Chapter 45: Kunlun
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: Kunlun
“This is…”
“What is this money for?”
“It’s for travel expenses and your monthly stipend.”
“A monthly stipend?!”
Weizhi Young’s eyes widened in shock.
The amount was more than triple what she had received back when she lived as a servant in the Demonic Cult.
“I thought you just considered me a useless mouth to feed. It feels like it’s been forever since I received a proper wage. Thank you, Captain.”
Eun-bin also offered his thanks after confirming the significant increase in his pay.
“…I shall give you my utmost loyalty!”
“I’ll repay you with the most delicious ingredients!”
Baek Mu-yong’s pay was also far higher than what he had earned during his time in the Ice Wolf Unit. It was the same for Tae Un-seo. He looked as though he had received enough gold to buy every single ingredient he could ever want for his cooking.
“I’ll be requesting a raise from the Chief Officer every time we achieve results, so I’m counting on you all.”
“Thank you, Captain!!”
No matter the world, money was essential for satisfying basic human needs.
‘No one wants to live like a slave.’
Work hard, earn what you’re worth. When results are produced, rewards should follow. That was the only way to ensure progress.
“Now then, shall we head out for Potala Palace?”
“I’ve come to see you off.”
Just as they were about to depart, the Young Palace Lord, Seol Yerin, made her appearance.
“You’re here?”
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had heard that Seol Yerin went to see the Palace Lord after their conversation yesterday. To be honest, he had been worried she might ask to accompany them to Potala Palace. Looking at her attire, it seemed his fears were unfounded.
Boing!
As soon as Tam Ya saw Seol Yerin, the wolf leaped straight into her arms.
“If you stay with that little guy, you should be fine for a while.”
“Yes. The deadline is exactly one month.”
“Deadline?”
“I’ve reached an agreement with my father. On the day the Third Young Master returns from Potala Palace one month from now, we will hold our engagement ceremony.”
This was news to him.
“An engagement ceremony?”
“Yes. During this month, I will work hard to ensure the people within the Palace acknowledge you. So, please carry out the Palace Lord’s orders and return as quickly as possible.”
“I will.”
As he spoke, he noticed Seol Yerin’s face turning red. Come to think of it, an engagement ceremony was a declaration of intent to marry. The fact that she had spoken to the Palace Lord herself meant she had personally expressed her desire for marriage.
‘Ah.’
Normally, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom should have been the one to bring it up first.
“I’ll bring a gift upon my return.”
Though it felt a bit premature to propose, he thought it would be wise to prepare something to commemorate the engagement.
‘Really, now.’
Her face felt like it was on fire.
Yesterday, upon hearing that Hyeok Ryeon-yeom was heading to Potala Palace, she had immediately sought out her father.
—Oh, Yerin! What brings you here at this hour?
—Father. I heard you ordered Young Master Hyeok Ryeon to go to Potala Palace?
—Potala Palace requested you. But I couldn’t very well send you, could I?
—What if I want to go too?
—I forbid it.
—I figured as much.
—Are you giving up, then?
—I have a condition instead.
—Speak.
—On the day Young Master Hyeok Ryeon returns, I want to hold an engagement ceremony.
—You mean… you intend to marry him?
—I said an engagement ceremony. Aren’t we supposed to perform some sort of ritual anyway because of the Blood Alliance? Surely I can at least choose the date.
—……Fine.
—Oh, and you aren’t planning on forming a similar Blood Alliance with Potala Palace, are you?
—Why do you ask?
—I heard their Young Palace Lord is a man. It would be quite troublesome if you brought him to the Ice Palace and expected me to treat him.
—…That will not happen.
—Good. Then please, proceed with the arrangements for the engagement.
And so, the engagement was set. The problem was that she actually had to tell Hyeok Ryeon-yeom. Her heart had started thumping wildly from that moment. Even though it was just an engagement, her breath hitched as if she were confessing her deepest feelings.
“I’ll bring a gift upon my return.”
It seemed Hyeok Ryeon-yeom understood her heart. He promised to buy a gift on his way back from Potala Palace. That single sentence made her heart race all over again.
‘Seriously, be quiet.’
Terrified he might hear her heartbeat, Seol Yerin gazed at him while trying to calm her nerves.
“Is there any specific gift you’d like?”
“The giver should be the one to decide on the gift. More importantly, don’t forget that your safety comes first.”
A month was a long time. If anything were to happen to him during that period…
‘I won’t let it slide.’
She would mobilize every ounce of power she possessed to punish whoever dared to trouble him.
Shudder.
It was a sudden realization, but Seol Yerin noticed that the way she looked at Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had changed significantly.
“Right. Thank you for your concern. I’ll be off then. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Deputy Squad Leader, I trust you to look after Lady Seol.”
“Understood, Captain.”
“We’ll be back, Young Palace Lord!”
“Please make sure you don’t skip any meals!”
Weizhi Young and Tae Un-seo each threw a parting word to Seol Yerin before following after Hyeok Ryeon-yeom.
“Eun-bin. They’ll all return safely, won’t they?”
“Of course.”
“A month, huh.”
—Kya-ong.
A time that could be considered both long and short. During that time, Hyeok Ryeon-yeom would continue to change.
‘He’ll probably become even stronger than he is now.’
She couldn’t afford to fall behind.
Slurp.
She felt Tam Ya slowly absorbing her Extreme Yin Qi. Just as the Ice Crystal craved her energy, Tam Ya was also feasting upon it.
‘I can’t rely on it forever.’
During this month, Seol Yerin resolved to change as well.
Potala Palace.
“Urgh…”
A figure was writhing in pain within the Young Palace Lord’s hall.
Sizzle.
It felt as if his entire body was being seared by a roaring furnace. Cheon Deung-jin, the Young Palace Lord of Potala Palace, bit his lip hard.
‘If hell exists, surely it is here.’
—Deung-jin, endure just a little longer.
His father’s voice echoed in his mind.
‘How am I supposed to endure this pain?’
—I requested the Ice Palace to send someone with Yin energy to cool your heat, but they said they are sending someone with the Extreme Yang Body instead.
‘The Extreme Yang Body?’
He had heard that the pain of the Extreme Yang Body was even worse than what he was currently suffering.
“Is he… still alive?”
—Yes, he is! I heard the third son of the Heavenly Demon possesses the Extreme Yang Body, yet he has overcome it and continues to live. If he comes, he might be able to help you control your Yang energy!
Many questions filled his mind. Why was the third son of the Heavenly Demon coming to Potala Palace when they had made a request to the Ice Palace? And how could he live without succumbing to the agony of the Extreme Yang Body?
“How long… will it take?”
—That is…
The North Sea was far. It would likely take more than fifteen days just to travel from the North Sea to the Western Region.
‘It will take a long time.’
“I will… try to endure.”
—I heard the Young Palace Lord of the North Sea Ice Palace was saved thanks to him. Rumors of the Ice Emperor’s joy have reached even here! This time, we might truly have hope! So please, just hold on a little longer!
Cheon Jeok-pa, the Palace Lord of Potala Palace, could only offer these words of comfort to his son.
‘Hope?’
He had given up on such a thing long ago. Perhaps it was because he knew he would die if he couldn't overcome this heat. There was only one reason Cheon Deung-jin refused to give up on life.
‘I cannot die before I have my revenge on that man.’
And so, Cheon Deung-jin continued to endure the pain today. For fifteen grueling days, he struggled against the agony of the Fire Spirit Energy.
At that same time.
The Moyong Family, Qinghai Province.
Moyong Cheong, the Young Family Head, was displeased with the behavior of Moyong Geum, the son of the Merchant Group Leader. Moyong Geum was expanding his influence within the family by supporting them with the financial profits he earned.
“I should have dealt with those Ice Palace bastards back then.”
His irritation grew as he looked at the Cold Iron brought in by the carriages. As the Moyong Merchant Group grew, so would Moyong Geum’s prestige, while Moyong Cheong’s influence would inevitably wane.
“I need to make it so they can never trade with the Ice Palace again.”
But he couldn't exactly invade the Ice Palace.
“If word spreads that the Ice Palace people are a menace to the Central Plains…”
He could ruin Moyong Geum. As for the merchant group, Moyong Cheong could simply absorb it and rebuild it himself. His priority was to remove the thorn in his side.
“The fact that they’ve started trading with Moyong Geum means those Ice Palace bastards might start moving in earnest.”
The Martial World’s perception of the Ice Palace was not favorable. Those lunatics who called themselves Martial Gods had caused chaos in the Central Plains more than once or twice.
“If I can just convince the others that the Ice Palace is on the move and needs to be kept in check…”
The situation would change. Moyong Cheong began tapping his fingers on the table.
“Just in case…”
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
He began to write a letter. If he sent it through the Martial Alliance, it could reach the key figures of the Nine Sects and One Clan and the Five Great Clans. If any Ice Palace warriors crossed over to places other than Liaoning, they would be able to suppress them.
The carrier pigeon sent by Moyong Cheong took to the sky.
Fifteen days later.
“Huff, huff.”
—Anyone watching would think you’re trying to become a grandmaster of lightness techniques.
—I cannot understand a martial artist who can circulate internal energy choosing to run until they’re out of breath.
The Sword Venerable and the Demon Empress began their nagging.
“…Young Master, this is training, right?”
“This is the second time I’ve thought I might actually die while performing lightness techniques.”
“Coming by horse was slow, but at least our stamina would have been preserved…”
The members of the Little Snow Unit voiced their complaints. It was a natural reaction, considering Hyeok Ryeon-yeom had decided on a forced march to Potala Palace.
There were several reasons for this.
‘To make it back in time for the engagement ceremony, we had to move as fast as possible.’
The second reason was the geographical location of Potala Palace. It was located in the Western Region. There were two ways to get there from the North Sea.
The first was to cross the Great Plains and cut through Qinghai to reach the Western Region. This was the fastest, most direct route.
The second was to take a slight detour through Xinjiang, where the Demonic Cult was located, and then enter the Western Region. The advantage of this route was that they could reach Potala Palace without entering the Central Plains.
Hyeok Ryeon-yeom and the Little Snow Unit chose to cut across. Thanks to the plains being cleared and scorched of bandits, the vast grasslands were now perfectly suited for lightness techniques.
After sprinting across the Great Plains like madmen, they finally arrived.
“From here on, it’s Qinghai.”
The gateway where those from the Outlands entered the Central Plains. Qinghai Province.
“Hmm?”
Just as they were about to enter Qinghai…
They saw martial artists dressed in bluish-gray robes passing by. Seeing the silver cloud-and-sea pattern embroidered on their sleeves fluttering in the wind, Weizhi Young shouted with a bright expression.
“Young Master! I think those are the horse-nosed Taoists!”
As soon as they arrived in Qinghai, they were on the verge of running into the Taoists of the Kunlun Sect.