Chapter 317: First Sword of the Imperial Palace, Lee Yeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 317: First Sword of the Imperial Palace, Lee Yeon
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
The massive roar shaking the earth grew louder with every passing second.
The Northern Army, mounted on hundreds of North Sea Blood-Sweating Horses, finally revealed its majestic form.
"……"
Cheongsong could only stare at the sight, his expression filled with doubt.
He couldn't understand the situation.
Wasn't the Northern Army stationed at the border specifically to repel the barbarians who invaded day in and day out?
So why were they appearing here, at the North Sea Ice Palace?
The North Sea Ice Palace was located beyond the national border. In a sense, it was foreign territory.
'Why would the Northern Army show up in such a place?'
Unless they were planning an invasion, the situation made no sense.
"Everyone, prepare to draw your weapons at a moment's notice!"
Cheongsong turned to the disciples of Qingcheng and gave the order.
Since the exact situation was unclear, they had to be prepared for anything. It would be best if there was no friction, but one never knew how things would turn out in this world.
""Understood!""
The disciples answered in unison. With tense expressions, they watched the Northern Army charging toward them from the distance.
The vibrations shaking the earth intensified.
After some time had passed...
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
Halt.
The cavalry unit, having reached their doorstep, pulled their horses to a stop simultaneously, aligning themselves in a row as if measured by a ruler.
It was a sight that could truly be called a grand spectacle.
Cheongsong watched them with wary eyes. Even from a distance, they had exuded an incredible pressure. Now that they were right in front of him, that intimidation felt doubled, and he found himself instinctively shrinking back.
Hundreds of Blood-Sweating Horses and the veteran warriors atop them radiated a staggering aura just by existing.
Gulp.
Cheongsong swallowed hard without realizing it. His tension had clearly spiked under the weight of their momentum.
It was at that moment, as he watched them with bated breath.
Clop, clop, clop, clop.
The sound of a single horse's hooves began to echo from within the ranks of the cavalry.
Curious, he focused his eyesight and saw a lone Blood-Sweating Horse parting the ranks and walking forward.
Clop, clop, clop.
Soon, the horse fully revealed itself at the front.
Seeing it, Cheongsong flinched. He was intimidated by its sheer size—it looked twice as large as a normal Blood-Sweating Horse—and the aura it projected.
"I am Lee Yeon."
The man sitting atop the horse, clad in ink-colored armor, spoke.
"The general who commands the Northern Army."
The man looked down at Cheongsong with eyes as deep as an abyss.
"Who are you?"
"……"
Cheongsong couldn't find his voice. He was so shocked by the man's words that his mouth hung open.
It wasn't just Cheongsong. The expressions of the search party members around him began to turn to pure astonishment.
Who was Lee Yeon?
He was the First Sword of the Imperial Palace.
The Guardian of the North, who had protected the Central Plains from the invasions of northern barbarians for decades.
Even though there was a Non-aggression Pact between Government and Martial Arts, there was no one here who didn't know of Lee Yeon's fame.
Martial artists generally tended to look down on military martial arts. They believed that while the techniques taught in the military were practical, they lacked depth. In reality, it was extremely rare for anyone to reach a high realm through military martial arts.
But Lee Yeon was different.
Even the martial artists who dismissed military arts made an exception for him, holding him in awe and respect. They had heard much of his fame—of his life spent in the north protecting the nation, and of how he had crushed the fierce northern barbarians single-handedly.
And now, that very Lee Yeon had appeared at the North Sea Ice Palace.
How could they not be shocked?
"I dislike repeating myself."
When the search party remained silent, Lee Yeon spoke again in a low tone.
"…G-Greetings. We are martial artists from the Qingcheng Sect, Emei Sect, and the Tang Clan, come from the Central Plains."
Cheongsong, snapping back to his senses, spoke quickly.
"Why are you here?"
"Pardon!?"
"I am asking why martial artists of the Central Plains are at the North Sea Ice Palace."
Lee Yeon looked at Cheongsong and spoke in a languid voice.
"That… well…"
Flustered by the sudden question, Cheongsong stammered. He didn't know where to start.
If he explained the whole story from the beginning, it would be too long, and he felt that would be disrespectful. But if he gave a brief summary, he worried it might sound curt.
Cheongsong's complexion grew darker.
"We came to the Ice Palace on an escort mission."
At that moment, Cheonggil, who was standing nearby, quickly took over the explanation.
"An escort mission?" Lee Yeon asked, sounding curious.
"That is correct. We received a request to deliver cargo to the North Sea, and we are here to fulfill that task."
"You're telling me that three renowned powers of the Central Plains are all attached to a mere escort mission?"
Lee Yeon asked with a suspicious expression. He was not ignorant of the Sichuan Tang Clan, Qingcheng, or Emei. One was the practical ruler of Sichuan, and the others were pillars of the Nine Great Sects.
Naturally, he found it suspicious that these great powers had come to the North Sea Ice Palace as a group.
"Currently, Qingcheng, Emei, and the Tang Clan have formed an alliance known as the Sichuan Alliance. It is not uncommon for us to undertake escort missions together."
Cheonggil continued his smooth explanation in the face of Lee Yeon's suspicion.
"I trust there is no lie in those words?"
Lee Yeon spoke with a stern expression.
"How could I dare lie to General Lee Yeon, the hero of the nation and the Guardian of the North? There is not a single lie in my words."
Cheonggil answered while looking Lee Yeon straight in the eye.
"That is a relief, then."
Lee Yeon looked satisfied.
"It means I won't have to kill my own countrymen."
"W-What do you mean by that!?"
Startled by the sudden remark, Cheonggil asked back.
"I intend to erase the North Sea Ice Palace from this world today."
Lee Yeon spoke with a calm expression.
"I was worried I might have to kill you as well. Had there been some other collusion with the Ice Palace, it would be one thing, but if you are here simply for an escort mission, I should show you some mercy."
"……"
"……"
"……"
Hearing Lee Yeon's chilling words, none of the search party members could easily open their mouths. They had just heard something ferociously unexpected.
He was going to erase the North Sea Ice Palace.
They were bewildered. Why would Lee Yeon suddenly say he was going to wipe out the Ice Palace? And with the Northern Army at his back, no less.
It was impossible not to be shaken.
"May I ask the reason?"
Amidst the long silence, Cheonggil cautiously spoke up.
"There is no need for you to know. Just stay out of the way and open the path."
Lee Yeon dismissed the question and gave the order.
"……"
"……"
However, despite Lee Yeon's command, not a single member of the search party moved. They had no idea how to handle this situation.
To them, Bukgung Yeon, the Master of the Ice Palace, was a benefactor. She was the one who had saved their fellow disciples who had gone missing.
How could they easily step aside for someone who intended to kill their benefactor?
But staying put was also a problem. Lee Yeon was a man of the Imperial Court—a general with enough influence to be called the Guardian of the North. Disobeying his order was no different from rebelling against the Imperial Palace.
They were torn, forced to stand their ground. For now, this was the best they could do.
"Did you not hear my command?"
When the search party didn't move, Lee Yeon's expression crumpled in anger. He loathed repeating himself. It made him feel as though he wasn't being listened to properly.
And to think they would dare ignore his words.
Anger began to seep into Lee Yeon's previously expressionless face.
"I said, I dislike repeating myself."
Lee Yeon spoke as a warning. Yet, the search party remained silent, holding their positions.
"General."
At that moment, Cheongsong, who was standing in the back, spoke up.
"Speak."
"Is the order to erase the North Sea Ice Palace the will of the Imperial Palace?"
"There is no need for you to know."
"Then is this your own independent decision, General?"
"I told you, there is no need for you to know!"
Lee Yeon shouted, infusing his voice with internal energy. As the energy surged out, it began to exert physical pressure on Cheongsong's entire body.
"Aaaargh!"
Cheongsong let out a scream from the crushing pain.
"Are you ignoring my words? I have no obligation to answer your questions. How dare you be so arrogant as to demand an answer? Even if the Sect Leaders of your sects were here, they wouldn't dare speak to me with such insolence!"
Lee Yeon raised his voice in fury. He was deeply offended. How could mere disciples think they were on his level? Even their Sect Leaders wouldn't treat him so lightly.
"That is enough."
Flash.
With those words, the pressure Lee Yeon was exerting on Cheongsong vanished instantly.
"Hooh."
Lee Yeon let out a small exclamation of admiration. He was impressed by the sudden appearance of a master.
"And who might you be?"
Lee Yeon asked, looking at the man who had neutralized his aura in an instant.
"This humble Taoist is called Un-jeok-ja. I am an Elder of the Qingcheng Sect."
Un-jeok-ja spoke in a polite tone.
"I see you have some skill, unlike the others."
"I merely had an unexpected realization."
"Is that so? And do you intend to oppose me, trusting in that measly realization?"
"That depends on your answer."
Un-jeok-ja spoke with a heavy expression.
"Ridiculous. Do you truly think you can defeat me?"
Lee Yeon let out a mocking laugh.
"One never knows until they try, does one?"
"Perhaps because you've done nothing but practice martial arts in deep mountains and valleys, you are ignorant of the world and your own place in it."
"A stubborn streak is a characteristic of a Taoist."
"Foolish man."
Lee Yeon shook his head at Un-jeok-ja.
"I will ask once more, General. Is the order to exterminate the North Sea the will of the Imperial Palace?"
Un-jeok-ja asked with a dead-serious expression. If it was the Imperial Palace's command, they would have no choice. How could those living in a land ruled by the Son of Heaven disobey his decree?
But if it was Lee Yeon's independent action, the story changed.
"No, it is my own decision."
"Then we cannot step aside."
"And why is that?"
Lee Yeon asked, genuinely unable to comprehend. He couldn't understand how those living within the nation's borders could disobey his command.
"It is to repay a debt of gratitude."
Un-jeok-ja looked at Lee Yeon with a solemn face.
"Gratitude?"
"Yes. Our Alliance owes the Palace Master of the North Sea Ice Palace a debt we can never fully repay. How could we allow the Northern Army, which seeks to harm her, into the Ice Palace?"
Un-jeok-ja continued in a calm tone. He believed the grace they had received from the Ice Palace Master was immense beyond imagination. Though they were covered in wounds, she had saved their disciples. How could such a debt be considered small?
"Is this 'gratitude' more important than your lives?"
Lee Yeon asked, truly baffled. He couldn't understand why they would confront him for such a trivial reason. A battlefield was a place where yesterday's ally frequently became today's enemy. Having spent his entire life in such a place, Lee Yeon couldn't grasp it.
To take such a massive loss just to repay a single debt?
The troops he had brought to the North Sea Ice Palace numbered over three thousand. If they had eyes, they surely knew that this was not a force they could overcome.
And yet, they stood in his way in the name of gratitude? Even when they might die?
He couldn't understand such foolishness and stupidity.
"It is important. Especially so for the sects of the Orthodox Faction that revere chivalry."
"Chivalry is truly irrational and illogical. To step forward even while knowing death awaits."
Lee Yeon shook his head from side to side.
"So, what do you intend to do?"
"We will block you. Even if you are the Northern Army."
Un-jeok-ja stared at Lee Yeon with eyes full of resolute determination.
"A pity. It seems I must kill my own countrymen after all."
Lee Yeon murmured regretfully.