Return of the Mount Hua Sect

Seol Chun-Sang, the ruler of the North Sea Ice Palace, strolled down the corridor with his subordinates in tow.

He didn’t even flinch as the cold wind whipped against his body. The people of the North Sea were accustomed to the freezing temperatures.

“My Lord.”

Seol Chun-Sang halted in his steps upon hearing the old voice from behind.

“I apologize for my audacity, but I fail to comprehend. Why are you welcoming them?”

It was a cautious question, but the frown on his face revealed his concern.

“There is no reason.”

His answer was delivered coldly.

“It’s obvious why these people are here. They’ve come to check how well the palace is doing.”

“Still…”

“You’re being foolish.”

Seol Chun-Sang furrowed his brow and turned to face the elder.

“Who do you think sent them?”

“…Shaolin.”

“Of course, it was Shaolin.”

The elder’s mouth went stiff as soon as the word ‘Shaolin’ was spoken.

“Shaolin didn’t leave the Ice Palace alone because they lacked strength. They want a reason to interfere.”

Shaolin no longer possessed the same power and influence it once had.

If this were a time when the Central Plains were at its peak under the command of Shaolin, even the Ice Palace wouldn’t have dared to challenge Shaolin’s messengers.

But times had changed.

Following Shaolin’s instructions, whose position had weakened, no sect would come all the way to the North Sea. This meant Shaolin had to deal with the North Sea alone, a task that wouldn’t be easy for them.

Even if they did deal with the North Sea, coming here alone would cause them equal damage, and Shaolin would completely lose its influence over the Central Plains.

“When we touch them, we give them a cause.”

“If it is a cause…”

“Mount Hua’s Divine Dragon and Shaolin’s Hae Yeon.”

Seol Chun-Sang’s eyes shone for a moment.

“If the two strongest representatives of the Central Plains die in the North Sea at the same time, it will be difficult to keep them from being involved in North Sea’s affairs.”

“Are you saying Shaolin sent them here with that in mind? Besides, I heard that Shaolin’s Hae Yeon is cherished and adored by the Abbot… The world sees his talent as something that appears once in a hundred years.”

“Right, a hundred years. It may seem long.”

Seol Chun-Sang mumbled quietly and turned to look at the elder.

“But for Shaolin, a single warrior is just a warrior. What matters more is Shaolin’s position.”

“Hmm.”

The elder trembled.

If that was true, did it mean the Abbot sent his favorite disciple here to die?

‘Such a heartless act.’

It was said that understanding minds was crucial for those who ruled the world, but they didn’t consider that he would go this far…

“If we harm them, Shaolin will have a reason to attack the Ice Palace.”

“But, my lord. Will the pressure from the Central Plains pose a problem?”

Upon hearing those words, Seol Chun-Sang turned his head and glared at the elder. The man who spoke with such intensity flinched and lowered his head.

Seol Chun-Sang, not concealing his disgust, sighed.

“I am not afraid of the Central Plains. It’s not even Shaolin that I fear. The issue is that we have nothing to gain from fighting them. If we can’t advance to the Central Plains now, winning will only bring more harm.”

“True.”

“It’s best to win without a fight. If we treat them well, Shaolin will lose their reason to attack the Ice Palace.”

“I see.”

The elders of the Ice Palace, who followed him, nodded.

“You truly are the lord!”

“How can we comprehend the thoughts and vision of the Lord!”

“The power of the Ice Palace will flourish.”

As he witnessed the praise pouring in, he smiled. However, his heart carried a different sentiment.

‘Stupid idiots.’

It was as if he was bombarded with questions because they couldn’t grasp a simple concept. In order to swiftly gain control of the Ice Palace, he surrounded himself with individuals who would remain loyal to him rather than intellectuals.

As a result, he thought the elders wouldn’t try to go against his decisions, but this wasn’t helping.

Seol Chun-Sang, who felt his head ache, suppressed the irritation and opened his mouth.

“What did you do?”

“I served them alcohol and food, and they consumed it to their heart’s content.”

“They didn’t doubt?”

“Yes. They weren’t so wary.”

“… are they stupid?”

The smile vanished from the face of Seol Chun-Sang, who mumbled for a moment, and his coldness got exposed.

“I was a little nervous because they were introduced by Meng So, the Nanman Beast Palace, but are they just idiots who enjoyed that warm place?”

Originally, those who lived on a barren land never relaxed around new people. But they seemed to be exceptions to that.

But then, one of the elders who guarded the back hesitated slightly; Seol Chun-Sang didn’t miss the change in expression.

“Is there anything to say?”

“Lord….”

The person who was pointed out gulped with an awkward expression.

“That… there is something different.”

Seol Chun-Sang’s eyes twitched.

Different?

“What does that mean?”

“That, it isn’t that there is alertness… the thing is….”

This made the lord annoyed.

“Speak properly. What do you want to say!”

“… I guess you should see it for yourself.”

“Hmm?”

In the end, Seol Chun-Sang, who didn’t hear a proper explanation, glared at the person. But soon, without shouting, he moved.

‘I will understand once I see.’

It was the only way, and he was on the way.

And after a while.

When he entered the banquet hall, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

‘What?’

This was the North Sea Ice Palace.

North Sea. Right, this was the North Sea. A barren land far from the Central Plains.

Anyone from outside entering this land was bound to feel intimidated. Their inherent courage had nothing to do with it. Everyone would feel small and unfamiliar when meeting a different nature and culture.

Because of this, all the outsiders who came to this place had similar reactions, no matter who they were.

But…

‘Who are these people?’

The scene unfolding before him was unfamiliar.

Gulp! Gulp!

The person sitting in the center was holding a large bottle of alcohol and gulping it down. Looking at the vigorous movement of his neck, Seol Chun-Sang felt refreshed.

“Kuaaak!”

The person who slammed the bottle down wiped his lips and exclaimed as if he had no concerns in the world.

“This drink is quite strong?!”

He, who sat in the middle and drank, was Chung Myung. His eyes looked satisfied as he saw the empty bottle.

He licked his lips as if he really liked the strong alcohol that couldn’t be found in the Central Plains and soon grabbed a piece of meat in front of him and began tearing it apart.

“Meat! Meat!”

Chop! Chop! Chop!

Chung Myung, who crushed the meat instantly, reached out for another piece of meat.

Chak!

But someone quickly snatched the fish he was aiming for.

“Huh?”

Chung Myung widened his eyes and glared at Jo Gul, who had caught the fish.

“You’re touching my meat? No manners.”

“Chung Myung. You’re beneath me.”

“Ah, right.”

Jo Gul, who was slightly wary of Chung Myung, soon shed tears of emotion as he devoured the meat.

“Such juicy meat…! Real meat, not dried jerky! Kuak! It’s melting in my mouth! Melting!”

“Eat a little more quietly. Quietly!”

While beating Jo Gul, Yoon Jong also teased him with his spoon.

Even Baek Cheon, who would be the first to point out that when the disciples lost their common sense, was now fully stuffing his mouth. Yu Yiseol and Tang Soso, who were sitting on the side, were also gulping their food down.

“Rice! More rice!”

“Damn it, so tasty…!”

Jo Gul loved it so much; it was as if he had fallen in love with the meat.

“We came all this way just to eat decent food!”

“…we brought grains and yet couldn’t cook proper meals.”

“That devil urged us to move quickly, so we even had to chew on raw rice!”

While traveling to the North Sea, they couldn’t eat proper food because they were in a hurry. And when they arrived at the village, they were too busy treating people to eat.

Moreover, it wasn’t possible for people known as the Taoists to eat their fill when people were sick. As a result, the disciples of Mount Hua were finally eating proper meat after a month.

How difficult it must have been for those accustomed to three meals a day on Mount Hua to now subsist on mere raw rice and dried beef. But finally, they were presented with actual food right before their eyes.

There was only one person who abstained.

Crack.

The person pushed their spoon back and forth, then it slipped from their grasp and landed on the table.

“… m-monk…”

The disciples of Mount Hua, who had been late in noticing, felt sympathy for Hae Yeon.

In an effort to properly entertain their guests, only meat was brought from the palace.

Roasted meat, boiled meat, fried meat, grilled meat…

It was certainly a feast for the disciples of Mount Hua, but for Hae Yeon, a monk, it seemed rather unusual.

Hae Yeon glanced around at the table with sorrowful eyes, realizing that he could never perceive the world as he once had. Eventually, he reached for the stir-fried vegetables placed as side dishes and began eating.

“… should we request something else?”

“Amitabha…”

Hae Yeon looked at Yoon Jong with teary eyes and shook his head.

“I… I’m fine.”

“He’s fine! Let’s eat!”

“Yes!”

And once again, they commenced their battle against the meat while Hae Yeon watched them in confusion.

‘Let me give it one more try. Just once…’

Did they have to be so heartless about it?

Hae Yeon wasn’t the only one feeling bewildered.

Seol Chun-Sang, the leader of the North Sea Ice Palace, stared at the disciples of Mount Hua in disbelief.

‘Was Mount Hua not a Taoist sect?’

No matter how much information about the Central Plains was condensed for the North Sea, this was just basic information.

“Which Taoist drinks and eats meat like this?”

Who was this guy in the middle who kept eyeing the bottle?

Only then did he realize why the elder insisted he saw this for himself. This…it was indescribable.

“Kuak! I might finally live!”

In the end, having acquired enough meat, Chung Myung grabbed the bottle and patted his full belly.

“… you’re drinking after eating so much?”

“Dong Ryong, Dong Ryong. There’s a separate stomach for food and alcohol. You don’t even know such a simple thing. Tsk. Tsk.”

Chung Myung tilted his head back and smiled.

“Oh?”

And that’s when he spotted Seol Chun-Sang standing by the door. Chung Myung sprang up from his seat with a wide grin.

“My Lord, you’re here!”

“….”

“Kuak! Thank you! I never expected such treatment!”

“Is that so?”

The man was already sweating.

‘A bit of a fool, huh?’

The relationship between the North Sea and the Central Plains wasn’t the best right now. And it did not matter that they had been introduced by Lord Meng; this was still enemy territory.

And yet, this man acted like it was his own home?

“Would you like a drink?”

“….”

“This alcohol is pretty good. It’s really strong.”

Seol Chun-Sang stood there with an awkward smile.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Then, he took a deep breath to clear his mind. As he approached the other disciples and pulled out a chair, his mind finally settled.

“Alright. It seems like our stomachs are full, so let’s have a chat.”

He asked with a smile.

“What brings you to the North Sea?”

Upon hearing this question, Chung Myung arched an eyebrow.