The Ice Palace Master stood by the window.
She was looking far off in the direction of Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon's residence.
She had received a report a while ago that a fight had started there, but there was still no word that it had ended.
She wanted to rush over immediately, but the Ice Palace Master forced herself to remain calm.
Below the Palace Master’s Hall, outside the window, the Northern Winds Branch, the Palace Master's own elite unit, was on standby.
Not only them, but various other units and masters of the Ice Palace were also waiting at their designated locations.
Originally, this was a matter that all of them should have gone to fight.
-Let the demon catch the monster.
Is he catching it well? Could it be that he is being devoured by the monster instead?
What if such a thing happens?
The king of demons, having lost his child, will come here for revenge.
At that time, perhaps no one will be able to stop him.
Han Seol watched the Ice Palace Master in silence.
Her mother was still looking out the window, but she was different from usual.
First, her attire was different.
She was dressed in martial robes, easy for movement, and on her arm, she wore an artifact she did not usually wear.
The Great Ice Ring, a bracelet that enhanced the power of her Ice Arts to the extreme, was visible beneath her sleeve.
She was truly prepared to rush into battle at a moment's notice.
Han Seol's gaze, which had been on the Ice Palace Master, turned to Lee Ahn.
Unlike her mother, who exuded a sense of urgency, this one was peace itself.
Lee Ahn was reading a book.
It was a book from the shelf in the Palace Master’s Hall.
After asking for permission to read it, she was now sitting and reading.
This was the first time Han Seol had seen someone read a book here.
She had thought the books on the shelf were for decoration.
'What kind of book is she reading?'
Han Seol walked over and sat down in front of Lee Ahn.
At that, Lee Ahn looked up from her book and at Han Seol.
“There is a Demon Sovereign who loves books. He has read all sorts of books, so there is nothing he doesn't know. He always says this. To become good at martial arts, you must read many books.”
"You mean martial arts manuals?"
"No, he says to read without prejudice."
She then showed Han Seol the cover of the book she was reading.
It was, quite randomly, a book about building houses in the northern regions.
"And that helps with martial arts?"
"Who knows. Maybe while fleeing, I'll find a place to hide in a house built this way."
Han Seol's face showed she couldn't understand.
“Do I seem too carefree? While the Young Cult Master is fighting?”
This time, Han Seol honestly nodded her head.
She felt that if it were her, she wouldn't be able to focus on a book.
"If the Young Cult Master dies, I'll just follow him in death."
As Han Seol's eyes widened, Lee Ahn said with a smile.
"It's a joke, a joke. I'll have to get my revenge before I follow him."
To the still silent Han Seol, Lee Ahn smiled.
"That was a joke too."
"It's not funny."
It wasn't a situation for jokes, but Lee Ahn was trying her best to keep her heart at ease.
Though she appeared peaceful and carefree on the outside, a storm was raging in her heart right now.
Her heart was pounding so much that she couldn't bear it without reading a book, and her mind kept replaying images of Geom Mugeuk being killed by the enemy.
Situations where he could be saved if she just threw herself in to help with a single move kept unfolding in her mind.
'Right, this must be a side effect of being a bodyguard for so long.'
In the past, when Geom Mugeuk left the sect alone and returned, she just vaguely thought he would come back safely.
But being close to him now, her worry had multiplied a hundredfold.
'So the Young Master has been fighting battles like this all along.'
Just then, Han Seol asked.
"Would you like some tea?"
"Yes. I'll prepare it."
"No, you keep reading."
Han Seol went to start brewing the tea.
Feeling awkward just sitting there, Lee Ahn walked over to her side.
As she was looking for something to help with, her eyes fell upon the tea set.
On the white teacup, two birds were painted in flight, and their appearance was unique.
"Why are you looking at it like that?"
"The birds on this teacup, I feel like I've seen them somewhere before."
Han Seol glanced at the Ice Palace Master standing by the window before speaking to Lee Ahn again.
"That's not possible."
She meant it was an original design, but Lee Ahn still tilted her head.
"I'm sure I've seen it."
The Ice Palace Master turned her head toward Lee Ahn.
A peculiar light flickered in her eyes.
It was at that very moment.
A subordinate urgently came up and reported.
"The fight is over."
When the three women, who had rushed over in a hurry, reached the residence where the fight had taken place, they were at a loss for words.
The place was a sea of blood.
Dozens of bodies were strewn everywhere, and the coppery smell of blood was so strong they wanted to cover their noses.
In the center of that sea of blood were two people.
The Drunken Demon was lying in the pool of blood, and Geom Mugeuk was leaning against a broken stone lantern, looking up at the sky.
The moment she saw that, Lee Ahn's heart sank.
She had thought the Drunken Demon lying in the blood was dead.
But then she heard the sound of snoring.
A thunderous sound, as if to say, 'I'm fine, so don't worry.'
Seeing the three of them, Geom Mugeuk made a shushing gesture.
It meant he didn't want to wake the sleeping Drunken Demon.
Geom Mugeuk himself had experienced the same state many times.
After fighting with all his might, a wave of sleepiness would wash over him.
At times like this, you had to sleep.
Giving in to what the body desperately wanted, that was the best treatment.
Trust the body of a master.
Seeing the scene for herself, the Ice Palace Master realized anew how serious this battle had been.
For a Demon Sovereign to fight to such a state, she could tell how strong the enemy must have been.
She examined a nearby corpse.
These were the Blood King's subordinates, killed at the hands of Geom Mugeuk.
Just by looking at their trained bodies, she could guess their level of martial arts mastery.
They were masters.
If they had also learned the Self-Destruction Art, a great many martial artists from the Ice Palace would have been sacrificed.
All their vital points were severed by a sword.
'He cut all their meridians before they could use the Self-Destruction Art.'
Just from the cause of death, she could tell how incredible Geom Mugeuk's martial arts mastery was.
The Ice Palace Master finally looked at the Drunken Demon again.
Was it because he was lying in blood?
She felt an even greater sense of apology toward him.
If it weren't for him, countless martial artists of the Ice Palace would have been submerged in that blood.
"Let's go back."
Following the Ice Palace Master, Lee Ahn and Han Seol turned away.
Before Lee Ahn turned, Geom Mugeuk first gave her a bright look that said, 'I'm okay,' and waved his hand.
At that gesture and smile, the storm raging in Lee Ahn's heart subsided.
She too smiled brightly before turning away.
Liking someone is not difficult.
What is truly difficult is the effort and struggle to not lose that person you like, and that feeling of affection.
Because you are constantly tormented by the challenge of anxiety that happiness might shatter at any moment.
Because the storm in your heart does not cease even when the next morning comes.
*
The Drunken Demon opened his eyes to a cold sensation on his cheek.
What had fallen on his cheek was snow.
Snow was falling from the darkening sky.
He turned his head and saw Geom Mugeuk looking up at the snowy sky.
"You're awake?"
"How long was I asleep?"
"About three shichen."
"Did my mouth get twisted? In this cold place..."
The Drunken Demon stopped talking.
It wasn't cold.
The blood-soaked ground and the surroundings were warm.
The Drunken Demon could tell.
Geom Mugeuk had warmed the area with his Extreme Yang Energy.
The Drunken Demon tried to get up and screamed.
"Aigoo! It hurts. It hurts so much."
"Want some wine?"
"Forget it. My head feels like it's going to split."
He had drunk so much wine throughout the fight that his hangover was immense.
"If I ever drink again..."
"You'll be my little brother!"
"Right, if I ever drink again, I'm your little brother. Ah, my head hurts so much it feels like it's going to explode."
Clutching his head, the Drunken Demon casually looked down at the ground.
"Ugh! What is all this blood? Is it that bastard's blood? Don't tell me you just left me lying here?"
"You don't remember anything, do you?"
"Ugh, the smell of blood is awful."
"A while ago, you were lying there smiling."
"Are you drunk too?"
Then he saw the soles of his feet and was startled.
"My feet! What's wrong with my feet?"
Broken bottle shards were embedded in the soles of his feet.
He had fought while drunk, not even realizing his feet were getting torn up.
The Drunken Demon pulled out the broken bottle shards from his feet.
"Ugh, it hurts. You could have at least pulled these out while I was drunk."
"If I was going to do that, I would have started with the one stuck in your shoulder."
Surprised, the Drunken Demon looked at his own shoulder.
"Aargh! What's this now?"
Only then did he see a sharp sword fragment embedded in his shoulder.
"When did this get stuck in me?"
"There's one in your other arm too."
"Call the Demon Doctor! Hurry and call the Demon Doctor! The Demon Sovereign is in pain!"
The Drunken Demon shouted, feigning agony.
Did Geom Mugeuk really just leave him lying there for several shichen? He had checked that the external injuries hadn't reached the bones and had secretly infused his energy to check his insides as well.
He had confirmed that there were no internal injuries before letting him sleep.
"For a martial artist, scars are a source of pride."
"This scar isn't something to be proud of."
The Drunken Demon looked down at the blood still pooled on the ground.
"He was a handsome and cool-looking fellow on the outside, but on the inside, he was a pathetic bastard. Turns out, he didn't even learn the Self-Destruction Art himself."
Geom Mugeuk was also surprised by that fact.
He didn't know much about the Blood King before his regression.
He only knew of the cruel deeds committed by his subordinates.
"If he weren't a pathetic bastard, he wouldn't have implanted the Self-Destruction Art in his subordinates in the first place."
The Drunken Demon nodded his head in agreement.
The snow began to fall more heavily.
The two men briefly looked up at the snow falling from the darkening sky.
"Now, the brewer will be able to close her eyes in peace."
What had started with the brewer not sending wine had come this far.
It had started with the Drunken Demon and ended with the Drunken Demon.
And at the center of that incident was the most important task that Geom Mugeuk had to resolve.
Destiny was thus intertwined with the people around him, flowing along together.
"Before we go back, let's have a drink at the top of the snowy mountain."
At the Drunken Demon's words, Geom Mugeuk smiled and said.
"Alright, little brother."
The Drunken Demon washed up, ate, and went back to sleep.
The most skilled physician in the Northern Sea Ice Palace came to check on him and left.
He also prescribed medicine that would help his body recover quickly.
While the Drunken Demon was resting, Geom Mugeuk was meeting with the Ice Palace Master.
"You've worked hard."
"Not at all. Thank you very much for yielding and letting us handle it."
Although she had a rough idea, there was one thing the Ice Palace Master was curious about.
"Did you find out what his purpose was?"
"The fight was too intense, so I couldn't hear it directly, but I suspect he intended to neutralize your martial arts by using the Extreme Cold Body."
Geom Mugeuk added one more speculation to that.
"That man has been searching for the Extreme Cold Body for a long time. If his only goal was to harm you, Palace Master, he would have used the Self-Destruction Art more aggressively. I believe he must have had another reason for needing the Extreme Cold Body. Do you have any idea what it might be?"
The moment she heard those words, the Ice Palace Master thought of a reason.
The reason she didn't answer immediately was because it was not something to be revealed to outsiders carelessly.
She would never have told anyone else, but she had to make an exception for Geom Mugeuk.
"It seems he was after the Ice Palace’s secret treasure vault."
The secret treasure vault was a place that could only be entered by those who had mastered the signature martial arts passed down to the Ice Palace Master, or those with an Extreme Cold Body.
"An ordinary person can never withstand the cold there."
"In that case, it's certain he was after the Ice Palace’s secret treasure vault."
With the man's specific objective now clear, the Ice Palace Master's heart grew cold.
She deeply regretted not being able to kill him herself.
At the same time, a thought occurred to her.
What if Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon had not come to the Northern Sea? What if they hadn't killed Elder Seo and smuggled out the Extreme Cold Body? What if they hadn't revealed that the Northern Blood Sect had joined hands with those villains?
Could she have withstood their conspiracy?
A confident answer that she could have stopped them did not come easily.
What if she hadn't been able to stop them? She and Han Seol would have met their deaths, and the Northern Sea Ice Palace would have been taken by them.
For that reason, nothing was too precious for Geom Mugeuk.
"Is there anything you want? I will grant you whatever you wish."
After a moment of thought, Geom Mugeuk spoke.
"There is one thing."
"What is it?"
"Please allow me to choose and take one treasure from the Ice Palace’s secret treasure vault."
It was an unexpected request.
"What is it that you want? Tell me, and I will give it to you. Be it an elixir or a treasured sword, just say the word."
"No. I want to go in and see for myself."
It was because of the Secret Vessel.
He had obtained the Black Eye from the Wind Heaven Sect and the blue essence from the Unorthodox Alliance.
He had a hope that he might be able to obtain something related to it here as well.
This was a chance he wouldn't easily get again.
"Did I not just say? You cannot enter unless you have an Extreme Cold Body."
Geom Mugeuk smiled mysteriously and said.
"I am strong against the cold."
Believing that Geom Mugeuk was not a person to joke about such matters, the Ice Palace Master asked cautiously.
"Are you, by any chance, also an Extreme Cold Body?"
"I am not."
"Then you cannot go there. Absolutely."
Although she added the word 'absolutely,' Geom Mugeuk said with confidence.
"Please, just trust me this once."
Could it be that he has a demonic art that blocks the cold? Even so, it wouldn't be able to block that cold.
"I'm the one who endured my father's cold and frosty disapproval."
"This is not the time for jokes. You could die on the way."
The Ice Palace Master was certain that Geom Mugeuk absolutely could not go there.
Still, it was a request from the man who saved the Ice Palace.
Also, she was curious about why he insisted on going there, and she wanted to coldly crush this childish stubbornness.
"Let's go. I'll listen to your regrets and repentance when I bring you back to life."
Geom Mugeuk followed behind and said.
"Doesn't everyone who comes to the Northern Sea experience their heart freezing and stopping at least once?"