Chapter 45 : Kunlun
“This is…….”
“What money is this?”
“It is the travel expenses and also the monthly salary.”
“You mean monthly salary?!”
Wi Ji-yeong was startled.
Because it was three times the amount she received when she lived as a maid of the Demonic Cult.
“I thought you considered us room-corner idlers. It seems like a proper salary received after a long time. Thank you, Captain.”
Eun Bin also checked that the monthly salary had increased and offered his thanks.
“… I will pledge my loyalty!”
“I will repay you with delicious ingredients!”
Baek Mu-yong also received a salary much higher than his days in the Ice Wolf Squad.
Tae Un-seo was the same.
It seemed he received enough funds to buy all the food ingredients he could buy for the cooking he wanted to do.
“Whenever we produce results, I will demand a salary raise from the General Manager, so I ask you to do well in the future too.”
“Thank you!!”
As expected, no matter which world it is, money is important to satisfy basic human desires.
‘Because there is no one who wants a life like a slave.’
Work hard, and earn as much as you work.
If you produce results, corresponding rewards follow.
That is how development happens.
“Now then, shall we leave for the Potala Palace?”
“I came to see you off.”
Just as we were about to leave, the Young Palace Head Seol Ye-rin revealed herself.
“You came?”
I heard that after we talked yesterday, the Young Palace Head Seol Ye-rin went to find the Palace Lord.
Honestly, I was worried about what to do if she said she would go to the Potala Palace together.
Looking at her attire, fortunately, it seemed to be my groundless fear.
Leap!
As soon as she saw Seol Ye-rin, Tamya jumped straight into Seol Ye-rin’s bosom.
“If you are with that little guy, you will be fine for the time being.”
“Yes, the time limit is exactly one month.”
“Time limit?”
“One month later, on the day the Third Young Master returns from stopping by the Potala Palace, I reached an agreement with the Palace Lord to hold an engagement ceremony.”
This is the first I am hearing of this.
“Engagement ceremony?”
“Yes, I will be working hard so that the people within the Palace can acknowledge the Third Young Master during that one month. So, Third Young Master, please execute the order given by the Palace Lord as quickly as possible and return.”
“I will do so.”
After saying it, I saw Seol Ye-rin’s blushing face.
Thinking about it, an engagement ceremony means we will marry later on.
The fact that she talked about this directly to the Palace Lord means Seol Ye-rin expressed her intention to marry herself.
‘Oh my.’
Originally, I should have been the one to talk about something like this first.
“When I return, I will bring back a gift.”
Although it feels a bit premature to propose yet.
I thought it would be good to prepare at least a gift to commemorate the engagement ceremony.
***
‘Really.’
Her face was burning.
Yesterday.
Hearing that Hyeokryeon Yeom was going to the Potala Palace, she went to find Father right away.
-Oh, Ye-rin, what brings you here at this time of night!
-Father. I heard you ordered Young Master Hyeokryeon to go to the Potala Palace?
-The one the Potala Palace requested was you. But I cannot send you, can I.
-What if I say I want to go together?
-I do not permit it.
-I knew you would say that.
-Are you giving up?
-Instead, I have a condition.
-Speak it.
-The day Young Master Hyeokryeon returns. I want to hold an engagement ceremony.
-You are saying… you want to marry?
-I said an engagement ceremony. Don’t we have to do it even formally through the blood alliance anyway? I can at least decide the date myself.
-…… I understand.
-Ah, and by any chance, you aren't going to form something like a blood alliance with the Potala Palace too, are you?
-Why do you ask that?
-I heard the Young Palace Head is a man? It will be troublesome if you bring him to the Ice Palace and entrust his treatment to me.
-… That will not happen.
-Good. Then, I ask you to proceed with the engagement ceremony.
That is how the engagement ceremony was decided.
The problem was the fact that she had to convey this to Hyeokryeon Yeom.
From then on, her heart started pounding.
It was just an engagement ceremony, but she started running out of breath as if she had to convey her feelings.
“When I return, I will bring back a gift.”
It seemed Hyeokryeon Yeom recognized such feelings of Seol Ye-rin.
He said he would buy a gift on his way back from the Potala Palace.
At those single words, her heart began to resonate once again.
‘Really, quiet down a bit.’
Afraid that the sound of her heart would be heard, Seol Ye-rin stared at Hyeokryeon Yeom with a nervous heart.
“Is there any gift you want?”
“A gift is something the giver should think about. And while a gift is a gift, please do not forget that returning safely is the priority.”
One month is a long time.
If any problem happens to Hyeokryeon Yeom during that time.
‘I will not stay still.’
She would mobilize all the power Seol Ye-rin possesses to punish the one who put Hyeokryeon Yeom in trouble.
Flinch-
Although it was anew, Seol Ye-rin realized that her gaze looking at Hyeokryeon Yeom had changed quite a bit.
“Right, thank you for worrying. Then I will be back. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Vice Captain, I hope you protect Miss Seol well.”
“Yes, understood. Captain.”
“I will be back, Young Palace Head!”
“Please do not skip meals and make sure to eat properly.”
Wi Ji-yeong and Tae Un-seo threw a word each while looking at Seol Ye-rin and began to move following Hyeokryeon Yeom.
“Eun Bin. Everyone will return safely, right?”
“Of course.”
“One month, huh.”
-Kyaong.
A time that is long if you say it’s long, and short if you say it’s short.
During that time, Hyeokryeon Yeom will continue to change.
‘He will probably become much stronger than now.’
She could not lose.
Slurp-
She felt Tamya sucking in the Extreme Yin Qi little by little.
Just as the Ice Crystal targeted Seol Ye-rin’s Extreme Yin Qi, Tamya was also coveting Seol Ye-rin.
‘I cannot rely on him anymore.’
During the one month, Seol Ye-rin also resolved to change.
***
Potala Palace.
“Ugh-”
There was a figure twisting their body in the Young Palace Head’s Hall.
Bubble bubble.
A painfulness as if the whole body was being seared by hot fire is felt.
The Young Palace Head of the Potala Palace, Cheon Deung-jin, bit his lip.
‘If there is hell, is it here?’
-Jin-ah, endure it just a little longer.
The Palace Lord’s voice flows into his head.
‘How do you expect me to endure this pain?’
-I requested the Ice Palace to send someone with Yin energy to cool down your heat, but they said they are sending someone with Extreme Yang Qi.
‘Extreme Yang Qi?’
He heard that Extreme Yang Qi is something even worse than this pain Cheon Deung-jin is feeling right now.
“Is he… alive?”
-Yes, they say so! I heard that the Demonic Cult Leader’s third son, who possesses the Extreme Yang Body, is overcoming the Extreme Yang Qi and living on despite having the Extreme Yang Body. If that guy comes, he might be able to control your Yang energy!
Several questions arose.
We requested the Ice Palace, so why is the Demonic Cult Leader’s third son coming all the way to the Potala Palace.
How can he live without struggling in pain while possessing the Extreme Yang Body.
“How long… do they say it will take.”
-That is…….
The North Sea is far.
It was highly likely to take over fifteen days just to cross from the North Sea to the Western Regions.
‘It will take a long time.’
“I will… try to endure.”
-They say the North Sea Ice Palace’s Young Palace Head also survived thanks to him. Rumors that the Ice Palace Lord is excited thanks to that have even reached here! I think we can really have hope this time! So, endure just a little longer!
The Potala Palace Lord, Cheon Jeok-pa, could only say these words for Cheon Deung-jin.
‘Hope?’
It has been a long time since he gave up on such things.
Is it because he knows that if he does not overcome this heat, it will lead to death.
The only reason Cheon Deung-jin lives without giving up on this life is one thing.
‘I cannot die before taking revenge on that guy.’
So today as well, Cheon Deung-jin was enduring the pain.
For a whole fifteen days, Cheon Deung-jin struggled in the pain of the Fire Spirit Qi.
***
At that time.
Qinghai Province, Moyong Clan.
The Moyong Clan’s Young Clan Head, Moyong Cheong, did not like the behavior of the Moyong Clan Merchant Guild Leader’s son, Moyong Geum.
Moyong Geum was increasing his influence within the family by supporting the Moyong Clan through financial gains.
“We should have dealt with the Ice Palace bastards back then.”
Seeing the Cold Iron loaded on the carriage, he felt even more so.
The bigger the Moyong Clan Merchant Guild grew, the greater Moyong Geum’s prestige would become, and conversely, Moyong Cheong’s prestige would end up shrinking.
“I need to make it so they can never trade with the Ice Palace again.”
That didn't mean he could invade the Ice Palace either.
“If only it spreads widely that the Ice Palace bastards are guys who will cause harm to the Central Plains…….”
He can make Moyong Geum go to ruin.
As for the merchant guild, it is enough if Moyong Cheong absorbs and recreates it.
The urgent priority is to deal with the guy who is like a thorn in the eye first.
“The fact that they started trading with Moyong Geum means the Ice Palace bastards might start moving in earnest.”
Murim’s perception of the Ice Palace is not on the good side.
Is it just once or twice that the crazy guys who call themselves Martial Gods caused a scene in the Central Plains?
“If only I can tell the other guys that the Ice Palace has started moving so we must keep them in check.”
The story will be different.
Moyong Cheong began to tap his finger on the table.
“Just in case…….”
Scritch scratch scritch.
He began to write a letter.
If he conveys the letter through the Murim Alliance, he can deliver the letter to the key figures of the Nine Sects One Gang and the Five Great Clans.
If by any chance there are martial artists of the Ice Palace crossing over not to Liaoning but to another place, they will be able to keep the Ice Palace in check.
The carrier pigeon sent by Moyong Cheong flew into the sky.
***
Fifteen days later.
“Huff, huff.”
-If someone sees this, they would think you are trying to become a master of the Lightness Art.
-To think a martial artist who can wield Inner Qi would think of running until his breath reaches the tip of his chin. I cannot understand it.
The Sword Venerable and the Demon Queen began to nag.
“… Young Master, this is training, right?”
“This is the second time I thought I might die while unfolding movement arts.”
“Although coming on horseback would have been slow, our stamina would have been preserved…….”
The Small Snow Squad members voiced their complaints.
It is a natural complaint.
Because we decided to conduct a forced march to the Potala Palace.
There were several reasons.
‘To meet the schedule of the engagement ceremony, maximum speed movement was essential.’
The second reason was due to the location characteristics of the Potala Palace.
The Potala Palace exists in the Western Regions.
The path from the North Sea to the Western Regions is divided into two.
The first path is the path crossing the Great Grasslands and cutting across Qinghai to cross over to the Western Regions.
If we ran in a straight line, it was the path that could reach the Potala Palace the fastest.
The second path, although a bit of a detour, is the path entering the Western Regions via Xinjiang where the Demonic Cult is located.
In the case of this path, the advantage was that we could head to the Potala Palace without entering the Central Plains.
What the Small Snow Squad and I chose was the shortcut.
Thanks to pushing away the horse bandit groups and burning them, the vast grassland was in an optimized state to unfold movement arts.
As we ran our asses off across the Great Grasslands like that, we ended up arriving.
“From here on, it is Qinghai.”
The entrance where those from the Outer Region Murim enter the Central Plains Murim.
Qinghai Province.
“Hmm?”
Just as we were about to enter Qinghai Province.
I saw martial artists wearing blue-gray robes passing by.
Seeing the silver cloud pattern engraved on the sleeve cuffs swaying in the wind, Wi Ji-yeong shouted with a bright expression.
“Young Master! I think they are Ox-nosed Taoists!”
As soon as we arrived in Qinghai Province, we almost ran into the Taoists of the Kunlun Sect.