Chapter 254: Entering the North Sea
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 254: Entering the North Sea
The North Sea.
Located at the northernmost tip of the continent, it was a region with a climate so frigid that the ice and snow never melted throughout the year.
Because everything was frozen solid, the North Sea was incomparably barren; the very idea of farming was unimaginable. It was no wonder that even the emperors of the Central Plains and the various nomadic tribes of the north had given up on conquering it.
The North Sea was cold.
It was cold beyond anything one could possibly imagine.
Blizzards raged three hundred and sixty-five days a year, and the temperature remained perpetually low. This cold was nothing short of lethal to the people of the Central Plains, who were accustomed to relatively warmer climates.
Even when layered in thick cotton clothes, frostbite was a common occurrence. If supplies were cut off for even a moment, starvation was the only outcome.
Thus, the Central Plains and the many surrounding tribes did not seek to conquer the North Sea. Why bother ruling a place where the cold was so harsh and wretched that it was barely fit for human habitation? It was an environment where the frozen earth made self-sufficiency impossible, forcing total reliance on external supplies.
The North Sea was a place so inhospitable that everyone shunned it.
There was no formal system of government or statehood there. Instead, small villages were scattered across the land, each developing its own unique culture.
Since they could not secure farmland, the people of the North Sea primarily survived by hunting for meat or securing food through trade.
Fortunately, the North Sea sat atop significant underground resources. To obtain these, numerous merchant groups braved the agonizing cold to visit in person. After all, when rare minerals could be easily traded for a few pounds of long-term preserved food, how could they stay away?
Furthermore, a drinking culture had developed in the North Sea as a means of maintaining body temperature. The "poisonous liquor" they brewed was praised as a masterpiece in the Central Plains, boasting a flavor so exquisite that people would spend a fortune just to taste it.
In particular, the addictive sensation of it sliding down the throat—like gunpowder threatening to incinerate one's gullet—was considered a delicacy that every person from the Central Plains had to experience at least once.
"Kaaaaah."
Sun-woo let out an exclamation of awe while grimacing. The liquor provided a burning agony as it traveled down his throat. He quickly looked for something to eat, searching for the perfect snack to settle the potency and the rising intoxication.
"Here, have this."
A lovely, melodic voice reached his ears. Turning his gaze slightly, he saw Seol-hyang holding up a piece of beef jerky with a gentle smile.
"Ah."
Seeing this, Sun-woo quickly opened his mouth and took the jerky directly from her hand.
Chew, chew.
Gulp.
Sun-woo chewed the jerky a few times before swallowing it down.
"Phew..."
A moment later, he felt the intense intoxication and the burning pain stabilize somewhat.
"Thank you... Lady Seol-hyang."
Sun-woo expressed his gratitude as he looked at her.
"Hehe... It was nothing."
Seol-hyang gave him a bright smile and continued.
"It seems even Young Master Jang, a master of poison arts, can't detoxify the North Sea's poisonous liquor?"
"It isn't actually poison, is it? Besides, if I used internal energy to neutralize the alcohol, there would be no point in drinking it, would there?"
Sun-woo replied with a slight smile.
"That's true. Alcohol only has meaning if you get drunk!"
Seol-hyang nodded in agreement. She looked so adorable that she reminded him of a snow-white rabbit.
"In that case, give me a cup too."
Seol-hyang held out her cup toward Sun-woo.
"Lady Seol-hyang, this is incredibly strong."
As she pushed her cup forward, Sun-woo asked her with a worried expression. The poisonous liquor of the North Sea was monstrously potent—incomparable to the strong liquors of the Central Plains. He wondered if she, having only recently reached adulthood, could handle it.
"Oh, come now. How could a martial artist be afraid of a little drink?"
In response to his concern, she put on a gallant expression.
"Have you ever even had a drink before?" Sun-woo asked, looking at her skeptically.
"Of course!" she replied confidently.
"Oh, what a lie."
Un-hye, who had been listening quietly beside her, chimed in with a look of disbelief.
"It's not a lie!" Seol-hyang snapped back.
"Senior Sister, you haven't left the Emei Sect gates in over ten years. When exactly would you have had the chance to drink?"
Un-hye spoke as she watched the flustered Seol-hyang. Her point was valid. Unlike the Shaolin Temple, which brewed grain wine for visitors, the Emei Sect strictly distanced itself from alcohol. This was the result of following the will of their predecessors, who believed that alcohol clouded the human spirit and paralyzed rational thought.
How could Seol-hyang, who had been within Emei for over a decade, have tasted alcohol? No matter how one looked at it, it was hard not to be skeptical. She was clearly lying just to get a taste of the North Sea liquor.
"It's true!"
Seol-hyang raised her voice, looking wronged.
"Then when did you drink it?" Un-hye shot back.
"......"
Seol-hyang shut her mouth tight. Seeing this, Un-hye spoke with a mischievous smile.
"See? It was a lie."
"......Junior Sister."
After a pause, Seol-hyang spoke again.
"Can you promise not to tell anyone?"
She spoke with a mock-serious expression.
"......What is it?"
Seeing Seol-hyang's serious face, Un-hye's expression turned serious as well.
"Actually, during the last Buddha's Birthday festival, a gift of alcohol arrived for Master from the Chu Family Manor in Shaanxi..."
"The Chu Family Manor of Shaanxi? They have the best brewery in the Central Plains!" Un-hye asked in surprise.
The Chu Family Manor was so famous that even Un-hye, who had never left the Emei Sect, knew of them. They were renowned for having the finest brewing techniques in the land, and the liquor they produced was of such high quality that it was presented as tribute to the Emperor. If a gift had come from them, it certainly wouldn't have been ordinary alcohol.
"Right. Even though Master refused repeatedly, they insisted on leaving it. But as you know, Emei has a strict prohibition on alcohol, so she didn't know what to do with it."
Seol-hyang began to recount the secret history of the liquor.
"So what did she do?"
"She decided to send it to her old friend, Senior Chwigeolgae, who is absolutely crazy about booze."
"Senior Chwigeolgae!?"
"Yes, the Sect Leader of the Beggar Sect."
Seol-hyang answered calmly. As she said, Guwol Shin-ni had been quite troubled over how to handle the sudden gift. The Emei Sect was under a strict ban on alcohol, and keeping it around wasn't a good look. However, she couldn't just throw it away since it was a sincere gift, and she couldn't sell it either. In short, it had become a troublesome white elephant.
She had pondered how to dispose of the Chu Family Manor's famous brew and eventually came up with a clever solution: giving it to Chwigeolgae, the leader of the Beggar Sect and an old friend who loved wine.
Of course, it was such a rare and expensive vintage that she felt a twinge of regret, but she stood by her choice. Alcohol only had meaning if it was drunk. It was useless in the hands of someone like her who didn't drink, and since the Chu Family's brew was so valuable, she figured she could put Chwigeolgae in her debt.
And so, the Chu Family's famous liquor ended up in Chwigeolgae's hands. He had been overjoyed, thanking Guwol Shin-ni repeatedly.
"Then... could it be?"
Un-hye's face began to turn pale. Piecing together Seol-hyang's story, she could guess what was coming next.
"That's right. I drank it in secret," Seol-hyang said with a proud face.
"What?! How could you drink that!" Un-hye shouted in shock.
The Chu Family's vintage was a legendary liquor that couldn't be bought for a thousand gold pieces. How could she just gulp down something intended for Chwigeolgae?
"I was curious, and it seemed like a waste to let a gift like that go without even tasting it."
"Did you drink all of it!?"
"No, I only drank about half the bottle and filled the rest back up with water."
"......"
Un-hye was speechless. She knew Seol-hyang was willful, but she never imagined she would pull a stunt like this. How could she touch a gift intended for a famous master? And her own master's gift, no less! If what she said was true, it meant Chwigeolgae had received watered-down liquor and been happy about it.
"It's a secret."
Seeing Un-hye's reaction, Seol-hyang placed an index finger to her lips and winked.
"That goes for you too, Young Master."
She then turned her head to look at Sun-woo.
"Ha... ha... ha."
Sun-woo let out a bewildered laugh and nodded. He knew she had a bold personality, but he hadn't realized she was such a troublemaker. Of course, that only made her look more charming.
Sun-woo slowly picked up the bottle.
"Hold out your cup."
He spoke as he looked at her. Since she had shared such a secret just to get a taste of the liquor, how could he refuse?
"Hehe, thank you."
Seol-hyang held out her cup with a bright smile.
Glug, glug.
The clear liquid from the bottle began to fill her cup. Once it was full, Sun-woo pulled the bottle back. Seol-hyang looked at the transparent liquid with curiosity before tossing it back in one gulp.
"Uuuuuugh!"
Shortly after swallowing, she let out a groan. A searing heat, as if her insides were on fire, surged through her.
"Ugh... uuuugh..."
The North Sea's poisonous liquor was incomparably hotter than the Chu Family's brew she had tasted before.
"Woooo..."
She groaned in pain, her face turning bright red and her eyes welling with tears.
"Heh."
Seeing this, Sun-woo couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Seeing her, who had been so confident, suffering after just one cup was quite cute.
"Here... eating some jerky will make it a bit better."
Sun-woo handed a piece of beef jerky to Seol-hyang.
"Chomp!"
Seol-hyang quickly took the jerky into her mouth.
Chew, chew, chew, chew.
Gulp.
She chewed rapidly and swallowed. The burning sensation in her chest began to subside.
"......I thought I was going to die."
With her stomach settled, she spoke with a flushed face.
"Would you like another?"
Sun-woo offered the bottle to her again.
"I'm fine!"
Seol-hyang replied, startled. she didn't want to experience that throat-burning pain ever again.
"Tsk."
Sun-woo clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. Her reaction was so adorable that he had hoped to see it a few more times, but it seemed he would have to give up on that.
"Young Master Jang!"
A voice called out to him from somewhere. Turning his head, he saw Un-jeok-ja.
"We should be heading out soon. The Snow Wind is getting stronger."
He spoke with a serious expression. Hearing this, Sun-woo looked around. Indeed, the Snow Wind felt much fiercer than when they had first sat down to eat.
"My apologies. It seems I've been too leisurely."
Sun-woo apologized to Un-jeok-ja. He felt he had been too relaxed when they should have been moving.
"Not at all. How can I blame you for the weather?"
Un-jeok-ja shook his head and continued.
"How long will it take to reach the nearest village?" Sun-woo asked.
"They say we'll arrive by evening if we're fast, but if we're delayed, we might not make it today at all."
"Understood. Let's depart immediately."
"Very well. I shall inform the others."
"Thank you."
"It's nothing."
Having finished speaking, Un-jeok-ja leaped away to spread the word quickly. Sun-woo scratched his head as he watched him go. Un-jeok-ja could have just prepared to leave and then notified him, but ever since handing over operational control, he had been reporting every detail like this. While Sun-woo appreciated being treated with respect, the weight of the responsibility gave him mixed feelings.
'Phew.'
Sun-woo exhaled and looked ahead. A pure white wilderness, whipped by the fierce Snow Wind, revealed itself. Seeing it, Sun-woo felt his heart race. He felt that the stronger the Snow Wind became, the closer they were getting to the North Sea Ice Palace.
'It's almost time.'
Sun-woo's eyes sparkled as he gazed out at the snow-covered, white expanse.