Chapter 280: Meeting the Bloodline of the Ice Demon-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 280: Meeting the Bloodline of the Ice Demon-3
"Weren't you the disciple of the Poison King?"
Sword Man spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on Sun-woo.
Having traveled in the same carriage, he had learned a fair amount about Sun-woo’s background—including the fact that he was the Poison King’s disciple and the son-in-law of the Tang Clan.
So, when Sun-woo suddenly claimed to serve the Yin-Yang Demon as his master, Sword Man couldn't help but be taken aback. His expression was uncharacteristically serious, a sharp contrast to his usual cheerful demeanor.
"The situation is a bit complicated," Sun-woo muttered, brushing off the question. It was far too convoluted to explain everything right then and there.
"More importantly, how do you know about them, Senior?"
"It was the martial art used by the King of Demons. How could I not know it?" Sword Man replied with a calm expression.
"No, not that. How did you come to mention my master?" Sun-woo asked, still puzzled.
The fact that the Yin-Yang Demon had stolen the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth was a secret among secrets. How could Sword Man possibly know such a thing?
"Let's just say my situation is also complicated," Sword Man replied, dodging the question just as Sun-woo had. "Regardless, I can't help but be shocked. To think you were the disciple of the Yin-Yang Demon."
Sword Man stared at him, looking dazed.
"Do you know my master?"
"Know them? I once fought them with my life on the line."
"What?!" Sun-woo blurted out in surprise.
He had vaguely guessed that Sword Man was no ordinary man, but he never imagined the man had actually traded blows with his master, the Yin-Yang Demon.
"What happened?"
"They let me live," Sword Man stated proudly. There was even a strange sense of pride in his expression.
"Wait, you were spared, so why do you sound so confident?" Sun-woo asked, bewildered.
The Sword Man he knew was a man obsessed with his own martial prowess and competitive spirit. Seeing him so unbothered by a defeat felt like a total disconnect.
"Is it not a tremendous honor just to have fought the Yin-Yang Demon and come out alive and intact?" Sword Man countered, looking at Sun-woo as if he were asking something obvious.
"............"
Sun-woo stood there, speechless. He was realizing his master’s reputation all over again. Just how powerful were they if a man of Sword Man’s lofty caliber considered mere survival an honor?
"Now I finally understand your abnormal progress."
"Abnormal?"
"Do you think achieving that level of mastery at your age is normal?" Sword Man chuckled.
"Isn't there someone right in front of us who did the same?" Sun-woo gestured toward the woman of white snow, who was currently wearing a blank expression.
"Who knows? She might be some old crone who achieved Rejuvenation. Or perhaps she practiced youth-preserving arts."
"I'm twenty-eight."
Perhaps annoyed by Sword Man’s banter, the woman of white snow snapped back with a blunt face.
"Oho, it seems you've finally calmed down?" Sword Man replied with a slight smirk.
"I just lost interest," she muttered, looking disgruntled by Sword Man’s sly response. Then, she turned her gaze toward Sun-woo, her eyes filled with questions. "More importantly, how did you reverse the Snow Wind?"
She couldn't understand it. The Snow Wind was nature itself. Though it was supplemented by internal energy, its essence was natural. How could someone simply turn nature back on itself?
"I changed the flow," Sun-woo replied calmly.
"The flow?" she repeated, clearly not following.
"Why don't we settle the situation first? I'll give you a detailed explanation later," Sun-woo said, speaking to her with great politeness.
After all, they were the ones who had initiated the rudeness and the provocation. This level of courtesy was only natural.
"Do you think there will be a 'later' for you? Leave the North Sea Ice Palace immediately. I'll overlook the fact that you cut down the iron door."
Seeing Sun-woo’s polite attitude, the woman of white snow offered a surprisingly generous deal. Considering they had committed property damage and what could arguably be called attempted murder, letting it all slide was incredibly lenient.
However, it wasn't enough. Sun-woo wanted more.
"I will personally pay for the repairs to the iron door. I'll even provide additional compensation. Please, I beg you to reconsider telling us to leave the North Sea Ice Palace."
Sun-woo maintained his polite posture and pleaded with her earnestly.
"Do you even have a conscience? You cause this much of a mess and then ask to be let in? You're the ones who destroyed the iron door that protected the Ice Palace from outsiders for centuries, committed trespassing, and even attempted murder. Why on earth should I let people like you into the palace?"
The woman of white snow glared at Sun-woo with cold eyes.
"I know I'm being shameless. But we have a reason why we must enter the palace. I'll pay several times the entrance fee. Please, show us mercy."
Sun-woo pleaded again, absorbing her sharp criticism. It was a shameless request, but he needed her leniency. If they were turned away here, everything would have been for nothing.
"I don't understand."
The woman of white snow shook her head from side to side. She truly couldn't comprehend it. This man possessed enough power to easily reverse her Snow Wind. Why was a man with that kind of strength acting so submissively? He was more than capable of making threats.
"What kind of circumstances could possibly make a man of your caliber act so humble?"
"My name is Jang Sun-woo, and I am from the Tang Clan. I came to the North Sea to find the martial artists of my alliance who went missing here."
"The... Tang Clan?"
The woman of white snow looked skeptical. It was a name she was more familiar with than expected.
"Don't tell me... the Sichuan Alliance?" she blurted out unexpectedly.
"You know of it?!" Sun-woo’s eyes widened. He never imagined the words 'Sichuan Alliance' would come out of her mouth.
At his question, the woman’s face crumpled into a deep scowl. She realized that things had become incredibly tangled.
"Sigh."
She lowered her head slightly and let out a long sigh. It seemed she needed to clarify the situation. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Sun-woo.
"It seems we got off on the wrong foot."
"What... do you mean?" Sun-woo asked, his gaze full of confusion.
"If it's them you're looking for, they are currently staying inside the North Sea Ice Palace."
"What does that mean?!" Sun-woo asked, shocked. They were supposed to be missing. How could they be staying in the Ice Palace?
"I think we need to get our stories straight."
She looked at Sun-woo with a heavy expression.
*
The woman of white snow began to explain the circumstances to Sun-woo and Sword Man.
'Oh, shit.'
Sun-woo cursed inwardly as he listened to the details.
According to her, the ones who had kidnapped the Alliance martial artists were the Evil Demon—who had occupied the North Sea Ice Palace for twenty years—and his direct subordinates, the Demon Troops.
And she was the savior who had rescued the kidnapped warriors.
Sun-woo realized that the situation had become far more troublesome than he thought. If her words were true, they had essentially drawn their blades against the savior of their own alliance.
Cold sweat poured down Sun-woo’s back. They should have been offering her a fortune in gratitude, but instead, they had destroyed the iron door protecting the palace, trespassed, and even threatened her life. Even if they hadn't known, looking at the situation objectively, they were acting like absolute scum.
Sun-woo kept his mouth shut. He felt that anything he said now would just sound like an excuse.
"Ho... so you're saying you're the last remaining bloodline of the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace?" Sword Man asked, sounding impressed.
"You could say that. Every other member of my bloodline was killed by the Evil Demon," she replied calmly, though a deep-seated rage flickered in her eyes.
"Is the Evil Demon dead, then?" Sword Man asked, his eyes sparkling.
"Unfortunately... he had already vacated the premises by the time I arrived at the palace."
"So he could return at any time."
"I certainly hope so," she said, her murderous gaze sharpening.
"But I'm curious. Why were you trying to kill those people?" Sword Man pointed his sword toward the merchants of the Geumjeong Merchant Guild.
"They are humans who conspired with the Evil Demon. They must have sucked the very lifeblood out of the North Sea people."
She looked at them with freezing eyes, and the merchants trembled under her gaze. They had held onto a sliver of hope when the two sides first clashed, but now that the atmosphere had calmed, a wave of anxiety and terror washed over them.
"Hero Jang!" one of the merchants suddenly shouted at Sun-woo.
"Huh?" Sun-woo, who had been lamenting the mess he was in, turned his head at the voice.
"The bond between the Tang Clan and the Geumjeong Merchant Guild isn't exactly thin, is it? Please, save us!" the merchant begged piteously.
"I know we have a connection, but this lady is an benefactor," Sun-woo replied, shaking his head.
He wasn't unacquainted with the Geumjeong Merchant Guild, but they were nothing compared to the savior of the Alliance. Besides, Bukgung Yeon had the moral high ground. He had no obligation to step in and help them.
"How! How can a great man of the Central Plains... side with a northern barbarian!"
Enraged that Sun-woo was siding with Bukgung Yeon, the merchant raised his voice.
'What a piece of work.'
Sun-woo clicked his tongue. Even for a Central Plainsman steeped in Sino-centrism, he couldn't believe the man would spout such nonsense in a life-or-death situation.
"Quiet."
Bukgung Yeon frowned at the merchant's words.
Whoosh.
She waved her hand through the air.
Vroooooom!
A light Snow Wind blew, instantly enveloping the merchant who had raised his voice.
Crackle, crack!
The Snow Wind swirling around him began to freeze his upper body, which hadn't been frozen yet.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
As his entire body began to turn to ice, the merchant let out a blood-curdling scream.
Crack, crackle!
The merchant's body froze at a rapid pace, and before long, he was turned into a solid block of ice.
"............"
The other merchants clamped their mouths shut. The fear that they might become ice statues if they said the wrong thing gripped them.
"Finally, some peace and quiet," Bukgung Yeon said with a cold smile, seemingly satisfied with their silence.
"Hahaha! You're much more spirited than you look," Sword Man burst out laughing.
"But I have a question," Sun-woo said, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"What is it?" she asked sharply.
"I heard it's been about three days since you took over the North Sea Ice Palace."
"That's what I said."
"Then why haven't the Alliance martial artists left the palace yet?"
"Because I forbade anyone from leaving," she replied matter-of-factly. "It was an unavoidable choice to kill everyone who conspired with the Evil Demon. I feel bad for them, though."
"I'm not trying to blame you. I was just curious."
"Well, even if I told them to leave, they weren't exactly in a state to do so."
"Is there a problem?" Sun-woo asked, startled.
"They were imprisoned by the Evil Demon for nearly half a year. You think they'd be fine?"
"Is it serious?" Sun-woo asked, his expression darkening.
As she said, they had been persecuted under the Evil Demon for nearly six months. There was no way their bodies were intact.
"Hmm. For starters, everyone had clear signs of torture all over their bodies. Countless people were missing fingers, and some were missing limbs. And in the case of the women... the mental scars seemed even deeper than the physical ones."
"............"
Sun-woo was left speechless by her blunt words. He had guessed they had suffered, but hearing the details made it hit home much harder. For a martial artist who trains their body and wields weapons, the loss of a limb was a fatal wound. It meant they could never properly exert the power they had spent a lifetime cultivating.
Even without knowing the specifics, the psychological shock must be immense. Furthermore, he could guess what kind of mental trauma the women had endured. For the women of the Central Plains, who valued purity above all else, they likely wanted nothing more than to die.
Grit.
Sun-woo’s teeth began to grind involuntarily. A searing rage toward the Evil Demon, who had caused this situation, surged within him.
Sun-woo made a silent vow. He would not let that man die an easy death.