Chapter 36 : White Hand Demonic Art
“A live-in son-in-law, the youngest son of the Demonic Cult Leader? What is all this about, Unnie?!”
Han Seol-bi’s shout rang out through the hall.
Seol Ye-rin wore a troubled expression as she heard that voice.
The Heads of the Five Families of the Ice Palace were all watching.
If it were the past, Seol Ye-rin would have said whatever she wanted without caring whether they were staring or not.
But now it was different.
Since they would react to every single word Seol Ye-rin said, she had to be as careful as possible.
“That is how it happened. Seol-bi.”
“So you mean… it is true.”
Swish!
Han Seol-bi’s gaze began to scrutinize me.
It was frustrating, but she and Seol Ye-rin looked very good together.
“But, Unnie is!”
Just as she was about to raise her voice.
“Han Seol-bi.”
Flinch-
Han Seol-bi glanced back at the heavy voice.
It was the Head of the Cold Blood Han Family, Han Myeong-gwang, called Han Seol-bi.
Gulp-
“F-Family Head.”
“This is not a place for you to step forward.”
“Y-Yes.”
Han Seol-bi quickly stepped back.
“Palace Lord. I understand that you entrusted the Small Snow Squad to the Small Snow Squad Captain because he saved the Young Palace Head’s perilous life. But a live-in son-in-law? It sounds like you intend to form an alliance with our enemy, the Demonic Cult."
Seol Baek-ho answered the words of the Ice Wolf Baek Clan Head, Baek Il-sang.
“That is correct.”
“……?”
“…Are you saying you intend to form an alliance? With the Demonic Cult?”
Wooooong-
The Palace Lord’s Hall began to vibrate.
“This Palace Lord surely answered already.”
A massive chill soared from Seol Baek-ho’s entire body.
Energy that seemed to cut into flesh encroached upon the Palace Lord’s Hall.
‘That is the true appearance of the Ice King, Seol Baek-ho.’
The Ice Palace Lord, who had cast aside the major and minor affairs of the Ice Palace until now to save Seol Ye-rin, began to move again.
“Palace Lord. No matter if you are the Palace Lord, if you proceed with matters like this without any consultation with us…….”
When the Head of the Snow Tiger Gwak Clan, Gwak Un-cheol, had just opened his mouth.
“Could you tell us once what exactly makes the Demonic Cult such a problem, Family Heads?”
I stepped forward.
“You fellow, this is not a place for you to intervene right now!”
Gwak Un-cheol projected his energy explosively.
It seemed his intention was to crush my spirit at our first meeting, but.
Fwoosh-
Sparks rose slightly and the energy that touched me was obliterated.
I had burned the energy itself.
“What the…….”
“If the person involved cannot speak, then who can speak? I can understand that the perception of the Divine Cult is not good. However, I hope you will please look at me as a person rather than looking at my origin first.”
The moment I finished speaking.
“Should you not listen to my opinion as well?”
When the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, stepped forward, the Family Heads rushed in with lights in their eyes.
“Yes, that is right. Should we not also hear the story of the person involved!”
“Right! There is no way the Young Palace Head would say she will get engaged to a Demonic Cult 20 fellow.”
Only the Head of the Guardian Jang Clan, Jang Un-seong, did not say anything.
“I am going to do it, though.”
“……?”
“What?”
“Since it has not been long since we met, I intend to proceed with the engagement ceremony first. Meeting and getting married is a problem to figure out gradually, but. The Small Snow Squad Captain, no, the Third Young Master is the benefactor who allowed me to come out to the outside world again.”
This time, I wore a bewildered expression.
Like when she mentioned the title ‘Gaga’ in front of Seol Baek-ho last time.
Seol Ye-rin usually could not say things like this at all, but she was speaking very fluently in front of others.
Seol Ye-rin was properly boosting my morale.
“…….”
“Since the Young Palace Head is speaking to that extent, I hope the Heads of each family will also think about it once more. I called you today to tell you this.”
A seat to declare that things would change from now on since the Young Palace Head had recovered.
The Heads of the Five Great Clans of the Ice Palace stared at me without a word.
Because all these things began to change as I came to the Ice Palace.
***
The Family Heads went back.
Those remaining in the Palace Lord’s Hall were Seol Baek-ho, Seol Su-hyeok, Seol Ye-rin, myself, and Han Seol-bi.
Originally, she should have followed Family Head Han Myeong-gwang, but the Young Palace Head kept her behind.
Because Seol Ye-rin knew too well what kind of things Han Seol-bi would suffer if she followed Han Myeong-gwang as is.
“I did not know you would even go so far as to make a declaration in front of everyone.”
Seol Baek-ho spoke while looking at Seol Ye-rin.
“I said it because I thought it would be good to hold the engagement ceremony. Since I am not in a completely cured state yet, we should at least have an engagement ceremony to tie the Third Young Master to the Ice Palace, right?”
I have no intention of leaving for anywhere even if you do not necessarily tie me down.
“An engagement, I will have to send a letter to the Demonic Cult.”
“Palace Lord, they say the Demonic Cult has sent an envoy to return the favor for the gift sent last time. Would it not be fine to send it back via that side?”
Wait.
I think I just heard something strange.
“An envoy?”
“I sent a gift to the Heavenly Demon in exchange for treating the Young Palace Head. It seems to be a return envoy for that.”
…The Ice Palace Lord of all people sent a gift to the Cult Leader?
It seemed the Cult Leader and the Strategist who received the gift would have been very surprised.
‘Anyway, to think an envoy is coming.’
I was very curious about who would come.
If the information the envoy sees and hears gets passed to Hyeokryeon Geuk.
‘It might become a little troubling.’
What I was doing in the Ice Palace right now was no different from a preparation process to deal with the Demonic Cult in the future.
In this situation, I had to prevent the situation where information about me gets passed to Hyeokryeon Geuk at all costs.
“You look like you are not very pleased that a person from your hometown is visiting the Ice Palace.”
“Well, there are such things as the circumstances of an illegitimate son.”
At those words, Seol Baek-ho’s eyes narrowed.
“Is there anything you want to request of this Palace Lord?”
After tipping back white liquor, it seemed my father-in-law’s attitude toward me had strangely changed.
I pondered for a moment and spoke.
“Would you be able to do as I wish at least when the envoy visits?”
“If you wish.”
“Thank you.”
That broad-mindedness to agree without even asking what I would request.
It was befitting the Palace Lord of the Ice Palace.
“What happened with the trade with the Moyong Clan merchant guild?”
“We decided to take everything. Young Master Moyong Geum is resting in his accommodation due to travel fatigue.”
“Protect him strictly so that the son of the Merchant Guild Leader suffers no harm.”
Ah.
At my father-in-law’s one word, I realized I had left Moyong Geum too free.
The opponent was from a prestigious Orthodox Sect considered one of the Five Great Clans in the Central Plains Murim.
The Merchant Guild Leader of the Moyong Clan merchant guild was the younger brother of the Moyong Clan Head, and Moyong Geum was the Merchant Guild Leader’s son.
If such a person were to suffer harm in the Ice Palace, the Moyong Clan might advance toward the Ice Palace right away.
‘If a spy really exists within the Ice Palace…….’
He would feel like very sweet prey.
“I think I must go see him.”
“Why do you think something will happen?”
“The possibility… is not nonexistent.”
My father-in-law had heard that I left the possibility of a spy open, just as I mentioned last time.
“Then the Small Snow Squad Captain should go first.”
“Yes, Palace Lord.”
“I will also……!”
“You seem to need to have a talk with me.”
“Unnie……?”
“…Help the Small Snow Squad Captain a little, Seol-bi.”
“Yes, I understand!”
I gave a glance to Seol Ye-rin for a moment and came outside.
Just as I was thinking I should go to Moyong Geum quickly and was about to move.
“Hey, there.”
Han Seol-bi spoke to me.
“What is it?”
“…Your speech is a bit short?”
“Did you not call Lady Seol ‘Unnie’?”
“That is true, but…….”
“Then let’s speak casually.”
If we argued hierarchy, I was her older sister’s husband to Han Seol-bi.
“……That is somewhat frustrating.”
“Then you can speak casually too.”
Moving to the accommodation used by guests, I examined Han Seol-bi.
The daughter of the Cold Blood Han Family Head.
Looking only at that origin, in reality, her origin was similar to Seol Ye-rin’s.
‘Well, I guess that is why they can be Unnie and Dongsaeng (younger sister).’
“That’s not bad.”
I did not know she would speak casually right away like this.
“So, why did you call me?”
“Ah, because I was curious. Do you really have thoughts of marrying my Unnie? I heard Unnie’s opinion, but I don’t think I heard the Small Snow Squad Captain’s opinion.”
“Why are you curious about that?”
Ssaaa-
I only uttered one word.
A chill begins to settle down.
Although it is not Extreme Yin Qi.
Crackle-
It was enough to stop my steps.
“…What are you doing?”
“That is what I want to say. If you are toying with Unnie…….”
Frost forms at the tips of my feet.
But it was only for a very short moment.
Flare-
“Sorry, but did you say you were Han Seol-bi?”
Flames soar.
“W-What…….”
“You see, I have no intention of going easy on a punk who radiates killing intent at me just because she is Lady Seol’s sister.”
Flutter-
Just like the frost that touched my shoes a moment ago.
A butterfly fluttering wings of flame landed on the tip of Han Seol-bi’s foot.
“Kyaaak!”
The flames went Pop! and singed the ends of Han Seol-bi’s hair.
“Huk!”
“Toying with her, what do you mean toying? Since I plan to protect the Young Palace Head for the rest of my life from now on, you should do well to look after yourself.”
I wondered if it was too much, but due to the memories of my past life, I extremely hated being restrained.
Matters with Seol Ye-rin, I can discuss it directly with Seol Ye-rin.
The intervention of a third party was not needed.
Grind-
At that moment.
Touching her slightly burnt hair, it seemed Han Seol-bi clenched her back teeth tightly.
“Unnie, you see. She did not tell anyone, but she was always trembling in fear. Wondering if her constitution would devour her someday. From when she became an adult and the Extreme Yin Body began to grow fearfully large, she lost her words, and I could not meet her anymore either.”
I stopped walking and looked back at Han Seol-bi.
“To save Unnie like that, I also looked in many directions, and the Palace Lord also used countless methods such as bringing in a Divine Physician, but Unnie’s constitution could not be treated.”
But, I appeared.
I appeared and Seol Ye-rin recovered and became able to walk around outside.
Han Seol-bi rejoiced at that fact, but at the same time lamented that it was not herself who saved Seol Ye-rin.
So she wanted to see, wanted to meet.
Just what kind of person saved Seol Ye-rin.
However.
‘A live-in son-in-law?’
The man who will marry Unnie?
They even say he is from the Demonic Cult.
‘Frustrating.’
On top of that, after exchanging blows briefly, he seemed strong too.
-Seol-bi, listen well. The Small Snow Squad Captain is the youngest son of the Demonic Cult Leader. The moment the Young Palace Head marries the Small Snow Squad Captain , the Ice Palace might pass over to the Demonic Cult. Stop it somehow.
Han Seol-bi heard the secret telepathy of the Cold Blood Han Family Head, Han Myeong-gwang.
Therefore.
‘He will protect her for life?’
It was clearly a lie.
“Who do you think you are to suddenly appear and take Unnie away from me!”
The blood cools down coldly.
Blue energy jutted out and began to dye Han Seol-bi’s hands pure white.
“That martial art is…….”
Seeing that bluish energy, I could notice immediately what martial art Han Seol-bi intended to use.
The problem was.
“How do you… have that martial art …….”
The martial art Han Seol-bi was learning was not a martial art of the Ice Palace, but a demonic art.
White Hand Demonic Art.
A martial art of the Demonic Cult had revealed its appearance in the Ice Palace.