Chapter 98
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: The Elder Council's Summons
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It was an unprecedented event. It was extremely rare for the Elder Council to directly summon and designate someone.
Seol Wi-myeong asked with a rigidly hardened expression.
“What is the reason?”
“It is the Elder Council’s will to personally interrogate the Little Palace Lord, who caused numerous upheavals in the Central Plains during this expedition.”
“Upheavals?”
Seol Wi-myeong’s eyes gleamed coldly. Before he could say anything, someone else stepped forward first.
It was the Bing Family Head.
“Absurd nonsense! Interrogate? The Little Palace Lord has rendered great service to our palace—what kind of talk is this!”
His furious voice echoed loudly throughout the hall.
The Yan Family Head immediately voiced his agreement.
“The Bing Family Head is right, Palace Lord. No matter that it’s the Elder Council, they cannot summon the Little Palace Lord at their whim!”
The majority of those present shared the same sentiment.
“That’s right!”
“You must refuse, Palace Lord!”
“…….”
Seol Hwa-un quietly gazed at Seol Wi-myeong. A relaxed smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Seol Wi-myeong closed his eyes briefly and fell silent. The attendees alternated their gazes between Seol Wi-myeong and Seol Hwa-un.
After a moment, Seol Wi-myeong finally opened his eyes.
“Little Palace Lord, what are your thoughts?”
“I will go.”
The attendees wore bewildered expressions at the response, as if he had been waiting for the question.
“L-Little Palace Lord!”
“How can you……!”
Seol Wi-myeong said.
“If you do not wish to go, then there is no need.”
Seol Hwa-un shook his head.
“No. I had wanted to meet them face-to-face at least once anyway. Since they’ve given me the opportunity, I have no reason to refuse.”
He asked the warrior.
“When should I go to the Elder Council?”
* * *
In the Palace Lord’s chambers.
Seol Hwa-un and Seol Wi-myeong sat facing each other in the spacious room, sipping tea.
“Truly astonishing. Even accounting for consuming the Ice River Divine Pill……your aura is incomparable to when you first set out for the Central Plains.”
Others might not sense it well, but Seol Wi-myeong could see through Seol Hwa-un’s cultivation level.
‘I thought he had gained some recent achievements and was feeling at ease……I must not let my guard down.’
“There were various fortunate encounters in the Central Plains. I also received a spiritual medicine from the young head of the Seumen Family.”
“A mere spiritual medicine couldn’t raise your cultivation this much. What else happened?”
Seol Hwa-un spoke as if he had no choice.
“In truth……I met the Immortal Undying Monk and received his guidance.”
Even the usually composed Seol Wi-myeong could not hide his surprise.
“The Immortal Undying Monk?! One of the Nine Heavens Martial Emperors?”
“Yes.”
“What a stroke of fortune indeed. I’ve heard his whereabouts are mysterious—how did you meet him?”
“I was lucky.”
“Hmm.”
It couldn’t be just luck to meet the Immortal Undying Monk. Seol Wi-myeong intuited there was more to it but did not press further.
Instead, he asked something else.
“……How do I compare to him?”
“Pardon?”
Seol Wi-myeong’s eyes shone brighter than ever.
“With your current level, you should be able to gauge it roughly. Tell me honestly.”
Seol Hwa-un could not answer immediately. Indeed, Seol Wi-myeong was an extraordinary master befitting his title as Ice Emperor.
He had grown even stronger over the past few months. But comparing him to the Immortal Undying Monk, one of the Nine Heavens Martial Emperors, was impossible.
“Well…….”
As Seol Hwa-un hesitated, Seol Wi-myeong spoke with a bitter expression.
“Never mind. Consider your answer heard.”
Seol Hwa-un had nothing to say. He inwardly admired Seol Wi-myeong’s gaze.
‘He truly intends to compete with the Nine Heavens Martial Emperors.’
There was a vast gulf between Seol Wi-myeong and the Nine Heavens Martial Emperors.
Countless warriors challenged that gulf, but only nine in the world had ever crossed it.
‘Someday, he might reach it…….’
Of course, no one could guarantee it. Seol Wi-myeong changed the subject.
“How was the Sword Demon?”
A trace of wistfulness filled his eyes as he asked.
‘As I thought, he knows the Sword Demon.’
Seol Hwa-un answered as he felt.
“He was arrogant……and powerful.”
“Haha, still the same as ever.”
“What is your relationship with him?”
“Our relationship……well.”
Seol Wi-myeong seemed reluctant to speak much about his connection to the Sword Demon.
‘He’ll tell me when the time is right.’
Seol Hwa-un took out a wooden box from his bosom and offered it.
“What is this?”
“Open it and see.”
“……?”
When Seol Wi-myeong opened the wooden box, a finely folded Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor revealed itself. He recognized at a glance that it was no ordinary item.
“This is……!”
“It’s called the Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor. Through connections, it was forged by the Tang Family of Sichuan using Black Ice Jade.”
He had fully experienced its effectiveness during the bloody battles with the Four Evils and the Green Forest bandits.
Without it, he would have suffered at least two or three more deep wounds.
Seol Wi-myeong took out the Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor and examined it carefully.
“Astonishing. To process Dark Mysterious Iron like this!”
“I was fortunate to meet a skilled craftsman.”
“Well done. It’s far superior to something like Black Ice Jade. It would not be lacking even as a divine treasure of our palace.”
“I think so too.”
After gazing at the Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor for a moment, Seol Wi-myeong said.
“You should use this.”
“……!”
As a warrior himself, Seol Wi-myeong could not be without desire for it. Yet he readily yielded the Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor to Seol Hwa-un.
“Is that truly alright?”
“Of course. This father is strong enough without relying on divine treasures. You, who will lead the vanguard in our advance into the Central Plains, will need it far more.”
Seol Hwa-un bowed his head without refusing.
“Understood.”
“Then, let us designate this Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor as the Little Palace Lord’s divine treasure.”
Seol Wi-myeong’s expression turned serious as he took a sip of tea.
“……The Elder Council is not to be taken lightly.”
He had guessed the reason the Elder Council was arbitrarily summoning Seol Hwa-un.
Seol Hwa-un was of the same mind.
“I am well aware.”
“If you do not wish to go even now, there is no need.”
“It’s fine, Father.”
The North Sea Ice Palace appeared united under Seol Wi-myeong’s leadership, but it was not entirely free of internal conflicts.
To be precise, it was a conflict between the Elder Council and Seol Wi-myeong.
From the moment he ascended as Palace Lord, Seol Wi-myeong had harbored one ambition in his heart: advancing the North Sea Ice Palace into the Central Plains.
Of course, most palace members, including the Five Great Families, agreed and moved accordingly. But not everyone did.
Those who disapproved were precisely the Elder Council.
They extremely disliked leaving their base in the North Sea and subtly obstructed Seol Wi-myeong’s initiatives for advancing into the Central Plains.
This was a key reason why the North Sea Ice Palace, with ample resources, had yet to venture beyond the North Sea.
Seol Hwa-un had fully recognized this during his six years living in the North Sea Ice Palace.
“Are you confident?”
“I will do my utmost.”
Seol Wi-myeong said coldly.
“If words fail, just come back. We now have enough power to exclude them.”
He had held countless discussions to persuade the Elder Council. But their conversations always ran parallel, never meeting.
Thus, Seol Wi-myeong was half-resigned. However, Seol Hwa-un thought differently.
“Still, I will try until there’s nothing left to do.”
“…….”
“Since we’ve decided to advance into the Central Plains, wouldn’t it be better if the entire North Sea Ice Palace is united as one without exception?”
It was an irrefutable truism. Seol Wi-myeong smiled.
“Very well. Do as you will.”
“Thank you. If not, I’ll persuade them with fists if I must.”
As Seol Hwa-un spoke while raising his fist, Seol Wi-myeong let out a rare hearty laugh.
“Hahaha.”
He gazed at Seol Hwa-un with a proud expression.
‘My son’s vessel is far larger than I expected. You will surely become a Palace Lord who surpasses me.’
* * *
The day after his private meeting with Seol Wi-myeong, Seol Hwa-un left the North Sea Ice Palace to visit the Elder Council.
Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi, now like his limbs, offered to accompany him, but Seol Hwa-un refused.
The Elder Council had demanded he come alone from the start, and Seol Hwa-un felt they might even become a hindrance.
‘North Snow Mountain, was it?’
North Snow Mountain was where the Elder Council resided, requiring a long trek further north from the North Sea Ice Palace.
Ta-at!
Seol Hwa-un lightly deployed his lightness skill. The temperature dropped further the farther north he went, and the winds grew fiercer.
‘It’s more impressive than I thought.’
He newly realized just how extreme the North Sea weather was.
Even for him, prolonged exposure outdoors in such conditions was unwise.
Seol Hwa-un concentrated his internal energy into his toes to increase his speed.
Pa-pa-pa-pa!
The knife-like winds naturally battering toward him intensified. Even he, with some resistance to cold, found it burdensome.
Seol Hwa-un reluctantly deployed a thin protective aura.
‘Ridiculous. To use aura just to block wind.’
Thanks to the Ice Heaven Dark Scale Armor, deploying protective aura while using lightness skill was not much of a burden.
How long had he run like that?
After about half a shichen, Seol Hwa-un finally arrived at North Snow Mountain.
Whiiiii!
As he climbed the mountain, an enormously powerful gale carrying bitter cold assaulted him.
‘Heh, people live in a place like this?’
The winds at the North Sea Ice Palace were fierce, but North Snow Mountain surpassed imagination. Without deploying the Thousand Jin Anchor, his body would be swept away by the wind.
‘Indeed. Only masters worthy of entering the Elder Council could survive here.’
Seol Hwa-un pushed through the gale and ascended North Snow Mountain. After climbing for a while, he looked around.
‘I heard it was around here…….’
Soon, a massive valley came into view.
‘That must be Ice Pillar Valley!’
He had finally reached Ice Pillar Valley, where the Elder Council was located. A narrow path was visible between sheer cliffs.
As he arrived, a warrior appeared as if waiting.
“Welcome, Little Palace Lord.”
It was the same warrior from the grand hall. Seol Hwa-un, who had already sensed his presence, said calmly.
“Lead the way.”
“Yes.”
Soon, the two figures vanished into Ice Pillar Valley.