The next morning at dawn, the carriage carrying Geom Mugeuk's party left the Ice Palace.
Lee Ahn, who had decided to continue her suspended mission instead of returning to the Main Sect, also decided to travel with them until they left the Northern Sea.
As the carriage exited the entrance of the Ice Palace, one person was waiting.
It was the Young Palace Master, Han Seol.
"I came out because I wanted to say farewell."
Geom Mugeuk and the Drunken Demon gave a light nod from the carriage, and Lee Ahn got down as their representative.
The two of them had things to talk about.
"I heard from Mother."
Han Seol called her Mother, not Palace Master.
It was partly because she had recently grown closer to the Ice Palace Master, and also because the story they were discussing was a family matter.
Lee Ahn quietly gazed at Han Seol.
They were now cousins.
"You were surprised, weren't you? I was also surprised when I heard from the Palace Master yesterday."
"You are my elder sister, so please speak comfortably."
It was the first time in her life that Han Seol had called someone 'older sister'.
In the past, those words would not have come so easily.
Her relationship with her mother had changed recently, bringing about some unknown change in her heart.
That must be why.
The reason this situation wasn't so uncomfortable.
"I thought I was the younger sister."
"..."
"It's a joke."
"It's still not funny."
It was Han Seol who had said Lee Ahn's previous joke wasn't funny.
But today, contrary to her words, Han Seol had a smile on her lips.
"And this."
Han Seol held out a small box.
"Mother asked me to give this to you. She said to open it later."
The box was sealed tight, preventing it from being opened right away.
She didn't know what was inside, but she still had to give her thanks.
"Please tell my aunt that I am grateful."
Just as it was Han Seol's first time saying 'older sister', it was also Lee Ahn's first time saying 'aunt'.
It was very awkward, but thinking of the Ice Palace Master, who had been so happy to learn she had a niece, she showed her courtesy.
"Then, farewell."
Just as she was about to turn away, Lee Ahn looked back at Han Seol and spoke.
"Seol-ah, take care."
When Han Seol showed a surprised expression, Lee Ahn quickly said.
"Is it too soon?"
"No. An older sister is an older sister."
At times like this, Lee Ahn had a bold personality.
"Next time you come to the Central Plains, I'll show you around."
Han Seol nodded.
It felt awkward and unfamiliar.
But this feeling wasn't so bad either.
Lee Ahn got back on the carriage.
Geom Mugeuk stuck his head out the window and bade farewell to Han Seol.
"I will invite you when all the Scholars have gathered. Let's meet then."
Han Seol did not yet know that this gathering was such a special occasion where the status of the Young Palace Master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace would not be special at all.
And so, the carriage carrying Geom Mugeuk, the Drunken Demon, and Lee Ahn departed from that place.
Han Seol stood in her spot and watched the departing carriage.
The three of them had truly come like the wind and left like the wind.
The Ice Palace Master approached her side.
She had been watching from a distance before revealing herself.
"Mother, have you ever been to the Central Plains?"
The Ice Palace Master flinched at the word 'Mother'.
When was the last time she had called her that? Han Seol was still looking at the carriage disappearing far away, so it was impossible to know if she had said it intentionally or without thinking.
"A few times."
"What kind of place is the Central Plains?"
Han Seol only knew of the Central Plains through people's stories and books.
She wanted to hear what her mother thought of the Central Plains.
The carriage moved farther away, but it was the moment when curiosity about the Central Plains first sprouted in her heart.
The Ice Palace Master slowly walked over and stroked a snow-covered tree.
The snow on its branches fluttered down.
"In my youth, the Central Plains was this kind of place to me. When I went, I wanted to come back, and once I was back, I wanted to go again."
And as the years passed, that feeling gradually faded, and now her longing for the Central Plains was not as great as it was in her youth.
She liked the Northern Sea.
The fluttering spring blossoms, the scorching heat of summer days, the beautifully embroidered autumn leaves—none could surpass the beauty of this snowy landscape.
But this was her own life, after all.
The Ice Palace Master's gentle gaze, which was certainly different from before, turned to her daughter.
"Your Central Plains will be different."
The carriage sped southward.
It was a carriage sent from the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect's Northern Sea Division, so the martial artist in the driver's seat was extremely tense.
To think he would be driving the carriage carrying the Young Cult Master and the Drunken Demon.
They were even traveling without a single escort.
So perhaps they could avoid an attack? After all, no one would believe the Young Cult Master was riding in this carriage.
In contrast to the driver's anxiety, the inside of the carriage was peaceful.
The Drunken Demon, who had not yet fully recovered from his injuries, had taken one side and was lying down.
Of course, he didn't forget to feign weakness.
"What's the rush, dragging your half-dead brother along like this?"
"The job is done, so we have to go. I want to see Father, I want to see the Demon Sovereigns. I want to see you, brother, and I want to see Daeryong and Lord Jang too."
"And here I thought..."
He was about to say, 'I'm getting the cold shoulder,' but stopped.
With Lee Ahn riding with them, he couldn't bring himself to make such a joke.
Of course, he probably could have.
Lee Ahn had been staring blankly out the window for a while now.
The Drunken Demon gestured with his eyes for Geom Mugeuk to take care of Lee Ahn, then closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Geom Mugeuk looked out the same window that Lee Ahn was watching.
Feeling that Geom Mugeuk was concerned about her, Lee Ahn brought up what she had been wanting to say.
"Actually, I couldn't sleep a wink last night."
Geom Mugeuk thought that was probably the case.
"The Palace Master probably couldn't either."
At that, Lee Ahn turned towards Geom Mugeuk with a worried expression and asked.
"Should I have visited her at dawn to say goodbye separately?"
She had debated it many times but couldn't bring herself to do it in the end.
"Earlier, the Palace Master was watching us from afar."
"Really?"
Geom Mugeuk nodded.
He knew well the feeling of watching from a distance, not wanting to be a burden.
Hearing that the Ice Palace Master had been watching her, Lee Ahn felt even more apologetic.
Her gaze turned to the box the Ice Palace Master had given her.
"Open it."
At Geom Mugeuk's words, Lee Ahn carefully broke the seal and opened the box.
Inside was another small box.
She could see a book underneath, but she opened the box first.
When she opened the box, a unique fragrance spread throughout the carriage.
The fragrance was so strong that the Drunken Demon, who had been trying to sleep, shot his eyes open.
Inside the box was a pure white fruit.
A spiritual energy could be felt from the fruit, and it was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary thing.
"What is this?"
Geom Mugeuk recognized it at once.
"It's the fruit of an Ice Snow Herb."
When Geom Mugeuk teased Seo Daeryong, he had joked that if you go to the Northern Sea, the abominable snowman cultivates Ice Snow Herbs.
And now he was seeing one here.
"Is it valuable?"
Earlier, when the Ice Palace Master had asked if she was really going to choose the wine cup when there was an elixir even better than a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, that elixir was referring to this very Ice Snow Herb.
Geom Mugeuk immediately spoke to the driver.
"Stop the carriage for a moment."
The carriage came to a halt.
Geom Mugeuk took the box with the Ice Snow Herb fruit and had Lee Ahn get off as well.
Geom Mugeuk had her sit next to the carriage and then held out the Ice Snow Herb fruit.
"You want me to take it here?"
Geom Mugeuk nodded.
"Receiving an elixir as a gift while I am with you must also be your good fortune."
When consuming an elixir, one needs a trustworthy person to watch over them.
Besides being unable to defend against external attacks, one could suffer a great internal injury or fall into inner deviation if they cannot withstand the elixir's effects.
Considering such dangers, where could one find someone as reliable as Geom Mugeuk?
"Is it alright for me to eat something so precious? It would be better if you had it, Young Master."
"Are you trying to start a war between the Main Sect and the Ice Palace?"
Lee Ahn smiled faintly at Geom Mugeuk's joke.
Once her life changed, it began to change uncontrollably.
A feeling of being swept away by the strong currents of fate, regardless of her own will.
Nevertheless, the reason she could be brave and steadfast was probably because whenever she turned her head, there was always someone watching over her.
"Then I will gratefully consume it."
Lee Ahn carefully consumed the Ice Snow Herb fruit.
The fruit instantly melted in her mouth and spread throughout her body.
In that moment, a thrill ran through Lee Ahn's body.
The energy spreading through every corner of her meridians was cold.
It was so cold that she wondered if it was okay to be this cold.
But the coldness was brief; like a person with a fever from a cold, her body became as hot as fire.
Shifting between cold and hot, the energy of the Ice Snow Herb fruit violently churned within her body.
Lee Ahn was flustered by this intense energy.
She had been mentally prepared, but she hadn't known the energy would be this strong.
'Can I absorb this?'
She circulated her energy for one cycle, trying her best to make the energy her own.
Through her efforts, the energy that was running wild like a mustang was somewhat controlled, but it began to scatter and leak out.
'No!'
However, with Lee Ahn's current inner energy and skill, absorbing the full effect of the elixir was beyond her capabilities.
It was at that moment.
Geom Mugeuk's hand touched her back.
Through his palm, a stream of inner energy entered her body.
Geom Mugeuk's inner energy helped her, starting to draw the scattering energy back into her meridians.
It was just a single stream of energy, but it was more help than an army of thousands.
Even when helping, Geom Mugeuk did not help from the very beginning.
He let her fully experience absorbing the elixir before helping at the last moment.
This was the good fortune Geom Mugeuk had spoken of earlier.
Until the very end, Lee Ahn also tried her best.
She repeatedly controlled her energy, absorbing the elixir's power.
In the end, the energy of the Ice Snow Herb fruit became immense inner energy and gathered in Lee Ahn's energy core.
The feeling of her energy core filling to the brim was an unforgettable pleasure.
Especially since it was an elixir that suited her constitution well, the inner energy was even purer.
As a result, Lee Ahn's eyes became even clearer and more intense.
"The energy I feel in my energy core is completely different. Young Cult Master, have you been living in such a wonderful world all this time?"
Just then, the Drunken Demon stuck his head out the carriage window and said.
"Do you really think your Young Cult Master's world is limited to just that?"
"You're right, aren't you? If I'm a puddle, the Young Master must be the ocean, right?"
At her words, which implied that the difference in their inner energy was that great, Geom Mugeuk waved his hands dismissively.
"The difference isn't that much."
Just when she thought he was being humble.
"A stream and the ocean, perhaps?"
The two looked at each other and laughed.
Lee Ahn bowed her head respectfully.
"Thank you for turning me into a stream."
"Give those thanks to the Palace Master when you see her later."
Though he said that, Lee Ahn knew how much Geom Mugeuk's help had meant in absorbing the Ice Snow Herb.
Without him, she would have lost a third of its energy.
The two got back into the carriage.
When she took out the small box that had held the Ice Snow Herb fruit, she found a letter and a secret manual underneath.
Heavenly Ice Divine Art.
It wasn't the Palace Master's signature martial art, but it was a martial art passed down in her family, considered one of the best among Ice Arts.
To draw a comparison, it was similar to the relationship between Geom Mugeuk's Flying Heaven Sword Technique and his Nine Calamities Demon Art.
"She said the secret manual is a copy, so I should memorize it and then burn it."
Nothing else was written in the letter.
Not wanting to burden Lee Ahn, she had written nothing at all.
"Is it okay for me to accept all of this? Just because we're related by blood?"
Geom Mugeuk gave a ready answer.
"You can tell just by this gift. How much the Palace Master missed your mother. I think accepting it gladly is the best way to honor them both."
Lee Ahn said no more and began to memorize the secret manual.
The Drunken Demon, who was watching her, sent a telepathic message to Geom Mugeuk.
-When you call someone your heart and treat them like a heart, they truly become your heart.
This was the Drunken Demon's impression of watching Geom Mugeuk and Lee Ahn.
—If you can feel that, it means it's time for you to take care of your own heart, brother.
He was referring to Yeo Bin, who liked the Drunken Demon, but the Drunken Demon deliberately changed the subject.
-When I get back, I need to check on the wine spirit first.
Let's see if it's rotting again!
Geom Mugeuk smiled and said loudly to the driver.
"Let's depart again!"
*
Of course, no matter how strong a heart becomes, it is still a baby's heart left by the water's edge.
When they reached the point where they would leave the Northern Sea and part ways with Lee Ahn, Geom Mugeuk spoke to the Drunken Demon.
"Keep going straight. I'll be back after seeing Lee Ahn off for a bit."
Lee Ahn said there was no need, but Geom Mugeuk sent the carriage ahead.
"Get on my back."
"Why?"
"Quickly."
Without explaining, Geom Mugeuk lifted Lee Ahn onto his back.
And he began to run.
Swift Step truly cut through the air as fast as light.
The fact that it was comfortable being carried on his back even while he ran so fast.
Geom Mugeuk's true skill and level of mastery lay not in his speed, but in that comfort.
'But where is he going?'
Lee Ahn was puzzled the entire time she was on his back.
After running for nearly two hours without a break, Geom Mugeuk finally stopped.
"Where are we?"
"I don't know either."
Lee Ahn had a 'what kind of joke is this' expression on her face, but Geom Mugeuk had truly just run wherever his feet took him.
And the reason was something Lee Ahn had never expected.
"Just in case there was someone watching us."
Lee Ahn asked in surprise.
"Was there someone watching?"
Geom Mugeuk shook his head.
He hadn't sensed any watchers nearby, but there was a one-in-a-million chance that a master of stealth could have been watching.
And that person could have targeted and pursued Lee Ahn.
But by running like this with Swift Step for a full two hours, no watcher would be able to follow Lee Ahn's tracks.
"Aren't you being too careful?"
"I'm just preparing for that one-in-a-million chance. For something irreversible, the excuse of letting your guard down just once won't work."
Lee Ahn was always moved by and grateful to Geom Mugeuk, but never as much as now.
Suppressing her deep emotions, she asked playfully.
"If you worry about me this much, how did you ever let me go before?"
The situation was different now.
This was right after killing the Blood King.
"If a problem arises even after trying this hard, then there's nothing that can be done."
She could tell he meant that after doing one's best, one should not regret the outcome.
Lee Ahn etched Geom Mugeuk's teaching into her heart.
In the future, she would also live this way.
"This tiny little stream will return as a river."