Chapter 408: Next time we meet, let’s definitely have a drink
Han Seol and Lee Ahn were walking together inside the Ice Palace Inner Garden.
Han Seol had been tasked with finding out for whom the Former Master Brewer had made the Fragrant Snow Ice Liquor, but in truth, she felt at a loss.
‘Who should I ask?’
This was not a matter of intelligence or dullness. It was a matter of experience. She had never investigated a case before.
Still, she had no thought of giving up. Asking her mother for help was not an option she even considered.
“First, let’s visit the Hundred Liquors Snow Courtyard again.”
Her attitude toward Lee Ahn had become a little more polite. Until now, she had treated her as the Young Palace Master’s subordinate, but now she had begun to treat her as the daughter of the Fist Demon King. Even if she was an adopted daughter, it was not something she could treat lightly, since she was still the daughter of the Demon Supreme.
“That’s a good idea.”
“Why do you think so?”
“When I saw the Former Master Brewer’s room, I had a thought. Ah, she truly loved the work of making liquor. She probably spent more time at the Hundred Liquors Snow Courtyard than at home. So maybe the answers we’re looking for are there as well.”
At Lee Ahn’s words, Han Seol lightly nodded.
‘Everyone’s so sharp.’
This time, Geom Mugeuk, the Drunken Demon, and Lee Ahn had completely shattered her prejudice against demonic path followers.
She had believed that those of the demonic path were cruel, violent, and unashamed of their desires.
But these three were not like the Young Cult Leader, the Demon Supreme, or his subordinates that she had imagined.
‘Still, I can’t lose to demonic path followers.’
Since the Drunken Demon had investigated the letter and found clues, she had to show something too. It was not about showing it to the Young Cult Leader.
She wanted to show her mother.
The sight of a daughter who could overwhelm them. Although she had no desire to be seen favorably by others throughout her life, with her mother, she still harbored that lingering feeling. Not that she liked her mother. No, perhaps she hated her more than anyone else.
“You’re back again, Young Palace Master.”
The temporary master of the Hundred Liquors Snow Courtyard welcomed the two, but Han Seol had not come to meet him.
At that place, Han Seol met Jo Myeong, the one in charge of the ingredients for making liquor.
Jo Myeong was extremely nervous at Han Seol’s visit.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Please, ask.”
“I know you must be busy, so I won’t beat around the bush. Did the deceased Former Master Brewer ever request ingredients to make the Fragrant Snow Ice Liquor?”
“No, never.”
Perhaps because of his nervousness, Jo Myeong’s voice trembled.
“This is an important matter. You must not lie to me.”
When Han Seol coldly stared at him, Jo Myeong bowed his head.
At that moment, Lee Ahn stepped forward.
“I think he made a promise with the Former Master Brewer. Not to tell anyone.”
The bowed Jo Myeong said nothing.
“We are guessing that the Former Master Brewer’s death was because of that liquor.”
At those words, they could feel Jo Myeong flinch.
“Wouldn’t it be more important to find the ones who caused the Former Master Brewer’s death than to keep a promise?”
They could feel Jo Myeong’s hesitation. He must have had a deep connection with the deceased Former Master Brewer, making it hard for him to flatly deny. He was not the type who could lie to others without blinking an eye.
Jo Myeong raised his head and cautiously asked.
“Did she really die because of that liquor?”
“I believe so.”
The Young Palace Master answered Lee Ahn’s words.
“Opportunities don’t come all the time. If we miss this chance, there will be no revisiting the Former Master Brewer’s death.”
Though the tone was somewhat cold, the words had an effect.
Jo Myeong no longer hid the truth.
“She quietly called me and asked me to procure ingredients to make the Fragrant Snow Ice Liquor. She said it was for a precious person who secretly requested it. She asked me to keep it a secret, and so I did. I am sorry.”
“Did she say who it was for?”
“I don’t know that either.”
“Was there anyone she was particularly close to?”
“There’s no one in particular I could mention. She usually preferred to be alone.”
Since there was nothing more to ask, Han Seol stopped questioning.
“You tampered with the liquor ingredients and left no records, so you will be disciplined.”
“I am prepared for that.”
They could feel that he had truly respected the Former Master Brewer. No wonder he had secretly handed over the ingredients.
Lee Ahn warmly comforted him for being honest.
“The Former Master Brewer would surely be grateful too.”
Thus, the two came outside.
Lee Ahn almost said aloud that he should not be punished but held her tongue. Even if she had the heart to forgive, speaking up unnecessarily might end up causing him to be punished instead.
“You’re surprisingly kind to people for someone from the demonic path.”
At that, Lee Ahn asked.
“In this martial world, who do you think survives longer, the ruthless or the kind?”
“Well, of course…”
Han Seol did not answer. The answer was so obvious that she felt no need to say it.
However, Lee Ahn’s thoughts were different from hers.
“I believe that kind people survive longer.”
Kindness? It was an emotion Han Seol had never experienced. She had neither received kindness nor treated anyone kindly.
At any rate, Han Seol did not agree with her words. Speaking of kindness in this ruthless martial world?
Just then, Jo Myeong came running up to them and said.
“I was too nervous earlier and didn’t think of it, but I remember seeing the Former Master Brewer drinking with Elder Seo a few times. She didn’t usually mingle with others, so it stayed in my memory.”
Jo Myeong bowed deeply and returned.
Lee Ahn smiled and said to Han Seol.
“This too is the result of kindness.”
Even at her joke, Han Seol’s expression grew serious.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
But Lee Ahn could feel it. The moment she heard the words "Elder Seo," something had started to bother her. Lee Ahn calmly spoke to her.
“Wasn’t it the Young Palace Master’s condition that there should be absolutely no secrets?”
You’re not thinking, 'You shouldn’t hide anything, but I will,' right?
Even her gaze seemed to ask that, and finally Han Seol spoke the words she had hesitated over.
“Elder Seo is the person my mother trusts the most.”
Elder Seo was a figure with great influence inside the Ice Palace and could be called the greatest aide to the Ice Palace Master.
“In that case, the Former Master Brewer might have felt reassured and agreed to his request.”
He was indeed a fitting person under the condition that the liquor was made for someone trustworthy. Elder Seo was known for his excellent character, after all.
But to think that the Fragrant Snow Ice Liquor, which they believed connected to her death, was related to Elder Seo?
Whether her mother knew or did not know — either way, it was a problem.
Kindness lets people survive?
“Elder Seo is also the only person my mother treats kindly.”
* * *
Fwhiiiiiish.
The wind grew stronger and stronger, but I kept moving forward.
Originally, the difficulty of walking here was not just because of the strength of the wind, but also the terrifying chill carried by the wind.
It was a coldness no human could endure, and the internal energy consumption needed to block it was enormous.
I had to use internal energy both to resist being blown away and to ward off the cold. It consumed energy twice over.
However, now I didn’t have to worry about the cold — I only had to focus on the strength of the wind.
After acquiring Heat and Cold Immunity through the Heavenly Qi Pill and then consuming the Millennium Snow Fruit, the effect was astonishing, almost magical. Even this bitter cold, fierce enough to freeze one’s blood, felt like nothing.
Thus, I had thought I could easily reach the destination.
But with every single step forward, the wind became more brutal. Every time I walked, the sound of the wind changed.
I could be certain of it. If you were not someone who had been chosen, you could never pass through this place.
I too had to be a chosen one.
After regressing, I had gained an immense amount of internal energy, learned the Nine Calamities Demon Art and the Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique. On top of that, I had consumed the Millennium Snow Fruit. Yet even I doubted whether I could reach the end. Who else could possibly break through this place?
‘Is this why they were seeking the Extreme Cold Constitution?’
I once briefly thought, maybe it was to pass through here, and that was one reason I had decided to come.
But now that I was experiencing it firsthand, I could say with certainty — that was not it. They were definitely plotting something else.
As I moved a little further, the wind blew so fiercely that I could no longer even afford to think about anything else.
The internal energy I possessed and the distance to the end. The strength of the wind that grew stronger with each step. I calculated all of it. I could not just recklessly push my internal energy to the extreme, but if I tried to save it, I would simply be blown away. I even calculated the minimum amount of internal energy needed to protect my body in case I lost strength and got swept away.
By walking while using only the calculated amount of internal energy, I began to feel pain. It hurt. It hurt terribly. I hadn’t expected the wind alone to cause such pain.
But I could not draw out more internal energy to avoid the pain. Greater pain would surely await later. I had to endure this pain to reach the destination.
Unexpectedly, I had to spend more internal energy. I had to protect my eardrums with my energy. The sound of the wind was so loud that it could damage my ears. The internal energy used up in doing so returned as pain.
Fwoooouuuuuuuung!
‘Why am I forcing myself to go there? If I suffer internal injuries like this…’
The urge to avoid pain endlessly tempted me.
Had it been before my regression, I would never have been able to push forward like this.
Back then, I had been tormented by countless temptations. Give up. How could a human ever regress? Even now, give up and just live your life.
I had overcome those endless temptations and walked that lonely path alone.
‘I can walk this path too.’
I kept walking and walking.
The abundant internal energy within my dantian was almost completely depleted.
‘Just a little more, just a little more.’
At the final moment, the sound of the wind disappeared, and I felt the surroundings become quiet.
Could it be a hallucination? If I fall into qi deviation like this, it would be disastrous.
If this was a sign of that, I needed to turn back immediately.
And that was the last temptation.
I firmly moved my foot forward. It had always been that one steady step that overcame all temptations.
Gooooooooh!
The moment I overcame the temptation, I heard a sound of wind unlike anything I had ever heard before.
Thus, I finally reached the source of the wind. The strength of the wind had reached its peak. I unleashed all the internal energy I had reserved, pushing my Protective Energy and Heavenly Demon Body Protection Technique to their limits.
‘I’m here! Just this spot! Please!’
Overcoming the pain that felt as if my whole body was being torn apart, I took the final step.
As I passed through the Wind Valley and twisted my body to evade, the pain disappeared as if it were a lie. I had escaped from that overwhelming wind.
“I did it!”
A cry of survival escaped my lips.
The valley I had just exited was still being blasted by the wind. The gusts were so strong that the waves of the wind were visible to the naked eye.
The source of the wind was the sky. Far off in the distance, the wind was slanting down from the sky and fiercely rushing toward the valley. It looked as if a demon was sucking in all the air of the world through its mouth. It was truly a mysterious, alien, and fearsome sight.
And I realized.
The very act of reaching this place was itself a greater fortune than any other opportunity.
Breaking through to this point, I had unleashed all the internal strength I possessed.
I had drawn out every bit of potential I had as a martial artist. After using up every last drop of potential, I felt as if I could see myself as a martial artist with crystal clarity.
I felt as if my martial arts attainment had risen. I even felt that I, as a person, had become stronger. It was a strange experience and sensation.
I was certain that this experience, something I had never felt before in my entire life, would definitely influence the Nine Calamities Demon Art as well.
Leaving behind the demon’s mouth that sucked in the wind, I slowly moved forward.
Far behind, there was a giant cliff blocking the way. It was so tall that the top was invisible. The ridges of the snowy mountains blocked all other directions. As if to say that unless you broke through that Wind Valley, you could not enter.
Ahead of me stretched a spring landscape. Flowers were blooming, and birds were flying about. Rabbits and deer looked at me but did not flee. They had the look of seeing a human for the first time.
An overflowing, mysterious energy filled the air. It was the primordial mystery of a place that had never let humans enter.
And I saw.
One person standing at the center of it all.
An old man stood there, hands clasped behind his back. An old man in such a place? He was certainly not an ordinary person.
At that moment, one person came to mind. No way. Could it be him?
“Sir?”
I cautiously called out to the old man. Then the old man slowly turned toward me.
Amazingly, he was the very old man who had caused my regression.
“Sir!”
The old man grinned broadly and shook the liquor bottle he was holding.
“Didn’t I say next time we meet, let’s have a drink?”
It was what he had said just before he sent me back in time.
I had a feeling that someday the old man might appear before me again. But to think it would be today.
“I’m currently abstaining from alcohol, you know. You came at this time on purpose, didn’t you? Just to tease me.”
The old man laughed out loud, heartily.
“You’ve gotten much brighter than back then.”
“Thanks to you.”
Looking at me with deep eyes, the old man slowly approached and patted me on the shoulder.
“You’ve had a hard time, haven’t you? You’re doing well.”
The moment I heard the old man's words, my heart swelled.
I had been trying so hard, again and again, to express everything to others.
It seemed I, too, had wanted to hear it.
I must have wanted to be comforted by someone who knew my efforts from beginning to end. To be told that I had been living so diligently from before my regression until now. To hear just that one sentence — that I was doing well. Just hearing that would have been enough.
“Since you’re abstaining from alcohol, let’s have that drink another time.”
“Are you already leaving?”
“As you know, there are many who seek me, so I’m very busy.”
Still, it sounded like he might come to see me again, and that made me feel good.
Fwhiiiiiish.
A gust of wind blew.
The old man disappeared before my eyes with the wind. Along with him, the paradise-like scenery around me vanished as well. The trees, the grass, the animals — they all disappeared with him.
Now, all that surrounded me was snow and ice.
It had come and gone so quickly that it felt like a dream. Had I seen a hallucination? I had drained all my mental strength and internal energy to the point of collapse, after all.
But no. The touch of his hand patting my shoulder had been far too vivid. I was truly glad and happy to have seen him again.
Had I forgotten to look up at the sky these past few days, and that’s why he had come to visit me directly? I’ll make sure to look up often from now on, so please, continue to watch over me until the very end. Stop pretending you’re always too busy. And... truly, thank you.