Chapter 599: North Sea. (Revised)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 599: North Sea. (Revised)
“Why aren’t you leaving?”
A heavy silence followed his cheerful question, as if he genuinely had no idea why we were staring.
Was it because the situation was so unexpected? I found myself utterly at a loss for words.
What the hell?
Why was this man here?
I had planned to slip away quietly without telling a soul. How did he just show up out of the blue? All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind, but one stood out: this was a particularly bad time to run into him.
Because I just sold the old man out…
Recalling what I’d done to the Unyielding Demon, I found it hard to even look the Dishonored Venerable in the eye. If he ever found out what I’d pulled using his name…
He wouldn't stop at just folding me in half.
Disciple or not, he was more than capable of tearing off my limbs and scattering them in different rivers.
As I broke into a cold sweat, the Dishonored Venerable noted my silence and spoke again.
“What’s wrong? You look like a thief caught in the act.”
“…What are you talking about? When have I ever stolen anything?”
His intuition was disgustingly sharp.
“That’s what I find so strange—”
“When did you two decide to become sworn brothers?” Moyong Hi-ah interjected.
The Dishonored Venerable quickly changed his tune. “—is what I mean. Hahaha! My tongue must be acting up because it’s so early in the morning.”
“…”
I thought his belated attempt to cover his tracks was pathetic. Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.
“Um, Young Master Bi.”
—Elder.
“Yes.”
—What is it, punk?
“Are you planning on coming with us?”
—Why is this old geezer trying to follow us? Just stay quietly at home.
“It looks interesting. I’ll be of help, so please take me with you.”
—Shut up and take me with you.
—Unless you want to die.
“…”
“Haha.”
That short exchange revealed everything. The last line, in particular, was chillingly cold. I could feel the full force of the Dishonored Venerable’s intent—his absolute refusal to be left behind.
If I had my way, I’d ditch him and run. But he wasn't the type you could just ditch. It would take everyone here ganging up on him just to have a chance of pushing him away. And even then, it would be a miracle if we succeeded.
In the process…
My gaze flickered toward Tang Soyeol and Moyong Hi-ah.
I don’t know what that man might do to those two.
One might ask if I had so little faith in my own master.
I don’t. How could I?
If you were to rank the people in the current Central Plains who knew the Dishonored Venerable best, I would be in the top ten. That man saw nothing but martial arts. Even I, his disciple, was nothing more than a launching pad for his grand pursuits. He was a man who stayed with the Orthodox Faction simply because he couldn’t be bothered to leave.
That was the Dishonored Venerable as I knew him.
“Hoo…” I let out a soft sigh. As long as he was set on it, there was no escape. “You have to promise… to behave yourself, okay?”
—Please, for the love of God, don’t cause any trouble.
“To think I’d live to hear such a warning from Young Master Gu. How refreshing, wouldn’t you say?”
—That's not something I need to hear from you.
—Are you talking back?
“…”
Ending the utterly fruitless conversation, I clicked my tongue and looked ahead.
“…Let’s get going.”
Just the thought of traveling with that man was already giving me a headache. But what could I do? It was all my own karma. Of all the people to choose as a master, I had to pick someone like him. My life was truly cursed.
Hiding my irritation, I nudged Ttolddoli.
“Hey, move as fast as you can—”
“U-um…”
A voice from behind made me scowl. It was Yuri.
“What now?”
“I-if we’re going… how… how are we going…?”
She’d managed to climb on, but Yuri’s eyes were trembling as if she dreaded the answer. It seemed she already had a good idea of what was coming and was only asking in the hopes that her guess was wrong.
Seeing this, I smiled. “Haha, what, are you afraid we’re going to fly or something?”
A glimmer of hope appeared on Yuri’s face. “Right? Flying through the sky… what a ridiculous fantasy. There’s no way that could—”
“Correct. You’re smarter than you look.”
Thump.
Without waiting for her to finish, I kicked Ttolddoli’s side.
Fwoooosh—!
The creature shifted its massive body and shot into the air.
“Aaaaaaaaaah—!!”
The sudden lurch sent Yuri pressing herself tightly against my back as she let out a piercing scream. It was incredibly loud.
The wind rushed past my face at a speed I still wasn't used to. Once I managed to steady myself, Ttolddoli leveled out. Only then did the scenery come into view.
It was a sight I could never quite get used to—the vast lands of the Central Plains spreading out beneath the clouds. The wind brushing against my cheeks provided a cool sensation unthinkable for the peak of summer.
Not bad.
It was one of the few sensations I actually enjoyed in this life.
Of course…
“Uuuuugh…!! We’re flying! This is crazy! What is thissss!!”
The person behind me seemed to despise it.
Grrrr!
Ttolddoli gradually picked up speed. I had told it to go as fast as possible. At the same time, I erected a barrier of Qi in front of us. The wind was so strong that one could easily be blown off, so the shield was a necessity.
At this speed, how long will it take?
I couldn't calculate it precisely without knowing the exact distance, but I estimated about a month for a round trip. It would be faster if we could fly nonstop, but that wasn't possible. We had to rest at least once every three days.
That means I have a little less than a month to solve the problem.
I had to be back within two months. That meant I had to finish everything within that timeframe. Could I do it? I didn't know. But I had to. That was the mindset I’d started this with.
Just as I was steeling my resolve and organizing my plans—
“Ugh… I think I’m going to throw up…”
“…”
I closed my eyes at the voice behind me. Should I just knock her out? The impulse washed over me again, but I resisted. It would be more of a hassle to take care of an unconscious person up here.
…We’ll get there eventually if I just endure.
As always, if I just held on, things would resolve themselves. I passed the time with that thought.
Fortunately, we arrived at our destination sooner than expected. After seven days and nights of travel, we reached the North.
* * *
We crossed mountains and passed over seas. If I were to recount everything that happened, I’d have enough stories to last all night, but things were too complicated to reminisce.
This was no easy journey. I had expected as much, but it was vastly different from traveling by carriage. While this was dozens of times faster, the fatigue was the real killer. We had to stay awake, unable to sleep properly day or night. It wasn't just one person standing watch; everyone had to stay alert, which doubled the exhaustion.
The rest stop every three days was supposedly for Ttolddoli, but it became a vital reprieve for us as well. The speed was great, but personally, it was something I never wanted to do again. It might have been fine at a leisurely pace, but the rush made it grueling.
Even for a body that had reached the Fusion Realm, it was taxing.
“…Ugh…”
Yuri, who was only at the First-Rate level, looked like death. She tried to hide her exhaustion, but it was impossible. At least she didn't whine.
She’s in no position to complain.
We were heading directly into the chaos of the Ice Palace at her request. She had to shut up and follow. If she had whined throughout the journey, I really would have thrown her off, whether we were over mountains or the sea. The only reason she was still on the beast was her silence.
Still, the good thing is…
Fwoosh!
I frowned as the wind brushed against my cheek. It was incredibly cold—a chill that was particularly strange for summer. Feeling this, I slowly lowered our altitude.
As we descended, the clouds parted, and the view below revealed itself. On the seventh day since our departure from the Central Plains, we had arrived in the North, the land beyond the borders. It was earlier than I had anticipated.
“Wow…” Tang Soyeol gasped in admiration.
Snow was falling all around us. Snow in the middle of summer—it was a surreal sight. Below, a thick blanket of white covered the earth. The mountains visible in the distance… were they made entirely of ice?
They said it was a mystical sight for those from the Central Plains.
The saying was spot on. How could something so alien not be mystical? The land stretched far into the distance, and from this vantage point, there wasn't a single spot where snow wasn't falling. Everything was white.
The sight evoked a strange feeling. It was beautiful, but…
Something feels unsettling.
For some reason, my stomach felt queasy. Was I getting motion sickness from flying? I never used to get that.
Tsk.
I ignored the feeling and surveyed our surroundings. I asked Yuri behind me, “Hey, where do we need to go?”
“Ah…” Yuri snapped out of her daze. I had started the journey, but she had been providing the directions. “You said there was a safe location.”
“F-from here… we have to go… w-west.”
Grrr.
Hearing her, Ttolddoli turned.
“If you go west, there should be a large iceberg. The warriors will be waiting there…”
Yuri, who had looked like a corpse for days, seemed to regain her vitality now that she was back in the North. Her stuttering vanished, and a spark returned to her eyes.
A large iceberg.
She said the Ice Palace’s army was there. I asked, “How would they know when we were coming? How could they be waiting?”
“I made arrangements for them to hold their position until I returned.”
“…Even though it could have been months?”
How could they wait when they had no idea when she’d return? Especially during a war.
“…I made sure the hideout would never be discovered. We even stocked it with enough food and supplies to last for half a year.”
“Half a year. So that was the limit.”
“…Yes.”
Half a year for the Young Lady to return from the Central Plains. That’s how long they had been holding out. This meant two things: her role was crucial, and even with a rebellion underway, they were confident they could hold that position for six months.
I slowed our speed, partly to find the location and partly to dampen our presence. I enveloped Ttolddoli in a barrier of Qi. The creature was too massive; a careless move would get us spotted.
As we moved—
“It’s there.” Yuri pointed.
A large iceberg, far bigger than the surrounding ones, came into view.
Grrr.
Confirming the target, I began our descent.
Fwoooosh—!
As Ttolddoli landed, a gust of snowy wind erupted. This time, it landed gently. After all my nagging, it was finally listening.
Thud.
When I stepped onto the ground, my leg sank deep into the snow.
Grrr…
Ttolddoli let out a short growl and began to shrink its body until it was dozens of times smaller. It seemed exhausted from the journey.
“Go rest nearby.”
Grrr.
At my command, Ttolddoli flew off and disappeared. I’d heard there were demons in the North as well, so it would find a way to occupy itself. I could just call it when I needed it later.
I circulated Qi through my legs and took another step. This time, my foot didn't sink; I rested on top of the snow as if it were solid ground. It was a basic technique to avoid leaving footprints. The Dishonored Venerable and Tang Soyeol did the same, and Seong Yul had already figured it out.
Seeing that, I sent my Qi toward Yuri.
Woong!
“…!”
Yuri’s body floated into the air. I deliberately lifted her with my Qi. Startled, she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. This was a level of technique far beyond a First-Rate martial artist.
I don’t want to carry her myself.
Yuri understood the situation and kept quiet. She was, at least, perceptive.
Ssk.
Yuri pointed. I nodded and moved her forward with my Qi. As she reached the ice wall, she placed her hand on it.
Wooooong—!
The ice wall reacted with a slight vibration and a faint glow.
Creeeeak!
The wall shifted, creating a square opening. An entrance.
I stepped forward without hesitation.
Tap.
The sound resonated as my foot touched the floor of the passage. It wasn't long, and before I knew it, we had reached a wide, circular area. A few boxes were scattered about, and the air was warmer than outside, though still colder than the Central Plains.
And there—
“Ah!”
“Young Lady…!?”
Two figures were already inside. Upon spotting us, the men immediately stood up. They wore heavy fur clothes and pieces of processed iron—a peculiar, cumbersome style for martial artists.
“They are warriors of our palace,” Yuri said, her voice thick with relief.
I carefully set her down.
“The Young Lady has returned…”
“Thank goodness. Young Lady, are you hurt?”
The warriors approached slowly.
Yuri nodded. “I’m fine… Fortunately, my mission was a success. How is the Palace Lord?”
“The Palace Lord is…” One of the men made a somber face. “…His condition is not good.”
“No…!” Yuri’s expression crumpled. “But the time limit isn't up yet! What happened?”
“About that…”
“First, rather than an explanation, I think you should return to the palace immediately.”
“Ah…”
At the man's gloomy tone, Yuri turned to me to speak. But I wasn't listening. I just tilted my head and studied the men.
Yuri frowned. “Um, Red Feather…”
“What should we do with the other one?” the Dishonored Venerable cut in.
I looked at him. “You want to step in?”
“Mm, my body is feeling stiff. I’ll help.”
“Then take the one on the left. He looks easier to question.”
“Right, I thought so too.”
“Um, what are you talking about…?” Yuri asked, confused.
In that instant—
Whoosh!
I shot toward the warriors.
“Huk!?”
“What the—!”
The men gasped and tried to draw their weapons, but they were too slow. I grabbed the neck of the man on the right.
CRACK!
“Gurgle…!”
I twisted.
Thud!
The man’s neck snapped, and he collapsed instantly. I looked to the left. The Dishonored Venerable had already subdued the other one, holding the unconscious man by the scruff of his neck. It had happened in the blink of an eye.
Yuri’s eyes widened. “Wh-what are you doing!? Why did you attack the warriors…!”
“Warriors, my ass.” I looked at Yuri. “Do these bastards still look like your warriors to you?”
“What?”
I clicked my tongue. She said the hideout would never be discovered. Never be discovered? Give me a break.
Irritation surged through me. My stomach churned at the mess we’d walked into the moment we arrived.
Tap, tap.
I nudged the corpse with my toe and looked at Yuri.
“These guys,” I said coldly. “They’re enemies.”