriage sped southward.
Since the carriage had been provided by the North Sea Branch of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the martial artist on the driver's seat was incredibly tense. He never imagined he would be driving a carriage carrying the Young Cult Leader and the Drunken Demon. To make matters worse, they were traveling without a single escort.
Perhaps that’s how we’ll avoid an ambush? No one would believe the Young Cult Leader is in a carriage like this.
In contrast to the driver's anxiety, the interior of the carriage was peaceful.
The Drunken Demon, who had not yet fully recovered from his injuries, occupied one side of the carriage, lying down. Of course, he didn't forget to exaggerate his condition.
“What’s the rush that you’re dragging your dying brother along like this?”
“The work is done, so we should go,” Mu-geuk replied. “I want to see my father and the Demon Lords. I want to see you, too, and Dae-ryong and Commander Jang.”
“And here I thought I’d be…”
He started to say he’d be treated like yesterday’s news, but he stopped himself. With Lee An sharing the carriage, he couldn't bring himself to make such jokes easily. Though, it probably would have been fine; Lee An had been staring blankly out the window for a while now.
The Drunken Demon gestured for Mu-geuk to look after Lee An, then closed his eyes to try and sleep.
Geom Mu-geuk looked out the window with her. Sensing his attention, Lee An spoke the words she had been holding back.
“To be honest, I didn't sleep a wink last night.”
Geom Mu-geuk figured as much. “The Palace Master likely didn't either.”
Lee An turned toward him, a worried expression on her face. “Should I have visited her at dawn to say a proper goodbye?”
She had agonized over it several times but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do it.
“The Palace Master was watching us from afar earlier.”
“Really?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. He understood well the heart that watches from a distance to avoid being a burden.
Hearing that the Palace Master had been watching her made Lee An feel even more apologetic. Her gaze drifted to the box the Palace Master had given her.
“Open it.”
At Mu-geuk’s word, Lee An carefully broke the seal and opened the box. Inside was another, smaller box. She saw a manual underneath it, but she opened the small box first.
As she did, a unique fragrance filled the carriage. It was a scent so intense that the Drunken Demon, who had been trying to sleep, snapped his eyes open. Inside the box was a pure white fruit. The spiritual qi radiating from it made it clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.
“What is this?”
Geom Mu-geuk recognized it instantly. “It’s an Ice Snow Herb Fruit.”
When he had teased Seo Dae-ryong about Yetis growing Ice Snow Herbs in the North Sea, he had been joking. He never expected to see one here.
“Is it valuable?”
When the Ice Palace Master had previously asked if he would really choose a wine cup when there were spirit medicines better than Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, she had been referring to this Ice Snow Herb.
Geom Mu-geuk immediately spoke to the driver. “Stop the carriage for a moment.”
The carriage came to a halt. Geom Mu-geuk took the box containing the fruit and had Lee An step outside with him. He had her sit beside the carriage and held out the fruit.
“You want me to consume it here?”
Geom Mu-geuk nodded. “It is your good fortune to receive such a gift while I am here to assist you.”
When consuming a spirit medicine, one needs a trustworthy person nearby to stand guard. Aside from the inability to defend against external attacks, there is the risk of suffering severe internal injuries or falling into Qi Deviation if one cannot withstand the medicine's potency. Considering those risks, where else could she find someone as reliable as Geom Mu-geuk?
“Is it alright for me to eat something so precious? Perhaps you should have it instead, Young Master.”
“Are you trying to start a war between the Main Cult and the Ice Palace?”
Lee An gave a faint smile at his joke. Ever since her life had changed, it had been moving at a dizzying pace. She felt as though she were being swept away by a violent tide of fate, regardless of her own will. Yet, the reason she could remain brave and steadfast was likely because there was always someone watching over her whenever she turned her head.
“Then I shall gratefully consume it.”
Lee An carefully ate the Ice Snow Herb Fruit. It melted instantly in her mouth and spread through her body. In that moment, a shiver ran through her. The energy spreading through her blood vessels was cold—so cold she wondered if it was even possible to feel such a chill.
But the cold was fleeting. Like someone suffering from a fever after catching a cold, her body suddenly became burning hot. Alternating between freezing and scorching, the energy of the Ice Snow Herb Fruit rampaged through her body.
Lee An was flustered by the intensity. She had prepared herself mentally, but she hadn't expected the energy to be this powerful.
Can I actually refine this?
She performed a circulation of her True Qi, struggling to make the energy her own. Through her efforts, the energy that had been bucking like a wild horse was somewhat brought under control, but it began to scatter and leak away.
No!
With her current internal energy and skill level, she was simply not strong enough to absorb the full potency of the medicine.
It was then that Geom Mu-geuk’s hand touched her back. A stream of internal energy entered her body through his palm. His energy began to assist her, pulling the scattering power back into her blood vessels. It was only a single strand of energy, but it provided more help than a thousand-man army.
Even when providing aid, Geom Mu-geuk did not help from the very beginning. He allowed her to fully experience the process of refining the spirit medicine herself before stepping in at the final moment. This was the "fortune" he had mentioned earlier.
Lee An also fought until the end. She repeatedly mastered her True Qi, refining the energy of the spirit medicine. Eventually, the power of the Ice Snow Herb Fruit transformed into a massive amount of internal energy and gathered in her Dantian. The sensation of her Dantian being filled to the brim was an unforgettable pleasure. Because the medicine was perfectly suited to her constitution, the internal energy was exceptionally pure.
As a result, Lee An’s eyes became even clearer and more intense.
“The energy I feel in my Dantian is completely different. Have you been living in such a wonderful world all this time, Young Cult Leader?”
The Drunken Demon poked his head out of the carriage window and spoke. “Do you really think your Young Cult Leader’s world is limited to just that?”
“You’re right. If I am a puddle, then the Young Master must be an ocean, right?”
When she suggested the gap in their internal energy was that vast, Geom Mu-geuk waved his hand dismissively.
“The difference isn't quite that much.” Just as she thought he was being humble, he added, “Perhaps if we were comparing a stream to an ocean?”
The two of them looked at each other and laughed. Lee An bowed her head respectfully.
“Thank you for turning me into a stream.”
“Give those thanks to the Palace Master when you see her later.”
He said that, but Lee An knew exactly how much his help had mattered in refining the Ice Snow Herb. Without him, she would have lost a third of its potency.
The two of them climbed back into the carriage. When she removed the small box that had held the fruit, she found a letter and a martial arts manual underneath.
Ice Binding Divine Art.
While it wasn't the Palace Master’s personal technique, it was the family martial art of the Ice Palace Master and was considered one of the top ice-based arts. To put it in perspective, its relationship to the Ice Palace was similar to the relationship between Geom Mu-geuk’s Flying Heaven Sword Technique and the Nine Calamities Demonic Art.
“She said the manual is a copy, so I should memorize it and burn it.”
The letter contained no other words. The Palace Master had likely left it blank to avoid making Lee An feel burdened.
“Is it really alright for me to receive all this? Just because we’re blood relatives?”
Geom Mu-geuk gave her a reassuring answer. “These gifts alone tell the story. They show how much the Palace Master missed your mother. I believe receiving them with joy is the best way to honor both of them.”
Lee An said no more and began to memorize the manual. Watching her, the Drunken Demon sent a Voice Transmission to Geom Mu-geuk.
— When you call someone your heart and treat them like your heart, they truly become your heart.
This was the Drunken Demon’s observation of the two of them.
— If you can feel that, then it’s time you started looking after your own heart, Brother.
Mu-geuk was referring to Yeo-bin, who was fond of the Drunken Demon, but the older man quickly changed the subject.
— I’ll have to check on the Drunken Behavior when we get back. Let’s see if it’s rotting anywhere else!
Geom Mu-geuk smiled and called out loudly to the driver. “Let’s head out again!”
*
Of course, no matter how strong a heart becomes, it is still like a baby’s heart being left by the water’s edge.
When they reached the point where they had to leave the North Sea and part ways with Lee An, Geom Mu-geuk spoke to the Drunken Demon.
“Keep going straight. I’ll be back after seeing Lee An off.”
Lee An insisted it wasn't necessary, but Geom Mu-geuk sent the carriage ahead anyway.
“Get on my back.”
“Why?”
“Hurry.”
Without explaining, Geom Mu-geuk took Lee An onto his back. Then, he began to run. His Rapid Speed Step, having reached the Twelve-Star Stage, literally cut through the air like a flash of light.
Despite the incredible speed, being carried by him felt comfortable. Geom Mu-geuk’s true skill and realm lay not in his speed, but in that very sense of ease.
But where is he going? Lee An wondered the entire time she was on his back. Only after running for nearly two hours without rest did Geom Mu-geuk come to a stop.
“Where are we?”
“I don't know either.”
Lee An looked at him as if he were joking, but Geom Mu-geuk had truly just run wherever his feet took him. And the reason was something Lee An hadn't expected at all.
“Just in case someone was monitoring us.”
Lee An asked in surprise, “Was there someone watching?”
Geom Mu-geuk shook his head. He hadn't sensed any watchers nearby, but there was always the chance a master of stealth was observing them. Such a person might have targeted Lee An once they split up. However, after running for two hours at such a high speed, no observer would be able to track Lee An’s trail.
“Aren't you being too cautious?”
“I’m simply preparing for the one-in-a-million chance. For things that cannot be undone, the excuse of letting one's guard down just once will not suffice.”
Lee An was always moved by and grateful to Geom Mu-geuk, but perhaps never more so than now. Suppressing her deep emotion, she asked playfully, “If you worry about me this much, how did you ever let me go before?”
The situation was different then. Now, they were in the aftermath of the Blood King’s death.
“If a problem arises even after this much effort, then it simply cannot be helped.”
She could tell he meant that once he had done his absolute best, he would not regret the outcome. Lee An etched his teaching into her heart. She would live her life this way from now on.
“I will return as a river, no longer this narrow, narrow stream.”