I explained to Seol Lihyang what I had heard from Bing Yerin.

“What kind of bullshit is that?”

She cut me off before I even finished.

Seol Lihyang tilted her head and glared at me with a pout and half-lidded eyes full of confusion and disbelief.

…Yeah. If you suddenly hear all this without context, it’s honestly hard to believe.

While I was trying to decide where to start explaining again, Tang Sowol—still bundled up in thick clothing since she hadn’t yet reached Cold Immunity—timidly raised her hand.

“Um, Brother Cheon…?”

“What is it?”

“I understand what you’re saying, but… is that even possible?”

“Exactly! Just like Sister Tang said! How could the temperature rise just because some spirit beasts are sucking up a bit of energy?”

Taking her chance, Seol Lihyang jumped in, waving her arms in protest. But before I could respond, Seorin stepped in.

“To give you the conclusion first, it’s not impossible.”

“Eh?”

Seol Lihyang flinched as Seorin continued calmly.

“When I was young, I heard from my grandfather that powerful spirit beasts can even change the weather around them. He once captured such a beast himself in his youth.”

“Hmm… Seorin-unni is this old, and her grandfather was young back then, so that makes it…”

Seol Lihyang started folding her fingers to calculate something, then suddenly widened her eyes.

“Two hundred years ago—!”

“Hey! It wasn’t that long ago! At most a hundred!”

Smack!

Seorin smacked Seol Lihyang on the back and huffed. Honestly, even a hundred years is pretty long ago.

But both Tang Sowol and I were wise enough to read the room and keep quiet.

As I barely resisted the urge to laugh, Seorin gently patted the sulking Seol Lihyang’s back and continued.

“Ahem. Anyway, back when spirit beasts were more common, such phenomena weren’t unheard of. I’ve heard stories about the Flame Sun Fox raising the river temperature and wiping out entire schools of fish, or the Eternal Snow Ginseng making caves so cold that unfamiliar animals gathered nearby.”

“Even so, could it really warm up the whole North Sea?”

“Not the entire North Sea, but if it’s just the Ice Palace and the surrounding region, then yes, it’s entirely possible. Moreover…”

Seorin glanced toward Bing Yerin and the martial artists of the Ice Palace and gave a slight nod.

“I’ve heard that everyone in the Ice Palace learns martial arts, regardless of their level. If both people and spirit beasts have been absorbing natural energy in the same area for so long, then as I said before, it’s not impossible.”

Natural qi tends to flow and maintain balance, but if that balance were truly perfect, why would so many historic sects build their compounds deep in remote valleys?

Some places naturally gather energy, while others disperse it.

Considering how “auspicious sites” are usually in isolated areas, it’s clear that even just people living in one place for long periods can affect the surrounding energy.

Normally, the changes would occur slowly over a long time, but…

In the case of the North Sea Ice Palace, with spirit beasts and a cultural trend of widespread martial training, that shift would have accelerated.

Also, because their arts deal specifically with cold energy, they might be more sensitive to even minor changes.

“That’s why I don’t believe the Divine Maiden from the Ice Palace is lying.”

“Understood. Then if she’s telling the truth and sincerely asking for help… what should we do?”

“That’s for you to decide, Seol Lihyang.”

“Huh??”

“There’s not much we can gain from this visit to the Ice Palace. But for you, it’s different.”

The Ice Palace holds a rare and deep mastery of yin arts, rarely seen in the Central Plains.

It’s an environment so saturated with cold that even this ‘mild warming’ feels unbelievable.

And potentially… the position of Palace Master itself.

If Seol Lihyang desired, she could grasp all of that—or selectively take only what she wanted.

“That’s why your decision matters most. Besides, the help Bing Yerin asked for is based on the assumption that we’re going to leave for the Central Plains soon.”

“So my choice is what matters… Then Cheon Hwi, are you saying that if I choose to stay here in the Ice Palace, you’ll just leave without me?”

She stared at me, eyes wide, voice tinged with disappointment.

I let out a dry laugh and shook my head.

“Not just leave.”

“Then?”

“I’ll ask you to reconsider first.”

“Hmph. That’s not bad. And if I still say no?”

“Well, then I guess I’d have to cling to your leg and beg.”

“Oh… That, I’d actually like to see. And if I still say no?”

Seol Lihyang was now clearly amused, even expectant.

I shrugged and answered casually.

“Then it can’t be helped. I’ll respect your decision.”

“Can’t exactly kidnap someone who doesn’t want to come, right?”

“…Huh?”

“Though, I could do that.”

“Then do it. If I get stubborn, just kidnap me. Got it?”

“…Huh.”

I’d only said it half-jokingly, but I didn’t expect her to respond that way. I nodded and asked,

“Got it. So, what do you think about Bing Yerin’s proposal?”

“Doesn’t seem like we’d lose anything. I say we take the deal.”

“That’s fair. But there’s one thing I forgot to mention.”

“What?”

“Learning not one or two, but multiple secret arts from the Ice Palace, whether you like it or not, is the same as becoming their successor. Even if the sect gets wiped out later, someone will recognize your techniques and start digging into your connection with the Ice Palace.”

“I don’t care.”

Seol Lihyang shook her head firmly and said,

“I don’t care about fame. I just want to become stronger so I can help you—like you once helped me when I had nothing.”

Got it. I’ll let them know.

I smiled and replied, and Seol Lihyang finally nodded in satisfaction.

With the serious conversation finished, we released the qi barrier and returned to small talk.

Things felt slightly awkward, but Seol Lihyang and Bing Yerin resumed chatting, and when someone asked what food the Ice Palace was famous for, the martial artists hesitated before answering: “Liquor.” That earned them a disappointed glare from Seorin.

Aside from that brief awkwardness, we resumed our journey in good spirits.

But I found myself thinking a little differently from the others.

Let’s say I help Bing Yerin absorb the Bingjeong.

If it succeeds, great. She’d likely reach the Sub-Perfection realm and could either oust the current Palace Master or inherit the title of Young Palace Mistress later.

Sure, the next generation Palace Master would be weaker without the Bingjeong, but Bing Yerin seems intent on fighting the Pale Cold Serpent horde anyway. Whether she lives or dies, she’ll fight—so there’s no point worrying about the next generation.

The real problem is if she fails to absorb the Bingjeong.

Frankly, that’s more likely. The Bingjeong is an unrefined core steeped in the blood of countless Divine Maidens.

Just as the Demonic Cult’s concoctions like the Blood-Refining Pill or Soul-Blood Pill were infamous for causing qi deviation due to their murky, corrupted energy…

The Bingjeong may also be polluted by the blood and resentment of the forcibly sacrificed maidens.

If Bing Yerin fails during absorption, that’s what we’ll have to deal with.

Stopping her from going into deviation or knocking her unconscious would be simple. Even if the Bingjeong flares up, Seorin and I are both Flowering Stage. It won’t be enough to stop us.

The real issue would come afterward—with Bing Yerin having consumed the Bingjeong against the Ice Palace’s will, and us helping her do it.

We only stopped here as a fallback plan in case we couldn’t defeat the Heavenly Demon.

But if this escalates, we could become enemies of the Ice Palace.

Even if they urgently need a successor, and Seol Lihyang is the perfect candidate… if they’ve lost the Bingjeong and been betrayed, they won’t look kindly on us.

So, we need to do them a favor—to leave them with some form of repayment—so they won’t be hostile later.

“…Cores have always been excellent alchemical ingredients.”

The Pale Cold Serpent horde is strong enough that even the previous Palace Master and his elites failed to defeat them.

But we have two Flowering Stage martial artists.

If push comes to shove, we can always retreat.

And more importantly…

“Tang Sowol.”

“Yes? What is it, Brother Cheon?”

“I was just thinking… I’m really glad you’re here.”

“…?”

She tilted her head, clearly puzzled by my sudden words. When I held out my arm, she instinctively linked hers with mine.

The warmth through her thick clothes. Her subtle scent, reaching me a moment late.

Yes. A direct confrontation would be risky… but sneaking in to scatter poison and escape? That might just work.

As my thoughts settled, a massive structure came into view.

The distant outline of the North Sea Ice Palace.

I spoke, almost absently.

“Think you could make a poison effective against serpents?”

“Eh?”

“I mean, not just any snake—one with power between Peak and Sub-Perfection Stage. A spirit beast.”

“Ah…”

Now understanding what I meant, Tang Sowol gave a sweet smile.

“At my current level, I can make poison that could even affect the Pale Cold Serpent leader—if it holds still and takes it, that is. Since they’re full of cold energy, I could use that against them…”

She tapped her chin, muttering calculations under her breath. Then, with a solemn face, she spoke.

“Brother Cheon. Brother Cheon.”

“Hm?”

“Did you know? Snake wine is very good for men.”

“…What?”

“No particular meaning, of course. Just thought you should know.”

She grinned slyly.

Why did it feel like she was the snake now, and I was the prey?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep