Unlike usual, Geumryeong didn’t gulp down the silver tael I gave it.
Holding the silver tael I’d given in its mouth, it approached the Snow Wind Palace stone structure, then set the silver tael down in front of it.
“…”
I silently watched.
Come to think of it, I’d met Geumryeong in Yunnan. A place very far from the North Sea.
There must be some story behind it.
And right now, Geumryeong was showing its maximum sincerity in its own way, paying respects.
Who was Geumryeong mourning right now?
The previous Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord? Or else…
I approached Geumryeong and stroked its back while speaking.
“If you were going to do this, why didn’t you ask for a gold tael?”
“Kui… ku.”
“So you do know shame?”
“Kui…”
“It’s fine. For something like this, it’s okay to spend big.”
I took out one gold ingot from my pouch and placed it on top.
“Snow Wind Palace’s disciple Eun Seo-ho pays respects to Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord and the senior members.”
And I mourned them with the utmost courtesy.
As I quietly gazed at the stone structure, I felt an indescribable frustration.
So I muttered without realizing it.
“What about Snow Wind Palace bothered them so much that they were desperate to annihilate it?”
“I’d like to know that too.”
Perhaps hearing my muttering, Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin answered.
“What bothered them so much… that they killed them, killed my father?”
Father?
“By any chance, was Young Palace Lord’s father also…”
“A disciple of Snow Wind Palace.”
“…”
“Excuse me, but how old are you? Snow Wind Palace was certainly…”
“Annihilated nineteen years ago. I’m twenty this year.”
Then she’s the same age as me?
As far as I know, children under five years old can’t enter North Sea Ice Palace.
So the Young Palace Lord was one year old at the time, which means…
“And I’m the only child who survived at that scene when Snow Wind Palace was annihilated.”
“…”
“It happened when I was so young that I don’t remember what happened then, but still, one memory remains clearly.”
“What memory?”
“Well.”
She avoided answering.
Thinking about it, my question must have been rude to her.
A survivor’s last memory couldn’t possibly be pleasant.
I quickly clasped my hands and bowed my head.
“I apologize. I was rude.”
“I accept your apology.”
I gazed at the stone structure where Snow Wind Palace’s remains were enshrined for a while, then turned around.
“I think I should head back now.”
And I said to Geumryeong.
“Geumryeong, let’s go.”
“Kui.”
Geumryeong hopped and slipped right into my sleeve.
On the way back to my quarters.
Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin spoke.
“You’re returning tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, even though this palace’s disciples look delicate, they all hold their liquor well. Plus, since they’re all Peak realm or higher, they’re incredibly skilled at controlling their intoxication.”
“…?”
“Anyway, that’s what I’m saying.”
I understood what Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin’s words meant the next morning.
.
.
.
“What?”
I reflexively questioned what the disciple attending to me said.
Brother Jin-ho has alcohol poisoning?
I immediately ran to Brother Jin-ho.
Brother Jin-ho, lying in bed, was dry heaving with a yellowed face.
“Urk!”
“No way! Really! Just how much did you drink yesterday?”
“I counted up to a hundred and twenty cups. But after that, I don’t… remember?”
“Oh my! Really!”
My sister-in-law, sitting beside him, wore an apologetic expression.
“I’m really sorry. This person drank all the cups meant for me too.”
“…”
He must have made quite an impression on his mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, and the other ladies.
But still, anyway, geez…
“I’m fine. Let’s go back as planned… urk…!”
“How can you go back in this condition? You’ll die on the way, you know?”
“That’s true… uuurk!”
No, what kind of person drinks over a hundred cups? You’re lucky you didn’t die from drinking.
Is it thanks to Brother being a warrior on the verge of Peak realm?
Still, those ladies aren’t that reckless…
Ah, these cunning ladies…
I felt like I understood why they’d gotten Brother Jin-ho to drink so heavily.
This way, he can’t leave even if he wants to.
Young Palace Lord Bing Hae-rin said so. They all hold their liquor well.
That’s what she meant.
“Anyway, let’s postpone our departure for a few days. I’ll ask for their understanding since it’s my responsibility. So just focus on recovering.”
“Sorry. I’m… urk.”
I shook my head and left Brother Jin-ho’s quarters.
And I said to the disciple attending to me.
“Given the circumstances, I’ll stay a bit longer until my brother recovers.”
“Understood.”
The brightness in her expression as she answered—was that just my imagination?
“My companions staying at Ice Palace Inn might be waiting too long, so could you deliver a letter for me?”
“Of course.”
I glanced at Brother Jin-ho’s quarters and thought.
I feel bad for Brother Jin-ho, but I’m glad I quickly escaped back then.
However, staying longer without any special purpose made me a bit bored.
There’s a limit to playing with Geumryeong too…
The disciple attending to me suggested.
“How about visiting the library?”
“The library?”
“Yes. There probably isn’t a library with as many books as this palace’s library.”
Those words piqued my curiosity.
“Can I go there too?”
“It’s possible with the Palace Lord’s permission. And the Palace Lord will allow it.”
“Please do.”
And the Palace Lord immediately gave permission.
I headed to the library, guided by the disciple.
The library’s door was smaller than I thought.
But once I entered, I realized how foolish it was to judge by appearances alone.
Not wide, but a rather tall building.
Libraries packed densely inside it.
I wondered how to retrieve books from up there, but looking closely, everything was well connected with stairs.
“This is incredible. I didn’t know there would be so many books.”
“It’s one of our Ice Palace’s prides.”
“Deservedly so.”
I like reading books, but I’d been too swamped with work to have time for reading.
Since I couldn’t work here even if I wanted to, I thought it would be good to read books as a break until Brother Jin-ho’s alcohol poisoning healed.
He won’t get alcohol poisoning again in the meantime, right?
Setting that worry aside for now, I slowly looked around the library, and I couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration repeatedly.
There were so many books I’d never seen before.
Twitch—
As I looked around the library, I felt a strange pull.
The same feeling as when I’d stopped by the book district on the way to Luoyang for the gathering of the Hundred Great Merchant Groups.
Following the feeling that seemed to call me, I approached that place.
The pull was too intense to ignore.
The pull led me to a bookshelf on the fourteenth floor.
“…!”
One book caught my eye.
I couldn’t see any other books, only that book—this sensation was the same as what I’d felt back then.
Could this also be related to Snow Wind Palace?
I took out that book.
Just like then, a book without a cover.
“May I read here?”
“Yes, of course. There’s a reading area over there.”
I was guided to sit at a fairly large desk on the first floor.
She went out to bring snacks, and I took a deep breath and opened the book.
At that moment, I felt the energy contained in the book.
It was so faint I couldn’t notice it, but those who, like me, learned the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art and reached Peak realm could recognize it.
That energy was the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art.
And the moment that energy traveled up my hand holding the book, instantly entered my body, and met with my dantian’s energy.
Before I could even panic, everything before my eyes turned white.
.
.
.
“We meet again.”
A welcome voice.
“Huh? Ancestor?”
Snow Wind Palace’s ancestor stood before me. And I was standing in an empty field with nothing around.
“Did you also prepare an arrangement in North Sea Ice Palace’s library?”
“Yes, this too is an arrangement I prepared.”
Just how many arrangements did the ancestor prepare?
I was amazed at the ancestor’s preparedness.
No wonder his lifespan shortened.
“Being here means you’re at North Sea Ice Palace now.”
“Yes, I stopped by the library briefly for a break.”
“This is an arrangement I prepared half-doubtfully, but you really are remarkable.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
Though I’m not immune to praise or anything, strangely the ancestor’s praise feels fine.
“Anyway, this arrangement is to pass down the Extreme Yin Soul Ice Combat.”
Interpreting the meaning, it’s a… combat technique that freezes the soul to the extreme of yin energy.
“However, the martial arts of Snow Wind Palace I’ve seen have excellent swordsmanship, but in contrast, I haven’t felt that other martial arts are particularly outstanding.”
I mainly learned swordsmanship from Master, but I did learn other things like palm techniques and fist techniques.
But they were just at the level of supporting swordsmanship, nothing more or less.
“What have you learned so far?”
“Ah, yes. So…”
When I recited what I’d learned, the ancestor snorted.
“Well, that’s possible. But the Extreme Yin Soul Ice Combat I’ll teach you is on a different level from those things.”
“…?”
“Because Extreme Yin Soul Ice Combat is one of the martial arts that only the Palace Lord can learn.”
At those words, I was startled.
“What? It can only be learned by Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord? But I’m not Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“But… Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord is my Master. With Master there, I can’t presumptuously learn it.”
“Martial arts that only Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord learns have no secret manual.”
“Then what was the book I opened?”
“Hmm, what was it? I don’t remember either.”
“What?”
“I just roughly picked any book that seemed likely to remain in the library for a long time.”
“…”
“And containing such memories in this space would be a useless waste. This arrangement is solely for passing down martial arts.”
The ancestor continued.
“Therefore, someone must directly pass it down, and a person to be the opponent is also necessary.”
“…”
“But currently, the only person who can demonstrate and be the opponent is me.”
The ancestor’s face looked sad.
And for good reason, since the previous Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord, the only person who could pass this down…
“You’re the only one I can pass martial arts to, so stop talking and learn.”
“Yes.”
Then I thought of something I was curious about.
“Um, but… you said it’s a martial art only Snow Wind Palace’s Palace Lord can learn… how many of those are there?”
“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you already.”
“…”
No, Ancestor.
Is now the time to worry about fun?
“Now, let’s learn it joyfully.”
And when the ancestor waved a hand, golden letters instantly appeared around where I was standing, densely surrounding the area.
“First, the first move.”
Was it coincidence that the first move’s contents appeared before me at that moment?
[Dancing Willow Leaf, Cold Wind Slash]
Meaning dancing willow leaves slash the cold wind.
When I finished reading the contents, the ancestor spoke.
“Watch carefully.”
Instantly, the surrounding air changed.
The ancestor extended both hands forward, and that was the beginning.
Watching those hand movements, I thought it really did look like willow leaves dancing.
But the surrounding air was just chilly.
“…!”
Just now, what was that?
It was just a moment, but the wind in the places the ancestor’s hands passed through seemed severed, didn’t it?
The ancestor finished the movements.
“From your expression, you seem to have understood this move’s true meaning.”
“Are you using the edge of your hand as a sword?”
“Correct.”
“It’s quite…”
“Tyrannical?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then, do you think you can save the palace’s disciples with refined martial arts when they’re dying?”
“…”
“Listen well, as a palace’s Palace Lord, you must be prepared to see much blood to protect your disciples. If you have no weapon, you must use your hands to strike down enemies.”
Hearing those words, I felt I understood the meaning of martial arts only the Palace Lord could learn.
It’s tyrannical martial arts that can protect Snow Wind Palace’s disciples.
But why can’t Snow Wind Palace’s disciples learn this, and only the Palace Lord learns it?
When I asked about this, the ancestor readily answered.
“As you know, this is very tyrannical martial arts. So if training is insufficient, there’s a high possibility of being stained by evil.”
“So you made it so only the strongest Palace Lord learns it.”
“Correct. Any more questions?”
“No.”
At that moment, the ancestor’s hand moved, and I felt a burning yet ice-scraping sensation near my chest.
“Kuk!”
I know what that feeling is.
The feeling of being cut by a blade.
But the ancestor’s attacks didn’t stop, and in an instant, both my arms and legs were cut, and I collapsed on the spot.
Thud.
“I… trusted you, Ancestor…”
“Stop whining and get up. You can’t die here. And to learn Extreme Yin Soul Ice Combat in a short time when it should take years, there’s no other way.”
Damn!
Come to think of it, the reason I opened that book was because Brother Jin-ho got alcohol poisoning.
I won’t let this slide.
–TL Notes–
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