Chapter 185: Aechu County (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: Aechu County (1)
“…Did I hear you correctly?”
The expression of the North Sea Ice Palace Master, Baek Seol-hyang, froze into a mask of absolute cold. The subordinate standing before her didn’t dare even think of raising his head.
It was actually better when she exploded in anger. When the Palace Master’s fury reached its peak, her aura grew colder than the biting winter winds of the North Sea, freezing everything in its path.
“Yes… A formal protest has arrived from the Demonic Cult. They claim a martial artist from the North Sea Ice Palace slaughtered hundreds of their people…”
“A protest? A formal one? If anyone in the Demonic Cult still has a shred of sanity left, it would be their strategists.”
Crackle!
The armrest of her jade throne froze over and crumbled to dust. Baek Seol-hyang clenched her fists, her eyes gleaming with a fierce light.
“If it was the strategists, they would have at least identified the culprit’s appearance before opening their mouths. Fine, tell me. Which bitch has been running around doing such things?”
“T-That is…”
The subordinate squeezed his eyes shut.
“They say it was… a man.”
“What?”
“Furthermore, he identified himself as Baek Seo-jun… We suspect someone might be using a disguise technique.”
Men were a rarity among the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace. Because they manipulated energy so close to pure Yin, it was nearly impossible for anyone other than a woman to master the Ice Palace’s martial arts.
Specifically, when it came to masters at the Super Peak Realm or higher. Currently, there were no male masters of that caliber in the entire Ice Palace.
In fact, there hadn't been one for the last three hundred years.
While outsiders might not know the specifics, as the Palace Master, Baek Seol-hyang knew this better than anyone.
“…Wait. Baek Seo-jun?”
“Yes.”
“Seo-jun… Seo-jun? I’ve definitely heard that name before…”
“There is a master in the Namgung Clan named Lee Seo-jun.”
“Ah, right. The one they call Jin Gi-jae-cheon?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a possibility that he is intentionally trying to frame the Ice Palace…?”
Ha! Baek Seol-hyang let out a hollow laugh at her own words. It was pure nonsense.
How could a man—and one not even affiliated with the Ice Palace—wield the Ice Soul Divine Art?
Besides, anyone with half a brain wouldn't do something as stupid as using a pseudonym that only changed their surname.
Even the demons whose very bones were soaked in Demonic Qi wouldn't pull a stunt like that. They would rather proudly declare their real names.
“This is so absurd that I’m starting to entertain ridiculous thoughts.”
With a chilling smile, Baek Seol-hyang rose from her seat. Crackle! With just a small exhale, everything in her vicinity froze solid.
“Baek Seo-jun… Baek Seo-jun, is it…”
No matter how she looked at it, this 'Baek Seo-jun' was parading around as a martial artist of the Ice Palace.
If so, which bitch dared to use the Ice Palace’s name to commit such acts?
Could it be a branch sect that split off long ago? No, they didn't know the Ice Soul Divine Art. Since they didn't possess Ice Crystals either, it would be impossible for them to master the art.
That meant the culprit was definitely a master belonging to the Ice Palace—and the main sect, at that…
Wait. Could it be? What if that man from three hundred years ago was still alive?
‘That’s just a wild delusion.’
There was no way. He was definitely dead.
“If…”
“Yes.”
“If any news regarding that woman comes in, report it to me before anyone else.”
“And then…?”
“I will personally step forth to reveal her identity and decorate the spire of this palace with her head. How dare she pull a stunt like this?”
Baek Seol-hyang’s immense internal energy surged.
“Tell the Grand Strategist as well. Whatever that woman does, it is not the will of the Ice Palace. Tell him not to do anything foolish and to inform me the moment news arrives.”
“By your command!”
* * *
The man himself—the one using a pseudonym with only his surname changed, Baek Seo-jun—stood atop a high peak and looked down at Mount Kunlun.
The cultists were no longer in sight. They had all either been killed or forced into retreat.
This should be enough for Kunlun to catch its breath. Since they had preserved their core strength, defending against the next offensive would be relatively easier.
As long as the Demonic Cult didn't send an absurd amount of force all at once, they would be able to hold out on their own.
‘If worst comes to worst, they still have their Sect Leader.’
Though he didn't know the full details, the Kunlun Sect was one of the Sixteen Major Sects and Clans. Their Sect Leader was likely a master of the Transcendent Realm.
Since the sect would be shaken to its core if anything happened to him, he wouldn't reveal himself unless absolutely necessary—but he wouldn't just sit by and watch Kunlun be destroyed, either.
‘This brings back memories.’
To think the day would come when he’d be worrying about a faction as great as the Sixteen Major Sects. The days when he could barely take care of himself didn't feel that long ago.
Actually, it wasn't just a feeling; it really wasn't that long ago. Had it been a bit over two years now?
He felt a sudden surge of fear at his own monstrous talent.
‘At this rate, becoming the strongest in the world will be… well, maybe not that soon.’
No matter how he thought about it, his father-in-law was still too far away. As Seo-jun smacked his lips, a figure soared up from below.
It was Pung-wol of Kunlun.
“…You really did it.”
“Well, it wasn't that difficult.”
“It was difficult. It was a battlefield where many of our sect's elders were deployed.”
Pung-wol praised him, but he observed Baek Seo-jun with narrowed eyes.
“So, what is it you really want?”
“What do I want?”
“Surely you aren't going to say you helped Kunlun without wanting anything in return. Especially as a master belonging to the Black Lotus Union.”
“Hmm…”
Seo-jun’s gaze pierced through Pung-wol. Pung-wol grew tense under that meaningful stare.
Of course, Seo-jun wasn't thinking of anything in particular.
‘What should I say?’
How was he supposed to explain that he helped them simply because they were on the same side?
After some thought, Seo-jun reached a conclusion. He’d just use this as an excuse to mess with the North Sea Ice Palace.
The more he learned, the more he felt the North Sea Ice Palace hadn't actually been involved in the destruction of the Geum family. But regardless, they were the group that possessed the martial art responsible for Chun-bong's severed meridians. That was more than enough reason to mess with them.
“I dislike it when someone else targets my prey.”
“…….”
“The same goes for Kunlun. Kunlun is the prey of our North Sea Ice Palace. It’s only natural to feel unpleasant when those Demonic Cult bastards try to claim it first.”
“You…”
Pung-wol’s gaze turned fierce.
Currently, Baek Seo-jun had just finished a fierce battle. If he were to strike, now would be the best time.
Just as Pung-wol was deciding whether to launch a joint attack with the other elders, Baek Seo-jun gave a thin smile.
“I’ll see you next time, then.”
“You…! Everyone, get him…!”
BOOM!
Baek Seo-jun’s figure vanished in an instant. Pung-wol could only stare blankly at the spot where he had just been standing, his mouth agape.
“What kind of lightness skill is that…?”
Had he gained explosive speed by detonating condensed ice energy beneath his feet? It was a crude, dangerous method. If his control had slipped by even a hair, his own body would have been shattered.
“Dammit…”
Regardless, the fact remained that he had lost him. Eventually, that man would return as another blade aimed at Kunlun’s throat.
“That son of a bitch…!”
Pung-wol’s roar echoed through Mount Kunlun.
* * *
“Phew.”
Seo-jun let out a sigh of relief as he streaked across the sky.
He felt a bit awkward using the Primordial Unity Step right in front of them, so he had tried incorporating ice energy into it. It was lacking in many ways compared to the original, so he had been a bit nervous.
Of course, it wouldn't have really mattered if he had just used the Primordial Unity Step openly. As long as he could hide the Ice Soul Divine Art's internal energy, even if a situation arose later where someone yelled, “Wait! You bastard, could you be…!”, he could just counter-attack with a false accusation.
But even so, his conscience pricked him a bit. Seo-jun prided himself on being a man with a conscience.
Then again, what if he had been caught while using a bootleg Primordial Unity Step infused with ice energy?
—Ta-da! It was actually Lee Seo-jun!
—W-What! You! How dare you mock me?!
—Uh… oops?
That would have been a bit problematic, too.
Well, anyway, he hadn't been caught, so it was fine. It was better not to create situations where they’d end up glaring at each other.
He might be able to resolve things now, but it was obvious it would hinder his future activities in one way or another.
He might even be framed for the assassination of the Imperial General.
‘Anyway, is this the real start?’
Now that he had passed Kunlun, which was located at the westernmost edge of the Righteous Faction’s territory, he had to be truly careful.
Since it was quite a distance from Tianshan, this area wasn't exactly Demonic Cult territory, but it wasn't Righteous Faction territory either. There was no telling what might pop out.
—Or so he thought, but he arrived at Tianshan with surprisingly zero incidents.
“Good.”
Better this way.
* * *
As soon as his senses picked up the presence of Demonic Qi, Seo-jun immediately performed a disguise technique.
Shhh—
His face transformed into that of Cheon Seo-jun. The same went for his sword and his Heavenly Silk robe. While he couldn't change the color of the Heavenly Silk robe, he could at least alter the existing patterns to his liking.
‘I might have a talent for knitting.’
Since it featured a simple structure of white thread patterns on a black background, Seo-jun gave it some thought and embroidered a Reverse Five Elements Formation onto the Heavenly Silk robe.
It was a fully functional Reverse Five Elements Formation that could even manifest sorcery in an emergency.
“Let’s see…”
Ahem. Seo-jun cleared his throat a few times and headed toward a city he had picked up with his Qi sensing.
He planned to get a feel for the atmosphere on the outskirts of the Demonic Cult’s territory before heading deeper inside.
“Who are you?”
Suddenly, a spear was pointed at him by a man who appeared to be a guard. Cheon Seo-jun furrowed his brows.
“This fellow has lost his mind.”
When he casually grabbed the spear and snapped it in half, the guard turned pale and immediately prostrated himself on the ground.
“Hieee…! I-I’m sorry…! I’m just an ignorant country bumpkin and didn't recognize a noble personage…! Please, just spare my life…!”
Information shuttle acquired.
Seo-jun chuckled and crouched down. When he tapped the shoulder of the prostrating guard, the man’s body trembled violently.
Trickle—
The ground beneath the guard began to stain a dark color.
“What…!”
Startled, Seo-jun quickly backed away.
“Gasp…!”
The guard realized his mistake. His face turned ghostly white, and he began to hyperventilate before finally fainting.
‘What is with this guy…?’
It was baffling. Seo-jun drew his sword—still in its scabbard—and poked the man’s cheek.
“Gasp…!”
The man woke up, saw the sword pointed at him, and was terrified all over again.
“Hieee…!”
The man fainted again.
“Unbelievable…”
It really wasn't going to be easy from the start.
* * *
After several attempts, he succeeded in extracting a decent amount of information from the man.
Q: Don't I look like a master at a glance? Why did you pick a fight?
A: I really didn't know you were a master. Usually, when masters are nearby, one’s knees go weak and their body trembles. Since there were no such symptoms, I thought you were just an idiot trying to look cool…
“I-I’m sorry…! That was a slip of the tongue…! Please, just spare my life…!”
Apparently, people on the Demonic Cult’s side walked around openly radiating their Demonic Qi. It seemed quite different from the Righteous Faction’s atmosphere, where hiding one’s realm was considered a virtue.
Seo-jun continued the interview.
Q: Has the atmosphere changed lately?
A: Not particularly. I heard something big happened, but it has nothing to do with a backwater village like this.
Q: Which is the biggest sect around here?
A: There’s nothing you could really call a sect. Usually, small cities like this don't have such organized groups.
Q: The Righteous Faction has them, though?
A: Why are you asking me that…?
“I’m sorry…! Please, just my life…!”
…A: Sects are rare in these parts. Unless it’s a faction with significant strength, accidents happen while practicing demonic arts, and they quickly fall apart.
“Aha.”
Well, that made sense. Since demonic arts were the kind of martial arts that could easily make a practitioner lose their mind, it was likely a daily occurrence for masters and disciples to end up at each other's throats.
It would be difficult to maintain a group unless it was of a certain scale.
Q: Then are there no martial artists here?
A: There are. Someone from the Cult rules the city.
Having heard that much, Seo-jun waved his hand.
“You can go now. I think I’ve heard everything I need to know.”
“Y-Yes…! I will cherish the grace of you sparing my life for the rest of my days…!”
Sparing his life? He didn't know what the man was talking about, but Seo-jun gave a rough nod and entered the city.
‘I can just get the rest of the information from that friend who came from the Cult.’
Furthermore, there was nothing holding him back. Right now, he was Cheon Seo-jun. No one could hold Lee Seo-jun responsible.
Because it wasn't something Lee Seo-jun did…!
Nice. This guilt-free indulgence.
Seo-jun walked with a broad grin to meet his new information shuttle and demonic art shuttle.