Chapter 224
Chapter 224
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Notification
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I wasn't the only one stunned while reading the letter, my mind half-blown. Dang Ayoung opened her mouth with a similarly dumbfounded expression.
"...The Ice Palace fell? I heard it hadn't crumbled in hundreds of years..."
"The ice crystal makes it insanely sturdy compared to normal buildings, but it's not impossible to destroy. Even I or the Sword Empress could probably bring it down if we really tried. Of course, the Ice Palace warriors wouldn't just sit idly by, so it'd be impractical in reality."
No matter how remote the Ice Palace was as an unorthodox faction far from Central Plains powers, it was never a weak sect.
It might fall a bit short of the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families, but it wouldn't even glance at most mid-to-small sects, and its history was far from short.
And yet, that place had been taken down by a single person.
...Stuff like a protagonist wiping out a sect single-handedly only happens in novels. Reality isn't that forgiving.
There's no beating a group, no matter your realm. Taking on a whole sect alone is a massive burden, and unless the power gap is overwhelmingly one-sided, almost no one would do it just because they value their life.
We constantly hear stories of experts blinded by fame charging off to subjugate remote unorthodox sects, only to return as corpses. And while the Ice Palace was remote, for one person to solo the North Sea Ice Palace...
'I knew she was a monster of a woman.'
But seeing the result manifest in reality still left me rattled.
They said that prideful woman could conquer the Central Plains alone if she set her mind to it, so compared to that, the Ice Palace might seem trivial. But there's a world of difference between capability and actually doing it.
And honestly, if it had just been the Heavenly Demon wiping out the Ice Palace, it wouldn't have concerned me much. But what I did at the Demonic Cult was nagging at me.
'...This is insane.'
To survive, I'd described her destined rival as having the complete opposite physical traits from me.
How was I supposed to predict she'd march to the Ice Palace just because I said white hair, tall, and handsome?
There's a limit to being self-centered.
*Sweat dripped down.*
If I thought the Ice Palace suffered because of me, guilt was inevitable.
They hadn't done anything wrong to me, after all.
But really, I felt wronged too—white-haired, tall, handsome guys aren't exclusive to the Ice Palace.
It's the stereotypical image of an Ice Palace man, sure, but acting on that clue alone to storm the place...
'...I'm truly sorry.'
I should've given traits that couldn't exist in this world instead of dragging the Ice Palace into it.
What a bolt from the blue overnight.
I might even need to send condolence money later.
If people had died or been injured because of me, I'd normally feel guilty, but the scale—dozens, hundreds, an entire sect—felt so unreal that the mental blow was lighter than expected.
And while I felt bad for the Ice Palace, their downfall wasn't the biggest issue right now.
'...The Heavenly Demon has left the Demonic Cult.'
Her stepping out on her own.
Given the Ice Palace's location, she hadn't entered the Central Plains yet, but her leaving the cult was the key point.
It meant she could head here anytime.
...And coldly speaking, her movements would impact the Central Plains more than the Ice Palace's fall.
No one would miss the meaning of a walking nuke—one that could turn the Nine Great Sects or Five Great Families to ash if she wanted—being unleashed toward the Central Plains.
"S-So, what then? Where did the Heavenly Demon go?"
"That... isn't written..."
I checked the letter meticulously just in case, but no trace of her afterward.
The letter itself felt half-doubting, half-believing.
Survivors' testimonies confirmed a woman matching the Heavenly Demon had come and done this, but the overwhelming scale made them question if one person could really pull it off.
I knew from Yeo Socheon that applying common sense to that woman was pointless, but normal people wouldn't, so it was understandable.
Plus, few knew the Heavenly Demon's appearance, so even they weren't sure if it was really her.
The letter speculated someone might have claimed to be her and caused the havoc...
'Who else could pull off something like this...'
If it wasn't her, that'd be even worse—another insane variable in this world besides her.
So, practically speaking, it had to be the Heavenly Demon.
Or... I'd think about it when the time came.
"But why would the Heavenly Demon do something like that...?"
"..."
"I mean... The Demonic Cult invading the Central Plains isn't weird per se, but it's strange. The Ice Palace is outside the Central Plains to begin with... She hasn't left the cult in decades, and suddenly she wipes it out?"
"...That's a mystery to me too. If she wanted to come out, she'd have invaded the Central Plains ages ago... Unless something changed her mind recently..."
"Recently..."
As the Sword Empress and Dang Ayoung finished speaking, all eyes turned to me.
It was inevitable.
I'd just returned from the Demonic Cult, and if she'd had a change of heart, I was the prime suspect.
"...Did something happen?"
Meanwhile, Master didn't know I'd gone to the Demonic Cult, so she looked puzzled, but the other three eyed me with half-certain conviction.
Like I'd done something.
*Sweat dripped down.*
"N-No... I mean..."
It wasn't... wrong, exactly...
But to survive back then, I had to say something.
If I'd stayed silent or honestly said I was her destined rival, I'd be rolling around in a basement with the Heavenly Demon by now. Who could admit that straight?
Sure, she was beautiful, busty, and close to my ideal type, but her unpredictable personality gave constant ominous vibes.
And I'd just been assaulted by her future self minutes prior—being able to speak at all was a mental miracle.
Could I say it here?
I read her fortune, her future destined rival was me, she even raped me from the future, and judging by circumstances, the real Heavenly Demon fell for me at first sight?
...Speaking up was trouble, silence was trouble.
'What the hell do I do.'
*Knock knock.*
As I mentally calculated my options, another knock came from the front door.
"Argh, who is it now!"
Yeo Socheon, assuming it was for her, angrily flung open the door.
*Bang!*
"What now—!"
"...Hm. I sensed an aura from here. Is there perhaps an older brother or younger brother inside?"
*Chill!*
A voice that made my hair stand on end just from hearing it came from outside.
"...Heavenly Demon?"
"Ah. I sense him inside too. Mind if I come in? Crashing into someone's home uninvited feels rude."
"......Come in for now...?"
Yeo Socheon, at a loss for words, permitted it and stepped aside.
"...Lord of the Divine Cult's Heavens?"
"It's been a while. Forty-five days, six hours, and two quarters since I last heard that title."
"...Pardon?"
"And the women beside you... Too many for sisters. Wives? More than I expected. I wondered why I smelled so many feminine scents."
"..."
She entered without resistance, glancing at our stunned, speechless group and continuing alone.
And among us, the first to speak to the Heavenly Demon was none other than the Sword Empress.
"...This is the first time seeing you up close. I owe you a debt from the battlefield twenty years ago."
"Twenty years...? Ah, those Blood Cult fools."
"...Without your intervention then, the Central Plains might look very different now. I certainly wouldn't be here."
Come to think of it, the Sword Empress and Yeo Socheon survived thanks to the Heavenly Demon.
Even amid this sudden visit, she remembered.
"Hm... Your face does seem familiar. Like that promising Mount Hua swordswoman I saw once, who looked full of potential..."
"...You flatter me."
Those were words the Sword Empress should say, yet here she was hearing them.
Honestly, I couldn't even grasp the situation.
I glanced at Master amid it all.
"...Hm."
Her usual blank expression, but after over ten years together, I could tell.
Master was trembling now.
'She's stronger than Master.'
Seeing even my sky-like Master quake before the Heavenly Demon stirred complex thoughts—then she approached me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"The Faceless Golden Ghost and I had quite the pleasant time back then, so we became friends. He even promised to visit again."
"..Pardon?"
"No need for that anxious look. I just came seeking good liquor to share a few drinks with a friend. No intent to harm him."
[If I did anything weird here, it'd put you in a tough spot, wouldn't it? With all these wives watching.]
The Heavenly Demon's voice transmission straight to my brain, bypassing ears.
"Half a quarter-hour should suffice. Might we have some time alone?"
It was practically a declaration as she asked permission from the wives—the choice was mine.
As I opened my mouth to respond,
[Or... do you want me to call you my husband?]
*Thud!*
The voice pierced my brain, and I swear I heard my heart drop.