Chapter 023 : Fist Fight
To send a Snow Wolf out of the Ice Palace because they couldn't feed it.
That meant the Ice Palace's financial state was not good.
Come to think of it.
‘I also heard the story that the Ice Palace Head used various means to save the Young Palace Head.’
It seems I also heard rumors in my previous life that the Ice Palace fell into poverty.
If I, in those days lived like a scoundrel, heard the rumor, it means it was practically an established fact.
It really meant that the North Sea's financial situation was not good.
“You didn't intend to keep the bet from the start, did you?”
At my words, Seol Un-cheol bowed his head deeply.
“Since you chased the Snow Wolf outside, can I understand it as saying the Snow Wolf Baek Mu-yong took around has no owner?”
Elder Baek Seol-pung reluctantly nodded at my question.
“Thank you for the confirmation.”
I took a clasped hands greeting to Elder Baek Seol-pung and turned back without lingering attachment.
Situation analysis is over.
While returning to the quarters, I asked the two ghosts.
“Sword Venerable sir, Demon Queen ma'am. Do you happen to have any money stashed away in the old days?”
At my words, the Snow Wind Sword Venerable and Cold Snow Demon Queen, who were revered as the Martial Gods of the North Sea, looked at each other.
-Ahem…….
A feeling that they were somewhat pricked.
-Master, it seems you had an inheritance you didn't leave to me.
-What about you, do you not have hidden assets? Seeing that the Ice Palace seems very troubled, try taking out something.
The Sword Venerable and Demon Queen started to bicker with each other.
“So are you saying there is, or there isn't?”
-There is… something stashed away.
The Demon Queen declared giving up first.
“Can you tell me?”
-I can only give it if I tell you. But whether it still remains is unknown, you see.
Indeed, since two hundred years have passed, the probability that whatever was hidden still remains was low.
“If you just tell me the location for now, finding it, I will search for it diligently.”
-Then let’s go together tomorrow.
It was too late today.
Returning to the quarters, I lay on the bed and closed my eyes, thinking that a day in the North Sea is truly long.
Next day.
“Are you up, Young Master!!”
Wi Ji-yeong shouted loudly.
“What is it from this morning?”
“Warrior Baek said he heard the story about yesterday.”
“If it's the story about yesterday…….”
“Hearing the story that the Snow Wolf that was with Warrior Baek went outside the Ice Palace, they say he went out to find the Snow Wolf!”
“What?”
I intended not to tell Baek Mu-yong on purpose.
‘Looking at it calmly, it is strange.’
Thinking about it, it is so.
It hasn’t been a few days since Baek Mu-yong’s assignment changed from the Ice Wolf Squad to the Small Snow Squad.
‘Judging by the attitude Elder Baek showed yesterday…….’
A tamed Snow Wolf must be a particularly precious resource even within the Ice Palace.
To send such a resource outside immediately just because there is no feed money is hard to accept.
‘If it is a precious resource, they could hunt wild animals to feed it…….’
Then the conclusion leads to one thing.
‘This is clearly someone's scheme.’
Having reached a conclusion, I nodded.
“Where are the Vice Captain and Tae Un-seo?”
“Tae Un-seo is preparing breakfast to give to you, Young Master!”
“Tell him to stop that immediately and call everyone.”
Outside the Ice Palace surrounded by citadel walls, a harsh snowy field spreads out.
If someone is targeting Baek Mu-yong in a situation where he went out of the Ice Palace alone, it is clearly dangerous.
A while later.
“Did you call?”
I joined Eun Bin and Tae Un-seo.
“I could not serve breakfast.”
“It’s fine.”
Rather, it is fortunate.
“For what matter did you call?”
“Baek Mu-yong went outside the Ice Palace.”
“Alone… you mean?”
“Is it a matter to call like this just because Squad Leader Baek went outside the Ice Palace, he isn't a child?”
I told the two people what happened with the Ice Wolf Squad yesterday.
“…If it is like that, we certainly need to chase after him.”
Eun Bin’s narrow eyes opened slightly.
It seems Eun Bin also recognized the seriousness of the situation.
“Let’s depart quickly.”
I nodded and began to unfold my movement arts.
Wi Ji-yeong, Eun Bin, and Tae Un-seo began to chase after me frantically.
***
At that time.
Baek Mu-yong was moving to find the Snow Wolf, White Night, whom he had shared joys and sorrows with.
‘Who is it?’
The fact that the Ice Palace's financial situation is not good was something Baek Mu-yong already knew.
He also accepted without a word that he would be separated from White Night as a member of the Ice Wolf Squad due to the Small Snow Squad assignment.
Because he thought White Night, who grew up with him, would be able to do well even alone.
However, he didn't know someone would chase White Night outside the Ice Palace.
If he hadn't received the letter someone sent this morning, finding out would have been delayed.
“Outside the Ice Palace is dangerous.”
Even if it is a Snow Wolf called the wolf of the snowy field.
If it meets a white bear, it can only be helpless.
Since it trained with martial artists of the Ice Wolf Squad in the Ice Wolf Squad, White Night would also have no big problem living in the wild, but.
‘Dare to send White Night out without even asking my intention?’
From Baek Mu-yong’s position, it was utterly hard to accept.
White Night must be waiting for Baek Mu-yong somewhere clearly.
‘I am sorry to the Captain, but.’
To Baek Mu-yong, White Night was more important than the Captain whom he hadn't met long ago.
“Where are you, where are you?”
Searching is the Ice Wolf Squad's specialty.
With a Snow Wolf, that efficiency increases madly, but even without a Snow Wolf, basically Baek Mu-yong was a master of searching.
“Found it.”
Ice Palace east direction.
Traces of White Night were found in a place where snowy mountains rose sparsely.
Since it seems they chased White Night out while he went to the Demonic Cult, it must have entered the snowy mountain because it was hungry.
The problem is the fact that Snow Mountain White Bears exist in the snowy mountains.
An apex predator that can crush without budging even if multiple Snow Wolves are traveling in a pack attack.
“Please, just be safe.”
Even if he had to fight the Captain of the Ice Wolf Squad, Baek Mu-yong intended to take White Night around.
The more he climbed the snowy mountain, the more Baek Mu-yong’s expression hardened.
“Bloodstains?”
Red fresh blood scattered over the snowy field entered Baek Mu-yong’s view.
It is clear there was a battle.
Examining the traces, fortunately, traces of a white bear did not exist.
It was the moment judgment was made that at least White Night would be alive.
However, something more unpleasant than that entered his eyes.
A collar symbolizing the Ice Palace's Snow Wolf has fallen.
‘It is not White Night’s. That means…….’
Baek Mu-yong, who confirmed the battle traces placed in front of his eyes, noticed that these traces were battle traces of the Ice Wolf Squad where he belonged for a long time.
Precisely,
‘The driving hunting method of beasts.’
Grind-
Baek Mu-yong ground his teeth.
“…I will kill them.”
The reason there are many who are jealous of Baek Mu-yong, who was merely a Squad Leader of the Ice Wolf Squad, is one.
‘A mere illegitimate son.’
Just like the Five Great Demon Clans of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the North Sea Ice Palace also has five clans including the current Palace Head’s clan, the North Wind Seol Clan, as the lead.
Each clan is divided by internal armed groups like other sects.
This means each force has a hierarchy centered on the bloodlines of the five clans.
Among them, the power of the Elders belonging to the Ice Palace Council of Elders, the Ice Council, was as mighty as the Clan Head of each clan.
Baek Seol-pung of the Ice Wolf Baek Clan.
He had a son he cherished whom he had early, and that son brought a child from the Outer Regions, not the North Sea, one day.
That was Baek Mu-yong, Baek Seol-pung’s unrecognized grandson and an illegitimate son mixed with blood not from the North Sea.
Therefore, Baek Mu-yong could understand Hyeokryeon Yeom’s situation better than anyone.
People envy what they do not have.
Although an illegitimate son, because he was from the Baek Clan, Baek Mu-yong could be assigned to the Ice Wolf Squad.
He had to endure all of others' envy and jealousy.
It didn't matter if they touched Baek Mu-yong himself.
Because he thought it was something he had to bear.
However,
‘What sin is it of White Night?’
White Night, who grew up as a pedigreed Snow Wolf, had no fault.
“White Night! Where are you!”
A ringing voice vibrated the snowy mountain.
“…….”
But what came back was no sound at all.
“Damn it.”
If the guys chasing White Night are still chasing White Night, he had to find White Night quickly.
Rustle-
Just then.
A presence was felt.
The moment he turned his head quickly,
Swoosh!
A sword flew aiming at the back of Baek Mu-yong’s neck.
It was too late to dodge.
Boom!
Because it was difficult for Baek Mu-yong, who deploys the profundity of a heavy sword rather than a fast sword, to react.
Rather, he put the weight of the heavy sword and concentrated the cold energy.
Crack-!
The emitted energy began to freeze the sword.
“Sword Control with Qi?”
A voice he had heard and a familiar sword strike.
Baek Mu-yong could predict immediately who swung the sword.
“…Was White Night bait?”
“I intended to kill that damned wolf guy too, but for a wolf, it was trickier than I thought.”
Thud thud.
The one who ambushed Baek Mu-yong was a person Baek Mu-yong knew well.
“Captain. As expected, it was you.”
Ice Wolf Squad Captain, Seol Jin-ho.
One of the people who extremely hates Baek Mu-yong.
He is one of the few power holders who can chase White Night out.
“What on earth is the reason for doing this so far?”
“You bastard… don't know.”
Seol Jin-ho was trembling all over his body from the moment he saw Baek Mu-yong.
“Do you know how happy I was when you bastard was assigned to the Small Snow Squad? The fact that I could finally walk a different path from you was insanely enjoyable to me.”
Baek Mu-yong and Seol Jin-ho have been acquaintances since childhood.
A branch family member of the Seol Clan who finds fault with Baek Mu-yong at every turn.
Unlike the direct line including Ice Palace Head Seol Baek-ho, the branch family could be said to be in the same situation as Baek Mu-yong in a way, but.
The problem was that Baek Mu-yong was of Baek Seol-pung’s bloodline.
Baek Seol-pung was an Elder from the Ice Wolf Squad and he interfered in the Ice Wolf Squad’s affairs at every turn.
‘I have endured everything until now, but.’
This situation, clearly, crossed the line.
“Where is White Night, Captain.”
“Your bastard appearance still treating me as Captain is truly detestable.”
“I am no longer affiliated with the Ice Wolf Squad.”
“Right. Then shouldn't you not care whatever happens to White Night? Since a guy who isn't even an Ice Wolf Squad member cannot take a Snow Wolf around.”
Every word is correct.
However,
“White Night has no fault, does he?”
“Existence itself is a fault.”
At that one word, Baek Mu-yong’s reason snapped.
“If other Snow Wolves also think like that…….”
Schwing.
Baek Mu-yong aimed his sword towards Seol Jin-ho.
“I will no longer acknowledge you as the Ice Wolf Squad Captain.”
“I was also just thinking it was a waste to leave you as a Squad Leader. Let’s see the end here.”
If he was going to kill Baek Mu-yong, he should have certainly finished it during the ambush just now.
The moment Baek Mu-yong’s sword wrapped in blue sword qi was about to make the surrounding air heavy.
Flare-
Flames soar.
As Baek Mu-yong turned his head at the familiar warmth,
“…Captain?”
“Small Snow Squad Captain?”
The live-in son-in-law who came from the Demonic Cult.
Small Snow Squad Captain, Hyeokryeon Yeom, revealed himself along with Wi Ji-yeong, Eun Bin, and Tae Un-seo.
***
It didn't take a long time to find Baek Mu-yong.
“Amazing, he was really here.”
“I received information a while ago that wolf howling sounds were heard from the east of the Ice Palace. Wolf howling sounds must be a Snow Wolf clearly.”
I don't know how he acquired it, but Eun Bin was acquiring quite a lot of information.
Synthesizing this information, pinpointing the location where Baek Mu-yong would have moved was not a difficult task for him.
-It is Ice Wolf Squad Captain, Seol Jin-ho. He has usually considered Squad Leader Baek as a nuisance.
Eun Bin knew everything.
“What business do you have with the Squad Leader of the Small Snow Squad, Ice Wolf Squad Captain?”
Hyeokryeon Yeom and Seol Jin-ho are positions of the same rank.
If it was usual, he wouldn't have spoken informally at the first meeting, but.
‘Looking at the current situation, anyone can see the relationship doesn't look good.’
There was a need to seize the momentum.
“Hmm, I didn't think the Small Snow Squad Captain would move this fast.”
Seol Jin-ho was examining me.
I felt a sense of incongruity at that appearance.
‘Alone?’
Even if it is to ambush Baek Mu-yong, moving alone was strange.
‘Are the members of the Ice Wolf Squad chasing Baek Mu-yong’s Snow Wolf?’
Ah.
Come to think of it, I realized the strangest point.
It is known that members of the Ice Wolf Squad mostly move with Snow Wolves.
Naturally, Captain Seol Jin-ho would also take a Snow Wolf around.
But right now, no Snow Wolf was seen near Seol Jin-ho.
In other words, “Ji-yeong, Tae Un-seo. Find the Snow Wolves roaming nearby. The probability is high that they are chasing Baek Mu-yong’s Snow Wolf.”
“Yes! I understand!”
“I will chase immediately.”
Wi Ji-yeong and Tae Un-seo started to move.
Seol Jin-ho just watched the appearance of the two leaving.
“You are not blocking them?”
“Because there is no reason to block.”
Seol Jin-ho was alone, but he was taking an attitude that he had nothing to be inferior about.
“Is Baek Mu-yong’s Snow Wolf not important, but being able to kill Baek Mu-yong here is more important?”
“You are quick-witted.”
“Even though Ji-yeong and Tae Un-seo left. You should know that you are behind in numbers?”
“A person who says he will become the Ice Palace’s live-in son-in-law wouldn't do a joint attack, right?”
At Seol Jin-ho’s words, I stroked my chin and thought.
‘This bastard, he still doesn't know me properly.’
Just then.
“Captain, I am sorry.”
Baek Mu-yong offered an apology.
“What is there to be sorry about? You just ran out to find family.”
To Baek Mu-yong, the Snow Wolf must have been like family.
Therefore,
“Touching family means crossing the line.”
While looking at Seol Jin-ho, I asked Eun Bin.
“Vice Captain, is that guy a guy whom it doesn't matter even if I beat him up a bit?”
“Fist fights between Captains are a common occurrence in the Ice Palace.”
At Eun Bin’s answer, the corners of my mouth curled up.