Chapter 328: Sea Ice (1)

Left alone, Soyonghwa ground her teeth in frustration, drenched in defeat.

“If I had used all my energy in that final attack, could I have beaten him?”

She had ended up suffering internal injuries from the thunder qi that pierced through the three gapja of her Protective Energy.

“Cough!”

The internal injuries she had forcibly held back burst out from her mouth.

Soyonghwa, who vomited a bowlful of dark blood, wiped her lips.

“If I want to defeat him, I must perfect the Sword Unification. How can I ever reach the peak of Murim if I can’t even beat him?”

After finishing her isolated training, Soyonghwa believed the martial world was already within her grasp.

Thus, she had gone out to enact the Hundred Martial Challenges of Murim.

During the seventy duels she fought, there was no expert capable of contending with her ultimate techniques. There were some martial artists who held out for a while, but even they couldn’t withstand supreme techniques like Blade of Hollow Echoes.

“He tricked me into thinking his energy was only at one gapja, then attacked with over three gapja worth of power—I was bound to fall. But once I master the Sword Unification, you’ll die by my hand!”

Soyonghwa pulled a book from her robe.

It was a manual in which Gwigokja had written his theories on Sword Unification.

It was the only surviving manual in the current Murim that documented Sword Unification in writing.

“With just this…”

As she gripped the manual, the corner broke off with a snap and fell to the ground.

And the fragment that hit the floor had turned pitch-black, like a lump of charcoal.

“This is…”

When she applied pressure, the manual crumbled powerlessly.

“Don’t tell me… he aimed for this from the start?”

Only then did Soyonghwa realize she had been deceived—twice.

The release of thunder qi in the final moment hadn’t been to break her Protective Energy, but to burn the manual hidden in her robe.

Soyonghwa had used her Qi to protect her body as much as possible when the thunder qi pierced through her Protective Energy.

However, she found it odd that the thunder qi had specifically stretched toward her chest.

At the time, standing on the brink between life and death, she had simply assumed Yong Hwarin was aiming for her heart.

But now she knew—it hadn’t been her heart. It had been to incinerate the manual she carried.

“Wait!”

Soyonghwa suddenly stood up, about to give the order to capture Musician Urak, but let out a hollow laugh instead.

“Hahaha… I’ve been thoroughly played, haven’t I? He’s surely already hidden the musician, and here I am, chasing after shadows.”

Only then did Soyonghwa understand the reason behind the duel conditions—sending the people inside the inn away and removing the warriors of the Muhwa Group.

Soyonghwa had regarded the disciples of the Three Demonic Heavens and the Heavenly Demon Sect as her greatest rivals.

And when she heard those very disciples had been defeated or crippled by Yong Hwarin, she had scoffed, calling them fools.

But now, realizing she was no different from the fools she had mocked, she couldn’t help but feel utterly empty.

“Ahahahahaha!”

Soyonghwa’s maniacal laughter startled the subordinates guarding the area around her.

Hearing Soyonghwa’s laughter, tinged with madness, Yong Hwarin murmured,

“She must be furious.”

But Yong Hwarin wasn’t in great condition either.

“Ugh!”

Sitting on the ground, Yong Hwarin vomited blood.

He, too, had suffered internal injuries.

If Soyonghwa’s subordinates had attacked him as he left the inn, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.

It was a stroke of luck that Iron Hawk Blood Blade Jeon Joong hadn’t been present.

Because Soyonghwa kept her word, he was able to escape unscathed.

That was why he had brought up the dignity of a Little Valley Lord in their conversation.

Having exited the inn ahead of time, Mae Yeongyeong had secured Musician Urak and waited for Yong Hwarin. She was shocked to see him coughing blood.

“I will perform Qi circulation for a moment. Please keep guard.”

They were more than a hundred jang away from the inn—deep in danger.

And yet, knowing that, he chose to circulate his qi. That alone showed how serious Yong Hwarin’s internal injuries were.

“It might be better to regroup with the Muhwa Group and then do it.”

“No. There’s someone who would worry.”

“Ah…”

Mae Yeongyeong thought of Jeong Minji.

Even without him saying it, she knew full well the look the two of them shared.

Seeing Yong Hwarin risk danger to circulate qi here just to keep his beloved from worrying—Mae Yeongyeong found it unbearably touching.

For nearly one sikgyeong, he quickly regulated his chaotic inner qi.

“They’ll be worried from the lack of contact. Let’s go.”

Yong Hwarin headed toward the Muhwa Group’s location, accompanied by Mae Yeongyeong and Musician Urak.

“Gaga, are you alright?”

“I’m alright. Were you very worried?”

Jeong Minji shook her head with a smile.

“No. I trusted you. Even if they called him Little Valley Lord of Dark Echo Valley, I believed he couldn’t best you.”

Yong Hwarin held her hand tightly—hands that had likely clenched in anxiety while waiting.

Mae Yeongyeong saw this and, for some reason, felt displeased.

Maybe because, even briefly, she had acted as Yong Hwarin’s wife and addressed him as Lord, she couldn’t view him as just another man.

But Mae Yeongyeong was not a woman who would covet someone else’s man.

곧 두 사람을 보며 미소를 지었다.

“I must say, those two look good together. A truly beautiful pair.”

Chouhui did not reply.

Though her mind acknowledged it, her heart refused to accept it.

‘He’s not even my man, so I shouldn’t fall too deep.’

Chouhui felt glad they had recovered the Royal Consort Record without any losses to the Muhwa Group.

Even though it wasn’t the complete version, the fact that she had taken the book from the hands of Little Valley Lord Soyonghwa, the Threefold Unrivaled of Dark Echo Valley, was more than a success.

“Young Master Yong, what if Soyonghwa becomes even stronger after gaining insights from the Royal Consort Record?”

Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“She’ll never get her hands on the latter half of the Royal Consort Record. It should have been completely burned by my thunder qi.”

“That crazed laughter of hers—was it because of that?”

“Most likely.”

If anyone else had said so, she would’ve laughed it off as nonsense. But when it came from Yong Hwarin, she had no choice but to believe it.

After hearing the full story from Yong Hwarin, Chouhui couldn’t help but get chills the more she listened.

‘He’s daring, meticulous, and even has boldness. He really does pull off whatever he sets his mind to. No wonder the Martial Flower Lord, with her discerning eye, would take an interest in him.’

She had always known Yong Hwarin was exceptional, but the more she came to understand, the more she realized he was beyond her control.

Yet she hadn’t realized until now just how much that unsettled her.

“For now, it would be best for us to leave this place quickly. There’s a chance Soyonghwa might change her mind and come after us.”

“Withdraw everyone. Leave no trace behind.”

Yong Hwarin approached Musician Urak and said,

“I’m sorry, but I’ll need you to accompany me for a while. There’s nothing to worry about—it won’t be anything dangerous.”

Musician Urak trembled after witnessing the inhuman martial prowess of those around him.

“All right.”

He nodded, relieved that Yong Hwarin was not a demonic practitioner.

Standing before the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, Yong Hwarin exchanged farewells with Chouhui.

“Please deliver a message to the Martial Flower Lord: I’ll come visit once I’ve taken care of some matters.”

“I think it would be better for you to go meet her immediately.”

When Chouhui suggested they go to the Martial Flower Lord right away, Yong Hwarin shook his head.

“I need to read the Royal Consort Record first, then I’ll visit her with this book in hand. Now is not the time.”

“You may be the first person in the world to tell the Martial Flower Lord that it’s not the right time to meet her. And she’s probably never tolerated anyone like that before either.”

“I’m asking because I trust that you, Miss Cho, will explain things well to her.”

“You really…”

Chouhui shook her head in disbelief. She couldn’t understand how someone so young knew exactly how to grasp people in the palm of his hand.

“Sigh, fine. But the Martial Flower Lord’s patience is running thin. If she summons you again, you’ll have to come immediately.”

“Understood. I leave it to you, Miss Cho.”

Chouhui smiled faintly, as if there was no other choice, and then issued an order to the Muhwa Group.

“We’re pulling out.”

As the Muhwa Group prepared to withdraw, Mae Yeongyeong stepped up to Yong Hwarin.

“Young Master Yong, thanks to you, I’ve gained valuable experience.”

When Mae Yeongyeong offered a clasped-hands greeting, Yong Hwarin returned a warm gaze.

“I’ve gained a pleasant memory thanks to you as well, Miss Mae. Take care.”

Following the Muhwa Group, Mae Yeongyeong left a telepathic message for Yong Hwarin.

–It was an honor to call you ‘Lord’ even for a short time.

Yong Hwarin looked after Mae Yeongyeong and responded inwardly.

‘Miss Mae, take care. Even if it was just for a moment, I’ll treasure it as a good memory.’

Watching the Gunwi siblings who had followed them all the way to the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, Jeong Minji spoke.

“Since you’ve come all this way, why not stop by the Union for a bit?”

Gunwi and Gunyeom politely declined.

“No, we’d like to, but we need to return to our clan and report, so we’ll take our leave here.”

“I’ve only received your help and haven’t repaid you at all. Please stay just for one night. That way I can feel at ease.”

With Jeong Minji’s continued persuasion, Gunwi eventually nodded.

“All right. We’ll stay for just one night then.”

“Good.”

And so, the siblings entered the Sky Ocean Merchant Union with them.

Inside the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, Jeong Minji was first greeted by Jeong Daji and Jeong Suji, who rushed toward her in a flurry.

“Sis!”

“Are you hurt?”

Jeong Daji asked as she checked over Jeong Minji’s body.

“I’m fine.”

“Was it Young Master Yong who saved you?”

“Yes. He saved me when I was being held hostage in the Heavenly Demon Sect’s estate.”

When Jeong Minji casually referred to Yong Hwarin as “Gaga,” Jeong Suji pouted.

“Then why did Gaga take so long to come back?”

“He was late because he was rescuing others who were held hostage at the Blood Demon Castle.”

“What? He risked his life to rescue others even while being a hostage himself?”

“Because I’m the first of the Three Chivalrous Sisters, the Phoenix Sword. I’m the righteous heroine Jeong Minji, who lives and dies for righteousness.”

The fact that her older sister—who never joked—was joking now, clearly showed that she had changed.

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