Chapter 68
At that moment.
The capital of Hubei Province, Wuhan.
High above the city walls, towering pavilions stood magnificently, as if supporting the clouds.
Buildings adorned with red tiles and golden decorations shone dazzlingly in the sunset,
while flags hung here and there fluttered in the wind, creating a majestic spectacle.
In the grand banquet hall, hundreds of martial artists from the world of Martial World were gathered, sharing drinks.
Exquisite delicacies circulated endlessly, the songs and dances of courtesans enlivened the mood, and laughter and chatter filled the main hall.
At the center of Righteous Wulin, the Murim Alliance.
The North Sea Ice Palace Mistress, Lee Seol-hwa, was right there.
Her appearance defied any attempt to guess her age.
Her skin, white as a snowflake blooming on a winter field, was pristine and flawless,
and her two eyes, like obsidian, gleamed with an unfathomably mysterious light.
Above all, an immeasurable and distant sense of strength radiated from her.
It was like a deep ocean, an endless energy.
'They said the Demonic Cult was causing trouble again, so I've come all the way to this distant Central Plains...'
Lee Seol-hwa clicked her tongue inwardly.
'But there's not a trace of those Demonic Cult bastards—only a noisy banquet.'
The reason for the Murim Alliance's invitation this time was the reemergence of the Demonic Cult in the Central Plains.
However, on her journey from the North Sea to Wuhan, Lee Seol-hwa found not a single sign of the Demonic Cult.
Still, when the Murim Alliance sent an invitation, she had no choice but to attend.
The Central Plains were now completely dominated by the Murim Alliance.
Maintaining smooth relations with the hegemon of the Central Plains was crucial for the North Sea Ice Palace, a newly emerging force.
"Hahaha! It's been a while since all the heroes and great warriors of the Central Plains have gathered!"
Surrounding the North Sea Ice Palace Mistress Lee Seol-hwa were the leading experts of the Central Plains.
Namgung Cheon-rui, the previous head of the Namgung clan and the current alliance leader of the Murim Alliance.
Cheongheo Jin-in, the leader of the Mount Hua Sect.
Peng Mugeuk, the head of the Peng Clan in Hebei, and others.
All of them boasted prestige equal to or surpassing that of the North Sea Ice Palace.
But as the Ice Palace Mistress was taking in the banquet, an unexpected conversation caught her ear.
The seven elders from the Hainan Sect who had come from Hainan Province in the south.
Known as the Seven Sages of the South Sea, they were passionately speaking to the alliance leader.
"Hao Sect is neither purely righteous nor evil, but as a neutral group, they were of immense help in defeating the Demonic Cult's hall master this time."
"Following their eradication of the most notorious Dark Path sect, Three Souls Hall, they've now wiped out the Demonic Cult as well."
"Therefore, the leader of the Hao Sect branch in Ansun deserves a great reward from the Murim Alliance."
Lee Seol-hwa's eyebrow twitched.
'... Hao Sect branch in Ansun?'
Lee Seol-hwa had heard that name from her guards.
It was where her daughter Lee Rin was staying.
As proof—
"Oh, and during our battle with the Demonic Cult, I spotted a young lady using North Sea's ice arts. She looked like a North Sea Ice Palace disciple..."
So spoke Elder Hae Gang-geon, one of the Seven Sages of the South Sea, glancing fleetingly toward Lee Seol-hwa.
At his words, her expression changed ever so slightly.
'Lee Rin... You fought those terrifying Demonic Cult bastards? Are you truly unharmed?'
It was then that alliance leader Namgung Cheon-rui approached Lee Seol-hwa.
He was a dignified old man, his deep-set eyes and wrinkled face complemented by a white beard.
A gentle smile played at his lips, but his eyes held unfathomable depths.
"Is the food of the Central Plains to your taste, Palace Mistress?"
"It's decent enough."
"Thank you for coming all the way from the far North Sea to the Central Plains."
"I ought to thank the alliance leader for his invitation."
"But..."
"Yes?"
"There's a proposal I'd like to make to you, Palace Mistress."
"A proposal?"
"I've heard that you have an only daughter."
"......?"
Lee Seol-hwa's gaze turned icy.
'... Why is he suddenly bringing up Lee Rin? Did she get into trouble in the Central Plains without telling me?'
She had already heard that Lee Rin had impulsively entered the Dark Path Duel Banquet, the Evil Path Association's duel tournament.
But no matter which competition the North Sea Ice Palace, as an outside power, participated in, that was no business of the Murim Alliance.
But the alliance leader's next words were wholly unexpected.
"The young mistress of the North Sea Ice Palace is at the age for marriage, is she not?"
"... Marriage?"
"It's the duty of elders to find a suitable match. It may be boastful to say so, but our Namgung clan's third grandson is quite dashing and handsome. His martial arts are exceptional, and his character is upright."
Namgung Cheon-rui looked at Lee Seol-hwa with a subtle gaze.
For a moment, she couldn't believe her ears.
'Marriage? What nonsense is this all of a sudden?'
The alliance leader's intentions were obvious.
The North Sea Ice Palace is an outside force, standing in the neutral zone between good and evil.
In other words, should another great conflict erupt, no one knows which side they will take.
Moreover, among the four great external powers, the North Sea Ice Palace was the most formidable.
Thus, the Murim Alliance very much wanted them as allies.
That's why Namgung Cheon-rui was trying to arrange a political marriage between his third grandson and the North Sea Ice Palace's young mistress, hoping to draw the North Sea into the fold of the righteous wulin.
"Since the North Sea Ice Palace is a palace of women, I've heard that if a marriage is held, the man must enter the Ice Palace. That's why the great clans of the Central Plains are reluctant to send their sons as bridegrooms...."
"......."
"But I am different. I will send my Namgung clan's third grandson to the North Sea Ice Palace. He's a promising talent, one the Palace Mistress will surely like."
'... He's really saying this, as if I can't see right through him.'
Lee Seol-hwa barely restrained herself from saying so.
Even if the Namgung clan, one of the Five Great Clans and currently leading the Murim Alliance, was powerful, suggesting that the North Sea Ice Palace send its heir to marry their youngest? It was absurd.
It was an attempt to place the Ice Palace under the Namgung clan's control.
More importantly, Lee Seol-hwa had no intention of forcing her only daughter into a political marriage.
She could not sentence her to a loveless, unhappy life.
Still, refusing outright would be problematic.
For all his benevolence, the alliance leader was actually very self-righteous.
If things didn't go his way, he would inevitably retaliate in some manner.
To reject the proposal, she would need a plausible justification.
"That's a rather sudden suggestion."
"Hoho. Perhaps I'm just eager, meeting such a distinguished guest so rarely."
"......."
"In any case, take your time to consider while staying with the Murim Alliance. It would be a great celebration for both the North Sea and the Central Plains. Hohoho."
With a hearty laugh, Namgung Cheon-rui returned to his seat.
Lee Seol-hwa watched his back with cold eyes,
thinking hard about how to stop this marriage.
'Should I just turn Namgung's third son into a eunuch....'
* * *
About half a month later.
Jaseong and Lee Rin arrived in Hubei Province, home of the Murim Alliance.
In Lee Rin's hand was correspondence directly sent by the North Sea Ice Palace Mistress.
[Young Mistress. I am currently staying in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Come to the pavilion called Clear Heart Pavilion(淸心樓), located one hundred steps south of the main gate of the Murim Alliance. There is something important I must discuss with you.]
Holding the letter, Lee Rin looked at Jaseong with worried eyes.
"Great hero. My mother is not an ordinary person."
"What's her temperament like?"
"She's usually gentle and possesses the dignity of a palace mistress, but if she's ever crossed, she becomes cold and ruthless. She treats me with warmth and kindness, but to outsiders..."
As Jaseong listened, he recalled Han Soweol the nursemaid's warning.
'If you wish to remain at the young lady's side, you must also come. But be prepared to risk your neck.'
A warning that would send chills down the spine of anyone in the martial world.
The reason Jaseong was willing to accept such risk and accompany Lee Rin to meet the Palace Mistress of the North Sea Ice Palace—
It was, of course, because he didn't want to lose a reliable companion like Lee Rin.
But there was another reason.
'If I can meet the Palace Mistress and bring the power of the North Sea to my side... my revenge will be accelerated by at least ten years.'
Thus, the two arrived at the Murim Alliance headquarters in the heart of Wuhan, Hubei Province.
Pavilions with red tiles and golden dragon patterns soared skyward.
At this imposing sight, Lee Rin's eyes widened.
"Wow... this is the Murim Alliance, the heart of the martial world...."
Her voice was full of awe.
To her, raised in the icy palace of the North Sea, this grandeur of the Central Plains felt like an entirely different world.
But Jaseong's reaction differed.
His eyes grew cold and serene.
After all, many of his enemies were sure to be gathered in this Murim Alliance.
'Head of the Murong clan, Murong Cheolsan... Head of the Peng Clan in Hebei, Peng Yun-ho, and his son Peng Yun-geom... The head of the Zhongnan Sect, Zhong Yeob, eldest senior brother Yun-hyeon, first disciple Yun-hak. And all their accomplices... Are they all here now?'
Jaseong's heart pounded.
He barely suppressed the murderous intent threatening to burst from his entire being.
What would he do if he came face to face with them?
Should he activate the Celestial Gate Opening Art to its limit, cut them down in a single stroke, and escape?
Even as he came for this important meeting with the Ice Palace Mistress, Jaseong was consumed by such thoughts.
His resentment was that deep and burning.
Soon, Jaseong and Lee Rin arrived at Clear Heart Pavilion.
Clear Heart Pavilion stood tall, overlooking the Yangtze River.
Above its red pillars, golden eaves soared towards the heavens, and all its windows were wide open, inviting the river wind inside.
The pavilion was surrounded by groves of green bamboo,
with righteous faction martial artists strolling and chatting here and there.
"We're a bit early. My mother should arrive in about two hours, so should we have some tea first?"
Lee Rin asked, her voice trembling just a little.
But as Jaseong and Lee Rin opened the door to Clear Heart Pavilion, an unexpected figure appeared before their eyes.
He was a man with thick, prominent eyebrows.
With a classically handsome face, a robust physique, luxurious silk garments, and a famous sword at his waist, anyone could tell he was scion of a prestigious family.
Yet his eyes betrayed a lust unbefitting a noble house.
Around him were several women.
They tittered at his words and fluttered their silk fans, while he grinned broadly, basking in their attention.
[Judging by the seal engraved on his sword at his waist, he must be a blood relative of the Namgung clan.]
[The Namgung clan? Isn't that the clan renowned as the premier sword family in the Central Plains?]
[That's right.]
[Ugh. He looks so sleazy. What do those women see in a guy like that, clan or not?]
The man who made Lee Rin wrinkle her brow was, by chance, Namgung Cheon-rui's third grandson, Namgung Jin.
He was the very grandson whom the alliance leader had proposed as a match for Lee Rin to the North Sea Ice Palace Mistress.
Just as Lee Rin spotted Namgung Jin, he also noticed her.
'That young woman...?'
Namgung Jin could not take his eyes off Lee Rin.
Indeed, every man in Clear Heart Pavilion had their gaze fixed on her.
Skin as white as snow, vaguely bluish eyes,
the unique, dazzling beauty of the North Sea radiated from her.
Even the phrase "peerless beauty" fell short of describing her.
'She's beautiful in a way distinct from women of the Central Plains... Grandfather said the young mistress of the North Sea Ice Palace would be coming to the Murim Alliance soon... Could she be the one destined to become my bride?'
An excited smile crept across Namgung Jin's lips.
Since his recent 'incident,' his pent-up desires were bursting forth.
But just as Namgung Jin approached Lee Rin, he met the eyes of another.
It was Jaseong, standing right by Lee Rin's side, clearly close to the young mistress.
'Who is this guy?'
As expected, Namgung Jin took an immediate dislike to him.
Moments later, with a sly look hidden in his gaze, Namgung Jin stepped toward Lee Rin and Jaseong.