Chapter 009 : Desperate Situation
The right arm of the Horse Bandit Blood Wolf Gwak Do-han.
Black Wind Jang Roe was astonished at the sight of the flames burning in the darkness.
'Was the information that the Demonic Cult's Third Young Master was a scoundrel false?'
The flames blooming from my fingertips burned the flying hidden weapons and pierced through the Horse Bandits' glabellas in succession.
"Two."
I muttered low and threw a dagger made of flames again.
"How dare you!"
Another voice rang out from the darkness.
A Horse Bandit holding a curved blade rushed towards me.
"This dagger is enough to burn moths that fly into the fire wanting to die."
Flare-!
The burning dagger began to move this way and that.
'Sword Control with Qi?'
The flame dagger floating in the air and moving around slaughtered the Horse Bandits.
Jang Roe realized he had chosen the wrong opponent.
Jang Roe, who didn't know that I was grafting the principles of magic circuits learned in a past life onto martial arts to unfold a flying dagger art that flew through the sky, clenched his molars tight.
They had already infiltrated deep into the North Sea Ice Palace.
He thought they just had to hold out until Gwak Do-han assassinated the Young Palace Head and returned.
Shuuk!
Jang Roe, holding the curved blade, hurriedly dodged, but the heat of the flames burned the hem of his clothes and created acrid smoke.
"Kuhk!"
Jang Roe groaned and backed away.
I didn't stop.
As if the dagger wasn't enough, I flicked a finger wind and sent a small spark flying.
The spark amplified while drawing a circuit in the air and exploded at the Horse Bandit's feet.
Bang-!
"Aaaack!"
Jang Roe, engulfed in flames, screamed and rolled on the snowy ground.
At that moment, a sharp energy was felt from the left.
A Horse Bandit holding a spear charged at me, the spear tip flying towards my neck.
My eyes sparkled.
After twisting my body slightly to dodge the spear, I reached out and grabbed the spear shaft.
The heat of the Extreme Yang Qi was transmitted to the Horse Bandit's hand through the spear shaft.
"Kugh!"
The Horse Bandit screamed, letting go of the spear.
I grabbed the dropped spear and swung it at the Horse Bandit just like that.
Thwack-!
The Horse Bandit's head exploded just like that.
"That's four."
I muttered while catching my breath.
Flames were blazing from the spear shaft held in my hand.
Although I wasn't holding a sword, my appearance of killing Horse Bandits with just a single spear shaft was truly close to a Yaksha.
"With this... the finish."
Woong-
When I gathered true qi with my left hand, a flame sphere revealed itself.
And when I hit the flame sphere with the spear shaft.
Clang!
With a cheerful sound, the flame sphere accurately struck the remaining Horse Bandits.
"Kuaaack!"
Along with screams, the Horse Bandits burned up one by one.
The area around my quarters filled up with burning corpses and smoke.
"Young Master!"
At that time, I saw Wi Ji-yeong running over.
Just as I was thinking I should scold the kid I brought as a bodyguard for showing up after the battle was over.
"Young Master, flames have soared up at the Young Palace Head's Hall too!"
At the news that the Horse Bandits were targeting Seol Ye-rin, my figure shot forward.
***
At that time, near the Young Palace Head's Hall.
A huge shadow was cast over the cold snowy ground.
The leader of the Horse Bandit group, Blood Wolf Gwak Do-han, stood with his axe resting on his shoulder.
"I didn't know the Ice Palace's defenses would be this lax."
It was probably because the Demonic Cult's Third Young Master was visiting the Ice Palace.
One subordinate stepped forward and spoke.
"Captain, the Young Palace Head is inside there."
Gwak Do-han nodded.
"Good. Break down the door, go in, and kidnap the Young Palace Head. She is a weakness more than sufficient to threaten the Ice Palace Lord."
"Yes!"
The Horse Bandits charged towards the door of the Young Palace Head's Hall.
Bang! Bang! Giant axes and hammers pounded on the door, making a roaring sound.
Meanwhile, inside the door, Seol Ye-rin was muttering with weak breathing.
"It's started again..."
Seol Ye-rin was sitting on the bed looking down at her hands where ice crystals were forming again.
Not even a few hours had passed since Hyeokryeon Yeom melted them with Yang energy, but the energy of the Extreme Yin Body was binding her again.
At that moment, Seol Ye-rin's eyes widened at the noise heard from outside the door.
Crash-!
The door broke and Gwak Do-han revealed himself.
Gwak Do-han's giant axe reflected the moonlight, emitting a gruesome light.
"Young Palace Head Seol Ye-rin, we meet at last."
Seol Ye-rin examined Gwak Do-han's appearance up and down and sighed.
"What business does a Horse Bandit have with me?"
"I am not just a Horse Bandit, but Blood Wolf Gwak Do-han."
Gwak Do-han grinned and spoke.
"Of course, it is to use you as a weakness to threaten the Ice Palace Lord."
"Would I, who doesn't have many days left to live, really be a weakness?"
"Kuhaha! I also heard the fact that the Ice Palace Lord brought in a live-in son-in-law possessing the Extreme Yang Body and is struggling to treat your body. By now, your live-in son-in-law must be torn to shreds and dead at the hands of my subordinates."
"Hyeokryeon Yeom... is dead?"
Seol Ye-rin's voice trembled.
That can't be.
Wasn't he a strong man?
A man capable enough to melt even the ice of herself who possessed the Extreme Yin Body.
'Young Palace Head, they say the Ice Palace Lord is bringing the Demonic Cult's Third Young Master as a live-in son-in-law.'
The Demonic Cult's Third Young Master, wondering what kind of guy he was this time, I looked into it.
'A lecher and a scoundrel. Trash under heaven, but since he was born with the Extreme Yang Body constitution, it is worth having hope.'
A lecher and... a scoundrel.
So I had prejudice.
But meeting him in person, I came to feel that it was just prejudice.
Hyeokryeon Yeom was truly a man like a flame.
However,
'Was his martial arts strong?'
Was he a person who could block the Horse Bandits' assassination attempt?
I don't know, if the Horse Bandits really moved to assassinate Hyeokryeon Yeom.
"Yes, he is dead. So follow quietly. I will use you as a hostage to threaten the Ice Palace Lord."
Gwak Do-han put his axe down on the floor with a thud and approached.
Seol Ye-rin's eyes turned cold.
Crack crack-
Seol Ye-rin's whole body began to freeze again.
"Do you think you can stop me just by emitting a little chill?"
"Touching me is fine, but."
Seol Ye-rin grit her teeth.
Anger heated Seol Ye-rin's chest hotly.
The words that Hyeokryeon Yeom was dead kept flickering in her ears.
I realized it anew.
The fact that the man I had only met for about two hours was engraved deeper in Seol Ye-rin's heart than I thought.
"What...?"
A chill began to spread explosively from Seol Ye-rin's hands.
The interior of the Young Palace Head's Hall froze in an instant, and frost formed on the walls.
"What is this?"
Gwak Do-han frowned and backed away.
The Yin energy spewing out from Seol Ye-rin's body was growing uncontrollably.
"If Hyeokryeon Yeom really died. It won't end with you just becoming a frozen statue."
Crack crack-
Seol Ye-rin's Extreme Yin Qi soared up to the point just before exploding.
'No.'
Because Extreme Yang Qi was continuously transmitted into Seol Ye-rin's body, Seol Ye-rin's Extreme Yin Qi was currently in a very weakened state.
If she drew up Extreme Yin Qi to use martial arts in the current situation, the possibility of going berserk was high.
If that happened, the chill of the Extreme Yin Body would spread uncontrollably throughout her whole body.
I, who had gotten close to the Young Palace Head's Hall by unfolding movement arts like crazy, bit my lip upon seeing the already frozen Young Palace Head's Hall.
"Is this bitch crazy?"
A man's voice I had never heard before came from inside.
Gwak Do-han raised his axe and shouted.
"Stop! Or else I will cut off your head!"
Seol Ye-rin ignored Gwak Do-han's words.
A chill spewed out explosively from Seol Ye-rin's hands.
The walls of the Young Palace Head's Hall froze and cracked, and some of the Horse Bandits turned into ice statues and collapsed.
Gwak Do-han grit his teeth and swung his axe.
"I will kill you!"
The axe flew towards Seol Ye-rin. However,
The chill froze the axe and it stopped in midair.
"Say it one more time. Hyeokryeon Yeom is dead?"
Seol Ye-rin's voice cracked.
Gwak Do-han shouted, holding a nasty smile.
"Kuhaha! So, are you this angry right now because I killed that guy? It seems you developed affection overnight! Yes, by now that guy must be a corpse sprawling on the cold floor of the North Sea..."
At that moment, flames flashed from beyond the broken door of the Young Palace Head's Hall.
Flare-!
"Seol Ye-rin!"
My voice rang out.
I kicked the door open and entered, drawing my sword and scattering Fire Qi. The flames flew towards Gwak Do-han.
Bang-!
Gwak Do-han blocked the Fire Qi with his axe, but was pushed back by the impact.
"You bastard are..."
Gwak Do-han's eyes widened.
I stood in front of Seol Ye-rin.
"The corpses sprawling on the cold floor of the North Sea must be your subordinates."
Flames blazed again from my hand.
Seol Ye-rin looked at me, who had revealed himself in the hall, and spoke with a trembling voice.
"...You were alive?"
"Were you worried?"
I smiled.
But soon, after checking Seol Ye-rin's condition, I stiffened.
The Yin energy spewing out from Seol Ye-rin's body was too strong.
"Can you control it? It's dangerous like this."
Seol Ye-rin, who only then came to her senses, tried to control the Yin energy, but the Yin energy that had exploded once had become difficult to control properly.
'There's no time.'
I looked back at Gwak Do-han.
"You said you dealt with Brother Jang and came?"
Gwak Do-han tilted his head.
Because Jang Roe was not a guy to be defeated by just anyone.
"It seems you have some hidden card, but I will finish this swiftly."
Gwak Do-han bared his teeth and laughed.
Tsk tsk tsk-
Gwak Do-han's axe began to be dyed red.
Blood Wolf, Gwak Do-han.
As expected of the boss leading the Horse Bandits in the Great Grasslands.
He was a master who could handle Enhanced Qi.
I took a deep breath and drew up Yang energy.
Dealing with a master using Enhanced Qi Art with my current skills was honestly burdensome.
A situation where I hadn't even properly learned half of half of the martial arts I had learned in my past life.
Right now, there is nothing but for me to do my best.
Blade Enhanced Qi pounced on me.
I, who dodged the Blade Enhanced Qi with tremendous kinetic vision, scattered both hands.
Whoosh-!
A flame tornado pounded on Gwak Do-han.
"Evil arts!"
Currently, what I could do was.
"Burn. Burn more. Burn stronger!"
Kiiing-
My two pupils were dyed red.
Pushing Extreme Yang Qi through the flow of qi seen through my two eyes.
When the Extreme Yang Qi touched the qi spread in the world,
Whoosh!
Even stronger flames soared up.
Gwak Do-han tried to block with his axe, but the flames melted the axe and swallowed Gwak Do-han's body.
"Kuaaaack!"
Gwak Do-han's scream rang through the Young Palace Head's Hall.
But I did not stop.
I was trying to shoot Extreme Yang Qi endlessly.
"Young Master! I took care of all the remaining Horse Bandits!"
I came to my senses at Wi Ji-yeong's shout.
The chill that had been surrounding the Young Palace Head's Hall was covered in heat.
I gasped for breath and looked back at Seol Ye-rin.
"Ye-rin, are you okay!"
At the moment the battle ended, the Ice Palace Lord appeared with the General Manager Seol Su-hyeok and troops.
It seemed Horse Bandits had stormed the Palace Lord's Hall as well.
"Ye-rin!"
"Stop."
Crack crack-
As if no one except me could approach.
An enormous chill was spewing out from Seol Ye-rin's whole body.
Seol Ye-rin's condition had already reached its limit.
The Extreme Yin Qi was not stopping its rampage.
"...I apologize, but Father-in-law, I would like you to take everyone out."
"Young Master!"
"Ji-yeong, you go out too."
I moved my steps slowly towards the collapsed Seol Ye-rin.
Holding the collapsed Seol Ye-rin, I gazed at the Ice Palace Lord, Seol Baek-ho.
"I will save her no matter what happens."
At that sincere voice, Seol Baek-ho muttered.
"Everyone... get out."
"Yes, Palace Lord."
Under Seol Baek-ho's order, when all the martial artists of the Ice Palace went out of the Young Palace Head's Hall, I laid Seol Ye-rin on the bed.
Because I instinctively felt that I could no longer treat Seol Ye-rin just by holding hands.
"It's going to be a headache when she wakes up."
Even though I knew it was an unavoidable choice to save Seol Ye-rin, I hesitated.
But soon.
As if I had made up my mind.
I began to take off Seol Ye-rin's clothes.