Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Support from the Five Great Protectors
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Red Elder's eyes widened as if they might tear.
'No, this can't be!'
Countless fist shadows came rushing toward him all at once.
'Ah...!'
Red Elder stood there in a daze. The other protectors shouted in alarm.
"Red Elder!"
"What are you doing? Dodge!"
Boom!
A deafening blast echoed like the air itself exploding.
"......!"
When the noise finally faded, Red Elder stood unharmed, astonishingly. Seol Hwa-un's fist strike had halted right before reaching him.
Seol Hwa-un slowly withdrew his fist and asked.
"How was it?"
Red Elder broke into a bright smile.
"Superb."
He had stood frozen not just because evasion was impossible, but because he had been so immersed in Seol Hwa-un's Nine Splits technique that he forgot they were even sparring.
Only then did the other protectors exchange glances.
"No way that's..."
"The one Red Elder always talked about..."
"The completed form of the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist—the fifth stance!"
Red Elder asked.
"Did you create it?"
Seol Hwa-un spoke humbly.
"The current Ice Family Head had already nearly perfected it."
"Hahaha, so you put the finishing touches on it."
"......"
Red Elder, as if having made a decision, declared firmly.
"The duel is your victory. And... I, Red Elder, support the palace's advance into the Central Plains!"
"......!"
His words startled the remaining four protectors, but they soon nodded.
"Yes, we have to acknowledge this. He completed the final stance of the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist that Red Elder so desperately wanted."
"Hard to believe. Even setting aside his inaction, to perfect an incomplete stance—this alone merits calling him a grandmaster of his generation."
"Well, it builds on generations of research in the Ice Family, so it's not entirely his alone."
"Still, we can't deny the boy's exceptional talent."
Red Elder turned to the other protectors.
"What about you all?"
"Hmm..."
Blue Elder quietly shifted to stand beside Red Elder.
"I agree with Red Elder. Regardless of right or wrong, I've never liked the Elder Council meddling in internal affairs from the start."
Black Elder scowled.
"Eh!"
He too moved to join them. White Elder was surprised.
"Black Elder, you too...!"
"The tide has turned."
Black Elder glanced at Seol Hwa-un and continued.
"Can't just ignore talent like that."
"......"
"I've seen countless North Sea prodigies over the years, but none match the Young Palace Lord."
Green Elder protested.
"Can one mere talent really enable an advance into the Central Plains?"
"Not mere. The current Palace Lord is among the finest in our history, isn't he?"
"......"
Black Elder's gaze deepened.
"Both the Palace Lord and Young Palace Lord possess rare qualities. When will we get another chance like this to advance into the Central Plains?"
"Urgh!"
White Elder, who had been listening silently, nodded with a meaningful smile.
"I see. You mean now."
"White Elder, even you!"
"Green Elder, have you forgotten why we've endured all these long years?"
Seol Hwa-un's face naturally filled with questions.
'What are they talking about?'
Regardless of his curiosity, even Green Elder, who had argued to the end, finally closed his eyes in resignation.
"Heh heh, so we're all in agreement?"
At Red Elder's words, the other great protectors nodded.
Elated, he quickly approached Seol Hwa-un.
"That was an impressive stance. What's it called?"
"Nine Splits Heaven and Earth."
"Nine Splits Heaven and Earth. Hahaha, a name worthy of completing the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist."
"If you wish, I can teach it to you."
Red Elder's eyes rounded.
"What? Is that allowed?"
"Why not? The Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist is the Ice Family's art anyway. No issue with a former family head like you learning it."
"Oho!"
Seol Hwa-un smiled faintly at Red Elder, who beamed like a child.
'I planned to teach it to the Ice Family Head first... but no matter.'
The other great protectors murmured at his reaction.
"Look at him. Learning from a much younger junior."
"No shame at all."
"Well, can't blame him. It's the stance he wanted so badly."
Their words weren't lost on Red Elder.
"Ahem! Learning it outright wouldn't do for the Five Great Protectors' dignity. Instead, I'll pass on one of my own arts to the Young Palace Lord."
Seol Hwa-un's eyes sharpened.
"A martial art? Fist technique?"
"Good reaction. Yes. A new fist art I created with the other elders during our long years in the council."
The other great protectors flinched at Red Elder's words.
"That one? Without passing it to the Ice Family?"
"Hmm, since things have come to this, not a bad choice."
"The Young Palace Lord qualifies."
Red Elder explained.
"It's called the North Sea Wind God Fist. Inspired directly by the fierce winds of the North Sea."
He had invented it but deliberately withheld it from the North Sea Ice Palace, fearing reckless use due to its power.
"It's been steadily refined and improved. Quite usable now."
Black Elder chimed in.
"More than usable. An ultimate art comparable to the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist."
Seol Hwa-un couldn't hide his surprise.
'That good?'
Red Elder looked smug.
"Well? Want to learn it?"
"Of course."
"Hahaha."
Red Elder was thrilled that Seol Hwa-un was a fellow fist master. He glanced at the others.
'Heh heh, jealous, aren't you?'
The great protectors scowled at his triumphant gaze.
'Look at that smug grin.'
'So transparent.'
But they were envious. Teaching someone of Seol Hwa-un's caliber would be a novel experience.
Green Elder spoke to Seol Hwa-un.
"Young Palace Lord."
"Yes."
"Now that the Five Great Protectors support you, I have one question."
"What is it?"
"Have you made concrete plans for the advance into the Central Plains?"
"Not yet. I thought uniting the palace's members should come first."
The Elder Council's interference played a role, but he didn't mention it.
"Rightly said. So..."
"......?"
"Let me introduce someone who can play a major role in the full advance."
Seol Hwa-un's eyes widened slightly.
"As far as I know, the palace has ample martial strength but lacks a brilliant mind for strategy. Isn't that so?"
It wasn't wrong.
From the Five Great Family Heads to Seol Wi-myeong, all focused on martial arts, and even Han Su-yeon and the chief officers were bogged down in practical duties.
Talented strategists were scarce.
Seol Hwa-un had felt the absence keenly after facing the military advisor Yi Jeong-myeong of the Namwang Sect.
They needed someone to grasp the overall situation, devise strategies on the fly, and operate efficiently.
'With such a person, we wouldn't have struggled so much against the Eight Demonic Sects.'
For Green Elder to speak this highly, it had to be no ordinary figure.
"Who is it?"
"Yu Gong-seon."
"Yu Gong-seon?"
The other great protectors nodded, as if expecting the name.
"Right, him."
"Hahaha, I thought he was a genius born in the wrong era, but no."
Green Elder's eyes sparkled.
"He's here in Ice Lord Valley. Shall we meet him?"
* * *
Ice Lord Valley's interior was vast. Beyond the small village where the Five Great Protectors and elders resided, there were forests and hills aplenty.
Seol Hwa-un headed east through the forest as guided, venturing deeper.
Soon, he spotted a dilapidated cabin.
'This it?'
Human presence emanated from within. Focusing his hearing, he caught the man's low, deep breaths.
"Hmm."
Seol Hwa-un frowned slightly and approached the cabin.
"......"
A small hearth sat out front, with traces of recent cooking.
The cabin had a simple structure: two rooms.
Both doors stood wide open. One room overflowed with books, too many to count.
'Impressive...'
Seol Hwa-un turned to the other room. Amid the utter mess, a man slept with a book over his face.
"......"
It was well past the Shen hour (3-5 p.m.). No time for a nap.
Seol Hwa-un spoke.
"Wouldn't it be better to wake up?"
His voice carried a hint of inner energy—likely thundering in the man's ears.
"...Gasp! Wh-what?"
The man jolted upright in shock. The book on his face slid to the floor.
"......"
Seol Hwa-un averted his gaze from the open page. It was a spring painting of a naked man and woman entwined.
The man, appearing in his mid-thirties, blinked dazedly around before spotting Seol Hwa-un.
"Huh? Wh-who are you?"
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat, Seol Hwa-un asked.
"Are you Yu Gong-seon?"
"Yes, but...?"
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Seol Hwa-un."
"Seol... Hwa-un? Wait, that sounds familiar..."
Tilting his head, his eyes widened.
"No way—the Young Palace Lord?"
"That's me."
"......!"
The man, Yu Gong-seon, sprang up in a fluster.
"Yu Gong-seon greets the Young Palace Lord."
"Pleased to meet you."
"How did the Young Palace Lord come all the way here...? P-please, come inside."
"Alright."
Seol Hwa-un paused as he started to enter.
"......"
No space to sit amid the clutter.
"Whoops!"
Swish! Swish!
Yu Gong-seon finally noticed and roughly swept the floor with his feet, clearing a spot.
It wasn't ideal for the neat Seol Hwa-un, but no choice. He entered and sat.
"Ah, tea..."
Yu Gong-seon started out but halted.
"Right, no tea in the house."
"......"
"Sorry. It's been ages since a guest..."
"It's fine. Just sit."
"Haha, shall I?"
Seol Hwa-un and Yu Gong-seon sat facing each other in the cramped room.
Dark circles ringed Yu Gong-seon's eyes, his skin rough. His beard, long unkempt, stuck out wildly.
His hair, matted like a bird's nest, even smelled rank. In a word, he looked like a wreck.
'Handsome underneath, but...'
Even his half-lidded eyes were dull.
"So, Young Palace Lord. State your business."
"......"
'Is this really a genius?'
Hard to believe. Without the Five Great Protectors' endorsement, Seol Hwa-un would have left.
'But if they're right...'
Seol Hwa-un spoke gravely.
"Advisor Yu."
"Heh heh, advisor is too much..."
"Straight to the point. Lend your strength to the palace's advance into the Central Plains."
"......!"
Yu Gong-seon's face froze as if struck by lightning.