Chapter 584: Nice to meet you. (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 584: Nice to meet you. (3)
The North Sea.
A place where snow falls year-round and a wind as sharp as a blade rages incessantly.
I had heard that while the region was always cold, this particular eternal winter was a calamity born from the death of the White-Grade Demon, the Snow Dragon.
I had never stepped foot there in my past life. After all, it was a bit of a stretch to call that place part of the Central Plains.
‘The Martial World beyond the Borders.’
Yes, that was the proper term for it.
The Central Plains was already a massive land, yet this was a world that stretched even further beyond its reaches. It was a place untouched by the hand of the Murim Alliance, which ruled the current Central Plains under the pretext of "management." We simply kept each other at arm's length.
Originally, our relationship wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't what you would call hostile, either. However, about twenty years ago, a problem arose when the Lord of the Ice Palace, the ruler of the North Sea, came to the Central Plains.
‘He fought the Sword Venerable, they said.’
The reason was never made public, but the Lord of the Ice Palace engaged in a duel with the Sword Venerable, who was the Alliance Leader at the time. The battle reportedly laid waste to the surrounding mountains and a vast expanse of land.
Following that incident, the Murim Alliance blocked all routes to the North Sea.
‘Thanks to that, I heard all the merchant associations trading with the Ice Palace back then were shaken to their core.’
Honestly, I wouldn't know the details, as I have no memories of that time. There are only records stating that it happened.
And so, time passed, bringing us to the present. The relationship between the Alliance and the Ice Palace remained strained. While they weren't classified as a hostile force with an aggressive stance, the people of the Central Plains were strictly forbidden from traveling to the North Sea.
Ah, of course, they said you could go with the Alliance's permission. But since that law was announced, not a single person had ever actually received permission to leave for the North Sea. This was as good as saying the Alliance was just paying lip service and had no intention of ever granting passage.
‘The situation is definitely like that, and yet…’
So why, all of a sudden, was the Young Lady of the North Sea Ice Palace here?
‘What is this?’
I couldn't easily react to Mi Hyoran’s words. It was always like this when something occurred that hadn't happened in my past life.
Yes, it was obvious, but this had never happened before. In my past life, when the Heavenly Demon caused the Blood Disaster, the North Sea had made no move whatsoever.
‘And no one of their bloodline ever came to the Central Plains.’
There might be a few if I searched the records, but as far as I knew, there was only one: Moyong Hi-ah's mother. I had heard she was of the Ice Palace Lord's bloodline, but that was from before the Lord caused the incident.
But now, a Young Lady? And she’s dealing with the White Flower Merchant Association, not the Alliance?
There was more than one thing I couldn't understand. If what she said was true…
‘There's no way the Alliance would have permitted this.’
It would mean the Murim Alliance had allowed a member of the North Sea's direct bloodline to enter the Central Plains. And what's more, it would mean they didn't handle the matter themselves, but delegated it to a merchant association. No matter how I looked at it, that was impossible.
‘What in the world have they done?’
I didn't think the Alliance and the White Flower Merchant Association had cooked something up together. Looking at the current situation, the "problem" lay with the Ice Palace. For the Alliance to accept such a humiliation, it meant the Ice Palace must have offered them something massive.
What could it be? What did they offer, and what effect would it have?
It was incredibly bothersome. Damn it.
‘I already have enough on my plate.’
The last thing I wanted was to get entangled in something else. But…
‘Doesn't it feel like I'm already tangled up in this?’
The fact was, I was already related to this matter. The favor Mi Hyoran was about to ask of me—given the circumstances, it had to be related to the Ice Palace.
Is there any reason I'd be involved with the Ice Palace? I had no idea. So, I just stared at Mi Hyoran. First, I needed to hear her explanation.
As I waited for her to speak, Mi Hyoran continued.
"I've been told that the Ice Palace Lord's fourth child arrived in Henan today."
"..."
My eyes widened at her words. She wasn't on her way; she was already here.
"She should be arriving at the merchant association shortly…"
As she spoke, the way Mi Hyoran looked at me changed. What kind of look was that?
"You've likely already guessed, but I have a favor to ask regarding this."
"...Yes."
Just as I thought. The favor was about the Ice Palace. My brow furrowed on its own as the situation grew more and more troublesome. What on earth was she going to ask of me? Could I refuse? If I could, I wanted to refuse without even hearing it.
But of course, that wouldn't be possible. Dammit.
"A favor, you say…?" I asked cautiously.
"It's nothing else. This Young Lady…"
Just as Mi Hyoran was about to answer, I felt an urgent presence from the direction of the door.
The door burst open—!
A man rushed in. Judging by his clothes, he was a member of the merchant association. Mi Hyoran, for once, frowned at his lack of etiquette, but…
"L-Leader!"
The urgent voice shattered the atmosphere. Seeing this, I thought to myself… I knew it just by looking. It was always like this.
"There's a problem…"
"A problem?"
"Yes… The, the Young Lady…"
I don't know why, but whenever I was involved, things never went smoothly. And that…
"...has reportedly made an escape."
…was the case this time as well.
* * *
The wide, sprawling streets. The blazing sun. An inscrutable heat and a crowd that filled the thoroughfares.
Noon in Henan was always like this. Especially now, on the cusp of summer. It was a time when the city was already teeming with people. Furthermore, the Alliance had announced it would be holding a martial arts tournament soon. The crowds were just beginning to swell beyond their usual size.
"It's unusually hot this year."
"You say that every year."
"That's true, too."
People gathered under the shade of awnings, seeking refuge from the sunlight. They were fanning themselves, trying to pass the time in the sweltering heat.
"Ah, this time, Grandma Jin… Huh?"
The man who was about to start a conversation suddenly noticed that everyone's gaze was fixed on one spot. He turned his head to see, and he immediately understood why.
Among the crowd, one person stood out conspicuously.
"What in the world is that?"
"Aren't they hot?"
"You'd have to be crazy from the heat... What are they doing?"
There was a good reason for their reactions. It was the season where you would start to sweat just by standing still. Even a fan was barely enough to cope. Yet, in this weather, there was a person completely covered in thick fur clothes.
Their hood was pulled down so low that their face was not visible. Anyone seeing them would think it was the middle of winter, perhaps even during a cold snap. No matter how you looked at it, it was not attire for summer.
Because of this, they were drawing a lot of stares, but the person in question didn't seem to care much. She only cared about one thing.
‘So many people.’
The streets were packed. She could feel the gazes on her, some subtle, some not. But she was more pleased with the current situation.
She could feel the heat. It was different from the biting cold of her homeland. Unlike the empty streets back home, deserted for fear of the frost, this place was filled with the sounds of people. It was just as she had once read in a book.
The woman was incredibly pleased with the situation.
‘Yes… This is what I wanted to see.’
It was the sight she had longed for. It seemed to be exactly like the scenery she had imagined, and that made her very happy.
The woman felt her shoulder. There was a slight twinge of pain.
‘Am I hurt?’
It probably wasn't a real injury. It didn't hurt that much. A moment ago, while wandering the streets, the woman had run into a man. The man, who seemed to be in a hurry, had given her a hard shove and disappeared. Because of that, she had fallen flat on the ground. This was likely the result of that.
‘Hmm…’
It wasn't serious enough to need treatment, so she could let it go. Perhaps because it was a situation she had never experienced in her homeland, even this felt mysterious. The Central Plains. Truly a mysterious place.
"Where should I go next?"
Muttering to herself, the woman started walking. She didn't have much time. She had been lucky to escape, but she felt she would be caught soon anyway. Even if not, she had to go back on her own accord. Otherwise, her father would be truly furious. That would be a very big problem.
In truth, it would have been fine if she hadn't run away in the first place, but…
‘But what can I do? I wanted to see it.’
It was something she had wanted to see, no matter what. If not now, she might never get the chance. So, the woman had to enjoy the present.
‘Now, where to?’
She had seen enough of the town. Well, not enough, but she had to see other places too, so it was time to move.
The woman's head turned. Through the gap in her heavy clothes, her light blue eyes looked towards one place.
‘Over there…’
It was the alley the man who had pushed her had run into.
‘What will I find if I go that way?’
There were many things she wanted to see. She wanted to see the famous Shaolin Temple, and if she had her way, she wanted to visit the Murim Alliance as well.
Before the woman left her homeland, her father had given her a warning.
[Do not go to the Murim Alliance.]
She had clearly heard him say it, but she had already erased it from her mind. If she had intended to listen to him, she wouldn't have run away in the first place.
Her feet began to move. The woman was already entering the alley. As she went a little deeper, the loud noises quickly subsided. It was a quiet alley, out of place in the bustling Henan. A path that seemed rather dilapidated, as if it hadn't been maintained at all.
The woman walked slowly through it. Even this was new. Everything that wasn't covered in snow was new to her. The faint smell of smoke. The dusty alley. She engraved everything she saw, one by one, into her memory.
She walked like that for a while.
"Hm?"
The woman suddenly stopped and looked at something. At first glance, there was nothing to see. Just cracked ground and accumulated dust. That should have been all, but for some reason, the woman found herself drawn to that spot.
What is it? Why?
The woman took a step closer, filled with questions. Then she reached out her hand, waving it as if there was something there. But as expected, she felt nothing.
"Was I mistaken?"
It seemed so. The woman let out a small laugh. There was clearly nothing there, so why had she tried to touch it? She knew it was nothing, but it seemed she was thoroughly excited. Of course, there couldn't be anything there.
Thinking this, she was about to start walking again when—
Halt—!
Seeing something, the woman had to stop. Someone was in front of her.
It was a young man, looking at her with strange eyes. Pale skin and yellow eyes. He had long black hair that was loosely let down. He gave off a somewhat cold and stifling impression.
When did he appear? Just as the woman was about to voice her question…
"Found you," the young man said. "She matches the description."
"...!"
The moment she heard him, the woman spun around. This is bad. It seems she's been caught. She tried to kick off the ground to make a quick escape, but—
"Ah!"
There was already someone standing behind her. It was a woman of a rather small stature, wearing a mask. Her face wasn't clearly visible, but her shimmering green hair was striking.
She was blocked from the front and back.
…What should I do? It didn't seem like she could easily break through.
As the woman swallowed dryly, deep in thought…
"Sigh."
A sigh was heard from somewhere. It came from behind the masked woman.
"Goddammit, to think I have to play hide-and-seek at my age. I've seen it all now..."
The voice was thick with a sense of absurdity. Hearing this, the woman tilted her head slightly. And then she saw him.
A young man walking out from behind the masked woman. Dark hair and black eyes. And plain black robes that had no particular features. At first glance, he seemed to lack the individuality of the other two she had met.
But for some reason, he was the one who drew her gaze. Was it because of his incredibly fierce-looking eyes? Or was it his annoyed expression? Whatever it was, the woman felt a strange sensation as she looked at the young man.
The young man, Gu Yangcheon, didn't seem to be hiding his feelings, as he scowled deeply and spoke to her.
"You don't even look that young. Why are you bothering people by taking a trip down memory lane all by yourself?"
"..."
It was a tone she had never heard before. In her entire life, the woman had never encountered such an attitude.
"Mi Hyoran really needs to give someone a good thrashing. To lose someone like this, of all things…"
How could you lose someone like that? She couldn't hear the rest of his words, but the intention was clear. The woman just watched him silently.
Then… she raised a hand and slightly shifted the fur hood that was covering her. Her vision had been obscured, so she couldn't see properly.
"Anyway, that's enough…"
Gu Yangcheon was about to continue speaking, but he quickly clamped his mouth shut.
As the woman adjusted her fur clothing, her face was revealed. A slight gap. The first thing to be seen through it was a pair of clear, light blue eyes.
The color of her eyes was identical to someone else's. That was possible. From what he had heard, those eyes were said to be a symbol of the North Sea bloodline. Unlike her, this woman was a pureblood, so it wasn't particularly strange.
But… the problem wasn't her eyes.
"...Oh, dear. I wanted to enjoy this a little longer."
Gu Yangcheon's eyes widened at the woman's voice. A playful tone. Pure white hair visible from within the fur clothes. She looked exactly like the description he had been given.
And yet.
‘What the?’
Why.
"I've been found out already."
Why did the smiling woman's face resemble Moyong Hi-ah's?
So much so that they could have been the same person.