Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Plot in the North Sea
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Slurp.
I quickly brought the cup of body-warming tea to my lips before the biting chill could cool it, letting the liquid slide down my throat. The hot tea thawed me from the inside.
Youre saying there are no ginseng collectors?
At my words, the North Sea nativea man with fair skin and delicate featuresnodded.
My gaze fell on his attire. The winds of the North Sea were so fierce and cold that even this man, born and raised here for over thirty years, was bundled in layers of clothing, including the hides of animals adapted to the region. Moreover, his gaunt complexion and hollow cheeks suggested he hadn't been eating properly.
Sensing there was a story behind it, I continued my questions.
Why are there none?
Well, its because the lords of the land took them away.
Lords of the land?
Did the imperial army raid this place?
The imperial army, you mean?
The imperial army?
The North Sea native tilted his head, asking what the imperial army was.
Didn't I say the lords of the land?
I think theres a misunderstanding. I dont know how people from the Central Plains perceive the term lords of the land, but here in the North Sea, at least
The man extended a finger and pointed. A blizzard raged, revealing nothing but a vast, white snowfield.
I frowned, unable to discern what he wanted me to see.
!
Then, as the swirling blizzard thinned for a moment, a shadow emerged. It was unmistakably a massive fortress.
Those are the lords of the land of the North Sea.
Could it be?
I looked at the native and spoke.
Is that place, by any chance, the North Sea Ice Palace?
Oh, you know of our lords?!
A look of delight spread across his face. Just as I thought. Here in the North Sea, lords of the land meant the North Sea Ice Palace.
But why did he show no complaint, no dissatisfaction, not even any curiosity, when the Ice Palace had taken all the ginseng collectors?
The Ice Palace is famous even in the Central Plains.
Heh heh. I see. As expected, the fame of our lords has spread far and wide.
More importantly, how long has it been since they took the ginseng and herb collectors?
Who knows? They must have had their reasons. The lords are busy with important matters, Im sure.
His words left me genuinely bewildered.
I had assumed the North Sea Ice Palaces relationship with the North Sea was like the Namgung Familys with Anhui Province.
The Namgung Family doesnt treat common folk poorly. We certainly dont do anything coercive, like rounding up ginseng collectors.
But the mindset here was entirely different. The man before me was even blindly devoted.
Gazing at the silhouette of the Ice Palace visible through the thinning blizzard, I sensed something was amiss. This was beyond what I could simply dismiss as the culture of the North Sea.
They should be asleep by now.
Dont you worry. I mixed plenty into their teacups.
You know how surprised I was.
About what?
Why would people from the Central Plains suddenly show up here?
Didn't you know? The lords told us. People from the Central Plains are always trying to steal whats ours. These bastards must be here to profit from the North Sea, too.
Of course!
Huddled together under a single oil lamp in a hut, the men held weapons fashioned from sharpened deer antlers, bear fangs, and animal claws.
There were five of them.
Well split up, five men to each, and slit all their throats.
Slit their throats? No! We need to silence them and report to the lords!
Hey! Chunsik already went to report to the lords.
He did? Of course! It pays to have a young one with fast feet!
Gahaha, you all should hurry up and have some sons!
Just as they were about to leave the hut to take care of their assigned targets
How cruel, how very cruel. I was told to be wary of the Ice Palace, but no one mentioned being wary of the North Sea natives.
In the cold, dark surroundings, the young mans voice sent a chill down the natives spines.
I almost died in my sleep without anyone knowing.
H-how?
The natives eyes filled with bewilderment. When Ice-Binding Herb, a plant famous even in the North Sea, dissolved in warm tea, it could induce a sleep so deep it was almost unnoticeable. Even the lords had warned them to be careful with this poisonous herb, calling it a potent toxin.
I told you, didn't I? It was strange from the beginning, how they welcomed us as if theyd been waiting.
Donghwi nodded in agreement with Black Tiger's words. With an assassin's instinct, he had sensed something was wrong the moment he drank the tea and signaled the others. If they hadn't immediately used their internal energy to expel the poison, it would have been disastrous.
And there was that one guy who ran off as soon as he saw us, despite them saying they hadn't seen outsiders in a while.
Seeing the young man pinned beneath Donghwi and Kang Umun, the natives' faces went pale with shock.
Chunsik!
Ah, ah!
The young man called Chunsik, pinned by Donghwi and Kang Umun, couldn't speak properly or even twitch a limb. His pressure points had been expertly struck, completely immobilizing him. The sight of him was enough to make the natives lose all will to fight.
What did we do to make you attack us without a word?
At my question, one of the nativesthe very one who had cordially offered me teastepped forward. I guessed he was Chunsik's father. His eyes were bloodshot as he glanced at the young man.
People from the Central Plains have always coveted and stolen our things.
Since when? Id never heard of such a thing, but I decided to listen further.
So we, too, intended to punish and warn the people from the Central Plains, just as our lords commanded.
And this punishment and warning involves taking our lives?
Watching the momentarily speechless native, I furrowed my brow. Something was definitely broken here.
Even the native before me, along with Chunsik and the nearly thirty other natives, all had hollow expressions, dark circles under their eyes, gaunt cheeks, and bony hands.
I glanced at my uncle and Black Tiger. They both nodded, having also sensed something was wrong. Black Tiger began to inspect the huts in the village, while my uncle moved among the other natives, avoiding Chunsik and the man in front of me, and started taking their pulses.
W-what are you doing!
To the natives alarmed voice, I replied calmly.
Dont be alarmed. We are simply checking your physical condition.
Are you, are you a physician?
Something like that.
After reassuring the natives, I turned to see Black Tiger emerging from behind my uncle. Seeing what he held, I spoke.
Thats a lot.
There was an identical bundle in every house.
Every house? All the same?
Yes. Based on the scent, there were some roots similar to kudzu and what appeared to be potatoes. They look like simple food, but
Black Tiger was a former assassin. As such, his senses and reflexes were far superior to those of ordinary people. And that wasnt all.
His training had given him a vast knowledge of the martial worlds geography, as well as various poisonous and spiritual herbs.
But now, looking at the contents of the bundle, he shook his head.
These appear to be unique poisonous herbs that only grow in the North Sea.
What makes you so sure theyre poisonous herbs?
They have a strange scent, and the components are the same as what was in the teacups.
Hmph.
They wouldnt have eaten them knowing they were poison.
Could it be?
I picked up the potato-like items and other things that looked like food. Then I looked at Black Tiger.
Black Tiger nodded.
These are also poisonous herbs.
Damn it.
When I turned my head, I saw my uncles gaze flickering coldly.
Every single one of them is poisoned. Their energy is depleted, and a strange aura that drains their bodies lingers within them. If they arent treated soon, they will all collapse.
I clenched my fists. First the Hwangbo Family, and now the North Sea Ice PalaceI gritted my teeth at the malice directed toward the powerless.
In my opinion,
Black Tiger sighed as he spread out the potato-like items and various other vegetables.
It seems they are testing them.
Testing them?
The amount of poisonous herbs given to each house is consistent, they were chosen to look like food, and even the quantity is the same. This means they must want something.
My heart boiling with rage, I lifted my head. There, visible whenever the blizzard subsided, was the silhouette of the North Sea Ice Palace.
They took all the ginseng collectors.
They must be plotting something big.
The five of us forgot the biting cold of the blizzard. Fueled by the rage we felt toward those who toyed with common folk and revealed their greed through these tests, we gritted our teeth.
There are problematic bastards everywhere you go.
Whats there to say?
Just when I thought wed dealt with all those damn bandits.
There are plenty of people worse than bandits.
The world is wide, and the number of bastards is even wider.
To be stationed within the great fortress of the North Sea Ice Palace was to be in one of the most esteemed positions among the people of the North Sea.
Perhaps that was why.
Standing guard resolutely in the harsh blizzard, just gazing out at the snowfields of the Ice Palace filled one with pride.
Or maybe its just this fluffy fur coat and the bear-hide hood that let us endure the cold so easily.
Right! Absolutely! Heh heh.
As the two Ice Palace guards were cheerfully boasting about their cold-weather gear, a sound rustled through the snow. Swish, swish, swish!
A sound of something cutting through the snowfield reached them. At the noise, one of the guards eyes glinted as he raised the tip of his spear.
Who goes there!
Who dares approach the Ice Palace?
Faced with the guards imposing demeanor, born from boundless loyalty
My lords! Its us!
What is it? Chunsiks family?
The guard looked on with a flat expression as the native prostrated himself. The young man, Chunsik, and his father, Kangseok, were pulling a sled designed for easy movement across the snow. With three or four other villagers trailing behind, it seemed they had come to offer another tribute.
Even so, he had to check the contents.
Im not saying I doubt you, but I have a job to do, so youll have to understand.
Of course! Of course! Who are we to get in the way of our lords work!
As Chunsik bowed his head low, the satisfied guard approached the sled and began to unwrap the cloth-covered bundle, layer by layer.
So, whats inside?
Well
The two guards peeled back layer after layer of the cloth on the sled, but the contents remained hidden. They looked at Chunsik.
Why are you trembling so much?
Its just
The moment the guards sensed something was wrong and their eyes widened, the shadows of those they had dismissed as mere villagers moved, and the cloth from the sled flew through the air, covering the guards like a net.