Chapter 278: Meeting the Bloodline of the Ice Demon-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 278: Meeting the Bloodline of the Ice Demon-1
The colossal iron gate split in two and began to crash toward the ground.
Kwakwakwakwang!
A moment later, the gate slammed into the earth, letting out a roar so explosive it made the ears ring.
"Whoa..."
Sun-woo’s jaw dropped as he let out a gasp of pure astonishment. He had just witnessed a sight so staggering it could only be described as a divine feat.
He had cut through the iron gate.
And not just any gate—one reinforced with Cold Iron.
It was impossible not to be shocked. It was impossible not to call it a miracle.
Sun-woo himself had a history of smashing the iron gates of the Heavenly Moon Palace, but those gates, made of solid steel, couldn't even be compared to the Ice Palace's gates, which were infused with Cold Iron.
Sword Man had literally sliced through it.
It was a technique diametrically opposed to how Sun-woo had used his Sword Ring to shatter gates in the past. Sun-woo couldn't help but marvel at the supreme swordsmanship of this man, who had reached a realm far beyond even the Absolute Realm.
"What are you all doing? Come in!"
Sword Man’s voice drifted over from a distance.
Snap!
The voice snapped Sun-woo out of his daze. Now was not the time to be standing around in admiration. Sword Man had just caused a massive incident.
"Hey, Senior! What do you think you're doing?!" Sun-woo shouted, his voice rising as he glared at the man.
What on earth was he thinking? Slicing through the castle gates just because entry was restricted? This was practically a declaration of war!
"Hahaha! No need to thank me. I felt uneasy about being indebted to you all, but now I’ve managed to pay you back like this."
Sword Man burst into a jovial laugh, completely ignoring the tone of Sun-woo’s shout.
"That’s not what I meant!" Sun-woo yelled back, frustrated.
It seemed Sword Man had absolutely no inkling that he had just made the situation a hundred times worse.
"What should we do?" Bulsok Satae asked from beside him.
Her expression was grave; she clearly understood the severity of the situation.
".........."
Sun-woo couldn't find the words to answer her. He didn't have the slightest clue how to clean up this mess.
Damn it.
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. He had finally reached the North Sea Ice Palace, only for everything to go sideways from the very first step. The irritation was bubbling up inside him.
"For now, I think we have to apologize and offer compensation," Sun-woo said, rubbing his throbbing temples. "Please wait here. I’ll go with Senior and offer our apologies."
He turned to look at the group.
"Will the two of you be alright?" Cheongsong asked, his voice laced with worry.
They had just committed an act that was essentially a declaration of war against the North Sea Ice Palace. Sending only two people inside such a place was cause for concern.
"If we all go in as a group, they might feel threatened. To show that we have no intention of fighting, a small number of people is better," Sun-woo explained, offering a logical reason. "Besides, if it’s dangerous enough for the two of us, it wouldn’t matter if everyone went. Senior is stronger than all of us combined."
Sun-woo looked at Sword Man with a gaze full of conviction.
"Wh-what!?"
"That... what do you mean by that!?"
"Are you serious!?"
The others were stunned by Sun-woo’s confident statement. They had already sensed Sword Man was extraordinary after witnessing the divine feat of slicing the iron gate, but hearing that he was stronger than the combined elites of Qingcheng, Emei, and the Tang Clan was a shock.
"I’m serious. Even I would find it hard to leave a single scratch on him."
"Good heavens..."
"To think..."
The members of the search party were struck with awe once again. Who was Sun-woo? He was the rising star of the Tang Clan who had taken down the number one sword of Qingcheng in a single move. For someone like him to say he couldn't even land a scratch was mind-boggling.
"So don't worry too much. Just wait here. I'll be back soon."
After reassuring them, Sun-woo ordered them to stay put.
"Understood."
"I will relay the orders."
"We shall do as you say."
The group quickly complied and moved back toward the wagons. It seemed they all realized that the milk had already been spilled.
"Whew."
Once they had all disappeared into the wagons, Sun-woo let out a long sigh. He looked ahead at Sword Man, who was still smiling brightly. A sudden urge to smack him upside the head began to crawl up Sun-woo's spine.
Sun-woo started walking toward him. He needed to keep a tight grip on the man before he caused any more trouble.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
Sun-woo trudged through the snow, his feet sinking deep with every step. After walking for a while, he finally reached Sword Man.
Grab.
Sun-woo snatched Sword Man’s hand.
"Senior!"
"What is it?" Sword Man asked with a smile, unfazed by Sun-woo’s urgent call.
"What was that just now?!"
"I cut the door, didn't I?"
"No, I mean, how could you just slice through the castle gates without a second thought?!"
"What else was I supposed to do? They said they wouldn't open it, so I had to cut my way in."
Sword Man replied as if he were stating the most obvious thing in the world.
"That’s exactly the problem! We aren't here to start a war or occupy the place, so why would you issue a declaration of war like that?"
"Don't worry so much. Would they really kill us over a single door? We can just pay a little for the repairs."
"There's no way it'll end with just that!" Sun-woo shouted.
This wasn't just about a door. Sword Man had sliced through the very fence that protected them. How could that possibly be settled with mere repair costs?
"Don't worry. If worst comes to worst, I'll protect you," Sword Man replied with a slight smirk.
"B-but still!"
"Having power and still walking on eggshells around others is a fool's errand," Sword Man continued, his expression turning uncharacteristically serious. "I am confident. Confident that I can protect you all without a single hair on your heads being harmed."
".........."
Sun-woo was left speechless by the man's sheer confidence. He realized then that to Sword Man, slicing through a gate that blocked his path was a perfectly natural act.
If anyone else had said those words, Sun-woo would have called it arrogance. He would have asked how they could be so sure when they didn't even know who was inside the North Sea Ice Palace.
But coming from this man, it felt like the truth. No matter what anyone said, he was the most supreme swordsman Sun-woo had ever encountered.
"Let's go. I'm curious to see how they'll react."
Sword Man gave a small smile and began to pull Sun-woo along. With a dazed expression, Sun-woo allowed himself to be dragged by the hand.
*
Sun-woo felt a sense of bewilderment.
Led by Sword Man, he had entered the gates of the North Sea Ice Palace. He had expected a massive force of soldiers to block their path the moment they stepped inside, considering that cutting the gate could be seen as an act of war.
However, contrary to his expectations, no one stopped them.
Sun-woo was confused. What was going on?
As he was pondering this, Sword Man, who was still leading the way, spoke up.
"It's quieter than I thought."
It seemed even Sword Man was surprised by the silence.
"You're right. I thought there would be an uproar..." Sun-woo trailed off.
"Well, look on the bright side. Isn't it better if they just let it slide quietly?" Sword Man said with a faint smile.
"I suppose you're right, but..."
Sun-woo agreed, but he couldn't shake a nagging feeling of unease. It was too quiet—suspiciously so.
Tramp, tramp.
They began to walk down the well-maintained main road. After some time, they reached the entrance to a village.
Tap, tap, tap, tap!
Suddenly, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed from ahead.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
It wasn't just one or two people. Sun-woo and Sword Man tilted their heads in confusion and looked forward.
They saw a group of people running toward them in a panic. Upon spotting Sun-woo and Sword Man, the group accelerated even more. The confusion on Sun-woo and Sword Man’s faces deepened.
Before long, the group reached them, stopping right in front of their noses.
"Huff... huff... huff... huff..."
The group gasped for air, their breaths ragged.
"What's going on?" Sun-woo asked, looking at them.
"Huff... huff... We are... huff... merchants from the Geumjeong Merchant Guild." The man at the front of the group finally spoke.
"The Geumjeong Merchant Guild?" Sun-woo repeated, surprised.
The Geumjeong Merchant Guild was a name Sun-woo recognized. Like the Bukmun Merchant Guild, they primarily dealt in North Sea specialties and had traded with the Tang Clan several times.
"Yes, Great Hero. Please, save us!"
Seeing that Sun-woo recognized them, the man begged for his life with a look of utter desperation.
"Save you? What are you talking about?" Sun-woo asked, genuinely confused.
"A bloodbath is happening inside the North Sea Ice Palace right now! Merchants from the Central Plains, including myself, are being slaughtered one by one!"
"What!?"
Sun-woo’s eyes widened. This was completely unexpected. The North Sea Ice Palace was suddenly killing people? What did that mean?
The North Sea Ice Palace was a place so desolate that it was difficult to survive without trade. Because of this, they were famous for treating visiting merchants with great hospitality. Why would such a place start hunting them down?
"The North Sea Ice Palace has gone completely mad! We have to run, now!"
The man spoke urgently, his entire body trembling with terror.
"What exactly happened? Tell me slowly."
"There's no time for that! She! She is coming!" the man screamed, his voice rising in frustration.
"She?" Sun-woo asked, his brow furrowing.
She? What kind of woman was coming?
Whirrrrrrrrr!
Suddenly, a massive Snow Wind began to howl. The freezing gale swirled around Sun-woo, Sword Man, and the merchants from the Geumjeong Merchant Guild, trapping them.
"Aaaaah! I told you we had to run!"
As the Snow Wind surrounded them, the man let out a piercing shriek.
Thud.
He collapsed onto the ground, his strength failing him.
"It's over... we're all going to die..."
The man's face was a mask of pure horror and despair.
Sun-woo was baffled. What was this Snow Wind that it could reduce a battle-hardened merchant to such a state of terror?
As Sun-woo wondered, a sound reached his ears.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound of someone treading on snow.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound grew clearer and clearer.
What is it?
Sun-woo focused his hearing, searching for the source of the sound. He soon realized it was coming from directly in front of them.
Someone was approaching. The person these men feared so much.
Shring.
Sun-woo slowly drew his sword from its scabbard, preparing for any eventuality.
Crunch, crunch.
Crunch, crunch.
Stop.
The footsteps stopped right in front of them. Sun-woo knew. The woman they spoke of was standing just beyond the veil of the Snow Wind.
Whirrrr...
The fierce Snow Wind that had been surrounding them began to thin.
Whoosh...
Whoosh...
After a few moments, the gale vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never existed in the first place.
And then, Sun-woo saw her. The one who had reduced the veteran merchants of the Geumjeong Merchant Guild to trembling wrecks.
Sun-woo thought to himself: this world of Wuxia had surely gone mad. Otherwise, the existence of the woman before him could not be explained.
Sun-woo had always believed that Neung So-hwa was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. But it seemed he would have to revise that thought. Standing right before his eyes was a woman who rivaled Neung So-hwa herself.
Sun-woo’s mouth hung open. It was an unseemly look, but her beauty was so transcendent that he couldn't even manage his expression.
"Are you with them as well?"
A voice like rolling jade beads—beautiful and clear—rang out from her lips.
Sun-woo felt his senses begin to fade into a daze.