Chapter 419: The Most Frightening Among Others’ Blades
Yang Seok was deeply shocked.
‘Father is thinking of making that guy his successor?’
The reason for his surprise was the sting of betrayal. A natural suspicion crept in and seized him.
‘Is that why he kept calling that guy so often? Was it not to get reports about me?’
At that moment, Han Seol once again sent him a sound transmission.
―The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s information might be wrong. Look into it properly.
Geom Mugeuk had told her to say it like that. Not to try to deceive him, but to empathize and think together. She still didn’t understand why, but she followed Geom Mugeuk’s instructions.
―The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s information wouldn’t be wrong.
Yang Seok knew very well just how outstanding the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult’s intelligence network was. His father had always emphasized that even the Northern Blood Gate should have an intelligence organization like the Heavenly Communication Pavilion.
Of course, there was always this possibility.
‘What if Han Seol was lying?’
Why would she? What would she gain by driving a wedge between him and Ha Gyeol?
Another possibility occurred to him.
‘The Heavenly Demon Divine Cult might have deliberately leaked false information to the Young Palace Master.’
He’d rather it be the latter than the former. Because he didn’t want Han Seol to be on the same side as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
But even the possibility that the information could be true—there wasn’t a single thing he could be sure of, and that made Yang Seok confused.
‘Whatever this trick is, whatever the reason, they looked down on me. But I won’t fall for such petty schemes.’
Yang Seok’s gaze turned to Geom Mugeuk and Ha Gyeol.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk looked this way and spoke loudly.
“This friend here, he’s a fine one. Come, let’s go together.”
Geom Mugeuk brought Ha Gyeol over to where Han Seol and Yang Seok were.
Naturally, Yang Seok and Ha Gyeol ended up face to face.
Seeing Ha Gyeol stirred complicated feelings within Yang Seok.
‘Is it really you? Did Father really choose you as his successor?’
He wanted to grab him by the collar and ask, but he forced himself to calm down.
Ha Gyeol noticed that Yang Seok was looking at him with a different gaze than usual.
But the idea that it was because Yang Seok suspected him of being the successor—he couldn’t have imagined it. He simply thought it was resentment toward the unruly Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Besides, he knew Yang Seok had feelings for the Young Palace Master of the Ice Palace. This wouldn’t be easy for him.
Geom Mugeuk, excited on his own, raised his voice.
“Since fate has brought us together like this, the four of us should share a drink. I’ve been abstaining for a while, but with Elder Seo’s death, that’s over. Now, like a foal off its leash, let’s drink to our hearts’ content!”
What could Yang Seok say when the Young Cult Leader himself suggested a drink? He was a guest anyway, so he had to be a good host. Even without the invitation, perhaps because of his uneasy mind, he was craving alcohol.
“Very well, I’ll prepare the drinks.”
He called a servant and instructed them to prepare drinks in the guest hall.
However, Ha Gyeol politely declined.
“I’m scheduled to meet with the Gate Master, so I must excuse myself.”
If he shared drinks with Geom Mugeuk, he might risk revealing his identity. With only two days left before the great task, even falling snowflakes required caution—let alone drinking with the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.
How could he not know that the man chatting in front of him like a local housewife was not all he truly was?
Yang Seok stared coldly as he watched him leave.
Earlier, he’d said he was returning from a meeting with Father. And yet now, after they’d been together all this time, he suddenly needed to go meet him again? Fine, he could lie to the Young Cult Leader—but wasn’t Yang Seok here too?
‘You’re going to walk off without even glancing at me?’
Geom Mugeuk began to fan the flames in Yang Seok’s already burning heart.
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s an interesting fellow. A guard who abandons the one he’s supposed to protect and walks away? Please understand, Master Yang. This friend came from a background of wandering warriors.”
But Yang Seok actually spoke up in Ha Gyeol’s defense.
“In our sect, the Gate Master’s orders are absolute.”
He smiled outwardly, but within, the smoke of anger began to rise.
‘Does he really disregard me because he believes he’s the successor?’
Even normally, Ha Gyeol had never been like the other subordinates. He had a strange kind of presence that made it hard to treat him lightly. Father had also treated him differently from the rest.
‘So all of that… was because of that?’
Had he not been the one who killed his own younger brother, he wouldn’t be doubting like this. Because he had done something unbelievable, he now thought something equally unbelievable might be happening.
There was only one way to confirm this quickly.
To meet Father directly and ask.
But he couldn’t bring himself to do it easily.
What if the information from the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult turned out to be true? How would Father react? A man who hadn’t even blinked when the second son died before his eyes—could he not kill the firstborn too?
While Yang Seok was immersed in these dark thoughts, Geom Mugeuk sent a sound transmission to Han Seol.
―You did really well.
Han Seol had done her part splendidly. She lied without even blinking an eye. Relationships with people were difficult, but deceiving people was not.
―Did I really do well? I can deceive people so easily like this.
―It’s not because you’re a wicked woman that you deceive well. It’s because you’re smart.
―You really seem like someone who has an answer ready for everything.
―It’s because I’m smart too.
Geom Mugeuk really left one speechless.
Meanwhile, the drinks were set up in the guest hall. Fine liquor and dishes were prepared, and the three of them sat around the table.
While pouring into Geom Mugeuk’s cup, Yang Seok thought to himself.
‘If that information is true, then this guy knows I can’t become the successor and yet hasn’t shown a hint of it. He’s definitely not an easy opponent.’
Yang Seok downed two cups of alcohol in a row.
“Oh, Master Yang. You can really drink.”
Normally, Yang Seok wasn’t much of a drinker. But today, the alcohol went down like water.
After a few rounds of drinks, Geom Mugeuk and Han Seol began discussing the matter they had arranged beforehand. Geom Mugeuk released his energy to prevent their conversation from leaking outside. This was where it truly began.
“Young Cult Leader, when will you return to the Cult?”
“As you know, we’ve avenged Drunken Demon by killing Elder Seo, so our business here is finished. It’s just a matter of going back now, but the Ice Palace Master asked me to look into the Extreme Cold Constitution, so I’ve stayed.”
Geom Mugeuk revealed why he spoke so lightly of something so serious.
“To be honest, I have no interest in the Extreme Cold Constitution.”
Pouring alcohol for Yang Seok, Geom Mugeuk asked,
“Master Yang, please tell me plainly about the Extreme Cold Constitution. I’ll pass it on to the Ice Palace Master and then return to the Cult. If you don’t want to tell me, you can speak to the Young Palace Master instead.”
“How could I tell you anything when I don’t even know?”
Yang Seok answered politely. Now that he thought about it, he really didn’t know anything.
All he had done was search for people with the Extreme Cold Constitution along with his younger brother—he had no idea what they were actually going to do with someone like that.
Suddenly, he recalled what Han Seol had said earlier.
―They said the purpose of finding someone with the Extreme Cold Constitution is also related to the successor.
But I’m the successor? And I know nothing?
That could only mean Ha Gyeol and the Extreme Cold Constitution are related?
Geom Mugeuk summarized the current situation in the Northern Sea with a single sentence.
“Anyway, the greed of old men, I tell you.”
Here, “old men” clearly referred to Elder Seo and the Northern Blood Gate Master.
Even though it was a remark that insulted his father, Yang Seok couldn’t refute it. No—he didn’t even feel like refuting it. His father clearly had ambitions he hadn’t even shared with his own son.
All this time, he had trusted his father and followed him without asking a single question. But now, the unbearable feeling of betrayal was beginning to raise its head.
“Come now, let’s drink.”
Geom Mugeuk kept urging him to drink. Before long, Yang Seok’s face was flushed with drunkenness.
It had all started with the matter of Drunken Demon, and now, even in this moment, alcohol was playing a significant role in the events unfolding in the Northern Sea.
Geom Mugeuk spared no means or methods. Since the opponent charged in using a Self-Destruction Technique, he had no intention of responding with any fair approach on his side either.
Han Seol sent a sound transmission to Yang Seok.
―Ask the Young Cult Leader directly whether that information is true.
―Then won’t it be revealed that you’re the one who told me that?
―I’m fine. I knew I’d have to bear this much once I brought it up. Are you really going to hand over the successor’s seat to a subordinate just like this?
Yang Seok asked suspiciously.
―Why are you trying to help me?
Geom Mugeuk had expected that he would surely ask this. Now it was time for her to fulfill the second most important role she had to play today. A short but powerful line.
―I want you to become the Northern Blood Gate Master.
That line stirred Yang Seok’s emotions. Since he already had feelings for Han Seol and was also drunk, he felt a kind of thrill he had never experienced before the moment he heard her words.
Just from Yang Seok’s expression, Geom Mugeuk could tell what kind of sound transmission Han Seol had sent him. Pretending not to notice, he simply kept drinking, until Yang Seok finally drew his sword.
“Young Cult Leader, I ask as one martial artist to another.”
“Why so serious all of a sudden?”
“Did my father really choose Ha Gyeol as his successor?”
The smile vanished from Geom Mugeuk’s face. Instead of making excuses, he cast a cold gaze at Han Seol.
“So it was you.”
Han Seol did not deny it.
“That’s right. I happened to overhear the Young Cult Leader speaking with Drunken Demon and told him.”
“It wasn’t that you overheard—it was eavesdropping.”
In truth, given her martial skills, it would have been impossible for Han Seol to eavesdrop on their conversation.
But at this moment, Yang Seok had no accurate information about the martial skills of the three involved. And even if he had, this wasn’t a situation where he could think rationally. All his attention was fixed on one thing—whether or not it was true.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to help Master Yang.”
Han Seol lowered her head deeply. She, in her own way, was feeling a strange thrill. Despite wearing the Heavenly Palace Guard Armor and being on a dangerous mission, she was surprised to find this moment enjoyable. It was amazing that she could pull off such acting so naturally.
Unaware of that feeling, Yang Seok stepped in as she appeared cornered.
“Don’t blame someone unrelated—this is my issue. Let’s resolve it between us.”
He held out a cup. His expression said he wanted to speak man to man, martial artist to martial artist.
“Did my father really choose Ha Gyeol as his successor?”
Geom Mugeuk stared at Yang Seok with a cold gaze. Compared to when he had spoken earlier with that loose smile, the coldness now was on an entirely different level.
Han Seol could feel it. That such a stark change in demeanor now made what he was about to say seem even more convincing. She realized that overwhelming and deceiving someone wasn’t something that could be done with words alone. A single expression, a glance—those changed everything.
“You’ve learned something you were never meant to know.”
When Geom Mugeuk said that, it made everything feel true to Yang Seok. He found himself being swept away by the atmosphere Geom Mugeuk was weaving.
“This is my matter. It’s something I have every right to know. I’ll ask again—did my father really choose Ha Gyeol as his successor?”
Geom Mugeuk made a face that said there was no turning back now, then calmly answered.
“That’s right.”
“Do you have proof?”
“We’ve committed all of our intelligence resources to this matter. My word is the proof.”
With a serious expression, Geom Mugeuk truly didn’t look like someone who was lying. Yang Seok felt confused. Had his father really abandoned him?
“If your Gate Master finds someone with the Extreme Cold Constitution, you may end up in a difficult situation.”
He said “difficult” because it was face-to-face, but the implication was clear—it meant Yang Seok could be eliminated. It was a statement with the hidden intent to prevent him from going to confirm things with the Northern Blood Gate Master.
“That’s why even the Heavenly Communication Pavilion of our cult is keeping a close watch on this situation. It’s not every day that someone tries to designate a successor by removing his own flesh and blood.”
This time, he said it directly—“removing flesh and blood.” Every word Geom Mugeuk spoke carried careful calculation.
Suddenly, Yang Seok began to wonder why his father had so easily agreed to eliminate his younger brother. Was it because they weren’t the ones with the Extreme Cold Constitution, and therefore unnecessary?
The fire of suspicion ignited in his heart was now beginning to emit black smoke.
“When people seek out unique constitutions, it’s usually to perform some kind of major technique, isn’t it? It might be a forbidden technique that should never exist in this world. That’s why our cult has been highly alert. And thanks to that, I’ve been the one stuck dealing with the trouble.”
The uncertainty in Yang Seok’s heart now leaned even further. Geom Mugeuk had no reason to lie about something like this. What would a Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult gain by staying in this freezing Northern Sea?
“Now that I’ve been honest, you should be honest too. Tell me what you know about the Extreme Cold Constitution.”
Yang Seok hesitated for a moment, then finally opened his mouth.
“I don’t know the full details either. My father only told me it was something important and needed to be handled discreetly. Ah—he did say this. That the Extreme Cold Constitution would make our sect the greatest in the Northern Sea.”
Hearing that, a chill ran through Han Seol’s heart. Those words meant they intended to bring down the Northern Sea Ice Palace. Given the things they’d done so far, it was clear they would never use a just method.
‘If that’s what you’re planning, it won’t be the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult that stops you—it’ll be us.’
Geom Mugeuk casually offered a solution.
“If you find the person with the Extreme Cold Constitution first, it’ll all be easily resolved.”
As if it were no big deal, Geom Mugeuk added the remark with an air of complete indifference.
“If you find out, be sure to contact either me or the Young Palace Master here.”
“I will.”
The three of them resumed drinking.
In that moment, Yang Seok was making a decision that would change his fate.
‘I’ll steal the Extreme Cold Constitution and eliminate Ha Gyeol.’
If Father truly intended to make him the successor, then of course he had to be killed. And even if this information turned out not to be true, it didn’t matter.
It was just the death of a subordinate who had always been a thorn in his side. If it was true, he would save himself. If it was false, it was just one subordinate dying.
The problem was Father. If he found out that Yang Seok had stolen the Extreme Cold Constitution and killed Ha Gyeol, he wouldn’t stay silent. So how could he avoid the blame?
Yang Seok lifted his head and looked at Geom Mugeuk.
‘What if the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult stole the Extreme Cold Constitution? What if Ha Gyeol died at the hands of the Young Cult Leader?’
He was planning to use Geom Mugeuk as the blade for a borrowed-knife killing—because among all the blades that existed in the martial world, this was the most terrifying and powerful of them all.
And if that was the extent of his scheming, then what followed was an even more terrifying thought—one that should never be acted on.
‘What if even Father died at the hands of the Young Cult Leader?’
Now the fire within him burned wildly—a fire mixed with suspicion, rage, and desire.
‘Everything will become your doing. That’s right, smile like a fool just like that.’
As if reading his very thoughts, Geom Mugeuk smiled brightly and raised his glass.
“Looking at you, it feels like the Northern Blood Gate has fully opened.”
Yang Seok didn’t understand the meaning behind those words, but Han Seol did. She had once said, “If Lee Ahn can open the Gate of Hell, then I’ll try opening the Northern Blood Gate.”
And now, Geom Mugeuk was telling her that the gate had finally opened.
“Come, let’s drink to the Northern Blood Gate!”
Amidst the clash of ambition and grief, a toast of admiration was added.