Seol Unhwi’s pupils traced a crescent arc.

It wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t spoken much with Seol Muryeon before—but he hadn’t expected him to be this talkative.

He’d thought of him as a cold man, the type to speak only in terse replies.

Seol Muryeon pulled something from his robes and handed it directly to Unhwi.

“A gift.”

Unhwi’s eyes widened. What Seol Muryeon offered him was a silver bracelet delicately engraved with a snowflake pattern.

Even a subtle aura was emanating from it. Anyone could tell it wasn’t an ordinary item. And Unhwi recognized exactly what it was.

“…The Snowflake Bracelet (Seolhwa Suhwan). One of the three sacred relics of Snowflake Manor.”

“You know it well.”

“Second Brother, no matter how much I may have aided you, I believe giving this to me is inappropriate.”

Seol Muryeon smiled.

“It was important enough to merit it.”

To possess one of Snowflake Manor’s sacred relics—what did that signify?

First, it meant receiving the Manor’s absolute goodwill.

In other words, if Unhwi walked around inside the Snowy Mountains wearing this bracelet, some might assume Snowflake Manor had placed itself under his authority.

And that made sense.

Wearing this bracelet meant he held command authority over everyone in Snowflake Manor except its master.

For once, Unhwi hesitated.

Seol Muryeon gave a quiet laugh.

“Don’t worry.”

There was certainty in Seol Muryeon’s voice.

“No matter how others perceive it, the power of Snowflake Manor will serve you well. No matter how I think it through, there’s nothing I can offer you besides this.”

“You don’t need to give me anything. I’ve already paid the price back then.”

“You mean that you understood my sincerity?”

“Yes.”

“That’s your position, isn’t it?”

“…”

“You say you paid your dues, but I haven’t repaid mine.”

Seol Muryeon still held out the Snowflake Bracelet. Unhwi had yet to accept it.

“Are you planning to shame your brother’s hand?”

Unhwi let out a sigh internally—and finally took the bracelet.

“Your heart… I’ve received it.”

“Good. That’s enough.”

Seol Muryeon took another sip of tea and looked out the window.

“And there’s something else I want to tell you. Elder Brother Horyeong has entered closed-door cultivation.”

Unhwi tilted his head.

Closed-door cultivation?

Seol Horyeong?

“Judging by the timing… it’s been about half a month, I think. Honestly, I only heard about it a few days ago myself, so of course you wouldn’t have known. Right?”

“Yes.”

“Even though he held the position of Commander-General, he told no one and went in silently.”

“…He really is unusual.”

“He’s a strange one. But a genius, too.”

Seol Muryeon was certain.

“He’s always done long closed-door sessions, but never this long. Judging by the circumstances, I think it’s highly likely he’s reaching the Ipshin Realm.”

Unhwi’s lips parted slightly.

How old was Seol Horyeong this year?

Twenty-seven.

And at twenty-seven, he was already approaching the Ipshin Realm.

In the history of the martial world, few had ever progressed that quickly.

“When I asked around about what triggered it, they all said the conversation you had with him—about secrecy and stillness—kept weighing on his mind. Clearly, you had a major influence on him.”

“I see.”

“So don’t feel upset that your elder brother didn’t come out to greet you. If anything, he gained a new opportunity for a breakthrough thanks to you. If he emerges from this, he may return with something more precious than this gift I gave you.”

Unhwi gave a soft smile.

“I expect no such gifts. Your sentiment alone is more than enough. If I receive something like this divine relic, I might die early from the pressure, Brother.”

At the lighthearted remark, Seol Muryeon let out a quiet chuckle.

He reached out and lightly rested a hand on Unhwi’s shoulder.

“Unhwi.”

“Yes, Second Brother?”

“What I owe you… cannot be repaid with a mere sacred relic.”

“Please don’t trouble yourself over it, Second Brother.”

“It’s my heart. If there’s anything I can give you, I will. So if you ever need something, come to me.”

For all his calm demeanor, Seol Muryeon was still the Commander-General of the Frozen Sea Province.

He commanded hundreds of martial artists and oversaw around ten regional branches.

“If something comes up, I’ll let you know.”

Seol Muryeon smiled brightly.

***

Huk Yeommasu Ourin, Grand Master of Hwaseong Stronghold under Hon Do Ma Yeomgung.

His disappearance had been widely known.

But then, suddenly, that same Ourin appeared in Saryang—and slaughtered all the leaders of the Ildang Sammun faction.

The idea that someone might be impersonating Ourin evaporated quickly.

And with good reason.

There were hundreds of witnesses.

They all testified to the same thing: that Ourin’s demonic aura was fully matured and unmistakable, and that his martial arts were undoubtedly his own.

More than that, the man who appeared beside him wore the robes of the Martial Alliance—but had a black hat, so no one saw his face.

But witnesses said that Ourin addressed the man as “Great Hero” and even offered him a respectful martial bow.

He had looked like an ordinary civilian in every way, but if even Ourin was being courteous to him, then the man clearly held a position worthy of it.

People across the Central Plains reached their conclusion.

That man must be a hidden master of the martial world.

If you spoke plainly, someone like Gun Mugyeol, the Martial Alliance Lord, would surely have countless shadow agents under his command.

Maybe one of those agents had stepped forward.

Or maybe it was simply a Martial Alliance warrior from Sichuan pretending to act as one.

No one knew the truth—but one thing was certain.

The blades of Hon Do Ma Yeomgung were now pointed toward the Martial Alliance and the Sichuan Alliance.

The ones who found themselves standing on fire were the factions of Saryang.

To survive—

To protect their power—

They had to make a decision. But ironically, they were divided.

Among the four Saryang sects—Cheollyeong Hall, Red Flower Sabers, Blue Sword Sect, and White Tiger Gate—only Red Flower Sabers still stubbornly insisted they wait for the Martial Alliance’s support.

The other three? They were ready to bow their heads to Seol Unhwi.

So they moved.

Cheollyeong Hall, Blue Sword Sect, White Tiger Gate.

Those three sects annihilated Red Flower Sabers and captured the Saryang military commander, Chae Hongmyeong.

It was a form of voluntary tribute.

By half a day later, the leaders of the former Ildang I-Mun arrived in Yangryeong. They entered the branch office—and immediately fell to their knees.

Seol Unhwi looked down on them coldly.

The new heads of the sects: Seon Shijeok of Cheollyeong Hall, Bang Jeonhu of Blue Sword Sect, and Yak Hyeongshin of White Tiger Gate.

All three had formerly served as deputy heads or vice sect leaders. All three were at the Three Flowers Gathering Purity level in martial cultivation.

Among them, Seon Shijeok of Cheollyeong Hall had only half a step remaining to reach the Ogijo level, and so he was effectively acting as the leader of the group.

Behind them knelt Chae Hongmyeong, the captured commander of Saryang, bound by two martial artists.

In all their eyes was a mix of reverence and dread. The three sect leaders bowed their heads even lower.

“Lord Seol!”

Seon Shijeok was the first to speak. His voice trembled, though he tried to keep it deep and dignified.

“We never imagined we’d be forced to kneel like this. But just as the course of rivers cannot be reversed, the tide of the world flows as it must.”

At his words, Bang Jeonhu and Yak Hyeongshin nodded.

“In the past, the foolish former leaders of our sects failed to recognize your power, Great Hero, and made unwise choices. They were punished by Heaven and have now gone to the afterlife… Surely this is fate.”

Bang Jeonhu continued.

“Recognizing our predecessors’ folly, we now accept the responsibility to correct the path they strayed from. This is Heaven’s will, and as the former leader said—it is undeniable fate.”

Yak Hyeongshin added the final words.

“We submit to Heaven’s will. We have punished Red Flower Sabers and captured Saryang’s commander Chae Hongmyeong to offer him to you. From this day forward, we renounce all else and seek to hide ourselves under your shadow, Great Hero. Please accept our loyalty.”

All three men prostrated themselves, their foreheads touching the ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) floor.

Behind them, Chae Hongmyeong gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with fury and resignation.

Unhwi remained silent for a while.

When one acts, one must be prepared for the aftermath.

In this case, there were only positive consequences.

And those three men—despite appearances—were incredibly sharp.

Even if they were deputy heads, taking control of their entire sects so quickly wasn’t something just anyone could do.

No doubt they’d carried out internal purges.

Anyone who’d supported the previous sect leaders was surely dead.

Unhwi, having finished his thoughts, finally spoke in a quiet voice.

“Raise your heads.”

The three of them slowly lifted their heads to look at him.

“They say the human heart is the most fickle. Yesterday’s traitor becomes today’s loyal servant, and today’s loyalist might be tomorrow’s betrayer.”

Unhwi’s eyes swept across the three one by one.

“If you truly swear loyalty, then you’ve brought proof. Show it to me.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Seon Shijeok drew something from his robes. It was the Cheollyeong Insignia, symbol of Cheollyeong Hall.

Bang Jeonhu and Yak Hyeongshin likewise produced the Azure Dragon Scroll of Blue Sword Sect and the White Tiger Plaque of White Tiger Gate.

“We offer our sects’ sacred artifacts. They are the soul of our sects, worth our lives. By giving them to you, we pledge eternal loyalty.”

Unhwi slowly descended from the platform. His steps were light and graceful, yet carried a gravity that stirred the earth. He stopped in front of the three.

“What you offer is not your sects’ soul—just objects.”

Their faces paled.

Unhwi spoke again.

“True loyalty is offered from the heart, not through trinkets.”

His gaze turned to Chae Hongmyeong.

“That man over there fed on the lifeblood of innocent citizens and fattened himself with their suffering. Whether or not he’s guilty is for the imperial court to judge. But you…”

At Unhwi’s words, Chae Hongmyeong convulsed.

“Y-You son of a b*tch…! What the hell do you know abou—kugh!”

The two martial artists flanking him struck him hard at the same time, cutting off his words.

Unhwi returned his gaze to the three men.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep