Chapter 11: The Legacy
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: The Legacy
‘I must be out of my mind.’
To call him Gaga...
Even for a political marriage, wasn't that far too sudden a title?
However, given the strict Confucian traditions and the fact that they had spent their first night together in the same room, Gaga was the only word that came to Seol Yerin’s mind.
That didn't mean she had accepted Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
No matter how critical her condition had been, he had stripped her clothes and injected Yang Qi into her. Had he not been her betrothed, she would have executed him on the spot without question.
Seol Yerin was processing all of this the moment she woke up, just as her father entered the room. That was why the word Gaga had slipped out of her mouth involuntarily.
“He is... someone I am truly grateful to, but still...”
It was enough to make her father, the Ice Palace Lord, nearly faint.
Claiming she needed rest, Seol Yerin lay alone on her bed and muttered to herself.
“Starting tomorrow, absolutely not!”
She would never fall for that face or those smooth words again.
Deep within the North Sea Ice Palace.
The Ice Council—the gathering of the palace elders—was in session.
“The Young Palace Lord has recovered?”
At the question from Seol Un-gang, the Chairman of the Ice Council, those seated around the round table began to chime in.
“So I’ve heard. It is truly a relief.”
“Ho-ho, it seems the Palace Lord chose his matrilocal son-in-law well.”
As Choi Han-lim, an elder from the Guardian Corps, offered his praise, Han Bing-ok furrowed his brow.
“Saving the Young Palace Lord was a good deed, but I’ve heard rumors that he’s a philanderer. If even a single tear falls from our Yerin’s eyes...”
Crackle—
A chilling frost began to rise from him.
“I still cannot understand bringing in someone who is not of North Sea blood—especially a demon artist from Xinjiang—as a son-in-law.”
Following the remark by Gwak Tae-san, an elder from the Snow Tiger Unit, another spoke up.
“He wiped out the bandits who infiltrated the palace alone this time. His abilities seem sufficient,” replied Baek Seol-pung, an elder from the Ice Wolf Unit.
Chairman Seol Un-gang realized that opinions regarding the son-in-law, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, were divided even among the elders. He added a final note.
“I heard Yerin called the lad Gaga.”
“What?!”
“Ho-ho, it seems we must set a wedding date soon.”
“That... that lecherous brat!”
“...I must speak with the Palace Lord.”
Seol Un-gang was quite satisfied to see the elders, who usually remained stoic, reacting so strongly to news of the Young Palace Lord. It was all thanks to that fellow, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom, brought over from the Demonic Cult.
“I heard the Palace Lord gave him the mission to subjugate the bandits.”
“I hope he drops dead while fighting them.”
“If the Young Palace Lord is to live, we need him, Bing-ok.”
“...That makes things difficult.”
“He’s a fellow with a poor reputation even within the Demonic Cult. Can he truly wipe out those bandits?”
Seol Un-gang raised his hand to calm the elders.
“His abilities will be proven through this test. Whether the subjugation succeeds or fails, we shall judge him by the result. The Ice Council’s priority is the safety of the Young Palace Lord and the preservation of our traditions. We must not be swayed by simple emotions.”
The elders nodded in silence.
Having finished Seol Yerin’s treatment, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was currently nursing a headache.
“For bandits to directly attack the Young Palace Lord... they’ve grown bold.”
“Indeed. Using this incident as a pretext, we should move quickly to wipe them out.”
At Baek Mu-yong’s words, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked around.
It was pure luck that they had fended off the bandit attack this time.
Baek Mu-yong, Weizhi Young, and Eun-bin.
Even including himself, it was realistically impossible for the four of them to subjugate the bandits. Furthermore...
‘My martial prowess is too weak.’
Though he had regressed, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s current martial arts were pathetic compared to the knowledge he possessed. He had to find a way to become stronger than he was now.
Through the Yin-Yang Unity, his internal energy had increased due to the harmony of Yang and Yin Qi, but that was it. He had to be extremely careful, especially with the Yin Qi, as it was something he had never handled before. He needed to learn effective martial arts against the warriors of the North Sea or find another way.
“Baek Mu-yong.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“What ways are there to become stronger in the North Sea?”
He wasn't talking about the standard method of training internal energy and fighting bandits. He was asking if there was something more practical.
Baek Mu-yong stared at Hyeok Ryeon-yeom for a moment before speaking. He hesitated for quite a while, making Hyeok Ryeon-yeom curious about what he was going to say.
“This is a sensitive matter that shouldn't be told to anyone who isn't of the Ice Palace, but...”
“What is it?”
“Have you heard of the Four Martial Gods?”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom shook his head at the unfamiliar title.
“To the outside world, they are known only to a few, but there were four great Martial Gods who protected the North Sea. It is said that those ancestors each left behind a trial.”
“A trial...?”
Baek Mu-yong nodded.
“If you pass the trials of the Four Martial Gods... you might become stronger.”
“The Martial Gods of the North Sea?”
“Yes. Normally, this is a story only for the warriors of the North Sea. But since you became a man of the North Sea as of yesterday, I will tell you.”
It was said that four Martial Gods existed in the North Sea.
The founder of the Ice Palace, the Martial God and Ice Emperor Seol Cheon-woo.
The Martial God from three hundred years ago, the Snow Wind Sword Saint Baek Un-han.
The first woman to rise to the rank of Martial God two hundred years ago, the Cold Snow Demon Queen Jang So-ryeong.
And the Martial God from a hundred years ago, the Ice Soul Spear Saint Seol Yeong-jin.
These four were collectively known as the Four Martial Gods. It was said that trials left by these Martial Gods were prepared in the East, West, South, and North, centered around the Ice Palace.
“Trials for their descendants?”
“Yes. It is said that everything belonging to the Martial Gods was left within those trials.”
“Then did my father-in-law pass those trials?”
“No, he did not.”
“Huh?”
“Since the founding, not a single person—including the Martial Gods themselves—has passed all the trials of the North Sea. The Palace Lord is no exception.”
Not a single person had cleared them?
Well, if a successor to the Martial Gods had appeared in this generation, would Hyeok Ryeon-geuk have left them alone? Certainly not. He would have tried to kill the successor by any means necessary. This meant that even in his past life, no new Martial God had been born.
‘Wait.’
If he could just pass the trials of the Four Martial Gods...
He might be able to defeat Hyeok Ryeon-geuk. If he refined the knowledge he possessed, it would be possible to recover his past martial prowess. However, it was uncertain whether that alone would be enough to defeat Hyeok Ryeon-geuk, who was destined to seize control of the Demonic Cult in the near future.
That was why he needed even stronger martial arts.
“But there is a bigger problem.”
“A bigger problem?”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom tilted his head at Baek Mu-yong’s words.
“The thing is... no one knows the locations of the arrangements left by the four ancestors.”
“...No one has found them?”
“Yes.”
“You’re useless.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom wondered if he should discipline this squad leader for telling such a pointless story. But then...
“If you can just find them... even you could take the trials, Third Young Master.”
At the sudden voice, they all turned around.
Seol Yerin, the Young Palace Lord who hadn't left her quarters, was opening the door and walking in.
“Lady Seol. Is it alright for you to be moving around so soon?”
“I’m fine.”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom tilted his head at the sight of Seol Yerin speaking without even meeting his eyes. Regardless, that wasn't the important part right now.
“Are you saying I can also take the Martial Gods' trials?”
“Yes, it’s possible. However, the problem is...”
“The fact that no information remains regarding where, how, or in what form the trials left by the ancestors exist,” Baek Mu-yong finished.
“Exactly, Squad Leader Baek.”
“I see.”
A trial that required finding the location first. He had wondered why the Ice Palace hadn't challenged the trials that supposedly contained everything of the legendary ancestors.
‘It wasn't that they didn't, it was that they couldn't.’
Now it made sense.
“Can we find them?”
A cynical reaction followed Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s question.
“There’s no way we can easily find what hasn't been found for all this time.”
He had to find them, even if it meant mobilizing all his magical knowledge.
‘If I can find a way to become stronger in the North Sea, I’ll be one step closer to my revenge.’
There were four Martial Gods. That meant four legacies. If he found them all, wouldn't he become four times stronger than he was now?
There were actually many ways.
‘I didn't know my research results would be this helpful.’
Recalling the memories of being stuck in a lab studying theory all day, tens of thousands of analytical methods came to mind. Among them was "Spatial Studies."
‘In the end, the arrangements left by the Martial Gods must still be within the North Sea.’
If he could just perform a topographical scan, he felt he could find their locations.
“I think it’s worth conducting a search.”
At the word "search," Seol Yerin’s ears perked up.
“Um... may I come along as well?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline.”
“Pardon?”
If Seol Yerin, the Young Palace Lord, tagged along, things would undoubtedly become noisy again. Furthermore...
‘If I find them with Seol Yerin, I can’t keep the Martial Gods' legacies all to myself.’
Though they said a husband and wife were one in spirit, they weren't married yet. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom couldn't share everything with her just yet. Besides, he wasn't sure if she would even believe him if he told her.
“You might feel recovered for a moment, but since we don't know when your condition might relapse, it’s best if you refrain from leaving the palace.”
When he added the excuse that there might be another bandit attack, Seol Yerin’s expression softened.
“Then who do you plan to move with?”
“The Little Snow Unit, of course.”
Eun-bin, Baek Mu-yong, and Weizhi Young. These three were always with him now. Seol Yerin thought of the only person not present.
“I’m very curious... to see what kind of face Deputy Squad Leader Eun will make.”
Eun-bin, the Deputy Squad Leader of the Little Snow Unit, had a distorted expression.
“What... did you just say?”
“I said we’re going out to find the Martial Gods' legacies.”
“Why are you looking for those, Captain?”
“Well... to inherit the North Sea’s orthodox lineage?”
Eun-bin’s expression soured even further. Her face seemed to say, Why on earth are YOU trying to inherit that?
“Deputy Squad Leader, shouldn't you follow when your Captain says let’s go?”
“...This isn't a bandit subjugation, is it?”
“We’ll do that along the way.”
“Are... are we going out again?!”
Weizhi Young was restless. She had heard that whenever she went out, the warriors of the Ice Palace watched her with hawk-like eyes.
“I heard you’re quite popular, Jiyoung?”
“Pardon? Who said that?!”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom turned to Baek Mu-yong.
“Is there anyone else in the Ice Palace who would talk about Jiyoung?”
“Ahem. If you’re going, let’s just go.”
Even though it wasn't for bandit subjugation, Baek Mu-yong decided to follow Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. It felt like he had somewhat given up. It seemed he had developed an immunity to whatever antics Hyeok Ryeon-yeom pulled.
“See? Squad Leader Baek is just following.”
“He’s given up because he knows it’ll be a wild goose chase.”
A wild goose chase, huh? That might be true. After all, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom didn't know the geography of the North Sea well yet.
However...
Wung—
Internal energy seeped through his feet and into the snow. But it was slightly different from the way general internal energy was used.
‘Magic begins with occupying space.’
While magic shared similarities with martial arts, the clear difference was that it wasn't about observing one's own body, but rather perceiving and occupying the "space within nature." "Spatial Studies" was derived from that concept.
It was also the reason Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had decided to find the Martial Gods' arrangements. Spatial Studies was like a type of map exploration, scattering mana to grasp and perceive a specific range of space. It was essentially what modern Earth called "radar."
‘By utilizing this, I’ll be able to perceive spaces that others haven't.’
If this was possible, finding the Martial Gods' legacies was only a matter of time. Hyeok Ryeon-yeom planned to leave marks like this as he traveled through every corner of the North Sea. He would continue searching the areas he hadn't visited yet. Eventually, the legacies would have no choice but to appear before him.
‘Even if it’s not as delicate as magic, using internal energy to perform a search is child’s play.’
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom led the three of them out of the Ice Palace.
East, West, South, North.
The bandit groups were stationed to the south. Even if a legacy was buried there, he couldn't afford to clash with the bandits yet, so he gave up on the south for now. He decided to head further north first, rather than east or west.
“Is this... really right?”
The problem was that, as luck would have it, the snow began to fall heavily.
“Are you still going in this?”
“Of course!”
The word "surrender" didn't exist in Hyeok Ryeon-yeom’s dictionary.
“If you want to return to the Ice Palace quickly, you’d better cooperate, Deputy Squad Leader Eun.”
Thinking that Eun-bin, who had lived in the Ice Palace for a long time, might know something, he asked her.
“...This is confidential, but the Palace Lord has also searched for the Martial Gods' legacies before.”
“Oh, really?”
“He combed through the north thoroughly.”
“And?”
As they continued to push north through the blizzard, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom kept talking to Eun-bin.
“He never found them in the end.”
“You accompanied him, didn't you?”
“......”
“Then that’s even better. Are there any places that weren't checked back then?”
“There are, but...”
They headed north toward the place Eun-bin guided them. And after a while...
Whish—
They arrived before a sheer cliff.
“So, it’s here...?”
“Yes. But I believe the area below has also been searched several times.”
Despite Eun-bin’s assurance, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom looked down the cliff. Wind was surging upward from below.
With an intrigued expression, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom closed his eyes and released his internal energy.
Sshhh—
Soon, the energy emitted from his Dantian through his Yongquan points began to race down the cliff. He kept his eyes closed. The moment he focused solely on his five senses and sharpened his physical awareness to the limit!
Whish.
He could feel a gentle breeze blowing, its texture completely different from the winds he had felt until now. That "warm wind," like a spring breeze, awakened his senses.
Finally.
‘I feel a foreign energy.’
This was something he needed to check.