Chapter 22 : Ice Wolf Squad
I took the completely exhausted Seol Ye-rin to the Young Palace Head’s Hall.
Accepting the Extreme Yin Qi was quite hard.
Enough to exhaust most of the Extreme Yang Qi I possessed.
But after doing so, my body feels a bit lighter.
“Hmm, did we really have to go this far?”
-You need to empty it at least once. It will fill up with Extreme Yin Qi again once I sleep and wake up anyway. The Extreme Yang Body is the same, right?
That’s right.
It was a characteristic of Extreme Yang Qi to fill up quickly as if asking when it was ever consumed after just one night.
-Have you heard of the aesthetics of emptying?
“Are you saying there is something to be known when one empties?”
-Right. You can think of it as a story that the more you take out, only the most important root remains.
Although Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang are things that cannot be lessened even if one tries to take them out.
If I repeat the same process as now, certainly.
‘I will be able to avoid dying young.’
Instead, blood-vomiting effort would have to accompany it.
Because using energy until exhaustion like that was not an easy task.
“I think I need to empty it too.”
It was a short distance, but after taking Seol Ye-rin to the Young Palace Head’s Hall and coming back, Yang energy was surging madly.
In my previous life, there were many times I discharged Extreme Yang Qi like this.
When I gave my all during a match, when I researched the body frantically.
I experienced many things where I couldn't endure the rising heat if I didn't move my body.
In my second life where I lived like a scoundrel who was killed by Hyeokryeon Geuk, I wonder if I lived that long because I took many women.
Even the freezing weather of the North Sea could not block the Extreme Yang Qi.
Since it was quite late, it was a bit awkward to call out Eun Bin, Baek Mu-yong, or Tae Un-seo.
In the end, it means I have to go do gymnastics under the moon alone somewhere.
“Haap!”
A shout was heard from somewhere.
“This sound is…….”
Thinking there was an armed unit training even at this late hour, I headed to the place where the shout was heard.
-Grrr.
Pure white wolves were gathered at the training ground.
-It is the Snow Wolf.
‘Snow Wolf?’
-They are wolves that inhabit the North Sea. Seeing that they are with the Snow Wolves, those guys must be the Ice Wolf Squad.
Ice Wolf Squad?
I have heard of it somewhere.
Just then.
“Haap!”
Those who appeared to be martial artists of the Ice Palace were wielding swords.
‘Fast.’
The pure white wolves were dodging the martial artists' swords and rushing in to bite the martial artists.
“Dodge!”
“Heup!”
The wolves were rushing in to really bite the martial artists as if they were undergoing actual combat.
Just as I was thinking that no unfortunate event would occur since they must be well trained.
“Heok!”
An Ice Palace martial artist who was about to fall because his feet got tangled while trying to retreat hurriedly was caught in my view.
A situation where the martial artist would likely be bitten by the wolf if left like that.
“Flame Butterfly.”
A red butterfly intervened between the wolf and the martial artist.
Whoosh!
At the sudden soaring flames!
-Whimper!
The wolves quickly retreated.
“Who is it!”
The five martial artists gathered at the training ground quickly turned their heads at the appearance of a third party who suddenly intervened.
“I intervened because it looked dangerous.”
“You are…….”
“…Demonic cultist?”
I swept away the horse bandits and healed the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, but the perception of Hyeokryeon Yeom seemed to still be a demonic cultist.
“I am Hyeokryeon Yeom.”
“…Did you peep on the training?”
“How could I not look when you are causing such a disturbance in the middle of the night?”
I was proud.
It was also because this training ground was not a closed training ground.
In Murim, peeping on others' training is considered taboo, but witnessing it while passing by such an open place was not a wrong action.
“Retrieve the Snow Wolves.”
“Yes, Vice Captain.”
My eyes sparkled at the word Vice Captain.
If it was a position around Vice Captain, he would know the fact that I am the Captain of the Small Snow Squad.
Nevertheless, speaking of me as a demonic cultist just now,
‘He did it on purpose.’
“By the way, for what matter did the Captain of the Small Snow Squad visit the training ground in the middle of the night like this?”
“I was on my way to take the Young Palace Head back.”
Them flinching at the word Young Palace Head.
“I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Is that rumor really true?”
“Which rumor are you talking about?”
“The rumor that the Small Snow Squad Captain swept away the horse bandits with only four members.”
“If it is true?”
“The Small Snow Squad must have snatched the credit for the Young Palace Head dealing with most of the horse bandits.”
It is true.
Besides, since the Great Grasslands are in a frozen state, those who actually went out to investigate the Great Grasslands would have returned seeing nothing but ice sheets.
I grasped the members of the Ice Wolf Squad.
The guy called Vice Captain was ignoring me while leading guys who looked weaker than Baek Mu-yong.
I thought it worked out well.
I was thinking of emptying the Extreme Yang Qi anyway.
“Would you like to test it?”
Like that, a duel in the middle of the night with the Ice Wolf Squad was established.
***
The Vice Captain of the Ice Wolf Squad, Seol Un-cheol, took out his sword.
“Vice Captain?”
“We will handle this place.”
“He is not someone you guys can handle.”
The Ice Wolf Squad is a unit that traverses the North Sea with the Snow Wolves called the wolves of the North Sea.
Seol Un-cheol, who was supervising the training for the new recruits to tame the Snow Wolves, was welcoming the Small Snow Squad Captain, Hyeokryeon Yeom, who intervened in the training.
‘They said he was a scoundrel, but he is extremely arrogant.’
No matter if the Palace Head appointed him to the Small Snow Squad Captain position, to order around Squad Leader Baek who had his Snow Wolf taken away like that.
Still, perhaps because he is from the Demonic Cult.
‘He is strong.’
Seol Un-cheol was also a man who could not guarantee victory.
‘It seems rumors are not entirely just rumors.’
The rumor that he burned the Snow Tiger Squad Captain as soon as he arrived at the Ice Palace seemed not to be just a rumor.
“Draw your sword.”
At the sight of Seol Un-cheol aiming his sword at me, I glanced at the Snow Wolves.
“I heard the Ice Wolf Squad moves together with the Snow Wolves.”
“That is correct.”
“I have a Squad Leader from the Ice Wolf Squad in my platoon as well, so strictly speaking, it means he also moved with a Snow Wolf, right?”
I heard the story of Baek Mu-yong, the Second Squad Leader from the Ice Wolf Squad who was recently assigned to the Small Snow Squad.
“If it is Squad Leader Baek's Snow Wolf, we took it over to the Ice Wolf Squad.”
“Still, it must be a comrade he shared joys and sorrows with for a while, that is too harsh.”
“Since he left the Ice Wolf Squad, parting with the Snow Wolf is a natural thing.”
“Is that so? Then let’s do this. Did you say you were the Vice Captain?”
“I am Seol Un-cheol.”
“If I win in this duel, I would like you to transfer the ownership of the Snow Wolf that Baek Mu-yong used to take around.”
“That is…….”
“What is he saying right now!”
“Vice Captain, you cannot!”
Seol Un-cheol examined Hyeokryeon Yeom’s eyes.
It was not because he coveted the Snow Wolf.
It seemed Hyeokryeon Yeom really wanted to take the Snow Wolf for Squad Leader Baek.
‘I heard he was a scoundrel.’
Seol Un-cheol, who saw Hyeokryeon Yeom in person, could guess that the information he knew and Hyeokryeon Yeom’s appearance were quite different.
‘I think I might understand why Eun Bin was satisfied with being a Vice Captain.’
He heard the story that Eun Bin, who volunteered to escort the Young Palace Head, entered under Hyeokryeon Yeom.
Seol Un-cheol, who knew his usual temperament, realized that that fact alone meant Hyeokryeon Yeom had quite a great existence.
“Are you suggesting a bet?”
“Exactly.”
“Then, if the Small Snow Squad Captain loses in this duel, what can you bet?”
Among the things I can give up right now, something the Vice Captain would be enticed by.
“I will hand over the Small Snow Squad Captain position.”
Flinch.
The Vice Captain of the Ice Wolf Squad, Seol Un-cheol, flashed his eyes.
Small Snow Squad is the unit protecting the Young Palace Head.
Seol Un-cheol knew that the Vice Captain position was the limit in the current Ice Wolf Squad anyway.
If he wins in this duel and takes over the Small Snow Squad Captain position, Seol Un-cheol would also be able to obtain a higher level of power.
“Good.”
He could return about one Snow Wolf of Baek Mu-yong with the Vice Captain’s authority.
“A man’s word-”
“-is worth a thousand gold.”
As soon as my answer ended,
“Hojung!”
-Grrr!
A Snow Wolf with a bigger build than the Snow Wolves I saw a while ago followed Seol Un-cheol.
Shuwak!
At the same time, Seol Un-cheol extended his sword.
I had to mind Seol Un-cheol’s sword while also minding the Snow Wolf Seol Un-cheol called.
Clang!
As soon as I blocked Seol Un-cheol’s sword,
Slash!
Sharp claws aimed at me.
“So this is the Ice Wolf Squad’s combat style.”
Flare!
The Snow Wolf called Hojung could not embed its claws into my body.
It was because flames bloomed from my whole body just before the claws touched the body.
“F-Flames.”
The blooming flames began to melt the surrounding snow.
“Still, you must have grown fond of it in your own way. I cannot let a guy I took in as a subordinate be separated alive from his pet dog.”
Sizzle-
Steam rose and began to block Seol Un-cheol’s vision.
Anyway, the sword was just a decoration for me.
Swoosh-
A fireball blooming from my hand flew towards Seol Un-cheol.
***
The Elder from the Ice Wolf Squad, Baek Seol-pung, was coming out of the Council of Elders and heading to the Ice Wolf Squad’s quarters.
It was to convey the plan to pressure the Small Snow Squad using the Snow Tiger Squad and Ice Wolf Squad to the Ice Wolf Squad Captain.
Boom!
However, an explosion sound burst out from the training ground.
‘Are they taming the Snow Wolves?’
Training new recruits of the Ice Wolf Squad to tame Snow Wolves at dawn was a long-standing tradition Baek Seol-pung created.
Therefore, he could roughly guess that there were people training at the training ground at this time.
“It shouldn’t be this noisy though?”
It is a time when everyone else is sleeping.
It was clear that the members of the Ice Wolf Squad, for whom stealth is essential, caused an accident.
Even if postponing meeting the Ice Wolf Squad Captain to next time, since he had to prevent the Snow Wolves, the Ice Palace’s military power, from becoming a problem,
Baek Seol-pung headed to the training ground.
And there,
“Cough-”
-Whimper.
He could discover the Vice Captain of the Ice Wolf Squad, Seol Un-cheol, who had become a bloody mess along with the Snow Wolf.
“It was impressive. If the opponent wasn't me, it was a tactic that would have had enough of a chance of victory. However, it seems the duel is my victory.”
A man wrapping his whole body in flames, holding a sword to Seol Un-cheol’s neck, came into view.
“Gal! What are you doing!”
Upon seeing that appearance, Baek Seol-pung forgot the purpose of visiting the Ice Wolf Squad and swung his sword abruptly.
Clang- Clang clang clang!
‘What?’
The man whom he thought he could naturally suppress with one exchange reacted to Baek Seol-pung’s sword.
The flames surrounding him accepted Baek Seol-pung’s sword and retreated.
“…Who are you?”
Not only did he accept the sword, but the man was also leisurely asking about Baek Seol-pung’s identity.
Only then could Baek Seol-pung recognize who the opponent was.
“Hyeokryeon Yeom?”
“Elder Baek!”
The voices of the Ice Wolf Squad members who were unable to do this or that behind the Vice Captain were heard welcoming Baek Seol-pung.
“How did this happen?”
“T-That is…….”
“We had a duel, and I won just now.”
“What?”
A duel in the middle of the night like this?
It even seems the Ice Wolf Squad Vice Captain lost.
He heard the story that Hyeokryeon Yeom made Eun Bin of the Small Snow Squad submit and swept away the horse bandits with the Young Palace Head.
But Baek Seol-pung had dismissed it as a rumor.
Because he thought the horse bandits of the Great Grasslands were not guys to be beaten by just one person.
However,
‘Did this guy really sweep away the horse bandits?’
That leisurely atmosphere seemed to have a possibility.
“For what matter are you here at this time, Elder?”
“…I was passing by.”
“It seems you had business with the Ice Wolf Squad?”
‘What kind of eyes…….’
He is clearly a guy much younger, but those eyes were deep enough that he could not even guess.
“…If the duel is over, I think it would be good to retreat from here.”
“I haven’t heard a definite answer yet.”
“What?”
“We made a bet. To grant what the winner of the duel demands.”
At those words, Baek Seol-pung raised his eyebrows.
A betting duel.
“Un-cheol-”
“S-Sorry.”
“…So what is the demand?”
“I would like you to return the Snow Wolf that Squad Leader Baek Mu-yong used to take around.”
Although he withdrew from the front lines, the news that Baek Mu-yong, who was an Ice Wolf Squad Leader, was drafted to the Small Snow Squad was a matter Baek Seol-pung also knew.
“That cannot be done.”
A person who is not of the Ice Wolf Squad must not take a Snow Wolf around.
The matter Hyeokryeon Yeom is demanding now was a story shaking the foundation of the Ice Wolf Squad.
“Why is that? The Snow Wolf Squad Leader Baek took around is a Snow Wolf that shared joys and sorrows with Squad Leader Baek anyway, isn’t it?”
“Because Baek Mu-yong is no longer in the Ice Wolf Squad.”
“Wasn’t it sufficiently possible with the authority of the Captain or Vice Captain?”
“That is…….”
He had to speak well here.
If he says there is no such authority, the Vice Captain, Seol Un-cheol, who lost in the duel, becomes a liar.
However, if he even has the Snow Wolf taken away by the guy in a situation where it is obvious he already lost, it was clear that the face of the Ice Wolf Squad would fall to the ground.
“Can you return it or not?”
Flames began to bloom from the guy’s whole body again.
‘Extreme Yang Qi.’
Heat he had never felt even once in the North Sea was rising.
Baek Seol-pung, who pondered for a moment, looked back at Seol Un-cheol.
Getting angry in front of him is only a loss. He intended to return Baek Mu-yong’s Snow Wolf first, and then talk to the Ice Palace Head about what Hyeokryeon Yeom did.
“Return Baek Mu-yong’s Snow Wolf.”
“E-Elder.”
“I will talk to the Palace Head about this matter.”
“S-Sorry.”
However, even at Elder Baek Seol-pung’s words, Seol Un-cheol was bowing his head.
“What is it?”
“That… In fact, Squad Leader Baek’s Snow Wolf was released outside the Ice Palace a while ago.”
“What do you mean by that!”
Releasing a Snow Wolf that was tamed with great effort?
“Elder, I didn’t want to say this, but we were in a situation where feed to give the Snow Wolves was insufficient.”
“What?”
Feed is insufficient.
That meant there was a problem with the Ice Palace’s finances.
At the story of the two people, I approached with sparkling eyes.
“Just now, that story. I would like you to tell me in detail.”