"I-Ick…! Get away!"
Baek Seol-hyang shoved Seo-jun’s face away. Seo-jun watched her with amusement and chuckled.
‘This is fun.’
She was such a socially awkward mess that teasing her was incredibly satisfying.
That was just how people were, wasn’t it? If someone as incredibly reactive as Baek Seol-hyang existed, not teasing her would be going against the natural order of the world.
Truly, the King of Defying Heaven, the Heavenly Demon, must have been utterly inhuman to have never engaged in such antics.
"Anyway, I asked what the last task was going to be."
"Just wait! A man without patience is disgraceful!"
Baek Seol-hyang huffed and jabbed a finger at him.
"Your wife must have a tragic fate! I bet you have zero patience even in bed!"
"Oh? Do you think you could handle me?"
"W-What are you talking about?!"
"This is not a topic that will work in your favor."
"Urgh…!"
Baek Seol-hyang finally realized her mistake and clamped her mouth shut.
She glared at Seo-jun for a long while, suppressing her frustration. Then, all of a sudden, she sprang to her feet and got ready to leave.
"Enough. Follow me!"
Was this the third task?
Seo-jun followed her without complaint.
Baek Seol-hyang didn’t just leave the Ice Palace—she used her light footwork technique and began speeding off somewhere.
At this point, his curiosity got the better of him.
"Where are we going?"
"A village."
"A village? What village?"
Baek Seol-hyang scoffed.
"What other village? The only one under Ice Palace’s rule."
The village near Ice Palace didn’t even have a name.
Whenever someone said ‘the village,’ everyone knew which one they meant.
Since Beihai (Northern Sea) wasn’t exactly a livable place, there was only one settlement near Ice Palace.
"I see."
Seo-jun nodded.
"For a faction of the Black Lotus Union, this place seems quite poor."
"…You are the Young Lord of that poor faction."
"Well, that's unfortunate."
Even though they weren’t moving particularly fast, they reached the village in no time.
Seo-jun glanced around with a peculiar expression.
‘It’s… humble.’
A small village, but lively.
Despite its size, there was a warm, familiar atmosphere.
The villagers looked cheerful. The bustling streets had several merchants selling goods—mostly seafood.
It was nothing like the usual image people had of a village under an Unorthodox Sect’s control.
Most striking was how the villagers reacted to martial artists.
"Oh my, what brings you here?"
Walking beside Baek Seol-hyang, Seo-jun saw villagers bowing respectfully.
He observed them closely.
This wasn’t a bow born of fear.
The villagers smiled brightly, and some even offered gifts.
One man, upon spotting Baek Seol-hyang, rushed over with dried fish.
"This batch is newly dried, and the salting was done perfectly. Please have some."
"Ah, thank you. No trouble lately?"
"A sea beast showed up, but it was dealt with quickly. No problems at all."
The man continued chattering.
He talked about how the sea had frozen over in places, how fishing had been great lately, and how life had gotten better.
After a long-winded one-sided conversation, the man finally left.
Seo-jun chuckled as he walked alongside Baek Seol-hyang.
"You’re quite popular, aren’t you?"
"They're not recognizing me. They’re just fond of Ice Palace’s martial artists."
You could easily distinguish an Ice Palace martial artist from an ordinary villager.
Not just by their clothing—
The moment they reached a certain level of martial achievement, their hair turned completely white.
Not just a few gray strands—
Their hair became pure white, like freshly fallen snow.
Regardless, the villagers’ respect for Ice Palace's martial artists meant Ice Palace had taken good care of them.
"You’re the face of Ice Palace. That means you’re popular."
Seo-jun grinned slyly.
Baek Seol-hyang whipped her head away.
"Shut up."
She clicked her tongue in irritation and entered a building.
Seo-jun followed her inside.
As soon as they stepped in, warmth enveloped them, carrying the rich aroma of food.
"Weren’t you going to give me a task?"
"Hmph."
Baek Seol-hyang snorted and sat down.
Then, after clearing her throat at least a dozen times, she called for the owner.
Since the shop was small, the owner just poked his head out from the kitchen.
"An order?"
"Yes. Two bowls of fish porridge."
"Coming right up!"
Silence fell between them.
Baek Seol-hyang lacked social skills, and Seo-jun was only slightly better.
And even that was a recent improvement—
Thanks entirely to Golden Chun-bong.
She had become an external conscience, social guide, etiquette instructor, and self-restraint mechanism all in one.
‘Still, I’m the more sociable one here.’
With a self-imposed sense of duty, Seo-jun forced himself to find a conversation topic.
"So, farming works here? You ordered porridge, after all."
"It’s thanks to the hard work of past generations."
"I see."
The conversation died again.
The air turned awkward. Seo-jun rolled his eyes.
‘Isn't she supposed to keep the conversation going now?’
A pair of socially inept people trying to talk… was no easy task.
Eventually, Seo-jun sighed and leaned back in his chair.
"So why are we here, anyway? You never leave your cave, but suddenly you’re out and about."
"I figured you’d hate the banquet, so I made a considerate choice. If a task is completed, a reward is necessary."
"My reward… is going out to the village with you?"
"That’s right. Be grateful. This is the best restaurant in all of Beihai."
The shop owner, carrying two bowls of porridge, grinned.
"Haha, you flatter me! But yes, Ice Palace martial artists do visit often!"
The steaming bowls of fish porridge were placed before them.
The dish was packed with fish, with large, hearty chunks. The milky broth carried a deep, savory aroma.
Seo-jun prodded at his food with curiosity.
Baek Seol-hyang frowned.
"Stop poking it and eat before it gets cold."
She had a point. Seo-jun took a spoonful and tasted it.
"Oh. This is good."
"Obviously."
Baek Seol-hyang blew on her porridge before taking a bite.
As she chewed and swallowed, a faint melancholy flickered in her expression.
"…It tastes the same as always."
"You’ve been here often?"
"Not often. The previous Palace Lord brought me here a few times."
With those words, Baek Seol-hyang quietly focused on eating her fish porridge.
Her expression was full of unspoken stories.
Seeing that, Seo-jun ate in silence as well.
"Come again!"
The shopkeeper called out as they left. Baek Seol-hyang resumed walking, and Seo-jun followed, asking,
"You must’ve had a good relationship with the previous Palace Lord?"
"They were like a parent to me. Though they’re no longer here."
"…I see. I shouldn't have brought it up."
Seo-jun offered an apology, and Baek Seol-hyang gave him a strange look.
She stared at him for a long moment before suddenly letting out a small laugh.
"You’re misunderstanding something. They didn’t die. Didn’t I tell you? The Ice Palace Lord passes on their internal energy to their successor and then becomes free."
"Oh, right. Then… do you ever contact them?"
"Not at all. The moment they leave Ice Palace, they are no longer part of it."
Baek Seol-hyang exhaled a long breath and smiled faintly.
"Well, they must be doing fine. They were more than capable."
****
From then on, Baek Seol-hyang led Seo-jun to various places that held memories of the previous Palace Lord.
Not because they had any special significance—
But because those were the only places she knew.
When Seo-jun heard that, he couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.
"I’m being serious here… you should really get out more. Staying cooped up in Ice Palace isn’t good for your mental health."
"Nonsense. I’m a Transcendent. I don’t need to worry about something as trivial as mental health."
"Sure, sure. Coming from someone who already suffered qi deviation, that’s very convincing."
"You…! I told you to show respect! I am the Palace Lord of Ice Palace!"
"Oh no, so scary."
Seo-jun smirked and continued walking.
Baek Seol-hyang huffed and stomped after him.
By evening, they had returned to Ice Palace and naturally headed straight to her chamber.
Not for any particular reason—
It was just that this was where Baek Seol-hyang spent almost all of her time.
From what Seo-jun had observed, she spent about 23 hours and 30 minutes of the day in this room.
Not only had she reached the pinnacle of martial arts, she had also attained the peak of being a shut-in.
(Though she hadn't quite reached the absolute peak of hermitry.)
Seo-jun looked at her with pity.
Annoyed by his gaze, Baek Seol-hyang clicked her tongue and spoke.
"Here is your third task."
"Oh? That was quicker than expected."
"You pestered me all day! You have the patience of a flea…."
She grumbled as she stomped her foot on the floor.
Rumble—!
With a strange vibration, a section of the wall behind her throne slid open.
Seo-jun raised an eyebrow.
"A mechanical formation?"
He had known something was hidden there, but he hadn’t expected it to open like this.
Judging by the fact that even he hadn’t detected it before, the mechanism must have been entirely physical.
As he curiously examined the surroundings, Baek Seol-hyang gestured.
"Follow me."
Beyond the wall lay a long passage.
No light illuminated it, leaving it pitch dark.
But for Transcendents like them, the darkness posed no obstacle.
Baek Seol-hyang moved with practiced ease, disabling various traps and mechanisms along the way.
No matter how he looked at it, this place screamed ‘classified information.’
"Are you sure you should be bringing me here?"
"I am the Palace Lord."
"You’ve said that at least fifty times today."
"It means there is nothing in Ice Palace that is beyond my authority."
The tunnel extended beyond the main palace.
With his Transcendent senses, Seo-jun noticed the passage sloped downward.
Before long, they had reached an underground chamber.
Baek Seol-hyang threw him a glance over her shoulder before placing her hand on a massive door knocker.
The material didn’t seem ordinary.
The moment she pushed the door, it swung open effortlessly, despite its size.
"Hooh."
As soon as the door opened—
A coldness far beyond expectation swept over his skin.
Seo-jun narrowed his eyes and looked toward the center of the chamber.
There, resting on a pedestal, lay a fist-sized orb.
"That must be the Ice Essence."
Its energy was overwhelming.
If an ordinary Supreme Grandmaster were to get too close, they’d freeze solid instantly.
"It’s not as strong as you think. Right now, the Ice Essence’s cold has weakened significantly."
"This… is the weakened version?"
"Yes. The Ice Essence needs to be replenished periodically."
Baek Seol-hyang clicked her tongue and tapped the orb lightly.
"Normally, it needs to be recharged every four to five years. But we’re past that deadline, so we have to hurry."
"Past the deadline? What happened?"
"Something did."
"What was it?"
Could it have been related to the incident with the Oracle?
Seo-jun asked, expecting a serious answer.
Baek Seol-hyang responded with a completely straight face.
"I couldn’t be bothered."
"…What?"