Chapter 18
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: A Debt of Gratitude
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An inn in Taewon.
While the North Wind Brigade stood guard, Seol Hwa-un and his group were having a late dinner in the inn's restaurant.
Seol Hwa-un looked at Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won as he asked,
“How was your first real battle?”
“It wasn’t as hard as I thought. I think it helped that we sparred with the Young Palace Lord in sessions close to actual combat.”
Dong Ho-won answered after Eom Mu-hwi.
“Yes! Same for me. It was pretty fun in its own way.”
Eom Mu-hwi frowned as he said,
“Ho-won, you seemed way too relaxed.”
“I couldn’t help it once I saw that guy using the Jo Family Spear Technique...”
It was the spear art of the Jo Family, once counted among the three great spear families of the martial world. As a spear master himself, his curiosity had been piqued.
“How many did you kill?”
“...!”
At Seol Hwa-un’s words, both their faces stiffened.
“Want me to tell you? Ho-won got two, Mu-hwi got one. And those were deep wounds—they died later.”
Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won’s expressions grew complicated.
“It’s understandable to hesitate on your first kill in real combat. But if you hesitate like that next time, it’ll end up being a huge threat to your allies—or even yourselves.”
“We’ll keep it in mind!”
Seol Hwa-un’s expression softened a bit.
“Still, not bad for a first real battle.”
Their faces brightened slightly. Praise from Seol Hwa-un was a rare thing.
The North Wind Brigade Leader, who had been listening silently from the side, couldn’t hide his astonishment.
‘Even while facing down those寨 leaders, he kept track of how these two were fighting?’
It was the Young Palace Lord’s first real battle too. And yet, that composure!
But the North Wind Brigade Leader’s surprise didn’t end there. He had been watching Seol Hwa-un’s movements without missing a beat.
‘His fist techniques have already reached the pinnacle, and he wields the Ice White Divine Palm with complete freedom. No wonder the heads of the Five Great Families praise him so much.’
Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won’s skills were impressive too, but compared to Seol Hwa-un, they were like lanterns before a full moon.
‘And that final fist...’
He knew the Ice River Nine Splits Divine Fist well. But to not only neutralize a peak-level expert in one strike but shatter him completely?
‘Was the power of Fist Cannon One Split always that devastating?’
He recalled a past spar with the Ice Family Head, but it hadn’t been that overwhelming.
The reason Seol Hwa-un’s power stood out so much was simple.
It came from the internal energy he had built with Nine Yin Primordial True Qi, which boasted far greater density and purity than ordinary阴寒 true qi.
Of course, only Seol Hwa-un himself knew this fact.
The North Wind Brigade Leader gazed at Seol Hwa-un with newfound respect.
‘No matter how much heavenly talent he inherited from the Palace Lord... what a monster.’
At that moment, one of the North Wind Brigade warriors approached.
“What is it?”
The warrior wore a strange expression at the North Wind Brigade Leader’s question.
“Someone from the Shanxi Sword Sect has arrived.”
“What for?”
“To express thanks for the help...”
Everyone’s gazes naturally turned to Seol Hwa-un.
“Let them in.”
“Yes, Young Palace Lord.”
The visitors numbered three. The Shanxi Sword Sect Leader, Vice Sect Leader Jin Pyo, and a stern-faced middle-aged man.
From his attire, the middle-aged man didn’t seem to be from the Shanxi Sword Sect.
The Shanxi Sword Sect Leader and Jin Pyo dropped to their knees and bowed their heads the moment they saw Seol Hwa-un.
“We are truly grateful, Young Palace Lord.”
“Thanks to you, we could protect our sect.”
“...!”
Seol Hwa-un, along with everyone else, couldn’t hide their bewilderment.
“Stand up. You’re still a sect leader—kneeling like this...”
“Compared to the grace you’ve shown our Young Palace Lord, this is nothing.”
When the two showed no sign of rising, Seol Hwa-un signaled with his eyes, and Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won stepped forward to help them up.
“That’s enough.”
“Please, rise.”
During the commotion, the table was cleared and tea was brought out. After refusing several times, the two finally sat across from Seol Hwa-un. Naturally, the middle-aged man sat with them.
He cupped his fists and spoke.
“Allow me to greet you properly. I am Bok Yeo-wol, Leader of the Black Killer Brigade from the Black Refinement Sect.”
Unexpectedly, the Black Refinement Sect had sent reinforcements. Albeit after Seol Hwa-un had already taken down the two寨 leaders and the remaining bandits were in disarray.
They were late, but it had still greatly helped in mopping up the remnants. Thanks to them, the bandits had been wiped out completely. Those reinforcements were the Black Killer Brigade.
Bok Yeo-wol, Leader of the Black Killer Brigade, was one of the three great experts of the Black Refinement Sect, infamous as a ruthless cold-blooded killer. So why had he come along?
As if anticipating the question, he continued.
“With esteemed guests from the North Sea Ice Palace here, it’s a perfect chance to make proper connections, isn’t it? So I took the opportunity to urge the Shanxi Sword Sect Leader to come along.”
Seol Hwa-un nodded with a calm expression.
“I see. Pleased to meet you. I am Seol Hwa-un.”
“Pleased to meet you, Young Palace Lord.”
Their gazes locked in midair.
‘Indeed, his aura is no ordinary thing.’
Bok Yeo-wol had arrived at the Shanxi Sword Sect well before his main brigade and watched Seol Hwa-un’s exploits from afar.
‘He’s already surpassed the level of later-generation talents.’
Eom Mu-hwi and Dong Ho-won’s skills had been impressive too, but Seol Hwa-un felt like he was on another level entirely.
‘Good call coming to see for myself.’
A brief silence fell. Then the Shanxi Sword Sect Leader cupped his fists and bowed his head once more.
“Allow me to thank you again.”
Seol Hwa-un gave a faint smile, as if he couldn’t stop him.
“As the saying goes, excess courtesy is impolite. That’s more than enough.”
“No. I could thank you a thousand times and it wouldn’t be enough. How can we ever repay this grace...”
“I didn’t do it expecting repayment, so don’t worry about it.”
“But...”
“What if I demanded something improper as payment for helping you?”
Bewilderment crossed the Shanxi Sword Sect Leader’s face.
“Th-that...!”
After a moment’s conflict, he spoke with a resolute expression.
“The grace you’ve shown demands that we do anything for you, but our sect follows the righteous path. We cannot do anything that deviates from it.”
“Even after I saved your sect from the brink?”
“If you wish it, I’ll gladly offer my life. But I cannot go against my beliefs. Forgive me.”
Seol Hwa-un felt inwardly pleased. Back in his days as Martial Alliance Leader, he had met a few warriors from the Shanxi Sword Sect.
‘Even after two hundred years, that spirit endures. A relief, indeed.’
“I see. Just a hypothetical—don’t mind it. As I said, no payment needed. I helped because without the Shanxi Sword Sect, people would suffer.”
The Shanxi Sword Sect Leader’s eyes gleamed brightly.
“As expected of one with the qualities of a great hero. As a man of the righteous path, I am deeply impressed.”
“Don’t hold too much faith. We’re not the ‘Outer Realm’ folk you look down on?”
The Shanxi Sword Sect Leader’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“I don’t think that way about others, but not you.”
Interest flickered in Seol Hwa-un’s eyes.
“Because we helped you?”
“Absolutely not. Central Plains folk or Outer Realm folk—it’s all the same. Central Plains have Outer Realm dwellers, and Outer Realm have Central Plains folk. There’s no fundamental difference. It’s just individuals who vary.”
Seol Hwa-un, Eom Mu-hwi, Dong Ho-won, the North Wind Brigade Leader, and the rest of the brigade all wore surprised expressions.
‘...He means it.’
New emotions stirred in Seol Hwa-un. Back when he was Martial Alliance Leader, he had held some biases himself, as did the Alliance warriors.
But after awakening in the North Sea Ice Palace, he realized this place was no different—people lived here too.
‘Yes, the Central Plains had people like this.’
When he declared the campaign against the Outer Realm, some had opposed it. They’d argued along similar lines.
‘Alliance Leader, they’re people too. The threat of invasion can be resolved through talk. Trying to suppress them by force will only breed more resentment!’
Of course, their voices had been drowned out by the louder majority.
Soon after, the three visitors departed. Vice Sect Leader Jin Pyo, busy with cleanup now but insisted Seol Hwa-un visit the Shanxi Sword Sect later, left with earnest pleas.
Everyone retired to their rooms, leaving Seol Hwa-un and the North Wind Brigade Leader as the last ones.
Seol Hwa-un asked,
“What do you make of it?”
Wrinkles formed between the North Wind Brigade Leader’s brows.
“...Kneeling and expressing such gratitude was impressive. I’ve crossed the Central Plains many times, but this is the first Central Plains man to show us that attitude.”
“...”
“‘Same people’... Honestly, it was a bit disconcerting to hear such thoughts from him.”
“Do you still think I meddled unnecessarily?”
“Well...”
“If I hadn’t stepped in, the Shanxi Sword Sect would be gone from the world, and one man who holds goodwill toward us would be lost. People like him influence those around them and change perceptions of us.”
The North Wind Brigade Leader was skeptical.
“I doubt Central Plains folk change that easily. For thousands of years, haven’t they built walls and guarded against us?”
“Of course, deep-rooted prejudices won’t shift overnight. But doesn’t someone like the Shanxi Sword Sect Leader give rise to even a sliver of hope?”
“That’s idealistic.”
“Everything starts as idealism. If you hold on and never give up, it becomes reality.”
Seol Hwa-un’s eyes sharpened.
“Our conduct on this Central Plains journey will change much. I’ll make it so.”
* * *
The next day, after sufficient rest, Seol Hwa-un and his group set off once more for Anhui Province.
The rest of the trip passed without incident. Folks still cast wary glances, but none approached.
Nothing notable happened even after leaving Shanxi Province and crossing Henan Province.
When they reached the area near Xiangcheng on the border between Henan and Anhui Provinces, the North Wind Brigade Leader approached Seol Hwa-un and spoke obliquely.
“Young Palace Lord, looks like we’ve picked up a tail.”
“You mean the Beggars’ Sect disciples?”
The North Wind Brigade Leader’s eyes widened slightly.
‘You knew about this too?!’
Seol Hwa-un continued.
“I’d already sensed the beggars we passed on the road had unusual looks in their eyes.”
“...”
“The Beggars’ Sect, with ears everywhere, wouldn’t miss what happened at the Shanxi Sword Sect. And Henan Province is practically their front yard, isn’t it?”
“Should we just leave them be?”
“As long as they’re not harming us, we have no choice. No need to stir up their wariness unnecessarily.”
“True, but...”
“Once we enter Anhui Province, they won’t monitor us so openly. They’ll have to mind the Namgung Family.”
“...!”
The North Wind Brigade Leader was impressed.
‘You saw that far ahead? Heavens, Young Palace Lord. How long do you plan to keep surprising me?’
It was insight impossible to believe from a martial world novice.
And so, Seol Hwa-un’s group entered Anhui Province and soon arrived in Hefei, the site of the grand assembly.
It had been a month and twenty days since departing the North Sea Ice Palace.