Chapter 174
Chapter 174. Ill-Fated Ties
A heavy silence lingered before the Fourth Seat opened his mouth again.
"It would be a lie to say I wasn't afraid. But I never thought of giving up. Not just me—most of the Ice Palace disciples felt the same way."
The old man added, almost in self-mockery.
"But before we could even act, the palace gates opened, and those who went out knelt and welcomed the Blood Demon."
So-hwa's brow rose.
He said welcomed, not surrendered.
The old man did not see her expression. He avoided her gaze as if to hide his shame and continued speaking.
"We had no intention of submitting to the Blood Demon, but the humans outside the palace thought differently. They said they would hand over the Ice Palace to the Blood Sect just as the Blood Demon desired. As if knowing what he wanted, they had already bound the direct and collateral bloodlines of the Ice Palace Lord—wives, husbands, sons-in-law, and daughters-in-law alike. The Lord's kin were tied up neatly like offerings and dragged to the shore, and the Blood Demon entered the Ice Palace with them."
So-hwa's gaze fell to the old man's arm.
The old man scratched his arm out of habit.
So-hwa listened intently, observing both his words and movements.
"We stood on the path leading to the Ice Palace and tried to block the Blood Demon. We knew we were hopelessly outmatched, but we couldn't back down. Yet the Blood Demon felt no threat at all. Instead, he said he would entrust the North Sea to the seven survivors among us, telling us to fight with all our might. His words insulted the Seven Seats, and every disciple of Ice Palace rushed at him—but within a mere moment, we were defeated, and he forced us to drink his blood."
Veins stood out on the old man's forearm.
"The Blood Demon, acting as though he were showing great mercy, said that though none of us met his standards and he wished to kill us all, he would spare us because someone had to teach the martial arts of North Sea Ice Palace. From that day, he imprisoned all the bloodlines and disciples of Ice Palace within the palace..."
"That's enough."
So-hwa cut him off.
She already knew the rest of the story. She had seen the dreadful records the Blood Demon left behind.
The Fourth Seat seemed unable to continue speaking. At Tang So-hwa's words, he immediately fell silent.
Breaking the heavy silence, So-hwa spoke.
"You don't have to say any more."
"I suppose I talked too long, ashamed of how fierce yet futile the North Sea's resistance had been."
The Fourth Seat let out a dry laugh.
"In any case, the North Sea Ice Palace never had a chance to resist. Only two of the seven supreme seats had been filled, and the three clans we trusted betrayed us to the Blood Demon to beg for their lives."
He pointed to the lineage record laid out on the table.
"That's why this record is so important to me. I intend to reclaim what the traitors took, and to restore the erased names—not as the Blood Demon's toys, but as the true bloodline of North Sea Ice Palace."
So-hwa could not reply.
She, too, had lived through a world where her clan was wiped away. Yet she had only thought of revenge, never of restoring the names that had vanished from the world.
She realized that the Fourth Seat was someone stronger than herself—
A man who could prepare for something beyond his own misfortune and pain.
For the first time since arriving at the North Sea, So-hwa felt a glimmer of hope—hope that the North Sea Ice Palace could be rebuilt.
She turned her gaze to the North Sea martial artist seated beside the Fourth Seat.
The Leader's expression had changed. The man who had struggled to hide his discomfort at being told to receive the Four Directions Hall Lord now calmed himself, regaining his composure.
In contrast, the young martial artist's face was sharp with emotion, unable to contain it.
Thud.
Now, the sound of the ship could only barely be heard if one focused.
Perhaps deciding the ship had gone far enough, the Fourth Seat rose from his seat.
"We should move soon."
So-hwa felt her vision rise—the Fourth Seat had lifted her chin with his fingertip.
He studied her face for a long moment. Soon, his gaze dropped to her eyes, and he showed a faint, unreadable smile.
"I plan to head for the northeastern shore and split their ships in half. Even if another ship comes, I'll keep them occupied in the northeast for a while. If something goes wrong, hang a red cloth on the eastern cliff."
He added in a low voice,
"See you again."
Before So-hwa could reply, the Fourth Seat withdrew his hand and disappeared.
She hadn't even sensed the door open, yet his presence had vanished completely.
Struck by the strange feeling, So-hwa remained still for a moment.
Quietly, Najin stood and closed the door. The North Sea martial artists silently cleared the empty bowls and tidied the table—
As if desperate to do something.
When they were done, the Leader also rose from his chair.
"I should head out too."
"Where are you going?"
Bai Woon-Hyun gave a wry smile.
"If the Four Directions Hall Lord sees me, she'll try to kill me. We shouldn't meet here. If there's a commotion, they might realize we came from the island."
He brushed the scar on his cheek and sighed.
"I'll have to meet her somewhere far enough away to speak freely. Give me just one day."
Namgung Jin and Tang So-hwa instinctively exchanged glances. The Leader, sensing he owed them an explanation, spoke cautiously.
"The truth is, the Four Directions Hall Lord and I share an ill-fated tie."
Both of them knew exactly what kind of tie he meant—and that the son of the person involved in that triangle stood right here.
"Because of me, she broke up with his lover. Then I betrayed her, so she must hate me deeply."
Unable to react easily, the two direct descendants of the martial clans merely opened their mouths without words.
"I'll have to take a few punches before we can talk, so I'll be off."
"W-wait, Great Warrior Bai! Please don't—come with us instead..."
While Namgung Jin tried to stop him, the Leader vanished.
Cold air blew in through the open door, and Namgung Jin and Tang So-hwa urgently pressed the martial artists.
"Do you know the route the Four Directions Hall Lord is taking?"
The martial artist, startled, nodded.
"Yes, he should arrive within half a day—it's not far..."
"Guide us there immediately!"
At Namgung Jin's urgent demand, So-hwa added calmly,
"If we're late, the Leader might die."
The North Sea martial artist couldn't say a word. When he thought back to when they'd seen the Four Directions Hall Lord at the border, the Leader had chosen to withdraw rather than fight.
Uneasy, one of the North Sea martial artists tightened his robe and stood.
"F-follow me. I'll lead the way."
***
The blue light of dawn dyed the snow-covered mountains.
Upon confirming the tall ridgeline ahead, joy faintly appeared on the face of the Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader.
"Hall Lord, once we cross that mountain, we'll reach the harbor!"
"There's not much left. Let's not rest and just go over."
"Yes!!"
Just as the Pavilion Leader was about to deliver the Four Directions Hall Lord's message, he suddenly leapt forward.
Landing just a few steps ahead, the Pavilion Leader drew his sword.
The blade of the Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader stopped at the neck of a man with ash-gray hair.
"Who are you?"
The stranger wore a sword at his waist, but his hands were empty. It didn't seem like he intended to draw it.
There was no killing intent either, so the Pavilion Leader acted cautiously. Perhaps he might be someone from the North Sea branch.
But the stranger spoke without even looking at him.
"I didn't come to harm you."
The man added in a low voice.
"I came to resolve an ill-fated tie. Please lower your sword."
The Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader frowned.
He couldn't take his eyes off the stranger, but he realized the man wasn't looking at him at all. Instead, his gaze was fixed on someone among the group standing behind him.
Carefully, the Pavilion Leader sent a mental transmission.
『Hall Lord, please step back for a moment. Judging by his reaction speed, he's not someone to take lightly. I'll restrain him shortly, so—』
"Leave him."
Before his message could even take effect, the Four Directions Hall Lord spoke aloud.
Tak.
Dismounting, the Hall Lord strode straight toward them.
The Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader turned his head briefly toward her, momentarily breaking eye contact with the stranger.
But by then, she had already passed him.
Kwaang!
Drawing her saber, the Four Directions Hall Lord lunged at the man.
With a single missed strike, dozens of white trees vanished from the mountainside.
The Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader froze for a moment—his superior had unsheathed her blade before even hearing the man's explanation.
"H-Hall Lord!"
"I don’t think she can hear you. She’s already far away."
A subordinate behind him stopped him as he shouted.
Though the sound of clashing blades had faded, the mountain itself was being stripped bare in real time, revealing exactly where she was.
"... Does she know him?"
The Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader muttered.
A subordinate beside him replied,
"Perhaps he’s a rogue from an unorthodox faction who sinned against the Hall Lord and fled to the North Sea?"
That seemed plausible. Judging from her demeanor toward the man, she treated him just as she would a heretic from the Blood Sect or the Green Forest.
At the very least, she was not one to draw her blade recklessly inside another sect's territory. But still—something didn't make sense.
"No, if he's that sort, then why would he show himself before her voluntarily?"
"Hmm... maybe to test his strength against hers?"
"Test his strength?"
The Black Tortoise Pavilion Leader let out a short, dry laugh.
"Doesn't it look like he's being completely overwhelmed?"
"Well, if you think about it the other way—he hasn't even drawn his sword, yet he's avoiding every one of the Hall Lord's strikes."
Now that he looked again, it was true.
The Hall Lord was attacking him in earnest, yet the man merely retreated and blocked her saber with his sheathed sword.
From afar, it almost looked as if their own Hall Lord was the ruthless one—while the man, calmly asking for a conversation, seemed like one of the orthodox sects.
No one could make sense of what was happening.
The Four Directions Hall Lord herself couldn't either.
She was filled with killing intent, yet the man before her showed not even a trace of hostility.
Worse, he taunted her.
"Talk to me once your anger's cooled."
Even now, he knew exactly how to drive her into a frenzy.
Realizing she'd lost her composure, the Hall Lord stopped. Her voice turned cold.
"Draw your sword."
"As I said, I came to talk. I have no intention of harming you."
"Is that so?"
She raised her saber.
"I told you before—if I ever saw you again, I'd kill you. I intend to do it here and now, so stop your nonsense and draw. Unless you'd rather die unarmed."
Bai Woon-Hyun did not answer.
The Hall Lord didn't restrain herself—she swung.
Her wide saber cut through the air like a storm. Bai Woon-Hyun lowered his stance; the wind of her blade sliced off a few strands of his hair. Had he been a heartbeat late, his neck would've gone with them.
The Leader swallowed dryly without realizing it.
'She's serious...'
The Four Directions Hall Lord smiled faintly, resting her saber on her shoulder. She gave the Leader another chance.
"Be honest. You want to kill me, too, don't you?"
She crooked a finger at him, teasingly.
"Draw. Don't pull any pathetic tricks."
It was the tone of a senior allowing a junior the first strike.
For a man as proud as this black path swordsman, that kind of provocation should've been enough to make him snap.
But Bai Woon-Hyun didn't move an inch. His voice was cold.
"I'll say it again—I have no intention of fighting you."
"I don't know what kind of scheme you're playing, but you should know me well enough not to expect I'll fall for it."
"I'm not trying to deceive you."
Chwaak!
A massive hunk of metal came flying straight toward the unguarded man.
The saber radiated such a chill that it felt like it would smash his skull in that instant.
Her internal energy wrapped around the blade—but the gaze that followed was sharper still.
"All your comrades died by my hand."
"......"
"And yet you bear me no grudge?"
A thin red line formed on Bai Woon-Hyun's forehead. Fresh blood trickled down, tracing along his crimson eyes.
Facing the Hall Lord, who waited for an answer, Bai Woon-Hyun replied briefly.
"... I tried very hard to hate you."
Kwaang!
Bai Woon-Hyun pulled back, blocking her saber with his sheathed sword.
The Four Directions Hall Lord stared coldly at the scabbard.
"You still lie so easily without changing your expression."
Ka-deudeuk!
The refined saber edge and the scabbard ground against each other, producing a terrible screech.
"Are you saying you never resented me?"
Her voice carried a trace of laughter.
The scabbard was pushed back, pressing against Bai Woon-Hyun's neck. Yet he spoke calmly, as though he felt no pain.
"Weren't you the same?"
"What?"
"You couldn't kill me that day either."
"......"
"And even now, you're hesitating."
At that, Peng Sihyeon's expression faltered for an instant—when suddenly, a shout rang out.
"Hall Lord, stop!"
The voice was familiar, yet it wasn't that of any subordinate from the Four Directions Hall.
Unable to tear her gaze from the enemy before her, Peng Sihyeon heard another voice call out.
"Hall Lord! I've come to deliver a message from the Four Seasons Hall!"
At the words Four Seasons Hall, Peng Sihyeon leapt back. Expanding her vision, she was finally able to identify the speaker.
She had been about to punish whoever dared impersonate the Murim Alliance, but then—she recognized the face.
Peng Sihyeon frowned, unable to believe what she was seeing.
"Namgung Jin, the Young Lord of the Namgung Clan?"
There was no way a Four Directions Hall Lord who oversaw fifteen branches wouldn't recognize that face. As her eyes shifted sideways, they widened further.
'And that's... the eldest daughter of Tang Ji-ha?'
A child whose name had been spreading rapidly throughout the Murim lately.
The direct descendants of the Five Noble Clans, who had come down from the snowy mountains, now stood shoulder to shoulder—forming a line between Peng Sihyeon and the Leader.
"Hah... I greet the Hall Lord."
Tang So-hwa bowed formally, even in the tense atmosphere.
Grateful that the Leader had not yet been killed, she quickly took a wooden token from her sleeve.
Deep furrows formed between Peng Sihyeon's brows.
In Tang So-hwa's hand was a long wooden rod, covered in countless small protrusions along one side.
Peng Sihyeon stared at it in disbelief.
"Why do you... have that?"
"The Four Seasons Hall Lord said it is the token that proves I'm carrying out the duties of the Four Seasons Hall."
Tang So-hwa handed the token over. Peng Sihyeon took it and pulled out another object of her own—
A similar piece of carved wood, also covered in ridges and grooves.
When she fitted the two rods together, they clicked neatly into place.
A pattern that had not been visible before emerged upon their surface—
Fifteen crescent moons forming a great circle, waxing gradually toward a full moon: the emblem of the Murim Alliance.
Letting out a short breath, Peng Sihyeon lifted her head.
Tang So-hwa clasped her palms together respectfully.
"On behalf of the Four Seasons Hall Lord of the Murim Alliance, I request the cooperation of the Four Directions Hall."