Chapter 40: The Culprit
"Really, this environment, it seems so good."
Lick.
A middle-aged man wearing black martial arts clothes licked his lips with his tongue.
One unit of assassins from Blood Tears had gathered at the Ice Palace.
"To disguise ourselves as the Demonic Cult, kill Ice Palace people and make money. Where else would there be a more suitable environment for us than this, isn't that right?"
"That is correct!"
"Do not forget. We are demonic practitioners."
Grin.
At the middle-aged man's words, the assassins drew their swords and began to kill the people of the Ice Palace.
"Heavenly Demon Rebirth, Ten Thousand Demons Submit!"
"Heavenly Demon Rebirth, Ten Thousand Demons Submit!"
As if brainwashing themselves that they were cultists, the assassins shouted Ten Thousand Demons Submit.
"Slaughter the cultists!"
Martial artists of the Snow Tiger Squad and Ice Wolf Squad began to pour out.
Even so, the assassins disguised as cultists were not daunted at all.
Spurt-
"Keoheok!"
Why?
Because they were killing the masters of the Ice Palace while appropriately utilizing assassin martial arts.
'Since we were told it doesn't matter if we run away at the appropriate time anyway.'
This was a fight that was too advantageous for them.
"Die, you Ice Palace bastards!"
Shoowak! Shoowak!
The assassins' swords were fast and cruel.
"Kuhahaha! You are weak!"
At the moment Gwon Un-so, a high-ranking assassin of Blood Tears who thought they could defeat all the martial artists of the Ice Palace at this rate, burst into mad laughter,
Flutter-
A butterfly flew over, fluttering.
'A butterfly?'
The moment the butterfly flew over like that, it sat on Danmok So's shoulder.
Hwareureureuk!
Enormous flames soared up.
"Kkeuaaaak-"
"Captain!"
"Cultists? That is absurd."
"White Night!"
-Keuwaang!
Baek Mu-yong's Ice Wolf, White Night, began to roam among the men in black at immense speed.
Slash- Slash-
"Kkeuaak! My arm!"
"My leg!!"
Tae Un-seo began to slice arms and legs with a kitchen knife.
"You are cruel."
Puk- Puk- Puk-
Wi Ji-yeong's flying daggers lodged into the necks of the men in black.
Shyushyushyuk!
Every time Eun Bin's fast sword shot out, the lives of the men in black were extinguished one by one.
"R, Reinforcements!"
"Wuaaaaaa!"
"But... who are they?"
"It's the Young Palace Head's direct unit, the Small Snow Squad."
"If it's the Small Snow Squad... Isn't the Captain from the Demonic Cult?"
"Then is he killing cultists with his own hands?"
Hwareureuk!
Once again, flames soared.
"I wish you wouldn't compare me with these kinds of fakes and demonic practitioners."
"Fakes?"
"Do you guys think these things that don't even emit demonic qi are cultists?"
Cheucheucheut-
Enormous demonic qi began to soar from my whole body.
Flinch- Flinch-
"This is the very demonic qi that the demonic practitioners of the Demonic Cult possess."
Gulp-
The martial artists of the Ice Palace swallowed dry saliva at the numbing demonic qi I was radiating.
"The enemies?"
"We have dealt with most of them."
At Eun Bin's answer, I nodded my head.
As expected, those who raided the Ice Palace were not demonic practitioners.
I had to prove this.
"Bring Mister Moyong."
And I knew a martial artist of the Orthodox Faction who could prove this.
***
At that time when I came out of the Palace Lord's Hall and dealt with all the men in black who raided the North Sea Ice Palace.
Kwaang!
"Ye-rin!"
"Young Palace Head!"
"Stand back. The moment even a single person interferes, I will freeze this space itself."
Seol Ye-rin did not lie.
Hyeokryeon Mu's surroundings were completely covered in ice.
"......I like it very much."
To Hyeokryeon Mu, Seol Ye-rin was a woman who continuously evoked admiration.
She possessed martial prowess enough to keep Hyeokryeon Mu isolated like this with a woman's body.
And above all.
'The face sparsely visible inside the face veil is......'
It was a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.
"You are still stupid."
"What?"
"If you do not know what kind of price the Third Young Master is paying because of you, shut that mouth."
Hyeokryeon Mu frowned.
"Why... Do you support Hyeokryeon Yeom to that extent?"
"A scoundrel like you will never understand the Third Young Master's heart for the rest of your life."
Seol Ye-rin was already showing an attitude close to murder with her words alone.
And there was a person stomping his feet unbeknownst to others upon seeing such a Seol Ye-rin.
'Damn it! I should have dealt with Hyeokryeon Mu here!'
He didn't know the Young Palace Head would protect the Demonic Cult's envoy like that.
Seol Un-gang, who stood up while clutching his stinging cheek, clenched and unclenched his fist.
He wanted to step forward, but he couldn't.
There were eyes, far too many eyes.
The gazes of many people were currently watching Seol Un-gang.
'The moment I step forward here.'
He would be completely trapped.
'Because I let myself get hit once for no reason......'
At that time, he shouldn't have just let himself be hit but should have subdued Hyeokryeon Mu.
If he had done that, he wouldn't have let Hyeokryeon Yeom go outside the Palace Lord's Hall.
And he wouldn't have had to worry like this.
The eyes of the Council of Elders, the Ice Council Chairman, Seol Un-gang, began to roll around.
"Young Palace Head, by the way, until when do you intend to wait like this?"
The Head of the Guardian Jang Clan, Jang Un-seong, asked on behalf of the Clan Heads.
It was understandable since nearly one hour had passed since the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, had tied down Hyeokryeon Mu.
Seeing that there was no further contact from the outside, it was highly likely that the Small Snow Squad that went out was dealing with the demonic practitioners well.
If the Small Snow Squad really returns without betraying the Young Palace Head like this.
'The hypothesis that someone impersonated the Demonic Cult and attacked the Ice Palace fits.'
Clan Head Jang Un-seong was of the position that such a possibility should not be left open.
Even without that, the expression of the Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho, was getting worse and worse.
If a traitor had really appeared from within using Hyeokryeon Mu as an excuse.
The moment Hyeokryeon Yeom brings the guys who raided the Demonic Cult and reveals they are not demonic practitioners.
'The time of the Great Purge will arrive.'
Before the Young Palace Head, Seol Ye-rin, suffered from the Extreme Yin Qi, the Ice Palace Lord, Ice King Seol Baek-ho, reigned as the King of the Ice Palace just like his alias.
Compared to Seol Baek-ho of those days, there must be many who think of him as a toothless tiger now.
However, Clan Head Jang Un-seong knew well.
That a tiger is a tiger even if it has grown old.
When the crouching tiger bares its teeth, just how much of a bloodstorm would blow.
As the Head of a Guardian Family that protects the Ice Palace, Jang Un-seong wanted to minimize the damage.
To do that.
"Until the Small Snow Squad Captain returns."
He needed to separate the Young Palace Head, who only had eyes for that Small Snow Squad Captain, from Hyeokryeon Mu first.
At Seol Ye-rin's remark, Clan Head Jang Un-seong turned his gaze to Seol Baek-ho.
"Palace Lord, one hour has already passed. We cannot just wait like this forever, can we? First, regarding the envoy of the Demonic Cult who threw a fist at Chairman Seol Un-gang, we should ask for responsibility......"
"Clan Head Jang."
Flinch-
At Seol Baek-ho's single word, Jang Un-seong snapped to his senses.
Seol Baek-ho was currently in a sharp state to the point where goosebumps rose all over one's body.
'The eyes he used to show in the past.'
It seemed Seol Baek-ho intended to completely root out those gnawing at the North Sea using this opportunity.
"My thoughts seem to have been short."
As Jang Un-seong quickly tucked his tail and returned to his original spot.
The expressions of the Head of the Ice Wolf Baek Clan, Baek Il-sang, and the Head of the Snow Tiger Gwak Clan, Gwak Un-cheol, hardened.
It was because they kept thinking that the Palace Lord's power would become too strong at this rate.
"This is boring. I thought the Young Palace Head would play with me as the representative of the Ice Palace, but to think you were stalling for time for that guy Yeom."
Trudge. Trudge.
Demonic qi rose from Hyeokryeon Mu's whole body.
"You, haven't forgotten that you visited the Ice Palace as an envoy, have you?"
"I know. But I'm the type who can't stand being curious. Why do you trust Hyeokryeon Yeom to that extent?"
At Hyeokryeon Mu's words, Seol Ye-rin began to think deeply.
Why does she trust Hyeokryeon Yeom?
Come to think of it, it was truly fascinating.
Saving Seol Ye-rin who was in despair by barging in out of nowhere at their first meeting.
Sweeping away horse bandits to be acknowledged by her father.
Finding the legacy of the Martial God that hadn't been found for three hundred years.
Smirk.
A smile naturally formed when thinking of Hyeokryeon Yeom.
"...Ha?"
The moment Hyeokryeon Mu's expression distorted upon seeing Seol Ye-rin smiling,
"Did you wait long?"
Hyeokryeon Yeom returned.
***
Moyong Geum wondered what was going on.
Clearly, he had visited the Ice Palace to take Cold Iron to Liaoning Province and sell it.
'To think the Ice Palace's Young Palace Head and the Demonic Cult Leader's youngest son are scheduled to hold a wedding.'
He had acquired tremendous information.
If this information is conveyed to the martial artists, a storm will surely begin to blow.
And such precious information.
'It is bound to become money.'
Moyong Geum smelled money from Hyeokryeon Yeom and Seol Ye-rin.
Of course, the Moyong Clan is one of the Five Great Clans that aims for the Orthodox Path.
Then what about the Moyong Clan Merchant Guild?
In appearance, it looks like a merchant guild belonging to the Orthodox Path, but in reality, if it was something that made money, they jumped into it through fire and water.
Becoming the best merchant guild in the Central Plains was the dream of Moyong Geum, the son of the Moyong Clan Merchant Guild Leader.
Generally, saying one becomes the best merchant guild meant becoming the richest person in the Central Plains.
There was one thing such Moyong Geum considered an iron rule.
'Money comes from people.'
When Hyeokryeon Yeom called Moyong Geum and asked him to distinguish whether the people who raided the Ice Palace were cultists or not.
Even when he heard the words asking him to speak on the name of 'Moyong'.
The first thought Moyong Geum had was.
It was 'I can create a debt'.
"We meet again, Palace Lord and various vassals of the Ice Palace. I am Moyong Geum of the Moyong Clan Merchant Guild."
"Why is a merchant suddenly......"
"Who called him?"
As Moyong Geum took the lead, the people gathered in the Palace Lord's Hall began to murmur.
"Haha, everyone must be flustered. The reason I have stepped forward in front of you all like this is......"
It is entirely because of Hyeokryeon Yeom, though.
"It is precisely because of these people."
The Small Snow Squad brought the captives with bound mouths and placed them in front of Moyong Geum.
Hwik!
"Do you see? These are the very people who raided the Ice Palace this time."
"Cultists!"
"Now, now, hasty judgment is taboo. It is too early to conclude that this person is a cultist yet."
Moyong Geum said that and looked back at Hyeokryeon Mu.
"I heard that an envoy of the Demonic Cult has visited. And since the raid proceeded matching that time, naturally you thought it was a raid by the Demonic Cult. Is that correct?"
"That is so."
The answer was given by Seol Baek-ho.
"When thinking about it with common sense, do you think there would be a raid that even the person visiting as an envoy doesn't know about?"
Seueueuk.
Seol Baek-ho's gaze headed toward the Clan Heads of the Five Great Families.
"Keuheum."
"Looking at the reactions, it seems the Clan Heads did not think up to that part. However, is it not necessary to recall once again whether someone agitated the situation?"
"Agitated?"
"Usually."
Tak, Tak.
Moyong Geum, who tapped the head of the man in black who was gagged in case of suicide, continued his words.
"Look. You have to regard the person who agitated to make non-demonic qi possessing cultists into cultists as the figure who led this raid. And."
Pat-!
Moyong Geum pulled down the nape of the man in black.
Then,
The word 'Blood' engraved on the neck was visible.
"These are assassins of the Central Plains' Two Great Assassin Groups, Blood Tears."
In other words, to summarize, someone commissioned an assassin group to raid the Ice Palace and tried to frame it as if they were cultists.
Hearing Moyong Geum's clean summary, the people began to recall the time when the guard shouted about the raid again.
"Clearly... the person who agitated first was..."
Everyone's gaze headed toward the Elders.
At that appearance, I stepped forward.
"Chairman Seol Un-gang. As expected, you were the culprit."
I found the traitor disturbing the Ice Palace.