Chapter 400: If You Had Met, You Would Have Just Gotten Drunk
The Palace Master’s Hall of the Northern Sea Ice Palace was located at the top of the tower.
The tower, which looked like an icicle thrusting toward the sky, appeared mysterious just by looking at it.
At the entrance, Han Seol suddenly recalled what Geom Mugeuk had said.
―I am someone who values the reasons of my subordinates more than the organization.
She abruptly asked Chan, who had followed her to the entrance.
“Do you have a reason too?”
Chan asked back with a puzzled expression, as if to say, what do you mean?
“What kind of reason are you speaking of?”
“A reason that I should understand, something like that.”
He could not even understand this question at first.
“There is none.”
Chan replied briefly, and Han Seol left him behind and entered the tower.
Chan stared at her retreating figure with a strange expression. To a question that had never been asked before, a thought arose in his mind instead.
‘Young Palace Master, has something arisen that I must understand?’
Han Seol climbed the ice stairs. Everything she could see appeared to be made of ice. It was a building created with the Northern Sea Ice Palace’s unique construction technique, being ice but not ice. The light entering through the window reflected in multiple colors, adding to the mysteriousness.
Although she was ascending that fantastical space, Han Seol was having extremely realistic thoughts.
‘This is normal. Why is something like ‘understanding’ necessary between a leader and a subordinate? Even parents and children cannot understand each other.’
At the top of that tower, her mother was waiting.
Ice Palace Master Han Seogyeong.
An iron woman who was said to have a heart made of ice.
She was also known as the most outstanding martial artist among the recent generations of Ice Palace Masters. Of course, since she had never displayed her martial arts externally, no one knew exactly how skilled she was.
Thus, the strength of the Ice Palace lay in its undisclosed power and its mystique.
“Palace Master.”
To Han Seol, she was not a mom, but a mother, and not just a mother, but the Ice Palace Master.
It had been that way since childhood. She had never warmly embraced her. Whenever Han Seol took a step closer, her mother took two steps back. She was thoroughly raised as the Young Palace Master, and to Han Seol, her mother was the strict Ice Palace Master.
Had their faces not resembled each other so closely that anyone could tell they were mother and daughter, Han Seol might have suspected she was not her biological mother.
Now, even though the distance between them was less than five steps, no one could tell how deep the chasm between them was. From the edge of that cliff, they looked at each other.
“The person who kidnapped the second son of the Northern Blood Gate was, as expected, a martial artist of the Demonic Cult.”
Even though it was an important report revealing that the Demonic Cult was involved in the affairs of the Northern Sea, the Ice Palace Master did not show much agitation.
“It was an act committed independently by a subordinate, and the Young Cult Leader even seemed to be covering for that act.”
The Ice Palace Master asked with her eyes for a reason, but Han Seol could not answer. It was something she herself could not understand.
“He seemed to treasure that subordinate.”
Then, the Ice Palace Master spoke in a calm tone.
“Even so, we cannot let the bloodline of the Northern Blood Gate die at their hands.”
The Northern Blood Gate had sought help, and her mother was trying to grant their request.
Han Seol did not know what kind of deal had passed between her mother and the Northern Blood Gate Master.
“For now, I told the Young Cult Leader to hand over the subordinate’s whereabouts.”
“If he treasures that subordinate, as you say, would he hand him over so easily?”
“I suppose not.”
The gaze that asked her to state the answer she was thinking of flew toward Han Seol again.
Would the Palace Master, no, her mother, know how suffocating it was at times like this?
It had always been that way since childhood. Her mother believed one must find the answers on their own to grow stronger. As if that was the only right answer.
‘Mother, that answer is wrong.’
She had wished for a mother’s arms where she could rest, if only briefly, from the world that demanded she find answers. She had hoped that at the end of this road, her mother would be waiting with arms wide open.
And yet, now, even that lingering regret had disappeared from Han Seol’s heart.
“I will find a way.”
She bowed politely and was about to turn away when she added, as if she had just remembered,
“Ah, the reason the Young Cult Leader came with the Great Drunken Demon was because of the late Master of the Hundred Liquors Snow Courtyard.”
“What was the Great Drunken Demon’s reaction to her death?”
“He seemed unable to believe that she had taken her own life.”
“The Great Drunken Demon will not return easily, then.”
The Ice Palace Master already knew what kind of relationship the Great Drunken Demon and the Master of the Hundred Liquors Snow Courtyard had.
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
Once again, Han Seol bowed respectfully and turned around. Though she was her daughter, her report was no different from that of any other subordinate.
Such a thing might have been regrettable, but neither showed any sign of it.
From behind, the Ice Palace Master called out.
“Young Palace Master.”
Han Seol turned back again.
“The Young Cult Leader is the one who achieved the summit with Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions. Do not underestimate him.”
When her mother spoke this formally, it meant she was emphasizing something truly important.
Han Seol had not yet felt that Geom Mugeuk was such a person, but she bowed her head respectfully.
“I will keep it in mind.”
The Ice Palace Master stared at the faint outline of Han Seol, who was turning around the tower stairs and descending, through the transparent ice floor.
* * *
On the snow-covered field, Geom Mugeuk and the Great Drunken Demon were standing.
After standing there for a long while, the Great Drunken Demon suddenly spoke.
“This is the place. Where the Master first told me she liked me.”
Back then, it was still during their youthful days, before he became the Demon Supreme.
“Why didn’t you accept her feelings?”
The Great Drunken Demon turned his head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
“At that time, even a single drink was enough to overwhelm my life.”
“What do you mean?”
“The competitors who aimed to become the Great Drunken Demon were all obsessed with drinking. Whereas I...”
"You didn't like drinking as much as they did."
The Great Drunken Demon nodded obediently.
It was the first time he learned this. He had thought the Great Drunken Demon must have loved alcohol more than anyone from the very beginning.
Yeah, sometimes life pushes us into unexpected places like this. A person who could not even kill an ant might become a professional killer, and someone who shivered just by seeing a blade might become a famous swordsman.
And then, as if nothing had happened, they adapt far too well.
"You like drinking now, though, don't you?"
The Great Drunken Demon gave a small laugh.
"Do I merely like it? It's my whole life."
Geom Mugeuk laughed along with him.
"It was largely thanks to her that I came to love alcohol like this. At first, we were awkward around each other, but gradually, we exchanged letters purely about alcohol. She wrote to me about drinks she had found, and we shared stories about all sorts of alcohol from across the Central Plains."
Geom Mugeuk could feel it. She had been a true friend, bound to the Great Drunken Demon through alcohol.
"It’s thanks to her that I rose to this position, that I was able to achieve mastery in my martial arts. She helped me that much. Even knowing how grateful I should be, I only came now. I'm such a selfish bastard."
That was why the Great Drunken Demon was angry. The grief of losing a true friend, and the anger at the reality that it could never be undone.
That’s just how life is.
Geom Mugeuk almost said this but stopped himself. That was not what the Great Drunken Demon needed to hear right now.
"You bastard!"
The Great Drunken Demon nodded.
"Yeah, I'm a bastard."
As if waiting for that confession, the snow began to fall. While flower petals were raining down in the Central Plains, here, it was snowing.
The Great Drunken Demon looked up at the sky.
"I'm a bastard!"
His shout echoed across the snowy plain.
Geom Mugeuk also looked up at the snow-filled sky.
"Is there such a thing as a good Demon in this world? They're all bastards. She would have understood. She must have been happy just sending you drinks. Maybe it was even better that you two only exchanged letters without meeting. If you had met, you would have just gotten drunk and caused a scene. You did well. That was better for her."
The Great Drunken Demon looked at Geom Mugeuk. He probably didn’t even realize how much comfort those words gave him.
Seeing those trembling eyes, Geom Mugeuk silently nodded once and moved forward to the next step.
"Still, we have to catch the bastard, don't we?"
Since the Great Drunken Demon was convinced it was not suicide, there had to be someone who had driven her to her death.
"To investigate that incident, we’ll have to enter the Ice Palace."
While the Great Drunken Demon worried, Geom Mugeuk had already made his plan.
"The fact that the Northern Sea Ice Palace stepped into the Northern Blood Gate’s affairs means there’s a circumstance serious enough for them to grant the request."
"That must be it."
"Then if we resolve that matter, they’ll probably let us investigate this case too."
The Great Drunken Demon could understand Geom Mugeuk’s intention. He was planning to return the Northern Blood Gate Master’s second son and use that as leverage to ask for permission to investigate.
"What if she already killed him?"
"If she had wanted to kill him, she would have done so without bothering to kidnap him. The fact that he was kidnapped must mean she needed to save someone."
"Do you know where she is now?"
As expected, the answer came without hesitation.
"If she pulled something this serious, even if no one else knows, she would have informed Gowol of their whereabouts through Hidden Moon. You can tell just by how they haven't been discovered, even after the Northern Blood Gate and Ice Palace searched everywhere. Most likely, they’re at Hidden Moon’s Northern Sea safehouse right now."
Geom Mugeuk knew better than anyone how meticulous Gowol’s methods were. Gowol’s safehouse would be a real safehouse.
"You know your subordinate too well, don't you?"
"Would a heart be a heart if it didn't beat? Let’s go."
Geom Mugeuk and the Great Drunken Demon began walking slowly through the increasingly heavy snow.
* * *
"Until the promised time came, there was no contact from the Northern Blood Gate."
Lee Ahn had not expected that the Northern Blood Gate Master would abandon his child.
'They say the world of martial arts is heartless. This is truly too much.'
If it were her, she would have given her life for her child. Was he really going to act like this?
Though she had expected it, facing the reality left Yang Joong's heart sinking to the bottom. His father had traded the honor of the Northern Blood Gate for his son’s life.
'Kill me!'
He wanted to shout it out proudly, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He wanted to live.
"If you kill me, the Main Gate will surely take revenge."
He was still pleading for his life in a mistaken way.
On the other hand, Joo Gyu and Hwang Chu did not cling to useless pride.
"Please spare us!"
The two of them still had their eyes tightly shut. Their desire to live burned fiercely.
"Now, open your eyes too. It's time for us all to think together."
Finally, Joo Gyu and Hwang Chu opened their eyes. Thanks to the lantern Lee Ahn had lit in the dim room, they could see her face.
The two were utterly shocked. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that the woman who had captured them would be this beautiful.
'You crazy bitch! What the hell are you?'
Such words almost burst from Joo Gyu’s mouth; he really could not understand it. With such stunning looks, she could have lived a thrilling life without needing to kidnap the blood relatives of the Northern Blood Gate.
"Threats didn’t work. What should we do now?"
Lee Ahn approached them closely. She was even more beautiful up close.
"Should I cut off your hands and send them back?"
Joo Gyu, who had been staring at her blankly, nodded absentmindedly, then flinched in surprise.
"Whose hand are you talking about?"
At that, Yang Joong glared at him. Whose hand did he think? Of course, it would be his. How could he ask something so obvious!
"It won't work! I've already given up my life anyway, would cutting off my hand change anything?"
Before he realized it, Yang Joong had hidden both his hands behind his back. Lee Ahn frightened him.
"It could be a bluff, you know? You might think, surely she wouldn't actually kill me."
Lee Ahn whispered slyly to Yang Joong.
"I’ll cut off your left hand, the one you don’t use for the sword."
As she gripped the sword handle, as if she would strike at once, Yang Joong screamed in terror.
"I said it won't work!"
Lee Ahn took her hand off the sword.
"Right? Then what should I do? Should I really cut off your head and send it?"
The words coming from her sweet and gentle voice were all chilling to hear.
"So? What do you gain from that?"
"At least I'll feel a little better."
As Yang Joong trembled in fear and said nothing, Joo Gyu stepped forward instead.
"Then all the people you're trying to save will be killed."
Lee Ahn stared at him and said,
"It can’t be helped, can it? What, did you really think I'd feel guilty over that? Even if it’s not me, wouldn’t they die miserably anyway? No? Did you really bring them here just to help them earn money?"
Naturally, they could not say anything.
"Now, I've given my answer, so you give yours. Otherwise, I’ll just kill all of you and send your bodies to the Northern Blood Gate, and I'll vanish like smoke."
There was a reason why Lee Ahn was trying to frighten them.
She thought that maybe, while throwing out their answers, a solution might come up. Even just a clue would be enough.
'If it were the young master, what would he have done?'
She thought hard, but only felt that she was still far from reaching that level.
Surely, a solution to this problem existed. A solution so clear that, looking back on this moment years later, she would kick her blanket and think, "I should have done it that way."
But right now, she had no idea what to do. It only felt suffocating, as if a blanket were covering her face.
"Please release me! I will go and persuade the Gate Master!"
Joo Gyu desperately struggled to survive, even if it meant saving only himself.
Even though it was something that would never work even if they persuaded him together, Yang Joong blocked his way.
"Do you think that would work?"
Ignoring Joo Gyu’s suggestion, he offered a new plan.
"Kidnap my brother. Then my father will surrender."
Lee Ahn was dumbfounded. Father or son, these people really! That had to be at least half sincere. The other half was probably because of this reason:
"There must be experts swarming around your brother right now. Are you telling me to get myself captured?"
Yang Joong flinched as if struck in the heart.
"I merely voiced my thought."
"Wrong answer. Alright, next answer?"
The three captives racked their brains as hard as they could.
In fact, Lee Ahn had already decided what she would attempt.
‘I’ll have to make another proposal to persuade them.’
Because there were people she needed to save.
However, the moment she offered a new proposal, she would lose the initiative to them. These were people who didn’t even blink when she threatened to kill their children.
‘It was so much easier when I was just standing next to the young master without a thought, acting as a bodyguard.’
While she was trying to find an answer, it happened.
Someone knocked on the door from outside.
Both Lee Ahn and the three captives were startled.
Yang Joong glanced back at the other two and smiled triumphantly. Joo Gyu and Hwang Chu’s faces also brightened.
'It's done! They’ve come to rescue us!'
'You’re dead now!'
They laughed coldly. Joo Gyu gestured with his eyes: stay quiet, don’t act rashly. After all, she could kill them all and then face the rescuers.
But the warning was unnecessary. Yang Joong wanted to live just as much as Joo Gyu did. He didn’t even breathe.
Lee Ahn drew her sword and asked quietly,
"Who is it?"
Then, from beyond the door, came a voice so familiar and welcome.
"The correct answer."