Chapter 013 : Disciple
Snow Wind Sword Venerable, Baek Un-han stared at me with an intrigued expression.
‘It is the first time a guy counters the Snow Wind Sword like this in the North Sea.’
I blocked Baek Un-han's Snow Wind Sword by creating flames.
The snow storm was melting away against the endlessly soaring flames.
-Quite impressive. But just how long can you hold out?
This is the North Sea.
The North Sea is a place full of Yin energy and cold energy, and among them, the cavern beneath the Heavenly Ceiling Cliff is a place where Yin energy and cold energy are even denser.
Whether I would consume all the Extreme Yang Qi first, or Baek Un-han's snow storm would stop first.
The answer was determined.
“To think it is a martial art that even handles nature.”
The more I blocked Baek Un-han's sword strikes, the more my momentum visibly decreased.
The speed at which the Extreme Yang Qi was being depleted was too fast.
At this rate, I would become exhausted in no time.
I had to settle the outcome with a swift battle before that.
My eyes began to analyze Baek Un-han.
‘Your eyes have become better.’
It would have been better if a direct descendant of the Ice Palace had come here.
But just the fact that I possessed the Extreme Yin Body made Baek Un-han like me.
He received the promise.
He already felt that I was a man who would not go back on his word.
Therefore.
-Look, this sword is the blizzard to which this old man dedicated his entire life.
The sword that allowed the Snow Wind Sword Venerable to be revered as a Martial God, the Sword Venerable wished for me to feel the Snow Wind Sword entirely.
Whirrr-
The blizzard became a squall and began to wrap around me.
Every single snow crystal is a sharp blade.
The moment I get cut by those crystals, my whole body will be torn apart.
‘I have to find it.’
Didn't they say one lives even if bitten by a tiger as long as one stays alert?
Whoosh.
Flames bloomed again and fought against the blizzard.
The moment the Extreme Yin Qi and the Extreme Cold Qi collided.
Why did the Yin-Yang Unification with Seol Ye-rin come to mind?
‘Severe cold is eventually the same as severe heat.’
If the Snow Wind Sword Venerable did it, I can do it too.
I watched the trajectory of the sword unfolded by the Snow Wind Sword and copied it exactly.
Baek Un-han's sword forms and sword techniques caught in my vision were being recreated in my hands.
If there was something different, it was that it was a Flame Wind, not a Snow Wind.
“Fire Art Sword Second Form, Flame Wind.”
The wind of flames crushed in toward the blizzard.
Boom!
Rumble!
The cavern began to vibrate at the collision of the Snow Wind and the Flame Wind.
-You... copied that?
The Sword Venerable muttered, trying his best not to show his surprise.
The moment the blizzard was about to fade away due to the massive storm of flames.
-Quite impressive.
Flash-
As if the blizzard had never existed from the start, it vanished.
The Sword Venerable had made the Snow Wind disappear in an instant.
“Phew... Did I pass?”
-Kulkul, I did not know you would copy the Snow Wind.
“Thanks to you, I learned something good.”
It was then.
Twinkle-
As the skeleton trapped in the ice block melted down.
The spiritual sword stuck behind it revealed its appearance.
“That is...”
-It is Extreme Snow.
Divine Sword.
Just by looking at it, the brilliantly shining figure looked like a divine object.
“This is...”
-Looking at it, you do not seem to have a proper sword, so carry it around. Since it is a sword from over three hundred years ago, there will be no one who recognizes it.
That... I'm sorry, but its appearance is exceptional.
I could not say that.
Because I coveted it.
‘I was just in need of a good sword to rival Hyeokryeon Geuk's Heavenly Demon Sword.’
It worked out well.
I grabbed the sword stuck in the ground according to the Sword Venerable's words.
“I will use it well.”
-There is no need to be so thankful. Since we will be traveling together from now on.
“Yes?”
Whoosh!
-The seal of the Ice Crystal has been released after three hundred years. I must get some fresh air.
I made a troubled expression.
***
“One hour has passed... there is no contact.”
“Shouldn't we go down and check?”
At Wi Ji-yeong and Baek Mu-yong's words, Eun Bin made a serious expression.
“Let's wait a little longer. You guys are the ones who know best that he is not someone who would die so easily.”
“That is true, but...”
“If something goes wrong with the Captain, the Young Palace Head is in danger.”
Baek Mu-yong was aware of the seriousness of the situation best.
The reason they brought me was to save the North Sea Ice Palace's Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin.
And that choice hit the mark properly.
As Seol Ye-rin recovered her vitality, vigor began to circulate in the Ice Palace as well.
In this situation, if something happened to me.
“The Ice Palace will freeze over again.”
“Ugh.”
Eun Bin looked down the Heavenly Ceiling Cliff.
No matter how confident one was in movement arts, it is impossible to go down such a cliff with movement arts.
...Maybe if there was a rope.
“If you are that worried, go get a rope or something.”
His inner thoughts popped out of his mouth.
“I will go get it!”
Seeing Wi Ji-yeong disappear in a hurry, Eun Bin frowned.
“Where in the world is a Captain who makes his subordinates worry like this.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
“Captain?! Lady Wi Ji! Please return!”
Baek Mu-yong heard my voice first and shouted at the top of his lungs.
It seemed it was to convey this news to Wi Ji-yeong.
“You're loud, Squad Leader Baek. You can just call Ji-yeong back yourself.”
“Understood!”
I came back up the cliff through movement arts.
“Why that expression?”
Eun Bin was looking at me with a very disapproving expression.
“...Nothing. More than that, was there a harvest down below?”
A harvest.
“Would there be, or wouldn't there be?”
-Kulkul, who is this bald head?
I sighed seeing the Sword Venerable floating next to Eun Bin.
As it turned out, the Sword Venerable was not trapped in the ice block.
Before reaching death, he had pushed his spirit into the sword.
In other words, carrying the Extreme Snow meant I could take the Sword Venerable around in normal times too.
“Young Master!”
While I was sharing a reunion with Eun Bin, Baek Mu-yong brought Wi Ji-yeong back.
“Why do you worry about people like this!”
“You worried?”
“Of course!”
Wi Ji-yeong was almost on the verge of tears.
“If I get separated from the Young Master in this remote North Sea, I don't know what I should live for in the future...”
“You didn't worry about what to do if you can't receive the monthly salary I give you?”
“Ah, was I caught?”
Wi Ji-yeong, who grinned, pointed at my waist as if asking where her worry from just now went.
“It is a sword I haven't seen before!”
As expected, Wi Ji-yeong had a sharp eye.
“I picked it up from below.”
“The wind was soaring tremendously above the cliff, did something happen below?”
I thought about telling the Small Snow Squad the story of what happened below the Heavenly Ceiling Cliff, but I glanced at the Snow Wind Sword Venerable.
Would they believe it if I said a Martial God from three hundred years ago is hovering beside you right now?
“It took a long time to go down to the very bottom. It was a waste of time. There was nothing like a Martial God's tomb.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, let's go back for now. A lot of time has passed, right?”
“One hour has elapsed.”
At Baek Mu-yong's words, I nodded.
“Since the Young Palace Head told me to return quickly, I should return as quickly as possible.”
Today, the search for the Martial God's tomb ended with this.
However.
-Hoho, the energy of the Ice Crystal is felt from the east, west, and south.
At the Sword Venerable's words, I came to think that I could find the other Martial Gods of the North Sea soon as well.
***
Upon returning to the Ice Palace, Seol Ye-rin came to find me.
Pause.
Seol Ye-rin entered my room and looked around.
“...Why is Yin energy felt here?”
Seol Ye-rin was sharp.
At that gaze, I held out the Extreme Snow.
“It is because of this.”
-Oh, this child is your partner!
The Sword Venerable, who popped out through the Extreme Snow, examined Seol Ye-rin's appearance with an interesting expression.
-She is a beauty capable of toppling a nation.
“This sword is...”
“It is the sword of the Snow Wind Sword Venerable, who was a Martial God of the North Sea three hundred years ago.”
“Yes?”
“The Martial God's tomb actually existed.”
Seol Ye-rin looked at me with a flustered expression.
It is a story that has been dismissed as only a legend until now.
It was difficult for Seol Ye-rin to easily believe my words that I found the legacy of the North Sea Martial Gods which even the direct bloodline of the Ice Palace could not find.
However.
Voom-
The chill felt from the sword was telling the story.
“Extreme Yin Qi...”
If it were a normal person, they would have frozen the instant they touched this sword.
Because I possess the Extreme Yang Qi, I can touch this sword.
The moment Seol Ye-rin caressed the Extreme Snow.
-Descendant, nice to meet you.
Startle.
Even in Seol Ye-rin's eyes, the Snow Wind Sword Venerable, Baek Un-han, began to appear.
“G-Ghost...”
Seol Ye-rin's eyes rolled back.
“Lady Seol!”
I held the collapsing Seol Ye-rin.
Watching that sight, Baek Un-han muttered with a troubled expression.
-Ahem, I only said hello.
To think Seol Ye-rin would be afraid of ghosts.
Even I did not anticipate this.
“What is going on!”
It seems the sound of me calling Seol Ye-rin was heard outside too.
With a bang, the door opened.
A person I saw for the first time, dressed in a blue martial arts uniform, entered the room.
“Elder, you cannot do this.”
At the words of Baek Mu-yong who was guarding outside the room.
“Are you blocking my path right now? This Gwak Tae-san?”
The Elder from the Snow Tiger Squad, Gwak Tae-san, expressed his anger.
“It is fine.”
When Baek Mu-yong stepped back at my words, the appearance inside the room was revealed.
The collapsed Seol Ye-rin, and the appearance of me holding such Seol Ye-rin.
“How dare you! What are you doing to the Young Palace Head in broad daylight!”
-Kulkul, he is a crazy guy.
At the Sword Venerable's words, I sighed.
I know it is a scene that can be misunderstood, but the opponent was picking a fight from the moment he first entered this room.
The problem was the word ‘Elder’ I heard from Baek Mu-yong just a moment ago.
-Who is this person?
-He is the former Captain of the Snow Tiger Squad, Elder Gwak Tae-san.
I, having confirmed the opponent's identity by sending telepathy to Baek Mu-yong, laid Seol Ye-rin on the bed carefully and then clasped my hands.
“I am Hyeokryeon Yeom. I greet Elder Gwak Tae-san.”
As the live-in son-in-law of the North Sea Ice Palace.
As the person who would become Seol Ye-rin's partner.
Because I thought there was a need to show a polite appearance to the superiors of the Ice Palace.
“What freezing clasped hands greeting is that. I clearly saw everything you were trying to do to the Young Palace Head just now. I will tell the Palace Lord, so follow me out right now!”
At the sight of Elder Gwak Tae-san shouting at our first meeting.
-What is the relationship between Elder Gwak Tae-san and Lady Seol?
I threw a question to Baek Mu-yong again.
-They have never met. It seems he came upon the news that the Young Palace Head recovered.
Ah, is that so?
Then the story changes.
“Elder, have you not heard from my father-in-law yet? We are in a relationship promising the future. The scene you saw just now is clearly a misunderstanding, but even if I tried to have intercourse with Lady Seol in broad daylight, that is not a crime, is it?”
“W-What!”
“If not that, did you come to pick a fight because you, Elder, like other North Sea people, do not like me who appeared suddenly?”
“L-Look at the way he talks to an adult!”
An adult must act like an adult to be an adult.
“I clearly told you just a moment ago? I am the person who will marry Lady Seol. May I ask why you are interfering in the matters of us two like this?”
Elder Gwak Tae-san looked at me with a dumbfounded expression.
“What? Interfering?”
“Do I have to receive permission from you, Elder, even to share marital affection?”
Ugh.
When it seemed he could not win against me with words.
“Look at the attitude of a young fellow talking to an adult.”
“Elder. I am the person who will marry Lady Seol.”
If I become the Ice Palace Lord's live-in son-in-law, it is the same as rising to a higher position than an Elder.
“What? Are you threatening me now?”
It was not Gwak Tae-san who would not notice the meaning contained in my words.
“I only informed you of my position once again.”
“Isn't that a threat?”
“Hmm, it seems the Elder wants to talk to me without considering status or rank... In this case, there is a method frequently used in my main family.”
“What is that?”
“Stripping off ranks and having a bout, then obeying the winner's words.”
My eyes narrowed.
“How about it, will you accept?”
It seemed even the Elders of the North Sea Ice Palace were stepping forward to sanction me.
I was not the type of personality to just sit and watch that.