“Am I hearing this right?”
The North Sea Ice Palace Lord, Baek Seol-hyang, stiffened her expression. The subordinate standing before her dared not even lift his head.
It was somewhat better when she was in a rage. But when the Lord truly reached the peak of her anger, her fury was colder than the northern winds that froze everything around them.
“Yes… There has been an official complaint from the Demonic Cult. They claim that a martial artist from the North Sea Ice Palace killed several hundred of their demons…”
“A complaint... officially? If anyone from the Demonic Cult has any semblance of sanity left, it must be their military officers.”
Crash—!
The armrest of the throne froze and cracked. Baek Seol-hyang clenched her fist, her eyes burning with fury.
“If it’s the military officers, they must have at least noted the physical traits of the one who acted. So, who is this person causing such trouble?”
“That… that would be…”
The subordinate tightly closed his eyes.
“A man… They say his name is Baek Seo-jun…”
“What?”
“Moreover, he claimed to be Baek Seo-jun himself… I suspect someone is using him as a pawn.”
Among the martial artists of the North Sea Ice Palace, men were rare. Due to the energy they controlled, which was close to pure Yin, only women could truly master the palace’s techniques.
Especially among the Supreme-level masters, there was no male warrior of comparable strength within the North Sea Ice Palace. In fact, there hadn’t been one in the last 300 years.
Outsiders might not know the details, but Baek Seol-hyang, the Lord herself, was fully aware of this.
“…Wait. Baek Seo-jun, you say?”
“Yes.”
“Seo-jun… Seo-jun? I’m sure I’ve heard that name before…”
“There is a powerful person in the Namgung family named Lee Seo-jun.”
“Ah, yes. The one they called ‘The First to Reach Heaven’?”
“Yes.”
“Could it be that this person is attempting to frame the Ice Palace…?”
Baek Seol-hyang let out a chuckle at her own words. It was absurd.
A man—no, someone who wasn’t even part of the Ice Palace—was supposed to master the Ice God’s Art?
Moreover, if they were of sound mind, they wouldn’t be foolish enough to change their surname and use a false name.
Even demons, whose bodies were filled with demonic energy, would never do something so foolish. If anything, they would reveal their true names boldly.
“Such a ridiculous thought…”
Baek Seol-hyang rose from her seat, a cold smile on her face. “Phew!”
With a small exhale, the entire area froze instantly.
“Baek Seo-jun… Baek Seo-jun…”
No matter how she thought about it, the person named Baek Seo-jun had to be a martial artist from the Ice Palace.
If that were the case, who would dare to act under the Ice Palace’s name and cause such trouble?
Could it be one of the rogue branches that broke away long ago? No, they didn’t know the Ice God’s Art. Without owning the essence of ice, mastering the Ice God’s Art would be impossible.
Then this person must be someone from the main branch of the Ice Palace, a master in their own right.
No, that’s not possible. Could it be that the person from 300 years ago is still alive?
‘That’s an overactive imagination.’
That couldn’t be. That person was definitely dead.
“If…”
“Yes?”
“If there’s any news about that person, tell me first above all else.”
“Then…?”
“I’ll personally go and expose that person’s true identity, and their head will be displayed at the top of the palace. How dare they commit such acts?”
Baek Seol-hyang’s overwhelming energy surged with a dangerous force.
“Inform the general. Whatever that person does, it is not the Ice Palace’s will. Don’t make a move and report directly to me as soon as you have any news.”
“Understood!”
*****
The person using a fake name with only a changed surname, Baek Seo-jun, stood atop a towering peak, looking down at Kunlun Mountain.
The demons were no longer in sight. They were either dead or had retreated.
This was enough for Kunlun to catch its breath. With their forces preserved, stopping the next assault would be relatively easier.
As long as the Demonic Cult didn’t send an absurdly overwhelming force again, Kunlun would likely manage.
‘If it comes to it, there’s the Sect Master too.’
He didn’t know for sure, but Kunlun was also a sect under the Sixteen Major Sects. The Sect Master would surely be a Transformation Stage master.
Though it was unlikely Kunlun would publicly expose itself unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn’t just let Kunlun perish without a fight.
‘It’s a strange feeling.’
Who would have thought that he’d end up worrying about a sect like Kunlun? It didn’t feel that long ago when he could barely look after himself.
No, it wasn’t just a feeling—it hadn’t been that long. Just over two years, right?
He suddenly became apprehensive about his own abilities.
‘With this, becoming the number one in the world wouldn’t take long… Well, maybe not yet.’
No matter how he thought about it, his father-in-law was still too far away. Seo-jun clicked his tongue, when suddenly, a figure appeared below him.
It was Pungwol from Kunlun.
“…You really did it.”
“Well, it wasn’t that difficult.”
“It was difficult. This was a battlefield where many of the sect’s Elders had come out.”
While praising Baek Seo-jun, Pungwol narrowed his eyes, observing him carefully.
“So, what exactly do you want?”
“What I want?”
“You wouldn’t have helped Kunlun without wanting something in return. Especially considering you’re a martial artist from the Demonic Cult.”
“Hmm…”
Baek Seo-jun’s gaze pierced Pungwol’s, making him tense up.
Of course, Seo-jun had no particular thoughts on it.
‘What should I say?’
He had helped because they were on the same side, but how should he justify it?
After thinking for a moment, Seo-jun came to a decision. He would just play it off and give the North Sea Ice Palace a little trouble.
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became that the North Sea Ice Palace wasn’t involved in the destruction of the Golden Family. But they were the ones who held the martial arts that caused Chun-bong’s near-fatal injury. That alone gave Seo-jun enough reason to make things difficult for them.
“I don’t like it when someone targets my prey.”
“…?”
“Kunlun is the prey of our North Sea Ice Palace. The Demonic Cult has been salivating over it, and I can’t help but be displeased.”
“You…”
Pungwol’s gaze grew sharper.
Seo-jun had just come out of a fierce battle. If anyone were to target him now, it would be the perfect time.
When Pungwol and the other Elders decided to join forces, Baek Seo-jun smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll see you next time.”
“Damn…! Everyone after him…!”
Whoooooosh—!
Baek Seo-jun's figure disappeared in an instant. Pungwol stood there, mouth agape, unable to take his eyes off the spot where Seo-jun had just been.
“What kind of lightness technique is that…?”
Did he burst his Qi into the ground to achieve such explosive speed? A foolish method. If even the slightest mistake were made, his body would have shattered.
“Damn it…”
Regardless of how it happened, the fact remained that he had lost sight of him. In the end, that man would return as another blade aimed at Kunlun.
“That bastard is really going to get me killed in this filthy mess!”
Pungwol’s furious voice echoed through Kunlun Mountain.
*****
“Phew.”
Seo-jun sighed in relief as he flew across the sky. It wasn’t ideal to use the Mixed Origin Sun and Moon Art right in front of him, so he had decided to use the Ice Qi. But it was lacking in many ways compared to the Mixed Origin Sun and Moon Art, which made him a bit anxious.
Of course, he could have used the Mixed Origin Sun and Moon Art directly without any issue. Since he could hide his Qi, even if someone later said, “Hey, wait a minute… You, surely…” it could turn into a case of mistaken identity, and he could even turn the situation in his favor.
But that would have been too morally questionable. Seo-jun prided himself on having at least some semblance of conscience.
Though if he were caught using a makeshift version of the Mixed Origin Sun and Moon Art with Ice Qi?
Ta-da! It was actually Lee Seo-jun! What the hell! You dare insult me!? Twi-twi-twi? That would be a bit awkward.
Well, anyway, he hadn’t been caught, so it was fine. It was better to avoid making unnecessary enemies and avoiding situations where both sides ended up embarrassed.
For now, it was manageable, but it was clear that this would cause future complications.
He might be accused of assassinating the grand general of the Imperial Family.
‘Well, now things are really starting.’
Having passed Kunlun, the farthest western reach of the orthodox sects, it was time to be extra cautious.
Though this area wasn’t in the Demonic Cult’s domain, it wasn’t strictly under the orthodox sect’s control either, so anything could pop up.
He had expected some trouble, but to his surprise, he reached Tian Shan without incident.
“Good.”
In fact, this was even better.
*****
As soon as Seo-jun started to sense demonic energy in the distance, he immediately activated the Reverse Qi Art.
Whoosh—
His face morphed into that of Cheon Seo-jun. His sword and Heavenly Silkworm Silk also followed suit. The Heavenly Silkworm Silk couldn’t change its color, but he could easily modify the existing patterns, so he quickly engraved the Reverse Qi Art onto it.
‘Maybe I have a talent for embroidery.’
The simple white-threaded patterns on the sword’s base allowed Seo-jun to quickly inscribe the Reverse Qi Art after some thought.
If it were urgent, he could also activate a spell version of it. It was the genuine Reverse Qi Art, after all.
“Let’s see…”
Seo-jun cleared his throat a few times and quickly set his course for a city that was within his Qi perception.
His plan was to first get a feel for the atmosphere on the outskirts of the Demonic Cult’s domain and then delve deeper.
“Who are you?”
Out of nowhere, a spear was pointed at him by what looked like a guard. Cheon Seo-jun narrowed his eyes.
“Seems like this guy’s lost his mind.”
He grabbed the spear and bent it in half with ease, causing the guard to fall to the ground in panic.
“Ahh! I’m sorry…! I didn’t recognize you as an important person! Please spare my life…”
Information shuttle, acquired.
Seo-jun chuckled and crouched down. He patted the trembling guard on the shoulder, causing the man to shudder.
Screech—
The ground below began to darken.
“What…!”
Seo-jun stepped back in alarm.
“Hah…!”
The guard, realizing his mistake, turned pale and collapsed, gasping for air as he fainted.
‘What the hell is going on…’
Seo-jun was taken aback. He drew his sword and prodded the man’s cheek.
“Hah…!”
The guard regained consciousness and, seeing the sword pointed at him, panicked again.
“Eeek…!”
The man fainted once more.
“Unbelievable…”
This was starting to get really difficult from the beginning.
*****
After several attempts, Seo-jun successfully extracted some useful information from the guard.
Q. Don’t you think he looked like a master? Why did you act like that?
A. I didn’t think he was a master. Normally, you can feel a tremor just by being near a real master. I didn’t feel that, so I thought he was just some fool showing off…
“I’m sorry…! It was a slip of the tongue! Please spare my life…”
It seemed like people from the Demonic Cult just walked around openly displaying their demonic energy. This was a bit different from the orthodox sect, where concealing one’s energy was considered a virtue.
Seo-jun continued his questioning.
Q. Has the atmosphere changed recently?
A. Not really. I’ve heard there was some big event, but it has nothing to do with this little village.”
Q. What’s the biggest sect around here?
A. There’s not really a sect here. In small towns like this, there aren’t any organized groups.”
Q. But there’s an orthodox sect here, right?
A. Why are you asking me that…?
“Sorry…! Please spare my life!”
A. Well, there aren’t any big sects here. Unless you have enough strength, your martial arts will just cause accidents and the group falls apart.”
“Ah, I see.”
That made sense. Martial arts were volatile, so it was common for fights to break out between masters or their disciples.
If it wasn’t a sufficiently large group, it would be hard to maintain.
Q. So, are there any martial artists here?
A. There are. The person sent from the sect governs the city.”
Having gotten that information, Seo-jun waved his hand.
“You can go now. I’ve heard everything I need.”
“Yes, yes…! I’ll carry your kindness with me forever…!”
Kindness? I don’t know what you mean, but Seo-jun nodded and entered the city.
‘I’ll get the rest of the information from the guy sent by the sect.’
There was nothing to worry about now. Right now, he was Cheon Seo-jun. No one could hold Lee Seo-jun accountable for anything he did.
Because after all, it wasn’t Lee Seo-jun who did it...!
Good. This responsibility-free pleasure.
Seo-jun grinned and headed toward the new information shuttle and martial arts shuttle.