Chapter 83
And the next day.
As soon as they finished breakfast early in the morning, someone sent by the head of the maengju visited.
“Lord and Lady Gamo.”
The maengwon, hands clasped together, politely bowed.
“The Lord and Ladies of the maengju, as well as the leaders of each faction and the heads of the three families, are waiting for you.”
“Ah, yes.”
Doyul and Yerin exchanged glances.
Probably, it was about discussing matters related to the blood covenant.
– Well, go and return.
Letting out a long yawn, the perennial frost spirit curled up into a ball.
– I need more sleep.
The perennial frost spirit buried its face between its front paws, its tail swaying lightly.
– Call me if something comes up.
“Sure, got it.”
With a nod, Yerin, accompanied by Doyul, followed the maengwon.
As they briskly walked along.
Yerin’s gaze briefly turned to her own wrist.
Even though there were no traces on her skin now.
In fact, her wrist bore the mark symbolizing the covenant with the perennial frost spirit.
‘Hmm, surprisingly, this mark has its uses.’
Through this mark, she could communicate with the distant perennial frost spirit.
Not only that, but she could also track the spirit’s location, use its power indirectly, or even summon it to her side.
‘Som mentioned that. He said it’s much more efficient for the spirit to move on its own rather than me using its power.’
However, summoning the perennial frost spirit consumed a certain amount of internal energy, taking a toll on her body.
‘Well, still, it’s manageable.’
Considered as an excellent move, albeit with some strain on the body.
When this mark was first engraved, she felt disgusted, thinking she was attracting unwanted attention.
Nevertheless, there was a sense of accomplishment in allowing the mark.
Yerin brushed off her wrist with satisfaction, pushing up the corner of her lips.
At the same time, the maengwon turned around.
“Please come inside.”
In the most profound and secretive place in the Mu-rim-maeng, the grand maengjujeon where the Maengju resided awaited them.
Doyul seemed somewhat tense as he glanced at Yerin.
‘Really, Doyul too.’
It’s just seeing the Maengju, what’s there to be nervous about? Our North Sea Ice Palace’s Lord shouldn’t be this anxious.
‘My rabbit-like husband shouldn’t be intimidated anywhere!’
Suppressing the urge to show a rebellious attitude, Yerin moved her steps into the maengjujeon.
The first person to catch her eye was a man with long white beard, the elder of the Choros.
He was surrounded by various men, including the lords of all the White Sword Faction and the leaders of different factions.
Among them was Dangsocheol, the head of Dangga.
“…”
Yerin’s face stiffened slightly.
Of course, Yerin didn’t expect to avoid meeting Dangsocheol altogether, even though she had come to the central region.
Thinking optimistically was challenging given the storms she had faced so far.
However, now that they were face to face…
‘This is really unpleasant.’
It was inevitable for her mood to sink.
“Welcome.”
Coincidentally, the man from Choro greeted them, raising his white eyebrows.
“I am Jang Hoyeon, the current Maengju of Mu-rim-maeng.”
“We greet the Maengju of Mu-rim.”
Yerin and Doyul exchanged respectful bows.
Jang Hoyeon, the Maengju of Mu-rim.
He was a highly influential figure, not affiliated with the Odaese-gawa or the Gupa-ilbang.
Mastering the martial arts passed down through generations, he had risen to the center of the martial world.
‘Jang Hoyeon… he’s said to be the successor of Yeomcheon Gong.’
Yeomcheon Gong.
Yerin mulled over that name, recalling a bitter memory.
‘He truly implemented the one-person transmission. Harsh, very harsh.’
Three hundred years ago, when Yerin served as the leader under the name Baek Seollyeon.
There was a man known as Yeomhwang (Yeomcheon Gong).
Similar to how Seollyeon held the title of the Best Sword under Heaven, Yeomhwang held the title of the Best Fist under Heaven.
In reality, the two never got along.
From the beginning, their martial arts styles didn’t align. Seollyeon practiced the Ice Arts, while Yeomhwang practiced the Fire Arts.
So they clashed several times.
Saving and killing each other, pulling each other’s hair in anger, even trying to choke each other.
One side fainted and gasped for breath until they collapsed, spending several days practicing martial arts together…
Eventually, they became friends.
“You know, why are you so strict? How do you expect to cultivate disciples like that?” Seollyeon teased.
Yeomhwang responded with a stern expression, “I must find a martial artist that suits my techniques.”
“And if you can’t find one?”
“My martial arts will disappear.”
“What?”
“It’s inevitable. It’s better for an inadequate person to use my martial arts than for them to disappear.”
After that conversation, Yeomhwang left the world a few years earlier than Seollyeon.
Since Yeomhwang was known for his eccentric personality during his lifetime, Seollyeon worried about what would happen if his martial arts were lost.
“But it seems to have survived quite well,” Yerin said, looking contentedly at the Maengju of Mu-rim.
Upon hearing this, the Maengju looked at Yerin with a suspicious gaze.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Yerin awkwardly smiled.
Currently, she was not Baek Seollyeon but Dang Yerin, and she kept forgetting that fact.
At that moment, Danggaju opened his mouth.
“The Lord of the North Ice Palace and the Kamo have both traveled a long way. Thank you for joining the meeting right away.”
While verbally addressing the Lord and the Kamo, Danggaju’s sharp gaze was fixed solely on Yerin.
Noticing this, Doyul subtly moved closer to Yerin.
“It’s been a long time, Danggaju.”
“Indeed, it has.”
Doyul’s courteous greeting was acknowledged by Danggaju with a nod.
“Both of you have grown a lot,” Danggaju commented.
Tension filled the air, as the long-standing history between the North Ice Palace and Sacheondangmun was well-known even in the central region.
The Lord stepped forward, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“The reason I’ve gathered you all here today is due to traces of the Blood Sect appearing.”
“The Blood Sect?”
People gasped in surprise, but Yerin and Doyul remained composed.
They had received information from the Mu-rim that hinted at this, and, above all, they were aware of the Blood Sect’s involvement in Seollyeon’s death.
The Lord nodded solemnly.
“Yes, there have been a series of mysterious disappearances throughout the central region.”
“This is unbelievable!”
“The Blood Sect!”
People expressed their shock.
“Furthermore, it was reported from the North Ice Palace.”
The eyes of the Mu-rim’s Lord turned towards Yerin and Doyul.
“It is said that the Blood Sect has taken the body of the esteemed Baek Seollyeon, who holds the position of the Snow Lotus in the North Ice Palace.”
The shocking news left everyone in disbelief.
“What? The Blood Sect!”
“People couldn’t believe their ears.”
“In addition, they claim to have taken her body without any apparent reason.”
“Your words ring true.”
Doyul supported the Lord’s words.
“When the Blood Sect infiltrated the palace, they headed towards Haesim Palace, where the remains of all the previous palace lords were gathered.”
A momentary flicker of pain crossed Doyul’s eyes when he mentioned Haesim Palace. Memories of losing his father unavoidably resurfaced. However, he continued with determination.
“It seems that at that time, they took away the remains of our current palace lord.”
“Why are you revealing this information now?”
A person in the crowd questioned skeptically.
“We only recently discovered that the remains had gone missing.”
“Does that make sense?”
“The remains had been switched.”
Doyul’s calm response left the people with serious expressions.
“So, we realized it wasn’t the remains of the palace lord Baek Seollyeon.”
“In that case… there must have been a reason to swap the remains so meticulously.”
The somber voice of someone in the crowd unsettled everyone.
It wasn’t just any place; it was the remains of Baek Seollyeon in the hands of the Blood Sect.
“If we don’t address the fact that Baek Seollyeon’s remains were swapped now…”
“It’s been almost 10 years since the Blood Sect took possession of the remains. During that time, who knows what they might have done with the remains.”
“People expressed their frustration and anxiety.”
The lengthy meeting continued, but there were no clear answers. The secretive activities of the Blood Sect made it difficult to understand their actions.
“Perhaps before sending Mu-rim members, each clan should…”
“No, before that, each family should…”
Throughout the intense conversation, Yerin observed the Clan Lord closely.
“Why is the Clan Lord so quiet today?”
The Clan Lord was usually one to showcase her personality.
“Today, why is she so reserved?”
The Clan Lord typically enjoyed displaying her authority. During the past incidents involving Yerin and Doyul, the Clan Lord had even called Doyul to the main gate to assert her dominance.
“Normally, the Clan Lord wouldn’t stay silent like this.”
Yerin wondered why the Clan Lord seemed unusually quiet today.
“Today, the Clan Lord isn’t as talkative as usual.”
Observing closely, Yerin noticed the Clan Lord’s unusual demeanor.
“Today, the Clan Lord is surprisingly quiet.”
The Clan Lord, who usually liked to boast, was acting out of character.
“I wonder why the Clan Lord is so reserved today?”
Yerin pondered the unexpected change in the Clan Lord’s behavior.
“Today, the Clan Lord is different.”
Yerin observed the Clan Lord, who seemed uncharacteristically subdued.
During the prolonged and heated conversation, Yerin couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
“Why is the Clan Lord so quiet today?”
The Clan Lord typically liked to flaunt her authority, especially during times when Yerin and Doyul were in conflict.
“Why is the Clan Lord unusually quiet today?”
Back then, the Clan Lord had specifically summoned Doyul to the main gate to assert her dominance during their conflicts.
“Today, the Clan Lord seems different from her usual self.”
Yerin questioned the reason behind the Clan Lord’s unusual silence.
“Today, the Clan Lord is not as assertive.”
Yerin found it perplexing that the Clan Lord, who usually liked to make a show of things, was staying silent.
“Maybe the Clan Lord has a reason to stay silent today?”
Despite listening quietly for a long time, the Clan Lord spoke for the first time.
“Since we don’t know what the Blood Sect is planning, why don’t we each observe carefully and share information if any other issues arise?”
With this proposal, the meeting came to a close.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is Sid. I hope you liked it<3
Next post will be released on March, 5.
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