A Sweep of Frost
Silence descended.
No one could have imagined that the leader of the Snow Salt Association, the very subject of their meeting, would show up in this place.
"...You are truly the leader of the Snow Salt Association?"
Do Mok-san asked.
While everyone else was silenced by panic, he alone maintained his composure.
It was the result of a lifetime spent as a salt merchant, growing thoroughly accustomed to the dirty, petty brawls of the Unorthodox faction.
"Yes. Do you have something stuffed in your ears? I didn't think I'd have to explain it twice."
"How dare this lowborn bastard speak to the Branch Leader...!"
Someone roared in anger. But at that exact moment—
Splat!
The head of the nameless member of the Blood Salt Gang's Changsha branch exploded, and he collapsed to the floor, his brains spilling out.
"H-Hieek!"
"...!"
Every member of the branch froze in terror.
Amidst the stiff, murderous atmosphere, Jeok-un's voice rang out.
"Ah, I don't particularly like it when people talk back to me."
He smirked.
The corners of his mouth, hidden beneath the human-skin mask, twisted into a bizarre and cruel grin.
Shring!
Clang!
Every single one of them drew their weapons.
From ordinary straight swords to jagged, saw-like blades, the room instantly became a powder keg.
'Hmm. Most are at the Peak Realm, a few at the Transcendent Realm—in other words, insects. But that branch leader...'
Without a shred of tension, Jeok-un habitually assessed his enemies' cultivation levels.
Do Mok-san, the branch leader of the Blood Salt Gang in Changsha.
His realm was unexpectedly high.
He had just entered the Transformation Realm.
For a mere insect dealing in illegal salt, he possessed considerable martial prowess.
But it didn't really matter.
'Since I don't plan on letting a single one of them leave here alive anyway.'
Shring...
Jeok-un also drew Wol-ha.
Seeing this, Do Mok-san sneered, twisting his lips.
"You crazy little bastard...! You don't even know your place!"
Swoosh!
A faint current of air began to swirl around the meeting room.
It was a phenomenon caused by the wave of energy Do Mok-san released.
Seeing this, the morale of the Blood Salt Gang members surged.
"Do not kill him. Capture him alive. We need to find out where their headquarters is. Tearing his body apart comes after that."
"Yes, sir!"
"Capture him!"
The moment Do Mok-san's command fell, the gang members rushed toward Jeok-un.
Swish!
Whoosh!
Along with the sound of tearing air, countless iron chains flew at him like a torrential rain.
They were none other than Blood Drippers.
The Blood Dripper was a type of throwing lasso weapon that could be retrieved after being thrown, characterized by iron chain hooks attached to the ends.
"How do you like the taste of our Blood Drippers, you bastard!"
"Bind his feet first! We have to capture him!"
These hooks were equipped with a special mechanism; the moment they touched a target, a locking device would trigger, digging the hooks deep into the flesh.
As such, the Blood Drippers were primarily used to snatch objects or capture opponents alive.
With dozens of men throwing them simultaneously, it looked as if a massive net was being cast over him.
As mentioned, the Blood Drippers were fitted with special mechanisms.
Because they had to be assembled one by one by skilled artisans using springs and other intricate parts, they were incredibly expensive weapons.
The fact that they were throwing dozens of them at once showed that these bastards spared no expense in battle.
True to their nature as wealthy salt merchants, it felt as though they were fighting with money.
However, Jeok-un did not appreciate the Blood Salt Gang's style.
'Fighting like those rootless bastards of the Tang Clan.'
Even as Jeok-un thought this, the Blood Drippers bit into him.
Clatter!
In an instant, Jeok-un was wrapped from head to toe in iron chains, looking like a mummy.
"We got him!"
"Hahaha! What a fool!"
Seeing this, the Blood Salt Gang members burst into laughter.
Once bitten by the Blood Drippers, one would have to tear off chunks of their own flesh to break free.
It was only natural that they were confident in their victory.
However, that confidence lasted only a brief moment.
Whoosh!
Sssss!
"Huh...?"
Someone let out a strange gasp.
Instead of screaming in pain and bleeding, a strange energy was pouring out of the man.
"...!"
"W-what...? Ack!"
Crack!
At the same time, the iron chains began to turn stark white.
It was like a spreading plague.
Especially in the way it consumed everything in the blink of an eye.
"H-how...!"
Panicked voices erupted from all directions.
But the real horror was just beginning.
"M-my hands...?"
"I can't let go of the chain!!"
The gang members tried to open their hands and drop the chains.
But the metal seemed glued to their palms, refusing to budge.
"Aaargh!!"
Now, the frost was not just coating the surface; the freezing energy was traveling up the chains themselves, invading their palms.
"Gargle, gurgle...!"
Cough, cough...!
Would it feel like this if one's blood froze solid?
The gang members trembled violently, blood spraying from their eyes, noses, and ears.
Their frozen capillaries had ruptured, forcing the blood out.
Drip.
The blood that spilled onto the floor froze solid not long after.
"Sp-spare..."
They couldn't even beg for their lives properly.
No, they physically couldn't.
Their skin had already turned a bruised blue, and their tongues were frozen stiff.
Soon, their eyes rolled back, and one by one, their heads slumped.
Thud.
They collapsed to the ground, dead.
'W-what is this?!'
Do Mok-san's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
The composure he had maintained until moments ago was completely gone.
He had never anticipated, nor could he have ever imagined, a situation like this.
Hummm...
Boom!
At that moment, with a loud explosion, the chains shattered.
Jeok-un had simply shattered the Blood Drippers wrapping his body into pieces.
Naturally, his clothes were slightly torn, but he didn't have a single scratch on him.
"This is why I love ice arts. It's perfect for sweeping away pests quickly."
"...!!"
A fierce, satisfied smile hung on Jeok-un's lips.
This was the first time he had used the Yin energy of the Ice Emperor after consuming it.
The results were highly satisfactory.
"Not coming? Then I'll have to go to you."
With those words, Jeok-un stomped his foot.
Boom!
In an instant, the distance between them evaporated.
"Ack...!"
One of the high-ranking members standing closest to him died instantly.
"B-block him!!! Kill him!!"
Do Mok-san's orders had changed.
Just moments ago, he was confident in capturing him alive.
"Kill him!"
"Don't let him get close! Shower him with hidden weapons!"
Now, he realized that was impossible.
To capture that monster, they might have to sacrifice their own heads, let alone their limbs.
'Damn it, this could end up backfiring on us!'
Pushing the executives and ordinary members forward, Do Mok-san pulled out hidden weapons from his robes.
It was none other than the Strength-Depleting Powder.
Though it was a potent poison ranked just below the legendary Immortal's Sigh, the absolute best among energy-dispersing poisons in the Jianghu...
"Yeah, it won't work."
The Strength-Depleting Powder was useless against Jeok-un.
Instead, Jeok-un stomped even harder, charging directly at Do Mok-san.
"...!"
Do Mok-san retreated in sheer terror, but he could not completely escape the range of Wol-ha's sword barrier.
'Urgh...!'
He hadn't even been struck directly by the blade; simply being within the sword's range was enough to do this.
'A master of this caliber is the leader of the Snow Salt Association?!'
Where on earth did a master of such a different dimension suddenly spring from?
It made absolutely no sense!
Do Mok-san felt like he was going mad from the sheer injustice of it all.
But this was merely the retribution for the karma he had accumulated.
After all, Do Mok-san had built his wealth and power by trampling over commoners who didn't know a single martial art.
Slash!
Another wave of energy flew at him.
No, was it sword qi?
He couldn't tell what it was, but he had to dodge.
Screeech!
The faint sword qi left deep gashes on the wall.
Would it feel like this if the legendary Taotie clawed at the wall?
A chill ran down Do Mok-san's spine.
'I-I have to use the Crane's Crest Red.'
The deadliest of deadly poisons, Crane's Crest Red.
There was only one reason Do Mok-san hadn't used it until now.
If he made even the slightest mistake while administering it, he would be the one to die.
Perhaps because his focus was at its peak in the face of death?
"Die!"
Do Mok-san threw the Crane's Crest Red at Jeok-un without a single error.
"Pah! I told you, it won't work."
"...!"
Once again, he was faced with an incomprehensible situation.
'What kind of monster is he?!'
The Strength-Depleting Powder was one thing, but even Crane's Crest Red?
It made no sense unless he possessed the legendary Thousand Poison Immunity.
Yet, Jeok-un truly seemed completely unaffected.
"Where do you think you're going, you vermin?"
"Aaaah!"
"Run! He's a monster!"
"Gah! Urgh!"
The Blood Salt Gang members who attempted to flee for their lives were being slaughtered right before his eyes.
Necks were severed, bodies sliced in half.
They died in various ways.
Yet, there was barely any blood splattered.
Every time Wol-ha danced, the wounds and the blood froze instantly.
Hummm...
At that moment, Il-cheon, slung across Jeok-un's back, began to resonate.
Jeok-un chuckled at Il-cheon's display of jealousy over his favoritism.
'Just wait a little. A gift for you will be in my hands soon enough.'
Soothing Il-cheon, Jeok-un eliminated every last survivor of the Blood Salt Gang.
Now, only one person remained.
It was Do Mok-san, who was already as good as dead.
"Die!"
In a final, desperate move, Do Mok-san fired his trump card, the Soul-Chasing Arrow.
The Soul-Chasing Arrow was a cylinder packed with cow-hair needles.
Naturally, the needles were coated in lethal poison, numbering in the thousands. Within range, it was a weapon designed for an instant kill.
"You are being incredibly annoying."
"No... no way. How??"
Tink! Tink!
Not a single needle from the Soul-Chasing Arrow could pierce Jeok-un's skin.
A few clung to his clothes like dandelion seeds, but the vast majority fell harmlessly to the floor.
"You should have just joined the Tang Clan. They're a rootless family, so they probably would have accepted a pest like you."
"Aaaah!! S-stop! Don't come any closer!!"
Having fallen flat on his back, Do Mok-san scrambled desperately to get away from Jeok-un.
"The Imperial Palace is behind us! The Second Prince is backing us!! If you kill me, you will be a traitor! Yes, a traitor to the state!!"
Step.
At the mention of the Second Prince, Jeok-un paused.
'I-it worked!'
Seeing this, a glimmer of hope flared in Do Mok-san's eyes.
"The Imperial Palace."
"Y-yes. Even someone like you wouldn't dare to make an enemy of the Imperial Family...!"
"But being a traitor? It's really not that big of a deal."
"What...?"
Do Mok-san blankly stared at him.
If being a traitor wasn't a big deal, did that mean he had already been one?
The moment Do Mok-san asked himself that foolish question—
Stab!
"Gah... urgh...!"
Wol-ha, moving too fast to be seen, pierced Do Mok-san's throat.
Thud.
Do Mok-san clutched his throat and collapsed.
If he could stop the bleeding, he might survive.
He focused all his energy to do so, but...
"As if that would work."
The Yin energy was far too malevolent, completely thwarting his efforts.
"Hmm, let's see if there's anything useful here."
Jeok-un searched the dying man's robes, completely indifferent to Do Mok-san's writhing in pain and despair.
He was looking for any evidence linking the Second Prince to the Blood Salt Gang.
"Oh, what's this?"
A spark of interest lit up Jeok-un's eyes as he found something.
A small piece of bamboo engraved with a single character: Black.
It was an object he knew all too well.
'To think I'd get an entry token to Heoksi like this.'
A deep smile spread across Jeok-un's face at the unexpected spoil of war.