Clash of Ice and Flame
With the arrival of Han Seo-yeon and the Bing Palace warriors, the atmosphere froze as solidly as the chill in the air.
The later-generation disciples, who had expected nothing but pure enjoyment, were at a complete loss in the face of this unforeseen situation.
Has she grown this much?
Woo-gang clearly remembered Han Seo-yeon's final appearance.
Her skills had undoubtedly surpassed his own at the time.
However, after their spar and her entry into the Hanchon Secret Cave, he had no way of knowing how the gap between them had changed.
And now, the prowess of Han Seo-yeon before his eyes was impressive.
She dominated the atmosphere with nothing more than the aura she exuded, a clear sign of the grueling training she must have endured.
Woo-gang gazed at Han Seo-yeon for a moment.
In his field of vision, he caught sight of some later-generation disciples trembling uncontrollably.
Woo-gang slowly drew up his energy.
His flame-based aura gradually spread outward, driving away the frigid northern chill emanating from Han Seo-yeon and her group.
As the cold retreated and a warm energy enveloped their bodies, the disciples' expressions eased somewhat.
Sensing this, Han Seo-yeon stared straight at Woo-gang and smiled.
But it was a smile laced with an inexplicable chill and sharpness.
A subtle tension flowed between the two, prompting the disciples to watch them alternately with nervous faces.
Some among them even secretly harbored hopes of witnessing the Bing Palace's martial arts and the Flame King's techniques firsthand.
As the mood grew icy, Sa Ma-gang stepped forward.
"What is your position within the Bing Palace?"
Han Seo-yeon cupped her fists in salute and replied to Sa Ma-gang's question.
"My name is Han Seo-yeon. I am the young palace lord of the Bing Palace, entrusted with full authority by the palace lord himself to visit the Murim Alliance."
Entrusted with the palace lord's authority.
In the Central Plains, at least, that meant she was no different from the palace lord herself.
"I see. On behalf of the alliance leader, I welcome the Bing Palace's visit. Though it was just a glimpse, your martial prowess as young palace lord is impressive—I'm in awe. However, this is an official Murim Alliance event. Isn't disrupting the atmosphere like this rather rude?"
"If I've been discourteous, I apologize."
Han Seo-yeon offered a straightforward apology.
"But the main participants in this event are the later-generation disciples gathered here. If you have other purposes, I ask that you wait."
Sa Ma-gang stared directly at Han Seo-yeon as he spoke, as if he already knew everything.
In response, Han Seo-yeon flashed a deep smile.
"Very well."
Her gaze briefly lingered on Woo-gang before shifting elsewhere.
Han Seo-yeon and the Bing Palace warriors, who had arrived latest, took positions at the very back and stood quietly.
With the commotion settled, Sa Ma-gang proceeded with the schedule as planned.
Throughout it all, Woo-gang's eyes remained fixed on Han Seo-yeon.
The opening ceremony concluded, and the later-generation disciples moved to their assigned lodgings.
After unpacking and having a meal, the schedule called for touring the Murim Alliance grounds.
Woo-gang had no separate lodging; he simply continued staying in his usual quarters.
Of course, he hadn't mentioned his quarters to the other disciples.
Revealing that his lodging was elsewhere might not be a problem, but learning the extent of the difference would breed resentment.
Initially, they could have assigned Woo-gang the same lodgings as the others to avoid such issues.
But Sa Ma-gang had chosen not to.
Woo-gang was the Flame King's disciple.
His position in the murim world was inevitably different from the other later-generation disciples.
In the murim, treatment varied by skill and status.
This, perhaps, was the harsh reality the disciples were encountering for the first time.
Back at his lodging, Woo-gang leaned against the corridor railing, thinking of Han Seo-yeon.
Her drastically changed demeanor left him with complicated feelings.
There was joy in their reunion after so long, but discomfort coexisted due to their unavoidable circumstances.
He knew exactly why she had come all the way to the Murim Alliance, which only deepened it.
As he stood there lost in thought, Dok Go-seol-ran approached.
"Young hero."
"I know. I'll go."
Woo-gang cut her off and replied.
He couldn't not know.
He could feel the piercing chill drawing near his quarters.
With a hardened expression, Woo-gang moved to greet Han Seo-yeon.
Woo-gang came face-to-face with Han Seo-yeon just as she entered through the main gate of his quarters.
Seeing her expression, infused with the Bing Palace's signature coldness, he couldn't help but stiffen his own face.
"It's been a while."
"Indeed. But this isn't exactly a joyful reunion."
Her tone was edged like a blade.
"I think I know what you're thinking. But..."
"No. If you knew, you wouldn't be here."
Han Seo-yeon interrupted Woo-gang.
"Instead of letting you into the Hanchon Secret Cave, your master made a deal with us. He promised to help find the Bing Jeong. Then, after achieving his goal, he vanished without a trace."
Woo-gang listened to Han Seo-yeon's words with a rigid expression.
"Everyone calls it a disappearance, so a disappearance it is. In any case, the Flame King broke his deal with us. That means you, as his inheritor, must take responsibility. So what are you doing here?"
"First off, I'm sorry about that. But I have my reasons for being here."
Han Seo-yeon glared at Woo-gang for a moment at his words.
"Let's hear those reasons."
"For one, though I'm from the Central Plains, I don't know it well. Searching for Grandfather's traces alone has clear limits."
"Bing Palace people had already come down to the Central Plains. If that's your reason, why not join them? From what I've heard of your movements, it seems you never intended to from the start."
"I know the Bing Palace sent people to investigate long ago. Yet there were no real results, were there?"
"It was the Bing Palace that told you your master's disappearance was linked to your sect, wasn't it?"
Han Seo-yeon shot back.
"The Bing Palace's information was already known at the Murim Alliance. That's why I judged that investigating in the Central Plains would be far more advantageous through the alliance. I can't do it alone; I need help."
"So, has the Murim Alliance been helpful?"
Woo-gang fell silent at her question.
He hadn't heard any news from the Murim Alliance yet.
"You say you have reasons, but it's all just excuses. You've simply become the Murim Alliance's dog."
"Even as the Bing Palace's young palace lord, that's too harsh."
Dok Go-seol-ran, who had been listening from a distance, stepped forward indignantly.
Han Seo-yeon turned a cold gaze on Dok Go-seol-ran.
"Is it Murim Alliance etiquette for a third party to interfere in a conversation between principals?"
"This matter isn't unrelated to the Murim Alliance, so hardly third-party."
Dok Go-seol-ran stood her ground.
At her words, Han Seo-yeon curled her lips in a chilly sneer before turning back to Woo-gang.
"So there's another reason you have to stay at the Murim Alliance?"
"You—!"
As Dok Go-seol-ran shouted at Han Seo-yeon again, Woo-gang raised a hand to silence her.
Then, he met Han Seo-yeon's eyes directly.
"I've endured your oversteps out of responsibility for having offended the Bing Palace. But that doesn't mean I have to tolerate endless insults. Cross the line further, and I won't hold back."
"Won't hold back?"
Han Seo-yeon retorted to Woo-gang's words, and with it, the surrounding air grew even colder.
"What will you do if you don't?"
Han Seo-yeon glared at Woo-gang and demanded.
But Woo-gang simply stood there, staring back at her.
Their gazes locked, creating a tension on the verge of explosion.
If Woo-gang had picked up his spear right then, a fight might have broken out on the spot.
Even Dok Go-seol-ran, who had been sharp with Han Seo-yeon moments ago, unwittingly stepped back a few paces.
"Do you think you're the only one who passed the Hanchon Secret Cave's trials? I did too."
Han Seo-yeon said, looking at Woo-gang.
Only then did Woo-gang realize that Han Seo-yeon's sharply honed aura stemmed from the Hanchon Secret Cave.
But Woo-gang could see it.
Her aura, strong and cold as it was.
Ice was prone to shattering, and Han Seo-yeon right now was exactly that—brittle.
Woo-gang slowly raised his energy, gradually pushing back hers.
Feeling it, Han Seo-yeon drew up more to resist being overwhelmed.
Woo-gang's aura clashed evenly against Han Seo-yeon's.
A perfect balance, neither side yielding.
Dok Go-seol-ran swallowed hard, watching the scene.
This is the clash of those a step above.
Though they merely stared, locked in an aura battle, it induced the illusion of countless exchanges.
That was when it happened.
A foreign energy slipped smoothly between the two evenly matched auras.
Dok Go-seol-ran knew its origin all too well.
Her head turned, and there stood Dok Go-yeong-mu with a stern expression.
Dok Go-yeong-mu's energy pierced between Woo-gang and Han Seo-yeon's auras, naturally prying them apart like tearing open a seam.
"This is the Murim Alliance. We cannot tolerate turning private grudges into such disturbances."
Han Seo-yeon's gaze shifted to Dok Go-yeong-mu at his words.
"Private grudges...? I'm merely conveying the Bing Palace's official stance to this man, under the palace lord's delegated authority."
Dok Go-yeong-mu met her eyes squarely.
"Official stance...? Does Bing Palace etiquette conduct public business without due process?"
"No need to go through the Murim Alliance. Is he even affiliated with it? This is solely between the Bing Palace, the Flame King, and his disciple. We decline the alliance's intervention."
"Very well."
Woo-gang stepped forward at Han Seo-yeon's retort.
"If that's what you want, let's settle it with a match."
All three gazes converged on him.
"But if I win, the Bing Palace stays out of my affairs from now on."
"Fine. But if I win, you'll take full responsibility for failing to honor the Bing Palace's agreement."
"Agreed."
Dok Go-yeong-mu let out a small sigh upon hearing their exchange.
I came because he told me to, and sure enough...
Dok Go-yeong-mu muttered inwardly.
He had come at Sa Ma-gang's request.
"If those two look like they're about to fight, make sure to set up a proper stage."
Those were Sa Ma-gang's words before he left.
He hadn't done anything himself, but things had unfolded just as Sa Ma-gang intended.
"Don't break anything unnecessarily. Move to another location."
At Dok Go-yeong-mu's words, Han Seo-yeon turned and exited the quarters first.
Woo-gang then headed inside to fetch his spear.
Dok Go-seol-ran, standing between the two as they parted in opposite directions, could only lower her head and sigh softly.